tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10132315073618742872024-02-19T01:59:45.971-08:00Get Up GirlEnriching the lives of womenShannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-29022257251017528302016-12-07T13:44:00.005-08:002016-12-07T13:46:23.775-08:00Can Meditation Support You to Eat More Healthily?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Are you
overweight or underweight?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could you
honestly put your hand on your heart and say that you have complete control of
your eating habits? Most of us are guilty of over-eating whilst on autopilot or
of eating when bored or stressed. Some of us see food as the enemy and become
upset and negative around food. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Wouldn’t it
be great if you could find a way to eat simply when hungry and to make healthy
choices when deciding what to eat, without feeling deprived? Think about the
people you know who meditate regularly. Would you say that the majority of them
are a healthy weight, with a positive attitude to good nutrition? There just
might be something in it. </span><a href="http://doctorsontm.org/obesity"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Research</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> has shown that certain types of meditation can
help us to control our emotional eating. There is also evidence that meditation
can be </span><a href="http://hpq.sagepub.com/content/4/3/357.short"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">helpful in treating</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> binge eating disorder. So if you’ve
tried every diet known to man and still have weight issues it might be that the
answer lies in using meditation to help you change the way you think about
food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Noticing what you eat</b></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If you
meditate regularly you are likely to find that your approach to food changes. You
will begin to eat more consciously. Quite a few meditation courses include a
session in which participants are asked to eat a piece of fruit or other food
in a way which encourages full engagement with the experience. You might try
this simple exercise at home. Take a small piece of simple food. Hold it and
spend a few minutes looking at it like you’ve never seen that food before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice any “imperfections.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Explore the colour and feel of the food. Gently
squeeze it. Does it make any sound? Now bring the food closer and smell it. How
does it smell? Does the smell change? Finally take one small bite. How does the
food feel on the tongue? What sensations do you experience in your mouth and
the rest of your body? Now slowly bite the food. Close your eyes and experience
the taste and texture of the food. Swallow and then pause to think about how
your body feels before taking the next bite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Didn’t
eating in that way change your experience of eating? You will most likely have
felt more satisfied with what you ate than you would have if you’d eaten it
without thinking while staring at your computer screen or watching TV. If you
eat more consciously you are likely to eat less than when you eat on autopilot
whilst doing other things. And here’s the good bit: every mouthful of food you
eat will become more delicious and more satisfying. You are likely to feel full
sooner.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>Why might meditation help you approach food with the
right attitude?</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">People who
meditate regularly start to experience a range of positive changes in their
daily lives. Meditators often find themselves starting to exercise better
self-control in their approach to many aspects of their lives, including their
eating habits. One of the most widely </span><a href="http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/01/eight-weeks-to-a-better-brain/"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">reported</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> benefits of meditation is that meditation can
cause changes in the brain which affect the way we perceive stress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These changes are likely to help us control
our emotional eating patterns. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>How to get started</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So if you’d
like to give meditation a try, a good place to start might be to find some </span><a href="http://msia.org.au/"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">meditations</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> which will give you a taste of how
you might incorporate this wonderful healing practice into your life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-56947580202012720122016-12-07T11:46:00.001-08:002016-12-07T11:50:01.770-08:00The Corporate Jungle - A Place for Meditation?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So you’ve
worked hard all your life, beaten all the competition and finally found that
well-paid job. You already know that big business can be a pretty cut-throat
place. You’ll need to have all your wits about you to successfully navigate the
political machinations of others and to cope with the relentless long hours, not
to mention actually getting on with doing your job.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">A new breed
of successful executive is emerging. This 21<sup>st</sup>-century business
leader is the type who doesn’t seem to make enemies. Even rivals admit that
they’re good at their jobs. They are likely to believe in clean living and
manage to tactfully avoid the pitfalls of heavy drinking and partying which
often form part of the corporate culture. The chances are strong that this
person meditates. Here are some of the reasons why meditation can help you
survive and achieve your goals in the corporate jungle without losing sight of
your soul.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b>What meditation can do for you</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Have you
noticed how some individuals don’t seem to let stress get to them? They see
situations which others would regard with horror as positive challenges to be
faced with enthusiasm. One of the most immediate effects you’ll start to
experience once you start practicing meditation is a decrease in your stress
levels. This is because regular meditation has been shown to affect the regions
of the brain that trigger the “fight or flight” responses to stress. Starting
your day listening to a </span><a href="http://msia.org.au/free-guided-meditations/"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">guided meditation</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> will clear your head and strengthen your
cognitive function.<br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">You’ll also
find that you become more focused and much less likely to fall into the trap of
excessive multitasking. A </span><a href="http://pss.sagepub.com/content/24/5/776"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">study</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> at the University of California in Santa
Barbara found that participants who had practiced meditation for as little as 2
weeks were more focused whilst completing cognitive tasks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If you
practice regular meditation you might begin to find that you start waking up
earlier in the morning feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead. It
appears that meditators need less sleep than others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think how much more you could achieve in life
if you felt fully refreshed and alert after six hours sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would more than make up for the time you
set aside each day to practice. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Will I lose my edge?</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">You might
worry that if you start meditating you’ll lose your edge. In a world of
survival of the fittest, might there be a risk that meditation will make you
less thrusting and more detached from what’s going on around you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually nothing could be further from the
truth. Whilst it’s true that meditation might make you more empathic and
incidentally kinder to yourself, it will actually increase your mental strength
and resilience. So on balance, there’s nothing to lose. It’s really time for
you to learn </span><a href="http://msia.org.au/"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">how to do meditation</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. Your long-term career could
benefit in all sorts of unexpected ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-71412004728233524642016-12-07T11:35:00.000-08:002016-12-07T11:39:19.253-08:00How to Improve Your Decision-Making at Work with Meditation<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Nobody
wants a work colleague or, even worse, a boss who cannot make effective
decisions. In today’s hectic and unpredictable work environments we need to be
able to make decisions quickly and to get the decisions right. Wouldn’t it be
great if there were techniques out there which we could use to improve our
decision-making powers? Well the good news is that research over the last 20
years has found proof of what many of us already knew. Regular meditation
really can improve your ability to act incisively and effectively at work. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">Make better
decisions<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">Activities</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">such as meditation are likely to make us better
able to cope with stress. We are more likely to make the right decisions,
without letting negative emotions influence our decisions, if we have trained
our minds to work in a more disciplined, focused way. This is exactly what
regular meditation achieves.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Avoiding the sunk-cost trap <o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We now know
that people who meditate regularly are better able to focus their attention on
the present moment and are less likely to be distracted by ruminating over what
has happened in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/making-big-small-decision-meditation-can-help/"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Research</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> shows that a group who listened to a series of
short breathing-focused meditations and were then asked to make a decision were
less likely than a control group to let sunk-cost factors influence their
decisions. An example of the sunk-cost trap is when an investment company
continues to pour money into a disastrous project simply because they have
already poured millions into it, rather than because it is a good idea.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Meditation changes the way we think<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">A </span><a href="http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnins.2011.00049/full"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">study</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> published in 2011 by a group of
neuroscientists found that experienced meditators were better equipped to stop
negative emotional responses influencing their decision-making. This was
because the meditators were found to activate different areas of the brain to
the control group when faced with decisions.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">How to incorporate meditation into your life</span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The good
news is that getting started at meditation has never been easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a whole range of </span><a href="http://msia.org.au/free-guided-meditations/"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">guided meditations</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> just a click of the computer mouse away,
you’ve no excuse not to start immediately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They reckon that to get the full benefits of meditation you should aim
to </span><a href="http://msia.org.au/"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">meditate</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> for
at least 30 minutes every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That may
seem like a big ask, but once you start to experience the positive
life-changing effects of regular practice, you’ll agree that it’s time well
spent. If you can’t manage a full 30 minutes to begin with that’s not a
problem. Even spending 5 minutes every day focusing on your breathing and
recognizing when your thoughts drift away and gently bringing the mind back to
your breathing is better than nothing. After just a few weeks of regular daily
meditation you’ll probably start to find your decision-making powers are
sharper and that you have the confidence to speak out in meetings and follow-through
your decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-76236822986603639512016-10-07T14:19:00.000-07:002016-10-07T14:19:41.052-07:006 Ways in Which Meditation Will Improve Your Life<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Have you
ever looked into the face of a newborn baby and marveled at the expression of
inner-wisdom in its tiny face?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you
were born, you were naturally endowed with a host of inner resources. You were born with self-confidence,
determination, natural curiosity and the ability to listen to what your body is
telling you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All too often, our life experiences
chip away at these inner strengths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily meditation is always available to help us to reconnect to our
inner wisdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are six ways in
which meditation techniques can significantly improve your experience of daily
living.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You will be healthier.</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span>Meditation has been
proven to improve your general health in many different ways. A <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-11-22/harvard-yoga-scientists-find-proof-of-meditation-benefit" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">study</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
from Harvard University found that meditating regularly helped the genes that
work on metabolism and insulin secretion and suppressed the genes that cause
inflammation (which causes the immune system to weaken).</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Meditation makes you happier. </b></span><a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10943-013-9679-0" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Research</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
has found that people generally reported being in a better mood after being
trained in meditation. Countless other studies have found that meditation helps
fight depression.</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Meditation improves focus and attention</b>. </span>Meditation actually seems to thicken the prefrontal cortex, which is associated
with cognitive ability. This means that people who meditate are less likely to
waste time being distracted by things that are not important and perform
whatever tasks they must do as quickly and efficiently as possible.</li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Meditation improves emotional intelligence. </b></span>High
emotional intelligence is an indispensible attribute, generally being
correlated with success more significantly than a high IQ. Increased emotional
intelligence will improve your ability to tune into the emotions of others and will
improve your relationships with the people around you, both at home and in the
workplace.</li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You will be more aware of your unconscious mind. </b><a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2095053-people-who-meditate-are-more-aware-of-their-unconscious-brain/" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Research</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
has found that people who frequently meditate experience a longer pause between
impulses that come from the unconscious mind and taking action. In other words,
they are able to think before they act, rather than blindly following impulses.</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Meditation helps fight stress. </b>This is something
which most of us have to deal with every day in our modern, hectic world.
Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that meditation actually
reduces the grey-matter density in areas of the brain connected with anxiety
and stress. Less stress means that we are free to make clear decisions and to
enjoy our lives.</li>
</ol>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what are you waiting for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Try some <a href="http://msia.org.au/">meditation for beginners</a>
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll be amazed by the changes
you start to experience in your career as well as in your general health and
well-being.<o:p></o:p></div>
Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-19780965679589814142012-12-13T09:52:00.000-08:002012-12-13T09:52:18.165-08:00Day 12 of Clutter Cleanse & Zen Habits for a Peaceful Home
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<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m on day 12 of my 30 day ‘letting go of clutter’ cleanse, and I’m
loving it! I thought it might be hard to let go of something everyday, but I’m
finding such joy and freedom in letting go of my stuff. Each day I can’t wait
to find a new drawer, shelf, or corner in my house that I can purge the
numerous things I have collected over the years. It’s as though because I’ve
declared it an ‘official cleanse’, I now have permission to be ruthless in
letting go of what I once thought I was attached to. Clutter be gone!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To keep the inspiration going, below is another great article on creating
and maintaining a beautiful and peaceful home. <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b><a href="http://zenhabits.net/about/">Leo Babauta</a></b>,</span> author of the popular <b>Zen Habits</b>
blog shares the habits that support him in keeping a stress free home.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Keeping a
stress-free, clean house</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">by </span></b><a href="http://zenhabits.net/about/"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Helvetica;">Leo Babauta</span></b></a></span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 6;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yesterday
I cleaned my house a little, tidying up, cleaning the bathroom a little,
cleaning the kitchen, and generally making the place look nice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is
simply beautiful. There is a tremendous pleasure I get in being able to relax
in a clean house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of course,
with six kids, it never lasts long, but there are things I can do to keep it
generally clean and tidy.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here are
the habits I will try to maintain to keep a stress-free house:</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b>Never leave dishes in the
sink</b>. Or counter. Clean up any messes in the kitchen after I’m done. Wipe
the counters, keep the sink clean.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2.</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b>Tidy the bathroom as I go</b>.
After I use the bathroom, clean the sink, the toilet, spray down the shower,
real quick. It only takes a couple of minutes, and the joy of a clean bathroom
is unmatched.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b>Pick up as I go</b>.
There are little things the kids leave around the house. I’ll just pick them up
throughout the day, or keep a basket for their stuff and just dump them in
there, for them to put away later.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4.</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b>Never leave clothes out</b>.
I have a tendency not to hang my once-used but still clean clothes in my bedroom,
leaving them out to clutter the place up. No more. They either go in the dirty
clothes, or they get hung in the closet.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5.</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b>Take the trash out every
day</b>. It’s cleaner, and even if the trash isn’t quite full, this is a good
habit.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6.</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b>Tidy up before I leave
the house</b>. It’s wonderful to come home to a clean house. Just pick up a
little before I leave.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7.</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b>Make my bed in the
morning</b>. I’ll do this either before or after I shower. I love a made bed.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8.</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b>Tidy up before I go to
bed</b>. Waking up to a dirty house is stressful. Waking up to a clean house is
an incredible way to start the day.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">9.</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b>Don’t let clutter pile up</b>.
There’s a place in the kitchen where we pile books and papers. That needs to
go. Piles are stressful. I will clear this counter daily, along with the inbox
we have for all incoming papers.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10.</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b>Get rid of the papers on
the fridge</b>. I can pretty much put all of that info on our calendar. They
leave a very cluttered appearance.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">11.</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b>Teach the kids to put
their stuff away</b>. By far the greatest source of stress and messiness. This
will also be the most difficult task, and I don’t know if it can ever be
accomplished. But it’s worth a try.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://zenhabits.net/keeping-stress-free-clean-house/">by Leo Babauta at Zen Habits</a></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="photocredit">Photo: Laurey W. Glenn, Robbie Caponetto </span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Follow Margalit & <span style="font-size: x-small;">Get Up Girl</span></span></span></span></div>
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Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-61836288800721860372012-12-03T19:42:00.001-08:002012-12-03T19:57:37.510-08:00Clear Clutter Out of Your House – and Relax!<h3>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you have a cluttered home, it’s hard to de-stress and decompress. Try these tips to clear clutter from your home.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By
</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1013231507361874287" rel="author">Gina Shaw</a><br /><a href="http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/clear-clutter-out-of-your-house">WebMD Feature</a></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
mind is a terrible thing to clutter. But when you have a cluttered home, it’s
hard to de-stress and decompress.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Think
about it,” says Lisa Jacobs, a certified home organizer and the founder of
Imagine It Done, a lifestyle consultancy in Roslyn, N.Y.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“When
you get up in the morning, if you have clutter right there in your face, it
starts your day off on the wrong foot. When you have to start your day by
looking for your keys or your phone or your toothbrush, it makes you anxious
and you haven’t even left the house yet!”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you think you don’t have time to clear your clutter, think again. With an
action plan from experts, you can bust the clutter in your home in 15-minute
chunks every day -- and build yourself an oasis of calm that’s also less of a
haven for dust, dirt, and allergens.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Before
you de-clutter any space, prepare. You need bags or boxes for four purposes,
says Ellen Delap, a professional organizer in Houston:</span></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Things you will donate to charity</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Things you want to sell at a yard
sale, or on Craigslist, Ebay, or freecycle</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Things that belong in another room</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Things headed for the trash </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now
you’re ready to de-clutter any room.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When
in Doubt About Clutter, Psych Yourself Out</span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many
home organization experts say “When in doubt, throw it out.” Colorado
psychotherapist and organizing consultant Aricia LaFrance isn’t so strict. “It
just slows you down and makes you hate organizing,” she says.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Instead,
if you have something you don’t wear or use, but are on the fence about parting
with it, stick it in a box. Put the box in your garage or attic, and write a
future date on it -- one year or six months from now.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“If
you really <i>need</i> something from that box, you can go out and get it,”
says LaFrance. “When the date comes -- and you need to write it in your
calendar -- don’t open the box. Donate it or throw it away.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Try
15-Minute Clutter Workouts</span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Get
yourself a timer -- a stopwatch or a classic old egg timer. Don’t just use the
one on the stove or microwave; you won’t necessarily hear it in the basement or
your bedroom.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Set
it for 15 minutes. Choose the <i>worst,</i> most cluttered area of your house.
It doesn’t need to be a room. It can be a corner, a shelf, the top of the
microwave. Jacobs likes to start with the kitchen counter, where everything
from bills to magazines to kids’ school projects often pile up. “If you clean
up your counter space, you will breathe,” she says.</span></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Buy Organizing Bins for Clutter</span></span></span></h3>
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Before purging yourself of unneeded
clutter, you may need to buy some needed things: clear plastic bins, of various
sizes, along with white first-aid tape.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">“These
bins are a lifesaver,” says Jacobs. “Proper containers are the #1 remedy of
organizing. If they’re clear so that you can see what’s in them, and clearly
labeled, you know what you have and where it is.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Sort
quickly: bills that need to be paid and kids’ art to be put in their rooms goes
in the distribution basket. Three-month-old baby announcements, party
invitations, and pieces of fast-food toys go in the trash.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">When
the timer beeps, you’re done. Once you’ve done this baby step a few times, you
can take on bigger spaces and set the timer for an hour to tackle tougher
challenges like closets or basements.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/clear-clutter-out-of-your-house">Read more... </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Follow <span style="font-size: x-small;">Get Up Girl</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/GetUpGirl">twitter</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/dmaxHx">facebook</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
Follow Margalit: <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/MargalitWard">twitter</a> | <a href="http://pinterest.com/margalitward/">pinterest </a></span></span></span></div>
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Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-48291402735712928612012-12-01T22:16:00.002-08:002012-12-03T19:59:31.586-08:0030 Days of 'Letting Go of Clutter' Cleanse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweu2EIxlkY-GhMgE2FOONHNIT56ztlPtEFIbt7gZJACgI2S8h665TkLZRVaqhfIkgMTJqB6vLUzZTNVQBrqM15mNHxeN0eZV4Civ8umTL3ru-ECIyG67T4YZlcB5B_O8o2N0rfb0K9ow/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-12-01+at+10.09.53+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweu2EIxlkY-GhMgE2FOONHNIT56ztlPtEFIbt7gZJACgI2S8h665TkLZRVaqhfIkgMTJqB6vLUzZTNVQBrqM15mNHxeN0eZV4Civ8umTL3ru-ECIyG67T4YZlcB5B_O8o2N0rfb0K9ow/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-12-01+at+10.09.53+PM.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: small;">by Margalit Ward</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: small;">As a way to restart
my efforts at writing and posting to our <b><a href="http://getupgirl.org/">Get Up Girl</a></b> blog, (I know, I’ve missed
you… it’s been a few months) I've decided to pick a theme that will prepare me
for the New Year... embarking upon a 30 day cleanse of letting go of clutter.
