Moment-Is Blog http://www.clareconsulting.com/blog Parenting - Career Versus Motherhood - Finding Your Balance!! http://www.clareconsulting.com/blog/parenting-career-versus-motherhood-finding-your-balance  As a mom, there was nothing more challenging for me that finding the balance between my career and my family. I was working full time as a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit when my son was born.  I took a maternity leave for 3 months to be at home with him. The thought of leaving him in a day care after that time was too much to bear.  My husband’s job was in transition and this created the opportunity for me to stay at home full time with our son. We were incredibly lucky to have this happen.

]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 PST Parent Your Teens With Confidence http://www.clareconsulting.com/blog/parent-your-teens-with-confidence If you are like most parents you want to guide your children into being happy, well adjusted, responsible adults. 

The challenge is you are overwhelmed and frustrated with their acting our behavior, they don’t listen to you anymore and you don’t know how to let things go and let them grow. 
 
They don’t come with a rule book.

There is a way to meet your goals of being an effective, clear parent and not feel tortured on the inside by the decisions you make and the expectations that you have.   

]]> Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 PST To Stress or Not to Stress - That is The Question http://www.clareconsulting.com/blog/to-stress-or-not-to-stress-that-is-the-question

Do I want to be stressed or not stressed – that is my question.

How can I have my business, be with my family and live the life I want within the context of my current day reality? There are so many demands from different aspects of my life that I often get pulled in a zillion different directions. I was under the misguided belief that if my children were grown and gone from the house that I would not have anything that would get off balance. Was I ever mistaken, I have a whole life that I want to keep healthy and strong. This means I need to pay attention to the many facets of my life. I have a great husband and I want to nurture that relationship. I have wonderful children whom I want to stay in contact with. I have great friends whom I want to stay connected with and I have my body, mind and emotions that I want to be respectful of. My choice is simple however, do I want to fully be in my life, loving what is and being present in all that I do? Or, do I want to try and do more, be more, accomplish more because I should.

]]> Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 PST Real Life Trumps Beach Life - Every Time http://www.clareconsulting.com/blog/real-life-trumps-beach-life-every-time Have you ever played bridge?  When the players finish bidding they arrive at a suit that is called trump.  Trump suits win every time, no matter if you have the highest card in the deck.  What I noticed this last week is that Real Life held the trump card over my musings on the beach. 

It is amazing how I was so clear and focused about what I wanted to do when sitting on the beach with my broader perspective of  life.  When I got home to the real world, the greatest plans to connect and write about my experiences fell by the wayside. That is my truth. 
 
My life has been awesome and fulfilling but alas, I did not carry through on the writing of my experiences as I promised. I am giving myself permission to tell the truth about not doing what I said I was going to do and will find the silver lining in what I have been doing. 

Where have I been

]]> Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PST Day 2 - Living in the Moment or Trying To http://www.clareconsulting.com/blog/day-2-living-in-the-moment-or-trying-to  Day 2 - Living in the Moment is easier for me when I am on vacation..  There are no plans, no schedules.  Just being able to be with the fresh ocean air, the blue skies and the sensations that are going on in my body keeps me grounded in the present moment. 

Did I keep my commitment to tuning into my body with my breath a minimum of 8 times during the day? 

I am now asking myself, why did I commit to doing this?

]]> Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PST Are "SHOULDS" running your life? http://www.clareconsulting.com/blog/are-shoulds-running-your-life How many of you live your life by "SHOULDS"?

By shoulds I mean those expectations that come from a wide variety of sources:

  1.     Society
  2.     Parents and other members of our family
  3.     Friends with all of their best of intentions
  4.     Media - TV, books, internet - all with advice from the so-called "experts" on how you should live your life
  5.     Self - all of your expectations about how you should "think", "do" and "be"

 

]]> Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 PST School Zones and Life - 7 Steps to Help You Slow Down http://www.clareconsulting.com/blog/school-zones-and-life-7-steps-to-help-you-slow-down  Have you ever noticed how much more you see when you slow down for a School zone?

 
 When ever I follow the rules and slow right down, I am amazed at how much more I see.
 
I notice the children playing in the school yard. I notice the maroon painted front door, I notice the beautiful blue sky and I notice the beauty around me. I become conscious of my surroundings and appreciate what is going on around me. 
 
This is definitely a different feeling from the racing tension I get when I spend my time thinking about what is next on my list or worrying about everything I need to do.
When we spend our time racing to get to where we need to get to next, focusing on the destination rather than the journey, it is amazing how much we miss along the way. 
]]> Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST 5 ways to combat emotional eating http://www.clareconsulting.com/blog/5-ways-to-combat-emotional-eating How many of you have found yourself with an empty bag of potato chips, or some other food item, wondering how you could possibly have eaten ALL those chips, already? You don’t remember tasting them or even chewing them and all of a sudden they are gone. 
 
Then the self abuse sets in:
 
Why don’t I have more self discipline?
I know better than to eat potato chips!!
What is wrong with me?
 
Wouldn’t it be great to find ways to combat emotional eating? I have noticed some common elements when I coach my clients with their emotional eating:
]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST Cultivating a healthy relationship with your body http://www.clareconsulting.com/blog/cultivating-a-healthy-relationship-with-your-body  

What is your relationship like with your body? Do you love it? Do you hate it? When you think of your body, do you think of the physical appearance or the entirety of what your body does for you?
 
In today’s society, when people talk about their body the conversation usually revolves around the physical attributes that make up their body i.e. skin, body type, hips, stomach, thighs, arms etc. When listening to the media or even conversations amongst people, there is often frustration about how the body looks as well as how it is letting us down.  
 
What can we do to be in a better relationship with our body? It is no different than if we wanted to build a better relationship with a friend – we need to spend time with it, acknowledge it, appreciate it and take care of it. 
]]> Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST Noticing Stress In Your Life http://www.clareconsulting.com/blog/noticing-stress-in-your-life
My last few blogs have focused on Living the Life you Want and steps to help you get there. We talked about
  • “Who are you” 
  • What is important to you 
  • What is your truth and
  • How not living your truth creates stress.
 
A couple of years ago, I really got it about how not living my truth was causing me stress and negatively impacting my life. I began a very busy job that was both exciting and fulfilling. I was excited about all the opportunities that presented themselves for me in this position. As I became more immersed in the work, I had several ideas about how this position could grow and evolve. I used my creativity and determination to try and bring about all that I believed was possible. It was a challenging time.

]]> Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST