Love, Compassion, and Honor

Our family just returned from spending a few days in Sedona, Arizona.  The weather was beautiful.  The views breathtaking.  While there, I actively worked on being thankful, appreciative, centered, and at peace. I promised myself that my focus through the holiday season and beyond would be gratitude, compassion, honor, and love.

We flew home on Thanksgiving night, planning to celebrate the holiday on Friday. My son Liam from Pittsburgh  was not able to be with the rest of us in Sedona,  but he would join us at our family gathering in Batavia.

Our Thanksgiving table was beautifully set. All six of us worked together in the kitchen to prepare the meal.  The aroma of the turkey and pumpkin lingered heavily in the air.  It felt as though it was going to be a perfect family day.  It was good to be home.

I had invited a dear young friend of mine, Melanie, to come to our Thanksgiving celebration.  She accepted. We were delighted to have her at our table.  After dinner, it was time for my daughter  Lizzy (a high school cheerleader) to head to the basketball game to cheer.  Melanie's beautiful black Lexus was parked in the street just off the driveway.  (If at this moment , you're getting that sick feeling in your stomach, you would be right on!)  Lizzy promptly backed into that beautiful Lexus. Our perfect day had abruptly come to an end.

Our dining table is right in the front window of our home. I remembered thinking to myself, "I should go outside to be sure that Lizzy makes it out of the driveway without hitting Mel's car."  Just as I finished that thought and rose to make my way outside, the two cars became one. My blood pressure hit tilt. My practice of peace, compassion, honor ... went right out the window.

Lizzy, knowing that she had made a judgment error, was shaking and sobbing from head to toe when she got out of the car to assess the damage. In the same moment, Melanie went to Lizzy and displayed incredible grace and kindness. She kept reiterating to Lizzy that this was a "thing" that could be fixed--no one was hurt--and that was what was so important.  She said these things at the same time that she hugged my daughter tightly in her arms.

As I watched this, I was truly amazed at this young woman's understanding and care and compassion towards another human being.  I know Mel loved that beautiful car, but her priority was to help Lizzy know that she had made a mistake, that it was an accident--not fatal, and that this moment would pass. Imagine the learning that happened for Lizzy.  Here was another woman whom she does not know well, consoling her.  Certainly Mel could have made the choice to lecture or reprimand her, but she did not make that choice. She chose instead to help Lizzy keep her honor and dignity in tact, and modeled behavior which I am sure that Lizzy will forever hold in her heart.

It was a really good lesson for me.  I can be eruptive and react beyond what is necessary (or healthy) in situations that are clearly "not fatal."  Melanie helped put the feelings of love, compassion, and honor that I so desperately wanted to carry in my heart from Sedona into real life actions.

I then came across this  Ojibwa Prayer, "Teach us love , compassion, and honor ... that we may heal the earth...and heal each other."

In this "classroom" of lived experience, are there places in your life where you might actively practice love, compassion, and honor? Certainly for myself there are. In this season of thanksgiving, I am incredibly grateful for the lesson.


For more information on the acceleration of women in business go to http://maureenobrienspeaks.com

Happy Halloween!

 The last day of October.  Unimaginable. Another season is passing.  As I look out my window, I see mounds of leaves blanketing the ground.  I wonder, "where did the time go ... what have I impacted ... where have I made a difference?"

This evening our front porch will become a magical, mystical platform.  Little goblins and witches, princesses and pirates will take center stage.  We will reward them with treats for their promise of NO TRICKS!  They will exit with glee for we are the "big bar" house.  News of the big bar will spread frantically through the neighborhood.

Tomorrow will dawn a new season--one of Thanksgiving and gratitude.  I hope (for all of us) that this new season lasts well beyond the one month allotted; that we are conscious and mindful in our everyday lived experience.  That we have a knowingness that we are called, chosen, purpose-filled people who impact, inspire, and make a difference.  For my own life, this is surely something that I need to commit more time to practice-- mindfulness, thanksgiving, and gratitude.

I think I'll start tonight. I am grateful for the King Size Snickers Bar that I will consume ... mindfully ... and enjoy!

Happy Halloween!


For more information on the acceleration of women in business go to http://maureenobrienspeaks.com

Business Boot Camp For Women

Wow. Say boot camp and I start to break out in a rash! That causes me mental imaging of yelling ... sweating ... tears. But not so this Friday, Oct. 9, as the Wheaton Women In Business bring to the Lisle Hilton a Business Boot Camp. The "Sergeants" for the day will be Lynn Torre (financial expert), Barbara Rozgoni (social media expert) , and Caroline Ceisel (relationship expert). I personally know Lynn and Barbara. They are PHENOMINAL. I cannot wait to meet Caroline. I'm convinced she and I were separated at birth. She (like I) believes that real success begins with relationships!

C'Mon...end strong in 2009 and get your 2010 plan 'fit and ready.' This is all about you and your success.

Time to "Get Your Big Girl . . . BOOTS!"

Energy Abounds

About 10 days ago, I met for coffee with Dr. Leona DiAmore, owner of The Healing Place at 513 W 87th St., Naperville, IL. I met Dr. Leona a couple of months ago at the Naperville Chamber of Commerce meeting where I had spoken.

