http://www.lifein4partharmony.com/

The Living Source, Upper Montclair, NJ (2025)

07/15/2025

“Say Yes.”

Within a week, I heard this guidance from 3 different leaders. But if you’re an overwhelmed, chronic over-doer, you might be feeling triggered reading these words.

You may have been doing your best to “Say No”. And now you’re remembering the stress, anxiety or worry you felt because you agreed to too many things.

I know that place where every part of you wants to just say no and feel good about saying it.

Believe me, this” Say Yes” guidance is totally aligned with your “Say No” plan.

Think of Yes and No as partners.

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔, 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚, 𝒘𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔. It’s one of the most well-worn pathways to chronic stress and burnout.

Once we start saying no to self-neglect and draining our resources, we’re saying yes to what sustains us. That’s the “yes” we want.

Each of the leaders that I listened to encourage their audience to identify one small thing they could do to get closer to an important goal within the next week. When we’re stressed beyond our limit, small steps can make a big difference in our well-being and growth.

So, what’s your “Yes” and “No”?

It could be saying yes to naps and no to days where you don’t stop to recharge. Or maybe it’s no to working late nights at your computer and yes to a good book or audio bedtime story that brings you peaceful sleep. Or maybe there’s some support that you’re ready to say yes to while you say no to trying to handle it all alone.

What will it be? Please share your Yes and No in the comments.

𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐘𝐞𝐬 – 𝐍𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

04/02/2025

My octogenarian Mama says when she was growing up, April Fool’s Day was one of her favorite days. She laughed thinking about the jokes she and her friends played on each other.

One of things I love about my Mama is her laugh. When she’s really tickled about something, she can’t get words out to describe what’s funny. Her laughter repeatedly interrupts her storytelling. In less that 60 seconds, you’re doubled over in laughter too.

Our conversation reminded me that April Fool’s Day and Stress Awareness Month have April 1 in common. Perhaps this is the making of great collaboration. We can kick off the month rediscovering how joy and connection with others are powerful resources for calming our nervous system.

This is akin to what Deb Dana calls “glimmers”, little moments that awaken our inner sense of well-being. We become aware that even in stressful times, peace, joy, a sense of safety are also available to us.

Dana says that glimmers have a cumulative effect. Noticing them throughout our day creates subtle shifts toward wellness in our body and mind. We become more familiar with the part of our nervous system that’s always there to nurture us and bring us ease.

What sparkling moments did you find in your day? Did something lead you to a deep belly laugh? Maybe a friend April-fooled you or you looked up after a storm and saw a rainbow.

Please tell us about them in the comments. Feel free to come back to the post any time to share your joys.

12/11/2024

Do you ever wake-up exhausted?

You feel so tired at the start of the day that you wonder how you can manage what’s in front of you.

And as you think about the difficulties in front of you, you feel your heart beating a little faster. You’re anxious and your thoughts are variations of the theme, “I don’t have what it takes. I’m not getting this right.”

Burnout symptoms include loss of self-confidence. When we’re exhausted, feeling overwhelmed, and noticing that we can’t keep our usual pace, we start to question ourselves.

I’ve seen some of the most competent and dedicate professionals wonder if they have what it takes to accomplish their goals. It’s as though all their accolades and accomplishments no longer exist.

𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺.

We begin to see ourselves as the problem. We lose sight of our capacity to create, problem solve or change our circumstances.

Sometimes people ask me why I think it’s important to address burnout. The short answer is that burnout robs you of your connection with your purpose. And it robs the world of the impact that you and only you can make.

At same time, I’ve learned that burnout can be a catalyst for a stronger connection with our purpose. Burnout recovery reconnects us with who we are. It guides us to strategies for sustainable impact in every part of our lives.

This is what lights my fire, what sustains my commitment to burnout recovery and tackling the complexities of reducing burnout.

Join me today, Wednesday, December 11, at 11:00 AM ET for 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘏𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. Our topic for today is, 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵. We’ll talk about the loss of self-confidence and self-worth that are associated with burnout and how we might find ourselves in this place. I’ll share some initial steps for easing out of self-doubt into burnout recovery.

12/11/2024

Do you ever wake-up exhausted?

You feel so tired at the start of the day that you wonder how you can manage what’s in front of you.

And as you think about the difficulties in front of you, you feel your heart beating a little faster. You’re anxious and your thoughts are variations of the theme, “I don’t have what it takes. I’m not getting this right.”

Burnout symptoms include loss of self-confidence. When we’re exhausted, feeling overwhelmed, and noticing that we can’t keep our usual pace, we start to question ourselves.

I’ve seen some of the most competent and dedicate professionals wonder if they have what it takes to accomplish their goals. It’s as though all their accolades and accomplishments no longer exist.

𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺.

We begin to see ourselves as the problem. We lose sight of our capacity to create, problem solve or change our circumstances.

