Tuesday Truth or Dare: It's a Living in the Moment Thing

Truth:  Do you take the time to enjoy the moment you are living, right now?  Or do you sit down to your supper, rush through it because you have to get to the next "thing"?

The truth that I hear everyday from clients is that they are rushing toward something else or holding on to something that happened in the past.  Neither equals living in the moment.

Living in the moment means that you are focused on enjoying your time, your day, the conversation you are having, the food, the sites, nature, spontaneous laughter, alone time, a great tune on the radio!  

You're not looking forward or backward.  You are just being in the moment.

You can reduce stress, anxiety and enjoy your life much more when you adopt a Live in the Moment attitude.

When you are feeling depressed or unworthy, you are living in the past.  

When you are feeling anxious or stressed, you are living in the future.

Dare:  When you start to feel depressed, unworthy, anxious or stressed, immediately turn your focus to what you are doing right now, this moment.

If you are doing the dishes, focus on the feeling of the water, the colours in the soap bubbles, the warm water and how sparkly the dishes are when they're clean.

If you are outside or stuck in traffic, look around you at the natural world.  Focus your attention on the trees, people, animals, colours, sky, etc.  Notice them, Enjoy them.  

If you are eating a meal, focus on each bite; the flavours, textures, smells.  Really enjoy each and every bite.

When you have adopted Living in the Moment as your way of being, you will notice that you are feeling happier and daily life is easier and simpler.

7 day Challenge: 

Wake Up and Smile!

Commit to Living in the Moment for

at least 15 minutes each day

See, Feel, Hear, Smell, and Taste 

 

Celebrate all the amazing stuff you took the time to notice!

Make it a Great |Day!

Tuesday Truth or Dare: It's an Inspiration Thing

Truth:  Over time we lose touch with what inspires us.  We may have forgotten why we do what we do or what is was that inspired us when we were growing up.  Inspiration trumps motivation.  

You can't motivate yourself to do something if you're not inspired to do it!

Success in achieving your dreams and goals begin with inspiration.  Once you get back in touch with what inspires you, motivation will be ready, willing and able.

You had a dream and then life happened and then worry and stress crept in and sucked the life out of your dreams.  No dreams + no inspiration = no motivation.  

Dare:  Let's get your Inspiration back!  Time to reclaim your passion and look forward to achieving your dreams.

Sit somewhere quiet - just you + your thoughts and write your Love List.  Include all the things, people and concepts you are attracted to, passionate about and interested in. Don’t limit yourself.

Take opposite action - this is lots of fun and gets you moving in the right direction.  Very often, what we most feel like doing is not what would help us the most. So if you’re having low energy – you often feel like hanging out at home, while getting out and doing something actually would be more helpful. The same thing goes for feeling uninspired – we often don’t feel like doing anything. So whatever it is you want to be doing right now – try experimenting with doing the opposite. Sometimes doing something you’ve never done before will excite and ignite you like nothing else.

7 day Challenge: 

Wake up and smile!

Write your big, bold Love List 

Create an Action Plan to achieve 

One of Your Love List items

Take Opposite Action at least once 

+ Write down the positive impact it had on you

Make it a Great Day!

_______________________________________

Thrive: Live Life Fearlessly 10 Day Virtual Challenge.  Want to kick your life up a notch? Do you want to Thrive: Live Life Fearlessly?   

Join the Free 10-day Thrive Challenge and you will:

Breathe New Life into Your Desires and Passions

Live your Live to the Fullest in the Present Moment

Put the Past Behind You: Where it Belongs

Be Excited About Writing and Living a New Glorious Chapter in Your Life

Each day you will get tips and information that will inspire you to live a life filled with passion, joy and love each and every day.

It's Free and you will have my undivided attention for 10 amazing days. You will also get access to the Thrive: Live Life Fearlessly Community.

Starts June 1st - Click Here to Sign up

Tuesday Truth or Dare: It's an Intention Thing

Truth:  Waking up in the morning we have the opportunity to set our intention for the day.  Actually, it's a gift we are given.  You open your eyes, stretch and start your day. But here's the sad truth; the majority of people wake up and immediately have cranky negative thoughts.  I hate my job, work sucks, I'm broke, I hope that nasty woman doesn't phone today, I'm feeling fat, blah, blah, blah.  

When you wake up and immediately start your day thinking about all the perceived bad things in your life, you successfully set your intention for your day to negative and ugly. Guaranteed you will have an awful day!

Dare:  Wake up and set your intention to positive!  Wake up and smile - you're still here and that's a good start!  Smile and think about all the goods things that will happen today:  I'm meeting my friend for lunch, my boss is out of town for the day - woot woot, I'm going to make a plan to fix my finances, I feel good, I have good health, I will enjoy some great music on the way to work.  Set your intention dial to positive.  

7 day Challenge: 

Wake Up and Smile!

Set your intention dial to positive

Create 3 positive scenarios for the day and 

focus on those when your mood starts to turn negative

Make it a Great |Day!

So, What Are You Going to Do About It?

I have clients who will say to me I want to be like you to which I respond You Can with a little work and authenticity!  There is no magic pill, potion or spell that I can prescribe that will make you get up in the morning with a smile on your face looking forward to the day as an adventure in the making.  The prescription writer is YOU!

Not too long ago I found myself dreading the mornings.  I would wake up thinking yuck, another friggin' day, when will this end, what is the purpose of getting up!  I was dreary to say the least with absolutely no plans for the future and nothing to look forward to.  I was on the cusp of filling my prescription for anti-depressants. I was low and the few friends I had probably hated to hear from me.

I had no money.  I had a dead-end job in a big shiny corporate office.  I squeezed myself into a subway car at a god-awful hour of the morning to be surrounded by miserable looking lemmings.  I had a relationship that had run its course.  I had decided that my present and future would be lonely, broke, and defeated.

Sound Familiar?!?  I'm sure there are folks reading this right now who can relate to how I was feeling about life and you're wondering how did I turn it around.

It started with a good and true friend.  They are the friends who ask you the hard questions.  These are the friends you want.  Tip:  Get rid of the nodders! Nodders are your "pretend" friends - the ones who nod and agree with everything you say.  

We were having a coffee and I was doing my usual life is so rotten, I hate my life, blah, blah, blah.  She kept asking me one question:

So, What Are You Going to Do About It?

What a stupid, irritating question!  I was livid.  I wanted her to find the solution for me, NOW!  For some odd reason, my friend wouldn't cooperate and kept asking me that question.  I went home and decided I would not be friends with her anymore which of course, added to my Down on Life Story.  

A strange thing was happening though.....I couldn't get that question out of my head!  When I would think about my finances and wanted to wallow in self-pity, this little voice would ask "Well, Susan, what are you going to do about it?"  The question followed me everyday and everywhere. I wanted to answer the question just so it would go away!

Because of my encounter with a true friend, I learned two very important steps to get me on my way to writing a new chapter.  To begin writing yours, complete these steps:

1. Honestly think about your friends and family and determine who are the "nodders".  Nodders will not help you in your journey.  Drop them from your friends list and replace them with true friends who will ask you to be accountable to you.
2. When you find yourself feeling down because you're thinking about your debts, or how you will never be able to travel to Australia, or how you will be stuck in your dead-end job forever,

STOP, take a deep breath and ask

"So, ____________, what are you going to do about it?

Remove the nodders and keep asking "what am I going to do about this" and you're on your way to writing a new chapter in your life. Oh, and feeling so much better about all the opporuntities that are waiting for you!

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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

Your Baggage-Free Life Begins with GRACE-ful Steps

Following up on my last post where I told my personal story of moving from Victim to Survivor to Thriver, I want to talk about how I healed and created my Big, Bold, Baggage-Free Life.

My journey from feeling small, worthless and deeply unhappy to an amazing and wonderful life filled with joy, happiness, and endless opportunities, was not smooth or without ups and downs.

But it was so worth it and I highly recommend taking the first step: Gratitude, Gratitude and More Gratitude

A friend introduced to me to the idea of keeping a Gratitude Journal and I remember thinking at the time "what a ridiculous idea!"  What on earth did I have to be grateful for?

She gently asked me to just do it for a week and if it's not adding positive value to your life, then stop.

The first day I opened my journal I sat and stared at the blank page and sighed.  My mind was blank and then it occurred to me that I had spoken with my baby girl that day and for that I was grateful!

That was my first entry and 20 years later, I am a faithful keeper of a Gratitude Journal!  It starts my day and ends my day.

Gratitude began my healing journey.  It opened my mind and my heart to what I had and all the amazing possibilities that were waiting for me.

Practicing Gratitude every day saved me from becoming a bitter, angry, lonely, depressed old hag and for that I am truly grateful.

Gratitude helped me begin the important process of Letting Go.  
Releasing all of my negative labels and emotions and putting my past in the past where it belonged.

There are 5-Steps in my GRACE-ful steps program:

Gratitude - What am I Grateful For?
Release (Letting Go) - What Can I Release (Let Go)?
Authentic You - How Can I be Authentically Me?
Challenge - What is my Next Challenge?
Embrace - What Can I Embrace as Possible?

I'll explore more about Release in my next post and continue the journey through all the steps.

Your life is so much more than the pain, anxiety, and despair you're feeling.  You can have a big, bold, baggage-free life.

It's waiting for you on the other side of the pain. All it takes to get there is one step at a time.  You can do this and you'll be glad you did.

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Living a Big, Bold, Baggage-Free Life

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Tuesday Truth or Dare: It's a Complaining Thing

Time for Tuesday Truth or Dare!

Truth:  Yesterday I was out and about running some errands.  The errands took me to the bank, grocery store, clothing store and a local wellness centre.  What stood out to me was the amount of complaining I heard!  

People were complaining about everything - the line-up, the weather, their neighbour, the airline, their job, traffic, the driver that cut them off, and so on.  

I was amazed at how much valuable time people were spending on complaining, criticizing and gossiping.  Definite negative moods and attitudes.

Dare:  Change Your Perspective:  When a potentially negative situation comes up (standing in a long line at the grocery store), change your perspective and turn it into a positive moment.  I can escape and read the gossip magazines or I now have the chance to take a deep breath and just be. Stuck in traffic - listen to some great music and enjoy.

Airline - you are going or have been on a trip - speaks for itself!

10 day Challenge: Vow to not complain, criticize, or gossip for 10 days. If you slip, start again, and keep going. Vow to not waste your precious energy on negative thoughts and actions.

Notice your day-to-day world from a point of gratitude and be amazed at all the goodness you take for granted

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 Live a Baggage-Free Life.

Living Baggage-Free begins with Grace-ful steps.  Download your free G.R.A.C.E. ebook when you sign up for my newsletter.  

Learn more about Susan by visiting her Online, on Facebook

My Personal Journey from Victim to Survivor to Thriver

It happened in a split second and I almost let it negatively change my life forever.  But I didn't and I'm so grateful.

I loved him and I trusted him and then he hit me and choked me and sexually assaulted me and cheated on me.  I was devastated. My world was crashing down around me and I felt betrayed, powerless, worthless and humiliated.

I found a small bit of the feisty me and charged him.  In Ontario, the police file the charges and he was arrested and put in jail.  And then the insult upon injury happened - his girlfriend bailed him out of jail!

So it ended. I was unceremoniously thrust into the label of "victim".  At the time it satisfied many of my needs. I could cry and whine.  I could drink excessively.  I could feel sorry for myself.  I could be self-destructive.  I could treat men like garbage.  I could be a righteous bitch. I could believe that it was okay because I WAS A VICTIM!

I had other negative labels that had been attached by "that guy" - loser, stupid, useless, ugly, fat, etc.  You catch my drift.

There I was stuck with labels and limiting beliefs that were certainly not the kind to live a vibrant and happy life.

I longed for the me that was free and confident and could do anything she set her mind too.  I wanted to find her again and love her and be her.  I wanted to fulfill my dreams.

Underneath all the labels I had acquired was "me" and I wanted her back.  I wanted to write new chapters for my life.  Chapters that were filled with happiness, brightness, joy, passion and life.

I wanted to reclaim my light spirit and I did.

I met a friend who dedicated her life to helping others and was very successful.  She told me that words have power and that by changing my words, I would begin to change my life and find the me I had lost.  

That day I changed my biggest negative label Victim to Survivor. Immediately, it had a positive impact on my behaviour and it boosted my self-confidence and my will to achieve my goals and dreams.

I was coming back.  I was scared to let go but I knew that I couldn't embrace new beginnings while I was hanging onto the past.

It was a journey and sometimes I felt I would never be able to live a life light of heart.  But I persevered.   I accepted the challenge and stepped into my life beyond the hurt.

I have successfully achieved many of my goals - learning to drive, graduating with honours from the University of Toronto, travelling and experiencing vibrant countries and falling in love again.

Me and my beautiful daughter on my wedding day!

It is possible to get your life back after a traumatic setback.  Not only can you get it back, it will be bigger and bolder than it was before.

I can confidently declare myself a "Thriver" who's loving life every minute of every day.

I let go of the past and

embraced my bright future.

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 Live a Baggage-Free Life.

Learn more about Susan by visiting her Online, on Facebook

30 Spring Affirmations - Inspiration for Change & Renewal

Spring is a time of renewal and change and a fabulous time to review your current life situation.  Affirmations can be a powerful tool to help you change your mood, state of mind, and manifest the change you desire in your life.

Affirmations want to be repeated daily either in writing or aloud.

Speak the affirmation out loud three times a day or when needed! Or write out the affirmation several times in a notebook.

Every time you write or say your affirmation, you are reinforcing your new positive belief and overwriting your old negative one.

Here are 30 Positive Affirmations to get you started.

I am beautiful, capable, and lovable. I am valuable.

I love myself unconditionally and nurture myself in every way.
 
I trust my inner guidance.  

I am successful and Life is effortless and easy.

The universe supports my process and my success.

Abundance is present for me here and now.

I have abundance in friends, money, creativity and love.

I am open to the love, devotion and respect of another.

The perfect partner is waiting for me right now.

I am attracted only to those relationships that are open, honest, and healthy for me.

I maintain healthy boundaries in all my relationships.

I am surrounding by loving, supportive, and positive people.

My relationships are passionate, exciting, and fun.
 
All my relationships are based on integrity and respect.

I relate easily to people in all kinds of situations.
 
I am comfortable and confident in all my relationships.

I exercise regularly, I have plenty of vitality and energy

I take care of my physical body, am kind to it and feed it well.

I sleep deeply each night, I have tremendous stamina

I am extremely creative, I enjoy coming up with new ideas

I like to meet in harmony with my positive minded friends to mastermind my goals.

I start each day with enthusiasm, eager to act.

I am creative and resourceful and have all the abilities I need to succeed.

I love challenges and learn from every situation in my life.

I live every day with power and passion.

I feel strong and excited, passionate and powerful.

I feel tremendous confidence that I can do anything.

I am timeless being and awareness.

I have no shape, no name.

Before all beginnings, after all endings, I am. I am Love itself.

Join Me for a 4-Week Virtual Program

and Spring Clean Your Life

Click Here for all the Juicy Details

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 Live a Baggage-Free Life.

Learn more about Susan by visiting her Online, on Facebook

Ready to Clear Out Life's Clutter & Junk?

