Let’s Get Back to Normal

Let’s Get Back to Normal

by | Inspire

Let’s Get Back to Normal

As our lives are have been disrupted from what we knew as “normal,” I am hearing many people say, “Let’s get back to normal.” or “I can’t wait to get back to normal.” Join me as we explore what it takes to get back to normal.

What is Normal?

Let’s look at what normal is and how we got there. Normal, I think, is what each of us has defined as allowing us to maintain peace and relative sanity in our everyday life. We have crafted our lives to be a series of routines that enable us to feel comfortable. Moreover the comfortability, we often define as “normal” is our normal, whether or not this is actually what our original desires or goals were. Normal is an evolution, and when some type of change happens, it causes our normal to become abnormal or interrupted.

The nomadic lifestyle that Maureen and I live with a mobile business traveling all over the country is normal to us. It is totally whacked in the eyes of our family and a lot of our friends. In contrast, the normal of a 9 to 5 job with weekends off is something we find out of our norms.

Some of us are super happy with how life has worked out and are, or should I say were, on a kind of cruise control. Many of us characterize this as Life is Good or normal. Others of us have adapted to a type of fluid crazy changing flow that we consider normal. So, it’s all good, or a least it was until Covid19 entered our world.

How has Normal Changed?

For so long, our disasters have been isolated in places that weren’t close to us and didn’t affect us unless it did, not to minimize the suffering of anyone that has been through an event like this. Still, they have been on a micro-scale compared to the world itself. As East Coaster’s, we are somewhat familiar with Hurricanes and the havoc they can wreak. Although sometimes these natural disasters or human-made disasters cover very large areas, this time is different.
Covid19 is affecting all of us in some way, all over the world. This global pandemic has created a massive change in record time.

Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with those around the world that are dealing daily with the physical effects of the virus. For many, the pain and suffering that has ensued is unimaginable. For those who are essential and still working every day to keep our world safe, healthy, and operating, we are so grateful and thankful for what our brothers, sisters, neighbors, countrymen, and unknown unsung heroes are doing every day around the world.

In many cases, their normal and the minute by minute challenges they experience are unknown to us and many times inconceivable. Quite frankly, this is causing some who want to get back to normal to add to and sometimes contribute to or exacerbate the issues at hand. Sometimes we don’t want to comply with the authorities on social distancing or travel, and sometimes we share opinions that are hurtful, disruptive, or insensitive.

Business is Changing, can we get back to Normal?

Personally, we look at our business, and we worked our marketing plan super hard last year and had a great tour planned for this year, we were so looking forward to the places it was going to take us, the money we were going to make, the new adventures we were going to have and the time we were going to connect and spend with our family and friends.

We set goals at the beginning of the year, and we were working on them, checking things off the list, staying motivated, focused, and just taking the bull by the horns.

Then, slowly the virus crept into our lives, and then as it grew into this global crisis, it landed right in our lap. Thankfully, we are healthy and have not been physically affected.

In our industry and many others in the world, our businesses and jobs have stopped temporarily and maybe permanently. Going back to work depends on whether or not companies can survive the changes for an unknown time. For those with businesses, some of our enterprises closed immediately. Others are still open are suffering with limited hours and no customers. Some establishments are now overloaded and having to do more business with fewer people while trying to keep everyone safe, which is also majorly challenging.

This is an unprecedented time for most of us. I am not sure anyone really was prepared for what we are seeing. There are some things we were ready for, some of us store food, ammunition, money, off the grid prep and such. I think this multi-faceted attack has evolved and created so many other mini-crisis that it is easy to make our heads swim with the changes. Our normal, the things that we have been taking for granted for years has now changed.

We have in many parts of the world become a society with expectations of what we believe to be normal. Since normal has been massively interrupted on a global scale by Covid19, we are now left with an entirely new thought to consider.

How do we adjust to a changing normal?

