<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd"
xmlns:rawvoice="http://www.rawvoice.com/rawvoiceRssModule/"
>

<channel>
	<title>PR In Your Pajamas&#187; Coaching</title>
	<atom:link href="http://prinyourpajamas.com/category/coaching/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://prinyourpajamas.com</link>
	<description>Publicity, Marketing and Coaching for Entrepreneurs</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 08 May 2012 13:45:59 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1</generator>
<!-- podcast_generator="Blubrry PowerPress/2.0.3" -->
	<itunes:summary>Publicity, Marketing and Coaching for Entrepreneurs</itunes:summary>
	<itunes:author>PR In Your Pajamas</itunes:author>
	<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:image href="http://prinyourpajamas.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/itunes_default.jpg" />
	<itunes:subtitle>Publicity, Marketing and Coaching for Entrepreneurs</itunes:subtitle>
	<image>
		<title>PR In Your Pajamas&#187; Coaching</title>
		<url>http://prinyourpajamas.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg</url>
		<link>http://prinyourpajamas.com/category/coaching/</link>
	</image>
		<item>
		<title>Letting Go of Perfect</title>
		<link>http://prinyourpajamas.com/letting-go-of-perfect/</link>
		<comments>http://prinyourpajamas.com/letting-go-of-perfect/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:57:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dealing with perfectionism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elena verlee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[getting ahead in business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Letting go of Perfect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[perfectionism]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://prinyourpajamas.com/?p=3984</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have a confession to make: I am a die-hard perfectionist. Whew! Glad to get that off my chest I think many entrepreneurs share this feeling of needing everything to be “just so” before we can send something off to a client or move on to the next project. I’ve talked before about how perfectionism [...]


No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fletting-go-of-perfect%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fletting-go-of-perfect%2F&amp;source=elenaverlee&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;b=2" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><a href="http://prinyourpajamas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/5752698670_6ef940c43c.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3980" title="Time Spent on Trying to Be Perfect is Time Wasted" src="http://prinyourpajamas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/5752698670_6ef940c43c.jpg" alt="Time Spent on Trying to Be Perfect is Time Wasted" width="300" height="300" /></a>I have a confession to make:</p>
<p><em>I am a die-hard perfectionist.</em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p>Whew! Glad to get that off my chest <img src='http://prinyourpajamas.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>I think many entrepreneurs share this feeling of needing everything to be “just so” before we can send something off to a client or move on to the next project. I’ve talked before about <a href="http://prinyourpajamas.com/being-perfec/" target="_blank">how perfectionism affects your work-life balance</a>, but it can also hold you back in your life and business if left to grow wild.</p>
<ul>
<li>Are you waiting for your      business to be in that “right place” before you start going for the      clients you want to work with?</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Are you waiting to get      that “right project” before finally charging what you’re worth?</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Are you waiting for your      work-life balance to be “just right” before you finally take that vacation?</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com" target="_blank">Pam Slim</a> once said that, “The enemy of a new entrepreneur is endless planning and perfection.” And it’s true! If you keep waiting and trying to get to this imaginary place of perfection, you may blind yourself to the opportunities that are presented to you right now. As much as we want to plan and time everything right, life rarely follows a straight and narrow path.<span id="more-3984"></span></p>
<p>If your ideal client comes along, don’t be afraid that you might fail if everything isn’t perfectly aligned in your business. Trust that you have the abilities and talents to not only wow this client, but also quickly adjust your business plans to get to where you can comfortably work with them.</p>
<p>When I get particularly stressed over a business proposal I’m writing for my <a href="http://www.crossborderpr.com/">PR company</a>, I try to remember that no one ever got anywhere agonizing over something for hours (another Pam Slim-ism). Instead, they spent less time at the edge of opportunities and more time jumping into them with both feet, learning from the experience, and then fine tuning their approach based on this success (or failure- it does happen!).</p>
<p>Perfectionism isn’t a bad trait to have, but it definitely shouldn’t be a <a href="http://prinyourpajamas.com/living-with-a-life-sentence/">life sentence</a> either.</p>
<p>Are you a perfectionist too? If yes, how have you learned to “let go”? If no, what’s been keeping you from moving forward that you’re working on finally letting go? Leave a comment below or connect with me via <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/ElenaVerlee">Twitter</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/PRinYourPajamas">Facebook</a>. Looking forward to your thoughts!</p>
<p>Photo Credit: <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2742/5752698670_6ef940c43c.jpg" target="_blank">Flickr </a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


<p>No related posts.</p>
<p>Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://prinyourpajamas.com/letting-go-of-perfect/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Entrepreneur Time Out</title>
		<link>http://prinyourpajamas.com/the-entrepreneur-time-out/</link>
		<comments>http://prinyourpajamas.com/the-entrepreneur-time-out/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Aug 2011 19:34:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business coach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coaching tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elena verlee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneur stress management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stress management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stress relief tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vancouver coach]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://prinyourpajamas.com/?p=3924</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s been a very busy summer for me. My PR company signed a bunch of new clients, ran several big campaigns and completely redesigned our website. Also, my 2 little kiddos have summer off from school so, in addition to running my company, it’s been a whirlwind of summer camps, soccer games and playdates. Needless [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://prinyourpajamas.com/pitch-writing-lessons-from-movie-blockbusters/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Pitch Writing Lessons from Movie Blockbusters'>Pitch Writing Lessons from Movie Blockbusters</a> <small>I love to watch movies and this summer I noticed...</small></li>
</ol>

Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fthe-entrepreneur-time-out%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fthe-entrepreneur-time-out%2F&amp;source=elenaverlee&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;b=2" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><a href="http://prinyourpajamas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/timeout.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-3925 alignleft" title="timeout" src="http://prinyourpajamas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/timeout.jpg" alt="timeout" width="190" height="288" /></a>It’s been a very busy summer for me. My PR company signed a bunch of new clients, ran several big campaigns and completely redesigned our website. Also, my 2 little kiddos have summer off from school so, in addition to running my company, it’s been a whirlwind of summer camps, soccer games and playdates.</p>
<p>Needless to say, I’ve been stressed out more than a few times since summer began.</p>
<p>I think one of the traits that all entrepreneurs share is the desire to accomplish as much as possible in one day. I know that I try to do as much as I can to make my family and my clients happy, but there does come a point where you need to step back before you burnout. I call this the “<strong>Entrepreneur Time Out</strong>.”<span id="more-3924"></span></p>
<p>When a child throws a tantrum, a common parenting technique is to send them off for a time out, so that they can calm down and come back in a better mood. In the same way, taking an Entrepreneur Time Out during your day- whether it’s for 30 minutes, 1 hour or a whole evening- will leave you feeling fresh and rejuvenated.</p>
<p>A Time Out is also a great way to help clear your mind if you’ve been tackling a problem for awhile. Next time you’re struggling for a solution, go for a walk and get some fresh air. When you come back to your desk, you’ll find that you’re able to see things differently and can come up with exciting solutions you hadn’t thought of before.</p>
<p>And don’t think that a Time Out is your chance to do other chores you’ve been putting off. This is your opportunity to do something that you love that makes you <strong>feel good</strong>: reading, going for a run, playing board games with your family, etc.</p>
<p>Remember the point of a Time Out is to make yourself feel better- not worse!</p>
<p>What do you like to do during your Entrepreneur Time Out? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below or via <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/ElenaVerlee">Twitter</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/PRinYourPajamas">Facebook</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.fundamentallyreformed.com/2006/12/03/time-out/" target="_blank">Fundamentally Reformed</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://prinyourpajamas.com/pitch-writing-lessons-from-movie-blockbusters/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Pitch Writing Lessons from Movie Blockbusters'>Pitch Writing Lessons from Movie Blockbusters</a> <small>I love to watch movies and this summer I noticed...</small></li>
</ol></p>
<p>Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://prinyourpajamas.com/the-entrepreneur-time-out/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How I Rebuilt My Destroyed Confidence</title>
		<link>http://prinyourpajamas.com/rebuild-destroyed-confidence/</link>
		<comments>http://prinyourpajamas.com/rebuild-destroyed-confidence/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:11:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Elena</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Backpocket COO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cameron Herold]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[destroyed confidence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rebuilding confidence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rebuilding destroyed confidence]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://prinyourpajamas.com/?p=3178</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m honored to again have as a guest, Cameron Herold, one of my mentors. Cameron is a coach to CEOs in large corporations all around the world. After helping build multi-million dollar companies, Cameron is now a sought-after speaker, coach, and mentor. But in this post, Cameron shares a past few of us would have [...]


No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Frebuild-destroyed-confidence%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Frebuild-destroyed-confidence%2F&amp;source=elenaverlee&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;b=2" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><em><img class="size-full wp-image-3179 alignleft" style="margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px;" title="Cameron-Herold" src="http://prinyourpajamas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Cameron-Herold-head-shot.jpg" alt="Cameron-Herold" width="129" height="190" />I&#8217;m honored to again have as a guest, <a title="Backpocket COO" href="http://backpocketcoo.com/" target="_blank">Cameron Herold</a>, one of my mentors. Cameron is a coach to CEOs in large corporations all around the world. After helping build multi-million dollar companies, Cameron is now a sought-after speaker, coach, and mentor. But in this post, Cameron shares a past few of us would have imagined for him. However, the fact that he overcame his academic challenges is an inspiration to us all.</em></p>
<p>I’ve never been a good student. I got about 64% in both high school and university. I’ve never felt smart. I’ve often felt like I have no idea what I’m really doing. And I often feel like I must be doing something wrong otherwise how could it be so easy?</p>
<p>My mind would spin with thoughts of ‘How could someone that was always told by the education system they were a C or D student actually be smart enough to really teach CEOs how to grow companies?’</p>
<p>Something started to change for me about six years ago, when I was already 38 years old.</p>
<p><span id="more-3178"></span>I was taking a course trying to learn how to get better as a leader and I came across my &#8220;unique ability&#8221;. I realized that I’m awesome at using quick intuitive alternatives to help CEOs reverse engineer their dreams. Like architects help homeowners put their ideas into blueprints and get them built into a home, I help CEOs get the ideas out of the heads, and help them build the teams and systems to make their dreams happen.</p>
<p>To me it feels easy. To me I wonder why they’d pay me to do what feels so simple. And to me I keep thinking I’d do it for free – but my kids like to eat and I like expensive toys. So I gotta charge for it. From there, I became a more effective business coach.</p>
<dl class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 410px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img class=" alignright" title="How I rebuilt my destroyed confidence" src="../wp-content/uploads/crestockimages/1015920-ms.jpg" alt="A happy businessman lets go of this paperwork!..." width="400" height="268" /></dt>
</dl>
<p>Once I learned what I was great at, I began eliminating everything else from my day-to-day. I began to focus on finding clients that fit me. I found that I work best with young, fun, entrepreneurial, high viral, high growth, pre-public companies. My ideas resonate with them. They get huge value from my systems. And they feel like I’m cheap compared to paying for someone with my skills full time.</p>
<p>The more time I spend in my ‘unique ability’ now coaching and&amp; mentoring CEOs and the teams running entrepreneurial companies the more I feel I’m on my game. Malcolm Gladwell said a person needs at least 10,000 hours to be an expert. I’ve been coaching or building entrepreneurial companies for 60,000 hours (45,000 hours alone in the franchising space). No wonder I’ve more than maintained my nerve. My company is growing very fast and I’m helping tons of great companies globally with my coaching programs and training DVDs on leading and building companies.</p>
<p>I realize now that the teachers and professors who told me I didn’t know what I was doing had never built a company. They’d never run great teams of people to lead. They had however perhaps unknowingly destroyed my nerve and confidence for years upon years.</p>
<p>Five years ago I started writing down the things I’d accomplished each week. Weekly writing down my successes like this helped re-build my confidence. Now companies that I helped build and lead are case studies in textbooks and are studied at MBA programs around the USA &amp; Canada.  And last year I was the highest rated lecturer at MIT’s Entrepreneurial Masters Program.  It wasn’t easy but I have definitely got my nerve back.</p>
<p>A quote I read by Theodore Roosevelt in 1910 has given me the confidence now that I’m smart and perhaps my teachers weren’t as smart as I thought…</p>
<blockquote><p>“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement.”</p></blockquote>
<p><em>Has anything or anyone destroyed your confidence? If so, how did you rebuild it? Or what are you currently doing to rebuild it? Do share your experience in the comments below. </em><em>Or share your thoughts with me on <a title="Elena Verlee on  Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/elenaverlee" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a title="PR in Your Pajamas on Facebook" href="http://facebook.com/prinyourpajamas" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</em></p>


