ONE Question for Your New Year

Hands Holding Coffee Mug

There is a real paradox every New Year. While it offers a fresh slate and a new beginning full of endless possibilities, it can also bring a lot of self-imposed stress and overwhelm with high and often unrealistic expectations. You already know the list: eat healthy, exercise more, spend less, and so on… Instead of…

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Living with Resilience: Keep Your Word

Some days I wake up feeling discouraged, frustrated and tired of it all. I call it a COVID day when I grieve the way things used to be and berate myself for not completing my book, getting organized or reaching out to more family with all the extra time I think I should have. I…

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5 Surprises of Italy!

Bridge in Bagnon Italy

Every retreat I lead is full of magic and surprise, and the month we spent in Tuscany did not disappoint.  With the theme, An Exploration of the Senses, we learned about Italian history, art, food and wine, but we learned even more about ourselves.  I experienced the delight and wonder of surprise many times and…

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The Gifts of Patience

Gifts of Patience

Why are we all in such a rush?  That is the question I asked in my first book, Stop Living Life Like an Emergency! and I’m still asking it. We are so busy, expectant, and impatient, demonstrated by how we react to a slow computer, delayed flight, or transition that takes longer than we expect.…

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5 Ways to Practice Authenticity

5 ways to practice authenticity Patrick Kennedy

The AONE 2018 meeting was full of rich and relevant content, great speakers and a huge expo hall ideal for learning and connecting. Everyone I met, from vendors to nurse leaders was refreshingly authentic, open and enthusiastic about nursing and healthcare today. Of all the diverse speakers I experienced, I found Patrick Kennedy to be the most exceptional. Known…

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Have you HAD it?

Sad HAD it Snowman

HAD is a term I coined as Holiday Affective Disorder, when you feel down, moody, and irritable anticipating and experiencing the holiday season. I have had a difficult time, (some years worse than others) around the holidays for most of my adult life as it represents a deep sense of loss for me, the biggest…

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Remembering Mom

Remembering Mom My mom was a funny, brave, and beautiful woman, who was passionate about the beach, football and her family. Mom was the youngest of 7 children, with an identical twin sister, Nan. They had a strong bond all of their lives that only twins can know. Mom spent the majority of her adult…

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STOP Judging and Start Dancing!

A couple of months ago, my partner Neil and I went to a salsa bootcamp to learn how to dance, connect on a deeper level, and have some fun. Like all life experiences, it was a perfect opportunity to practice mindfulness, especially non-judging. While salsa looks smooth, sexy, and intuitive, (kind of like ice dancing)…

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The Freedom of Acceptance

I visited my 81 year old Mom last month in Illinois and it went much better than I expected, in fact I think it was one of the best visits we have had in recent years. The weather was perfect, in the mid-70’s with a nice breeze, we didn’t have any unpleasant tasks, like a…

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The One Thing You Need to Be Authentic

On the mountain

When I first started speaking professionally, almost 20 years ago, I wanted to be just like all the great speakers I experienced, such as Jeanne Robertson, with her side-splitting humor, Les Brown, with his engaging intensity, and my beloved coach, Lou Heckler, with his heartfelt ability to connect. Great speakers are polished and passionate delivering…

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