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Monday, December 27, 2010

The Fastest Way to Gain Productive Energy

"Sometimes the greatest gain in productive energy will come from cleaning the cobwebs, dealing with old business, and clearing the decks."

~ David Allen

As the year draws to a close, it is great time to clear the decks and move old things out of the way. Getting rid of emotional and physical clutter may be one of the most important things you can do for yourself this year, especially if you REALLY want to move forward in your life and career.  These old "cobwebs" may be old beliefs, old negative feelings toward someone or some situation, or the physical clutter that makes it hard to know what resources you even have.  When you get rid of the clutter both from within and without, you gain room for greater energy to produce your dreams. 

This week:  Start moving out the physical clutter you've held on to.  Give things you no longer need away.  Ruthlessly throw things out.  Look at your inner world as well.  What old beliefs have you been holding on to that no longer serve you?  Do they keep you from trusting others?  Do they keep you from trusting yourself?  If so, this week create a plan for getting rid of them.  Are you holding on to old feelings and disappointments from your past experiences?  If so, be determined to let these go as well.  If you don't know how to do this, THIS WEEK, find resources that can help you do it.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people let go of "mental clutter"--those negative emotions and limiting beliefs from the past that may have kept you from being as successful as you deserve.  (Don't believe that you deserve success?  Then you definitely have mental clutter in this area).  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, December 20, 2010

Take Time to Express Your Gratitude

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it".

 ~William Arthur Ward

We are all influenced at some time or in some way by people who have entered our lives and touched us.  They may be central figures in our lives and well known to us, or they may be almost strangers who touch us in some significant way.  You may touch others without realizing it, just as others have touched you without realizing how important that touch was to you.  When you express that gratitude, it is like giving a special gift.  What could be more important, especially at this time of year?

This week:  Take time to reach out to someone who has touched your life in some significant way.  Write them a letter or send them an email and express your gratitude.  Tell them how what they did helped you, changed you or made a difference for you.  Share the specific ways their action or presence impacted you and your life.  Realize that you are not only giving them a gift with your gratitude, but you are also giving yourself an important gift--the realization that you were important enough and special enough that they cared enough to reach out to you.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people change their lives in significant ways by helping them find meaningful resources for transformation.  She has a multitude of resources to share at her website http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, December 13, 2010

The Best Gift of All

"Make a gift of your life and lift all mankind by being kind, considerate, forgiving, and compassionate at all times, in all places, and under all conditions, with everyone as well as yourself. This is the greatest gift anyone can give."

~David Hawkins

The best gift you can give is the gift of yourself and how you live your life.  When you move beyond the petty issues we all face daily and choose to live with compassion, forgiveness, kindness and love, you are sharing your true gift with the world.  When you react to others by treating them as you would want all people to be treated in this world, you set the example for people to then pass along to others. 

This week:  Practice random acts of kindness to those you know and to complete strangers.  It doesn't require money.  It requires connecting at a human level with others.  Open doors for people.  Smile.  Give honest compliments.  Offer to help someone.  Find peace in your heart for those who have wronged you, even if you can manage this only for one week out of the rest of your life.  Reach out to someone with whom you have lost touch.  Ask yourself "How can I make a gift of MY life, even for this one week?"  Notice how you feel about it.  Discover that the gift isn't just a gift you are giving to others; it is also a gift to yourself.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people transform their lives quickly with her solution focused methods and more than 32 years of experience.  She is the creator and CEO of the Inner Resource Center, LLC in Maryville, TN.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, December 6, 2010

It Is Not What Happens to Us, It Is How We Think About What Happens to Us

If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it.

~Marcus Aurelius

As odd as it may seem, it isn't the event itself that hurts and distresses us, it is how we interpret that event and the meaning we place on it.  The good news is that we don't have to be negatively affected forever by things that have happened to us, even if they have been really traumatic.  YouCAN let go of the negative emotion, by finding positive learning in the event.  When you do that, you can let go of the distress and move on in your life.

This week:  As you go through your week, pay attention to events that ordinarily you might have allowed to derail your mood into something negative.  Notice what you can learn--positively--from this event.  Then notice how this changes your mood.  For example, when you're looking for a parking space at a crowded mall and are starting to really feel frustrated when someone swoops in and takes YOUR parking place, think about what the learning could be that would change how you feel.  Are you there to do holiday shopping?  Is the intention of the holiday to feel stressed and angry at others?  Could your giving up this parking place (even though your turn signal was on) be a special Christmas or Hanukkah present for this complete stranger?  What other meaning can you put on the events that happen to you this week that will reduce your distress?  Experiment with this; play with this.  Notice how your emotional reaction changes. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people master their emotions and move beyond the "emotional clutter" that blocks success and happiness.  She is the creator of the Life Moments Makeover System, a system for rapid result from negative emotions and limiting beliefs.  For more information, check out her website at http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .  

Monday, November 29, 2010

Believe You Can

"I don't think anything is unrealistic if you believe you can do it."

~Mike Ditka

The importance of belief is everything.  If you believe you cannot do something, you are absolutely right, you won't be able to do it.  If you believe you can, you have created the possibility of success.  That's all it takes--just the possibility.  Once you conceive of the possibility of being able to do something, you open the door to making it happen.  Too often we limit ourselves with our beliefs.  You make not know if you can achieve it or not, but when you believe it is possible, achieving it is no longer an unrealistic expectation.  You will just have to test it out.

This week:  Think of a time in your life when you believed you could do something, even if you didn't know how to do it yet.  What happened?  Were you successful?  If so, what make you successful.  Write down these circumstances as they will give you a hint at some resources you've used in the past that have made you successful.  If you were not successful, why not?  What would you have had to do differently to succeed?  What beliefs, talents, skills or knowledge would you have needed to be able to do it?  Those also provide hints about resources which can help you become successful.  Now, ask yourself what you have been postponing or avoiding because you haven't thought it was possible.  What might you get if you changed that belief? 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and certified trainer with more than 30 years of experience helping people achieve goals they had not thought possible.  She specializes in helping people get rid of limiting beliefs that block their success and happiness.  For more information about her services and to learn about free resources, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, November 22, 2010

Things Worth Having Are Worth Some Effort

Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?

~Frank Scully

Sometimes you have to stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone in order to get meaningful rewards.  Often things that are the most valuable require effort, risk and action.  If you are not willing to put yourself out to reach your goal, you are not very invested in your results.   Sitting at the bottom of the tree and wishing the fruit would fall into your lap is not an effective way to get something that is important to you.  All things DON'T come to those who wait.  You have to take action.  You have to stretch yourself.  You have to put out the effort.  And you sometimes have to take a risk.  What are you willing to do to achieve your results?

This week:  Take a look at something you really want.  How much do you want it?  Are you willing to take some action this week to move closer to having it?  If you really went after it, what would you need to do?  How would you do it?  What risks would be involved?  How can you minimize those risks?  By answering these questions, you can put together a plan for reaching that goal.  Then, step-by-step, inch-by-inch, you can begin to move toward it.  

