appreciation

Be Happy Every Day (No Matter What)!

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Have you ever had a case of “the Mondays”? You know those days – we’ve all had ‘em – you wake up knowing your workday is going to be tough or dreary and you just want to go back to sleep already! Perhaps it’s an intense meeting with a prickly boss or a 5-hour session on learning the new computer system or back-to-back meetings all day. Sometimes the issue is as simple as insufficient sleep and you just know it’ll be a long slog all day.

Whatever the reason, those days can be difficult and arduous. But the good news is, they don’t necessarily have to be. Attitude counts a lot on these days, and sometimes a quick and easy attitude adjustment can turn a dismal day into a bearable – maybe even an enjoyable – one.

And of course: you want to have as many enjoyable days and as many enjoyable moments as possible. Not only does that help you love your life, but it also keeps you happier, and inspires you to more forward movement in your business. Sounds obvious, I know, but so many of us forget that simple truth a little too often.

Take Action – Get Excited … on purpose!

Here’s one super-simple – and a personal favorite – tactic for managing my energy on workdays. I recommend doing this EVERY workday. By the end of the first week, you’ll notice some pretty amazing changes!

When I wake up that morning, before even leaving bed, I walk through the day in my mind and find at least three things, events, or moments to look forwardto that day. I take 5-10 seconds with each thing and savor it in my mind. This can be anything! Some ideas are:

  • a quick chat with a co-worker who makes you smile
  • a big deal that you’re about to close on
  • a delicious lunch
  • a client session that you are really passionate about

After that, I pick some things in my personal life that day that I’m looking forward to, and savor those things:

  • dinner with my husband & daughter
  • a conversation with a good friend
  • taking my favorite yoga class

Focusing on and feeling happy anticipation about the positive moments in your day can help lessen the weight you feel around the unpleasant moments.

What are you looking forward to today?

Turn Your Attitude to Gratitude!

Another strategy for bringing back joy to your workday is to take a moment to remember the parts of your job that you love and give thanks for them. Sure, you might hate doing paperwork, but don’t forget that you enjoy teaching class, or writing, or getting to know your clients. Or maybe you feel very stressed about meeting with prospects and trying to connect with them. But try to bear in mind that you love creating programs or classes, or that it feels terrific to close a session with a client and reflect with them on how they’ve grown or benefited.

What are you grateful for today?

Instead of focusing on the parts of your day that you’re not looking forward to, make an effort to identify and get excited about the parts of your day – no matter how small – that will make you feel alive or make your heart sing. The more you focus on the positive, the more you will notice it and enjoy it in your life … and the more your soul-centered project will soar!!!!

Glowing Reviews and Testimonials: How to Get Them

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Enthusiastic reviews for your business or soul-centered project are a key way to support your marketing efforts. Marketing testing has demonstrated again and again that showcasing the positive opinions and comments from real clients can help you gain more new clients by over 150% versus not using testimonials.

Why are good testimonials so effective? Because your prospects get to hear, straight from the mouth of your satisfied customers, how beneficial your product or service is and why others should buy from you. Testimonials can be very powerful.
If you aren’t currently using testimonials in your marketing materials, or you are using testimonials but you sense they could be improved, here are some tips:

Ask for Testimonials

It sounds pretty obvious to ask clients for their thoughts at the end of a program or service project, but there are far too many entrepreneurs out there who don’t routinely do this. I hear from folks that you are often scared to ask for referrals – you either don’t want to take up someone’s time or you’re scared they don’t want to give a referral. 9 times out of 10 folks will be HAPPY you asked them – Make sure you ask for testimonials!

You can contact people individually or as a group via email, snail mail, or by distributing forms by hand when you are meeting with people. Always remember to give clients a deadline by which to hand their testimonial in to you, and also always remember to let your clients know how much you appreciate them and their willingness to support you in this way. Gratitude is SO important.

Guide Your Client through the Testimonial Process

The best testimonials are specific, detailed, and have a purpose in mind. I always recommend that you give your clients specific questions to answer about their experience with you.

Although it might allow respondents to answer more quickly, don’t ask only yes/no questions. Ask questions such as:

–What were things like before we started working together?

