Brenda Rosaaen C.E.C. ~Personal Development Coach~

Personal Development - Gratitude

*Watching the sunrise while drinking a hot cup of coffee

*The sound of a baby’s laughter

*The smell of leather

*Crisp mountain air

*The peace and tranquility of being out in nature

*The smell of coffee brewing

*The incredible colors of an evening sunset…..

These are just a few things that I love.

This is a great little exercise to do when you are feeling in a funk, maybe out of focus and just have a minor case of the blahs.

A lot of people talk about having a gratitude journal. Where you list at the end of the day all the things you were thankful for that happened that day. It’s a great way to keep things in perspective and really appreciate all that is in your life.

This list is different.

You don’t have to wait till the end of the day. You can stop what you are doing right now. It doesn’t take but just a few minutes,(seconds actually) and think about things that you LOVE. There are probably hundreds of things you can list that you LIKE. Don’t list those items. Your list should give you a feeling, that when you read the words, it’s as if you are there and your senses are activated.

Take a deep breath, relax. What are the first things that come to mind when you think of things you love? That instantly puts a smile on your face and gives you a feeling of peace?

Notice how your mood begins to change when you take a minute or two, to focus on each one?

This is a great way to take a mini-mental vacation when you need to re-focus and re-group. Why not write them down, post your list someplace you see on a regular basis as a daily reminder when you start to feel frazzled or in a slump.

Make it a great day!

~Brenda

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What's your footprint?

What's your Carbon Footprint? That question has been surfacing more and more. According to Wikipedia, it is "measure of the impact that human activities have on the environment ..."

What I'm wondering is, What is your Emotional/Personal Footprint? I really don't know what I want to call it. However, there is no doubt that we always leave some sort of impression behind when we interact with others.

A Facebook friend shared a great story with me,that I'd like to share with you as well. In her own words...

"Many years ago when my daughter and I were driving from Denver to Seattle, in the wee hours of the morning, I stopped for fuel in Billings. Met a very kind person behind the counter. Very brief pit stop and back on the road.
A couple weeks later I received roses with the note;"... it was a blessing ...to meet you and your daughter, I wish you well always".
That is the opinion I have of MT as a whole. I was touched by the warmth and kindness of this stranger without expecting anything in return."

This story just goes to show we never really know the impact we have on others. She apparently made a positive impression on the person behind the counter. Not thinking a thing about it, just a stranger traveling along.

What a wonderful feeling that must have been to receive the unexpected note and flowers weeks later! Do you think that clerk behind the counter has any idea of the impression he has now made on her?

The good news is, we have a choice daily how we want to show up in the world and what kind of footprint we leave behind.

And on the flip side, when was the last time you told someone about the affect they have made on your own life? Chances are they might not have any idea. Not only will it make them feel good to hear it, you'll probably feel pretty good about it as well.

;) Brenda

 

P.S. Thank you, my new Facebook friend for allowing me to share your story!

 

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Make it a GREAT day!

What would have to happen today, to make it a GREAT day?

Think about it.

This is a fun question to ask school age children. I used to ask mine this when they were in elementary school and we would be waiting for the bus in the morning. At first the answers would be pretty typical: Recess all day. No homework. Then they would really start thinking about it: Sitting with someone on the bus. Sharing something with a friend.

The great part about this was that no matter what mood they started out in, in just a few minutes it gave them a  positive outlook towards the day ahead that was waiting for them!

So give it a try yourself. Go ahead. Right now. Ask yourself, "What would have to happen today, to make it a GREAT day?"  Before you answer... here's the rule: A million dollars, a new car/house, the perfect mate, answers like that are not allowed.

Be realistic, maybe it could be something as simple as the perfect cup of coffee, McDonald's french fries, or enjoying a breathtaking sunrise/sunset. You can expand further, think of your work day and goals you may want to accomplish. Maybe you have health and fitness goals.The list is endless.

Do this in the morning when you wake up. Think of all the wonderful things that can happen throughout your day. It's a great way to set the tone for the day ahead.

Here's to a GREAT day!

