New Year, New Start, New Adventures!

Happy New Year!

Not only is this the beginning of a new year, but the beginning of a new decade and a new generation is being born - "Generation Alpha". That's a lot of new beginnings and it all kicked off with a blue moon just to make it interesting!

So with hope in our hearts and the sparkly optimism that usually comes with a fresh start, the question is what are you hoping to achieve in 2010? More importantly, what will you do to ensure that you stick to it, when the year wears on and your enthusiasm wanes?

Here are some tips to help you stick to the goals you've set for yourself this year:

- Write them down! The power of the written word is phenomenal and so simple to do. Either commit yourself to writing them down regularly; either every day or once a week, or print them out nicely once and put them somewhere you'll read them regularly. I like to laminate mine and put them in the shower, when I'm relaxed and happy so I can be reminded constantly of where I'm headed and stay on track.

- Write them in past tense, as if you've already achieved them, ie; "it's Christmas 2010 and I'm celebrating with my family the success of the X business I've launched this year that has turned over X profit".

- Be specific. Don't write vague goals like "I made lots of money this year", get detailed. "I made X dollars profit over all for X business" is much more powerful and real for your mind to get a grip on.

- Put some feeling into it. Describe how you feel at achieving this goal, put some descriptors into it to set the whole scene, ie: "It's Christmas 2010 and my wife and I are feeling on top of the world having just cracked a bottle of 96 Bollinger to celebrate the X profit I've made on X business. I'm so proud of my achievement and love this feeling of providing for my family".

- At the end of the year, make a bit of a ceremony out of acknowledging what you have achieved before setting out your goals for the next year. There's no point having a goal list if you don't feel the reward of achievement!

- Make your goals achievable. Have some big, lofty ones on there too, but make sure you include some smaller goals because having a win will keep you moving forward toward the bigger goals too. Nothing more disheartening than feeling a million miles from anything on your goal list - it's always nice to see some lines through the goals you've achieved and will be a huge motivator for you.

So happy goal setting and here's to a bright, successful, adventurous, exciting and fun filled 2010.

Bring on the Sunshine

Well, for those of us on the bottom half of the planet, we're finally emerging out of a cold, wet, miserable winter into the perfect, cloudless days of Summer. This is such a powerful time on the psyche and a really interesting view into how much impact a little sunshine has on how we feel.

Only when we've been trapped inside, due to the cold and wet, do we really notice the change when the sun finally comes out... how does it feel? Take a moment to consult your emotions and see the sharp contrast. Energy levels increase, we become more optimistic, we are more fun to be around, we love going outside, we open ourselves up, we open our doors and windows to let the light and fresh air stream in... we become so uplifted!

Wouldn't it be nice if we could take the lesson from this and create this kind of amazing, positive reaction intentionally - regardless of whether the sun has just come out? We have the power to do it. Just something to think about...

Life of the Party

Here's an article with a fun edge about being the life of the party that I thought I'd share with you all this week... enjoy

“Being the Life of the Party and How to Become More Likeable”

Being the life of the party is not about behaving like Leona Hellmsley, who thought that she was the life and soul of every party, but ended at Sing Sing having a party in solitary.

Self-esteem is not the in-your-face kind but it is quietly the confident way in which you stride into a room and the way you address others. You are so confident about yourself that you do not need to impose your views on others and they will be drinking in what you have to say.

There is this “socializing coach” from Bernardston, Massachusetts who says that being the life of the party is not about hogging the spotlight but about “engaging others.” This gentleman goes on to say that being the life of the party can be a lonely life “because you have to be willing to do extreme stunts to create memorable moments revelers will recant to their children and their children’s children.” You remember Coco the clown or the old Charlie Chaplin movies; you still recall their antics to your children and your grandchildren. That is the way you will go down in history! I rest my case.

Let’s get down to the brass-tacks. These are some of things which you should not do ever.

• Do not go dressed like Batman or Catwoman. Wear well-tailored clothes that fit you like a second skin and you are hardly conscious of wearing them.
• Do not walk into the room blowing a didgeridoo. You will look like the most priceless ass.
• Do not walk up to people and look them in the eye unless you want a poke in the eye.
• Do not circulate, making compliments to every guest. You will be spotted for a phony right away.
• Do not talk about the current situation of health care or about Iraq to show off your knowledge. It’s passé.
• Do not flirt outrageously. Flirting is an art and unless you are good at it, lay off.
• Do not talk about your investments or your adventures on the NYSE.
• Do not attempt to introduce people to one another. One small mistake of introducing a woman to her husband could end up with an egg on your face.

This is what you do to be the life of the party.

• Be confident about yourself. Remember the Talmud injunction? It says that no one can make you feel small unless you allow them to do so.
• Cast that 1000 watt smile of yours and it should come well from within you. People can spot a false smile a mile away.
• The key is lies in being interested and be interesting. This is what Katherine Hepburn once told Christopher Reeves,” Be interesting, Christopher.”
• Finally like the poet Browning once said, “Best be yourself” and you will be far more interesting that way. Simple isn’t it?

