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Want to learn more about Jackie's approach to hypnotherapy, health and well-being? Click on an article below. If you would like to use material for educational purposes, please pass on the information in its entirity including credit to the author.

Breathwork
It's About You!

Dental
Do You Have Fear of the Dentist Syndrome?

Diabetes
2005 Gestational Diabetes Article
Diabetes: 7 Ways Hypnosis Can Help
Lower Your Blood Sugar

General Health and Well-Being
How to Keep on the Path of Health and Wellness
5 Strategies for Holiday Peace and Joy
The Benefits of Gratitude
A Simple Gratitude Practice
Create Your New Year
Laws of Attraction
10 Ways to Attract Ease and Serenity
Self-Hypnois Exercise: Access Your Quiet Mind
Affirmations for Self-Hypnosis
Welcoming Change, Attracting Well-Being
Experience Calm and Joy This Holiday Season
Don't Resolve--Create!
The Process of Creating

Happiness
Happiness Tool #1: Appreciation
Your Daily Appreciation List
Happiness Tool #2: Choice
4 Quick Tips for Choosing
Happiness Tool #3: Personal Power
4 Quick Tips for Personal Power
Happiness Tool #4: Follow Your Strengths
List Your Strengths
Happiness Tool #5: The Power of Language and Stories
A Tale of Two Stories

Heart Health
Caring for Your Heart Today
Making Heart-Friendly Choices

Pregnancy
HypnoBirthing®: Relaxing into Childbirth
Visualization: Imagining a Comfortable Childbirth

Weight Release
What is a Portion Anyway?
Simple Ways to Get More Movement in Your Life
Hungry? Satisfied? Stuffed? How Do You Know?

It's About You!
by Jackie Foskett, CH

So, how are YOU doing halfway through 2006? Are you feeling fulfilled? Or are you feeling tired? Wishing you had more time? What about those New Year's resolutions? Still looking to get rid of those extra pounds gained from the year before? Wanting more play time? Wanting more sleep? Wanting more time with family? Meaning to choose healthier foods to eat, but?..I'm imagining the list could go on if you, like so many of us who live fast paced lives, tend to put YOU last on your list of priorities.

6 months to make a difference
Luckily, there's still another 6 months to make things different! Starting right now, YOU can be first. You know how on airplanes we're instructed to put on our own oxygen masks before helping others? That's because we can't properly assist anyone else if we aren't functioning well ourselves. Essentially that's what we do when we consistently “forget” to give ourselves time, rest, healthy food choices, exercise or other forms of self-care. We deplete our energy reserves. We become vulnerable to illness because our immune system doesn't function properly when we are tired, depleted, depressed and in overwhelm!

The healing power of breath
So, right now, after reading this paragraph, take a moment, close your eyes and simply BREATHE! Breathe down into your abdomen, noticicing how it expands as you inhale, Then simply and slowly exhale, noticing how your abdomen sinks down to your back. Do this several times and you will begin to feel a sense of relief come over you. Your shoulders will sink into the frame of your body and you will find it easy to simply let go for a few minutes. Letting go, giving YOU some needed and deserved quiet time, time to restore, time to gain some clarity. Go ahead, it's ok. Give yourself permission now to take time for YOU .

Breathwork resources
Dr. Andrew Weil, cites several studies on how breathwork helps heart disease, asthma, and even menopause. You can learn more about his work on this topic as well as different breathwork techniques on his CD “Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing.” Dr. Gay Hendricks also promotes the health and well being aspects of breathing in his book, “Conscious Breathing.” These are wonderful resources to help you explore the power of your breath.

Hypnosis and the breath
I also recommend using hypnosis to aid the breath in promoting your health and well being. The breath is the first aspect you focus on when slowing down all those “racing” thoughts which the left brain is so good at generating. By slowing down left brain activity, you naturally allow the right brain's healing abilities to come forth. A slower heart rate, better oxygen to the muscles, and therefore less tension in the body and the mind are all healing effects of the right brain. Gift yourself your healing breath! For more information on how hypnosis can further your well being, please visit my website www.HealingHypnotherapy.com or contact me at
JackieFoskett@comcast.net.

What is a Portion Anyway?
by Jackie Foskett, CH

In the arena of weight loss or, as I think of it, weight release , it's important to understand what a portion is. Overeating is a common problem and many of my Weight Release clients come to their first session aware that their portions are out of control. Although they may be eating healthy foods, they are consuming too much for the body to burn off and are therefore unable to release excess fat and weight. One of the keys to weight loss is portion control—a “left” brain strategy. In a future issue, I'll also address using the “right” brain to know when we've had enough to eat. In addition, it's helpful to understand our core reasons for eating unconsciously, such as using food to fulfill unmet needs, as we strive to release excess weight and fat.

Here are some easy ways to assess what a portion is without using measuring tools:

Portion Control—Using Hand to Estimate
Fist = Approximately 1 cup or 1 medium whole fruit
Thumb (tip to base) = 1 ounce of meat or cheese
Thumb tip (tip to 1st joint) = 1 Tablespoon
Fingertip (tip to 1st joint) = 1 Teaspoon
Index finger (1st to 2nd joint) = 1 inch
Cupped hand = 1 to 2 ounces of nuts or pretzels
Palm (minus fingers) = 3 ounces of cooked meat, fish, or poultry

Portion sizes for most vegetables and fruits:

Serving sizes of vegetables & fruits (goal: 5-9 per day)
Leafy vegetables like lettuce & spinach
1 serving = 1 cup
All other fruits & vegetables
1 serving = 1/2 cup

Here's one way to determine what goes on your plate:

The Plate method
Divide your plate into 4 quarters
1/4 with grain-based (whole grains) side dish
1/4 with a protein
1/2 with 2-3 high fiber, low cal type veggies & fruit

Do you know what constitutes a portion of popular “comfort” foods or foods that tend to be eaten in large quantities?

Portions of popular comfort foods
Pasta = 1 cup
Rice, white or brown = 1 cup
Mashed potatoes = ½ cup
Ice cream = ½ cup
Chocolate candy = 1 ounce
Chips = 12-14 chips

These are just a few examples. The point is that a portion of higher calorie foods is quite small. If you spend a few minutes at every meal evaluating your portions, you will begin to take in less calories. You'll no longer feel deprived of certain foods while igniting the process of releasing fat and weight from your body.

Simple Ways to Get More Movement in Your Life
by Jackie Foskett, CH

We all “know” that most Americans need more exercise: we've been reading about it, hearing it on the news, and putting it on our long to-do lists. I'd like to enroll you in another way of thinking about exercise—a “reframe.”

Our bodies are meant to move. Movement keeps systems functioning properly. The more we move our bodies, the more we burn calories, tone muscles, release toxins and waste, and even increase our metabolism. So, allow the child within—your inner child—to help out with a fun game. The goal is finding new ways to move your body every day from several minutes to up to 1 hour. Allow fun in!

The movement game
For example, you might try skipping on your morning walk. You might try taking two steps at a time as you walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Perhaps, as the weather gets nicer, you might bring out the bike that's been gathering dust in the garage and simply start riding around the neighborhood. When going shopping, see how far away you can park from the store, in order to get in some extra walking.

Like those “oldies, but goodies”? Turn on a CD and get moving in your living room. How about putting on a headset while cleaning? You might even find you can dance and clean at the same time. What a difference that could make when doing those chores! Need to mow the lawn? Save gas and the environment by getting a push mower and you'll get in a workout while tidying up the lawn.

Moving your body doesn't have to be about going to a gym, walking on a treadmill, or lifting heavy weights. These activities are all fine, if you like to do them, are trained properly, and can meet the time commitment. But if you're someone who feels time crunched and/or bored with the gym routine, allow your inner child to help you find fun and creative ways to move, be fit and healthy, and in action with your body. Your body will love you for it. Best of all, you can cross off exercise from your “to do” list. It will happen naturally!

How to Keep on the Path of Health and Wellness
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Last month, I introduced using simple Breathwork to release a stressful moment and/or gain a feeling of calmness for your health and well being. I also discussed portion sizes and simple ways to get movement into your life for overall health and wellness. So, how do you keep walking this path? How do you remember to BREATHE when in need of calming or stick to the appropriate portion for healthy eating? How do you keep your body moving regularly and easily?

A Written Commitment is Powerful
You make a commitment to yourself, that's how! It's your sacred promise to yourself. Write it down, place it where you can see it and then say it out loud to yourself on a daily basis. It works!

Writing is powerful because it engages your right brain-the area that is home to your subconscious. Then when you say it out loud and with focus, you are then working with both the right and left brain and conditioning your mind for success! I like to think of a commitment as an umbrella that covers all of one's humanity. It embraces the promise, the mistakes, the lack of motivation, the forgetfulness, the fear, the resistance, the anxiety, the doubt, the anger, and any other feelings, and even the loss of purpose.

Choices that Honor Your Word
Commitment is the act of giving your word and then doing everything you can to make the CHOICES that honor your word. No matter how you are feeling, you have this umbrella to keep it all ok, and you keep coming back to that protection by CHOICE, choosing what is in alignment with your goal and your word for your health and well being.

Like any flight plan that goes from here to there, sometimes there will be lifts, drags, cross-winds, storms and even lightening that will cause you to deviate from the intended course. Yet, as the main objective is to arrive safely, you continue to make course corrections until you arrive at the goal. Non-serving attitudes say: “I can never do this, why bother, I'm so off course, what's the use?” and so on. Commitment says: “oops, I'm off track, what I can do now?” or “where am I going? oh, yes, I said I would do (blank), I know what I can do now, I'm choosing to get back on course”. And you get back on. You have your Umbrella of Commitment to keep coming back to. You're using your Umbrella of Commitment!

Making a Commitment for YOU Now
What commitment would you like to make for yourself right now? Example: I promise to treat myself with respect, to honor my body with good fuel, water, movement , rest and care. I promise to invest daily in my health and well being by making choices that are in alignment with my goal.

Notice How it Feels
Go ahead now and take a few minutes and write your commitment to yourself. Notice how it feels after you've done that. Notice how you feel in a week. Choose the Umbrella of Commitment and watch how you succeed!

Hungry? Stuffed? How Do You Know?
by Jackie Foskett, CH

A common challenge I hear from clients entering my Weight Release program is about overeating, or eating when not really hungry. Besides for the emotions that may be driving the unwanted behavior, and using hypnotherapy to assist in getting to the source and making the appropriate changes, you can use a very simple method to begin to know where you are on the hunger verses stuffed scale !

Imagine a Gauge
This technique requires you to simply STOP and tune in to your body. Imagine that there is a gauge in your mind with the numbers 1-5. This gauge can be round, straight or any other shape you might create. 1 means very hungry, those gnawing feelings in your belly, 5 is full, no room for anymore food at all. It is almost uncomfortable. Beyond 5 is the Thanksgiving meal where you can't even move. Don't go there!!

Now just ask your body what number your gauge is at. I know this may seem strange, but it can be as simple as saying to yourself, “what number is my gauge at?” or “how hungry am I?” and just go with the first number that comes up. It's your inner knowingness that you are accessing. I know this is an area where most of us are a bit rusty. We're not accustomed to trusting our instincts, intuition or our inner voice. But I encourage you to give it a try and with practice, it actually gets easier and you'll feel more connected to your body and its needs, as opposed to feeling unconscious and disconnected from your behavior around food and eating.

If it's at 3 for example, and you're thinking of having a second helping, perhaps you might want to stop eating at this point, or just take one or two more bitefuls, then re-evaluate where your hunger-satisfied gauge is at.
Use this gauge as soon as you begin to think about eating, as well. Are you really hungry, at a 1 or 2 or are you at a 4 and eating out of boredom or due to some other emotion? Test it out. If nothing else, you will become aware of how you might be using food to compensate for other needs. Tune in so you don't tune out!

Do You Have "Fear of the Dentist" Syndrome?
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Does fear keep you or someone you know from receiving regular dental care? As a long time Registered Dental Hygienist, I have heard this reason many times from patients who have neglected their dental care. Various studies suggest that anywhere from 10-20% of the population stay away due to anxiety or fear of the dentist.

Unfortunately, neglecting dental care not only has negative oral health implications such as badly decayed teeth and gum disease, it can play a role in more serious medical problems. Recent studies have linked gum disease (periodontal disease) with heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, premature births and low birth weights.

Inflammation and the Immune System
It's all about inflammation and the biochemical mechanisms of that inflammation in the circulatory system. The bacteria in the mouth under the gumline produce toxins that can set up an inflammatory response. This inflammatory response produces various biochemicals that have a negative impact on the immune system and contribute to the body's inability to function optimally, which can lead to some serious health problems.

It's All Connected
You know that old song that goes something like "the hambone's connected to the hipbone, the hipbone's connected to the thighbone and so on”, well, the mouth is connected to the rest of the body!! There is a tendency to think “it's just my teeth”. This can be harmful thinking. Getting regular dental care to remove sources of decay and bacterial infections, as well as treating gum inflammation, is an important part of overall healthcare.

If anxiety or fear of dental treatment is keeping you from taking control of your healthcare, besides for finding a dentist that uses “laughing gas” or conscious IV sedation, which are both acceptable methods to treat dental anxiety, consider using hypnosis.

