Keep it Small & You Will Shine

It's that time again - New Year's Eve.  It's a time when we sit back and say "I need to change something"; "I need do something about ......"; "I really should......." etc.

I know that you're thinking about changes for the new year because I am too! Changes that will have a positive impact on your life and ultimately, make you feel better, healthier, and happier.  Yes, I want to make those changes and so do you.

The question is how do we make our changes last longer than a day, a week or a month?  How do we make it a true "lifestyle" change?  One that will have impact and we'll be able to actually celebrate?

Here Are the 3 K.I.S. Tips for Success:

Keep Your Changes Small - smaller - smallest

I want to lead a more active life - yes, I do.  But just saying that makes me feel a little stressed.  What does that mean?  How will I measure my success?

In order to succeed, I'm going to make my target small - smaller - smallest:

• I will take a leisurely walk on three mornings each week; or
• I will choose one night a week and make it a tv-free night; or
• I will commit to having a meat-free meal once a week; or
• I will choose to set the table and eat a proper sit-down meal at least one night each week; or
• I will only eat potato chips on Saturday nights while I'm watching the hockey game!

Now I can celebrate my accomplishments.  Much nicer than feeling horrible that I haven't accomplished this huge, unmanageable goal and then quitting.

Tell Your Truth

Stop lying to yourself!  Be honest and tell yourself the truth about what you will and won't do.

I did this exercise and now I'm completely comfortable knowing that I will never set foot in a gym - yuck; I will never completely stop eating junk food but I can accept only eating chips on Saturday.  What a treat to look forward to!

Be crazy honest with yourself.  If you want to change something about your life, what are you willing to do and what aren't you prepared to do.

Now, breathe a sigh of relief because you are on your way to success, honestly!

Allow Flexibility

Be flexible!  Flexibility lets you bend a little.  When you are flexible and you can bend, you won't snap and break your promise to yourself.

Let's say I wake-up on one of my leisurely walk days and it's raining cats and dogs.  I have two choices:

1. go out in the rain, get soaked and cold, be miserable, not joyous and feeling good about myself; or
2. Choose Flexibility - I will stay home today and walk tomorrow and I'm okay with my choice.

Choosing to be flexible will inspire me to keep going.  

Think about your goal 

Make it small - smaller - smallest

Tell Yourself the Truth 

Be flexible - bending so you won't break

You've got this!  

Happy New Year.

About Susan Ball:  Susan inspires her clients to live the life of their dreams with passion, joy, and love. Susan is an experienced international Life Coach helping people discover and live their ideal life through NLP, Mindfulness, and G.R.A.C.E.

Learn more about Susan by visiting her Online, on Facebook

Turn Off Your Phone and Be Present Now in the Moment

People want to engage with you and see your smile, listen to your words.

Nature wants to seen and be fully appreciated.  Nature is waiting to be discovered in all its amazing glory.

How can you possibly engage and communicate with real people if you're neck is bent toward the ground and your eyes are focused on your phone?  How can you connect with nature and her magnificence if your eyes are riveted to your phone?

I recently conducted a successful workshop on the topic of "Mindfulness and Connection".  Participants were asked to leave their cell phones at home....period.  I had anxious callers telling me how they couldn't do that because they were expecting a very important phone call from someone.  To each special request I simply replied leave your cell phone at home....period!

All the participants who attended complied and were pleasantly surprised to discover that their stress level was significantly reduced.  They were relaxed and enjoyed the conversation and looked forward to our next group chat.

There was a time not so long ago that your phone was connected to the wall in your house.  If you went out with your friends, family or just for a walk, your phone stayed at home!

You were free to simply enjoy the moment, the activity, and the people.

Action Steps to Live Phone Free 

Leave your phone at home, in the car, or the office for 15 minutes each day.

Meet up with family, friends or take a walk in the park.  Focus on the moment, what's happening right now.  Breath and relax.  Be present in your life.

After 7 days, increase the amount of time you leave your phone behind.

