Project Life Design

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21280431197585399102011-07-28T13:40:02.727-04:00Project Life DesignDesign a life you love to live.gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-35375311844406628282009-12-19T11:04:00.003-05:002009-12-19T11:07:08.587-05:00We've Moved!

The Project Life Design Blog has moved. You can find this blog now at Wordpress. A link is also available on my website. Just go to projectlifedesign.com and hit the link for "Blog." Can't wait to see you there!

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-41052005626574992822009-12-03T16:27:00.015-05:002009-12-03T18:46:43.967-05:00MST 3: The Illusion of Easy

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."- Thomas A. EdisonRecently, I had some great news because I met a big goal of mine and I called up one of my good friends from college with whom I like to share these kinds of things. "Are you good at EVERYTHING?" she asked, laughing. "I mean, isn't anything hard for you to accomplish?"Her comment seemed

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-61259007723793322192009-11-23T16:25:00.008-05:002009-11-23T17:18:00.666-05:00MST 2: Attracting Negativity

Oh Law of Attraction, how you’ve confused people! In fact, I could write a book on all of the misunderstandings I’ve heard over the past year about the Law of Attraction but as soon as The Secret was, um, no longer a secret, I’ve seen at least half a dozen books appear on just this. Titles like The Real Law of Attraction, The Practical Law of Attraction, The Down-to-Earth Guide to the Law of

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-48814553325703236892009-11-04T17:29:00.016-05:002009-11-05T18:59:10.696-05:00*MST: Somehow, I created this (or the problem with karma)

The process of creating is pretty amazing. Hasn't humankind forever been enticed by the idea of creators and creations? A newer concept that's gained some popularity-that we are actually the creators (as in, we are all creating our own realities and we create what happens to us)-is an interesting concept.From personal experience I really do believe that our thoughts help shape our realities. I've

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-33339299562909860562009-10-21T14:39:00.010-04:002009-10-21T15:24:01.665-04:00Misusing Spiritual Truths-The BIG Picture

Lately I've been attracting some pretty spiritually savvy individuals into my coaching clientele. They come with lofty goals and quite a bit of spiritual knowledge, armed with words like choose, create, and manifest. They are aware of their chakras and their intentions; they are familiar with the Law of Attraction and the Law of Karma. They can sense the energy of others and are cognizant of

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-29859557939367512852009-10-12T10:58:00.007-04:002009-10-12T13:23:50.924-04:00To thine own self, be true.

The road to freedom is not through feeling good; it is through feeling true to yourself.-Deepak ChopraThere is a common belief that I keep coming across whenever I'm talking with someone who is actively working to better his or her life. Although each individual has his/her own ways of expressing this, in its simplist form it goes something like this: Being Happy is Good. Being anything other

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-64987334860856409262009-10-01T14:10:00.012-04:002009-10-02T16:34:13.721-04:00What happens when you change the rules...

Not so long ago (although it feels like a lifetime ago), I was a middle school teacher. My last gig was in a poorly-run school that couldn't seem to retain either its teachers or its administration, which led to a lot of confusion and disorganization. But when the rules started changing, that's when things got really bad.At the beginning of the school year, the kids were told they could wear hats

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-3382643436688266562009-09-23T10:34:00.018-04:002009-09-23T15:40:08.263-04:00Creating Essential Rituals

India is a country that is abundant with rituals. It seemed to me (the outsider that I was) that everything had some kind of ritual, or, at the very least, a certain way that it was to be done. When I was studying Eastern culture many years ago and read about all of these rituals, I thought they must feel suffocating and stifling to those who were subjected to them. As someone who loves her

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-18217856922864630852009-09-14T09:42:00.025-04:002009-09-14T11:47:03.232-04:00If you are suffering, question the story

I've studied The Work of Byron Katie for several years now. Even though I have watched so much of my own suffering dissolved by asking her four, simple questions, and even though I've watched client after client use The Work to transform their own thinking, I continue to be surprised by how much attaching to my thoughts and stories creates my own pain. As Katie likes to say, "No one can hurt

