My 7 Favorite Birthday Presents

January is not my favorite month. I don't like the cold, I love and need lots of sunshine and my birthday--January 7--often brings with it an array of emotions, which often include sadness around not having my mom and dad around to tell me about the day I was born.

But with all of that, the month also brings the opportunity for reflection and contemplation about the previous year (including things that "went wrong") and the lessons in truth I received from the last 365 days.

My 46th year was all about expansion and growth (mostly professional), a theme I see continuing into my 47th year. This morning as I sat quietly on my yoga mat, I took some time to pause and acknowledge the many gifts I received last year, including:

• Fantastic opportunities for training and development and the reminder of how much I love to learn (thank you to all my great Montessori guides from my formative years!). I got a crash course in publishing in the new economy through signing with a new literary agent and wonderful publisher (whose clients include Eckhart Tolle!) to bring forth my newest life balance title, stretched myself to embrace new ways of working and communicating, played with new teaching methodologies, hired staff with new skill sets and will be launching a new web site in early February to better serve my clients and community.
• A new relationship with technology and being more open to how this pervasive force can be a servant to my larger purpose and mission, as opposed to becoming the master over my time. (If you get my blog regularly, you know how much I abhor being online and how I am constantly looking for ways I can be more unplugged; read more.) Thanks Jen Lemen for being one of my teachers in this arena!
• Being reminded of the power of friendships (read more) and how essential it is for me as a big extrovert and one who needs lots of time to play, to make sure I have belly time with girlfriends who nurture me stays near the top of my self-care list. I have also  been reminded of how interconnected we all are through my many new heart-centered friendships with "sisters" who live thousands of miles away--this has been like finding hundred dollar bills at the bottom of my sock drawer!
• The revelation that even though I have been teaching (and practicing) self-acceptance and the power that can come from our willingness to be vulnerable, for years, I still have a loooonnng way to go. (Nothing like putting on your auto responder on for months at a time, dedicating thousands of hours to a new book and stretching yourself to your limit professionally, spiritually and financially to have this revealed!). Holding it together is extremely overrated --read more.
• A deeper understanding of the unbelievable wisdom and power of the BODY! I've always been a fan of somatic (body-centered) coaching, but having delved more deeply into this realm in 2012--including training with yoga and mood guru Amy Weintraub and become a certified Level I iRest Yoga Nidra teacher through Richard Miller-- I'm convinced more than ever that 100% of us would experience profound life-changing shifts if we spent more time connecting with our breath, building in time for conscious movement (qi gong, yoga, mindful walks, etc.), befriending our magical, amazing bodies and understanding that every day we get to spend in them is a gift beyond words.
• The realization that I'm not as direct as I thought I was and how much energy we waste when we don't say exactly what we mean, need and feel. It's amazing how much bandwidth is freed up when we practice totally direct (sometimes radical) honesty with ourselves and others. One of my favorite questions from 2012 I've been asking myself and my retreat attendees is, "What truth about ________(fill in the blank)_______am I refusing to hear--or see?"
• The wisdom that as I move into the second half of my life, I am much more interested in who I want to be in the world than what I want to do or accomplish. We just returned from my mother-in-law's funeral services in MA. My husband, son and I stood in line with the rest of his family at the wake for more than 3 hours straight to receive condolences from hundreds of family, friends, community members and fans of Mary Margaret Trudeau's from around the state. They shared how she always took time to stop and talk to them, to hear about their life and to connect. In our family, when we start doing the to-do list tango, we often pause and remind each other, "People first, things second." I'm now sitting quietly with what this looks like for me as I explore who I want to "be" in the second half of my life.

These were indeed the best birthday presents ever, and as I move into the year of magic (my theme for 2013), I feel incredibly grateful to have the awareness that I get to choose how I live, love and work and continually explore new ways of being. 

I wish my mom and dad were around to read my new book, but I take great comfort in knowing that their wisdom and personal journeys infuse many of its pages. 

Wondering how you can work with me and my team?

• Join or become certified to facilitate Personal Renewal Groups and retreats for women (our introductory price ends Jan. 31st--learn more) 
• Sign up for a retreat or online class  or check out all our life balance resources
• Get 1-on-1 support:  contact one of our career or life balance coaches for individual support; receive an initial complimentary consult
• Schedule Renee for a private workshop or retreat for your company or organization 

Subscribe to Live Inside Out, a weekly blog about coach/author/speaker Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to creating balance from the inside out.

