Like most people, this past month has found me buried in a never-ending avalanche of deadlines, long-range planning, financial budgets and a whole host of other stressors in my personal life, as well. In a blur, I found myself boarding a plane for San Francisco, heading to Face & Body 2008, anxious to get the advanced education conference program rolling and see the much-awaited show get underway. To be quite honest, with everything that has been going on these past few months, I’ve often felt it a challenge to find time to breathe. However, after hearing Rhonda Britten’s keynote address—“Fearless Living”—at Face & Body, I realized that it was time to put my life back into focus, so I’d like to share her suggestions with those of you who may also be feeling the need to regain some focus in your lives.
For those of you not familiar with Britten’s story, it’s one filled with both tears and laughter, and she had the audience doing a lot of both throughout her presentation. She is the founder of the Fearless Living Institute, an organization dedicated to giving anyone the tools they need to master their emotional fears. Britten also is the author of four national best sellers, and, during her three seasons on the hit daytime reality drama Starting Over, she was named “America’s Favorite Life Coach” and was dubbed Starting Over’s “Most Valuable Player” by The New York Times. This Emmy Award-winner and repeat Oprah guest taught us the four tools needed to become fearless and watch our lives transform. Here are some of her golden nuggets for you to keep in mind, and if you would like to be further inspired, check out her Web site, www.fearlessliving.org:
- No expectations: Expectations are premeditated resentments. Intentions are proactive and accountable.
- No complaining: Honor your feelings, act on your commitments.
- No excuses: No more “should;” instead, “I choose.”
- No beating yourself up: Give yourself a break, but don’t let yourself off the hook.
Do you know the way to San Jose?
Britten kicked off this year’s Face & Body Conference and Expo with incredible energy, and it kept rolling from there. You can read more about the show in Abby Penning’s post-show article that will appear in the November issue. You also can view informational footage from the show.
Next year, the conference and expowill be moving to the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California, July 11–13. Be sure to keep your eyeon www.FaceandBody.com for more details. If you have a topic that you’d like to see offered at next year’s show, or if you’d like to be considered as a speaker, please drop me a line with your ideas.
So now, I’m off to practice what I preach, and bring some focus and balance back into my often hectic—yet fulfilling—life.
Until next month,
Melinda Taschetta-Millane
Editor in chief