Setting Your Intention for 2017

The New Year is here!  What will it take to make the next 12 months truly meaningful for you?

Consider setting an intention for yourself. The word intention refers to the act of stretching towards something bigger than you can imagine.  Setting an intention for the year can be a powerful way to envision what you want and to set it into motion.  For example, is this your year of adventure, success, visibility, setting clear boundaries or maybe letting go?  Remember, anything is possible here.  Choose something that feels big to you.  If you choose something that feels manageable, you may already being doing it and the intention may be too small.  Choose something that makes you pause, gets your heart pumping, and requires courage or even determination.

Take some time to reflect on what will be essential for you in order to have the kind of year you truly desire.  The complete this statement:  2017 is my year of __________. Be sure to post this in several places where you can read it every day.

What will you claim for yourself? In the next few weeks, I’ll share my intention for 2017 and how I chose it and it chose me. Here’s to an extraordinary year ahead!

Exploring Wellness and Well-Being in 2017

As the year draws to a close, and we begin to think about the 12 brand new months ahead of us, we are often drawn to New Year resolutions that re-boot our efforts to exercise, eat better, take care of ourselves, and even offer a renewed sense of well-being. The start of a new year can be filled with fresh momentum and a desire for change in one form or another.

So what do we really mean when we use the words wellness or well-being?  Most of us use these terms interchangeably, however, these powerful words are evolving to mean different things and they are even impacting how we think.

If you go by the dictionary, Merriam-Webster makes the distinction this way:

Wellness: The quality or state of being healthy

Well-being: the state of being happy, healthy or successful

In this context, wellness is often about health and prevention, while well-being is a measure of happiness. According to Susie Ellis, Chairman and CEO of the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) language evolves to reflect our culture. “Today we stand at the threshold of another term entering the conversation that could once again have a major impact on global thinking. That term is “well-being.”  And according to Global Wellness Institute research, the worldwide wellness industry is valued at over USD $3.4 trillion.

So let’s make a distinction between the two terms for ourselves. Up until the last decade, wellness was often associated with medical treatments for an ailment, disease or a condition and often included cosmetic or dental procedures or enhancements. More recently, wellness has evolved to include and integrated approach to health and prevention.  Newer approaches to wellness include a focus on improving an individual’s overall heath and quality of life. In this definition, individuals pursue activities or therapies that enhance their personal health and well-being.

So how does “well-being” fit into the picture?  According to GWI, the term well-being” is beginning to set itself apart from wellness. “The reason for this, says Ellis, “is the increasing momentum in measuring “happiness” around the world and the importance happiness is being given in many of the well-being indexes and scores that are being referenced.” While happiness is not the same thing as wellness, there is new focus on the idea of well-being and what this means to our overall wellness.

How do you define wellness and well-being? In the months ahead, I plan to explore the elements of both terms and how they are impacting our culture, our daily lives, and even our perception of the future for each of us.

We’ll explore the new science of well-being, the brain chemistry of growth, as well as the biology of mind, body, spirit and emotion—the four key areas where we can take charge of our lives. So stay tuned for more. And in the meantime, be thinking about how you define well-being for yourself and what you would like that to look like in 2017!

Happy New Year—

Warmly,

Dawn

Holiday Energy

Each year as the holidays roll around, I’m often asked to teach a class on Managing Your Energy and Calming Stress.  Let’s face it, here in the U.S., December can be even more frenetic than other times of the year.  In addition to work, family, friends and community obligations, we are also asked to navigate the hustle and bustle and media pull of the holiday season.  So how is your holiday energy?

As I write this, I am sitting under a dryer at my hair salon.  It is my lunch hour and this particular spot has proven to be one place to pause and take note.  While I could be answering e-mails and checking social media feeds on my phone, or I could literally leave with wet hair, I’ve decided to observe the comings and goings of the salon. Besides, it’s starting to snow outside and it is very cozy right here.

In the warmth of the salon, I notice the holiday decorations hanging from the ceiling-- dozens and dozens of colorful ornaments, all suspended by clear filament, and giving the appearance of floating.  Holiday music pours from the corner speakers and can be heard over the hum of blow dryers, laughter and important conversations.

So what is the buzz exactly?   For some it is about holiday shopping, work deadlines, visiting relatives, school programs and parties to attend.  But soon the conversations move to more meaningful topics like relationships, discoveries, even hopes and dreams for the year to come.  Yet, no matter how we take in our surroundings, it still seems to come around to the fact that we all need just a little more time to get it all done.

Over in the corner, nearby, I see that a woman, perhaps in her late 70’s is brushing tears from her eyes as her hair dresser leans in and comforts her by rubbing her arm.  I learn a little later that this is the first Christmas this woman will spend on her own.  She lost her husband earlier this year and is still adjusting to a life without him. That conversation halts everything for me, and certainly my own thinking about the busyness of the holidays.  Suddenly, I feel a wave of gratitude for everything I have in my own life and time feels a little different than it did when I walked in to the salon 30 minutes ago. Gratitude just offered another perspective. But, let’s come back to that.

First, let’s talk about time. Yes, time.  It is often our “go to” excuse when we are stressed, busy, overwhelmed.  Time.  It’s the one thing that doesn’t really change.  There are still 24 hours in a day.  And yet we seem to have so much angst about it.  There never seems to be enough time to do all the things we want or need to do.  Well, in fact, time is a limited resource.  However, there is a place we can focus. Personal energy is renewable and replenishing your energy can build your resilience.

Research shows that when we focus on our own well-being and happiness first, we boost our resilience, feel better and live longer. Sounds more promising, doesn’t it?

So let’s consider the 4 energy areas for boosting well-being and happiness.  And as you consider these key areas where you can find energy for yourself, notice which areas have occupied your attention in the past 24-48 hours, and which ones haven’t gotten much attention.

Physical Resilience—don’t just sit there, move! How can you boost your physical resilience?  Remember, it’s the small steps that count.  Here are a few ideas to get you started.  Take some slow, deep breaths. Get outside. Nature energizes! Remember to Laugh—it’s an energy boost. Walk.  Take the stairs. Drink water. Get enough sleep.

Mental Resilience—Brain science tells us that we can build new neural pathways when we engage in and learn new things. So tackle something new. Drive to work a new way.  Do a puzzle. Our willpower gets stronger the more we exercise it. Change your routine. Read. Follow a recipe.  Challenge your fear.

