Living the Life You Want

Noticing Stress In Your Life

Posted on August 10, 2011 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

A couple of years ago, I really got it about how not living my truth was causing me stress and negatively impacting my life. I began a very busy job that was both exciting and fulfilling. I was excited about all the opportunities that presented themselves for me in this position. As I became more immersed in the work, I had several ideas about how this position could grow and evolve. I used my creativity and determination to try and bring about all that I believed was possible. It was a challenging time.

7 Ways to Decrease Your Stress - NOW

Posted on July 18, 2011 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Do you have a tremendous amount of mind chatter that goes on beneath the surface? Many people have self talk conversations that are negative abusive statements such as “you should”, “why did you do that” and “what is wrong with you?” These can lead to feelings of stress and overwhelm as we try and quiet the mind. Wouldn’t it be nice to speak with gentleness and kindness to yourself? To be loving and respectful of all you say and do.

Do you know how to steer your internal conversations onto the right track? I have outlined 7 questions to ask yourself to help you get grounded and mindful of what is happening in the present moment. Take a couple of minutes and ask yourself these questions.

Are you stuck or are you in the flow?

Posted on May 24, 2011 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

I am sure you can relate to being stuck. You know those days when you need to do something or try something but your motivation, energy and ability to do anything seems to be stuck in mud.

Everything feels hard to do and there is no joy.

In contrast there are days when you are on track, in the flow and totally inspired and on task to get everything done you need to get done. You are at in the zone!!

What is the difference between being stuck and being in the flow?

The answer lies within your body.

Are you living your life full out?

Posted on April 20, 2011 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

This past weekend I had the opportunity to participate in a Mastermind Retreat with my business coach, Melanie Benson Strick, and 5 other heart based entrepreneurs. It was great learning.

One of the expressions that I heard throughout the retreat was the concept of "Living my life - Full Out".

What does this really mean? How does this relate to my work with families?

My work focuses on helping families transform from stress, depression and overwhelm to a life with more balance, less stress and more peace.

Are You in the FLOW

Posted on April 11, 2011 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Probably the biggest lesson I learned from hitting my wall a couple of weeks ago was the realization that I have not been in the FLOW but in my pushing/rushing energy.

Can you relate?

When I am in the flow, life is easy, decisions come freely and I feel at peace.

When I am in my pushing/rushing energy everything feels like it is a struggle. I feel more stressed. I doubt my decisions, I do not feel confident about the choices I make, my energy feels like it is shrinking and I have a level of anxiety that is brewing below the surface. Sometimes I get into a low energy funk bordering on depression.

I am over the wall

Posted on March 31, 2011 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

I have had so many people commenting, emailing me and calling me to make sure I am okay. Thank you for the love, affirmation and support. I means more than you know.

Life has been quite a journey lately and I hit the wall, had to stand back, shake it off and get to the other side.

I am now over the wall and am alive to tell about it.

I have seen so much about me and the work I do over the last couple of days and I want to share a bit of this with you.

What do you want this HOLIDAY Season

Posted on December 6, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

The holiday season is an especially busy time of year.

The expectations from society, friends, family and ourselves can be crazy making.

Have you ever experienced times that you are thrown in the company of family or acquaintances that push your buttons and make you want to scream?

Do you find that you sometimes react poorly to these situations?

Are "SHOULDS" running your life?

Posted on November 22, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

How many of you live your life by "SHOULDS"?

By shoulds I mean those expectations that come from a wide variety of sources:

Society
Parents and other members of our family
Friends with all of their best of intentions
Media - TV, books, internet - all with advice from the so-called "experts" on how you should live your life
Self - all of your expectations about how you should "think", "do" and "be"

"Having it All" from the Inside Out

Posted on November 15, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Are you a busy mom (or dad) caught up in the relentlessness of life, day in and day out doing the same thing over and over again?

Are you striving to “have it all, do it all and be it all” in your life?

“Having it all” is a term that gets passed around a lot these days.

For a good portion of society, “Having it all” means owning the car, big screen TV, house and toys that we want. In essence, "all" are material possessions or “stuff” that we finance through hard work and dedication.

Honoring The Agreements You Make With Yourself

Posted on November 1, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

This past weekend, I had the honor of accompanying a friend to the home of Don Miguel Ruis for a short visit and I was in awe. Being in Don Miguel’s presence and witnessing his authenticity was a gift. I will remember this brief visit for a long time to come.

Asking for help

Posted on October 12, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Asking for help is not always easy.

Last week I wrote a blog about “doing it alone” where I described some of my struggles in asking for and receiving help and support from others.

