Articles
Browse every published article connected to Valery Satterwhite, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Valery Satterwhite, or search within this exact expert archive.
I was sitting at my table enjoying the pile of fruit on my plate at an early morning breakfast meeting when all of a sudde I recognized a Wizard before me. I was there to listen to guest speaker, Krista Vernoff, Emmy-nominated, Golden Globe-winning head writer and executive producer of the television show “Grey’s Anatomy” talk about her road to success.
If you’re feeling trapped by your wealth instead of completely free then there’s some misguided understanding of what it means to have wealth and the extraordinary opportunities it affords. Most people believe wealth buys freedom when often it’s quite the opposite. Many successful people, celebrities under public scrutiny or not, feel caged in instead of enjoying the freedom that is ‘supposed’ to come with affluence. A life of material wealth can become a paradox, a contradiction between material advantage and emotional deprivation.
I was busy in the kitchen this weekend. I had a yen to cook something that would slow-cook in a crock pot. I love how a house smells when there is something yummy getting ready for my tummy. A friend called. She was complaining about her exhausting weekend. Relatives were staying with her. Each had an opinion of how she should live her life. Her career, potential relationships and even what she wore was picked apart and critiqued. Well-meaning family members had different ideas of who she was and what path was the 'right' road to travel in her struggle for success.
Anxiety! It has power. It has the power to stop you cold, in your tracks, as you freeze in your attempt to move forward in your life. Your anxiety gets in the way of you being, doing and having what you want in life. What is anxiety? The dictionary will tell you that anxiety is a sense of apprehension and fear either real or imagined, resulting from anticipation of a threatening event or situation. Often states of anxiety are marked by physical symptoms such as sweating, tension, and increased heart rate.
Fast paced life constantly under pressure? "I can't do it all to please everyone!" "There's not enough hours in the day." "I'm racing against the clock." These are but a few of the comments we utter in our stressed-out fast-paced life. Its true, even though we now have all kinds of products and services to make our lives easier it seems like its anything but easy. We feel as frazzled as a rattlesnake flipping' around on PCP.
What is it about celebrity that often results in a pattern of self-sabotage and public humiliation? What drives the crash and burn of those who seemingly have everything going for them? Celebrities have success, fame and the financial resources to live a rich delicious life. Why, then, are so many famous people unhappy, addicted to drugs or on a downward spiral spinning out of control as they destroy everything they desire and worked so hard to achieve?
If you knew me 15 years ago you wouldn't recognize the author, coach and public speaker - with a lot of Moxie - I am today. I was once the shiest person I knew. As a child, I dreaded the first day of school because I usually had to stand up and tell everyone what I did on my summer vacation. To stand up, speak and have everyone look at me scared the shit out of me.
“The only way to predict the future is to have power to shape the future.” - Eric Hoffer You have the power to shape your future the way you want it to unfold. You are a magnificent and magically powerful being. You are blessed with the gift to create all that you desire to experience in this ...“The only way to predict the future is to have power to shape the future.” - Eric Hoffer
It's a funny thing....for me, at least. Whenever I feel a bit turned around or completely lost in the dark invariably a powerful piece of wisdom comes to me in the form of a rock and roll lyric. I believe poetry, lyrics in its musical form, is the highest expression of the divine human spirit. Lyrics never fail to clearly articulate what I don't understand within. "In search of truth...and some pointy boots." - Camel Walk, Berry Gordy, Jr. It's Only Rock and Roll
Life is a game. Whether you enjoy life or not depends upon the rules - your own personal rules of life.
Where you are in your creative expression mirrors where you are in your life flow. If you are blocked creatively it is an indication that there is a disruption in your energy flow. Something isn't working. And the harder you try to push on forward the more blocked you become. You become ...Where you are in your creative expression mirrors where you are in your life flow. If you are blocked creatively it is an indication that there is a disruption in your energy flow. Something isn't working. And the harder you try to push on forward the more blocked you become.
