Creating Your Own �Success History�

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(Free-Press-Release.com) May 30, 2005 -- June is traditionally the month for celebrating achievements and marking accomplishments. But degrees are not only earned by academic performance or awarded by accredited institutions. Long after the textbooks are left to gather dust on our bookshelf, we continue our educational experience in the �School of Life,� says Nancy Christie, author of The Gifts of Change (Beyond Words Publishing, 2004)

�Each day, we gain a little more experience and knowledge,� she notes. �Unfortunately, because we are so busy �doing,� we rarely have time to reflect on what we have achieved, let alone celebrate those accomplishments.�
In The Gifts of Change, Christie stresses the importance of maintaining a storehouse of positive experiences. �Then when we hunger for good thoughts or nourishing emotions, we can go to the shelves and take what we need: the embrace of a lover, the encouraging words of a friend, even the vision of a beautiful summer sunrise,� she writes in the chapter entitled �The Pantry of the Soul.� �As we sniff, touch and taste each occurrence�we realize what a wealth of nourishment can be drawn from these experiences; not only when they occur but also when they are remembered.�

To help readers commemorate these events, Christie has created a �Personal Profile� worksheet as part of The Gifts of Change online workbook (available at www.giftsofchange.com).
�By answering key questions, you begin to reflect on what you have accomplished in your life, from public achievements to personal victories,� explains Christie. �The act of writing them down gives them more validity, allowing you to go back and reread the list during periods of self-doubt.�

�The key is to acknowledge attempts, not necessarily measure successes,� says Christie. �Often we may try something and it won�t turn out the way we hoped or planned. When that occurs, it�s all too easy to focus on the disappointing outcome rather than the courage it took to attempt it. The memory becomes a rotten potato in our mental pantry, spoiling other recollections and robbing us of emotional nourishment.�
Instead, Christie emphasizes, focus on what you did or had to overcome, not the result. �Suppose you tried self-employment but after a year or two, you just couldn�t make a go of it. You might consider that a failure, but if you look at what you learned, what abilities you uncovered or new skills you developed, you realize what you gained from the attempt. It was a learning experience, and any time we learn something, we grow as a person.�

�The other advantage to tracking these events is that you realize how much change is a part of your life and how each change illuminates new aspects of yourself,� Christie adds. �This gives you confidence to face something new or undertake something different, thereby opening new dimensions to your life.�
For more information about Nancy Christie and The Gifts of Change, visit www.giftsofchange.com or contact her via e-mail at info@giftsofchange.com or by phone at 330-793-3675. The Gifts of Change is available online, in bookstores nationwide, and in select military exchanges worldwide.