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Do you surround yourself with friends who see the good in you?  Do all of your relationships add to your life? Life is too short for you to waste your time with people who do not see all your wonderful qualities. There are plenty of people on this earth who will easily see the good in you. Support yourself by cultivating a relationship with these people. If you would like to meet more people who make you feel good, then why not join a group? If you love to read, you can join a reading group. If you love to run, join a local running group. When you join a group that interests you, then you will automatically have something in common with everyone in the group. This will make it easier for you to connect more with others. It is best to take your time cultivating new friendships. Otherwise, you will come off as too desperate and your neediness will become a repellent. Most people do not want to be around someone who is needy. As you make new friendships, be sure that you are getting some of your needs met elsewhere as well. This will help you not to appear too needy. “One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.”                                                             –Euripides Do you spend time with friends who make you laugh? Spending time each week with people who make you laugh will add joy to your life. Find humor in life every day. It is important not to take life too seriously all the time. Who and what makes you laugh? How can you add more of this in your life?  When was the last time you laughed at yourself? We all do and say silly things from time to time. Laughing at yourself when you do or say something silly will make you feel good. If you have someone in your life who makes you laugh and feel good, why not spend more time with that person? Just today, one of my dear friends said that he wanted to spend more time with me. I know that he greatly adds to my life, so I agreed to see him more often. Even though my schedule is very busy, I am making this friend a priority over many people in my life, since he is so supportive, encouraging, and he makes me feel good. I have great friends in my life; however, some friends champion me more than others. I am at a point in my life where I need to spend more time with the people who are very supportive of me, especially with my career. Now that I am on a new journey of helping more people than ever, I need all the support I can get. The more we surround ourselves with people who are our advocates and make us feel good, the happier we will be. If you found this post helpful, check out Think Positive and Find Happiness. When you keep your thoughts focused on the positives about yourself, others and your life, you cannot help but be content.

We all want to experience emotional freedom to feel happy and at peace. Yes, life will throw lemons at you; however, it is your job to make lemonade! Below is a list of ten things you can do to achieve freedom from negative emotions and have less stress in your life: Keep your thoughts positive, as much as possible. Take positive action each day. Trust the Universe. Meditate. Comfort yourself often. Ask yourself, “How can I comfort myself today?” Relax for at least thirty minutes each day. Surround yourself with people who are supportive of you and make you feel good. Feel your feelings. Writing your feelings is a journal is one way you can privately  process some of your feelings. Put yourself in nature. Help others by volunteering. Making a difference in someone’s life can be very healing for your own life.What is stopping you from experiencing emotional freedom? What actions do you need to take in order to set yourself free? Sometimes simply changing one or two things in your life can set you on the journey toward being peaceful and happy. If you have someone in your life who continues to make you feel lousy, perhaps setting strong boundaries with that person can set you free. You may want to limit the amount of time you spend with that person.If you are currently going through a trauma or loss, then do all ten things on the list each day.  It may also be helpful to seek professional help during this difficult time. Sometimes the best way for us to be on the right journey toward living a life of emotional freedom is by having someone guide us down this path each week. This is a wonderful way to love yourself. After I grew up in an extremely abusive household, I needed someone to teach me how to be emotionally free. Thank goodness I put myself in counseling at a very young age. This was one of the best gifts I ever gave to myself. You deserve to be emotionally free! If you have a lot of healing, then take one baby step at a time on this journey. If I could heal from the severe trauma experienced all throughout my childhood and some years beyond my childhood, then so can you! If you found this post helpful, check out Think Positive and Find Happiness, and discover how to find contentment by keeping your thoughts focused on the positives about yourself, others and your life.

In the last post of the Setting Healthy Boundaries series, learn how establishing healthy boundaries in your relationships will help you live a happy life. If you have been following along over the past two months and working on setting healthier boundaries, then I hope you are enjoying the emotional freedom you feel as a result of your hard work! Keep on developing even stronger boundaries throughout the rest of this year. Even though I have good boundaries, I sometimes find myself needing to set even stronger boundaries. If this is your first time reading my blog about setting healthy boundaries, please read Healthy Boundaries: Your Ticket to Happiness, the first blog post in the series, to see the full list of some of your fundamental rights as an adult, before reading this one. Setting healthy boundaries is a gift only you can give yourself. You have the right to end any relationship that is not right for you. People often believe they have to hold onto every relationship, even toxic ones that make them feel lousy. This is nonsense! People are meant to add to your life, not make you feel stressed, frustrated and aggravated every time you see them. If you have a toxic relationship and you can work with that person to create a healthier relationship, then fantastic! If not, then let that person go or set a solid boundary of only seeing that person once in awhile. I am all for repairing a relationship; however, sometimes this is not possible. All of your relationships are supposed to add to your life!   You have the right to have new relationships that add to your life. There are many people on this planet that would be thrilled to have you in their life! The way to meet these people is by putting yourself in an environment where you are likely to meet good quality people. When you first meet someone and you sense that person would not be a good friend, then set a boundary within yourself that you will not entertain starting a friendship with that person. Keep in mind you have the right to have new relationships that only add to your life, not negatively affect you. Finding great friends takes work! I see many people start a friendship with someone they know is not good for them. They continue to cultivate the relationship, to only tell me how hurt and disappointed they are with that person months or even years later. Use good judgment when bringing anyone new in your life.   You have the right to do what makes you happy. People who are unhappy may discourage you from doing what makes you happy. Do not allow this! Set a boundary within yourself that you are going to do what makes you happy, regardless of what anyone says. Life is too short not to live the life you want!   You have the right to fully take care of yourself in every situation. Once you master taking good care of yourself in every situation, your life will never be the same! Make a commitment to set a boundary within yourself that from today forward, you will do everything in your power to fully take care of yourself all the time.   You have the right to trust others who earn your trust. People need to earn your trust! If someone expects you to trust them right away, you can set a boundary by saying, “It is important for people to earn my trust, so be patient with me.” If you are starting a new relationship and someone expects you to trust them right away, then this is an unrealistic expectation. It takes two years to get to know someone. Some people are on their best behavior for the first eight months. Most people who believe they can automatically trust someone are often very disappointed.   You have the right to forgive yourself and to forgive others. Forgiving yourself and others is a must for your emotional freedom. No one on earth can make you do this. This is a gift only you can give to yourself. When you forgive yourself for past mistakes, then you will be on your way to experiencing greater inner peace and joy. When you forgive others, you are setting yourself free from allowing people to continue to negatively affect you. Set a boundary within yourself that you will work toward forgiving yourself and others.   You have the right to fully love yourself and others. People who feel stuck and unhappy in their lives may feel uncomfortable knowing that you are working toward loving yourself and everyone. Your actions stir up their self-hatred. You have the right to fully love yourself and others! When you accomplish this goal, happiness and peace will reside in you beyond your wildest dreams! If someone discourages you from loving yourself and others, set a boundary within yourself that you will no longer share certain information about this topic with those people.

