Power of Wellness Adventures

Summer and beyond ...

2010-06-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

A few people have been asking about my plans for the summer and next year and so I thought I'd share them here :). A perfect forum. Starting tomorrow I intend to take the next six weeks of the summer off! Ahhh. Just the thought of it feels very, very good, and so well deserved. In fact, I'm going to sign off of the computer (email, facebook, blog, twitter, everything!) for most of July. I will still see my coaching clients yet, other than that, I intend to relax, socialize, spend some time with family, walk the beaches, meditate, have fun and be quiet. Not necessarily in that order but lots of each!

Then, come mid-August I'll be planning for a partial return to Douglas College in September, at 25% of a full load for the year. It's called a one year temporary workload reduction, and I'm grateful for it - you know I love teaching and Douglas TR Students! I'll be teaching one course in the fall, and one in the winter. That will give me more time to be there for my mom (who I think I mentioned has had some health setbacks & gains over the last year) and continue tuning in to see what adventures the Universe draws to me for this beautiful journey called life and the Power of Wellness.

In the fall I see myself actually recording the POWer Up Your Life Audio CD I thought would be complete by last fall! Yes, I've certainly learned this past year that my sense of what can be done with a block of time is very skewed indeed! I have great expectations and tremendous optimism (which I wouldn't trade for anything), and, like all of us, I made choices with the options given me. I wouldn't change a thing about the past year. There are no mistakes and I'm grateful for a year full of precious life opportunties - some of which I saw coming, and many of which I couldn't have imagined. In the words of the beautiful Louise Hay, all is well. Life is good.

Beyond that? Who knows. In fact, beyond this moment, who knows? Just guessing here. What else can we do?

All of that to say that I likely won't be blogging a lot for the next year - perhaps here and there if I feel there's something truly special I'm inspired to share and know that this is the best place for it. In the meantime though, I'll be back on Facebook regularly after mid August. I love connecting with friends there. And I invite you to be my facebook friend if you're not already. It's such a simple and great way to connect, isn't it?

Also, I'll continue sending the POW newsletter out. If you want to subscribe, email me at lee@powerofwellness.com with a "yes" in the subject line, and you'll start to receive issues right away (it comes out every two months). I'm happy to say that my readership continues to grow and I'm so grateful! It's such a blessing to share, connect and learn. And so exciting to hear feedback and stories about how folks pay it forward in their own way. There's nothing I like better than hearing about the good being done. And there's so much of it.

So, thank you a hundred times for listening and for supporting me with so much joy, heart and friendship. I couldn't do what I do without it. I've known that for years and yet I seem to know it more than ever now.

Wishing you delight, love, fun, tears and the comfort of loved ones ... this summer and beyond :). You light up my life!

Love and hugs,
Lee

PS: Hope to see you on Facebook :).

Good to be back!

2010-06-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

Wow. It’s been a while since I’ve done any blogging, and I’ve missed connecting with you! It feels good to be back.

What have I been up to? Well, two things come to mind. First, I’ve been extra busy slowing down! I was moving so fast this past spring, summer and fall – and then Maui and the Universe worked their magic on me. Since then I’ve been relaxing into spring and a pace and rhythm that feels much more balanced and peaceful. In short, I’ve been practicing extreme self-care. Every time a voice inside my head would say “you should write a blog”, I’d notice a deeper voice inside my heart say “not now”. And so I would ask “what now then?” and the answer has typically been something like “have a bubble bath” or “go for a walk on the beach” or “meditate again”. And I’ve listened, knowing that that is the voice of wisdom and feeling grateful that I am once again clearly connected to it! Let me tell you my friends, it’s felt like coming home, only to a home that feels better to me than ever.

The second thing that comes to mind when I think of what I’ve been up to is “where would I start?” So many unique, special and wonderful things have happened in the last few months of this year – along with a few things that really shook me to my core and broke me open! And of course, in most cases, they were one and the same thing. I’ve felt a lot of pain and a lot of love, healing and opening up. Love in doses I hadn’t experienced before – the kind of love that has frankly overwhelmed me and taken me by surprise. And I thought I was pretty great at taking the love in! It’s been a big learning curve indeed, and the learning continues.

So, in short, big things have been happening. And for those of you that know me well, you can just imagine how many stickies I have in my “Blog ideas” file. Are you smiling? I sure am (lol).

Thankfully my inner wisdom is perfectly designed to cut through all the stickies and stories and makes things simple. I tune inward and I hear it telling me to start with something fun, simple and fascinating. That I can do. So here goes ...

First, I want to tell you that my newest coaching client is lighting my life up in a big way. She is 89 years old and committed to feeling truly happy. She is willing to do whatever it takes to spend the last part of her life feeling better than she has in a long time. She inspires me in every sense of the word! She is so very bright, authentic and absolutely honest. When I heard her chuckle for the first time, my heart nearly burst with joy, gratefulness and adoration. She is so proud to have her own life coach and I am so grateful for our connection. Life is short and this is one of the many things that make it meaningful.

And speaking of meaningful, the other day my Postman knocked on my door and when I answered he let me know right away that he didn’t have any parcels for me, but he was wondering if I’d ever heard of Dr. Deepak Chopra. Yes, I said, feeling quite curious to see where this would lead. So, he said, I have an extra ticket to see him tonight at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre – it turns out that my friend can’t come and so I wonder if you would be interested in joining me.

Right away I heard that very wise voice inside of me say “Go”. So I did. I hadn’t seen Deepak Chopra for at least 3-4 years and he is one of my favourite teachers and speakers. I knew this would be a great opportunity to hear him again, a great opportunity to get to know my wonderful postman a little more, and a great opportunity to see what else showed up to make life special. So I patted myself on the back for being spontaneous, thanked the Universe for fun surprises and my postman for the fabulous offer and off I went.

I could share a lot about that special evening and its off-shoots, yet I’ll stick with this one little gem of research that Dr. Chopra shared with us all that night. The research was conducted by Dr. Nicholas Christakis of Harvard, who’s been researching social connections for decades. And what he has discovered is truly remarkable.

Dr. Christakis’ research reveals that if you have a friend who is happy, the probability that you will feel happy increases by 15%. And if that friend has a friend who is happy (someone you may not even know), the probability that you will feel happy increases by 10%. And if that friend’s friend has a friend who is happy, the likelihood that you will become happy increases by another 6%. In fact, it takes four degrees of separation (in other words, your friend’s, friend’s, friend’s friend) before there is no measurable difference in your happiness!

Happiness is so contagious that people we don’t even know have an impact on our happiness and vice versa. Think about it. We have the ability to really impact the happiness of the people we interact with every day by being happy ourselves - whenever we are spending time with our family members, friends, or colleagues we have an opportunity to lead with happiness (even though Dr. Christakis’ research didn’t directly address a family or work context, imagine the link). A simple act like giving someone a compliment, recognizing something they’ve done, or smiling as they pass by could make them happier, which according to this research, may in turn cause others well beyond your immediate social circle to feel happier.

If this fascinates you and you want to learn more, stay tuned for the summer edition of my newsletter, where I share more on this and provide valuable links to videos and happiness tools you can use to boost your happiness quotient.

That’s it for today my friends. Thanks for still being here when I connect, for listening and sharing any comments (here or via email) and for sharing this journey with me. You make it meaningful, for sure!

Here’s to our collective happiness,
Lee

If You're Alive, You Need Help!

2010-04-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Yes indeed. If you’re alive, you need help. In fact, I believe that giving and receiving help is at the very heart of what it means to be human! We are truly designed to help each other. And this is a very good thing because to be our best, we must have help, and lots of it!

Yes - it takes a lot of help to realize our unique potential. To prove the point, take a moment to think of someone you consider very successful. Now take another few moments to ponder how much help they have likely had on their journey to success. Take Oprah for example ... now we are talking about having some help! To be able to do the things she most wants to do, she is literally surrounded with help. The Oprah show alone employs 10 Producers and over 250 staff!

Most of us, however, are much better at giving help than we are at asking for it or freely allowing others to help us (without objecting). It can feel nearly impossible for some of us! Somewhere along the line many of us learned to take great pride in our independence and so we often wait until things are really falling apart before we ask for help or accept it.

And there are other reasons we don’t ask. Maybe we don’t want to appear weak or “needy”. We might not want to feel indebted. We might think there is something wrong with us if we ask for help. And yet, that couldn’t be more of an illusion!

The truth is that asking for help is a sure sign of strength, wisdom, and sound judgment! If Oprah phoned you and said she could really use your help, I’m guessing you wouldn’t think “Oh my gosh, poor Oprah has really lost it. She’s not who I thought she was ... she’s so needy!” You’d be more likely to think “Wow – I obviously have something special to offer because Oprah wants my help!” Am I right?

According to the law of giving, refusing to ask for help is refusing someone the chance to be helpful. Let me say that again. Refusing to ask for help is refusing someone the chance to be helpful. In other words, refusing is blocking the natural flow of abundance and love. To give is to receive and to receive is to give. Think about this. This is big, big, big. If you are serious about boosting the flow of abundance in your life, you must not only give help, but you must let it in too.

Another great thing about asking for help is that it leads to deeper connections with others (and with our inner self and the Universe). Each time we ask, we’re demonstrating our faith in others to want to help when they can, our faith that others have gifts to offer, our faith in ourselves to be strong enough to ask, and our faith that the Universe has more than enough resources to provide all the help we need to live our very best lives!

A great spiritual teacher, Marianne Williamson, boils it all down to this ... she says we were born with one purpose (from ACIM). We were born to love and be loved. In other words, we were born to help and be helped - to reach out and to let others reach in. If you’re alive, you need help.

