Everyone Has Many Special Gifts
Are you thinking I wish my life was easier, can’t lose weight or want a new job? Welcome to the human race. Most of us go through our day doing the things we have to do and wishing for our lives to be better. We never take the time to acknowledge the special gifts we already have in our lives.
What comes to mind is how Dorothy’s friends in the Wizard of Oz spent most of their time looking for the Wizard to give them what they wanted. The Lion was looking for courage, Tin Man for a heart and Scarecrow for brains. After meeting the Wizard and seeing what a fraud he was each one realized they already had the gift they were looking for.
We are no different than Dorothy’s friends. Most of the time we are looking for something we already have. Let me give you an example: Jane just moved into a new neighborhood, was feeling very lonely and felt she had no friends. What Jane did not realize was that she already knew many people. During Jane’s coaching session she decided to play a game that night at her office party and count the number of people she spoke to. Jane was amazed when she realized she knew and spoke to over 10 people that night. Her next plan was to invite some of her peer co-workers to coffee after work.
If Jane did not play that game she would be still looking to meet people instead of realizing she had already met them.
Now is your turn to play a little game which will prove you already have what you are looking for.
Create a game to determine whether you already have your special gift.
1. At the top of the page write what you want.
a. Example: My job is boring and I want a new job.
2. Draw a line down the center of the page.
3. List in the first column everything you would like in a new job.
3. List in the second column everything you like about your current job.
4. Compare both lists and see what items appear on both of them.
5. Journal what you have discovered.
Most of the time you will realize there are many things you like about your current job.
After completing the exercise please let me know what you have discovered. I can be reached by leaving a comment on this blog or sending an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Showing posts with label loving yourself. Show all posts
Showing posts with label loving yourself. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Focusing on the Food
Sharing Our Special Gifts
What do you like about yourself? Most of us don’t think about ourselves only when something happens and we are upset about our behavior. Usually we spend most of our time thinking about the things we have to do, losing weight or other people. When do you ever stop and think about the great person you are?
I was leading a workshop and requested that all the participants find a partner they know and tell each other what they liked about them. At first the room was very quite and then as time went on with my prodding people started to share and I saw smiles and tears. Then requested everyone find a new partner and tell that person what they liked about them. The exercise continued until each person had three new partners.
After the exercise a person shared he never realized how much others valued his advice. Another person shared how everyone loved her smile and people felt comfortable being with her. The shares continued and what we all learned from the exercise is how we always take for granted our special gifts.
Today is a new day and your chance to acknowledge your special gifts. I invite you to complete the following exercise to discover your special gifts.
1. Ask someone you feel very comfortable with if they would help with a project you are doing? If they say, “Yes.”
2. Explain you are going to tell them what you like about them and then they can tell you what they like about you.
3. Continue the exercise two more times.
4. Give each other a big hug if you are together.
5. Write yourself a letter listing what you like about yourself and what your friend told you.
6. Mail the letter to yourself.
7. Read the letter often reminding yourself what special gifts you give to others and what a beautiful person you are.
Please let me know after completing this exercise what you have discovered about your special gifts. Also, what impact has it made on your life after learning about them. I can be reached by leaving a comment on the Getting off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourself.net.
“We are beautiful people who have many special gifts to share with ourselves and others.” Helen Burton
What do you like about yourself? Most of us don’t think about ourselves only when something happens and we are upset about our behavior. Usually we spend most of our time thinking about the things we have to do, losing weight or other people. When do you ever stop and think about the great person you are?
I was leading a workshop and requested that all the participants find a partner they know and tell each other what they liked about them. At first the room was very quite and then as time went on with my prodding people started to share and I saw smiles and tears. Then requested everyone find a new partner and tell that person what they liked about them. The exercise continued until each person had three new partners.
After the exercise a person shared he never realized how much others valued his advice. Another person shared how everyone loved her smile and people felt comfortable being with her. The shares continued and what we all learned from the exercise is how we always take for granted our special gifts.
Today is a new day and your chance to acknowledge your special gifts. I invite you to complete the following exercise to discover your special gifts.
1. Ask someone you feel very comfortable with if they would help with a project you are doing? If they say, “Yes.”
2. Explain you are going to tell them what you like about them and then they can tell you what they like about you.
3. Continue the exercise two more times.
4. Give each other a big hug if you are together.
5. Write yourself a letter listing what you like about yourself and what your friend told you.
6. Mail the letter to yourself.
7. Read the letter often reminding yourself what special gifts you give to others and what a beautiful person you are.
Please let me know after completing this exercise what you have discovered about your special gifts. Also, what impact has it made on your life after learning about them. I can be reached by leaving a comment on the Getting off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourself.net.
“We are beautiful people who have many special gifts to share with ourselves and others.” Helen Burton
Thursday, November 8, 2007
The Interview with God
I received an email with a link to watch a video clip with an Interview with God. It was so beautiful and meaningful I wanted to post the link on my blog so others could enjoy the video clip. The link is www.theinterviewwithgod.com and then click on “view presentation.”
Please let me know what thoughts you had while listening to the short clip by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. Enjoy!
Please let me know what thoughts you had while listening to the short clip by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. Enjoy!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Being Your Own Best Friend
"If you are distressed by anything external,
the pain is not due to the thing itself but to
your own estimate of it; and this you have
the power to revoke at any moment.”
Marcus Aurelius
When I read the above quote, the thought that popped into my mind was how as a child I always felt fat, but when seeing the pictures today I look thin. Our perception of ourselves causes us more pain than we should experience.
