Have you:

We’ll be talking about Balancing Joy.

What if JOY was a way of BEing, and not an emotion? What if you could be in JOY no matter what was going on [...]]]> I’m excited to be the guest of Marie Kirkland on Conversational Journeys Radio today.  The show is at 1PM Eastern / 10AM Pacific.

We’ll be talking about Balancing Joy.

What if JOY was a way of BEing, and not an emotion? What if you could be in JOY no matter what was going on around you?  How do you go about achieving this? What are some things you can do right now, in the midst of stress, frustration and fear. Learn how Resolutions can often add to the Stress, and how you can actually use Resolutions to bring in more Joy. Join Marie and I as we discuss Balancing JOY and what this really means.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationaljourneys/2011/01/07/balancing-joy-with-velma-gallant-the-queen-of-joy has the details, and you can listen there.

I’ll have a special offer to those who listen to the show too.

I’m looking forward to this, and hope you can join me!

Dream BIG!

Velma Gallant
The Queen of JOY!

PS ~ I’ll be posting the download link as well, so if you can’t make it live, not to worry…you can still listen!

We used to go for coffee in the morning before separating off to our businesses.  This has been an important part of keeping our marriage alive.  We’re coming up on 11 years [...]]]> My husband and I have given up one form of connection to bring in another way for us to be connecting.

We used to go for coffee in the morning before separating off to our businesses.  This has been an important part of keeping our marriage alive.  We’re coming up on 11 years of marriage.  We found that the conversations we would have at coffee, though usually not on important topics, did keep the lines of communication open.  We have been able to tackle the more important topics thanks to these morning coffees.

We have been both feeling a need to bring the body into balance, so have chosen to give up the morning coffees for a morning workout together.  We’ve been going to the gym together for 6 weeks now.

The gym offered a free analysis with their trainer, so we took him up on it.  My numbers were where I expected…not that great.  Didn’t like what I saw on the scale.  Didn’t like the fat analysis.  Did like that my abs are still strong, so I did have one thing to celebrate.

I haven’t stepped on a scale in probably 3 years.  Found it was something to beat myself up about, so I stopped.  My weight has fluctuated up and down since choosing to not “scale it”, though the fluctuations were not big. 

There’s more to my body balance I’ve been playing with nutritionally, but I”m not getting into that one right now.

I want to talk about the Growth that happens when we don’t see it.

Since stepping on that scale 6 weeks ago, I have stepped on the scale at least two to three times per week, and frustrated myself.  I hadn’t lost a pound, and some days I weighed in two pounds heavier.  UGH!

My husband was giving me crap for stepping on the scale so much.  Said it was how my clothes fit that matter.  He’s right, but I wasn’t feeling like my jeans were any less tight, so I was annoyed with my progress.

I already eat healthy, so it’s the exercise that I was needing to amp it up. 

Finally, after 6 weeks of frustration each time I stepped on the scale I asked the trainer if I could test my fat content.  I wanted to see SOME kind of results.

It was there.  I had dropped 2.5% in my body fat levels.  FINALLY!  Some visible results!

All my growth had been happening “underground”.  The scale was actually showing me that I had gained muscle, but I didn’t see it that way.  I couldn’t see what was going on under my skin.

When it comes to personal growth and expansion, a lot of our growth happens underground too.  We don’t always see the immediate results of the work we are putting in.

The challenge is to hold fast to the path despite not seeing the visual results.  Whether you are making changes physically with workouts, nutritionally with diet (you can’t see when your intestinal track is all shiny and happy), mentally or spiritually, a lot of our growth happens underground.

Bring in a team to support you during these times.  Sometimes they see things you don’t.  Sometimes they feel things you don’t.  We judge ourselves so harshly at times that having a team in place can support you to balance this.

Team members can include your partner, friends, family, a trainer or a coach.  Find someone who you know is on your side.  Enlist them to be your eyes, nose, ears, analysts, and cheerleaders.

They’ll be able to help you notice the Growth that goes on Underground.

Dream BIG!

Velma Gallant
The Queen of JOY!

PS ~ For the month of June only, all new clients will be able to register for private coaching at the 2008 coaching rate of $200 per hour.  Register for your consultation today.  We’ll design a program just for you.

I enjoyed the weekend by digging my fingers into the dirt! It took my mind off of the workout my physiotherapist put me through on Friday. I’m taking care [...]]]> Another fabulous weekend! It was a long weekend here in Canada. Next weekend is the long weekend for my friends in the US.

I enjoyed the weekend by digging my fingers into the dirt! It took my mind off of the workout my physiotherapist put me through on Friday. I’m taking care of healing my knees, which is long over due. 

If you’re familiar with Louise Hay’s work, knees have to do with pride and ego.  Specifically:

Stubborn ego and pride. Inability to bend. Fear. Inflexibility. Won’t give in.

There are many aspects of this that I have healed, and I know there is more room for healing. 

I believe that our body, mind and spirit are connected, and when we heal one, we create the opening for healing in the others.  All the work I have done to this point created the opening for the healing of the physical, and by healing the physical, I heal more deeply with my mind and spirit.

