THE KEY TO REVIVING OR “DIVORCE-PROOFING” A RELATIONSHIP
is not how you handle disagreements (negotiating differences & improving communication).

It is in how you are with each other when you’re not fighting.

FRIENDSHIP IS AT THE HEART OF ANY LIFE-PARTNERSHIP!

The Foundation of Gottman’s Approach =
Strengthening the friendship also provides guidance in coping with conflict

Source:  John Gottman’s Why Marriages Succeed or Fail

Read more from Ken Donaldson here…

The ABC’s of Success

A stands for Attraction; more specifically the Law of Attraction.

The Law of Attraction states that like energies attract each other.
Positive attracts positive and negative attracts negative. Therefore,
if you are putting out negative energy you will therefore attract negative
energy into your life. Likewise, if you are putting out positive energy
you will attract positive energy into your life.

So the question is: What vibration are you sending out? If it is negative,
how about experimenting with some new ways of managing your life
to create more positive energy?

See Chapter 2 in Marry YourSelf First!: Doing the Abun-Dance:
The Law of Attraction and the Art of Prosperous Living
http://kendonaldson.com/store/

B stands for Boundaries; and that includes both the boundaries
you have with others and the boundaries you have with yourself.

Saying “No” to something that is unacceptable is an example of a boundary,
as is assertively and proactively asking for what you do want.

Your boundaries with yourself will determine how much balance you have
in your life. Knowing where to end one part of your life (i.e.: Work) and
begin another (i.e.: Family) will help you to stay in touch with your whole
being and therefore create more balance, which, in turn, always results in a
happier and healthier lifestyle.

Do you know your boundaries and are you living according to them?

See Chapters 4 and 5 in Marry YourSelf First!:
4 – The Apples in the Apple Pie:
Knowing What You’ve Got to Have, Want to Have, and Will Not Settle For
And
5- Juggling Bowling Balls While Walking Across Hot Coals:
The Balance Challenge of Life
http://kendonaldson.com/store/

C stands for Communication; specifically your ability to attain and
maintain productive communication with others.

Do you know how to avoid getting “hooked” by another’s
manipulative maneuvering? Do you speak up for yourself,
express your feelings and make your requests directly?
These are all examples of healthy communication skills.

And perhaps the biggest communication skill is that of listening. Do
you know how to combine martial artistry with your listening ability to
create a space of “Zen Listening” in which you can be unaffected by
what another may say but still stay in the conversation?

See Chapter 7 in Marry YourSelf First!: Communication Poker:
Knowing When to Hold `em, Show `em and Fold `em
http://kendonaldson.com/store/

D stands for Deal-makers and Deal-breakers; specifically
your ability to know them and adhere to them.

If you have not written your lists of deal-makers and deal-breakers,
then you are potentially setting yourself up to settle for something
or someone beneath your standards. When you settle for less you
impact your self-esteem and distort your sense of reality.

The bottom-line is that living life without knowing or adhering to
your deal-makers and deal-breakers sets you up for failure, depression,
anxiety and addictive behavior. Now, you don’t want any of that, right??!!

Write your Deal-makers and Deal-breakers lists TODAY!!

See Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 8 in Marry YourSelf First!:
6- Getting the Love: Surrounding Yourself with
Supportive Networks and Communities
And
8- Building Your House on Solid Ground:
Understanding the Relationship Hierarchy
http://kendonaldson.com/store/

E stands for Emotional Management; specifically the
management of the “slipperier” emotions.

This would include anger, fear and sadness.
Most of us have not had any training on how to deal
with these so we have made up our own “rules” about these emotions.
Many of these “rules” are very unrealistic and unhealthy.

The bottom-line is that you are an emotional being and you have every
right to feel and express your feelings as long as you do no harm to
others as you are expressing yourself.

Fear is perhaps THE most challenging emotion, but remember:
You can have FEAR (Fictitious Events Appearing Real) or
FEAR (Face Everything And Rejoice).

Which do you choose??

See Chapters 3 and 9 in Marry YourSelf First!:
3- In Search of the Missing Donut Hole: Your Soul Print
And
9- If It Feels Weird, Do It:
Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone and Into Your Growth Zone
http://kendonaldson.com/store/

There you go: A whole new way of living your
ABC’s that you’ll never be too old for!!

And a few more valid reasons to Marry YourSelf First!
http://kendonaldson.com/store/

Read more from Ken Donaldson here…

Go Beyond

Beyond the fences of what you know
Awaits the possibility-land, yes, so full of flow
So perhaps now you’ll answer the invitation
And discover more passion and more creation

The Land of all Possibility does call your name
And requests that you play not any small game
You are here for your bigness and the gifts thereof
To practice true Faith, Hope, and yes, Love

So take now a leap into all you can be
And shed past conditioning and be truly free
Waste not this life by allowing unnecessary fear
But rather, take control of this Life that you solely steer

And drive yourself, yes, out of your mind
To a much bigger place to find your true find
Come now, my friend, it’s just beyond the fences
On the other side there are no pretenses

You will soon see and feel possibility
Yes, this is the place you’ll find your truest integrity
So take now the leap and settle for no less
You were put here, my friend, to be the very best

~Ken “Keni Lee” Donaldson

Read more from Ken Donaldson here…

You know I love to introduce you to the best resources around,
and I’m really excited to tell you that Tama J. Kieves,
the Denver-based, bestselling author of THIS TIME I DANCE!
Creating the Work You Love (How One Harvard Lawyer Left It All
to Have It All!) will be offering a very special event here
in St Petersburg.

