How do you expand love in your life?

Ahhh, here we are in a week that is particularly focused on love. 

All over Paris and Amsterdam, where I just spent a fabulous weekend, red hearts and messages about love have been spotted in shop windows at every turn.

Love matters

I have written a lot about love over the years. It is powerful fuel for living big.

And most of us are not aware of how many opportunities we have to bring more love into our lives. 

In my post around Valentine’s Day last year, I shared my thoughts about the power of love, including ways to feel and spread more love. 

Two years ago at this time, I wrote about what happens when love expands. That post includes links to a number of other love-related resources you may want to explore.

This is a great week to tune in to love in a broader way than ever, and see what happens for you.

Inspiration opens your heart and makes space for more love

My heart is filled to bursting with a combination of love, gratitude and awe. 

Travel to new places and visits to great museums have been wonderful gifts that contribute to all of those feelings, and I am savoring them.

The sights, sounds, tastes and feeling of being in new cities have opened my eyes and my heart.

And while travel is a special way to find inspiration, there are countless ways to add inspiration to your life!

Consider these opportunities

• You might take a walk, in a new place or someplace familiar, and look for wonder. When you spot a surprising moment of beauty, or something quirky, or anything that captures your fancy, you might want to capture those special moments with the camera on your phone.

• You can visit a local museum or gallery, or window-shop and people-watch in an interesting area.

• Experiment with new recipes, or take an on-line or locally-offered class to learn mixed media techniques, pottery, or any other art-making approach. Any of these will open you to new experiences and awarenesses.

• You might watch a foreign film, or choose some great TED talks that peak your curiosity.

• Why not crack open the case of an instrument you used to play, or sign up to take music lessons for the first time?

Seeing great art powerfully fuels love

I particularly recommend that you seek out great art!

If you can do that in a museum or gallery you will have an especially rich experience. When you stand before a painting or sculpture you not only see the true colors and details, you make an energetic connection to the work.

This gives you feelings of awe, appreciation, inspiration and admiration that go well beyond what is palpable in a photograph of a work of art, in a book or on a screen.

Your own new thoughts and expansive feelings — including loving feelings — are catalyzed when you find art that excites you and you have a proximate experience.

I am sharing some photos of amazing paintings I have loved seeing, and have taken into my heart, in my recent travels. Perhaps you can imaging how moved I felt being close to each of them.

[Artists: Joan Mitchell, Marc Chagall, Raoul Dufy, Josef Albers, Jean Hélion, two of many Johannes Vermeer masterpieces seen at the Rijksmuseum, and Sonia Delauney]

Your heart can open wider than you know

There’s no limit to your capacity to feel love and to give love.

In whatever way you choose, invite experiences that will fuel your heart. You will be richer for it, and the world will be enriched as you share your full heart.

Here are a few photos I’ve taken as I have explored Amsterdam. Check out my Instagram feed to see more of the places and moments I have captured.

Live Big Live! is back — is it right for you?

I am frequently in conversation with accomplished women — women who are admired, have done great things, and often seem to have it all going for them.

When they share their biggest wish with me, it's to make the next part of their lives truly fulfilling.

They often describe themselves as living life in overdrive. Many feel unclear, stuck, or question themselves about what's possible for their future.

Whether they are at a crossroads, thinking about what is next, or know there is something more that’s possible for them — related to their professional direction, their personal life, or a combination — many know it’s time for this tension to be addressed.

They want to get on track, take action that is intentional, and move forward in their lives with confidence and enthusiasm — to be able to plug a great destination into their GPS.

As we can all agree, every new thing needs to be created. So to achieve our goals, each of us needs to focus on what we need to create to get the fulfillment we yearn for.

It’s easy to feel alone with our questions

Have you heard the phrase, “You can’t read the label when you are inside the jar”?

It is a great catchphrase to express how hard it is to identify, much less solve, your own problems because you are so very close to them.

Yet asking for help does not come easily for many accomplished women. (Years back, I was a textbook example of that resistance!)

What I know is that when we struggle on our own, we prolong dissatisfaction, frustration and stress.

It does not have to be that way.

What if you chose to be supported?

Rather than spinning your wheels you can choose to be guided and receive support to create your path toward fulfillment and start moving along it.

You can not only be guided, you can also travel with a small group of other amazing women, each there for her own growth and eager to support the other women in the cohort.

This is what that loving support looks like.

Live Big Live! is designed for big results

I carefully designed the Live Big Live! program to guide you to clarity, to help you set clear intentions, and to start creating the fulfilled life you dream of.

And it is designed to bring dynamic results to your life in a short time.

Live Big Live! is a proven program

Offered just 3 times each year, 6 groups of women have already moved through the Live Big Live! program and the outcomes have been remarkable.

The women gave themselves the gift of focused time to bring their true desires and concerns into the light, and to envision the futures they wanted.

They were guided to tap the clarity inside them with subtly powerful tools, in an inspiring process that unfolded organically.

They gathered at a retreat for 3 incredible days of exploration, discovery and creation.

And, each completed the program with a concrete plan to live into the vision for the future that she shaped.

(We have all experienced the high of feeling inspired and then having it quickly fizzle out when real life takes over. Live Big Live! is designed to have lasting impact.)

Each Live Big Live! participant has reported deep, meaningful, lasting change in her life. The women have amazed themselves at all they have created, and are delighted about the fulfillment they are experiencing.

I invite you to learn more and explore this opportunity

The Fall Live Big Live! program launches soon.

Some past participants are returning, and there is space for 6 new women to join us. We are excited to engage in this experience with the fresh energy that new people will bring!

Whether you are unsure of your next big step, or have a direction in mind and do not know how to start moving toward it, or you have been trying to move ahead and not progressing as you wish, Live Big Live! is meant for you.

And, it has to be the right fit for both of us. We can discover that in a conversation.

If you are ready for more insight, ready to free your spirit and expand the joy in your life, and ready to learn how to open the creative power that is waiting inside you so you learn to find your answers and take clear action, I invite you to schedule a call with me soon.

There’s no obligation — just an opportunity for you to share what’s going on in your life, and for me to share insights and perspectives that may help you.

Whether or not Live Big Live! turns out to be a fit for both of us, we will have a great conversation.

My wish is to help you set your GPS to a truly fulfilling destination, and to move along your path with joy.

Here’s how to schedule our call:

LiveBigCall.com

Let’s take these 3 steps together

I hope your holiday weekend was a happy one.

Perhaps, like me, you spent time with people you love, and yet your feelings about celebrating our country’s independence felt more sober this year.

Did you, too, find yourself reflecting on the meaning of independence and freedom with a heavy heart?

I have written about our relationship to freedom before. You may want to read How free do you feel?, that I wrote in July 2021. And 2 years ago my topic was Is your definition of freedom too small?

We cannot take freedom for granted

Freedoms that many of us long took as a given are now gone, and more are in danger.

This can make us feel powerless — a subject I wrote about last week. I included a list of ways we can each use our power now, that you may want to look over.

I believe that taking action is the path to the changes so many of us want to see.

Where and how to start

1. Begin with awareness of your energy

Taking meaningful action begins with our state of mind. Positive thoughts lead to positive outcomes — and, yes, sustaining positive thoughts can feel challenging in times like these.

I invite you to consider the energy you cultivate and bring to your days. As my mentor often reminds me, the energy from which you create (anything) impacts the outcomes you experience.

Practices like these will support you to sustain positive energy, and will impact everything you do.

• Start (or expand) a daily gratitude practice.

• Get ample rest and nourish your body.

• Focus on love. Embrace kindness and compassion.

• Spend time outdoors. Nature is a natural healer.

• Look for wonder all around you. (It’s always there!)

• Notice if you slip into negativity and actively reframe your thoughts.

Positive energy generates more positive energy! The people around you will feel it, and be attracted to it, and a great expanding cycle is set in motion.

