Recent Posts by Maria

“Life Toolkit” Planners

  I haven't written in a while. Between raising a 1 year old, taking care of the house, and managing my own free time and sanity, I somehow found a mental space to ask myself: "If I were, in this one year away from work, to do something else, something that truly defines me, what would it be?"  After ...

My Books of 2016

By Monday, January 2, 2017 0 No tags Permalink

I've been cooking this post in my mind for a while now, since the one from last year was a nice way to say goodbye to the year and look back at what I've learned from books, and also what my main interests were...but since I have a small baby, evenings are not always that ...

Motherhood, changes and the new tools for a good life

So a few months ago, I became a mom. I'm still undecided if posting pictures of babies online is an ok thing to do. So, here's a pic of me with a huge belly just before giving birth. Pregnancy was quite surprisingly easy to bear. I had no nausea, didn't gain much weight, got over my insomnia... But ...

My Happy List

By Wednesday, April 27, 2016 0 No tags Permalink

I got some bad news yesterday. Not the "totally bad, no good, terrible" kind of news, but the kind that makes you fret and worry and build scenarios in your mind. After falling into the worry-meets-anxiety-meets-panic-then-depression kind of mode, I realized I was in a downward spiral which felt so familiar and welcoming, but into the ...

A Gratitude Planner

By Thursday, March 31, 2016 0 Permalink

A few months ago I read Martin Seligman's Flourish, and while I knew some of the concepts (he is the founder of the Positive Psychology concept), I hadn't tried actually writing a gratitude list at the end of every day. Turns out, it was one of the happiest and most fulfilled periods of my life. It's also ...

Wanting it all vs letting it go

In the past week I've been confronted with three stories on the conflict between wanting it all vs letting go. I call it the Universe really trying to tell me something. All three of them are successful women, quite career-focused, ambitious and hard-working. However, at one point in time, they all realized that some other things may ...

For the Holidays, BE the Light

By Sunday, December 20, 2015 0 Permalink

The past week, I watched some Christmas movies (any recommendations? I saw Elf and How the Grinch Stole Christmas and absolutely loved them!) and painted some cards, like the one you see above. Some years, I don't really get into the Christmas spirit. Too much agitation, consumerism, gift buying, stress, horrible traffic and general exhaustion. ...

I got my ACC!

By Sunday, November 15, 2015 0 , Permalink

No, it's not some sort of new virus, nor any type of pills. It's a coach credential by the International Coach Federation, namely Associate Certified Coach. I'm so happy I finally got to apply for it, since it means a lot, as a coach, to earn a certification. Basically it means that the school you got trained as ...

You are your search

  A collection of things I love.   In the past weeks - no, even months! - frequently I start discussions about trivial or business-related topics with people, then surreptitiously slide into personal, even spiritual topics. There's something in me, that, when asked "So, how are you doing?" keeps wanting to answer 100% honest, brutally even:  "Well, you ...