1. You stop partitioning your life. Life is whole and it is all connected.

2. You ask for what you need; you do not make the other person guess.

3. You take responsibility for all of your life – If it happened to you, it belongs to you.

4. You are brave. You do not run from things that scare you and you know what you are most afraid of will set you free.

5. You listen to your own inner voice rather than listening to others.

6. You live in the present moment – rather than in the past or in the future.

7. You stop telling everyone your story. No one cares, and besides, it keeps you a victim.

8. You change what doesn’t work. No whining, complaining or excuses.

9. You have generosity of spirit. You want the same things for others that you want for yourself.

10. You have a quiet mind. The dog needs to be wagging the tail, rather than the tail (the mind) wagging the dog.

In a national competition, Chandra Alexander, MSW, was selected by THE OPRAH MAGAZINE as the Life Coach to deliver a series of coaching sessions to the grand prize winner of their prestigious Toyota Moving Forward contest. She also spent five years on NBC/TV “DAYTIME” giving a weekly “Reality Check”. Chandra has been living and teaching authenticity for the last 30 years and is the founder of Coaching for Authenticity, a place to explore and discover the essence of who you really are.

If you haven’t read Rumi, you are in for a treat. Rumi’s passionate, playful poems find and celebrate scared life in everyday existence. They speak across all traditions, to all peoples:  Read Rumi and be transported inward to that vast expanse of love. Rumi’s Love Poems

“This being human is a guest house.  Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and attend them all!  Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably.  He may clearing you out for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.

Be grateful for whomever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.

Welcome difficulty.  Learn the alchemy True Human Beings know: the moment you accept what troubles you’ve been given, the door opens.

Welcome difficulty as a familiar comrade.  Joke with torment brought by the Friend.

Sorrows are the rags of old clothes and jackets that serve to cover, and then are taken off.  The undressing and the beautiful naked body underneath, is the sweetness that comes after grief.”

Translated by Coleman Barks

In a national competition, Chandra Alexander, MSW, was selected by THE OPRAH MAGAZINE as the Life Coach to deliver a series of coaching sessions to the grand prize winner of their prestigious Toyota Moving Forward contest. She also spent five years on NBC/TV “DAYTIME” giving a weekly “Reality Check”. Chandra has been living and teaching authenticity for the last 30 years and is the founder of Coaching for Authenticity, a place to explore and discover the essence of who you really are.

I have a client that moved from Tampa to California to take a better job.  It was a good move and one that made a lot of sense.  He came back to Tampa last week to see me and during our session told me that he has been very sad since he got here (four days ago).  When I asked him why he felt sad, he said, “Because I miss Tampa.”  I said, “Where are you? Right this moment, Where are you?” He looked at me – at first puzzled as to what I was asking him, and then he got it.  (BTW, when he was here in Tampa, he was waiting to move to California for it all to begin.)

We always want to be someplace other than where we are at.  Here he was sitting in beautiful Tampa and he was sad because  he wanted ” to be in Tampa”.  The mind is very tricky and if we let our thoughts lead us around, we will always be one step away from the action.  It is only in this present moment that you and the action become one.  When your life finally begins to rock n roll you never want to be any place other where you are at. Real peace, contentment and joy come from surrendering to the moment.

If you like what you’ve read, you’re invited right now to Join the thousands who receive Chandra’s FREE daily email “Cutting Through to THE REAL TRUTH” for a daily dose of clarity and truth.

In a national competition, Chandra Alexander, MSW, was selected by THE OPRAH MAGAZINE as the Life Coach to deliver a series of coaching sessions to the grand prize winner of their prestigious Toyota Moving Forward contest. She also spent five years on NBC/TV “DAYTIME” giving a weekly “Reality Check”. Chandra has been living and teaching authenticity for the last 30 years and is the founder of Coaching for Authenticity, a place to explore and discover the essence of who you really are.

We all remember how on Seinfeld, George would break up with a lady and use the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ line. While that was funny on a sitcom, in real life no one appreciates rejection. Whether it’s from dating, job hunting or a relationship with a friend, no one enjoys rejection. Here are 4tips on dealing with rejection that will end up making you stronger.

Fruitfultime wants you to look at the future. “But instead of concentrating on how bad it feels when someone rejects you think of new possibilities, new doors that will open soon. The new opportunities might be better than what you have aimed before. Having such a mindset helps you handle rejection and keep on going in life.”

Pickthebrain has a list of ways to deal with rejection. The site says that there are a lot of people in the world and rejection is inevitable. ” There are six billion people on this earth. We are all beautiful, unique and different. There are times we are in demand and times we may get rejected. Knowing that rejection is an emotion that many people go through is a reality check! So get over your victim mentality and move on!”

Sometimes, if you handle the rejection well, you may just get rewarded. Lealea’s BlogBlog has a great story of someone passed over for a job, and a few months later received another offer from the company that rejected her in the first place. ” In fact, she revealed that she applied for the same job a few months previous but she was passed over for someone else. Even though she didn’t get that job, she wrote a personal thank-you note to the people involved for considering her and even personally arrived at the office to give them some cookies. The person at reception thought she actually got the job because she was being so nice, when the opposite was true. She was gracious through and through.

… and a few months later, when a contract position opened up in this place, she was immediately called back and subsequently hired. They didn’t have to waste money or time interviewing her all over again — they knew who she was. She didn’t let them forget her because when the first opportunity passed her by, she didn’t hold any grudges and was also very clever in leaving a great impression. ”

That’s awesome.

Dramaquill says that rejection doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a bad person. “ Rejection isn’t a reason to give up. If you get personal comments from an editor, read them and really evaluate if what they say can help you improve the piece before you send it out again.  And rejoice in the fact that the editor took the time to actually comment – that’s a good sign.

Keep your chin up. We all get rejected at one time or another, but pick yourself right back up and get out there and I’m sure that something good will come your way.