-Do not wish to be anything but what you are and try to be that perfectly. –St. Francis De Sales

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Encouraging Words

June 2003

Welcome to Encouraging Words monthly newsletter. This FREE newsletter is designed to encourage you in creating a life so joyful and authentic, you radiate. Please pass it along to friends you would like to inspire

My family and I just got back from a lovely trip to Mackinac Island in Michigan. The perfect mixture of history, browsing and relaxing. Since we’ve been back we’ve pursued out summer fun. We took long bike ride, visited the library, visited grandparents, had a couple sleepovers, picked some fresh vegetables at the farmer’s market, walked the trails and looked for birds at the nature center, played monopoly, ate lunch on a picnic blanket in the back yard, went to friends for a salad supper, flew kites and played Frisbee. We intend to enjoy this summer.

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Did you plan some fun things to do for summer? Did you do any of them? What are you waiting for?

Getting Support

Do you have great ideas, but have trouble with follow through? Are you too scared to pursue the life you really want to live? Do you need some sort of accountability? We aren’t meant to go through this life alone. We are meant to need and be needed by others.

When we share our vulnerabilities, weaknesses and dreams with others we connect in a more intimate way. We create strong bonds and a caring community. Our resolve is strengthened. It’s harder to back out when you know someone is counting on you to complete your mission.

So how can you create this kind of support system? First, examine your needs and your desires. If you love to read, try a book club where members also talk about their lives. If you feel strongly about a cause, volunteer and get to know other volunteers. Get involved in a church. Find an online community built around something you are trying to accomplish like getting organized or losing weight. When you get into a support system, try to get involved with positive people that are actually moving forward. Nothing is more depressing than being involved in a group that does nothing but gripe, yet chooses not to change.

You may already have a support system in your family and friends. Continue to encourage them and at the same time ask for some accountability on goals you are setting. You can have different support systems for different goals. For example, I have a group of friends who encourage each other to stay organized, a writing club to keep us writing, a book club to keep our minds alert, and a church that I am active in.

You also need a professional support system. Ask around and make sure you know of a good lawyer, financial planner, dermatologist, massage therapist, mechanic, banker, accountant, tax preparer, computer guru, back up babysitter, doctor, personal trainer, professional organizer, florist, painter, handyperson, marketing expert, graphic designer, plumber, printer, writer, web designer, travel agent, realtor, veterinarian, and office assistant. You never know when you are going to need one.

Take Action:

What are some goals you are interested in pursuing?

Who can support you or what type of people would you need to support you?

What is one action you can take this month to create a support system?

Resources 

Momscape message boards: http://www.momscape.com/moreenergynow/forums/

Building Bridges with Neighbors (Christian slant): http://christianwomentoday.com/training/buildingbridges.html

Helping an Acquaintance Become a Best Friend: http://christianwomentoday.com/training/acquaintance.html

Weight Loss Support: http://www.thedietchannel.com/activities8.htm

Career Support: http://www.citb.org.uk/careerconstructor/training_support.asp

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Self-Care Tips for June:

·         Get nail polish or a shirt that changes color in the sun from Del Sol http://www.justaddsun.com/

·         Buy an under bed storage container for your winter sweaters

·         Highlight your hair for summer

·         Sit on a porch or park bench and relax

“…a true Diva knows how to bring fun to every area of her life, including the work and responsibilities she has chosen”
-from I am Diva by Elena Bates, Maureen O’Crean, Molly Thompson and Carilyn Vaile

Relationship Ideas for June:

·         Go on a long drive with your partner

·         Eat at an outdoor café with a friend

·         Go berry picking with kids

·         Buy a DVD or book for someone you love

Dispatch business quickly,
And keep out of long debates and heats . . .
be swift to hear
and slow to speak,
and let it be in the grace,
which seasons all words.
—George Fox quoted in Plain Living by Catherine Whitmire

I encourage you this month to find support, to be thankful for friends and to have fun!

 

Warmly,

Beth Dargis

Written by Life Coach, Beth Dargis
Dargis@chartermi.net
http://pws.chartermi.net/~dargis/
Past issues are available at the newsletter section of the website.
Copyright (c) 2002 Beth Dargis, Zeeland, Michigan.  All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002 Beth Dargis | Zeeland, MI | All rights reserved.

 

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