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Maria Connolly, LPC Facebook Facebook Facebook

Category: Life Skills

Learn how to focus on the soft skills, the people skills like good communication, effective leadership, positive motivation, and managing your emotions.

Become The Observer of Your Life, Then Lasting Change Will Follow

Like an artist, you can become The Observer in your life, to mindfully acknowledge each “brush stroke” as it transforms your “canvas”, your life.

A practice of mindfulness is priceless. Without it, we can go through life only experiencing things superficially, missing the things that bring lasting enrichment. However, when you become The Observer, taking in information without judgment, you’ll see what you want more of or less of, in your life. 

For example… how observant are you? If I asked you to identify the colors in a picture of a forest, no doubt you would say green, brown, and maybe some yellow. But an artist closely inspects each area for color or hue; she also sees the variances of shade (black added to the hue), tone (gray added to the hue), and tint (white added to the hue). Not only that, she detects the differences in intensity and value. Before the painting is done, the artist will have mixed hundreds of different combinations of paint, each one intentionally performing a specific function on the canvas. Why is this so important? Jon Kabat-Zinn explains “The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness.”

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Manage Self-Sabotaging Thoughts to Empower a Life of Freedom

Self-sabotaging thoughts change your body chemistry and the way you move, yet you can become more open and joyful by adjusting your thought patterns.Which would you say is more stressful and damaging to your health — stress from a car accident or from a messy house? — a breakup with a romantic partner or a friend who makes you crazy because she never follows through on what she promises? — a harsh comment from a friend or self-sabotaging thoughts?

We’re well-equipped to handle short-term stressors or life-threatening situations. We deal with it, then we’re free of it. But if there’s constant, long-term, nagging stress, we suffer deeply. 

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Have An Embodiment Practice? Tap Into Its Power to Heal & Empower!

An embodiment practice, being fully present with your body/mind/spirit connection, is key to living a joyful life and achieving your full potential.

Are you wiser than a robot? Of course, you are! But did you know that scientists are trying to teach Embodied Intelligence to robots? One project aims to build them to “adjust their neural networks (brains) to feedback from their bodies and surroundings. “ Hmmm….To adjust your brain to feedback from your body and surroundings… that’s a great definition for an embodiment practice, which truly makes us wise!

Isn’t it ironic? Scientists are giving robots embodied intelligence; yet today’s educators are neglecting to train HUMANS in these very important life skills! But an embodiment practice — being fully aware of and understanding your body/mind/spirit connection —  is key to living a fulfilling life and rising to your full potential.

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Why Is It So Hard for Women to Embody Confidence?

The difference between a person HAVING confidence and a person who can EMBODY confidence is the difference between having a lion and being a lion.Would you love to be calm under pressure, sure of yourself and able to lead others to safe harbors or to the height of excellence? Then you’re wanting to embody confidence. 

There is a major difference between being a person who has confidence and a person who can embody confidence

It’s the difference between having a quality and being/personifying that quality. In other words, it’s the difference between having a lion and being a lion. And when you learn the secret to embodying confidence you can do what Shirley Chisholm recommends,  “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” 

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Why is Change So Hard? Be Patient & Trust the Process

 Instead of asking, Why is change so hard or why it takes so long, focus on enjoying the transformation process – if you enjoy it, you’ll stick with it.

“Change takes time, and when it happens… it feels like magic!” ~ Maria Connolly 

Sometimes, when I’m coaching a client, it seems like nothing changes. Or if some change happens it doesn’t seem lasting. Why is change so hard and takes so long? Often this is because there are individual patterns that are in the way of lasting change. They are deeply ingrained and insidious.

There’s a war going on inside…the client’s good faith and best intentions are competing with long-held, adaptive and limiting beliefs and behaviors. This war can be won by systematically developing practices that change who you are at your core. These strong core values provide the support and structure for real change. But this does take time. If someone is promising overnight success, they’re not talking about real change.

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