An Intense Week Followed by Re-Entry at Home!

I had a fabulous opportunity last week to participate in a Speakers' Intensive given by Teri Hawkins at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon. There were eight of us, all ages, from all over. I got there before my two other housemates and unpacked while I was watching the Oscars. Arriving around 5pm from the airport, I was immediately awed by the crisp, clear air, which felt so good.

The week started at 9am on Monday. The first exercise had to do with forgiveness! Over and over Teri told us that it's vital to spend time daily before retiring forgiving ourselves. That is another way of paying attention and taking the time to give ourselves what we need to heal some of our guilts and jettison some of our baggage.

And that was only the very beginning. Every day was packed with more exercises, more self-revelations, more connections. It was like an adult summer camp of the best order for me. I loved it all. I loved being with a group who bonded together over meals and participating with each other. We told our stories and learned to tell more stories.We grew inside, we grew in relating to our fellow attendees, we grew to be better speakers. I was outed about my age and my quirkiness...they laughted at me and declared me to be one very funny lady - far funnier that I am conscious of...I am getting it, finally.

I am allowing myself time now for reflection, to reorganize my home and my thoughts, before I undertake a new speaking direction.

While the snow was piling up in New York, I was expressing my gratitude for living in warm, sunny California and for giving myself that wonderful week of learning, of being, of growing...now to create a viable, meaningful, financially rewarding journey.

Attention! Technology Trauma over Twitter of Private Phone Number!

There was havoc on my phone today. I paid for a conference call, which started out splendidly enough. Suddenly, there was a major echo on the line, which practically drowned out the speakers, and then came chaos. Somehow, the special number to get on the Conference Call got to Twitter and hundreds of people called in to get on the line; they interrupted the entire operation.
We could hear the tech people igeting involved, and they kept aplogizing while working to straighten out what was happening. The host of the call got on to apologize more, followed by more tech people. The final verdict was to drop the call, start all over another time, which meant more scheduling of visitors and speakers.

It appears as if we need a new set of manners in this new tech world. There's a kind of madness afoot. Not only are we bombarded with new technologies, social networks being one, but all kinds of new soft-ware to bring over-the-top commercials, major ways to make more money, systems to reach more people, create more sales. But now people are invading private calls. Where is all this leading?

Perhaps, this new world of technology and the Internet have become one huge game with a larger-than-life playing field, This is a world-wide game you can actually play from home, the coffee shop, the library, the airport, your bed, under a tree. Wow, my imagination is really taking off!

Best we pay more attention to all of this. I hear that all of us seem to be running out of time daily because of all the tech glitches, down-time, and learning curves!!!

We definitely have to create some new kind of boundaries, respect and manners for this new Industy we've spawned.

Who's going to go first?

Meanwhile, I think I am going out to walk in the sunshine and let the tech gurus solve the problems of my phone line this morning.

Hurrah... It's Been A Great Monday!!!

Heard tonight about a diet project supervised and created by Pfeizer---participants are on their medication, of course. However, in addition, they're providing phone consultations for support, which is super attention for the participants - who are losing more weight than ever...they're also exercising,keeping food logs and getting emails for further support: proving once more that personal attention really makes a difference.

The rain today in Los Angeles has left us shiny clean and full of negative ions, which we need here desperately to buffer all the traffic.

Have sent out my 5 1/2 minute reflection audio to a new email list and am excited about that. People are telling me that they're listening to it twice and sending it on to others to enjoy. This is very good news.

Had a wonderful conversation with my oldest son, David, about transformation.

Have also gotten the green light to send out an audio-interview I did with Christian Carter about the need for attention in relationships. It's a great dialogue and I am pleased to share it again and with more people.

I wish every day was Valentine's Day; there would be much more love in our world.

Another Friday's here -

This has been a week of miracles...
Finally got my first real e-mail blast sent out with a gift of 5 1/2 minutes of music and reflection-time; I like the response, so far. Complicated and took mega hours to do, and I've learned lots!

Valentine's Day is tomorrow; I've written two new articles and done considerable memory-catching - I got an e-mail from someone who believes that women, who don't have a man in their lives, freak out; I disagree, tho' probably some do. I believe that many women are doing their inside work to heal themselves and to discover who they are as women, individuals, and alone. Powerful stuff...Before one can really have a healthy relationship with another, one has to have one with themselves - I am convinced...

A modern male Mary Poppins has arrived in my life in a round-about way - he's organizing my tech stuff and giving me the support I need to get my work out and around...he's also an Aries!!! He's like another son to me - this whole event has been miraculous. He looks so much like my father...now, isn't that amazing?

