Greetings! January 2005 I hope the new year has already brought you much properity and fulfillment! I'm kicking off the year with a little reminder to treat ourselves with respect and not be so hard on ourselves! This month's workout is about how we are often our own worst enemy! With all the snow we have had to shovel out, I had to reschedule the workshop "Take Charge of Your Business in 2005" to next Friday, February 11th from 9am - 1pm, so if you are interested in creating a breakthrough year in your business, join us! There are a few spots left. Details are below. If, at any time, you would like to unsubscribe, simply go to the end of the newsletter. Warmly, Jean M. DiGiovanna, President, ThinkPeople Monthly Theme Monthly Workout Monthly Poem Upcoming Workshops/ Events We are our own worst enemy! Time and time again as I coach clients, run workshops and speak to groups, the biggest barrier I continue to hear that gets in the way of people having what they want is, guess who? Yours truly!! So, if that is the case, then no matter where you go and what you do, you're always bringing your own worst enemy along with you. And, then, we wonder why we feel drained, frustrated, and can't seem to be who we want to be or have what we want to have. But, there is good news! The good news is that we are our own worst enemy! So, you ask me, why is this good news? Because, at least we have the power to shift, alter, and change who we are, what we expect and how we view ourselves! I'm not saying it's easy, but if we are our own worst enemy and we have the power to change, then we don't have to fight with ourselves any longer! I, personally, can attest to being my own worst enemy. I used to set very high expectations of myself and of others and over the years, what I often got was disappointment. With myself and with others. Either I didn't live up to those expectations (that I made up, by the way!), or others didn't meet them. And, the other big fat enemy is fear. (False Evidence Appearing Real). We all have fears and some fears feel much stronger than others to the point where it stops us in our tracks. I can recall many times in my life that I talked myself out of doing something or saying something for fear I would fail, or I would be mocked. Fear is created in our minds. It is not real, but it appears real and can sure feel scary! Again, I remind you, where does the fear come from? Where do the expectations come from? Yup, yours truly, once again! So, are you starting to see a pattern? We are our own worst enemy! And, honestly, it breaks my heart to see so much potential for joy, happiness and vitality in everyone I work with, yet, we are stifling it all on our own!! If the Nanny were in charge, she'd probably send us to our "naughty mat!" :-) What I continue to notice is some of the things we think about ourselves or say to ourselves is nothing we would ever say to someone else that we cared about. I ask you, when you are being hard on yourself, when the fear gets in the way, stop and put yourself first. Treat yourself with respect, as you would want to be treated by others. Ask yourself, "How can I be gentle with myself today? How do I want to be treated right here, right now in this moment?" And, give yourself that gift. Give yourself the respect and compassion that you deserve as a human being, that we all deserve as human beings. Cheers Jean M. DiGiovanna Monthly Workout: Our own Worst Enemy: Explore the following processes and questions below for this month's workout: How are you your own worst enemy? How are you hard on yourself? What expectations do you have of yourself? Of others? Are they realistic? What might you need to give up or let go of to be kind to yourself? Are you willing to give that up? If so, practice taking that on and when you feel stuck, ask yourself in that moment "How can I be gentle with myself today? How do I want to be treated right here, right now in this moment? And, then treat yourself that way? I look forward to hearing what you experience! (please e-mail me at jdigi@thinkpeople.com) Poem of the Month: Our Own Worst Enemy! There comes a time when the truth we see, Is the enemy is not them, nor us, nor it, it's me! I am the one that gets in the way, Of enjoying life's most precious gifts today. If we can just stop and be aware of what's there, And shift our mind and heart toward a gentle stare. To look at ourselves and start being kind, For there is so much love and joy for us to find.                          ~ by Jean M. DiGiovanna Upcoming Workshops, Events, Announcements THINKPEOPLE's WORKSHOPS LOOKING TO TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL? Take Charge of Your Business in 2005! (New date) Join us to kick off the year with a new approach to strategic planning. You will not only focus on getting clear on the goals you want to achieve for your business in 2005, but invent a core theme and positive shifts in your perspective that will set the stage for delivering powerful business results in 2005. For Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners. Friday, February 11, 2005 from 9am - 1pm in Watertown, MA. Cost $85. Breakfast included. To register or for more info, see http://www.thinkpeople.com/workshops.html EVENTS 2nd Annual Kiss & (don't) Tell Valentine's Fundraiser Event Come to support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, The Tsunami Relief Fund and the MS Cure Fund. Funky, Rockin' DJ, Catered Food, Silent Auction, Bachelor & Bachelorette Auction and much more! Saturday, February 12, 2005 8pm - 2am The International Restaurant & Bar 184 High St, Boston, MA. Tickets, email Jean at jdigi@thinkpeople.com Boston Women's Network (BWN) invites you to "An Evening of Wisdom with Five Powerful Women". Come experience an interactive discussion with a panel of five powerful women in varying Leadership positions. They will be sharing with us their greatest career challenges and how they overcame them, their biggest lessons learned, and advice on how they have been able to balance their work and life. Tuesday, March 1, 2005 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at the Sheraton Lexington Inn To register or for more info, see http://www.bostonwomensnetwork.org/news/030105_meeting.html Curious about ThinkPeople's other services? Check out Facilitation/Training/ Consulting" I hope you've enjoyed ThinkPeople's Monthly Workout and found value out of it! 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 ©2004 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 ~ Playground for Shifting Reality jdigi@thinkpeople.com http://www.thinkpeople.com/ 617.489.7494