Now, if you’re already really great at asking for help, congratulations! Thanks for being a model for the rest of us! If, however, you could use some “help with help”, read on.

You could start by asking for help in common ways. Ask someone to pray or send out positive thoughts for you or someone you love, ask to be driven to an appointment, ask for help carrying packages, ask for help taking care of your kids or parents, and/or ask your teacher for an extension on an assignment. These are all great ways to let help in.

Yet when it comes to asking for help, I highly encourage you to think out of the box too. What could help look like? What are the possibilities? I like to share a personal example. A few years ago, during the winter I would drive to work in another city - about an hour’s drive each way. During a particularly snowy stretch of weather, I noticed that many of my colleagues would get a call from a loved one to see if they were okay driving home. At the time I was single and living alone. I really missed getting a call! And one night, just when I was getting into a pretty good pity party, my inner wisdom nudged me and said “ask for help!” So I did. I called a good friend and asked her if she would be willing to call me on nights when the weather made the roads slippery – to check in and tell me she was thinking of me. I was grateful for the idea and she was thrilled to be asked. It made our bond even tighter. And it sure felt good to get those messages from her!

What would thinking out of the box look like for you? If you were really brave, what would you ask for, and who would you ask? Some of us are fine with asking for help from therapists, coaches or family members but not friends, colleagues or strangers. We’ve developed rules we’re not even aware of! So I invite you to ponder what out of the box would look like for you.

This spring, take one small or one giant step to invite some fresh help into your life, to open up that flow of abundance and to dance with new possibilities. You deserve it. The people you ask deserve it. We all deserve it. Because, if you’re alive ...

Thanks, love and blessings,
Lee

The Sneakers that Found a New Home in Maui

2010-03-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

Hi friends!

It's great to be home for so many reasons, one of which is to share some really good Maui stories with you! So here goes with a little one of my faves:

On my recent beautiful Maui vacation, I seemed to naturally relax into a morning ritual that refreshed me enormously, and fuelled my spirit. I’d wake up to the sounds of the beautiful Hawaiian birds at sunrise, put on my sneakers and head out the door. I’d stop at this wonderful little Italian Coffee Shop for my morning decaf Americano, and then walk along the boardwalk to this special stretch of quiet beach. I’d walk the beach (and sometimes jog through the water), breathing in the fresh morning air and incredible sunrise views, feeling so alive and so grateful for what I knew were precious moments indeed.

During the 45 minutes or so it took to walk the beach, I’d say hello to maybe 3-4 others who, like me, seemed to be revelling in the spaciousness and quiet, yet mostly this stretch of beach was quiet and free of anything but the sounds of water, birds and a warm breeze. I felt so connected to the earth, and so free. Free to breathe very deeply, feel the wind on my skin, thank the Universe and drink all the beauty in.

After the first couple of mornings, I noticed some sandals and old running shoes that had been left at the start of this stretch of beach, near some bushes. Wonderful idea I thought! I could walk and run on the beach shoe-less and sock-less ... perfect. Given my preference to pretty much live bare-foot in the summer, I was surprised that I’d needed a cue like that to sink my feet into Maui sand. Ah well, now is the time!

So, I did kick off my sneakers but I heard this little voice warn me that they might go missing since they were pretty expensive and only a couple of months old – and in great condition. So, instead of leaving them there, I carried them with as I enjoyed my morning beach walk.

Then, 2-3 days later, eager to feel as light as possible, and thinking that I was perhaps being too concerned about the shoes, I decided to leave them at the start of the walk, by that bush. Yes! I’ll do it I thought! So I did. And, 45 minutes later...

You may have guessed it. They were gone. I’m smiling now as I remember the moment I noticed the space where they once were sitting, now empty ... because the memory is so fresh. I had surely left them there, lined up side by side, favourite socks stuffed inside, and when I realized they were gone I laughed! I recognized instantly that this would be a good story. I could picture myself walking barefoot a couple of miles back to the condo, wondering where my shoes had travelled to and what this new twist of events might lead to.

So after looking around a bit to be sure I had not mistakenly put them somewhere else, I started the walk back through town, giggling at the irony of the situation and noticing how much I was enjoying the barefoot walk home though the streets. I did sense a bit of disappointment at the same time because I had really liked those pretty new shoes and my favourite socks, for sure, but mostly I heard the voice of one of my mentors, Katie, tell me “Well, whoever took those shoes needed them more than you.” True, I thought. I had them for a while and they had served me well. Now, hopefully, someone who could really use a good pair of shoes would benefit from them.

And the funny thing is that I really didn’t miss them a lot. It was pretty easy to adapt by wearing other comfy shoes (of which I had plenty because I could definitely use help with "packing light") for that morning Maui walk. And more than once I switched things up and visited the pool earlier on in the day instead of going for that walk. This led to all sorts of great discoveries, like free beverages and copies of the Wall Street Journal and Maui News and how great it felt to fall asleep in the early morning sun and wake up to enjoy a chat with someone new in the lounger beside me. Not much to miss!

And there’s one more really ironic piece to this story. As I was sharing the story of the missing shoes with someone, I remembered that I had an identical pair sitting in a shoebox at home, brand new. I’d never done that before. I’d never bought two pairs of running shoes at once. But this time I had – thanks to a great Boxing Day Special and perhaps a hint from the Universe that I might need a second pair in March! That’s pretty fascinating to me. Clearly I didn’t need that first pair of sneakers as much as the person who is wearing them now. I had an identical pair waiting for me at home. Amazing.

So those sneakers remained in Maui when I traveled home and I felt good about that. I felt good that I’d been able to laugh and let them go pretty easily, I felt good those shoes would likely bring a smile to someone else’s face, and I felt pretty grateful that it was only a pair of shoes and favourite socks that I was leaving behind. The truth is that what I gained from my time in Maui (including the shoe adventure) had blessed me immeasurably and I was flying home, so very ready to enjoy my new shoes and being home, sweet home. That makes me pretty blessed, don't you agree?

Love and light,
Lee

The Evidence Journal – A Valuable Life Tool!

2010-01-27T20:59:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

There’s a simple and powerful tool for calming the voice of the inner critic and I’d love to share it with you here. You know what I mean by the inner critic, right? Whatever we call it (i.e.: the gremlin, the committee, the ego, etc), it’s the job of the inner critic to do what it can to make us miserable.

It can work very hard to tell us we’re not smart enough, talented enough, or good enough; we’re too tall, too short, too big, too small; we never have enough money for the things we want, enough time to do the things we want to; the right house, car, partner, body, career, talents, etc. And then there’s the classic line that seems to act like a virus in the minds of so many of us in the western world ... the “you’re not getting enough done” line. Sound familiar?

At its worst the voice of our inner critic can feel strong enough to suck the wind right out of our sails and leave us feeling anxious, stressed, depressed and/or helpless. At best it can be a big drain on our precious energy and keep us playing small. And yet the truth is that the voice of the inner critic has no power at all unless we believe its messages!

A thought is simply a thought and carries no meaning other than what we give it. If we notice a thought and recognize it as false or inaccurate, it loses all hold on us and we relax into living our lives with joy and peace. We can simply notice the thought, just like a cloud in the sky, here and then gone ... we notice it and let it go.

So, how can we recognize a thought or message as true, false or not fully accurate? One simple, yet powerful, way to do this is to record evidence in a journal or on paper so that you can see it and re-read it. This is a little gem of a tool I first read about in Michael Losier’s book The Law of Attraction, and I’ve used this tool many times to calm the voice of my own inner critic.

It’s based on a simple concept really. It comes down to testing the validity of a thought or message by looking for evidence of its truth and evidence of its opposite – and recording the evidence. I’ll use an example from my own life right now.

At times over the last few months my inner critic has been very persistent in telling me that I’m not getting enough done – in fact it’s been bold enough to tell me I’m getting nothing done! Amazing! Thankfully I have evidence to the contrary. In fact I have a LOT of evidence to the contrary.

Every couple of weeks I list my most recent accomplishments in my journal. Since the voice likes to tell me that I’m getting little or nothing done, I record evidence of the opposite, which is “I’m accomplishing things”. I write a running record of my accomplishments, big, medium and small. And what do you know; the evidence proves that I’m getting a lot done.

It’s not possible to believe the inner critic when I can see so much proof that I’m getting things done. I read the evidence and it connects me to the truth. Instead of believing the voice that would tell me I need to get more done to be happy, I realize that the truth is that I am happy, and in fact I would likely be a little happier if I got less done. Yes, less. Can you imagine? I sigh and sink into the recognition that all is well.

So, if your inner critic is active and you notice a serious leakage of vital life energy, get out a pen and piece of paper and write. Start by writing down evidence of the opposite of the message that your critic is feeding you. If you think you don’t have enough money, write down evidence of where and when you do have enough money; if you think you’re not a good mother, look for and write down examples of how, where and when you are a good mother. Do you feed your children? Do you drive them places? Do you clean and cook for them? And if you feel led, write down any evidence that might support the inner critic’s message. You may not find any. Or you may find some and that’s good food for thought – it could give you a more balanced perspective. Either way you’ll have more of the truth; you’ll know what to believe and what to recognize as a very tired and old story.

And if you’re thinking that it would be a lot of work to do this for every negative message your critic feeds you, I’d like you to remember two things. One, because the inner critic doesn’t want you to relax it will tell you that it would be a lot of work to use the evidence journal (it can be sneaky).

And two, a little of something is better than a lot of nothing. The truth is that most of us think a tiny few of the same negative thoughts over and over every day. So start with one. I can assure you that you will feel noticeably better.

In short, the power of the evidence journal is that it brings you to the truth. And you know what they say about the truth ... it will set you free. Here’s to that!!

