JPS & Associates ... helping you master change

There are two sides to every situation...

There is a “gift” in every situation. Even if an event seems negative on the surface, there is something good happening underneath. Have you gotten divorced, fired from a job or had an illness and thought that your world had ended? If you picked yourself up, dusted off your pride and released your need to always be “right” or in control, you probably learned some wonderful lessons about yourself. You learned that you’re a survivor. You learned that you have people in you corner to help you when you need a little “tender, loving care.” You learned what causes you pain and what causes you joy and what you need to change in you life so that you have less pain and more joy.

There is more than one side to every situation. You don’t want to overlook the obvious, of course. But don’t let your comprehension of the obvious blind you to those things which lie hidden.

For more than 7 months, I have been challenged with an arm that doesn’t work the way I want it to work. I have limited range of motion and the degree of mobility changes from day to day along with the intensity of the pain. Being unable to do the simplest of things like blow dry my hair, drive and sometimes even lift up a fork, I’ve had plenty of “down time.”

I’ve spent most of those 7 months within the 4-walls of my apartment. I had nothing competing for my attention, so I was able to find the treasures buried underneath the ruble. I identified and changed some limiting beliefs about myself and others, asked for help and had people show up for me, got to know what’s really important in my life and it’s not how much money I have in the bank, the year and model of my car, the title on my business card or the size clothing I wear.

The gift I found was an appreciation for simple pleasures and acts of kindness. They open my heart more than any new trinket could have, no matter how much it cost.

There is much opportunity in looking beyond the obvious. In every piece of bad news, you’ll find positive possibilities hidden somewhere, if you’ll just make the effort to uncover them.

Anyone can see the obvious. That’s why we call it obvious. Make the effort to see beyond the obvious, and you’ll find a wealth of hidden treasure.

If you look for the “gift” or the opportunity in every situation, you’ll change your perception of the event. Just by that shift in consciousness, the situation won’t seem so bad and you’ll be motivated to take the actions needed to turn your life around.

Get in the habit of asking yourself what else there is. You can turn any negative situation into a positive opportunity by knowing how to look past the obvious. When something is troubling you, force yourself to consider what is positive about it. You’ll find it if you look.

Copyright 2006, Joanne (JP) Stein. All rights reserved.
www.bestcoach4u.com, jp@bestcoach4u.com, jps_and_associates@yahoo.com 

Who needs a success coach?

When I meet somebody for the first time and they ask me what I do for a living, I tell them that I’m a success coach. Often that answer is met with a blank stare because they have had no experience with coaching except in regards to sports. I go on to explain a bit about the process and that success coaching is similar to coaching an Olympic athlete.

If a gymnast wants to get to be a gold metal winner, he must practice and have guidance from somebody who’s already achieved that goal. That’s why every athlete has a coach. The coach teaches the gymnast, swimmer, cyclist or archer the best method to become a winner in the least amount of time. The coach and the Olympic hopeful determine a plan of action and it’s the coaches responsibility to make sure the athlete adheres to the plan and reaches the goal.

I do the same thing for people who want to achieve personal and professional goals as well as organizations that want to be more profitable.

As your success coach, I show you how to tap into your passions and turn your dreams into reality. Even more, you get the right tools and techniques to help you meet the busy demands of your life, all with more joy and less stress every day.

What do people REALLY want when they hire me as their coach? People hire me for many reasons, but underneath all the financial and career goals, the plans for a perfect relationship, and the other STUFF that society tells us we should have, the true goal is usually a deeper kind of success. It is the success that comes from:

·        knowing what you really believe, what you really want, and living with true authenticity.

·        working and living more harmoniously with other people.

·       having time and peace of mind enough to be able to smell the roses, watch a sunset, smile at a loved one.

My goal is that the lives of my coaching clients shall be more in harmony, more in balance, less bothered by the irritations and tolerations that sap their energy, and more free to enjoy the many gifts that life has brought us.

My aim is that, whatever form of success people truly aim for, as their coach I will help them to reach it more easily, and enjoy it more deeply.

Why not double or triple your results with this success coach with a proven record of accomplishment? I’d like to gift you with a free 30-minute coaching session.

Contact me by phone 480-661-6422 or email jp@bestcoach4u.com, if you're serious about improving the quality of your life and making your goals a reality.

Copyright 2006, Joanne (JP) Stein. All rights reserved.
www.bestcoach4u.com, jp@bestcoach4u.com, jps_and_associates@yahoo.com

Getting it all done...

Relaxing and having fun are as important as working hard and completing the last item on your "to do" list. To be truly happy, balance is necessary.

Today I've decided to spend part of the day doing things for others and part of the day doing things for myself. That way I won't get burned out. I won't get resentful either. If I always delay my gratification or sacrifice my needs for the "wants" of others, every additional task becomes a huge obstacle that I have to overcome. If I all I do is work, I deprive my body of needed rest, I deprive my mind of the freedom to be creative and I distance myself from friends and family.

