Issue 12 - September 5, 2003

Editor: Lynne Bullen
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

Publisher: Associated Secretarial
Copyright © 2003 Associated Secretarial

In this issue:

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1. Editorial

Hello ... nice to see you back again! A warm welcome also to our new subscribers.

Here in the land of OZ, Spring has "sprung". We can look forward to some warmer weather in the coming weeks.

In most parts of the world, Spring heralds the season to get on with all the things we didn't do while we were trying to stay warm indoors during the Winter months.

Time to deal with all the things that have somehow accumulated since the end of Spring last year. How did that happen? Don't bother wasting your energy trying to answer that one!

Your energy can be better spent. Not only can you clear out the physical clutter, you can do a bit of Spring Cleaning within yourself.

We've probably all put on a kilo or so during Winter. That daily walk turned into venturing out only when the weather was good. Slowly became a habit, didn't it? Amazing how just a kilo can weigh you down ... and when you look at your home, your office, your shed and your garden, the work you know you should do seems like an insurmountable task!

Don't put obstacles, real or imagined, in your way. Don't make excuses. Don't say things like "I'll start tomorrow".

Start today!

Happy Spring Cleaning! ... even if it's not Spring where you are!

Here's to your success!

Lynne

lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

2. Article: "Time To Get Up and Get To It!"

No more excuses!

Spring Cleaning can be done at any time, so matter whether you're in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, why not get to it now? A new season, a fresh start!

It's all a matter of Positive Thinking and an Action Plan.

You can do it!

The first thing to do is grab a pad and pencil. Next, walk around in the rooms, the shed or the garden. Observe carefully all problem areas and write down under your various headings (eg office, shed, spare room) all of the tasks that need attention.

After that, you'll probably need a cuppa and a little rest. While you're on the couch or in your favourite easy-chair, take the pad and pencil and write down all the things you've neglected about yourself.

Promise yourself that your daily walk will resume, starting today. Promise yourself that you'll start eating properly again. Don't diet. Just make sure you eat three meals per day and a snack between breakfast and lunch; and another between lunch and dinner. Drink a minimum of eight glasses of water every day.

What about the little pile of papers over there in the desk? The last time you looked at it, most of it consisted of invoices and statements. You probably looked at it fleetingly and told yourself you'd do it "tomorrow". Taking care of the household bills or your office accounts is a task that somehow gets away
from all of us. Clutter, Clutter!

Whew! Didn't realise you'd let things go quite so much? We're all guilty of it. Whether you've let yourself and your routines down, or whether it's that you've let your physical clutter get the better of you, you can start today to make a difference.

There is a solution. There is always a solution!

It begins with the Power of Positive Thinking.

Set your goals and break them down into bite-sized tasks. Give yourself a time frame for each task and complete it by the designated date.

You may even find that you can do two or three tasks at once. As you finish a task, cross it off your list and go to the next one.

While you're tending to each of the tasks you've set yourself, don't think of it as a chore. That's just the kind of mindset to bring you down and stop your progress. Think about how good you'll feel once it's all done!

Still overwhelmed and don't know where to start? Remember "the Power of Positive Thinking". If you think you can't do it on your own, why not enlist the help of a friend who is in the same boat? It's sometimes much easier to have a friend to help you. More than likely, your friend needs as much help as you do. If you do it together, you will be adding fun to otherwise dreary but necessary tasks.

Author Julie Morgenstern has a formula to help you get rid of clutter. Try this:

>> Sort: Identify what's important to you and group similar items.

>> Purge: Decide what you can live without and get rid of it (e.g. donations, sales, storage, garbage).

>> Assign: Decide where the items you keep will go.

>> Containerise: Make sure they're sturdy, easy to handle, the right size, and that they look good. The art of containerising is to do it last, not first.

>> Equalize: Spend 15 minutes a day to maintain what you've done.

If you like the sound of that and want to know more, visit Julie's website at http://www.juliemorgenstern.com

Once you've completed your tasks and crossed them off the list, stand back and take a look at what you've achieved.

The rewards are rich!

Not only will you have cleared out the clutter, your frame of mind will change for the better. You will have clear space in your office and in your head. You'll find that discarding old habits helps you to create positive new habits.

Renewed, you'll have more energy. You'll be so much more motivated and you will have a positive frame of mind.

