Connection

Everyday these tiny, small creatures scamper across my roof. The squirrels run across my fence and scour my yard for the nuts they hid in the fall. Watching the squirrels is comical. Yet, every time the squirrels put a smile on my face and laughter in my belly. Can you say that every person you interact with smiles and laughs as a result? In life we tend to get too serious. We are either so focused we don’t realize other people exist or we’re too distracted (by phones, tv, news, etc.) to pay attention to the needs of other people. Would you want to regularly hang out with either of these people? Probably not. We most enjoy being around people who are playful – just like the squirrel. This way we have fun in our everyday moments and don’t take life too seriously. What’s the best way to truly connect with someone? Share a laugh. Even if it’s a really bad joke. How can you bring a sense of fun and play to your next interaction? Or better yet – your next meeting? How can you lighten the mood or uplift someone’s day? How can you make someone laugh today? Squirrels are mischievous creatures always on the move to be more playful. I hope you bring squirrel characteristics into your day. Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

Have you ever wondered how to make holiday parties more enjoyable? Sarah stands alone in the dimly lit corner of a room filled with holiday attendees. Sarah scans the room to see if she knows anyone. She was invited by the host who was busy greeting all the guests as they arrived. Sarah felt all alone despite being in a room filled with over 50 people. Sarah thought, what do I say? I don’t even know these people. Why did I even come? I came because I wanted to meet some new people. Sarah takes a deep breath and strolls over to the food table and grabs a little of each colorful and flavorful dish. She thought – maybe I can quickly eat and then roll out of here fast. Of course, that was not her intent in coming. Sarah looked across the room and caught a smile from a tall, dark handsome man on the other side of the room. He gently nodded and motioned for her to come join his conversation. Sarah took another deep breath, trying not to drop her plate, composed herself and walked to the group of 5 which seemed intimidating to her. It’s now or never she thought to herself. Deep breath again. Here I go. She asked each person in the group, “What’s been the best part of 2017?” Each person thought long and hard. They began to respond, “A new job”, “Getting engaged”, “Taking a 3 day yoga trip”. The group said, what about you, Sarah? Sarah gently looked up and in the eyes of each person and said, “Learning how to have meaningful conversations with complete strangers.” Each person in the group chuckled and said, you make us feel at ease around you. Sarah smiled and said, “It’s easy. Ask a more in-depth question and don’t ask – How are you?” This time of year, we can get careless in our conversations. We ask, “how are you?” as an informal greeting instead of a real question. If you really want to know someone better, ask a more in-depth question and share what your response is too. Here are 3 questions to get you going:

• What’s been the best part of 2017?
• What are you looking forward to in 2018?
• What’s your big dream for 2018 and how can I support you in that endeavor?

People want to be seen, heard, and validated. Do you want to learn how to connect with people more easily? Contact me to gain more insights. Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

As the holiday sales and discounts are in full swing, what’s the real reason you want to buy gifts for others? A father asked his little girl, Janie, to write a letter to Santa Claus asking for what she wanted for Christmas. Janie rushed to her room, shut the door, pulled out every crayon, and began to write. In green, she wrote about the doll she wanted. In pink and yellow, Janie drew the dress she wanted. Janie paused, took a deep breath and continued to the big one. She grabbed the blue crayon and started drawing, teardrops coming down a little girl’s face. She put a big “x” in red across the tears. All Janie really wanted was to stop crying every time her father left the house on long business trips. She crumpled up the piece of paper, threw it in the corner of her room and cried herself to sleep. Her father knocked on the door and came in to see how the Santa list was going. Janie stumbled awake, the tears still on her face. Her father asked what happened. She reached to hug her daddy and said, “All I want for Christmas is to play card games with you. I don’t need anything from Santa.” Her father held Janie tightly and said okay. That night, Janie’s father called his business partner and said he can’t travel this week, I have a family matter to attend to. His business partner without asking any questions, said no problem. From this point on, Janie’s father had to justify to himself every time he was away from Janie.   This holiday season, create true interactions and connections with your loved ones, friends, and colleagues. Or ask why you’re buying a gift in the first place. Is it to make you feel better that you’re doing something for someone else? Is the gift going to enhance the other person’s life? Sometimes a kid only wants to go to the park and play with their parents. As adults, let’s create those moments that turn into memories you’ll never forget. It’s in those moments that there is an equal (gift) exchange of love and affection. Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

