My blog's moved

In case you've not visited my website lately, my fabulous Web-Coach Cathy Green www.mywebpie.com has set up a blog for me there. So, this is a redirect post. I'll be posting there with greater regularity, because it's so much easier.

And I joined Twitter. I'm probably the last person in the world to set up a twitter account. It was the same with Skype - I fight these technical advances, try them and wonder why I was so nervous to try.

My twitter account is LifeCoachGerri, if you'd like to keep up with me there. And please, visit my fabulous new website, www.lifecoachgerri.com. Wait until you see all the great retreats, workshops and virtual spiritual retreats on the horizon!

My making lemonade in a lemon economy attitude continues. Life gets more and more exciting every day. If there's some sort of slow down occuring, it's not happening to me! It's all about attitude, I'm convinced of it. Ever since I decided that I wasn't going to buy into the media's gloom and doom outlook, I became a people and money magnet. You can do it too!

If you are not enjoying all that life has to offer, I'd love to offer you a complimentary coaching session. Just drop me an email at lifecoachgerri@aol.com.

Toronto Retreat

I spent the weekend in Toronto, Canada, leading a spiritual retreat. What a wonderful city – friendly, beautiful and big! In the midst of this thriving metropolis, thirty of us stepped out of life’s hectic pace to relax, renew and retreat!

The retreat center is about a mile from Lake Ontario. After lunch on Saturday, a group of us walked downhill, sun shining and a light breeze wisping the hair off our faces. As we rounded the last curve in the road, we were greeted with a breathtaking view; the water as blue as the Caribbean, and a light haze blending the horizon, so you couldn’t tell where the water stopped and the sky started!

Off to the west of the beach, rugged cliffs jutted toward the heavens in a majestic white wall. They call it the bluffs. The air was noticeably cooler on the waterfront and this Florida girl felt rather chilled. Soon it was time to return; a bit more of a hike walking up hill! The old brick building looming up ahead was a welcome sight, just when I thought we’d have to call a cab or an ambulance! I may be exaggerating about the exertion, but not the beauty of Lake Ontario and the Bluffs.

Abundance in my life

I learned this neat prayer/meditation technique called, "Conversation with God". I sit down, write a letter to God, and let my thoughts just flow. When I'm done with that, I write again, this time the letter starts out, "Dear Gerri" and see what God might have to say. Sometimes just one word comes to mind. Other times, there are a lot of ideas.

I can't be sure it's God and not 'me', but when I'm trying to align my will with His, I would hope that He is there for me. So far, He's never told me to rob a bank or overeat. The messages have been subtle and quiet.

Throughout the day, I get back into Gerri's will. Hey, I have 43 years of experience with this. Of course, I'm better at it. As time passes, it is more and more apparent that God's will means abundance and my will means short-changing myself. In other words, God's will is the better deal. I'm really short changing myself when I'm not in alignment with Him.

This has caused an amazing shift for me. I never would have imagined that a spiritual life would be a desire of mine. Now that I'm living in one, I could not imagine a self-will-run-riot life again. Doesn't sound attractive at all.

Re-frame Your Thinking

Yesterday, as I was flying home from Little Rock, Arkansas, I became aware of my traveling companion's trepidation around flying. She has flown a lot but finds it to be frightening. There was minimal turbulence; for the most part, the flight was quite smooth!

The pilot announced that there was a little weather up ahead, so for our safety, keep the seat belts fastened. Ours were secure but my partner double-checked hers. I could see the fear in her eyes. I asked what troubled her. She interpreted the pilot's words as a message of gloom and doom.

How could that be re-framed? Pondering this, she stated that this airline has a great track record for arriving on time and safely! After a bit, We remarked that we barely noticed any turbulence at all!

I love that thing Wayne Dyer says, "When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change."

Hope you are trusting God and buying broccoli!

Making Lemonade

Unemployment.
Stock market down.
Economic downturn.
Recession ….

