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April 2007
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Your Authentic Life!
..Because Joy is an Inside Job
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Greetings,
This month's issue focuses on
Success
What makes you a
success?
Raising successful
kids
Consider making your own Divination
Deck
Check out Nancy Tierney's
Unconditional Confidence website
If you or someone you know is ...
"perfectly exhausted from trying to be
perfect"
Consider This:
"Success is liking
yourself, liking what you do, and liking how
you do it."
- Maya Angelou
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What is Success? |
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Laurie Stolmaker, MA MFT
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Using the Law of Attraction
I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my
career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26
occasions I have been entrusted to take the
game winning shot...And I missed. And I have
failed over and over and over again in my
life. And that is precisely...Why I
succeed.
--Michael Jordan
What is Michael Jordan talking about?
Are you a success? Do you wonder what that
means, what it looks like?
I have been listening to a series of
interviews with "The Masters of The Secret".
These are men and women who are successful in
so many ways. I love listening to them and I
wish them more and more success.
I have
noticed that there is a bigger than ever
focus on Law of Attraction right now. If you
are like many folks, being exposed to this
and working to make it a fit in your life, I
have a few ideas for you to think about.
The
Law of Attraction may be in the news, but it
isn't new! It has always
been working in all our lives. With the
internet and so many avenues for sharing
ideas, this law (think of it as a law like
the law of gravity) is getting lots of press
and we all stand to benefit.
I noticed that Jack Canfield, Lisa Nichol,
James Ray, and all the folks on these
interviews are wealthy and successful people
who have risen to handle many challenges to
get where they are today. Here are some
things I see them having in common that make
them "successes":
- They set out to accomplish something:
write a best seller, help business people
succeed, help teens feel good about
themselves, etc
- They got rich doing what they love, then
kept going, looking for more ways to expand
and grow their ideas and do more good in the
world
- They enjoy their wealth and are not
ashamed of it, but they don't see it as the
main focus. They love what they can do with
their money to help themselves and others
- They did a lot of research, study, asking
questions, being unreasonable in the process
of finding their way and they are willing to
share what they know
- They believe there is enough to go around
for everyone and that everyone can do what
they did if they have the committment
Please, don't think that these people are
different than you and me.
I bet, if we had met them when they were not
so rich or so famous, we would still have
left our meeting with the sense that we had
just met someone who is "a success".
Success
is an attitude and you can have it right now!
What if you made a decision right now, that
you are a success?
Make a list of all the
things you can think of that you have
succeeded at in your life. (nothing is too
small to count).
Now decide that you will continue to be a
success at all that you do. (Remember the
Michael Jordan quote above)
Study the work of people you admire, rejoice
in their success, knowing that you can do
it, too.
Start living your life from this moment on,
thinking and believing "I am a success! "
and end each day with a list of all the
successes you had.
Remember that where you focus your attention
is where you are creating your future. But,
also, remember that it goes beyond thought.
Take inspired action to support your beliefs.
If you are having trouble shifting to really
believing in yourself, I have some great
tools to help you. Sometimes we need a little
shift in our subconscious programming to get
new beliefs in place.
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Helping Kids Succeed |
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Laurie Stolmaker, MA, MFT
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The Crucial "C's"
In order to succeed, our kids need some
essential skills and abilities.
These are described so well in the work of
Amy Lew and Betty Lou Bettner,
authors of "Raising Kids Who Can"
They describe the essential skills needed:
- Communication skills
- Decision making skills (good judgment)
- Self discipline
- Ability to assume responsibility
Lets have a closer look:
The Crucial C's :
- Connect
- Capable
- Count
- Courage
According to Bettner and Lew, the Crucial
"C"s are four experiences that
make for successful kids.
When kids
connect- they feel secure, they
believe they
belong. They can cooperate instead of
feeling insecure and
isolated. They have no need to seek
attention.
When kids are capable- , they feel
competent, believe they can do it, have
self-control, and they take
responsibility. These kids are self reliant
instead of feeling inadequate and
avoiding responsibility.They have no need
to seek power.
When kids think they count, they feel
valuable and believe they can
make a difference. These kids can contribute
versus feeling
insignificant, trying to hurt back, and
seeking revenge.
Kids also need courage.
With courage- they feel hopeful,
believe they
can handle what comes, are willing to try,
and are
resilient as oppposed to feeling useless,
giving up, or
using
avoidance.
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Oracle Deck Workshop in May |
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Support on Your Spiritual Journey
One way to listen to your own
innate wisdom
is to use a divination deck.
Using cards or symbols to support us in
meeting our goals or answering our
questions...
"How does that work?"
Psychologist Diane Skafte explains it
well in
her book
Listening To The Oracle:.
"To
receive an oracle is to receive guidance,
knowledge, or illumination from a mysterious
source beyond the personal self"
She
goes on
to say " One may imagine that oracles issue
from a domain of the human psyche, or perhaps
they exist independently from us, but their
nature will always be a mystery."
I like
to think of it this way:
An oracle is
something you use to
get answers from the "non ordinary world",
your higher self, connected to your God.There are
many ways to look at it.
What is different about making your own
oracle deck?
Rather than consult a
Tarot
or some such deck
and getting meaning from reading a book entry
about that card or a reading from someone
who understands the cards well, you create
your own personal symbology to work from.
When you make a deck for yourself, you make
cards that have personal meaning from your
life experiences, areas of dedication in your
life, animals that have been important to you
and more.
Recently, I consulted my deck before having
dinner with an old friend. We had been
estranged for two years. I wanted to have
guidance on how best to approach the meeting-
to be clear, not stuck in hurt. I pulled the
card that represented my son's birth. I had a
strong memory of my friend at my side for the
whole birth, caring for me physically,
selfless and present. It brought me to a
place of peace beyond that which I had
attained before. This was valuable guidance
and allowed me to be very present and open
for our time together.
I developed this workshop out of the powerful
experiences I have had from making and using
my own
divination deck.
Michael Ortiz Hill,
author, teacher and healer,
developed the "amor fati" deck
(translation:
To love
one's fate). This workshop adapts his
teaching into
an experiential workshop that will get you
well on
your way to making and using your personal deck.
Follow up support will also be available in
the form
of individual appointments or group
gatherings.
Join new and returning students for
an
evening of learning from fellow card
students, followed by studio time to work on
your deck
$40*
DATE: Friday Evening, May 18th
TIME: 6PM to 9:30PM
LOCATION: Santa Rosa, CA
Register Now!
*optional $15 materials packet may be ordered
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Share The Wealth |
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Who do you know who would love to read
this issue
(or a past issue)?
I
would love to get Your Authentic Life
out to
them.
So, can you help me meet my goal of 1000
subscribers
in 2007?
Thanks for all you do!
- Forward this e mail to a friend and suggest
they check out my archived articles
- Print my newsletter and post it on your
bulletin
board or in the break room at your office, barn,
gym...
- send a brief note and the link to my
web site
with your personal recommendation for an
article you
liked
I now offer phone sessions by
appointment. Sessions are available Monday
through
Thursday. I accept MasterCard and Visa as well as
checks and Paypal. Geography need no longer limit
your access to working with me!
I
have
supported women on their unique
journeys to
create a feminine spiritual path that they can
resonate with.
I offer individual support and consultation for
those on an unfolding spiritual path.
Presentations,
groups, workshops and ritual making are all
available to those who feel curious or called to
honor the feminine in their lives.
All Articles Copyrighted by Laurie Stolmaker, MA,
MFT 2005-2007
Laurie Sequana Stolmaker is
an experienced therapist and seminar leader.
She authors the monthly online newsletter,
Your Authentic Life!. If you are ready to
have more fun, rekindle your joy, and make a
life of love
and success, subscribe by going to
www.joyinside.net.
You are welcome to reprint articles in their
entirety, as long as you also include this
copyright notice.
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Contact Information
phone:
(707) 523-2033
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