It never fails! I find myself really troubled by insomnia right around the full moon. Then I feel lousy during the day.

So last week was no different. 🥮🌖🥱 And I gave myself grace to just do what I could without stressing out about not being able to do what I had scheduled.

I just recorded The Leadership Learns podcast with Peter Rabey from the X4 Group, where we spoke of the difficulties that leaders have with sleeplessness and how it can negatively impact daytime performance.

In this short video, I encourage you to listen to the details of each tip.

Sleeplessness is not a single problem. It really is three distinct problems:

1. Falling Asleep 😴
2. Staying Asleep 🥱
3. Early morning awakening ⏰

Tip #1:  Create an environment ✔

If you are lying in bed for 20 minutes without falling asleep, just get up and do something. I usually clean something that I have been meaning to do, like sort the junk drawer.

Tip #2: Unplug from devices two hours before you want to fall asleep ✔

Caffeine ...

Have you ever asked yourself why should I learn to meditate? 🧘‍♀️

Peter Raney, CEO of The X4 Group, asked me that very pointed question, "Lisa, why should I learn to meditate?" 🤨 Peter is a high-power, hard-charging executive and has the podcast for leaders Leadership Learns Podcast. He is obviously juggling a lot of priorities.

After we finished our interview, I recorded this short video, where you can hear my top 5 reasons to learn to meditate (for skeptical, busy, Type-A personalities):

1.  You can be calmer

2.  You can be more focused

3. You can be aware of your life while it's happening and not lost in thought

This was truly magical, and happened to me twice at a Boz Scaggs concert. He's performing again in May, and I won't miss it.

4. You can be more connected to others in meaningful ways, and

5.  You bring into your awareness problems that you might be ignoring.

If you start with five minutes a day and make it a habit by blocking out the best time of the day for you, an...

This month I am hosting Thom Walters from Zen Commuter as the Featured Practitioner. Thom is a 40-year meditator and we discuss several ways that beginners can learn to meditate.

One key takeaway is, "Any and everybody can learn to meditate." He reminds us that time spent in meditation brings a kinder more loving person to the world.

Thom shares how he sets his intentions for the day with three words. I also set my in the morning before I even get out of bed.  It's a habit that includes my prayers, and three important thoughts for the day.

Setting your intentions gives you a clear mindset and sets your day up for success.

Thom interviewed me for the Zen Commuter podcast episodes 1693 (the interview) and 1692 (excerpts from Seven Mindful Questions).

Listen to my interview with Thom here on Zen Commuter.

Listen to him read an except of 7MQ also here on Zen Commuter.

Find Thom at www.Zencommuter.com or [email protected]

And FREE Bonus! Thom has a free newsletter that you are i...

My Dad was the showman in the family. He was the Supervisor of Music for my local hometown school district. Dad would say that no other teacher had their work on display for the whole town to see every Friday night. Dad was particular. Dad had a standard of excellence that generations of children in our home town understand at a personal level.

March 7th was Dad’s Birthday. But then he would say it was on the 10^th, and so for years, it was a true floating holiday to whatever day he decided to celebrate. March reminds me of Dad.

Dad taught me to concentrate. Concentration is one of the foundations of Mindfulness. If you can concentrate, you can meditate. Meditation was a natural outgrowth of specifically focused attention.

Dad was a pioneer in understanding that playing music stimulated the other half of your brain, and made it easier to remember facts, figures, and computations.  On the big band trip to Disney World in 1976, he was afraid that the band would be out of synch with the...