Challenge #14: Own It!

Time to read: 18 seconds

She owns it without apology

Welcome to week 14 of your summer challenge!

Today is another short, sweet, and powerful challenge.

We've been talking about action with full permission and full responsibility. This week, I want you to own it. Whatever "it" is for you. Here is what that might look like:

• Graciously accept a compliment
• Drop the apology (unless you truly mess up, of course)
• Claim a weird little habit and make it part of your "brand"
• Make a choice and stick by it without justification
• Tell a positive story about yourself in conversation
• Wear what you love and walk around like you're worth a million bucks

If you're enjoying this challenge, please invite your friends and colleagues to join you. All they have to do is sign up here.

Have fun with this one!

Challenge #12: Action!

Time to read: 35 seconds

Welcome to week 12 of your summer challenge!

A few weeks ago when you were practicing doing nothing, I promised you that one of the challenges would be ACTION!

Today is that day.

So, this week, practice an action orientation. This doesn't mean act willy-nilly without consideration or intention. It does mean looking for the places you are avoiding or stalling or wishing you didn't have to pick up the phone.

One easy way to act with intention is to follow your urges. Oftentimes, you stuff down an urge. This week, see what happens when you feel the urge and act (with full permission and full responsibility, of course).

So, this week, have that hard conversation, clean that closet, ask the hard question, make the decision, take the class, get out for a walk. The possibilities are endless!

If you're enjoying this challenge, please invite your friends and colleagues to join you. All they have to do is sign up here.

Have fun with this one. It's all about you, what you want and PERMISSION!

Challenge #11: You Are Not Unclear

Time to read: 15 seconds!

Welcome to week 11 of your summer challenge!

People come to me seeking clarity - about decisions, career choices, priorities, and sticky situations. When I listen to your stories, it's rare that I hear a lack of clarity.

You are clearer than you think.

You don't lack clarity. What you lack is permission.

Let's pretend that you are ruminating over whether to apply for a new job. You wonder if you'll offend your current boss or if you're qualified or what the job will do to the balance of your work and home.

I believe that you already know what's right for you, and the lack of clarity is a symptom that you're afraid to claim it. Either, you want to apply and are afraid to take the risk or you feel like you should apply (because doesn't everyone want a promotion?), but you actually like your life and don't want the increased responsibility.

So, this week, look around your life and work and find a place where you are telling yourself you lack clarity. Look at the same situation from the perspective of giving yourself permission. What becomes possible?

Email me and tell me all about it!

If you're enjoying this challenge, please invite your friends and colleagues to join you. They can sign up for it here.

Trust yourself!

Give Yourself Permission

Time to read: 10 seconds

'Tis the season of graduation. Actual graduations from high school to college. Impending retirements. From winter to summer. Weddings. Corporate reorganizations. New jobs.

All of these events mark huge transitions that come with feelings, logistical changes, shifting relationships, and changing identities.

Consider this question today: What are YOU graduating from?

If you have even a minute to spare, email me and tell me about your graduation - whatever it is. I always love to hear from you.

Know people who are in transition? Who are graduating? Share my newsletter freely! Anyone can sign up here.

Give Yourself Permission

Time to read: 46.5 seconds

If you need uplifting, today isn't it.

Today is about the permission to feel however you are feeling.

Here's me: I'm weary.

I got Covid in NYC. (I'm fine.) Everyone in my family and many of my friends either have Covid now or had it recently. Then there's Ukraine, and Buffalo. And Uvalde.

I'm tired of bad news. I'm tired of children getting killed. I'm tired of black people being killed. I'm tired of Asian people being killed. Frankly, I'm tired of all kinds of people getting killed. I'm tired of wearing a mask. I'm tired of trying to keep my parents safe. I'm tired of figuring out every day how to pull two teenagers through this world with hope and optimism.

I am fundamentally optimistic. I am grateful for many things (although today I'm just not feeling it, ya know?). I know that this will pass, and I'll be my cheery self again in no time.

And sometimes, my job as a coach is to model the full range of human experience and emotion so you have permission to have your full range of human experience and emotion.

Today, I'm weary.

I called a friend and she said, "welcome to Blue Island." If you're weary, too, or just not feeling it, pull up a beach chair. Blue Island a hopping place with free drinks. If you're feeling great…well….great! Free drinks for you, too.

Here's the message for today. If you are also feeling blue…or if you feel blue tomorrow or in a week…it's ok. You can simply feel blue and keep going. It's normal. Even desirable. The world is worth your weariness, sadness, even your despair.

If you know someone who needs permission to feel down, share my newsletter with them! Anyone can sign up here.