Debra Moorhead . com

I officially started this blog on July 31, 2006.  Looking back, as I tend to do after one year into a project, I can definitely say that I’ve learned a lot.  Too much, really, to list here.  Can you believe that? Me – no list?!

Always being in an attitude of gratitude, though, I wanted to take this opportunity to list, ah – there we go, a few things I appreciate about this blog.

Of course, there are my readers.  My father-in-law, Henry Moorhead, has been, as far as I know, the most faithful, reading every post.  Thanks, Dad – I truly appreciate you! 

I have 178 subscribers with over 6,000 unique visitors each month and, as would be expected, those numbers increase continually.  I know this sounds trite, but I really do appreciate everyone who reads, whether you comment or not.  I hope you get the motivation, education, and/or inspiration you need when you come here.  There are now over 200 articles and almost 500 comments.

Other bloggers have contributed a great deal to my motivation, education, and inspiration.  Steve Pavlina was the first blogger I happened on to.  I had no clue what a blog was up to that point, let alone that it was something I could do.  Aaron Potts has provided much needed inspiration at times, as well as teaching me some “tricks of the trade.”  Christine Kane has inspired me by example. 

The ability to communicate with my seminar participants in such an easy, non-threatening format has been a boon to my speaking and consulting business as well.  Being able to travel lighter, knowing that anything I’ve forgotten can easily be put on the website, with a special link just for those participants has been so freeing. 

Having a forum to promote my book and my work is also nice.  The ultimate goal is to empower others, and there are so many ways to do that.  Having this blog has been a great advertising tool, as well as providing a place for prospective clients to come to sample my work.  What a fantastic idea!

My goal for this next year is to help more people with their weight loss plans.  I get more email on this topic every day.  It’s not so much about the weight for me as it is about their health.  I’d like to see a healthier, and more fit America.  One of the most noticeable observations my husband and I made on our Canadian vacation was how much more overweight people were the further south we drove on the return trip.  It makes me sad.  If I can help by communicating my personal experience with weight loss, or explaining in full why counting calories works, or by just inspiring someone to see how to live more healthfully, I will feel like I’ve made a major contribution to our world.  It is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed in a real way, once and for all.

Of course, I will continue to write on a variety of topics dealing with motivation, education, and inspiration, but you’ll see more on weight loss than in the past.  How much exactly I’m not sure of just yet.  Demand will be the determining factor.

I am continually inspired to new ideas.  A recent conversation with a new friend on vacation has me thinking about articles for a younger audience dealing with happiness and inner beauty.  I am working on this idea and have a writer friend who would be perfect for this.  I’ll be introducing her to you a little later this year.

I’ve always had as many male readers as female, at least as evidenced through the commenting and subscribing anyway, so I’m thinking of coming out with a series dealing specifically with men’s issues in the workplace.  I figure, since a lot of male readers tell me they print things off for their wives and co-workers, my female readers could do the same!  Wouldn’t it be nice to have something to print out that says exactly what you want to say?

So there’s plenty of room for growth and I definitely intend to fill it.  If there is anything you would like to see more of here at DebraMoorhead.com, please let me know.  I hope you’ll join me on my journey.

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GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW   If you’d like to read all my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams, and am helping others do the same, you’ll want your own copy of Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment.  It comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”  Both are downloadable, so you get them immediately, pay no shipping, and it’s only $19.95.

There is a process that has been given to us by Abraham called, “Segment Intending.”  The basic premise of it is that you stop at certain points throughout the day to determine what you want from this next segment of time.  (For detailed information, read The Law of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks.)

I want right now to pull out the fourth paragraph on page 170 of the above referenced book and discuss what I’ve personally witnessed and observed in others regarding weight loss.  Here’s the quote:

“When you really, really want something, it comes to you very fast.  When you really, really do not want something, it comes to you very fast.  The idea of Segment Intending is to set forth your thought of what you want, focusing upon it clearly enough, in this moment, that you bring forth emotion about it.  Your clarity brings the speed.”

I had an employee several years ago who was always on a diet; except when it came time to eat!  I’m not kidding!  If she had understood and applied the process of segment intending, she’d undoubtedly be down to her ideal weight by now.  How?  Allow me to explain.

First, when I lost my extra weight, I really, really, wanted to lose it.  When people e-mail me to ask advice, I always reiterate that desire must come first or no plan will work.  Everyone always agrees, but I know that some become truthful with themselves very soon because they drop off the charts, sort to speak.

