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• my laptop adapter died on Friday and the new one wasn’t delivered until late this afternoon
• my husband spent the last three days holed up editing video
• the TV and spare computer were stolen last month
• this Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were oddly clear of any appointments

Over the last three days, I have gotten more done on the domestic front than I’ve gotten done in the previous six weeks.  In addition to soloing on the regular upkeep of the house – dishes, food, litterbox – while Scott remained glued to two computer monitors, I:

• hung four pieces of artwork
• emptied an entire room of the crap I’d dumped in it
• folded close to a dozen loads of laundry
• vacuumed the entire house
• cleaned the bathroom

Plus, I:

• wrote the marketing copy for a new business idea long hand
• enjoyed a really long evening out with a dear friend
• reread a novel
• wrote down my dreams
• meditated
• lent my audio expertise from a previous life to Scott’s video project
• gave my carpel tunnel a rest

What would disconnectivity do for you?

When my husband and I moved from our small apartment to our spacious (we’re talking row home spacious) house, we never bothered to upgrade from the 19 incher that had previously fit so seamlessly into our tiny apartment living room. Sure, no one has been banging down our door to watch football games or Olympic tournaments. And maybe we’ve been sliding the furniture a few feet closer to the TV when there’s something on we want to watch, but we’ve made do. There are other things to spend money on – organic food, Spanish shoes, Spanish hotels. You get the point.

So the chumps who broke into our house while we were away in Guatemala recently must have been REALLY disappointed to discover they picked the only house on the block with a TV smaller than many computer monitors. Bummer, dude.

Of course, that’s not the only thing that was taken. To date the tally includes the TV, a computer (with all pictures, financial records and 20 years of my husband’s professional career and personal writing pursuits – not backed up), a marathon medal, the change jar, a duffel bag and laundry hamper with at least one pair of shorts.

Naturally, the computer was a painful loss, especially for Scott. I was more irritated about the damn change jar, which actually  included quarters since we’re no longer hitting up the laundromat and don’t cling to them like gold.

But just a few hours after we’d discovered the theft, Scott had this to say: “You know, I’m going to need to re-create quite a few documents for my new business, which really sucks. But to be honest, there’s something freeing about letting go of all that creative and professional history. Like I can start anew, from right here, where I am today.” Or something like that.

Our history generally provides a tremendously useful foundation for continuing to launch ourselves forward through life. There’s a sense of building and of growth. Sometimes, however, we don’t get the choice to keep building on to what we’ve already created – be it a career or a relationship or a piece of art. Sometimes, our tangible history gets taken away from us and we have to start anew, from right here, from where we are today.

Given the choice, I bet Scott would choose to have that history back. I certainly would. That’s not to say it’d be what’s best, though.

Olivia Lindquist is one such person. In the midst of a career search while teaching English in Korea, she dropped me this note:

As I’ve been working on my grad school applications due this fall, something was keeping me from being fully invested. Finally I realized that going to grad school for English literature, even though it’s absolutely something I want to do, feels like closing a door on the possibility of pursuing a career in holistic health.

So Olivia decided to figure out how teaching English and a career in holistic health might work together. She’s in the midst of an interview series, bringing to her blog readers the responses from several women in different, related fields. I – representing coaches worldwide (okay, maybe I’m just representing me) – recently responded to Olivia’s questions which she posted last week. If you’re interested in learning more about coaching as a career from my perspective, click the image below to read the full interview.

Additionally, tool around Green Junkie Living. There are other careers highlighted and you just may find some answers you’re looking for. If nothing else, I think we can all learn from Olivia and her gumption. She wants something. She’s not exactly sure what it is. And instead of sitting back and hoping it magically appears, she’s taking an active, holistic approach. She’s asking herself the hard questions. And she’s asking others, too.

For Olivia and all you other career seekers out there: may you uncover what you already know.

Last night I was speaking on a panel geared toward young professionals in the midst of career transition and this very topic of personal branding came up. I listened to the other panelists give credence to the concept and the language and then I weighed in. As a business-owner who loves all things marketing and branding as it relates to my business, let me recap my perspective.

I think it’s dangerous to consider ourselves brands. Using language that positions human beings as consumer goods for sale or for trade undermines the value inherent in being a living creature. It also sponsors the already damaging cultural overemphasis on money and work. Or, as this New York Time article from earlier this year asks:

Is the society always better off with the undigested utterance, the instantaneous attempt at positioning? And in marketing ourselves, will we neglect the pursuit of actually improving?

