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Beautiful blessings for Mother’s Day

Do you ever count your blessings?  Are you often grateful for what you have in life?

The greatest thing we can have is our health.  If we don’t have that, we don’t really have anything.  It is priceless.  When you are operating at a sub-optimal level, everyone and everything suffers.

For example, recently my husband caught the flu right before our vacation was to start, so we were unable to carry out our plan to drive to a timeshare in South Carolina and soak up the sun.  We were disappointed.  But he eventually got better, and we did a “staycation”— doing things in and around Boston.  The illness was a temporary thing, and we knew that we would have many other vacations in the future.

But as I know all too well, not everyone is so fortunate:  some people have life-changing illnesses.  My godmother, Aunt Marilyn, suffered from severe MS (multiple sclerosis). From the age of 31, she had it for 45 horrible years. She used to allow bees to sting her arms and legs — just so that she could get some feeling in her nerves.  Every day she went through this ordeal.  Through it all, she remained a strong mother, wife and grandmother, and never complained. I miss her; she died a year-and-a-half ago.  She had great faith, and that is what got her through things.

If you know me, you know that I share this approach to life.  Who taught me to be this way? It came from my upbringing.  I’ve had several great teachers, including my mother, mother-in-law, and godmother.  They all have this type of attitude and belief.  I have lived my life to emulate this type of caring.

Here’s a thought about blessings I’d like to leave with you:  If you want to be able to truly count your blessings, go to the VA hospital and see people who are in bed 24/7.  What do they have to be thankful for?  Life!  They are often the kindest and nicest people. They appreciate life.  This will make you feel better because there is always someone worse off than you.

Happy Mother’s Day to Mom Tosi, Mom Sasso, and all other mothers who celebrate the day. Remember to do something special for your mom this weekend (if you are lucky enough to have your mom with you). If you are a mom, do something special for yourself.  Count your blessings every day.  I am so thankful every day for my family and for having all four of the parents alive and reasonably healthy.  Sometimes it’s the little things in life that matter the most.

With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker

“Courage is the most important of the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.  You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.” — Maya Angelou

Happy April!  The weather is starting to cooperate, and it’s feeling a lot more like spring.  After the 3 snowstorms in March, we were wondering when we would be experiencing good weather.

Every month is a good month but April is a little more special to me because it’s my son John Robert’s birthday month. I am dedicating this monthly blog to him.  John Robert loves drama, and has already been in 3 musicals in the first 3 months of the year: He started off with a “Misfit Cabaret” performance from the Lion King, then he was the doctor, the salsa dancer and the chef in Matilda, and finally, he was Rooster (Mrs. Hanagan’s brother) in Annie Jr., where his performance included acting, singing, and dancing (Easy Street).

Yes, he does singing, swimming, dancing, drama, basketball and Boy Scouts, and is an altar boy on Sundays as well.  He also just earned his “Arrow of Light” and has officially transitioned into Boy Scouts.

Do you remember how being in elementary school wasn’t always easy?  Well, he has had his own challenges.  However, just last week, playing kickball at lunchtime he was on base 2 times, and he even got a home run.  These little things make life a whole lot better.  He always seems to amaze me.  He tries to not let the little things get to him.  He will be 11 years old this month and he is excited about his birthday. He’s planning his “friends party,” and of course I will have a family party for him as well.  We usually have his family party at Easter, but Easter came so early this year.

Our son has courage.  From the time he was a baby and well into his childhood, he was having to endure IVs in his arms and hands.  He never complained—just went with the flow.  He was a trooper. We love him, and he is loved by many.  It is amazing how the warm smile from a kid like him can change your mood from negative to positive.  He has a can-do attitude and I, for one, love being around him.

Other noteworthy events that have happened recently and which I’d like to share with you:

• I was on TV!  It was the Steven Katsos show, an Arlington Cable TV feature, Episode 249. He interviewed me about my new book, Motivation Now! The show airs locally, nationally and even internationally.   If you’d like to watch it, here’s a link:
• We had a great Easter weekend.  My cousin, Jim Tosi, was married to his betrothed, Karyn, on Saturday, March 30^th. It was a beautiful wedding; we sat with my parents, my brother and my sister-in-law.  It was nice to get together for a happy occasion;  there have been way too many deaths in the past several years.  We also had a great Easter Sunday and the Tosi’s and Sasso’s were again all together to share a delicious Easter meal.

John Robert continues to show courage with his annual appointments at Children’s Hospital and his fearlessness on the stage.  I showed courage being on my first TV interview, and my cousin Jim showed courage by writing and saying his own vows.  Three great examples of Courage Now!

