What a lazy river taught me about getting what I want in life – here’s how you can get what you want in your life too – maybe even for free!

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Last week my husband took some vacation time and we treated our kids to a bunch of different day trips.  One day at the beach, another day with friends, another at the pool, another bowling, mini-golfing and just some goofin’ off.  And on one day we went to a water park in Pennsylvania – this was a magical day for many reasons…

 

A few things were ideal – the weather was perfect (everything depends on the weather – doesn’t it?), the park wasn’t crowded (turns out some kids in Pennsylvania went back to school a bit earlier than we did in New Jersey – no lines!), and everyone was into it and in a good mood (not easy to get your kids to agree on activities when they are 5.5 years apart and opposite genders).

 

The look on their faces when we went down the slides together in 1 giant family-sized tube left an indelible imprint on my mind and my heart.  My daughter’s expression of pure joy and excitement with an imaginary bubble over her head that read “again!” before the ride was even over, and my teenage son’s smile that fully exposed his braces practically back to his molars coupled with a high pitched scream over the anticipation of the drops, twists and turns of the slide was priceless!  I’m sure it was priceless for them to see me and my husband go down a massive water slide on our bellies that made my husband go airborne and a major splash of water to my face that left mascara tracks running down my face.

 

Of course, we didn’t start out the day this adventurous or uninhibited – we started out on the lazy river.  No kid was initially convinced the place wasn’t too baby-ish for them, I had no initial plan to get my hair or face wet (silly me!), and my husband was up for a “lazy river nap session” after the long drive – so the lazy river it was.

 

On that initial float around the park, I had a breakthrough… (yes, even at the water park on a vacation day in August my mind does not stop observing ways to gain clarity, confidence and conviction to experience a sustainable sense of fulfillment in life).

 

The lazy river taught me how to get what I wanted in life – here’s what happened…

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10 Secret Skills that Build Confidence and Engagement for Your Work…

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Continuing on in our countdown of 10 Secret Skills that build confidence and engagement for your work…

 

Remember, they are a countdown because these are a progressive set of skills that can be developed and practiced in your daily work to connect you to a more vivid sense of personal power – of confidence that what you do makes a difference for others.

 

As we practice these skills we not only build our confidence, we simultaneously quiet the noise (the self-sabotaging comments) that produces naturally from our brain/ego in response to anything that is expressed from our spirit – our higher self.

 

So let’s get on with the countdown of  “Secret Skills” – and practice, practice, practice away at them!  Here’s #2 and #1…

 

Drum roll please….

 

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How to have a great week at work – even if things aren’t quite going your way.

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Do you feel that things just aren’t “going your way” at work?

If you are in a pattern (at least once a week) of coming home from work and then talking about all the bad things that happened that day with some innocent and gracious soul who loves you enough to listen to you – then you just may be in a rut of seeing things as “not going your way”.

“Not going your way” may also look like the following:

  • you don’t think you’re paid enough
  • you’re not getting the results you want from the people around you
  • you’re not getting the credit you think you deserve
  • you’re not getting the “sexy” projects
  • you think you work too many hours
  • you don’t have enough happy customers

Instead of accepting any of these scenarios as evidence that things are in fact “not going your way”, could it instead be an opportunity to…

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Balance, balance, balance – “Blend” your values

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

I recently figured out a way to “blend” two of my values.  This was inspired by my life long quest for balance.  If you are like me, you too cram too many things into a 16 hour window each day (sometimes for me it’s a 20 hour window).  But if you also value sleep like I do (man, oh, man – I do like my sleep!), then you must get creative about how you accomplish all the things that matter to you – so I seek to “blend”.  What do I mean by “blending” my values?  Let me share with you a recent real-life success story about blending my values…

Well – I have (as you do too), values in my life – things that I hold near and dear to my heart and/or purpose on this planet.

