A Little Help from Myself

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It’s okay to do things to help yourself.  In fact, it’s vital that you do this.  Some of us may have grown up in circumstances where we were taught that it isn’t okay to do this.  Others of us may find ourselves currently in situations where we’re led to believe that it’s selfish or wrong to help ourselves.  Or, perhaps you just never considered acting for your own benefit.

If helping yourself is a new experience for you and you aren’t sure enough of yourself yet so you’re looking to others for permission and approval, please let me be the one to give you this support and encouragement.

You have permission to help yourself.  You are approved to take the actions that will help you live the life of your dreams.  You are forgiven for having these goals and dreams.

Helping yourself, taking care of yourself, is some of the most important and noble work you can do.  By following through with these steps, you are honoring yourself, your family, and your friends.  You’re also honoring your community, your country, and the world.

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Your homework is to find a place where you will be undisturbed for about 20 minutes.  Have a mirror handy.  Use the mirror to look at yourself right in the eyes.  Repeat the following:

I love you

I love you

I love you

I am approved

I am approved

I am approved

I have permission

I have permission

I have permission

My dreams are right and good

My dreams are right and good

My dreams are right and good

My dreams are right and good

My dreams are right and good

My dreams are right and good

 

I am forgiven

I am forgiven

I am forgiven

My slate is wiped clean

My slate is wiped clean

My slate is wiped clean

My slate is wiped clean

My slate is wiped clean

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you!

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I love you

I love you

I love you

I love you!

Now go and take that step!  And post below in the comments section how you’re doing.

I am so very proud of you!

Your Friend,

Lauren

“I Don’t Know”

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As you advance toward your goals and dreams, one of the most profound things you can say is “I don’t know”.   When you say this, you let go of all your preconceived notions, all your habitual ways of thinking, and your usual ways of doing things.  When you let go, you are then open to all possibilities.  You become an empty vessel for original thoughts, innovative ideas, and uncommon actions to take.

Your homework today is to find a place where it’s quiet and you won’t be disturbed for about 20 minutes.  Keep a pen or pencil and paper within reach.  Sit quietly, slowing down yourself and your mind—take a few deep, cleansing breaths.  In your mind, let go of all you think you know about your goals and dreams.  Visualize an empty vessel—a pitcher, a glass, or a bowl—and picture it being filled with ideas.  Gently, without disrupting your image, write down thoughts, feelings, ideas that come to you.  After your session, take a look at what you wrote.  What of these can you apply to your journey?

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Remember to take a step even a tiny one, today.  Perhaps it’ll be one that you came up with in your homework session!

You can do it!  Yay you!

Post in the comments section some new things you learned about your goals and dreams.

I’m so proud of you!

Your Friend,

Lauren

Super Bowl!

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In honor of tonight’s Super Bowl:

Forget about the times you fumbled; forget about the incomplete passes; and forget about being stopped at the line of scrimmage.

Acknowledge the successes: the interceptions, the third down conversions, and the scores.

No matter what, though, always keep your head in the game and your eye on the ball. Stick to your game plan and what you do best. Focus and concentrate on what you can do to help yourself with the next play. Keep pressing forward, keep standing strong.

You can do it, I know you can. I’m so proud of you!

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No homework today: Enjoy the game!

Your Friend,
Lauren

Fresh and New!

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Happy February!  Today is the first day of a new month.  Yesterday you celebrated the progress you made and the achievements you earned.  Good for you!  Today we can build on all those good feelings from yesterday and use them to slingshot ourselves into a good February.  Take advantage of this; take a step today!

Your homework for today is to build on the momentum and good feelings carrying over from January and take a step today toward your dreams and goals.  If you’ve been taking teensy tiny steps—which is perfectly fine—challenge yourself to take a little larger step today.  Go for it!

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You can do it, I know you can.

I believe in you! 

Post in the comments section below and let me know how you’re doing with the steps you’re taking.

I’m so proud of you!  You’re awesome!

Your Friend,

Lauren

Celebrate! Dance to the Music!

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Yesterday we talked about A New Day is coming.  Today, let’s build on that theme by taking a look back at all the fantastic progress you’ve made this month.  It’ll help with preparing for this coming month—another opportunity for a new start!

Let’s celebrate all your accomplishments this month because you’ve done really well.  First of all, you made the commitment to achieving your dreams and goals.  This is a huge step because it took courage and resolve to make this promise to yourself.  You should most definitely celebrate it.  Yay you!

Next, you identified some steps you’ll need to take in order to reach your goals and dreams.  This, too, is fabulous.  Recognize the intelligence it took to identify these steps, which means you’re smart and resourceful.  Yahoo for you!

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Then you broke them into small steps—some of them were infinitesimally small, which is just fine—and you committed to taking these small increments and steps on a regular basis.  Recognize the courage and resolve that it took to do this.  It’s a wonderful thing to behold about yourself.

Then you’ve actually taken some steps whether you’ve felt like it or not whether you were frightened or not, whether you were certain or not.  This proves you have what it takes to succeed:  the grit, the stamina, the determination, the persistence, the character, the integrity.  YOU ROCK!!

FEEL THE PRIDE!  You deserve it; you’ve most definitely earned it!

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Your homework today is to revel in how strong and brave you are because you’ve taken steps toward your dreams and goals, and some of those steps were difficult and scary.  You did it anyway, in spite of your fears and anxieties.  Yay for you!!  This goes to show how awesome you are.  WooHoo!

Remember to rejoice in how fantastic you are because you have made progress.  You rock the house down!

MAKE SURE TO HOLD ONTO ALL THIS GOODNESS!

Do not let anyone—yourself included—or anything diminish or dismiss any of your accomplishments this month, no matter how seemingly small.  Small, teensy-tiny increments add up over time, so it all counts; it’s all good!  Stand tough and stand strong against any negativity!  This is important and it’s imperative that you do this!

You can do it!  Go you!

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I’m so proud of you!  You’re progress this month has been marvelous!  You’re terrific!

You’re Friend,

Lauren

A New Day Coming!

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There’s a new day coming! If you’re reading this first thing in the morning, then you’re at the start of a new day. If you’re reading this midway through the day or in the evening, then in a few hours it’ll be a new day. A new day is a very good thing!

The good thing is it’s an opportunity to start fresh a anew. No matter what you did or did not do yesterday and no matter what did or did not happen, you have the opportunity to press the ‘reset’ button and start the day with a clean slate. It’s a relief to know that!

Granted, there are things that carry over from day-to-day but this morning, today, you can do them and respond to them in a different way. You don’t have to do things the same old way. You don’t have to think the same old thoughts. You can change; you can press the reset button starting this morning. Doing things differently than your habitual way and responding differently than your usual way is how you move forward.

You can do it!

Your homework for today is think about the small changes you can make—or big changes, if you’re brave enough! Think back over these previous 29 days and find a small something that you can do a little differently. It doesn’t have to be a big change—remember the small steps and even tiny pieces of steps add up;  it all counts!  Make that change today. Do it! I know you can!

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I’m so proud of you for pressing onward. I knew you could do it!

Your Friend,

Lauren

Go Team, Go!

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Most of the time, we know what we need to do in order to reach our dreams.  We don’t need to be told.  All we really need is a boost.  So, here it is!

You have what it takes to achieve your goals and dreams.

You’re smart, intelligent, and have awesome street-smarts.

You’re strong, persistent,

You have grit, determination, you have grit

You’re smart, intelligent, and have awesome common sense.

You’re strong, persistent, and resilient.

You have grit, determination, and fortitude.

You’re creative, innovative, and your own special brand of genius is just right for helping you achieve your goals and dreams.

You’re in the right place at the right time doing the right things in the right way.

You’re on time and on track.

You’re a learner with an inquisitive and probing mind.

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You’re a champion, a victor, and a winner.

You are fully equipped, perfectly fitted out, powerfully enabled

You are authorized, approved, and specially endorsed to go for all your goals and dreams

You are powerful, mighty, and formidable

YOU ARE AWESOME!!  YOU ROCK!!

You’re homework for today is to find a mirror, look yourself in the eyes, and with as much emotion and feeling as possible, repeat these statements to yourself (substitute “I” for ‘you”).  Absorb the power and energy and let it sink into your bones–into the very core of you.  Now take a step, even a tiny one.

Go for it, you can do it!

I’m so proud of you!  I knew you could do it!

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Your Friend,

Lauren