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	<title>Wisecracks &#187; Awareness</title>
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	<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog</link>
	<description>A Coachable Moment</description>
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		<title>Join Team Serenity!</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/07/join-team-serenity/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/07/join-team-serenity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:44:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Awareness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Giving Back]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ovarian Cancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Team Serenity]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=477</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I don&#8217;t know anyone whose life has not been touched by cancer in one form or another. Ovarian cancer is often referred to as &#8216;The Disease that Whispers&#8217; because it is often undetected in early stages. WOCA, or Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance is working hard to change all of that. It is their mission to [...]]]></description>
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<p>I don&#8217;t know anyone whose life has not been touched by cancer in one form or another. Ovarian cancer is often referred to as &#8216;The Disease that Whispers&#8217; because it is often undetected in early stages. WOCA, or Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance is working hard to change all of that. It is their mission to educate the public regarding the symptoms of ovarian cancer so that it is recognized in it&#8217;s earliest stages when the survival rate is extremely high. They also make it their mission to offer support and advocate on behalf of women with ovarian cancer. These ladies are hard working, but always cheerful and optimistic. They know they are making a real difference in the world.</p>
<p>September is ovarian cancer awareness month. WOCA holds many events during September and one of them is Nancy&#8217;s Run, Rock N Stroll on September 18th. One of my favorite people suggested forming &#8216;Team Serenity&#8217;, a few team members will undoubtedly run the 5K and some will walk. This is your invitation to participate as part of Team Serenity.</p>
<p>You are of course most welcome to participate on your own or form your own team! For more information, visit the WOCA website. http://www.wisconsinovariancancer.com/news-and-events.php The brochure is also attached.</p>
<p>There are many other wonderful events happening, particularly in September, including the month long event &#8216;Turn the Towns Teal&#8217; when they ask us to simply raise awareness of ovarian cancer by tying teal ribbons (gladly provided by WOCA) on your mailbox, lamp posts or at your place of business.</p>
<p>Serenity is donating $10 from each coaching and Reiki appointment scheduled in September to WOCA, it is our privilege to support this wonderful organization.</p>
<p>Give me a jingle, or drop me a line via email if you&#8217;d like to join Team Serenity. Of course we&#8217;ll have a great time and we will be making a difference. How cool is that?</p>
<p>Namaste,<br />
Sandy</p>
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		<title>Meditation Musings</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/07/meditation-musings/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/07/meditation-musings/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:59:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Barrett</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Meditation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Workshops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Awareness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Group Meditation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stress Relief]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=483</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As Serenity expands it’s Group Meditation offerings I’d like to take a few moments to talk about how we view meditation and how our groups tend to work. Modern science tells us of many benefits of meditation including lower blood pressure, stress level reduction and better sleep patterns. Most of us who practice meditation would [...]]]></description>
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<p>As Serenity expands it’s Group Meditation offerings I’d like to take a few<br />
moments to talk about how we view meditation and how our groups tend to work.<a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/pig-roast-047.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-346" title="pig roast 047" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/pig-roast-047-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p>
<p>Modern science tells us of many benefits of meditation including lower blood<br />
pressure, stress level reduction and better sleep patterns. Most of us who<br />
practice meditation would add to the list, a better understanding of ourselves<br />
and a generally calmer attitude towards life’s travails and petty indignations.<br />
Some form of meditation seems to be a part of most civilizations and some<br />
methods have been in use for thousands of years.</p>
<p>I was an occasional meditator for many years and mostly practiced when I felt<br />
the stress in my life becoming overwhelming. One day it dawned on me that if<br />
meditation could help when I was under a heavy stress load, perhaps, if used on<br />
a regular basis, it could keep my stress load from building up in the first<br />
