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Letter From The Editor

Each year as the holidays roll around, there is always a mix of excitement and dread in people. However, the circumstance that we find ourselves in this year could make the impending holiday season even more of a challenge, if we allow it to.

Think about it. What if we made the holidays about family, relationship, and simply being happy with where we are at, rather than the holidays being about “stuff”? What if we were to get back to having a childlike enthusiasm for the holiday season?

We were all children once upon a time, and it is time to get back to that sort of innocence and ability to enjoy each and every moment for what it is. Kids are all about the fun of the holiday season, not the “stuff” of the season! They focus on who’s going to get to pull on the wishbone from the turkey or how much whipped cream they can pile on top of the pumpkin pie, or playing games with their family and simply having loads of fun. They are present to what they love about the holiday season and embrace it! And you should too!

Unfortunately, getting back to a childlike way of being doesn’t mean you can turn off your adult responsibilities. However, when you take on the holidays from a perspective of passion and fun, you are much more likely to easily find the gold in absolutely everything you do! Think about it.

• If you have pressure at work, it means you’ve got a job.
• If you are concerned about how the markets are affecting your portfolio, it means you have a portfolio to worry about.
• If your family complains about the amount of time you spend at work, it means you have a family that loves you.

These are huge chunks of gold, and these are just a fraction of the examples I could give. So check it out. Where’s the gold in your life? What and who are you most thankful for?

You see the holidays aren’t about the stuff we have. They are really about the love of family, the joy of sharing, the giving of ourselves to each other, and gratitude for the gold that can be found in each and every one of our lives!

As we begin the holiday season, get and stay present to the gold, search for the gold even when it isn’t obvious, and treasure each and every piece you find. Then acknowledge the gifts you’ve been given. Have everyone sitting around the table on Thanksgiving Day say what they are thankful for. What better way to get everyone present to the gold in their lives?

Best Regards,

Clay S. Nelson

P.S. You can listen to my radio show on this topic by going my radio show download page. From there you can scroll down and choose to download the audio or watch video of the show “Being Accountable… for Being Responsible” on YouTube.

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Getting Present to Your Power

We’re approaching the end of what has been a challenging year. We’re all aware of our upcoming deadlines; the goals we’re on target for, or are falling short of, and the fact that we have only a handful of weeks to get it all together. So what I’m going to ask you to do may seem a bit counter productive in terms of time and focus, but hear me out!

Sometime within the next 5 days, sit down in a quiet space with your significant other, if you have one, and write down all of the things you have accomplished since January 1, 2008. Write down all of your accomplishments including: personal, business, health, financial, recreation, communication, relationships, and anything else you can think of.

Why should you to take this on at what is often the busiest time of the year? Because it is when we are at our most frantic that we tend to beat ourselves up and focus on the negative, instead of using our power wisely and giving ourselves credit for what we have accomplished. By focusing our energy on the good we do and the goals we have achieved, we instantly create a whole new way of thinking. Now which frame of mind do you think will best keep you on track and focused as we draw toward December 31, 2008? You guessed it! The patting yourself on the back, feeling good, and loving life frame of mind!

Do you want to make your list even more valuable? Teach from it! Of course you can keep the list hidden in a drawer for your eyes only, but consider the value you get from sharing it with others. Your kids will get lit up seeing all that has been accomplished as a family. Your team will be energized through the realization that they are a part of a dynamic, go get ‘em kind of a team and you will teach others the value of doing their own “accomplishments” exercise.

So please, carve out some time to take a reflective look on all that you have accomplished this year, and don’t forget to share it with the world! Your list will likely be much longer than you imagined, and the benefit of participating in this exercise will far exceed your expectations!

Clearing Negativity

We’ve all seen the smallest amount of negativity turn one person’s mood from happy go lucky to cranky in a matter of seconds, and while there is no crime involved here, thankfully the best option for resolving crankiness is really quite simple. It is called Clearing.

Clearing is a way of getting all of the mind chatter and negativity out of our heads that cause crankiness and our not wanting to play, among other things, and clearing takes on many forms:

• You can write down everything that is racing around in your head and bogging you down and then wad it up and throw it away.
• You can call up a friend and ask permission to say what is going on with you, with the understanding that they aren’t supposed to fix anything. They are just the receiver of the information… there is nothing to fix. They are simply a safe place to get rid of your mind chatter.
• Then there is Trouble Tree, a place you designate to leave all of the stuff that happened during your day outside of your house before you walk in the door to be with your family.
• You can build an imaginary box where you visually deposit all the stuff that has you feeling cranky.
• Or your clearing can even take the form of physical exercise. Think about how great it feels to lift weights or participate in a really hard work out when you are cranky!! That is the type of exhilaration that I’m talking about here!

Whether we’re talking about a mental clearing or a physical release of negative energy, clearing is the very best way to move beyond crankiness! So to the cranky people out there, all I have to say is that you now have a great tool with which to dissolve your cranky ways, and if you choose not to use them you’ve made a choice to stay cranky!

Now that doesn’t feel so great, does it? So instead choose to clear when you find yourself being someone you don’t want to be! Remember: You have a choice in how your life turns out – no matter what the world is throwing at you; you have a choice to be happy or cranky. Which are you going to choose?

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