Photo: The lotus garden outside of the meditation room at Omega Institute. I attended family week there with my son in August (amazing) and hope to be teaching there next year. Another wonderful gift from 2012!

Can I Be Grateful for What's Not Going My Way?

Sunday morning I woke up excited and looking forward to attending my good friend’s community potluck and documentary viewing when I discovered the keys to my car were in the glove compartment of my locked car and my husband--who had the second set—was out for the morning with our son. Fully dressed, coconut honey-lime fruit salad in hand, I realized my morning plans had just taken a giant nosedive—I was going nowhere.

There have been many times in my life when I’ve perceived things were going “wrong” (not my way) and later it turned out they were exactly perfect. BUT the other day—in the middle of a giant funk---I wondered, where can I find gratitude for what’s not going my way right now.

Today, I’m feeling called to pause and gratefully acknowledge (with just the tiniest bit of resentment):

• the business systems within my organization that no longer work and are asking to be reformed
• on-the-job inefficiencies that make you feel as if you want to pull your hair out
• family and relationship struggles and miscommunication that seem unnecessary
• learning in a way that feels “hard” (you know what I mean)

Why am I celebrating these frustrations? Because even though the silver lining from these hardships has yet to be revealed, my greatest learning--and growth--has come from mistakes, because the pearls that have come to me from living in the unknown have changed my life, and because I know that the ability to “reset” and start each day fresh and new is a gift unto itself. These struggles are calling me to develop a level of discernment unlike any I’ve had before and offering me the chance to really step into new ways of being.

Am I dealing with some things that are uncomfortable, challenging and messy right now? Yep.  Am I open to the growth that may come from these? Yeah (at least I think so).

What about you? Are you watching old systems, structures or ways of being topple to the ground and beg to be re-imagined or rebuilt?  I thought so. We’re all drinking from the same well.

Sending us all lots of compassion and courage as we stretch into the highest versions of who we are over the next month. And the next time you have a flat tire or life throws you a real sucker punch, pause and see if you can find even the tiniest seed of gratitude in the middle of seeming disaster.

P.S. Self-employed, live in Texas and ready for a new way of being with your business? I have a couple of spots left for my 12/14 Envision, Align, Expand: 2013 Visioning Retreat.(ony offered twice a year!).
 
I love to hear from, connect with and meet The Journey readers at our events. I invite you to:

• Find Your Tribe: Join or learn to facilitate Personal Renewal Groups for women
• Attend a retreat/event this spring or hire Renee to create one for your group
• Learn about Live Inside Out and receive weekly inspiration on our Live Inside Out Facebook Community
• Pick up my life balance title The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal from the library or buy it here or at your local bookstore
• Read past issues of my Life Balance newsletter or Career Management 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 weekly blog about coach/author/speaker Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to creating balance from the inside out.

Photo: a pumpkin cheesecake that didn't out as expected.

Nora's Story: My First Women's Retreat

Ever wonder what happens at our Women's Self-Renewal Retreats? Curious why someone would carve out time, line up child and/or parent care and jump through hoops to get away and spend a weekend with other women?

Nora Livesay, a mom and graduate student in the Linguistics PhD program at the University of Minnesota was the winner of our Year-of-Self-Care Mother’s Day Giveaway (read more and meet Nora).

She recently returned from our June 22-24 New Way of Being: Women’s Self-Renewal Retreat at the beautiful Kripalu Center for Yoga and Wellness and graciously offered to talk about her experience at her first women's retreat.

Nora, how was the Kripalu Women’s Retreat with Renee; what did you most enjoy? The retreat was an incredible gift that arrived at just the right moment in my life. I enjoyed so many things about the retreat that it's hard to pick one as most enjoyable. Perhaps it was the space created for reflection that the New Way of Being teachings and time away from all other distractions provided. I found myself finally slowing down enough physically and mentally to be able to hear the quiet voice of insight (what Renee calls “Your Wise Self”) in that space. And believe me, for someone with ADHD who feels a restless need to be constantly in motion, that's quite rare.

What pearls of wisdom or teachings did you most enjoy or take away? I took away three important teachings from the retreat that I want to embrace in my daily life. 

