Work From Within - Newsletter

June, 2005 Newsletter

This issue is dedicated to making decisions with greater ease.

Maybe you’re facing an important decision about your job – like “Should I stay or should I go?” about your work? Read on to find out about an upcoming teleclass to help you get clarity.

In this issue:

(1) Feature Article: Feeling Good About Your Decisions

(2) A Helping Hand with Decisions

(3) Should I Stay or Should I Go?

(4) Using Your Intuition at Work

(5) In Closing

(1) Feature Article: Feeling Good About Your Decisions

Are you decisive? Yes or no? Well? C’mon! Which one are you?

If that question makes you hesitate or gives you a knot in your stomach, maybe it’s time to start trusting yourself. That’s the key to good decision making. How can you trust your decision-making abilities?

Set an intention to trust yourself. Make a list of good decisions you’ve made before. Now, recall each on in detail. Notice how your body feels as you think of those decisions. Maybe you have a warmth around your heart or your shoulders relaxed. With those positive sensations in your body, put a hand on your heart and tell yourself: “I have made good decisions before. I’m going to use all the information I have to make another good decision now.” Practice on small decisions, and you’ll find yourself making better decisions that you can help you to approach larger decisions with greater ease.

Include your gut instincts – your intuition. We have wisdom in our gut. Candace Pert, in her book Molecules of Emotions, shows that the chemicals that relay decision-making information reside not only in the brain, but also in the gut. Begin to notice what signals you get in your gut when you tap into your intuition. Consciously put a hand on your belly and ask for your wisdom to arise. Be patient, this may take time. Your gut instincts can help to inform important decisions.

Notice how you hold yourself back. Especially at work, when faced with challenges and difficulties, we constrict ourselves and cut off the flow of breath and movement. In other words, we get tense. It’s hard to make good decisions when we’re rigid and stiff. Allow yourself to breathe deeply. Go for a walk. Do some stretches. Open up your body, especially your chest. This opens your heart, so it can help you decide. Loosening up your body can also free up your mind. Let go of the need to be perfect, and embrace a ‘good enough’ decision.

With trust, and the help of your body, mind, and inner wisdom, you can make decisions that help you lead a life that energizes and inspires you.

(2) A Helping Hand with Decisions

Feeling stuck about a decision? Here’s a way to open up new possibilities.

Take a piece of paper and some colored markers or pencils.

Use your dominant hand (the one you write with), to write an open-ended question or a statement at the top of the page. Choose a subject where you want clarity or guidance. Some examples:

• “If I had my way, my working life would be….”

• “I would be happier at work if….”

• “Some new work ideas I could consider are…”

Then, switch hands. Let your non-dominant hand choose a colored pen or pencil that intuitively feels right. Then, let the hand begin to respond. You may find that the hand wants to draw or scribble. Just allow that. Take as much time as feels right, or set a time of 10 to 30 minutes for this activity. See what you create. The results may surprise you.

This suggestion comes from a combination of art therapy and brain science. The premise is that writing with the non-dominant hand provides access to unconscious perspectives.

(3) Should I Stay or Should I Go?

If you need to decide about a future career move, I’m excited to be offering a new teleclass:

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Are you:

• Waffling between staying in your current job and looking for another opportunity?

• Wondering whether you should ‘take this job and shove it’ or ‘take this job and love it’?

• Enticed by great perks and pay, but feel stuck or frustrated at work and unsure of what to do next?

Stop the stress!

If you are trying to decide what’s next in your working life, this four-week teleclass series is for you! Through a set of experiential activities and group discussion, you’ll you will feel strong and certain about your choice to stay or go.

The cost for this four-week tele-class series is just $79 – a great investment in yourself! Register now!

Dates & Times: July 5, 12, 19, and 26, 12-1 pm Pacific (3-4 pm Eastern)

(4) Free June Teleconference: Using Your Intuition at Work

Would you like to use more of your resources for decision making? Want to learn to trust your gut? This free teleclass introduces you to your intuition.

You'll learn:

How intuition works
Steps for developing your intuition
Ways to perceive intuition
How to use your intuition to your advantage at work.

We'll also make time for your questions.

Date & Time: Friday, June 17, 12 - 1 Pacific (3-4 Eastern)

(5) In Closing

I leave you with this quote:

"We are given one life, and the decision is our whether to wait for circumstances to make up our mind, or whether to act, and in acting, to live." -- Omar Nelson Bradley

Live well,

Susan