Authentic Life Radio

We are halfway through 2017. Yikes! (says a part of me) When reflecting about the first 6 months of this year, I had lots to celebrate. Lots of lessons learned too. And, it pushed me into a growth cycle of wanting to be farther along than my "results" are showing. So, I got into fast-pace mode. And, all the Up-leveling is taking its toll. It's part of growth and expansion, what we are all experien...

This SHINE project I’m playing with is a constant state of evolving, metamorphosing, growing, changing, checking in. Lots of words that describe the intensity of the process depending on the day, the moment. We SHINE when we are in our Essence. Owning our Beauty and Brilliance. We dim when we pretend or hide or act from fear. When we are desperate for others to see us, like us, want us, hire us, l...

Do you SHINE? If you do, how do you feel when you SHINE? If you don't, are you afraid to SHINE? Feeling awkward or you'll be viewed as a fraud or inauthentic? Or bragging and self-centered? SHINE is a new way of BEing in the world. For me at least. It's part of the journey I've been on and have not been able to fully articulate until now. A month ago I shared this concept to a room full of women e...

Do you have Sacred Space? Space in your home, job, relationship, schedule that is just for you? Do you safeguard it? Treasure it? Honor it? OR…do you feel like there’s no time, no room, no freedom to have such a luxury in your life? What do I mean by Sacred Space? My home is my Sacred Space. So are my gardens. My bedroom. My workspace. My meditation room. Being in Nature is Sacred to me. Time alon...

Perspective. It's tricky. And we believe there's only one. ours. What are you looking for in that person who drives you nuts every day? What are you expecting when you get home at night from your partner? What pre-conceived ideas are you bringing into a meeting versus being open-minded and ready to listen and learn? When we operate from the place that we already know we will be disappointed, or th...

Remember Occupy Wall Street? How protesters camped out to make sure their message was received? They physically and literally stood their ground asking to be heard. Same with the folks who gathered for weeks at Standing Rock, protesting and blocking the progress of the pipeline across their lands. Even amidst the bitter cold and water blasts from law enforcement, they stayed put…chanting, praying,...

What are you committed to? What will you do - no matter what else happens - every day? Commitment usually comes up in relationships. Yet,the most important relationship we have is the one with ourself. How are you doing in that one? Do you tend to commit to others and then slide on your word or commitment to yourself? I do. I have. And, I'm aware of it now. We can't build Trust with ourSelf unless...

Doubt. That 2nd-guessing. Wondering how it could have played out differently. Reviewing the memory over and over and wishing it were different. And, the loud voice that keeps us from taking that next step forward, asking the big question, sharing what's real. And/or Confusion. She's tricky this one. She loves to keep us in "we need more info" mode, or "I'm not sure what to do next" place or "I jus...

How do you recharge? In the 6 days since leaving home, there's been lots of activities, ranging from large noisy family dinners and brunches to my daughter’s graduation from college in Indiana, to partying at houses and bars to flying to Florida, visiting and staying with an amazing group of women friends in a palatial home. We’ve stayed up late, eating cake and ice cream (to celebrate Merinda’s g...

Passion. It comes. Then it goes. We find it. Fuel it and it grows. And, too often, we lose it and have to find it again. It was very clear to me that I've been wallowing around in deep waters of emotional stuff for the last week or two, then after attending a few community events in the span of a week, I remembered who I am and what lights me up! Yes, I know, You always hear me saying that you nee...

What is calling you? Is there a desire or dream that, if you allow yourself to imagine it, you feel guilty? Or shame? Or the fear of it coming to reality? Or, even worse, the fear that you can't reach it? Each of us have one life. With the imagination and power to create on a huge scale. Yet, many of these inspirations get swallowed up by some rules, constraints or negative stories we tell ourselv...

We are complex Be-ings. Not as simple or easy to diagnose or become intimate with as we would like. It takes work. Possibly a mirror, or a coach, or a huge life-changing event, to throw us more deeply into self-knowledge and self-awareness. Healing, as well as accepting who we are, on all levels, is deep, sacred and uncomfortable work. We may think we've handled some issue, only to have it show up...