I was with a group of people the other day and we were discussing how important it was to be our own best friend instead of our enemy. Someone was mentioning how easy it was to beat themselves up and then feel sorry for themselves. I am sure we can all identify with this situation.
Everyone started discussing what they don’t like about themselves. After giving them time to enjoy the conversations I asked what we can do about the problem of not supporting ourselves? The conversation turned around and we all came up with solutions. Some of the solutions are as follows:
1. Every time you have a destructive thought to stop acknowledge it and then say out loud something you like about yourself.
2. Once a day give yourself permission to feel sorry for yourself and then think about how grateful you are for your life now.
3. Every night make a list of at least three things you like about yourself.
4. Every morning look in the mirror and tell yourself, “I love you.”
5. Once a week call a friend and tell each other one thing you like about each other.
6. Every day take time out to do something nice for yourself. (Example:
take a long leisurely bath.)
7. Once a week don’t exercise and congratulate yourself for taking the day off.
8. Once a month buy yourself flowers.
9. Once every few months send yourself a letter listing the reasons why you love the person you have become.
10. At the end of the day write in your journal how liking yourself is making a difference in your life.
I invite you to try some of the above suggestions and let me know about the difference they are making in your life. Also, I would love to hear about the tools you use to guarantee you are your own best friend. After trying some of the suggestions above please leave your experiences and techniques you use on this blog, or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Do something nice for yourself today! Helen
the pain is not due to the thing itself but to
your own estimate of it; and this you have
the power to revoke at any moment.”
Marcus Aurelius
When I read the above quote, the thought that popped into my mind was how as a child I always felt fat, but when seeing the pictures today I look thin. Our perception of ourselves causes us more pain than we should experience.
I was with a group of people the other day and we were discussing how important it was to be our own best friend instead of our enemy. Someone was mentioning how easy it was to beat themselves up and then feel sorry for themselves. I am sure we can all identify with this situation.
Everyone started discussing what they don’t like about themselves. After giving them time to enjoy the conversations I asked what we can do about the problem of not supporting ourselves? The conversation turned around and we all came up with solutions. Some of the solutions are as follows:
1. Every time you have a destructive thought to stop acknowledge it and then say out loud something you like about yourself.
2. Once a day give yourself permission to feel sorry for yourself and then think about how grateful you are for your life now.
3. Every night make a list of at least three things you like about yourself.
4. Every morning look in the mirror and tell yourself, “I love you.”
5. Once a week call a friend and tell each other one thing you like about each other.
6. Every day take time out to do something nice for yourself. (Example:
take a long leisurely bath.)
7. Once a week don’t exercise and congratulate yourself for taking the day off.
8. Once a month buy yourself flowers.
9. Once every few months send yourself a letter listing the reasons why you love the person you have become.
10. At the end of the day write in your journal how liking yourself is making a difference in your life.
I invite you to try some of the above suggestions and let me know about the difference they are making in your life. Also, I would love to hear about the tools you use to guarantee you are your own best friend. After trying some of the suggestions above please leave your experiences and techniques you use on this blog, or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Do something nice for yourself today! Helen
Monday, October 1, 2007
Blaming Our Circumstances
"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.
I don’t believe in circumstances.
The people who get on in this world
are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want,
and, if they can’t find them, make them."
George Bernard Shaw
Do you sometimes think, everything was going along fine and then all of a sudden everything changes in a matter of seconds? Welcome to life!!
We are so quick to blame our circumstances for our misfortunes. I remember saying I binged last night because my husband was on a business trip and I was lonely. Another night I might have thought it is quite in the house, I can get in bed and read a good book. It all depends on your thoughts and in this case have nothing to do with circumstances.
Jack, name changed, was at least 100 pounds overweight and felt because the members of his family were all obese he could never be thin. He tried all different diets and after awhile just gave up. Jack’s doctor suggested he call me.
While I was working with Jack he started acknowledging all the things in his life he was proud of and realized he had special gifts his family members did not possess. This realization made him stop and think about his theory, because the members of his family had a weight problem meant he would always be struggling with his weight.
Once Jack understood he had his own journey to travel and not his families, he started looking at life from a different perspective. He took George Bernard Shaw’s advice and created the circumstances he wanted and was able to lose weight. Today Jack has been maintaining his goal weight and manages a local sports gym.
What challenge have you been blaming on circumstances? I invite you to explore the situation and see if there is another way of looking at it. Please let me know about your experience. I can be reached either by leaving a comment on this Getting Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
I don’t believe in circumstances.
The people who get on in this world
are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want,
and, if they can’t find them, make them."
George Bernard Shaw
Do you sometimes think, everything was going along fine and then all of a sudden everything changes in a matter of seconds? Welcome to life!!
We are so quick to blame our circumstances for our misfortunes. I remember saying I binged last night because my husband was on a business trip and I was lonely. Another night I might have thought it is quite in the house, I can get in bed and read a good book. It all depends on your thoughts and in this case have nothing to do with circumstances.
Jack, name changed, was at least 100 pounds overweight and felt because the members of his family were all obese he could never be thin. He tried all different diets and after awhile just gave up. Jack’s doctor suggested he call me.
While I was working with Jack he started acknowledging all the things in his life he was proud of and realized he had special gifts his family members did not possess. This realization made him stop and think about his theory, because the members of his family had a weight problem meant he would always be struggling with his weight.
Once Jack understood he had his own journey to travel and not his families, he started looking at life from a different perspective. He took George Bernard Shaw’s advice and created the circumstances he wanted and was able to lose weight. Today Jack has been maintaining his goal weight and manages a local sports gym.
