Wholeheartedly Speaking

Mark Your Calendars for the Big Event

On August 8, 2018 / Dr. Brene Brown, Whole Hearted Living Workshops, Women Supporting Women / Leave a comment

Gathering Women for Connection & Community AUGUST 27TH, 2018!! Please join us for a very special evening to meet and mingle with women who are fun, authentic, and inspirational! This event will be taking place at The Barn, in Hilliard, Ohio, from 6:00-9:00 PM. I wanted to offer a genuine experience for people to connect, cultivate new relationships and learn from one another! There will be three fantastic speakers that will be sharing their expertise for all of us and they are: Dr. Stephen Laflamme, PT, DPT, owner of Axiom Therapy and Performance, he will be discussing how making physical health a priority increases the quality of our lives and what women need to know when they are starting an exercise program. Amy Hanner, Board Certified Aesthetician will be presenting valuable information about how our skin ages and what we need to know

Women Offering Women Support: WOW!

On July 24, 2018 / Daring Greatly, Dr. Brene Brown, Vulnerability, Women Supporting Women / 2 Comments

I recently had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful women while presenting a Brené Brown,”Daring Greatly” workshop. The discussion topic was about how we ALL have the ability to “Dare Greatly”. What caught my attention was the support and kindness all the women had for each other. I kept thinking how nice it would be if more women would be able to experience this type of camaraderie and connection. I came up with an idea and would love your feedback! I would like to create an occasion to invite women to be themselves, bring a friend and enjoy an evening filled with inspiration and fun! The event would take place in a relaxing setting which includes appetizers and drinks along with speakers that provide valuable information that all of us could use and share with other women! The topics could range from skincare,

What is Gaslighting? Could it be happening to you?

On June 28, 2018 / Abusive Men, Gaslighting, Self Care / 2 Comments

These days you can hardly go more than a day or two without hearing the word “gaslighting.” This term is defined as a type of emotional manipulation in which a “gaslighter” tries to convince you that you’re misremembering, misunderstanding, or misinterpreting your own behavior or motivations, which create doubt in your mind leaving you vulnerable and confused. The term came from the play called “Gas Light” and the film adaptations released in 1940 and 1944 which depicts this type of abuse as occurring to the wife of an abuser. The important thing to learn is it always takes place between two people; the gaslighter, who creates confusion and doubt, and a gaslightee, who is willing to doubt their own perceptions in order to keep the relationship going. Dr. Robin Stern; Associate Director for the Yale Center of Emotional Intelligence, surprisingly discovered the Gaslight Effect while she facilitated

Getting to Know You…

On May 22, 2018 / Self Love, Vulnerability, Whole Hearted Living / Leave a comment

I know I am dating myself but.. Do you remember the song “Getting to Know You,” from the musical ‘The King and I’? I have always loved that song. Just recently, after singing the lyrics I had an “Ah Ha” moment. I wondered, “What if we listened to the song in a different way? What if we were able to sing this to ourselves and stop our inner critic from taking over our thoughts and attitude towards life?” There is a quote from a book I recently read that states: What you can’t be with, won’t let you be.” We need to learn how to give ALL of who we are, permission to exist. Even parts of ourselves we don’t like. When we are able to see the dark and the light side of our personalities it allows us to become less defensive and it

5 Ways to Spring into Action With Choices, Chances and Changes

On April 24, 2018 / Self Care, Self Compassion, Self Love, Whole Hearted Living / Leave a comment

Almost EVERY ONE of us has been given the choice to make a change, BUT… if we Chose the status quo, our life has little Chance to Change. Of course, our lives can be overwhelming at times; so before you get too stressed out here are a few tips that will help you and your family have a productive summer! Start each day with one single goal in mind… PEACE OF MIND. Peace of mind means FREEDOM from ANGER, GUILT, and FEAR! Here is a question you can ask yourself, “What am I able to do today to nourish my mind, body, and spirit?” You may take a walk, make a phone call, go to the gym. It may be uncomfortable but try it anyway! 1. Eliminate BLAMING others….this will give you peace of mind by giving you control over your life which is what everyone

Does Hope Really Float?

On March 15, 2018 / Self Care, Self Compassion / Leave a comment

Do you remember watching the movie, Hope Floats with Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr.? It’s about a woman who found out her husband was cheating on her so she decides to go back home with her young daughter to try and figure out her life. I fell in love with this romantic drama even though the reviews weren’t very positive, but what I find interesting is that the soundtrack and the quotes from this movie still resonate with people. While reading an article recently I came across my favorite quote which is, “Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts the most.” Try to remember this when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up.” I kept thinking about how all of us go through pain and it sure is

My #Metoo Story

On February 5, 2018 / Metoo, Self Care, Self Compassion, Self Love, Vulnerability / 10 Comments

It was May 1975; I was a sophomore in high school and had starting dating a boy for about fourth months that was a few years older than me so I guess you could say we were officially boyfriend and girlfriend. He had asked me to go to a family get together with him on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I will never forget the outfit I wore that day, it was a beautiful new crème colored pant suit I had just bought at the mall. It was unusual I was able to do something on a Sunday because being raised in a very conservative Catholic family all of us usually stayed home. The day felt special to me because he wanted to include me and spend time with him; I enjoyed getting to know more about his family and being introduced as

Telling Your Story Might Help Others Heal

On January 17, 2018 / Abusive Men, Dr. Brene Brown, Metoo, Whole Hearted Living Workshops / Leave a comment

Happy New Year!!! I believe there is going to be a great deal of changes this year; especially for women. I have been impressed with the courage and bravery it has taken for so many women to come forward and stand up for what needs to change by putting a spotlight on sexual harassment. Speaking out and unearthing the long history of this dirty little secret allows others to come forward to tell their story! Women no longer need to carry the shame and guilt about what happened in the past and begin to create new ways to empower themselves wherever they are! To help women navigate being vulnerable I will be offering a new workshop starting Wednesday, February 21st based on Dr. Brené Brown’s new book called; “Braving the Wilderness.” In her book, Brené discusses the pain of loneliness and how anxiety

Time Is a True Gift From the Heart!

On December 13, 2017 / Whole Hearted Living / 1 Comment

If you told me five years ago I would be in Long Beach, California running a half marathon with my son while he ran the full 26 miles, I would have thought you created something out of a lifetime movie because it was not my reality at the time, that is for sure. But it DID JUST HAPPEN! A few months ago, my son; Paolo said he wanted to do something special with me around his 26th birthday in December. He mentioned running together, just us, alone, somewhere warm and to have a unique one on one experience together. To be honest, this last few months I have had more than a few sleepless nights wondering what a 58 year old woman like me, running in Long Beach going to look like? How was I NOT going to embarrass my son? And more

Recommended Books and Reviews

On November 29, 2017 / Book Review / Leave a comment

The Emotional Edge: Discover Your Inner Age, Ignite Your Hidden Strengths, and Reroute Misdirected Fear to Live Your Fullest by Crystal Andrus Morissette This fantastic book explains how to deal with your feelings (rather than run from them or numb them), manage your emotions, face your fears, heal your wounds, and expand your emotional edges in order to lead you BACK to the Real You!! This book explains basic psychology very clearly and empowers individuals to stop reacting in a “knee-jerk” way that hurts their relationships with others. Most of us were not taught to manage our emotions because it was something most of us feel isolated and ashamed about because of our lack of control. So many of us have suffered in silence and shame but not any longer!! The truth is that the answers are right inside of you and the author explains how to