I’m not meaning the kind of organizational, task-oriented Mission that many businesses follow, but rather one based on your deep personal values and principles: your own constitution, manifesto, commandment, or motto. Applying your Mission like a filter, you can then pass all major ideas, decisions, planning, etc. through a lens of your highest serving values, supporting you to focus on what is most important and reducing sparkly distractions.

If you are like many people I chat with, clarity and balance often get lost when you’re overwhelmed with so much information, heavy decisions, diverse agendas, inter-personal politics, urgent timelines, multiple demands, and the like. Empowering a Mission Statement can serve as your guiding compass, and in turn assist you to honour yourself when overwhelm lands with a thud.

The super bonus to a personal Mission Statement is its help in moments when you feel you’re drowning in heavy emotions. As a wave of emotions rises, a Mission can diminish the push and pull action that can fill your heart and overflow into consuming your life. Your Mission can ease the flow and weight of challenging emotions, and more so the potential negative affects they take in your life. A Mission can be a ‘pause button,’ creating breathing space for heart-felt, conscious decisions.

What would your personal Mission be? As you consider possibilities, here are a few tips:

• Identify Overarching Principles: What values do you want to guide your activities of the coming year?
• Pay Attention to Words: What words make your heart sing? What inspirational quotes have special meaning to you? What words repeat in your ear?
• KISS (Keep It Simple, Star!): Which principles are most vital to you? Which ones do you prioritize? Which ones are in your Top 5 or 10? To help review your Mission Statements easily daily, keep your list short and snappy – let them roll of your tongue!
• Personalize Them Without Judgment: What are you about – your strengths, your interests, your goals, your joys…? Be true to you, free of comparisons to others and self-judgment.
• Vision Broadly: What do you value as your focus in your ‘daily living of life?’ What bigger dreams expand you? Balance both small and big opportunities for your growth.

As you venture into creating your own personal Mission, please play until the ideal wording hums off your lips – do not compromise: your Mission is your heart’s guide.

If you wish some ideas as a foundation to hone your own magical Mission: There is only love. Embrace process. Let ‘it’ go. Do ‘it’ now. Be authentic. Follow my heart. Trust my intuition. Live in the moment. Forgive. Be grateful….

KISS!

I’d love to hear your Mission insights. Please email or Facebook your wordsmithing brilliance and/or your sticking points. Share your mission wisdom!

Some days it can feel like Social Media is running you, not the other way around. Juggling techi devices by jumping from Smart Phone to tablet to laptop and back again in an endless cycle to stay connected can run you ragged. When you feel more like a computer pro or a Social Media analyst (unless that is your biz!), it takes time away from what you really love to do – what your business is actually about. Sure, Social Media is a valuable business tool, but ask yourself….

How is Social Media serving you? Not only in your business but in your personal life? Consider: If social media is a vice, does it serve you…or do you serve it?

…Read More…

[The full post at Entrepreneur Mom Now on February 7, 2013]

If you could chose ONLY eight – yes, 8 – people to dine with you, who would they be? Who are the most awe inspiring, wise and/or humorous peeps you’d like to join you for yummy food, sparkling conversation and rounds of laughter?

You may consider possible political leaders, sports figures, ‘creatives’ (actors, singers, artists, writers), humanitarians, TV personalities…gurus of any sort. They may be personal teachers of yours, or role models you look up to. Or they may be people you know personally, including family members, friends, neighbours, community members, pets and the like.

In some way, each one you consider will have touched your heart. You likely feel great gratitude toward them for some reason. You respect them in some way. They reflect your values of daily life and/or your vision for the world. Only which ones hold an honoured seat at your dinner table?

Try this tip for narrowing your list: Who would you ask to share in this blessing?

Today may there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

For all the people you consider inviting, hold a special place of gratitude in your heart. For those you do not know, send a little wish-filled prayer. For those you do know, find ways to authentically connect with each one in the coming weeks, letting them feel your gratitude.

One final vital question: What dessert will you serve?  ; )

Wishing you a friend-filled, family-fun, hassle-free, no ‘shoulds’ attached holiday season with all the peeps who you invite!

P.S. Why am I suggesting you invite ONLY 8 people? Because an arbitrary number is needed for narrowing your list…and because there are 8 place settings in the image above!

Recently, several peeps close to me have gone through some wicked hard times. Relationships breakdowns, unexpected career shifts, and health issues seem to be an overwhelming theme for many. Add to this the endless TV news of huge disasters impacting millions of people we don’t know personally.

Dare to tell anyone of these peeps to ‘count your blessing’, and the evil eye may target you! So often ‘count your blessings’ can be easily, off-handedly, and even flippantly said that it lacks the sincere message of support and concern you may deeply share. Sometimes it obvious when we’re stuck in a tough situation, and other times we silently keep our hard place to ourselves. We may stand stoically or melt with a whisper. At all times, we are doing the best we can with where we are and what we know. But can we always be grateful?

One of the greatest tools at our disposal when we find ourselves in hard times – expectedly or unexpectedly – is gratitude. Only where do you find blessings under a hay stack from hell? Sure, for some it may be easy to ‘see the bright side of life’…humming a tune of gratitude no matter the situation. Maybe you’ve grown your gratitude muscle from a regular gratitude practice. For others, gratitude may be visited rarely, if ever. Wherever you’re at, you’ll respond as you choose to in the midst of a tough situation.

Only the coach in me hopes to inspire some Boy Scout preparedness!

Here’s my tip: Make your list a head of time. In fact, the next time you find yourself humming along in life, take a few minutes to write down what you are grateful for. Don’t just think the grateful thoughts…write them: use a journal, type up a document, creatively design a beautiful note, or add an affirmation to your smartphone.

Because here’s the catch: It can be super overwhelming as you’re drowning in a blinding flow of dread to try to find that needle of sunlight in your life. Opening a journal, clicking on a computer file, scanning your bulletin board, or surfing your smartphone for a list of things you were once grateful for may be the nudge you need to count your blessings once again. Do the work ahead of time, so that when the heaviness hits you have your gratitude ready to respond. All it takes is a few key messages of gratitude to kick start you to count your blessings, even when you’re still living under the hay stack from hell.

Smile with joy when the blessings you pre-prepared shift, lift, or lighten your dark hours. Welcome gratitude for your preparedness – it’s a blessing itself!

Time to get your gratitude on – Count your blessings!

I am grateful for…

My life is blessed by…

Light shines on me because…

Sharing a world-beyond-words, Samsara is a breath-takingly film (much like its earlier sibling, Baraka) that circles the world, exploring and expressing the sights and sounds of the human condition in silent majesty. The haunting music is the only narrator as the wonders of the world are viewed through nature and humankind’s reality of chaos and harmony. Weaving together peace and savagery, Samsara highlights the delicate nature of the earth’s inhabitants.

Samsara movie monks

Filmed over five years and in twenty-five countries, Samsara transports the movie goer to sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial sites, and natural wonders, encouraging inner interpretations inspired by images that infuse the ancient with the modern. Serving like a guided meditation, Samsara’s powerful (at times very raw and bleak) imagery illuminates the links between humanity and nature, showing how our life cycle mirrors the rhythm of the planet.

Samsara is a Sanskrit word that means “the ever turning wheel of life.” The film’s common theme depicts a repetitive cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth, a natural continuous flow of creation, evolution and destruction in life. It’s as if the filmmakers are searching for the elusive current of interconnection that runs through our lives.

Samsara movie hadj

Weeks after seeing the film, the theme of connection continues to reverberate through my movie mind. Not a happy go-lucky movie, Samsara awakened and challenged some of my senses and sensabilities, sobering me to the reality of how we as humans interconnect, and how we as inhabitants interconnect with nature – as in Samsara, it’s not always a pretty sight.

How does interconnection touch your world? In what ways does it impact your life? How about some juicy questions to spark your movie mind:

• What does connection actually mean to you and how does it play out in your life?
• How do you view and nurture (or not) connection to yourself? To others? How do you choose your connection?
• Do you believe that we are all connected (humans, animals, plants, the planet, and on up to include the whole universe)? Or do you have a different point of view?
• If you believe we are all connected, then what responsibility do we have to be conscious and intentional around this? With ourselves? With other humans? With animals, plants, objects, etc.…?
• If you believe we are NOT all connected at some level, then how does that impact your participation with others (and other things) on the planet?

Love to hear your juicy connection thoughts as they ripple through your movie mind!

If you wish to check out Samsara (or it’s predecessor, Baraka), go to: http://barakasamsara.com

Our prepping to go away to a Pacific west coast resort began months earlier with making the booking. Only it was three days before we left when the roots of ‘I told you so’ took seed. Yes – jaw-drop! – my hubby actually asked me what to pack for our mini-‘vacay.’

Having played the ‘I told you so’ game like a pro for nearly two decades with my husband, I’d stopped offering up wardrobe wisdom after our ‘cutlery’ anniversary – I was tired of cutting my tongue. So, instead I held my tongue and quietly packed my own bags.

That’s when he started asking…well, teasing really. Seems my seven – yes, I counted! – conversations that directly and indirectly related to the weather, geography and activities fell on deaf ears – selectively, that is!

When my fully packed suitcase and extra bag for the drive were sitting at the door ready to go, he joked. When we travelled for a day in beautiful Indian summer sunshine, he teased. When we arrived to a cutting wind whipping through a thick blanket of fog, he fell silent.

Slight panic rippled up my husband’s arms as the mist landed in large droplets of heaviness from the fir trees above as the wind whistled past his ears. He didn’t dare mention my bags again. He knew an ‘I told you so’ awaited. All my words of wisdom from days before suddenly all landed at once. Thud!

Opening our cabin door and beginning to settle in faster than usual, my husband heaved his bag onto the bed. T-shirts went flying. Digging deep to find the smile he’d lost in the cold damp fog, he triumphantly glimmered as he silently hoisted a single black long-sleeve T-shirt above his head. Holding it proudly like a flag, my husband pre-emptively declared: ‘See I listened to you – I brought a sweater. I told you so!’

Serves me right that my husband drives me crazy!

Thank God for ‘PVRing’ and ‘TEVOing’ – words soon to be added to English dictionaries! With so many evenings and weekends spent out networking, relaxing and playing, it’s a treasure to record key shows, sports events and the like, knowing they can be enjoyed later when time allows.

So when the final episode of the final season of ‘In Plain Sight’ was scheduled, my PVR was immediately set – it was my final date with some of my fave fake peeps.

While the topic of the show isn’t my first go-to interest, it’s the sassy interactions that hooked me. Sure, it’s well acted, but what I truly LOVE is the banter – it’s got fast-paced quick whit with intelligent lingo balanced with street gab. Bouncing between endearments and sarcasm, a fabulous chemistry of characters, sexual tension, and a true sense of friendship illustrated values I relate to including loyalty, camaraderie, feminine empowerment, and service to others.

What was special about the final final final show? For me, it was lessons learned in the final moments. Throughout the whole series a childhood story was woven with the final episodes focused on the main character, Mary’s, childhood memories and feelings of abandonment after her father ran out on the family when she was a young girl. Upon his death, Mary was released to address the past and move forward with a fresh start – for the viewer the thread of a key story was pulled. As she scattered his ashes, the tears rolled down my cheeks. I knew that moment from my own life, and through a TV show a familiar wound re-opened. Time to do more inner work! Starting this time with where I am now in my relationship and loss of my own father.

With the show signing off, thank you! Thank you for your humour and intelligence, wounded-ness and personal healing, relationship celebration and readiness to move on. Thank you for bringing me closer to my own healing process through laughter, and as the credits rolled, with tears. Who says TV isn’t impactful!?

I may date myself, but it brings on a sad sense of past TV grief as my TV maturity evolved: as a child, waving goodbye to Mr. Rogers; as a pre-teen, The Love Boat’s last sailing; in college, the West Wing being elected off the air; as a Brit-loving gal, Eastenders showing delayed episodes from 2-years ago; and now, In Plain Sight. While not a world catastrophe, it’s still a lost legacy of another TV era…and a sign of time passing.

Do you recall the feeling of your fave things being lost? Was it a lipstick colour discontinued, a beloved colour from last season’s fashions vanished, a delicious yummy ice cream flavour melted away…? So what’s your fave TV show that’s no longer running? What makes it special in your memory? Love to share our TV notes!

So when my wrist fell victim to my overuse this week, I had no one to hold responsible but me. It was my own focused energy that drove me to overdo it with cleaning, organizing, lifting, hoisting, heaving, and the like. No wonder by mid-week by left hand gave me the finger!

Of course, my dear hubby finds it the perfect opportunity to blast my new hobby of knitting. Having taken up the needles only a few months ago and diving in enthusiastically with all 10 fingers, he figures it’s the downfall of my hands – ‘It’s ALL that knitting!’ It’s not really surprising given my pattern of overwhelm as I step up fully, either with both feet (or both hands!) first into any activity. Sorry to disappoint him, but needles have strengthened my wrists, increased my hand agility, and brought joy to my heart with each click clack!

Blessed with a refreshed appreciation for all the ways my limbs serve my quality of life, I understand at a far deeper level the challenges my beloved friend lives with, having had a stroke last summer while young and super active. Learning yesterday that another friend in the prime of her life had a stroke this summer grounds the lesson limbs offer: Love us while we work and be patient when we don’t!

Splinted and bandaged, my wee wrist salutes all who live with limited mobility, slower fingers, and joint aches and pains. Please be honoured by this one-handed blog post…each single letter typed at a time – URGGGGGGGH! Know that with each letter there was a silent thought: Thank God it wasn’t my right wrist – then I’d be really hooped!

Take the time to hug your limbs today!

Amazingly, that’s all it took – one passing comment that stuck with me. For about another week, the thought popped to mind at key moments: as I coached clients, as I was talking on telesummits, and as I planned next season’s events. It was a gift that kept giving me a kick in the butt!

The only way to calm my overwhelming pace was for me to take action in the direction of change. But I was so deeply committed to my overwhelm that I couldn’t find my compass. It was time to rely on a fave trusted tool: being present. Only that meant slowing down to observe the moment, focusing on specific activities, and reconnecting with what I value. From 150 to 0 in one step seemed too extreme. I opted for gearing down in stages. How did I do it? What did I learn? How might you check in with your overwhelm pace?

In June, I pledged to reduce my relationship with my computer. My hubby was fond of saying: ‘You are married to that machine!’ And he was right…only I may not tell him that out loud! It was time to stop ‘living’ online. Only if I went ‘off-line’ while at home, the temptation would be huge. Instead, I ‘escaped’ technology by visiting family in England. Sure I took my computer – I wasn’t being masochistic! But with their intermitted internet access, I was lucky to read and respond to key emails. I learned that by turning off my computer I had more time to do other fun things, and I didn’t miss social media in the least. The fatal Facebook attraction was broken and I survived! You can too! Are you romancing your computer? How techi is your life? Where do your relationships exist: online or in real time?

In July, I focused on prioritizing. Calm would only come with clarity, so being present with only a few key activities meant I could embrace them more deeply. It was perfect timing: I taught a college course for the month and the students were the sole funnel of my energy. Rather than be distracted by other commitments, I fully experienced this aspect of my work in fabulous ways I hadn’t before, while others reaped the benefits of my presence. For you, how many activities do you typically juggle at a time? How could you (and others) benefit from a deeper, more present experience?

In August, I expanded on lessons from June: it was time to socialize in-person! Networking is super fun and often feels like socializing, especially with the many biz friends I have met. Only networking has an undertone of work, and with so many possible events to attend it can feel overwhelming. With far fewer networking events in August it was great timing to reconnect with non-biz friends, some I hadn’t seen or talked to in months! The richness of enjoying quality time chill-axing with friends was a refreshing and grounding elixir. Question for you: who do you spend your ‘free’ time with? How can you honour your friendship connections more deeply?

Returning with greater clarity and balance to my autumn events and planning for the year ahead, my pace has quelled to a speed where I can be present, focused, and connect authentically. No more ‘stunned’ for this biz gal!

[Original article located on Mom Inc Movement – a fabulous gathering of mom and non-mom enterpreneurs: http://momincmovement.com/blog/2012/08/30/push-the-pause-button-on-the-overwhelm-pace/ Love them!]

Of course, it comes with a bit of a brain teaser: What is Labour Day all about?

First, yes, I am writing ‘labour’ with a ‘u’, because English English uses that extra vowel to prove some sort of point – I’m not sure what exactly? Plus, who can’t use an extra ‘u’ in their world! If it irks you, you may want to seek counselling for ‘u-itis.’

Second, according to the world of Wiki, Labour Day is the equivalent of International Workers’ Day held on May 1^st in many parts of the world. So instead of May, the USA, Canada and some other countries celebrate in September. If you’re in Australia, your workers (which if you haven’t already sussed is MOST of us!) celebrate differently in each state/territory – how confusing is that! But OK, seems like a fair trade.

Third, as a Canadian I proudly smile at the day…after all its roots rest here! It’s all the other countries who jumped on board…and why not they all have workers who deserve to be honoured.

Only here’s where I get lost in holiday-land…Labour Day supposedly “celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.” Again, my use of ‘supposedly’ is intentional. I’m not sure where you live or travel, but I have NEVER EVER witnessed a workers celebration in North America on Labour Day. How about you?

Unlike the May 1^st union protests and student marches experienced in other parts of the globe, which celebrate, and in tighter times, even stand up for the rights of workers (a.k.a. MOST OF US), we opt for a day off to party. So, here’s a statutory holiday aimed “to celebrate the achievements of workers,” but really it’s a fabulous reason to fire up the BBQ, grab a 6-pack (of whatever you glug), and dive into some quality R & R. The irony is hilarious – our achievements are marked with a brew and a burger!

I’m not actually complaining, more shaking my head. Initially, Labour Day involved a street parade to exhibit “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations,” followed by a festival for the workers and their families. Speeches by leaders or employers gave way to a day of rest and parties, including picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, outdoor activities, sports, and public art events. Maybe what people REALLY want, yes?

Fourth, better yet how about spending your day celebrating YOU by shopping? With all those workers on holiday, what better day for stores to hold sales!? Taking advantage of the opportunity results in “one of the largest sale dates of the year, second only to the Christmas season’s Black Friday” in the USA. Only this means that workers in retail jobs actually work on Labour Day, and often longer hours that day! Probably reflects how retail workers are rarely in unions!?

Fifth, my guess is that somewhere in the mix school pays the biggest role in our Un-Labour Day, because it’s typically viewed as the end of the summer vacation season. With most schools opening for the year the day after Labor Day, families with school-age children take it as the last chance to chill-ax before school begins. Thing is that once you are a school-age child (again MOST of us) with years of living this calendar cycle, we sort of continue to mark Labour Day as the end of summer. It becomes our ‘new year.’

My proposal: What rocking awesome things can you do to celebrate you (most likely a worker!) between Labour Day and the first day of autumn? Imagine that Labour Day stretches to the true end of summer…how would you make the most of it? Now get out there and do it – you deserve more that one day with a brew and burger to honour YOU!

Happy unofficial New Year!