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and certified trainer at the Inner Resource Center, LLC in Maryville, TN.  She is an expert at helping people reach goals they had not thought even possible, using her solution focused approaches and a bag of tools and techniques she has both learned and developed over the past 32 years.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, November 15, 2010

When Adversity Hits, It is What Is Inside That Counts

"When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out — because that's what's inside. When you are squeezed, what comes out is what is inside."

~Dr. Wayne Dyer

All of us are "squeezed" at some point in our lives.  Adversity hits and it is in those times that we demonstrate what we are made of inside.  Do we respond with courage?  Do we respond with integrity?  What do we do to rise above it?  How you respond in times of adversity can say a lot about your character and values.  For some people, adversity brings out the best in them; in others, it brings out the worst.   What is inside you?

This week:  Examine this question by remembering a time when you faced some sort of adversity.  Remember how you handled it.  What would you want to change about how you handled it?  How would you handle that same situation if it happened to you today, knowing what you know now and having all the resources you currently have?  How do you feel about how you would handle the situation today?  If there is something you would want to change, look carefully at what that is.  What would you need to be able to do differently?  How can you get to the point where you would be able to do it?  Is there something you need to learn?  A skill you need to develop?  A value you need to keep in mind?  Assistance you need from others?  How can you become more congruent in your responses so that you would be able to respond to adversity in a way that demonstrates who you are (and who you want to be)?   Begin to develop those resources, a little at a time. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and certified trainer at the Inner Resource Center, LLC.  She is an expert at helping people develop the resources they need to transform their life.  For more information about her services, including some free resources, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/.

Monday, November 8, 2010

You Have to Take a Chance

Progress always involves risks. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first.

~Frederick B. Wilcox

So many people are afraid to take chances.  They stay stuck in place, afraid to reach out and go after what they really want because they are afraid to move from the safety and security of their daily life.  Even if they aren't happy in their daily life, they are afraid to step forward.  The problem is that until you are ready to take a risk, you will stay on "first base"--stuck in place. 

This week:  Acknowledge to yourself what risk you need to take to move forward.  Identifying it and owning up to it brings it out into the light and allows you to begin to assess just how great the risk is.  Sometimes we make the risk so much worse in our imagination.  In the light of day, what are you really risking?  How probable is that risk?  Ask yourself:  What one small step can I take that will move me forward?  When you are focused on what step you need to take, you can shift your focus away from the fear.  Ask  yourself:  What am I risking by NOT taking that step?  Decide to do one small thing this week that will help you take that step.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people face the fears that block them and move beyond them.  Her Life Moments Makeover System allows people to let go of fear and anxiety quickly and easily.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, November 1, 2010

Learn to Do What You Cannot Do By Doing It Your Own Way

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.

~Pablo Picasso

There may be many things that you believe you cannot do because you have not yet learned to do them.  When we think that we cannot, we make that outcome true.  If you can tell yourself that you simply need to learn how to do it, that can change the outcome from impossible to possible. 

This week:  Think of something you don't know how to do--yet.  Pick something that you would like to be able to do.  Ask yourself if it would be possible to learn to do it if you were really committed to learning and mastery.  What would it take?  How much time?  How much practice?  Would the expertise of someone else help you learn?  Is there someone you can model?  Think about Picasso.  He didn't do things the ways others did.  Was that because he hadn't learned to do it their way, and needed to learn his OWN way?  How can you apply this in your life--to learn to do things your own way?

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and trainer at the Inner Resource Center, LLC.  She believes that all people carry within themselves the resources to meet their life's challenges, they just need to access them.  She is an expert at helping people identify their resources and utilize them to stretch farther than they had thought possible.  For more information about how she does it, got to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, October 25, 2010

You Create Your Life By How You Live It

"Everything you see happening is the consequence of that which you are."

~Dr. David Hawkins

We create our lives by how we live them.  If our lives are filled with drama, it is because we have been living that drama and buying into it.  If you are unhappy and dissatisfied, it may be because you have been focused on that unhappiness and dissatisfaction.  When you begin to change your focus and begin to change your thinking, you can begin to change how you are living, and your life circumstances change as well.

This week: Notice where your focus is.  Are you focused on the negative?  If so, is it translating into how your life is turning out?  What do you really believe about yourself?  If you are focused on all that you are lacking, do you also find that your life is lacking?   Really look at how your life is a reflection of yourself.  If you don't like how your life is going, what do you need to change about yourself?  Identifying it is the first important step.  Once you identify what you would like to change, begin to make a plan for changing it.  Ask for help from others if you need it.  The time to create the life you want is NOW.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people create lives that are congruent with their life's purpose.  She specializes in helping people overcome limiting beliefs that sabotage their happiness and success, often in transformational intensive sessions.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, October 18, 2010

Make Things Happen

"My father instilled in me that if you don't see things happening the way you want them to, you get out there and make them happen."

~ Susan Powter

Many people are good at recognizing when things are not going the way they would like.  They identify all the things that are wrong--in politics, in business, in the economy, in their relationships, in their life.  But too few take action and responsibility for making changes.  If you find yourself complaining about things not happening the way you want them to, get out there and make them happen.

This week:  Identify something that is not going the way you would like, one specific thing.  Now, think about what change you would like to see.  What could YOU personally do to help make that change?  What action could you take?  Brainstorm solutions and write down your ideas.  Then go back and pick ONE thing you can do this week to begin to change the situation.  Although you might think that your action "won't count," recognize that if everybody took some small action, there would begin to be a solution.  Do something, just for this week. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and trainer at the Inner Resource Center, LLC.  She is an expert in helping people take actions toward their goals, and at her clients create transformational change quickly.  She specializes in helping people overcome the limiting beliefs that sabotages their success and happiness.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, October 11, 2010

Opportunities May Be Right In Front of You

"Your big opportunity may be right where you are now."

~Napoleon Hill

Too often we wait for opportunities.  We think that they will come under some sort of special circumstances.  The reality is that there are probably opportunities right in front of you.  There may be opportunities that can come to you from the things you are doing right now.  There may be opportunities that are right in front of you in your current job, or in your current relationships or even in your daily activities.  All it takes is allowing yourself to see opportunities.  The key is in beginning to notice them.  Once you do, you may find your big opportunity may be right where you are now.  But you have to notice it.

This week:  Spend some time looking around for the opportunities all around you.  Notice possible opportunities in your current situation.  Allow yourself to imagine and extrapolate from where you are right now.  Ask yourself "What if?" possibility questions.  "What could I create from this situation?"  "What problem needs to be solved and how might I create a solution?"  As you meet new people, look for ways to connect with opportunities they may offer.  Even if you are not interested, notice that opportunities are there.  You need to be able to recognize that opportunities are right in front of you, so that you can recognize the "big opportunity" when you see it.  As you begin to notice the opportunities all around you, jot them down.  At the end of the week, review your list and determine if there are any opportunities that you'd like to pursue.  If not, are there people you can share them with? 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and trainer at the Inner Resource Center, LLC in Maryville, TN.  She is an expert at helping people make transformational changes in their lives and careers.  She often helps people identify and explore opportunities and determine what fits them and their life's purpose best.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, October 4, 2010

Change Your Negative Thinking to Change Your Life

"What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds."

~Dr. Wayne Dyer

Many people don't realize that how they think about things helps shape what happens.  They dwell on all the things that could go wrong, they focus on the negatives, and then are dismayed when life keeps giving them lemons.  If you want to change how your life is going, change your thinking.  Focus instead on possibilities, opportunities, and all that is positive. 

This week:  Focus on things that are going in the direction you would like.  They don't have to be perfect, just headed in the right direction. Notice when you think negatively, and immediately change that negative to something positive.  It doesn't have to be "pie in the sky" positive, just add words to make it true.  For example, you might change "I never reach the financial goals I set" to "I haven't reached my financial goal yet, but I"m determined to do it."  Give yourself credit for what you have done so far.  Like any muscle, your brain will get stronger as you stretch it.  Focus on what you want to have happen, and what you are doing to make it so.  You are in charge of your life, and can really begin to see that fact when you change your thinking.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people change negative and limiting beliefs.  She has developed a powerful program to help her clients move beyond negative emotions and limiting beliefs that have been stockpiled from negative past experiences.  Her Life Moments Makeover System-TM allows people to make very significant life changes in 4-5 days.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, September 27, 2010

Life Experiences Create a Way to Transform Yourself

"Everything in your life is there as a vehicle for your transformation. Use it!"



~Ram Dass

All the experiences we have can be a source of positive learning.  Even the people and events that challenge us or we view as "negative" have a lesson to teach us to help us move forward.  Transformation requires us to be willing to change in a big way.  It requires us to perceive things differently.  We can take the experiences we have had (even the negative ones) and use them to change our lives and those of others.  Our lives and the events we experience are the perfect vehicle to transform us into who we want to be.  The first step?  You have to be willing to believe that it is possible. 

This week: Think about some of the experiences that have been significant in your life. If you still have some negative emotions attached to those experiences, begin to think about them in a different way.  What did you learn about yourself from having gone through that experience?  What strengths did you discover?  Where has your life taken you as a result of that experience?  Although you might not have chosen that experience if given a choice about it, what good has come from it?  Now notice the experiences you have this week.  Are there ways of viewing the experience which hold the potential for transformation?  Is there a failure you've learned from?  Is there a success that could move you in a totally different direction?  Where are the opportunities in your experiences for transformation.  If possible, do some writing or journaling about it.  Allow yourself to imagine change coming from an experience in your life.  When you do this, you can begin to see the possibilities for change in everyday experiences. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and certified trainer.  She often works intensively with clients to help them move forward quickly and transform some area of their life.  "You have to be willing and ready," she says, "but you can make significant, lasting, transformative changes in as little as 4 days."  She utilizes her 30+ years of experience and cutting edge techniques to bring about change easily.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, September 20, 2010

Dare to Imagine

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."

~Albert Einstein

Everything starts with an idea, and ideas start with imagaination.  When we imagine something, we create possibility.  We ask "What if?"  That is a unique human ability.  Imagination becomes the first step to creating something new.  It is from all that "something new" that knowledge is born.  Both have their place and complement each other.  If you think "I don't know enough," think again.  Remember that knowledge is limited.  It is imagination that grows and encircles the world.  It is imagination that can make the real difference.  Dare to imagine.

This week:   Allow your imagination "out to play."  What possibilities would you like to create--if you could?  What problems would you like to be able to solve?  Create an "imagination board."  Write down your ideas, draw pictures, clip pictures out of magazines.  Allow your imagination to soar, but record it in some way.  At the end of the week, look at what has surfaced during the week.  Do you have ideas you would now like to elaborate?  Sometimes it is from exercises like this that we discover new solutions.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and trainer at the Inner Resource Center, LLC.  She believes that all people carry within themselves the resources to solve life's challenges, they just need to uncover them.  She helps her clients do this by accessing the resources housed in their imagination and subconscious mind.  A certified NLP trainer, Linda teaches clients how to utilize the ways the brain processes information and language to quickly and easily create the outcome they've been seeking.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, September 13, 2010

To Encourage Others to Be Their Best, Walk the Walk

"You get the best out of others when you get the best out of yourself."

~Harvey Firestone

One of the best ways to encourage others to be their best, is to model excellence for them. When you set a standard for excellence, then work to achieve it yourself, you can teach people by your example.  You can model how to overcome obstacles.  You can show others how to maintain motivation.  You can show them how to overcome adversity or those curve balls that life sometimes throws.  The best leaders lead by example.  If there are specific things you want others to do, make sure you are demonstrating how to do them.  We listen and learn from those who "walk the walk."

This week:  Think of some specific person you want to encourage to be their best.  It might be an employee, friend, child or parent.  How can you model "being your best" for them?  What skills do you have that you might share with them?  What can you demonstrate to them by how you are living your life?  If you want them to be their best, are you striving for that yourself.  Really look at it honestly.  Make adjustments if you need to.  This is one you may need to practice for a bit longer than one week, but the results will be well worth it!

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and trainer at the Inner Resource Center, LLC.  She specializes in helping people overcome their limitations and the ways they sabotage their success and happiness using the skills she has developed from over 30 years of experience.  For more information to become your best, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, September 6, 2010

Make Time for What Is Important

"It is time to make the time."

~Henry Dumas

How often have you said "I don't have time" or "I'll do it when I have time"?  Too often we make excuses about time.  While it is true that there is a finite number of hours in the day and often more demands on us than there is time to do them, there really IS time--for the things that are most important.  Unfortunately, we sometimes don't spend our time on the things that are most important.  We postpone those and instead busy ourselves with minor tasks or time wasters.  If something is important in your life, it is time to make the time. 

This week:  Spend 20 minutes planning your week.  Look at what the demands on your time are.  What things have you been postponing saying you "don't have enough time."  Look honestly at them and ask yourself "If I keep postponing doing this, what will be the result?  How important is this to me?"  Evaluate all of your tasks for the week this way.  Start postponing the ones that are not as important.  Even if you don't have a block of time to spend on an important task, begin to do some small step toward accomplishing it.  Notice how that feels to you.  Sometimes when we pay attention to what is really important and "make the time" for it, we rediscover a passion that had been lying dormant. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and certified trainer at the Inner Resource Center, LLC.  She specializes in helping people overcome the obstacles to their success and happiness and begin living more meaningful lives.  She is the creator of the Discover Your Life's Purpose: 7 Steps to a Life of Meaning & Authencity program as well as the Banish Self Sabotage series.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, August 30, 2010

Start Thinking About What You Really Want

"I found that when you start thinking and saying what you really want, then your mind automatically shifts and pulls you in that direction. And sometimes it can be that simple, just a little twist in vocabulary that illustrates your attitude and philosophy."

