Millie Grenough

Change My Life in 60 Seconds — Are You Nuts?

This article, co-authored by Millie Grenough and Oasis Facilitator Karin Joy Whitley, appeared in www.Huffingtonpost.com on Tuesday, May 27.

Maybe it’s a phone call, an accident, or an unexpected diagnosis that stops us in our tracks.

Both of us, Millie and Karin, know that everyone experiences events that reach to our core and change the way we think, act and feel. All of a sudden we realize that from that minute forward, we will never be able to return to the way that things were before. Life happens!

We are interested not just in what happens to us, but rather in what we personally can do in 60 seconds, with whatever life pitches our way.

From Millie:

I must be as hard-headed as Arianna. Both Arianna and I were pretty hell-bent on doing as much as we could to make this world a better place. I guess we both needed drastic measures to help us change our deeply-grooved patterns. Arianna woke up in a pool of blood. I flew off my bicycle, had three concussions and a ruptured kidney.

After my near-death accident, I finally got it that unless I made some serious changes in my frantic pace, I wouldn’t be around to see a future with my children and grandchildren. Lying in my backyard hammock during my months of recuperation I created four simple (and free) 60-second strategies to help me live a saner life. I called them my Oasis in the Overwhelm. They worked for me. Since then, they have helped thousands of people in all walks of life: coaches, police officers, military and medical personnel, clergy, educators, hassled parents and challenged young ones.

From Karin:

When my mother, passed away at 83, they listed her death as “failure to thrive.” How ironic that phrase is! For the last ten years of my mom’s life she focused totally on how to survive, not on how to be alive. Watching her struggle day after day really woke me up. It’s clear that we have choices each day, each minute.

I dedicate my life now to inspire others to find energy, joy and passion within themselves, and to share that with those around them. I know that simple acts of kindness, changes in attitude or a humorous moment can make a huge difference, whether at work or at home. As a corporate trainer and coach, I see how 60 seconds can change the mood at a meeting or during a one-on-one conversation and create a positive mental shift.

From Millie and Karin:

In our future blogs, we will share these powerful 60-second strategies and will give you practical examples of how people are using them. As Arianna says in her latest book Thrive,

“There are scientifically proven ways we can live our lives differently — ways that will have an immediate and measurable impact on our health and happiness.”

We will fill you in on the latest neuroscience research that verifies why these simple Oasis Strategies can help you re-wire your own brain to greater health and happiness.

I, Millie, will post my experiences interacting with individuals in the military, education and medical sectors.

I, Karin, will share how I incorporate these techniques and other wellness initiatives in the corporate arena.

We would love to hear your stories, and respond to your questions. Please share. Thanks!