My life isn't an either or proposition. It's about balancing my needs and the needs of others. It's about balancing my wants with the wants of others. It's about balancing work and play, being with people and being alone, being active and being contemplative, etc., etc. There's no one answer about how to spend your time each day. All you can do is go within and ask your inner wisdom what it would like to do today and then follow its guidance as much as possible. Give yourself permission to do less than is humanly possible and to have fun.

Without love, joy and laughter, your life wouldn't be complete.

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. jps_and_associates@yahoo.com 

Ready to live your best life?

Dear Friends,

Below a shameless plug about the success coaching I provide. I'd love to help you manifest your heart's desires. If you know somebody else who is ready to step up to the next level, I'd appreciate it if you passed along this posting. Thanks for considering taking positive action that will help your transform a dream into a reality!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

YES, I CAN!

Do you want to set in motion a shift in any area of your life? Are you willing to improve you career, relationships, health, spiritual awareness or some other area of your life? Then sign up for my coaching sessions entitled “Yes, I can!”

Everyone comes to coaching with his or her own set of goals, expectations, and learning styles. I offer a variety of services allowing you to choose the one(s) that best fit your specific needs: personal coaching, and or group tele-seminars.

To learn more about my skills and expertise, please read the “about me” section on my blog. Here’s the link:

URL: http://empowerment2.typepad.com/jps_associates_helping_yo/

Testimonials

Joanne’s sensitive coaching style allows people to be themselves while helping them explore the areas in their lives that they need to grow.  Her nurturing style gives comfort to those hurting, yet her honesty encourages people to look into themselves and their spirituality and stretch to be all that God wants them to be.  Joanne’s guidance has shown me how strong I can be in very difficult circumstances and that I don’t have to be a victim of my circumstances.  I now know it is up to me how I react to my circumstances, and whenever I can, I chose a healthy reaction.

Jonena L. Relth

President, TBD Consulting, Inc.

The need for me to establish life goals became a personal necessity yet I knew very little about how to go about accomplishing that task.  Joanne Stein (JPS & Associates) carefully guided me through a process of tasks and exercises that helped me develop three important goals and the tools for keeping them at the forefront of my thinking.  The end result more than met my expectations: a clear path for achieving more life satisfaction and the ability to be more effective in decision-making.  An added bonus to working with Joanne was discovering her intuitiveness; she is an expert at identifying conflicts or subconscious barriers that can keep one from realizing their authentic self.  I am grateful for Joanne's help and can't recommend her highly enough.  If you want to feel more satisfied in your life and achieve goals with more ease, contact Joanne Stein.

Vicki Stouffer

Small Group Coaching

Interested in change or support and looking for an affordable alternative to private sessions? Join a coaching group. These consist of 4-8 individuals who meet weekly (via telephone) to discuss topics generated by the group or a focus topic; share success stories; gain clarity, and discover options you never knew you had. Group coaching can be a powerful experience.

How does it work? With each membership in a group-coaching seminar, you receive:

Four 60-minute telephone sessions (one per week—usually starting the first week of the month) and unlimited email support for the month.

What are some of the benefits of group coaching?

·    Experience the resources and synergy of a group setting

·    An affordable alternative to personal (private) coaching

·    The sense of community—it's a very safe and supportive environment

·    Connect with others facing the same issues and realize you are not alone

What do we talk about? Each week members have the opportunity to "check in" during which time he/she can talk about "wins" (progress since the last call), or perhaps bring a new issue or situation to the group for support. Members of each group may also decide to set some topics they would like to focus on during upcoming calls—possibly addressing areas in which they all would like support or strategies for success. These might include, but not be limited to Stress Management, Effective Communication, Career Change, Spiritual Principles and Empowerment.

What is this worth? How much would you be willing to pay to have a keen group of supporters available to you each week? People who could share what has worked for them; to celebrate your "wins" and keep you up and motivated if things don't work out as expected? A place where you wouldn't be told the right way to do things, but rather discover the way that is right for you?

What’s the cost? To promote this great vehicle for support and get the word out, I am currently offering membership in my group coaching sessions for the reduced rate of $129 a month. Payment in full is due before the first session of each month and I accept checks, cash and credit cards. As a comparison, my fee for a one-on-one, private coaching session is $150 an hour or $350 a month for three 3 30-minute calls per month and unlimited internet access. Group coaching ia really a bargain!

When do groups run? New groups form every few months. My next group begins Tuesday, September 5, 2006 and ends on Tuesday September 26, 2006. Each group call starts promptly at 6:00 PM Pacific time, 7:00 Mountain time, and 8:00 Eastern time. If there is enough interest, I will add a second group that will run on the same days starting at 11:00 Pacific time, noon Mountain time and 1:00 Eastern time and a possible third group that will run on Wednesdays starting at 6:00 Pacific time.