Second, and this is key, that desire has to be strong enough for you to pull from it when the time comes to make a decision, such as what and how much to eat.  When it’s mealtime, or your stomach is growling, or a friend just brought over a really decadent dessert, what is it that you truly want?  (I know, you want to be thin and have the dessert – that can happen, in time.)

When I have this discussion in my seminars, someone always responds, “the decadent dessert – you only live once, right?”

But that reasoning and making that particular choice enough times is what caused her to become overweight in the first place.

Here’s the other thing.  Everyone I get into this conversation with always says they’re miserable being overweight.  They usually go on and on with a list of ailments or embarrassing subjects. 

It is my observation that it’s not the extra pounds making you miserable; rather it’s the lowered sense of self-esteem that comes from not choosing what you really want in the appropriate moment.  Add to it the fact that you make poor choices repeatedly, and your self-esteem has no ladder with which to climb up.  You tell yourself that you have no will power, but that’s not true – it takes strong will power to repeatedly go against what you want.   See the pattern here?  This works on any subject, by the way. 

Then we look for scapegoats:  “This is just how I was meant to be.”  Really?  Then what are you complaining about?  Shouldn’t you be thrilled then?  I mean, if you’ve achieved what you were truly meant to be, isn’t that . . . success?

You see, the overweight people who believe that they really are supposed to be that way, (and yes, they do exist, I have an aunt who believes that), don’t diet.  They’re happy because they are in alignment with their true selves.  (Unless they’re dieting to try to please someone else, but that’s another blog post!) 

Okay, enough time on the soap box!  So what are you supposed to do?  How can you use the Segment Intending process to lose weight?  Try these steps.

1. Set your goal.  It is imperative to know what you want.  Research your ideal weight based on insurance tables, or just pick a weight you were once at and felt good. 
2. Establish your plan.  Decide how you’re going to lose the weight.  For me, counting calories is the only way.  Do what works, really works, for you.
3. As you go to bed each night, make a promise to yourself that you will choose what you truly want in each moment of the next day.
4. When you awaken, take a second to set forth the intention to follow your diet plan for the day.
5. As you eat breakfast, if there is any way that it could be better in some way, write it down so that you can implement it tomorrow.  Do the same with each meal.
6. As you complete each meal, (segment), notice how you feel.  Do you feel good because you followed your diet?  Or do you feel bad because you caved?  See, it rarely feels good to give in.  (Back to that lowered self-esteem again.) 
7. Reinforce each successful meal by remembering what you did right.  If you mess up, remind yourself that the next meal is another opportunity to do it right again.  Remember, it’s about choosing what you really want.  Do you really want to be thin?

Eventually, you will get to the place when you have that piece of pecan pie for dessert because you want it, you can “afford” it, (in calories), and you’ve earned it by either saving up calories or because you’ve reached your ideal weight.  In other words, you’ll enjoy it, with no guilt!

I was able to go off my diet very quickly because of strong desire, and making the right choices at the right moments.

You can do it, too.

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GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW   If you’d like to read all my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams, and am helping others do the same, you’ll want your own copy of Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment.  It comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”  Both are downloadable, so you get them immediately, pay no shipping, and it’s only $19.95.

As a consultant I am in and out of a lot of businesses.  I meet several new people every week.  During my reflection time yesterday I came upon a discovery about the difference between productive managers and managers that are “on their way out.”  Let me explain.

I’m frequently in situations where I’m being asked to help with productivity and time management.  My job is to find the key skills of the industrious, fruitful, creative people and then figure out a way to impart that information onto the less prolific employees. 

Guess what?  There’s rarely any real difference!  Actually, I take that back; there is one major difference.  The productive people talk about how good things are.  They are happy, dynamic, and easy-going.  The people whom I’m told need help, are, you guessed it, the whiners and complainers.

In reality, both groups seem to get an equal amount of work done, the prosperous group just has a better way of talking it up. 

For example, let’s take two workers.  The first is touted as an exemplary employee.  She says things like:  “I’m tired, but it’s a good tired.  I accomplished a lot today.  Look at how far we’ve come!  This is exciting!” (Regarding change.) Etc.

The person who got just as much accomplished, but is viewed as struggling says things like:  “I am so overwhelmed!  I need help.  I can’t do all this by myself.  I just learned how to do this and now they’re changing it.  I can’t win.”

Sometimes I am really hired just to make an attitude adjustment in someone.  If only that were as easy to do as to recognize!

