I’ve chosen the path of personal and collective evolution rather than personal and collective extinction. I accept the breakdown/collapse/destruction that we are experiencing in every sector of society, as an inevitable, necessary component of entering the next phase or cycle of our planetary journey. The old and that which no longer serves, supports or suits us (personally and collectively) must dissolve or be released, to make room for the new.

The “new” may be unfamiliar or unknown — which for some is frightening and unsettling. Yet, because we have the capacity to consciously choose and create, we have the capacity and potential to co-create new systems and structures founded in (feminine) principles of relationship and process, coherence and cooperation, shared vision and leadership.

In the midst of turmoil and turbulence, the healthiest strategy may be to “Be Still and Be Silent.” You might be saying, “How can I do that? I can’t just sit here; saying nothing and doing nothing?” Yet I ask, “What are you saying or doing that is helpful/positive/effective for your

These are the best and worst of times, depending on your perspective and the experiences you create, as a result of your perspective.

I’ve chosen the path of personal and collective evolution rather than personal and collective extinction. I accept the breakdown/collapse/destruction that we are experiencing in every sector of society, as an inevitable, necessary component of entering the next phase or cycle of our planetary journey. The old and that which no longer serves, supports or suits us (personally and collectively) must dissolve or be released, to make room for the new.

The “new” may be unfamiliar or unknown — which for some is frightening and unsettling.  Yet, because we have the capacity to consciously choose and create, we have the capacity and potential to co-create new systems and structures founded in (feminine) principles of relationship and process, coherence and cooperation, shared vision and leadership.

In the midst of turmoil and turbulence, the healthiest strategy may be to “Be Still and Be Silent.”  You might be saying, “How can I do that? I can’t just sit here; saying nothing and doing nothing?”  Yet I ask, “What are you saying or doing that is helpful/positive/effective for yourself and those you love during these times of intense change?”  Maybe you know something that could benefit the rest of us.

In the meantime, rather than allow the stress of these times to dominate or debilitate you, take dominion and empower yourself to respond in a conscious, creative and compassionate manner, from a place of calm inner peace.

Meditate, contemplate and explore your own feelings and thoughts about our evolution, framing it in the tangible realm of you and your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc.  Break it down to the size and scope you can get a handle on, and please share your observations and insights.

self and those you love during these times of intense change?” Maybe you know something that could benefit the rest of us.
In the meantime, rather than allow the stress of these times to dominate or debilitate you, take dominion and empower yourself to respond in a conscious, creative and compassionate manner, from a place of calm inner peace.
Meditate, contemplate and explore your own feelings and thoughts about our evolution, framing it in the tangible realm of you and your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc. Break it down to the size and scope you can get a handle on, and please share your observations and insights.

Although we can’t change conditions or circumstances, we can change our attitudes toward them. We can also use proven stress-relief strategies and self-care practices to manage stress more effectively.

Here are a few tips:

1. Learn to notice your stress signals and become aware of your own reactions to stress
2. Learn to say “no” graciously and more often to create healthy boundaries for yourself
3. Avoid reading, watching or listening to the news
4. Tend to your priorities and avoid procrastination that can lead to overwhelm
5. Eat healthy meals daily. Eat fresh, organic, live foods and eliminate processed foods
6. Exercise consistently; walking, swimming, bicycling, dancing, tennis, hatha yoga, tai chi
7. Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation or progressive muscle relaxation

You can learn additional ways to minimize & manage stress and create more serenity, balance and harmony in your life for optimal bodymindspirit health at home and the workplace through programs and services of The Wright Resort.

March 8 is significant to me for two reasons.  It’s my son Edward’s birthday.

Secondly, it is International Women’s Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day.  Started as a Socialist political event in the early 1900’s, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily in Eastern Europe.

In 1911, International Women’s Day (IWD) was honored for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic ‘Triangle Fire’ in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labor legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women’s Day events.

In the West, International Women’s Day was first observed as a popular event after 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. The United States also designates the entire month of March as ‘Women’s History Month’.

Annually on 8 March, a range of diverse events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. Local activities connect women globally in solidarity with activities ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women’s craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.

• Who are the women who inspire and uplift you?
• Do you have a heroine or woman role model that you seek to emulate?
• How will you celebrate IWD and who will you recognize and celebrate?
• In what ways are you making history?

The UN theme for International Women’s Day 2012 is Empower Women – End Hunger and Poverty.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women’s_Day; http://www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp

The impacts of this transition from one planetary cycle to the next amplifies the need to release the old, along with all that doesn’t serve or support who we’re becoming.  The transition magnifies greed, corruption and other acts of desperation borne of fear, a fear that is debilitating, alienation and totally toxic.  Unfortunately some of us are addicted, fed by the media machine and rampant materialism that foments more fear.

Given this scenario:

• What are the alternatives?
• Who are we do be or become?
• What are we to do?

I firmly believe that we are called to move beyond the comfort and discomfort of the familiar.  We are called to be risk-takers and change agents; pioneers willing to engage in the inner healing and transformation that precedes our work in the world.  This inner work may take the form of meditation, prayer, journaling, visioning and other spiritual practices.

With such spiritual practices, we can begin to imagine and intuit the kind of world we want to co-create for ourselves, and more importantly for and with our children and grandchildren.

From the clarity and grounding of spiritual practices, we are called to risk co-creating the new.  New in how we relate to one another from the heart; new in how we educate our children and empower our youth; new in how we exchange goods and services; new in how we engage ourselves within community and new in how we re-create systems of governance and commerce based on equity and justice.

This may sound or feel overwhelming, but within a community of like-hearted and like-minded people committed to a shared vision of opportunity and possibility, we can and will evolve through these times as human beings into our true nature as divine beings.

I look forward to sharing more resources and tools to thrive through these times…and invite you to share your own….

However she persists, determined to get help to pull the train up the hill.  Eventually she sees a small steam engine, just like herself.  She approaches and asks, “Will you help me over the hill with my train of cars? It is so long and heavy I can’t get it over.”  The small steam engine agrees to help and together they return to where the train is standing. They hitch themselves to it and slowly begin climbing the hill together, singing: I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can….until they reach the top and come down the other side.

The first steam engine thanks her helper and continues pulling the train herself.  The helper engine joyfully goes along her way, singing: I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could….

There are numerous life lessons within this delightful story.

1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
2. Don’t accept no for an answer.
3. Maintain a positive outlook and frame of mind
4. Be determined, tenacious and steadfast
5. Keep your focus on the goal, your eye on the prize

and more….

• How can you relate this story to a current challenge in your life?
• Are you involved in a task or project for which you are seeking help or ought to be?
• Faced with delays, distractions and even rejections, do you feel like giving up or quitting?
• Are you inspired to move forward with faith and assurance that the goal is important enough to pursue, no matter what?

I invite you to step into the tracks of the little steam engine and sing: I know I can, I know I can, I know I can, I know I can……

The New Year is quickly underway.

• What goals and intentions have you established?
• Did you write down what you aim to accomplish?
• Have you included action steps with a timetable of milestones to track and celebrate progress?

Monday, Jan 23 is the Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year Day, signaling another time of beginning anew. (However, the first day of the 2012 Chinese Astrology Year is on February 4, 2012.)
Therefore if you have yet to clarify your intentions and priorities, or you’ve already forgotten what you claimed for yourself, take advantage of the New Moon and auspiciousness of the Chinese New Year to get serious and get started!

Intentions and Goals

An intention is an act of determining an action or result; the end or purpose intended, as well as a purpose or attitude toward the effect of one’s actions.

A goal or objective is a desired result a person envisions, plans and commits to achieve.

Creating S.M.A.R.T. goals is key:

Specific – answers the who, what, were, when, which, and why
Measurable – criteria to stay on track, how much? How many? How will I accomplish it?
Attainable – developing the attitudes, abilities, skills and capacities to reach your goal(s)
Realistic – belief with willingness and motivation; identifying necessary conditions to achieve goal
Timely – anchoring the goal to a timeframe sets your unconscious mind into motion to work on the goal.
‘T’ can also stand for tangible, something you can experience with your senses

Claiming, Writing Down and Taking Action is part of the process. It also takes faith, patience, tenacity, steadfastness and flexibility to remain focused, energized and motivated to stay on track. Despite distractions and detours, setbacks or perceived obstacles, it also takes courage, the willingness to be uncomfortable or anxious – it only means that you’re moving beyond your comfort zone to create something more beautiful, empowering and fruitful for yourself, and those you serve.

