Say No More Often!

Do you always find yourself doing things you'd rather not do, just to be NICE?  Are you afraid to disappoint others?  If so, it's time to practice saying "No" a bit more often.  It's hard at first, but with practice you can become an expert.  Start by creating the intention of saying no to requests for your time, help, attention, money, knowledge, skill, etc. a minimum of once per day.  When that feels comfortable, add an extra negative response for good measure.  You'll begin to notice that the sky does not fall down upon you just because you ended up disappointing someone besides yourself for once.  Use the time and energy you gain to indulge yourself.  You deserve it!

When you consider your own needs as much as the needs of others, you begin to set clear limits. You find yourself giving of your time/energy because you want to, instead of from a sense of obligation.  Ultimately, everyone benefits!

Say No More Often!

Save Money in This Tough Economy!

Money is tight in this touch economy, and we are all looking for ways to stretch our budget dollars. Why not take advantage of great internet savings like these:

Great Deals and Freebies at drugstore.com!
It's your Lucky Day! Save 15% with your $40+ order at CurrentCatalog.com. Order by 03-01-09
Save 15% on all orders over $39 at David’s Cookies with coupon code DC1539C. Valid thru April 1, 2009.
Free shipping and tote with your order of $50 or more at Bliss!
Extra 15% Off all GreatSkin products - enter Coupon Code: HW15

Stress Relief Meets Biofeedback!

In our fast-paced society, we are all searching for ways to reduce stress, relax, meditate, and utilize the law of attraction. However, given our limited amount of time, we want quick and easy results. What could be easier and quicker than using computer technology and biofeedback training to induce empowering states of relaxation and meditation? This amazing technology is available to you through a company called Wild Divine. Check out their products and see for yourself. Just click the link below.

Love is an Action Verb!

I love you! These three words mean so much...some of the time. At other times, they can merely be hollow words with nothing evident in sight to back them up.

What they often mean is "I love you as long as I get that warm fuzzy feeling inside when I'm around you or when I think of you. Just don't ask me to demonstrate my love by asking too much of me."

When we equate love with internal feelings of bliss, it becomes dependent on our "loved" ones pleasing us on a consistent basis and asking very little in return. It's easy to feel "love" when it does not make many demands on us or our time.

Too often, we work harder to please relative strangers than those we say we "love." When we feel secure in our relationships, we tend to take them for granted and forget the importance of demonstrating our love on a day-to-day basis.

Love, in the truest sense of the word, is an action verb. We can say "I love you" and truly feel like we mean it, but the proof of our love is in our actions.

To see how our love stacks up in terms of action, we can ask ourselves these questions:

1. How do I demonstrate my love through action?
   
2. How do my loved ones experience my love?
   
3. If I didn't say the words, could they tell by my actions that I love them?
   
4. Do I demonstrate my love even when I don't feel "loving?"
   
5. Do my loved ones have to please me to "feel" wrapped in my love?
   
6. What actions from others do I experience as "loving?"
   
7. Do I only show love when I am "feeling" loved?
   
8. Who in my life demonstrates their love for me through their actions?
   
9. Are there people in my life who say they love me without providing any evidence of this love other than mere words?
   
10. What can I do differently to demonstrate my love?
    
11. Do I show love for myself in my actions - even when I don't "feel" deserving of this love?
    

When we reflect on these questions, we can heighten our awareness of our own ability to put love into action- with others and with ourselves. We can DECIDE to love when we see it as an active force rather than merely a feeling. True love exists when our actions match our words!

Copyright 2009 by Holly Cox

New Beginnings!

January is the perfect "start-over" month. It marks the beginning of a new year, and we are filled with resolutions, hopes, and dreams. We feel like we once did in school when we started the year off with shiny new notebooks. We prepare ourselves to write the next chapter of our lives, and we are determined to make the story line fabulous. All too often, though, our notebooks gets dusty as we ditch our good intentions and lose sight of what we truly want. Then we find ourselves starting over again year after year.

It's time to try something new this year. We can make it the best year ever if we:

1. refuse to make excuses
   
2. stop tolerating the energy drainers in our lives
3. focus on what we do want rather than on what we don't want
4. listen to our hearts
5. become champions for our dreams
   
6. do something each day to move us toward our hearts' desires
7. create habits that become effortless
8. take baby steps
9. keep trying UNTIL we get it right
10. celebrate each small victory
    

I Miss You Mom!

My 90-year-old mother, Marge, died on December 14th of this year. She lived a long, full life; but I still am having a hard time with the loss. Since she lived with me, she was so much a part of my day-to-day life. I miss talking to her and having coffee in the morning with her before leaving for work. I miss hearing her answer her phone with an "I love you too." (I had previously set her ring tone to "I just called to say I love you" by Stevie Wonder.) I miss her colorful vocabulary and her funny ways. I miss our shopping expeditions to Kohl's, Sam's Club, Walmart, and Value City. Most of all, I miss her love. She will always be with me - watching over me as my personal guardian angel.

