This past month has been one of change for me. Sudden change in a few key areas of my life have been a wake-up call for reflection, action and movement in a certain direction, for which I am very grateful.

It keeps amazing me how we seem to always receive the exact experience we need in life to move further, to push ourselves on a bit more, to get us closer to what we want to achieve.

On a lighter note, I went to the Fashion Week in London with a friend. We wandered around admiring design clothes and jewellery, and I got myself a gorgeous handmade hat. We even got a free ice cream - who says life isn't great! :-)

Several non-profit organizations have agreed to high standards in ethical trade by complying to the ISEAL Code of Good Practice.

This means that those organizations will ensure that there is an actual fair exchange that will benefit farmers and small comunities around the world.

Read the full news at Fairtrade.

Repetition and routine create predictability, which make us feel like we know what's going to happen, and therefore in control and secure. When something changes, even if it's going to be for the better, we have to deal first with our feelings of sudden loss of security about our reality and uncertainty about the outcome of a situation.

However, change is what makes us not become stagnated, and it can also bring positive events. A relationship that breaks up leaves room for an even better one to come; a job that is lost may mean the birth of an entrepreneur.

We can learn to deal with change better and allow it to happen rather than resist it, since our resistance is futile anyway. Follow these steps:

• De-dramatize the situation. When our negative emotions take over, we may feel sad, frustrated, and angry. Not only this doesn't feel good, it also makes the situation look much more muddy and complicated than it actually is.

• Focus on the future. What is it that you want? Is what you are feeling, thinking or doing going to get you there?

• Choose. How can you benefit from the current situation? Decide what attitude you want to have about what is changing and how you are going to move forward. Choose your plan of action. Remember that sometimes the best action may be not to act at all and let it all be.

A good technique that I've found for times of change is to observe oneself from a detached point of view; like if what you're living is happening to a character of a novel or a play. This helps to realize what it is we are fearing and resisting. Amazingly, when that is exposed it doesn't seem as threatening.

Change allows life to bring us different circumstances that we can benefit from. Let's welcome change by having an observing attitude, a 'Let's see what happens' way of looking at life. There are many pleasant surprises on the way!

My personal recommendation of the month for a more positive life is Centerpointe's Awakening Prologue. This program consists of a number of soundtracks to listen to in a certain way, plus follow-up letters and support. The soundtracks put you in a meditative state with no effort on your side.

Overtime, the sound waves technology used help you to deal with the areas of your life where you've always had trouble. It prompts you, in a way, to "wake up" to yourself.

I do like two very important things about the Awakening Prologue. The first one is that it works (for me, as well as for many other people, as you can see by the testimonials). The second one is the superb follow-up: you get support letters telling you more about what you are experiencing and how to deal with it; you get more free soundtracks, and they even have a phone number where a real person helps you in your use of the program (I got very useful advice when I phoned).

Order a free demo CD of the Awakening Prologue and observe what you experience. For me, this program is well worth what you pay for it.

I will be soon writing a full review of Centerpointe's "Awakening Prologue" on TBOPT. Keep an eye on The Benefits Of Positive Thinking Blog!

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... our ability to choose. No matter what the situation is, you can always choose the way you think about or react to anything in your life. The major freedom I've found to be is the fact that you can choose calm and peace inside yourself, always, regardless outside circumstances. You just need to make the choice.

Thankful for... our ability to see. In this past month I attended a half-day course about disabilities in which the tutor was blind. As the seminar finished and we all went on with our lives, I thought about how us, the attendants, had simply spent a few hours talking about disabilities, while being blind was the all-time reality for the tutor, and how we take for granted something as precious as the ability to see. I felt immensely grateful for being able to see and appreciate the beauty of life all around me.

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!

Stay well,

Cristina