Look up!

 

October 24, 2022 Regenerate Your World  Build the future you want to live in. I know these times aren't the easiest for all of us, but I am an optimist - I see the glass as half-full, instead of half-empty. To brighten up your days, I publish the Regenerate Your World newsletter coming to your inbox on a bi-weekly basis. Let's Get Empowered! Look up!Let's Get Empowered! As we slowly move into the winter months after being out and about in the summer and fall months, it is a good time to think of things we are grateful for including the value and meaning of the most important people and things in your life. Researchers have found nature is a common source of joy. Just the act of appreciating a dandelion or the fall colors may play an even larger role in our overall happiness than we know. Stopping to look up at our surroundings is an act of appreciation and recognizing the source of goodness in our lives. Including daily moments to pause and notice what brings us joy and really seeing what causes that emotion is an important aspect of well-being that doesn’t take a lot of time. The difference in happiness, a sense of belonging, and well-being can be significantly higher for those who spend time noticing and savoring these moments of joy. I first learned about the act of savoring from Rick Hanson. He states,  ”savoring positive experiences can change the brain for the better,  It’s kind of amazing: right now, what you think and feel, enjoy and suffer, is changing your brain. The brain is the organ that learns, designed by evolution to be changed by our experiences…Besides being more open in general to beneficial experiences, you can look for those specific experiences that will grow the particular inner strength(s) that will help you the most these days. For example, if you’re feeling anxious, look for authentic opportunities to feel supported, protected, resourced, tough-minded, relaxed, or calm. If life feels disappointing or blah, look for genuine facts that naturally support experiences of gladness, gratitude, pleasure, accomplishment, or effectiveness. If you feel lonely or inadequate, look for the real occasions when you are included, seen, appreciated, liked, or loved—and open to feeling appropriately cared about, and valued; also look for chances to feel caring yourself, since love is love whether it is flowing in or flowing out.”. I was able to experience this firsthand a few weeks ago. The photo above captured the moment. I was hiking through the woods near my house. I was very focused on the trail there are a lot of rocks, roots, and branches that I could trip over so I was looking down at the trail for most of my hike. Suddenly I heard a twig snap and the sound startled me. I looked up and all around to see what caused the noise. It was a deer walking through the woods so I began to relax. As I relaxed I looked up and saw a beautiful view. I went from being very nervous about the sound to feel so grateful for the view, the opportunity to be outside, and to have the time to enjoy nature. Sometimes I get so focused on what is right in front of me that I forget to look around at what is all around me.  Sometimes things don't turn out as planned but oftentimes there are other positive events that happen that would not have happened had things gone as planned. For example, I recently co-hosted a retreat. The sign-up for the retreat did not go as planned and we did not have as many attendees as we thought we would have. However, if the retreat would have sold out right away I would not have reached out to the media or friends to help me promote the event. After reaching out to the media and friends I made several new contacts and built new relationships that led to different opportunities. At first, I was disappointed because the retreat was not selling as quickly as I thought it would. But now when I “look up” I realize I would not be in the situation I am in now with a larger network of support if the retreat sold out quickly.  Can you think of a time when something did not go as planned but ended up being better than you thought? On a related note, the retreat went really well and I learned a lot from the experience. Throughout the retreat, I tried to remind myself to “look up” and take in my surroundings. In what areas of your life do you need to "look up"?  When can you take a few minutes to savor an experience? What brings you joy? The expression “look up!” is not just about nature, but instead is a statement that encourages us to appreciate the world around us. It is a reminder to take in our surroundings, slow down, to be present. It isn’t easy, it means being aware and attentive to the present moment to be able to experience and enjoy the small moments throughout the day. Today, I have a larger community and more engaged community that I look forward to serving all because I looked up and enjoyed the view. **Scroll to the end of the newsletter for upcoming EMPOWER Possible events. I have added a few since the last newsletter.  Cheers to the journey and thank you for your readership! Julie (The photo below is from a recent hike. Bean and Bear Lakes. 😊🍁) Enjoy the View by  David Choi A look at the time You hear the bell chime Take off your shoes Fill up your space And live with a grace To find all things true Beautiful and new Don’t close your eyes It’s splendor in disguise Even the sun, goes through trouble Shining her light, fighting rubble Looking for diamonds like the stars Up so high and down so far Nobody knows what’s going on So much around, yet so much is gone Out with the old, in with the new Just sit back and enjoy the view…. Just sit back and enjoy the view…. Upcoming Events What: EMPOWER Possible Interest Survey Where: Online When: Right now! 😊 Why: Help build EMPOWER Possible. Your feedback will help determine the next steps EMPOWER Possible will take in supporting you and your journey.  Cost: Free Click here to complete the survey! What: Maximizing MasterClass Four Part Series Where: Virtual When: Saturday, December 10, February 11, May 13, and August 19 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. CST  Why: 𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? If so, do you want to join a free community that meets quarterly to share takeaways and recommendations? Join me, Charity Youngblood, and Linda Brandt as we build connections and share insights from what they are learning from MasterClass Cost: Free Click here to register What: EMPOWER Possible Peer Coaching Groups Where: Virtual When: Group launches January 2023!🎉 Why: Let's learn and develop together! You will join a group of your peers in order to share ideas, resources, and build connections. Cost: 49.00/year Click here to register In other news, EMPOWER Possible is on Facebook and Instagram!  For motivational quotes and inspiration go to :  Empower Possible Facebook  and Empower Possible Instagram

