"July is hollyhocks and hammocks, fireworks and vacations, hot and steamy weather, cool and refreshing swims, beach picnics, and vegetables all out of the garden." - Jean Hersey What a perfect quote to sum up July (though we could all use less hot and steamy this year)! There is no better time than now to enjoy the goodness of the summer…
Progress. It’s what we all like to see when we start putting effort into a task or goal. Yet, sometimes, we get too caught up in our progress to truly reflect on how we got there. If we focus on reflection, we can realize how just a few weeks can make essential differences in our lives. Think back to a…
Things That Get Better With Age: Pesto Wine Cheese Cast iron skillets Leather Antiques Trees Friendships Relationships Emotional intelligence Decision-making skills Self-confidence Zest for life We do! In what aspects of your life have you found empowerment as you’ve gotten older?
Vacation planning can be a trip, pun intended. While planning my most recent vacation, we went back and forth on making multiple decisions. This included details like watching countries on the high alert list, researching the right time of year weather-wise, and even our desire to find a flight without layovers. Some decisions we made were small, but some were…
Spring is a beautiful time of year. The weather gets warmer, plants go from barren to bloom, animals return from hibernation, and summer is right around the corner. It's a time full of rebirth and refreshment. Yet, while spring can be gorgeous, the changes that come with it are often very isolating. For many, spring is when kids are about…
Earlier this year, during a chilly wolf moon night hike in our local woods, the only light our group used was the moon to guide us to our destination. Surprisingly, our eyes adjusted to the moon-lit walk pretty quickly, but why did it feel like an eternity to get to our end point, while the return trip to the warm…
photo by David Singer There's no way I can change careers or get that certification, I'm too busy taking care of my parents. There's no way I can convert my passion of baking into a business, I'm not a business person and it will be impossible to learn the start-up process. There's no way I can run that race…
Perhaps these quotes will offer you inspiration, guidance and a laugh for the year ahead. Here's to a new year full of promise, growth, learning, and fun. Wishing you all a happy new year, and may we all continue to grow as we work towards our best. No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again. ~Buddha…
Just Definition 1: By a very small margin : Barely Definition 2: Only, simply -Merriam-Webster Dictionary ____ Recently, during a conversation with friends, I noticed how often I use the word “just.” That got me thinking about the power of words. “It’s just a blog.” “It’s just an old dress I had.” “It’s just my small business.” Using “just” keeps…
Commitment. Sometimes, when we’ve committed to something, we have to work through all of the hiccups that come with it, whether we like it or not. Recently, I experienced my fair share of delays and disappointments due to a construction project in my home. Because of predictable Covid supply chain problems, and other world events, it took 1 full…
Do you tackle the hard things first? …or do you let them linger until you feel them looming? Since experiencing some knee trouble, biking has been my preferred aerobic exercise. Luckily, I have a bike and can easily take it out for a spin. However, there is a hill by my house, and whenever I go on a ride, I…
The future is inevitable. We all have heard this phrase, or something similar, at one point or another. While the future is impossible to avoid, the unknown aspect of it can cause many people to be fearful. It’s up to us to decide how to approach the future. I suggest we use the future as a chance to embrace–and trust–the…
After a recent 6-session, weekly, on-line improv class to add some variety into my schedule, to challenge myself, and mostly to simply laugh, here are some life lessons I learned: ✨ Improv helps you stay, and enjoy being in the moment, as well as to become a better listener. ✨ Improv helps you think on your feet allowing…
𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑤𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑡? 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟? 𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑢𝑠? 𝑆𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑝ℎ𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦, 𝑂𝑢𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒. 𝐵𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑧𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑢𝑠 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝑊𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠, 𝑊𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑤. 𝐶𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑢𝑝 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛. 𝐾𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑚𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙.…
When my children were young, sometimes we’d go to Toys "R" Us and they could each pick out a toy. One of my daughters would make her selection right away. She’d hold onto it tightly, waiting patiently until her siblings were finished selecting theirs, no matter how long they took with their decisions. Like my daughter, some women seem to…
Summer is just around the corner. However you decide to spend this time, enjoy! When we look back on some of our most fun, exciting experiences, many of them happened spontaneously...on a lark. By the time many of us arrive in our Empty Nest years, we have gotten away from “spur-of-the-moment” creativity, having spent time raising our kids, planning…
