Freedom

28 May 2018

Want More Freedom?

By Lora Polowczuk

Do you crave the freedom to do what you want, when you want to? We all want to taste the joy of living a fully rich life with experiences that connect us and help others. Most people don’t realize that Freedom is easy to get yet even easier to lose. A recent article described how the first African from South Africa climbed Mount Everest. Truly incredible story how a very agile man accidentally met a British gentleman who knew about an expedition to Mount Everest. He opened his eyes to an incredible opportunity that taught him extreme alpine mountaineering skills and took him high above the clouds to a new destination he couldn’t even dream about. This opportunity gave him incredible freedom to now live a life he didn’t even know was possible. Where do you squash the freedom you’ve been given? Ask yourself these valuable questions:

1. Do you spend energy on activities that drain you?  
2. Do you waste time on distractions that don’t serve you, your life’s mission, or your relationships?
3. Do you schedule what’s important to you?
4. Are you ultra-focused throughout the day?

  In the long run, freedom is all about discipline. Is your discipline razor sharp? If not, what can you do to improve this?   Wishing you an abundant, joyful, and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

16 Oct 2017

How a Run Gave Me Life Perspective

By Lora Polowczuk

It’s truly amazing what happens when we take the time to observe our surroundings. My short 45 minute run opened up my eyes to 5 valuable life lessons. I pulled into the parking lot and threw on my running shoes. As I was shutting the door, I heard an excruciating horrible sound. I looked around and found a guy who opened up the driver’s side door, leaned over and hurled puke onto the pavement. Yuck. Is the guy sick? Does he need help? He was drunk. Ughh. I recognized that’s the type person who I never want to be. Stillness moment #1: Know who you don’t want to be. Recognize you have a choice in how you handle life when things don’t go as planned. As I began my run, the array of green, yellow, and brown grasses stood tall from the summer rains. As I looked out, a bright purple flower stood out. Stillness moment #2: Don’t be afraid to stick out. Be who you are and stand radiant in the light and shine brightly. As I continued running down the path, dodging ducks and listening to the soft sounds of a creek and calm stillness on the pond, I saw an older couple holding hands and walking along the path. It warmed my heart to watch a couple in their 80s show affection and enjoy each other’s company. I stopped and told the couple how much I admired them for being a symbol of love through decades of being together. All 3 of us teared up. Stillness moment #3: Tell others how they positively affect the world. Most people have no clue how they are showing up in the world and what that impact is. When others are told this it lightens up who they are and they show up even more. Further down the path, a tall lady, whispered to be quiet. Our eyes locked and she drew my attention and pointed my eyes to the distant field. She pointed over to the right. In the distance there was a mother deer and her 4 small fawns. The deer were out searching and eating food in the field. Stillness moment #4: How are we supporting those around us? The mother deer was supporting her young fawns showing them the way. How are you being a guiding light to others? As I looked down at my watch, I realized that even with a couple pit stops, I shaved over 15 minutes off the distance I ran. In the past 3 months, I committed to a different exercise routine and the results paid off. Stillness moment #5: Celebrate the successes of your hard work. Recognize that success takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. If you go for a walk outside, where can you get still and gain life perspective? Wishing you an abundant, prosperous and joyful day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

25 Sep 2017

When Life Throws You a Curve Ball

By Lora Polowczuk

Life loves to throw curve balls directly at you, good and bad. I’ll never forget that phone call. It was a bone chilling cold, gray and gloomy December day right before the holidays. I took a day off work to study for my final for my master’s degree. I was deep in concentration focused on my notes and calculating solutions. Ring, ring. It was my boss. That’s odd. Why would she call me at home on a day off? Boss: Are you sitting down? Please do so. This may be shocking. The company called an all-hands meeting announcing the recent company consolidation would move the entire company 2.5 hours north to Philadelphia. By the end of the year, we will receive notification of retention bonus and severance package and timeline for events over the next year. I realize this wasn’t what you wanted to hear on your day off. I wanted to keep you apprised of what happened today. Me: Wow. Thank you for the head’s up. My life went from I choose my jobs to now I may not have one. I knew little details to go on. Would I really want to move to Philadelphia? Did I want to stay with this company? Did I really love what I worked on? My company was thriving so this was completely unexpected. Opportunity knocks at your door in mysterious ways. Here’s how I differed from my colleagues to the news… I didn’t over react. Most of my colleagues wasted their day with gossip and a lack of focus. I saw this as an opportunity to evaluate my options. What was I looking for in a new neighborhood? What environment did I want to work in? What projects brought excitement to me? What type of colleagues did I want to work with? Was leaving friends and family worth keeping my job? At least 50% of my co-workers rushed to find new jobs even though their job was secure for at least nine months. Over the next six months, I carefully considered all my options. When life hits you with a ton of bricks, it is key to remain calm and assess your options thoughtfully without haste to choose what’s best. When we get still, we identify what’s important and what we’re willing to compromise. Being open to new possibilities may be the exact opportunity you’re looking for. Attitude to change is everything. We often get frustrated and frazzled when our decisions are not in alignment with who we are or what we want. Stay tuned, I have a special announcement later this week to get you in full alignment. Wishing you an abundant, joyful, and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

