Happy New Year to all. As with every new year, we all have resolutions that we plan on achieving for the upcoming year. When it comes to our health, many of us have goals to exercise more, start eating healthier, giving up soda, drink more water, maybe even run a 5K , marathon or triatholon. The list goes on and on.

I challenge you this year that before you create a long list of specific goals you want to accomplish, think about how you want to BE this year. Many times we are wrapped up in DOING, that we forget how to BE.

Have you ever had a goal of changing how you were going to BE for the year?

I attended a seminar a couple years ago where I did the following exercise. I outlined what I was DOING, who I was BEING and what I HAD. At the end of the exercise, I learned if I continued BEING a certain way, there was an almost probably certain future, that I would probably DO the same types of actions and end up HAVING many of the same results. We all know it takes at least 21 days to change a habit, but the secret to making successful change in our lives is to focus on who we are BEING. This is the compass that drives us.

I came across this site http://myoneword.org/and the concept is to pick JUST ONE WORD and have that be your focus or goal for the next year.

MY ONE WORD this year is NURTURE. When I sat down to figure out my word, this one just resonated.  Turning 40 has made me take a closer look at how I view myself.  In order for me to grow into my true authentic self, I must love and appreciate myself for the person God created me to be. When I nurture and love myself, I will then have more than enough love and energy  to my family as well as the clients I work with.  If I change my focus to BEING nurturing in all that I do, amazing things will happen in my life.

I encourage you to let me know what your ONE WORD for the year is going to be. If you want to share why great. If not, please go ahead and just share your ONE WORD. I think it would be fun to see what others are thinking.

If you are interested in learning more about the other services One Powerful Step provides, visit   http://onepowerfulstep.com/ or contact me at Jen@onepowerfulstep.com

Happy New Year to all. As with every new year, we all have resolutions that we plan on achieving for the upcoming year. When it comes to our health, many of us have goals to exercise more, start eating healthier, giving up soda, drink more water, maybe even run a 5K , marathon or triatholon. The list goes on and on.

I challenge you this year that before you create a long list of specific goals you want to accomplish, think about how you want to BE this year. Many times we are wrapped up in DOING, that we forget how to BE.

Have you ever had a goal of changing how you were going to BE for the year?

I attended a seminar a couple years ago where I did the following exercise. I outlined what I was DOING, who I was BEING and what I HAD. At the end of the exercise, I learned if I continued BEING a certain way, there was an almost probably certain future, that I would probably DO the same types of actions and end up HAVING many of the same results. We all know it takes at least 21 days to change a habit, but the secret to making successful change in our lives is to focus on who we are BEING. This is the compass that drives us.

I came across this site http://myoneword.org/and the concept is to pick JUST ONE WORD and have that be your focus or goal for the next year.

MY ONE WORD this year is NURTURE. When I sat down to figure out my word, this one just resonated.  Turning 40 has made me take a closer look at how I view myself.  In order for me to grow into my true authentic self, I must love and appreciate myself for the person God created me to be. When I nurture and love myself, I will then have more than enough love and energy  to my family as well as the clients I work with.  If I change my focus to BEING nurturing in all that I do, amazing things will happen in my life.

I encourage you to let me know what your ONE WORD for the year is going to be. If you want to share why great. If not, please go ahead and just share your ONE WORD. I think it would be fun to see what others are thinking.

If you are interested in learning more about the other services One Powerful Step provides, visit   http://onepowerfulstep.com/ or contact me at Jen@onepowerfulstep.com

As you continue to rush around doing last minute things for the holidays, remember to take some time to just enjoy the REAL MOMENTS that life provides. One thing about the holidays is that while I want to enjoy the season, there are times I find myself wanting everything to be perfect. I want my hubby, kids, others, to be happy and fulfilled. So I create these expectations in my own head that in many cases are unrealistic and then am sad when things don’t turn out as planned.

As I was reflecting this week I relished in a few REAL MOMENTS that were unplanned, but really reminded me of the true meaning of the holiday season. Enjoyment in life is not about the decorations, shopping, presents, pleasing Aunt Merna, etc… but being open and present for those REAL MOMENTS that arise. I was pleasantly surprised to see REAL MOMENTS that were created on a random day this week, not on the big holiday itself. I was able to see and experience GOD in the spirit of each one of my family members. I wanted to share a couple of them with you, as maybe it will create an internal spark and reminder for you. Relationships are truly what matter and when you can see the face of GOD in others, that is when miracles and REAL MOMENTS happen.