Once signed up, you will have the option of renewing your membership on a monthly basis. It’s completely your decision. Many people decide to keep going for 3-6 months, and some all year! They see this as a low-cost way of having support readily available on an ongoing basis and they are proud of the results they achieve.

Interested? Contact me, Joanne (JP) Stein, today at JPS_and_Associates@ yahoo.com to ask questions, register for the September group or to be put on the waiting list, since space is limited.

Discover the difference coaching can make. Yes, you can improve the quality of your life!

Regardless of the type of coaching you decide on, I look forward to the possibility of being your guide and supporter as you discover and develop your inner expert.

JP

480-661-6422 phone

480-661-8849 fax

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. jps_and_associates@yahoo.com

Take responsibility...

Who do you blame for the problems in your life? Is it your boss, your spouse, your parents, your child? Whomever you give the label as being the source of your problems, you're also giving the power to control your life. You're reacting to their behavior and letting it ruin the quality of your life. Been there, done that and I am now choosing to respond to situations instead of reacting to them as if I was a puppet on a string. (Sometimes it's easier said than done.)

Reclaim your power. Take responsibility for your own life. Do this by consciously deciding when and how to behave in a situation instead of responding as if you're on auto-pilot or a marionette whose strings are being pulled by an invisible puppeteer.

If you had a problem with your boss, keep it at the office. Don't bring it home with you and obsess about it when you could be focusing on something else – something that would promote your self-growth or just increase your sense of happiness. Don’t let something that happened at work have a negative impact on you relationship with your friends, family, or your self-esteem.

Those things for which you are responsible are the things that will propel your life forward.

When you take responsibility for your work, that work will bring success. Take responsibility for your character, and you’ll be looked upon as a leader. Take responsibility for your finances, and you will become wealthy.

Take responsibility for your thoughts, and they will lead you to greatness. Be responsible for your actions, and dreams become reality.

Responsibility is yours the moment you decide to embrace it.  Is it fair that you should be responsible when others avoid responsibility? No, it is not always fair, nor is it always easy. Yet responsibility is essential.

How much responsibility can you handle? That is precisely how successful you will be.

EVERYBODY says or does something that they wish they could undo. Don’t obsess over it. Make amends if possible, forgive yourself for your action and then do something positive. It's as simple as stopping the obsessive thought as soon as you recognize it and replacing it with another thought of your own choosing. You can say something as simple as "I choose a peaceful thought instead of this" or "I choose to remain calm."

Ultimately, it's up to YOU to decide who's going to control the quality of your life. Cut the strings that you allowed to control you actions, take responsibility for your life and enjoy a wonderful sense of freedom!

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. jps_and_associates@yahoo.com 

The mystic that I am...

My last posting about uniqueness got me thinking. What makes me unique?

I never thought of myself having any qualities that were different from the skills and abilities that others had. In fact, when I compared myself to others, I usually overvalued their talents and undervalued mine. People would tell me how bright I am, how funny I am or what a great intuitive I am and I would get uncomfortable. Who are they talking about, I wondered?

Fast forward to this very moment. Today, I finally got it – we are all have special gifts and abilities and nobody has them all! Therefore, I leave being a master chef, a pianist, a rodeo clown and many other jobs to those who have the skills and desire to do those things. I don’t have those abilities and I’m delighted that others do. It allows them to do what they love and it gives me the opportunity to do what I love. Phew, not having to “do it all” or to be an expert in everything is sure liberating.

I am a mystic who leads people on the path to personal and spiritual growth. I give them the courage to go into uncharted waters and am their virtual life support. I share with them how I crossed the river, when I never thought I’d be able to get to the other side and was sure I’d die. I “hold the light” so they can see how to get to their desired destination.

Every third person seems to be a coach these days. And, in the past, I’d get scared that there weren’t enough clients to go around. That was my fear talking and a subconscious belief in limit and lack. I’ve replaced that with thinking “abundantly.”  I now know that whoever will benefit from working with ME will be lead to me. It’s my unique talent, skills, abilities and life experiences that make me a wonderful coach for some people and not for others and that’s fine. It allows me work with spiritual passion with my clients and to continue to grow and change and so I can lead them further along their own path. I love being the mystic that I am and am grateful to all the rough water I’ve gotten past so others can sail smoothly to wherever and whatever their inner guidance system directs them.

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. jps_and_associates@yahoo.com

You are not your job title....

About 20 years ago, I learned a valuable lesson – "I am not my job title." I had been an award-winning teacher at a prestigious California school, the assistant to the controller of a multi-million dollar real estate company and the district trainer for a Houston-based telecommunications company. In the later position, I took a plane to my job rather than a car and I was in a different city almost every week, only home on weekends to do laundry and prepare for the next business trip. I thought I was pretty cool. Then there were financial problems in the telecommunications company I was working for and I was laid off – without any warning nor a "golden parachute". All of a sudden, I no longer had a title or a quick answer when people asked me what I did for a living. It was a very stressful time for me, but in retrospect, I see what a gift that situation was!

