Tag: Focus

Ask a Luminary

How Can I Overcome My Fears?

"From the time I was a child, I've lived my life in fear. What if I lose my job? What if I can't pay the rent? What if I never find a wife? And so on... I'd greatly appreciate any insight on how I can let go of the fear and actually LIVE my life!" ~ Tim, Minneapolis, MN Dear Tim, As humans, we all deal with fear in one form or another. However, we can only focus on one thing at a time, so chose to focus on your dreams rather than the fear. In other words, focus on what you…

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How Can I Control My Emotions?

"I know that I create my own reality with my thoughts, but sometimes when I'm sad I can't seem to change my thoughts - even when I want to. How to I start to take control of my life?" ~ Evelyn, Jacksonville, FL Dear Evelyn, There was a time I felt the same way you did. But a family member I trusted "SNAPPED" me out of it. Soon I realized that the sadness I was feeling was just an emotion I was internalizing. In other words, I was investing too much time into feeling sad until I clearly saw that…

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Peace in the Midst of Life’s Storms

It is far too easy to get caught up in all the noise, chatter and distractions that come our way. Maintaining focus in the chaos is often a mighty challenge. In times of our greatest crises the power of doubt, fear, stress and anxiety has enormous force. As this adversity grips us, something as simple as finding peace and maintaining confidence can be incredibly difficult. As I lived through the early experiences of my youngest son's addiction, I found myself completely distracted by his every move, thought, action, and decision. I became uncontrollably focused on saving him from his illness…

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Can I Make More Time?

"I feel like I'm being pulled in 10 directions at the same time, every day. How can I find the time to keep everyone happy, including me?" ~ Denise, St. Albans, UK Dear Denise, My biggest accomplishment is that I've learned to S-T-R--E--T--C-H out time! :) But seriously... I've mastered a trick that gets me a few extra hours every day (and you can learn it too). It's the only way I can juggle my professional duties as a surgeon, family responsibilities, managing a non-profit foundation, writing content for my websites, and more. What's the trick? FOCUS. When I'm operating, my…

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Tips to Stay Calm, Focused and Positive

By Tara Taylor. During full moon cycles we can feel like nothing is aligning; things are not going as "planned" or how we want them to. I always say that patience and persistence is key and that it always makes sense “why” later when things are in a standstill and once the standstill is over, we are always grateful for the standstill. Here are 3 tips to stay calm, focused and positive: 1) Journal out your frustrations on a piece of paper, later that evening burn that piece of paper and say out load “Divine, I now let go of…

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Overpower the past… Empower the Present!

I was the baby in the family, born 11 and 8 years, respectively, after my siblings. Not until just a few years ago did I hear that my mother "farmed out" my sister and brother to strangers. The term usually referred to children who were sent to a relative back in the day, but in my siblings' case it was an indenture. My brother and sister had to work for their keep,  ages six and 11. They told me these stories as part of my research while writing Wild Violets, a romanticized version of my Mother as a flapper and entrepreneur in the 1920's in…

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Top 10 Daily Mantras to Get You Going

Every day should be a positive one, no matter what it may bring you. One way to focus on the positive is to start each day with a mantra to bring in a positive outlook and exclude the negative. Some people like to have one personal mantra they say every day, while others like to switch it up, always staying on the bright side. Here are some daily mantras to keep you in bright, positive spirits. Choose one to be your own, modify them to suit you, or alternate between your favorites. I am thankful for what I have, even…

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Keeping Your Orientation – In Life and Work (Avoiding Unnecessary Missteps)

By Michele Howe. Taking a misstep here would be fatal. Taking a misstep in daily life happens more often than we realize (with perhaps not fatal results, but otherwise unhealthy ones.) Why? It's so easy to lose our focus (lose our orientation) because of the demands placed on us by others (and ourselves.) Keeping your orientation is one principle that crosses over into every area of life. Home. Work. Health. Play. Not convinced? See how this phrase, "Keeping Your Orientation" put me on notice after a fast-paced morning in the operating room. Not too long ago, I was given the…

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Top 10 Things I’ve Learned from Bejeweled

