It's My Birthday & I'm Giving Gifts

The month of October is one of my favourites.  The leaves change colour for a spectacular display for our enjoyment.  We get to enjoy all things pumpkin - tea, cheesecake, pies, and muffins.  All Hallows' Eve arrives and little ghosts and goblins arrive to make us smile.  Oh and my favourite - my birthday!

In celebration, I'm giving gifts.  Three to be exact.

1. Daily Greatness Journal - most amazing journal you will ever own - Value $85 US - Draw Date October 13th - Dailygreatness Journal Details
2. Enrollment in Big.Bold.Bliss. Bootcamp - Value $197 US - Big.Bold.Blissful. Bootcamp - Check it Out
3. Blissful Self-Love Session - 45 minutes with Me - Value $150 US

In order to win, you must enter the contest that will be posted individually for each prize. So, let's get started:

Good Luck!

Susan xo

Tuesday Truth or Dare: It's a Joy Thing

Truth: Life is meant to be enjoyed. Happiness is a beautiful, creative state of mind. Happiness is strongly linked to PLAY! Just look at children playing, they're laughing, smiling and joyful.  When you sit and watch a group playing any sport or game, they are completely living in the moment.  And Living in the Moment is where you want to be living.

As adults, we have lost touch with play and that's sad.  Our lack of spontaneous laughter, movement and engagement with others has led to increased levels of stress and depression.  

Playing is holistic medicine and it calls for a daily prescription. 

Dare: Add PLAY to your day. Dance. Skip. Be Spontaneous. Swing. Get a group of friends together for a game of good old-fashioned tag or touch football. There are many ways to add Play to your day. 

Yesterday, Charley (my wee dog) and I went to the park and I spontaneously decided to go for a swing.  It was amazing!  I smiled as soon as I started to go higher.  The kids joined in and we laughed and challenged each other. 

For the rest of the day, I felt energized and couldn't help but smile every time I thought about swinging in the fresh air.

7 day Challenge: 

Wake Up and Smile!

Commit to adding Play time 

to your day.

Sing, Move, Play catch at lunch, Sit on the Swings 

 

Plan a "Play Day" at work or with friends and family!

Sign up for a sport you played as a kid.  Get out there and play.

Make it a Great |Day!

How will you add PLAY to your Day?  

Add your ideas to the comments and let's begin to play and have fun and Smile.

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!

Kick Your Life up to Thriver = Big, Bold & Ballsy

There are some who say that getting to the level of "survivor" is good enough.  I say no way, not a chance.  Putting your life into "thriver" gear is where you want it to be.

After my experience with an abusive husband, I truly believed that my end-game was to go from victim to survivor and be happy with that.  It was great to be a survivor for a while.  But I felt uninspired.  Something was missing and I was caught asking myself: WOW! I did all that work to get here and now I'm a little bored.

I discovered that I wanted more from life.  I wanted to be more than a survivor, I wanted to Thrive.  I wanted a big, bold, ballsy life where I flourished.

If you have gotten yourself all the way to the level of survivor, then challenge yourself to take your life all the way up to thriver.  You'll be so happy you did.

Survivor versus Thriver

S:  Feels she doesn't deserve nice things & will never have a happy, fulfilling life

T:  She wakes up and feels Gratitude for everything in life.  She knows how to Make it a Great Day!

S:  She has low self-esteem and still has moments where she feels unworthy, guilt or ashamed.


T:  A vibrant woman who sees herself as an inspired, confident, and fabulous person.  She knows that she is worthy of all the happiness, laughter, joy and adventure that is now part of her everyday life.

S:  Her own needs are right at the bottom.  Saying no is almost impossible.  She wants everyone to like her and avoids conflict at all costs.


T:  The thriving woman places herself first because she knows that a happy, nourished self is the best one.

Once you're a thriver, your emotional, mental and physical health will be optimum.  Daily irritations will turn into daily smiles and laughs.  You will enjoy being with people. Equally, you will enjoy your own company and being on your own.

You've already come a long way on your healing journey.  Stretching your goal to thriver is not far-fetched.  It's completely doable.

Being a survivor is only a stepping-stone on your healing journey. Choose to take one more step and push your life into "thriver" gear.  

You are so worth it + you deserve it.

Tuesday Truth or Dare: It's a Magic Thing

Truth:  Sadly, the vast majority of us spend our days living in our "comfort zone".  We get up in the morning go to work, do as we're asked, go home using the same route, stop at the same grocery store to pick up dinner, get home, eat supper, watch tv and go to bed.  Next morning we repeat the same routine.  It's all ho-hum routine.

We dream about something, anything different.  Travel.  Being self-employed.  Going to the theatre. Taking a class.  Doing improv.  Signing up to act in the next community theatre production.  Bungy jump.  Sky dive.  Drive a monster truck.