I LOVE YOU TOO MOM!

Giving Thanks!

It's easy to remember to give thanks when things are going well. However, it's also important to have an attitude of gratitude even in the darkest of times. Whether your life is going extremely well or you're facing many challenges, take a moment to focus on the many people, things, and experiences that you've been blessed with through the years. Your list might include:

family and friends
just being alive
spirituality
your talents
your career
your home
your possessions
your pets
past vacations
favorite foods
nature
your physical abilities
music
art
beauty
chocolate
home movies
happy memories
great books
whatever else you can think of . . .

The WOW Factor

Weekend Dressing - 5 Fashionable Ways to Make You Look Wow!

By Deborah E Boland

Just because you enjoy having a lazy weekend, doesn't mean you should get lazy about your style. If you're stuck in a style slump during your precious days off, then it's time for a little inspiration. Whether you wan to go out to dinner, see movie, or just hang out with friends, you deserve to look and feel fabulous, turn heads and get compliments! So here are 5 ideas for weekend dressing that are sure to make you look Wow!

1. Swap your jeans for a skirt
Yes it's the weekend, but why hide behind jeans just because they're easy and familiar? Instead try wearing something that will put a little swing into rest and relaxation time like a feminine flat yoke skirt with soft pleats. Pair your skirt with a cozy cashmere sweater to feel comfy, but still look chic. A pretty solid scarf in one of your favorite colors tied at the neck will punch up the look, or you can add some smart ballet flats by day, or sexy heels by night.

2. Be Bold in a Bright Jacket
Weekends are play time and what better way to send that message than to add a shot of color. The simplest, most up to the moment way to do that, is to wear a jacket bursting with color. This season we're seeing jackets in a deep rich rainbow of colors from burnt orange to plum, ruby red, teal blue and saffron. These emerald colors work really well with all neutrals, especially the new Grey which can be difficult and draining to wear. The key to making this look work is to buy a jacket that fits you absolutely perfectly. Fit is everything especially after 40 to help add structure to a softening body.

3. Play with Scarves
Wait, aren't scarves for old ladies? Depends on how you wear them. Scarves can be a great way to jazz up an otherwise ordinary outfit. Start with a crisp white blouse, unbutton the first few buttons and tie a long thin scarf a few times around your neck and knot it. Keep your blouse untucked and team it up with a pair of slim fit pants or jeans. Or, you can even try draping a large colorful scarf across a neutral top for a more dramatic weekend dressing look!

4. Knock'em Out in a Knit
If you don't have a knit top and matching pant or skirt in your weekend wardrobe, then fly out the door and pick one up! These outfits are casual but smart and are the perfect thing to wear shopping, to dinner or on a weekend getaway. Pair a knit skirt with opaque hose , boots or a pair of shoes with one of the new chunky heels.

5. Have Fun with Flat Boots
As the weather turns and the leaves begin to fall, flat riding boots are a great weekend dressing footwear choice. Rugged and Strong they look best paired with jeans or knit dresses plus opaque stockings. Be aware that your daughter's heavy Frye boots (yes they're back) can sometimes look too heavy on 40+ legs if so you may want to opt for a slightly finer version to achieve this look.

Deborah Boland and JoJami Tyler (The Glam Gals) are Image and Style Experts specializing in helping women 40 plus look and feel fabulous. They are the authors of the e-book, The Glam Plan~ 12 Simple Steps to Take You From Frumpy to Fabulous, as well as coaches for their Tweak Your Chic, Image make-over program. For more tips go to http://www.fabulousafter40.com and sign up for their bi-weekly newsletter. You can also contact them at: info@fabulousafter40.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Deborah_E_Boland
http://EzineArticles.com/?Weekend-Dressing---5-Fashionable-Ways-to-Make-You-Look-Wow!&id=1659749

Moments of Decision

Anthony Robbins once said, "It is in our moments of decision that our destinies are shaped." For me, these decisive moments make up the fabric of my days. When the alarm goes off, I can decide to hit snooze and roll over, or I can get out of bed and have a little more
time to get ready each morning. On the way to work, I can relax in quiet solitude, play my ipod music, or listen to personal growth audiobooks. The choice is mine. When I feel like eating emotionally in response to a "bad" day, I can remind myself that I want to nourish my body in a healthy way, or I can give in to the temptation of chips and dip. The quality of my future life depends on the decisions I make each and every day.

In order to shape my destiny, I must stay conscious of each tiny decision I face. Taking total ownership of my choices puts me in the driver's seat of my life. It's not always easy, but it's definitely worthwhile!

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