Vol4Iss11

Isn’t it amazing how quickly time passes? My oldest grandson lost a tooth; the youngest started pre-school. How can that be? They were just babies seems like 10 minutes ago. And now, we’re on the downside of 2007 with 2008 peeping at us around the corner.

For those of you wondering what happened with my series of classes offered through Longmont Free University, the answer is nothing. There was not enough enrollment to hold the classes. It made me realize, however, that a weekend retreat really should be presented as a weekend retreat, not three weekends in a row. So, stay tuned while I find a spot to do that. You’ll be the first I invite!

And check out the Upcoming Events section for the class I’m offering in January and February, again through Longmont Free University. It’s always fun to get a group of folks with the same mission together. Please join us!

“Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds you down or polishes you up depends on what you’re made of.”

I have an employee who has become the victim of her own thinking. Victim is truly the word for it; she is the quintessential victim. Everyone and everything persecutes her, her health suffers, she’s never comfortable, and always unhappy. She sort of reminds me of Oscar the Grouch of Sesame Street fame, except Oscar wants to live in his garbage can.

The sad truth is when you hate your job, it hates you back. No one in the office really wants to ask her advice, or include her in decision making. Yet, since she is a subject matter expert, they are forced to, and forced to listen to her constant complaining. It’s really hard being around someone like that.

It makes me think of the plaque hanging at my friend’s house:

THOUGHTS become WORDS

WORDS become ACTIONS

ACTIONS become CHARACTER

CHARACTER is EVERYTHING

A positive mindset is one of the most powerful strategies you can adopt to move forward in your life. Some folks are born that way; they just seem to find the silver lining to every cloud. Others need to work at it a little more.

I do two things on a regular basis to keep my mindset on a positive bent, and I’ll share them with you. First off, I read constantly. Currently I’m reading “Two Cups of Tea” a book about a mountaineer who failed to climb K2 in Pakistan, but was so inspired by the villagers that helped him that he returned to build schools. Books in that vein inspire me to find ways to create happiness in my circumstances.

After reading “A Thousand Splendid Suns” I appreciate more how incredibly lucky I am living the life I live. I have a home, clothes, my health is good. I have a computer and some money in the bank. That puts me in a very small minority compared to the rest of the world’s population. It also inspires me to put my good fortune to work to help my fellow earth-mates.

The other thing I do is affirmations. I have 3 X 5 cards written with positive thoughts on each one. They are present tense and represent things I want in my life daily. Here are a few of the ones I read every morning:

I have wonderful gifts to give and I choose to give generously.

There is no fear in me. The universe provides lavishly for me and all humanity.

I am a strong woman able to handle adversity with dignity.

I have found my calling and it will provide all the security I need.

I am at peace and my spirit is calm.

Feel free to use them yourself – and write your own. If you don’t know where to start, or need someone to wordsmith with, I can help you with that.

There are other techniques to help with a positive mindset. Things like meditation, visualization, journaling, and even exercise. When those endorphins kick in after a long run or bike ride, you can’t help but see the world in a much better light.

The whole point is to not let the negative thoughts and reactions run your life. Feed your head – put positive things in there. You’re the one in charge. Amazing, fabulous, YOU!

Learn the process of discovering your next career step, whether it's a different job or a brand new career. This workshop is a practical lesson on the 'how-to' of career change. In this highly-interactive fun class, we'll look at how to define what work suits you best, job search strategies, and action plans. You'll learn how to research and approach the companies you'll be happiest working for and how to network to find that company.

Two Saturday dates to choose from: January 19, 2008 or February 16, 2007

9 am to noon, class will meet at Longmont Free University.

To register, call 702-1500, or visit their website: http://www.longmontfreeu.com/

You are free to use material from Moving Forward! in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including a live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read:

"By Debra DeVilbiss, CPCC, of Forward Momentum, LLC. Please visit Debra's website at http://www.ForwardMomentum.com for additional articles and resources on creating your right livelihood."

PRIVACY POLICY: I never rent, trade or sell my email lists to anyone for any reason whatsoever. You'll never get an unsolicited email from a stranger as a result of joining this list.