For a variety of reasons, I started to work as a "temp." One week I might be answering phones, another week  I might be giving employment tests and the following week I might be planning an employee recognition event. I was treated differently based upon what job I was doing. It was eye-opening to see how I was treated as a receptionist rather than as a teacher, an assitant to the controller or a district trainer. Yet they were all me. I was the same person…with the same skills, intelligence and personality. The way I was treated was determined by the slot I was occupying on an org chart.

From my experience working as a temp, I learned the importance of treating everybody with respect. I also learned that in some ways it's harder the lower down you are in the pecking order. You have less freedom to choose when and what you do; it's assumed that you're not as smart or as ambitious as the person a little farther up the corporate ladder; you earn less money and have to be more creative with your household budgeting and you're usually on the front line when dealing with customers. 

Having worked as a temp, I now look at the person behind the job title and relate to him/her as an individual. I don't judge people based upon an artificial label. Whether you’re the president of a company or part of the cleaning crew, we're all the same. We're all human with the same wants and desires.

We all want to be loved and appreciated. How we earn our living is just one way we get those things. Whether we're in the office, bowling with friends or doing an errand, it's what we do in our interactions with others that determines our true value. As a quote I read someplace states it, "The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra." That extra can take the form of smiling at a stranger, holding the elevator door open for somebody whose hands are full, volunteering at a nursing home, babysitting for the neighbors, etc., etc.

It's now 20 years later and once again I find myself without a predefined role in an organization. The company that I was working for down-sized and I was one of the people impacted by the restructuring. I'm glad I had those experiences years ago because I am handling my lack of full-time employment so much differently. I now don't determine my self-worth by the number of people who report to me, the size of the office I have nor where my name appears on an organization chart. I know I make a difference in people's lives and I have less stress and more joy in my life than I did when I had a job description and the salary attached to that title. Sure I would love the security of a steady income but I'm grateful that I have the time off to get reacquainted with myself, my passions, skills and abilities. I enjoy having the time to relax, rejuvenate, re-awaken talents and re-evaluate what's really important in my life.

The more "inner work" I do, the clearer my focus is on what's important to me and those things are really quite simple. I want to love myself, to love others and to allow others to love me. None of those things are determined by my job title but they are determined by my attititude and my actions. In some ways, I feel richer now than I did when I was the Director of Training for a Fortune 250 service company, had benefits, a good salary and recieved bonuses. I now look forward to new and enjoyable opportunities rather than dreading that yet another item would be added to my "to do" list or another problem would have to be quickly solved.

My corporate experiences helped to define some of my personality charateristics and my coaching, consulting and work-free days let a different set of qualites emerge. I like both sets and can truly say that I'm happier now than when "money was no object." I wouldn't change any of my life because it made me who I am today and that's a very compassionate, helpful, creative, caring, nurturing, bright, humourous, spiritual, intuitive, non-judgmental and happier person. If I didn't learn that I wasn't my job title, I would be measuring my worth using somebody else's yardstick and I would feel like I never "measured up."

It's what you choose to do that determines the legacy that you'll leave. It's your actions rather than your job title that defines your true essence. What do you want to be remembered for? What are you going to do about it?

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. jps_and_associates@yahoo.com

Explore

Are you stuck in a rut? Do you do the same things day in and day out? Do you see the same people, go to the same places, eat the same foods and think the same thoughts? If you answered yes, then your life’s predictable but it may not be exciting, stimulating or growth producing.

To have more joy in your life, you need to be willing to make changes and take risks. You need to explore the boundaries beyond your “comfort zone.” You don’t have to change everything at once; start small. Try a new food, wear a color that you never wore before, take a different route to work, ask somebody different to have lunch with you or do something else to increase your comfort with change.

The more adventurous you become, the more opportunities you’ll find to explore. And, with that exploration, will come new ways of thinking, new people, new experiences and a new self-concept. If you want to improve the quality of your life start by thinking of yourself as an explorer. There’s no “right or wrong” associated with exploration, it’s all just a process of discovery.

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. jps_and_associates@yahoo.com

Happiness doesn't grow on a tree...

I've been thinking about happiness a lot lately. I have friends who have cancer, friends who are unemployed (not by their choice), friends who go to jobs they hate and friends who have challenging relationships with a spouse, a child or a parent. And, yet, some of these people are happy.

Happiness for me doesn’t mean having the perfect job, the perfect relationships, the perfect amount of money in a bank account, the perfect body or any other perfect “things” for that matter. All those things can disappear in an instant. Happiness involves being able to see the blessings and gifts in all situations. Happiness means feelings of contentment, inner peace and having a purpose that’s larger than just me. For me, happiness means to be able to “just be” who and what I am now without having to wait until I achieve some artificial goal. Happiness is about enjoying the entire journey not just the destination,

If I traveled around the world looking at every tree, happiness wouldn't be growing on any of the branches, no matter how lush the foliage on the tree. I won't find happiness in a jewel-encrusted crystal bottle displayed on the shelf in a store nor can I buy it on QVC or at a swap meet. 

