24 Seven January 2021

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EDITOR IN CHIEF
Joan Herrmann
—
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Lindsay Pearson
—
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Matt Herrmann
—
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Chris Giordano
Andrea Valentie
Oliver Pane
—
CONTRIBUTORS
Guy Finley
Lorie Gardner, RN, NBC-HWC
Gayle Gruenberg, CPO-CD, CVPO
Rick Hanson, PhD
Mark Hyman, MD
Joan Herrmann
Linda Mitchell, CPC

FROM THE EDITOR
—
In the depth of winter, I finally learned
that there was in me an invincible summer.
~ Albert Camus
Happy New Year!
As another new year begins, I reflected
on 2020, and all the changes we have had
to endure. It was a time that will remain
with most of us for the rest of our lives.
Thinking about the challenges, I realized
that the message for 2021 is simple: Even
in the darkest moments of your life, there
is strength within you (that you don’t even
know exists) and, if you don’t give up and
succumb to the negative feelings, you will
realize that there is hope and that better
times lie ahead.
For someone who is going through an
extremely traumatic period in life, you may
not believe what I am preaching because you
can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel or
because you believe that your life is over.
While the life that you knew may be
over, or to be more correct, altered, there is
definitely light at the end of the tunnel. Trust
me … I know.
Up until a few years ago, I lived a pretty
charmed life. I had wonderful parents and a
loving family. I got married immediately after
graduating from college. We bought a home,
had two kids and great friends; I was living
the dream. Then, within a few months, my
life crumbled. My 23-year marriage ended,
my mother and sister (my last remaining
original family members) died, and my
oldest child left for college.
In that brief period, I lost: my identity –
I was no longer a wife, daughter, sister or
mother (as I had known it); my security – I was
a single woman responsible for supporting
myself and kids while maintaining a home;
and the future I had planned – there would
be no happily ever after.
I felt alone, vulnerable, and scared. I was
knocked down, exhausted, and didn’t see
any place to turn. I questioned whether I
wanted to keep going.
But, in was in that darkness that I chose to
not only survive, but to thrive.
That was the hardest decision of my life. I
didn’t know where to turn or what my first
steps would be. All I knew was that I didn’t
want to feel that way any longer!
If I was going to make any progress, I
recognized that I had to change my thinking
and beliefs, mostly about myself. Little by
little, with each baby step, I moved forward.
I spent much time thinking, writing,
reflecting, and getting in touch with myself.
Being an active participant in the process of
healing saved my life.
I learned the importance of a positive
attitude and CHOSE to see the gifts and
lessons being offered to me.
Now, when I look back over the past few
years of my life, while there may be a twinge
of sadness, the pain does not engulf me and
I am able to say that many wonderful things
have happened to me and for me. I am a
person I never would have become without
those experiences.
So, as the new year begins, no matter what
you are going through, always remember
that change, resulting in pain and sadness, is
inevitable. It’s not a matter of “if” something
will happen, but “when” it will occur.
But, if you embrace it, learn from it, and
grow with it, you will realize that you are
strong and that there will always be an
invincible summer within. Sometimes it’s
just a bit more challenging to find … but it’s
always there.
— Joan Herrmann

RACHEL HOLLIS
PHOTO CREDIT: VANESSA TODD
ISSUE NO.123

INSIDE THIS
ISSUE
8 STEPS TO STOP YOUR EVENING BINGES
BY MARK HYMAN, MD
PAGE 14
FEELING A LITTLE SOUR? DROP TART TONE
BY RICK HANSON, PHD
PAGE 20
COMBAT PROCRASTINATION:
4 TIPS TO HELP YOU GET THE JOB DONE
BY JOAN HERRMANN
PAGE 24
ON THIS MONTH’S
COVER
NO ONE WANTS TO EXPERIENCE THE DOWN
SIDE OF LIFE, BUT AS SURE AS THE SUN RISES EACH
DAY, WE WILL. WE WILL LOSE A LOVED ONE, A CHILD
WILL MOVE OUT, A JOB MAY BE LOST, AND A BREAKUP
MAY OCCUR. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO EITHER LET IT DEFEAT AND
DEFINE US, OR TRANSFORM AND LIFT US. RACHEL
HOLLIS HAS EXPERIENCED FEAR, GRIEF, LOSS AND
BETRAYAL, AND SHE HAS HAD TO EMBRACE THE
DIFFICULT MOMENTS OF LIFE. SHE TEACHES HOW
TAKE ON INSECURITIES AND TURN THEM INTO
EMPOWERING FORCES. SHE IS THE AUTHOR OF THE
BOOK, DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING.
LISTEN TO RACHEL ON CYACYL:
https://spoti.fi/2LfCUr0
LET GO OF THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE
BY GUY FINLEY
PAGE 26
READY FOR CHANGE?
BY GAYLE GRUENBERG
PAGE 28
CURBING YOUR MOST NEGATIVE THOUGHT
BY LINDA MITCHELL
PAGE 32
ADJUST AND REINVENT IN 2021
BY LORIE GARDNER
PAGE 36
JANUARY 2021
24 SEVEN MAGAZINE

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ISSUE
NO.123
JANUARY
2021
8 STEPS
TO STOP
YOUR
EVENING
BINGES
Are you hungry after a big meal? Do you continue eating
late into the night? Millions suffer from this devastating
problem that leads to obesity, diabetes, and depression.
Written by Mark Hyman, MD

I
I call this the sumo wrestler
diet. Have you ever wondered how some of these men get
so huge? They have a giant meal and then go right to sleep
— guaranteed to pack on the pounds!
So, if you eat late at night just before bed, you’re on
the sumo wrestler diet, and you will gain weight and get
pre-diabetes. Your body will store the extra calories as fat
instead of processing and burning them.
So, how does this happen? Have you ever thought
about why, even after a big meal, you crave more food,
more sugar, and more junk, and you want to have chips or
sweets or other unhealthy foods? What is the root cause of
this, and how do we deal with it?
Balance Your Hormones
It’s not a character flaw or an emotional issue that
you have to fix. It’s not some psychological trauma that
you have to get over (although for some, night eating is
triggered by stress). It’s simple biology. All you have to
do is understand why these changes happen in your body
to make you crave food late at night, and then, you can
overcome them.
The underlying cause is an imbalance of the hormones
that regulate your appetite. These are what I call the four
hormones of the apocalypse. There are specific things
that trigger each of them, and if you understand how to
balance them, you won’t have cravings for sweets and
other foods … and you won’t be eating late at night. These
four hormones are the following:
• Insulin – A very important hormone that your body
produces to process the sugar in your diet. When your
insulin spikes then crashes after eating sugar and flour or
junk, it makes you hungry. This can even happen after a
large meal of ‘good food’.
• Leptin – This is the brake on your appetite. Leptin says
to your brain, “Oh, I’m full. I don’t need any more food.”
When you eat a lot of sugar, processed foods, and flour, the
leptin doesn’t work anymore. Your brain actually becomes
leptin resistant.
• Ghrelin – A ‘hunger hormone’ produced in your
stomach that helps regulate your appetite. Leptin sends
the message, “You should eat – I’m hungry!”
• Peptide YY – A hormone that is produced in your
intestines, and it says, “Hey, I’m full! I’ve had enough to
eat. I don’t need any more.”
There is also one other hormone we need to consider:
cortisol, the stress hormone. When you’re stressed, your
cortisol level goes up, and when that happens, you get
hungrier and your blood sugar and insulin levels rise. This
sets the stage for pre-diabetes or insulin resistance, and
it’s a vicious cycle.
So, all these hormones have to be kept in balance. How
do you get them in balance? Here are the eight steps you
should take to balance your hormones, stop the cravings,
and end the nighttime binges.
Eat breakfast. This is the key strategy to stop the
nighttime cravings. Of course, if you are binging at night,
you probably won’t want to eat breakfast, because when
you wake up, you’re still full. So, you have to break that
cycle, and you have to start with breakfast: a good, protein
breakfast. There are two breakfasts that I love and use all
the time. The first is eggs in any form you like: as an omelet,
fried, or poached. Eggs are a great source of protein that
helps balance your blood sugar. Be sure to eat whole eggs,
not egg whites. The second is a whole food protein shake
that can be made quite simply. I keep all the ingredients I
need in my cupboard, so it’s “goof-proof,’” and I don’t have
to think about it. It’s all there. I put in hemp seeds, chia
seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almond butter, coconut
butter, frozen cranberries, frozen wild blueberries, and
a little unsweetened almond or hemp milk. I put those
ingredients in the blender, and it’s fantastic. If you have
one of those for breakfast, it’ll keep your blood sugar even
all morning and all day.
Don’t drink your calories. If you have sugary, liquid
calories in the form of sodas, juices, lattes, sports drinks,
or iced teas, it will spike your insulin and blood sugar and
will cause cravings.
Eat regularly. Have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you
want a snack in between, that’s fine, but make sure you
eat at regular rhythms and regular times. Your body is a
hormonal clock, and you have to eat in rhythm to keep it
in balance.
Have protein and good-quality fat at every meal: Good
fats are nuts and seeds, avocados, coconut, olive oil, or
quality protein like chicken, fish, or grass-fed meat. Some

