Discovering Creative Magic in The French Countryside

The retreat continues!

I am taking a few minutes, just before the magical L'Aventure Française 2025 retreat concludes, to share some photos of the extraordinary places we have savored in the French countryside the last few days.

After our adventures in Paris we transitioned to living in central France.

As I wrote last week, the pace shifted. The air changed. It is exquisite and quiet here.

We have explored gardens, walked down lanes into the nearby village, and visited a picture-perfect town where we explored a subterranean monolithic church that was carved into a limestone cliff in the 7th century and expanded in the 12th century. 

We have soaked it all in, connected to deep insights as our hearts have expanded, and created joyously.

Dynamic creative power is fueling us, and as it lights each of us up, awareness and insights continue to emerge.  

I invite you to light up your heart today. Take time to savor beauty, share a meaningful moment with someone special, slow down, dream.

These are all ways to fire up your creative power! 

Activating Creativity from Beautiful France

A glimpse of our joy as we ventured to parks, museums, AND QUIRKY SHOPS, TRAVELED THROUGHOUT PARIS ON THE METRO, WALKED FOR MILES, and ate amazing food!

Bonjour!

It’s a thrill to be writing to you from France!

Having dreamed of bringing women to this magical country after many visits to my father’s native land, and living in Paris for part of 2023, I created the L’Aventure Française retreat last year. 

Being back here with another remarkable group of women is a true joy.

Inspiration in Paris

This precious time, away from the day-to-day of our lives at home, began when we filled our spirits with all that Paris has to offer.

We savored art, food, culture, beauty and history. We delighted in surprises as we explored and made discoveries!

Sharing many favorite, off-the-beaten-track places that most visitors never see, and guiding my clients to see and feel this city in meaningful ways, has been a delight, as it was last year.

Reflection in the lush countryside

After 5 days in Paris we have just traveled by train to the glorious Dordogne region, where we are living in a fabulous retreat center that offers a perfect mix of beauty, comfort, history and magic.

It is quiet here.

Our pace is slowing.

We are being fed by amazing hosts who cook with love — and are kind, funny and sweet.

We are creating and playing.

We will be exploring villages and markets, churches that date back to the 12th century, artist studios, and tucked away spots that offer sweet surprises.

As we reflect deeply on everything we have experienced, and discover layers of insight rising from our hearts, we are savoring this glorious opportunity for new ideas to appear and clarity to come forward.

Activating and expanding creative power

A lot has changed in the world since I led the first L’Adventure Française retreat last fall.

What has not changed is the enormous creative power that resides (often quietly) in each of us. This is power we can all tap and amplify.

We can each use that creative power to light up our spirits.

We can use it to shape the focus of the lives we want to live, and how we want to make our most meaningful marks on the world.

This unlimited power, when it’s unleashed, can enrich us in ways we may not even be able to imagine now.

And it will surely impact everyone and everything around us.

Wherever you are as you read this, pause to look for wonder. Take a few seconds to connect to your heart. Then do something new that’s aligned with a deep desire.

Violà! Your just activated some creative power!

Reclaim Your Energy Through Self-Love

Do you treat yourself exquisitely?

Do you nourish your body and nurture your spirit as they need and deserve?

So many women tell me how hard it is for them to make time for themselves to do things that matter to them.

They skimp on taking great care of their bodies. They sacrifice their well-being — often not pausing to even listen to what their hearts long for.

Some even doubt they deserve that time and space, as they focus on everyone around them and on a huge load of responsibilities.

Do you relate to any of that?

Every time I hear a woman share thoughts like these, my heart breaks.

We all deserve self-love

If you ever feel selfish for longing to have time to yourself — for quiet, to read for pleasure, for exercising in a favorite way (and not at 5:00am!), for excursions, for more time with people you love, for fun, for adventure — please think again.

Those desires are important. You are worthy of all of that.

Your spirit has every right to be cared for with the love and attention you give to others.

Because skimping on you takes a toll. You cannot be all you want to be without devoting time to yourself. You can’t impact the world in all the ways you desire to. You cannot fully shine.

Start focusing on you and see what happens

Imagine starting a small practice of incorporating self-loving acts such as these into your life: 

• making time to do things you love

• providing the nutrition, rest and movement your body needs to function well

• creating space to play and dream and be inspired

• spending time with special people 

• thinking lovingly about yourself and being gentle with yourself

Doing any of these will make you feel happier and more alive!

And in turn, you will show up with more vitality and magnetism. You will naturally have a bigger impact in everything you do. 

Going slowly is best!

Trying to make big change all at once usually backfires. When you start slowly, you can integrate a change and gradually build in more changes from there.

Choose one way to love yourself more this week.

To help you start:

• practice saying no to things that are not as important as precious time for yourself

• ask for help in order to create space for you 

• ask a trusted friend to encourage you and help you stay accountable to the commitment you made to yourself

You might find it helps to keep a small notebook where you can record what you do, when, and how you feel each time you do that small thing. Experiment until you find what works best for you.

And jot down how that effort satisfied your spirit and enhanced your wellbeing.

Without even trying you will show up with more energy. You will inspire others. And over time you are likely to notice the way your outlook on everything gets clearer and brighter.

And if treating yourself to a remarkable retreat in France feels like a magical way to love yourself now, let's talk. Your spirit will be lit with tremendous inspiration. You will experience yourself in ways you may not be able to even imagine now. And you will return with clarity about the future you want to create — and feeling fueled to step into that future.

Check out the retreat and book a chat here!

Discover the life-changing magic of retreat

It’s been a full week since I returned from France. As much as I love being home, I miss the magic of being away.

It was particularly special to be in France for the 2 weeks following the outcome of the election, as my primary focus was leading the women with me for the L’Aventure Française retreat.

I had been planning the retreat for months and they had all been preparing for a life-changing experience. In spite of the events unfolding at home, they were excited and grateful to be immersed in each day’s experiences.

Three gifts I brought home from France

While I was happy to visit my favorite tea shop and a spectacular chocolate shop in Paris where I selected gifts for close family, and I discovered small treasures to bring home in unexpected places along the way, the true gifts I returned with are tucked into my heart.

These gifts, that we all returned with, are what I am holding dear now.

1. Appreciation for time apart and away from the usual routine

The day-to-day lives accomplished women live are full, sometimes to over-filled. And my life, more often than not, is like that.

Women with a deep desire to have an impact are typically in a swirl of focus on their work, on sustaining or repairing or building relationships (personally and professionally), and on finding space for a little quiet and self-care.

Connecting to themselves to gain clarity and perspective about their current lives and desires for the future is hard to do when life is crowded.

It takes time and space to reflect, think, and dream.

When you “retreat” from your regular routine and give yourself the gift of abundant time, inspired experiences, and the company of great women with whom you can be fully present and allow your heart to open, amazing — often life-changing— realizations surface.

They did for me and for each of the women with me in France.

2. Perspective and grounding

As our days unfolded in Paris and then in the countryside of the Dordogne, I was able to appreciate my life in a deeper way than I ever had before. I felt my heart expand as we explored, played and shared deeply.

I became clearer than ever that I want to simplify my routines and get laser-focused on how I spend my time.

I set an intention to be outside more, as I felt the healing power of beauty in the natural environment fill me with peace and joy.

All of this will support me to bring full presence to my days, so I can make the most of each moment.

I realized, while away, that both joy and heartbreak can exist together, and I can hold all of it and move forward each day.

3. Gratitude and love are vital

This gift was not something new, rather my appreciation for gratitude and love was amplified. 

Love and gratitude filled my heart in remarkable ways each day of the retreat in France. They fortified my spirit as never before, and I am now bringing even greater focus to each day. 

Whatever challenges arise, I will be able to bring more positive energy and creative thinking and action to them, with a solid focus on love and a foundation of gratitude in my heart.

My invitation to you

If you want to consider the precious gift of time apart from the world, to retreat and profoundly connect to yourself, let’s talk about how one of the three retreats I lead each year might be an ideal opportunity for you. 

With time to make meaningful discoveries, gain new perspectives, connect to your heart and truth, and bring the power of creativity into your life as never before, you will return a new woman.

Each retreat is unique — in duration and focus. And one retreat is right around the corner — a wonderful way you can start the new year!

• Creation Vacation is an intimate winter experience, January 20 to 25, where  we live in a glorious house on the coast of southern Maine. The focus of Creation Vacation is on the energy of creation — what it is, how you can build and sustain that energy, and where you want to direct your creative power for 2025. 

As you may have read in recent emails I have sent about Creation Vacation, registration is open, and there is special pricing until November 30! 

Click to check out the details, and we can make a date to talk about the fit for you. (There’s a link to my calendar in the document, or hit reply here.)

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• Live Big Live! is my signature 3-day retreat that dozens of women have experienced (many multiple times). This retreat is now offered only once each year, in early June in Boston (the dates will be confirmed shortly). Check out the description — and watch the short videos to hear first-hand about the big impact of this wonderful retreat.

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• L’Aventure Française 2025 will be another fabulous 12-day fall retreat in France. Dates will be announced soon, and it is not too early to plan for this remarkable time to bring joy into your life and connect to yourself in ways that will delight you! I would love to share magical time and French experiences with you.

Ready to ignite your soul?

I am passionate about travel, and the impact that visiting new places has always had for me. In addition to visiting major sites, I love looking for special out of the way spots, hidden gems. 

And when I had the opportunity to live in Paris for a month last year, where I made many incredible discoveries, I started dreaming of bringing a group of women to France for a retreat.

I wanted them to be able to step away from their busy lives, experience the magic of Paris, and then spend time in the glorious countryside — where they could reflect, create, and integrate the inspiration of culture, spirit, art, history and food from the time in Paris.

I also dreamed of each of them returning home with incredible energy, fresh perspectives, and elevated excitement about their lives and work.

Do you yearn for a travel adventure that will ignite your heart and light up your life?

Imagine a spectacular trip to France with a small group of amazing women. After 5 days exploring Paris, you will travel to Southwest France to spend 6 more days in a superb retreat center in the countryside. You will be nurtured, play, create with ease, and connect to your creative core as never before.

This retreat — L’Aventure Française — is a remarkable opportunity to step out of your routine and embark on a life-changing experience!

You will have private coaching time with me before and during the retreat, and bond with amazing women. You will not only revel in the joy of exploring, you will cultivate powerful creative energy.

• Your elevated energy will impact you personally and professionally.

• You’ll have the satisfaction of bringing new agency to all you do.

• You’ll feel more fulfilled each day, and experience more joy.

• You’ll bring full self-expression and inspiration to everything you think and do.

• Your natural state of being will be elevated.

If you are excited to think about the possibilities, this opportunity may be perfectly timed for you. We start in Paris November 6 and return November 18.

And November is right around the corner! Now’s the time for us to talk, as only 2 spots are still open.

Email me and I will send you all the details,

And if you feel excited about the possibility of this adventure, we’ll make a date to talk. I will answer your questions, fill you in fully, and we’ll see if the fit is right.