Happiness is a choice. No matter what the situation, you make conscious or unconscious choices about how you respond. What you focus your attention on multiplies in your life. Your life is the sum total of the fruits of your choices. If you don't like the where your life is headed, change directions. You always have that option.

And, by the way, you can't think two thoughts at the same time. If you find yourself feeling angry, sad, frustrated, or lonely, shift your focus to something that makes you feel better --even a tiny bit better. That might mean going for a walk in nature, feeling the unconditional love that comes from a baby, doing something to make somebody else feel better or making a list of the positive aspects of every situation -- and I do mean "every." (Often death or illness brings love to the surface, reconnects estranged family members, or makes you evaluate how you want to spend each day of your life.)

Happiness doesn't grow on a tree; it grows in your heart. Choose to be happy!

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. jps_and_associates@yahoo.com

Challenges

I just finished a coaching session with a client and we talked about the meaning of the word “challenge” as well as the benefits that result from conquering a challenge. A challenge is doing something that’s out of our “comfort zone” and it’s often accompanied by fears, anxieties and judgments. Once mastered there’s nothing sweeter than the thrill of victory.

A challenge for me isn't necessarily a challenge for you. I may find it easy to express my feelings, to create a training manual or to channel energy to another person and you may have a challenge doing those things. You may find it easy to do math calculations in your head, to cook a gourmet meal, to do 100 push-ups or to make "cold calls" to gain new clients and I may have a challenge doing those same things.

Our challenges are determined by the unique talents we were born with, by the resources we have available to us, by our prior experiences and also by our attitude towards trying new things. Each time you stretch beyond your “comfort zone” and try something challenging, you grow and become a stronger person. You learn more about yourself and your capabilities and you increase your feelings of accomplishment.

That doesn't mean that you have to meet every one of your challenges head on or that you need to be "working on" multiple challenges each day. What it does mean is that when you're faced with a challenge you need to go within your heart space and ask yourself what's the lesson you'll learn or the gift you'll receive by triumphing over the challenge. Then you need to decide if the benefit is worth the risk.

Oh, by the way, as long as you're alive this is a never ending process. There will always be challenges in one's life. Just look at them as opportunities to become more fully alive and to express the truth of who you really are – that wonderful soul that resides in the center of your heart and you'll welcome each new challenge.

As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill you makes you strong!” Challenges just feel like life or death propositions but they aren’t. They are just means to strengthen our physical, mental, emotional or spiritual muscles. As long as you are willing to even consider facing a challenge, you’re already on the path to victory.

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. jps_and_associates@yahoo.com

True friendship...

In order to keep our friends, the ego advises, we must say "yes," even to requests that we do not want to comply with. What the ego forgets in its blindness, however, is the kind of friends that lying keeps. What value is there in a friendship that asks you to deny who you are?

When we listen to that inner guide advising us to say "no," we do a great service to our self and the world. Present your "no" with the dignity of the gift that it is. If you apologize for saying "no," then you do not believe in the voice that guides you to say it. The power of integrity lies in having the words from your lips be ones with the wisdom of your heart. Blessed by the power of truth, your "no" to that which does not belong to you is a testimony that your good lies elsewhere and you shall have it.

This is a lesson I’m still mastering. A long-time friendship ended in a flash because, after more than 15 years, I finally spoke my truth and said “no.” Even after numerous attempts on my part to contact my friend, we never spoke again. At first, I was very angry with myself because I missed the things my friend and I used to do together. I attended holidays at her house with her family, took yearly birthday pilgrimages to Sedona with her, and attended many movies and other events. However, upon reflection, I saw that the “friendship” was based upon my always saying “yes” and choking down words of anger, hurt or disappointment. She wanted to do things with me when she was between boyfriends and, because of my own low-self esteem, I settled for crumbs and didn’t want to risk loosing those cast-offs for fear that nobody else would be there to fill the void. I thought that I was "defective" in some way. Boy was I wrong!

Real friendships can handle "no." If your relationship cannot survive honesty, it is not a real friendship. Friends can disagree and yet love and respect one another. True caring requires realness, the willingness to be who we are.

Dedicate your friendship to truth, and you will be amazed at the peace and satisfaction it brings you. If a friend is not big enough to survive your "no," you don't want that friendship anyway. The real strength of a true relationship lies in our willingness to speak our honest thoughts and feelings. Do not settle for anything less; it's too high a price to pay!

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. jps_and_associates@yahoo.com

What's your idea?

The most valuable thing in the world is not an object, but an idea. Every object you see came from an idea. Your computer was once an idea. The car you drive started with an idea and your beloved remote control for your television started as an idea. An object is finite, limited, and can come and go. But a good idea contains within it the seeds of untold possibilities, including not just the idea at hand, but all the important ideas and products that may grow as offshoots of the original one.

