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	<title>Wisecracks &#187; Attitude</title>
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	<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog</link>
	<description>A Coachable Moment</description>
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		<title>Meditation Musings &#8211; Being In The Now</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/07/meditation-musings-being-in-the-now/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/07/meditation-musings-being-in-the-now/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Jul 2010 09:29:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Barrett</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Meditation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Balance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Focus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lessons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mindful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self-care]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=481</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Meditation comes in many forms and with many techniques but one of the commonalities of most of them is that one must usually start by being in the Now. Among the traditional Ways, most fall into one of two methods; concentrative or mindful. In concentrative meditation one focuses their attention on something specific, the breathing, [...]]]></description>
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<p>Meditation comes in many forms and with many techniques but one of the commonalities of most of them is that one must usually start by being in the Now.</p>
<p>Among the traditional Ways, most fall into one of two methods; concentrative or mindful. In concentrative meditation one focuses their attention on something specific, the breathing, an image, or a  sound (mantra), while in mindful meditation one allows thoughts, images, feelings, sensory input, to pass through the mind without attaching to them or becoming engaged by them. In either technique one must have a starting point and that point is usually the Now.</p>
<p>Most of us don&#8217;t spend much time in the Now. Have you ever finished a routine trip in the car without being aware of the actual trip? You were somewhere but you weren&#8217;t in the Now. Your mind was thinking about something else while your body was on “auto-pilot”. When you are lying awake for the second night in a row, unable to sleep because your thoughts keep whirling around in your head, you&#8217;re not in the Now. When you walk away from the stove without turning off the burner, you&#8217;re dangerously not in the Now. For much of human history not being in the Now was often a fatal condition.</p>
<p>Babies exist in the Now and one can often watch as toddlers stop living in the Now over a matter of weeks or months. If you&#8217;ve ever played an intense game of volleyball (or some other sport) and felt like you had all the time in the world as everything around you slowed down, you were in the Now. The runner who&#8217;s in “the zone” and exhilarates in the feeling of the breath in their nostrils and the blood pumping in their arteries is in the Now.</p>
<p>Meditation allows us to relearn being in the Now and many of us then carry that process out of the zendo and into our daily lives. When one has learned to use that gentle, persistent redirection of the mind into the Now while meditating one often finds applications in other places. When faced with a complicated or tedious task at work, being in the Now allows us to keep focus and make better use of our time and energy. When interacting with other people, being in the Now makes us more tuned-in to them and can make us aware of subtle verbal and nonverbal cues we would otherwise miss.  If one is in the Now at bedtime those whirling thoughts aren&#8217;t there and one can finally get to sleep. In a strange or unfamiliar situation being in the Now can bring to our attention details and information that can help keep us safe.</p>
<p>Some schools of meditation indicate that the ultimate goal of  sitting is to move into a state where one is always in the Now. I would like to meet such a person. I marvel at the thought of such a disciplined mind and I think it would be fascinating to see how they deal with their day-to-day world.</p>
<p>Personally, this is one of the reasons that I say I “practice” meditation, staying in the Now isn&#8217;t always easy for me. I have, however, learned to notice the signs of my distraction and gently and persistently pull myself back into the moment. As time goes by I&#8217;ll continue to get better at it. It&#8217;s another tool in my spiritual and mental toolbox that helps enhance my life and make me a better person.</p>
<p>Namaste,<br />
Jim</p>
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		<title>What if&#8230;?</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/01/what-if/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/01/what-if/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:26:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holistic Life Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Focus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opportunity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Positive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relief]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=379</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is one of my favorite questions. What if? It can be paralyzing if we stop there, but if we take it a few steps further this little question can also be a wonderful way to open our mind and heart to new, exciting possibilities. Sometimes when we are faced with an opportunity or a [...]]]></description>
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<p>This is one of my favorite questions. What if? It can be paralyzing if we stop there, but if we take it a few steps further this little question can also be a wonderful way to open our mind and heart to new, exciting possibilities.</p>
