by Erin Owen | Dec 3, 2012 | Events, Ezine
Are you living your life more like an Incandescent light bulb?
You know, able to keep up your intense pace, running around the clock, for a month or more before you collapse or burn out and need to call-in sick for a mental health day – or worse, take a stretch of real sick days to recover from the latest bug that’s tackled you to the ground.
Or, are you operating more like a LED bulb?
Moving forward at a steady pace, taking breaks and vacations on a regular basis, nurturing your mind, body, and spirit at work and at home, with need for a longer sabbatical only once every five years or so.
A small group of students who attended The Sustainability Workshop last year designed a business plan to replace traditional incandescent bulbs in the homes of consumers with longer lasting LEDs, at no cost to the homeowner.
This was one of many sustainable/green projects intended to have a positive impact on the community and environment, as well as serve as phenomenal learning experiences for the students.
And in this case, the intended result was to save the homeowner lots of moolah in energy costs and bulb replacement expense, while using less energy and thereby lowering carbon emissions.
(Now, before you all blast me with emails asking for how you can sign up, here’s the update: they just completed a pilot program and are currently analyzing the data from their findings. If you want more details about the Bright Ideas project, click here.)
For the pilot, the students used a sensor on each floor of the homes that replaced old bulbs with the LEDs to assess how many hours a day, and at what times of day, the lights were on.
I have to admit something quite geeky. I’ve been fantasizing about how to create a similar (but slightly more complex) energy-monitoring device that I could wear around.
Ideally, it would measure when I expend energy and in what areas of my life it is used, as well as what gives me energy. Then, I could determine if there’s a balance between “output” and “input” overall, and allow me to determine if the areas of my “output” are in alignment with my vision for how I want to be living and working.
With my private clients, I use a different approach to assessing how their energy aligns with their vision. And I also guide them through a visualization to observe and alter the output of energy into relationships, activities, and more. This work can be quite empowering and I’m always amazed at how quickly my clients experience a positive shift in their energy output, back to a place of more balance.
But, if we had a personal energy-ometer to help with the process, it would be less biased and perhaps even more illuminating. (Pun intended!)
What if You Want to Switch from Incandescent to LED bulbs?
If you plan to actually switch out the lightbulbs in your home from Incandescent to LED, it honestly can be quite expensive. Even though the LED bulbs last up to 60 times longer than Incandescent bulbs and use less than 20% as much energy, the initial cost can be around $30 per bulb. But, combine the long-term cost savings and energy savings, and it’s an investment that makes sense.
What if You Want to Switch Your Lifestyle and Workstyle from Incandescent-like to LED-like?
The good news is making the switch to a LED way of working and living does not have to be so expensive.
In fact, learning how to slow down your body and mind to a more sustainable pace yields tremendous near-term AND long-term benefits in your health, happiness and productivity. And in most cases, the resulting boost in your outlook and performance translates directly into spiritual and financial prosperity.
Yes, there is usually some upfront investment of time, energy, and money, but the payoff begins immediately and builds over time.
If you’re ready to make the switch and know you’ll be more successful by working with me for accountability, knowledge, and guidance, please use the “BREAKTHROUGH” discount code when signing up for your initial phone coaching session with me. You can do the call from anywhere in the world so long as you can access a phone or a Skype connection.
Don’t hesitate if you’re seriously considering working with me: I currently have only 1 spot left for a day-long breakthrough retreat in 2012 and 3 private coaching slots left for my private coaching programs that begin in January– and these fill-up fast with folks starting to think about resolutions and starting off the New Year on the right foot.
Email me if you have any questions, need to schedule a special time to accommodate your schedule or time zone, OR… go ahead and sign-up now to receive my undivided attention in transitioning into the bright new world of LED living and working.
by Erin Owen | Nov 27, 2012 | Events, Ezine
Your Performance Breakthrough
Just when you thought you were being pushed past your limits, along come the winter holidays to add an extra layer of complexity.
You have more events to manage, more things to buy, more people to see. The extra strain on your time and your pocketbook from your longer “to do” list causes you more stress that you certainly do not need.
Rather than allowing yourself to enjoy the real reasons we celebrate the holidays, the last thing on your list is you or doing anything to make things easier on yourself.
With a tongue-in-cheek approach, a wink of my eye, and just for a little fun, I’m here to remind you of what doesn’t work. So, take a look through my Top 7 Ways How to Invite MORE Holiday Stress and enjoy a little laugh at yourself. You are human, after all!