Daily routines have changed for all of us. We are experiencing a new lifestyle of social distancing, travel bans, toilet paper, and food hoarding. It is different for all of us and a shock to our system. These fast unanticipated changes can create anxiety, chaos, fear, and opportunity. Sometimes they can keep us up at night. All these feelings are normal in times like these. What do we do with them? How do we let them affect our daily lives? We must consider this. In this world of a 24/7 media blitz, it is easy to let ourselves become consumed, distracted, overwhelmed, and paralyzed with all this information. Don’t be afraid to have an open and frank conversation with your family and friends about how you feel.

Adjusting for me has been in steps and phases. First, it was like WTF!, what about this, what about that? Primal survival mode, where are we going to stay (we are full-time nomads), do we have enough cash, food, toilet paper, what about our kids….?

Then it was like really, this is weird, I’m not busy maintaining our business because we are currently out of business for who knows how long. Most of our preparations for the year were complete until our jobs and events started.

So, what do I do? I can clean and organize and take care of some things which are all needed and useful, but why? The vacation or F…it complex set in. Do nothing. This is the apocalypse, so why put all that effort in, let’s just get drunk. We deserve it, right? We’ve been working hard being good people, good citizens, and everything has still turned to shit. So, let’s get drunk and screw. For a while, this was fun and will continue as part of our routine with some additions.

Now, a new reality is setting in. The what if’s, the fear of the unknown. When will this stop, will it stop, is it a conspiracy, will we ever go back to work, can we do anything else, what if we can’t, what if we don’t have an income, how will we survive, and on and on and on until… Holy crap, man, just stop!

Take a Minute.

Take a minute, breathe, as some would say. Maybe or maybe not, the sky is falling, and the apocalypse is on us. Who knows? Most of us don’t, so what do we need to do?

Again, take a minute. Many of us seem to have more of these minutes now than we used to. If not, we need to find a few. Take an honest look and real evaluation of where we are today, not where we were, or where we need to get back to, but where we are right now.

Are we in this present moment, no matter how weird it seems, are we living right now with what we have?
Are we showing up for ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities? Are we being vigilant and aware and evaluating our circumstances based on reality and not fear, anxiety, and media hype?

We adjust by being present, right here, right now, evaluating what do we have to do today, what do we need to do today and what the action plan is.

There is no Get Back to Normal date

For many of us, when this crisis began, some of us even now, believed that there would be a day, a date, a fixed point in time when this would be over, and we would just get back to normal. Why wouldn’t we? We always have before.

When 911 happened, we were taken aback, but we quickly did what we needed to do to get back to normal. We rebuilt, we remembered, we restored. The same thing happens with wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and the housing crash of 2008. These events, although catastrophic and tragic, only affected a finite number of people for a limited amount of time. Covid19 has affected the world, and all facets of life, even the most basic but vital part of life, the air we breathe, can now kill us.

As I see the enormity of this crisis unfold, for me, the idea of a fixed time to get back to normal is just that, an idea or thought, a memory, no longer a reality.

Normal as we knew it is gone.

Is that a good or a bad thing? Have you taken the time to think about that?

Create a New Normal

Have you taken the opportunity this time provides to evaluate and think about “normal”?
I love this quote and would challenge you to consider it.

In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which
parts of normal are worth rushing back to. -Dave Hollis

I don’t think this is a time to overthink and magnify fears of the unknown. This is the moment to take some dedicated time and consider the possibilities. I truly believe our world is never going to be the same again and “normal” from several weeks ago, is not going to return just the way it was.

The quicker we understand and accept normal is not coming back, and the quicker we adapt to that, the faster we will be able to find peace and comfort in our typical, expected life. This really is what Normal is. Isn’t it?

So now what. Let’s get on with this new life. Let’s accept there is going to be a new normal for a period of time. This time will then eventually evolve into our normal again.

Right now, many of us have an opportunity like no other to move ourselves forward exponentially. To take advantage of our life experiences to date and evaluate what we want from life going forward.

What Normal is important, and what Normal is irrelevant?

