I have been trying this thing lately when things feel out of control, and it’s working for me, so I thought I’d share it with you.
 
You find yourself in a situation that feels intolerable. Maybe it’s your job. Maybe your baseball team’s bull pen falls apart during the play-offs. Maybe it’s an intractable dynamic at work or with your toxic brother-in-law. Maybe it’s a health scare or unexpected illness. 
 
And this week, perhaps the most contentious, disturbing, and defining election in the history of the United States is unfolding.
 
There is so much we can’t control.

But wait—this is a terrible situation that has to change! I know! And I say, “Hell, Yes!” to positive change. Believe me, I wouldn’t be a life coach if I didn’t believe in change.
 
And may it come soon.
 
But in this moment of pain, just as a practical experiment, I invite you to try this:
 
“I accept this moment exactly as it is. I offer no resistance.”
 
Say it again. And again. Feel your in-breath and your out-breath while you say it.
 
Notice anything? When I’m all worked up and I remember to pull out this mantra, I immediately feel calmer. More spacious. More present. More able to respond.

This is the paradox: Rather than feeling disempowered, acceptance brings me back into my power.
 
Here’s what I think might be going on.
 
Resistance requires a lot of energy. It’s like trying to hold multiple beach balls under water at the same time.
 
When we stop expending our energy on resisting, on arguing with the reality of how things are in this moment, we come back into the present moment or what Eckhart Tolle calls “the power of now.”

In the present moment, we call our power and our ability to respond back to ourselves.

This present moment is where our wisdom and power reside. In fact, it can be argued that this present moment is the ONLY place our wisdom and power reside.
 
I accept.
 
This moment. 

Exactly as it is.
 
I offer no resistance.

I am not saying we roll over to inequality, injustice, oppression, or bad behavior.

Not at all.
 
I say let’s speak up as often and as mindfully and as loudly as we can, whether it is in loyalty to our own beloved self, or in loyalty to our siblings in the family of earth, and in particular those who are being oppressed.

Nor am I offering advice if your body is on the line and you are under physical attack (and many of our sisters and brothers are). Breathe, yes, and use every resource to get yourself as safe as possible.

Let’s use resistance as a signal to breathe.

Let’s create a clearing for your own wise voice to come through.
 
I find solace and a path toward wise action in these words from Eckhart Tolle in Practicing the Power of Now:

And so, dear one, today I invite you to notice resistance as a friend in disguise—not only to uncover what your heart truly desires—but also to open your heart and mind to the calm truth of where you are in this very moment. If there is pain in this moment, offer yourself self-compassion. Offer this moment acceptance.
 
I accept this moment exactly as it is. I offer no resistance.
 
I live here. Here is where my power lives. Here is where love lives. I will respond from here.
 
I send you love today.

Xoxo,

P.S. If noticing resistance uncovered what you're ready to change in your own life, and you'd like a coach and trusted guide to help, then let's chat! Schedule a complimentary Clarity Session here.

I have two questions for you.

1. What do you most crave?
2. What if what the world needs most is for you to do that?

Twelve years ago, the cravings of my heart became really loud and insistent. I was living a life of “service,” doing my best to give as much as I could, as often as I could, as well as I could, to communities and causes I loved.

Until I had nothing left to give.

With the best of intentions, I had worked myself into full-blown depletion.
 
My body was telling me in subtle and not-so-subtle ways that something had to change. Now.

In response to the pain of my body’s messages, I started going to an amazing massage therapist and intuitive healer.
 
In the quiet of those first sessions, probably after shedding some tears of exhaustion and the wounding that all too often happens in the course of mission-driven work, I let myself express what I truly craved.
 
More than anything, I craved OASIS. I craved rest. I craved quiet time for myself, by myself. I wanted to sit in stillness beside the river. For as long as I wanted.
 
I remember my massage therapist asking me this life-changing question:
 
“What if what the world needs most is for Katie to sit by the river?”

 WHAAAT??? How could that be? What does that do for anyone?
 
