SOS Monthly

Happy Fall, everyone! As you can see, I've changed the look of this e-zine (and the entire web site for that matter) to reflect the changing season. The rain is pouring down outside, and I can see the first few red and orange leaves on my trees. Most of the seasonal visitors are gone, school has started, and we're all taking a deep breath before the hectic holiday season begins--which brings me to this month's topic...

It's All About Me!
The Importance of Being Selfish
I started thinking about this topic during a discussion of "What You Wish You Knew Then" at the SOS Forum. People are talking about the differences in their lives once they discovered that what makes them happy is just as important as what makes other people happy.

It really is true...if you are not happy, then it's likely that no one around you is happy. Sounds self-centered to some people, especially women, but it's not. And it is not even close to Gordon Gecko's philosophy of "Greed is good."

Thomas Leonard, the founder of Coach University, said, "When you become truly selfish, you'll have the extra reserves needed to really care about--and be generous with--others."

Think about it. When you truly take care of yourself, only then can you have the reserves necessary to be generous with others. How many of us have this backwards? We take care of everyone (and every thing) else, and leave ourselves for last. How can we even think about being generous with what we don't have to give? For many of us, this phenomenon is a significant contributor to our stress levels. And we're accomplishing great things in spite of our stress levels, so what's wrong with that?

The obvious answer is burnout. We see it all around us. Friends, colleagues, and family members who are stuck in careers they don't want, in relationships that are going nowhere, living lives they don't choose--their gifts and talents going underutilized, or being buried under the pile of "shoulds".

Perhaps the real benefit of becoming selfish is giving your gifts and talents room to develop. "Gifts and talents need nourishment; the don't blossom fully without it. If you've got a special talent or

gift--and most of us do--become selfish for the sake of that if you cannot bring yourself to be selfish for your own sake." (Thomas Leonard, again.)

We each have an incredible opportunity. I believe we all owe it to the world to live the best life we possibly can. There's no point to doing otherwise. Are you doing that? I know I'm not, but I am getting better at it. Maybe if each of us gets a bit more selfish, we'll not only be living the lives we want and deserve, but being more generous with each other and changing our world as we go.

Now the question is, "How do I even begin to be more selfish?" Try scheduling some time each week, when it really is "all about you"...and keep the appointment! Time to read a book, take a bath, get outdoors, write in your journal, or work on that novel. Whatever you need to do more of to take care of your self. You'll be surprised how quickly you (and your friends and family) see a change.

Go ahead...make your self happy!


Take Care of Your Self with a Free E-Course: 
Reduce Your Stress This Season
Are you already worried about how you're going to handle the upcoming season?

Are you dreading another season of being overworked, out-of-balance, and frustrated with our life, your business, and shortchanging your personal relationships?

In this four-week, free e-course, you'll learn ten quick and easy ways to reduce the stress we feel during the busiest seasons of our lives. What would happen if you ended up enjoying the upcoming season instead of dreading it?

Perhaps this could be one of the first things you do to start being selfish. Just send me an email, and your first lesson will arrive immediately! Don't you just love instant gratification?


It's All About You, But You're Not Alone: 
More Ways to Connect
While we're all looking inward and getting used to our selfishness, we can easily feel lonely and isolated. For example, you may think that you're the only one who' having trouble keeping your commitments to your self. Or you've found a great way to set boundaries or make time in your schedule for your self, and you'd like to share that with others.

I've create a bunch of ways for you to connect with others who are traveling a similar journey, and encourage you to take full advantage of them.

NEW! Strong Women Living Big Lives discussion group is now forming at the SOS Forum. Do you have this nagging feeling that you should be doing something important, but you just don't know what it is yet? You've come to the right place. This group is for women who are doing work they know is not their life's work. It's a place where you can support each other as you work through the challenges of discovering what your life's work really is, and how to get started actually doing it! Joining and participating in the group is free; however, registration is required.

NEW! I've hopped on the blog bandwagon. One of my selfishness tasks is to make the time to write for at least 5 minutes every day. And I thought I'd share my thoughts with the world. So surf on over to my blog, Creating an Ideal Life While Wearing a Tiara, and check it out. You can comment on any of my posts, and I really hope you do.

The SOS Forum is a terrific resource to bounce around ideas, ask questions, and have some fun. Head on over and take a look around!


Get Involved, Get In Touch
The mission of SOS Monthly is to inspire and empower you to lead the big lives you deserve. Comments, feedback and ideas for stories are always welcome. All story ideas, comments and suggestions are most welcome. Send your input to newsletter@seasonsofsuccess.com.

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