A new year, we have a whole new slate to write upon.  This is SO exciting!

Do you know why many people don’t get excited about a new year?  They have already decided that their new year will look  just like their old year.  Well, since we get more of whatever we concentrate our thoughts on, if they are thinking about all of the things that went wrong in 2010, guess what, more things to go wrong in 2011.

 So, I’m not going to ask you to make New Year’s resolutions.  I know most of you won’t anyway.  And many of you make resolutions, stick them in a drawer, and forget you made them.  Instead of resolutions, here’s what I want you to do.  Approach this wonderful new year as if it is a completely blank slate for you to write on and anything at all could happen.

Do you remember when you were a little kid and you were going someplace really exciting for the first time?  Maybe it was Disney Land or the beach or anywhere.  For a moment, I want you to remember that feeling of excited anticipation, the tingly thrill down deep in your tummy.  That’s the feeling I want you to approach 2011 with.  Bottom line is that we will experience more of whatever we think we are going to experience.  When you were a kid, going someplace new and exciting, if you had approached the trip feeling like “this will probably be boring and no fun at all” that is what you would have experienced most of on your trip.  But, with a sense of excitement and enthusiasm, you found things to be excited about.

 Forget 2010 for just a minute.  I don’t care if it was the best or worst year ever.  If you want 2011 to be one of the best years you’ve ever experienced, go into it with a sense of excitement and anticipation knowing anything is possible for you this year and it will be amazing.

 Just for fun, suspend your sense of “reality” and feel the feeling of having a terrific year.  Than, day by day, begin to give yourself that terrific year by writing the story of your 2011 any way you want it to be.

As for me, I’m looking forward to a 2011 filled with love and laughter and joy and endless possibilities.  I get all tingly just thinking about it!

 Here’s to your 2011 being an amazing adventure written just for you by you on the beautiful blank slate of your life.  Let loose and write your story boldly the way only you can.

Here’s to your Continued Success!

Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.

Ray Bradbury

 

 ‘Tis the season of love and joy.  Or, is it?  For many, it seems to be the season of stress and dismay.

What’s become of the wonder of the season?  Where is the awe of it all?  What good are empty wallets if they don’t lead to filled hearts?

 Are we forgetting to gaze with wonder at beautiful Christmas decorations or slowly savor the sugary goodness of Christmas candy on our tongues? 

 Are we forgetting that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ?  Is a celebration really a celebration without love and joy?

 Stress and celebration don’t go very well together.  So, consciously make some time the next 2 days to de-stress and find the love and joy of the season.

 In these two precious days before Christmas we can choose to celebrate the season by running around making ourselves, and others, crazy or by living the awe and wonder of it all.  Remember how filled with anticipation we were as children during the Christmas season?  We knew this was a magical time.  It still is!  Savor the flavors of the season on your tongue.  Take in the sights, the sounds, the smells and the feeling of anticipation in the air.

 Make time to take time to be joyous and to give and receive the love that this season is all about.  Merry Christmas!

Here’s to Love, Joy, Wonder and Awe.

This week I was given a gift by one of the women who attended a conference where I spoke.  As this woman left, at the end of the day, she grasped my hand in both of her hands and she tearfully told me “You will never have any idea what this day has meant to me.  You have given me so much!  I was meant to be here.”

I was shaking the hands of many people and did not get a chance to inquire about her particular ah ha moments.  But, it got me really thinking about being meant to be here.  It’s amazing how many times it does seem like we end up right in the place that we are meant to be.  I love reading those incredible stories of people who just happen to be in the right place to save a life or at least impact a life in a profound way.

So, I was thinking a lot about being where we are meant to be and how we can really be where we are meant to be and I realized something.  If we do what that woman at the conference did and get the most out of where ever we are at the moment and what ever we are doing then where ever we are becomes exactly where we are meant to be.

I am incredibly thankful that, just this moment, I am meant to be right here with all of you.

Here’s to your Continued Success!

