America’s Mindset Coach. Intentional living expert.

Bitter Sweetness or Good Riddance: 5 “Opportunities” for Connection in The New Year

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As the holidays are here and the year comes to an end, I wanted to take a moment with you to let you know that I appreciate YOU!  I appreciate you being a part of my world, my circle, my friend, my family, my business partner, in my life in general!

My wish is that this year for you has had its share of way more ups than downs, that you’ve experienced more laughter than tears, that your money moved more up than down, that your heart was filled with more love and joy than sadness and sorrow, and that you bid this year farewell with a bitter sweetness instead of a good-riddance attitude.

I hope we connect more in the coming year.  If we haven’t connected at all this year, my apologies.  I’m going to make it a priority to connect with more people more often.  Our connections mean so much to me!

Here is a list of my “opportunities” for the upcoming year (I don’t like to use the word resolution…too negative…it implies that something is wrong, and there ain’t nothing wrong with any of us!).  I want us to stay more connected now and moving forward!  As an Intentional Living Expert, I know the importance of stating them clearly.  So, here they are:

I’ll  Reach Out to at Least 5 People Per Day 

I meet new people almost every single day!  I will be better about connecting with them, reaching out to existing relationships I have, and I’ll make more of an effort to be the “one who reaches out first.”

I’ll Ask Myself Everyday “Who Can I Help Today?” 

When we focus on being in service to others and less in neediness for ourselves, magic happens!  It feels amazing to help another person.  And then Law of Attraction is always at play, so we can’t help but be the beneficiary of help from another.

I’ll Volunteer More

I promise myself to do more, give more, create more time for giving back with my TIME, not just my WALLET.

I’ll Provide More Products and Services for My Clients and Fans

I’ve already started this one.  I created a “30 Day Challenge on How to Have a Better TODAY”, which is launching on the 1st of January…perfect timing, right?!?  This is all about YOU!  It’s free, it’s fun, and it will help you create awareness in the areas of your life that you’d like to improve upon.  (I’ll put a link down below to sign up if you’re interested.)

I’ll Do One Massively Large, Wildly Fun, Incredibly Life-changing Event This Year!

OK, I wrote it.  I said it.  Now, I’m committed to doing it!  That’s the way this universe works!  Once it’s in writing, then you have to make it happen.  Universal forces have already started conspiring on all the people, places, circumstances for it to come together.  So, now it’s up to me to make it happen!  (No worries…I’m going to do it, and it’s going to be AMAZING!!!)

There you have it…my five “opportunities” for next year that I will be working towards.  If any of these resonate with you, please feel free to print this list and adapt them for yourself.

To get the momentum going for The Best Year of Your Life, I created a FREE, fun 30 Day Challenge on How to Have a Better TODAY.  It’s beginning at the beginning…of the year, that is.  So, sign up for it!  Every day for 30 days, you’ll get a 2-3 minute video of me with the Challenge of the Day.  That’s it!  Just follow along, and have some FUN!  At the end of the 30 days, you are going to notice the subtle differences in you, your awareness, and how you respond to life.  You’ll start living each day intentionally, with more love, joy and fulfillment than ever before!  I’m so excited for you!!!  Here’s the link:  .

Happy New Year!  I wish you all the blessings in the world, and I look forward to us connecting more in the coming year!!!

Quote:  Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Camp Santa or Camp Grinch…Which Camp Are You In?

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It’s interesting…half the people I talk to are so excited about the holidays, and the other half can’t wait for them to be over with!  Which side are you on?  Camp Santa or Camp Grinch?   

I created many traditions while my kids were growing up.  They were allowed to open ONE present on Christmas Eve.  They loved that so much!    In the morning, they would wait at the top of the stairs for the obligatory photo moment before coming down to see what “Santa” brought.  They would always go to the fireplace and open the gifts in their stockings first, while also assisting the dogs in opening their stocking gifts as well.  So precious!

We all wore the same hilarious matching pajamas every year.  I remember that every holiday season, I would have to buy one new set, for Robert, and give Melanie Robert’s hand-me-downs from the year before because of how their growth was tracking.  That’s the benefit of the “unisex” jammies! 

I used to mail out hundreds of Christmas cards.  However, I decided several years ago to stop doing that…partly for eco-friendly reasons, but also because I feel with social media, I can post a beautiful picture on Facebook to reach thousands of people and actually get responses and well wishes from friends and family!  That feels more personal to me now. 

I also used to spend days baking hundreds of cookies!  I won’t get the chance to do that this year.  So, while I’m sad not to be making my mother’s famous butter cookies, or my kids’ favorite sugar cookies, my waistline is thanking me! 

I think about the hours I used to spend shopping, then wrapping.  I loved wrapping the gifts.  I still love wrapping.  But, now that all of our kids are getting so much older, all they want for Christmas these days is money.  So, there are far fewer gifts that need wrapping.

