If you can begin to slow down, and turn it around before speaking your opinion you might find that you will respond very differently than you would have anticipated.

Referencing the book The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived by Steven K. Scott, Jen and Leah review the checklist that Scott created that will help you to slow down and turn it around before you speak! Excellent tips for living your life from a position of empowerment.

1. Respond calmly – think before you speak and respond calmly instead of just *reacting*

2. Listen first – don’t interrupt, don’t think about what you are going to say in response….just LISTEN

3. Approach others from THEIR frame of reference – realizing that if someone is saying mean or negative things to you, it probably means that they are not happy with themselves

4. Begin to look at others from the perspective of what you can give in the relationship rather than what you can receive. When you live proactively and worry less about what you are *getting* from your relationships, your life becomes more peaceful, easier, less stressful and more fun!

For more great coaching tips from Jennifer and Leah, be sure to purchase their cd Your 30 Day Guide to Becoming the Artist of your life. It’s just a $20 investment and promises to give you the tools, tips and resources needed to start living your life to the fullest!

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Some examples of setting boundaries include:

1. Determining what actions and behaviors are acceptable in your marriage, with your family/children and with your friends and co-workers. This is probably the most important (and often most difficult) area to set clear boundaries. When you don’t set boundaries in this area, many times you end of feeling like a *victim* or that you are being taken advantage by others.

2. Deciding how you will be spoken to and treated by others – what you accept and what you do not accept.

3. Deciding what places that you will go, things that you will do, and people that you choose to have in your life. When you know what you do not want to do, then you no longer have to do it.

4. Determing what type of risks that you will take in life and ones that you won’t.

One tip that will help you in beginning to set boundaries in your life is by learning to say NO. Leah and Jen often talk about that fact that ‘NO” is a complete sentence. When we learn to say no to those things that we do not want to do, we are in essence saying Yes to ourselves.

To learn more about setting clear boundaries in your life, be sure to listen to this week’s podcast! Also, you can purchase Leah & Jen’s CD – 30 Days to Becoming the Artist of Your Life! It is chock full of coaching tips, techniques and practices to help you begin living a proactively, passionate and purposeful life!

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Leah and Jen discuss what to do with your life when things aren’t working out exactly as they should. By now, most people who made New Year’s Resolutions in Janaury have fallen off the wagon, and are probably not feeling really good about themselves…So, how can we get back on track in our lives and make things happen!

Leah and Jen suggest reviewing each area of your Life Palette and determining what’s working and what isn’t. Once you identify what ISN’T working the way you want it to, then its time to create the PLAN and the PATH to reach your goals.

Remember, the five areas of your Life Palette include:

Health/Emotion

Financial

Physical Environment

Spirituality

Relationships

Take a good look at each area and write down what changes you want to make to improve each area, and thne create the Action Plan to get there!

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Queen for a day!

The queen~

Today on the Creating Your Masterpiece Show – Leah and Jen experience the wonderful opportunity of interviewing ‘Queen” Linda Sacha. Linda is a fellow life coach who works with women around the country on projects and passions of their heart. She is the author of ‘Queen for a Day, Reclaiming your Happiness One Birthday at a Time’. Her book was released last month with Gotham books and is available in all major bookstores…including Barnes & Noble and Borders. You can also order the book from her website!

Linda explains her motivation behind writing the book….like many women, she had put her needs last and everyone else’s needs first. When her birthday came along, and no one made a big deal out of it….Linda experienced an “Ahh-Haaa’ moment. It was at that time she decided her day of birth was worth celebrating, and she was no longer going to wait for others to do this for her!

Sacha (as her friends call her) as been inspriring women ever since that day to CELEBRATE their lives! Rejoice in who they are! And, realize that the day of their birth is the day for them to rejoice in themselves and their lives…and, not just on their birthday…but the whole year through!

If you are ready to begin celebrating yourself, your life…and your birthday again…you owe it to yourself to read Sacha’s book: “Queen for a Day, Reclaiming your Happiness one Birthday at a Time”. You deserve it!

In addition, Sacha has written and narrated a children’s CD – “Neen’d Lost Song” – which is Book One of her series ‘The World Within’. Click here for more information about the WONDERFUL Linda Sacha!

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The questions pertain to many different topics that have been covered on the podcast show. For example, Tracey from Orlando wants to know more information on how to incorporate the ‘NO’ is a complete sentence philosophy. She has tried saying NO, but continues to feel guilty when she has to say NO. Is there a way she can still say NO without feeling that people are upset with her? Is there a way to not feel guilty?

Wendy from North Carolina wants to explore the concept of Life Shifts more. She has made several life shifts over the past several months, but her challenge is finding balance in her life and also how to get everything done that she wants to achieve……something we all struggle with….time management!

Finally, Chris from Ft. Lauderdale simply asks ‘How long does it take for all these coaching tips and techniques to be incorporated into your life? He has been hard at work on building a strong personal foundation, setting goals and creating action plans!

Tune in this week to see how Leah and Jen answer these tough questions that most of us face on a regular basis!

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Bob Berg co-Author of "The Go Giver"

“All things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust.”
-Bob Burg

On this week’s podcast Leah and Jennifer welcome Bob Burg as their special guest. Bob Burg is a highly sought-after speaker at corporate, financial services and direct sales conventions. He is also the author of several best selling books including Endless Referrals, and he co-authored The Go-Giver with John David Mann. Burg and Mann’s latest book, Go-Givers Sell More,  will be released on February 18th.