(Or, if you’d rather be reminded of how to actually melt holiday stress—and be inspired by some of my Eastern-influenced ideas—then join me for one my upcoming events! Details below…)
Top 7 Ways to Invite MORE Holiday Stress
1. Keep piling on MORE. That’s right. Say YES to every request to bake more, donate more, take on the office holiday fund drive, and attend more parties (especially the ones hosted by people you don’t really know or like that much). Be sure to include all members of your family in every gathering—especially those individuals you complain about up until the minute they arrive, then curse the moment they walk out the door. And, whatever you do, don’t say NO.
2. RESIST nature’s call to slow down and go inward. IGNORE the fact that the days are getting shorter and the temperatures (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) are getting colder. Turn those lights on longer, heat the office and home more hours, and keep burning that midnight oil! Bless these modern inventions that allow us to do more and more and more.
3. Tell yourself “I CAN MAKE IT through New Year’s”. Just because you broke down last year with a horrible string of colds does not mean it will happen again. This year will be different—and you don’t need to do anything different. Just keep plugging along and promising yourself you’ll make it through midnight on New Year’s eve. You can do it!
4. Use Caffeine to STAY AWAKE and Sleep Aids to FALL ASLEEP. When your energy wanes or you struggle to get out of bed, add another shot of espresso in your coffee—and be sure to have more caffeine mid-morning and again after lunch when you begin to nod off. Then, about an hour before you realize you’d better get to bed so you can get at least 4 or 5 hours of sleep before your alarm goes off, enjoy a drink or two or take your latest sleeping medication of choice. And be sure you say a prayer before bed to thank god for inventing these sleep aids!
[Remember, I’m writing this tongue-in-cheek! Are you laughing at yourself yet?]
5. Keep it to yourself. The holidays are a time to follow tradition and to do exactly what your parents or spouse/partner or spouse/partner’s family did before you. For goodness sake, do NOT express your honest opinion about ANYTHING. The last thing anyone wants to hear is what you think should be done differently, and your agonizing and suffering is for the greater good. So, keep it to yourself!
6. Whatever you do: don’t give yourself a break! The sacrifices you make and the hardships you take on are an example to us all. You are a role model to your employees, your colleagues, your children. You must single handedly take on the burdens of the extra holiday activities, without even a thought to your own physical or mental well-being. In fact, don’t even think about scheduling a massage or taking off an afternoon, let alone sneaking in a nap on the weekend. You are super wo/man!
7. Wait until 2013 to start making improvements. Whatever it is that is bugging you, it can wait. That pain in your side, those extra pounds, the headaches, the leak in the roof, the nagging feeling you should make a change… Wait, wait, wait. It can’t possibly get worse before it gets better, and it can always wait. Just weave it into your New Year’s resolution and I’m sure you’ll make those positive changes in 2013.
I hope you found at least a few things to chuckle about. Even though I’ve made tremendously positive changes over the decades, I know I still see glimmers of myself in all of these ideas!
But, if you’re NOT actually interested in continuing to burn the candle at both ends or suffer silently through another aggravating winter season, I INVITE YOU to take a deep breath (ahhhh….) and step forward into a new way of being.
Top 3 Ways to MELT Holiday Stress
I’ll be sharing my simple, Eastern-inspired ways to MELT holiday stress and everyday stress at these upcoming events. Please join me to learn about a new way of living and working that is sustainable and enjoyable!
Tomorrow (Wednesday), November 28 at 7 pm
In-person at The Spiral Bookcase, a sweet independent bookstore in Manayunk.
Read more about the event here.
I’ll be reading from my new book, sharing ideas on how to melt stress so you can enjoy life more and perform better, and signing books.
Monday, December 3 at 7:45 pm
Melt Stress, Refocus Energy, and Refuel Spirit: Eastern Secrets for Getting More Done Without Doing More at Wake Up Yoga South
REGISTER NOW!
December 14, 9 AM to 10 AM
Erin will be the featured speaker at the December meeting of the National Association of Women Business Owners in Doylestown, PA. This networking event is open to women and men. No need to be a member, either! Join us at 2003 South Easton Road in the conference room inside the offices of M&T Bank on the 2nd floor. Any questions? Call event host Mary Ann Robinson of TransAct at 267-968-6232.
If you’re not located in the area or have a scheduling conflict, you can schedule a private initial coaching session with me by phone. Click here for more details.
Just as in yoga, when the hardest thing to do sometimes is to get to the mat… sometimes too in life the hardest thing to do is respond to a long internalized call to do the right thing for your own well-being.
I’m here for you, and I want to see you live a healthier, happier, more successful life. I promise to lend you some courage and be here for you in making the choice that supports what is in your best interest!
Until then, I hope to see you at one of these upcoming events and hear how your holidays were more enjoyable this year!
by Erin Owen | Sep 24, 2012 | Events, Ezine, General
It’s dark. So dark I can’t see in front of me more than a few inches. But I am intensely focused on the sound of my strained breathing and the strange scraping sound of my feet dragging through the scree (loose stones that resemble gravel).
Occasionally I hear a cough from someone in the line of climbers behind me, and each time I stumble, our guide says “pole, pole” (meaning “slow, slow” in Swahili).
It’s the final ascent up Kilimanjaro. They woke us at midnight, fed us popcorn and hot black tea, then led us away from our rocky, mountainside campsite through a pass in the cavernous rocks to the open trail. The sky was thankfully clear, with the full moon shining brightly overhead.
But, in these final hours, it seems the moon has disappeared. In fact, all sense of reality and direction has left me completely. I feel lost, with my awareness switching between two dominant states.
One state of mind is focused completely on surviving – breathing rapidly, trying desperately to take in a quick succession of breaths to get enough oxygen at this high altitude of nearly 19,000 feet above sea level.
I feel as though I have absolutely no reserve in the depth of my bones; no energy to tap whatsoever to take another step, to get to the top. How can I go on? What did I sign up for?
Then, my awareness rapidly switches to the other dominant state of mind: excitement, exhilaration; reminding me that “oh yes, I am almost there. Almost to the top of Kilimanjaro! I’ll see the sunrise soon and look out over the Tanzanian and Kenyan landscapes to the vast wild world of African below. I can do it!”
Each step up and “forward” feels defeating. As I lift a hiking boot a foot step ahead, my boot sinks into the loose scree and slides back downhill almost as far as I stepped ahead. Only a few inches of progress a minute, it feels.
“Oh my god, will this ever end?” I don’t have the energy to look forward or even up at my desired destination: the top of Kili. My head hangs heavily, exhausted; my eyes glazed and unfocused, with only my peripheral vision taking in vague, grayed images around me.
There are times in my business when I feel like this. Everything feels like a slog. The literal and painful experience that epitomizes the saying “two steps forward, one step back.” When I’m in this low place, I find it hard to keep my head up. Hard to focus on the big picture, my desired destination that is my vision for my business and my life.
I know you experience these moments too. And sometimes those moments stretch to days, weeks, months – and sometimes years.
But, there’s hope.
When we reached the top of Kilimanjaro and turned around to take in the view, it was both everything I’d every imagined – and a bit disappointing.
See, we were promised that if we left at midnight to hike up, we would arrive at the top to see the sunrise. But, our progress was slower than expected and so the sun was already up once we arrived. And the cloud cover blocked the view of much of the African landscape, offering just bits and pieces of what lay below, along with the not-too-distant peak of Mount Meru.
And yet – a dream come true! I had climbed Mount Kilimanjaro – the highest peak in all of the African continent; 19,314 feet or so above sea level. An amazing achievement and incredible experience to share with my new husband Matt on our 3-week honeymoon trip to Tanzania in East Africa.
I share this personal story with you from my life ten years ago because I want to help you to – not only climb your version of Mt. Kilimanjaro – but do so in a way that feels enjoyable, effortless, and allows you to get to the top sooner so you can see the sunrise from the top.
I’ve been there. I’ve experienced many challenges in my life and business ventures, and also (thankfully!) had many more successes.
And now I want to support you in identifying your Mt. Kilimanjaro – your big, bold vision for your life and your business – by cultivating the mindset and practices that will get you to the top sooner, with greater ease.
As I mentioned in last week’s ezine, I recently published my first book. You could say this is another mountain scaled in my two-decade long career. And I’m celebrating in every way I can!
To share my joy with you, for a very short period of time – and to support you in climbing your Mt. Kilimanjaro, I’m offering a 50% discount on my 1-day Performance Breakthrough Retreats.
This is a HUGE gift to you, and I’m so excited to extend this offer to you.
To find out more about my 1-day retreats and if it’s right for you, click here.
If you’re ready to get started, or simply have a few questions, please schedule a Performance Breakthrough Coaching Session here to assess if a 1-day retreat is right for you now and fill out a performance background evaluation form here. When scheduling, use the discount code “RetreatSpecial” to receive 50% savings!
If you’re still not sure if a 1-day retreat is right for you, no problem. Just book the breakthrough session with me here and I’ll answer any additional questions you may have.
And if you’ve already met with me for a coaching session and now know the time is right to move forward to the 1-day retreat, email me here and we’ll set-up a time to talk and confirm the date and time for the retreat that works best for you.
Erin
by Erin Owen | Sep 10, 2012 | Events, Ezine, General, Media
I’m very excited to announce I have released my first book: Refuel, Recharge, and Re-energize: Your Guide to Taking Back Control of Your Time and Energy.
Click here to download a free copy of the first chapter.
This book teaches you how to succeed using the wisdom of Eastern practices
Refuel, Recharge, and Re-energize shares the Eastern-inspired performance techniques I use with my clients, all aimed at helping self-employed professionals and entrepreneurs achieve more by doing less. The wisdom of ancient practices such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yoga, Reiki, Ayurveda, and Buddhism informs my work and helps my clients eliminate sources of stress and re-energize their personal and professional lives.
By applying the principles of Yin and Yang to our Western lives, I show you how to:
- Manifest more of what you want in your life and business
- Avoid getting derailed
- Experience fewer setbacks
- Recover more quickly
- Stay on track to realize your vision
Refuel, Recharge, and Re-energize guides the reader through seven techniques ranging from quick meditation and yoga-based exercises to nutrition and time management. My simple, flexible, portable, and free approaches, with an emphasis on becoming a “single-tasker,” are supported by additional materials, including guided audio meditations, recipes, and organizational principles on my website.
The new way of working is to be really clear about the life you want to live, take care of yourself first and then – and only then — build your business around that. In this way, you’ll actually see much greater productivity and performance in your business and be able to reach your goals of making an incredible impact on the world, not to mention living a life that makes it all worth it.
Click here to download a free copy of the first chapter.
by Erin Owen | Jul 13, 2012 | Events, Ezine
Kay was exhausted.
She was behind on paying her bills, hadn’t eaten a decent meal in weeks, and was struggling to find that spark of passion that had originally driven her to leave her cushy job and start her own business.
All around her was clutter. Piles of unopened mail, scribbled notes with the details of unreturned phone calls, and glimpses of days-old take-out food containers buried under the mess.
And none of this was because she wasn’t smart or successful.
None of this was because she had been raised by pigs in a barn.
She was simply overwhelmed by the complexity of her life, and didn’t even know where to begin to dig her way out.
That is, until she learned my time-tested, Eastern-inspired tips for clearing away the energy-draining, stress-inducing burdens that were keeping her from living life as she envisioned it.
Life is too short to let these situations be your normal. Things like…
- Waking up in the middle of the night full of anxiety
- Feeling like the only way to get by is to rely on caffeine and those stress-induced adrenaline rushes
- Hearing yourself responding to fun events with a “I would, if I only had more time”
- Getting buried alive in your piles of stuff
- Giving up on your vision because you think it’s just easier to give in to inertia
Seriously!
Like Kay, you too can discover how to make the following YOUR new normal…
- Have more energy and feel more focused
- Achieve more without having to work harder
- Release some of your burdens and experience more freedom in your life
- Say goodbye to overwork, overwhelm, and diminishing vitality
- Get your life back on track and feel excited to get up each morning
In less then 10 days, I’m starting a special Clutter-Clearing, Performance-Boosting Summer Challenge on July 23rd.
And by the way, did I mention that only 8 spots remain?
“Your approach made clearing out my work environment effortless.” –Laura, Audit Data Specialist, Woodbridge NJ
“Your program was practical, simple and allowed me to get almost immediate results.” –Jay, Consulting Engineer, Philadelphia PA
“The program was presented in easy-to-implement bite-sized nuggets.” –Irma, Bone Health Coach, New Hope PA
It’s time to take back control of your time and energy. Let me show you how.
Kay did it. And you can too.
Ready to get the details and see how easy you can make this work this summer?
Get more information.
by Erin Owen | Jun 29, 2012 | Events, General
The anxiousness you feel when things don’t go your
way, is often rooted in expectations about what
needs to happen and by when.
This might start at the beginning of your day and
build throughout the morning, making it hard to
focus at work and leaving you feeling like nothing
is getting done. Or it might start toward the end
of your work day and leave you in such a wound-up
state of mind that makes it hard to go to sleep at
night.
And since you live in a world that is pushing you
to get more done faster, without concern for the
quality of the experience or the outcome, it’s
really hard to keep those expectations in check.
It might be time for you to shift from an ASAP
state of mind to an “in the right time” state of
mind.
You probably know the letters “ASAP” refer to As
Soon as Possible. And the ASAP state of mind is
all about go-go-go. You rush forward throughout
your day from the moment your mind wakes up. As a
result you expect everyone else to operate in this
way too (including your colleagues, your children,
the other drivers on the road, etc), which feeds
into a really chaotic, crazed, frenetic, and
adrenaline-filled whirl of activity that often
spins you completely out of control.
Where in this picture is there room to breathe?
To slow down and appreciate all you have in your
life? To check-in with your life path to see if
you’re on track toward YOUR vision, and not what
others expect of you?
Take my client Judy. When she landed in Bali, she
immediately began to shift her state of mind.
Here’s what she said…
“The thing that was the most positive for me was
the slowness of my breath and the slower pace I
was moving to and the peace that came from walking
away from all of the chaos and stress that I left
behind in Philadelphia. It felt like a layer was
peeled off of me and I left it at the airport. And
the good news is, it stayed at the airport, the
stressful situations were still there when I
returned, but they didn’t affect me the same way.”
What is an “in the right time” state of mind?
It’s rooted in the culture of Bali that allows for
deep knowing that everything happens in the
perfect moment. In fact, you could equate the Bali
state of mind with this new state of mind – where
you know that everything happens “in the right
time.”
There is no need to control every little detail
of your day. You can trust that what is happening
is perfect in each moment.
This relaxing of the Western wound-up mindset
that spins you into a tight little ball of
stressed out unhappiness comes naturally with when
you embrace the “in the right time” mindset.
I first began to experience this shift after
visiting Jamaica, Eritrea, Tanzania, and India.
Each eye-opening culture gave me an even greater
appreciation of slowing down and how powerful it
can be.
But it wasn’t until immersing myself in the
Balinese culture that I felt the significant and
long-lasting shift to the “in the right time” way
of living.
And each return visit is like getting an update
on a vaccination that boosts your immunity to the
strain and weary ASAP way of working and living –
at least for a few years until you need another
shot in the arm. ☺
Can you make this shift without going to Bali?
Yes, in part. I experienced a partial shift
during the time in which I was practicing yoga
and/or meditating daily for at least 60 minutes
each day.. Any breath-centered or energy-centered
practice which requires you to pause and set-aside
the busy-ness of daily life can help you make this
transition.
However…
I don’t know about you, but at this stage of my
current life—running my own business, raising
two young boys, and living in the modern world, I
don’t have 60 minutes each day to practice yoga
and/or meditate anymore. Oh, how I wish I did!
Instead, I have to intentionally extract myself
from my regular life circumstances to get a super
dose of an all-encompassing culture that lives and
breathes the “in the right time” mindset. And that
for me is Bali.
If you’ve made attempt after attempt to recharge,
refocus and re-energize yourself, but found
yourself back where you started, day after day,
month after month, year after year… Then maybe
it’s time for you too to intentionally extract
yourself from your regular life circumstances to
get a super dose of this new way of working and
living.
In my opinion, it’s one of the secrets to
rebooting your mind, body and spirit to come into
alignment with how YOU really want to live.
I invite you to join the rest of us who are going
to Bali this Fall.
While space is still available, you can claim
your spot here:
http://execcareerreinvention.com/Bali/
• Early decision savings of $250 expires on June 30
• Additional client savings applies to active private clients and those participants who just completed the Clutter-Clearing, Performance-Boosting group program, as well as past clients of any kind
To read more about Judy’s experience in Bali, click here.
If you have any questions or would like to talk
with me 1-on-1 about the Bali trip or how to go
from ASAP to the “in the right time” mindset,
email me or
call me at 215-771-8968.
Erin