What challenge have you been blaming on circumstances? I invite you to explore the situation and see if there is another way of looking at it. Please let me know about your experience. I can be reached either by leaving a comment on this Getting Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Are You Struggling with Food?
Stopping Your Fearful Thoughts
"You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your
mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the
mind."
-- Dale Carnegie
Are you struggling with your eating habits? I am learning more and more each day that my thoughts are driving my actions. Just for a moment can you stop and think, “Maybe my unhealthy eating habits are caused by my thoughts which maybe based on fear.” What was your answer? If you answered “Yes” you are among the majority. The meaning of fear is “False Emotions Appearing Real.”
I just recently heard that are thoughts are continuous and nothing can stop them. The expression, “Just think positively,” makes me crazy. I am currently reading the book, “Excuse Me, Your Life is NOW,” by Doreen Banaszak. What I am learning is to acknowledge my negative thought and most of the time it disappears. Once the thought disappears I tell myself out loud, “I am willing to consider as of this moment that everything is unfolding perfectly and I don’t have to worry any more.” It works wonders!
If you get a chance read the book, Excuse Me, Your Life is NOW” by Doreen Banaszak, I recommend it highly. I am currently in a book study group with Doreen as our facilitator. Reading the book and hearing Doreen’s suggestions has given me the tools to think and feel positive most of the day. Thank you, Doreen.
Now is your opportunity to conquer your fearful thoughts and start thinking positively. Following are some steps you can implement when having a negative thought:
1. Be aware of what you are thinking.
2. Acknowledge the thought.
3. When your thinking stops, say a positive affirmation, which you believe can happen and makes you feel good (e.g. “I am willing to imagine right now that I am loved and everything is OK.”)
4. Think about a small step you can take right away to take care of yourself (e.g. Make yourself a cup of your favorite tea.)
5. Take the action.
In the Getting Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Community we can work together to slowly change our thinking which ultimately changes our behavior. Sharing your wisdom, life changing tools and techniques helps others and also acknowledges you. So don’t be shy, let us hear from you. All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net and together we will conquer our struggles with food.
"You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your
mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the
mind."
-- Dale Carnegie
Are you struggling with your eating habits? I am learning more and more each day that my thoughts are driving my actions. Just for a moment can you stop and think, “Maybe my unhealthy eating habits are caused by my thoughts which maybe based on fear.” What was your answer? If you answered “Yes” you are among the majority. The meaning of fear is “False Emotions Appearing Real.”
I just recently heard that are thoughts are continuous and nothing can stop them. The expression, “Just think positively,” makes me crazy. I am currently reading the book, “Excuse Me, Your Life is NOW,” by Doreen Banaszak. What I am learning is to acknowledge my negative thought and most of the time it disappears. Once the thought disappears I tell myself out loud, “I am willing to consider as of this moment that everything is unfolding perfectly and I don’t have to worry any more.” It works wonders!
If you get a chance read the book, Excuse Me, Your Life is NOW” by Doreen Banaszak, I recommend it highly. I am currently in a book study group with Doreen as our facilitator. Reading the book and hearing Doreen’s suggestions has given me the tools to think and feel positive most of the day. Thank you, Doreen.
Now is your opportunity to conquer your fearful thoughts and start thinking positively. Following are some steps you can implement when having a negative thought:
1. Be aware of what you are thinking.
2. Acknowledge the thought.
3. When your thinking stops, say a positive affirmation, which you believe can happen and makes you feel good (e.g. “I am willing to imagine right now that I am loved and everything is OK.”)
4. Think about a small step you can take right away to take care of yourself (e.g. Make yourself a cup of your favorite tea.)
5. Take the action.
In the Getting Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Community we can work together to slowly change our thinking which ultimately changes our behavior. Sharing your wisdom, life changing tools and techniques helps others and also acknowledges you. So don’t be shy, let us hear from you. All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net and together we will conquer our struggles with food.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Saying "No" Is a Special Gift
I was with a group of people this morning and someone made the comment, “My not taking for an answer is hurting me.” When he made this comment, I thought his ability to persist was a special gift and not a trait that was hurting him. It is amazing how we all think in different ways.
After the meeting I approached him and shared my feelings of how my persistant nature and not giving up on something I value has made such a difference in my life. We discussed this for awhile and then others joined the group. We ended the conversation by recognizing what a special gift we had by not taking “No” for an answer when we felt it was important to continue pursuing our commitment.
I would like to share Jerry’s (name changed) story with you and how important it was not to take “No” for an answer. Jerry weighed over three hundred pounds and was not able to lose the weight. He tried different diets, affirmations, therapy and nothing helped. He felt the only way to start losing weight was to go to an eating disorder rehab. The only trouble was that every rehab he called specialized in alcohol, drugs, or women with anorexia. He started to become disillusioned, but something within gave him the willingness to continue. After several more calls he found an eating disorder rehab that worked with men and Jerry took a leave of absence to go there. Going changed his life. What would have happened if he took “No” for an answer?
In what situations have you taken “No” for an answer and miracles have happened? I know in my case if I do not say, “NO” to myself every time I want to eat something not on my food plan, I would still be struggling with my weight and not maintaining it.
It is your choice to never take “No” for an answer and pursue your commitment for living a healthy lifestyle. I am extending a special invitation to join a community that realizes saying “No” is a special gift that could help you achieve your goal. Together let’s plan ways we can make sure we are living our best life. I can reached by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
After the meeting I approached him and shared my feelings of how my persistant nature and not giving up on something I value has made such a difference in my life. We discussed this for awhile and then others joined the group. We ended the conversation by recognizing what a special gift we had by not taking “No” for an answer when we felt it was important to continue pursuing our commitment.
