03.01.08
Posted in Life Coaching, Health and Wellness, Spirituality, Fulfillment, Creativity, Hope, Lifestyle at 5:38 pm by Life Coach Nova
Finding Balance
Would you like to live fully with vitality, health, and prosperity? The secret to living a content, happy, and productive life is finding balance. Realizing the state of being balanced includes emotional stability, physical strength, spiritual harmony, and the means to decide. The decision to influence or determine the outcome of one’s life by being balanced requires dedication, effort, and fluidity. Just relaxing, getting away, recharging your batteries, while very beneficial, is not enough to achieve living a balanced life. Balance implies a continuous state, a push and pull in equal directions resulting in complete stability to waver any wobbles in life while remaining sure footed enough to succeed.
The concept of balance often arises in my sessions. In fact, most seek help because some part of their life is “out of balance” and the discomfort pushes them to reach out. It is so with your health as well. When your throat hurts beyond toleration, you go to the doctor knowing treatment can alleviate the discomfort. The same is true for disharmony within the family and yourself. Being a Life Coach, I have the fantastic position to offer help at all levels. Whether your life is a little out of balance, or in complete turmoil, I can be of assistance and help you find comfort.
I often think back in my life and recall lessons I’ve learned that have helped me integrate all my studies in psychology, health, wellness, and coaching. One visual that I often picture is walking the balance beam. I was once a competitive gymnast. I loved everything about gymnastics. Using your body to create something beautiful to watch, reaching and stretching outside of what others could do, and finding that perfect state of “balance”. I would get lost in the rhythmic motions and tune out the whole world, focused on movement, balance, and creation. I can recall my coach telling me the one factor that continually put me ahead on the beam was my ability to trust myself, and not be afraid. Living a balanced life reminds me of the same dedication, concentration, and movements on the balance beam.
Imagine a 2 ½ inch beam, on which you will not only walk, but do cartwheels, back-flips, and spin around full circle on the ball of your feet. Managing the challenges of life is a lot like walking the balance beam. You learn very quickly, if you loose concentration, you WILL fall, and guess what? It hurts! So you are motivated to stay on course. Much the same, if you loose focus with your life, it hurts. It hurts physically, emotionally, and financially.
The act of walking the balance beam, and walking a balanced life requires three simple steps:
1. FOCUS
Focus not on the beam itself below you, but directly ahead. Looking ahead in life manifests movement forward, keeps your head up, and creates a goal. Intense concentration requires a knowing of your abilities, concern only for what really matters, and a relaxed energy that guides you so deeply it seems without thought.
2. FAITH
How do you know where to put your next step if you don’t look down? By trusting you know the way to the end of beam. When you reach out to take a step, you hold your arms out for balance, focus on the end of the beam, and gently dip your foot along the side of the beam to feel your placement. As you brush the side of the beam, you feel confidence and deliberately place your foot ahead of you. Faith is having trust the beam will be there, trust in your ability to stay on course, and trust in the outcome.
3. DEDICATION
The beauty of fluidity comes from constant practice. Repeating the same routine over and over until you could close your eyes and still see the end of the beam. Living a balanced life is exactly the same. Practice focusing on your goals. Practice trusting and having faith. Practice holding your arms out, taking steps, and believing in yourself.
I believe in you.
Start living a balanced life. Call or email me to walk a balanced life.
With warmth,
Life Coach Nova
Email: Nova@StepStonesForLife.com
Office: 949.858.2442
Toll Free: 877-484-LIFE
START LIVING!!!
Step Stones For Life Copyright © 2008 Including the right to reproduction in whole or in part of any form. The contents of this article may be forwarded with appropriate credits and contact information included.
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12.20.07
Posted in Life Coaching, Fulfillment, Hope at 11:14 pm by Life Coach Nova
My calling is to reach out to others, and encourage them to embrace their greatest strengths. The first step stone on our path is HOPE.
Hope is the foundational step for our journey, for it leads to all the deeper emotions that bring forth fulfillment, and lifts you up over times of despair. When you hope for love in your life, you will meet someone you care about. When you hope for success, you will round every corner with enthusiasm for new experiences. When you dream of hope filling every moment of every day, you will feel joy.
Often feelings of the past year surface now and cause internal conflict between sadness and joy. You may find yourself pushing away someone you care about, or feeling short fused and overwhelmed. Center yourself with Hope.
Life passes quickly, and we sometimes don’t get a second chance with someone significant in our lives. Stop for a moment and think of whom you value in your life and nurture everything about that relationship. Fear can often tear apart a valuable relationship. Fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, fear of being hurt. A supporter, someone who communicates care and concern, is a treasure. A star in the darkness, a breath of hope.
Hope leads to faith, trust, and love.
Last year I wrote a poem about Hope, “The Christmas Star” and received many comments from readers who felt moved…So I am sharing again my poem with you:
“The Christmas Star”
In the grips of despair, there is always Hope.
During trying times with a significant person in your life, there is always Hope.
While feeling low and insignificant, there is always Hope.
When sleepless nights torment you with tomorrow’s stresses, there is always Hope.
As your problems surround and paralyze you, there is always Hope.
Hope finds you when loneliness seeps in.
Hope reaches to you when sadness overcomes you.
Hope surrounds you and repels Fear.
Hope blasts away guilt and shame…
Leaving you…
You.
The true you.
Connected with God.
Connected with others.
Able to receive as well as give.
Hope.
The symbol of the spirit of Christmas.
Give and you will find Hope.
Pray and you will find Hope.
Surround yourself with others who believe and support you, and you will find Hope.
Seek Hope.
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My symbol for Hope is a star. The North Star symbolized the birth of our savior. Centuries later we still celebrate His birthday as the most joyous time of year. God aligned the stars the night that Christ was born. Look at the stars tonight and know the stars shine just for you.
Merry Christmas,
Life Coach Nova
I am often asked about the significance of my name. I am grateful to my parents who chose my name, Nova, to represent a bright new star in their life. The significance of my name speaks to me as I learn everyday to better assist others in their quest.
Email me: nova@stepstonesforlife.com
Or call: 949-858-2442
Step Stones For Life Copyright © 2006 All Rights Reserved including the right to reproduction in whole or in part in any form
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11.19.07
Posted in Life Coaching, Depression, Stress Reduction, Fulfillment, Hope at 8:55 pm by Life Coach Nova
Though the holiday season is thought to be a joyous time by all, many find the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas to be stressful and emotional. As a helping professional, I have observed the approaching holiday season as both a joyous time, as well as a time filled with heartache and family conflict.
Mild depression seems to permeate much of our society as we struggle to fulfill multiple roles, strive for perfection, and bury the pain of the past. The holidays often surface emotions from the past with greater intensity. Unresolved conflict, hurt, and past regrets are heightened with the impending marker representing the approaching end of the New Year. Maybe goals were unfulfilled, or relationships came to an end, or a loved one passed away, or a deep family conflict remains an open wound. Many report to me that the pain can become unbearable, the sorrow of a missed loved one seems inescapable, or the motivation to get along with a particular family member for one meal seems just too much.
This holiday season, focus on one word to pull you toward happiness, fulfillment, and contentment: HOPE. There is always HOPE. Hope surfaces faith, love, joy, and the beauty in all of us to turn to others and GIVE. The act of giving thanks pushes away pain, hurt, and isolation.
The Thanksgiving holiday provides us with the opportunity to pause, reflect on our blessings, and proclaim our gratitude. The very act of saying grace, thanking God for our gifts, our food, our family, friends, and health serves us in so many ways. Gratitude, as I have written before, happens to be the exact opposite of depression. When you are grateful, you are not depressed. Gratitude also exists in the present. In the present you can feel joy, elation, and peace.
Follow this simple exercise to prepare your heart to take in all the joy around you this holiday season:
With the knowing that we are all connected in harmony through the unison of Thanksgiving, and that many before us sacrificed to give us the life we have now, give thanks and express your gratitude…
1. Write down 10 things you are most grateful for today. Read them over. Your heart will fill with gratitude, bring you to the present, and pull the giving trait we all have to share your blessings with others.
2. On 10 notes write “I am grateful for you.” And personally hand them (or if not possible mail them) to the 10 most important people in your life. A bonus would be to include a positive affirmation about each person that you find endearing. Such as, “I am grateful for you. You are a great listener.” – What a beautiful gift for the thanksgiving table to leave place cards for your family proclaiming your gratitude!
Grieving can take on new pain over the holidays:
Knowing that a very important person may include the memory of a loved one, write down your gratitude for them and place the note in a photo album or next to a picture of them. By embracing gratitude for the beautiful memories you have, you are holding their spirit close and honoring every piece of their life.
3. Do the one thing you enjoy the most this holiday. Take time to nurture yourself. You will have more energy to give, resentment will diminish, and you will take in the good in everyone. Everyone seems more pleasant when you are relaxed!
And finally, center yourself with this thought;
Gratitude, the act of giving thanks, pulls me closer to others, to creation, to hope, and to love.
Give thanks this Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving with all the trimmings.
All my best,
Life Coach Nova
Email: Nova@StepStonesForLife.com
Or call: 949.858.2442
I am always here for you.
The contents of this article may not be reproduced, feel free to forward the entire article to those you care about.
Step Stones For Life Copyright © 2007 Including the right to reproduction in part or in whole in any form.
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