Marshland experts in Louisiana say the grasses and the marshes will heal … that micro organisms and bacteria in the water can and will get to work breaking down the oil to restore balance and heal the area. So the wisdom of the plants, the living organisms and nature will eventually heal the marshes.

This news brings me back to a swim in the ocean in Manzanillo, Mexico. Something in the water stung me and I ran out of the water in extreme pain. At the edge of the water was a little old man. He said he would help me. He said, “You see, for every injury that happens in this water, the remedy grows right here,” and he proceeded to grab some grasses growing on a sandy hill. He took those grasses inside and mashed them, then told me to apply them to my leg. And … as my Plant Spirit Medicine teacher don Eliot likes to say: “Santo Remedio” — all healed.

I do believe nature will restore balance to Itself. I just hope the damage is not too huge and that those powerful and rich ecosystems can once again be whole. I was surprised to hear that those of us wanting to volunteer are being told to not travel to those areas. In the marshes, volunteers were in some cases doing more harm by treading untrained through these natural habitats in an attempt to clean oil off the grasses.  Plus, finding accommodations presents another problem for the communities. And finally, oil is highly toxic and harmful. If untrained, if not  a vet, if not used to handling toxic cleanup … we are being asked to stay home.

Still, the truth is we are failing in our stewardship of these blessed resources and beings who are responsible for our food, water, health. I know we can begin to change this on a massive scale. There are people making conscious choices every day to be less dependent on oil, more appreciative of everything we have, more interested in cultivating right relationship with the natural world around us.

At a time when it is easy to despair, we need to gather together and begin to make a difference on behalf of our planet and its many amazing beings. We are miracles. We can do this. 

How can we begin to change?

Took mom to the airport this morning. It was really tough to say good-bye. I haven’t spent very much time with her in about a year and wasn’t ready to see her leave. Driving home I started thinking about the power of unconditional love, the power of community. My heart was full with my mom’s visit and now I was experiencing a deep sense of loss. Part of it was the freedom and healing of being with this very special person who completely “gets” me, knows what I’m about and accepts me just as I am. This is what we find when we find true community. When we find, as Seth Godin says, our Tribe – that group(s) of people with whom we resonate, connect, enjoy being around. Those who “get” who we are, and who honor and celebrate (or at least accept) who we truly are.  Finding such a community can transform our life.

At my brother’s wedding in St. Lucia, we saw a beautiful tribe in action. Omar and Dani were surrounded by their closest friends, they shared the wedding week in celebration and without issues and it was fabulous to see the sweetness, honesty, respect and the beautiful bond between them. It was dazzling and inspiring.

Sometimes we can experience this in our workplace or our office. I’ve worked with amazing creative teams where everyone was working towards a goal and having a blast doing it! Magic happened on the pages of the catalogs … and in people’s hearts. This is not always easy to create in a work environment, but when it is there … that community … that team spirit … that shared vision… it’s a winning combo for the business, the projects, the customers and the staff.

Some of us join religious groups, clubs, sports organizations to experience community — to basically hang out with like-minded people who have a shared purpose — yes, even if that purpose is just “hanging out”.  There’s actually great value in that. Great value for our hearts who seek,  quite naturally, connection. Great value for our health when we are in community. We may not even notice it, but when we are with our tribe, with our true community, we feel free — free to be who we truly are. Our hearts begin to open, our minds begin to open, we experience a feeling of contentment, and all our cells, neurons, synapses begin to vibrate and work in a harmonious way. Communities can and do heal. The mere fact of being able to talk to someone, a kindred spirit, and share something true from deep within, is immensely healing.

Our modern life in our beautiful country has unfortunately become an exercise in independence, loneliness and isolation for many people. Neighbors don’t relate. People want to be left alone. We have grown suspicious of each other. At the office, many compete rather than collaborate. Instead of customer service and customer empathy, overworked and unappreciated employees adopt attitudes of “us” versus “them”. We have a high standard of living, but a very low standard of true connection.  Crises can wake us up momentarily and propel us to action. It’s sad but true that it requires a tragedy for us to see, grieve, hear and commune with each other. To drop the masks and the shields and the suits of armor and be real. And relate from the heart.

Finding a community where we can be seen, heard and be ourselves is a huge gift. Whether it’s our family, whether it’s our spiritual gathering place, whether it’s our office or our neighborhood … we must find it if we want to begin to heal ourselves and in the process help heal our organizations, our relationships and our world.

