Learn to Forgive...

Forgiveness doesn’t mean you agree with what someone has done; you forgive to release yourself from its negative energy. You regain your power to live fully in the present time instead of feeling restricted by someone else’s actions. 

Sometimes, we need to make people accountable for their actions, but we don’t need to let it hold us down or back for the rest of our lives. 

When you don’t forgive, you give away your power. It keeps the pain alive and never lets the wound heal. 

Here are some suggestions to help you forgive yourself and others:

1. Start with forgiving yourself and return to love. Connect to your heart and tell yourself, “What can I learn from my mistakes? I love and forgive myself. Are there any actions I need to take to make amends? 

2. Think about the person you can’t forgive as a child born with the need to be loved. That person still exists. Most people who act out are asking for love.

3. What you see in others is reflected back to you. You see hate, you will feel hate. You see love, you will feel love.

4. Remember, even those who need to be accountable for their actions need love and forgiveness.

Write a list of people you want to forgive. Practice using your heart to love and forgive them. Release the negative energy associated with them and let it go. Suppose they do need to be made accountable. Take the required actions without harboring resentment and anger. Feel the feelings necessary and then return to love and let it go. 

Last but not least. Practice forgiving yourself first. If you can’t forgive yourself and connect to your heart, it will be difficult to forgive others.

If you master forgiveness, you will experience freedom you have never known. You will return to your full potential and capabilities. You will not be a victim of your life; you will be the best version of yourself.

With love and grace,  

My Choose Courage Podcast!

On the Choose Courage Podcast, Terry Sidford encourages her guests to share their Courage Stories.

Truth. Courage. Love. is now available on Audible!

"My heart opened while reading Terry’s down-to-earth prose. I felt myself rooting for her as the heroine in her compelling and unique true story, while simultaneously relating and seeing my own possibilities. I was profoundly inspired." 

A Guide to Using COVID-19 Changes to Improve Your Life

Photo Credit: Pexels.com

Change is an inevitable part of life. This has become especially clear in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced us to adapt everything from where we shop to how we work. You may find yourself feeling stressed as you balance your evolving personal and professional lives in this difficult time.

It's important to be proactive about minimizing these feelings of worry. Stress has detrimental effects on both mental and physical health. Investing in self-care will help you stay well in body and spirit. Who knows? You may enjoy the regimen so much that you'll end up making it a part of your everyday life (and we hope you will!).

This is just one example of how you can take the negative effects and turn them into positive changes. Read on for more inspiration on how you can thrive personally and professionally by embracing change for the better.

Harness the power of digital tools to upgrade your self-care, workout, and diet routine.

In light of stay-at-home orders and fears of infection, people around the world have relied on the internet to stay connected and get everyday tasks done. Embrace this trend and start using more tech tools to upgrade your self-care, workout, and diet routines. You can work out at home by taking part in internet fitness classes, and use services like Hello Fresh to get nutritious meal prep kits delivered right to your door. These tools also save you time, making it easy to juggle work and fun.

Be realistic about what changes can and can't wait.

"Freezing with fear" is part of our biological instinct, according to Psychology Today. Many people have put their lives on pause during this time. While it's fine to put off salon appointments and in-person social events, some plans should not be put off. Maintain your regular doctor's appointments, for example.

You also shouldn't put off life changes that will make your day-to-day life easier. For example, if your current space can't accommodate a home office and you're working remotely, moving to a larger space can save your sanity. Online platforms can help you house-hunt safely and provide insights into reasonable prices in your area.

Take advantage of the evolving workforce to upgrade your career.

Over the past year, many people have changed the way they work, with more companies now accepting telecommuting than in the past. If you want to change your career, this is a great time to do it. You can sharpen your skills and bulk up your resume by completing an online program while still keeping your current job until you're ready to make the move. You can earn degrees in computer science, business, nursing, and much more.

Seize the opportunity to tackle stress in your life head-on.

As a busy professional, you probably already deal with plenty of stress. Don't get bogged down. Now is the time to find ways to tackle fear head-on. You can try meditating every morning, for example, or book a massage every month.

This lack of control that people feel when things are changing in their world can be intimidating and leave you feeling stuck. Don't let fear paralyze you. Reframe the narrative and seize control of the changes by using them to your advantage. The tips above provide some inspiration to get you started.

Professional coach Terry Sidford of Create Your Life International can create a plan that clarifies your vision and leads to transformative success. 

guest article :: Great Health Guide 'The Power of Belief'

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“It’s not our thoughts, but our attachment to our thoughts that causes suffering. “

My article "The Power of Belief "published in the May issue of the Great Health Guide discusses tips for challenging limiting beliefs.  Read Article >>

being seen & heard

We all have a human need to be seen and heard.

There are two ways to accomplish this. One is to break down the walls to being seen. If you don’t feel seen and heard look at your ability to be open. What do you want others to see? What are you hiding? Is there something in the way of you being transparent? And, how do you see and feel about yourself?

I work with many clients who feel invisible and not important. I begin by helping them realize their own importance and value. When they begin to believe in themselves and that their voice deserves to be heard, they automatically start to allow others to hear them.

The second way to be seen and heard is to evaluate the old stories from your past that keep you from being seen and heard for who you are today. Are you living stories that no longer serve you? The past is gone. Present time is your friend. Begin writing new chapters to your life story.

On the flip side of feeling seen and heard, is learning how to show others you hear them and value who they are. For example, when listening, many times we do so with our own agenda and preconceived ideas. What if we listened with a blank canvas as if we were hearing the person and words for the very first time? Listen with compassion and show genuine interest in what they are saying.

Here are some tips to listening so people feel heard and seen:

• Acknowledge that you heard what they are saying.

• Make them feel important.

• Use clarifying questions so they know you are actively listening.

• Listen with curiosity and wonder. No evaluations.

• Usually it is less about solving their problem and more about being heard.

When we begin break down our own walls and practice active listening, we will all benefit. Start by looking inside yourself.

Try being more transparent and start listening with compassion.

guest article :: Great Health Guide “The Gift”

Read the article here >>

paradigm pivots :: park city library talks

Four local speakers will address topics such as
courage, resilience, commitment and intimacy.

Terry Sidford wants to help change people's perceptions of issues that may hinder what they want to do in their lives. To do this, the Park City resident and author has organized Paradigm Pivots, a night of presentations that will address topics such as courage, commitment, perseverance and relationships.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will run from 5-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 27, at the Park City Library's Jim Santy Auditorium. The talks are appropriate for an adult audience, due to explicit content.

Read the rest of the article online at The Park Record >>

guest article :: Great Health Guide 'Choice'

Many People struggle with feeling a lack of control and have anxiety over the things they cannot control. When you draw a line between the truth of what is controllable in life and what isn’t, you instantly have a feeling of relief. Can you really control another person’s actions? Can you control the weather, can you control what the leaders of your county are doing? Not really, you can influence but not control any of those things. Read full article here >>

resilience

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I’m sure we’ve all heard the sage words of encouragement, “You are stronger than you think you are”. But when you are in the middle of a storm, it can be challenging to find your way out. Life was designed to challenge us. How else do we learn who we are and of what we are made?
 
I have had many opportunities to be resilient and have seen many people weather the storms of life. Through my life experiences and the lives of my friends and clients, I have learned how to understand the ability to be resilient. To know that there are answers to a problem that can’t be seen when we are struggling.
 
Here are few my favorite hints that have helped pull me through difficult times.
 
Ask For Help:
Ask your friends, family or a higher source, whatever that might mean to you. Let go of trying to figure it out yourself and ask for guidance. It could be from your own soul, angels, god, universe.
 
Stay Grounded:
Do whatever you need to in order to feel safe, connected and grounded. Go for a walk, take a bath, read a book, help someone else in need, write a list of what your strengths are and what you are grateful for. These are all things that will bring you back home to you. You are the only one that can get yourself back up! Muster the strength needed to keep going and Do Not Give Up.
 
Trust Yourself:
Your courage, strength and resilience come from within. Connect to your heart, spirit or soul and believe you will find an answer to any problem. You can only do your best and control what you can and let the rest go. You cannot control other people.

I recently heard my friend Kirsten Fox speak on this subject and took away some golden nuggets I want to share with you:

• Allow ‘good enough’ to be your goal for the stressful time.

• Ask for guidance.

• Connect to YOU.

• Use humor.

• Find a silver lining. If you can’t make one up.

• Attitude is everything.

• Control what you can and let the rest go.

You can do it! I believe in you! — Terry

happy, healthy minds - part 1

Great news … I’m being published. 

Happy, Health Minds is being launched tomorrow on Amazon with a 3-day special (only AU$0.99 normally AU$9.99). The special starts tomorrow (Saturday) morning and ends Monday night  This eBook is created by Great Health Guide and is part of The Health Specialists’ Series.  So yep – just facts – no fads. I would love to hear your thoughts.

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Here's a bit on the Health Specialist' Series

No matter who you speak to these days, everyone, even the dog, appears super busy, toiling away to get through their ever-growing to-do list, juggling life, family and work and wondering if they’ll be able to experience the luxury of having that little bit of time to themselves ever again.

If you’re more than a bit tired of feeling overwhelmed, overstretched or just plain exhausted, fear not, help is at hand in the form of Happy, Healthy Minds.

The last few decades have revealed a wealth of greater understanding of how the human brain works and of why we think and behave the way we do. But how is it possible to distinguish between the real science and neuromyth? Fake news is everywhere. Knowing what truly works to elevate mental performance, keeping us from flipping our lid, matters more today than ever before.

This is the reason why Happy, Health Minds has been created. By combining chapters from a number of recognised health professionals specialising in optimum brain function and psychology, this book can help you discover what it takes to maintain your cognitive and mental well-being to always function at your very best. I’m delighted to be one of the contributors.

Knowledge is power, and how you apply it is the spark to better thinking. As Jeffrey Eugenides, author of Middlesex wrote, ‘Biology gives you a brain. Life turns it into a mind.’

Dr Jenny Brockis
Medical doctor best-selling author