On a business level it is easier to ask for help because the demands and expectations of the job often require outside expertise to make things flow smoothly.

When it comes to heart stuff, asking for help takes on a whole new level of trust. The comments on my blog last week depicted the struggles many people feel in simply asking for help. Reaching out and being vulnerable can be pretty scary.

Parents, I need your help, please respond to this

Posted on July 15, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Hi, this is Gerrianne and I need your help. I am passionate about families feeling connected and whole and I love supporting parents in creating the family life they want.

Receive the Gift of Calm Audio email series ABSOLUTELY FREE by taking 20 seconds to complete this survey.

Please watch the video below and respond to the 20 second survey below. When you complete this survey you will help me design a program just right for you.

Parent Your Teens With Confidence

Posted on June 10, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

If you are like most parents you want to guide your children into being happy, well adjusted, responsible adults.

The challenge is you are overwhelmed and frustrated with their acting our behavior, they don’t listen to you anymore and you don’t know how to let things go and let them grow.

They don’t come with a rule book.

There is a way to meet your goals of being an effective, clear parent and not feel tortured on the inside by the decisions you make and the expectations that you have.

Summertime Connection and Fun

Posted on May 20, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Making this a reality for you Family

When you look ahead to summer, the knowledge that there will be less structure to your days can be very appealing. Imagining lazy days of sitting in the back yard or at the beach relaxing and enjoying the company of family and friends tends to dominate our thoughts.

However, creating the opportunity for quality connections and fun this summer does not happen without some intention, action and planning along the way.

What does your ideal summer look like?

Who am I - Answer this question and reduce your stress

Posted on May 13, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Do you know who you are and what is important to you?

There may be days that you feel like you are everyone else's person defined by the roles that you fill in their life. Whether you are a mother, teacher, lawyer, garbage collector, or unemployed who are you behind the roles?

After Mother's Day - How are you doing?

Posted on May 11, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Mother's Day is a beautiful day both. It is a day to bask in our accomplishments as moms and to allow others to let us know how we have impacted their lives. Whether your children are school age and love serving you breakfast in bed (I miss those days with the toast crumbs all around me) or if your children are grown and gone from the house the memories of your family can be so special.

All Mother's have regrets. There is always something that we could have done differently, should have done differently or would have done differently under different circumstances. Regardless of what we wish we could change, the fruits of our labour (literally) are in front of us. This past Mother's Day I felt quite melancholy. All three of my children are moving on in their lives and I get less time with them. There have been Mother's Days in the past that for me were not very pleasant, with words spoken and unspoken that did not relay the love and respect that was important at the time. This is water under the bridge - the knowing that regardless of what happened then, I have the beautiful knowledge of how things are today.

I have recorded a video of my After Mother's Day musings. Please let me know your thoughts. Take care and I will blog with you later.

Mother's Day after the fact from Gerrianne Clare on Vimeo.

Gerrianne

What does Having it All Really Mean?

Posted on May 6, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

So many of us are busy doing it all, being it all and trying to have it all that we have lost sight of what "All means to us".

Listen to this video to get perspective on what we can do about this NOW. (It is my first video log - would love some feedback)

Take Charge of Your Family Stress - What Now?

Posted on May 5, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Yesterday, I held the first of many webinars on "Taking Charge of Stress". I have come to the conclusion that people are unaware of how much stress they and their family is under. This lack of awareness is creating havoc on our health, our relationships and our performance.

Many people are resigned to the fact that their life is stressful and there is really nothing that they can do about it. After all, we need to pay the bills, feed our children and make a living. This is all true, but what many people fail to realize is that it not "What we have to do" that creates our stress, but our reaction to "What we have to do".

Between the stressful event and your reaction to it, you have a choice as how you can react. Many people do not know any other way to be so they often act from anger, frustration, withdrawal or complacency.

Executive Women Having it All - What is the truth?

Posted on April 23, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

I would love your help.

I am in the process of developing more “in the moment” tools for busy executive women to reduce their stress and feel better NOW. I also am working on a book to be written for the top executive woman who wants to “have it all” in her life. To that end, I would love your thoughts about the following!

How are you doing – really? Are you excited about where your life is going? Do you feel “at peace” with who you are and what you have accomplished so far?

For the past 35 years, through my work as a nurse, workshop facilitator, life coach and stress management expert I have had the privilege of working with thousands of individuals (primarily women) in helping them find the answers to these questions honestly. It has been an amazing journey.

5 minutes to Self Discovery - Yes you need to take the time

Posted on April 6, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Who are you? Many people answer this question with a description of their various roles.

For me I am a mother, coach, workplace consultant, former nurse, wife, sister, aunt, friend etc. With each of these roles I have certain expectations as to how I want to fulfill them. For example as a mom, I have three adult children whom I love spending time with, imparting my words of wisdom to (always being careful not to overdo the WISDOM part) and for many years my children defined me. By that I mean, everything that they said and did were a direct reflection of me i.e. their accomplishments, their dreams, their sorrows, their joys and their mistakes. I was totally tied into their stories and their lives to define me as a good mom, an attentive mom, someone who had it handled, someone who makes mistakes or someone who was not good enough or there enough for my kids. I had many judgements as to how well I fulfilled my role.

To Stress or Not to Stress - That is The Question

Posted on March 17, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Do I want to be stressed or not stressed – that is my question.

How can I have my business, be with my family and live the life I want within the context of my current day reality? There are so many demands from different aspects of my life that I often get pulled in a zillion different directions. I was under the misguided belief that if my children were grown and gone from the house that I would not have anything that would get off balance. Was I ever mistaken, I have a whole life that I want to keep healthy and strong. This means I need to pay attention to the many facets of my life. I have a great husband and I want to nurture that relationship. I have wonderful children whom I want to stay in contact with. I have great friends whom I want to stay connected with and I have my body, mind and emotions that I want to be respectful of. My choice is simple however, do I want to fully be in my life, loving what is and being present in all that I do? Or, do I want to try and do more, be more, accomplish more because I should.

What Do You Want Your Life to Look Like?

Posted on January 19, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

If you were to sit back today and take stock of your whole life, how are you doing? Take some time and look at the following categories. Write a list of the things you would like to complete in each of these areas. This list is not meant to stress you out but to bring into your conscious awareness the things in your life that you know need some attention. By being more aware of these areas, you can then set up a plan of what you can do to take care of them day by day.

7 Reasons to Change Only One Habit at a Time

Posted on January 15, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

When you look at your whole life, do you feel you need a major overhaul or just need a minor tune up?

For those of you who feel a major overhaul is in order, the tendency is to try and fix your whole life all at once. For a variety of reasons those who approach changing more than one habit or circumstance at a time, are often unsuccessful in achieving their goals.

Here are 7 reasons to change just ONE Habit at a time.

Keeping your New Year's Resolutions - One Moment at a Time

Posted on January 4, 2010 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Many of us make New Year’s Resolutions on January 1^st then turn around and break them a week later. People put pressure on themselves to change all of their bad habits at once, hoping that the New Year will bring in a New Resolve to make all the changes happen. This often fails however, as there is little thought put into how to create changes that are both positive and that can last.

With some soul searching and some planning this year, you can come closer to creating the changes you want in your life.

Not Living your Truth Creates Stress

Posted on October 27, 2009 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Stress for many people is caused by their living life out of integrity with what they hold near and dear to their heart – their truth.

For example, if you value honesty but fear that speaking up and telling the truth in your workplace will result in losing your job, you may consciously or subconsciously make a decision that you will not say anything about the situation. Another example may be that you were educated and trained to deliver care or service in a particular way, yet the realities of the workplace make it impossible for you to do that. You try and stuff the thoughts to the back of your mind and ignore the situation. If you are like most people, trying to ignore the situation, not say anything and “letting it go”, creates an internal turmoil that often shows up in different ways.

Withholding your truth creates stress

Living Your Truth

Posted on October 20, 2009 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

When do you know that you are living your truth? What does that even mean? In my last couple of blogs I have written about developing a relationship with yourself i.e. “Who are you” and finding out “what is important to you” i.e. your truth. In my coaching practice, I spend many sessions with clients helping them to discover the answers to these two questions. However, as many come to realize, it is not enough to know who you are and what is important to you. How do you make it a reality in your life – how do you live your truth?

What is important to you?

Posted on October 13, 2009 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

In my last blog, I asked you to take a look at your relationship with yourself. Have you started taking time to just be with yourself, taking your intentional breaths and connecting with you? I know it takes time, but when you begin the journey of self-discovery and start developing that relationship with you, it is hard to close the door again.

Who are you?

Posted on October 6, 2009 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

Have you been asking yourself this question? What answers have you come up with?

For many of us, when we are asked “who are you” we answer with a description of our various roles. These roles often include our family status “I am a wife, a mother, sister, aunt, uncle, brother and so on”. Some people describe themselves by their occupation “I am a nurse, teacher, secretary, business man, plumber” and others describe themselves by their sports or hobbies such as “I am a golfer, runner, hockey player, artist and so on”. Others may describe themselves by how they interact with the world “I am happy, fun, connected, loving, inspirational, creative” and any other words that describe their personality.