Just a quick note – you’ll want to check out my recent interview on the topic of confidence and living your passion.  I was a guest on Nat Couropmitree, Inner Harmony Coach and Host of the Prosperity Lighthouse Show this week.  We had a great conversation about the personal experiences that led me to my current role as a confidence expert coaching women on life and business challenges as well as some excellent advice on living your passion.

Check out the interview to listen or download.

Things are getting fast and furious here as I get prepared for my trip to BlogHer ‘09 in Chicago. I wanted one more exciting thing I’ll be participating in as an expert that you can participate in from the comfort of wherever you are. I was invited to participate in the Pepsi Co. Live with Purpose Tweetup happening live at 12:15p Central on Friday, July 24th. The conversation has already started and will continue well beyond the conference, but you will want to be there live and online. The host for the event will be Jill Beraud, CMO PepsiCo with special guest Lee Woodruff, Author & Journalist. A small panel of experts (me being one of them!) will be tweeting live from BlogHer. The public can chime in at any time via Twitter using the hashtag #livewithpurpose.

The official site is up at http://www.pepsico.com/livewithpurpose – check out all the great guests.

I’m excited to be a part of this most important conversation. You can go to Twitter and search on #livewithpurpose to get in on the chat. Below is a stream of the latest in the conversation:

I’ll point you to an official Pepsi recap as well my own thoughts following the conference.

I’ve been all a-buzz about my opportunity to be speaking at BlogHer ‘09 for months. Well, this week is the week and I am ripe with anticipation like a kid at Christmas. Here’s the scoop on the panel I’ll be a part of:

Business of You: Bloggers are Pioneers in a Post-“Employee” World (sponsored by HP)
Bloggers have created any number of “portfolio careers” using blogs as a jumping off point for freelancing, consulting, starting businesses, etc. This session will look at the fundamentals of valuing your work, skills and expertise from a business perspective. How to market yourself, how to attach appropriate value to what you do, how to decide when you’ll do something gratis, and when it’s time for that gravy train to roll to a stop.

I’ll be joined on the panel by some women I am so looking forward to meeting: Maggie Fox, founder of one of the world’s largest social media agencies, Melissa Lion, professional writer and blogger, Karen Rani Bodkin of Swank Web Style Design Studio, and Kaveri Subbarao offering legal advice on Internet practices and more.

It is going to be a great discussion and I can’t wait to be a part of it. I’ll be blogging about my experience on the panel as well as the entire conference as the weekend progresses.

Tonight I will be on Blog Talk Radio as a guest of Darlene G. Butts from Lessons from the Depression. We’ll be talking about some life lessons I’ve learned along the way and specific challenges people are facing right now (that recurring theme thing) and solutions for them.

You can listen to the recorded show at: Blog Talk Radio.

It was a GREAT show and I had a great time doing it…

My friend Pam Slim at Escape from Cubicle Nation has some excellent news today. Her Escape from Cubicle Nation book, officially hitting the shelves on April 30, is now available for pre-orders. I have been a long time fan of her most excellent blog that has a plethora of inspiration and resources for those budding entrepreneurs who would like to make the leap from cubicle dweller to business owner.

What makes today special is the extra-special offer she has going for people who pre-order the book. Want to stretch your dollar and boost your inspiration? Well, you can double your investment if you act fast. Pam shares:

So starting this very minute, the first 500 people who pre-order the book and send me your confirmed order number will get another, spanking new, personally signed copy of the book as soon as it rolls off the assembly line.

That’s like a two for one special. So you and someone else (hey I sense a built in support system there) can enjoy the book together as you plot your future visions and plans.

The book has been getting rave reviews and Guy Kawasaki wrote the forward. It is the real deal folks. And I can personally say that Pam is one of the most supportive people I’ve ever met. She is authentic, down-to-earth, and walks her own talk.

To take advantage of the offer and get all the details here.

You can preview Chapter 1 of the book online as well.

Pam will be a guest on my Comfortable in Your Own Skin Podcast later this spring…so be sure not to miss that either!