What do Empower Possible and France have in common?

 

October 10th, 2022 Regenerate Your World  Build the future you want to live in. I know these times aren't the easiest for all of us, but I am an optimist - I see the glass as half-full, instead of half-empty. To brighten up your days, I publish the Regenerate Your World newsletter coming to your inbox on a bi-weekly basis. Let's Get Empowered! What do EMPOWER Possible and France have in common? Both have witnessed the power of the message behind the Citizenship in the Republic or more popularly known as “The Man in the Arena” speech by Theodore Roosevelt.  Theodore Roosevelt was speaking to the people of France about the path to democracy and the role citizens in a democracy play in building a democracy. He called for them as citizens to do their best and to hold themselves to a high standard of service.   As EMPOWER Possible turns one year old (yay!), I am revisiting the speech as I have written about it in a past newsletter. As I reflect on the past year and the speech I am reminded of all of the people, events, and messages that have inspired me, kept me motivated over the year, and those I aspire to serve to the best of my ability. And, whew, it has been quite a year! 🎉 Some of the highlights include working with clients on strategic planning and goal setting, building my online courses, writing this newsletter 😊, presenting on Purpose and Meaning, working with local community education programs, co-facilitating a retreat with Rachel Gilbertson, and last but not least connecting around issues of well-being and empowerment. This year has had its ups and downs and rounds and rounds, just like a roller coaster. I am working on going with the flow and not reacting but responding to each situation. So life is more like the kiddie roller coaster, not the Wild Thing roller coaster.🎢 There were many times when I had my “Man in the Arena” moments. When I almost stopped because I was concerned about the critics.  What kept me motivated is thinking about what this experience can teach me. If you learn something then you have not failed because many will critique you if they think you have failed or are going to try to do something that has not been done. It is during these times that I think about the quote from Theodore Roosevelt, “it is not the critic that counts (sometimes my loudest critic is myself)... not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. This quote and many other inspiring messages, along with the support of you the reader, and the support of family and friends kept me going over the months of planning, implementing, falling, and getting back up. As EMPOWER Possible turns one year old, I am in a phase of reflection and gratitude. My heart is so full of appreciation for you and the EMPOWER possible community. I will end with a few reflection questions I am going to be asking myself and that you might find helpful too. Who is your loudest critic?  Is what they are saying necessary, kind, or true? What strategies can I use to assess my work to ensure that it is my best? What is inspiring you?  Then think about what phase you are in. Are you building, implementing, reviewing, or resting/reflecting?  Don’t forget about the resting phase! I am looking forward to continuing to offer services that build a community that empowers each other and to many more years and many more “Man in the Arena” moments or should I say Person in the Arena. As I am expanding I am looking for your feedback. Please click HERE to take the EMPOWER Possible Interest Survey. I want EMPOWER Possible to serve you in the best possible way. Completing this survey will help me do this! Thank you in advance for taking 5 minutes to complete the survey. Lastly, please check out the upcoming events section for more information! Thank you for your readership! Together we can regenerate our world, Julie For the full speech go to https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-sorbonne-paris-france-citizenship-republic  Theodore Roosevelt, Address at the Sorbonne in Paris, France: "Citizenship in a Republic" Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/346006 Upcoming Events What: EMPOWER Possible Interest Survey Where: Online When: Right now! 😊 Why: Help build EMPOWER Possible. Your feedback will help determine the next steps EMPOWER Possible will take in supporting you and your journey.  Click here to take the survey What: Monticello Community Education Course. THRIVE: Overcome Burnout Where: Monticello High School, West Lecture Room, Monticello, MN When: October 20th 5:30 pm - 8 pm Why: This one is for my hometown. I grew up in Monticello, MN, and still have family there. I want to give back to the community I grew up in and share with the community the lessons I have learned about burnout and the ability to thrive since leaving my hometown. Participants will learn the signs of burnout and how to overcome and prevent burnout. Click here to register What: EMPOWER Possible Peer Coaching Groups Where: Virtual When: Group launches January 2023!🎉 Why: Let's learn and develop together! You will join a group of your peers in order to share ideas, resources, and build connections. Join A Group Today! In other news, EMPOWER Possible is on Pinterest! For motivational quotes and inspiration go to : https://pin.it/2l5gRLc and follow EMPOWER Possible.