~ Jim Rohn

Too often, we tend to limit ourselves.  We think that something is impossible or that we don't deserve to have what we want.  We tell ourselves we can't.  When you allow yourself to really start thinking and saying what you WANT, you help create the circumstances to make it happen.  You change from a negative mind set to a mind set of possibility.  And just that little shift in your thinking or in how you talk about something helps set into motion creative ways to make it happen.

This week:   Challenge yourself to admit what you REALLY WANT.  Say it out loud.  Notice how it feels in your body.  When you do this, you are being congruent.  Your inside dreams and your outside actions and intentions match.  When that happens, we are more able to create solutions.  We are more likely to notice things that will move us in that direction.  Your brain is a wonderful resource for you.  When you are honest about what you want, it senses that congruence and helps create it for you.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and trainer in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). She has over 30 years experience helping people determine what they want and find the resources to achieve it quickly and easily.  She specializes in helping her clients get rid of "mental clutter"--those negative emotions stockpiled from the past and those limiting beliefs that block success and happiness.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .   




Monday, August 23, 2010

Real Decisions Require Action

"A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided."

~Anthony Robbins

Many people say they have made a decision about something; yet do nothing about it.  Real decisions require you to take some action.  The action brings that decision to life.  Deciding, then sitting and waiting keep you in the same position you were before you made that decision.  The purpose of the decision is to activate yourself in some particular direction.  If you are not ready to take action, you are not ready to make the decision.  That's OK.  It is better than pretending that you have made the decision, yet doing nothing to move forward. 

This week:  As you face decisions this week that need to be made, ask yourself as part of the decision-making process "Am I ready to take action on this once I decide?"  If not, look carefully at your reluctance.  Is it because of doubts about your decision?  Do you not have all the informatoin you need?  Challenge yourself to make a decision and take at least some small action associated with it.  That will help you move forward and actually make the decision easier to embrace.  Decisions often require us to stretch ourselves, and their may be some concern about whether we are ready to do that.  But if you take just one small action step, then another and another, you will build the momentum you need.  But you HAVE to take that first step.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people sort through decisions, pick the right one for them, and take action to move forward.  She has more than 30 years experience helping people find the inner resources necessary to overcome obstacles to their success and happiness.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .  To find out how HORSES can help in the process, go to http://www.resourceswithhoreses.com/ .

Monday, August 16, 2010

Don't Assume Your Dreams Are Impossible

"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."

~Robert H. Goddard

It is important not to assume that your dreams are impossible.  Things that we once thought were impossible are everyday events now.  The dreams you create set the stage for the solutions to them.  When you really allow yourself to dream, to imagine the "what ifs," you set in motion a process in your brain for ideas and solutions to percolate and come to the surface.  Each step brings you closer to their creation.

This week:  Allow yourself to dream a bit.  What would you like to achieve, even if you don't really think it is possible?   Imagine "What if it were possible?"  Picture it in vivid detail.  Hear what people would say about it.  Feel the feelings you would associate with having that dream come true.  Now, ask yourself:  "What one small step could I take this week, to help bring this dream into reality?"  Allow your unconscious thoughts to find solutions.  Write them down and take a small action.  You will be beginning to bring that dream into reality.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people find the resources to solve their life's challenges and to reach goals they had not thought possible.   She brings 30+ years of experience and a multitude of tools and techniques to helping people overcome obstacles to their success and happiness.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, August 9, 2010

Are You a Pessimist or an Optimist?

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

~Winston Churchill

It all has to do with your perception.  Pessimists focus on what isn't working or won't work--all the difficulties.  An optimist focuses on opportunities and doesn't allow the difficulties to block them.  Which are you?  Which focus would help you move forward in your life? 

This week:  Experiment with focusing on the opportunities in the obstacles that confront you.  It may seem artificial or contrived, but it will allow you to practice changing your focus.  Notice what the difficulties allow you to learn.  Assume, just for this week, that you can overcome any obstacle or difficulty that presents itself.  Sometimes that is enough to change the focus on the obstacle and find solutions.  Put your brain to work at solving the difficulty.  Your brain is exceptionally good at finding solutions when you get your pessimism out of the way.  At the end of the week, notice what your experience was like.  Can you build on it? 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people find their own inner resources and solutions to their life's challenges.  She has over 30 years experience helping people overcome self-sabotage and other obstacles to their success and happiness.  For more information and free articles, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .  


Monday, August 2, 2010

Don't Limit Youself; Dream Big

"We can't think narrowly. We have to think in the biggest possible way."

~ Alice Waters

When you think narrowly, you limit yourself.  You keep yourself from achieving all that is possible.  But when you dream big, you create the possibility that you can achieve things that you may not have dared believe possible. 

This week:   Spend some time looking at how you limit yourself through your own thinking.  Identify some area where you have been limiting yourself.  Once you identify this area, or the particular thoughts that are limiting you, expand your thinking.  Consider the possibility that you may be able to achieve what you thought was impossible.  You may not yet know how, but just consider that you could possibly make this dream come true.  Once you do this, you may be surprised at the ideas that come to you about how to achieve it. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome limitations and achieve dreams that had not thought possible with her solution focused approach.  She has over 30 years of experience helping people overcome "mental clutter"--those negative emotions and limiting beliefs that block success and happiness.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, July 26, 2010

Live Each Day Fully

"And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

~Abraham Lincoln

If you want your life to count, you need to live with meaning.  Don't waste your time doing unimportant things.  If you do not yet know what your life's purpose is, discovering it can change everything.  If you life according to your life's purpose, you begin to live with passion, with creativity, with intention, with meaning.  You make those years count.  You impact not only YOUR life, but the lives of those with whom you come in contact. 

This week:  Think about how you would like your life to be remembered.  What is really most important to you?  What do you feel passionate about?  What do you stand for?  What themes have played out in you life?  Is there a hint in all that about what you are meant to do, what your life's true purpose is?  To know your life's purpose, you must first know yourself, because that purpose needs to fit you.  Spend some time this week thinking about what is most important to you, what your unique gifts may be, and how you would like to make your life count.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people create lives of greater meaning.  At the Inner Resource Center, LLC, she helps people identify their inner resources so that they can maximize success and happiness, while living meaningful, authentic lives.  She has created Discover Your Life's Purpose: 7 Steps to a Life of Meaning & Authenticity, an easy to follow program for identifying your life's purpose.   For more information, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .

Monday, July 19, 2010

In Order to Change, Keep Moving

"The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving."

~Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

If you don't like the way your life is going, take steps to change it.  Most of us have some thing that we would like to change, but we have to be willing to take the steps and move in the direction we want to go.  Just sitting and wishing things would change is not going to get you there.  You have to be willing to take action.  You have to be willing to MOVE.  Sometimes all it takes is small steps in the right direction to begin to build your momentum.

This week:  Identify some change you would like to make--big or small.  What small step could you take that would BEGIN to move you in that direction?  First, state your intention to change.  Next, begin to take a small step in direction of the change.  How was that?  How do you feel having taken that first step towards changing something you have identified that it is your intention to change?  What is the next small step?  Keep your steps pretty small, and notice that it isn't as difficult as you might have first thought.  Do this all week.  At the end of the week, evaluate your progress toward a change.  While you may not have reached your outcome, you probably have moved forward.  If you keep this up, you will build greater and greater momentum.  Before you know it, you will have changed in the direction for which you were aiming.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people make changes they did not think were really possible using her solution focused approach.  At the Inner Resource Center, LLC, she helps people access their inner resources for success, happiness and greater meaning.  For more information and several free resources, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, July 12, 2010

You Become What You Think

"You become what you think about all day long and those days eventually become your lifetime."

 ~ Wayne Dyer

We attract those things we think about.  The thoughts you think are very powerful, because your brain tries to create all those things you think about--positive AND negative.  If you are constantly self-critical, or mired in self-doubt, you create that life for yourself.  If you don't like the way your life is going, the fastest way to change it is to change your thinking.

This week:  Catch yourself when you are thinking something negative about your life or yourself.  Challenge those thoughts.  Ask yourself "Is this really true?"  If it is, then ask yourself "What do I have to do to change it?"   Even though you may not be where you WANT to be in terms of success or happiness, change your thinking to reflect that you "just are not there yet."  Since you are in charge of what your life becomes, why not create the life you want rather than the life you don't want?

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people reach goals they had not thought possible.  At the Inner Resource Center, LLC she helps people identify their inner resources and build on them for greater meaning, happiness and success.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, July 5, 2010

You Are In Charge of Time

"Time flies. It’s up to you to be the navigator."

 ~Robert Orben

It doesn't matter if you are "ready or not" time moves forward.  It is up to each of us to decide how we want to spend that time.  We are in charge of it.  We get to decide what is important or not important, what we need to attend to and how we spend our time.  Too many people think they are the "victim" of time that is outside of their control.  For them, time is like a runaway airplane, taking them places they don't want to go--or crashing into the barren desert.  In reality, though, we each control our own time.  Seize control and go where YOU want to go with your time.

This week:  Begin to notice how you are spending your time.  Notice in particular when you feel that you are not controlling your time.  When you catch yourself feeling out of control, ask yourself:  Is this an important way to be spending my time?  If not, figure out how you gave away the controls.  Reclaim them by saying "no" or refocusing your attention on things that matter.  Notice if it feels better to be doing what matters most.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and trainer at Inner Resource Center, LLC.  She is an expert at helping people figure out what matters most and create lives of greater meaning.  She is the creator of the Discover Your Life's Purpose program--7 steps to a life of meaning and authenticity.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .






Monday, June 28, 2010

Leave Your Past Behind

"Never let yesterday use up too much of today."

~Will Rogers

Too many people live in the past.  We let our past experiences and the emotions that accompany those experiences stockpile.  We carry them with us, long after they have outlived their usefulness.  I call these stockpiled emotions and the limiting beliefs that sometimes accompany them "emotional clutter."  And, like physical clutter, it gets in the way.  It keeps us from seeing the resources we have in front of us because they are buried in all that past baggage.  When you let go of the past, you let go of the ways that it saps your energy and keeps your from success and happiness.  You finally have the freedom to live in the present, and create today for your future. 

This week:  Think about which events in your past keep you stuck in the past.  Were those experiences pleasant or unpleasant?  Unfortunately, usually the ones we hang on to are unpleasant.  If you are hanging on to these because you think that you need to remember them and think about them to remember some important lesson, guess what?  That is a myth.  The emotions from an event are totally separate from the learning contained in that event.  Plus, when you hang on to negative emotions, you guarantee that you will be stuck in the past where they originated.  Ask yourself, "What do I need to learn from that event in order to move on?"  If you need some help letting go, find someone who can help you.  When you let go of that "emotional clutter," you'll be able to move forward and begin to ENJOY your life!

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people let go of their "emotional clutter" from past negative experiences.  She has written a self-help book: Get Rid of Emotional Clutter: How Negative Emotions and Limiting Beliefs Block Your Dreams and What You Can Do About It.  The book and free articles are available at http://www.emotionalclutter.com/ and at http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, June 21, 2010

Stretch Yourself by Aiming High With Your Goals

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark."

~Michelangelo

If you are afraid of failing, you may end up not even setting a goal that will stretch you.  But in doing so, you deprive yourself and others of all that you might be able to accomplish.  Michelangelo is a great example.  Had he not aimed high, we might have been deprived of his architecture, artwork, sculpture, poetry and understanding of human anatomy.  The Sistine Chapel might be painted "ceiling white".  When we stop ourselves from stretching to be the best we can be, we fall short or all that we are capable of achieving.  Aim high with your goals.  Stretch yourself to be the best. 

This week:  Take a look at what you would like to be able to accomplish.  Do you stop yourself from trying because you think it is "too big" or "too difficult?"  Do you let your self-doubt stop you?  If so, set a goal this week that will really stretch you to be your best.  Take at least one action to begin moving toward that goal.  If you don't succeed at achieving it, so what?  Think about what you can learn in the process.  Think about how stretching yourself with this goal will serve you with future goals. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people achieve goals that they had not thought possible.  She helps clients overcome self sabotage and self doubt so that they can find within themselves the resources to achieve at the highest levels.  For more information and free resources, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, June 14, 2010

We Can Learn from Difficult Experiences

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that?  We must have perseverance."

~Marie Curie

Sometimes it is the perserverence in the face of those challenges that brings us the greatest rewards.  No great inventor or researcher "discovered" their solution in their first attempt.  Many had to work at it over and over and over again.  Those difficult challenges in our work or our life can help us discover what is most important.  They teach us about our character, and best of all, they teach us that we can survive and we can succeed in spite of how difficult life may be.

This week:  Think about difficult things you have had to overcome in your lifetime so far.  What have you learned from them?  What did you learn about yourself?  Although you may never have wanted to have those experiences, how have they shaped you?  What positive gifts did they give you?  The knowledge that you could survive?  A belief in yourself?  An inner strength?  An appreciation for what others have to endure as well? Write down what you uncover.  How do they serve you in your life now?  What role did perseverance play for you?  Can you apply those things you have uncovered in other areas of your life?

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome negative experiences from the past.  She helps clients uncover the positive learning from those experiences so that they can utilize these resources as them move on.  She has over 30 years of experience, and her business, Inner Resource Center, LLC, helps people find the resources to transform their lives.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, June 7, 2010

Make Your Life Count

"What we do in life echoes in eternity."

~Maximus Decimus Meridius

The actions that we take and our intentions all leave a legacy.  In order to make your life count, pay attention to what you do, say and the impact you have on others.  Most of us would like to leave a positive legacy.  To do that, I think it is important to live with intention, congruent with your life's true purpose.  Don't know what that is?  Take time to consider how you want to be remembered and what is most important to you.  How do you want your life to "echo in eternity?"