Just want to take a few moments to toot the horn of Echelon Magazine and some of their recent features that may be of interest to you. First and foremost, they have redesigned their website to have more Web 2.0 features. With that comes an emerging resource for Small Businesses and I am honored to have a profile on their site. If you or someone you know has a great business or career resource for the LGBT community, do let the folks at Echelon know.

I also wanted to give a shout out for their latest print magazine issue. I am thrilled to be a Contributing Writer in the March/April 2008 issue. I write about “What is important to you about money and business?”. I always love when I write something months in advance and then see it in print. Not only is it exciting from a purely self-satisfying motive, but when I re-read what I wrote I am able to better see the gems. In the article I say:

“The surest path to wealth lies inside ourselves. Who we are being as we go about our business activities has more to do with the quality of our lives and our ability to attract what we desire than any other how-to strategy out there.”

How true that is! If you’re constantly searching for something else – out there somewhere – in order to find happiness you will be searching (unsuccessfully) forever. Wealth starts from the inside out AND it can include as little or as much money as you desire.

You can learn more about how to subscribe at their website.

Welcome to the Carnival of Healing #116. I am thrilled to be the host for this wonderful roundup this week. It’s my first time hosting this carnival and I am just stunned by the number and quality of the entries. A nice variety of posts just in time for a little holiday season reading and relaxing.

The last carnival was hosted by Where We Relax and featured a wide range of topics from food to forgiveness and everywhere in between.

The next carnival #117 will be hosted by Reiki Digest which is a blog specializing in all things reiki across the globe.

Consider contributing to this popular carnival with staying power. To do so, visit the submission form. You can get a feel for the carnival by visiting the archives.

Now, onto the great content!

Dr Martin W. Russell – A Medical Doctor Turned Counselor offers up a new angle on the topic of just needing some willpower in “What You Need is Will Power” .

Pat Doyle at Barton Pond Feng Shui gives us “How We Can Find Healing in Nature”. In it she talks about the difference in energy between man made and natural things and how you can tap into that power in your surroundings.


“A fun and crazy writing experiment” at Change Therapy is about a creative and very fun way that you can tap into the power of journaling and exploring new ideas.

Karen Lynch explores the question “Does Human Emotion Affect Our Health?” and talks about a truly amazing experiment that was conducted which measures the effect of emotions on DNA. Fascinating reading.

As you know I talk a lot about the importance of your energy here on this blog. Check out these “20 tips to restore your energy” at the blog All About Your Body and Spirit. My favorites (not surprisingly) are Exercise and Breathe!

I don’t know about you but holidays mean company and company means cleaning. “Making Cleaning Less Stressful” at Where We Relax is a clever look at how you can get your cleaning done in small increments AND improve your work productivity and health.

If you are curious about Qi Dao or just enjoy reading book reviews like I do, this review “Qi Dao – Tibetan Shamanic Qigong” at Martial Development is a thorough and very knowledgeable look at the book and the art of Qi Dao.

Loving-Awareness.org offers up the “Interconnectedness of Being”. How connected are you to the collective? The whole of what happens in your experience and those around you?

“Get Rid of Black and White Thinking Once and For All” – I say Amen to THAT! David Bohl explores the fallacies of either-or realities and the pain that can cause. I am a firm believer in the idea of being able to hold the space for multiple simultaneous realities to exist because of the fact that each person’s perception IS their reality.

Savvy Skin asks the question “Are You Allergic to Your Boyfriend?”. If the title of the post makes you think “that doesn’t apply to me”, check it out anyway — it has nothing to do with boyfriend vs. girlfriend but is rather an interesting look at psychological pain manifesting as physical symptoms.

Roger Haeske takes a look at the challenges of raw food diets with “Raw Food Diet Problems May Not Be Your Fault”.

“The Secret of Effective Slimming” takes a look at the different kinds of fats present in our foods and how they affect the ability to stay slim.

Continuing the theme of fat, Witch on White Mountain revels in “I’m Not as Fat as I Thought”.

“Why Acupuncture Could Be For You” is a great article about the benefits, facts, and myths about acupuncture.

“Using What You’ve Got” is a good story about using what happens to you in your life as a chance to look at yourself in the mirror and learn something.

