Tag Archives: creative life

Badass, or Balance?- What Matters More?

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Let’s say you want to reach for the stars, attain that audacious goal, drive a BMW.

There are lots of books and workshops that teach you how to visualize those positive outcomes, face your fears, walk over those hot coals, get yourself behind the wheel of that fancy car.

Wahoo! But – wait.

Two problems here:

  • One: what if you know all that you are “supposed” to do to manifest your dreams, but you just can’t find the energy to do it because you’re mired in self-doubt, loneliness, or anxiety?
  • Two: What if you get to your goal, and you are still not satisfied? What happens the morning after the success? The week after the seminar ends? How long does the high last?

As the dying Steve Jobs might have said (there is doubt about the source, but the sentiment is immensely popular) ,  “Whether the house we live in is 300 or 3000 sq ft – loneliness is the same.”

Yet – What sells more? Change, or Contentment? Fame/Success, or Happier? 

Truth is: We need one (Happier) to get to, and balance the other (Success).

Does my book Happier Made Simple: Choose Your Words. Change Your Life., make a flashy enough promise? Does happier hold a candle to promises of wealth and fame? 

We’ll see.  

What Is YOUR Balance?

Self-Development Book Clubs are full of recommendations for Goal-Setting and Personal Success in reaching higher for wealth, success, fame. Tony Robbins, Jen Sincero – I salute you. You have inspired many.

But – is that all there is? And – if you don’t strike a life balance, if you don’t have room for the little pleasures of life on the way to “success”, what is the point?

With that in mind, I rewrote my answer in the Author Q and A from my media kit:
 Why did you write Happier Made Simple ?
You know, “happier” isn’t as flashy as, say “wildly successful”, or “wealthy beyond your wildest dreams.” We live in a goal-oriented world, full of promises if we just “quit that boring job”, take a risk, make a vision board with the car we want to drive, the celebrities we want to meet, the lifestyle we covet.

What sells more? Change, or Contentment? Fame/Success, or Happier? 

Truth is: We need one (Happier) to get to, and balance the other (Success).

And/or – we want to live a life of purpose – helping others, sharing our gifts, feeling good about our contributions. But – if we’re lost in an inner world of self-pity, self-doubt and fear, we’re left with no energy to live that purpose. There’s little of ourselves left to give. With steps to happier, we free ourselves to explore our potential, reach those goals, live a life of greater balance, and live our purpose.
So – when we strive to be happier, we have more moments of contentment, confidence, and love for others. Without happier moments, the rest is unattainable. But does being happier have to be so complicated?

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Recommended Book : The Change Guidebook, by Elizabeth Hamilton Guarino

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Change is part of life – both in reaction to life,  and by proactively creating the change.

Elizabeth Hamilton Guarino’s  new book, The Change Guidebook,  will help you do the latter.

Yes, you can change yourself, and make a positive difference in the world too – with clear thought, helpful guidelines, and help from this successful life coach, influencer, consultant, trainer and speaker who tells it like it is and gives you the step-by-step guidelines, stories, steps, and exercises to help you do it.

Me, I tend to improv my way through life, which often works for me. But I remain open to input – and when others can help me focus and make my plan more clear and purposeful, I’m all for it.

I welcome the guidance. We’re all connected, (a concept both EHG and I talk about in our books) and designed to help each other.

I personally have reinvented myself so many times , I feel like a shape-shifter. Partial list of transitions:

  • From folksinger to NYC stage actor to lead singer in a band 
  • single Los  Angeles actress to Connecticut wife and mom.
  • Wife  to single mom /radio on-air talent to full-time voice talent and author , to…
  • professional speaker…to audiobook narrator,
  • single mom to married again.
  • …to podcast host.
  • …to  grandparent.
  • To, once again, author.

This week, I read Elizabeth’s book to put it all in perspective and clarify next steps. I actually did the exercises and enjoyed myself in the process, all the while learning about others’ journeys, and clarifying the meanings of my own choices.

Get this book – and use it! You’ll be so glad you did, to be your Best Ever You – and add more happier to the world.. I certainly am.

PS – I first met Elizabeth (still only virtually, maybe someday in person) as a guest on her Best Ever You show, and now am thrilled to be the voice that introduces her podcasts. And, I’m a fan.

 

 

 

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Embracing the Muse: What Are We Afraid of?

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When I left Morning Radio, I swore I would never wake up before the sunrise again.

I’d earned it. 3:15 AM for eight years, seriously?

Yet here I am, coffee in hand, watching the sun rise through the trees outside my kitchen window.

For the second day in a row.

My brain wakes me up – to…what? write?

To write?

Am I, like, a writer now?

My meek self answers: Um, I guess so?

Sure, I’ve written a book or two. My first one was published ten years ago. It still sells, albeit modestly (there goes that meek voice again, oops). My latest book launches in 11 days, officially, and in this waiting period (truth be told, there is a lot to do, so not technically waiting) I have way too much time to second-guess myself.

As you can see, I write blog posts too. Not sure who reads them, but I write them.

Does that make me a “writer”?

I write to get my spinning brain to spit it out, organize the thoughts, refine the message, and share it.

It’s the sharing part that sometimes eludes me. Yes, good enough for me – but other people?

Here comes the too-familiar words that lock the door: Who am I to think that I have something of value to offer to the world? I’m not really a writer. Not really.

And, yet, I’m sitting here – well, writing.

Because, for some reason, I have to. So there, doubting inner voice.

So, for today, the message has changed, from Why me? To Why not me? To Of course, me!

I have to write today. The knock on the door was too loud to ignore this morning.

I want to learn to hear it more often, and open the door to embrace the muse, collaborate, and share the light.

Why do we hold ourselves back?

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