Listening to the Harvey Weinstein story brought back some memories. One of them is of a parenting workshop participant I had several years ago. As a Family Life Educator, in my workshops, because it’s such an important topic, I often opened up the concept of how to teach children values and sexuality. This workshop was no different. (more…)
It’s very easy to judge another. Everyone does it.
On Friday, we went to grab a bite at Wendy’s. Ahead of us, there was an impatient woman, waiting to be served while a confused, older gentleman was trying to order a Papa burger. A&W is across the street.
They were opening another cash register while the woman angrily barked at the man that A&W is across the street and that this is Wendy’s. (more…)
At one point, I asked Dad to teach me how to knit. My first project was some uneven potholders for my mom. They were yellow. Of course, Mom loved them.
Eventually, wanting to do follow more intricate patterns, I bought a book on how to knit.
I was having a difficult time understanding one of the steps for a sweater and asked for advice.
The girl at the knitting store told me that I was holding my yarn and needles in the wrong hands. I was basically knitting backwards. (more…)
When I first heard “haters gotta hate”, I didn’t know what it meant until I changed the words to “saboteurs gotta sabotage”. Then it made sense.
When I decided to go out on my own and be an entrepreneur, the skills I needed were opposite from what my environment taught me.
After all, to attract paying clients, I have to put myself out there.
I have to tell people my stories so they can laugh at what not to do.
This is my method of teaching others what I have learned in the school of hard knocks. (more…)
We begin every year with new resolutions and a commitment to making positive changes in our life. A fresh start! Healthier habits! Better relationships! Then it’s January 3rd …
Well for better relationships, we get to try again starting on February 14th.
In speaking with a new networking connection, I was telling her that my speaking or training aims to help people create more collaborative environments. She told me that she didn’t need my services because she didn’t have any toxic environments to fix at the moment.
She was surprised at my response. (more…)
Having worked in mental health and as a crisis worker, I have seen the back storage room of the store. It’s not good news. Bell Let’s Talk day (January 25th) is a reminder of how much we need to blow the lid off the stigma of mental Illness, for everyone.
I am thinking of a woman that I really admire. She had spent most of her social worker years helping people afflicted with different mental health disorders. (more…)
I was given some feedback about my participation in a closed Facebook group that felt somewhat harsh at first. Now, I want to point out that I deeply respect and admire the person who was telling me this. If it had been someone who I didn’t respect, I might not have taken any notice of his comment. But when he brought it up, I felt guilty wondering if I had done something wrong.
What is funny is that it was such a small thing, and he just wanted to nip it in the bud. I’ll tell you the story below.
If you have children, you have probably read something at some point about how to raise a happy child. They all include the advice of “Love them unconditionally”.
No matter what our children do, love them beyond the behavior. Otherwise, our act of resentment will drag them down and hold them back in life.
Successful parenting always has components of forgiveness, adapting and letting go. Those are elements of unconditional love. (more…)
It’s official. 2017 is here.
Many of us sit and take the time to look forward.
Others just look back.
Whichever way you chose to face the year ahead, it’s time to decide to be inspired. It’s always the right time to be.
Wishing you health, love and an abundance of all that makes you feel inspired.
Are you ready to take action this year and experience a transformative coaching experience? Check out my scheduler and we’ll see if we are a good fit!
Monique works with organizations who want to reduce conflict to create a culture of collaboration, engagement and productivity. The most successful leaders are not infallible when faced with someone who “drives them crazy!” Her strategies to empower people to better understand each other and have better outcomes, while having fun, are appreciated by all who meet her. She draws from 30 years of crisis intervention work, she is a Level II Accredited Trainer for DISC as a Human Behavior Consultant and a Certified NLP Professional Coach. She loves meeting people and getting to know them and their industry. So feel free to reach out.
(As published in Huffington Post)
It was 1991 and my first Christmas in my new home after my emotionally draining divorce. We lived in a depressed area. My family was 400 km / 250 miles away. I was struggling financially with a small business, helping in the community where I could, while nurturing my four-year-old who had some health challenges. There wasn’t a lot of money but honestly, nobody had a lot of money there.
Little did I know that I would get to play Santa for so many people that year. It still remains one of my best Christmases ever. (more…)
(As published in Huffington Post)
Susan was a fellow office manager. She was given a budget to decorate for Christmas and as she transformed our offices with green and tinsel, she also loudly voiced what a waste of time and money this was. To her, Christmas was about family – not work. The daily snippy comments were annoying.
(more…)