Often, when I talk to these two people behind closed doors, they experience the same frustrations and have exactly the same story to tell.  The first is just as overwhelmed and in need of time off or assistance or time management skills as the second.  But because she talks about the positive aspects, she not only helps maintain her own focus on the positive, thereby increasing her well-being, but she also makes the better impression on her managers.

And even though the second person is just, “telling it like it is,” or “speaking the truth,” all she’s doing is making herself miserable and making herself look bad to her superiors.

So what does all this mean?  Am I telling you to just overlook everything that’s wrong with your job and not try to make things better?  No, I’m not saying that.  Here’s what you should do.

If you’re going to have any influence on the people who can make things happen for you, you’ve first got to get their attention.  And it should be good attention – they should want to hear what you’ve got to say – get it?  The best way to do that is to speak positively at every opportunity.  When a problem arises, instead of joining in with the complainers, try saying instead, “Well, this is an opportunity to learn how we can be better at this.”  That will get their attention!

Then, after several weeks or months, or at the appropriate opportunity, (such as when they come to you for your opinion), be prepared to state your case.  Something such as “This department would be more effective with . . . “  Or, “We could increase profits if we had more . . . “  Take the complaint off yourself.  Spin it in a way that shows what’s in it for them – not you.

Negative talk is cheap – everyone does it and people in power dismiss it.  Positive talk is priceless – it gets you noticed and respected.

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW   If you’d like to read all my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams, and am helping others do the same, you’ll want your own copy of Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment.  It comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”  Both are downloadable, so you get them immediately, pay no shipping, and it’s only $19.95.

In his book, Focal Point, Brian Tracy tells us that proper rest and relaxation is one of the main ingredients to superb health and fitness.  But what exactly is “proper” rest and relaxation?

Coming off a one-week vacation, I must admit that at the time I am writing this I don’t feel very rested.  My husband and I came back from our vacation one day early because we were, well, tired.

I will give us credit though, for being able to recognize when it’s time to come home.  We used to push ourselves to “have fun” right up to the end.  Needless to say, that never worked.  We also used to travel at the last minute, having to go back to work the day after we arrived home.  We learned that also wasn’t good for the ol’ body, mind, or spirit.

So now we deliberately plan an extra day to rest after the trip before going back to work, and if either of us gets too tired to finish the journey, we just come on home.  Granted, that’s easier to do if you’re driving rather than flying, but at the very least, you can relax in your hotel room prior to your flight.

As I was reflecting on this past week and making notes of how I would change future vacations to make them more to my liking, I realized that I’ve developed habits that implement a lot of the concepts that Brian Tracy talks about in Focal Point.  For example, he says,

“Take at least one full day from work each week.  On this day, you discipline yourself to do absolutely nothing associated with work.”

Growing up in a fundamental Christian (old testament) household, where “working on Sunday” was forbidden, this concept is not difficult for me to visualize.  However, having a Type A personality where I constantly feel a need to be active, I find this works best for me if I take half a day on Saturday, and half on Sunday.  What’s important, is to feel re-energized, refreshed, and re-charged.  (Okay, that’s not what old-testament Christians are worried about, but that’s another blog post!)

Considering that we are all different, there are probably as many different ways to rest and relax as there are people in the world.  But most would agree that it is imperative to your overall well-being and creativity, to find ways to recharge your personal batteries on a regular basis.  Tracy says,

“The more rested you are, the brighter, sharper, more alert, and more productive you will be at your work and in every other area of your life.  You will get more done by taking more time off.”

Here, then, are some ways to rest, relax, rejuvenate, refresh, and recharge.

Set aside a certain amount of time each day to read, watch television, or meditate.  This is your time, so do what feels good to you.  And those are the most important words:  “feels good.”  If you read very much on self-improvement and motivation, you might be surprised at my suggestion to watch television.  I agree that our media is so negatively biased that watching the news and many current programs is a bad idea.  However, there are still shows and movies in existence that are uplifting and will help get your mind off bothersome things.  So watch those things that you make you feel good and don’t let one drop of guilt seep in.  The television itself is not a bad thing; it’s what some people choose to do with it that hinders individual success.

Do whatever is necessary to get your proper amount of sleep each night.  Some people need only 4 hours, while others need 10.  Most people know how much sleep they need to feel good and on top of their game the next day.  Do whatever it takes to get that much sleep on a regular basis.  Go to bed early, take a nap, don’t take a nap – you know what I’m getting at here – just do it.

