Greetings! March 2003 Given what is going on in the world right now, I am hoping this month’s workout centered around “Values” will assist you in staying grounded and clear in what is important to YOU and provide practical tools to continue to honor your own values and connect with others in the face of what shows up in the world. Like a Personal fitness trainer for your body, a Personal Coach is for your mind, heart and soul! I welcome your insights, experiences, comments and questions. If you are looking for a shot of energy during lunchtime, there are a few more openings left in the Lunchtime Life Series Increase Your Energy by Eliminating Your Tolerations and Bring more Fun, Play and Ease into your life. For details, see http://www.thinkpeople.com/workshops.html. I hope you enjoy the "Monthly Workout"! If, at any time, you would like to unsubscribe, simply go to the end of the newsletter. With thoughts for our troops to return safely and soon and for peace to prevail, Jean M. DiGiovanna, President, ThinkPeople Monthly Theme Monthly Workout Monthly Poem Upcoming Workshops/ Events Who are you...REALLY? If you ever want to stump someone, just ask them the question “Who are you?”. Usually, the first response is “What do you mean, Who am I?”. The reality is that we don’t explore the question that often, yet it is the very question that is at the core of human being. We have become such human “doing” machines that our human “being” gets lost. When we are asked the question “Who am I?”, many of us really don’t even know where to start. So, why is this important anyways? When you are clear about who YOU are, what makes you tick, the values that are at the core of what defines you and you honor those fully, you will discover a life of content and fulfillment. Your values can assist you in making more powerful choices aligned with who you are and what you want. And, just imagine the ultimate fulfillment you would experience when those around you honor these values as well. Sounds simple, but it is not always easy. A value defines what you deem as important. For example, you may value honesty, freedom or nature. I have a value called “Ocean” and I know, when I recall that value, exactly what it means to me. And, at any moment, I can tell whether I am honoring it or not. There is no right or wrong way to express a value. It is what YOU say it is. You may already know some of your values as you are reading this. For example, you may value integrity, adventure or humor. When you are honoring and living those values in your life, you feel good, you are grounded and nothing can move you. However, when those values are being stepped on by you or someone around you, you will know it right away. You may be frustrated, angry or something just won’t feel right. That is a clear sign that a value of yours is not being honored. Values are like the roots of an old Redwood tree that has been around for a very long time. The roots keep the tree grounded and in place no matter what storms, wind, or other outside forces come at it. Our values may evolve over time, but our core values, like those roots, pretty much stay the same. Typically, we don’t take the time to discover the full spectrum of our values that define all of who we are. We are too busy “doing”. Once discovered, our values can be a very powerful tool we can use as a filter to help make better choices in our life - choices more aligned with who we are and what makes us happy. In addition, distinguishing our values assists us in building supportive, sustaining communities that give us life. I invite you to take on the monthly workout below and discover your core values. May you draw on them in the future to achieve greater fulfillment, content and ease in choice-making in your life. Your values will not lead you astray! Cheers, Jean M. DiGiovanna Monthly Workout: Discovering your Values There are many different ways to discover your values. Take some time out to answer the questions below. As you begin to discover your values, write them down and then follow Next Steps to learn how to use your values as a powerful tool in the future. What values do you already know you possess? Think of the times you have been most fulfilled and accomplished in your life and career, when you felt fully alive. What were you doing? What was it about that you so enjoyed? What values do you think you were honoring? On the opposite extreme, what really upsets you or angers you? What values do you think are being stepped on or not honored? What are you hanging onto too tightly? What do you obsess about? Or are compulsive about? What is so important to you about that? What value is driving it? (When we obsess, we are often over-expressing a value of ours) Next Step: Take your list of values and force rank them from most important to least important (know that they are all important). For each of the top 5 values, answer the following questions: On a scale of 1-10 (1 being not honoring , 10 fully honoring), how much am I honoring this value in my life today? On a scale of 1-10 (1 being not honoring, 10 fully honoring), how much are others around me honoring this value? (make an estimated guess) When an opportunity or decision comes up in your life, you can use the top 5 values as a filter by asking, “How much does this opportunity or decision honor my top 5 values? Or, “Which choice most honors my top 5 values?”. Take a look at your ratings. What value(s) are you not honoring as much as you would like? How can you honor more of that value in your life? How can you attract more people in your life who honor more of your values and empower you? I look forward to hearing what transpires for you! (please e-mail me at jdigi@thinkpeople.com) Poem of the Month: Values Vast array of roots, Awaiting the sun, Longing for the truth, Undiscovered, they are one, the Essence of who you are, Standing firmly, life has begun.                          ~ by Jean M. DiGiovanna Upcoming Workshops, Events, Announcements Just released Coaching with Clarity Cards, a new product under “The Coaches Toolbox” at http://www.thinkpeople.com Under Products Soon to be released Living with Clarity Cards - stay tuned! Teleclass Wednesday, March 26, 2003 12pm-1pm - Increase Your Energy by Eliminating Your Tolerations http://www.thinkpeople.com/workshops.html Teleclass Wednesday, April 2, 2003 12pm-1pm - Bring More Fun, Play and Ease Into Your Life http://www.thinkpeople.com/workshops.html Art Opening Sunday, April 6, 2003 6-9pm at Supershag Dance Studios with dance lessons included! ( http://www.supershag.com) New abstract art and jewelry designs by Jean on display and for sale for the month of April. April 2003 (TBD) - Speaking at Fast Company of Friends with on Creating Collaboration through Networking(http://www.fastcompany.com/cof/group.jsp?id=2 - under Upcoming Events) April 2003 (TBD) - Workshop & “Art” shop - Deliberately Creating the Life you Want! - leave with practical tools and your own personally decorated “Wizard Box”, a tool to support you in having the life you want. (Stay tuned for details at http://www.thinkpeople.com/workshops.html) Speaking in Europe! May 9, 2003 - at the ICF European Conference in Lake Maggiore, Italy - Adventure Based Learning with Ed Shulkin at http://www.coachfederation.org/conference/europe/italy/ Curious about what coaching is like? Call for a 30 minute complementary coaching session. Bring a topic, get a resolution! Call 617-566-8775. 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 ©2003 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 ThinkPeople ~ Playground for Shifting Reality jdigi@thinkpeople.com http://www.thinkpeople.com/ 617.566.8775