My Gift to You - WHO WOULD HAVE IMAGINED?

Six weeks ago, who were you spending time with? What were you doing?

Two of our children were finishing mid-terms in pursuit of their degrees. Our oldest was in the midst of his research, studying for his PHD. Ken and I were ripping out our old kitchen and replacing all the “pieces” step by step.

I was excited to have been a guest speaker at three events at the end of February and beginning of March and looking forward to those booked for the future. My college students had all begun their field placements with success. My podcast series was off and running and second book entering the cover design stage. My husband, a retired police officer, was working part time as a FEDEx driver.

FULL STOP.

We were hearing reports of a virus overseas. We’ve had them before. Wasn’t that too far away to really worry about in Essex County? The Covid-19 journal I began a month ago attests to how quickly things changed… daily if not hourly. Unprecedented, to say the least.

If you’re out of the country, come home.

Your travel insurance will be suspended in 10 days.

The border is closed. Vultures are cleaning out the grocery stores.

Local shops, small business owners are shut down with two days notice.

Schools and childcare centres are closing.

Only essential services remain open.

HOLD ON!

Retired medical practitioners and first responders are being hired back to work. Health care workers are on the front line. We’re searching for masks, face shields, medical gowns and ventilators. Field hospitals are being created. Businesses are re-tooling to make what we desperately need to survive. An entire generation in Italy and Spain have now been taken by this thing. It’s coming our way. One. Ten. Fifty. Almost three hundred…confirmed cases in our county and continuing to grow. People are ill, fighting for their lives. Long term care and retirement homes are locked down. Over one million people in Canada are now without employment.

Today, we say, “We have to flatten the curve.”

Today, nurses, doctors and first responders are staying in hotels or living in trailers to keep their families safe.

Today, we’re checking in on family and friends through online video chats.

Today, elementary, secondary, college and university students and teachers have moved to online learning, including myself and my children.

Today, we line up and wait six feet away from each other to enter a pharmacy or grocery store.

Today, we suffer heartache and can’t visit those in hospitals or palliative care…can’t come together to grieve the loss of a friend or loved one.

This is more than real. It’s incomprehensible. The coming weeks and months will be like nothing we have known before. People we know and love will fall ill. Businesses will close their doors permanently. People will have no job to go back to. Reality is about to smack each of us in the face, if it hasn’t already.

The world is giving us time to re-set in countless ways. Environmentally, we’ve had a drop in global emissions, waterways are running clear, air pollution has dropped substantially in major cities around the world. We have direct evidence of the positive impact we’ve have as human beings on our planet, because we’ve been forced to. We can’t ignore this and go back to the way things were. We have a responsibility to learn and re-envision a new normal with the power to create what that new normal will be - for ourselves, our communities and this world. This time can also be seen as a gift for those of us blessed to be staying home. Time to self-reflect, heal, read, be with our families...Time to find ourselves and what really brings us happiness and fulfillment...Time to take a stance and decide that we’re not going back to the treadmill of “stuff”. We’ll move forward with a new sense of purpose and realization of what really matters. Let’s not settle for anything less.

Today, I’m making masks as my “gift” to people. Who would have ever imagined?

Meet our first three exceptional guests!

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It’s time to celebrate the truly remarkable people we have all around us. I’ve been grappling with what I can do to share the strength, drive, passion and commitment of countless people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.

The Podcast, “Taking the Helm” is my solution! In each podcast episode, we’ll get to know people who have taken risks, who’ve thrown themselves out there - to create something they’ve dreamed of. Some have given up careers to pursue their passion. Others have ventured into becoming entrepreneurs. Each offers inspiration through their own experiences and learning. It’s an honour to act as your host and share these conversations and unique leaders with you. I hope you will listen to each and every episode. There’s so much for us to learn and experience ourselves.

We’ve got three incredible episodes being launched today. You can listen directly from my web page or subscribe to one of the podcast platforms (Apple, Spotify, Anchor, Breaker or Overcast). I’d love it if you would join my mailing list for updates. Enjoy!

“Remember that there are two kinds of pain in life: the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. Choose one.”

Michael Angelo Caruso, from Michigan, is an internationally recognized author and speaker. Michael has educated and entertained audiences all over the world, including the Middle East, the Caribbean, and 49 of the 50 states. His presentations include keynote speeches, seminars and webinars. He now teaches presentation skills, drawing on his unique background. In this interview, Michael shares the life-changing event that moved him into this business, tricks of the trade, his “Present Like a Pro” course and much more!

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“It is easier to build up a child than it is to repair an adult”

Amie Elias owns “Doors to Healing”, operating out of the Stone House, a lakefront wellness retreat privately tucked along Lake Erie. She is a certified Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR) and Life Stress Reduction (LSR) Facilitator. Amie also runs one on one addictions programs and Mindfulness & Meditation workshops. That’s just a drop in the bucket! She shares much more in this podcast interview. Attestations from clients who have worked with Amie in person and virtually are indicative of the remarkable difference she is making in their lives!

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“You can have it all- better health, unstoppable confidence, more energy and success. The ONLY thing is your way is the beliefs telling you that you can't!”

Tina Brigley of Essex Ontario, took a huge risk in her life when she left her career as a teacher to help us breakthrough to be unstoppable. You are a powerhouse and people fear the day you discover that! You can have it all- better health, unstoppable confidence, more energy and success. The ONLY thing in your way is the beliefs telling you that you can't!