What’s your experience?   How and where do you find community?

Shortly after finishing college,  I got my first job in customer service — one  of the most stressful I’ve ever had. The work itself wasn’t hard. The environment, the way people were being treated … that was tough. Some days I would have to get off the MBTA train at Boston’s Park Street Station to throw up because I was so stressed out! I would run into the bathroom at the station, throw up, buy a coke to settle my stomach and get back on the train to make it to work. Not many people have heard this story, but it’s worth telling. It’s part of the reason why I am so passionate about  helping to build positive environments for people to work in, flourish and develop.

Yes, amazing customer service can set your business apart from the competition, help it be remembered.  But in case you haven’t noticed, it isn’t easy to provide amazing customer service consistently.  It takes heart and skill and guts. However, once you crack this one, the sky is the limit. If you can read the pulse of your customers, listen, empathize and relate authentically and you get good at it … you will succeed … no matter what field you choose to pursue.

Now more than ever, as people deal with unprecedented stress and vulnerability, customer service is an area in which you and your company can truly shine.  

Here are a few questions to help you assess the customer service you provide. Use them as starting points for daring to discuss great customer service with your staff, your managers and leaders.  Believe me, it’s so worth “going there ”  –  for yourself, for your staff, for your company, and for your customers.

1. Do your employees understand that customers are friends,  supporters, reasons for being? It’s shocking to see how many companies treat customers as the enemy.

2. Are you able to empathize with someone else even when you are having a really bad day? If you haven’t learned the skills to do so, how can you train and motivate your staff, or expect great customer service from them?

3. Are your business policies set up as smart guidelines, or are they so set in stone that your staff can’t do the right thing to serve a customer because your policies stand in the way?

4. Are your employees happy people who derive satisfaction from doing the right thing for your customers?

5. Do you often side with your employees rather than with your customers? Beware. It gets noticed. It sets the tone.

6. Are you or your employees feeling fed up, maxed out, overwhelmed? It isn’t difficult to see, feel and sense. When people are not doing the right thing, they know it – and the environment speaks volumes.

7. Do you realize that each interaction your staff has with others leaves an imprint, a flavor of your values, an image of your company?

8. Do you hire happy and enthusiastic people only to see them become cynical and want to leave after 6 months?

9. Is your customer service operation a team learning about leadership and helping customers, or a heavy, stressful place where you wouldn’t even set foot if you had a choice?

10. Are you truly there for your employees so that they can be there for your customers? Do you care about their well being, their challenges, their aspirations? Do you provide training, inspiration, motivation, rewards?

Begin today.

I have heard so many people be in fear and worry about the year 2012. The media, of course, tends to hype it up. They know that pleasure and pain (fear included) are two key links into our consciousness, even into our buying decisions. 

To me, 2012 represents a great opportunity. A chance for our beautiful human race to realize what has gone wrong … and then set about building a better system … for everyone.

So this is a short blog post. I share it with a heart full of love and respect for the beauty of humanity. With strong belief in the power of connection, the power of people working together. With a deep wish that “the next country over be peaceful … and that the sacred traditions survive”.

Raise up your volume and watch:

What a great year this has been. I am so grateful to all of you, my readers, for your support, comments and enthusiasm. Such a pleasure to share my thoughts on training, on wellness and on life with you and to know you are out there and we are communicating.

Last new year’s day, my husband and I made a special effort to set aside time to envision our year ahead. We went away not too far from home, had a nice dinner (duck & sparkling wine are my faves  at New Year’s – many great memories). Then  we spent  the first day of 2009 planning, envisioning and goal-setting. As a result, we’ve had one of the most positive and productive years of our lives.

Thinking about it made me want to share these tips to help you make 2010 one of YOUR most wonderful years ever.

1.  First  things first!

Pare down, clean, shine, donate, de-clutter. In other words, out with the old and in with the new!  Make room so that what you are envisioning or dreamig can actually show up in your life. This also includes releasing fear, excuses, negativity and old habitual patterns that may be zapping your energy — you know what they are.

2.  Develop a gratitude list.

List not only your successes and blessings of this year, but also include your own good qualities and things and people  you are grateful for.  Having an attitude of gratitude actually changes your set point, making your overall vibration more positive, open, receptive.

3.  Light a candle.  Sit a while. Feel the pulse of your body. Breathe.

4.  Identify 3 things you want to have or accomplish this year.

See them as real, as already in place, visualize (in detail) yourself enjoying them. You may, for instance decide to:  get training to improve your public speaking, take better care of your health, or improve your service to your customers.

5.  Develop a plan for putting your work/ your energy in motion to help you bring those things or situations into being.

What actions can you begin to take towards each of those objectives?  Write what comes to mind. You can refine it later. For instance, you may want to: Google search public speaking coaches, look into MeetUp groups on public speaking, or update your LinkedIn status saying this is one of your goals. Take the first step!

6.  Identify what might be in the way.

What are your perceived barriers? Is it education, is it experience, is it money? Is it time, as in not enough?  Go through your list and honestly decide whether each perceived barrier is a true limitation or an excuse.  Sometimes we think we see obstacles when we are just choosing to be stubborn, or lazy or afraid.  Remember: “Once you look it in the eye, it has no power over you.”  So look at your perceived limitations.  If they are true, find a way to address them.  But here’s the trick:  address them while keeping your eyes on the prize — your goal , your dream, your vision. Many people get lost in trying to overcome a limitation and never go back to build the dream. So keep your eye on the prize. If your dream or objective for this year is to take better care of your health, and you set about walking an hour each day, remember that the big picture is about your overall health – not just walking, not just losing weight.  This is important because the overall goal is what helps you keep the enthusiasm going (& get up in the morning when the going gets tough).

7.  Make a drawing of your year. Don’t write, draw.

Let loose. Use colors, imagination, don’t think too much. There’s no limit to the number of drawings. Stop only when you are satisfied. Until then, keep drawing. It is dazzling to see what comes up when we allow ourselves to paint, play, doodle while we intention or dream. Our creative mind becomes our ally and fully engaged in our manifesting process.

8.  Post your drawing along with your affirmation.

Example: “2010: The best year of my life. I now have a fulfilling career, I am at my best physically and emotionally. I feel grateful and am now able to give back. I look at my successes with gratitude and pride.”

9.  Trust that this vision for your year has come to you because IT wants to happen.

It wants to manifest for you as much as you want it to. It is a magnetic, energetic thing. Trust your process, keep your eye on the prize, and above all, keep doing your work. One step at a time. One thing at a time. One change at a time. In the course of just one year so much can be transformed! 

A new year is a glorious opportunity.  This reminds me of one of my favorite musicals, Sunday in the Park with George – “White. A blank piece of canvas. The challenge:  Bring order to the whole ….”

Have you ever tried something similar to this process? What was the result?

Here’s wishing you a truly dazzling new year!

After a recent trip to San Diego, I started to read ”Happy for No Reason.” In it, Marci Shimoff states that she was 13 when she decided to be a motivational speaker. She had just heard Zig Ziglar and she wanted to “do that!” I could relate to her story, though  not quite as certainly.  I mean at age thirteen, growing up in Puerto Rico, when the circus came to town I wanted to be a trapeze artist! When we went to San Juan for the “Coppelia” ballet and I saw Fernando Bujones glide onto stage, I wanted to be a (male) ballet dancer!  And when  my family gathered and grandfather asked us kids what we would do with our lives, wanting to make him proud I would say, “A dentist!”

So I didn’t have Marci Shimoff’s clarity at 13 regarding wanting to be a speaker, but I knew I wanted to help people be happier, live better lives, share an experience of joy. A big part of getting to be a great speaker has to do with learning from the best. Here are some things I’ve learned along the way:

1. Know your passion.

Why are you speaking? Why is it important? What will your message help build in the world? Great speakers, trainers and communicators know how to cultivate and nourish their passion. This is in addition to the to their skill in communicating with an audience, in addition to organizing the material, in addition to basic good delivery technique. To great speakers and communicators life and work are about purpose and passion.

