Peace and Possibilities

"The universe has lots of amazing opportunities lined up for you", says my guest on this week's podcast, Kelley Kosow.  She's the author of the book The Integrity Advantage, and she knows a thing or two about being successful.

Life is never a straight line to our goals.  We plan for it to be.  We expect it to be. And then...we go for it, and something unexpected happens. We realize it's not what we thought it would be, or we find something else that lights us up.

Sometimes it happens when we're trying to solve our own problem! 

Either way, if we learn to work hard, show up and do what it takes to get it done, we will be successful.

Kelly recommends to just stay curious, and not to be afraid to switch it up.  The universe is guiding you as you go along.  Pay attention!

And if something isn't working, don't be afraid to let go.  You just might find out that the other path is even better!

Kelley's book:

The Integrity Advantage - Now available!

http://www.kelleykosow.com/the-book

You have a dream. You want to be something. You want to achieve something. You're attracted to this role of teacher, nurse, healer, or business owner.

What about this role/job/person truly inspires you?

Who is this person being that is telling you that you want to be that thing too?

What is drawing you to that? What's inspiring about it?

What is the why?

What if we all just took the time to go inside and ask ourselves these questions?

Trying to figure out the patterns, discovering what brings about life in you, and what makes you feel fulfilled and want to evolve, are all such important concepts along our journey. 

Sometimes instead we just pick a career or a role, study how to do it, then we go get that job, only to find out that it's not what we thought it was going to be, and aren't quite sure why.  Then panic sets in because we just spent 4 years, or sometimes more, educating ourselves on the very thing that we no longer want to pursue or be!

That's scary!  And unnecessary.

My guests on this week's podcast, Tay & Val, owners of M Meditation, share their journey on figuring all of this out, describe what it was like to see that spark in someone else, and finally learn to explore that outstanding person we're all being called to be.

You'll be inspired, I promise, as they have lots of guidance to offer.

Find out more about Tay & Val below:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13maOf_VVGWljg1wTNortpceo9Yb8Xar6jo4UjP8jlh0/edit#heading=h.a9xmjt61vfcn

Have you ever been told by a parent, a teacher, a coach, a boss "I don't think you'd be successful at that" or something similar?  I hope not.  But I'm guessing at least one time in your life, someone along the way told you that you weren't cut out for something. It's almost guaranteed in this ever changing world.

Did it spark an instinct to prove them wrong? Or did you believe them?

I sincerely hope it made you determined to prove them wrong.

Because ultimately we get to decide what we will pursue, sacrifice, and endure to be successful and to have the life we choose.  We decide.  We sacrifice, we stay the course, and we earn it, no matter what it takes.

That's what my guest on this week's episode of the Peace and Possibilities podcast did. Dr. Alysondra Duke decided to find work that fueled her, that felt true and authentic.  She was very curious and she persevered.

She gives great advice about how to find that for yourself, teaching us how to ask the right questions, and ultimately expand our thinking.

And don't forget to stay away from the naysayers.  They won’t help you get there.

You can learn more about Alysondra here:

Dr. Alysondra Duke earned a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology, along with a Masters + Bachelors in Women’s and Gender Studies. Her work has been featured on MTV, KOMONews, and the Microsoft Women in Business Podcast. Dr. Duke hosts a weekly podcast, Brave + Well, sharing strategies for emotional well-being for high-achieving women, and is a monthly radio co-host on KKNW 1150’s Sunny in Seattle. She currently serves as a mentor, coach, and group facilitator for women who seek to elevate their personal life + business.

www.alysondraduke.com

www.facebook.com/groups/clubchangemaker/

Live, love and appreciate all you have.  Is this a quote from Instagram?  Maybe, possibly. 

I do know for sure that it's a quote from Ron Onesti, my guest on this week's podcast, and the owner of many businesses that help us do just that - enjoy experiences.

Have you ever met someone who loved life and then made everyone around them feel the same way?

Knowing just how to do this isn't as much about learning a process, as it is about dwelling on what makes you happy.  Spending time with people like this makes you feel inspired to do more of what you love, because they're so good at living their lives this way!  It's no accident. They concentrate on the good things in their lives.  And then they have more of them.

Not dwelling on the negative and finding what you're passionate about are two simple (maybe not so simple for some) methods to achieving more of this good stuff we all crave. 

While you're figuring all of this out, he recommends focusing on the fundamentals.  No matter what you end up pursuing, no matter how good you are, getting good at the fundamentals is paramount to your success. 

Just ask Michael Jordan (or Ron).