Things, stuff, </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">clothes, books, magazines, emails, kitchen items, and broken pieces of
things I don’t even remember what or where they belong. </span>It's amazing how much a person (me) can accumulate. So it's time. Time to purge, release and let go of things I don't need or want or use.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: small;">I’ve wanted to try
this since I heard about it from my inspirational mentors, Doctors Ron and
Mary Hulnick. They’re my teachers from the <b><a href="http://www.universityofsantamonica.edu/">University of Santa Monica</a></b> who shared
with the class years ago about their 30 day de-cluttering challenge and how
much energy, clarity and fulfillment they derived from the process. I thought,
what a great idea, I’m going to do that… one day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: small;">So starting today, December
1, I will give away, recycle or throw away at least one item a day. My
intention is to get rid of A LOT more than that, but I wanted to make this
journey do-able and fun! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: small;">I will also post
articles from other experts on the subject throughout the month as way to enlighten
and inspire you and me! And, if you would like to join me on this quest for
clean, please share your comments or <a href="mailto:info@getupgirl.org"><b>email</b></a> me. I would love to hear from you
and how the experience of lightening your load is changing your home and life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: small;">So here we go… ready,
set, THROW!</span><br />
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<div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/GetUpGirl">twitter</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/dmaxHx">facebook</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Follow Margalit: <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/MargalitWard">twitter</a> | <a href="http://pinterest.com/margalitward/">pinterest </a></span></span></div>
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Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-13431337279484496932012-06-29T12:25:00.002-07:002012-06-29T12:25:20.538-07:00Top 10 Ways We Give Away Our Power<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaVVx7-rU0ubyCSc4KQr2Wv2Fc4PWZlvf-tc5vSXyhih_TlUVSXaG3elplg0r0k_IsKdjCfQF0mRmpJeKRpcfr1x2OowupNeOvOplWUto9jiLwhjoVoyFpiaWgcrZmG6mKyuVKEfqV9A/s1600/mcx-sensitive-sad-woman-1110-1-mdn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaVVx7-rU0ubyCSc4KQr2Wv2Fc4PWZlvf-tc5vSXyhih_TlUVSXaG3elplg0r0k_IsKdjCfQF0mRmpJeKRpcfr1x2OowupNeOvOplWUto9jiLwhjoVoyFpiaWgcrZmG6mKyuVKEfqV9A/s1600/mcx-sensitive-sad-woman-1110-1-mdn.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Here are the top 10 ways people give away their power:</b><br /> <br /> 1. Asking others what they should do.</div>
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<br /> 2. Thinking God decides who gets what.</div>
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<br /> 3. Worrying about how their dream will come true.</div>
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<br /> 4. Thinking they have dues to pay.</div>
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<br /><span class="text_exposed_show"> 5. Attaching to unimportant details and outcomes.</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 6. Believing in soul mates.</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 7. Thinking karma or spiritual contracts are absolute.</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 8. Fear of anything, especially falling in love.</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 9. Waiting for their ducks to line up before acting.</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 10. Choosing to be unhappy.<br /> <br /> Understand the truth, little bird, and you will soar.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/FearlessWomen">From Fearless Women</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/GetUpGirl">twitter</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/dmaxHx">facebook</a></span></div>
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Follow Margalit: <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/MargalitWard">twitter</a> | <a href="http://pinterest.com/margalitward/">pinterest </a></span></div>
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<br /></div>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-38865763537623562982012-03-07T11:25:00.002-08:002012-03-07T11:25:46.818-08:00Time to Get REAL! Is It Hard for You to Say No?<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hEcGm1lPwApF2jHxNeQToUIZWSaTJ9-sv6v_nbaYuPfZZ2b3-QewiImyfaP76Cnu7M97kYCdHQyU9I8DKWilcLdxkuYA8xWLLdQ3R4Lmbfd3Dn-Jj88mZ_RCMSJpc77IkkJByaX498k/s1600/tired-woman11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hEcGm1lPwApF2jHxNeQToUIZWSaTJ9-sv6v_nbaYuPfZZ2b3-QewiImyfaP76Cnu7M97kYCdHQyU9I8DKWilcLdxkuYA8xWLLdQ3R4Lmbfd3Dn-Jj88mZ_RCMSJpc77IkkJByaX498k/s200/tired-woman11.jpg" width="184" /></a>It is for me sometimes. In fact, 2012 has started with some real tough lessons for me, including what happens when life burn-out hits you front and center. With my health and energy levels at an all time low, I discovered I had been over-giving, over-working, and over-yes-ing. That means saying yes to more than I really wanted to say yes to, and giving more time and importance to what others want and need. <br /><br />Author and Coach <a href="http://www.cherylrichardson.com/">Cheryl Richardson</a> talks about only saying yes to her ‘absolute yes’ list. Similar to the message we share in our <a href="http://www.getupgirl.org/">Get Up Girl 9 Week</a> program, she suggests putting our self-care above anything else—say no unless it's an absolute yes. The goal is to spend our time and energy on things that bring us joy and make decisions based on what we want instead of what others want. When we don't set boundaries and take care of ourselves, our health and well-being are at stake.<br /><br />It might sound selfish to some (I know I have that voice in my head at times from past limiting beliefs), but how well can we really take care of others if we are constantly feeling depleted and running on empty? Not only will our health and well-being be affected, but it also becomes more difficult to experience true happiness and fulfillment.<br /><br /><b>So let’s get real. What is YOUR ABSOLUTE YES LIST? </b><br />Here are a few questions <a href="http://www.oprah.com/spirit/The-Absolute-Yes-List">inspired by Cheryl Richardson</a>. <br /><br /><b>Ask yourself:<br /><br />1. What needs your attention at this time in your life?<br /><br />2. Think in terms of the next 3 months, not the next year. What needs your attention: Your marriage, financial, health, your physical and emotional heath? Maybe you need to find a babysitter to care for your child so you can have time for yourself each week. What are the most pressing areas right now?<br /><br />More examples: Spiritual well-being, time with friends, school, work, <br />volunteering, finances, household chores, home repair, etc.<br /><br />3. Once you've made your list above, pick the top five priorities.</b><br /><br />Does your list need to be reordered?<br /><br />Cheryl recommends placing yourself at Number 1. Placing yourself at the top may be hard, but ask yourself, "How am I going to take care of others if I am burnt out?" Remember, this is about you. This Is Your Absolute Yes List.<br /><br /><b>Daily Reminder:</b> Once your list is complete, print it out and place it where you will see it throughout the day—the bathroom mirror, the dashboard of your car, your computer monitor, etc. This will assist you in staying on track with your list.</div>
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by Margalit Ward</div>
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<a href="http://getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/GetUpGirl">twitter</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/dmaxHx">facebook</a></div>
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Follow Margalit: <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/MargalitWard">twitter</a> | <a href="http://pinterest.com/margalitward/">pinterest </a></div>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-29094243296700917462011-12-02T17:31:00.001-08:002011-12-06T12:57:34.670-08:0020 Ways to Say Thank You to Anyone, Including Yourself<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8KPN-WVUL7e0zafB8OGHxqPVTJhdr-Fpewz_3CWPOXZ5p9oFqzxD83UdoH0J4Nx_2i36IydUiCE8ilWq02RTk6-5bDpMS_DSoeZdwebO9zeVzD0BEvgl4EushPJIM5_0IupQ4VL4AeU/s1600/thank-you+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8KPN-WVUL7e0zafB8OGHxqPVTJhdr-Fpewz_3CWPOXZ5p9oFqzxD83UdoH0J4Nx_2i36IydUiCE8ilWq02RTk6-5bDpMS_DSoeZdwebO9zeVzD0BEvgl4EushPJIM5_0IupQ4VL4AeU/s200/thank-you+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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by Margalit Ward</div>
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Tis the season to be thankful. With Thanksgiving behind us, and the December holiday season upon us, it got me thinking about all the ways we can appreciate the many people in our lives, including ourselves.<br />
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<b>Here are 20 Ways to Say Thank You to Anyone, Including Yourself:</b><br />
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1. Smile… at a stranger, a friend, someone you love.<br />
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2. Draw a picture with a kind word, quote or phrase.<br />
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3. Cook dinner for a friend that doesn't get to enjoy home cooked meals very often.<br />
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4. Mail a hand-written thank you note to someone you appreciate. (I know this is sooo last century!)<br />
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5. Sing a song when it's least expected. (serenading is a lost art)<br />
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6. Bake cookies for your local firehouse.<br />
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7. Write a poem or limerick for a child in your life.<br />
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8. Write a list of 10 things you appreciate about a person, and share it with them.<br />
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9. Hugs! Who doesn't like a hug?<br />
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10. Leave a note of thanks for your postal worker for delivering your mail everyday rain or shine.<br />
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11. Let the manager know how well your favorite waiter, sales person, or customer service person helped you.<br />
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12. Write 10 things you appreciate about yourself, and post it where you will see it everyday for a month.<br />
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13. Send a fun postcard to someone you haven't seen in a long time.<br />
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14. Send a letter or email of appreciation to any teachers that made a difference in your life.<br />
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15. Leave a colorful and thankful note for a waiter who gave you excellent service.<br />
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16. Send flowers to your mother on YOUR birthday. (yeah, she's the one that made it all happen)<br />
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17. Decorate your dinner table with some extra special touches of love & creativity. Ideas: colorful & personal notes, flowers, candles, special table cloth & table settings, tree lights, crystals, etc.<br />
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18. Pick or buy flowers for your next door neighbors & leave with a note thanking them for being a wonderful neighbor.<br />
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19. Save a dollar a day for a month, and then treat yourself to a movie and ice cream (or whatever you like).<br />
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20. Look at yourself in the mirror, into your beautiful eyes, and let yourself know how much you appreciate the gift and blessing that you are.<br />
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With every gesture of kindness and gratitude, we are lifted, blessed and transported to a place where our hearts are naturally joyful. As Mother Teresa has said, 'Gratitude is the Mother of Joy.' Yes it's true, it's hard to be grumpy when we feel grateful. Instead, we focus on what's right in our lives. So jump in, feel the love, the joy, and the gift of being thankful.<br />
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We invite you to share with us your ideas of other ways of saying 'thank you', and what your experience is with sharing your gratitude with yourself and others.<br />
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Wishing you much Joy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsssSyNG6mC-DWccdsN9VjJbGh1quh-xqIDFaVVzFa0xS6zY9DwSleCERh3opWF3PT_zdsCc4yQ06dNTf4ab1_T7AWB2aeMyCo5q-2G-_rfaT4D-eTlJYgZ1fHozENusZNfL6tPAe9cU/s1600/hugs-for-friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsssSyNG6mC-DWccdsN9VjJbGh1quh-xqIDFaVVzFa0xS6zY9DwSleCERh3opWF3PT_zdsCc4yQ06dNTf4ab1_T7AWB2aeMyCo5q-2G-_rfaT4D-eTlJYgZ1fHozENusZNfL6tPAe9cU/s1600/hugs-for-friends.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/GetUpGirl">twitter</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/dmaxHx">facebook</a></div>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-5131907357274328182011-11-07T22:42:00.000-08:002011-11-08T10:36:56.760-08:0020 Books to Inspire You<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What happens when you invite
23 dynamic women, each with their own unique story, to share with each other
about what has inspired them in their lives? In addition to having fun, you find yourself feeling uplifted, touched, and inspired by the beauty
and strength of these amazing women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguM5x2YIRhnjc_pdRdLtbh2ghHQhgWJ7dCvdrerKZp0J1ZufxnnchJ6URBIVVFXMQikev3FYfJHmM5i5WjO-gXkpTFmDyDpt1MnOjP5Mo9__41uhh_lFSyHg5clTlO9Ef5LkN0m0v8d70/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguM5x2YIRhnjc_pdRdLtbh2ghHQhgWJ7dCvdrerKZp0J1ZufxnnchJ6URBIVVFXMQikev3FYfJHmM5i5WjO-gXkpTFmDyDpt1MnOjP5Mo9__41uhh_lFSyHg5clTlO9Ef5LkN0m0v8d70/s1600/Picture+5.png" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">A couple of weeks ago <b><a href="http://www.getupgirl.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Get Up Girl</span></a></b> hosted an evening called, ‘Inspire, Network and Swap Books’. The women
attending arrived with three things: 1- Ready to share a short story or a few
sentences about what or who inspired them in their life, 2- A yummy treat
