Search this site

In our frantic, 24/7 world we often become consumed with our work. We border our lives by the four walls of an office, a home, and even that metallic case we call a car. Ugh—commuting! To refresh our souls, our inner spirits need air and color and peace.  I look to the  outdoors.  Just the trickle of water in a fountain as I sit in my cushioned chair brings a sense of calm. There’s my Kwan Yin statue which looks down at the pansies and the petunias. Her very aura reminds me to breathe. And what about you? Is there room for a gazebo that can let your family picnic outside? Or perhaps a garden swing that just melts away the tension of too much too fast?  Can you open the door of your living room, your art studio, your home office and invite in the smells of rich soil, sweet alyssum, and spicy marigolds? It beats a spray can of air freshener any day. Or perhaps, you might consider gifting someone with an “outdoor” item to support their inner life. My precious friend is battling MS. Her great joy is the garden her children planted. From her picture window, she sees color and green designed to bloom in every season. She tells me that the wind chimes  I sent hang in an arbor and just bring music to her soul.  So little I can do for her. But what a lot it means. It’s time. Move beyond four walls. You’ll be glad you did.

Just returned from a week above 10,500 feet: sleeping under the stars and clouds, battling mosquitoes and temps down to 25 degrees at night, plus gorgeous vistas and wildflowers. This year, while I wanted to go, I felt tremendously pressured by the economy and pending work NOT to go. After all it would be 7 days without cell phone and email. What if someone needed me? Alas, no one did. Or let me reframe that—people figured out “stuff” on their own. In the meantime, I figured out “stuff” that might very well help me cope with the current times: No one should travel alone. In today’s crazy world, we NEED other people to share the decisions, the sights, the laughter, and the burdens. Who travels with you? Who has your back when the going gets rough? Don’t push the river. We crossed many a cold, rushing river this trip. I am not adept at standing upright and hopping across boulders that fit legs far longer than mine. The very force of the water intimidates me. But it is what it is. How often do I want something to be other than what it is? I push against reality instead of just accepting and leaning into it. Surrender to the now. How easy it was to suddenly find myself thinking about the work that had to be done when I returned. Every time my mind went there, I mentally pulled myself back. I realized I could do nothing about anything until I returned. NOW was all I could deal with. Great lesson to carry with me back at the base camp I call my office. And so... on your vacation, what lessons will you learn?

Right now, pay attention to what you receive as email autoresponders and voice mail messages.  You might be reading or hearing words that imply the party has gone away for vacation. Somehow August heralds the final hurrah before the seriousness of school, resumed work, and even the heavy harvest of produce. But what happens if we can’t take off in August?  What happens in the other 11 months of the year? If resiliency is all about creating energy to thrive regardless of the chaos around us, here are five HOT tips to “vacation” regardless of the season. Remember the root of vacation is “vacate”. For a brief period of time, vacate - empty out - your mind from the worry of what is undone or regrets about the past. Get the smartphone app (free) Relax Melodies. You can select from a series of sounds and mix and match melodies. There’s a timer in the app. Start with five minutes and do nothing but sit comfortably and listen. Breathe. Vacate! I bet you will set the timer for a longer period of time on future “vacations”. Find an outdoor concert of music that makes your heart sing and your body sway. Last week, we walked to the park near our house and flung our beach towel and ice chest down on the grass along with a couple hundred people. Songs from ABBA flew from the stage. In a heart beat many of us jumped to our feet and danced with abandon. The three year-olds ran around while the 53 year-olds sang the words and danced in barefoot abandon. Nothing was in my mind but the sheer joy of the moment. Have a picnic! Now, here’s the challenge: It is to be as simple a picnic as possible. No fancy utensils, plates, glasses. Finger food works. Chopsticks. And low cost. Why simple? Once you realize how little you need, the pressure of having “stuff” begin to go away. You are vacating — making a space — for what really matters. Throw out. Consider this a variation on the theme of number 3. How many beach towels do you really need? Worn out shoes? Too many black jackets. Four screwdrivers. Books you will never read. Create a space. Make empty room in closets, shelves, drawers, and desktops.  Vacate. Vacate. Vacate.\ Stop at roadside stands. Just stare at the colors. Imagine the rain rinsing dirt from the peppers. Imagine bees paying homage to juicy peaches. Buy something. Ask to rinse it off at the hose. And then sit under a tree and eat it. My brother and sister and I relished this “vacation” while driving the back roads of the Amish Country in Lancaster County, PA. What do you do to vacate — to create — an empty place to regroup and re-energize? I would love to know! P.S. My siblings and I went to PA to visit York, PA where we buried my mother a year ago. Some of you, my dear readers, will remember my story about the monarch butterfly that appeared in my California garden on January 28 - the day she died.  Not surprisingly, another monarch appeared in the garden of the B&B where we stayed in York.  Life IS a series of moments.