You dream, you wish, you want but nothing changes.  

Dare:  Wake up each and every day and choose to do something outside of your comfort zone.  It can be a small simple step in to the magic zone.  That's okay.  Just do it!

Choose something for supper you have never cooked before and then do it.  If it tastes terrible, smile, laugh, learn and make a peanut butter sandwich.  Nothing has been lost and everything has been gained.

You have shown yourself that you are ready to step out your comfort zone and embrace the true magic of your life.

7 day Challenge: 

Wake Up and Smile!

Decide to step out of your comfort zone

Do It!  

Celebrate your ballsy spirit!

Make it a Great |Day!

DISCOVERY SESSION  Contact me for a no-obligation session where we will get to know each other – click Book Now for my online scheduling calendar to find a suitable day and time.  The 30 minute Discovery Session is Free.  Invest the time to book the call - you’re worth it! 

A Big, Bold, Blissful Life Begins with I Am, I Can and I Will

Add Positive Power Statements to Your Daily Routine

Positive Power Statements boost your confidence which is the building block of your success and your ability to focus squarely on what you want to achieve, do, and be in your life.

Positive Power Statements put you in the driver's seat of your life!  They build your confidence + feed your desires and that equals you living a big, bold, ballsy life that you have designed just for you.

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 your 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 Positive Power 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. Your life and all the amazing opportunities that are waiting, will bloom and you will wake up excited to create your day.

While you are writing your Positive Power 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 for the Abundance in my Life

I Can Achieve my Goals  

I Will Live in Italy

Jump into the Facebook Group and share your Positive Power Statements.

Choose to make it a Great Day!

________________________________________________

DISCOVERY SESSION  Contact me for a no-obligation session where we will get to know each other – click Book Now for my online scheduling calendar to find a suitable day and time.  The 30 minute Discovery Session is Free.  Invest the time to book the call - you’re worth it! 

Tuesday Truth or Dare: It's a Gossip Thing

Truth:  She is such a bitch!  Look at her outfit can you imagine wearing that!?  My boss is a nasty cheating jerk!  Did you see the way she treated so and so?  She's pregnant again!  How can they afford another child?!

It's all gossip, rumour, innuendo, judgement and it's TOXIC!  

Gossiping is toxic to your personal wellbeing and mood.  Gossip causes stress, guilt, uncertainty, anxiety and distrust.  these are not good feelings to have for your day!  

Participating in gossip has negative consequences for your emotional, mental and physical health.  Bet you thought it was harmless!

Dare:  Consciously decide that you will not participate in any form of gossip.  You won't start the gossip.  You won't listen to gossip.  You won't engage with gossip.  You will remove yourself from gossipy situations.  

Remember:  When you're gossiping about someone, someone else is gossiping about you!

You will begin a Healthy Gossip-Free Lifestyle!

7 day Challenge: 

Wake Up and Smile!

I Declare Myself Gossip Free!

Make it a Great |Day!

Ready to Claim Your Big, Bold, Ballsy Life?

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.

Sometimes life knocks you down and leaves you feeling depressed, challenged, overwhelmed, stressed and you start to believe that things will never change.

Thrive:  Live Life Fearlessly 10 Day Challenge is designed to reignite your inspiration + breakthrough your negative feelings.

You will finish the challenge feeling vibrant and ready to make each and every day a great day!

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

Take the challenge and reclaim your inspiration. 

You have one life - this one, right now!

Sign Up Here

Challenge Starts June 1st

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!

Tuesday Truth or Dare: It's a Should Thing

Truth:  Should is one of the dirtiest words in the English language.  It's only outcome is making you feel horrible about yourself, your abilities, your intentions, what you chose to wear today!  Oh, and shouldn't is equally as bad.  Must and mustn't or the older version - ought and oughtn't are the same. So don't even think about changing should for a must or ought!

Shoulding all over yourself creates a negative mindset.  Period. When you think you should do something or other, your immediate emotions are guilt and anxiety because you're not doing what you think you "should" be doing.

Dare:  Listen to your shoulds and shouldn'ts.  Write them down and change should for want or will or can.  For example, if you are shoulding about losing a few pounds, or quitting smoking, or having lunch with someone you really don't like, then change your words to:

I want to or will lose 5 pounds by the end of the month

I will cut down from 20 cigs a day to 5 by the end of the month

I will call her and we'll meet for a nice breakfast

7 day Challenge: 

Commit to listening for your shoulds and shouldn'ts!  

When you hear yourself shoulding, immediately change to a positive action word - want, will, or can!  

Tuesday Truth or Dare: It's a Compliment Thing

Truth: Wishing and waiting for others to give you a compliment won't make it happen.  Yes, it would be fabulous if your great work or gourmet cooking or volunteer time were acknowledged with a compliment.  But the sad truth is most of our goodness is not recognized even with the simplest of gestures: a compliment.  Lack of compliments damages our self-worth and starts a negative pattern of questioning,  We begin to wonder whether or not we are good enough.

Dare:  Give yourself compliments!   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!".  When you donate your stuff to charity or go and walk a shelter dog, pat yourself on the back for your good deed.

7 day Challenge: 

Commit to a Daily Compliment just for You!  

Commit to Giving Away a Compliment Every Day!  

Accept all Compliments with a Gracious Thank You!

My Compliment To You:

You are simply amazing and that's the truth!

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.

Get My 5 GRACE-ful Steps to
Living a Big, Bold, Baggage-Free Life

* indicates required

First Name *

Email Address *

Email Format

• html
• text

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

Tuesday Truth or Dare: It's Giving Thing

Time for Tuesday Truth or Dare!

Truth:  When was the last time you looked around at all your stuff and wondered what your life would be like if you got rid of it.  We tend to put a lot of value on stuff and possessions.  The more we have the more we want.  Sometimes it feels we will never have happiness because we don't have enough stuff or the right stuff. 

Dare:  It's time to let go! Open a cupboard or drawer or closet and find 3 things to giveaway.  No hesitating.  Just pick it and give it away. Pick one day each week that you will spend 15 minutes gathering stuff to give away. After a month, sit down and write a list of the stuff you gave away. You'll discover you can't remember all the stuff.  Why?  Because it wasn't that important in the first place.

You can read about the negative impact of coveting by clicking Here

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

 

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 a Baggage-Free life through NLP, Mindfulness, and G.R.A.C.E. Learn more about Susan by visiting her Online, on Facebook

Want Your Life to Change? You Have to get Naked First

It's impossible to change your clothes without getting naked.  You have to strip down to your bareness in order to rebuild your outfit. Once you strip down, you can add the layers of clothing that "feel right for you".

The same applies to your life!

You may have no idea what is making you feel depressed, angry, sad, confused, hopeless.

That's the time to start stripping!  Layer by layer - stripping off to find all the shit you're really holding on to.  What baggage you're dragging around with you.  What it's time to let go of!

When you want to achieve lasting change, you have to strip away your life-layers!  Peeling each one away to get them off once and for all.

Look in the Mirror

Your naked-life begins with your Personal Discovery Session where you ask yourself:

• What is not working in my life right now?

Write an honest, open, naked assessment of what is not working in your life.  Relationships, career, friends, children, finances, family, health, fun, leisure, personal growth and learning.  

Start Stripping

Here's where the ripping off the layers begins.  Ask yourself "Why" it's not working for you.

Why?  Is it because you're still angry or upset about something that happened at some point in the past?  Is it because you feel you were hurt or disrespected in some way?  Is it because you feel you are unworthy of something better?  Do you feel you are justified in your why?

Answering your "why" requires honesty and sometimes painful introspection.  You will be asking yourself how did I get here and what were the events in my life that had a significant impact.

Our lives are built from experiences.  Some are happy, some are sad and some are traumatic.  Each adds a life-layer and as time goes by, we start to feel weighed down by our baggage, what we're carrying around with us every minute of every day.  

The Naked Truth

Now it's time to truly look at your "why" to discover the naked truth.  To get to it, ask yourself:

1. What am I holding on to this for?  
2. What purpose does it serve?

The answer will show you how you are robbing yourself of happiness now by being overloaded with baggage from your past.

Now that you have a snapshot of what you're holding on to and why, you can see clearly where you are now and where you would like to be.

Take Naked Action

Commit to taking action now while you're naked and ready to change into a brand new and improved you.

Write 3 quick goals or actions you will take that will have a positive and lasting impact on your life.  Choose the areas in you life where you discovered you have the most baggage. 

Give your goals a timeframe - I will complete action 1 by ____date___.

Keep going, keep letting go and opening your life up to new adventures and opportunities.  

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

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 a Baggage-Free life through NLP, Mindfulness, and G.R.A.C.E. Learn more about Susan by visiting her Online, on Facebook

Tuesday Truth or Dare: It's a Play Thing

Truth:  Life is meant to be enjoyed.  Happiness is a beautiful, creative state of mind.  Happiness is strongly linked to PLAY! Just look at children playing, they're laughing, smiling and joyful.

Dare:  Add PLAY to your day.  Dance. Skip. Be Spontaneous. Swing. Get a group of friends together for a game of good old-fashioned tag or touch football.  There are many ways to add Play to your day.  Yesterday, I splashed through all the wonderful puddles.  Charley & I had a blast.

How will you add PLAY to your Day?

Post in the comments how you added play to your day.

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!