You can find more info about Ron below:

RON ONESTI, President/CEO

The Onesti Entertainment Corporation

www.oshows.com

The Arcada Theatre

Club Arcada 1920s Speakeasy and Restaurant

105 East Main Street

St. Charles, Illinois 60174

630.962.7000

www.arcadalive.com

Evanston Rocks Music Hall

Bourbon 'N Brass Speakeasy

Rock 'N Ravioli Italian Restaurant

1012 Church Street

Evanston, Illinois 60201

www.evanstonrocks.com

Onesti's Wild West Town

Be Bop A Lula's Rockabilly Cafe

8512 South Union Rd.

Union, Illinois 60180

www.wildwesttown.com

Ron Onesti's Club 210 of Highwood!

Highwood, Illinois

The Des Plaines Theatre

The Chicago Music Hall of Fame

Festa Pasta Vino, Oakley Avenue

Little Italy Fest-West, Addison

Little Italy Fest-Taylor Street

Those are the words of Alle Pierce, my guest on this week’s podcast.

She’s the epitome of resourcefulness and learning not to settle.  If you were to ask her in college what her dream was, it was to be a reporter.  She’d been working hard to make that happen but when she was finally in it, she realized it wasn’t what she was meant to do.

So she started asking questions, meeting new people, researching, and asking herself what she was going to do about it.  And she was determined to do something more rewarding and fulfilling.

Listen in to discover what she found most valuable earlier in her career and what advice she has for someone just starting out.

In the end, we’re all exploring the possibilities of what we can experience, who we can relate to and what we can offer the world.  Alle is on her way!

You can find more info about Alle below:

Her bio, her website, and Instagram

How often have you thought about sports or hobbies, and the impact they have on our lives?  I hadn't given it much thought until I started looking back at all the lessons that sports can teach us (now that my kids have gone through so many phases of sports, from 5 years old and now approaching adulthood).  When I think back about all the talks we had with them, I would say 80% focused on an issue they had to face on their teams, with players, coaches, etc.

There are a myriad of life lessons sewn into all types of sports (individual and team).  And these lessons can and will impact our education, our careers, and our relationships.

My guest on this week's Peace & Possibilities podcast, Vikki Leach, shares how her love for sports turned into a desire to empower people and watch them flourish and thrive.

Being exposed to sports and teamwork at an early age was a major influence on her ultimate passion for equality and inclusion.  And she's spent her career making sure people felt included and teaching folks about how their behavior impacts others.

She refers to one beautiful question to ask the other person, in a meeting, in a conversation, in work or life, to find out exactly how you may be affecting them.

Her insight and advice will benefit anyone regardless of their journey and beyond.

Take this extra time we've all been given to reflect on the impact you want to have and the ways you can make it happen.

In the words of Maria Carey…

“If you believe in yourself enough
And know what you want
You're gonna make it happen
(Make it happen)”

About Vikki:

Vikki Leach, Global Head, Inclusion and Diversity, Kantar

Based in the UK, responsible for Kantar’s Global Inclusion and Diversity approach.

Senior professional with extensive experience in engaging business leaders and delivering cross country change programmes in inclusion and diversity, culture and engagement and behavioural change. Widespread experience in operating in fast changing, dynamic and results focused businesses.

Over 15 years of experience in the technology industry driving change programmes with diverse and complex challenges, taking into consideration the local business needs, and the company’s global vision.  What drives this is a diverse mix of people, with different backgrounds and experiences.

My passion in life is fairness and equality.  This is representative in my professional career and my personal career in sport. 

Everyone has a talent, it's about unleashing it, and the talent is more likely to be unleashed in a supportive, inclusive and fair environment. Teams that work together outperform those that don’t.  Success feels better when it’s shared with others.   

Equality = Inclusion = Innovation = Success.

Recommended books:

1. The Loudest Duck, Laura Liswood
2. Mindset, Carol Dweck
3. Time to Think, Nancy Kline

We have busy lives.  Whether we have a family and a career, a career and no family, or we're concentrating on raising decent human beings, we're always striving for something.  It's different for each of us.

When we look at where we are in our lives or careers, it's not often that we contemplate on how we ended up there.  Sometimes it's never at all…until someone asks.

My guest on this week's podcast has thought about it.  When Rob was 14, his mother passed away from cancer.  He already had a passion for science but was still working on his purpose.  His dad gave him a microscope and his love for science grew.  With supportive family members, a mentor, and laser focus, he continued to pursue an education in science, eventually realizing his goal.

Tune in to learn what he really sees value in now, and what he wish he had learned just a little sooner.

