NSA-Arizona Chapter Member of the Year

NSA-Arizona Chapter Member of the Year

I’m a Board Member of the Arizona Chapter of the National Speakers Association, and have been Membership Chairperson for the past year. At June’s meeting, the new Board was sworn in. Afterwards, I gave a short announcement of an upcoming event.

As I started to my seat, our outgoing President, Susan Ratliff, said “Linda-Ann, stay up here.” She told the audience how I drive over 100 miles to attend the meetings and board meetings each month. And she praised me for how much work the membership committee  had been doing to promote our membership. I was puzzled, but appreciative of the recognition.

Then she said, “Because of all that you’ve done, we want to present you with the Chapter Member of the Year Award.” I almost fell through the floor. My mouth dropped open and I was stunned, shocked, and speechless.

I’m honored and grateful to the NSA-Arizona Board of Directors for presenting me with this award! I wasn’t expecting it at all. I will treasure it always for representing their appreciation and confidence in me.

Commit To A Path, Part 2

Commit To A Path, Part 2

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Not clearly communicating your decisions and desires in a professional and personal situation causes many problems for you, including:

It wastes precious emotional energy when you don’t make a commitment one way or the other. You worry about what will happen when they find out you’re backing out or breaking up. Maybe you duck their calls and avoid them when you see them. Giving them a definitive answer means that they have closure and you no longer have to be concerned. You can put your energy to more constructive use.

It gives your subconscious the instruction not to commit to a direction. If you have a habit of not making a choice and communicating it, your subconscious will follow that pattern with the goals you do want. It will take much longer to achieve them because your subconscious has been programmed to vacillate. When you are decisive, one way or the other, you give your subconscious the message that you choose to accomplish your goals. Even if you change your mind later on, you still are decisive and can move in a direction.

If you never say no to what you don’t want, you can never say yes to what you do want. By equivocating and not definitively saying, “No,” to a situation, you can’t move forward to what you want. Not committing is essentially the same as being indecisive. As long as you have your feet on two paths, you can never travel down one of them. Pick a path and commit yourself to it. You engage the Law of Attraction when you make a clear choice as to what you want. Set the decision behind you and move forward to what you want.

If you don’t want to say, “No,” when you’re asked, you can say, “Let me think about it and get back to you.” Then follow through on your statement and give them your answer within a couple of days. This frees them to find someone else.

In personal relationships, give clear messages. When you feel that the relationship has run its course, let the other person know that it’s time to go your separate ways. This gives them closure and lets them begin the process of healing and moving on.

Clear communication with others means that you also have clear communication within yourself. By giving a definite answer to someone, you’re not wasting time and energy being evasive with others, and you’re supporting your dreams, desires and well-being. This allows you to be true to yourself and fulfill your potential.

Affirmation

I realize that giving clear communication and accurate information is necessary for me to have the best relationship with my inner self. When I pick a path and commit to it, I send a message to my inner self that I’m saying “Yes” to what I want. I follow through with my commitments and confront outstanding issues. In so doing, I free up more energy to be used to further my dreams and desires.

Copyright 2013 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

Commit To A Path, Part 1

Commit To A Path, Part 1

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Some years ago, Sally and Terri discussed partnering to present a workshop. Initially, Terri was excited and they started the preliminary planning. As Sally began putting ideas together, Terri stopped returning her calls. Sally moved forward on the project, thinking that Terri had just gotten busy.

But as time went on, and details needed to be finalized, it became imperative for Sally to connect with Terri. Eventually, Terri called and said, “I don’t think I’m the right person for this. I kept putting off letting you know because I didn’t want to let you down.” All the time and work Sally had put into the project was for nothing, simply because Terri wouldn’t let Sally know she’d changed her mind.

Because Terri hadn’t wanted to disappoint Sally, she hadn’t been honest with her. If she’d let Sally know when she’d first come to that conclusion, it would have saved Sally hours of work and frustration. Instead of disappointing her, Terri would have freed her to look for another partner. But the delay undermined/scuttled the entire project.

Have you ever know someone to do this? They agreed to help, participate, or volunteer, but then changed their mind? Then they disappeared because they didn’t want to let the coordinator down. By being unavailable, they hoped that the planner would get the message that they didn’t want to do it. They didn’t want to look like a bad guy by making the break and hoped the coordinator would move on to someone else. They acted this way because they didn’t want to deal with the coordinator’s disappointment.

The reality was that their actions weren’t making it easier on the coordinator, but harder. They held the coordinator hostage, not letting them move on to find someone else or make other plans. They avoided confronting the issue because they didn’t want to deal with the guilt of not living up to their agreement and the discomfort of communicating this to the coordinator.

Do you ever do this, to yourself or others? Have you ever said “Yes” to doing something, but didn’t really want to do it? And then you avoided communicating your true decision? Have you ever wanted to end a relationship, and rather than making a clean break, tried leaving clues? Unfortunately, if you did, the other person just ended up confused and frustrated.

This lack of communications makes life difficult for the other person and for you. The result isn’t that the problem magically disappears, but that the other person is confused. And you wind up looking like the bad guy. People will stop asking you to be involved in projects, not because you lack the ability, but because they no longer trust you.

Copyright 2013 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

Why do negative thoughts arise when using affirmations?

Why do negative thoughts arise when using affirmations?

Question: How come when I use affirmations, negative thoughts take over my mind?

Answer: One reason the negative ideas may be surfacing is that your positive statements are flushing them out of their hidey-hole. As you put more positive in, the negative rises to the surface to be acknowledged before it can be released. But if they’re sticking around, something else is probably going on.

Sometimes the old, negative thought patterns resist our changing them, and the more we affirm positive, the more they clamor. Generally, it’s because they feel like they need to be there for to protect you. You accepted them at a time when they were necessary (or so you thought), but they aren’t helpful any more.

Sometimes, I’ll use an affirmation such as “I have outgrown old, outdated negative thought patterns that were implanted when I was much younger. My subconscious now recognizes that I no longer need or want them in that form, and releases them.”

Whatever you use, you need to understand that they’ll be there until you realize that they aren’t necessary any more. Sometimes it can feel safe to stay in the old (uncomfortable) rut, because its familiar. Or feelings of anger, hurt, fear or guilt can hang onto them.

In that case, you need to address those feelings. Just don’t resist the negative words, that gives them more power. Acknowledge that you recognize that they’ve been there, but you don’t need them any more. You might be surprised what surfaces when you do this.

Copyright 2004, 2013 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

Make A Decision To Commit To Your Dreams

Make A Decision To Commit To Your Dreams

If you’re ambivalent about a goal, you’ll vacillate and settle for your current conditions. Indecisiveness won’t help you succeed. To succeed in any venture, you have to make a decision to take the actions necessary for it. Learn how important committing to your goal or desire is.


~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” #5 – A Pleasing Personality

Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” #5 – A Pleasing Personality

In this rare video, Napoleon Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich,” talks about how your personality sells you through your life and consists of many different traits. Those traits are under your control. This video describes some of them, such as your mental attitude, the flexibility of your attitude, enthusiasm, and sincerity. He also addresses some negative habits that can make you unpopular. All of these affect your prosperity and success. You can change any of these and positively impact your progress in life.



~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Grand Canyon Reverie

Grand Canyon Reverie

Jeff and I recently visited the Grand Canyon again. It’s been a year since we’ve been there and I’ve missed it.

As you approach the rim, the vista looks like a backdrop.I remember a ride at Disneyland where you rode through a mock-up of the Grand Canyon. They did an amazing job, because the Canyon is so massive that it looks like that ride.

Every minute, the light changes, and the scenery is different. The whole Canyon alters from morning to afternoon to evening and sunset. It doesn’t seem real that it’s a mile down to the river. This photo of Jeff taking a photo on the Rim Trail shows that if you slide off, it’s a long way down.

Spending time at the Canyon is food for the soul. It shows that you’re a part of something greater. Every time I visit, I come away feeling replenished.

Lengthen Your Life By Healing Your Chromosomes

Lengthen Your Life By Healing Your Chromosomes

More and more studies are showing that meditation and mindfulness may actually increase your longevity. They’ve found that meditation can increase the length of your telomeres. These are like shoelace caps at the end of your chromosomes and protect them. As you age, the telomeres shorten. They’re considered to be a clock, showing the age of your chromosomes.

Many studies show a correlation between shorter telomeres and chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, dementia, and others. Stress can cause your telomeres to shorten quickly.

The good news is that telomeres can lengthen as well as shorten. Reducing stress, exercise, eating healthy, and meditation can increase their length. A recent study showed that loving-kindness mindfulness meditation could alter the length of telomeres.

You have control of your longevity and your health. By taking actions that are healthy for you, you can improve your quality of life.

Inspired by this study: Loving-kindess practice may improve longevity.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Make A Commitment To Your Dream

Make A Commitment To Your Dream

When you begin moving in a direction, and accept opportunities that are offered, you may discover all sorts of new possibilities. A few months ago, I started re-thinking my business model. The old one didn’t serve me as well as I’d hoped. So I set my subconscious mind to find new ways for me to move forward in ways that suited my desired lifestyle.

Within a short time, I was presented with the opportunity to register for Kendall Summerhawk’s weekend workshop LeapLive13. As a member of her International Association of Women in Business Coaching, I was able to register early enough to be eligible for three extra teleclasses that gave specific direction to grow my business.

Within three weeks of my committing to attend the workshop, another major strategy for my business fell into my life. It was one I’d heard before, but I wasn’t open to it then and had forgotten about it. But because of my more open and seeking mindset, this idea got planted in my mind. And it was one that completely resonated with me.

Kelly Chicas of Albuquerque Family Counseling
Kaye Halligan – Assisting to Manifest the Divine You

Then, in April, I attended the 3-day LeapLive13! workshop. It was amazing! Some of the information Kendall shared I already knew. But the way she put it together, the package she created with it, impacted me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. It’s changed the way I plan to do my business.

Nafissa Shireen of Unleash Your Success – Executive Health and Success

We had exercises to work through, generally with partners. I had some fantastic coaches to help me with insights and new directions. Kelly Chicas from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kaye Halligan from Australia, Nafissa Shireen from Canada, Zahra Efan from Canada, and Niki Klein from Canada. I can’t thank them enough for their assistance!

Zahra Efan – Life and Business Success Coach for Women

The moral of this story? Make a commitment to yourself and your dream, ask for guidance, and follow the signs along the way. You may not know quite where you’re going, but your inner self will guide you to what is for your greatest good.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

What is a mantra, how do you use an affirmation?

What is a mantra, how do you use an affirmation?

Question: What is a mantra, how long is it used in meditation, and how many times do you say an affirmation?

Answer: A mantra is a word, phrase or sound that’s repeated during meditation to help a person focus their mind, and take their attention away from the outer world or their extraneous thoughts. How long you say it varies from spiritual system to system.

Some state you should say it for as long as you’re meditating, some state you repeat it until your mind is calm and serene, open to the Universe. If you’re using an affirmation as a mantra, I’d recommend that you repeat it to yourself until you feel it resonate with truth within you.

If you’re saying an affirmation out loud, it’s recommended that you repeat it for at least 15 minutes a day. But while doing so, concentrate on its meaning and on feeling its truth. The feeling connects it to the subconscious.

Copyright 2004, 2013 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved