In late 2009 a two-year health and personal crisis began for me — surgery for cancer, life-threatening staph infections, the death of my mother after a long bout with Alzheimer’s, double hip replacement, stepping down from the CEO job of a visionary organization I helped to found, and the dissolution of my marriage. It was

I’m sitting in my study on a glorious almost-summer morning. The coastal fog is still swirling in its morning dance with the sun. “Who will win today?”, they seem to say as they challenge each other daily (I’m rooting for the sun!). My heart is full from the beauty I see from this hillside home perched

For more than a thousand years, and up until about six hundred years ago, the world was mired in the Dark Ages, a time of horrific plagues, religious wars between Christians and anyone non-Christian, and utter chaos. In the midst of this deep darkness a new age of art, music, and culture was being born.

I’m excited to announce a new program I’m launching today called RENAISSANCE MENTORING, designed for visionary entrepreneurs, business owners, and leaders. My 35+ years in business as a CEO, entrepreneur, marketing and sales executive, mentor, coach and consultant, and my love of all things beautiful and transformative — music, dance, art, meditation — blend to create a

Recently I learned that the Harvard Business Review was planning to republish an article I wrote for them in 2003 entitled “Pull the Plug on Stress”. The reason was a new HBR OnPoint Magazine issue on the theme of “How to Be Productive—Without Burning Out.” Twelve years after the original publication of the piece, the

I was privileged to speak at a powerful inspired conference in June 2015 called the Love Summit, a gathering of executives and organizational leaders at the headquarters of the legendary ad agency, Wieden + Kennedy. Organized by DreamChange and produced by the remarkable Samantha Thomas, it was an empowering memorable day for all of us

What silent wishes of your heart have never arrived in the bright sunshine of a vivid dream? What dreams in your heart have yet to come true? Carl Sandburg was so accurate when he said: “Nothing happens unless first we dream.” How could this profound statement change how you work with clients, with co-workers? How

Having had careers spanning publishing, biotech, nutrition, wellness, music, theater and art, I deeply believe and know in my bones that artistic expression and creative imaginings represent the highest manifestation of our humanity. What if imagination and art are not frosting at all, but the fountainhead of human experience? — Rollo May      

I awoke again this morning as a stunning pastel sunrise formed over the Bay. I never tire of these glorious mornings, even when the sun is hiding behind fog or clouds. There is no question for me that “beauty awakens my soul to act.” Beauty inspires me to share my heart, share my feelings, to

“We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.” – American Indian Proverb I’ve thought a lot in recent months about the legacy I’m leaving, the tracks left behind by my life. I know that if my life ended now I would have left a lot to the world: the ground-breaking, soul-enriching work of

“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.” — Henri Bergson Are you creating yourself endlessly, as Henri Bergson suggests is the key to life? Or does that sound hopelessly exhausting? I have found in my own life, and as a physical reality of

Some of my connections know I went through a serious health crisis several years ago when I was still CEO of HeartMath, an organization I helped to found in 1991. I learned a lot about life, death, fear, and love while experiencing two life-threatening illnesses. I went through a painful and scary rollercoaster involving multiple surgeries, multiple tests,

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” — Brother David Steindl-Rast I had the good fortune of having a three hour conversation with Brother David Steindl-Rast about 30 years ago as we drove together to a monastery and retreat center along

Four years ago when I stepped down as CEO for HeartMath, an innovative research and education organization in the stress and well-being space, I was a recovering cancer patient in the middle of bilateral hip replacement. I had started to feel optimistic after a very scary two years which included life-threatening staph infections and the

I’m traveling to the East Coast of the US today for a two week trip of reflection, deep inquiry, meditation, vacation, and some business. This quote struck a chord as my journey starts. “The greatest strength is gentleness.” I am meditating deeply — and gently — over the direction of my life spiritually and professionally. As

I came across this quote the other day. It rang true in my heart. Belief is the essence of why this statement is so true. I’ve been studying the placebo research over the past decade and the results are, in a word, stunning. For years people have jokingly referred to something being a “placebo” as

I just had my first blog piece published by the health and lifestyle site, MindBodyGreen. The piece is based on the work I’ve been doing with my creative partner, Gary Malkin, called What Makes Your Heart Sing? Click here to read the entire piece, and be sure to Like it, Share it, Comment, Tweet, and otherwise

Sonic Sanctuaries – Catalysts for an Inspired Life. The first collaboration between Emmy-award winning composer Gary Malkin, and noted author, consultant and former Broadway actor Bruce Cryer, Sonic Sanctuaries is a rich guided imagery double CD to bring the spirit of What Makes Your Heart Sing into your daily life. With a script written and

Bittersweet. Moments of mixed emotions. A beautiful sunset shared with a dear friend but soon they have to leave. A touching movie with an ending that left us sad. A relationship with so many wonderful things to share together, but “those things” that worry us, or annoy or even anger us about our partner. Life

After I published Part 1 of this series on Exercise, I told my personal trainer Pete, “I blogged about you!” At first he didn’t know what to think. And then a smile of acknowledgement came across his face, knowing what he and I have accomplished together. Because if there’s one thing I have learned deep

I’ve become an exercise junkie. In some ways that’s been true my whole life, but after surgery for cancer, treatment for staph infections, and the replacement of both hips, the thought of ever doing serious, energizing, life-affirming exercise again seemed a distant dream. I was hoping for a life where walking was no longer painful.

This post is adapted from “Sonic Sanctuaries: Catalysts for an Inspired Life”, created by Gary Malkin and me. This guided imagery CD will be available September 2013.  Recovering from a serious illness, then facing more surgeries to deal with chronic debilitating pain, taught me a lot about the importance of having willingness in life. How

A dear friend of mine recently told me she aspired to lead an “impeccable life.” After a life struggling against various addictions, she has been strong, healthy, and empowered for more than one year and motivated to become impeccable, and therefore a role model for others struggling as she did. I told her that I

On this day December 17th in 1273 A.D., the beloved Sufi master known as Rumi passed from this world to the next. I stopped today to honor his marvelous life of inspiration and love. Some would say that to speak of love as passionately and even romantically as Rumi did is inappropriate at a time

I have enjoyed a largely healthy life, with a few exceptions. I had the common tonsilectomy and an uncommon bout of pneumonia as a 5-6 year old. Later I got overly enthusiastic about jumping and after months of competitive broad jumping in my basement, I had injured my heels so badly, I was given a forced