Calm the Chaos

In this episode of "Calm the Chaos," we explore the importance of transitioning mindfully from work to personal time and how it contributes to our overall well-being. We discuss practical strategies for creating a sacred transition and share insights on the benefits of reflection, gratitude, and aligning with personal values during this process. This episode features a ten-minute guided meditation to help listeners unwind from the day's stresses and ease into their personal time with a sense of peace and purpose.

Key Points

• Understanding the significance of transitioning from work to personal time for mental health and work-life balance.

• Exploring practical strategies for creating a peaceful transition, including reflection, gratitude, and alignment with personal values.

• Highlighting the benefits of mindfulness practices and guided meditation in promoting relaxation and inner peace.

• Providing listeners with actionable steps to incorporate mindfulness into their daily routines and enhance their transition from work to personal time.

Featured Meditation:

Title: Peaceful Transition Meditation

Duration: 10 minutes

Description: A guided meditation to help listeners unwind from the stresses of the day, release tension, and transition mindfully into their personal time. The meditation encourages reflection, gratitude, and aligning with personal values to create a sense of peace and purpose.

Conclusion:

As we navigate the complexities of modern life, the way we transition from work to personal time plays a crucial role in our overall well-being. By incorporating mindfulness practices and guided meditation into our daily routines, we can cultivate inner peace, reduce stress, and create a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Links and Resources

Let's connect for your free 60-minute 1:1 Discovery session please click on the link below!

Discovery Sessionwith Deborah

Mywebsite

FreeWorksheets!

Read this blog post on Sixty and ME!

I look forward to connecting with you!

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it's easy to lose sight of our true passion and purpose. For women in midlife, this can be a particularly challenging time as we navigate transitions and reflect on where our journey has led us. If you find yourself yearning to reconnect with what truly sets your soul on fire, this guided meditation is for you.

The Journey Within

Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a serene garden, surrounded by vibrant blooms and the soothing sounds of nature. This garden represents the landscape of your inner world – a place where your deepest desires and aspirations reside. As you wander through this metaphorical garden, allow yourself to explore the essence of each flower. What stirs your soul? What ignites a spark of joy within you?

Trusting Your Intuition

During your exploration, remember that the journey is not a race. It's essential to take your time and trust your intuition and guidance. Allow yourself the space to delve deep into your innermost desires and dreams. Embrace the process of self-discovery with patience and compassion, knowing that each step you take brings you closer to your authentic self.

Cultivating Clarity and Purpose

As you connect with the flowers that resonate most deeply with your soul, envision yourself fully embracing your passion and purpose. Feel the excitement and fulfillment that comes from living in alignment with your true self. Know that it is never too late to pursue your dreams and create the life you desire.

Closing Thoughts

As you emerge from this guided meditation, carry with you a sense of empowerment and inspiration. Trust in the journey ahead, knowing that your passion and purpose are always within reach. Remember, you are a radiant being with infinite potential. Embrace the beauty of your uniqueness and allow it to shine brightly in the world.

Take a moment to honor yourself for embarking on this journey of self-discovery. Know that by nurturing your passions and embracing your purpose, you are not only enriching your own life but also inspiring those around you to do the same.

In the gentle whispers of the wind and the fragrant blooms of the garden, may you find solace, clarity, and the courage to pursue your dreams with unwavering determination.

Embrace your passion. Embody your purpose. The journey begins within.

If you are interested in connecting for your free 60-minute 1:1 Discovery session please click on the link below!

Discovery Session with Deborah

My website

Free Worksheets!

I look forward to connecting with you!

Edwige Gilbert is a transformational  Guide and Founder of New Life Directions.  She helps others to reinvent their lives and creates fresh starts driven by a purposeful vision. As an international speaker and author of "The Fresh Start Promise" and" Victim to Victorious", Edwige turns stress into success by clearing unwanted habits and behaviors, creating self-confidence and exuberant enjoyment of life, or as she calls it in French, "Joie de Vivre"

Growing up in Cannes, France Edwige grew up being raised by her grandmother who was preoccupied with her well-being and stopped her by not allowing her to take chances. She interpreted that as being incapable and having a low level of confidence.  

Later, she joined her parents in New York City.  In addition to this message and the stress of moving, she turned to emotional eating.  As a result, she gained 30 lbs so during this time she moved to work on her internal journey.  Through her exploration, she acquired many certifications including life coach and hypnotherapist.  During this time, she lost weight.  It was a result of finding a safe place within herself.  

Edwige walks us through what she has learned including her stress exercises which can be done driving or in a meeting.  This exercise gives you the space to be neutral instead of going into a reactionary state

We discuss both of her books:  Transform Stress into Success and Victim to Victorious!    We start by coming from a place of awareness.   What do I think? What is my awareness?  How am I talking to myself? Besides positive affirmations to ourselves, Edwige stresses the importance of using positive imagery as well when tackling your goal.  

It's time to shift from hurt to heart, should choose, can to can, and have to desire!  You can then feel the softness of the words and the emotions it creates.  

At the end of the day, count your victory instead of your defeat!  

Our journey starts with self-awareness!  Where am I? How do I feel? What's going on in my life?  Take the time for self-reflection without judgment.  

Links and Resources 

Connect with Edwige Gilbert  

Watch  and try the Dexxtra Technique 

Connect with Deborah Voll

Take The Midlife Quiz

Need a new resume? Connect with me for your Resume Audit here  Leave the work to me!

Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook

Priscilla Long is a Seattle Based writer, poet, and longtime independent teacher of writing. She is the author of seven books to date and numerous publications in literary journals. She grew up on a dairy farm on the eastern shores of Maryland attending Moravian Seminary for Girls and Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio.  

She writes science, poetry, history, creative nonfiction, essays, and fiction. Priscilla lives in the Seattle area and serves as the founding and consulting editor of Historylink.org which is a free online encyclopedia for Washington State History 

Today we are discussing her book:  Dancing with The Muse in Old Age.  

What you’ll learn in our conversation 

• Priscilla wrote this book not only for herself but for everyone over the age of forty! Shy of turning 80, she wanted to approach this new era proactively with information and knowledge of science.  Priscilla wanted to draw from people who were thriving, creating, and connecting in their communities.
• In writing this book, Priscilla learned a lot about the science of aging gracefully which involved cognitive development v ( which works the same in children as in older individuals ) and movement. As a result, she now bonds with her fit bit and makes sure to get regular exercise.  
• Throughout the book, there are many people cited who are in the 70,80, 90’s who are continuing to put to use their creativity and/or learning something new in the arts!  Helping with cognitive creative development.  Priscilla gives us several inspiring examples from the book of some famous and not-so-famous people who are active, learning, and creative! 
• You can also express your creativity in different ways by gardening, cooking, social justice, and community involvement.  
• The models that Priscilla shares in the book are inspiring and follow their dreams right up to the end of their life.  Even when they run into limitations they continue to find a way to contribute in the best way possible.
• We discussed Angela Glendening who didn’t feel that she had any “creativity” in her body but knew she was good at supporting the underdog. She picked a mission to support and that became her passion and purpose.  A great story!  
• When you do choose what to do, there will be a community around it and you will make connections and start meeting like-minded people.  This will help your overall health and wisdom. 
• Is it possible to be more proactive in composing one’s life towards flourishing?

Links and Resources

Connect with Priscilla Long 

Connect with Deborah Voll

Take The Midlife Quiz

Need a new resume? Connect with me for your Resume Audit here  Leave the work to me!

Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook

Kamini Wood is a certified professional coach who helps people take the courageous steps to identify their limiting beliefs, the reasons for their stagnation, or feelings of not-enoughness, so they can have what they want professionally and personally to live a fulfilled life.

She is the creator of AuthenticMe® and CEO of Live Joy Your Way, a coaching company helping individuals shake free of their fears, unhelpful mindsets and behaviors in order to have healthy relationships and move forward on the professional path they choose.

Kamini herself has gone from a people-pleasing, perfectionist, holding herself back by playing small into someone who recognizes her worth and sees that by embracing it she can create room for others to do the same.

She is a best-selling author, and holds specialty certifications in various modalities including life, wellness, teen life, conscious uncoupling, calling in the one, new money story, breathwork, meditation and diversity, equity inclusion and belonging. She is also trained in conscious parenting and coaching for children.

Here is what you will learn from my conversation with Kamini 

• Kamini went through her own self-transformation. She realized that she could take her personal experiences with her business acumen and service people from a coaching perspective.   With formal training, she is now servicing her clients and living her true authentic life! 
• The importance of relational self-awareness 
• The Concept of self-compassion and self-forgiveness 

We don’t need to be carbon copies of one another! We can come into our true selves and then beautiful things will start to happen! 

• How to deal with imposter syndrome which we all face from time to time!  

