KRISTINA'S WEEKLY EMAIL OF THOUGHT-PROVOKING ESSAYS & VIDEOS TO KEEP YOU CONNECTED TO YOURSELF ON THIS JOURNEY CALLED LIFE
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Greetings!
Whether or not you follow politics, it's hard to escape the realities of what our country is currently facing, with everything coming up for review as part of a huge transformation testing our values and fundamental structure. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know there are over 20 folks vying to lend their voice and ideas to that process as we head towards the 2020 election. On my personal Facebook page earlier this week, I decided to go more public than ever about a candidate, which is Andrew Yang. As a holistic career coach and founder of
The Women's Mosaic
,
I have always been deeply concerned with finding meaning and purpose in one's life
, as well as understanding the root of and wanting to ameliorate the causes and consequences of racism. In my view, the practical, solution-oriented approach he offers speaks the most directly to these issues and is one of many of the reasons I support him. Why am I talking about it here? Well, it's because I feel that
Andrew Yang's
campaign is not even political per se, it's merely one that is addressing the immediate needs of our country in a unique way, especially due to what I have seen and have been concerned about regarding the future of work as our technological advances have accelerated over the past decade.
Even if you are not political, or already have someone you support, it is very much worth listening to him speak about these issues (you can find many clips of him on YouTube), which is why I'm bringing it to your attention.
I'm also sharing here because it feels quite vulnerable, and having the courage to be so outspoken is a big personal growth step for me! For this week's PGG I wanted you to reflect on
the unique ways
you
can think for yourself and engage with work and life
so we can each do our part to move our country forward
in the most positive way. And in this week's
PGG Video of the week
I remind you that
the only security in today's world is in knowing who you are,
and the link for the
Instagram post
to
remind you that you don't need a dance floor to dance!
As always, please feel free to
let me know
y
our feedback about any and all that I'm doing :) Big hug <3 Kristina
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"
I love your PGG newsletters - one of the only ones I actually read in its entirety. They are excellently written, and spot on. Thanks for being so inspirational and reflective!" ~ Tom D
.
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Shake Your Groove Thing
Originally published November 28, 2012
In the movie
Silver Linings Playbook
, main characters Pat and Tiffany are in training for a big dance competition that turns out to be much more than a fancy booty-shaking contest. A unique romantic dramedy, it’s a film that shows there is a fine line between sanity and insanity, acceptable versus unacceptable behavior, and shows
the beauty of living life to the beat of your own drum.
In the movie
The Sessions
, Mark O’Brien is confined to an iron lung 20 hours a day, existing on a gurney, unable to move from the neck down, and yet he writes poetry, is a professional journalist and decides to hire a sex surrogate so he can experience the most human of experiences. We go along on his journey (based on a true story!) and find him to be
one of the most alive, loving and liberated individuals to have ever lived, despite such extreme physical limitations.
A
nd as seen in the movie
Lincoln
,
our 16th president is clearly not your Average Joe. He was always thinking out of the box, using his quirky sense of humor to defuse or illuminate situations, and taking numerous risks throughout the most heart-wrenching circumstances our country has endured. He stretched the Constitution to its limit,
working within an established framework while implementing his own interpretation
and/or bending the rules based on his hard-earned wisdom, keen observations and superior judgment as unprecedented needs arose and critical decisions had to be made in order for progress to occur.
In the conscious movement class I take, we are told to “dance it your way” and have breaks of “free dance” where we boogie as we see fit; it’s not chaotic because there is an organized structure and unity contained within the flow as we come back together intermittently as a group throughout the hour. It’s a super-small class because for many people, when given the opportunity to move and think for themselves, even for just a few moments, it is a daunting and uncomfortable feeling;
it’s an empowering exercise that requires more effort and less inhibition
, and many simply don’t know what to do if they are not following the instructor. And that, my friends, is indicative of a larger problem, with implications reaching far beyond a gym studio.
Spielberg’s Lincoln asks:
“
Can we choose to be born? Or are we fitted to the times we’re born into?”
As citizens of the 21st century, we are certainly living in extraordinary times that will require us to become the fullest and most unique beings we are meant to be.
We each have something that needs to be expressed, something that no other person on this planet – no one who has come before or will come after – can express.
Right now we need new ways of looking at old problems and change old ways in order to deal with new problems, so it’s more important than ever for you to do your own thang, because there is no other way to generate inspiration and birth to innovation.
In any era it’s easy to get stuck in past habits and sucked into the zeitgeist of the day. Resist the urge to follow the herd, fight to honor yourself, think and speak your own thoughts, and
begin to know yourself and create yourself anew every moment of every day
– instead of getting swept up by social media, news, commercials, and even your peer groups, work and ethnic cultures or family and friends who are all, consciously or not, forces that can easily grab hold of your mind, body, spirit and/or bank account.
Don’t let your physical characteristics, family roots or societal dictates squash all the rhythms inside you
that might be quite different from what those outside influences might have you believe, say or do.
Not sure exactly what your groove thing is? Give me a buzz and I’ll get you started with some basic choreography and point you in the right direction, because ultimately
You Should Be Dancing
your own steps throughout life,
hopefully with a fun disco floor beneath your feet along the way!
Remember, you can always see PGGs from any month or year going back to 2010 on my website at
www.kristinaleonardi.com
and visit my social media pages for more inspiration throughout the week! Want to share my PGG? Use my
Medium
page for friendliest posting version.
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WORK WITH KRISTINA
Next Talk August 7th 6pm
Video from this month's talk on YouTube:
Kristina's Books:
Read Kristina's Career & Personal Growth Articles:
"Since I last spoke with you, I've had some pretty dramatic changes - New Job, a Big Move, Healthy Dating Relationship. It's been pretty awesome. Emotionally, I've done a 180, and my life is certainly a reflection of that.
My last session with you spurred a lot of wonderful life changes.
"
~ Palanda B.
"I can honestly say that speaking to you was one of the most important events in my life.
It is almost unbelievable how a 2-hour conversation can have that effect."
~
Bozhanka V.
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PGG VIDEO PICK OF THE WEEK
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Looking for more PGG inspiration and tips?
Stay tuned for a
PGG TV
video series coming soon!
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kristina leonardi - Medium
Looking for more good reads? Check out and follow me on Medium, where you can easily like and share the PGG's that really click. Share the love <3
Read more
medium.com
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