<p>No related posts.</p>
<p>Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://prinyourpajamas.com/rebuild-destroyed-confidence/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Focus on Your Natural Gifts</title>
		<link>http://prinyourpajamas.com/focus-on-your-natural-gifts/</link>
		<comments>http://prinyourpajamas.com/focus-on-your-natural-gifts/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:32:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Elena</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[comparison syndrome]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[focus on your natural gifts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[your natural gifts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://prinyourpajamas.com/?p=2978</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I come from a family of race car drivers. My dad helped shape motor sports in the Philippines and my brothers are both champions and run a highly acclaimed racing school. Me? Parallel parking brings on the sweats. I&#8217;ve backed my brother&#8217;s car into a fire hydrant and happily drove away without noticing it. At [...]


No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Ffocus-on-your-natural-gifts%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Ffocus-on-your-natural-gifts%2F&amp;source=elenaverlee&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;b=2" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<div class="crestock-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<p><img class=" alignright" title="Focus on Your Natural Gifts" src="/wp-content/uploads/crestockimages/1664139-ms.jpg" alt="Focus on Your Natural Gifts" width="183" height="280" /></p>
</div>
<p>I come from a family of race car drivers. My dad helped shape motor sports in the Philippines and my brothers are both champions and run a highly acclaimed racing school.</p>
<p>Me? Parallel parking brings on the sweats. I&#8217;ve backed my brother&#8217;s car into a fire hydrant and happily drove away without noticing it.</p>
<p>At first it really bugged me. I mean, shouldn&#8217;t this be easy? Shouldn&#8217;t this be in my genes?</p>
<p>But I&#8217;ve learned you can&#8217;t take things for granted. Even when something comes easy to someone else, don&#8217;t beat yourself up if it doesn&#8217;t come easily for you. You&#8217;re an apple, and they&#8217;re an orange.</p>
<p>The surest road to hell is the &#8220;comparison syndrome.&#8221;</p>
<p><span id="more-2978"></span>Instead, look at yourself and focus on what your natural gifts are. These are the things that DO come easy for you and you probably love to do.</p>
<p>In my business, I love networking – meeting people, connecting people, and helping them out if I can.  And by being genuinely interested in how I can help someone as opposed to how I can sell someone, business development is something I find fun to do.</p>
<p>I also love creating – creating campaigns, new programs to teach, getting involved in logos and design, and thinking up new ventures.  The details that follow, I hire someone else to get it done because my business model is based on outsourcing.</p>
<p>I focus on what I am good at and outsource the rest.  When I put together a winning team for my PR clients, I work with those writers who love to write, graphic designers who love to create and publicity people who know how to do PR and love talking with the media.</p>
<p>It sounds simple, but I can’t tell you how many people out there do what they do because they “have to” or tell me they can do “anything”. They have no passion for it, and it shows in their work. When each member of my team focuses on their talents, everyone is happy and my business thrives with ease.</p>
<p>What about you? How do you focus on your natural gifts in your business?  Share with me on <a title="Elena Verlee on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/elenaverlee" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a title="PR in Your Pajamas on Facebook" href="http://facebook.com/prinyourpajamas" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</p>
<p><em>Image from <a href="http://www.crestock.com/">Crestock Stock Photos</a></em></p>


<p>No related posts.</p>
<p>Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://prinyourpajamas.com/focus-on-your-natural-gifts/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When A Fact of Life&#8230; Is Not</title>
		<link>http://prinyourpajamas.com/fact-of-life-is-not/</link>
		<comments>http://prinyourpajamas.com/fact-of-life-is-not/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:10:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Elena</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conscious control]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elena verlee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[empowering beliefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[limiting beliefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pr]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PR business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[time energy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://prinyourpajamas.com/?p=2433</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many of us have a belief so powerful, it appears to be an unquestionable fact of life. Some common examples are: &#8220;I need to make a lot of money to be successful&#8221; &#8220;My boss works late so I should be there too&#8221; &#8220;If I want something done right, I have to do it myself&#8221; &#8220;I [...]


