Is Speaking Your Biggest Fear?

This coming week, if Tony Robbins selects me at his Tony Robbins Unleash the Power Within event, I will finally triumph over my absolute biggest fear in front of the 15,000 people in attendance.

Yes, I’m one of millions with a deep fear of public speaking.

It’s not that I’d rather be in a coffin than speak, as some research suggests, and as Jerry Seinfeld joked, but it’s time to quit hiding away from stages no matter how big my fear.

Enough of playing small!

Going Through a Crisis? Dr. Wayne Dyer Can Inspire You Daily

Are you going through a personal or family crisis?
Are you plagued by constant physical pain?
Are you feeling emotionally distraught or downright discouraged due to a breakup or divorce?
Are you watching a loved one suffer agonizing emotional or physical pain due to heart disease, cancer or Alzheimer’s disease?
Or are you surrounded by family members, who, because of their own emotional or physical pain, are saying angry, venomous things to you?
If you’re going through a challenging situation such as one of those cited above (or something else), I strongly recommend that you
Wishes-fulfilled
buy the latest book, Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting, from the inspirational Dr. Wayne Dyer.
Dr. Dyer is, of course, an internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development. He’s also the author of more than 30 books, and he has created numerous audio programs and videos and appeared on thousands of television and radio shows.
His new book, Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting, is truly life changing.
I also recommend that you get the new, I AM Wishes Fulfilled Meditation, that Dr. Dyer and James F. Twyman have created. I can’t wait to receive it. I’m sure it will be miraculous.
If you can, I also recommend that you catch the remarkable Dr. Dyer in a city near you. I’ve heard him several times — so powerful!
Wayne Dyer – Event Tour

Soothing Tunes to Calm You As You Face Anything: What Are Your Favorites?

If you’re going through a challenging, stressful or upsetting time, one of the best ways to rise above the situation is to soothe yourself with melodies that calm and comfort you.
Forget comfort foods that send you into Sugar Shock. They don’t work!
Music is one of the most exhilarating ways to achieve this serenity and peacefulness. (Meditation works, of course, too. More about that later.)
So help me compile a list of Soothing Tunes.
For instance, the title Hans Zimmer soundtrack from the film, Gladiator, with the talented Russell Crowe as Maximus, is one of my favorite melodies. Doesn’t it evoke a feeling of triumph in you?
So what are your favorite Comfort Tunes (not Comfort Foods, of course)?
(Usually, I don’t care to share anything personal here, but please know that I have two reasons I’m seeking Comfort Tunes. Of course, my first goal is to help you, because I know music can soothe you in a way that food or other addictions can. Secondly, I’m facing a very trying situation, and I’m seeking to arm myself with a number of powerful, potent tactics to get me through this easily. One of the ways to sail through such pain is with the help of magical melodies.)
Please submit your ideas for Magical Melodies and Soothing Tunes.

Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings (Creatively Procrastinate)

Here’s an article I wrote to help you those of you, who are sugar addicts or junk food junkies, who need help to sweetly say, “No, thank you!” when offered those tempting, unhealthy “treats.”
Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings™: Creatively Procrastinate to Ditch Your Sugar Addiction & Excess Weight
By Connie Bennett, MSJ, CHC, ACC, CPC
Whenever people meet me, join my Sugar Freedom Now program or work privately with me or read my book SUGAR SHOCK!, they almost immediately ask me (either in person or via e-mail), “How can I overcome my sugar cravings?”
It can be challenging to say “No, thank you!” when your favorite, tempting dessert is right there, in front of you.
Because it’s what you do in that very first one or two minutes that can make or break your diet, I’m determined to help you get over that “Must-Have Sugar Now! hurdle.”
Let me share a tactic that helped me on many occasions (back in 1998) and that now helps my clients and Facebook Smart Habits Noww fans.
One of the most powerful and effective strategies is so simple that you’ll wonder why you never tried it in the first place.
It’s this: Simply DELAY before you put any sugar or dessert foods in your mouth. That’s right, DELAY before you something that you’ll later regret such as when you look at your scale a day or two later or when your pants don’t fit anymore or when you become edgy and unfocused after your Sugar High.
Let’s be honest: If you do mindlessly nosh on those fast-acting sweets or much-like-sugar carbs™ into your mouth, won’t you become feel headachy, wiped out, spaced out, moody, depressed or even angry at yourself (and maybe your loved ones)?
Let me introduce you to the Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings Method™ (also called Do Creative Sugar Procrastination™).
Think about it: Most of us excel at putting things off or procrastinating, right?
We have every good intention to clear off our desks, donate old clothes, organize our drawers, ditch (recyle) those not-needed papers, help kids with their homework, throw out the garbage, etc.?
Clearly, all of us have things we’ve been planning to do but we just haven’t got around to doing it.
Well, I invite you to take a positive look at procrastinating. It can be a wonderful, Won’t-Have-Sugar-Just-Yet Strategy.
I hit upon this incredible simple technique back in 1998 when I reluctantly kicked sweets and refined carbs on doctor’s orders. To this day, I continue to be amazed at how easy, effortless, and darn effective it is to just delay.
What’s so wonderful about this Delaying Now Method is that people of all ages—unless maybe you’re a tot—can easily cultivate this tactic.
So, here’s how to do it: Just promise yourself to delay eating that tempting “treat” for a certain amount of time, say 10 minutes. You can do that, of course!
In other words, you will Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings for 10 minutes at a time. Then, you can delay over and over again — for another 10 minutes — for a while, like an hour even. It’s that easy!
Now think ahead to the next morning when you’re so relieved and proud of yourself that you didn’t cave into your cravings.
Here are 7 ways Delaying or Creatively Procrastinating becomes your ally to help you pull the plug on your unwanted sugar addiction. (Delaying is one of the “7 D’s” that I developed to help “Sugar Kickers.”)
First delay 10 minutes before you eat that cookie, candy bar or brownie that’s calling out to you. When you do that, you begin to detach from your destructive impulses.
When you delay for 10 minutes, then another 10 minutes, and another 10 minutes, your cravings will subside while you get involved with other things. At that point, you’ll also be able to put your cravings into proper perspective.
When you Delay Away Your Cravings, you’re taking powerful, positive, health-promoting action by simple inaction. Yes, doing absolutely nothing can be pivotal when you kick or cut back on sweets and quickie carbs. See how simple this is?
When you delay, you turn procrastinating into a useful, proactive skill. Procrastinating becomes a good thing!
When you delay, you can take time to find out which foods—if any—you’re really craving. Is your body really needing cookies, cake, and pretzels? Of course not! Your Amazing Body might instead be begging you for water, fresh vegetables and fruits, high-quality protein or healthy fats?
When you delay, you can get in touch with your true feelings. By putting your sugar binging on hold for 10 minutes or more, you can figure out what the heck is really going. Ask yourself, “Why do I feel like I must have these sweets now?”
When you delay, you’ll be so proud of yourself! You’ll be filled with a longer-lasting joy than the very short-lived, self-defeating immediate gratification you’d get from a cookie. What is your real goal? Are you seeking to shed excess weight, get more energy, concentrate better, improve your health and boost your libido? So delaying gives you a chance to think about what you really want rather than suffer the consequences of your moment of weakness.)
In short, simple delaying or creatively procrastiating is one of the most effective tools a successful Sugar Kicker can use.
Tips to Delay Away Your Cravings or Creatively Procrastinate
It’s time to learn how to put this in action. Shortly, you’ll become a Delaying Artist or a Creative Procrastinator.
The next time you want something sweet (that’s processed) or something white (as in a refined carb), delay for 10 minutes. That’s it — just 10 minutes. You can do that, right? Feel free to set a timer or look at your watch, clock or cell phone to keep you honest, so to speak.
Now, imagine that you’re stepping outside and leaving behind your obsessive sugary thoughts. Now, get going with some project you’ve been delaying.
After 10 minutes, if you still want sweets or quickie carbs, Delay Away another 10 minutes. Be creative while you delay. You may want to do the dishes, put away your clothes, organize your closet, color your hair, organize your CD collection, meditate, work out, fix your nails, etc. Doing these things can help you pass the time and pull the plug on your food thoughts.
Then challenge yourself for even longer! Wait 1 hour or even 2 hours, or maybe even the whole evening. Do something really fun in the meantime. Jump into that project that you’ve been putting off doing. Fill your time with satisfying activites that help you “forget” about the sweets calling out to you. (If you pick going to a movie as a way to delay, do NOT stop at the concession stand! Bring along your own water or snack.)
Finally, write about your experience in a journal or notebook. Just jotting down your feelings can be eye-opening, as many of my Sugar Kicker clients have revealed to me, and as I personally discovered years ago.
Ultimately, when you just delay or creatively procrastinate, you can learn a lot about yourself and the power of a focused mind.
To this day, I’m thrilled that I hit upon this Delay Away Your Sugar Cravings Tactic back in 1998 so that I could learn that Life is Sweeter Without Refined Sweets™.
Copyright © 2011, Connie Bennett, Sugar Shock Blog, Stop SUGAR SHOCK!™
Connie Bennett is the “Sugar Freedom Now Coach.” She is a former sugar addict and author of the bestselling book, SUGAR SHOCK! (Berkley Books), which has been praised by Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Joseph Mercola and others. Her next book, The Beyond Sugar Shock Diet, will be published in 2012 by Hay House. Connie is also founder of the Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program (also called Sugar Freedom Now Course). Learn more at www.BreakFreeWithConnie.com. Connie’s Sad-to-Sour-Sugar Story began in 1998, when she reluctantly kicked sweets and quickie carbs on doctor’s orders, and all 44 of her ailments disappeared, including throbbing headaches, severe PMS, and mood swings. Nowadays, Connie jokingly dubs herself a “Sugar Shrew No More!” She has coached thousands of people around the world to Break Free of their sugar addiction and other unhealthy habits. Connie is a certified life coach, certified health counselor, certified vision board coach, popular radio host (Gab with the Gurus), journalist and essayist, who has contributed to many publications and websites and has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning, Oprah & Friends Radio, and The Howard Stern Show. To get free kick-sugar tips and other updates, sign up for her free Motivating Morsels e-zine. This article first appeareed on the Sugar Shock Blog. Connect with Connie on Facebook in the Smart Habits Fans page or the Gab with the Gurus page.
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Did You Attend My End-of-Summer Tele-Party? Listen Now

As we now move into fall, I invite you to ask yourself: Are you tired of battling your sugar habit?
Are you fed up with your excess weight?
Have you had enough of those annoying numbers of your bathroom scale?
Are you ready to let go of your mood swings, brain fog, low libido and more?
Then listen to my complimentary Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction, End-of-Summer Tele-Party!
Just sign up below and learn how to listen to my free program.
Warmly,
Connie
Connie Bennett, CHHC, CPC, ACC, Sugar Liberator™ & Smart Habits Girl™, Author, Sugar Shock! (Berkley Books, Penguin Group) & Beyond Sugar Shock! (Upcoming/Hay House) & Founder, Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program.
Now, sign up below so you can listen to my complimentary Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction, End-of-Summer Tele-Party.

Gratitude Week: Thank You to All Experts

Now that Gratitude Week has come to a close, I want to extend a very special thank you to the 21 gracious, articulate, amazing experts and bestselling authors, who made this week possible.
My deepest desire is that these empowering gurus will change your life.
For my part, I know that I’ve been dramatically transformed just from holding these shows and hearing the remarkable thoughts shared by our guests.
Indeed, I’m feeling much better after accidentally smashing head first while running into glass. (In fact, I’m thrilled that my headaches are subsiding — concussion begone!) Learn about the origins of Gratitude Week on Gab with the Gurus by reading the press release about the event.
Please note that in all 5 shows for Gratitude Week, different angles were covered. And every show was equally fascinating, inspiring and helpful. So I urge you to listen to each and every show.
During Gratitude Week, you received insights on:
* How a practice of gratitude can completely transform your life.
* How being grateful can take you away from your pain
* How gratitude can help you to become creative.
* How grateful people are more optimistic.
* How when you are thankful, your grouchiness takes a hike.
* For what celebrities such as Alicia Keys and Morgan Freeman are grateful.
* How being grateful can help to diminish your stress.
* How an attitude of gratitude helps you become spiritual.
* And much more
You also received:
* Many wonderful, practical pointers on how you can fit gratitude your daily routine.
* Tips on how you can slip gratitude exercises here and there to enhance your happiness.
My heartfelt thanks goes to the following people:
Gratitude Week, Day 5: On Goal Setting, Creativity & Moving through Pain
* Cami Walker, author of the New York Times bestseller, 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life and founder of www.29Gifts.org, a site that encourages people to sign up for a free 29-day giving challenges. Became more grateful after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a month before getting married.
* Dr. Larry Iverson, clinical psychologist and author of Unleash Your Success. www.DrLarryIverson.com
* Rabbi Irwin Kula, author of the award-winning Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life and recipient of the 2008 Walter Cronkite Faith and Freedom Award. (See Dr. Kula give great suggestions on “Oprah” here.)
Listen to Day 5 here: http://tinyurl.com/GratitudeWeekDay5-GabWithGurus
Here were Day 4’s wonderful guests.
Gratitude Week, Day 4: On Optimism, Managing Stress, Getting in Balance & Being Spiritual
* Dr. Terry Paulson, a psychologist, professional speaker, columnist and author of the new book, The Optimism Advantage. www.optimismadvantage.com
* Howard Martin, author of The Heart Math Solution and founding member of www.HeartMath.com, which researches the heart-brain connection and develops science-based solutions to reduce stress and improve performance
* Mary Treacy O’Keefe, co-founder and president of Well Within in St. Paul, Minnesota. Uses gratitude for stress reduction and spiritual growth. www.WellWithin.org
* Nora Firestone, journalist and founder of www.ThankingOfYou.com, a Web-based forum for posting (and discovering) stories of gratitude to “recognize, affirm and honor” the people who’ve made a difference in your life.
* Amy Weintraub, author of Yoga for Depression, founder of the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute, and a leader in the field of yoga and mental health. Amy’s evidence-based yoga protocol is featured on the award-winning DVD series LifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues. www.yogafordepression.com.
Listen to Day 4 – http://tinyurl.com/GratitudeWeekDay4-GabWithGurus
Gratitude Week, Day 3: On Celebrities, Gratitude Lists & Grouchiness
* Todd Aaron Jensen, an award-winning entertainment journalist, a Kundalini yoga instructor, youth baseball coach, father of six and author of the upcoming book, On Gratitude: 50 Celebrities on the Power of Giving Thanks (to be published Sept. 21, World Gratitude Day).
* Ciji Ware, a former KABC radio commentator, who has been keeping a “Gratitude List” for 2666 days (as of July 7). Jotting down 3 things a day for which she is grateful helped her turn her life around. Ciji is also author of the book, Rightsizing Your Life: Simplifying Your Surroundings While Keeping What Matters Most.
* Sally Marks, author of the ebook, Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within. She contends that lack of gratitude is probably the number one cause of grouchiness.
* Sue Lundquist, author of “I’m Thankful” and owner of the I’m Thankful™ Network, which is syndicated syndicated across the country. www.ImThankful.com
Listen to Day 3 – http://tinyurl.com/GratitudeWeekDay3-GabWithGurus
Gratitude Week, Day 2: On Optimism, Love, Empowerment & Getting “Enough”
* Dr. Stephen G. Post, director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics at Stony Brook University and author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People http://www.stephengpost.com
* Dr. Diana Kirschner, psychologist and author Love in 90 Days: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Own True Love. http://www.lovein90days.com
* Elizabeth “Lily” Hills, author of the new book, A Feminine Manifesta, which delves into how women have sabotaged themselves by being their own worst critics. It shares how the power of gratitude can transform your life, freeing you up to be the best of who you can be. www.AFeminineManifesta.com
* Sue Lundquist, author of I’m Thankful and owner of the I’m Thankful™ Network, which is syndicated syndicated across the country. www.ImThankful.com
* Erika Oliver, a Positive Approach Coach and author of Happy Crap: The Power of Positive Assumptions! www.erikaoliver.com
* Corinne Gregory, President and Founder of SocialSmarts, a nationally-recognized program for teaching kids and adults positive social skills, character and values, and author of It’s Not Who You Know, It’s How You Treat Them
Listen to Day 2 – http://tinyurl.com/GratitudeWeekDay2-GabWithGurus
Gratitude Week, Day 1: On Happiness, Forgiveness, Coping & Resolving Food Issues
* Dr. Philip Watkins, psychology professor at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington. Conducted research on how gratitude contributes to happiness, your ability to cope and be healthy.
* Dr. Philip Friedman, psychologist and director of the Foundation for Well-Being in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. Published three clinical research articles on gratitude and forgiveness as they relate to well-being and change over time using empirical measures (GQ6 and GRATS) www.ForgivenessSolution.com
* Dr. Sharon Livingston, a psychologist who helps people with emotional eating problems and uses gratitude as an essential piece of healing this problem. www.EmotionalEatingSecrets.com
* Robert Mack, positive psychology expert and author, Happiness From the Inside Out: The Art and Science of Fulfillment and a positive psychology expert. www.happinessfromtheinsideout.com
Listen to Day 1 – http://tinyurl.com/GratitudeWeekDay1-GabWithGurus
Here are the links to all 5 shows:
Day 1 – http://tinyurl.com/GratitudeWeekDay1-GabWithGurus
Day 2 – http://tinyurl.com/GratitudeWeekDay2-GabWithGurus
Day 3 – http://tinyurl.com/GratitudeWeekDay3-GabWithGurus
Day 4 – http://tinyurl.com/GratitudeWeekDay4-GabWithGurus
Day 5 – http://tinyurl.com/GratitudeWeekDay5-GabWithGurus
Please note that you can subscribe to Gab with the Gurus on iTunes.
Get more details by reading the following press release about Gratitude Week on Gab with the Gurus.
Stay tuned for another Gab with the Gurus Radio Show on Sept. 21 for World Gratitude Day and another show (date TBA) with a couple of gratitude researchers, who were unable to participate in Gratitude Week.
Also, here’s another recent Gab with the Gurus Radio Show about gratitude with Stephanie Gunning.

Gratitude Week: Day 4 — On Optimism, Managing Stress & Being Spiritual

Gratitude Week continued today with yet another amazing program for Day 4!
These were the wonderful guests.
Thursday, July 22: Gratitude Week: On Optimism, Managing Stress, Getting in Balance & Being Spiritual
* Dr. Terry Paulson, a psychologist, professional speaker, columnist and author of the new book, “The Optimism Advantage.” www.optimismadvantage.com
* Howard Martin, author of The Heart Math Solution and founding member of www.HeartMath.com, which researches the heart-brain connection and develops science-based solutions to reduce stress and improve performance
* Mary Treacy O’Keefe, co-founder and president of Well Within in St. Paul, Minnesota. Uses gratitude for stress reduction and spiritual growth. www.WellWithin.org
* Amy Weintraub, author of Yoga for Depression, founder of the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute, and a leader in the field of yoga and mental health. Amy’s evidence-based yoga protocol is featured on the award-winning DVD series LifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues. www.yogafordepression.com.
Listen to the show now.