Posts Tagged ‘Joy’
Believing in Your Potential
Monday, September 27th, 2010
I just came home from a Coaching in Medicine and Leadership Intensive with Harvard Medical School. In another blog, I will post some amazing quotes and ideas. I wanted to dedicate this one to sharing why it meant so much to me to go to this Harvard Intensive.
Back in grade school, I was never the best or brightest in class. Teachers often based my grades on my hard work, my creativity, and my enthusiasm. My report cards had remarks like, “Mary Anne is a joy to have in class.” While I may not have understood everything happening in the classroom, I had an insatiable curiosity and loved asking questions.
By the time I went to high school, I felt like I had to work so hard just to keep up. I started to feel very lost and struggled with many classes. By the end of my junior year, I prayed to get through one more year. Not knowing what I would do after high school, I met with my guidance counselor, who after looking at my transcript, told me not to apply to college. My counselor thought I ought to go to a trade school or find a job. She told me I wouldn’t make it through college.
As a Life Coach, I can look back now and see that this counselor didn’t see or believe in my potential. She never asked me what I wanted to do after high school or ask if I wanted to attend college. Fortunately, I had a religion teacher who told me I had a lot of gifts to share with the world. She encouraged me (along with my parents) to attend college and explore classes until I found something that brought me joy.
This teacher saw in me more than I could at 17 and encouraged me to explore and dream — she saw potential and possibility. I graduated college with honors and have gone on to do amazing work with non-profits as well as successfully start my own company.
Going to Harvard Medical school this weekend was symbolic for me. It reminded me that anything is possible and I have even more potential to celebrate.
Who believes in your potential? As Thich Nhat Hanh says, “We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.”
Mary Anne
What Is Your Theme Song?
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
Once I get hooked on a song, I play it until I can’t hear it anymore. It becomes my theme song and I never know how long it will last. My latest theme song is Glitter by Pink. I play this song on my iPod every day while riding the subway and hit the repeat button so it just keeps looping back to that song.
There is something about hearing the lyrics:
Have you ever thrown a fistful of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face and said I just don’t care?
It’s only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg, the sun before the burn
The thunder before the lightening, the breath before the phrase
Have you ever felt this way?
What’s your theme song these days?
Mary Anne
What Is It to Work with Love?
Monday, September 13th, 2010
As I fully return to my daily routine, I wanted to share a passage from one of my favorite writings of all times, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. Perhaps it is time to see my “routine” as a way to work with love!
Work is love made visible.
And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.
For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man’s hunger.
And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distils a poison in the wine.
And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man’s ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.
Yes, work is love made visible~
Mary Anne
Create Space for What You Love Doing
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
Create space for what you LOVE to do, rather than fill space with what you are ‘comfortable’ doing.
I hope you have been able to spend time doing what you LOVE this summer. I decided to take a little more time off this summer from what was becoming a hectic schedule (that I created). I would often hear people “admire” me for my busy schedule, all the programs and workshops I gave, my growing business, all while working full-time. The truth is I became very “comfortable” filling my schedule. What I really needed to do was become comfortable being uncomfortable with less to do.
After emptying my calendar and saying “no” to a lot of invitations, I began to create space in my schedule. I was able to spend time seeing what it was I really LOVE to do. I didn’t need a sabbatical from work; I needed a sabbatical from myself! I spent a lot of time going to the beach, connecting with friends, taking long walks, and reading lots of good books. This gave me the respite I needed to relax. I spent many mornings and evenings sitting quietly, watching sunrises and sunsets, and listening to the birds sing. I came to a place where I finally acknowledged how much I love to write meditations, poetry, and blogs. The quieter I became, the more ideas for my business flowed effortlessly.
Create space for what you LOVE to do! How could being uncomfortable give you the space you need to show you what is you LOVE?
Mary Anne
Experiencing Glee
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
My life is filled with so much joy. I have a job that I love, a business that is expanding, amazing friendships and global connections that keep me inspired. I even joked last week that I feel like a bottle of Holy Water because I am so blessed. This past weekend I experienced another feeling – glee.
