Happy Spring!

Dear Friends,

Spring is almost here! Spring is one of my favorite seasons. It always comes after the darkest and coldest season....Winter. Winter time can be very depressing when you are going through difficult times and life transitions.

I have spent all day out in nature today to witness all the signs of Spring and rebirth. Digging in the fresh earth smelled and felt so good on my hands. As I cleared my yard....I also intentionally cleared my mind. I mindfully pulled the weeds and cleared up the Winter debris. As I pulled the weeds, I asked myself....What "weeds" do I need to pull from my life? What is no longer serving me? What new "flowers" do I need to grow and nurture in my life this year? As I was clearing away the old to make room for the new, I zoned out into a mindful moving meditation...if you will. It was very refreshing to inventory my life. Every so often I take inventory of my life. So, I can I add more enjoyment....and let go of things that are draining. I suggest that you also do some Spring cleaning in your "garden". Ask yourself the same questions...and trust your answers. Remember...the tiny acorn is the seed for the majestic oak tree. The great oak grows from a tiny seed. What seeds do you need to plant this year?

This Spring I encourage you to let go of the old that is no longer serving you...and plant the new into your garden of life. If you want a good start on Spring, I suggest you to sign up for March's Saturday Seminar. Our topic will be Grief. You will be given tools to help release Grief. So, you can make room for the more enjoyable things in life. You will also be given a downloadable booklet on Grief to print and keep. I have a few spaces left if you are interested. Email me quick to reserve your spot.

Love and many blessings to you,
Misti

March Saturday Seminar: Grief

Grief is the topic for the Saturday Seminar Telecourse in March. This Saturday Seminar is scheduled for March 13 @ 1:00PM Eastern Standard Time Zone. I will discuss a model of Grief and how it fits into the Recovery process of discovering that your spouse/partner is gay. Understanding Grief can often help in the healing journey. During this Saturday Seminar I will also share tips on how to ease the Grief pain and how to move forward in the process. The Saturday Seminar Telecourse will be a mixture lecture, discussion (question and answer session), activities to help during the Grieving process and a downloadable Grief packet. Come join in on this live group Telecourse from the comforts and privacy of your home to learn more about Grief and the healing process.
What: March Saturday Seminar Telecourse
When: March 13, 2010 at 1:00 PM-2:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
Cost: $30.00
Note: You must have access to a phone to call into the Telecourse. You will also need access to a computer for email and be able to print the Grief packet. Arrangements can be made to mail the Grief packet if you do not have a printer.

Support Team

Discovering your mate is gay can be devastating. When we, Straight Wives, get this news our world crumbles.....and we find ourselves in a "fog". A "fog" is when you are not thinking as clearly and rational as you would normally. The "fog" sometimes dulls our ability to make "sound" decisions and it is a natural response to a Grief reaction. Often times when we find ourselves in a "fog" of emotions...it is beneficial to surround ourselves with people that LOVE us and have our best interests at heart. In an effort to survive the "fog" and to be able to make better decisions it is very important to create a Support Team. A good Support Team can help you get on your healing path. As well as, help you remain focused when the path is full of obstacles.

What is a Support Team? A Support Team is a group of friends and family members that have your best interest at heart. It is someone you know that is mindful of your welfare and well-being. It is someone that treats you with respect and honors who you are. It is someone that offers support to you emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc. without being controlling and telling you what to do. It is someone that has the ability to be a great listener. It is someone that lives with integrity. It is someone you counted on in the past. So, who in your life can you identify that are strong in above areas? Once you identify the people, make a list. Try to come up with at least 5 people that will be on your Support Team. Once you identify those 5 people, take the time to talk with each of them. See what their thoughts are...and if they are okay with being a part of your team. You may be very surprised how willing someone is to help you when you ASK! Do not assume they know you need the help and support! Ask them.

Many people also have at least one professional on their Support Team. It could be someone you have a professional relationship with. For example, a professional Support Team member could be a Life Coach, Therapist, Minister, Chaplain, Priest, Rabbi, etc. There are some benefits to having a professional as one of your Support Team members. The greatest benefit being, the professional member should be trained in helping you untangle situations. Therefore you can approach situations with greater clarity to make better decisions. Another benefit being, the professional Support Team member should be unbiased in the situation. Therefore, he/she can offer different solutions from many different perspectives. Thus, the professional Support Team member may be able to uncover more solutions/options than you have thought of.

Collectively, this special group of people in your Support Team can be your "sounding" board when you are making a decision. As well as, be there when you need someone to listen or vent to. Everyone needs a Support Team when heading through major life transitions. A good quality Support Team can make a huge difference in your ability to heal. Take the time to make a list of your support team today.