Self Improvement Newsletter
Issue # 477, October 30-31, 2007

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* Self Improvement and Personal Growth Weekly Newsletter *
Issue # 477, Week of October 30-31, 2007
Publisher: David Riklan - http://www.SelfGrowth.com

In this issue:

-- Quotes of the Week
-- Personal Growth Products and Services
-- Article: Self-Confidence Secrets: Measure Your Success - By Dr. Annette Colby, RD
-- Article: It's Your Life. Are You Having Fun? - By Sabrina Schleicher, Ph.D.
-- Book Review: Discovering the Essence of Your Soul: Learn How to Facilitate Your Spiritual Growth by Accessing Your Akashic Records - By Kathy Karlander
-- Brief News of the World
-- How to Subscribe and Unsubscribe from this Newsletter

Current Subscribers - 261,879 subscribers

Removal instructions are listed at the end of the newsletter.


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*** Quotes of the Week ***
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It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters. - Mother Teresa, 1910-1997, Albanian-born Humanitarian and Missionary

Swing hard, in case they throw the ball where you're swinging. - Duke Snider, American Baseball Player

It is a miserable state of mind to have few things to desire, and many things to fear. - Francis Bacon, 1561-1626, British Philosopher/Essayist/Statesman


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*** Personal Growth Products and Services ***
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----------------------------------------------------
*** Article: Self-Confidence Secrets: Measure Your Success - By Dr. Annette
Colby, RD ***
----------------------------------------------------

Would you like to be confident in the things you do? Most people would. The
problem is that many people aren't sure how. They think it is some mystical
trait that some people seem to have and others don't. Actually, being
confident in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals is a skill that
can be learned.

Let's say you've decided to move forward in your efforts to achieve your
goals and have taken action. Congratulations for reaching this point! Along
the way you will certainly experience many victories. Yet there will also be
challenges. To keep yourself going, you are going to need lots of support
from one very important person: Yourself! This support comes in the form of
setting achievable goals, supportive self-talk, self-monitoring to
acknowledge success, and plenty of rewards along the way.

Today's theme is the crucial importance of acknowledging success. To balance
the scale of triumphs and challenges, the skill needed is learning to
recognize and feel good about all the little steps you take each day, and
the efforts you put forth toward achieving your goal. Building on every
little victory acts like fuel to your confidence. Achieving any new goal
isn't easy. It takes decision, hard work, effort, and dedication. But that
is what this life is about... setting new goals for ourselves and
accomplishing those goals. Learning to feel good along the path to something
new is what makes life a grand adventure.

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If
you love what you are doing, you will be successful." - Albert Schweitzer

WHY ACKNOWLEDGE SUCCESS?

For many, the journey toward reaching the overall goal is often a long road.
It's frequently so full of experiences and opportunities (okay, challenges)
that we often don't notice the gradual change that is occurring. We don't
recognize the progress we have made. This error of self-acknowledgment can
be devastating and stop us dead in our tracks.

One surefire way of putting out your own fire is to dismiss your success.
Let's imagine you've been binging on food for quite a few days. Through much
effort and determination, you manage to stay binge-free for three days.
Following these three days, you binge again. What are you most likely to do
with this situation?

* Do you count those three days as success?
* Do you dismiss those three days as proof that since they didn't last, you
are not good enough to have what you want -- now falling into helplessness
or hopelessness?
* Do you use those three days (and subsequent relapse) as an occasion to
self-condemn and shame yourself?
* Do those three days count for anything wonderful in your book?

WHEN TO ACKNOWLEDGE SUCCESS

One day, I decided I wanted to increase the amount of water I was drinking
each day. I thought this goal through and decided that the best way to
achieve success would be to drink one bottle of water each morning as I was
getting ready for my day. After a few weeks had gone by, I pondered my goal.
I realized that almost every morning I had drunk one full bottle of water.
Had I achieved success with my goal? How long must a goal be achieved before
I could call myself successful?

Contemplating, I became aware of my own particularly nasty habit. I set
goals for myself. With enough time, my goals became habits. But I had no
mental criteria established for when I could call myself successful. There
was no endpoint of "How do I know I've achieved my goal?" And since there
was no endpoint, there was no feeling good at the end of my goal. I was
running my own life story of not being good enough for myself, and having to
earn my own love but never succeeding. I sat there amazed at my own
self-realization. I asked, "How long must I maintain a behavior before I can
call myself successful?" The answer came immediately: "The very first time
the behavior is achieved, you are successful." Wow! This about blew me away.
I successfully achieved my goal the first day I followed through with my
intention. No wonder I never felt enough. I was completely failing to
recognize, acknowledge, or celebrate my strengths, efforts, and my
achievements.

Many of the people I work with also have no internal criteria established
for knowing when they are successful. Oh, sure, they may say when they lose
40 pounds, then they will be successful. Or when they stop binging, then
they will be happy. But what happens when they lose those 40 pounds or stop
binging for several days? Success is never measured, never celebrated, never
acknowledged. Eventually a few pounds creep back on or a relapse in binge
behavior occurs. Wouldn't you know it? This gets acknowledged! Lots of
negative self-talk, huge emotion, beastly feelings of self-reproach... now
there is evidence that success cannot be achieved. Without being conscious
of it, the criteria were that if the weight was maintained forever, or a
binge never occurred again, then success would be achieved. The problem with
this strategy? Success can't be measured until forever occurs, meaning
success never occurs.

"Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. Courage is what counts." -
Sir Winston Churchill

SUCCESS EXERCISE

Close your eyes and relax. Think of a success you had today. Maybe it was
feeling good, or deciding to drive past the fast food restaurant, or
choosing to sit still while envisioning your goal, or laughing instead of
feeling heavy. Maybe you overcame an urge, and even though later you didn't
overcome the urge, that first "overcoming" was a success. You cannot change
the fact of it or deny that it was a success.

Remember your goals. Recall your successes of the day. Remember your
efforts. Get in touch with your very being. Feel your physical body. Breathe
in... breathe out. Acknowledge your successes over and over again in your
mind. Say to yourself, "I was truly successful. There is no denying that."
Imagine the lightness of your joy is spreading all around, filling your
body. It is filling your chest, spreading to your abdominal cavity reaching
towards your thighs, legs, and feet. Think of a similar spread to your
shoulders, arms, hand, head, neck, and face. Now your whole body is filled
with radiant blissful lightness. You are calm and centered and feeling
really good. Nourish your goal by looking for more successes. Bring your
goal life and light through praise and intention and enthusiasm. Strengthen
your goal by feeding it love. Breathe in... breathe out.

DO YOU:

1. Expect the best from yourself?

2. Understand your needs and use this information to create an environment
that builds your motivation?

3. Establish standards of excellence that are attainable for yourself?

4. Create an environment where failure isn't fatal?

5. Encourage yourself or nag yourself?

6. Recognize and applaud your efforts?

7. Use a mixture of positive and negative reinforcement (acknowledge without
judgment, but with honesty, your failures)?

About the Author:
Helping people let go of self-destructive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
has been the life work of Dr. Annette Colby. Her fascination with the power
of the mind, emotions, spirituality, and physicality has led her to become a
leader in the field of personal growth and consciousness. She is a valued
counselor, and an inspiring teacher, as well as an independent writer,
mentor, and guide. She is a highly sought-after trainer with a unique
ability to inform and inspire individuals to open their hearts, love more
openly, and pursue their dreams. Go here for her free inspirational
newsletter, articles, and information:

http://www.LovingMiracles.com 
Miracles@AnnetteColby.com 
972.985.8750
"Opening Creative Portals to Success"

Check out the Experts page for Annette Colby, the Official SelfGrowth.com
Guide to Energy Healing:
http://www.selfgrowth.com/experts/annette_colby.html


----------------------------------------------------
*** Article: It's Your Life. Are You Having Fun? - By Sabrina Schleicher,
Ph.D. ***
----------------------------------------------------

So often, we get busy with our day-to-day lives and don't step back to look
at the big picture. Are you enjoying life? Or does life feel like a
struggle? Do you wake each day thinking, "Today I have to..." or do you wake
thinking, "Today I get to..."? There is a big difference.

I recently coached a client most people would describe as successful.
Married with two children, Christina* worked as a registered nurse
supervisor. She lives in a nice neighborhood, drives a late model SUV, and
recently traveled to Hawaii with her family.

But Christina felt unhappy. She did not enjoy her work anymore. She liked
her co-workers and she received plenty of recognition for her efforts at
work. But she felt something missing.

Christina's job was the end result of a series of choices Christina made
over the last fifteen years. When faced with an opportunity, Christina
always made the most "sensible" choice. Her series of sensible choices
landed her in an "okay" job and an "okay" life.

But many days, she came home feeling depleted. Her job drained her energy.
Some days, she did not want to go to work. Many days, she had a gnawing
voice telling her something was missing from her life. Many days, she woke
up thinking, "Today, I have to..."

When Christina came to coaching, we had an honest conversation about what
Christina really wanted. What a powerful conversation! For the first time in
years, Christina gave herself permission to dream. Although she liked being
a nurse, it was not her first career choice. Highly creative, with an
entrepreneurial spirit, Christina felt boxed in by the structure of her job.
She really wanted to start her own business.

For the first time in her life, Christina made a choice many might consider
to be "un-sensible." Christina decided to start her own business as a
wedding planner.

Christina did not do this hastily. She spent months learning about business,
researching the market in her area, talking to other small business owners,
and developing a solid backup plan in case her business failed. She did all
of this while she continued to work in her nursing job. In the process,
something amazing happened!

In spite of taking on even more work as she developed her business and
worked full-time, Christina felt excited and energized. She woke up each
morning looking forward to the day ahead. Maybe that day she would have
lunch with another business owner. Or maybe she would spend time working on
her business plan after her children went to bed.

It really didn't matter how much time Christina devoted to her business on a
given day. Christina got to do something every day that excited her.

By the time Christina walked away from her steady paycheck, she had so much
momentum going, fear no longer consumed her. Even though Christina faced
plenty of obstacles and financial risk as she developed her business, she
resisted. It did not take long before Christina made more money from her
business in one week than she made from a month working as a nurse.

Christina's success is not effortless. She works very hard at it. But to
Christina, it feels effortless. Christina loves what she does each day. She
is pursuing her passion.

Did you wake this morning thinking, "Today, I get to..." or did you wake
thinking, "Today, I have to..."? Those two thoughts highlight the difference
between thriving and surviving. When you wake thinking, "I get to...,"
you're having fun in your life and work. You're experiencing each day as a
new opportunity to get to do what you love.

Work can be fun and when it is, you thrive.

It's your life. Are you having fun?

*Name and identifying information changed. Used with client's permission.

About the Author:
Small business and life coach, Sabrina Schleicher, Ph.D., helps you work
smarter, experience more success, and have more fun! Get your FREE e-course,
7 Inside Secrets of Elite Performers, at http://www.tapthepotential.com

Check out the Experts page for Sabrina Schleicher:
http://www.selfgrowth.com/experts/sabrina_schleicher.html


------------------------------------------------------------
*** Book Review: Discovering the Essence of Your Soul: Learn How to
Facilitate Your Spiritual Growth by Accessing Your Akashic Records - By
Kathy Karlander ***
------------------------------------------------------------

Have you ever noticed that life is like a treasure hunt?

The more we understand ourselves, our relationships, and the world around
us, the wiser we become. The challenges we face in our lives are hidden gems
of wisdom that are waiting to be discovered and added to our personal
treasure box. The events in our lives are irrelevant. They are simply the
foundations we lay for our personal growth, and opportunities to add other
gemstones to our treasure box. It is up to us to discover the gemstones of
wisdom that are buried within the events of our lives.

This book will help you gain insights into your buried treasures by teaching
how to connect with your Akashic Records. With the loving assistance of your
Divine Spiritual Family (God/Goddess, All That Is, Ascended Masters, etc.)
and the connection to your Akashic Records, you will experience a deeper
understanding of yourself and the world around you.

The Akashic Records can help you find the gemstones within any arena --
relationships, repeating patterns and behaviors, influences from past lives,
spiritual growth -- and help you open up to more peace and joy in your life.

Check out the Experts page for Kathy Karlander, the Official SelfGrowth.com
Guide to Akashic Records:
http://www.selfgrowth.com/experts/kathy_karlander.html

*****
The list price of this book is $10.95. To purchase it from Amazon.com, go
directly to
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------------------------------------------------------------
*** Brief News of the World ***
------------------------------------------------------------

Positive:

* U.S. launches school commute exercise plan: Anti-obesity program
encourages kids to walk, ride bikes to class *

When Amy Lovell dropped off her son at school, she had to make sure the
fifth-grader didn't dash off without his French horn. It was strapped to the
back of her bicycle with a pair of bungee cords and rope. Each morning,
Lovell and her 10-year-old son Allen don helmets and ride their bicycles for
the 10-minute commute to Glenwood Academy in the Atlanta suburbs, joining
dozens of other parents and pupils who wheel into the public elementary
school the same way. (Click here for complete news story)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21487950/


* Biggio receives Clemente Award honor: Astros star exemplifies
sportsmanship, community service *

With 3,060 hits and 291 home runs, Craig Biggio will undoubtedly be
remembered first for his offensive contributions during his 20-year Major
League career. But it's quite possible the veteran second baseman is as
recognizable to those in his adopted home of Houston for his affiliation
with the Sunshine Kids as he is for his on-field accomplishments. (Click
here for complete news story)
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071027&content_id=2284369&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb&partnered=rss_mlb


* Bono honoured at Aids fundraiser *

U2 frontman Bono has been honoured with an award for his humanitarian work
at an Aids charity fundraiser in New York. Singer Alicia Keys, who
co-founded the Keep A Child Alive charity, described Bono as "an amazing
man" at the event. "He is an inspiration and single-handedly made it cool to
have something to speak about," she told the Associated Press news agency.
(Click here for complete news story)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7063529.stm


** For more positive news, please visit http://www.selfgrowth.com/news.html


Other:

* Pediatricians urge autism screening *

The country's leading pediatricians group is making its strongest push yet
to have all children screened for autism twice by age 2, warning of symptoms
such as babies who don't babble at 9 months and 1-year-olds who don't point
to toys. The advice is meant to help both parents and doctors spot autism
sooner. There is no cure for the disorder, but experts say that early
therapy can lessen its severity. (Click here for complete news story)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071029/ap_on_he_me/autism_screening;_ylt=Ar8zL_mS7N4vJGrgaQM94_wDW7oF


* Help your kids have a spooky but safe Halloween *

Greta Anne Rowe is like a little kid when it comes to Halloween. During a
recent outing at a Target store near her suburban Atlanta, Georgia, home,
the 37-year-old seemed to spare no expense as she filled her shopping cart
with plastic pumpkins, flickering ghost-shaped flashlights and a CD with
spooky music. Rowe is hoping her enthusiasm will one day rub off on her
children, ages 2 and 4. She's also passing along some lessons on safety.
"Anything you can do to add an extra bit of caution and preparedness is
important," Rowe says. (Click here for complete news story)
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/family/10/29/hm.halloween.safety/index.html


* Boston sweeps Colorado to win World Series *

The Boston Red Sox beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 Sunday to win the World
Series and record their second four-game sweep of the Fall Classic in four
years. Boston, who had gone 86 years without winning a World Series before
sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004, repeated the feat by outscoring
the Rockies a cumulative 29-10. (Click here for complete news story)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071029/ts_nm/baseball_series_sunday_dc;_ylt=Atie9iNku4fla9kM1aI7sbKs0NUE



 

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