Decorating the tree was a job!  First, there was the tree, which took me hours because it had to be just perfect!  I love a really full, really bright tree.  After the tree was finished, then we (uh, I mean I) would put together the village and electric train underneath.  It was worth it in the end, because it was so beautiful.  The kids and I would sit and stare at it all, there was so much to look at. 

I used to host Christmas day about every other year.  There was so much planning and work that went into doing that, because not only did all food need to be prepped and tables set, but the house had to be immaculate and all the Christmas presents from the morning needed to be packed up.  What a bummer for the “kiddles!”  They barely got to open their toys before they had to be put away.

As I look back on those years, I could totally understand why some people would be in Camp “Grinch.”  There’s a lot of work involved during the holidays…it’s expensive, it’s tiring, dealing with family isn’t always fun.  But…I wouldn’t trade a single moment of that time.  It was worth every crowded mall, late night wrapping and writing out cards, burns from the oven while baking, and all the family shenanigans. 

This year, for me and where I am right now in my life, the holidays are not stressful at all.  Perhaps it’s partly because my kids are with their dad in Chicago, so they are not here to cook and clean for.  But, we are leaving for vacation on Christmas Day and my entire family is meeting in Jamaica.  So, I opted to not even have a tree this year.  The closest thing I have to decorations in the house are the gifts sitting by the fireplace that I’ll be handing out between now and Christmas.  It hardly feels like Christmas at all…except in my heart.

The life I used to know changed drastically five years ago.  However, I love my new life.  I love that I now give my kids “experiential” gifts, like trips to Jamaica, instead of another sweater or pair of boots.  I also give them books.  I give them books for every occasion.  I prefer to give them something that will last forever…memories and inspiration. 

What I’ve learned is that the only constant in life is change.  Those were wonderful, cherished times filled with both joy and stress, but life moves on.  And now, in the new chapter, things look different, but that doesn’t make them any less special.  Christmas spirit is in the heart.  That’s where it lives.  As I say in “I Have Today”, happiness is an inside job.  There is nothing outside of us.  Everything we need, want, desire is within us…even Santa!  If you read any of my blogs, watch any of my videos, read my book, then you know how I feel…every single moment of our lives is such a GIFT.  That’s the greatest gift of all!

Camp “Santa” Forever!!!

 

Quote:  There is no better gift a society can give children than the opportunity to grow up safe and free – the chance to pursue whatever dreams they may have.  – John Roberts

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I was JOLTED in the Other Direction

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Let me pick up where I left off in my last blog post… The signs show up as a whisper.  Then, the whispers get louder.  Then, finally, if that’s not enough, which it turns out it wasn’t for me, the JOLT comes.  Apparently, I needed that JOLT to pivot me in the other direction. 

After that night in June when I attempted to take my life, I called a therapist immediately the next day and said “I need help.  I am changing my life.”  That began months of counseling and working to build up my strength and resources to be able to leave the marriage and go on with my life. 

Several months had passed.  Life in our home was so unbearable.  My ex was becoming more and more distant, and frankly, dismissive and rude to me.  Even my friends noticed it.  One friend said to me, after he walked out of the house to go run an errand, while she and I were sitting alone together, “What is wrong?  Why is he so angry?  Why does he talk to you like that?”  I burst into tears and said “I don’t know.”     

Well, it was only a few weeks later that I discovered why.  I found out that he had been having an affair and was in love with someone else.  Hence, the JOLT.  When I discovered it, I was enraged!  I was so angry.  His guilt over it combined with his inability to leave me had him taking it out ON me!  I was FURIOUS!  But…I was so EMPOWERED!!!  That moment was the moment that everything shifted for me!  I got my power back!  I knew in that instant that I was going to be okay…in fact, I was going to be BETTER than okay.  I found MYSELF and MY SELF-WORTH in that moment.  What a GIFT!!!

I look back on that time now with no emotion attached to it, other than love and forgiveness.  I worked diligently to heal my pain, own my part in the demise of the relationship, and move on with my life.  I have completely forgiven him, and myself, for mistakes we made in our marriage.  I know that, even though there were things that could have been handled differently, that both he and I did the best we could with what we were both capable of at the time. 

That JOLT was such a blessing for me.  It was the peak emotional experience I needed to pivot in the other direction…from fearful and weak to empowered and strong.  It was because of that experience that I am where I am today…SO happy, healthy, in love, in joy, in peace, in expansion, in constant learning mode, so fulfilled living each day of my life with intention and purpose.  He and his new wife seem happy in their life together, and let’s face it…if I ever truly loved him, which I did, then I wish him all the love and happiness in the world.  I really, really do.  Now, that’s healthy…wouldn’t you agree?

Our gifts sometimes come disguised as pain first.  Oftentimes, when I’m experiencing a challenging time in my life, I’ll ask myself “I’m not quite sure what the “gift” is yet, but I’m sure I’ll be shown down the road sometime, right?” as I look up to the sky for answers.  You know what…I ALWAYS receive the answer.  I just trust, and the answer comes.  I work with clients all the time that are hanging on to so much anger and rage, and I explain to them that they are the ONLY ones holding on to the negative emotion.  They are the only ones keeping their pain alive! 

We must know that everything that shows up in our lives is for our highest, greatest good…always!  When we know that, REALLY know that, we process through painful experiences much more quickly and heal so much faster. 

Sometimes, the experience is slow in coming.  Other times, it’s a JOLT.  Whichever way it shows up…like I teach in my book I HAVE TODAY and in the I HAVE TODAY SYSTEM…you’ve got to learn to LOVE IT!  THANK IT!  BRING IT!

 

Quote:  Painful as it may be, a significant emotional event can be the catalyst for choosing a direction that serves us, and those around us, more effectively. Look for the learning.  – Louisa May Alcott

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Having No Self-Worth as a Woman is Debilitating!

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When I look back on how I used to be, I looked “All Together” on the outside.  But, on the inside, I was suffering.  The lack of self-worth I had for myself was debilitating, and I was feeling smaller and smaller every day.  I felt like I had no voice in my marriage.  I felt like who I was and how I felt didn’t matter.  Not because it was physically abusive or I was fearful for my life, or anything like that.  But because of the emptiness and loneliness in the marriage. 

I grew up in a household with a mother and father who loved each other, but they didn’t openly express their love for each other.  There was nothing demonstrative there, so I grew up thinking that’s what marriage looked like.  Even though, deep down, I craved so much more. 

As my marriage continued to get worse, and I continued to be unhealthy and deeply unhappy, I knew I had to figure out a way to get out of the relationship.  However, because I suffered such fear, doubt, insecurity, and low self-worth as a woman, I didn’t think I had the means or the tools to walk away.  I was so strong professionally, and I rocked motherhood!  As a woman, I was broken inside.

I am a very high achiever, and I didn’t want to feel like a “failure.”  So, I kept trying and trying to make the marriage work.  I kept saying to myself that “it’ll get better when ‘X’ happens”; or, “It’ll get better when ‘Y’ happens.”  But, try and try as I did (he did too on some level), it never seemed to get better. 

After my attempted suicide, which was the LOWEST moment of my life, I knew I had to get strong.  I had to get help.  I had to change my life.  I had to hit the bottom so LOW before I realized that is was okay to ask for help.  It took that experience to allow me to feel open enough to be vulnerable, to be scared, to admit it to someone, to allow myself to let others in.

Yet, even then, with the support I was receiving and the help I was getting, I was still too scared to walk away.  I was too afraid that I’d end up alone.  I knew there was nothing left between us, but it was the devil I knew versus the devil I didn’t.  Until…I couldn’t ignore the signs any longer.

The signs show up as a whisper.  Then, the whispers get louder.  Then, finally, if that’s not enough, which it turns out it wasn’t for me, the JOLT comes.  Apparently, I needed that JOLT to pivot me in the other direction. 

I’ll write all about the JOLT in my next blog….

 

Quote:  Your level of self-worth shows up everywhere of your life…in romance, your relationships, your appearance, your career, your bank account.  The higher it is, the richer you are in all areas.  – Diane Forster

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I Couldn’t Wake Up Another Day Feeling So Alone

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It was Saturday, June 25, 2011.  It started out as a typical weekend afternoon for us.  Errands, sports, carpooling, going over to some friends’ house for a bar-b-que.  Our lives were completely centered around the kids and their lives and activities.  We barely even looked at each other anymore.  Life was on autopilot.  We looked like the perfect happy family to the outside world.  Inside, I was imploding.  My soul and spirit were chipping away more and more each day. 

After the fighting started in the car on the way home, then continued when we entered the house, I went into my bathroom and locked the door…

I couldn’t take it anymore.  I had not received love and support from my ex in years!  I felt so alone and isolated.  It was so EMOTIONALLY DEBILITATING.  I said to myself, “I can’t wake up another day feeling THIS ALONE!”

The pain was so palpable.  I had two full bottles of prescription pills in my hand.  Apparently, God had other plans for me.  I talk about it here in the video, but I also write all about what happened that night in the bathroom in my book, and I tell the story in the I Have Today System. 

So many people hear my story and are so shocked that it’s ME telling it!  They can’t believe someone as strong and smart and so “together” could have gotten to that point.  Trust me, some days it’s hard for even me to believe.  What I’ve discovered is this… no one is immune to getting to a point where they feel they have no way out.  We are paralyzed by FEAR!  We worry what others will think or say about us.  We worry that we’ll appear “weak” if we actually let the cat out of the bag and shout “I’m So Unhappy!  I want to FEEL GOOD, and FEEL LOVED, and be EXCITED by my life!”  We put on brave faces and smile at everyone, we give the generic answer that we’re “fine” or “great” when people ask how we’re doing…without getting into any real depth of emotional conversation.  That’s an incredibly lonely place to be.  So, it doesn’t matter who you are, how you were raised, what your situation is, ANYONE can get to the point where I was on that day.

