Last year at this time I was feeling unsettled, and anxious about the future, and I was at a crossroads in my business.

An opportunity arose for me to go on a silent retreat at the end of February (2023) and I jumped at the chance.

Before I left on my retreat I had anxiety about a lot of things and now being silent was thrown into the mix!

You see, I'm a talker. And that voice in my head can get pretty loud sometimes so when that happens, I really like to talk it out with someone.

But there was no talking at this retreat I was attending. No looking at people in the eyes. No writing. No reading. Even meals were taken in silence.

There were about a hundred people there and we had the opportunity to listen, reflect, and meditate. There were several talks a day that gave us pointers on how to go deeper into our meditation.

I/we meditated all day, every day for 6 days. Walking and eating also became meditative.

In case you are wondering, I absolutely loved it! I feel like it fundamentally changed me for good.

I don't even know why I was so anxious about "being silent" before going.

My inner critical voice quieted right down and I felt so much peace and space in my mind. I worked through a few resentments but that didn't take long at all.

When I returned home I picked up a book I had read about 6 or 7 years ago by Michael Singer called The Untethered Soul. After I read it again, I then read it for a third time, out loud each morning, to Paul because I loved it and it helped me so much.

I highly recommend this book (if you couldn't tell).

When I connect with my innermost Self, I experience a peaceful separateness from my mind and the outer world. This book explains how to do that.

If you are feeling like your mind is getting the best of you and you can't quiet down that inner critical voice, then read this book. It will give you a whole new perspective.

"There is nothing more important to true growth than realizing you are not the voice of your mind - you are the one who hears it."~ Michael A. Singer

After that retreat and the reading of The Untethered Soul, my mind became much calmer. And even when I did become anxious or uptight about something, I knew it would pass pretty quickly if I just acknowledged my thoughts and feelings.

Anxious and negative thoughts pass so quickly when you do that while keeping an open heart and an open mind.

If you are new to looking at your thoughts or have always imagined that your thoughts make up who you are, think again.

If you'd like to get started down that path of exploration, read that book, or start with my 5-day course on quieting the inner mind. It only costs $25 and it's called Inner Leadership.

If you are ready to stop letting that inner critic bully you into regret, shame, guilt, and making you feel unworthy or just bad, then you'll want to spend 30 minutes a day for 5 days as you will in this course. Watch a video and fill out a worksheet.

This could be your first step in the journey to create a more loving and nurturing voice in your mind.

I want in to the 5-Day Course!

There is a new buzzword going around these days that we didn't hear so much 5 years ago. The word is "triggered." Sometimes we use it as an excuse for our reactions.

Yet, the more you understand how your mind works, the less you will be triggered and instead be able to remove yourself from the big dramas of life and at work.

After these experiences last year, I slowly turned my focus in my business from working with companies and training leadership teams and began focusing more on my spiritual growth while working with individuals and small group coaching.

As I was looking at the programs I still want to offer in 2024, I came across this gem, Inner Leadership, which I created in 2019. It's all still relevant and highly effective. If you take it, please let me know what you think.

In the meantime, keep (or start) meditating, and look squarely at those pesky negative thoughts. You are NOT them! And you can change. I've done it and I've seen thousands over the years who have also changed their thinking patterns. But they won't change if you don't work at it.