combination of these (plus lots of vegetables) balances
your blood sugar.
Find your pause button and soothe the stress. Stress
makes you fat (and overeat); relaxing makes you thin.
Learn to find your pause button and de-stress. Breathing,
yoga, and exercise are some of my favorite ways to reduce
stress, which helps reset the hormones, balance brain
chemistry, and stop the cravings.
Prioritize sleep. If you don’t sleep, you will be hungry,
especially for carbs and sugar. Why? Because when you
deprive yourself of sleep, ghrelin, the hormone that drives
hunger goes up and PYY, the hormone that makes you feel
full, goes down. So, if you want to lose weight, sleep it off.
Find your food sensitivities. People don’t realize this,
but you often crave the thing you’re allergic or sensitive to.
And gluten and dairy are among the biggest triggers for
food sensitivity. Try to get rid of these for a few weeks and
see if your cravings stop.
Supplement to cut cravings. There are natural
molecules that balance your blood sugar and your insulin
and help stop the cravings.
• Omega-3 fats, especially fish oil - a couple of capsules
a day can really help.
• Vitamin D also helps regulate hormones and balance
insulin.
• There is also a super fiber supplement called PGX that’s
very simple to take. It’s made from a Japanese root called
glucomannan and seaweed. And it comes in a powder or
capsules. Take it 10 to 15 minutes before you eat and after
dinner, and it will help cut your cravings. It slows the
spiking of insulin and blood sugar, helps make you feel
full, increases the PYY, balances out all the hormones, and
stops the cravings. I’ve seen people lose up to 40 pounds
using this simple high-fiber supplement.
• Chromium, lipoic acid,N – Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) can
also help cut cravings.
• New studies show how branched chain amino acids
can also help balance your hormones, stop your cravings
and increase muscle mass.
About The Author
MARK HYMAN
Mark Hyman MD is the Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Center
for Functional Medicine, the Founder of The UltraWellness
Center, and a ten-time #1 New York Times Bestselling author.
To Learn More Visit:
www.drhyman.com

