Posted in Blog, Personal Inspiration

Day 3 – Get Inspired!

Day 3 – Get Inspired! 

What makes me feel inspired?  An evening campfire with my family and good friends. ~ Patti

What made you feel inspired today?

Reminiscence on what made you smile, laugh or just plain happy and share it on my Facebook page.   Like the page.   Leave your inspiration in the comments for all 7 days and you could be a winner of  Live Your Best Life! 21 Days to Optimal Work/Life Balance workshop.

Spread the joy and share this post with your colleagues, friends, family and on your social networks for others to get inspired!

Posted in Blog, Personal Inspiration

Day 2 – Get Inspired!

 

What is inspiring to me?  A beautiful hike along a creek.

What made you feel inspired today?

Reminiscence on what made you smile, laugh or just plain happy and share it on my Facebook page.   Like the page.   Leave your inspiration in the comments for all 7 days and you could be a winner of  Live Your Best Life! 21 Days to Optimal Work/Life Balance workshop.

Spread the joy and share this post with your colleagues, friends, family and on your social networks for others to get inspired!

Posted in Blog, Business Inspiration, Leadership Inspiration, Personal Inspiration

Time for Vacation Planning

Spring is upon us!  Now is the time to start planning a vacation. We all need a little time away from work for our mental and physical health.  Okay, let’s do it and come up with a great plan for your ultimate vacation.

Here are some tips to get you started:

Review your calendar before it fills up. What days are available for a week or two?

Okay, you have found some days that are open, submit those days for vacation leave to your boss.

Set your vacation dates on the calendar and block out those dates.

Immediately start thinking about what you would like to do on vacation.

What sounds fun, exciting or interesting to you?  Going to a museum, relaxing on the beach, reading a book with a nice breeze, hiking, skiing, boating, fishing, scuba diving, dancing, attending a baseball game, bird watching, zoo, wildlife park, camping, or traveling somewhere you have never been before.

Now, it is time to book the travel arrangements and accommodations.  It is important to do it right away, so nothing else can be scheduled for that time.

What job functions can you delegate while you are gone?  Start training others for those tasks, so when you are on vacation these things get completed and are done right.  No worrying while you’re gone.  It is being handled.

Share your duties with the whole team.  Giving different tasks to several people will ensure they can still perform their own job assignments as well.

Communicate to everyone you will be on vacation from this date to this date and you will be unavailable during those dates.

Insert the vacation dates on your email notification, voice mail messages and whom to contact while you are out.

The most important thing is UNPLUG.  Reframe from checking your work emails or voice messages until you get back.

By enjoying your time off, you will come back to work refreshed, recharged, motivated, inspired and passionate.  Taking a vacation is good for you and everyone around you!

Call to Action:

After returning from vacation, tell me about your vacation; even if it was a “staycation”.  Were you refreshed, motivated and ready to come back to work?  I would love to hear all about it. ~ Patti

Do you want more in your life than just your career?

 Click on the link and sign up for the 21- Days Optimal Work/Life Balance Workshop.

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Posted in Blog, Inspirational Moments, Personal Inspiration

Turn OFF Your Phone and Get Turned ON [Guest Blogger]

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Where did the love go?   Turn OFF the electronic and turn ON your partner!

Once I had a relationship (in its early stages) and I was convinced I could do whatever I wanted in that relationship – until my partner told me to not bring the laptop to our bed.

I had always pointed the finger at my “exes” for not giving me enough affection, not paying attention to how wonderful I was, it was easy to point the finger at someone else. But with this partner, I got a tough lesson where he felt affronted – and aghast – that I would bring into our bed – the ‘third’ man – the laptop.

That was in the year 2008.

Today, we have so many devices that are smaller than a laptop – that fit into the palm of our hand (and I don’t mean those devices if you know want I mean!) that we bring into the bed – and we don’t think anything of it.

How many times have you found yourself with your partner next to you in bed – or maybe your child – and in your hand – or both hands you are holding an electronic device such as smartphone, iPad, kindle or gaming device?