Love and light,
Lee

Key Beliefs for a Life Well Lived

2010-01-26T14:45:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,

Today I took some time to reflect on and record my core beliefs and values. The ideas I hold most dear and that I aim to shape my life around; how I see the world and what I think about a life well lived. I first felt prompted to do this in order to share more information about myself on my website and then I was reminded of how valuable it is to honor your deepest beliefs and values by taking time out for an honest check-in. To ask, am I living these beliefs and values? Where I am living aligned with these beliefs and values is cause for celebration, and seeing where I could be more aligned is powerful learning and an opportunity for shifting here and there. An opportunity to celebrate and shift to deeper happiness.

Doing this has felt very good to me and if you feel led, I invite you to do this for yourself. It will add meaning and richness to your life. I believe it will inspire you. It has sure inspired me.

My Core Beliefs:

We are designed to live with vibrant health and happiness – the body and mind have an amazing ability to rejuvenate, heal and thrive, even as we grow older.

My main job is to stay well, to take excellent care of my mind, body and spirit. It is from this place of health, happiness, relaxation and love that the gifts I have to offer the world shine the brightest. As Anne Lamott says, lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.

Health is a dynamic process of achieving your potential for a healthy mind, body and spirit. As we gain tools for maintaining a healthy mind, body and spirit, we steadily gain lasting health and happiness.

Happiness is an authentic feeling of wellbeing and contentment. And the path to lasting happiness lies in tuning into you and thinking and acting in ways that reveal your natural capacity for inner happiness.

Health and happiness are about living rather than fighting.

The mind, body and spirit are fully connected. A positive change in any area ignites a positive change in all other areas. For example, when you start to live with more passion and purpose, you’ll discover that you want to eat better and/or move your body more. I call this the Joy Diet.

We are all doing the best we can. When we have more resources, we do better. That is the human condition. When we understand this, we can feel compassion for others and compassion for ourselves; the world becomes a healthier place.

If you’re alive, you need help. We all need help to thrive and live our best lives and we all deserve it. Thankfully, we are designed to help each other.

My Core Values:

Service – Richly contributing to the health & happiness of those I connect with.
Compassion & Respect – Recognizing that we are all doing the best we can.
Holistic Health – Knowing that we are designed to live with a vibrant mind, body & spirit.
Happiness – Realizing an authentic feeling of well being & contentment.
Fun & Adventure – Living in wonder and joy - refreshing my spirit.
Personal Growth & Learning - Seizing new opportunities to grow and thrive.
Authenticity & Integrity - Being real and walking my talk.

Stay tuned everyone ... coming soon I'll share a powerful tool for quieting the voice of your inner critic.

Love and light,
Lee

Two Big Adventures (& Many Angels)

2010-01-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010 Friends,

There’s no doubt that my favourite part of a good leap of faith is the surprising adventures that pop up along the way. I’m talking about the adventures that you didn’t see coming, yet are clearly part of the bigger plan – a plan perfectly designed to help you move forward to the next beautiful step in your life journey.

I want to share two adventures that have popped up and brightened my life lately. First, this winter I’ll be heading off to Maui for my first ever winter vacation. Yes! I’m thrilled by this opportunity and feel great things will come via this – they already have. If you’d told me several months ago that I’d be heading to Maui, I would have found it hard to believe – after all, my plan was to work, work, work and create to move my business forward – who had the time or money for a great winter vacation? Turns out, I did.

Thanks to one of many angels in my life that is. A precious relative of mine phoned out of the blue to say she’d like to treat me to this. She was generous enough to offer and I was wise enough to accept! I did notice the little ego voice in my head telling me I couldn’t afford the time and I thanked it for sharing, knowing that this was simply an old voice of fear and certainly not the voice of truth, possibilities and love. The voice of truth, possibilities and love knew that this trip would power me forward in life and the business ... for they really are one in the same.

In Maui I’ll be riding a bike 28 miles down the slopes of a Volcano, snorkelling for the first time, and meeting a lot of new people – new adventures in the making. I’ll also be coaching my clients via Phone or Skype (their pick) – all systems go, free of geographical boundaries. About half of my current clients prefer phone coaching as it is now, so we’ll simply continue on as usual, and those that prefer face to face connections have the choice to continue coaching on my return or connect via phone during this time. Pretty fabulous. Rack this up to another of the many things I love about coaching and speaking – great flexibility.

Then, shortly after this offer popped up, along came the perfect couple wanting to housesit for me during the trip – more angels. I was in awe at the ease of it all, and I still am.

The second big adventure began a couple of months ago when I had lunch with a woman I’d just met at a networking event. Over lunch she opened up and shared her strong desire for a new career or life path, and her deep frustration with not knowing exactly what it was she wanted. I felt led to coach her a little and so, with her permission, I did. By the end of our lunch she knew exactly what she wanted and felt fuelled with more energy than she’d felt in years.

She enthusiastically thanked me and then turned the tables by saying something that changed things for me and my business. She said “You’re not a normal Wellness Coach!" And because I tend to love most things that aren't normal (and sensed a real gift coming my way) I invited her to expand. And as I probed and she expanded, the words we needed to describe a key uniqueness in my coaching style came to life. Whala! The new Power of Wellness tagline was born: Tuning Into You – Mind * Body * Spirit.

I love it. It feels right. First, the “tuning into you” piece feels very much like what I do and what I help each client to do for themselves ... clearly tune into their dreams, their talents, their inner resources and wisdom, their heart’s calling, and their unique strengths and passions. Together we tune into the power that moves them forward with clarity, ease and joy.

And the Mind, Body, Spirit piece is important too because, so often, folks interpret “Wellness” to mean “body”only ... healthy eating and fitness that is. This Power of Wellness tagline makes it clear that we tune into all of you ... or rather any part of you that is calling for your attention, including your thoughts/beliefs, emotions, sense of purpose and your passions. As Dr. Wayne Dyer likes to say, “The Whole Enchilada”.

So now this wonderful new tagline is featured on the new POW business cards, the newly improved POW website and in the smile on my face. Yes, just when I was getting ready to go out and social network some more, the tagline angel showed up - not a moment too soon.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you I say. To the beautiful angels without whom these 2 big adventures wouldn’t be possible, to the Universe for helping me to recognize a good thing when it shows up, and to you for allowing me to share these adventures with you. After all, that’s what makes the ride meaningful, and that’s what makes it fun!

Here’s to all the adventures, yours and mine, that make our lives so rich.

Lee

2010: An Opportunity to Re-Think "No time"

2009-12-11T14:22:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone :)

I just wrote this piece for the newest edition of the Power of Wellness Newsletter and a little (yet very powerful) voice said "share it in your blog". So, here it is friends ...

Is there something you really want to do in 2010? It might even be the same thing you wanted to do in 2009 but just couldn’t find the time for. Do you want to exercise more, have more fun, make a healthy change in your diet, start a small business, give more, take regular time out for a passion or hobby, spend more quality time with family or friends ... or simply feel more awake to the beauty and joy around you? Recently I asked a new coaching client what she wanted most and she said “I want to know how to take the time to stop and smell the roses”. Sound familiar?

Whatever your desire, if you’ve told yourself “I don’t have the time for that”, I invite and challenge you to re-think it. 99% of the time, the thing that stops us is not a lack of time. The truth is that we all have the same 24 hours each day and we all get to choose how we use the time we have; we all choose how to spend our 1,440 minutes a day, 168 hours a week, and 365 days each year. We all set priorities and if we’re not doing something, it’s because we haven’t made it a priority.

In the words of Michael Neill, “the most important choice you make is what you make important”. If you notice yourself thinking “I don’t have time for that”, ask yourself “Is this a priority right now?” Maybe it’s not a top priority right now, and that’s just fine. I’ve discovered that I could easily fill 3-4 full days for every 1 that I have, all with things I’d truly like to do. So, to live my best life (and bust the big stress that would come with trying to actually do all that!), I consistently ask myself, “What’s most important in my life right now?” This is the only thing that helps me come back to my center, to my sense of peace and wellbeing. And believe me, I've made it into a bit of a daily prayer or mantra to help keep me on track. Without it, I can easily go overboard and lose that sense of wellbeing.

And if something does feel like a top priority to you and you still think you don’t have the time, consider asking yourself “The Million Dollar Question”: If you would be given a million dollars for the successful achievement of whatever it is you say you want in your life, what would you do differently to go about getting it? For example, if you knew you’d be paid a million dollars (or whatever would be inspirational for you) to find the time for a daily 30 minute dose of pure pleasure or fun, what would you do differently to make it happen? Would you say no to something? Maybe you’d delegate more. There are a lot of ideas and it’s amazing how creative we can be when the stakes are high.

Maybe you need help to figure out how to make this a priority. Go for it – ask for help. It’s a common thing to feel stuck and out of answers at some point in our lives and, as I say time and time again, if you’re alive, you need help. We all need help to live our best lives. And we all deserve it. We really are designed to help each other.

You might ask a good friend to brainstorm possible solutions with you, to encourage you and hold you accountable. It could be fun to do this for each other. Or get radical and hire a life coach – research shows that you’re 80% more likely to make the shift you want to, and make it stick. It’s pretty powerful teamwork indeed.

The bottom line is if you want to “move out of stuck and into possibility in 2010”, make it a priority to tune into your priorities. You’ll be so very grateful you did! In the words of Mary Oliver ... “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

The Wonder in a Day Full of Moments.

2009-11-21T15:31:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

A few years ago I heard Byron Katie (author of Loving What Is) speak for the first time. And the thing I remember most is the moment when she faced the audience and said “You know, I’ve waited my whole life to meet you, and here you are! Isn’t it wonderful?” And she gazed at as many of us as she could take in, with such love and adoration.

That moment changed my life. That statement and her wonder and love blew me away with its beauty. It created such a new opening for me. In that moment I became so much more aware of the opportunity for wonder, beauty and love in each new moment. I became deeply aware that each of our lives is so full of moments like this. One moment you might be talking with a friend in a coffee shop and then you feel a light touch on your shoulder, turn around and notice someone new. Maybe you see another friend who has come to join you, or maybe someone you’ve never met smiles and asks if he can sit next to you - and it might even turn out that that stranger is the love of your life. Who knew?

Each day, one moment after another greets us and we can’t possibly know what each will hold. We plan and plan and sometimes what shows up looks and feels like our plan. And often it doesn’t. It’s such a mystery; such a beautiful, spectacular mystery if we’re able to see it and feel it that way. When I’m awake to this mystery, I feel what I imagine a baby or toddler might feel, wide eyed and in wonder at each new thing they encounter. They can’t predict what is next and they don’t even try. They’re just involved in each moment – that is, until the next one comes along.

Yesterday was full of magical moments I couldn’t have seen coming. I attended a Women’s Empowerment Conference that I’d received a ticket to via an unexpected turn of events. I remember entering the conference meeting room at the start of the day and noticing that many seats were occupied and many women were still on their way. Where would I sit? A simple choice that would shape my day and change my life, a little or a lot – how could I know? So I savoured the moment of not knowing, and then found myself greeting a women sitting alone and asking her if I could join her.

Lucky me. I waited my whole life to meet her and there she was, waiting for me! She was fabulous and the moment was perfect. And we discovered that we each had something of great value to offer the other and so we’ll likely meet again, that is if it turns out that way. How could either of us have known the fun and help we’d be blessed with simply by meeting at the right time? Not a moment too soon, or too late.

And today? Right now I’m writing a blog about an idea I didn’t see coming thirty minutes ago. I remember sitting down, tuning into my heart and asking “what do I want to say?” Ideas then popped into my mind, my fingers grasped the pen, and now those same fingers are tapping letters on a keyboard, and soon (if it works out this way) I’ll press the “post blog” key. And maybe tomorrow, one moment you’ll be surfing the net, and the next moment your eyes will notice the blog entry and you’ll read these words. Or maybe you’ll see the blog entry and think “I don’t have time to read this” and you won’t. That’s good too. Life is good, all is well.

Now I’m going to put on my raincoat and step out the door for a lovely walk on the beach all by myself. But really, how could I know? All I know is that I’m open to that, or something even better.

Love and all green lights,
Lee

Best Practices - The Morning Questions

2009-11-06T11:30:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

You know I just love it when a Divine idea just pops into your head or hands, freely delivered at just the right time. Do you know what I mean?

A few weeks ago my cousin introduced me to an author that was new to me, and now having read a couple of his books, I’m amazed that he’s new to me. His name is Robin Sharma and he’s a top leadership coach and speaker – he’s all about living his best life and inspiring others to do the same. I can relate! And I adore his writing, his work and his message.

If you want to take a look for yourself, I believe his first big bestseller was The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. Great title. The two books I’ve read are The Saint, The Surfer and The CEO, and The Greatness Guide. Easy reads, chock full of inspiration, powerful stories and powerful ideas.

One of the many things that I’ve discovered that Robin Sharma and I are both very big on is the value of self-care in propelling us forward to live our best life (to be our best at work, to feel happy in our own skin). Big, big, big. And if you’ve been following my blog, you know that I’ve really boosted my own self-care practices significantly in the last few months.

Okay, here’s where the Divine idea comes in. Thanks to Robin Sharma, I’ve added morning writing or journaling to my daily best practices package. I’ve sure done a lot of journaling in my life, on and off, and now this new set of morning questions I answer is noticeably boosting my ability to shine , and my experience of feeling fully guided and fully alive. It’s a very good thing.

What I do is set aside at least 15-30 minutes in the morning, sit with a cup of my favourite tea, take a deep breath and write the answers to these questions (if you read Sharma’s book, you’ll notice that I’ve used most of his suggested questions yet replaced some of his with my own – always good to make it your own). Here are my morning questions:

1. What am I irritated about? This is my feelings piece and I just write without thinking – free flow writing, just letting it come onto the paper. Interesting what shows up. Feels great to release it.
2. What do I want? What are the greatest desires of my heart? Again, it’s good to write freely and notice that as days go by, I get a deeper sense of what I really want. This helps to set priorities and feel passionate.
3. What do I have to be grateful for in my life?
4. What one thing could I do today to make my life extraordinary? When I get the answer, I set that as my intention for the day.
5. What can I do to feel some fun today?
6. How can I help someone today?
7. What does the Universe want me to know today?

Those are the seven questions that feel good to me right now. I usually don’t answer every morning question, every day. I look at my list of questions (after I’ve had that first sip of tea and a nice deep breath) and notice which ones I feel attracted to at that moment. And those are the ones I answer. It’s fun to notice how they switch day to day. And it’s absolutely amazing to see what comes out of me onto the paper each day. There’s always something juicy in there (little or big “ah has”) and I always feel lighter and more optimistic when I finish. And the answers shape my day, and my life.

This is my newest self-care practice and I love it. My intention is to answer the questions as long as I feel guided to – as long as they help me to shine. My best practices prayer is “This or something better”.

On that note, I send my best wishes for a wonderful weekend and for all of us to feel guided to our own unique best life practices, more and more all the time.

Sending you love and all green lights,
Lee

PS: Question number 2 might just be my favourite (today it is anyhow) because the answers often surprise me. I’d done so much life visioning and didn’t expect to get new insights this often. Fun.

I’m Electrically Re-Charged!

2009-10-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone :)

Yes indeed I am! I’ve just returned home after presenting to a group of 40 fun and inspirational women and men at Douglas College. Yes, someone who’d attended my talk “The Power of Wellness & Extreme Self-Care” at Langara College’s Staff PD Day recommended me to someone in the Registrar’s Office at Douglas for their PD Day, and away I went. And let me tell you, this team blew me away and I left the building just a couple of hours ago feeling electrically charged. Good feeling! Still with me.

First, I discovered that this team enjoys two full Team PD days each year and that those days are organized by their Fun Committee. Yes, I like the sound and feel of that. A fun committee! And it was obvious that they knew something about fun because I could feel and hear the fun vibe coming from the Boardroom as soon as I got off the elevator on my way to join them. Good feeling. Still with me.

I asked the team leader if we could make some noise and she gave me the thumbs up and big smile. So, I challenged the group to stand up and give themselves a full minute standing ovation for all the excellent work they do – to move around the room and “high five” each other – to really celebrate themselves. Well no need for much challenge with this group – they got right into it. All the glee, smiles, and high fives felt like pure joyous energy because that what they were. And of course I jumped right in and joined them as they showered each other with congrats and human connection. Good feeling. Still with me. Oh, and they could have gone for 2 minutes, no sweat.

We had so much fun. And we formed a bond, even in that short time together – how could we not? They were so open, alive and ready to learn and lead. And speaking of leading, the best highlight for me came immediately after I spoke as the team leader thanked me and then shared a big idea with her team. Gives me goosebumps to think of it.

A little background first: During my talk, I’d shared the true story of a very successful small company whose leader was interviewed for a magazine article. He was asked “What is it that you do that makes your business so successful?” He replied, “Well, we do a lot of things but I think that the most important is that the whole team comes together at the start of each day and we begin the day with a 15 minute meditation.” So, the interviewer said “That’s amazing. Do you do that every day, even when you’re extra busy?” And to that the leader replied “No, not when we’re extra busy ... those days we meditate for 20 minutes”.

Well, you may have guessed what I’m going to say here. Today, the team leader at Douglas shared that she felt inspired and suggested to her team that she’d like to try that morning meditation with them – and she asked for folks to ponder this and for anyone that might have experience to volunteer to facilitate that. Wow! I mean wow. Talk about leadership. Like I said, gives me goosebumps. Good feeling. Still with me.

And lastly, one of the team members I spoke with during the break told me that they not only had a Fun Committee, but that they also have a Kudos Committee! Again, I think wow. A committee whose purpose is to give kudos to employees regularly; I love it. I love it because I know how kudos feel and I know that research shows that most of the time employees don’t leave companies because of the pay or benefit plans, they leave because they feel un-appreciated. Best idea I’ve heard in a long time, this Kudos committee. So I’m going to share it, starting here. Very, very good feeling. And yes, it’s still with me.

Can you feel it? Getting any ideas?
Love and thanks again and again for listening!
Lee

PS: I going to close my eyes right now and give a big high five to each of you for all the brilliant work you do. And, if you’re up for it, I invite you to stand up and give yourself a full minute (or longer) standing ovation ... high five yourself, anyone near you – and/or any pet. Oh, or maybe a family standing O. There’s an idea.

Lab Scientists are Fun ...

2009-10-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Last Friday I travelled out to gorgeous Harrison Hot Springs where I was scheduled to present the ending Keynote to 200 Lab Scientists at the 2009 British Columbia Society of Laboratory Science Congress. I checked into my room at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and was so happy to see that I had a lake view and could open the window, smell the freshest of fresh airs and take in the beauty of the lake and surrounding mountains (one of which was blanketed with snow the next morning!).

After setting up my room for ultimate comfort (snacks/water, my own pillow cases, books, room service carafe of hot water for my nurturing teas) I journeyed out for a long walk along the beach and lakeside. The water was sparkling in the sun and I felt like a million dollars (I’m not quite sure what a million dollars feels like but I’m sure I was feeling at least that great, maybe even better). I kept thinking “I’m living my dream”, “I’m living my dream”. There is nothing I want to change or get better right now. This is lovely, magical, and perfect just as it is.

