Money doesn't grow on trees, but it does magically appear ...

So I'm on my way to the TV studio to do my weekly segment, which contains similar information to this Video Blog. I stop at the gas station on the way there, open the door, and there's a bright shiny nickel waiting for me in the center of the mat!

You might say it's just a random nickel, but I had a full-fledged celebration. MONEY! And all I had to do was bend over and pick it up! It's like it magically appeared just for me as I was getting ready to talk to the TV viewers about this very same topic. How cool is that?!?

Here's the full scoop:

Are you making this top money mistake?

Saying "I can't afford it" or "I don't have money for that" is setting you up for stress and worry. I know it sounds like a stretch, but it's true. Staying focused on what you don't have only sets you up for more failure. Here's more detail about changing your money mindset ...

Money is not your enemy, so stop talking like it is!

Busted! There's no excuse ...

My TV Debut: Did my Caveman show up? You bet!

Overwhelmed? Take back your power!

Overwhelmed! I hear the word several times each day and am even guilty of using it myself. Since I’ve been working with personal power, lately, I decided to look up the definition and see how overwhelm relates to power.


Sure enough, one of the definitions is “overpower.” Even more specifically “overpower: overcome with superior force.” Boy! If anything is going to put me into my caveman brain, it’s the thought that something’s going to overpower me with some type of superior force!

So every time that I use the word overwhelmed, I’m actually telling myself that I’m being beaten down. Which is exactly how it feels when I’m overwhelmed. I feel exhausted, hopeless, dazed, frantic and powerless.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t even want to use a word that’s going to conjure up and sustain those feelings. Yet I don’t want to make the word “overwhelm” my adversary, either ... hmmm ....

I think I’m going to stop throwing around this over-used, nearly-meaningless word. Instead, I’m going to be honest with myself. Every time that I want to use the word “overwhelm” I’m going to use “powerless” instead. Then I’m going to look around at what is making me feel powerless. Is it my schedule? Do I have too many arbitrary obligations? Where exactly have I been giving my power away?

Sometimes this analysis alone will probably bring me out of my caveman brain. I mean, am I really feeling powerless because my floor needs cleaning and my laundry needs folding? Puh-lease! I probably just don’t want to do it -- maybe rebellious is a better word! And if I’m being rebellious, then aren’t I actually exerting power?

In some cases, though, maybe I really am feeling powerless. Maybe I really did overschedule myself. Ironically, I used my power to create a busy schedule that ended up draining my power. Having that awareness can help me avoid doing the same thing in the future, but right now, it’s all about claiming back any power that I can.

First, I’m going to stop being a victim. I’m not going to let my schedule (for example) be my adversary. Instead, I’m going to accept my schedule completely. Instead of wallowing in feelings of overwhelm, I’m going to become a player in the “busy schedule game.” A successful player in that game feels vital, organized, focused and efficient. I’m going to let those feelings guide me and my actions. That’s a powerful player, and that’s the player I want to be.

What do you think? How are you going to take back your power?

I'm SO angry!!

What if Sherlock Holmes has ADHD?

My darling husband and I just saw the new Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.

It was fabulous!

In one of the first scenes we see how Sherlock Holmes is able to look capture every nuance of a situation and immediately analyze it. He does it all in a split second, but through movie magic, the audience gets to see the entire analysis in slow motion.

So we get to see what makes him brilliant! When he's on a case he's unstoppable. His keen senses can pick up any clue, and his mind sorts through that data like a computer. He solves mysteries by piecing together the small pieces and seeing the bigger picture all at once, and all in the blink of an eye.

He's also very physical, buzzing with energy. When danger comes he's an unstoppable force, bringing his mind and athletic prowess together to defeat (or at least escape from) his foe.


But we also get to see that this ultra-sensitivity to his surroundings can make him a bit nuts.

When he's not on a case, it seems like he doesn't know what to do with himself. He almost feels assaulted by all of the sensory input. Maybe he's actually using the drinking to dull his senses and his mind -- self-medicating? And it seems like he's searching for an outlet for his energy, which is where the fighting matches come into the picture.

So I was theorizing that this version of Sherlock Holmes would probably be labeled as having ADHD. Here are some adult ADHD symptoms that he displays:

• Work space is cluttered and messy;
  
• Trouble remembering appointments;
• Zones out of conversations;
• Problems with planning;
  
• Several tasks are started at once;
• Easily distracted;
• Restless; and
  
• Blurting out things he later regrets.

As a life coach, I noticed that his abilities are a gift when they have purpose ... they make him the best detective around. But when they lack purpose, Holmes can't handle them AND they are judged as being socially unacceptable.

I know that I've seen this type of thing in my own life. For instance, I love details, learning and personal growth. When it has a purpose, like life coaching, it's celebrated. Yet in my personal life, I can come off as a know-it-all and have ever since my friend got in a fight with me and called my "Little Miss Professor" back in 6th grade.

And maybe I did behave like a know-it-all. I certainly have to be responsible for how I behave in relationships, learning to harness my gifts and talents without vomiting them all over someone else. But maybe -- sometimes -- it's the other person's hangup. Maybe they just haven't learned how to deal with me.

Think about it: what parts of your personality have been criticized. Where have you been told that you're being unacceptable? Could these same things be seen as a talent?

Have you made these personality traits your adversary? I know that I've kept quiet many times in my life, because I didn't want to be seen as a pushy "Little Miss Professor." Was it fair that I silenced myself? What did I miss out on?

Can these parts of your personality be harness and used with purpose? Maybe I could've given the information in a way that was "acceptable" and maybe I'd have actually have helped someone.

And when it comes to ADHD, maybe we just don't know how to work with these gifts, yet? Maybe these are the brains of the next Albert Einstein, but society has made the condition into an adversary. Maybe learning to harness and use this mental energy for a purpose is actually the path to our future instead of a roadblock.

Personal Power and Connection

Um, yeah ... so far, life is different since I've reclaimed my personal power.

I've been doing personal work for years (duh, I'm a life coach). But NEVER have I felt so comfortable in my skin.

First off, I've been talking to people like crazy! I'm not one to start many conversations with strangers, although I have been doing more of that. Mostly I've been keeping the conversations going instead of answering questions with a yes/no. Grocery cashiers, moms at the school, people in line with me ... you name it! I'm connecting here and there.

When I was a student in my coaching program, I had several assignments where I'd be connecting with strangers and acquaintances. I did it. I felt more "connected," and yet it still felt fake. This doesn't feel fake! This is just natural conversation.

I never realized how much I was still holding myself back - worried about acceptance, not wanting to say something stupid, not wanting to have my energy sucked away by someone else. I thought I'd conquered all of those fears and stressors, and yet there was a deeper level I hadn't even touched.