–How have things improved and changed through our work together?

–What have you enjoyed most about my product/service?

–What would you want other people to know about me/my product?

A powerful testimonial talks about a specific problem the client experienced before coming to you, and describes how you solved the problem. Structure your questions in such a way that people can’t get away with being vague. A testimonial that simply says “this class was awesome” doesn’t tell you much. A testimonial that says, “before I came to this class I couldn’t manage to sing in key, but now I can carry a tune all the way home” is far more compelling because you know why the class was so awesome.

Capture Organic Testimonials

Occasionally, clients will reach out to you rather than the other way around, just to let you know that they appreciate your service. When this happens, ask them if you can quote them. Tell them you’d like to share their comments so that others can benefit as well. Most people love to give advice and make recommendations, so being a source of information about your business allows them to do that. They will be flattered that you want to quote them, and more than happy to help you gain more business.

Where To Use Testimonials

You can and should use testimonials everywhere! The words of your clients can sell your product or service just as effectively – if not more so – than your own marketing materials. Here are some possible places to use testimonials:

  • on your website
  • on your resume
  • in your portfolio
  • on your quotes, order confirmations and invoices
  • in your print ads, sales letters, direct mail
  • when you encounter a barrier while talking to a client
  • on Twitter – in bite-sized pieces
  • on your blog – tell a success story about a client
  • in Facebook and Google+
  • in preview teleclasses and workshops (invite your testimonials to be with you live!)

Final Testimonial Tips

It’s ok to edit testimonials, especially if they are very long, and it’s definitely a good idea to correct any spelling mistakes. But try not to over-edit. Even if grammar errors make you cringe, they give some personal flavor and help remind people that it’s genuine.

Spread your testimonials out over your marketing materials. If you strategically place testimonials with relevant content they can have a big impact on how well the content is received.

Finally, whenever possible, use your client’s full name. It is important to get permission from your testimonial to do so, and using a client’s full name + either location or their website lends much, much more credibility to their testimonial because readers and prospects will see that your testimonials are real people celebrating you!

Birthday Special!

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I’m still settling into my new home in NC, but wanted to give you a heads up on a gift in honor of my birthday, which is TODAY. (Any other Virgos in the house?)

I love my birthday, and love to give to others on it, so I always gift the Soulful Coaching community with a special something this time of year.

This gift is designed to move you OUT of:

  • Fear
  • Frustration
  • Flakiness

And move you into:

  • Visibility
  • Prosperity
  • Creativity

For 3 days only I’m offering a massive discount on the Wise Woman Leadership Program.
Wise Woman Leadership is THE place you want to be if you are ready to present the world with your business or soul-centered project. It is a comprehensive, intensive, full-service experience that will teach to grow and monetize your passion.

Here’s what one graduate of the program said:

“If you have your burning dream and are just starting out with it, not quite sure where to begin, how to focus or how to get your message out there, this program is the vital first step in helping you to clarify and put steps into place to make this happen. You WILL move forward on this program, there is no way not to. We cover so much ground corresponding to the main areas that need to be put in place to create a successful business.

Taking the time to look back over what I have accomplished as a result of the program reveals layer upon layer which doesn’t cease to amaze me! On an inner level my confidence in myself, my knowledge, education and what I want to share with the world has hugely increased. On an outer level I have put in place a solid foundation on which to build and market my programs and business.” –Caroline Cain, CarolineCain.dk

If you’re ready, NOW is the time. We’re over 50% full, and this special discount will last only until Friday at midnight.

If the program is right for you, but you want to talk about it to make sure, go ahead and reserve your spot at the discounted rate, and then let us know you’d like to talk. If after we speak, you feel the program isn’t for you, we’ll refund you in full right away.

Again, the link to register is: http://www.soulfulcoach.com/wwlp-birthday.php

With love,

Joanna

p.s. – My team manager, Sophie, shares the same birthday with me! So it’s a double birthday special!

Summer Solstice and BIG Changes

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Here in Brooklyn, there’s no mistaking that it’s summer time. The heat is on. The sun is strong. The sprinklers are running, and the bathing-suits are out.

