Confessions of A Work & Life Balance Coach

Okay, I have a confession to make...


... this Work and Life Balance Coach (ME!) is currently a lousy example of work and life balance, living terribly out of kilter and running around in a terrible scurry these last months. I inadvertantly allowed life's craziness to take ahold of me, life's doled out a few hard knocks and I'm still not back in equilibrium yet. THIS is the reason you have not heard from me in a long stretch now.


How can I POSSIBLY write about balance and stillness and applying good practices if I am not congruent to my own message?!?! So, I've simply chosen to not write for this period of time.


I've been asking myself, "How did I let myself get so over-committed in work, work and even more work?"


How did I fall completely off of my fitness over these last eight weeks since our local Curves fitness center closed? (Gee I miss that great little program!)


How did I think it okay to begin eating anything and everything in sight without bathroom scale repercussions these last weeks?!? Eating chocolate every day tastes great but begins to show in the love handles fairly quickly! (How ironic that my last blog writing was about me doing a raw food cleanse for a seriously committed month! Did I EVER spin out from that!)


The loss of my fitness routine combined with the Christmas holidays and all the rich food temptations, my hips have widened by TEN pounds since the summer! I am definitely in a "tight pants" place in my self image again... moan... after I was feeling at my VERY best late July.


SO...


There's my confession! I feel better for it, too. It's just true, I'm no Work and Life Balance saint these days.


Thankfully, a New Year is almost upon us... a time to refocus, set some goals and get myself aligned as we move into spring again. My best "flourishing" happens between spring and late fall each year and I desire to move south for winter from now on. Winter, I recognize is consistently the hardest time of the year for me.

With my 5oth birthday looming next June, it inspires me to get back on the Work and Life Balance bandwagon!

You'll hear from me more frequently now that I've "fessed up!"


Warmly, Carolyn

Carolyn's Update

Hope all’s well for you and you’ve enjoyed the summer. Mine has been fast and furiously full… and I am happily pooped.

In addition to my continued involvement with our counselling business, I have re-incarnated my earlier profession as a furniture refinisher. I always love the hands-on transformational aspect of working with wood, so I’ve been growing a little home-based business over the last few months and am enjoying working on people’s antique pieces of furniture. I've set up a little blog at www.furniturerejuvenation.blogspot.com ... come and see the before and after photos of my work.

Also…
As a means to replenish my “social batteries” after so long at the computer writing my "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" eBook, www.life-balance-success.com I accepted a job last May as an auxiliary worker for the Government Liquor Store (of all places!) to last through the busy tourist-laden summer here on the coast. It is seriously hard work lifting and uncasing boxes, stocking shelves and cashiering. For now, it is absolutely perfect, meeting my criteria of getting out of my head and working actively with my strong body, being a part of an upbeat team and interacting with my community members. Goodness, I’ve never done so many squats in all of my life.

So, THESE are the reasons you have not heard from me in a LONG while! I've never been so busy... and now the summer has wound down. This is my time to reach out and say, "Yes, I AM still here" and to refocus on MY work and life balance.

P.S. I had a wonderful Watsu water therapy experience recently and I look forward to sharing it with you... tomorrow... please tune in again.

Warmly, Carolyn

Exercise... and Rest

Warm hellos!

I hope your world is unfolding positively... as is mine.

At the beginning of January, as a means to inspire and map my exercise progress, I put a calendar up on my office wall where I now mark in all my physical activities. So far this month, I have seriously exercised 19 times... by attending the Curves Club for circuit training, strenuous yoga and dance classes, and gone for long power walks.

Sure, I probably could have increased my frequency, but I feel pleased with my exercise commitment.

I am reminded again about how good yoga is for me! After suffering a torn rotator cuff for over a year, I'd discontinued all formal yoga classes until I healed. Now two weeks into a new yoga season, I'm being selective about the poses and being careful with others, so as not to re-injure myself.

Already an "elastic band," I can feel my body getting stronger and even more flexible, too. By summer, I expect I'll have sculpted muscles again and be stronger in the core of my body... ready to wear my summer clothing confidently.

How are you doing with your New Year fitness commitment?

Remember, bodies are meant to move... otherwise, they atrophy... along with our sense of self image and confidence, too!

AND, just as important as fitness is to our health, so is REST! Julia Cameron (author of the wonderful book entitled, "The Artist's Way") offers the following quotation...

