Suite 9D

Named for the first space I rented for my life /career coach practice!This blog is for someone like me! Who doesn't want to be perfect. Who aims to be fearless and resilient and authentic; in work and life!

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

Historic Spanish Point ,Osprey, Florida

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

Historic Spanish Point, Butterfly House, Osprey Florida.

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

Live a joyous life!

I checked out the Tiffany exhibit at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. This is one of my happy places ! I'm always inspired and my creative energy comes back to me!

I love this quote about Tiffany. Although it describes his art journey and exploration, I feel his process describes my shifting life journey also.

" He has refused to limit his curiosity as an artist to one or two paths in art. He has followed first one road , then another, without heeding the formulas of his fellows. Now he has turned toward stained glass, and again to mosaic, or to pottery, or to enamels, or else to tapestires and rugs, or at another time to jewelry."

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

Squirt , exterior search, NW3, Schaumburg, Il November, 2021

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

Squirt's Very Good Year, 2021!

“Do it now. Sometimes later becomes never!”

I love to have goals and live with intention! I am lucky to have a dog who loves to tackle new challenges with me; testing our limits and pushing beyond our comfort zone! Working as a team competing with my dog Squirt adds so much to my life. I learn so many valuable life lessons.

In 2021 we focused on our nose work goals and therapy dog visits. The in -person visits at the Ronald McDonald House resumed in the summer. It was very rewarding to be back on the job as a therapy dog team!

Our nose work journey began by earning our ORT in April 2020.We focused on trialing that year and were able to earn all our AKC Novice titles with multiple placements and without one NQ! Pretty good for a couple of newbies. Due to the random draw system we were unable to get into a NACSW trial that year.

I knew it would be more challenging to qualify or place in the more advanced levels. But in 20121 we had a great trialing season!

Some highlights included trialing in NACSW NW1 and NW2 trials. Squirt earned both titles the first time and received several “pronounced” designations on our searches We went for it and competed in a NW3, falling a little short of qualifying. He received a “pronounced” designation on a search. I feel we did our best and could have used a little more experience trialing at an advanced level. We came SO close and I was proud of our efforts.

In addition to the NW1 and NW2 Squirt earned the following AKC titles in 2021, with multiple placements:

Advanced Buried, Advanced Interior, Advanced Exterior, Advanced Container = his Scent Work Advanced overall Level title

Excellent Buried, Excellent Interior, Excellent Exterior, Excellent Containers =Scent Work Excellent overall Level title

Exterior Excellent Elite

Master Container

Of course, we are lining up new goals for 2022! We may be blessed with the time and good health to accomplish them, but you never know. Right now we are as young as we will ever be!

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

Rewiring the negativity bias!

Our minds have a natural negativity bias. With so much uncertainty happening in our country and the world now, the mind has lots of material to latch onto and dwell upon.

If you are not familiar with him, this a great time to become acquainted with the gratitude teachings of Brother David Steindl-Rast. He is also a Zen teacher. His gratitude practice is more than a list of things like “I’m grateful for my health”, “I’m grateful for my friends”, etc.

All that is fine but Brother David teaches us to “Every day, find one thing that you’ve never been grateful for before”. Small moments, like the way the morning light looks, the wonderful smile you received when you said good morning to someone. When you notice it, stay with it, savor it.

Your mind begins to look for these precious moments all day long. It starts stringing them together until we become a more mindful, grateful person with a more balanced outlook.

This is similar to a concept I learned during my training to become a solution – focused therapist. We looked for exceptions to the problem, what is going well for the client, and amplified those ideas.

We can’t control everything that’s going on in the external world. However we can change our internal dialogue and teach our brains to see the good. If you want to learn more about Brother David Steindl -Rast and his teachings, or about starting a gratitude practice, he has written many books including “Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer: An Approach to Life in Fullness” and “May Cause Happiness: A Gratitude Journal From the Teachings of Brother David Steindl-Rast”.

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

Train your mind to see the good in everything!

After lots of planning and driving, my husband, my dog and I arrived in Key West, one of my favorite places. Getting there almost feels like coming home to me as the little funky city and I are a good fit!

