1) Welcome!
2) My Playground
3) Check it Out
4) Giggles & Guffaws
5) Ways to Play Today!
6) Random Musings
7) Something to ponder
8) Shameless Promotional Plug

When I began this newsletter back in August, my intention was to publish one every month. As December raced on by with birthdays, company Christmas parties, the holidays and the birth of my sister’s first child, the 31st was suddenly here with no newsletter to mail out for the month. Ever get that feeling like there’s an elephant sitting on your chest and you can’t breathe? I felt terribly guilty for not following through with my goal of publishing once a month. I made myself feel downright miserable about the whole thing until I remembered I could let the original plan go and begin again.

So dear subscriber, as I begin again and look forward to what the New Year may bring my way, stay tuned this month for a few surprises from me. The Playful Spirit is ready to play much bigger this year than last and has some exciting things in store for you. Thanks for subscribing and sharing a part of this amazing ride we call life with me. Onward into 2004 we go…

~Every Day...Begin Again~

We give ourselves a reason, heck we even give ourselves a day off of work, to begin again every January. If you’ve ever made a New Year’s resolution and broke one, pull your chair a little closer to the screen and read the following words slowly. EVERY DAY IS A NEW BEGINNING. Repeat after me, EVERY DAY IS A NEW BEGINNING. What is that you say? Do I hear the all-too familiar refrain, “Same ol’ doo-doo, just a different day? Pshaw, I say! If you’re having a challenging time believing that every day gives us a new opportunity to do what we want and be who we want to be then you’re definitely not going to like what I say next. EVERY MOMENT IS A NEW BEGINNING. The truth is…you have to choose to begin again, especially when things aren’t going the way you’d like them to.

If you felt the rush of the holiday season, the pressure of having so much to do with so little time, the subtle depression that sometimes sinks in when all the celebrations are over and the calendar has turned, you’re not alone. It’s a fact that many people consider the beginning of a New Year a letdown after the highs of the December holidays. Just as we’re reflecting on our accomplishments of the past year, it’s as though an unwelcome visitor knocks on our door, disturbs our regular routine of things and demands us to change. The funny thing is…we make such a big deal about changing at the beginning of the year when in reality, we change and make changes every day, in every moment. We’re capable of making changes pretty much any time we feel like it. Oftentimes we know exactly how to begin again, we just choose not to.

We know when it’s time to let go. We know when forgiveness is the best course of action to take. We know when we’re being too hard on ourselves. And we usually know when it’s time for a new beginning. As the days of January unfold, let’s resolve to let those pesky little resolutions and big egos of ours fall away and allow the magic that exists in each moment to change our lives and begin again.

5 Simple Ways to Begin Again Every Day

1) Take time to create and enjoy the silence and stillness in your life.
During this time, you are not engaged in a Freudian psychoanalysis session with yourself. You are not taking this personal time out to wonder or worry about the things in your life that may be bothering you. (There’s plenty of time to do that at night just as you climb into bed. I’m kidding!) No matter if it’s only a few minutes you can spend doing this practice, it’s important for our bodies and especially our minds to rest for a wee bit each day. Find a special place for this time you create for yourself. Ideally, your aim is to appreciate the stillness and what may happen while being in that space. Enjoy the something that’s created when there is nothing.

I wish you an amazing year filled with many powerful changes you, and only you, can make. Roman philosopher and playwright Seneca once said, “One should count each day a separate life.” May you remember every day that you can begin again anytime you choose to.

Something's Gotta Give
Without a doubt, Jack Nicholson is one of the greatest actors of our time. I’ve never been a big fan of his, but I’ve recently had a change of heart. Yes, he was fabulous in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and his role in “A Few Good Men” had me shaking in my boots, but he’s never been on my favorite actor list until now. His latest film, “Something’s Gotta Give” is truly one of his best. As a 63 year-old man whose fondness for younger women has kept his spirit young, but his heart lonely, he is quite overwhelmed and confused when he falls in love for the first time with a woman his age. I can guarantee this movie will make you laugh and if you’re an emotional sap like me, you’ll probably cry too. Despite the film’s ability to make you feel, this is not a chick flick. Let me repeat that. THIS IS NOT A CHICK FLICK! Take your man (or the one you want to be your man) to see this movie. He will love it, too. One last bit…this movie would have been an A+ in my book had there not been two minor irritations that made me flinch. In one scene, Diane Keaton’s character goes overboard in her rendition of what it’s like for a woman to be heart-broken. The first few times she sobs over the loss of her love, it’s both sad and funny. The next dozen times she throws herself over her keyboard, it becomes old quickly. Lastly, casting Keanu Reeves as Diane Keaton’s younger love interest was a horrible decision. Keanu will always be either Ted (from the Excellent Adventure film of years past or Neo from the Matrix series) and it doesn’t matter what film you put him in, the fact remains…this guy still can’t act.