I would like to share Jerry’s (name changed) story with you and how important it was not to take “No” for an answer. Jerry weighed over three hundred pounds and was not able to lose the weight. He tried different diets, affirmations, therapy and nothing helped. He felt the only way to start losing weight was to go to an eating disorder rehab. The only trouble was that every rehab he called specialized in alcohol, drugs, or women with anorexia. He started to become disillusioned, but something within gave him the willingness to continue. After several more calls he found an eating disorder rehab that worked with men and Jerry took a leave of absence to go there. Going changed his life. What would have happened if he took “No” for an answer?
In what situations have you taken “No” for an answer and miracles have happened? I know in my case if I do not say, “NO” to myself every time I want to eat something not on my food plan, I would still be struggling with my weight and not maintaining it.
It is your choice to never take “No” for an answer and pursue your commitment for living a healthy lifestyle. I am extending a special invitation to join a community that realizes saying “No” is a special gift that could help you achieve your goal. Together let’s plan ways we can make sure we are living our best life. I can reached by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Taking Control of Your Day!
Does the weather affect your mood? If you answered “Yes” to this question, you are in the majority. It has been raining since Sunday and I have been wondering where the sun has been hiding? It is amazing how different you feel when the sun is shinning. I know there are scientific reasons for this happening and the only thing I want is to see the sun again.
What can you do in the meantime until the sun shows its smiling face? Some ideas are as follows:
1. Curl up with a good book.
2. Call a good friend and reminisce about the good times you had together.
3. Read or start a “Happiness Journal” which includes times and situations that put a smile on your face and how you felt.
4. Write a story about your life and the lessons learned.
5. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee and think about a special day you had in your life and write about it.
6. Make a grateful list of all the things you are grateful for right now.
7. Take an umbrella and go for a short walk.
8. Go to Barnes and Noble and browse through the bookshelves. My husband’s favorite pastime.
9. Play a game with your children and the winner choices the next game or what they want for dinner.
10. Go to the shopping mall with a limited amount of money, looking for things you want and don’t spend a penny more.
11. Take your mini-vacation for at least an hour and do anything you want.
12. Go to the movies and enjoy your time away.
13. Take a nap.
14. Plan your next vacation.
15. Your choice of whatever you feel like doing right now.
You are the CEO of your life and can create it anyway you choice. What action steps are you going to take today to make it a day to remember? I would love to hear from you by either leaving a comment on my blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
‘The world is but canvas to our imagination.’ Henry David Thoreau
What can you do in the meantime until the sun shows its smiling face? Some ideas are as follows:
1. Curl up with a good book.
2. Call a good friend and reminisce about the good times you had together.
3. Read or start a “Happiness Journal” which includes times and situations that put a smile on your face and how you felt.
4. Write a story about your life and the lessons learned.
5. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee and think about a special day you had in your life and write about it.
6. Make a grateful list of all the things you are grateful for right now.
7. Take an umbrella and go for a short walk.
8. Go to Barnes and Noble and browse through the bookshelves. My husband’s favorite pastime.
9. Play a game with your children and the winner choices the next game or what they want for dinner.
10. Go to the shopping mall with a limited amount of money, looking for things you want and don’t spend a penny more.
11. Take your mini-vacation for at least an hour and do anything you want.
12. Go to the movies and enjoy your time away.
13. Take a nap.
14. Plan your next vacation.
15. Your choice of whatever you feel like doing right now.
You are the CEO of your life and can create it anyway you choice. What action steps are you going to take today to make it a day to remember? I would love to hear from you by either leaving a comment on my blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
‘The world is but canvas to our imagination.’ Henry David Thoreau
Monday, August 20, 2007
Loving Yourself
Do you like who you are? How you feel about yourself makes such a difference in the way you interact with people. This statement was very evident to me this past weekend. My husband and I went away for a few days. Feeling very relaxed and confident, I found myself talking to everyone around me.
Finding out where people lived, their concerns and plans for the weekend. My husband made a comment about how friendly I was and that people felt relaxed talking to me. What a gift to be able to talk to everyone without the fear of being rejected.
Thinking back before I started on my journey of self-love I would go out of my way not to talk to anyone. I was so very fearful of people. Once I started on my journey of discovering who I was my personality changed. Today I can say without thinking twice I really like myself.
What can you do today to start feeling better about yourself? Following are some steps my clients and I have started taking daily?
1. While brushing your teeth in the morning look in the mirror and say out loud one thing you like about yourself.
2. Before leaving your house create an intention that you will brighten someone’s day.
3. When you make eye contact with another person, smile and say hello.
4. Call someone you have not spoken to in awhile just to say hello and see how they are doing.
5. At the end of the day make a list of all the times you made someone smile and how you felt.
Have fun with the experiment and let me know how you felt when you brought a smile to someone’s face. I am always available to support you in making your life a little brighter. You can reach me by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Finding out where people lived, their concerns and plans for the weekend. My husband made a comment about how friendly I was and that people felt relaxed talking to me. What a gift to be able to talk to everyone without the fear of being rejected.
Thinking back before I started on my journey of self-love I would go out of my way not to talk to anyone. I was so very fearful of people. Once I started on my journey of discovering who I was my personality changed. Today I can say without thinking twice I really like myself.
What can you do today to start feeling better about yourself? Following are some steps my clients and I have started taking daily?