Part of my perspective on personal branding is connected to my perspective on job searching and employment, in general. I view both as a mutual courtship that must lead to collaboration. Yes, we have to be clear on who we are, what we want and what we bring to the table. But always seeking to sell to one another detracts from the experience of true community.

There were a few nods in the audience last night, but I came away with the impression that my perspective is a minority one. Indeed, many of my respected colleagues and peers are big proponents of personal branding and the internet is awash in programs and trainings designed to help you be a better CEO of Me, Inc.

I’d like to know your perspective. Is creating a personal brand something you believe must be done in order for you to be successful? Does the idea make you uncomfortable? Does it connect with your truest sense of self and your deepest spiritual beliefs?  Have you articulated what you believe is your personal brand?

• This for my spirit; that for my body
• This for God; that for humankind
• This for the Church; that for the world
• This for the Eternal; that for the temporal

We even capitalize the really important categories.

This tendency of humans to divvy up the sacred and secular made my experience at a dear friend’s wedding this weekend particularly meaningful. At first glance, the traditional categories were in play. They had a religious ceremony, held in a church, complete with a Reverend. Yes, the religious ceremony included no proselytizing. Yes, the church is liberal, LGBT-friendly and active in social justice issues. Yes, the Reverend is a woman. But I stopped slicing and dicing along all of those particular lines so long ago that, by my account, the ceremony fell into the traditional, sacred category.

(The rehearsal; (c) Scott Gleeson Blue)

Which begs the question: what, then, blurred the sacred and the secular?

It was the reception that did it.

Instead of moving the party to another location – or another part of the church building even – the chairs used for the ceremony were moved to tables to the immediate left and right, leaving a dance floor in the middle. Together, we ate and drank and danced and laughed where moments before there had been prayer and communion and marriage vows.

(Dancing at the wedding; (c) Emre Edev)

Most people I know are longing for a richer experience of life. Are seeking out people and experiences that bring them a taste of their own powerful, creative existence (and that of the eternal). In this way, categorization along sacred and secular lines seems to get in the way. It cuts us off from the holy experience of daily living or the spiritually nurturing nature of watching someone do the robot in the middle of a circle of tipsy wedding guests.

To be fully alive, I have discovered that I need to allow that what is for my body is also for my spirit; what is for my fellow humans is also for God; what is for the world, is also for the Church; and what is for the temporal is also for the Eternal.  The line between the sacred and the secular must get muddy and blur such that dancing to James Brown’s Try Me and eating roast pork also became holy acts.

So I turned to a fellow coach and author of the book, Your Work, Your Life…Your Way: 7 Keys to Work-Life Balance, to provide us all with some insight into this elusive thing called work-life balance. Julie Cohen rocked this audio interview and you’re bound to find multiple valuable take-aways for your own life. Check it:

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If you’re interested in Julie’s book, you can find it at her website or on Amazon. You can also check her out on facebook. And like most people who are gaga for what they do, she’d love to have you contact her with any questions or thoughts at julie@7keystoworklifebalance.com!

* For those of you who don’t speak Spanish (or speak Ricky Martin), “la vida loca” means “the crazy life.”

This is a problem.

In an effort to address this problem, I’ve crafted a workshop – and now a FREE teleseminar so you can call from anywhere – on this very topic. It’s happening on Thursday, June 3 at 8pm ET and, if you’re a woman, I would really love to have you participate. Really.

In the meantime, take a look at this video from Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty and think about the standard to which you’re holding yourself.

In this post, I’m sharing with you a recent interview with one such person – a Ms. Molly Hoyne – who happens to run a super cool organization in Seattle called Stratejoy. If I lived there, I’d do my best to spend a lot of time with Molly, where we’d undoubtedly drink margaritas and talk about the crazy gift it is to be helping others live life on their own terms.  I’m choosing to share Molly with you here for two reasons:

She’s bound to inspire you. Seriously.

She’s offering something amazing right now.

This offering is called The Joy Equation: A 30 Day Guide to Living Life on Purpose. Especially if you’re experiencing a quarterlife crisis and you’re a woman, I think you might be interested in hopping on over to this page for some more info.

For now, let’s get on with the interview. Friends, meet Molly. Molly, meet Friends.

Jennifer: First of all, could you share a bit about yourself?

Molly: I’m Molly. I live in Seattle. I love to travel and take baths and wear costumes and and partake in naked adventures and have wicked smart conversations about the meaning of life/business/saving the world. I’m getting married in August even though I refuse to plan my wedding. I’m taking off in an RV for a year in September. Here’s my life list.   Here’s a 7 minute video of my story. Here’s my business.  That is all.