This week:  Ask yourself:  How do I want to be remembered?  What is the legacy I want to leave behind?  What important message was I put on this earth to deliver?  What special gifts do I have to share?  How would I like to make a difference?  Write down the answers.  This may give you some clues about what your life's purpose is and what legacy you could leave.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people discover their life's purpose and create more meaningful lives. Her business, Inner Resource Center, LLC helps people find the resources to transform their lives.  For more information, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com.  Look for information about her audio CD and workbook program:  Discover Your Life's Purpose: 7 Steps to a Life of Meaning & Authenticity.  Check the "Products" page for more information about how to order.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Invest More to Get More

"I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often."

~ Brian Tracy

In order have more luck, you need to be willing to invest yourself.  You need to believe in yourself and the outcome you are seeking.  When you are willing to give your all, you will notice more and more opportunities.  You will notice that your passion for your outcome carries your forward and creates its own "luck."

This week:  What area of your life would you like more "luck" in?  Now look at how invested you really are in that area.  Are you taking chances?  Are you active?  Are you showing up fully and passionately?  Are you really invested in getting your results?  If not, take some steps in increase your investment and passion about this area and what you want to see happen.  Believe it.  Now notice what opportunities show up for you.  Althugh you may not take them all, you will begin to notice that the opportunities become more abundant. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome obstacles and achieve goals they had not thought possible with her solution focused methods. She specializes in helping people overcome self sabotage--those often unconscious ways in which we block ourselves from success and happiness.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, May 24, 2010

Don't Fear Time--Use It

"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use."

~Earl Nightingale

Many people avoid starting something because they think it will take too much time.  They think they don't have enough time,so they end up wasting the time they do have.   The time will pass anyway, whether we are doing something that brings us closer to our goals or not.  When we avoid doing things because we think we don't have enough time, we are sabotaging ourselves and letting this excuse stop us from living fully. 

This week: Identify something you have been procrastinating about because you think you don't have "enough time."  Decide how much time you DO have--whether it is 5 minutes, 20 minutes, 1 hour or 3 hours.  Invest that time in the task you have been avoiding.  At the end of the time, evaluate. Have you accomplished more of the task than you would have if you had done nothing?  Are you further along toward completion than you were?  Of course.  Use little bits of time and build momentum toward achieving that goal.  It may take you awhile to complete it, but you will be further along each time you use your time for that task.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people achieve goals, overcome obstacles and discover how to live a meaning life.  She specializes in helping people overcome self sabotage--those things we do unconsciously to block our success and happiness.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, May 17, 2010

Enjoy the Dance

"When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way."

~Wayne Dyer

Although I am a big believer in setting goals to move you forward in your life, life isn't only about achieving and getting to some destination.  As we move toward our goals in life, it is just as important to take breaks and enjoy our lives.  It isn't just the destination; we also need to enjoy the dance. When you do that you are most likely living in a balanced way that makes life both exciting and fulfilling. 

This week:  Build some time to enjoy yourself into your schedule.  Take some time off from your goals to do something you really enjoy.  Take some time for yourself.  Take some time to be with others.  Notice how much more energy you have when you return to work on your goals.  Do this often for one week and notice the difference.  Next, see if you can build some enjoyment into the steps toward reaching your goals.  If nothing else, build "dance time" in a reward for actions you take toward your goal.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people change things that are not working in their lives and begin to build a life that is more meaningful and authentic.  Whether it is starting a new business, changing careers or getting rid of self sabotage, Linda specializes in helping people move beyond their limitations.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, May 10, 2010

Your Passion Gives a Gift to Others

"As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."

 ~Marianne Williamson

When we live passionately and enthusiastically, we attract others to us.  Whether they share our particular passion or not, they can see by our example how energized our life is by something of meaning.  Without saying a word, we give them a glimpse of what they could experience and what their life could be like.   That is a powerful gift. It gives them permission to explore their own passion and begin to live it.  And isn't that what life is about--living fully and meaningfully?

This week:  Think about something about which you feel passionately.  Begin to talk passionately about it with others.  Let your feelings show through.  Let people see the meaning it has to you.  Allow yourself to dream about pursuing this passion even more.  Dream about the possibilities it might have for you.  Share your dreams with others.  Notice the effect your sharing has on others.  Does it bring out their passion?  (Even if they don't agree with you, they may begin to respond more passionately themselves).

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and creator of several programs to help people create greater meaning in their lives, including her self help audio/workbook program: Discover Your Life's Purpose: 7 Steps to a Life of Meaning & Authenticity.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ . 

Monday, May 3, 2010

Before You Start, Envision Your End Result

"We may be very busy, we may be very efficient, but we will also be truly effective only when we begin with the end in mind."

~Stephen Covey

Knowing where you are going, having a vision of your desired outcome, starting with the end in mind is key to really being effective at achieving your goals.   Without knowing where we are going, we tend to waste our resources of time, energy and money.  We meander around trying to figure out what we want.  We start and stop, going down blind alleys, focusing on things that are irrelevant to our end result.  Taking the time to envision your end result will ultimately save you time and energy, and allow you to pursue your goals most effectively. 

This week:  Identify some area of your life that is not working the way you would like it to.  Take time to think about how you would like things to be instead.  Be very specific.  How will you know you are successful at changing it?   What will that end result look like, sound like, and feel like?  Really envision your end result.  Now ask yourself, "What is the first step I need to take in order to get there?"  Take that first step.  What is the next step?  Keep moving toward that goal until you get that end result you had envisioned.  Notice how much more quickly you made progress toward that outcome by being clear about where you wanted to end up.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach, author and expert in helping people achieve their goals.  She specializes in helping people get rid of self sabotage--those things we often do unconsciously that block our success and happiness.  For more information about her services, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, April 26, 2010

Utilize the Power of Your Thoughts

"If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought."

~Peace Pilgrim

We have the power to create fear, disappointment and to limit ourselves through our own thoughts.  We also have the power to empower ourselves with our thoughts and beliefs.  When you focus on what is possible, rather than what is impossible, you open avenues for yourself as well as others.  We create our own reality by our own thoughts.  We limit ourselves with negative thoughts, and create opportunities with our positive thoughts. 

This week:  Pay attention to your thoughts.  Which ones limit you?  Which ones empower you?  Challenge your negative thoughts by asking yourself  "Is this really true?"  Watch what you say to yourself, because your whole body is eavesdropping and believes what you say.  Pay attention to which thoughts are most helpful to you.  Don't lie to yourself, but don't assume that things are impossible, just because you haven't done them YET. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people get rid of "mental clutter"--those negative emotions from past experiences and limiting beliefs that block your success and happiness.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ or to http://www.emotionalclutter.com/

Monday, April 19, 2010

Peace in Your Heart Comes from Meaning

"Fill your mind with the meaningless stimuli of a world preoccupied with meaningless things, and it will not be easy to feel peace in your heart."

~Marianne Williamson

When you spend your time and energy on things that do not have real meaning, you are swept into clutter and "noise."   When your focus is on such things, there may not be room to focus on the things that are really important.  Our lives have much that can occupy our time and energy, but things that have meaning may be less obvious.   Looking for the meaning in your activities is worth the effort.  It gives you a richness in your life that bring not only peace of mind and heart, but which can be shared with others for the betterment of the planet. 

This week:  Just for this week, take ONE DAY to focus your attention away from the noise of meaningless things, and focus you attention on something that is truly meaningful to you.  Notice how you feel at the end of the day.  Do you feel inspired?  At peace?  Energized?  Go back to your usual approach and notice how you feel at the end of that day.  Do you feel tired?  Depleted?  Bored?  Disconnected?  What one thing would you like to add to your daily life that would bring you more meaning? 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in personal and professional growth at the Inner Resource Center, LLC.  She specializes in helping people let go of "mental clutter" in their lives--those negative emotions and limiting beliefs that block their success and happiness, and helps them create lives of greater meaning.  For more information, including some free resources, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

 

Monday, April 12, 2010

What If You Were in Charge of Creating Your Experiences?

"Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose
to do with them is up to you."

~Richard Bach

When you have conflict in your life or in your relationships, look for the message about what you can learn.  Any challenge we face gives us an opportunity.  It gives us the opportunity to learn important life lessons, and to develop greater understanding and character.   The key is to move outside of the role of victim--to whom things happen TO--and move into the understanding that we create our own lives and the meaning our experiences hold for us.  When you embrace the idea that you have drawn the events to you in order to use them for a greater good, it frees you to learn from them.  By shifting your perspective you enable yourself to be empowered by your experiences, rather than being at their mercy.

This week:  Take a look at some event, person or area of your life where you have felt controlled, victimized, or at someone else's mercy.  Imagine that in a meeting long before you were born, you chose to line up these experiences so that you could learn something important.  Ask yourself what is it that you can learn from this?  Write down as many learnings as you can think of.  Now look for the learnings that are positive and enhance your life.  Have you learned about love from having it missing in your childhood?  Have you learned about the importance of tenderness from being abused?  Have you developed some gifts you now have to share with the world because of the experiences you have had in your life?  How can you use this learning for your greater good and the greater good of others. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people get rid of "mental clutter"--those negative emotions and limiting beliefs formed from past negative experiences.  She specializes in helping people uncover the positive learnings from such experiences so that they can be empowered to live with greater meaning.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, April 5, 2010

Personal Growth Can Have the Biggest Impact

"Of all the things that can have an effect on your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest. We can talk
about sales growth, profit growth, asset growth, but all of this probably will not happen without personal growth."

— Jim Rohn

I completely agree with Jim about this.  We bring ourselves to everything we do.  When we invest our energy, our ideas, our time and our money we infuse our businesses with a piece of ourselves.  Making yourself the best YOU can be helps make your business the best it can be.  Even if you are not in your own business, you help shape the business you work for or the causes you volunteer for, or the family you are raising.  Bring your best to the table.  Significant impact can come from small changes or small efforts toward your own personal growth.

This week:  Just notice the impact you bring to the things you do.  Notice the impact you and your ideas have on those around you.  Is there an area where you would like to increase your impact?  Ask yourself "What would I need to improve in myself to do that?"  Take an hour out out your week to focus on an area in which you would like to improve.  Notice the impact that has on your life, your business, your family and people with whom you come into contact.   These small changes can have a significant effect.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in personal and professional growth and development.  She specializes in helping people let go of the "mental clutter" in their lives--those negative emotions and limiting beliefs which block their success and happiness.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, March 29, 2010

Discover What Your Mind Can Do

"The greatest discovery you'll ever make, is the potential of your own mind."

~ Jose Silva

This is so true.  The longer I practice and the more I learn, the more I realize how powerful our own minds are.  Your mind can help create your wildest dreams, or can keep you stuck and miserable.  When you harness what your mind can do for you--so that it empowers you--you open a world of opportunities for yourself. 

This week:  Spend some time thinking about how your mind works FOR you.  Write down the ways that your thinking empowers you to achieve your goals.  This is what you will want to do more of.  Then, think about the ways that your thinking keeps you stuck.  What thoughts, feelings, beliefs, attitudes work to empower you?  What thoughts, feelings, beliefs and attitudes work to make you feel bad?  Write these down.  Come up with 3 ways you empower yourself through your thinking.  Now, every time you start to think those negative thoughts, replace them with the empowering thoughts.  Notice what happens.  While this may not change everything for you, it will at least make you more awareof the power of your thoughts. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome the limiting beliefs and negative emotions that keep them stuck.  She calls this "emotional clutter" and provides a process for getting rid of it, so that you can move on in your life.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/




Monday, March 22, 2010

The Rewards of Life Require the Risk of Playing the Game

"There's no reward in life without risk."


~Barry J. Farber

In order to "win" the game, you have to play.  You can't expect to sit on the sidelines, expecting to dream your outcome into being.  Yes, dreaming IS important, but you must take action.  Anytime you commit yourself to taking action, you are taking a risk.  You are putting yourself out there, declaring what you want.  You are stating your intention and you must now ante up.  Some people are afraid of the risk and allow that fear to derail them.  Even though you may not know the outcome for sure, what would you do if you knew you could not fail?  Take a chance.

This week:   Think about something you REALLY want.  Get clear about the outcome you'd like to achieve.  Be specific.  It can be something small or something big.  Now, think about what blocks you from having it?  How much of the obstacle to your success is related to fear of taking the risk?  Just think about how different your life would be if you took that risk AND were successful?  Think carefully about what the rewards are for you in achieving this outcome.  Are they big enough to overcome the fear?  If not, think about how you might make that outcome even MORE rewarding to you--not just at the end, but also along the way.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome self-sabotage.  When fear or limiting beliefs sabotage your best efforts at reaching your dreams, you need to be able to get rid of it.  Linda has a number of resources available, and is happy to talk with you about what might be best for you.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Sunday, March 14, 2010

You Control Your Own Personal Growth

"You are the only problem you will ever have and you are the only solution. Change is inevitable, personal growth is always a personal decision."


~Bob Proctor

When you begin to realize that you are both the problem AND the solution, you empower yourself to move forward.  You empower yourself to grow in the direction of YOUR choosing.  Which would you rather have in your life:  the belief that you are a victim of the capricious whims of life? Or the belief that you can create your own destiny?  The universe is unfolding as it should and change is inevitable.  How do you want it to impact you?

This week:  Begin to look at your "problems" as creations of your own.  If you can create it, you can also un-create it.  You can solve it.  Ask yourself "Why have I created this?"  "What purpose does it serve in my life?"  Listen carefully for the answer from that wise part of you within.  There is always something you think you are accomplishing by having the problem.  It may not consciously make sense to your rational mind, but it was devised by you to serve some unconscious purpose.  Next ask yourself "What do I need to do about this?"  Brainstorm solutions.  Whether your problem completely disappears or not, you will be on the road to taking charge of your own personal growth and change. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people find their own solutions to life's challenges.  A personal growth and transformation expert at Inner Resource Center, LLC, Linda has a vast toolbox of resources to help people achieve their goals, overcome obstacles and get rid of the "emotional clutter" that blocks their dreams.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Monday, March 8, 2010

Trust Yourself

"You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

~Steve Jobs
 
Each of us has a wise part of ourselves that is often outside of our awareness.  It goes by various names--subconscious, unconscious mind, gut, God--but is that part that resides in you that knows what is best for you.   You can trust it.  In fact, if you can't trust YOUR unconscious mind, whose can you trust?  The key is learning to listen.
 
