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

Even when I was a child my mother asked me to clean out my room, which really meant to put things back where they belonged. Reluctantly I complied…though I am sure I never quite met the standards of order that would have been required. Decency maybe was more the level of what I could achieve.
So now I find myself having to clean the whole house in preparation of a move. My mother’s voice is not commanding me to do it…my adult self is saying “do it.” So I tackled my closet…for what seems the second or third time! I never thought of myself as a “hoarder” but maybe I have to rethink that one. What was I thinking when I saved the shoulder pads from my 1980s clothes? Really! So tonight I went through the closet one more time and I tried to keep the mood light by wondering what an archaeologist would think if she were uncovering the treasures that I am finally parting with! Order still eludes me, but there is evidence of progress towards some decency…I am encouraged and delighted by the feeling of freedom that sharing usable stuff and recycling unusable things is causing. What a feeling! If you have stories to share about your organizing experiences I would love to hear from you!
Life is Amazing! Live well.

Whether in your business or in your daily life (think in relation to others!), what is the difference between being in control and choosing? Aside from the obvious negative connotation usually associated with control, dig deeper. What distinguishes the two?

Take the example of the housework that needs to get done around most homes. The wife wants the kitchen counter cleaned a certain way, the husband cleans it another way. The wife then accuses the husband of not doing it right…and he says she is control freak. True or false? What are the choices people could make here? Does the counter have to look a certain way? Can there be flexibility and possible outcomes that are all desirable? Maybe a less perfection? What is the dream beneath the idea that the counter has to be just so?
If you have to have the chore done your way or the highway and nobody can come close to doing it that way, you might explore whether you have some issues of control. If however, you can be flexible–maybe you do the task yourself without holding a grudge because you decide that it pleases you to have the kitchen counter looking a certain way and it is worth the effort. Maybe you decide that it is better to have the other person help, even if the counter does not look exactly like what you think. What are the choices that you can make that enrich your life and that of the people who work or live with you? What is the control about? “Inquire within” and look for the answers that will make your business and your relationships richer!

Life is Amazing! Live Well.
Anna Grassini
www.lifeinbalancecoach.com

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

After looking at several online dictionaries, most do not define diva in a positive way.  That was a surprise to me! Recently, I have been sending out cards that define diva like this: “A confident, beautiful, extraordinary woman; rules her domain with style; a girl with moxie who knows what she wants.”  With such a definition, I have been thinking we should all wake up and become divas–what if we were to become confident in our body and soul? What would it take to make us into radiant and sparkling divas who have their own sense of style and feel comfortable dancing in our skin?

As you start a new week in this hot summer month, wear a little sparkle or put on some hot pink (or red) shoes and walk boldly with the knowledge that you can be a confident, extraordinary and beautiful woman–even if you are just headed for another day at the office.  And don’t forget to wear a smile so that you will start the week absolutely and positively dressed.   Feel like a diva? What is it like for you? I would love to hear!

Life is Amazing! Live Well.

Anna Grassini

Want to explore how to become a diva? Hire a personal coach and start exploring the possibilities!

How do you feel? Pretty good? Great! So, now is the time to make sure you  have a check up!  Just as you should take stock of your finances and of your life, you should take stock of your health.  After all, when we are not healthy, it is hard to live joyfully and give the best of ourselves to life.

Getting a fasting blood test  is not my idea of fun–and a regular OBYGym exam is even less exciting (do I even dare mention a yearly mammogram?), I am going to set the good example.  I took my appointment a few months back.  What are you waiting for?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure–so this morning make those appointments you have been postponing! And once you are done, give yourself a pat on the back, and treat yourself to something healthy.  How about a walk? A run? A swim.  You tell me…share your thoughts on ways to take care of yourself! And remember, what you don’t know can hurt you!

Life is Amazing! Live Well.

Anna Grassini

www.lifeinbalancecoach.com

This morning driving to work I was listening to Jean Chatzky on the Oprah and Friends radio  (yes, I am extravagant–I listen to satellite radio and it is not even commercial-free!)  She mentioned that some study had come out linking “sadness” to an “urge to spend” and that some people were more prone to the “spending to get a high” problem than others.  I think we all know that any purchase made under such circumstances is likely to provide a very short-lived high.  Then, if we are prone to such purchases, what can we do to stop ourselves?

What if we became mindful of why we are putting our hand on our wallet? What if we actually asked ourselves, what does that purchase do for me? If your running shoes have holes and you are buying new ones, obviously it’s the right time to acquire them! But if we are buying that extra lipstick, is the Glam Girl Red Color really going to change the way we feel?

I remember that right after September 11th the world seemed to have changed.  For me, the weird manifestation was that I did not feel right going out and shopping for anything.  It was a strange moment in time. Of course, life returned to normal–but I have tried to keep a level of awareness about the things that come into my life.  So,  what can you do today to be mindful about your wallet (other than carrying it with you in your purse? See my blog from yesterday!)?  Let me know.  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Life is Amazing.  Live Well.

Anna

www.lifeinbalancecoach.com

I used to belong to a book club that we called the “Book Cover Club”: if we had seen the cover of the book, we were welcome to come for the evening.  The book club has long dissolved, but I am an avid reader so my passion for books keeps going.  Looking at this blog it occurred to me last night that we could have our very own”virtual book club” to share  some good books that have enriched our lives recently.    Maybe you’ll find time to read with me and let me know your thoughts–and maybe you will give me suggestions on what to read next.  I have to say that I am no Oprah (you wish) but I did read Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia long before it was a bestseller thanks to the recommendation of a friend and long before it had landed on Oprah!  So please, jump in!This month I have been enjoying See Jane Lead: 99 Ways for Women to Take Charge at Work. Although the author is not represented by the world’s best publicist, Barbara Cave Henricks (see her blog at www.cavehenricks.com to find some really good business books), I shall forgive the author this one flaw since I rather enjoyed her clear writing and her helpful pointers.  Whether you are currently involved in your school PTA, leading a team at work, or running your own company, I think you might just find something useful in this book.  Don’t forget to take the introductory test to figure out what some of your leadership strengths may be–you can then jump into chapters that describe those strengths or you can do what I did: read the book from front to back!  Either way you will find some practical suggestions you can use.  I loved the chapter on being strategic–it was a revelation for me to find out how strategic I am, without even knowing it consciously!Happy reading and I hope you will find something useful as well! Life is Amazing! Live Well,Anna