The first is to not just listen to my Wise Self but to allow and trust that quiet voice to guide my daily decisions. Over the past couple years of being in Sarina La Marche’s Minneapolis Personal Renewal Group, I have gotten better at attuning to that voice, but have had trouble trusting it. I've made excuses -- I'm too busy... I don't have the resources to make it happen..., etc. But at the end of the retreat, I drew an inspirational card from a basket that Renee sent around with the message "start delegating" and it then it clicked. I have to make space to allow and trust my own voice by delegating other responsibilities.

The second teaching I learned was that movement is a path for me to hear my own voice and to renew my energy. I've always known I was a kinesthetic learner -- that I learn best by doing. But I've also felt that with my ADHD, the constant movement of my body and thoughts was often a negative thing that got in the way of other goals. I've never thought of movement as a way to connect deeper until it happened during the retreat when we danced (Kripalu offers an awesome class called YogaDance). I want to challenge myself now to find ways to experience movement in a joyful way and to be purposeful in channeling my movement.

Lastly, the realization about movement also led to another, perhaps the most important. To be Nora Ellen, to be all of her. To me that means accepting and embracing all of who I am, even the parts of me I get frustrated with. Each day at the retreat, I walked past a quote on the wall that said, "Yoga is the practice of tolerating the consequences of being yourself." The Bhagavad Gita. It reminded me that I want to practice not just tolerating, but truly accepting all of me. And the first step is tolerating my mistakes and failures and challenging the negative dialogue in my mind.  Yesterday, I turned on the wrong burner on the stove (which I seem to do every single time I cook) and instead of heating the fry pan to cook my egg, I set the entire egg carton on fire. Luckily no damage was done, and I put out the egg carton in sink. Instead of berating myself, my family and I had a good laugh at my latest kitchen misadventure. It’s definitely about baby steps. 

What surprised you about the retreat (and have you attended retreats before)? I've never attended a retreat like this before. I was expecting lots of information to download and absorb, and to have the days filled up with activities or yoga, and instead I was surprised by how the teachings/exercises were spacious, how much I slept and how little I “did.” It felt like I was catching up on months’ worth of much needed rest. I was also surprised by the depth of caring and comfort that all the women held for each other in the circle. It was palpable, like a soothing balm on raw skin. 

I was also truly blessed to have one of the other women invite me to spend a couple days at her home in the mountains before I flew back to Minnesota. The time we spent together over the next two days was like an extension of the retreat and really helped me ease back into my everyday life. That we could form such a strong connection and friendship so quickly is really a testament to the power of the circle of women at the retreat and the compassionate, nurturing environment that was present.

Would you take another RTA retreat? Absolutely! I would definitely recommend Renee Trudeau’s retreat to others. I want to go back next year and bring my sisters and friends with me. Even if those I love aren't ready to take in the insights/tools, just the experience of being held in loving kindness by the women's circle and of being in a peaceful place away from the busy-ness of life would be well worth the trip/investment. If you've never done anything like this, do it!

What did you think of Kripalu? Kripalu is an oasis of peacefulness. The beauty of nature in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts, the simple, but comfortable accommodations, and the food -- the incredibly delicious food -- combine to make it such a restful and healing place. I'm already thinking about how to get back there for another retreat! (Huge thanks to the generous folks at Kripalu for donating our all-expense paid retreat for the Year-of-Self-Care giveaway!)

INVITE: Interested in having your own unique retreat experience? Join me Oct. 19-21 for our New Way of Being: Women's Self-Renewal Retreat if you want to join us at the beautiful Kripalu Center for Yoga & Wellness in Massachusetts! Peak leaf turning time! I'd love to hold the space for you to rest, connect with your needs and desires--and hear what your Wise Self most wants you to know.


P.S. Have a background in PR/Communications and interested in joining the all-women Renee Trudeau & Associates team this fall? Learn more about our Part-Time PR Coordinator Position.

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

• Find Your Tribe: Join or learn to facilitate Personal Renewal Groups for women
• Attend a retreat/event
• Learn about Live Inside Out and receive weekly inspiration on our Live Inside Out Facebook Community
• Pick up my life balance title The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal from the library or buy it here or at your local bookstore
• Read past issues of my Life Balance newsletter or Career Management 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
• I Choose Love PSA: a reminder 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

Subscribe to The Journey, a weekly blog about coach/author/speaker Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to creating balance from the inside out.