"So often we try to gird ourselves to face a harsh and difficult world when we might instead gentle both ourselves and our world just by slowing down. We could take a cue from music here: 'Rest' is musical term for a pause between flurries of notes. Without that tiny pause, the torrent of notes can be overwhelming. Without a rest in our lives, the torrent of our lives can be the same."

So my friend (interested in Work and Life Balance), move and rest! Move and rest! Move and rest!

You might consider putting a calendar up on your wall as your fitness map, too... and become inspired by your progress.

Warmly, Carolyn

http://www.life-balance-success.com/

Carolyn's Christmas News!

Richard and I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Please click on the PLAY button of our special card below, clicking each of the three pages to read our Christmas News.

Thank you for your interest in our Work and Life Balance Blog... and especially for your friendship!

Warmly, Carolyn and Richard Clarke

Make a free ecard - it's easy!

Share Your Goodness

I have always felt that it is an easy and rewarding experience to help make other people's lives better by sharing some of my positivity, care and attention. I get to feel uplifted by sharing my greatness, AND get to watch how my attention literally transforms another person's day. And, you know what...

... WE ALL have that ability!

I love the following quotation, for it really expresses what I personally aspire to in my own life.

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier."

Quote by Mother Teresa (1910-1997) Missionary and Nobel Peace Prize winner

(What a great photo of her, hey!)

Those in business ought to really understand this principle, for it can be the difference between their business succeeding or failing. Good customer care professionals are like diamonds... they make everything around them glitter and uplift feelings.

It's as simple as aligning in attitude and extending a little kindness to others... a gesture of help, a non-intrusive conversation, a helping hand, a compliment, whatever! Offered with sincerity, it certainly will be noticed!

In this season of giving, offer your authentic Self, for it is the kindest gift. Go on... make a difference!

Warmly, Carolyn

P.S. If you are hunting for a perfect gift for a friend, co-worker or relative needing increased Work and Life Balance, the "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" eBook and companion bonuses and Relaxation meditation MP3 is it!

$27... go to www.life-balance-success.com

Money Management for A Healthy Life

Welcome.

If Richard and I ever decide to publish a revised edition to our "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" eBook, we will definitely include another chapter. Along with these important topic chapters already covered...

• PHYSICAL WELLBEING
• EMOTIONAL WELLBEING
• MENTAL / ATTITUDINAL WELLBEING
• SOCIAL / RELATIONSHIP WELLBEING
• AND SPIRITUAL WELLBEING

... we realize that MONEY MANAGEMENT best also be included in the Work and Life Balance equation!!! If our money condition is a mess, it overflows into the rest of our lives, no matter HOW balanced we might be in all other aspects!

We have just spent a week with one of the planet's smartest money management teachers, Mr. Rick Ruby!

Warm thanks to Rick and Britt Ruby and his company Core Training for including Richard and me in their bi-annual Summit Convention, where we taught an "Eliminating Fear Through Stress Management" seminar for their real estate agents and mortgage brokers coaching members. (Fear is pretty rampant in the USA real estate business these days with the collapse of the morgage industry.)

Core Training is a coaching company that helps accomplished, high earning realtors and mortgage brokers reduce their expenses while boosting their savings, in order to create healthier businesses and healthier lives! Rick and his team of coaches do an awesome job of helping the members and we're honoured to be included in their program. Our involvement with Core is to help the members address the more personal aspect of their lives, in order to create balance in their homes, health and relationships.

This Summit was held in the beautiful Huntington Beach area of California, an hour south of Los Angeles, literally across the street from the sprawling Pacific Ocean beaches. We thoroughly enjoyed our involvement with all of the Core staff and members, plus our additional two days to enjoy the area afterwards.

Here are a few photos to enjoy of the lovely Hilton Huntington Beach Resort where the event was held at, and including a few images of Richard and me having fun during the Hawaiian Luau theme dinner...

Richard and I are definitely skilled to help you get your personal lives and relationships in a healthy condition. To get your copy of the Inner Fitness(R) "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible eBook" and companion bonuses (including a blissful Relaxation guided meditation), click here...

www.life-balance-success.com

Warmly, Carolyn Clarke

The WAY You Work vs. WHERE You Work!

"Your happiness ultimately comes from the WAY you work, not WHERE you work."

Quotation by Russell Simmons (1957 - ) American entrepreneur

Many letters come to me from my Work & Life Balance subscribers who express their dissatisfaction with their place of employment.

