Enjoying the beautiful and chilly season? We are! We've been in the Midwest for 8 years now and every year, my California blood has to re-adjust to these temperatures! Brrrr.

I am often asked by people all the time,"Why in the world would we leave California to come to Illinois?" It's days like this that I can really get on board and start colluding with folks in this question. You can imagine my internal dialogue:"Why did we move here? Why is it so darn cold? What were we thinking? Gosh it's horrible, horrible, horrible!! Brrr!"

You can also imagine how empowering that dialogue is and how energized I may feel going down that slippery slope. And if I take it one step further, imagine the impact that attitude can have on those around me! It's pretty contagious!

This not only applies to the weather, but anything. Think about it. What do you focus on that doesn't support you? Where do you get caught in focusing on what's not working or how "cold" it is?

The trick, I have found, has been in the "recovery" - how quickly do I recover when I start to focus on how cold it can be? And how long do I want to "stay" in that cold and miserable frame of mind?

What I've found is that I can choose to make a whole day miserable if I focus on what's not working and how I wish it was warmer, etc. And I can impact those around me - it's contagious. But I also have the power to do just the opposite and focus on what is working about the "cold."

BTW, this doesn't mean that I deny my feelings. Absolutely not, that wouldn't work either. I get to experience my authentic emotion, to be annoyed, frustrated, cold and all that good stuff. Then once I've acknowledged my real emotion, I get to decide what to do about it. What is important is to give myself permission to have the feeling, notice how long I stay there, be aware of my impact, and just notice whether the internal dialogue and focus supports and creates good energy, or not.

If not, then I am at choice to make a shift in my focus. Cool, eh?

So a funny thing to be writing about, AND as I sit here shivering in my shawl writing this (grin), it struck me that what we focus on creates more of the same. And it creates an impact. It's not just about the cold - obviously, cold is just a metaphor. Whether it's personal, professional, or physical - what we focus on expands.

So how does this apply to you, your life, your energy and your leadership? Notice what you notice and have a fantastic week!

Stay warm, cozy, and daring.

Until next time,