I don't know about you, but I'm happy to say goodbye to 2008. Although it's been a year of tremendous growth and positive change, I'm ready for a fresh, new beginning where I can deepen my practice of extreme self care and establish a renewed sense of optimisim and hope for our collective future.
Every book I write presents me with a challenging and unexpected opportunity to practice what I teach. By now I've learned that I should always count on something happening that will force me to engage in an intensive study on the subject of each chapter. What you're now reading was no exception.
"When you become detached mentally from yourself and concentrate on helping other people with their difficulties, you will be able to cope with your own more effectively. Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor." -- Norman Vincent Peale
I've just returned from a month of traveling and I'm happy to be home for the start of the holiday season. As I mentioned last week, I set out to accomplish the first goal of my 49th year by attempting to surf at Del Mar beach in California. Attempting is the operative word.
It's the time of year when I celebrate my birthday (Happy Birthday, fellow Scorpios!) by practicing a ritual that I've used for more than fifteen years. I've shared it with you before, and since it reflects a powerful way to create your life with intention, I thought I'd share it again this year. Here's what I do:
"Living with contradiction, holding together polarities, making room for divergence leads to vitality and enables us to see opposites not as dead ends but as a series of open doors.
During stressful times, one of the things that sees us through is self-confidence - confidence in our ability to do whatever it takes to weather a storm; trust in ourselves enough to know that we'll take the necessary actions that will honor our self-care; and courage to do the tough stuff even when everything inside us wants to run and hide.
Use your voice. Speak up. Tell your truth. Stop tolerating less than what the wisest part of you knows you deserve. These are some of the messages woven into my next book, The Art of Extreme Self Care: Transform Your Life One Month at a Time. This past week, I had an experience related to these issues that touched me deeply.
This morning, I sat on my deck in the sun, thinking about the day and what I would write in this week's newsletter. After enjoying a period of silence, I picked up one of the "daily inspiration" books that I often read to start the day off on the right foot. I closed my eyes, picked a page at random and instantly knew I was meant to share the passage with you.
