I’ve been busy lately runnin’ round introducing myself to local businesses looking for ops to spread my Juicy body lovin’ wisdom with a wider audience. I’m eager to inspire other women to have more self-respect and love for themselves through my book signings and discussions.
As I prepare to speak at the Women’s Empowerment Expo 2012 In Woodcliff Lake, NJ on September 9, I am struck by how many women live lives of quiet desperation, not just around food, but in the degree to which they are settling.
Hearing stories of domestic abuse and misery endured by so many beautiful, bright, phenomenally accomplished and financially successful women, has opened my eyes to the scope of need for women’s empowerment.
Having been in business for nearly 27 years, I recognize the importance of keeping things practical. If something can’t be reduced down to it’s basic essentials and understood and applied easily, it’s worthless.
So to that end, I’m going to begin a series of posts to break down for you the basics of my RECLAIM system. To summarize, the word RECLAIM is an acronym and it’s also the foundation of what I teach women: how to reclaim their power over food and their lives.
Here’s the Cliff Notes version of the system:
R – Take full and complete responsibility for your life. No more wasting time blaming.
E – Embrace your emotions. – Accept however you feel as justified and honor that emotion.
C – Cope with your stress. Deal with the overwhelm that comes from accepting your emotions.
L – Love Your Body – Relieving yourself from stress will free you to see yourself from a fresh perspective
A – Act to Attract – Take daily action to support and reinforce a new self image filled with possibility
I – Set a powerful intention – Use mindfulness and visualization to imagine new opportunities for your life
M – Mastermind – Surround yourself with other women also on the road to lovin’ the skin they’re in
Here’s a more detailed description of how to apply the first principle: Take Responsibility: Take charge of your life:
Accept that your life turned out the way it did for a reason. You may not like the horrible things that have been done to you, or the circumstances you’ve faced, or even the body you were given, but all these elements from your life have come together in perfect harmony and made you who you are. To live in the past, you guarantee the death of your future. Be willing to move on and let go of old resentments and disappointments. First forgive yourself for not being perfect, then forgive others. Do this daily.
Stop living in the past. You’re no longer that same person you were at the time when you were weaker, more vulnerable, perhaps younger and more naive. Now you’re an adult woman with the ability to choose what you want. You may not have had a voice or a choice, but you do now. Only you have the power to change the way you tell your story. As long as you continue to feel sorry for yourself and blame others for your unhappiness or misery, you give them unconditional permission to hold your happiness hostage. Can you really afford that luxury? Are you willing to become one of the rising statistics of women for breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes and stroke? Stress kills. Living with resentments will suck the life out of you. Don’t waste a minute letting your past or your limitations keep you down.
Be honest with yourself right now and realize that despite not being able to control many circumstances in your life, now and in your past, you have more power than you’ve been believing you do. Look at your fears and limiting beliefs as new opportunities to challenge yourself to become a better, stronger, more capable woman. You always have a choice, no matter how bleak or miserable things may seem. It’s often your story of saying, “I can’t… that makes it seem so impossible. True. Many times you can’t control your circumstances but you can control the way that you respond to them. And you can break the pattern of acting like a victim. Empower yourself by re-teaching people how you want to be treated. There are no victims, only volunteers and it’s human nature to move in and out and straddle the line between the two. If you notice that you’re stuck, ask for help.
Be willing to open your eyes and see what’s in front of you at this moment. Start exactly where you are. If you don’t like what you see, gather the courage to do something about it. Find role models of other women who have overcome similar situations and let their lives and stories inspire you. Times ‘a wastin’. So stop blaming others and realize that the power to change your life lies in your ability to make choices. Never be afraid to start again. Be flexible. That’s where your greatest strength lies. Now moving onto the next aspect of the system, ask yourself how do I feel about all that? That’s what we’ll cover next. Stay tuned.
If you want more information on my products and programs, then please visit my website at http://andreaamadorcoaching.com Also to get up-to-date tips and scheduling to catch me live doing seminars or book signings, like me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.