I met Tama at the International Coaching Federation conference
and she is one of the most alive, fun, and insightful presenters
I’ve ever met. I’d love you to see her if you have the chance.
I’ll cut to the chase. Here’s how she describes the workshop
she’s offering:

Has life been following a different script than you planned?
How you deal with change is more important than the change itself.
You may be blocking the best opportunity of your life. You may be
stuck in your head or ignoring your true compass.

As a life/work and success coach for over 15 years, I’ve loved
every minute of helping people discover their own true direction
and incredible secret resources. I’ve witnessed clarity, peace,
and passions emerge when people show up for their lives and
use new and appropriate tools. I’m creating a very special space to do that
together with extraordinary souls who want to shift their experience.

It’s on Sunday afternoon, October 4th from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM in
St. Petersburg, and it’s called ‘The Unscripted Life: Finding Your
Way Through Times of Change’.

Please save your space now, and guarantee your spot in this
amazing afternoon.
 
Click here for more info on the workshop

 
Click here to register and save your space now

For those of you who are not yet familiar with Tama J. Kieves,
she is an honors graduate of Harvard Law School who left her
corporate law practice to write and to embolden others to live
and breathe their most meaningful self-expression. Best-selling
author of the life-changing book This Time I Dance! Creating the
Work You Love, (which was chosen as a Finalist for the National
Nautilus Book Award, along with the Dalai Lama’s book
The Art of Happiness) she is now a sought-after speaker and
career coach who has helped thousands of individuals world-wide
to live their creative dreams. She frequently presents at the
world-famous Omega Institute and the Canyon Ranch six star
spa and other fabulous destinations.

If you want to receive her FREE Transformational Report on
“Finding Your Calling Now” visit www.AwakeningArtistry.com
and download it now.
 
Tama is also a contributing author to the brand new book,
currently on the Los Angeles Times Bestseller List,
A Blessing in Disguise: 39 Life Lessons from Today’s
Greatest Teachers (Berkley/Penguin2008). Its foreword is
by Thich Nhat Hanh and it also includes essays from Dean Ornish,
Bernie Siegel, Joan Borysenko, Stephen Levine, Martha Beck,
David Whyte, Anne Wilson Schaef and others.
 
To check out other events led by Tama Kieves and her upcoming
Destination Vacations, please visit the Calendar Page at
www.AwakeningArtistry.com.

To sign up to receive “Trusting the Journey Times,”

her FREE inspiring monthly message,
packed with valuable lessons for your creative life journey,
please visit our Contact Page:
http://www.awakeningartistry.com/contactUs.php

Read more from Ken Donaldson here…

Hypnosis…what does that word do to you?

What do you think about…mind control…out of control… loss of control?

Or perhaps you think about seeing one of those stage hypnosis shows
where the hypnotist makes the woman “bark like a chicken.”

What if I told you – prepare yourself – that you were being
hypnotized all day long?

Scared?

Excited?

Curious?

Well…you are!

You are being hypnotized either by yourself or by your environment.

Let me explain…

Being a student of hypnosis for over 20 years and having hundreds of
hours of training, supervision, more training and practical
application with my clients, I can tell you this:
Hypnosis is probably NOT what you think it is.

Simply put, it’s the ability to have an impact on the deeper part of
your mind  – the subconscious – to create effective, positive and
lasting change.

Who’s the greatest hypnotist?

You are!

Why?

Because you decide every day, all day long, what to allow to impact
you and what to NOT allow to impact you.

However…

Some of you have been on “auto-pilot” and that’s not so good!

Know who impacts you the most then? Probably advertisers, as they
have done their homework regarding the psychology of hypnosis.

Yes, many people today are allowing themselves to be hypnotized by
their surroundings: Their friends, the media, advertising, their
co-workers and/or perhaps the general consensus of whatever group
happens to be present.

But aren’t these challenging times?  

Yes…no doubt…but why is it that there are a number of people who
rise to the challenge and overcome the challenge, and most others
just sit and watch and complain about “how bad it is out there”???

Mass-hypnosis at its best!

But those few people – probably 5% – know how to hypnotize themselves
into success, happiness, health and wealth!

So, want to be a better hypnotist of yourself?

Cool…two simple steps you can take to get started today:

First…decide very clearly what it is you want… decide what your
targets or goals are.

In a relaxed state (basically that means to close your eyes in a
quiet place), begin to visualize what you want…be very specific.  

Then, and this is THE most challenging piece, create the emotions
that match how it would be to have accomplish those goals, hit those
targets and fulfill all that you desire.

You may have to do this over and over to overcome the negative
thinking and projecting that’s developed from years of
counter-productive thinking.

Keep doing it over and over…allow this to be your consuming thought.

I can assure you this: If you persevere and if you’re consistent and
if you keep going and going (that means to NEVER quit!),
you’ll achieve your goals and then some.

Oops…there is another small piece: You MUST go into action…
consistent, continual, passionate action that is in alignment with
your goals.

Yes…you must step of out your box, out of your comfort zone and
enter the Land of Possibility.

Every day in every way!

Action, action and more action…visualizing, visualizing and more
visualizing.

And, if you want to get on the fast-track and jumpstart this
whole process, then I want to see You this Saturday for the
Marry YourSelf First! Fun-Shop.
http://kendonaldson.com/0926/

I highly recommend you get your tickets in advance.

And I’ll give you the other pieces you’ve been looking for to
live the life of Passion, Power, Purpose and Prosperity.

See you Saturday!
http://kendonaldson.com/0926/

Read more from Ken Donaldson here…