Gratitude: How To Excercize Your Joy

Gratitude has the ability to open our eyes to new opportunities. In my coaching practice, I find that clients who actively cultivate gratitude are more likely to find creative solutions more quickly. In the current economy, using this internal muscle is key. Another key component of gratitude is the joyous feeling that accompanies it. When working with business owners, I find that many of them don't take time to get out and enjoy life beyond their business. (I am guilty of this myself.)

If you are in Los Angeles, stop by LACMA. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has an incredible out door instillation. As you can see here, it is a world made of every day plastic items in the most gleeful of colors.

Yep...that little speck of a person in the waterfall of plastic is me. Hope you go and play! It was a blast!

It is free...and it is FUN!

Research Gratitude?

A research project on Gratitude and Thanksgiving, put the theory of gratitude to another kind of exam. They asked several hundred people to keep daily journals. The first group jotted down all of the day's occurrences, whether they were good or bad. The second group recorded only the day's lousy experiences. The third group compiled a daily list of only those things for which they were grateful. Hmmmm . Can you guess the result?

You Knew It.
The grateful group had measurably higher levels of energy, alertness, and determination as well as lower levels of stress and depression. And there's more. They were more likely to feel loved, and they were more likely to engage in acts of kindness towards others. People having more energy, feeling more loved, and being nicer to each other--yes indeed, our nation would be a better place if everybody wore Gratitude Glasses. And it only takes a second to put them on.

What are you grateful for? How are you expressing your gratitude? I would love to know.

The Depth Of Gratitude

Leave it to some savvy researchers to put gratitude under the microscope. New studies are confirming that all the stuff you thought would make you happy--the turbo-charged new car, the two-week jaunt to Bora Bora, the closet full of new shoes--doesn't. An attitude of gratitude turns out to be a bigger predictor of who is feeling glad to be alive than a big ol' whopping bank account. Yep, just wearing Gratitude Glasses made the difference.

Don't believe me, here is a wonderful website dedicated entirely to....you guessed it, GRATITUDE! Gratitude Watch, Daniel Brenton!

Sigourney Weaver And Cast Of <i>Prayers For Bobby</i> Offer Hope To LGBT Youth

The film, Prayers for Bobby, proves that a movie can save a life.



So can a blog post can help others how to list



Your work is so vitally important to so many. LGBT issues are not issues of sexual orientation, they are issues of ignorance. Any person that is residing in their authentic nature makes no differentiation due to outer circumstancnes. In the sea of love that is our essence we are all Spiritual beings having a wide variety of human experiences.



Bless you for sharing this!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Gratitude Glasses..Hmmm That's A Thought!

There was little for me to do, but paint my toe nails green. I signed the petition to help the people of Iran and then I dashed off to get a mani-pedi. Still thinking about Iran, I chose green for my pedicure and although it was a silly little gesture, my toes were now the color of mold! As I looked at my fashion faux pas and felt a warm glow fill my body which seemed to affect my eyesight, I found I was grateful...for all the small details in my life.

On this day everywhere I looked I saw something to appreciate.

It was after 8:00 PM and the summer sky was still a powdery blue. The last few purple Jacaranda blossoms clung to the trees and even the parking lot outside "Perfect Nails" had a luscious glow. It was as though I had a new pair of glasses.

There's an eyewear prescription we all need. Though these glasses aren't found in an optometrist's office. I'm talking about Gratitude Glasses.

Negative focus clouds your sight. Gratitude lets you perceive past what's obvious and find the good. It makes situations pop into a new clarity.

I'm happy to say Kari Henley brought the brilliant point of WIIFY (What's In It For You) regarding service. There are some reasons for you to consider looking at your life through the lens of thankfulness.

What gift might be waiting for you if you put on the glasses of gratitude?

Can Women Change The Course Of History In Iran?

The paradigm has shifted and we are watching women lead the way! "Iranian women have been at the forefront of agitating for political change for over 100 years. They participated in the Constitutional Revolution of 1906, carrying guns under their veils to help the revolution and were key supporters of the Islamic Revolution in 1979." That was utterly fascinating!



Tweets I am seeing say that women are outnumbering men at the rallies.



When a man is attacked by the military, a group of women jump in front of the attacker and say, "Don't beat him. Beat me!" Thank you again for a masterful post!
About Twitter
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How To Survive Crazy Office Politics (Part 3)

Here is a continuation of a story from a session with one of my clients.

Earlier, you see that she was passed over for a job promotion. A 'navy buddy' with no experience got the job. He was a drunk and was terminated. She applied again. Nope. The job went to a womanizer. Now it is round three.

"But no, the phone call came and yet another man was selected to replace her.

So the new Director arrived, and so did his baggage...a couple of google searches showed that he was currently unemployed after damaging articles about his job performance in his old hometown.

She continued to smile, work hard and tried not to show how much this betrayal had hurt her...feeling that she was given the work, but never the job or the perks that went with it. (As an executive coach I see woman often "Grin and Bear It" rather than speak up.)

"They hired three incompetent men, and not me - obviously, they just don't want me!" To add insult to injury, the current City newspaper started printing articles about this man's dubious past, along with his current salary of $145K.

Seeing that he was paid significantly more than she had been paid for the same job put her anger over the top. She went home, slammed the front page paper on the kitchen table, and started telling her oldest son of her frustration.

He calmly looked at her and spoke "But mom...you have forgotten the most important factor. You are just a girl, and remember, girls have to work harder and still get paid less than men".

Knowing that he was kidding, she laughed and said "You are right...I forgot about the chromosome factor". At this point, the woman knew that it was time to move on.

Tomorrow we will dissect this tale to get coaching tips that you can use in your career.


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How To Survive Crazy Office Politics (Part 2)

As a coach for women executives, I often see the scenario of women undervaluing themselves and their contribution.
This story from a client illustrates

"The woman was asked to temporarily run the department while interviews were held to fill the position. (Note they gave the job to someone else. That person failed. Then they asked her to run the department. Does this sound familiar?)

She agreed, and asked that she be considered for the job as well.

When the interviews were held, another man was selected...once again, a military man, with no direct experience in this particular field.

A nice guy, but not knowing the ropes, he relied on the woman manager to run the department, handle employee concerns, and take care of the daily operations, while he went to daily meetings with the "top brass" He ended up getting fired after nine months, along with his boss who hired him.

Again, the woman was asked to take over the department and run it until the next Director was hired.

She agreed, but insisted that she get paid the Director's salary during this assignment....which was begrudgingly agreed to - a sum of $120K. Then major disasters hit the City, and she was the lead in many citywide operations, handling the daily emergencies and rising to the needs of the City, working almost six weeks straight without a day off. (In my coaching practice I see many women become the underpaid 'caretaker' in their organization. Sound familiar?)

Accolades were received by many other department Directors, so she knew that her work was appreciated by her customers. When the interview day arrived and went, she was confident that all her hard work over the past two years, and particularly during the emergency, would be recognized. (Note: SHE DID A GREAT JOB!)

Surely, she had gone over and beyond...more than any of the previous men directors had done.

The Saga continues tomorrow!

How To Overcome CRAZY Office Politics (Part 1)

Here is a story from a coaching client.

As an executive coach, I hear a lot of interesting stories....If you are passed over for a promotion...you may enjoy this.

"Thanks so much for your coaching session this afternoon. After years of playing sports...I forgot how important that coaching is...for the mind and spirit! I really appreciated your insight and time.

Below is a brief "story" for your blog:

Working almost 20 years for a municipality, this woman manager oversaw a very crucial department for the City, handling day to day operational needs for the organization. When the organization went under a restructuring effort, there was a director position created above this woman.

However the day it was created, it was filled - by a man who was friends with the top manager of the City...an old Navy buddy. (Sound familiar? This is why I am always banging the drum to get you to network to find your next position.)

The new Director came in, and without finding out anything about the existing organization - its culture, its rules, its policies - he decided that it should operate like where he had come from - the US Navy.

He literally turned the department upside down, eliminating a third of the team, yet none of the services. This woman kept the operations running during the turmoil...keeping employee morale going, and customers needs met. (Note the different management styles. Often women become the 'Caretaker' of the office. They clean up the messes made by management- and don't speak up to get compensated.)

After 6 months, this man "pissed off" enough people that he was quietly dismissed."

Stay tuned...more of this story tomorrow!

Altruism Gene

Growing up on the land, I got to experience how deeply interconnected we are. Being of service to one another is actually at the core of every human being. Now, science is confirming that we as a species are genetically engineered to be altruistic. Scientist have dug up what they term the "Altruism Gene." The findings report that Volvox carterii, gene may have evolved to suppress certain biological activities in lean times. The report from www.worldscience.net reports: "Several competing theories attempt to solve the puzzle. One is that groups with cooperative members out compete groups with selfish one, and thus spread their niceness."

Kansas, Iran: Help Harvest A Better World

John Jeavons www.bountifulgardens.org can help us live a more sustainable and healthy life.



I know the satisfaction of eating food we have grown.



"It's great food, great exercise, great educational opportunities for the children, and a great way to bring together the community. There is no down-side to living closer to the Earth and working with rather than against the natural seasons."



Bless you!
About The Giving Life
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost