Success v. Happiness
January 31, 2008
Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. By Unknown But Wise
Which is most important to you?
Ruby Slippers and Coaching in the Game of Life
January 28, 2008
What exactly is life coaching and why would you want it? All good questions. Learn more from this recent article in the New York Times that profiles a coach, her training and her goal to help others find the life they truly want.
As I complete my training at the International Coaching Academy (ICA) in the next few months, I am in awe of what I have learned about myself as much as what I have learned about the skills needed to coach.
I feel kind of like Dorothy in my favorite movie “The Wizard of Oz”. Dorothy always wanted to get home to Kansas. It took her a while though to realize that she always had the power to get there. She just had to click the heels of those ruby slippers.
Through ICA I realized that I’ve always been able to enthuse, inspire and motivate others to change perspective and to take action. I just never understood where those gifts could lead me—until I finally clicked my own ruby slippers and headed home to life coaching. There’s no place like it!
What’s home for you?
The Skinny on Dark Chocolate
January 26, 2008
One of my new year’s resolutions is to lose a few pounds–isn’t everyone’s. But what to do about my all-time favorite food group—chocolate? I did some research and found that the benefits far outweigh avoidance if I just eat the dark variety.
Click Chocolate to see an article published by the University of Michigan Integrative Medicine department that identifies the 5 characteristics of healthy chocolate:
- 70% cocoa solids or more is best.
- The darker the chocolate the better.
- Little to no added sugar.
- Made of cocoa butter not palm or coconut oils.
- No hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
According to the U of M article, 1 ounce of dark chocolate a day can lower bad cholesterol, lower high blood pressure, reduce risk of blood clots and elevate serotonin and endorphin levels which improve your mood.
Of course, I had to conduct my own independent research at Trader Joe’s, my fav grocery store, where I found the yummy Valrhona chocolate bar made from pure cocoa butter with an amazing 85% cocoa content. One 3.5 ounce bar breaks into 8 squares which makes for easy nibbling as confirmed by this very thorough researcher.
All in all, I learned that dark chocolate can help me be healthy and happier as I work on losing that last 5 pounds. Whether you’re dieting or not, a little of the right chocolate can make your 2008 just a little bit better. And that’s the skinny on dark chocolate.
Testimony to a Meno Mom
January 22, 2008
This posting is dedicated to my sister Paula–the ultimate Meno Mom. Now you ask–what the heck is that? Well a meno mom is a Baby Boomer raising young children while going through menopause. Not my life choice–at midlife I have a grown son. And my hot flashes are almost over.
But Meno Mom always wanted to be a mother. It was at the top of her life list. But life never presented her with the perfect dad for her child. So at 49 years old Meno Mom put herself in the “beauty contest” of domestic adoption. Beauty contest?
Well if you haven’t been there you couldn’t know that the birth mother picks the adoptive mother in U.S. adoptions. In international adoptions, the prospective mother selects the child. So one day, in an amazing display of the law of attraction (a story for another posting), Meno Mom got the call that her 3 week old daughter was waiting in San Antonio.
And if you think this Meno Auntie was going to be left behind on such a momentous occasion–think again. I will never forget the day that I watched my baby sister, now Meno Mom, hold her daughter for the first time. I still get teary.
Now fast forward to today. Meno Mom faced the ultimate test of motherhood–the vomiting child. My niece Maddie, now almost 4, had a cold. Ever diligent, Meno Mom took her to the doctor and on the way back, Maddie threw up, not once, but 3 times in the car. She and her car seat were a disaster. So Meno Mom took a detour–to my house!
I have to hand it to her–Meno Mom was cool. She called ahead and had me waiting at the front door with a roll of paper towel and a garbage bag. I ran Maddie a bath while Meno Mom mopped her up enough to extract her from the vomit covered car seat. Me–I was ready to pull out the rubber gloves.
As I popped Maddie in the bath, my son—her 32 year old cousin called. I had him on the speakerphone as I told him what happened. He asked Maddie if she “hurled” and she smiled and answered that indeed she had.
In the meantime, Meno Mom cleaned the car and then went back to taking care of her beloved child. As I watched them together and saw the love and tenderness between them, it struck me how beautiful the bond of mother and child is at any age.
You go Meno Mom.
A New Look at Midlife’s A Trip!
January 21, 2008
Today I uploaded the new custom header for Midlife’s A Trip. I owe many thanks to my incredibly talented sister Paula who designed this and fit my many revisions into her already crammed life as a working midlife mom of a 3 year old daughter.
And many thanks to my equally talented son Chip who put up with my repeated requests to upload a user-friendly Wordpress theme. When you’re an IT professional like Chip, the entire family bugs you about computer and online issues. Like Paula, Chip squeezed me in between his family and work obligations.
It just goes to show you what we can accomplish in midlife with a little help from family and friends.
Chip and Paula–I love you both!!
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Karen - Midlife Coach