Photos at top: The beautiful Nora Livesay; Kripalu June 2012 retreat participants on the front lawn at Kripalu after a writing exercise; colored mandalas from a few of the retreat participants.

A New Simplicity

I attended an awesome women’s retreat yesterday with the fabulous Anita Johnson and the divine Elissa Shapiro.

What came through loud and clear for me at the retreat was a desire to yes, simplify and do less (read more), but also to use less energy in all that I do. 

I feel a calling for what I’m terming “A New Simplicity.” Not a fluffy, this-would-be-a-nice-way-to-live where we purge our closets and garages, but a New Way of Being that is coming from necessity. The necessity to purge and streamline our thinking, our doing, our giving and receiving, and of course, our stuff.  We’re entering a time of the unknown—a whole new frontier—that I believe requires us to have more space to breathe, think, dream and digest.
 

Daphne Rose Kingma, author of the beautiful The Ten Things To Do When Your Life Falls Apart says, “When we live simply we are able to rest in the peace that simple living brings: a quieting of the endless mental chatter and the agitation to have more, a simplicity of movement and action in the passage of each day. Time to sit still, to talk with your children, to stare into your lover’s eyes, to read a book, to water a tree, to pray.”   And, I would add, to just be--so we can  actually integrate into our hearts and souls what we’re experiencing moment to moment.

So this week simplicity may look like calling a friend and changing a previous “yes” to a “no,” to create more space and flow, voicing clear boundaries to my clients around my time, consciously building in “unscheduled” weekends and evenings on our family calendar, reviewing February commitments and seeing if any course corrections are needed, skipping my regular Sunday yoga class so I can be rest in stillness for a precious hour, standing up for what I need in the moment, and serving black beans and tortillas for dinner.

As part of my book research I keep running across studies that share our level of happiness and contentment takes a nose dive when we have too many choices OR are faced with making too many decisions in one day.

Here’s to a week imbued with simplicity. I’ll let you know how it goes and would love to hear how you keep it simple.

P.S.  Are you a parent and looking for some top-notch, high level support and inspiration this year?  I love to partner with other entrepreneurs and expand their success and am excited to be involved in Carrie Contey's new Evolve 2012 program and Lisa Byrne's wonderful free MAPP spring series.

Join us and CHOOSE LOVE in 2012: The I Choose Love public service campaign is a reminder 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 and order a tshirt (at cost).

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 Personal Renewal Groups for women
• Attend a retreat/event including my Feb. 10th Empowered Entrepreneur Retreat and my April Esalen and June Kripalu retreats
• Learn about Live Inside Out and receive weekly inspiration on our Live Inside Out Facebook Community
• Pick up my life balance title 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 weekly blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to creating balance from the inside out.  

Photo: Black beans--simple goodness and highly nutritious! What my family will be eating this week.

Do It Different

Over the past two weekends I saw some amazing art at E.A.S.T. (I feel so lucky to live in Austin--a progressive oasis in the center of Texas; our tourism plug for years was "Austin, what the rest of the country had in mind!") 

Having the opportunity to visit these artists' avant-garde work and home spaces and be reminded that there is no "right way" to live or work was powerful. And, drinking in this visual feast of multimedia, oil paintings, woodwork and sculpture, pottery and glassblowing inspired me to re-visit one of my favorite slogans: "Do it different." 

Do it different: meaning shaking life up, looking at it sideways, turning things upside down, changing how you do and see things, challenging how you've set up your life and trying on a new perspectives or way of being. 

Whether it's small (driving a new route to or from work or school) or big (starting to walk or meditate each morning before work or eating different foods)--"doing it different" makes me feel more vibrant, grateful to be alive and appreciative that I get to create the day (and life) I desire. 

There's a lot of research around how much our brains benefit when we "do it different." We actual create new neural pathways when we mix it up (ever wonder why your 65-year old friend who is always signing up for new cooking classes and loves to learn the latest dance moves is sharp as a tack?!). 

Much of our daily routine is rote. We've fallen into habitual, unconscious ways of doing, being and seeing (from what we eat for breakfast and how we start our day to how we approach work or parenting and relate to our partners and family members). 

