I just came back from a 3-day Abundant Living Retreat hosted by my dear friend, mentor and coach Terri Levine, The Guru of Coaching. What a precious gift that was! I got to spend the entire weekend with Terri (always a treat for me) and a group of AMAZING people who I'm sure will be my friends for a very long time. I learned how to create true abundance in every area of my personal & business lives, and, spent a lot of time to focus on nurturing ME! I got a wonderful massage there, every meal was gourmet food cooked from scratch, the weather was perfect, and the resort was beautiful and serene.

After everyone left, I stayed for an extra 3 hours by myself to contemplate and breathe in what I have learned and experienced this weekend. Well, I didn't plan to stay for that long, but, I had my Nikon digital SLR with me and took pictures as I walked the labyrinth, the lake, the hills, and said good-bye my own way. There's this magnificent tree on the hill that I absolutely love. I decided to walk all the way over there to personally say hi to it. I'm so glad I did! The pictures of the tree I took from different perspectives amazed me and gave me great insight. Photography is one of my true passions. Time disappears when I get to play with my camera. Before I knew it, it was getting dark, and I knew I'd better hit the road. I felt energized, blessed and bursting with joy when I hop in my car and drove home.

I feel like I get to have the BEST of both worlds. SO grateful for my life and for my family! Let me just give you some examples from last week and you'll know what I mean. Last Thursday, I had my coaching session in the morning, stopped by my son's school at lunch to pick up party supplies for the Halloween party, then went home just in time for my radio interview on parenting issues. After that, it was time to pick up my son and daughter from school. Then it was homework, making Halloween goody bags together, dinner, fencing class, etc.

On Friday, I had a coaching call in the morning, then off to my son's school for Halloween party and parade. I'm a class mom this year, and a photographer for the yearbook. The Halloween parade is a BIG deal in my son's school. All the students, teachers, class moms and even the principal dress up in their Halloween best. I wouldn't miss it for anything! After the parade, I hop in my car (with my cat costume) and went straight to PA for the Abundant Living Retreat that I mentioned earlier.

Today, after getting my kids to school, I'm working from my home office, coaching clients by phone, and getting ready for my keynote speech for the Northeast Oncology Nursing Conference (NERON), scheduled for this Sunday November 9th in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The NERON conference has 30 years of history, and attracts 150-250 bedside oncology nurses every year. I will be delivering the keynote on "Rx for Balance: A Prescription for Creating Balance and Harmony Amidst Chaos." It's a timely topic, since this month (November) is also the National Family Caregivers Month. I started my first career as an RN more than 20 years ago, so, needless to say, I'm very honored and excited to deliver this presentation for the NERON conference.

So, you see, my life is a perfect blend of work and play, and I feel blessed to have the BEST of both worlds. Can't get any better than this! Like I said, I am SO grateful for everything in my life! Of course, I have to thank my dear hubby -- without him, I won't be able to pull this off.

How about you? Are you living the BEST of both worlds? If you are, share your story here. I'd love to hear how YOU have done it!

When was the last time you had a retreat for YOU? Practicing Intensive Self-Care on a regular basis is definitely one crucial ingredient in living a well-balanced, joyful life. It doesn't have to be an all-out luxurious weekend retreat. You can choose whatever activity that nurtures YOU physically, emotionally and/or spiritually. Whatever feeds your soul and makes your heart sing, go with it.

Creating your BEST life is not a pipe dream. With clarity, commitment, action, perseverance and a little help from a great coach (me), it is totally possible. It takes the burning desire to live a life you really want, and a little courage to get started. Your life is waiting. Are you ready yet?

P.S. If you are ready, willing and able to invest in YOU and YOUR LIFE, and start making your BEST life come true, contact me to set up a complimentary telephone coaching consult today. Fill out an application at:
http://www.beyondhorizoncoaching.com/introsession.html

P.P.S. My new book Intensive Care for the Nurturer's Soul: 7 Keys to Nurture Yourself While Caring for Others is a great resource and perfect holiday gift for nurses, moms and any caregivers. It's set for release in November. Stay tuned for announcement on this blog.

Labels: abundance, coaching, commitment, fun, Intensive Self-Care, mastermind, personal development, stress management, work life balance