I had the opportunity to watch my seven-year-old nephew at his Irish Step Dancing Show. He stood on stage in a black shirt and pants with a black and gold cummerbund. With a big grin on his face, he held hands with six other girls dancing on stage. Each child had a chance to dance a solo Irish Step and as it came closer to his turn, my nephew started shaking and smiling. He even looked out to see if he could find the table of his family and waved. He went last and when he finished dancing, he took a bow. His face lit up and all I could see and feel was glee.
Glee is about opening yourself up to joy. Seeing a seven year old filled with glee only reminded me of how all of us have the chance to open ourselves up to joy. Share your joy.
When do you experience glee?
Mary Anne
Congratulations to my nephew, George, on his amazing dancing.
Shifting Into Joy
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
Every breath is a miracle. Every day is a gift. Everyone is love. (My Meditation)
As I flipped through my notebook to find a blank page to write down my meditation, I saw a few quotes that had captured my heart over the past two weeks. I sat and read each one like a poem, letting them flow. I took a deep breath and with my exhale read a quote. I became calmer, softer, and quieter. The noises that were once disturbing – dogs barking, sirens blaring, cars screeching now seemed like background sounds in the far distance. All I could hear was my breath and my voice. I invite you to do the same and see what shifts in you.
“Be kind whenever possissble…it is always possible.” Dalai Lama
“Our joy in the beautiful is as native to us as breath, a lyrical act where we surrender but to awaken.” John O’Donohue
“Being the shift means that you claim your responsibility and your power for creating and experiencing the world you desire. Being the shift is about being fully present, sovereign of heart and intimate with all life.” Judy Kinney
“So, that cracking, breaking, shattering…that’s the husk surrounding the blossom of your heart. Let it go.” Mariel Hemingway
“Forgiveness means it finally becomes unimportant that you hit back. You’re done. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you want to have lunch with the person. If you keep hitting back, you stay trapped in the nightmare…” Anne Lamont
If want to learn about making space for more joy and peace, please join me for an upcoming Resting in Radical Forgiveness 4-Week Course (starts May 26 at 8p ET). http://toningtheom.com/events/?event_id=96
May light shine your path and love be your guide.
Mary Anne
April OM Meditations
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
I started the month of April by asking folks to “play the fool” and to bring forth their most outrageous, wild, playful self. In keeping with tradition, I am ending the month by sharing monthly meditations and contemplative questions as a way to open up to more joy and let love in.
As an invitation, feel free to close your eyes, sit with your spine straight and take a few soft breaths. Then inhale a little deeper through your nose, and on the exhale, repeat the mantra OM (AUM). Do this three times. Allow yourself to really feel everything and become the observer of your thoughts. Feel free to focus on one question or statement below and just allow your experience to unfold.
How can we allow empty spaces to teach us, to fill us, to empty us?
Love is reciprocity. Love doesn’t worry about being liked & having approval. Love exists within our inabilities, imperfections, & faults—and our value never decreases.
How do you come out in the world? How do you want to come out fully and shine your light for the entire world to see?
Living authentically means embracing who we are and allowing our full light to shine.
How often do we close our own hearts & need a locksmith to open it and let love in? How do you let love in?
Beloved
Be Love
You are loved. Stay there.
Letting love in, I am healed;
Letting love in, I am whole;
Letting love in, I remember;
Letting love in, I am Free.
Each person will have their own experience so the invitation is to be open for whatever thoughts flow through you. Allow your mind and body to expand into the experience (without judgment). Feel free to start with whatever mantra calls to you.
May you experience letting love in and allowing your heart to expand.
Make at least 10 people smile today.
Mary Anne
Angela Lansbury, My Mom & Me
Thursday, January 14th, 2010
The clock went off at 6:22am on Sunday morning and I hit the snooze – twice. Getting up that early on a Sunday is not common. I had bought tickets to see Angela Lansbury speak at the New York Times Center. She is my favorite actress. When I share that tidbit, I am often met with some mockery and strange looks. For me, Angela Lansbury is ageless and represents many good memories.
First, I remember watching BedKnobs and Broomsticks (1971) and enjoyed all the tricks and songs that Lansbury performed. Later, I became a huge fan of her show, Murder, She Wrote (1984 – 1996). I would watch this television show with my mom on Sunday nights. We would sit together and try to figure out the mystery each week. This is one of those memories I have carried with me since my mom’s passing in 2000. Whenever I watch a re-run of Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher, I think of my mom.