During our New Way of Being course, 70 women and men from around the world explored what a "New Way of Being" would look and feel like. For five weeks we asked ourselves, "If we dropped our old ways of thinking and seeing and released habitual ways of being, what would it be like to step into a higher, more evolved version of who we are?" 

It was quite a powerful experience--even just asking the question proved to be a catalyst for many. (Note: It's not too late to participate; you can download the classes and listen anytime from anywhere.) 

As I prepare to return to my manuscript and begin work on my new book next month, I'm curious how the New Way of Being journey will affect this new project. I'll keep you posted on what unfolds.

P.S. Every year, I really enjoy "doing it different" around how we celebrate the holidays. Interested in joining me? Read more.

Have you heard about the I CHOOSE LOVE public service campaign? It's a reminder 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 and order a tshirt (at cost).

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 including my Fri., Dec.16 Reflect & Re-Imagine Small Business Owners Retreat
• Join the dialogue and receive weekly inspiration on our Live Inside Out Facebook Community
• Pick up my life balance title 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 weekly blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to creating balance from the inside out.  

Painting/photo: Darvin Jones. One of the many amazing artists exhibiting at E.A.S.T.

Surrendering

This past week I participated in an amazing one-day conference for 2000 women.  It was an inaugural event and I was delivering the closing keynote, a workshop session to 300 women, my organization was staffing/working a booth and I was signed up to do two book signings (I know, too much …next year I’ll scale back!).

Everything was cruising along fine. The afternoon before the conference began, I was at the convention center unloading boxes and setting up our booth with my assistant, coordinating details for the next day, preparing for sound/AV checks and getting ready to go home, wrap up work and change for a speaker event that evening. Then, my phone rang.  

“Your son has lice, you need to come get him from school,” said his sweet teacher. Ugh! I could feel my chest tighten and body stiffen as my mind raced to all I had yet to accomplish by 7:30 a.m. the following day.

The next morning, after a late night of helping my husband de-louse our son (and doing preventative treatments on myself), working late to catch up from losing the afternoon and four hours sleep, I awoke and thought, “There is no way I’m going to be able to physically pull off this ten-hour day and be ‘on’ at this level for this long.”

So, I surrendered. This is not a new concept for me. I’ve surrendered before and like to think I “surrender” all the time (surrender meaning not giving up, but releasing something to a higher power), but if I’m really honest with myself, I find there are some areas of my life I surrender more easily than others. Interestingly, when this blog post came to me, I thought,  “Oh I’ll just go pull up all the posts and newsletter articles I’ve written on surrendering—I talk about this all the time. But I couldn’t find a single one with surrendering in the title.

After a sleepy early morning meditation session with my husband, we held hands and I asked him to say a prayer with me that I would be able to take my hands off the wheel and surrender this day to the Divine. And by the time I got out of the shower, my perspective had gone from complete stress and overwhelm to seeing what a gift and opportunity this day could be.

Yes, I was exhausted beyond belief and scared about whether or not I would have the stamina to function—let alone be energized--for the closing keynote to 2000 women at the end of the day, but I also felt this unshakable calm and kept hearing a kind reassuring voice whisper, “All is well.”

So I took a lot of deep breaths that day, kept acknowledging and thanking God for being present with me physically, emotionally and mentally and for guiding every thought, word and action, I practiced self-care, conserved my energy, and embraced “good is good enough.” 

Guess what happened? Everything flowed and went phenomenally well (so I’m told!).

This morning when I awoke I thought about the wonderful women and men that are participating in the New Way of Being tele-course I’m leading. Together, we’re releasing old habitual ways of being and stepping into new ways of thinking, being and seeing.  We began this program by challenging each person to define what a New Way of Being feels …and then looks like …for them.

For me, I articulated early on that a New Way of Being feels like FREEDOM. A “have to” free zone. And this week, I got that what a New Way of Being looks like to me is SURRENDERING.

This past 24-hours taught me that I’m finally ready to open up to experiencing “surrendering” at a whole new level. Wednesday was life-changing and if this is what is possible when I surrender and let go, I’m headed back to the buffet line for another serving.

Interested in a New Way of Being? 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 . Registration is ongoing through Nov. 30^th. Learn more.

Have you heard about the I CHOOSE LOVE public service campaign? It's a reminder 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 and order a tshirt (at cost).

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 including my Fri., Dec.16 Reflect & Re-Imagine Small Business Owners Retreat
• Join the dialogue and receive weekly inspiration 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 weekly blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to creating balance from the inside out.  

Photo: Carly Daniel Photography. May we all allow ourselves to surrender and let go at this level. I'm so excited! Two of my brothers are expecting babies next year. I've got babies on the brain and can't wait to welcome these beautiful sweet souls to our family.

Shifting

Friday I got triggered.

One of my team members told me they wouldn’t be available to help me this week as I prepare for several major events.

I translated this into “I’m not supported in the world." 

And I immediately felt a strong tidal wave of emotions sweep through my body. 

But then something interesting happened.

Thirty minutes later—after ten minutes of slow, deep, conscious breathing while I was sitting in my car outside my hair salon preparing to go in for a trim--I heard a clear, kind voice say, "You know that’s not true. You are abundantly supported.”

This truth landed internally like a 100 pound anchor, and as I resonated with these words, I felt something inside me “dislodge.” It was like a re-patterning was occurring in the moment—as if my internal blueprint for how I see and respond to life was shifting.

It was quite powerful.

I’m in the middle of facilitating and participating in a tele-course where we’re challenging ourselves weekly to let our old, outdated habits and ways of thinking and being “fall away” (what better time to do this than autumn, especially after this past summer).

This morning I’m feeling deep gratitude for the opportunity to step into a New Way of Being with my class. Because this—releasing, stretching, evolving, coming into the highest expression of who are while in the good company of others—is what I believe this “thing we call life” is all about. 

Interested in a New Way of Being? 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 . Registration is ongoing through Nov. 30^th. Learn more.

Have you heard about the I CHOOSE LOVE public service campaign? It's a reminder 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 and order a tshirt (at cost).

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 and receive weekly inspiration 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 weekly blog about coach/author/entrepreneur Renee Trudeau’s personal journey to creating balance from the inside out.  

Photo:  Me hiking "au natural" in Big Sur last year with my husband. This week, one of my team members shared with me how different I look now than I did 10 years ago (more youthful and vibrant now). It seems when we begin to have shifts and our inner landscape becomes lighter and more alive-- our outer landscape follows suit.

More Harmony, Please

This past week was a doozy.

It seemed everywhere I turned—clients, friends, school, family, businesses—people were in disequilibrium.

On a personal note, it makes sense that I would experience some resistance given that on top of our busiest month of the year (personally and professionally), I’m stepping into a New Way of Being and guiding others on this journey too! Read more. Nothing stirs up the pot like deciding to make a quantum change in how you live and work.

So for our family this past weekend and moving forward, it’s back to basics. As we prepare for an exciting but very full next three weeks, we are:

• making a conscious choice to pause before we say “yes” to more activity and to scale back as much as possible on extracurriculars so we can create more breathing room
• eating simply (yesterday’s lunch of baked potatoes and broccoli was perfect—and loaded with fiber and serotonin boosters!)
• consciously spending time in nature (we said no to numerous weekend activities so we could all participate in a small family camping trip to Krause Springs on Saturday)
• making it a point to create space to just be together as a family even if it’s doing chores side by side  (this doesn’t mean it’s kumbaya all day: yesterday my son unleashed a tsunami on us after we asked him to clean the bathroom!)
• practicing “good is good enough”—and being mindful about giving our attention to things which matter most rather than things which matter least
• over-communicating with one another so we’re aware of what each person is navigating and can be more compassionate with one another
• making sure we’re all going to bed early and getting plenty of sleep to boost our immune systems and enhance our moods/energy levels

Given all that we’re navigating right now (collectively and individually), I thought you might enjoy hearing from other families around the U.S. on how they enhance harmony and emotional well-being in the everyday.

Below are some of the unedited responses we received from the more than 130 families that responded when I surveyed them for my new book this past summer. (Read more.)

I'd love to hear how you enhance harmony and emotional well-being in your everyday life here.

     Q: What enhances your family’s sense of harmony and emotional well-being? (Note: my apologies for the length.There were just so many great responses, I decided to go ahead and list half of them here.)

