Hello and welcome!

(I have decided to include a 'Hello and welcome!') in this newsletter from now on, I found it slightly rude to just start with 'This is me doing my stuff...' ;)

Thank you for taking advantage of the offer I sent you on my birthday. I hope that you are enjoying the ebooks :) I had a very nice birthday, with lots of people sending me texts, emails, messages over facebook, phone calls, and posting on my wall on facebook. Felt quite nice to be remembered :)

The thought of the month this time is rather long (but interesting, if I may say), so I don't want to make this newsletter the longest ever. I know you are busy. So go on, keep reading below, and I hope you enjoy it!

The other day, as I went about my things at home in the evening, a recurrent thought that causes me anxiety came up (the thought was about my worth as a woman, as a wanted partner).

I have explored that thought in the past and arrived at the conclusion, so far, that certain patters of interaction with my family during my childhood gave way to the belief that I am not good enough, which gets expressed in different ways.

At an intellectual level, you and I know that we are good enough. But one thing is to know it, and another thing is, put on the spot, to actually feel it in your bones.

When it comes down to the belief that we are not good enough, I have found that it takes quite a bit of thought training to start to feel different. Maybe because of that we may think, at times, that no matter how we try to change our thoughts we cannot get to feel different.

We can, it's just that it takes time - let's keep focused on the road.

So it occurred to me that, put on the spot, the course of action by default seems to be to feel bad.

Not being good enough takes many shapes, but the belief at the core is the same. Some of the shapes may be not feeling good enough a partner, or in regards to one's job, or about one's body, or even about one's own personal beliefs.

So there I was, a thought came up, and for a moment in front of me I saw the so-well-known path of not feeling good enough, feeling bad and anxious. But the automatic spring did not work, because I saw with clarity that there were two paths instead of just one, and so I could also choose *not* to go down the known path, and to take the other path instead.

Taking the other path meant reminding myself how good I am at so many things; how I have already made an impact on the lives of many people; how I bring compassion and love to my day job as much as possible; how I am good enough for myself, just like I am, all my flaws included.

What happened was that the known path just seemed to vanish, as I stood there, just seeing it but not going with it.

It occurred to me that the secret of creating change towards something better actually lies in something as simple as seeing two paths (maybe more!) instead of jumping into the path that we already know and that does not serve us (you know, the one that makes you feel bad), one little moment at a time.

But what does it take for us to be able to see more than just one path?

Here, I leave you with that question so that you can discover your own light ;)

This month I want to let you know about a happy network: The Happy Channel.

Jenna from The Happy Channel contacted me letting me know about it. As I checked it out, I found quite a few touching and hilarous videos, interesting links, and a community with which to connect, among many other things.

The common denominator? Stuff that makes you feel good. So go on, check it out at The Happy Channel - oh and visit their facebook page, I find it to be quite nice and with interesting posts!

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... summer rain. OK, so London may not be the warmest place in the world - but it can get pretty humid and thick on some summer days. That's when I love rain the most - when it cools down the air and leaves behind that smell of warm earth :)

Thankful for... swimming pools. Lately I have been feeling the need to go swimming to improve my health. I thought, "Ideally I would find a swimming pool next to work so that I can go before or after work, and even during lunchtime". A few days later, I saw a colleague in the kitchen at work and she was having a late lunch; I asked her "How come you're eating so late?", and she replied, "I go swimming at a nearby swimming pool at lunch"... :) So there we go, swimming pool found, I'll be going in no time! :)

What are you thankful for? Share your gratitude on this page and read what others are thankful for!

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

P.S. Feeling stressed and worried because of problems at work? Then check my handbook 'From Conflict To Calm' - based on my own experience with conflict with my boss, my handbook gives you the keys to move from a powerless situation to one of peace.

P.S.S. Tired of procrastinating? Wish you got more out of your own life but you don't know how? In my handbook 'Power Over Procrastination' you will find the exact plan, techniques and tools I use to get things done easily - leaving procrastination behind altogether!