With the hustle and bustle of life, the "be gentle with myself" goal for the week got lost! Barely thought about it. So we'll keep that goal through this week. We have some distractions to contend with -- a hurricane named Sandy comes to mind!

If life is a test and we find ourselves in the same painful situations because we haven't yet learned what we need to learn, then it would seem to make sense to slow down, focus up, get the lesson, and move on. I am somewhere between slowing down and focusing up. Happily for me, if I stay reflective and aware, I will get the lesson.

Another long break since the last post. I pictured things going differently. I was going to post once a week and then ramp up to twice a week. Did not happen. Some other things were going on...new job...short stint as a 4th grade teacher, but the fact is, there's an ebb and flow to everything and we just experienced an ebb in the blog.

I'm back, but without any fanfare this time. I'm not going to make promises I can't keep. Everything is what it is. Tomorrow isn't promised. I do have this moment, though. And in this moment, I choose to be gentle with myself. In fact, that's my goal for this upcoming week. 

Have you ever listened to a Deepak Chopra meditation? He will sometimes say, "Every decision I make is a choice between a grievance and a miracle. I choose the miracle." That would be my other goal for the week.

1. Be gentle with myself.
2. Choose the miracle.

I will report back -- sending updates from the front lines of my life.

Peacefully,

Lauren

Sincere apologies for a two-month hiatus from the Inspiration Blog. The greater Atlanta area fell short of my expectations and aspirations in terms of scaling Peace And Joy Today. (Some people just aren't ready for peace and joy!) 

Bygones. Onward and upward!

Having just recently settled in NYC for my second iteration of living and working in New York, I think it will be both timely and cathartic for me to do a series of posts about self-care. One lesson I've learned over the last several years is that meaningful and deliberate self-care is a powerful antidote when circumstances beyond my control lead me to feel anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. 

Over the next three weeks, I predict a weekly post, but heading into September I will target two posts per week.

Humbly and peacefully,

Lauren

When you work you are a flute through whose heart
the whispering of the hours turns to music. To love
life through labor is to be intimate with life's inmost secret.
All work is empty save when there is love, for work is
love made visible.

Kahlil Gibran
(1883-1931)
Lebanese mystic, poet, dramatist, and artist

I read these lines earlier today in Dr. Wayne Dyer's book Wisdom of The Ages. Do these lines from Kahlil Gibran capture how you feel about your work? Imagine if they did! This is my goal. I know it is possible because there are people in the world right now doing it. There are people who "love life through labor" and who meet their worldly needs as well. These goals need not be mutually exclusive. I am on the path. 

This week I'd like to share a video message from Jodie Foster and Matt Damon of Water.org.

In the course of any given week, I have lots of intentions. I intend to eat...I intend to sleep...I intend to watch Dancing With The Stars... I'm interested in what happens when you and I take the time to set a clear intention and really bring mindfulness to that intention. One of the oft-quoted lines in A Course In Miracles is "I can choose peace rather than this!" And yet, when do I invoke that line? In the past, I never ever think to "choose peace" when I feel that my choices and decisions are under attack. This week, I intend to slow down and commit to feeling peaceful. I intend to quiet my mind and be the kind, open-hearted friend that we so often seek outside ourselves. What's your intention for this week?

Peace and joy,

Lauren

Keep these qualities and attributes in mind!

Friends,

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to read Blake Mycoskie's book Start Something That Matters. It's a fantastic book (and it was a gift from my friend Katie Jesionowski, who appears as the first interview on Inspiration Kit #1). Blake is the founder of TOMS shoes and you are likely already familiar with the One For One premise: for every pair of shoes TOMS sells, they donate a pair to a child in need. The book was full of business insights and, of course, its singular challenge to start something that matters. As I reflect on all the wisdom within the book and on Peace And Joy Today's mission of inspiring friends and neighbors to live at their highest possibility -- with love, urgency, and integrity-- I feel called to connect Peace And Joy Today with a mission-critical charitable cause. 

I've decided that for the next six months (May through October) I will donate 10% of my coaching proceeds to Water.org to help address the global clean water crisis. I envision that every six months, I may wish to focus on a different charity, but for these first six months, please join me in learning more about the clean water crisis and what each of us can do to help. You don't have to check airfares to Haiti. You can start small. Start here: Water.org.

I'll see you for another video blog on Thursday.

Peace and joy,

Lauren

The latest video blog!

Hi All,

I've been visualizing the kind of powerful, exciting, and growth-filled May I'd like to have. I hope you're picturing something similar for yourself! In order to accommodate as many people as truly have the desire to participate in my One-on-One Coaching program, I'm offering FREE 30-minute phone consultations for anyone who reaches out to me by the end of the month, i.e. next Monday, April 30th. The regular consultation fee is $55. We don't have to have the conversation by the 30th, but you do need to be in touch so we can schedule it. Reach me on: [email protected].

This is a time to move with urgency. Claim your results!

Be bold and loving,

Lauren