Work in a lil’ Irish Luck!
March 19, 2014
Need to bring a little green luck into your work life? There’s no better time than this week to help you find that ever-evading pot of gold!
Feng Shui is one of my favorite topics and areas of study. At its essence, when you are practicing Feng Shui you are bringing your environment into balance and ensuring that the energy around you is flowing and not stagnant or “stuck.”
Feeling stuck at work? This may be a sign that putting into place some meaningful and easy “cures” is needed, helping you get back into the flow of productivity, creativity, and maybe even some new clients, or even a promotion!
Although it may sound light or “out there,” Feng Shui is a respected ancient practice, both in the east and the west. In fact, many businesses (even architects designing new buildings, work spaces or corporate parks) consult with Feng Shui practitioners to create balanced and vibrant work environments. With this practice not only do you see the difference, but you really feel it.
Here are some “green” tips to get that energy and those ideas flowing again. When I think of Ireland, I think of expansive lands, dirt and trees, mountains, four-leaf clovers, and of course, the color green! Here’s the most important tip of all: When you enhance your space, do it with intention. Without focus and meaning, it won’t do a damn thing!
*The color green represents growth and expansion — think of seedlings beginning to sprout. So, one of the best things to do is to bring live plants into your workspace. Not only will they increase the amount of oxygen in your environment (keeping you alert!), but they also represent the growth of things — money, recognition, health, relationships, etc. Place it in the area of your space you want to enhance. You can see a western Feng Shui map, or Bagua, here.
Important: With a western Bagua, you are not using actual compass directions, but you are placing the map at the entrance (door) of your office and/or workspace, with “north” facing directly across from you.
*This idea of growth and expansion can also be enhanced by items or images of things that are tree-like … like paper, bamboo, wood, tall and rectangular-shapes, or pictures of the sun rising or mountains in the spring time with lots of vibrant green grass! If you really have a new idea you want to launch, make sure to place that plant or item in the Creativity quadrant of your office space.
*Bring in that pot of gold! If it’s more money you want to attract, or the feeling of prosperity and abundance, bring in some shiny coins or dollar bills (or pictures of what wealth represents to you) and place it in your Wealth corner. And yes, definitely pictures of four-leaf clovers, or the real thing, if you can get your hands on one!
*Want to feel revitalized? Need to drive up your feeling of health and well-being? How about a comfy green pillow or pashmina? These will do the job, especially in the Health quadrant of your office!
Have fun with these tips! Feel free to share how your enhancements work for you. I’d love to hear from you.
Until then …
May your troubles be less,
And your blessings be more.
And nothing but happiness,
Come through your door.
It’s your life. Lead it well.
Namaste … Monique
Retirement? Meh!
March 12, 2014
A few weeks ago I blogged about Pushing Through on something that is either important for you, or will help you get to that very next level. I truly enjoy the process of pushing through, and this month I’ve been working on my very own project — one that I have been putting off for quite some time. We all have those, don’t we?
Since knowing and leveraging my strengths is very effective for me, I tap into my talent of “activating,” which basically states that in order for me to feel on point, launching things often is very important for me. In the same way, NOT starting something that I know I need to start takes me off track.
Because my project has to do with planning, the idea of retirement came up. Suddenly, I’m paying more attention to the commercials Prudential has been putting out (which I feel are quite impactful) and beginning to imagine what I truly want my “retirement” to look and feel like. I visualize traveling (a lot!), enjoying daily life with my family, and engaging in super fun and youthful activities (hee hee!). Connecting my idea of “retirement” to something meaningful and exciting really helps me to look at it differently.
It doesn’t surprise me then, that one of the factors we know causes the feeling of “happiness” is being able to work hard to achieve something of importance or meaning to us. Shouldn’t our retirement be one of those things? Perhaps it is a time of rest for some, or for others, transformation, healing, or adventure. (Personally, I like adventure!)
Thinking about it is motivating me to redefine the word “retirement.” Let’s simply break down the word:
Retire: to withdraw to or from a particular place
Ment: this suffix can hold several meanings, but the one I’m drawn to is “State of Amazement!”
So, here’s my chosen new meaning of Retirement …
To Withdraw to a State of Amazement! (WSA)
Is this not the hippest way to look at retirement?
YES! If I don’t say so myself!
With this new way of looking at retirement, envisioning what we want and planning how we are going to make it happen becomes a happy planning activity for us.
What’s your vision for your WSA?
Can you tap into one of your strengths to help you think of retirement differently?
Please share your thoughts, or perhaps some great pictures of your new vision for WSA!
Finally, if having the “money talk” is uneasy for you, check out this video from LearnVest to help you get started.
It’s your life. Lead it well!
Namaste,
Monique
Sprouting Seeds
March 5, 2014
Happy Birthday To Me!!
Yes, today is my birthday, and I couldn’t be happier sharing my special day with each of you.
Birthdays are a wonderful time of year for each of us to honor who we are, the special gifts we bring to the world, and to reflect upon all of the good in our lives and all the greatness ahead. I could not be more grateful.
If you’ve read my blog posts in the past, you know that I believe everything is energy. As such, I also believe in the energetic cycles of time — what each day, month or year has in store for each of us, uniquely, based on our birth date, as well for all of us as a whole. It just so happens that this time of year, the energy of Pisces helps us to give birth to all of those wonderful seeds we have planted. If you happen to have the urge to pursue an idea or start a project that has been collecting dust on paper or on your mind’s shelf, know that NOW is the time to take action!
Taking action isn’t easy. But trust that in pushing forward slightly, you are opening a universal door that will support your every move.
Here are 10 easy tips to help you take off. Pick one or two that resonate with you and get going!
- Pick a partner. Enlist someone savvy to help you with your idea or work together with you.
- Create space in your calendar. Block off 30 minutes three times per week to dedicate to your initiative. Use your lunchtime if necessary.
- Use Sunday as your Creative Day. Take a journal or piece of paper, list all of the things that come to your mind that you would like to DO, BE or START. Pick the one that calls to you. Circle it. Then, ID the first three super small steps you can do this week to launch it.
- Design your Manifest Monday by creating one small step you will take action on each Monday for one month.
- Write your goal on every mirror in your house, car and office. Keep it top of mind.
- Schedule reminders each day (via your calendar or smart phone) to get you to take one more step toward completing your project.
- Ask your partner to hold you accountable by calling you daily, weekly, etc.
- Ask the question: “How will I feel if I don’t take action on this idea?” Does your answer motivate you?
- Write a one-page letter to yourself expressing what you will have accomplished by taking on this task. Seal it. Write your deadline date on the outside of it. Don’t open it until that date. Keep the envelope with you at all times.
- Find a picture or image that represents your accomplishment. Make it your screensaver on all your smart tools and computer. Visualize daily your successful completion of it.
Speaking of our uniqueness and sprouting seeds, this month I am giving birth to an exciting new workshop that will help you do just this! I can’t wait to work with a group of individuals who truly want to operate from their core talents and design strategies that will help them operate at their very best.
If you’re in Miami, I hope that you will consider joining me at FIU on March 27 for Discover and Develop Your Strengths NOW!
If you’re not in Miami, I also offer this work one-on-one.
I know you have planted seeds!!!
Go water them now and watch them grow!
It’s your life. Lead it well.
Namaste, Monique
Pushing Through.
February 27, 2014
As a young child I experienced a strong sense of motivation, because I knew at a very young age that I loved to dance and perform. I began dancing at the age of three, and time stood still when I danced. Even when I was not in class, but at home, I would play music and choreograph my own dances in front of our ceiling to floor mirrors. I was in my flow.
That was my experience, but not necessarily my daughter’s. As an achiever, it would be easy for me to push my dream, or a form of my dream on her to do the same, but I have worked so hard not to do that. I remember the day she told me she wanted to dance, but those classes did not last long. Although she was great, it was not her thing! She is now going on 10 years of age, and I think to myself, “Is she really going to grow up not playing any sports, or dancing, or…?” Recently, I heard the statistic that 80% of the most successful women in Fortune 500 companies all played competitive sports in high school, and my next thought was, “Wow, as a ‘good’ mom do I need to force her to do something to ensure her success?” That thought, of course, came from a place of fear, not love.
I think back to when she was potty training and everything that could go wrong did. In fact, it wasn’t until she was almost five that one day she said, “Mom, come look. I did it!” And that was it. She knew what she had to do, and she did it when she was ready.
Nia finally picked something new to try. She recently started Karate. Although her general modus operandi is to be a bit lazy when it comes to physical things (she’d rather be exploring out in nature!), I find that she likes Karate just enough to not quit. In fact, one of her teachers saw something in her, not on the physical toughness side, but, in her energy—her essence to want to do be noticed for her intelligence and to win. She is quite competitive! So, she’s was invited to try out for the competition team and I’ve seen her turn a new page. I see her fighting harder and not giving up when the going gets tough. She is pushing through. I also know that these teachers breathing belief into her is helping so much! They, too, could easily give up on her and tell her she’s not yet ready. What they have done is open the door for her to decide to do something very challenging while feeling supported.
In the same, the protective parent in me wanted to make it easy and safe for her. I had many “Oh no, she can’t do that!” or “She’s not ready to do that!” moments. But I kept those thoughts in my head. Instead, I cheered her on and allowed her to make the decision to stick with it or walk away.
Reflecting on this has helped cement a few concepts for me, which also may help you in a particular situation in which you may find yourself. They are:
- We each have unique passions that call to us and put us in our “flow” and/or help us to feel strong/on the verge of greatness.
- There is a time and place for everything.
- Pushing through in some way in our lives helps us to achieve a sense of purpose and pleasure.
Where can you apply this learning?
Where can you Push Through?
How can you support someone else to do the same?
Make sure to comment below. I’d love to hear your examples of pushing through.
It’s your life. Lead it well.
Namaste, Monique
Get Loving!
February 20, 2014
As you’ve learned through my last few blog posts, we bring energy into our lives in many ways. The last one I’d like to touch upon this month is moving.
Through observing others, and myself, I can see that movement for some individuals is absolutely essential, so they do it often (usually daily and first thing in the morning). That is empowering, and I celebrate them for being able to make it a consistent priority. For others, moving is more challenging due to our busy lives, and it jumps to the bottom of our to-do list. Oftentimes, because we can’t move the way we ideally want to, we don’t do it all. This is not good, of course, and it becomes an excuse after a while. Are you nodding your head in agreement?
Although I have been a dancer all my life and that is my absolute favorite way to move, it’s not always possible for me to energize myself through dancing. But, I know that I need to get moving, literally, not only for my health, but for the incredible energy and agility that I want to result from it.
For the purpose of simplicity, and the idea of Kaizen (very small changes that bring about lasting change), I’d like to suggest a very simple two-step process to making a positive change toward prioritizing moving:
Change the “M” in MOVE to an “L” to create LOVE!
1. Yes! When we bring movement back up the list, even in very small ways, we are actually making an intentional choice to LOVE ourselves.
That’s step one. Here’s step two:
2. Ask yourself, “How will I choose to LOVE myself today for just 10 minutes?” Small steps, remember?!?!
For me, this looks like stretching in my office, or taking a brisk mindful walk on campus. When I really want to feel the LOVE, I will do about 30 squats, 30 sit-ups and some push ups.
What I’ve noticed for myself is when I can make the time for 10 minutes of movement, I want more of it! In fact, just recently I purchased a video system where you exercise for just 25 minutes a day. I recall my mind chatter telling me, “Really, Monique, can’t you make yourself a priority for just 25 minutes a day?” I enlisted my husband and son to join me (Can you say accountability partners?!?!), and we are all working hard together and loving it! What I’ve also noticed is that we (including my 9-year-old daughter) are all craving a more active lifestyle because of it.
It all started with 10 minutes of LOVE for myself!
If you’re not moving much, I’d LOVE for you to try my simple 2-step technique and report back what changes you’re noticing (mind, body & spirit ones!).
Sharing is caring, and MOVING is LOVING!
It’s your life. Lead it Well.
Namaste, Monique
Follow me here…New Blog Site
February 19, 2014
Friends,
I’m thrilled to have expanded my work through a new unit at Florida International University (FIU), called Life Well LED. To help move things along, I’m now blogging weekly at:
http://lwlblog.fiu.eduYou’ll find the majority of my Being En Pointe posts there as well.
Hope to chat with you soon at Life Well LED! Thanks for your ongoing support.
Namaste,
Monique
Breathe in. Breathe out.