Then, just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, it did! I noticed two empty swings just waiting for me to hop on, pump away and savour the fun of vertigo. And then along came one of the conference attendees which gave me the opportunity to meet a Lab Scientist first hand. This may sound funny to you but I was feeling a little daunted by the prospect of speaking to 200 Scientists. After all, in college, I remember scanning down a list of chemistry courses, knowing that I had to sign up for at least one, and feeling enormously relieved when I saw “Chemistry for the Non-Scientist” on that list. Yes, I thought, that’s definitely me – a non-scientist. Now, skip to 24 years later and here I was, the closing act for a large group of scientists after they’d experienced three days of presentations with titles like “Blood Gases and Electrolytes for ICU: Why send to the Lab?” Can you imagine? I had no clue why.

Thankfully, whenever I noticed some anxiety about this, I reminded myself that two members of their organizing committee had personally seen me present the year before and obviously liked what they saw or they wouldn’t have requested my presence. I also reminded myself of the mantra that has calmed my soul time and time again ... “I don’t need to be special, I just need to be myself and enjoy these folks”. So true. As Joe Kennedy told all his children, "Do your best and then the 'heck' with it".

So I jumped off the swing and enjoyed meeting my first conference attendee, “Mary”. And Mary was just lovely. And of course it turned out that pretty much everyone I met was lovely. And more than that, they were FUN. Along with the blood gases and a host of similar issues, they also joined together for laughter yoga Saturday morning, and when I met attendees and told them what my topic was (The Power of Wellness & Fun), most would regale me with stories of what fun meant to them and how they seized it, especially in the work place. I gained a couple of great stories to share in my talk!

And, what do you know ... the closing act was full of fun. We talked, shared ideas, shared a 1 minute standing ovation for all attendees, gave and received a little massage, laughed and twirled at the same time, handed out treats and did some solid and refreshing deep breathing (otherwise known to many of you blog readers as the Relaxation Response). In short, we had a load of fun. We found common ground – the need, desire and appreciation for connection and laughter. And I was joyfully reminded, once again, that we are all more alike than we are un-alike.

On Sunday I travelled home, feeling refreshed and invigorated like never before – after a weekend of work. Living your dream is a good thing.

Call me grateful, as we approach Thanksgiving, and always!
Lee

PS: I realize that it’s a lie that I’m not a scientist. In fact I remember now that my graduate degree is an M.S. (Master of Science!). Funny. I think we’re all scientists in our own way, just as I know we’re all artists in our own way. There’s no one to impress – we simply get to be our own, wonderful, unique, self. What a relief.

Two Peace Summit Gems ...

2009-10-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone ...

On Tuesday this week I was so blessed to be among His Holiness the Dalia Lama, many passionate & inspiring world leaders, and thousands of like minded change agents in the audience at the Orpheum for the 2009 Vancouver Peace Summit. Here are two of the most valuable gems that stood out for me, among so very, very many ...

1. Number one “life well lived” tip: Go inside. Yes. Again and again I hear and experience the most valuable thing we can do to feel more alive, vibrant and of service in the world. Go inside. Ask your body what it is feeling ... and just allow that feeling some space. No judgement. Ask your heart what it wants you to do. Be still and notice the answer. Be still and notice your breath. Your answers are there, your peace is there, your compassion (for yourself and others) is there ... it’s all there.

Eckhart Tolle shared research on the success of soccer penalty shoot out kicks: those players who turn inward and get still for 2-5 seconds after the signal to kick is heard are much more likely to score a goal than those players who kick the ball immediately after the signal. Amazing, right?

Even 5 minutes of stillness in the morning (to set the tone for a calmer day), or 30 seconds of stillness before an important meeting will reap noticeable pay offs for you.

2. Even though I wasn’t at this event (in body that is), I felt my attention drawn to the We Day Event at GM Place, where 16,000 teen leaders from across BC came to be inspired by each other and by the Dalai Lama, Craig and Marc Kielburger (Founders of Free the Children and the Me to We Movement), and a host of entertainers and passionate social activists. I couldn’t wait to read the Vancouver Sun write up.

The highlight for me was seeing the shining, vibrant face of Mia Farrow, arms in the air, facing the shining faces of this sea of peace-making young leaders ... and she said to them “You are the architects of the future. You are the generation I’ve been waiting for all my life.” Yes, indeed. We are surrounded on the earth today with so much compassion and love ... so many youth and so many peace-builders. I beam with gratefulness and I seize the challenge to continue being the peace I wish to see in the world ... more and more all the time! I know everyone who tunes into my blog feels the same commitment. I bow to the brilliance and love in each of you.

Love, peace, creativity and compassion,
Lee

Awakening Along the Way ...

2009-09-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hi fabulous friends ...

I really do admire a good awakening (otherwise known as an “Ah Ha” moment). It’s like someone turned the light on in a dark room and we get to see and feel new things, new ideas. And if it’s a big awakening, we might feel immobilized for a while – like we’re in a state of shock. The thought we’re now awake to feels so true and yet so profoundly life altering and new that we might feel like we’re in a daze, a state of awe. Each awakening is perfectly designed to move us along on our own unique life path of learning and growing up. And I don’t know about you, but I sure feel like I’m continually growing up, and growing in to my best life.

For example, I’m re-discovering that one very good way to pump up the action on awakenings (in other words, increase the number and/or magnitude of them) is to take a big leap of faith. Take a risk, seize the opportunity to do something that makes you feel nervous. Stretch yourself. Get out of your comfort zone for a change.

Naturally this leave from college teaching has presented plenty of stretching for me. Oh yes. Lots of comfort and joy, and yet lots of challenging and life altering awakenings in the few short months of this journey thus far ... one of which means the world to me. I want to share it with you here.

During the past year, my mom has been experiencing some pretty significant health challenges, and they’ve become gradually more pressing ironically since I’ve taken this leave. I’ve chosen to really be there for her – to do research, to go with her to appointments, to spend a little more time than usual with her just to socialize. She and I are very close and my decision to do this just felt natural.

However, about a month ago I noticed that I was starting to resent all the time this was taking. It felt like, once again, I was pushing my business projects and passions to the side. They would get what was left of me after mom and my clients got the best of me. And just when I started to really get into the “why me” question, the Universe popped the answer into my head. It occurred to me, in that one beautiful moment, that the statement was not “why me” but “lucky me”. Lucky me to have this timing so perfectly aligned – to have more free time to be there for her this year. I can’t imagine the stress I would have felt trying to work at the college, maintain my business AND be there for mom! What was starting to feel like an unwanted diversion and weight turned into a jewel of an opportunity in the blink of an eye. Just one key shift in perception and I felt greatly relieved, and oh so grateful. How blessed I am to have these moments to get to know her better than ever – to spend precious time with her, to learn and love. Priceless.

And you know, that awakening would have been enough for me for a long time, but I was to be given one more biggy, just seconds after that one. The Universe said “Hey Lee ... another thing. You’ve really got to commit to your own optimal health like never before if you want to thrive this year like never before. Yes, you have a lot to balance and if you truly want to balance well, serve well, shine well and enjoy the ride, you must sock in extra time to YOU”.

Wow. I thought, really? Yes. The answer is yes Lee, really. This was one of those “I know it in my bones” awakenings. No questions. No fudging. My burning desire to be the best I can be would, once again, catapult me forward to new and valuable levels of self-care, energy and opportunity. As a mentor and friend once said, “This life we have is very dear and not come by easily. We must cherish each day as if it were our last and do what we can to keep our health shored up that we may fulfill our destiny and purpose properly.” (C.S.)

Well said! What we put in to ourselves is all that we can put out. No more, no less. So, I committed in that moment to what I call “The Art of Extreme Self-Care”. I set some healthy boundaries, called in help where I could and boosted the three additional self-care areas I knew I’d let get slack. One, my food. My body knows what it wants and doesn’t want and I am now listening like never before. That’s big – eating, shopping and cooking in new ways. Big. Two, exercise. I doubled what I was doing. Three, FUN. The leisurologist had put fun at the bottom of her list again and was/am in need of serious injections (I’ve always been one of those “you teach what you most need to learn” folks). The good thing is that once I made the decision to seize the fun, it’s been pretty easy to find ideas and partners for the ride.

So that’s it. Yes indeed. What a ride life is, right? What precious opportunities we all get. We get off balance, we wake up, and we get to choose “what’s next?” It’s a dynamic thing and that sure makes it interesting, doesn’t it?

What I thought was solely a grand opportunity to dig into my business projects and passions has turned into that and so much more. Even more important are the extra moments with mom and shoring up my health. After all, what is anything I create in my business other than a reflection of what I have to offer in that moment? It’s all connected and it’s all good. Do you know what I mean?

Life is good, all is well.
Love and light,
Lee

PS: This doesn’t mean that the thought “I don’t have enough time for my business projects” doesn’t pop up here and there. It does. But I’ve learned to breath, remind myself of the truth, notice my return to health, and smile.

Life Coach RV Update ...

2009-09-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hi dear friends ...

I’ve just returned to Vancouver from a September holiday in the beautiful and sunny (mostly) Okanagan Valley. My wonderful aunt took a cruise to Alaska and I took time to enjoy her gorgeous home, 2 blocks from Skaha Lake and beach in Penticton. I’d get up at 7:00, throw on some power-walking cloths and breath in the awesome views and pine scented air surrounding me as I explored my favourite spots and noticed how much some things have changed, and how much some things feel exactly the same, 30-40 years later.

