Tag: Personal Growth – Professional Growth

Finding Inner Peace to Weather the Storms of Change Raging Around Us

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Controlling Stress, Self-Leadership Skills.

“Happiness is the new rich.

Inner peace is the new success

Health is the new wealth

Kindness is the new cool.”

Anonymous

Do you ever read or hear something that speaks to you deeply? It happened again to me recently and I wish to share it with you in the hopes that it brings you as much inner peace, softness and joy as it did for me. I’m sure you’ll agree that now, more than ever, finding inner peace is something we can all use.

Because we live in such strange and harsh times, we do well to seek solace from within. When the world around us is not a soft and nourishing place, we must be able to rely on our own inner resources of gentleness, kindness, equanimity and peace.

Self-Discovery – The Most Enriching Journey You’ll Ever Take

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

“Know yourself. Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.” ~ Ann Landers

Growing up, I learned to associate academic achievement with self-worth. That was the message — you have worth if you get an A; and you don’t, if you don’t succeed. With wisdom, I’ve come to learn that this message was faulty. I can still get satisfaction from taking classes and learning, but these days I practice kindness and self-love to deepen my self-worth.

To want to get to know yourself — from the inside, not through other’s expectations — is a radical act of love. To be genuinely curious about YOU, what you like, love, prefer, aspire to, is the beginning of the most beautiful journey you will ever take…the journey to self-discovery.

We Learn Through Repetition: Be Careful What You Practice

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

“We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” ~ Aristotle

Would you expect to master your craft if you did the required tasks only once? Say you want to be a world-class speaker — but you haven’t opened your mouth since you said “Mama” as a baby? That would be ludicrous. We learn through repetition…everything! Walk, talk, comb your hair, brush your teeth…I challenge you to come up with one thing you’ve learned to do well that didn’t involve repetition.

We learn through repetition — therefore how can we practice it more mindfully and effectively?

“Repetition is boring, Maria! I want it to be easy. I want to master it TODAY.” Boredom, desire for ease and instant results…these are roadblocks we put up in front of ourselves. But consider this…

Feel Your Feelings: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Body

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Emotional Intelligence, Self-Leadership Skills.

“We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.”– Albert Einstein

Everyone is entitled to their feelings. This statement is powerful. But accepting its validity is only part of the process when you’re learning to feel your feelings. I’ve seen people cling to this piece of wisdom and not grow beyond it.

Scenario 1: They use their emotions to punish themselves. For example, their thinking goes something like this, “She hurt me. I’m entitled to feeling hurt, because everybody lets me down. Nobody loves me.” They get stuck feeling their feelings and they become overwhelmed by them, because they don’t know how to fully process them in a healthful way. And because those feelings feel so bad, they sink into depression and despair.

Is It Time to Reset Your Life? 5 Easy Steps to Take Advantage of Our Unusual Times

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

“Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future.” ~ Walt Disney

“Slow down and rest. You need renewal.” I tell my clients this all the time, because the frantic pace they think will get them to the desired results, ends up being unsustainable. Intense work, with no time to recharge, is a sure recipe for emotional, physical and spiritual exhaustion. Yet my clients find it really hard to slow down. They believe, “If I decrease my speed, even a little bit, everything will collapse,” or “I have too many things I have to do, and I can’t let up.” Do you feel the same way? Is it hard to find time to do a daily reboot? Then perhaps it’s time to reset your life!

One of the hidden blessings of coronavirus has been the forced stop. Most of my clients have switched to working from home, and learning or updating their technology to do so. And in most cases, after the initial dismay and confusion, they’re appreciating the new pace, the new time for family. They’ve started remembering what’s really important.

Tag: Personal Growth – Professional Growth

Finding Inner Peace to Weather the Storms of Change Raging Around Us

Self-Discovery – The Most Enriching Journey You’ll Ever Take

We Learn Through Repetition: Be Careful What You Practice

Feel Your Feelings: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Body

Is It Time to Reset Your Life? 5 Easy Steps to Take Advantage of Our Unusual Times

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