You CAN Fly by Betsy Ringer

There I was at dawn working with a team of people, pulling a huge hot air balloon out of a strong canvas bag. Once spread out on the blacktop we held out the ropes of the opening so the powerful fan could fill the balloon with air. We worked quickly getting the basket in place, the ropes secured, and then the flames spewing the hot air brought the giant balloon over the basket.

Fifty other balloons of brilliant colors surrounded us, going from flat, to full to teetering upward and lifting effortlessly off the ground. They dotted the sky like giant moving polka-dots. They carried passengers who for one reason or another had a desire to ride in a hot air balloon. They were fulfilling a dream or an experience that at one time seemed improbable. Their once hidden aspiration was climbing higher and higher toward realization.

My job on the crew was far from over. We would track the balloon, assist in the landing and pack it up. As I watched the balloons delivering dreams come true, I was reminded of my own dream come true many years ago. I remember sitting in the audience watching a magnificent community production – 150 men and 150 women performing show tunes throughout the decades. They were all non-professionals, but the costumes, singing, dancing and orchestral arrangements were as excellent as any seen on Broadway in New York City.

As I sat in the audience, all I could think of was that I wanted to be on that stage. The next year I went to the auditions without telling anyone what I was doing. I delivered my tryout next to a grand piano on a ballroom floor, knowing my talent paled next to 99% of the people there. Nonetheless, I actually MADE it! For the next six years I sang and danced to those fabulous show tunes in front of an appreciative audience six nights per season. I overcame my fear, went to the tryouts and have that memory to boost me toward trying other things that seem so far out of reach.

What lies inside of you that you would really like to do but fear, practicality, time or any other excuse keeps you from engaging in? I encourage you to step out now and make your way to the front and give it a try. Whatever is holding you back is invisible. It’s time to fly – or sing – or dance – or take a class – or change careers – or volunteer – or run a 10K – or discover your design – or write a book – or name yours here __________.

Maybe this video will give you little inspiration.

Please click here to share a dream or experience you would like to become a reality.

Betsy is an Associate with iBloom. Contact her to come speak to your group, be your Life Coach or attend one of her classes by phone.

Overwhelmed? Take charge!!! by Betsy Ringer

I used to have two speeds: fast forward and stop. My energy level and ability to get an extraordinary amount of work done was just short of phenomenal. When my feet hit the floor in the morning I went nonstop, full speed ahead until I hit the bed at night. Yet no matter how fast I worked, there was always more to do. I seemed to work harder, faster, more furiously at my job and all evening at home. I was bright-spirited and loved working hard so I didn’t think too much about it. Then my body totally stopped. Shut down. Refused to function. I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning and when I finally forced myself, it was all I could do to drag to the shower and get dressed. I lasted about two hours, then my brain could no longer think or make a decision. Being around people proved to be stimulus overload for me and my body, mind and spirit shut off like a computer denied of power.

I discovered I had Adrenal Fatigue; a condition that results when the amount of strain placed on your body, mind and spirit overextends the capacity of your built in mechanism to compensate and recover from the stress. I had chosen to live an overextended lifestyle and my body revolted.

The short version is that it took a year and a half to get my body back on track. The pituitary, hypothalamus and endocrine system had to recalibrate during an extremely tedious process. I had to overhaul how I lived my life.

Years before this health episode, I had created a Life Guide Statement which identified the important and valuable components of my life that brought vitality and spanned age, stage, and career choices. My Life Guide Statement was designed to refresh my soul and help me make wise lifestyle choices. The problem was, I had ignored it, fooled myself into thinking I would pay attention to it “next month,” and given in to societal demands. Had I been true to my Life Guide Statement and made choices that would allow me to live life the way I KNEW I needed to, I would have bypassed this devastating blow to my body, mind and spirit.

My Life Guide Statement is “Exalt and encounter God, take a risk, savor the moments and live intentionally.” These components bridge my family, satisfying work, bold fun, and meaningful relationships.

Overwhelm, exhaustion, fatigue, unwise lifestyle choices, and giving in to societal expectations are an epidemic among women. You CAN take charge by creating your own LIFE GUIDE STATEMENT. I can help. Join me in my phone class where I will walk you through the process of developing your very own Life Guide Statement. In the comfort of your home or at your desk at work you can take this class by phone. Click here to register and I will send you your call in number, a link to a five minute movie to watch, and the book that will be your guide during our class. After the class, I will correspond with you by email to help you finish your Life Guide Statement.

If you can't make it at that time, register anyway and after the class we will send you the recording so you can follow along. You will be able email with me to complete your Life Guide Statement.

My desire is for women to make healthy choices to live the vital life they were designed to live. Begin your freedom from overwhelm today!

Betsy Ringer is an Associate with iBloom. Learn more about her and invite her to speak to your group.

PART 2 Five Important Questions to Ask Yourself Before 2009 Slips Away… for good! By Betsy Ringer

Part 2

Yesterday we started thinking about how we can make sure we finish well in 2009 and go confidently into 2010. I asked you to consider the following questions:

1. If Year 2009 could whisper something to you, what would it say?

2. What is your soul yearning for?

3. If you could accomplish just ONE thing before 2010 what would it be?

I hope you took time to thoughtfully answer those questions. If you didn’t get a chance to yet, go back to yesterday’s blog and work through those questions.

Now, I have two more for you. Again, think through them and write down your answers.

4. What is ONE step you can take to simplify your life? Plain and simple: what can you declutter, what can you wipe off your calendar, what task can you streamline to make life less complicated?

5. How can you prepare NOW to make sure you finish 2009 and start 2010 the way you truly want to live? Years ago I created a Life Guide Statement which identified the important and valuable components of my life that brought vitality and spanned age, stage, and career choices. My Life Guide Statement was designed to refresh my soul and help me make wise lifestyle choices. Being an overachiever, often living my life in overwhelm, I have often neglected my Life Guide Statement. However, I have suffered the misery of that neglect enough times now, that it has become automatic to pay attention to that feeling that bubbles up in me and almost screams, “You’re doing it AGAIN!!” At that point, I review my Life Guide Statement to see what’s missing. When I review my Life Guide Statement and make the necessary adjustments, life swings back into fulfillment mode.

My Life Guide Statement is “Exalt and encounter God, take a risk, savor the moments and live intentionally.” These components bridge my family, satisfying work, bold fun, and meaningful relationships. You can develop your own simple and straightforward Life Guide Statement. It’s different from a mission statement and purpose statement which identify things to “do.” Your Life Guide Statement is more focused on how you live day in and day out in a way that fills your soul, moves you from mediocre to meaningful daily living and brings out the life vitality you long for.

I invite you to take action NOW to develop your very own Life Guide Statement. I am offering a teleclass – you sit in the comfort of your home and call in by phone! – entitled “How to Write a Compelling Life Guide Statement.” During this teleclass, you will be led through a process to develop your very own Life Guide Statement. The cost of the teleclass includes:

· A handbook that will be used during the class

· A review of your Life Guide Statement in a follow up email

· A recording that guides you through the process if you would like to review it after the class

This process helps you identify specific ways your inner core yearns to experience life a vibrant way. By creating a personalized compass-like statement you will have a guide to help you begin living the life you truly want to live.

The teleclass is offered:

Tuesday, September 22, 11AM – 12:30 PM Eastern time.

Go to http://www.ibloom.us/news-events.html to sign up. If you can’t attend the class, go ahead and register and we will send you the handout and recording of the class so you can walk through developing your own Life Guide Statement. You will also be able to send your Life Guide Statement to me for review and comments.

If you don’t want to wait until the class, purchase it now by going to http://www.ibloom.us/store.html. You will receive an audio download and a booklet, but not the class recording.

Take action now to finish 2009 well and be prepared to live 2010 the way you’ve always wanted to live. Life is not a dress rehearsal. It is a precious gift. The Holy Spirit works within us to guide us and align us with God’s desire for our lives. Take time today to reflect and hear what the core of your being is saying.

Psalm 90:12 NIV “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Click here to share steps you are going to take to finish strong in 2009.

Five Important Questions to Ask Yourself Before 2009 Slips Away… for good! By Betsy Ringer

Part 1

I distinctly remember staying up until midnight so I could kiss my husband and welcome in the New Year – 2009!! I LOVE a brand new year, don’t you? But wait! 2009 is rounding the corner and rushing to pass the baton to 2010!

Once the year is finished, you can’t take it back. With just five questions you can turn this year into a dynamic year while at the same time preparing for a vibrant 2010. I encourage you to print this out, find a comfy place, and answer the following questions. You deserve to finish this year well, so take a few minutes to reflect and make a plan. Here are a few questions Coach Betsy has for you:

1. If Year 2009 could whisper something to you, what would it say?

Would it say you took some time out for fun? Would it say you’ve spent your days rushing along and beg you to savor the moments? Would it thank you for making it memorable in a positive way? What message do you hear?

2. What is your soul yearning for? Let’s face it, most of us rush here and there, complete tasks, plan more stuff, and try to fit in all the mundane details that we think needed to be done yesterday. Meanwhile, our souls are hungering for adventure or travel or deep conversation or quiet or music or _____________ (you fill in the blank).

3. If you could accomplish just ONE thing before 2010, what would it be? Sometimes I put off doing something I really want to do simply because it’s easier to have the idea or dream than to actually carry it out. It’s easier for my husband and I to talk about having friends over than to actually plan it and follow-through with it. It’s easier thinking I’d like to go to visit friends and relatives in Arizona than find a date that works for everyone, make the plane reservation and go. If I think about doing volunteer work or cleaning out my closets or surprising my husband or doing something to improve my job skills, I can almost fool myself into thinking I’m making progress – but I’m NOT. I encourage you to overcome your fear or procrastination, get unstuck and move forward to complete just ONE thing you really want to accomplish before 2010. Big or small, just ONE thing.

Give these questions some thought and tomorrow I’ll have two more questions for you to consider. I want you to finish well, finish strong in 2009. No matter what has happened up to this point, you can move forward and embrace the life you love. Remember to finish the rest of the questions tomorrow!

Do you have a Life Guide Statement? This statement is created by you and articulates what is vital in the core of your being for experiencing life in a vibrant way. It describes the components of your life that span age, stage, and career. These are things that refresh your soul so you can use your strengths to live life in a meaningful way. Your Life Guide Statement gives you direction no matter your relationship, task or challenge! I’d like to invite you to let me guide you in developing your very own Life Guide Statement. Please attend my class by phone on September 22. If you can’t attend, register anyway and after the class we will send you a recording of the class for you to follow along, a Life Guide Statement booklet and an opportunity to correspond with me regarding your LGS! Register here: http://lifeguide.eventbrite.com/

Let's share our answers with each other! It will be interesting and we can encourage each other as well! Click here to share your answers.

Secrets to Speed Reading People by Betsy Ringer

There are times when it is helpful to be able to “speed read” people so we know how to communicate with them better. If you are in a serving profession if you can “speed read” a person you can offer them better service. Or if you go to a professional meeting where there are lots of people you don’t know and you want to be able to connect with them fairly quickly – “speed reading” helps. Or maybe you are the one who needs a problem solved and you know connecting with the person who can help you will get things done more efficiently, “speed reading” helps.

“Speed reading” people is a wonderful tool to have in your “Good People Skills” toolkit. You see we all have a preference for a certain personality style and when someone communicates with us in our style, we respond much more readily. Sometimes, we get clues from people about their personality style from how they dress or carry themselves.

A Playful Sanguine often wears bright colors and their eyes sparkle. They are eager to engage in conversation and appreciate others interacting with them.

A Proper Melancholy usually wears tailored clothes or subdued colors. They look very “clean” and put together. As we “speed read” them we know to approach them in a quieter, polite manner and build trust.

A Powerful Choleric has an “air” of confidence around them. They move at a fast pace and want things done efficiently. As you identify them, you know to get to the point, skip the details and get out of their way.

A Peaceful Phlegmatic on the other hand, carries an “air” of calming presence. They are seeking harmony and usually prefer others to make decisions. They appreciate those who take time to get to know them, ask questions and suggest solutions.

This is just a sample of the valuable information you will learn in The Personalities phone class coming up next Tuesday, September 8. You will be able to take an assessment to discover your own Personality and you will learn about the various characteristics of each of the other personalities, their strengths and struggles and the inner needs of each.

Laugh a lot and learn valuable skills for getting along better with just about anyone!

Click here to register. After you register, you will be sent a phone number to call to gain access to the class. If you can’t make it at that time, you will be sent a link where you can access the recording and handouts for the class.

If you have questions, email me at betsy@ibloom.us .

Visit Betsy’s bio page. On that page click on MY BIO to see a list of her speaking topics and events

Share a Personality story here.