We think nothing of it – but the world shows us that this is the way of the future.

Electronic devices are here to stay – and they have entered our most intimate spaces – where humans make love, connect, tell stories and just stare into each other’s eyes.

So – if you were wondering how long my relationship from 2008 lasted – it was about 1 year after that first lesson from my partner how he was not impressed. But his lesson stayed with me permanently. How could I ever be with another partner – and treat them the same way – knowing that the very thing my ex wanted – undivided attention – was something I so – unconsciously – was not able to be sentient of?

Sentience is the ability to perceive or feel things.

With touch technology and the immediacy of stimulation from a screen, the physical body’s need for physical feelings is being downgraded as a priority.

But everybody knows – we NEED touch, eye contact, hand-holding, hugs, sweet talk, laughter, sharing stories and exploring the stories inside our loved one’s heart.

So why do we displace those very dear and endearing things….with an electronic device?

I am not going to tell you to turn your phones and electronic devices to get more intimacy – because that is a no-brainer.

If you really wanted to have more connection with your partner or loved ones, wouldn’t you just turn off the phone?

The REAL question is what my ex-partner so kindly demonstrated for me – why would you shut someone out that you loved in the first place. This is not about laziness. This is about a deeper calling for us to switch off from the places where we may even, potentially, experience more vulnerability.

As a love and relationship coach, the things I ask those looking for intimacy with their partner when they feel ‘disconnected’ from their partner are the same questions I had to ask myself when I got chided for bringing the laptop to bed.

  • What are you afraid of facing if you had to be with your partner/loved one right now?
  • What are you to shy of sharing with your partner?
  • What are you avoiding feeling – either with your partner – or because you feel you shouldn’t ask for more, or you shouldn’t bother with – because it’s not that important?
  • What are you ashamed, embarrassed or hesitant to share, because you may think you’re loved one will just not care?

We all need intimacy – and the easiest way to hide from that – is a device.

We already have many devices to avoid the ones we love: “too busy”, work, stress, kids, demands, etc. Electronic devices are another tool to avoid what we deeply want.

So I invite you to ask yourself, if you are touching your devices more than your partner?

If you never had to be worried, ashamed or hesitant of how you would be received, what would you LOVE to share with your partner?
And if that is too hard to answer – google it!  Get creative – find ideas, poems, odd stories, anecdotes, anything that you can add to the mix of new possibilities of what you could share with your partner.

Your phones could also give you some smart “stories” that you can laugh and share with those you love as well. ~ Angela Ambrosia, LoveandRelationshipCoach.com

Angela Ambrosia is a Love and Relationship Coach with a deep affinity for women creating a deeply satisfying love. She is certified as a Life Coach and Relationship Coach by World Coach Institute, and a certified Subconscious Rapid Transformation Practitioner, a technique of subconscious re-patterning that transforms a person’s ability to create the relationship of their dreams. Adding to her gifts of insight and affinity are my certification as a teacher of meditation, and two decades-plus expertise in dance and body movement.

Angela invites you to join her free love and togetherness video series.

Posted in Blog, Inspirational Moments, Leadership Inspiration, Personal Inspiration

Arizona Hiking

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year with the cooler temperatures.  Cooler weather for me means it is hiking season.  Hiking is a great way to relieve stress.  I enjoy hiking in Arizona because it is so diverse in vegetation and elevations.  You can hike throughout the year depending on where you go within the state.  Let me tell you a little bit about hiking and the benefits of getting outdoors in nature.

Hiking on 2-18-13 with Patrick 043

Hiking Etiquette:

  1.  Follow and stay on the trails.  The paths are designed to preserve the natural vegetation, keep the area beautiful and for hikers to know their way.
  2. Keep to the right on the path so other hikers can pass.
  3. Pass on the left and announce yourself with “hello”.  When passing stay on the path.  Bikers yield to Hikers.  Hikers and Bikers yield to Horses.  When in a hiking group hike single file.
  4.  Hikers going uphill are given the right away over hikers going downhill.
  5. Pack in and pack out.  Carry your litter out.  Bring a plastic bag to carry your litter inside your back pack.

What to take on a day hike:

  1. Back pack
  2. Bring plenty of bottle water or hydration pack filled with water
  3. Small first-aid kit
  4. Small bottle of sun screen
  5. Small packages of snacks and lunch items
  6. Thin lite weight Pancho in case it rains
  7. A charged cell phone and a compass.  Most smart phones have a compass.
  8. Small flashlight and extra batteries
  9. Small survival knife
  10. Small hand sanitizer
  11.  Matches or lighter
  12. Map of the trail

What to wear:

  1.  Hiking boots
  2. Thick socks
  3. Layered clothes depending on the weather and climate changes
  4. Sun glasses
  5. Hat

Plan your hiking route ahead of time and always tell someone else, where you are going in case of a emergency.  It is a good idea to hike with a partner for safety reasons.

Small Steps

Here is a list of some of my favorite places for a day hike:

Hiking at Butcher Jones 11-12 013

The benefits of taking a hike:

Hiking gets your blood pumping, the body moving and being outdoors with nature has a calming influence on the mind and spirit.

Take away:

Hiking outdoors has lots of benefits.  Beautiful locations, the sceneries, fresh air, wildlife, birds chirping, and water rushing.  It is relaxing and calms the soul.  Gives you time to enjoy what is around you and forget about everything else.  On each trail, path and hike you see the beauty and feel at peace.  In today’s world we all need to see the beauty around us, have some calm peaceful moments and spend more time appreciating nature as well as each other.  Just think, what a difference life would be if we each took a little more time enjoying what wonders are around us and go for a hike!

Comments are always welcome and please share this post with your colleagues, friends, family and on your social networks!

Become a Better Leader [e-Book] Click here to download your copy.

Quiz – Is Your Job Too Stressful?

Posted in Blog, Business Inspiration

3 things to do to create balance in your life this week!

Create balance sunset

3 things to do to create balance in your life this week:

Balance Strategy #1 ~  Spend an hour pampering you! 

  • Get your hair trimmed
  • Get your finger and toe nails painted
  • Get a massage

Reflection Question: Why is it important to take care of you?

Balance Strategy #2 ~ Take an hour to strengthen a relationship or friendship!

  • Call a friend and catch up on life events
  • Meet up with a friend or spouse for coffee or a drink
  • Meet up with a friend or spouse for lunch
  • Send a text to a family member saying “I love you”

Reflection Question: Who is important to you?

Balance Strategy #3 ~ Take time to have some fun!

Schedule at least 30 minutes this week to do something you really enjoy and do it.

  • Arts and Crafts
  • Hobby
  • Watch a movie and funny T.V. show
  • Reading a book or magazine
  • Sports Activity

Reflection Question: What is fun time to you?

By taking a few precious hours within your week and incorporating these strategies it calms your nerves, connects you with the important people in your life and puts some joy and new perceptive in your weekly life.  Let me know what you incorporated in your life this week and how did you feel doing it? ~ Patti

Do you want even more work-life balance strategies? Come and join the Facebook group called Work-Life Balance with Patti

Become a Better Leader [e-Book] Click here to download your copy.

Comments are always welcome and please share this post with your colleagues, friends, family and on your social networks!

To learn more about one to one coaching with Patti – email me at: patti@coachingforinspirationwithpatti.com

Image Licensed sippakorn/Shutterstock.com

Posted in Blog, Leadership Inspiration

Top 3 Tips for Creating Work-Life Balance

A while back, I asked readers to participate in this poll:  Which Topics Interest You?  The topic with the most votes was “Work-Life Balance”.

What does work-life balance really mean?

According to Wikipedia.org work-life balance is a concept including proper prioritizing between “work” (career and ambition) and “lifestyle” (health, pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development/meditation).