place.<br />
As I practiced on a more regular basis I began to study the different types of<br />
meditation disciplines. I was struck, not by the differences, but by the<br />
similarities. I also found that my own meditation technique (crafted  by 40<br />
years of intermittent practice) fell into none of the traditional methods. And<br />
yet, I benefit enormously from my practice.</p>
<p>I don’t find it surprising that humans have found such diverse ways to touch<br />
that place we touch when we meditate. We are an endlessly creative species. And<br />
the similarities within all these practices? Well, how many shapes can a wheel<br />
be? They were all created to get us to that place we go when we  sit. That is<br />
their greatest commonality.</p>
<p>My friend Sandy says that when she prays she’s talking to God, when she<br />
meditates she’s listening to God. I start my meditation each morning with the<br />
affirmation “I sit, I sit because it is what I do, I sit without thought of goal<br />
or gain”. Our respect for each other&#8217;s Way is evident and when you come to our<br />
group your Way will be equally respected.</p>
<p>If you’ve never meditated before we can certainly help you find your own Way.<br />
There’s nothing magical or difficult about it. You don’t have to sit<br />
cross-legged on a funny cushion (but please don’t mind if I do). You don’t have<br />
to “stop your thoughts” (unless you want to). If you do nothing but sit quietly<br />
in a calm and supportive atmosphere you will begin to reap the benefits of<br />
meditation.</p>
<p>Our groups usually meet for 90 minutes. First we typically have a short reading<br />
and/or discussion about some aspect of meditation. We then have 30-45 minutes of<br />
meditation, which could be a guided meditation recording, meditation appropriate<br />
music, or guidance by a group member. We then have a short time to unwind,<br />
discuss the day&#8217;s meditation, journal or sit quietly. Whatever the group<br />
prefers.</p>
<p>We presently have our Wednesday morning group which meets from 9:30-11:00 am but<br />
if you would like to see a group at another time or in another format, let us<br />
know. We will be expanding to evenings and weekends as new groups form. We have<br />
a $5 fee per session to help defray the cost of the space, tea, and water.</p>
<p>As these groups grow I’m excited about meeting people with techniques new to me<br />
and those who wish to begin meditating for the first time. Who knows what we’ll<br />
learn?</p>
<p>Nemaste,<br />
Jim</p>
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		<title>The Answers are Within You</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/03/the-answers-are-within-you/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/03/the-answers-are-within-you/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holistic Life Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Appreciation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Awareness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Focus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Objectives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Purpose]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Success]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=429</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You have all of the answers to what you want inside of you. I can almost hear you saying, huh?  Does that sound helpful to you or confusing? Not to worry, it&#8217;s all about to become clear. What I commonly hear from a potential client is that they are confused or frustrated about where they [...]]]></description>
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<p>You have all of the answers to what you want inside of you. I can almost hear you saying, huh?  Does that sound helpful <a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/DSCF0769.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-430" title="DSCF0769" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/DSCF0769-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>to you or confusing? Not to worry, it&#8217;s all about to become clear.</p>
<p>What I commonly hear from a potential client is that they are confused or frustrated about where they are in their life, and they would like me as their holistic life coach to provide answers. That&#8217;s so not the way it works! And for good reason. If I provided answers, they would be my answers, not yours. While they may be right for me there is no way of knowing if they are right for you.</p>
<p>There is true value in working with a life coach, but please know that I won&#8217;t be giving you answers, I&#8217;ll be asking you questions, lots and lots of questions. I&#8217;ll ask you what you think, how you feel, what you would like to do about what you think and feel. I&#8217;m going to encourage you to be honest with yourself and me as well in order to move forward.</p>
<p>As I&#8217;m a holistic life coach I&#8217;ll ask you to examine all aspects of your life. You are encouraged to share or not according to how you feel. As you think about your life as a whole you will become clearer about the manner in which all aspects affect each other and what it means to you.</p>
<p>You&#8217;ll learn how to not only hear questions, but to discover and appreciate the truth within yourself. After all, no one knows you better than you.</p>
<p>While I will make suggestions and offer guidance, as your life coach it&#8217;s my privilege to assist you to set your own goals, create your own vision and cheer you on to success.</p>
<p>This week I ask you to consider trusting yourself. You are unique and most fabulous, please acknowledge and appreciate those wonderful qualities which make you who you are.</p>