Emotional Resilience—we are biochemically wired to want to connect and help one another. So, connect with those around you. Smile. Compliment others. Listen.  Be mindful of your words. Suspend judgment. Quit comparing your life to others. Detach from results. Assume positive intent. Ask, “What can I do for you?”

Spiritual Resilience—a great way to boost your spiritual resilience is to practice mindfulness daily.  For some, prayer and reflection build resilience. For others yoga and meditation are renewing.  Or you can express gratitude, pay it forward, and surround yourself with other positive people.  Take some “You” time!

As we begin to build our own resilience, it can put our daily lives into perspective. It opens us up to life, no matter how much is going on around us. And here’s the deal.  We don’t have to swallow the holiday season in one giant gulp.  We just have to live in the moment that is right in front of us, no matter whether we are feeling happy, sad, tired or anything else.

In a rush to decorate the house one year, I handed two of my kids the tinsel and asked them to decorate the kitchen.  As you will see in the photo here, they did just what I asked. We all got a good laugh out of this and I realized that this single and silly moment generated so much more joy than I could ever have imagined.

Research shows that gratitude—the act of discovering those things we are truly grateful for in our lives—can build our resilience. The simple act of being present with ourselves and others actually builds physical, mental, emotional and spiritual resilience and boosts our energy—perhaps the very thing we all need most during the holiday season!

Wishing you Peace and Ease this Holiday—

Dawn

Habits that Can Help When you Just Feel… Blah!

Ever notice that there are days when you are energized and filled with inspiration?  Then there are days that are all about schedules and routines.  And then, there are those other days.  You know the ones where you feel kind of “blah” or perhaps stuck, or just plain frustrated?  Maybe you even feel like you just might give up on the things you said would make you feel better?

Like that new habit of eating healthy foods or getting exercise.  Or the habit of slowing down.  How about the habit of not over scheduling? Going to bed on time? Or the one where you said you wanted to work on your relationships at home or work.  Sounding familiar?

We all have days when we can’t see our way out of the daily drudgery, or we just have too much to do and feel a sense of dread or overwhelm.  On these days, it’s hard enough to navigate the day itself, let alone envision our future or destiny.

In conversations with professionals, both younger and older, I’m more and more convinced that the choices we make when we get to this place of overwhelm or drudgery or “blah”, can determine how we navigate uncertainty, how we make positive changes in our lives as we move forward.

So, here are a few tips, gathered from friends and colleagues and teachers along the way.  Tips to consider when you are having a difficult day.

1.       Take 3 Deep Breaths—Did anyone ever tell you to “take a deep breath” when you were feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Well, neuroscience now confirms that slow and steady deep breaths brings more oxygen to your brain and can actually help you think more clearly.  It also gives you a moment to slow things down.

2.       Take 15 minutes to straighten up your desk or workspace.—Give yourself a few minutes to create some order or a system that will work for you for the day.

3.       Set realistic goals for the day. Take a look at what is on your plate for the day.  Pick 3 things that you can get done and focus on these items.  Move other items to another day.

4.       Simplify!  If the 3 items you have chosen feel overwhelming, break down each task into manageable bite-sized pieces.  Remember, one bite at a time.

5.       Lighten the Load—as you look at your week, schedule meetings and more demanding tasks during the time of day when you feel most energized. Where can you delegate?

6.       Take control—remember you always have a “choice” about how you feel.

7.       Try a new way of doing something.  See if it is a better fit.  Doing something differently or learning something new can change how we experience a task.

8.       Change your geography.  When you are feeling stuck or frustrated, take a few minutes and physically move.  Get up from your desk and walk to a different part of the building or look out a different window.  Why?  Changing geography can change your perspective.

9.       Lighten up on yourself—strive for excellence, not perfection. Ask yourself, “Is this good enough?”

10.   Remember the “why”.  If you find yourself giving up on something you really wanted to do or hoped to bring into your life, remember why this habit was important to you in the first place.  Focus on what matters most.

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”—Harriet Beecher Stowe

Simplify!

Recently, some good friends downsized their lives.  They sold their home and purchased a small condo close to the ocean.  They sold all of the belongings they no longer used or needed, and even downsized their busy corporate lives.  They both now work, sometimes together, and spend quality time doing the things they both love.  Sound appealing?

The idea of simplifying has been on my mind a lot lately. After talking with many friends and colleagues, family members and clients, there was an overwhelming agreement that our lives feel too busy and not often our own.  So, I asked friends, family, colleagues and clients a simple question:  What are some things you do to simplify your life?  And I received a wealth of ideas and feedback I want to share with you.

But first, let me ask you, what does simplifying mean to you?  And if you had it, what would change? 

For me, I’m discovering that simplifying is tied to slowing down. Slowing down so that I can enjoy the things that are important to me, the stuff that brings me joy.  It also means focusing on what I enjoy… and being mindful of the choices I’m making each day. I like to ask, “Am I moving toward the life I want and love or away from it?  In other words, what is working and what isn’t working?

Here are some words of wisdom from others who are wrestling with what it means to simplify our lives. They aren’t in any particular order so read on and see what grabs your attention and interest. Let’s continue this conversation in the months ahead and see what we each learn.

So, here’s the question and here are some responses to consider as you explore simplifying your life.

What are some things you do to simplify your life?

“I say yes to those things that most support my values, and no to those that don’t. Example, yes to time with dear friends and no to a fundraising event whose cause I know nothing about.”

“I attend a strength training workout 5 days a week in the morning to spend time on me, stand on solid ground and feel good all day.”

“Drive the speed limit and leave in plenty of time to be on time- not rushing makes me feel relaxed and at peace.”

“This summer I fought the endless battle against clutter in my kids’ rooms.  Then one day I looked at my dresser and realized that it was just as cluttered, and that I was probably modelling what they saw. I started using the KonMarie method to get rid of things we didn’t need, or didn’t use, with the goal that we’d have less stuff to tidy up, and hopefully, more time to enjoy ourselves.  I ended up getting rid of bags of clothes (some I hadn’t worn in 5 years), books that we didn’t enjoy, and broken kitchen items that were never used.  The result?  Everything has a place and our daily “clean to stem the tide of stuff” has turned into a once a week chore.  The kids’ rooms are still cluttered (they are, after all, kids) but the endless picking up and moving things has ended.”

“The best advice or suggestion I have is to meditate each day for 10 minutes.  Over time there are big benefits and you can always visit your peaceful, connected place.”

“I like structure.  Pre-planning and organizing on Sundays for the week helps so that things don’t fall through the cracks during the week.  We have an amazing kitchen calendar that we write EVERYTHING on!”

“Minimizing!  We try to go through ours and our kids’ clutter about 1 time per month and give away or throw away unnecessary items.  We find that clutter is stressful.”

“Be comfortable with saying “yes” to things that fill your bucket.  I do this with volunteer things and things outside work.  Say “No” to the things that do not fill your bucket.  Time is precious with two working parents and two small active children.  I no longer overcommit as it impacts my family in a negative way.”

“I hire a cleaning person once or twice per month so I don’t have to spend my weekends cleaning the house.”

“For simplification in my life, I maintain several “To Do” lists:  one is for home projects, one is for financial projects, one is for personal projects and one is for business/work priorities.  Each list includes due dates and priorities.  I look at the lists once per week, cross off what has been accomplished and add on the next projects.  I try not to have more than 10 items on any list.”

“We made the choice not to have kids or pets and it has made life a lot simpler.  I also simplify my workout routines to make sure I actually do them.  A run or walk in the neighborhood or a strength workout on the living room carpet gets the job done without having to drive into town, join a gym and adhere to specific hours. It helps me.”

“Say “NO!”  It’s difficult but helps me to keep the most important things in my life at the top of my priority list.  Then, take time to laugh.”

“It’s important for to get dressed and out the door quickly in the early morning. 2 years ago, Marie Kondo’s book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidiness”, did wonders for my clothes closet and made it easier for me to grab and go.  Another way to reduce closet clutter and simplify your wardrobe is called “The Law of 33.”  The idea is to have only 33 items hanging in your closet in a season.  Since we all tend to wear our favorites repeatedly, it just becomes a mix and match game within the 33 possibilities.”

“I am trying to go back to bound books.  I feel I read less because my iPad is also a web browser, news source and FB pull. At night I find myself checking all these before reading my book via Kindle.  So I’m trying to cut out the virtual clutter when I go to bed.”

“The most important thing I do to simplify life is to keep my mind clear through meditation and time in nature.  Without these practices, my mind can quickly become cluttered with the ego-driven thoughts that complicate life—a lengthy “to do” list, worries, and self-sabotaging judgement to name a few.  But, when I keep my mind clear, I can hear the healthiest most important thoughts that keep life simple.  That peaceful, healthy voice has never let me down, and I don’t miss the cluttering thoughts at all—turns out, they were just distractions any way!”

“I try to plan our meals the week before so we eat healthier, go to the store less often, and go out less.”

“There have been many ways I’ve simplified my life but the most impactful has been decluttering my home and my life!  I love buying nice things but now I pause, enjoy the beauty, style, etc., and pass on the urge to buy.  I ask myself constantly, how much “stuff” do you need?  It’s so refreshing and freeing to open up your house and have less stuff cluttering the space and your brain.”

“I invest in activities, events, work that feeds my soul and life-purpose.  All else, minimize.”

“I simplify by “unsubscribing” to unnecessary emails like retail/catalogue sales. The decision in my head is that I want to let NEED drive my purchase NOT what I’m being fed via the internet.  I do this by using the ‘Tidying Up’ principle of do I need and love to receive these e-mails?  Does reviewing them feed my values and life-principles?  Then, I’ve been applying the same principle to other aspects of my life that require ‘unsubscribing’ as well. For example, relationships that are stressors as opposed to relievers.  I may choose to ‘unsubscribe’ to the relationship by changing the level of energy I direct toward it.”

“I simplify by getting rid of stuff.  This isn’t happening in one giant purge, but as an over time, “one corner at a time” activity.  I find this approach cements the effort in my decision making too—so that I’m less likely to buy ‘things’ because I’m thinking about the simplifying process underway in my home and office.”

“I only do wash when we have enough to get washed.  That way I usually extend the time between washes.  We all have so many clothes these days and it seems silly to put in a load and not fill up the machine. I usually wait so I can use the energy and time for efficiently.”

“After I get the mail, I go straight to the recycling bin with items I know I’m not going to read or even catalogs that I might be interested in. This way they never enter the house and clutter the countertops.  This also eliminates impulse buying and I know that if I really need something I can be more deliberate in my shopping wither online or in the store.”

“Since I really dislike dusting, I finally bought a pure lamb’s wool duster called Woolly Wonder (on Amazon).  It has made dusting so much quicker that using a dust rag”.

“I label a folder for yearly taxes and put everything I will need to do with my taxes in it throughout the year.  It makes is so much easier during tax time when I don’t have to hunt down all the pertinent information.”

“Instead of driving to town to go to the gym, or sitting for half an hour on a cushion in mediation, I take one of my dogs for a walk in nature. The movement, the visual beauty and peace lets my mind relax while invigorating my body and soul.”

“Invest in a pressure cooker.  Delicious soups and stews are ready in no time.  Make enough to put some in the freezer for later.”

“Have staple groceries delivered once a week.  I use door to door organics. It saves me having to spend time going shopping.”

“Schedule time for e-mails rather than checking them randomly during the day. Same goes for social media.”

“I honestly have to say that doing my morning practice every day is what simplifies my life.  Not just ‘any’ morning practice, but, specifically the things I do to clear out the old and bring in clean, clear consciousness, and then set my dials for what I want to live for the day.  The other thing that helps is to practice being grounded—it makes any situation better, richer, and more possible.”

“Sell everything you haven’t used, isn’t useful, isn’t pretty.  Keep anything that is useful and beautiful. Determine what you really need to live on now and into the future.  Do the thing that you love the best that gets the best return. Keep re-evaluating what is important to you. Stop doing the things that are not important or not in alignment with your values. Make sure you test whether its ego or values talking. Do the right amounts of things that bring you joy.”

I hope some of these ideas were helpful and enlightening and offer you fresh perspectives.

Here’s to simplifying!

--Dawn

Procrastination: Friend or Foe?

Are you a procrastinator?  Do you put off doing stuff?  Do you postpone, delay or even avoid tasks or things that need to be done? This can often cause stress, anxiety, worry, and even financial loss and gets in the way of productivity, peace of mind, and even thriving in your work and life.