to share with the group, and 3- An inspirational book to swap with others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The evening’s theme
obviously touched a chord! The October event was sold out, and we had to start
a waiting list. I think it’s safe to say, people love to be inspired, to read,
and of course, to eat! We enjoyed mingling, snacking and getting to know each
other, before circling up to share our stories and a great variety books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Below is the list
of books the women exchanged at our event (all linked to Amazon). The list includes everything from non-fiction, self-help, to some wonderful memoirs and
fiction. If you have books that inspired you, we would love to know the
titles and authors. We will start another list of books from your comments and
emails. We thank you for your suggestions. Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><b>20 Inspiring Books:</b></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">1. <a href="http://amzn.to/ryb9YS">101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">-David Ricklan</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">2. <a href="http://amzn.to/syVUiV">A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Dean Koontz</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">3. <a href="http://amzn.to/tapvvn" style="color: blue;">Creative Visualization</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Shakti Gawain</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">4. <a href="http://amzn.to/s6UsFq">Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Marla Martenson</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">5. <a href="http://amzn.to/suBMM7">Eat Pray Love</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Elizabeth Gilbert</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">6.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2f50a9;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://amzn.to/vq37pr">Excuses Begone!</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Dr. Wayne W. Dyer</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">7. <a href="http://amzn.to/vMLay3">Gods and Goddesses in Love</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Agapi Stassinopoulos</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">8. <a href="http://amzn.to/ryp5lH" style="color: blue;">Handbook for the Heart</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Richard Carlson</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">9. <a href="http://amzn.to/vy5hpG">How Starbucks Saved My Life</a> -</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> Michael Gates Gill</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">10. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_339167201">If You Have to Cry, Go Outside:<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://amzn.to/vZLV95">And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Kelly Cutrone</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">11. <a href="http://amzn.to/vP1p9B">Letters to a Young Poet</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Rainer Maria Rilke</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">12.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2f50a9;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://amzn.to/sRC38d">Now is the Time</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Patrick Lindsay</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">13. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://amzn.to/rvWdvT">The Help</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Kathryn Stockett</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">14. <a href="http://amzn.to/tZRGQI">The Man Who Planted Trees</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Jean Giono</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">15. <a href="http://amzn.to/sVBz6E" style="color: blue;">The Mastery of Love</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Don Miguel Ruiz</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">16. <a href="http://amzn.to/uCKcIa">The Power of Now</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Eckhart Tolle</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">17. <a href="http://amzn.to/suGuE4">The Story of You</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Steve Chandler</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">18. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://amzn.to/vJpFTP">Seinlanguage</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Jerry Seinfeld</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">19. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://amzn.to/sFXBUj">Think and Grow Rich</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">- Napolian Hill</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-26731660522230493322011-08-08T22:13:00.000-07:002011-08-08T22:24:29.954-07:00The Comparison Trap<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfs33HufgjqRRZn94IFYD4IvM_mmoOxTULzeHI7vdzBykFkV45ykGK1PuyKrcwWyoIv08EdUTmvUUwJqBSgPuLtjHRK8VKIN9X4r25_OegP2dDPsoEe1l36G1kOU2hrMoykufrK6OuRM/s1600/Picture+2.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfs33HufgjqRRZn94IFYD4IvM_mmoOxTULzeHI7vdzBykFkV45ykGK1PuyKrcwWyoIv08EdUTmvUUwJqBSgPuLtjHRK8VKIN9X4r25_OegP2dDPsoEe1l36G1kOU2hrMoykufrK6OuRM/s400/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638721617951717618" border="0" /></a>
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<br />by <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://leobabauta.com/">Leo Babauta</a> of <a href="http://zenhabits.net/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">zenhabits</span></a></span> <span style="font-family:arial;">
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<br />I love reading about other people’s work setups, I really do. It’s one of my guilty pleasures.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I’ll read about another blogger’s computer setup, or what kind of notebook and pen he uses, or how he works standing up or on a treadmill or while doing handstand pushups and growing a vegetable garden.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">And when I read about some cool setup someone else has, some cool new way of working, I inevitably want to try it. I’m only human.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">You’ve done this too, probably. You might read a review of some new software that will help you create, or a new fashion style or some cool shoes or beautiful furniture or the newest iPad, or the latest iPhone app. Or maybe you’re a minimalist and read someone’s barefoot running article, or how they’re living out of a backpack, and want to try that.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It’s a trap.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We’re endlessly looking at how others do things, for inspiration and ideas … but we end up wanting to try those things too. That sounds harmless until you realize that you’ll buy almost anything because someone wrote about it and made it sound amazing. You’ll live a life of an endless series of purchases because of what other people are doing. And it never ends.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Even if you don’t buy stuff, you’ll change your life endlessly, based on what others are doing. You’ll give up your couch, you’ll stop buying Ikea furniture, then give up your cell phone, then give up your computer, then start doing yoga, then become a Zen monk, then create a tech startup. Those things are amazing, sure … but when does it ever end?</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">When do we ever feel content with the life we’re living?</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">If you look to the lives of others,
<br />you’ll always find yourself lacking.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Look instead at what you have,
<br />and be grateful.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Reduce your needs,
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and be content.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">And your life of striving
<br />for perfection, for the future,
<br />will become a life of balance,
<br />of the moment, of inner peace.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:arial;">For more articles by zen habits, go to: <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://zenhabits.net/">zenhabits.net</a>
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<br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://twitter.com/#%21/GetUpGirl">Follow us on Twitter</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Up-Girl-Womens-Coaching/153110624644?ref=mf">Become a Facebook Fan</a> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">| <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/MargalitWard">Margalit Ward on Twitter</a></span></span></span></span></span>
<br /> Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-80272979270748106312011-07-08T18:03:00.000-07:002011-07-08T18:27:23.602-07:00The Wisdom of Steve Jobs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_M_7BkSlueXSGecGvUxbcE1jZiz_12XkXCwB7NBD1gZQl6OPfuw5w5T_TUW9jbsg462bWMQ77-IRzCfsquny_bt4n2sSTNGjbYZ9CmkT2qFRHsGnResLn8hWsg8MAtTxJQpcSdtOSO2c/s1600/Steve+Jobs.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 245px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_M_7BkSlueXSGecGvUxbcE1jZiz_12XkXCwB7NBD1gZQl6OPfuw5w5T_TUW9jbsg462bWMQ77-IRzCfsquny_bt4n2sSTNGjbYZ9CmkT2qFRHsGnResLn8hWsg8MAtTxJQpcSdtOSO2c/s400/Steve+Jobs.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627156689356950242" border="0" /></a><br /><span style=" color: rgb(51, 102, 102);font-family:arial;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">I read this quote by </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.apple.com/">Apple's</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> Co-Founder and visionary, </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.allaboutstevejobs.com/">Steve Jobs</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> this week and found it very inspiring, so I decided to make it this week's </span><a style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.getupgirl.org/">Get Up Girl</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> blog post. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Enjoy!</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-Steve Jobs<br /><br /></span></span><span style=" color: rgb(51, 102, 102);font-family:arial;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">It reminds me to take time to listen inside to what truly moves, inspires and lifts me. To pay attention to the little nudges and whispers within. And to keep asking myself, "Am I being true to what my heart and intuition is guiding me to do?" Plus, this man is a living demonstration of expressing creativity and innovation.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://twitter.com/#%21/GetUpGirl">Follow us on Twitter</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Up-Girl-Womens-Coaching/153110624644?ref=mf">Become a Facebook Fan</a> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">| <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/MargalitWard">Margalit Ward on Twitter</a></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br /></span>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-60797105544508060952011-06-24T17:32:00.000-07:002011-12-08T12:42:13.930-08:006 Tips To Bounce Back From Overwhelm<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb67pcXr5iqsq2YG6sz37F8idKkYxmU0cTfxe2TOeGIrGGcbWXwUB5PMNr5tqWIG8-9lcXC3JUb90Qd4HdBk_lKikUhgf8IFz1CpV0u1sN_HHeOQcbtgqHJI9c3dXGyyh_JKFYWETzTJA/s1600/Picture+10.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621951011750443954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb67pcXr5iqsq2YG6sz37F8idKkYxmU0cTfxe2TOeGIrGGcbWXwUB5PMNr5tqWIG8-9lcXC3JUb90Qd4HdBk_lKikUhgf8IFz1CpV0u1sN_HHeOQcbtgqHJI9c3dXGyyh_JKFYWETzTJA/s400/Picture+10.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 346px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="color: #336666; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">6 Tips To Bounce Back From Overwhelm</span><span style="color: #336666; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;"><br />by <a href="http://peakeproductivity.com/lisa-peake/">Lisa Peake,</a> M.A.</span><span style="color: #336666; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Get Up Girl and productivity pro, Lisa Peake of Peake Productivity, shares with us about how to support ourselves when we're experiencing overwhelm.</span><span style="color: #336666;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;">I work with a lot of busy women. Each one is doing her best to be a good daughter, friend, wife, sister, mother, and brings a high level of care and investment to her work. The good news is that studies show that wearing these varied roles benefits us: when one area of life becomes challenging, we resource self-esteem and encouragement from other sources. We are more robust because we care about and participate in many different areas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;">But what happens when all of these areas demand a lot of your time and focus, leaving little left over for you?</span> <span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />That’s when I remind my clients (and myself) that we women must give to ourselves first before we can give of the overflow. If you’re feeling depleted or overwhelmed, here are 6 tips to restore yourself to productivity relaxed focus:</span> <span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />1. Appreciate yourself and your partner.</span><br />Start with yourself, and start simple. Write down 3-5 things you appreciate about yourself at the end of the day. Make sure to include qualities about yourself as well as accomplishments. Then turn to your spouse, best friend, or business partner and share the love. A major source of emotional nourishment comes from feeling appreciated, and you’re the best person to start this trend in your own life. I have all of my clients appreciate themselves at the end of each week as part of their Weekly Review.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Take a sabbath day.</span><br />It was Rachel Naomi Remen who inspired me to block out a day of rest on my calendar every week. Commit to it! Usually a weekend works best for most people. For the entire day: no chores, no errands, keep cooking simple and nourishing, or ask a loved one to take over. Hire a babysitter if needed. Make it a day to play, pray, rest, nap, primp, gab, meditate, and receive support from the ones you love. Resting in this way allows your mind time to incubate creative ideas. All of the brilliant artists, writers and musicians take time away from their creations to percolate. Take time away from whatever it is that you produce, and recharge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Know when to quit.