The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas. Gardeners plant many seeds and cull the best ones for further propagation. You must act as a gardener for your ideas, nurturing them all, removing the ones that are not helpful, and giving all the nourishment you can to the good ones. Then one day you will look at your garden, bless God for the inspiration, and honor yourself for following through on your original vision.

To believe in our ideas is to open the door to the infinite possibilities of our potential. To believe in our self is to provide the rich soil that produces the success for our ideas. Do not squish your ideas before you give them a chance. Yes, some or even many of them may not work out, but the ones that do bear fruit will make it all worth it.

Where would society be if inventors, artist, writers, engineers, tool makers and others gave up when they came to a patch of barren soil? What ideas have you let die on the vine rather than continue to give them your attention? Would you feel better about yourself if you gave an idea your best effort or just gave up on it because it involved doing something differently than it was done in the past or proposing a new invention or thought that was the first of its kind? Hmmm…I wonder where society could be if the founding fathers gave up, if Helen Keller, Henry Ford. Jonas Salk or Bill Gates gave up?

What ideas do you have that will be of benefit in some way to society, your neighborhood, a family member, a pet or a physically challenged person? By not giving your ideas the time, energy and “nourishment” they must have to bear fruit, you deny yourself the opportunity to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes from seeing your idea come to life. You also deny people the benefit of your new way of doing something that will make their lives easier, safer, happier, more satisfying or healthier. Your idea may save Mother Earth’s natural resources, help bring peace to the planet or prevent a child from dying from a rare disease.

Your mind contains seeds of greatness, please follow your intuition, be courageous and breathe life into the ideas that are practical, insightful and uplifting. The world is waiting for you to take action. What are you doing to do today?

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. jps_and_associates@yahoo.com

Get Real!

Nobody's perfect…not the swimsuit model in the magazine, not your neighbor who seems to have more than 24 hours in a day because of all she does, not your clergyman or your physician. Nobody's perfect nor do they always get whatever they want. Everybody has lessons to learn. As you master one lesson, the next one appears. We'll never be perfect but we can become happier, find inner peace, increase our feelings of compassion and contribute to the well-being of others, become a creative problem solver and become grateful for all our opportunities to grow and develop.

The key to our success is found in our ability to get real. We need to be willing to admit our vulnerability and to show our humanity. We need to know what's in our heart and to speak our truth with loving kindness. If you really need a hug, ask for it. If you want to spend time with friends, pick up the phone and asked your friend to do something with you. If you want a new job, network with everybody you know and ask them for referrals. You might not always get what you want but you increase your chances if others are aware of your needs. It's far healthier to ask for what your want than to try to consciously or unconsciously manipulate others. Nobody likes being manipulated.

Here's another reason to be real. People are interesting because of their quirks. How boring life would be if everybody was exactly the same! It would be like a world populated by robots or Ken and Barbie dolls. There would be no substance. It's by triumphing over adversity that we feel exhilarated. It's by learning to interact better with another that we increase our sense of belonging. It's how we increase our feeling of truly being understood and accepted for who we really are rather than for the façade we construct. Besides, most people can see beyond our facade anyway.

Allow your uniqueness to shine for it's what makes you special. Get real, allow others to do the same and watch how the quality of your life improves.

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. jps_and_associates@yahoo.com

Frustration

Sand irritating an oyster is what creates a pearl. Frustration with the way something is done is what causes new inventions. Dissatisfaction with the number that appears on a scale is what causes people to make healthy life style changes. As the saying goes, "no pain, no gain."

Think of irritation, frustration and disappointment as traffic signals for your life. Those emotions are telling you to "stop, look and listen" to what's going on in your life and to evaluate where you want to go from here. What direction do you want this job, relationship or situation to take? Feelings of irritation, frustration and disappointment cause us to think "there must be a better way." They move us along on our life's journey.

Next time you feel frustrated, identify what other emotions or beliefs are associated with the frustration. You may hear words like: "I'm so stupid", "you'll never amount to anything", "everything has to be perfect", or "nothing I ever do is good enough." This process will give you a good roadmap about what's going on in your inner world. You'll identify your challenges (some of which you might have carried with you from your childhood) and you'll have more information to help you decide what you want to do next. Are you using the frustration to motivate you to make changes that will bring you a goal you want or are you using it to stay stuck in a negative situation or to hold on to negative beliefs about yourself? Decide what changes you need to make either in your environment or your reaction to your environment and do something to improve the situation. No one but you sits in the driver's seat for your life. Where do you want to go from here?

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. jps_and_associates@yahoo.com

Embarking On A New Path

Changing Careers

I worked with a client this week who wants to change careers. She’s been doing the same thing for over 30 years. She’s terrified to change careers and yet at the same time is looking forward to new opportunities. As somebody who went from being a teacher, to an assistant controller of a real estate company, to a trainer for new computer equipment, to a technical writer, to a director of training, to a Human Resources manager and finally to a success coach and business consultant, I knew exactly what she was experiencing.

What we do for a living can be intimately intertwined with who we are. Often, people expect to grow and thrive in one career over a period of decades. For others, however, that expectation is unrealistic. As they themselves change, they become dissatisfied with the profession that once brought them joy. This is not unusual in modern times, where more and more people are changing careers not just once, but many times over the course of their lives. Some of these changes are by choice and others are the result of layoffs and mergers.

Because your career is a part of who you are, switching to another can be a long and involved process that requires courage and determination. The challenges, which can include stepping into unfamiliar territory, going back to school, or learning to live on less income, are very real, but the rewards can trump them. Changing careers, if done thoughtfully, can be one of the most richly satisfying and exciting experiences of your life.

If for years your soul has been telling you that you would make a skilled lawyer, a talented sculptor, or a brilliant electrical engineer, it's worth investigating the possibilities. Alternatively, you may be desirous of a more soulful and fulfilling career but haven't figured out what it is yet. In either case, explore. If you have identified a passion, research it. Talk to people in that field and find out how they got there. Ask about the ups and the downs.

If you're unsure of a career path you might like to pursue, look toward your passions, abilities, hobbies, and values. Determine what your ideal work hours, income, commute time, and working situation would be. If you love the idea of flexible hours or working from home, decide whether you would be willing to earn less as a trade off. Look for careers that offer the type of work environment and benefits you are looking for.

Creating a new future takes time and effort, and a willingness to delve deep into the positives and negatives of a variety of careers.

Focus on your strengths, rather than skills you may be lacking. Seeking skill training or the help of a career counselor can be helpful. It's normal to be nervous when seeking out a new career, particularly if you are established in your current profession. But the payoff can be true satisfaction in finding work that you can love, and, it's never too late for change.

And for me personally, every change improved the quality of my life. I’m now combining my love of spirituality, personal growth, teaching, writing and facilitating change in my coaching practice. When I got out of college, did I envision myself having my own business? Not in my wildest dreams. The path that took me here involved my being laid off twice, making a decision to leave two careers and taking a giant leap of faith to “go it alone”! It’s been challenging to say the least but it was well worth it. I now love my job and I’m a much happier person!

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. 10250 E. Mountain View Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85258 (480) 661-6422, jps_and_associates@yahoo.com

The power of "No"

I just sent an email to a friend asking her if she wanted to be my partner in doing a MasterMind exercise that Mary Robinson Reynolds suggested. As I was typing the message, I realized the power of the word "no."

Sometimes a sincere "no" is more positive than an insincere "yes." If somebody asks you to do something and you agree, not because you really want to but because you think you "should" do it, you'll probably hold resentment towards the person and you won't give the project or activity your full attention or your best effort.

If you say "yes" too often when you really want to say "no," you'll begin to feel used, manipulated or just empty. To have healthy relationships, you first need to have a healthy relationship with yourself. You need to be honest, to act with integrity and to follow through on your sincere commitments. You need to go within and ask yourself, "What is the highest good for all concerned in this situation?"

There are times we all have to do things that we don't want to. The key is to realize why we're saying "yes" and then to let go of feelings of resentment. Those feelings are what color your experiences and turn a neutral event into something negative.

If we can't let go of feelings of resentment, it's far better for all concerned if we politely say "no" to an event. Be honest with yourself and use your precious life energy to focus on things that will make a positive difference in your life or the life of another.

If you don't agree to do something, there's probably somebody else who will and who will actually enjoy the opportunity to be of service. "No" can be a very positive word since it's enables you to speak your truth, maintain your power and honor your own needs and desires.

Give yourself time!

Every week millions of dollars from Power Ball are up for grabs; many people all over the United States fantasize about what they'd do if they'd won the lottery. Some people would travel, others would go on extended shopping sprees buying houses, cars and luxuries while others would give to charity. The underlying assumptions are that money will take all our problems away, that it'll happen in an instant and that our good fortune will last forever. In reality, that's not necessarily the case.

Getting all the money we need, the perfect job or that marriage proposal from the man of our dreams doesn't mean that we'll be problem free for the rest of our lives. It just means that things in our lives will be different. If you win the lottery but still believe that "money runs through your fingers", you'll squander your money. If you got the perfect job by deceit or by being less than your authentic-self, you'll soon become dissatisfied with it. If you got the man of your dreams by "playing dumb", "playing games" or always subjugating your needs to the needs of your spouse, sooner or later you'll feel empty and that the man of your dreams will seem more like a nightmare.

The key is to stop putting so much effort into "getting" and to spend more time "just being." Be true to yourself and allow yourself the luxury of really getting to know ALL your emotions, dreams and beliefs. Appreciate what you have in your life right now even as you strive to make changes. And don't try to make multiple changes at once. It would be like trying to put at size 9 foot into a size 5 shoe. It wouldn't feel good and you'd soon give up even trying to make any changes at all.