<p>Warmly,</p>
<p>Sandy</p>
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		<title>Let Your Hands Do the Talking</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/02/let-your-hands-do-the-talking/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/02/let-your-hands-do-the-talking/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:50:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holistic Life Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reiki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Workshops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Awareness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emotional Release]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Focus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Meditation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soul]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Write]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=423</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you ever suspect that your body knows things that your head isn&#8217;t in on? I&#8217;m going to assume that you are sitting there, nodding your head because now you know this happens to everyone. If not, please give me a bit more time and see how this feels to you. As you well know [...]]]></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%2F2010%2F02%2Flet-your-hands-do-the-talking%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sandywalden.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Flet-your-hands-do-the-talking%2F&amp;source=SandyWalden&amp;style=normal" height="61" width="50" /><br />
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<p><a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/DSCF0524.JPG"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-358" title="DSCF0524" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/DSCF0524-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Do you ever suspect that your body knows things that your head isn&#8217;t in on? I&#8217;m going to assume that you are sitting there, nodding your head because now you know this happens to everyone. If not, please give me a bit more time and see how this feels to you.</p>
<p>As you well know by now, I&#8217;m a fan of taking time to meditate, trying to find quiet moments to listen to your heart and soul. What that looks like for one person may be very different for another. What most may think of as meditation, sitting quietly while listening to the silence, quiet music or even guided meditation helps me to learn a lot about myself, but I often have a difficult time quieting my mid to actually &#8216;hear&#8217; my soul. Not to worry, there are alternative and complementary options available.</p>
<p>How about writing? I suggest you give yourself anything from a few minutes to a few hours, everyday if possible to simply write. It doesn&#8217;t have to be anything specific, if you don&#8217;t have anything you would care to write about, you may simply write your name, the ABC&#8217;s, or even &#8216;I don&#8217;t know what to write, but I&#8217;m going to see what comes out of my pen.&#8217; Write for as long as you feel comfortable. There are those who say you should write three pages each and every day, without fail. I don&#8217;t personally feel as though I can say you &#8216;should&#8217; do anything of the sort,  however, I know that when I do allow myself to write I learn some pretty surprising things about myself.</p>
<p>Recently I have found myself encouraging each and every one of my life coaching and MasterMind clients to write. Clearly my heart wants me to return to the practice and I do like company.  Why? Because when I do take the time to write I discover things about myself that I may or may not want to know. I have discovered anger that I had not been previously aware of on a conscious level.  Not only did the daily writing allow me to know and feel the anger, it also allowed me to process and release the anger in a much less painful way than I may have experienced otherwise. Writing has also allowed me to very recently re-discover a strong desire that I had pushed to the back of my mind long ago, sure that it could not happen. Of course if you know me, or work with me as a Reiki or life coaching client, you know that I encourage you not to worry about how something will come to be, simply to think about what and how you would like your life to look.</p>
<p>Writing may reveal many things to you. A few of my favorite people come immediately to mind. They are never without a pad of paper and a pen. Writing down thoughts as they occur, bits of things others may say, nudges from their heart or mind. Sometimes they refer back to these notes, often they discard them. The important thing is that they allow their hands to reveal bits that they may not necessarily mentally process on a conscious level.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m back to writing. It&#8217;s just for me and it feels very good. I appreciate that it&#8217;s a way for me to review what is happening in my life, a way for me to process events, good and bad, discover new thoughts and ideas. It turns out that I&#8217;m much more creative and less judgmental of my ideas when I use this process. I&#8217;m learning and appreciating things about myself. How cool is that?</p>
<p>This week I encourage you to write, write, write. Without expectation, without restrictions, let it flow.</p>
<p>Warmly,</p>
<p>Sandy</p>
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		<title>New Friends</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/01/new-friends/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2010/01/new-friends/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:37:35 +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[Awareness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Friends]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Friendship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relaxing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vacation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=412</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My husband and I just returned from our first cruise, it will definitely not be our last! We enjoyed everything about it, the beautiful islands we visited, the incredible ship we sailed on, the terrific entertainment on the ship and of course the food which seemed to be in abundant supply and around every corner. [...]]]></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%2F2010%2F01%2Fnew-friends%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sandywalden.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2Fnew-friends%2F&amp;source=SandyWalden&amp;style=normal" height="61" width="50" /><br />
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<p><a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/DSCF0739.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-416" title="DSCF0739" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/DSCF0739-e1264385296911-225x300.jpg" alt="Relaxing at the end of the cruise. " width="225" height="300" /></a>My husband and I just returned from our first cruise, it will definitely not be our last! We enjoyed everything about it, the beautiful islands we visited, the incredible ship we sailed on, the terrific entertainment on the ship and of course the food which seemed to be in abundant supply and around every corner. But if I had to say what we enjoyed most it would be the people we met.</p>
<p>When John made the reservations for this trip, we didn&#8217;t know what to expect. We knew there was a dining room with a set seating plan and that we would have the opportunity to enjoy our dinners in this lovely room every evening if we chose to do so.  After chatting with others who are much more experienced travelers, we selected the option of dining with several other couples as opposed to only one other couple. The rationale was that if we didn&#8217;t really get on with one or two of the folks, we could easily swap seats to have a pleasant time with people we got along with a bit better.  Well, that sure didn&#8217;t happen.</p>
<p>We were seated at a table for ten. Now I like and get along easily with most people, but I could not have expected that I would come to really like all of these people. Well, I did, how cool is that?</p>
<p>There was a real mix, people from all walks of life. Teachers, a farmer, an engineer, a salesman, home-makers, an accountant, fire-fighter and of course me, your friendly life coach and Reiki master/teacher. Quite the blend. Most were retired, some had gone back to work part time. John and I were the only people there who claimed to still work full time. All were world travelers except again for us; they shared their wonderful experiences with true generosity and great humor.</p>
<p>It didn&#8217;t take long for us to really begin to look forward to dinner time, and not just for the food. Ms. Virginia quickly began the habit of asking everyone to go around the table and share what they did during the day. It was such fun; the stories were colorful and entertaining to say the least. Since our table was so large it wasn&#8217;t unusual for smaller conversations to take place as well. We moved our seats around most evenings so that we all had the opportunity to really get to know our new friends. Our friends gave us great tips about visiting the islands, sharing stories of what they had done in the past and what they had learned in their travels.</p>
<p>We found that we had an awful lot in common. How is that possible? William and Virginia hail from New Brunswick, Canada and have traveled extensively due to his position as an engineer. They told wonderful stories about countries I have only heard of in the past. George and Mary now live in Arizona, they too have great stories and they share jokes that made me laugh so hard I cried. Peg and Roger split their time between their farm in Ohio and their lovely home in Tennessee. I don&#8217;t remember the last time I saw a couple so clearly devoted to one another and still able to tease and laugh so easily. Each day we heard about the tour they took and somehow they always got a tour that offered rum punch &#8211; I really should have spent more time with them! Les and Cathy live in California and from the stories I&#8217;ve heard Les has world class gardens, he refers to them as his hobby. Somehow, even though all came from different walks of life we found that we had an awful lot to talk about and share each evening. John and I were always delighted when we would meet some of our new found friends during an excursion or while walking around town. Each meeting just got better and better.</p>
<p>My normally shy and very quiet husband talked to these people as though he had known them for years. I&#8217;ve known John for 30 years and I can tell you, that never happens! These newfound friends put John so at ease that he laughed and joked, told stories and never once felt self-conscious about any of it, just one more reason why I&#8217;m grateful to have met these folks.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s pretty interesting to me when I look back at this experience. While I do like meeting new people and making acquaintance it&#8217;s unusual to meet people that I consider friends this quickly. Some of them already feel like old friends and I&#8217;ve known them for less than 2 weeks. Color me grateful.</p>
<p>Is there a life coaching or Reiki lesson here? Probably, but I&#8217;m pretty relaxed and not really looking for lessons at the moment. I&#8217;m simply happy and grateful and looking forward to meeting these wonderful friends again soon.</p>
<p>My wish for you this week is that you meet someone new who quickly becomes an old friend. It&#8217;s pretty unusual but very special.</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>Life Changes</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/11/life-changes/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/11/life-changes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:30:17 +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[Awareness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Excitement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forgiveness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self-care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Success]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/?p=284</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;re dating. By &#8216;we&#8217; I mean my husband of 27 years and of course me. John decided a few months ago that he wanted to make some major changes. I had no idea what was in store for us. John has always been incredibly conservative. Watching every penny, worrying about every event, predicting all possible [...]]]></description>
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<p>We&#8217;re dating. By &#8216;we&#8217; I mean my husband of 27 years and of course me. John decided a few months ago that he wanted to make some major changes. I had no idea what was in store for us.</p>
<p>John has always been incredibly conservative. Watching every penny, worrying about every event, predicting all possible outcomes and then sort of holding his breath to see if his predictions would come true. These qualities may sound dull as you read them, but the truth is that they&#8217;ve made him a terrific husband and devoted father. We&#8217;ve always known that John had all eventualities covered. The boys and I have always felt entirely secure regarding finances and knew that John was totally and completely devoted to us all.</p>
<p>Apparently John has now decided to do a 180! The man is changing right before my eyes, and it&#8217;s not only surprising it&#8217;s a ton of fun.</p>
<p>He came home one day and told me that we were signed up for ballroom dancing lessons. Okay&#8230;sounds like fun to me. Then he told me the date of the first class. It was actually last Friday when I was co-hosting a retreat. No worries, he went by himself. Anyone who knows my husband knows that this was totally and completely out of character. He&#8217;s always been quiet and reserved. Apparently, he&#8217;s getting over it. He went to the class on his own, danced by himself and asked the very pretty young woman who is one of the instructors to dance with him. John spent all of the days between that first class and last week doing the rumba around the house. I suspect he held off somewhat at the firehouse as I didn&#8217;t get any calls. But it&#8217;s been terrific watching him have so much fun.</p>
<p>He&#8217;s signed us up for cheese tasting classes, checking the movie listings and even planned a cruise for January. Why do I tell you all of this? Because I have to tell someone! Alright, that&#8217;s part of it, I am incredibly proud of the way he is embracing change. But most of all, it&#8217;s to point out that we can make any changes that we truly want, at any time in our lives.</p>
<p>First of all, we have to want to change. We don&#8217;t have to know exactly what we want our lives to look like, but an idea certainly helps. For instance, John didn&#8217;t know that he was going to become someone who wanted to go places as frequently as he now does. He&#8217;s always been a homebody. But, he did decide that it was time to embrace a more light-hearted approach to life. He made the decision that he would find ways to get out from time to time with his amazing wife (that&#8217;s <em>me)</em> and that he would enjoy what life offers, knowing and trusting that his hard work and diligence has laid a good foundation. He&#8217;s not become frivolous by any means, but he is having more fun than ever.</p>
<p>How can this happen?  First and foremost John knew he wanted his life to start looking a bit different. He was tired of worrying. Tired of pinching pennies. So, he worked with a holistic life coach and Reiki master (yoo hoo, me again) to develop some practical and easy methods. He started re-framing his comments and statements to be more positive. Instead of focusing on events in his life or in the news that were upsetting or negative, he acknowledged them, discussed them with his life coach or others, but then he worked on letting them go if there was no way for him to change them. That&#8217;s huge! His personality is such that it was important for him to talk about things that bother him, that&#8217;s fine. But now, he tries not to end on a negative note. Instead he tries to see a lesson or a potential positive outcome.</p>
<p>Another of the things John has done is to stop berating himself for mistakes made in the past. After all, what&#8217;s done is done. We can look at the past, we can learn from it, but we have absolutely no ability to change it. I&#8217;m proud of him for beginning to accept that the past is done and to forgive mistakes made by himself and others. Again, a big step.</p>
