Health Benefits of True Friendship

The scientific data proves that the more close friends we have, the healthier we are. Close friendships make you less likely to get sick and more likely to recover if you get sick. They even increase your life expectancy. This talk, which is ideal for women’s conferences, churches, and other health and spirituality gatherings, focuses on the sacred contracts we unconsciously or explicitly make with our friends. It also covers tips for how to be a good friend and how to attract positive friendships into your life, not just because friends alleviate loneliness, but because friendship is preventative medicine.

What are the benefits of friendships?

Good friends are good for your health. Friends can help you celebrate good times and provide support during bad times. Friends prevent loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too. Friends can also:

-Increase your sense of belonging and purpose
-Boost your happiness
-Reduce stress
-Improve your self-worth
-Help you cope with traumas, such as divorce, serious illness, job loss or the death of a loved one
-Encourage you to change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise
How can I nurture my friendships?

Developing and maintaining healthy friendships involves give-and-take. Sometimes you’re the one giving support, and other times you’re on the receiving end. Letting friends know you care about them and appreciate them can help strengthen your bond. It’s as important for you to be a good friend as it is to surround yourself with good friends.

The Definition of A True Friend

The tendency to desire what is best for the other
Sympathy and empathy
Honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth, especially in terms of pointing out the perceived faults of one’s counterpart
Mutual understanding and compassion; ability to go to each other for emotional support
Enjoyment of each other’s company
Trust in one another
Positive reciprocity — a relationship is based on equal give and take between the two parties.
The ability to be oneself, express one’s feelings and make mistakes without fear of judgment.

To nurture your friendships:

Go easy. Don’t overwhelm friends with phone calls, texts, instant messages or emails. Respect your friends’ boundaries.
Don’t compete. Don’t let friendships turn into a battle over who makes the most money or who has the nicest home.
Adopt a healthy, realistic self-image. Work on building your self-esteem by taking care of yourself — eat a healthy diet and include physical activity in your daily routine. Vanity and constant self-criticism can be turnoffs to potential friends.
Avoid relentless complaining. Nonstop complaining can put a strain on your friendships. Talk to your friends about how you can change the parts of your life that make you unhappy.
Adopt a positive outlook. Try to find the humor in things. Laughter is infectious and appealing.
Listen up. Ask what’s going on in your friends’ lives. Avoid talking about your own problems all the time. Try to only give advice when your friends ask for it.
Don’t judge. Give your friends space to change, grow and make mistakes. Encourage your friends to freely express their emotions.
Respect privacy. Keep confidential any personal information that your friends share with you. Try not to ask questions that make your friends uncomfortable.
Remember, it’s never too late to build new friendships or reconnect with old friends. Investing time in making friends and strengthening your friendships can pay off in better health and a brighter outlook for years to come.

A Friendship Practice to live by:

In my line of work as a blogger, social media junkie, public speaker, and, I communicate with as many as lots of people every day. Some of these people are already friends. Some become friends. And some are people I’ve never met and probably never will. It really blurs the line for me regarding who my true friends really are, and I worry that sometimes I spend so much time interacting with (and genuinely loving) strangers that I fail to be as present as I want to be with my true friends.

When my friends need something, I’ll drop everything for them. But when they don’t write or call, I have to admit that sometimes I get so busy they slip my mind, and months – sometimes even years – can go by without any communication.

I wanted to change this.

So I’ve started a friendship practice to help me be more mindful of the friends I really love, my inner circle posse of awesome. I wrote all their names on a list and placed the list on my altar, where I meditate every day, so every day I will think of these people at least once. I’m hoping that focusing my attention on those I love will help me be a better friend. Maybe it’ll even help my friends feel more loved, connected, and healthy.

As a wise, unnamed person once said, “A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”

I want to know the songs in the hearts of those I love.

So, bring your BFF and join us for a women's retreat in Dahlonega, Georgia on November 14-17th 2013.

What to expect???

Eat, Pray, Love Women's Retreat Weekend in Dahlonega, GA

What is a retreat weekend like? Here is a sample retreat schedule.

Sample Retreat Schedule

Thursday
3-5pm Arrival
5pm Meet & Greet Tea & Orientation
6:30pm Dinner
7:30pm Introduction & Circle Time
Followed by Chakra Crystal Bowl Meditation

Friday
8:30am Breakfast
9:30am Meditation
10:30am – 11:30am Gentle Yoga
12:30 – 1:30pm Lunch
2pm – 3:30pm Soul Coaching® Setting a Vision Workshop
4:30-5:15pm Group Circle Time
6:30pm Group Dinner
8pm Fire Circle – Grief release ceremony , Drumming

Saturday
8:30am Breakfast
9:30am Meditation
10:00am-11:30am Gentle Yoga
12:30pm Lunch
1:30pm-3:00pm Soul Coaching® Workshop Part 2
4:30 – 5:30pm Group Circle Time
6:30pm Group Dinner
8:30pm Guided Meditation – Vision Circle

Sunday

8:30am Breakfast
9:30am Meditation

10:00-11:00am Packing/Check out etc
11:15-12:30 Circle Time & Closing Ritual

(there will be free time for exploring……relaxing……journaling………and spa)

*Soul Coaching®
“I compare soul coaching to a detox for the soul.”
Designed for phenomenal spiritual cleansing, renewal and transformation. It helps to clear away mental, emotional and physical clutter, so you can hear the secret messages from your soul. Soul Coaching helps you to discover who you are and your purpose so that you can design and live a life that supports the life you truly desire.

Felicia Grant is a certified Soul Coach® from Denise Linn’s Soul Coaching®.

Come to Dahlonega Georgia

Welcome to Dahlonega, Lumpkin County, Georgia – An Award-Winning, Appalachian Mountain Destination known as “The Heart of the North Georgia Mountains” & “The Heart of Georgia Wine County”

An “Authentic” getaway only an hour north of Atlanta, Dahlonega is the historic site of the first major U.S. Gold Rush and excels in hosting visitors seeking relaxation and “Adventure”.  “Arts” and entertainment fill downtown Dahlonega’s National Registered district where preserved architecture surrounds shopping, dining, music, and theater just a gold steeple away from the traditions of North Georgia College & State University.    

From the Dahlonega Wine Trail to the Appalachian Trail, wine enthusiasts and nature lovers all enjoy Dahlonega’s trail-friendly community and “AgriTourism” attractions.  Tasting a gold medal winning vintage or tying the knot at a vineyard, our award-winning wine region offers farm-based fun and has quickly become Georgia’s destination wedding venue.  Waterfalls, lazy river sports, a signature golf course, and National Forest welcome you to the north Georgia outdoors.  The only fast-paced activity is the premier cycling challenge of the beautiful mountain terrain.      

Wineries & Vineyards

With the highest concentration of wineries and vineyards in North Georgia,the Dahlonega mountains are recognized as "the Heart of the Georgia Wine Country". Grape growing conditions and favorable mountainous elevations make Lumpkin the perfect place to grown and ripen a wide variety of European, French hybrids and American winegrapes. Breathtaking beauty and unique sights await adventurous travelers to Dahlonega's 

Cavender Creek Vineyards & Winery

Planned around an “old family farm” theme, Cavender Creek Vineyards & Winery features a c.1820 hand-hewn log cabin, disassembled and moved down from Tennessee. Next door is the winery, with three sides below ground, styled after an old-fashioned barn like the one already on the property. The “loft” of the barn houses the tasting room atop the winery, with a spacious deck extending over the crush pad below.

Frogtown Cellars

Frogtown is a 57 acre wine estate located at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains equal distance between Dahlonega and Cleveland Georgia. Frogtown encompasses 28 acres of vineyards and a tri-level gravity flow winery specifically designed to produce the unique wines made from Frogtown grapes. In 1998, native Atlantans Craig and Cydney Kritzer founded Frogtown in a location carefully selected for quality wine grape production and outstanding mountain views, the Frogtown District of Lumpkin County, Georgia. After researching Frogtowns soil, diverse climates and terrain, Craig divided the land up into separate vineyards. He planted different wine grape varieties based on the characteristics of each vineyard site. Frogtown is now home to 28 acres of vineyards planted to 15 different wine grapes varieties, both red and white. Frogtown produces wines under the 'Frogtown' label and the 'Thirteenth Colony' label. The Kritzer family invites you to come and relax on our deck with a glass of our wine and enjoy the views overlooking our vineyards, lake and the North Georgia Mountains. Join us on June 14-17th for the Eat, Pray, Love Retreat at the Dahlonega Resort Spa Dahlonega Spa Resort is located on 72 acres near the historic gold-rush town of Dahlonega, Georgia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, just over an hour and a half north of Atlanta. The fresh air will instantly cure your big-city stress, and our expansive views, nature trails, spa treatments and outdoor jacuzzi will soothe your body & soul. For more details on the retreat Click Here

You are more beautiful than you think!

