Do we communicate before we are born? Do we communicate after we die? Having spent some time grieving the death of my dear friend I feel compelled to share some of my thoughts, questions, and beliefs. Have you heard that we choose our parents? So interesting if you think about…
Author: Dr. Elaine
From high school dropout to registered nurse, to a doctor of management in organizational leadership. A retired RN, Dr. Elaine strongly believes we all have leadership skills to discover and develop. We all deserve to be who we want to be and do what we want to do. Dr. Elaine will help you have the beautiful life you desire where you control your emotional responses, sleep well, and have the energy to enjoy a full life with family and friends.
Is Your Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty?
What’s the Big Deal About Positive Thinking? I recently received a message informing me that most people complain once every three minutes during conversations. (Sri Preethraji). Is this a habit you want to have? Focusing on the challenges we face is neither productive nor healthy. Change is possible. For the…
Leadership: Nursing and Healthcare
I recently spoke to the Philippine Canadian Nurses Association in Calgary. Florence Nightingale’s 203rd birthday was celebrated on 12-May-2023. Florence was an English social reformer, statistician, and founder of modern nursing. Nightingale focused on #personalizedpatientcare and #goodhygiene, which increased chances of recovery. Florence was also a #statistician and collected data….
Ikigai: A Reason for Being
Are you looking for something more from life? I hear from lots of people who want something more. When asked to be specific, they often can’t identify what it is they want. Some people want a new job, some want to own a home of their own, some want better…
What Are You Thinking?
You Can Control Your Emotions Our minds are always working. Many of us meditate and can focus on our breath, or something specific such as the sounds around us, or the feel of the air on our face. But our minds are always at work. Some of our thoughts and…
Mindset and Hope for the Future
I just finished listening to a HeartMath Podcast and am incredibly impressed by the discussion. I am a Certified HeartMath Trainer and Coach, but I need to work at my practice every day. I am far from perfect and way too often forget to practice the self-care I encourage others…
A Day: Do You Take Time to Be?
A review of a day in my life points out where I might need to make some changes. I hope you can use this as a template to look at your own life and identify some areas that might need to be adapted. As I try my best to improve…
Touch: Might it Be the Key to Our Well-Being?
Touch, One of Our 5 Senses Touch is essential to our well-being. A June 2022 edition of National Geographic includes an article The Power of Touch by Cynthia Gorney. This article updates us on the importance of touch and what is occurring in the development of touch sensation in artificial…
Finding Bliss,
Going with the Flow, Happy, Joyful Going with the Flow could mean being apathetic and just doing what is easy to make sure you do not make waves and have to deal with challenging situations – not my definition. How about Going with the Flow, meaning going with what is…
Being In the Zone
“In the Zone” or “Flow” is a state I enjoy. Or thought I did until I read that to get into ‘Flow’ I ‘should’ set a goal. Maybe what I thought was “Being in the Zone” or in a state of “Flow” wasn’t really what I thought. To me being…
Spoon Theory
An Explanation of Chronic Illness and Limited Energy I came across this article today, Spoon Theory. It is an amazing explanation of how someone, like me, juggles their energy every day. I don’t write this looking for sympathy, but to help you, and myself, understand what it is like to…
Fluff!! Leaders Need Soft Skills
As an assistant nursing professor, I would sometimes be asked “why do we need to learn all this ‘fluff’, it has nothing to do with nursing?” Nurses are in leadership roles all the time. Patients and clients are often in emotionally and physically challenging situations. Nurses work with a plethora…
Does Positive Self-Talk Really Work?
Self-Talk: Does it Matter What You Say? I certainly didn’t believe in positive self-talk until recently. Furthermore, I don’t lie and so trying to look in the mirror and say “I love you” or “You’re beautiful” just wasn’t going to happen. However, being a curious person, I decided to see…
The End Suggests Beginning. What’s Next?
Whether you make New Year’s Resolutions or set goals for the next month, year, or longer the question remains: What’s Next? I am a long-time goal setter, but not much of a New Year’s Resolution person. As I reflect on the past year, and the past 10 years, I have…
Aromatherapy
Essential Oils for Personal Use I have many memories associated with a variety of scents and aromas. So, it is not surprising that I decided to take an aromatherapy course and become an Aromatherapy Practitioner. Smells bring back many pleasant memories. Are there scents that remind you of special people…
Just Breathe! The Source of Life
Breathing Comes Naturally, Or Does It? You’re nervous about an upcoming presentation and someone says, “just breathe”. You’re angry and upset, about to say something nasty and you remember someone telling you to take a deep breath before speaking out. Breathing does so much more than merely keeping us alive….
Gut and Brain, Heart and Brain
There is so much more to our bodies than we know. Keep Learning I know about the Heart and Brain connection as I am a Certified HeartMath (TM) Trainer (though there is always more to learn). Check my blog about the Heart Brain Connection. I know a little about the…
Journey to Joy and Calm
Join me Monday, 5-December-2022 evening 6:00pm to 7:00 pm MDT This course will run for 6 Mondays: December 5, 12, 19 and January 9, 16, 23 – 2023. Week 1: 5-December-2022: Introduction: Getting to Know Yourself In this first week we will learn about ourselves. We will discuss and practice…
Order Out of Chaos: Bringing Care Back to the World
I first learned about order out of chaos, during my doctoral process. The current state of the world and behaviour of the people demands action to restore or create new order. My doctoral studies, in management and organizational leadership, revealed concepts I liked, Complexity Theory, Chaos Theory, and Complexity Leadership….
Decision Making Technique
Decision Making Using a HeartMath(R)Technique 25-October-2022 When planning a project or event what is your usual process? How does it work for you? Could it be better? Whether it could or not let’s examine something you might not have tried. Let’s incorporate both head and heart in your decision making….
Another Awakening
21-October-2022 I have experienced another awakening in the past while. There was no one thing that jumped out to tell me “Elaine, pay attention to what is happening and how you are responding?” But as I chatted with a colleague, I became aware of many things occurring in my life…
The Quiet Leader
Is there such a thing as a quiet leader? I don’t mean someone who doesn’t make decisions, doesn’t have ideas, or just doesn’t lead. I’m talking about someone who doesn’t shout and push their own agenda, who must have things done their way. I’m talking about a true leader who…
The Heart and Brain Communication
This short video, about 3 minutes, provides information about heart and brain communication. Learn a bit about this relationship that provides us with wonderful opportunity to learn how to live a beautiful life. The Fascinating Relationship Between the Heart and Brain Now that you have watched this video give me…
“What Do I Want to Do with My Life?”
What Will the Next Leg of Your Life’s Journey Look Like? Not sure what you want? Most of us have been in this situation at some point in our life. I’m sharing a few questions you can ask yourself to get started. These questions are just the beginning of learning…
I Want to Work for a Great Leader
Why shouldn’t we all be able to work for a great leader? If you are working for a great leader, you are in a beautiful position. As an assistant manager in one of my nursing roles the manager was very clear – I did not work for her, I was…
You Are Enough: 7 Ways to Overcome Feelings of Inadequacy
7 Ways to Overcome Feelings of Inadequacy What is inadequacy and how do you work through it? Have you ever struggled to feel good about yourself? Do you wonder if you’re good enough? Do you question whether you’re competent enough? Then you may be dealing with feelings of inadequacy. Many…
What Does a Leader Look Like?
What does a leader look like? When you see someone can you immediately know they are a leader? Do they look different? Do they behave differently? Has your first impression of a person always been correct? A leader can be short or tall, fat, or thin or anything in between,…
Seven – 7 – Must Have Leadership Skills
There are far more than seven (7) leadership skills. I suggest if you happen to get thrown into a leadership position without adequate development you start with developing these seven (7) skills. They are a good start. Of course, a definition of leadership is also helpful. Check out my blog…
If We Could Talk to the Animals
If we could talk to the animals, what would they tell us about leadership? I couldn’t resist searching to see what information I could find on how animals lead. We know there are alphas and betas, leaders, and followers, and sometimes loners. We also know that sometimes there is a…
When Things are Bothering You – 7 Tips to Help
When you are bothered by upset, frustration, or feeling overwhelmed you can choose to calm down. “Thanks” you say “but I think you are out to lunch”. I’m sharing a short bit from HeartMath(R) with you. Check out the graphic on this link – it is pretty darn cute. These…