Amy Pedersen talks about how “Ergonomic Office Chairs Help Prevent Injury, Back Pain and RSI’s in the Workplace” in this extensive article. I know I totally “get” how important ergonomics can be. The thing that always bums me out is knowing how little it matters to many employers as I can attest to my partner’s challenges in this area.

Make your mind work for you while you sleep by “Consciously Programming Your Subconscious Mind Before Sleep”. I TOTALLY agree with Tupelo’s take on watching TV before bed. I know I can’t do it. Maybe a movie on the weekend but even then I need space between the end of my viewing and bedtime if I plan on actually sleeping.

“Conversation Skills / Tips: How To Have A Good Conversation” at the blog “What I Think About” contains great tips on being a conversationalist. I’d like to add that I think this could just as easily be titled how to network in an authentic and interesting way. Consider it great tips for both professional and personal use.

A read of “Overweight People Have Never Been More” takes a look at the link between technological progress and obesity. After all 50 years ago you wouldn’t be sitting and reading blogs, but plowing the fields instead.

Urbank Monk explores “Psychology’s unique contribution to your Compassion and Self-Esteem”. An extensive article it takes a look at some of my favorite topics – compassion for self, mindfulness, and forgiveness.

Speaking of compassion, “How to Love Your Imperfections” is aligned with that. Gratitude Magic talks about her firsthand experience with finding the gifts in her imperfections.

From a strictly food point of view, “Benefits of Fish Oil” talks about the ins and outs of Omega 3’s.

Whew! Now that is a lot of articles. Hope you enjoyed reading this installment of the carnival.

This year Planet Teleclass has a new promo called the 12 Days of Coachmas running. What it is is a take on the 12 days of Christmas. If you sign up for the promo, you’ll receive great stuff from coaches (I am included!!) each day for 12 days.

Unlike other mass giveaways, the good folks at Planet Teleclass literally look at each offering and put it all together by hand. That way YOU can be sure you’re getting quality stuff and not some freebies that aren’t even worth the price you pay (and since the price you pay is $0, you know what I mean!)

Here’s how it works in the words of the good folks at Planet Teleclass:

I will be sending you a special ‘12 Days of Coachmas’ message every day starting December 14th, letting you know where you can pickup your great gifts. On the first day you get a few gifts, on the second day you get a few more gifts, and so on…just like the song. The promo will end on December 25th, Christmas day! What a great way to celebrate the holiday season by getting all these gifts from great coaches.

So, why not check it out & get some great goodies (including great stuff from yours truly). Sign up at their website.

I am going to be the lucky host of the Carnival of Healing on December 15th! About.com’s Holistic Healing coordinates this ongoing carnival. It is a weekly round-up of personal blog posts on the topics of holistic health, wellness, spirituality, and self empowerment.

Well, we all know that this blog is right up that alley in terms of ALL those topics, so I figured it would be the ideal thing to host. This way I provide you with a lens to some new and valuable content that otherwise you (nor I) would know about.

If you’re a blogger who writes about one of these topics I encourage you to submit your work. While I don’t have a theme in mind, we are coming up on the holidays and goodness knows is a trying time to stay focused on our self-care, health, and well-being.

You can submit your posts for inclusion at the Carnival Homepage.

Looking forward to compiling the roundup for you in a week!

A few months back I was reading the local community paper and happened to scanned the obituaries. What caught my eye was a photo of a vibrant older woman and the short obit beneath her name. Let’s call her Doris for the purpose of this post.

It said:

“A memorial service for Doris is set for_____ at ___. Wine, cheese, and fireworks to follow. If anyone would like to speak, sing, or cakewalk, please call the number below.

If you can’t join us, make a toast and know she sure had a good time.”

I remember reading this and thinking … now THAT is the way to be remembered and the way to celebrate a life well lived. It was full of lightness, humor, and love. Surely someone who lived life with great intention and few regrets. And, someone who built a great community of loved ones around her.

I thought…when my days are over can the same be said about me? Not sure, but I certainly know I love the spirit of the celebration and memorial mentioned in this obit. How about you? Are you having a good time? Is the way you’ve chosen to live in your life worthy of fireworks?