Portland, Oregon has been hit with some significant snowstorms in the past week and we thought you might enjoy a few scenes of some people playing in the white stuff.

Little Kids in the Snow

Big Kid (aka The Playful Spirit) in the Snow

Ways to Play Today!

Why not…spend a day eating all your favorite foods?
Yes, I know it’s the time of the year where joining health clubs and dieting is THE thing to do. Having worked at a weight-loss center and a gym a few years back, I am certainly all for making positive changes in one’s health. However, I am also all about enjoying the things in life that make us happy and here, I am specifically referring to food. More than likely, you will not want to spend an entire day eating carrots and celery while sipping on the most exquisite of bottled waters. If you’re like me, you’ll go for those calorie-dense, carbohydrate-laden processed foods. The truth is…one day of over-consumption isn’t going to cause you significant problems (perhaps a little indigestion depending on the quality and quantity of what you eat) unless you decide to make it a weekly habit. So indulge for a day I say. Eat what you want, when you want and don’t forget to have to dessert!

Why not…make silly faces at other drivers the next time you’re stuck in traffic?
One of the things I’ve never been able to deal well with is being stuck in traffic. If everyone is traveling the same speed and there are no accidents, no rodents scurrying into one’s path and nothing else exciting alongside the road to gawk at, why do cars suddenly stop? Oh, I have plenty of theories I could share with you, but I suspect some of them might seem a little brash. Depending on which state you live in and what your demographic might be, you might take some of my ideas personally. So, in the interest of keeping my subscribers, I offer up one of the ways I pass the time while being held captive in your car on the road. It’s a simple and easy thing to do. Pass a car, stick out your tongue and cross your eyes. Get passed by a car and do the same thing. Just remember what your mother always told you: Don’t keep those eyes of yours crossed for too long or they’ll stay that way.

Snow has a magical way of bringing out the little kid in all of us.

Make a resolution this year you’ll be proud of breaking.

Forget about all those gremlins of yours for a moment, play your favorite music and just dance.

Call the person you forgot to say thank you to today.

What intentions do you have for yourself this year?
What will you do when you need to begin again?

Care to share what these questions stir up in you? ? Need some support around your New Year’s resolutions and intentions? Send me en e-mail. I welcome your thoughts and will respond to all e-mails received.

That amazing workshop I’ve been talking up the last couple months is ready for you to register and attend! Tayna, (my fabulous business partner) and I are excited about our next event, which is happening at the end of this month.
Here are the juicy details:

What: Tell Yourself the Truth! – Getting Real in the New Year

A fun and playful Half Day Retreat designed to support the intentions you’ve made for yourself for 2004. Haven’t made any yet? This retreat will provide you with plenty of opportunities to discover and unleash the creative power that lies within you and at the heart of every intention.

Where: The Golden Heart Center for Wellness located in the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland, Oregon.

When: Saturday, January 31st from 1:00-5:00 p.m.

What else: A colorful workbook and yummy snacks are included with the $75 fee.

Got questions? Ready to register?
Give me a call or send an email and I’ll provide you with additional information along with specific directions to the event.

This year, the dream of taking our Get Real! program on the road is going to be realized. You can play a part in making that happen by letting us know we should travel to YOUR area and lead a workshop or presentation. If you or someone you know needs a dose of truth-telling, creative expression and fun for their business, organization or group, send an email or pick up that phone and tell me what Getting Real could do for you.

Make sure to visit my website Playful Spirit to learn more about the work I do as a life coach, writer and facilitator. Make sure you visit again later this month to check out some new changes that are happening at the Playful Spirit website and be sure to explore my Favorite Links page which is coming soon.