I am excited to announce that the introductory workshop: “Stressed Spelled Backwards is Desserts!” is now available in New Westminster!  The next available session will be held at Douglas College, 700 Royal Avenue (corner of Royal Avenue & 8th Street). on Monday evening, July 23, 2012, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. in Room 1809.

This 2-hour workshop is specially priced at $30 and promises to be a fun and rewarding session for all.  Participants from the last workshop found the exercises to be very helpful and they all enjoyed the humourous presentation of highly effective strategies.  The small group format proved to be highly beneficial as well as enriching.  Sign up today and I look forward to meeting you on the evening of July 23!

Note:  The New Westminster campus of Douglas College is both convenient and accessible, with ample street parking and access to Skytrain/public transit.

We are constantly changing.  A key factor in adapting well to change is recognizing this.  Even though we may not feel different or circumstances have not changed, the truth is that we are continually evolving with the world around us.      

Every piece of information that enters our mind impacts our thinking.  The effect may be recognized immediately with dramatic effects or be very subtle and unnoticable for many years.  Every experience we have, positive or negative, influences our future decisions.  Every challenge we face and every person we encounter impacts us in some way.  See yourself as ever fluid and never static.  See yourself as a diamond tumbling to its’ natural brilliance.  Life shapes us in unimaginable ways.  Remain open to changes as they come.  Resilience will be your reward!

The experience of change can be as varied as change itself.  Change can be exciting and invigorating or worrisome and anxiety producing.  We can influence our experience of change and create a more positive one by choosing responses that support our wellness, along with the wellness of others.

Minimize negative experiences by breaking away from reactive responses that do not serve you well.  Develop a repertoire of responses in order to maintain flexibility in life.  Being flexible allows you to cope better with all the changes that occur in life.  One of my preferred ways of responding to change is adopting a calm and open response.  This requires focus and attention with pro-active choices including education, positive self-talk, deep breathing and mindful relaxation into the flow of life.  Adopt a calm and open response.  It can make all the difference between enduring life and enjoying it.

Change is constant in life.  How well do you cope with change?  Do you feel confident?  Are you comfortable in the face of uncertainty?  If you answered no to either of the last two questions, you may be interested in attending the new monthly special workshop for July, titled Mental Fitness Basics.  This two-hour workshop is the foundation to Mental Fitness and includes self-assessments, healthy perspectives to adopt and effective strategies to apply in your everyday life.

In general, there are five different approaches to change that may either help or hinder your experience and desired outcomes.  These include a proactive approach, resistant approach, or no approach at all.  With the latter, avoidance may work for the interim but be harmful in the long run.  It is a complex process with no prescribed answers since personalities and circumstances make each situation unique.  Having a repertoire of approaches is best for ensuring the outcomes you desire.  This workshop can literally change your life!

Mind Master is committed to supporting local charities.  I am proud to announce that the company’s first donation was made to support a local resident involved in the Ride to Conquer Cancer, held June 16 & 17, 2012.

The event was a huge success, with over 3,000 riders pedalling their hearts out from Cloverdale to Redmond, Washington, raising more than $11,000,000!  Cloudy skies and buckets of rain on Saturday did not deter riders as they forged ahead with high spirits to do their part in contributing to a cure for cancer.  I recently spoke to our rider, who stated he enjoyed the ride and looks forward to participating in next years event!

There is a growing body of scientific evidence that supports physical fitness as an effective means to mental fitness. Dr.  John J. Ratey writes about this in his popular book titled ‘Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain’.  It is a fascinating read and I highly recommend it to anyone that is interested.  Congratulations to all the cyclists who joined the Ride to Conquer Cancer!

Positive thinking alone cannot solve problems.  Motivation and action are also required to achieve results.  How do we motivate ourselves to action?  The answer is, with positive thinking!  When it comes to problem solving, positive thinking and action are intertwined since they are both cause and effect.  One fuels the other and it is the complexity of this that makes it challenging but also extraordinarily effective.

