A New Way of Being

(This morning I found this scribbled on the back of a page in my journal. It's from the first  week of my summer writing sabbatical. June 22, 2011. You can read more about my summer here.)

The deepest part of me desires to WAKE UP and evolve into a New Way of Being!!

I am done with "Just two more phone calls, ten more emails, if can just ..."  I'm done with having my worth tied to my productivity ... to serving ... to success. Done, done, "stick a fork in me" done!

I desire to live EVERY DAY more pleasure-full, play-full and present. 

I am a spirit, not a robot. I am a woman, not a manager. I am a creative, sensual amazing soul that wants to live a fully AWAKENED life. All the time, not just when I happen to be inspired to do so. 

I release, I let go. I'm ready. Bring it on.

Want to join me? What better way to embrace a New Way of Being than to teach it? Read 7 Ways to Embrace a New Way of Being and join me and like-minded men/women for my 4-week New Way of Being Telecourse for all of us who are done with overwork and overwhelm. I’m so excited about this revolutionary new approach that was born from my summer writing sabbatical and I can’t wait to support you in creating the life you desire from the inside-out! Learn more.

P.S. Have you heard about the I CHOOSE LOVE public service campaign? It's a reminder to ourselves and our brothers and sisters that when we come from love--one of the most powerful yet underutilized forces on the planet--we have the ability to transcend fear and remember what we're really hear to do: give and receive love. Learn more about how you can embrace this message in your daily life through being more mindful, sharing stories, ordering a tshirt (at cost) and more.

I love to hear from, connect with and meet The Journey readers at our events. I invite you to:

• Find Your Tribe: Join or become trained to lead Self- Renewal Groups
• Attend a retreat/event
• Join the Dialogue on our Live Inside Out Facebook Community
• Pick up The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal from the library or buy it here
• Read past issues of my Life Balance newsletter
• Take Action: Contact one of our career or life balance coaches for 1-on-1 support; receive an initial complimentary consultation
• Empower Others: Schedule Renee for a private workshop or retreat for your company or organization

Subscribe to The Journey, a blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey and living life from the inside out, comes out weekly.

Living from the Inside-Out

October overwhelm. It’s an old familiar friend. With my natural proclivity to “always think big” (I am a dyed in the wool entrepreneur!), underestimate how much time is needed for tasks and my tendency to take on too much at one time--I can easily find myself juggling more than one should: this week it's a new book deal, two upcoming keynotes, a retreat, a new program launch and several other yummy new endeavors.

However, something is different this time around. Even though there are moments when I feel like I’m swimming in pea soup and my chest and upper back are yelling “Hey Renee, slow down!” there’s more space around how I’m seeing and experiencing what’s before me.

There is a deeper pull to approach this month from the inside-out. A calling to operate from a higher altitude, a new level of maturity or discernment. To come from a New Way of Being (my name for the “wise zone”—a place of space and freedom where I function at my highest/best and can clearly see what matters most).

Yes there’s a lot going on right now, but at the same time my desire to feel good—to feel a sense of well-being, ease and that everything is ok no matter what—is bigger and stronger than my need to control, achieve or do it my way.

And so I call forth self-compassion during this particularly robust time and I practice Living from the Inside Out by:
•releasing the notion that my worthiness is tied to my productivity or ability to create results! (read more)
•practicing “good is good enough” (read more) around music/details for my retreat, how I promote my new programs and how clean my home is (or isn’t!)
•delegating more, asking for/receiving help and being willing for things to be done differently than how I would handle them
•trusting that I don’t have to figure things out all by myself and can relax into the support (seen and unseen) that is always with and around me
•not caring what others think AND being willing to frustrate or anger people when I don’t respond in a way that they want me to (read more)

Stepping back, I realize as I prepare for my new book, upcoming Kripalu retreat, New Way of Being telecouse and the Austin Women’s Conference, that I have created the perfect stew to practice and embody what I most desire to learn (and live): the belief that I can step into a New Way of Being and still be successful . That this space has actually been there all along, waiting for me. And I don’t have to be or do or prove anything to experience this. I deserve to live this way. We all do. It's our birthright.

