Self Improvement Newsletter
Issue # 20, January 24, 1999
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Improvement Newsletter, Click here!Please Visit Our Sponsors
Self Improvement Newsletter
Issue # 20, January 24, 1999
FREE Self
Improvement Newsletter, Click here!
Please Visit Our Sponsors
This is Issue # 20, Sunday, January 24, 1999 of the Self Improvement Weekly Newsletter,
the FREE newsletter for Personal Growth, Self Improvement and Self Help.
Our current Subscriber List contains 5,132 people.
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Publishers: David and Michelle Riklan - Self Improvement Online, Inc.
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editors@selfgrowth.com
In this issue:
-> Quotes of the Week
-> The Top 10 Ways to Dramatically Improve the Quality of Your Entire Life
-> Personal Growth Products and Services
-> Brief News of the World
-> How to subscribe to this newsletter
*** QUOTES OF THE WEEK ***
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The longest journey of any person is the journey inward. - Dag Hammerskjvld
All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that
which is small. - Lao-Tzu
Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
For a collection of some of our favorite quotes, see our web page at
http://www.selfgrowth.com/quote.html
*** The Top 10 Ways to Dramatically Improve the Quality of Your Entire Life. ***
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Written byLisa J. Huff
As we move into a new millenium, "quality of life" seems to be gaining
increasing importance in the lives of many people. Here are some ideas from my personal
experiences and those of my clients, that can help you shift from doing and achieving, to
simply being and living with joy.
1. Tell the whole truth, all of the time.
Most of us don't realize how much energy we waste by not being completely truthful. We
withhold information from those around us under the guise of protecting our idea of
privacy, but did you ever stop to notice how stressful it is, trying to keep secrets? We
spend a ridiculous amount of time living up to someone else's idea of how we should
be… and that is living a lie. How much time, money and energy have you wasted by not
being your authentic self, by living simply to please others? We also lie to ourselves.
Any time you are unwilling to face the complete truth about yourself by making excuses and
being afraid to see the real you, any time you retreat from reality by using food,
alcohol, drugs, over-work, over-spending, or too much TV to distract yourself - those are
the times when you are lying to YOU by being afraid to see yourself, without criticism or
self-judgement, as you really are. Until you can make truth-telling and integrity your #1
priority, you will continue to overcomplicate your life and you will continue to waste
precious energy.
2. Get rid of the junk!
What are you holding on to in your life? We all have junk in our closets, our attics, our
desk drawers, our basements - and our souls. The junk we have in our physical environment
is a direct reflection of how we see ourselves. Creating order in your physical
environment by clearing away the old, discarded, broken or useless items is a spiritual
metaphor for what can happen when you also clear away the old, discarded, broken or
useless thoughts and beliefs that are keeping you from achieving what you were put on this
earth to achieve. Nature abhors a vacuum, and when you clear away the old, you make room
for new and better things to come into your life. Start by cleaning the clutter in your
home, your office, your car… and as you do, spend some time reflecting on what
emotional or mental clutter you need to discard as well.
3. Give up your attachment to your "stuff".
Keeping up with the Jones' is a very tiring business. One way to simplify your life is to
look around for ways you can actually scale BACK your lifestyle. For many, the idea of
scaling back is nothing short of terrifying. "What do you mean, I thought I was
supposed to be achieving, getting more, doing more? All my possessions are PROOF of what
I've achieved!" In order to do consider scaling back in order to simply your life,
you must first come to believe that you are much
more than your possessions. You are more than your big house. You are more than that
sports car. You are more than that diamond tennis bracelet, high-tech media center,
vacations to lush resorts. You are, simply, MORE. When we stop identifying who we ARE with
what we HAVE, then the idea of scaling back is no longer frightening. Who says you have to
keep up with anyone, anyway? Your life is not a contest, it's a gift. There is nothing
"wrong" with material possessions or with living in a state of financial
abundance and prosperity. But if you find you are identifying who you are with your
"stuff", then it's time to consider releasing both the "stuff" AND
your attachment to it, so you can get in touch with the REAL you!
4. Stop filling up your days with tasks and activities that don't serve your higher
purpose for your life.
In addition to identifying who we are with what we own, some of us also define ourselves
by how busy we are. We somehow manage to think of constant rushing, always being in
motion, always on the go, as proof positive that we are important. After all, aren't busy
people important? No, they're just busy. Shift your perception from "gee, I'm so
busy, I must be popular, special, wanted, needed, important" to "gee, I'm
important enough to ME to only participate in activities that
support my goals and higher purpose in my life". Realize that you are on this earth
for a specific purpose, and that until you can slow down long enough, and stop filling in
all the empty spaces with useless activity, you might not be able to find out what that
purpose actually IS, nor will you have time to follow that purpose into your future.
5. Cut up all but one of your credit cards.
Yes, I'm serious. One. If you can't live with one, then chances are your credit card debt
is out of control and once again, you are equating who you are with how much plastic you
have. Just as with your physical environment and clutter, your financial clutter is also a
direct reflection of how you see yourself.
6. Do what you REALLY want to do!
What do you love to do? I mean, really, really LOVE to do? What activities would you be
doing right now if there were no obstacles in front of you? When you can really connect
with doing something that brings you energy, joy, peace, fun, and passion in your life,
then it no longer feels like work. How many of us are doing things we really don't love
doing? What will it take for you to shift from doing something just to earn cash and
scrape by, to getting out there and living your dreams? At the end of your life, will it
matter more to you that you have a big pile of cash in the bank, or will it matter more
that you pursued your finest vision in your life?
7. Learn to put yourself first.
Putting yourself first is a concept many of us find difficult. We think that putting
yourself first means not caring about the needs of others, that it means we are cold and
mean and selfish. But think about this: by NOT taking good care of yourself, your own
needs, your own dreams, your health… how much can you really serve those around you
who need you? Putting yourself first, taking good care of yourself, is actually a gift to
those you love. Your loved ones want you to be around for a long time!
8. Stop trying to control everything. Let it go.
Often, we find that we become very attached to our expectations of others. We fixate on
how we think someone else should act, behave, or speak. We spend OUR valuable energy
trying to get THEM to change or to live up to our expectations… and then crash down
into anger or upset when we feel they have failed us. The question is… why do you
have those expectations in the first place? Why is it so important to you to control what
others do? By learning to release all attachments to the outcome of what others do or do
not do, you free yourself up to focus on YOU.
We also have expectations of ourselves, ideas about ourselves that are based on
information we received from childhood and from our life experiences. Do your ideas about
yourself inspire you and motivate you to pursue a wonderful life, or do they hold you back
by bringing negativity and self-criticism into your world? Letting go of obsolete ideas
about yourself is critical to your growth and development.
9. Slow down and breathe!
We live in a fast-paced world. Keep in mind that it's a gift to yourself to give yourself
permission to slow down a bit, take a deep breath, and reflect on where you are and where
you're heading. Spend some time meditating, spend some quiet time with yourself, spend
some quiet time with your loved ones. Quiet time is a way of checking in with yourself, as
well as a way of connecting with those around you.
10. Express gratitude. Give back to the universe.
Giving back of yourself to the universe is a way of expressing gratitude for what you
have, as well as what you don't have yet. No matter where you are in your life, you do
have something to give - time, skills, money, knowledge. By giving wholeheartedly in
whatever ways you can, for the sheer joy of sharing of yourself, that gift will always
come back to you in some way. When we try to hold on too tightly to what we have, we are
approaching life from a place of fear and scarcity. Abundance can only thrive when we can
approach life from a space of love and giving freely of whatever gifts we have. If you
want to practice expressing your gratitude to the universe, simply say "Thank
You".
About the Submitter:
Submitted by Lisa J. Huff, Professional Success Coach & Strategist, Owner of
"Coach 2 Success", Corporate Refugee, and Former Web Diva, who can be reached at
LJHCoach@nac.net, or visited on the web at http://www.coach2success.com The original source
is: Copyright 1998, Lisa J. Huff.
Copyright 1998, Coach U, all rights reserved.
No part of this content may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission in
writing from Coach U. Coach U also suggests that you notify the author as a courtesy.
Please send e-mail to pam@coachu.com to inquire.
The content above may be forwarded in full, with copyright/contact/creation information
intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any
other use is desired, permission in writing from CoachU is required, with notification to
the original author. Questions: email pam@coachu.com.
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*** BRIEF NEWS OF THE WORLD ***
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-> Lewinsky interview could come soon in the Senate Impeachment trial.
-> President Clinton gives State of the Union address. Lots of applause. A few key
people didn't show up.
-> Pope blasts capitalism and speaks out in Mexico
-> More corruption in the International Olympic Committee, information on the
investigation will be released shortly.
-> Tornadoes hit Arkansas and Tennessee last Thursday and Friday.
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COPYRIGHT (C) 1998 by Self Improvement Online, Inc.
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