I've had faith about this one - that the right person would show up; after three days of working together, I am beginning to think he has. I so need another mind around...not to mention, eyes, ears and fingers for the computer...

I could eat lots of chocolate today - I'm fightig the urge!!!
I am going to make tomorrow, Saturday, last a long time; I need a mini-vacation!

Thoughts for a Friday...

I have so much in my head to write about today, I hardly know where to begin.
I know I have to comment on Angela Suleman, the new mother of eight, who already has six other children at home, is single and lives with her parents.

I just wonder how she is going to parent all fourteen children and give them the individual attention they need. I am boggled by the reality of her situation: bottles, food, diapers, vitamins, runny noses, tears, etc. As a mother of three sons, I can look back now to see how parenting is a hit and a miss experience. I did the best I could at the time. I only wish I knew then what I know now – a common lament I’m sure for everyone. I would have handled lots of events differently, discovered their particular needs for attention, gotten more help and spent more time just hanging out. I can remember how my kitchen became a place to gather, after the dishes were done, of course, where one or another of the kids would wander is just to talk.

I am in the process of writing a book, “Positive Parenting” which is a bottom-line experience-advice book for new parents. I’d better get it out there, yesterday!

On my Soapbox for the day: I am crazed with how many commercials appear on my Web browser where I have to be a captive. I’ve seen the Pillsbury ad for croissants about four dozen times, until I don’t think I could ever buy any. Mr. Ameritrade comes by constantly in his helicopter, followed by all the neighbors who’ve switched from their old brokers to seven dollars a trade at Ameritrade. The first ten times, I was curious about all the new clients; now I wish I could just “TiVo” past them. I personally would rather pay some money up front to eliminate being interrupted constantly. I am working to eliminate them.

The sun just appeared over Los Angeles after a 1 ½ days of wonderful spring-like rain, so I think I have to go get some…..

Inauguration Day Tears

I have wept today, during the Inauguration and after. My tears, I think, were of relief, of knowing I was witnessing a special, integrated, brilliant man become our 44th President. He is so present, can let his vulnerability show and be spontaneously appropriate.

I have read his books, so I know he’s taken his time to figure out why he is who he is. That’s important to me. He can only be a better husband, father and President by coming to grips with his emotional and inherited baggage. We all have it and sometimes I think that our baggage is interacting with everyone else’s baggage. He’s paid enough attention to his that it doesn’t weigh him down; everyone knows about it. How healthy! What role-modeling for the rest of us.

When he acknowledges his feelings, as he did about Ted Kennedy’s departure for medical reasons at the Congressional Luncheon, he connects to us. That is so refreshing. Indeed, he’s bringing change to America on all levels. He’s showing a sensitivity to people that is thrilling. He reached back to honor the Black WWII airmen by inviting them to Washington; they were genuinely overwhelmed to be so remembered.

He is openly affectionate with his family, he shares his wonderful sense of humor with us, as he did during his service work to honor Martin Luther King Day, and tells us that he is taking all of us into the Oval Office with him. I feel both lucky and grateful to have been able to spend part of my day today in front of my TV set. I don't usually do that...

Female Mavens Unite

I hereby commit to creating a new community via my upcoming Web site:
Female MavensandMoguls.com

I've recently discovered that new title for myself - I feel, and that's important, that I have sufficient wisdom, experience and expertise to qualify; I know there are hundreds of others in the same position. We are over 50, probably parents and grandparents and have spent mega time volunteering for events, services, people, places that we hold dear and which are necessary to maintain our humanity. I must add that it's not necessary to be a parent.Some of us have had huge careers and been well paid, others of us have worked for free because we have been called to, others have done both.

Our world now needs us more than ever, to step up, to shout out, rationally, what we have learned...the lessons we've had to encounter and handle...there's much positive energy here which, I believe, needs to be harnessed and used to bring new adulthood and wisdom to the world --- to mentor, to use another word --- people and places that are in need of support, cheerleading and a smile.

Smiles connect people. They make the one being smiled at feel that someone sees them, connects with them, and sends them good vibes. Smiles don't have to cost anything, we never run out of them if we want, and they're a way of greeting another whose language we don't speak. A smile is an instant form of communication. Morever, when we give people the kind of attention they need, they instantly smile back. I wonder if you've ever noticed that?

I am going to see how many smiles I can give out today. I hope I give too many to count.

More to come.....