Career Women at Midlife-Sadder and Sicker?

Here's a very interesting article in Business Week regarding working women-

"Over the last 50 years, women have secured greater opportunity, greater achievement, greater influence, and more money. But over the same time period, they have become less happy, more anxious, more stressed, and, in ever-increasing numbers, they are medicating themselves for it," says management thinker and author Marcus Buckingham

To read the whole article, go to:

http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/mar2009/ca20090327_067541_page_2.htm

Would love to hear what you think.

No Time Like the Present!

The Chinese say, "The best time to plant a tree was always 20 years ago. The second best time is always today." Funny how planting trees and taking action on the life of your dreams are the same that way. The Universe (www.tut.com)

Want to make a change in your life? No time like the present! What is one little thing you can do today to make a better tomorrow? Eat a healthy meal? Take a walk? De-clutter one cupboard? Sign up for a class?

Today is the first day of the rest of your life......how do you want it to be? And what can you do today to help make it happen?

Have a great week!

The Love Coach?

Guess what? Another Friday, another radio show!! Tune in to WIBA radio 1310 AM at 10 AM on Friday, March 27th. I'm the guest on Outside the Box with Mitch Henck. My husband told him I was the Love Coach on Connie and Fish and he invited me on!! TUNE IN if you dare!

There's something very interesting about these comedian types liking my stuff-first Connie and Fish, then Mitch Henck. Could it be that my number one signature strength is Playfulness and Humor? Must be why I had such a great time on the Connie and Fish show.

What to know what your Signature Strengths are?

Go to www.authentichappiness.org and click on the Signature Strengths Questionnaire.

This questionnaire will identify your top 5 strengths, called your Signature Strengths because when you are using them, it is effortless and comes naturally. Note that you can also get in trouble if you rely on one of your signature strengths too much. For example, if I relied on my playfulness and humor all the time, it would be a bit much. Good thing I have four other Signature Strengths to balance out my personality!

The best thing is.....when you wrap your life around your top 5 strengths, you don't have to be anything different than you already are....just be more of who you are! If you are ever stuck, look at your signature strengths and see if you are overusing or underusing any of your signature strengths.

Would love to hear what you think of the idea and please share your strengths with me so I can see what great people are in my life!!

Don't forget to tune in on Friday 10 AM, 1310 AM WIBA. It's also live http://www.wiba.com/

Tune in!

And the winner is......

Thank you all for your lovely comments....!

My daughter Lea did the drawing for me and Valerie Wulf, you are the winner!!!

Congratulations! You'll be receiving the workbook by email!

And don't forget, for all of you who commented, I'm offering 10% off any Spa for Your Soul Coaching Package. Just let me know what you're interested in!

Thanks for all your support and as always, I love getting comments and feedback!

Mary Kay

This is Your Life....Make It What You Want!

"Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be." Fanny Brice

"Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be." -- Fanny Brice

If you want people to get to know the real you, be yourself. Sounds simple and easy, doesn't it? It's also a little risky in the short run. The safety in being what others think you should be is if they reject you, they aren't rejecting you personally because you were't being authentic in the first place. You were not being yourself.

The downside (a big downside) is that if you aren't being "real" how can you trust the relationship since it's based on dishonesty? Plus when you decide to let the real you come out, it's confusing. Who are you anyway? How will others be able to trust you?

As a teen I was a bit of a cameleon. I was different with different groups of people. It seemed easy, I just adapted to whomever I was with. At one point I had to face my facades. I was dating someone who was not from my high school and one night we got together with some of my high school friends. I was stuck, because I was different with my friends than I was with my boyfriend at the time and I wasn't sure how to be. He became frustrated and confronted me on the way home saying he really didn't know who I was. It really made me think because I really didn't know who I was either!!

That was the beginning of my journey of personal growth. I made a decision to find my true self and be as authentic and real as I could with those around me. It was a bit scarey, but it has certainly paid off. The people in my life know me, the real me, and I don't have to pretend.

My request for you-be as authentic and "real" as possible in all your relationhips. If you get rejected, it wasn't meant to be in the first place and if it works, you can trust that the relationship is real and you don't have to pretend.

This Is Your Life....Make It What You Want!

I feel like Frasier

Gotta tell ya, I had a great time on the Connie and Fish show this morning. If you had a chance to hear it, I'd love to hear what you think. If not and you'd like to hear it, go to http://www.connieandfish.com/ click on one of the two stations and my podcast should be right there. Not sure how long it takes to get the podcast up, but it shouldn't be long.

I have a life purpose exercise I do with my coaching clients which asks them to describe past experiences or situations when they felt like they were in the flow and/or really being true to themselves. For me, this experience was definitely a peak experience for me!! I loved talking to the folks calling in and helping them out; I loved bantering with Connie and Fish; I loved the spontaneity of the whole process; and I loved learning how radio works in the studio. I hope to be doing much more of it.

If you liked what you heard, email Connie and Fish's producer, gregoryschmitz@clearchannel.com and tell them to invite me again!!

Many thanks to Andrea P. for encouraging me to call the show in the first place, thanks to all of you who wished me luck or called in to the show and thanks to Connie and Fish for a grand welcome!

Note: Remember to post a comment on here and get your name entered in a drawing for my Spa for Your Soul E-Workbook! I will announce the winner the first day of Spring, March 20th!

The Universe Delivers

Gotta tell you a personal story...the Universe delivers!!

I've mentioned to various people of my someday dream of doing a coaching call-in radio show. I didn't really have a specific plan around it, just putting the information out there to let folks know.

Then last week out of the blue, a friend (thanks Andrea) called me in the morning saying, "Turn on Z104 (a local hits radio station in Madison)-they're talking about relationships and they want to hear from a professional. I thought of you....call in!" Being the dutiful friend, I called.

Unfortunately (or fortunately in hindsight) I didn't get on. Called Andrea back to report and she encouraged me to call them back or email them-what a great opportunity! I said okay. Her excitement was contagious and I thought "Why not?" Again being the dutiful friend, I said okay.

I emailed the station before my underlying fear talked me out of it and thought, well we'll wait and see. Lo' and behold, I got an email the following day saying they wanted me in the studio next week to do a segment on relationships!! Whoo Hoo!! Now, I'm excited!!

So, for you Madison people, tune in to Z104 (104.1 FM) at 8:20 AM and I'll be on!! Wish me luck and don't forget that when you put yourself out there, the Universe (with the help of friends, colleagues, or serendipity) delivers!!

You don't have to have all the answers before you put your dreams, goals, intentions out there for the world to see.

Tune in on Friday!

This is your life.....make it what you want!

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."
--Neale Donald Walsch

Ain't that the truth!! I don't know about you, but I get more and more nervous as I hear about the difficult times ahead. On the other hand, it's important to remember that it's the bad times that encourage us to be more creative and more willing to think outside the box.

For me and my coaching, that means getting connected with you in as many ways as possible....certainly writing a blog and creating a workbook put me a bit out of my comfort zone. On the other hand it's exciting and I'm learning more and more each day..about myself and about you, the people who enjoy my writing and my message.

Please remember to keep in touch and that Life begins at the end of your comfort zone!
Let's help each other think outside the box and be creative with the resources we have as we take care of ourselves and our future.

Happy March!