Posts Tagged ‘family’

Smart Women Trim the Layers of Their Lives

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Yesterday, we had tree-trimmers here at our house to clean up the trees that were overgrown and also to make room for new growth in the future. 11-19-09Article[1] girl smiling by treeWe live in a house that is very light and bright, however I was surprised this morning when I discovered how much more light and clarity of vision we have now that we’ve peeled back the layers of debris and overgrowth. Today, I have views of nature and blue sky that were not visible to me yesterday. This got me thinking about how Smart Women know the importance of trimming back the layers of their lives so that they can keep their vision clear and focused on what’s most important.

In my work with women, one of the most essential exercises that we do together is peel back the layers of their lives and take a look at what’s working and what’s not working. It’s important to take a look at each layer and if necessary trim the excess so you can live each day doing what’s most important to you in your life. The challenge for most of us is in the “letting go” of what no longer serves us. Sometimes there’s so much debris in our lives that we are unable to clearly see how even just a slight trim in one area could create a dramatic positive impact.

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Smart Women Get Away

Friday, August 7th, 2009

I’m in Park City, Utah on a family vacation having a wonderful time.  Guess what? 08-06-09Mountains I initially didn’t want to get away for a family vacation.  I mean it is not that I didn’t want to go to Park City.  I love Park City.  It is a peaceful, cozy town nestled between some magnificent mountains.  It is not that I didn’t want to have special time with my family.  Then what was it?  This is the same conversation that I bet you’ve had over and over again when it is time for you to get away.  The conversation goes something like this:

“I don’t have time to go away.”
“I’ve got too much work to do.”
“I don’t have anyone to take care of the kids.” (If it is a get-away just for you or you and your significant other)

When I shared these ridiculous excuses with my husband Greg, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  We have had this vacation planned and paid for months ago.  It probably didn’t help much that I was still protesting about all the reasons why I could not go even after we had boarded the plane and were heading down the runway for takeoff!

The minute we arrived in Park City, my whole attitude changed.  I was exactly where I needed to be at this moment and time in my life.  I needed a change in environment—we all do.  This is a concept that I often share with the women I serve.  (It is obviously one that I’m still learning myself!)  If we stay in the same environment day after day, year after year, it is a real challenge to see your life in any other way.  I have an exercise that I use in my Women’s Success Circles called “reframing.”  It allows you to “reframe” situations in your life so that you can see new possibilities and silver linings.  This exercise works well if you can do it in a peaceful, reflective environment.  Being in your home or office with all of your “shoulds” and responsibilities can make it a challenge to be peaceful and reflective.

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Smart Women Know, Commit and Practice Their Values

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

My son Jack recently joined Cub Scouts here in our community. His “den” leader is an older man, sort of a grandfather type who is very wise and shares some interesting information with the boys (did you know that if you’re in need of the police, you should dial 311 and not 411?). When a boy becomes a Cub Scout, he receives a book about what it means to take on this role. An early part of the book is about following a “set of values.” They encourage the boys to know, commit, and practice these values. This got me thinking about how Smart Women know, commit, and practice their own values.

When I was growing up, I don’t remember many conversations about values. I was told to always say please and thank you. Always tell the truth. Always be on time. Respect your elders. These were the basic “values” in our home. Good stuff to be sure, and ideas that I pass on to my own children today. However, the world has changed since I was a little 05-21-09womangirl. Women today play so many roles. We are creative beings with Big Ideas, Dreams, and Goals. We take care of our spouse or life partner, children, aging parents. We run large and small businesses. We are active in our communities. We are the “glue” that keeps everyone and everything together. (I went to visit my Mom and sister for a few days and before I departed, I handed my husband Greg a 3-page single-spaced document of what needed to be done over the course of 5 days to keep the family running smoothly!)
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