<p>Sometimes when we are faced with an opportunity or a challenge we start the questioning in our mind. What if I&#8217;m not welcome? What if they don&#8217;t like me? What if I make a fool of myself? <a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/DSCF0531.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-380" title="DSCF0531" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/DSCF0531-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p>
<p>Those are all valid questions and in many circumstances they are very real possibilities. My response when I&#8217;m working with life coaching clients is to take this scenario a bit further.</p>
<p>Okay, so you go to an event and you are not immediately welcomed? What then? Do you have to stand there alone or is there something you can do about it? Well of course there is something we can do about it; we can be uncomfortable and lonely, we can even leave, or we can begin to introduce ourselves to others. This can be far easier said than done, so we may role play a bit, helping the person to find an easy way to introduce themselves to that first person. Putting a smile on your face and greeting the first person will immediately allow you to feel just a bit better. What if you actually enjoy the experience? Oh wow! I know a young man who was very shy, almost painfully so. He made up his mind that he wanted to meet new people, so he put himself into situations where the only way he could talk to anyone was if it was someone new. He went places by himself. Smiled and offered his hand in greeting. This young man now loves to go places where he is a total stranger. He collects new friends like I collect shoes. What if you tried to do the same?</p>
<p>What if you didn&#8217;t enjoy the experience? What would happen to you then? It&#8217;s a possibility isn&#8217;t it? So, I ask you to consider that in your mind, how does it make you feel and where is the feeling located? Would it ruin your day? Does that have to be the outcome? Would you be able to learn from the experience and take it as an important life lesson? What if the lesson helped you to realize that others are possibly unsure when they attend an event? The result could be that you take it on yourself to welcome new people, which will often make you the most deeply appreciated person in the room. Hmmm, not so negative at all now, in fact it sounds pretty darned good, if that&#8217;s what you want. What if, what if, what if?</p>
<p>What if your dream of great wealth came true tomorrow? Sounds fabulous doesn&#8217;t it? What would happen then? Some people immediately begin to imagine the opportunities they would have to change their lives and the lives of those they care about. Other people immediately begin to worry about the taxes and the new bills they would accumulate by over spending. So, take each of these scenarios a few steps further. How would you change lives? How would that make you feel and how would you begin? Worried about all of this? What precisely are you worried about? What steps can you take to know that you would be responsible? Oh yes, that&#8217;s right! We are in charge of our own destiny here, none of these things needs to happen. Taxes and bills can easily be managed by being responsible, or engaging the assistance of someone who is honorable and trustworthy to guide us. Then what, that negative feeling or fear is greatly diminished, now we can see the possibilities of  how we can change our lives for the better.</p>
<p>When we ask this question I like to remember and to remind others that it&#8217;s all about moving through the immediate feeling. Instead of answering the initial what if and stopping, take it another step or two or even fifteen. Ask yourself; are any of these scenarios written in stone? Do I have the power to change them, if so how? Remembering that we have the ability to tweak and change our lives with a thought, a feeling or a smile is very empowering.</p>
<p>What if you allow yourself to enjoy this question? What if you allow yourself to clearly see many possibilities and then realize that there is no pre-destined outcome. What if?</p>
<p>Wishing you an exciting week, knowing that when you ask what if, you are asking to see alternatives and opportunities for yourself so that you can move forward in a manner which serves you best.  After all, you always deserve the best, which is what I always wish for you.</p>
<p>Warmly,</p>
<p>Sandy</p>
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		<title>Why on Christmas?</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/12/why-on-christmas/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/12/why-on-christmas/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Dec 2009 14:20:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Appreciation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blessings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Catholic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Celebrations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gratitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Religion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scrooge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Walden Ponder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wisconsin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=372</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[First of all, if you celebrate Christmas I would like to wish you a most magnificent day! However, for a variety of reasons not everyone does celebrate Christmas, what does that say about them and how are they treated? I happen to be a Christian so for me Christmas is a no-brainer celebration. After all, [...]]]></description>
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<p>First of all, if you celebrate Christmas I would like to wish you a most magnificent day! However, for a variety of reasons not everyone does celebrate Christmas, what does that say about them and how are they treated?</p>
<p>I happen to be a Christian so for me Christmas is a no-brainer celebration. After all, as a Christian my faith tells me that this is the day to celebrate the birth of our savior. In honor of that amazing fact, we as Christians gather together to sing praises to our God, we often exchange presents and offer good cheer to those we meet. So far, so good. I have many friends who are not Christian, no problem. I wish them a most blessed day on religious holidays that I know are important to them and they return the heartfelt wish on the days important to me. And then there are my friends who are agnostic or even atheist, no problem. Many of them celebrate the day in a totally secular manner, again that seems to be considered  acceptable to most people, Santa Claus visits, egg-nog is enjoyed and the world continues to spin to everyone&#8217;s satisfaction.</p>