No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Ffact-of-life-is-not%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Ffact-of-life-is-not%2F&amp;source=elenaverlee&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;b=2" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<div class="crestock-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<p><img class=" alignright" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" title="When A Fact of Life Is Not" src="/wp-content/uploads/crestockimages/2178578-ms.jpg" alt="When A Fact of Life Is Not" width="210" height="319" /></p>
</div>
<p>Many of us have a belief so powerful, it appears to be an unquestionable fact of life.</p>
<p>Some common examples are:</p>
<ul>
<li>&#8220;I need to make a lot of money to be successful&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;My boss works late so I should be there too&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;If I want something done right, I have to do it myself&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;I have to be all things to all people&#8221;</li>
</ul>
<p>Beliefs are assumptions we hold about how things should be, how people should behave and how the world works. It is a feeling of certainty we have about something. <strong>Often, we even blend together two facts into one disempowering belief.</strong></p>
<p>The belief appears to be a fact of life and it&#8217;s not.</p>
<p><span id="more-2433"></span>For example, a common belief that robs us of time: &#8220;When people make requests, I have to fit it into my schedule&#8221;. The separate facts are: &#8220;People are making requests AND there is a schedule I want to keep.&#8221;</p>
<p>It&#8217;s important to separate interpretations if you want to be more resourceful about selecting options. If in the past you&#8217;ve said yes to requests automatically, what would be another way to deal with requests? You could check your calendar first. You could say no. If it&#8217;s a work related issue, you could find someone else to delegate to.</p>
<p>Remember that once accepted, our beliefs become unquestioned commands to our nervous systems. They have the power to expand or destroy the possibilities of our present and future. <strong>Phrases that include &#8220;should&#8221;, &#8220;have to&#8221; or &#8220;need to&#8221; are usually beliefs that don&#8217;t serve us very well. </strong>These disempowering beliefs drain us of time, energy and resources.</p>
<p>In order to create a belief system that doesn&#8217;t run your life, you must take conscious control. Challenge your beliefs. Where did they come from, or who taught them to you? Stop accepting them as the truth. Look at them critically and see if they still work for you.</p>
<p>Then choose to let go of limiting beliefs and replace them with more constructive ones.</p>
<p>One of the most empowering beliefs I embraced in growing my PR business is that other people can do things as well as I can &#8211; sometimes even better!</p>
<p>By letting go, I was able to have more leisure time, spend lots of time with my young children as well as meet the needs of a growing clientele base.</p>
<p><strong>What beliefs will support you in creating a life of balance and fulfillment?</strong></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<hr size="1" noshade="noshade" /><em> </em></p>
<p><strong><em>&#8220;Nothing in life has any meaning, except the meaning you give it. Make sure that you consciously choose the meanings that are most in alignment with the destiny you&#8217;ve chosen for yourself.&#8221;</em></strong><em> </em></p>
<p><em>- Anthony Robbins</em></p>
<p>What did you think of this post? Let me know your thoughts by posting a comment below, or by sending me a message  on <a title="Elena Verlee on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/elenaverlee" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a title="PR in Your Pajamas Facebook Page" href="http://facebook.com/prinyourpajamas" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</p>
<p><em>Image from <a href="http://www.crestock.com/free-image.aspx">Crestock High  Quality Images</a></em></p>


<p>No related posts.</p>
<p>Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://prinyourpajamas.com/fact-of-life-is-not/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Living with a Life Sentence</title>
		<link>http://prinyourpajamas.com/living-with-a-life-sentence/</link>
		<comments>http://prinyourpajamas.com/living-with-a-life-sentence/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:12:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Elena</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[affirmations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[core beliefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elena verlee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life sentences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[limiting beliefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self esteem]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://prinyourpajamas.com/?p=2452</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Picture this. Two colleagues at work are given a challenging project. One holds the belief &#8220;I can learn what I want to learn.&#8221; The other holds the beliefs &#8220;I am not good enough. I am a fraud.&#8221; Who do you think will do better? The learner will approach the project with excitement. She will be [...]