Leaders are responsible to lead themselves and others while doing the often over-whelming job of managing a business.  The only certainty about business is that change is inevitable and leaders need to step up and teach their employees resiliency skills.  A few ways they might do this include: Helping employees discover and focus on their strengths while minimizing any tendency to mope over their failures. Teaching employees to keep things in perspective by modeling reframing of what is possible and an opportunity. In short, be the change you wish to see - a resilient change master! Encouraging the development of strong and positive relationships and support systems. Developing opportunities for employees to vent frustrations AND to then look for solutions. The response, “You’re lucky to have a job.” is the most negative thing a manager can say!

If investing is only about money in the bank or in Wall Street, you are short-changing yourself about building a better life and a better world. That’s the premise behind THE RESILIENT INVESTOR , a provocative book that maps out investment choices for all your assets— assets that are much more than ownership of “things” and the balance in a bank or fund. The authors, Hal Brill, Michael Kramer and Christopher Peck, are managing partners of Natural Investment, a B Corporation that specialize in sustainable, responsible investment. Their Resilient Investment Map (RIM) explores three strategies: Close to Home, Sustainable Global Economy and Evolutionary. Each strategy also explores thee asset types: Personal/Social, Tangible, and Financial. For example, the Close to Home strategy invites you to explore first your personal and social goals. Think about it. Thoreau said it first, “The first wealth is health”.  How are you investing—i.e. spending time and potentially money—to care for your body, mind and spirit?  What are the choices you make for your community, your relationships? Tangible goals that are close to home look at your home, the local infrastructure, energy systems, and local shopping.  It’s not only the “stuff” you own or have access to, but might you consider “investing” in a shared economy, buying from local co-ops, encouraging wise use of water and land so as to create a healthy ecosystem. Close to Home financial strategies involve investing in a local bank, a credit union, or investment clubs. While this might sound simplistic, THE RESILIENT INVESTOR also explores four potential global scenarios and how one moves into the future with a willingness to expect change and ambiguity. There’s much here to chew on. It’s an easy read but the concept deserve your brainpower.

Wasting human energy depletes resiliency resources. Consider this: Information overload equates to a staggering $1.2 trillion in wages wasted each year according to a six year study of over 20,000 information workers. Time to call a halt to this amazing abuse: Insist that the “reply all” email button be carefully considered before selecting “send”. Just because information can be sent, do not assume it has value to the recipient. Establish a boundary for sending and receiving emails. Being on call 24/7 leaves workers exhausted and frazzled. Think of a time frame for rest and renewal. If you are a manager, practice what you preach and model the boundaried - behavior. Get professional help for colleagues who seem addicted to connecting. Fifty-four percent of all professional indicate they are often frustrated by colleagues who huddle over their smart-phones during important meetings. Make a conscious effort to refrain from interruptions and to ask colleagues to respect your time. Workflow that is interrupted by email, “dings”, IMs or calls results in reduced output and effectiveness. Create interruption management strategies and share them with all. Use the “IS IT NECESSARY” question before calling or attending a meeting. If it is merely for sharing information, make sure that it is data that CANNOT be handled via succinct, bulleted correspondence. Ask if the right people are at the meeting? Too often, the wrong people come because of formality and standard office protocol. Seek good trainers who can deliver targeted programs on how to handle email, and teach a methodology for storing and retrieving documents. This is a new communication world and old methods don’t work. Don’t forget that meeting management is a learned skill. Dick and Emily Axelrod’s book, Let’s Stop Meeting Like This is a great resource to help workers learn just how to conduct effective and efficient meetings. Note that effective and efficient are two distinct outcomes.