Spring Clean Your Life

4-Week Virtual Program

April 7 to April 28

This course is for you if:

You're ready to create space for a New Fresh Perspective.

You're ready to let go of the clutter and junk that keeps you stuck

You want to shift your attention from all that is going wrong to all that is going Right!

You want to sweep out extraneous distractions, projects and tasks so you can easily prioritize and focus on your main goals

You’re ready for a Healthier, Balanced Lifestyle

You are ready to take the first steps to Living Baggage-Free

What you'll get: 

Weekly Group Call – we’ll all get together on Tuesdays at 7 pm (EST); 8 pm (AST) for a supportive and information filled phone conference.

My thought-provoking and action-taking worksheets that will get you letting go, setting goals, practicing gratitude and celebrating your life

Access to a supportive Facebook group of inspired Spring Cleaners!

Email Support for the duration of the program

A refreshed and shiny outlook focused on all the amazing possibilities and joy that were hiding under the dust bunnies!

Warning - By attending this workshop, you run the risk of 

Loving and Celebrating Your Self!

Your Investment: $97 US

Sign Up Here!

Tuesday Truth or Dare: It's a Gratitude Thing

It's time for this Tuesday's Truth or Dare.  

Truth:  We spend a great deal of our precious time focusing on what we don't have, what we haven't accomplished, and what someone else has that we don't have.  See a pattern?  Not exactly the thought pattern that will bring you happiness and contentment.

Dare:  Start your Gratitude Journal or Jar.  At the beginning and end of each day, write down 3 to 5 things that you are grateful for. When you're feeling the cobwebs of negativity approaching, read your journal and you'll be reminded of how good your life actually is.

Today I'm grateful for - my warm cozy home, the walk I'm going to take, and the sun that is going to make an appearance!

Your turn.  In the comments section, write down 3 things you are grateful for today.

Join Me for a 4-Week Virtual Program

and Spring Clean Your Life

Click Here for all the Juicy Details

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 Live a Baggage-Free Life.

Learn more about Susan by visiting her Online, on Facebook

4-Steps to Breaking Up With Your Limiting Beliefs

Limiting beliefs zap your energy and keep you stuck by telling you over and over again that you can't achieve your goals or that you're not worthy of acceptance and success.

The Top Ten Limiting Beliefs are:

• I'm too selfish/loud/shy
• I'm a bad.... (eg I'm a bad parent/friend/son)
• I will never be successful
• There is never enough money (or money doesn't grow on trees)
• It's too late for me to.... (change my career etc)
• I will never....(be successful, find love, travel etc)
• I always disappoint people
• I am not pretty/slim/clever enough
• I'm not good enough/I don't deserve...(happiness success, wealth, love)
• "I can't do it!"

In many cases, limiting beliefs are perceived as facts.  Beliefs are not facts.  Beliefs are your perception of the truth and perceptions can be changed.

Signs and symptoms of hidden Limiting Beliefs:

• You have negative thoughts or feelings more often than not
• Negative patterns keep repeating themselves - money problems, relationship problems, feelings of despair 

Breaking up with your limiting beliefs 

is the first step to a Baggage-Free Life. 
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The 4-Step Break-Up

Step One - Recognize and Acknowledge

Take a look at the top ten limiting beliefs list (top of post) and write down any that sound familiar to you.  Take a look at your list and jot down ways they are negatively impacting your life - money, relationships, career, goals.

Now that you have identified your personal limiting beliefs and acknowledged how they impact your life, it's time to change them.  Think of your limiting beliefs as your subconscious blueprint and blueprints can be changed so they reflect what you really want!

Step Two - It's Just Not True!

In fact, you need to recognize your limiting beliefs for the liars they are.  Then you will see that you can edit or completely delete your limiting beliefs.

Say to yourself, "it's possible that I believe some things about myself and the world around me that are not true."

Great!  You have successfully opened the door to let your new belief in.

Step Three - Everything is Replaceable

Time to replace the old negative limiting belief with a positive new enabling belief.

If you want to create permanent change, you can't just get rid of the old mental pattern, you have to replace it with a completely new one that will take its place.

Use positive words that focus your brain on possibility!

I Am - I Can - I Will - I Choose - I Am Willing To - My Potential 

There is never enough money turns to:

I Choose to Improve My Finances

It's impossible for me to be happy changes to:

I Allow Myself to be Happy

Say your new positive enabling belief out loud.  Does it feel true for you?  Not quite..change it until it feels fabulous.

When you say it, you want to feel confident and ready to move forward with a positive mindset. 

Step Four - Repetition and Reinforcement

Positive affirmations work by reprogramming your thinking to believe that what you want is possible, attainable, and already happening. 

My personal favourite affirmations are:

Every Day in Every Way, I'm Getting Better and Better

I Will Enjoy Every Minute of Every Day

I Am at Peace With My Decisions

I repeat these 3 times every morning before I get out of bed.

Write them down, say them out loud, sing them in the shower, know them off by heart so you can call upon them in a moment of self-doubt.

These are your new Positive Enabling Beliefs - Live Them!

Sign up for my Newsletter and get all the amazing details about my programs and Free Monthly Group Coaching Calls.  Next Call is March18th.

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 Live a Baggage-Free Life.

Learn more about Susan by visiting her Online, on Facebook

Your Most Important Valentine is You!

Valentine's Day is tomorrow and there is much talk and attention paid to our significant other or a special someone in your life.  And that's great, but what about you?

How do you treat yourself?  How do you talk about yourself?  Are you focused on the negative?  Are you extremely critical of what you do?  Or what you look like?  Do you compare yourself to others?

Do you realize that you spend 100% of your time with you?  If you aren't in love with your amazing self, then your time together can be pretty sad.

Wouldn't you rather spend time with someone who is supportive and appreciates just have awesome you are, warts and all?  

Of course you do.  This Valentine's Day fall in love with your amazing, audacious, gorgeous, unique, and wonderful self.

It's impossible to truly love those around you and your life if you can't love yourself.  So let's spread love all around you!

Step 1 - Stop all your nasty, mean-spirited self-talk!  Would you talk to a person you love the way you talk to yourself?  No.  Change your script.  Use uplifting and encouraging words.  Be your own best friend.

Step 2 - Embrace and Love Your Weaknesses - yup, we all have them.  When we love another person we accept them just the way they are.  We love their flaws and quirks.  Do that for yourself.  

Step 3 - Put Yourself on a Pedestal - you are spectacular and it's time to rise up and recognize all that you are because you're amazing.  

Step 4 - Treat Yourself with Kindness & Love - Say No to others so you'll have more time to say Yes to You.  Accept compliments with a simple thank-you. 

Step 5 - Celebrate You, Your Accomplishments, Your Value, Your Abilities and Your Gratitude.

Step 6 - Look in the mirror and say "I Love You, flaws and all".  Repeat frequently and with passion.

Fall in love with yourself.  Be your best friend.  Speak words of kindness and encouragement to yourself.  Be your Valentine.

P.S. - My new website and jam-packed coaching programs will be launching soon.  Sign up for my Newsletter  (old dreary website) and get all the amazing details about my Free Monthly Group Coaching Calls.  Next Call is February 18th.

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 Live a Baggage-Free Life.

Learn more about Susan by visiting her Online, on Facebook

Do This Daily for Maximum Impact

Each and every day gives you a new opportunity to make a positive change in your life.

It's impossible to live a positive baggage-free life when you are stuck in your negative mindset. 

Change your attitude and you'll change your life for the better.  Your mental, physical and spiritual health will improve dramatically.  Let's get positive!

Start with your attitude shifting goal.   Start your goal with "I Want"

• to live with less stress
• to have more "me" time
• to let go of my junk filled past
• to improve my relationships

Write it down and give it a due date.  A comfortable due date works best.

Look at your goal and imagine yourself living it.  Are you happier?  Are you less stressed?  Have you added personal space and time?

What changes can you make every day to achieve your goal?

Write them down.  Are they doable?  You want your changes to be small bite-sized pieces.

Commit to one small daily positive change.  It can be as simple as

I will smile and say Good Morning to the coffee shop clerk or the bus driver or the office receptionist or people I pass on the street

  

I will commit to adding meditation to my day.  

I will work on my letting it go skills!

I will take the time each day to count my blessings 

I will............

Do it every day for one week. You will notice that your small change is now just a natural part of your day and you'll smile because you did it.

Now you can add a new positive change and keep building and growing.  Small and steady wins the race.

Wake Up   *   Smile   *   Make a Positive Change   *  Repeat

P.S. - My new website and jam-packed coaching programs will be launching soon.  Sign up for my Newsletter  (old dreary website) and get all the amazing details about my Free Monthly Group Coaching Calls.  Next Call is February 18th.

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

Practice Gratitude in times of Darkness

I am a firm believer in the power of Gratitude.  I also hate winter - shivering, cold, dark winter.

My attitude of gratitude is strongest during the winter.  It is what keeps me smiling and looking forward.  It is a blessing to be able to look outside and be grateful.  Otherwise, I would probably get labelled with some debillitating dis-ease.

In times of Darkness, there is always something to be grateful for. Period.

Winter is long in Canada and cold.  Yesterday it was -34C.  Only a short walk with the dog because the ground is too cold for his feet.  As we walked in the bitter cold, I chose to focus on what I was grateful for.  This is what I discovered:

• the bright blue sky. It was stunning.
• my leg warmers.  Last minute addition but they allowed me to climb snow banks and not get snow in my boots!
• hot chocolate.  Yummy.  Looking forward to a big cup at home.
• smiles. Even though it was freezing, I met others and we would share a smile and a frosty Hi.
• crunchy snow.  I love the sound.  

By choosing to focus on things I'm grateful for, I actually enjoyed my winter walk.

Gratitude is about finding the smallest hint of good in the bad.  Turning the negative into a positive.  Finding a hint of blue among the darkness.

Start turning the darkness into light.  Focus on what you are grateful for.  Include things you take for granted - walking, talking, health, love, a home, heat, food.

One act of gratitude today will have a positive impact.  One act of gratitude will grow into two and then three and then several.

Practice.  When you are challenged, think about something you are grateful for - going home, a delicious dinner, the sunshine.  You'll smile and your challenge will seem easier to handle.

Winter is here for a while.  I will hold onto my Attitude of Gratitude to lessen the challenge of the darkness and the bitter cold.

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

Compliments - Take One and Then Pass It On

When was the last time you gave yourself a compliment?  Probably never.  Well, maybe a few times sarcastically!

Mostly, we spend our time "wishing" that someone, anyone would notice and then give us a compliment.  You know those little words of encouragement that we crave.

Waiting and wishing and hoping that someone will notice you and give you a compliment, causes your self-esteem and self-worth to plummet.

Essentially, you're relying on others to define your worth and make you feel special and that's a losing battle.

The time has come for you to rely on you for daily compliments.

Yup, you are going to give yourself compliments 

each and every day!

When you finish a task including washing the kitchen floor, take a second to tell yourself "Great Job!".  After you get dressed, look in the mirror and say "I'm rocking this outfit!".

Daily compliments have a trickle effect on your confidence, self-worth and self-esteem.  And before you know it all those trickles add up and you have built yourself a fantastic river of confidence.

Once you have a beautiful, flowing river of self-worth, it becomes next to impossible for anyone to divert your course.

Self-Worth - Self-Esteem - Confidence can be easily built when you add compliments to your daily life.

Stop looking to others to build you up because it won't happen.

Start your own "I Will Give Myself a Daily Compliment" practice.

Oh, please take your compliment and then pass a compliment on to someone else.



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.