An Invitation: What better way to embody a New Way of Being than to teach it? Read 7 Ways to Embrace a New Way of Being and join me and like-minded men/women for my 4-week New Way of Being Telecourse for all of us who are done with overwork and overwhelm. I’m so excited about this revolutionary new approach to balanced living and can’t wait to support you in creating the life you desire from the inside-out!

P.S. Have you heard about the I CHOOSE LOVE public service campaign? It's a reminder to ourselves and our brothers and sisters that when we come from love--one of the most powerful yet underutilized forces on the planet--we have the ability to transcend fear and remember what we're really hear to do: give and receive love. Learn more about how you can embrace this message in your daily life through being more mindful, sharing stories, ordering a tshirt (at cost) and more.

I love to hear from, connect with and meet The Journey readers at our events. I invite you to:

>Find Your Tribe: Join or become trained to lead Self- Renewal Groups
>Attend a retreat/event; join me Oct. 14-16 at Kripalu in the amazing cool Berkshire mountains for our Women's Self-Renewal Retreat.
>Join the Dialogue on our Live Inside Out Facebook Community
>Pick up The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal from the library or buy it here
>Read past issues of my Life Balance newsletter
>Take Action: Contact one of our career or life balance coaches for 1-on-1 support; receive an initial complimentary consultation
>Empower Others: Schedule Renee Trudeau for a private workshop or retreat for your company or organization

Subscribe to The Journey, a blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey and living life from the inside out, comes out weekly.

Photo: Music in the Moment, a painting by Nancy Ortenstone . I saw this painting while we were vacationing this summer in Taos at Nancy's studio and bought a print. This image captures for me the feeling behind a New Way of Being. It is the first thing I see when I wake up each morning.

Is Life Balance Possible?

This past Thursday I delivered a keynote at a conference to a great group of mid to senior level professionals in the cable television industry.

The topic was Reclaim Your Life: Strategies and Insights for Balanced Living.

I love watching people’s faces when I present.

You can tell before I begin that--assuming they've never heard of me--they’re ready to settle back into their chairs for a boring ho-hum presentation on how to manage your time or get organized. Or that they think I look too young to possibly have anything of great value to impart.

Then, as the program unfolds, they start perking up, shifting in their chairs, taking notes, leaning forward in their seats and finally, the room gets really quiet as I challenge and guide them on a journey to slowing down and being more present; getting clear on what feeds/drains them; focusing on the power of self-renewal and building a support network (read more).

And, when I talk about how these insights will impact their sense of well-being and equilibrium more than any PDA or time management software program ever will—you can see a huge shift in their faces as they begin to feel empowered and open up to new possibilities.

I define balance as having enough time, energy and resources for those things that are most important to you in life. And what’s most important will constantly change.

Although I get hired to speak a lot on work-life balance, I am passionate about teaching men, women and families how to enhance balance in all aspects of their lives: doing vs. being, thinking vs. feeling, giving vs. receiving, working vs. playing, etc.

It’s interesting to ask yourself, “What is my mindset around the topic of life balance?” (Many professionals we work with share honestly that they think it’s unattainable, impossible, too hard, will require them to change too much or is elusive. In fact, recently one of the national groups I spoke to said they just completed an employee satisfaction survey and the majority of their employees would not even check or comment on work-life balance as they felt it was futile).

I know for me, I’m at a very different place around this topic now, than I was in my twenties and thirties (when I used to swing the pendulum from working to the bone/over-exhaustion to monthly visits to massage therapists/retreats centers or weekends away for fleeting moments of calm and peace).

I never considered that there might be a middle ground. That it is possible to experience more peace and well-being in my everyday life—day in, day out.

In my former type A, perfectionist, controlling, over-achiever way, I based my sense of “balance” on what was going on around me. If I had a boss that was difficult, a monster project to manage or a family crisis to navigate, I was convinced my sense of balance—and my health—were destined for the dumpster.

Later, I came to realize that it is possible to live in the middle of the extremes and access well-being on a daily basis—I don’t have to take a retreat or go meditate on a mountaintop for five hours to find peace. When I began to make choices that supported my emotional well-being as my #1 priority and started to look at how I can create balance from the inside-out, everything shifted.

