A Balanced Purposeful Life
Insights on wellness, career & service
"Overnight Success" (B.T.S.)
London made her musical theatre "debut" at summer camp. As I watched her dance, sing, and act on stage, I was struck by how many YEARS it took to prepare for the role of "Mayzie."
In addition to the 2 week camp, her 8 years of prep included:
🥁 Music at Hill House (5 months old)
🎼 Movement at Urbanity Dance (age 1)
🐸 Playing a Frog at Temple Shalom in Naples, FL during the Pandemic (age 3)
🐷 Playing a Pig at Spruce Street Nursery (age 4)
🎭 Watching the "Seussical" play practice at Eliot...
$2M of Health Advice
Ever seen this guy?
Venture Capitalist and high profile "Biohacker" - Bryan Johnson spent $2M learning how to extend his life - (which obviously includes plenty of sunblock)
In this 1-minute video, he lists his top takeaways
It goes FAST - so I've pasted the list below for you . . .
- Sleep is the most powerful drug - Be in your bed for 8 hours
- Same bedtime every night (any time before midnight)
- Don't eat right before bed
- Eat calm foods for dinner
- No screens 1 hour before bed ...
Is Life Drag?
For Pride weekend, we attended a Drag show hosted by a fabulous "Queen" named Patty Bourrée 👑
Colorful, entertaining, and uniquely fun, I left with a deeper insight on this whole 'career and life design' thing 🎨
When we were called up on stage, Patty asked London if she was:
- A dancer?
- A gymnast?
- An ice skater?
London hesitated to answer - which surprised me
But I quickly realized that she did not want:
To have to choose
To be labeled
To limit herself
How to Reinvent Yourself
If resolutions feel hard to maintain - take a page from The Atomic Habits Workbook (by James Clear) which suggests "identity-based habits" are a better approach to behavior change. Meaning:
🧠 "To change your behavior for good, you need to start believing new things about yourself."
🙂 "The more you act like the identity you're trying to embody, the more you will feel like you inhabit that identity."
For example:
I would like to be someone who is peaceful and CALM.
So I added these habits t...
Unreasonable Hospitality - Online?
In his best-seller, "Unreasonable Hospitality," Will Guidara outlines how Eleven Madison Park became one of the most exceptional restaurants in the world, by:
- Asking "what right looks like"
- Having optimistic energy that uplifts others ☀️
- Making people feel welcome and seen
- Grace - while working furiously behind the scenes 🦢
- Going above and beyond - with intention
- Knowing there's nobility in serving others 👑
Yes, this thoughtfulness can apply in every service industry. Pre-pandemic, I ...
From Getting to Giving - (FEEL Rich)
I know you give of your time, treasure and talent in various ways that no-one will ever see. But I'd love to hear your favorite story of giving, and how it made you feel. This theme is on my mind, because my daughter London dressed as "The Giving Tree" for Halloween. And at the end of the night . . .
After trekking the streets of Boston, filling her pumpkin bucket to the brim . . . she gave away 99% of her loot to passersby. After which, she looked at me and said,
"That felt good."
Wh...
How To Build My Online Business?
A 2025 LinkedIn Survey estimates that "40% of U.S. professionals are interested in launching a business..."
Does that include you?
If you have hesitations, I'm happy to share the MANY lessons I've learned over the past ~30 years of my "entrepreneurial journey":
- 1996 - My first entrepreneurship class (held at Babson)
- 1999 - Started first business (swing dance instruction)
- 2012 - Started Whole U.
- 2018 - Scaled through the Babson WIN Lab process, using Kajabi
(Re)Defining Your View on Artificial Intelligence
You're likely hearing a LOT about the "threat" of Artificial Intelligence taking our jobs. The FEAR of "The Unknown" and questioning "what's next" can affect our mental health...
To SHIFT from apprehension to understanding, hope, and inspiration, I attended the "AI-Powered Women Conference" at MIT. A favorite panel, hosted by media journalist Lisa Pierpont, engaged experts in a very human and heart-centered discussion - (including my friend, Carolyn Little, a Transformational Healing Guide, ...
Start Your Online Business TODAY!
I'm still buzzing after the 2024 "Kajabi Hero Live" summit in Los Angeles! 🤩
For those unfamiliar with KAJABI - it's the platform I've used to build my:
- Website ✅
- Coaching ✅
- Blog ✅
- Podcast ✅
- Online Course ✅
- Mobile App ✅
- Community ✅
- Six figures - from the comfort of home 💰💰💰💰💰💰
- Most importantly - confidence, freedom and joy through pursuing my life's work
If you're NOT finding fulfillment at YOUR work...
I encourage you to start your OWN business!
KAJABI (an aboriginal...
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Start living a balanced purposeful life!
Produced By:
Shannon O'Brien
Ed.M, M.A.
Shannon created Whole U. to encourage career seekers and entrepreneurs to live a balanced purposeful life, while pursing their life's work.
