Archive for the ‘Productivity’ Category

The Tale of Lady Midas

Sunday, November 9th, 2008

I feel soooo self-expressive and have to share with you what happened to me since the wonderful workshop “The Art of Listening” in Hamburg, Germany in October! I had been really looking forward to it because as a Psychologist, I spend my life listening to other people. Ironically, during the workshop something funny happened; I suddenly saw that it was time to stop hiding by only listening to what other people had to say. It was time to listen to myself!

So I had one of my intimate talks with life and said: “Look, I know that I can be of help to people and would love to do it, so if you see a way of supporting me, now would be a good time…”

I have a strong interest in using a communication method called “Marte Meo”, meaning ‘on one’s strength’. It is something not traditionally used by Psychologists, yet aligns perfectly with the Kanes’ Workshops on ‘Living in the Moment’. It’s something that can be used by parents or anyone working with children. In my “plan”, I sat down and decided to contact all the Pediatricians in Hamburg and introduce myself so they can refer people to me…

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Making A Difference

Sunday, October 5th, 2008

My dear friends around the world!

I wanted to share something amazing that happened!

I recently got a new job at our mother company P&G (Braun) in Germany, where I will begin working tomorrow. For the last three years, I had been working in the Braun Design Department, and as a way to celebrate my departure, I threw a “Good-Bye” party.

At the celebration, I was blown away by the heartfelt speech of my boss, Peter, and the gifts my colleagues so generously gave.

Peter spoke in detail about how much I made a difference in the department and that I was the most efficient assistant he ever had! (He is turning 63 and had many assistants before.) His speech lasted 10-15 minutes long! He shared that I was able to arrange all processes so that they were easy for our employees and that it was really great to have worked with me, and that he was truly happy that I got this new job. I was just amazed at what I created there!

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Sharing My Music

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

Recently, I’ve been searching for great musicians to create a band, and I recorded a demo track to present “my sound”. I recorded it on my computer in my living room. I sang, played and arranged everything on it. It was so much fun to write and record! I’m working on more demo songs and getting in touch with many musicians in the New York area. I’m very excited about it all. I’ve been receiving lots of positive feedback on it. As music has come alive in my life again, I’ve also been taking a very cool songwriting class with some really lovely people at Gotham Writer’s Workshop in New York. I’m learning so many different ways to write songs and so much about the music industry. I might even attend a songwriting camp in Nashville one of these weekends. It’s all an adventure!

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Poof! It’s Magic: Dropping your story of “This isn’t it.”

Monday, June 16th, 2008

Hello, Friends! Life is so amazing! Four years ago when I was still in the midst of searching for well being, I never could have imagined where I am currently at in this moment of my life. In 1995, I was hired as a receptionist at Société Générale (a French Investment Bank). Two years later, I was promoted to Administrative Assistant (Secretary), and I stayed in this position for the next 8 years of my life. So four years ago, while still a Secretary at the bank, I was a walking complaint. I am also a singer/songwriter, and I was constantly lost in the thought that “This isn’t it! I’m supposed to be a rock star performing at Madison Square Garden! What am I doing here?”

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Transformation in Action

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

As a Literacy Coach, I’m invited to schools to work with teachers and often asked by the principal to focus on specific projects. In every school, there is something very different to do. In a school I visit weekly, the principal asked me to sort through materials & books that were in the basement and find ways to use them with the teachers. It would require bringing things into the teacher room, which is about 8 feet by 8 feet. It has 6 full size desks around the perimeter of the room. The room is shared by 6 specialty teachers (science, social studies…) It was so cluttered with papers and “stuff” piled so high on the desks, that the windows were covered. The room felt very “stuck” and uncomfortable to be in. As someone who loves to organize, I realized that before we brought anything new in, the room was begging to be cleaned and cleared. I approached the principal and shared this with her and she gladly agreed.

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Tell Me What to Do: A Story About Transformational Time and Project Management

Friday, May 16th, 2008

I was recently walking around the theater where I am currently working, which is also a theater where I had worked many years ago. As I entered different rooms, offices and hallways, I kept coming across my drawings and photos framed on the walls from the different shows I had done. I had to laugh at myself, because with each drawing came a flood of both memory and astonishment.

First of all, I was astonished to see that these were the drawings which MY MIND had stressed over – and how they were ‘not good enough’. Yet here they were framed, years later. My drawings are the very first thing you see as you enter the managing director’s office and the artistic director’s office. As I looked up and saw them – and BEFORE I even realized they were mine - I thought “Wow, what a beautiful set of drawings”. Blew that whole story of ‘not good enough’ out of the water instantaneously!

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Crowds or Lovely People?

Saturday, May 10th, 2008

After a breathtaking - or should I say breathgiving - long weekend with two magical and touching workshops in Hamburg, Germany, I’m back home in St. Gallen, Switzerland. I feel relaxed, open, available and - no matter how much work or how demanding a job or task - able to appreciate the people around me in their natural greatness and many abilities. In writing this, I just realize that actually includes me… and am smiling…

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Passion!

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

I attended Ariel & Shya’s “Passion: Revitalize Your Life” workshop in January. While I was attending the workshop, my four-year old son, Milan, spent time with his dad over the weekend. When I picked him up from school on the Monday after, he was so completely joyful and confident, having discovered his new abilities: ice skating on a single blade, snapping and whistling. It was so inspiring to see him so full of life and I knew that he was truly connected into the magic that happened during the weekend Passion workshop.

During that evening, Milan and I were hanging out at home and he called to me across the apartment, speaking in his own dialogue of made-up language. I responded back to him in made-up language and we had the funniest dialogue, exploding with laughter. I was so amazed, because speaking in a dialogue of made-up language was actually an activity we did at the Passion workshop! I could truly see how tapped into me he was. I could feel how when I took care of myself and went for my life passionately and without reservations, that my son was directly linked discovering his own gifts and passions, too.

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I Have Never Felt This Good!

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

Annie OutdoorsAfter attending Ariel and Shya’s weekend seminar on Passion in January 2008, I felt great! “Being in the moment” seemed easy. But, once I returned home, I gradually resumed my life and my routine, and I seemingly forgot about “being in the moment”.

Then I started listening to the Kanes’ podcasts and the Being Here radio show on the way to and from work. I have been preparing to go up for tenure and promotion as a college professor, and it has been a highly stressful time in my life. I noticed that I was being “short” with everyone, including my students and my boyfriend, Richard. I even had thoughts of quitting my job. Listening to the Kanes interact with different people began to help me practice “being in the moment” again.

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