Oh, and learn about how he's helping to solve this crazy problem we're all faced with in 2020!

Rob Stahelin is the Retter Professor of Pharmacy in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and Purdue Institute for Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease (PI4D) at Purdue University. In August of 2017, he was recruited to Purdue University from the Indiana University School of Medicine-South Bend (IUSM-SB) and the University of Notre Dame. There he had served as the Navari Family Scholar and Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (from 2006-17).

Rob grew up in Lombard, IL attending Willowbrook High School. His scientific studies started as an undergraduate biochemistry major at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) followed by a PhD in chemistry from UIC where he studied lipid-protein interactions in health and disease. He then stayed at UIC for a postdoc in biophysics and cell biology and, in 2006, started his own laboratory as an assistant professor at IUSM-SB and Notre Dame. He has contributed to over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts; is an expert in lipid-protein interactions, viral assembly, and drug re-purposing against viruses. His lab now does research on SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. In his free time he enjoys coaching girls softball and serving as a children’s bible study leader.

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://thestahelinlab.weebly.com/

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Have you ever made a decision, at any age, simply determined to see it through, and then when you finally arrived at your goal, you didn't want it anymore?

This has happened to me several times.  I'm not sure if it's because I finally achieved it and then needed to seek something else, another goal needed to be looming. Or if it's because I finally could see all that it would entail and I was mistaken. Or worse. I was wrong all along and just wanted to stick to what I committed to, even if I knew it was going to be wrong.

My guest on this week's podcast, Jami Hearn, made a decision at the age of 5 to become a lawyer, and did everything in her power to make it happen.  Then one day in the middle of law school, she wanted to quit.  What do you think her mother told her?

Listen in to learn about Jami's determination to seek harmony, and go after her dreams, even when it meant getting out of the dream to discover a new one.

Whether it's a goal or a dream, we all could benefit from regular reminders that the universe is here to support us. And who doesn't love a good, inspirational quote? Who couldn't use a daily reminder that we all are in this together? 

This new book, Wonderful You! by Carin Rockind, is chock full of fabulous quotes and anecdotes about how we can find support and wisdom when we need it.  Every quote will remind you that life is truly a gift, if we only choose to see it that way. Get your copy here.  Share it so that others can be inspired!

You can learn more about Jami's work below.

https://jamihearn.com

[email protected]

Short answer: Yes.

Why? Because it means being in the state of calmness and tranquility. 

And what better state to be in these days, don't you think?

When I asked myself what might be needed this week, this is what came to me because it's what I've been needing.

Even though we're all less frazzled not running around "out there", we still may be lacking the sense of calm and peace we'd like to feel inside our homes and inside our heads, given the anxiety that might be coming from all of this crazy pandemic business.

And let's not kid ourselves. No matter how well we're adjusting to our new normal, we're stressed. We don't have a choice in the matter (if we want to keep ourselves and others healthy). We don't know what the future holds. And we want our old routines back. We need our old routines back.

Of course there are many positive outcomes materializing from this situation (when is the last time we saw gas prices this low?). But there are also tremendous stressors that are keeping us feeling anxious and annoyed.

There a few tools that can help curtail these feelings, one of which is meditation.  The most common complaint I hear about this is "I have too much in my head to clear it."  You'll be happy to know, this is not the purpose of meditation.

The purpose of meditation is to practice seeing your thoughts as something you observe, instead of being in them all day, not able to focus on more important things. The more you practice this (and it's definitely more impactful as a daily practice), the more centered you feel. The more you practice it, the easier it is to put stressful thoughts out of your head and the less annoyed and anxious you feel.

For those of you who want the facts, there is so much neuroscience about the positive effects of meditation on your brain, so I will just give you one fact to start.  

You can read the full explanation in Psychology Today, but anxiety decreases the more you meditate because the neural paths that link upsetting sensations are decreasing. You can't dispute the studies. It works people!

Go see for yourself - everyone will benefit, especially you!  And when all of this is over, you will have a new tool to help you STAY calm and peaceful, and maybe one day you can thank the COVID19 for coming around so that you could finally learn how to meditate!

There's a lot we can do to stay motivated and positive, while continuing to grow and learn during this unprecedented time.

Join me on this episode as I review what adults can do, and we hear from a special (almost 18 year old) teen, who shares his thoughts on making the best of the remote learning and working environment we all find ourselves in these days.

Our mindset is a powerful tool that we all have control over.  Listen in and then maybe share with your kids (or coworkers) to inspire them even just a little…

The possibilities are endless, if you can just think about your situation in a different way.