My New Year’s resolution is to not write about New Year’s Resolutions.
No, this year is about massive and immediate action. In fact, you will begin to see the effects of that action shortly.
For starters, we’re launching a new website. Everything is in production and is coming along nicely. You will likely see us go live in the first week of January.
We’re also launching an exciting new program, designed by 4 professional coaches, focused on a method that will drive sustainable change for those that are inspired to grow in 2012.
Next, we have partnered with two other premier coaches to enhance our ability to offer you incredible content online, in our workshops, and in one-to-one coaching.
And finally, you will see the contributions of these two amazing coaches in our blog posts going forward. Keep an eye on a couple of new voices started next week!
For you, in 2012, I wish the following massive and immediate action:
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to deceive you, but I’ve come to realize that spirituality is a very personal journey. It would be impossible to simply provide you with a definition.
Instead, perhaps I can at least give you the gift of awareness, if only for a brief moment. As comfortable or uncomfortable as you are with the concept of spirituality, take a moment to stop what you are doing and reflect on what spirituality means to you.
Need help? Here are some questions to consider:
Does spirituality have to do with your beliefs you have about your soul?
Or does the definition lie in who you are?
Does it have to do with your core values?
Does it have to do with your relationship with God?
Or your relationship with others?
Does it have to do with energy?
Is it about connection, or love, or expression?
Does it have to do with the universe?
Have you simply never considered it before?
Those that specialize in health and wellness have identified 4 core areas of well-being: Spiritual, Emotional, Mental, and Physical. How would you rate your satisfaction or fulfillment in these areas?
I’m full of more questions than answers today, I’m afraid.
I’d be very curious to hear your thoughts on the matter. Please share a comment below.
For some people, the holidays are filled with gifts and surprises, yummy treats to enjoy, and lots of love and connection with friends and family. For others, it’s crowded airports, last-minute trips to the shopping mall, arguments with siblings, and traffic on the highway.
For most of us, it’s a combination of all those things.
No matter where you fall on the spectrum, you will likely need to take some time and relax, refocus, and re-energize. Try not to let the stress of the holidays interrupt your ability to give and receive with the ones you love.
As my family and I celebrate Christmas this year, I will keep this little cartoon handy, and thought you might want to as well. Merry Christmas!
This was posted on YogaDawg’s Facebook page, but I’m not sure who the original credit belongs to.
Hi everyone. Occasionally,
Jaime and I reach out to our readers for help.
And this is one of those times. I
could really use your help, and so can some kids in Northern Virginia. Please read below and be in touch if you can be of assistance!
The Short Version:
I need your help. My wife works at an afterschool
program for disadvantaged youth and needs arts, sports, and academic
supplies. Take a look at the list below and let me know if you have
anything lying around your house that you can contribute. You are all
awesome people and I am eternally grateful for whatever you can give! J
------
The Long Version:
For those that don’t know, my wife has recently transitioned
full-time from being an entrepreneur in
the unique field of multi-cultural marketing (for 8+ years!) to working with
immigrant youth. This is her passion after dealing with the struggles of
assimilating to a new society when she was young. Immigrant advocacy and
education is now her focus and her first stop on this journey is running an
afterschool program to better understand the needs and resources available to
this demographic.
Her program is called the Culmore Safe Youth
Project (CSYP) and is run out of Alternative House, a
non-profit that calls itself the “abused and homeless children’s refuge.”
Culmore is near Bailey’s Crossroads and is a predominantly Hispanic
immigrant community living in low-income apartment complexes. Her “center,”
if you can call it that, is single room about the size of a typical apartment
living room (maybe 25’ x 25’). She averages 22 kids per day in that small
space and tries to provide a safe space for children while creating an
atmosphere conducive to studying, physical activity, and socializing.
It’s tough, but she’s really making a difference.
My wife is extraordinarily gifted in working with troubled,
disadvantaged youth. What she can’t do is provide all of these kids with
the tools and resources they need to learn and grow. And so, it has
become my personal mission to raise money, awareness, and resources to support
her. I believe this is my strength, and a way for me to contribute.
In fact, I’m in the process of planning a fundraising event in February that
will be A LOT of fun, and you will all be invited!
So, my “ask” of you is to review the wishlist below.
