Greetings! June 2007 I hope you are enjoying the summer so far! This month's workout is about Honoring Exactly Where You Are. I hope it may bring some relief when you may be avoiding something or feeling like you are pushing too hard. For those in the States, wishing you a Happy July 4th! 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 Honoring Exactly Where You Are Do you ever find yourself putting something off knowing you had to get it done, or perhaps you really want to do it, but it’s just not happening? Well, that’s how it felt this month when it came to writing my newsletter. I had the topic, and I knew I needed to do it and although I generally send it out at the very last day of the month, I just kept putting it off! After getting more frustrated this morning, it occurred to me that all this time, I had been fighting against time, pushing myself and making myself wrong every time I put it off. And, I realized in that moment, I just need to honor exactly where I am and lo and behold, the topic for this month appeared before me, “Honoring Exactly Where You Are”. My other topic can wait for another month. So often, we push or control because we want it so badly, or we find a million other things to do because we don’t want to face it. Either way, pushing or avoiding expends our energy and most of all, drains our own vitality! What we resist persists, but as soon as we stop resisting and instead, simply honor exactly where we are, something shifts. It doesn’t mean we have to be satisfied or content with where we are, and it doesn’t mean we have to do something about it in that moment. I am talking about being “with” wherever we are and accepting it, not judging it. As soon as we stop resisting and accept this is where we are right now and experience it in that moment, the hold it had on us begins to loosen. Our energy begins to free up and we actually start feeling better. I discovered this more fully last year and it made huge differences in my life. Every time I found myself pushing, controlling or avoiding, I stopped and simply honored where I was. I would say to myself, “Oh, I’m pushing again”… or “I’m avoiding”… or “I’m frustrated”. And, in acknowledging exactly where I was at, the resistance started to lessen and things started to flow again. There is nothing to do but simply notice and honor. It was a huge breakthrough for me that had me truly realize how life can be effortless. I just forgot in the last few days what I had learned and as my own coach has said to me, “It’s not about how often we forget, it’s how quickly we remember in every moment.” I ask you this upcoming month to give yourself a break when you are avoiding, resisting, or pushing. Stop and honor exactly where you are. We are all human beings who feel what we feel in every moment. There is nothing to change, only to honor and accept. When you do that, life will begin to flow freely, just as this newsletter is coming to its end. Wishing you all a most fabulous weekend!! Cheers, Jean M. DiGiovanna Monthly Workout: Honoring Exactly Where You Are Take on the following questions and process below for this month’s workout: Is there an area or situation in your life you are avoiding or putting off? Or, is there an area you feel you are pushing, controlling and forcing to make happen? What are the feelings you experience while you are avoiding or pushing? Now, stay in touch with those feeling and begin to notice them, without judgment. Notice that they are simply there. And, begin to acknowledge that you are human and deserve to feel exactly what you do. Keep being with the feelings without judging them or making yourself wrong about feeling them. Remind yourself that it’s ok to feel this way. Now, what do you experience? Remember, there is nothing to do or take on. There is only to acknowledge and accept. Practice this each time you are pushing or avoiding and begin to notice what shifts in you. I look forward to hearing what you experience! (please e-mail me at jdigi@thinkpeople.com) Poem of the Month: Honoring Where You Are So often in life, we are either thinking about the past, worrying about the future or wondering about the here and now. Our energy is on a roller coaster wanting to get off, but not sure how. It’s time to stop and acknowledge what you feel, In the moment, without judgment, just get to what’s real. There is nothing to change. Nothing to do. Simply accept your humanity and you will experience something new.                          ~ by Jean M. DiGiovanna Curious about ThinkPeople's other services beyond Coaching? Check out Corporate 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 ©2007 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