Are you sabotaging yourself?

 

September 26, 2022 Regenerate Your World  Build the future you want to live in. I know these times aren't the easiest for all of us, but I am an optimist - I see the glass as half-full, instead of half-empty. To brighten up your days, I publish the Regenerate Your World newsletter coming to your inbox on a bi-weekly basis. Let's Get Empowered! Are you sabotaging your own happiness? Do you say things like, “I will be happy when I _______” ( I get a new job, relationship, promotion, etc.) Think back to a time when you really wanted something, maybe it was a new TV, a vacation, or a new relationship, how did you fill in the blank? How did it feel once you got those things? Did the happiness last or did you quickly move on to wanting something more, a bigger TV, a better vacation, a different relationship? You probably were happy for a period of time and then if you are like most of us quickly moved on to thinking, “I will be happy when I ____” again.  Think about what “fill in the blank” you are chasing today. The good news is you can stop chasing. You do not have to wait to be happy, happiness can begin right now! A few years ago, I attended a training called, “Happy Hour” no we did not meet in a bar for drinks, we met at Carleton College for a week-long training session on topics related to positive psychology. While taking the class I learned so much about happiness. Life is challenging and according to researchers your life circumstances only account for part of your level of happiness.  This is where the Happiness Equation comes in, yes this is a real thing developed by positive psychologists, the Happiness Equation states about 10% of our happiness can be explained by our external factors, and about 40% - 50% is our genetics (the set range that we live in) and the rest is determined by our intentional activity and our interpretation of the events that happen in our life and our perception. In other words, your happiness doesn't have to depend on your life circumstances (the bigger TV, the promotion, etc.). You have a choice when it comes to happiness.  This is great news! It means with time, focus, and attention we can impact our level of happiness in a positive way. Want to learn how?  Below is an overview of a few steps you can take to adjust your level of happiness. First, a disclaimer, the definition of happiness I am referring to is the feeling you have when you are striving towards your full potential in service to others. This is different than the yellow smiley face type of happiness. Not that there is anything wrong with that type of happiness however research shows that type of happiness is very fleeting as you may have noted from the first paragraphs of this newsletter. There are many ways to stop sabotaging your happiness. I am going to discuss two ways to stop sabotaging your happiness with the hope that you will be able to take at least one action and put it into practice.  The first way to stop sabotaging your happiness is to identify your mindset. As we discussed 40-50% of your levels of happiness are determined by how your brain processes the world so we need to train your brain! You’ve probably heard of the story of the two shoe salesmen who were sent to another country in the early 1900s to assess opportunities. They wired separate telegrams back to their boss. One read: “Situation hopeless. They don’t wear shoes.” The other read: “Glorious opportunity! They don’t have any shoes yet.” How do we get to a point where we can see the opportunities and adjust our mindset? We do this by engaging in activities that re-wire the brain- savoring a positive experience for example helps you to reflect on positive moments to help us overcome our natural tendencies to focus on the negative Think about it: In the work world, as in our personal lives, we are often rewarded for noticing the problems that need solving, the stresses that need managing, and the injustices that need righting. Sometimes this can be very useful.  The problem is that if we get stuck in only that pattern, always looking for and picking up on the negative, even a paradise can become hell. And worse, the better we get at scanning for the negative, the more we miss out on the positive – those things in life that bring us greater happiness, and in turn fuel our success. The good news is that we can also train our brains to scan for the positive – for the possibilities dormant in every situation. This doesn’t mean ignoring the negative. It means we don’t need to focus on the negative.  The second way to stop sabotaging your happiness is to identify your strengths. Good news again, we all have strengths!  No matter what your current challenges are there are ways to use your strengths to help overcome them.  In general, people tend to be happier and more successful when they use their strengths. The first step to using your strengths is identifying your strengths.  Once you identify your strengths think of how you currently use your strengths and one way you could use your strengths in a new way and do this activity for at least one week.  For example, I am a curious person, I could use my strength in a new way by asking a co-worker a question I have never asked them before.  Since I work remotely I don’t often have the opportunity to chat about none work-related items with my colleagues so in my case this would be a new way to use my strength. How could you use your strengths in a new way? Want to explore your mindset and strengths?  Complete this worksheet to identify your mindset and your strengths.  Click HERE to access the Identify your Strengths and Mindset worksheet. After completing the worksheet take a few moments to journal about the experience. Let me know your discoveries along the way, email me, info@empowerpossible.com. Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for upcoming EMPOWER Possible events! Thank you for your readership! Together we can regenerate our world, Julie Upcoming Events What: Purpose in a Time of Crisis Where: McCabe Renewal Center, Duluth MN. When: October 1st 9am to 3pm Why: Take a day to restore, reconnect, and regenerate. Click here to register What: Duluth Community Education Course: THRIVE: Overcome Burnout Where: Ordean East Middle School, Duluth, MN When: September 27th & October 4th 6pm -7:30pm Why: Burnout is not inevitable. Learn to recognize signs and symptoms of burnout Identify the root causes of burnout Create at least one personal action to prevent burnout in your own life.  Examine how values influence choices and behaviors in order to prevent burnout. Click here to register What: Monticello Community Education Course. THRIVE: Overcome Burnout Where: Monticello High School, West Lecture Room, Monticello, MN When: October 20th, 5:30 pm - 7 pm Why: This one is for my hometown. I grew up in Monticello, MN, and still have family there. I want to give back to the community I grew up in and share with the community the lessons I have learned about burnout and the ability to thrive since leaving my hometown. Participants will learn the signs of burnout and how to overcome and prevent burnout. Click here to register In other news, EMPOWER Possible is on Pinterest! For motivational quotes and inspiration go to : https://pin.it/2l5gRLc and follow EMPOWER Possible. 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