Step into your greatness. You have gathered so much wisdom and knowledge in your life.  You have developed skills and abilities that make you uniquely who you are.

Think of the values shared by your family – service, excellence, kindness.  These are like the water you swim in.  You don’t notice them because they are so familiar.  Yet you can feel grateful for the solid foundation they create, contributing to the person you have become.

Appreciate the things you have learned – how to fix a car, how to help others reach their potential, how to program a computer.  Recognize the hard work that went into that learning and the value that knowledge has for yourself and for others.
Consider the wisdom you have developed over the years – patience, compassion, acceptance.  Celebrate how you have let your rough edges become smoothed by experience.

It is so easy to take for granted the gift that you are and the gifts that you have to offer.  Take the time to value those gifts and share them with others.  Doing this will help you to make your good life better.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that you don’t know what to do and your coach or therapist has the answers.  It’s tempting to put them on a pedestal as the expert who will solve all of your problems.  When you do this, you lower yourself in relation to them. This is unfair to you and simply not true.

Only you know what’s right for you

It’s a mistake to go into the relationship thinking that your therapist or coach has all the answers and all you need is to get those answers from them.  This attitude demeans you.  You come into greater integrity and self-respect when you see yourself as an equal co-creator in the relationship.

The people you work with may offer answers or solutions to your problems or the challenges you face. Only you can know for sure if their suggestions fit for you.
The truth is that most of the answers you need can be found within.  When a helping professional makes a suggestion, check your gut to be sure that what they are saying resonates for you.

I once had a client who, following her therapist’s advice, had left her husband five years before she ever came to see me.  She still harbored resentment towards her therapist for a decision she regretted every day.

Only you can be the author of your life

Approach helping professionals with curiosity.  Be interested in what they have to offer.  Remember, only you can decide what fits for you and only you can make it happen.
Don’t expect them to do it for you!  When you do this you, you make yourself less important than you really are.  Only you can change your life, by implementing what works for you. No matter how valuable the assistance of your coach or therapist, it will be your hard work that creates the changes you want in your life.

Remember, your coach or therapist is not the authority and you need their help. You are the authority, seeking assistance. You diminish yourself if you see a helping professional as smarter, or better than you.  By owning your own authority, you own your own dignity and importance. Stand tall and see the value of what they offer as enhancing who you are and what you do.

A Conference Board poll taken in 2006 indicated that 40% of Americans had no plans to take any summer vacation.  This was the worst showing in the poll’s 28 years.  Are you among those who choose no vacation?

Taking a vacation of at least a few days, preferably a week or more, enables you to unhook completely.  You can slide into a relaxed rhythm enabling you to thoroughly recharge.

Return to a vacation place that’s comfortably familiar, or go someplace new. Travel to somewhere exotic or simply stay home to complete tasks you’ve been meaning to get to or visit sites in your area you’ve wanted to explore.

The essential thing is to remove yourself entirely from your normal routine. Give yourself enough time to really experience the benefit of distance from your normal life.  You’ll return relaxed and refreshed, better able to handle your daily challenges.  You’ll gain perspective that will help you to deal with the problems you face in your daily life.  You’ll make your good life better.

Jennifer dramatically transformed her life by implementing several of these self-care suggestions.  The relaxation that came with taking brief breaks throughout the day brought down her blood pressure and actually helped her accomplish more at work.  She looked and felt better than she had in years once she joined the weekly yoga class she’d been thinking about. Most of all, Jennifer and her husband enjoy the boost in marital satisfaction their weekly date nights provide and their Hawaii vacation was the trip of a lifetime.

Going to a movie, a concert or a special exhibit at a local museum or gallery provides an enjoyable break from your regular routine.

10. Socialize at least once a week.

This could be getting together with friends or establishing a weekly date-night with your spouse or partner.

Regular physical activity – running or biking – helps keep you in shape while producing endorphins, those neurotransmitters which provide a natural high.  Engaging in team sports such as volleyball or softball adds the advantage of social interaction to the benefit of exercise as a stress management tool.

Create a practice of regularly engaging in activities that nourish you.

7. Express your creativity

Engage in such hobbies as quilting or playing a musical instrument.  Sign up for a painting or ceramics class.

When good things happen to you during the day, sharing them with someone close to you enhances your satisfaction.  When bad things occur, another’s concern and support make you feel better.  When you spend time in meaningful communication with your partner you strengthen the relationship and benefit yourself.

If you are not in a committed relationship, get together with friends regularly, whether in person, on the phone or through email.  You can enjoy the same benefits of concerned interaction when you share your life with people you care about who care about you.

If you already have a meditation practice, implement it briefly at intervals throughout the day. If meditation is new to you, simply sit quietly with your feet flat on the floor and your arms uncrossed.  Focus on your breathing.  When thoughts arise, as they inevitably will, just let them go and return your focus to your breathing.  It takes only a few minutes of meditation to feel calm and refreshed.

It only takes a few minutes of walking to refresh yourself.  Try walking around the building or, better yet, go outside to walk and get some fresh air.  Creative inspiration often comes while you walk or you may discover solutions to the problems you face.

Raise your hands high above your head and then bend over as if to touch your toes.  Do a couple of side-bends to each side.  Rotate your waist.  If you need privacy to do this, head to the handicapped stall in the rest-room.  This is a great way to regroup!