I had a lot of responses and questions regarding the tip sent out this week as part of the Wednesday Wind & Water Wisdom series concerning the position of the kitchen.  (If you are not getting a copy of these Wednesday Wind & Water Wisdom tipds, go to www.carolehyder.com right now to sign up for my newsletter.)  In this blog I offer some clarification, ideas, and reassurances.  Please know I’m speaking from a western version of Feng Shui which does not consider directions in positioning a kitchen.  Feng Shui is concerned with the flow of energy in a space.  One way to assess this flow is to determine how the energy moves through a home or office and whether there are places where it is stagnant or whether it flies through too quickly.  Another way to assess the flow of energy is to determine what kind of filter it moves through when it first enters a space.  You always want the energy near your front door to be enticing, offering a warm welcome as a first impression.  A kitchen challenges this idea. Kitchens should be in the back of the house.  The energy of a kitchen is strong and active due to the fir e of the stove, the heaviness of the appliances, and the general hub of activity that goes on in there.  Having a kitchen near the front door is a Feng Shui problem from three perspectives.  First, it can cause the nutritional value of the food to leave through the door, resulting in potential digestive issues.  The second problem is that it can cause weight gain.  Like a Pavlovian response, there’s an automatic need to eat something when your first trigger is the kitchen.  Finally, a kitchen near the front door can condone an “eat and run” attitude, discouraging people from staying around long enough to offer support when you need it. If possible, screen off the doorway into the kitchen or hang a cloth or beaded curtain to minimize its presence.  Or provide a distraction that pulls your eye away from the view of the kitchen—-a tall plant, a stunning piece of artwork, a fountain, an eye-catching rug.  All of these placed to attract your attention will pull the energy away from the kitchen and into another more appropriate part of the space, like the living room. If the side or back door is your most used entry point and it brings you directly into your kitchen, try entering your home through another door from time to time.  This will break the pattern of wanting to eat as soon as you get home.    So, if you have a kitchen near the front door and are struggling with some health or weight issues, or feel like you’re lacking support in your life, it may be time for you to figure out a way to bring energy into your space without being influenced by the message from your kitchen.

Read more here:
Feng Shui Conundrums in Your Kitchen

My favorite topic these days is finding the confidence and
courage to live your best life.  Well, at the Amazing Woman’s Day Toronto
(www.amazingwomansdaytoronto.com)
event this past weekend, I had the opportunity to put my ‘money where my
mouth is’ or, actually, …….my feet!

At the Celebration Dinner on the Saturday evening, there was
some great entertainment.  Imagine my surprise when I saw Bette Midler entering
the room – one of my favorite entertainers of all time.  (She, was really
a he, and singing up a storm!)  “She” was very adept at getting
people up on the dance floor and engaged with the action.  Not me, though!  No
sirrreeeee…..I was quite content to sit and watch!  And it was
entertaining.  However, once Bette finished her segment, out came “Shania
Twain” – same routine – lots of singing and getting people
out on the dance floor.  By this time, I was telling myself that I was going to
get up and
get in the game!  How many times have we (and I include
myself in this) passed up an opportunity because ____________________ (fill in
the blanks)?  For me, with Bette, I was just content to sit back and watch.  I know many people
go through life that way!  I decided, in the “Shania
moment”, that, instead, I would get up and get going.  Who cares if I
didn’t know how to dance very well or, in particular, line dance?  Really
– who cares?  And that’s the attitude I invite YOU to take in this
journey called life. 

So, up and out of my chair……and on to the dance
floor…….and you know what?  I had an incredibly fun time!  Now,
typically, you can find me heading to bed at about 9:30-ish most nights.  Well,
here it was, well past 10:00 p.m., I am sure (I didn’t stop to check my
watch) and I really was having more fun than I’ve had in years.  So,
check out the video clip and you’ll see me (in red, of course), my friend
Jan Marie Dore and…….yes…….Shania Twain – ‘having
a party’!

What about you?  What does life look like and feel like for
you these days?  Are you ‘having a party”?  Or, are you sitting in
the bleachers, just watching, and letting everyone else get out in the field
and play?  Inquiring minds would like to know.  Please leave your comments
below………hey, if I can do it, you can do it!

Read more here:
Amazing Women – Pat, Jan and Shania Twain – ‘having a party!”

This is a continuation of my post on why you should Forget Resolutions:  Achieve Your Goals.

#7 Step outside your comfort zone.  If what you’re doing now is working for you, congratulations!  I bet there are still some ways to tweak it for even better results or more efficiency.  If you’re not achieving the goals you’ve set, it’s time to get bold and try something new.  (The coaching and resources in step 6 can help with this.)  You’ll be amazed at how opening yourself up to new opportunities can change everything for the better!

Read more here:
Forget Resolutions: Achieve Your Goals (Part 7)

Read more here:
Intro of Marsh Engle for radio show

http://www.MasterYourWorkday.com : The last word on productivity solutions – both personal and organizational – you’re ever likely to need!

This is a continuation of my post on why you should Forget Resolutions:  Achieve Your Goals.

#6  Spend money to make money.  Success requires an investment of both time and money.  If there’s an area in your business (or life) where you need help to do better, then commit to making it happen by finding a way to pay for some assistance.  Buy a book (or borrow it from the library), sign up for a teleclass, watch a free video on YouTube, Google search for free articles or papers on the topic, and spend a few hundred dollars to get an hour or two of professional advice.  Most coaches, consultants and professionals have the ability to offer one or two hours for a reasonable price with no long-term attachment.  You and your business are worth it.

Read more here:
Forget Resolutions: Achieve Your Goals (Part 6)

Blog content must be constantly tracked so it can be improved
Tracking the popularity of individual blog posts reinforces one of the major themes in this series on the 7 Pillars of Successful Blog Content; it’s not about you and what you want to write.
Instead, success is all about your market, and providing content that your [...]



[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Read more here:
7 Pillars of Successful Blog Content, Pt. 7: Trackable

Read more here:
Amazing Womans Day Toronto

“I really admire those Olympic athletes, but I could never do
anything like that!” These are some of the comments I've heard over the
past few weeks from people with whom I have been discussing the Olympic
games. Typically, you would not find me in front of a TV for hours, let
alone watching sports. No way! However, it was with a great sense of
pride, and interest, that I did watch a lot of the games on TV. I did so
with purpose and intent – and for the entertainment, of course.

I have always been very goal-oriented and I am happy to share my
goals with people who can help me and support me.

“If you don't know what your passion is, realize that one
reason for your existence is to find it.

All of us need a vision for our lives, and even as we
work to achieve the vision, we must surrender it to the power that is
greater than we know. It's one of the defining principles of my life
that I love to share: God can dream a bigger dream for you than you
could ever dream for yourself……..the key is not to worry about being
successful but to instead work toward being significant – and the
success will naturally follow.” – Oprah Winfrey

How do you know whether you're on the right path, with the right
person, or in the right job? The
same way you know when you're not: You Feel It!

When I was on my trip around the world, I had many
questions about my own life and what I was going to do – thus my book,
“Who Am I Now?” (You can get your copy of the e-book today by clicking this link.)

I did try the luge (see photo of my friend Tom,
getting ready) in Dubai and asked many questions

(here I am with an
English teacher in his village in Africa!). A great way to learn more
about yourself is to travel, try new things and ask lots of questions.
(If you would like to join me on the next world tour in the fall, call
my friend, Ben, President of Travel Guild: 1.800.268.4284 for
information.) 

Your life is speaking to you every day, all the time – and your job
is to listen up and find the clues. Pay attention to what makes you feel
energized, connected, stimulated – what gives you joy.

Then, begin with baby steps. If goal-setting has not been a normal,
and usual, part of your daily living, it can feel overwhelming knowing
where to begin. I always tell my clients to begin with baby steps.

“The biggest human temptation is not to want too much,
but to settle for too little.” – Thomas Merton

I attribute my ‘success' to these 7 basic steps:

1. Identify what you want (start with planning supper for
   tonight!).

2. Be clear and concise, and write it down.
3. Control your self-talk to be positive, up-lifting and
   forward thinking.

4. Take risks.
5. Ask for what you want.
6. You must eliminate toxic people from your life.
7. If you aren't happy with who you are and what you do, then change
   it!

So, not everyone aspires to be an Olympic athlete – nor an Olympic
coach! What we do want is to live our best life. What one thing are you
prepared to do, today, to work toward becoming significant?

“If it's to be, it's up to me!” – Lou Tice

Assignment

1. Pick one of the steps listed above and apply it to your life,
   beginning today.

2. Ask yourself the questions: So what? Who Cares? What
   Difference Does this Make in My Life Today?

Do some of these exercises and I guarantee that you will start to
live your best life. When you try new things, you are developing the
confidence and courage to move forward and invent the life you truly
want to live.

But this is only the tip of the iceberg – now that you've handled
the question, how exactly do
you live your life fully, 97-98% of the time? I've outlined
every secret in detail, and it's all in my “Steps2Happiness Home Study
System”, so you can start using it all right away to get meaningful
results. In addition to the exact techniques that have worked for me,
the System includes everything you need to know to prioritize what to
work on first, clear the decks, and set up simple, solid systems to
organize your life. It's all step-by-step, not a big mishmash of
things. So, you do step one of the system, and when you're done with
that, you move on to step two, and so on. That's why my clients have
gotten such great results from it. All the tools, scripts, templates,
and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. So easy. You can get
yours at www.
confidenceandcourage.com

Read more here:
Setting Goals – How to Get Started!

Excerpt from Carole’s book House Alive: Conversations with Your Home to be released in 2010. Ben bought a small attractive home while he was going through a divorce. A big challenge he was facing was his ex-wife’s demand for money.  He was already paying child support, giving her their home and furnishings, turning over most of the retirement savings, and yet she wanted more.  There were three major challenges in the money area of Ben’s new home:  a fireplace, a missing piece, and a back door.  These features metaphorically matched his current situation:  money was being burned up (by the position of the fireplace); money was” missing” (mirrored by the missing area of the house); and the money that he did earn had a direct path out (through the back door).  As we discussed the reality of his home, Ben was discouraged and angry that he had walked into a scenario that echoed the situation around his failing marriage—-money challenges.  He was furious with himself at how much he had given to his ex-wife and wondered why he hadn’t taken a stand for his own needs and demands.  It was her idea to get a divorce, after all.  Ben was exasperated by the fact that he runs out of money before his next paycheck, despite the fact that he is one of the highest paid employees at his company.  Certainly the help of a therpaist provided insights to his beliefs.  And a Feng Shui consultation added more information and ideas.  It is my experience that living in a space which requires you to pay attention to a compromised area is the best way to learn about that issue.  As you make Feng Shui adjustments in the afflicted area, you see them as symbols for what needs to be changed.  As he hung a mirror over his fireplace, Ben learned to say “no” to his kids and to his ex-wife.  As he planted a lush and healthy plant in the missing money area outside the house, he saw that as a metaphor for committing to his budget no matter what.   Hanging a windchime by his backdoor in the money area was a continual alarm clock to remind him about re-building his own next egg.  For the first time, he watched his patterns and his emotions and was able to forecast when he might let down his financial boundaries and fall into a vulnerable spending spree.  He came to appreciate his money and treated it with respect.  Ben realized that his house, bought in a split second of despair, had provided him “opportunities”  to turn his issue around.  It was the steady presence of this little home, without judgment or impatience, that enabled him to dig deep and find some answers—and change a life-long pattern. As Ben saw it, the challenged money area in his house became an asset to him.

Read more here:
Lessons From a House