7 Simple Steps to a Sweeter You & Sweeter Life (Article)

Friends and followers, here's an article I wrote that I hope will help you. This piece is designed to inspire all of you — including, of course, sugar addicts (for whom I offer my Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program) — and those who are immune (or relatively unfazed) by sugary temtpations.

7 Simple Steps to a Sweeter You & Sweeter Life By Connie Bennett, CHHC, CPC

With spring here and summer on the horizon, this is an ideal time to take stock of where you are and where you'd like to go. In other words, it can be invaluable to take a probing look inward and make some moves in the direction of your dreams. Ask yourself:

• Are you the kind of person you'd like to be?
• Are you achieving your heart's desires?
• How can you be kinder, better and sweeter?
• What traits and skills can you develop or cultivate to get to where you want to go and to be the person you know you can be?
• And how can you have a sweeter life?

Let's also put it another way: It’s time for some internal spring housecleaning. Since we’re human, each of us can always find something about ourselves to improve.

My clients have found that doing this kind of taking stock, assessing and goal setting helps them to build confidence, achieve inner joy, fall in love with themselves and be endearing to others.

Here are 7 areas to explore that can lead you to personal growth and transformation so you become a person you like, admire and respect — and, of course, a person others find sweet.

1) Take delight. Do you view the glass as half full rather than half empty? Do you feel joy, delight and glee when you view a sunset, when you see trees, when your child looks at you with adoring eyes, when you first bite into an organic apple, when you walk down the street, or when you’re immersed in a project? Make yourself look at the bright side of things. No one wants to be around a killjoy so concentrate on fostering that part of you that's childish, innocent, sweet and fun. Become the kind of person people (and you would) love to be around.

2) Listen with zeal. Do you pay close attention to other people when they speak? Do you care about their worries, goals and fears? Or are too wrapped up in yourself? There’s nothing more annoying than someone who cuts you off in the middle of saying something. Challenge yourself to really focus on what people are saying. That way others will want to share with you more. Besides, you’ll like yourself better, too.

3) Cultivate gratitude. Lately, thankfully, giving thanks has been given good play—and not just around Thanksgiving. Being appreciative is something we should do on a daily basis. Have you thanked God or the universe lately for your loved ones, your home, your job, your friends, your innate skills and talents, your material possessions, etc.? If not, begin a gratitude journal or take stock on your computer every morning and/or evening.

4) Get enough zzz's. Lack of sleep seems to be an American hobby, if not an obsession, and I confess, I'm one of the worst offenders. (I'm working on it!) Many of us seem driven by all that we have to do, whether it's answering e-mails, cleaning the house or catching up with a friend. But recent research suggests that sleep-deprived people may be more likely to be overweight. Not getting enough rest also may make you grumpy, brain foggy and unproductive. Even more frightening, sleep deprivation may increase your risk for heart attacks, strokes, colon cancer, breast cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

5) Enjoy food that lives. One of the most effective ways to become a healthy, energetic, kind, successful, loving person is to eat superior, nutritive carbs — the kind that grows out of the ground or from trees (vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds) and turn your back on those health-harming culprit carbs. Are you a sugar junkie or a carb craver? Do you grab chocolate, soda or donuts just to get through the day? As my book SUGAR SHOCK!, explains, overeating sugary foods and refined, much-like-sugar carbs (processed breads, pasta, crackers, white rice, etc.) could send you into sugar shock and lead to some 150 ailments, including obesity, depression, heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, mood swings, infertility, low libido, failing memory and premature aging. On the other hand, if you eat quality, real foods instead of refined pseudo stuff, you can become much sweeter and bring sweetness into your life. (If you have sugar issues, I invite you to join my Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program. Next program begins April 20, but you can join later, if you like, and listen to downloads.)

6) Get moving. As we all know by now, physical activity can work wonders. If you’re feeling like a zombie—that is sluggish, listless and unmotivated, there’s nothing like getting off your derriere and dancing or just plain walking to energize you. It’s well documented, as the Mayo Clinic points out, that exercise improves your mood, combats chronic diseases and can even put the spark back in your sex life. So put on your sneakers now. (In fact, I'm off for a fun bike ride myself now.)

7) Break free of clutter. The road to self improvement doesn’t always have to be complicated. In fact, just getting rid of your “stuff” can give you a tremendous breakthrough experience. Cutting out clutter is one of those simple, but uplifting projects that can quickly bring you to a better place. It is exhilarating and exciting to discard excess documents, old clothes and undesirable doodads. (Earlier today, I got rid of some excess stuff. Feels darn good, you'll find.)

Don’t these 7 Steps to a Sweeter & Sweeter Life sound easy? Don’t waste any time—pat yourself on the back because you’ve considered taking such important action. Now, start moving those goal-setting muscles and select one step to concentrate on each day of the week. I’m willing to bet that within three weeks, you’ll already become more happy, content and self-fulfilled. So get going—start building the foundation for a sweeter you and a sweeter life.

Connie Bennett, MSJ, CHHC, CPC is a former sugar addict and author of the bestselling book SUGAR SHOCK! (Penguin Group), which has been praised by Dr. Mehmet Oz, who says it “spills the beans” and bestselling author Dr. Mark Hyman (UltraMetabolism), who said it "could save your life." Connie is a certified holistic health counselor, a certified  life coach, sugar-liberation expert, speaker, frequent TV and radio show guest ("CBS News Sunday Morning," "Oprah & Friends Radio," etc., experienced journalist and columnist and the “Smart Habits Girl” (on Twitter). Connie maintains her Sugar Shock Blog and hosts the weekly Gab with the Gurus Radio Show, for which she interviews prominent experts in a variety of fields (Suzanne Somers, Montel Williams, Lisa Rinna, Barbara DeAngelis, Joe Vitale are Jack LaLanne are among those who’ve appeared on her show). Connie holds Sugar-Liberation Secrets seminars and teleseminars such as Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks. To learn how to release your sugar habit, find out about Connie's Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program at http://www.BreakFreeWithConnie.com. Copyright © 2010, Connie Bennett, Stop SUGAR SHOCK!, www.SugarShockBlog.com

This article was originally published on my Sugar Shock Blog – http://www.sugarshockblog.com/2010/04/7-simple-steps-to-a-sweeter-you-sweeter-life-article.html You may republish this article if you provide the above paragraph, including the URLs. Please let me know if you run this.

Special thanks to Maria's Photography for the adorable photo.