I thank God constantly for his intervention in the bathroom that night, and I am following his instructions down to the letter!  That moment was the wake-up call I so desperately needed to take ACTION to CHANGE MY LIFE!  That moment was a cherished GIFT for me.  Because of that night, I went on a journey to discover ME, and what a rewarding trip it was!   I now help so many others who feel as isolated and alone as I did, and I help empower them.  I shine the light on their strengths, their gifts and their light.  I am living my life on PURPOSE, and it feels so GOOD!

When I look back at that time of my life, I realize that I NEEDED to experience that.  How else could I share my SUCCESS Story if I didn’t experience the deepest, darkest despair first?  I bless that moment. 

Oh, and I NEVER wake up feeling alone…EVER!  Another cherished GIFT.

 

Quote:  At the innermost core of all loneliness is a deep and powerful yearning for union with one’s lost self. – Brendan Behan

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Setting Intentions is Intentional!

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Last year, I hosted Thanksgiving at my home.  It was the first time I hosted that holiday in many years.  It was also my first Thanksgiving since moving to San Diego from Chicago, which happened only two months prior. 

My twins were spending the holiday with their dad and his side of the family, so I surrounded myself with my “California” family.  My dad, my sister and her family, and two of my best friends and their children.  In total, there were thirteen of us.  I love the holidays.  I love having everyone together.  I love the craziness and the chaos that goes on in the kitchen.  I love the laughter, and the music we play and the dancing we do while we are preparing all that food.  My family definitely knows how to have fun.  It’s one of the many things I cherish about them.

When we were gathered around the table, I handed out a sheet of paper to everyone.  It is a tradition I decided to create.  I call it the “I Have Today Thanksgiving Gratitude and Intention Sheet.”   Listed on the piece of paper is a place for you to write your name and the date of the holiday.  Then, inside the boxed area are four statements: 

I AM So Grateful For:

  • This Year, The Best Thing That Happened To Me Was:
  • My Life Is Different From One Year Ago Because:
  • By Thanksgiving 2016, I Will Be, Do, and/or Have:

At the bottom of the sheet it says:  I WILL IT!    I EXPECT IT!   I DESIRE IT!   SO BE IT!   THANK YOU!!!

We all took a few minutes to think back and reflect on our year while also thinking about what life would look like one year from now.  I do exercises like this quite a bit all year long, and I mostly write all of this in my journal.  Since I live my life intentionally each day, I find these practices very effective in creating the life that I want.  It’s amazing how easily things manifest into my life because of these practices.  People ask me all the time “Diane, how is it that you barely say something or think something and then it shows up in your life?”  This is how, my beautiful beings.  You’ve got to think about what you want, write it down, give it a “by when” date, then let it go from your mind and release it to the universe.  Our job is to just DECIDE what we want, think about what it would be like to have it, what it looks like, the way it would FEEL to have it, and just imagine it as if it is already done.  That’s manifestation.

I saved my sheet and pulled it out of the drawer where I have kept it stored since last year.  I wanted to reread it to see exactly what had happened to me since the year after writing it.  Guess what?  EVERYTHING I put underneath the last statement has manifested into my life!  Every single one!  I’m always pleasantly surprised when that happens.  I’m not necessarily shocked by it, but I sometimes have moments of awe in the power each and every one of us possess.  It’s really magical.

Tomorrow, when I arrive at my sister’s home in New York for Thanksgiving, with a massive crowd of 40 people in attendance, I will hand out this year’s sheet for everyone to complete for themselves.  I will let them know the purpose of it and read to them my list from last year so they know that, truly, ANYTHING is possible. 

I’m making this template available for you, just Click Here and download it, and perhaps for your family as well.  I hope you adapt this tradition as your own, or something similar to it. 

I am sending you all many blessings and wishes for a safe Thanksgiving filled with love, laughter, good food, organized chaos, dancing and singing, beautiful reflections from your last year and powerful intentions for the year to come.  Keep me posted on your progress.  I love hearing stories from all of you on how I Have Today has shifted your life in some positive way.

 

Quote:  I am grateful for what I am and have.  My thanksgiving is perpetual. – Henry David Thoreau

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Butterfly Miracles

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One Year Ago…This Happened!!!

Most mornings start out the same for me. I wake up, I put both feet on the floor, I stretch both arms up to the sky, I look up and say, ”I Love My Life, I Love My Life, I Love My Life!  Thank You!  Thank You!  Thank You!  Thank you, God, for another miraculous day! I AM SO GRATEFUL! Let’s Do This!”  I go and make a pot of coffee, then find a comfortable place to sit and do my morning meditation and write in my journal. Over the past four years, this has become a vital, integral part of my life, and I cherish this time more than words can say.  It is, without question, the single biggest reason for the abundant transformations in my life.

Back in October 2015, it was a morning no different than most, except for one slight addition. For some reason, I was really missing the physical presence of my mother that day.  It was the 19th anniversary of her passing that month, so I must have had a heightened awareness of her because of that.  I decided to set an intention to witness a butterfly that had the color yellow on it (her favorite color), and then immediately let the thought go while I finished my meditation.

During my morning walk, I strolled along the sandy beach admiring the surfers and the families already out enjoying a beautiful sunny day in San Diego…the butterfly being the furthest thing from my mind.  About an hour later, I headed home, but decided to walk along the road instead of the beach.  That is very unusual for me, as I always stay along the shore for as long as I can. However, there was something compelling me to go a different way and explore a new path. As I walked along the road on the way back home, a butterfly came straight at my face with such speed, then turned to my right just before almost crashing into my nose!  I had to toss my head back slightly to avoid contact.  It happened in a flash, so it took me a moment to realize what had just occurred.  As I stood there, I looked over to my right, and on the leaf of a bush sat the butterfly.  I smiled and said “Hi Mom.”  I then asked this lovely creature to spread its wings so I could see all of its beauty.  The butterfly dutifully complied.  What I saw was an array of colors…brown, black, white, and yes…a ribbon of yellow along the top of the wingspan. I had to take pictures because I thought, “if I ever tell this miraculous story, no one (but a handful of people in my life) will believe me!” 

I looked at the butterfly and said, “Now what?  Are you going to follow me?” as I smiled and walked away.  I must have walked about 50 feet when all of a sudden, I could feel the breeze from her wings on my right shoulder as she hovered there a moment then slowly flew so close to my face again before lifting off in playful flight.

It was if she was there to say, “I’m here…whenever you need me, the moment you ask.”  Deep down in my soul I know this, but every now and again it’s comforting to have the reassurance. What an amazing gift that touched me to the deepest corners of my soul.  Miracle Number One…

The story gets better…

Once I got home, I decided to make something to eat. As I was preparing the food, I got an overwhelming message to listen to a reading I had received from Sonia Choquette over two years before! The recording lives on my phone, so it’s easily accessible, but I hadn’t even thought about it in a very long time.  I am so in touch with my inner voice and intuition now, when I receive messages like that, I respond immediately. I know that it’s the universe trying to communicate with me. And being a student of life, I pay attention and acquiesce promptly.

the authentic heart by John AmodeoWhile I ate my lunch and listened to the 30 minute reading, I heard things I had never heard before. It’s as if I was listening to it for the very first time.  Now, without getting into all the intricate, personal details of the reading, I will say that she strongly advised me to read two books. One book I read right away, while the other book sits on my bookshelf.  What I heard in the reading confused me because she very clearly stated at the end that I need to read THAT book immediately. Why didn’t I read it? I thought to myself, there must be some reason. Maybe I wasn’t ready to receive the messages. I’m not quite sure, and I can’t remember the specifics as to why. That said, as soon as I heard it, I went straight to the bookcase and pulled it off the shelf. The name of the book is “The Authentic Heart” by John Amodeo, Ph.D.  As soon as I had the book in my hand, I gasped.  Guess what is on the cover? …. that’s right … butterflies.  Miracle Number Two. There were two muted butterflies on that cover.  The one on the left looked so similar to the one I saw earlier that day.  Now, if that’s not a sign that there’s WAY more going on than meets the eye, I don’t know what it is. 

Let me see if I can bring this around full circle…

I’ve just recently changed my entire life all at once…every possible area that could be transitioned has been affected…all simultaneously!  At another time, I’ll get into all the details of that and how I’ve come to a place where I am living a life filled with love, joy, peace, gratitude, and more happiness than I could have ever imagined.  The reason I say this is because when you make changes this significant, it truly is a rebirth on many levels.  With a rebirth comes many questions…why am I here, what’s my life’s purpose, how can I serve, how can I be all I am meant to be in this lifetime, among many, many others.  One of the biggest questions I had was:  I can now do ANYTHING I want to do with my life…what do I want it to look like?

Here’s the reason, I believe, for all the series of events that occurred that day.  The other strong message Sonia said to me was this…Diane, you are a writer, a coach, a speaker, a teacher, a mentor!  Stop “studying” and dive right in already.  Just start writing.  Don’t wait any longer…just do it!  That series of events took me from missing my mom, putting a thought of butterflies into my awareness, getting the message about the reading, going and grabbing the book, and finally…most, importantly, getting the message I was meant to receive all along.  Wow, I just LOVE the way the universe works!!!

This has been something that I’ve wanted to do forever…especially the writing.  I have been gearing up and preparing for it for quite some time (as Sonia so eloquently pointed out.)  Fast forward to a year later…My book is out, my program is launched, and I am living my dream!!!  That time has come and the time is now!  TODAY! 