<p>Enter Jeff. One of my favorite sons, Jeff  was raised Catholic,  however he has decided that&#8217;s simply not his belief system. He doesn&#8217;t rain on anyone else&#8217;s parade; he doesn&#8217;t disparage our celebration he simply doesn&#8217;t &#8216;do&#8217; Christmas himself. It&#8217;s interesting what sort of conversations and interesting comments take place when he mentions this fact to others. Apparently this actually aggravates some people, my question is why? It seems that the common thought is that he is somehow a living, breathing, unreformed Ebenezer Scrooge because he doesn&#8217;t buy or expect presents or put up a tree. Huh? While I have no problem with folks celebrating in any way they choose it seems to me that we should be just as tolerant of someone who simply chooses not to celebrate.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve heard some pretty disparaging comments about this and I don&#8217;t get it. Jeff  frequently asks simple but thought provoking questions, such as why so many people pretend to like one another this time of year, but can&#8217;t tolerate one another next week. Why do they spend money buying presents for these people if they don&#8217;t truly care for them? Why are people expected to overspend to show they care about one another even if they cannot afford to spend money?  Do any of those things have to do with the birth of Christ? From what I understand Jeff considers this sad and more than a bit hypocritical, I tend to agree. So, there are very unkind comments about him being unfriendly, stingy or even uncaring. While I don&#8217;t know the situation regarding every person who chooses not to celebrate Christmas I happen to know this is not the fact with this young man.</p>
<p>Jeff is always thoughtful about the feelings of others. If he is in town for Christmas or Easter he e<a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/pics-140.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-373" title="pics 140" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/pics-140-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a>ven attends mass with his Dad and me, not for himself, but because he knows it makes us feel good. I consider that very thoughtful. He&#8217;s absolutely not cheap or unwilling to spend on others; he is very generous without any special occasion in mind, because that&#8217;s just who Jeff is and the way he likes to treat people. More to the point Jeff and others I know who do not celebrate this particular holiday tend to treat people pretty much the same, day in or day out. Willing to know strangers before they judge them, loyal to friends and pretty firm in their stand regarding those they dislike. Now that seems very fair to me.</p>
<p>It seems that Jeff had a few things to say about this himself, you can read his thoughts if you visit Walden Ponder. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.waldenponder.com/2009/12/christmas-comes-every-year">http://www.waldenponder.com/2009/12/christmas-comes-every-year</a></p>
<p>Today I am celebrating Christmas with the members of our family who are in town. We will eat, open presents and enjoy being together all in the name of celebrating the birth of Christ. I&#8217;ve got to say that I appreciate Jeff and others who don&#8217;t celebrate for the gentle reminder they offer. I will try to keep his position in mind all year long, hopefully it will be a good reminder for me to keep in contact with those I care about, offer my love and generosity throughout the year and not only on particular days. I have to believe that is the best way I can honor my own Christian beliefs and respect the beliefs of others at the same time.</p>
<p>For those of you who celebrate, I wish you all the most wonderful blessings of this marvelous day. For those who don&#8217;t celebrate, I still wish you all the blessings of this marvelous day. Gosh that feels good.</p>
<p>Warmly,</p>
<p>Sandy</p>
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		<title>You are an Energy Super Hero</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/12/you-are-an-energy-super-hero/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/12/you-are-an-energy-super-hero/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:38:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holistic Life Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reiki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Awareness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Caring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frustration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gratitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Superhero]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=313</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was reminded by a wonderful gentleman the other day of the power we have over one another. Pull out your super hero cape; you&#8217;ve got the power too. Did you ever go into a room and know that something very unpleasant was going on, even before anyone said a word? Perhaps the room felt [...]]]></description>
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<p>I was reminded by a wonderful gentleman the other day of the power we have over one another. Pull out your super hero cape; you&#8217;ve got the power too.</p>
<p>Did you ever go into a room and know that something very unpleasant was going on, even before anyone said a word? Perhaps the room felt tense or just generally unwelcoming as you entered. You were feeling the energy of at least one person in that room, possibly that of everyone in that room.</p>
<p>Alternately, do you know someone who just makes you feel silly happy to see them? Most of us know at least one person like that; we are truly blessed if we know many. These people share their loving energy as naturally as you and I breathe.</p>