12 Sep 2017

5 Lessons from the Taj Mahal: Part 1

By Lora Polowczuk

World Heritage sites are filled with rich history, divine beauty, and exquisite architecture beyond what seems humanly capable. The Taj Mahal met these characteristics and more. The story behind the Taj Mahal teaches each of us how to live a high performance life. The Taj Mahal sits on the bank of the Yamuna River and is made of solid marble and steel. The marble weighs 19 pounds per square inch. Do you realize how heavy that is? Think of holding 2 babies on your thumb.  The weight of the Taj Mahal is enormous. The architects had to shore up the sandy foundation and build massive steel arches to support this weight. Your dreams are as massive as the Taj Mahal. For your dreams to flourish, a solid mindset is key. How do your daily choices support your vision? Lesson 1: Build your foundation In the quick rush of everyday life, we want our dreams to happen now. More like a minute ago. Workers built the Taj Mahal in 22 years. Working a little each day on your dreams adds up to big gains over time. Spending two hours a day in one year adds up to 730 hours in one year. Imagine the progress that you can make in that much time. Will you spend 2 hours a day building your dream? What’s the potential for your life to look like in 22 years? How amazing can it be? Lesson 2: Commit to your dreams daily The exquisite details of the Taj Mahal are impressive beyond my imagination. Every piece of marble is carved into a unique pattern. Then, the border is chiseled out more to embed gorgeous gemstones to lay in the marble. This results in a unique finish where you can rub your hand over the marble and stones and it’s completely flat with no ridges and its feels like one unique piece instead of several. This creates a beautiful work of art. Thousands of gemstones are used for each piece of marble. The precision to finish and polish the gems took weeks. Your dream life takes the same amount of precision and time. Lesson 3: Have patience These are the first three lessons from my visit to the Taj Mahal in India. Check in next week for the additional lessons learned and how they serve as reminders in how to live your life as a high performer. Wishing you an abundant, joyful, and prosperous week! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

28 Jun 2017

Does It Irk You When Someone Does It Better?

By Lora Polowczuk

Why do we let others who have more or do it better get to us? Within us, we all want to achieve more and do better. It’s a part of being human. Yet, we beat ourselves up in the process. We compare ourselves to others and this damages us. Case in point, I was super stoked to do a hike after some of my health conditions improved. Then, I found out a friend did the same hike in a third of the time. I felt like I just couldn’t do it fast enough. Then, the thought came to me. How did I go from being so excited to pushing myself on a hike to suddenly feel bad about it? What perspective was I not looking at? I started with comparing myself. That turned into a dark rabbit hole of self-doubt and upset my core that I was not performing good enough in the mountains. Yet, I realized this perspective was all wrong. I recognized that first, the only comparison I could do was to my OWN previous performance. And, the hike one was better than my last. Thus, I was on the upswing and proud of it. Second, I thought. What can I do even better to get to the level my friend is at. What steps could I begin implementing to get me there? I used it as a motivation tool instead of a put down self tool. I see this all the time with clients. They compare themselves to a friend that makes more money or takes nicer vacations. Yet, the comparison has nothing to do with them. The ultimate question is,

• Why is this important to you right now?
• Where are you currently?
• Where do you want to be?
• What type steps do you need to take?
• What person do you need to be to take those steps?

