Inspired Greetings,

If I had to sum up the past week with a one-word image, I would describe it as a roller coaster. The carnival ride on both a personal and professional level ranged the gamut from elating and joyful experiences to depleting events.

My family and I packed our bags to head home from a warm, sunny, fun and successful adventure to Florida.  We enjoyed relaxing, playing and thawing out from the deep freeze of the Northeast! I met some incredible people on the sets of The Daily Buzz and Emotional Mojo while getting the opportunity to share the Home in Harmony message with more than 250 million viewers.

We arrived home to find our house suffering the consequences of the record levels of snow that have been piling up on roadways, rooftops and T-tracks. Unfortunately, the snow and ice took its toll and created a funnel effect on our roof sending streams of water through the cedar shingles and walls into our home. Despite crews of shoveling men, a team of engineers, contractors and restoration company the water continued to create blistering bubbles in the ceilings, rugs that felt like saturated sponges when walked on and run from recessed lighting as if it were pouring out of spigots. Every room on every floor felt the impact.

As a team (Team O’Leary) we pulled together and quickly mobilized. The youngest member had to clear her room of all her beloved belongings (we call her the Zoo Keeper because of her love of stuffed animals). Water penetrated the walls soaking her rug; books, clothes and “stuffies” had to be moved. Later she would help Dad, or at least keep him company, remove snow from the deck that the contractors were fearful would collapse under the weight of the snow. (Much of the snow from the roof had been pushed down onto the deck. On my Facebook page you can check out a picture of my 6’2” husband surrounded by snow. I mention his height so that you can fully understand the magnitude of snow New Englander’s have experienced this month… notice the size of the icicles hanging from the roof!) The oldest child spent time shoveling, shoveling and more shoveling. He also let his little sister sleep in his room for two nights while he slept in the guest room. I raced around finding leaks and more leaks, placing buckets, laying down beach towels, cleaning & drying towels that were sopping wet, only to begin again.

After only two days of being home I had to jump back on a plane. I was both excited for the adventure ahead but apprehensive to leave the house and my family in this unsettled condition. After a sleepless night, from the disconcerted feeling of a home in disrepair, I took an early morning flight to the West Coast to speak at the National Lifestyle Bloggers Conference in LA. I met with so many inspiring bloggers who are living their passion and shining their light in the world. You can check out some fun posts and highlights on Twitter @HarmonyDesigner and #NLBC15.

I also had the opportunity to unwind in Marina Del Ray for a few days before heading back to the whirlwind of motherhood and house cleanup duty. My plane flight flew into Boston as my husband’s flew out on a business trip to Brazil.

You might be wondering why am I sharing this with you today?  Well, it really is for two reasons. Below you will find two simple solutions to help you find calm in the midst of chaos even when life has placed you on a wild roller coaster ride.

First, in life we are always going to have things add to the chaos of modern day living. How we choose to deal with these depleting types of events determine the quality of our life. We, as a family, could have buckled under the pressure of a house quickly becoming unhinged. It went from a sanctuary to a state of disarray in a matter of hours.  Instead we banded together trying our best to make this event into an adventure which helped to create a sense of calm amidst the chaos.

Second, as Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”.  In other words, be the person you want to see and be around in your life. I want to be the person who is a positive, glass-half full influence on the world. I want to be the example for my children and my community. When ceilings are flooding I know it is important to express my true feelings of disappointment in the situation but it is also imperative to focus on and convey a sense of hope as things unfold. As I watched the water flow I kept asking myself. “What is the silver lining?” I wanted to find a silver lining to make my family feel better and calm the anxiousness creeping into my own sense of grounded-ness. When you can find a silver lining, even if it is only a sliver, this sense of hope can pull you out of a place of negativity or despair.

Life, like a roller coaster ride, is sure to have its ups and downs. How you look at the ride will determine if it rattles your foundation and feels like a scary corkscrew carnival coaster or you view it as an amusing adventure that will have its peaks and valleys. Life can be about the fun and thrills even during turbulent times!

When you have moments of despair, negativity, or anxiousness can you ask yourself, “What is the silver lining?” Feel free to comment below and share your “Silver Lining Moment” I would love to hear how you have stepped off life’s roller coaster and created calm in the midst of chaos.

Happy Soaring,

XOXO

PS… If you need a plan to help you move off the roller coaster of life, I am here to help you find that silver lining! Set up a Free Success Strategy Call to begin being the person and creating the home, health and happiness you deserve! Your time is now!

Have you ever found yourself juggling so many items or to-dos that you lose track of important items like your cell phone, car keys or an appointment you were supposed to be at hours ago? In the whirlwind pace of today’s lifestyle it is understandable that this happens. Today I will share why this happens and a few simple solutions to help you create a state of calm a midst the chaos so that you are less likely to lose your cell phone or miss your next important appointment.

Have you ever lost your keys as you were entering your home because you were juggling a bag of groceries, your coffee and the item from the errand you just ran? As you came in the phone rang and you quickly put down the load of items you were carrying to answer it. After you spoke with your Aunt Sue you realized you couldn’t find your keys. Maybe it wasn’t your keys but it was your cell phone or iPad. Have you had to call yourself to find your phone? Can you relate to that feeling of not being able to find something because you were distracted by other things around you?

Perhaps you had an important appointment that you were supposed to be at but it was on Tuesday not Wednesday? I can personally relate to this one! I was asked to speak at the National Bloggers Conference in LA which I gladly accepted. Recently my schedule has been filled with media appearances that have involved travel along with personal and professional travel plans. It is exciting and fun but there is also an ample amount of logistics that are involved to ensure the household is running smoothly while I am away. With all of the recent plans I mixed up not the day but the month (!) that I am headed out to LA for the National Bloggers Conference. Fortunately I hadn’t booked my flight yet, but it was a mad scramble when we realized my husband needed to be in Brazil at the same time. Thankfully my father-in-law was willing and able to stay with the kids while we are both away!

The reason we lose items or it is hard to keep track of calendar events is because our brains were not designed and trained to process the amount of information we are exposed to on a daily basis. We are overloaded with not only information but things. The average household has 100 times more items in it than that of our ancestors 100 years ago. A centurion who lived in the early 1900’s didn’t have hair dryers, iPods or clock radios in every room. This simplicity allowed their brain to categorize and organize items so that memory retrieval was easier.

I know this sounds a bit scientific (which can sometimes get a bit boring) but stay with me, there is a reason you need to know this! It will help you move with more ease and grace in your life. The neurons in our brains are living organisms that actually get tired out when they need to process too much stimuli or information. In any given day they are getting bombarded by every connection you come in contact with be it the conversations with people, the Tweets & comments on Twitter or Facebook, anything on your TV or computer screen and the grocery aisle that has over 40,000 items to choose from. Each day our neurons are taxed to the max in an effort to unscramble the jumble of information overload. So, it is important to give your neurons a much needed break! Let’s look at two simple solutions to create calm amidst the chaos of daily living.

First, give your neurons a break by taking a few moments to center yourself and find stillness. A simple way to do this is to unplug, sit in a chair with your feet firmly grounded on the floor and focus your attention on your breathing. Slowly inhale to the count of 5 and slowly exhale to the count of 5 (10 if that is a better number for you.) This exercise has multiple benefits; first it allows you to come to a place of stillness and peace which will help to recharge your proverbial batteries. It also has the added benefit of bringing much needed oxygen to your overburdened neurons. Do this a few times a day and you will notice the benefits right away.

Second, get in the habit of placing your items in the same place every time you enter or leave your home. Creating habitual patterns will train your brain to always place items in their ‘designated spot’ without you even needing to think about where to put them. Literally your brain will move on autopilot helping you achieve your desired results without thinking about it. If it is helpful, find a pretty trey or docking station that will give you a designated spot for those items that can be easily misplaced.

These two simple solutions will help you move through each day with ease and a sense of calm. Learning tips to gracefully flow through each day a midst the plethora and inundation of information is important in the frenzy of the modern lifestyle.

Happy Soaring,

XOXO

PS… If you are trying to gracefully flow through each day a midst the plethora and inundation of frenzied information, let me help you put a plan together that will help you move through each day with ease and a sense of calm. Click here to schedule your FREE Success Strategy Call!

Image credit to: daily-mail.co.zm/

With all of the winter storms that have hit the Northeast recently, snow is on my mind. As I was driving down the snow covered street watching people shovel or snow blow the mounds of snow that have inundated New England I begin to think how analogous the aftermath of a blizzard is with the overwhelm that piles up in one’s daily life. Snow sits in heavy mounds accumulated up over windows, doors and driveways making it hard to maneuver vehicles and go out for simple errands. This is similar to the storm of overwhelm that can overtake your life rendering you motionless and unable to take action. You know that feeling of “Ugh, where do I begin?”

A blizzard can bring a city to a virtual standstill closing offices, schools and transportation. Overwhelm can bring you and your home harmony to a grinding halt. In this week’s article let’s take a look at some simple steps to get the wheels back in motion and help you see beyond the walls of overwhelm that can leave you feeling trapped, defeated and depleted.

Recently, I was interviewed by a USA Today reporter who was intrigued by my approach to going green in the home. She explained that most people have an all-in mentality that can be overwhelming. I explained that the Home in Harmony Lifestyle is all about creating manageable but lasting change. You see the detrimental impact of “biting off more than you can chew” when a person goes on a diet and can’t maintain it because it is not manageable for the long haul. Everything you attempt to adjust in your life should be made up of simple steps and manageable pieces. This sets you up for success instead of failure. Otherwise overwhelm sets in and leaves your mind in a state of paralysis which equates to inaction.

2 Simple Steps:

1. Identify the areas in your life and home that overwhelm you. This will give you a bird’s eye view of the storm patterns in your life.

2. Choose 1 area that you can address today that will help relieve the inundation of overwhelm in your life. Giving yourself relief in one area of overwhelm will have a positive impact on your home, health and happiness.

The storm patterns in your life will ebb and flow like the weather in New England. It is important to put a plan in place that will ensure you weather the storms with ease and grace. A strong foundation will provide you a safe haven even when the blizzard of overwhelm comes knocking at your door.

If you need a clear path to remove the pattern of overwhelm in your life click here for your FREE Success Strategy Call, and let me help you get clear & moving towards creating the home, health & happiness you deserve!

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

I am enjoying a blustery and beautiful snow blizzard here in New England. I am excited that Mother Nature has forced our family to hunker down. It is a nice respite in the midst of our otherwise over-scheduled lives. I stocked up on essentials like water and non-essential ingredients to make the kids nachos, cookies and hot chocolate (I love to cook when it is snowing!) I am looking forward to sitting in front of the fire watching movies and playing board games that will keep us entertained throughout the day. I will also give each person a “project” to do when they begin to get restless. These “projects” will include overlooked household items that need attention but are not a high enough priority to make it on the weekly to-do list. They fall into the category of “I will get to that some day”. Even in this home we have the disorganized drawer under the phone that originally held batteries, phonebooks and notepads but now has a myriad of other items. Clearing and cleaning these overlooked spots will feel so good! In this week’s article let’s look at a few simple solutions to make you feel so good and move you out of the over-scheduled overwhelm into a state of graceful calm without needing Mother Nature to intervene!

In every home I have been in (1000’s at this point) there are always areas that are neglected or overlooked. Even the most fastidious homeowners have areas that need attention. Initially you look at these areas and think to yourself, “I will get to that” but over time it moves to the back burner of your life. When this happens you might not even notice the disorder anymore but unfortunately your unconscious does! And it drains your energy and brings you down! Putting a plan together to attend to these “forgotten areas” will help you create home harmony. Let’s look at a few simple solutions to make your space great!

1. Fresh Eyes

One part of my business is helping showcase properties that homeowners and realtors want to sell. It is always so interesting to walk through these homes with the owners explaining what needs to be changed, organized, repaired or cleared. They begin to “see” the areas that they have left unattended for years, sometimes decades. Because of their desire to showcase the home in the best light, to ensure a quick and profitable sale, they begin to tackle the to-dos on a seemingly long list. Often times when the items have been tackled and completed they realize that they could have and probably should have done this years before because the space feels so much better and in turn, they feel better! I invite you to walk through your home as if you were going to put it on the market tomorrow. This will help you begin to see your space from a fresh perspective and might help to illuminate the areas that need attention.

2. Sidestep Overwhelm

As I walk through a home with a homeowner and realtor, I make a list of all of the items that need to be addressed. My goal is to include all necessary areas that will help their home look fabulous. That being said, I also want to ensure the client doesn’t move into a state of overwhelm. Unfortunately, as humans, when you and I become overwhelmed we can get stuck in a state of analysis paralysis. This brings any forward momentum or action to a screeching halt. When working with clients to showcase their properties or coach them in creating their ideal life it is important to create a structure that is manageable and straightforward. It is necessary to put an actionable plan in place that is realistic and creates the desired end result.

3. Get Help

It is important to realize that sometimes it is necessary to ask for help. There are two types of help that are important to evaluate, inside and outside. What I mean for inside is, you might have a family member or two, or a friend that can help you begin to navigate your way through the list you created. Today, on this snow day, I will give my kids a “project” that they can help with. A few weeks ago one of my kid’s was grounded so I kept that child busy all day with little projects. They had to tighten the bolts on the garage door, clean and organize the wrapping paper closet (which was actually a tall task after the holiday season) and clean their room. Sometimes it is hard to know where to begin and is necessary to bring in a professional from the outside with a trained eye. They can help you put a plan in place that is structured in a way to avoid overwhelm and ensures you keep the forward momentum heading to your ultimate goal for your home and life.

These three simple solutions can help you create your Home in Harmony. You deserve to live in a home that supports and nurtures your mind, body and spirit. Your home is the foundation of your life. Create and maintain a structure that fortifies your well-being.

If you are ready to put a simple plan in place to help you move through your overwhelm and create the home, health and happiness you deserve click here for your Free Strategy Session.

Happy Soaring!

XOXO