2. Consider the people with whom you spend time

We are social creatures, and the people with whom we spend time have a great influence on our state of mind.

Are you surrounding yourself with, or tolerating, people who are bitter, angry, or dour?

Do you actively choose to be with people who are uplifting and inspiring?

When you choose to surround yourself with people who exude positive energy, who are creative thinkers, and who look for opportunities to take meaningful action that aligns with your values, you boost your energy. And, you amplify the impact of your shared efforts, which in turn engages more like-minded people.

And while many of us must interact with people who see the world through a negative filter, appreciate that those interactions can be managed with careful thought and by setting healthy boundaries.

3. Lead the way

Most of us are inclined to sit back and wait for others to lead us.

I believe we all have the opportunity to be leaders now.

Some people will organize efforts on a grand scale, and that is great. We benefit when individuals and organizations bring people and resources together to create collective action at scale.

We can contribute to those large efforts. Each person who shows up to march, writes a check, makes a call, or writes a postcard adds to the positive outcomes that are possible.

And consider this.

Many people fail to appreciate that all of us can take action to lead in small and powerful ways — each day.

In our conversations, in speaking up when we might typically stay silent, in inviting people to be engaged and collaborate, we have power.

Stepping into your power and speaking your truth are key ways you Live Big. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes to live and lead that way.

Please join me

I believe that in this moment we are being called to use our power to restore and expand liberty.

While it will take time and commitment, we can build a society that is just for all, where all can exercise freedom.

Let’s be creators of change and lead together.

We can each help make this dream a reality

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a famous dream. A dream he declared with passion. A dream he was deeply committed to bringing into reality. A dream that was both for him and for the world.

His dream envisioned a country where love and opportunity for all people would allow each and every person to bring their gifts and their light into the world.

Can you imagine that world?

Can you imagine a world where each of us lives with love — for ourselves and for each other — as a driving force each day?

Imagine the possibilities.

Imagine what the world would look like if each of us embraced our true genius each day, bringing our imagination, our ideas, and our unique talents forth without hesitation.

Imagine having all of what you share and others share truly honored.

Imagine seeing each of our contributions inspiring others, then combined and built upon so that collectively we create new and exciting possibilities for anything and everything that we choose to make our focus.

I find that vision to be awe-inspiring.

I have glimpsed it in real life, and I yearn to see more and more of it.

My invitation to you

I invite you to sit and imagine what your life would look like, and how the world around you would change for the better, if you showed up fully each day.

I invite you to imagine being fully clear about what you value and what you care deeply about, and living your life with clarity and commitment, fueled by love.

Not only will your life change, you will change the world.

It starts with each of us saying, “Yes!” to courageously living our lives that way.

Will you say “Yes!”?

Sadly, all these years later Dr. King’s dream is still a work-in-progress. There is much work left to do. We cannot wait for, or expect, others to do it.

It will take all of us doing our part, each day, in small consistent ways, to realize the changes he dreamed of, and so many of us long for.

I invite you to join me and countless others who have chosen to be a part of bringing this momentous change into the world.

As we all do our part — as we truly Live Big — we can heal the world.

Stay safe and well, and create with joy.

Do you take play seriously?

When was the last time you felt completely free? When was the last time you set out to play and have fun (not on a vacation, but in your usual day-to-day life)?

This may sound like a light-hearted, or even frivolous question, but I am serious when I ask.

Why?

Because being in a state of mind that feels free and excited, and bringing play into your life, matters.

And frankly, it is not always easy for me.

I included chapters on feeling free and play in my book, because I came to understand how important they both are to living your biggest life.

And still, I often struggle to embrace that state of being.

As I kid, I loved playing — hopscotch, hide and seek, dressing up dolls and making up grand scenarios, playing board games and more. My family was not especially sports-oriented, and I never joined a team at school — which is a great way that so many people play as kids and continue to bring fun into their adult lives.

As I got older, there was less time for play, and playing was not encouraged. I got more serious. I tended to buckle down rather than lighten up.

Don’t minimize the benefits of play

What I came to learn, after taking my deep dive into understanding the many dimensions of creativity, is that cultivating the feeling of being free makes your spirit soar. When you feel free like this, you feel inspired. Your imagination takes off and creative energy flows.

And with your spirit awakened, it’s easy to add play into your life.

By playing — which brings on laughter — you accelerate the benefits of feeling free. Creative thinking, new ideas, and fresh solutions show up. That energy leads to more flow.

And just as children learn through play, so do adults. When we play we are able to experiment and explore with more ease. We reduce stress, which is something all of us can benefit from! And our fears quiet down.

In short, we experience more joy.

How can play enrich your life now?

When I find myself heads-down and serious, I remind myself of all the ways I feel better when I lighten up and play — and I consciously choose to bring play into my day.

I know that opening my spirit and playing will impact my work and my relationships. It will infuse everything I do with more positive energy, and that energy will connect me to possibilities, optimism, people and opportunities.

So today, in spite of a long list of things to do, I am scheduling in play with friends. We will visit a sculpture park and revel in the beauty of nature and the creativity all around.

I may even suggest a quick game of tag, or hide and seek, to add more playful energy to the outing.

I invite you to make a playdate — with yourself or a friend. Let’s compare notes on what we experience!

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

Do you feel the call to greatness?

I have some deep questions to ask you today.

• How big are your dreams?
• What does the future you yearn for look like?
• And as you think about that future, who do you want and need to BECOME to make that life a reality?

I know these can be challenging questions to consider. And I know, too, that if you shy away from them, you will miss out on a huge opportunity to become a creator of the bigger, more fulfilling future that is possible for you.

I know because it wasn't so long ago that I did not dare to ask myself questions like these.

What’s holding you back?

Maybe, like I did a decade ago, things feel safe for you now, and it feels comfortable to maintain the status quo. And yet deep inside you sense that you are settling (even settling for something that's good), knowing that more is possible.

Maybe, like many of my clients, you have a desire to make a bold move — to go for that next level in your career, or start or grow a business, or step into your power in other ways — but doubt that it’s possible, or that you can do it on your own.

Maybe, like many women, for many reasons, you feel the urge to make a change but don’t know what you want in the next stage of your life.

Maybe your confidence has taken a hit along the way, which compounds the confusion or the feeling that you are stuck.

Maybe it just feels too daunting to consider stepping into a bigger version of yourself.

Maybe you feel the desire but don't know how to get started, or how to reach for your dreams.

What if you had support?

Having lived through a massive transition in my own life, I know creating a new reality entails three things.

Start with willingness — willing to believe in yourself, and willing to get help. When I realized my life could light me up in bigger ways, I was willing to step into creating a bigger future. And felt I could safely do that with a great guide.

Next, believe — believe that you matter, and believe in your ability to take steps toward a life that will bring you new levels of satisfaction and joy.

Then commit — to yourself. That means making commitments to be focused and to implement changes that will be life-changing.

I learned that all of these are easier to bring into your life — and lead to bigger results — when you have support.

This can be your time.

If the questions I posed have stirred a knowing inside, the sensation that it is time to step into your power in a bigger way, create a future where you show up as you best self, and bring more of your greatness into the world, then read on.

Last year at this time I created a new way to support accomplished women like you.

Both my private clients and group clients had been making life-changing transformations, and I wanted to bring the best of both coaching approaches together. I designed a new signature program, Live Big Live!, that gets enormous results, in a more compressed time. And, I designed it so that busy women like you can comfortably fit it into their lives.

Three cohorts of remarkable women have experienced Live Big Live! in the last year, and their lives have been transformed. (You can see what past attendees of Live Big Live had to say about their experiences in some lovely short videos.)

The Fall 2021 program is about to kick off — and there are still a few spots left in this intimate program, One may be perfect for you.

I invite you to schedule a Live Big Breakthrough Call with me soon. We’ll talk about your deep desires, your questions and concerns, and what's possible for you. We’ll explore if Live Big Live! is a fit for you — and if not, there’s no problem. We’ll sort out your next best step.

When you become a leader in your life and start to truly live big, you will be a force of change in the world. You deserve that, and we all need that.

Our conversation can be your first step into that remarkable future.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

How free do you feel?

Having celebrated Independence Day this past weekend, there’s been a lot of  focus on independence and freedom.

These are expansive topics, and they can be explored from many perspectives.

What is coming up for me — aside from the ways we can give thought to independence and freedom through the important lens of our nation and its inhabitants — is personal freedom, and how we declare our own independence.

How do you feel free in your life?

Consider when and in what ways you most feel free.

Think, too, about how you may feel constrained or, perhaps, how you may deeply yearn to feel more free.

Perhaps your work, your relationships, or your finances come to mind.

Perhaps your heart feels caged.

There may be a part of you that yearns to be expressed.

Perhaps you perceive the constraints to be external or in the hands of other people. Or maybe you know you have the power to make a change to feel freer, but don’t know how, or have not found the courage. 

Are there ways you want to feel wildly free, but you hold back (a little, or a lot)?

I invite you to spend some time exploring this topic.

Pull out a journal, set a timer for 10 minutes and do some free writing, to see what comes up. You might try the Discovery Dozen™ exercises on page 29 of my book, to explore what feeling free really means to you. Those prompts can reveal thoughts that are deeply buried in you heart.

Do you feel ready to declare personal independence?

For years, questions about feeling free never came up for me. I lived day-to-day-to-day without deep reflection. I did not even consider the subject.

After I started working with a coach and waking up in my life, I started activating creative thinking and creative expression.

As a result, the feeling of being free started to show up in ways that surprised and delighted me. I began to consciously appreciate and explore this feeling, and to expand it in as many ways as possible. Soon, every part of my life felt more vibrant.

It was from that place of feeling free that I declared my independence — from a life that was good, to pursue a life that was exceptional.

I was tired of settling for the status quo and wanted to spread my wings and freely create my next chapter. 

If you’ve been a reader of my blog for a while (or read my story on this site) you know that in 2011 I sold the business I owned for 27 years and embarked on a new path. I could not foresee the destination, but here I am, doing coaching work I truly love, in a marriage that has become even stronger and happier than before, having written a book I am proud of, and having become a painter.

Living with this freedom and personal independence is something I celebrate and feel grateful for every day.

Have I “arrived”?

Hardly. 

Each day offers me opportunities to open more.

On some days, the feeling of freedom eludes me, and I have to find it anew and claim it again. It’s easy to fall back into old limiting states of mind.

It’s the ongoing pursuit of feeling free, being willing to take new steps toward it when I backslide, believing in myself and feeling worthy of this way of living, and committing to the ongoing process of the exploration that has carried me forward.

Step into defining freedom for yourself

If you want to talk about what freedom can look like for you, and making it a reality, the timing could not be better.

The preparatory journey that will culminate in Live Big Live! this fall is starting soon.

Live Big Live! is powerful program, designed to give you enormous clarity about the life and work you want to create. You will be supported to begin to create a future filled with the freedom you want, with tools to help you each step of the way.

We can make a date to talk about what’s in the way for you now and the future you dream of. Schedule a Live Big Breakthrough Call with me directly — click here to find a spot on my calendar. There's no obligation or cost for us to talk.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

The sure way to create the life you want

The glorious Sunset when I arrived at the retreat center in the Smokey Mountains

Last week I attended a life-changing retreat.

Before I left I considered the “cost” of three days out of the office. I felt sad to miss my son’s birthday celebration. I did not relish the prospect of taking two flights each way.

And, this trip meant postponing a long-awaited hair appointment for a week — as my salon was reopening after renovations. (Those with short hair get that this was a big deal!)

And in spite of all of that, my heart knew this was going to be important. I just could not have foreseen how much would shift and open and expand.

Great coaches have changed my life

When I started working with my first amazing coach, Peleg Top, I experienced remarkable change. I began to truly wake up in my life. A year and a half into our deep work, I realized I wanted to sell my business because it no longer lit me up — and I wanted to be lit up every day!

Peleg and I worked together through my exploration of creativity and he mentored me as I created my coaching practice. I came to know this was the work I wanted to do — work that would excite me every day and have a huge impact for other women. I wanted to guide them to identify their true desires, and tune into the powerful resources inside themselves to create their best futures and live big.

Peleg and I are still close. He continues to guide and inspire me. And we often collaborate.

And for the last year and a half I’ve worked with another brilliant coach, Michelle Villalobos. Michelle’s genius is to help her clients create and build businesses they love. She couples that with guidance for deep personal growth. The focus on personal growth — who I need to BE to live my biggest life — has proven to be a key foundation for stepping into more visibility and more impact in the world.

The time spent at the retreat last week ushered in an exciting new wave of expansion that I will be processing for quite a while.

A great coach can change your life

I rarely look back with regret, but if I could turn back the clock I’d have begun working with a coach a lot sooner. I can only imagine the way my life might have unfolded with that kind of support a decade earlier!

If you work with a coach you love, that’s terrific.

If you have never worked with a coach, I invite to look for someone who is a fit for you and who you believe can guide you to where you want to go in your life. Make a commitment and do the work.

And get ready for a wonderful ride!

It will surely bring up discomfort as you are asked new questions and you wake up in your life. There’s no way to know what it will feel like to begin to approach your life and work through new eyes and a more open heart, and courageously start living in new ways.

There will be rich rewards when you commit and stay with it.

You’ll be guided to bring new and bigger perspectives to your life and explore with new levels of curiosity. You will be supported to bring new levels of creativity into your thinking, and get really clear about what you want your future to look like.

You will start to bring all of yourself and your gifts into the world, with confidence and grace.

You will experience happiness and satisfaction in yourself, your relationships, and your work that will delight you as you move up to each next level.

I want that for you.

We can talk about what it could look like to work together, and see if the fit is good.

Or you may want to consider other coaches to support you. There are great coaches out there, and one is certainly a match for where you are right now.

I’ll be happy to know that you are getting support to create your best life. After all, if more of us do that and stay committed to ever-expanding growth, our collective personal growth will impact the well-being of people everywhere.

That’s how we can each make our own lives better as we make this a better world.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

(And if you want to talk about your life and creating your best future, grab a spot on my calendar and we’ll have a Live Big Breakthrough Call.)

You can let go of fear and perfectionism, too!

It’s June! As we head into the summer, and having been vaccinated so we can start reconnecting with the world, I am reflecting on what was happening in my life last year at this time.

Of course, we were in lockdown and unsure about how long our confined way of living would last. Months of living in the pandemic served as an impetus for me to think about how I wanted to make changes in my life.

That’s when I started to create something new. Something bold.

I realized wanted to work with clients in a new way. I wanted to serve them at an even higher level, so they would reap even bigger results, and I wanted to design a program that would allow for more joy in my life.

I yearned for more time to write and more time to paint. I craved more unscheduled space in my life, which is something I help my clients do all the time, but had not done so much for myself. It was time to make a change.

My creative process was different last year than in the past

Like many people, when I embark on creating something big from scratch, I feel excited anticipation mixed with feelings of uncertainty about the outcome.

Years ago, that uncertainty made me super-nervous. I had been a perfectionist for most of my life.

Because I was so consumed with being sure the outcomes would be great, there were things I dreamed of doing but never started. And there were things I started and either did not finish, or spent so much time perfecting that they took way longer to bring into the world than they might have. I also endure a huge amount of stress along the way.

But having learned to be a creator in every part of my life over the last decade, I now welcome the process of diving in, ideating, testing, iterating, and seeing how things go. Going through the creative process without trepidation is amazing!

I trust myself and find joy in creating in a bold way — even when the quality of the end product can’t be foreseen or guaranteed at the start.

