Summer Transformation Contest!

Pick one area of your life you would like to change by summer's end. It might be your body, your health, your personality, your environment, your energy level, your parenting skills, your relationships, your finances, your career,your social life, or anything else you might want to transform.

Enter your desired outcome in the comments section of this post, and keep us informed of your progress. If you want to send pictures

of the changes you make throughout the process, email me (transformation4you@gmail.com), and I will include them in this blog.

At the end of the summer, send in a complete record of your accomplishments. Be creative. You can include pictures, reflections, daily and weekly action steps, drawings,

or whatever best represents the changes you have made.

The top success stories will be featured on my

Personal Transformations website, and the winner will receive

a $100.00 SPA GIFT CERTIFICATE!

Go to the Summer Transformation Contest page to register

and get more information.

Designing Your Dream Life!

One of the key elements to creating the life of your dreams is to have a clear picture of what you want to achieve. You can't steer your life in a desired direction if you don't have a destination in mind. So where do you start? Try this exercise during the coming week. You'll need some magazines, a notebook, paste, pens, crayons, and/or markers. Pick one area of your life - your body, your health, your career, your finances, your environment, your relationships, your wardrobe, your spirituality, or anything else that matters to you. Label the first page of your notebook with your chosen area. Look through magazines and find pictures that represent the changes you would like to make in this area as your transform your life. Paste these pictures in this section of your notebook, along with any phrases, quotations, questions, or thoughts you might have. When you are finished, write a paragraph painting a word picture of the changes you wish to see in this part of your life. Each day this week, add a bit more to your dream map.

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

Savor the Moment!

During my recent trip to Europe, I was amazed at the relaxed atmosphere that was present everywhere I went. Stores closed at lunch so the shopkeepers could go home and eat with their families. People strolled through the streets enjoying the sights. Conversation, laughter, and camaraderie prevailed. The contrast to life in the United States was painfully apparent.

In America, we seem to be perpetually racing from one thing to another - chasing happiness, fulfillment, and joy. These qualities often appear to be just a tad out of our reach, and so the endless cycle keeps repeating itself. We put off vacations because we're too busy! We work extra hours to save money to enjoy when we retire. We would never dream of closing our stores to go home for lunch. Friends and family get put on hold until we can make time for them. Our own needs get placed on the backburner.

Perhaps we need to take a step back and think about what it is we are actually pursuing so diligently. Making lots of money, achieving more and more, competing with our friends and relatives, and outshining our neighbors can be empty rewards when they cost us time with the very people we love, take a toll on our health, disconnect us from our surroundings, and leave us feeling drained. When we learn to savor each moment, we bring the very happiness we are searching for into our daily lives!

If you want to create joy and happiness for yourself in the present moment, as well as in the future, begin to ask yourself the following questions. Let your own answers guide you.

1. What makes me happy?


2. How can I experience more happiness right now in my life?


3. What's missing for me as I go through my days/weeks/years?


4. What drains me of joy, energy, and happiness?


5. How can I eliminate some of these things starting today?


6. In what areas do I need to give myself some slack?


7. What is one experience I want to enjoy to the fullest today?


8. If I were to do something special for myself, what would it be?


9. Who do I want to spend more time with?

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

Take Charge of Your Life!

For years, I found myself floating along life's path with little or no sense of the direction it was taking me. Each day blended into the next one, and I reacted to whatever came my way. On a Kairos retreat several years ago, I had the opportunity to walk a labyrinth. At first glance, it seemed fairly simple. I couldn't get lost since I wasn't in a maze. I had to just keep walking the path until I reached the end. Half way through, I started to cry; however, at first I had no idea what the sadness welling up within me was really about. Upon reflection, I realized I was wandering through my life the same way I was wandering through the labryinth, going where the path took me and waiting to reach the end. Just when I felt like I was close to my desired destination, the path would take a turn. Suddenly, I'd be back where I started.

Something slowly shifted in me that day. I was no longer willing to be a passive participant in my own life. When I attended Marcia Wieder's Create Your Future Now workshop in Chicago, I knew that I had found the vehicle to steer my life in a desired direction and help others do so as well.

As a Certified Dream Coach®, constantly focused on moving in the direction of my dreams, I am committed to helping you learn to take charge of your own life. Following Marcia's ten step process, you can begin to set clear intentions, learn to trust yourself, discover your purpose, get really clear about your dreams/desires, deal with the doubting parts of yourself, develop new beliefs that serve you, learn from past setbacks, design projects and strategies that move you closer to your "dream-come-true" life, build a dream team, and ultimately become unstoppable! If you are interested in learning more, check out Personal Transformations or e-mail me at transformation4you@gmail.com.

I was lucky enough to get certified directly by Marcia Wieder. However, after January of 2009, Marcia will no longer be personally leading the Dream Coach® Certification program. If you are interested in learning from this dynamic and successful dreamer and saving $500.00 on the cost of training, click this link to Dream Coach® University. Don't delay. Marcia is only offering the discount until May 15th.

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

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ntathu_Allen
http://EzineArticles.com/?Reclaiming-Relaxation!-Three-Simple-Tips-to-Calm-the-Mind-and-Relax-the-Body&id=1112686

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/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kate_Corbin
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Magic-of-Giving&id=1075749

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

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beth_Mccain
http://EzineArticles.com/?Law-of-Attraction---Closing-Your-Open-Book&id=1087693