Although it will be a lifelong journey for me (I still to this day, tend to over-commit to things I love to do), I think I’d sum up my current mantra for balance as “A day-to-day choice.” And, the constant reminder to be gentle with myself is ever-present.

What’s your mantra or mindset towards life balance? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

JOIN US FOR AN UPCOMING EVENT: Would you like support for creating life balance from the inside-out? Join us in the cool Berkshire mountains in MA this coming August at the beautiful Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health for our Self-Renewal Retreat Aug. 13-15. One of my favorite spots on the planet and the retreat center that I visit when I'm ready to make a huge life shift! More upcoming events here.

Visit our calendar to learn more about upcoming events including our FREE May 18th Live Inside Out teleclass on Reclaiming Adventure in Your Life and our June 11th The Empowered Entrepreneur workshop.
Also, check out our Live Inside Out community and share how you slow down and unplug.

The Journey, a blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to life balance and living life from the inside out, comes out weekly.

Photo: St. Francis of Assisi church at Rancho de Taos. Taken on a family trip to New Mexico last summer.

Unplugged

This past weekend I led a Self-Renewal Retreat at The Crossings Spa and Resort for an amazing group of 32 women from around the U.S. It is deeply fulfilling work, but it also takes a lot of energy to “hold the space” for people as they move towards and begin to create the life/career they desire.

So, yesterday, I gave myself the gift of a day off for rest and completely unplugged. No laptop, no cell phone, no email, no phone calls, no responses to requests for help.

I began the day meeting a friend down on Town Lake (a beautiful lake that runs through the center of downtown Austin) for my favorite walk which takes me to the quieter, less populated area of the trail where I also get to see a lot of wildlife—bats, herons, swans, ducks, squirrels, cranes. The weather was amazing and it felt so good to not have to rush back to conference calls or meetings and to really slow down and soak up my surroundings.

Afterwards I asked my body what it needed and then went to Whole Foods (the “mother ship” is located in Austin) and picked up some amazing ripe mangos, sweet strawberries, huge creamy avocados and some brown rice California rolls—yum.

I ended up spending a long time in my beautiful backyard, eating mangos in the hammock, smelling herbs, listening to the birds, picking weeds and just sitting on the rocks around our beautiful water fountain doing … nothing.

Later, I headed upstairs and took a luxurious nap, did some journaling and drawing, pulled out some of the exercises I did at my recent writing/movement retreat and, had some really interesting ah-has (I love looking at deep inner work months or years later and harvesting new insights).

For dinner, I cooked an amazingly yummy broccoli/ginger/crispy tofu stir fry for my family and then went for a lazy walk in our neighborhood at dusk with a dear friend.

It felt like such a gift to really “untether” from the digital world like this.

Usually my days are filled with constant demands for my energy, time, talents and voice and so often this requires a lot of time online.

Last night, I reflected on the gifts that came to me from “unplugging,” including:
• physiologically I could feel my heart beat and blood pressure drop and slow way down
• I was more observant and connected to how things smelled, tasted, sounded, felt
• I was much more present with and attuned to my family Monday evening
• I felt more connected to my feminine or “yin” energy around receiving and allowing and less driven by my masculine or “yang” energy to produce, do, or create outcome (we all--men and women-have both energies)
• I could feel really feel the subtleties of how healing and restorative it is for me to spend time in nature and drink in the sounds/sights/smells from the natural world
• I had immediate clarity around what is essential and nonessential for me to focus on in my work (and life!)
• I could sense how wonderful it felt to “mono-task” and how much my brain enjoyed not being overworked to the point of being ineffective
• I was more connected to my creativity and could feel the stirrings inside of me of something new that is preparing to come forth

I wonder if I spent one day a week “unplugged” how it would affect my work and life?

Could it actually make me more productive on a day-to-day basis? Hmmmm.

Maybe you should try to totally unplug for a day? If you do, let me know. I’d love to hear about your experience.

