Practicing Gratitude
When I meet with clients, they often express how they know practicing gratitude is helpful. But, they reveal how sometimes it's hard to feel grateful when things aren't going the way they hoped. The truth is that I can relate. When I've gone through tough times in my life, I've held on to my positive nature and appreciation for the process of life. But, I've also felt moments of defeat during those times.  And, I know it's important to feel all of my feelings - the ones we'd identify as positive and negative. So, I do so while really aiming to practice gratitude for even the negative feelings. But, I've questioned...how is my positive attitude and gratitude really paying off?! It doesn't always feel better.

What It Looks Like During Tough Times
That is when I catch myself.  I notice that in those moments of feeling deflated, I'm worrying about what will happen in the future and generally coming from a place of fear.  So, I recover and remind myself that gratitude is a choice and to practice it again in every moment I need to do so. (I call it "practice" for a reason:-)
In fact, scientific studies show that practicing gratitude DAILY improves your emotional and physical well-being.  It makes you 25% happier!  So, it's especially important to be appreciative of life during tough times when you really want to feel happier.

4 Key Principles
Below are the FOUR keys I discovered for practicing gratitude during the toughest time in my life. It was when my Dad was diagnosed with ALS 4 years ago, and my family and I had to think about my parents' overall healthcare needs. Each principle provided me a sense of comfort opening my heart to really experience the benefits of gratitude:

Live in the Moment 
When I first heard the diagnosis, I chose to focus on the fact that my parents were still with us and my family was spending more time together than ever.

Notice the Blessing(s)
I've always known that my nieces and nephews are funny, loving, and interesting people. But after seeing how they were going above and beyond expectations to show my parents how much they were deeply loved, I found them even more admirable and respectable.  I was prouder and happier than ever to know these young adults and to have them in my life.

Choose an Empowering Perspective
I chose to focus on the perspective that we were afforded the gift of time...the opportunity to help my parents think about how they'd like to live the rest of their lives while we supported them every step of the way like they supported us (their children and grandchildren).

Feel the Feelings
I also took time to feel the feelings associated with what I was appreciative about in my life. Beyond writing or thinking about what you're grateful for, it's important to really feel these feelings. At that time, I remember feeling overwhelmed with love by being with my parents, my extended family, and my supportive friends.  I couldn't help but be grateful for all of this love that came my way.

How can you put these 4 principles in to play in your life? What is a nugget of positive truth in this very moment?  Hold on to an empowering perspective.  And, immerse yourself in any good feelings that arise and let the upward spiral begin.

Want to discover happiness in each moment of your life?

With all that is going on in our lives, we may wonder how it's possible to slow down and really make time to enjoy life.

Make Space for What Matters Most
For some inspiration and support, check out this 21-day Meditation Series led by Deepak Chopra and hosted by Oprah Winfrey entitled Making Every Moment Matter.

With this meditation series, you'll be able to do the following:

• Tap into your inner brilliance
• Let go of things that no longer serve you
• Have a new perspective on time
• Feel less stressed

Ultimately, you'll experience a deeper sense of purpose as you feel acceptance and grace in every moment of your life regardless of what is going on.

Take a listen, and let me know what you think?

P.S. It starts October 30th, and each meditation is only available for 5 days.  So register now!

Want a guaranteed way to get the best results?
In the last #BeHappyGetResults series post, I shared that you could take your awareness to the next level by focusing it – – i.e., paying attention – – in the present moment. Another way to focus your awareness that leads to results is by setting intentions. Everything that happens starts with an intention. You might have heard about setting an intention at the beginning of your yoga class.  And, I’m sure you’ve set an objective at the beginning of your business meetings. Now, we’ll take this practice of focusing your awareness via setting intentions to a whole new level for you.

Practice Setting Intentions
I created a proprietary tool that can help! My Setting Intentions Form guides you through 5 simple questions to organize your thoughts and transform your energy.  And, you can use this tool literally every moment of your life.  Try it before an important date, conversation, meeting, email, or phone call.  My clients LOVE this tool! They rip it out of the InnerBrilliance Playbook and put in in their bag or keep it at their desk.

It’s based on principles from a combination of neuroscience, positive psychology, and marketing to help you get clear on your desires and communicate that information clearly and confidently.

How It Works
You get results you’ll love because you center yourself and become clear on what you intend for a situation. It’s important to take a moment to really feel the emotions associated with your intentions (for example, peace, joy, love, or grace).  It’s empowering to take this step because when you feel them, you don’t depend on others to bring about the experience.

Remember to stay connected with your intention. And, throughout the process of moving toward your desired outcome, be open to new insights and better choices.  This will allow you to choose behaviors that lead to the results you desire.

The best part…you’ll begin to trust yourself more than ever with this process.

Action Step:
Sign up for a complimentary “Inspired Life” Session with me, and you’ll get to experience the results of this form. Schedule it here and let me know you heard about it from the #Be Happy & Get Results Series.

Are you ready to make changes in your life and see real results?  What are 2 intentions you can set today?

Each week, I’ll continue to share steps to be happy and get results. 
If you want to get these inspirational tidbits along with useful tips directly in your inbox, sign up here.

​Or, if you want to check out the whole series of how to #Be Happy & Get Results, go here.
#BeHappyGetResults

Wish it were easier to know the "best" next step to take?

In this #BeHappyGetResults series, I've shared how increasing your awareness about yourself (by going inward) can be a powerful step for getting results you desire.  Now, it's time to take your awareness to the next level by focusing it - - i.e., paying attention - - in the present moment.  The answers you're looking for in life and your strength live here.

I've already mentioned one tool for focusing your awareness or paying attention which is to practice PMA.  To learn more about PMA, check out this article.  And, in this post, I'm sharing a simple way to pay attention in the present moment to get answers you seek.

Simple 3 step process to get answers...
​I like to use the following 3 steps to help get answers in my life:

Ask "what is true in this moment?"

• This is the only truth that exists.  The past has happened.  And, no one knows what the future will bring.

Let go of resisting.

• When you notice an answer to the question above, don't fight it.  Remember, that answer might not look like what you thought or expected.  But, it doesn't mean it's the "wrong" answer.

Be open to getting information or clues or truth.

• Practice acceptance of "what is" and reconnect with your intention (for the situation). Then, explore or consider whatever comes up. This next piece of information, clue, or truth might lead you to a better result than you could have ever imagined.

Check out this example below:
When I was searching for hearing aids (to help with my genetic hearing loss), I was struggling with the brand my audiologist recommended and the insurance company couldn't confirm the pair would be covered.  My intention was to find a pair that provided the best hearing experience at the most affordable price.  So, I applied the 3 step process above and the results were surprising!  Here goes...

​What is true in this moment?

• I didn't have the hearing aids that worked best for me (at that point). And, my insurance company had finally confirmed the hearing aids wouldn't be covered.

Let go of resisting.

• I was getting attached to this one option of hearing aids since I trusted my audiologist and had invested so much time into researching this option.  But, I decided to let go of that attachment and recognize that these were not my only option. (Seems obvious, but have you ever been overwhelmed by options and just wanted to go with the most familiar one?)

Be open to getting information or clues or truth.

• So, I reconnected with my intention for the best experience at an affordable price.  And, I kept an open mind as I was about to explore my other options. Before I did any more research, an acquaintance noticed I was wearing hearing aids. She explained she was an audiologist for a competing brand. She humbly offered me the opportunity to try her brand.  Over a few months, I discovered this brand worked better for me, and she gave them to me for FREE!

Hope you can see how staying present in the moment and open to possibilities can lead to getting results (and even better results than you could have ever planned).

Action Step:
Where is one place in your life where you can practice this 3 step process?
Let me know if you try it and what comes up for you?

Each week, I'll continue to share steps to be happy and get results. 
​
If you want to get these inspirational tidbits along with useful tips directly in your inbox, sign up here.
​
Or, if you want to check out the whole series of how to #Be Happy & Get Results, go here.
#BeHappyGetResults

Do you wish you could get results faster?
As a recovering perfectionist and over-achiever, I would often hope that I could get results in my life more quickly. I became impatient when it took longer than expected to achieve certain goals.  Sound familiar?

