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ENCHANTMENT IN AN E-MAIL - AUGUST 2000 

"Achieving Positive States of Mind and Body Again and Again" 

Produced by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein , Psychologist & Originator of THE ENCHANTED SELF® 

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Welcome to the monthly publication of The Enchanted Self's e-newsletter!  The following is what you will find in this month's issue. 

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Quote of the Month 

"Some people tell stories to get people to go to sleep. 

I tell stories to get people to wake up!"

            --Attributed to Rebbe Nachman of Brelow

Blessing

May all your story telling lead to vigor, wisdom, replenishment, and a confirmation on the enchantment of daily living.

Recipe for Enchantment

Set aside five minutes a day for remembering as many positive traits, characteristics, or actual pleasant memories that you can about a favorite person in your life.

Article: Designing A Life - We Each Get The Chance

by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

The Enchanted Self is all about living and then telling and retelling the stories of our lives to get the most positive juice from them.  This often means taking pain and misfortune and turning it into meaning and even eventually a metamorphosis of pleasure.  One example of designing a fulfilling life comes to mind.

This is the story of a part of our French cousin's life. A retired doctor living outside of Paris , Jean Manuel, has often told us the story of his years living hidden in a farmhouse in a French Province . When he was five, his parents were warned that they had to leave Paris . He vividly remembers how terribly upset his parents were. Somehow they found a farmer and his wife who agreed to take in as many of the family members as could get there. His family and some cousins lived several years on this farm.  Others chose not to leave Paris and were never heard of again.

Jean Manuel told us about how his family went back after the war to look for their missing relatives, only to find possessions and an uneaten birthday cake celebrating the nephew's first birthday still on the table, at one of their cousin's homes.  The family, however, was gone forever. He remembers his parent's despair, yet also how life resumed for all of them.

He also shared with us how his father was once picked up by the French Police and loaded onto a train. Fortunately the train was moving slowly enough that his father could jump and escape, living for a while in the woods until he could return to his little family.

One might at first wonder--how could a person come to terms with so much loss and seeing his family go through so much pain? I don't know Jean Manuel terribly well but I have clearly seen a friendly, joyful person every time we've been together. I have a hunch of several ways he has processed this story of his life and the life of his family. 

I believe that one of the major ways that he has processed his own life and turned it into a meaningful, joyful experience is by giving back.  The farmer and his wife who took them in didn't have any children of their own.  Jean Manuel and everyone else that was hidden by them, never forgot them.  They visited this couple every summer.  To this very day, although the husband is gone, and the wife lives in a nursing home, Jean Manuel or his wife, or sometimes his daughter will take responsibility to visit and be with this woman.  They never forgot and they've always been good to the people that were good to them.  

Perhaps the other major way that I know that this man had made his life story into a meaningful life adventure is the way I feel when I am with him. He is a pleasant, reassuring person who makes me feel comfortable, safe, and as if there is a good time lurking around every corner.

I think he is a lovely example of someone living an enchanted life... a life that has had to be reinterpreted, I'm sure, more than once... a life that is not a life of fame but of private meaning and consistency.

Exercise: Positive Personal Recognition

The following activity is great to help you better recognize how special you really are.

Keep a piece of paper or a small notebook handy with which to make a self-pride list.  For one week, write down at least one item a day that you have done well.

For example, on your list you might put, "I was polite and kind to several people in the check out line in the supermarket, even though I was very tired." Or you might write, "I used my head, rather than my fists," or "today I was able to really share with my son my concerns over his getting another traffic ticket, rather than showing intense anger." Or you might write something as simple as, "I took care of my body today.  I ate reasonable foods and went for a 20 minute walk."

At the end of the week, find a spare moment to read over your list a few times.  After you have done that, give yourself a mental hug or visualize shaking hands with yourself or giving yourself a "high five" sign, or even placing a gold star on your forehead.  This is a good way to begin giving yourself some recognition and possibly long overdue acknowledgment of all your many successes.

Announcement: New Book on the Horizon: RECIPES FOR ENCHANTMENT - THE SECRET INGREDIENT IS YOU!

My new book will soon be published through First Books Library at www.1stbookslibrary.com.  Within another month it will be available at all bookstores. I will continue to keep you posted on how you will be able to purchase it through this newsletter in the future.  Information will also be posted on my web site as it becomes available.

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Have an "enchanting" month.  I wish you all many enchanted moments!

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FORWARDING & REPRINTING

© 2000 Copyright The Enchanted Self - All rights reserved.

Please feel free to pass this issue on to someone who might enjoy it.  The Enchanted Self Newsletter is copyrighted but may be quoted, reprinted, or distributed in whole or part without prior permission, provided the content is not changed and attribution is given including:

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

THE ENCHANTED SELF®

We also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as self-healing and professional psychology newsletters. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission and send us a sample issue.

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SUBSCRIPTIONS

To subscribe to The Enchanted Self newsletter, send an e-mail message to imailsrv@enchantedself.com with the following in the body of the message: subscribe Enchanted_Self <Your Full Name>  (Do not include the < and > characters.)

If you should ever need to un-subscribe to The Enchanted Self mailing list, send an e-mail message to imailsrv@enchantedself.com with the following in the body of the message: unsubscribe Enchanted_Self

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