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Posts from the ‘Guest Posts’ Category

Feb 7

3 Comments

How Does Facebook Help Your Friendships?

Today I have a guest post by Cherie Burbach!

Cherie is a friendship expert at About.com, and my guest on the podcast this week, which you can listen to  here! We had a great chat about friendship, and I really enjoyed it!

Today Cherie offers some observations and advice about how we use Facebook with our friends.

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When Michelle interviewed me about friendship, we naturally got to talking about social media. Specifically, Facebook. Seems like everyone we know is on the site, even people we never thought would join, like our parents, grandparents, and technically-challenged friends. Recently I came across a figure that made the reality real: 71% of online adults use Facebook.

No wonder it’s become such a force in communicating with friends.

After my interview with Michelle, I did an informal survey of some of my own Facebook friends to see how they used the site and if it’s helped or hurt their friendships. The responses I got were:

  • It helps to stay in touch with long-distance friends.
  • It helps look up old friends easily.
  • It can get a little overwhelming sometimes.

Another response: it hasn’t changed things one way or the other. I think the response was largely based on how people used the site. Recently I talked about how studies had shown that Facebook made you happier or sadder depending on how you used it. For my own use, I think Facebook has been very helpful in certain situations, but since I use it for work it can also become a little too much at times as well.

One thing is clear: Facebook shouldn’t be the only method you use to communicate with friends. Call them up, text, and make time to see them in person. That’s the only way to truly keep your friendships going and make the people in your life feel important. Facebook can supplement the things you do, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you do to connect with friends.

Girlfriends

Get out and meet up in person! (photo by Whiskeygonebad)

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author photo.

Cherie Burbach is a freelance writer specializing in lifestyle and relationships. She’s written for About.com, NBC/Universal, Happen Magazine, Philips Lifeline, and more. Visit her website, cherieburbach.com.

 

Jan 7

4 Comments

5 Ways to Give Your “Resolutions” a Fighting Chance

Today I present you with a guest post by Lamisha Serf!

Lamisha is a Life Coach who blogs at LifeOnceDreamt.com, and she’s also my first guest on season two of the podcast, which premiers tomorrow (listen here). And it’s totally awesome, because Lamisha had great advice and was really inspiring!

Today Lamisha offers us five great suggestions to make our 2014 goal setting more successful. Take it away, Lamisha…

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Here we are in a bright and shiny New Year and many of us are overflowing with tons of inspiration and motivation for making it the BEST year yet.  We have big plans, amazing dreams, and we have resolved to make them happen in 2014.  We have planned, schemed, and outlined exactly  how to succeed only to find a few weeks into the New Year, things get difficult and our inspiration and “resolutions” fall by the wayside.  Below are 5 ways to give your dreams and “resolutions” a fighting chance.

  1. Set intentions instead of resolutions.  Resolutions often feel so definite and leave little room for error.  We are all human and are bound to have a cookie or skip a workout now and again.  Instead of setting ‘resolutions’, consider setting an intention to eat more veggies or to get to the gym a few times a week.  Simply changing the word you use can make your goal feel less rigid and can greatly improve your chances at succeeding.
  2. Start small.  Setting an intention for the New Year doesn’t have to be a big bold move.  It can be as simple as trying a new veggie each month or to begin a walking regimen.  Too often we think we need to hit the ground running with huge changes and giant leaps.  Remember small steps add up to successful change.
  3. Make it fun.  When goals feel super serious, they can also feel quite restrictive.  I guarantee you are less likely to make lasting change if you hate every single step of the way.  Why not find a way to make it fun?  If you want to get healthy, find a fun exercise class or a group of friends to join you.  Want to write a book?  Join a writing group or class to get your creative juices flowing.
  4. Be kind to yourself.  Remember that lasting change takes time.  You are human and there are bound to be times when you slip up on your intentions, and when you do be gentle with yourself.  Don’t judge or demean yourself if you miss a day at the gym or eat something that is less than healthy.  Simply regroup, refocus, and revisit your intentions and begin again.  You only fail when you quit trying.
  5. Find support.  A lot of times this comes in the form of friends and family members, but it can also come in the form of a coach or other professional.  There is no shame in seeking a bit of help with your intentions.  In fact, people who have accountability partners are more likely to succeed than those who do not.  So find someone you mesh with and who will remind you of #4.  You don’t need a drill sergeant to whip you into shape as much as you need someone to inspire you to keep going.

2014 is going to be an amazing year and this is only the beginning.   Remember to have fun and be kind to yourself as you set your intentions for the New Year.  You were meant to do great things and it all starts with a single step.  Good luck and Happy New Year!

Summit

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Thank you so much, Lamisha!

I was so taken with Lamisha on the podcast that I booked a free Life Coaching session for myself. I’ll post about that on Thursday; it was really great. So great that I hired her to help me with some goals and improvements I want to make in 2014. She’s still offering free sessions for a little longer, if that’s something you think would be helpful for you:

If you find yourself wondering where to begin or you need a little support creating your easy, peazy plan for 2014, I would love to offer you a free coaching session to chat.  If you are interested in seeing what life coaching can do for you, feel free to contact me at lamisha@lifeoncedreamt.com and include a little information about what you want to accomplish this year, and we can get you scheduled for your free 45-minute session.

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Lamisha bio shotLamisha Serf is a life coach and dreamer extraordinaire that uses her Masters in Psychology to work with inspired souls who are ready to make their dreams a reality.  With her unique, inspiration-driven coaching philosophy, she helps clients get out of their heads and follow their hearts to the incredible life they are meant to live.  When she is not coaching or writing on her blog at lifeoncedreamt.com, she can be found with her nose in a good book or her head in the clouds dreaming of her next big adventure.

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Items of Interest:
People I Almost Know podcast – my chat with Lamisha
Lamisha’s Story
Lamisha’s program
How Lamisha categorized her goals and dreams
photo credits: Lori Ann & Dvidshub respectively

Nov 3

8 Comments

In Daddy’s Day – Uncle Joe, the Seed, and Subsequent Events

So, it’s time for another guest post by my dad, Tom.  Last week, he introduced us to his Uncle Joe, who was apparently very hairy and very full of mischief.  Where he left off, my dad was knuckle deep in Uncle Joe’s back hair.  And Uncle Joe was planting a seed in Daddy’s eight-year-old head…

For those of you who are looking in on this little piece of Michelle’s blog for the first time, what you are about to read may not make a lot of sense. It’s part two of a story started last week, Uncle Joe and the Nun. If you get a little bit lost toward the end, just refer back to last week’s episode.

I was a little bit long winded last time, so we’ll skip a bunch of stuff and move the calendar ahead a full eight months.  We are now back home, and witnessing a war of wills between my mother and my father. continue reading…

Oct 28

7 Comments

In Daddy’s Day – Uncle Joe and the Nun

Last week, my Dad threatened promised to tell us some stories from his youth, ostensibly in an effort to help other people raise better kids than his.  I sure hope that works out for everyone.

In case you missed it, here is a defense disclaimer comment my dad wrote about his post last week:

This blog stuff is Michelle’s thing and I didn’t really want to do any commenting, but did you guys hear what Michelle wrote? She acts like she didn’t ask me to write this junk down. She did so. continue reading…

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