Do you have any of these items? Are any of these things collecting dust
in your home? What about your friends or family members? Please
take a moment to review the list below and let me know what you might have that
is either not being used, or that you’d be willing to part with.
I’ve always believed in asking for help. You just
never know who or how someone can help you until you ask.
Can you help?
------
CSYP Wishlist
Arts & Crafts
Paint Sharpees & regular color Sharpees
Cool coloring project kits
Colored construction paper
Regular color marker set
Lego set
Miscellaneous arts & craft projects and supplies
Play Doe
Paint sets with brushes
Any other general art supplies
Books
3-6th grad level reading books (fiction and non-fiction)
Educational books
Coloring books
Electronics
Computers w/ or w/out monitors (they do not need
monitors)
Just Dance Game 2nd or 3rd version (Wii)
Other Wii games
Computer games (strategy and leisure)
Boombox with CD player
Computer printer & extra ink cartridges
Ethernet cable splitter
DVDs
Educational age-appropriate documentaries
Discovery DVDs
Outdoor Equipment
Badminton racquets
Pogo sticks
Jump Ropes
Hoola hoops
Soccer balls
Footballs
Rubber balls for Dodge Ball
Gift Cards / Prizes
Foot Locker
Barnes & Noble
Target
iTunes
Games
Non-board games
Strategy games
One-player games
Group games
Activities
Movie Tickets
Amusement Park Tickets
Tickets to anything that would be appropriate for a field
trip
*Many people have
already told me that they don’t have any of these items, but would like to
contribute some money to buy these items for the program. A number of us (mostly family and close friends)
have decided to forgo Christmas gifts this year and pool our money together to
support the program. You are welcome to
join us in donating to the pool. I can’t
even imagine the kind of academic/art supply shopping spree we’re going to go
on after the holidays! J
Su-per-pow-er (noun) \ˈsü-pər-ˌpau̇(-ə)r\ A power greater in scope or magnitude than that which is considered natural or has previously existed.
My superpower is creative logic. I know that sounds weird, but creativity is one my greatest strengths, yet I have a very strong sense of logic and can systematically turn an abstract (or creative) idea into a defined action plan and process.
Most superheroes have a team of super friends. They don’t need these other superheroes but they choose to surround themselves with friends that have complimentary superpowers. Together, they are a juggernaut, or an unstoppable force for good (usually).
Years ago, I discovered the importance of complimenting your skill set. That’s why Jaime and I have banded together.
But a few months ago, we discovered that growing the Superhero Alliance does not just add more individual superpowers, but it exponentially increases our superpower options and collectively creates an entirely NEW superpower.
Jaime and I are excited to unveil the next big development in Velocity’s future. We have partnered with a couple of amazing superheroes to expand our services and exponentially grow our impact. The project we have in development is SUPER exciting and is focused on sustainable change and personal growth. Both this project, and our new website will released in early January. Get excited!
What’s your superpower? What are your unique gifts and talents? Have you surrounded yourself with super friends that compliment your superpower?
And most importantly, how are you using your superpower to change/save/improve the world?
However, last night I was reminded of the frailty of the human psyche and the limitations of our own perspectives. An old friend of someone close to me took his own life yesterday.
I was immediately struck with compassion for the person telling me. Losing a friend like that must be traumatic and shocking.
Then my mind zipped over to thoughts of the deceased’s mother and young daughter…and all of the friends he left behind. Anger ensues as you ask yourself, “how could he do this to those around him?”
But then, after the dust settled and I reported the news to my wife, I couldn’t stop thinking about the state of mind of a person in so much pain that choosing suicide was, at the time, the best choice.
I got choked up thinking about the loneliness, the torment, and the depression. How terrible that must have been.
As someone that loves life passionately, it is really hard for me to fathom ending my own life. I can understand wanting to kill yourself, but I cannot process the pain and conviction of a person that goes through with it.
I have no other words for this.
I try to include a picture in every post, but couldn’t think of something that represents this topic. Instead, I’ll share something I found beautiful the other day. Just after sunrise, I was walking into a hotel in a business park near Dulles Airport, glanced up and saw this. For some reason I took a picture of it, and now I guess I know why.
It is reported that approximately 30,000 people commit suicide every year in the United States, while over 750,000 people attempt suicide. The most common cause of suicide is untreated depression.
If you or someone you love is having suicidal thoughts, please seek professional help immediately by calling a therapist or by dialing 1-800-SUICIDE.
I am pretty excited for the holidays this year. Both of my nephews are old enough to get into the spirit and it will be fun visiting with all of my family. Although I wasn't able to make it to my mom's family Christmas this past weekend, I skyped in and talked to almost everyone! Technology really is awesome!
I've flummoxed my family a bit this year by gently refusing to give a Christmas list. The older I get, the less exciting it is to GET gifts and the more exciting it is to GIVE gifts. Is this true for anyone else?
I feel so blessed this year -- a raise at work, meeting great new friends through coach training and Camp Mighty, and lots of new experiences & fun. Asking for more seems downright selfish. This year, I asked my family to consider spending the money they would have spent on me helping someone else in need.
For my part, I'm trying to find new and interesting ways to give back this year. (I'm not going to go into more detail because the purpose of giving, for me, is not about getting accolades for giving, but the giving itself).
It is so amazing how incredibly generous people are this time of year. Read some of these tear-jerker stories of giving and consider what you can do to help someone else this season!
It may not come as a surprise to you that I speak with a lot of people that do not believe in themselves. It’s probably also not surprising that as a coach and very optimistic person, I see tremendous potential in others.
The shift I see in those that make progress stems from choice. It originates from making a conscious choice to bet on your own abilities. Growth comes from choosing to trust your skills.
Doing it once is usually enough. Trusting yourself to express your unique gifts and talents just once can propel you into a new way to view yourself and how you can contribute to the world. Confidence grows and progress ensues.
How can you step outside of your comfort zone and trust one of your unique strengths? Give it a shot…you may surprise yourself.
Leslie, one of my teammates at Camp Mighty did the below visual journal entry of the talk Brian Piotrowicz did at Camp Mighty. I love this so much, I've got it hanging on my wall at work.
The big takeaway from Brian's talk for me was learning to Set Your Intention. Every day. For every decision. When you live your life intentionally, you add focus and direction to all of your actions. You infuse your daily life with things that you value. You are happier. You are more fulfilled. You are you.
Last year, Jaime wrote about the power of positivity on your health. She shared the story of her grandfather who at the time was fighting cancer. While Grandpa Willis courageously battled, Jaime discovered some research proving that optimism can save your life.
On Friday, I was reminded of this. In the morning, I had the great opportunity to speak to Deloitte Consulting in Virginia on the topic of Stress Management. I stressed (no pun inteneded) the importance of choice management and specifically, choosing new thoughts in a high-stress environment.
After the workshop, I rushed home to meet 3 friends as we had planned a one-night excursion to Atlantic City. I hadn’t packed yet, and was feeling a little pressure – you might even say I was feeling stressed.
But as soon as we hopped in the car, there was laughter. Whether we were recounting funny stories of the past week, or simply ripping on each other like guys do, I found myself laughing. I noticed how much better I felt immediately.
Our primary purpose for going to Atlantic City was to see Bill Burr. Bill was on the Chappelle Show and has hosted his own HBO special. He’s hilarious – probably my favorite comedian right now. After an hour with Bill on the stage, I was in a great mood!
On the ride home, I thought, there has to be something to this laughter thing, right? I mean, I was always told that “laughter is the best medicine.”
As it turns out, laughter helps you oxygenate the cells in your body, resulting in lower blood pressure, reducing pain levels, and even helping your cholesterol. According to research, you’re actually changing your brain chemistry to feel better, and are halting the production of chemicals that make you feel anxious and tense.
And the crazy thing is, you don’t have to laugh spontaneously. It actually works the same even if you fake it. Seriously!
Check out this new phenomenon that’s catching on around the globe. It’s called Laughter Yoga (or Laughter Therapy). Laughter Clubs are popping up all over the place. Do they work? I’m not sure, but after watching a few videos on YouTube, I feel fantastic!
What do you think? Is laughter something that helps you reduce stress? Ever try to be intentional with your laughter to live more stress free?
P.S. Grandpa Willis has since left us, but his spirit lives on with all who remember his positive impact.
