Category: Self-Leadership Skills

5 Key Values of a Modern Day Renaissance Woman. Is This YOU?

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Embodied Leadership, Self-Leadership Skills, Women in Leadership.

“I want to be a Renaissance Woman. I want to paint, and I want to write, and I want to act, and I just want to do everything.” ~ Emma Watson

Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga, Mae Jemison — to name just a few — can all claim the distinction of being a modern day Renaissance Woman. To understand this reference, we have to go back in history to Italy during the 14th century.

Since I grew up in Italy, I greatly enjoyed studying the Renaissance period. The name “Renaissance” comes from the French word meaning “rebirth.” It was a rebirth from the Middle Ages. It gave birth to discovery and exploration, innovation, and a resurgence of classical learning and spiritual enlightenment.

Overwhelmed? Gain Clarity of Mind with One Simple Yet Powerful Practice

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Self-Leadership Skills, Somatic Embodiment.

“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” ~ Anne Frank

Chris (not her real name) came to me feeling out of control. She described herself as always being in a hurry. She had to hit the ground running every day. Chris had minimal self-care. She had no time for deep relationships. She never got enough sleep and couldn’t remember the last time she sat down to eat a decent meal. A vacation? What’s that! And at the end of the day, she couldn’t say what meaningful things she had accomplished. She felt empty and lost. She needed to gain clarity of mind.

As we talked, I could see that her mind was ablaze with new ideas, which were quickly being extinguished by her many self-imposed obligations. She spent a lot of time just trying to retrieve information from her brain, notebook and computer files. She often didn’t know if she’d completed a project, because she was already on to the next. Then she’d have to retrace her steps and recreate mentally what had been done. Can you relate?

Rising Early — The Natural Way to Look Better, Be More Energetic and Enjoy Life Fully

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Self-Leadership Skills, Somatic Embodiment, Transform Your Life.

“It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom” ~ Aristotle

I wasn’t always an early riser. In my 30’s, I used to stay up really late and had a hard time waking up. Eventually I realized that morning time is a much more creative and dynamic time for me. Mindfully I started to shift my internal clock. I intentionally practiced baby steps toward rising early. Nowadays, waking up early is a real treat – it’s a time for me to workout, write, think, meditate and set my day. It’s no longer a practice; now it’s a way of life. Is that something you desire?

What I’ve learned from rising early:

Thrive Despite Life’s Ups and Downs by Learning to Weather the Storm

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Handling Change, Self-Leadership Skills.

I’m fascinated by sailing — you’ve probably noticed that theme on my website. I think it interests me because it’s a highly dynamic activity, so while sailors have to live in the moment it also requires planning and foresight. We’ve learned through life’s ups and downs in 2020 that we can’t control “the weather” but we can learn to use self-leadership tools to navigate through the elements and head in the direction we want to go!

Does it feel like you’ve been blown off course — maybe a little or maybe way off course? It’s difficult to stay inspired day after day, no it’s not difficult. It’s impossible! There are days where we just don’t feel inspired. It might be the world situation or it might be something going on in our personal life. So then what, do we just let the wind blow us in any direction?

No, even on days where we don’t feel particularly inspired we can stay the course. Let’s talk about two things that will help.

Learn How to Be Vulnerable to Expand Your Full Enjoyment of Life

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Self-Leadership Skills.

“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” ― Brené Brown

“I was badly hurt once. I’m not letting that happen again! I’m putting up walls to keep people at a safe distance and I’m not revealing my true thoughts or feelings so I’m not betrayed or ridiculed again!” Can you relate to these expressions? Many people I’ve talked with are afraid to be vulnerable to one degree or another. (In this article, I am not talking about the pain from sexual, physical or emotional abuse, as the healing of these often requires the assistance of a mental health professional.)

Category: Self-Leadership Skills

5 Key Values of a Modern Day Renaissance Woman. Is This YOU?

Overwhelmed? Gain Clarity of Mind with One Simple Yet Powerful Practice

Rising Early — The Natural Way to Look Better, Be More Energetic and Enjoy Life Fully

Thrive Despite Life’s Ups and Downs by Learning to Weather the Storm

Learn How to Be Vulnerable to Expand Your Full Enjoyment of Life

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