February 12, 2014
For those mommies out there, or perhaps athletes or actors, who had to learn how to breathe a certain way to give birth with less pain (yeah right!), or manage your energy and nervous system, you probably recognize the importance of BREATH in these circumstances. But how often do we use our breath daily, consciously, to regulate our emotions and mange our energy?
It just so happens that breath is another one of the primary inputs into our energetic system. If creating a high level of wellness and energy is important to you, then becoming a bit more aware of your breath and using it as a tool is a great way to achieve that goal. In fact, our bodies are mostly made up of water and oxygen (65%). If being more of who we are naturally helps us feel at our best, then giving our bodies more O2 is definitely a great strategy.
I recently learned that while working at a computer, adults’ breathing rate increases by 30% to 18 breaths per minute, which can lead to hyperventilation, increased neck and shoulder tension and fatigue. Add coffee to that equation, and “Houston…we’ve got a problem!” And, since the majority of us are technologically ON all the time with our “smart” tools, is it no wonder we are exhausted, tense and, literally, running out of breath?
Personally, I LOVE my productivity tools, but, I, too, understand the importance of being aware of my breath and using it proactively to help energize me and give me a greater sense of well being.
Here’s a simple way to breathe more life into your mind, body and soul:
Begin to associate sitting with breathing. When you get into your car in the morning take a deep, expanding belly breath and blow it out through your nose. Do this at least three times before you turn on the ignition. Try breathing in slowly to the count of four and slowly exhaling to the count of four.
Then, when you get to your office and sit down at your desk do the same thing. When you need a potty break, guess what? Do it again! (Not kidding). When you sit down to eat, do it again. Continue this throughout the day during those “breaks” when you sit down to begin a new task. Pretty soon you’ll have created the awareness and habit of sitting and breathing—giving you many tiny moments of delicious breath and consciousness.
If you’re super busy and can only take one deep breath each time, that’s okay. It’s a great start and will make a big difference.
Try it out and see how you feel. Ahhh!
Share your outcomes with me below.
Sharing is caring!
It’s your life. Lead it well.
Namaste… Monique
What you see is what you get!
February 5, 2014
I’m sure you’ve heard of the expression, “What you see is what you get!” I remember hearing it and saying it all the time growing up, but I never really thought about it. I wish I had, because its power is so magnificent, yet so simple!
What do you want to experience today?
If you are intentional about what you want to experience then that is exactly what you will experience. Why? Because you will be looking for it. And through that action of sensing it—again by what you choose to see, hear, feel, taste, etc. (as we discussed last week), then you will see opportunities to jump into (or out of!), or create that experience for yourself.
Can you see the power in asking yourself the above question every morning? Your answer need not be long or complicated, it can simply be, “I want to experience peace today.” How might your day pan out, then, if you’ve intended for peace? Perhaps you hear your co-workers engaged in some dramatic conversation you would normally participate in, but today you choose not to. Perhaps on your way to lunch you are drawn to a bench under a beautiful tree and you decide to have lunch there. And then, perhaps, out of the blue, a friend calls you and invites you to a candle-light yoga class in the evening, just when you were eager to try it out!
Can you also see how easy it is to allow negativity to manifest? For example, if all you feel is anger or frustration, then anger and frustration is all you will get. Drama will find you. You won’t see the tree, but the rain cloud. You won’t answer your friend’s call because you are too stressed. Make sense?
Your simple step today is to choose intentionally. Become aware of what you want and use your senses to bring it to you.
What you see is what you get.
What do you want to experience today?
Let me know how it goes! Please write to me below. Sharing is caring!
It’s your life. Lead it well!
Namaste… Monique
Knock Some Sense Into Yourself!
January 28, 2014
In my communication, courses and coaching you’ll always hear me talk about energy and it’s direct link to our potential and personal leadership. One of the inputs into our “system” that creates our energy is our senses—what we see, hear, smell, taste, etc. When we sense things we create awareness, and with continued awareness we create conscious living. Here’s the kicker…science proves to us that the more conscious we are the more likely we are to reach our full potential. That’s an equation I’m always interested in!
I’m sure you’ve had many unconscious moments daily, as we all do, like driving from point A to point B and not really remembering how you got there…what roads you took, etc. But, you know you got there, right? Well, the key to reaching our potential and living more purposefully is to slowly lessen the amount of time we are unconscious…just going through the motions.