Take mini-vacations as often as possible.  Some people take a short vacation every calendar quarter.  Taking 3-5 days four times per year helps them feel more energized than a longer vacation once per year.  If you tire out after a few days, try this concept.

Be sure to get plenty of exercise and drink enough water.  Experts tell us that often our tiredness can be directly linked to dehydration and/or laziness.  Make sure that’s not the case with you – take walks, drink fresh, clean water, get out in the sunshine, be active.  Few things are as recharging to me as a nice, long, hike in the wilderness.  Just be sure, if you’re hiking in the heat of summer, (even in Canada), to take plenty of bug repellent!

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW   If you’d like to read all my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams, and am helping others do the same, you’ll want your own copy of Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment.  It comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”  Both are downloadable, so you get them immediately, pay no shipping, and it’s only $19.95.

Greetings from Detroit, Michigan!  As my regular readers know, my husband and I have been on vacation this week in the grand country of Canada.  We started in Niagara Falls, proceeded to Algonquin Park, and have now come back to the states through Port Huron and are visiting friends and family in Detroit.

I deliberately did not post much this week knowing that I would be more than making up for it by hosting About.com’s Carnival of Healing today.  I got hooked on About.com several years ago with an article about how to decorate a Christmas tree!  After that, I found the website to be a tremendous resource on all sorts of topics.

Phylameana lila Désy’s Holistic Healing site has been a fabulous resource for me in learning about various natural and total wellness methodologies.  I do not remember how I first landed on her portion of the site, but it probably had something to do with Chakra cleansing.

I’d like to thank last week’s host, Jenn Givler, at Thriving Business, for including my submission and for her wonderful comments about my site.  Jenn has some wonderful insights on marketing that would help any entrepreneur.

Now, without further ado, allow me to introduce the articles for this week’s Carnival of Healing.  I am listing them in the order they came to me, so please go all the way to the end – some of my favorites are there!

First up, Astrid Lee at Therapeuticreiki.com gives us the first in her series of Healing Myths.  Do you use past wounds as an excuse to not succeed?  Find out how to recognize this self-limiting behavior and how to overcome it at Myths About Healing #1.  I am looking forward to the rest of this series as well!  Thanks, Astrid!

Have you ever read something so inspiring you wanted to share it with the world?  At Success-Is-In-You.com, Gustav shares an article from the Saturday Evening Post.  Happiness Comes From Spiritual Wealth reminds us of a very important truth.

Taking a more clinical turn now, if you have or know a child with learning challenges, or if you are just interested in becoming more aware of how the human brain works, you’ll want to read this article at SharpBrains.com:  Working Memory Training from a Pediatrician Perspective, Focused on Attention Deficits  Alvaro Fernandez interviews Dr. Arthur Lavin, who has devised a very promising program to help kids with attention deficits.

Dr. Deb offers a nice balance of a to-the-point summary on why it’s important to have positive friends, with a link to a clinical study if you want all the details.  Check out her article, The Vicious Circle of Misery and Company.

The Urban Monk brings us a very attention-grabbing story and detailed article explaining the use of an often suppressed emotion.  I’ll let you figure out what it is for yourself – it won’t take you long - and I’m positive you’ll be able to relate to it.  Read, The elusive key to emotional mastery: Is it really that simple?, to learn how to heal your wounds in this area.

Is fear over-rated? Tupelo Kenyon says, “We do it to ourselves. Fear has no reality other than our attention to it. Deliberately steer your attention to pictures in your imagination that emphasize what you want to happen – (instead of what you most dread) . . . and the fear dissipates.”  To learn more, read Facing Fear with Deliberate Awareness.  Enjoy soothing instrumental music as you read plus songs with lyrics related to each article – all free.  Great site!

For a quick, uplifting read on obtaining success, check out, The Feeling of Success.  I love the first analogy used in this article, and there are many other short, but insightful articles as well.

Offering some very practical advice and a few things you’ve probably never heard of before, Andre du Plessis has compiled a list of 20 weight-loss tips, articles, and links in Weight Loss Tips.  Check it out!

Now, Nneka brings us a refreshingly light, yet deep, (I supposed that would make it, uh-hem, balanced), article titled, I Am In Love.  This is a must-read!!!

This next article was an eye-opener for me.  When I first saw the submission for Three Benefits From Lifting Your Bai Hui Point, I thought . . . okay, never mind what I thought!  Wanting to give each and every article a chance, I decided to read the article and was delightfully surprised.  Talk about healing!  I performed the exercises recommended at the end and, as a result, can feel a definite improvement in my scoliosis condition.  I believe everyone would benefit from this technique.

