Step Four is all about taking a deep breath….one, two, three and exhaling. And it’s all legal!

I know that women can help themselves in ways that doesn’t involve calling their local pharmacy. When the going gets tough, the tough (or timid with potential) say to themselves, “No more cell phones, computers, meetings, play dates or making dinner until I take off.” To a place that lives only in our minds. The mind that mediates can make it all fit nicely without a meltdown in sight.

Now is the perfect time for us to stay even more focused on our breathing by adding meditation to our daily routines. Start with 5 minutes and see what happens. Bet you can get up to 20 minutes or more a day. I keep my favorite meditation CD by the bed and 30 minutes before the world starts to invade, I listen and get really ready for the day.

Here are just a few of the benefits that come from a few minutes of meditation a day:

Clarity in problem solving;

Reduction of stress and anxiety;

A renewed sense of well being;

More restful sleep;

Slowing down of aging (YES!) and

It can even help with the resolution of mental and emotional blocks in our lives.

Not too bad, eh? Think of it as the 21^st century’s own M&M–the mind working with meditation can lead to healthier bodies.

This is one of the best gifts we women can give ourselves, and we can start just by taking a deep breath. 

FreeDigitalPhotos.net

        

I was one lucky intuitive coach wanna be when I heard about Tara Roth.  She is clever, insightful and brings much to all who want to learn more about their intuition and how it will make their lives better.

Tara just posted her first You Tube video and I wanted to share it with you all. More to come, but you knew that.

        

SEPTEMBER MOURN
I love NY.                                                                                                               
I am your shops and delis on the avenues.
I am the bright lights and the out of work actors.
Seeking fame and fortune on Broadway, too.
I am the concrete, the colors, the sounds and the aromas.
All wrapped up as fine art.
I am this magnificent city’s heart.
I keep this city going and glowing.
Downtown readings and swinging with my baby uptown.
Where we can cry at each other’s words and dance on each other’s feet.                                                       
But we never miss a beat.

I love NY.
I am the lucky few with townhouses that come with breathtaking views.
From the Big Apple’s museums to its Central Park Zoo.
I sleep on subway grates for I am the poor.
With faces you have never seen before.
But I will be there to comfort you.
Because that is what New Yorkers do.
I claim this land to be my very own.
And thank God every night.
That this is my home.

I love NY.
Yellow and black.
Mr. Cabbie, please take me back.
To when only stars fell from the Manhattan sky.
Run the next light, lay on your horn.
Get me away from the city that I will come to mourn.
I beg you, Mr. Cabbie, give me back New York City.
Please, Mr. Cabbie, show me a little pity.
There’s a big tip in it for you if you can.
Take me back to Monday, September 10.

Photo: Rory McCafferty

        

I hope the parents who shielded their children from seeing this speech are feeling pretty foolish right about now. I hope you will all take the time to think about what is causing this fear you have.  I hope you do some soul searching. Hate and fear can really mess you up.

May we look at this as a way to open the door to better understanding about what our president would like for us and our country.

Click here to view the embedded video.

        

But, if you want to see someone win the heart of the world, sing even better than a lot of high paid perfomers then take a listen to Susan Boyle.

She knocked the sarcastic smirk off of Simon Cowell and for a lot of us, that is enough payback for all his rude and nasty comments. But she sailed above him and all of us when she started to sing.

Susan Boyle – you go girl!

        

So, if my extra 10 lbs. were not enough of a reason for me to go off the deep end then how about all the financial news of gloom and doom?  I don’t know if you get a lot of emails on the subject, but I have been inundated with them. I broke a nail doing speed deleting, but they keep coming. Makes you wonder if they all have stock in Prozac. Only our dog has a prescription for Prozac in our household. So far.

As I am deciding whether to spend the extra money on aluminum sliding for my refrigerator box, I am looking around and realizing that there is always good news. We just need to go looking for it. Most of the time, you don’t have to look too far. If you do, let me know. You’re probably not looking at the right place. Put the newspapers down and turn off the TV. That would be an excellent start.

I decided to make a list as quickly as I could about some of the good news that has made its way into my life recently.  I think if you take the time, you might discover that we are always given good news to take the edge off the bad news that does show up in our lives. It’s like good lighting in a dressing room. It is out there. Not when I am shopping, but it is out there.

So here is a partial list of my good news:

Chicken soup that I made from scratch (and I don’t cook – trust me),

Doris (my cat with kidney disease) is a fighter and doesn’t know she is sick,

Our vet tech, Rachel, who helps Doris in the fight,

I lost 2 lbs.,

Halloween is coming (will be gaining those 2 and more back),

Old friends who won’t tell secrets (unless richly compensated for that info),

A weekend up in Rhinebeck where I met my intuitive sage – Lynn Robinson,

Gabrielle and Steve’s new baby boy – Nathan Riley,

The elections are coming,

The day after the elections is coming,

Miz Ruby, my lab who is on Prozac (It’s the elections that is making her stressed),

Walter, who I know wonders how he married a liberal with a mouth,

My book proposal,

Jen’s help with keeping me on track with it,

National blogger for Skirt! (see comment about Walter),

A home with heat and windows that don’t leak,

An upcoming women’s retreat,

My “daughter” Joey is engaged (my apologizes to the male population),

Some of my charming and funny guy friends – Lou, Derek, Johnny H and Mr. Norris,

and tomorrow.

And one more thing – Duncan’s failed attempt to knock the spider plant off the shelf and onto my head. Good thing that black cat has nine lives. And that just goes to show that the sky is not falling. It nearly knocked me out, but…

So how about trying your own list of good news? We can have a contest for the best list. I’ll even feature your good news in an upcoming newsletter. It could be a great way to end the year with a list of good news from you all. But, it’s not even Halloween yet, so I am not rushing the end of the year. Just your good news lists.

If You Were Brave

Great lyrics by Jana Stanfield, who calls herself, “The Queen of Heavy Mental.”

What would I do if I knew I could not fail?

If I believed, would the wind always fill up my sail?

How far would I go, what could I achieve

Trusting the hero in me.

She ends the song with:

“If I refuse to listen to the voice of fear

What would the voice of courage whisper in my ear?”

Stress Reducing  “Calming“Foods

I wouldn’t suggest that you eat all these foods in one sitting (unless you are really stressed out) but here is a list of foods that just might lower your stress levels. They come from Olessa Pindak from Natural Health Magazine:

Spinach, turkey, whole grains, yogurt and cheese, citrus fruits, herbs (instead of salt), berries, Nori (seaweed wrapped around sushi – I’m thinking throw some in an omelet and leave the house). And if these don’t work, try chocolate. J

Adjustable Coaching Rates

Are you feeling a little unsure of your future? Do you believe all the negative press and you’re thinking like you are out there by yourself?

I understand that feeling because a few years ago I was there. I found working with a coach while I was in school really helped me to get clear about my new direction in life. And being a mere mortal, I do have days when the future does feel shaky, but I have discovered ways to keep me going and I believe they can work for you also.

I would like to offer my email subscribers a terrific opportunity to work one on one with me. Because times are tough for a lot of people, I am adjusting my rates so that anyone who wants to feel inspired again, to get pass their roadblocks and move forward with their lives can do just that by experiencing what life coaching has to offer.

If you would like a 30 minute complimentary coaching consultation to see what life coaching can do for your life, please email me at:BranchOutLife@optonline.net.

Together we can develop creative solutions for today.