I encourage everyone to reread the stories that awed and entertained us as children. I guarantee you will find new meaning as an adult in the works of Lewis Carroll, Dr. Seuss, Frank Baum and his Wizard of Oz series, and more. These authors delivered powerful life affirming messages to us as ...I encourage everyone to reread the stories that awed and entertained us as children. I guarantee you will find new meaning as an adult in the works of Lewis Carroll, Dr. Seuss, Frank Baum and his Wizard of Oz series, and more.
"Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your Soul." - Walt Whitman For many artists, challenges are very personal. And one of the biggest challenges is the Critic in the room, the Inner Critic. This gnarly Inner Critic is the voice of your self-doubt and fear. It is the ..."Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your Soul." - Walt Whitman
I have a client, let's call her Kathy, who was in a post holiday funk. For her, nothing seemed to being going right. She was annoyed at her boss and co-workers. She was nagging her boyfriend over little things. She just didn't feel good. 2009 was not starting out with a bang for her. ...I have a client, let's call her Kathy, who was in a post holiday funk. For her, nothing seemed to being going right. She was annoyed at her boss and co-workers. She was nagging her boyfriend over little things. She just didn't feel good. 2009 was not starting out with a bang for her.
You were born with a personal guidance system set to always lead you in the direction of your dreams, what your heart calls you to become. This internal GPS is your intuition, the voice of your Higher Self, your Inner Being or what I playfully call the Wizard Within. Wizards are alchemists, after all. They know how to turn dreams into reality.
Artists of every kind; painters, photographers, sculptors and actors will tell me that they are blocked. When we examine their specific challenge we discover that often they are not blocked, the are really resisting moving forward. There is a vast difference between the two. If you're ...Artists of every kind; painters, photographers, sculptors and actors will tell me that they are blocked. When we examine their specific challenge we discover that often they are not blocked, the are really resisting moving forward. There is a vast difference between the two.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us." - Marianne Williamson It's strange to think that fear of succeeding could be such a big issue and do much damage. I've found it ..."Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us." - Marianne Williamson
"If you really do want to be an actor who can satisfy himself and his audience, you need to be vulnerable. You must reach the emotional and intellectual level of ability where you can go out stark naked, emotionally, in front of an audience." - Jack Lemmon, Actor Jack Lemmon was one of the greatest actors of our time. He won two Oscars, another 51 acting awards and 41 nominations. In 1988 he received the Life Achievement Award of the American Film Institute.
When you show up with love in your heart, what is returned to you is pure love.
Whether in the media or creatively integrated into television dramas we've watched time and again the dutiful wife standing beside her husband who's been caught in some sex scandal, criminal act or any other type of behavior requiring a public mea culpa. Some look sincerely supportive. Others look like they're rather be eating asphalt than where they are. Some look ready to punch the guy in the nose. A scant few are very noticeably missing in action.
Are you working your tushie off - always going, going, going and never getting anywhere? Are you doing everything you can to grow your business or move up the corporate ladder yet are stuck on pause? Are you uncomfortable or anxious when discussing money with your partner? Are your bills paid at late or at the last minute? Are your financial and business (revenue generating) documents disorganized? Do you wake up in the middle of the night worrying about your financial future? If you answered yes to any of these questions you may be a money avoider.
Starting to think life is a merry-go-round? Have you lost or quit a job every couple of years with the excuse that your boss is a jerk or you're bored out of your mind? Have you noticed a revolving door-like structure to your personal relationships? Do you move your residence from place to place never satisfied with where you are? Is life slipping by through a set pattern of behavior that just isn't working out for you, just keeping you stuck on a treadmill of repeated experiences that you'd rather not have - again?
I was enjoying a lovely dinner last night at a little French restaurant at The Farmer's Market in Los Angeles last night when I overheard a neighboring conversation. Ok, I was deliberately eavesdropping. I admit it. Those who know me already know that listening to how other people think is a favorite pastime of mine. In a not so covert attempt to hear better, I scooched my chair a little closer and ran smack into the void of quiet desperation.