This week:  Pay special attention to those gut feelings.  Notice ideas or thoughts that pop into your head without your knowing how they got there.  Ask questions and listen for the answer from within.  Experiment with making a couple of decisions that way.  For example, if you are wondering what to order in a restaurant, let your subconscious mind order for you.  If you are wondering whether or not to go to a party or networking event, pay attention to what your gut says about it.  These will give you some easy ways to "play" with the wisdom of this part without having a lot invested.  The better you get at listening, the more this wise part can guide you.
 
Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people transform their lives by letting go of limitations--what she calls "emotional clutter"--those negative emotions and limiting beliefs that block your dreams.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ to find resources to help you overcome the obstacles in your life.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Find Beliefs That Empower You

"Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy."

~Tony Robbins

Our beliefs are very powerful.  Once you form a belief--any belief--you will do almost anything to prove it right.  You will ignore evidence to the contrary, distort perceptions to make it true, or generalize from one situation to another.  It is important to recognize which beliefs empower you and which limit you.  You create your own outcome by the things you believe.  Wouldn't it be better to believe things that empower you?

This week:   Spend some time looking at your beliefs.  What do you believe about your life that empowers you?  What beliefs limit you or keep you stuck?  Write them down in two columns.  Just sit with the question: What do I believe about myself?  When you uncover beliefs that limit you, ask yourself  "What would I need to believe in order to succeed?  What would I need to believe in order to create a more satisfying life?"  Imagine for this week that you DO believe that empowering belief.  Notice what that feels like.  Is there a difference? 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome "emotional clutter" in their lives--those negative emotions and limiting beliefs we form from past negative experiences.  Find out more at http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ or http://www.emotionalclutter.com/.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Moving Toward Your Goals Despite "Failures"

"Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”

~Winston Churchill

Face it.  When you try to accomplish things, there will inevitably be "failures."  Accomplishing goals takes effort and enthusiasm to keep going when things are not going well.  That enthusiasm serves as motivation.  It allows you to take the so-called "failure" and utilize it as feedback.  When you are pursuing your goals, there may be obstacles and set-backs.  But you can count yourself successful when you keep moving forward--finding ways around those obstacles, and keeping your enthusiasm despite those set-backs. 

This week:  Think about a goal you have achieved in your life--despite the set-backs and obstacles.  Think back on the obstacles you overcame and how you did it.  What resources did you use?  What support did you need to keep going?  How can you use this information the next time you face obstacles in pursuing your goal? 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome the obstacles to their goals.  She uses her 30 plus years of experience and knowledge of solution focused techniques to support her clients in creating satisfying, meaningful, magnificent lives.  For more information about her or the services she provides, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Monday, February 15, 2010

The Importance of Making a Change

"Everything in your life gets better when you get better, and nothing is ever going to get better until you get better."

~Larry Winget

If you don't like the way your life is going, make a change.  Change the things that get in the way of your living the life you would really like to live.  As you get better, your life will get better too.  As you work to make the changes you will build momentum and the changes will come faster and easier.  Remember, life is a process.

This week:  Figure out what you would like to be "better" in your life.  Are you too stressed?  Not making enough money?  Not in satisfying relationships?  Write down what isn't working in your life right now.  Next, think about what "better" would be like.  Really picture it.  Imagine what you would see, what people would say to you, what you would say to yourself and how you would feel.  Make it vivid.  Finally, write down some things that would need to change "how things are now" into "how you would like them to be."  Look at the list and pick ONE thing you will work on to change this week.  Notice how making that change feels to you.  Keep going!

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people make changes in their lives.  With over 30 years of experience, she has a variety of tools and techniques to help people move forward quickly and easily. For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/



Monday, February 8, 2010

The Key to Health of Mind and Body Is to Live in the Present

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."

~The Buddha

If you want to live a healthy life, the key is to live in the present moment.  Too many people hang on to negative emotions and limiting beliefs from past experiences and sabotage their health and happiness.  Your experiences are there to teach you and allow you to move on.  There really is not need to hang on to your memories of negative experiences.  Those negative emotions are not necessary for the learning.  Let it go.  Those worries about the future?  They only focus you on those outcomes that you don't want to see happen.  When you focus on anticipating trouble, it doesn't help you prepare; it helps you create that outcome. Let go of the worries and preoccupation with the past and future.  Live in--and ENJOY--the present moment.

This week:   Notice when your thoughts turn to the past.  If you are preoccupied with things that have happened in the past, write them down.  These are issues you need to deal with that your unconscious mind is bringing to your attention.  Ask yourself: "What did I learn from that experience?"  Once you have identified the learning, imagine allowing the emotions you felt about that past experience to float out into outer space, like a balloon you are releasing. 

Notice when your thoughts turn to worries about the future.  Write them down.  Now focus on the outcome you would LIKE to have happen.  Think about that outcome at least 5 times during the next 12 hours.  Imagine that you have already achieved that positive outcome. Notice if the anxiety disappears when you focus on the outcome you want.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people let go of negative emotions and limiting beliefs that block their happiness and move quickly beyond those experiences.  She specializes in helping her clients let go of "emotional clutter," which is what she calls it.  For more information about her programs, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ or http://www.emotionalclutter.com/ for a download of her e-book.   

Monday, February 1, 2010

Want Success? Model Someone Who Has Achieved It

“That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.”

~Abraham Lincoln

Being successful isn't magic.  It doesn't require special talents, gifts or capabilities, although they can certainly be helpful resources.  If you want to be successful, model a successful person.  Study how they approach life.  What do they think?  How do they approach problems and challenges?   How do they hold themselves physically?  What beliefs do they have?  What emotions do they express?  How do they show their confidence.  Model that.  When you behave as successful people do, you begin to adopt valuable attitudes and approaches that will serve you well as you move toward your own success.

This week:  Identify someone you know or know of who you deem as successful.  Now, think about how they demonstrate their success.  How do they behave?  What sorts of things do they believe about themselves and about the world?  Find out as much as you can about how they do what they do.  Write it down.  If you can, ask them questions about it.  If you don't know them personally, read interviews they have done, or study their life story.  What is it that has put them on this path to success?  What things do THEY do that you could adopt?  Experiment with modelling some of their behavior, beliefs or attitudes and notice what that is like.  Modelling others' success is an easy way to get yourself moving along that path to success as well.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and trainer.  She specializes in helping people make rapid changes in their lives so that they can live happier and more successful lives.  Her business, Inner Resource Center, LLC helps connect people with the resources they need to transform their lives.  For more information about her and her programs, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .