It’s been a full week since I returned from France. As much as I love being home, I miss the magic of being away.

It was particularly special to be in France for the 2 weeks following the outcome of the election, as my primary focus was leading the women with me for the L’Aventure Française retreat.

I had been planning the retreat for months and they had all been preparing for a life-changing experience. In spite of the events unfolding at home, they were excited and grateful to be immersed in each day’s experiences.

Three gifts I brought home from France

While I was happy to visit my favorite tea shop and a spectacular chocolate shop in Paris where I selected gifts for close family, and I discovered small treasures to bring home in unexpected places along the way, the true gifts I returned with are tucked into my heart.

These gifts, that we all returned with, are what I am holding dear now.

1. Appreciation for time apart and away from the usual routine

The day-to-day lives accomplished women live are full, sometimes to over-filled. And my life, more often than not, is like that.

Women with a deep desire to have an impact are typically in a swirl of focus on their work, on sustaining or repairing or building relationships (personally and professionally), and on finding space for a little quiet and self-care.

Connecting to themselves to gain clarity and perspective about their current lives and desires for the future is hard to do when life is crowded.

It takes time and space to reflect, think, and dream.

When you “retreat” from your regular routine and give yourself the gift of abundant time, inspired experiences, and the company of great women with whom you can be fully present and allow your heart to open, amazing — often life-changing— realizations surface.

They did for me and for each of the women with me in France.

2. Perspective and grounding

As our days unfolded in Paris and then in the countryside of the Dordogne, I was able to appreciate my life in a deeper way than I ever had before. I felt my heart expand as we explored, played and shared deeply.

I became clearer than ever that I want to simplify my routines and get laser-focused on how I spend my time.

I set an intention to be outside more, as I felt the healing power of beauty in the natural environment fill me with peace and joy.

All of this will support me to bring full presence to my days, so I can make the most of each moment.

I realized, while away, that both joy and heartbreak can exist together, and I can hold all of it and move forward each day.

3. Gratitude and love are vital

This gift was not something new, rather my appreciation for gratitude and love was amplified.

Love and gratitude filled my heart in remarkable ways each day of the retreat in France. They fortified my spirit as never before, and I am now bringing even greater focus to each day.

Whatever challenges arise, I will be able to bring more positive energy and creative thinking and action to them, with a solid focus on love and a foundation of gratitude in my heart.

My invitation to you

If you want to consider the precious gift of time apart from the world, to retreat and profoundly connect to yourself, let’s talk about how one of the three retreats I lead each year might be an ideal opportunity for you.

With time to make meaningful discoveries, gain new perspectives, connect to your heart and truth, and bring the power of creativity into your life as never before, you will return a new woman.

Each retreat is unique — in duration and focus. And one retreat is right around the corner — a wonderful way you can start the new year!

• Creation Vacation is an intimate winter experience, January 20 to 25, where we live in a glorious house on the coast of southern Maine. The focus of Creation Vacation is on the energy of creation — what it is, how you can build and sustain that energy, and where you want to direct your creative power for 2025.

As you may have read in recent emails I have sent about Creation Vacation, registration is open, and there is special pricing until November 30!

Click to check out the details, and we can make a date to talk about the fit for you. (There’s a link to my calendar in the document, or hit reply here.)

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• Live Big Live! is my signature 3-day retreat that dozens of women have experienced (many multiple times). This retreat is now offered only once each year, in early June in Boston (the dates will be confirmed shortly). Check out the description — and watch the short videos to hear first-hand about the big impact of this wonderful retreat.

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• L’Aventure Française 2025 will be another fabulous 12-day fall retreat in France. Dates will be announced soon, and it is not too early to plan for this remarkable time to bring joy into your life and connect to yourself in ways that will delight you! I would love to share magical time and French experiences with you.

During the long holiday weekend I had time to explore a topic that’s been showing up a lot.

I hope this longer-than-usual post will spark some fresh ideas for you.

With Thanksgiving behind us and looking ahead to upcoming holiday gatherings, why not think about the people with whom you spend time?

Who is in your close circle?

Most of us have a close set of relationships, and the people with whom we spend most of our time — in our immediate and extended families, in our professional settings, and with friends and neighbors — is relatively limited.

Those with whom we have regular contact are typically ongoing relationships, and new people only occasionally move into our sphere.

If you are fortunate, the people in that close sphere are supportive, positive and lovely to be with.

If you find yourself in family and/or work settings with people who do not make you feel happy, or with whom you wish there was more meaningful connection, you may long for new people in your life who are more fun to be with, more kind, or more interesting to be around.

What many of us do not consider is that we can consciously choose to be in relationship with people who inspire and light us up — to augment our great relationships, and to balance out more challenging relationships when those need to be sustained.

My path to more connections

My circle of close connections was small for many years. In my 30s and 40s, it was rare for me to make new close personal friends or meet other business people with whom I could engage at a meaningful, personal level.

There were fewer professional or networking organizations then, and very few where I found connections with the depth I was seeking.

Happily, that changed — and in ways I was not expecting.

I have had the good fortune to have connected to remarkable people beyond those in my immediate circles in the last 20 years.

And in the last 3 years the new connections have been especially exciting!

When I first joined The Boston Club (when I owned my first business), I was thrilled to meet so many smart, interesting women with whom I was able to make meaningful connections — both professionally and personally. In fact, that’s where I met some of the women I now count among my closest friends.

And in the work I’ve been doing with my coach for the last three years, I am part of a remarkable group of leaders who all do bold, exciting work in the world. They not only inspire me, they are there to support me — whether I am creating something new or dealing with something challenging.

Inspiring relationships catalyze big new ideas

The enriching relationships I now enjoy inspired me to shape two ways to provide deep connection, support, and inspiration for my clients.

In my Live Big Live! program women come together and find clarity for their vision of the near future, and then make a plan for how they will live into that vision. The impact of the shared group experience is always wonderful to witness as exciting breakthroughs are achieved.

And a number of clients opt for ongoing coaching support in a close-knit group. This helps them achieve true creative mastery in and of their lives.

In addition to wonderful ways they connect with one another virtually, I have longed to bring these women together in person for a deep immersive experience — and it was finally safe to do that this fall.

The weekend before Thanksgiving I took them on our first Creation Vacation together! At our long weekend retreat in the Berkshires we deeply explored play and creation. We shared adventures and heart-expanding conversations. (Scroll down to see a few photos of the fun.)

The weekend provided a magical way for everyone to experience being with other women who light them up, who see them in ways they cannot see themselves, who are there to celebrate with them, and also available to provide support without judgement.

Time and again I have seen that when any of the women in a close group like this experiences an “aha moment”, a breakthrough, or they share a success, everyone else feels inspired and excited to bring her gifts forward.

And when someone in the group is navigating something tricky (or going through something really tough), the others are there to offer support. The same is available in return to each when she needs it.

You can choose to be with more great people

You get to actively seek out and choose great people to bring into your life.

Ask yourself who you want to connect to.

Do you want new professional connections — in your current field or in a field you are eager to explore? Do you want to connect to leaders you can learn from, to mentors, to role models? Do you want more peer connections with people who are willing to be open, vulnerable and share serious ideas?

Perhaps you want to meet new people with whom you can pursue a favorite activity — a hobby, a passion, or a particular interest.

Maybe you yearn for new personal relationships — to have more close friends, to find a romantic partner, to support a child or adolescent on their path to maturity, or connect to someone from a different culture.

When you have that awareness it will be easier to think about where to look for those people.

The magic of meaningful connections

Once you have the joy of special new connections in your life, the impact will touch everything you do.

New ideas and enthusiasm will show up. New energy will be palpable. You may surprise yourself by taking action in ways you cannot envision today.

Will things like this happen instantly? Will everything be easy and pleasurable?

Of course not.

But you will have more new ideas, more positive experiences, and more support for everything you do.

And who knows? You may well be a catalyst to initiate another circle of connections, where others can connect in special, life-changing ways.

And, here are a few photos taken at Creation Vacation:

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