As many of us know, today is Halloween.  We like to have fun by dressing up in costumes and going to parties or trick-or-treating.  I personally went trick-or-treating with my son for the first time tonight.  The weather was GREAT, for a Halloween night!  Some of us like to get scared by watching horror movies or going to haunted houses.

Yet, what, deep down inside, really scares you?  Maybe you don't tell anyone what it is.  Maybe you don't even admit it to yourself.  Does the thought of being alone scare you?  Does the thought of dying without family or loved ones nearby scare you?  Maybe the thought of being overweight scares you.  Maybe people and being in crowds scares you.  Many people are afraid of spiders, the dark, and snakes.

We try to make light and make fun of some things that scare us on Halloween night.  We try to laugh it off and say it's nothing.  Yet, if you're afraid of something, there must be a reason.  Have you ever thought of what is the reason for your fear?  Did an experience in childhood?  The adolescent years?  College?  Adulthood?  How does that fear serve you?  There must be a reason for it, or you wouldn't keep it around.

If you don't mind that fear, there is a legitimate reason for keeping it, or you don't mind it - that's fine.  However, if you want to get rid of that fear - whatever it is- but don't quite know how, please reach out.  That's what coaches are for.  To help you when you just need a little more guidance.  I offer free 30-minute consultation sessions.  That may be enough to help you, or you may need more.  I won't know until I talk to you.

Lisa Starr
Life/Corporate Coach

Honestly, you can read the new fad diet or pills you can take, but we all know what to do.  We know that there are only a handful of things that, if we follow, we will be thin and healthy everyday of our lives.  We know we need to: 1. Eat healthy foods and healthy portions, 2. Exercise at least three times a week, 3. Drink 8+ glasses of water, and 4. Sleep 8+ hours a night.  There are many other things we could be doing, but this paragraph is sticking with what we all know for now.  Below are three other embellishments on the above/more suggestions.

First of all, drink water.  Your body uses at least 2 cups (16 oz) of water at night, so if you drink 2 cups of water as soon as you wake up, you'll lose weight because your body can flush out more of the toxins in your body.

Second of all, cut down on or totally cut out carbonated drinks.  It takes your body 8 oz of water to undo the negative effects of
1 oz of a carbonated drink (it doesn't matter whether or not the drink has caffeine, the carbonation alone makes the negative effects on your body), so that means if you drink a 12 oz container of Coke, Pepsi, Sprite - whatever than that means you need 96 oz of water (12 cups) to counteract the effects of the carbonation on your body.

Third of all (and there could be many more), how much do you want to weigh?  Picture yourself as if you are currently that weight.  If you have pictures of you at that weight, even better.  Look at them daily.  The most important part of this equation is FEEL happy.  Don't WANT that weight.  Just take a moment to notice the difference between how it feels to HAVE something you want versus WANT something you don't have.  Take close note of the differences between those feelings.  FEELING like you already have something does strange things.  It starts to bring what you want into your life.  Yet, IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT FEELING GOOD.  It's also about listening to that inner voice that tells you what you need to do in order to get your goal.  Your subconscious mind (or God as well) talks to you in feelings.  If you feel you should do something, DO IT.  TRUST your feelings and BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.  You don't have to believe this, but I truly believe that we all have God within us, which means we can feel what's the next best step to take.

The above suggestions are what I've learned from a couple of different books/seminars (Suzanne Ledbetter at an Amway Seminar, the movie and book The Secret and Bob Proctor's Goal Achiever Seminar). 

Yet, if you still need a little help, or some in depth answers, please feel free to schedule a free consultation with me (under "Contact Us"). 

I'd LOVE to hear your comments and suggestions.

Lisa Starr
Life/Business Coach

 According to the Archives of General Psychiatry (as quoted on various websites including http://1.usa.gov/RLcshn), 20.9 million adults have a mood disorder in any given year and the average onset of mood disorder is 30.

WOW!  Can you believe that almost 21 million people have a mood disorder RIGHT NOW?!  In the American Heritage Medical Dictionary, mood disorder is described as: "Any of a group of psychiatric disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder, characterized by a pervasive disturbance of mood that is not caused by an organic abnormality. Also called affective disorder.(qtd by: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/mood+disorder)

Because there are so many people suffering from depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, etc. - Let me start by saying that it's not an easy fix.  Yet, it also doesn't have to be so difficult to start doing what you can to help yourself and your life a little bit.  Many times, medication can help.  Many times, seeing a therapist can help.  Sometimes, these situations may be difficult to totally remove from your life.

Bob Proctor, in The Secret (both movie and book), stated that "disease" (which can apply to the word "disorder" as well) is just that - DIS- ease.  Sometimes, or Bob would say all of the time, when you have a disease or disorder, there is something about your life that is not in order or you are not at ease.  STOP for a moment....

What in your life is not in order?  What in yourself are you not at ease about?  Is it in your relationships?  Money? Your body? Something that happened when you were young?  Something in your life that is STILL happening? 

I invite you, when you have 5 or 10 extra minutes, to just brainstorm.  If you ever took a creative writing class in school, you might have done this before, maybe many times.  Just write everything that comes to your mind.  Don't judge.  Maybe it's not related (or is, but you don't think it is).  Just write.  Time yourself, so you're not distracted by looking at the time every few seconds.  Then, take a look at what you wrote and think about what may be wrong. 

Now, I invite you to take another 5 or 10 minutes by brainstorming what's RIGHT in your life.  What makes you happy?  What do you just love to do that don't get the time to do, or don't allow yourself the pleasure to do (I know that I tend to be a workaholic and sometimes avoid what I love to do the most because it interferes with what needs to get done). 

Next, whenever you get too stressed out about some of the things on your first list, give yourself a time out (I know these were a bad thing as children) to do one of the things that makes you happy.  It may only take 5-10 minutes and it may take longer, but, the point is, when you're doing things that make you happy, you feel good.  And in feeling good, you're allowing the Universe (or God) to bring more goodness into your life.  The more time you make in your life for goodness, the more goodness will flow into your life, and the less time you'll have for the badness in your life.

Lisa Starr
Life/Corporate Coach

P.S. I'm not saying the above solution will fix all of your problems.  All I'm saying is that it's a place to start, and a good way to take a little break.  Who knows, for you, it may begin a new direction to a new positive life.

Mostly, I'm going to write what's on my mind - wisdom that I've learned.  It will be on a variety of different topics, that I think will appeal to many people.  I'll mention: weight loss, relationships, money (three of the biggest problems in many peoples' lives), as well as other topics.

This blog is intended to benefit your life/career.  If there is a topic you want to find out more about, please feel free to contact me or comment below. 

For now, I'd like you to think about this question, and respond, if you will (either below or just e-mail me).  This will help me know how to help you better:  If you could change anything in your life, what would it be?