</span><br />When you’re tired, sleepy or “braindead”, your most productive next action is rest. This may sound elementary, but in fact it takes conscious awareness to know when to stop (work, play, chores, etc.) Practice checking in with yourself to find out when you need to stop what you’re doing, or take a break. This can also mean know when to quit dwelling on negative thoughts. By redirecting yourself to something more nurturing or uplifting, you have an opportunity to recreate your day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Don’t confuse sneaky indulgences with true self-nurturing.</span><br />A pint of Hagen Daas is probably not true self-nurturing, especially if it leaves you feeling guilty. Recognize those times when you want to “slip up” - that is, any time a convenient justification pops in like, “I deserve this because...” Take that as a sign that you need more true self-nurturing. True self-nurturing creates space for greater awareness, false nurturing pushes aside unpleasant thoughts or emotions. The productive choice is to honor what’s present now, and be kind to yourself as you go through it. There is no going around it, anyway. “The best way out is always through.” -Robert Frost</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Forgive the day.</span><br />Forgive yourself, the people in your day, the situations in your life. Forgive it all. This way, when your head hits the pillow, you go free. You can do this in a simple way by saying, “I forgive myself for judging anyone or anything I judged today.” Do what is necessary to bring yourself into peace, and your night time rest will be more rejuvenating.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Set a bedtime intention to get deep rejuvenating rest.</span><br />Write in your journal what kind of sleep you want to receive, or just say your intention inwardly. You can include an intention to have meaningful dreams, and to wake up feeling refreshed. This is a simple one to try out and test the results for yourself. It takes less than 30 seconds per day.</span> <span style="font-family: arial;">We all need to make time for ourselves in a conscious caring way. When we don’t, we find ourselves depleted and wondering what happened. It takes some effort to stay rested in a busy world, but if you make these tools and others an important part of your daily and weekly routine, you may find that you bounce back from those occasional moments of overwhelm a lot faster.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #336666; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">To find out more about Lisa's work and how she supports her clients with greater productivity, go to: <a href="http://peakeproductivity.com/">peakeproductivity.com</a></span>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-8309885436312569172011-03-05T14:10:00.000-08:002011-03-05T17:36:18.846-08:00Ode to Joy!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeU6pkLDU3lrmutTDM4SA7AJPJxvGRCgYVWuGhCNbwf6Wwd3zTgo5-O6SugiwboiWkq__AGqFY26EIK020HpNsAodwVlS_e2pAPSLjvGIdaSJBkuWHTDH2MxjxMGnkQnhnimYw97ne2II/s1600/Nathan4+flowers.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 292px; height: 330px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeU6pkLDU3lrmutTDM4SA7AJPJxvGRCgYVWuGhCNbwf6Wwd3zTgo5-O6SugiwboiWkq__AGqFY26EIK020HpNsAodwVlS_e2pAPSLjvGIdaSJBkuWHTDH2MxjxMGnkQnhnimYw97ne2II/s400/Nathan4+flowers.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580722116296262610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="font-size:85%;">Article & photos by Margalit Ward</span><br /><br />What can I say, I just couldn't help myself.</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />With the launch of our new <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.getupgirl.org/events-4mothers.htm">Balancing Motherhood</a> women's group this week, (what a wonderful group of powerful, committed and inspiring women. Wow!) and this beautiful spring like morning in sunny LA, my heart was bursting with gratitude and joy for all the blessings in my life and I wanted to share some of it with you.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Here are a few of my favorite quotes about the JOY of life!</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Joy is </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">not in things, it is in us." </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >-Richard Wagner</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />"Ecstasy is a full, deep involvement in life."</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" > –John Lowel</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >"It is astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >–Frances Hodgson Burnett</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />"Joy delights in Joy." <span style="font-size:85%;">–William Shakespeare</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />"I've never seen a smiling fa</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5xIhHeZEGqR-Jnvb1Lv1bdm3BGVWdSS8dUexZmlLXoRClTYopgLTT7vyh9sYC-QpfjYnA18nuBokOTx4rgn9Qu8y0VolUsno2mjhFyXHNrHG-etp0jQxSfDgrZrNQYMIUZ2AvL6HbuQ/s1600/Nate%2526Grandpa.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 385px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5xIhHeZEGqR-Jnvb1Lv1bdm3BGVWdSS8dUexZmlLXoRClTYopgLTT7vyh9sYC-QpfjYnA18nuBokOTx4rgn9Qu8y0VolUsno2mjhFyXHNrHG-etp0jQxSfDgrZrNQYMIUZ2AvL6HbuQ/s400/Nate%2526Grandpa.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580752440931378130" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >ce that was not beautiful." <span style="font-size:85%;">–Unknown<br /></span></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br />"To love what you do and feel that it matters –how could anything be more fun?</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >–Katherine Graham</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />"Enjoying those things for which we were presumably designed in the first place... the opportunity to do good work, t</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >o fall in love, to enjoy friends, to sit under trees, to read, to hit a ball, to bounce a baby.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" > –Alistair Cooke</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />"Love many things." <span style="font-size:85%;">–Vincent Van Gogh</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >"Joy is increased by spreading it to others." <span style="font-size:85%;">–Robert Murray<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our soul blossom." <span style="font-size:85%;">–Marcel Proust</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Making a clear intention of experiencing greater happiness and joy, or any other quality, is the first step in creating more of it. Choose to create joy in your life today. Laugh. Play. Breath. Enjoy this moment. Reach out to others, and do the things you love. Your happiness today is the gift you can give to yourself. Enjoy!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://twitter.com/#%21/GetUpGirl">Follow us on Twitter</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Up-Girl-Womens-Coaching/153110624644?ref=mf">Become a Facebook Fan</a> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">| <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/MargalitWard">Margalit Ward on Twitter</a></span></span></span></span>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-73442725224706729442011-02-17T12:43:00.000-08:002011-02-17T13:18:52.485-08:00Do you love your business? And does your business love you back?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ajGi1S44PeMBlH51kVfB2NJrNZMy82M2hd-87zZ21aHi-MCC2faU0mRFOVMI5wBPnbPW3ydaHzCS9JGCCxGLOQCKa6ppM2-f57D9_9MU8RgLT-Wrg5whoG_NpB1gniJJ-X9C28_F6-o/s1600/LoveYourBiz.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 303px; height: 305px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ajGi1S44PeMBlH51kVfB2NJrNZMy82M2hd-87zZ21aHi-MCC2faU0mRFOVMI5wBPnbPW3ydaHzCS9JGCCxGLOQCKa6ppM2-f57D9_9MU8RgLT-Wrg5whoG_NpB1gniJJ-X9C28_F6-o/s400/LoveYourBiz.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574768073430583682" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Article & Photo by Jennifer Lee</span></span></span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Do you love your business? Or if you work for someone else, do you love your job? I mean </span><em style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">really, really</em><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> love it?</span> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">We spend so much of our time working, why not be absolutely head over heels in love with what you do for a living?</p><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" >5 ways to fall in love with your business all over again:</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Focus on your passion.</span><br />Are you spending most of your day on the work that lights you up or on tasks that you loathe? What do you need to say no to so you can say yes to the things that make your heart sing?</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Find ways to bring fun and joy into your work.</span><br />What are some small things that bring a smile to your face? Is it using fun colored markers or post-its? Is it being barefoot? Is it getting to try something new?</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Work with people you love.</span><br />When you surround yourself with good peeps, you’re bound to feel good. Who are your perfect customers? The ones who light you up when you work with them and you know you’re helping them in the best possible way. Who are your perfect partners and creative cohorts? The ones who you know you can count on, delivery quality, and appreciate your relationship.</span> <br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Invest in yourself and in your business.</span><br />Is there a new skill you want to learn that will give you an edge? Are there events you know will give you tons of exposure or tools you know will help you create your next great product? Be willing to spend money on things you know will help grow your business in the long run.</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Show yourself some love.</span><br />How can you take better care of yourself? When you’re healthy and happy, everything just seems to flow more easily. Instead of working yourself to the bone, make sure to take gentle breaks, celebrate your successes, and practice compassion toward yourself and others.</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />Pick one or two things to play with this week and see what that sparks for you and your work. When you love your business, your business loves ya right back.</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />If you long to have a more fun and fulfilling relationship with your business or you just want to turn up the heat on your professional passion meter, then please join me for a fabulous and informative event that will make your creative heart flutter – the first-ever <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://rightbrainersinbusiness.com/">Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit.</a></span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" href="http://rightbrainersinbusiness.com/"> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span></a> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><br /><br />To find out more about </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" href="http://www.artizencoaching.com/about/bio.html">Jennifer Lee</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">, and her </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" href="http://www.lifeunfoldsblog.com/2007/11/29/right-brain-business-plan-aedm-day-29/">Right Brain Business Plan</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">, visit </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" href="http://www.artizencoaching.com/">Artizen Coaching<span style="font-size:85%;">®</span></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://twitter.com/#%21/GetUpGirl">Follow us on Twitter</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Up-Girl-Womens-Coaching/153110624644?ref=mf">Become a Facebook Fan</a></span><br /></span>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-30162854659238924692011-02-07T20:30:00.000-08:002011-02-08T11:40:45.742-08:005 Tips for Healing with Patience & Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChJcQPOo2LrvPZEvLv9-FDtQttX4u_Mue6Y6SUqN-qK5pyUQ0w1s9ND-3tE8Pl1agJc_X1uDT8LAeUZbdqODG6iXkh4rOldUXE7kcgddX6WGEsJTAwu6M9lR08FLfT_sTiKMdgr2RE4A/s1600/Picture+5.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChJcQPOo2LrvPZEvLv9-FDtQttX4u_Mue6Y6SUqN-qK5pyUQ0w1s9ND-3tE8Pl1agJc_X1uDT8LAeUZbdqODG6iXkh4rOldUXE7kcgddX6WGEsJTAwu6M9lR08FLfT_sTiKMdgr2RE4A/s400/Picture+5.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571174180542455698" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />by Margalit Ward<br /><br />The past couple of months have been an interesting combination of work, holiday celebrations, and laying in bed sick with pneumonia. Yes, this is why you have not seen a recent post from me in quite some time. During December and parts of January, I had the opportunity to re-look at how I was taking care of myself during the busy holiday season, while balancing the projects I had set in motion. It was also an opportunity for me to remember how to make adjustments when life's challenges can force you to slow down... I mean STOP everything.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I thought it would be helpful to share some of the ways I re-remembered to take care of myself when hit by a healing crisis (I finally had to admit that pneumonia is not like a cold, or even the flu, it's a kick in the ass, get your butt in bed situation).</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Simplify</span></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Keep life simple. Don't add extra commitments, phone calls, tasks, appointments, etc. to your day, even when you just begin to feel better. My main focus for December was, rest, sleep, drink water and soup, and... more sleep (oh yeah, and catching up on Project Runway episodes). Pretty simple. When the holidays arrived, I only focused on one goal, enjoy the time with my family. I didn't try to send out the usual holiday cards to all my friends and family, attend numerous parties, or plan a trip. I kept life simple and I enjoyed a beautiful & peaceful holiday.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Let Go</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Similar to keeping things simple, but taking it another step, try letting go of any attachments to HOW things get done. I don't know about you, but I can sometimes be a bit of a perfectionist. Wanting things to be and look a certain way, and if not, then I would feel dissatisfied or annoyed. It's very freeing and refreshing to let that go. Maybe for a couple of weeks it's okay to let the house get a little messy, the garden a little unruly, and your closet a little cluttered. (I think I heard a gasp!) Give yourself some space to relax and be flexible with how things unfold. Feeling relaxed and letting go of some of your daily responsibilities can assist in your healing.