Don't put it off any longer - start today!

The saying "You can do anything if you try" is true only if you have a clear goal and a good plan. Add to that the Power of Positive Thinking and you can't loose!

Lynne Bullen is a successful businesswoman whose talents include Public Relations; Editorial and Commercial Copywriting; Design and Facilitation of Seminars, Forums and Workshops, and helping small business to grow and prosper.Lynne Bullen Strategies was registered and commenced business in 1991 to offer VA services to the small business owner. She is also the Founder of Associated Secretarial ...the perfect solution. Lynne is happy to share her knowledge to help others achieve their goals. lynne@associatedsecretial.com.au

3. Resources

>> Author Julie Morgenstern is a regular guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Check out just two of her books: "Time Management From The Inside Out" and "Organising From The Inside Out". Visit Julie's website at http://www.juliemorgenstern.com

>> Let Clutter Busters "de-clutter" your home or office, or BOTH! They'll not only clear out the clutter, but will help you to organize your space. Your workplace performance will improve, your confidence will get a new boost and your stress levels will all but disappear. At work or at home, the professional and
experienced Clutter Busters can help you take control. A South Australian business, they can be contacted via email at clutterb@chariot.net.au

>> A website originating from Ontario, Canada has some very handy suggestions to get you in the mood. http://www.clutterbusters.ca/ then go to Hints & Tips

>> From New Zealand, here's something on the Power of Positive Thinking
http://www.matipo.school.nz/principal/power_of_positive_thinking.htm

>> Enjoy some Words of Wisdom at http://www.bowering.org/wisdom/source.html Put together by Greg
Bowering (from Adelaide, South Australia) you are invited to add some of your own.

>> Another Australian and a world champion in her chosen field Shelley Taylor-Smith is one who is Inspirational, Dedicated, Passionate, Patriotic, and she says - 100% Australian. Check out Shelley's website for all of the above. Pay a visit to http://www.championmindset.com.au/shelley.htm

>> For more inspiration, go to www.amazon.com, visit your favourite bookstore or stop in at your local Library. Look for the following: Dale Carnegie wrote "How to Win Friends & Influence People many years ago. Today, it's still on the best-seller list. Go to http://www.westegg.com/unmaintained/carnegie/win-friends.html for a preview. Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" is also still on the best-seller list. Check it out at http://www.amazon.com

4. Article: The Power of Positive Thinking

[Editor's note: The article you're about to read is by Jan Roberts, a good friend and also a Founding Member of Associated Secretarial. She knows all about the Power of Positive Thinking. Some years ago, Jan had huge obstacles to tackle. Her determination was strong and focused. I asked her if she would share with our readers, her personal story. Here it is.]

Several years ago I was your average mother of four daughters, healthy and happily married (or so I thought). I was professional dressmaker specialising in wedding wear and I was a partner in my husband's plumbing business.

I had always suffered from fairly severe migraine headaches but coped with medication to assist.

In 1986 my life started to take a fairly dramatic turn. The migraines became more severe and more frequent, I started going deaf in my left ear, found difficulty in keeping the car in one lane of traffic without drifting, couldn't shut my eyes to shampoo my hair without losing my balance and falling over. When my family GP referred me to specialists I kept getting told that there was nothing wrong with me and that it was "mind over matter". I even had a CAT scan in July of 1987, which showed absolutely nothing out of the ordinary and added to my general feeling of despair in not being able to function properly, which I had always taken for granted.

I was at the stage by then of getting up in the morning, seeing everyone off to school and work. It was an effort. Even just to wash the dishes was a major commitment. I would then lay down thinking that I would get up again in a few minutes when I felt better and before I knew it everyone was home again at the end of
the day and nothing had been achieved.

I was very fortunate in that a fellow mother from the school canteen gave me the name of her hearing specialist and my family GP then referred me to him. I saw him the weekend prior to Christmas and he immediately wanted to do a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) X-ray the week between Christmas and New Year. I told him that I couldn't as we were going away for a short holiday and that as I had already been in this state for some 18 months, a further week shouldn't make any difference.

This was a bad move. I woke up in the early hours of one morning while on holiday and lost control of my bodily functions in the bed. I kept going backwards and forwards to the toilet and the last time I went to sit on the bed, because my balance was off, I missed the bed, fell and smashed my head on the wall and tore my arm open on the zipper of a suitcase. I gave in, lay on the floor and sobbed my heart out.