Conscious, positive choices

As an educator for 31 years, I loved my career. The concrete evidence of the direct impact I had on my students drove me forward every day, regardless of what role I was in. That’s what it’s all about, and should be.

Yet, there is conflict, too often. Whatever our profession, conflict is part of life. Not only in the world of work, but in our own homes. Aren’t conflicts a good thing? Shouldn’t they drive us to discussions and deeper understandings of the issue and possible resolutions? Without them, how would any organization move forward? Differences of opinion are wonderful and needed, but when we react and don’t use the tools at our disposal, the end result is increased worry, stress levels and negative affects on our own health. How do we take personal control and rise above it?

Awareness. The first step to facing conflict has to be becoming aware of our personal responses in any given situation. Do we engage in the negative dialogue in the lunchroom and perpetuate the downward spiral? Do we complain about co-workers, family members or neighbours? Do we argue with our partners over things that are inconsequential? Why do we initiate or engage in negativity?

What if? What if the next time someone tries to pull us into their own conflict, we choose to not engage? Do we choose to not enter that downward spiral? Do we choose to become aware that participating may have negative consequences? What if we could become aware that our own actions could be the cause of conflict before it even starts? I’m not suggesting we walk away from issues that matter, but how much of the stress in our lives is avoidable by conscious choice?

Over the holidays my husband and oldest son began a conversation about the pros and cons of proportional representation in Canadian politics. They are polar opposites, and needless to say, they each spoke their piece. I caught myself wanting to jump in, getting upset over some of the arguments that went against what I believed was right. I entered “defensive mode,” so to say. Because I caught myself, I immediately made a decision to not engage, but to listen and ask questions. I listened to understand, stopping myself from becoming upset. It made a difference. The conversation continued while I agreed to disagree with some, but not all of the points that were made.

I made a conscious decision not to engage and “argue” my points, finding middle ground. My blood pressure stayed steady, with no anger, no stress. I continued to enjoy our time together throughout the evening. No one walked away, upset about something we each care about.

As we move through our day, we can learn to be aware of what we bring to any given situation. We can pause before engaging and consider what other options are at our disposal. We can reset our reactionary mode by learning to be aware and making the conscious choice to rise above what is pulling ourselves and others down. We won’t only decrease our own stress levels, but those around us and maybe, just maybe… change the outcome to a positive one!

It's Launch Day! This is the day we’ve been waiting for with anticipation!

For the last two months, we’ve been working behind the scenes to build a powerful platform and a brand new website. My memoir, “Steering Through It” was the beginning of this journey. Writing the book allowed me to move forward in many ways after my illness. But what happened afterward has been the driving force! I’ve met and gotten to know so many people around the world in the last year: fellow authors, entrepreneurs, survivors, caregivers, professional speakers and…and..and… These networks are exciting places to be as we all learn, inspire and grow with each other. Welcome to Lynn McLaughlin Co.

We now offers several options to you:

1.

Public speaking has become near and dear to my heart. We each have the power within us to make positive choices and changes in our lives - today! It comes down to whether or not we choose to do so.

2.

When I wrote my first book, I was naive enough to think I could navigate the world of editing, publishing, marketing, promotion and… and… and.. It’s far too complex. If you are a writer/author, take a look at the consulting page. I’m thrilled to offer you an opportunity so you don’t have to struggle the way I did.

3.

I continue to write and am publishing another book this spring! It's very different than the first and I can’t wait to share it with you!

Building this website would not have been possible without the expertise of Francis Yap, Chief Digital Confidant of Mission Informatics. Francis is kind, caring, brilliant, creative and committed. Linking a number of platforms to this site was very complex, but Francis was able to make the connections with expertise. I recommend him, without question, to anyone who is looking to begin or improve their current site! He can be reached at 1-833-277-9400. Thank you to my new friend, Francis!

I hope you have fun with what we’ve created and please join our community! Feel free to reach out to me at any time through the “Connect Page” or by scheduling an appointment.

All the best of health and happiness to you and yours,

Lynn McLaughlin

“If we did not have each other, what really would matter?”

(Excerpt from the memoir “Steering Through It” by Lynn McLaughlin)

Spotlight on Lynn McLaughlin and her Award-Winning Audiobook

We are proud to share that Steering Through It  has won an award for non-fiction audiobook in the Readers’ Favorite 2019 competition. If you follow me, you ‘ve already read about the journey to select the amazing narrator, Marnye-Young. It’s now time to thank Silvi, who graciously posted this spotlight. I love, “Get Your Story On”, because we all have a story, don’t we? Sylvi has encapsulated many voices through our social media platforms, interviews and podcast.

As an author, there are countless decisions to make before your book is launched. One of the most important is what platforms to use. In this world of craziness, many of us are listening to podcasts, music or books or watching movies … all to find some balance. It may be what grounds us during a long drive to and from work, or something we do to relax. I thought it ws important to offer an audiobook version of Steering Through It to meet that growing need.  If this is something you are interested in, there are many ways to find what you are looking for, at minimal cost including Audible, Itunes, Google Play and Downpour.

I hope you’ll check out this link and all that is has to offer. Thank you for following and celebrating this community of readers, writers, survivors, family and friends.