Bringing MTS to New England!

As many of you know, I have been working on bringing the incredible teen program called Motivating the Teen Spirit to the Greater Newburyport and surrounding New England area.
It has been quite a challenge, as many people on the East Coast have never heard of it.

I first heard to MTS a few years ago, when I became a fan of Lisa Nichols from the Secret.

I found that she has the same passion for working with teens that I do. I joined her Facilitator Empowerment Program in March, 2012. It's a 2 year program based in San Diego, CA.
Now these workshops are held all over the country and around the world.

I have been working ever since to bring the work to my home town and the North East.

With all the challenges our teens face, we parents and those who work with youth, need as much support as we can get. Our teens need all the support they can get as well. Our workshops provide a safe space for teens to go to talk about what's really going on in their lives. All the good stuff as well as the things they struggle with on a daily basis.  I speak not only as a facilitator, but as a parent. Motivating the Teen Spirit has helped me become a better parent. 

Through the combination of cognitive and experiential lessons, teens and parents:

• Experience clarity regarding how they feel and how their feelings are impacting their behavior
• Identify their negative self-talk, understand the impact it has had on their lives, and learn how to shift to a more powerful conversation
• Work through an engaging and emotionally stirring process to confront their own degree of integrity and make new agreements if necessary
• Learn how to ask for a Safe Space from others so that they can continue to open up and explore what they are dealing with on all levels
• Be in a community of like-minded teens and adults who are working collectively to bring out the highest good in each person

Please click on the link below and share it. Let's create a lasting legacy for our teens.

http://www.gofundme.com/mts-in-new-england

Life Assessment - It's Up To You

What are you happy with? What are the areas in your life that need improvement? 

We all have areas in our lives that we are happy with and other areas that need improvement.  It's a good idea to take a little time every so often to take a look at what's working for you in your life and what's not. Even the most successful people have areas that need improvement.

You can do this on a sheet of paper, or you can go on my website and request a life assessment worksheet.

Don’t settle for a life of meritocracy. Each one of us was created with everything we need to have a life of abundance. – Whatever that means for you.

Maybe it means that you learn a new language, travel somewhere you've always wanted to go. Maybe it means that you need to build better relationships with your loved ones. 

Maybe you need to get your health in order or start a new career. 

Be accountable for your own outcome. 

There are a lot of people that can help show you where to start. 

I would be honored to guide you in the right direction. 

If I can’t help you with something, I can put you in contact with someone who can.

So, I’m challenging you to BE your best, do what you do best. 

Know that when you sell yourself short, the world misses out.

http://empoweringlifestrategies.co/

Do you need your cup filled?

Take a piece of paper and a pen. Write down all of your blessings. Everything that you can be grateful for. Start with the air you breathe, your eyes and your ability to read, and so on. Then work your way out to your loved ones, your home, your community, the sun, the moon, the stars and the sky. Write everything you can think of to be grateful for. Don't stop writing until the page is full. Get another piece of paper if you can and fill that one too. Then read what you have written. Look at all the blessings you have. Allow yourself to feel the gratitude. Repeat this each time you begin to focus on the negative. Before long, you will find that your cup is full.

The boots he wore

I took a picture of the boots my son wore when he came home. He had set them out on the porch. There they were, still dusty, worn. The tags were removed. I marveled at the flow of emotions I felt as I stood there looking at them. I posted the picture on my Facebook timeline, no comment. I didn't even have words.

Those boots had taken my son to many foreign countries. Through countless hours of training. On ships at sea, on dusty land.  In and out of MRAP's and other armored vehicles. They carried him and all his gear through dirt roads, villages and poppy fields.  I was struck by how fortunate we were that he returned, wearing both of them. When I look at this picture, my heart still aches. That is all.

The Day I lost my way

My spirit was crushed. I had just gone through yet another painful breakup. I had a beautiful little boy who's father had left me several years earlier. You might think that the day I was left pregnant at 19 would have been the day that broke my spirit, but it wasn't. I had a lot of fight in me then. I had hope for the future with my baby on the way. I had recently made a decision to get my life on track and that just gave me more resolve. I knew I wanted to give him a better life. I was determined to provide a loving home and a supportive upbringing. Yet, as the years went by, the struggles mounted, and the pain of broken relationships and financial hardships pressed down on me.

It was one of the coldest days on record. I was on my way to pick up my tender heated little boy from his after school program. I had been in such despair that I was barely functioning as a parent.


As I drove my car, crying out to God about all the heartache I was feeling, it was as if every hurt I had ever felt, every injustice, every wrong decision, every painful memory from my past was baring on my soul. Everything seemed hopeless. I was in total blackness. Except for that precious little boy who was waiting for me to pick him up. I thought he'd probably be better off with my sister. She could give him a better life.

I had been beaten up by life circumstances, I felt like I was dealt the final blow. I was shattered. I'd never recover from this battle. How could I? I had been through the gates of hell and I couldn't see my way back.

At some point I had gotten off track. It was as if someone else was driving my car. I wound up driving along the river, drawn toward the depth of the sea. There is a boat ramp where I had pasted countless times growing up. From somewhere deep in my mind, the thought came to me that I should just drive myself into the icy water. I'd surrender to the darkness and be out of my misery.

