My son Noah calls me every day as he leaves work to sort of download the day, get things off his chest, tell me about work problems, talk things over.  The salient part of that experience for me is to see how important it is to him that he does a good job.  He really cares about that.  To him, his job is more than just work, it is a vital part of his very existence and to not do it well is anathema to him! Where did that come from?  He has often been asked why he understands so much about management, since he is a chef--and some of them are much more cooking oriented than management oriented.  He tells them that he grew up watching his mom run a business, watching his dad work really hard as a salesman, watching his grandparents work r...

Deciding moments come along many times in our lives, and each one gives us an opportunity to turn one way or another--which then informs and shapes our lives from that moment on. It fascinates me to see people on TV in what are called Reality Shows. I think part of the public's addiction to those is it gives us a window to observe how people deal with those moments--and the consequences they bring. Last night I watched a woman who had come across as a fighter, a resilient contender just give up and walk away when she could have turned around and shown us another part of herself. Maybe she had more going on in her life than we could see--and maybe she really is a "Quitter" as she was called on the show. I know there have been times in ...

As I am in my early 60s, it makes sense that I would see clients at least up to my age and sometimes a little older.  I am very inspired when someone who is well-seasoned in life comes to see me to make a major shift in how he/she sees things and manages his/her life. I watch my mother at 86 change sometimes daily.  She has one of those indomitable spirits--I'm sure this is where I got, if not the phrase, at least the meaning of something I say quite often, "I will not be daunted!"  My mom is so willing to look at things in new ways, take in new ideas, be flexible.  And she is also really good at knowing what does and doesn't work for her--and once she sees that, she sticks to it!  An admirable quality. One of the great things abou...

Green Ghost Towers is enjoying the sea views – not caused by a fateful giant wave but rather a move to the coast. This has meant a smaller garden for both flowers and vegetables. So we all hatched a cunning plan whilst in the lookout tower we spied allotments.  So that was the plan – we would apply for an allotment. Some 14 months later we have half an allotment of five rods. So as ghosts and spooks we like to visit at night and would you believe it? We have the cemetery next door so we can talk gardening over with fellow ghosts before they leave for the light – not sure if the lamp post is the light but if it fits!    Back to the allotment. We asked for a quick plough and wow – great machines move in and we have what looked like a gre...

What a concept! If you’re looking for success, fulfillment, happiness, that’s a good starting place: Kick your own butt! What does this mean? It means that if you want to achieve success in life, in any endeavor, it’s going to require self discipline. Success is not synonymous with free time and taking life as it comes. If you want success, if you want to reach your goals—to mature, to grow, to pursue professional mastery, to ultimately carry the torch; to make a difference—then it’s up to you, and ONLY you! If you never seem to be reaching your goals, or worse, if you don’t have any clear goals and are tired of your boss, spouse or friend nagging you to do more with your time—your life; if it’s driving you crazy, then you can do...

Here’s a perfect protein to have available to keep your brain functioning at any time.  With the radiation from Japan’s Fukushima catastrophe dispersing in the atmosphere, we have added the seaweeds Nori, Wakame and Kombu as they are iodine-rich and able to support the thyroid.  When there is an excess of radiation in the air, the first organ we need to support is our thyroid….and the functioning of our thyroid is controlled by a healthy spleen. Another highly-promoted health food is soya. But beware of the labels as the soya bean has to be fermented before the human body can digest it.  All that soya milk and those soya substitutes for vegetarian meat type products are really not healthy.  I’ve always wondered why people want soya bur...

http://youtu.be/e-ivZxGsPes This is a link on precision tree cutting which had to be placed between two newly planted trees, miss a wife and a barn. Perfect shot.

I have determined that any woman in the business world would benefit from some form of coaching.  In over twenty-six years of working with mostly women, I have found there are key reasons why seeking outside help is so beneficial.  Here are the main ones: 10.  Many businesswomen are addicted to being right. What this really means is that they are afraid they will be “wrong”--and someone will find out about it.  They second guess themselves, worry over decisions, hesitate to make decisions and rely on too much feedback from others.  How does coaching help?  It allows you to get an objective view of situations, and have a sounding board that is totally removed from your daily routine.  By broadening your perspective, you begin to see t...

I ironed my pillowcases today.  They were probably fine not ironed, I just wanted to do it.  I bought new sheets and a new spread for my bed recently and now the pillows show more, and I wanted them to be smooth and lovely. Seems sort of inconsequential to write about this, but it is a bigger subject than pillowcases.  I am living the life of a homemaker, and the person I am lovingly, contentedly making a home for is....MYSELF! When I had the "big crisis" a couple of years ago and changed my life drastically, I changed how I live on a daily basis.  I've written before about re-learning to do my own laundry, having my housekeeper only come on half day every other week, taking care of the things I used to delegate to others.  I raised ...

I don't know about you, but I am a devout lover of words, and it has always been important to me to find and use the perfect word when I am trying to define and/or express a particular idea or concept. Many times I find that there is no 'perfect' word or even combination of words, simply because the concept or idea is so much more than words can express. Still, since words are the most acceptable way of communication, I must try. I woke up today thinking about the word "want" and how lately when I use it, it just doesn't seem like the right word to use. My consciousness seems to resist using that word. This is a recent development for me. As I thought more about it, what came to me is that a better word is "choose" whenever I am inclin...