You have nothing to lose. This simple phrase is intended to motivate: “Why not get out there and try? You have nothing to lose.” Yet, this phrase actually masquerades as positive. These are heavy words. They don’t belong in an encouraging space. You deserve better. How can you take heavy phrases like this and turn them into powerful mantras…
Punctuation is part of the personality of writing, and that same idea overlaps into our identity. When you think about the punctuation mark you most embody, what comes to mind? For me, I connect with a question mark. I’m a natural learner with a curious mind. I find it exciting to unravel new realities about myself and the…
I’m sure you have found yourself at a four-way stop before. You’re cruising down the road completely in control until you slowly wind down to that sudden… stop. What happens next? The rules of the four-way stop often seem to fly out the window, especially when you’re faced with three other drivers all wondering the same thing. Did I get…
New year. New beginnings. New changes. Soon we will turn the page on another year, and it's no surprise we all think of the new year as a chance for a clean slate. But what is a new beginning? Each of us sees the world through our own filters and lenses, and therefore a new beginning means something different…
A client mentioned that her daughter cracked her iPhone screen, and used that as a reason to upgrade to a brand new phone. Instead of fixing it, she wanted a better camera—some of those fancy new features sounded so enticing. Enter mom, who, while no longer springing for her daughter’s new phones, was still paying for the family plan and…
If you experience any of the following, you are ready to talk with a Life Coach: ✔️You find yourself on the sidelines watching others succeed ✔️Your thoughts limit your ability to take actionable steps ✔️You are moving along in life with no set intention ✔️You don’t stop to focus on what you need right now ✔️You get in your own…
When the pandemic hit, people moved out of the city. One effect of that exodus was that Broadway actors lost their jobs. But what about the ripple effect that their leaving had? What about the dishwasher in the restaurant where Patti LuPone bought her coffee? Or the manicurist Audra McDonald visited regularly? What about the people who worked in…
For years, have you put yourself on the back burner while you raised your children? When your children become less dependent on you, what will your new normal look like? 𝐺𝑒𝑡 “𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑜𝑝 10 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝐶𝑎𝑛 𝐷𝑜 𝑅𝐼𝐺𝐻𝑇 𝑁𝑂𝑊 𝑇𝑜 𝐽𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐸𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑦 𝑁𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛” 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑒-𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘: https://marciesinger.com/top-ten-things-e-book/ This book was written for you to give you some…
“Treat yourself as you would a good friend.” Look up the definition of self-care, and you will find this quote. If your friend was struggling, you would be kind, understanding, and compassionate. Don’t treat yourself any differently. While studies show that people fear if they are too soft on themselves they will become self-indulgent, the opposite is actually true.…
Sage burning and full-moon intention ceremonies? Hypnotherapy and shaman healing? The trend in some high-end New York City residences is to offer a full menu of spiritual concierge services. While most of the offerings may be a tad too esoteric for the typical Empty Nester that I usually work with, one option from the menu makes a lot of…
When my new friend, Osarague, invited me to go LIVE on her Instagram page, I froze in my shoes. How could I go live? Open myself up to criticism? Be vulnerable? What if people asked me questions that I couldn’t answer? What if I didn’t come across like a coach women would trust and want to work with?…
Reprinted from CrunchyTales.com, #mymidlife I remember when my first child left for college. A few days later, I was unloading the dishwasher and suddenly this whoosh of emptiness came upon me. For years his life meshed with mine and then, suddenly, that whole chapter closed. He had been a huge part of my daily routine for so long: and as a minivan…
Hello Summer, Goodbye isolation. Over a year since we shut our doors. How quickly the calendar pages turned. The longest winter, and yet, still so fast. The bright warmth of the sun has returned, soothing even the roughest patch. Now, a new kind of assurance. We feel protected from head to toe, as we apply SPF to our…
There is strength in numbers. We have all heard that. I stopped recently to think about just what that meant. No doubt, there has been a time in all of our lives when we may have felt weak or powerless as just one person, going up against a force--whether that force was a challenging task, a difficult transition, or…
Don't you just love a good neighborhood hardware store? You walk in with your goal/challenge, and look for someone who will listen. You trust them to work with you, find the right aisle, the right paint color, the right knob. Boom. They direct you to the exact location you need to go to solve your current project or challenge.…
Happy Anniversary to me! What a crazy year it was to launch a business. But here we are...one year later and I’m feeling strong and confident. At the beginning, I was afraid of trying something new. To get my message out, I started writing, but how would I be received? What the heck would I write about? Could I inform,…
What hat are you wearing right now? When our kids were little, sometimes it felt like we wore the hats of the short-order cook, the chauffeur, and the nurse. As they grew, some of us put on our coach’s hat, later our college-application-essay editor’s hat, and later still, our resume editor's hat and wardrobe consultant's hat. During a…
Imagine yourself as a kid, sitting in the “way back” of your Brady-Bunch, paneled station wagon (without seat belts, if you are of a certain age.) It's early spring and you are taking a road trip with your family. No matter how long the trip took, you or your sibling asked the inevitable question: are we there yet? Often, we…
Photo: designtwins.com Hello Spring, I’ve been ready Quiet, dull winter behind us Breathtaking glossy icicles have detached from the house Melting snow nourishing the grass for growth Perpetual, daily gray mornings take a hike Brighter morning sun, brighter outlook Spring ahead that clock into lightness Uncover the outdoor furniture, shed that heavy clothing Black athleisure wear change-up to tie-dyes,…
We are all beyond ready to move ahead this spring for obvious reasons, but it will be bittersweet for me as I lost my mom at the beginning of this month. Her strength, dedication to family and tenacity throughout her 95 years will continue to inspire me to move forward. As I posted last year on her birthday, of…
Did you hear the story last year about the monolith that appeared and disappeared in the Utah desert? While at first many believed it to be aliens, the logical answer was that it was an artistic installation. We may chalk it up to another wacky incident during a unique year, but if we dig a little deeper we can…
“This could be it!” Those were the words my husband shouted 28 years ago when, after two exhausting years of house-hunting, we saw this house. I stared at the dilapidated ranch with its overgrown bushes and yellow lead paint siding. As I recall, my immediate reaction was something along the lines of….WTF!!! I couldn’t see past the trees (literally). …
This is a story of a rocky road, a journey, and new beginnings. You can’t tell by looking at this photograph of me, but this was not the idyllic, scenic journey it appears to be. I was actually caught between a literal rock and a hard place. The day started out reasonably. Nice, even. I was hiking on the…
Hello! I am your coach. I look forward to getting to know you–to watching you grow and mature. Together, we will get you thinking about the empty nest either looming before you or the one you are already living in. What does that ideal nest feel like? What do you think you need to do right now to get to…
Hello from the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (Tappan Zee Bridge). During the pandemic, we are doing things differently. It’s like this whole COVID experience is a bridge from our old lives into our new. Family game night. Cooking together. Slowing down and going for walks after dinner. Sleeping later. What experiences and philosophies will you try to keep alive…
Photo Credit: WalnutKitchen.ca 2021...I am ready. Winter pots planted with evergreens will stand guard at my door this winter. Brave and strong. Outdoor hoses removed and drained. Cushioned chairs covered. Deer proof bulbs are planted for Spring. Wilted annuals removed. My hallway foyer is open to all that lands on my stoop. An Amazon package, a neighbor who offers help,…
You’ve heard of the terms “cold shower,” “bridal shower,” and “sun shower,” but have you ever heard of “shower thoughts?" Shower thoughts are the thoughts that pop into your mind while doing something mundane, like, well, taking a shower, planting a flower pot, or driving. They're the little “aha” moments that occur when you are occupied doing one thing, and…
What the heck is a “shacket” anyway? And how did I get this far in life without knowing that I “needed” one. My inbox is filled with ads from Nordstrom and Banana Republic telling me that I MUST have this MUST-have trend of the season. What do you think about something that is trying to be a “jill-of-all-trades?” Do you…
During a time when so many are facing change, it is important to keep in mind that variety is truly the spice of life and embracing change can open your mind to new ideas and experiences. If you were to eat a Red Delicious every day you would eventually become bored of them, right? With so many apple choices…
Watching those videos of squirrels performing death-defying gymnastic feats can be mesmerizing. One favorite shows a man setting up an elaborate obstacle course for the local squirrels. After a minor learning curve, they master the course and achieve the reward–the elusive bird feeder. Squirrels stop at nothing to reach their goals. You can be like a squirrel! Aware and determined,…
What happens when we are too quick to pass judgment on others? When we judge, we create a story around an event, situation, person or experience we believe to be true. Often, we see what we expect to see, and sometimes, what we think we see is not the truth at all. This sage advice reminds me of a story…
Photo Credit: Laurey W. Glenn My front door is closed right now, but I’m ready for what comes next. With the new season–the crisp leaves, the fresh notebooks–comes a sense of excitement and expectancy. Something new. We are ready for the change of season, and whatever it may bring. Flower pots replanted. Mums. Gourds. Muted seasonal colors. It’s a…
I fondly remember Halloween with my kids. On October 31, we would walk through the neighborhood together as a family, greeting all the other families doing the same. The only question was which street to visit next, and how do we get to that house who gives out those full size candy bars before they run out. It was also…
It's my birthday week so I got to thinking about my own children... “Hold on a second, there might be another one!” What would you think if your obstetrician, after a moment of silence during a sonogram, says this out loud???? You might be thinking any combination of thoughts: This is not what I signed up for! My car isn’t…
Can you keep a secret? I can. As a coach, I treat confidentiality like an attorney or a doctor. A recent New York Times article about overhearing conversations outside a Trader Joe's on the Upper West Side during the pandemic got me thinking about how different people in different situations might use the information they hear. In coaching, confidentiality is…
Do you cringe when someone asks you what are you up to? Have you lost part of your identity while seeing to the needs and demands of your children and household for years? You’ve changed; it’s a new normal, you may have different perspectives and skills. Are you ready to chuck those Vans checkered loafers and Steve Madden slides, and…
August 1 is National Mustard Day. To me, mustard reminds me of goals and versatility. And of coaching. What? Let me explain. Last summer, I was fortunate enough to visit Paris to attend a family wedding. One of my goals for the trip was to pick up a gift for a friend's husband for a milestone birthday. What is the…
A rerun of Grey’s Anatomy got me thinking. It was a scene with Dr. Bailey furiously scrubbing a microwave oven while telling Chief Webber that dropping her son off at the first day of kindergarten left her feeling inadequate and empty. “He let go of my hand,” she said. She felt like she wasn’t needed anymore. Bailey feels like everyone…
This past week, my mother turned 95. She has taught me many things over the years, but one tidbit especially apropos right now is this: Stressing about something makes it doubly hard. You have the uncomfortable feeling of stress on top of still having to do the onerous task. “If you stress too much about something before it happens, you…
“Practice the pause. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you're about to react harshly and you'll avoid doing and saying things you'll later regret.” The power is in the pause. Perhaps you and your husband have been getting on each other's nerves lately being in close quarters for so long. Maybe it has to do with the…
This week, my bearded 28-year old “baby” is moving back into the nest...well, at least for a month or so. While the pandemic is scary and has so many unknowns, there are a few upsides. Those include the ability for young adults to explore the world. Many kids who graduated college and have “launched” their lives and careers may be…
Picture a little girl roughhousing in the yard with her dad. He tosses her in the air then leaves her to start the lawn mower and tackle the backyard chores. Soon he’ll be rehydrating from the garden hose and deciding what time to fire up the grill for their healthy chicken and corn dinner. After the barbecue, they will test…
AHA! “I get it!” “I know what I have to do next.” There is nothing better than witnessing my client reach that clarity at the end of a session. That "AHA" moment. Find YOUR clarity. Get unstuck. Break through. Release your tension. Unshrug your shoulders and relax. You are now on your way to realizing your goals; to release that…
Resilience. It’s what keeps us strong. Keeps us going. One of the buzzwords of 2020 is “pivot.” Pivoting is the ability to cope with unexpected circumstances and continue to find a way to let the good things shine. Sounds easy, but it isn’t always. It doesn’t just “happen,” it’s something we have to work on consciously. The ability to pivot…
Fear, if you allow it, can paralyze you. In my case, it had to do with fear of not knowing what to write. You see, I launched this new space. My blog. And I was so proud of it. I wrote my first post, and shared about its creation on social media. I smiled as the well wishers sent good…
To say the pandemic has upended most of our lives is an understatement. But through it all, what we value can remain strong. Values help us define who we are at our core. For example, connection is extremely important, and social distancing can impact our ability to fulfill that need. When we visited my daughter on Memorial Day, we wore…
I spoke to a possible client today and I offered her a coaching session because she seemed blocked in her ability to define her goals. She told me that she had never had good luck with therapy. Wait, what? I wasn’t offering to be her therapist. This conversation made me realize that a lot of people might not understand exactly…
Did you post a black box on your social media on Tuesday? I didn’t, but it was not an easy decision. I had planned to launch my new blog that same day, but that didn’t feel right. My gut said not to post anything and I followed my gut, but I wasn’t sure why. I knew that I wanted to be…
I recently attended The Elevation Experience, a week-long virtual micro course taught by Tracy Litt, a Certified Mindset Coach, Rapid Transformational Therapist, speaker and author. Tracy’s highly potent sessions are focused on practicing deep self-discovery. I found it to be a wonderful experience with an interactive, nurturing community, where I was given space to be seen, heard and loved, before, during…
When I completed my coaching certification program last month, I was both nervous and excited about what was next. Then Covid-19 happened, and life as we knew it was turned upside down. As I was adjusting to our new world, I remembered B.I.G. (Believe, Inspire, Grow), a women’s empowerment group a dear friend had told me about late last year.…