Today is the day I hope my words begin to inspire, motivate, elevate, and encourage others to live their best lives and realize their ability to create happy, rich, fulfilling lives.  Today is the moment it all begins.   

I HAVE TODAY…Let’s Do This!

http://IHaveToday.com

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Am I a “Seminar Junkie?” Five Useful Tips

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Have you noticed the onslaught of conferences, workshops, seminars, live events, webinars, etc. in business and personal development increasing over the past few years?  Were there always this many but now I just seem to have a heightened awareness about them?  Or, is it that every Tom, Dick, and Harry…or Sue, Jane and Mary, has something to say and something to sell?  Me thinks it’s a little bit of both.

Over the past five years, as I’ve delved deeper into my own personal development, I found myself googling topics such as personal development, self-help, spiritual guidance, law of attraction, entrepreneurship, invention, small business ownership, and a myriad of other topics.  And…as you know, once you start searching, the magicians at google seem to find you and match you with like-minded individuals, products and services.  All of a sudden, you are inundated with emails and ads from people you’ve never even heard of.

As I was diving deeper, I found myself attending some free one-day, two-day, three-day seminars.  I now know there’s no such thing…I’m all too familiar with the upsell.  I have nothing against that…in fact, those who are out there offering value for free should absolutely be paid what they are worth if customers want to continue the journey with them. 

What I noticed is this…I AM ONE OF THE ONES BUYING AND CONTINUING ON!  In fact, this year alone, I have said “Yes” to myself and to all the opportunities that have come my way.  Every one of them.  I look back at this year, and I am amazed at how many weekends I’ve spent sitting in a large meeting room instead of being outside or doing something leisurely with my time.  Yet, here’s what I’ve discovered…I LOVE going to these events!  I love the people I’m meeting, I love the content I’m learning, I love how my mind is expanding, I love the connections I’m making, I love the skills I’m implementing, I love it all!!!  There are so many talented people out there, with an abundance of gifts to share with us, and I consider every one of them my teacher.  I would much rather sit and listen to the struggles of entrepreneurs and the road they’ve traveled to reach their current level of success than to be sitting at home watching TV.  I find that way more exciting!

So, now that I’ve realized that I could quite possibly be a “Seminar Junkie” I am going to list the top five tips I’ve implemented in order to maximize the results of the experience while I’m there.  You might want to use them for yourself if you find that you are spending more time looking at the backs of heads and a speaker on stage than you are looking at the trees, the grass, the horizon, or your loved ones.

Tip #1:  Meet As Many People As You Can… But, Only Take A Business Card From Someone You  Actually Plan to Connect With.

When I first started out, I took everyone’s card.  I’d return home from the event and have a huge pile of cards.  I couldn’t even remember half of them, so how can I possibly support them?  I would much rather leave an event with five quality contacts of people I can help and who want to help me, than 50 cards that clutter my desk, my contact list, and my mind.  It’s not serving them, so don’t take it because you don’t want to hurt their feelings.  It allows them to move on to someone who might be able to help them.

Tip #2:  Dress In Layers.

Those rooms are freezing.  They keep them cold to keep you alert and awake.  So, dress in layers so you can adjust accordingly.  I would much rather be in a cold room than a hot room, but I do not want to be uncomfortable.  Therefore, I dress in layers…short sleeve, with a long sleeve over it, with a jacket or shawl for even more warmth.  It takes away from the experience if you’re focused on your comfort level. 

Tip #3:  Be Present…Take Less Notes and Listen More.

You’re at the event, so hone in on it and BE AT the event!  They video record the entire events these days.  Don’t be so worried about taking notes.  If you sit and really listen, then you’ll only need to write down bullet points.  That will make retaining the information much easier when you go back and review your notes…which leads me to Tip #4…

Tip #4:  Review Your Notes Every Day for a Full Week.

It’s in the repetition that we retain and remember.  If you look at your notes every day for a full week after the event, your retention of the material goes up exponentially!!!  I don’t recall the statistic, but it’s a crazy big number!  (I think it’s in my notes somewhere from a seminar I attended before I started implementing this practice!)

Tip #5:  Eat Well and Stay Hydrated!

The sessions go long and biology breaks are few and far between, but that’s no excuse to become dehydrated.  If you’re not eating healthy snacks and consuming a lot of water, you are going to burn out for sure!  You’re tank will run out of gas.  Have some snacks in your bag and a big bottled water with you.  There’s usually water there, but sometimes it’s a hassle to get up in the middle of training to get some, especially if you have to disturb other people when you get up.  If you’re prepared, you don’t have to worry about that.

So there you have it…my top five tips as a self-proclaimed “Seminar Junkie.”  These events are a way to continue real-life, practical education.  They are out there talking about their failures as well as their successes.  As a Student of Life, I’ll take my education and insights wherever I can get them.  Thank you to those who put themselves out there.  I hope to see all of you at one of my events in the near future.  Until then, keep doing what you’re doing.

With Love,

Diane

Quote:  I’m not in the speech making business, I’m not in the seminar business, I’m not in the writing book business, I’m in the changing lives business.  – Zig Ziglar

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Giving Gets You Ten-Fold, A Hundred Fold, A Thousand Fold…Seriously!

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One day, I was taking a walk along the Embarcadero in San Diego, and I was thirsty.  So, I headed over to Starbucks to get an iced tea.  As I was approaching the store on Broadway, I noticed a young man…maybe 19 or 20 years old…sitting on the side walk, leaning up against a light post.  He was homeless and alone.  His hair was long and dirty, his head hung down low, and all he had with him was a worn back pack, which I’m sure carried all of his earthly belongings.

He didn’t see me as I walked passed him, but I definitely noticed him.  When I got in line, I grabbed a boxed lunch and a bottled water for him.  As I walked outside with my tea in one hand and the bag in the other, he looked up and saw me for the first time.  As I approached him, he began to ask me if I had any loose change to spare.  Before he could get all of the words out, and reached down and offered him the bagged lunch.  He looked so surprised for a moment, but then his eyes grew a little wider and he gave me a half smile as he said “God Bless You” to me.  I said, “God Bless You, too” as I smiled at him long enough to let him know, without question, “I see you, and you matter.” 

That moment was gift enough.  However, the universe had something else in mind for me.  As I continued to walk,  I swear, I didn’t even get 50 feet away from this young man when I received a text from my accountant.  An issue I had been dealing with regarding my business taxes for almost a year at that point had, all of a sudden been settled.  It was a $1,500 fee that was now no charge.  Incredible, right?

My friends, that is the way this magnificent universe works.  Random acts of kindness are rewarded all the time…as long as the intention is to give just to give.  If you look at every successful person you know, famous or not, look at the amount of time and money they give back.  Our intentions every single day should be from a place of giving, not getting.  Giving opens you up, which opens up opportunity.  Getting keeps you closed off and keeps all of the richness, abundance, wealth, and gifts out. 

Stop for a minute and think about the times in your life when you are feeling blessed, abundant, happy…what were you doing at the time?  Then, think about the times in your life when you feel bad, lonely, hurt, jealous, a sense of lack…what was your behavior then?

I love this story so much and I think about that young man often.  I keep him in my prayers and hope that he is safe and warm, feeling loved, seen and appreciated.  We all need that.  Now, I’m not saying that you need to go buy a meal for a homeless person, but wouldn’t that feel so good?  Not with any expectation to get something in return, just for the sheer act of giving.  Think about giving something today.  I promise you, it will come back to you in a much grander way. 

With Love,

Diane

Quote:  No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted…Aesop.

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I’m So Tired

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I’m tired.

I’m tired of all the polarity among the people.  We are the only species with ego, and it’s our ego that causes us to feel emotions such as rage, anger, fear, insecurity, powerlessness.  We are FAR from powerless.  We are strong, decisive, unique, and we all have the ability to CHOOSE love, forgiveness, compassion, trust and understanding.  How can we ever hope for world peace when we can’t even love thy neighbor?

Wherever there is a gap within us, be it from old pain, worry, doubt, or any other negative emotion, it can only be filled with love.  Love is the only thing we take with us when we leave this earth.  So, why can’t we live that way more while we are here and alive?

Whoever reads this, please know that I love you…no matter who you are, what you do, who you vote for and what you believe.  Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, I send you my love as well.  I know that your job will not be an easy one.  But, you have my support.  Because without it, we can’t thrive and be all that we are ALL destined to be! 

There is no such thing as right or wrong…only opinion.  The expression that goes like this:  “There’s three sides to every story…his, hers, and the truth”…is not accurate.  There really are only two sides…his truth and her truth.  We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men, and women, are created EQUAL.  Another expression is “perception is projection.” What that means is when we say and think the worst in others, what’s happening is we are merely shining a mirror on where we need to love ourselves more. 

So, let’s start with ourselves.  Love ourselves more, forgive ourselves more, nurture ourselves more.  Do our part to own and take control of our lives, thereby being able to do more for others.  It sounds so simple, right?  But, what if it is?  What if it was that easy to create peace, love, understanding, collaboration, cooperation, and peace among us?  What if we simply just accept each other as the unique beings we are, with no judgement…how much more peaceful would our existence be?

Not to go all “woo woo” on you, but we are all energy.  Everything is energy.  More than that, we are all vibrating.  And how we vibrate, positively or negatively, is what we are bringing into our lives.  Misery loves company, right?  Well, joy loves company too.  So does acceptance, respect, peace, harmony, and of course, love. 

I teach a process called EED.  Emotional Energy Diffusers.  It’s a very effective process in alleviating fear, anxiety, worry…and any other negative emotion you may be feeling, including the ones you’re not even aware that you’re feeling when you’re feeling them.  I show you how to become aware, acknowledge the emotion, then alleviate it as quickly as possible.  This process has served me so well during this election period.  It’s in my book as well at the I Have Today System online.  I teach it to my private clients as well.  If you’re interested in finding out more about it, just go to my site at www.ihavetoday.com.  This blog isn’t about selling you my products and services; I’m simply making you aware of it.

I spent over 32 years in advertising and television media sales.  It was an amazing career!  I was so blessed to do what I did before entering into entrepreneurship.  During that time, I spent many hours watching TV.  News is the largest daypart on TV, with stations typically running over 50 hours per week of local and national news.  There are also all of the news only networks like CNN, HNN, etc.  It’s everywhere.  You can’t get away from it.  Unless…you turn off your TV and keep it off, which I’ve “elected” to do.  When I say “I’m tired” it’s because all of that rhetoric zaps the energy right out of me, so this was the only solution that seemed to work for me.   I’m not suggesting you do that, because as I pointed out earlier…I love you no matter who you are and what you do.  I’m just letting you know what I’m doing and what is working for me, because I know there are so many of you out there who are just as tired as I am. 

Let me close by saying that no matter who becomes our new President of the United States of America on November 8, I will support that person with honor and respect.  I choose to.  I choose to live from a place of love.  I choose to look at life through the lens of promise, of excitement, of expansion and growth, of hope.  This country and this world need me to.   I hope you’ll join me.  Either way…I love you.

With Love,

Diane

Quote: Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. – Helen Keller

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What’s the Number One Component of Happiness

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Gratitude is the number one component to achieving true happiness, in my opinion. It takes practice on a regular basis, but it is so worth it. When you’re grateful for every single event and experience in your life, you look at things with a whole new perspective. You realize that every single experience, good or bad, lead you to greater clarity about the kind of life you want to live. Expressing gratitude, whether internally to yourself or externally to others, has a ripple effect. Others can feel that energy from you and it just instinctively becomes a part of them. I’ve made it a practice to write down what I’m grateful for every day. There were some dark days where the only thing I could be grateful for was the warm bed my body laid in and the soft pillow under my head. I have to stretch my mind to find other things to be grateful for. Sometimes it was just being grateful for the ability to actually stay in bed. I’m extraordinarily lucky that those days were few and far between.

At the time of my life when I was going through all this transition and really dialed up my spiritual practice and study, gratitude was one of the first things that resonated with me. I thought to myself, I have had such a gifted life and yet on so many levels, then why aren’t I appreciating that more? That’s when I really got the concept of gratitude.

Being grateful is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. It makes everything in our life run more smoothly when we practice gratitude for things as simple as our breath, as the sunshine, as hearing a bird sing, as enjoying a delicious cup of tea, there’s gratitude in all of that. The things that I most grateful for on a regular basis are the following:

My perfect health! Could there be anything more wonderful than having the freedom to be able to do what I want whenever I want freely and having a body that allows me to do that!? What a remarkable gift!  When I used to do negative self-talk about my physical features, I have now turned that around and make it a positive. I practice the law of relativity as frequently as I possibly can. Meaning this…if I hate the way my thighs look, I allow myself that moment to acknowledge that thought.  Then, I immediately go to the law of relativity, which means relative to whose thighs am I comparing mine to? There are people who are in wheelchairs, walkers, or who have lost limbs and don’t even have thighs! So, I’m blessed and then I tell my thighs how much I love them, appreciate them and I am grateful for them. Now this wasn’t always easy for me, but I will tell you this…once I started expressing gratitude for every part of my physical body, my physical body began to change. By expressing gratitude, the cells in my body feel the love! They no longer feel the disgust, the hate or the disdain that used to clutter my mind. This is just one example of how to practice the law of relativity in relation to gratitude.

I am forever grateful for my body and its capacity to have given me my remarkable twins. So, when I look at my body and notice the stretch marks and the areas that aren’t quite as tight as they used to be, I now look at it with love and gratitude for what it was able to do during my pregnancy and birth. I am in awe and wonder at how my body knew what to do and where to grow to create a safe haven to incubate those babies.

I practice writing a list of things I’m grateful for on a regular basis.  If I don’t have time that day, I’ll at least say a list out loud. I let the universe know what I’m thinking and feeling by expressing it verbally, smiling all the while, and allowing that positive energy to ripple out into the universe.

I’m so grateful for the technology that’s allowing me to write this right now! As I sit here in this beautiful environment, writing outside on a beautiful afternoon, I think about how blessed I am to be able to do this. I’m writing, and that’s something that I love to do. I’m grateful for that too. 

Opportunities to express gratitude are everywhere…if you keep your eyes and heart open.

With Love,

Diane

Quote:  Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation…Brian Tracy

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