Happy times call for good self-care too!

As a coach, I am fortunate to work with people who are often taking a new direction in their lives. Perhaps they are starting a new business, a new relationship, changing careers, or doing something else that they are totally jazzed about. It's so great to be happy and excited about your life!

But here's what I am noticing......that, sometimes when our lives are the most joyous, we start neglecting our own self-care. For me, it is an easy trap to fall into. If I find a new project that I am extremely enthusiastic about, I often become so energized and so focused that I find myself not getting enough sleep, eating on the run, sitting at the computer for too long, not finding the time to exercise nor the time for quietude. So what happens, of course, is that in a few weeks I crash. I get sick or cranky or lazy or discouraged or all of the above. You get the picture and it isn't pretty!

I am then forced to repair the damage I've done. I need to get back on track with eating well, sleeping well, exercising, meditating and living life only moderately out loud. Thank God my body is equipped to alarm me when I have driven it too far. But, oh, it was so fun to be excited!!! And who would think that I would have to pay attention to my needs when I am HAPPY!??

So here is a novel thought. What if our self-care was our number one priority? No matter what. In good times and in bad. (In fact, we would probably have a lot less "bad" if we put our self-care first.) Can you imagine having your best energy available to you at all times? Can you imagine being able to handle a stressful situation with much more ease?? Can you imagine having all your creative juices running at top form when you are going down a path that thoroughly excites you?

I actually can imagine it. In fact, I can feel it in my bones. I am a true believer that you must love yourself and that wonderful body God gave you FIRST! It's not always easy to remember, but it can become a habit that will support you for a long, long time.

Why not give it a try? I'd love to hear how it's working out for you!!!

Thought for the day................

"If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however, if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that."

Johann Goethe

The Weighting for Success Program

COACHING WOMEN TO AN UNFALTERING BELIEF IN THEIR ABILITY TO SUCCEED AT WEIGHT LOSS

Are you one of the thousands of bright, accomplished women who feel you can’t be all you want to be until you’ve lost those 10, 20 or 30 pounds? Is your weight and body image standing between you and your happiness? I have absolutely been one of those women and what I can tell you, for sure, is that the misery bound up in those few extra pounds is staggering!

The solution should be easy, right? Lose some weight and you’ll feel better, prettier, smarter, more confident. After all, you know what to do. Eat less and move more. So, what’s in the way? Why can’t you get there?

The Weighting for Success Program is predicated on one very important question:

“What will happen if I succeed?”

Your first response might be, “Why, I’d take that job, go on that date, wear a bathing suit in public, accept that invitation, start my own business, take up public speaking.”

But I’d like you to take some serious time and reflect on the question. See it in your mind’s eye. Feel it in your body. What comes up for you? Where are your challenges? Your fears?

The Weighting for Success Program is geared towards addressing your unique challenges and turning them into your inspired solutions. It is an invitation to:

* address your negative and completely false beliefs about yourself
* acknowledge and embrace your fears
* discover what you really want instead of what you should want
* look at where you need to implement extreme self-care
* learn to feel your feelings instead of eating them
* allow yourself to be happy
* take risks in all areas of your life
* dream big
* get the results you never thought you had in you


Weighting for Success is an 8-week commitment of weekly individual coaching sessions. Your investment is $795. For more information, contact Nancy Nye at:
1-800-242-3795
1-623-594-0676
Nancy@lifeWorksforWomen.com

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE NEW YEAR TO COMMIT TO YOUR WELL-BEING!

"To change one's life:

* Start immediately

* Do it flamboyantly

* NO exceptions"

--William James




“Instead of giving myself reasons why I can’t, I give myself reasons why I can.” --author unknown

“Never, never, never quit.” --Winston Churchill

Thought for the day....................

Tom Landry said it well: "A coach is someone who tells you what you don't want to hear, who has you see what you don't want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be."

The Holidays: From Survivng to Thriving!

New Telegroup starting November 7, 2007

It's hard to believe that the Holidays are already upon us. It's not even Halloween, but many stores are already decorating for Christmas!!

The Holidays are meant to be joyful but, for many, the Holidays are the most dreaded time of year. It is a time that is often fraught with stress, sadness, family dysfunction, financial worries and pressure to make people happy. Instead of "Ho, Ho, Ho" we hear ourselves thinking "Oh, No, No"! What makes it even worse is that we feel guilty about not feeling happy! So, we end up doing everything we can to just get through the Holidays.