How do you balance work and life?  Yes, it can be quite challenging. Here are some tips for you to create work-life balance in your life.

Tip #1 ~ Take time to care for your BODY, MIND and SPIRIT

Breathe, stretch, move, exercise, get a massage, get your nails done, meditate, pray, go outside and take a walk, listen to calm relaxing music, journal, read an inspirational or funny book. Your body will thank you and your spirit will feel renewed and refreshed. It is important to take care of your body, mind, and spirit to have balance in your life. When you are renewed and refresh you are more considerate to others.  The recommended time to quickly recharge is 10 to 15 minutes per day.

  • How are you going to take time to care for you?
  • How often?
  • Do you have a place to unwind?
  • Is this place calm and relaxing to you?
  • If so, how often will you take advantage of this space?
  • If you don’t, “Why not?”

Tip #2 ~ Tuning Out Work to Strengthen Relationships

As a Leader, each day you push yourself to get more completed with less and are expected to do more.  You are over-worked and your mind is in a continual loop thinking about work even when you are physically away from work.  Is your spouse, family and friends feeling totally ignored?  Don’t you think it may be time to plan some precious time with your spouse, family, and friends?

How committed are you in doing this?

When will you start?

How often will you schedule time for this?

Tip #3 ~ Learn to Say No and Stop Over-Scheduling Yourself

Over-scheduling is very stressful on you and your family.  You have no time for you and no time for them.  Constantly rushing from here to there while being late for everything, may give the appearance of bad time management, you don’t care, or worst you are unreliable.

Give yourself a time buffer of at least 30 to 45 minutes between appointments and meetings.  This way if the appointment or meeting runs a little over you still have time to make the next appointment on time.  If traveling allow for travel time as well.

How often do you say yes to something you really don’t want to do?  

Is being over-scheduled stressing you out?

 Is being over-scheduled and over-committed a way of life for you?  

Do you really enjoy being in every association, committee and the chair of everything you are a member?  

Do you feel you have to be in charge or say yes when asked?  Are you really doing a good job for all of these positions you hold?  

Did any of these questions resonant with you?  If yes, maybe it is time to start saying no, stop over-scheduling and over-committing.

Slowing down and having work-life balance is very important to lower stress and lessen burn-out.  Taking time for your spouse, children, family, friends, pets and focusing on them builds stronger and lasting relationships.  Start incorporating these tips and watch how work-life balance will start to transform into your daily life.

If so, click the link and sign up for the 21- Days Optimal Work/Life Balance Workshop.
Do you want even more work-life balance strategies? Come and join the Facebook group called Work-Life Balance with Patti
Comments are always welcome and please share this post with your colleagues, friends, family and on your social networks!

Become a Better Leader [e-Book] Click here to download your copy.

Quiz – Is Your Job Too Stressful?

To learn more about one to one coaching with Patti – email me at: patti@coachingforinspirationwithpatti.com

Posted in Blog, Business Inspiration, Leadership Inspiration, Personal Inspiration, Podcasts

Removing Gossip, Negative Thoughts and Self-Doubt from Daily Life

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A few weeks ago I wrote about life changing subjects to consider incorporating into ourselves this year in the blog post It is a New Year.  The eighth key action step is working on “Removing Gossip, Negative Thoughts and Self- Doubt from daily life”.

Removing Gossip, Negative Thoughts and Self-Doubt:

Start With Creating Peace, Love and Joy.  When I ask this question:  What do you really want in life?  People have expressed all they really want in their lives is peace and love. How do you find peace and love in your life?  I believe before you can have peace, joy and love in your life. You should reflect peace and love within yourself.

How do you reflect peace?   By realizing, yes, you have made some mistakes and those mistakes sometimes follow you. Everyone makes mistakes and it is time to let go of that baggage which loads you down and forgive yourself. Once you learn to love and respect yourself your heart will open to receive love from others.  You will begin to treat others with love and kindness and love and kindness will circle back to you.  Peace and calmness will come into your life as well as those around you.  Walking away from gossip and speaking bad about others will improve your relationships and discontinue negative thought patterns.