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How to
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dreams
come
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Don’t make New Year’s resolutions—set your intentions instead.
You want 2021 to be different.
In 2020 you figured out where you want to go, what
you value, and that it's time to make a change.
But this is not a time for New Year's resolutions.
Resolutions are associated with the negative energies
of "sacrifice," "struggle," and a separation from the
quantum field of potential and abundance.
But the Law of Attraction is always at work, working
with your INTENTIONS, and when you internalize that
you are receiving everything that is a match with the
vibration of your intentions, you will understand that
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January 2021 Issue
Feeling a Little Sour?
Drop Tart Tone
Written by Rick Hanson, PhD
I remember times I felt frazzled or aggravated and then
said something with an edge to it that just wasn’t necessary
or useful. Sometimes it was the words themselves: such as
absolutes like “never” or always,” or over-the-top phrases
like “you’re such a flake” or “that was stupid.” More often
it was the intonation in my voice, a harsh vibe or look,
interrupting, or a certain intensity in my body. However, I
did it, the people on the receiving end usually looked like
they’d just sucked a lemon. This is what I mean by tart tone.
People are more sensitive to tone than to the explicit
content of spoken or written language. To paraphrase
the poet Maya Angelou, people will forget what you said,
but they’ll remember how you made them feel. And we
are particularly reactive to negative tone, due to the
negativity bias in the brain.
Consequently, tart tone hurts others. This is bad
enough, but it also often triggers others to react in ways
that harm you and others.
On the other hand, paying attention to tone puts you
more in touch with yourself, because you have to be
aware of what’s building inside, which also promotes
mindfulness and builds up its neural substrates.
Containing negative tone prompts you to open to and deal
with any underlying stress, hurt, anger. It reduces the
chance that the other person will avoid dealing with what
you say by shifting attention to how you say it. Cleaning
up your style of expression puts you in a stronger position
to ask people to do the same, or to act better toward you in
other ways.As a proverb says, “Getting angry with others is
like throwing hot coals with bare hands: both people get
burned.” Much the same could be said about throwing tart
tone.
How?
Shifting your tone doesn’t mean becoming sugary,
saccharine, or phony. Nor does it mean walking on eggshells,
becoming a doormat, or muzzling yourself. Actually, when
people shift away from being snippy, curt, snarky, derisive, or
contentious, they usually become stronger communicators.
They’re now more grounded, more dignified when they
bring up something. They haven’t squandered interpersonal
capital on the short-term gratifications of harsh tone.
Sometimes people are tart with each other in playful ways,
and that’s OK. But keep watching to see how it’s landing on
the other person.
Be mindful of what’s called “priming”: feeling already
mistreated or annoyed irritated – or already in a critical
frame of mind. Little things can land on this priming
like a match on a pile of firecrackers, setting them off.
Maybe simply take a break (e.g., bathroom, meal, shower,
run, gardening, TV) to clear away some or all of the
priming. And or try to deal with hurt, anger, or stress in a
straightforward way (if possible), rather than blowing off
steam with your tone.
Then, if you do in fact get triggered, notice what comes up
to say. If it’s critical, acerbic, cutting, etc., then slow down,
say nothing, or say something truly useful. Watch those eye
rolls or the sharp sigh that means “Duh-oh, that was kind
of dumb” (my wife has called me on both of these). Give a
little thought to your choice of words: could there be a way
to say what you want to say without pouring gasoline on the
fire? Look for words that are accurate, constructive, selfrespecting,
and get to the heart of the matter. Be especially
careful with an email; once you push the “send” button,
there is no getting it back, and the receiver can read your
message over and over again, plus share it with others.
If you do slip, clean it up as soon as possible – which
could be a minute after you say it. Sometimes it works to
explain – not justify or defend – the underlying reasons for
your tart tone (e.g., you’re fried and hungry and it’s been a
tough day) to put it in context. Take responsibility for your
tone and its impacts, and recommit to a clearer, cleaner,
more direct way of expressing yourself.
At the end of an interaction, you may not get the result
you want from the other person – but you can get the result
of self-respect and feeling that you did the best you could.
About The Author
RICK HANSON
Rick Hanson, PhD, is a psychologist, Senior Fellow of the Greater
Good Science Center at UYC Berkeley, and a New York Times bestselling
author. His books have been published in 29 languages and
include Neurodharma, Resilient, and Hardwiring Happiness.
To Learn More Visit:
www.RickHanson.net