And yet, at some cellular level, I began to trust the wisdom of that craving.

I began to prioritize giving myself moments and days of oasis. I took time to sit by the river. I found my spirit reawakening. My creativity reawakening. My truth and my voice reawakening. My body healing. And as I came back to life, I began to bring moments of oasis and soulful reflection into my work with communities.
 
Over the course of time, that led me to the work that I do now. My coaching circle recently told me, “Katie you not only give people a place of oasis. You ARE oasis.”
 
It turns out that my massage therapist was right.
 
What the world needed most from me was for me to sit by the river.
 
In giving myself the gift of oasis, I healed.  I could become an oasis for the people I am here to serve. And I teach them to do that for themselves. So that THEY can tap into the wisdom of their deepest craving. So that they can free themselves to do what it is that the world needs from them most.

Really, these two questions are at the heart of my coaching practice.
 
First, I help clients uncover what it is that they truly crave.
 
And then we clear away the questions and guilt and accusations of selfishness that their inner mean girl or boy throws at them, so that with peace and trust, they can answer Question #2: What if what the world needs most is for me to do ______________?

Even if it doesn’t make sense.
 
Even if it looks “selfish.”
 
Even if you can’t see in practical terms how it could possibly be helpful to anyone but you. Right now.

(Listen--If you’re scared that what you truly crave isn’t serious enough or weighty enough, you must listen to this podcast from one of my all time favorite people, Elizabeth Gilbert:
http://maximumfun.org/magic-lessons/magic-lessons-ep-201-you-have-screaming-not-calling-featuring-sarah-jones)
 
The most powerful thing my clients and I do together is come into the oasis of stillness and renewal, where we listen to and honor what their hearts need to say.
 
So that they can be happy. So that they can live the life they crave. And so that they can do the work that is most naturally, joyfully theirs to do. Because coincidentally, that is what the world needs most from them.
 
For me it is to be oasis for myself and for the people I get to work with.
 
For you it may be something else.

Whatever it is, what if you trusted that there is wisdom in what you desire?

So I'm going to ask you these questions again:

• What do you most crave at this moment in your life?
• What if what the world needs most is for you to say, “Yes?”

​xoxo,

P.S. If you need help uncovering what it is you crave most, then work with me, Braveheart. It is in there. It is always in there. But you may need help clearing away what keeps you from seeing it. And that is one of the things I do best (because it makes me happy.)

In a life that demands 110% of your energy and attention--especially if you feel like your job is sucking the life out of you--you need an oasis to rejuvenate yourself on a daily basis, while you figure out what you want instead. That’s what Burnout Busters are--powerful, compact tools to reduce stress, calm your mind and body, and connect you to your wiser, more creative self.

Today’s Burnout Buster will not only change your day, it can change your life, one step at a time. It's called, “Just Enough.”

Say you’ve made a commitment to yourself to move your body every day. Maybe, ideally for you, that means a 45-minute walk, or a 30-minute run, or that hour and half yoga class.
 
But...your day doesn’t go as planned.
 
You’re on deadline at work. A family need you weren’t expecting comes up. The sun is going down so flippin’ early! Your plane/train/traffic/meeting made you late.

And so, since you don’t have time to do your *ideal workout* you give up on it for the day. And maybe the day after that. And the day after that.
 
In the meantime...

• Your body doesn’t feel very good. 
• You’re beating yourself up a little bit.
• You’re starting to resent the person or thing that kept you from it.

 
The exact opposite of what you were hoping for.

Now time feels like an adversary. If we let it, “not enough” (time, money, patience, happiness) can become our marching beat. “Not enough. Not enough. Not enough. Dammit. Not Enough”
 
Meanwhile, the negative soundtrack takes up a lot of space in your head and only adds more stress.

It takes what you do have and runs it through life’s Incredible Shrinky Dink Maker, but not with happy results. 
 
What if, instead of fighting against time, and deciding we don’t have enough, we were able to turn time into our ally?
 