<p>Sounds like super powers to me. You have this power as well.  Experiment a bit if you don&#8217;t believe me. Go into a room and smile; deliberately think of sharing loving &#8216;vibes&#8217;. Most likely you will quickly notice that others are smiling back. Probably approaching you, offering hugs or handshakes. You are sharing your loving energy and infecting others with it. Wahoo!!! You are using your super powers whether you are wearing the cape or not.</p>
<p>You do this innately. But here&#8217;s the cool part. Now that you are conscious of this ability, you can be very deliberate about it as well. Naturally, I encourage you to use this power for good, not evil.</p>
<p>Take a moment before you enter a room, answer a phone call or start a conversation. Consciously align your thoughts to the vibes you want to give out. If you want to be cheery, recall a happy thought, notice that feeling, intend to share that energy with those you are about to speak with and put a big smile on your face. It will come through loud and clear. If it&#8217;s your intention to spread calm, take a few deep breaths; remember a place or occasion that made you feel calm and content. Hold on to this feeling and intend to share it with others. You&#8217;re on!</p>
<p>The gentleman that I spoke about earlier has come to realize this power in a very profound way. I applaud him for recognizing and wanting to share this with others. He now makes a very conscious point of starting conversations with a smile and asking for the other person to share something good that has happened to them today. I love that! He&#8217;s automatically releasing any thoughts or feelings of negativity, asking for and giving thoughts of happiness or joy.  He&#8217;s not only feeding his own sense and feeling of well-being, but he is sharing that same gift with others at the same time. Well done my friend!</p>
<p>This awareness strikes me on all levels, particularly professionally. As a Reiki master, I always encourage my clients to deliberately release any negativity they no longer need and to allow themselves to accept  positive energy as they are ready. As a Reiki teacher I encourage my students to develop awareness of their own energy so that they offer only healthy, positive energy to others as much as possible. Of course any of my holistic life coaching clients hear the same thing.   These energy shifts may be subtle, but they influence our thoughts, feelings and<a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/DSCF0521.JPG"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-368" title="DSCF0521" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/DSCF0521-300x225.jpg" alt="DSCF0521" width="300" height="225" /></a> behaviors. Powerful stuff.</p>
<p>I encourage you to consciously put on your cape every day. Take a few moments to think about what you would like to project to others as well as what you hope to receive from your interaction with others.  See what happens. Make a few mental notes, and notice that the more deliberate you are about sharing love, compassion and joy the more you receive of the same.  I&#8217;m willing to bet that you will very soon realize just how much you are able to positively influence the outcome of every situation. Intend to share, focus on those thoughts and feelings, notice the results, offer gratitude and begin the process all over again.</p>
<p>Try this for a day or two, I bet you&#8217;ll be hooked. I hope so. Then go on, share the secret with someone else. You&#8217;ll be giving them their very own super hero cape.</p>
<p>Warmly,</p>
<p>Sandy</p>
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		<title>My Life is Soup</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/12/my-life-is-soup/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/12/my-life-is-soup/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:26:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holistic Life Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reiki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Appreciation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Positive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soup]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=305</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I got up this morning and had a taste for good veggie soup. Yummy. So I got on the Internet, found a couple of dozen recipes that sounded interesting and finally printed one. The adventure had begun! A short visit to my favorite grocery store yielded all the perfect ingredients. A clean kitchen meant that [...]]]></description>
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<p><a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/head-shot-4-resized-smaller1.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-310" title="head shot 4, resized smaller" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/head-shot-4-resized-smaller1-231x300.jpg" alt="head shot 4, resized smaller" width="231" height="300" /></a>I got up this morning and had a taste for good veggie soup. Yummy. So I got on the Internet, found a couple of dozen recipes that sounded interesting and finally printed one.</p>
<p>The adventure had begun! A short visit to my favorite grocery store yielded all the perfect ingredients. A clean kitchen meant that I had nothing to stand in my way. So, I banished hubby to the garage to split wood and I began to make my soup.</p>
<p>I started off following the recipe &#8211; honest I did! However, it didn&#8217;t take long before I realized that the recipe I had searched out was serving more as a very loose guide, more of a suggestion than hard fast, specific directions. Soon the kitchen filled with the delicious aroma of garlic, sweltering onion and lovely vegetables blending their flavors like instruments blend their sounds, to yield something fabulous and almost magical. Alright, I was really hungry and it smelled pretty darned good! It turned out pretty good too, if I do say so myself.</p>
<p>What&#8217;s the point of sharing this story with you?  I wanted to share my epiphany. I had the very profound thought that I run my life pretty much exactly like I cook. In short, my life is soup.</p>
<p>I make plans, do diligent research and then refine those plans. When everything feels right and I&#8217;m silly excited, I get moving. Sometimes I stick right to the plans or the &#8216;recipe&#8217;, but I&#8217;m pretty amazed how often I throw the entire thing right out the window. Still I&#8217;m almost always pleased at the result. The soup almost always turns out at least as good as I planned, often much better.</p>