Americans get giddy for costumes. We throw on masks, dress up like zombies with the look of death in the face or recreate a sassy version of James Bond or another movie character. We let loose. We let our guard down. We don’t care what others think about us. We socialize with friends and meet new people. We enjoy a little ruckus, share in fun times, and let our guard down. Too often in life, we wear a mask to put on a façade of what we’re supposed to be. We dress a certain way. We talk a certain way. We do the things we think will get us accolades and validation from others. Yet on the inside we’re broken and constantly feel like something is missing. We yearn to be who we are without judgement and critique from others. Yet, we’re so afraid a gremlin is around the corner coming to get us that we don’t dare show our truest self. What mask are you wearing? What part of you are you covering up, keeping all packaged up like a nicely wrapped holiday gift? If you took off your mask and showed the world your true colors, what would happen? What would you say? How would you show up in the world? How would you act? I’ve seen this transition first hand. My male coaching clients aren’t afraid to be vulnerable. They will cry and get in touch with their heart. My female clients are willing to speak their voice and boldly step into their career, life, and relationships they truly desire. It’s time to take off the armor and break down the brick wall of self-protection. To truly live is to be seen for your scars in battle, your triumphs and losses, and for the belief you have in yourself to figure out life’s hiccups along your path. Step onto your courageous path without the mask. Begin a life full of wonder and excitement.   Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day!   Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

  Stop the busyness, look up, and appreciate the beauty surrounding you. What can you admire? Perhaps it’s the shapes in your office, the wispy clouds in the sky, the trees that are ready to break out of winter and bud into spring, the chatter of people drinking their cup of coffee, kids playing. Take in the smell. Notice the shapes. Take in the sounds. Notice the connections and watch the flow of motion from one to the other. What do you notice about yourself? So often, we go straight to our day – checking emails, making phone calls, checking the latest news blimp or social media post and go straight into action. However, we forget to stop and taking in the beauty that surrounds us.  The other day, beauty literally smacked me in the face. After a day of fun activities in the mountains, the sun with setting fast in the sky with beautiful hues of red, orange, and purple. My friend that was driving said – WoW! Its gorgeous! We pulled over on the side of the road took a quick picture and admired the beauty. Stop! Take a moment. Where do you need to stop and admire the beauty more? By stopping, you gain perspective. You notice what’s really going on around you. You notice how you’re feeling in the moment, you notice how others are feeling, and you read and feel the energy around you. Being present in the moment allows you to take stock of what’s really going on. Stop with hustle and bustle and enjoy the precious life we have. Wishing you a prosperous, abundant, and joyful day!   Lora Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International  

  Humans desire interaction and connection. Some may like interactions more than others but we can agree we all desire connection in some form or another. Connection is not just about engaging with others. It’s also about connecting with ourselves. If we don’t know who we are, where we want to go, or understand what’s going on within our internal dialogue, how can we truly relate to someone else. How can you be present and listen when there’s 900 things meandering in your mind? In our society, it’s common to disconnect and numb ourselves (can you relate): -watch tv -endless hours on the internet -playing games on your phone -any distraction -doing something else while talking on the phone -spend hours on social media -eat too much -drink too much (or dampen our senses with stronger substances)   Instead try this: -call someone you’ve been thinking about -engage in meaningful conversation (instead of how are you? Ask, what’s been the best part of your day?) -do something that brings you joy -do something with someone else that brings them joy -send a thank you note to a friend, family member or colleague -do something that get you excited -do something that relaxes you   Instead of disconnecting, let’s truly connect to ourselves and with others. Take a minute today and let someone you know you care or what they mean to you. If you want to learn how to connect with yourself, identify where you want to go, and start connecting with others, Contact Lora, Chief Energy Officer, for a free strategy session   Wishing you a loving, peaceful, and joyful day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International