Living Legacy Evolution for Creative Living and Giving includes developing products to bring insights, tools and collaborative experiences to support people on their journey.

I humbly introduce my latest new books, co-authored with the magical Richard Israel.

1st Printing Family Brain Gym & Mindful Moves!

‘Family Brain Gym: 30 Transformational Tools for a Better Life at Work, School & Home’ and

‘Mindful Moves: 31 Ways to Stretch Your Body & Mind’. 

In the first book we’ve created a fictional story that tells the tale of a family going through tough times, as many are today. A visit from Uncle Chip, a neuroscientist, introduces them to the tools and strategies of Family Brain Gym. Meanwhile, as they learn and grow empowered  individually, they also learn how to reconnect as a family. 

Part 2 details step by step how to use all 30 techniques in a variety of situations as you move up the Family Brain Gym Ladder of Developmental Success.

You can also do your mental ’work out’ with our Family Brain Gym online courses and member site as well as at dynamic live workshops. 

Mindful Moves grew out of our recognition to include exercises for both physical and mental fitness. All are simple, yet bring mind-body stimulation for greater mental concentration, energizing or mindfulness and relaxation. The DVD demonstrates the Moves as we read through the text. 

Plus, eduators and group leaders can join our Train-the-Tutor Training, which includes elements from both books within the wider context of successful learning for work, school and home.

Please get copies for yourself or people you know and love who want fun, easy ways to both put more in and get more out of their experiences at work, school and home.

To be in the loop for our online courses, rolling out soon, please visit FamilyBrainGym.com.

(available on Kindle and Amazon by April 1 or sooner. Thanks for checking!)

This past week was my birthday. In previous years I mostly disregarded the day, of course grateful when my family and friends sent kind wishes or cards, but almost remaining impervious to the event.

Donna's Birthday Beach Musings

This year felt different. I not only acknowledged and relished the day myself, but planned to spend it just as I liked (within easily available options). Sunrise on the beach with a lovely cup of coffee and my journal set the tone for the day. The rest unfolded gently and pleasantly with minimal fanfare, but creating moments in special places, with precious friends or enjoying my son’s school tennis match. I even spent time working on my books and projects, which I love. Kind neighbors hosted us for a simple yet sumptuous dinner with ice cream cake, something I’d never get for myself. And I finished the day by responding to all who sent wishes on Facebook, not a usual practice of mine.

Maybe this subtle shift in deciding to honor the day and appreciate myself more flowed over from my previous weekend. I had joined a wonderful group of new friends who all met one year ago when I organized the Walk for Tibet Florida for my dear friend Jigme Norbu. In the end, we did complete the 300 mile walk down the coast of Florida for the cause of World Peace, Human Rights, Tibetan Freedom and freedom for all oppressed.

Step by Step Walking for Tibet & World Peace

However, not without tragedy striking at the end of day 1, when Jigme was struck and killed by a car while walking. On one hand, this changed everything, and yet, everything also went onward. To this day I carry the overwhelming pain of his loss, both on a personal friendship level but also on the level of what he meant to so many.

You see, Jigme was the nephew of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He had recently taken up the mantle passed on by his own father, a recognized high Lama himself who, as eldest brother of the Dalai Lama, had led the vanguard of publicizing Tibetan issues in the West since his escape from Tibet in the 1950′s.

Growing up in such a shadow and in such sacrifice, it must have been hard for Jigme to know his own unique place in the world. It took growing up, marriage, kids, business success and failure to mature into someone who could claim his own voice.  Once he did, he relentlessly Walked for Tibet across thousands of miles and many countries, non-violently advocating and speaking out for Tibetan Freedom and goodwill for all. He had a ready smile, gobs of charm and a sincere willingness to listen to everyone who crossed his path.

Who could have predicted the global outpouring of sympathy on his sudden death? Nobody, even his family and especially he himself, had any idea of the magnitude of his impact over the years. And, what is still to come from the ripples he put in motion.

So it could be for any one of us. Remember the perennial Christmas movie ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’?  If you were to imagine taking yourself out of the picture, how would life have been different for everyone around you- your family, friends, co-workers, strangers touched by your life work or simply passing through….?