Behaviors like procrastination often get bad press.  Most of us often ask, “what good can possibly come from postponing, delaying or avoiding the stuff we need to get done?” Perhaps you are thinking, “but what if I never get around to balancing my bank statements, finishing that proposal, letting go of relationships that don’t work, or even finishing this article?”  Then what?

Well, what if, sometimes, the act of delaying, can actually give us a crucial minute to pause and ask ourselves if the thing we are avoiding needs to be re-considered or given more thought?  Putting off doing something because you are distracted, lack focus, or have just developed a habit of avoiding tasks, may have a price.  However, there also may be a cost to ignoring a legitimate reason to hesitate or pause.

So how do we differentiate between these two types of procrastination? Well, one type may actually be a warning sign to slow down and assess and the other might just be an unconstructive habit.

NLP, which is short for Neuro Linguistic Programming, offers lots of simple techniques for dealing with procrastination, and it focuses on something called congruence. Being congruent about something, according to NLP research, is being completely certain about what you want to do, when and how you want to do it, and with whom. So, when you arrive at a “congruent” decision, there is no hesitation.  You are really clear about what you are doing and you don’t waste time or energy second guessing or re-thinking something.

There are a number of behavioral models developed by social scientists that assess how congruence can give us information about our choices. One way to think about this is to look at tasks or decisions where there was no hestation to get something done or to be involved.  Feeling a sense of purpose and focus is also a form of congruence.  Many timescongruence also aligns with our own personal values—what’s important to us—and can be seen in our commitment to a task or activity or an individual.

So, begin by noticing your own energy when delaying a task.  Is this task congruent with what you enjoy doing in your life?  Or does this task actually drain you? When you eliminate what drains you, you make the space for what’s really important.

Here are a few tips and questions to consider when you feel a sense of procrastination coming on.

1.       Check your energy.  Do you enjoy this task? Does it energize you?  If not, consider the time of day when you are trying to complete this task. Choose a part of the day when you have more energy to complete the things that may be energy drains for you.

2.       Are you feeling overwhelmed?  When we are in a sense of overwhelm, we are not grounded and it is more challenging to focus on what needs to get done.  So, plant your feet on the floor and focus on what is happening in real time.  Take a moment to focus on the benefits of completing the task you are faced with and visualize actually getting it done. Then begin!

3.       Is the task too big or complicated?  See if you can break it down into manageable pieces and pick one to begin.  If you can’t figure out where to begin, ask a colleague or co-worker for their ideas or suggestions.

4.       Set a deadline.  Do you have a lot of open-ended tasks with no clear deadlines?  This is often a place where we procrastinate the most because there isn’t a sense of urgency.  Give yourself a time frame for accomplishing a task and be sure to celebrate your accomplishment.

5.       Walk away.  If you are spinning and can’t seem to get the focus you need, take a few minutes and walk away.  Go for a short walk, drink a glass of water, and then come back to your desk or work area.  Changing geography can often be a way to change our focus, offer a new perspective or way of seeing something, and it can help us re-boot when we are feeling stuck.

6.       Are you a perfectionist?  Does this hold you back from starting a project or completing a task?  Think about how this might actually cause additional stress. While it’s great to have high standards, it doesn’t do us much good if we have difficulty completing tasks or assignments.  Striving for excellence rather than perfection can shift our focus away from our own abilities and more on the task itself and the value of getting it done.

7.       Is your “inner critic” holding you back?  Sometimes our own internal dialogue can cause us to delay the start of a project and hold us back from completing it.  These pesky gremlin voices can bring up our fear of failure or maybe even our fear of success.  So, notice what your own inner critic is saying and how this might be holding you back from starting something.

While old habits can often hold us back from breaking the cycle of procrastination, being aware of what you are avoiding and why and how you do this, can be an important step in breaking the cycle.  This allows you to focus on what’s truly important and on the value of getting things done.

--Dawn

Why You Should Care about Emotional Intelligence

For many individuals, teams and organizations, Emotional Intelligence (EQ) has been pivotal in advancing careers, building relationships, improving team work and even impacting the bottom line.  Although EQ has become a popular buzzword in companies and organizations, developing your emotional skills can boost your career and enhance your relationships and quality of life.

 EQ is your ability to recognize, understand and manage your own emotions and then to recognize the emotions of others.  Simply, EQ allows you to use your awareness to manage your own behavior, cope with challenges, develop your relationships, and use emotional information in an effective and meaningful way.

There are a number of EQ assessments that measure your degree of emotional intelligence and offer tools and suggestions for managing behavior and navigating social complexities in the workplace and beyond.  In my work, I use EQi 2.0, an emotional intelligence assessment produced and distributed by MHS.  This tool explores 5 core competency areas or scales that measure EQ.  Here are the key areas to consider as you think about your own emotional intelligence.

1.       Self-Perception—Knowing and Managing Yourself.  This is about your own emotional self-awareness and the ability to be aware of and understand your own feelings and their impact on others.

How comfortable are you when it comes to understanding your own emotions and the emotions of others?

2.       Self- Expression- The way you face the world.  Emotional expression, or your ability to express your feelings both verbally and non-verbally, includes the ability to express your feelings, beliefs and thoughts in a productive manner.

Are there some emotions you are more comfortable sharing than others?  And which emotions make you really uncomfortable when you see them in others

3.       Interpersonal—Getting Along with Others.  This is really about those interpersonal relationships in our lives and the ability to develop and maintain mutually satisfying relationships.  This includes empathy—the ability to recognize, understand and appreciate the feelings of others.

Pay attention to your reactions to the emotions of others. Can you accept the other person’s feeling? Are you judging them? Not sure you really know how to help? Challenge your assumptions.

4.       Decision-Making— is about solving problems and making choices. This includes impulse control, which is the ability to resist or delay an impulse, drive, or temptation to act.  It also includes reality testing which is the ability to remain objective by seeing things as they really are.

Do you ever feel emotionally triggered when there is a tough decision to make? Can you control the impulse to act? Are you seeing the situation clearly?  In these emotional situations, ask yourself, “Is it true?” This simple question can often separate fact from fiction or something we may have created in our minds because we are triggered.

5.       Stress management—involves flexibility and tolerance.  This is your ability to adapt your feelings, thinking and behavior to change and to effectively cope with stressful or difficult situations.  This scale also measures optimism.  In other words, this is your ability to remain hopeful and resilient despite setbacks.

How do you cope with stress? And how to you handle difficult situations? Are there some strategies you’d like to put into practice?

