What:     International Positivity Jam
When:    Today from 9 to 10 am
Where:   Wherever you are!

Brought to you by www.positivitynation.com

International Positivity Jam! is a world-wide event. It is a focused, intentional POWER HOUR of positive action! Spend this hour helping others, making a difference, and sharing your positive energy with the world.

Not sure what you could do?  It could be as simple as volunteering in your community, delivering random acts of kindess, or writing (& mailing) letters of appreciation.

It could be as BIG & EXCITING as planning a flash mob for positive action or breaking a world-record during this hour doing something that helps others. 

Your imagination is really the only limitaton of how you can make a significant impact during this event.

Do it alone ... involve others!  Organziations, groups, and businesses can help to multiply the impact of International Positivity Jam!

What are you going to do? I have had a really busy week out in the world giving to others with no time for myself I've decided that I'm going to spend my hour at home, alone giving back to myself. I'll spend the hour in quiet contemplation and meditation followed by expressing gratitude and conscious appreciation for my life and the people who support me. This will help me to raise my energy level so I can go back out and serve the world to the best of my ability tomorrow!

How about you? What will you do?

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt

Over the past 9 years, I've established myself personally and professionally in the Mount Washington Valley of NH. The transformation from corporate professional with a gold AMEX card and expense account to teaching and counseling teens around pregnancy prevention for a health and human service agency was relatively easy. I had grown tired of the money game and tired of being surrounded by people who were scratching their way to the top without being clear as to why they were doing it. I was tired of living life in hotel rooms. I was bored with developing yet another program that would ultimately line already deep pockets. Although I was good at what I did, I was not satisified and found myself confused about why I was doing what I was doing.

In my new position as the Teen Clinic and Community Outreach Coordinator, I immediately loved being in direct contact with teens again as well as being in both the clinic and classroom setting again. I also enjoyed working with the adults that teach, guide and support teens!

I loved where I was living and connected with the community relatively quickly. I adjusted to the significant reduction in pay in exchange for a huge increase in job satisfaction and an expanded sense of purpose! 

My move to NH calmed me down. It helped me to connect with and appreciate the simple things in life. It created space for more meaningful and supportive relationships and provided me with peaceful surroundings where I could hear my own thoughts and connect with my values and my essence.

I began to live according to my values and make each of my decisions based on them. I began to explore myself more deeply. I refined and redefined myself. Looking back, I hardly remember the woman who first came to NH to visit my brother years ago.

I am now much more in tune to the environment and I've developed a whole new appreciation for the importance of taking care of it. I've become extremely sensitive to the energy of my surroundings. My creativity flows like never before. I make time to be out in nature on a daily basis, which in turn, has tranformed my sense of a higher power and expanded my belief that there is something greater supporting all of life.
 
I am now much more connected to a power that goes way beyond the God I learned about in the church of my youth. I now feel this universal energy every morning as I looked out my window to observe the deer or the moose or the bear in my yard or at night when I look up at the stars I could never see from my hotel rooms in all those cities way back when. I feel it every day as I look across the lake beyond that Little White Church; and each day I see a different but equally breathtaking scene. I feel it each day as I looked up at Mount Washington from wherever I was am in the Valley.

The connection is woven through each story of each student, patient and client. It is evident in each encounter, palpable in each challenge and in each expression of hope; present in every transition and transformation I am honored to witness and support.

Over the past couple of years, I was involved in a challenging romantic relationship, while at the same time struggling financially to make ends meet. Long story short, having had my share of traditional counseling, I chose to explore a few alternative modalities to see if I could get to the core of a couple of repetitive patterns I had noticed in my life around finances and relationships.
 
Although I am a scientist by training, I became open to exploring the spiritual side of the issues. I even dabbled some in the metaphysical.Through this exploration, I became more in touch with my intuitive nature and found myself to be more curious about disciplines that went beyond my scientific understanding.

I was drawn to hypnosis. I had experienced hypnosis in the past as a form of entertainment, but never in a therapeutic setting. I decided to give it a try to help with a relationship issue. My experience was profound and intriguing. I became fascinated by the power of my own subconscious mind and how it played out in the patterns I had identified in my life.

Out of curiousity and intrigued by the possiblity of accessing and unlocking a couple of subconscious limiting beliefs that were creating some undesirable results, I also explored a process called EMDR. Again, the results were fascinating!

Shortly after my hypnosis and EMDR experiences, I studied to become a certified hypnotherapist. As I studied hypnotherapy and the subconscious mind, I began making connections between the stories and stuggles I was witnessing in my clients. There seemed to be some old subconscious programs running that were creating blocks in their lives that showed up in a variety of self-sabotaging behaviors.

I decided to combine my hypnosis training with a coaching certification as I was beginning to see the possibility for some very cool connections with the work I was doing with kids.

At the same time, the impact of federal and state budget cuts to my program began to have major impact. I found myself looking toward the future and not feeling very good about it. Over the past 8 years, we have sustained yearly budget cuts despite the fact that the number and scope of clients we serve has expanded by leaps and bounds. I found myself feeling surrounded by a "lack" mentality, like there isn't enough to go around. I found myself searching for grants and donations and little bits of money to keep things going.

Then one day, I was reminded of the Law of Attraction; the very same Law that was in action the day my life changed and I landed in Eaton, NH ; the Law that challenges us to decide what we want, believe that the Universe is abundant and trust that if we are open to all possibilities, that the Universe will conspire to bring us our hearts desire in ways we cannot even comprehend.

Literally, the next day, I was introduced to Jack Canfield's Success Principles. They resonated with me, and looking back, I know they were brought to me for a reason.

The first principle was: Take 100% Responsiblity For Your Life. And the second principle was: Be Clear Why You're Here.

And so I did!

I took a week off work and paddled around a lake in a kayak while listening to the Success Principles Audio Course on my MP3 player. I did the accompanying workbook exercises. After completing the audio course, I felt compelled to attend Jack's Breakthrough to Success 7 day training. The Law of Attraction literally created the opporutnity and the financial means for me to be able to attend. The training was phenomenal. Training with Jack Canfield and the connections I made at BTS sparked a whole new meaning to my work. It literally transformed my life and is pulling me in a whole new direction. As a result, I launched my coaching and consulting practice, created my website and now I'm connecting with you here on this blog!

I am humbled, grateful, and excited about what's next!

Check out some more about Jack Canfield's work at the links provided below. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments or would like to share your insights!

Enjoy an in depth discussion of the first two Success Principles here:

http://www.thebigwhitebook.com/the-success-principles-2-chapters.pdf

Purchase the Success Principles book at:

This is the scene of my transformation, Eaton, NH.

In the winter of 2002, I moved to NH. I left a lucrative twenty-plus year career as a  pharmacist and consultant in professional education and accepted a full time position as a ski instructor at a small family resort just to make ends meet.

Through a divorce that left me penniless, a corporate contract that challenged my integrity, a heartbreak that I would rather not share publically, and a long weekend visit with my brother and sister-in-law, I decided to leave the corporate world and my corporate paycheck behind. (Gulp!) I sorted through my belongings, rented a storage unit, packed a few things and landed in the town of Eaton, NH.

I moved into my brother's home for the winter. We shared a big old farm house at the end of a long country road on 60 acres of land, with a 10 acre private pond, a farmers porch, snowshoes, hiking trails, a dog, two cats and lots ot time and a variety of sunny sitting spots conducive to deciding what was next for my life.

I worked as a full time ski instructor to pay my way. It felt so good to be back on skis again! I had forgotten how much I loved sliding on snow and how it connected me to my body and soul. It's the same feeling I have being on or near the ocean. That winter I got to be on skis 7 days a week. I felt alive again! To this day, I still enjoy sharing my passion for skiing with others and often measure the success of my winter days by how many new skiers there are in the world after my lessons are done for the day.

The transition from the corporate paycheck, business attire and jet plane commuting to teaching skiing and other odd jobs along windy country roads just to put food on the table presented quite a contrast. Spring came and I wasn't sure what was next. Eventually, I headed south (mud season and black fly season in NH can be a bit challenging!) to reconnect with family and friends I had lost touch with during my divorce.

After 6 weeks of traveling along the East Coast, I found my way back to my brother's house in NH, still not sure what was next, but open to whatever came up next. Over a cup of coffee, a phone call, a job offer and, literally, a spiritual awakening between me and a red cardinal on the porch, it became crystal clear that I would be staying in Eaton.

Within twenty-four hours, on the day after I returned from my East Coast trip, my life had changed completely. I got a call, interviewed and accepted my current position as the Teen Clinic and Community Outreach Coordinator at a community health center, through which I discovered my life purpose work.

The same day, my brother informed me that while I had been traveling, he and his wife had purchased land with a small cabin and had decided not to renew the lease on the farm house. If I wanted to stay, I needed to renew the lease on my own. I was pretty broke and had no means to fund first and last month's rent and security deposit needed to renew the lease. I can still remember the feeling I had when my brother told me they were leaving the farm house. I was on the porch on a warm summer morning, he had poured me a second cup of coffee and handed it to me as he broke the news. And then he was gone.

That's when the cardinal showed up and sat on the railing of the porch for what seemed like forever. The feeling was overwhelming. I felt connected to a power beyond me. One thing I had learned at the farm ... it was so much easier to connect with that power than it was in the confusion of my old corporate life. As the cardinal stared at me, I felt an inner calm. I knew that if it were meant to be, the means would show up. I sipped my coffee as I took in the scene, the sounds and the beauty of my surroundings. The phone rang, interupting my peace, and the cardinal flew off to a nearby tree. It was my cousin. We talked for a long time, updating each other on life's happenings. I shared the story of my day along with the way I was feeling about it. I wanted to stay and simply needed to trust that it would work out if it were meant to be.

When I hung up the phone, I noticed the cardinal was sitting in a tree off to the side of the porch. Wierd ... or very cool? I went with very cool.

Two days later, I received a check in the mail. It was just enough to cover first, last month's rent and security deposit. I never expected it and couldn't see how that was possible. Instead of letting my pride take over, I called my cousin and simply expressed my appreciation. She was happy to help me and I was evenutally able to pay her back.

I signed the lease on the farm house a few days later. It was all perfect. The job was a combination of all the things I loved about my  professional experience and strengths and combined them into a flexible, fun way to make a living, far, far away from the corporate world I no longer enjoyed. I had grown to love the old farmhouse, the pond and the surroundings and looked forward to living there on my own. And I never looked back.

That was the beginning of me noticing that things had a way of working out. I had a sense that there was something going on that was way beyond me and simply couldn't be explained. It as as if the Universe had conspired on my behalf to put together all the pieces of my new life for me, in ways that I could never have come up with on my own.

The only problem was, I was literally making 15% of my hourly consulting rate and living far below the standard I had become used to. However I had quickly noticed something ... I was happier than I'd ever been. I smiled more. I loved my surroundings. I loved my work. I loved where I lived. I felt peaceful. I could feel myself connecting with a part of myself I had never known ... that way down deep place that I can now call my essence or my soul. And ever since that day, I always seem to have what I need when I need it. It shows up in unexpected ways from unexpected places. More on that later.

I was happy ... finally happy. My days were spent teaching kids about their bodies, about growth and development, about healthy friendships and relationships, about sexuality, effective communication and heatlhy decision making. This led me to connecting with lots of teenagers on a one on one basis. Many of them struggled with seeing their future, staying motivated to finish school or finding a job ... and all of whom deep down wanted to discover themselves and simply be accepted unconditionally.

Teens have taught me so much over the years. They still do. And today, I know I am doing the work I was meant to do. Today I am grateful for my ex-husband's addiction, for all I've learned about myself and about life as I healed from my divorce and for the life I am living.

But there's still something missing. A hint of frustration?  is it more like something yet to discover? Or perhaps a bigger vision with an expanded reach?

More on that tomorrow ... for now there are 14 inches of new snow and my skis are calling me!

International Positivity Jam! is a world-wide event. It is a focused, intentional POWER HOUR of positive action! Spend this hour helping others, making a difference, and sharing your positive energy with the world.

Not sure what you could do?  It could be as simple as volunteering in your community, delivering random acts of kindess, or writing (& mailing) letters of appreciation.

It could be as BIG & EXCITING as planning a flash mob for positive action or breaking a world-record during this hour doing something that helps others. 

For all of you that are always taking care of everyone else here is an idea for International Positivity Jam: Practice some self care! Visit the doctor, dentist, massage therapist, chiropractor... if you are not well you will not be able to help others.

Your imagination is really the only limitaton of how you can make a significant impact during this event.

Don't do this alone... involve others!  Families, classrooms, organziations, groups, and businesses can help to multiply the impact of International Positivity Jam!

So are you in? I certainly am!

Visit www.positivitynation.com for more information!

Today is my birthday! I woke up to a very sweet happy birthday kiss from my six year old nephew who spent the night with me.so we can ski together for my birthday. He's now snuggled up next to me catching a few more winks before it's time to gear up. He reminds me of the simple things ... the sound of breath, the warmth of human touch, how fun it is to already be looking forward to putting marshmallow in our apres ski hot chocolate and of pure, innocent love.

After my first cup of coffee while enjoying the sunrise through Jack Frost's brilliant artistry on my bedroom window; followed by my ten minute system for effortless success routine I talked about yesterday, I turned on my computer to answer a couple of emails. How wonderful to already have 31 birthday wishes on facebook, 2 e-cards, 3 email wishes and a text from all over the world.

Technology is truly amazing!

Yikes, speaking of technology, I forgot to renew my license, which expires today. I'm good at deadlines for the things I'm passionate about, but not so much with things like license renewels.  No worries this year as I got a notice that the NH legislation passed a law that residents can now renew online! I read the instructions, go online, fill out the information ... brilliant! I never did enjoy going to the registry anyway and I can do the online thing while I have my second cup of coffee!

My application got rejected and I got locked out of the online process. Why? Because in the five years since I last renewed my license, my address changed. I still have the same mailing address, the same phone number, but my street number changed and there is no online way to handle this at the NH DMV. I find myself thinking, "Really, what are the chances that someone renewing there license would have moved over the course of a 5 year period?" Obviously, whomever was responsible for developing the online system did not have much foresight. If this was the way a for-profit business approached their online process, I'm sure they'd be out of business by now.

We are facing some pretty hefty budget cuts in our State that will affect education and human services in a huge way. This morning's DMV experience makes me wonder where else our tax supported systems might be made more efficient! My guess, having worked in my share of such "systems" is the list is a long one.

Well, I hope I don't get stopped by the State police between here and  the mountain. The DMV will have to wait for now, the little guy is now awake, the sun is shining, the slopes are calling and we've got some skiing to do!

Would you believe me if I told you that you can transform your life in just 10 minutes each day? It's true! In a short three months of 1 on 1 or group coaching, I can teach you exactly how to do it!

It's a system; a step by step process; a way of thinking and feeling; a wonderful, exciting, fun, productive, empowering, transformational and, yes, even magical way of living, working, loving and being! It works for adults, teens, teams, groups, organizations alike.

You will discover who you really are, affirm what you really want and where you're going, and engage in a simple, step by step process that will help you unleash the power of your subconcious mind, maximize productivity and let the Law of Attraction work to get you there!

Read more about The 10 Most Important Minutes of Your Day at:

http://www.jackcanfield.com/blogs/jacks-blog/item/932-the-10-most-important-minutes-of-your-day.html

And then call or email me to explore how I can help you make the most out of that 10 minutes a day and move you, your teen, your group or your organzation from your today to the future of your dreams!

I was first introduced to Jack Canfield about 25 years ago at a professional training at which time I purchased his very first audiotape series titled Self Esteem and Peak Performance.. Although the series helped me tremendously, I never followed Jack's work to any great degree.

Twenty-plus years later, while experiencing major loss and change in my life, I found myself reflecting back over what I had experienced in the past, evaluating what I was experiencing in the present and comparing it to what I wanted to be experiencing in the years to come. At that point, I had done alot of self-help and personal growth work and was looking for something solid to work with. No more theory ... I was looking for motivation along with a practical, common sensical way to turn my dreams into reality and discover my life purpose and turn it into my life mission and my life work.
 
Ironically, at that time I had lunch with a friend who had been talking about a book she was reading. It was summer and I was planning lots of time to read, but I joked about being at the age of needing glasses in order to enjoy reading again. She suggested audiobooks as a way to cover me until my eye exam as well as a great way to multi-task.  The teens I work with are always sporting iPods and MP3 players. I asked them if an audiobook could be put on an MP3 player. They joked about the real purpose ... music, of course ... but assured me they would help me download and sync my books after they helped me select my MP3 player .

Absolutely brilliant!

I signed on to audible.com. Ironically, the feature book for that day was was Jack's book The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. I bought it on audio, had a teen help me download it onto an MP3 player and spent a wonderful week in NH kayaking on calm water while listening to material that now guides my life and supports me in helping others.

After I "read" the book and I completed his 30 day Success Principles audio course, Using the Law of Attraction I manifested the opportunity to spend a most amazing 7 days training with Jack at his Breakthrough to Success workshop.

As a result, my life, my perspective, the way I look at possibilities, opportunities, success, love and joy will never be the same. This work is truly transformational!

The Success Principles can serve as a foundation to help teens, adults, individuals and groups explore how our habits serve or don't serve us. They help us examine our personal, home, school and professional environments and support systems to see what's working and what's not working to create the results we want. It's helps us implement action plans and take inspired action that supports make lasting changes that create desired results and a life beyond what we ever thought possible.

Read more about "Where Are Your Habits Leading You?" by Jack Canfield at:
 
http://www.jackcanfield.com/index.php?option=com_flexicontent&view=items&id=382

Read more about The Success Principles book and audio course at

Get more more information about Jack's Breakthrough to Success 2011 training at

Sundays have always been a day of connection and reflection for me. Most likely this stems from my childhood and my family's weekly routine of quiet lazy mornings, big family breakfasts, church, fun family outings topped off with large dinners.

As an adult, my routines are much different, but reflective of family values ... quiet mornings in comfy surroundings, a good cup of coffee, meditation, quiet reflection, time with furry friends to connect with my spirit, checking in with family and ... on this beautiful winter day ... some time on skis sharing my passion and some fun with like minded others! Later on, when the day nears the end, I'll take a look at my calendar and set my intentions to prepare for the week to come :)

How do you feed your soul and connect with your essence? How will you spend your Sunday? How do you get ready for the week ahead?





 

Many of us have struggled with lack. loss, illness, rejection, disease, pain, abuse. Many of us have come to an age and an awareness that we can look back and see that we often repeat patterns in our relationships, our financial circumstances, our careers, our social experiences that haven't served us well. Many of us, once seeing the patterns and experiencing the impact of them on our lives, seek professional help, i.e. counseling or self-help programs to sort out the past and get to a more balanced, peaceful, loving and productive place in the present.

Our wounds, if we consciously choose to explore them, appreciate them as gifts and be grateful for the lessons they have taught us, can serve as an important training ground for discovering our life purpose and our life work.

I enjoy working with teens and young adults. I am amazed at how much more aware and open they are than when I was their age. Over the past few years, I have witnessed an enormous growth in awareness in this age group! The world is certainly different for them.  At a time when their curiousity, creativity and willingness to take risk peaks, they have instant access to whatever information they want or need, whenever they want to access it, right from their own portable electronic device. They can explore topics and theories and resources that go way beyond school text books, homework assignments and family values..They can connect with virtual, support systems without fear of ridicule, judgement and with total acceptance.

The capacity for self-directed discovery, personal growth and transformation on all levels is truly overwhelming.

However, nothing can replace the human connection and the importance of face to face, eye to eye, heart to heart communication and connection. When kids unplug, they need real connections with real human beings to help them process their experiences to help sort out all they've got going on in their head, how it relates to  their purpose in life.

This post is inspired by a conversation I had with a young man at work yesterday. He spoke of his wound without revealing the specifics. He spoke of working with a counselor to sort out his past, yet feeling somewhat frustrated about not being able to move forward with his life. His curiousity and motivation for self-discovery is high, his technological skills are quite advanced, his quest for knowledge about the topics that interest him is immense and his openess to new ways of doing things is present.

When I asked him where he learned so much, he simply said "I googled it all. I google all the time."
 
I am looking forward to working with him to help provide a framework that will help him assilmilate some of what he's got running through his brain, help connect his wound to his purpose and facilite the creation of clear goals and an action plan that will begin to move him through each day and toward the future!

Hypnocoaching is a great way for teens and young adults to assimilate past experiences, present knowledge and awareness and create an action plan toward the future in a framework that faciliates self-discovery, promotes self-esteem and supports engagement while helping to eliminate limiting beliefs and subconscious programming that many of us adults have had to deal with in our later years.