What I created changed me, and changed my clients

What I launched last August was my first Live Big Live! program — the first of what are now three retreats I lead each year.

And I just had the joy of leading the third Live Big Live! — for Spring 2021. The retreat took place last Thursday, Friday and Saturday and I am still processing the experience.

And while every part of the three days we spent together at the retreat was amazing, the program actually started 45 days before. I decided, as I created the program, that I wanted women to have a deeper experience than would be possible if we came together for three days without a foundation.

The remarkable group of women in this cohort started on their path to Living Big on April 18. They were immersed in a 6-week preparatory journey together. It provided self exploration and enabled them to arrive at the retreat having bonded as a group, and ready to do truly transformative work.

I witnessed each of them step into new ways of trusting themselves, and I witnessed them release fear.

I witnessed generous support for one another as they each went deep into their hearts to connect to their desires and shape their visions for the future.

I also witnessed them do powerful creative work each day at the retreat, where clarity emerged, insights appeared and new possibilities were realized.

And while we hit on many tender places and tears were shed from time to time, I witnessed joy, delight and celebration.

I have been able to combine the power of group and private coaching, and usher in life-changing transformations in ways that bring me enormous joy. This creative endeavor, that I initiated a year ago, has resulted in all of the outcomes I was seeking.

What are you ready to create in your life?

Is it time for you to figure out what’s next, or get unstuck? Time to stop living with fear as the driver? Time to get help navigating a transition? Are you ready to break through barriers in your work or business, or reach higher than ever before? Do you sense there’s more that’s possible for you, but cannot figure it out?

The next Live Big Live! will kick off in mid-August, for a retreat at the start of October. I am already in conversation with women about the next retreat, and I am delighted that it will be live again (as we were able to be last October).

It’s not too soon to think about this opportunity.

If you are ready to bring remarkable change into your life with love, support, and guidance, and ready to create your future with clarity and confidence, let’s talk soon.

To learn more about Live Big Live! and to see if you’d be a fit to join us, you can set up a free call with me.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

There’s a superpower you can claim today

On Saturday night I returned from a 3-day retreat that fired-up me up with energy and inspiration! The energy of that time away, in the company of a great leader and truly remarkable people, carried me though the weekend and is lighting me up as I’m heading into the week.

While energy was a theme we kept coming back to in the big work we did together at the retreat, it is something I am always aware of.

And energy is an important focus of my coaching work.

The energy you bring to everything you do matters more than you may realize

Think of something that makes you feel excited, full of energy. What do you love to do that lights you up?

That feeling is what my coach and mentor calls feeling “energy-rich.”

She believes in creating a business that is centered on doing what is energy-rich for you, and steering away from things that drain your energy. (That said, there are things we all must do that are not in our sweet-spot for high energy. In those cases, planning to get help will lead to success with more ease.)

Because when you focus on the things that are energy-rich — whatever they are for you — everything is easier, goes better, and is more fun.

And, the energy you bring to everything in your life works the same way!

Your energy impacts your outcomes

Living and working with a focus on a mission or purpose gives you a head-start on bringing good energy to your tasks each day.

But even then, we all have challenges that pull our energy down.

The first step is to notice when you feel “energy-poor,” then identify what’s pulling your energy down.

Rather than muscling ahead while feeling low, see if you can make it a practice to pay attention to how you are feeling. When you pause with intention and notice that your energy is lagging, you can explore the reason your energy is low.

You might want to use my Discovery Dozen™ tool (it’s provided in many of the exercises in my book, Live Big, and can be adapted in countless ways) to get to the root causes. Or you can start by considering questions like these:

Did you have a bad night’s sleep, or eat poorly?

Did you slip into comparing yourself to someone, or feeling like an impostor?

Do you doubt your ability to do a task or project well enough?

Are you feeling afraid? Of what?

I always suggest that you jot down the thoughts that come to mind as you answer questions like these. Writing by hand, and exploring the reasons, can accelerate your clarity.

Next, look for ways to shift back to a more positive energetic state.

If you can rectify something with ease — like eating a nutritious meal, or taking a nap, or walking around the block — by all means start there. Maybe you will want to place a call to someone who believes in you, who can remind you that you have done hard things before, to give you a boost of confidence and love.

And it’s always helpful to reconnect to why this task, or project, important.

Why did you choose it or say “Yes” to doing it? Why is this conversation, or project, or effort important? Why does this matter? The answers can be a great way for you to find good energy.

And if you consider the why, and realize there isn’t a good one there —maybe you said “Yes” just to please someone or avoid conflict, or you realize this is not meaningful for you, or you realize you can delegate the task to someone else, or maybe it is not aligned to your integrity — you can make a new decision. Saying “No” may be the decision that brings you back to a high energetic state.

Your energy can be a super-power

When you focus on staying in a state of high energy, and learn to feel the feelings and restore your energy when it flags, you will notice real shifts in your life.

Remember that the energy with which you create anything will impact the quality of what you create! Because when you are fueled with excitement, motivation, purpose, and joy, everything that you create will be enriched!

Why not start every day with the intention to be aware of your energy, and to stay as energy-rich as possible?

This is one practice anyone can do, and it can become a habit. After a while it can become as automatic as brushing your teeth each day.

Can you imagine feeling energy-rich throughout your body? I invite you to embody that feeling!

Right now, consider what the rest of today can look like with that awareness and intention. Now get started and see how it goes!

I’d be delighted for you to email me or leave a comment to let me know how you experience magic in your life when you focus on feeling energy-rich each day.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

Are you ready to slow down and love your life more?

If you are like me, you may have a tendency to do a lot.

I get excited about new ideas — I generate them all the time. I love learning new things. I like to help people. I take on a lot and often have a calendar without much white space on it.

And, more and more these days, I find myself yearning for space — space for quiet, rest, yoga, time outdoors in the glorious spring weather, and more time in my studio.

I realize this is just what I urge my clients to do — make space for themselves to be quiet, to think, to rest, and for self-care of every kind.

Richard Bach’s well-known quote is “We teach best what we most need to learn.” My story certainly illustrates that!

Creating space to slow down and be is life-long work for me. (That’s why the first chapter of my book is Slow Down and Be Still. It’s the foundation for living big!)

And, messages about doing too much, and a desire to be clear and intentional, keep coming in for me lately. The universe is sending me wisdom in many ways.

Here’s one way I am making more space for myself now

I recently remembered that a few years ago, thinking about this same challenge, I created a To-Don’t list. And, I made a companion To-Do list. Each had three key questions to guide me.

I am pulling them out again!

Why not use these tools and see what happens for you?

Here are the questions to consider for what goes on your To-Don’t list:

• What can I defer?
• What can I delegate?
• What can I dump?

Here’s the key to what to put include on your To-Do list:

• What gives me energy?
• What brings me joy?
• What keeps me out of trouble? (After all, some things must be done.)

And, I have decided to add two new criteria for my To-Do list entries:

• Is it fun?
• Will it move forward something that is really important to me?

I am determined to defer, delegate and drop as much as possible, and not add anything to my to-do list that does not match my new criteria.

(And if you, like me, have found to-do lists hard to manage, I just started to use an app that I really like. The free version of Remember the Milk is great.)

This quote is helping a lot

This brilliant quote was recently shared with me:

“I am working toward a time when everything brings me joy.”

It was attributed to Maya Angelou, but I have been unable to confirm that. In any case, the words of this quote sound simple enough, but I think they are profound.

What if we could each keep this statement in our minds, and let it guide us? Can you imagine how much could change by simply returning to that intention each day?

That guidance in now helping me choose when to say “Yes” and when to say “No” — with love. This simple awareness has been a game-changer.

This new acronym is inspiring me

I had a great conversation last week with my dear coach and friend, Peleg Top. He has been on a sabbatical, and he is focusing on the joy of simply being.