We have the ability to control our narrative and challenge our beliefs about ourselves.  

Resources and Links  

Connect with Kamini Wood 

Connect with Deborah Voll

Take The Midlife Quiz

Need a new resume? Connect with me for your Resume Audit here  Leave the work to me!

Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook

Alice Inoue is an award-winning author and life expert who has dedicated her life to helping others find answers to life challenges. Alice has created a great number of books on self-love and happiness and allowed herself to grow more through her long-running column in Hawaii’s largest publication, Midweek.

Alice’s multiple exposure living in places such as San Francisco, Taiwan, Japan, and now Hawaii definitely led her to this wonderful path in guiding others through their journey of life and now has established Happiness U – a business with a heartwarming purpose for organizations and individuals who are seeking unprecedented clarity.

Her capability of translating languages in English, Chinese and Japanese do not only resonate in linguistics itself. It potentially connects one energy to another being and allows us to answer our purpose in the progress of self-transformation, may it be personal or professional.

This episode will surely allow our growth to cross-pollinate with other aspects in life — starting a business, building a relationship with other people, touching base with our clients or even just loving ourselves.

Let’s take a look at what Alice shared on this episode!

• Her journey from living an unhappy life to finding happiness 
• Finding aspects such as strengths and purpose in people’s lives that they didn’t know they had
• Establishing the curriculum of Happiness U by defining ‘purpose’ and ‘happiness’ that originally didn’t exist in the life of Alice
• Acknowledging the challenges that one faces but still learning one’s purpose and serving values that are beneficial towards our growth

Series of questions that Alice asks to clarify one’s purpose:

• Where do you nurture others in your life on a daily basis?
• Where do you provide structured discipline?
• Where are you a connector, an ambassador, a cross-pollinator?
• Where do you connect people to people, places, and services?
• Where are you a catalyst for change in others?

While we fuel ourselves up in finding our purpose with endless opportunities, we also have the ability to make these with the greatest love, heartfelt love, and powerful principles of life. 

Alice challenges us to consistently use one minute of our morning. Sit, close our eyes, take three deep breaths and ask ourselves: what do we need today? As we ask ourselves this question, answers in finding ourselves will follow through with enough desire and attention – indeed Happiness.

How about U? Find out more about how Happiness U leaves an indelible mark in the lives of people by having numerous training, classes, sessions, and programs. May it be mastering many facets of change, increasing energy for greater productivity, using the power of body language, or thriving during shifting times, allowing Happiness U to become part of your life. 

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

Connect with Alice

Grab Alice’s Destination to Happiness here

Alice’s Special gift to listeners  here 

Attend classes in Happiness U

Connect with Deborah Voll

Take the Midlife Quiz

Need a new resume? Connect with me for your Resume Audit here  Leave the work to me!

Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook

In November, Cassie Christopher and I presented a live workshop titled, How to set intentions for the holidays and into 2023!   We had wonderful participation during the event and thought it would be helpful to play you a recording of the workshop AND give you access to the accompanying worksheet! Just in case you missed it live, you haven’t missed the content! 

Cassie Christopher has been on the podcast before and is a registered dietitian nutritionist who supports her community to break free from the all-or-nothing diet mentality! Who couldn’t use that when entering the holidays?  She has helped over 100 women eat with joy in her Courage to Trust Method where you create a supportive relationship with food, your body, and your health.  

Since we are both coaches we wanted to bring to you during this season an opportunity to create some self-care for yourself around the holidays!   This was the perfect partnership and I  hope you enjoy the training and take a moment to click the link to access the worksheet! 

In this training, you will 

• Brainstorm   what’s important for you this holiday season 
• Identify your top three intentions 
• List the steps for your top intention to create movement and confidence!
• Ask yourself, Why is this intention important to you? 
• Who will hold you accountable? 
• How will you create space in your day/week to focus on your intention? 

Links and Resources 

Connect with Cassie Christopher

Grab the Worksheet for you to complete!  

Connect with Deborah Voll

Take The Midlife Quiz

Need a new resume? Connect with me for your Resume Audit here  Leave the work to me!

Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook

Meghan is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with over 19 years of experience treating patients with a multitude of diagnoses, injuries, surgeries, and medical complications to help them achieve their optimal mobility and functional ability. She’s worked with all sorts of people - whether it be kids with a sprained ankle, or their moms with lingering post partum pains. Meghan also likes to think of herself as one of her patients. She acknowledges that everyone has flare ups and pains once in a while, but the long term solution to that is not giving your body more rest, rather engaging it in more movements. Of course, almost everyone has busy lives, but Meghan encourages making little adjustments in your life to combat your joint and pain issues - like multitasking when you’re on a walk, or fixing your computer alignment while you're sitting at your desk, or carving out just an hour in the day for active movement. 

Meghan is extremely passionate about moving the body and working the muscles. With that, she’s found another passion: Yoga. She managed to find the right community and instructor that made her feel empowered, push her limits, and also quiet her to-do lost brain. 

Now, she is on a mission to teach people about their joint pain so they can live the active, pain-free life they want. Meghan has developed How to Move Without Pain to reach more people who want to live, work, and be active without joint pain and strain holding them back. She’s even in the process of developing a program - Bone Boost - to help people with osteoporosis engage in the right types of movement and work all parts of their body! 

What we discussed: 

As we age, it’s important to be consistent with movements instead of just doing them abruptly for a couple of months and then stopping. As our muscles, fibers, and overall flexibility changes, Our bodies need to get used to the movement, it has to feel lived in, instead of just a binge of movement. 

General movements like walking, stretching, or swimming is key to loosening up the tightness in your body and soothing those irritated muscles. 

The difference between hurt and harm - what are the short-term and long-term pains and irritations? What is the pain threshold like for each of them, and what can we do to identify and curb these sorts of issues?

It may be counterintuitive, but the way to get your body to get over soreness and pain is not to sit down and rest more, but to move! 

Osteoporosis is something that you cannot feel, and you aren’t aware of when it’s happening. So, it’s important to ask yourself: What’s my balance like? How strong am I?. Although you may not be able to identify your degrading bones, you can control the types of movements you do and make adjustments to your lifestyle to counteract those issues. 

Strength training coupled with mobility exercises are key to controlling osteoporosis. Meghan is developing a program for people to follow, which incorporates a diverse basket of exercises for controlling osteoporosis! 

Using your muscles will work wonders for you! Staying still is detrimental.

We talked about her online community. Meghan publishes an informative article every week about things that her patients normally ask her, like “what’s a rotator cuff?”. She aims to make it informative, but also relatable! She also publishes an email newsletter on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Meghan’s Timed Loaded Standing Test measures the time a person can stand while holding their arms straight out in front of them, holding 2lb dumbbells.

Set Timer for 30 seconds! 

How many can you do? 

How to do the test:

Stand tall with feet hip-width apart while holding 2lb weights

Hold weights out in front of you, elbows straight with thumbs up and hands at shoulder height.

As soon as the arms are out straight, the timer starts.

When the weights can no longer be held out, the timer stops.

This test is a great way to know your back and upper body strength and endurance. This test can be very helpful as a starting place and then work to increase the time, especially in the years when osteoporosis is a concern.

Meghan’s community is growing day by day, with more and more people getting empowered to be consistent with moving their bodies! 

Links and Resources:

Connect with Meghan Griech

Follow Meghan Griech  on Instagram

Connect with Deborah Voll

Take The Midlife Quiz

Need a new resume? Connect with me for your Resume Audit here  Leave the work to me!

Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook

Meghan is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with over 19 years of experience treating patients with a multitude of diagnoses, injuries, surgeries, and medical complications to help them achieve their optimal mobility and functional ability. She’s worked with all sorts of people - whether it be kids with a sprained ankle, or their moms with lingering post partum pains. Meghan also likes to think of herself as one of her patients. She acknowledges that everyone has flare ups and pains once in a while, but the long term solution to that is not giving your body more rest, rather engaging it in more movements. Of course, almost everyone has busy lives, but Meghan encourages making little adjustments in your life to combat your joint and pain issues - like multitasking when you’re on a walk, or fixing your computer alignment while you're sitting at your desk, or carving out just an hour in the day for active movement. 

Meghan is extremely passionate about moving the body and working the muscles. With that, she’s found another passion: Yoga. She managed to find the right community and instructor that made her feel empowered, push her limits, and also quiet her to-do lost brain. 

Now, she is on a mission to teach people about their joint pain so they can live the active, pain-free life they want. Meghan has developed How to Move Without Pain to reach more people who want to live, work, and be active without joint pain and strain holding them back. She’s even in the process of developing a program - Bone Boost - to help people with osteoporosis engage in the right types of movement and work all parts of their body! 

