May04
Posted on May 4 by Ruth Davis
As many of you know, my mom passed away last June. With Mother’s Day and her birthday coming up this month, I am, of course, filled with all kinds of emotions–sadness and loss, naturally. But also great gratitude and love. The theme for this year’s Mother’s Day Hallmark commercial is “Celebrating all that our moms have given us.” And so I am actually looking forward to these special occasions because they are another opportunity for me to honor and remember my mom, and to say thank you. Growing up, I was at constant war with my mother. I challenged her, aggravated her, even ran away from home twice. We were very different and she just didn’t know how to handle me. But over the years we worked hard to find ways to better communicate, forgive each other and create a new relationship based on respect and love. Really. My mother taught me, by example, how important friendship is. That everyone learns differently. That kindness is more important than anything. She told me I was smart. Bright. And she encouraged...
Apr13
Posted on Apr 13 by Ruth Davis
Earlier this month I facilitated a powerful and intimate retreat in Sedona. Each woman arrived with some expectations and pre-conceived ideas of what might happen. Throughout the weekend there were many opportunities to express and release the known and open to the unknown, creating space for new possibilities. As each woman let go and opened up, she discovered something about herself that surprised her, excited her, inspired her. When we create space for the unexpected, it’s amazing what we begin to notice about ourselves and our lives. There were many invitations during the weekend to write, to use language to explore, express and make connections. Following are excerpts from my own journal writing during the retreat weekend. “…there is so much space and room and vistas and comforts and amenities and grace and the grounds are lush and tended and tendered. I follow the sound of water, down an easy step-stoned path, across big, solid-footed boulders that lead to the creek where I stand. To the left, the creek is barely a trickle, low water, almost stagnant, so much...
Apr04
Posted on Apr 4 by Ruth Davis
Often, a client comes to me wanting immediate change in some aspect of her life. Maybe it’s a new job, or a way to have more balance between work and play. Maybe it is about making new friends and being more socially connected. Change takes time. Change happens one step at a time. Sometimes it is a small step. Sometimes it is a huge leap. But the path from here to there is never one single step. If you can think of achieving your goal not as one big action but as a series of steps, it becomes more manageable, more possible, more do-able. I like to think of the process in terms of the alphabet, taking each step one letter at a time. TRY THIS: Imagine the alphabet as a series of stepping stones on a long, winding path. Imagine you are standing on stepping stone A. Your vision of your dream is far off on stepping stone Z. There is no possible way that you can jump from where you are to where you want to be...
Mar07
Posted on Mar 7 by Ruth Davis
Spring is in the air. You can see the buds peeking out on the trees. You can feel the air getting a little warmer. And the days are staying lighter longer. Spring is a time of action, rebirth and re-commitment. It’s a time to come alive again. Today’s article offers you a fun way to greet the coming season. In yoga, students are encouraged to find their soft edge–to stretch deep enough where you feel the stretch but do not feel pain. It is at this edge where the muscles release and then you can breathe in and stretch just a little bit further. This week I invite you to go on an ADVENTURE DAY. Choose something that challenges you, that takes you to your own soft edge. It could be something that you’ve always wanted to do but were a little too scared, or something you never considered doing by yourself. Maybe you’ll go a movie by yourself, or take yourself out for a lovely meal. Maybe you’ll sign up for a class you’ve always dreamed of taking...
Feb21
Posted on Feb 21 by Ruth Davis
A few weeks ago, I hosted a free online webinar, teaching people some great Mac tips and shortcuts. I had sent out a series of emails beforehand, reminding the people who had signed up when to attend. One email went out too soon, making it seem like the webinar had already happened. Because, instead of scheduling it to be sent at 4 pm, after the webinar, it went out at 4 am. It was a simple mistake. With minimal consequences. Sure, a few people were confused, but they emailed me and I explained everything. You see, when you’re in business, and you’re dealing with automated emails and programs and technology, mistakes are bound to happen. The question is, what do you do about it? Do you react, finding blame, spiraling into panic and anxiety and failure? Or do you take a breath and respond by finding a solution, a way to remedy the situation, maybe even with some humor? I could have gotten all flustered and bent out of shape about the error. But instead, I saw it as...
Feb07
Posted on Feb 7 by Ruth Davis
Vacations are fun. Adventure-filled. They help us relax and release. Being in a different place, away from the day in-day out activities of our lives often gives us new perspectives and a renewed sense of ourselves. Vacations breathe new life into us. So many people I talk to complain that they haven’t been on a vacation in forever. They say they don’t have the time, or money, or someone to go with. But what if you could go on an Instant Vacation, without ever leaving home? Here’s how: 1. Make a list of all of the things you like to do when you are on vacation. It could include: sleeping late reading a whole book in one day exploring off-the-beaten-track places hiking kayaking tasting the best local foods visiting museums finding a Farmer’s Market geo-caching checking out the local art scene 2. Using your home town as the destination, choose something from your list and do it, right where you live. People often don’t take the time to explore their own backyard. But planning a special day or even...
