LIFESTYLE

Happy Motivation Monday, ladies!

Episode 2 of my #OWNSHOW on OWN TV guest appearance aired live at 7am this morning. This week’s episode was more about sharing experiences from my coaching practice as well as my own life experiences, and the one strategy people can practice if they feel they have too much on their plate. This week is about how to make those crucial decisions…

I’ll give you a hint, but please watch below:

A great rule I like to follow as well as have my clients follow is The 85% Rule. Most of us are stressed and unhappy simply because we are overwhelmed: we take on too much. I practice the 85% rule – I make sure 85% of my commitments are NECESSARY COMMITMENTS. That means, I have started eliminating unnecessary commitments from my schedule. It’s practicing the art of saying “no” to the things that don’t BOOST YOUR HAPPINESS.

Today marks an exciting milestone in my career – I join The OWN Network family (it’s no secret that Miss Oprah is my hero and inspiration… and also has my dream job, by the way!). 😉 I am so honored to share my first of 5 episodes of The #OWNShow on Oprah.com which will roll out for the next 5 Mondays in honor of #MotivationMonday.

The #OWNSHOW appeals to us girls – a smart, savvy, modern, enlightened audience who is interested in talking and learning about all the issues of today in the health, wellness, self improvement and inspiration space. This lifestyle show feels younger, hipper and quicker to share tips and tools to help us thrive.

Today, I join the #OWNSHOW as a guest, following other trailblazing #OWNSHOW guests, including Tony Robbins, Russell Simmons (Def Jam, Phat Farm), Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) and Hoda Kotb (TODAY Show).

Do you ever feel like people are judging you?

If your answer was not yes, than clearly you are not paying attention.

People ARE judging you.

All of the time.

I mention judgment not to make you feel ever-more under a microscope …but to ask a question I am curious about. Do you like or dislike being judged?

My answer I suppose is short and simple, I like being judged when it is positively and I do not like being judged when it is negatively. Might be human to feel so.

As I was in yoga class last week, it brought me back to a story a few years back. I would like to share this story that resonated for me, especially since we just started a new year, and can therefore start with a clean slate – tabula rasa.

So…. a few years ago. Yoga. Yes. I was totally into it… relaxed, lying on my back, eyes closed, breathing. I had worked hard during the hour, so my body was feeling fatigued. I had also been completely overloaded at the time, so I just allowed myself to sink into the mat, and listen to the teacher’s soothing voice. His comments about why we have chosen to come to yoga class today, and how we choose to live our lives each and every day was very calming. I was truly in the moment.

Today I toast and I roast the incredible woman who birthed me. Happy 65th birthday,…

I once lived a life that wasn’t truly my own.

It all began when I decided to go to law school. I made that decision not because of any burning desire to become a lawyer, but more likely, out of fear. I desperately wanted to fit in with my friends who were following the professional fast track. Deep down, I was worried that my artistic sensibilities would drive me to a life of poverty, despair and dead-ends. This was long before I heard about the universal laws of abundance: when you truly do you what you love and follow the path that was destined for you, the doors of prosperity open wide. I figured I could fulfill my artistic side by reading, going to the movies or catching live music on weekends.

What a mistake.

I gotta admit, I’m a sucker for this show. Barbara Walters celebrated the 21st anniversary of her 10 Most Fascinating People special last night. As long as Bawbwa Wawa keeps this yearly special going, I will tune in!

The highlight for me last night was Elon Musk. Please do yourself a favor, and watch this. You won’t be sorry. This guy is my hero. Another one I loved for her brutal honestly about herself and her career, as well as her out-of-the-box thinking, was Chelsea Handler. And yes, Taylor Swift who has somehow annoyed me for the past couple of years, got my vote. I might just have converted to a “Swifty” – as her fans call themselves.

While my current situation is not life threatening, it has been life altering. The following are my musings of dealing with a life-changing event.

Imagine being in the top physical shape of your life. Years of training, rebooting your body. You changed your food habits, you had adopted exercise habits. You found yourself enjoying working out and making the gym a daily part of your life. Through your own journey you were able to drop 120+ pounds and rebooted your body chemistry so that you were no longer a health risk to yourself or to your loved ones.

It was announced today. Your Sexiest Man Alive 2014 is… drumroll… Chris Hemsworth.

Ladies, ladies, what say you?

I’m not on the fence… this guy doesn’t do it for me.

Maybe I’m still living in the past, but this was the Sexiest Man Alive EVER for moi.