KRISTINA'S WEEKLY EMAIL OF THOUGHT-PROVOKING ESSAYS & VIDEOS TO KEEP YOU CONNECTED TO YOURSELF ON THIS JOURNEY CALLED LIFE |
Greetings!
This Sunday will be the 20th(?!) year anniversary of the nonprofit organization I founded, The Women’s Mosaic. On January 24, 2001 a diverse group of two dozen women came together to celebrate the Lunar New Year. My goal at the time was to create a forum where women of every background - cultural, ethnic, religious and professional - could gather to learn about and be inspired and empowered by one another. The tagline was “Recognizing Our Unity; Celebrating Our Diversity.”
That was nine months before 9/11. We offered close to 100 events over 10 years to advance that cause - and many of you are on my list receiving this email today because of that work...We've come a long way, baby! You can read about some of the amazing things we did and how women benefited via the PDF editions of our TWM Inspirer Newsletter one, two and three. (You can see how my own career journey evolved since then, and how it is all very connected to what I am doing today in my PGG All Roads, Same Place).
Two decades later, I could never have imagined the diversity needed to be bridged with understanding and unity would include deep political and ideological divisions in how we think about government, healthcare, freedom, the media and how we should live in general. And social media didn’t even exist back then! After the extreme events of the past four years, we need to rebuild in many ways, including our perceptions of and relationships with each other, strangers and kin alike.
So it’s been an interesting journey my friends, and one that is constantly evolving and relevant to the times at hand, as I continue to do that work, albeit in different forms, for example my recent YouTube/Instagram post here, or here.
Today's PGG is about being who you uniquely are, as I feel it is one of the most important things to get us through the new era we find ourselves, and there is no accident you are here now. I am grateful that I use my creativity often, and others have benefited from those gifts, whether via TWM, these PGGs, my book, or my Instagram posts - but I only put my time and energy (and often blood, sweat and tears!) into them because there was something in me that needed to be expressed, whether one person or 1000 experienced them. And I am stronger, more peaceful, fulfilled and connected to myself as a result. For you it could be the amazing cakes you bake, the song you sing or painting you make. It doesn't matter, because we all have a spark within us - don't let that be dulled by anything outside yourself.
Someone who used her creativity brilliantly - and in my opinion was the most powerful person on the inaugural stage - was National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman who concluded her work of art on Wednesday with:
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it
Lastly, if you look forward to and benefit from these weekly missives and PGG essays and want to show your gratitude, any donations for my efforts are welcome and appreciated here: Paypal.me/kristinaleonardi. 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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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.
And 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!
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If you like what I write, you'll love what I have to say in person!
If you look forward to and benefit from these weekly essays and want to show your gratitude, any donations for my efforts are welcomed and appreciated here: Paypal.me/kristinaleonardi
Looking for some quality content while social distancing?
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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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.
Now is a great time to take stock of and get on track with your career and life with clarity, balance and direction.
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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.
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WORK WITH KRISTINA
"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."
BACK IN FEBRUARY
VIRTUAL GROUP COACHING
The Year that was 2020: Review, Revel & Recalibrate
Articulate what you’ve learned and what you want to see in 2021
Watch Past Talks Here:
SELF-CARE IN THE MIDST OF SEA CHANGE:
Navigating times of transition for healing and personal growth
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
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.
Thank you again for opening my eyes to a new future! ~ K. Handa
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PGG VIDEO PICK OF THE WEEK |
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Click on the link for this week's video where I share my thoughts on
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kristina leonardi - Medium
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