The sweet innocence of my 4 year old Andy is totally amazing. I took one hour off work yesterday to watch him swim. I brought a pad of paper to do some work or planning while I watching. It’s such a busy time of year I thought I would multi-task and use my time wisely. But then I saw his cute little wet face pop out of the water. I watched him see me and wave to me. In that moment my heart wanted to be with just him. So I put down any planning thoughts and decided to just sit there, watch and observe him swim. I am usually a DOER and not a WATCHER, so this was an out of the ordinary experience for me. Andy was so joyous in his movements in the water. Even though I was observing him through a window, I could almost feel his positive energy wanting me to just be present with him. After class was over, he wanted to come home with me. My initial thoughts were, no I have to go back home to work. And then I looked at his sweet little face and decided to enjoy the moment and allow him to come home with me.

There were other examples like this with each of my kids this week, but if I shared the details, it would be a really long message. I typically find its easier to enjoy REAL MOMENTS with my children, especially the younger ones who still have this sweet innocence, but sometimes its harder to pay attention to the REAL MOMENTS with our spouses and see the face of GOD shining right back at you. I feel the need to share one last example that has to do with my husband. It was so simple, but fulfilling.

The weather has been so cold in Chicago, that I decided to go to the store and buy my husband some of his favorite frozen soups. I came home with the special bag and my husband was pleasantly surprised. He had secretly been wanting these soups but didn’t tell me and here I went out and bought some for him. If anyone knows Joe, he doesn’t show much emotion, so you never really know how he feels. This time was different, his expression was the same, but I could feel his energy and see the light in his face on how happy he was. He immediately put all of the soups in the fridge to defrost. (I guess he was going to eat them all soon). I wasn’t looking for a reaction, I just wanted to do something nice for my hubby, but what I got in return was so much more. When I didn’t have expectations and wasn’t looking to create a moment, GOD created the REAL MOMENT to experience.

I encourage you to sit back, relax and ENJOY the REAL MOMENTS this holiday season. From what I have expereinced, sometimes its the things that we don’t plan, where we allow ourselves to be still and see the spritit of GOD in one another that enable us to experience REAL MOMENTS.

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future full of hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

May you all have a blessed and Happy Holiday and a Wonderful New Year!

Today, I am turning 40 and am so excited for what the next years will bring. When my husband asked what I wanted for my birthday, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to celebrate life as women. I wanted to create a day where women could get away and participate in all sorts of wellness activities and take the much needed time for themselves.

How many of us could use a weekend retreat away from the kids but never take the time to do it? I thought my birthday would be a great excuse to encourage people who might not normally be ready and willing to take the time out for themselves.

So the story begins with Beth Majerszky who I met at a networking event. I was drawn to her and asked her to plan my special event. You know how there are just times in your gut when you know something in right? This was one of those times. I trusted that God sent her into my life and she would coordinate an unforgettable weekend. And so she did. She also worked very closely with my two best friends Michelle and Jess to plan other fun surprises.

So Last weekend was the day of the big event where we rented a b&b and invited friends and family to celebrate. There were women from various walks of life, friends from school years, after college, hockey moms and new friends from future business ventures. Many women didn’t know one another but everyone walked out with closer bonds than when they walked in.There was so much energy in the room it was contagious. We started with an opening ceremony and a labrynth walk, had a fashion show, sang songs around the fire pit, shared stories and dreams, created intuitive vision boards, did laughter yoga and just enjoyed being in the company of other powerful women.

One of the best surprises of the weekend was the weather. I really wanted to do the labrynth walk and sing songs around the firepit and wasn’t sure if the cold November Chicago day would cooperate and of course I had no control over it. So I was prepared for whatever was meant to be. It had been really cold in Chicago the entire month of November, but miraculously it turned out to be 50 degrees on Saturday. If that is not Divine intervention, then I don’t know what is. God had other plans for this wonderful celebration and we were able to change up our plans a bit to take advantage of the weather.

We were all so inspired over the weekend. There were times we were talking about our hopes and dreams and how we could help each other to achieve those dreams. It truly is amazing when women get together, what we can create for ourselves. We have the power within us to create amazing things in our life if we allow ourselves to tap into the core essence of our being.

If you are looking for some retreat ideas, I highly recommend Beth to create a wonderful experience for you. Whether the event is for a church group, business group or personal birthday retreat, she will help you to create an amazing experience that is truly unforgettable. And for those that live in the Chicagoland area, checkout The Homestead Bed and Breadfast. It is in Plano which is about 40 minutes west of Naperville. MaryKay the owner was wonderful and we felt very welcome in her home. It was amazing and totally exceeded my expectations. We are definitely going back!