Greetings! April 2004 The warm weather is finally here! What I love about this season is the spring air and the desire to be outdoors and exploring again. This month's workout is about exploring the child in you and experiencing freedom, lightness and play again. In light of exploration, I am also running several workshops I delivered in the past that are back by popular demand. "What do you want to be when you grow up" and "Reinvent Yourself in 2004!". Give yourself the gift of discovering what lights you up and pursuing that which you deserve in life. Details of both are below. If, at any time, you would like to unsubscribe, simply go to the end of the newsletter. May you discover lightness & play this Spring! Jean M. DiGiovanna, President, ThinkPeople Monthly Theme Monthly Workout Monthly Poem Upcoming Workshops/ Events Bringing Out the Child in You As I was rushing to a meeting last week, I came across a scene that has been imprinted in my mind ever since and continues to bring a smile to my face. It had been raining on and off last Friday and as I got out of my car and started walking down Dartmouth Street, I kept hearing "Quack! Quack! Quack!" in a somewhat piercing high pitch sound. Ahead of me, I noticed two twin boys no more than 3 or 4 years old with their arms folded in the "duck stance" flapping and making the sounds of a duck. Their Father was a few yards behind with somewhat of an embarrassed look on his face as if to say "I don't know these kids. They are really not mine!." Shortly after, the two boys ran and found respective puddles and as they arrived at their puddles, they stomped each foot down, first the right, then the left foot and as they were stomping, their faces lit up with sheer joy and excitement. It's as if they found treasures of gold for the first time! And, when they were done with that puddle, they ran to find the next one quacking and flapping. Seeing this brought a huge smile to my face! It really made me stop and reflect on how expressive and free these kids were and how I was missing that freedom in my life recently. Then, it occurred to me... when was the last time I got myself really dirty and didn't have a care in the world? When was I so self-expressed that it didn't matter who was around and what they thought? What amazed me most was the immediate reactions I had after seeing these kids - "Their pants are getting so dirty!...They are so loud!...What is their Father thinking.." and on and on and on. Then, I had to laugh! Really, WHO CARES! And, WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL??! What ever happened to those childlike days when we didn't have a care in the world and our major goal was finding the next puddle to jump in? What happened to those carefree times when we just enjoyed "playing" and being and experiencing life and it's natural beauty, flapping our arms like a duck? How can we bring those childlike qualities back into our life? That sense of wonder and playfulness. And, still be an "adult"? (OK, I'm not asking you to walk around like a duck!) Watching this in action opened my eyes to the fact that I had let myself get so engrossed in the drama and circumstances of my life that I began to lose sight of those childlike qualities I so value - the sense of freedom, self-expression and play. The scene continues to remind me to lighten up and see the humor in life, no matter what circumstances we are dealt with and challenges we are facing. We always have a choice in the matter of how we respond to life. Take this moment and choose lightness over stress, choose laughter over frustration, choose kindness over anger. Bring those childlike qualities back! Get your pants dirty and find that next puddle to jump in! Cheers! Jean M. DiGiovanna Monthly Workout: Bringing out the Child in You! Explore the following questions below for this month’s workout: When you were 5 years old, what did you most enjoy doing? What was it about that that you enjoyed? What made it exciting and joyful for you? What were the qualities that would describe the experience? How could you bring more of those qualities into your life? Into your career? Relationships? Health? What would your life look like if you brought more of those qualities into it? What is one action you will commit to taking on that will bring more of those qualities into your life? What structure would support you in keeping each of those qualities alive in your life? Take on the action you committed to and see what unfolds for you in your life. I look forward to hearing what you experience! (please e-mail me at jdigi@thinkpeople.com) Poem of the Month: THE CHILD IN YOU Each of us comes from the same core. That core of beauty, purity and freedom, who knows joy, playfulness and self-expression. Tap into that core once again and uncover what is so longing to come out. For, when we crack the shell and peel away the layers, We find our sense of play, desire for joy and need for laughter once again.                          ~ by Jean M. DiGiovanna Upcoming Workshops, Events, Announcements WORKSHOPS "What do You want to be when You grow up" A workshop for those who are looking for more fulfillment and meaning in your work! Join us for an engaging two evening workshop that explores your true talents, gifts and core values and identifies steps to begin to find a more meaningful career aligned with your passions and natural gifts. Wednesday, May 19 & 26, 2004 from 6-9pm in Brookline, MA Cost: $65 To register or for more info, see http://www.thinkpeople.com/workshops.html "Reinvent Yourself in 2004! Back by popular demand - It's never too late! A workshop that aligns who you are with where you are going and your goals in 2004". A holistic approach to goal-setting including a look at core values, perspective shifts and focus goals for the rest of the year. Saturday, May 22, 2004 from 10am - 3pm in Arlington, MA Cost $65 To register or for more info, see http://www.thinkpeople.com/workshops.html EVENTS Networking Opportunity not to miss! Boston Women's Network (BWN) presents "Creating Financial Health & Wealth : What Every Woman Should Know" Presented by Karyn D. Feinberg, Financial Consultant with American Express Tuesday, May 18, 2004 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at Lexington Sheraton Inn To register or for more info, see http://www.bostonwomensnetwork.org/news/051804_meeting.html Curious about ThinkPeople's other services? Seek out Facilitation/Training/ Consulting" I hope you've enjoyed ThinkPeople's Monthly Workout and found value out of it! Feel free to forward to your friends, family and colleagues. To read past editions of ThinkPeople's Newsletters and to learn more about our services and products, visit us at http://www.thinkpeople.com/resources.html If you wish to unsubscribe, please e-mail unsubscribe@thinkpeople.com Copyright Info: ThinkPeople's Monthly Workout for the mind, heart and soul is ©2003 Jean M. DiGiovanna. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher. Jean M. DiGiovanna, Publisher Amy Rewakowski, Editor ThinkPeople ~ Playground for Shifting Reality jdigi@thinkpeople.com http://www.thinkpeople.com/ 617.489.7494