Sisters - Are you a Happy Black Woman ?

From: Quanisha Smith <quanisha@quanishasmith.com>

Subject: Are you a Happy Black Woman?

Are you Happy ? I'm sure you know this, but there will be aspects of our lives that we cannot control: an illness, a loss, or an unexpected setback. However, one item always under our control is our response. These two factors combined, the event & our reaction, impact the outcome we experience. And the outcome determines if the situation negatively or positively alters our lives. Meaning: Does the situation tear you down or does it foster your growth?  As I speak and receive emails from many of you in our Black Women Rise community, I hear that you are going through some things, such as career dissatisfaction, feeling stuck and overwhelmed, lack of supportive environments, and health/emotional issues. And all of these circumstances are impacting your happiness. With that in mind, today I share my Black Woman Happiness Formula. The formula is rooted in this principle: Take 100% responsibility for your life through controlling your reactions.  Within three months of adapting this mindset, I improved my moods and lost 30lbs. Most importantly, I felt like my old self: Strong, Beautiful and Unstoppable.  Since then, I have reached new levels of Black Woman Happiness as I continue to practice this formula. Here's my 4-part formula to help you achieve new levels of happiness in your life, career & business: 1) Focus on what you can control You may not be able to control the event, but there are aspects of your situation that you can influence. Learning new information or seeking help from your network are two resources (information & people) easily at your disposal. Here are some specific suggestions for common situations: If you have a health concern, read related books to understand your problem and the best remedies for your symptoms. If you are dealing with emotional dilemmas, find a therapist to help you through it. If a home situation overwhelms you, ask a good friend or family member to help out or hire support. Take Action: Make a list of three resources to help your situation. Within the next week, implement one of them. 2) Remember Your Strengths When we face setbacks, we often fall into victimhood. Something is always happening "to" us. Victims are powerless and helpless, right? Undeniably, something has happened to you, but you don't have to succumb to it. To move past victimhood, tap into existing skills and strengths. Many times we're unaware of our skillsets. One solution is to analyze past victories to discover personal strengths. So, choose a recent success and ask yourself: How did I fix that problem?  How can that skill help me now? Take Action: Make a list of your top 3 skills and strengths; describe how they can help you now. 3) Forgive Yourself Inevitably, as we think about overcoming our setbacks, they remind us of the causes. Like me, you may recall these poor choices and conclude you are a failure. Truth is negative thoughts reduce self-confidence and resilience (the ability to bounce back from setbacks).  Understand this, those choices are not who you are. Yes, you thought they were in your best interests, but they don't define you. If you focus on the past, you will deny your present. Also, ruminating on negativity leads to depression. The alternative is self-forgiveness. Unfortunately, many of us don't know how to do that. Self-forgiveness begins with extending kindness snd compassion to yourself. It's simple, but requires dedication. Take Action: Make a list of three ways you can love yourself this week (i.e. make a list of your 10 best assets; take a warm bubble bath; participate in your favorite activity.) 4) Follow Your Intuition With all the mental clutter in our daily lives, it's difficult to clearly hear our thoughts. To counter the noise, find a quiet place. Then, sit still and focus on your breathing. As you mind clears, ask specific questions to guide your meditation. For example, How can I love myself today?   Your spirit will guide you to the correct answer. Our spirit resembles a still small inner voice. It appears as a whisper or a clear thought. And you will feel a sense inner peace and joy along with it. Take Action: Write down what your intuition is telling you at this moment. *** Yes Seko, implementing these steps will help you to achieve new levels of Black Woman Happiness.  Take 100% responsibility so you can enhance your life now. What step will you take today? Peace & Love, Quanisha STAY CONNECTED Facebook Twitter Website Email Share Tweet Share +1 Forward Important note for Gmail users:  Gmail recently re-organized their inbox structure so you see Primary, Social and Promotions tabs. Our emails may fall into the Promotions tab so we just wanted you to know to look there often for timely gifts and invitation to our exclusive livestreams, webinars, etc. – we wouldn't want you to miss out on them!    If it's easier for you to stay up-to-date on what's going on in the Black Women Rise community by seeing our messages in the "Primary" tab, just click any of our emails (from Quanisha Smith) that appear in the Promotions section and drag it over to the Primary section. You will be asked if you want to "Do this for all future messages." Click "Yes. Copyright © 2016 Quanisha Smith, All rights reserved. Hi! You are receiving this email because your opted in at our website. Thanks for joining our community. Make sure you check out our latest post at http://www.quanishasmith.com/blog/ Sincerely, Quanisha Our mailing address is: Quanisha Smith 333 E. Lancaster Ave. #362 Wynnewood, PA 19096 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences