SGchangeagent

Today’s message is written with a heavy heart.

My son lost a dear friend this week.

My heart goes out to his family and all the people affected by loss.

My yoga practice yesterday was dedicated to the strength and healing everyone needs to manage the vulnerable feelings we have when we are impacted by loss.

Yes. I cried at the end of my practice. My body shook until I finally let go. That’s exactly when I started my own healing practice, for my son, his fraternity brothers, his girlfriend and his dear friend’s family and their friends in my heart. I prayed for their strength.

My yoga practice this morning was dedicated to healing and peace that is needed to push through the pain, to remember the good times. To let go. I felt grounded, grateful and peaceful.

From strength comes healing from healing comes peace.

#namastegratefultofeel

This has been the focus of my intention the entire month of March in and out of Chicago, Montvale, Indianapolis and West Palm Beach for business and pleasure, in and out of business meetings, on and off the yoga mat.

For me, clarity keeps me focused on my professional and personal goals. It’s easy to get caught up in all the little things we do to wanting to affect change however having clear expectations on priority projects is crucial for managing time effectively. Can you define your top three business priorities for the week? What tasks, imperatives and initiatives are associated with these priorities? Is there a timeline for getting them done? What about everything else? Is there a way to eliminate anything not serving you and your companies goals?

These same principles can be applied for your personal growth. Can you clearly define your top three personal priorities for the week? What can you do to achieve or move these along? Is there a way to eliminate anything not serving your personal vital needs?

Clarity helps. Writing things down helps.

For me, confidence keeps me going if I ever feel like doubting my own abilities. Confidence is knowing my craft, continuing to improve and staying strong in my convictions. Confidence is sexy. Confidence is humble. As a servant leader, confidence gives me the voice to help empower and educate others.

My definition of success lies in how I can balance my professional life with my personal world. Work hard. Play hard. Focus. Rest. Rejuvenate. Enjoy the Climb!

May each of you reading this today find your own Clarity and Confidence to Shine as I listen to a beautiful musical set and reflect on “I’ve been Searching for a Heart of Gold.”

“It’s a basic principal of spiritual life that we learn the deepest things in unknown territory. Often it is when we feel most confused inwardly and are in the midst of our great difficulties that something new will open.”

This statement resonated with me today as I sit in quiet time reflecting on Had to Grow. To Know. while reading A Path with Heart on a beautiful Sunday morning.

I’ve come to realize that we never stop growing and doing the work. Doing the work to be the person we are supposed to be. Right now. In the moment.

This week, I hosted a leadership workshop based on the book Crucial Conversations. The principles associated with conversations about tough issues. I keep going back to the first principle. Start with the Heart. ❤️

When we are right with ourselves and know exactly what we want and what we don’t want, then the foundation for a crucial conversation is set.

When others feel defensive or angry, they really aren’t feeling safe in the conversation.

The Learn to Look principle helps us to watch for the signals that others aren’t feeling safe to open up to have an authentic conversation which in turn forces us to look at our own style under stress. Do you go silent or violent??

Each and everyday, when we tap into our own strengths and vulnerabilities, being ok with both gives us the ability To Know. To Grow.

Next time you find yourself in unknown territory during a tough conversation, go back to Start with the Heart.

#namastefocusonmyowngrowthtoimpactothers

Home Sweet Home is Where the Mat is. Home Sweet Home is Where the Heart Lives. ❤️

The months of January and February 2019 have flown by. I’ve traveled to Indiana, Washington, and New Jersey twice. I’ve done yoga in NJ. Twice. And eventually found myself back on my balcony in West Palm Beach. Doing yoga. More than twice.

What’s your special place you call home? Where do you find peace and serenity in the midst of chaos? I can honestly say, right now, the peace I find on my balcony is called home. Right now. This leads me to reflect on mindfulness. On being in the moment. Wherever you are at. Appreciate the space you call home. Now. In this moment.

#namastecommittedtothemomentsicallhome

Empowerment. Resiliency. Peace. These are words that resonated with me during an amazing Yang Yin yoga practice today.

Today, I am contemplating integration. How we integrate our personal life with our professional world. How we balance our true Yang and Yin. How we just be the best version of ourselves. Integrate to Be.

Peace is a word and a feeling that continues to fuel my practice. The peace I find in the moment on my yoga mat. The peace I find in corporate America. When my voice is heard. When what I say matters.

Wherever you are in your present state, just know that you are empowered to do whatever you want to do to. To stand tall in the resiliency you bring into your life today, to just BE. Be the best version of yourself, today, in the moment. It’s all we can really ask for.

#namastecommittedtothemomentalways

Ground yourself.

Every day we have the opportunity to do something different. To make a difference, with others and with ourselves. We don’t need to wait for a new year to create that change!

So, rise above the BS!

Take the time to look within and do you.

Don’t worry too much about anything!

Reach for the stars.

Look up at the high buildings!

Stay active and healthy.

Stay grounded to your true self.

Be grateful and humble.

Appreciate what you have!

Keep doing the work.

Enjoy life.

Travel often.

Eliminate unnecessary stuff.

Dare to dream. Big!

Cheers to another fabulous year!

On the same Sunday morning that I was recognized as a “Selling from the Heart” champion in my business network, I opened a book called a Path with Heart to prepare for an afternoon donation yoga practice while sitting on the beach near my home.

When I opened the book, I saw a note. It was from a Mom to her Son. It said, ” To dear Kevin, a special book for a special person, with love and hopeful thoughts, Mom.

I’m also a mom. My son Dylan was born in 1998. This mom’s letter to her son was dated 1998.

The same week, my mom and I received our DNA results. With this information, I am reflecting on the paths my ancestors and other moms and daughters have taken that’s given me my own specific DNA helping me to understand a little bit of why I am what I am to share with my son.

As you can see on this image below, my moms side of the family (on the left) has a strong influence from Eastern Europe and Russia. I’m curious as to how my dad’s side fits into this equation since I too have an even stronger influence from this part of the country. Now I’ve got to add Russia to my travel list, complete with a high black fur hat and boots!

I’ve always been told my mom’s side of the family has a history from Hungary with my grandmas mom and dad actually born there. I’ve also always been told on my dad’s side of the family that I am Italian however some of my ancestors must have given me my travel spirit because it shows that I also have Greece, the Balkans and France in my DNA. VivaLa France! Greek Islands here I come!

As I work to connect the dots and learn more about the past, I can’t help but be excited for the opportunities provided today to be able to travel to places unknown and possibility connect with relatives and family history.

To me, a path with heart is about reflection, appreciation, strength, understanding, roots and love.

Kevin’s mom had love and hopeful thoughts for her son in 1998 the year my son was born.

This reflective path is dedicated to my one and only son Dylan and to a wonderful Sunday with some of our family!

May your paths continue to be filled with love, laughter, experiences, success and peace within your heart.

We are often asked at yoga practice to set an intention. That intention can be focused within to yourself or pushed out to others or both.

My flight home from a business trip to DC got canceled at midnight Friday night! I stayed the entire night at the airport so I could get on standby for the morning flight back home. It worked! I was the one and only, last person to board that fly to go home. Within an hour of arriving home, I attended a yoga class.

I realized immediately that gratitude and goals became the mantra for my intention at yoga practice Saturday morning. Gratitude for getting on that flight and for the intuition I had when I stayed the entire night at the airport to reach my goal of getting on an early flight.

I’m learning that I can really only control how I react to cancellations. Flights get cancelled. Meetings get cancelled. Plans get cancelled. With cancellations come closures. Closing that experience gives space to a new experience. I took the time during my overnight at DC airport to complete a software certification class. And to appreciate a few tasty donut holes!

May gratitude and how you respond to cancellations be part of your intention today! #namasteinbednow

I was recently presented an opportunity to be part of a panel to discuss change. As a change agent, I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about this panel discussion. I am now giving some thoughts on the message I want to share about change.

In today’s business, we are experiencing change on a daily basis. There’s one thing that is constant and that constant is change. So I’m sitting here thinking about all the reasons why things change so much in business today.

Change happens! I’ve been promoted, recruited, shifted and eliminated from roles my entire career.

I personally believe when one door closes another one opens. How we deal with adversity of change when least expected gives us the opportunity to look beyond the obvious. To keep moving into a new space with a positive attitude. To dig deep. To change.

When I think about change in business, I think about the book “Who moved the Cheese.” This was an interesting analogy of rats in a maze going to the same place to get the cheese even when the cheese wasn’t there! The rats who figured out to go to a different space in the maze found new cheese. The other rats died.

I challenge you to Embrace Change. Do the Work. Follow your Dreams. Know your Worth!

Things happen for a reason. As I work to build stronger connections in my business world, I connected with Kevin on LinkedIn. Kevin founded Elevate NY, a program to bring the principles of leadership to kids in the inner city.

I wanted to be a part of it so we scheduled time to chat. Within a few days of speaking with him, Autumn and I were on a plane headed to Bronx, New York to help kick off his summer program for middle school students, arriving by plane and several subway tracks.

Our plan was to design a workshop incorporating leadership, balance and mindfulness with a yoga practice.

The past three days has made such an impact on us. Our mutual passions for educating and connecting are why we do what we do in our business and personal lives.

The principles of leadership such as listening, being truthful, focus, teamwork, collaboration, respect, courage, communication and being authentic show up in the corporate boardroom, school faculty table and on the yoga mat. This is why Elevate NY and our program is so aligned.

This week, we introduced ourselves and our diverse backgrounds to middle school kids. We talked about the importance of mindfulness (being present in the moment) and the yoga poses associated with mindfulness such as mountain, tree, sun salutations, sphinx, downward dog and child’s pose. These poses are tools kids can use to connect with themselves, appreciate the value of others, sharpen their focus and concentration for improved learning and rest and restore their bodies, souls and minds. These tools, along with the importance of breathing and savasana (final resting) will help them become good leaders in school, in the community and beyond!

Yoga has been shown to lower stress. Additional benefits include improving posture, circulation and digestion keeping joints fluid and muscles hardened. Yoga helps us relax, regulate our nervous system so we are less reactive and more responsive to what we are feeling. Kids, teachers and corporate executives need these tools to deal with everyday life. When trauma occurs (past or present), these tools and skills are even more vital in dealing with and healing the trauma.

Autumn and I are the perfect analogy of Yin and Yang; the balance of energy that yoga practice showcases. We taught the kids Yang. The active practice with movement, flow and fast poses. Yang is a great place to start when kids are full of nervous energy. We showed them the calming practice of Yin. Slower longer poses and breathing techniques that help ground us and eventually silent the mind. These longer poses help us learn how to slow down to understand our feelings, giving us the ability to process them, helping to building self esteem and alleviate stress.

My business background as an innovative leader in the technology corporate space where I have spent over 26 years educating, training and encouraging others to grow in their career has given me the foundation to share leadership skills. My trauma informed outreach certification allows me to teach the principles of yoga, mindfulness and meditation in the foster system, rehab or jails. This has provided me the opportunity to bring yoga to foster youth in West Palm Beach, Florida and to middle school kids in Bronx, NY. In July, I earned my Yin Yoga Certification and plan to continue my journey uniting and sharing business leadership and yoga principles to our future leaders.

#namastecommitedtothecause