Do we really want to return to pre-Covid19 life, if possible, or is this time to evaluate, create, and plan a new and intentional new normal? So many of us always said, “If I only had the time…”. Guess what? Now is that time, today is that day, this crisis may have given some of us a gift to create the life of our dreams if we will only embrace it and get out of our own way. This is a new way to move forward in a new fashion.

Can we saddle our anxiety and fear and turn that into action for a new destiny? Every day further measures are mandated to cause us to be more mindful for reasons of survival. Can we take that mindfulness and, as the threat subsides, corporately band together as the human race? Can we then project this mindfulness into our lives going forward to create better and more fulfilled lives globally?

Can we be more sympathetic to those who are suffering like many of us aren’t? Are we empathetic to those who are in the throws and the hotspots instead of continuing daily rants about our politicians and people who are not acting or reacting the way we think they should? It is critical to be aware and stay vigilant, I agree. I’m not sure it’s so important to be so caustic in our analysis and judgment.

Now is the time to acknowledge that the earth’s global reset button has been pushed and activated. We all have an opportunity personally and collectively to evaluate and reevaluate how to live better lives in this world. Some of us will survive and thrive, and others, unfortunately, will not. Our conscious choices in this time of pause and change will help to dictate that.

What are we thinking?

Are we taking a true inventory of where we are today and where we want to be in the future? What do we want life to look like in a year, in 5 years? Visualize it, see it, imagine it and write it down. The world is not over. It is just changing. Crisis is a breeding ground for new ideas, new life, and new thoughts.

Necessity is the mother of Invention – Plato

Will we seize this day and time, or will we keep attempting to get back to normal? The “Glory Days” Bruce Springsteen sings about.

Let’s remember yesterday is for reflection and a lesson, tomorrow is for planning and hope, TODAY is the time at hand, to live. The time to be here and present in this day right now, doing and taking action at this moment, this is what we have.

If we move forward and take action, I believe we will all come out on the other side as better humans. We’ve got this!

Four Tips To Get The Conversation Started Using The FORD Method

Four Tips To Get The Conversation Started Using The FORD Method

by | Educate, Export to Stromads

Four Tips To Get The Conversation Started Using The FORD Method

Would you like to make a connection through conversation and don’t have a clue where to start?  Well, you are in the right place with these four tips to get the conversation started using the FORD method.

Dialogue doesn’t have to be hocus pocus, and you certainly don’t have to be the smartest person in the room to engage in some meaningful dialogue.  You can facilitate practical fun, meaningful conversation by asking a few simple questions to those around you.

Oh my pounding heart and sweaty palms

How do you feel about talking to people?  Is it easy for you to strike up a conversation?  Would you like to develop your skills and be more fluid in your communication?  Do you cringe at the thought of “making conversation.”  Maybe you are at a loss for words when you first meet someone.  Possibly, you just want to make a connection and don’t know where to start.

Do you ever feel your heart pounding, your palms sweating, and you just wish someone would talk to you.  Perhaps you find yourself trying to think of things other than the weather or COVID-19 to discuss. How about that deafening awkward silence, does it bother you?

Well, guess what?   You are like many of us out here.  That’s right; you are not alone.  Connection is one of our greatest needs as humans.  We want it, we need it, and now, we are going to help you get it!

Open-Ended? What’s that?

Let’s start with the basics or, as I like to say, ask a better question.  The proper term is open-ended questions or leading questions.  Simply put, these are questions that allow an opportunity for additional dialogue rather than a yes or a no answer.  These questions can be tricky, and you may need to practice.  Though, once you start using them, your dialogue will open up tremendously.

Do you ever get stuck for open-ended questions?.    Well, if you do, then read on because we have some fun leading questions for many situations.

Now, I love to talk to people or interrogate, as my partner Robb would say.  Developing effective question asking can be tricky.  So, I was pretty excited when I ran across this little nugget of information. 

I love acronyms

My research led me to this fantastic acronym F.O.R.D.   Simply stated, The F. O.R. D. method stands for Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Dreams.  These hints and reminders help us to find more interesting and not so obvious information through open-ended questions. 

I put together some of my go-to questions that may be helpful the next time you find yourself stuck.  If nothing else, remember the acronym, and you will find a lead into a conversation.  Be encouraged to use these as a jumping-off point and allow the dialogue to develop naturally.  There is no reason for rapid-fire unless, of course, it is an interrogation.  Allow the conversation to be natural and flowing.

These are Four Tips to get the conversation started using the FORD method

F-Family

It is not always apparent as to whether or not someone wants to talk about their family.  Asking them a direct question such as “ Tell me about your family” can sometimes trigger some unhappy emotions.  Personally speaking, I like to wait until I am clear on a persons’ familial relationships before I close in on what could be a sensitive territory. 

Try these instead and be discerning.  Knowing what to ask and when to ask can be a little tricky.  Navigate your conversation slowly until you find your flow.

  • Where’s home for you?
  • What are some of your family traditions?
  • What was it like growing up in your neighborhood?

O-Occupation

Occupation is a subject that needs a little more attention and follow-up.  Sometimes the question may seem to be open, when in fact, the person on the other end clams-up on us.  Be prepared to follow up with another similar question:

  • What kind of work do you do?
  • How did you come into that line of work or occupation?
  • Tell me about your typical day in the “office.”

R- Recreation

Everyone likes to talk about their “fun” life, hobbies, weekend ventures, and the places they’ve traveled.  So ask them!  Personally speaking, this is one of the most comfortable places to start.  You will even find that small children respond to these questions.

  • Tell me what you did over the weekend.
  • When things get chaotic, how do you clear your head?
  • What are you reading these days?
  • What are some of your favorite restaurants?
  • Where was your last getaway?

D-Dreams/Aspirations

Some people think this question is prying.  For me, it is just another way to communicate.  Indulge your friends and let them tell you about their dreams and aspirations. 

  • When did you know you wanted to be…..?
  • What is your silliest fear?
  • What did you want to be when you were a kid, and how did that turn out?

Hopefully, you will find value with these questions and using the F.O.R.D method. Perhaps you want more on this subject?  Here’s a quick and easy download of 30 easy open-ended questions you can use with just about anyone. 

Productive, engaging conversation is a skill, and you may need to practice. 

I appreciate you stopping by The Conversation Community, and I hope to talk with you soon.

Be Mindful, Inspire Conversation, and Continue to Encourage each other.

Much Love,

Maureen

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Four Tips For Connecting Virtually

Four Tips For Connecting Virtually

by | Export to Stromads, Motivate

Four Tips For Connecting Virtually During Social Distancing

Are you missing your people?

As more of us transition to working from home and forgoing the usual happy hour meets, we miss our friends, family, and those interactions.  In this article, I will present you with four tips for connecting virtually with intentional conversation.

As nomads, we have been socially distancing for years.  It is not unusual for Robb and me to go months without meeting up in person with family and friends.  Our tours would often take us to rural America, and we spend countless days, weeks, months, and years living out of hotel rooms or in our RV.  Social distancing was our usual way of life, long before COVID-19.

Sure, I feel lonely, isolated and disconnected too!

Needless to say, we found it complicated, maintaining relationships and even more difficult developing new ones.  Lapses in spending time together, coupled with the physical distance we experienced, caused our family connections to become strained and awkward. In retrospect, it seemed that the more time and distance we put between each other, the easier it was to stay apart. 

The feelings of disconnection, isolation, and loneliness would often fill my days.  I was caught in between two different worlds and did not know how to connect them.  Wanderlust called me away, and belonging pulled me back home. 

With the onset of COVID-19, so many people are struggling with their feelings of isolation and disconnect.  In general, people like to move about their communities and socialize.  Currently, having parties, happy hours, and even a casual cup of coffee together is unlikely. 

How do we bring our people together?

Now, more than ever, somebody has to bridge the gap and bring our friends and family together.  If you are reading this article, then chances are it is you.  There is a universal calling to gather your people and create a new way of connecting.

How do we do it?

It is relatively easy to communicate these days.  We all have cell phones, FaceTime, Messenger, and video capabilities.  One of our favorite ways to bring family, friends, business marketing groups, and clients together is through Zoom.

Zoom is an online platform specifically designed for holding video meetings and webinars.  What I like about using this software is that we can switch control of the meeting to one of the other hosts if we want to.  Unlike some of the other video calling software, Zoom allows you to mute guests, share your screen with the group, and even record the call. 

How about those 4 Tips for Connecting Virtually?

Family Night: 

Pre Arrange a video conferencing call with your family.  If it is the first time you are attempting it, you might feel awkward.  We urge you to stay with it. 

Our first family call was bizarre.  It seemed we all engaged in small talk waiting for the “meeting” to start.  Weird, right?  Our adult children, spouses, and us, and we had nothing to talk about except the weather.  How could this be?  We have known each other for 25 years or more. 

The following week, I did something a little different and we use this practice each week.  Now, one of us is responsible for an “ice-breaker” question.  The answers are hilarious, thought-provoking and allow us to get to know each other in a different light. 

Everyone in the family looks forward to our Wednesday night call.  Honestly, I am not sure why we didn’t do this years ago.  The point is, we make a standing appointment to come together as a family and have meaningful conversations.

Host a talk show: 

Pull together some of your friends and interview each other.  Each week, you and your friends take turns as the host and ask your guests an interesting question about their life. Open-ended questions are best for these interviews.  Ask a leading question, something that you want to know about a friend.   

If you are like me, and I bet you are, we want to know stuff.  What makes our friends tick.  This format is a fantastic time to ask your friends, “What do you think about … ?” 

The Conversation Community hosts a weekly show, “Off The Cuff.”  Our guests come together and engage in meaningful conversation.  The topics we explore range from practicing mindfulness to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.  Everyone is welcome to join, and we have outlined specific rules of engagement so that each person has a chance to participate.

Virtual Trivia

Virtual Trivia is a great way to engage in a night of virtual fun.  Pick a host and develop a list of 20 questions.  The host can ask the questions.  Participants write their answers on paper.  After all of the items have been read, reread the questions and let the group answer—Award 1 point for each right answer.  At the end, add up the points and crown the winner. 

Our group awards a $5 Amazon gift card to our winners.  On our last trivia night, we had 17 participants and a whole lot of fun!

Maybe you and your friends want to join us? You can! Join us for Beyond Happy Hour & Trivia, Friday 7 pm est. We ask that you pre-register so we can send you a link!

In fact, check out all of our events! We would love to have you!

Virtual Bingo

That’s right!  What could be more fun than a friendly game of Virtual Bingo?   The Conversation Community has put together an easy to implement Virtual Bingo Game for you and your friends.  Play Picture Bingo, Alphabet Bingo, Never Have I Ever Bingo and even Adult Dirty Bingo. 

The point is, bring your family and friends together.  There is no better time than today.  Act now.  Be creative.  Inspire, motivate, educate, and connect the ones you love.  Build a community through intentional conversation.  I hope that you will use my four tips to connect virtually.

As you connect today,

Be Mindful, Inspire Conversation and Encourage Each Other.

Maureen

Five Tips for Peaceful Sleep

Five Tips for Peaceful Sleep

by | Educate

Five Tips for Peaceful Sleep

Do you hear those things that go bump in the night?  Well, occasionally, I do, and I feel miserable when my sleep is interrupted by invisible voices in my head.  If you relate to losing sleep because of those middle of the night harassing voices inside your head, you might want to read this article.  Best of all, I am going to share my five tips to help you get a more peaceful sleep.

Any way you look at it, INSOMNIA sucks. Lack of quality sleep can play havoc on us. With foggy mornings and midafternoon crashes, it is no wonder we are a little snappy, disinterested, and lack the energy to do anything more than what we must do to survive.

Get up, go to work, come home, make dinner, do laundry, read a story to the kids, and go to bed exhausted, only to find ourselves wide awake at 2 am listening.

Maybe you are one of the ones that have trouble falling asleep, or perhaps you are like me, suddenly awake the middle of the night and struggle falling back to sleep. Do you toss and turn, hearing those repetitive voices telling you stories of past failures or, worse yet, future failures? Do those voices seem to get louder the more you argue with them? Mine do.

What keeps you up at night?

Honestly, I admire people that can sleep for 10 hours, or stay in bed all day. It is just something that I can’t do. I have come to acknowledge and accept that I can live on a solid 6 hours of sleep daily and have been since my kids were born. Less than that amount of good quality sleep leaves me feeling restless and even angry. Can you relate?

Over the last few weeks, I have found myself in this repetitive nightmare of insomnia. Sometimes I will wake up in the middle of the night and lay wide awake at 2:30 am listening, silently arguing with the accusing voices, tossing and turning until I finally doze back off, only to get up at 630am to greet the day again. What a vicious cycle!

Thankfully, I have found some relief. Remember, I am not a doctor nor an advocate of sleeping pills, and I am only sharing out of my personal experience. Pain, anxiety, and depression are all genuine, and if you are experiencing these symptoms, I urge you to seek professional help.

Five tips that helped me sleep:

Here are my five tips for a peaceful sleep.  In addition, these techniques are natural ways to help with insomnia that have helped me.

Gratitude:

Expressing gratitude is as simple as saying “Thank You”.  You can be thankful for a great day with your family or even for the peaceful sleep you are about to have.  As I prepare for my slumber, I quietly reflect for a few moments on a few of my favorite parts of the day and then whisper, “Thank You”.  Making this simple statement of gratitude signals your mind to relax and be at peace because of all of the good and beautiful events and blessings you have in your life. 

Intentional Dreaming.

Sometimes I find myself in need of answers. As I lay my head on the pillow, I ask the specific questions that I am contemplating. Unfortunately, that answer sometimes is the thing that wakes me up at 2:30 am. Dr. Joseph Murphy discusses this in great length in his book “Power of the Sub-Conscious Mind.

Meditations:

I have found some amazing guided meditations. A few years ago, I was experiencing awful physical pain. My back, knees, heart, neck, head, and hands hurt so badly; I could hardly function. The physical pain was a manifestation of some emotional situations going on in our home.  During that time, I relied on Barbara Clarke’s meditations that addressed the physical manifestation of emotional issues. I would fall asleep while listening to them. They did wonders for me!!!!

Self-Hypnosis:

Sometimes, I imagine myself laying comfortably preparing for a massage. Starting at the crown my head, I begin to feel the tingling sensation of hands relaxing my temples, the crown of my head, my ears, nose, and mouth. I work my way down my body, paying attention to areas that hold tension and stress. I speak to my mind that I am becoming more and more relaxed as I move my focus further and further down my body. Most times, I drift off before I get to my hips. Drake Eastburn talks a lot about this in his book “Power of Suggestion.”

Let it play out.

What I hear and often entertain in those dark hours are the voices of accusation. That bully voice that reminds me of every mistake I have made throughout my 56 years. It says things such as “remember when you insulted that customer,” or “how about that time you got fired,” or “hey, remember that time you got so drunk..” and even ” you are spending too much money.” I would wrestle and argue over and over with those haunting thoughts, until just recently. A new theory was presented to me twice by different sources. How’s that for confirmation? (Unfortunately, I did not record who they were. I will backtrack my research, find their names and update this portion of the blog).

Basically, the study suggests that when the taunting voices pay a visit, let them have their say rather than arguing with them. Eventually, the scene will play out, and the imaginary conversation will end. The authors do not suggest that you should neither agree with them or banter with them. They say, just let them talk, just as we do with the blowhards in our social circles. The voices will talk themselves out until they finish their story.  Once they do, you will drift sweetly off to sleep again.