 

As many of you know, I am very conscious of living my life attuned to the earth and the seasons. And for me, summertime is all about investigating and getting to the next level of VISIBILITY. Why? Well, in the summer, the Sun is Queen. It’s all about the Sun. And traditionally, the sun represents being at the center of things, being visible, being seen and heard. Make sense?

So, in honor of the sun and summertime, I’ve prepared a very, very special opportunity just for you – a workshop and women’s circle all about visibility and bringing your sacred message to the world in big ways! I am over-the-moon excited about this event that’s taking place in NYC

on July 19th. It’s called BE SEEN, and it’s 3-hours of jam-packed visibility tools + experiential processes and ritual that will support you in being seen and heard and valued for your work in the world.

Here’s all the skinny on it: http://soulfulcoach.com/be-seen.php

There are lots of reasons why you don’t want to miss this event, and here’s one of the biggest reasons: I’m MOVING!!! Yup, it’s official; Jon, Penina and I will be packing up and moving to Charlotte, North Carolina later this month. So – if you’ve been wanting and waiting to work with me LIVE, here is your last chance for a while. I’m pulling out all the stops to make this a rock-the-house, not-to-be-forgotten event.

Will I see you there? I hope so! http://soulfulcoach.com/be-seen.php

And in the spirit of visibility, take a look at my article from Friday that’s all about creating effective, successful, and soul-centered presentations and talks.

Enjoy!

A Story about a Tired, Broke Woman…

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I’d like to tell you a story about a woman who changed her life. In the beginning of her career, she worked incredibly hard but seemed not to be advancing. She took poor care of herself and allowed others to dictate practically everything she did. She felt depressed, worn-out, and unhealthy. She had no time for herself and was lonely and disconnected.

Finally, one day she realized that there was no way to go but out, and that she must learn how to stand up for herself. From that moment on, she began to show up for her life as her own advocate, and stopped allowing everyone else’s needs to come first. Today, she is successful in her career, feels soul-satisfied, and is surrounded by loving family and friends.

This woman was me.

(For the whole story, go here)

Too tired from being "over responsible"?

Too tired from being "over responsible"? Wake up!

My whole life I had been an “over-responsibility person” – I was going to do whatever it took to make sure everyone around me was happy, satisfied, and ok. This intense need of mine to be responsible for everyone and everything stemmed from growing up with a perpetually ill mother who depended on me and needed for me to be the adult in the family. Making sure that everyone else was happy was a major piece of my identity and how I perceived my value in the world.

When I opened the doors to my business in 2007, my over-accommodating self was in full swing. I had no concept of boundaries AT ALL. I worked 80+ hour work weeks; scheduled sessions with clients whenever they wanted one (including 6:00am or 11:00pm at night); traveled all over Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens to have those sessions (instead of deciding that clients must travel to me); spent hours daily on client follow-up via email; and charging as low as $15 per session (and my travel time; I’m not kidding!).

You know what the result was? I was thoroughly exhausted, sick much of the time, isolated from friends and family… and pretty much broke!

Since then, I have been working on my boundaries and systems and on activating the Warrior Woman inside of me, and now I’m proud to share that I work no more than 25 hours most weeks! I continuously raise my rates and charge what I’m worth and my yearly earnings are in the multiple six figures. The best part: my clients receive MORE value than ever before and I have time and energy left over for myself, my family, and my life! I have a team that supports me in every aspect of my business and I take self-care 100% seriously and receive regular massages, acupuncture, etc.!

I want the same for you too!

Yesterday, I revealed the Warrior Woman Entrepreneur Program to you, and I want to tell you a little bit more about it. It is a 6-week master training that will revolutionize the ways you treat yourself, your business, and everyone around you. A number of members in the Soulful Coaching community have already stepped into this opportunity, and I’m so excited about it. If you have difficulty setting boundaries for yourself and others in your business, you need to activate and cultivate your Warrior Woman energy!

As a member of the Warrior Woman Entrepreneur Program, you will learn how to establish essential boundaries and systems for your Soul-Centered Business.

Register now!