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ask for Support</span></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Give yourself permission to ask others for support you when you're not feeling well. You can ask your spouse, sister, friend, neighbor, child or a parent to please lend a hand during your time of healing. Ask them to make you soup, pick up your medication, rub your feet, etc., whatever makes you feel cared for and nurtured, and is something that they can do. (Do remember your 'please' and 'thank you's') This gives you more time to rest, and allows others to care for you, which can be a gift to the people in your life more than you know. It's an opportunity to receive from others the care and attention you deserve when you're sick.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Love Love Love Yourself</span></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Since you're not as busy while you're resting, you have a lot of time to remind yourself how wonderful you are. Once your fever breaks, grab that dusty journal and take some time to write about what you've been learning lately. Or use it as a place to write what you appreciate about yourself, your life and the people you love. Write a love letter to yourself, and mail it to you. Create some new affirmations about how you are taking great care of yourself, your body, mind, emotions and spirit. Affirm that you are loved and cared for. Take baths, read books you love, do relaxing and nurturing things for yourself. I think you get the picture. Love and nurture you... you deserve it, now more than ever.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gratitude</span></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Focus on what's wonderful in your life. No matter how sick you're feeling, thinking about what you're grateful for can lift your spirits and create an attitude that is supportive to your healing process. Add writing about what you're grateful for to your journal each day, even if it's just one thing. Create a new gratitude ritual, such as; keeping a gratitude rock in your pocket or purse to remind you to focus on gratitude; once a week share gratitude with at least one other person; or google gratitude quotes on the internet, and start a list of your favorites. However you choose to focus on gratitude, doing so will generate a greater sense of well-being and loving energy.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Being sick is never fun, but I believe it gives us the opportunity to stop and reflect on what is and isn't working in our life; to make adjustments in how we spend our time and focus our energy; and to listen to ourselves in a greater way. Our bodies are wise and if we pay attention, more deeply, patiently and lovingly, we will hear what truly nourishes us.</span>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-53900283328858652852010-11-13T19:06:00.000-08:002010-11-13T19:25:51.882-08:00Top Ten Takeaways From SHINE 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3oir1CdsWnBNnLppqBR3DUQshObaifscTh_CPOKGuRH8GsbZ9fhBgzoSU1OVX3J0BmV1akbw9GeMHBpGRDnWHAe9OrIPqnzv9yh6B2Anv1jaQWXG5xZ743yfmVRcerQnlodg6OX0A5c/s1600/Shine+conference.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 289px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3oir1CdsWnBNnLppqBR3DUQshObaifscTh_CPOKGuRH8GsbZ9fhBgzoSU1OVX3J0BmV1akbw9GeMHBpGRDnWHAe9OrIPqnzv9yh6B2Anv1jaQWXG5xZ743yfmVRcerQnlodg6OX0A5c/s400/Shine+conference.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539239388849691106" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Branding and marketing expert, Liz Dennery Sanders, shares highlights and words of business wisdom from her experience at Ali Brown's Annual Shine Conference </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" >for female entrepreneurs.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Top Ten Takeaways From SHINE 2010</span><br />by Liz Dennery Sanders</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">From the amazing networking, to the main stage and breakout sessions, there were many excellent nuggets of wisdom to be had at Ali Brown’s SHINE 2010. Here were the ten that most stood out to me:</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />1. Decide why you are in business.</span> In other words, what’s your WHY? Is it money, lifestyle, fame, giving back, helping others or perhaps a combination of reasons? Whatever it is, you’re more likely to stay in it for the long haul if you’re connected to your bigger WHY.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />2. Evaluate where you are in your business and make your decisions from there.</span> If you’re just starting out, you need to focus on different things than if you’re already established with a full practice. When you’re still building your foundation, it’s important not to get swayed by “bright, shiny object” syndrome. Focus on the basic building blocks before you move on to more advanced strategies. Honor the process and exactly where you are.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />3. If you want to be successful you’ve got to get the money handled.</span> You don’t have to be a CPA, but you need to know exactly how much money is coming in and out of your business every single month. You’ve got to track your expenses and be able to read a profit and loss statement. Why would the universe give you more if you can’t take care of what you’ve already got?</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />4. Take action.</span> You can talk and strategize all day long, but if you don’t actually implement, you will never be successful. Money loves momentum.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />5. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.</span> You’ve got to be willing to put yourself in new situations – some of which might make you feel rather uncomfortable at first. Yet that feeling of discomfort is a signal that you’re growing and probably moving to the next level in your business. Be willing to take chances and try something new.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />6. Create systems.</span> The most successful entrepreneurs learn how to delegate those tasks that aren’t the best use of their time and genius. They do this by creating systems – financial, client services, operations, etc. – that others can use and implement over time. Start small and select one area of your business to focus on at a time. Write down each step and the exact process (saving emails and templates along the way) and save in a computer or hard copy file so that your team can access at a later date.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />7. Branding isn’t optional</span> (yes, I’ve been talking about this for a long time, but it’s worth repeating!) If you don’t craft and create your own powerful personal brand, someone else will do it for you. Your brand is a living, breathing organism that needs nurturing and constant care. Tell your story and show up.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />8. Don’t feed the trolls.</span> The more successful you become, the more likely you are to receive criticism. Learn to discern the constructive from the crap. Respect and listen to the former and ignore the latter. Life’s too short to be in a constant state of negative reactivity.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />9. Be authentic.</span> Your potential clients want the real you. Use your own voice. Life is full of copies, so dare to be an original. You’ll find that you are able to more easily connect and engage with others when you are coming from a sincere, authentic place.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />10. It’s how you make people FEEL that leads them to buy (or not.)</span> Emotions are the cue that makes the brain sit up and take notice. Appeal to your clients’ emotions, find out what’s most important to them and deliver THAT, over and over again. Be an excellent listener, show them how much you care and add value to their lives. You’ll never have to worry about your rent check again.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />©Liz Dennery Sanders 2010<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.shebrand.com/about/about-liz"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Liz Dennery Sanders</span></a> wants you to build your buzz and be successful beyond your wildest dreams. As the CEO of Dennery Marks Inc., a brand development and celebrity outreach firm, she founded SheBrand, to help female entrepreneurs build powerful personal brands, attract more clients and position themselves as experts in their industries. You can reach her directly at info@shebrand.com or <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" href="http://www.shebrand.com/">www.shebrand.com</a>.</span>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-23382481439085580502010-10-31T17:42:00.000-07:002010-10-31T18:37:12.496-07:00It's No TRICK, Six Ways to TREAT Yourself with Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQD_ajEf8sICnnvnuAQ1LDe10Q5N-NsoNesBjZnKBSV1xJ8k8x6SB50CcB7VH4fZ-9wqBNQdQdW9huSFwZIVS3GRzQHRnpFOlu6BJesRLoNYd8luBqTLtNl46KuBh_TqcDK9BuakSbUWI/s1600/Picture+3.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 347px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQD_ajEf8sICnnvnuAQ1LDe10Q5N-NsoNesBjZnKBSV1xJ8k8x6SB50CcB7VH4fZ-9wqBNQdQdW9huSFwZIVS3GRzQHRnpFOlu6BJesRLoNYd8luBqTLtNl46KuBh_TqcDK9BuakSbUWI/s400/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534383604020035138" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As the holiday season kicks off with Halloween, it's easy to get caught up in the hectic pace of parties, shopping and trying to fit more than we can handle into a single day. Often in the middle of the mayhem, our healthy habits and nurturing self care gets tossed to the wind. Here are some suggestions to stay on track with treating yourself with love.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />1. Breath</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Breathing is essential for life and restoring your body's energy. However, when you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed you tend to take short shallow breaths which causes the body to become even more stressed and tired. I invite you right now </span><span style="font-family:arial;">to try something</span><span style="font-family:arial;">. Take a moment to pause and take a deep slow breath in through your nose, and gently exhale through your mouth. Do it two more times. Notice how you're feeling. Are you feeling more relaxed? Are you more aware of your body? Taking time through out the day to stop and breath, is a great way to recharge your energy, refocus your mind and connect with yourself.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >"For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth." –Sanskrit Proverb</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />2. Be Patient</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Do you ever find yourself wishing you could do something quicker, learn something faster, or reach your goals right this minute? Insisting on quick results or having unrealistic expectations puts unnecessary pressure on yourself and only creates stress and overwhelm. This limits how well you function and depletes your energy. Life, learning and growth is a process, not an event. Like a child learning to walk or talk, it happens over time, and is usually celebrated. Love, accept and celebrate your life and trust in it's natural flow and timing.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />"If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention, than to any other talent." –Sir Isaac Newton</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />3. Schedule a date night with yourself</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Inspired by one of our Get Up Girl grads, I love this idea for making time to nurture and pamper yourself. Do those things that you rarely have time for, but truly enjoy! You could take a luxurious bubble bath, listen to music you love, put on that cozy robe and curl up with a great book, or rent your favorite movie and order take-out. Whatever you choose to do, schedule your date night with yourself in your calendar and enjoy a special evening with you!</span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />"I restore myself when I'm alone." –Marilyn Monroe</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />4. Say NO</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I don't know about you, but sometimes it's hard for me to say 'no'. I like being supportive and pleasing others, but over the years I've learned that saying 'yes' when I really want to say 'no', is a way I dishonor myself. Take time to check in with yourself and what your heart is really telling you before saying 'yes' to the people and the many requests in your life.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >"A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please." –Mohatma Ghandi</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />5. Be Playful</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />You were born to play. Playing is instinctive and fundamental to human existence. Easily forgotten as an adult, engaging in playful activities nurtures you physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Playing is good for the brain and can support you feeling light, relaxed and engaged in life. Whether you enjoy a good game of Monopoly, doing arts and crafts, or playing tennis, make time to play and enjoy some <span style="font-style: italic;">serious</span> fun! </span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />"What do most Nobel Laureates, innovative entrepreneurs, artists and performers, well-adjusted children, happy couples and families, and the most successfully adapted mammals have in common? They play enthusiastically throughout their lives." –Stuart Brown</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />6. Do less</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In this fast paced, over scheduled, multi-tasking, social networking world, daily life can sometimes feel very busy, but not necessarily fulfilling or meaningful. One solution is choosing to do less. Often by doing less, the quality of your efforts increases. The reason is your energy isn't split or spread to thin. You're able to focus your attention and energy at a higher level, which also increases how satisfied you feel. Doing less also translates to less stress and greater peace of mind.