• getting out in nature together; having down time; deciding nothing needs to get done
• family dinners and allowing space for each one of us to say whatever is on our mind without judgement.
• togetherness. sometimes separateness. music. art. food. laughter. honesty. adventure.
• humor: as parents we like to emulate what the kids do and have fun with it; we familiarize ourselves with their world; activities, tv shows, songs and interact in play; this makes the kids happy
• spending time together just snuggling on the couch, eating dinner together, doing chores together
• we talk endlessly about big ideas and philosophy; unstructured time spent together … sometimes doing nothing, ahhhhhno computer or Internet connection in the home; family dinners and family fun/date nights; open communication; practicing presence with one anothergoing on camping trips together, going to family get-togethers, sharing all the work it takes to care for kids.
• I have to center myself each and every day or I throw everyone else off; spending time listening and meeting the most pressing needs helps too
• nightly family worship; weekly family meetings; going to church together and eating meals together
• doing less; being involved in less activities; making sure that mom and dad get time alone together and apart
• being physically close to each other, making eye contact, laughing!
• everyday rituals: routine expectations, and emphasis on being there for each other in important moments; weekend meals together; sharing our day at bedtime and dinner
• spending time together, eating a sit down dinner and discussing the day; we spend a lot of time in nature, learning about the world around us; we strive to maintain peace in our house which makes everyone happier!
• enjoying shared meals or activities that are more quiet in nature - such as walks or spending time outside. Reading is also a big part of our lives and we share books with our children that represent our values/outlook.
• time spent outdoors, hiking, caring for our garden, reading going to museums and galleries, exploring our great city, making stuff, connecting with friends-- these are all things we do to feel connected and at peace; we encourage our children to feel connected with others by giving time and support to those in need. 
• family dinners, limited TV watching, daily catch-ups, hugs+kisses in the morn/eve and when we say 'hi' + 'bye', attending church + sharing brunch with congregation afterwards, daily check-ins, saying I love you
• working on community projects as a family (park clean up days, build park trails, working at food banks, etc); family game night at least once a week; eating dinner as a family and discussing our day; working on home projects as a family
• laughter, travel to the beach, activities that everyone enjoys (i.e., backyard cookouts and games); playing together 
• not scheduling too many activities in one day, keeping our home free of clutter, going to Mass each week, spending time outside together
• being outdoors in nature; attending church and church related activities; having a (flexible but in place) daily schedule
• time spent outside - hiking, swimming, boating, backyard time swinging, blowing bubbles, flying kites
• rituals, sticking to them: family night, Saturday with Dad, story time, sacred time where I play with my daughter being fully present for 30-60 min.
• when we slow down: our family is comprised of 4 ADHD highly functioning (read type a) members who tend to move through the day without slowing down to really hear each other; we are conscious of this and making a much better effort to communicate more effectively and with better emotional control; family therapy has helped tremendously
• daily family sharing "highlights" and "lowlights"; doing something active on weekends - swimming, hiking, 5-10 minutes (not rushed) at bedtime to talk; being organized so I don't have to say "hurry up!"
• as busy as we are, at dinner we have the sweetest ritual in which we hold hands and silently look into each other's eyes. I love looking at my husband and daughter gazing at each other as much as I love looking into their eyes: it's this beautiful synergistic experience that intensifies our family cycle of love. I am always amazed at how quickly and deeply we all receive from these long gazes. No matter what our day has been like, we find just what we need in those tender moments: relief, joy, forgiveness, a deep sense of being known and held. There is something quite profound about looking into each other's eyes and being together in that place beyond words. The habit of that ritual is especially healing on stressful, rough days. Many a night, my eyes tear-up as I reconnect to my heart and the deeper current of Life as I look into the eyes of my precious family and as I let them see into me as well. After we look "in" each other, we feast our eyes on our food, then close our eyes and go in even deeper to the silence. Someone gives a gentle squeeze after a while, and we begin to dine, renewed and present to our selves and each other
• nature, communication, meditation, exercise, joy, laughter, love, yummy/healthy meals, travel
• long roadtrips w/ uninterrupted windshield drive time; we have had more silly moments inside a car that we can count. The long hours together become sweeter each time we hit the road. Also,regular family meals. When we have the crazy weeks of client dinners and don't have a family meal for at least two nights in a row, we can tell something is off or it's just more difficult for all of us. We need the family time to ground each of us. Lastly, taking in a new experience -- one that is new for all of us. We all enjoy discovering together and watching each of us make our own connections and insights is always a good way to learn and grow together.
• rest. couples counseling. routine and rituals (Saturday Movie Night, etc)
• my family feels connected when we enjoy a slow dinner together each evening. During that time we share with each other something we are grateful for that day. It helps us remember all of our blessings that day. I have noticed that the girls stop throughout the day to notice the goodness around them - they may say "Oh, I'm going to share this tonight at our 'grateful time.' " It has also helped me and my husband not to talk about work worries at the dinner table. My daughters feel connected and peaceful when I give them personal blessings each day - I wrap them in an "angel blanket" each night before bed and I give them a "blessing" before they go to school each day.
• meditation. Even if the kids don't want to meditate at that moment, they can hang out around me and get something out of it, too. Insisting on lots of downtime at home, planning nothing - so what comes out of it is wrestling, group playing with the cat, laughing at comic books, creative pursuits, all impromptu. 
• a regular routine, healthy food, regular times for mom and dad separately and together to decompress and fill themselves up and verbalizing our appreciation for one another.
• open communication, one on one time and family time involving activities we all enjoy; time without electronics
• quiet dinners, walks in the park or neighborhood, sharing stories and reflecting on the day and taking time to greet/hug one another in the morning and when we see each other after work, giving each other compliments/praise on a regular basis
• fewer things on the calendar, spending time in nature, laughing, eating meals together, really listening to one another and enjoying time together as a family with other special family and friends.
• sharing in a project, eating meals together, doing "home church"by listening to an inspirational message or sermon together and then discussing it, sitting in nature to meditate, sitting under the full moon, going for walks or hikes in nature, camping, watching movies at home together
• connection: eating together, doing activities together; regular sleep and mealtimes; not over-scheduling; relatively clean, usually quiet, and orderly environment-- when possible.
• together time both w/ immediate and/or with extended family. A certain amount of alone time- pursuing passions. Going to church sometimes.
• when there is nothing on the agenda; i.e. appointments, engagements, homework, any kind of to-do list - which isn't that often. 
• having fun together (bowling, bike ride), slowing down the bedtime routine so there's plenty of time to talk, piling in my bed and reading (each one his or her own book but at the same time). Less on the calendar.
• time in prayer with my family, and don't sweat the small stuff (ie. pick your battles); talking at dinner and at bed time, camping, being together in nature
• spending time together without tv or electronics. Allowing our relationships to include the full emotional range, so we are open with each other about positive and negative emotions we experience together. This fosters a sense of resilience and trust in the strength of our relationships.
• being away from day to day distractions -- technology, jobs, school, friends. Creating more quiet in our lives.
• for us it's not just meals together (usually we eat out because I don't cook that much) but also the space to be together, yet doing our own thing. We are all free spirits, yet very supportive of each others independence.
• unplugging, doing more physically active things together like swimming, working on the garden, etc.
• staying on a schedule. Having family dinner. Rituals like weekly Friday night movie night or weekend hikes on the greenbelt.
• eating meals together, family night (watching a family movie with coke floats on Fridays), attending church, family prayers/bedtime prayers; spending together doing an activity that we love such as skiing or cooking.
• whether it's when we are all dancing silly or holding hands praying before a meal, I cherish the united we stand mentality.
• doing the little things of the day together without rushing (eat, read, walk, work, cuddle, speak, sing, play, goof) 
• spending time in nature together, mom and dad taking time to themselves to run, ride bike, unscheduled time at home
• less on our schedule, sitting down for a home cooked meal, especially when the children helped prepare it, walks in the evening
• having a routine or rhythm that everyone can count on; doing activities that we all enjoy and can participate in, like dancing or yoga.
• being part of and connected to a greater community, appreciating my family as part of that
• spending quality, non-rushed time together that isn't 'too planned': things like pizza night, sitting out on the porch for coffee/wine while the kids play
• when we are each able to have individual time doing things we enjoy, we are then able to better enjoy time with the ones we love
• mom's feelings of connection, harmony and peace. When mom feels it, others seem to as well.
• we believe God helps guide us each day and helps to keep us connected with each other.

Want support for enhancing peace/harmony in your everyday life?  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 Tele-course. Learn more. This is an amazing group; registration is ongoing through
November.

I love to hear from, connect with and meet The Journey readers! 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 

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Photo: My husband and 9 year-old  son on a leisurely stroll on a farm in rural New Mexico. This
area was near Chaco Canyon, one of the gems from our summer vacation.