“You should be on ‘Oprah’!” people say to me when I tell my story. “You should be a keynote speaker at women’s events all over the country- like Oprah’s Life You Want Tour or Arianna’s Third Metric,” said a friend. “You’d be a much better speaker than who we are listening to right now,” she whispers in my ear at a local fundraising luncheon. “You should be another “Oprah” with your own show,” says a PR executive friend. I wish I could afford her services to help me; only her opinion was free. I am grateful for the vote of confidence and I
Read more →A report by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Research recently named the “happiest cities” in our nation. The state of Louisiana won the jackpot on joy with four happiest places out of 10: Lafayette (#3), Baton Rouge (#5), Shreveport (#7) and Houma (#8). Other states high on happiness, depending on which of the lists you read, include: Virginia (Charlottesville and Richmond) and Texas (Houston and Corpus Christi). My own back yard, New York City, was lowest on the totem pole of the happy poll. It seems the “city that never sleeps” and the “crossroads of the world” has a lot
Read more →It seems everyone I speak to these days talks about how busy they are. The number of people multitasking is multiplying. The demands of keeping up, logging in, staying connected and attending to personal and professional details can be overwhelming. Managing time and finding time for yourself is probably the number one concern brought up when I interview women about handling their stress and maintaining balance in their lives. I don’t mind being busy. I mind when being busy becomes non productive or even wasted time. More important, keeping busy should not keep you from enjoying your life and taking care
Read more →This month around the nation, dignitaries and celebrities are sharing words of wisdom to eager graduates at high school, college, and university commencements. I am still waiting for my invitation to speak. But, if I were asked, here is an abbreviated version of what I would say. I call it “Six Degrees of Education.” 1. Your Education never ends. It evolves. What you have learned until today is just that and no more. Realize you may need to go back to school, take more courses and be open to new ideas to remain relevant and on top of change. Degrees
Read more →I recently applied for a grant from a prestigious professional women’s organization dedicated to empowering women. My mission is to empower women and I am studying to train as a certified coach. The grant would have provided beneficial support to help me in my goal to help make a difference for others. I was rejected. But not dejected. Annoyed, yes. Giving up, no. Everyone experiences rejection. My first sort of rejection was the day I was born, the second baby of the new year. The first baby born received all the prizes. I received no prizes, and my parents lost out on
Read more →As many of you know I recently exchanged my Manhattan apartment of twenty-six years for a home in the country ninety miles north of the city. The move was a lesson in learning to let go. It was also a test of perseverance. Some time ago I lost a small diamond stud. It was never found, and I am convinced it lay somewhere in my apartment. As we packed, I repeated to my husband, David, “Be careful what you move or throw out. Maybe we’ll find the diamond.” It was a needle in the haystack thought given the amount of
Read more →My husband and I are packing up my one bedroom Manhattan rent stabilized apartment that I’ve lived in for twenty-six years. (Stop! If you live in New York City you may feel you’ve hit apartment pay dirt. My announcing I am giving up a rent stabilized Manhattan apartment is better than trolling the obituaries to see who has died.) We are only moving to our home in the country just 90 minutes away, and I fully expect to be in and out of the city on a regular basis. But, I can’t believe how many people are telling me “We
Read more →I recently watched a moving video where Academy Award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o discusses how as a young girl she prayed to God to lighten her skin. She said she was teased and taunted for her dark complexion and felt that by lightening her skin she would be perceived as beautiful Tears welled up in her eyes as she shared her story of believing she was ugly: “As a teenager my self hate grew worse….My complexion had always been an obstacle to overcome….I had begun to enjoy the seduction of inadequacy.” Video LInk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPCkfARH2eE Meanwhile, I keep receiving promotional ads
Read more →Americans aged 18 -64 are spending an average of 3.2 hours a day using social networks according to a recent study http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp/online/social-networking-eats-up-3-hours-per-day-for-the-average-american-user-26049/ I find it unsettling that people are spending more time connected with each other online than in person. While I enjoy interacting with my friends on Facebook and have been reconnected with old acquaintances, I am starting to feel disconnected in other ways and have found myself exhibiting some unhealthy habits. Here are 10 signs you need may need an internet intervention: 1. Your iPad gets more attention in bed than your spouse. 2. Your meals become constant
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