As feelings of appreciation and sense of being valued build - open your eyes and look yourself in eye in mirror as you bask in these pleasurable feelings.

As soon as feelings fade close you eyes.

4 Repeat step 3 by picking a different memory to indulge yourself in.

By using this approach you can quickly feel great about yourself and as a result you will express yourself with more confidence and with less concern for approval of others.

When would this process be most useful to you?

* Anytime you are not feeling good about yourself * before an important meeting * in preparation for a job interview * after getting severely criticized for your abilities or actions

Go on, give it a go and enjoy feeling deeply appreciated and valued.

The hardest part of this entire situation is not so much loss, but recovery. Loss can be viewed in two ways: 1) I have a void because I lost something or someone dear in my life, 2) I will remember that part of my life, but a new door has opened for me. Sometimes, as you experience loss and go through grieving process, you can eventually feel better and "lighter." You are losing anchors that keep you in place. However, it's easy to remain in "loss" because you don't have to face what has occurred and you never have to take responsibility for potential loss in future. Essentially, sitting in loss means that you're waiting for that "other shoe to drop."

Once you are at a point where you feel you can recover, you have to decide "what's next." You've probably been running in panic mode, juggling everything in your life to keep from sinking. Since you're so used to this mode of operation, it becomes hard to change from keeping dogs at bay to running in a positive direction again. You have to take stock in what you have, learn from what has happened, and examine new path on which you have been placed. But, realize that once you lose nearly everything, you have an entire range of choices available to you because you don't have excess load that was keeping you motionless. Additionally, as you begin to recover, you'll find that you've actually gained so much more. I know this sounds patronizing, especially if you're in it. But, if you step back and analyze your situation, you will find that you've not only learned something, but you've also taken a very definite turn in your life.

Understand that when you're in an avalanche situation, you need to recognize what's happening in your life. Step back and analyze what is really happening and define underlying issues causing such a calamity. In most cases, as in our case of fire, illness, and death, there is nothing that you can do to stop it from happening. But, you do have power within you to keep it from taking over your life by ensuring that you don't fall into despair or depression. Realize that, although loss leaves a void, you have been given a new lease on life and a new set of possibilities to examine.

In many cases, Universe throws a curve to make you change directions---whether it is emotional, physical, or spiritual. If you can understand that sometimes things happen that are out of your control, then you will be able to better handle such situations. To prepare yourself, you need to go back to basics such as life, love, security, and ambitions to evaluate stability of each element and know that things that really matter in your life are inside of you. When you have little to carry and everything you need, it's much easier to handle curves and maneuver to a more stable and fulfilling life.