First of all, I suppose you'll be wondering why this issue of Dare To Play It Big is coming out on January 26 rather than on January 17, as usual... My apologies - keep on reading for an explanation...

You see, the first month of 2009 has brought quite a number of things for me. On the physical realm, a flu virus liked my company so much that it decided to stay for about two to three weeks. Then again I'm a believer that we "create" our sicknesses for a reason, and so at some point I confronted the reason why I had decided to manifest a flu - and as soon as I did it, the virus started to go away, slowly but surely. I gained in honesty as to what it is I create in my life, and in strength to go forward.

However, the main reason why I have not sent this issue of the newsletter to you on time is because I have been going through emotionally rocky times - and I had to find my ground before being able to get in touch with you again. In just a few days I felt as if I had to define who I am and what I want all over again, and within a new model of thinking, since the old models didn't seem to serve.

Yet, I'm very happy that I have experienced what I experienced, because I have found a new source of power and because I'm able to pass on to you a handful of seeds to plant to create a gorgeous life.

Check out the monthly thought for the seeds we can choose to plant at any moment!

As we all become more and more aware of the way we use the resources of our planet, more initiatives are started to use what we have in a wise way. Last time I told you about Earth Hour: well, this is already being done whenever, wherever.

I recently came across a call from a Facebook group to switch off the lights for ten minutes on January 28, 2009, wherever you are in the planet - it even includes a guide of what time it will be for you based on which city you are. This initiative started in Colombia, but thanks to Facebook and other social networking sites it has already gathered more than 300.000 people all over the world.

A large number of households not using lights for ten minutes can actually make a difference in our consumption of energy. It will be interesting to see what we can achieve as a global community when we all put our efforts into taking care of what we have.

Find out more about this initiative and join the Facebook group to switch your lights off for ten minutes on 28 January 2009 by following this link to the Facebook group (you'll find the English version by scrolling down the Facebook page).

We are living times of rapid changes at a global scale and in our personal lives. You may have experienced lately as if so many things were changing so fast that it is difficult to know which ground you stand on. I believe that during 2009 we are going to see more of those quick changes, and one of the keys for successful living is going to be adaptability and flexibility in the mental constructions we hold about ourselves and the world.

Sometimes, when we experience turbulences in our life, our mind doesn't cut it: the mental system we had to deal with life doesn't seem to work, yet we haven't got ahold of a new working system yet. At these times, I believe it is best to not try to "have" a fixed mental plan to deal with life, but rather to live in the present as much as possible, dealing with what comes from a stance of freshness and strength.

One of the best ways to keep on living in the present without mental constructions when we don't know what's going on is to plant seeds: the seeds that you know will produce good results. At the same time, this allows you to remain calm and centered, no matter how much the world seems to crumble around you - excellent training for life.

Today I'm bringing you a gentle reminder of some of the seeds we can choose to keep on planting during difficult times:

• Patience. We long ago stopped being children demanding that what we want happens now. We understand that some things take their time in coming into our lives, and that our best attitude is keep on shining and doing what we can, resting in the knowledge that the good situation we desire is on its way to us. We develop patience, which allows us to be more calmed when situations don't fit our liking.

• Listening. If you think you're suffering (from not knowing or from anything else) then you're not alone: everybody around you feels pretty much the same. You can step up and offer your listening to whoever needs it - not only will you improve your listening skills, but you will also help and be there for somebody else. So many times when we're suffering we only need to be listened to make our way back to our own strength.

• Compassion. When we truly listen, inevitably we come to grow in compassion. We go to meet the other person at the emotional point they're at, and we offer our support and understanding. This does not mean to go down the dwell with whoever is going down the well, but rather to let them know that you understand their situation and they are not as alone as they thought they were.

• Love. Love for ourselves, for the magic of life happening, for everybody. Fighting or resisting what is doesn't take us very far; we might as well surrender and love all that is, if only for the fact that it is. It is true that love opens the doors: so many times I've found that the moment I've surrendered to what is and I have started to love it, life seems to bring me even more rewards even more rapidly.

• Thankfulness. Even in the most difficult of situations there are things that we can be thankful for. Being thankful is a powerful tool, as it puts us in a frame of mind of looking for the positive and appreciating what we already have. It can completely alter your mood if you find yourself depressed and hopeless. Find here a list of things to be thankful for.

• Trust. I believe that in the end it all comes down to trust: trust that the overall "balance" of it all is good, despite the particular outcomes of specific situations. Trust that we are walking towards a higher version of ourselves, and that we are given challenges to grow and expand. For some, this trust may be equal to faith in that our prayers are answered, in that what we have wished for is in our way. Trusting totally that we are alright at every moment.

As for myself, I am choosing to practice planting these seeds whenever difficult times come - mind you, planting seeds makes you feel much better than feeling overwhelmed by the circumstances, because you are creating rather than standing in helplessness.

This is my proposal to you for this coming month: choose to develop one of the qualities mentioned above. Life will bring you the circumstances to practice. And after the challenge is over, you'll beautifully land on the other side with more self-knowledge and one more tool for life. Let me know how you do, I would love to hear about your successes!

Looking for a meditation program that helps you to truly change your life? Look no further, Holosync is here...

I have been using the Holosync meditation program for more than a year now, and it has definitely changed many aspects of my life. Miracle? Not really - just a matter of logic and "training" for the brain.

You see, the majority of what we consider our "problems" in our lives come from the very simple fact that we hold rigid beliefs about how things should or should not be. We look at the world from a dual perspective, and when something happens that does not match our belief on how things should be, it causes an array of thoughts and feelings - anything from upsetness to anxiety to heavy stress. Consciously or unconsciously, we tend to resist what is when it doesn't fit our way of seeing life.

The soundtracks from the Holosync meditation program take us to a deep state of relaxation while at the same time establishing new connections in the brain. When you go about your daily life you start looking at yourself from a "detached" point of view; you are able to think about the way you think about things. You start discovering the core of yourself and what you want.

You are able to deal in a new way with situations that made you "loose it" in the past. Your perspective is enlarged. Your resistance falls apart.

Holosync really starts up a process of awakening, which leads you little by little on to sorting your "long-term issues" - those mental blocks that affected your behaviour and which you thought you'd never go beyond.

As you use the Holosync soundtracks you will get hold of the pace of listening, and you will know when you need to give it a few days break to integrate the experiences you go through.

This meditation program is worth its price. Check the full review of the Holosync meditation program by following this link.

I believe that being grateful for something is one of the most powerful tools to feel better immediately. Here are the two thanking bits of the month:

Thankful for... silence. If you live in a large city like I do you're daily exposed to many types of noises. Ambulances and police sirens, noise of cars and transport in general, noise and busyness of the crowd of people in an afternoon of shopping. I so appreciate being able to come back to my room at the end of the day, and sit quietly in silence, gaining peace with each breath.

Thankful for... good health. I rarely fall ill, but this January I've had the opportunity to experience how much less bright the world looks when we are sick. Here goes my appreciation for enjoying good health daily, and my healing thoughts to all people who, for one reason or another, don't have full health.

What are you thankful for? Send me an email trough the Contact Me form and let me know!

Care to send me your thoughts about this issue's topics? Email me and let me know!

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please pass it along to your friends, family and colleagues, or send them to the Dare To Play It Big sign up page. I thank you in advance.

Stay well,

Cristina