The Enchanted Self

Tang Wei speaks the language of THE ENCHANTED SELF

In the August Vogue, 2007 Caroline Palmer interviewed Tang Wei.  Here is a quote from that article, "A self-professed tomboy, Tang says adopting a higher profile has been a seamless adjustment.  "there is an old saying in China: Each year, we grow more branches and show more leaves, but our trunk remains unchanged.  Who we are fundamentally is always there.'"

I totally agree with Tang Wei.  When I help people sing their Song Of Their Soul I ask them to rediscover what is most central and essential about themselves already.  What is most important to them?  What is most core to their belief system?  As they look for what is already there and find ways to enhance their own talents, strengths, interests, passions, etc. they come closer to themselves but also more and more capable of greater tasks and accomplishments.  I talk more about this in my book, THE ENCHANTED SELF, A Positive Therapy.

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, www.enchantedself.com

A Play-date with Enchantment Using the Past to Your Pleasurable Advantage

A Play-date With Enchantment Using the Past to Your Pleasurable Advantage

Here is an exercise that can help you to retrieve positive images and sensations focusing on one or more of your senses. Begin by closing your eyes and listening to the sounds around you. Listen for a few minutes. When you feel drawn to a particular sound, stay with it. Allow yourself to mentally wonder remembering to focus on the positive. When you are ready, open your eyes and find an object to hold in your hands, such as an article of clothing. Close your eyes and explore the object, listen to the sounds around you. What positive memories and experiences are evoked by focusing on two of your senses, i.e. touch and hearing. Try this exercise mixing and matching your other senses   

This is an exericse from one of my many articles about exploring your Enchanted Self.

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, Positive Psychologist and Happiness Coach, www.enchantedself.com

Taking Charge of Our Own Enchantment

Taking Charge of Our Own Enchantment

Have you heard the story about the man who brought peanut butter sandwiches to work everyday? He was always complaining. He hated peanut butter sandwiches he would tell his co-workers.

"I'm so tired of peanut butter sandwiches. And the white bread is always too soft."

"Oh, no! Here it is again, another peanut butter sandwich," he would say as he opened his lunch pail.

His co-workers pitied him and assumed that his wife or someone where he lived always prepared the same sandwich, day after day.

One day, one of the men said, "Why don't you ask your wife to make a different kind of sandwich?"

To which the man replied, "My wife? I don't have a wife. I make my own lunches."

The morale of this story is that so often we, ourselves, are repeating in our lives what is unpleasant and distasteful. Oftentimes habits have set in and we don't even realize anymore that something unpleasant has been set in motion, not by a stranger, but by ourselves. For example, I was uncomfortable sitting at my computer in my home. Why? Simply because the chair was not the right height for me. It would catch my knees at a bad angle and they would ache a lot after working at the computer.

One day, I realized that I had the power to sit at the computer with a different chair. Of course, on some level I knew that all along. But habitual patterns had set in and so I never thought about replacing it. It was probably even less on my mind, as my husband was perfectly content with the old chair.

Once I took back my power it took me less than a week to break my habit and buy a really comfortable office chair at a discount office supply house. I love my new chair. The seat can go up and down, even forward and backwards and my knees really thank me.

Take a look around your world and see how many peanut butter sandwiches you are eating!
o you feel about peanut butter sandwiches? All my best, Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, www.enchantedself.com

You Hear The Sound of Water....

"You hear the sound of water and you know where you want to be." Rumi

Yes, the above is a simple Recipe for Enchantment.  We are all able to be triggered into pleasant memories that then can send us on to a joyful mini-vactation of the mind, if we let the memories do their job.  So often it is a memory triggered by our sense of smell, or hearing rather than a visual cue.  Yes, the sound of water does bring me on a vacation of the mind.  Particularly the sound of ocean waves.  Immediately I feel relaxed and happy.  If I take the time I can indulge in a full visualization.  I can design a beach house along an ocean front and enjoy seeing myself sitting outside on the second floor veranda.  Oh, this is so sweet!

How can you resist?  Why don't you join me on the veranda?  Or perhaps you prefer your own Recipe for Enchantment?  Let a sound or aroma come into your senses and then run and get your free airline ticket to a few minutes of paradise!

All my best,  Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, Positive Psychologist, www.enchantedself.com

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein and Mary Ellen the Angel Scribe on TV 24/7

Mary Ellen on TV

- View on Your Computer -

http://www.enchantedself.com/pressroom/angelscribe.html

It was an honor, to have Mary Ellen, as my guest on Manhattan Neighborhood television, THE ENCHANTED SELF. 

Mary Ellen, is an inspiring woman, with a profound message about love, hope and miracles. 

I'm so excited that the show is now up 24/7 on the internet.  I hope you will watch it and share your reactions.  Below you will find one of Mary Ellen's readers reactions to seeing her 'live.'  I would love to have some of my readers and followers comment!

My work, as a Positive Psychologist, is comfortably at home with what Mary Ellen teaches.

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein
www.enchantedself.com

Note from ME ^I^

When you see my eyes, going from side to side, like a wall clock cat's eyes, it is because it was not clear which cameras were on.  I was searching for that little tiny red light!

Miracle TV Show

http://www.enchantedself.com/pressroom/angelscribe.html

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Readers Reaction

to the TV Show

Mary Ellen,

I'm happy to be a long time reader, enjoying your newsletters and photos, over here in Europe! 

My American friend, Medora, introduced me to your work five years ago. She has since passed, and I continue to read the newsletters.

I am speechless. I enjoyed your TV video so much! I felt lifted up to another, a higher vibration.

I love your face, the way you talk, and your long hair.

I was moved by the story of your cat, Camalot, and can imagine how you felt when he was lost, and the moment you found him...amazing!

with love,
Marlene, in The Netherlands

Recipe for Summer Happiness

When I had the paper version of THE ENCHANTED SELF newsletter we would run a column called, "My spirit Soars When...."  We had some lovely entries.  Here are several I found on a scrap of paper the other day:

"My spirit soars when the sea wind ruffles my long skirt ias I skip in the surf.

My spirit soards when I recognize each voyager of Noah's Ark in the summer clouds."

When does your spirit soar?  Please share with us.  Just capturing the positive memory can lead to a real boost in one's mood.

Dr. Barbara Becker Hosltein, Positive Psychologist, www.enchantedself.com

THE TRUTH, My Secret Diary, I'm Ten, I'm Smart and I Know Everything, Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

My publisher for my new book, THE TRUTH, My Secret Diary, I'm Ten, I'm Smart and I Know Everything, just told me to look for the proofs.  The book was not in the mail today.  But I'm getting very excited.  That means that within 4 to 6 weeks I'll be able to share my book with you.  Are you wondering a little about the book?  It is a diary and a very special one.  The little girl who writes in it knows so many things that we have forgotten as adults.  She knows for instance, that it is not nice to swear.  Do you have strong feelings about swearing?  I certainly did when I was a child.  I still don't like it, but I've been blunted by living in a society where swearing is so prevelent.  The little girl would encourage me, I'm sure, to still not like it and to be very careful to always use fine speech.  She also knows that silly arguments just waste our energies and leave us not feeling happy.  She is so right about that.  Why do we seem to need to learn that lesson over and over again?

I hope we can have many conversations about the wisdom a little girl can help us get back in touch with!

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, www.enchantedself.com 

Recipe for Happiness

Once again I was looking at my teabag quotes.  The other day my Yogi tea simply said, "Keep Up".  I thought that was a wonderful simple Recipe for Happiness. If we can keep up with whatever is important at each stage of life than we have a chance to live that stage to the fullest.  For instance, if I can 'keep up' with healthy food eating than I have a better chance to be healthy at any time in my life.  If I can 'keep up' with the innovations that exist in my culture than I have a better chance to understand them and integrate easier, perhaps quicker ways of doing 'task' chores into my day, leaving more time for pleasure.  If I can 'keep up' with feeling upbeat and optimistic than I have a greater chance of having more energy to expend and to feel good any day.  So it is critical to 'KEEP UP'.  How wise a Recipe.

Hope to hear back from you.  Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, www.enchantedself.com