Obviously we can never know for sure. But if there’s even a niggling thought that you haven’t  made anywhere near the kind of impact you would like to before you can’t, then perhaps it’s time to step up and do something about it.

One of the worst human feelings is regret. Don’t leave yourself open to that. Here’s how to start:

• Take stock. Notice what great impact you’ve had, and where you want to make more of one. Build in plans to take action sooner rather than later.
• Notice where you may have done or are still doing some ‘damage’- in relationships, performances, personal habits or behaviors toward others
•  Either forgive yourself, resolve to make good, and move on
• Or seek to make restitution, either directly where possible (apologies, invitations, expressions of gratitude or kindness) or by paying it forward with kindnesses towards others instead

In reality, we can never know the impact of one life, including ours. But we can up the chances by being aware that we can make significant ripples of the good sort by being and acting from our highest and best self.  Design them in. Create your own Living Legacy, day by day.  That can only be good for everyone.

Creative living comes in many forms and may morph across the ages of time or our lifetime.

My mother was one of the nicest people we knew as kids. She was the parent all my school friends wanted as class chaperone on outings because she was fun and she didn’t always raise her voice, nag and yell like most other parents.

She was also someone who didn’t use her voice to speak up for what SHE wanted in life, and when she felt SHE was being railroaded by life’s circumstances. Granted, this was during the shift from the stilted, authoritarian 1950’s to the so-called liberated ‘sex, drugs & rock ‘n roll’ 1960’s, and nobody really knew how to behave.

Ironically, perhaps, she is finally attempting to exercise her ‘voice’ in her old age where, even as a sufferer of Parkinson’s Disease and frequent falling, she is darned if she’ll be herded into an assisted living facility, despite the companionship and other amenities. In her mind, recalling nursing homes of the past which really often were like dungeons of doom, she is digging in and standing firm in her desire to stay in her own home, come what may. And our modern lifestyles are way too hectic and transient for her to want to come live with us.

We kids want to honor her wishes and let her live out her days in dignity as defined by her, but anyone who has dealt with people who are in harm’s way daily know the anxiety of living on edge with every phone call from that area code. So, we attempt to put in place support systems and stay in touch as we can from a distance, with frequent visits. She is finally using the power of her voice, by choosing to answer, or not, her mobile phone. A mixed blessing!

There’s more to this saga of virtues, vices and modern day caregiving by us, many of whom are in the ‘sandwich’ generation, of caring for our parents while still raising children.  Stay tuned for the rant!

And please add your voice of experience in the comments below.

Sunrise Beach Musings

Reflective Action- is this an oxymoron? Nope! Not how I use the phrase, as they are both elements of one process.

Let’s explore. Are you one who treats the ‘New Year’ as a time for reflection, redirection and resolution? I hope so, even though any day provides many such opportunities- what I refer to as ‘Pivot Points’….moments where you can affirm or change direction by making choices and taking action in alignment with those choices. 

Since the brain is a pattern making organism it supports habits and routines. That’s what makes change such an effort. We are very often so used to doing certain things we no longer really notice we are doing them. You want to be sure to be up-to-date on rituals and habits you perform, making sure they serve your current goals and best interests.

So, I recommend you taking a ‘Habit Scan’. This is a chance to reflect on your way of going about your life day to day. With pen and paper or notation device in hand, mentally walk through your day and note the routine actions you take daily, then add in weekly, monthly and annually. Include both positive and what you might consider less supportive or even detrimental habits. 

These can include everything from what you eat and drink, how you exercise, your ways of relating and communicating to key people in your life, routines at work, how you get work done, gift-giving, celebrating,  how you use free time, hobbies, who you hang out with, lifestyle quirks and anything else you can think of.

One of my habits is to go to the beach for sunrise musings and meditation, especially on holidays or special occasions. I stretch, walk, reflect, sometimes sing and always write in my journal. I love it and should really make it a more frequent habit for how restorative it is for me.

Sometimes a habit will show up by NOT showing up! For example, if regular exercise is foreign to you, it will not show up on your Habit Scan. Pay attention to the gaps as well as to what is there.