Dianne over at Ballet Shoes and Pointe Shoes gives a young girl some insightful advice from a personal perspective in Weight Loss, and Exercise.  What I liked about this article is that it’s advice from someone who is living it, teaching it, and loving it.  Thanks, Dianne!

Finally, Christy brings us, I Am Open to God’s Love and Abundance!, which, ironically, seems to be a perfect ending to this Carnival of Healing.

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s carnival and got some useful gems, I know I sure did.  Be sure to check out next week’s carnival, which is being hosted by Cindy Hebbard, at Wisdom of Healing.com.  Cindy has hosted the carnival before and has a jewel of a site on various wellness issues.

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW   If you’d like to read all my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams, and am helping others do the same, you’ll want your own copy of Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment.  It comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”  Both are downloadable, so you get them immediately, pay no shipping, and it’s only $19.95.�

BJ and I arrived late Saturday night at our destination in Niagara Falls, Canada.  We are very pleased to be able to take this vacation at this time.  With so many new projects heading our way in just a few weeks, it’s good to have a little time to “play” before work gets into full swing.

Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about my faithful self-development blog readers, but I wanted to share some photos with you.

Here are the American falls, which are beautiful, but . . .

 . . . not as impressive as the Canadian falls, with their rainbow, legends, and just more water.  We are going under the falls and getting closer tomorrow.  I’ll share those images as well.

Here I am just outside the Prince of Wales hotel where the landscaping caught my eye.

Here’s BJ thinking about getting into this barrell and going over the falls!  Hey - if a 62-year-old female school teacher could do it . . .

Here are the two of us having dinner in the revolving restaurant in the Skylon tower.  The food was fantastic and of course, you can’t get a better view.

The evening ended with fireworks.  Can you see the falls in the background?

We toured several other sites and heard many conflicting stories regarding the legends of the falls, but we had fun and that’s really all that matters.

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions that came in last week.  I’ll keep you posted here on what we decide to do.  Next week, though, it’s back to business as usual.  In fact, I’m already working on my article for next Monday regarding women and networking.

Also, please remember that I’m hosting the Carnival of Healing this week.  Send in your favorite posts.  Please note that no blatant advertisements are allowed. 

Have a joyous day! 

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW   If you’d like to read all my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams, and am helping others do the same, you’ll want your own copy of Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment.  It comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”  Both are downloadable, so you get them immediately, pay no shipping, and it’s only $19.95.

I am hosting About.com’s Carnival of Healing for Saturday, July 21.  If you have written, or would like to write, an exceptional post about healing, wellness, healthy living, self empowerment, or spirituality, I’d love to include it in the carnival.

Please use the standard carnival submission form.  If you have any questions, issues, or comments, you can e-mail me directly at Debra_M@alltel.net.

Also, my husband and I are leaving for a driving tour through Canada on Saturday, July 14.  Our plans are very flexible.  I’d like to know if anyone has any suggestions for “must-see opportunities” in the mid-section of the country.  We will definitely be stopping at Niagara Falls, from there, we’re not sure.  If you’d like to make a suggestion, please e-mail me using this link.

I will be posting details and photos from our tour all next week prior to the carnival.

I guess this will be a “working” vacation, but then, such is the life of a full-time blogger!

You can subscribe to this blog here.

GET CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE NOW   If you’d like to read all my latest success tips and how I’ve applied 20 years of solid business principles and the law of attraction to acquiring the life of my dreams, and am helping others do the same, you’ll want your own copy of Wake Up and Create the Life You Want: A Guide to Self-Empowerment.  It comes with my free report on “The Science of Getting Rich.”  Both are downloadable, so you get them immediately, pay no shipping, and it’s only $19.95.

I am giving a speech on Friday in Louisville, Kentucky titled, “Success Principles for Smart Women.”  In preparing for the event, I’ve been reflecting on the qualities I observe consistently in smart, successful, happy, and empowered women.  While there are many traits that are common among successful people in general, I find these nine attributes to be strong among high-achieving women.

1. Successful women know what they want.  Winning women always have a clear picture of what they are trying to accomplish.  Whether it’s to do with their career or their life in general, they know what they’re shooting for – what the overall objective is.  They usually know how much money they want to make, what position they want to hold in the company, if they want their own business, a professional degree and career, what role a family plays in their life, etc. 
2. Smart women have a strategic plan.  It’s not so much that they are going to follow their plan “to a T,” but that, for their peace of mind, they need a plan to follow for when the going gets tough or they hit a wall or they don’t know what to do.  We’ve all been there, and a strategic plan helps get over those humps.  The more detailed your strategic plan, the better.
3. Successful women are willing to “pay the price.”  Not accepting that they can’t have it all, smart women find ways of compromising, or better put, prioritizing, in order to achieve their ultimate result.  They accept that they cannot be all things to all people and that opportunities might get missed in order to achieve their dreams, but they readily accept that instead of trying to go back and forth with no forward momentum.  Focus is key here, as well as utilizing all available forms of leverage.
4. Smart women deal with “what is.”  Successful women know that reality is only temporary.  Any situation can be changed in the twinkling of an eye if the desire is strong enough.  Dealing with “what is” is simply a matter of attitude.  I often hear smart, successful women say things like,” Okay, it happened, now what?  How do we move on?  What would it take to convince you to . . .?”  Or, “How can I convince you to work with me on this?” 
5. Successful women constantly pick up from “where they are.”  Smart women know that they are constantly starting over.  Instead of focusing on opportunities or time lost, they pick up from where they are now, today, this hour, this moment, and move forward.  Lamenting over lost time or actions wasted is, in itself, lost opportunity and time wasted. High achievers do not waste time feeling sorry for themselves or wishing things were different.  The accomplished attitude is, “This might be where I am, but it is not where I desire to be.  How do I go about getting from here to there?”
6. Smart women are happy on their journey.  Well, you would be, too, if you were smart and successful, right?  Smart, successful women know that life is about the pursuit of joy.  Money, cars, clothing, relationships, even perfect health mean nothing if they fail to bring you joy.  Being able to experience joy in any situation makes the good times, relationships, health, and material possessions even more enjoyable.  But if you can’t experience joy, those things will do you no good anyway.
7. Successful women listen to and follow the guidance of their intuition.  Smart women are very in tune with their inner being.  They hear the voice, or calling, and respond accordingly.  Whether it’s during strategic planning or when something takes them off the path, they receive their inner guidance with courage and trust.  We’ve all had situations when we went against our intuition and regretted it.  Developing the discipline to follow your instincts would be a worthy goal, indeed.
8. Smart women accept no excuses, but change their minds when they want to, or if it just makes sense.  Upon accomplishment of a goal, successful women take time to reflect and reassess the status of their strategic plan.  “Am I still on track?  Do I still want this?”  Doing this gives them control over their life experience, instead of following the plan for the plan’s sake, ending up burnt out, unhappy, and feeling like a workhorse.  Smart women periodically re-examine their plan.
9. Successful women are self-reliant.  This characteristic might be the most important.  I never hear a smart, successful woman say, “I’ll have to check with my husband and see what he thinks.”  Any major decision that involves the family or relationship has been thought out ahead of time and smart, successful women make their own ultimate decisions.  Then again, it’s easy to make decisions when you know what you want and have wisely chosen a partner who supports that.  Perhaps this trait is a culmination of all the rest!

Of course, there are other delightful qualities that smart, successful, joyous women possess.  I encourage you to seek your own and your own way of acquiring those qualities that you believe would contribute to your own joy and ultimate success.

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I’ve been in orthodontic treatment since April 2004.  Until today.  Today, I took control of my oral situation.

In the fall of 2003 my husband, who is a Dentist for those of you who may not know, began providing Invisalign® treatment.  I had one, (1), lower tooth slightly misaligned and I asked if that form of treatment would work for me.

Obviously, the answer was, “No.”

To keep this story short and not bore you to tears, (and so that I can get to my point), let me give you the timeline.  In April of 2002 I began wearing lingual braces.  They came off in May of 2004.  They were off for one year, and then went back on in May of 2005 because my orthodontist was not pleased with the result.  “I can get a better result,” he said.  After much nagging from me, he took them off, prematurely according to my husband, in May of this year.

At my last retainer check, he made an adjustment for a tooth that wasn’t positioned properly, which caused other teeth to move and now, you guessed it, he wants to go back in again.

I’m not going back.

I’m taking over my treatment and taking back over my life.

Here’s why.

When he told me today that there was no way to fix the situation except to bond, I became very depressed.  “I’ve heard this before,” I thought.  How can something that wasn’t correctable in five years get fixed in six weeks?  (That was his estimate, but a