So there are about 435 things on my list of things to do – today.  Another 256 for the rest of the week, and 741 coming up in the next few weeks. I work from home, so often when I sit down to work, I get distracted by the home chores that need doing.  Currently, I’m mid-move, so the domestic chores are weighing heavily on me.  I’ve been in the middle of this move for a while now, so I’ve already taken some time away from working to deal with the more pressing domestic chores.  The question is, how to keep moving when everything needs doing. If you’re anything like me, when the ‘to-do’ list gets too high, or the closet gets too messy, I shutdown.  I don’t think “wow! What a full to do list, I must leap into action!” … Continue reading →

This is a guest post by Felicia Spahr, writing rogue, adventurous guide, and creative mastermind.  She’s got a lot to say about being creative and I am thrilled to host her on The Creative Giraffe. Creative Masterminds, If you didn’t know already, you are creative. Why? Because you are a living, breathing, beautiful person. If you didn’t know already, you can be creative every second of the day. How? With your mind, thoughts, and your ability to make connections. Yet we all furrow or brows, beat on pillows, and yell to the Gods: Why can’t I be creative? Like those people? And those other people? And my dog! Do you know what she did today that blew my mind? Well, friends. I have something for you. I work with peeps who are barking up the creative writing tree, and I … Continue reading →

Ideas.  You’ve got ’em.  There are a few small ones, a few silly ones, and some BIG ones waiting in there for you to figure it out.  Sometimes they’re strokes of genius that hit us in the middle of the night and we have to sit up right then and start working on it. Some of my best big ideas came to me when sleeping, or almost asleep.  Something about the relaxation and the openness, my brain lets things float to the top that don’t otherwise have a chance to.  My dog’s name, Huxley, came to my mind as I was falling asleep with him for the first night.  Becoming a life coach struck me like a bolt of lightening one morning after a powerful late night conversation with a girlfriend.  I woke up the next morning and WHAMO.  That … Continue reading →

Things feel very unsettled.  There’s a windstorm outside my house, which is freaking out my dog and making him bark at everything.  There are sirens in my neighborhood, a train whistle screaming in the distance, and horrific images of carnage and destruction coming out of Boston. The unease and fear that we are feeling seems to be reflected outside my window today.  I have never been to Boston, but I know some wonderful people from there.  It’s my understanding that Boston is a place full of badasses.  Tough people, who deeply love their town.  That something so violent could happen in Boston, to Boston, feels like a huge shock. Listening to the wind and sirens outside my window from the safety of California, my facebook and twitter feeds have been flooded with ways to help.  Calls for prayers, love and … Continue reading →

Have you ever had a really terrible, no good, just plain bad day? Of course you have – we all have. Sometimes the hot water runs out, the boss yells at you, you get stuck in the worst traffic, you stain your favorite cardigan, and you get broken up with – on your message machine. Now, have you ever had one of those days, and were still able to tip you head up and smile. I have. I do. Want to know the secret?   I believe that everyday gratitude is a key to daily satisfaction and love. It’s essential to be grateful and aware of the goodness in your life even when the going gets tough. It is a surefire way to turn an average day into something memorable, and a terrible day into a learning experience. It is the … Continue reading →

If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change. I was not allowed to listen to Michael Jackson as a kid.  My mom didn’t like him, and his music was off limits.  Yes I knew his popular hits, the Free Willy song still gives me chills, but I was never a Michael devotee.  To this day, I don’t own any of his albums, and do not know any of the moves to the Thriller dance. The first time I heard Man In The Mirror, I was on my way home from Coaching class.  My two carpool buddies were in the car, and this song came on.  My friend dedicated it to me, and I smiled wanly and pretended to know what it was.  He sang along to the lyrics, … Continue reading →