My family moved to Penticton when I was 8 years old – very close to where my aunt lives now. I remember, like it was yesterday, my cousin Freddie and I competing to win the sand castle contest, along with the rest of our third grade classmates, on Skaha beach. As I walked along that same beach last week, I could see us there and feel Fred’s presence. He was larger than life my dear cousin Fred. And today, he still feels larger than life to me, almost 18 years after his death. He is my number 1 guardian angel, just as he was in life ... always getting my attention in different ways. He lived life large and reminds me to all the time.

During the summer of 1983 I was working as a Recreation Programmer in Naramata (very close to Penticton) ... having been hired by a young woman named Sharon, who became an instant best friend to me and a woman that radically changed my life for the better (more on that for another blog). After work each day (and I mean every day!), Sharon and I would hop in the car and head down to the beach and wait for “Captain Freddie” to zoom in and pick us up in his speed boat. We’d see him coming and we’d yell “Yeah for Captain Freddie!” and he loved all the attention. He’d pick us up and we’d water ski all over Okanagan Lake for a couple of hours, laughing and skiing. Laughing and taking turns skiing – that’s all I remember. We’d clap for Captain Fred and each other – so full of energy, fun and the spirit of it all. We were just in love with each other and the beauty of the moments – it was a truly brilliant summer. Sharon and I still love to reminisce about that summer, and I know we always will. Isn’t it amazing how much pleasure we can get out of reminiscing about special times, special people? It’s all here with me. Time could never take that away. What a gift.

Speaking of pleasure, I must have stopped 10 times on the route back to Vancouver ... to breath in the changing views and scents along the way. And when I reached Abbotsford, I could smell the ocean. I’m not kidding. Maybe it was the Fraser River or the Ocean or both, but I’m telling you I could smell it and it felt like the smell of home. Yummy, yummy, yummy. How refreshing. I love that there’s room in us to love one geography and place immeasurably, and then be carried away with awe and pleasure by another as well.

Which sort of brings me to my original intent for this blog entry (got carried away with reminiscing and just went with it). As most of you know, I’m on a one year LOA from Douglas College, where I teach in the Therapeutic Recreation Program. I felt called to move my biz and passion for coaching, speaking and creating to the next level. And, as some of you know, I’d planned to buy an RV, call it the “Life Coach” and travel around quite a bit this year. Well, first I want to say thanks to all of you who love this idea, have encouraged me on it, and/or have checked in to say hi and ask “where are you in your travels?”

The update is that the RV plans are on hold for now. The passion for that part of my dream is still very much alive and I believe the time will come. For now, the Universe is guiding me perfectly to stay put in lovely Vancouver this year (with the exception of some short adventures away here and there of course). And this feels good. In fact, it feels really good.

There are many pay-offs for me staying right here for now, and it’s become clear that one of the biggest is that my mom (who lives in Vancouver as well) is experiencing some health challenges and I get to have more time and space to support her, and to learn and grow through it myself. Perfect. All is as it is meant to be. I’m so grateful for this timing and opportunity.

So, I’m continuing to coach some of my clients face to face in my Vancouver space, and some on the phone, wherever they may be (or in the case of last week, wherever we both are – me in Penticton and them in their home locale) ... going with whatever mode feels better to each person. I highly value the flexibility, and I know they do too.

I’m also busy planning for two big Keynotes and a smaller workshop booked for me to present in Sept and Oct ... and creating a green audio CD of my favourite health and happiness tools (will be available soon!). Lots on the go and yet not so much that I’m not taking time out to enjoy Vancouver in my favourite month, September. It’s my birthday month, it’s the first month of my LOA, it smells of summer and fall combined and it feels rich with presence and opportunity ... in short, it feels pretty precious to me.

And as I write that, I’m reminded again that you also feel pretty precious to me. Thanks, as always, for listening and sharing your heart.
Be well and be blessed,
Lee

PS: Once the RV and “Life Coach” come on board, you’ll be among the first to know.

You're Stronger Than You Know ...

2009-08-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a fabulous little visit to one of my favourite Gulf Islands ... Saltspring Island. And on the ferry ride over, I picked up a copy of the September edition of “O”, the Oprah Magazine. I was immediately attracted to the theme listed on the front cover reminding me “You’re Stronger Than You Know”. Time and time again in my life, I’ve found this to be true and so I was intrigued and eager to get my hot cup of tea, get comfy, dig into the contents and enjoy.

And enjoy I did! In particular I was inspired and gifted with one of those gems that comes your way every so often and feels like a real keeper. It came from one of my favourite authors and people - Elizabeth Lesser, Cofounder of the Omega Institute and author of Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow. She was one of four women asked by “O” to share what power meant to them, and where they find it in their lives (p. 28). Each woman was asked to finish 5 sentences. Before I go on, I’d like to offer you the sentences in case you’d like to finish them yourself before I offer my own thoughts and share the gem that really stood out for me.

1. I feel true power when ...
2. The most powerful woman I ever met was ...
3. Too often, people confuse power and ...
4. I feel least powerful when ...
5. When I need a power boost ...

Okay ... I don’t know if you finished the sentences, but I hope some of you did, and I hope you discovered (or re-discovered) something wonderful. Here’s how I choose to complete those sentences today.

I feel true power when I’m connected to Spirit, which is another way of saying when I’m taking lots of time for enjoying the great outdoors and for prayer and meditation. The most powerful woman I ever met was either Marianne Williamson (author of A Return to Love & teacher of A Course in Miracles) or Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. (Medical Scientist, author and true Mind, Body, Spirit Expert). Too often, people confuse power and status or ego. I feel least powerful when I let myself get too busy for extreme self-care (this doesn’t happen often anymore, at least not much or for long, but when it does, I sure notice when the ease and joy have “left the building!”). When I need a power boost, I breathe deeply and go outside into nature.

And here’s the gem I really love, from Elizabeth Lesser. Her answer to the “When I need a power boost...”: “I place my hand on my heart, take a deep breath, and feel my connection to everyone”. The moment I read that, I put the magazine down and followed through. What an immediate shift in energy I felt. I felt a deep sense of calm, stillness and true power ... the kind that comes from connecting to the ultimate power Source that is Spirit– always there, 24/7, vibrating peace, love, joy and the power to heal the planet and everything on it with ease. What a truly powerful feeling. I’m pretty sure that I’ve never connected to Source so deeply, so quickly before. I highly recommend that you try it yourself.

So, dear friends and readers ... I offer a toast. Here’s to owning and expressing our true power! Whatever that is for you, please breath it in and let it shine ... as my opening blog video reminds us ... we all have the power to lead.

Love and hugs to you all – I feel our connection, big time.
Lee

My One Job - Caring for the Vessel ...

2009-08-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

Just as I sat down to write this post, my inner voice prompted me to take a 5 minute “time out” for a little meditation first. Knowing that the quality of post would be better because of it, I did.

I knew that the post would be better because I would be better. I mean, what is a post but an expression of what I have to offer in this moment? How could I offer you anything other than what I have in the now? It’s not possible.

What is possible though is to put fuel into the vessel for the blog – me! Thankfully, the Universe likes to remind me (& sometimes I need regular reminders!) that I really only have ONE job on this planet. My job is to feel good. That’s it. If I run around (physically and/or mentally) thinking “I’m so busy, I have so much to do”, I lose precious energy. In short I feel bad. And when I feel bad, I lose my connection to the Divine and become less and less effective at helping myself, let alone others. As Wayne Dyer likes to say, “You can’t get sick enough to help others heal.” To be our best selves and live our best life, for ourselves and for those we love, we need to be well.

We need to feel truly good. We deserve to feel truly good. We are so well worth it! You are well worth it. I am well worth it. We are all well worth it. The earth we live on is well worth it too. Because we're one, when we feel good, the earth feels better, right? When we feel good, we’re able to show up more fully in our lives, right? Our light shines more fully. Our purpose naturally manifests itself and we feel better than ever. It’s so good to know that what I do for me, naturally I do for everyone and everything else. It’s always that way. There is nothing we could do to change that.

The wiser I get, which is another way of saying the more tuned into Universal wisdom I am, the more I understand that NOTHING is more important than that I feel good. I just love that. Let me say it again. NOTHING is more important than that I feel good. What a perfect wellness prescription for life and for a great blog post.

The feel good prescription for me and the post was a 5 minute mountain meditation. It refuelled and inspired me beautifully. I sat, breathed deeply and visualized my favourite mountain. I felt the strength of the mountain enter my being. I felt the power of the mountain fuel every cell in my body. I felt the presence of the mountain teaching me to be still. With the first breath of the meditation I felt better than I did the moment before. With the second breath, a smile came to my lips. I felt so deeply grateful for the mountain and for that precious reminder that my only job is to feel good.

And with that, I feel this post is complete. I trust that this is exactly what the Universe wanted me to share today. Thanks for listening and witnessing friends – always. I send you lots of love, and all green lights ...
Lee

PS: Do you notice that I love a good “PS”? I’m just noticing that now. Okay, here it is: If you’ve read this and you’re thinking “Yes, I get it but I’m so tired that I don’t even know what would feel good” I have two things I’d like to share with you.
First, you’ve got a lot of wonderful company. Thousands upon thousands of other beautiful souls are thinking the same thing right now. The other good news is that the Universe is fully on your side, and that’s enough power to shift anything in a moment. Second, may I suggest that you start with the simplest of things: one good, full, deep breath. And if that feels good, take another. And if you feel open to some extra help, place your hand on your heart, close your eyes, and take another 2-3 deep breaths. Now, place your attention on your heart and ask “what is needed for me to feel good, right now?” Continue breathing and just allow whatever comes up to guide you. Your heart knows. You are so loved.

Available transportation in a leap of faith!

2009-08-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, I get a lot of inspiration delivered to my laptop daily. Free of charge. I know that many of you do too. Isn’t this miraculous and wonderful? I even keep a folder of my favourite pieces, and even though I have yet to look into the contents of that folder, the words in every message vibrate with love nonetheless ... filling the folder and my environment with love. There is nothing I could do to stop it. How could I and why would I?

This little piece of brilliance showed up the other day:
“Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith” (Margaret Shepherd).

The phrase “leap of faith” perfectly captures the essence of belief — a deep knowing that, no matter what, everything is going to work out just fine. We jump, not knowing what our lives will look like three months from now, and because standing still isn’t an option. “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom,” as Anais Nin so accurately describes.

Even if the excitement is hard to distinguish from anxiety at 3 a.m., a leap of faith wakes us up and makes us feel alive (spiritual cinema). How true this is!
What I’ve noticed most with this Power of Wellness Leap of Faith is this ... the speed and ease in which resources come to support me feels absolutely awesome. There is so much creativity in this space. Yowza! Ideas flow, wonderful people show up to help in their unique way, new kindred spirits show up smiling, say hello, “high five” & join me on this ride in their unique way - life certainly feels juicier.

And the best part is that I notice that whenever I realize that it’s time to turn off the flow of ideas and get still, I can. It’s like turning a tap on and off. There’s a growing confidence that whenever I want to be still or simply play, I can go there for as long as I want, and then turn the tap back on and more ideas, creativity and help will be there for me. The bounty of the Universe is awesome indeed. We show up fully and so much shows up for us.

Now to wrap up, and in the spirit of love & faith, I invite you to close your eyes, take a deep breath, tune in and ask your heart, “What leap of faith is needed for me to live my best life?” And know that whatever answer you get, it doesn’t matter so much “what” you choose, but that you DO choose. You get to choose.

As the wonderful Louise Hay says, “Life is good. All is well”.

True,
Lee
PS: Congrats on all the leaps you've already taken! And those you're taking now. They're all fabulous and they've all prepared you perfectly for the next leap, quite naturally. Oh, and did I say thanks for tuning in and listening? Thanks for sharing this ride me? Thanks for making everything worthwhile and fun and wonderful? Well ... thanks a million and more.

The most valuable question I know ...

2009-07-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

Two full months have passed since I started this full time dive into my biz and all of the creative endeavours and adventures that have come along with it. The time has passed with lightening speed as I’m been fully immersed in the creativity, freedom and flow of it. Everything I need (and more) has come to me easily and effortlessly. And, to boot, the folks that I’m creating with are equally brilliant and fun at the same time. Sounds all great, right?

Well, a couple of weeks ago I noticed that I felt really tired! And it wasn’t just the unusual summer heat. I realized that I’d been working incredibly hard and yet felt as though nothing was getting done! Sound familiar to anyone? I felt impatient, frustrated and amazed at the snail’s pace that it felt like things were moving. How frustrating to work so hard and feel like I’m getting nowhere.

As soon as I woke up to this pattern, I did a little self-coaching! And I asked a good friend to help me with it too. I applied a simple and powerful tool for moving from fear to faith – a very powerful vibrational shift indeed.

First, I sat down with pen and paper, and answered the most valuable question I know. That is “Is it true?” Here’s how it works. At the root of my frustration and impatience was the thought “I’m working hard and getting nothing done”. So I asked myself honestly, “is that true?” Right away I knew that the answer was no – it’s not true. Okay, step one is now complete.

Step two involved the paper and pen. I reflected over those two months with the help of my friend and, together, we recalled all of the work that I had accomplished during those two months and I wrote it all down. In short, I recorded the evidence of work that had been accomplished. Wow. What a huge shift took place.

The list was so long and so big that my first reaction was amazement. But this time I was amazed at how much I’d accomplished, not the other way around. I felt greatly relieved and also grateful for the incredible speed at which things were coming together! In short, my vibration shifted from frustration to faith.

The other lovely gift of this short (20 min or so) exercise is that as soon as my vibe shifted back to faith, the line of communication from the Universe to me opened up widely and I heard the precious voice of guidance say “What’s the big hurry?”. A gentle and loving nudge to slow down some opened up the space for more play time for Lee. I just love those gentle nudges. Bring them on! It’s all good. It’s all for well being ... and anything that isn’t of well being is a story.

That’s my story today ... thanks for listening friends.
Lee
PS: Now it’s time to play and an air conditioned movie theatre, good movie and some popcorn sounds pretty fabulous to me. Afternoon matinee, here I come.

Thanking Angels ...

2009-07-24T15:16:00.000-07:00

Hi wonderful friends,

Today’s blog is a big "shout out of thanks" to some angels sent by the Universe to join and assist me in this perfect adventure.

Fiona Milis of Fiona Milis Designs continues to eagerly share her tremendous skills with all things technical in the world of graphics and computers – and boy, do I need it! Her un-ending patience with all my questions is a true inspiration – I have so many questions. What do I do about this Fiona, how does this work, how does that work, could you do this for me? And the answer is always a gracious yes. Yes Lee, here is some help for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you Fiona!

And for JB, my dear friend Jessica ...you shower me with gifts. Gifts of love, encouragement, validation and yet even more things technical ... like taking a bunch of portrait shots of me for the new, improved POW Website (coming soon). You smile and give. I absolutely adore you.

And then there’s my mom. My precious, precious mom. She has come so very far in her life, my mom. I’m sure it’s the understatement of the year to say that I’d really need to write a whole blog on her to even put a slight dent in expressing her role in everything Lee and Power of Wellness. For now I’ll start with this short “shout out to mom”. Because even though the odds of her reading this blog without several direct prompts from me are slim indeed, I know that time and space can’t get in the way of you feeling my love and enormous gratitude mom. You are my biggest fan, and I am yours.

These are the angels I choose to share thanks with here today. More to come ... so many more to come. It sure feels good to give thanks.

Love and all green lights everyone! Thanks for listening!
Lee

Fun with Twitter & the Simplicity of it ...

2009-07-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today 2 people asked me if I was having fun. I just love how the Universe guides us perfectly. "Time for fun" it says.
This is me posting on Twitter today ... part of the fun! Follow me at http://twitter.com/powerofwellness

Another Chance ...

2009-07-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

The other day a good friend I hadn’t seen in a couple of years called and let me know that he’d love to get together for coffee or a walk on the beach – he said that he had something big to share with me. I couldn’t wait.

Something big indeed. First, let me say that he made my day before he even opened his mouth. As I approached him and our eyes met, his whole face just lit up, and he opened his arms wide for a hug ... we hugged a big bear hug and then he presented me with flowers. Does it get any better? I think not.

So we walked to the beach, found the perfect bench with the perfect view and out came his “something big”. Just a couple of weeks before, he’d taken a trip down to the states for a little time away. During his visit he felt something odd within his body; he didn’t know what it was but he knew it felt significant enough to seek help. He visited the E.R. of a local hospital and after X-Rays and several other tests, the attending Doctor told him he was just fine and could leave. And so he began to walk away – yet he felt an inner voice tell him that something big was definitely going on. He returned and told the nurse that he didn’t feel safe leaving. That inner voice and that nurse ended up saving his life.

The nurse convinced the attending Doctor to order a Cat Scan, even though the Doctor felt it was unnecessary – after all, my friend is young and very fit, and the other tests had indicated that all was well. Well, the Cat Scan was ordered and it revealed several large blood clots within both lungs; it turned out to be what they call a Double Pulmonary Embolism. Test results in hand, the Doctor spoke with my friend and said two things. One, you’re not going anywhere - we’re admitting you immediately. And two, you can thank that nurse for your life.

As we sat on that park bench and I listened to his story, I was mesmerized. Just stunned. It was hard to imagine that he had been through all of this on his own in a foreign hospital just days before. And then he shared the giant gift in it all.

He said “Lee, I know I why I survived that. I’ve been given another chance to follow my heart and do something that I’ve wanted to do for years. I’ve put it off and now is the time ... it was touch and go in that hospital at times and I decided that if I was given a chance, I’d make my dream come true.” And now he is.

He shared his vision with me and invited me to offer any thoughts or feedback that might help him along. And of course the Universe put us together that day to serve each other perfectly and we did. I gave him my absolute faith in his ability to make a positive difference for himself and the planet by following his heart, and I lent him an inspirational DVD that I intuitively thought would fuel his spirit. And he gave me so much. He gave he that big smile and hug, flowers, and a chance to re-connect with a dear friend who, when given another chance to live his best life seized it! He inspired me. And if you’ve been following this blog, you know how much I thrive on inspiration – it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Thank you for sharing dear friend – you reminded me that “Each new instant holds an opportunity for new beginnings”. I’m so honoured that you shared this precious life experience with me and I’m thrilled for you and your “dreams coming true”. You’re such a wise, strong and beautiful soul. Imagine Obama, me and all sorts of angels surrounding you, reminding you with great enthusiasm and faith that “Yes you can!”

Love and another bear hug – virtual this time – to all!
Lee

PS: I asked my friend’s permission to share this story on my blog and he simply said “if it will help anyone, absolutely”. If it helped you, please comment.

Happiest Moment Today ...

2009-07-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

I love to spring clean and de-clutter, recycle, and generally breathe new life into my living space – what a relief and feeling of lightness comes over me. And I notice that it’s especially helpful when my intention is to allow new things and experiences and creativity to come into my life – letting of stuff creates the space for all things new, including fresh ideas. And the de-cluttering process also helps me to re-discover precious things I want to keep and use again.

