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Tag: Self-Love

Courageous Self-Loyalty in a Busy World — It’s Not Selfish. It’s Vital!

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Dream Big - Start Small, Transform Your Life.

Striking a balance between loyalty for self and others means staying true to who we are while honoring our commitments to those we care about. True loyalty is sustainable when we respect both others and ourselves.Do you value and expect loyalty from those closest to you?  When we’re loyal, we’ve got their back no matter what. We never lose faith in them, because we know how devastating disloyalty is — it’s the ultimate betrayal. So, let me ask, Do you have that kind of loyalty for yourself? Or do you think loyalty to others means giving up self-loyalty?

Yes, in good relationships we all make sacrifices and compromises. That’s the give-and-take that helps us dance through life. However, all give and no take makes us off-balanced and unwell. Take, for example, Zoe…

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Importance of a Self-Care Mindset — How to Help Your Clients See It!

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

As life coaches, we must teach our clients a self-care mindset that balances all aspects of life so they can discard the lie that self-care is selfish.This may be controversial, but I have to speak up…

As coaches, we’re often told we need to specialize in one area to stand out from the crowd, like nutrition coach, business coach, public speaking coach, mindset coach, personal development coach, etc. But to make a real difference in our clients’ lives, we can’t be so hyperfocused on only one aspect of life. Everything affects everything else. We need a holistic approach and that involves a self-care mindset!

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Ten Centering Techniques to Live an Embodied Life

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Mindfulness, Somatic Embodiment, Stepping Forward.

One of the first steps toward living an embodied life is learning to observe and center self as you fully connect your mind, emotions, spirit and body.

An embodied life is a way of life that embraces what Plutarch said centuries ago…“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” So much of modern coaching techniques focus on thought process, emotional control and presence. Yet learning to live in and with our bodies is often neglected. People are left with a chasm between the person they want to be and the person they are daily and especially when under stress. (For example, you want to make good nutritional choices, but the argument with your boyfriend makes you so frustrated you binge on ice cream and chips.) 

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Introvert Success — Your Quiet Best is More Than Enough

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

Introvert Success — Your Quiet Best is More Than Enough.“Solitude matters, and for some people, it’s the air they breathe.” ~ Susan Cain

An introvert can’t be a leader. They just don’t have what it takes. Introvert success depends on forcing yourself to be more outgoing, more competitive, more like Richard Branson than yourself.

Do you believe that? If I was to ask you to draw a scale or spectrum with extroversion on one end and introversion on the other, which would you place at the high end? Did you automatically place introversion as the downside of extroversion? You’re not alone. Many people do.

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It’s Good to Be YOU: How to Feel Whole in a World of Conformity

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

It's Good to Be YOU: Here’s how you can feel whole in a world of conformity “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” ~ Carl Gustav Jung

“You wouldn’t like me, if you knew the real me.” I couldn’t believe it when Katie, one of my clients, said this during a session! She’s a beautiful woman inside and out. Yet, she felt ugly and unlovable. Some past experiences had caused her to develop negative thoughts and feelings about herself and her worth. She’d become a master at blending in, conforming to what other people found comfortable. It took a lot of work for her to accept my words, “It’s Good to be YOU”!

We live in a society that prides itself on being open-minded and accepting of differences. It’s the subject of headlines, talk shows, movies, books. Yet why is it so necessary to call attention to it, if it really exists? If we are truly open-minded and accepting, it would be the norm, not newsworthy.

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