He told me that he is replacing FOMO (the fear of missing out), with JOMO — the joy of missing out!

I totally love that idea, and have been reminding myself of it daily.

What works best for you?

As I always say, the small changes we make have a big impact, and with consistency the impact grows over time. I am starting small with the powerful ideas I shared here, and am committed to building in open space on my calendar and keeping it that way!

And, just as the quote and the new acronym prove, we can learn so much from one another.

Please share what you have done to make space in your life. I would be delighted to hear your ideas. Leave a comment to let me know.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

We're in a season of change. What kind is right for you now?

It’s exciting to see spring bust out all around us, and wonderful to be out and about so much more.

Do you feel inspired? Do you feel ready for new things, new experiences, and maybe some change?

Spring is the perfect time to bring change into your life, and especially this year, having been so limited in so many ways for so long.

What kinds of change do you long for now?

Why not start by considering possible changes in a number of categories. Some offer small opportunities for sparking your life and some are weightier. Which of these can enrich you now?

Think about how you dress.

Many of us have been wearing comfy clothes during the pandemic and the long dark winter from which we just emerged. Lots of us settled for drab colors, too, not thinking much about the impact of the clothes we choose each day. Why not go for wearing fabrics and colors and adornments that make you feel beautiful? This small daily change can give you a big lift!

Color can have a big impact!

Consider emphasizing the colors in your environment. Which make you happy? Which bring back lovely memories? Perhaps colors you associate with the beach and water delight you, or rich jewel tones make you feel great. What changes would light you up, if you add or change colors — in the clothes you choose, flowers you bring into your home, the food on your plate, the art on your walls (or the paint color!), or even the dish towels you use each day?

What are you eating now?

The statistics on weight gain during the pandemic are startling. But even if you have not put on weight, this is the perfect season to focus on eating simple, fresh foods. Farmer’s markets are opening! Home gardens, if you have the space and are up for planting, offer fresh veggies and herbs in your own back yard. I have a Sunday ritual of sautéeing and roasting lots of fresh veggies to eat all week, and at this time of year it gets even more fun. With new favorites like asparagus and local fresh berries soon to be in season, it’s exciting to look forward to all of the flavors.

Will you change your ways of moving?

The opportunities for getting exercise get to be more fun in the spring. I know walking has been an important part of coping with isolation for many people (and those with dogs take them out in any weather), but others — like me — have not been that active outside for some time. I am starting to walk more, both in my neighborhood and in nearby places that offer beautiful new surroundings. Perhaps you will try jogging, or tennis. Perhaps you will be able to safely get back to the gym where specialized equipment is available. Perhaps this is the time to do a new kind of yoga, or try kick-boxing. What would feel great for you?

Are you ready for change in your work?

So many women I speak to now are considering their work lives — in a range of ways. Some got a big wake-up call this year and realized they needed to leave a toxic environment, or move on from a field that is no longer making them happy. Some are looking for work, having been in industries that were hard hit. Some have had businesses that made it through, but need to bring them back to full vitality. Some are in a transitional period moving toward retirement. Some launched new consulting practices or ventures that call on them to show up in new and different ways.

If you find yourself facing or wanting change related to your professional life, start with questions like these: What do you want to change? Why is it important for you? What will it take to get started — or keep moving forward?

All change starts with how you think

How do you consider and orient yourself to all that is possible? What’s your frame of mind? Do you believe in yourself, believe that you can explore change and make change?

If you steer your thoughts to curiosity and inquiry, if you connect to what you want, and ask yourself questions like, “What if it’s possible that…?” and “What small next step might I take?” then making change will be easier for you.

If you find yourself veering into negative territory, like doubt or fear, start with reminding yourself of how much you have been able to do in many other moments of your life. Then aim for making small positive changes (like the ones at the top of the list above). See how they light you up and inspire you. Next, remind yourself that you can choose the thoughts to focus on. Consciously choose to focus on curiosity and stay in inquiry.

Next, set intentions

When you are aware of your thinking and start to get an idea for change you want to make, set intentions. Make your intentions clear, but do not get overwhelmed by setting grand intentions.

You may want to start by setting a small intention, such as scheduling 10 minutes to do a new form of stretching when you wake up each day, or trying to cook a new fresh food twice a week.

You may set a somewhat bigger intention related to your career, like reaching out to ask for information from someone in a field you are exploring.

Once you set the intention, commit to following through. You may want to ask someone to help you stay accountable, with a quick daily or weekly check-in.

Aim to make small, incremental change

Even if you long to make a big change in your life, this is the time to take small steps. Small consistent steps are the surest path to reaping big results!

We tend to minimize the importance of small steps. We believe that we must be bold, and go big to make progress and to feel proud of ourselves.

That’s a myth!

Taking small steps, one after another, is an incredibly powerful way to build confidence, build momentum and reach great outcomes. Small consistent steps make us resilient when set-backs show up. We keep going. And we build new habits that serve us well in many dimensions of our lives.

Make the most of this season of opportunity! I would be delighted to hear about the changes you are initiating. Leave a comment to share.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

Even accomplished women feel doubt and play small

I talk about about the concept of living big all the time — what it means to create a life where you show up fully and authentically, boldly aligning with your true purpose and able to keep fear and doubt from derailing you.

Sadly, even accomplished women live small. They play smaller than they know, deep down, they are capable of.

I know I was living a small life in so many ways until my “wake-up call” a decade ago. Yes, I had a great marriage and wonderful children and I owned a respected design firm. I was regarded as a successful woman.

But I came to realize that I did not believe in myself enough to lead my team or my clients as powerfully as I could. That lack of feeling good enough made me uncomfortable showing up in our marketing, and made it hard for me to be decisive.

The biggest realization I became aware of was that my work was no longer lighting me up — and I finally believed that I deserved to find what would challenge and excite me each day.

I was not willing to settle any longer.

And when I decided to sell my business and step into something new (that I could not yet picture), I realized I had to start showing up in my life in new ways. I needed to bring new levels of belief in myself, as well as courage, to embarking on my new journey.

Do you struggle to believe in yourself, show up fully and forge your own path?

I know I have a lot of company in not having been encouraged to think about and appreciate my gifts and talents — after all, I was taught that would be boastful. It was really hard for me to “own” my gifts and feel confident.

Nor was I urged to show up in big ways growing up, or even as I stepped into my professional life. Few of us were told it’s great to speak your truth. I look back and see how often I second-guessed myself or did not speak up when I knew I had something to say.

And few of us were told to connect to what we truly want, and to follow a path that is ours to explore and travel. It wasn’t until I started working with a coach that I was guided to do just that.

Is doubt making you play small or feel stuck?

When we doubt ourselves, or don’t feel that we deserve to pursue our desires, we are unable to believe in all that’s possible for us. And so we settle.

We settle for the status quo — after all, it feels safe to stick to what’s familiar.

Or we tolerate the feeling of being an impostor — which makes us overly cautious as we doubt ourselves.

And if we focus on staying safe, and when we resist (or are afraid of) stretching to explore what we can truly do, or what we truly desire, we feel stuck and we tend to stay stuck.

Do you recognize any of these signs?

• You feel deflated and discouraged. These feelings are natural when you don’t appreciate your greatness and feel doubtful, or when you feel unfulfilled and don’t know how to get started in a new direction.

• You feel numb. This feeling — whether it comes on by itself or you help it along with behaviours like avoidance or overeating or drinking — is an indicator that you are not taking charge of your life for any number of reasons.

• You know, deep down, that you are hiding your true self. You care so much about what others think that you don’t allow yourself to show up authentically.

• You are focused on the feelings and wellbeing of everyone around you, and discount what you need. Even the most accomplished women tend to put themselves last.

• You’re exhausted. Playing small or living small sounds like it would give you space and peace, but it is depleting — emotionally and physically.

The good news is that you get to choose

My life is proof that it’s possible to take action — and to make remarkable, significant change.

