Living with chronic illness means that life's challenges become ...  even more challenging.

After more than 10 years of coaching people around living with illness and their work life, blogging on this topic,  and in my personal experience, I've decided that the basics matter.  The basics allow a person to thrive, not just survive.

Here are my top 3 thriving skills:

1. Communication
2. Communication
3. Communication

Yup.  It's that important.

Let's look at why.

First, most illness symptoms are invisible.  No one knows  what your symptom/health is today/ in this moment--  unless you tell them.  And even where some of effects are visible, that doesn't mean that others understand how this impacts YOU, unless you tell them.

Further, even if your boss or best friend lives with a chronic illness, it doesn't mean she's experiencing the same symptoms or having the same disease progression.  Even more importantly,  pain and fatigue (2 primary chronic disease symptoms) are subjective experiences.  What does it mean to rate it on a scale of 1-10?  Nothing other than to define how you experience it at this moment in time.  That means your herniated disc or ulcerative colitis symptoms impact you in a certain way.  Often it impacts you differently day to day.  Another person with the same clinical findings on an MRI or a Colonoscopy will likely have a very different response and experience.   That puts the burden on you to describe what's going on to others --  if you choose to.

Finally, although almost 50% of the adult population live with at least one chronic disease  (astounding isn't it?), having good health is greatly prized.  Even more importantly, acting like you have good health is prized even more!  Too often that means that although people might be empathic when you get a diagnosis, the empathy quickly wears thin if you can't pull your weight or if you're asking others to do things differently for you.

Here's a specific example of how talking about this can be such a problem that it truly gets in your way.

In a recent conversation, my client was reflecting  on what led him to stop working.  Five years ago, he left his job and went on disability.  He'd been able to continue working for over 10 years with  increasingly debilitating symptoms (he lives with Crohn's disease).  But he'd often had to do a 'work-around' - - do his job differently or at a different pace.

Now he finds that he needs more income than he's getting from his disability policy and he's sorely missing working.  His doctor suggested he seems depressed.  And his wife told him he has to find something to do. He's 52 years old.

Thinking back to his decision to leave  his job, he realized that it wasn't the illness or symptoms.  He was fed up trying to 'defend' himself to colleagues and bosses - he hated having to talk about it so much.

When we explored the conversations that bothered him at his last job and looked at how it's not all that different in his personal life, he saw how isolated he'd become since this disease had grown worse.

The interpersonal habits he'd learned over a lifetime had worked well enough and he'd felt successful in all the key areas of his life. But illness required different things of him and he wasn't prepared.

"I'm a man of few words," he said when he described himself.   So how's that going for you, I asked?

Are you struggling with one of the top 3 I mentioned above?  Here are some suggestions.

In my book, Women Work and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working Girlfriend, there's a chapter, "Talking About Your Chronic Illness".   It identifies some specific tactics you can apply to your own situation.

My booklet, "Are You Talking" , part of the Career Thrive Series, goes into even more detail about how to tackle this issue in your work life.

Finally, I often use another resource in my coaching work , "You Are What You Say" by Matthew Budd and Larry Rothstein  -- particularly  the chapter on linguistic viruses.

Hmm, I seem to think in 3's, don't I? What's that about?

Do you have any suggestions for other resources?  I 'd like to hear what you've found useful  and I know readers would welcome them, too.

--

Building on her experience living with chronic illnesses, including multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis, Rosalind Joffe founded the career coaching practice, cicoach.com. Dedicated to helping others with chronic illness develop the skills they need to succeed in their careers, Rosalind firmly believes that living with chronic illness does not preclude living a full and successful life.  Thrive, Don't Just Survive While Living With Illness.

So you think you are too old or too set in your ways to change? Not so! Neuro-plasticity research now proves what many have long known:  that you are never too old to change, and more so, that you can rewire your brain to think and act in ways that lead to greater success in work, love and life.
 
The first time I read that my brain was plastic; I thought it was a joke.  That was until I realized the author wasn't talking about plastic as in a plate, but as in pliable.