How Hypnosis Can Help
Hypnosis can work in 2 ways. First, through hypnotherapy, you can release the fear associated with either a past dental fear, perceived dental fear from negative stories heard from others' experiences, or from feelings of helplessness and loss of control. Secondly, you will learn relaxation techniques or self-hypnosis to use while in the dental office. This gives numerous benefits since relaxation, as opposed to fear, produces endorphins, the feel good hormones. These hormones assist in the relaxation process. And when mind and body are relaxed, sensations, such as a dental team member working in your mouth, are perceived more favorably. Additionally, when fear and anxiety are removed and an anesthetic is needed, it will be work more readily and optimally, requiring less time in the chair and a much more pleasant experience for all.

Get Support in Releasing Dental Fear
Getting rid of dental fear is more than “just about your teeth”. It's really about your general health and overall well being. If you are one of that 10-20% of the population avoiding dentistry because of “fear of the dentist”, find someone to assist you in releasing these fears and anxieties. You will be taking care of YOU very profoundly. Step under that Umbrella of Commitment, you deserve it!

Hypnobirthing®: Relaxing into Childbirth
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Pregnant? Going to be pregnant? Know someone who is pregnant? If you fall into any of these categories, or if you simply want to know that babies can come into the world in a calm and peaceful way, then you'll want to know about HypnoBirthing®, The Mongan Method.

I've been teaching HypnoBirthing® since 2000 and am still so excited to be sharing this childbirth education method with others. The HypnoBirthing® philosophy is simple: Women's bodies instinctively know how to birth. When the fear and negativity that often surround childbirth are released, women can have a more comfortable experience.

HypnoBirthing® promotes comfortable childbirth by tapping into the power of the mind. Employing positive visualization and slow breathing techniques that connect a birthing mother's inner mind with her natural birthing instincts, this gentle method helps a woman trust her body and allow it to guide her through each stage of childbirth. The result is a more empowering and relaxed birth experience—and a calmer, happier baby.

To learn more about HypnoBirthing® and to hear from moms and dads who have used this method, please visit my website at www.HealingHypnotherapy.com. Further information and testimonials can be found at www.HypnoBirt hing.com.

Visualization: Imagining a Comfortable Childbirth
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Visualizing a comfortable childbirth not only prepares moms-to-be for a wonderful birth experience, it's also a great way to relax during pregnancy. Perform the exercise below for just 10 minutes a day, gradually working up to 20 minutes a day as you feel ready. Practice, practice, practice is key! Your mind, your body, and your baby will be thank you.

Designate an area in your home for quiet time and relaxation.

• Start the exercise by using your breath: Inhale to a count of 4, pause briefly, then exhale to a count of 8. Breathe in and out this way 3 to 4 times, expanding your abdomen on the inhale and releasing it on the exhale.
• Now, allow yourself to fall into an easy, natural breathing pattern.
• Next, imagine a beautiful place in nature, a place where you feel calm and peaceful—perhaps a quiet mountain meadow or a pond trimmed with water lilies.
• Feeling this calmness now, imagine the joy of meeting the wonderful little being you are carrying inside you.
• Staying with these feelings of calmness and joy, imagine yourself in labor. Visualize a look of peacefulness on your face as you bring your baby into the world. Spend a few moments enjoying the details you paint in your mind—the smile on your lips, your smooth brow, your soft gaze.
• When you feel finished with the exercise, count from 1 to 5. Notice yourself slowly coming back to the room, feeling relaxed and calm.
• Use this visualization technique anytime you find yourself thinking about childbirth—and the wonderful day when you will finally meet your new baby.
• For more in-depth childbirth preparation, and to promote a relaxing pregnancy, enroll in a HypnoBirthing® class.

Remember, your thoughts are powerful! Thinking positively about your pregnancy and labor actually releases endorphins—feel-good hormones that will assist you in having a more comfortable birth experience. Mentally rehearing also prepares you for the actual event, allowing you to instinctively guide yourself through the process.

Diabetes: 7 Ways Hypnosis Can Help
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Diabetes is one of the world's fastest growing diseases, but it doesn't have to be a losing battle in your own life. Hypnotherapy, along with your doctor's recommendations and guidelines, can be an effective adjunct tool for preventing and/or managing diabetes. Hypnosis can help:

• Motivate you to follow your doctor's treatment plan
• Create the desire for healthy food choices and good eating habits
• Inspire you to safely begin and continue exercising
• Teach you new ways to respond to life's stresses
• Improve your memory to aid disease management
• Stimulate positive thinking to enhance coping skills and self care
• Decrease anxiety about your condition

Diabetes: Lower Your Blood Sugar
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Hypnosis positively influences the body as well as the mind. For those with diabetes, regular hypnotherapy sessions can lower blood sugar levels.
Here's how:

Hypnotherapy reduces stress, which leads to
Lower blood sugar levels, which leads to
Stable insulin levels, which leads to
Better eating habits, which leads to
Weight release, which keeps the whole cycle moving toward better blood sugar levels.

The results of hypnotherapy? A more relaxed life, lower blood sugar levels—and ultimately your better health!

5 Strategies for Holiday Peace and Joy
by Jackie Foskett, CH

The holidays can be a wonderful time marked by gatherings with family and friends, great food and the spirit of giving. But who hasn't experienced an overload of such good cheer?

If you find yourself feeling more stressed than celebratory, don't despair. You can feel calm, joyous and in control—while still making merry. The five powerful strategies below come from my recent workshop “De-Stress and Love Your Holidays.” Pick one or two that resonate with your needs this season, or use them all.

1. Break the pattern of stress

When you feel tense, short tempered or burdened with long to-do lists, break the pattern of stress— with a calming breath. Deep breathing not only provides a change in focus, it also allows more oxygen into your body, causing blood vessels to open instead of constrict.

The calm that follows is the perfect opportunity to observe any negative self-talk. Use the image of a STOP sign, a cancel button, or a delete button to halt negative thoughts in their tracks. Then, replace them with positive self-talk such as: It will all work out. I do have enough time. I have accomplished so much already. It's ok to let go of...


2. Indulge without overindulging
   
   Holiday gatherings usually mean alcoholic beverages and rich foods. Rest assured you can enjoy yourself without overindulging.
   
   At the buffet table:
   - Use a small plate
   - Serve yourself just 1-2 bitefuls of the more calorie- rich foods
   - Drink a full glass of water in between alcoholic drinks
   - Walk away from the buffet table
   - Focus on connecting with people, not food
   
   At the dinner table:
   - Take small portions
   - Eat slowly
   - Drink lots of water
   - Enjoy just a half-serving of dessert
   
   
3. Give your body what it craves
   Remember: your body loves to move! Forget about “exercise” and think of yourself enjoying “activity” and “movement.” When shopping, park your car as far from the store as possible and get some extra fresh air. Walk briskly around the mall before making purchases. Gather friends for a lively holiday stroll. Put on some music and dance while wrapping those presents!
   
   
4. Feel yourself in control
   
   Drowning in holiday to-dos? Getting in tune with your body and mind can help you feel more in control. First, write down everything you need to do until the end of the year. Now close your eyes and think about your list. How does your body feel? Tight? Tingly? Tired?
   
   Next, imagine yourself consulting your "Inner Wise Person" for advice, then eliminate just one item on your list. Notice how your body feels now—welcome the feelings of calmness, peacefulness and joy that may be arising. Return to your list and see what other items might be crossed off or re- prioritized.
   
   As you enjoy the sense of relaxation flooding your body, imagine even further—see yourself organized, calm, choosing healthy foods, enjoying movement, and feeling balanced as the holidays continue and you wind down 2006. Finally, take a good deep breath as you focus on your inner calmness and open your eyes.
   
   
5. Affirm your health and well-being
   
   Affirmations are a great way to change a stressful state of mind any time, including the holidays. Here are a few of my favorites:
   
   I take time every day to move my body.
   I remember to eat only small portions of rich foods.
   I am conscious of what goes into my mouth.
   I stop eating when I am no longer hungry.
   I use my breath to stop the tension-stress cycle.
   I focus on people, not eating or drinking.
   I drink lots of water.
   I take time to relax and be calm.
   My life flows easier as I feel more and more balanced.

Practice one or more of these strategies each day from now until the new year. And enjoy!

The Benefits of Gratitude
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Perhaps the best—and most effective—way to begin the new year is with a healthy dose of gratitude. Why? According to Bonnie McFarland, a Seattle-based Clarity Coach and owner of La Bella Via, what we focus on expands. Focusing on the things we're unhappy with, for example, reaps dissatisfaction. On the other hand, turning our attention toward that which fulfills us, brings us joy, and inspires creativity will invite happiness to take root and blossom in our lives.

In her recent newsletter, Bonnie writes that psychologists, spiritual teachers, writers, and researchers say that gratitude can:

• Increase your energy and optimism
• Shift your focus to what has gone well or delighted you
• Help you not take things for granted
• Make you more resilient to life's hassles and stress
• Encourage your satisfaction with life
• Increase your compassion
• Enrich your experience of life
• Increase your happiness and well being
• Improve your health

Ready to experience the benefits of gratitude in your own life? Try the daily practice outlined below.

A Simple Gratitude Practice
by Jackie Foskett, CH

How do you incorporate gratitude into YOUR life? Bonnie McFarland recommends a daily gratitude practice and I do, too. I encourage many of my clients to use a daily focus on gratitude to shift their thoughts from what is not working to what is. The result? Immediate access to positive feelings and acceleration in desired changes. Here are some ways to start a daily gratitude practice:

Start with a gratitude list
Bonnie suggests taking 5-30 minutes to write down anything and everything that you are grateful for. Notice how your feelings become more positive as you continue writing and appreciating all that is good in your life. You might notice you feel lighter, more serene, more joyful.

Journal your gratitude daily
Now that you've compiled your initial gratitude list, take time each day to focus on what you are thankful for. In the morning or evening, sit for a few minutes and write down everything that has brought you joy. “Big” things such as a house, your job, your children are great, but don't forget the small, everyday wonders: the delicious lunch you ate, your fabulous new toothbrush, etc... You get the picture.

You can look forward to a gratitude practice as an oasis of positivity in your day. As your practice deepens, gratitude will naturally begin to infuse all areas of your life, opening you to the gifts of a new year.

Create Your New Year
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Instead of shaping a brighter 2007 by listing goals and to-dos, try an infinitely more effective technique—using the power of your imagination to engage your right brain's creativity. Business and Leadership Consultant Rita Hovakimian, owner of the San Francisco-based Inspiring Success, engages the right brain to spark life changes (a hypnotherapy technique) in her annual Design Work workshop.

Imagine how you want your life to be in various aspects of your life:
Imagine feeling vibrant and healthy, free of excess weight and enjoying renewed energy. Imagine choosing foods that nourish you, keep you satisfied, and allow freedom in your relationship with eating. Imagine moving your body in ways that keep it feeling good and energized, while naturally burning extra calories. Imagine how good it feels to be in your healthy and vital body.

Notice that this exercise invites you to image what you want (not what you don't want). In doing so, you mirror the Universal Law of Attraction: as our thoughts are energy and what we focus on expands (as in gratitude), you therefore create or draw to you what you need to fulfill your vision.

Keep this powerful exercise in mind throughout 2007, using it to enhance all areas of your life, such as:

Career or job
Primary relationship
Relationships with family
Relationships with friends
Spirituality
Play time/vacation time
Personal growth
Contribution to the world

Caring for Your Heart Today
by Jackie Foskett, CH

What is the most important thing you can do right now to care for your heart? Affirm your love for YOU!

The tips on gratitude featured in my January newsletter make a great beginning. In your daily gratitude practice, try being grateful for


- The heart you have, whatever its current condition
- The body you have, whether it's your “ideal” or not
- The eyes you're using to read this newsletter
- Your current state of health, even if it's not optimal

Now, stop. Take a deep breath down into your belly and slowly release it.

Feel love for yourself right now. If this is difficult, simply pretend you feel love, perhaps as you might for someone else. Capture that feeling and let it linger.
Enjoy it.

Let love be with you all day today and notice how you feel when you put your head on your pillow tonight. Perhaps you may even allow this love for you to continue, day after day from now on. It's just what your heart needs!

Making Heart-Friendly Choices
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Heart-friendly lifestyle choices don't have to be a struggle. Here are some simple ways you can protect your heart—and feel great about yourself.

Move your Body
According to the February 2007 Natural Health article “Lock in Your Heart Health” by Catherine Guthrie, moving your body is a must for a healthy heart. Exercise releases nitric oxide, a substance that lowers blood pressure. This chemical also soothes inflamed arteries, which helps keep sticky plaque from adhering to blood vessel walls.

How much should you exercise to maintain heart health? The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise (re-frame: moving your body) five times per week. According to a September 2006 article in the Journal of Hypertension , you don't need to get your daily exercise all at one time—four brisk 10-minute walks or workouts scattered throughout the day might even be more beneficial than one long 40-minute workout.

Eat Well
Being a smart eater is great for your heart! Good eating habits keep your heart's plumbing system working smoothly and protect your heart from the ill effects of weight gain and diabetes.

1. Fiber is your heart's friend
According to a 2004 report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , increasing fiber intake can lower your risk of heart disease by approximately 30%! Be sure to include two types of fiber in your diet:

Soluble fiber (found in food like oats, rice bran, barley, strawberries and citrus fruits) helps lower cholesterol.

Insoluble fiber (found in foods like whole wheat breads and pastas and most vegetables) contain anti-oxidants, vitamin E, selenium and phenolic acids—all of which help keep fat molecules from oxidizing (think rusting) and clogging artery walls.

2. Make produce productive for your heart
Fruits and vegetables naturally contain heart healthy anti-oxidants that are good for your overall health and well being. Aim for 9 servings (1/2- to 1-cup portions) per day. If this seems daunting, increase your intake slowly. Harvard researchers found that for every serving of fruits and vegetables you add to your diet on a daily basis, you decrease your risk of heart disease by 4%. Wow!

3. Your heart loves Omega 3s
Many studies show that the “good” fats found in fish and, to a lesser degree, flaxseeds, canola oil and walnuts help reduce blood pressure, lower triglyceride levels and give your arterial function a boost. Try substituting salmon, mackerel or other oily cold water fish for chicken, turkey, pork and beef at least two times per week.

4. Eliminate trans fats
According to a 2006 review in the New England Journal of Medicine, for every 2% of daily calories that come from trans fats, you increase your risk of heart disease by 23%. Trans fats increase harmful LDL cholesterol, decrease beneficial HDL cholesterol and promote inflammation. Sources of these harmful fats include fast foods, packaged snack foods, crackers, and bakery goods made with hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Beware: even if a food label states 0 grams of trans fat, the Food & Drug Administration allows food containing 500 milligrams or less of trans fatty acids per serving to be listed as 0. One serving may be okay, but more than one or two could add up quickly to your heart and blood vessels.

5. Use alcohol intelligently
Initial studies on the benefits of alcohol for the heart, particularly red wine, looked only at men. A study from the May 2006 online edition of the British Medical Journal found that for women, just one alcoholic drink per week gave similar heart protection results. So, go ahead, have your wine if you choose. But know it only takes a little to receive a lot!

Laws of Attraction
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Many of you are aware of the Laws of Attraction thanks to Oprah Winfrey, whose television show recently featured the best-selling book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne about the power of thought. You might also remember that I mentioned these laws in my January newsletter. These laws are not new by any means, nor is the information contained in The Secret . However, it certainly seems the time is ripe for more and more people to discover them.

Currently, I am enrolled in a monthly tele-course with Rita Hovakimian of Inspiring Success called “Creating Results with Ease,” which helps participants deepen the work of the Laws of Attraction and live with ease instead of struggle. I'd like to share with you what I've learned and what I now teach my clients when doing hypnotherapy to access change in their lives.

What we think about or focus on expands
It all starts with our thoughts.
Thoughts are energy.
Energy moves, and is dynamic.

Do you ever notice when you focus on negative thoughts, they seem to expand? You find more things that are not right in your life, noticing all that is wrong. As a result, you might feel tense, uneasy, maybe getting into a “bad” mood. The downward spiral of these kinds of thoughts tends to feel heavy-low in energy—depressing and defeating.

Communicating with ourselves
Thoughts are our communication with ourselves. Often, this communication or self-talk goes mostly unnoticed by the conscious mind. But the subconscious mind is more aware. When we say to ourselves, I'll never be able to do that or that's too much of a hassle or life is hard, things never go my way or I'm no good at that, I don't deserve it and so on, the subconscious mind doesn't question such thoughts, it just accepts them.

Moving in the direction of our thoughts
Acceptance becomes ever more true as the “data” of our self-talk is repeated. Since the conscious mind seems to be unaware of them, negative thoughts filter through and make an impression on the subconscious mind—guiding us to move in their direction! Another way to say this is: we attract into our lives what we have impressed upon our minds, what we give energy to, what we focus on consciously or unconsciously. How do we learn to communicate with ourselves in a healthier way and move our lives in a positive direction? Read my article 10 Ways to Attract Ease and Serenity.

10 Ways to Attract Ease and Serenity
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Who doesn't want more ease, serenity and peace in their lives? Here are the practices I have been working with personally and also sharing with my clients.

#1 Become aware of self-talk
Awareness is key to determining what you attract into your life, so pay attention to your thoughts.

#2 Acknowledge negative thoughts
Say “thank you for sharing” or something similar to acknowledge that you've heard the negative thought. You may also want to imagine a big STOP sign, indicating you are no longer willing to tolerate such thoughts and images taking up your mind space and energy.

#3 Replace negative thoughts with positive ones
Think of something that inspires you, enlivens you, and makes you feel good.

#4 De-stress
When we're stressed, overwhelmed or anxious, we have low scattered energy that makes it a struggle to create the life we desire. Release stress in whatever way works for you—breathing exercises (see the article It's All About You in my June 2006 newsletter), a walk in the woods, talking with a friend.

#5 Give yourself some “quiet” time
Quiet time allows the endless loop of thoughts to rest a bit and helps body functions slow down. The result is that you're able to “see” (or feel, sense or hear) things more clearly. Creativity kicks in. Your imagination becomes more fluid. Solutions come more easily. You start to feel better—and naturally attract more of what feels good into your life.

#6 Focus on what you want (not what you don't want)
When you focus on what you don't want, your attention follows—causing struggle, wanting, needing, dissatisfaction, frustration and low energy. Instead, keep your focus on what you do want (not on the wanting itself) and feel uplifted, inspired, satisfied and more energetic.

#7 Use your imagination
Imagine how it feels to already have what you desire. If that means peace and serenity, feel peaceful and serene by imagining yourself in a place that fosters those feelings. Hang out in that place. Relish the state of mind it inspires. If you want a new job, a loving relationship or greater abundance, get into the details of that “picture.” Sense it, feel it, color it. Make it real in your mind's eye.

#8 Be grateful for what you already have
By acknowledging what we already have in our lives, we make room to receive more. Practice acknowledgement by doing a grateful list. Write down 5 to 10 things you are grateful for on a daily basis. When done from the heart, and not as a “should,” your energy shifts quickly to a higher level, making your life a magnet for more of the same.

#9 Acknowledge your successes
Instead of focusing on what you haven't accomplished, spend some time recognizing what you've achieved. When we recognize our successes, both big and small, we see ourselves are winners. Write down 5 successes each day, no matter their significance—from winning a Pulitzer Prize to taking out the garbage. Recognize your successes and you will have more.

#10 Nurture your body
Bodies are meant to move. Do yoga, get a massage, get a facial. Eat healthy foods. Drink lots of water. Your body will love it and you'll feel better. By giving yourself the gift of love—an expansive phenomenon that is accompanied by ease—you attract more of it to you.

Lastly, keep at it. Remember: it took a lot of repetition for your old negative thought patterns to take hold and it will take repetition for positive thoughts to do the same. Stand under your umbrella of commitment to health and well being—let it cover you when old ways of thinking rain down on you, let it protect you. With time, the practices you begin now will lead to a path of ease and the life you desire.

Self-Hypnosis Exercise: Access Your Quiet Mind
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Use this self-hypnosis exercise to achieve inner focus and access your quiet mind. Practice daily for 5 to 15 minutes and you will notice a difference in your ability to de-stress, find solutions to problems and tap into your creativity. This exercise is extremely relaxing, so refrain from practicing it while driving.

1) Focus on your breath
Close your eyes and take several deep breaths, noticing the sensation of air moving in and out of your lungs. When you catch your mind wandering, simply return your attention to the breath.

2) Clear your mind
Imagine a soft, gentle breeze clearing out your thoughts as they float into your mind. If it's helpful, you can visualize a container collecting those thoughts, in case you choose to retrieve them later.

3) Count backwards.
Count backwards from 25 to 0, visualizing each number.

4) Relax your body.
Focus on your body while breathing into your feet, legs, groin and hips, belly, chest, back, neck, shoulders, arms and hands, head and face. As you do so, take time to feel each area before softening, relaxing and releasing them one by one.

5) Imagine.
Imagine a beautiful place in nature, a place where you feel very safe , secure and strong .

6) Experience.
Experience being fully in this beautiful place. See the colors, smell the aromas, hear sounds or silence, feel the peacefulness. This is your inner sanctuary. Experience it whenever you want to feel calm and peaceful.

7) Affirm.
Say to yourself "Today and tonight I work from a deep subconscious level." You may also substitute any of the affirmations from the list below, or create your own.

8) Repeat and concentrate.
Repeat your affirmation 3 to 10 times, concentrating on the words and their meaning. If you like, add one or two affirmations from the list below.

9) Count forwards.
To emerge from your state of self-hypnosis, count forwards slowly from 1 to 10. Take several deep breaths and stretch your body.

10) Feel refreshed.
When you are finished with this exercise, notice that you feel refreshed and restored!

Play with your "quiet time" and notice if you feel anything different. Have fun and explore. Who knows, you might find yourself growing, creating, and showing your unique brilliance—just as nature continues to show us hers.

Affirmations for Self-Hypnosis
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Use any of these affirmations during your self-hypnosis exercise, or feel free to create your own.

I am learning to relax more & more every day.
I have deep freedom from the past.
I trust myself to discover what to do.
I am using the powerful inner levels of my mind.
I am filled with confidence.
I nourish myself with healthy foods.
I nurture myself completely.
I take good care of myself.
I treat myself with respect.
I move my body for my well being.
I pay attention to how my body feels.
I eat when I am hungry.
I stop eating before I am full.
I am learning, growing, changing.
I am learning to give myself "quiet time" daily.
I have a creative and powerful mind.
I reject negative thoughts and behaviors.
I naturally reject anything that would harm me.
I have control over what I think.
I have control over what I do.
I have control over what I say.
I feel safe.
I am deeply relaxed and calm.
Things are changing in a good way.

Welcoming Change, Attracting Well-Being
by Jackie Foskett, CH

As the days get shorter and life's activities seem to be taking a run in the fast lane, it may seem more challenging to focus on your health and well being. But it's not as difficult as you may think. By using your powerful inner mind, you can tap into your own innate resources and be prepared in body, mind and spirit for whatever comes your way.

Focus on the Positive
Once again, I refer you to my April 2007 newsletter and a look back on the "Laws of Attraction," which are always an important element in change and transformation. First ask yourself this question: do you want to continue feeling healthy, energetic, and good about yourself this fall? Chances are you do. If so, follow tip #6 and focus on this desire rather than any worries you may have about encountering illness, stress or self-doubt with the change of seasons.

Use Your Imagination
Now, build on your positive focus by heeding tip #7 and using your imagination. Imagine yourself continuing to exercise, as you make your health and well-being a top priority. Imagine preparing healthy soups you can freeze to make evening meals easier. Imagine how you will feel as you keep your commitment to yourself and how that decision will impact so many other areas of your life.

As Karen Casey states in the title of her book Change Your Thoughts and Your Life Will Follow , I, too, encourage you to use your powerful inner mind to create a life you love.

Experience Calm and Joy This Holiday Season:
Taking Tips from Mother Nature
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Do you ever find yourself a bit envious of Mother Nature? The way she flows effortlessly with the seasons, free from the stresses that we as human beings experience on a daily basis? Thankfully, we can use our wonderful human imagination to mirror the natural world around us. This holiday season, engage your imagination in a "daydream" as you give yourself the gift of "quiet time" and become a natural attractor of what you truly desire.

Do you desire calm? Joy? To feel more connected to other human beings? To be enlivened instead of heavy with stress? Whatever you're looking for, invite yourself to feel that feeling . If you're too overwhelmed and stressed to access positive emotions, use a memory, a time when you enjoyed such states of being. Get into your experience fully. Notice how your body feels.

As you "practice" this feeling state, you naturally become an attractor of it. By aligning with those healthy positive feelings, you'll find them by your side as you go shopping, gift buying, partying, and choosing what is important for you this season. You will find that you are in "the flow" and life feels less stressed and more joyful.

Give yourself this experience as December unfolds. Learn for yourself how you can be more like Mother Nature as you go with the flow and feel more at ease, enlivened and joyful this Holiday season.

Find more tips for December ease from my "5 Strategies for Holiday Peace and Joy" article.

Don't Resolve--Create!
by Jackie Foskett, CH

I personally like the idea of "starting anew" on January 1st. We get the opportunity to feel refreshed and be excited about what is to come--all the things we want to do, accomplish and change. Naturally, this new year seems like the perfect time to get it all done.

So, it's resolution time, right? This year I'll exercise more. This year I'll go out more with my friends. This year I'll read more books. This year I'll save more money and so on.

Yet studies show 4 out of 5 people do not follow through on their resolutions. What happens to those good intentions? According to experts, the reasons are multi-faceted. Most often, failed resolutions occur because people make:
- Resolutions that are too broad
- Too many resolutions with limited resources for change
- Resolutions at the last minute
- Resolutions about what troubles them on New Year's Eve

How, then, do we succeed in our resolutions? I'd like to assert that success comes in doing away with them altogether--leaving behind the inevitable "to do" list and "should do" baggage.

Imagine instead: Creating your life for 2008! Create your life this year by using the power of your mind first. It's all about imagination--the key to opening the doors that align your energies and fulfill your desires. By using this key, you allow appropriate actions, events and circumstances to become available to you. As a result, life feels exciting, rewarding and renewed. Take a moment to begin creating your 2008 using the powerful technique below.

The Process of Creating: Applying the Universal Laws of Attraction
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Ready to forget those New Year's resolutions and create your life instead? Here's how:

Write Down Your Goals
Write down your "goals" for 2008. Whatever your goals are, be sure they hold a lot of positive charge for you. Feel them energize you when you think about them. Avoid the "shoulds" and the blasé objectives. You may want to categorize your goals into certain areas, i.e. family, health, career, finances. See my January 2007 newsletter for more ideas.

Imagine the Details
Now for the real magic. Sit quietly as you bring your attention to your breath. (For a refresher on self hypnosis techniques, refer to my May/June 2007 newsletter.) Use your imagination to envision achieving your goals and welcoming the life you love. Let's say your goal is to lose 30 pounds. Imagine the details: you are healthier, lighter on your feet, eager to move your body and enjoying all your favorite activities.

Feel the Joy
Next, let yourself experience what this life feels like. Feel the joy of having what you desire.

It may be helpful to imagine yourself fulfilling each step toward your goal. For example, imagine releasing 1-2 pounds per week. Feel how good that will be at the end of a week. Then go to the end of the month in your imagination. Imagine how it feels to have released 4-8 pounds. Hang out with that feeling! Keep imagining week by week or month by month, coming full circle to your desired goal.

You can also play with imagining how every day you will be moving your body, perhaps even using a pedometer to keep you motivated. You might imagine how you choose healthy foods and appropriate portions.

This process fulfills the Universal Laws of Attraction and allows your desires to come forth. The good feelings you create act like magnets, attracting you to follow your creation. Use these positive, affirming feelings whenever you become discouraged or choose an action that makes you feel like you're moving backwards.

Stay Empowered

By choosing to feel empowered, excited and enriched, you will continue to create your life moment to moment. And you didn't even need those resolutions. You can apply this process to any area of your life. Have fun with it! Be in joy! Create the life you desire it in 2008!

Happiness Tool #1: Appreciation
by Jackie Foskett, CH

If you look to others for fulfillment,
you will never truly be fulfilled.

If your happiness depends on money,
you will never be happy with yourself.

Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.

When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.

--Lao Tzu

The authors of What Happy People Know say that appreciation is the fundamental happiness tool. I couldn't agree more. By expressing appreciation or gratitude, we direct our focus to what already exists rather than what we may perceive as lacking. At the same time, it opens up the heart and allows the "doors" for receiving to be unlocked.

This makes perfect sense. After all, how can we truly be happy when we consistently focus on what we lack? This kind of thinking produces an unsatisfying feeling of heaviness. This doesn't mean we can't have goals or desires, but it does mean when we change our attitude into gratitude, as author M.J. Ryan says in her book Attitudes of Gratitude "the world is suddenly transformed into a beautiful wonderland, in which you are invited to play." Doesn't that sound great?

Why is the invitation to play so appealing? When we play, our energy changes; we are filled with a much lighter feeling. When we feel lighter, we are naturally attract what we desire in life--we find solutions more easily, we intuit the appropriate actions to take, life just flows.

So, if appreciation is a tool for happiness, how can we use it? Take a look at the simple exercise below.

Your Daily Appreciation List
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Ready to take the first step toward greater happiness? It starts with a daily appreciation list. It's simple, really. Grab a notebook, or treat yourself to one of those "pretty" writing journals and dedicate it to this purpose.

Set the mood for this daily practice with some "quiet time" (see my May-June 2007 issue for tips). Allow just 10 minutes--morning, evening or whenever is convenient. I like to do mine in the morning. It sets the tone for the day. It opens me up to allow more appreciation and love in my life.

Next, jot down whatever you feel yourself appreciating at the moment, without getting hung up on any "right" order. Here are some examples:

- I am grateful for my wonderful home.
- I am grateful for my husband/wife/children
- I am grateful for the great weather we are having.
- I am grateful for my health and well-being.

You get the picture. The key is allowing appreciation to come from your heart. You can have the same things on your list day after day, but write them with feeling. Look at small things, too, such as the beautiful flowers blooming this time of the year.

I invite you to give yourself a 30 day "trial" to experience consciously being in appreciation. My guess is that you will see positive effects and naturally feel more happiness in your life. Now that's something to appreciate!

Happiness Tool #2: Choice
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Choosing what and when to celebrate is just one example of the kinds of choices we make in the course of a lifetime. Dan Baker, Ph.D and Cameron Stauth, the authors of the book What Happy People Know , write that "Choice is the father of freedom and the voice of the heart. Having no choice is like being in jail. It leads to depression, anxiety, and helplessness. Happy people choose the course of action or non-action."

In my work as a hypnotherapist, as well as on the path that I personally travel, I focus on choosing thoughts and feelings instead of blindly following the mind's habitual patterns. When we choose empowering thoughts or choose not to dwell on negative thoughts, we feel better and life flows easily. We feel less stressed, less anxious, less frustrated, and more in control. What does all this boil down to? Feeling happier . See my quick tips below for ways to use choice as a tool to achieve your own happiness.

4 Quick Tips for Choosing
by Jackie Foskett, CH

#1 - Choose awareness
Do you ever reach the end of your day and feel like it all went by in a blur? Chances are a lot went by unnoticed--including many thoughts and feelings that positively or negatively impact your happiness. By choosing to stop periodically throughout the day, you can heighten your awareness in this area. Simply take a moment now and then to ask yourself how you're feeling. Frustrated? Sad? Angry? Joyful? Excited? Calm? As you notice your feelings, you can use them to "track" the thoughts that trigger them.

#2- Choose your feelings
Once you become aware of the thoughts that trigger your emotions, you can then choose how to react. For example, say you realize the thought of an upcoming presentation at work makes you feel anxious. Once you become aware of this relationship between thought and feeling, you can choose to either give in to stress or invite a sense of calm to take its place. Choosing some relief feels so much better than no relief!

#3- Choose your thoughts
Instead of thinking negative thoughts, choose to think positive ones. For example, when your upcoming presentation comes to mind, your habit may be to think "I'm going to be so nervous, I'll forget what to say." What if, instead, you think "I'm excited about my material and I feel prepared to share it." Did that thought improve your feeling? If so, it's working to bring you into alignment with greater happiness. If not, try other thoughts until you feel better. The thoughts do not have to be on a grandiose scale, they only need to offer some improvement in how you feel.

#4-Choose your actions
Finally, choose actions that make you feel good. Going back to the example of your presentation, imagine you say yes to time for positive visualization before your presentation and politely say no to your co-worker's request for a last minute meeting. By doing so, you are choosing to act in a way that is in alignment with feeling good.

As you play with these tips, you'll discover how you really can choose your thoughts and feelings. By exercising choice, you will empower yourself, gain control of your life and feel happier as a result!

For further exploration of choice, I recommend:

- The Laws of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks
- Ask and It is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks
- The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intention by Esther and Jerry Hicks
- The Power of Emotions by Esther and Jerry Hicks
- Change Your Thoughts and Your Life Will Follow by Karen Casey
- Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain
- The Biology of Belief by Dr.Bruce H.Lipton
- Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins

Happiness Tool #3: Personal Power
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Looking for a way to stop feeling like a victim to circumstances in your life? It's all about becoming a proactive force for YOU! In other words, claiming your personal power. Dan Baker, PhD and Cameron Strauth, authors of What Happy People Know , explain that there are two components to personal power: taking responsibility and taking action.

Sometimes life feels hard and commitments such as work leave us too little time for the ease that accompanies play and relaxation. In this situation, we often feel drained and powerles--victims to circumstances "out there" that we believe are beyond our control. Happiness always seems out of reach. It will happen later when such and such occurs, when he/she does this or that. In short, the happiness we seek is always off in the future. Such a belief results in the loss of our personal power and, inevitably, suffering.

In my work as a hypnotherapist, one of my jobs is to assist people in taking back their own personal power. I do this by de-hypnotizing them from beliefs that no longer serve their needs. As clients begin to acknowledge and accept their own personal power, they naturally feel stronger and more in control. This allows them to let life flow, instead of doing battle with it.

One way that my clients become proactive is by taking responsibility for their health and well-being, which are enhanced by relaxation. When we allow ourselves enough free time, time away from our jobs, time away from our computers, etc., our sense of well-being grows. This creates a feeling of personal power, which leads to the feeling that happiness is here and now.

I love this quote by Barry Neil Kaufman, from M.J. Ryan's book The Happiness Makeover : The decision to be happy, Kaufman says, "is actually the decision to stop being unhappy." It's another way of saying be proactive for your happiness and take back your personal power. Making the decision to be happy is taking responsibility and initiating an action for YOU.

4 Quick Tips for Personal Power
by Jackie Foskett, CH

So, go ahead and reclaim your personal power this month. Here's how to get started:

#1 - Decide to stop being unhappy
De-hypnotize yourself from beliefs that no longer serve you. Contact me if you need support, and take 20% off my services this month.

#2 - Take responsibility.
Responsibility for having fun, that is! Play, relax, take a vacation, grab some quiet time.

#3 - Feel your power.
Relish the feeling of taking control of your life and the happiness that follows.

#4 - Welcome ease into your life.
It's like floating downstream. . . Let go and enjoy the ride!

Happiness Tool #4: Lead with Your Strengths
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Lead with your strengths. It's the 4th Happiness Tool from the authors of What Happy People Know , Dan Baker, PhD and Cameron Strauth. Sounds great, but how do we accomplish it?

First, let's look at how we relate to our weaknesses. When we focus on our weaknesses, we tap into fear--fear of failure, fear of not being "enough," fear of not being able to do things right, etc. This kind of fear-based thinking is restrictive and stops us in our tracks.

On the other hand, focusing on our strengths produces a much higher state of energy. Thinking about what we do well, how we contribute to others, or what we're passionate about creates a sense of excitement and well-being--energy that naturally moves more happiness into our lives. It keeps coming back to the Laws of Attraction: what you focus on is what you attract.

Try the simple exercise below to keep you focused on your strengths, and thus lead your life down the path of health, well-being and happiness.

List Your Strengths
by Jackie Foskett, CH

Ready to focus on your strengths and trade in fear for a healthy dose of happiness and well-being? Let this exercise be the first step.

Start by sitting quietly for a few minutes and observing yourself. Be present to all the positive aspects of who you are. Maybe you know yourself to be a loyal friend, a fantastic gardener or a loving parent. Maybe you've built a successful career or have become a respected leader.

Think about this exercise as coming from your spirit, not your ego. It's simply about acknowledging who you are. It's about allowing your inner brilliance to shine. It's about not allowing yourself to be small, diminished.

Once you've observed these positive aspects of yourself, write them down. Then answer the following questions:

- What is unique about your strengths?
- What do you "bring to the party"?
- Who are you with loved ones?
- What are you passionate about?
- What other great things about your strengths come to mind?

Keep your list somewhere you can easily see it. Take time to smile and appreciate (Happiness Tool #1) who you are in your most empowered self! As you go about your daily life and encounter events that may cause you to doubt your own inner brilliance, remember your strengths, remember who you really are.

Enjoy walking down your path of health and well-being with the help of your newly acknowledged strengths, your ability to exercise choice (Happiness Tool #2) and your own personal power (Happiness Tool #3)!

Happiness Tool #5: The Power of Language and Stories
by Jackie Foskett, CH

In their book "What Happy People Know," Dan Baker Ph.D and Cameron Stauth pose some fascinating questions about the far-reaching impacts of language and stories. Why is language so powerful? What do stories have to do with happiness? The answers lie in the relationship between our words and our minds.

According to Baker and Stauth, there is are two types of language: constructive and destructive. Let's examine them from the perspective of the Laws of Attraction, which I've written about previously. Constructive language is positive--it attracts what we want as opposed to what we don't want; it opens up doors of thought and action instead of closing them down. Given the positive influence it exerts on our minds and lives, constructive language just feels better. Destructive language, on the other hand, is fear-based and negative--it constricts, limits, shuts down, suppresses, depresses. Not hard to see why it produces such unpleasant feelings and reactions.

Language, whether spoken out loud or as self-talk, has an enormous impact on our subconscious mind--that hidden powerhouse which plays such a key role in shaping our lives. It's important, therefore, to listen carefully to what we are saying! If our desire is to create more happiness and expansion in our lives, positive language is important.

So, how do you get a handle on language? Choose to be aware of the words you use to describe your life and the world around you. By simply paying attention, you may become acutely aware that much of the language you employ is surprisingly negative--"horror" stories filled with destructive words and images. For example, in this newsletter's introduction the initial message was that time passes too quickly. Life flies by. There is so much to do. It's hard to get anything done. How did that feel? Probably heavy and dreary, rather than light and inspiring.

Now that you've experienced the effects of destructive language, how can you shake the negative mindset? Simply turn the story--and yourself--around by creating a positive version: Wow, I'm amazed sometimes how quickly time passes. I'm doing so many great things in my life, checking out so many interesting paths, that time just seems to disappear. How did that feel? Probably much better! Use the suggestions below to craft an example from your own life and see which "story" leaves you feeling more expansive. End with a positive version and notice its effect on your day.


A Tale of Two Stories
by Jackie Foskett, CH

This exercise will help you experience the power of language to influence your outlook. Choose some aspect of your life to describe--finding a mate, landing your dream job, losing weight. Start by telling your story in negative terms: I can't (limiting); I shouldn't (constricting); it's killing me (depressing/violent); I'm a jerk, fat, stupid (degrading). For example:

• I'll never be able to lose all that weight.
• Finding a great partner is too hard. All the good ones are taken.
• My job is killing me, but it's impossible to find a fulfilling career.

• I'm exploring different foods to support me in my weight loss program.
• There is an abundance of great people out there. I'm open to attracting a great partner!
• I'm really good with kids. Maybe I'll look into a teaching career.