With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker

“Luck is just being ready when an opportunity presents itself” — Adrian Locke

It was an early morning for me, up at 6:30 am.  Making sure to put on my green for St. Patrick’s Day, I left my house at 7:30 and headed off to the District 31 Toastmasters Conference (4 areas: 11,12,13,15).  I had won my local Table Topics contest within my Lakesiders’ branch, but now this was going to the major leagues (the Districts).

It’s difficult to prepare for a Table Topic speech because the kind of questions that one gets asked to speak on can range from “If you were a historical figure…” to a question about an animal, or to a quote or a fictitious character.  I would have the chance to listen to the topic twice, and then I would have to instantly spurt out a well-designed, “mini-speech” for the next 2 minutes and 30 seconds— without going over the time limit.  We were to be ranked on Speech Development, Effectiveness, Physical Appearance, Voice, Appropriateness, and Correctness. As you can imagine, it’s almost impossible to prepare for this particular type of speech, but I wasn’t nervous; I knew that I would do my best.

I was second-to-last in the lineup to present my speech.  I’d had a chance earlier to talk to people outside the room.  Joe said that he’d done these Table Topics before and that you can think about your answer, and they don’t start timing your speech until you start talking. But I had never seen that done;  at my club, as soon as you go up there the timer starts.  There was no time to check on this strategy, so I went with hearing the question twice and jumping right into my speech.  I did my best.  I liked the question I was thrown, which was:“If you could go back in time and see yourself at age 10, what kind of advice would you share with a 10-year-old you?”

It felt like a coaching question.  I was all over it!  But I came in 2^nd place.  Joe won.  Yes, Joe, the fellow who told me that they didn’t start counting until you spoke or gestured.  I learned a lot from the District contest.  The lesson learned was that sometimes you need to prepare an answer extemporaneously, and you need to organize your thoughts.  It’s best to take a pause to do that, instead of just blurting out what’s on your mind.   It humbled me.

That evening, I went to a St. Patrick’s Day Feast at St. Camillus Church in Arlington.  I was with my parents, my brother Bob, the Cauley girls and Chris, Joe and Marianne.  The place was packed.  It was a sellout.  We all bought raffle tickets for the 50/50 and for the goodie baskets.  When we attended this event last year, I won the shamrock with lottery tickets—and as luck would have it, I also won this year’s lottery ticket shamrock!  And my brother Bob won a basket full of gardening tools and plants, as well as some Irish things.  He shared his basket with everybody at our table, and I got a lavender plant, Kathy got a sunflower plant, etc.  No, we didn’t win the 50/50, but what was the chance of us both winning a basket prize—there were only 5 baskets.

They say that it’s the luck of the Irish; well, we were Irish for the day and greatly enjoyed the corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, as well as Irish bread, ice cream, and cupcakes.  It was truly a feast!

John and John Robert were at a Scout overnight, so they missed both the morning and the evening festivities.  I want to thank my brother Bob for again organizing a great table for the event.  We had great seats and we could easily watch the Irish Step Dancers.

After having a few days to mull over the speech contest, what I realized was that it wasn’t about winning.  It was about growing.  It wasn’t my turn to win the speech contest, but apparently it was my turn to win the basket.  Last year, my green shamrock won $105 and this year it won $44.  But I only put $20 into it, so I am still up $22.  I was a winner at the St. Patrick’s Feast night because I had a nice dinner with my family and special friends.  I hope that you had a happy St. Patrick’s Day.  The luck of the Irish was with the Italians in Arlington.

With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker

“The harder you work, the luckier you get” — Jerry Barber, American Golfer

I held my annual Goal Setting for Success Workshop on 1-31-18.  We had a phenomenal crowd (see photo) and we raised $300 for Children’s Hospital.  Thanks to all of you who attended and participated.

If you have a copy of my book, you’ll find that the first chapter is on Goals and Resolutions.  This month would be a good time to review that chapter as a refresher.  Also, Chapter 2 is extremely timely, as it happens to be about setting your theme for the year (it uses last year’s Superbowl (#51) and the Patriots’ come-from-behind win as an example).  If you don’t have a copy, my book is still available on Amazon (click here).

On a personal note, I‘m proud to report that my son (far left), John Robert, who’s in Webelos (Cub Scouts), came in first place for his age group at the Pinewood Derby. What’s the Pinewood Derby? It’s a car race with a 5-inch wooden car that the kids design. The cars get cut out and are then put together by the Scouts.