Where are you in the pecking order of your life? Are you above or below the "measuring up to" rung you hoped to be on at this moment in time? Where are you in the heirarchy through which you define your life achievement; your sense of self-worth and accomplishment?
“When I start a movie, the first day, I feel like a duck.” - Penelope Cruz, Academy Award Winning Actor
Where is the past? Some people will say that the past is ‘behind them’. If you look ‘behind them’ you will not see the past. Others will point to their head and say the past is ‘in there, in my mind’. If you were to surgically open their head you would not ...Where is the past? Some people will say that the past is ‘behind them’. If you look ‘behind them’ you will not see the past. Others will point to their head and say the past is ‘in there, in my mind’.
I've been giving a lot of thought to the various messages we've received over the years and generally highly regard. Many success and self-help experts have told us that we need to "Seize the Day". "Carpe diem" they tell us. Well, what the heck does that mean? How does one "seize the ...I've been giving a lot of thought to the various messages we've received over the years and generally highly regard. Many success and self-help experts have told us that we need to "Seize the Day". "Carpe diem" they tell us. Well, what the heck does that mean? How does one "seize the day"?
"Eighty percent of success is just showing up." — Woody Allen Showing up in your life is, indeed, an ingredient to success in any endeavor. How you show up, what your state of being is, defines what it is you succeed in creating, experiencing. Do you show up insecure, doubtful, full of fear or ..."Eighty percent of success is just showing up." — Woody Allen
The difference between a winner and an 'also ran' isn't extra ordinary skills or talents. Let's face it, people who are at the top of their field excel at their game be it sports, business or personal achievement. In the sports world there are two champions, titans of athletes, who share one ...The difference between a winner and an 'also ran' isn't extra ordinary skills or talents. Let's face it, people who are at the top of their field excel at their game be it sports, business or personal achievement.
I was having fun watching my two cats play one morning when I had one of those AHA moments. I had one of those 'out of the blue' moments of clarity that enlightened, empowered and inspired me. The pussycats were playing a leap-frog kind of game when the play turned into aggression. Both cats ...I was having fun watching my two cats play one morning when I had one of those AHA moments. I had one of those 'out of the blue' moments of clarity that enlightened, empowered and inspired me. The pussycats were playing a leap-frog kind of game when the play turned into aggression.
Ever want to tell someone to get a grip? Tell them that they have run amok in their minds and are not facing reality? Stop them from completely 'losing it' and self-destructing? How often have you told yourself to get a grip only to later serve up more and more justification for your misguided thinking and emotions? Your very own self-sabotage?
It’s a devastating thing for an artist to feel they’ve lost their inspiration, to encounter a creative block. But suffering from artist’s block doesn’t mean you’ve lost your artistic ability. Artist block can be overcome.
I was not surprised to learn in recent interviews with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, former close confidante to Michael Jackson, that Michael lost the will to live. He was embarrassed to go out in public. He had mutilated his face so much through unnecessary plastic surgery that he thought he looked like "a lizard". All of his face enhancement procedures were in a desperate desire to look like someone who could be loveable. The more he resisted his misguided feelings of inadequacy the more inadequate he felt about himself. "What you resist persists." – Carl Jung
In one of the Harry Potter books Harry comes face to face with a mirror in which he sees his parents staring back at him. He longs to stay with the mirror to continue to see his parents and Professor Dumbledore tells him he must stop. This mirror shows exactly what the viewer wants to see instead of what is. You view your life through such a mirror.
Who are you? Some say that a person is a product of his or her choices. Much like the causality dilemma of "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" that evokes questions about life and how the Universe in general began, who you are can be rooted in a circular cause and consequence pattern of experience. Or is it? The answer is, it depends. It depends upon how you choose. Are you creating your choices or are your choices creating you?