And, I could not have done it alone. I was not equipped to make big courageous moves in my life without support. That's where the great coach I worked with was invaluable, and I have never stopped getting coaching support.

We all have endless opportunities to grow and expand, by going deep into understanding ourselves and leveraging all of our gifts.

When you are open to change:

You get to choose what you want.

You can be proactive.

You can overcome obstacles.

The universe will open up and support you.

Are you ready to choose change?

If you want to talk about what it can look like to step into the biggest version of yourself, and connect to what you want your life to look, feel and be like so you can start creating the future you really desire, let’s talk.

Click here to grab a spot on my calendar. I promise you will gain new insights and perspective on what’s in the way and possible for you, and we’ll see if we both think working together can help you to step into the future you want. And if not, that’s totally fine.

And, with my Live Big Live! program kicking off soon, we may determine that it’s the perfect way for you to make your big breakthroughs, to start living your next chapter.

Let’s talk and see if this is your time to step into living big!

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

The power of your mindset may surprise you

I have lots of conversations with women who are contemplating their lives and their futures. I listen to them describe the desires they have and the challenges that stand in their way. As I listen, I tune in to their orientation to themselves and the world.

I listen for signs of a mindset that is limited, or what Carol Dweck calls a “fixed mindset,” as well as indicators that they have what Dweck calls a “growth mindset” in her renowned book, Mindset.

I call that an expansive mindset.

Why do I pay attention to that?

Because the deep work I do with my clients leads to success for those with many characteristics of an expansive mindset.

Someone with a deeply fixed mindset is not able to benefit in the same way. A fixed mindset will not only frustrate her, it will frustrate me.

Your mindset can support you to becoming a powerful creator

Your outlook on the world impacts how you live each day — and how you can begin to live an even more satisfying life tomorrow than today.

And while none of us embodies a expansive mindset in every dimension of our lives, those of us who begin with (or endeavor to fully develop) an expansive mindset have a smoother path to creating a life that truly satisfies them — what I call living big.

What, specifically, does an expansive mindset look like?

• You have an expansive mindset when you appreciate your gifts and talents. And you believe that you can develop and expand those talents and skills.

• You see potential and believe that you can figure things out, rather than being pessimistic or allowing yourself to feel defeated.

• You learn to add a powerful little word to sentences like these: “I don’t know how to do that,” or “I can’t accomplish my goal.” By changing statements like those to: “I don’t know how to do that yet,” and “I haven’t yet accomplished my goal,” you are open and ready and motivated to continue and succeed.

• You believe that you can always learn and grow.

• You believe that you can figure things out — yourself, or with help.

• You try new things without fear. You experiment, and when early attempts fall short, you refine and try new approaches. You focus on solutions, believing in your ability as a creator to find solutions.

• You take consistent action. This means you focus on the journey, not just the destination.

• You learn from every new experience — the great ones, and the tough ones — knowing all of them inform you and help you continue to learn and grow.

• You don’t compare yourself to others (which is always a bad idea). Rather, you are inspired by others, and you can support, encourage and celebrate them — even if they are “ahead” of you in some ways.

• You are true to yourself and your values.

• You keep fear at bay. This doesn't mean you don’t ever feel fear, but you learn to keep it from stopping or limiting you.

• You are open and curious, you listen, and you learn.

• You believe that life is good, even when you are moving through rough patches. When the going is tougher (which is inevitable from time to time), you shift to hope and optimism. You trust yourself.

• You surround yourself with others who are like-minded, who also approach the world with an expansive mindset.

Do you see yourself in this list?

Few of us can “check off” all the boxes on the list above! Even those who have focused on personal development and are doing well need to return to practices that keep them on course with an expansive mindset.

And those who have not yet embarked on personal development work may have more than a few unchecked boxes. That’s ok.

When you start with enough of a foundation in an expansive mindset, and a deep desire to grow and create your ideal life, you can step up to developing more of it.

And you can stay on course, too, especially when you have good tools and when you have support.

Are you looking to leverage your expansive mindset for more growth?

If you want to step up in your life to become the biggest and best version of yourself, and start creating the future you deeply desire, I invite you to share your challenges and your dreams with me. You can also learn how I may be able to help you make those dreams a reality.

Let’s hop on a call. Click here to grab a spot on my calendar. I promise you will gain new insights and perspective on what’s possible for you.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

Is it time to take the wheel in your life?

Most of us do not consider that every morning we have the opportunity to intentionally set our course.

We typically wake up and move through the day focused on set routines and the demands that are in front of us — emails, texts, deadlines to meet, other peoples’ agendas.

We aim to make it through the hectic day so we can wind down in the evening and go to bed — to start all over again tomorrow.

Even those of us who build in exercise, who take care to eat healthy foods, who make time to connect to important people in our lives, often live on auto-pilot.

Few people step back and consider the big picture.

Few ask questions like:

“What do I value?”
“What do I really want?”
“Where do I want to be, and what do I want to be doing at this time next year?”

And without answers to those questions, they fail to set a clear course to a destination that aligns to their values and desires, and that will lead to the richest life they can live.

Without a clear destination you can’t set a course

Most of us drift. We are not lazy, but we move through days, weeks and months and even years without considering where we want our lives to take us.

Is it easy to drift? Sure.

Is drifting the path to a life that is fully satisfying? Rarely.

Are you ready to set a course and take the wheel?

Maybe you’re feeling a wake-up call to pay attention, make decisions, and start to live with more clarity and intention.

But even those who have been feeling an urge for some time to figure out what’s next, or make a change in their lives they know they want, can feel unsure about how to start to approach decisions about big life matters.

Ask yourself these 3 questions to get started

1. Who do I need to BE to live my best life?

Everything we want for ourselves — great relationships, work that lights us up, making an impact on the world around us, creating in ways we love, and more — starts with our state of being, how we show up in the world.

Ask yourself who you need to BE to live the life you yearn for. Do you need to be more patient, more self-loving, bolder, less fearful? Do you need to slow down and be more thoughtful rather than reacting all the time?

Do some writing to explore the ways you want to show up in your life, and how you can begin to cultivate those ways of being.

2. What do I long to DO, and what do I want to HAVE in my life?

With clarity about who you want to BE to live your best life, think about the things you want to DO. Sit and write a list of 10 things or more that you want to do in the next year.

Do you want to change jobs? Plant a garden? Travel to a specific destination? Declutter and beautiful your home? Adopt a pet?

Next, think about what you want to have. You may long for tangible things, like a home in a beautiful setting or a new car, or intangible things like peace of mind or more time to read. Write down as many things as you like that you want to have this year.

3. What can my dream life look and feel like a year from now?

I am a big believer in the power of envisioning what you want. The more vivid you can make the vision look and feel, the easier it is to begin to live it.

So, sit down and write yourself a letter.

Write the letter to yourself today, from you a year from now.

Let your future-self tell you all of the great things you have done in the year. And, tell yourself how you did them all!

Describe the courage you mustered to make great decisions. Describe the wonderful changes and experiences you have had. Tell the you of today how proud you are of the person you became to make it all happen!

After you’ve written and reread your letter, put it where you can pull it out each month to read again. Add a note to your calendar for the first day of each month to remind you to read it.

Each time you read the letter you can consider how your are showing up in your life now, and what you are doing to move forward on the path you envisioned.

Get up to speed and then move onto the highway

Making significant change in your life is not a quick process that you tackle in a day nor is your ideal life a destination you arrive at after one quick ride.

True transformation takes time. It means starting with small, focused steps that prepare you to take bigger steps. These ultimately lead to the big outcomes you want.

Start gently and don’t give up. Keep momentum building — keep moving forward on your journey. That’s how you will confidently take the wheel and accelerate the process as you move ahead.

If you are committed to making meaningful change in your life — to creating the life you truly desire — and you want support to do it, we can talk. Click here to book a call with me.
I know that I would not be living the big life I love without help!