Now for the Action.  Once you have written them down, take note of habits you want to continue, habits that need updating by adjusting to serve you better, and habits you definitely choose to discontinue. For example, do you REALLY want to keep going to the donut shop every Friday morning? You might choose to continue, but change what you order. Or you realize that’s your habit because the carpool colleague you no longer ride with used to do that and you never changed your routine. Or you like the social aspect but realize you could meet at a healthier spot.

Then choose several new or adjusted Reflective Actions to put into play in the New Year.

Here are 3 of my new Reflective Actions:

• perform a Mindful Moves sequence daily, either before my morning walk or as an afternoon refresher (Mindful Moves is a new book and video I am releasing any day on Amazon!)
• Open, overview or , better yet, activate any online program I purchase within 48 hours
• Make an offer at least once a week for one of my products or services: courses, books, workshops, coaching sessions or speaking

Now it’s your turn. Do your Habit Scan, Reflect and take Action!

Happiness is Success

2011- What a year this has been! So many events occurred that were not in my (official conscious) gameplan, and which appeared to sideline me from my intentions. But who knows, really, what ultimately constitutes success. Yes, I choose to define success on my terms, and yet how that manifests may be different than my original….often too small human scale…vision. Honestly, this has been a year to test and demonstrate my Mental Resilience.

As the year comes to a close, I am reminded that for all the sadness and difficulties- such as losing my dear friend and Legacy Builder Jigme Norbu on the Walk for Tibet Florida in February, attempting to support my mother through her decline in health, giving up previous hopes of real estate empireship by ‘offloading’ several properties….

there has been a counter-balance in successes and achievements:

• completing two books (and a DVD!) with co-author Richard Israel, ‘Family Brain Gym: 30 Transformational Techniques for Mental Fitness and a Happier, Healthier Life’ and ‘Mindful Moves: Can Standing on Your Head Really Make You Smarter?’ (these will be up on Kindle and Amazon.com before the year-end, followed by online courses in January!)
•  completing Leadership Coaching Accreditation with legendary John Maxwell
•  joining the Experts Industry Council with Brendon Burchard
•  guiding my youngest son through the college appllication process (with supreme assistance from my eldest daughter who knows the university scene well from her work with Ashoka U) and already having him accepted at several prestigious institutions
•  welcoming son #2 back from his 4-plus years of US Army Service (including surviving Ranger training and a year in Iraq)- followed by his recent successful climbs up to Everest Base Camp and now Macchu  Picchu

And much, much more….

Mostly, in regard to the banners printed above & below, I feel happy to be back writing and teaching cutting edge tools and strategies again.  I am thrilled to be of service with what I know can make a difference to so many. In the New Year I will be much more visible and clear about my offerings and how they can benefit you.

And, I will have more fun again! After all, that’s what Creative Living is all about!

Rumi-Desire for Work

July 4, 2011, I joined the tail end of a 230 mile Walk for Tibet from New York to Washington DC. It was hot, humid and shocking how filthy and spooky the streets right outside the city center were. But we arrived enthusiastically at the White House and were permitted to exercise our free speech in the street out front as were religionists, anti-government protestors and the animated ‘legalize weed’ crowd. 

Incredible Journey- NYC to White House

Tibetan is not one of the languages I speak, although knowing their stories and feeling their fervor I know most Tibetans made pleas for support and liberation of the Tibetans suffering back in the homeland under harsh Chinese rule. Kunga Norbu made a heartfelt request for both Rangzen- Independence- and for all Tibetans to work together to reach their shared goals.

In my role as both an American and global citizen I claimed HUMAN Independence Day (going beyond traditional American July 4th). I suggested that the same vision, energy, creativity & collaboration that goes into any effort at gaining independence, be it American or Tibetan, would also be what maintained independence. The same energy and effort had to go into sustaining communities in PEACE using similar features; where

• P stands for living with Passion and Purpose
• E stands for injecting Energy into developing Excellence of Character & Skills
• A stands for taking Action to develop your ideal  
• C stands for Creativity,  Collaboration with Compassion & Community
• E stands for Expressing yourself and Enjoying contributing to making a difference

This is how Independence will be maintained by individuals or nations alike whether gained through struggle or by claiming it.  I invite everyone to claim your own Independence Day and be a living example of radiant and proactive PEACE, as our friend Jigme Norbu was. It could be an expression of your Living Legacy too!