One night,  those pesky tormenting voices started a conversation in my head.  Immediately, I took this newfound suggestion and tried it for myself! Without judgment or the need to argue, I allowed them to talk and talk and talk. I no longer wanted to defend myself, nor did I apologize once again for something that happened 25 years ago. I know those situations are in the past, and there is nothing I can do to change them.  Furthermore, most of them are so stupid and irrelevant to my life now, anyway.

What was the result? The voices left my head and have not been back since! I am excited to say that I am back in my 6 hours of uninterrupted blissful sleep. There are no more accusers, no more drama, and no more arguing; just sweet, peaceful sleep.

Sweet Dreams and Peaceful Sleep

Sleepless nights are no fun for anyone.  For you that suffer from insomnia, I hope you find some relief.  When I tried these different exercises, my slumber improved dramatically.  Undoubtedly, we all deserve sweet, peaceful sleep, and I hope these five tips will help you.

The next time those voices wake you in the middle of the night, give one or all of these tips try and let me know how you made out.  We can talk in the morning!

For those that have found some other natural ways to enjoy a good night’s sleep, will you share them?

 In the comments below, drop us some “sweet sleep” if you found this helpful.

 

The Conversation Community About Us & History

The Conversation Community About Us & History

by | About Us, Inspire

Sometimes it is necessary to understand the history and the events that lead up to creating a blog or community. With so many other blogs and websites on the web, do we need another one dedicated to inspire, motivate, educate, and connect?  Hopefully, you will enjoy what The Conversation Community brings to the table.

Telling our history will help you to connect with us as individuals as well as a group.  As we educate each other through our personal experiences, we find inspiration and motivation.  We have come a long way, baby, and our history is relevant and interesting enough to share it with you.   Trust me; it is a long read, but worth it.  Ultimately, you will better understand what The Conversation Community has to offer you.  In turn, hopefully, you will want to connect with us.  So, here goes!

A little history to inspire you:

As far back as I can remember, I have had a deep desire for meaningful conversations about personal growth, motivation, and inspiration.   I’ve genuinely wanted to understand what people were thinking, how they felt, and what motivated them to do the things they do.  Likewise, I have wanted to share my thoughts, dreams, and fears with others.  One could say, I was a deep thinker and had an insatiable hunger for subjects of the heart and mind.  Today, I am still the same.

Through the years, I yearned for in-depth conversations.  Unfortunately,  conversations with my friends and family often revolved around stories of last weekend, work, or what’s for dinner.  That is until I met Robb, my life partner, and the love of my life.  Robb is a dreamer, entrepreneur, lover of life, and, seriously, the best guy I know. Undoubtedly, I am very fortunate.

How do Nomads connect?

Together, Robb and I have chosen a nomadic lifestyle.  In other words, we live on the road full-time in our RV, hotels, and rental properties.  Our transient lifestyle has many benefits, such as freedom, excitement, and adventure.  Conversely, the distance from friends and family can often lead a person to feel isolated, depressed, and lonely.

At times, I have experienced all these emotions.  Even when surrounded by lots of friends at parties, family events, and work functions, I’ve felt something was missing.  In this case, it was my need to connect with others through stimulating deep conversations.   Mainly, I desired some dialogue that allowed me to know who you are and what makes you the person you have become, maybe even conversation that would inspire, educate, or motivate me.

It has been said that everyone has a story.  Likewise,  your story should be shared your story to inspire, motivate, educate, and connect with others.   Sometimes a personal account leads others to growth, healing, and recovery.  Some circles of people say that when you tell your story, and you no longer cry, you are healed.  I believe in those statements, and we will all share our stories as we become more comfortable with our healing.  But first things first, let me tell you how The Conversation Community started.

Coffee and Cabernet?