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />"Being selective, doing less –is the path of the productive. Focus on the important few and ignore the rest." –Timothy Ferris<br /><br />by Margalit Ward<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org </a></span></span></span><a href="http://getupgirl.org/"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">| </span></span></span></a><a style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" href="http://twitter.com/margalitward">margalitward/twitter</a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://twitter.com/GetUpGirl">getupgirl/twitter</a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=49867724195">getupgirl/facebook</a></span></span></span></span>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-65519750156742747162010-10-15T17:37:00.000-07:002010-10-15T18:29:28.596-07:00How To Create a Successful Mind-Set<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3vOpUxlv8Kckmu7PWN9_WrLjEG_2LpzCJTAZ3qFfzErEI1UzeTlyeImkap03WCVXnKJcn_ysm9u8MY1QtK2SvOk07FdV7oiYocAWDYvb5P2tb1HgiueEABpcwSn2J35Kdeuufiq2ya0/s1600/Picture+12.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 321px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3vOpUxlv8Kckmu7PWN9_WrLjEG_2LpzCJTAZ3qFfzErEI1UzeTlyeImkap03WCVXnKJcn_ysm9u8MY1QtK2SvOk07FdV7oiYocAWDYvb5P2tb1HgiueEABpcwSn2J35Kdeuufiq2ya0/s400/Picture+12.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528442494509201906" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />by Margalit Ward<br /><br />What is the mind-set for creating what you want? Is it just having a positive attitude? Reading the right books? Listening to inspirational teachers? These things do help, however there is more to creating success in your life that many happy and fulfilled people have in common. How can you take charge of your life and success? Below are four keys to remember when asking that all important question? </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />1. You are responsible for our own happiness & success. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Start with knowing you have the power, energy and ability to be responsible for everything in your life. Taking responsibility is the starting point for personal growth and empowering yourself. It is choosing to look inside and realizing that if you want the world around you to get better, you have to make changes within yourself first.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >2. You have all the answers inside of you.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Trust your inner knowing by taking the time listen to your own insight, wisdom and guidance. Use helpful techniques that support cultivating a dialog with yourself. Such as, journal writing, meditation, walks in nature, etc. Find what works for you.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />3. Use everything in your life as an opportunity to grow and uplift yourself.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Many of you have had the experience that even the most challenging times in your lives have been a time of growth and learning. Each experience has the potential to bring forward a blessing, when we choose to find it. "The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak, became a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong". ~Thomas Carlyle</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />4. Take good care of yourself, physically, emotionally, mentally & spiritually. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />When you fill your own cup with self-care first, you have more energy, creativity and the ability to give from your overflow. Below are some suggestions on how you can take care of yourself on all four levels. Find what works best for you and create your own self-care routine.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Physically:</span> Take care of your body, with healthy nutrition, exercise and plenty of rest. Clear your space in your home environment and create and nurturing environment for yourself.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Emotionally:</span> Speak kindly to yourself, appreciate & acknowledge yourself often. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Mentally:</span> Be mindful of your thoughts and where you’re placing your attention. Read interesting and positive material that nourishes your mind and deepens your understanding of yourself and the world.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spiritually:</span> Make time for being quiet (meditation, walks, listening to inspiring music, recharging yourself, etc.)</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />You can't always control what happens in your life, but you can choose how you respond. This is where your power lies, in choosing your attitude and doing more of what works for you and less of what doesn't. So girlfriend, remember you have the power to make positive changes, trust your inner knowing, be open to seeing the blessings in your life, and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">take really good care of you.</span> You deserve it!<br /></span><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org </a></span></span></span><a href="http://getupgirl.org/"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">| </span></span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/MargalitWard">margalitward/twitter</a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://twitter.com/GetUpGirl">getupgirl/twitter</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span>| <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=49867724195">getupgirl/facebook</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/MargalitWard"></a></span></span></span></p>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-2316357819274687912010-09-17T15:02:00.000-07:002010-09-17T15:14:23.864-07:00Simplify, and Savor Life<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFoR0aun5qEeEpoXNy3L2uZwpn9ggZ1e5DfAkJKelUNNNqprO7U4NFJE8J0EU7aC5emAFMJokvHVCUFQRM_kbZUkh-6FEJNORkbdKxRbQ8Fophq4FxsVIR5dWvBrctkUozMLrSamOKnc/s1600/Picture+7.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFoR0aun5qEeEpoXNy3L2uZwpn9ggZ1e5DfAkJKelUNNNqprO7U4NFJE8J0EU7aC5emAFMJokvHVCUFQRM_kbZUkh-6FEJNORkbdKxRbQ8Fophq4FxsVIR5dWvBrctkUozMLrSamOKnc/s400/Picture+7.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518008578769812546" border="0" /></a><br /><p style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">by, <a href="http://zenhabits.net/savor/">Leo Babauta at Zen Habits<br /></a></p> <p face="arial" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">Photo by: Margalit Ward</p><p face="arial" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">These days we have an abundance of luxuries, but I've found that excess actually decreases my enjoyment of life.<br /></p><p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">Sure, we can get massive amounts of rich foods, feasting to our heart’s content, stuffing ourselves in alarming displays of gluttony … but is that really enjoyable on a regular basis?</p> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">And yes, television can be fun, and so can ridiculously large parts of the Internet, but if it’s always on, if we’re always connected, doesn’t that lower the fun factor?</p> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">Excesses lead to all kinds of problems, but the biggest problem is that life is less enjoyable.</p> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">I’ve been finding that simplifying things means I can savor life more fully.</p> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">Savoring life starts with a mindset. It’s a mindset that believes that excess, that rushing, that busy-ness, that distractedness, isn’t ideal. It’s a mindset that tries instead to:</p> <ul style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><li>simplify</li><li>do & consume less</li><li>slow down</li><li>be mindful & present</li><li>savor things fully</li></ul> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">It’s the little things that make life enjoyable: a walk with a loved one, a delicious book, a chilled plum, a newly blooming tree.</p> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">And by simplifying, we can savor life to the fullest.<span id="more-6847"></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">Some ideas I’ve been considering lately:</p> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><strong>1. Coffee</strong>: Instead of ordering a latte, mocha, cappuccino with whipped cream and cinnamon and shavings … simplify. Just get pure, good coffee (or espresso), brewed fresh with care and precision, with quality beans, freshly roasted. Make it yourself if you can. Drink it slowly, with little or nothing added, and enjoy it thoroughly.</p> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><strong>2. Tea</strong>: I recently had tea with <a href="http://www.realritual.com/">Jesse Jacobs</a>, the owner of <a href="http://samovarlife.com/">Samovar Tea Lounge</a>, and he poured two different teas from tiny tea pots: <a href="http://shop.samovarlife.com/Nishi_1st_Flush_Organic_Japanese_Sencha_Green_Tea_p/0201nise.htm">Nishi Sencha 1st Flush</a> and <a href="http://shop.samovarlife.com/Bai_Hao_Oolong_Tea_p/0301baha.htm">Bai Hao Oolong tea</a>. It was fresh, hand-made tea from real leaves, not a tea bag, and it was simply delicious. Drink it slowly, with your eyes closed, fully appreciating the aroma … wonderful.</p> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><strong>3. Workouts</strong>: I’ve been a fan of simpler workouts recently. While others might spend an hour to 90 minutes in the gym, going through a series of 10 different exercises, I just do 1-3 functional exercises, but with intensity. So I might do some sprint intervals, or a few rounds of pushups, pullups, and bodyweight squats. Or 400 meters of walking lunges. Let me tell you, that’s a simple but incredible workout. Another I like: five rounds 85-lb. squat thrusters (10 reps) alternated with pushups (10 reps). Today’s workout was three rounds of 15 burpees and 800-meter runs. No rest unless you need it. These are great workouts, but very simple, and very tough. I love them.</p> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><strong>4. Sweets</strong>: I used to be a sugar addict. Now I still enjoy an occasional dessert, but in tiny portions, eaten very slowly. What I enjoy even more, though, is cold fruit. A chilled peach, some blueberries, a few strawberries, a plum: eat it one bite at a time, close your eyes with each bite, and enjoy to the fullest. So good.</p> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><strong>5. Meals</strong>: While the trend these days is super-sized meals of greasy, fried things (more than two people need to eat actually), I have been enjoying smaller meals of simplicity. Just a few ingredients, fresh, whole, unprocessed, without chemicals or sauces. My meals usually include: a breakfast of steel-cut oats (cooked) with cinnamon, almonds, and berries; a lunch of yogurt, nuts, and fruit; a dinner of beans or tofu with quinoa and steamed veggies (or sauteed with garlic and olive oil). These simple meals are better because not only are they healthy, each ingredient can be tasted, its flavor fully enjoyed.</p> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><strong>6. Reading</strong>: While the Internet is chock full of things to read, I’ve been enjoying the simplicity of a paper book, borrowed from the library or a friend (borrowing/sharing reduces natural resources consumed). When I read online, I read a single article at a time, using either the <a href="http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability/">Readability</a> or <a href="http://brettterpstra.com/share/readability2.html">Clippable</a> bookmarklet to remove distrations, and in full-screen mode in the Chrome browser (hit Cmd-Shift-F on the Mac version or F11 in Windows). It’s pure reading, no distractions, and lovely.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Read more about simplicity in Leo’s books, <a href="http://zenhabits.net/2008/02/new-e-book-the-zen-habits-handbook-for-life/">The Zen Habits Handbook for Life</a> & <a href="http://zenhabits.net/2009/09/my-new-ebook-the-simple-guide-to-a-minimalist-life/">The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life</a>. <a href="http://zenhabits.net/books/">More here</a>.</strong></p>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-38557214264228696932010-09-06T17:09:00.000-07:002010-09-06T20:33:39.283-07:00Congratulations Shannon!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bqE4c9inb5G1QmU7fAgM_o6OQVZJD0EViNbrTYPUqVyaHeZOAWOaatQDUid0tEFLm3rsvC0qEMWRFxFVPUL8YTCOl1o6Bi36viM4r93lYiGN8-5xfc-dr7-3wGOh1zle94P23Hc4tSQ/s1600/Ruegers'10.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bqE4c9inb5G1QmU7fAgM_o6OQVZJD0EViNbrTYPUqVyaHeZOAWOaatQDUid0tEFLm3rsvC0qEMWRFxFVPUL8YTCOl1o6Bi36viM4r93lYiGN8-5xfc-dr7-3wGOh1zle94P23Hc4tSQ/s400/Ruegers'10.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514008408611810786" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Congratulations to Shannon on completing her Masters in Spiritual Psychology from the prestigious </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.universityofsantamonica.edu/index.aspx">University of Santa Monica</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> this summer!</span><br /><br />The two yea</span><span style="font-family:arial;">r program culminated with a beautiful and inspiring graduation ceremony held at Royce Hall at the University of California Los Angeles. Shannon's family was in attendance, including her parents traveling from Vermont, two sisters, her five year old daughter, and her brother who is studying acupuncture in Hawaii. We were all treated to an enthusiastic commencement speech by the exuberant, funny and profound <a href="http://www.innervisionsworldwide.com/Inner/About/founder.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Iyanla Vanzant</span></a>, sharing her message of 'Taking it to the Streets'.<br /><br />It was a day of joyful celebration!<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdrDR2qDtHaPNS4dv2QtUR5OQyjsTWhxsVLsjSclfiy-eMj4JRiL3VMDWYjEGdkm3MzahpfM1mUq0feMwtoTh8O7VqiyTQ90SNGNllLt44smJoes6rPWQ1QROQuS-6PFpwMcTXONBKEk/s1600/Shan'sGrad.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdrDR2qDtHaPNS4dv2QtUR5OQyjsTWhxsVLsjSclfiy-eMj4JRiL3VMDWYjEGdkm3MzahpfM1mUq0feMwtoTh8O7VqiyTQ90SNGNllLt44smJoes6rPWQ1QROQuS-6PFpwMcTXONBKEk/s400/Shan'sGrad.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514008241162731202" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Love and blessings to you Shannon as you continue on your path, opening your heart and mind to many new and beautiful adventures of your life's journey!</span></span>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-87036696411738746102010-08-24T15:01:00.000-07:002010-08-24T17:15:08.574-07:00How Do I Love Me?