I had the MRI X-ray the following week. It revealed three brain tumours. The one at the back of my skull, behind my left ear was the size of a tennis ball, with two other smaller tumours. I was not told at that stage about the third tumour.

My main feeling at that stage was just relief that I really did have a logical problem and that I had not been a hypochondriac for the previous 18 months. I entered hospital in January 1988 for 10 hours of brain surgery where the large tumour and one of the smaller ones were removed. The third tumour was at the front of my head and would have required the incision at the back of my head to be closed and a further incision made at the front of my head, which I would not have had the strength to survive at that stage.

My leg muscles had wasted, I had to learn to walk and talk properly again, to write my name, to drive the car, and needed assistance with showering, toileting - everything that I had previously taken for granted. The specialist told me that he did not know what skills I would regain in the future and when I asked him how long I could have survived if they had not found the tumours he very bluntly told me "possibly a week".

Within six months I was very tired of the inactivity and applied for a position cutting lingerie for a few hours each day. I would arrive home exhausted but jubilant, because I was out there doing something again. In August 1989 - 19 months after the major surgery - I was promoted to Executive Assistant to the Managing
Director and thought the world could possibly become my oyster once again.

However, it was not to be. My husband of 23 years left me. The neurologist topped it off with the information of the third tumour. He explained that if he had taken that one out at the same time as the first two, I would not have had the strength to survive the extra four hours of surgery. Back to square one, but within two weeks I was back at work, shaved head and all. I had a good hard look at myself and decided that I could either sit back and feel miserable for the rest of my life (and given that my grandmother and great aunt lived to 107 and 109 years of age, this could have been an awfully long time) or I could get myself up and go forward again.

Since that time I have undertaken extensive further studies, held high profile positions within corporate structures, been listed in the Who's Who of Business in Australia, won state and international awards, travelled all over the world, spoken on and shared my experiences with external groups and I now operate my own successful business.

My message to all those feeling disheartened or downtrodden is that you are the maker of your own destiny. Even if you don't succeed at your highest aims you will still achieve much along the way. Do not allow others erode your sense of self worth. It's a hard lesson to learn but well worth the effort. I never once
dreamt that I could achieve what I have even before I became ill but am still learning and still achieving 15 years further down the track.

I have some brain damage in that I have only 10% hearing on the left side of my head. My eyesight has been affected so that if I look down at the ground I can see three of everything which is a real pain when you are trying to get on to an escalator that's moving away from you all the time. I do trip over things fairly frequently. Since having the third brain tumour removed I have been told that I have another two which are only about the size of a pin head. My surgeon keeps a close eye on them. If they start growing I'll pull myself up and start all over again.

I have to admit to being a fairly pig-headed individual. The worst thing you can do is tell me I can't do something because of my past medical history. This tends to be my biggest motivation because my response is immediate - "just you watch me".

I am always available to address groups and can be contacted via email at janrober@senet.com.au or through my website: http://www.jrexecutiveservices.com.au

Jan Roberts is a South Australian based professional businesswoman whose talents include Association Management, Conference/seminar Organising, Committee Support, Accounting and Public Speaking. She is the winner of several state and international awards including selection in the International Metropolitan Executive & Professional Registry with inclusion limited to those individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership or achievement in their occupation, industry or profession. janrober@senet.com.au Phone: 61 8 8186 5731 http://www.jrexecutiveservices.com.au

5. Article: The Top 10 Ways To Lift Your Mood When You're Feeling
Down In The Dumps

Everyone has periods in their life when they feel *down in the dumps*, blue, or mildly depressed, *especially* at holiday times, such as Christmas & Thanksgiving. Many people feel this way especially on New Years Eve due to perhaps a combination of alcohol, the end of a year that was not great for them, etc.
These *down* feelings can be due to everything from some personal problems to business hassles to various weather changes or conditions. For those for whom these moods are short-lived and *not frequent* the following have shown to help boost one's mood and general outlook.

1. Socialize & Think Positively!

When a person is feeling blue or *depressed,* often the LAST thing they want to do is be around others or socialize. The fact is, however, when we are feeling blue or down, if we choose to isolate ourselves and hold up in our room or home, we will tend to focus on the same mental *tapes* that are causing us to feel down in the first place! If you will force yourself to call a friend and meet for coffee, a movie, a walk, a talk -- anything to get out and change your atmosphere, the chances are good that will have a good effect on changing your mood for the better. For all but those who have a severe depression problem requiring a
doctor's help and medication, try and remember, *We are what we THINK*. Our thoughts can propel us into ecstasy or into the depths of the *blues*. And MOST of us have control over our thoughts. It takes being conscious of them, and it takes practice. Remember: We are ALWAYS *at choice* as to thoughts, actions, etc.

2. Do Something Just For YOURSELF!

Be totally selfish here. Think of something you want to do for yourself...a short trip, a manicure, a haircut, buying yourself the coat or scarf you have been wanting. It does not have to be extravagant nor costly. The point is you are being GOOD to yourself, and that will sink in, and a part of your Self will say "Gee, I deserve this, and things are not so bad after all." This is not going to necessarily get to the root of what caused you to feel down or blue, but it will make you feel better long enough that maybe you can put the cause in a different perspective, or simply not take it as seriously!

3. Give Something To Another Person

One of the best ways we can get beyond our own physical and emotional Self is to find something *bigger* than our own familiar problems upon which to concentrate! Think about your friends, relatives, the poor people in your church, or the local charities. Pick a person or cause that appeals to you and decide to give to that person or that cause. It can be your time or money, a toy, or whatever. Giving to others makes MOST people feel good in their heart. Feeling good in our heart can have a great impact on how we feel in our MIND and body. It is the thought and the symbolism. The gift may be small, but the thought is all. You WILL feel better!

4. Rent Or Go See A Happy/Funny Movie

Laughter has long been a quick and effective panacea for ills of all kinds. Medical studies show that it creates endorphins (body hormones that act as natural pain killers as well as *mood elevators*) as well as red blood cells and T-cells (the good cells which make up a part of the body's auto-immunue system and
help us fight disease). When we laugh we also force our mind (although there is not any real struggle) to change modes and to be *UP* and to feel up, not down or blue or depressed. We substitute our own thoughts and feelings for those of the people on the movie or television screen. Watching an hour long comedy where we laugh and take our mind off our daily problems can last for hours or days as far as reducing chronic pain, a *blue mood* feeling, etc. It is cheap, easy, and, if we allow it to be-it is FUN!

5. Volunteer Your Time

One of the best ways we can help pull ourself out of feeling sorry for ourselves, or feeling blue, or concentrating on our own aches and pains, is by helping other people who have problems of their own... often much more severe. It is very humbling to take a walk through a rehabilitation unit in a hospital at a time when we are complaining or feeling low due to an ache in our back or almost any other physical problem we might have. Most of the people we see are FAR worse off than we are, yet they are working, smiling, laughing, and talking...trying to do what they can to make the best of their situation. Giving time to others is a very good way to get *outside* of our own situation. Every city has volunteer bureaus and other places that need help, even if it is for an hour a day or a week! Giving to others will come back to us many times over in positive ways if we allow ourselves to try it.

6. Get Out Of The Past & Into The Present!

Most bad moods and mental attitudes are a result of what has happened to us in the PAST. This can be the recent past, or long ago. It is vital to your body and energy and Life as a whole that you stay in the PRESENT with your thoughts and feelings. The past is over! *Hanging onto* old hurts, pains, anger etc. will do you much harm emotionally and physically over time. We can CHOOSE to focus on creating a positive and healthy present for ourselves, or dwell in the past, creating anxiety, depressed moods, anger, guilt, etc. Do you want to live your life in the PRESENT or live it based on the past onto which you are still hanging? Let old hurts and pains and anger go! Doing so will free up all kinds of *positive energy* and your body and mind will have a chance to be MUCH healthier as a result!

7. Walk Or Mall Walk To Cheer Up

Walking is prescribed by many doctors to help depression. Maybe your finances are what have your down in the dumps. If that is the case, drive to the closest mall and walk and just look in the windows. Buy an "Orange Julius" or soda, sit on a bench and watch the people and the children. REALIZE that EVERY person you see has their own problems, and has days when THEY are blue or down. Some may feel much worse, and even be clinically depressed. *To do* is to take action. And taking action fights the blues and the *funk* one feels by sitting or lying down at home brooding indulging in self-blame or pity. Remember *misery loves company*? Well, at a mall you can be assured you have hundreds if not thousands of men and women who have felt or are FEELING just as bad or worse than you at the very time you are there! You are NOT alone. Life will go on...things can get better, You must make the choice to help MAKE them better however.