One of those things is being a Mom.  My value statement for being a Mom is:

“When my life is ideal, I am a loving, kind Mother who serves my children like they are a priority and matter at set times of the day and when they call upon me for assistance no matter what else is going on at the time or regardless of how I might feel.  This or something better!  I make choices that favor my values.”

One of my other values is leading a healthy lifestyle – that includes exercising.

Many of you know, especially if you are parents of younger children, that it can be challenging for these two values to co-exist harmoniously.

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Why ON-GOING Education and Training Matters – Knowledge, Skill and Social Affiliation Expansion

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Welcome to week 3  continuing on our topic of “4 key distinctions that matter for finding career happiness” after you obtain the ‘3C’s’ – clarity, confidence and conviction.

Before all that – I just have to share my joy over Spring – it is coming – I can just feel it – can’t you?  What a difference a week makes in the weather!  I am done, done, DONE with winter and anxiously awaiting Spring.

I do promise however to continue working to help the workforce transition to the indigoforce and to keep sharing my thoughts and great information through our blog – but I just might be doing it from outside soon – at least I hope!  Lucky for you – fresh air just might be the ticket to even better blogging content for you – we shall see – hopefully SOON.

Onto our topic…

Recap – Our first distinction was get comfortable making choices and our second was get courageous.  Did you clarify what your relationship to the concept “choices” is for you?  Did you assess if you have the courage (defined as feeling afraid but moving forward anyway), to make changes from time to time in your career?

Getting clear about the skills you need to develop and the environments where you can easily get exposure to obtaining those skills makes it is easier to make a move.  And remember, every job/career, field/industry, work environment,  and boss has their drawbacks.  When you are clear about what you are there to achieve personally and professionally most job drawbacks can become very tolerable.

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Why courage matters for finding career happiness

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Welcome to week 2 – continuing on our topic of “4 key distinctions that matter for finding career happiness”.  Of course, these are key only after you obtain the ‘3C’s’ – clarity, confidence and conviction.

Clarity – UNDERSTAND what your natural talents and abilities are, where they are needed, why they are needed, and why you encountered past successes and obstacles.

Confidence – OWN YOUR CHOICE to use your natural talents and abilities or to cultivate new talents and abilities with or without concerted effort.

Conviction – ACT CONTINUOUSLY to pursue roles that utilize your natural talents and abilities and communicate your aspirations in a manner that earns respect.

Our first distinction was getting comfortable making choices.  Did you clarify what your relationship to the concept “choices” is for you?  Making choices and accepting your choices is a key distinction to be in touch with – it can lead to a significant breakthrough that may enable you to find happiness in a career choice.  Getting clear about a career path (both short-term and long-term planning), can ease “choice discomfort” .

This week we explore why courage (feeling afraid but moving forward anyway), matters and how to get courageous.

Do you have the courage to make changes from time to time in your career?  We all know when we have overstayed our welcome when we are a guest – the same holds true for jobs and careers.

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Career Choice is a Process…It doesn’t happen overnight

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Many of us may have thought (or still think) – “if I could just find my calling”.  Wouldn’t that be nice??  One day (ideally before we invest in education or training beyond high school), we get a phone call from the universe and a sweet voice whispers to us the ideal, attainable career.  The one that makes us happy, contributes to others, earns us great money, and allows us all the free time we desire.  As we all know, it just doesn’t work that way for most of us.  Plus – we are deceived by thinking there is that one great job and we just need to figure out what it is.  The truth is there are many great jobs and careers for each of us.  The way you discover your potential career journey is by obtaining the “3 C’s” – Clarity, Confidence and Conviction.

Clarity – Is understanding – what your natural talents and abilities are, where they are needed, why they are needed, and why you encountered past successes and obstacles.

It all begins with understanding yourself first.  Highly successful people know what they do best, find ways to incorporate what they do best into their life and careers, and keep on learning.  It’s a continuous journey.

Confidence – Is owning – your choice to use your natural talents and abilities or to cultivate new talents and abilities with or without concerted effort.

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