In this powerful, content-rich program, you will:

  • Activate your inner Warrior Woman so that you can stand up for yourself fully and confidently
  • Learn how to set rates that really work for you…and cultivate confidence and commitment from your prospects
  • Create sacred boundaries around your time (one of your biggest assets!) so that you serve in the best of ways while also conserving your energy and nourishing your well-being
  • Receive tools for building a business that works for you and your needs INSTEAD of having it catering to your clients FIRST
  • Develop marketing and operations systems in your business that will help you stay on task and have time left over for yourself (i.e. create more STRUCTURE for yourself!)
  • Cultivate Amazonian confidence in yourself and your message so that you can stand up for your work powerfully and dynamically

Register here. Your investment in this high-content, high-energy, transformative program includes a Special opportunity!
For three days only: Sign up between May 29th through the 31st and pay only $247!

The information and tools I’ll be sharing with you in this master-training program are ones that I’ve only shared with my mentor clients and Soul-Centered Leaders up until now. In this program, I’ll share my secrets for establishing the most aligned and effective business boundaries and systems for your success, prosperity and health!

I hope to see you there!

Lessons of Gratitude from My Doorman

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gratitude-rock Meet Gerald. Gerald is the doorman of my Brooklyn apartment building. Gerald travels over an hour on the subway, six days of the week from Queens to Brooklyn to get to work, and then an hour back again many hours later. He gets back home close to midnight. His job is sometimes monotonous and also sometimes strenuous – lifting strollers up stairways, moving heavy boxes, opening doors even when it’s super cold outside.

And yet, despite all that there is always a smile on Gerald’s face. There’s always a spring in his step. And, he always remembers if you’ve gone away on vacation, or if you weren’t feeling well, or if your child has a birthday is coming up.

I am in awe of this man.

Not only does he take pride in his work, but he has shared with me that he is deeply grateful to be able to do his work, and that is what allows him to show up fully for the residents of my building.

Why is he grateful?
Simply, because he is. It’s his way of moving through the world.

He is grateful because he has a job in this economy. He is grateful because he gets to read the paper during his subway ride. He is grateful because he enjoys the residents of the building. He is grateful because he gets to watch the children here grow over the years from babies into young adults.

Gerald is grateful that he receives Christmas gifts from many of the families. He is grateful because the transistor radio and tiny little black and white TV at his doorman desk work. He is grateful because he doesn’t have to think about what to wear to work – it’s always the same uniform.

It’s his gratitude that shines through in his actions.

And here’s one of the best parts: Gerald makes a HUGE difference in the world. How? Well, when your doorman smiles at you and kindly asks how you’re doing as you leave your building. More times than not you’re naturally going to be in a better mood and take that out into your day. And when your doorman offers to help with your groceries or ask how work was, more times than not, you’ll continue to unlock your door and greet your kids with a smile. And then your kids are happier too.

In my coaching practice, I meet a lot of folks who are working on HUGE levels to change the world. They’re doing amazing things. They’re making a difference. And yet, often when they first come to me, they are unhappy. They expect the worst. Things aren’t going for them the way the want it to. They’re not enjoying life OR making a difference.

They just need to take a look at my doorman: he knows how to cultivate gratitude and feel it deeply to his core.

What do you sense might happen if you committed to feel gratitude deep in your heart, if you committed to decide that it’s more important than lack, if you committed to loving thoroughly all that you have? Imagine, just imagine, how YOUR life might be different if you made gratitude a priority. And imagine, just imagine, how the world might be different if you made gratitude a priority.

Pretty amazing, don’t you think?

Blog Summit – Day 8 – Gratitude, Thankfulness, and Grace

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We’re nearing the end of the Gratitude Project Blog Summit but we’re SO much closer to the BIG day! Are you taking part in tomorrow’s revolutionary call-in? There’s still plenty of time to register! Even if you only have a few minutes at the start of each hour, I urge you to spend it with the Soulful Coaching community as we exercise and practice these powerful gratitude rituals! Take a few moments to look at the agenda for tomorrow by clicking here.

danielle_bishopDanielle Bishop is new to the Soulful Coaching community and I’m really excited to introduce you to her because she has a really great story to tell on gratitude. Danielle is a blogger over at We Have It All – she’s married and a great mom to five kids with another on the way! By day she’s a childcare provider and by night she’s a freelance writer! She’s a Christian mama who enjoys writing about parenting, family life, and even has time for some amazing product reviews! She’s doing her best to stay sane in a world of chaos and she’s grateful for that ability! Keep up with Danielle by following her on Facebook, Twitter, and even WhatToExpect.com!