~Brenda

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Law of Attraction Tool

Dream board, vision board, whatever you choose to call it, it can be a great tool for helping to put the Law of Attraction into action.

A vision board can be as simple or as extravagant as you choose.  There are all sorts of places online, interactive sites where you can create your own, print it off.  Other places you can download programs or even order dream books with step by step instructions for each page.

The basic idea is that your vision board reflect the things that you want in your life.  Look at all the different areas of life - relationships, family, career, social, health & wellness, fun & enjoyment, personal development and even material things. Visualize each area. Is there a picture that comes to mind? 

Find a picture that represents that, in a magazine, a photograph, you can even check out Google Images.  Maybe it's a word that represents what you want.

Just like with the Law of Attraction, when it's detailed, personalized and has feeling attached the more impact it seems to have.  Place your vision board in a location you see everyday as a reminder.  If you're starting small, maybe on your fridge.

I started my vision board 5 years ago - with just a few items on it. It's grown over time and is now 2 pieces of poster board, with images and words.   For example: Change, Laughter, Leadership, Profiting From Fun, and The Day Has Arrived.... are just a few of the words I have.  I also have pictures of my dream house, a pile of money and vehicles for my husband and myself.

Mine is on my office wall, as I look at it I see all the things that have come to pass, sometimes I'm amazed by it.  I see a sofa that looks amazingly similar to the one now sitting in my living room, a 4 wheeler that I didn't think we would ever have, and a car that is the exact color make and model of the one now sitting in my driveway! 

By the way, when I actually bought that car, I went to the dealership with a completely different car in mind - or so I thought.  It was the next day when I looked at my board and made the connection. The lesson there?  Be careful what you wish for! 

If you haven't started one yet, why not give it a try?  It could be fun :)

~Brenda

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Law of Attraction-does it work?

The Law of Attraction. What exactly is it?

According to Wikipedia : "Law of Attraction takes the principal "Like Attracts Like" and applies it to conscious desire. That is, a person's thoughts (conscious and unconscious), emotions, and beliefs cause a change in the physical world that attracts positive or negative experiences that correspond to the aforementioned thoughts, with or without the person taking action to attain such experiences. This process has been described as "harmonious vibrations of the law of attraction",or "you get what you think about; your thoughts determine your experience".

Even with the success of The Secret, I am still amazed that there are people out there that have not heard of it, or they are unaware of how it works.

I'd like to share a story with you about my friend of mine, I'll call her Karen. She was having some challenges awhile back, going through a messy divorce.  Anyone who has been through that knows how mentally and emotionally draining that can be.   It's not the type of thing where your friends can tell you to cheer up and everything will work out.

Doing what most friends do, I listened. As I listened I heard various statements of defeat time and again.  I so wanted to stop her and explain the Law of Attraction. Couldn't she see that she was actually attracting more of the very thing she didn't want to happen? Of course not. I also knew in the state she was in, telling her about it over the phone would just be empty words.  She wasn't ready to hear it.

Think about it?  When you first heard of it, didn't it seem a little "out there"?  Instead I sent her a copy of The Secret. That did it!  At first she just read little bits at a time, but it started making sense.  She was able to look back at her divorce and make connections with what she was reading.   

Then one day Karen decided to actually try it out. As she was driving one morning she envisioned (with feeling) that she would find a quarter on the ground (most people find pennies, she wanted to be unusual in her request), face up near her car. Once she had the image solid in her mind she let it go.

That evening when picking up her child from daycare as she was walking through the grass towards her car, her phone rang. When she looked down to answer it, something in the grass caught her eye. It was a quarter laying face up! No Joke! Now this was a plastic toy quarter, but it was still a quarter face up,on the ground, near her car, which was exactly the request she put out to the universe.

It was so fun and exciting getting the call from her and hearing that story.  Then in her typical style she said, "If I knew it worked like that I would've asked for real money and more of it!".

Keep in mind I am not saying by applying the Law of Attraction you can get tons of cash, if it worked that way, everyone would be doing it.  There are guidelines that need to be in place as well. I'll post more about that at a later time.

~Brenda ;)

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