As brain imaging technology has advanced, so too has our understanding of how the brain works. One of the most significant findings has been the discovery that our brain doesn't stop growing when our body does; that is, that it has the ability to adapt and change right up to the end of our life.  This means that just because we have well established ways of processing information and responding to our environment, we are still capable of developing new and more constructive ways in the future.  While a deeper understanding of neuro-plasticity is extremely relevant for people who have suffered from a stroke or other traumatic brain injury, what has piqued my interest most is its application for those of us whose brains already work perfectly well.  Most days, anyway.

Neuro-plasticity research now proves what many have long known:  that you are never too old to change, and more so, that you can rewire your brain to think in ways that lead to greater happiness & success.  I must admit though, my enlightened understanding about my brain’s "plasticity" has been both a help and a bother.  No longer can I justify my inability to figure out how to back-up my computer with excuses like "I'm just not a technology person."  And though at times I've cursed my new found knowledge about my brain's ability to master skills that have long eluded me, develop healthier habits, and learn new ways of responding to environmental triggers, ultimately this knowledge has been extremely valuable.  I now know that the old adage "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" is really just a false and convenient belief that spares us from the effort involved in learning new tricks – like backing up my computer!

Last week I attended a coaching conference where Dr. Jeffry Schwartz, UCLA Professor of Psychiatry and author of You Are Not Your Brain, spoke about his research findings on neuro-plasticity.  What he shared reinforced my understanding and confirmed what I intuitively knew and wrote about in  Find Your Courage.  Which is, that by intentionally choosing to view your environment in new ways, rewrite your personal narrative, and step into action in the presence of your fears, you become more competent in whatever those actions may be, but also build your "courage muscles" so you can respond more effectively in other areas of your life.  Whether in the conversations you have with your work colleagues, your confidence in asserting boundaries in your personal life, or your willingness to take on goals that you've previously shied away from, by practicing new ways of interacting in your environment, you are able to build new pathways in your brain and produce new (and better) results in your life.

Neuro-scienctific findings, like those also detailed in Dr. Norman Doidge's groundbreaking book The Brain that Changes Itself, have proven that right up to the end of our lives, we can build new neural pathways in our brain that ultimately rewire it.  It takes repetition.  Or in the case of developing a new habit that usurps an unhealthy old one, or even a new way of dealing with people and life -- whether it is timidity, laziness or pessimism -- it takes practice. Repeated practice.  After all, it took your entire lifetime to develop the default ways of thinking and acting that you have today.  Rewiring the way you think and act is going to take time.

Self-directed neuro-plasticity may sound all very high-brow and intellectual.  But at its core it's pretty simple:  building self-awareness – the building block for success in every arena of life.  That is, cultivating your ability to observe yourself so that you notice, as a detached observer, what you are thinking and feeling and how each are feeding off each other in any given moment.  This is crucial because you can only make new and more constructive choices when you are conscious of the ones you are making now.  Just like a one-time walk off the beaten path will not create a new pathway on the forest floor, neither will a one-time action create a new pathway in the brain.  Rewiring the way you think and act requires repetition and time.
 
In my own efforts to build self-awareness, just a few days ago I noticed myself complaining to a friend about the fact that just a few days from now, my four kids will be off from school for the summer.  "There goes my productivity for the next 3 months," I heard myself lamenting.  In the car on my way home, I thought about how powerless that statement was; as though my productivity is entirely at the mercy of my children's summer holidays.  By noticing myself verbalizing such a disempowering thought, it opened up the window for me to choose to think a more constructive one.  The truth is that the summer months provide me with a unique and valuable opportunity.  Sure, my home (where I generally work) will be noisier, and my days not as much my own, but that doesn't mean I can no longer be productive.  I can use these summer months to hone my focus during the hours I put aside to work, practice greater flexibility in how I structure my day, and prioritize my time more effectively so I can be fully engaged in whatever I'm doing and whomever I'm doing it with – kids or clients.

The S.O.A.R2  Approach to Outsmart Your Brain

As you've been reading this, you may have thought of some areas of your life where you aren't feeling as powerful or positive as you would like.  I invite you to practice self-directed neuro-plasticity and rewire your brain's default way of responding by working through each of the following 5 steps which comprise my S.O.A.R2 Model for behavior change and resilience building (the basic building blocks for "SOARing" to new heights of success in work, love & life!)

1.  STOP what you are doing and notice the thoughts you are thinking and how they are making you feel.  If you are feeling really uptight or anxious, take at least 5 deep breaths to short circuit your primal brain's "Alarm" reaction and avoid what is commonly called a "neural highjack."
2.  OBSERVE the way you are looking at your situation.  What is it about how you are looking at this "problem" that makes you feel the way you do? Imagine yourself up high in the air looking down on your situation and notice how by elevating your perspective, it can alter how you see the "problem" and with it, expanding the options for resolving it.
3.  ASK yourself how the wisest person you know views your circumstances?  What's the valuable lesson this situation has to teach you? (And believe me, every uncomfortable emotion and difficult situation has something of great value to teach us.)  Remember, we prove we are smart by our answers, but wise by our questions.  The more you can embrace curiosity, the wiser you will become.
4.  REFRAME your situation, keeping in mind that the thoughts you are thinking are not reality, just how your brain is processing it.  How, by viewing this from a larger perspective, could you see the "problem" in a whole new light? Focus on what you can do, not on what you can't.
5.  RESPOND intentionally to your situation (as distinct from just reacting in the way you may have habitually done in the past).  What is the most constructive way to respond to this situation?

Repeat process as often as necessary. (Note:  This process, or a variation thereof, will be necessary for at least the next 50 years).

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

If your answer to that question was, “no,” than you certainly aren’t alone. With the numerous demands and responsibilities that fall on us these days, it is no wonder we don’t have the time to wrap our minds around adding even more to our lives so that we can achieve that big goal.

What is important to know is that every single behavior pattern is formed from the habits we create for ourselves. If you are too busy with your day-to-day life to work toward reaching your goals, then you are in the habit of doing that. Do you think that successful people had the luxury of having extra time on their hands to be able to work towards their dreams? No way! In fact, you have probably heard it said that if you want something done, ask a busy person. Successful people don't have extra time on their hands – what they do have is better habits.

You can start to create better habits for yourself today! All it takes is to make a commitment to yourself that you will do one thing everyday to take a step toward the goal line. It can be the tiniest of things; calling a friend to ask where they learned a specific skill, or just brainstorming ideas. Anything is better than nothing.

By doing something everyday to get you a step closer to your dreams, you create a habit that leads to success. Just think where you’ll be a month from now, 6 months from now, a year from now. I’m sure it will be a much different place than where you are right now!

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

Faith M. Davis is both an author and a copywriter/marketing professional focusing on the subjects and industries she knows and loves most: holistic health, wellness, self-help, metaphysics and inspirational topics. More information about her work and her services can be found at www.faithmdavis.com.

Sharing and withholding are two sides of the same tarnished coin. For example, when you insist on adding more value, passing judgment, making destructive comments, announcing that you already know, or explaining why something won't work, you are compulsively sharing information-- convinced that you are making people smarter or inspiring them to do better, when you are more likely having the opposite effect. When you fail to give recognition, or claim credit you don't deserve, or refuse to apologize, or don't express your gratitude, you are withholding information.

Other annoying habits are rooted in a different compulsion--one that's centered on emotion. When you get angry, play favorites, or punish the messenger, you are succumbing to emotion-- and displaying it for all to see.

You either share information and emotion, or withhold them. It's good to share information that helps people and good to withhold information when it harms people (many secrets should be kept). The same goes for emotion: it's worth sharing sometimes, and other times, not worth it at all.

What Is Appropriate? When dealing with information or emotion, you need to consider if what you are sharing is appropriate. Appropriate information helps the other person; inappropriate information risks hurting someone. Discussing a rival company's good fortune can be positive if it gets your people to work harder, but it's inappropriate when it soils other people's reputations. Instruction is usually appropriate, to a point. It's the difference between someone giving you simple directions to their house and telling you every wrong turn you can make along the way. At some point, with too many red flags, you will get lost, confused, or wary of making the trip at all.

Emotion, too, must be shared appropriately.

For example, love is often an appropriate emotion, but even saying 'I love you' can be inappropriate if you employ it too often or at awkward moments. Conversely, anger can be a useful tool if you parse it out in small doses at opportune moments.

When sharing information or emotion, ask, 'Is this appropriate?' and 'How much should I convey?' Pause and pose these questions as guidelines for anything you do or say.

You can change your annoying behavior-- and your colleagues will notice.

Life is good.

Marshall

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

Marshall Goldsmith Effective Leadership Video Training

Marshall Goldsmith Speeches & Trainings

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

FIVE TIPS TO REDESIGN OLD SCRIPTS

1.  Be willing to endure the anguish that comes with transitions. Psychologists suggest it takes three weeks to start breaking old habits. Becoming an observer of your stories requires concentration. Placing judgments on peers is easier than turning the spotlight in strict honesty on one’s self. But, if you make this shift to focus on your actions, eventually, you no longer avoid your patterns — you “own” them and you claim how they affect others. The tragedy for most people is that intentions, such as New Year resolutions never measure up. For example, you may work in an environment that bleeds your heart rather than feeds it (clock watching). Ask:  how can I say no to courage?

2.  Take action to implement this redesign. The script you learned a long time ago in your head becomes conditioned to a pattern that dictates your thinking and your behavior. For example, you might discover that your mindsets reveal how you tend to blame. Driving your day to day actions (or inactions), such as the conversations you choose to have or not have become outdated and don’t work anymore. Your courage meter comes in to play when you determine how you hold yourself 100% accountable for your actions. Ask: How do I hold myself accountable for my missteps and how long does it take for me to step up?

3.  An act of “courageous will” is required to change, so pay attention. Make a decision to live your life by staying focused on when you’re happy. Analyzing yourself allows you to discover when your “being” (spirit) is in joy. Then, you can begin to sustain this feeling and enjoy being. Will you consent? If you are willing, transformation occurs as an organic process. It’s a simple process if the proper attention is applied.

The GE Chairman & CEO’s 2004 Dartmouth's commencement speech was not filled with “big” words or haughty comments. He said, “The challenge you must accept, right now, is to make yourself better every day. …Your curiosity and desire to learn things on your own terms is really a key to success. … You must have courage.” Ask yourself: If I had no limitations, what would I be doing?

4.  Find someone you trust to share in a dialogue. To change your cycle from mediocrity, struggle or suffering can be a difficult process. People share with me that at times they feel alone (not lonely) on their journey. Finding someone you can share your progress with keeps the new intent alive, serves as a means of accountability and supports you to raise your level of being present. One professional friend said, “Find someone you are willing to trust. Someone who doesn’t just back up your every comment or thought but someone to dialogue with who will challenge your thinking to keep you in the NOW and not in your old scripts.”

Are you becoming the person you were created to be or just limping along? A colleague called me on the telephone to share a transformation in motion. His schedule for the day had four back to back appointments with a one hour drive in between each appointment. At that moment, he recognized an old script playing in his mind. His ego was whimpering “poor me” complaints in the form of “This is too much and I am getting too old to do this type of heavy driving day.” He continued, “Sandra, you’ll appreciate that when I invited my ‘observer’ to be in the now, I shifted my perspective and changed my script. I immediately released the tension in my shoulders and gazed off the road to notice the wonders and beauty of the unique Napa Valley.” This is a simple example of becoming more intensely present to attract a new circumstance. He was no longer identified with his scripts. Ask: How does your joy show up at work (home)?

5.  Declare your courageous intention. Commit to a period of time to live life deliberately, such as 60-90 days. Ask: How willing am I to summon my courage?

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

Sandra Ford Walston is known as The Courage Expert and innovator of StuckThinking™. She is an organizational effectiveness consultant, speaker, trainer and courage coach. She is the internationally published author of bestseller COURAGE (2001), STUCK: 12 Steps Up the Leadership Ladder (2010), and FACE IT!: 12 Obstacles that  Hold You Back on the Job (2011). She is certified in the Enneagram and MBTI®. Please visit www.sandrawalston.com.

Sandra Ford Walston, The Courage Expert

Innovator, StuckThinking™

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook

© Sandra Walston

All Rights Reserved

So, whether your goal is to show off your six-pack or just shed a few nagging pounds, it makes sense to take a hard look at what sets this small group of lean-and-strong apart from the rest. How do they manage to accomplish what 94% of Americans find nearly impossible? The answer might surprise you.

Walk This Way – In an effort to move yourself and your results closer to this finite group of 6%, your first inclination might be to look at what they do. What kind of exercise, free weights or machines? How many hours of cardio? Do they run marathons or prefer spin class? What about food? Do they focus on fat free, high protein, low carbohydrate, vegetarian or raw, organic foods? Do they take supplements? Do they prefer the bike over the treadmill? Do they workout in the morning or afternoon?

Whew…all good questions, but guess what? As counter intuitive as it may sound, all of these variables take a big back seat to the true keys to winning the fitness game. That’s not to imply that the “action” elements of fitness aren’t important, but I am going to let you in on a little secret. They aren’t the most important part.

Action vs. Attitude – What I have discovered over the past 13 years, having helped thousands of people make some pretty jaw-dropping transformations, is that the work of getting fit is not nearly as important as the habits, mindset and intention behind the work. These habits and intentions are at the core of what keeps this elite group (those I affectionately refer to as 6%ers) lean, strong, healthy and in charge.

The following are just a few of the principles behind what I call, The 6% Solution™.  Use them to “fill in the gaps” in your fitness regime and, guaranteed, you will shift your results from ordinary to extraordinary:

6% Solution #1 – Have An Air-Tight Plan – 6%ers have a daily food plan, usually in writing, which they prepare every evening for the next day, regardless of how busy they are or how repetitious it seems. They map out when and what they will eat in “real” time to address the unique variables of each day.

6% Solution #2 – Be an Independent Eating Machine – 6%ers prepare and carry the majority of the food and water they plan to consume, and they take it wherever they go – just like their wallet, their cell phone, and their briefcase. They don’t leave home without it.

6% Solution #3 – Honor Self-Promises - 6%ers schedule their workouts into their calendars or planners, and incorporate them in and around all the other appointments that are part of the regular mix of daily life. They treat these personal appointments just as they would any other critical meeting or engagement. When they find a conflict, they don’t skip it altogether, they reschedule it for another time.

6% Solution #4 – Tap The Power of Pen to Paper – 6%ers feed their motivation by keeping a written journal of their progress, just as they would any project under construction. They track, on paper, their workouts, their weights, their body fat and their daily, weekly, and monthly goals.

6% Solution #5 – Create a Vision of Success – 6%ers visualize their success – they use goal pictures, story boards, and other visual cues to keep their mind focused on exactly what they want.

6% Solution #6 – Ramp Up Your Word Power – 6%ers continually move their thoughts, vision, and speech away from low frequency words such as “old, tired, depressed, weak, and stressed” and, instead, chose words that move their thoughts and actions to a higher vibration. As opposed to “I dread going to the gym,” they choose to say, “I appreciate the time I’m investing in myself.”

6% Solution #7 – Focus On What You Want – 6%ers consistently point their minds away from the things they don’t want and persistently toward the things they desire most.

Now, the only question left is, what do you need to do to become a 6%er?

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

About the Author:

Dianne is an international fitness expert, speaker, writer, success coach and master level certified personal trainer who has helped thousands of men, women and young adults achieve incredible, jaw-dropping results, in less time and with less effort than they ever thought possible. For more information, visit her website at www.lovelivingfit.com

START EVERY MORNING RIGHT! Get a quick, personalized fitness tip from Dianne, delivered Monday through Friday! Sign up today - absolutely FREE! Click Here

(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Tired of hearing a great speaker, reading an inspiring book and NOT knowing how to apply the lessons into your daily life?

We’ve all had those experiences where we have felt inspired either through something we have read or from a captivating speaker, only to reflect on the days that have followed and realize that nothing has changed. Why does this happen?

That's a question that I have trying to answer for a number of years.

What I have learned from the people that have attended one of my presentations, and turned their inspiration into REAL LASTING RESULTS is that they did the following things:

1) They had an emotional reaction to something I said.  Something got their heart racing, and they knew it was time to take action.

2) They took immediate action and made a commitment to change starting NOW.  Most people took action within 6 hours.

3) They surrounded themselves with a STRONG support team.  Changing habits also means changing the people we spend time with currently, if they are not supportive and growing with us.

4) They acknowledged the resistance phase and stayed committed to their new habits.  Whenever you start making changes, you WILL hit a phase of resistance (from your old friends, your beliefs, your old habits).

The best way to navigate this phase is by being part of a supportive community, that understands and knows how to overcome obstacles.

If you want to stop making excuses and start living the life of your dreams NOW, I would love to be on your team.