Dr. Leona is all about energy. When you meet with her, you feel it--the abundance--energy, passion, life. Leona went on to tell me that she had been in the United States Navy serving as a medic. She decided drugs were not the answer to health. In 1996 Dr. Leona was selected out of over 800 candidates worldwide to serve the Olympic athletes in the Atlanta games as a Massage Therapist. Following that, she went on to get her degree as a Chiropractor. From 2002 to 2006 Dr Leona was one of only six chiropractors in the country appointed to serve to serve on a federal advisory panel as an expert in chiropractic for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Leona also lectures at Chiropractic conferences on the value of chiropractic health care.

Educating people on how to get healthy and stay healthy has been her quest and is her passion. She opened The Healing Place in Naperville to avail a space for people to consider health and wholeness--mind, body, spirit. The Healing Place staffs a massage therapist, a counselor, a life attraction coach, a hypnotherapist, and an alternative health practicioner.

To contact Dr. Leona please call her at 630-306-2050. You'll LOVE her energy!

Building Confidence, Courage, Character

Imagine having a job description that included "building confidence, courage, and character in young women." That's a pretty lofty mission, right? But it is exactly the mission of the people with whom I spent most of my day today. I spoke for the staff of the Fox Valley Girl Scout Council.

I was inspired to be in the presence of these loving, caring people. I was not aware of the enormous opportunities and offerings availed for young women by this incredible organization. Of course, I had always known of Girl Scouts (and ALWAYS enjoyed their cookies), but I don't think I had any idea about the scope of their offerings.

Things are changing with Girl Scouts. Councils are being realigned. The bottom line is that the changes are necessary and will ultimately benefit greatly the "customers" of the Girl Scouts--those girls who call themselves Daisys, or Brownies, or Girl Scouts.

Wouldn't it be incredible if ALL OF US had the mission of building confidence, courage, and character? Let's follow the lead of the Girl Scouts. Let's ALL take that on as our mission for each other!

Can we start today?

Spending Time Where It Matters

I am in the Tampa Airport waiting to board a plane back to Chicago. I came to spend Mother's Day with my own Mother.

My parents are both living. At age 85, Mom is in incredibly good health. Dad struggles. He's got parkinsons disease, diabetes, enlarged prostate, he's a colon cancer survivor--the list is endless. It is incredible however to witness the care that Mom offers Dad. And in his own way, Dad's care for Mom.

It was hard leaving my own family to spend Mother's Day with my Mom. The truth is, I don't know how many more Mother's Days there will be for she and I. It seemed incredibly important to spend time with her here...now.

I realize there are so many places that I spend time that really don't matter. These past couple of days have given me some contemplative time. It has made me realize that none of us knows how many Mother's Days we have. Watching my Mom and Dad after 60 years of marriage makes me know that how important it is that we spend time where it matters--on realtionships that bind, and in places that give us joy.

Where do you spend your time?

Pacing and Nudging

Yesterday I saw something incredibly sad. Here in Chicago, we've been getting rain by the bucket full! Standing water is everywhere!

I was driving along on a fairly busy two lane road when I noticed Jake and Jessica(the names that we assigned to every male and female duck when my kids were young). I could see Jake pacing steadily and periodically 'nosing' Jessica with his beak. She was not moving. She had been hit by a car sometime before I was passing by.

Jake never left Jessica. Paced and nudged her for an incredibly long length of time. I don't know how long he stayed beside her. I didn't turn my car around to see what would happen next. Tears blinded me.

What I do know is that I was profoundly moved by this scene. It made me realize how quickly life can change. It made me long for my children (3 of whom are not living at home now). It made me recall how when they would see Jake and Jessica, they would squeal with delight. It made me realize that everything at some point will come to an end with none of us knowing when that moment might be.

I want to say I love you before one more moment goes by. You matter. You make a difference. My hope is that you will witness the living companionship of Jake and Jessica in your own life.

This is your nudge.

Hope Springs Eternal At the Essentially Women Conference

I recently spoke at the Essentially Women Conference in Charleston, SC. (www.essentiallywomen.com) I have to tell you that I was incredibly moved by these business owners. Most of the owners are women who sell prosthetics to women who have undergone mastectomies. I was awestruck by the deliberate calm and care that these women show their patients in such a highly emotional industry. These women help their patients see that hope springs eternal.

I am grateful to Sandy Carpenter and Andy Wright of Gemtress (www.gemtress.com) who were good enough to sponsor my speaking at this event. Andy has been in this industry selling wigs for 35 years. Anyone who has been in business for ANY amount of time understands that you must be passionate, customer service oriented, and provide unbelievable quality of product to be able to sustain for that length of time. In tandem, Melissa Bergel and Barb Moebs of Essentially Women deserve an inordinate amount of kudos for the success of this event.

Finally, I am eternally grateful to Cindy Ciardo, Michelle Owens, Linda Collier, and Linda Romps who helped me create and sustain deliverable content for this program.

Ladies, I am a better person for having known you. You have my heart...