What we discussed: 

As we age, it’s important to be consistent with movements instead of just doing them abruptly for a couple of months and then stopping. As our muscles, fibers, and overall flexibility changes, Our bodies need to get used to the movement, it has to feel lived in, instead of just a binge of movement. 

General movements like walking, stretching, or swimming is key to loosening up the tightness in your body and soothing those irritated muscles. 

The difference between hurt and harm - what are the short-term and long-term pains and irritations? What is the pain threshold like for each of them, and what can we do to identify and curb these sorts of issues?

It may be counterintuitive, but the way to get your body to get over soreness and pain is not to sit down and rest more, but to move! 

Osteoporosis is something that you cannot feel, and you aren’t aware of when it’s happening. So, it’s important to ask yourself: What’s my balance like? How strong am I?. Although you may not be able to identify your degrading bones, you can control the types of movements you do and make adjustments to your lifestyle to counteract those issues. 

Strength training coupled with mobility exercises are key to controlling osteoporosis. Meghan is developing a program for people to follow, which incorporates a diverse basket of exercises for controlling osteoporosis! 

Using your muscles will work wonders for you! Staying still is detrimental.

We talked about her online community. Meghan publishes an informative article every week about things that her patients normally ask her, like “what’s a rotator cuff?”. She aims to make it informative, but also relatable! She also publishes an email newsletter on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Meghan’s Timed Loaded Standing Test measures the time a person can stand while holding their arms straight out in front of them, holding 2lb dumbbells.

Set Timer for 30 seconds! 

How many can you do? 

How to do the test:

Stand tall with feet hip-width apart while holding 2lb weights

Hold weights out in front of you, elbows straight with thumbs up and hands at shoulder height.

As soon as the arms are out straight, the timer starts.

When the weights can no longer be held out, the timer stops.

This test is a great way to know your back and upper body strength and endurance. This test can be very helpful as a starting place and then work to increase the time, especially in the years when osteoporosis is a concern.

Meghan’s community is growing day by day, with more and more people getting empowered to be consistent with moving their bodies! 

Links and Resources:

Connect with Meghan Griech

Follow Meghan Griech  on Instagram

Connect with Deborah Voll

Take The Midlife Quiz

Need a new resume? Connect with me for your Resume Audit here  Leave the work to me!

Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook

Ann Richardson is a writer who believes that life is full of serendipity, which makes it more fun. Ann Richardson’s recent book, The Granny who Stands on Her Head, comprises a series of reflections on growing older but also includes some stories from her life. She has written numerous other books, including one about the people who provide hospice care and one about being a grandmother. Ann was born in Washington, D.C., USA, grew up in New York City and has lived with her husband in London, England since 1968. Ann and her husband have two grown-up children and two grandsons.

When she needed to find part-time work when her first child was a baby, Ann discovered a love of qualitative social research. Although she has loved writing ever since childhood, she never thought of trying to become a writer when she was young, because she felt she did not have enough to say. She also needed to support her husband, while he was doing a PhD. Much later, she gained a PhD herself.

Her career in research involved interviews and focus groups with a wide spectrum of situations and people, including people with learning difficulties and carers for the elderly but also many others. She wrote numerous books and articles from her research and was always recognized as a good writer. Since retiring, she has chosen to write books on new topics as set out below. 

This episode is definitely one for the books, especially for those people in the latter years of their lives, beginning to reflect both on their current lives and the coming of the end of life.  Ann likes to think about the what-ifs in life.

Ann shared these amazing points in this episode!

• The story behind the three books she created before The Granny who Stands on Her Head
• Wise Before Their Time: Ann became close friends with a man with AIDS who was organizing a conference of people with AIDS; she carried out interviews there and put these together into this book.
• Life in a Hospice: Ann worked in a hospice as a volunteer and realized how strange it was to look after people who were dying. She carried out a series of interviews with people working in hospice care about the nature of their work and its impact on their lives.

• Celebrating Grandmothers: After she became a grandmother herself, Ann thought it was so interesting that she decided to undertake a series of interviews with grandmothers about the positive and negative aspects of their lives.

• Ann was asked to write a series of blogs about grandmothers and other matters for an online women’s magazine. While doing these, she started her journey in writing The Granny who Stands on Her Head. 

This is about the nature of being old: 

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

Connect with Ann Richardson

Buy Ann’s The Granny who Stands on Her Head here

Connect with Deborah Voll

Take the Midlife Quiz

Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook