September 2008
     Sent 9/18/2008

Sharing Creative Energy Newsletter
By Darla Arni

Sharing Creative Energy Newsletter is a free monthly, or whenever Darla can get it out, publication for clients, friends and subscribers who want to be more creative, energetic and productive in their life and work. © 2008 Darla Arni

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In This Issue:
     Life Among the Walnuts
     Welcome
     Quote of the Month
     Mensa Moment

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LIFE AMONG THE WALNUTS

My backyard has two huge black walnut trees. Most of the year they are a blessing that provide shade and protection for the yard, patio, and deck, but this time of year, they are dangerous! Why? Because with the slightest breeze or disturbance by aggressive squirrels results in being pelted with ‘walnut bombs’. (If you are laughing right now, trust me, it’s not funny.) With some of our recent rainstorms it seemed to be hailing walnuts rather than raining.

Walking from the house to my studio has become an obstacle course. Even if you escape a direct hit, you still have to watch out for the land mines of walnuts and shards of walnut hulls that trip you up or inflict pain on sandal clad feet. Oh sure, I could walk the long way around via the front of the house and several sidewalks, but that seems to be the chicken way out. Eventually, you also have to pick them up to mow and prevent new walnut trees from sprouting up. This month the walnut trees with their impromptu bombs have reminded me of life. We really never know when we’re going to get hit by walnuts, or tragedy, or natural disasters, or Wall Street down swings. When your life takes a hit, you have choices to make. You can choose to ignore it, you can choose to whine about it and live in fear of the next big thing that happens, or you can handle it to the best of your ability with creativity, responsibility, and the knowledge that you will not give up. I would love to say I immediately make the right choice every time, but I don’t. Sometimes I am up to the challenge, handle it and move on. Sometimes I whine a little if I can get someone to listen and then do the right thing. And other times I move through all three stages at my own pace. The truth is we respond according to our mental, emotional and physical state at the time. When things are going great, I’ve gotten enough sleep, and my mood is up, I handle challenges in stride and get on with life. If I am tired, my plate is already full, or short on time I am more apt to respond with hesitation and work through one or both of the ignore and whine stages before taking action. And that’s OK!

We are currently living in a time of challenges and change that will not be resolved immediately. An election year alone can be daunting but add to that recent events that effect our economy, hurricanes, flooding and world conflict and you realize we are at a ‘full plate’ stage of life. Help yourself and those around you by implementing these five important coping skills.

Be kind to yourself.

This is no time for perfectionism. You will be more effective, have less stress, and more energy when you adjust your expectations of yourself and others. We all want to do our best, but that can vary with our emotional, mental and physical state.

Be mindful of your negative self-talk.

The inner dialogue and daily messages you send yourself can be your worst enemy. Taking control of your mind gives you control of your life. This is a process; I know how to do this, I teach others how to do this and I still have to work on it because I’m just human!

Tune-out and turn off the media.

Too much of the news focuses on problems of the world and they repeat it over and over. You can’t solve all of the world’s problems and adding those to your personal concerns can be overwhelmingly stressful.

Take small steps.

Focus on what you can do right now to better your situation instead of the enormity of the problem. List five things you can do today that will bring about a positive change and start doing them. Accomplishments are contagious and small steps lead to long journeys.

Stop being a Drama Queen or King.

It looks good on t-shirts and pillows. It doesn’t play well in real life. Every incident in your life is not an emergency unless you choose to make it so.

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WELCOME

To new subscribers from the internet and Minnesota Credit Union Network group. I hope you enjoy and are inspired by my unique newsletter. Please contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions for future topics.

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DARLA'S STORE IS OPEN!

Yes, our online store is a reality; my artwork, booklets, e-booklets, and books are now available online through my shopping cart!

I invite you to explore the store and pass the word along. http://www.darlaarni.com/products.htm Thanks so much!

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DARLA SPEAKS OUT

The blog: http://www.darlaarni.com.blogspot.com/

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QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”

-Christopher Reeve

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MENSA MOMENT

A ship is anchored offshore. In order for the crew to reach the rafts, they must descend a 22-step ladder. Each step is 10 inches high. The tide rises at a ratio of 5 inches per hour. How many steps will the tide have covered after 10 hours?

E-mail your answer to Darla. The first 15 correct answers will be entered in our prize drawing. Good luck!

Last Month’s Answer:

The answer was: Red in the face!

Congratulations to Barbara Doty for being drawn as our winner! Barbara, send me your contact information so I can get your prize in the mail!

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Darla Arni is a Professional Speaker, Artist and Author of:
30 Ways to Share Creative Energy at Home and the Sharing Creative Energy Newsletter.
Co-Author: Life Compass for Women
Co-Author: 66 Secrets to Less Stress

Sharing Creative Energy
e-mail Darla
660.529.2969 voice
660.815.7262 cell

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