There is one other area that is measured in the EQi 2.0 model that encompasses the 5 key areas we’ve just covered.  This is the Happiness factor. While this is a little more intangible than some of the other core competencies, MHS includes this scale to measure your overall happiness or sense of well-being.  This is the ability to feel satisfied with yourself, with others, and with life in general.

On a scale from 1-10, hoe satisfied are you with your self, with others and with your life? How would you rate your own sense of your well-being?  Give yourself a score of 1 if you don’t feel satisfied and give yourself a 10 if you are totally satisfied with your life and well-being. Based on your self score, you can decide if there’s room for improvement.  Who wouldn’t want to increase their own sense of well-being? It sounds good, doesn’t it?

So, here’s the good news about EQ. Research shows that EQ is something we can continue to grow and develop throughout our lifetime. How we score ourselves is an entry point to understanding ourselves and where we can grow and refine our EQ over time. In other words, we can each continue to grow our emotional intelligence, well into our 80’s.  So where’s a good place to focus? 

Start by taking an EQ personal assessment.  This is a great way to identify areas for improvement.  If you are interested in learning more about the EQ i 2.o or would like to take this survey and debrief the results, send me an e-mail and we can set this up.

Another thing you can do right away is to ask for feedback.  It’s hard to work on a challenge if you don’t recognize it.  So ask your colleagues or co-workers, as well as your friends and family, what they observe.  Listen to the feedback, try to understand it, and think about areas you would like to refine or improve.

And finally, never underestimate the power of taking a deep breath and a pause.  Rather than responding to an emotional trigger and lashing out, check in with yourself and see if you can identify the “hot spot” inside you.  Then take a moment to listen to others and see if you can identify other perspectives or ways to look at the situation.

Strengthening your emotional intelligence takes commitment, practice and an understanding of its value in all areas of life. We now know that working on our EQ can benefit not only the bottom line at work, but our own health and well-being!

-Dawn

What Signals are you Sending?

Body Language Tips to Leverage Your Communication

Body Language has an impact on your message.

Have you ever attended a conference and been enamored with one speaker and disappointed by the next? As you compare speaker’s side-by-side, what do you notice? Was the content spot on or was it off the mark?  What had you feeling connected to one speaker and not the next?

Research now suggests that the words people use to communicate often have little to do with the actual messages we send and receive.  In fact, a UCLA Study suggests that words account for only 7% of the impact a message has on its audience, when the message pertains to feelings and attitudes.  According to psychologist, Albert Mehrabian, there are three elements that account for our perception of a person: words, tone of voice and body language. As a matter of fact, your tone of voice accounts for 38% of the overall impact of your message and body language, often facial expression, accounts for 55% of the impact.  So, if we do the math here, researchers state that nearly 93% of our overall communication comes from what we’re not saying and has to do with our nonverbal cues.

So, starting from head to toe, here are a few communications tips to consider when you give your next presentation, have a conversation in the workplace, or begin a conversation at home.

1.        Make Eye Contact—it sounds like a no brainer, right?  But often times when we’re thinking about what we are going to say next, we forget to look at our audience and even to the person we are speaking with individually. When a speaker doesn’t give eye contact, audience members can conclude that you lack confidence or perhaps can’t be trusted.  A great rule of thumb here is to finish a thought with one person and then move onto the next person.  A thought can be one or more sentences and can end when you take a breath.  If you need to gather your thoughts, take a moment to pause, look away thoughtfully, and continue to make eye contact once you begin speaking again.  In our culture eye contact can signal that you are confident, knowledgeable, genuine and sincere.

2.       Use Your Voice—think about volume, pace and inflection.  First, are you loud enough?  Can the people in the back of the room here you?  Most people speak more softly than they realize.  So, ask someone at the back of the room.  Remember, the quality of your voice can command attention from your audience.  Pacing.  Do you tend to speak fast or quickly, or slowly?  Try to change your cadence at different points in your presentation.  This will keep your audience engaged.  And if you are talking one-on-one, try to match or mirror the pace and tone of the other person as a way to build rapport. (You can read more about matching and mirroring in Neuro Linguistic Programming or NLP). Inflection—these are the ups and downs in your voice.  You can use inflection to illustrate or emphasize ideas or points in your presentation and conversations.

3.       Hands/Gestures—use your hands to “show” your audience what you are saying.  Often times, hand gestures are used merely to emphasize a point and they can lose their impact or meaning to the viewer.  Or often we end of fiddling with an object in our hands, which can give the appearance of being nervous.  So, show your audience what you are saying. Take some time to figure out how you can illustrate your message with the gestures you choose.  Gestures don’t have to be big either.  In fact, smaller, more controlled hand movements can signal that you know what you are talking about and can have a greater impact.

4.       Stance/ Posture—Stance is an important part of how an audience relates to a speaker.  A speaker with poor posture who is slumped forward can actually give an impression of being small and insecure.  According to Harvard professor, Amy Cuddy just two minutes of “power posing” before you give a presentation can be powerful.  In her Ted Talk, she demonstrates how standing tall, holding your arms open in a “V” shape up towards the sky or standing with your hands on your hips and legs firm and strong like Superman or Superwoman can dramatically increase self-confidence.  Check out Amy Cuddy’s Ted Talk on Power Posing before your next presentation.

5.       Be Yourself— there is nothing more compelling than receiving the gift of authenticity. Remember to connect with the people you are speaking with.  Think about your own body language and the messages you are sending.  Are you making eye contact, using appropriate facial expressions and gestures to engage with your audience? And does your body language match your words? How can you let your audience or an individual know that you are interested, engaged, listening and empathizing?  And finally, since we know that words aren’t our most impactful communications tool, think about how to use body language and gestures to communicate your message.  More often than not, it’s what we don’t say that leaves a lasting impression.

--Dawn

Leadership Success for 2016

Last Friday, I attended the Leadership Success Forum in Denver, Colorado, and was treated to some amazing speakers on leadership, equality and working together to achieve our goals. I walked away energized and excited to keep working together with others.  Here are some of my favorite ideas that were shared on Twitter during the conference.

Love this from Dr. Audrey Nelson at #successforum16 - Firm. Fair. Show you Care.