JOIN US FOR A RETREAT: Would you like support for learning how to focus on your physical/emotional/spiritual and mental self-care? Join us in the cool Berkshire mountains in MA this coming August at the beautiful Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health for our Self-Renewal Retreat Aug. 13-15. One of my favorite spots on the planet and the retreat center that I visit when I'm ready to make a huge life shift!

Visit our calendar to learn more about upcoming events including our FREE May 18th Live Inside Out teleclass on Reclaiming Adventure in Your Life and our June 11th The Empowered Entrepreneur workshop.

Also, check out our Live Inside Out community and share how you slow down and unplug.

The Journey, a blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to life balance and living life from the inside out, comes out weekly.

Video: the zen water fountain in our backyard is surrounded by three huge rocks and trees/plants--a perfect spot to do ... nothing.

Re-Defining Balance

The other night at dinner my eight year-old son asked us what “ponder” means.

It got me thinking.

Lately, I’ve been getting clearer that I want to reduce the number of hours I work each week.

I am really feeling a strong pull to be even more present with my family and to have more time for family-related activities, like unscheduled downtime in the evenings and cooking (something my son loves to do, too).

While I have a flexible schedule and have created a work day that supports me in picking up my son from school most days –which I am incredibly grateful for-- the pace of my schedule is still too fast.

I want to have time to occasionally go to lunch with friends, take a break to enjoy my hammock or even read the newspaper (none of which I feel I have time to do now as I'm juggling hundreds of daily emails, phone calls, interviews, clients, events, deadlines and programs).

What I’m realizing is the schedule that worked great for me a year ago, doesn’t work for me now.

I define balance as having enough time, energy and resources for those things that matter most—at this particular life stage.

I’m acutely aware that life with my sweet second grader is fleeting and in no time at all, he’ll be leaving for college!

I also know that our wonderful, relaxed family meals every night looking out at the woods behind our house, the incredibly tender evening bed time routine and the thoughtful, heartfelt conversations I enjoy with my precious family are as good as it gets.

So, I intend to map out this new work schedule—which will start Sept. 1--this summer.

I don’t know how I’ll get there—two full-time national businesses do require a fair amount of energy. But, I’m not worried. I know the solution will present itself because I’m so clear and committed to what is most important to me right now and to how I want to spend my time.

And, because ultimately I want to teach my son not just how to observe, think or deliberate (which to me all denote a desired outcome) … I want to teach him about the importance of taking time to ponder life's questions. And I want the time and space to do the same.

JOIN US FOR A RETREAT: Would you like support in re-defining what balanced living means to you? Join us April 23-25 Refresh, Reclaim, Re-Balance: Women's Self-Renewal Retreat at The Crossings Spa & Resort in Austin, TX, but sign up today to ensure your spot. Or, escape to the cool mountains in August and join us at the beautiful Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health for our Self-Renewal Retreat in the MA Berkshires, Aug. 13-15. One of my favorite spots on the planet!

FREE DOWNLOAD of Courageous Parents, Confident Kids: Letting Go So You Both Can Grow--an exciting new anthology including a special section from Renee on the power of self-care. SIGN UP TODAY to get your free copy on April 19-21 only!

The Journey, a blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to life balance and living life from the inside out, comes out weekly.

Photo: A view of the Boston Harbor from Boston's downtown greenway. A wonderful invitation to ponder what it might have been like to live in this area in the 1700's.

Less is More

I work with a wonderful woman (a mom to two young kids) who is very clear that less is more.

Often on Fridays, we touch base before we head into the weekend and discuss our upcoming plans. She never says, “Oh, this weekend is a doozie, we have so much going on,” or “my plate is so full, I’ll need a vacation come Monday.” After hearing my plans—which are often busier than I'd like--she usually replies, “We don't have much going on, we're keeping it simple. We like it that way.” And, she does.

I remember years ago hearing life coach Cheryl Richardson say that our quality of life is directly enhanced not by what we put into it, but by what we remove.

Almost everyone I know --even those of us who don’t watch TV, limit online time and frequently say “no” to requests for our time that pull us away from our priorities—describe their lives as varying stages of feeling overcommitted, overscheduled and overworked

If life balance is having enough time, energy and resources for those things that are most important to us (my definition), then as a rule, in today’s overzealous, 24/7, fast-paced environment, we’ll challenged to be vigilant in order to keep things simple. To remember what really matters and to be clear that adding more things to our schedule typically makes us grumpy, not happier.