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

Lao Tzu

 I was talking to a lovely woman who attended one of my classes.  She told me she had made a lot of changes, a little at a time.

 That’s how it’s done!  Small baby steps forward and, sometimes, a baby step or two backwards.  But, it doesn’t matter as long as there are more forward steps than backward steps in our journey. 

 I meet so many people, these days, who are completely discouraged about reaching their dreams.  They view their dreams as a tiny, far away, speck which they can hardly see.  They begin to think it is an impossible journey to reach their dreams.  It’s true, it is an impossible journey to go from where they are today and suddenly, tomorrow, find themselves living the life of their dreams.

 It would be an impossible road trip to drive from California to New York in one day.  But, if you drove a little ways every day you’d eventually find yourself there.

 Our dreams are like any other journey.  First we have to plan for the trip asking ourselves, “Where am I now and where do I want to be?”  Next we have to pack for the trip.  We need to pack our determination our skills and plenty of courage, we’ll be needing them along the way.  Then, at some point, we must journey forward bravely leaving behind the familiar and safe.

 The woman I met had plans for her journey.  She knew she wanted to become a more confident and skilled woman.  She was in the process of packing for her life journey by filling herself with all the skills the trip would take.

 I know, without a doubt, that in a very short time, she will marvel at the woman she has become.  Her excitement will carry her forward to even bigger and scarier territory.

 Maybe, down the road, she’ll even discover that no journey is an impossible journey.  Every where we want to go in our lives is just a short journey tacked on to another short journey and another until we arrive.  Of course, once we arrive at the original destination we’re so excited about the beauty of the journey and our possibilities that we invariably set out on another journey.

 Here’s to you and your life journeys, all of them possible!

A woman I saw today asked me an interesting question.  She asked me “you go around the country motivating people, right?”  I chuckled and gave her my stock answer about motivation being an inside job, then came the interesting part of her question, “don’t you find that people are too down to really feel motivated about anything these days?”

Yikes!  Too down to feel motivated?  Are we?  I certainly hope not!  Her questions caused me to think deeply about what is happening in our country right now.  Are we feeling a lack of motivation?  Just listening to the voices of doom all around us can bring us down and make us feel like hiding under the bed until things improve.  But, will things improve?  How can anything improve if all of us are feeling a lack of motivation or, worse yet, hiding out until things get better?

 When I listen to too much of the doom and gloom I can feel my energy slipping away.  So, today I am making a promise to myself and everyone around me.  Starting today I will become extra motivated to succeed.  Is now the right time to succeed?  You bet!  If not now then when?  Come out of hiding and join me.  Today is a brand new day and it is our choice how we spend it.

 I agree with the great Dr. Wayne Dyer who said “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.”   What do you choose today?  Will it be misery or motivation?  If it’s misery that’s your choice but I won’t be joining you for that party but if it’s motivation you choose, I’ll be happy to come along.

 Do you want things to change?  Be the change you seek.  It’s been proven, the things we think about will be the things we bring about.  Let’s spend our time and energy thinking about and bringing about positive change.

 Here’s to your continued success!

Great News!  I’m going to be a grandma!!!  Yes, this will be one of the highlights of my life and I can hardly wait!  My wonderful daughter Melody and her husband Nick will be making us grand parents in late March. 

I’m discovering the weirdest thing.  Ever since I learned of the upcoming miracle, there seems to be babies everywhere!

Were all these babies in the airports before?  Why are there so many babies in restaurants, stores, parks, everywhere?

OK, I know why because I teach this stuff but it’s still amazing to me how it works.  When we are thinking about anything we experience more of it.  It’s due to something in our brain called the Reticular Activating System (RAS).  I’m thinking about something so it on the top of my mind.

It really makes me think.  A lot of how we live is “top of the mind awareness.”  Whatever you are thinking about, that’s what’s going to come about.  It becomes our reality.  Just think about it for a moment.  Have you ever bought a car and as soon as you drove it off the lot there were dozens of that same kind of car everywhere?  Yep, it’s because you’re now noticing them because that type of car has top of the mind awareness for you!