2.  Heart to Heart. 

Great communicators connect with their heart to bring forth a shared message or experience. Once they make contact with that message or experience in their own hearts, they then extend out from that place to make contact with their training class, with their coaching client, with their student, with their audience. This is a subtle and very refined distinction. The best coommunicators can do it easily and even effortlessly. When it happens, everything shared does, in fact, come from the heart. The audience feels they’ve been moved by something they cannot quite explain. In this video, Eliot Cowan describes the process:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaV_n9-nQ48

3.  Learn to speak authentically.

Great speakers and motivators can move us with the power of their integrity, their humility. It’s not always about projecting your voice to make a room erupt into laughter or applause as Tony Robbins can so masterfully do.  Each person has a style, a lisp, a “tell” which in the case of the great communicators is embraced and used to advantage. Great speakers and communicators don’t sound like anyone else, they sound like themselves. They don’t sound like a recording. They don’t sound fake — and believe me, we all know what “fake” sounds like. When I train Customer Service Teams or coach a client on their presentation skills, this is one of the powerful basics … unlocking  your style and your words. It is powerful, honest, true. It resonates. It is remembered.  In this video, spiritual teacher Malidoma Some exemplifies that:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPGCyLjaPk0

Please share your thoughts. 

Which great speakers and communicators have influenced you?

I’ve just experienced one of the best theater surprises of my life.  I was told we were “going to the city for an activity.” We drove into Chicago.  I didn’t recognize the area. We parked on an alley.  We walked a block. A woman outside a bar said, “Man of la Mancha? Step right in!”  I grinned at my husband – “I looooove ‘Man of la Mancha’!” Could it be THE musical?, or something else?  Given the place, I didn’t dare hope for too much.

We entered a small room, part bar, part tapas fonda. People sat on small tables and right there, front and center, was a  small, grungy stage. Our hostess took us to our table. She wore burgundy scrubs. She told us the asylum patients would arrive soon.  I didn’t know what to think  — the space was small and crowded already. Nothing against the insane, but on such close quarters? I was  relieved to see my husband smile — she had been kidding – at least I hoped so.

We  ate some tapas served by a friendly, charming waiter. He was Tom Moore, one of the actors. I looked at the program and the music — Yes! This was the musical I loved — the one I dreamed of performing. Except that  in my childhood daydream I was Don Quijote … and that  part  was always played by a man.  

The food was okay, not great: gazpacho with ice cubes in it, empanadillas, marinated mushrooms, spinach salad, tortilla espanola — (not!).  But I was soon to find out : It wasn’t about the food.

I scanned the program over and over. Who was playing Don Quijote? All the males were listed with other roles.  Then I saw: A female lead was to be Don Quijote!  Dream coming true:  right here, right now.

As the show began, the first number grabbed my heart and my imagination and never let go.  ”I shall impersonate a man … Come, enter into my imagination and see him.” Diane Brothers proceeds to become Don Quijote by applying makeup to her face on the spot and transforming in body and soul as she delivers the first amazing musical number of the evening.  Throughout the play, I am moved to tears by her commitment to the character, her flawless performance and the passion with which she and the other cast members performed on that cramped tapas bar/stage … on that cold night, on that alley. Only in Chicago.

This was a spectacular, powerful, inspiring performance bringing back the dream, the quest — a testament to the power of belief. Also a reminder of what happens when, vulnerable, we confront our mirrors.  

If you live in Chicago or are visiting here in the next month (show extended through December), you must see Theo Ubique Theater’s performance of “Man of La Mancha.”  It is a timeless journey of love and respect for ideals … an homage to the power of storytelling and the craft of brilliant, passionate musicians and artists.

The fabulous cast?  Anthony John Lawrence Apodaca , Danielle Brothers , Trisha Hart Ditsworth, Kyle Greer, Sarah Hayes , Michael Herschberg, Kent L. Joseph, Tom Moore, Maggie Portman, Daniel Waters, Jennifer Young.

Please share your comments.

What performances inspire you?

I just recently returned from another trip to Mexico. Though I was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, every time I travel to Mexico I realize that what the country and its people offer to me … the beauty, the lessons, the transformation … goes way beyond simply feeling “at home” because we share the same language. 

The first time I visited Mexico, shortly after my college graduation, the country gifted me with the rediscovery of my language, my rhythm, my identity. I had spent years in the U.S. learning how to be American and — unbeknownst to me –forgetting how to be Hispanic. My first trip to Mexico healed all that; allowing me to reclaim and reintegrate who I was, my purpose and my work in the U.S.

This time, the lessons of the trip were around resonance, healing and community. It is true that there’s always a tradeoff — Mexico is Mexico, ancient, dusty, rustic, with its water challenges and its raw environments. But also, Mexico is Mexico with its delicious fruits, art and architecture and especially its beautiful, warm, service-oriented people.