While watching this new ad for The Dove® Campaign for Real Beauty I was reminded of how critical we are when we look at ourselves in the mirror. Being teased as a child for being “chubby” and then become an overweight adult has stuck in my psyche and it’s very difficult for me to see a thin person when I look at myself! I still after all this time still sometimes see that 247 pound very unhappy person staring back at me!

I applaud Dove for their Bold Movement in helping us with our younger generation to teach them skills that we never learned as a child growing up!

Here is a glimpse of their most recent movements:

A Bold New Vision: The Dove® Movement for Self-Esteem
In 2010, Dove® set out a bold new vision for the brand with the Dove® Movement for Self-Esteem. The Dove® Movement for Self-Esteem provides women everywhere with opportunities to mentor the next generation and celebrate real beauty. There are many ways to become involved. Dove® invites women everywhere to join the brand in making its vision a reality. Together with experts and key partners (in the U.S., Dove® supports the work of the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., Girls Inc., and Boys & Girls Clubs of America) Dove® has created self-esteem- building, educational programs and activities that encourage, inspire and motivate girls around the world. Dove® has reached over 7 million girls so far with these programs, and set a global goal of reaching 15 million girls by 2015.
In 2011, Dove® released the findings of its largest global study to date on women’s relationship with beauty—The Real Truth About Beauty: Revisited. The study revealed that only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful, and that anxiety about looks begins at an early age. In a study of over 1,200 10-to-17-year-olds, a majority of girls, 72%, said they felt tremendous pressure to be beautiful. The study also found that only 11% of girls around the world feel comfortable using the word beautiful to describe their looks, showing that there is a universal increase in beauty pressure and a decrease in girls’ confidence as they grow older. Though Dove® efforts have moved the needle in a positive direction, there is more to be done.

My friend and mentor Louise Hay teaches what she calls “Mirror Work”

In her book “You Can Heal Your Life,” clearly describes this simple process. She helps you gain back your personal power by looking in the mirror and saying “I Love You (put in your name).” This simple affirmation can have profound affect on your well-being.

We spend countless hours in front of the mirror reviewing our looks, focusing on our flaws and trying to create a perfect look…whatever that is. All of us are unique in our own right and mirror work gives us back that knowledge.

It doesn’t cost anything and we gain so much from this daily affirmation. Imagine saying, “I love you” to yourself 10 times a day. What do you think will happen?
You would start to love yourself.

Whenever I stand in front of any mirror and say “I love you ____,” a smile forms on my lips and my eyes start to twinkle. Physically I start to experience changes within my body and it feels good.
Why wouldn’t I want to feel happy?

The more you practice this the more you start to believe it!

What you see in yourself is what you put out to the world…….

PLEASE WATCH AND SHARE THIS VIDEO



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOq71eKI5Mg

Spring Cleaning!

When spring arrives we get the feeling of releasing the old and allowing the new to flow into our lives. I recently was listening to Louise Hay on the topic of clearing clutter in our lives and allowing prosperity to flow abundantly into your life. This month is dedicated to clearing out the cobwebs and allowing the light of abundance to flow into your life!

 STEP ONE - Clear the Clutter in your life!

How long has it been since you cleaned out your closet? Most of us stuff our closets with clothing and paraphernalia that existed in our lives at one point or another-and many of these items have been entirely forgotten. In our society, clothing is fashion; therefore,

it has a temporary reign in our lives. We add one thing after another, and then complain that there's no more room in our closets. We add, but we forget to subtract 

as we add.

Our closets can be considered symbols of our minds. A cluttered closet could mean a cluttered mind. This same theory can apply to our dresser drawers (or even our desk drawers)-most especially the top drawer, and often the bottom drawer as well.

I recently moved, and this was a wonderful time to clean out those closets. A good exercise is to clean out a closet and while doing so, say to yourself: I am cleaning out the closets of my mind. Take everything out of the closet. Examine each item and ask, "Is this item still useful?" 