Last week I re-discovered my “Happiest Moment” journal. I don’t remember where I got the idea but it sure was a gem. At the end of each day I would tune in and ask myself “What was my happiest moment today?” And I’d write down the date and the answer. I christened the journal on October 6, 2007 and I wrote that day that my happiest moment was “laying on my belly with acupuncture needles moving chi in my neck, shoulders and lower back; yummy heat pads had been placed on my feet and back and I laid there ... listening to my breathing, feeling the flow of energy and revelling in the care for my wondrous body”.

I kept writing daily “happiest moments”, skipping the odd day and, later, the odd week, until somehow my attention was turned to other things and I put the journal into a drawer. A drawer full of happiest moment vibrations! And as I review them now, I notice that 90% of those moments were simple, yet magical, connections with people.

On October 9/07 I wrote that my happiest moment was spending 3-4 minutes with a couple of second year students that I ran into on my walk near the college, between classes. They were sitting on the grass with books open and they called my name and suddenly we were given this precious moment to refuel each other with laughter and fun ... the three of us glowing ... I shared my excitement about something I was learning and they shared theirs about their Thanksgiving dinners.

On July 11, 2008 I wrote “Today, as I walked to a downtown appointment, on the sidewalk I approached what looked like a man who might have been homeless (standing by store with hat and sign). He asked me how I was today, with a big and clearly genuine smile on his face – I said “great, how are you?” and he said “I’m great! I woke up breathing and here I am!”. BIG genuine smile and a truly happy vibe. Amazing! It was just a few seconds – a brief moment but it stands out as one of the greatest gifts of my life.” What a teacher.

Writing these down and remembering them now helps me to honor the most important stuff in life. Every day I’m presented, as we all are, with constant choices to make. And this journal reminds me that I’ve waited my whole life to get to this moment. And then the next one. And the next. I waited my whole life to share those special 3 minutes with those two students and I waited my whole life to feel the joy in the eyes of the man who might have been homeless. Wow. The smallest of things are very big indeed.

I’m going to start recording those happiest moments again tonight and who knows what today’s moment will be, because I’ve got a lot of moments to experience between now and bedtime. Hmm. So far today, my happiest moment has been remembering the joy in the eyes of the man on the street and the love and fun connecting with those two students. Here it is, 1-2 years later and these people and simple moments in the span of a busy day continue to positively impact my life. It inspires me and reminds me that happiness is an inside job and that it comes more often in short moments here and there than it might in big events or after something we think might make us happy (ie: losing weight, buying a better car, etc, etc).

De-cluttering and seizing daily happy moments – exactly what was needed to move forward on my adventures today. And of course I wish for all of us the ability to awaken to the happy moments around us, more and more all the time. Because, as you probably know, not only is happiness an inside job, but it really is contagious, isn’t it. As the video in my first blog entry says “smile and you will make two people happy”.

What is your happiest moment so far today?
Thanks for listening and brightening my life.
Lee

Creating, creating, creating ...

2009-06-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

How fun it is to create things. And even more fun to co-create things sometimes. I'm especially grateful that it's fun because I'm doing a LOT of it right now. Starting with a brand new, gorgeous business card. It just felt right to enter this new phase of my life journey with a new card. In fact, it's so much more than a new business card ... I discovered that I've just been "branded".

Thanks to my fabulous website designer (Amanda Michelson) and another fabulous graphic designer (Fiona Milis, of Fiona Milis Designs)I now have a "Brand" for Power of Wellness. It's those fabulous crashing waves, splashing various shades of aqua, blue and green and the "Power of Wellness" header with "Wellness" Script in background. I love it! Thank you Amanda and Fiona!!! Big time.

Yet there's so much more. We're creating gift certificates and bookmarks with the POW brand. Don't you think those crashing waves and aquas will look magical on a bookmark? You might stop reading and start gazing at the waves, seeing yourself on the beach, hearing the awesome sound of the wind and water and feeling refreshed! Then you could return to reading, feeling renewed. How great is that?

And I'm not stopping there! Indeed, there will be so much more creating. Starting this summer with an audio CD that you'll be able to download to your desktop, laptop or any portable media player ... making it a very "green" production which I'm so pleased about. I produced my first audio CD, entitled "Getting & Staying Inspired", a few years ago and really enjoyed the process (learned a lot too!). And I've wanted to create another for some time. And the time is now.

This audio CD will be chock full of Lee's best Wellness Tools and Inspiration for Health & Happiness. It'll be my spoken voice and about 7-10 clips that you'll be able to choose from, just like listening to your favorite songs. I'm going to include "Prosperity Affirmations", "Breathing for Health", "Prayer for the Now", and so much more. Fun, fun, fun.

People ask me when my book might be ready (I've had one in draft for about 2 years now ... and another 3-4 in my head) and I love that they ask. And yet, it's not the book that's calling me right now. It's definately another audio CD. So, I go with what feels GOOD right now. Thank you to the Universe for clear, clear guidance. Lovely, lovely clarity. This is especially valuable to me because I can really get a LOT of ideas and clarity helps me to relax and enjoy the ride. I know you get that.

That's it for now. Again and again, thanks for listening and sharing this ride with me. I feel your presence.

Hugs,

Lee

PS: I really appreciate the comments that some of you post. Thanks from me to you!

Speaking of Angels ...

2009-06-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

Speaking of angels, I feel the need to say a huge “Thank you!” to the TR Program students and graduates who have truly blown me away with gifts for this journey. I’ve been absolutely overwhelmed with their generosity and constant gifts of encouragement, confidence and general “cheering on”!

Gifts from these angels came in so many additional forms! To name just a few ... one group of students gave me a gorgeous hand-painted “Dream Box” full of hand written messages from each of them – this morning I pulled out two of those messages. The first read “You are doing what you’re supposed to be doing ... so keep going” and the second read “Remember to take a few deep breathes and know that challenges build strengths”. I love each message – I love the fun of pulling them out of the box and being surprised. They are fuel for my soul.

Students have given me beautiful cards with long and heartfelt messages of encouragement and support. I was given several gas cards to fill the tank for my travels, and a very healthy gift certificate for my favourite bookstore, Banyon Books. This from students, who could use the money for other things, no doubt! They’ve also given me things like candles (to shine light on the path), and Happiness Angels (also to shine light on the path!). And so much more!

I’ve made a point of finding special places in my home for each gift because I want to feel the love! Regularly! Lucky, lucky me I think - to know these angels and to be surrounded with their good wishes and their wisdom all the time. I feel you all with me!

Just as important to me are the occasional emails from students or graduates of the program. They are short and sweet and they are more precious fuel for the soul ... “Hi Lee ... I’m thinking of you ... here’s what’s happening for me” How fabulous is that? Pretty fabulous let me tell you. Connections, connections, connections ... they sure are what matters most. It feels to me like the reason for everything. Please keep them coming – you lift my spirits and make me smile, big time, every time. You are the best!

With big love and big gratefulness,
Lee

Let's Go!

2009-05-21T23:21:00.000-07:00

Wow. Hello dear friends ...

It's so exciting to say hi to you in this first blog adventure! The theme of this blog site is Lee's Power of Wellness Adventures. During the past 8 years I've gradually built this business as a wellness coach and inspirational speaker while, at the same time, spending most of my time teaching in a local community college. I've considered myself blessed to be able to do both, and yet it's been a big challenge juggling both - more all the time. Then, last year it felt really clear to me that the time was NOW take a leap of faith - to put more energy and time into the coaching, speaking and creative projects that keep calling to me. So here I am. At the start of a full years leave of absense from the college and a grand opportunity to dive mind/body and spirit first into creative projects and adventures!

No one has supported me to take this leap more than the many amazing students I've been blessed to teach in my role at the college and, in fact, it was some of these amazing students and friends who first sugggested that I must do a blog! So, here it is and it sure feels good. A hallmark of this transition! I promise to be real and just let the inspiration flow out as it comes because that's the advice I've received (from the Universe and from friends much more blogsmart than I - you know who you are). That just feels right and it feels good. And those are pretty much the main criteria for my business and life decisions, more and more.

So, in the spirit of feeling good, I want to invite you to watch this special 4 minute You Tube video about the possibility for adventure in life that we all share. I believe any great journey starts with inspiration - and for me, its an essential tonic! I drink it in. And I have faith that it'll inspire and refresh you too :).

The video reminds me of all the little and BIG steps I've taken that led me to this one - literally thousands! For me, it feels like there are "two best things" about taking steps toward the things I most feel like doing and the person I most feel like being. One is that they have gradually and steadily led to more energy, enthusiasm and peace. Okay, that is sort of technically three things but I'm counting them as one because they all have one thing in common - they feel really, really, really good.

The truth is that most of those steps were fun to take when I took them and they continue to be fun. Let me be clear though ... not every step felt good while I was taking it! Some were a little scarey and some felt frankly super scarey! I know you know what I mean. Those are the ones you take with a good dose of faith and hope that the end will lead to good things. And thanks to the Universe and the way of it, they have.

The other best thing is that to get this far in reaching your goals, I've learned that you really have to have a LOT of help! And I mean a LOT! I've gotten extremely good at asking for help and allowing others to give it. The more I ask and allow, the more it just seems to pop up without me asking. I have this mantra now ... "if you're alive, you need help"! Help, help, help ... bring it on! We are designed to help each other ... and wow ... the bonds that have been created and/or deepened have blown me away! My friends, family and angels of all sorts are absolutely "the wind beneath my wings".

You can count on me writing about these steps and these angels often. Because these are the adventures, big and small - all precious!

Until the next time my friends, thanks for listening and I wish you perfect guidance, fun and "dreams coming true" for all your life adventures. Thank you each for sharing mine - you are my biggest inspiration and tonic!

With love ... Lee