Gratitude, Thankfulness, and Grace
by Danielle Bishop

When I think of the word “gratitude” the word “thankful” comes to mind. The word “grace” follows.

What am I thankful for?

I could fill up a notebook, line by line, with the little things like a cup of coffee before bed, the quilts laying in every room of my house, a shower *alone*, open windows throughout the house on beautiful days, all of the neighborhood kids playing in my backyard… and the list could go on until the end of eternity. Or I could list the big things like the love of my amazing husband and 5 fantastic kids, our health, having both of my parents still, having a roof over my head and food on the table… and again, this list could also go on and on.

But in reality, these things are are not things that have just ‘fallen’ in my path. These things are all provided by God.

Ever since my kids were little and we prayed together, I’ve always taught them to begin their conversation with God by thanking Him. Thank Him for what He has blessed you with. If it were not for Him, where would we be?

And I’ve often thought to myself,

“If tomorrow came and you woke up with only what you had thanked God for today, what would you be left with?”

So what am I really thankful for?

God’s Grace and Love.

God’s unmerited favor that I do not deserve. I could nothing to ‘earn’ His love and His Hand on mine guiding me along through my valleys and struggles.

There have been days in my past when I did not know what I was going to feed my kids that night for dinner. Those same days where an acquaintance would show up at my door and say, “We won’t eat this stuff, but I was hoping you and your kids will”.

There have been days in my past where I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel… but then out of the darkness appeared His light. His hand outstretched telling me, “Grab on to my hand and I will lead you”

I have done none of this within myself. Of course I have always tried my best to do what was right but ultimately I have done nothing without God.

Romans 7:18 says, “I know that nothing good lives in me – I mean, nothing good lives in the part of me that is earthly and sinful. I want to do the things that are good, but I do not do them”.

It was always God by my side.

Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength.”

It was always God. It was Him that has had our lives in the palm of His hands. And I am so thankful for His love and mercy and grace.

Look at what he has blessed me with:

bishop_family

Life, Love and Heath.

I can not look at this photo and not see what God has done for us.

I have so much to thank Him for.

Blog Summit – Day 6 – Make a List and Check it Twice

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Have you ever thought about what this world would be like if people were a little more patient and a bit more grateful? I’ve envisioned that world and so have all of our guest writers! This experience has been phenomenal so far and it’s making me really excited for the Gratitude Project on November 18th! Have you signed up yet?!

yolanda_hairstonI want you to meet my new friend, Yolanda Michelle Hairston! While she currently lives in the Holy Land, Yolanda spends much of her time experiencing the world through travel! I’m excited to introduce you to her today because she has some very good points on how to be grateful in a meaningful way.

Make A List and Check and Check It Twice
Yolanda Michelle Hairston
When I was a young child, I loved to sing along to children’s songs by Hap Palmer. One holiday album had a song for Thanksgiving, and I used to sing it every day. Once, I even “surprised” my Mom by calling her to my room to see something, which was me, singing along to the instrumental version, with lyrics changed slightly to express my gratitude towards her for being such a terrific mother. Her tears of joy and gratitude touched me, and that amazing feeling of expressing gratitude and receiving it reverberate in my soul to this day.

Thirty-something years later, I don’t remember the lyrics verbatim, but they went a little something like this:
There are many things I am thankful for
And I know I’m not alone.
There are many things I am thankful for,
I can name them on my own:
I’m thankful for the earth,
I’m thankful for the sea,
I’m thankful for the friends I have,
And I’m thankful to be me.
That was my first introduction to the powerful experience of listing the things I have for which to be grateful. I love to make lists, as I find they help me not only focus, but they also prevent me from forgetting.

