A new kind of social space has just arrived in New Haven! The Grove, located at 71 Orange Street, is a really really exciting and innovative concept.  More inspiring than a coffee shop, it is a co-working space where any entrepreneur, small organization, artist, or individual can come to work and play.  The environment, complete with boardroom, WiFi, break-out space, outdoor courtyard, and work stations, is way more connected than your typical office.  It is an open environment where people communicate with one another to bring about effective change. 

The work meets play meets mini conference atmosphere will prove to be far more innovative than working at home.   On a recent stop by to “work for a little while”, I ran into a friend who runs a really large non profit organization in South Africa.  After a few moments of catching up, we both dove into our individual work.  I tapped into the online world, while he donned  headphones to listen to some video content.  While posting some tweets, I see that co-founder, Slate Ballard, has sent out a tweet that I am at The Grove working.  I, of course, re-tweet in response because it is too fun to miss out on all the fun.  This game of twitter launches the two of us into a discussion of effective ways to create and tag a tweet for maximum audience exposure.  Both armed with a couple of new ideas about twitterland, we both go back to work.  Somehow I am getting through my load of emails and having fun.  Moments later an IT guy from Yale pops in, suddenly I am pulled into a conversation about which platform may best serve my swiftly evolving blog, followcb.com.  Who knew so much could happen in slightly over and hour?

Who thought work could be so painless?

This not for profit space offers memberships based on the amount of time you think you might or want to spend there.  There are plans based on the number hours, weeks, months, etc.  There will be all kinds of social and community related functions on site as well.  Need a boardroom or space to impress that special client or potential customer?  Not a problem… It is all possible here at The Grove, a space where it would appear to be as fitting to be sipping on a coffee or nipping on bourbon.  It is an instant office(just add fun) with none of the hassles or expenses associated with the typical work space. 

The Grove does more than imagine the future!  It delivers it to our New Haven area community in 2010!!

“The Grove is a new kind of space that encourages and supports people in their work and the development of new ideas that are solving the social, environmental, economic, and urban problems we face today. The Grove is more than just a space, it is a dynamic community of social innovators, artists, entrepreneurs, and thinkers that are the new face of New Haven.”

I highly encourage everyone who is passionate about work, mixed with a dash of play, to get into the groove.  And get into The Grove!! 

Our lives are like a blank canvases, waiting to be painted upon.  A canvas to be covered with our stories.  The magical moments that change the course of where we sail.  The details of days spent studying in school.  The great philosophy and wisdom of scholars, passed down to us, the next generation.  We will paint the canvas with the colorful history of our family and friends.  Our beliefs, both religious and spiritual, will create the scenic backdrop upon which layer after layer will be revealed.

Life will reveal an incredible parade when we learn to sit back and let the wonders of the world unfold before our very eyes. The unrivaled scenic beauty of our planet.  The cliffs and canyons.  The oceans, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. The mountains and prairies.  The deserts, islands, and volcanoes.  The astonishing array of animals.  Fascinating creatures.   The infinite diversity of  plants, trees, and flowers. The power of mother nature.  Observe it.   Witness the sheer splendor of it all.

Just like with nature…

Allow people to reveal themselves fully, like  blossoms bloom into flowers.   The complexity of their structure giving way to their inner beauty.  The protective outer layer contrasting  the vulnerable and colorful interior layers.  For to love, we must learn to be loved.  In order to grow, we must plant seeds.  The seeds need to be nurtured, day in and day out…

Each day offers us the opportunity to write a new chapter…. paint another picture…

Time will always be of the moment.  And we shall live in the moment. 

Our beliefs peacefully guiding life’s journey…

Our hearts effortlessly filling with the joy of love and having been loved…

The moments of our days will turn into the days of our lives…

Our lives will unfurl…like a flag.

And upon the canvas will be… our story.

Like a painting on…. the canvas of life.

On the darkest of nights, stars shine with the brightest of their brilliance.  The endless sea of their interconnected and overlapping patterns can transform our eyes.  To gaze at them for long is to become mesmerized by their intensity and light.  So too is it with the “stars” among us here on earth. 

Since the early day of man, stars have played an important role in history.  They create a canvas like map across the skies.  Their importance is told, time and time again throughout the Bible, where they lead nomads, shepherds, and apostles,  across the desert to the newly born savior, baby Jesus.  Stars have been celebrated in tribal rituals since ancient times.   Stars, both celestial and human, are the title, theme, and subject of many many popular  songs, movies, and books.

Stars seem to provide both an escape and guidance.  Perhaps it is because they burn so brightly, giving off light that protects us from the dark.  The darkness of our own lives.  They shine so brightly upon us, yet they are so far away.  They are an illusion we cannot touch or get too close to. 

Funny how certain stars burn with such intensity so young that they burn out so quickly.  We all have witnessed the fall of a brilliant young star happen way too early.  There seems to be a fascination with  falling stars.  We love them for their tireless eternal light.  Yet we gather to watch stars fall from the midnight sky.  Maybe we feel we will be the one who can catch a falling star? 

Stars entertain us.  They are part of another world yet touch ours.  They play against a darkened sky.  Some are bigger and seem to always be present.  Others appear to be closer to us.  Close enough to reach out and touch.

Stars come and go as the seasons change.  Each star has their shining moment.  Their stage.  They will burn with the hottest of intensity, shining it upon us.  They remain so close, and yet so far.  If only we could reach, the unreachable star.

Like any road or trail we may travel , the path to a positive and fulfilling life is achieved through a continuous commitment.  A commitment to ourselves and everyone in our world.  It is through trial and error, and the failings that occur as the result, that we ultimately grow. 

Just like the phoenix rises from the ashes to fly again, so too will we, when we learn how to use our failures as lessons.  Lessons that challenge us at the very core of our fiber.  For we must learn to be resilient. It is not enough to merely go through life.  We must learn to grow through life!

If you have been born into a loving family, you have been blessed.  Give thanks for it.  Honor and respect them with your actions.   If you have your health, you have true wealth.  Use it wisely.  If you are wise, share your intellect with the world.  We need all the great minds put towards the many challenges facing our planet. 

Recognize the importance of our place in history.  Each of us are but one link in a continuous chain.  The opportunity to make a difference lies within every living person.  Rise to your potential by surrounding yourself with people who inspire you.  Aspire to greatness!  Always!!

Seek and find the answers to anything that you do not understand.

Develop a hunger for information.  It leads to knowledge.  And knowledge leads to power.

Choose behavior that reflects the way you want to be treated. 

Love and be loved.   Laugh often.  Cry real tears without fear. 

Realize how special you are..  Seize the moments of your days…

Honor life and those who live….on the path to the positive!!

Imagine a convention where the participants were the planners.  The planners were the participants.  And the presenters were also the audience.  A convention that does not in any way represent anything conventional.   A convention that addresses our ever evolving human condition in a shape shifting world.  A place where we can come together to embrace the idea of creating effective change in our lives.   With a huge focus of fun and learning, the convention will be highly engaging and interactive. 

An Unconvention!

The Reinvention Convention will focus on the body, mind, and spirit! 

We will rejuvenate our bodies with activities like “forage and feast”, where we will explore the region for local and native crops, bringing them back to create our meals.  Our minds will be stimulated by events and games that challenge our fears and expand our skills.  Spirits will take flight as we get in touch with the ocean, stargazing, and tribal celebrations.

The convention will be organized by all those attending!  Each person bringing  a piece of the pie.  Field work will be required in advance to ensure that everyone arrives with a sense of where to begin their personal exploration.  A giant life skills swap meat will occur, where all of us will become  students and teachers to one another.  We will all mentor someone and, in turn, someone will mentor us. 

You can expect the unexpected as some activities will make your heart race.  Other sessions may find you needing a dry set of clothes… There will be music and dancing!  We will be reading and writing, together!  We will develop our personal style, learning how to incorporate it into everything we do.  We will discover how “everything new is old again”. 