Positive thinking begins with self-confidence.  Maintain a strong belief in yourself and your capacity to succeed.  This is the catalyst to motivation.  A strong belief in yourself means never losing hope or becoming discouraged with yourself.  A strong belief in yourself requires faith, which is necessary to erase any self-doubt.  We often underestimate our true capacity and stay within our comfort zones when in reality, we are much more than what we perceive.  Practice building confidence by stretching yourself and reciting positive affirmations, such as “I am competent and capable in … ”  Then set yourself to action and prepare to amaze yourself!

When things go well in life, it is like a satisfying melody.  Everything seems to flow beautifully …  at least until it doesn’t.  Inevitably, change occurs and sometimes with that, challenges arise.  Life offers its share of ups and downs with challenges, big and small.  How we perceive these challenges and cope with them makes all the difference between a pleasant melody and one that is somber and heavy.

Here are three strategies for sustaining a pleasant melody in life.

1. Commit to making the best out of any given situation.

2. Adopt a perspective that serves you well in the moment and into the future.

3. Maintain an attitude of gratitude.

I believe that we all have the power to create the tone of our melodies.  Optimism and gratitude go a long way in keeping a joyful melody close at heart.

Knowledge is power.  Conversely, unknowns can be debilitating.  Unknowns can create anxiety and worry to the point of paralysis.  In order to tackle the unknowns associated with change, we need to move away from what is familiar and comfortable.  We need to stretch ourselves and test our true potential.  This is where personal growth lies.

Although there is ease in staying within your comfort zone, I believe there is a time for rest and a time for growth.  There is a time to be comfortable and to relax as well as a time to move forward in life.  You will instinctively know when the time is right and when you feel ready, here is a proven strategy to help ease the transition.

Take the word ‘know’ out of unknown.  Educate yourself.  Seek answers to all that you are curious, unsure and fearful about.  Choose reliable sources where you will gain facts and learn the true potential risks you are concerned about.  Ultimately, grasp the realities involved and apply them to your particular situation.  Learn what you need to know to dissolve your fears.  Arm yourself with strategies to minimize risks and enhance success.  In doing so, you have taken the ‘un’ out of ‘unknown’, leaving you with ‘known’: what you know.  This translates to knowledge and knowledge is power.  Now you have the power to tackle change!

What is fear?  In terms of personal growth, Grace Cirocco, author of Take the Step: The Bridge Will Be There, writes “FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real”.  This is the most profound acronym I have ever come across that holds great truth for many situations.

When we live in fear and project outcomes based on old beliefs and past experiences, we limit our potential.  We may assume certain outcomes and leap to negativity without taking into consideration the facts and realities of today.  We tend to overlook the fact that we have grown and changed through life experiences.  We are not the same today as we were yesterday. Life hones us, like diamonds tumbling to their natural brilliance. Think back five or ten years ago and consider how your perspectives have evolved since then.  How do you see things differently today from yesterday?

Great adventure is the reward for conquering fear.  Helen Keller quotes:”Life is either a daring adventure or nothing”.  We need not leap into a daring adventure but taking one baby step at a time is all that is required to start the process of dissolving and conquering fear.

Melancholy is a state of deep sadness within.  Sometimes, you might not know why you feel sad or even where it comes from, but there it is.  Melancholy is a little unnerving especially when it consumes us and darkens our days, like dark clouds that loom overhead.

Deep sadness for extended periods can be a sign of depression, especially if it interferes with our regular daily activities.  In this case, it is often helpful to seek outside intervention in the form of a close and trusted confidante or professional support from a doctor or counsellor.

Darkness is a normal part of life.  Just as we all have good days, we also have our share of ‘not-so-good’ days.  It is a natural part of the human experience as long as it does not consume us.  Accept and acknowledge the waves of  darkness as they come and allow them to pass just as naturally as they arrived.  Shunning darkness and hiding it is harmful to your long-term health.  Work through it and have compassion for yourself.  Treat yourself as lovingly as you would others that you cherish in your life.