Free Self-Improvement Topics in Chicago

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  • Tapping into your Superpowers Mindfulness and Meditation.

    Jacqueline McCarty, Owner Certified Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher, Om At Work

    Mindfulness can be practiced in any aspect and any task in your life! By remembering this tool of focus and awareness you can transform it into pure presence. Your awareness is currency, where your attention goes energy flows. Meditation is a training for your awareness and can have lasting effects on your brain and nervous system when practiced regularly. Learn these practices and transform your work and life. MORE >

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  • The Act of Forgiveness: Learning How to Forgive

    Eileen Timmins, Ph.D, Founder, Aingilin

    The ability to forgive allows one to live in harmony. There are 3 types of forgiveness: for yourself, for those you’ve harmed and for those that have harmed you. By releasing the initial harm and the energy you’ve used to hold on to it, you clear your present and future, and move forward.

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  • What’s the one thing you can’t buy? Time.

    Kimberly Kolb, Author & Speaker

    168. That’s how many hours are in a week. Do you use them wisely? Kimberly wrote a novel in a year while working and raising three kids in travel sports. She will show you how to find that kind of time for you. MORE >

    Kimberly is proud to be a part of Free Speakers since 2015, but will only present to not-for-profit groups.
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  • Success: Why Character Counts

    Ted Williams III, Political Science Faculty, City Colleges of Chicago/WYCC PBS

    Many factors lead to success, but none is more important than character. In an age where personal indiscretions consistently destroy the careers of leaders in all fields, commitment to character and integrity is crucial. Ted will discuss how this transformative trait may be the greatest secret to success.

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  • Where Are You Growing? Cultivating a Growth Mindset

    Susan Neustrom, Ed.D., Leadership Coach, Author, Speaker, Educator, Leading to Action

    Do you have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset? Your mindset determines your behavior and thoughts leading to your success, your performance and your impact on staff, co-workers, family, and friends. There are two mindsets, fixed and growth. If you have a fixed mindset you believe abilities and intelligence are determined early in life. Therefore, challenges and failure only serve to support your belief. In contrast, if you have a growth mindset you view challenges and obstacles as opportunities to develop skills and continue growing and learning. Most individuals exhibit a combination of a fixed and growth mindset but intentionally cultivating a growth mindset results in enhanced resilience, increased accomplishments and expanded potential. In an organization, a growth mindset leader creates a culture of innovation, risk-taking, teamwork, and trust enabling others to adopt a growth mindset. MORE >

    In this interactive session, Dr. Susan Neustrom explores how mindsets are formed and the dynamics and strategies involved in shifting mindset to optimize positive impact both personally and professionally. Using the theoretical framework of mindset, grit, and mental contrasting this session will engage participants in a new approach to decision-making, problem solving, teaching, and learning.
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  • Becoming An Innovator

    Stephen A. Di Biase, Ph.D., President, Premier Insights, LLC.

    "10 Keys To Unlock Your Innovative Self" offers the reader a short, simple, easy and fun treatment teaching anyone how to use the basics of innovative behaviors for becoming a more effective problem solver leading to a higher quality of life. Specifically, this treatise touches on why every human being is an innovator at birth, how we can maximizes, this natural trait, the importance of curiosity, imagination, inquiry, methods of learning, the importance of play and passion and how to use the scientific method while being careful of formal education. MORE >

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  • Navigating Life’s Curves ad Corners: Managing Change at Work, At Home and In-Between

    Jerilyn Willin, Principal, JWillin Consulting, Ltd.

    Career transition, new technology, a new life direction...no matter what your age, situation or outlook, you've been touched by change. How can dealing with life's changes be less chaotic? What can you do to help yourself and others deal better with change? MORE >

    Take positive steps to help others and yourself navigate through the rough patches in life at work and at home. Come: 1.) Explore the phases of change everyone experiences, 2.) Learn and share ideas/techniques to effectively deal with change, and 3.) Chart next steps to help you move forward through and to your new normal.
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  • Discover What’s Really Wrong In Your Life And How To Fix It!

    Diane Moca, Child Care Benefits Expert / Working Mother / Television Personality, MomSub

    For years, my vision for my life was to HAVE IT ALL -- manage kids, spouse and work successfully. But the harder I tried to accomplish that, the less fulfilled, happy and healthy I felt. I was unaware that I was neglecting a critical component in life that didn't seem important but was eating away at my sanity. By sharing my story and what I did to turn my life around, your group will learn the four main categories and six key areas in life that we must all nurture, and audience members will engage in an interactive session to help each person discover which component they need to fix and the steps to bring their life into balance. MORE >

    My presentation begins with the emotional journey that allowed me to develop my Goal Awareness and Achievement Formula. I explain how drastically life changed when there were so many demands on my time that I felt out of control and in a constant state of frenzy. After having two kids, working as a journalist and developing my own real estate business, I began to feel frustrated and overwhelmed every day. I was having chest pains and yelling at my kids and husband all the time. I realized I had to change my way of thinking or risk continued erosion of my physical and mental health. I began listening to dozens of audiobooks on productivity, passion and joy. I followed the guidance and insights of these authors. Through overcoming denial, becoming aware of what was really wrong, ending the cycle of blaming others, taking on personal accountability for my situation, putting in the hard work of changing my attitudes and habits, and maintaining patience throughout the process, I drastically improved my life.

    I'm now accomplishing more than ever in pursuits that are meaningful, and I have control over my schedule to be able to spend quality time with my family. I am on a mission to help others do the same.

    Many professionals feel we are pulled in too many directions and don't know how to meet the high standards of our bosses, our family, our friends and ourselves. I have discovered some of the secrets for making it all work through books, courses, coaches and interviews with successful professionals. I’ve spent more than a decade of my life studying how to do it all – taking in hundreds of articles about raising happy and healthy kids, about striving for career aspirations and running a successful business, about keeping a marriage fresh and lively yet deeply meaningful and long-lasting. At this point in life I have turned my study to the real-life heroes living their dreams and discovered what they went through to manage everything -- career, kids, spouse, home, health, fitness, style, finances, spirituality, growth, and purpose.

    As a result of interviewing working moms for my Working Mom Warrior YouTube channel, I now have a greater understanding of the motivation that can enrich women’s lives every day. I am creating a community of working moms who share and prop each other up, instead of competing. I am offering their insights and the lessons of my own transformation to groups who would benefit by hearing specific details showcasing how anyone can mold their life to feel invigorated and successful on a daily basis.

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  • Get (and Stay) Organized

    Erin J. Kelly, Professional Organizer, Arranged By Erin

    Learn how to live a simple and organized life. Whether it’s your home or office, Erin explains the tools to help you be more productive and save time. Erin has given speeches all over Chicago including corporations, ADD support groups, and libraries.

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  • The Comfort Zone Illusion-Solving the Mystery

    Susan Neustrom, Ed.D., Leadership Coach, Author, Speaker, Educator, Leading to Action

    Are you ready for change? Are you a leader embarking on change within your organization? Whether change is planned or unplanned, more than likely you and your team need to step outside your comfort zone and do something different. However, leaving your comfort zone is frightening and fear can stifle growth, halt progress, and negatively impact behavior making you feel as if you lost control, stuck, and not moving forward. When implementing transformational change in an organization leaders are challenged with getting everyone excited and motivated about new ways of working. Often times, leaders are met with resistance, complaints, and frustration because people are being asked to step outside their comfort zone. Change upsets routine and structure and opens the door allowing fear to enter and demonstrated in thoughts and action. Of course, it doesn’t need to be this way because the comfort zone is really an illusion. MORE >

    This presentation unravels the mystery of the comfort zone to expose the stark reality of the discomfort of change. Therefore, enabling leaders to discover why leaving your comfort zone is so difficult, what creates fear during times of change, and how to develop strategies for engagement and empowerment that eliminate the fear of leaving your comfort zone and to view change through a new lens.
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