Every moment of every day we are changing, bit by bit, little by little.  Sometimes life changes in the blink of an eye. 

The Reinvention Convention explores how those changes can be embraced. 

The Reinvention Convention celebrates change!

The Reinvention Convention breaks all convention rules…it is a game changer!!

Join me in Hawaii in February 2011……

Help me, help you!!

On the road of life, nothing touches our lives more than people.  Not money, fortune nor fame.  We are a family, like a giant tree.  We are born into a given family yet find our chosen family along our journey of life.  Some of our most beloved and precious relationships will fall into both of our families.

People will touch our lives in  ways we have never expected, sharing both the beauty of their wonderment and the depths of their darkest hours.  The smallest of exchanges can lead to a life time of memories.  The kindest deed can alter the course of our path.  The tiniest act can leave an amazing affect.  For we may all want different things, but our basic needs, as humans, are so very similar.  To be loved.  To be touched in special ways.  To be recognized.  To belong.   To make a difference.  To share moments.

Our paths will be colored by the many many characters and players who come in and out of our lives.  Some people will be there from the very start.  Others will occupy nothing more than a brief stay.  Some will leave far too soon.  Our philosophies, ideas, beliefs, desires, fears, and dreams will be built around the fortress of this collection of relationships.  The people who impact us the most will remain in our collective consciousness.  Although we will forget about many people, we may continue to carry a piece of them forward throughout our journey.

No life experience will touch us more than people.  Not any place or thing can begin to rival the influence people have on us.  The specialness each person offers can never be duplicated.  We are each our own unique symphony, playing our own song. 

We are all the sum of our life’s experiences.  A giant patchwork quilt made up of all the people who have touched us in a multitude of ways.  I call it the inspiration quilt.  It is the fabric our our lives!

My life has called me to honor people, working on their behalf. 

Sharing peoples stories…telling their tales.

Above all things I…..in all my work…

I choose to recognize people first!

(Thanks to Susie Dee for sharing this….)

Stress Management 
A lecturer when explaining  stress management to an audience raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter.  It depends on how long you try to hold it.   If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”

“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.
When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.”

“So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home you can pick it up tomorrow.”

“Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. So, my friend, put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don’t pick it up again until after you’ve rested a while.”

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

* Always wear stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle ofit.

* Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be “Recalled” by their Maker.

* If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probablyworth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can’t dance well; just get up and dance.

* When everything’s coming your way, you, my friend, are in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you.  The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. 


Have an awesome day and know that someone (me) has thought about you today …      
   

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Down on your luck?  In need of a new job? Is your life stuck in a rut?  There are so many times in our lives that we caught up in the situation.  Recognizing that we are in a rut is only the first step.  Many of us get stuck there.  It is only by taking action that we begin to create movement.  The movement necessary to create change.

The same talents we own are always available to us.  For they know no expiration date.  We tend to compartmentalize our talents and skills,  reserving them for the job or using them for a paycheck.  Big mistake! 

Time to move out of your comfort zone.  Market your skills and talents by volunteering them to organizations.  Share yourself generously throughout your community.  At events.  Lend your talents to an upcoming conference.   Showcase who you are anywhere and everywhere you can. 

Extend yourself as far as possible out into the world.  Follow your heart, allowing it to lead you into areas of interest.  Look around at the world.  What is going on…

Focus your energy on where you want to be.  Imagine the life you want to be living.  Picture the job or career you see fulfilling your purpose.   Reach towards the people who inspire you through their life’s work. 

Aspire to greatness.  Train yourself the way an Olympic athlete trains.  Everyday putting in the quality time required.

We all have the same number of minutes, seconds, and hours in any given day!

Now is the time to….

Do something about it!!

The beauty of your smile when you feel joy.

The way your body moves through open spaces.

The inviting tone of your voice whispering Hello.

The simplicity of your loving ways.

The abundant care you have for others.

The expressions of gratitude.

The potential of your brilliant mind.

The movement of your spirit in flight.

The passion burning in your soul.

The unlimited love in your heart.

The gift that is you.

I see it!