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COMBAT
PROCRASTINATION:
4 TIPS TO HELP
YOU GET THE
JOB DONE
Written by Joan Herrmann

I
job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”
Set simple, achievable goals. Part of the reason we
procrastinate is because the work at hand seems too
daunting. Chunk it down into manageable tasks and
tackle one part at a time.
Disable notifications from e-mail, instant messaging
apps, social media or even apps you use for your work.
Schedule time to peruse social media or to check email
and stick to it!
As Benjamin Franklin said, “You may delay, but time
will not, and lost time is never found again.”
I am the queen of procrastination,
always have been. Throughout school and into my adult life,
I always waited until the last minute to get something
done, telling myself that I work best under pressure. The
reality was, I didn’t feel like doing the work and so I
waited until it was absolutely necessary. This behavior
resulted in so much unnecessary stress.
When I started my companies, I learned the hard way
that my usual style was not going to work. I hold at least
four full time jobs so there is too much that needs to be
completed and there are always deadlines. I recognized
that I needed to develop better time management
practices. Here are a few of my favorite ways to stay on
task:
Create lists. Lists are my lifeline. I make a monthly
list of main tasks that must be completed, then I break
those down into a weekly list, and then into a daily list.
Without that list I wouldn’t achieve a fraction of what
I do each day. It’s my secret weapon. I find that when I
don’t have a list to follow, I am all over the place. I will
start a project and then switch to something else, and
then something else, never completing anything. When
I have a list, I handle one task at a time, and then cross
it off when finished. It keeps me focused. Sometimes I
don’t even know what I have to do that day until I see
the list. And, I love seeing items crossed off because I
feel a sense of accomplishment.
Get the hard stuff done first. It’s hard to do something
that you don’t want to do, but it is best to complete your
most challenging assignments first. Everything after
takes a shorter amount of time and seems easier. Follow
Mark Twain’s advice: “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s
best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your
About The Author
JOAN HERRMANN
Joan Herrmann is the creator of the Change Your Attitude…
Change Your life brand and host of the radio show and podcast,
Conversations with Joan. She is a motivational speaker and the
publisher of 24 Seven magazine.
To Learn More Visit:
www.JoanHerrmann.com

Let Go Of
The Little
Things In Life
Written by Guy Finley
W
We all know what it is
like to be held captive of the little things in
life — those petty concerns and small desires
that steal their way into how we look at our
lives and pit us against anyone or anything
seen as trying to take away our anticipated
desire. Here is a short list of these little
troublemakers that often make big trouble for
us whenever we mistake them for being our
friends:
• Unrealistic expectations that others should
treat us only as we imagine they should
• Strong attachments to even the smallest
and strangest of our possessions
• Pressing convictions that no one else sees
things as clearly as we do

• Nagging resentments
from relationships past and
present
• Perfect certainty that no
one is permitted to interrupt
our pleasures
How can we say for sure
that these conditions are
little more than big nothings
in the scheme of things? We
all have been through those
telltale moments in our lives
when, due to a crisis of some
kind beyond our control, we
are momentarily able to see
where we had lost sight of
what was really worthwhile.
Perhaps we are the kind
of person who is always
complaining about some
small ache or pain, and
then we suddenly learn that
someone we love faces a lifeor-death
challenge. Maybe
we think that we are the only one on earth
who suffers emotionally in the way that we do,
and then comes that moment when, in lashing
out at someone for being so uncaring about
our situation, we not only see that he or she
is suffering as well, but also that we are the
cause of it.
Or maybe we’re lucky enough to be with
someone who has less in life than we do, but
who is willing and happy to share what little
he or she has in spite of what tomorrow might
bring. In such moments, if we still have a
human heart, we realize in humility that we
have been blind to the existence of our own
greater estate.
In moments we make this shocking but
wonderful discovery: we have been lost in
some little part of ourselves, unconscious
of the influence of our own self-centered
desires, as well as of the cost this unsuspected
selfishness exacts on everyone around us.
Even more important than this initial
revelation is the following one that appears
within our new awareness.
We can now see, by the faintest light, that
we had mistaken ourselves for someone we
are not! And in this same self-awakening we
are granted that first priceless glimmer of
self-knowledge that is sought after by all who
would uncover the truth of themselves.
We are beginning to see that we have been
From The Story
“We are
momentarily
able to see
where we
had lost
sight of what
was really
worthwhile.”
playing host to an unconscious nature that is
not only blind to the world it binds us to, but
also that would have us believe that its little
selfdom is the same as the actual great estate
of our true nature.
How can such a deception take place in us
and go undetected? We would never willingly
agree to be the blind agent of that which
makes another human being ache, let alone
hurt our own chances to grow into a kind and
compassionate being. And yet the evidence
reveals that we are indeed living under the
sway of self-compromising influences that are
invisible to us.
It is the higher, yet still hidden self of ours
that beckons us to realize and enter into a
greater life. And though its whispered wisdom
often gets lost in the din of all the other voices
that tell us what we need and where to look for
it, if we listen closely enough we can hear what
our true self would have us know:
Whenever we start to feel small it’s only
because we have unconsciously identified
ourselves with life’s little things. Learning to
let go and to live in the now is the same as
catching ourselves holding onto what limits
us and then deliberately dropping these selfimposed
restrictions.
About The Author
GUY FINLEY
Guy Finley is an internationally renowned
spiritual teacher and bestselling self-help
author. He is the founder and director of Life
of Learning Foundation, a nonprofit center
for transcendent self-study located in Merlin,
Oregon. He also hosts the Foundation’s
Wisdom School — an on-line self-discovery
program for seekers of higher self-knowledge..
To Learn More Visit:
www.GuyFinley.org

READY
FOR
CHANGE?
Written by Gayle M. Gruenberg, CPO-CD ®

A
“And the day came when the
risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the
risk it took to blossom.” - Anaïs Nin
Is being disorganized affecting your daily life? Are you
ready to make a change? Are you really sure you’re ready?
Maybe you are and maybe you aren’t.
When it comes to getting organized, change is essential.
What once worked isn’t working any longer, and that
requires a different way of thinking and doing.
Change is a process. It isn’t always a straight path, and
it isn’t always easy. Most people resist change because it
brings in the unfamiliar; you feel scared, you don’t know
what to expect, and you can feel very alone.
According to the Institute for Challenging
Disorganization, people may experience five phases of
change. They are not always linear, and people can go
back and forth between phases.
Phase 1: Initial rumblings. The feeling that being
disorganized no longer serves you. You aren’t yet ready
to make any changes, but you know you’re uncomfortable
with your current situation and you’re getting emotionally
prepared.
Phase 2: Identifying possibilities. You feel dissatisfied
and anxious yet paralyzed to change anything on your
own. You start to at least think about enlisting outside help
from a professional organizer, but you feel apprehensive
about actually doing it.
Phase 3: Reaching out. The pain and overwhelm are
enough to make you pick up the phone and make the call.
You realize you can’t do it alone, and you begin to feel
hopeful that things will change with the right support.
Phase 4: Beyond talking. Now you are ready for
action. You have committed the physical, emotional,
and financial resources needed to create your desired
change. You’ve hired an organizer and are starting to
do the work. Big feelings may arise at this stage, like
guilt, grief, nostalgia, love, elation, relief that someone
is helping you, and frustration and impatience with how
challenging, and slow, the process can be. In this phase,
there may be forward progress as well as “backsliding,”
reverting to old habits and thought processes because
they are familiar and comfortable. This phase may last
quite a while. If you stick with doing the work, the
results make the emotional roller coaster worth riding.
Phase 5: Life jolts. Significant life events, like marriage,
the birth of a baby, divorce, relocation, job change, or a
world crisis can jumpstart the process of change. You
can see much more clearly what you really want to keep
in or release from your life, whether physical items, time
commitments, or toxic relationships. You are highly
motivated to make changes, and progress can be rapid at
this stage. Your organizing goals are in sight!
About The Author
GAYLE M. GRUENBERG
Gayle M. Gruenberg, CPO-CD ® , CVO, is the chief executive
organizer of Let’s Get Organized, LLC, an organizer coach, and
the creator of the Make Space for Blessings system.
To Learn More Visit:
www.LGOrganized.com