Think about it. Your life and situation is unique to you. It’s not to live another person’s life. It’s about how you live the life that fits your shoes or the shoes you want to grow into. Apply these questions to any situation when comparison comes up. Where does this show up in your life? The promotion by a colleague. A more successful friend. A friend who takes exotic vacations. Walk through the above questions to get your answer. To get rid of comparisons and bring your life to fruition, schedule a strategy call with me. Wishing you an abundant, joyful, and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

26 Apr 2017

What’s Your Toleration Factor?

By Lora Polowczuk

When do our compromises turn into toleration? Let’s think about this for a minute and breakdown compromise and toleration. We’re taught that compromise is part of making a relationship work. It’s the give and take between two people. Then something happens – We start over compromising and don’t even realize it. Perhaps, it’s the people pleaser in us. Perhaps we want to look good in front of our boss or friends? Or, maybe we need to prove that we can really do something. This all leads to toleration. Let’s check in and see if you resonate with any of these: We start tolerating really long hours instead of taking care of our self and our families. We start tolerating how someone treats us instead of sticking up for ourselves. We start tolerating that pain in our body instead of seeking treatment or figuring how we got that pain in the first place. We tolerate that weight gain instead of changing our eating and exercise habits. When we start compromising too much – it reaches a toleration factor. You’re no longer compromising here and there, you’re outright tolerating something. This robs us of our precious time and energy. How often does this toleration consume thoughts in our head and deviate us from what we really need to focus on? When we carry this concept into the rest of our lives, we too often fail to recognize these daily tradeoffs. We’re not conscious of what we’re choosing between. Instead we’re glued to our daily to-do-list. And, work that to-do-list all day long. We need to wake up and recognize there are tradeoffs with every choice we make. A healthy compromise: I’ll work late on Thursday so I can spend half of Friday with my kid on a field trip or leave early for a weekend road trip with friends. An unhealthy toleration: A colleague continues to demean you at meetings in front of a client. Take a moment – What you are tolerating in your life right now? Look at personal, professional, financial, health, hobbies, etc. What efforts can you instill now to change the current landscape? It’s not easy. We’ve all, at one time or another, purposely avoided dealing with an issue. I’ve been there, too! Yet, I learned the hard way. I lost who I was in the process. When we avoid something, we compromise our true self and our desires. What I want for you is to unleash your best self. To do this, we must stop tolerating and promptly, without further delay, handle the situation at hand. Your heart and mind will thank you for it. Do you need help in expressing your courageous self? Join me for a complimentary session and let’s get you back on track! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

10 Apr 2017

Want an Epic Life? Have an Epic Attitude!

By Lora Polowczuk

An Epic Life Requires an Epic Attitude Is it me or does it seem that people are complaining right and left, whether it’s about politics, their job, or something else? I often here this complaining. And, we wonder why we’re not a more happy society. Complainers are annoying to be around, right? Sadly, I used to be one of those people until I changed my own perspective. What we tend to forget is that, it’s up to us to create the meaning in each day. No one else or thing can do this for us. What do you bring to each day to make it better? We crave an epic lifestyle yet want it handed to us on a silver platter. In order get this epic lifestyle, it’s within us to shift our approach to each day. When we shift our attitude, we shift our life. So, how do we get an epic attitude? Follow these principles:

1. Be grateful – It’s so easy to forget all that we have. Running water, indoor plumbing, a refrigerator, eyes to see and feet and legs to walk. Take a minute and be thankful for 3 things in your life every morning.
2. Do a kind gesture – Do something unexpected for someone else and don’t expect anything in return. Whether it’s paying it forward at a local coffee shop or calling a friend to see how their day was, smile at every stranger you pass, are a few ideas to brighten someone’s day.
3. Believe you can do it – No matter what the obstacle, the belief that you can figure it out is key to get through the situation. It may be walking or running the extra mile, taking on a new project, eating a new food recipe, or trying to persuade someone to see your perspective.  Whatever it is, believe that you can do it. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “Believe you can and your halfway there.”
4. Take the courageous leap – By taking a bold step into uncertainty, you’re willing to grow and see what the future holds. This courageous leap opens the door to even more possibilities than you even thought were possible. For example, you decide that your living location needs upgrading. By searching for new neighborhoods, you find one that you didn’t know existed with even more accommodations than you even wanted.
5. Learn something new – School doesn’t end once you graduate. Growing and learning is just as much of adulthood as living an apartment or buying a house. Without learning and growing, we would stay stuck as the 22-year old that graduated. Continue to learn new concepts and challenge your own thinking. What will you learn this month? What book will give you new insights?
6. Acknowledge the other perspective – Say what? Yes, be willing to listen and learn how others see a problem or situation. You don’t have to agree with the other perspective. Hear them out. Be open to learning something new in the process. It may be learning how to do a something more efficient. For example, we may not agree with corporation X. However, if you learn what they took into account to make a decision, you may learn that something else was a higher priority.

