Thanksgiving is over.. college kids are gone

The anticipation of my children coming home is over..the days zipped by and now they are back. It is the weirdest, saddest, most bizarre feeling in the world. First let me be honest I love, love, love being a mom.. it is the most fun and challenging job and passion that a person could have. I enjoy seeing what my children are capable of and the challenge of pushing them to strive for the sky. Having said that it is a bizarre worldwind when they come home. The nice clean orderly house gets in totally disarray. Food zips out of the fridge and kids come in and out and in and out....and then they are gone. Many of the clients I speak to struggle with being a parent for college age kids..they worry about curfews and feel they have lost totally control-- I tell them to be confident and listen to their own voices. I still believe that once my child always my child. In any case-- thank goodness they come home in 3 weeks!!

The Sad, Shocking Truth About How Women Are Feeling

Touche! Poor choice of words but my point is right on - as a divorced > single > remarried woman the lightbulb went off to me when I realized I had to "coach" my husband (is that a less offensive word?). It has certainly increased my pursuit of happiness when he helps me do the laundry, shopping, and cooking for 5 children, 2 adults, and 4 pets.......get the point?
About Happiness
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

The Sad, Shocking Truth About How Women Are Feeling

First off..why is a man writing this?!



As a work/life specialist I talk to thousands of women every month and this is all I hear: frustration and disappointment while waiting for their lives to get better.



Women have to speak up appopriately and let some stuff go!! I have trained my children and husband to help... HOW? I learned how to ask in a way that works.... Women need to re-prioritize and focus on the pursuit of happiness...



As I talk to my college-age daughter about this I hope to emphasize that happiness is up to us to pursue..we need to set the goals, dream the dreams and achieve all while remembering that it takes the skill of delegating and saying "no" to do this.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Its all about Motivation

Yesterday was Monday. I love Mondays. Diets start on Mondays, I exercise a little harder on Mondays, I am a good worker and parent on Mondays. Why? I am motivated. However, today is Tuesday and I am not so motivated.
In my work I see so many people set such wonderful goals and then stop. I believe the answer is motivation. So, I will re-wire my brain to motivate myself to eat well, go to the gym, send my husband a nice email and give my kids a great big hug.

Yeah for Tuesdays.... I am psyched!

A Terrible Mistake

Yesterday, I learned a valuable lesson that I knew but I needed to be reminded. Chaos broke out in my house because my 3 "children" are sharing a car. One took the car and was late getting back so I needed to drive one to work. Of course, there was screaming and yelling and more chaos.

As we were driving to work--still yelling at each other-- the traffic stopped and the parkway was closed.... apparently, one car had gone the wrong way on the highway and collided with 2 others. 8 people dead in 5 minutes.... 4 children

what were we arguing about?

Be careful with words--learning from Sotomayor

I watched the Confirmation hearings today and was intrigued with Sotomayers comments that the choice of her words wasn't just right. I so understand that. As a speaker I agonize over that all the time. Sotomayor said one thing about being a Latino and meant another thing.... We really need to take a step back and give people a break. I worry all the time that I will use the wrong word or words and that people will be offended. I do realize that you can't take back what you have said but I also know we should be able to explain what we meant..... Cant we all be a little bit more forgiving???

Maybe Parents Should Worry

I am really suprised how many parents tell me...OH, I don't worry about that? How do they do that ? I worry about all my children all the time. I have learned that that is a really good thing. I believe it is my intuition telling me I should step up to the plate and address an issue with one or all of them. For instance, I knew that my son was itching to get his license and the quicker the better. I just wasnt doing a good enough job teaching him and I was worried that he was going to pass and then drive alone!!! I really was worried.... that worry motivated me to hire a driving teacher to teach him how to merge, park, and handle changing lanes. All the things that I just couldnt' do.... so, thank you to my worries because my son passed and drove to the store for me yesterday and guess what I wasn't really worried!!!