When I got to the boat ramp, there were people there. I thought, "What the heck are they doing in the middle of winter!" (I cleaned it up a little) Then something snapped me out of my state. It was as though another force had taken over the driving. I drove past the ramp and I got back on track and went to pick up my son. When I got home (this was before cell phones) I called a close friend and told her what happened. Through her help, and the help of others, I began to find my way back. I knew that I never had to go back to that horrible place again. That alone, gave me some peace of mind. I realized that I couldn't leave my little boy behind like that. I couldn't let him grow up without either parent. His father had abandoned him and then me? That was not the legacy I wanted to leave for him. I had to do better for him no matter what. It was a long and bumpy road, but with guidance, and a lot of prayer, I found my way.

It has been many years since that day. Life hasn't been easy. There are struggles and challenges every day. Through the ups and downs of life, there hasn't been a time since, when I wished I'd ended it. I take what comes my way and live each day to the best of my ability. I learn and grow as I go.

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. The wreckage it brings to loved ones is immeasurable. We are resilient. The human spirit has an amazing ability to triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds. There is nothing in our lives so devastating, that we can not overcome or recover from it.We hear stories all the time about people who face situations and make it through against all odds. Each and every one of us had that same ability to stretch, learn and grow through anything life dishes out. We were created and equipped with the everything we need.

If you've lost your way, you can find your way back. Ask for help. Don't try to do it alone. If you are struggling, and you're considering ending your life, please call someone. Call a friend or family member and tell them what's going on. There is a way up and out of the pit of despair. No matter what the situation, there is a solution. Share your burden. There are many caring people who are trained and dedicated to helping others. I am one of them. If you go to my website,  you will find my contact info. If I am not able to help you, I will find someone who is.
http://empoweringlifestrategies.co/

No Sprinkle Fairy Dust

Let's face it, we all look for it at one time or another. Whether we need it for some extra cash or a little less around the mid-section. I know I do! I have spent a small fortune over the years on books, tapes, programs, pills, creams, you name it! It's just a good thing I have so many allergies, I probably would have killed myself by now.

There is no sprinkle fairy dust. No magic potion lotion that will instantly take me where I want to be. It takes time and effort and a lot of determination to get to where I want to be.  There are no short cuts, flash forwards or instant fixes. 

I have everything I need to be successful in whatever I set my mind to. I have all the resources, all the energy, all the know how, and the ability to get it. As so do you! W need only to get focused on what it is, believe that it is possible and take action. That's where I get hung up. Taking action, or believing that it can happen for me. Those are my two areas of weakness.

I know that the Universe will bring me exactly what I ask for, so I need to be careful what I ask for.
I know that I have everything it takes to get the job done, I need to get into action and stay in action.
I know that I deserve to be successful and that it will happen for me if I stay focused and keep moving in the right direction.

So why aren't I there yet? Because I don't stay in action, I allow my negative self-talk to hold me back and I haven't turned my 'needs' into 'MUSTS'.

Ask (be specific)
Focus (on what you want)
Believe (act as if it's already coming to pass)
Take action (keep trying until)
Receive (be open to the creative ways it will show up)
Be grateful, pass it on

Keep Trying Until

How many times would you give the average baby to try to learn to walk? That is a question that the last Jim Rohn asked many times to introduce the concept of Keep Trying Until... Tony Robbins says "Burn the Boats on the island" to illustrate the concept of being so determined that you cut off all escape routes. Lisa Nichols wrote about her philosophy of "No Matter What". In Alcoholic's Anonymous they ask if you are willing to go to any lengths to achieve sobriety. The Law of Attraction - Ask, Believe, Achieve, Be Grateful. Nike says "Just Do It".

The only barrier between me and my dreams is - me. Don't get me wrong, I know that there are obstacles that I need to overcome. It won't be easy, and it will take a lot more time and effort. I recognize that I have come a long way since I first began this journey years ago and if you knew where I came from, you probably wouldn't believe that I have come this far. But I still have a long way to go before I can say that I have reached my goals. I might have gotten there by now, were it not for all the times when I gave up, lost hope, told myself it won't work out. How much sooner, how many people's lives might I have been able to affect in a positive way, had I not believed from time to time that success what for all of those people, but not for me. I need to have constant vigilance about what I allow myself to say, aloud and in my mind.

Imagine if Thomas Edison gave up after the 1,000th time he tried creating the light bulb.What would travel be like if Orville and Wilbur Wright were too afraid to get banged up to keep trying to take flight, or if Henry Ford thought it would take too long or cost too much to create a horseless carriage.

Where would I be is Lisa Nichols was content with her failed attempts as a collections specialist. If she listened to her teachers when she was told that she had no talent as a speaker or a writer, would I be inspired to follow my dream of becoming a speaker and write my own life story?

Hmmm..something to think about.

Focus on what you want to achieve
Believe that it is possible
Keep trying until, adjust when necessary
Eliminate the idea that failure is an option
Do whatever it takes to get it done, without doing harm
Be grateful and pay it forward