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Produced by Dr. Barbara Becker
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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.
Recipe for Enchantment
Article: Is THE ENCHANTED SELF Transformational?
Exercise: Play Date With Enchantment
How to Order RECIPES FOR ENCHANTMENT, The Secret Ingredient is YOU!
Free Tele-Class Announcement
E-group: Connect with others like you!
Share Your Enchantment!
Quote of the Month
Blessing of the Month
Just for today --
Go into your 'mental' kitchen and throw out some of the stale, old and unappealing ingredients left for ages in the filing cabinet of your mind. You will know they are unappealing and not in your best interest if they always get you down. For example, if remembering all the times that dating didn't work out gets you down, throw it out for today.
Now imagine shopping in the most wonderful gourmet 'mental' supermarket where you can pick up fun ideas, new adventures, great games to play, and delightful easy ways to be with great people. Put at least three new opportunities in your basket. Check out.
Just for today, give yourself permission to have the courage to 'play'. If you can, actually do something new today -- buy a fun board game and invite a couple of people over to play it, look up on the web or in the library, the place you always wanted to visit. Start to brainstorm how to get there. If that is not possible, at least take a few minutes to imagine yourself having good times and new adventures that suit you. Remember, this mental recipe is just for today.
I leave you to decide about tomorrow!
by Dr. Barbara Becker
This weekend I was at a wonderful Labor Day Picnic with loving, caring friends. One of them asked me, "Where does THE ENCHANTED SELF land in the spectrum of mental health? Is it just a way to feel good or is it transformational?"
His question made me realize that it is important for me to take the time to explain more about THE ENCHANTED SELF, as it is truly transformational. THE ENCHANTED SELF is far more than a 'mental' happy pill. It is a mental health paradigm shift, long overdue. This paradigm shift is designed to be utilized in mental health care and in the world at large. It takes a slightly different shape in the two arenas.
In the treatment room it is an overlay designed to help the clinician move away from the disease model, borrowed years ago from the medical world. Instead, the clinician replaces this model with an emphasis on the client's positive, life-enhancing memories, her strengths, talents and, of course, potential. The result is a more hopeful, encouraging environment where the client is really able to get in touch with what is right with herself, rather than what is wrong. She also finds herself able to work on many positive dimensions of herself, as she at the same time works on her problems and issues. The result is an opportunity to incorporate more pleasure and a sense of well-being into her life.
(I define THE ENCHANTED SELF as the ability to achieve positive states of being again and again, unique to that individual.)
The client can even work on what I call, The Song of the Soul, which is a person's sense of purpose and mission in life. An added benefit is that the therapist is happier and more filled with hope also, working from an encouraging position of what can work. Is it transformational for the client to discover what really works for her disposition? Is it transformational to feel in touch with a sense of well-being that you understand and know how to rekindle again and again? Absolutely. Beyond the treatment room in the world at large, THE ENCHANTED SELF is also a paradigm shift that is transformational. Here the emphasis is on teaching the public to acknowledge what is right about themselves rather than what is wrong. People are encouraged to see the glass as half full, rather than half empty and to have hope that the future need not be a repetition of the past. Each is encouraged to see herself as the heroine of her own life and to find meaning in her own story.
A lot of the transformational work for the public involves teaching the public how to more successfully go through the seven portals of ENCHANTMENT. These gateways include:
Improving self-esteem
Learning to meet our needs
Recognizing pleasure
Retelling the stories of our lives
Belonging to tribes
Finding mentors
Taking positive actions
For example, if I realize that I often diminish myself I may decide to tackle some self-esteem issues. If I am too isolated and often feel lonely, I may want to begin the process of becoming more involved in community. If I acknowledge that a lack of skills or negotiating abilities is getting in my way, I may have to go back to school or into counseling.
In order to put more positive action into my daily living, I may have to look for and have the courage to develop some of my lost potential.
Is this hard? You bet. Is it worth it? Yes. The experience of discovering that enchantment comes from within yourself and that you are in control of it, brings with it courage, power and a profound perceptual shift in viewing your every day world.
Yes, THE ENCHANTED SELF is really life-enhancing work. You really get to know yourself all over again in positive ways. You become Mistress of your ship, no long controlled by earlier messages and perceptions of the world and yourself, given to you by others.
In two weeks I'll share with you more about why I chose the name THE ENCHANTED SELF, how we are all warriors as we strive to live a more positive life day to day, and how renaming yourself as an adult can give you more freedom to live an enhanced positive life of meaning.
I encourage you think about your talents and strengths! Also, take a few moments to think about some of your potential, perhaps even potential that you thought was lost. This may involve remembering some earlier times when you had longings and interests that were thwarted.
There may still be ways to reinvent some of this potential in ways that will work for you now. Have fun listing some of your talents, strengths and potential. Take some time to look over your list over the next few days. Do you have any ideas for a new name for yourself that incorporates some of the 'You' that is made clear by your list?
Get the e-book at www.1stbooks.com for $4.95! You can also order hard copies with your credit card. Anyone wanting an autographed copy can order via www.enchantedself.com/ordering1.htm. A free copy of my paper newsletter and bookmark are included for just $9.95 plus $4.00 shipping and handling.
You can also order from Amazon at www.amazon.com or Barnes & Noble at www.bn.com. Use keywords "recipes for enchantment".
I an offering a free session on "Creating Your Own Recipe forEnchantment". If interested I would encourage you to read my book, RECIPES FOR ENCHANTMENT, The Secret Ingredient is YOU! Don't forget -- an inexpensive way to do this is to download the e-book.
If you are interested in this free
opportunity please send your name to Rebecca Trelfa at rebecca@enchantedself.com.
The next class is scheduled for September 24 at
You will receive another e-mail with further information and details next week.
Find out "what's right with you--not what's wrong!" Come chat with other ‘Enchanted Self-ers’ at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/encself. Membership is free and you will have access to our on-line calendar, message board, chat room, and more. It's a great way to connect with others who are exploring, creating and sharing their own positive and satisfying lives. See you there!
Share your positive stories and questions
about enchantment with us and other Enchanted Self readers around the globe!
Our mid-month e-zine focuses on YOU and reaches a subscriber list of over
600 people from the
"Changing the world is not about setting it right, but seeing it right. If you believe the world is broken and you need to fix it, you will find more and more things broken. If you see the world as whole and beautiful, you will find more and more things to celebrate."
-- Excerpted from the article: A True
Perfectionist by Alan Cohen. This
appeared on InnerSelf's Daily Inspiration on
May you always be able to enjoy yourself. May you be able to perceive yourself in a positive light, combining your perception of yourself with a world view that permits fun, replenishment and good times. May you have the courage to 'play'.
(Monday of this week on Public Radio, Peter Corn of Market Place mentioned that we, as adults, need more time to play in our culture. We keep working longer hours and replenishing less. Let's make an effort to correct that!)
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Have an "enchanting" month.
I wish you all many enchanted moments!
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(C) 2001 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
THE ENCHANTED SELF(R)
I also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as self-healing and professional psychology newsletters. However, I do ask that you contact me beforehand for permission and send a sample issue.
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To learn more about THE ENCHANTED SELF(R) - A State of Well Being, Joy, and Happiness, please contact me or visit my web site.
phone: 877-B-JOYFUL
fax: 732-531-1201
e-mail: encself@aol.com
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