Dear Newsletter Readers,
I received such positive response from last month's newsletter about feeling the guilt and doing it anyway that I decided to continue the theme for this month's newsletter. Keeping in mind that taking care of yourself allows you to have more energy to give to everyone else, the steps below can help you take the next steps towards making your self-care a priority. You will feel guilty when you set limits and boundaries, but don't let that be a stop sign! Give yourself permission to try on the new, somewhat uncomfortable behaviors until they feel more natural and part of your emerging habit patterns.

Create A Compelling Vision If you could wave a magic wand, how would you truly like your life to look? Take a moment to dream a bit without worrying about how you would implement your dream vision. Imagine how it would feel to be more relaxed, filled up, empowered and lighter. Think of others who embody self-care and some boundary setting practices you would like to institute in your own life. Keep your focus on this positive vision to motivate you to create new perspectives and practices.

Take A Stand for Yourself You may have conditioned others in your life to be dependent on you. It will take some practice and time for them to learn to fish for themselves instead of you fishing for them. It may be challenging at first to set limits and boundaries and ask others to look for their own answers. If we see delegation as a tool for developing others, it can help us let go, delegate and mentor instead of doing all the work.

Learn To Be a Master at Delegation What tasks have you been taking on that you can delegate to others? Where are you taking on unnecessary responsibility? Although giving up responsibility and delegating may at first feel like you are losing control, remind yourself that the cost of doing everything for everyone is high! Who can you begin to trust to take over some of your tasks to free yourself for more fun, creative pursuits, social time or exercise? Remember that they won’t necessarily do it your way, but it will get done. What is draining your energy that you could release?

Keep Your Commitments to Yourself As most coaches will tell you, many of us feel guilty when we take care of ourselves. However, we can learn to feel the guilt and do it anyway, just like we may have learned to feel the fear and take action. We have to reframe the concept of feeling selfish to realize that we are really being "self-supporting." Instead of relating to guilt as a stop sign, let's see it as a yellow light. After a while, you can get used to the guilt and may find you like taking care of yourself. If you start to take care of yourself and feel guilty, pat yourself on the back! You are breaking old habit patterns and setting a great example for everyone else around you! You will have more energy and compassion as well.

Scroll down to the GOOD NEWS section of the newsletter to be inspired by others who used the context of love to have more relationship success!

These people decided to take action in their lives, and leave their comfort zone enough to make some powerful changes. Some used coaching and/or therapy to assist them with their challenges. Each one had to face their fears, try on new behaviors, and trust their strengths. As you can see below, their efforts were rewarded. I also love to hear from former clients or others about their good news too! I only mention ages because many of my clients feel they are sometimes "too old" to have things happen for them.

INDIVIDUAL COACHING: Explore what coaching can do for you! For people new to coaching, I always offer a complimentary session designed to help clarify and move forward to the career, relationships, and lifestyle you truly desire! Coaching can help you gain clarity about your goals, provide accountantability and structure, and help you move through your obstacles and fear toward success. Coaching will help make the changes you want so you live a life that reflects your values and priorities! Click on the link under my picture to access my website, with a coaching video from a television spot I did for WCVB Boston Channel 5 Chronicle Magazine and detailed New York Times and Boston Globe articles profiling my work, and testimonials from satisfied clients.

I hope you have enjoyed this newsletter. Please forward a copy of it to anyone you think may also benefit from reading it. I appreciate your support, and ask you to please forward the entire newsletter. Please do add, change or delete any part. If you would like to be added to the subscription list, please use the space provided in "joining our mailing list" and follow the easy instructions.