Donna Claims HUMAN Independence Day

http://www.robertplank.com/audio/DonnaKimBrand.mp3

I had the honor to interview Robert Plank (MembershipCube.com) about harnessing his ‘genius’ via his online courses, products & systems that have lead him to superior productivity and profits.

Listen in to find out his #1 secret to effectiveness and 2 new trends in online enterprise.

Authentic Creative Living is about making sure the life you are living is your own, not someone else’s version of what your life should be….

The tricky thing is, no one is born with an instruction manual of how to live our life’s purpose. So it appears that part of our human adventure is to tune in -remember- who we truly are then play it out in the expression of a life well-lived on earth. Sometimes that takes the path of putting together the puzzle pieces, recognizing fractal patterns, that show up on our life path….re-membering…putting the parts together to make sense of them for us.

Re-membering Who I Am

How many stories can we all tell about friends (or family or….even ourself?) who realized mid-stream that THEY never really wanted to become a doctor, lawyer, candlestick maker. . That had been what their parents wanted for them, or what the family history seemed to dictate. Or they went ahead and married someone despite heartfelt doubts because it was too embarassing to back out or they didn’t want to end up alone. Once on a certain path, it seemed easier to ‘go with the flow’ or ‘follow the path of least resistance’, rather than listening to our own internal wisdom. 

Another scourge that can prevent authentic Creative Living is ‘vicarious living’; living through the life of others in a fantasy it could be your life, even though you really know it not only is NOT your fate but you probably wouldn’t have it if you could. But you create enough distance between your personal reality and the fairytale life you hanker after to ensure it doesn’t ever come true for you. 

I know sports fanatics, celebrity groupies or TV show diehards who spend more time, if not money, tending to their objects of affection than to their own development and expression of life. These may be the same people who dare to tell my son, an avid sportsman himself, to ‘get a life’ when he can’t join them roaming the halls of a mall (their idea of ‘life’) because he is out on weekends actually playing his sport.

I consider life as a Masterpiece in the Making, and have created a course and book to share how to tap our creative juices and simultaneously fulfill our life’s purpose as we understand it. Ironically, this project has temporarily taken a back seat to yet another book and project I have just co-created with a colleague, currently called Family Brain Gym. Let me know if you are interested in joining our teleseminar to learn how to manifest a life of authentic Creative Living for you and your family members through Family Brain Gym!

(P.S.- I spotted this doll’s leg on the beach one morning. It prompted my thoughts on re-membering…)

Recent news events- from a Royal wedding to the demise of a notorious terrorist mastermind- have the public all a-twitter (literally!); weighing in with their opinions as we focus on the media circus of the moment.

Yes, I agree it’s good to participate in our society- it’s a hallmark of democracy- and keeping up with the news is part of engaging in acculturation and community.

But as Leonardo DaVinci once lamented, (and I paraphrase), we humans ‘look without seeing, eat without tasting, listen without hearing, touch without feeling’ …rather, we glide through our lives more or less unwittingly. We let life happen to us, rather than making it happen for us. And then we wonder why we feel so out of control of our lives.

Re-education of Looking

Over the next few posts I will offer several observations and suggestions for overcoming the problems they present. As the above quote alludes, we need a re-education of looking…at managing what captures and holds our attention.

Here’s the first observation.

Most of us allow our attention, focus and even our emotions to be dictated by outside influences, like what’s blaring in the news or which neighbor is bugging us by getting away with violating local yard-waste ordinances.  We reserve focus for our golf game or when it is required on the job. Rather than being in control of our mental faculties in order to have them serve us, we have tended to let our mental muscles get a bit lazy. We let others lead our attention where they want us to have it.  So flabbiness is not just reserved for our waistlines, but also for our mental discipline.

Recognizing this phenomena is the first step in doing something about it. Second is knowing how we can turn the tide and use our powers of attention and mental focus to sculpt an amazing life of Creative Living in action. More next time!