Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. ~ Jimi Hendrix

If you have been receiving PGGs for a while, or have worked with me individually or come to one of my group sessions, you know that I talk a lot about love. But the love that I talk about is not some airy-fairy, nambi-pambi, hippie-dippy notion or one that has been misused, watered-down, misunderstood or simply lost its meaning with lip service.

Real love is the real deal. As Mahatma Gandhi says "Love is the strongest force the world possesses and yet it is the humblest imaginable."  Fifty years ago we witnessed an era where our Civil Rights leaders and all those who were part of that struggle dug deep and called upon this force within themselves to withstand the immense opposition and cruelty they experienced on a daily basis in order to transform society as it existed at the time.

More recently we could not have had a more immediate, direct and tangible example of this phenomenon when one single woman, Antoinette Tuff, used it to save the lives of over 800 people, most of them children, from a lone, heavily loaded mentally ill gunman in Decatur, Georgia.  If you do not know the story, or haven't seen this extraordinary woman talk about what happened, you must learn about her. (Google the numerous stories, or watch this interview and  listen to the entire 911 call).

As humans we are all built from the same stuff.  Love doesn't know race, sexual orientation or religion - if you are human you can love.  If you are human you respond to love.  As Antoinette and Michael Stipe say, Everybody Hurts sometimes. Everyone needs connection and affection.  Compassion and empathy are palpable and are the best antidotes to fear and pain.

If you've seen me speak, you know I am always mentioning the fact that the root of the word for courage is Latin for 'heart'.  Which means that true bravery is about connecting to that part of yourself, knowing its innate power, and having faith in a force greater and wiser than yourself (or beyond your ego/brain).

So the next time you find yourself in a challenging situation or being attacked in some form, whether it be mental, emotional, or yes, sometimes even physical, instead of using violence to counteract violence, why not call upon the most powerful weapon at your disposal: L.O.V.E.

Need a little help harnessing the heft of your heart? Give me a buzz and I will show you how to give it a good work-out, because at the end of the day love like is a muscle - the more you use it, the stronger it will become - and who knows what miracles will occur in your life or the lives of others because of it!

If you like what I write, you'll love what I have to say in person!  Scroll down for info about my coaching and speaking services and contact me today.

Executive Coaching:

Who:  Managers, Business Owners, Directors, C-Suite Executives 

What: Authentic leadership, motivate staff, cultivate teamwork, facilitate communication, inspire vision and culture, increase employee engagement, manage stress, improve work/life wellness

ROI/Why:  Productivity, People and Profit!

Career Coaching:

Who:  Career Changers, Career Climbers, Job Searchers, Moms, Dads, Grads

What:  Exploration, discovery and attainment of meaningful work and lifepath, improve job performance, professional development and advancement, enter or re-enter job force, time/stress management and work/life wellness 

ROI/Why:  Purpose, Peace and Promotion!  

Life Coaching:

Who: Anyone feeling lost/at a crossroads, unsatisfied, stressed, blocked, confused, passionless   

What: Life transitions, identity issues/crisis, body/mind/spirit wellness, authentic expression, improve relationships   

ROI/Why:  Balance, Bounty and Bliss!  

Regardless of how many you've read, if you feel you have benefited from my writing at all would greatly appreciate your feedback and support, so here are

1. Send a "PGG Present" in any amount via PayPal to kristina.leonardi@gmail.com     

Think of it as a monthly/annual subscription, tip in the tip jar, or simply a thank you gift - any amount is valuable :)   

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2. Share PGG by LIKING PGG's Page on Facebook AND then tell all of your friends to 'Like' it, too - maybe by sharing a favorite post or quote from one of them, AND/OR encourage them to sign-up to be on my mailing list by clicking here or going to the Contact Page of my website.  

(Ditto for my TwitterPage! Please follow and Retweet often :)  

3. Use or recommend my coaching and/or speaking services

Of course your comments and suggestions throughout the year are always welcome and mean the world to me, but any one of these actions would let me know that I should continue writing on a regular basis as we move into 2014; it would demonstrate how much of an impact I'm having, and allow me to receive your gratitude and enthusiasm for my work in a more tangible way.  For more on how I write PGG's click here.   

 THANK YOU for your support and feedback, however you choose to express it!