Tell me what you dream of and what’s in the way. I’ll give you new insights and perspectives.

And we can explore the possibility for you to join my Live Big Live! retreat, to step into BIG creation of your best life with an amazing group of other women who are ready to step into the lives they long for and deserve.

The next retreat starts soon, and there are only a few spots open, so schedule your Live Big Breakthrough Call with me soon.

Of course, if either of us feels the fit is not good, that’s absolutely fine — and I may have something else to offer you that can help.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

How this important week can impact your life

This is a momentous week. We started by celebrating Martin Luther King Jr., whose life and legacy have inspired us for decades.

Dr. King led bravely and he inspired us to dream — to dream of a time when there would be justice and equality for all people in this nation.

He famously said that the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.

We have been living through a time when the bend of the arc toward justice has been tested in terrible ways. I am grateful that we are moving toward justice in a significant way this week, even as we know there is still enormous important work to be done.

It feels to me that we are on the precipice of a new beginning as a nation.

We are ushering in new leadership that is committed to moving us all forward — beyond divisions, robustly addressing the devastating pandemic and the restoration of our economy, forging ahead to tackle climate change and make big headway toward righting racial injustice, and so much more.

This is the time we can all dream of a brighter future, and all contribute to making that future a reality.

Each of us can dream — dream about the biggest, best ways to show up in our lives, and to bring all of our gifts into the world.

When we allow ourselves to dream big, and when we then each bring commitment to doing our work in the best ways possible, that great work — whatever it is — contributes to creating a better world.

What is your dream?

What do you long to do, and to have? How do you want to grow and expand? What will it take for your dreams to become your reality?

Start by considering who you need to BE in your life for your dreams to be realized.

Do you need to be bolder? Do you need to attend to your self-care to be strong and healthy and rested enough to do your genius work?

Do you need to create quiet, so you are not distracted and hectic all the time?

Do you need to believe in your gifts and build confidence?

Do you need to be more decisive? Do you need to set healthy boundaries? Do you need to have courageous conversations?

The foundation for realizing your dreams begins with considering who you need to BE each day, how you want to show up in the world.

Begin to step into the person you want to be

Start with awareness as you move through your days.

Check in with yourself to notice when you are on auot-pilot (such as pulling back from opportunities, or packing too many things into an already-crammed schedule, or snapping at people you love).

Layer on belief

Start with belief in yourself, that it is possible for you to make these changes. Make a practice of journaling, or meditation, or creating a mantra to repeat, or whatever will help you build the belief that you can make these changes.

Next add commitment

Commit to being self-aware and to actually shifting into the new ways of being that you are focused on. Think about where and when you most need to show up in this new way. It may be at work, or with family, or the way you write your marketing materials, or develop your skills. Make reminders for yourself. (I recommend making colorful post-it note reminders for yourself and placing them around your house where you will see them often.)

Get help if you need a guide

Hire a coach, join a coaching program, or ask a close friend to be your accountability partner as you build the new “muscles” — of confidence, boldness, decisiveness, slowing down, or whatever other ways you determined you want to BE in your life, so that you can create the reality you dream of.

You don’t have to do this alone! And getting help will not only accelerate the pace of bringing your dreams into reality, it will ease the process.

This is the perfect time for you to make your dreams real!

Latch on to the positive, hopeful energy around you.

Say “No” to fear or doubt if those feelings show up.

Let love — for yourself and for the world — fuel your efforts. Aim to say yes to love — to love for yourself, and love for everyone around you.

To quote Dr. King:
Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that.

Today is the day to begin! Today is the day you can be the light, powered by love, to be the person who will make her dreams her reality, and thereby make the world a better place.

As you begin, and as you stay committed to the process, you will be a part of a huge force for good, for expansion, and for building a beautiful future for people everywhere.

I look forward to hearing from you if you want to talk about creating the life you dream of. Hit reply and we’ll make a date.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

Are you ready for a new beginning?

This is a big week for me.

It started on a great note — the tension of waiting for the election outcome ended, and the result fills me with optimism and hope for all that is possible for our country.

I am thrilled, too, that a woman has been elected to be our next vice president. And, equally momentous, it is great that a woman of color will hold this high office.

And I will be celebrating my birthday this week. I am grateful to look ahead to a year of so many new possibilities.

New beginnings feel wonderful.

We need not wait for a landmark election, or a birthday, or anything else to think about what is possible for ourselves.

We are always able to take a fresh look, connect to what we truly want to create in our lives, and begin.

For me, living big began with finding a clear vision, asking, “What do I want to create?”

It took some time to shape the clear vision I have today — to lead a movement, so that women (and men) everywhere believe in their ability to powerfully create the lives they want.

And here’s where my vision gets even bigger: As more and more people step into creating the futures that matter to them, they inspire everyone they touch. Vast numbers of people wlll believe that they, too, can be remarkable creators of the futures they desire.

What can it look like to start creating a new vision?

The first step is having clarity about what you want. And having considered that big question, you need to get clear about who you need to be to make your desires a reality.

You may focus on these big questions and find your answers, or you may want to be guided to this clarity — and to begin stepping into a new beginning.

I’ll share a few examples to illustrate what it looks like to get clear about what you want and to step into becoming the person you need to be to make that a reality.

Can you relate to these stories?

• One of the remarkable women who was at my Live Big Live! retreat last month, realized she needed to show up each day in a new way to move forward to a future where she has more agency in her life and more influence in her work. She has begun setting clear boundaries, speaking with more intention, and making self-care a high priority. She is already seeing a big change in the impact she is having in her work, as well as in her close relationships. She is on her way to knowing the career move to pursue next, and she is living a more rewarding life each day.

• Another woman realized how important joy is in her life, and she connected to a deep desire to bring joy to others. She yearns for people everywhere to understand how meaningful it is to choose to bring more joy into everyday life. She is filled with excitement about the many ways she is already stepping into her vision, and the impact she is seeing in others.

• A third woman, who had recently launched a new consulting practice, has more clarity than ever about what she stands for, how she wants to shape her business, how big it can be, and how much of an impact she can have in her industry. She is already signing on new clients who are inspired by her clear leadership and responding to the new ways she’s started to reach out.

How are you inspired? What do you want to create?

If you are feeling optimistic and encouraged about the future we are moving into in our nation, how can you bring that same energy into your life?

Are you content with your status quo, or can you envision new levels of growth, new possibilities, and more joy and satisfaction?

It may feel daunting to imagine taking steps to live a bigger life. For many people, just getting clear about they want is challenging.

If you hear a voice saying that it’s time to get clear about what’s possible, honor that voice. Listen to it, and take a small step to get curious and explore what living big can look like for you.

You might do some journal-writing or share your thoughts and questions with a trusted friend.

When ideas start taking shape you might create a vision board. (Stay tuned to hear about a virtual vision board party I’ll be leading next month.)

You may want to start testing the waters and try out new ways of thinking, new ways of showing up, new steps to take.

Remember — you don’t have to do it all on your own.

A significant step I took, that led to my biggest growth and transformation, was getting help. I let go of the old belief that I had to do everything myself, and that decision proved to be a huge breakthrough in my life.

If you want to talk about what it might look like to step into a new beginning, and what doing that could be like with support and guidance, I invite you to have a conversation with me. I offer my Live Big Breakthrough Call to women who are ready to set their next vision, who are longing for a life that will light them up as never before.

My promise is that you will gain new insights and perspective on what may be holding you back now, as well as what is possible for you. And if you find you are curious about my coaching programs, and if I believe the fit is good, we can talk about the possibilities for working together.

Let’s all step into this time of new beginnings and create a beautiful future.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

Have you thought about the choices you are making?

Welcome to October! I am feeling joy and gratitude when I am in the splendor of nature in all its glory. Color fills my view each time I step outside, and my heart swells!

This upbeat feeling is especially appreciated as the emotional intensity in the world around us seems to be escalating daily. How can we find, and hold, energy that lights us up, that keeps us grounded, rather than being pulled into the chaotic energy that abounds? 

Your choices impact your outlook

You see what you look for

Have you stopped to consider where you tend to put your attention? When you look for beauty (of any kind) you see more of it. And the more you look for, the more you see, the happier it makes you.

This works in much the same way when you choose to listen to uplifting stories or music, or choose to create meals with colors and aromas and flavors that especially delight you.

You can choose with whom to spend time

Think about the people you choose to be with and the kinds of conversations you choose to have. These choices have a huge impact on the way you feel and the way you see the world.

We all know people who bring us down. Their negativity can pull you in and be hard to shake. If someone like that is a family member with whom you want to be in contact, limit the exposure — or better yet, try and steer conversations in a positive direction.

Focus on connecting to people who lift you up. Who can you think of who sees the world as a place filled with inspiring stories and possibilities, even in hard times?

You can say “No” to news overload

Just as we can focus on interacting with people who lift our spirits and inspire a positive outlook, we can limit the time we spend listening to, watching and reading the news.

We can also carefully choose sources for news that are free of hype and bias. 

If you have not yet tried going on a “news diet” it may feel like a challenge. More and more people are finding this to be a great way to keep themselves positively focused.

You get to make new choices

Why not try some of these ideas and see what happens?

• If you have been cooped up inside, spend more time outside.

• If you have been feeling low, read something inspiring, watch a great TED talk, listen to a fascinating podcast, or dive into a creative project and express yourself.

• If online TV binges have made you feel sluggish, get curious about something new. Read about it, find demo videos, or give a new technique a try. (Maybe you will take up a new craft, cook a new cuisine, learn to build something, plant bulbs, study a period of history, pick up an instrument you haven’t touched in ages...)

• If you feel lonely or isolated, look for ways to make virtual connections or find like-minded communities of people online.

• If you are concerned about the election and the world around you, take action. You might volunteer for a campaign or to support voting rights. You can register to be on the next Creators of Change call. There are many incredible ways to get involved, rather than letting distress bring you down.

What choices will you make today? 

No matter the externalities, you always get to choose the way you see the world, and the way you can live through each day.

Making thoughtful choices aimed at supporting a positive frame of mind will impact everything in your life.

Leave a comment or email me and let me know how your choices are making a difference.

And if you want to talk about how to usher meaningful change into your life, we can make a date for a Live Big Breakthrough Call. I will help you gain clarity and insights about what is in the way of you stepping into the big life you yearn to make your reality.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

Are you looking for inspiration and light?

Poster available from Society 6

If you are feeling deeply concerned, as I am, about the state of our nation and the world, you may be sad, anxious, discouraged or worse. You are not alone.

In my article and blog post last week, I wrote about choosing optimism, using the pain of a broken heart to fuel passion, how we have agency in our lives and can always take action, that we can create inspiration, and the power of both community and love are vast.

I needed to reread it today, and to think more about where inspiration and motivation for action can be found now.

Because when I feel so overwhelmed at the injustice around me and the horror of over 200,000 lives lost and countless lives impacted by COVID, and feel alarming concern that the fundamentals of our democracy are more at risk than ever, I need inspiration. I need to find ways to help myself, and to help others, from becoming gripped with fear.

My book, Live Big, has a chapter about how to live without fear. And I think it’s a good chapter. But the fear so many of us are living with now is of a different nature than what I wrote about — long before we found ourselves at this stunning moment in history.

Where I am turning for inspiration now

I am finding hope, strength and optimism from all that I am reading and hearing about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

This remarkable woman was a fearless and tireless advocate for what she believed in, and it’s because of her commitment to equality that we have rights many people don’t even know were not always available to us.

Here are just a few examples. 

Widowed men now get Social Security benefits accrued by their deceased wives to help them raise their children. Women can apply for and get credit cards and mortgages without a male co-signer, and can have credit cards and mortgages in their own names. Women in the military now get equal housing allowances to men.

And, I have learned, that her passionately written dissenting opinions over the years, later influenced positive legal changes. 

She brought her passion and brilliance to everything she did. She was committed to pursuing what she believed was right and just, and we are all the beneficiaries of her tireless work.

And, she famously had a close relationship with Antonin Scalia, with whom she sharply differed on many legal matters. This is something one can hardly imagine in today’s polarized atmosphere.

I am looking for the light and committed to being the light

There is always light to be found when we look for it. 

Where can you find inspiration and a positive way forward now?

And, we can each be the light. 

We can stay inspired, and we can stay in action — by speaking up about what matters to us, by helping people to vote, by helping to help elect candidates we believe will restore our country’s values, and by continuing to do our important work in the world. 

In all of these ways we are the light for others.

This may be the inspiration you need today

Paraphrasing something that is beautifully explained, I want to share this final insight with you.

You may have heard people say, when speaking about Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, “May her memory be for blessing.” 

This does not mean “May we remember her fondly” or “May her memory be a blessing to us.” The blessing implied is this: may you be like Ruth. 

Jewish thought teaches that when a person dies, it is up to those who bear her memory to keep her goodness alive. We do this by remembering her, we do this by speaking her name, we do this by carrying on her legacy. We do this by continuing to pursue justice, righteousness, and sustainability. 

So, when you hear people say “May her memory be for blessing” don’t hear “It's nice to remember her.” Rather, hear “It’s up to us to carry on her legacy.”

May her memory be for blessing. 
May her memory be for revolution. 
May we become a credit to her name.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.

Is your definition of freedom too small?

I hope you enjoyed a lovely holiday weekend. I wonder if you were thinking differently about July 4 and all that it signifies this year. I certainly was.

I have been thinking a lot about freedom lately.

We are living in a time that is fraught in many ways. And the word freedom itself is being used to mean different things by different people. Many of the ways I have heard people use the word trouble me.

In addition to that concern, I believe there is more to consider about freedom than most of us typically do.

The word “freedom” is packed with possibility

Have you ever paused to consider all the ways you are free?

We all have the freedom to grow and expand in our lives.

No matter what challenges we are living through — and we have had a heap of challenges to navigate these last months — we are always free to create our outlook.

We are free to expand our thinking.

We are free to create our thoughts, and free to shape our vision.

We are free to bring a limitless mindset to what is possible.

When we begin by framing the ideas for what we want to do, or change, or reach for, we have the freedom to test and explore. 

And we have the freedom to continue iterating and creating, one small step after the other.

Nobody can limit us when we feel free

Our greatest freedom is to create in every moment in our lives. And nobody can take that freedom away from us.

Sadly, we are the force that most often limits our own freedom. 

A limited mindset stops us.

Our doubts hold us back.

Our fears paralyze us. 

Even when we do take action, if making progress goes slowly we often feel discouraged, and we may stop.

Remember that every step on the path is meaningful, and that the key is to stay in motion. 

Remember that you can be resilient.

Remember that you can adapt in the face of stress.

Remember that you can create even when others around you do not believe it’s possible, or don’t believe in you.

Remember that we have all already invented new ways of living — perhaps many times, and certainly in the last months of the pandemic.

And we can each continue to create.

You can begin to create a new, bigger way forward in any aspect of your life and work, at any time.

How will you embrace freedom today?

Are you inspired to think about what you want to create, how you want to use your freedom?

Start with small ideas that you can explore and test.

And don’t limit your big dreams and visions, if that’s where your heart wants to lead you. Open up to all that you yearn for.

And if you want help to get clear about what’s possible for you to create in your life in order to embrace freedom in new and bigger ways, scheduling a Live Big Breakthrough Call may be a perfect first step.

I promise you’ll gain valuable insights and ideas about what is possible for you and ways that you can learn to step into the freedom of being a powerful creator in your life.