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!
I realize both today's note and essay is a bit on the lengthy side, but it's a long weekend, so I'm thinking you might have a little more time to read ;)
I've worked with hundreds of people over the the past 15 years, and it's always so rewarding to get immediate feedback like this week, when one client who wrote that as result of our session: "I'm so excited about the future for the first time in many years." Other times, they might not be too happy with what I said - and I'm certainly not perfect - but years later tell me, in hindsight, it was exactly on point. (Cue Mick Jagger singing, You can't always get what you want, but you get what you need...)
But after some time has passed beyond our engagement, I think about where their journey has taken them. I keep up with some of you out there on social media (don't hesitate to LinkedIn with me if we've worked together, and of course follow on IG), but regardless, always feel free to drop me a line and let me know how you're doing!
And then there are a few special folks, like the energetic, intelligent, ambitious but frustrated, young man who I coached years ago at city-wide career fair. It seemed to me as if he had some hearing loss which affected his speech; people were probably judging him on that, so I suggested he consider getting hearing aids. Not your typical resume review, but I always want to get to the root, the core of what might be holding you back, and in that case I thought that's what would turn his whole situation around. I always wonder what happened to him.
And then there is Junior, who I mention in today's PGG essay, and met when he was probably about 14. I don't know his last name or have his contact info either, but I always wonder how his life evolved and how he is doing now in his early 20's - especially every time I hear Bob Marley's music, which was just last week when saw I his grandson play in Central Park.
I say all this to remind you that no matter what you do for a living, we all impact each other. Whether at home or work, at the grocery store or on the bus. We have so much more power and influence than we realize, even if it's just offering a smile to someone who you didn't know was having a bad day. You never know what a person needed in that moment and you were able to provide it JUST BY BEING YOU. We see, experience or hear all the time about how we impact each other negatively, so remember that it happens positively just as, if not more.
And the more you are aligned with your authentic self, the more you will have a positive impact on others. And when you are aligned with and live by your VALUES you feel more fulfilled, and your energy is that much more effective. Let's discuss at this month's CONNECTING WITH KRISTINA online gathering on Wednesday, October 19th! Thanks to everyone who attended last month, where the topic was BALANCE. You can see some clips here with more to come on IG and YouTube, so be sure to follow or subscribe if you haven't already;) Scroll down or click here for info about this and past gatherings.
Today's PGG Video of the Week reminds that being we are makes the world a better place and this week's Instagram posts is reminds us to find peace and love in ourselves and that automatically helps others. For today's PGG Vibe of the Week in honor of Junior, here is Bob Marley's Positive Vibrations.
Lastly, THANK YOU for being here and for being part of my community! If any of my essays, coaching, talks, videos or posts have helped you along your career/life journey, here are a few ways you can show your appreciation and support my work:
And as always, please feel free to contact me with any comments about anything.
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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What are people saying about Kristina's new book
I LOVE this book and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a little boost of positivity in their lives. ~ Margaret H.
This is more of a "working" book – not something you'll pick up once and read cover to cover, but it'll become more of a tool to help you see yourself differently and will return to over and over again, which is priceless. ~ Cherise R.
The intro pages guided me on how the affirmations can be used, and I love how she speaks of having “anchor times” in my day. ~ Alex I.
I absolutely love these affirmations and the way the book was put together with such thought and creativity. Say them, post them, paste them! Affirmations have helped me tremendously and I love that these are made easily accessible. ~ Tina R.
The colors and fonts are bold and energizing... I’ve started opening the book to any page throughout the day and spending a few minutes with that singular page letting it imprint on my brain body, and being. This book is a gift from a great wise teacher. ~ Karen M.
It’s such a perfect bite-sized book of inspiration and happiness… everyone should have it! ~ Melissa F.
It can be as simple as a jump-start or as deep as an entire rewiring of your inner thoughts.
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UPCOMING EVENT:
CONNECTING WITH KRISTINA
Monthly topic, online group chat, support and Q & A
Connect with like-minded folks on a personal growth & career journey
Next month's topic:
VALUES
7pm-8:30pmET via Zoom
Zoom link sent upon registration & prior to event.
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Life Class
Originally published on April 30, 2014
My first job out of college was teaching Spanish for grades 7–11 at a private school in New Jersey. I started right before I turned 22. I left way before I turned 23.
Fast-forward many, many moons when I found myself in a high school classroom again, this time in one NYC public school’s ninth grade to talk about social media.
Don’t ask. Those of you who know me will find this laughable since I am a recovering technophobe who probably wouldn’t even be online if I didn’t kinda have to be for my type of work.
It all happened very quickly — I was asked on a Wednesday if I would start the first of six classes the following Monday, and without much thinking said yes, I guess because I trusted the person and wanted to see if I could now handle the critters that gave me so much grief way back when. Besides, I’ve been speaking/teaching for years, and I remember ninth grade being my favorite at the time, so why not? Social media? Apparently the entire curriculum would be provided, I just had to deliver it.
HAH! After the first day, with little to no preparation or training, it was like being thrown into a tank with 40 cranky sharks — what did I get myself into?!?! I held my own, but nearly quit. Other days it was like wrangling cats. But there were a few days of pure magic.
After surveying the students and finding out they spend nearly 100% of their free time on social media, I realized that a.) that’s the first problem, and b.) beyond the general predator and online reputation issues (along with their celebrity obsession), when looked at through the lens of cyberbullying and the associated psychological and physical tolls — as in murders and suicides — it quickly occurred to me that having them understand the proper and positive use of social media, texting and the internet could not be a more important and serious assignment…and that it was quite literally a matter of life and death. In other words, I realized that since they live most of their lives on social media, I was really there to teach them about life.