Then, I heard that "time" is a construct humans created to digest, process, and organize what happens in life. When I heard this theory, it helped me to look at time a bit differently.

What if you could change how you feel about time?
I began to explore a new perspective for relating to time. In fact, I love the quote "Time is a trainer." When I hear this phrase, it reminds me that I don't have to rush through my life and that I don't have to have all the answers today. These days, I don't feel as pressured by time frames.

Results might take longer than you'd like, but what if you can get a better outcome by being patient and therefore allowing more opportunities for a solution to arise.  Don't be so attached to how a situation should unfold.  If something happens to delay you on your path, think of rejection (of what you desire in the moment) as a redirection needed. Maybe the rejection will lead to a new clue or solution on your path.

Why this approach works...
This new perspective can be so liberating. Just keep telling yourself "time is a trainer." Your brain will feel more at ease. With that sense of calmness, you'll have access to more solutions - and it just feels SO much better!  (There is scientific proof to confirm that this happens:-) Ultimately, when you're calm, you can be in the present moment, let go of all the "shoulds," and free up your mind to be more open to new and different answers.  Our BEST ideas come to us when we're happy and feeling good.  Our brain performs optimally when we're in a happier state.

Try it out? Let me know what you notice. No rush getting back to me:-)

This post is a step within our "Be Happy and Get Results" results. 

​If you want to get these inspirational tidbits along with useful tips directly in your inbox, sign up here.
Or, if you want to check out the whole series of how to #Be Happy & Get Results, go here.
#BeHappyGetResults

It’s not uncommon for people to have one area of their lives in order but need help with another - - for example, they may be successful at work but could use some help with their personal lives. This could be due to many reasons. In my personal experience and in my 10+ years of coaching, I've noticed that it can be because we only let certain aspects of ourselves come forth in different life situations. But, it’s important to remember that we are multifaceted: We are strong and soft, kind and kick ass. These various aspects can be represented by masculine and feminine energy within ourselves. Often, to get the most out of life, we need to learn to integrate our masculine & feminine energy. After all, it takes strength to show vulnerability.

Integrating Masculine and Feminine Energy
As a reminder, we're not talking about gender when it comes to masculine and feminine energy.  Again, both masculine and feminine energies exist within each of us and are important to embrace. Because of past conditioning from society or our original families, we may need help in learning how to balance or integrate these energies in our lives. We may even skew heavier in one area than another. For example, if you’ve ever been called type A or controlling, you might be demonstrating too much masculine energy. Balancing your dual energies will help you feel whole, centered, and more at peace which allows you to be in a better place to experience relationships you desire and results you'd like to achieve with more joy.

What is the Difference between Masculine and Feminine Energies?
We're talking about energies that are within us and show up when we're interacting with others. More specifically, below are some masculine energies listed on the left and feminine energies are on the right:

• Strong & Soft
• Intentional & Creative
• Giving & Receiving
• Grounded & Playful
• Speaking & Listening
• Linear & Circuitous
• Self-disciplined & Sensitive and intuitive

Obviously, they complement each other and provide balance - again, when these energies are integrated.

How Do They Manifest in an Unbalanced Way?
Let me share more of my background to demonstrate how this can happen. Growing up in America with Sicilian immigrants as parents, I learned both aspects.  One way these energies showed up in my life was witnessing my family's entrepreneurial traits while they also worked very hard. The entrepreneurial traits actually relate to feminine energy (i.e., creativity) while the working hard relate to masculine energy (i.e., doing energy or being intentional). Additionally, my Father was an entrepreneur yet held much of the masculine energy in my parents' relationship as he was the provider while my Mom emanated more of the feminine energy by being softer and more present at home.

Interestingly, I picked up both of these energies and channeled them into being more masculine, independent, and strong out in the world and work force but more feminine when at home or in personal relationships. I realized I compartmentalized myself too much. There is no blaming or shaming here, but I noticed that being too much one way at work wasn't serving me well.  This masculine energy even began seeping in to my personal relationships a bit too much.  With this awareness, I began to let more feminine qualities show up at work and in my personal life.  And, that is when my life started to change. The softer qualities actually made me happier and more successful at work and in my relationships! I began to lead more with my feminine energy and use my masculine energy to support my efforts.

How to Be More Balanced and Powerful?
There are so many benefits from integrating these qualities with the most outstanding being I was more balanced WHILE feeling more powerful. I slowly learned to optimize these energies by going through a process I created. Try it for yourself. The steps are below:

1. Notice how you show up in different situations - in meetings, on a date, with friends, and other areas of your life.
2. Journal on what each energy looks like to you in your various life areas (e.g., work, romance, friends, etc).
3. Write about what it would look like to have your masculine and feminine energies coming together.
4. Provide examples of what this combination would look like in a specific area of your life.

Most of my high-achieving clients tend to skew masculine which impacts their lives in various ways - finding it difficult to relax and enjoy life. So if you find yourself skewing too much in one direction (or with masculine energy), you could take the following specific actions to balance yourself:

• Be open to receiving compliments
• Take on creative projects at home or at work
• Embrace playfulness when sharing next steps on an assignment
• Visualize these energies integrating within you (I have a meditation if you'd like. Let me know?)

You Can Do It
This integration takes effort and practice. And, we have our own unique way of being able to integrate these qualities. Give yourself some time and space to try these qualities on so that you can see what feels good and allow them to eventually become natural or second nature. Let me know how it goes and what you learn about yourself?

If you want help creating a life you’ll love, professionally and personally, let’s start coaching with a complimentary session. Sign up now: http://www.innerbrilliancecoaching.com/connect
​
Or, if you'd like to learn more about integrating your masculine and feminine energy, I'll be hosting a workshop in October to talk about balancing your energies for a healthier and happier life. Send me a note about your interest, and I'll send you the information.

Trust Your Gut
How many times have you heard that phrase? Or, "what does your intuition tell you?" Every time I used to hear those phrases, I'd think if I knew that, I wouldn't be talking with you about this topic:-)  So, I committed to better understanding what my gut was telling me (beyond the usual and clear message "I'm hungry!")

I was fortunate to have resources available to me to learn more about how to tap in to my intuition ranging from how my Mom and Dad lived their lives, to course work in my coaching classes, to wonderful books about the topic.  In fact, one of my favorite books is Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live by Martha Beck. After reading her book, my biggest take away was that we need to practice tapping into our intuition to be skillful at it.

How to Practice It
So, today I share 3 simple ways to tap in to your intuition.  Please remember that there is no "right" or "perfect" answer when tuning in to your gut, but only YOUR answer.  And, it's important to get clear when you practice trusting your gut. Below are 3 simple steps to get clear and move forward with confidence.

Notice a Synchronicity

• A synchronicity is an event that is usually described as a "meaningful coincidence" even though you might not immediately see a strong cause and effect relationship.

• Sometimes a synchronicity serves to emphasize something in your life you're meant to notice. Don't get caught up in an actual meaning. Maybe the synchronicity is meant to help you notice a pattern in your life.

• The more consciously aware you become of these occurrences, the faster you can gain information that leads to your next clue.

Follow the Clue

• If the occurrence or pattern sparks a good feeling, follow it to the next insight.  You might not even know what this clue means, and that is ok.

• You're next insight might be to just gather more information.

Take a Baby Step

• You can’t know the whole answer right away, so take one step toward your vision or what you're trying to determine.

• If an obstacle arises, learn from it. That obstacle or rejection can lead to a better answer.

• It reminds me of the quote "Every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better." (Steve Maraboli in Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience.)

​So, be aware and open.  Follow each insight as it arises.  And remember, it’s a series of baby steps that gets you to your answer.  You can only know what is true (or your answer) in the present moment.  You can't have it all figured out in one fell swoop.  Good luck and let me know how your practice goes?  If you want help with learning to trust your gut, call or text me at (312) 286-0971. I have sure-fire ways to harness the intelligence of your intuition.​

Or, if you want to learn more about getting results in life, work, or love, reach out to [email protected] and learn more here.

Want to gain clarity on your purpose and destiny?

When life feels chaotic, we might not take time to pause and think long term about what we deeply desire and how to achieve those desires.  Taking time to understand your passions and deepest desires can help you determine the best route to feeling more fulfilled and living your purpose (also known as "dharma").

Start by going within and connecting with your own internal guidance system.

For some support, check out this 21-day Meditation Series led by Deepak Chopra and hosted by Oprah Winfrey entitled Desire and Destiny.

You'll begin your journey by understanding where you are now, reflecting on what has gone well in your life, leveraging meditation to envision your best life, journaling on actual actions steps, and finally learning how to manifest your desires.

So, take a listen to learn how to turn your deepest desires into reality, and let me know what you think?

P.S. It starts today, July 17th, and each meditation is only available for 5 days.  So register now!

Often times, we can feel like outside circumstances can have a major impact on our careers. And although that might be true, those circumstances are only a small part of the reason we don’t move forward the way we’d like. With 18 years of working in Corporate America and over 10 years of coaching people on their careers, I’ve experienced how people can actually set themselves back in their own careers. Good news is that with an awareness of how we’re reacting or responding to situations at work, we can make some positive changes.

There are 3 main areas where I see people holding themselves back the most. I explain each area below with a suggestion on how to move past these obstacles to experience more success.

Underestimating Our Strengths
We are often told to work on our weaknesses or areas of improvement. Yet, we are all hard-wired with a set of talents that when leveraged can provide our unique value to employers and clients. Although many of us are aware of where we excel in our lives, we might not actually think that a particular strength is special or can provide us an advantage at work.

Moving Forward
To fortify your confidence in your abilities, check out this assessment by the people from Gallup – – StrengthFinders 2.0. After taking this 35 minute assessment, you’ll receive a 19 page report verifying your talents which could be leveraged in to strengths. With the validation of your talents and more information on how to practice them at work, you’ll be able to have your own formula for succeeding. You will reduce your focus on your weaknesses and put energy toward bolstering what comes more naturally to you. And, think about it…what’s easier than being you?

Being Defined by a Failure
We’ve all made mistakes or had situations where things didn’t go the way we’d like. If we focus too much on what didn’t go well or hold on too tightly to trying to be right, we lose access to the opportunities in the present moment to move forward (because we’re ruminating about the past).

I’m sure we’ve all heard the positive perspectives to take on failure. For example, maybe we can learn something from the situation. We don’t always have to be right. It’s because I tried and failed that I succeeded. Well, they are all true!

What if you embraced a new perspective about failure? What if something didn’t go your way and it was actually for the best?

Moving Forward
Take a moment to evaluate what happened? Use this opportunity to talk with your boss or mentor to understand what went well and what could have been done differently. Then, think of a situation or opportunity to practice this new learning or insight that you’ve garnered. And, be grateful for the opportunity to learn something new.

Focusing on Self-Limiting Beliefs
When we don’t overcome our failures or if we let them define us, we further reinforce self-limiting beliefs (from our past) which come up as negative self-talk. As we’ve experienced at times, negative self-talk can be debilitating. It can stop us from taking action in key areas of our careers. So, it’s important to get to the root of what is underneath that negativity.

Moving Forward
I invite you to start noticing your thoughts when you’re approaching a situation or project at work you’re struggling with now. Just be aware of those thoughts (without judgement). With that awareness, ask yourself if that thought serves you or if it’s hurting you in some way. Does it provide any guidance on what you could be doing differently? If not, let that thought go.

​As you can see, there are simple solutions to help you overcome challenges at work allowing you to have the power to move forward. Take these steps and feel empowered to enjoy all of your well-deserved success.

Need help taking these steps? If you’d like support in any of these areas or practices, I’m offering a complimentary session where we can dive deeper in to the best solutions to help you move forward and be successful.  Feel free to learn more about this session here (http://www.innerbrilliancecoaching.com/connect/).