John Robert had come in 2^nd place in the last two years’ races, and now, he will go to the district meet in Woburn to compete.  We’ll see how that goes.  I am so proud of him, and he was proud of himself and his fast car.  We all need to acknowledge and praise the little victories of our spouses and children.

So, if you’ve written your goals and set your theme for the year, you’re off to a good start.  But do you need someone to help with accountability?  I am here for you.  I am a great accountability partner and I can also still be your confidant, your cheerleader, your mentor and your coach.  I want you to be one of the 9% of people who will actually achieve their goals each year (yes, that is the statistic if you’re wondering).

If you’re interested in learning more about my services, please visit my website (click here), or reach out to me directly to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.  Start this new year off with doing something for yourself.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, and the three presentations that I am giving this month, I am offering special prices in February for the Discovery Session, The Career Strategy Session and the Personal Assessment.  These three services will all be going up for March 1^st so secure your Assessments now.

Finally, I am proud to announce:  My Leadership article was featured on Daniel McCarthy’s site “Great Leadership” on Thursday, Feb. 8^th.  Enjoy!  Leadership: Leveraging Your Soft Skills

With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all”
— Dale Carnegie

Where did 2017 go? 

Did you achieve the goals you set out at the beginning of last year?  If you did, good for you.  Don’t forget to celebrate!  I bet you employed some of the strategies shared during my Goal Setting workshop (back by popular demand, see below). Now that the New Year is here, it’s time to craft resolutions and goals for 2018. Often, resolutions are centered around self-improvement or advancement. Here are some popular New Year Resolutions:

• Eat healthier
• Start working out
• Spend quality time with family & friends
• Get more organized
• Read more for enjoyment
• Become more grateful and happy
• Volunteer and donate more
• Increase savings
• Travel to a new country or a new state
• Say “No” sometimes (You just have to do it.)

If you have attended my Goal Setting Workshops in the past, you know that the only way to be successful is to turn those resolutions into goals.  I am again offering my Goal Setting for Success Workshop. This year it will be on January 31^st, at Constant Contact, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.  Those who attend will leave with a personal, professional, and even a gratitude goal.

I suggest you use January to prepare on your own and then attend the workshop to polish off your goals before February. Come to a supportive environment where you will have a chance to think and practice how to write good goals. Light refreshments will be served.

The workshop is FREE, but you can always make a donation to the charity of your choice (Children’s Hospital, Little Hearts, AHA), since part of the workshop will be about gratitude. I try to practice what I preach.  I would appreciate if you could register in advance for the workshop using the Sign-up Genius link below.

Even if you already have goal setting in hand, don’t forget the need to find a friend, partner or a coach to share your goals with. This “Accountability Partner” is the key to your achieving success. It is an excellent way to stay motivated as well. If I am youraccountability partner, I say thank you. If I am not, ask yourself why not, and whether you really want to do it on your own.

I wish all of you a Happy New Year.  I am here for you.  I hope to see you at my Goal Setting Workshop (3 weeks from today) — and when you come, be sure to bring a friend.  It’s fun to do this kind of work with a friend.

Good Luck and Happy 2018!

With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.  They must be felt with the heart.  Wishing you happiness.” — Helen Keller

This year I just want to say how thankful I am to my family, friends, relatives and my clients for their love and support with my new book, Motivation Now!  It has been a success.  I couldn’t have done that without all of you.  Thank you for your purchases, your reviews and for sharing my book with others.  I have received great praise in the Reading Daily Times Chronicle, the Arlington Advocate, the Reading Advocate, and the Boston Globe.  I also enjoyed a Radio-Entrepreneur Session (click here to watch the interview).  Thanks again, because these sales of the book have resulted in a donation to my favorite charity, Children’s Hospital.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa, enjoy the festivities with your family and friends. This year’s photo (above) shows the three of us in Florida after Sunday Mass.  I wish all of you the best this holiday season, and as you prepare for an even better 2018. I am here for you!

Good Luck and Happy 2018!
With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker

Happy Thanksgiving – Gratitude Now!“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”— Brian Tracy

Every year there are many things to be thankful for, but this year I am especially thankful for so many people and things.  I will try to list them out.

My book, Motivation Now!