Here’s a powerful little tool I learned from Dr. Kathy Cramer, founder of the Cramer Institute for leadership development and architect of Assets Based Thinking.

It's called "Just Enough."

Whenever I remember to use it, my mindset makes a powerful shift from “Aw, h*ll!” to “Oh, hey!” (Kind of like that mind shift from “If Only...” to “What If?”)

1.  Acknowledge. “Okay, so right now I don’t have enough time/money/energy to do _______ like I wanted to.”
 
2.  Return to what you desire. “But that doesn’t mean I have to give up on _________ entirely. I really want this for myself.”
 
3.  Ask. What do I have just enough time to do?
 
For example, if you want to move your body everyday, it could look like this:

• I have just enough time to walk down the bike path and back for 20 minutes.
• I have just enough time to do a quick round of yoga sun salutations.
• I have just enough time to climb a few flights of stairs in the hotel.
• I have just enough time to put on some music and dance to one song (here’s my go-to happy song--Sound of Sunshine by Michael Franti).

 
4. Act. Seize the moment and give yourself the gift of Just Enough.
 
Immediate result: You have moved your body and I’ll bet you a dark chocolate peanut butter cup that your body and mind feel much better.
 
Deeper result: In that moment, you have said, “Yes” to what your heart desires.
Your inner self now knows you are committed to what your heart desires. You are building self-trust. And that strengthens your trust muscles to do it again. And again.
 
This is a simple example for enhancing your health and reducing your stress on a daily basis. And day-by-day that builds toward a happier, healthier life.
 
But I propose that it also applies to inviting more of what you love in your life, especially if right now you’re still spending a lot of time and energy in a job or commitment that’s sucking the life out of you. (We can change that. I’d love to help you.)
 
Today, what do you have “Just Enough” time/money/energy/ideas to do that will move you one step closer toward work that you love and a life that energizes you?
 
Take that one, small, warm step. You’re telling your heart “Yes.” You’re building self-trust for bigger leaps.
 
Declare it in the comments on the blog and then let us know how it goes!
 
Xoxo,

I don’t know about you, but 2015 kicked my *ss. And it kicked the *sses of a lot of people I love. For many of us, 2015 required levels of strength, honesty, leadership, and emotional reserves we didn’t know we had.
 
And so, I am easing into my visions and plans for 2016 slowly and gently.
 
If you’re already crystal clear on what you want to create in 2016, that’s wonderful. Ride that wave!
 
But if you’re just beginning to think about it, join me this month. You’re right on time, Dearheart. Over the next four weeks, we’re going to deep dive into our Wisest Self, and start creating our best 2016, from the inside out.
 
Here’s where we begin: You are enough, just as you are.
 
Sometimes, especially if the holidays left us feeling off our center, resolutions and goals can be self-criticism in disguise. (I'm grateful to Nick Ortner for this insight).
 
When you lose X pounds, then you’ll be worthy.
 
When you land X job, then you’ll be worthy.
 
When you can run X miles, then you’ll really be rocking it.
 
Do I want you to lose weight you don’t need anymore? To land that job that challenges and nourishes you? To feel the strength of being able to run X miles?
 
If it’s what your soul craves, YES!
 
But you’ll have so much more chance of success (and feeling good) when you move toward that vision from a place of love and desire, rather than because you’re running to keep your Inner Critic at bay.
 
Let’s not make resolutions driven by fear. Because you and I, we are too beautiful and powerful for that.
 
Instead, I invite you to set intentions from a place of wholeness and desire.

I invite you to listen to your Inner Heroine. She is authentic. She is powerful. And she is wise.
 
She knows where you’re feeling called to something deeper. Something more. Something richer.
 
She knows you may not YET have everything in place to create this thing you long for. But she knows this: She is fundamentally sure of your wholeness, your resilience, and your ability to figure stuff out as it comes. And she can guide you to get the help and tools you need to bring your desire to life.
 
She knows you are ALREADY whole. Already worthy of love and happiness.
 