When we reached the rental office, double parked of course, and eager to get the key to our little house, we were told there was a problem and we couldn’t get in for 2 days!!! Finding a place to stay in Key West during the season is not easy, especially with a dog. However, the rental agent was very helpful and found us a place. We took it sight unseen as they were only willing to hold the room for 15 minutes! We were well and truly stuck.

Well, we arrive at the “historic “property. In the words of Bette Davis, in the movie “Beyond the Forest”, “What a dump”! The door did not close all the way, the windows didn’t open; in fact one “window” was painted on the wall with a window frame around it!

We knew we needed to “get a grip” and adjust our attitudes fast. We reminded each other to be grateful, that we are so fortunate to be able to have this vacation opportunity, that we arrived safely, we were all together, that we were in Key West, the weather was gorgeous, and the place was clean.

The next morning, we realized the there was NO HOT WATER! For the rate this place charged, we could have been in a 5 star hotel! Well, they did have a nice pool, so we enjoyed that. We were able to laugh at the whole situation in pretty short order.

Then you think about the alternative negative point of view. You can raise a ruckus, demand to move, focus on what you don’t have and what you aren’t able to do, and ruminate on “what ifs”. Not a good use of time in this all too short life. Besides ,we would have lost out on a pretty good story!

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

Train your mind to see the good in everything!

After lots of planning and driving, my husband, my dog and I arrived in Key West, one of my favorite places. Getting there almost feels like coming home to me as the little funky city and I are a good fit!

When we reached the rental office, double parked of course, and eager to get the key to our little house, we were told there was a problem and we couldn’t get in for 2 days!!! Finding a place to stay in Key West during the season is not easy, especially with a dog. However, the rental agent was very helpful and found us a place. We took it sight unseen as they were only willing to hold the room for 15 minutes! We were well and truly stuck.

Well, we arrive at the “historic “property. In the words of Bette Davis, in the movie “Beyond the Forest”, “What a dump”! The door did not close all the way, the windows didn’t open; in fact one “window” was painted on the wall with a window frame around it!

We knew we needed to “get a grip” and adjust our attitudes fast. We reminded each other to be grateful, that we are so fortunate to be able to have this vacation opportunity, that we arrived safely, we were all together, that we were in Key West, the weather was gorgeous, and the place was clean.

The next morning, we realized the there was NO HOT WATER! For the rate this place charged, we could have been in a 5 star hotel! Well, they did have a nice pool, so we enjoyed that. We were able to laugh at the whole situation in pretty short order.

Then you think about the alternative negative point of view. You can raise a ruckus, demand to move, focus on what you don’t have and what you aren’t able to do, and ruminate on “what ifs”. Not a good use of time in this all too short life. Besides ,we would have lost out on a pretty good story!

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

Surviving the pandemic year; trialing and training with my dog Squirt

I was sitting at the trial yesterday, looking at my social media and a FB memory popped up; a post from 8/29/20, the day Squirt passed his odor recognition test for NACSW and earned his ORT title the first time taking it.  I realized we have been on our epic scent work quest for 1 year almost to the day! He earned his most recent title on 8/28/21, his Scent Work Exterior Excellent Elite!

In Feb 2020 Squirt suffered a canine vestibular episode. We had been doing well in our nose work class and felt we were ready to attempt some trials. Then he got sick. Some dogs never make a full recovery. Then corona happened and everything locked down. Squirt was 10 y/o and I thought we had run out of time to trial and compete.

But he did recover with acupuncture, canine chiropractic and rehab. Then in June, 202o, I was offered an opportunity with Margaret Simek at One Happy Dog to do an online and Zoom nose work class. I jumped at it! Our learning curve took off! We haven’t looked back since working with her.

During the past year, Squirt has run 85 searches, combined NACSW and AKC. He qualified in 81! He earned placements in 47, including 3 High in Trial and  3 “pronounced “designations out of 5  NW2 searches! He has passed his NW1 and NW2 the first time around.

At a trial recently, waiting in the line for our turn, someone asked me what level Squirt was at and I mentioned he just earned his Excellent level title. She said “Oh that’s nice”. Another woman said, “Well not if it took him 10 years to get it”. Not exactly. Squirt has attained the following titles in trials held from 8/29/20 through 8/28/21:

NACSW:  

ORT

NW1, 5th dog overall

NW2, 9th dog overall

9 searches, 9 Q’s    

AKC:

Scent Work Novice level title

Scent Work Container Novice

“          “          Exterior Novice

“            “        Interior Novice

“            “         Buried Novice

“            “         Container Novice Elite

26 runs, 26 Q’s, 19 placements, 3 High in trial

Scent Work Advanced level title

Scent Work Container Advanced

“            “       Exterior Advanced

“            “      Interior Advanced

“             “     Buried Advanced

20 runs, 19 Q’s, 9 placements

Scent Work Excellent level title

Scent Work Container Excellent

Scent Work Exterior Excellent

“           “        Interior Excellent

“            “       Buried Excellent

Scent Work Exterior Excellent Elite

30 runs, 27 Q’s, 19 placements

I am so proud of Squirt! He was not bred to do nose work. He was not a special puppy picked out for the sport. He is an 11 year old rescue mixed breed dog ! I am new to the sport and had to work hard so I could be a good teammate. We had modest goals for this year; trial as much as possible, have fun and enjoy the journey and earn our ORT and NW1. Done and done!

[medialiteracyed]

Artwork by Tumblr Creatr @ellisvanderdoes

Are you struggling to sift through all of the information surrounding the pandemic? 

Check out NAMLE’s brand new graphic series “5 Ways to Cope with the News: Pandemic Edition” created in collaboration with Tumblr and Tumblr Creatr Ellis Van Der Does.

One thing we’ve learned from COVID-19 is that media literacy has never been needed more. As we deal with the pandemic, we also face an “infodemic”—an overabundance of information that makes it difficult for people to identify factual and trustworthy sources from false or misleading ones.

Media literacy can protect us by helping us navigate the flow of information. It teaches us how to ask questions, be skeptical, and be cautious about the information we take in.

Media literacy is the ability to ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE, CREATE, and ACT using all forms of communication.

In its simplest terms, media literacy builds upon the foundation of traditional literacy and offers new forms of reading and writing. Media literacy empowers people to be critical thinkers and makers, effective communicators and active citizens.

About NAMLE

The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing media literacy education, guided by the following mission:

As the leading voice, convener and resource for media literacy education, NAMLE aims to make media literacy highly valued and widely practiced as an essential life skill.

Visit the NAMLE to learn about media literacy and sign up as a free member!

[staff]

Worried about misinformation clouding your judgment? Head on over to NAMLE to keep you and your loved ones informed. 

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

A Work in Progress!

"You can learn new things at any time in your life if you're willing to be a beginner. If you actually learn to like being a beginner, the whole world opens up to you." Barbara Shur

I took a big step today! I updated my LinkedIn profile to more fully reflect where I am at in my career .

I don’t want to say the word “retirement”, because I’m not retiring. What I would say is that I am putting a punctuation mark after another phase of my career. That being said, I made the decision to stop booking new clients. I am limiting my practice to current clients and those I’ve worked with in the recent past.

I remain committed to the ideas of professional and personal development, challenging limiting beliefs and pushing beyond your comfort zone! I will continue to post and curate material on these topics.

It kind of shocks me to realize that I have been in some version of the social work profession for 44 years! Positions have run the gamut from protective services /child welfare, hospital social worker to brief, solution focused licensed psychotherapist .For the last 9 years I have been a solopreneur, with a life coaching and career coaching practice.

The common thread running throughout my career has been using solution focused creativity and problem solving to help others empower themselves.

Always striving for mastery and excellence, I honed my skills continuously. Whether pursuing training with the best, finding creative solutions or working in high volume, high risk positions, I went for it!

I feel I am at a point now that I want to try transitioning these hard won skills into something else. I feel another reinvention coming on! Not sure what this new path is going to look like. Maybe a merging of my love of dogs and pet therapy, photo journaling, writing, mindfulness, podcasting! I'm a pretty darn good interviewer after all of these years and I think doing a podcast might be amazing! Not sure, but updating this profile and restricting my practice are the first steps!

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

Blindsided

“It’s hard to know which way to go when you are blindsided by something like this. It’s literally one step in front of the other right now. That’s as far as you look.” Al Harrington

The following is based on actual events. The stories are true, the names have been changed to protect the innocent. (Dragnet, 1951) This is a tale of 2 long term employees of a major corporation. The company was viewed as a good place to pursue a career. In addition, this company was fortunate to have a visionary leader with an excellent reputation in his particular industry at the helm. Alas, nothing remains the same. Change is inevitable. The message of this story is to pay attention to what is going on around you, be aware of industry trends, rumors, changes at the top, acquisitions, etcetera. All of these things may seem to be at the macro level, but as you will see, they ripple out to affect you at some point.

Employee # 1 Realized that several years ago when the CEO of the company retired, and of course was replaced by someone who might have a different style with different goals for the company; that perhaps the culture of the company would change. That the values might change. With this awareness tucked away, he continued to perform at a high level. But all the while working on growing and supporting his network, maintaining his contacts, gathering new contacts. He maintained a presence on LinkedIn keeping his profile current and up to date. Helping other connections if they needed help, he demonstrated his relationship building abilities. Keeping his eye on the big picture and where he fit in.

Employee # 2 Was frankly clueless about the changing culture of the company. This person had tunnel vision regarding his turf. He failed to notice that perhaps things were moving in a different direction. That the work he considered so valuable might not be viewed this way by the company. Or perhaps other departments could absorb it more efficiently. Or perhaps this function could be outsourced. He did not put energy into anything other than to produce work; a worker bee. He was not maintaining or growing a network, inside or outside of the company. This individual was so confident of his work product, his job performance,that he felt he didn’t need to consider the bigger picture. Unfortunately as is often the case today, due to a major downsizing and reorganization of the company, both employees lost their jobs.

Person # 1 was upset, naturally, but not entirely surprised. There were signs that there were changes afoot and this person felt his position could be eliminated.

Person # 2 was totally blindsided. Even when he received the dreaded email requesting a meeting, he thought that something good was going to happen; maybe he was being promoted, maybe they wanted his input regarding how changes would affect his department. He was devastated and shocked when he was told that his position had been eliminated. So although both people lost their jobs, one is more prepared psychologically and better positioned to begin networking immediately. The other is in shock and has not maintained connections that can be beneficial in a job hunt. No one is immune from companies deciding to cut costs, drop certain product lines, cease operations. It is their right. It is our responsibility to be aware that this could happen. That you are not guaranteed the right to keep a job for 40 years or be allowed to retire from that job with a party and a plaque! Even if you are a few months away from retirement. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that your work, the quality of your job performance, your loyalty will protect you. If a company decides that eliminating your position makes financial sense, it doesn’t matter who you are , how long you have been there , your age, how highly regarded you are by your boss or admired by your coworkers. In both of these situations the bosses were the first to be walked off the property. They are not in a position to advocate for you. We used to say focus on being indispensable, focus on being a linchpin where people value you so highly that you are untouchable. What I advise my clients: Do your best. Do good work and develop a great reputation. It will sure help you when it comes time to move on, but it’s not going to protect you from mayhem! We all know many amazing employees who have been fired or laid off for different reasons and for no reason! So you need to work both sides of the street. Be really awesome but prepared to jump ship if the need arises. Create and maintain a network. Keep your resume updated. Keep track of your work and projects with metrics if possible. Keep your skills current- keep taking classes, courses. Maintain a current LinkedIn profile and post regularly. LI is a marketing tool for your brand! Most of all develop a “me first” attitude. Identify those things that you need to do to be relevant and attractive as an employee. Invest in those things. Don’t put the company first at the detriment of you first. Develop an attitude that you are a product. You are a brand. That you stand alone with these attributes whether you work for a company or for yourself. And if the company decides that they don’t need or value your brand anymore nothing personal but you need to take it, package it and sell it somewhere else. Hopefully you will be prepared to be resilient and nimble and you won’t be blindsided.

Share this:

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

Tips for discovering your passion

 “Finding your passion isn’t just about careers and money. It’s about finding your authentic self. The one you’ve buried beneath other people’s needs. “

 ·         Slow down and get off the hamster wheel!

It’s almost impossible to find your passion if you are caught up in being “busy”. It’s those moments of feeling at loose ends that we are able to become more aware of what inspires us. Free up some time to slow down.

 ·         Take the time you’ve carved out to explore.

What are you into? Start to journal the things you notice during the day that bring you joy, inspiration, energy. Try something new. Read something different.

 ·         Ask yourself some questions.

What was your favorite thing to do growing up?

