Facilitator + Trainer + Creative Coach |
Based in Connecticut, Working Worldwide

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Growing Into Your New Life

Growing into Your New Life

We’re living in a time of tremendous upheaval — a global pandemic, widespread economic distress, and urgent calls for social justice and structural changes. 

With everything in flux these days and months, many of us are taking a good hard look at our lives. 

From where I sit, aligning your life, work and relationships with your true nature is much like creating a garden. It’s a worthy endeavor that takes patience, time, commitment, and a willingness to change with the seasons.

You may be feeling out of sync right now. Much like a plant that’s outgrown its container, perhaps you are yearning for the space to stretch and grow. You know the old way doesn’t feel right and, yet, you’re not sure what steps to take next.

Or maybe the shifts you’ve been experiencing lately have you feeling rootless. Like a sunflower seedling that slowly turns toward the sun, you may be wondering how to orient yourself to a new normal. 

Whatever you’re feeling, take heart – as Rilke wrote “No feeling is final”. Our feelings are simply cues to the places where we need to focus our attention.

Today I encourage you to heed the voice of your inner guide. You may hear it as a whisper, or a clamour. No matter the volume, ask yourself:

  • What is no longer working in my life?
  • Where do I feel hemmed in or confined to an old way of being?
  • What needs to change? 
  • What new habits will help me thrive?
  • Who in my circle of support can help me grow stronger and deeper?

I offer creative coaching, support and accountability to get you out of overwhelm and into action. Schedule a complimentary coaching session with me, and let’s get the seeds of your growth planted today.

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Three tips for nurturing your self

Want to dig in and plant the seeds of the next phase in your life journey? Then take a cue from Mother Nature with these three tips for building and nurturing a life you love.

  1. Prepare Your Foundation

Ask any seasoned gardener and they’ll tell you it’s all about the soil. Rich, healthy earth makes for happy, thriving plants and an abundant harvest. The same holds true for people seeking personal growth and transformation. 

What do you need to have in place at the start of your coaching journey?

  • Deep commitment to doing the work that leads to self-awareness 
  • Tools to help you explore what matters to you – your core values and motivators
  • A personal life purpose statement to steer you along
  1. Be Selective!

Whether you’re carving out an urban plot or staking a homestead, you first need to decide what to plant. Along the way, you have to assess and make some hard choices. Have you got enough space for all those heirloom tomatoes? Can you live without another jalapeño?

You need to be just as choosy when you design your own life.

So spend the time upfront to get clear on your core values, take stock of where your life is at right now, and make sure you have the support you need to make any necessary changes to move you forward. 

  1. Diversify, diversify, diversify!

Monoculture isn’t good for our planet and it’s not good for humans, either. A well-crafted life blends people, purpose and passions that feed your mind, body, and spirit. 

How do you strike that healthy balance and nurture all facets of your life? You can start by doing a personal audit. Where and how are you spending your time and energy? What people and passions will help you thrive where you’re planted?

Interested in exploring how coaching can help you grow and thrive? Not sure where to start? Then my “North Star” coaching package may be right for you. Schedule your complimentary session and let’s talk.

What’s it like over there in Turkey?

What’s it like over there in Turkey?

People ask me that question a lot.

They ask when they find out that my husband is Turkish. Or when I talk about spending the summer with our kids in Turkey. Or when I mention that I’m going there for work.

Or when some Hollywood starlet says something like, “Oh, I thought Istanbul was a town.” (Yeah, I know, I winced too.)

And, you know what? I still don’t have a good answer.

Because, summing up Turkey, or any other country or culture, for that matter, is basically impossible.

It’s like asking a mom what labor’s like. (Okay, it’s not that extreme.)

Still, when you’re talking about a country as big, as diverse, and as old as Turkey, there aren’t any simple, succinct answers.

But that doesn’t stop people from having questions.

The Top 3 Questions I Get Asked about Turkey

Over the years I’ve field a lot of questions about traveling in Turkey. Here’s just a sample:

Do you wear a headscarf when you’re there?  

Nope. Sure, if I’m visiting a mosque, I’ll put on one out of respect. But, in my normal goings-about, I’ve never worn, or felt pressured, to don a headscarf. 

Is it safe?  

There’s something about Turkey that makes some people very nervous. And it’s not just Americans who get the willies. Back when I lived in Madrid and was heading out for my first trip to Turkey, a well-meaning Spanish friend tried to talk me out of going. “What if you’re kidnapped? Or tossed into a Turkish prison like that guy in that movie Midnight Express?”  Considering that I wasn’t a) a top model or b) a drug dealer, I wasn’t too worried. Twenty-years and two kids later, I’m even less so.  

Is it true you have to walk several paces behind your husband?

Heck, no! And I don’t see my Turkish female relatives plodding along behind their spouses either.

Curious about Turkey and want to learn more? Then consider joining me on a “Wander & Wonder Day Trip”. Contact me to learn about the custom walkabouts I offer in Istanbul and other locations in the U.S. and abroad.