Hello from Healthy Reflections Newsletter

We all feel stuck or "in a rut" at one time or another. Whether it's following the same routine day after day or feeling the need to make a career change, we sometimes hear the sound of that "inner voice" telling us it's time to make some changes. Our ability or willingness to make those changes depend upon a number of factors. These include our sense of confidence or self-esteem, our "fear factor", the skills available to us to make those changes as well as the support we might get from our family and friends.

A vital ingredient in making effective change is being able to set goals. Goals are both short-term and long-term. Where many of us fail from the outset is to choose goals that are too difficult and unattainable in the near future. Also, the most important step to obtaining your goals is to write your goals down! This step is powerful in two ways: a) it gets all those ideas out of your head and onto paper (it clarifies your intentions) and b) putting it down on paper makes the goal real and reinforces it in your subconscious. Write your goals down as positives not as negatives. Remember, you want to give your subconscious messages of what you want not what you don't want.

In taking charge of your life, it often requires you to move out of your emotional comfort zone and take calculated risks. We often have become comfortable with our routine and lifestyle, even if it is somewhat unchallenging. Moving out of our comfort zone can evoke fear. Dr. Susan Jeffers in her excellent book "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway" reminds us that in these situations, we have to nudge ourselves out of our comfort zone, and live with the "dis-comfort" until the new situation begins to feel comfortable. It's somewhat like moving the thermostat up or down. The temperature may not be comfortable for awhile but you eventually adjust to the change. Practicing this strategy in new circumstances becomes the process for ongoing personal growth.

Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul fame), Deepak Chopra, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. Phil, Robert Kiyosaki, Louise Hay, John Gray, Ph.D. (Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus) share their insight for improving self-esteem and reaching your goals in the e-book Top 101 Experts Help Us Improve Our Lives by David Riklan. I invite you to learn more about this excellent resource at:

http://www.tinyurl.com/3arw9h

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