 These days too many people are thinking about lack.  People are moaning and groaning and talking of how BAD everything is.  I’m not saying things couldn’t get better and they will but if I’m going to notice more of what I think about, I’m going to think about abundance and beauty and love!  I’m going to think about my dreams.  And, for now, I’m going to be thinking a LOT about babies. 

 What do you have on the top of your mind?  Not only does what we think about come about but, dang, it’s just SO much nicer thinking about wonderful things.  What have you seen lately that’s wondrous?  What are you celebrating?  What are you keeping top of your mind?

 Here’s to Your Continued Success!

Sometimes when I speak about self esteem in one of my classes, I will look into the eyes of one of the attendees and see there the same hurt and confusion I used to feel before learning to use the concepts I’m teaching.

 Every time I see that look I desperately want to hug them in my arms and say “let me teach you a better, truer, way to see yourself.”

 People get so confused about the important skill of self esteem.  Many people go through life trying to get their esteem from everything around them.  They think “When I . . . I will be happier, more fulfilled, content.”  Their “When I . . .,” could be, find a better mate, get a better job, lose weight, get an education, etc.

Here’s what I want those sad eyed people and every one to understand, self esteem doesn’t come from out there.  No one can give you self esteem but yourself.

 We go through life hoping people will like us, respect us, or even love us.  However, we will only let people like, love and respect us to the level that we have learned to like, love and respect ourselves.

 If someone comes into our lives and they like, love or respect us at a higher level then we currently have learned to like, love and respect ourselves we won’t trust them.  We have a little voice inside saying something like “sure, if they knew me the way I know myself they wouldn’t like, love or respect me so much.”  And then in our suspiciousness we begin to pick on the relationship until we finally get them down to our level.  Then we think “what happened?  They used to like, love and respect me at a much higher level.”  We happened!  We will not let people come into our lives and love us at a higher level than we have learned to love ourselves.

 So, in order to earn the esteem of others we must first esteem ourselves.

Please, if you’re like I was years ago and you look into the mirror and you do not see how you could ever love the person you see there, let me help.

 Are you ready to have more self esteem?  If so, here are a few exercises you can use to begin to see a truer image of yourself.  Now remember, progress is made one small step at a time.  You don’t need to begin to see yourself totally differently overnight.  Each small step you take will lead you closer to being able to see the amazing you inside.

 Start by asking yourself “How do I talk to myself inside my head?”  This is a big one because if your self talk is defeated, “I’ll never be any good at this.  I’m so stupid.  No one will ever truly love me.”  Your life will be defeated.  Begin to turn those thoughts around!  If you think “I’ll never be any good at this,” stop yourself and change those thoughts to something like “I can get good at this.  I just need to ask for help or take a class or get a mentor.”  Change “I’m so stupid” into “I’m as smart as anyone else and I’m going to prove it!”  Change “No one will ever truly love me” into “I deserve to be loved and honored.”  Each hopeful thought will begin to move you in the direction of improved self esteem.

 I also want you to come up with a list of at least 10 things to like about yourself.  I know this may sound hard for some of you but keep at it and you can come up with some.  As you grow in this strength you will be able to come up with more.

Here is one more important piece of self esteem homework..  Every night, just before you go to sleep, think of something from your day to be grateful for.  Let yourself drift off with that gratitude in your heart.

 Here’s my promise to you; when you diligently do these steps, not only will your self esteem improve, but, a little at a time, your entire life will begin to improve.

Here’s to your Continued Success!

We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving.
Friedrich Nietzsche

In a class I was teaching this week I challenged the participants to say one thing they love about their lives.  I love this exercise because even though they often start slowly it has the effect of helping people realize that there really is a lot to love in any life. 

However, this week I had a woman who raised her hand and informed me that there was absolutely nothing to love about her life.

