July 2017

Good friends came to visit this weekend. While partaking in Colorado adventures, the family was also looking to adopt a dog. Their dog died a month ago. On Sunday, we quickly changed our plans and coordinated activities around a dog adoption visit. The family was so excited about this potential. They attempted to expedite the process since they were on vacation. About 45 minutes into our 1.5 hour drive to see the pup, the family was they could not adopt the dog since they were on vacation. My friend, the Mom of the family, was heartbroken and frustrated. Every foster dog they’ve come across was either already adopted or something else occurred. How does this relate to you? Do you ever keep working so hard on something but nothing ever seems to come your way? It can make you upset, frustrated, and even a little angry. And, well, it sucks, right? In response to the notification, their 11 year old said, “It wasn’t meant to be. Perhaps we’ll find the perfect dog next time. I hope that dog finds a good family.” Wow! I wish everyone had the playful, soft spirit of this 11year old. When life doesn’t go your way, you don’t have to hold on to the frustration. Let it go. Amazing how the afternoon evolved from heartbreak into playing in the mountains and in creek.  The kids completely forgot what happened earlier in the day. When life doesn’t go your way, instead of wallowing in the sorrow, how can you stop and be more playful in life again? Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

FINE is the most unexpressive word used today in the English language. How are you? Fine. Fine has become an automatic response whenever someone asks, How are you? Fine no longer means good. Fine is a blank, nothing answer into what we are actually feeling in that moment. As a society, we’ve lost our ability to convey our true expressions. Fine is a way of saying, “I’m not going to tell you what’s really going on with me. I’ll play it safe and say fine.” There are two pieces to this. (1) Do you really want to know how someone is doing? If yes, ask a more specific question instead. One to try is, What are you excited about today? This is my favorite question to ask any cashier. Since they are in customer service, they are required to greet you in a kind manner. However, few people are curious about their day. (2) Will you fully express what you are going through when asked, How are you? We’re so afraid to convey our true emotions and be vulnerable. What will someone think if I say I’m having a bad day? Will someone really want to hear about my new job promotion? Or, I’m troubleshooting an IT issue, and they think I’m stupid? It’s what people say when they can’t express themselves. How are you? Fine. As you go through this next week, I challenge you to change your attention in both how you greet someone and what your response is. Let me know how this changes the dynamics of your conversation. It’s time to get real. Be real. Be courageous. Have a real conversation, not an artificial one. Want to learn how to be more present and authentic in your conversations? Join me for a strategy session. Wishing you an abundant, joyful, and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International    

In life, we often fear pain. It hurts. And, who wants to get hurt, right? We sometimes take extraordinary steps to avoid pain at all costs. Yet, what we don’t realize is that it costs us a lot more to stay stuck in our current situation. Imagine staying in that job for 10 years that sucks the life out of you. Instead of digging in, putting that resume together, figuring out what you really want, and changing jobs. Yeah, it will take some effort to do this. Is it worth it to you to change? What price would you pay to have 10 years of your life back? In our relationships – We want a relationship to improve yet we are afraid to have that difficult conversation to share our actual needs and where we want the relationship to go. We’ll complain, stay frustrated instead of having that courageous conversation. One client mentioned, “After I had that conversation, I felt a sense of relief. I’m now on the same page as the other person and we get along better. I’m more likely to have more difficult conversations from now on.” That’s the result I want each of you to have. Let’s take our health – Many of us want to have more energy and lose weight. We’ll easily grab that soda, that extra scoop of ice cream, that extra cup of coffee instead of grabbing that apple or talking a walk around the block. Yes, it may be hard to reach for a healthy snack or set an exercise goal. But, how will you feel in the long-run?  Case in point, after several of my own health setbacks, it’s taken some time for me to get back into mountain activity shape. Yet, the excitement I had when reaching the summit of a 14,000ft mountain on Saturday in a good time was worth all the effort I put in changing my workout routine and my diet. It’s easy to go for the quick fix. Instead, think about the long term goal and why it’s important to you. Set your sights high. Exercise those courage muscles and dig down deep inside for what you really want out of the situation. Keep in mind:

• What do you really want?
• What’s your long-term goal?
• How can you keep the courage muscles active when it gets hard?

Let your courage muscles ache a little so you can say “I can’t believe I did that.” Let the ache serve you in an amazing way instead of a harmful way. Want to learn how exercise those courage muscles more often? Join me for a strategy session. Wishing you an abundant, joyful, and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

Do you go after your dreams? The fore fathers of the United States fought for their dreams to gain independence in a new world. Our dreams may appear to be far away in a distant land. And, while the journey to get there may be difficult it will be worth all the sacrifice. Do you have the drive to go for your dreams? It takes courage to take each step into the unknown. Imagine how our fore fathers traveled across a vast ocean unknown what they would find on the other side. The taste of the ocean water splashing on the deck of the ship. The awe of excitement when they discovered new land. The breathe of fresh air stepping onto a new terrain. Their heart races with anticipation of what they will find next.  The strength they find within to push past the obstacles they face. Then to, finally, take in the joy of gaining their new found independence. It was a long difficult journey with curves, obstacles, and enthusiasm. What do you dream about that makes your heart race faster? Do you desire thriving relationships? Do you crave work projects that spark your mind? Do you engage in hobbies that get your creative juices flowing? What makes you come alive inside so much that obstacles only appear as pebbles not boulders? It’s the excitement for our future that allows us to forge our own courageous path and not allow obstacles to get in the way. Want to start your own courageous path? Join me for a strategy session and let’s jump start your dreams. Wishing you an abundant, joyful, and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International