There are times in life when we feel insecure, sad, lonely, and frustrated, and like Mary J. Blige sang, “all [we] really want is to be happy.” If happiness begets happiness, how do we pull ourselves from underneath the dark cloud that sometimes hangs over us? Make a list and check it twice. List the many things you are thankful for, whether large or narrow in scope. Feeling lonely? List all of your friends and the nice people in your life, or the different ways you can go out and make new friends. Feeling insecure? List all of the good things about yourself, your accomplishments, compliments you have received. Feeling like your life sucks? List all of the ways in which it does not. Do not limit yourself or your lists; include the fact that you are able to write or to type if you are stuck, and branch out from there. Our working bodies are miracles that we take for granted, so be thankful and grateful for your body and all of its intricate mechanisms that keep you alive.

On one particularly horrible day, when I felt so down and blue, I made a list of all of my blessings for which I am grateful, and I ran out of paper. Such profundity in that exercise– the length of the list, the range of simple to grand things on the list, and the increase in joy and happiness I felt once I had completed it. I checked it twice, smiling along the way, and my soul felt that things were not so bad after all if I had so much goodness in my life. The gratitude list changed my outlook and my focus, and the sun shone a little brighter the next day.

What if you could only be granted tomorrow what you are grateful for today? Make a list and check it twice.

Blog Summit – Day 4 – Being Grateful with an Open Heart

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Wow! Can you believe it, we’re already on Day 4 of the Gratitude Project Blog Summit! I’m grateful for each and every moment of this day as it brings us a little closer to the main event of the Gratitude Project (11/18)! For more information about what to expect and to register, sign up here!

meggan_picThere is so much to be learned from our first writer today – she’s truly one-of-a-kind! Allow me to introduce Meggan Watterson! She is the founder of REVEAL, a women’s spirituality organization that empowers women to connect to the love within them, reclaim their bodies as sacred, and become soul-led agents of change in the world. Meggan leads the REDLADIES, a REVEAL initiative, which provides REVEALers with a spiritual community. (Some break bread together, REDLADIES break dark chocolate. Smile.) She has her Maters of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Masters of Divinity from Columbia University. Her work has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, Women’s Radio, Feminist.com, Feministing.com and StyleSubstanceSoul.com. She is currently writing her first book, REVEALYour Soul. (Hay House, 2013.) You can learn more about REVEAL by visiting www.revealconference.org. To connect with Meggan, visit her website at www.megganwatterson.com.

Being Grateful with an Open Heart
By Meggan Watterson
At first, there’s a colossal effort. Imagine. Someone has hurt you or betrayed you. Maybe even someone very close to you, the closest you’ve ever let someone in. The action is most often, a reaction. A classic- put-up your dukes, a closing down of the heart, a massive constriction. A whole lot of “Oh yeahs” and pointing fingers goes on for a while. The blame game happens. And then you arrive at the place where the reaction ends, and all that’s left is your shut-down heart, your hurt, your love for that person blocked. Derailed. You wait there wounded in an emotional train station called validation. You wait and wait wanting more than anything to be averred, to receive the absolution you are convicted your innocence deserves.

Sometimes you wait there for years. A whole lifetime. Convinced that some wrongs scale the fence of ever being forgiven. But that’s when you remember that you’ve forgotten what being ungrateful does to your own heart. You remember that no matter what anyone has done to you- no matter the depth of the wrong- it’s up to you to free up your loving. It’s up to you to open back up the magical values of your heart.

You remember that the greatest offense is having no defense. You unfold the truth inside you like a Chinese fortune written in red that states: She Who Resists Nothing Has The Power To Overcome Anything. The inner- chant starts up again, “Transformation comes from within.” You hear it resound within you, until you remember again, that nothing outside of us can keep us from living our truth, from revealing our soul. The deepest fee-u escapes you, then. You can exhale, breathe again. The blood congealed, coagulated around your heart thins with the new oxygen, starts to flow again, pump strong. Maybe even stronger than it ever has before.

Fighting heart disease has a lot less to do with bacon that most might assume. The heart is a physical organ, yes, but it’s also a state a being. Living in and from the heart is a spiritual practice. It’s an arduous effort of embodiment. Gratitude is always the key.