In early Spring 2019, Robb and I came back to the Mid Atlantic.  We stayed for 6 weeks with our friends Treva and Ronnie. Their property is impressive, filled with nature, starry nights, and the deep dark quiet.  Treva and I would often enjoy mid-morning coffee breaks and late afternoon happy hours.  Many nights we would sit by the fire talking about how full our lives were, how grateful we were for the opportunities we have, and all the good things we experience.

We talked about religion, spirituality, laws of attraction, and our families.  Our chats revolved around everything under the sun, including books we were reading and our love for our friends.  Our conversations revolved around different subjects, ideas, and fun “what if” questions.  We even jumped into a 5-Week Manifesting Group using Laws of Attraction.

For both of us, we discovered a new level of communication.  We listened, responded when necessary, and asked each other thought-provoking questions.  To be quite honest, I really enjoyed it.  For a few short weeks, I connected with someone on a level that was far beyond tequila shots, cabernet, and “that one time at band camp.”  Now please understand, we have known each other for years, but this was the first time we truly connected.  And how did that happen?  What was the catalyst?  I’m positive it was the conversation.

The Ugly Brown Sweater?

Our conversations became exciting and full of life.  They were far from the usual banter that we had had with our other friends.  Our dynamic was refreshing and a much-needed change from the typical “I hate my life, my job, my car, and this ugly brown sweater” posts we would see on Facebook.  We celebrated each other’s personal growth, and we encouraged each other.

Unfortunately, we also realized that we were not experiencing enough of that in our daily interactions with others.  It seemed that people tend to engage more often in negative subjects.  It was rare (at least in our circles) that people would get excited with us about our daily wins.  More often, they would jump into our box when we are feeling down.  They even went so far as to confirm our misery with their own horror stories.

The momentum we created together and the feelings of being connected in this vast big world were like something neither of us had really experienced before.  Seriously, we were on fire!  One night I said to Treva, “Wouldn’t it be great if our friends could just drop in and sit with us and discuss the good and great stuff that is going on in our lives?  Could you see how we could all benefit from a meaningful conversation about personal growth, inspiration, and motivation? ” You know, we very much wanted our friends and family to experience what we were experiencing.

The Big AHA!

BOOM!  It was like MAGIC!  We both knew at that moment that we were onto something new, fun, exciting, and doable.

Unfortunately, we knew it would be impossible for us to meet in person weekly since we both travel extensively, and most of our friends live 45 minutes away.  We thought the next best option would be to have a weekly meet-up on a virtual platform.  Seriously, why not?  Businesses use it all the time!  We could easily set up a community for this purpose: to connect, discuss, and empower each other.  At that moment, The Conversation Community was born.

Bridging the Gaps

Immediately, I called my son Matt to vet this fantastic idea.  He quickly jumped on board and brought his California family into our community.  He too agreed that he would like to have more rewarding conversations about life, love, and the pursuit of good things.  The idea of a virtual face-to-face communication and community would help us to connect in a much more thought-provoking way.

Treva and I gathered our closest friends and asked them to participate in some weekly video calls.  And guess what?  They did, and they still do.  We meet online each week and discuss a relevant topic.    Our guests have an opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts.   In addition, we offer a fun icebreaker question and there is never any pressure to share.

What do I love most about The Conversation Community?  In addition to sharing some of the lessons I learn throughout the week,  I love that I get to talk to some beautiful people about their personal growth.  Moreover,  I enjoy seeing the people in the community grow, challenge their old beliefs, and build relationships that they otherwise would not have recognized.

What does the Future Hold?

As we grow, The Conversation Community will provide workshops, articles of interest, small discussion groups, and lectures.  This is just the beginning.  We hope you will stick around and help inspire, motivate, educate and connect with us.

So, would you like to connect with others in thought-provoking conversation?  Do you desire a more intentional conversation rather than the usual mundane small talk and mindless banter?  Are you ready to talk about some fun, exciting, and empowering topics?  Join us!  Your Tribe is just a click away!