If you have been following the “Healthy Boundaries: Your Ticket to Happiness” series for the past seven weeks, then you will see how setting healthier boundaries helps with stress management, and allows you to be more peaceful. In Part 6 of the Setting Healthier Boundaries series, you will learn more boundaries you can begin to work on setting this week. As always, take one baby step at a time as you master this list. There is no need to rush. Please read Healthy Boundaries: Your Ticket to Happiness,  the first blog post in the series, to see the full list of some of your fundamental rights as an adult, before reading this one. If you feel drained, overwhelmed, resentful, or unappreciated, these may be signs you need to set healthier boundaries. You have the right to be fully in your power.  When you are fully in your power, then no one will be able to take advantage of you or tell you how to live your life. The best way to develop being fully in your power is to follow your intuition. When you follow your intuition, you will be guided toward what is right for you. Then you will be fully in your power and your people-pleasing days will be over. By taking this action, it will help you feel great about yourself and your life. Begin today to set the boundary of not allowing others to tell you what you intuitively know is not right for yourself.   You have the right to take your time to think about what you want. People who are controlling tend to insist others make a fast decision. When someone tells you that you need to make a decision right away and you intuitively know this is not true, set a boundary. You may want to say, “I know you want me to make a decision right away; however, I need some time to think about this.” Give yourself permission to think about what you truly want.   You have the right to give up being a people-pleaser. Being a people-pleaser all the time is exhausting. One of the best things you can do is to set the boundary of firing yourself from this role! Once you fire yourself from this role, then you can please others at certain times, when you know you will walk away feeling good, without getting mentally drained or resentful.   You have the right to ask for what you want and need. Asking for what you want and need is healthy. You may have been taught as a child that you are not allowed to ask for what you want or need because this is begging. Nonsense! When you ask for what you want and need, people will have the opportunity to feel good about contributing to your life. If someone you know says to you, “You have no right to ask for that,” then set a boundary such as, “I have the right to ask for exactly what I want and need.” Don’t allow anyone to stop you for asking for what you want and need. You are not meant to do everything on your own.   You have the right to have relationships that add to your life. Most of us have had the experience of having relationships that are toxic and draining. In order to have wonderful relationships, you may need to let go of some old toxic ones. Most people are afraid to let go because then they will feel lonely. If this is the case, then join a supportive group where you are likely to develop new friendships. Set a boundary within yourself that you are no longer going to have relationships that continue to drain you.   You have the right to fully enjoy your life in a way that is pleasing to you. Are you fully enjoying your life in a way that is authentically pleasing to you? If not, begin today to support yourself with living this life. If people make negative comments about some new things you are doing, set a boundary. You can say, “If everyone made themselves happy, then this world would be a much better place.” Don’t allow anyone to stop you from following your heart’s desires. Life is too short for you not to fully enjoy your life!   You have the right to be happy. Some people will not be able to support your happiness no matter what you say or do. Even many well-intentioned people may not support your happiness. Set a solid boundary within yourself that you are only going to share your happiness with people who are capable of celebrating your happiness with you! You deserve to be fully happy! Just know, I want you to have all the happiness you can possibly have, so I am one person who is sincerely happy for all the good you have in your life!   You have the right to take excellent care of yourself–body, mind, and spirit. Taking care of your body, mind, and spirit is a must in life! People often make the excuse of not having enough time to do this. Set a boundary with yourself that you are going to make this one of your priorities every day.   You have the right to spend quality time with yourself. Spending quality time with yourself is very important. The more you nurture yourself, the more you will be able to nurture others. Are you spending at least three hours of quality time with yourself each week? If not, you need to make this a priority and set the boundary of letting others know you will not be available for those three hours.   You have the right to have fun! Do you have fun at least one day a week? If not, make room for this. You may need to set a boundary with yourself that you are going to make one fun plan every week and not allow anything

Last week, I discussed thirty-nine rights that you have as an adult and how fully realizing these rights will help you set healthy boundaries in all your relationships. Now, for the next few weeks, I will review ways you can set healthy boundaries regarding these rights. It will be helpful to read my June 20th blog post, Healthy Boundaries–Your Ticket to Happiness, before reading this post. Setting healthy boundaries includes knowing you have the right to decide what is best for you (Tweet This). When you become an adult, you are responsible for deciding what you want and how you are going to live your life. People may try to tell you what is best for you, but you are the only one who truly knows. When someone tells you what you “should” or “should not do,” you can set a boundary such as, “Thank you for that information, I will need to think about that before I decide what is right for me.” Then take your time to see what your intuition has to say. Your inner voice will always guide you in the right direction. You have the right to be a good parent to the child within. If you have gone through a difficult childhood experience, then allow yourself to be a good parent to the child within. Even if you had wonderful parents, it is still important to treat the kid within well. For example, if someone judges you about how you are having fun, then you have a right to stand up for yourself. If someone says, “I can’t believe that you are taking dancing lessons at the age of fifty-two.” You can say something such as, “Yes, I am glad I am finally taking dancing lessons, since this is something that I wanted to do since the third grade.” You have the right to grieve any losses that you experienced whether from childhood or that you are currently experiencing.  If you experienced any losses from childhood that you were unable to properly mourn, then it is perfectly healthy to release the sadness that has been inside of you for years. Set a boundary within yourself to give yourself time to process these earlier losses. If someone notices you were crying and suggests you have no right to feel sad about some loss that occurred years ago, support yourself by saying, “it is healthy for me to let go, rather than hold onto this sadness.” Current losses also need to be processed. You have the right to change and grow while fully supporting yourself on this journey. As you begin to change and grow, very often your family and friends will be uncomfortable since you have become more assertive and less of a people-pleaser. They may feel a sense of loss since you are no longer catering to their needs. People in your life may make rude comments about your growth such as, “I don’t know what happened to you. You used to be so sweet.” You can set a boundary by saying, “I am sorry that you feel that way.” There is no need to defend yourself. You have the right to pursue your heart’s desires. When you pursue your heart’s desires, it is important to spend as little time as possible with anyone who doesn’t support you. If you are around someone who you know will try to discourage you, then set a boundary within yourself that you are not going to share that information with that person. You have the right to set healthy boundaries! Next week, I will review 5 additional rights, mentioned in the blog post, Healthy Boundaries–Your Ticket to Happiness, and discuss some possible boundaries that you can set. This week, practice setting one of the boundaries mentioned here.  Take one step at a time while mastering setting healthy boundaries. Read the next post in the series, Healthy Boundaries–Your Ticket to Happiness, Part 3, to find how how you can set boundaries for healthier relationships. Technorati Claim Check: S6CE7X8FPDGR

Setting healthy personal boundaries in your relationships will bolster your self-esteem and help you express your true self. In this post, we’ll look at five more boundaries you can set as reviewed in the first post of this series, Healthy Boundaries–Your Ticket to Happiness. In Part 5, I demonstrate how living an authentic life will make you a happier person. Please read the first blog post in the series before reading this one, to see the full list of some of your fundamental rights as an adult. You have the right to be who you are, without having to be perfect. Trying to be perfect is a great way to squash your joy and happiness. I know how debilitating it is to be this way. I tried to be perfect for many years. Changing this pattern is very challenging. Begin by giving yourself permission to no longer expect perfection. Then set a boundary within yourself that you are going to stop abusing yourself this way. Tell yourself that you are good enough and you don’t need to be perfect.   You have the right to make mistakes. You are human; therefore, you are going to make mistakes. We all make mistakes. Are you hard on yourself whenever you make a mistake? The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and to forgive yourself. Set a boundary that you are no longer going to be hard on yourself, and that you will simply learn from your mistakes. If you don’t create this boundary within yourself, then you are likely to beat yourself up with your negative thoughts.   You have the right to be angry at someone you love. Some people think it is terrible if they feel anger toward someone they love. The terrible thing is not to feel your anger, since this will turn into resentment. I have seen how resentment can stop a relationship from being close and wonderful. If you are angry at a loved one, use your intuition to help discover the best way to release this feeling. There may be times when you want to calmly tell the person you love you are angry with them. There may be other times when you don’t say anything, but you simply release that anger in healthy ways: writing, doing art work, exercising, popping bubble wrap, listening to music, doing a visualization, etc. Give yourself permission to release your anger in healthy ways. The boundary you can set within yourself is to process your anger, rather than stuff it inside. Releasing your feelings in healthy ways is one of the best things you can possibly do.   You have the right to express who you are. Are you able to express who you are in every area of your life? Or do you shy away from expressing who you are since people may judge you? I admire individuals who truly express who they are! Being authentic is wonderful! If you are not expressing who you are, then make a commitment today to work on this. When you fully express who you are, then you give others permission to express who they are. No one enjoys being around someone who is phony. This makes everyone uncomfortable. Set the boundary within yourself that you are going to take one step each day to work toward expressing who you are! We are waiting for you to shine! You cannot shine until you are fully being and expressing who you are!   You have the right to express how you feel. I often hear people say that if you express how you feel, then you are being weak. Actually, the opposite is true. It takes great strength to express how you feel. People cannot read your mind. The only way for someone to truly know how you feel is if you tell them. If there is someone you intuitively know it would be helpful to tell your feelings to, then set the boundary within yourself to support yourself this way. Expressing how you feel to the right person can be so freeing and healing. If you know someone who will not be supportive if you say how you feel, then simply write the person a letter. Then rip up the letter and throw it away. Getting your feelings out on paper or by doing a visualization telling that person how you feel is very freeing and powerful! See the next post in the series, “Healthy Boundaries–Your Ticket to Happiness, Part 6.”

