Get Your Ex Back Now – (If You’re Sure You Want To)

If you’re struggling with a broken relationship, this new series will help you learn how to get back with your boyfriend or husband – before it's too late. Many couples are facing extra stress in their relationships because of the economic downturn. Job loss, home foreclosures, and debt can lead to extreme stress that’s difficult for a relationship to handle. Often a breakup is the result. But first, ask yourself if you really want him back. Sometimes the relationship really wasn't good for you, so think about this. If you've decided you really do want to get back together then this article might help. First of all, if he's already left don't panic. Unfortunately, when a boyfriend or spouse leaves, most women do all the wrong things. Some of the mistakes women make are:

1. Beg them to stay with us
2. Cry and get hysterical
3. Create a “medical emergency” to get their attention
4. Try to convince them we are the "love of their life"
5. Apologize for everything
6. Explain how it's not our fault
7. Promise to change and tell him this time it will be different

When this doesn't work, women make even more mistakes. This is the point that many women will do the following:

1. Get defensive
2. Have big arguments and blowups
3. Panic
4. Let things get out of control with really ugly scenes

It's not your fault that you don't know this -  but these behaviors don't work at all!  In fact, all that’s accomplished is creating more distance in the relationship. The good news is that there are things you can do now that will work! There really are specific reasons that many couples get back together in spite of serious problems. This series will look at what to do and when to do it if you are facing a breakup. We will talk about what to do to get back together and also how to stay together forever. I know you are in a lot of pain right now and this next suggestion will take all of your willpower but it must be done. For the next few weeks you need to just take a break and not contact your boyfriend or husband except for “family business” type things. And even then keep it very brief and say nothing else about the two of you and your relationship. Then work on yourself and your life now. Your life without him. This will have the effect of making him feel less trapped and he will even have a chance to think about why he fell in love with you in the first place. 

Living In The Now Is The Secret To Happiness

Always fretting about the past or focusing on the future leads to anxiety and a sense of unhappiness. But the worst thing about this habit is that you never live your life fully – right now. You actually miss real life as it’s happening in all it’s daily moments.

According to an article in Psychology Today, if you accept that this is your life -  now – in all it’s positive and negative aspects, and just allow yourself to experience it, your life will open up in interesting ways you hadn’t expected.

Learn to let go of the exhausting search for something better and savor what is – right now. You should still have goals; just hold them lightly so that they don’t take over your present life. If you are working on a project that is a step to future goals then make sure you enjoy the process and are totally aware of the moment.

For tips and ideas about how to enjoy the journey of your life, visit Psychology Today.

10 Ways To Enjoy The Simple Life Now

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to slow down and enjoy life’s simple pleasures? If you are like most people you get caught  up in trying to balance the many items on your to-do list and forget your own need for relaxation. In my opinion, most of the good things that make life wonderful are free or very low cost. I’m going to start with a list of 10 ideas and I will try to make this a series with another batch as I think of them. (Speaking of “batches”, homemade cookies come to mind…)

1. Observe the stars in the night sky.
2. Go to a thrift store and buy a novel.
3. Sit on your porch and read the novel.
4. Make yourself a hot cup of tea.
5. Brew some coffee and savor the smell.
6. Make sun tea.
7. Go on a walk – take your dog if you have one.
8. Go to a park and just enjoy nature.
9. Watch the sun set.
10. Take a nap.

Bonus: Rent a dollar movie and make some popcorn! Try to do the items on this list at least once every week. Can you think of other great ideas?

How To Stop Emotional Eating

For many women emotional eating is the main reason they struggle with weight loss. Emotional eating is when you reach for food in response to an emotion or feeling rather than true hunger. This makes sense because eating is very nurturing. Also, if you’re upset, eating is a way to make yourself feel better, especially if it's a treat you really like. The problem is that because you’re feeling emotional to begin with, you probably won't stop at a 150 calorie snack. You won't feel so good later – especially if you are trying to lose weight. In order to stop this problem from adding unwanted pounds to your body you need to take action and figure out what emotions trigger your unplanned eating. There are 3 ways to do this:

1. Keep a food diary of what you eat and how you felt before you decided to eat. You will start to see patterns and notice when it's happening again.
2. Before you eat, stop and ask yourself if you are hungry or feeling some other emotion like boredom or loneliness.
3. What are some alternatives to eating when you experience these problem emotions? Keep brainstorming ways to live the life you want to live. What do you really like that's not food related?

Learning to deal with emotional eating is all about getting in touch with what you are thinking, feeling and doing. Being aware of your behavior instead of living on autopilot is the first step to taking control of your emotional eating. Consistently monitoring yourself by keeping a food journal will help you  change your habits and behaviors so that you only eat when you are hungry instead of in response to feelings and thoughts. This is the key to meeting weight loss goals easily.

A 7 Step System To Liberate Your Finances – Part 1

Step 1:

Is your bank safe? Did you know that the FDIC’s list of the most unsafe banks in America is top secret? Yet it’s vital to know if the company  holding your savings is  worthy of your trust.

Thankfully, there are resources and tools that can help you determine if it’s time to shop for a new bank – or if you can rest easy with the one you already have.

Here are the online tools that will get you the information you need:

http://www.weissratings.com/weakest-banks-and-thrifts-in-us.php

http://www.thestreet.com/screener/index.html?src=ratingsindex&tab=3

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/safesound/ss_home.asp

Having a financial institution  that you can trust is core to our system. Before doing anything else, be sure you have an account at a safe bank or credit union.