Or, "Have I used this item in the last six months or year?" "Do I have to keep this worn item because I'm afraid I won't be able to replace it?"

In order to make room for the new (whether it's new clothes or new thoughts and ideas), we must release the old and the outworn. This is true for physical items as well as mental ideas.

I go through my closets every six months or so, and anything I know I won't use again either gets sold or is sent to the thrift shops, or I give them away. It's no longer useful to me and is taking up precious room. The sweater I was in love with three years ago is now a color I don't care for. Do I want to keep it around on the chance that I may need it one day? Not at all! I'm well aware that I'll always be able to buy a new sweater when I need to.

I grew up during the depression of the 1930s in extreme poverty. So it took me many years to realize and accept that I was the only person responsible in my world for my lack of prosperity.

Watch how you're feeling while you're cleaning out those closets this week. Are you doing it with joy and anticipation of the space you're allowing in your life, or are you stuck in the mental system of "not having" and scoffing in disbelief that the abundance of the Universe is available to everyone, including you?

Affirm: The Ocean of Life is lavish with abundance.Whenever I need anything, I know that it will be provided.

This blog was provided by: Louise Hay - Author and Life Coach

For More information on Soul Coaching and my upcoming retreats:

        WWW.FELICIAGRANT.COM/RETREATS

        or email me at felicia@feliciagrant.com

NEW WEBSITE!

CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE!

MORE DETAILS ABOUT UPCOMING RETREATS AND WORKSHOPS



http://www.feliciagrant.com

10 Reasons to RETREAT!

What exactly is a retreat? The definition from Webster is an act or process of withdrawing; a place of privacy or safety; a period for prayer, meditation, study, or instruction under a director
I would add, a period of time you completely unplug and disconnect from your normal routine, responsibilities, and distractions, to focus completely on yourself and your needs.
Retreats have been valued for a long time, shown by this quote, “Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer; since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power or judgment…” written by Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th Century! Even way back then, the brilliant artist recognized the value of retreats!
Retreats offer a rich and valuable experience to help you lead your most authentic and intentional life.
Here are my top 10 reasons why:
1. We change our environment, we change our mind. When you are away from your email, piles on your desk, children, messy closets, and yardwork, it frees your mind to think about your life in a totally different way. It creates space in your mind to explore, contemplate, and ponder things on a larger scale.
2. We have to be quiet in order to listen. We are so busy with so much stimulation around us today, it is rare to have any quiet time. Our still, inside voice of wisdom, (the one we often don’t pay much attention to) comes through loud and clear when we take the time to be quiet.
3. We all need to be part of something bigger. Being with a group of like-minded people is powerful. Strong bonds are made, even in a weekend when you spend time eating, talking, and practicing together inside the community of a retreat.
4. We experience something new. Much of the power of going on retreat comes from a willingness to open to the adventure of the complete experience. I can’t tell you how many of my participants have done something for the first time on their retreat—from surfing to horseback riding.
5. We flow with nature. Most retreats are centered around nature. Whether it is the ocean, a river, or the mountains, when we experience the passionate flow of nature, we are reminded how we can choose to flow in our own lives.
6. We experience breakthroughs when we take the time to stop. A new perspective is powerful. You take a step outside your “normal” life and things become more clear, transparent, and obvious, all setting you up for a breakthrough in your relationships, your work, or your handstand.
7. We give ourselves the permission and space not to be “doing” something all the time. There is not a busyness, but a real business in retreating. You learn how much you really are doing for yourself, by doing nothing.
8. We find our way back to ourselves. We renew, rejuvenate, and recharge with the mental, emotional, and physical rest a retreat provides and remember our true nature.
9. We experience freedom. You get to choose when to eat, sleep, take a walk by yourself, or join the group hike. When you focus on what you need moment to moment, you experience a sense of peace and contentment with your freedom of choice.
10. Your Retreat is a gift you give yourself, but it is also a gift to others. After you experience the power of a retreat, you return home more present, attentive, and intentional with yourself and everyone else in your life.

Now that you know the power a retreat has to offer, what are you waiting for? You could always take yourself on a retreat, but the problem is you have to figure out all of the logistics, and the perfect time, and if you really have the money, and, and, and,…you may not quite get around to doing it.
I encourage you to look online, talk to people, and book your retreat NOW. To get you started, here is the information for my upcoming.

EAT, PRAY, LOVE RETREAT
June 14-17th 2013 Dahlonega Resort Spa
Dahlonega, GA
www.feliciagrant.com/retreats

December 21, 2012 "Bring it on"

We have arrived at December, 2012, the month prophesied as a turning point in human history. Much ado has been devoted to the December 21^st solstice date. The Mayan calendar is said to end here; some soothsayers predict the end of the world; others predict the beginning. Groups are gathering at the Great Pyramid in Egypt, Machu Picchu, and sacred sites around the planet. All year people have been asking me, “What do you think will happen on December 21^st?” I recently picked up a hitchhiker who asked me this very question. Millions of people are wondering, some are fearing, and others are hoping.

 

I believe there is a core of truth to the import of this date, sprinkled with a generous helping of bunk. Perhaps the date is less about cosmic significance, and more of a seminar in which we face the hopes and fears we have projected onto it. To those who have asked me about it, I suggest that we take our power back from externally-issued predictions and astrological configurations, and tap into a place of choice within us. What would you like to happen? How can you participate in making it happen? Are you waiting for God or the planets to change your life, or a savior to descend from a cloud and rescue you from hardship? Or are you willing and ready to build the life you would choose by elevating your consciousness and actions to match the circumstances you desire?

 

If anything cosmic occurs - and I certainly hope it will - it will not be because someone out there is doing it to us or for us. It will be because humanity (or at least a portion of it) has evolved to the point where we are ready for it. The planets, E.T.s, and the Mayan calendar do not create our experience. They reflect it. Over millions of years of reaching for more, the human race has arrived at a point where we are ready for better. A positive turn of events accompanying the solstice represents the culmination of that growth and awakening. I personally don’t believe anything dramatic will happen on that date, unless people create something dramatic. I believe that we will enter a new season of humanity. Just as the spring equinox signifies the gentle entry of spring, and the temperature does not automatically rise to seventy degrees just because the calendar says so, I expect a gradual turning toward more good. The more you expect drama, the more you will get it. The more you move gently and firmly ahead, the more solid will be your growth and experience.

 

There will always be people who use the date to reinforce stinky, stale beliefs in damnation and the wrath of God. Let them rant. They are having great fun scaring themselves and each other. But if terror is not your idea of entertainment, you don’t need to go there. Let the damned be damned and let the blessed be blessed. Everyone is creating their own experience. One day the damned will be damn tired of being damned, and they will choose to be blessed, as they are, as we all are.

 

Perhaps the people who will suffer most are those who have had a field day capitalizing on the 2012 phenomenon. Many filmmakers, authors, seminar leaders, and preachers have jumped on the bandwagon to profit from the hype. Certainly many of these people are sincere and their points are well taken and helpful. Yet another portion of people are simply opportunists. They will experience the end of their world, or at least its latest chapter. But I do have a prediction: If nothing world shaking happens on December 21^st, the exploiters will retool and either say that the date was miscalculated and focus their sensationalism toward a later date, or they will find another cosmic cause to hype. And the beat goes on. Ho hum.

 

Eckhart Tolle declared, “Suffering needs time.” This pithy statement implies that any event in time is subject to suffering, because time is an illusion and we are bigger than it. He goes on to say, “it [suffering] cannot survive in the now.” Tolle has mined gold here. Why make a big deal about events in time? Why not dive into the eternal now moment and let time take care of itself? As Ram Dass said in his classic book Be Here Now, “If you can be here now, when ‘then’ become ‘now,” you will have superconsciousness and superawareness and know exactly what to do.”

 

So I suggest you worry not, wonder not, and hope not for any event associated with the December 21^st solstice. A more powerful approach is to live fully in the present moment. If you waste the now by thinking or worrying about the future, when the future comes you won’t be there to receive it. It’s all a lot simpler than we have been told.

 

I wish you and the planet an awesome December 21^st. I am looking forward to it. I think it’s a fabulous opportunity for us to live what we believe. But then again, we can do that right now. As A Course in Miracles asks us, “Why wait for heaven?”

 

This article was written and published by life coach Alan Cohen in his December 2012 monthly newsletter