1. While brushing your teeth in the morning look in the mirror and say out loud one thing you like about yourself.
2. Before leaving your house create an intention that you will brighten someone’s day.
3. When you make eye contact with another person, smile and say hello.
4. Call someone you have not spoken to in awhile just to say hello and see how they are doing.
5. At the end of the day make a list of all the times you made someone smile and how you felt.
Have fun with the experiment and let me know how you felt when you brought a smile to someone’s face. I am always available to support you in making your life a little brighter. You can reach me by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
How to Lose Weight the Fun Way
You Are Fantastic Just the Way You Are!
Do you sometimes feel like crying because you can’t seem to lose weight? You are not alone! Many a morning I would think to myself, “I will never lose this weight; I always be overweight.”
Sheila (name changed) was a very successful business owner, loving wife and super mom. She was about 40 pounds overweight and was thinking about losing weight all the time. She tried every diet imaginable only to gain the weight back every time she stopped dieting. Even though she was succeeding in the other areas of her life she felt like a failure and had low self-esteem.
We started working together and the first area we focused on was building Sheila’s self-esteem. She took the steps below to feel confident, lovable and proud of herself. Sheila lost the unwanted unhealthy weight while focusing on her forgotten dream of dancing. Today Sheila is maintaining her weight, taking jazz lessons with her daughter and loves her life.
Some of the steps Sheila took to build her self-esteem are as follows:
1. Before getting out of bed in the morning she gave herself a big hug.
2. While taking a shower in the morning she keep repeating, “I am fantastic just the way I am.”
3. Gave someone in her family a big hug in the morning and told them she loved them.
4. Before eating wrote down what she was going to eat and only ate the planned menu.
5. Took at least 10 minutes a day to do something nice for herself.
6. Exercised for 30 minutes a day, four times a week.
7. Practiced her dance routines.
8. Before going to bed made a list of the things that made her happy that day.
9. Continued to remind herself during the day that she was safe, felt confident and lovable.
10. Asked for support whenever she felt alone and her fears were surfacing.
I invite you to experiment today and try at least one of the above steps. By taking a small step you will begin a new journey which leads to making your dreams come true.
As always I am here to support you. I can be reached by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
How to lose weight, dieting tips, struggling with food, food, loving yourself
Do you sometimes feel like crying because you can’t seem to lose weight? You are not alone! Many a morning I would think to myself, “I will never lose this weight; I always be overweight.”
Sheila (name changed) was a very successful business owner, loving wife and super mom. She was about 40 pounds overweight and was thinking about losing weight all the time. She tried every diet imaginable only to gain the weight back every time she stopped dieting. Even though she was succeeding in the other areas of her life she felt like a failure and had low self-esteem.
We started working together and the first area we focused on was building Sheila’s self-esteem. She took the steps below to feel confident, lovable and proud of herself. Sheila lost the unwanted unhealthy weight while focusing on her forgotten dream of dancing. Today Sheila is maintaining her weight, taking jazz lessons with her daughter and loves her life.
Some of the steps Sheila took to build her self-esteem are as follows:
1. Before getting out of bed in the morning she gave herself a big hug.
2. While taking a shower in the morning she keep repeating, “I am fantastic just the way I am.”
3. Gave someone in her family a big hug in the morning and told them she loved them.
4. Before eating wrote down what she was going to eat and only ate the planned menu.
5. Took at least 10 minutes a day to do something nice for herself.
6. Exercised for 30 minutes a day, four times a week.
7. Practiced her dance routines.
8. Before going to bed made a list of the things that made her happy that day.
9. Continued to remind herself during the day that she was safe, felt confident and lovable.
10. Asked for support whenever she felt alone and her fears were surfacing.
I invite you to experiment today and try at least one of the above steps. By taking a small step you will begin a new journey which leads to making your dreams come true.
As always I am here to support you. I can be reached by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
How to lose weight, dieting tips, struggling with food, food, loving yourself
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Focusing On One Day at a Time
‘We never have more than we can bear.
The present hour we are always able to endure.
As is our day, so is our strength.
If the trials of many years were gathered into one,
they would overwhelm us…
but all is so wisely measured to our strength
that the bruised reed is never broken.’
H.E. Manning
What great advice H. E. Manning’s quote illustrates, to only focus on the present moment instead of thinking about what happened in our lives and what the future brings.
Jan (name has been changed) was at her wits end, trying to control her binge eating at night. Every day she would skip breakfast, eat a salad for lunch and a bagel for dinner. Then around 7:00pm every night she would become very hungry and promise herself that she would only eat half of another bagel. Guess what happened, once eating the bagel she would start eating ice cream, cookies and anything else she could get her hands on. After finishing eating she would get into bed and hate herself. The next morning she would exercise for 2 hours and promise herself today would be different. Jan continued this routine for three years.
One day deciding to find another way of living she called me. We started working together and she took very small steps to change her behavior. Today Jan follows a healthy eating plan and is committed to her new lifestyle. Following are some of the small steps Jan takes everyday to ensure she maintains her recovery from binge eating.
1. Getting out of bed each morning Jan writes down a menu of all the foods and beverages she will eat during the day.
2. Eating only the food on her planned menu.
3. Drinking a cup of tea while preparing her meals.
4. Eating meals sitting down either in her kitchen or in a restaurant.
5. Cleaning-up after she is done eating and never eating anything while she is cleaning.
6. Taking a 10 minute mini-vacation everyday. Doing something for herself she really enjoys.
7. Writing in her beautiful Happiness Journal what made her happy during the day and a short sentence describing the event.
By following this Loving Yourself Plan and only focusing on the present moment Jan is able to maintain her goal weight and live a live filled with self-respect, happiness and the knowledge she is taking care of herself.