8. Call Someone You Like Who Is A "Positive" Person And Chat

This option is alright as long as you do not *dump* on your friend, and as long as you do not abuse it. The idea here is to get OUT of yourself, and have some interaction, and hear about someone else's life, and take your mind off your own *stuff* for awhile. It's okay to let them know you are feeling abit low or down, and if they ask, you can tell them BRIEFLY what is going on. Just don't make it a long whining monologue! Ask them about THEIR life and job and family, etc. Get involved with someone ELSE, and your mind will take a turn as well. Let them talk about their life and current situation. If they are someone you see off and on in person, you might offer to get together with them for lunch, coffee, a movie, etc. sometime soon. The more you talk or listen to them and talk about things other than your OWN current situation, the better the chances are your mood will lift and you'll feel better after the call.

9. Meditate Or Listen To Relaxation or Positive Affirmation Tapes

Meditation can be a very good way to change your mood. It works whether you are depressed/down, or anxious/hyper. I suggest taking a course or getting good quality tapes which teach meditation. It is amazing what it can do to quiet down the mind and release the stress caused by both anxiety AND depression feelings. Tapes on relaxation as well as self-affirmation by many well known expert authors are readily available through bookstores, some music stores, and also the *New Age* type book and music stores. Louise Hay and Wayne Dyer are two of the most well known authors of books and tapes on health issues, specializing in "positive thinking" and how they affect our physical and emotional health. They can be found in most book stores, or on the Internet at Amazon Books online at http://www.amazon.com The investment in these tapes is quite small compared to the benefits they can give the user.

10. Be CREATIVE!

Creating things alters our mood. It shifts us from the right side of our brain to the left side etc. Creating can be through cooking foods, painting (walls or on canvas or paper) making something using needle and thread, yarn, or Legos! It is also " creating" to play music if you are musical. Play what you wish as loud or as soft as you wish. Make up a song. Music (hearing it or playing it) has long been used by people of all cultures to create or alter a mood. Whatever type of music makes you feel good...play it or create it. It WILL change your mood for the better if you allow it to and if you concentrate on the music and creating and forget how you have been "feeling."

About the author: Dennis R. Tesdell, Member: International Coach Federation, Personal Development & Self-Care Coach, who can be reached at mailto:lifecoach@coachdt.com, or visited on the web. Dennis R. Tesdell wants you to know: I am a coach affiliated with Coach University. One of my specialty areas is health and *Self Care* and I am a firm believer that we can greatly control our moods by how we think and what we do or do not do, especially during stressful and "family-oriented" times, such as holidays
and even New Year's Eve! I offer this list as a sample of suggestions that have proved to be helpful to MANY people, from my personal experience, as well as from my extensive reading and study of moods and mood disorders.

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From the Eagle's Nest: Copyright © 2003 Lynne Bullen and Associated Secretarial (articles by other individuals copyrighted as indicated). Prior to using Lynne's articles please e-mail her at lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au - she will provide her bio and a URL link. Thank you.

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Issue 12 - September 5, 2003

1. Editorial

2. Article: "Time To Get Up and Get To It!"

3. Resources

4. Article: The Power of Positive Thinking

5. Article: The Top 10 Ways To Lift Your Mood When You're Feeling Down In The Dumps

1. Socialize & Think Positively!

2. Do Something Just For YOURSELF!

3. Give Something To Another Person

4. Rent Or Go See A Happy/Funny Movie

5. Volunteer Your Time

6. Get Out Of The Past & Into The Present!

7. Walk Or *Mall Walk* To Cheer Up

8. Call Someone You Like Who Is A "Positive" Person And Chat

9. Meditate Or Listen To Relaxation or Positive Affirmation Tapes

10. Be CREATIVE!

6. Sponsors

7. Feedback

8. Subscribe/Unsubscribe

Copyright & Privacy

5. Article: The Top 10 Ways To Lift Your Mood When You're Feeling
Down In The Dumps

7. Walk Or Mall Walk To Cheer Up