Present Moments
Thoughts
from Susie Ascott -
on living your Perfect Life
Welcome to July 2008 Issue of Present Moments !
Present
Moments includes tips for living your perfect life, an update on what I’ve been
up to and news of upcoming events.
Last month was the 5 year anniversary for Present Perfect. I am very grateful for your support which has enabled me to develop and grow the business. Thank you for supporting me to live a life I truly love; I am privileged to work with such wonderful people.
In this issue:
What’s
been happening?
It’s hard
to believe that we are already more than half way through the year! The year
began for me with a fun trip to
January
also saw me registering for a Yoga Teacher Training course. Those of you who
have worked with me will know that I recommend “baby steps” and “daily habits”
as a way to automatically achieve your goals without struggle. You will also know, that if this approach isn’t working, then sometimes a
“Shift” and a “Leap” are needed. For
years I have been practicing Yoga on and off, having frequent battles with the
Resistance Monster, in all her guises. I made the shift to understanding that
Physical and Spiritual Health really are VERY IMPORTANT to me, and 
took the leap of making a commitment of time (3-4 hours per day).
Now, I do not see Yoga as a luxury, but as an important part of who I am. It is
what I do. No questions asked. I’ve also
discovered that I love teaching yoga as well as practicing it…..and I am now
teaching one class a week.
Late last year I introduced "Art for Fun" workshops, and these have proved to be very popular and great fun. We have also experienced some very moving moments as people discover hidden talents and passions. If you want to experience being among a group of people who are totally absorbed and focused in the moment, then come and join us!, see Events Coming Up, below for details.
This month we begin another exciting new venture, “Weekend Getaways”, incorporating Yoga and Relaxation as well as coaching conversations. Again, details are below. Sorry, guys, the first weekend is a Women’s Weekend, but please don’t feel rejected; let me know if you’d like a weekend away and I’ll get it organized!
I’ve heard it said that 90% of what we do is habit.
This seems very high to me, but even if habits constitute only 50% of what we
do, it makes sense to choose our habits to support our goals and core values.
An activity becomes a habit when our subconscious just gets on with it.
We all come across people who have a profound
influence on our life. For me, one such teacher is Sonia Choquette,
and she introduced me to the concept of the subconscious as a “co-operative
four year old who wants to please”. Say
to a four year old “This house is a mess, You never
put your things away. I’ve got friends coming round this evening and there is
nowhere for them to sit. I do everything around here, and nobody helps”, do you
think they are going to turn round and help you tidy up?
Say to a co-operative four year old; “Please take
your toys off the chair and put them in your toy box”, and they will do it.
So it is with the subconscious, say to yourself “I
am eating really badly these days” and your subconscious replies “ “Yes, Susie, you are eating really badly” and continues to
support you to eat unhealthy food.
Say to yourself “ I am going to get healthier”, and
it’s a bit better, but is your subconscious, with the intelligence of a four
year old, going to know what to do to help you?
Say to yourself “I drink a glass of water whenever I
am talking on the phone,” and whoopdeedooh, your
subconscious is right there supporting you.
An exercise to try
Step 1 Chose one of your goals, for example, it might be to “Be
Healthier”
Step 2. In order to achieve a goal we must have some benefits. List the
benefits of your goal.
In our example some of the benefits might be,
look good -have clear skin, bright eyes;
feel good every day – no more headaches and mood swings;
have more energy -enjoy playing
footy with the kids without getting puffed;
enjoy retirement – still be fit and healthy at 95; ……
Step 3 Choose an action which provides one or more of the benefits
What might it be for our example of “Be Healthier”?
Maybe Drink more water, Get more exercise. Good, but
will you do it?
Steps 1, 2 and 3 probably sound very obvious and
you’ve probably done them all before.
Probably every New Years Eve ?!!?
Step 4
The key to success is taking this extra step 4
Craft a “baby step”, or series of “baby steps”,
which will make taking this action an automatic part of who you are and what
you do.
In our example the habits might be
- When
you first get into the office put a full water bottle and glass next to
the computer and another next to the telephone.
- Take
a bottle of water in the car whenever driving anywhere.
- Drink
water when making a phone call
- Drink
water at every set of red traffic lights.
The key is to make the habits Simple, Achievable,
Not too much effort, and Really Really
Clear.
Remember, it’s a co-operative 4 year old who is
going to take these actions.
If, after 3 weeks these baby steps have not become
habits and don’t look as though they are going to be,
then choose some new ones to support your goal!
Once they become habits you can add some further
ones.
Simple, and it works!
I’d love to hear your feedback on
this. Will you drop me an email susie_coach@bgpond.com
and let me know what baby steps/habits are working for you ?
Recommended
Books I have enjoyed reading over the last few
months:
Peace Is Every Step:
The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh
Practicing the Power of
Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from The
Power of Now by Eckhart
Tolle
The Little Book of
Bleeps: Excerpts from the Award-Winning Movie What the (#$%&)
Bleep Do We Know by Betsy Chasse
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The Spiral Staircase:
My Climb Out of Darkness (Armstrong, Karen) by Karen Armstrong
A Thousand Days in Tuscany : A Bittersweet Romance by Marlena De Blasi
Events
calendar
Women’s Weekend Getaway in
the Hills
Beautiful countryside – Fresh
air, views, peace- Your
own comfortable bedroom
- Yummy
meals
- Your
chosen balance of solitude and the company of a small group of women (max 10 places available)
- Plenty
of time to read, chat, draw, write, listen to music or just veg out!
- Optional
facilitated activities
eg Simple Yoga,
Guided Relaxation, Guided Meditation, Group Coaching Conversations
Dates:
Venue: Hilltop Farm, Wooloroo. ( approx 1 hour from
Price $265
Oil
Painting for Fun
- my objective is not to teach you to paint, but to
- provide the opportunity, inspiration and
encouragement for you to dicover or rediscover
that you enjoy painting.
- I provide the environment, (easels, oil paints, canvas etc) and some
basic instruction to get you started.
Cost: $60 for 3 hour workshop (includes
materials)
Dates: Sat 26th August and
Sunday 27th August
Live
the Life You Really Want - Introductory Course
- Identify what really matters to you and enjoy your life more NOW
- Find ways to simplify your life and have more time and less stress
- Identify some new habits
and achieve ongoing success for yourself with less struggle
Cost:
$120 * for 4 hour workshop
Date: Sunday 17th Sept
Introduction
to Law of Attraction
- The Law of Attraction states that we attract people, situations and
opportunities to us. At some level, we are influencing the experiences and
results of our lives
- Create your own plan to attract what you want into your life instead
of searching or struggling
- Learn how easy life is when you stop drifting or struggling upstream
and relax into
the flow.
Cost: $120 for 4 hour workshop
Date: Sunday 10th September
Practicing
your Listening Skills
- Learn a simple strategy, which will dramatically increase your
listening skills
- minimise the
time you spend listening to others Bitch Moan and Whine (the BMW technique)
- Try out your skills, make mistakes and try
again in a supportive, non-threatening environment
Cost: $60* for 2 hour workshop (bring a friend, and they attend at no
charge)
Date: TBA
Creating
a Dream Book
In this ½ day workshop you will create
a visual picture of your hearts desire using paint, crayon, collage
Cost $70 for a ½ day of Fun and Inspiration
Date: TBA
If you are interested in a
workshop, but the dates don’t suit you, just let me know, susie_coach@bigpod.com.au , and
we’ll se what we can do.
Thanks for
Smiles
Susie