Remember - when the phone was attached to the wall, you survived, business carried on, family crises happened, your kids arrived at their destination, and anyone and everyone was free to leave a message.  You would get back to them at your leisure.

Disconnect and Kick the Phone Habit - you will be a new person in a very short time and you will look forward to your "no-phone time".

About Susan Ball

Susan inspires her clients to live the life of their dreams with passion, joy, and love. Susan is an experienced international Life Coach helping people discover and live their ideal life through NLP, Mindfulness, and G.R.A.C.E.

Learn more about Susan by visiting her Online, on Facebook

It's Thanksgiving! What a Perfect Time to Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude

You hear about practicing gratitude everyday and I'll bet you wonder "how on earth can it make a difference in my life?"

Well, an attitude of gratitude can and will change your life.  It will definitely raise your happiness quotient, it will reduce your stress and it will positively impact your overall sense of contentment and peace.

I was so skeptical when I was first introduced to practicing gratitude.  I thought how could being grateful possibly change my life for the better? I was healing from an abusive relationship.  Truthfully, I was drinking too much and engaging in destructive behaviours.  I really couldn't see anything good in my life for the present moment and the future was even bleaker.

A very wise friend who was tired of hearing my tale of woe asked me one day, "What are you grateful for?"  Huh!?  She simply said "What about music? You love music.  It brings you pure joy."  She was right.  Music did and on countless occasions music helped me get through a rough patch.

So, it turned out I did have something to be grateful for.  I decided to earnestly give gratitude a shot and see what happened if anything.

Gratitude worked for me and it will for you too!

Start small - take 5 or 10 minutes and write down or just reflect on things you are grateful for. When you're ready, start your gratitude journal or jar.  Each week or month, reflect on all that you have been grateful for.

Say Thank You with a Smile- to the servers, to the police officer, to your children's teacher, to your spouse, to anyone at anytime who does something to make your life better.

Write a Letter of Gratitude - Have a teacher, coach, co-worker, old friend, or mentor who has made a difference in your life? When was the last time you told them?  Sit down and write a handwritten note of thanks for the difference they have made in your life.  Deliver it by hand or pop in the mail.

Next time you are outside or with a group of people, instead of checking your phone, take time to simply enjoy the moment.

Exercise your gratitude muscle often.  You will be grateful you did.

How do you practice gratitude?  Would love to hear how you bring gratitude to your daily life.

Susan

Help Me Celebrate My Birthday - Take Advantage of My Special

Feeling Stuck?  Feel like your Spinning and Going Nowhere? Is it time for a Change?

October is my Birthday Month and I celebrated my fabulous 58th on the 4th of October!

To celebrate, I'm offering a special Birthday Coaching Rate of $58 per session for the month of October.

Get in touch and start living your life with joy, happiness, freedom and authenticity.

PS - pass on the good news.

Call 902.660.2701 to chat!

Yes, I Want to Get Unstuck!

Special Rate expires October 31, 2014.

How to Stop the Negative Practice of Coveting

I have blessed recently with the opportunity to immerse myself in the study of Gratitude and Mindfulness.  Both of these lifestyle practices are life and attitude changers.  When you begin every day in gratitude and take a daily 5-minute mindfulness break, you will bring positive changes to your life and mental and physical health.

How?  Simple - you will stop the negative practice of "coveting"!

That's it!

Coveting adds stress, depression, anxiety, anger, and many other negative moods to your day and life.

When you covet, you have unsatisfied, unquenchable "need" and "want" and "wish" for something someone else has that you believe you will make you happy.

"If I just had more money"  "If I just had a relationship like Bobby & Janet"  "If I just had a job I liked"  "If I just had a bigger house, a better car, a vacation, ............"

Change your coveting to gratefulness - love what you have in your life and then you will easily be able to build on it.

At the end of each and every day, write down 5 things you are grateful for in your life.  Close you eyes and think how blessed you are and smile.

