The Thrill Ride Called Life- Facing Fear with Strength and CourageWritten by Beth A. Tabak
The Thrill Ride Called “Life” Facing Fear with Strength and Courage“And day came when risk it took to remain tight inside bud was more painful than risk it took to blossom.” Anais Nin Recently I have been talking with many people who are struggling financially, facing major changes and life decisions, and are feeling down, somewhat desperate, and in a state of disarray. Yet I noticed some of these same people getting excited about thrill that Halloween brings. Hmmmm... fascinating. What is it about thrill of Halloween that can be so appealing, while fear in life can be dreadfully paralyzing? It seems to come down to fear of unknown and insecurity. We can have fun trick-or-treating, going to a scary movie, haunted house, or Halloween party. The anticipation of not knowing what will happen is exciting, and we feel confident that we will be back in our warm, snugly beds when all is said and done. Life challenges are different though. When will I get a job? What if I run out of money? Will I get more customers? Will economy get better or worse? There is no deadline as to when we will have answers. So many “what ifs”. What if you stayed in present, and worked on cleaning things up, raising your standards, creating a stronger personal foundation, and took new and different actions? In most cases, we can look back and see how we became stronger and wiser during such challenging times. What are you learning from this situation? Often these are pivotal moments that place our lives on right track again. So get rid of “what ifs” and embrace present know matter how disheveled it may be. Fear is anticipation of danger, a defense mechanism that alerts you to a possible future event. It helps us to set boundaries to protect ourselves in presence of danger. Analyze message that fear is sending you. Are you in danger? What are you really afraid of? If you feel you are in danger of losing your security, then take action to build it back up again. You have choices! Start looking in places you haven’t looked before. Step beyond your comfort zone. Take new actions to create new results. If you lost a loved one through divorce or death, then start building new relationships one small step at a time. If you can not find a job, then make a change in your job search. Change action to change result. Change can be a sign of growth, so stop fearing it and get excited. Stop suffering and start strengthening.
| | 10 Steps to a Stress-Free HolidayWritten by Beth Tabak
“The stress-free way to enjoy holidays is to plan, take one step at a time, and have a sense of humor.” Beth TabakCan you feel holiday jitters beginning? Suddenly there it is right around corner. Relax! Take time to plan well now and ease into holidays with a big smile. Grab a journal and pen, and let’s get started. 1- Reminisce over previous holidays- In your journal create a column for What Works and another for Not That Again. Under What Works list activities that bring you joy, come naturally, and click into place. Under Not That Again list your challenges. Jot down things that drain your energy and bring you down. What can you do to delegate, dump, or change items in Not That Again column and embrace more of activities in What Works column? What changes need to be made? 2- Choose a theme you can be excited about- What is important to you this holiday? Base your theme on that. If you want to stay home instead of traveling your theme could be “Home for Holidays”. If your budget is tight consider “Simply Sensational”. Your theme helps you stay focused. A theme that honors your spirituality could be "Faith and Family First". Or choose a favorite quote such as Mahatma Gandhi's “Be Change You Wish to See in World”. Get creative, have fun, and write it down. 3- Set your top 4 priorities- Base them on what you really want which should connect with your theme. Get crystal clear. Write them down. When you know your priorities you are able to respond easily to a request and set boundaries. When someone asks you to get involved request 24 hours to respond. Look at your priorities and see if it serves them. If it does, consider it. If not, answer is likely no. 4- Create a Map- What if you took a big trip without planning? You would likely get lost, waste time, and experience anxiety. It makes sense to plan at holidays when so many areas of our lives are effected: time, energy, personal care, relationships, physical environment, and finances. Consider creating a task list thru end of year. It takes a block of time but will save you time and stress. It will rescue you from running in circles, going back and forth to same place, and trying to remember what’s next. In past I've had hundreds of items on my task list. No wonder we get stressed when we attempt this in our heads. Here's a tool to help. Pick up a task list at www.StartingNowCoaching.com or create your own. On your computer create a chart with 4 columns. Use your theme for header. Under your theme list your priorities horizontally. Label columns in a way that is helpful to you. I use Business, Personal, Holiday, and Need List. Use small font and minimal margin space to fit as many rows as possible. Print your map. List your tasks and add on as they come to you. Keep your map with you at all times. Schedule time to carry out tasks. Have fun and build momentum as you make progress. Remember to save it for next year.
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