Seasonal Thoughts to Ponder

*** A Seasonal Thought...or Two ***

As we gather together
With family and friends,
We are reminded of our many blessings.

Now is not the time to bicker and snip
Now is the time to laugh and sip
Our favorite beverage in the midst of love.

Whatever you believe
About this time of year,
There is one thing we all have in common.

We take time during this season
To remember the reason
That we cherish these moments each year.

Hanukkah, Festivus, Kwanzaa and Christmas
Are all reasons to celebrate LOVE.

The greatest power, the greatest force,
The greatest equalizer known to us,

The greatest of all things is LOVE.

So take time to mend fences,
Bridge gaps, spread forgiveness--
Let go of old hurts from the past.

Because no one can hurt you
Without your permission.
Choose to release them,
And see that those old feelings can't last.

Now is the time to live in the moment,
to celebrate joy, to glorify peace.
Now is the time to give thanks for the present(s),
To kick off a new year with a blast.

And when you open your heart to embrace LOVE,
and only LOVE,
You will find all you seek...
Finally, at long last.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here in the Grant home, we celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah but most importantly we strive to always remember to LOVE.

Happy Holidays to you, and I can't wait to connect with you in the New Year.

And speaking of connecting in the New Year, I would love to meet you at THIS power-packed event in L.A. on Saturday, January 10th. Details and signup are all posted here.

I have attended *many* of these particular events in the past, and without a doubt, I have found them to be massively impactful. Yeah, it's THAT good.

Here's an audio sample of the kind of things you would hear or learn or experience at this provocative event.

And if 2009 is the year you are *FINALLY* going to achieve your longest-standing Weight Loss Goals, then please join me for the Incredible Shrinking You 13-week teleclass (begins in January), led by myself and alternative healing coach
Jennifer Ripa-Edson. Details and signup can be found by clicking here.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and I will talk to you soon.

P.S. Are you following me on Twitter yet?

http://twitter.com/amyscottgrant

The Easy Truth about Weight Loss

This article was written by Jennifer Ripa-Edson and Amy Scott Grant.

The Easy Truth About Weight Loss

Losing weight is a topic that brings up many emotions for people. For many, it seems that our ideal weight is an elusive possibility, lurking in the distant future. It does not have to be so. In fact, it is the belief systems we hold around weight loss -- that it is very difficult -- that make the process itself difficult. In and of itself, weight loss is rather simple.

One of the biggest challenges for people in the quest to lose weight is the tendency to withhold self-love until the goal is reached. Herein lies the rub. It is very hard for your body to move towards a goal that you are requesting if you are constantly sending your body negative energy. This is analogous to asking your best friend to do you a favor while you are yelling at this person. Most best friends will say “no.” And so does your body. Can you blame it?

This concept, “self-love”, is something you have likely heard before. You may even be saying to yourself, “yeah, yeah, yeah”. But if you take a look at what self-love really means, you will see herein lies the perfect solution. It means to love yourself, right now, AS IS. It does not mean to love yourself when you reach your ideal weight, or when you land the perfect job, or find the right significant other. It means to connect with yourself at the soul level and to accept where you are and who you are. It is a commitment to be your own best friend no matter what.

Most everyone has a body part (or parts) that they do not love fully. (And right now you may sense your own body cringe at being discussed in "parts"). But take a moment to imaging -- what would it feel like to truly love, for example, your tummy? What would it feel like to look in the mirror and say, "Wow, this is a beautiful tummy, and I cherish you, and appreciate you, and love you for all that you do for me"?

Once you are in that space, with your entire body, then you are easily able to make the shift. Then you can tune into your body and really start to listen. Then you can get to the reasons that are underlying your current state of affairs. Why is it that you are not at your ideal physique at the present moment? What factors led you to this point? Perhaps it is a food allergy or sensitivity of which you are unaware. Perhaps it is eating out of comfort and not hunger. Perhaps your body wants to move around through out the day, and needs more opportunities to release. Perhaps there is a lot of stress from which the body feels it needs protection. When you approach your body from this place of partnership and then cooperation, it is possible to make tremendous, easy progress. You may even begin to wonder why you were complicating things in the first place when it now seems so smooth and effortless.

This all lies in how you define difficult. This is not difficult in the sense of needing to exercise like a maniac, or to have a restrictive diet. It may require some attention, energy and focus on your part, for example, looking at your patterns and habits and being willing to make small incremental shifts that will create increased health. It means listening to what your body is asking you to do, and then talking that inspired action, even if it feels scary.

This feeling of being scared, or the idea that the steps are difficult, is called resistance, and it stems from our beliefs systems. The easiest way to remove this resistance and to take these incremental steps with ease is to remove the limiting beliefs. This is when it becomes helpful to seek assistance from a coach or clearing specialist (hint, hint) who is trained in causing shifts, and who has an objective perspective on what is holding you back. See the author's bio for contact information as well as details about a new course called "The Incredible Shrinking You," designed to explore this same topic in depth and produce dramatic physical, mental, spiritual and emotional weight loss results. Register now -- course starts in January!

Another Example of Choice

Lately, my work has been demonstrating an essential message, for me and my clients, and it’s a simple one:

YOU are ALWAYS at CHOICE.

There’s no exception, no asterisk, no footnote. We are always at choice. All the time.

We’re even at choice when we refuse to take responsibility for our choices. When we refuse to see our choices, and we insist on staying stuck and suffering.

This lesson was made evident to me once again while skiing. Matter of fact, it’s so frickin freezing outside (12 degrees F I think) I’m in the lodge taking a break. Gotta love wireless internet, right? My husband is in the process of migrating my whole blog from Blogger.com over to Wordpress and he asked me to post a test. Since I’m not a fan of wasting time (you KNOW how I love leverage), I figured I would post something of value rather than a simple test we’d end up deleting.

So here goes.

My husband had a wipeout last Wednesday when we were skiing, and turns out he had whiplash. So I’m skiing solo at the moment. Which means I suddenly have to be responsible for choosing which lift to ride, which run to take, which way to turn, and how fast to go. We normally always ski as a couple, and he is the navigator…which means I get to kick back, turn off the ol’ brain, and just relax and ski.

But today I’ve got to exercise my choices, and to be responsible for my choices.

The 2nd run I took was fun…until I reached the end of the grooming cat tracks and wiped out. When I went to stand up, I sunk into at least a foot of powder. Whoops! I noticed the run I was headed toward was NOT groomed so I headed back toward the nearest groomed run. And I also noticed that there was a ton of blowing snow, so I needed to be aware of that, be responsible for my choices, and take care of myself today.

Some people LOVE powder - my buddy John Ooms up in Sun Valley, Idaho calls them “powder hounds.” But I’m not one of them. I feel like I have too little control (imagine that — a recurring issue for me!) and I go too slow and I can’t turn and blah blah blah it’s not fun. and why would I ski something that isn’t fun??? No way, Jose.

So if you like powder, you get to choose powder. And if you like fresh groomed slopes (which I do) then go for it.

And when you’re totally comfortable in what you choose, you never, ever, ever need to explain yourself to anyone, try to convince anyone of anything, or otherwise feel the need to justify or rationalize your actions.

Harumph. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Now I’m going back on the lift, time to find the sexiest, most groomed slopes I can find in this brrrrrrr blowing snow.

Redefining Christmas

I wasn't really expecting this, but I'm delighted that it happened.

Something significant shifted for me after I created the "Relax Your Holiday Spending" Audio (remember my 4-hour fire sale? If you missed it, go sign up for my newsletter at http://newsuccess.org The audio is no longer available for sale, but at least you'll be in the loop when I do my next ridiculously inexpensive product sale...which I suspect could be any day now...).



I mean, I probably COULD have expected it...it's rare that I would create a clearing for a client or even a whole group without getting some kind of benefit myself, but I had no idea the shift would be THIS profound.

What I noticed is that IN THE PAST,

+ I would attempt to "improve upon" the prior year's holiday experience.

In other words, I looked at what didn't seem to work or what I didn't like, and I created a better or more efficient or more fun way to do it. For example: if one year I waited until the last minute to purchase gifts and found that it was stressful, expensive and not as impactful on the recipients, then the NEXT year I started very early and handmade all my gifts. But then if I found that that was too time-consuming and not really a good match for everything, then the following year I might have ordered every gift online and had it shipped. But then a couple of them had problems (backordered, delayed because of weather, etc) so I found a different solution for the following year. It was more of a process improvement deal rather than a Divine kind of experience.



+ No matter what I did, I was always stressed during the holidays. Even if I finished up early, I was stressing over shipping packages, baking, people I forgot to buy for, my husband's last-minute gift-giving needs, or Christmas dinner.

+ I spent way too much time in the stores (or online), and I was always aggravated when I did. Not to mention, feeling like I was missing out on time I could have spent with my family.

+ I went a little crazy with my own kids. Last year, I can specifically recall feeling like I was out of control, adding this or that or the other thing, even though in reality, they had PLENTY. It was almost compulsive, and when Christmas morning came, there were TOO many gifts -- special things sort of got overlooked or lost in the shuffle by the time you figured in Santa presents, gifts from Mom & Dad and gifts from all the extended family.




+ I always experienced a "let-down" by the end of Christmas day. Like when you look forward to something for sooooooo long and then it's done and it wasn't quite what you expected. So now you no longer have the excitement of something to look forward to, plus you're left with the disappointment of unfulfilled expectations.

+ Family time (outside of my husband and kids) always seemed like a chore. Again, something I looked forward to, until it was actually there. Then when it was, I felt bored, uncomfortable, and like an outsider in my own family. Can you relate to this at all?

So this year, I decided it's high time I "redefined" Christmas.

After all, it's my life -- I can create whatever I choose. And I've redefined what it means to work, earn money, help people, be a mom, and have fun...so why wouldn't I be able to redefine Christmas? Especially if it's not working.

And this is what I discovered:

1. Christmas is about love. Period, end of sentence. It's not about presents, shopping, stress, parties, or mailing cards. Without love, all of those things become empty and meaningless, which means a letdown is imminent.



2. I love love. I do! Valentine's Day has always been my favorite holiday, because I just adore everything about love. And when I consciously incorporate love into everything I CHOOSE to do around Christmas, I can't go wrong. This was something we talked about in the Relax Your Holiday Spending audio...Presents get more thoughtful...shopping becomes pleasant and EASY -- no matter what the mall looks like this time of year...new traditions get created, memories are made, budgets are met easily, and a deep sense of overall SATISFACTION is present.

3. It's easy to enjoy family time when love is present. My mother was her for a week over Thanksgiving and you know that old saying about fish and house guests? How they get old and tired after 3 days? Well, it certainly didn't apply this time around. We had a grand time, Mom had a blast, and the kids were crying when it was time for her to leave. She easily could have stayed another week and it would have been fine with me and my family! And it was more than just tolerable -- it was actually enjoyable, fun, joyous and meaningful. Love makes all the difference.

4. Nothing is "required" unless I decide it is. I recently got totally activated by an innocuous comment from one of my neighbors who asked what I was getting my daughter for her "big present" for Christmas. No kidding, I stewed about it for 2 days. Crazy, right?!?! But I was so steamed I couldn't see what needed to be cleared or released...then when I finally did, I got off it almost immediately. What got me activated was that I felt like I "had to" do certain things around Christmas: buy the girls new dresses, take pictures of them on Santa's lap at the mall, bake cookies, buy them a TON of presents, and give them one "BIG" expensive present. But I stopped steaming when I realized that was someone else's "rules" about Christmas and they don't fit me, so I don't have to follow those rules! My daughter was something in particular that she's been talking about for months now -- and it costs a whopping $17 at Wal-Mart. If I give her some $200 gift as her "big present" it will hardly get noticed once she opens the Hannah Montana guitar she's been mooning over. (Which I find hilarious seeing as she has never SEEN and Hannah Montana shows or movies! But that's another topic for another day).



5. I get to choose the Christmas I want to have, free from the confines of the past, or the expectations of others. This one is so profound to me. I didn't spend hours shopping for Christmas dresses for my girls (which I hate doing anyway). I merely set the intention ("I would love to find beautiful dresses for my girls, swiftly and easily") and guess what happened? My mom showed up with a surprise: a gorgeous Christmas dress for each of my girls! And their faces lit up when they saw them -- each girl LOVED her dress! So I did zero shopping and everybody won. How cool is that? And we didn't stand in line for hours to take pix with Santa at the mall. I evaluated whether or not I really wanted pix with Santa this year, and when I decided I did, we found out our favorite photo studio was holding limited studio time with Santa. Hooray!!! No lines, no mall crowds, and no boring, over-priced, cookie-cutter Santa pix with fake beard in tow. Have a look at my favorite one from the photo shoot:



Now THAT is what I'm talking about! It's not cookie-cutter at all -- it's US!

So I invite you to create your own epiphanies around Christmas.

Forget what others saying Christmas is all about -- you define it for your SELF and watch what happens this year. Take a few minutes today to ask yourself: what does Christmas really mean to me? And then create THAT this year

And remember -- I love you. Because for me, it's what Christmas is really about.

What Is A Color Consultant?

I am very excited to continue "the Evolution of Amy" with my newest phase:

the Color Consultant.

What is a Color Consultant, you ask?

Excellent question (as usual). Allow me to introduce you to Lauren Battistini, owner of Color My Closet.

Lauren says this about herself and her work:

Color My Closet carved out its niche in the image industry with a fresh, updated take on color. Its mission is twofold: to educate women on color as the first and most important component of image, and to help them build a 100% wearable yet unique wardrobe.


Lauren & Amy

What's so important about color? Lauren says: According to the Institute for Color Research, between 62 and 90% of the first impression we make on others is based on color alone!

And after preparing for her visit by watching Tim Gunn's Guide to Style and doing my homework (which involved several fashion magazines, manila folders, a scalpel and numerous glue sticks) I have had several epiphanies. Let's see how many of these babies you can relate to:

1. When it comes to clothes, I've been settling. There are only 2 or 3 things in my closet I absolutely adore. The rest is "almost" right -- a little too this, a little too that, or something less than the absolute perfect color. I don't settle in other areas of my life, so it's time I brought my wardrobe on board with everything else. No more purchases just because it's on sale! I deserve better than that (don't we all?)

2. Shopping is not an in-and-out, grab-and-dash kind of sporting event. While I won't affirm that it takes time, effort, or hard work (because you know, I don't believe anything HAS to take those), I will affirm that it takes a specific intention and a willingness to persevere in order to find the most optimal pieces.

3. I don't have to look schleppy just because I'm heading to the gym or running errands. I really can look beautiful, put-together and confident by crafting my appearance any time, anywhere. And now I'm ready to do just that.

4. I have wasted HUGE amounts of money on clothes that were not optimal buys. But no more! I'm ready to get focused, get trained (by my color consultant...who incidentally, is also an expert on Style and Fit) and get what I require to pull together the ultimate Amy wardrobe.

5. What I wear affects how I feel, how I think, and therefore how I speak and act in public. It's different when I'm creating a new audio product or talking to a client on the phone. When the visual piece is added, I AM affected, and there's no denying it (and no use fighting it).

6. I don't have to change who I am in order to be stylish and look beautiful. I don't have to look like someone out of a magazine (which I'm not) or look like a soccer mom (also NOT). I can look like ME: cool, fun, funky, off-beat, spontaneous, tell-it-like-it-is and maybe just a smidge crazy.

Lauren asked me what I wanted to get out of the consultations I would have with her during her visit here to Colorado and my request was pretty simple:

I want my outsides to match my insides.

And here's what she said:

We can definitely do that.

So here we go....getting an early start in the morning with my color analysis and a review of my closet.