This coming week is going to be full. I'm hosting an interactive talk entitled "CROSSROADS: Selecting Your Next Bold Action" on Wednesday, and moving out of my apartment on Friday. Typically I would not pack those two things into one week, but over the last few years I've adopted an "If you're gonna go, go!" attitude. And, when in doubt, try to connect with people. Happily, my Wednesday night plans will give me a chance to do both those things. Plus, taking action aids one's sense of efficacy and that's how I settled upon the title for this evening's post. Indecision is a friend to no one. I hate to see anyone paralyzed by fear, least of all myself! That's where the topic for Wednesday evening's talk originated. I don't want to just talk about helping people or just talk about the difference I think I can make as a public speaker. I want to DO those things. Talk is cheap.

I remember when I was anxiously waiting to hear if I'd been accepted to Harvard Business School. I recall thinking: "I want to be past this. I want to worry about other things like whether to live on-campus or not!" There is so much in life that we do not have control over. Let's really own the things we CAN control. Let's not be the bottleneck in the process of living a richer, more vibrant, and more meaningful life. Easier said than done, I know. The good news is that tapping in to your intuition, your gut, your Source, the Universe is something you can learn. And once you do, you'll spend a lot more time in the company of peace and joy, today and everyday after that. Register for CROSSROADS and I'll see you on Wednesday!

As ever,

Lauren

I am strong and healthy and blessed! I am learning and growing everyday and I can't ask for much more than that. Nonetheless, life presents us with challenges, and I think it is time to bring Peace And Joy Today to the southeast. If you take a look around the site, you'll notice a lot more content--specifically around speaking and consulting--than was in place even three weeks ago. New York City has inspired and born witness to this flurry of creative activity, but this is all news to another major market...Atlanta, Georgia. So, I'm going on assignment. In such a small company, if I want someone to go fire up the southeastern market, that someone has to be me.

As promised, I'd like to give a shout out and much respect to my friend Eric Blair-Joannou for his helpful and encouraging feedback on recent changes to peaceandjoytoday.com. Thanks also for being someone I can share all kinds of triumphs with -- big and small. Your time to guest blog is fast approaching!

In related news, thanks to everyone who has had a kind word to share about Peace And Joy Today. This is just the beginning and I'm so excited for Peace And Joy Today to become a movement that inspires people and compels them to dig deep and find ways to do what they love. Life is awfully short. Go big!

With joy,

Lauren

I think I made at least three New Year's Resolutions. Interestingly, only one stands out now the first two months of the year have passed. What is that gem? It's this: "I'm not taking any sh#t from anybody." I recycle some resolutions from year to year, so if I had to guess, the other two were: (1) be kinder to Lauren, and (2) be bold! Those are great and they never get old, but I'm not entirely sure those were the ones I committed to on New Year's Eve. At any rate, I am having success with "not taking any mess from anybody." I like to add to that, "And I don't care who you are!" I've removed a couple people from my emotional payroll this year and I must say, it feels great to stand up for myself. No apologies, no pussyfooting around the issue at hand.

Several years ago, one of my sisters commented on my penchant for burning bridges after I had a blow-up with a so-called mentor. The funny thing is, I am as peace-loving a woman as you're likely to find. But some bridges need to go! Editing one's life is a life-long process. When it comes to honoring your truth, your dignity, your value as a child of God, some stuff just can't be tolerated. And in 2012, I'm all for taking care of business.