In Mexico, when you sit at a restaurant and you are left alone for a while, you are not being ignored … rather they’re giving you the gift of respect, the gift of space, the gift of time. They want you to take your time and enjoy yourself. Most Mexicans are wonderfully adept at customer service because they understand on a very deep sense the concept of empathy and true service, service with heart.

During this trip I had the pleasure of observing food being prepared with love, care and heart.  Humble people not asking for money but rather selling their wares, not taking the “no’s” personally. People in a village who, instead of setting their trash containers outside for the garbage truck to pick them up, wait for the truck and take out their trash so they can thank the worker and in the process build community. Just experiencing something as communal and simple as that is inspirational for what’s needed, what’s missing and what’s possible in our workplaces, in our management, in our communities.

Also on this trip I gained a whole new level of appreciation for the skill, handiwork and artistic ability of the Mexican people. The clothing, the weavings, the colors, the flowers, the beads, the masks, the crafts. These are a people truly gifted with hands that heal, hearts that understand, skill that transforms ordinary items into art.

My entire journey was a celebration of community and a recognition of the true spirit of service in community, through food, through bartered exchanges at the market, through contact with nature, amazing sites and well-grounded people. An inspiration for my heart, for my training and consulting work, for my work-in-the world.

Do you have a similar story?

How does travel inspire you?

One of the intangibles in my training work is the need to bring people to a place of wellbeing before asking them to learn something new. With some, this involves learning about empathy and respect for their colleagues and customers. Others need help managing their stress. Occasionally, a group or department can feel unappreciated, overworked or simply not aligned with the work. To succeed and truly make a difference through training, it’s essential to first address who people are and how they feel before introducing something new. Increasingly,  my work as a trainer starts with assessing personal and organizational wellness.

When people are in state of wellness, they sound, look, behave differently.

Here are some indicators:

1. Appreciation. Isn’t it true that when you are not well you tend to see the glass half-empty? Whenever we feel vulnerable,  sick or worried, we find it difficult to say thanks, or to see the abundance and beauty surrounding us.  But when we are well and in a state of harmony, we can see beauty and possibilities; we are not afraid to say thank you. People who are well are appreciative.

2. Generosity/Expansiveness. It’s difficult to be generous when we feel we are lacking in major ways. When we are not fully well, we tend to hold on, act from fear, keep things bottled, hold it in. On the other hand, people who are well, balanced and happy have an attitude of generosity and expansiveness about them. They can more easily reach out to others, give of themselves, share their resources, insights and advice. My friend Janey has worked to  help transform the lives of Vietnamese youth for many years. Please visit her site and consider contributing to her amazing charity in whatever way you can.

3. Flexibility (reach and breadth). People who are well are more flexible — not just physically, but also emotionally and socially. Just as stress and tension make us less flexible, wellness increases our flexibility in how we move, absorb, react and influence our world. As I’m sure you’ve observed, when we are not well, we are less likely to change course, thrive with changes, roll with the punches or take advantage of opportunities.

4. Joy/Humor. When we don’t feel well, we are less likely to find humor in situations. A good friend of mine when faced with a cancer diagnosis insisted that she and her husband would follow Norman Cousins advice. They rented funny movies from Netflix for a year and that’s all they watched! It made a huge difference in their life together.

5. Adventure. People who are well have a sense of adventure. They look forward to the next assignment, the new day, the next challenge and new experiences. This is quite different from the attitude of someone who is afraid, holding on, overwhelmed or exhausted — unwell.

How can you apply this?

• As a smart manager, consultant or business owner, you can use these pointers to plan for success. Assess your staff so that you can help them be in a better frame of mind before teaching them a new methodology or requesting their support of a new initiative. 
• By recognizing these traits (or their lack) in yourself, you can choose to embody the behaviors, feelings and actions of wellness and move towards increased wellbeing  in your life.
• Whatever your work or circumstance, know that you deserve wellness in your body, mind, spirit … in your work, your life and the environments in which you move.  If others don’t realize, speak up, have courage, ask for help, dare to create healthy change.

What does wellness look and feel like for you?

Please share your comments.

To be Known

To be a Voice,

a Color,

a Rhythm,

a Catalyst,

a Perspective.

To help Build.

To Inspire.

Why I Blog.

[Turn up your volume:]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTQfERb9HVk