ideal

Girl Interrupted

There’s an insane patient in your head and she needs a nap.

I am being very serious.                                                                                                         

Are you listening to what you are telling yourself? Have you eavesdropped on the crazy conversation in your head?  If you do not have what you want in your life, I guarantee that your thoughts are sabotaging what you say you want.

Just yesterday I was coaching a bright, energetic, lovely client who says that she wants to lose 50 pounds more than anything.  But, when I asked her if she believed that she was capable of actually losing the weight, she meekly replied, “No.”

Do you believe that you will succeed? Do you think that you can do it? If not, I’m very sorry, but you won’t. It’s just that simple.  It all starts with a belief.   Look no further than the insane patient’s rants to figure out why you don’t seem to be able to work on your business, lose the muffin top or feel happy.                                                                                           

You are free to create exactly what you want….and allow in something even better. How?  Follow this simple FREE process:

F- Find the insane patient’s belief that is not serving you.  “You’ll never pull that off,” or “Who do you think you are trying to do that, “ or even “There’s way too much on your plate to consider that,” are examples.

R- Reduce your suffering by replacing the thought.  As you are watching your thoughts, ask Girl Interrupted to have a seat. Pivot your attention toward a positive thought that you believe and that makes you feel better. 

E- Encourage yourself to take one tiny step toward the result that you want.  

E- Enjoy life without the mental drama. Keep the patient well rested, well fed, and have some fun.

By practicing this FREE technique, the obstacles melt, opportunities show up and brilliant you get to taste your surprise center.

Yummo!

Weight Loss for Smart Women...join the revolution

Eight-Week Telecourse with Brooke Castillo and Susan Hyatt

"End your diet war and achieve thinner peace."
~Martha Beck

Wednesdays, June 17- August 5, 2009
10am Pacific | 11am Mountain | 12pm Central | 1pm Eastern
All classes are 60 minutes

Have you tried everything and still struggle with losing weight? Lose the drama and the weight. In eight weeks, learn the most effective weight loss tools on the planet from Martha Beck's "The Four Day Win" and Brooke Castillo's "If I'm So Smart Why Can't I Lose Weight?" methodologies. It's thinner peace.

June 17 -- Pre-Contemplation and 4 Days at a Time (Susan)
June 24 -- Eating Tools (Brooke)
July 1 -- Contemplation and The Watcher, The Dictator and The Wild Child (Susan)
July 8 -- Feeling Tools (Brooke)
July 15 -- Preparation and Action (Susan)
July 22 -- Belief Tools (Brooke)
July 29 -- Keeping the Momentum and Maintenance(Susan)
August 5 -- Future Focus Tools (Brooke)

Can't make one or more of those dates? No problem. All participants will receive an mp3 recording of each session.

All 8 sessions, including mp3 recordings, for just $99!

Register here.

Questions? Please contact Support@MarthaBeck.com.

"If you want a diet, I am not your woman. If you want a personal revolution, join me."
~Susan Hyatt

I have learned first hand how to apply Master Coach Brooke Castillo's ground breaking tools. I can help you do the same.

I am a weight loss coach with virtually no interest in how many calories you eat or how many sit ups you do. I am solely interested in finding the limiting thoughts that you think that drive your patterns of behavior, and helping you get rid of them. There are a million diet programs that will tell you how to eat and how to move. I will teach you how to think. And from that place, you will find freedom that will not only feel lighter, but will create new patterns of behavior that will make you literally lighter in the process.

See my story here.

All 8 sessions with mp3 recordings for just $99!

Register now!

You are Brilliant -- and the Earth is Hiring

A great post at the blog site of CharityFocus.org --

Paul Hawken (friend of CharityFocus, entrepreneur, environmental activist, and author) delivered the 2009 Commencement Address to the Class of 2009 at the University of Portland.

"There is invisible writing on the back of the diploma you will receive, and in case you didn’t bring lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says: YOU ARE BRILLIANT, AND THE EARTH IS HIRING. The earth couldn’t afford to send any recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating. Take the hint. And here’s the deal: Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done."

Read his entire speech. You just might be as inspired by it as I!

The Mother of All Mothers

“If my husband doesn’t take the kids to get me something nice this year for Mother’s Day, I’m going on strike!”

“No one appreciates everything that I do around here.”

OUCH.

Celebrating Motherhood on Mother’s Day brought up a lot of icky thoughts for my clients.  Several of my clients and friends emailed me and posted on Facebook that they were having a hard time with Mother’s Day. They were so irritated that they just wanted to be left alone.

Mothering as defined by Webster’s Dictionary:  “The nurturing and raising of a child or children by a mother.”

Interesting.

Notice that this definition does not include always doing the laundry all by yourself, waiting on your children and partner like a short-order cook, putting all of your interests on the back burner, no time for exercise, or wearing mom jeans. (Seriously, do something about that.)

I cannot tell you how much mental energy I’ve wasted in the past creating some pretty stiff criteria for my family and friends to follow so that I could be happy.  My mood was dependent on how well they followed my “life manual.” 

• It will be a great holiday if they buy me the “right” gift
• Dinner will be fun if the kids behave
• He should tell me that I look nice
• I’ll do them a favor but they better reciprocate

Exhausting.

Something shifted for me some time ago (i.e., my thoughts) when I realized that if I kept waiting for other people to behave the way that I wanted before I could be happy, I was setting myself up for chronic cranky pants days.

So in response to my clients, I emailed them back, “Mother yourself.”  I really mean this. Don’t wait for kids and partners and husbands and sisters to tell you that you are a great mom in order to feel good.  Give yourself a high five and think of ways to nurture yourself.

Where are you on your priority list?

What can you do for yourself that is fun this week?

When was the last time you went out with friends?

What can you eliminate from your to-do list?

Who can help you with chores and errands?

Are you good company for yourself?

This is exactly how I changed my mind, the way that I treat myself, and my need for other people and external sources to give me joy.  I went ahead and gave it to myself, and what they offered was the cherry on top….not the entire sundae. 

Self love. The mother of all mothers.

Life Is Like Coffee

Spend more time on your coffee than your life?  I have friends who drive a few hours every few months to buy and stock up on a specific blend of coffee.  If they can’t make the drive, they pay to have it shipped.  But ask these guys what their personal goals are for the year, and they get all fidgety.  Must be the caffeine.  But seriously, if you focus more on your cup of Joe than you do fulfillment, you’ll have mornings filled with yummy coffee and not much else.  The truth is, that having a delicious life is less about having some perfect, mystical balance. It’s all about the blend.

If you are a coffee connoisseur (addict) like me, you probably spend some time gazing at coffee brands online, in the market and coffee houses considering all of the flavors and options. Caffeinated or Decaf?  (Ok. That was a little joke. I never consider Decaf.)  Whole bean or ground? Mild or bold roast?  Organic and free trade?  The choices and detail that go into selecting a delicious blend of coffee are plenty.  But all too often, when it comes to our own lives, we stick with the same old Maxwell House, because it’s what we know and “it was good enough for my parents.”

Many times when I ask clients what they want, they aren’t really sure. They just know that their current result is not quite what they ordered.  Whether it’s carrying extra weight, withering in a career that feels all wrong, or spinning to try and make their business take off, there is something in the blend that tastes funny. 

Personally, I’ve abandoned the silly notion that I need balance.  I’m actually happiest when I consider the blend of my life instead of trying to compartmentalize and make everything “even Steven.”  To create the unique blend for your life, ask yourself the following questions:

1.    How would I like my life to be different?  Look at what your life result is right now. How does this differ from what you really want? Get specific. Is it to lose 25 pounds? Make more money? Have a job that is fun?

2.    Why do I want this?  This is truly an important question.  Sometimes we think we want something, but when we ask ourselves “Why?” we discover we only wanted it because it sounded good, or to please a spouse, etc.  The motivation behind your goal is as important as the goal itself.  You will have a much harder time creating a result that is not in line with your soul.

3.    What am I telling myself about why I do not have this already?  Just for today, be a scientist of yourself and observe without judgment the dialog going on in your head.  What’s the chatter about?  Is it kind? It really is true that “what you think about, you bring about.”  If you tell yourself that you are dumb, lazy and stuck in a rut, that’s what you’ll get more of…every time.

4.    What can I think and do to create the life blend that I want?  This is they money shot right here.  Tiny example:  I want to finish writing a book.  The thought right now that I believe and feels good is, “Show up on the page for fifteen minutes.”  I can hang with fifteen minutes. Sure!  That motivates me to write during small pockets of time.  Not a fancy affirmation….just a tiny pivot in my thinking toward what I want.

When I wake up, I ask myself, “What’s the Susan Blend today?”  Always caffeinated, usually bold and strong, and always, always delicious to me.  What’s your blend?

Make Your Own Luck Part 2

What do a recent concussion, losing power at the house for four days, a car accident, losing my voice, and many other minor happenings have in common?  A really lucky person.  I recently blogged about the research of luck, and how to get lucky yourself.  Soon after, I slipped and hit my head so hard on a car door mirror, that I had a concussion.  A client emailed me and asked when the locusts were coming.  I laughed.  This is no Book of Job.

What’s funny is that if you look at the past six months, I’ve had quite a few inconveniences.  But I am still lucky.  I feel lucky.  And, more interestingly, I realize that many people would use those same life circumstances to have a pity party, and claim that they are UNLUCKY.  Just take the concussion for example:  Did I love the fact that I had a goose egg on my head, was so exhausted that I had to clear my coaching schedule for a week, and was forced to actually rest?  No. 

But I took that smack on the head very metaphorically.  I should rest more.  I move so fast that sometimes I don’t notice where I am going.  I got the message.  It was actually the best thing that could have happened for me to reconnect with myself and self-care.

Notice what I just did?  I retold my past in a way that was empowering for me, instead of wallowing in self-pity ick.  Self-care or self-pity?  Your choice.   And, now, your turn. 

Here’s how to turn your ancient history into a good luck charm:

1.    Think about a life circumstance that was unwanted and painful. 

2.    How was that circumstance PERFECT for you at the time?

3.    How does that experience and knowledge help you now?

4.    What did that eventually lead to that is good and right in your life?

From this place of empowerment in the present moment, you can let your past off the hook, and create a future filled with luck.  It’s not just for the Irish. Happy St. Patty’s Day.

Self Coaching 101 Call--A Quick Dose of Freedom

I am super excited to be leading a Self Coaching 101 Call with Brooke Castillo, this Wednesday, March 18th, at 4pm Pacific/6pm Central/7pm Eastern.

Join me for a one hour call to learn and practice the Self Coaching 101 model.  Your thoughts create your current result, and I can show you how.  Bring any issue and we will use this exciting method to coach you.

You can register for the call by cutting and pasting the link below into your web browser.  The one hour class is $45.  The call will be recorded and the MP3 will be emailed to all registered participants.

https://www.mcssl.com/SecureCart/Checkout.aspx?sctoken=a1b95e92a8d44bfa96963aae2da8fe91&mid=EAE5FACA-C346-4C1D-BD45-28BB6BA3E2A5&bhcp=1

 

Life is Delicious Weight Loss Telecourse

Make Your Own Luck

If you feel that you are a resident of Bad Fortune, there’s actually new research to back up what I’ve been telling clients forever:  Luck has nothing to do with success.  That’s right. Some guys do NOT have all the luck.  What they have instead, is the ability to THINK and ACT in a way that gets them the results that they want in life.  So brush that chip off of your shoulder and listen up.  You can make your own luck.

 

“He’s just lucky. He can come out of a pile of manure smelling like a bed of roses. It’s been that way his whole life,” a family member commented about my husband, Scott.  Knowing what I know about his life, he does seem to have “nine lives.”  But does successfully overcoming many serious traumas and situations make someone lucky?  What exactly makes a former partier, terrible student, and chronic rule breaker (aka mother’s worst nightmare) into an amazing partner, fun dad and wildly successful professional?  I’m not about to hand his power over to a four-leaf clover or being born under a lucky star.

 

According to my observations, and psychologist and author of The Luck Factor: Changing Your Luck, Changing Your Life: The Four Essential Principles, Richard Wiseman, it’s not dumb luck.  It’s the ability to see what is possible and being open to new opportunities.

 

Of course, self-help has been saying this for years. Positive thinking isn’t just squishy, woo woo concepts, that only tree hugging, Birkenstock wearing, organic eating new age peeps can do.  Okay, I am fully embracing that I love trees and eat organic…but I draw the line at ugly shoes. Seriously, my conservative, Midwestern, four wheeling husband gets this stuff, and you can too.

 

Here’s how to be lucky:

 

1.  Be open for opportunities.  I believe that we are presented with many opportunities every single day.  If we start to notice, and become scientists in our own lives, we begin to see the connections that exist for us.  Let your guard down. Talk to people. Be the watcher. Notice all of the unexpected things that are happening for you, and not against you.

2.  Listen to your gut.  Our society spends way too much time relying on our cluttered, hyper minds.  What’s interesting is that our gut instincts are often way more accurate than the pro/con lists that we create from our minds. Sure, the mind and body have to work together. But often we ignore the body all together.  While you are watching for opportunity, also pay attention to your body’s signals.  I’m sure you can remember a time when your gut said “This isn’t a good idea,” and you did it anyway, only to regret it?  Me too.  You body is a great tool that is free and always with you.  Pay attention to what it has to say.

3.  Think lucky thoughts.  I’m not suggesting ridiculous mantras that you do not believe.  Pick something that you believe that also feels better than your current thought patterns.  For example, “The company received 2000 applications for the same job. The economy stinks and I’ll never find a job,” probably feels pretty crappy and will lead to some crappy result.  The “lucky” person who landed the job was not thinking like this, I can promise you.  Replacing that thought with something like, “I am SO qualified for this job and I will rock the interview,” is bound to get a different and better result.

4.  Do what the lucky do.  Based on better feeling thoughts, you will FEEL better, and therefore ACT in a way that will lead to the result that you want.  Ask yourself what you want, and then what you need to THINK and DO to get that result. This is how the lucky get luckier, the rich get richer, the happy get happier, and my beagles get more than their fair share of beef jerky.

 

Scott is a great example of what is possible. He’s had plenty of life tragedy and heartache.  He learned early on how to change his thoughts and his actions to get results. He does not let life happen to him. He creates his luck. And I am damn lucky to have him!

 

Retreat!