(P.S. If you're not receiving my great and free balance tips yet, sign up at http://www.life-balance-success.com/freebalancetips.html )

Intending no disrespect, I suspect that for some workers, much of their dissatisfaction is self-inflicted.

• Some do not have their work space set up to work as effectively in as possible.


• Some have distracting co-workers who impose into their time and space, without adequate boundaries set up to enforce new ways of working.


• Many feel under-utilized or appreciated.


• And of course, even more are simply overworked, trying to do the job really meant for more workers.

Certainly not to trivialize the dissatisfied employee's experiences, the above quotation does have some merit.

There is a direct relationship between those workers that ritually attend to their personal self-care practices each day (exercise, proper nutition, quiet time, meditation, reading or a form of creative expression) having a MUCH higher threshold of ability (and quality of experience) in their work.

Those workers that align with a positive "glass is half full" attitude have a much higher patience and persistence ability, plus a greater sense of reward in their endeavors.

So, I challenge you to consider the WAYS you align in attitude and the WAYS you approach your work! Here are 4 places to start...

1. Maybe you best set new spacial boundaries in your workspace.
   


2. Maybe you best reorganize your workspace to optimize more effective work.
   


3. Maybe you could afford to clean up your attitude.
   


4. And, maybe you best implement self-care practices each day, so that you can feel good about your work life and your personal life.

These are, at least, good places to start if you are feeling unhappy at work.

But, if these issues do not apply to you and you're doing everything right in these regards... then, maybe you DO need to consider a new work space, one that would allow you to be happier!

If you want some great ideas on how to improve your workspace and use your office devices more efficiently, the BEST YOU eBook has a 27-page "While At Work" bonus chapter that will REALLY help you!
www.life-balance-success.com

Wishing you the very best... at home and work,

Carolyn Clarke

Stop and Smell the Dahlias!

I literally could not believe my eyes!

Walking within two city blocks in length of Dahlia flowers this late morning set my autumn senses on fire! The sun and shimmery dew were out and, for some reason, the bees were buzzing around only the orangy-red and yellow dahlias... why only those ones, I do not know.

Never before have I seen such incredible variety and colour... thanks to the kind folk at Dahlias Galore on the Sunshine Coast for opening their beautiful gardens to the public (and free of charge, too). With visiting friends, we sauntered the flower field, amazed at the glorious variations on colour, curl and size of flowers!

Have a look...

There are the bees on the orangy-red and yellow Dahlias I told you about!

(C)2007 All photographs belong to and are copywrited to Carolyn J. Clarke

To me, being out in nature is the very best Work and Life Balance "medicine" one could possibly find. Sure, tips and tools of reducing work hours, finding quiet moments of peace amidst chaos, limiting email checks, practicing meditation, etc. are all perfectly fine as helpful balance solutions, but...

... I say, simply put yourself out into Nature's beauty and THERE you will find Work and Life Balance. Nothing is complicated in Nature... it is only we, as humans, that make life so complex. Nature helps us remember that we are part of a more simple plan.

I came home after this morning outing feeling as though I'd had a "mellowing tonic" ... goodness me! Dahlias, they're positively intoxicating! If you can find some, before their favourite autumn season is over, who needs anything other than beauty to bliss out into balance... not me.

Today, I am in perfect balance, thanks to some magnificent flowers.

Still dahlia tipsy, Carolyn

http://www.life-balance-success.com/

For other (less flower-oriented Work and Life Balance tips), the BEST YOU Possible eBook is loaded with more "practical" balance tools... yours for $27 US... click on the link above.

Your Last Minute Back-to-School Special

This is your final reminder... time is running out to get your copy of the "BEST YOU Possible" eBook and companion Relaxation meditation!

The Back-to-School Sale price of $19.97 is still available, but only until midnight Thursday, September 6th.

With nearly 170 pages of awesome Work and Balance tips and tools, you'd be silly to not gift yourself with a copy. It is LOADED with helpful hints...

... that will support your life to be more aligned with what you want for yourself.

48 hours to act quickly... so, go here now... http://www.life-balance-success.com/

Warmly, Carolyn and Richard Clarke

Inner Fitness(R) Program Facilitators

Get Away From the Pressures

Camping sure is good for work and life balance and for feeding the soul!

When life has been too busy without much time to draw back and replenish our inner batteries, what better way to recharge than to pack up a few basic supplies and get out into nature for a few days!

There's nothing like sitting in a lawn chair beneath a canopy of lovely trees, tent's all set up in a cozy way and ready for whatever weather may arrive... and to simply "Be" vs. "Do." Camping serves to remind us of the simpler needs and pleasures of life, where our lives can naturally slow to a more gentle pace again.

North American lives have become plagued with the "Doing Disease" to the point that many people are seriously devoid of even knowing how to Be anymore. Running here, running there... it's like we're all a bunch of chickens with our heads cut off... unless we make the sincere effort to break the spell. And, that's all a "Doing life" is... a big, bad spell.

Camping serves as a good reminder to slow down, be without the usual temptations of day-to-day appliances, TV's, computers, telephones, conveniences, etc. Instead, we begin to notice our rhythms adjust (to its intended natural pace), we hear the sounds of nature in new ways, we breathe fresh air again, we rest like we maybe haven't done in a long while and camping offers precious time to think about what is really important in life.

Simply put, camping is a good remedy for an imbalanced life!

Here's where we camped for several days recently... now our second visit to Lund, B.C., the town at the furthermost northern tip of the TransCanada Highway #1. Lund is a launching point to visit the lovely Savory Island and is a mecca for sport fisherman, as you can see by the boats in this photo.

Our sweet cat, Diva had a really good time, too! As you can see, her favourite spot was the lofty view atop the canopy entrance of our tent.

She's an awesome camping cat!

(C)2007 Photographs by Carolyn, all rights reserved.

Late in the afternoon on Saturday, a dark still sky meant that a wild storm was heading our way. WELL, what an invigorating adventure we had snuggling into our well-protected campsite as the heavyduty thunder, lightning and rainstorm decended fiercely upon us! Rarely do we get to experience the elements in such a personal and exposed way... with booming thunder and lightning literally above our heads. I felt very alive (though somewhat insignificant in the face of nature's fury) during this amazing storm.

If camping's not your thing, find a way to enjoy more time outdoors, in frequent ways... nature's gifts are great.

Warmly, Carolyn

www.life-balance-success.com

IMPORTANT, READ ON TO THE NEXT BLOG ENTRY...

THERE'S A BACK-TO-SCHOOL SPECIAL PRICE ON OUR BECOMING THE BEST YOU POSSIBLE eBOOK... $19.97...

... BUT ONLY UNTIL THURSDAY, SEPT. 5TH

IT COME WITH SEVERAL GREAT BONUSES... GET YOUR COPY!

Summertime Fun for Balance

Glad you're visiting!

Thank goodness, in the midst of going through much renovation chaos, Richard and I are taking moments to step back and have some fun. With far too many projects going on all at once (and feeling rather overwhelmed with it all), we've not had nearly enough fun yet this summer... and that's disappointing considering how fast it is slipping by! Fun is a vital ingredient for living a balanced life... and I admit I've been off kilter.

Thankfully, 400 antique cars rolled into our little town a few days ago and dazzled the community with their showy features... everything from 1934 Model T's to the 60's and 70's muscle cars, drag racing cars, old ambulances, police cars and even a pedal car. Have a look...

To my special subscribers that are lovers of Boler campers, I thought of you as I saw this amazing vehicle. The owner of this trailer decked out the inside in a 50's jukebox style of decor... SOOO cute!

Enjoy... these photos are in tribute to you.

Being a 50's girl, I am naturally drawn to the shiny elegance of the chrome-laden cars... taking me right back to my childhood. This car was a nice example of what I really love.

Take a look at the chrome in this following photo. If you look carefully, you'll see my reflection in that amazing paint job. : )

I am so grateful for an infusion of community fun... my balance batteries felt a recharging this day. This coming weekend will help me further heal from renovation overload for an awesome week-long Arts Festival is now underway, which means dancing, singing, playing and remembering what summer is REALLY all about!

Hope you are enjoying some summertime fun, too.

Warmly, Carolyn
http://www.life-balance-success.com/

Are You Blobbing Yet?

I'd like to pay tribute to all of my Australian readers and subscribers today!!

Hat's off to all of you Aussies seeking Work and Life Balance. Having vacationed in Australia many years ago, I admit I saw no signs of anyone living in stress and needing balance tips and tools. Perhaps it was because I was in sight-seeing mode, my eyes seeing merely the beauty of the city and countryside... I simply had no inside peek into "real life" Australia.

I can hardly wait to visit Australia again in the future. It is a VAST country with such diverse cultures, landscapes, climates, vegetations and peoples. We, as Canadians were made to feel very welcome throughout our travels. Sydney is an awesome city... Melbourne another beautiful and interesting city... the Gold Coast hot and gorgeously filled with bronze beauties everywhere. Holding a koala bear melted my heart. My photographer self was very busy there, capturing the great sights... here's one of my moment caught on film. (This sunset moment sent me into immediate inner balance!)

Thanks to my Australian friend, Martin for sharing an Aussie expression with me in an email recently. He was telling me about how busy he'd been with a project over the last eight weeks and then said, "I treated myself to two blob days where I recharged my batteries."

When I inquired what a "blob" day is, he emailed me again, saying, "In Australia we say a slow day where you relax and take a load off is a day where you blob! Hence a blob day!"

Thanks so much, Martin... this is worth sharing around!

So, my Work and Life Balance reader friends, I hope you'll catch the Australian spirit and treat yourself to frequent all-important "Blob Days" too! Blobbing is really vital to our entire wellbeing. Smile... if you find that expression as contagious as I do, spread it around!

Blobbing (relaxation) is a really good thing for life balance.

Warmly, Carolyn

BEST YOU eBook is available at http://www.life-balance-success.com/

Stop and Smell the Flowers

I know you've heard the phrase... "Stop and smell the flowers!"


(C) 2007 Photo by Carolyn Clarke, all rights reserved.



Since my participation in the Coming Alive program at The Haven Institute recently, I admit that things are changing for me. The important self-work I did in the group has helped me to realize some important things about myself, what motivates me and and what changes I desire to make to be an even better person.

Since my return home, one thing that I've noticed is how my senses seem to be ultra-sensitized! The early morning smells of earthiness almost bowl me over as a take my long walks. The colours around me seem to have become more saturated, with deeper greens and blues than what I seemed to notice pre-Coming Alive. It's almost like I put on a pair of polarizing filters over my eyes, bringing out the crisp clarity of colours and extra in-focus detail.

I am delighting in nature SO much and, as a result, I have been gifting myself with more time to express my photographic passion. Have a look at a few of "my new eyes" finds...

(C)2007 Photo by Carolyn Clarke, all rights reserved.

This lovely (tail-less) butterfly allowed me to come within two inches to capture five images of it, before it flew away. Too bad the light wasn't a little brighter, it would have made a better photo... oh well. I felt tickled with this experience.

(C) 2007 Photo by Carolyn Clarke, all rights reserved.

The beautiful beach outside of The Haven was not your typical sandy or pebbly beach... it was mostly shelves of mssive volcanic rocks thrust up with the earth's changes over time.

Occasionally I came across what looked like impressions of a big bucket having been set down (as in the above photograph) which were, in fact, where a volcanic bubble had burst leaving a rather Zen-like permanent mark in the landscape. I smiled each time I saw one of these Zen circles, for it was like I was being reminded to move slowly, be mindful and be observant... as in meditation. Nature is so wonderful for its reminders.

My greatest joy in this past week, though, has come through watching the new mother and father Robin that nested outside our diningroom window and are now busy feeding their three newborn hatchlings. What a sight to behold! I steal frequent gentle glances at their routine of flying out to search for wriggling worms and ripe salmon berries to bring back to the hungry brood... such proud and devoted, responsible parents!

Nature is all abounding us all day long... if we "stop long enough to smell the flowers!"

May you awaken to the bounty of life around you, too... a vital ingredient to life balance.


Warmly, Carolyn

Our eBook, "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" is full of ways to get more in touch with Life Balance...
go to http://www.life-balance-success.com/official-ebook-launch.html

Psychological Health In the Workplace

I was really pleased to read in our very own daily newspaper, the Vancouver Sun, an article emphasizing the importance of businesses looking after the psychological wellbeing of their employees.

"Look after your people and they'll look after your business" is the advice that a local psychologist, Jennifer Newman and chairwoman of the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Collaborative is sending out. (A good message, I say!)

How exciting to gradually see more and more corporations getting the message that satisfied and nutured employees will attend to their work with clearer and happier commitment. Those companies that make attentive efforts to create healthier workplaces are finding that they're keeping their employees and are also more successful at attracting new employees to want to work with them.

(Image by Dreamstime)

Newman says that, "When people feel cared for, they are more loyal, committed and attracted to the company. When employees are rewarded for their work efforts and invited to be more involved in decision making, when they are given opportunities to balance work and home life better, they are generally more fulfilled in their work time.

Wow, it sounds like our Vancouver Airport Authority has a pretty wonderful Work and Life Balance Program in place... having won a Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award in 2004! Employees are offered flexible work schedules, "lunch and learn" sessions, fitness incentives and free yoga classes, stress management and nutrition classes, access to alternative healing methods, etc.

YVR has apparently observed a marked improvement in job fulfilment, a higher work attendance rate and a very low turnover rate since the beginning of their Balance Wellness Program began. Is it any wonder? People are HAPPY in their jobs!

This sounds SO encouraging. Heck, I 'd enjoy working in those conditions, too. Slowly but surely corporations are waking up to the fact that their employees are their greatest assets to mutual success!

Isn't this good news... I say, "It's about time!"

Warmly, Carolyn

Personal Change Consultant

www.innerfitness.ca

P.S. Head right over to http://life-balance-success.com/specialoffer.html and order your copy of our newly released "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" eBook... special launch price available only until 6PM this Thursday the 7th!

Music In the Workplace

Thanks to the Times of India online newspaper for their Work and Life Balance article entitled,

"Work, office, music!"

Written and published 30 May, 2007... P.S. India is already into our tomorrow. : )

Have a read... I couldn't agree more!

"Many corporate organisations play non-stop music for their employees. Who doesn't want to lead a stress-free life? Indeed, people aren't hesitant while taking various steps to make their lives smoother. Be it playing with pets, a trip to the spa, vacationing, watching movies or listening to favourite tracks, all these serve as stress busters for many.

Music, the all-time favourite mantra for relieving stress, has been with us for ages. And now, with fusion and trance gaining popularity, it is a constant presence in many corporate set ups as well. Nikhil Mehta, an IT professional, says, "Music matters a lot, and adds positive vibes to the atmosphere. It helps relax amidst workplace tensions. It helps employees to work with efficiency and ease." Trance and golden oldies of Bollywood are the preferred varieties of music."

(Interestingly, I personally love to listen to Indian music as I work! By the way, have you discovered iTunes Radio yet? If not, check it out on the Internet... there are hundreds of online radio stations from all over the world to suit your preferred type of music!)

"As a matter of fact, some prominent radio stations too have come up with stress-busting music albums. Even when confronted by strict deadlines, music enables one to perform better. Rathi Pradhan, an advertising professional, echoes Mehta's thought when he says, "The pressure in our profession is too much. Music plays a key role, and soothes the mind."

Many studies have proved that music helps in reducing chronic pain. People suffering from back pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, and pain from injuries can benefit by listening to it.

Yet, not everyone is convinced that music is a blessing; indeed, some feel that it acts as an impediment to good performance at work. Mahafreed Irani, a journalist, affirms, "Music doesn't help and, at times, the songs are very annoying. Not everyone enjoys trance, and rock for that matter. Just because a few enjoy, everyone else is also forced to listen to them. It also hampers our work schedule since one song is played again and again."

Irani's view is not shared by the majority, who like to enjoy their day's work in the most relaxed manner possible. For them, music is the shortest route to bliss which they love to experience even while working."

While some prefer as much silence as possible to do their most productive work in, others are inspired by specific types of soothing music. What about you?

Tell me whether you are inspired or distracted by music in your working place... and if enjoyed, what type of music do you work best to... I'd love to hear from you.

Have a great few days until I talk to you again.

Warmly, Carolyn

www.innerfitness.ca

P.S. Our "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" eBook Package will be available for purchase in a matter of days now!!! Stay tuned.

10 Questions To Ask Yourself Each Day

Hi!
I have just a quick moment before I race out the door to get a lot of little tasks done before our business trip to Tucson, Arizona on Monday, but I wanted to pass on this link to a short 1-minute video by fellow Work and Life Balance Speaker, Jim Bennett.

A nice little video posing the 10 questions to ask yourself at the end of each day, to (in his words) “follow the Tao.” Thanks, Jim.

Click on this link... I think you'll like the questions he poses, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--jRqly6zyU

Warmly, Carolyn
www.innerfitness.ca

P.S. As soon as we're back from Tucson, I'll have a pre-launch special to offer you on our new "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" eBook!

Awe Is Present Each Day... If Our Senses Are Attuned

The morning light's arrival at the early hour of 5:30am has become my time of awakening these days... and it pleases me. Being a morning person, I adore getting up (quietly while the rest of my sweet family sleeps) and going for a walk on our mountainside.

At that hour of the morning, it is like I have the world to myself and the stillness is incredible. It sounds silly to say this, but the silence is actually "loud." There are no people sounds anywhere! No automobiles, no lawn mowers, no children, nothing except me and the happily chirping birds.

Last week in my blog entry, I attached this amazing quote;
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." Quote by George Carlin

This quote touched and stayed with me all week! It is my early morning walks that are currently filling me with the greatest moments of breath taking awe recently. For example, as I climbed our steep driveway this morning, I caught the heavenly scent of something before even realizing that it was the apple blossoms on our tree... amazed that I'd never noticed how fragrant they are before.

((C) 2006 Photograph by Carolyn Clarke, all rights reserved)

I made the steep decent down to the local beach and perched myself on a big boulder looking out on the incredible stillness of the inlet... the entire body of water (10 miles long) just like a sheet of glass! Not a sound... not a single sound stirred for approximately 6 or 7 minutes, before a small fishing vessel fired up its engine a few miles up the coast. Nature offers such a surreal meditation. This is the incredible beauty that I am talking about...

((C)2006 Photograph by Carolyn Clarke, all rights reserved)

How fortunate that spring in full force is what pulls me into my greatest life balance "tool"... the outdoors with my Self.

As I huffed and puffed the entire way back up the mountain after my beach meditation, I thought about the dramatic difference we'll see in vegetation between the lush greenery that is abundant here right now, to the stark dryness of the Arizona desert we will experience next week.

Richard and I leave next Monday to teach another seminar for the Core Training Summit Conference, always a great experience. We LOVE the dry climate of the desert country and look forward to our time with the group, as well as the playtime we'll take after the event.

Set your senses out for the little awe-inspiring moments in each of your days. These moments are everywhere around us, IF we have our senses out to experience them.

Happy Day, love Carolyn!

www.innerfitness.ca

P.S. Upon our return from Arizona I will have the quirky kinks worked out of my first-built website and will have a launch date (with a Special Offer!) for our eBook to tell you about. We are THAT close!

"One Prayer" For World Peace

In keeping with the Inner Fitness(R) theme of creating healthy, balanced relationships, I couldn't resist sharing a special video with you. It speaks of the relationship of ALL people of the world... and it made an impact on me today.

Working to balance our personal and work life is important and valuable and honourable... but extending out beyond our OWN lives into the lives of ALL those around the planet is becoming increasingly important, too. Our world has become small and intolerance loud... emphasizing how vital it is to extend care to all those around us more than ever before.

Click on this link to view Karl Anthony singing his song, entitled, "One Prayer." http://youtube.com/watch?v=BQeeZDkMCUQ

This song has an important message for our world today, so please share it around.

Warmly, Carolyn
www.innerfitness.ca

Becoming the BEST YOU Possible eBook Update

Hello and welcome!

This blog entry is to provide you with an update... to keep you posted on our "Becoming the BEST YOU Possible" eBook launch progress!

Those of you that have been novice website builders in times past will understand the "fun" I am having in building our website to promote our new eBook. What a steep learning curve this is... even with step-by-step programs available to assist the process.

I am so excited to get this eBook to you soon, after writing for the last eight months infusing my wisdom and creativity into form. With the eBook complete, my computer artistry has had to shift onto this new focus. Afterall, I can't get the eBook to you without the delivery mechanism... our website.

Most people have no idea what goes on behind the scenes of building a website... I certainly didn't! Let me tell you, it is an involved process. I have now written all of the content and decided on the design, fonts, colours, etc. There are creative periods which I enjoy and there are also the hair-pulling moments like earlier this afternoon... I've lost material three times today alone. Still, I happily push on, determined that I WILL deliver this eBook yet. : )

Hyperlinks, here I come. PayPal shopping cart, here I come. Etc., etc., etc. One step at a time, I progress.

So, I'll keep you posted. One of these days really soon, I'm going to surprise you and actually announce THEE date that this eBook will be available. It will be a day to rejoice, that's for sure. Joking with my family and friends lately, I've been saying that this eBook writing and web development turned into a nine-month long "pregnancy"... and soon I'm about to birth the "baby." Some baby!

Enjoy my Work and Life Balance tips in the meantime. (If you're not already subscribed, go to www.a-balanced-life.com and leave me with your name and email and I'll talk to every couple of days with some awesome balance tips for a good life.)

Cheer me on in the background...

I can feel your encouragement.

Warmly, Carolyn

www.innerfitness.ca

My Globe & Mail Newspaper Interview

Hi and welcome!
I am pleased to have been interviewed recently for an article, published in the
The Globe and Mail Newspaper (based out of Toronto, Canada)
Thursday, December 14, 2006

Warm thanks to writer, Nicole Dunsdon for her warm interview skills and her articulate writing ability.

The article starts off interviewing the director of CNC Global, addressing how he fosters balance within the company and with his employees. From there, the article picks up about our Inner Fitness® tips for creating balance, so be sure to read right through the whole article… there are some good tips there to pick up.

Here is the full article, with the exception of the photograph…

A special information series
SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION: BASICS (PART 14)

“WORK-LIFE BALANCE”
“Finding this ever-elusive equilibrium takes setting boundaries and having fun”

Ever go the gym with your boss, or kick back together at work over a beer or a glass of wine and some casual conversation?

At the Calgary office of CNC Global, the staff of 18 works and plays together regularly. Every now and then on a Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., for example, the staff convenes for what they call “Hump-Day Hops.” Dave Quinn, the company’s director for Southern Alberta, says his group will often just sit around and chat or sometimes have an informal roundtable discussion. He especially likes Thursdays at 3 p.m., when the staff takes turns providing sweet or savoury snacks for their weekly, half-hour gathering in the kitchen.

Mr. Quinn is very sensitive to his employees’ work-life balance and has fostered some very innovative practices at his CNC Global branch to allow for that. Sick days are a thing of the past. Instead, “care days” take their place. “We call them care days so that our employees can also look after a child or a parent and don’t have to take up vacation time to do that,” says Mr. Quinn.

Only two mornings a week, employees have to be at work at a set time for meetings. The rest of the week? They can arrive at 7 a.m. and leave by 4 p.m. or an-ive at 9 a.m. and leave by 6 p.m. “They realize and appreciate the value of having that flexibility,” Mr. Quinn says, adding that his personal philosophy is that we work to live, not live to work. “The things that are truly important in our lives happen after 5 p.m.”

The employees at CNC Global also have charity/volunteer days, team ski days, horseback riding days, and have even camped together. “We are trying to do a snowmobile outing in December,” says Mr. Quinn, who believes these activities are important in establishing connections between employees and positive memories around work. “That helps balance out the inevitable negatives that happen on day-to-day basis.”

Many people who run small offices are partly motivated to go out their own in order to create their own corporate culture and avoid the grind. But, with the added responsibilities and multiple roles they take — striking a work-life balance is easier conceived of than achieved.

On top of building in some fun and flexibility at work, it is also important to establish techniques to combat the sense of stress that can be created around deadlines and heavy workloads.

“We’re rushing from one event another...living in those anticipatory moments and not living in this moment very often,” says Carolyn Clarke, a Sunshine Coast-based counsellor and natural health consultant with Richard T. Clarke and Associates and the Inner Fitness program.

She says high achievers have done so at a cost, which is becoming fairly serious issue. “Our North American society has fixated on quantity versus quality.., measuring ourselves more by our money and status and less by our family life and sense of community.”

Mrs. Clarke looks at balance as a dynamic process, using the analogy of a tightrope walker, constantly shifting to find equilibrium. “Balance isn’t a destination. It’s active and ever-changing. It requires attention and input.”

That’s where certain practices come in to create a more well-rounded approach to work and life. “When people look after their own personal care (their physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being) they also stand a really good chance of boosting their sense of meaning in the world, having a good home life, and bringing that forward into their work realm,” says Mrs. Clarke.

She says there are seven keys to living in balance: Make your health number one and commit to practices that will carry you through stressful periods; set clear boundaries for work and life and stick to them; take downtime to rejuvenate; nurture your relationship with yourself and commit to your personal growth through hobbies, understanding your passions and creating growth opportunities; nurture your love relationship, which is the foundation for everything else, and maximize keeping it alive; keep family and friends high on your list of priorities; infuse your life with a spiritual practice such as meditation, prayer and relaxation rituals.

“We all yearn for something more than the daily grind,” concludes Mrs. Clarke, pointing out that being tuned-in to our inner selves and infusing peace, effective organization and a pleasant atmosphere into our work space can make a world of difference in truly achieving a work-life balance."

Well, there you have it! Thanks to the Globe and Mail for inviting me to be a part of their great series!

To invite your loved ones to be a part of our Inner Fitness(R) Work and Life Balance tips, send them to this link... www.a-balanced-life.com

Warmly, Carolyn
Inner Fitness(R) Programs
www.innerfitness.ca
Our guided meditation CDs are available online through CDBaby at http://cdbaby.com/cd/crclarke4