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Tragedy struck at only 42 years of age for the famous basketball legend, Kobe Bryant. It’s a stark reminder that nothing in life is guaranteed including life itself.
As a child, I watched loved ones died suddenly without warning.
My father died 6 weeks from diagnosis to death.
My best friend died a week before high school graduation, almost instantly when a car pummeled through a stop sign that t-boned her convertible.
Another high school friend was raped then murdered, then left on the side of a road a mile from my house.
All died too young without any notice.
What this teaches you is that life is precious. It’s only here once.
Don’t wait to take that vacation.
Don’t wait to start that new career.
Don’t wait to express your true heart’s desire.
Express love daily.
Express gratitude for the bad moments that taught you a new way.
Express gratitude for the little things.
See the beauty everywhere, from the dense fog on a cool day to the dandelion growing in the crack in the sidewalk.
Now is the time to plant the seed of your dreams.
Now is the time to nourish what you already started.
Now is the time to let go of anything that you’ve been clingy to from anger to grief to frustrations.
Now is the time to believe you can do anything you put your absolute attention and focus on.
What if you became something greater than you ever expected?
What if you seize this moment?
It’s time to call a loved one and tell them how much you love them.
Smile at a stranger today.
Be more patient with a colleague or co-worker today.
Appreciate more about life today.
Live life as if there is no tomorrow.
Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day!
Lora Polowczuk
Chief Energy Officer
© Priority Retreats International
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Professors geared up for the yearly research submissions to national conferences. Their jobs and movement up the ranks at the university depended on the number of research publications accepted every year.
The research must be stellar.
The research must add more value and discussion to the research and implementation discussions. This gave policy experts more reason to fund our programs and ultimately pay our salaries.
Crunching numbers was my expertise. As an undergraduate, I presented research findings at international conferences. Something few young students ever did.
Supporting five academic professors and their research findings was a large task. Daily meetings with professors ensued as the abstract submission deadline came closer and closer.
Then, that call came in.
That type of call that you already knew something was a bit off.
There was a slight hesitation in picking up the call.
I immediately jumped to conclusions.
Was this a pissed off professor wanting to look at the data with one more variable?
Were more changes going to cause a dramatic change to our submissions?
This was different. This phone call had an eerily different vibe.
“Hello?”
“My Dad is getting rushed from the hospital to a higher level hospital two hours away in a larger city. Upon further review of scans, my Dad needed quadruple heart bypass surgery, a little more than a stent. This small town in upstate New York didn’t have the skill set nor equipment to perform this surgery. It’s scheduled for tomorrow morning after they stabilize him.”
The nervousness in his voice was apparent. With his only parent left, this was no small deal. His father was much older and may have complications during surgery.
I was in the middle of a big deadline. What am I suppose to do? I’m only 23 and want to do a good job. Eek!
I did the only thing I knew.
I booked a 6am flight to Albany for the next morning. I’d arrive during surgery. I packed up my laptop and left a note for my boss that I’d work on the statistical analyses while my boyfriend’s father was in surgery. They would have everything they need before submissions were to go in.
Unexpected events happen with no warning.
How would you respond?
What are you teaching your co-workers about the importance of work versus life events?
Be prepared to respond to the unexpected. Where possible, create buffer zones of space to handle the unexpected.
While the relationship didn’t last, my ex boyfriend said he’d never forget the kindness and forethought for being there when life took a sharp twisted turn.
Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day!
Lora Polowczuk
Chief Energy Officer
© Priority Retreats International
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Silvia scolded Arthur for not putting the groceries away before the frozen foods began to defrost. Arthur turned around shooting shot Silvia a darting glare. He was tending to their little girl’s cut. She fell off her bike right before the couple got home from the grocery store.
This was not unusual. Silvia constantly told Arthur what to do and when to do it. At times, Arthur felt as if he was a robot. Arthur realized this belittling over the years wore down his strength.
Silvia had an opinion for everything, how to do laundry, how every project should be run, and even how you should live your life. And, don’t ever ride in a car with her. She’ll tell you how to drive, too.
Silvia always thought she knew the right way. This controlling aspect was her way of creating certainty.
Controlling equals certainty. This is a scarcity mindset.
What Silvia was really doing was living in a constant state of fear. She was afraid that if something did not go according to how she wanted, she could not handle what would come her way.
Arthur finally put his foot down. He told Silvia that if they don’t start working together to make decisions about their household and parenting that he would leave. He gave her six months to identify ways to change her behavior.
Over this time period, she began letting her husband take on more of a role at home and with their child. At work, she let co-workers take on more responsibility without interference from her.
Silvia no longer felt she had to do it all herself. She became more energized and more excited for her day.
She recognized that the only behavior she can control was herself. She learned to respond to circumstances instead of reacting to them. Instead of controlling, let go of the expectations of a predicted outcome.
What Silvia discovered was a new way to live and work. As she let go of her controlling nature, she experiences more joy and abundance.
If you want abundance, let go of a certain outcome and allow something even better to flow you way. The results will blow your mind.
Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day!
Lora Polowczuk
Chief Energy Officer
© Priority Retreats International
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Have you ever seen a person show up to an event that is completely distracted? You gently observe them and know the person doesn’t want to be here. The person can’t make eye contact. They can’t wait to leave. Their mind wanders in conversations and doesn’t engage. They are physically present yet their mind is somewhere else. This happens at work meetings, parties, and even family dinners.
This is the Walking Zombie Effect.
Too many people go through life going from one thing to the next without any purpose, no heart, no meaning. They’re physically present but mentally they are far from present.
Let’s take a deeper look. Pull out a journal and answer these two important questions.
What kindles your spirit that makes you come alive?
What can you talk about forever?
Tip #1: Live from heart-centered purpose
When you choose to engage in an event, come with a full-heart or don’t come at all. Know why you’re going. Bring the enthusiasm that gets others even more excited about what you’re doing or what you’re talking about. Living from a heart-centered purpose is contagious.
Next.
Sheila approached Kathy to bake brownies for the church fundraiser. Kathy was the go-to person who helped everyone with everything. Sheila knew she could easily get help from Kathy. She always said yes.
Yet, this time was different. Kathy said, no. Kathy told Sheila, she’s taken a hard look at all her commitments. She tallied up that she volunteers more hours than she works in a week and still takes care of her family. Kathy, slightly floored, acknowledged Kathy’s prior assistance.
Tip #2: Stop overcommitting
When you become depleted and exhausted from saying yes, too much, you are actually saying no to your own health and well-being. People respect you more for setting your own boundaries. This allows you to go more in-depth on a few things.
What are two events that you can say “no” to this week?
“Most people fail not because of a lack of desire but because of a lack of commitment.” Vince Lombardi
What’s your level of commitment to your dreams?
Full commitment comes from knowing what lights up your soul and acting upon it daily.
Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day!
Lora Polowczuk
Chief Energy Officer
© Priority Retreats International