That’s just an inkling of what the media presents us daily. I can just feel my shoulders sagging. How about you? Do you think that perhaps we’re buying into the gloom and doom, and thereby exacerbating it? I’m starting to wonder. I attend a lot of networking groups and the predominant chatter goes like this:
Business is down.
Things are slow.
You know how the economy is.
It’s been tough.

This isn’t my experience. I’m enjoying the best year since I started coaching. My book sales are up (http://trustGodandbuybroccoli.com), I’ve changed my marketing strategy and it’s paying off! I’m busy with virtual spiritual retreats. There are more requests for complimentary coaching sessions. Something’s definitely going on with me and it’s not congruent with the bad-news on the TV.!

Could it be possible that the media is affecting our attitudes? Sure, it’s a lemon economy, but what’s wrong with lemons? Whatever I add them to, tastes better. I’m making lemonade.

Now when I hear another business person sinking, I’m suggesting that they try a complimentary coaching session. Sometimes all we need is a shift in thinking to turn things around. And for goodness sake, turn off that television! Set your goals higher! Make some lemon meringue pie!

Gratitude

A few weeks ago, I woke up in terrible pain. , Dave took me to the emergency room - I thought it might be a heart attack! My diagnosis was gall bladder, possibly a stone which passed but while whatever was going on, it hurt like crazy until it stopped.

They took such good care of me in triage - had an EKG in less than five minutes of walking through the door. Amazing. And the staff who tended to me were compassionate, efficient and caring. I was so impressed, that I looked up the hospital online, found the chief administrator's name and address and I wrote a nice letter. I mentioned the doctor and the people who took care of me.

And then I forgot about it.

Yesterday I received a letter from that administrator, thanking me for taking the time to send my thoughts to them. He, and the people that tended to me, were so touched by my small token of gratitude.

I guess that people don't take the time any more to say, "Thank you." A quick note to express gratitude doesn't take much time, but how often we let that opportunity pass? Just let someone give us bad service, however, and we are quick to pick up the pen, the phone, the keyboard and tell the world about those good-for-nothing so-and-so's. Right?

This coming year, I'm going to look for every opportunity I can to thank others for touching my life. It's an easy thing to do, and I don't want to be caught up in busy-ness to miss life.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a wonderful New Year, with plenty of opportunities to express gratitude. I am grateful to all of you who take the time to visit my website and read this blog.

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change" Wayne Dyer

I've changed how I look at holidays, having just experienced another sane eating Thanksgiving. My past turkey-day revolved around food, food, food. Didn't yours too?



That's not been my experience for the past fifteen plus years. You know that I've lost over one hundred pounds and it has stayed off for thes past fifteen years? It took a change in how I looked at the holidays. No where in Thanksgiving can I find the words food, pigging out, anti-acids or guilt over eating way more than I should have.



Instead I find two words - Thanks and Giving.



I am so grateful for my life today, free from excess weight, free from the obsession with food. I am so thankful for the blessings in my life today that have nothing to do with how much stuffing I can force down, or how many different pies I can sample. Nope, I'm instead thankful for my wonderful family, friends and the joy of living.



What is the secret to making it through the holidays without having to replace my entire wardrobe? I have found three rules which when applied, guarantee success! I'll share them with you.



The first one is GIVE! Just like the holiday, when I am grateful and giving (Thanksgiving), my focus shifts from food to those around me who may not be as fortunate as I. We went shopping on black Friday. yeah, I know, I'm crazy, but we found such bargains and these gifts will go to the children who's names are on the holiday trees at church, the grocery store and our local Chamber of Commerce. It makes me feel so good to give. Doesn't it you too?



The second rule is ...

Give!

I just find that you cannot be too generous. Whatever I give away, I seem to get back one-hundred fold, really. I am giving away a great tele-workshop to people who are interested in making it through these holidays without gaining all the weight of past holidays. If you are interested in joining us, it starts on December 9th, at 8:00 p.m. Three of my wonderful coach and author friends will be joining me and what a great support group it will be. Hey, if you want to join us, send me an email to lifecoachgerri@aol.com, because the group size will be limited so that all the participants will get individual attention.



Okay, I bet by now you've guessed the third rule.

Give.
The more you give, the more you'll get.
It works.