Bob discusses the principles and theories behind The Go-Giver with Leah and Jen. The Go-Giver tells the story of an ambitious young man named Joe who yearns for success. Joe is a true go-getter, though sometimes he feels as if the harder and faster he works, the further away his goals seem to be. And so one day, desperate to land a key sale at the end of a bad quarter, he seeks advice from the enigmatic Pindar, a legendary consultant referred to by his many devotees simply as the Chairman.

By learning the 5 Laws of Stratosphieric Success, Joe learns how to truly be a “go-giver” and open himself up to the power of giving.

On the podcast, Bob shares his insight about the importance of The 4th Law of Stratospheric Success- The Law of Authenticity. He discusses why it is so important to your true self, and that in order to flourish and be successful in life you must discover your authenticity!

A true “go-giver” himself, Bob is offering a free download of the introduction and first Chapter of his new book Go-Givers Sell More!

Also, if you have go-givers in your life that you would like to recognize and thank, Bob has come up with a “Go-Giver” Award that can be personalized and sent to the go-givers in your life!

Be sure to listen to this podcast, you won’t want to miss it! Also, click the links for more information on Bob Burg, The Go-Giver, Bob’s newest book Go-Givers Sell More, and the Go-Giver Award

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And, we know what typically happens in January! Everyone is 100% focused on their resolutions! People are going to the gym daily, eating nothing but fruits & vegetables, drinking water by the gallon….and then all of a sudden February arrives and BAM! Many of us hit a brick wall. Our resolutions go to the way side. And we end up feeling like big, fat failures!

It doesn’t have to be like this!

On this week’s podcast, Jen and Leah talk about NOT Making resolutions this year, but instead creating Life Shifts. They explain that resolutions are typically short term chores, or projects. And people tend to pile so many of them on themselves in January that there is no way they are going to be able to accomplish all of them!

Life shifts, however, are long term commitments that we make to and for ourselves.
Take a look at the chart below to see the difference between the two.

Resolution: I am going to lose 30 lbs by March
Life Shift: I want to live a healthier lifestyle and be comfortable with my weight
Resolution: I will go to the gym everyday to get in shape!
Life Shift: I am going to make exercising a part of my overall plan to be healthy
Resolution: I am not going to ever eat junk food or fast food
Life Shift: I am going to make positive choices when it comes to my eating habits
Resolution: I am going to be SUPERWOMAN and have a successful career AND a wonderful home life with my spouse and children
Life Shift: I am going to create a healthy balance between my personal life and my professional life

See the difference? Life Shifts are attainable. With Life shifts you are not setting such high unachievable goals, instead you are making small shifts in your life that will have huge impacts!
The other great thing about life shifts is that you don’t have to wait until January to start! You can create life shifts at any time!

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On this week’s podcast Jen and Leah reflect on the timeless Christmas classic by Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol.
If you will recall in the story, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three ghosts who help him examine his life and find the true meaning of Christmas.

The three ghost are: Christmas past, Christmas future, and Christmas present.

This is a good example of how the past, future and present are represented in our lives, and how they can either hold us back or propel us to move forward. Think about each of the three ghosts and how they impact YOUR life.

Christmas Past: Are there things in your past that are holding you back from living in the *present*? Make it a point to let them go this year. The past is the past, and we can not change nor erase it. But, we can learn from it and take those lessons to improve our lives today. Also, take the good lessons from your past (traditions and memories) and incorporate them into your life today.

Christmas Future: None of us has a crystal ball that can tell us what the future holds for us; however, so many of us get into the habit of worrying about the future, that we forget to live in the present! While we can’t predict the future, we can make plans and set goals for the things we want to achieve in the future. And, then create an Action Plan that will help us get there.

Christmas Present: So, instead of relieving the past and fretting about the future, the one thing we can (and should) do is live in the present. Each day we have on earth is a gift! Don’t waste that gift. Learn to live your life proactively instead of reactively! You are the one in charge of your life!

Happy Holidays from Creating Your Masterpiece!

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They also discuss how difficult it is for some individuals to find out what their passion is. What makes you truly happy? When you discover that, you will be unlocking the door to discovering what your true passion is. Are there things that you enjoy doing or that others have told you that you do very well? When we start to think about our passion in these terms it often becomes easier to identify our true passion. If you detach from the outcome and just consider what you are passionate about, this can make it easier as well. For example, if you are passionate about children, don’t automatically assume that this means you should be a teacher. Let yourself explore all the possibilities without attaching a specific outcome to the situation.

Perhaps you are not able to totally quit your *day* job to follow your passion, but you can surely incorporate this passion into your life!

Remember, you have just one life. This is not a dress rehearsal! So, take the time to discover what you are passionate about and start doing it.

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This week on the Creating Your Masterpiece Show podcast, Leah and Jennifer talk about leaving a legacy. The definition of a legacy is money or property left to somone by a will; anything handed down from our ancestors.

Jen and Leah discuss how a legacy doesn’t have to always be a tangible item or money. In fact, it’s the non-tangible legacies that really do mean the most to us. Often times it is the simple things that are the most important, like that recipe for pecan pie that your grandmother use to make each year at Christmas.

What will people remember about you when you are gone? It is important to leave a legacy for your children, family and friends. But, you don’t need to be a millionaire to leave a expensive legacy! A legacy of love, memories and tradition is priceless!

Here are some ideas to help you create your legacy:

- Keep a journal to pass on to your family.

- Write love letters to your family members. In each letter, write specifically what makes them so special to you.

- Create videos with special thoughts and messages for family members.

- Create a Keepsake/treasure box where you keep important small items that are important and special to you.

And, remember, the actions that you take now and they example that you set for your children are all part of your legacy that you are passing on to them.

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