Turn the page

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It is October 1st and we turned the page of our old fashioned wall calendar this morning.

October 2015

October 2015

It was exciting to take a peek at all the adventures this month has to offer. To top it off, we even have real Fall weather today – a cool morning and a bright, sunny blue sky day! Just a few minutes outside reinvigorates and grounds you. Boy, do I love those basics.

Today is even more exciting because it is DAY 1 of my 30 day commitment to clearing out the clutter in my life. Every day for the next 30 days I will GIVE AWAY or THROW AWAY something. At the end of each week, I will donate the items to our local thrift store. Here is what went into the GIVE AWAY pile today…

Going to Goodwill!

Going to Goodwill!

Would you like to join me? I know I do better with an accountability partner! That reminds me, I will be talking about all kinds of tips for making accountability more engaging in my FREE TELECLASS this month. Check it out!

HAPPY AUTUMN!

Take a Break

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Relaxing on hammock in garden in summer

How’s your summer unfolding? My family embarked on an exciting adventure to Costa Rica this month. I hope that you are taking time off and enjoying a break from your regular routine. If you don’t have a summer break scheduled, then set aside some time for you and take a mini-vacation!

Pura vida,
Mary

Green and Growing

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organic rice field with dew drops during sunset

“June is bustin’ out all over!” Ever wonder where that came from? Check out this video link. It is almost 9 minutes long but if you like a big song and dance number, you will love this!

I am looking forward to the “bustin’ out” activity of June. It is SUMMER and that means all kinds of exciting changes. Our routines change — no school, long weekends, and summer vacation — WAHOO! Our wardrobe changes — can you say SHORTS and sandals?! Because there is more daylight, we stay up longer, hang out later, and have more spontaneous adventures at this time of the year.

Excitement is in the air for work, too.

“June is a comin’ — look around!”

Warmly, with sunscreen,
Mary

Leo Olk Miller: Our Forever Baby

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Leo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seventeen years ago today, I joined a tribe I didn’t know existed.

  • On May 14, 1998, with broken hearts, my husband and I welcomed our full term stillborn son, Leo Olk Miller into the world.

    We were devastated. We knew that his spirit had left his body before he was born. And what a magnificent spirit it was. Before he was born, he had touched so many hearts and souls with joy, connection and laughter. So many people were looking forward to greeting this new soul.

    Despite our sorrow, we were eager to touch him, to hold him, to cradle him in our arms. Our families came to meet him – to touch him. They gathered around and held on tightly to us. The love and courage of our families buoyed us as we sank into the deep sadness of losing our baby.

    Later that night, after everyone had gone home, Leo’s spirit came to visit. He washed us with love and light. He blessed us with the immense joy and happiness he was now feeling. He let us know that he was happy and well. And he let us know that in time we would be happy again too.

    We will never know why he left his beautiful, perfect body. But his powerful spirit – that joyful, playful, loving spirit – lives on in our family.

    Happy Birthday Leo, our forever baby.
    We are so grateful for the gifts you give our family.
    With love and tenderness, Mommy

    • Spring is Sprouting

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    Hand with sponge cleaning dirty window

    April is here and soon the signs of Spring will be sprouting everywhere! The excitement of this season puts a smile on everyone’s face and lightens our steps. I hope that you are enjoying the delights that Spring can bring — even through the snowflakes.

    I am looking forward to sharing my delightful friend and coaching colleague, Judy Zimmer, with you. Judy is going to help us breathe some fresh air into our stuffy LinkedIn profiles in my FREE TELECLASS this month.

    Hey, feeling the need to do some internal spring cleaning to connect to your inner wisdom? Then you want to check out my new product: Activating Your Inner Champion. It will help you clean out those internal cobwebs that keep getting in your way.

    Happy Spring! Here’s to a shiny, squeaky clean, new you!

    Warmly,
    Mary

    Mary
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    Horseman galloping at high speed in horse racing

    How’s your New Year unfolding so far?

    My year is starting out like a race horse bursting out of the starting gate and galloping away at break neck speed! It’s all good, exciting stuff that is happening.

