Not taking oneself too seriously

Sometimes I think the secret to enjoying life is not to take myself too seriously.    This is not something that comes naturally to most of us–I don’t know at what stage of our life we lose our ability to be playful and to see how whimsical life can be.   Surely, transitions from childhood to adulthood make it easier to be serious.  We leave college and all of a sudden we have to be “grown-ups.”  We must be responsible. 
Along the way, we lose our ability to play. When do we become so self-important that we cannot take a moment to laugh at ourselves or enjoy the moment without an agenda?  I tell people that I am the definition of “high maintenance.”  This is part of not taking myself too seriously…I do realize that I still need to have control,  but I also realize that I cannot control much more than how I respond to what life sends my way.

In The Art of Possibility, author Benjamin Zander talks about “Rule Number 6″…this is the rule that says “Do not take yourself so seriously”….what a great gift to remind ourselves, even when we are in the midst of difficult transitions, that if we enforce Rule Number 6,  life will be full of wonder.

Life is Amazing! Live Well.

Anna Grassini

Life and transitions coach

See more about your transitions coach at www.lifeinbalancecoach.com

How will you be mindful this week?

This weekend I went to a class on mindfulness– defined on Wikipedia as calm awareness of one’s body functions, feelings, content of consciousness, or consciousness itself.  I will add that mindfulness brings about a noticing of our own thoughts and emotions,  which is essential if we want to bring change of any kind into our lives.  Transitions are hard,  even when we seek them–but they will never happen in a sensible way if we don’t usher them in with full consciousness.

As we start a new week, what will each one of us do to bring awareness in our lives?  Even if there is no time to stop the frenetic pace of our lives, I hope we will indulge ourselves in a few moments where we are not in autopilot.  Whether you are doing the dishes, driving to school or work, exercising or working, take a minute today to be fully present in the moment.  And let me know how it goes! The question really is–can you afford not to be present?

Life is Amazing! Live Well.

Anna Grassini

www.lifeinbalancecoach.com

Your Transitions Coach

Leaving a piece of one’s heart

A former neighbor this morning wrote to reassure me that I can handle the upcoming transition to Houston–and she said that there are always bumps in a move, but they won’t be felt so much if we take them in low gear! I love that thought. It strikes me that there are things we know well in our head that have yet to filter to our hearts…
creating space for the filtering is important–as is giving ourselves time. Even so, I realize I leave a piece of my heart in Austin after 20 years…

If you are going through a transition or are stuck in a place, seek out a life coach who can shine a light on your path!

Life is Amazing! Live Well.

Anna Grassini
www.lifeinbalancecoach.com

The transformation of a home….

This is what I know for sure: houses can be bought and sold. Homes we carry in our heart!

The process of selling my own house started in earnest with cleaning out a dozen years of clutter and what now seems to me over 30 years of personal history. The piles of things to shed grew higher and the closets grew cleaner, until we came to the final stages…when the clutter had disappeared and what remained now was the bare bones of the house. I have often spoken to people about this–it is the process of creating the appearance of a house that can adapt itself to the personality of the buyer…that makes itself more desirable because it is clean and organized and somewhat neutral–think a miniature scale version of the Pottery Barn…something that can appeal to different people so that they can they make it their own.

What I never realized is that this final process of staging takes away the comfort of a home…what remains is now a house ready for sale. Go visit any new home model around the country and you will know that there is an art to this presentation….

And so now that my home is a house, I owe gratitude to the folks who have shared their expertise and time, including Sherri Williams ( the Travis Country neighborhood real estate expert), Michael The Stage Coach, Joe the helper…and of course, my best friend and my partner, John. My special thanks go to all those who have listened to me and to those who have prayed so that I would have the emotional and physical strength to continue on this transition.

And now, when the finish line is in sight–I can sing because home will always be in my heart.

Life is Amazing! Live Well.

Anna Grassini

www.lifeinbalancecoach.com

Life in chapters

Thanks to a friend who is also a coach, I realized yesterday that the sadness about preparing the house for sale was not about detaching from the walls (after all, I have done that before!). What the sadness was telling me is that I was in transition–and declaring the end of an era. My friend used the analogy of reading a chapter book–one chapter has ended, and now I sit staring at the blank page before the next chapter starts. Despite the excitement that surrounds the next part of the story, there is sadness that an important chapter has ended. Being able to name what the sadness was about suddenly made it lift–oh yes, I said to myself. There is much to be celebrated about the last chapter, but also some grief about letting go. It is ok to sit with it…suddently, just as it had come, the wall of emotions that had enveloped me over the last few days is dissipating…and leaving space for the the joy that lies ahead.
Life is Amazing! Live Well.
Anna Grassini
lifeinbalancecoach.com

the Clutter Magnet

So I wish I could say I have invented a “clutter magnet”–an object that magically attracts all clutter and “disappers” into order. Alas, no such great news from me…I am, and have always been, a clutter magnet: in the sense that clutter appears around me everywhere. My friend Mary Thompson says that I can live with clutter because my brain is extremely organized (she has the spices alphabetized in the pantry–who knew that could be possible!). There is some truth to that. But as I prepare to move and I methodically unclutter the space around me, I am amused to see that there is some real zen in having fewer objects around. How I will be able to replicate the experiment of order after I move is an entirely different source of musings. In the meantime, for those of you out there desiring decluttering resources, check out some of Julie Morgensten’s books…and see where that new knowledge takes you. If you are still a clutter magnet at the end of the process, don’t be surprised. Just make sure your brain stays organized! And, if you need help with that, hire a life coach!

Life is Amazing! Live Well.

Anna Grassini

More thoughts from a Facebook Newbie

So I have been doing more reading and thinking about the new “social media”…especially relevant after my recent arrival on Facebook!. According to a NYT story on the Austin Festival South By SouthWest, folks attending the most successful part of the festival are not musicians…they are people dealing in the new media!!! Says the NYT, however, that the folks creating content seem too busy to have time to consume it! And in any case, I wonder…what does this content really mean? Do I really gain from knowing that my 21 year old nephew is “stoked” about an upcoming weekend of sports? (Which, in my old fashioned mind, might mean simply a weekend of watching too much television!) What about the old friend who thinks Florida is too pretty? What am I gaining here? What is the content?
It feels to me like I am entering a whole new culture. But the question for me is, does the connection pay off or does it simply mean a huge loss of privacy? What do the young people out there think? What does it mean to be truly connected?

Life is Amazing! Live Well.
Anna

http://www.lifeinbalancecoach.com

Paperclips and life

What on earth would paperclips tell you about life? Maybe, just maybe, that details are important.  I work with a fantastic organizer that helps me keep my papers in order.  She has learned over the course of the years, that I have a dislike for staples.  Why? Because if you have to copy a document, you have to take out the staples, then re-staple.  And, I do have bad stapler karma.  So, I like to use paperclips.  And not just any paperclips.  Mine are colored and feel smooth to the touch (I like that kind of sensory experience!), and come in different sizes and different colors–which lets me pick what I want.  So sometimes I use red clips for important things, yellow for fun, blue for calm.  Imagine my surprise in finding out this morning that  my supply of paperclips is running low.  When I bought the box I thought it would be impossible to get to the bottom of it!  And so I will transition to a new box–and as I do so, I will invite you to think about your own idiosyncrasies and reflect on what small details can make a difference in your life!

Life is Amazing! Live Well.

Anna Grassini

Coaching you through life’s transitions

 

Be the change

Someone kindly said that I seem happy and full of life.  What a great thing to hear after a weekend in which, thinking about change, I have really wondered how a transitions coach such as I am should deal with change  (and there appears to be a lot of it in my life!).  The phrase that kept coming back to me over and over was “Be the change.”   As we deal with challenges, transitions,  and opportunities, how do we take them head on and become the change agent ourselves? What can we do that will make a difference in how we live and how we experience life?  Can a coach help us or can we do it alone? 

Share your thoughts!  Life is Amazing! Live Well.

Anna Grassini

Your Business and Life Coach
 

 

Strategy for change

So, if it is true that the only people who like change are cashiers, how do we deal with change whether we have chosen it or it has been thrust upon us?

I think it might be wise to create a personal strategy to deal with change.  Most of the time, I look at life changes as a puzzle and I need to put together the pieces.  Of course, there are moments when my neat puzzle feels like it has been thrown off the table and I have to start all over again. 

If putting together a puzzle does not appeal to you, what other ways might help you look at change? Maybe you need to look at the big picture, maybe change works best if you know what others are feeling and how you will be supported.  Certainly, it will be best if you make an effort to love yourself and seek others’ love while you are going through change.

One thing is for sure.  Change is inevitable…and rather than fight it, enjoy the flow of it and navigate the unchartered water in the best way possible. 

And, while we are it, let’s do it while smiling all the way!

Life is Amazing! Live Well.

Anna

www.lifeinbalancecoach.com