Motivation Now! was released in September 2017 and I am grateful for all those that have bought a copy.  The book is available on Amazon (link here) in both kindle and paperback format.  I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the team that helped me put this all together: Dee – Graphics, Sandra/Liz – Editors, Sherry – PR, Ed/Robbie – Launch Experts, and the 60+ people that read, reviewed and helped me to promote the book!  Since the launch, three local papers featured me (two of those on the front page), and the Boston Globe even picked up the story (thanks Sherry!).  I have also been able to share my story with the Female Entrepreneurs Club and was interviewed by Radio Entrepreneurs (interview will be available shortly online at www.radioentrepreneurs.com).  If anyone is ever interested in writing their own book, I would be more than happy to share my experiences.  It was a long process, and I now know it takes a village to raise a child and write a book.

My family & friends,

My husband & I celebrated our Silver Wedding Anniversary in June, and this month we will join Cardinal O’Malley and other couples (celebrating their silver and golden anniversaries) at Liturgy for the Archdiocese of Boston.  John’s parents will celebrate their 53rd Anniversary.  Last year my parents attended the Archdiocese celebration for their Golden Anniversary with the Cardinal.

I am blessed with many close friends, especially those from my high school (Laura, Elizabeth, and Kathy) and college (Dawn, Roxanne, Julie, Susan and Nadine).  This year my high school class is celebrating their 30^th reunion.  If you know anyone from the Arlington High Class of 1987, please have them get in contact with me!  We always have a fun time and it is a great opportunity to catch up with old friends.

My son & his caregivers,

November marks the 7-year anniversary since John Robert’s Open-Heart Surgery. He is medication free and his small heart monitor was removed in August.  We are ever thankful for those caregivers that continue to look after John Robert.  As his heart grows we expect he will need surgery again to address the leaflets that were created when he was just 3.5 years old.

My clients,

Finally, I want to say thank you to all my clients.  I am grateful for past, current and future clients.  My clients are important since without them I wouldn’t be able to share my skills and experiences.  This allows me to use my gifts to help others through life’s difficult challenges.

Reflection,

I always challenge those reading this blog to take a moment and create your own list of people and things for which you are thankful.  What are you going to do to express your gratitude?  How can you make sure you complete this important task not only now, but also throughout the year?

My thanks,

In addition to the recognition above, I want to remind everyone that I am offering free skill seminars this fall. My next FREE skill class is on Interviewing Preparation and Questions.  The call will be on Wed., Nov. 22 at 12 noon and everyone that attends will receive a copy of the top 30 Interview questions.  Please click here to send me an email and sign up for the call.

Conference Details for Skill Class:
United States: +1 712-832-8328
Access code: 487 529

Thank you again for your encouragement this past year.  TEAM – Together Each Achieves More! As an extra Holiday Bonus, the electronic (Kindle) copy of my book will be $0.99 on Black Friday through Cyber Monday.  The electronic copy is currently selling for $4.99 on Amazon under Motivation Now! 

Enjoy!With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker

Motivation Now! Launch Day is Here!!!

It gives me great pleasure to announce that my book, Motivation Now! is now available on Amazon

• Please check out this book and please share this information with your friends and family. Please post it on your favorite social media site.  Access the book on Amazon (Direct Link Here) or visit my website for more information and a preview of the first chapter.
• Today only (Wednesday, September 13th), as a special courtesy to people on this list, you can download the Kindle version for FREE.  (The paperback version is also available on Amazon.)
• Here are what people are saying about Motivation Now!

“Lisa Sasso’s Motivation Now! is a wonderful and uplifting book that you will love to read for the inspiring messages and the engaging tools!” —Marshall Goldsmith, #1 Influential Leadership Thinker and #1 Executive Coach in the World according to Thinkers50.  New York Times Best Selling Author of Triggers, MOJO and What Got you Here Won’t Get You There

“Motivation Now! Is monthly motivation and reflections on what matters and what keeps us going when we need it most. We all need the reminder and Lisa does a great job walking us through our year with her insights. She made it personal and practical.” —Darren LaCroix, CSP, World Champion Speaker

• If you have already written a review, thank you.  Please post it! If not, I would greatly appreciate your review once you have read Motivation Now!  Inspirational Messages That Will Keep You Motivated All Year.
• Today is MDG’s Season Opener at Regis College.  I will have copies of my book available for purchase and I will be signing Motivation Now! at a table in the foyer.
• My book has already had a positive impact on many and I want it to touch many more.
• This book isn’t about making money, this book is about giving back.  I plan to donate 50% of the proceeds to charity.

Finally, I just wanted to say thank you to all that are taking part in this book’s launch or who are ordering copies of my book.  I greatly appreciate it!

With gratitude and best wishes,
Lisa Sasso, Executive Coach & Motivational Speaker