38 Special

By Julie Strzyz

October 21^st marked my 38^th birthday.  I’ve always been a huge fan of celebrating birthdays – especially my own – but this birthday hit me a bit differently.  You see, my father passed away at the age of 38 (when I was only 9 years old).  He was a bright, talented guy with many gifts. Unfortunately, he didn’t share those gifts due to fear: fear of failure, fear of imperfection, fear of what others would think, etc.  He let fear cripple him and it ended his life early, leaving behind a young wife and daughter.

As a child, 38 seemed forever and a day away.  But we all know what time does: it flies! So here 38 is…screaming and staring at me in the face. And I am scared. Scared that I will let fear win by not doing all the things I want to do and somehow have the same fate as my dad.

Say Yes to YOU Instead

By Julie Strzyz

Let’s face it, we are in an era of pure overwhelm. We are constantly inundated with messages via text, email, social media, etc. as well as requests for our time and attention. Whether it is receiving messages about a project to which you apparently need to respond ASAP or being asked to volunteer for yet another one of your child’s activities, it simply becomes too much. Yet we keep saying yes. To everything. Every time.

We say yes to things we never really wanted to do in the first place because we either feel obligated or do not want to disappoint others – or both.

Marvelously Simple, Stupid

“It is always the simple that produces the marvelous.”  

-Amelia Barr

Many people think that in order to dream and achieve marvelous things that marvelous measures must be taken.  And when those marvelous measures are deemed too drastic, they stop dreaming and achieving altogether.  However, I have four little words for you:  Keep It Simple, Stupid.

I say that very lovingly, of course.  What I mean by “K-I-S-S” is that you can continue to dream and achieve the marvelous if you just break things down into simpler steps. 

Want to completely shift careers? 

The End of Your Story?

The End of a Story
by Julie Strzyz, ESI Personal Growth and Leadership Coach

I was impressed by a recent TEDx event called “The Energy of Eulogy”, given by a fellow coach, speaker, writer, and all-around magnetic individual.  She described the power behind a eulogy as well as the message it leaves about the deceased.  She challenged us as an audience to contemplate our own eulogies as the process defines how and who we will be.

I reflected on the eulogies of two recently deceased loved ones and the celebratory note of each of them.  Yes, I was grieving intensely and missing them dearly but the pure joy I felt at the realization of their impact on the world was deep and consuming.