In this issue
	Advance Praise for Sophfronia's Novel, in Stores March 16! Welcome and News Quote of Note Judging Others, Judging Yourself Take Action for 2004!

Welcome and News

Welcome to the first HTML or graphics version of "Living the Dream"! Everyone has been so supportive of my newsletter that I decided to upgrade the design for your further enjoyment. In this issue, for instance, you'll get to experience my yoga bootcamp with Baron Baptiste (that's me and Baron going head-to-head on the left there) compliments of photographer Kathleen Stenson. There's plenty of resource links as well. If you prefer to continue receiving the plain text version, just click on the link at the bottom of this email and update your profile accordingly. In other news I am happy to announce that I will be the keynote speaker kicking off the 2004 Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop at the University of Dayton in Ohio on March 25-27. My topic: "What I Can Do For You and What You Can Do For Me: The Unspoken Language of Networking for Writers". I'll also sign copies of my novel, "All I Need to Get By". Other guests will include Jill Connor Browne, author of the Sweet Potato Queens books, Nancy Cartwright (she's the voice of Bart Simpson) and USA Today columnist Craig Wilson. I'm looking forward to this being a great event, so I hope to see you there. In the meantime, enjoy the holidays! Best wishes, Sophfronia Learn more about the 2004 Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop »

Quote of Note

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." Mother Teresa »

Judging Others, Judging Yourself

Many of you have asked about my experience in late October at Baron Baptiste's Power Yoga bootcamp. I spent a week with about sixty other people at the Inner Harmony Yoga Retreat Center in Brian's Head, Utah. We took daily early morning hikes, practiced yoga in a heated room 2-3 times a day and sat for meditation every afternoon. Midweek we fasted for three days, eating only fruit (including tomatoes and avocados) and a choice of either miso or vegetable broth. All this while living at an altitude of 9,300 feet! It was challenging, of course, but expected. Yet there were people who seemed to be complaining an awful lot. They groused about the schedule, about the food, about the level of yoga we were doing. I didn't get it. They knew upfront what they had signed on for. I kept thinking, "What's wrong with them? What did they come here for?" Soon we started journaling and talking as a group. Little by little, I learned that the complainers had big things going on. One person harbored a ton of anger from her relationships and a frustration with her life. Another was battling anxiety and crippling insecurities. Several others were just plain scared-- scared of whatever in them that they knew would come out over the course of the week. So instead of facing the internal, they focused on the external: the food, the schedule, their surroundings. They were in need of compassion and understanding. And what had I done? I had judged them. Quickly. Wrongly. When people come to me for coaching, compassion is usually the first thing to come from my heart. Why didn't that happen here? I believe it was because I had, for whatever reasons, put myself on autopilot. How many times have we all done this? We are quick to judge without knowing the whole story. And let's face it-- do we REALLY need to know the story at all? But judging is easy, it allows us to be asleep or on autopilot as I was. When you're asleep and unaware you close yourself off from the potential of new people in your life, people you can learn from. What is there to learn? Think of it this way: what we judge in others is often what we're critical of in ourselves. In my case, I probably felt the complainers weren't trying hard enough--something I often think of myself. Once I saw that I made it a point at bootcamp to be more awake in my every interaction. I made wonderful connections, I made new friends. When photographer Kathleen Stenson, interviewing me for a video clip, asked about my discoveries, I found myself smiling then laughing. I said, "I think I found a new way to love people!" This month challenge yourself to be aware of your judging others. When you notice yourself doing it ask yourself, "What is the truth here? What within me is bringing out this judgment? What can I do to change it?" Most of all, notice what you get out of being non-judgmental. Less feelings of negativity? Better relations with co-workers? Fewer instances of being offended? Pay close attention. Feeling the benefits will make the work easier to do. Consider it a holiday gift to yourself because you'll soon see: the less you judge others, the less you'll judge yourself. Questions, Comments? Contact Sophfronia »

Take Action for 2004!

As a coach I work with ambitious people one-on-one to improve the quality of their lives, get clear on their goals and understand their priorities so they can make better decisions and accomplish their dreams of True Success. What is True Success? It means 1)You are doing work that's exciting to you, meaningful and joyous. 2)You have relationships that nurture and support you. 3)You are strong, physically and mentally and you care for yourself accordingly to maintain it. 4)Your surroundings are exactly what you want them to be. If this is what you want for your life, then contact me. Currently I have four openings in my practice for people who are interested in having a fantastic, fulfilling 2004. I will be offering complimentary sessions to fill these spots, but only through December 15. I am very specific about whom I work with. My clients must be willing to take action. I expect these slots to fill quickly, so if you're interested contact me at CoachSoph@CreativeCoachingPlans.com to set up an appointment. Do it for yourself. You deserve True Success. Copyright 2003-2004 Sophfronia Scott. All rights reserved.