Just as you are.
 
Today.
 
Before you accomplish X.

P.S. Want to Create Your Best 2016 with me in person? Join me for a special Day Retreat Jan 23.

Psychologists are finding that coloring is an effective way to reduce stress.

Coloring is an activity that engages different hemispheres of the brain, and relaxes the amygdala - the part of the brain that regulates emotions affected by fear and stress. And it helps move us into a freer and more creative state.

That's why therapists have been prescribing it to their clients since the days of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Read more about the many benefits of coloring here.

When my mind is agitated and I can't see my next step, or my monkey mind is too busy swinging from vine to vine to meditate, I reach for my markers and colored pencils. And it calms me right down. And it opens up my creative wisdom. 

Sometimes I write a meditative phrase, and I doodle and color around it:

And sometimes, I just draw a doodle line and color it:

I even do tiny 2-inch doodles in the notes section of my planner, just to kick off my day with creative calm.

1. Give yourself 5 minutes and just color. No need for perfection. No great expectations. Just follow your instincts for what color to choose next. No judging allowed!

2. Notice the physical sensations you feel as you color. What does your head feel like? What does your chest feel like? This is what calming your brain feels like.

3. Notice if anything has shifted--your energy, your mood, your perspective. Does anything look different? Welcome any ideas that come up. But if not, don't worry. Just giving yourself 5 minutes of stress-reducing calm has just done your mind and body a world of good. 

Ready for more? There are some great coloring books for adults out there. Walk into any bookstore or art supply, and you're likely to see a few. And a quick search online will bring up a plethora of options for stress-relieving designs. 

Do you have a favorite coloring book? Let us know in the comments below!

You're doing good things. You're still performing.

But your energy's lower than it used to be. You're a little bit cranky about the to-do list. You're fantasizing about how you can get out of ________ (insert your dreaded event here). Wondering what happened to your mojo. (You used to rock this job!) 

You know the feeling... Burnout. 

Burnout can mean a lot of things. 

It may be your body's signal that it's time for you to graduate from something you've outgrown in your life so you can embrace something new. It may mean that you need to make more time for self-care. 

Either way, we want you feeling better (1) so you can enjoy your life to its fullest, and (2) so you have the clarity and vision to create the changes you want in your life. 

We'll have lots of articles in the coming months exploring what's underneath that burnout and what it's telling you. But today, I'm introducing a new series to help you start healing from burnout right away: Burnout Busters. 

This first Burnout Buster will not only change your day, it can change your life: The Gratitude Shift

1. Gratitude and positive thoughts flood your brain and body with happy hormones. (Who doesn't love that?)

2. Gratitude reduces stress, boosts immunity, improves relationships, and has all sorts of other health benefits. 

3. Gratitude trains your brain to see the positive. This builds new neural pathways and opens your awareness to see positive solutions and new opportunities. And Girlfriend, if you are burning out, you need this! Now.

There are lots of ways to practice gratitude. Here’s a quick one I learned from Deepak Chopra recently. It only takes about 3 minutes. You can even do it in a meeting (just look attentive once in a while. Hee hee!)

1. Write down three good things in your life right now. It could be as simple as the steaming cup of coffee in front of you, or the plant on our desk.

2. Pick Thing #1 on your list and send thanks to it. (Not thanks for, but thanks to. I know it sounds kinda nutty, but just try it. It's seriously fun. )

3. Imagine that Thing #1 is aware of your thanks and receives it. Imagine it smiling and beaming right back at you. (Honestly, tell me this doesn’t feel good!)

4. Repeat with Thing #2 and Thing #3.

It feels good doesn’t it? 

Anytime you’re starting to feel burned out today, pick another thing and send thanks to it. Because you deserve to feel good and to heal from burnout, Love. (Tell us about it in the comments below).

Much love,

Katie

P.S. Extra Credit Challenge: Practice this exercise every day for a week. Notice any changes you feel and experience. You in? Awesome! Declare it in the comments!