Manage Our Minds or Our Minds Will Manage Us!

Many motivated women suffer from high degrees of anxiety. We worry about our families, our jobs, our pets, our to-do lists, our friends, the future, the past, the present, and anything else that crosses our minds. Attempting to sleep at night, we will replay everything over and over again, like sentinels guarding against possible disappointment, heartache, and adversity.

While often annoying, anxiety is not all bad. Let's face it. Couch potatoes usually do not suffer from anxiety disorders, unless the anxiety has truly taken over and induced paralysis. Usually, our anxious thoughts fuel our motivation, and we get things done. However, with too much anxiety we become overwhelmed, exhausted, and resentful. We wonder why the other people in our lives do not feel as responsible as we do and often complain that all the work somehow falls into our not-so-eagerly awaiting laps.

So how do we use our anxiety to produce positive results while maintaining control over its negative effects? One of the best ways I know is to learn to manage our minds. If we follow these steps, we'll be well on our way to fantastic results.

• Become students of our own thoughts. The first step involves just noticing our thinking patterns without judging them.


• As thoughts pass through our minds, we can realize that we don't have to grab on to them. We can allow them to be very temporary guests.


• Imagine two walls. On one side, picture thoughts, people, and events that trigger anxious feelings. On the other side, imagine all the happy events and memories in our lives. Both the negative and the positive consistently co-exist in the world. Decide now to spend more time glancing at the wall containing things that contribute to feelings of happiness, serenity, and a sense of well-being.


• Recognize that we can't control the people and events in our lives, but we certainly can control where we place our attention.


• Notice our self talk. What we say to ourselves matters!


• Spend five minutes each day paying attention to our bodily sensations. Run through our physical feelings from our head to our toes. This temporarily stops the endless chatter in our minds and grounds us in the present moment.


• Make friends with our anxiety. Instead of fighting it, be curious about its good intentions in our lives. What is it trying to tell us? Do we need to slow down? Take a walk? Write in a journal? Change directions? Get more information?


• Let it become our trusted advisor, while realizing that we have the ultimate say in how we live our lives.

Copyright © 2008 by Holly A. Cox, L.C.P.C., C.D.C.®

Reclaiming Relaxation! Three Simple Tips to Calm the Mind and Relax the Body

by Ntathu Allen

Reclaiming Relaxation!

How many times during the day have you felt pressurised or unsure how to meet the demands placed upon you?

Do you long to take "time-out" yet feel you have too many responsibilities and commitments to manage?

Maybe you have financial problems and worry how you are going to pay your bills; perhaps you are caring for an elderly relative who has recently been hospitalised and you are anxious about their welfare.

For people living in high-crime areas or uncomfortable or unsafe living conditions, you may have the added worry about your children's or your own personal safety. All these factors can contribute to you feeling "stressed" and that you have no-control over events in your life.

As a Yoga Teacher, I see many people suffering from the physical effects of stress, for example, low back pain, digestive disorders, migraine headaches.

On an emotional level, when you feel stressed you constantly worry, feel anxious, irritable and unable to concentrate and think clearly. Long term exposure to stress wears you down which makes it harder for you to find the energy to stop and regain balance and enjoyment in your life.

Have you noticed that when you are completely stressed, the last thing you find time for is to rest and relax? Yet, your ability to cope with the various demands you face diminishes as you continue to push yourself. Learning how to relax, letting-go and regain your perspective is vital to help you manage your life successfully.

Have you ever experienced moments when you are totally at peace, calm and content with your life? Many of the students I teach yoga say that practicing yoga has given them "inner strength", a "sense of balance and inner peace" which helps to enhance the quality of their personal relationships, stay focused at work and learn how to cope with stressful situations in a calm and more positive way.

THREE SIMPLE TIPS TO CALM THE MIND AND RELEASE TENSION FROM YOUR BODY

One: Sit comfortably on a chair, rest your hands on your thighs, uncross your ankles, place your feet apart flat on the floor and close your eyes. Breathe in slowly and deeply, through your nose, for a count of three and slowly breathe out for a count of three. As you breathe in and out be aware of the rise and fall of your abdomen. Repeat 5 -7 times. Slowly open your eyes and take time to re-engage with your day.

Two: Have a loving bath. Add four to six drops of bergamot, lavender,
ylang ylang, or rose essential oil to your bathwater. These aromatic oils are uplifting and help to refresh your mind.

Three: Stand or sit in a comfortable position. Breathe in through your nose and shrug your shoulders up to your ears, slowly breathe out as you lower your shoulders. Repeat 5 - 7 times.