My determination to heal is strong too.  He’s given me homework in the gym, and I have been doing it faithfully.  He has me rolling on this foam roller on the outside of each thigh.  It hurts!  I’m ready to cry every time!  I know this will ease, and I want the gift on the other side bad enough that I’m willing to do it, in spite of the pain.

Anyway, after Friday’s workout on the legs, I was so sore I could hardly walk up my stairs!  I was a sight!  I was laughing at myself with every step I took.  I was sore by Friday evening, and even more sore on Saturday!  Working in the dirt was a little challenging, but the stretching was good.

I cleaned out the weeds in the area I am now calling my garden.  I’ll be planting tomatoes and more over the next few days.

Today we cleared out the weeds in the front flower bed and planted some beautiful flowers there, plus a few planters of flowers as well.  The weekend was on the cooler side, which is normal for the May long weekend.  It made it very easy to work in the garden.  I’m pretty sure we’re past the frost.

It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s felt sooooo good to get my fingers in the dirt again.  I’m wonderfully grounded to begin the week.

This year I bring my body into balance, to further enhance and deepen the balance I have been bringing into my mind and spirit.

Where in your life do you see an opening for more balance?  Are you seeing a connection with areas for healing in your body?  Are you looking for more balance between your mind, body and spirit? What’s one step you can see today to bring you there?

Dream BIG!

Velma Gallant
The Queen of JOY!

PS ~ This week’s Welcome Changes Radio guest is Lisa Peck, the Step It Up Queen.  Join us Tuesday at 1PM Eastern for a GREAT show!

Time.

Most of the time it seems like there’s not enough of it.

We try to squeeze more stuff into the time we have, and then wonder why stress seems to be a normal part of our daily lives.

There’s more [...]]]>

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” ~ Mohandas K. Gandhi

Time.

Most of the time it seems like there’s not enough of it.

We try to squeeze more stuff into the time we have, and then wonder why stress seems to be a normal part of our daily lives.

There’s more work at our jobs than we have hours there.  Many have taken on two, three and even four jobs.  Sometimes it’s to make ends meet, but other times it’s to pay for those things that we think will finally bring us happiness.

Homes have two and three cars.  Kids are enrolled in sports and other activities that seem to be going up and up in price.

We run faster and faster after the carrot.  No matter how hard or fast we run, that carrot stays out there in front of us.  If we happen to get a nibble of the carrot that taste is never enough. 

Exhaustion sets in.  The body breaks down.  The emotions break down.

And from this weakened state, we add one more thing to our already full buckets thinking this will make things all better.

It won’t.   And getting a bigger bucket won’t work either.  The burden will still be just as heavy, and you’ll likely add more thinking that it’s OK because you have a bigger bucket.

We are spending less time with our loved ones.  We are spending less time with ourselves.  We stop eating quality food because we don’t have time for it.  Eating highly processed food is easier and quicker.  It doesn’t take as much time to prepare, which we think is good because it’s like taking something out of the bucket.

We don’t walk or ride a bike anywhere because it takes too much time.  Yet there are those who drive their car to a gym they’ve paid good cash for just to walk on a tread mill.

It seems to me that the world is just a little bit insane.

What if we walked with our family for exercise, and enjoy some conversation while we’re at it? 

What if we cared for a garden? We’d supplement our food bill with “real” food.  We’d get exercise, and experience mindfulness.

What if there was another way to get your carrot without running on the treadmill you paid to use, carrying heavy buckets, and neglecting your spirit, body and mind?

There is.

The first thing is to make sure that the carrot you’re chasing is really what you are looking for.

All too often the carrot is something we’ve been told we want.  Joe next door has one, and he looks happy.  Jane on TV has one, and she looks happy.

That guy over there is a doctor, and look at all the stuff he has.  He must be happy.

Notice, though, that each thing we strive for is ultimately to create happiness?

Perhaps the carrot should be Happiness.

Is running on a treadmill you paid someone else to use, carrying heavy buckets filled with activities that do not fulfil your soul and weigh heavily on your body and emotions making you happy?

If you answered yes to this, great.  I’m truly happy you found your happiness.

If you answered no to this, maybe it’s time to make some changes.

If you agree, the next question becomes, “what would make me happy?”

If you can’t answer that right away, maybe you can answer “what is not making me happy?”

Lightening the load and releasing little bits of unhappiness creates the opening to see what would make you happy.

What if you only filled your bucket with things that made you happy?  I’ll bet that bucket would be easy to carry. And if you jump off the treadmill and go for a walk out in the world you’ll likely find more happy things to put in your bucket too!

Walking and exploring the world with your buckets full of happiness. 

Now that sounds like a LIFE!

I’m in!  Are you?

***

Velma Gallant, The Queen of JOY! is an author, speaker, teacher, and healer.  As the host of “Welcome Changes Radio, she has interviewed over 100 personal growth and development experts.  Between growing up, raising a family, and building her business, she’s come to the conclusion that life is a continuous series of events and transitions.  There were times when she felt lost, broken, and confused, until she realized she wasn’t defined by these events and transitions.  Velma has stopped defining herself by what she does and the events of her life, and invites you to do the same!  JOY comes from within, and has been there all along, waiting to be rediscovered.

Did you enjoy this article? If you’d like to share this in your newsletter or on your website, please let us know!  We do require all reprints to include the biography intact.