 I asked her “were you wheeled in here on a gurney?”  To which, of course, she replied “no.”  I asked her if she didn’t love about life that she had enough health to attend a conference.  “OK fine,” she replied “I love that I’m still alive.”

 That whole interaction really got me thinking about loving life.  I believe in living life with abandon.  I believe that each day is the putty of our lives to be molded as we see fit.  I realize that not all days are easy or fun or even enjoyable but life as a whole is to be lived!

 What has happened to so many people that they are walking around dead?  The quote at the beginning of this blog says it well.  We love life because we are used to loving.  Loving life, or not loving life is a habit.

 Our lives are made up of habits.  If we smoke it is because we began and it became a habit.  If we eat too much it is because we have a habit.  If we sing and dance and laugh and love on a regular basis it is because it has become a habit!

Cultivate a habit of finding things in life to rejoice about.  Cultivate a habit of letting the beauty you see swell your heart until you feel as though you will explode with joy.  Cultivate a habit of loving people and receiving love in return.

 No one can start a habit for us, we must do it for ourselves.  I began to see the beauty in life and now I can’t stop.  Ok, truth is, I don’t want to stop.  I wish, with all my heart, I could start a, finding things to love in life, habit for that woman I met at the conference.    I can’t start a habit for her, or you or anyone but myself.

 What are your habits?  We start a habit by doing something over and over.  I have a habit of finding things to love about you and me and this world.  If that makes me a little strange I’ll take strange any day.

 I love you, it’s true.  Many of you I have yet to meet but I keep you in my heart and count you as blessings in my life.

What’s to love about life?  You’re here, I’m here, we make choices.  Make each day a little more joy filled.

 Here’s to your continued success.

 

It’s an absolutely gorgeous day in the mountains of Colorado where I live so I played hooky from work for a little while today.  I went outside, basked in the sun, listened to the birds and smelled the fragrant flowers.

Taking a short time away from work to fill my soul gave me added energy and enthusiasm for life.  People always tell me that they find themselves with very little energy and enthusiasm for life.  I find that, for me, the energy and enthusiasm I feel for life is a matter of balance and that keeping balance in my life is a matter of choice.

If you were to balance on one foot right now you would find that in order to continue balancing on that one foot for very long you would have to make small shifts in your weight.  It’s the same way with the balance in our lives.  Are you feeling balanced right now?  Do you have energy and enthusiasm for life?

Maybe it’s time to make a few small shifts in your life.  Ask yourself what is truly important to you.  Are you getting enough of the things that bring you joy?  Not every moment of our lives needs to be filled with joy but life is far too short to live for even one day without finding some joy.

What makes you smile?  What makes you feel loved?  What makes you feel useful?  Are you getting what you need?  Not having energy and enthusiasm for life is sad.  But, think about it, with no energy and enthusiasm for life you have nothing to give those who love you.  Fill yourself up!  Let your cup spill over on the world.

And, oh what a beautiful world it is!

Here’s to your continued success!

 

 

 

If you can’t change something – change your attitude toward it.

 

It’s funny, I know this stuff, I teach this stuff!  But I still found myself feeling uptight and trapped this morning as my flight was repeatedly delayed.

 

Then, I looked up and saw a little bird flying around inside the airport terminal.  I thought about how panicked and trapped that tiny bird must have felt when he found himself inside a noisy airport terminal.  And yet, here he was flitting about and searching for dropped snacks.  He seemed to have adjusted and be perfectly happy.

                                                                                                                          

Flight delays seem to bring about all kinds of different reactions.  Interestingly enough, the yellers, complainers and cursers seem to get to their destination at the same time as those who choose to work or read or visit with their fellow stranded travelers.

 

When I stopped feeling trapped and started enjoying the moments they went by quickly.  I guess, on my journey to be a better me, I need to keep reminding myself of all the basics I already know.  Enjoy the ride!

 

Here’s to your Continued Success!