Here’s a simple way to knock the senses back into your life…Pay Attention!
You can decide how you want to do this, but here are some easy examples.
- Become very aware during your drive today. What is the temperature like? What kind of car is driving in front of you? Can you see the person driving through their rear view mirror? Are they male or female? Are there stickers on the car?
- When you arrive to your location, who is the first person you see? Make eye contact with them and smile. Can you sense their mood by the tone of their voice, facial expression, movements or attire? How do you feel on this day? Are you excited to get your day going? Are you hungry, distracted, sad, happy, etc.?
Why would being aware of these things help us become good leaders? I’d love for you ponder this on your own, but here are some opportunities that may have shown up for you from this simple exercise…
- If the car in front of you accidentally hit another motorist and took off you could be an eye witness and potentially help the victim.
- If you noticed it was a bit cooler and you didn’t have a chance to look at the weather report, you might have run back in the house to grab a sweater for your child, protecting him/her from the on-coming cold front you didn’t know about.
- If one of your employees was having a bad day, which you were able to sense by their eye contact and tone of voice, you could be a part of helping them to move forward positively in some way.
- If you realized that you were not feeling excited about your day, you could take a few minutes to take personal responsibility for yourself and choose to shift your thoughts and emotions so that you could feel lighter and have a more successful day.
Living consciously is habit we can cultivate slowly, but the outcomes can be hugely impactful for ourselves and for those we lead.
I’d love to hear about your awareness aha moments! What opportunities showed up for you? Please write to me below. Sharing is caring!
It’s your life. Lead it well.
Namaste…Monique
Ta-Da!! Go Light Up Your New Year!
December 31, 2013
I love New Year’s! I love the excitement of the unknown, and the power of being able to start anew. We all need fresh starts, and doing so in the New Year is a very natural process.
But how do we create these fresh starts with all the stress they bring, like unreasonable goals and deadlines? Just what are we hoping to accomplish and why? Let me give you a tip. The power is in the WHY! We’ll come back to this in a bit.
The week before the holidays our office went out for lunch and one of my colleagues had a revelation, she asked, “What if we could turn our To-Do’s into Ta-Da’s?” I thought that was brilliant! You see, the wonderful thing about the New Year and the resolutions we create, are the inspiration or meaning behind them. Hopefully, we’re not resolving to do something that holds very little energy or vision for us. Or even worst, resolving to do something because “we should,” or because “they are doing it too!”
- Why do you want to create a new resolution?
- Why is this resolution important?
- How will you feel when you have accomplished it?
- How will that feeling be different than what you feel today?
- When you imagine your outcome are you catching yourself smiling?
- Do you see a vivid picture in your head that has you tingling?
I sure hope so! If not, I’m guessing there’s not much power or purpose behind your resolution. Your WHY is not holding any charge to it. If you don’t see and feel it, don’t resolve to do it, because it signifies that you’ve just created a To-Do instead of a Ta-Da! Even the words To-Do and Ta-Da carry different energies. When you say these simple words can you feel the difference in your voice and in your spirit? I certainly can.
I want you now to look back just a few months and recall your daily, monthly, or quarterly To-Do’s and ask yourself the questions I posed above (replace resolution with To-Do). Be honest with yourself. Are you creating To-Do’s with purpose and passion, or just to keep you busy? We often feel overwhelmed because we are loading up all of our moments with so many To-Do’s and even fewer Ta-Da’s. I’m hoping for you and for me that we can become skillful in reversing this equation.
Yes, we will always have things to do—this is the world we live in, but I challenge you to become more conscious of what you are doing with YOUR time and consciously choose to understand the WHY behind each of them and create more of those Ta-Da’s, which truly create those feelings and outcomes that will light up your days and your entire year. Go Light It Up!
Imagine this now: You’re on stage, lights brightly shining on you, you’re excited, smiling from ear to ear, your arms are outstretched reaching up toward the sky, you’ve just visualized the accomplishment of your resolution, and you’re screaming loudly, TA-DA!!!
Go get that feeling!
Happy New Year!
Namaste,
Monique
PS. Thanks to my colleague and friend, Cristina R. for the inspiration behind this blog!
Illumined Life Leadership 