Traits Super-Confident People Have and How You Can Acquire Them

"The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others."
- Dr Sonya Friedman

Yoda, the character from Star Wars, whose reptilian smugness we have been encouraged to mistake for wisdom, is one character who oozes self-confidence and is no great shakes in the looks department. But, Yoda’s self confidence comes through his self esteem, that he is far superior to the earthlings.

Who doesn’t know Katherine Hepburn? She had oodles of self confidence. Or you name, Lauren Bacall…this lady too had it. You know, Katherine Hepburn was not an extraordinary woman to look at. But by jove, she had It. She would walk into a room and every man there would make a beeline towards her. Whether you count on Jeff Bezos, or Richard Branson…they were all just ordinary like me and you, but made the difference through their level of super confidence.

Take my word for it…Self confidence comes from self-esteem. If you think badly about yourself, it is going to come true in the way you carry yourself, the way you talk, the way you dress and the way you react to others around you. A Dior or a Versace will do nothing for you unless you are self-confident and are able to carry it off by forgetting that you are wearing them.
What is so special about super-confident people?

Believe in Yourself
Believe in your own abilities, your own strengths and weaknesses, and never be burdened by doubts.

Do Not Force Your Idea
Never force your idea or views on others for you must be so sure that others will give you a fair hearing and cone around to your way of thinking.

Take Your Stand Yourself
Do not ever seek the approval of others or sit there like a Lab, with a dumb chum look, tail-a wagging, or waiting for a doggy treat.

Don’t Be Egoistic
Do not behave like Ted Turner at all! The bloke is alleged to have said, “If I only had a little humility, I’d be perfect.”

Never Demand, but Earn Respect
A person with self-confidence does not demand his or her rights; but expect them as a matter of course. Why? Have you not seen at one of those swanky restaurants, the maître, the sommelier and the steward literally at the beck and call of a particular diner? It isn’t money talking but the bearing, the total self-esteem and Oomph (if the diner is a woman).

Smile Puts You Ahead of All
Have the hint of a smile that touches your eyes. Do not smile like Count Vlad of Drakul salivating over his midnight snack, nor do you smile like Larry Ellison. Now you get the picture, don’t you?

Never Boast of Yourself
Don’t blow your own trumpet for no one is interested in it. Lion never proclaims itself as a King of the Jungle, yet everyone knows it.

Feel Good about Yourself… But Being Self-Conscious Never Works
Be confident of the way you look. Self esteem comes from being very comfortable of the way you are as long as you are not like the guy who found himself so handsome that he took a self-portrait with a Polaroid every night before bed to preserve the moment.

Understand Your Purpose of Being
Remember, you are here for a purpose and it is up to you to discover what you mission is and start working towards achieving it.

You are Indeed Special!
Everyone is special in this world and you must be sure of your worth. That’s the secret of Super-Confident people. Brace yourself for you are indeed special!

What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror?

When you look in the mirror, is it a good experience or bad? This simple test provides a giant clue as to whether your body image is positive or negative.

If you look in the mirror and see all the elements of your body that 'aren't good enough' then you need to work on seeing your body, in all it's individual glory, through a different set of eyes.

Every woman - every person - is unique and individual, complete with quirks and imperfections, but the trick is to see the whole package and appreciate it for what it is.

You are an amazing person, whether you're big, small, short, tall, curvacious, slender, black, white, blonde, brunette, blue eyed, hazel eyed, big breasted, small breasted or any other characteristic that may set you apart.... You're YOU and that's what makes you fabulous, without any need for perfection in any area.

Humans, and women especially, tend to be so much harder on ourselves than we would be with anyone else. Consider if you met someone else who had your body and imagine how you would reassure them if they asked if you thought anything was wrong with the way they looked?

One of the most impressionable sayings I ever read was one that said "treat every person you meet as if they are wearing a flashing sign on their head saying 'MAKE ME FEEL SPECIAL'". I suggest you take this beautiful piece of advice one step further and imagine yourself wearing the same sign when you look in the mirror... you deserve it just as much as anyone else.

Self Esteem Quotes

This week I wanted to remind everyone how important self esteem is and to share with you some of my favourite quotes as a reminder...

“To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.”

“Why compare yourself with others? No one in the entire world can do a better job of being you than you.”

“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”

“Instead of thinking about what you're missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.”

"Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly."

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else."

Enjoy!

And then there were three

It was not long after my previous blog entry back in April (I know - I'm a slacker) that I took that little test that showed two lines instead of one saying... YOU'RE PREGNANT! Of course, I didn't believe the first one, or the second or third tests, but by the sixth positive test I was starting to believe it!

Fast track to now, I'm almost 5 months along and looking a little rounder out front than before and the journey has become really exciting. The first trimester was all about risk, nausea, keeping it a secret... nothing pleasant, but now it's getting interesting. It took me until 20 weeks to finally look pregnant, and now not only do I have my bump (which I'm very proud of) but I can feel our baby kicking, and so can my husband now.

We've found out we're having a girl and we couldn't be more thrilled... life is full of twists and turns and this is one adventure we're more than a little nervous about, but ready to embrace. We've read the books, done the classes, watched the DVD's, gotten advice from friends and family but we're smart enough to know that nothing can really prepare us for what's ahead. So we're just going to buckle up and enjoy the ride!