Aha! Now that made sense, because that is what I do for my day job. Let’s just say I tweaked the lesson plans I was provided.
It was an eye-opening experience to say the least. I could go on telling you how much I learned about kids, education, their future, our future, and the culpability of adults; the upsetting things I discovered about how our youth behave, what they think, what they do to each other; how they only care about being famous; how I tried in our short time together to turn some of those things upside down and instill them with completely new empowering ideas and perspectives (yes, the Golden Rule was one of the “new” concepts introduced after you could hear crickets when asked if anyone could tell me what it was); and how I held their attention with my knowledge of Justin Bieber (yes, I saw Never Say Never and was impressed — don’t laugh — it was relevant because of how he used YouTube to become famous, but he is/was extremely talented and worked hard even though he’s had some trouble lately…not to mention second highest amount of followers on Twitter etc.)
I know this is probably the first and only time some of these kids will hear about such things, and I’m pretty sure I reached at least a few who will now think a little differently about their lives and the consequences of their actions, both online and off. But I know for sure there was at least one who truly got it.
After the third lesson, which was the first on cyberbullying and the aforementioned wrangling cats day, I was caught off-guard when after class, a soft spoken but confident kid from the back of the room came up to me, shook my hand and said “Miss, I just wanna let you know I really appreciate you.” He had me at appreciate! But he went on to say how disgusted he was with his classmates, that they weren’t taking this seriously and that he had been listening to a lot of Bob Marley lately and was looking for his purpose, how he wanted to be a leader and that today he found his calling.
My work was done, (or as my new colleague Karim goes: “Boom!” while gesturing the dropping of a mic and exiting stage left.) even if no one else got it and they did not listen to the next three lessons!
Junior (his actual nickname) and I talked about how he might accomplish such a mission, and I asked if he would like to start by talking to the class. Our final day together he did just that — the first time he ever spoke in front of a room! And he was an unlikely candidate to do so according to him and his teachers who say he’s not a great student, and he admittedly wasn’t even the best kid but recently had a change of heart — and my class helped to solidify and confirm his new direction. With no coaching from anyone, he spoke for almost 15 minutes about how his peers need to wake up and take life and education “fa real” and do something that helps others.
I couldn’t have been more inspired and proud, as I know for anyone, especially at that age, to get up in such an environment and speak his truth was quite remarkable. It was one of the best days of my life.
I tell you all this because I did not do anything special — all I did was listen to my gut, show up, be myself and do my thing, which is all you can ever do, regardless of the context. You never know what the bigger plan is and how affecting just one person can make a huge difference. The Universe knows what it’s doing — and what it had to do to get me in the same room with that 14-year-old boy was nothing short of a miracle.
Still not a Belieber? Whether you’re 15 or 51 you’re never too young or too old to take responsibility for your life, discover who you are and be confident enough to share it with the world. Give me a buzz and I’ll help you offer more than just a #Selfie to have a positive impact in the Twitterverse and beyond….
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If you like what I write, you'll love what I have to say in person!
"Many times job searching and navigating your professional career can actually be soul searching as well. Kristina combines both career and soul, which is extremely rare. Thank you, Kristina!" ~ C. Loridas
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If you've heard about affirmations but never knew what they were or how to create or use them, this potent little book is just the tool you need!
This colorful guide’s straightforward, actionable advice and 30 bold affirmations can help you to shift your mindset and feel better about yourself no matter who you are or what your circumstances.
Keep this handy, pocket-size book at your bedside or in your backpack so you’re never far from information about:
- What affirmations are and why they are important
- How and when to use affirmations so they are most effective
- 10 ways to use the specific affirmations in the book.
Use as part of a daily routine or while on the go to strengthen your connection to yourself and maintain a positive, uplifting outlook on who you are and what you can accomplish in every area of your life!
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WORK WITH KRISTINA
If you're looking for some compassionate candor and a dose of tough love, Kristina is the coach for you.... I came into this really lacking clarity and walked away with a sense of relief. Can't recommend her enough. ~ Kevin R.
Find clarity, balance and direction in your career and life.
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WHAT TO EXPECT FROM KRISTINA'S COACHING:
Kristina’s coaching expertise is phenomenal — all-encompassing, inclusive of the mind, body & spirit, nonjudgmental, insightful and deeply involved in providing solutions and tools to be a better version of yourself. ~ Audrey N.
Kristina patiently helped me to discover and embrace my true north. I was stuck in a past identity that blocked me from the person I wanted to become. ~ Pascal D.
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.
Thank you again for opening my eyes to a new future! ~ K. Handa
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GET MORE OF KRISTINA
There are no upcoming events at this time. You will receive separate emails for group coaching, speaking appearances, Zoom talks or interviews but in the meantime you can check out past ones here:
VIRTUAL GROUP COACHING
Heart & Soul: The Key to Success in 2021 and Beyond
SELF-CARE IN THE MIDST OF SEA CHANGE:
Watch FULL-LENGTH Talks Here:
Using the Great Pause for Personal & Professional Development
Staying Motivated Throughout the Job Search Process
Authentic Branding: Letting the Real You Shine in Any Situation
Who Are You & What Are You Supposed to Be Doing with Your Life?
Stepping Stones for Success
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INTERVIEWS WITH KRISTINA
CLICK HERE FOR MY INSTAGRAM LIVE WITH ZANADE MANN
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Kristina's Books:
(on Amazon)
(on Amazon)
(work in progress)
Archive of PGG essays can be found on
Read Kristina's Career & Personal Growth Articles:
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Click link for this week's video of Bob Marley's
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