JGB: Your new guide, The Joy Equation, is all about living life on purpose. Can you say a little bit more about what that means?

MH: Living on purpose means making deliberate choices about our personal resources – our time, money, energy and love. I think it’s fairly easy to get stuck living on autopilot, doing something today just because we did it yesterday.  Sometimes autopilot is useful- it helps take the guesswork out of making every little decision. Wake up = brush teeth.  Or drink coffee in my case!  But living a life? I think we need to stop and take stock on a fairly regular basis.  What am I doing with my time?  My money?  Why? Am I loving it?  Suffering it?  Am I making conscious choices or just taking the easy road?

JGB: So is there an actual equation for joy?

MH: There is in fact!  I’m sure there are bunches of personal “equations for joy” but I operate with this one: Connect with Yourself  +  Define Success + Cultivate Powerful Habits + Commit to Your Happiness  = Authentic Joy.

Connecting with Yourself is really about clarity around your values and all the little things that make you feel alive.  Defining success comes down to declaring your own version of “making it” or what it’s going to take to rock your world. Cultivating Powerful Habits is the goal setting portion of the equation! We can dream and envision and set intentions all we like, but there is execution that needs to happen as well. And finally, Committing to Your Happiness means recognizing the importance of your own fulfillment and self-realization. We need to create and commit to our own happiness in order to be fully alive and present for everyone else in our life.

JGB: I know that this course evolved out of your own experience conquering your quarterlife crisis (QLC). What do you think brought you to the point of crisis?

MH: I think I ignored the little niggling feeling that “something feels off” for quite awhile before it hit “crisis” mode! After all, I was doing what I had studied in college, getting the proper promotions, kicking butt, making my bonuses…  But when I was really honest with myself, I recognized that I wasn’t fulfilled whatsoever and I had no idea what do to about it. I felt stuck. I was totally self-medicating with wine and constantly bitching about my job without doing anything about it. I was turning into someone I didn’t recognize!

I think I hit crisis when I realized that I was the only one who could change the direction of my life, but I felt totally clueless on how to start.  What direction did I even want to go?  How was I going to “start over”?  What if I failed?    

JGB: And now? How would you describe your life now?

MH: Busy!  And so full of the right things that I frequently find myself telling people I love my life. Which is ridiculously corny, but totally true. It’s been four years since I hit the worst of my QLC and in that time I quit the corporate world, spent 10 months backpacking around the world with my boyfriend, started Stratejoy, cultivated a meditation practice, got engaged, and dove headfirst into coaching/teaching/speaking about success on your own terms.

My life is a lovely reflection of my authentic self.  It’s a mishmash of ALL my interests. This year alone I will have performed in a burlesque show, attended a 7-day silent meditation retreat, bought a cabin in the woods on a river, partied in Vegas with a bunch of 20-something bloggers, taught workshops on both coasts, and made out with James Franco. (If anyone knows James, can you pretty please help me arrange that last bit?  Thanks.)

JGB: And now that you’ve discovered so many wonderful things about yourself and about life, if you could stand on a rooftop shouting one message, what would it be?

MH: This is Life!  Jump in!  Make it Count!

JGB: Thanks, Molly! I couldn’t agree more!

Don’t forget to find your way to Stratejoy’s website and check out Molly’s pay-what-you-can promotion on her guide, The Joy Equation.

One of the most common themes is tied to goals and it just so happens that my friend Olivia, who is blogging about her experiences as she travels the world, wrote her latest post on staying motivated to be physically fit. She has this to say:

I need goals. I need to know what I’ve accomplished so I can either stop contentedly or push on for more. If I’m training for something, I can’t miss a workout; it would screw up my entire training schedule, which would drive me nuts.

Maybe it’s our culture’s lack of emphasis on self-discipline or over-emphasis on instant gratification; regardless, I don’t know too many people who find it easy to establish habits simply because it’s good for them. We do better with goals. (Note to self: find some kind of goal that can be tied to vacuuming.) Olivia will no doubt enjoy working out and discover that exercise is an end in and of itself (like vacuuming, right?). However, as she admits, without a training-related goal the chances of jump starting a fitness regiment decline significantly (hence my personal lack of vacuuming).

It doesn’t really matter what motivates you. But if you prefer to train rather than work out, set a goal. It may do just the trick!