• Quick Note
• Opportunities
• Featured Article
• Going Deeper
• About Becky

TIPs is published on the first Wednesday of each month. Please add becky@yoursouljourneycoaching
to your email address book so you are sure to receive her messages

"If you don't quit, and don't cheat, and don't run home when trouble arrives, you can only win."

- Shelley Long

"He who fears something gives it power over him."

- Moorish Proverb

"For better or worse, our future will be determined in large part by our dreams and by the struggle to make them real."

- Unknown

"Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be."

- Karen Ravn

"Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory."

- Arthur Ashe, (1943-1993) American social Activist
and Tennis Player

"Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world."

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

"Lots of people limit their possibilities by giving up easily. Never tell yourself this is too much for me. It's no use. I can't go on. If you do you're licked, and by your own thinking too. Keep believing and keep on keeping on."

- Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993)

www.YourSoulMusic.com ~ www.YourSoulJourneyCoaching.com

"You can do anything you put your mind to."

"Where there's a will, there's a way."

- Harold Waters (1928-2008) These are two of my Dad's favorite sayings

QUICK NOTE

Happy Spring! .... well almost :) It's been snowing all morning as I've worked on this newsletter. This is a picture of our back deck with about 2 inches of snow on the table.

And speaking of this newsletter... it almost didn't make it - or at least this version of it.

Last night I was having html issues with the template I've been using and after conferring with a web designer friend, I still couldn't resolve the problem. The sidebar was widening itself to nearly half the webpage size and I couldn't get it to stop! (My html knowledge has been gained over the years by trial and error, and my knowledge base has quite a few holes in it.)

So, admitting defeat on the old template, I thought I'd just build a new one and start over. Well, that ran into seemingly unsolvable problems too.

During dinner, discussing it with my husband, I was becoming more "okay" with letting it all go and going with "plan B" - delivering at least the article to you in a text format. I kept hearing Kenny Rogers singing in my head.... "You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away and know when to run...." (The Gambler, 1978, written by Don Schlitz)

Well... long story short, after dinner I went back to fiddling with the new template - call it tenacity, stick-to-it-ive-ness, determination, stubbornness? - I ended up figuring out the problems (Yes!!) and here we are :) (Was that my Dad chuckling in the background?)

Call it what you will, but I know, if you want something bad enough you'll find a way to make it happen..... because, like my Dad always told me, "You can do anything you put your mind to!"

~ Namaste, Becky

A big welcome to all new subscribers! Thanks for joining us on the Journey. And to my loyal readers, many, many thanks. YOU are why I do this! :)

OPPORTUNITIES

Clear the Fear, Embrace Faith - Telegathering or Live Workshop
March 19, 20 or 21
If you find yourself getting caught up in the Recession fear.... or any kind of fear for that matter... this class is for YOU! Join us on this first weekend of Spring and Reconnect to your heart and learn to speak your truth fearlessly! More Info Here.

Introduction to Breathwork Workshop - March 27
Come learn about the healing power of the breath and experience a powerful, yet safe and gentle breathing technique that releases stress, increases your energy level, and brings more joy, peace, and aliveness into your life. Find out more...

Journey Through Time - Get Ready for Spring - March Special
This is a special one-on-one session where you take a journey through time and envision yourself at different points over the next year. It's a novel way to get clarity on your goals and where you want to be this time next Spring. My mentor coach, colleague and friend, Kathy Wilson did this Journey with me and it was really powerful. She's given me permission to pass it on to you. Spring is about cleansing, renewal, and rebirth. So this is a great time to dust off those dreams and goals, and plant some seeds for moving forward and making them a reality! Take advantage of this session before Spring, March 20, and save over 50%! Schedule your session today.

FEATURED ARTICLE

Rocking Chair Memories

Early in February, while getting ready for the Adventures in Self-Discovery Teleclass series, I ran across a letter that I'd written back in 2007 as part of the Journaling facilitator training program I was taking. The letter, titled, "This is My Life 3-years from now," was dated February 2010. It was a detailed summary of the past 3 years in review (2007-2010).

It was very depressing.

I had achieved some of the goals I'd talked about - I did resign from my church job and had dropped all piano and organ students, freeing me up to concentrate on coaching full-time. It was about a year and a half later than "predicted," but that was okay.

The thing that struck me the hardest, though, was that many of the items on that 2007 list are still on my list now in 2010 - things that I really do want, yet haven't achieved.

I realized the two root causes immediately:

• lack of belief in myself
• lack of follow through

The tricky thing is that these two things play on each other. Lack of belief will cause you not to follow through with the steps you need to do in order to get you where you want to be.

Plus, every time you give in to feelings and thoughts like "I'm not worthy" or "good enough" or "what does it matter anyway" (or your own variation) and DON'T do something you know is in your best interest, it chips away at your self-esteem and self-trust.

And so my question to myself was - and still is:

"Are you going to let three more years go by and have these goals on your list again in 2013?"

That question reminded me of a story I wrote in 10th grade about an old woman sitting in a rocking chair on her porch.....

The woman was thinking about all the opportunities she'd let pass her by, all the things she wished she'd said to those she loved.... all the places she'd wanted to go and things she'd wanted to do but didn't.... all the goals and dreams she'd let slide by the wayside.... all the talents and gifts she'd never taken the time to develop..... and now all she had to show for it was a life of regrets.

As a 15-year-old, the thought of living a life and not DOing and BEing what and who you were meant to Do and Be - i.e. NOT living a life of passion and purpose - was totally incomprehensible!

Now, on the flip-side, at 51-years-old, I understand how life can sometimes throw you a curve ball, and how easy it can be to get side-tracked. And I know now that our goals and dreams can grow and change or "evolve" as we grow older.

Yet, I also know that those core passions..... those things that fill our spirit and that embody the essence of "who we are" .... those things NEVER go away.... no matter how deeply we try to bury them or how many times we try to side-step their calling.......

And the only advice I could give myself now is.....

"Becky, what the hell are you waiting for!?!?"

What are YOU waiting for?

What's been tugging at your heart that you've been putting off or that you're waiting for 'someday' to come around first?

What goals and dreams have been on your list for a while now that you never seem to get around to?

When you're sitting in your rocking chair reviewing your life.... will you be thinking about your list of regrets? Or will you be reliving the memories of all the wonderful things you've seen and done, and all the people that came through your life and touched you in some way... and you touched theirs......

The "rehearsal" is over. The time is now.

Believe..... Do..... BE.....

And remember the Rocking Chair....

Will you be having good memories or regrets?

It's up to you.

GOING DEEPER

Building the Good Memories

Although there are two main steps to achieving your dreams and goals - Believe and Do/Be - Each of these contains many subdivisions. Here are just a few to think about...

Believe

How you "see" yourself - your self-image - is everything. We all have an internal "set-point" of what we will and will not allow ourselves to achieve or become. This internal "set-point" often reveals itself in our thoughts and beliefs about our self and our world.

Notice your self-talk - the mind-chatter that goes through our heads continuously. What are you telling yourself?

"Oh, I could never do that." or "who do you think you are?" or "I'll never figure this out" or "I'm so fat, or stupid, or _______" (you fill in the blank)?

Is your self-talk limiting you? Or does it encourage you to "go for it"? If it's limiting you, say "Cancel!!" And then rephrase the statement into a positive, affirming affirmation.

Our internal set-point, or self-image, can also comes out when others give us a compliment or encourage us to stretch or try something new.... Or anytime when we consider stepping out of our comfort zone. It comes out as what I call it the dreaded "yeah, buts". If left alone, they'll kill an idea or a dream faster than you can say 'lickitty split".

Believing in yourself is about confidence.

Confidence is a choice. It's a learned behavior, which means you get to "choose" it - or not.

The main thing I remember from my Dale Carnegie training was.... "If you act enthusiastic, you'll be enthusiastic." It was a mantra the instructor made us say many times each night.

And it applies to confidence as well: "If you act confident, you'll be confident."

The reason is - Actions Change Feelings.

Most likely, the change won't happen overnight. But with practice, that feeling of 'lack of confidence' will evolve into 'Confidence.'

It's much like "feel the fear and do it anyway." Courage doesn't come from being without fear. It comes from DOing inspite of the fear. Courage is the result.
And so is Confidence. It builds each time you turn "I can't" into "I did."

Believing in yourself is also about Trust and Faith.

Trust is knowing in your heart and Soul that the Universe - God, Spirit - is here FOR YOU - not Against you. It's about being able to see the Bigger Picture of life and being able to 'trust' the flow. Everything happens in Divine Timing.

It's also about knowing that there is Divine Help available to you for the asking. In the Bible it says, "Ask and ye shall receive."

But you've got to "ask"! (That's the part about free will :)

Your Higher Self, God, Angels, Spirit Guides, and Helpers..... they're all there waiting for you to ask them for assistance.

And then you have to be willing to listen.... (but that's another story!)

Faith is really "trust in action" - or "believing in yourself" put into action. It's that inner knowing that you CAN and WILL receive your heart's desire - or something better!

It's the transition point between Believe and Do / Be.

Do and Be

You have to take action to make that dream or goal happen. Wishing and hoping won't get you anywhere accept more deeply into wishing and hoping.

But to take action, you've got to have a clear picture of where you're going. (Read my blog post, "Don't Limit God?" for more insights on this.)

Assuming you know what you want and it's "SMART" - specific, measured, accountable, realistic (yet stretches you too), and timed - you're armed and ready to move forward.

Where do you start? Part of goal-planning process is to set up the steps needed to reach your goal. Another part of it is listening to your intuition - or your 'gut' - and acting on it. I call this taking "inspired action."

However, the biggest thing that keeps most people from achieving, doing, and being - is the follow through.

You've got to live and BE your dream every day - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. (more on this in a later article)

Although there is magic in writing your goals down and putting them in a drawer (or in a file on your computer) and forgetting about them, keeping that goal or dream in the forefront of your mind will greatly enhance your results. It serves as a visual reminder as you build momentum with daily, weekly, monthly action steps.

If you're like me, "out of sight, out of mind" is about as effective for living your dreams as the Black Plague is to living a long, healthy life.

Also, as you Do and Be..... Stay positive. This plays off the "Believing" part too. Avoid the nay-sayers - those in your head (your self-talk) and those in your environment (friends, co-workers, and well-meaning, or not-so-well-meaning family members.) Dreams and goals - especially in the beginning - are like little babies that need to be nurtured and cared for. Keep them save and don't allow anyone or anything to snuff out your passion or derail your momentum

And probably most important - and most often neglected aspect in achieving your dreams and goals is to get support!

Hire a coach or partner with a buddy to keep you on track and accountable. We all have our favorite ways of sabotaging our success. And we all have our blind spots. A trusted friend or a professional life coach can help you get through the obstacles more easily and quickly than trying to go it alone.

So, what are you waiting for?

• Get off your duff and kick those "yeah buts" in the patootie!

• Turn those "I can'ts" into "I did's"

• Write up those goals and put them somewhere you'll see them everyday.

• Do something every day to move you forward in the direction of your goal.

• Stay positive and avoid the nay-sayers.

• Get support by hiring a coach or enlisting the help of a trusted friend.

About Becky

Becky Waters, Intuitive Consultant and Spiritual Life Coach, draws from nearly 30 years experience as a composer/ musician opening a direct channel to Spirit, many years of wisdom gained from life experience and working through her own "stuff", years of teaching, plus life coaching skills and healing modalities learned from a variety of sources that she has finely tuned to help Spiritual Seekers live their Soul's purpose without struggle. If you've been doing "all the right things" and you're still not creating the life you want, I invite you to schedule a free Strategy Session and lets talk.