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/

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.   

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/ .  

Facing Challenges Requires Character

"The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges."

~Martin Luther King Jr.

We all face adversity at some time or another.  We all have challenges in our lives.  Our lives don't always run smoothly.  When we face challenges and controversy bravely, meeting it head on, it tells others about our character.  It is easy to face life when things are going smoothly.  But to take on the challenge takes courage.  When we face life with courage, we have the capability to achieve our dreams.  To do that, however, requires that you believe in yourself and your convictions. 

This week:  Do some thinking about how you handle challenges.  Do you face them head-on?  Do you try to avoid them?  Do you sacrifice your convictions in order to placate others?  Think about how you have faced up to the challenges your life so far.  If you don't like what you see, make a commitment to change it.  Examine your beliefs.  What do you believe in SO PASSIONATELY that you would stand up for it even if others didn't agree?  This week experiment with expressing that belief in a few settings.  Notice what happens. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people face adversity and challenge.  She coaches them in finding the positive learning from negative experiences so that they can move on in their lives.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Unleash the Power of Your Thoughts

"Man's greatness lies in his power of thought."

 ~ Blaise Pascal

It is true.  Humans can think, dream, and create through their thought processes.  Anything we can think of, we can achieve.  Our brains are designed to help us manifest what we think about.  When you harness the power of thought, there really is nothing you cannot do.

This week:  Do some dreaming.  Think about what you would like to accomplish this year.  Think about what you would like to create if you knew you could not fail.  Spend some time just thinking about your life and how you would like it to be.  What changes would you make if you could?  Imagine that those changes have ALREADY been made.  How is your life different?  Allow the power of thought to begin to make those changes for you.  Just notice what your brain and your thoughts are creating.  It may not happen overnight (although it MAY), but you may find yourself making gradual changes because you had those thoughts.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people design the lives of their choice.  She has several programs to help people reach their goals, banish self-sabotage, and find their life's purpose so that they can live more meaningfully.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .

Your Thoughts Are the Key to Reaching Your Dreams

"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Thoughts are things! And powerful things at that, when mixed with definiteness of purpose, and burning desire, can be translated into riches."

~Napoleon Hill

When you set a goal or state your intention, you set in motion a powerful process.  Our minds--our brains, actually--can turn what we think about into reality.  Quantum physics has shown that thoughts can change the properties of matter.  That is a powerful force.  But to use it effectively, your thoughts and ideas must be combined with a strong motivation to turn them into reality.  Goals can do that for you, if you set goals that are compelling and emotionally powerful for you.  Your brain can create your blueprint for achieving them, and hurry to attract the resources necessary to "make it so." 

This week:  Think about one main goal you would like to achieve this year.  Make it something you feel strongly about.  Make sure it is powerful and emotionally compelling.  Write it down.  Think about it in your spare moments.  Let your brain create a plan for achieving it.  Ask yourself : "What would I need to do next to reach this goal?"  Let your brain supply the answer.  Let your motivation to achieve that goal carry you forward.  You are on your way!

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people achieve goals they had not thought possible using her solution focused approach.  For more information about HOW she does that, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .  You will find additional resources and programs designed to help you achieve YOUR goals.

Live in the Present Moment

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."

~Mother Teresa

As we start a New Year, it is important to recognize that yesterday--the past--is gone.  We can learn from it, but we shouldn't stay stuck in the past.  That doesn't serve us.  Nor does it serve us to be so oriented towards that future that we forget to pay attention to today.  As you begin a New Year, why not focus on each day.  Why not live each day fully and in the moment?  When you do, it changes how you perceive 2010 and what each day brings.

This week:  Just for this week, focus your attention on TODAY.  Let go of the ghosts from the past.  Move on.  Savor each experience you have this week.  At the end of each day, notice by reviewing the experiences of the day and savoring the challenges and the triumphs both.  Each have something to teach you.  When you live TODAY, you can learn from each experience.  That is a gift to carry forward.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach, trainer and expert in helping people let go of "emotional clutter"--those negative emotions and limiting beliefs based on past negative experiences.  To get more information about how to get unstuck from the past, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com