Who are you?

Have you ever thought about who you really are?

Who you are is defined by what you believe about yourself. That's kind of a scary thought, isn't it? It's true though - our beliefs define who we really are. Let's first define belief - a belief is any habitual pattern of thinking. We hold beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world. While most of our beliefs were formed when we were children, some of our beliefs have evolved or changed altogether as we matured and viewed the world differently. Looking at it this way, it seems as though that would give us control over our own beliefs. Hmmm, there's an intesting concept. Let me say it again, you control the beliefs about yourself. Holding the power to our own beliefs gives us the opportunity to shift our belifs. How can we do this? We can shift our beliefs by making a conscious choice.

The first step to changing your beliefs to increase your self-concept is to identify your beliefs. That's my challenge to you this week - make a list of all of the things you believe about yourself. Keep in mind that these beliefs can be positive or negative - you will likely have some of both. Be honest as you create your list. Even if you find your list is full of negative beliefs, remember that you can change this. Don't worry too much right now about what is on your list. Next week, we'll analyze the list in greater depth and talk about how to change the beliefs you don't need in your life.

Remember that each of us is a unique and special creation.

Do your beliefs reflect that?


Wishing you much joy and happiness,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com

Are you a failure?

I think it's pretty safe to say that we, as humans, enjoy success and dislike failure. No one sets out to fail at something - we set out to succeed. But what happens along the way? More often than not, we experience some degree of failure before succeeding and this failure can give us feelings of discouragement or make us quit.

Sir Winston Churchill says that "Success is going from failure to failure without loss in enthusiasm." A look at almost any historic figure will show you many failures prior to success. Look at Thomas Edison, for example. He is one of the most successful inventors of all time. Do you think he sat down with an idea and created the wonderful inventions that we enjoy today? It wasn't quite that simple. Many of his inventions failed 700 or more times. But do you think he gave up? Quite the opposite - he considered himself quite successful. How can that be with more than 700 failures? In his own words, he successfully discovered 700 ways that don't work. That put him that much closer to achieving his goal. Lucky for us that he chose to stick with it!

Admittedly, most of us (myself included) don't have the enthusiasm or the determination to keep going after 700 failures. But there are ways to keep from feeling like a failure. Here are a few questions that you can ask yourself:

* What is failure?

* Do you feel like a failure? Does feeling like a failure mean that you are a failure?

* Can you learn without failing? Does failing at something you do, make you a failure as a person?

* Can you think of anyone who has never failed at anything?

Carefully consider the answer to each of these questions. Although it can be quite difficult at times to separate who we are from what we do, that distinction is necessary. Just because we fail at something doesn't mean that we are a failure as a person. It simply means that we have something to learn. My challenge to you is to face your failures and embrace them as progress toward your success.

Wishing you much success,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com

What makes happy people so happy?

This is the second installment in our "8 Habits of Happy People". In part one, we identified 4 habits of happy people as acting happy, living in the moment, exercising, and getting enough rest. I challenged you to try at least one of these habits and see how it worked. Did you try one? I'd love to hear your comments about it.

Now, let's take a look at four more habits of happy people. Again, I challenge you to try at least one and see how it works for you.

5. Take care of yourself. At first glance, this may sound a little selfish but it's quite the opposite. We all need some time to ourself - this could just be alone time, finding a hobby, reading a book, taking a bubble bath, calling a friend, or whatever. Find something that refreshes you and make some time to do it at least once a week.

6. Do something for someone else. Try doing something out of the ordinary for someone else. This could be volunteering a few hours for a charity, sending a card to soldiers overseas, donating to a homeless shelter, or visiting a retirement home. There are many different options that only take a few minutes of your time but will lift your spirits immeasurably. Knowing that you've made the world a better place in some small way can bring you happiness.

7. Surround yourself with happy people. Have you ever spent time with someone that is really miserable? It likely didn't make you feel happy. Just as being around an unpleasant person can bring you down, surrounding yourself with happy people will lift you up. Find someone that seems happy and spend more time with them.

8. Take control of your life. Sometimes our lives feel like they are out of control. This leaves us feeling helpless, stressed, and unhappy. By taking control of the areas where you feel helpless, you create space for happiness. Identify the areas of your life that you need to take control of and focus on one at a time. If you are unorganized, strive to organize your life. If you need to lose weight, set a goal and develop a plan to move forward. Happy people control their own lives.

You can see that there are many different options for living a happy life. Embrace one of these ideas and get moving on it. Your happiness awaits!

Wishing you success and happiness,
Coach April
www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
"Bringing Inspiration to Life!"