It is important to develop healthy personal boundaries in your relationships to maintain self respect. Today, we’ll focus on five more boundaries you can set as discussed in the first post of this series, Healthy Boundaries–Your Ticket to Happiness. I’ll show you how you can be empowered to establish boundaries and have a happier life. Please read the first blog post in the series, to see the full list of some of your fundamental rights as an adult, before reading this post.   You have the right to end conversations that make you feel uncomfortable. How many times have you had a conversation with someone that made you feel uncomfortable? I would guess many! We have all had this experience. You may have been taught as a child that you should just continue with a conversation, since this is the polite thing to do. Yet, you end up paying the price by feeling lousy afterwards. You have the right to end conversations that make you feel uncomfortable. A great boundary to set when this happens is to say, “I don’t want to talk about that.” If someone ignores your request, then remind that person again. It is best to keep your voice in a firm, neutral tone. If you discover someone is continuing to ignore your requests, then you can say, “If you continue to talk about that when I already asked you not to, then I will need to end this conversation.” If that person persists, then gently end the conversation all together.   You have the right to not answer a question that is off limits. In social situations, when someone asks you a question that is off limits, you may benefit by saying, “I would rather not discuss that.” This simple statement can be very powerful. You are indirectly letting the other person know that they have crossed your boundary and what they want to know is off limits. People who have poor boundaries and tend to be controlling may not like it when you take care of yourself in this way. Stay strong and stop pleasing others at your expense.   You have the right to no longer be your family and friends emotional dumping ground.  People who come from dysfunctional families are often taught as young children how to be everyone’s emotional dumping ground. On some level, they feel they need to rescue and fix everyone. I did this for many years of my life and it was utterly draining and exhausting. In 1998, I decided to stop trying to rescue and fix the people who are the closest to me. That was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. When your family and friends talk about how miserable they are, you can set a boundary by saying, “It would be good for you to talk to a professional who can help you.” Keep saying this over and over. Eventually, your family or friends will either seek help or they will stop telling you all their troubles. Encouraging someone to go for help is one of the best things you can do. I find the healthiest people are the ones who are seeking help or who sought help. These people are either working through their issues or they have worked through their issues. People who are in denial and don’t think they need help, when their lives are a mess, are the ones who would benefit the most from professional help.   You have the right to set limits in how much you give to others. Giving to others is one of the greatest joys in life. However, giving to others at your expense, where you feel drained and unhappy, is not healthy. Over the next week, become aware of how you feel every time you give to others. If you feel any negative feelings, then this is your intuition’s way of letting you know that you need to set the boundary of no longer giving in that way. When you no longer give in ways that make you feel badly, then you will have more energy to discover other ways to give that make you feel great.   You have the right to be treated with respect in every situation.  No one has the right to be disrespectful to you through their words or actions. Make a commitment today to set a boundary within yourself that you are not going to tolerate anyone disrespecting you in any way. It is your right to be treated with respect in every situation, at all times! If you are experiencing any form of physical abuse, please seek professional help. Read the next post in the series, Healthy Boundaries–Your Ticket to Happiness, Part 5, and see how developing personal boundaries in your relationships is the key to self respect.

This is the 3rd post in a series that discusses ways you can set healthy boundaries to achieve happiness. In my initial post, I f ocused on a list of essential rights you have as an adult. Today, I will focus on the next five rights from that list. If you did not read my first post on June 20th, please go to Healthy Boundaries–Your Ticket to Happiness, before continuing to read this one. You have the right to work on accomplishing your goals. Sometimes working on accomplishing your goals may mean a loss for others, since you may not have as much free time for them. When people feel this loss, they may discourage you from focusing on your goals. If anyone makes a negative comment about not spending much time with you because you are pursuing your goals, you may benefit by setting a healthy boundary. If someone is important in your life, you can say, “I will be busy for awhile, but when my schedule lightens up, I will let you know. We can then figure out when we can spend time together.” If someone is not very important in your life and they make a negative comment about your goals becoming too much of a priority, you may want to say, “I am sorry that you feel that way.” You have the right to set goals for yourself. If you know that others are not going to be supportive of your goals, then it is best not to share that information with them. Only share your goals with people who want you to succeed and will encourage you.   You have the right to follow your own values and standards. You have authentic values and standards and the right to fully support them by setting healthy boundaries. At some point, people may challenge your values and standards. They may try to control and manipulate you, so you change your values and standards and become more like them. Never compromise here. If you do, then you will be unhappy and regret that decision. If someone judges your values and standards, stay strong and respect your own values. No one has the right to continue to challenge your beliefs. If someone does, after you request that person stop telling you what is right for you, then you either need to set the boundary of seeing that person less often, or end the relationship.   You have the right to say no when something is not right for you. People often like to please others. There is nothing wrong with pleasing others, as long as this is not at your own expense. If you have anxiety and your anxiety is not due to a medical issue, then it is likely you are pleasing others while neglecting your own needs. I have never met anyone with high anxiety who did not please others at their own expense. I find that some of the most loving, wonderful people have high anxiety. They are so giving to others. Being a giving person is wonderful, as long as you feel good after the giving occurs. If you please others by suppressing your needs, then let the word “No” need become your new best friend.  When someone asks you to do something that is going to stress you out or you intuitively know is not right for you, say, “No.” This boundary will alleviate much of your stress and free you to take better care of yourself. You have the right to say no!   You have the right to change your mind at any moment. I find that some people love to make others feel wrong when they change their mind. Some people act as though once something is said, then it is written in stone. I have had people try to make me feel bad when I change my mind and the fact is this is something I rarely do. I will gently remind others I have the right to change my mind.  You, too, can set that boundary of letting people know you have the right to change your mind!   You have the right to prioritize what is important to you. It is a good idea to prioritize each day what is important to you. If not, then you are likely to neglect some of your needs. When you are clear about what your priorities are, this will help you set better boundaries. If your spouse asks you one day to do a specific thing that you won’t have time to do, unless you skip your priority of working out, you can set a boundary by saying, “I will do that tomorrow when I have more time.” If you don’t prioritize each day, then you will not set healthy boundaries and you will put your needs aside.   Which of these boundaries do you need to set the most? Good, now you can work on setting that boundary this week. Once you are comfortable setting that boundary, go and work on setting another boundary from this list. You deserve to live a peaceful life. Setting healthy boundaries will allow you to experience great inner peace and happiness. Read the next post in the series, Healthy Boundaries–Your Ticket to Happiness, Part 4, and see how developing personal boundaries in your relationships is the key to self respect.

Healthy Boundaries lead to emotional freedom! (Retweet This) Family members do not always have healthy boundaries. I know I certainly grew up in a very dysfunctional family. Boundaries are often enmeshed and severely lacking in these families. Children then grow up to be adults, who don’t know how to take care of themselves or set healthy boundaries. Their lack of boundaries then creates turmoil and drama in their lives. People who have poor boundaries often feel stressed, angry, and unhappy. Below is a list of some of your rights as an adult. The more you realize that you have these rights, the more you will be able to develop healthy boundaries. Healthy boundaries lead to inner peace, joy, and emotional freedom! Your new boundaries will help you to feel empowered and good. You have the right to: Decide what is best for you. Be a good parent to the child within you. Grieve any losses that you experienced, whether from childhood or that you are currently experiencing. Change and grow, while fully supporting yourself on this journey. Pursue your heart’s desires. Work on accomplishing your goals. Follow your own values and standards. Say no when something is not right for you. Change your mind at any moment. Prioritize what is important to you. End conversations that make you feel uncomfortable. Not answer a question that is off limits. No longer be your family and friend’s emotional dumping ground. Set limits in how much you give to others. Be treated with respect in every situation. Be who you are, without having to be perfect. Make mistakes. Be angry at someone you love. Express who you are. Express how you feel. Be fully in your power. Take your time to think about what you want. Give up being a people-pleaser. Ask for what you want and need. Have relationships that add to your life. Fully enjoy life in a way that is pleasing to you. Be happy. Take excellent care of yourself–body, mind, and spirit. Spend quality time with yourself. Have fun! Be flexible. Stand up for yourself. End any relationship that is not right for you. Have new relationships that add to your life. Do what makes you happy. Fully take care of yourself in every situation. Trust others who earn your trust. Forgive yourself and forgive others. Fully love yourself and others. Choose one thing on this list that stands out in your mind. Then think about the new boundary that you are going to set with others. For example, if someone is talking about something that you don’t want to discuss, you can say, “I really do not want to talk about that.” This one simple boundary will save you from unnecessary turmoil. When this new boundary is solidly in place, set another boundary. Keep doing this until you have solid boundaries that help you to be emotionally free. You deserve to live a life of peace, joy, and happiness! Read the next post in the series, Healthy Boundaries–Your Ticket to Happiness, Part 2, to see ways you can set healthy boundaries regarding these rights.

our comfort zone is not a place that you want to remain in. Dare, discover, be all that you can be.” ~Catherine Pulsifer Stepping out of your comfort zone often makes you feel uncomfortable, afraid, and anxious. Most of us dread taking a step outside of our comfort zone as we fear the unknown. We would rather not put ourselves in situations that demand for us to be brave and courageous, since this stirs up negative feelings. Embracing change and accepting new challenges are key requirements to living an extraordinary life.  The more you support yourself with stepping out of your comfort zone, the more you will discover what truly makes you happy. What made you happy ten years ago may not necessarily make you happy today. The more you explore your options by doing new things, the more you will find fulfillment and grow. The only way to know the outcome of something is by taking action. Stepping out of your comfort zone will also open the door to more opportunities and success. “Nobody ever died of discomfort, yet living in the name of comfort has killed more ideas, more opportunities, more actions, and more growth than everything else combined. Comfort Kills! ~Harv Eker A few weeks ago, I had to step out of my comfort zone when I attended a social media workshop sponsored by Star 99.1. Before the meeting, I never would have imagined that I would be chosen from a raffle to talk about my business, NormaLight, LLC. I was one of five people chosen out of over 100 people. This was a great opportunity for me to network with other business owners. After my name was randomly picked, I was completely surprised and very nervous. I could have let my discomfort stop me, but that was not an option. Over the years I accepted that I was initially going to feel uncomfortable, but I moved forward anyway. I told everyone about my business and how passionate I was about helping millions of people to heal. I spoke for about three minutes. During that time, I was so nervous but I managed to speak from my heart. The results were positive! I was asked to do a seminar for an organization in July, as well as being offered other opportunities. Stepping out of my comfort zone was a richly rewarding experience. If I did not step out of my comfort zone, then I would have missed out on the opportunity to help more people to heal. What is stopping you from stepping out of your comfort zone? Why not move through those uncomfortable feelings and do it anyway? Anyone who is successful had to move through their negative feelings, too. The more times you step out of your comfort zone, the easier this will get. The benefits from doing this will be well worth the temporary discomfort! What would you like to do that you keep putting off? Write that down, along with the action steps you are going to take. Then start today to take one step at a time. You can do it! (Note: If you are going through a difficult situation, then take action when you are ready.)