A-Musings

Last week I noticed myself falling into the traditional annual year-end trap of mindlessly overindulging in the holiday spirit.  Or, rather, spirits. (In my case, wine and Prosecco.)  And food. (In my case, ice cream.  Or anything with chocolate.).  And stress.  (In my case, end-of-year “another year over/what am I doing with my life?” angst.)  Then I read a HuffPost article by friend and associate Dr. Robert Tornambe, New York City board certified plastic surgeon, called  “Recipe for Holiday Beauty” ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-tornambe-md/a-recipe-for-holiday-beau_b_1120822.html?ref=style ) containing tips for a joy-filled, drama-free holiday season. It helped remind me that Yes, Virginia, it is possible to get through the holidays – even enjoy them - without completely derailing one’s mental and physical health and wellness. So many of us allow this most wonderful time of year to become our annual excuse to overindulge in the abundan...

It’s Official: I Believe in Miracles Late summer, 2011. The economy continues to sink … employment figures (including mine) remain stagnant, with literally no job growth for August. The fall looks equally dismal. I remain underemployed, despite my best efforts to stimulate interest in the many benefits of leadership, empowerment and wellness coaching, and to audition, submitting myself for – and taking – even low-paying acting jobs … However, gold prices are surging, heading towards $2,000/ounce, an historic high! This prompted me to check my jewelry box, see if I had any old, broken, unloved gold rings, necklaces, bracelets, et al, to turn into cold hard cash. Let me preface this story by noting that when it comes to precious metals and stones, I’m one of those people who have no luck whatsoever. I’ve never owned much, but the little I do have I tend to lose, break, leave behind. One of the beautiful Tahitian black pearl earrings I bought in Moorea, the gold hoop I ...

Part 2: Getting Engaged: Increasing Innovation, Productivity and Profits Through Empowerment and Leadership Coaching In mid-2008, as the economy tanked, the unemployment rate in this country began its meteoric rise. By mid-2009, levels exceeded 9%, peaked over 10%, and have stubbornly hovered around 9% give or take (higher for teens and minorities), ever since. Around 1,000,000 “discouraged workers” have given up looking for work, convinced their search would prove fruitless. (See (http://www.bls.gov/ for complete information). Defeated and depressed, it’s hard to imagine the sense of hopelessness and powerlessness the unemployed experience in our still stagnating economy, with no happy ending in sight. Labor, it seems, once a merely replaceable resource, has become a disposable one. It’s been generations since times have been this tough for job seekers. But what about today’s job holders? The unsung heroes who continue to work in offices, shops, schools, plants and health...

Part 1: An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure - Saving Money with Wellness Coaching Back in the pre-recession salad days of the mid-2000’s, an acquaintance of mine, primary care internist Dr. M, regaled me with some interesting insider info about his practice. It was Dr. M who first shocked me with the news that up to 80% of all illnesses in the United States are 100% preventable, costing up to 90 cents of every dollar we spend on health care. (This tidbit has proved accurate, and has been supported in study after recent study*.) If Americans would just stop smoking, eat more intelligently (more fresh plant-based and less processed food), exercise regularly, drink less alcohol, get enough sleep, and - most importantly, per Dr. M - manage their stress levels, we’d not only feel better, we’d age more slowly, look great, get more done, think more creatively, and stay healthy longer. This would save trillions in health care dollars which currently go to treatment of ...

Travelblog: Day 1
(Wed.) “I defy you, stars” Don’t know your intentions, universe, if there are any, but something as inconsequential as a twisted ankle will never keep me from taking this trip … Not taking any chances slogging up and down subway stairs with my ankle: took the bus to the airport. Flying JFK – Detroit – Anchorage. Did laps up and down Detroit’s 1.5-mile long terminal. Rendez-vous’ed with Virginia (mature model); Kerry (model) and Chip (mature model) just made our connection by minutes; their bags may not. Seven hour flight with a screaming, red-faced toddler 3 rows back, her pregnant, overwhelmed mother completely unable or unwilling to stop her. Michel (photographer), Anne Marie (model) and Toni (RCCL rep) missed their connection in Dallas due to flight delay in Miami, had to reroute via Minneapolis - will their bags and all the photography equipment follow? Guillaume en route from Lyon … Arrive into Anchorage’s impressively large and modern airpo...

Countdown, Day 8: The Lord Giveth … Oh, thank you thank you thank you, God! Got an unexpected e-mail from Verdure Tuesday asking whether we were available to leave for Alaska a day earlier, to take photos of a scenic mountain train tour in a gorgeous national park near Anchorage. Hells, yeah! Came at the perfect time, just as the June NYC temperatures and my work-related frustrations were both beginning to climb steadily. Two day of 100-degree temperatures, the first week of June! Sandwiched between long stretches of 60’s and rainy … For weeks I’m sitting around my messy apartment and Joe’s, my noisy “coffice”, trying to find ways to introduce wellness coaching into corporate employee benefits programs. A longshot to say the least. Aetna, the provider for JPMorgan Chase, has been bouncing me from person to person, department to department. At least they’re responding. Even worse, a good work opportunity – a diversity training seminar with Orlando-Ward – conflicts...