    The most thrilling part of my ride is the release of my new audio program: Activating Your Inner Champion. It came out on February 1! You will be able to read all about it on my website soon or learn about it in my Free Teleclass this month. (Check out my Upcoming Events for more information on the teleclass.)

    I am doing my darnedest to stay firmly in the saddle and ride with grace, strength and determination. The best part of this fast pace: I stay focused on the road ahead in order to succeed on my steed. There is no room for boredom or distraction!

    Here is the question that is guiding me on this wild ride: “What is most important right now?”

    What is guiding you?

    Mary

    How did your 2014 wrap up?

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    Driving on an empty road towards the mountains and setting sun

    How did your 2014 wrap up? Did you race at breakneck pace and slide full speed into home plate at last? VICTORY; I made it! Or maybe you floated like a leaf on a soft breeze, gently landing on the last days of the year? AHHH, how sweet it is! Every year it is a different story.

    Last year went by very quickly. Even my kids were amazed that 2014 was coming to a close. I hope that means that we were so engrossed enjoying the everyday moments of life that we didn’t even notice the passage of time. During the holiday season, we thoroughly enjoyed a break in our regular routine. There was so much more time for sleeping in, cooking, sledding, and watching movies without work/school, meetings, and extra-curricular activities. I hope that you, too, enjoyed a pause in your routine.

    I am looking forward to 2015. A New Year is like a blank page waiting to be filled. I don’t do resolutions, but I do find a theme for the year. One year my theme was “Yes, bring on the best!” Another year, “The answer always there, right away, no delay!” So far, the theme that is taking shape for my 2015 is something about ever-expanding love and happiness.

    What is your theme for 2015? If you want some help crafting your theme for the year, call me for a special thirty-minute New Year coaching session for only $49. I would love the chance to help you pave the way to a fulfilling and satisfying year. (Contact me before Jan 31, 2015, for this special offer.)

    Happy 2015,
    Mary

    Slow Down & Savor Summer

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    Feet of a young woman lying in hammock in a garden

    I love August. The daylight lingers just long enough that we can enjoy extra summer activities once the workday is over. We often sneak over to the beach around 7 PM for a quick swim to cool off on a hot summer night. And our usual 20 minute evening stroll around the block takes an hour and a half because we stop to visit with our neighbors who are out and about. We savor these dog days of summer. They nourish our soul for those long, cold, mid-western winter nights.

    On the work front, this summer I’ve been developing my new product that could be released this month! It’s an audio learning program with workbook — designed to help you discover and use your Inner Champion. You know, that brilliant inner resource that believes in you and consistently guides you to success and satisfaction! Stay tuned for the latest on this project.

    What is on your summer FUN list? There is still time to get out and enjoy the summer salad days! Come and play with me. Sign up for my free tele class on August 17th for some great tips and reasons to play every day.

    Happily yours,
    Mary

    Be a Firework

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    HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

    We are getting ready to celebrate Independence Day here in the U.S. of A. I really look forward to watching fireworks. Don’t you love a good fireworks display? You hear the launch, and then wait…. When the sky lights up with the beautiful display of light, color and sound, we all “OOH” and “AAH” at the delightful surprise of each firework. It is magical. By the end of the fireworks show, my face hurts from smiling so much and my heart bursting, it is so happy!

    One of the reasons I love coaching so much is because each of my clients are like those magical, mysterious fireworks. Coaching launches each client in a new trajectory and when the time and circumstances are just right, BOOM! Each client lights up the sky with the power and joy of accomplishing goals that align with their heart. It is magnificent!

    What kind of firework are you? When will you light up the sky?

    KABOOM!

    Mary

    Take a Break from Your Routine

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    This month, in lieu of my usual tele class, I am offering an opportunity of a different sort. On June 12th, I challenge you to walk away from your office, shut off your smart phone, log off the laptop, and spend one hour doing something that gives you joy and pause.  From 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Central time, take some time away from your routine and enjoy being unplugged.

    Register here for the challenge to keep you accountable to your mini-vacation!

    Mary CO Vacation 4I want to hear from you! Before the event, during the hour, or after your mini-vacation, please post in the comments below what you enjoyed for the hour (or make it more, if you so desire!). I also encourage you to post your photos and description to social media with the hashtag #MiniVacation so we can all follow the conversation together.

