Have you unearthed your character strengths? If so, do you remember what they are? Do you recall they are your cornerstone foundations to live “The Good Life”? The values that energize you to live your authentic best self life. Your well-being life vest, too, when the negativity waves come crashing down upon you. Imagine your life vest has all your… Read more →
Do you love summer? Do you feel happier the way I do? Getting out into nature or perhaps looking forward to a long awaited vacation on your horizon? Like a carrot in front of you, it makes you smile in anticipation. It helps keep you focused on your work/play journey goals. With no vacation planned this year, unless someone waves… Read more →
Is your cellphone loaded with your favorite musical meanderings? For the first time ever, I was treating myself to adding music to my iphone. Now that our car in Puerto Vallarta syncs iphone music, I was hell-bent on downloading some of my favorite songs. I will be singing in the sunshine when we return in September. Remember that old song… Read more →
May. High school graduations. Do you think back on yours? Did your eyebrows raise the way mine did when I asked myself, “When the hell did THAT happen?” I proudly graduated from Harrington High School in 1967, shocked and humbled to be valedictorian. Truth be known, my dear friend, Dr. Sue Perry, now a social worker, was way smarter than… Read more →
For many folks, April means springtime. A time for new beginnings. Flowers budding. Warm sunny breezes caressing your welcoming face. Sweet honeysuckle and lilac fragrances seeping into your soul. Is that how you joyfully see, feel, or notice spring? Sitting here in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where spring and summer happily blend into a never-ending array of floral fancies, I fondly… Read more →
Spark the Power of Positive Psychology Coaching How’s your relationship? Humming along or need a little tune up? Never fear, positive psychology coaching strategies are here! Science is confirming what we have known for decades. We are social creatures who need positive relationships for well-being. In fact, studies are revealing your relationships might be THE MOST IMPORTANT factor contributing to… Read more →
February 14th, Valentine’s Day in the USA. Love looms on the horizon if you are a romantic reveler. On this day, do you think of you giving extra love to another? Being more mindful of them? If so, how kind, grateful and generous. All loving strengths. But there are times loving does not come easily. The other day I was… Read more →
2017. This new year. The number seems odd to me. I don’t know why. It IS an odd number, come to think of it! Can it be 17 years ago since the Millennium? Do you remember what you were doing on that day when some predicted the world would end? Well it didn’t. And here we are 17 years later… Read more →
Do you like to discuss your health issues? Recently, several caring folks noticed in social media photos, I was wearing a”big black ugly boot brace” on my right foot. They kindly inquired, “What happened?” Not one to delve into personal medical challenges. until now I have publicly remained silent. I promised some of you I would blog about it, so… Read more →
When you think of the words “self-compassion” and, “kindness”, what definitions pop up into your head? I challenge you to really sit into that question. Maybe it sounds easy at first. But dig deep. Self-compassion and kindness are awe-inspiring concepts. They are paired together like a spinning kaleidoscope creating colorfully nuanced prisms of positivity. Did you think of LOVE? Or… Read more →
Positive Psychology Wisdom. Scientific ways to live your life with well-being and flourishing. Work and Fun rolled into one. Sounds great, and it is. But did you ever have a day when your well ran dry? You felt parched for positivity? Perhaps like me, when your body was not your friend? I hit my pause button the other day. I… Read more →
Greetings! Several of my positive psychology coaching clients have told me they would love to write a book. The tough part is diving into the murky “How do I get started?” writing waters. Here are tips from a previous blog. Tips I wished I had known before I wrote my first book. Don’t be like me and do it backwards!… Read more →
It’s finally summer and time to practice what I preach. I am enjoying our very short warm season here in Wisconsin, taking some time away from writing to savor all life’s flavors. I am re-positing one of my most popular blogs. It shares my friend’s gut-wrenching challenges. How he survived and conquered years of torturous trials. He would tell you… Read more →
Memorial Day weekend has come and gone. For me, it was a time to pause, remember and appreciate service. A weekend filled with positive reminiscence, gratitude, and poignant freedom stories. Pride, courage, sacrifice. How about you? Has the military impacted your life? I watched the John Wayne movie for the fist time, “They Were Expendable.” It’s about the early PT… Read more →
It’s difficult for my mind to wrap itself around the awareness my beloved Mom, Louise Burgess, has graced Heaven for over three years. She was my humble perennial North Star, my shining light of acceptance and quiet love. She always made me smile, and bless her, she still does. Today, I was reviewing my old blogs about Mom to post… Read more →
Have you heard this admonition, especially those of you who are of a certain age?: “Never tell anyone how old you are. People will think you are too old, on your way out. You should keep them guessing.” I muse, “Is this remark aimed at women? Is this age discrimination? Is it only women who need to worry about their… Read more →
When you hear the word, “savoring”, what pops into your mind? Food? Happiness? An adventure? Perhaps you are like many of the folks I coach. You have not given savoring much thought. If so, you are missing out on your best self life experiences. Time to turn on more enjoyment, happiness and appreciation. Savoring is one of my all-time favorite awe-inspiring… Read more →
What’s on your fun bucket list for 2016? Maybe you’re like me. Do you need to sit work on the curb and free up more time to play? I had been wanting to go back to the Puerto Vallarta Zoo for several years. I remember five years ago holding and playing with a baby tiger. That unique experience conjuring up… Read more →
Thank you notes. Real pen and paper snail mail, stamped, and sealed with a kiss, envelops. Do you still write them? Or have they been dumped into your life’s gratitude graveyard recycle bin? Perhaps you used to write them, but somewhere along the way, you chose to allow technology to trump your household mail box. Do you think an email,… Read more →
How much time do you use your smartphone in one day? Pause and take a guess. See how you compare with the findings below. No matter what you guessed, I think this new research by will astound you. The test sample was 23 people ages 18 to 33. Unlike usual self-report studies, the authors, Andrews et al., published in the… Read more →