No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fliving-with-a-life-sentence%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fliving-with-a-life-sentence%2F&amp;source=elenaverlee&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;b=2" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<div class="crestock-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<p><img class="alignright" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" title="Living with a Life Sentence" src="/wp-content/uploads/crestockimages/1047987-ms.jpg" alt="Living with a Life Sentence" width="326" height="217" /></p>
</div>
<p>Picture this. Two colleagues at work are given a challenging project. One holds the belief <em>&#8220;I can learn what I want to learn.&#8221;</em> The other holds the beliefs <em>&#8220;I am not good enough. I am a fraud.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>Who do you think will do better?</p>
<p>The learner will approach the project with excitement. She will be confident, assured and eager to begin. She is not afraid of asking questions, does not feel threatened by getting others involved or exploring ideas.</p>
<p>The one who believes he isn&#8217;t good enough will act as if he isn&#8217;t good enough. Since that belief is firmly rooted in his subconscious, he will tackle the project more apprehensively, perhaps procrastinate or be unwilling to ask for help in case he gets &#8220;found out.&#8221; He will more likely interpret events in ways that are consistent with his belief of not being good enough. &#8220;There I go again, I knew I couldn&#8217;t do it. That&#8217;s just who I am.&#8221; As time goes by, he&#8217;ll continue to find ways of proving this to himself.</p>
<p>“Believing in yourself” is not just an everyday mantra. Who we believe ourselves to be significantly affects how we live our entire lives.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span id="more-2452"></span></span></strong>Thinking Leads to Doing</h3>
<p>Did you know that by the time you were in kindergarten many of your self-beliefs were already in place? They could be positive and foster self-esteem, such as: <em>I am creative. I am loved. I am responsible</em>. Or limiting and negative: <em>I am stupid. I am unwanted. I am a klutz</em>.</p>
<p>Whether positive or negative, these &#8220;I AM&#8221; core beliefs held at the age of 5 or 6 can influence you throughout your entire life. They can be &#8220;<strong>Life Sentences</strong>.&#8221;</p>
<p>We are constantly repeating these life sentences in our heads, even when we aren’t aware that we’re doing it. Our subconscious mind works to make what we consciously believe to be true, actually come true.</p>
<p><strong>What you think you can, you can. And what you think you can’t, you can’t.</strong></p>
<p>It is critical to understand this because eventually our life sentences become our beliefs and values, affecting the way we think, act and ultimately, shape our lives.</p>
<p>Our life sentences are also strengthened and weakened by the attitudes we reflect on our children, loved ones and colleagues.</p>
<p>Think about it.</p>
<p>Kids are like sponges. If you are constantly saying that <em>“Money is hard to earn”</em><strong> </strong>or <em>“It’s the little things in life that count,”</em> you’re children may grow up defining themselves by these statements.</p>
<p>Or if you have negative beliefs about yourself, you’ll have a hard time appreciating the sweet compliments your husband gives you, which can make him feel negative in turn.</p>
<h3>Identifying Your Life Sentences</h3>
<p>Our minds are constantly buzzing with a deluge of self-talk. Many of them are positive affirmations that drive us forward and others are negative statements that hold us back.</p>
<p>Oftentimes we get sidetracked by the things<em> I</em> <em>can’t do, I shouldn’t think, I mustn’t try</em>. By constantly allowing yourself to believe in a negative statement, you end up limiting the number of great opportunities you could have in your life.</p>
<p><strong>What are the positive life sentences that you carry around?</strong></p>
<p><strong>What are the negative life sentences that you carry around?</strong></p>
<p>You’ll have to dig deep to identify your life sentences. Here are some questions to help you sort through the self-talk deluge:</p>
<ul>
<li>What are the things I love to do and why am I passionate about them?</li>
<li>What things were my parents constantly saying to me growing up?</li>
<li>What is stopping me from achieving my goals?</li>
<li>What negative attitudes do my friends and colleagues routinely share when I’m around?</li>
</ul>
<h3>Getting Rid of Those Pesky Limiting Beliefs</h3>
<p>One of the hardest things to go through is finding out that something you believed in all your life has actually been a source of negativity for you. Holding back from excelling at work because you believe you’re not capable of achieving more, may be a sign that something is limiting you from your full potential.</p>
<p>Although our beliefs are formed early on, it is possible to grant yourself a reprieve. Phil Bizon, a Personal Performance Coach and writer, identifies 10 steps to changing a self-limiting life sentence:</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<ol>
<li> <strong> </strong><strong>State a belief you have that stops you performing at your best.<br />
</strong><em>&#8220;I can’t do this presentation at the meeting.&#8221;</em></li>
<li><strong>Write down the self-talk that goes with this belief.<br />
</strong><em>&#8220;I’m too shy. I’m not good at public speaking</em>. <em>I never give good presentations.&#8221;</em></li>
<li><strong> </strong><strong>Describe the comfort zone this places you in.<br />
</strong><em>&#8220;Giving presentations scares me so I pass on opportunities to do these.&#8221;</em></li>
<li><strong>State the opposite of your limiting belief.<br />
</strong><em>&#8220;I can give great presentations and feel excited whenever I give one.&#8221;</em></li>
<li><strong>Write down the new and positive self-talk that goes with this belief.<br />
</strong><em>&#8220;I can overcome my fear of speaking in public. I am more than prepared to do this. I will be fine.&#8221;</em></li>
<li><strong>Describe the new and expanded comfort zones this places you in.<br />
</strong><em>&#8220;I am eager to show my expertise to my colleagues. I can overcome any challenge given to me.&#8221;</em></li>
<li><strong>Think about how it would feel like to have this new belief.<br />
</strong><em>&#8220;I feel happier, more relaxed, invigorated and excited by the work I do.&#8221;</em></li>
<li><strong>Picture how you would behave when you have this new belief.<br />
</strong><em>&#8220;I give presentations that lead to increased sales. I seek out new opportunities at work regularly.&#8221;</em></li>
<li><strong>Constantly repeat a positive affirmation that you can do this new belief.<br />
</strong><em>&#8220;I am a great presenter and present with confidence&#8221;</em></li>
<li><strong>Take a walk and act as if you are living this newfound belief.</strong> <strong>Live  it every day and soon you will become your new positive life  sentence.</strong></li>
</ol>
<p>Choosing to live with positive life sentences can be difficult, especially when you’re regularly faced with negative situations that bring you down. Determine a challenging situation, action or decision you&#8217;ve been putting off and ask yourself what life sentences will be most helpful in what you need to achieve.</p>
<p>Every day we make hundreds of choices about what behaviors to notice. In any workplace or home setting you can choose to notice cooperation or un-cooperation, initiative or procrastination, persistence or resignation, responsibility or irresponsibility.</p>
<p>So choose carefully when you decide what life sentences to pass onto yourself or others. Make sure it’s one that shapes the life that you want to live.</p>
<p>What did you think of this post? Let me know your thoughts by posting a comment below, or by sending me a message  on <a title="Elena Verlee on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/elenaverlee" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a title="PR in Your Pajamas Facebook Page" href="http://facebook.com/prinyourpajamas" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</p>
<p><em>*This article first appeared in my column for  Working Mom Magazine</em></p>
<p><em>Image from</em> <em><a href="http://www.crestock.com/">Crestock Royalty Free Images</a></em></p>


<p>No related posts.</p>
<p>Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://prinyourpajamas.com/living-with-a-life-sentence/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Asking for Permission</title>
		<link>http://prinyourpajamas.com/asking-for-permission/</link>
		<comments>http://prinyourpajamas.com/asking-for-permission/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:06:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Elena</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elena verlee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[expert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[giving ourselves permission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inner voice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intuition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[working mother]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://prinyourpajamas.com/?p=2436</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was planning a trip to L.A. to see some girlfriends. We were flying in from different parts of the world and it was supposed to be a few days of fun, rest and relaxation. No one was bringing their kids. But it was eating me up. How could I be near Disneyland and not [...]