Life.
Simplified.
201-364-6833 www.LGOrganized.com

January 2021 Issue
Curbing Your Most
Negative Thought
Written by Linda Mitchell, CPC, LMT
Our co-worker,
Tom, regularly
stops at the
coffee machine
to chat. Tom is
not well liked in
the office. He
gossips, and
he’s loud, rude,
and rarely has
an unexpressed
thought. He joins conversations uninvited and offers
his opinions at top volume. People try to walk away,
but often he receives eye rolls, unfriendly rebukes,
and sideways looks.
You may wonder, “Can’t he see he’s not wanted?”
Yes! That’s the whole point. Tom’s subconscious most
negative thought is, “I’m not wanted”, so he constantly
carries out actions that reinforce that belief. He’s
unwittingly collecting evidence to support and prove
that negative belief every day.
Whatever you choose to call it - core belief,
personal lie, or most negative thought - if you don’t
challenge it, it will run your life.
Your most negative thought might sound
something like one of these:
• I’m not good enough
• I’m not worthy of good things
• I’m bad
• I don’t belong

• I’m wrong
• I’m not enough as a man/woman
• Life has to be a struggle
• Success is hard
These are some of the most common of
many. Humans will do almost anything to
avoid change. You’ll stay in the familiar even
if it’s not comfortable because the thought
of change can be so uncomfortable. This is a
survival and protection mechanism that has
been part of our brains since we lived in caves
and threw rocks at our enemies. However,
these negative beliefs are often a huge obstacle
in our modern desires for health, happiness,
and spiritual fulfillment.
Let’s go back to Tom, obeying his
subconscious need to avoid
change. If Tom’s outcome
to most life situations is to
feel “I’m not wanted”, then
he has successfully dodged
change by staying in the
uncomfortable, but familiar
patterns. Nothing will
change as long as he keeps
collecting evidence to back
up his belief that he is not
wanted.
What’s your most negative
thought? How do you
perpetuate it? Be aware that as much as you
may dislike this about yourself, you also rely
on it to a degree. Can you recognize that
feeling of comfort in your body as you run
on the treadmill of past thoughts, beliefs and
patterns? Do you truly want to change? If so,
you must change your thoughts in order to
change your life.
Physically, your most negative thought
resides between your shoulder blades so it’s
not surprising that a great many people have
tight, painful or tense backs and shoulders.
The good news is that with intention and
conscious action, you can begin to release your
negative thought and your physical issues
at the same time. Once you’ve recognized
your negative thought, you’re on your way
to curbing it and halting this process of selfsabotage.
Awareness is the critical first step in
creating change.
Since “I’m not good enough” is one most
people resonate with, let’s use that in an
example of how to break free from allowing
your most negative thought to control you.
Close your eyes for a moment and recall the
“You must
change your
thoughts in
order to change
your life.”
last time you felt not good enough. Really feel
it in detail – the situation, who was there, what
was said - all of it.
Now ask yourself three questions: What am
I feeling now? What’s my body doing? What
thoughts and emotions come up?
These answers are key because they’re the
mental, physical, and emotional patterns you
repeat over and over. They’re how you embody,
“I’m not good enough”.
Go back over your answers and notice how
familiar they feel. Recognize especially how
you’re dwelling on past issues - this is no longer
about the current problem. You’re recalling
every time you’ve done something similar in
the past and using that to beat yourself up.
For most of us, our most negative thought was
formed fairly early on in life.
To make real change and break free of
this cycle, you need to stop using the past
as a model and instead stay in the present
moment. This involves catching yourself in
the act of recreating the same mental, physical
and emotional reactions and intentionally
replacing at least two of the three with present
moment responses.
If you can change at least two of your usual
reactions, you’re well on your way to breaking
this cycle of unhappiness and tamping down
your most negative belief.
Reality is about being in the here and now;
it’s the present that matters. Tuning in to the
present moment keeps you from using the past
as a reflex or reference to continue punishing
yourself. Present time is all we ever have and
it’s a gift. These are your first steps to living
free from your most negative thought about
yourself. It’s never true anyway…until you act
as though it is.
About The Author
LINDA MITCHELL
Linda Mitchell is a board-certified coach,
speaker, reinvention expert and LMT. She
empowers people who are stuck, overwhelmed,
or ready for change to release their struggles, gain
clarity, and balance and radiant health as they
move through life’s challenges and transitions
and step into their highest purpose.
To Learn More Visit:
www.LivingInspiredCoaching.com

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January 2021 Issue
Adjust and Reinvent in 2021
Written by Lorie Gardner, RN
T
This is a new year like no other
before us in our lifetime. You all know so well the lifechanging
events that have occurred in 2020. What will be
your self-talk for 2021? Will you ruminate over all of the
horrors, tragedies, and challenges of 2020, or do you want
to adjust and reinvent your mindset and outlook for 2021?
In an excellent book that I read many years ago, The Road
Less Traveled, by M. Scott Peck, MD, the opening line is,
“Life is difficult”.
Boy, have we found out how difficult life can be during
2020! Dr. Peck simply states that these difficulties are
problems to be solved. He goes on to speak about how
we need to have the right tools to solve our problems.
Tools like self-discipline, delayed gratification, accepting
responsibility for your own life, and a dedication to the
truth. This is pretty heavy stuff, but you can see there are
some pearls of wisdom here, can’t you?
It might be interesting this year to instead of making
new year resolutions (that usually don’t work), you reflect
on the lessons learned during the past difficult year. Some
interesting questions could include:
• What did you find out were luxuries in your life that you
were able to do without?
• How did you handle the stress? Is there some additional
support or learning you need in this area?
• Did time and perseverance with the challenges make
you stronger or not, and if so how?
• What and who drained your energy and what and who
added strength and wisdom to you?
• Did you undergo any personal changes?
• Do you have a new vision for your life after this year?
• What are you going to do with your life in 2021?
It might make you feel good and proud to write your
manifesto of how you navigated through this year and then
how you would describe yourself starting 2021. There may
be some very sensitive and challenging issues left over that
may be worth getting support for including professional
help, but there also may be some newfound strengths and
resiliency for which to be proud.
For this exercise, list what you did well and how it can
make you stronger going forward. What tools did you use to
solve some of the problems you faced during this pandemic?
How will you use what you learned and the strengths you
tapped into to create your 2021 vision of yourself, not what
you will do or accomplish, but rather who you are as that
powerful problem solver and person who coped minute-tominute
throughout this pandemic year. Don’t forget any
“silver lining” lessons you experienced.
I hope that you can take yourself gently and patiently
into 2021, which still may have similar challenges, and find
some resiliency and strength to maneuver what is to come.
About The Author
LORIE GARDNER
Lorie Gardner RN, BSN, NBC-HWC, founded Healthlink Advocates,
Inc., to assist people with all aspects of their healthcare. As private
nurse patient advocates and board certified health and wellness
coaches, they partner with clients seeking assistance navigating
the complex healthcare system and those seeking self-directed,
lasting health improvements aligned with their values.
To Learn More Visit:
www.healthlinkadvocates.com

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