Sometimes people ask me why I think it’s important to address burnout. The short answer is that burnout robs you of your connection with your purpose. And it robs the world of the impact that you and only you can make.

At same time, I’ve learned that burnout can be a catalyst for a stronger connection with our purpose. Burnout recovery reconnects us with who we are. It guides us to strategies for sustainable impact in every part of our lives.

This is what lights my fire, what sustains my commitment to burnout recovery and tackling the complexities of reducing burnout.

Join me today, Wednesday, December 11, at 11:00 AM ET for 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘏𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. Our topic for today is, 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵. We’ll talk about the loss of self-confidence and self-worth that are associated with burnout and how we might find ourselves in this place. I’ll share some initial steps for easing out of self-doubt into burnout recovery.

11/20/2024

I used to teach yoga. Deepening my relationship with yoga was one of the ways that healed from burnout. One day after teaching a class, a yogi left me this handwritten message:

“𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢…𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘢𝘨𝘦…𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴…𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

I keep it on a bulletin board. It still warms my heart to read it. Feeling like a “whole package” was something that I lost when I burned out.

You may know this place. You reach the end of your day feeling exhausted, numb, disconnected, or even empty.

You’ve given so much during the day that you’re out of reserves. Yet, the next day, you drag yourself out of bed and do it all again.

For sure, this is pouring from an empty cup. And there’s another loss --- being out of touch with how life brings you meaning and how you bring meaning to life.

This loss often feels deeper, harder to recover from than physical fatigue. Yet, your connection with you is a rich energy source.

Practicing yoga was one of my tools for physical, mental, and emotional recovery. Teaching yoga brought me to moments like the one above. It sparked my memories of what really mattered to me and renewed my connection with my voice.

Join me Wednesday, November 20, at noon ET for Burnout Hiding in Plain Sight. We’ll talk about some patterns that lead to the disconnection from self often associated with burnout. We’ll explore some initial steps for reclaiming your spark.

11/20/2024

I used to teach yoga. Deepening my relationship with yoga was one of the ways that healed from burnout. One day after teaching a class, a yogi left me this handwritten message:

“𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢…𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘢𝘨𝘦…𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴…𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

I keep it on a bulletin board. It still warms my heart to read it. Feeling like a “whole package” was something that I lost when I burned out.

You may know this place. You reach the end of your day feeling exhausted, numb, disconnected, or even empty.

You’ve given so much during the day that you’re out of reserves. Yet, the next day, you drag yourself out of bed and do it all again.

For sure, this is pouring from an empty cup. And there’s another loss --- being out of touch with how life brings you meaning and how you bring meaning to life.

This loss often feels deeper, harder to recover from than physical fatigue. Yet, your connection with you is a rich energy source.

Practicing yoga was one of my tools for physical, mental, and emotional recovery. Teaching yoga brought me to moments like the one above. It sparked my memories of what really mattered to me and renewed my connection with my voice.

Join me Wednesday, November 20, at noon ET for Burnout Hiding in Plain Sight. We’ll talk about some patterns that lead to the disconnection from self often associated with burnout. We’ll explore some initial steps for reclaiming your spark.

11/13/2024

Burnout is a gradual process that can happen to anyone. Along the way, people are often doing what they can to reduce stress and exhaustion. They’re trying different strategies to manage their responsibilities and be most effective in every part of their lives.

Their loved ones may be telling them to slow down or change jobs or rest. And it’s likely that they have some moments of relief when they get a second wind. So, there are times when there’s hope that their well-being is improving.

By the time we reach a point that our performance is suffering, we are likely to wonder if things can get better. The exhaustion, strain, and self-doubt seem unrelenting. We have tried and now we feel discouraged about what’s possible for us.

Getting better seems unattainable. Truth is, you can recover from burnout. Not only do you get better, but you also have new ways of moving through life. You make changes that leave you feeling more rested, joyful, fulfilled and excited about the things that really matter to you. You have strategies that sustain your well-being.

Join me Wednesday, November 13, at noon ET for Burnout Hiding in Plain Sight. We’ll talk about some reasons burnout recovery may feel challenging. We’ll explore the recovery process and the benefits that extend well beyond our workplace.

11/13/2024

Burnout is a gradual process that can happen to anyone. Along the way, people are often doing what they can to reduce stress and exhaustion. They’re trying different strategies to manage their responsibilities and be most effective in every part of their lives.

Their loved ones may be telling them to slow down or change jobs or rest. And it’s likely that they have some moments of relief when they get a second wind. So, there are times when there’s hope that their well-being is improving.

By the time we reach a point that our performance is suffering, we are likely to wonder if things can get better. The exhaustion, strain, and self-doubt seem unrelenting. We have tried and now we feel discouraged about what’s possible for us.

Getting better seems unattainable. Truth is, you can recover from burnout. Not only do you get better, but you also have new ways of moving through life. You make changes that leave you feeling more rested, joyful, fulfilled and excited about the things that really matter to you. You have strategies that sustain your well-being.