Commit to a Daily 5-Minute Mindfulness Break.  Tiny mindfulness practices you can do to get started:

• Focus on your breathing.  Feel your breath flowing in and out of your body.  Feel how your lungs expand.
• Focus your attention fully on a daily routine task - washing the dishes, brushing your teeth - notice how it feels, smells, tastes.
• Focus on just being quiet and still.  Let your mind go quiet and your body go still. Do this in 30-second bursts.  

Bring Mindfulness and Gratefulness to your life today - you will be thankful you did

Happiness is a Gratitude Shift

Feeling grateful or thankful each day for the little things in your life opens the door to happiness.

Pure joy comes to you when you wake up in the morning and say:

Thanks for this Day!

I Won't Blow it

I Promise to Smile, Share and Practice Gratitude

You will feel the positive effects on your outlook and your life as soon as you shift your focus to gratitude, gratefulness, thanks, and thankfulness.

One week is all it will take to develop your ability to make the shift to gratitude.  For 7 days, take the time to write down 5 things or people or places or experiences you are grateful for.  

What Am I Grateful for Today?

Have an amazing day.  Look around you and see all the richness in your life and Be Grateful!

I Am, I Can, I Will - Shift Happens with Small Words

The lack of self-confidence is the most popular reason that clients seek my help.  Not having self-confidence impacts every aspect of your life:

• How you react to negative people 
• Whether or not you change careers
• Go back to school
• Leave a negative relationship
• Stand up for your authenticity and joy and happiness
• Actively participate in events, sports and with friends

Your self-confidence is your foundation and you build your life, success, happiness and pure joy on it.  If you foundation has weak spots, your ability to let go, chase your dreams and find pure joy in living, is significantly diminished!

To begin repairing your foundation, add these empowering statements to your daily routine:

  

Every day, twice a day, write empowering statements that begin with I am, I Can, and I Will.  I recommend doing this in the morning and just before bed.

These may seem like very simple statements but their impact on your confidence will be complex.

While you are writing your empowering statements, you are discovering all the great things about you.  And that will change your view of you and your life.  Start today and notice the shift.

Here are mine from this morning:

I Am Grateful * I Can Write * I Will Start Today

Confidence building is worth the investment - www.susanballnlp.com

It's Monday, Be Awesome

So many people lament Monday.  Some even start on Sunday!

Think about how you set your mood for the day and the entire week when you begin with hating on something including the day of the week!

I hate Mondays does not generate good vibrations or open your senses and spirit to all the good, awesomeness around you.  It simply causes you to hunch your shoulders, lower your eyes to the ground, and see negativity in your space.

What an ugly way to spend the day.  No Thanks!!!

So let's be awesome on Mondays.  It will change your perspective which will change your outcome which will cause you to smile and be grateful.

Monday is a wonderful day.  It truly is.  Look forward to every day and you will feel so much better.  

Happiness is an attitude and gratitude begins with a smile.

Cheers, Susan

About Susan Ball:  Susan specializes in working with clients to let go of their baggage and junk - limiting beliefs, past hurts, traumas, etc. in order to begin a new life chapter that is happier, balanced and perfect just for them!

Learn more about Susan by visiting her Online, on Facebook

I Broke-Up With My Daughter

and I feel free, fabulous and authentic.

It was a difficult relationship and I often felt that my soul was being dug out with a spoon every time we engaged with each other. It was time for a change!

Relationships can be wonderful, loving and mutually beneficial or they can be draining, stress-filled and grossly one-sided.  The relationship with my daughter was the latter.

It was one-sided, demanding, overbearing and she felt no compassion or remorse.  Kind words and gestures were way beyond her scope of understanding.

I hung in for a very long time.  Why?  Simply because there is societal pressure to continue a relationship based on family connection, blood or a specific set of labels.  In our case, our labels were mother and daughter.

I felt more like a doormat and an instant ATM.  My punishment for not behaving as she expected, banishment from my grandsons.  Do it mother or you will not see or speak with them.

The day came when I'd had enough and I was at my lowest point and I decided to break up with my daughter.

The words came easier than I thought they would.  Actually, once I said it, I started to feel amazing and that great feeling has continued to this day.

When you think of your "relationships" and your labels, is there one that you would like to break up with?  Yes, indeed!

Now imagine the peace and tranquility that would invade your being if you sent that person packing?  You feel amazing, calm and look forward to your day and life.

It can be done!  I know I did it and everything about my life has improved.  I will love my daughter forever.  Liking her is a whole other matter and I don't.

Healthy relationships are not defined by labels.

Connect with me and schedule your 30-minute complementary session.  It's simple Visit my website  or send an email

Something Needs to Be Removed

We easily make assumptions about what we want and need. If we detect an area of our lives is far from satisfactory, we assume that we 'need' something to improve it. 

Sometimes though, what we actually need is something to be removed. 

Before you can gain something you truly need, you want to make space available for it.

After you remove the clutter, you will be free to focus your attention on the new breathing space you have created.  

It is your "space" and it is open to whatever you want that will enhance your life and happiness.

Focus on the positive - donate the negative - develop a new perspective - shake off the drag - do something just for you.

Spring into action and sweep out the old dust!  You'll be grateful you did.

Spring Clean Your Life Workshop on April 24 will quick start your cleaning.

Susan, NLP Success Coach

Say "YES" to Yourself and Create Your Best Relationship with You!

Best advice. Think about all the times you say "yes" when you really wanted to say no. Say Yes to Yourself and create your best relationship with you!

To create space for success and happiness in your life, it's important to make time for you.  How?  By saying no to others and yes to you.

Grab your copy of my Yes-No Worksheet and really explore your yes vs no options.  The worksheet will show you what you're missing when you say yes to stuff and then more stuff.

Start easy with 2 yes items that you want to change to no right away.  Write down a variety of ways you can say no (no maybes!).  Play with the words but always be clear that your answer is no.  Then choose the wording that feels right and practice, practice, practice.  

Once you have gotten your first no out of the way, you'll feel so much better, less stressed and you won't grow a huge wart on your nose!  The next no will be easier.

After you say no to something else, say yes to you.  Use the time to do something you "want" to do and not something you should do.

Have you scheduled your 30-Minute Free Consultation?

Get in Touch

When Are You Going to Lose That Dead Part...

So You Can Really Live!

When you read this story, you will want to Lose Your Dead Part and

Start Living!

It's time to realize your full potential and create lasting, sustainable positive change. Explore your potential and focus on your dynamic future....
NLP Success Coaching Works!

Take the first step to Living Your Life to the Fullest

Book your Free Consultation

Single-Tasking or Overcoming Overwhelm

When was the last time you focused on one task and completed it without interruption?

I'll bet  it was quite a while ago and I'm confident in my wager.  My confidence is because I speak with clients everyday in my coaching practice who are struggling with "I'm overwhelmed".

They are average people with jobs, kids, spouses, parents, friends who volunteer and get involved with their children's activities.  Their calendars are filled with due dates, to do lists, task lists, and appointments.  Some of their planned activities actually overlap leaving not even one second from the end of one activity to the start of the next!

Is that even humanly possible?  Is it healthy?  Does it leave time for just simply enjoying life?  NO!

A common result of too much overwhelm and busy-ness, is procrastination.  It all becomes too much and there doesn't seem to be enough time to do anything.

Overcoming overwhelm begins by adopting "single-tasking".  The fine art of doing one thing at a time.  The ability to delegate or forget about it.

Running around like a chicken with your head cut-off filling in the demands of "everyone" except you is not only unhealthy it is unproductive and not sustainable.

Tomorrow look at your mega huge calendar of things to get accomplished and pick one - just one.  Write it down - I will do/finish/meet with/visit/enjoy this one thing.  Do not take on any new projects or appointments.  Break down your task into steps and achieve each step individually and do a good job so you can smile at your success.  

I have become committed to the idea of single-tasking and the health benefits in choosing to back away from the dreaded multi-tasking.  

I would love to hear if you are a single or multi-tasker.

Soar With Your Dreams Inspired Life Vision Board Workshop

Close your eyes and imagine a workshop filled with passion, artistic expression, colour, and joy. Imagine the amazing creativity that would flow onto your personal Inspired Life Vision Board. Oh, the possibilities!