    Happy vacationing!
    Mary

    Challenging. Empathetic. Creative.

    My time with Mary has been invaluable.

    I began working with Mary at a time when I was approaching a major life change:  I wanted to change my career and re-balance my life. Mary was an incredible accountability partner in helping me navigate, plan, and adapt during this transition, and — most significantly — she helped me get in tune with what I truly want in this next chapter of my life.

    Her direct, no-bullshit, empathetic coaching style and her ability to push me beyond my surface responses were critical to helping me take real ownership of my life, career, and relationships. Furthermore, her coaching – especially with the PQ program – has been transformative and has given me the tools to continue growing on my own which is a true treasure.  I am grateful to be in a new place, with new insight and compassion for myself and others.  It’s been an amazing journey–and Mary is an amazing coach!

    Jeanne F Testimonial

    Three Words: Energetic. Challenging. Creative.

    Mary is a true “coach’s coach”. I learned so much from her as my supervisor during the coach certification process that I hired her to coach me again…and again…and again. Mary was so effective that I engaged her at several key moments in my career. Our work together was always up-lifting, insightful and action-oriented, and I am grateful for both the wisdom and the kindness she shared with me. Thank you Mary!

    Laura Weiss Testimonial

    For sales people in general a great coach is an asset because we are forced to deal with negative emotions every day – there is a lot of rejection and fear. The resilience needed to withstand that is greater when you have an asset like Mary.

    She helps me think through what is going on. If there is conflict with my values, she helps me articulate what is going on. From that we trade action steps to progress through a challenge, or take on an opportunity. She takes what is within me and helps me make sense of it and create actionable steps.

    Mary does not bring a one-size-fits-all approach – this is a customized approach we have worked on over the past four years.

    Gabriel-Harren

    THREE WORDS: Professional, Humor, Authentic

    Mary’s sense of humor, coupled with her raw authenticity, gave me a huge play ground to be myself and to experiment with letting go of concepts about myself that no longer served me.  Our work was, and continues to be, life-changing.

    I send my closest friends and family to Mary when someone needs a coach.  Enough said.  I know you’ll get nothing but excellence when you work with her.

    I’ve pretty much doubled business over the course of working with her. I know it is tough to attribute it to one single thing, but I know with certainty that she is a part of what has allowed me to do that. And, working with Mary has helped me have much more authentic conversations with people in my life, whether those are people I’m dating, or my relatives, friends or colleagues. She’s helped me get a clear sense of my voice in all those types of relationship.

    She has helped me get out of my own way on the goals that really, really matter to me.

    Annemarie-Estess

    I am somebody who needs homework. I need someone to say ‘Do X Y and Z and get back in touch,’ instead of ‘Think about this and we will talk.’ Mary structured things for me in that manner. Otherwise it is easy for me to put things on back burner.

    There were two big main issues that Mary and I worked with: I had too much on my plate, and my marriage was blowing up. So we worked on both.

    I gained a good sense of not only who I was but trusting that I had the answers, which is really where you want to get to: That you can trust yourself with the way you are feeling and that the decisions you are making are right for you.

    Dayle-Quigley

    My coaching journey with Mary has been wonderful. She was a sounding board to test ideas, conversations, and dreams about what I want in my career and my personal life. Coaching with her helped me grow into a stronger leader and find my voice to speak up for myself. Coach Mary helped me gain the confidence and skills to self-advocate and ask for what I deserve from my superiors. This was the catalyst for opening doors to a new career role that is a wonderful fit for me, a role that I didn’t even know was an option when I began.

    Leslie S - Testimonial for Mary Olk

    There is no colleague I respect more than Mary Olk. She has an unwavering commitment to personal and professional growth for her clients and herself. She is a truly gifted inner guide—extraordinarily insightful, self aware, highly skilled, and wise. I am especially proud she has chosen to integrate the Gremlin-Taming® method into her own naturally potent style of facilitating others to tap into and channel their potential.  Her clients are beyond fortunate to have her in their lives.