View Post

Looking Under the Hood of Shoulds

I’ve been paying closer attention to my health lately. I’m eating more whole foods, especially more leafy greens, berries, and protein, and consuming less alcohol. I’m stretching and walking daily and strength training 3-4 times a week. I’m monitoring and getting better sleep by shutting off electronics and getting to bed earlier. I’m drinking more water and green tea. Besides …

View Post

Building a Bigger Pie

Part of the work I love doing is coaching other speakers on their presentations.  One time, my husband Tom overheard me sign off on a coaching call by saying, “Break a leg!” to my colleague who was about to give the first keynote of her career.  Tom asked if I knew where that phrase came from, and I admitted I …

View Post

Greenlights

Last year, my book club read Matthew McConaughey’s memoir, Greenlights.  It’s always fun for me to listen to fellow Texans tell their story because that prowess runs through the blood of most Texans, modeled frequently by our Texas family members, and seems to get strengthened with age.  McConaughey is no exception. Matthew noticed early on that whenever he would hit …

View Post

Music Monday: Be Mine, Valentine

It’s hard not to love a holiday dedicated to the idea of Love… and I do. I know music tastes can vary but as a music lover of a wide range of genres, sometimes I think a song really captures the essence of the moment, mood, or even holiday. So, this week, I selected 2 songs that really speak to …

View Post

We Can & We Will

One of my favorite sayings from my coach, Sara Connell, is “I Can and I Will”— sometimes taking the alliteration of “You Can and You Will” or “We Can and We Will.”   Sara always inserts this phrase (usually with a loud collective chorus from the room) whenever anyone expresses some doubt or self-limitation around a goal or dream. I …

View Post

My Favorite Christmas Prayer

One of my fondest holiday memories was probably 20 years ago watching my boys play tag football with two marines from nearby Camp Pendleton on the street where we lived while I cooked our holiday meal and decorated our table. The young new recruits were there because the school that my boys attended had arranged volunteer families to host young …

View Post

What’s Different Now?

One of my favorite quotes is, “Change your story, change your life.” So simple and yet so powerful if you really understand the principle. If you’ve been a subscriber to our Monday Morning Stretch for any length of time, you know that one of the foundational beliefs at LionSpeak is that we create our reality. Neutral events happen around us, …

View Post

Water Weight

The health and productivity of teams, whether professional, personal, or community-based, is commensurate with the health and productivity of the individuals who make up those teams.  When team members are physically and emotionally healthy, it absolutely has a direct effect on the speed and quality with which products and services are delivered to their consumers, the ability to effectively communicate …

View Post

One Degree of Separation

Last week, I wrote about an agreement from a women’s conference that I really loved and this week, I have one more for you: The answer is in the room. At Sara’s conference, we agreed up front that the answers we were seeking were “in the room” already. I found this such a comforting thought. It reminded me of the …

View Post

I am ONE with that!

I recently attended a 3-day conference in Chicago called “Women Starting Movements” which is an annual conference put on by my business coach, Sara Connell. I always come home with a journal and a brain full of ideas, new methods, and commitments to implement into my business plan. Maybe equally beneficial, I also come home with a heart that’s filled …