In this fun and informal workshop, Susan will help you focus and visualize your ideal life’s vision filled with what you want to be, do, or have. You will open your Inspired Imagination and see, feel, hear and touch your personal vision for your life.

Your inner artist will be inspired by Sadie, a passionate and colourful artist. She will open your artistic senses and give you the tools to put your passion on paper.

You will have fun creating your own personal vision board that visually represents your goals and dreams.

The vision board will help you focus your intent and help you start to manifest your dreams into reality. Your vision board will help you attract the things you want in your life.

It's time to liberate your imagination, manifest your goals, and soar with your dreams!

Cost: $30.00 - includes all materials
When: Saturday, February 8
Time: 10 am to 3 pm
Where: JTW Natural Health Guidance Centre
106 Victoria St. East
Amherst, NS

Only 10 Spots Available! Pre-Payment is required to reserve your spot!

This workshop will sell-out quickly - Register and Pay by Calling Charlene at 667-1119

How Distorted Are You?

Do you over-generalize?  Think that there is only black or white solutions?  Dwell on one little negative thing so that you ruin your overall enjoyment of an experience?  Are you a fortune teller?  Or do you see catastrophe at every turn?

Grab your copy of my Cognitive Distortions worksheet so we can discuss all the unique ways we distort our experiences.

"Cognitive Distortions" are so common and you are not alone.  These distortions negatively impact our daily interactions with others and ourselves.

Recently, a client came to me to overcome childhood sexual abuse by a close family member.  We discovered that she had not discussed what happened with any of her immediate family members effectively isolating herself from her circle of support.

She had applied the big cognitive distortion - Jumping to Conclusions which includes Mind Reading and Fortune Telling.

She had convinced herself that sharing her story would result in those closest to her treating negatively in the future.

I'm happy to say that with encouragement and understanding of her personal distortions, she shared her story and discovered that her sister had also been abused.  40 years later they are closer than ever and they have each other to talk to and that's healthy and healing.

Look at your copy of the Cognitive Distortions worksheet and then openly discover how you distort your experiences and effectively, sabotage your happiness.

When you realize how distorted you are, you can start the journey to change and positive experiences.

More on this topic will follow - it's a big change that will have an incredible impact on your life.  Pay attention to your distortions.

Relaxation and Revitalization in 3-Minutes

This simple guided meditation script helps revitalize AND relax you. The deep breathing helps to oxygenate your blood while the simple focus on your breath calms you and brings you into the present moment.  Easy to use anywhere and at anytime.  Having a disagreement with your family or spouse?  This is the perfect "PAUSE" strategy to bring everyone back to the present moment in a calm state of mind.

• I’d like you to pause, take a deep breath and place your feet flat on the floor. Really FEEL your feet in contact with the ground underneath you.
• Now place your hands on your stomach and take 2-3 deep breaths, noticing your stomach rising and falling with each in and out breath.
• And when you feel comfortable, close your eyes.
• Now, as you keep breathing deeply into your stomach, I’d like you to breathe in for a count of 5, and then hold your breath for a count of 5, and breathe out slowly for a count of 5. And keep breathing, in for 5, hold for 5, out for 5.[Continue breathing pattern for 1 or 2 minutes]
• Great. Slowly bring your attention back to the room, noticing the sounds around you and begin to open your eyes.

Now, you are feeling relaxed, calm and peaceful. 

Endless Possibilities in 2014

I want to wish you a positively successful 2014 and say thanks for allowing me into your life.  I have learned so much from the clients who have shared their journey with me and I'm looking forward to the endless possibilities, opportunities and adventures that await.  

An exciting and wonderful new year is yours for the taking when you:

Remember to practice daily positivity and gratitude.  

Wake up and embrace the new day.  

Sit back at night and celebrate your accomplishments.  

Have real conversations and smile frequently.  

Laugh and share laughter.  

Encourage your inner child to come out and play.  

Choose adventure and wonder at the world around you.