It’s rare to achieve your goals and intentions without the support, encouragement or mentoring of others. Begin by making an investment in yourself. Create the time and space to get started now!

If you’d like support to make 2012 your best year ever, let’s schedule a complimentary Seeding Success Strategy Session to get you launched! Go to: http://www.thewrightresort.com/offerings

1. Eat Well. Healthy choices, lots of variety, the right supplements and moderation are key. Your hands are a good guide to maximum meal portions.  Two open hands of fruit and vegetables, one closed fist of carbohydrates, one palm of proteins and the tip of your thumb for fats.  That is enough.
2. Keep Active. Keep moving every day to maintain a healthy body weight and keep your body functioning well.  Be physically active as if the quality of your life depends on it, because it absolutely does.  Just making a small change can make a big difference.
3. Be Rested.  Support your body in getting the restorative rest it needs by going to bed and rising at the same time each day.  No electronics in the bedroom to disturb sleep.  Melatonin, the main hormone for balancing sleep, needs undisturbed darkness.  If tired, take an early afternoon nap.  It’s a humane and healthy practice.
4. Stress Less.  Do what you love whenever you can and laugh at every opportunity to balance the stressful times.  Ask for help.  Say NO to doing more than you can.  Be gentle, rather than too hard on yourself.  Know that ‘this too shall pass’. There is always tomorrow.
5. Stay out of the Sun. A little sun, about 5 to 30 minutes a week, is beneficial to soak in much needed Vitamin D, but anything beyond that increases the risks of eye problems and skin cancer, and ages the skin.  Wear sun glasses all year long to protect eyes.
6. If you smoke – STOP. The day you stop smoking is the day your body begins to cleanse itself of tobacco toxins. Your risk of heart attack begins to decrease within days of stopping.
7. Wash your Hands. Plain old soap and water rubbed all over the hands for 15 seconds thoroughly and often is the best way to ward off infections by common bacteria and viruses. If you do get sick, stay home, rest and drink plenty of fluids.
8. Drink less Alcohol. Alcohol is high in empty calories, disturbs restorative sleep, clouds judgment, ruins relationships, and adds stress to the body’s organs.  A glass of red wine with a meal now and then has some health benefits, but drinking beyond that is risking your health unnecessarily.
9. Drink more Water. A good guide to how much is right for you is to divide your body weight in two to identify the number of ounces of water you need each day.  For example, a weight of 160 pounds is 80 ounces which is 10 cups a day.

10. Be Connected. We all need a network of friends or family for the sense of belonging and connectedness that nourishes our mental and physical health.  Be in touch with them often.  Diminish time spent with negative people.

11. See your Healthcare Practitioners.  Who is on your team of healthcare practitioners? Visit them regularly, talk with them about your health concerns, and follow their advice to keep healthy and deal with any emerging problems. Always get a second opinion for serious issues.

12. Be your own Best Friend. Start by listening to your body. Take the tests your health practitioners recommend.  Take good care of yourself.

Excerpted and Adapted from Wellness Way, Inc.  It is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional advice.

Consider these 5 Tips to step into the best you:

1. Believe in yourself and your gift.  Up-level your thinking about your gift as a hobby or sideline to upfront and center.
2. Be willing to take risks, think outside the box and be outrageously committed.
3. Identify allies and affiliates, as well as an enthusiastic honest cheerleader, who will support you to maintain your integrity and authenticity.
4. Hire, mentor with and learn from business and marketing experts, particularly those that are more heart-based conscious and value service and contribution.
5. Get in touch with your feelings, thoughts and attitudes about money.  Get support to cultivate a loving, empowering and positive relationship with money, so that you attract clients, customers and money for your services and products.

• Are there other ways that you can build more confidence, focus, momentum and magnetism as you prepare for 2012?
  
• How are you taking a stand for yourself and your future?
  
• In what ways are you creating more prosperous and fulfilling results for yourself personally and professionally?

Please use the space below to share your thoughts and reflections…