Over the years I have tried to write Morning Pages and they have just never worked for me.  Then this week I ran across a new suggestion. Begin your day by writing down three things that you are grateful for from the day before.  The belief is that if you do this for 21 days you will form a new habit and begin seeing all of the wonderful things that are in your life that you have to be grateful for.  I have already experienced the power of gratitude so I thought this would be fantastic way to start each day. As I expected, the things I am grateful for are the simple things.  The sound of the birds as I wake up, the laughter of the children on the next block as they play while I read in my backyard, the silence of a quiet house. I am finding that this is truly a positive way to start the day.  We all have morning routines and rituals to get our day started.  Won't you join me in beginning your day by acknowledging three things that you experienced the day before that you are grateful for?  It definitely can make a difference in how you experience each and every special moment of your day.  And as we all know, moments turn into a lifetime and what is a better way to spend our life than recognizing and celebrating all that we have to be grateful for each day.  What are you grateful for today?

          When you share your dreams and your talent with the world, magic happens. Let the magic begin.  Ginny

Smile and the whole world smiles with you.  Such great words.  I believe them. I try to remember them throughout the day.  I was watching a video recently where one person on a train was smiling and then laughing and before you knew it everyone on the train was laughing.  I wasn't even on the train but I couldn't help but laugh.  I can't keep from smiling when I think of my grandsons.  They are always smiling.  I can't help but smile as I watch my two dogs playing in the backyard.  I can't help but smile when I see someone helping someone else.  But it is not always easy because smiling does not come naturally to me.  I don't know why.  I am a positive person.  I think smiles are beautiful and I love to see someone smile.  Maybe it’s because in my freshman year I was very quiet in school.  One teacher, thinking he would help, started to call me smiley.  I'm not sure why he thought it would be funny or helpful but it wasn't. I didn't stop smiling.  I just became more conscious of my smile.

Although I would love to smile naturally I am always smiling on the inside.  I hope that people can see the smile in my eyes or the sense the smile through the things I say and do.  I believe it is really important to see the world through smiling eyes.  It's important to see the beauty that is all around us.  It's important to be grateful for the things we have and appreciate the special moments that we experience each day.  It's important to smile whether it is with the words that you say to others, the way you look at someone, the actual smile on your face.  

How do you approach the day?  Do you set an intention to see the beauty in the day?  Do you notice the good things that are all around you?  Do you celebrate the small accomplishments that you make?  All of these things make a difference in the way you think and feel and thus the people that you attract.  If you are smiling, whether on the inside or out, you will attract people who are also smiling.  Wouldn't it be great if we could change the world one smile at a time?

           
"Working with Ginny has made such a difference in the way I experience my day.  Of course there are moments of challenge or stress but by looking for the positive in any situation, I can always find it.  Writing has become something I look forward to and my stories seem to fly across the page."  PTG


I have two coaching spots open at this time.  If you are interested in learning more about coaching with me, I would love to hear from you.  [email protected]


       "When you share your dreams and talent with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin."  Ginny

                                   "Be gentle first with yourself if you wish to be gentle with others."  Lama Yeoh

I love to start the week with a quote that reminds me of how I want to live.  This week I was thinking once again about the importance of self-care when I found this quote.  It was a moment of synchronicity. After cleaning up my studio I was thinking about how much better I feel when everything is in its place.  I don't even mind organizing things because I enjoy the results so much. Everything was put away and I was sitting down to write when I saw one scrap of paper that I had missed.  When I turned it over the words, "Be gentle first with yourself if you wish to be gentle with others." jumped out at me.  What an important reminder to me to do the things that make my life easier and happier. What an important reminder to treat myself with the same gentleness and kindness that I want to treat others.  When I was young I was great at self-care.  It just came naturally.  But as I matured and other people and things needed me I often put myself last as so many women do. But now I realize that was a mistake.  No matter how old or how young, no matter what our responsibilities, we need to make time for ourselves.  It may take planning, it may take finding your voice and asking for help, you may have to remind yourself what it is that you really need but it is important to take care of you.  It is important to be gentle with yourself.  It is important to know who you are and what you need so that you can do the things that make you feel happy and content.  Life is never perfect but when we are rested, eating food that is good for us, and doing the things that make us happy, it is easier to deal with the ups and downs that we all experience.

Recently, I decided that one thing that was missing from my life was reading.  As a child I read constantly.  But for the past year or so I hardly ever read unless it was connected to learning something about creativity or coaching.  There is nothing wrong with that and I enjoy it but I missed losing myself in a good novel.  I love to travel with the heroines to a foreign country or solve a mystery with a great detective.  I missed the adventures I had just by sitting quietly on my couch and reading.  So my intention has become to read more novels this summer.  To bring back into my life something that I love but had put aside for awhile.  For me this is easy.  Less TV, more books.  It's not always this easy to put something back into your life but it is easy to begin to take a small step to make that happen.  One small step leads to another and before you know it you are doing what you have longed to do.

I hope that this week you will be gentle with yourself.  I hope that if there is something you want or need to do to take care of yourself you will do it.  Take a few quiet moments to think about what it is that you can do to be a little more gentle with yourself.  Then begin to take the steps necessary to do it.  Is this always easy?  No.  Is this always important?  Yes!


               When you share your dreams and your talent with others, magic happens.  Let the magic begin!   

Positivity coaching with Ginny is like talking to a good friend.  She always asks the questions that opens the door to finding the next step.  Sometimes just one call is all that it takes to get me moving forward on my dream.  ARS

The end of the school year was always an exciting time for me as well as for my students.  We were all happy to celebrate the end of the year as well as to look forward to the long lazy days of summer.  It was a time to rest and reflect.  It was often a time to take extra classes for additional certification.  But no matter what I did it was special. 

 It's been awhile since I left the classroom but the beginning of summer still has a special feel.  This year I have almost completed my program to receive an additional certification as a Master Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach.  I have really enjoyed going deeper into this program and meeting new people as well.  I have come to realize that my focus in coaching is on being positive throughout each and every day.  We cannot always change the situations we find ourselves in but we can definitely change how we handle them and think about them. The creativity principles that I have studied this year are all based on the importance of being kind to yourself as you go through the different stages of creating the life you want to live.  It is about knowing who you are and what you want to do.  It is about following your dream and surrounding yourself with supportive people.  It is about knowing there are times when the ideas flow and there are times when your mind reminds you it is time to take a rest.  It is about understanding the creative process and where you are in it.  

So as I look forward to the lazy days of summer I am also beginning to dream of what I want to do next.  Its fun thinking about ways to share what I do with people.  It's even more fun to think about sharing the creative journey with others. Most of my coaching calls include lots of laughter which is always a great way to spend time.  They also always end with a small step that keeps the client moving forward on their project or dream or journey to find what they want to do next. And we never leave a call without learning more about life, the importance of believing in yourself, and taking one step at a time to make your dreams come true.

 In our last training class we had to create a metaphor for our coaching.  I said that I hoped that meeting with me would provide people with a calm oasis in the midst of a busy life.  I want to always provide a space where someone can come to find support and encouragement as well as strategies and tools that will help them to create the life they want to live.  My dream is to help others live theirs.  It sounds like the perfect way to spend a summer.

               When you share your dreams and your talent with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin.


Working with Ginny brings a sense of comfort and ease.   I always leave feeling eager to take the small steps necessary to accomplish my goals.  SR

When I get overwhelmed, as we all do, I take a moment to sit quietly with my eyes closed.  Sometimes that is all it takes. Sometimes it takes a little more than that to help me remember that I can't do it all, especially not all at once.  I remind myself that it helps to lower my expectations.  It takes time and patience to write a book.  It takes time and patience to lose weight or become a better singer or to launch a business.  I think back to all the things that I have accomplished over the years. I didn't earn my degrees overnight or become a confident teacher within the first day or week or even year of being in the classroom.  It took time.  It took courage.  It took practice.  It took trying, failing, and trying again.  It took passion and perseverance. 

When I get overwhelmed I remind myself of the importance of taking small steps.  I remind myself that no step is too small.  Thinking about my coaching is a step.  Writing about it in my journal is a step.  Confirming my first appointment to coach someone is a step.  Then the phone call and the follow-up email.  All were important steps. All led me to where I wanted to go and by breaking things down into small steps I got there without being overwhelmed.  Excited - Yes!  Scared - Yes!  But not overwhelmed. 

Does that mean that I have overwhelm licked forever?  No, it's going to come back.  If I begin to compare myself to others, it will probably pay me a visit. If I try to take too big of a step, it probably will rear its ugly head.  But now that I have the tools in my pocket to deal with it, I don't think it will stay too long. 

Awareness is key.  Knowing when you are overwhelmed and why is the first step to overcoming it.  Reminding yourself of the positive small steps you are taking and all that you are accomplishing will keep you on the right track.  Surrounding yourself with positive people and support always helps.  So does asking for help whenever you need it.  And remember to speak to and about yourself with kindness.  

I truly believe how we think and how we speak becomes our reality.  So each day I remind myself that I don't have to do it all. I remind myself of all that I have already accomplished.  And then I take a small step towards my goal and at the end of the day I celebrate my accomplishments no matter how small. It truly seems like the more I celebrate the small things every day the more I have to celebrate.  Won't you join me?  Each day take a moment to sit back, take a deep breathe, and celebrate!  For me it is a quiet moment. For you it might be a sentence in your journal or a happy dance.  It doesn't matter how you celebrate, just that you do. 

            When you share your dreams and your talent with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin!

                               "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away."
                                                                                                                        Shakespeare

When I taught gifted and talented students it always bothered me that only some students received this title.  I truly believe that we are all gifted and talented and that it is important to identify those gifts and talents. Each year I would offer to come into any classroom that wanted me and do some of the activities with everyone that I did with the kids in my class.  I remember so clearly visiting one third grade room.  That day I was sharing Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences.  First I explained the areas he identified as intelligences and explained that we all possess all of them but that we often were stronger in one than an other. I explained that if an area was not our strength we could always do things to make it stronger, it just might take a little longer.  We also discussed how it was very important to know our strengths so when making decisions we could definitely use them.  I remember talking about the verbal/linguistic intelligence.  I was explaining to the kids that people who were strong in this area loved words.  They loved to write and to talk.  They often make great teachers, lawyers, writers, and actors.  All of a sudden Chris stood up and literally yelled, "Mrs. Lennox, that's me.  That's me!"  And it was.  Chris was so bright but as so often happens in school he was in trouble a lot, for you guessed it - talking.  It was the first time he saw something positive about himself.  He saw that what was getting him in trouble now was actually something that could help him become a great success in life.  Chris and I talked later about his gifts and talents and the right way to use them.  I have a lot of memories from when I taught but this is one that I think of often.  It was so nice to be present when this nine year old boy recognized that he too was smart, that he too had something to offer the world.

What are your gifts and talents?  We all have them.  I love to write.  I love to support others in their dreams.  I love to help people recognize their strengths so they can use them to live the life they always wanted.  Take a minute.  Think back to when you were a child.  What did you like to do?  How did you spend your free time?  Think about now.  What is it that makes you happy?  What do you love to do?  What do people say about you?  Begin a list that you can see each day.  Remind yourself often of the gifts and talents you have to offer.  And then share them with us.  It's important for you and it is important for us.  Remember:

                        When you share your gifts and talents with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin!
                                                                                                                                           Ginny

             "When you care about the work you do share it so others can care about it too! "
                                                                                                                                    Barbara Walters

If you have ever watched The View you may have noticed that when Barbara Walters has a TV special or a book coming out she advertises it nonstop. It is almost funny how she works a plug into each conversation.  But yesterday I learned a little more about why she does that.  Each co-hostess was sharing a special memory that they had of Barbara.  Star Jones said that the thing she will always remember is Barbara telling her that if you care about the work you do share it so others can care about it too!  What great advice.  We are so often hesitant to tell others what we do.  People often find it hard to claim that they are an artist or a writer or a designer.  But if we don't tell others, how will they know?  How will they know what is important to us?  How can they share their work and dreams with us if we don't share ours with them?