By living these principles, we develop an epic attitude for life and all that it offers. We develop persistence to continue going after our goals and the perseverance to keep going when life throws us a curveball. Which principle speaks to you the most? And, why? Based on these, what new habit can you start to create an epic attitude for your life? Wishing you an epic day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International  

21 Mar 2017

Are You Sowing the Seeds to Reap the Harvest?

By Lora Polowczuk

With Spring equinox upon us, the flowers and trees are budding and ready to burst into bloom. Yet, we forget the process of blooming doesn’t happen in a vacuum. First, the seeds are planted or spread amongst the wind. Second, the plants are nourished in the soil. And, third, the seeds soak up rain fall and moisture in the soil. Our dreams come to fruition in a similar manner. When we think of our dreams and aspirations, they are merely seeds. It’s an idea of what we want life to look like or experience. Our dreams do not grow into reality unless they receive nourishment through attention and action. And, it’s the right type of nourishment that’s key. It’s about attention and action that’s fully aligned to the dream. Distractions are saying to your dream, it’s okay, you’re not important to me right now. (Wow, that’s a reality check!). Would you go put acid on a growing plant? Probably not. Yet how often, do we let other “things” get in the way? Way too often, right? Consider water as our support system to nourish our dreams. Dreams don’t become reality in isolation. How many people know the dreams you’re pursuing? If no one knows, you’re likely not getting the support you need to bring your amazing dream to fruition. Too often, we’re afraid to tell people our dreams. What will others think? How will we be perceived? It doesn’t matter what they think. Your dream is all about YOU! By sharing with others what you want to accomplish, you create buy-in for others to support you. And, usually this happens in miraculously ways you never even thought of. Don’t let your dream be just a dream. Go after it! Turn your dream into reality! Seeds are planted months before you reap the harvest. Now is the time to properly nourish your dream, gain support in pursuing the dream. This, in turns, that allows you to reap your harvest. What big goal are you going after this year? What are you doing to nourish that dream? Who knows about your dream and supports you? Together we can make your dreams become reality. PM me for a complimentary session. Wishing you an abundant, joyful, and prosperous day! Lora Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

16 Mar 2017

Exposed!

By Lora Polowczuk

  Are you afraid to lay it all out on the table? Exposing every inch you may not want to share. Are you scared to be vulnerable? Here’s a short story to think about how you give your power away to others: Yesterday, I was craving some deep stretching. My hips were tight and my shoulder barely engaged. I threw on some workout clothes and a jacket and headed to the yoga studio yesterday. In the locker room, I found a locker and put my wallet, phone, and shoes in. I took off my jacket to realize – in horror – that I only had my sports bra on. What!?!? I whispered to myself, I don’t have another shirt to cover my upper body. EEEEK! I recently gained a few pounds and was completely self-conscious of my appearance and slight belly. Yikes! What do I do? I drew out two solutions. I can go home and skip the class. Or, I could completely careless and focus on my own objectives – take the yoga class. I took a deep breath and chose to walk into the yoga studio. How much time do you waste wondering what other people think about you? If you should do this or do that instead? Do you waste time by sitting on a decision for days, months, years until you get a sign from someone else on what to do? Why do we ask other people’s opinions versus just going with our instinct? Think about where in your life you give power to others. If you want to take some time back in your life and free up your mind, stop giving people choice over your direction. For more tips on taking your time back, PM me for a complimentary strategy session. Wishing you an abundant, prosperous, and joyful day!   Lora Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

01 Mar 2017

Have You Ever Made a Mistake?

By Lora Polowczuk

  This past Sunday the Oscars made headlines with a memorable mistake. The wrong winner was announced for a highly coveted Oscar. There was criticism galore. While I agreed this was a big mistake, I thought how dare anyone criticize them. It’s a bit self-righteousness. I thought – haven’t you ever made a mistake in your life?