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-41wZom_D_Dk2ge45PcBHMfp3_bVzLE53WCPe6eHQbsLH45ZRUTuty1et0LnsqzCannQe2HQZT9jYxcqL2BJ4E205TL1UtEnt49ZXNrkYbBLcZB-ti4K3JOIRlLP1pknvlx83ltlJu5c/s1600/SandHeart.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 389px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-41wZom_D_Dk2ge45PcBHMfp3_bVzLE53WCPe6eHQbsLH45ZRUTuty1et0LnsqzCannQe2HQZT9jYxcqL2BJ4E205TL1UtEnt49ZXNrkYbBLcZB-ti4K3JOIRlLP1pknvlx83ltlJu5c/s400/SandHeart.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509131892881834034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" class="MsoNormal">Let me count the ways…</p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Make time for activities I enjoy</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="2" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Surround myself with positive and supportive people</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="3" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Spend time in nature</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="4" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Listen to my feelings with compassion and understanding</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="5" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Sing in the shower</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="6" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Cook delicious and healthy food that nourishes my body</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="7" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Listen and honor my intuition<br /></li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="8" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Spend time with people I love</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="9" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Rest my body when I’m tired</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="10" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Dance in my kitchen</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="11" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Speak to myself with kind and loving words</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="12" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Make time for silence</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="13" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Express my creativity in fun and enjoyable ways </li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="14" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Walks in the fresh morning air in my neighborhood</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="15" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Listen to music that moves me</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="16" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Share love and appreciation with others</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="17" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Take hot bubble baths</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="18" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Sit in the shade of an old oak tree on a hot summer day</li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="19" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Smile at strangers<br /></li></ol> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);" start="20" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Having an adventure, going some place new</li></ol><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" > How do you love you? Share with us if you like.</span><br /><br /><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org</a><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://twitter.com/GetUpGirl">getupgirl/twitter</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span>| <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=49867724195">getupgirl/facebook</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/MargalitWard">margalitward/twitter</a></span></span></span></p><br /><!--EndFragment-->Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-56387098999604981572010-08-09T22:40:00.000-07:002010-08-09T23:06:20.011-07:00What’s Going on in Your House is Going on in Your Life<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpE5grOQZJ_DjdTnVrrqbNPw_G3HSF3S90_fxP68O_0xpdDQwT6lWYayfSDqUKUKQJ5pXhZwbqfvmIn9TazNDU30llri8iaoqZ4YxrY9Yv1qaLhHp1PdDx9Cxwhpu7IUCB_Zo0E8EeWM/s1600/Picture+7.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpE5grOQZJ_DjdTnVrrqbNPw_G3HSF3S90_fxP68O_0xpdDQwT6lWYayfSDqUKUKQJ5pXhZwbqfvmIn9TazNDU30llri8iaoqZ4YxrY9Yv1qaLhHp1PdDx9Cxwhpu7IUCB_Zo0E8EeWM/s400/Picture+7.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503657624601092578" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.fengshuipalace.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">by Karen Rauch Carter</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />What’s going on in your house is going on in your life.</span></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> If you understand this concept, you get one of the most basic premises of feng shui. The poor guy doesn’t live in a castle and the king doesn’t live in a cardboard box. The living environment tells a BIG story.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> As a feng shui consultant, it gets pretty easy to "read" a person just by taking a look at their home. If there’s clutter, there’s ignored issues like guilt. If there’s uncleanliness, there’s some level of unworthiness. If there’s ten million feng shui cures in one corner, there’s doubt. If there are a lot of skeletons, skulls, etc., there’s a tendency for addiction or unhealthy habits.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> The good news is that just being aware of the issue is a great first step. Because once you become aware and then commit to yourself to finding a change (that is if you indeed want to change) then you’ve got providence — AKA energy or chi — working on your behalf. And once the ball is rolling, it gets easier and easier to make the shift.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> So, if you can walk through your home with brand new feng shui eyes, you’ll be able to see it - and create a plan of action. That’s what I hoped to accomplish with <a style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" href="http://www.karenrauchcarter.com/products/move-your-stuff-change-your-life-english/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life.</span></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"> </span>If you are having trouble doing this basic "sight-seeing" task, or even if you’ve got a funky space that you have no idea what’s wrong with it, try taking pictures of your spaces and looking at them to try to see what your home is saying....quite often, disassociating from the real space is all you need to be able to see it objectively.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">For more info on Karen Rauch Carter, go to her website at: </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" href="http://www.fengshuipalace.com/"><span>www.fengshuipalace.com</span></a><br /></span><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><a style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" href="http://getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org</a><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://twitter.com/GetUpGirl">getupgirl/twitter</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span>| <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=49867724195">getupgirl/facebook</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/MargalitWard">margalitward/twitter</a></span></span></span></p>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1013231507361874287.post-69355863891612265592010-08-02T09:31:00.000-07:002010-08-03T12:31:46.804-07:00The One Deadly Sin of Changing Habits<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6AKHTCpkph9Vbx4NW7RKlygToR0FiSPCopuag5wZT1pAVgOKJkHCXUJR51YHwy7Jtk4pje6Kq61OtduHFQzHzJBifHGdxA0RTOWTjm38Cd1WUxvTPuwUUI_RQsnShL5QFrTi0ci566s/s1600/Picture+24.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 337px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6AKHTCpkph9Vbx4NW7RKlygToR0FiSPCopuag5wZT1pAVgOKJkHCXUJR51YHwy7Jtk4pje6Kq61OtduHFQzHzJBifHGdxA0RTOWTjm38Cd1WUxvTPuwUUI_RQsnShL5QFrTi0ci566s/s400/Picture+24.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500851733068535346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;">“Eighty percent of success is showing up.” </span><strong><span style="font-style: italic;">~Woody Allen</span><br /><br /></strong><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>Post written by </b></span><span style="font-family:Times;"><b><a href="http://zenhabits.net/about/"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Leo Babauta</span></a></b></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b><o:p></o:p></b></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">Often you’ll read an article called “The Seven Deadly Sins of...” (fill in your topic here). But when it comes to changing habits, there aren’t Seven Deadly Sins.<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">There’s just one.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">You can do a lot of things wrong when you’re trying to form a new habit — just jumping into it without a plan, not having public accountability, not having the right support, etc. But there’s just one thing you can do wrong that will cause the habit change to absolutely fail.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">The One Deadly Sin of Habit Change?<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">Not doing the habit.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">If you don’t do it, it won’t become a habit. As obvious as that may sound, too many people fail at this one thing. They start the exercise habit (or flossing habit, or filing their papers habit, or waking early habit) and they do it with enthusiasm for a week or two, and then they stop. For whatever reason — work, or family problems, or other interests taking over.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">Life gets in the way, right? Well sure, but if you’re not doing the habit, the habit will never form. If you want to form the habit, you have to do it regularly.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">Let’s repeat that, and then talk about how to actually do it: If you want to form the habit, you have to do the habit regularly.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">That’s how habits form. You do it one day, then the next, then the next, then the next, right after your habit trigger. Soon, it becomes so ingrained that … it’s a habit.</span><span style="font-family:Times;"><br /><br /></span><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">How To Avoid the Deadly Sin</span></strong><span style="font-family:Times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">So it’s easy to state the blindingly obvious, but it’s harder to put it into practice, right?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;">Sure. So I’m here to help. Some tips for avoiding the One Deadly Sin:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">Just start</span></strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">. Not feeling like doing the habit today? Tell yourself all you have to do is take the 1st step. Usually the 2nd step will follow, but if not, at the very least you got started. And that’s what matters most.</span></li></ul><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">Do it, no matter how small</span></strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">. Need to exercise but don’t have much energy? Do it for a few minutes at least. Need to meditate? Three minutes will do.</span></li></ul><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">Do it, no matter how badly</span></strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">. Want to form the habit of blogging? Write a quick and dirty post that takes five minutes of writing, no proofreading or formatting. Quality doesn’t matter when you’re forming habits — doing it matters.</span></li></ul><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">If you fail, don’t beat yourself up – do it the next day</span></strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">. Let’s be clear: missing one day won’t kill your habit. Feeling discouraged about missing one day, and then missing the next and the next, is what will kill the habit. So let go of the guilt and just get back on your horse. Start again, immediately.</span></li></ul><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">If you don’t do it the next day, do it the day after</span></strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">. If you miss two days, don’t let yourself miss a third.</span></li></ul><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">Figure out what’s stopping you</span></strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">. If you find yourself struggling and missing a day or two, think about why. What’s getting in the way? How can you adjust for that?</span></li></ul><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">Plan ahead</span></strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">. Life gets in the way, but if you know something’s coming up, think ahead and be sure to get your habit in.</span></li></ul><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">Engineer success</span></strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">. Knock down the barriers and set it up so it’s harder to fail than to actually do the habit. Public accountability is a good way to do that.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family:Arial;">In the end, all that matters is doing it. So go do it already.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." ~Aristotle</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>by </b></span><span style="font-family:Times;"><b><a href="http://zenhabits.net/about/"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Leo Babauta</span></a></b></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>, from <a href="http://zenhabits.net/">zen habits | smile, breath & go slowly</a> </b></span></p> <strong></strong><span style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span> <p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><a style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" href="http://getupgirl.org/">getupgirl.org</a><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://twitter.com/GetUpGirl">getupgirl/twitter</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span>| <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=49867724195">getupgirl/facebook</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/MargalitWard">margalitward/twitter</a></span></span></span></p>Shannon Bindlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07209917955796010998noreply@blogger.com1