To find out more about the incredible team that I have put together please visit www.born2bealive.com

See you there!

Shawn

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks! 

Every human being, like every seed, takes form with a built-in divine code of instruction.  The corn kernel and the acorn, for example, allow their divine programming to effortlessly unfold in perfect time. The spiritual equivalents of a seed’s need for “water, soil and light” are your life-experiences, natural-born talents and intuition.  Each of these helps to illuminate your life path and life purpose. Now more than ever it seems people are tapping into this inborn wisdom in their quest to create an extraordinary life.

So what makes a person extraordinary?  

From the moment you took your first breath you were extraordinary. You had not yet gone to school, earned any letters after your name or earned a single cent.  You had not yet provided any service and had not achieved any great accomplishment other than making your way into this world. You were born into this life extraordinary.  The great spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra says, “By knowing something, you become it”.  So today, please know that you are and have always been extraordinary, regardless of your present-day assessment of your life.

Building an Extraordinary Mindset:

• You create extraordinary results; extraordinary results do not create an extraordinary you.

What truly makes us extraordinary are not our degrees, titles, bank accounts or the beauty of our physical bodies. Each of these is simply an outlet for our extraordinary nature to be expressed and take form.  Additionally it reveals where you have placed your precious attention. If you give undue credit to your dollars and degrees as a measure of what makes you extraordinary, then you cease to be extraordinary when the status of one of these things changes. The truth is your extraordinary nature is fixed and unchangeable, regardless of the events that take place in your life.

• Adversity often provides the opportunity for you to reveal your extraordinary nature.

When Denise Taylor courageously supported her daughter through her battle with leukemia, she did not yet know how the eventual loss would re-route her life. Jonnae’s Heavenly Birth, not only revealed Denise’s calling in life, this would also become the title of her book in which she would write about her experience. Denise mined for the gift hidden in her profound loss and infuses it into the dynamic inspirational speeches she now gives all over the globe as the founder of the We Get To Organization (WeGetTo.com).  Another example of this premise is in the promise Nancy G. Brinker made to her dying sister Susan G. Komen that she would do all she could to help end breast cancer forever. That promise was the seed from which the Susan G. Komen for the Cure (komen.org) grew from and to date has generated an estimated one billion dollars for research and support.

• Ordinary people achieve extraordinary results with extraordinary effort.

When you hear stories about people achieving remarkable things, what you are really hearing are stories of people displaying extraordinary courage, extraordinary dedication, extraordinary desire, and extraordinary vision. Whether we are referring to Jerry Rice, recently named the number one player in the NFL’s top 100 players or inventors like Louis Pasteur and Ben Franklin this rule absolutely holds true.

Three Spiritual Truths to help reveal your extraordinary nature:

• As within, as without: Author Caroline Myss said it succinctly when she explained “Your biography becomes your biology.” Scientists are now proving that your inner world creates your physical world.  Examining your “story” in addition to your relationships and habits, are some spiritually responsible ways to “prepare the soil” so that your “extraordinary seeds” have a healthy place to grow.
• You become like what you are around: It has been said that you are the sum total of the five people you spend the most time with. Make a list of your five people and decide if you are thrilled by the list-- or need to make a change.  Unhappy friends, unhealthy family members or friends with addictions will not throw a party for you when you decide to focus your efforts on your extraordinary vision. Because this is true, advocate for the environment, choices, and relationships that will best support what you want to create.
• Taking care of you is selfless: You can only give as good as you’ve got. When you are your healthiest, most energetic, creative and vibrant-self, you can more effectively support others and do extraordinary things.  To quote Dr. Wayne Dyer, “You cannot get sick enough to heal one person, you cannot be poor enough to make one man wealthy—and no amount of your feeling bad will ever make anyone feel good.”  When you honor this truth in your life you are also giving those who share your life permission to do the same.  

Perhaps you have already utilized everything in your metaphorical acorn to achieve results that are fully congruent with your full extraordinary-ness. If this is the case, celebrate! But perhaps you are ready to commit to the new consciousness you’ll need to reveal your extraordinary-self.  If this is the case consider the story of the archeologists who first uncovered the ancient tomb of King Tut. These scientists found more than just the sarcophagus of the boy king; they found jewels, pottery, clothing and food. This food was in the form of corn that was thousands of years old.  Just as you might pack a moving van to relocate to a new city, the Egyptians filled the tombs of their rulers with what they believed would be needed in the after-life.  This ancient corn was sort of like a cooler packed with sandwiches for the trip.  

