The IF in Life

Life is full of IF’s.

Usually it’s “If only I could/would have…” or “If only it/I wasn’t…” Have you felt those “If’s”?

What if you could play with the IF in Life?

What if you could make a game of the IF in Life?

IF can be a possibility thing of looking forward, if you choose it to be.

One of my favorite ways to do this is to play the “What If Game”.

It’s a perfect way to begin thinking of possibilities before you believe in the possibilities.

Did you know can begin making shifts before you believe? It’s true!

Many Guru’s teach that Belief is an important component of creating the life of your dreams.

They are right, AND you can move towards your dreams and intentions before you believe.

How? One way is to play the “What If Game”.

How to Play the What If Game

You will be using your intentions and desires for this game. It’s also a great way to get clear on what your intentions and desires are.

Simply add “What if” to the front of your intentions when you write them down or speak. For example, “What if I was a successful business owner?” or “What if I had an active and healthy lifestyle?”

When and Where to Play

The best place to play your game is in your Journal. Your Journal is the most powerful Abundance Tool in your toolkit.

This gives your intentions their first physical form. It begins the creation process. You also have a record of your intentions that you can go back on. This will give added focus to your intentions, and also allow you to celebrate as you notice how many of your intentions come into reality.

The next best place to play your game is verbally. Many times we have tasks that occupy us physically, but we can still play mentally and verbally. These tasks can include things like walking, driving, or washing the dishes.

How often to Play

Add the “What If Game” to your daily routine, and you will notice changes quickly.

You will notice how your thinking begins to shift. You will notice more possibilities in your daily life.

Why is this valuable?

Possibility thinking shifts your vibration further up the scale, and the higher your vibration, the more magnetic you are to your desires.

Simply put, when you think of possibilities, you feel better. When you feel better, more good things happen.


What if your life was full of possibilities?

It is—if you want it to be.

*~*~*

Velma Gallant is an Author, Speaker, Trainer and Abundance Coach. She's a co-author in a best-selling book series with Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak Chopra, and Wayne Dyer called "Wake Up Live the Life you Love: Finding Personal Freedom". Velma is the creator of Living Abundant Joy where she interviewed 19 outrageously successful speakers, marketers and coaches on Abundance. She publishes a weekly e-newsletter called "Welcome Changes". Velma coaches entrepreneurs and business people to be abundantly successful in both business and life. You can visit Velma's website at www.WelcomeChanges.com, or reach her by email at velma@welcomechanges.com .

Being 40 - What's the best or best to come?

November 24th is my birthday, and I turn 40.

Once I hit 35, I began dreading turning 40. I was going to be ... da da da ... OLD!

I've had conversations with my Mom where she shared that "Life began at 40".

This is my Mom, by the way. Isn't she beautiful?



Anyway, a thought occured to me, while I was writing my newsletter, that it would be a wonderful conversation to talk about what's great about being 40.

So here's the questions:

What's BEST about being 40 (or more)?

-or-

What are you looking forward to when you are 40?

Here's some of my answers.

I know what I like better.
I am stronger in standing up for what I want.
I like myself better.
I'm more confident.
I care less about what others thing, and care more about what I think.

I am looking forward to your answers. Have fun!

Dream BIG!

Velma Gallant
Abundance Coach
http://www.welcomechanges.com

Ask Yourself – It’s All About You

Are there things in your experience that you do not want, and you’re not sure why they’re there? Are you unclear how to change or shift those experiences?

When I feel this way, it always comes back to one thing. It’s all about me. It’s the same for you too. It’s all about you.

That sounds a little bit weird, and it’s true. Let me explain.

People who were (and are) important to me did not respect my business. There were no tangible products they would buy. They wouldn’t hire a coach. I worked from home. That’s not a “real job”.

Over the years, I have come to understand that how people treat me was often a reflection of how I treat myself.

I had to ask myself, how was I not respecting my business? Was I treating my business with the consistency of a job? Did I set specific hours? If I set certain tasks for myself, did I follow through? Was I putting things off? How could I respect my business (and myself) more?

Some of the things I shifted were giving myself a specific work space, and actually going there to work. I blocked things off in my calendar, including my “me” time. I printed my calendar and stuck it on the fridge so others in the family were aware of my schedule.

What’s one thing in your experience that you’d like to shift?

Do you find people do not respect your time? Ask yourself, are you respecting your time?

Do you find other people overstepping your boundaries? Ask yourself, do you honor your boundaries?

This type of self-coaching question can lead to some pretty incredible shifts if you’re willing to look there. This self-coaching can apply to all areas of your life, including relationships, business and health.

As you move through your day today, if you experience something “not quite right”, check in. See if there’s a self-coaching question you can ask yourself.

It’s all about you! Ask yourself.