Most of my career was spent in education.  I loved it.  I loved the smiling faces of the children.  I loved the AHA moments and being in front of the classroom.  I loved meeting with parents and starting new programs.  When our school became a fine arts charter school I was so proud of the work we had done to make that happen and when I got to develop my own school it was a dream come true.

Now, I love being a Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach.  It is such an honor to help artists, writers, and budding entrepreneurs overcome procrastination, perfectionism, or overwhelm so that they too can live their dream. I still get to teach but now I am sharing creative tools and strategies that not only help us reach our dreams but live a life filled with special moments.  How could I not tell people this?  It is something that I believe in, something that I know works, and something that I am excited about. It is too important not to share.

I invite you to share with others your dreams.  Let them know what you care about so they can care about it too.  I truly believe that when we share our dreams and our talent with the world magic happens.  Let the magic begin for all of us today!  Take that first step and let us know what you do that is important to you!

Now that spring is here I find myself wanting to slow down and enjoy the beautiful weather and all that it has to offer.  The last time that I wrote about overwhelm I shared that one way to work with the feeling is to reframe what you are saying to yourself.  "I am so overwhelmed" becomes "My life is so full."  It is a different way to think about things and with the reframe comes a shift in feelings and energy.

But what if your life is too full?  What if every moment of your day is spoken for and there is no time left for you?  Then reframing what is happening might not be the answer. Maybe taking a look at how you are actually filling your days will help you to remove the feeling of overwhelm. I have done the following exercise with dozens of women and they have always loved the experience.  It is simple but it offers a wealth of information about how you are spending your time. 

 Awareness is the first step to making changes. So let's take a look at how you spend your twenty-four hours each day.  Draw a large circle.  Divide it into 24 pie-shaped segments. Then begin filling in the segments, using different colors to represent how your spend your typical day.  How many segments are spent sleeping?  How many do you work?  How much time is spent commuting to and from work?  How much time do you spend with your children?  How many hours a week do you volunteer, clean, do laundry or cook.  Everyone's graph will look different.  Do you have a space for Facebook, blogging, painting, writing, exercising, church etc.?  Is there time represented for socialization?  You may find that the reason you are overwhelmed is that there are actually not enough hours in the day to do all that you have committed yourself to do. 

 So now for the hard part. Draw a second graph.  On this graph begin to make small changes. Maybe spend 15 minutes a day less on TV or Facebook and spend 15 minutes more writing or painting.  Maybe there is something that you have volunteered to do that no longer interests you.  Could you give up your spot so someone else could take on the opportunity which would then give you the time to do something that is calling your name at this time.  I have worked with women who have made graphs for Monday through Friday and one for Saturday and Sunday.  It helped to see in color what their days really looked like.  One woman realized that she was working 12 hours a day.  She cut it back to 10 giving herself 2 extra hours a day to spend with her daughter.  She kept her graph in front of her each day at work as a reminder to go home.   

Your graph will never be perfect but by making small changes you can get it to look more like you want it to look.  It might change by the season or the month. It is important to reevaluate your graph often so that you are in charge of your time and spend it the way that feels best to you.  Remember with awareness comes power.  It is in your power to make small changes so that you don't feel overwhelmed.  It is in you power to create the life you want to live.  Give yourself a gift this week.  Take a few minutes to see how you are spending your day.  Then begin to make tiny changes so that you can begin to live the life you want to live!  

If you have any questions about this exercise, please don't hesitate to contact me.  I always love to talk to people about their lives and their projects.  

                 When you share your talents and dreams with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin!

It's Friday.  I am off to play with my grandson and I thought I would do a quick post. As I was sitting down to write, I looked up at my inspiration wall and saw the words, embrace the day!  What a nice reminder to enjoy myself and to embrace all that this day has to offer.  I know there will be laughter and fun but I am sure there will be many more surprises to come if I am open to enjoying them.  So I am going to embrace the day.  I hope that you will join me.

           When you share your talent and your dreams with the world, magic happens.  Let the magic begin!