<p>This is going to be short today, because I&#8217;m pretty sure you understand my point pretty clearly without me elaborating very much more.  Especially if you are a Reiki or holistic life coaching client of mine, then you could probably finish this all by yourself. But I&#8217;m going to spell it out anyway.</p>
<p>The point is simply this. Go ahead, make plans, think things out and organize your future from where you are right now. However, be open to a change here and there, it may yield something remarkable and quite wonderful. Today&#8217;s soup wouldn&#8217;t have been nearly as tasty without the turnips, and they weren&#8217;t in the recipe at all.</p>
<p>My life is just like my soup and I wouldn&#8217;t have it any other way. I encourage you to make soup my way from time to time. You may like it!</p>
<p>Wishing you a most fabulous week,</p>
<p>Sandy</p>
<p><em> </em></p>
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		<title>Sweet Indiana</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/11/sweet-indiana/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/11/sweet-indiana/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:32:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holistic Life Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reiki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Appreciation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boxer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healing energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life Force Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[perseverance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self-care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spiritual]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stroke]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=296</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Silly Indy. Rolled up his favorite blankie to lie down, but he kept stumbling and falling down. Never fear, he&#8217;s a clever boy, he eventually braced himself against a chair and just slid down. He&#8217;s managing very well. Indy is my boxer buddy. He turned five years old this past July and is in the [...]]]></description>
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<p>Silly Indy. Rolled up his favorite blankie to lie down, but he kept stumbling and falling down. Never fear, he&#8217;s a clever boy, he eventually braced himself against a chair and just slid down. He&#8217;s managing very well.</p>
<p>Indy is my boxer buddy. He turned five years old this past July and is in the prime of his doggy life. But he&#8217;s hit a few bumps this past year.</p>
<div id="attachment_298" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/DSCF03981.JPG"><img class="size-medium wp-image-298" title="DSCF0398" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/DSCF03981-300x225.jpg" alt="Indy and Duke, Thanksgiving Day" width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Indy and Duke, Thanksgiving Day</p></div>
<div id="attachment_299" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/DSCF0361.JPG"><img class="size-medium wp-image-299" title="DSCF0361" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/DSCF0361-300x225.jpg" alt="Indiana, just watching the world go round. " width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Indiana, just watching the world go round. </p></div>
<p>Indy had a stroke last spring. Things looked pretty grim for the first several days;  in fact we were all spending as much time with him as possible as it looked as though he would surely die. On the day that I thought would be his last, he started to recover. From there on he made steady progress to an almost full recovery.</p>
<p>Fast forward to this week. All was well until one night Indy was restless around 2:30am. Completely out of character as this boy likes his solid 12 bedtime hours of sleep. I got up with him and he stumbled down the stairs, falling for the past few. This happened a few times in the wee early hours and I knew what had happened again. I had to leave very early that day so I told Indy when I would be back and explained to my husband all of the particulars and how to help Indiana the most.</p>
<p>By the time I got back in the afternoon I didn&#8217;t know just what to expect. Not what I found, that&#8217;s for sure. I returned to find my now &#8217;tilted&#8217; boy, playing and trying to engage everyone else in play. Clearly he was in no pain and I got the feeling that he wanted us all to know just that.</p>
<p>We lay down on the floor and Indy allowed me to give him Reiki for well over an hour. We then took a nice long nap and both felt much better.</p>
<p>That first night Indy went upstairs to sleep just like normal, but the journey up the stairs was clearly difficult for him. By the middle of the night we were both back down on the first floor. He curled on his favorite blanket and went to sleep. Since then, he hasn&#8217;t tried to go upstairs at all. Our youngest son Mike has been staying with us and he has been sleeping on the couch so that Indy won&#8217;t be alone and has someone nearby if he needs them.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m once again being reminded of so many things. The life coach in me admires the common sense and good nature that Indy is exhibiting. He can&#8217;t go up and down the stairs so he&#8217;s simply not, excellent self-care! Duke, the boxer that we once fostered has been here for the past few days and Indy really likes him, so when Duke goes outside so does Indy. They stroll around the yard and Indy even tries to coax Duke into playing with him. Imagine this normally very graceful dog trying to run around, stumbling and tipping a bit, but showing Duke that he&#8217;s willing! It could be heart-breaking I suppose, but I see it as quite wonderful. Indy knows what he can and cannot do and is quite determined to enjoy everything that he can.</p>
<p>We went to Grandma and Grandpa&#8217;s for both Thanksgiving and a birthday party. Guess who was lined up first at the door? Yep, Indy was determined not to be left out of these gatherings. He got to the truck and turned around and just looked at me as if to say &#8216;Okay, I got this far, now you lift me up please.&#8217; Naturally I did. While at the gatherings, he got plenty of ear rubs and did his best to be sure that little baby faces were kept clean. Another job well done.</p>
<p>I really don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s ahead for my pal. He&#8217;s middle-aged, really at the time most boxers are at their peak of strength and endurance. I&#8217;m grateful for that, as I&#8217;m sure it&#8217;s serving Indy well. I&#8217;ll continue to offer Reiki to him everyday, he clearly knows how and when it helps him and I love having the opportunity to offer it to him, more cuddle time for both of us.</p>
<p>We won&#8217;t eliminate playtime or walks.  We will of course let Indy set the pace and the time frame. This smart boy clearly knows what he wants and what he can do, so I&#8217;ll just let him tell me.</p>
<p>In the meantime, I&#8217;ll continue to learn from Indiana. He&#8217;s happy! He wants to participate in family activities and he will. When he&#8217;s had enough he simply lies down and we are doing our best to be sure that his favorite spots are a bit extra fluffy and warm. Excellent life lessons for me. Enjoy everything I can and take a rest when I&#8217;m tired. Find a way to do what you want to do and don&#8217;t worry if it looks silly to anyone else. And oh yeah, don&#8217;t forget to be affectionate at every opportunity.</p>
<p>This week I hope you take the opportunity to  enjoy every moment, make the most of what you have and expect the very best outcome. Most of all, be happy whenever  possible.</p>
<p>Warmly,</p>
<p>Sandy</p>
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		<title>What did you Expect?</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/11/what-did-you-expect/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/11/what-did-you-expect/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:22:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holistic Life Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reiki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retreats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Appreciation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emotions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forgiveness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Healing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laughter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Meditation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Psych-K]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relaxation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retreat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Support]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=276</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My co-host and wonderful new friend, Melissa Heisler and I welcomed a group of five (5) women for our Relax and Recharge Retreat this past weekend. We had talked about  our hopes and plans for the retreat and created an outline to guide us as well as letting the participants know what to expect. That [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sandywalden.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Fwhat-did-you-expect%2F"><br />
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<p><a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/IMG00061.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-327" title="IMG00061" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/IMG00061-300x225.jpg" alt="IMG00061" width="300" height="225" /></a>My co-host and wonderful new friend, Melissa Heisler and I welcomed a group of five (5) women for our Relax and Recharge Retreat this past weekend.</p>
<p>We had talked about  our hopes and plans for the retreat and created an outline to guide us as well as letting the participants know what to expect. That plan pretty much flew right out the window, and it was to the benefit of all of us.</p>
<p>Everyone came for their own reason and of course those reasons and personal stories will remain confidential. What I found most interesting though was that all of the participants had desires and intentions in common, even if they were not aware of these desires and intentions went they registered for the event.</p>
<p>The weekend seemed to fly. Bonds were quickly and firmly established. Some ladies slept in, getting some much needed and well earned rest. Others spent those early hours in quiet talk. We walked for miles while we shared precious stories, sometimes all of us together, other times one on one. There was opportunity for Psych-K and Reiki and we all participated in guided meditation, taking our own private journeys in our mind while listening to our souls. We even spent some time creating our own vision boards. And do these ladies have vision! Each vision board was of course very different from the others. Another step toward creating the future that each is bringing about in her own life.</p>
<p>We ate well, nurturing our bodies while we nurtured our souls. It was a weekend of discovery and remembering. Recalling the laughter and pure joy of youth and simple pleasures.  Life coaching went on almost constantly, and some of it was even offered by the coaches; Melissa and me. The support and positive suggestions offered by each of these women to one another was heartwarming and genuine. They were positive, supportive and kind, most of all they were right on point, time and again.  Tears flowed, but there was also laughter. So much joy, I can hear it even now.</p>
<p>Can you bend spoons? Me too!  But Melissa shared this skill in a whole new way. Instead of using force to bend the spoon, she taught how to make the spoon pliable and easy to bend by using your heart and mind. Love that! And yes, it worked.  I was smart enough to buy some extra spoons from the accommodating diner down the road or I suspect I would be looking for new spoons for my lake home even now. They bent easily and it was just so cool to see the looks of amazement and happiness of the faces of the amazing ladies. They were always powerful but now they realized it in a whole new way. Very exciting stuff!</p>
<p>While it was our original plan to include Reiki, Psych-K, meditation, life coaching, etc., we soon realized that the schedule was not important at all. The days and nights unfolded perfectly. It&#8217;s pretty tough to ask for more than that.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m grateful to each of these women for sharing and participating. I&#8217;m also grateful to them for reminding me of a powerful lesson. I had certain expectations and plans when Melissa and I were putting all of this together. And while I still believe it&#8217;s important to have expectations and plans, I was gently and wonderfully reminded that it&#8217;s very important to let go of expectations when something much better comes along.</p>
<p>I wish you a week where your expectations are not only met but exceeded in surprising and most fabulous ways.</p>
<p>Warmly,</p>
<p>Sandy</p>
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		<title>A Good Deed</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/11/a-good-deed/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/11/a-good-deed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:32:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holistic Life Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reiki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Awareness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kindness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laughter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Positive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Success]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=260</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve posted about this before, but every time I think about it I become very excited, so I thought I&#8217;d share with you. Our mother&#8217;s taught us that we should be nice to others because it&#8217;s the right thing to do; I tried to teach my kids the very same thing. I remember from time [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sandywalden.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Fa-good-deed%2F"><br />
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<p><a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/DSC01004.JPG"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-332" title="DSC01004" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/DSC01004-225x300.jpg" alt="DSC01004" width="225" height="300" /></a>I&#8217;ve posted about this before, but every time I think about it I become very excited, so I thought I&#8217;d share with you.</p>
<p>Our mother&#8217;s taught us that we should be nice to others because it&#8217;s the right thing to do; I tried to teach my kids the very same thing. I remember from time to time one of my boys would ask why they should help out their brother, what was in it for them? Well, I was the grown-up in the house, so in the most gentle, loving manner I could muster I would calmly explain that what was in it for them was the opportunity to sleep inside the house that night and with any luck the next night as well! I tried hard to be a generous and helpful mom.</p>
<p>I wish I had known then what I know now. It turns out that every time we do something kind for someone else, from helping them find their shoes to untying them from the railroad track <em>just</em> before the speeding train arrives, raises our serotonin levels. In short it makes us feel good. Here&#8217;s where it gets even better. You would probably expect the formerly tied up on the track person to feel pretty good about the new situation. But guess what, you will too! That&#8217;s right not only are you doing just what your mama told you to do (rest assured, Mom&#8217;s feeling pretty good at the moment now as well) but your serotonin levels go up just as a result of your doing the right thing. Hot dog, you&#8217;ve got to love that. But wait, it gets even better!</p>
<p>This is not just a win/win for both the good deed doer and the good deed recipient, but it turns out that anyone witnessing the event also experiences a rise in serotonin. How cool is that? That explains why I felt so good when I would watch one of my boys help the other to build a snow fort. They thought they were simply doing it to protect their corner of the yard from the opponents on the other side of the yard, and in truth that&#8217;s what they were doing. But they undoubtedly felt good as a result of the kindness, their brothers felt good and I now realize that this act in full view of the neighbors probably made them smile and feel just a bit better as well.</p>
<p>Now the life coach in me realizes that even if I didn&#8217;t intellectually understand this all those years ago that I probably intuitive understood it and that others probably do as well. But how cool is it that we now actually know intellectually what we felt all along?</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve had conversations with other Reiki people about this from another angle. For instance, while I give myself Reiki frequently I most feel the wonderful effects of Reiki when I am offering it to another. That is definite motivation to be sharing Reiki with anyone and everyone who is open to the experience. It just feels good and makes me happy.</p>
<p>What to do with this information? Perhaps just knowing it is enough to make you smile and feel good. You might share the info with others and hopefully motivate them to do an extra  kindness.</p>
<p>In truth I don&#8217;t care just what the motivation was that made my little boys help one another out from time to time. They did and clearly they got something from the experience as they are all now adults who don&#8217;t hesitate to assist others cheerfully. I feel better just having that knowledge.</p>
<p>I wish you a fabulous week, offering, receiving and observing kindness and good deeds.</p>
<p>Warmly,</p>
<p>Sandy</p>
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		<title>Please Don&#8217;t Should on Me!</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/10/please-dont-should-on-me/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/10/please-dont-should-on-me/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:10:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holistic Life Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Appreciation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self-care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[should]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Support]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=254</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you ever have well intentioned friends or family telling you precisely how you &#8216;should&#8217; do something? Or tell you after the fact what you &#8216;should&#8217; have done during a particular situation? Well, I&#8217;m working to put a stop to it. I think I&#8217;m going to have some small cards printed up, they will say [...]]]></description>