I can still hear Taps floating across the Pennsylvania countryside. I remember clutching the U.S. flag, so carefully folded into a triangle, while tears streamed down my face as the Air Force officer said, "On behalf of the President of the United States and a grateful nation…” Mom had been a WWII Women’s Air Force Service Pilot (WASP) yet it took almost 30 years for the government to give WASPs honorary discharge papers. For Mom, it meant she could have a flag on her coffin. A year before this ceremony, my stepmother held a similar flag and wept at Dad’s funeral. He served in WWII and the Korean War and had life been different, would have been a career soldier. He loved the flag. Today, young Josh is in Afghanistan, flying his Air Force jet as he tries to protect troops withdrawing from this confusing, conflicted country. He has already lost members of his squad and wonders if those of us at home even know what he is doing. In years to come, far too many wounded warriors will struggle with loss of limbs, PTSD, and difficult employment opportunities. The past. The present. The future. Mom and Dad were taken care of and supported. For Josh and our wounded warriors - we owe them more than a parade and a medal. In any budget considerations, social services, and assistance, these men and women must come first in all decisons. Look into what donations you can make. I am taken with Fisher House Foundation which provides housing to military families as they receive medical treatment. To all my brothers and sisters in uniform: thank you!!! P.S. Check any non-profit through Charity Navigator to find organizations you can trust. (We want money to go to the right purpose and not into large salaries!)

What's the correlation between efficiency and resiliency: ENERGY. The more time that is spent in wasted energy, the more you depleted you and your team become. In a conversation with Greg Knowles, the CEO/President of ATI Electrical, he shared with me that small problems can create big barriers for business. Countless companies face them every day. Even worse, most don’t realize just how distracting, time consuming and destructive these problems can be. Do any of these “little” problems ring true for your business? Things are chaotic, because there’s no single plan or guide for operations.You and your team can’t focus your energy on growing the business, because you’re bogged down with everyday tasks.Your schedule is disorganized, and double-bookings and last-minute cancellations are common. The good news is, these issues are often simple to resolve ― and doing so can pay off big for your company. 1. Think Like a Project Manager If your workplace is a chaotic one, it could be because your firm doesn’t manage projects effectively. Consider implementing a simple project management system. Find a software program and get trained on it. It will allow you to create project plans and schedules that take into account problems and issues you could face on every job. It will help you feel more confident in your ability to deliver on your promises to your clients. While you’re at it, have the members of your team get trained on basic project management skills. This provides structure, and helps the entire organization share a common vision. 2. Streamline Your Time Do you still manage your company’s schedule using paper, a spreadsheet or the calendar on your smart phone, tablet or computer? This could be causing unnecessary problems for you and your business. It may be time for you to look into business scheduling software. The right solution can: Show all of the appointments booked with all of your team members any place, any time on your phone or other electronic device.Manage appointments so you can manage your team’s time more efficiently.Prevent time from being booked over days off.Let your customers and clients book appointments online through your website.Notify you and your team when scheduling changes occur. Most scheduling solutions can integrate with other software your company is already using. Check out a few of the options available at Top Ten Reviews. 3. Optimize Your Space Based on Pareto’s rule, if your business is like most, you probably use 20% of your supplies or equipment 80% of the time, and 80% of them only 20% of the time. Why not organize your warehouse, supply room or office so regularly-used supplies and equipment are grouped in an accessible, highly efficient space? It can save time and money not having to rifle through things you don’t use in order to get to the ones you do. Remember, the most important renewable energy course is HUMAN energy. Here’s hoping these tips help. PS: If you want more in-depth help, contact Productive Environment Since 1978, Barbara Hemphill has helped thousands of individuals can companies eliminate clutter and chaos.

