Blog
HOME NOW! SCHOOL NOW!
“Sometimes we don’t realize the blessings we have until we no longer have them. Appreciate all the blessings in your life, take none for granted.”
— Catherine Pulsifer
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. John Robert went into Children’s Hospital two weeks ago today for open heart surgery, and miraculously, 4 days later he came home. Now he needs to continue to rest, recover and get stronger.
He’s an All-Star, as his shirt shows. He’s also a trooper and a “miracle kid” —which is how they referred to him at the hospital. You know, we expected him to be in the hospital for 10-14 days, and he was out in just 4 days! He is remarkable, and keeps us all in a state of wonder.
On Friday, September 14th he will be going back to Children’s Hospital for some tests. If all goes well, the doctors might authorize him to go back to school. He’ll be starting 6th grade at Learning Prep in West Newton,
We all want the best for our kids. I just want John Robert to go back to school safely. Learning Prep is a middle school, and a new school for him. He’s really looking forward to it, and I hope that he’ll be able to make the transition easily. Especially since he will have missed the first 2-3 weeks of school because of his surgery.
Of course, September is the month all of our children or grandchildren go back to school, excited about a year of adventure to come. Whether they’re off to pre-school or college, we all get to re-live a little of our own history through our kids or grandkids. Take a few moments now to relish this, and find joy in thinking of all the good times that they’re about to enjoy.
Prayers and good wishes to all kids starting new grades for a year full of adventure!Do you remember your favorite teacher? I recently connected back up with two of my elementary school teachers, and it’s great being back in touch with them. I want to do a call-out right here to Ms. Florencourt and Ms. Tierney, and thank them for attending my workshops. You two ladies are the best!!!
SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 12th Annual Transitioning into and within the Medical Device Industry. Click here for more information and registration details.
Wishing all of you continued hope, inspiration and motivation.
With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker
www.MedDevCoach.com (781) 872-1045
As your trusted adviser, Lisa empowers you to use passion to live your best life and achieve your goals with confidence, accountability, gratitude and balance.
OPEN HEART SURGERY NOW!
“Wish me courage and strength and a sense of humor—I will need them all.”
— Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Yes, it’s unfortunately true: our son, John Robert, needs open heart surgery again, and it’s scheduled for later this month at Boston Children’s Hospital. It’s been 8 years since his first operation, and he wasn’t expected to need this major surgery again until he became a teenager. However, his medical team determined that he needs it now because he has grown so fast—3 inches taller each year for the last 3 years, meaning that his heart is already the same size as—or even larger than— an average adult heart.
The good news is that Dr. Pedro del Nido will again be the lead surgeon. We know that John Robert is in great hands with Dr. del Nido, who is the Number One pediatric cardiac surgeon in the world who performs the “Cone Procedure” that John Robert needs.
My husband and I will be staying right by his side. He really doesn’t remember his first surgery, and so far he’s handling the prospect of this upcoming operation very well. And for our part, we’re trying to keep the worrying and the chattering about the surgery to a minimum—except when our boy wants to talk about it—and then we’re all ears. I feel that it’s healthy to talk about it, and for me it’s actually cathartic.
During John Robert’s early years, I used to write a daily blog whenever he was in the hospital, and a lot of my followers subscribed to his “Sparkysfriend” Carepage [Carepages is no longer active, we have created a new page on the CaringBridge site. Those interested in receiving updates should let us know and we will send you an invite to the page]. The first 7 years of my blogs were all grouped by month, and were eventually formed into my book, Motivation Now! There were many blogs about John Robert overcoming challenges, and I think that I will re-read my book to get the motivation I need to get me through this.
Everyone needs motivation to get through their challenges in life. I have the cutest, bravest 11-year- old son. We are all saying our prayers and hoping that the surgery is uneventful.
John Robert and Lisa at Foxwoods August 2018
This summer, we were all in Punta Cana for a week. Then we went to Canobie Lake Amusement Park, and finally had a wonderful time swimming at Foxwoods. All in all, it has been a great summer. John Robert also did a week of Boy Scout camp, 3 weeks of summer school, a week of dance camp, and will be ending the summer with 2 weeks of drama camp.
We have done our best to keep him busy and keep his surgery off his mind. He is going to be fine. I repeat this mantra daily, and I now actually believe it. He was doing so well, and even his scar was almost invisible. Nothing ever stays the same in life.
Change is the only constant.
With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker
www.MedDevCoach.com (781) 872-1045
As your trusted adviser, Lisa empowers you to use passion to live your best life and achieve your goals with confidence, accountability, gratitude and balance.
VACATIONS NOW!
“It isn’t how much time you spend somewhere that makes it memorable: it’s how you spend the time.”
— David Brenner
June 21st officially marked the first day of summer, and my family sure didn’t waste any time enjoying it —we kicked off summer on June 26th with a family vacation at the all-inclusive Hard Rock Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. It was great having a week without cooking, cleaning and doing laundry. We snorkeled, swam, and went on an island tour. We all really needed a break, since our last vacation time was exactly the same week last year. That one was at the Orange Lake Country Club, Orlando, Florida—and that ‘s also when we planned this year’s Punta Cana trip.
Do you know the best time to plan a vacation week? It’s when you’re on vacation!That’s exactly the time when you’re in a planning type mode, enjoying your present break—whether you’re on a trip or taking a “staycation”—deciding what activities you want to do and having fun doing them. It really is worth it to plan vacations ahead of time, and there’s a bonus, too: doing it this way affords you plenty of time to look forward to your next getaway.
Ours was a very restful and relaxing vacation this year—just what the three of us really needed. How about you? When was your last real family vacation? What did you do? What do you wish you had done that you didn’t do? What things can you put on the agenda for next year’s vacation?
We always go on vacation in June-July; it marks the halfway point of the year, when I pick up my goals from January and check how I’m doing against them. (Time certainly goes by quickly—doesn’t it seem as though 2018 just got started?)
I encourage you to readdress your own personal goals, as well. And if you haven’t already made up your goals? Never mind, it’s not too late. Take some time now to consider some goals for the rest of the year. If you need a little help, go to the first chapter of my book, Motivation Now! on Goal Setting. If you don’t have my book, you can get the first chapter for free on my website, www.LisaSasso.com.
For planning a vacation, you need to first come up with a place, and then a budget. Second, you need to choose your transportation (plane, boat, car, train or bus). Then third, you can research the location and come up with fun activities and entertainment to enjoy during your stay. This year, we saw a musical show each night at the Hard Rock Resorts Theater. That was great; my family enjoys that type of entertainment. How about you?
Top 5 Ways to Make a Vacation Memorable:
5. Don’t do any work
4. Don’t talk about work
3. Don’t take any work phone calls
2. Don’t read any work-related books.
And finally,
1. Don’t do any emails.
Instead, do the Top 3 Things to Capture Memories:
3. Write in a journal daily.
2. Take lots of photos.
1. Talk with your family; reconnect with them and capture mental memories.
I didn’t even bring my computer along on our trip to the Dominican Republic, so I couldn’t be tempted to look on Outlook, Linked In or even Facebook. It was great. I would highly recommend it. As I write this, I realize now that not checking in on email might sound extreme, but it is great to completely unplug for a week. Get away from everything. One week of down time is not going to kill you. It will help you to come back rested and relaxed. I strongly recommend it. It was the best thing that I did. It allowed me to spend quality time with my family. How nice!
Here’s to your next vacation! Make it a priority! If you need help planning it, just ask.
With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker
www.MedDevCoach.com (781) 872-1045
As your trusted adviser, Lisa empowers you to use passion to live your best life and achieve your goals with confidence, accountability, gratitude and balance.
JUNE CELEBRATIONS NOW!
“Well, June is busting out all over.”
We are going to college graduations, high school graduations, and our son John Robert is graduating from elementary school. It seems like he was just in kindergarten; boy, did those 6 years go by quickly!
And June always makes me so happily nostalgic: it’s all about brides and anniversaries. My mom and I were both June brides. My mom and dad are celebrating their 52nd wedding anniversary on June 12th, while John and I will celebrate our 26th anniversary just a week later, on the 20th.
Bob and Camille – June 12, 1966
Whatever you’re celebrating this June, make sure that you acknowledge your date and your partner. Anniversaries are very special days, but some people take things for granted. Don’t be one of those people!
Finally, I want to honor all the wonderful fathers out there—both those in our family and amongst our friends. I especially want to wish my loving father, my caring father-in-law, and my devoted husband a Happy Father’s Day. On Sunday we are planning to go out to brunch with the whole gang. It doesn’t matter where we go, as long as we are all together. Again, I reflect on how lucky I am to have both of my dads in my life and I am blessed to have my husband. Lots of blessings all around.
So, June is certainly bursting with many activities, and then summer vacations will start.
Wishing all of you—all my friends and family—happy, healthy and safe vacations. Make great memories while enjoying some rest and relaxation.
With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker
www.MedDevCoach.com (781) 872-1045
As your trusted adviser, Lisa empowers you to use passion to live your best life and achieve your goals with confidence, accountability, gratitude and balance.