One secret to a strong family


Great parents understand that, at the end of
the day, having a strong and happy family is all
about relationships.

Individual family members will not support each other
if they do not trust one another first. They will not
invest in one another or the family as a group unless
they truly feel their best interests are being
promoted and the other family members sincerely
care about them.

To build this trust, great parents set the example
and remember that it is the little things that happen
every day that are important when it comes to
building strong families.

They remember to follow through on commitments.
By doing what they say they will do, when they say
they will do it, creates a pattern of trust and mutual respect. They are punctual and respectful of the
schedules they set and expect other family members
to be the same.

They are courteous, always being mindful that to
earn respect every family member must first give
respect. This does not mean let your kids walk all
over you, you are after all “the parent”. But, it never
hurts to thank people for finishing a job or following
through on an expectation, no matter how simple you
believe the task was.

As a parent if you merely meet the basic needs of
each member of the family. They will live together in
blissful tolerance until someone who can do it better
comes along. On the other hand, if you and your
family can connect on a deeper level based on
mutual respect and trust, bonds will form that will
last a lifetime and hold strong during difficult times.

Is it time to take a personal inventory, and have a Yard Sale?


Most of us carry around a lot of “STUFF” that
keep us from being the people we want to be and
reaching the goals we want to reach.



This “STUFF” can take the form of all the things that
we say we should do but don’t, the people in our
lives that we have had a disagreement with and now
are not speaking to, even though we both want to,
all the “could haves” and “should haves” in our lives
that now hold us back. Like the junk in your
basement this is all the stuff that you need to let go
of, but you don’t.



By holding on to all this stuff we use up a lot of
emotional stress that we could be doing without and
focusing that energy on something much more
productive and rewarding instead!



So, is it time for your emotional yard sale?



If so, then let’s get started and watch the positive
influence it will have.



Watch out though, you will probably find that you
have more energy, greater confidence and self
esteem, and in general a happier more productive
life.



Getting ready for your sale



Take a long hard look at your life and get rid of the
excess baggage by asking yourself a series of
questions and by completing the following
exercises.



In effect, what we will be doing is making certain
tasks “complete”, drawing a line under them and
moving on.



The following set of activities can be done in one
sitting or over a number of hours/days. The only
rules are, once you start you have to finish and
sooner is better than later.



The act of writing the answers down is very
powerful. It helps you to form a stronger
commitment to the actions you will take. So resist
the temptation to short cut the process by making it
a mental exercise only.



Now let’s get to it and watch your life change in
wondrous ways!



Step one: Collect the junk you don’t need or
want!



• Make a list of 10 things that you are
putting up with at home

• Make a list of 10 things that you are
putting up with at work

• Make a list of 10 things that you are
putting up with in any other area of your life

• Make an action plan to get rid of these
things that you have been putting up with. Be
specific about your actions and set time limits for
when to complete them



Step two: Dealing with all those unfinished
projects!



• Make a list of things that are
unresolved/unfinished in your life

• Make an action plan of how to reduce this
number!

• Do you need to clear the air with anyone?
If so, just do it! Life is too short!

• Did you ever say that you were going to
call someone or keep in touch with someone, yet
have done nothing about it? If so, sit down and call
them or send an email to them. Do it today

• Let go of as many “could haves”, “would
haves”, “should haves”, “maybes” and “ought to” as
you can. Write them down, take some action, and
move on. You will feel so much better.



Step three: Setting the price!



• Write down the standards and beliefs that
you have been saying to yourself that you should
have. Let go of these and write down a list of the
standards and beliefs that you are going to let drive
your life from this day forward.

• List 5 people who you admire the most.
Identify their greatest qualities, behaviour and how
they lead their life. What standards and beliefs do
they hold? How do they put those standards and
beliefs into action in their lives? Which ones could
you adopt starting today, to be more like them?

• Recognize that other’s standards will be
different from your own. Think of 5 close colleagues
or friends – what are their standards and how are
they different from yours?



Step four: Plan for the next Yard Sale!




• Get out your calendar and mark off a date
6 months to a year from now to do this all again.

• Just like you gather new clutter in your
basement to fill the space you just cleared, your life
will continue to gather new “STUFF” that you will
need to deal with later.



By having your Yard Sale, you will be able to focus
more on the here the now and the future. You will
be able to let go of some of the things that have
been taking up your valuable time and
energy.



So go ahead, get out there, rollup your sleeves and
get started today.

Is it time to take a personal inventory, and have a Yard Sale?


Most of us carry around a lot of “STUFF” that
keep us from being the people we want to be and
reaching the goals we want to reach.



This “STUFF” can take the form of all the things that
we say we should do but don’t, the people in our
lives that we have had a disagreement with and now
are not speaking to, even though we both want to,
all the “could haves” and “should haves” in our lives
that now hold us back. Like the junk in your
basement this is all the stuff that you need to let go
of, but you don’t.



By holding on to all this stuff we use up a lot of
emotional stress that we could be doing without and
focusing that energy on something much more
productive and rewarding instead!



So, is it time for your emotional yard sale?



If so, then let’s get started and watch the positive
influence it will have.



Watch out though, you will probably find that you
have more energy, greater confidence and self
esteem, and in general a happier more productive
life.



Getting ready for your sale



Take a long hard look at your life and get rid of the
excess baggage by asking yourself a series of
questions and by completing the following
exercises.



In effect, what we will be doing is making certain
tasks “complete”, drawing a line under them and
moving on.



The following set of activities can be done in one
sitting or over a number of hours/days. The only
rules are, once you start you have to finish and
sooner is better than later.



The act of writing the answers down is very
powerful. It helps you to form a stronger
commitment to the actions you will take. So resist
the temptation to short cut the process by making it
a mental exercise only.



Now let’s get to it and watch your life change in
wondrous ways!



Step one: Collect the junk you don’t need or
want!



• Make a list of 10 things that you are
putting up with at home

• Make a list of 10 things that you are
putting up with at work

• Make a list of 10 things that you are
putting up with in any other area of your life

• Make an action plan to get rid of these
things that you have been putting up with. Be
specific about your actions and set time limits for
when to complete them



Step two: Dealing with all those unfinished
projects!



• Make a list of things that are
unresolved/unfinished in your life

• Make an action plan of how to reduce this
number!

• Do you need to clear the air with anyone?
If so, just do it! Life is too short!

• Did you ever say that you were going to
call someone or keep in touch with someone, yet
have done nothing about it? If so, sit down and call
them or send an email to them. Do it today

• Let go of as many “could haves”, “would
haves”, “should haves”, “maybes” and “ought to” as
you can. Write them down, take some action, and
move on. You will feel so much better.



Step three: Setting the price!



• Write down the standards and beliefs that
you have been saying to yourself that you should
have. Let go of these and write down a list of the
standards and beliefs that you are going to let drive
your life from this day forward.

• List 5 people who you admire the most.
Identify their greatest qualities, behaviour and how
they lead their life. What standards and beliefs do
they hold? How do they put those standards and
beliefs into action in their lives? Which ones could
you adopt starting today, to be more like them?

• Recognize that other’s standards will be
different from your own. Think of 5 close colleagues
or friends – what are their standards and how are
they different from yours?



Step four: Plan for the next Yard Sale!




• Get out your calendar and mark off a date
6 months to a year from now to do this all again.

• Just like you gather new clutter in your
basement to fill the space you just cleared, your life
will continue to gather new “STUFF” that you will
need to deal with later.



By having your Yard Sale, you will be able to focus
more on the here the now and the future. You will
be able to let go of some of the things that have
been taking up your valuable time and
energy.



So go ahead, get out there, rollup your sleeves and
get started today.