<p>Probably the biggest change in John is that he is focusing on the  amazing life he has led and intends to go on living. He frequently brings up the fun we had raising our three sons. He speaks with pride about their accomplishments, no matter how small. Reminiscing about camping trips and time spent being active in Boy Scouts. He&#8217;s excited when he talks about them visiting us or a vacation to see any of them. In short, this man has become hopeful and silly excited about his future. Hooray!</p>
<p>I often speak to my clients, whether Reiki clients or coaching clients about re-framing their speech to see a positive viewpoint. It truly changes the way we feel and think. Affirmations are a powerful tool that we can use as well. Writing and talking to ourselves about the positive changes we are bringing about in our own lives. These things are sometimes overlooked or forgotten because they are so very simple. But they work. It&#8217;s pretty much that simple.</p>
<p>So, I&#8217;d like to applaud John for the life changes he&#8217;s made. I know it hasn&#8217;t been all that easy for him. He&#8217;s a 52 year old man who had a pretty firm pattern set in his life. But he&#8217;s making changes and from all the signs he&#8217;s enjoying them incredibly, just as he deserves.</p>
<p>Just one small positive change this week could improve your entire life. Go ahead, give it a try. I can&#8217;t wait to hear all about the positive life changes you are making.</p>
<p>Now, if you&#8217;ll excuse me, I have to go practice my fox-trot and rumba steps so that John doesn&#8217;t go off dancing into the sunset without me.</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>
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		<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>
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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>Let Your Emotions be Your Guide</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/08/let-your-emotions-be-your-guide/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/08/let-your-emotions-be-your-guide/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:29:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holistic Life Coaching]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Anger]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Balance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Compassion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disappointment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emotional Scale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emotions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fear]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forgiveness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law of Attraction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/08/let-your-emotions-be-your-guide/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[They had an argument. In fact she said it was pretty much a knock-down, drag-out fight, loud and ugly it left them both hurt and feeling cut-off from one another for the next 24 hours. Pretty unusual for them because they generally get along very well. Here&#8217;s where it gets interesting. She told me that [...]]]></description>
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			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sandywalden.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Flet-your-emotions-be-your-guide%2F"><br />
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<p><a href="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/DSCF0533.JPG"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-351" title="DSCF0533" src="http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/DSCF0533-300x225.jpg" alt="DSCF0533" width="300" height="225" /></a>They had an argument. In fact she said it was pretty much a knock-down, drag-out fight, loud and ugly it left them both hurt and feeling cut-off from one another for the next 24 hours. Pretty unusual for them because they generally get along very well. Here&#8217;s where it gets interesting. She told me that she knew the day before that a real argument was coming with him, she could feel it.</p>
<p>As both a life coach and a Reiki practitioner, I strongly believe and work with my clients to understand the law of attraction. Quite simply that means that what we put our attention on, what we think about, what we expect, what we &#8216;know&#8217; is going to happen will in fact come into our experience.</p>
<p>When we talked about this unfortunate argument she shared her thoughts the day before that an argument was about to happen. So, we talked about ways it could have been avoided. Oh, not the discussion. The subject they covered probably should have been addressed, but it could have been handled in their normal loving manner, quickly and easily.</p>
<p>We began with her thoughts and feelings the day prior to the fight. She was feeling great and was on top of the world. When she spoke with her husband he was not as supportive as she would have liked him to be and she was very disappointed. She noted how she felt and although she didn&#8217;t take the time to think about it at that very moment, she later realized that she had a few options. She could have reached for a slightly better feeling, possibly frustration as this would have begun the process of lessening her feeling bad. Instead, she became angry, which moved her to a feeling that made her feel even worse.</p>
<p>She held onto that anger all evening and by morning she had moved further on the emotional scale. Unfortunately, she hadn&#8217;t moved to a better feeling but instead to a worse feeling, insecurity and guilt. In short, she was pretty much primed for that fight. She knew it was coming and she was bringing it on, not altogether unconsciously.</p>