— Dawn Gelderloos (@reallifeworks) October 14, 2016

Have conversations, understand you are not alone, talk about gender equity & diversity & work together. - @DebRobertsABC #successforum16

— Dawn Gelderloos (@reallifeworks) October 14, 2016

Strategic thought: "Women hold up half the sky." Deborah Roberts, ABC News #successforum16 @DebRobertsABC

— Susan Heinzeroth (@StrategySage) October 14, 2016

We will find the answers in life from the people we connect with at our tables. Not on our phones. - @Beashortcut #successforum16

— Dawn Gelderloos (@reallifeworks) October 14, 2016

CEO Karen Ashworth Macfarlane says imagine a society where we work , collaborate and play together. #successforum16

— Dawn Gelderloos (@reallifeworks) October 14, 2016

How can we focus on gender based leadership & equity? Find time to mentor or be mentored. Recognize that inequality exists. #successforum16

— Dawn Gelderloos (@reallifeworks) October 14, 2016

And finally, here is a the full, inspiring quote form Deborah Roberts about working together. How will you work together with those in your life to bring about change?

Thoughts on Traveling at the Speed of Life

Not that long ago, while driving from a work meeting and rushing to get to a class, I flew into the parking lot, bolted out of the car and sprinted into the building where my class was already in progress.  Still out of breath, I found the only space available in the corner of the room and put down my mat.  Yep… late for yoga.  As I sat on the floor, I thought to myself, “I need to hurry up and relax. I only have 50 minutes.”  Hurry up and relax?  Isn’t that an oxymoron?

Just this week, while coming out of a local store, I saw a friend just ahead of me and called out her name.  She turned in my direction, a bit startled, but kept walking sideways and then backwards towards her next destination.  “I’m so busy, crazy busy,” she said breathlessly. “There’s so much going on”.  Then jogging towards the entrance to another store she shouted back, “How are you?”  But didn’t wait for my response.

Ever feel like your speeding down life’s highway rushing from one thing to the next? Feeling overwhelmed or over booked?  Wondering when things will slow down?

Almost everyone I know is busy and the word itself is starting to feel a bit overrated. So, what do we actually mean when we tell someone we are really busy?

According to New York Times writer Tim Kreider, busy has become the default response we get when we ask someone how they are doing.  In his article, The ‘Busy’ Trap, Kreider raises some relevant questions.  Do we really want to live like this or is it something we collectively force one another to do?  And when we complain about how busy and overbooked we are is this really a boast disguised as a complaint? And how often have you heard someone respond by saying, “That’s a great problem to have” or “It’s certainly better than the opposite.”

So, who are these people who are always so busy? Well, clearly it’s not those who are pulling back-to- back shifts at work or holding down several jobs just to get by. These people are tired and exhausted, plain and simple.  It’s generally those of us who choose busyness voluntarily. Our self-imposed busyness shows up as we take on more work and family obligations, schedule classes and activities, or volunteer– to help out in our communities. We pack our calendars with non-stop activities, leaving little time to rest and reflect.  Our kids are even overbooked, with classes and extracurricular activities that leave them tired and exhausted at the end of the day.

So what is this addiction to busyness?  “Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness,” says Kreider.  “Obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy, completed booked, in demand ever hour of the day.”

Is that really true? As I get older, I’ve begun to notice for myself that there is actually a feeling of emptiness that has begun to emerge when I’mso busy.  It seems to rob me of the daily pleasures of life like having a conversation with one of my kids, laughing with a friend, connecting with my husband, or even throwing the ball for my dogs.  I don’t feel as grounded when I’m overly busy and it’s harder to find joy in what is important.

Now, I do love feeling productive and I love accomplishing tasks, meeting goals, and learning new things.  But, if the speed of my life is such that I can’t find time for stillness and reflection, for noticing the color of the sky at sunset or the character of the day itself, then I may be missing out on the most important stuff in my own life.

Research now boasts the benefits of being mindful, slowing down, taking time for reflection and renewal.  The pay-off is now linked to improved health and well-being, less stress and fatigue, improved brain function and a longer life span.

“The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration, “ notes Kreider. “ It is paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done…  History is full of stories of inspirations that come in idle moments and dreams.”

So, what does it take to get out of the busy trap?  I’m becoming more and more intrigued with the practice of idleness, or taking my foot off the gas. I also realize that this requires a conscious decision to choose how I spend my time.  You might begin by asking these questions:  What parts of your life are “still” and “simple”? What parts of your life are too “busy”? What parts of your “busyness” give you pleasure? Which ones don’t? And what parts of your “stillness or “simplicity” give your pleasure?  Which ones don’t?  In what ways is your life devoted to “busyness?”

At the end of the day, I realize it’s all about what I’m choosing for myself. Will I regret not spending more time working harder and longer? Or will I regret the time I missed with the people I care the most about? For starters, I’ve decided to take the word “busy” out of my vocabulary.  When someone asks me how I’m doing, I get to take a look at what I’m choosing.  How about you?  How are you doing? And what are you choosing for yourself?
--Dawn

Taking up the Ukulele

I’ve always enjoyed music and played various musical instruments during my life, but somehow I let music, which is something that fills me up, slip into the background these past few years.

Recently, on a vacation to Hawaii, I picked up the ukulele again, thanks to my friend, Lisa. When I got home I decided it was time to bring music back into my life.

What I love about the ukulele is its sweet sound, the way it seems to calm my soul. It is portable and easy to carry around, so there’s no excuse that it won’t fit in the car or with me when I’m going different places.

I have it hanging in my loft on a wall next to a few of our other instruments so it’s easy to reach for.  I don’t have to pull it out of a case.  It’s right there for me to pick up and strum or play.

I also found a cool site, Ukulele Underground, which teaches me stuff online, and I’m taking a few local lessons to give myself a jump start.

Now granted, music is familiar to me, but the ukulele is a new instrument and I love the challenge of learning new things. Even if I play for a few minutes a day, it brings calm, a sense of peace, and I feel grounded as I go about my day.

I’m not striving to be famous, but I do find that playing music and getting better at it, feels good. As humans, we like to learn and get better at stuff because it fills us up.  The irony is we don’t get paid for it, but the reward is intrinsic and allows us to get in touch with other parts of our lives that we might normally abandon with the excuse that we are too busy.  Sound familiar?

In Daniel Pink’s book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, he says there are 3 factors that lead to better performance and personal satisfaction.  Autonomy.  Mastery. Purpose.

Autonomy is the desire to be self-directed, in other words, being able to direct our own lives.  Mastery is the urge to get better at stuff, which is why people (like me) play musical instruments on the weekends. Purpose is about acting intentionally and doing things that are meaningful.  According to Pink, when people can direct their own learning, challenge themselves, and get better at something, it leads to better performance and personal satisfaction. Plus, it can be fun and it generally makes people feel good.

Research says it takes 10,000 hours to master something new.  Why not start?

What new hobby, avocation, or perhaps an old “love”, will you begin or rekindle? What feeds your soul and helps you to reimagine your direction and purpose?

I’ll let you know how learning the ukulele is going.

Re-Imagine Your Direction and Purpose

Navigating for True North

If you believe that we each have a purpose for being here on earth, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to try to figure out just where we are each meant to focus. A sense of purpose lies within each of us and can show us who we are, what is important to us, and can help us to navigate our daily lives.

Ok.  So how do we begin? If purpose is like a compass, and can guide us to certain destinations or outcomes, how do we know when we are there? How will you know if you’ve found your True North?

As I work with my coaching clients to help them understand their own sense of purpose, I often begin by asking, “What fills you up or brings you a sense of fulfillment? What are you most passionate about?  And if you could spend your time doing anything, what would that be?”

As a coach, a big part of my work centers around helping clients discover their direction and their bigger purpose.  This is the stuff that gets us out of the bed in the morning, makes us feel inherently satisfied and clear about the path we are following and the direction we are choosing.

So if finding my purpose is my ultimate goal, how do I make sense of this as I navigate my everyday life and all the responsibilities loaded into it?  One thing I have discovered is that it helps to notice where I’m energized and where I lose energy during my day.   When do I feel satisfied and when do I feel dissatisfied? I’ve also found that paying attention to my values, or what is ultimately most important to me, can help me live more purposefully.

A few years ago, I decided to join my local volunteer fire department.  My interest stemmed from the fact that I wanted to help out in my community, but so much more happened once I started training, going on fire and medical calls, and getting involved with my mountain neighbors.

First, I discovered that I was more energized after going to a training or a call than I was before.  Even though I began as a rookie, I was excited to learn new stuff and I liked getting better at stuff. When I reflect back, I noticed that this volunteer experience met some of my personal values, things that are really important to me like-- community service, learning, building relationships, challenging myself, and being outdoors and in nature.

Since I began, I’ve completed hundreds of hours of volunteer training.  Even with money off the table, I’m still highly motivated to do this work. Why?   Well, it feels good.  It is satisfying and challenging. It also requires me to be fully present when I’m doing it.  There is no time to worry about anything else. And there is something inherently satisfying about being fully present in my own life.  I feel a personal sense of purpose when I do it.  And while I didn’t go into this with the idea that it would lead me to my“ BIG” purpose, it is a part of my overall well-being and aligns with some of my values—the stuff that is really important to me.

Maybe it is the small acts, our daily habits, which can actually lead us to our ultimate sense of purpose.  What we choose to focus on can guide us to our own internal sense of direction. So notice what grabs your attention.  And, begin to ask: What energizes me?  What am I most passionate about?  What gives me the greatest sense of fulfillment?  And where do I come alive?
 

Reflections on Pathfinding...

Here are some thoughts from others about how to create a vision for a better world.
In order to create a vision for a better world…

• I need to continue to learn from others and build relationships, not only in my backyard, but across the globe.
• Give my time to others and projects that make a difference.
• Stay involved in my community.
• Find impactful ways to shrink borders, globally and locally.  
• I must do the things I think I cannot do.
• I must travel, experience, write and share and connect myself and others to people and circumstances we have yet to understand.
• I must include my children in this vision.
• I want to build goodwill, better friendships, down the street, across the country, and around the world.
• I must operate outside my comfort zone.  
• Never quit on a bad day.
• Practice, promote and engage the inclusion of diverse thoughts and compassion towards difference.
• Employ the courage to live my values and raise my voice.  
• Work to be more globally-minded and consider the human impact of all my decisions.
• Leave things better than I find them every day.

What is your next step? How will you create a vision for a better world?

Pathfinding Conversations

In the final sessions of Bringing Spirit to Leadership, the leadership development program I participated in this year, we continue our pathfinding conversation. How do we create a world that works for all?

In our early sessions, we wrestled with the challenges we face in a fast changing world.  But we always returned to a fundamental question: How can we each live and work in ways that will make a difference and enable the spirit to thrive?  How can we each align and integrate our reason for existence with all aspects of life?  Big stuff.  And yet, on some level it really means taking a closer look at what is most important in our lives as a first step in identifying our path moving forward.

So then, what is next? Once we discover and acknowledge what is truly important, then what are we willing to do about it?  I know for many of us, this is where we often get stuck. So here is the next pathfinding question for each of us.

What blocks us from realizing our vision for a better world, and what can each one of us do, as individuals, professionals, or committed citizens, to create the world we really want?
For me, I can get stuck when the challenge and the vision feels too big or insurmountable. And sometimes it is hard to hold a vision for a better world when we see so many devastating things happening on a daily basis. This is when I often need evidence, as a form of reassurance, that things really are changing--to know that actions, both large and small, are moving the needle and making a difference.

So the next pathfinding question speaks to this.
What current trends or activities in the world appear to support the development of a desirable future? In other words where can we find evidence that things are changing on a global scale and on a local scale?  In my leadership program, our conversations about global change led us to consider the impact of NGO’s and non-profits striving to make the world a little better. We acknowledged inspirational leaders, humanitarian missions, advances in technology, our ability to stay connected via the Internet, and the profound difference millennials are making as they take a stand for a desirable future, as examples of progress.

Yes, these are global in scope and there are ways to plug in when we discover what is most important to us.  And, what about on a local scale? Or even on a personal scale? What current trends or activities appear to support the development of a desirable future? And what small steps can we take each day that help us to set our vision for a better world?  Simple acts of human kindness, helping someone in need, or perhaps adopting a shelter pet, recycling, planting a garden, getting to know our neighbors, learning from others?  I don’t know about you, but I find that when I can take a relatively simple act, something tangible, that has meaning to me, I feel more hopeful for a better world.  And that is a place to begin.

Settling In

During the past few weeks, many of the Facebook posts that have caught my attention, and my heart, were those written by parents who were sending their kids off to school.  Some were putting kids on the bus for the first time for kindergarten and others were taking a son or daughter to college for the first or last time. It is one of life’s remarkable milestones, a rite of passage, and no one ever tells you how it changes your life.

