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Princess Ring…a royal gift from Alicia Smith [video]

Posted by: Nina East | Comments (0)

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

I just received the most delightful gift from Alicia Smith – a long-time colleague and lovely supporter of PersonalGrowthPrincess.com.

It is a ring shaped like a crown. I made a short video of it so you could actually see it in action, as it were.

In the video I also mentioned the place you can get it if you want one…or if you want to send it to another princess in your life. The site is Personal Growth Cards – it’s an innovative card and gift service. You really have to see it to believe it!
You can select a card that will then be printed, written in your own handwriting (if you want), have a real stamp applied, and then mailed through the regular postal service. It’s pretty amazing. And for less than you can buy a card anywhere else. Gifts, of course, cost more, but it makes it so so easy to send a special, delightful gift to that special someone.

Anyway, take a look at the video. You’ll see how delighted I am!

What do you think? Who would you like to delight today???

Categories : General Musings, Inspiration, SendOutCards

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The Trophy Effect: You are not your mind – 55 minutes that will change your Life!

Posted by: Nina East | Comments (0)

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Last month’s self-help book summary was on The Trophy Effect: Destroying Self-Doubt, Discovering Your True Self, & Taking Control of Your Life Forever by Michael Nitti.
(If you haven’t had a chance to read the book summary, it will be available for 2 more weeks in the members only area.)

Michael Nitti is making it easy for you to get the Trophy Effect experience first-hand. You may remember me talking about the individual Trophy Effect coaching session I had with Michael. It was powerful in that it provided such a simple reframe – that resulted in an overwhelming shift. I continue to use the lessons from the Trophy Effect – sometimes laughing at myself for the silly traps I get myself into.

Michael is offering a teleclass on The Trophy Effect – this time for free. He says this will likely be the last time it is free. My guess is that after hitting the best-seller list, and handling the swell of coaching clients at the Anthony Robbins Companies that have flowed in since the launch of the new television series, he isn’t going to have a lot of time in the future for doing a lot of “freebies”.

During this transformational teleseminar, Michael will be leading you on an extremely revealing (and entertaining) tour of your own mind, where you will not only observe first-hand the source of that “little voice” that seems to thwart your every intention, but will actually learn how to over-ride it every time! In less than an hour, you will discover how to break free of all your fears and to move toward your future with clarity and purpose. After the seminar, you will be provided with access to an amazing series of Exercises (also free), which will empower (and condition) you to live “intentionally” rather than “in reaction” to your circumstances; resulting in a greater sense of freedom, connectedness, and joy!

I highly recommend registering for the teleclass which will be held on Thursday, August 26th, 6pm Pacific time (7pm Mountain, 8pm Central, 9pm Eastern).

p.s. You can participate in this class whether you are a member of Personal Growth Princess or not, though I highly recommend reading the book summary prior to taking the class. You can become a member of Personal Growth Princess by going here.
(Remember, for a limited time, new members will receive a copy of The Think Big Manifesto by Michael Port as a special Founding Princess gift!)

Categories : Announcements, Audio-Video Programs, Confidence, Mindfulness

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When did “Princess” become a bad word?

Posted by: Nina East | Comments (2)

Monday, August 9th, 2010

When women hear about self-help book summaries, they are typically very excited and can’t wait to sign up. When they hear the term “Personal Growth Princess”, which is, simply, self-help book summaries taken a little more lightheartedly, they have one of two responses – they either love it and embrace the joy and playfulness inherent it, or they are turned off.

I find that fascinating. Not because a particular name or brand doesn’t appeal to someone – that’s actually a sign of a great brand. It’s good that people recognize themselves in a brand or not.

What I’m fascinated with is the vehemence with which some women react to the word Princess – separate from any association with self-help book summaries. It’s as if it’s degrading.

I’ve got to wonder, when did the word Princess become such an insult?

I think it happened somewhere between childhood (when it was OK to think about princesses) and our first jobs – when we had to buckle down, get serious, and get others to take us seriously.There was no room for being playful and taking ourselves lightly. Believe it or not, I was once told by a colleague that no one would take me seriously because I smiled too much. (I was working in the field of education at the time.) Imagine how much you would start to hide your true nature if you thought that were true!

No wonder we learn to hide who we really are!

The term Princess is often used by judgmental people (both men and women) to tell a woman she’s asking for or expecting too much. That somehow she has stepped outside the boundaries of what she deserves and is getting picky or demanding. (I remember my sister being referred to as a princess when she bought a 5 year old Toyota Prism, that dared to have air conditioning, to replace her 10 year old, broken down robin’s egg blue Opal.)

It’s this negative use of the word Princess that sticks with us and holds us back.

That is EXACTLY why a site dedicated to women being fully and authentically who they are, embracing the joys as well as the sorrows, relishing in the light and finding the value in darkness, is called Personal Growth PRINCESS. Read More→

Categories : Being a Princess, Choice, Princess Stories

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Innie, Minnie, Miny, Moe — How Do You Know Which Self-Help Expert Is Right For You?

Posted by: Nina East | Comments (0)

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

Today’s post is written by guest author Jennifer Urezzio, founder of Know Soul’s Language.

Jennifer Urezzio

Most of my clients are shocked when they find out that I have only read three or four self-help/spiritual books (that’s why I love Nina’s site). We are living in an age, thank the heavens, of awareness. It is the era of The Secret and The Law of Attraction. This awareness movement is really in the infant stages and that means we are all getting our balance and determining how to walk our talk.

Whether you have been on your journey awhile or just starting out, I believe it is important to seek mentoring and guidance. No one can do it all on their own.

The first step to selecting the correct individual for you is to be clear about what and who you want. I suggest you sit down in a quiet location and connect to your heart. List what you would like a mentor’s or coach’s guidance to achieve for you. I suggest also adding to the list the characteristics or qualities you would like this person to have (courage, grace, loving, etc). This will help the Universe to start working its magic.

I’m honored to be a healer of healers, which means that leaders and healers seek me out to be their guide and mentor. Some of them have shared their experience with securing the help and guidance of someone who just wasn’t right for them. Some of these lessons were learned after spending thousands of dollars. So, how do you select the right healer, coach, mentor, that is right for you?

A couple of indications that a mentor, coach, teacher, and/or spiritual leader and teacher, isn’t right for you are:

Fear Language – The individual’s materials are filled with fear-based language. An example of this is: if you don’t do this program or read this book you will not achieve what you desire. If you want to run screaming from the room after reading their materials, well…
Pressure – My business is healing and healing is my business. So asking a possible client if they have made a decision about working with me is acceptable. Creating a situation where I’m extending feelings of pressure is not.
Healer Knows Best – It is appropriate – with your permission – for your potential coach to share with you their feelings on what direction your journey together could take. It is inappropriate for any healer to dismiss your feelings and insist that they know best. Read More→

Categories : Choice, Self-Help Posts

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Is your work great – or just ho-hum?

Posted by: Nina East | Comments (1)

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

What kind of work are you doing? Not the tasks themselves, but the quality or nature of your work? Are you doing good work? Not so good work? Bad work, even? Or are you amping up the meaning of what you’re doing so that it becomes Great Work?

The book being featured this month as a self-help book summary for members at PersonalGrowthPrincess.com is Do More Great Work by Michael Bungay Stanier. In this, his latest book, Michael sets out a course, or a path, to identifying what your Great Work might be.

Great Work is meaningful work. It is work that you know makes a difference and it makes you feel good – maybe even proud – to be doing it. It “inspires, stretches, and provokes” you. In short, it is work that matters – to you, first and foremost, and ultimately to others (even if they are oblivious to the work you’re doing, or of the need for it). When you are doing Great Work, you feel fully engaged, like you are “in the flow”.

But Great Work also brings with it paradoxes. It often has the quality of uncertainty and discomfort along with the thrill and flow. It is frequently new and challenging (discomfort) and may have possible risks (uncertainty). But this is also what drives innovation and evolution.

Everyone is capable of Great Work, but the 6 Great Work Paradoxes explain why it’s easy to be ambivalent about doing it – as well as why it’s hard to stick with it.

#1 – You don’t need to save the world…and…you DO need to make a difference.
You may have a grand vision or powerful purpose, but you don’t need to be a martyr, give up your friends, quit your job, embrace poverty, etc. in order to do Great Work. You also don’t have to attempt to save the entire world or solve all its problems. Sometimes changes on a small scale can make the biggest difference.

The desire to do Great Work is simply a call to do more meaningful work. It can be very simple or subtle. The point is that if/when you feel called to do something meaningful, you design your life so that you can.

#2 – Great Work is private…and…Great Work can be public.
Doing Great Work isn’t about getting recognition or winning awards – though that can certainly be a by-product. If you’re doing the work for the accolades, you can pretty uch be assured it’s not going to be Great. According to Michael, “because it is a subjective matter – Great Work is what is meaningful for you”. Often the reward or recognition is a private, internal one. YOU will know you’ve done something that matters. Others may or may not know it.

#3 – Great Work is needed…and…Great Work isn’t wanted. Read More→

Categories : Announcements, Integrity, Life Purpose

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How do you know if your relationship will last?

Posted by: Nina East | Comments (0)

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Have you ever wished you could predict if a relationship will last? It would be handy, wouldn’t it? No more heartbreaking anguish over breakups…

Mom & Dad, 49 years

This month my parents celebrated their 49th anniversary, and it got me to wondering what makes some relationships last while others wither away or crash and burn. Relationships aren’t all wine and roses, though that doesn’t hurt. So how do you know if yours will last?

Ronald D. Rogge, at the University of Rochester, has been doing research on relationships, and in particular, on the early years of marriage. In a study recently published in Psychological Science, the journal for the Association for Psychological Science, Rogge and two colleagues (Soonhee Lee and Harry T. Reis) examined if it was possible to predict the likelihood of a relationship lasting, or ending, within the next year.

The challenge with most “relationship prediction” studies is Read More→

Categories : Intuition, Relationships

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Can a cookbook be a self-help book? [interview]

Posted by: Nina East | Comments (4)

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Seriously. Has anyone ever suggested to you that a cookbook could actually be a self-help book, too?

I had not heard it…until I met Deborah Nelson, author of From Rainy Days to Sexy Nights Cookbook: Simple and Inspirational Recipes to Fit Your Mood.

Deborah is the spunky – fiery? – owner of SaucyWellness.com – with the tagline “healthy living one juicy bite at a time”. Her cookbook is really about living a juicy life – savoring all aspects of your life – with a healthy eating twist.

Food affects everything – from self-esteem to happiness to your level of confidence.

Food creates the environment in your body – an environment of stress or an environment of peace. There are many other factors affecting stress, of course, but food is one that many of us turn to. Deborah’s goal is to help people turn to it in a way that serves their goals and soothes their souls, rather than a short term relief that creates longer-term challenges.

The recipes are divided into 4 categories: Rainy Days, Summer Sensations, Heal Me, and Sexy Nights. In the interview below she explains what these categories mean and how to use the food we select to alter our mood. She says that “food creates who you are – you choose your mood in the moment by choosing your food.”

Below is an interview I conducted with Deborah a couple of weeks ago. She has also generously agreed to provide a set of 5 recipes to members of PersonalGrowthPrincess, as well as a free complimentary consultation session. If you want some support on how your eating habits affect your mood, energy levels, weight and also your libido, I encourage you to take her up on it right away! Info is available on the Members page. (Please note, this is an additional fabulous bonus – on top of your regular monthly bonus tools.)

Listen to the interview and get another free recipe

Categories : Confidence, General Musings, Recommended Resources, Self-Esteem

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Is the pressure to find your life purpose bringing you down?

Posted by: Nina East | Comments (2)

Friday, July 16th, 2010

If you focus on personal growth you have no doubt been bombarded with resources, tools, seminars, etc. to help you “find your life purpose”. It seems like everywhere you turn there’s something about “being on purpose”, “finding your calling”, having a “life with a mission”.

I think it’s admirable to pursue this, and having nothing against the personal growth professionals and authors who teach on this subject. But it has got me wondering…

What if you don’t know what your life purpose is?

What if you can’t find your life purpose, or can’t figure it out? Read More→

Categories : Life Purpose

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Self-Doubt – 2 Causes – 2 Solutions

Posted by: Nina East | Comments (3)

Friday, July 9th, 2010

There are two main elements influencing self-doubt. Fortunately there are also some simple ways to begin eroding your self-doubt and, consequently, build your self-esteem.

The frustrating paradox is that self-doubt actually creates unwavering certainty – certainty that you cannot do/say/be what you want, that you aren’t good enough, or that the risks far outweigh the possible gains.

This is because of the nasty self-perpetuating cycle self-doubt creates. You doubt yourself in a particular area so you hold yourself back from doing/saying/being something. This in turn gives you evidence that you don’t “have what it takes”, which usually gets translated to “See? I’m not good enough”.

When asked about what affects or feeds their self-doubt, readers generally pointed to two things. Given the commitment to personal growth and self-improvement members and readers at PersonalGrowthPrincess.com have I wasn’t surprised at the insight. But because this seems to be a fairly universal issue, I also was not surprised that there were very few suggestions for what to do about it.

The first element feeding self-doubt is not trusting your inner guidance, your intuition. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say the problem is not knowing whether what you are experiencing is really inner guidance, or a fear or anxiety speaking.

We often “know” something but don’t trust that knowing. After all, how do you know when you know? This is usually a result of not practicing using this information, but can also come from trusting your intuition and ending up with negative consequences. That can magnify self-doubt.

The key distinction is that inner guidance always Read More→

Categories : Confidence, Intuition, Self-Esteem

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Accepting Praise Gracefully – how it helps you…and the other person

Posted by: Nina East | Comments (0)

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

This post is provided by guest blogger, Allen Johnson, Ph.D.

HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED how some people discount compliments?

“My, that’s a lovely dress you’re wearing today.”

“What, this old thing? I’ve had it for ages. I really should give it to Goodwill.”

After that you want to say, “Gee, I’m sorry; I guess you’re right. It does look a little tacky, now that you mention it. In fact, I bet you could search the world over and all the stars of the universe, and never in a billion, trillion years find a dress quite that tacky.”

Once in a speech class I conducted, I told a student that he had a beautiful speaking voice. “It has great depth and resonance,” I announced.

The student grimaced and looked at the floor. “Huh? Oh, yeah, I’ve got a cold,” he grunted.

“Wait a minute,” I said, launching into my lecture mode, “listen to yourself. You just discounted a perfectly good compliment. You denied yourself the pleasure of a little recognition, and at the same time gave me a kick in the teeth. That’s not good for either of us.”

When someone does receive a compliment gracefully, it can be bewitching. That’s how I felt speaking to a clerk in a ski shop in Vail, Colorado. When it came to beautiful eyes Read More→

Categories : Self-Esteem

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