It’s the beginning of a new year, at least in my world, and that’s always time for reflection. At the moment, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I lead teleseminars, courses and retreats frequently and I am able to pierce through people’s blockages and help them see that they can create dreams where in the past there was no hope. It hit me today (again) that it’s because I did that for myself first (and continue to work on myself too.) I feel so grateful for the guidance, support and coaching I have received that helped me: fall in love with my body, be an effective parent, save my marriage and make it great, reconnect to my parents and brother, succeed in business, follow my career dream, pursue leadership roles in the world, and more.
Lauren Zander, you are a genius and my hero. I have fought you. In fact almost every time you offer me a new horizon to swim towards, I fight you. But you don’t give up. You see my dream for me before I do. So far, you have not been wrong and it has been many years. Thank you.
As you can tell, I am feeling very grateful for my life and my coach Lauren Zander (co-founder of The Handel Group™) but there are so many more things, too. Please start your new (school, Jewish, harvest) year with gratitude and make your list, too. Remember to include everything you’ve learned, everything that’s great about you and all the people, places and things that contributed to your awesome-ness. Warning, if you’re in a surly mood and you’re just going to be annoyed with this long and abundant list, then don’t read it. It’s meant to actually get you thinking about what should be on yours. Here goes:
I am so grateful-
- That you read this and you care about making yourselves and the world better.
- I live in a country that allows freedom of speech.
- That I can go running in a tank top and shorts and (for the most part) not be harrassed. I am free.
- That my drinking water is clean and plentiful.
- That I don’t fear natural disasters, or even much of anything aside from other people judging/rejecting me, and I like facing that fear!
- That I learned how to nourish myself (and love) eating healthy, whole foods. And they are available to me.
- That my husband fully supports this and shops and cooks.
- That I am surrounded by people who share my mission and work their butts off to help people.
- That my parents love each other and their children so much and we all know it.
- That I can happily take advantage of the public school system for my children’s education.
- That technology makes it possible to get so much done and see you for our coaching sessions and meetings even if you aren’t here.
- That I know how to make and keep a budget.
- That even though I fight it, I take coaching and I insist on always growing.
- That every day I tend to my mind and my mood and I know I have a say.
- That I have a community of people I can turn to to help me, if I can’t help myself.
- That I know how to meditate and do yoga and manifest.
- To have found amazing teachers in the areas of fitness and health, namely Patricia Moreno and Elena Brower, who inspire me regularly and have showed me how to enjoy my body and quiet my mind in ways I never knew possible.
- For my producers (and “co-star”) at MTV who believe in me and seem to love me despite all my quirks.
- For Molly, my right hand at Handel, who is truly tireless, I’ve never known such a giver (except maybe my husband, Will).
- For Lauren Zander, who is a visionary of epic proportion, who just won’t quit thinking we can cause a shift in consciousness in our lifetimes.
- For Ellen in billing who was with me (as my first hire) when we had only 40 clients and has never faltered in all her time as we grew exponentially. My foundation.
- My beautiful children, who delight me every day, just by being their delicious selves.
- For my unbelievable husband who is helping me prove marriage, intimacy and sex can get better and better with time. And he happens to be funny and a genius, too. I am so blessed.
There, I’ve had a good sob and I feel refreshed. I hope you will take this assignment seriously and make a good long, juicy list and share it with us and others.
Your life is a miracle and I want you to be aware of that at all times. When we designed the Design Your Life Weekend it was to wake you up to all that your life is and can be, quickly and comprehensively. Please give yourself the gift of this experience of self-knowledge and self-love by finding one you can attend this fall. Welcome to your best year yet. Stay tuned…
All my love and gratitude for being part of this community,
Laurie