Learning How to Balance Our Energy Houses – The “Being” House

In my last entry I talked about the energy houses. Today I want to focus on the “Being” House. Anyone who wants to deepen their learning about “Being” read Eckhart Tolle’s book The Power of Now” and The New Earth…Tolle masters being present. You can find them on my book suggestion list on my website. (link to your site)

“Being” is our heart space. It is all about relationship, connection, and being engaged…with ourselves and with others. “Being” teaches you to engage from the heart and leaning into whatever you are doing. For example, when you come home after working all day you have a choice about what to do. You can go into the “doing” house and clean out a closet. You can work on a hobby or do a chore...or you can engage in conversation with your spouse, play and connect with your kids, take some quiet time and read a book or take a bubble bath. If you choose to do an activity, make it a holistic experience…enjoy and be present...experience the being.

What’s important is to balance your energy houses…don’t hang out in one place too long…shift from one energy house to another and experience the calming feeling of balance.

For more info contact:
Susan Samakow, PCC, CPCC
Certified Business and Life Coach & Speaker
Susan Samakow Coaching, LLC
www.selftalkcoach.net
susan@selftalkcoach.net
301-706-7226

Positive Structures Work Well With Goals!

You have set your goals. What else integrates well in helping you reach your goals? Try a few of these – there is little to no cost.

Strengths and Skills – use them to reach your goals…play to your strengths…maximize and utilize your strengths and skills – they are transferable
Vision Board – buy a piece of foam board at a craft or variety store…think about what lights you up. What makes you happy? Cut out photos of people, places or things. Also cut out words that have meaning to you…that light you up or that you want in your life. Thumbtack or paste them on the board and keep it out so you can see it daily. It keeps your wants, desires, and dreams in front of you.
Gratitude Journal – write a few items down each day that you are grateful for (preferably in the morning)…it’s a great way to start your day! Gratitude puts you in a positive mindset. When you feel positive, when you’re happy, when you’re grateful, you are more apt to accomplish your goals and be productive.
Create a Positive Mindset - replace old limiting thoughts that are not serving you with new positive thoughts that do serve you. Be aware of your self talk.
Positive Affirmations – make it a daily practice to think and say positive things to others and yourself! When’s the last time you said something positive to yourself? Looking directly at yourself in the mirror and saying positive things speeds up the process of feeling the effect of the positive affirmations. Start with “I believe in myself!
Exercise and Laugh – both send off natural endorphins which make you feel better; they also keep you healthier.
Meditation is another healthy idea; focus on your breathing. Mediation is a huge stress reducer.
Support – get the support you want from others
Don’t be critical of yourself (or others)

Are You a "Benefit Finder" or "Fault Finder"?

After listening to Tal Ben-Shahar lecture on “Benefit Finders” and “Fault Finders” I am very aware of the impact this perspective has on our lives. I’ve noticed with clients, friends, family, and business associates that they generally tend to look at situations, and at other people, and either find faults or benefits. So do we see stumbling blocks or stepping stones? It’s a choice we make daily.

Do we look at the stars each night or take them for granted? Do we appreciate our family, our work, our every day? Do we take people, our health, and life for granted or do we celebrate them? Are you embracing life or living by avoiding?

“Benefit Finders” focus on the positive. When you focus on the positive, the good appreciates. If you choose to focus on the negative, the good depreciates and the negative is accentuated.

What we focus on in our relationships matters a great deal. What we focus on in our personal and business lives determines the quality of our lives and those close to us. It’s up to us to create our experience…it’s your choice!

Remember to see the good, the difficult, to see the potential in the seed…to be a “Benefit Finder”.

How Resilient Are You?

After taking a wonderful course with Dr. Tal Ben-Sharar at UPenn, and since taking on the position as President of the International Coach Federation Metro DC Chapter, I have been thinking and visioning what I’d like to see for the year, for my clients, for my chapter, and for you. There’s a few things that pop that I’ve learned so much about that I want to share with you because I know it will be helpful. It’s about Resiliency…because resilient people pick themselves up when they’ve stumbled. They don’t let anyone or anything keep them down for long.