When you find yourself locked out of your own heart’s door. Remember. You can always be grateful. No matter what has come your way- you can thank that challenge for making you stronger. You can thank that heartbreak for allowing your love to reach where it had never been asked to go before. And yes, you miss out then on the blame game, and you skip the purgatory of awaiting redemption, awaiting external validation. You go straight to the pith of it all- the quality and capacity of your own heart to give and receive love.

But don’t ever be fooled that we’re here to do anything more or anything less. Love is all there is. So try it, if you dare. Give up dodging a slap to the soul. Give up the fear of something or someone who can break you. Be grateful. With a wide open heart. Be grateful for everything that comes your way. And watch your life transform. From the inside out. Watch how much power you have when you choose love at all costs.

Blog Summit – Day 3 – How to Live a Life of Gratitude

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I am absolutely blown away by the response from the blog summit! I’m so excited for Day 3 – I promise that today will be just as mind blowing as the first two days! Gratitude is not something that comes lightly but I am so grateful to each and every writer and partner that I’ve had the pleasure of working with through this whole process! We’re banding together to make the Gratitude Project a massive (and global) event on November 18th! Care to join us? For more information about what to expect and to register, sign up here!

adaliaToday, our first featured writer is a phenomenal woman and someone I would call a healer: Adalia John. As the owner of Circle of Enlightenment, Adalia is a certified hypnotherapist and the confidence solutions coach. Her mission is to help female entrepreneurs to have the confidence to grow themselves and grow their business. How confident are you to take action to make your dreams real? If you’ve had it with being stuck, filled with uncertainty and thinking you’re not good enough, get your free 21 days of confidence boosting tips and your confidence will soar. For more on Adalia, check out her blog: www.adaliaconfidenceandsuccessblog.com. You can also connect with her via Twitter and Facebook!

How to Live a Life of Gratitude
By Adalia John
What would you do if you prepared a feast for your friends and instead of showing gratitude for the time, effort, and love you put into creating the meal, they openly expressed dissatisfaction with every dish?

You probably would not fix another meal for them. Even if all of your dishes were not tasty, they should have thanked you for taking the time to prepare them AND you should thank them for coming by.

That is the Law of Gratitude
The law of gratitude says you should live in appreciation, see the positive in your situation and give thanks.

Do YOU find it difficult to be thankful because:

  • Your baby kept you up all night. You’re stressed and you’re saying to yourself “I don’t think I can do this?”
  • You’ve gained a few pounds?
  • You’re not attracting clients?
  • You had a call from your doctor and the news is not good?

How to Re-frame and Give Thanks
Your baby kept you up and you’re stressed. Isn’t that a more welcomed experience than having a sick baby in the hospital? Re-connect to the joy you experienced at your baby’s birth. Give thanks for having such a treasure. Focus on your blessing and you will not be stressing.

You’ve gained a few unwanted pounds and you’re feeling like crap. STOP for a moment, reflect on the body parts you take for granted. Reflect on the things your body does that you take for granted. Now imagine just one of those is taken away. Don’t wait for it to happen. Love your body in spite of the extra pounds and give thanks for every part and function of your amazing body.

You’re not attracting clients. Is it your marketing or your thinking? The reason isn’t important for showing gratitude. Try this: give thanks for the clients you’ve had and for the those to come. The law of gratitude allows you to give thanks for things that have yet to take physical form … they already exists in the spirit world. Give thanks, believe, take inspired action and they will appear.

The doctor gave you some devastating news. You have a medical challenge and you’re thinking “how can I possible re-frame this and be grateful?” Yes, you can, you’re standing and breathing, give thanks and focus your thoughts on your healing. Research has shown that a mind filled with thankfulness increases your body’s resistance and healing power for major illnesses.

Gratitude is an Energy Thing
Gratitude is energy and so are your thoughts. What you focus on expands.

Think gratefully and your dreams will become real. Shout gratitude and the echo will influence the masses and heal the world. Share gratitude with those you meets in your daily life and they’ll thank you for the positive energy flow.

Live in gratitude and you’ll be richly rewarded by the universe.