Mindfulness

20 Dec

Posted at 10:33h in abundance, Life Coach, Mindfulness, patterns, Positive Psychology by

Well I got what I wanted. (That’s always nice to say!): An incredible new living and working space, just off Union Square. It’s a beautiful prewar building and my apartment, on the third floor, is flooded with natural light from the south and the east. It’s a bit “complex,” as my friend Emiliya says, meaning it is NOT cookie cutter: there are hardwood floors, exposed bricks, and even a tin ceiling. I am happy here. I knew I would be as soon as I walked into the open house the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving. But when unfurled after that (until now)...

17 Sep

Posted at 10:01h in biases, customs, Inspiration, Life Coach, Mindfulness, neuroscience, Positive Psychology, Relationships, Schools, Social-Emotional Leadership, spirituality, Traditions, Uncategorized by

Today is the highest of the Jewish holy days: Yom Kippur (I love saying that with my gentile accent!). My Facebook status and Twit feed read: Am realizing we don't have to be Jewish to seek forgiveness today. Traditions are good, even when we borrow them. Atoning is about clearing psychological and emotional space, a task that I take quite seriously with myself and my clients. Who will you risk having a conversation with to ask for forgiveness? Don’t forget forgiving yourself! We are often our worst critics. Last week, the Jews celebrated Rosh Hashanah symbolizing the start of a new year...

12 Jul

Posted at 17:24h in Action Research, Coaching, family, forgiveness, gratitude, Hope, Inspiration, Mindfulness, Moments that matter, Positive Psychology, Relationships, savoring, Social-Emotional Leadership by

[caption id="attachment_303" align="alignleft" width="190" caption="circa 1980"][/caption] Picture it: 1978, Pascack Valley Hospital, Westwood, NJ - I was born an unexpected twin, breech, the youngest of four children. “Doctor you have another baby in there,” the nurse said as she was cleaning up after Christine was born. “WHAT?!??! my parents screamed.” I grew up in the suburbs of NYC (not far from the Housewives of NJ), overweight and pseudo-overachieving. I lost my brother Todd to suicide when I was 12. He was 19. Awful, tragic, sad. But I remember where I was standing that day of his death, at the edge of our driveway,...

23 Jun

Posted at 18:40h in Cognitive-behavioral, forgiveness, gratitude, Meaning, Mindfulness, Neurobiology, neuroscience, Positive Psychology, Schools, Thoughts-Action, Uncategorized by

[caption id="attachment_283" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Rocco always has to sniff for just the right spot."][/caption] It’s all about animal instinct. My one-year old dog, Rocco, has been reminding me of this lately. When I hear him bark at a foreign noise in the stairwell – or when he has to pee atop another dog’s urine, as if to signify, “I am here, I am best.” It reminds me of bullies, those who piss on other people. Bullies are animals. Animals are not always bullies (Rocco is sweet, just like his dad). Bullies exist not just on the playgrounds, but in the workplace too....

03 Mar

Posted at 11:58h in Action Research, Cognitive-behavioral, Employee engagement, Engagement, Inspiration, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology by

[caption id="attachment_244" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="What do you see? What do you hear? How are you guided?"][/caption] I spent the greater part of my 20s looking for my calling. I knew there was something out there for me that would just fit naturally with my interests and curiosities in the world. But what was I interested in? What was I curious about? Especially as my friends were moving up their respective (and usually corporate) ladders, I found myself feeling scared and seemingly alone. What if I never found it? But something kept me looking, even with those dark voices telling me it...

26 Jan

Posted at 19:30h in Inspiration, Life Coach, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, spirituality by

[caption id="attachment_208" align="alignleft" width="204" caption="Gotta love an AHA! moment"][/caption] When I was out walking Rocco this morning before my first client arrived, I had a big revelation about me and my work in the world. My job as a coach is intuitive – it is my calling, my passion. But I still have the voice in my head that says, sometimes, “you’re not good enough (at asking questions)” or “you don’t know enough (about positive psychology).” I grapple with this voice some days as I prepare to meet clients. It gets in the way. But today I thought differently. I...

14 Jan

Posted at 20:54h in Coaching, customs, Efficacy, gratitude, Inspiration, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mindfulness, positive emotion, Positive person, Positive Psychology, Relationships, resilience, resiliency, Thoughts-Action by

Can you believe Albert Einstein said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” I’ve been thinking on this lately. Albert Einstein was a smart, smart man. But quotes of his like this make me see his intelligence in different, universal – perhaps even spiritual ways. I’ve been testing my ability to see everything as miracle and boy, does it take work. As a New Yorker, I’ve recently been doing this work in finding ways to enjoy winter. My tendency is...

06 Jan

Posted at 10:52h in forgiveness, Goal Setting, gratitude, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, Relationships, resiliency by

Well, here we are, it's 2010!   Here's my list of Top 10, of course with at positive psychology lens.  BIG clarification: Positive psychology is NOT just about positive thinking. It's about being authentic and attuned, grounded, and choosing to focus attention in certain (perhaps more positive) directions - when possible, which makes it realistic. (1) Take stock. Review 2009 with an appreciative lens. What went well? What were your wins, big & small? Make a list, post them on your refrigerator and savor. (2) Clarify your visions. Successful people know what they want. They are clear about what the future looks...

15 Dec

Posted at 20:33h in Action Research, Hope, Inspiration, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mindfulness, positive emotion, Positive Psychology, Relationships, resiliency, savoring, Social-Emotional Leadership, Uncategorized by

Last week, our meetup discussed ways to really have a banging holiday season this year.  A mighty group of us talked about how to use Positive Psychology (the science of happiness & success) to make this happen.  We started by asking, "How do we want to be feeling on January 1?" Inspired? Excited? Rested? Hopeful? Some of our ideas for how to ensure this - about how to have a joyful season, included: * Keep a growth mindset (things change, people change) * Appreciate what's already good (what you look forward to each year - dig deep if need be) * Consider 'best' possible...

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