I continued to follow her career and went to see her most recent performances on Broadway, including, Deuce, Blythe Spirit, and A Little Night Music. I even had the chance to meet her and get her autograph after one of her plays and joked with her about also having family from County Cork in Ireland. She smiled and said how lovely it is there.
From Mame to Gypsy, Ms. Lansbury has delivered many memorable songs. The best song that describes her long career is Liaisons from A Little Night Music. Lansbury sings, “Where’s discretion of the heart, where’s passion in the art, where’s craft?” After six decades in show business, Angela Lansbury has proven she has shown all that and more. At 84 years old, Ms. Lansbury exemplifies what a life lived full of passion on and off screen can do. She stands on stage, and chills run through your body. She comes to take her bow, holds her hand out for Catherine Zeta-Jones, and it’s in that moment you realize she shares a stage with class. Yes, I cried at her final bow – and whispered thank you. I shed tears of gratitude for a woman who has graced our stage, our homes, and our hearts.
When the chance came to see her again on Sunday, I was thrilled. She came out to the center of the New York Times stage and received a standing ovation. She talked about her years growing up in England, her thoughts about acting, and her long career. Ms. Lansbury shared, “It’s about being an actor first, then a singer.” She talked about all that is entailed to prepare for performing. She told us that when you can tap into the emotions of the character, you feel a connection. “I have felt each character, and I sing from that place.”
Angela Lansbury taught me that by stepping into full character, it allows your voice to be revealed. She showed me that when you live your passion, life can be full of joy at any age. Most importantly, she allowed me to feel connected to my mom and keep the emotional bond alive. With dignity and class, Angela Lansbury, thanked her audience Sunday morning, and once again I gave her a standing ovation.
With gratitude,
Mary Anne
This is dedicated to my beloved mom, Catherine Flanagan (1944-2000) and the many years we watched Angela Lansbury together.
Remove the Label and Live Your Dream
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
Ever since I can remember, people have been asking me what I want to be when I grow up. I realized that over the span of time that answer has changed. I have wanted to be a cop, a radio DJ, a nun (it’s true), a teacher, and workshop facilitator. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to gather some stuff that has been stored at my parents’ house – the stuff that will never fit in a NYC apartment – like trophy’s, plaques, photo albums, boxes of letters, and even school papers (the one’s when I got an A). After cleaning off the mounds of dust, I began to get a good look at my life since I was about age 12. Going through theses boxes, I began to reflect about all the people throughout my life who helped me get to where I am today. I found letters of support from my parents and sisters sent to me while I was on retreats, along with many letters from friends from all around the world.
As I read these letters, notes, and even high school yearbooks, I noticed that throughout time, people said similar things to me. They often complimented my hard work, my poetry, enthusiasm, faith, commitment, generosity, and humor. It was a nice feeling to see how many people one life touches and that my core values have remained the same.
Then I stumbled upon my 8th grade yearbook. It’s a handmade paper book that was put together by my school classmates. In the yearbook, we named our professional dream career. There it was in black and white – a writer. I had no idea I even said that back then. I must have blocked it because every time I told people I wanted to be a writer, folks would tell me about the struggle of getting published and how hard it would be to make money and pay bills. So, on I went to do other work in non-profit and then started my own healing arts company. And sure enough, over the past 18 years, I have helped write proposals, articles, workshops, brochures, outlines, blogs etc… Without the attachment of the label, I have always been a writer. I have kept a journal for more than 20 years and always have a notebook with me to capture the random thoughts and ideas that go through my head. Last month, I even became a contributing writer for a spirituality blog.
It’s nice to know I am living my dream with so much joy and enthusiasm. While I have probably been a combination of many professions, each one has included writing. No matter the label, I am a writer. It’s taken me this long to claim that inside and now I get to share it.
If you removed the label, what is your dream? Do it, be it, live it.
Oh yeah, my favorite song in the 8th grade – “Jump”, by Van Halen.
Dedicated to all those that have supported my dreams and to all those who read my writing (thank you).
Mary Anne