Hardly a day goes by when I don't read or hear of some celebrity or politician publicly humiliating themselves in an unconscious act of self-sabotage. Some get up, brush themselves off, learn a few life lessons and go on to reach even higher levels of achievement. Others take a few steps back towards recovery only to rush head first into the desperate wall of self destruction again and again. It is disheartening to see someone who takes the dream that they've passionately pursued for so long and slam it hard against the wall.
Life is a journey! It can be a easy free-flowing miraculous journey or it can be a journey of wrong turns, dead ends, crash and burns and arduous uphill routes. Some people are able to move forward in the direction of their dreams; others continue to make wrong turns or get stuck in a rut. If ...Life is a journey! It can be a easy free-flowing miraculous journey or it can be a journey of wrong turns, dead ends, crash and burns and arduous uphill routes. Some people are able to move forward in the direction of their dreams; others continue to make wrong turns or get stuck in a rut.
People look at you and think you’ve got it all together. You have a life that many envy, a career, relationship and the freedom to live an enjoyable life – or at least two out of the three. On the outside you’ve put on a great show. On the inside, not so much.
I work with a lot of people who are often in conflict with people they work, or aspire to work with, or in their personal relationships. Time and again I see people become frustrated, angry, and hostile, all a result of having fixed and expectations of one another. Some hold onto and wear their resentment like a badge of honor. It's an exhausting way to live. Helping people recognize and reframe these control-based expectations is essential to real movement toward agreement, better experiences and overall emotional intelligence growth.
“Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?” - Benjamin Franklin The most exciting place to discover and actualize your talent is in yourself. What does it mean to realize your talents, and how do you do it? When you actualize your talents you understand ...“Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?” - Benjamin Franklin
"Each relationship you have with another person reflects the relationship you have with yourself." - Alice Deville. You have a lot of personal and professional relationships in your life. Some relationships are loving, satisfying, uplifting, supportive and enrich your life experience. You love ..."Each relationship you have with another person reflects the relationship you have with yourself." - Alice Deville.
“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” - Dr. Seuss In these hectic, often stressful days, many people measure themselves on ...“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” - Dr. Seuss
“Self-sabotage is when we say we want something and then go about making sure it doesn't happen.” - Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby Unde eath any unwanted self-sabotaging pattern of behavior is fear. These undesirable experiences can include career self-sabotage, any form of addiction, workaholic or ...“Self-sabotage is when we say we want something and then go about making sure it doesn't happen.” - Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby
In today's fast paced hustle and bustle world you may become overwhelmed by everything that needs to get accomplished in a day, especially during a busy holiday season. A feeling of overwhelm will set in where you just can't decide what to do or how to do it to achieve your personal and professional goals. You're stuck in the paralysis of analysis and don't know what steps to take to get unstuck. Or you'd just really like to get more focused on what will get you the greatest return on your time investment. If these scenarios sound familiar you are not alone.
Welcome to your life, the attendance in a universal elementary school of sorts, where you are here to learn, develop and enjoy your being. You are here to learn your ABC's of Abundance, Being-ness and Consciousness. In the rich generative soil of physical reality you are meant to grow and ...Welcome to your life, the attendance in a universal elementary school of sorts, where you are here to learn, develop and enjoy your being. You are here to learn your ABC's of Abundance, Being-ness and Consciousness. In the rich generative soil of physical reality you are meant to grow and blossom.
If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you might have seen my post: "Note to woman blabbing in the corner of Starbucks: The expiration date on blaming you parents for your misfortune is long past." If you know me at all, you know I'm an observer of the human spirit and the human condition. In today's world of ubiquitous coffee shop public gathering places and loud cell phone conversations broadcasted to anyone within 20 yards, its easy to observe the state of society content and discontent.r
Childhood is often referred to as a carefree and playful time enjoyed without a thought of responsibility. However, a more accurate look at the average youth experience reveals that children experience quite a bit of emotional and sometimes physical pain. Many children who live such a stressful childhood reach for humor as a coping mechanism.