As usual, I would love to hear from you. Please let me know how you are doing on your journey of life or if you need any support. You can either leave a message on my blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
The present hour we are always able to endure.
As is our day, so is our strength.
If the trials of many years were gathered into one,
they would overwhelm us…
but all is so wisely measured to our strength
that the bruised reed is never broken.’
H.E. Manning
What great advice H. E. Manning’s quote illustrates, to only focus on the present moment instead of thinking about what happened in our lives and what the future brings.
Jan (name has been changed) was at her wits end, trying to control her binge eating at night. Every day she would skip breakfast, eat a salad for lunch and a bagel for dinner. Then around 7:00pm every night she would become very hungry and promise herself that she would only eat half of another bagel. Guess what happened, once eating the bagel she would start eating ice cream, cookies and anything else she could get her hands on. After finishing eating she would get into bed and hate herself. The next morning she would exercise for 2 hours and promise herself today would be different. Jan continued this routine for three years.
One day deciding to find another way of living she called me. We started working together and she took very small steps to change her behavior. Today Jan follows a healthy eating plan and is committed to her new lifestyle. Following are some of the small steps Jan takes everyday to ensure she maintains her recovery from binge eating.
1. Getting out of bed each morning Jan writes down a menu of all the foods and beverages she will eat during the day.
2. Eating only the food on her planned menu.
3. Drinking a cup of tea while preparing her meals.
4. Eating meals sitting down either in her kitchen or in a restaurant.
5. Cleaning-up after she is done eating and never eating anything while she is cleaning.
6. Taking a 10 minute mini-vacation everyday. Doing something for herself she really enjoys.
7. Writing in her beautiful Happiness Journal what made her happy during the day and a short sentence describing the event.
By following this Loving Yourself Plan and only focusing on the present moment Jan is able to maintain her goal weight and live a live filled with self-respect, happiness and the knowledge she is taking care of herself.
As usual, I would love to hear from you. Please let me know how you are doing on your journey of life or if you need any support. You can either leave a message on my blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Friday, July 13, 2007
People Helping Each Other
Do you feel good when someone helps you? If you answer, “Yes” to this question you are in the majority. The reason being we are feeling special at the time and someone takes the time to acknowledge us.
Yesterday was an example of someone going out of their way for me and how grateful I felt. While my grandson Jeffrey was in karate and sparing with another child his elbow was hurt. After making trips to different hospitals and doctor’s offices we learned that his elbow was dislocated and maybe broken. His entire arm was put in a dark blue cast (his choice of color.)
The hospital where the specialist was located was in a very bad neighborhood. My next thought after finding out Jeffrey only needed a cast was that there had to be a safer way to get back to the highway. I asked different nurses and doctors for directions to the highway. The surgeon who took care of Jeffrey lived near us and led us back to the highway. What I learned from this situation was to ask for help.
This same situation can be applied when we are struggling with food. In most cases, changing your eating habits is a monumental task if you do it alone. With support the task becomes easier. Please ask yourself the question, “Who can I contact to help me with my struggle with food?” Then take the next step and contact that person. I am also available for support. You can either contact me by leaving a comment on this blog or send an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. You have options so why do it alone?
Yesterday was an example of someone going out of their way for me and how grateful I felt. While my grandson Jeffrey was in karate and sparing with another child his elbow was hurt. After making trips to different hospitals and doctor’s offices we learned that his elbow was dislocated and maybe broken. His entire arm was put in a dark blue cast (his choice of color.)
The hospital where the specialist was located was in a very bad neighborhood. My next thought after finding out Jeffrey only needed a cast was that there had to be a safer way to get back to the highway. I asked different nurses and doctors for directions to the highway. The surgeon who took care of Jeffrey lived near us and led us back to the highway. What I learned from this situation was to ask for help.
This same situation can be applied when we are struggling with food. In most cases, changing your eating habits is a monumental task if you do it alone. With support the task becomes easier. Please ask yourself the question, “Who can I contact to help me with my struggle with food?” Then take the next step and contact that person. I am also available for support. You can either contact me by leaving a comment on this blog or send an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. You have options so why do it alone?
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Reaching Out to Others
Do you ever feel you are alone in the world? You are not alone! This is one of the biggest complaints many people express. We just don’t realize that all it takes is one little step to change this situation and talk to someone.
Sometimes we find it easier to hire a professional, discuss with them our challenges and find a solution. Other times all it takes is calling a friend and scheduling time to have a cup of coffee or tea together. Also, there are 12 Step meetings you can attend, especially Over Eaters Anonymous. What you are doing is interacting with others so you don’t feel alone.
This past week I have been feeling alone and isolating myself from others. My daughter and I share a family membership at a local organic farm and Tuesday is our scheduled day to pick-up our vegetables. My daughter this Tuesday asked if I would pick-up our share of vegetables at the farm. I really did not want to go and out of guilt I told her that I would be happy to pick-up our share. A few minutes later I called my grandson Jeffrey, who hates to go to the farm, and asked if he would like to go with me. I bribed him by saying we would get him a cold drink before we went to the farm. That did the trick and 30 minutes later we were on the way to the farm.
Driving in the car we played games, sang songs and had a great time together. While Jeffrey and I were picking the vegetables there was a photographer from a local newspaper taking pictures. He asked if he could take Jeffrey and my picture. I will let you know if our picture is in the paper.
Not only did I have fun going to the farm, it made me realize that being with someone else I did not feel alone. Who can you spend sometime with today and not feel alone.
As always, I would love to hear about your different experiences, stories and challenges. Together on this blog we can build a community to support each other on our journey of getting off the diet merry-go-round and into a vibrant life. The way to build this community is by leaving comments below this article or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I would love to hear from you.
Sometimes we find it easier to hire a professional, discuss with them our challenges and find a solution. Other times all it takes is calling a friend and scheduling time to have a cup of coffee or tea together. Also, there are 12 Step meetings you can attend, especially Over Eaters Anonymous. What you are doing is interacting with others so you don’t feel alone.
This past week I have been feeling alone and isolating myself from others. My daughter and I share a family membership at a local organic farm and Tuesday is our scheduled day to pick-up our vegetables. My daughter this Tuesday asked if I would pick-up our share of vegetables at the farm. I really did not want to go and out of guilt I told her that I would be happy to pick-up our share. A few minutes later I called my grandson Jeffrey, who hates to go to the farm, and asked if he would like to go with me. I bribed him by saying we would get him a cold drink before we went to the farm. That did the trick and 30 minutes later we were on the way to the farm.
Driving in the car we played games, sang songs and had a great time together. While Jeffrey and I were picking the vegetables there was a photographer from a local newspaper taking pictures. He asked if he could take Jeffrey and my picture. I will let you know if our picture is in the paper.
Not only did I have fun going to the farm, it made me realize that being with someone else I did not feel alone. Who can you spend sometime with today and not feel alone.
As always, I would love to hear about your different experiences, stories and challenges. Together on this blog we can build a community to support each other on our journey of getting off the diet merry-go-round and into a vibrant life. The way to build this community is by leaving comments below this article or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I would love to hear from you.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Finding the Answer for Losing Weight
Are you tired of trying almost every diet on the planet? This is how I felt most of the time. I was always trying different diets and hoping one of the diets would make me thin. Notice I said, “This one will make me thin.” It is the diet that has to do the work not me.
As usual, after a week or two I felt the diet was not for me. Then I would try another one and the worst part was, I was spending money, the books were piling up and I was feeling more of a failure with each new diet. There had to be a better way! What did I have to do?
The answer finally came when I decided to make a commitment to do the work, instead of expecting the diet to do it for me. It was a turning point for me. I found by working with clients, taking different trainings and my own experience, the only way for a diet to work is by em>making a commitment to take the steps and not expecting the diet to do the work for you.
Following is a short quiz you can take to determine if you are committed to taking the steps or want the diet to do all the work:
1. Are you willing to follow a diet plan, even though you don’t lose weight quickly, you will continue to follow?
2. Are you willing to get help from a professional who specializes in weight control?
3. Losing weight is a major concern in your life and you will take whatever steps necessary to make it happen.
4. Realizing there are no magic fixes and the solution is in your hands.
If you answer “Yes” to the above questions it seems possible that you are committed to losing weight. If you answered “No” to any of the questions it may appear you are looking for the magic fix.
If you are committed to taking any steps to make your dreams come true. Congratulations! Today is a special day for you by taking that first step and following a healthy eating plan that works for you. If you need help in creating that plan I can be reached by leaving a comment below or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
If most of your answers were “No” don’t give up hope. Even though you may expect the diet to work for you there is an easy way to change your thinking. Creating a Loving Me Plan which includes easy steps to follow will enable you to make a shift in your thinking.
I will continue writing on this topic and would appreciate any ideas you may have. Please send me your ideas either by leaving a comment or sending an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Working together we can help each other realize our goal of living a healthy lifestyle and maintaining our weight.
As usual, after a week or two I felt the diet was not for me. Then I would try another one and the worst part was, I was spending money, the books were piling up and I was feeling more of a failure with each new diet. There had to be a better way! What did I have to do?
The answer finally came when I decided to make a commitment to do the work, instead of expecting the diet to do it for me. It was a turning point for me. I found by working with clients, taking different trainings and my own experience, the only way for a diet to work is by em>making a commitment to take the steps and not expecting the diet to do the work for you.
Following is a short quiz you can take to determine if you are committed to taking the steps or want the diet to do all the work:
1. Are you willing to follow a diet plan, even though you don’t lose weight quickly, you will continue to follow?
2. Are you willing to get help from a professional who specializes in weight control?
3. Losing weight is a major concern in your life and you will take whatever steps necessary to make it happen.
4. Realizing there are no magic fixes and the solution is in your hands.
If you answer “Yes” to the above questions it seems possible that you are committed to losing weight. If you answered “No” to any of the questions it may appear you are looking for the magic fix.
If you are committed to taking any steps to make your dreams come true. Congratulations! Today is a special day for you by taking that first step and following a healthy eating plan that works for you. If you need help in creating that plan I can be reached by leaving a comment below or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
If most of your answers were “No” don’t give up hope. Even though you may expect the diet to work for you there is an easy way to change your thinking. Creating a Loving Me Plan which includes easy steps to follow will enable you to make a shift in your thinking.
I will continue writing on this topic and would appreciate any ideas you may have. Please send me your ideas either by leaving a comment or sending an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Working together we can help each other realize our goal of living a healthy lifestyle and maintaining our weight.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Thinking Like a Winner
Thinking as a One-Hundred-Percent-of-the-Time WinnerGive yourself a special fourth-of-July present today and celebrate your beauty, qualities and gifts you share with the world. Today is your special day and enjoy it!!
Thinking like a winner means not always having to defeat someone else.
It means being able to grow from a situation in which you fail to reach your goal.
It involves not demanding perfection from yourself in every single thing you do, but, instead, thinking of yourself as perfect and thus capable of growing.
It means reminding yourself that perfection doesn’t mean staying the same; it means being able to allow yourself to grow.
Thinking as a winner means not coming down on yourself; it means refusing to allow self-negative thoughts into your head.
It involves pushing out the wanting to evaluate yourself in comparison with others, and giving yourself permission to be the unique person you are.”
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
I would love to hear about your special day and how you celebrated your beauty. I can be contacted by leaving a comment below this article or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
A Word of Advice
A Word of Advice
By Marsha Reid
I want to tell you
to go ahead and reach out
for what you want.
I want to tell you
to go ahead and try;
try to make the things happen
that you want to happen.
Along the way
there may be some pain,
disappointment and doubt,
but if you never try,
you’ll never know
what might have been,
and you’ll always wonder
“what if” and “if only…”
Even though you
might be scared,
you’ll have reason to be
proud of yourself
and glad that you dared
to reach out
for the dreams
that only you
can make come true.
The above poem signifies the reason and courage we all need to get started today on our new healthy lifestyle journey. All it takes is one little step to get started. One small step you can take today is compliment yourself at least once a day.
After reading this poem and maybe taking the small step of complimenting yourself, please let me know what feelings and ideas formed. I am looking forward to hearing from you. You can reach me by leaving a comment on the blog or sending an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
By Marsha Reid
I want to tell you
to go ahead and reach out
for what you want.
I want to tell you
to go ahead and try;
try to make the things happen
that you want to happen.
Along the way
there may be some pain,
disappointment and doubt,
but if you never try,
you’ll never know
what might have been,
and you’ll always wonder
“what if” and “if only…”
Even though you
might be scared,
you’ll have reason to be
proud of yourself
and glad that you dared
to reach out
for the dreams
that only you
can make come true.
The above poem signifies the reason and courage we all need to get started today on our new healthy lifestyle journey. All it takes is one little step to get started. One small step you can take today is compliment yourself at least once a day.
After reading this poem and maybe taking the small step of complimenting yourself, please let me know what feelings and ideas formed. I am looking forward to hearing from you. You can reach me by leaving a comment on the blog or sending an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Wishing; Only If I Was Thin!
I was at my granddaughter’s graduation on Wednesday night and people watching as the guests were arriving; my favorite sport. While looking around I was thinking, boy can that person lose weight or I wish I looked like that person. At one point I mentioned to someone in my family, “I wish I was that thin and his reply was you are.” I stopped and thought what are you doing?
It is so easy to get caught up in our story about not being thin and if only I could lose another 20 pounds. My life would be perfect! I started thinking, what if I changed my story, told myself I was thin and living a vibrant life NOW what would happen. A new challenge!
So from that point on I kept telling myself, you look great and how exciting it was to be at my granddaughter’s high school graduation. I was so grateful that my family members were sitting next to me, we were all yelling together when Caitlin marched in, of course she heard us and turned, smiled and waved. The speakers at the graduation were very inspirational. I was thinking how lucky we are today to have the knowledge and awareness that enables us to create our own vibrant lives.
I was working with a client yesterday and she was telling me about her assignment. During her last session, we were talking about the stories we tell ourselves and how destructive they could be. She then crafted a new story that was very positive and loving of herself and others. Her special opportunity the week between sessions was to keep telling herself the new story. Cathy (name changed) found by telling herself the new story she woke up with a smile each morning, ate healthier and enjoyed her day. Taking this small step Cathy started living life from a different perspective.
Some simple tools you can use to change your story:
1. Write a very short story on an index card describing your perfect life. An example: “Today I feel loved, healthy, enjoying my life, wanting to eat healthy and exercise and am grateful for my supportive friends and family members."
2. Read the card when you get out of bed.
3. Read the card whenever you start thinking about your old story.
4. Read the card before going to sleep.
5. Continue this exercise for 20 days.
As always, I would love to hear what you are experiencing on your life's journey. Please feel free to contact me with your stories, comments, and ideas. Write to me by leaving your comments at the bottom of this article or send an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
It is so easy to get caught up in our story about not being thin and if only I could lose another 20 pounds. My life would be perfect! I started thinking, what if I changed my story, told myself I was thin and living a vibrant life NOW what would happen. A new challenge!
So from that point on I kept telling myself, you look great and how exciting it was to be at my granddaughter’s high school graduation. I was so grateful that my family members were sitting next to me, we were all yelling together when Caitlin marched in, of course she heard us and turned, smiled and waved. The speakers at the graduation were very inspirational. I was thinking how lucky we are today to have the knowledge and awareness that enables us to create our own vibrant lives.
I was working with a client yesterday and she was telling me about her assignment. During her last session, we were talking about the stories we tell ourselves and how destructive they could be. She then crafted a new story that was very positive and loving of herself and others. Her special opportunity the week between sessions was to keep telling herself the new story. Cathy (name changed) found by telling herself the new story she woke up with a smile each morning, ate healthier and enjoyed her day. Taking this small step Cathy started living life from a different perspective.
Some simple tools you can use to change your story:
1. Write a very short story on an index card describing your perfect life. An example: “Today I feel loved, healthy, enjoying my life, wanting to eat healthy and exercise and am grateful for my supportive friends and family members."
2. Read the card when you get out of bed.
3. Read the card whenever you start thinking about your old story.
4. Read the card before going to sleep.
5. Continue this exercise for 20 days.
As always, I would love to hear what you are experiencing on your life's journey. Please feel free to contact me with your stories, comments, and ideas. Write to me by leaving your comments at the bottom of this article or send an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
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