Go From Chaos to Calm: How Busy Professionals Stop the Daily Mad Dash

September 5th, 2012

As an accomplished professional you have worked hard to get where you are in personally and professionally, but all to often your day is swiftly gobbled up by pesky tasks and the needs of many.  Justifying what you do each day, or why you have morphed into a nagging micro manger seems like standard operating procedure.

You feel a push-pull between the desire to be a good provider financially and fully present for yourself, family and community.  Ensnared by the “as soon as” trap , all of your focus is on getting things done and  your “real life” is pushed aside.

You may be torn between being a highly professional, driven, get-it-done-right person and engaging your creative side. The part of you itching to explore, to play, to express itself- the part of you that craves rich experiences.

Some days its hard not feel undervalued, put upon and just wrung out from the mad dash to get through your to do list- never mind enjoying life. You are ready to do your best work, without sacrificing your quality of life, but you are just not sure how to make that happen.

Busy professionals I talk with crave to get things done to their high standards without feeling like everyday is a mad dash to get through their to do lists.The best way I see to do that is finding really practical ways to make the most of your time and resources so you can go from chaos to calm. Then you can meet the challenge of balancing long-term thinking with handling day-to-day realities, ensure things are done well and what you want becomes a regular part of your day.

Recently I gave a two-part interview on 6 practical and effective principles to help you go from chaos to calm.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrKslKsDWAA&w=420&h=315]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgOJnJw1DDc&w=420&h=315]

The chaos that comes from the urgency of day-to-day realities drown out long-term thinking and pursuing what you want in the marrow of your bones stops now. You need both achievement and enjoyment to be truly successful. Those things calling are your real priorities, attending to them is essential to give you the oomph to meet the challenges of life head on and delight in moments of joy too. Then you go from chaos to calm and can master the art of bringing the most important material in your life into your daily experience.

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Make A Life and A Living

August 20th, 2012

“There is no user manual for the rest of your life”, said my friend Virgilio Guardado.  Once you finish school, be that high school, college or graduate school most of us ask “Now what? Just exactly what I am supposed to do next?” Heck some of us ask that much later, when we are thinking about the next step in our lives. You make it up as you go along, pulling from the reference points and insights you encounter along the way.

We all say we make to make a life, the best life that I can. But how do you go about doing that? And what exactly does that mean? Making a life is when you invest in all the important aspects of living, that includes having an income, while embracing what feeds your soul, enriches your experience, nurtures your ability to mature and cultivate wisdom, makes you smile, laugh, and cry. It is a full-blooded, full-bodied journey that unfolds overtime.  Making a living is just that, earning an income that supports your ability to feed, shelter and cloth yourself and perhaps those you care for too.  In this go-go-go world it is easy to be swept up making a living and forget to make a life.

What I wish someone told me when I was younger, or that I had really listened when they did, about making life not just a living, are the eleven insights below.

  • Know who you are and be secure in that knowledge, especially if you are out of the mainstream. You don’t need to be dogmatic nor do you need to conform solely to fit in. We need the outliers to share a unique perspective, innovate, or offer a different approach.
  • Be courageous moving forward on your path. What happens along the way is not between you and the naysayers.  It is between you, your conscience and your spiritual reference.
  • You are making a life, not just a living.  Work-life balance is a process of making intentional decisions each day about what is best for you overall.
  • Careers are built over the course of time as you have experiences and develop skills that enrich you. Do more than you were asked.  Doing enough work to get by does not build a platform from which you continue to grow.
  • Remain teachable and find someone who will be frank with you. Take advantage of the opportunities to learn from experienced members of your industry.
  • Be scrappy; take a risk and when you do be confident not cocky.
  • Respect should be freely given to all; trust must be earned each day.
  • Be proud of what you bring to your work and world, and look for what others bring too.
  • Don’t take yourself too seriously.
  • Be passionate about something. It’s what drives and gives you the energy to keep going when you are stuck in a rut, need to learn something new or just feel mediocre.
  • Back-up and forgive yourself when you doubt your abilities, then try again.
Thanks Virgilio Guardado, Kasey Perry, Tashmia Prowell, Bryant Ryan, Nicole Kemp, Mom and Dad, for sharing your ideas with me.
Portions of this article originally appeared in BOOM Jackson, Summer 2012.
Deirdre Danahar©2012, All rights reserved

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A Mindful Spirit and Priorities Fulfilled

June 10th, 2011

T- minus 14 days until Mississippi’s premiere Body, Mind, Spirit Expo.

Yours truly will be one of the speakers, “It’s Not About Balance. It’s About Fulfillment”, 11 am on Saturday 6/25 and an exhibitor at the Expo.  There are a wealth of presenters and exhibitors from right here in Mississippi as well as further a field with information to take you to the next level of living at your highest level of well-being. Come learn about life coaching, acupuncture, chiropractic care, reiki, yoga, and chemical free-living. You can experience energy healing, massage, and other wonderful techniques and services to support your best life.

I’ll have some practical resources for you to take away.  I have a surprise or maybe two to raffle off to boot.

I am extra excited share with you my new signature Priority Fulfillment Signature System (copywrite pending). After nine years of working with clients and putting together the pieces I am just thrilled to have woven all the elements into a practical, creative, and time-wise system. I’ll debut all details about the Priority Fulfillment Signature System at the Expo. There have been some wonderful outcomes my clients have seen using this approach. It is my honor to steward people’s priorities and dreams as they harness their signature strengths and core values to create results.  Results like:

  • “You took Brice Media from an idea to a storefront.”~ Talamieka Brice, Brice Media, Ridgeland, MS
  • ” I was on the verge of a career transformation that had been building for a couple of years. . . helped me sort through the chaotic elements and pull them together into order. . .  to present myself and my business to potential clients and deepened my understanding of the effects of my work on my current clients. To me, the most important benefit . . .  is the knowledge that I am worth the investment, and the self-confidence I have gained is invaluable. ~ Carol Parks, Reiki Master, owner Heart of the Spiral, LLC, Clinton, MS (She’ll be at the expo too!)
  • “Thank you for working with our team. Your assistance in helping us catch and cast a vision for the Madison County Chamber of Commerce was invaluable. You helped us get back on track and excited about our future as team.” ~ Kasey Perry, Executive Director, Madison County Chamber of Commerce
  • “. . .helped me understand my talents and weaknesses in a focused way so I could actively negotiate employment opportunities. Igniting a fire of passion to not only find a job, but achieve my dreams for both personal and career goals. ” ~ Cheryl Hamill, RN MS, American Red Cross of Mississippi, Director of Program Services

Come join me June 25th 10a-6p and June 26th 11a-4p, at the Mississippi School of Therapeutic Massage (1935 A Lakeland Drive, Jackson, MS).

Buy your tickets’ ahead of time for: Just the expo or Expo and the Speakers or  Save a little and buy them together

Can’t attend? You can watch any of the Speakers from the Mindful Spirit Expo LIVE from the comfort of your home. Speakers will be webcasted live throughout the two days of the Expo. If you can’t watch them all at the time they are live; the ticket price also guarantees that you will receive the link to watch the recorded presentation at a later date, convenient to you.

For all the juicy details about the expo, the big raffle, all the speakers an more visit the expo webpage, or check out the Expo Facebook page. Heck you can even sign up for newsletter to receive details about Expo.

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Mindful Spirit Expo

May 23rd, 2011


Mississippi’s premiere Body, Mind, Spirit Expo. This event will expand your ideas and ideals on how you care for yourself as a whole. This includes learning about Personal coaching, acupuncture, chiropractic care, reiki, yoga, and chemical free living. You can experience energy healing, massage, sound healing and other wonderful techniques and services to support your best life.  There will be many exhibitors and an amazing line up of speakers with perception shifting information!

Yours truly will be one of the speakers, ”It’s Not About Fulfillment. Its About Balance”, and an exhibitor at the Expo.  Come by I’ll have some practice resources for you to take away, just for stopping by. I’ll also have a surprise or maybe two to raffle off.

You can listen to Internationally known Intuitive’s, Patti Conklin speak about vibrational medicine and Jamie Roth speak about Reiki and becoming “The General Manager of Your Universe”, based on Jamie Roth’s new best seller book. Curious? Me too.

This event will be filled with exhibitors that have mind blowing and heart opening information that will take you to the next level of living at your highest level of well being. It’s about connecting yourself as a WHOLE. Loving yourself completely, not as separate parts. When you connect as a whole, you can begin to create the life you desire living. It’s like get organized, when you are organized you are in control. There is a space for everything and everything is in its place.

Where and When:
June 25th 10a-6p and June 26th 11a-4p
1935 A Lakeland Drive (MS school of Therapeutic Massage) Jackson, MS 39216

Buy your tickets’ ahead of time here:
Just the expo
Expo and the Speakers
Save a little and buy them together

Can’t attend? You can watch any of the Speakers from the Mindful Spirit Expo LIVE from the comfort of your home. Speakers will be webcasted live throughout the two days of the Expo. If you can’t watch them all at the time they are live; the ticket price also guarantees that you will receive the link to watch the recorded presentation at a later date, convenient to you.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EVENT PLEASE VISIT:  http://www.intuitiveencounters.com/pages/expo.htm

Expo FB page: https://www.facebook.com/IntuitiveEncountersExpo

To sign up for newsletter to receive details about Expo:  http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001WY2H_3RLHWpD9hMjLVJU9g%3D%3D

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I am Famous!

February 11th, 2011

Well, maybe not famous, but I am delighted to share with you my TV interview about coaching from Wednesday. Thanks Fox 40 and Friends- it is wonderful to have an old school morning show on the air. Seems that everyone thing old does indeed become new again.

Thanks too to John Zehr, The Internet Sales Guy,  for your help and support.

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My Top 6 Coaching Books

February 10th, 2011

This is International Coaching Week! And in honor of International Coaching Week here are my top 6 recommend books

1.The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life, by Rosamund Stone Zander and BenjaminZander Wondering what happened to the world and your life when things were supposed to be different? Here’s a wonderful exploration of the powerful impact the notion of possibility can play and how to move from possibility to reality.

2. The Power of A Positive No: Save the Deal, Save the Relationship and Still Say No, by William Ury Is  ”no” a foreign word in your vocabulary? Do you need to move forward in getting what you want without alienating others? This is the book for you.

3. Taming Your Gremlin: A Surprisingly Simple Method for Getting Out of Your Own Way ,by Richard D. CarsonTrapped in cycle of negative self talk or self-sabotage? You are not alone, pick up this funny and grounded guide to get unstuck.

4. Work With Passion: How to Do What You Love for a Living, by Nancy Anderson Are you ready to move into a new career? Are you feeling utterly stuck in your job? Look no further for an insightful, well-researched resource and get started reinvigorating your career.

5. Your Best Year Yet!: Ten Questions for Making the Next 12 Months Your Most Successful Ever, by Jinny S. DitzlerNeed to get your year jump started? There’s good news you are not bound to a calendar year, but can use this bright and practical approach anytime.

6. A Big New Free Happy Unusual Life: Self-Expression and Spiritual Practice for Those Who Have Time for Neither, by Nina Wise Feeling a little flat or like you need to shake things up in life? Ready reintroduce some creativity and fun into your work and world? This a great choice.

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Big News: Upcoming TV Appearance

February 8th, 2011

So I have Big News to Share!

I will be a guest on the new Jackson morning show, Fox 40 & Friends this Wednesday, Feb. 9 in the 8 am hour.  Fox 40 and Friends is a new local morning show…not a newscast, but a fun and unique experience weekday mornings. Fox 40 and Friends features all things Mississippi: medical specialists, local chefs, master gardeners, money experts…and a whole lot more.  If you are in the local viewing area I hope you will tune in Wednesday morning. Without your support and interest this type of wonderful event would not happen- thank you!

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"You will never experience the earth with all its wonders in this time again. Don't wait…

October 27th, 2010

“You will never experience the earth with all its wonders in this time again. Don’t wait for one last look at the ocean, the sky, the stars, or a loved one. Go look now.” ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Autumn is a time a reflection, giving thanks and taking stock of our life’s harvest. It is a time of marvelous fleeting moments, like the grace of a leaf spiraling down to the ground,  a whiff of apples in the air and the flow of migrating birds across the sky. Blink and you may miss them. Hold you head too low down into your job and you’ll certainly miss them, unless your job is to document these moments. So savor the small and share the grand with yourself and your loved ones.

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The Future: Yours to Invent

September 20th, 2010

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” ~ Alan Kay

There is something to be said for deciding what you want more of in your future and doing something about making that desired future happen. Minimally you are more likely to get more of what you want… by getting what you want folks, I am not talking about visualizing a Porsche and having it magically appear paid for in the garage. As much as I love the idea of waving a magic wand and “poof!!!” a desired realized, I have jet to see that be an effect strategy here on earth.

But back to my point here. We can affect our futures. If you are clear about what you want more of and articulate and crystalline, palpable vision for that desired future you are poised to take considered specific action  in service of inventing it. You may not end up with exactly where you though we would, and you hopes may not be met in the way you expect, but its is a whole lot more likely you’ll get closer than you are now.

Why not try buddying up with someone to craft your vision and support you as you decide some specific actions. The power of two can be incredible. You could do this with a trusted friend or colleague who will support you and be honest enough to keep you accountable over the long haul. You could return the favor for her/him. Or you could work with a coach. I know a couple of coaches if you need a referral. Wink-wink.

(Seriously if you are interested in Coaching I would be happy to talk with you, and I would also be happy to make referrals if I am not a good fit for you.)

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Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude…

September 8th, 2010

Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos – the trees, the clouds, everything. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

I don’t know about you, but I generally don’t experience a welling up of gratitude while I, sweating it out in the gym, or saying no to that tempting piece of pie. Oh pie how I love you. But I do feel a sense of control and contribution after a workout or being able to fit in my pants. How interesting to expand this notion beyond the self, to the world- that to keep yourself healthy or to make yourself healthier you are honoring the divine that connects all of the world.  I’ll try to hand on to that thought the next time I am grumbling about an other set of 10.

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