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			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sandywalden.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fplease-dont-should-on-me%2F"><br />
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<p><a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/DSCF0521.JPG"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-338" title="DSCF0521" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/DSCF0521-300x225.jpg" alt="DSCF0521" width="300" height="225" /></a>Do you ever have well intentioned friends or family telling you precisely how you &#8216;should&#8217; do something? Or tell you after the fact what you &#8216;should&#8217; have done during a particular situation? Well, I&#8217;m working to put a stop to it.</p>
<p>I think I&#8217;m going to have some small cards printed up, they will say &#8216;Please Don&#8217;t Should On Me&#8217;. I intend to hand one of these cards to anyone who feels that they know just how I need to handle any particular situation. Of course these people always know better than I possibly could.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m guilty of it as well, no doubt about it. Sometimes when a friend is telling me about a situation that is happening or they are anticipating, I feel that they will greatly benefit from me sharing my point of view. Sometimes that&#8217;s not enough and I actually go over the edge and tell them they should do such and such. The <em>nerve</em>!</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not my business to tell anyone how they should handle any situation. If asked, and I repeat, <em>if</em> asked, I believe it&#8217;s fine to offer suggestions. How much better to simply be a person who offers support and allows my friend or family member to work it out on their own. I know it&#8217;s not a novel idea, but it takes a bit of practice to actually remember this and put it into action. By the way, let&#8217;s consider this your holistic life coaching reminder for the day. We all have the answers within us, sometimes we just need to find a way to discover what those answers are.</p>
<p>So, next time we&#8217;re chatting I&#8217;ll be happy to hear your point of view, answer your questions and appreciate your suggestions. But I will truly appreciate it if you don&#8217;t should on me and I will make every effort not to should on you. Maybe I&#8217;ll get a few extra cards printed up and share them, together we can eliminate quite a lot of shoulding.</p>
<p>Wishing you a should-free week, filled with love and support from family and friends.</p>
<p>Warmly,<br />
Sandy</p>
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		<title>Apple Mystery</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/10/apple-mystery/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/10/apple-mystery/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:21:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holistic Life Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Appreciation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emotions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laughter]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[I don&#8217;t cook or bake very often anymore, my husband John likes to do it and he&#8217;s really very good at it as well. Hooray for me! Today I decided that I should do a bit of baking. It&#8217;s a lovely autumn day, the rain has finally stopped, the dog has been walked and John [...]]]></description>
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<p>I don&#8217;t cook or bake very often anymore, my husband John likes to do it and he&#8217;s really very good at it as well. Hooray for me!</p>
<p>Today I decided that I should do a bit of baking. It&#8217;s a lovely autumn day, the rain has finally stopped, the dog has been walked and John is outside chopping wood for the fireplace. It seems like the only thing left to do is bake, so I decided to make an apple slab cake. Yummy.</p>
<p>I meandered off to the kitchen, found a recipe and started working on the apples. John came into the kitchen and we chatted a bit, disturbing my rhythm a little, but I didn&#8217;t get too far off track. After all, this is one of the things I used to be able to make without a recipe, so I went back to work.</p>
<p>As I got a bit farther along, I realized I didn&#8217;t have one or 2 key ingredients. So, I looked at 2 or 3 other recipes. John came in offering suggestions and thoughts before I finally chased him away for good. In the end I wound up making something that I&#8217;m going to call apple mystery. I have no idea what this is going to taste like, in fact I&#8217;m not even sure what it will look like. But I&#8217;m a bit excited to find out.</p>
<p>As I was finishing cleaning up the mess I made while making my apple mystery it occurred to me that this is just what my life is like, and I suspect it&#8217;s a bit like yours. So the holistic life coach that lives inside of me decided I needed to share this epiphany with you.</p>
<p>We make plans for where we are going or how we are going to spend our life. But stuff happens, we find out that the plans need to be changed or that we may have to operate without a plan at all. Our lives are an apple mystery.</p>
<p>The fun part of this is that we never know just what today or tomorrow are going to look like. We may have a pretty good idea what we expect but if a few ingredients change, it can all change in a moment.</p>
<p>Is there a lesson here? Sure, but I doubt very much that it&#8217;s new to either of us. Go ahead, make plans, set goals and live your life. But when changes occur, when your plans are altered without warning, roll with it as much as possible. Enjoy the apple mystery.</p>
<p>Warmly,<br />
Sandy</p>
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