No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fasking-for-permission%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fasking-for-permission%2F&amp;source=elenaverlee&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;b=2" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<div class="crestock-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" title="Asking for Permission" src="/wp-content/uploads/crestockimages/814142-ms.jpg" alt="Asking for Permission" width="215" height="286" /></p>
</div>
<p>I was planning a trip to L.A. to see some girlfriends. We were flying in from different parts of the world and it was supposed to be a few days of fun, rest and relaxation. No one was bringing their kids.</p>
<p>But it was eating me up. <em>How could I be near Disneyland and not take my three year old?</em> Even though I chose a flexible career that allows me to spend lots of time with my son, the working mother in me felt guilty!</p>
<p>Yet in weighing the pros and cons, I knew he wouldn&#8217;t really enjoy Disneyland to the fullest at his young age (that big black mouse would probably scare him to death) and missing nap times to make the most of those expensive tickets would guarantee a cranky child and cranky mom!</p>
<p>After talking to my friends and family, I was assured my son wouldn&#8217;t remember Disneyland at his age and that it was a good thing for me to enjoy a get away with my girlfriends. At last I felt satisfied with my decision and I booked my solo ticket.</p>
<p><span id="more-2436"></span>What&#8217;s the point of the story? Even though I knew what was right for me -  ­ a few days away from it all &#8211; I needed permission. <strong>I wanted someone to validate my feelings and support what I really wanted to do.</strong></p>
<p>Permission is a form of endorsement from other people. We need someone to give blessing to a course of action in our hearts we want to follow, but somehow can&#8217;t allow ourselves to pursue.</p>
<p>Sometimes we need advice from an expert, but <em>more often it&#8217;s permission from our loved ones, friends and ultimately, ourselves.</em> To live our life vision, we need to become better at giving ourselves permission to choose what feels right and then act on it.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not about acting selfishly, but about living according to our own values and priorities, not somebody else&#8217;s. Otherwise, we might be giving up too much of our lives to meet other people&#8217;s goals.</p>
<p>Whether you&#8217;re making plans for a vacation or considering a career change, listen to your inner voice and intuition and let it guide you.</p>
<p>Giving yourself permission can help you take more control of your life.</p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<hr size="1" noshade="noshade" /><em> </em></p>
<p><strong><em>Do what you feel in your heart to be right &#8211; for you&#8217;ll be criticized anyway. You&#8217;ll be damned if you do, and damned if you don&#8217;t</em></strong><em>.<br />
</em><em>- Eleanor Roosevelt</em></p>
<p>What did you think of this post? Let me know your thoughts by posting a comment below, or by sending me a message  on <a title="Elena Verlee on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/elenaverlee" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a title="PR in Your Pajamas Facebook Page" href="http://facebook.com/prinyourpajamas" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</p>
<p><em><br />
</em></p>


<p>No related posts.</p>
<p>Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://prinyourpajamas.com/asking-for-permission/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>It’s All in How You Look at Things</title>
		<link>http://prinyourpajamas.com/it%e2%80%99s-all-in-how-you-look-at-things/</link>
		<comments>http://prinyourpajamas.com/it%e2%80%99s-all-in-how-you-look-at-things/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:52:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[career coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[career transition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[changing careers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dealing with disappointment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elena verlee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positive thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stress and anxiety]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://prinyourpajamas.com/?p=2449</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at…change.” -Wayne Dyer I once had a client who was looking to change careers.  She wanted to follow her passion and get a job in the environmental and sustainability sector, which was quite specialized and in a very competitive market. After a [...]