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-33669354069427625472009-09-09T11:09:00.015-04:002009-09-12T09:11:40.150-04:00Why Clarity is so scary...and how to get past your fear

Shirodhara is an ancient India ayurvedic treatment in which hot, herbal oil is poured on one's forehead to calm one's thoughts and bring one clarity. After our wedding, G. and decided to spend a few days at a holistic ayurvedic resort outside of Hyderabad. When I saw that the spa offered authentic Shirodhara (something one rarely finds in the states), I was ecstatic and booked my appointment

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-60489790758900649962009-09-02T15:03:00.026-04:002009-09-02T18:17:59.852-04:00The Temple of Self and The Temple of Soul

I spent the month of August in south India. I spent five days getting married to the love of my life, and the rest of the time in a kind of awed stupor. Rarely have I gotten a chance to be a pure observer of what was happening around me. But in India I was surrounded by people I did not know, speaking a language I did not understand, and doing things I had never seen done before. Because of this

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-19209251405877800452009-07-31T10:33:00.013-04:002009-07-31T12:12:21.255-04:00Taking the first step (even when it's teeny)

Lao Tzu said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.He did not say the journey begins by running the first mile. He did not say one needs to consult all of the thousand-mile journey experts before starting. He did not scoff at the smallness of one step on a journey of what will be many, many steps or tell others to ruminate on the magnitude of the journey ahead. He said

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-20841982916663007862009-07-27T12:54:00.014-04:002009-07-27T15:07:08.386-04:00a life, borrowed

A long, long time ago I was a girl scout. I actually don't remember much about being a girl scout except for two things. The first was the little round badges I wanted to accumulate because those things were like status symbols. The second was something I learned about borrowing. Our troop leader told us that when you borrowed something, you should not just return it to its lender in its original

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-16278440807407344972009-07-09T12:26:00.012-04:002009-07-09T14:02:22.230-04:00The Power of No

Just when I thought I was over my people-pleasing habits forever, I am humbled by the constant vigilance it requires for me to learn the power of the word no.The other day a client asked me if she could schedule a 5:30 appointment. Granted, my hours are 9-5 and I generally reserve the latter part of my work day for behind-the-scenes coaching work (such as writing my blog and writing workbooks)

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-59709879230553508822009-06-24T14:51:00.028-04:002009-06-24T17:12:23.047-04:00forever let the sun shine on

Last week, I spent eight days volunteering at one of my favorite places in the world-Camp Sunshine. Although each summer has been great, I would have to say that this year was truly remarkable.Camp Sunshine is a week-long camp for kids who either have or had cancer. At first read that probably sounds quite depressing. When an acquaintance told me about it several years ago, my first reaction

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-17062940811902263692009-06-12T13:58:00.014-04:002009-06-12T16:37:10.093-04:00How I know that prayers are heard

I have not shared this story with anyone until last week and even then, only two people. A couple of us were discussing the effectiveness of sending someone positive energy. Then we started talking about prayer and suddenly I remembered something from a few years ago. It was such a pivotal point in my life and things really changed after it occurred. I cannot believe that I forgot it. Perhaps now

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-4353815031756097472009-05-22T09:30:00.016-04:002009-05-30T11:12:37.453-04:00Healthy Boundaries

The other day I was at the gym, watching a show on Vh1. I'm not a big fan of reality tv but I was attempting to climb a mountain on the elliptical machine and I just didn't have the energy to change the channel. Now most reality shows, from what I can gather, are about as far from real life as one could get. This one, however, seemed different. I caught the show somewhere in the middle so I don't

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-8410240916086383402009-05-11T10:34:00.011-04:002009-05-11T13:03:35.924-04:00When compassion goes awry

From the time we are very little girls, we women have been taught to "be nice." It's something our parents told us, our teachers told us and even strangers told us to do. In addition to the social conditioning most women receive, most of us are on some kind of conscious spiritual path. Whether you attend a church or temple, meditate regularly or go to your weekly yoga class, most of us

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-37753903104917984932009-05-05T10:57:00.019-04:002009-05-11T12:13:58.786-04:00dead and gone (thank god!)

Yesterday as I was running around town, getting a Mother's Day present for my mom, I heard an interesting song on the radio. It was by one of my favorite hip-hop artists, T.I., and it caught my attention because the lyrics seem to state exactly what is happening in my life (and probably in the lives of most people who have just progressed through Square One). Although T.I. is talking about

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-9752608478051132452009-04-27T11:15:00.020-04:002009-04-27T17:01:34.930-04:00Square Two or The Emancipation of You

Let's face it. Square One sucks. Your old life disintegrates before your eyes, you are thrown back and forth between a whole bunch of unpleasant emotions as you process through the grief cycle and then you go through the Ring of Fire. Ugh.The good news is that once you are done in Square One, you get to go to Square Two.If I haven't mentioned this before (and I believe I have but a review is

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-16702599301489169832009-04-20T11:49:00.016-04:002009-04-21T12:00:56.263-04:00Honoring the Negative

If you are ready to change and you are willing to go through the Ring of Fire (see last post), then you may want to prepare yourself for what will surface as you move through the change cycle. My experience has been that the magnitude of the change I make is directly proportional to the magnitude of the negativity that arises within my Ring of Fire. If I take on a little change, the Ring of Fire

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-21420681291094298242009-04-05T10:07:00.013-04:002009-04-05T13:26:19.276-04:00The Ring of Fire and Having Courage

On my office desk, I have a pack of "Self-Care Cards" by Cheryl Richardson. A friend gave this 52 card deck to me years ago but I continue to use them, as they offer inspirational (and often strangely prophetic) messages week after week. What I usually do is turn a new one face-up at the start of a new week and see what it says. This week's message is: Release your ties to the past. When you let

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-20710878125152180192009-03-29T12:00:00.013-04:002009-03-29T14:42:46.314-04:00Who is there to forgive? Rewriting your story

Last week, I received an endearing email from a follower of this blog, requesting an entry on forgiveness. In this email the young woman said she would be much obliged for some advice on this topic (which, I say with deep relief, I do not like to give.) How can I advise you on how to forgive those who have hurt you? All I can do is share with you the strategies I share with my clients and the

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-24781355977424671142009-03-16T15:07:00.026-04:002009-03-17T16:24:45.880-04:00The Law of Attraction

G. and I were married last Thursday. As so many of my recent clients (I'd say at least 75%) are struggling with relationship issues, I thought now would be the perfect time to write an entry on how my husband came into my life. Maybe this will help clear up some misconceptions most of us hang on to when it comes to romance. A year before I met G., I decided that I was tired of trying to find

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-35289610651754616232009-03-03T09:57:00.020-05:002009-03-04T21:37:52.745-05:00John the Baptist

I do not belong to any one religion. Several years ago, I decided to read all of the religious texts from all of the major religions and realized that they were all pretty much the same. By this I mean they said the exact same things: Love and honor yourself, love and honor others. Be kind. Be a good person. My fiance and I practice a form of meditation taught by Buddha, are getting married in a

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-14672235057252185082009-02-26T11:08:00.008-05:002009-02-26T13:51:52.145-05:00Gratitude with Shackles Off

One of the best things about life coaching is working with clients who bring issues to sessions that sound exactly like my own issues. What a surprising gift! I didn't realize that when I coach others, I get to experience powerful changes within my own thinking. It's like a double dose of happiness that I didn't expect when I signed up for this gig and I love it. A lot of self-help gurus and

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-32317460707035323442009-02-23T10:00:00.004-05:002009-02-23T11:42:08.761-05:00Your Body's Compass

One of my favorite activities to give to clients these days is Martha Beck's Body Compass Exercise. I LOVE this exercise because it reminds me that even when we "fool" ourselves into thinking we know what's best, our body is the one that truly knows and will remain loyal to us, regardless of the social consequences. I love this exercise because it never lies and it always points me in the right

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-34555058915724675262009-02-17T09:12:00.009-05:002009-02-17T14:51:52.369-05:00Being in Your Body

Who are you? No, really, I mean how do you define yourself? Let's start there. This is where your story and possibly your unhappiness begins. If you asked me to define myself in words, I would describe myself as a life coach, a middle school teacher, a fiance, a daughter, a sister, a brunette, a Verizon wireless subscriber, a blogger, an avid reader, a lover of chocolate, a cancer survivor and a

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-73822980710351914782009-02-13T13:08:00.005-05:002009-02-13T13:47:38.954-05:00The Work

The Work by Byron Katie is a powerful tool that you can use anytime you feel unpleasant feelings. Whether it be anxiety, sadness, anger, despair, or any other negative feeling, use these four simple questions to help you return to a state of contented joy. I've included my own personal example so that you can see how one can use this work. You may also want to read Loving What Is by Byron Katie

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-48880122772887872592009-02-12T20:55:00.012-05:002009-02-13T13:57:50.674-05:00Grieving your losses (even if you want 'em)

In the hallway at the school where I teach, there is a big, plastic bin that we call the lost and found. The teachers make fun of the contents because you can, quite literally, find almost everything in there. Coats and books, backpacks, hats, even socks and shoes. These things remain in the lost and found bin for months until finally someone takes them to the Goodwill. The other day a student

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-91372561215912965852009-02-09T15:25:00.010-05:002009-02-09T20:02:20.426-05:00The Certainty of Uncertainty

Despite all of the self-help books I've read and the healers I've sought and the work I've done to try to culminate some wisdom in my life, some fears still have the power to grip me with their cold, icy hands and squeeze me into a state of frazzled anxiety. Although I've used The Work on most of these fears (I've been pretty successful and I'll share Byron Katie's genius with you in another post

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-10054869690130079732009-02-06T08:42:00.012-05:002009-02-06T13:54:18.656-05:00The wise woman inside of you

Many spiritual texts and enlightened people speak of a "wise centered voice" within us all. There are several names by which I've heard this voice called: seat of the soul, essential self, true self, higher self, the God within (or Goddess within). There are a lot of them. But for those of us who are just a few lifetimes short of enlightenment (like yours truly) all of this talk of a wise inner

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-54977170216451438482009-02-04T13:09:00.010-05:002009-02-05T09:35:48.560-05:00Sorry Blanche, I'm going topless

As of January, I've gotten into Bikram yoga. I got just plain sick of the gym and then Atlanta got an unusual cold spell so a yoga practice in a room heated to over 100 degrees seemed appealing. At the very least, I reasoned, it'll be warm. They don't call it hot yoga for nothin'. I don't have any tank tops (one of Blanche's strong suggestions because of my not-so-toned arms) so for my first

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-57015334020175768532009-02-02T12:36:00.014-05:002009-02-02T15:44:18.444-05:00The Simplicity of Happiness

February 1st is an insightful day. It is my remission anniversary. It is also my anniversary with my husband-to-be. It's amazing to have an anniversary of life and love on the same day.I was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma twelve years ago. After one year of treatment, I was handed a certificate. It said something along the lines of-Congratulations! You've completed your treatment! and the

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2128043119758539910.post-62707061607413094692009-01-28T18:54:00.014-05:002009-01-29T11:50:45.491-05:00The Journey Begins...

One of my favorite poems is entitled "The Journey" by Mary Oliver. It is beautiful and powerful, like most of Oliver's poems. But I'm bringing it up here because it stirs up some kind of knowing inside me and these days, this knowing feels a bit dangerous. This knowing tells me that I cannot continue to live my life the way I've been living it any longer and quite frankly, that's terrifying.It

gabriellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17515022893563219948noreply@blogger.com2