If you don't appreciate what you have now, why do you think that you'll be able to appreciate what you get in the future? The present becomes the future and it brings with it new learning opportunities. When you can have peace where you are, you open yourself to greater possibilities. You become a winner when you can maintain a sense of inner peace in all situations. Each experience was custom made for you to learn something about yourself so "if the shoe fits, enjoy wearing it!"

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. 10250 E. Mountain View Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85258(480) 661-6422, jps_and_associates@yahoo.com

Are you overlooking the obvious?

Expect miracles to happen in your life today....getting just the information you need (when you need it), finding something you misplaced, hearing about something that you want going on sale, seeing an old friend by chance, feeling motivated to do something good for yourself after months of inactivity (watching the fat in your diet, meditating, exercising). Miracles are just opportunities for you to improve the quality of your life - they set the stage but you need to perform. Even something simple such as finding a lost key or piece of jewelry means that you have to actually pick it up otherwise the opportunity will pass you by. You have to be actively involved in your life and you must make conscious choices.

This week I followed my own advice. I have been looking for ways to diversify my revenue stream (translation: make more money). Recently I’ve written resumes, done personality assessments to help people find jobs that match the way they prefer to operate in the world. I’ve also done some technical writing and editing. I enjoy doing all those things but my passion is helping people on their spiritual journey. I love to help them have more joy and less stress in their lives.

Years ago, I used to do “energy readings” for people and was very good at it. I stopped because I preferred teaching clients how to go within and find their own truth. I didn’t want anybody to have me “tell them what to do.” I prefer telling them what I see currently going on in their chakras and then having them decide if they want to keep patterns in their lives that cause this energy drain or if they are willing to change the patterns. I truly like handing the ball off to my clients so they can run with it and bask in the success of scoring a touchdown rather than giving me the glory.

On Sunday, I met with a new friend who is a gifted numerologist and who has celebrity clients. She was generous enough to give me some information based upon “my numbers” so I chose to gift her with an energy (chakra) reading. I’m so glad I listened to my intuition and did the reading. I was in my element -- being of service and having fun in the process. The reading flowed so smoothing and contained just the information she needed to hear at that particular point in time. In effect, I was an answer to her prayers for guidance. She asked me why I discontinued doing readings and because they could be of assistance to people. The truth is that it’s a gift I’ve had most of my life so I assume everybody has it too. In reality they do; I’ve just learned to trust my intuition more and have more confidence because I have more experience. I did the reading and then we chatted about things she might want to do if she wants something new to manifest in her life. I enjoyed helping her to find the key that will shorten her learning curve. My gift is my ability to give people information so they can make empowered choices. Then I like to watch miracles that take place in their lives if they actually DO something with the information.

The point of the story is that I overlooked the obvious when I was looking for ways to expand my revenue stream. I take my intuitive abilities for granted and it wasn’t until I did the reading on Sunday that I remember how good I am at it, how much I enjoy doing it and how much my clients benefit from their sessions with me. Within less than 12 hours since I made the decision to resume doing reading, this time in conjunction with coaching, that a former client called and wanted to know if I still did energy readings. Twenty-four hours later I got a referral from the numerologist and several people I talked to while working at an event wanted to schedule appointments with me. It was so easy once I decided to do what I love and to let the universe bring those clients to me that would be in vibrational harmony with me. It was a miracle. I’m now expecting more and more miracles to happen. For me, the key was to set the intention that I wanted to earn money combining chakra readings with coaching and then to say “yes” when what I said I wanted actually presents itself.

Having not done readings for several years, I was a bit nervous but decided to “feel the fear and do it anyway.” And I’m so glad I did. The opportunity presented itself and I took action, even with butterflies flittering around in my tummy. Had I not done the reading for the numerologiet, I wouldn’t have had the joy of bring an old passion back to life. For all these years, I was overlooking a gift I have and a way to increase my income – because it seemed too easy. Guess what? Things that are meant to happen seem to just appear unexpectedly. They do involve taking some action or doing some work but it feels more like play because it is something you enjoy doing.

So what skill or talent do you have that you take for granted? Are you a talented chef, painter, mechanic or singer? Has that talent been in hibernation long enough? What are you willing to do today that will awaken that talent that you just overlook? How will that make your life better? Set your intention, take action and be on the lookout for miracles. You’ll be surprised at how many you fine.

Copyright 2006, Joanne Stein. All rights reserved. 10250 E. Mountain View Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85258(480) 661-6422, jps_and_associates@yahoo,xom

Accomplishment...one step at a time

Do you have a list of New Year's resolutions that you really thought you wanted to accomplish and yet you haven't done anything more concrete than perhaps writing them down? And, if you're like many of us, you can't even put your hands on that list today because you forgot where you put it. Knowing what you want the outcome to be is only the first and easiest part of achieving your goals. How are you going to accomplish your goals if you don't do something?