*~*~*

Velma Gallant is an Author, Speaker, Trainer and Abundance Coach. She's a co-author in a best-selling book series with Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak Chopra, and Wayne Dyer called "Wake Up Live the Life you Love: Finding Personal Freedom". Velma is the creator of Living Abundant Joy where she interviewed 19 outrageously successful speakers, marketers and coaches on Abundance. She publishes a weekly e-newsletter called "Welcome Changes". Velma coaches entrepreneurs and business people to be abundantly successful in both business and life. You can visit Velma's website at www.WelcomeChanges.com, or reach her by email at velma@welcomechanges.com .

Permanent Changes

I heard a new quote the other day, and it made so much sense to me!

Practice Makes Permanent

What a brilliant way of looking at it!

I’ve heard of “Practice Makes Perfect”. The one thing I wasn’t keen on with respect to that quote is the “perfect” part. It’s so easy to get caught up in the perfectionism trap. I prefer not to use that word.

One part of my life where I see the power of this quote is with my habits.

I’ve found that the best way to change my bad habits is to create a new habit that supports me and my goals, and the best way to create a new habit is to practice it lots. I definitely want my new supportive habits to be permanent!

Are you ready to make a new, more supportive habit permanent?

If so, I have a valuable and simple exercise for you.

Here is a list of materials you’ll need.

1. Journal – You’ll need a place to write your intentions and experiences. Pick something you’ll enjoy writing in.

2. Calendar – Experts agree that it takes 21 days to create a new habit. You’ll be keeping track!

Something important to remember—only choose one habit at a time to play with. This will allow you to keep focus on your intention. Tackling too many habits at once will spread your attention thin.

In your journal, as your self the following questions:

1. What’s one habit I have that I’d like to transform? (Hint: This will usually come out as a “don’t want”. For example, I don’t want to eat bon-bons every day.)

2. What new, supportive habit would I like to replace it with? (Hint: You can usually take the “don’t want” from question 1 and give it a 180 degree flip to find your do want. For example, I eat well every day, and treat myself to a bon-bon on Sundays.)

3. What’s one thing I can do today to practice this new habit? (Hint: Pick an action you feel good about. Write it down in your journal. You do not need to do the same action each day. Sometimes changing things up can make the transformation more fun.)

You will be repeating Step 3 each day for a total of 21 days.

On your calendar, put an X on each day that you practice your new habit.

There is one important detail to this part of the exercise. If you happen to miss a day, the count of days for practicing returns to one. What this means is if you miss day 8, you will be starting again at day one the next day. I want you to get through 21 consecutive days of practicing.

I can already see a few faces being made about this part of the exercise. “You said it was simple!” Yes, I did. It is simple. Being consistent may be simple, but it isn’t always easy.

If you’re one of the faces I’m seeing, ask yourself this question. How much do you want this new habit?

Too often we are the ones that hold us back from achieving our success, whether it’s creating new habits, or achieving any number of goals in our life.

If you find yourself missing days, and are still determined to make your new habit permanent, I invite you to write the following question daily in your journal:

4. How much do I want this new habit?

To recap, to create a new habit, ask yourself the three (perhaps four) self-coaching questions listed above. Write the answers in your journal. Answer question 3 (and 4 if necessary) in your journal daily. Mark off each day in your calendar until you have 21 consecutive days completed with this exercise.

There is one last thing that you’ll need to do each day. This, to me, is the most important step.

Celebrate! Each and every day that you complete the exercise Celebrate! At the end of the 21 days, have a HUGE Celebration! Give yourself a gift. Pat yourself on the back. Phone a friend or two up and brag! Send me an email and brag!

What’s one new habit you’d like to create? I’m seeing you already there!

*~*~*

Velma Gallant is an Author, Speaker, Trainer and Abundance Coach. She's a co-author in a best-selling book series with Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak Chopra, and Wayne Dyer called "Wake Up Live the Life you Love: Finding Personal Freedom". Velma is the creator of Living Abundant Joy where she interviewed 19 outrageously successful speakers, marketers and coaches on Abundance. She publishes a weekly e-newsletter called "Welcome Changes". Velma coaches entrepreneurs and business people to be abundantly successful in both business and life. You can visit Velma's website at www.WelcomeChanges.com, or reach her by email at velma@welcomechanges.com .

Are You Doing it for the Right Reasons?

It wasn’t what I expected, and I’m glad.

I went to a Toastmasters event this weekend. I listened to a speaker regarding the “basics”. I had thought, before I went in, that I’d be getting a lot of technical how-to’s with respect to public speaking. It’s what I thought I was looking for too.

He ended up sharing some of his journey with Toastmasters, and how Toastmasters changed him. He thought he was in it for the glory (he competed) and he learned his craft very well.

What he didn’t expect was that Toastmasters would change him on the inside.

He shared that the most valuable lesson he learned from Toastmasters was that when you speak, you need to do it for the right reasons. It isn’t about the glory in the competitions.

It’s about your audience. It’s about what you’re sharing with them, and what they are getting out of it.

One of the things I wasn’t sure I’d like is the technical stuff in Toastmasters—the counting of um’s and uh’s, evaluating grammar, and things like that. I didn’t want to study a dictionary and learn new bigger words to dazzle people with my intelligence.

After the workshop, I asked him about this. He shared that when he speaks outside of Toastmasters, he’s not as careful about these things. He also told me that if I’m not a “big word” person, not to try and do this. People will know. If I were to use big words to dazzle, then the content would not be coming from my heart. I wouldn’t be sharing the information for the right reasons.

I felt so good after this conversation! I had always felt that my um’s and uh’s, and little grammatical blunders actually made me more human. I felt it helped me to connect with people. I felt it helped me to share my message from my heart. I wasn’t trying to impress people. I was just wanting to share what I was learning in hopes it would support others.

When you’re out there in the world, doing what you’re doing, are you doing it for the right reasons? Are you sharing your message? Are you sharing your message from your heart?

*~*~*

Velma Gallant is an Author, Speaker, Trainer and Abundance Coach. She's a co-author in a best-selling book series with Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak Chopra, and Wayne Dyer called "Wake Up Live the Life you Love: Finding Personal Freedom". Velma is the creator of Living Abundant Joy where she interviewed 19 outrageously successful speakers, marketers and coaches on Abundance. She publishes a weekly e-newsletter called "Welcome Changes". Velma coaches entrepreneurs and business people to be abundantly successful in both business and life. You can visit Velma's website at www.WelcomeChanges.com, or reach her by email at velma@welcomechanges.com .

It IS Divine!

Whatever it is you are experiencing right now is Divine.

We all have those experiences that seem to turn our lives upside down. They come. They go. We go on.

In each of these experiences there is a gift.

Sometimes it’s better learning who we are. We desire something better. It ignites our passion and our purpose.

No matter what, we receive a gift.

Isn’t that funny? Many of us would benefit from more practice in receiving. Is it possible that these experiences come so we can learn to receive?

I believe this is true. It has been that way for me.

Take a deep breath right now.

Notice how you automatically receive the breath without thought or judgment.

Notice how you automatically exhale (give) the breath without thought or judgment.

Picture your heart.

Notice how it automatically receives the blood without thought or judgment.

Notice how it automatically gives your body life-giving blood without thought or judgment.

What would your life be like if you gave and received without over-thinking or judgment?

We do give without over-thinking more effortlessly, though we often give with judgment. For example, when we give without receiving, we judge the fact that we are always giving.

We are left gasping when we do not receive. Receiving is blocked by over-thinking and judgment.

Picture your lungs stopping immediately after the exhale. “Oh! I can’t do that. Someone else may need this air more than I do. I’ll do without.”

That would not make sense, would it?

This same thought (judgment) stops us in our tracks before our hand extends to receive.

I want to ask you this question again, but with a twist.

What will your life be like when you give and receive from a place of love and flow?

Imagine looking back on your experiences from that place of love and flow. You see the gifts. You see how they were important in your growth. You see how beautiful you’ve become as a result of these experiences.

You’re an amazing person, and It IS Divine!

Are you ready to receive the gifts of your experiences?

*~*~*

STOP!

Stop the Roller Coaster NOW!

Your life is NOT meant to be a never-ending circle of overwhelming highs and crushing lows.

Imagine flowing through life, having fun, and squealing in excitement as things unfold effortlessly before you.

You are living your purpose. You follow your passion. You help others. It feels sooooooo good!

You have had glimpses of it. You know you are here to make a difference.

You know there’s a reason for what you’ve experienced, and your purpose is important. It may even scare you, yet it feels right.

It IS Divine.

Join me on November 14, 2006 for It IS Divine.

Who is this class for?

* Have you had life altering experiences that may have crushed others, but you pulled through?

* Do you feel that you’ve gone through this for a reason?

* Do you feel it’s time to step into your purpose no matter how scary it may seem?

If you answered yes to any of the above, please accept this gift. (This is your chance to begin practicing receiving!)

It IS Divine is a 1 hour teleclass on November 14, 2006 at 9:00 PM Eastern / 6:00 PM Pacific.

What will you get from this class? You will:

* See the courage it took for you to move through your experiences.

* Notice how Beautiful and Divine you are!

* Peal back the pain and find the beauty that lies beneath (picture pealing the bitter orange peal to find the sweet fruit).

* Understand that what you experienced was something of value and not a burden.

* Feel the Freedom that comes from owning your experiences and your Divinity.

* Renew your courage to step into your Divine Purpose.

Visit http://www.welcomechanges.com/itisdivine.htm to register for the teleclass today!

Dream BIG!

Velma GallantAbundance Coach
http://www.welcomechanges.com

PS If you’ve had life transformational experiences and you’re ready to receive the gifts, this teleclass is for you.

PPS Please feel free to share this article and the gift of this teleclass with anyone you feel would benefit. Gift them with the opportunity to practice receiving too.