Not surprisingly, this week Facebook sent me some of my own “memories”-- earlier posts of my kids making the leap from one grade to the next--so I could also re-live those moments again.  To be honest, they are never far from my mind.  I remember putting my youngest on the school bus for kindergarten, 15 year ago, and clear as day. With backpack and lunchbox in hand, he boarded the school bus as if he’d done this a thousand times. I waved bravely just until the bus pulled away and then began sobbing all the way back to my house.

About an hour later, still puffy eyed and teary, the phone rang as I was settling down to get to work.  It was Stan the school bus driver.  He called to let me know that he poked his head into the kindergarten classroom and wanted me to know that my son was doing just fine and settling in nicely. To this day, I am touched by this kind gesture. Stan has probably done this a thousand times, watching worried parents place their child on a school bus for the first time.  And as parents, it takes us a little longer to settle in and accept our new routines.

When I helped my daughter move into the dorms at her college, I was keenly aware that something was ending. No matter what anyone tells you about the next amazing chapter you’ll begin with your adult child, nothing really prepares you for saying goodbye to life as you’ve known it. It is a monumental change and the daily routines and schedules we’ve come to rely on are suddenly replaced with a new space for settling in. It takes time to let go, and I’m not sure you ever really do.  My kids are always in my heart, often on my mind, and certainly a part of every fiber of my being and my life.

It takes time to settle in.  I think that is okay.  Each fall, I remember the passage of time--who I am as a mother, and who I am in addition to that.  As our kids have settled into their new lives and routines, I’ve begun to redefine, even re-imagine, my own life. For me, it isn’t about rushing to fill up all available space and time in order to cope with the transition to an empty nest.  It has been about acceptance and about honoring change, in my children and in me.

These last weeks of summer really are all about transition.  Whether you put your kindergartner on the school bus for the very first time, dropped your freshman off at college, or are neck deep in projects at work that need your renewed energy and focus, you have probably been feeling the shift from summer to fall, from outside to someplace inside. And, as we begin a new season, maybe even a new chapter, we each get to discover what it means to settle in.  So, how are you doing? How do you want to settle in?

The precious photograph that recently popped up on Facebook....

...and the grownup he is now!

Intentions for a New Year

Happy New Year!

I discovered recently that setting my intention for the year requires being organized—both inside and out.  After a very busy fall season, my office had become quite cluttered and looked like a cyclone had rushed through my small and cozy space—leaving me feeling a bit disheveled and unfocused whenever I sat down at my desk. The piles of filing, lists of To Do’s and my impending project files seemed to bring out a sense of overwhelm for me and was distracting me from actually getting things done.

So, right after the holidays, I blocked out some chunks of time on my calendar for office organization.  I cleaned, I filed, I purged and shredded old files that were no longer needed and I even culled the books on my bookshelves and organized the books and materials I want to read in 2016.  Now, one thing you need to know is that I’m not structured by nature.  It certainly isn’t a thinking preference, in any case.  But, I am visual and I do like things to have a place.  I find a clean desk opens up space in my mind to think and create in ways that a cluttered office simply doesn’t.

In the process of organizing my office, I also made a visual vision board… and cut out creative photos and quotes and things that inspired me, and placed this on the wall right next to my desk.  The colors and words and the visuals are a great daily reminder of what I am up to, what I love most, and what I aspire to accomplish and even “be” in the year ahead.  My vision board reminds me that I have a passion for travel, for solitude, for discovering something new, for adventure, for remembering to recharge and for settling in and doing stuff like reading great books, playing music and doing yoga.
So, my office is finally clean, for now.  And the open spaces on my desk and on my shelves actually feel inviting and bring a sense of calm and flow… which brings me to my intention for 2016.

As I was thinking about my intention for 2016, I kept coming up with statements that had to do with moving mountains, about pushing the envelope, and doing more.  After my office was uncluttered, I realized that last year was, in many ways, about pushing the envelope.  I learned new things, created and conducted new programs, facilitated a program in Africa, and even joined the volunteer fire department in my community.  Many of these milestones required a great deal of mental and physical exertion and had me focused only on the task at hand and the one that came right after it.  In another words, there wasn’t much room for reflection, for planning, and for solitude.

Now don’t get me wrong here.  I loved pushing the envelope and I’ve grown as a result of my focus this past year.  But, as my office became uncluttered and my mind became clearer, I realized that pushing the envelope wasn’t sustainable for me and it required a constant movement of energy, with little renewal in between all the pushing.

So, this year is my year of being in flow.  And what that means for me is that I get to create some calm and ease around all of my “ doing”, but being in flow is actually more about “ being.”   I am quickly discovering that some of the same tasks I accomplished last year can be accomplished this year, but with a different focus on my energy—the energy I expend and the energy that renews.  Being in flow means that I can trust my intuition, tap into my inner wisdom, and trust that I can flow rather than push and get the same amount done, only with more energy, vitality and vision.
And as far as the being goes, I am now making more room for the adventure and the solitude… for discovering and for settling in and enjoying the pleasure of the moments I’m experiencing right now.

So what is your intention for 2016?  And how will it shape you on the inside and out?  For me, I discovered that I had to clean my desk and attend to the outer clutter in my life, in order to unclutter my mind and remember what makes me feel alive and is most important.
 

Creating a Spirit of Play

When we think of our busy lives - playing doesn't often com to the forefront. However, play is vital and it can have many different forms!

I play with my dogs – going for walks together to explore our rural neighborhood.

I go to lots of fire trainings as a volunteer. While I’m working hard and learning new skills it’s also a bit about play and being active… driving fire trucks, pumping and drafting, and doing physical stuff that makes me feel good inside.

I also love to play on my bicycle. It’s not always about training for long distance rides, and sometimes it’s about getting outdoors and experiencing the fall foliage and crisp air… and it give me time to dream about other things I want to do or create.

I also play on my ukulele and mandolin and my guitar… jamming with friends and family in our living room is all about play and fun and making music come alive.

And my family has also encouraged a spirit of play - we started being playful at an early age and it didn't have to be Halloween to dress-up. Between nerf gun battle with our neighbors at a young age, to bouncing on a trampoline when they are all grown up, we encourage goofiness and fun!

Wishing you & your family a Happy Halloween weekend! May it bring you a spirit of play and fun!