Express Yourself: The Gift of Gratitude Express Yourself. Kind words have a way of sticking with us. They lift our spirits, make us smile, and warm our hearts. And they make us feel valued, appreciated, and seen. November is traditionally a season of giving thanks. We often talk about practicing gratitude as a way of recognizing the good in our lives. Today, we'll talk about expressing gratitude to others for the difference they make in our lives instead.  Keep reading to learn why it’s important and some ways you can give the gift of ...

Effects of Gratitude: You, Your Home, and Your Workplace As we continue to talk about gratitude, it’s worth noting the rewards. Gratitude is unique in that expressing thanks is a selfless act, yet we gain so much from it. It serves the self to practice gratitude, yet it is not self-serving. I like to think that this practice is almost spiritual - that what we really serve is the universe around us and the world we are a part of. By intentionally creating positive, rather than negative, energy, we can be producers of light ...

Pause for a Moment of Gratitude It’s November! Can we pause for a moment of gratitude? There’s a lot to love about this time of year, but my favorite is that November is the season of giving thanks. As we come out of our purposeful mini-pauses, I also want to check in with all of you. So let’s do two things together right now - a little reflecting on what we learned about ourselves and a lot of conscious gratitude. What Happened? I hope you explored your life, career, and goals with the prompts ...

Purposeful Pause: Reemerging Are you feeling refreshed? Did you take some time to reflect and recalibrate? Have you recharged enough to redirect your energy with an eye toward the future? If so, I have wonderful news for you… You are ready for week 4 of our purposeful mini-pauses and it is time to REEMERGE!  You’ve outlined your goals and dreams and the steps you will need to take to achieve them. This week is all about getting ready by announcing to the world, “I’m ready!” Whether you have decided to stay the course and ...

Purposeful Pause: Recharge and Redirect We’re back for Week 3 of our month of purposeful mini-pauses. Hopefully, you took the time last week for some deep introspection. Maybe it confirmed things you always knew to be true. Maybe you learned something new and surprising about yourself. Either way, this week is all about RECHARGING ourselves and REDIRECTING our energy. To do that, you need to take everything you discovered last week and put it all together into a starting point for the changes you’re ready to make. Just like they teach you in journalism, ...

Purposeful Pause: Reflect & Recalibrate Let’s play a game of 20 questions! (Actually, let’s make it 21 so we can answer 3 each day.) Welcome back to our series on taking purposeful pauses in bite sizes. I have so many thoughts that I want to share with you, but this isn’t about me. It’s about YOU! As a coach, I try to listen more than I talk, asking important questions to help guide clients on their way and clarify true beliefs, feelings, and desires. And this week is all about REFLECTING so that we ...

Purposeful Pause: Refresh “Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.” - Ralph Marston I recently shared with you some thoughts on a Purposeful Pause. It's a time of reflection when high-performing people step away from their careers for a period of time to reevaluate. We discussed what to do if you can’t take a big step back and how to build bite-sized pauses into your day. Boy, did this evoke a response! It seems like y’all love the idea, but crave a ...

Slowing Down with Intention Welcome to fall! People seem to have a wide range of feelings about this season. The less-than-enthusiastic see the leaves falling off the trees and summer plants in the garden fading away as a negative. The cool mornings and earlier sunsets can feel like a precursor to winter and darker days ahead. Not me. I see fall in a whole different light. First of all, the symphony of colors as the leaves change is a wonder, as is a fresh-picked peck of apples (and cider donuts!) Those cooler days make ...

Why Your Leadership Legacy Matters Our journey through the Leadership Blog Series has taken us from exploring the importance of Bold Leadership to understanding the significance of Authentic Leadership and honing Essential Leadership Skills. We've been on a path of defining leadership excellence. To conclude the series, we consider the concept of leadership legacy and why it holds such profound significance. Beyond the Role Legacy leadership extends far beyond your time in a particular role. It's not limited to achievements during your tenure, but rather, it's the enduring impact you leave. Your influence can ...

4 Essential Skills for Leadership Excellence Welcome to the third installment in our Leadership Blog Series. If you missed the previous topics, you can catch up here. In this installment, we focus on the skills every leader must develop. Leadership is a continuous journey of self-improvement and growth. As you've journeyed with us through this series, you've already explored the foundations of leadership excellence: boldness and authenticity. Let's discuss essential leadership traits—indispensable skills for effective leadership in any context. 1. Effective Communication: The Bedrock of Leadership Communication is the lifeblood of leadership. It's not ...