We are Receivers. What Channel Are You Tuned Into? What music is playing through you? What is your mindset set to? It all will show up in how we live. How we dance this amazing life of ours. At the Art of Feminine Presence Intensive last weekend, Rachael Jayne Groover opened with the concept that we are Receivers. It was a potent reminder that we can tune into the channel of our choice and it's be...

Today I was wide awake listening to the birds around 3:30 am. I didn't know that was the time and I enjoyed the variety of birdsong for quite a while before getting up. When I saw the time, my mind went crazy. "OMG, it's too early! Get back to sleep. You've got a long and very full day ahead of you with leaving town in the morning!" And, sleep never fully returned. My to-do list was forming in my...

Years ago this book arrived in a gift bag with several other items from a friend who saw me better than I saw myself. I devoured it. Each word in The Invitation, by Oriah sang to me, woke me up, brought a resonance to my soul that has long been asleep. And, it seems to call to me each time I need to wake up again. Are you waking up? If so, it can be daunting. The lights seem so bright, the sounds...

One of the things about living and leading and loving from Authenticity, is that I get to be reminded, often, of the places where I still hide. It's safe to pull back and retreat from the world. Where no one is watching (or so I believe) and I can be "little ol' me." Where I don't have to put on a made-up face, or dress to please anyone else. I love it! Yet, Life is outside my front door. Being wi...

The peace we feel when we drop the mask, veil, armor? Wow. It feels so luscious, free and ... almost spiritual. Why do we wear all of that protection? Where did we learn to cover up? Fake it? Tell untruths? Pretend? Radical acceptance, deep awareness and honest looking within has been my way of connecting. First WITHIN. Then without. I was taught and modeled the opposite. Not sure where this messa...

Why do I keep looking outside myself for more guidance, wisdom and learning? There is SO much within just waiting for me to tap into it. How many books are you reading currently? I am in the middle of several leadership books, one on the Awakened Warrior, one on Culture, one on Leadership development and another on The Spirit of Leadership. Each offering e a different perspective, new ways of look...

Authentic anger, especially for women, looks very different than a lot of we've been seeing, or what we've been taught, or what . AND, It’s true that women have a millennia or two worth of of actions and historical events and current events to be angry about. I am and the perfect example. It was the first emotion available in my palette that allowed me to really feel and to tap into what was mine....

How often do you receive a gift and toss it back in the giver's face? Probably not often, if ever. Yet, we redirect compliments, offers of support, opportunities to engage and connect, right? When a young woman offered her support recently as I sat by the ocean and was sobbing into my journal, I brushed her off, saying "I'm fine...or I'll be fine. No thank you." I did just that. How comforting it...

How's your imagination these days? Awareness gained through imagining or dreaming is much broader than our intellect alone. It allows us to gain a wider view of possibilities, to aim higher, dream bigger! How do you create your vision? Your goals? Your daily or weekly plan? Would you like to learn a practice that is ancient, yet feels very new to most of us? It's the mindfulness of Being Here Now....

Authentic Life, what is it? More importantly, Why did I agree to it? And, have the strong nudge to teach it, share it, model it for others? Here I am, sitting with a boatload of ideas, plans and projects, and I'm playing this game with myself. Authentic Life is about eating, living, leading, loving from our truth, our wholeness, our realness. NOT what we always want others to see. As I prepare to...

As I connect to my vision for 2017 (and beyond) it seems too big, too much and that I'm not ready or worthy of it. Before my mind begins to doubt and close off possibilities, I move into a place of connecting to all that is and allow for the Higher Self to step in. She knows, in her own wise way, that this is my game. My modus operandi. My way of chickening out of the bigger game I'm here to play....

We had this winter storm last week. Ice, rain, drizzling and misting of freezing rain, sleet, and more rain. The predictions were scary and dire. Warnings to stay off the roads, and schools/businesses/events cancelled regionally. We all stayed home (after running wildly to the store for last minute "necessities") and watched as it rained, sleeted, and rained. And, were a bit miffed it wasn't as ba...

Happy 2017!  Today as the winds gusted up to 45 mph here in St. Louis, the temps shifted, the clouds lifted and sun and springlike weather showed up this afternoon.  Brought on by winds of change. Do you feel it?  The palpable shifting of our society, our energy, our truth-telling, our growing compassion and caring for one another? Maybe it takes huge change to allow us to deepen into our truth. ...