Resiliency can profoundly change how enthusiastically we approach challenges. Resiliency can transform hardship into challenge, failure into success, helplessness into power, victim into survivor and allows survivors to thrive. Anyone can master resilience and from that you grow – you grow personally, you grow your business, you help your client grow.

Everyone has that resiliency factor…you have to work it like a muscle and build it up…it will make a tremendous difference in your life!

Intentions

This is the perfect time of the year to set out what your intentions are...what you want to accomplish this year. I usually start my days by thinking what are my intentions for the day or week and at the beginning of the year, I take extra time to look at the year...the big picture.

When we are intentional and mindful (conscious and aware) of our thoughts, we get the focus and clarity we need to make decisions, set goals, and to take action. I know how important that is in helping us navigate through life. In fact, I have taking a quiet time, which is when I set my intentions each morning, as my first strategy for Positive Self Talk. That's how important I believe this is....it sets the tone for the day. I am not allowing life to just happen and then reacting to it. I am being purposeful and clear on what I want, personally and professionally, and then taking the action steps that align with that.

Before you set your intentions, notice your self talk (our thoughts, inner dialogue)
and make sure you're coming from a positive mindset so you get the results you desire.

Reflecting on 2009

Greetings and wishing you all a Happy, Healthy 2010 and Always!!

Reflections
We live in a society based on accomplishments, let’s get things done, and chase and conquer. And yet when we do reach a goal, how many of us take the time to reflect and internalize our accomplishments.

Yes, it’s great to achieve our goals and get the results we want AND it’s equally important to take the time to “fill ourselves” with each success that we’ve worked so hard to achieve. I find that the more I fill myself with the positive, the more my life is positively affected…it influences my self esteem, self image and self confidence. You can feel the same way!

So before you set out to accomplish your 2010 goals, take the time to reflect on 2009 – breathe it in!

Intentions for 2009

But where do our intentions come from and what do they mean? I know when I am not clear about something, personally or professionally, the way I get clarity is to ask myself, "What are my intentions here"? "What do I want to produce"? and "What do I need to be mindful of"? Try it yourself!

When we are intentional and mindful (conscious and aware) of our thoughts we gain focus which gives us the necessary clarity to make decisions and to take action. By being intentional, people aren't allowing life to just happen and reacting. They are purposeful and clear on what they want and take action steps that align with what they want. So when someone tells you what you did was "lucky" or it happened "by accident"...no such thing exists! Intention is about who you are "being". Be aware and mindful of your thoughts and who you are spending your time with. Do work and activities that make you happy. When we say "yes" to life by doing what we love, we are saying "no" to stress. It's quite empowering!

Our intentions, what we intend to do, how mindful and purposeful we're being, helps give us the tools we need to navigate through life. But before we even set our intentions, we must first look at our self talk, our inner dialogue, to make sure we're coming from a positive mindset. Otherwise the outcome we desire won't manifest.

Here are two of the eight Strategies for Positive Self Talk that have proven successful with helping people shift from negative to positive:

1) Set aside a Quiet Time - during this time, even if it's for just ten minutes, think of what your intentions are for the day, the week. What do you want to accomplish? How do you want your day to look? It helps you focus and gain clarity.

2) Be Present and In the Moment - people tend to think in the past and get stuck there, or in the future and anticipate the "what if's" which create anxiety. It's okay to look to the past or future...just don't stay there...stay present and in the moment...that's all we really have.

Once you transition to a positive mindset, and practice this daily, shift happens! Intentions are clear and life feels more purposeful. It's a great time to set short and long term goals and create a plan for 2009.

If you'd like an "Intentions Goal Setting" worksheet or if you want to learn more about Susan's 8 Strategies to help people shift from negative to positive Self Talk email Susan Samakow or call her at 301-706-7226

Make it a mindful year- It's your Choice!

How are you using intention for 2009?
Please leave a comment and let me know!