Michelle's son graduating from high school
There is plenty to celebrate this time of year. Some of us are celebrating the big personal milestones, like birthdays (yep, Ann and Michelle are both Geminis!), graduations (congrats, class of 2010!), and anniversaries (of relationship beginnings or endings, with a job, in your home). Others of us are acknowledging and remembering those who have come before us, by observing holidays, family, or cultural traditions. Still others are celebrating the small steps they are making every day in their commitment to live the lives they desire, like meditating this morning for 15 minutes, making a choice this afternoon to eat a healthy snack versus junk food, or calling a relative tonight and asking her for help with a difficult family situation.
MJ and her daughter celebrating her first birthday
Whatever you're celebrating, take this opportunity to renew your commitment to a goal that you've lapsed on. No excuses, no apologies, no back story. So, go ahead - email, call, or tap the shoulder of your Goal Sister and carve out time for you to celebrate together, as well as keep each other accountable on your goals.
A book that's grabbing Michelle's attention is
Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts! Mama Gena describes her roadmap to "create a life of pleasure, abundance, and full gratification." And who doesn't want more of that? Here are some of the skills Mama Gena encourages us to bring into our lives:
~ Identify our desires
~ Have fun, no matter where we are
~ Reacquaint ourselves to our sensual pleasure
~ Befriend our inner bitch
~ Flirt to fire up our lives
~ Own our beauty
Here's a link to the book's
Introduction.
It's a wonderful, spicy book to read and share with your Goal Sister! And it might be the umph you've been searching for to turbocharge your goals.
We recently received this sad news about the Maui Writers Conference, where in 2002 Michelle pitched our Goal Sisters book, and the next year we met our fabulous editor, Georgia Hughes! We treasure our times at this conference, and will miss the camaraderie and information we learned about the craft and business of writing books.
Here's Lee Catuluna's June 22, 2010 column from the Hawaii Star Advertiser:
The Hawaii Writers Conference, formerly known as the Maui Writers Conference, is dead. Less than a year ago, stories touting the annual event were placed all over local media. Lenny Klompus was calling around to make sure there was publicity. The Advertiser gave the organization full-page ads for free. But the demise of the glitzy 17-year-old event has been, thus far, kept quiet.
The Hawaii Writers Conference website is blank except for a letter from Honolulu bankruptcy attorney Steven Guttman dated May 14.
"We are assisting the Hawaii Writers Foundation, a Hawaii nonprofit corporation doing business as the Hawaii Writers Conference, with winding up its business operations," the letter begins.
"The directors of HWF, John and Shannon Tullius, regret events and changes in the economy have forced them to make the unwelcomed decision to terminate HWF and cancel both the retreat and conference scheduled for August 2010. In light of its termination, there will be no further HWF-sponsored retreats or conferences in the future."
Those who had already paid to attend the 2010 conference may end up losing that money.
"As of this date, there are no assets available from which to refund the monies that were remitted," the memo states. "However, funds may become available in the future depending on the resolution of certain financial matters."
John Tullius filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection on April 29. Shannon Tullius filed for divorce on May 5. Guttman did not return messages asking for comment.
It is a surprising plot twist for an event that has been big on positive promotion and name dropping. Past presenters included Ron Howard, Mitch Albom, Dave Barry and Aaron Sorkin. Supporters have included Linda Lingle and numerous Hawaii business leaders. As recently as last year, there were still the sunny stories about what a great thing this event was for Hawaii's economy.
(See right column for the rest of Lee Catuluna's column)
As the season changes, it offers us a great opportunity to lighten up on ourselves, on our stuff, and on our thinking! Here are some suggestions to make that happen:
Learn to love yourself in 17 ways.
Invest in your self care. Stop what you're doing. Close your eyes and ask yourself: What can I do
right now, in this moment to take care of me?
"Get over it," a youtube message delivered by
Wendy Keller
Harken back to what makes you laugh. Is it spending time with a friend that 'cracks you up'? Watching Laurel and Hardy movies (or any Judd Apatow flicks)? Playing a game with your pet? Telling knock-knock jokes? Checking out cartoons on the editorial page?
Trade books you no longer need or want on
paperbackswap.com
Eat mindfully! Here's a great book to get you started -
Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food
No room in your closet? Take 30 minutes to go through your stuff and bag up clothes, shoes, purses, and hats you no longer use. Then drop it off at your nearest donation center!
*
Unplug from the screens in your life (television, video games, computer, cell phone). Then, dance and sing to your favorite tunes.
Plant a tree with a child, or plant trees which store CO2. If trees aren't your thing, plant herbs or a flower garden!
Click on the link to listen to Ann speak to Kaplan University students about setting goals:
http://www.kuartsandsciencesmedia.com/GoalSisters/GoalSetting.htm
Copyright © 2004-2010 by Michelle Beaulieu Pillen, Ph.D., and Ann Leach. All rights reserved. No part of this Web site may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise.