Recently, I learned yet another lesson from a game called Bejeweled 2. I blogged about this game some time ago, but find I'm compelled to write about it again. For me, this game is a form of meditation as it requires great focus. I play it in my spare time, like when I'm waiting at the dentist's office or at the airport. Some days that may be 15-20 minutes and sometimes life gets too busy and I won't play for days. However, I always come away from the experience with a lesson. So, I decided to share my Top 10 Things…

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Conscious Language: The Power of Our Words

Our language has great power. It is an integral part of bringing what we desire into our lives, and also is a key element for bringing what we don't want into our lives as well. Many times, we're not even conscious of what we're doing or saying and wonder why we're not getting the results we desire. The Law of Attraction states that what we focus on grows, whether it's conscious or not, or intentional or not. We've all had the experience of thinking about buying a new car and all of a sudden, it seems like we see that…

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The Power of Focus

A few days ago I visited my favorite beach in the British Virgin Islands, Loblolly, on the tiny island of Anegada. Only 12 miles long and less than 25' in elevation, Anegada has less than 200 residents. A handful of sailors brave the tricky entrance across miles of coral reefs to visit Anegada. I love it for the simplicity and connection I feel from the sheer beauty and the solitude. We set out to play on my favorite beach, Loblolly. This visit was no different, except for an invitation from Charlie, the bartender at the little beach bar, The Big…

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My Top Ten Ways to Find Your Magnificence During Tough Times

Times are tough. We hear it all around us everyday... another business going under, another bankruptcy being filed, another job being lost, another home going into foreclosure, or another pension disappearing into dust. Worry takes a toll as stress builds, creativity suffers, health is compromised and relationships are threatened. To keep with my transparent blogging style, I want to share this with you that this is one of the most difficult financial times of my life. I have always been an independent businesswoman and my background is in real estate, so all of my assets were in what I thought…

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Walking Through Scary Times

Companies are closing, pension accounts are being drained, unemployment is going up, folks are losing their homes and the bankruptcy rate is escalating. Many feel as if they're walking through scary times as they watch their piggy banks sink. It all sounds like a train wreck in another state- something tragic but also distant While we're empathetic, the impact is lessened because it doesn't affect us personally. Until it does. Then, very suddenly, things shift and it becomes very real, very fast. Just this past week I've had some personal issues with some real estate investments that are now upside…

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Montana!

Last week I was blindsided by a state. Not a state of mind, but by the state of Montana. Our family went to visit a ranch we owned for nearly ten years but sold in 2004. We expected to have a great time with family and reconnect with Nature, but I didn't expect to turn my life upside down. Montana captured my heart the first time I visited in 1993, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised it happened once again. The result of our family vacation? Darryl and I are moving to Montana! As crazy as this may sound,…

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Spring Renewal- Starting Anew

Just a few weeks ago I found myself mentoring a client who had gone through a major loss and life change. While sometimes difficult, rebuilding your life after a loss or big change can also be one of the greatest opportunities in life. When we look to Nature, we see that rebirth and renewal are a standard part of life. And like the newness of the Spring, we get to start over with the wisdom that we've learned from our past experience of what works and what doesn't. Life is giving us a clean slate to create anew. I've personally…

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Letting Go of the “HOW?”

The email response to my recent blog postings has been humbling. The number one question I've been asked is "HOW? How do I focus on the positive when I can't make payroll? How do I enjoy my day when I'm so miserable? How do I get rid of the fear that I feel inside?" HOW seems to be a big, scary word. In gathering my thoughts for this blog post I was wondering, "How do I help"? I was also stuck in the HOW of not knowing, yet wanting to be of service. And then something funny happened. I was…

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The River of My Life

Recently a friend of mine told me that I have an interesting mind: one that can see anything physical and through metaphor, relate it to my life. Lately, just to see if she's right, I've been paying attention to things around me, choosing an object and seeing how I can relate it to my life. Yesterday as I flew from Philadelphia to Seattle, via Dallas, I decided to see if she was right. As we were nearing Dallas, a river intrigued me, bending and winding through a very dry area. From 30,000 feet it looked like a cinnamon pretzel, twisty,…

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