Join me Wednesday, November 13, at noon ET for Burnout Hiding in Plain Sight. We’ll talk about some reasons burnout recovery may feel challenging. We’ll explore the recovery process and the benefits that extend well beyond our workplace.

11/11/2024

Have you heard of Peak-performance coaching? Being an “Obsessed” entrepreneur? How about Highly-Sensitive leaders?

Did that last one throw you?

Don’t worry, my friend and colleague, Harris has an answer and resources for you.

Highly-sensitive leaders see potential where others don’t. They are artists, teachers, coaches, healers, and innovators who are emotionally in tune with the world around them.

This innovative way of leading has much to offer to creative projects, organizations, and the world. Monifa created the Voicing Your Vision Summit especially for this group of leaders. Whether you’re a solopreneur or leading a team, this program can provide you with valuable strategies.

At the 4th Annual Summit, speakers will share how you can:
😍 VALUE YOUR GENIUS: Know yourself better and gain confidence in your unique qualities.
🔥CREATE YOUR VISION: Prioritize your passion and purpose.
💯AMPLIFY YOUR MESSAGE: Cultivate effective messaging to connect you to the clients that you can best serve.

Sign up for FREE at: https://tinyurl.com/yourvoiceyourvision

I’m honored to speak on November 20, Day 1, where the theme is Free Your Voice. Join Monifa and I as we explore some inner resources to elevate your voice and sustain your commitment to the impact you want to make with your work.

10/23/2024

At the end of the day, how do you want to feel about the work you’re doing?

Accomplished. Complete. Satisfied. Fulfilled. Charged. Motivated. Passionate. Elated. Joyful. Distinguished. Celebrated.

Your answer might include these words or some combination of words that make it clear you want to get up and do it all over again the next day. You’re looking forward to your next opportunity to do work that matters to you.

What happens when we lose that feeling?

Burnout symptoms include loss of fulfillment, passion, and meaning. When someone reaches this point, they often end their days feeling exhausted and out of touch with love for their work.

They’re wondering if they can make an impact that matters to them let alone one with benefits that ripple beyond the foreseeable future.

When you burnout, your work isn’t feeding your sense of satisfaction, your soul. You’re disconnected from your clarity about your mission and purpose.

Here’s what I know for sure: Purpose and mission are some of our most powerful inner resources.

Our purpose has no limits. So, even in difficult times, it can guide you toward actions that uplift you.

Join me Wednesday, October 23, at noon ET for Burnout Hiding in Plain Sight. We’ll take a look at how burnout disrupts our passion and sense of meaning. I’ll offer you some first steps out of disconnection and dreading work to get to the other side of burnout.

10/09/2024

One of my favorite books on burnout describes symptoms of “emotional erosion”. Sounds yucky, right?

Yep. The images that come to mind are not pleasant.

Burnout often includes feeling overwhelmed and weighed down with emotions. The person who once had a wide range of emotions finds their internal world is filled with more moments of frustration, anxiety, anger, regret, bitterness and other feelings that may be difficult to navigate or change.

We feel stuck.

There are fewer moments when we experience relief, curiosity, joy or other emotions that give us a sense of freedom and choice.

I’ve noticed that when people burnout, they often wonder where they went wrong. They’re accustomed to solving problems, achieving their goals, and making a meaningful difference in various parts of their lives.

They believe they should know how not to let stress get to them. They blame themselves for burning out.

You can probably see that this adds shame and self-doubt to the bundle of emotions that accompany burnout. Sadly, shame often holds us back from seeking the support that we need relieve burnout.

Join me Wednesday, October 9, at noon ET for Burnout Hiding in Plain Sight. We’ll take a look at emotional overload and how to make a shift when we feel weighed down or stuck. I’ll offer you one essential key for taking the first step out of shame to the other side of burnout.

09/25/2024

There’s a common sentiment that goes something like this: “I’m stressed. But that’s just how it is, right?”

Whether it be a family pattern, an unspoken professional code, or a well-established habit, many of us adopt a “push forward until you end your day in exhaustion” way of getting things done. Feeling chronically stressed and exhausted is often perceived as an unchangeable norm.

Exhaustion is both a key feature of burnout and a stimulus for burnout.

Once we burnout, the exhaustion feels like being out of everything. We feel it in our bodies, minds, emotions, interactions, each of our experiences. It’s pervasive.

Given the responsibilities that many of us manage, it may seem as though there’s no way to change it. When we’re exhausted, it can be hard to know where to start. As a result, we delay taking action to reclaim our well-being and continue pushing forward.

Join me Wednesday, September 25, at noon ET for Burnout Hiding in Plain Sight. We’ll explore burnout exhaustion and some factors that may hold us back from taking action. I’ll share some small steps that can get us moving on the journey out of exhaustion.

The Living Source

07/15/2025

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12/11/2024

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11/20/2024

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