At the end of your weekend do you ever say “Gosh, I just wish I had done more. The weekend was too unscheduled. Too relaxing. Too easy. I had too much time with my sweet family.” Probably not.

If you’re like me, the best weekends are the ones where I didn’t do much of anything but pull weeds with my family, pop some popcorn, swing in the hammock and visit a bit with our neighbors as we watched the kids play and dusk settle in.

Looking forward to some expanses of unscheduled time this summer. And maybe, if I'm lucky, visiting my old childhood friend, boredom.

JOIN US FOR A RETREAT: Take a mini-career retreat on Saturday, April 10th to learn how to integrate who you are with what you do. And, we have a few spots left for our April 23-25 Refresh, Reclaim, Re-Balance: Women's Self-Renewal Retreat at The Crossings Spa & Resort in Austin, TX, but sign up today to ensure your spot. Or, escape to the cool mountains in August and join us at the beautiful Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the MA Berkshires Aug. 13-15. One of my favorite spots on the planet!

Also, visit Live Inside Out to register for our April 15 FREE teleclass from 7:30-8:30 p.m. CST on Unleashing Your Creativity. And sign up to receive weekly tips on how to live more intentionally through our Live Inside Out Facebook Community.

The Journey, a blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to life balance and living life from the inside out, comes out weekly.

Photo: My one year-old nephew reaches for a flower behind East Side Cafe after a family dinner. A relaxing stroll through their gardens after our delicious meal was one of the simple pleasures of our day.

Creative Expression=Balanced Living?

I attended a creativity party this past weekend at my good friend author/writing coach Carolyn Scarborough’s home.

She asked her friends to bring something to the party that illustrated how they "get their creative game on.”

Guests sang, tap danced, recited poetry, read from published or yet to be published books, shared paintings, textiles, mosaics, photography, journals, played instruments, talked about new businesses that were being birthed and cheered each other on for their bravery and willingness to express whatever it is that lights their fire.

I loved this opportunity to think about what creative endeavors fuel me. I’m a big believer that it’s not about being great, it’s about picking up, continuing or starting creative pursuits simply for the joy of it (read more on this from The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal, chapter seven: Unleashing Your Creativity).

I remember when I signed up for an acting class—just for fun and because it sent terror down my spine--shortly after my thirtieth birthday. It was one of the times in my life that I felt most alive—yes,most scared—but most alive!

I was raised by an artist/musician/philosopher mother who believed creative expression was like oxygen—it was essential to being human. (Interestingly a debate broke out in my son’s second grade classroom recently about what humans need to survive; apparently a line was drawn between those who believed art was essential to our sustainability and those who believed it was not!)

I know when my plate is full (we have seven events in the next 60 days, many of them national) and I’m struggling to keep a sense of equilibrium and sanity in my life, thinking about creative expression may not be at the top of my list. But maybe it should be?

I find that when I live more in the right hemisphere of my brain and give myself breathing room to “create” from nothing, I feel more alive, more connected to others and more in touch with the mystery, magic and bigness of life. And, I feel more balanced. Not a bad place to hang out.

I love the following quote from well-known artist/dancer Martha Graham. My entrepreneur brother sent it to me when I was two months into launching my first business ten years ago and singing the “start-up blues.” It really resonated with me:

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ... No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others"'

AN INVITATION: Interested in exploring and tapping into the power of self-care? Learn how you can join or become trained to lead a self-renewal circle for women. And, view all upcoming events--including March 26th and April 23-25 spring renewal retreats--here.

Also, visit Live Inside Out to register for our Feb. 25th FREE teleclass from 7:30-8:30 p.m. CST on Good is Good Enough: Releasing Perfection. And sign up to receive weekly tips on how to live more intentionally through our Live Inside Out Facebook Community.

The Journey, a blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to life balance and living life from the inside out, comes out weekly.

Photo: A natural elements creation I photographed while vacationing with my family on the Olympic Peninsula, WA.