What if this year could be different for you? What if you found a way to make this Season more than just bearable? Perhaps even somewhat pleasant? Are you willing to discover AND follow-through on what will make you happy?

Then join me for this 6-week telegroup to create a plan of action. I can't think of a better Christmas present you could give yourself!

When: Wednesdays, 5-6:15pm PST, November 7-December 19 (no group on 11/21)
Cost: $225

For more information, please email me at Nancy@LifeWorksforWomen.com or call me at 623-594-0676.

Thought for the day.........

"If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however, if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that."
-Johann Goethe

What Are You Weight-ing For?

NEW COACHING TELE-GROUP
Navigating the Maze of Weight, Body-Image and Success

Are you a woman who thinks you need to lose 10, 20, 30 pounds before you can have what you want? Have those extra pounds become a safe place to hide so that you don't have to be who you are? Do you have the willingness and courage to be all you were made to be? Then this group may be for you!

Join me for a 6-week group teleclass where we will explore the issues around your self-image and how you use it to stop yourself from being genuinely happy and truly successful. So many women have either lost a lot of weight and then regained it; or lost most of their excess weight but couldn't quite get the last 10 pounds off; or have spent years and years losing and gaining the same 10 or twenty pounds. But the bottom line is that, in some way, those extra pounds serve you. Or, better yet, they protect you from discovering that you have a purpose to live out on this planet. Are you ready to see just what that is??

The group will be held on Thursday evenings from 5:00pm-6:15pm PST from October 18-November 29 (there will be no group on November 22). The cost of the group is $275 and includes a 30 minute pre-group interview in order to clarify your goals so that you can make the most out of each session. Each week you will call a designated "bridge line" that will connect all participants. There will also be homework each week that will be specific to your individual challenges.

If you are interested and want more information, please call me at 623-594-0676, 1-800-242-3795 or email me at Nancy@LifeWorksforWomen.com. Space is limited.

I look forward to hearing from you!!

Warm regards, Nancy

Extraordinary Self-Care

Extraordinary Self-Care. At first glance, it might seem kind of selfish. But the truth is that, unless you love and care for yourself, you can't really love and care for others. Think about it. If your reserves are depleted then you have little to offer to those you love. But, more importantly, you miss out on the truly fulfilling life you are meant to have.

While living a life of Extraordinary Self-Care might mean different things to different people, it is actually a philosophy to live by in order to bring your best Self to the world. It means caring for your emotional, physical and spiritual health. It means feeding yourself nourishing food, placing yourself in mutually supportive relationships that encourage your growth, finding quiet time to refresh your Spirit, moving your body to promote good health and following your own authentic path where you are able to live out your life's purpose. In essence, Extraordinary Self-Care is about honoring your soul and it can take your already good life to a great one!

Think of it this way. You see a man drowning. You jump in to save him but you can't swim (no reserves, poor self-care) and you both end up going under. Now, again, you see a man drowning. You jump in to save him. You are a strong swimmer (good reserves, good self-care) and you both live and rejoice. Which scenario is preferable? A no-brainer, right?

However, I think the choice to live a life of Extraordinary Self-Care is not an easy one. It takes great patience and much practice. But, if you accept the challenge and begin to care deeply for yourself, then you will naturally care deeply for your friends, families, the environment and everything else that has been placed under your stewardship. Your deeply cared-for Self will reap rewards you can't even imagine.

Remember, a great life for you means a great life for us all!

An Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

I

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost....I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

II

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in this same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

III

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in....it's a habit...but,
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

IV

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

V

I walk down another street.

--Anonymous

Thought for the day.............

"While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is making mistakes and becoming superior." --Henry C. Link

Thought for the day.........

"If people knew how hard I have to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem wonderful at all." ---Michelangelo

Cute like yourself..........

Here is the scene: two five-year-olds are playing. One is mimicking the other. The following conversation ensued:

"Don't copy me!"
"But you are so cute"!
"You don't get cute by copying anyone."
"Then how did you get so cute?"
"God made me that way."
"How can I get cute like you"?
"You can't get cute like me. You have to get cute like you. That's the way God works."

Out of the mouth of babes.........

We have been hypnotized into believing that we must make ourselves more like other people to become lovable, while our greatest strength lies in expressing our unique gifts.

----story taken from Dare To Be Yourself by Alan Cohen

Thought for the day..........

"Faith means living with uncertainty.......feeling your way through life, letting your heart guide you like a lantern in the dark". -- Dan Millman

Life is like a broken refrigerator............

My refrigerator died on Thursday. Now, in and of itself, that's not such a tragedy except that it's the beginning of the month, mortgage is due, bills to be paid and who needs another big expense, right? Oh well. I threw out all the spoiled food and got myself a couple of coolers, lots of ice (which pretty much melted as I tried to bring it home in the car in 112 degree Arizona heat!), and set up shop in a remote corner of the kitchen until the new refrigerator could be delivered today.

What has amazed me over the last few days was how many times I opened that refrigerator door to get something to eat or at least to see what I wanted to eat. (Believe me, Ben & Jerry were calling me but I had no freezer to put them in!) Now, I knew the refrigerator was broken. I knew there was no food in it. I knew the food was in the cooler on the other side of the kitchen. But I kept going back to what was familiar even though I knew I couldn't get what I wanted! Hmmmm......

I started thinking what a great metaphor this was for life. How many times have we all done the same thing? We keep doing what hasn't worked in our lives, over and over, hoping for a different and more satisfying result. We keep trying to get what we want from places, people and things that can't provide us with what we want and need. But we do it anyway. It's a habit. Sometimes it's unconscious. Sometimes we see that we're doing it but we can't seem to stop. There is something so comfortable and so safe about not having to change. But at what price?

Back to my refrigerator story. The price of my consistently going back to an empty refrigerator was "no food"....no satisfying a basic need. As the old song says, "Looking for love in all the wrong places". I had to actually, at least for a few days, train myself to go to the part of the kitchen where I could get my needs met. I had to take a different route, to an unfamiliar place, to get what I wanted.I know it seems like such a silly and simple story, but it was a very impactful metaphor for me.

So, the delivery man came and took away my old refrigerator. As he loaded it on the truck and I cleaned up the ugly mess that we all hate to deal with under refrigerators (ugh), I strangely felt a little nostalgic. Kind of like my "old ways" were going out the front door. I wondered if I had the courage to create some new ways of being and maybe create a new and more positive metaphor with my new refrigerator. What things could I put in it that would truly support my well-being? Could I emerge enough from being on auto-pilot and take a different, more thoughtful road? Perhaps put more fresh foods and less processed foods (now that's a novel thought)? I doubt that I will do it perfectly, but at least I've been "nudged" to wake up. I see some new possibilities. It is an opportunity to move closer to my goal of better health and I am going to take advantage of it.

So, my new refrigerator is all set up and has already begun to make ice! Hooray! It actually doesn't look much different than my old one but, in it's own little way, it has had a real impact on my life.

Well, off to Safeway!

Thought for the day.......

"Sometimes you have to let go to see if there was anything worth holding on to."
-author unknown

Time to Relax!

Well, after several weeks of whirlwind activity, I have been looking forward to this 3-day holiday weekend to just relax. You know.........just hang out........no shower, no make-up, living in my pj's. But I realized that that's often easier said than done!

When the body and mind have been in a major "action" mode for an extended period of time, it's difficult to just say "stop" and expect the body to immediately shift gears. As I've gotten older, I am more successful at pacing myself and not getting into my usual overachiever, overadrenaline mode. Most of the time, I am aware of the part of me that is driven and I am able to balance it with some deep breathing, meditation and appreciation for the me that gets things done.

But, sometimes, I slip back into old patterns.....exhausting ones.....that don't support who I am and who I want to be. That "get the job done at any cost" mode which, although fulfilling at some level, is just a killer. Unfortunately, there is a price to pay for living life at warp speed, like needing to take the first 2 days of a 3 day weekend to decompress! It wasn't until this afternoon that I could feel my body start to let go. It was so lovely! I stretched out on the sofa, watched a Lifetime movie, read a little and took a long, long nap. Aaahhh! Heaven!

So now I am officially relaxed, the kind of relaxed you get when you are on vacation, and plan to stay that way for what's left of this weekend. I've put reminders on my vision board and on my office walls which nudge me to always keep a part of myself on vacation. I need this to stay in balance, to be whole, and it's nice to remember that I can have all of it........the drive to be productive AND the ability to relax........at the same time. Lord knows it takes lots of practice, but it can be done.

So, sorry, gotta run. There's another late night Lifetime chick-flick coming on! Maybe I'll watch it in bed!!

Happy weekend!!

Thought for the day.........

"I walked for miles at night along the beach, composing bad blank verse and searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person could be me."
-Anna Quindlan

Thought for the Day

"If you really do put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price". --Anonymous

A Good Time Was Had By All !!

Yesterday was a dreary, rainy day in Arizona but the weather didn't dampen the spirits of the participants of the "Will the Real You Please Stand Up" seminar. We all settled in nicely and did some great work on uncovering each person's life purpose statement. What a great bunch of gals! We laughed, we cried, and then we laughed some more. But at the end of the day, the group acknowledged a greater connection to their authentic selves as well as a commitment to take a stand for their life purpose. Very empowering!

But perhaps the highlight of the day had to do with my dog, Abby. She is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, VERY cute and VERY shy. The whole day she cowered in back of me on the couch panting like crazy. She becomes very unsettled around a lot of people. Then, at the very end of the seminar, I did a powerful relaxation exercise with the group to help them just let go and to anchor their purpose statement in their bodies. About a minute into the exercise, who is snoring like a drunken sailor? Yep, Abby! I guess she finally relaxed enough to get in touch with her life purpose................to sleep!

Thanks to all the wonderful women who attended and who were willing to make the inward journey. You are a blessing indeed!!

A Thought for Today

"Before you agree to do anything that might add even the smallest amount of stress to your life, ask yourself: What is my truest intention? Give yourself time to let a yes resound within you. When it's right, I guarantee that your entire body will feel it. "
Oprah Winfrey

The Power of Commitment

I was talking to a friend of mine today who is a mortgage broker. We talked about all the changes that are happening in the market, how they are affecting the "average Joe" home buyer, and also how they are affecting the real estate professionals. Business is way down, things aren't selling, the zero-down mortgages have gone bye-bye. It's definitely a tough time to keep your head above water if you are in the mortgage business.

I asked my friend how he is faring, how is he getting through this very tough time. He said, very simply, "I made a commitment". I asked him to say more. He said that when he started his company, he made a commitment to his clients, his wife and, especially, to himself to create a business with integrity that serves others. And, he plans on following through. Good times or bad. He continued to say that he feels strongly that, when one makes that kind of commitment and makes every attempt to come through, only good can come out of it. I could see that he wasn't looking at his commitment as a heavy weight he had to carry but rather as a freedom, something that kept him light and focused.

What a wonderful way to look at life. And I know this man. He has the highest integrity and is dedicated to serving his clients. Despite the sorry state the market is in right now, he trusts that his life mission......."to serve others with integrity".............will pull him through to the other side. How lovely to have that kind of faith. I have no doubt he will succeed!

I've thought about my friend's strength of character all day. I started to think about areas where my commitments have been lagging. It has certainly encouraged me to regroup my priorities.

How about you? Where are you with your commitments? Can you step into the place of feeling commited yet unencumbered? Tough, isn't it? But maybe worth giving it a try!!

Will the Real You Please Stand Up!

Just a reminder that I am doing the "Will the Real You Please Stand Up" seminar this Saturday in Surprise, AZ from 10-3. The purpose of this seminar is to design your life purpose statement and then learn how to use it as a touchstone when life throws you off kilter.

Come join me for a day of exploration, discovery and fun! Please email or call me for more info.

Launched at last!!

I am soooooo very excited to have my website and blog up and running! You can check it out at: http://www.lifeworksforwomen.com/. Thanks to Sheri Babinski from ImagePro Media, Inc. for her dedication, creativity and incredible patience in designing this website. I think, at this point, she knows me better than I know myself! Sheri, you are a dear!

I look forward to using this blog to keep you all abreast of what is happening at LifeWorks. I think you will be pleased with the teleclasses I am planning as well as the articles I will be posting to support you to live your best, authentic life. Remember, I am as committed to discovering your own truth as you are. You can count on me to stay focused on your dreams even when you can't. And I will help you learn from your setbacks and celebrate your victories!

So, stay tuned and visit often. Life really does work!