When you hunt for things to acknowledge and celebrate in others, you will soon detect a greater level of appreciation for everything.“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”- Leo F. Buscaglia One of my favorite things to do out in the world is be what I call a “Complim...

A woman at a seminar I was at last weekend stood up and shared an “aha” moment that I thought was brilliant so of course I want to share it with you! She said, “I am realizing the importance of focusing more on possibilities rather than my capabilities.” The crowd made a collective “ooohhhh” as we all realized the powerful distinction she made. How many times have you wanted something but you’ve used the excuse of “I do...

“Good communication does not mean that you have to speak in perfectly formed sentences and paragraphs. It isn’t about slickness. Simple and clear go a long way.” -John Kotter Is your communication clear or calculated?A theme in many of my sessions this week with clients was a desire to talk about a conversation they were anticipating having and get advice on what to say. After they told me the story behind the anticipate...

“Here is a simple but powerful rule – always give people more than what they expect to get.” – Nelson Boswell This week I designated a day to catch up on my errands and to-do list which involved interacting with various businesses. I was aware of how pleasurable my interaction with each business was based on the level of customer service I received. On several occasions I encountered unhelpful, unfriendly or apathetic...

This past weekend I had the pleasure of hearing Brian Tracy, one of the top success and achievementgoals in the world, speak. He said something that hit me like a ton a bricks: the majority of us are only using about 10% of our potential. 10%?!?!? From my point of view that number is WAAAAAY too low. Why are we operating at such a mediocre level?As human beings we have infinite potential; it is our greatest natural resou...

I flipped on the television Monday night and caught a bit of Dancing with the Stars (I love seeing the elaborate and beautiful outfits they wear). After a couple dances, they are evaluated by the judges who hold up numbers rating them on a scale of 1 to 10. Those with a high enough score are deemed worthy enough to proceed to the next round as potential winners. And of course we all accept this as a way to be evaluated in...

Yesterday as I was packing my lunch in my new Easylunchbox that has built in dividers like a bento box, a metaphor came to mind about portion control (you know how I love metaphors!). If you were attempting to release weight, decreasing your portions of high-calorie food while increasing your consumption of nutritional veggies and fruits would be an effective strategy. Imagine the benefits of applying the same principle of...

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the diverse and historic accomplishments of women. It is my busiest time of the year (only five days in my own bed this entire month!) as I’m blessed to travel around the country to speak on women’s issues and empowerment.My favorite part of speaking to women is feeling the phenomenal energy that is created when we come together. Anyone who has ever been in a room where wo...

"Life is an unanswered question, but let's still believe in the dignity and importance of the question." -Tennessee WilliamsWhat if? This question evokes a feeling of wonderful possibility or dreadful panic. For many, it’s the latter. What if questions usually pop-up when we are navigating our way through unknown territory. When worrying about a situation or facing anxiety about something in the future, the incessant what i...

This past weekend I spoke to a group of professionals of all ages on the topic of career transitions. Mark Goldston, CEO of an extremely successful internet company kicked off the event with his biggest “pearls of wisdom” and there was one particular metaphor he used that I want to share with you. He asked us all to envision our career as a mountain and ourselves as the skier. We have choices when it comes to which path we...