What is your favorite topic to talk about?

What do you love doing so much that you lose track of time?

What would you do with your life if you had no fear?

 ·         Reach out to people who are doing something that interests you.

Ask them questions like” What is your typical day like? What do you spend most of your time doing?”  “What skills would I need to do this?” “What steps can I take to transition to this type of career?” Consider doing an internship or volunteering, even a few hours a week, to learn if this career is something you would enjoy before committing to it full time.

 ·         Remain flexible and open.

You never know where your interests might lead you. In addition, consider that the first place you land may be a step in the right direction and not the final destination!

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

“Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault really.” Agnes Sligh Turnbull

It has been a tough week. A jolt of reality. A glimpse of the future. I am facing the loss of health in my dog Squirt, a dog that, over the years, has become part of my life and identity. He is not particularly old, but old enough that he probably cannot continue in our beloved sport of agility. Although watching the aging of a much-loved family pet is always difficult, I believe the loss of health in a dog that was once your agility partner is far more devastating. This has nothing to do with the amount of ribbons, or the number of titles you may have earned together. It has to do with the oneness you develop with that dog on the agility field. You are a team. The time and dedication invested in a relationship to reach that degree of team work only helps to fuel the pain of loss, as your time together draws to a close. At this point I am praying that Squirt can regain normal function in his walking. Perhaps we can return to his therapy dog work. We can find another team activity. Maybe we can return to agility.But I have had to face the future and I need to try to adjust; my wingman , my partner in crime , my most loyal friend , will not be with me forever and it hurts.

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

Be Generous of Spirit

What about you? Would adopting the principle, “Be Generous of Spirit,” help you feel happier today? I bet it would! Happiness is not something that just happens; to be happy, you must work at it.

Tips: Be aware of the opportunities. Everybody could do with a little pat on the back. So do it!

Recognize the benefits. Keep in mind the law of attraction- the energy you put out is the energy you attract!

Be proud of your generous spirit. Maybe you can't change the world but you can have a profound impact on your little corner of it . Instead of feeling hopeless and overwhelmed, feel empowered !

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

The Right Path is Not Always Straight or Easy!

“Every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being redirected to something better.” Steve Maraboli  Today is the 7th anniversary of adopting my rescue dog Squirt! I have been trying to come up with the words to describe what a life changing event this has been and how much he means to me but I really can’t.

I was so devastated by the sudden and unexpected death of my Aussie Frankie. I tried to go without a dog for a while but felt like life was incomplete, just not as much fun! So I started looking at Aussie rescue groups, thinking I would adopt a rescue. I thought that with my long history of Aussie ownership and club participation I would be a good candidate. However, after being lied to and ignored by various groups, I began to think I would never find a dog that was a fit for me.

But as they say, everything happens for a reason. I began looking for Aussie mixes. I saw Squirt on line and applied that night! His little whimsical smile touched my heart. I was truly not expecting a response to my application. To my surprise, the rescue rep contacted me the next day acknowledging receiving my application. I had been approved by another Aussie rescue group and had passed their home visit so she felt we could move along with the process.

Long story short, I made an appointment to see him. I was so nervous the night before, worrying that he would suddenly become “unavailable” as so many other dogs had; that she would let him be adopted right out from under me, first come, first serve. When I arrived at the appointed time, there was a gathering of people waiting to see him too. To my surprise, the rep waited for me to arrive; “You have an appointment, you have the first choice. Take all the time you need.” What a relief! Maybe this time things would work out; I would like him ,he would like me, and he would be available!

In the end, after walking around for awhile and hanging out, when he leaned up against me we decided to give each other a try!  As I was signing the adoption paperwork, I noticed the date that Squirt came into rescue, 12/31/10, the same day my beloved dog Frankie passed away. I like to think it was all meant to be. 

 Although Squirt is a certified therapy dog, currently at the Ronald McDonald House, a Canine Good Citizen, an agility dog, and my shop dog,  faithful friend and wingman are the roles I value most! We have had so many adventures together and hope we have time for many more. I love him so much! Happy Adoption Day, Little Squirt Just Bein’ Me, formerly “Rascal”. I am a better person for having you in my life.

[carolmichalskisuite9d]

Eat More Kale!

“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.” ~Mark Twain Having been a psychotherapist and now a life and car…