<p>As we chatted, we talked about the emotional scale. It&#8217;s a tool that I find invaluable as a life coach, working with Reiki clients and of course in my everyday life. An awareness of how we feel is truly a very practical and easy guide and it helps us to take our lives in the direction that we truly want to move.</p>
<p>She talked about how her disappointment, anger and insecurity had brought about the argument, then she moved onto ways it could have been a useful and productive discussion. As she talked through the event she began re-framing thoughts and comments in a manner which made her feel a bit better. Progress! This continued, the more she thought and discussed the more she repeatedly found ways to make small, incremental movement up the emotional scale. She was feeling better and better. She was able to re-frame the comments she heard as well as the comments she had made. In this way she was able to forgive both herself and her husband as she realized that there is always more than one way to say and look at every situation.</p>
<p>We chatted a few days later. She had been very deliberately paying attention to her gut, how she felt as well as to her thoughts, were they negative or positive. When her feelings or thoughts were not pleasant she was taking the time to reach for that ever so slightly better feeling or thought. She was very excited with the progress that she was seeing. She noticed that when she was putting her attention on what she wanted rather than what she didn&#8217;t want that she was getting much more satisfying results.</p>
<p>Of course I will continue to coach her to make this awareness of how she feels and what she is thinking a natural part of her life. It will become easier and easier.</p>
<p>For any of us, as we see positive results, we are encouraged to do more of what is bringing about those results. Success leads to success. Fabulous!</p>
<p>For today, I encourage you to really pay attention to how you are feeling during the day. When you make decisions or say something, how do you feel? What are you thinking? Become aware and reach for a better feeling and I feel very sure you will have a better day.</p>
<p>Warmly,<br />
Sandy</p>
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		<title>Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance</title>
		<link>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/08/wisconsin-ovarian-cancer-alliance-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/08/wisconsin-ovarian-cancer-alliance-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:05:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandy Walden</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holistic Life Coaching]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Awareness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ovarian Cancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WOCA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sandywalden.com/blog/2009/08/wisconsin-ovarian-cancer-alliance-2/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I know we don&#8217;t like to admit it, but September is right around the corner and coming very fast! Why do I bring this up? Because September is the month that Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance or WOCA has most of their events. September is in fact Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer awareness month. This is an amazing [...]]]></description>
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<p>I know we don&#8217;t like to admit it, but September is right around the corner and coming very fast!</p>
<p>Why do I bring this up? Because September is the month that Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance or WOCA has most of their events. September is in fact Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer awareness month.</p>
<p>This is an amazing organization, they do so much to spread the awareness of this disease. Helping to educate men and women alike so that the disease is more likely to be diagnosed and treated in the very earliest stages because that&#8217;s when a positive outcome is most likely. The events that WOCA runs help to raise money for this education and also for research so that this disease may ultimately be wiped out.</p>
<p>I have had the privilege of getting to know and care deeply about the ladies who started this organization. Their dedication and desire to do all that they can is real and deeply moving.</p>
<p>So, I&#8217;m asking everyone who reads this to go to their site at http://wisconsinovariancancer.com/. Read about the symptoms and get to know a bit about Ovarian cancer so that you can spread the word in a positive manner, thus encouraging and supporting good health for every woman in your life.</p>
<p>I will be participating in as many of the September events as possible. I&#8217;ve already signed up for Nancy&#8217;s Rock Roll &#8216;N Stroll on September 12th as well as the Brewer game on September 19th. I encourage you to participate as well if it is possible.</p>
<p>Remember, that we also have the opportunity to assist this wonderful organization by making donations. Please visit their site and if you feel so moved, make your donation. It truly will make a difference in the lives of many women.</p>
<p>Everything about these women appeals to me. Nothing about these women is negative, it&#8217;s all positive. Rather than dwelling on problems, I see happiness, optimism and hope. How can I not be attracted to this marvelous group of women?</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll continue to send Reiki to all of them. Donate my dollars and participate in events whenever possible. If you feel as moved as I do, I encourage you to do the same.</p>
<p>Warmly,<br />
Sandy</p>
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