Greetings! Feb/March 2006 So, who's the wiseguy that took a few days away from February and made the month so short?! I literally woke up at 2am yesterday realizing, "I forgot to send my newsletter out for February!" So, instead of getting stressed and feeling behind the eight ball, I am sending a February/March newsletter, so now I'm ahead of the game! :-) It's all about perspective, right? I thought it was appropriate, then, that the theme of this month is From Axiety to Ease: Shifting in the Moment. I also wanted to let you know of a workshop The Self Center in Winchester, MA is hosting that I'm running called Create Your Own Soul Cards held Monday evening, March 13th from 6:30pm - 9:30pm. It's a fun and creative workshop where you don't have to think at all!! Details below or at http://www.thinkpeople.com/workshops.html. Warmly, If, at any time, you would like to unsubscribe, simply go to the end of the newsletter. Cheers, Jean M. DiGiovanna, President, ThinkPeople Monthly Theme Monthly Workout Monthly Poem Upcoming Workshops/ Events From Anxiety to Ease: Shifting in the Moment Did you know it takes only 17 seconds to create a new belief in your brain and even less than that to shift a thought? I recall this fact from the movie, "What the Bleep do we Know", and I find it both fascinating and confronting at the same time. If it takes only 17 seconds, how come more of us aren't doing it when we feel stressed, overwhelmed or unhappy? Don't you just wish , during these times, you could wave a magic wand and make it all go away? It's so much easier when something or someone else can do it for us. Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is, we are fully responsible for our thoughts and how we respond to life and the things in it. The bad news, is we are fully responsible for our thoughts and how we respond to life and the things in it!! So, the question is, if we are fully responsible and no one else can do it for us, which thoughts do you choose in every moment? And, are you even aware that you are making a choice? All of us have voices in our head (if you're wondering "what voice?", yes, that's the one!) and what we say to ourselves and to others impacts our mood, feelings and actions. It all starts with a thought and our thoughts show up in how we respond to things. We have the ability to respond to things however we choose. Think about the word, responsibility. It is the ability to respond. When i realized I forgot to write my newsletter, my first thought was, "*%$#!#@!, I can't believe I forgot!", then I thought "What are people gonna think? I broke a commitment to provide something and I failed. What kind of business owner am I?" Then, less than a minute later, I started laughing and thought, "Ta-Da!! Human being at it's best! I am only human and sometimes things happen." So, instead of stressing about the fact that I missed it, I saw the humor and learning from it and used it for the newsletter topic. Instead of worrying about being late this month and having to write two newsletters, I took the opportunity to combine the two months! Who knows, maybe I will be inspired to write another one for March, but that is irrelevant! The point is, I shifted in the moment from stressful to calm and ease and I suddenly felt the freedom to move forward. And, move forward not with the stress of having to write it, but move forward knowing when I'm motivated and inspired to write it, it will happen. So, I ask you this month to notice how you respond to life and the things and people in it. When you feel anxious, frustrated or stressed, see if you can shift your perspective in that moment and hold it for 17 seconds or more and notice how different you may feel. Be gentle with yourself and remember, you're only human. I leave you with a question I received from the end of an email story I heard years ago that I will never forget: "You can be in a bad mood today or a good mood. Which do you choose?" Cheers, Jean M. DiGiovanna Monthly Workout: Making the Shift Explore the following process and questions below for this month's workout: When you feel out of balance, upset, overwhelmed or stressed out, try out the approach below: Stop and notice how you are feeling. Awareness is the first step in being able to shift your thoughts and feelings. Laugh! See if you can find the humor in whatever is happening. I know this may not apply to all situations, especially those tragic and sudden. Please use your best judgement here. Remind yourself that you are only human! Remember, you are not perfect. There is no such thing as perfect, so stop trying to strive for something that doesn't exist! Find the learning. What is a positive thing you could see coming from this? What are you learning about yourself? About others? Identify with the learning. Create a new thought. Based on the learning, see if you can find a more positive thought that feels better for you. Take the new thought or perspective on for the next hour and notice how you feel. See if you can take the new thought on for the rest of the day...week...month...year!! I look forward to hearing what you experience! (please e-mail me at jdigi@thinkpeople.com) Poem of the Month: Shifting in the Moment It's often times easier said than done, to change how you feel when you've just come undone. But, if it helps to know, we are all just the same, human beings doing our best, playing the imperfection game. So, next time things don't go your way, take a moment to remember, it's really all ok. You have the ability to choose a different view. So, take the opportunity and start anew!                          ~ by Jean M. DiGiovanna Upcoming Workshops, Events, Announcements THINKPEOPLE's WORKSHOPS Create Your Own Soul Cards - A fun and soulful workshop that taps into your creativity and spirituality! Learn about and create your own set of soul cards to use as a tool to help you access answers from within. Monday, March 13, 2006 6:30pm - 9:30pm Winchester, MA Cost $45(includes all materials) To register or for more info, see http://www.thinkpeople.com/workshops.html PUBLIC APPEARANCES Girl's Night Out with Effortless Networking! Taking the "Work" out of Networking sponsored by Mix 98.5 Thursday evening, March 16, 2006 from 5pm - 9pm. Part of the Boston Flower Show Jean will be presenting from 6:30pm - 7pm representing Boston Women's Network. To register or for more details, see http://www.masshort.org/showpage.asp?page=2_13 Women's Economic Power Day by LifeMoxie! Saturday, April 8, 2006 8am - 5pm   Harvard Club, Boston, MA Jean will present two breakout sessions: Standing in Your Personal Power: Using Your Voice & Effortless Networking! .To register or for more details, see http://www.lifemoxie.com/events_wepd_06_boston.php. Curious about ThinkPeople's other services beyond Coaching? Check out Facilitation/Training/ Consulting" I hope you've enjoyed ThinkPeople's Monthly Workout and found it valuable! Feel free to forward to your friends, family and colleagues. To read past editions of ThinkPeople's Newsletters and to learn more about our services and products, visit us at http://www.thinkpeople.com/resources.html If you wish to unsubscribe, please e-mail unsubscribe@thinkpeople.com Copyright Info: ThinkPeople's Monthly Workout for the mind, heart and soul is ©2005 Jean M. DiGiovanna. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher. Jean M. DiGiovanna, Publisher Amy Rewakowski, Editor ThinkPeople ~ Bringing Individuals and Organizations Alive! jdigi@thinkpeople.com http://www.thinkpeople.com/ 617.489.7494