How to Halt Negative Thought Patterns:

To stop those negative thoughts about yourself and others. Begin by obtaining a small journal and writing down all your good qualities and the good qualities of people around you. Make a list of the good qualities you want to reflect in your life.  Anytime you start to feel the self-doubt or negative thoughts. Pull out that small journal and reflect on those words you written and read them.  Perform this exercise to open your heart to receive love and peace within.

Being Confident and Removing Self-Doubt:

Back in January of 2014 I had created this poll.

The number one reason was Self-Doubt or Confidence.

Why do you think Self-Doubt or Confidence was number one?

Why are people afraid to pursue their dreams or aspirations?  Isn’t it better to go after your dreams?  Absolutely!  Have a plan, it will take time and perseverance.  I recall sometime back I had read an article which discussed when people were close to dying they wished they took more chances and didn’t worry about what others thought of them.

Can you imagine how many happy and satisfied people there would be in this world, if they pursued their goals and dreams? 

How do you live the life you imagined?

Start with creating an action plan.  Ask yourself the following questions:

  • What do you really want in your life?
  • What do you need in your life to accomplish it?
  • What steps will you take?
  • What may prevent you from achieving it?
  • How will you move past those obstacles and achieve what you want?

Right now!  The life you’re leading:

  • Is it acceptable or satisfying to you? 
  • Is there something more you want? 
  • Can you imagine how different your life would be if you followed these steps to accomplish the life you imagined?

Self-doubt hinders you.  Be passionate, persistent, patient and flexible. Keep moving forward.   It will happen!  Life is an adventure where are you taking yours? – Patti

Feel free to share your thoughts on this subject in the ” leave a reply” box below.

Posted in Blog, Personal Inspiration, Podcasts

Daily Forgiveness Practices

Forgiveness

A few weeks ago I wrote about life changing subjects to consider incorporating into ourselves this year in the blog post It is a New Year.  The fifth key action step is working on daily forgiveness practices and forgiving yourself and others.

This is a difficult topic even for me.  I have my own battles with forgiveness.  It is not easy and I continue to keep working on it daily.  There are some relationships that may not ever be where I want them to be and forgiveness is a work in progress.  It is important to continue being positive and forgiveness will follow.  Like the old saying goes “Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness but because you deserve peace.” ~ John Lockwood Huie

How do we forgive when someone has hurt us deeply and we comprehend that they will probably not ever apologize?  They may think what they said or did was justified.  They may think they did nothing wrong.  They may think they have every right to behave in that way.  They may be too selfish or self-centered to even realize they hurt you.  Or they may have the attitude, just don’t care and going to say whatever they feel without any regards to others feelings.  They may have the philosophy “Life is short, so say what you feel” and use it as an excuse to say hurtful things.

Forgiveness maybe even harder, when it is a family member.  The holidays and family special occasions are more difficult when these circumstances are in the mix.  These gatherings don’t feel joyful, it feels more like sadness, anger, anxiety and overwhelm.  Sometimes family members take sides and the hurt keeps hurting.  There may be rude intentional remarks towards you or other family members.  Conversations move toward your past mistakes instead of encouraging you or a happy to see you.  So how do we move past these situations and be able to forgive?

Okay, now let’s talk about some strategies to help deal with moving forward and not letting these occasions open up those old feelings of pain, anger, anxiety or an emotional breakdown and turn them into happy memorable times.

  • Listen to happy, soothing, spiritual or religious music when feelings of unforgiveness start to surface within you.
  • Think happy thoughts and find something fun to do.  A hobby, an art project, a sport activity, go for a walk or run.
  • Practice meditation and/or pray of “Letting Go”.
  • Use positive affirmations daily as well as before, during and after family gatherings.
  • Imagine yourself having a great time at the gathering and you have changed your perception of the unforgiven person as if they are someone you truly liked being around and admire.
  • Watch your reactions and triggers when you assume other people’s motives.  Become aware of those negative thoughts and/or assumptions, push them away with positive thinking. When there is continual negative thoughts and/or assumptions this will keep you stuck in the past.  Thinking with positive thoughts and action steps is a great way towards forgiveness.
  • When faced in a situation with the person who engages in being rude and demeaning towards you, calmly excuse yourself from the conversation, walk away and find someone who you like being around to uplift your spirits.  Smile and laugh with them to ease  the tension or apprehension you may be feeling.
  • After the occasion think about only all the good conversations you experienced and any special things that happened.  Journal about all these good things that happened and reflect on only them.

Being angry and unforgiving only hurts you.  Let go of the unforgiveness inside you and move towards experiencing peace, love, joy and true happiness in life. ~ Patti

Another saying:  “I believe that life is short, and there is too much time wasted bearing grudges, and I like to move on”. ~ Sam Taylor-Johnson

Self-Reflection Question:

What action steps will you do to achieve forgiveness in your life?

Coaching for Inspiration
Coaching for InspirationwithPatti.
com – TM

Posted in Blog, Inspirational Moments, Personal Inspiration

Look up and see LIFE!

Look up

What is around YOU?

Two weeks ago I wrote about life changing subjects to consider incorporating into ourselves this year in the blog post It is a New Year.  One of the key action steps was putting gratitude into our life and actions.

The other day I read a post from actor Keanu Reeves.  It was absolutely beautiful about seeing life around you.  Here is what he said about a photo of him and the background of a busy city and everyone rushing around:

You see these people behind me? They are rushing to work and not paying attention to anything. Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily lives that we forget to take the time out to enjoy the beauty in life. It’s like we’re zombies. Look up and take your head phones out. Say Hi to someone you see and maybe give a hug to someone who looks like they’re hurting. Help out someone. You have to live every day like it’s your last. What people don’t know about me is that I had depression a couple of years back. I never told anyone about it. I had to fight my way out of depression. The person who was holding me back from my happiness was ME. Every day is precious so let’s treat it like that. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, so live today! I hope you share this post to spread love this holiday.” ~ Keanu Reeves

So many people are lonely and/or depressed.  Reaching out with a hello, a smile or hug could really change their day for the better.  We make ourselves so busy we lose sight of what is really important in life.  Look up, enjoy life and others.

I also read this wonderful story a few days ago and I don’t know who wrote it but I thought I would share:

“One day a very wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country for the sole purpose of showing his son how it was to be poor. They spent a few days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

After their return from the trip, the father asked his son how he liked the trip. “It was great, Dad,” the son replied. “Did you see how poor people can be?” the father asked. “Oh Yeah,” said the son.

“So what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father. The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.

We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.” The boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, “It showed me just how poor we really are.”

What a great perspective.  Too many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don’t have. What is one person’s worthless object is another’s prize possession. It is all based on one’s perspective.  Sometimes it takes the perspective of a child to remind us what’s important.” ~ Unknown

Some people are not thankful for what they have and are wanting what others have.  They are not grateful for the love ones they have in their life and are too busy wanting more instead of enjoying what they have.

The moral of these two stories is to be grateful, enjoy what you have and what is around you.  Be kind and love others.  Quit comparing yourself to others and appreciate what you have because what someone else has may not be right for you.  Enjoy life to the fullest. ~ Patti 🙂

Self-reflection questions:

  • What are you grateful for in your life?
  • How are you going to show kindness towards others?
  • How are you going to stop comparing yourself to others?
  • What steps are you going to take to enjoy life?

Feel free to share your answers to the questions or your thoughts about the blog post in the leave a reply box below .

 

Coaching for Inspiration
Coaching for InspirationwithPatti.
com – TM

To contact me for a private confidential coaching session.   Fill out the contact form below.   In the comment section specify you would like a free 30 minute discovery session.

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