No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fit%25e2%2580%2599s-all-in-how-you-look-at-things%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fit%25e2%2580%2599s-all-in-how-you-look-at-things%2F&amp;source=elenaverlee&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;b=2" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<div class="crestock-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" title="Changing Careers" src="/wp-content/uploads/crestockimages/362237-ms.jpg" alt="Changing Careers" width="264" height="185" /></p>
</div>
<p><strong> </strong><em>“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at…change.”<br />
-Wayne Dyer</em></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>I once had a client who was looking to change careers.  She wanted to follow her passion and get a job in the environmental and sustainability sector, which was quite specialized and in a very competitive market.</p>
<p>After a few months of coaching and preparation, she started interviewing for a position and was very excited about a particular job where she had made the final cut  &#8211; management was going to decide between her and another candidate.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, she didn’t get the job.  She was very disappointed and started to question her professional competence.</p>
<p><em>Can she really transition to a new career?</em></p>
<p><em><span id="more-2449"></span>Maybe it’s too competitive and she is just wasting her time.</em></p>
<p>I was quite surprised at her thoughts because what I know of this client is that she is highly intelligent, very resourceful and well-respected at the organization she currently worked for.  She would be a great asset to the right company.</p>
<p>Yet, the setback she experienced caused her a great deal of stress and anxiety.</p>
<p><strong>Our stress doesn’t usually come from events or situations, but from how we interpret them. </strong></p>
<p>It is critical to understand this, because things aren’t always what they seem.  By changing the way we <strong><em>think</em></strong>, we can often change the way we <strong><em>feel</em></strong>, which directly affects what <strong><em>actions</em></strong> we will take and therefore the <strong><em>results</em></strong> we will achieve.</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Thinking Positively Does Help</span></strong></p>
<p>I’m sure you know people who tell you to be positive. They say things like, “Look for the silver lining,” or “Look on the bright side.” Those people may even be a bit annoying at times with their ever-sunny disposition, but there’s actually a benefit to having a positive attitude.</p>
<p><strong>Here’s why:</strong></p>
<p><em>1. A positive attitude makes you feel better, which makes your day more enjoyable and productive than when you focus on what you cannot do.</em></p>
<p>If you believe something to be true, it really does have a better chance of coming true. If you believe, for example, “I can reach my work targets,” “I can lose weight,” or “I can get out of debt and save money” then you have a better chance of succeeding.  Our mind is very powerful and our thoughts and the language we use affects our beliefs, actions and even our abilities.</p>
<p><em>2. A positive attitude helps you get over challenges because challenges seem to be less significant. </em></p>
<p>It’s not that positive people don’t have challenges to overcome, it’s just that challenges have less of an effect on their life and their outlook than they do for negative people. If you have a negative attitude, the smallest setback can feel like Mount Everest. If, on the other hand, you have a positive attitude, even major setbacks feel do-able.</p>
<p><em>3. A positive attitude helps you see opportunities rather than limitations.</em></p>
<p>Opportunities, recognizing them and seizing them, can make the difference between tremendous success and living an ordinary life. When you have a positive attitude, you view the world as a welcoming and friendly place and you expect, recognize and grab opportunities as they come to you. If you’re negative then it’s easy to view the world as your enemy and everything as a problem.</p>
<p><em>4. A positive attitude attracts people to you.</em></p>
<p>Do you like being around negative people?  I don’t. They drain my energy! A positive outlook makes others want to be around you and brings opportunities, customers and friends to you. You’re able to surround yourself with other positive people and success comes more easily.</p>
<p>Having a can-do attitude gives you the extra edge to dream big and accomplish your goals. When you believe you can accomplish something, you’re able to make it happen. You’re excited to sit down and plan how you’re going to achieve your goals. You’re determined and focused on getting where you want to go and you’re able to celebrate and share your success with others.</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">How To Change Your Thoughts</span></strong></p>
<p>Although we’re not all born with rose-colored glasses, the good news is, this is something you can learn. You <strong><em>can</em></strong> learn to be positive, to use positive language and to look on the bright side.</p>
<p>First, you’ll want to practice recognizing your thoughts, both positive and negative.  Once you can learn to recognize or be conscious of your thoughts, then you can begin to eliminate or change the negative thoughts into positive ones.</p>
<p>The important thing is, <strong><em>do not judge yourself.</em></strong> Notice that sometimes you choose more positive thoughts and actions.  And sometimes, you choose more negative thoughts and actions.  That’s perfectly okay. Just ask yourself, “what is there to learn in this space?”  By approaching everything with curiosity rather than criticism, you’ll find that you feel lighter even when the situation would ordinarily feel stressful or heavy.</p>
<p>Don’t give up when you find this process difficult, it is and it takes time and practice. However the effort is well worth it.</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Try On A New Perspective</span></strong></p>
<p>If you have a situation that’s upsetting you right now, look for any positives, benefits or opportunities by asking yourself:</p>
<ul>
<li>Is       there another point of view I can take?</li>
<li>Did       he/she actually mean something else, rather than the interpretation I       have in my mind?</li>
<li>What       can I learn from this?</li>
<li>Is       there anything funny about this situation?</li>
<li>How       would my partner, best friend, child or someone I respect handle this?       (Or, ask them in-person!)</li>
</ul>
<p>With my client for example, instead of looking at her current position as a source of “stress” (ie. I’ll never be able to change careers), I encouraged her to look for the opportunity.</p>
<p>She realized her job search was opening up doors for her by exposing her to careers in the environmental sector that she hadn’t even been aware of.  She was making valuable new contacts that may be helpful in the future. Trying to change careers had forced her to upgrade some skills, making her more attractive as a candidate as well as raising her salary expectations.</p>
<p>She also changed her perspective about losing to the other candidate as: “To be selected as second choice in such a competitive market indicates the high quality of my experience and expertise.”</p>
<p>In our coaching, we took the original information and looked at it from other perspectives in order to explore what is possible.</p>
<p>It’s all in how you look at things. Trying on new perspectives can be a very powerful skill in stress management. We all do this on occasion, but learning to do it more consistently and with intention can help you manage frustration and disappointment.</p>
<p>Try it and you’ll see that when you’re able to see the world in a more positive light, everything changes.</p>
<p><em>Image from <a href="http://www.crestock.com/">Crestock Stock Photo</a></em></p>


<p>No related posts.</p>
<p>Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://prinyourpajamas.com/it%e2%80%99s-all-in-how-you-look-at-things/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Importance of Acknowledging Your Strengths</title>
		<link>http://prinyourpajamas.com/the-importance-of-acknowledging-your-strengths/</link>
		<comments>http://prinyourpajamas.com/the-importance-of-acknowledging-your-strengths/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Sep 2010 17:39:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[acknowledging strengths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elena verlee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fears]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://prinyourpajamas.com/?p=2431</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was coaching a client recently who was nervous about going to a networking event. This client is in a powerful position with a media company, and has lived and worked all around the world rubbing shoulders with very influential people. The reason she was nervous? She felt that she comes across as a &#8220;babbling [...]


No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fthe-importance-of-acknowledging-your-strengths%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fthe-importance-of-acknowledging-your-strengths%2F&amp;source=elenaverlee&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;b=2" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<div class="crestock-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<p><img class=" alignright" title="disbalance (high resolution 3D image)" src="/wp-content/uploads/crestockimages/422511-ms.jpg" alt="disbalance (high resolution 3D image)" width="306" height="229" /></p>
</div>
<p>I was coaching a client recently who was nervous about going to a networking event. This client is in a powerful position with a media company, and has lived and worked all around the world rubbing shoulders with very influential people. The reason she was nervous? She felt that she comes across as a &#8220;babbling idiot&#8221;.</p>
<p>Having known her a while, I knew this was far from the truth. In fact, she is an energetic, intelligent woman who inspires people. When I shared this with her, and that her passion for life attracts people to her who want a little bit of that zest she has, she had the courage to acknowledge that this was the truth! She went to the event keeping in mind the manner in which people really see her&#8230;and was amazed at how many leads she got.<br />
<span id="more-2431"></span><br />
Let&#8217;s face it. It&#8217;s so easy to identify and talk about our fears, insecurities and faults &#8211; after all, we have a long list. But how many of us can easily say what is great about us? What our strengths are, and focus on them instead of our weaknesses?</p>
<p>It takes guts to admit to oneself, let alone others, that we are good, lovable&#8230; and maybe even powerful. Our automatic programming tells us to &#8220;fix&#8221; the weaker parts of our being instead of celebrating our success and brilliance. Society has taught us that you don&#8217;t want to be an underachiever, but many of us don&#8217;t feel comfortable standing out above the crowd either. To do so would attract undue attention (who wants that!), or threaten others and then people won&#8217;t like us or love us.</p>
<p>If you don&#8217;t claim who you really are and want to become, you cannot live your best life. Identifying your strengths allows you to more easily tackle not only the daily struggles of life, but also your big dreams.</p>
<p>Think about your natural talents, special gifts or traits. By articulating and claiming who you are, you can bring more of your energy into nurturing your strengths instead of focusing on your weaknesses. Which kind of life would you prefer?</p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em></p>
<hr size="1" noshade="noshade" /></em></p>
<p><strong><em>Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, &#8220;Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?&#8221;</em></strong><em> </em></p>
<p><strong><em>Actually, who are you not to be?&#8230;Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so other people won&#8217;t feel insecure around you&#8230;as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.</em></strong></p>
<p><em>- Nelson Mandela, 1994 Inaugural Speech</em><em> </em></p>
<p><em></p>
<hr size="1" noshade="noshade" /></em></p>


<p>No related posts.</p>
<p>Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://prinyourpajamas.com/the-importance-of-acknowledging-your-strengths/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Do It Now</title>
		<link>http://prinyourpajamas.com/do-it-now/</link>
		<comments>http://prinyourpajamas.com/do-it-now/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:46:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creating a life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decisions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dreams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elena verlee]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://prinyourpajamas.com/?p=2420</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Beach Fishing from Crestock Stock Photography A friend of my mother&#8217;s recently passed away. It was all very sudden, and by all accounts she was a vibrant and healthy 62 year-old. My mother, who was widowed before she was 50, is shaken up every time a friend or loved one gets sick or dies. &#8220;I [...]


No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fdo-it-now%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fprinyourpajamas.com%2Fdo-it-now%2F&amp;source=elenaverlee&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly&amp;b=2" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<div class="crestock-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<div>
<dl class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 275.957px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img id="253363" title="Beach fishing at Point Labat, South Australia" src="http://www.crestock.com/wp-images/250000-259999//253363-ms.jpg" alt="Beach fishing at Point Labat, South Australia" width="222" height="334" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd crestock-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;"><a href="http://www.crestock.com/image/253363-Beach-Fishing.aspx">Beach Fishing</a> from <a href="http://www.crestock.com">Crestock Stock Photography</a></dd>
</dl>
</div>
</div>
<p style="text-align: left;">A friend of my mother&#8217;s recently passed away.  It was all very sudden, and by all accounts she was a vibrant and healthy 62 year-old.  My mother, who was widowed before she was 50, is shaken up every time a friend or loved one gets sick or dies.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">&#8220;I have to do things now,&#8221; she always says. &#8220;I might not be around otherwise.&#8221; A sobering thought, but it has also given my mother a new energy about living and experiencing life to the fullest. She travels to far-off places she wants to see, and has chosen to work in an environment that gives her the flexibility to spend time with friends and family that are important to her. She may not be financially wealthy, but she is richer than many people I know.</p>
<p><span id="more-2420"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Whether we are 20 or 90, we will never really know when we will die. And yet day after day, we do the mundane and the expected, thinking that one day when everything is &#8220;perfect&#8221;, we can get started on making our dreams come true. It&#8217;s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on this earth &#8211; and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up &#8211; that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it were the last.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Steven Covey, who wrote the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, has endorsed the &#8220;eulogy approach&#8221; in his writings to bring to light what people would most regret if they waited too long to achieve their dreams.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">What would your eulogy read if you died today? &#8220;He wanted to ________, too bad he died before he could do it.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I&#8217;m not saying drop everything and be irresponsible, but everyday we make dozens, even hundreds of decisions to do or not do certain things. The choices we make, no matter how trivial they may seem, contribute to creating a life that is more (or less) fulfilling. The decisions we make move us toward our dreams, or they move us away.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">It&#8217;s never too late to work on your dreams. What are you waiting for?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">You might just achieve them, and wouldn&#8217;t that be wonderful.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p><em>Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming &#8220;WOO HOO what a ride!&#8221;</em></p>
<p><em>- Anonymous</em><em> </em></p>


<p>No related posts.</p>
<p>Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://prinyourpajamas.com/do-it-now/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>15</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