So the scientists did what scientists do. They planted some kernels to see if they could yield a viable corn plant and tried to pop some kernels too. Thousands of years dormant in a dark tomb did not diminish the potential that was packed into each tiny corn kernel. This ancient corn could not only be popped, but also yielded healthy cornstalks surprising and delighting the scientists!  

Whether your extraordinary nature has been sealed up tightly in the dark or has been otherwise resting dormant waiting for the right conditions in order to grow-- know that there is resilience in your inborn seeds of greatness. Plant them and reveal the extraordinary nature already in you waiting to manifest.

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

Rena M. Reese is the founder of Soul Salon International, an inspirational multimedia company offering publishing fundraisers for groups as well as media support from site-building and hosting to video creation. She is the author of several inspirational titles, a professional speaker and consultant as well as the host of a weekly radio program, The Soul Salon. For more inspiration and information, please visit www.SoulSalonInternational.com and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter @TheSoulSalon. This article of Rena's is featured in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Affluent Magazine.

Habits kind of creep up on you if you're not careful but as Stephen Covey says, the conscious choices we make can become habits and change our world for the better. Here are insights from our experts on healthy, happy living. 

How Does Betty White Do It? by Sandwiched Boomers

A real comedy standout on TV and in the movies lately - among all the youthful as well as botoxed, lifted, heavily made-up faces - has been Betty White. Lifetime Achievement Award winner at 88 and ½, as Betty proudly declares, White is the poster gal for throwing away the calendar when talking about age.

With the population of older adults growing, the percentage of adults over 65 is projected to increase in the U.S. from the current 12% to 19% in the next twenty years. Given this expected exponential growth, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has looked at how baby boomers can achieve healthy aging. Read more for 7 ways to age gracefully>>

---

7 Habits of Health by Dianne Orwig

In one of the best books ever written, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen Covey explains, “Our character is a composite of our habits.”

So, too, is the case when it comes to your health. It isn’t the occasional slip ups here and there that define overall health, but the day-to-day rituals, practices, and behaviors that mold how your body looks, feels and performs. Read more for the to see if all seven habits are operating in your life>>

===

Stephen Covey 7 Habits DVD. Integrate the 7 Habits into Your Life.

===

Gaining Perspective from Space by Simon Sinek

It was a surreal night to say the least. The four of us, two former astronauts, an Air Force Major General and I sat on the front porch sipping single malt scotch while a huge air force jet was making touch-and-go’s a hundred yards away. 

When in the company of astronauts, the conversation, undoubtedly, turns to space travel. It is an experience so few people in the world have ever had or will ever have the opportunity to try, so the curiosity of the two non-astronauts at the table was bubbling.  It was the two-star general who asked the question that we both needed to know the answer to, “Did going to space change you?” Read more >>

---

Dear Boss, I Quit! by Michael Lee Stallard

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in August, more Americans quit their jobs than lost them. Voluntary job quits have been steadily rising since late 2009 which is quite remarkable given the continued weakened state of the U.S. economy. Certainly some of these "quits" reflect employees moving to other jobs. It may also be the case, however, that the pain level of remaining at some organizations has become so high that more workers have decided to leave of their own accord in hopes of making it as entrepreneurs or finding jobs down the road as the economy recovers.

Read more on how this dynamic could change.>>

---

More stories on Career, Wellness, Wisdom, Relationship and Success

So, too, is the case when it comes to your health. It isn’t the occasional slip ups here and there that define overall health, but the day-to-day rituals, practices, and behaviors that mold how your body looks, feels and performs.

Check out my version of Stephen’s 7 Habits - what I call the 7 Habits of Health - and see if all 7 are operating at full capacity in your current lifestyle. Use the following list to checkmark any areas that might need a little more focus and attention. You body and your life will thank you – that’s a promise.

#1 – The Habit of Rest

Remember in Kindergarten, when we used to spend a few minutes every afternoon on our mats in a dark, cool, quiet room? Wasn’t that great? Although rest and relaxation are typically last on the list of things people associate with fitness and health, they are actually some of the most important. If you have a hard time sitting still, feel guilty when you take a break, can’t remember the last time your mind wasn’t racing 100 miles an hours, or sleeping is more like a wrestling match rather than a snooze fest, chances are your health is suffering because of it. PRACTICE discovering the art of napping, work on a crossword puzzle, watch a funny movie, or do something that makes you feel pampered. Just 10 minutes of “me” time a day can make all the difference in the world, and the more time you can block out, the more your life and your health will benefit.

#2 - The Habit of Passion

If everything you do in an effort to improve your health is based on sacrifice, deprivation and pain, any results you achieve will be fleeting at best. The key to lasting health and fitness is to become passionate and excited about the changes you are making, whether it’s your diet or your exercise program. PRACTICE choosing activities that you look forward to. Block out a specific time each day to try something different that will get your heart pumping. Find a new nature trail, try out a new yoga DVD, or take a dance lesson. Instead of resisting foods you love, try finding or creating an alternative recipe. Who knows, you might end up loving the alternative even more than the original!

3 - The Habit of Body Awareness

Much of mainstream fitness protocol demands that you ignore the body rather than listen to it. We’re told to push the body way past its limits with too much exercise, pretend we’re not hungry when we are starving, and overlook fatigue or disinterest when our routine becomes overwhelming. PRACTICE listening to your body when it wants to stop. Keep in mind that quick progress is made when the body is pushed ever so slightly past its current ability, not way, way past it. Most of all, listen to your GUT – both internally and intuitively. One of the best guidance systems in the world, one that can tell you which decisions are best both physically and spiritually, is that good old “gut” instinct. Trust it.

4 - The Habit of Happiness

Whomever it was that said laughter is the best medicine was not kidding. Regardless of what the majority of people believe, happiness IS a choice, and while good health won’t always make you happy, happiness will always improve your health. PRACTICE two things that can immediately enhance your level of happiness, regardless of what is happening around you: #1 - Stop complaining (ah, yes… I know… easier said than done) and, #2 – Find something to smile about, or better yet, fine something to laugh about. Point your focus, if only for a moment, on all the things that are RIGHT, right now, about you, the world, your job, your home, your life. Make a written list of these things and go back to it again and again if necessary. Make the conscious choice to concentrate the majority of your time and energy on what is RIGHT, not what is wrong.

5 – The Habit of Flexibility

In his book, Grow Younger, Live Longer, Deepak Chopra explains that among dozens of centurions (people who have lived at least 100 years) who were asked to name the single characteristic most important to a long life, nearly all pointed toward flexibility, or more accurately, the ability to let go as the key to health and longevity. Says Chopra, "As the ancient Vedic aphorism goes, 'infinite flexibility and creativity are the secrets of immortality.'"  PRACTICE stretching both your body and your mind on a regular basis. Try for one day to completely suspend your judgment and be okay with whatever happens.  Begin every morning by bending to see if you can touch your toes – a great reminder that flexibility is a work in progress, whether it’s your muscles, your mind, or your relationships.

6 - The Habit of Nutrition

Your Mom was right, you are what you eat. So, have a close look at where and how the majority of your food reaches your plate. Counting the steps between harvest and the finished product can help you identify the difference between real food and what Michael Pollen, author of the book In Defense Of Food, calls, “food-like substances.” Typically, the less steps, the fresher and more nutritionally dense your foods will be. PRACTICE eating like a European for one week. Decide what you would like to eat each day, then go to market and buy only those foods for the day. Choose them in their freshest, most whole form.  Try, every day, to consume at least one or two non-processed meals and don’t forget the most important nutrient of all – water – 60 to 90 ounces per day!

7 - The Habit of Movement

Your body was built to move, it was built to WORK and TRAVEL and PULL and PUSH. Every day, see if you can participate in each of these activities. PRACTICE: If you can walk, you can TRAVEL. If you are sweating, you are WORKING. If you do a little resistance training, you will PULL and PUSH.  That about covers it.

Here’s to your healthy habits and a long life!

About the Author:

Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

START EVERY MORNING RIGHT! Get a quick, personalized fitness tip from Dianne, delivered Monday through Friday! Sign up today - absolutely FREE! http://bit.ly/STVdailytips

(c) Copyright - Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide