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!
This morning I heard that The Gap is going to have NFT's of its sweatshirts? I'm not even sure what that means, but there is clearly a move to build even more of a virtual reality than we are currently experiencing.
At this point I don't think you have to be some kind of futurist to see that beyond our already electronic based smartphones, social media and now-Zoomified existence, gaming, various forms of VR and AI etc., cryptocurrencies and the idea of buying real estate, natural assets and art in some parallel online world is seemingly on track to become more and more mainstream, and sadly, in my opinion, the norm, and we must be super-conscious about how we want to exist with and use it.
I am not a full-on Luddite, but I am definitely on the spectrum, and a recovering technophobe / slow adapter to technology. But without even exploring the whole Metaverse thing too deeply, all I know is that: 1. we need to be MORE human, not LESS and 2. I did not make the effort to come down here (in a traumatic birth scenario no less!) with all the messiness it means to be a human to live in some non-human way. I'm sure there are plenty of other planets or planes for that, but Earth is the O.G. for organically growing and getting dirty in the literal and figurative mud to evolve ourselves with more bang for our soul's personal growth-and-healing-buck.
Now, some may argue that consciousness is consciousness and it can be expressed in a variety of ways and forms, but then what would be the point of these miraculous meat suits we don? So many people are already not fully inhabiting them, i.e. they live nearly exclusively in the mind/on the mental level that they forget they have physical, emotional and spiritual realms to enjoy, explore and utilize as well.
This to me is the core of the many problems we are currently facing as a species (and therefore one of the most common things I work on with clients). The whole NFT/avatar version of yourself just seems like another drug/escape to take you farther away rather than more deeply into who you are and all you are meant to experience, emote and express.
And that doesn't even begin to cover the magnificence, healing and beauty that Gaia demonstrates and offers in all her glory, and how we relate to and enjoy - or destroy her. If we don't fully experience her in our bodies IRL, we won't truly appreciate the gifts she gives us or know in our bones that she is her own sentient being of which we are an extension.
Who knows how it will all unfold, but there is no doubt that the train has left the station, which brings up a ton of questions and ethics that remain to be seen. Like everything else since the dawn of time, any new tools created should be used by humans to enhance our lives, and not allow ourselves to be (directly or indirectly) destroyed by them. Let's not be deceived by the bright shiny "magic" of emerging technology and instead remember that we have our own innate primordial wiring that we can use right now to improve our lives and the lives of others, no app required.
And with so many people passing just recently and over these past couple years, we are reminded with each loss how precious each breath is and to treasure the time we have in these bodies as fully as possible while we have them.
Today's PGG touches (pun intended) on these themes, and the PGG Video of the Week is about taking care of yourself during these transformative times. This week's Instagram post of me enjoying being in my body on this planet shaking my booty, and since it's MLK weekend here's bonus post with one of his messages. And for today's PGG Vibe of the Week as a nod and a wink to the title, The Beatles' I Wanna Hold Your Hand.
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:
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Big hug <3
Kristina
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The Magic Touch
Originally published on August 23, 2013
Hello
I love myself
We are so happy to be alive
I love my life
Our lives are great
We love ourselves
We love being alive
“I Love My Life” ~ Song & lyrics by Zachary Miles Lefkowitz, age 4 1/2
When at a wake recently with my 14-year-old nephew, I recalled to him the time he was about to turn four and I asked if he
was excited about his upcoming birthday. He began to cry hysterically saying he didn’t want to have any birthdays. This was because he spent a lot of time around my ailing grandmother who had just passed away in her 80’s and he made the very astute observation that getting older means you are one step closer to dying.
I asked now what it was about death that bothered him most. He did not hesitate for even a second and simply, and very seriously, said “Because you won’t have the exhilarating feeling of being alive.”
I thought this was a profound answer as folks around us were suffering with the loss of our loved one; Jake homed right in on the crux of the matter: We are alive, and we should experience and treasure every moment that aliveness brings us.
Over the weekend I had my first massage in over two years, and it really brought home to me these conversations in the most basic and visceral of ways. Being alive means we are here, in a very physical body in a very physical world. Our body is our vehicle to experience all that life has to offer, so we need to love, appreciate, and take care of it – and, we are also here with other human beings we are meant to love, appreciate, and take care of in a physical way.
Most of us tend to live in our heads and are quite disconnected from our bodies and/or emotions. Getting a massage – whether by a therapist or having a friend or family member give you a little hands-on tender loving care – affirms our beingness, our aliveness, and our connection to and need for one another. Numerous studies have documented the necessity of touch, especially for newborns and the elderly; it is literally what keeps them alive and determines their health and longevity.
And sometimes the most special touch can come from a stranger, like from the tourist in Bryant Park over the summer who, while having her photo taken nearby sensed/saw me distraught and crying (even though I thought I was incognito with my sunglasses, hair covering my face and downward glance!), and in one of the most generous, kind moments I have ever experienced, gently put her reassuring, healing hand on my shoulder for a few seconds as she walked by, saying with that one gesture, “I see you, I feel your pain; I don’t know you, speak your language or know why you are upset, but I am here to offer you what comfort I can as a fellow human being.”
So as we go further down this technological highway with its isolating side effects and embark upon the holiday season with the increasing commercial madness it brings, remember the basics: you are here, we are here, let’s love our lives and love one another, and demonstrate that love and compassion in the most tangible and meaningful ways possible.
Not quite sure how? Give me a buzz, because like Robin Thicke reminds us:
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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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Click link for this week's video of The Beatles'
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