I hope you find these relaxation tips useful.

If you are interested in trying other relaxation techniques, please email me at ntathu@yoga-inspires.com for your free copy of the article "Relax! Seven Simple Steps to Reduce Stress and Energise Your Body"

Ntathu Allen, Yoga Teacher, teaches professionals simple yoga stretches and meditation to manage stress at work , improve creativity and strengthen relationships at work and at home.
Contact Ntathu for your free monthly Yoga and Polarity Enewsletter - Healing for the Soul.
Email :ntathu@yogainspires.co.uk ; http://www.yogainspires.co.uk
phone: 07973 777 882

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Arbonne for Personal Transformation!

I admit it.  I'm addicted to products from Arbonne International and to their network marketing program as a whole.  As an independent consultant for this wonderful company, I have learned to love their products formulated in Switzerland and made in the United States of America.  I first heard about the company on a trip to the Greek Islands over two years ago, where I ran into Holly Boniface, an Executive Regional Vice-President for Arbonne International.  She piqued my interest, and I've been hooked ever since.  I started by using the RE9 products and was delighted at how well they worked.  If you visit http://www.personaltransformations.myarbonne.com you will see the results on my mother, who was 89-years old at the time.  After only two weeks, the change in her skin was nothing short of amazing.  Arbonne's anti-aging products are well worth the money, and their other products are excellent as well.  If you are serious about your own transformation, check them out on my website.  You can order directly from there, and see for yourself!  Once again, the web address is http://www.personaltransformations.myarbonne.com  

If you are interested in becoming a consultant, visit the Be Your Own Boss page on my site.  Be sure to click on the links on the side of the page for great information.

The Magic of Giving

By Kate Corbin

"Everything I give to others is a gift to myself. As I give, I receive." - Sanaya Roman

Giving is IN. It seems that everyone is discovering the Magic of Giving.

Oprah has her new Reality TV show, The Big Give. By helping total strangers, participants experience what the producers call "the high of giving."

After a dazzling tennis career, Andre Agassi is focused on giving back - something he finds even more rewarding than tennis. The Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation has raised more than $60 million to improve the lives of at-risk youth.

Bill Clinton's book, Giving, is filled with examples of how giving enriches the lives of others as well as our own lives. Clinton writes, "one reason to be generous and public spirited is simply that it makes you feel good."

Why Does Giving Feel So Good? Researchers at Harvard and UBC conclude that giving significantly boosts happiness. Studies with 630 Americans found them to be measurably happier when they spent money on others. In fact, as little as $5 was enough to produce real gains in happiness!

NIH scientists determined that the joy of giving is hardwired into our brains. They discovered that the act of giving increases activity in the midbrain - a region associated with pleasures such as food and sex. Aha!

Givers Gain. Joe Vitale began to understand the Magic of Giving in the 1970's when he was homeless. Having no money, he gave away what he had - books. The more books he gave away, the more books came to him. Detecting a pattern, but still impoverished, he gave a few dollars here and there - mostly to people who gave him spiritual nourishment. As he gave, he started to receive - a job offer, a published article, then a client, followed by a book publishing contract and paid speaking engagements. Living quite a luxurious lifestyle now, Joe continues to give, saying: "It sounds counter-intuitive but the more you give, the more you will receive. As I give bigger, I get bigger returns: more movie deals, more book deals, my own television show, more unexpected income. The list goes on."

How about Percy Ross? Starting with $2 million, Percy set out to give money to people he believed needed it. In 17 years, he gave away an estimated $30 million. Look at those numbers. He had $2 million and he gave away $30 million. Try to make that work out on a ledger sheet! It won't. It's the Magic of Giving.

Spiritual leaders and financially successful people have been telling us about the Magic of Giving for ages. Here are some pointers to help you apply the Magic of Giving in your life:

• Give out of joy rather than obligation. Give because it feels good and offers you a way to express appreciation for all that you have and all that you are in the process of creating.
• Receiving is a natural result of giving - unless you resist it. When you give, be open to receive.
• Give without strings. When you give something, release it completely. It's up to the receiver what they do with your gift.
• Follow Joe Vitale's example and give what you have to give. It doesn't have to be money. You can donate your time. You can teach a skill. Volunteers report improved health and a deeper sense of meaning and purpose.

• If you're ready for more abundance in your life, think of someone you can give something to. Giving helps you FEEL more prosperous and releases feelings of lack and limitation.

There are endless reasons to give, but perhaps the best reason is that giving makes you FEEL FANTASTIC. And, in accordance with the Law of Attraction, when you feel good, you attract even more good feelings. So do yourself and someone else a favor: Give from your heart and experience the Joy and the Magic of Giving.

Kate Corbin is a Law of Attraction Life Coach and the creator of Gold Star Coaching. Both her coaching practice and her books - Dining at the Cosmic Café: How to Be and Do and Have Whatever You Desire and Think and Grow Thin with the Law of Attraction - http://www.goldstarcoaching.com/ebook.html are designed to empower you to truly live the life of your dreams. To contact Coach Kate, check out her books, and subscribe to her free ezine, Magical Musings, visit http://www.goldstarcoaching.com/

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Change Your Life With Great Books!

Because I'm serious about creating a "dream-come-true life," I want to take advantage of every good resource available. I've found that fueling the process by reading great books has accelerated my learning curve. I've even started to listen to audiobooks of great life coaches while I'm in my car. It's a great way to multi-task when I'm busy. Some of my favorites are works by Anthony Robbins, Marcia Wieder, & Geneen Roth. On my website, I post a page of Great Reading and update it on a regular basis. If you're serious about your own personal growth, visit http://www.mypersonaltransformation.com and click on the Great Reading link. If you bookmark the page, you can check back to see new recommendations.

Law of Attraction - Closing Your Open Book
By Beth Mccain

You should know which books to keep open in your life, and the ones to keep closed. Do you maintain a 24-hour open book of all your past mistakes? Do you refer to it often? Do you relive the pages over and over again? Is it uncomfortably comfortable? In the Law of Attraction, keeping an open book of the past can and usually will sure slow down your progress in attaining what you now desire in your life.

Let's start closing the books that serve no purpose in our lives. Sure, we can learn from our past but reliving pages of regret or hurt will only bring you more hurtful regret. Learn from the pages and then shut the book, and when you do shut your book, see it closed with peace and calm. When you are tempted to refer to the book, close it and know that you no longer need it. If someone else brings up the pages of your past life, pay them no mind unless it is a positive remark that will move you forward. Staying in the pages of the past won't move you forward; it will keep you where you currently are in life. Just move on from all the negative and hurtful parts of your life.

You have the ability to rise above it knowing that every day is a new day. Every day you can create a new world the way you want it to be, and closing the pages of hurt and learning from, then moving on from your mistakes will help you to move forward.

How about starting a whole new book with blank pages? Start changing your life through the Law of Attraction and refer to this new book of hope and happiness as often as you can. Don't refer to your old, out of date book and wind up feeling less than secure. By understanding how to let go of the old book, of the old you, you'll be able to move forward into the life that you want and deserve. You have the choice to do this; you and you alone. It's not up to your family or friends. Remember, no matter who has been a part of your life, you are the only one responsible for creating your old and your new book. As always, it is all up to you in the Law of Attraction. So how's your new book going to be?

Beth and Lee McCain are full time instructors and lecturers in applying the Law of Attraction, or better known as the Secret, in your life to attain whatever you desire. They have a great radio show on Youtube that is both entertaining as well as informative on the subject of the Law of Attraction. Please visit: Beth and Lee McCain Law of Attraction Web Site

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Five Great Tips

If you're interested in making your dreams come true, go to www.mypersonaltransformation.com and sign up for my free ebook, "Five Great Tips for Loving the Life You Live and Living the Life You Love."  Take a stand for yourself and learn to play a starring role in your own life.

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!

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originally uploaded by personaltransformations4u.

Clouds, mountains, lakes, trees, snow. . . a study in contrasts!

A View from Mt. Pilatus!

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originally uploaded by personaltransformations4u.

On the way to the top of Mt. Pilatus, I snapped this picture of the view. Putting my own problems and anxieties into perspective became easier as I saw how small they truly were in comparison!

Take a Lesson from the White Peacock!

I just had the privilege of taking a trip to Italy, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland as a chaperone for a group of 36 high school students. I can't begin to put into words the awe I felt at the majesty and beauty our world has to offer. We take so much for granted! One of the highlights of our "Chocolates and Cappuccino" adventure was seeing the white peacocks on Isola Bella, where the Borromean Palazzo is located. These exquisite birds don't hide their heads in shame at their lack of jewel-like colors. They don't spend time agonizing over possible flaws. They don't seem to wonder about what the spectators are thinking of them. They don't waste time on comparisons. Instead, they "strut their stuff" with pride, and the results are breathtaking! Let's learn from these magnificent birds and do the same!