Eileen was interviewed by John Mattone for the Expert Interview Series on the importance of resiliency in leaders.  John Mattone is a powerfully engaging, internationally-acclaimed keynote speaker and top-ranked executive coach. Since 2015, the research organization, Globalgurus.org, has ranked John Mattone as one of the world’s top leadership authorities and speakers. In 2015, John Mattone’s Intelligent Leadership, along with Tony Robbins’ Creating Lasting Change and John Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership were named the three Top Advanced Leadership Development Programs that Change Lives.  John asked Eileen a few questions about the role resiliency plays in thriving organizations. You can read the entire interview here!

Studies have found that while most Americans would choose more vacation time over a higher salary, the reality is that we don't take advantage of time off. Ezra Klein, writing in the LA TIMES on "the reason we work too hard" found thatthe average male is working 100 hours more a year than in 1970 and the average woman 200 hours more!! We are the richest nation on earth yet we guarantee no vacation time to workers. Britain guarantees all workers 20 days of paid leave; Germany gives 25 and France insists on 30! But if we had it - would we use it? Right now, people who are granted vacation time leave much of it on the table. Why is the work ethic in overdrive? Cornell economist Robert Frank says that "Americans are caught in a spiral of consumption -- keeping up with the Joneses and it won't stop until the Joneses take a nice long vacation." Greed runs amok. Without time away, there is no opportunity to physically and emotionally regroup. Families miss opportunities to reconnect and the mind has little chance to explore new ideas or creative musings. How do we justify working at that pace when we ignore the needs of body, mind and spirit. There's an ethic that must be examined. What will it take to reverse these trends? Your thoughts?

This is the month that many teens and young adults move into another phase of growth. My second-born granddaughter, Clare, graduates from high school.  The son of my operations manager completes his PhD and will start into the hard world of—gasp—WORK!  Indeed, there are times when school seems almost the safe place.  And the daughter of one of my high school friends leaves junior high and will be moving into high school. I decided to make a collection of quotes that I think are pertinent for ALL of us. Let’s face it, every day can be a graduation—a movement of some degree—into the next part of life. "The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values. " – William S. Burroughs "God will not look you over for medals degrees or diplomas, but for scars." – Elbert Hubbard "Some people drink from the fountain of knowledge, others just gargle." - Robert Anthony "All real education is the architecture of the soul." - William Bennett "You don't need to change yourself. Ever. You need to come home to yourself. And that changes everything." - Scherer "Life is an improvisation. You have no idea what's going to happen next and you are mostly just making things up as you go along." - Stephen Colbert "This is your time and it feels normal to you but really there is no normal. There's only change, and resistance to it and then more change." - Meryl Streep "Life has a very simple plot: first you're here and then you're not. " - Eric Idle And my current favorite quote has nothing to do with graduation but everything to do with life: The new skinny is STRONG! Congratulations to ALL graduates.

This week’s Sunday paper had a comic strip called La Cucaracha by Lalo Alcaraz. It was one frame with a single picture. A white man was holding a sign that read “Immigrant guy selling oranges over there is hurting my case for panhandling.” This one picture says everything I have verbalized to my family and in my head but never said out loud. Until now. Sometimes one cannot be quiet. Resilient people face the truth honestly and seek other ways of responding. To be quiet is not allowing others to envision a different picture. I have lived in Southern California for 38 years and NEVER have I seen a Hispanic person begging. The most “begging” I have witnessed is a group of men standing at building supply store locations looking for work. Not a handout. Work! And what is this work that some folks think is being taken from citizens: building houses, washing cars, picking crops, cleaning houses, picking up trash that can be redeemed for recycling, and caring for children of upscale families or our elderly parents. I’d like to see the sons and daughters of those who would demonize entire nationalities spend just one day doing that kind of work. I’d be willing to bet they wouldn’t last a day. And, heaven forbid that one day these hard-working people might go to college, become professionals, earn good wages, and contribute even more to their communities. Today I go to a nail salon owned by another immigrant. She was one of the “boat people”, having fled Vietnam and a journey too horrid to even recount.She not only became a licensed cosmetologist but continues to make additional money by selling items in her shop like gorgeous shawls from Vietnam, potted plants she has created, even containers filled with homemade soup. Resilient people. Adaptable people. People who look at life’s situations and find what they can control and where they can take action. You get the picture.