The Wild Thing

Valley Fair Amusement Park in Shakopee, MN has this unbelievable roller coast called the Wild Thing. My three daughters and I love to take this thrill ride. It has two “S” curves, one tunnel and a 360 degree spiral. The coaster attains speed up to 74 mph and the highest drop is 207 feet.

Sometimes people wait in line for hours to ride the Wild Thing. Riders anticipate what their experience is going to be like while their excitement and energy builds in preparation for the ride.

My girls and I get quite a rush from this ride. Our stomachs reach our throats, we hang on for dear life and hold our heads up as best we can. It’s a THRILL

The past few weeks many people have used the following words such as uneasiness, concern, fear, anxiety and panic to describe their thoughts and feelings about the current US financial situation. A client described the last few weeks like a roller coaster ride she had not intention of getting on!

This is an upsetting time for many. How you handle uncertainties, change and loss is a key to surviving these challenging times. People typically respond to change in one of three ways. We fight, we freeze or run away (flight). These are our natural ways of handling stress.

You may find yourself blaming people (fight), such as your financial advisor or government and make hasty reactionary decisions such as pulling (flight) your money out of the market. On the other hand some people have no idea what to do, they feel overwhelmed and they do nothing (freeze).

To keep your head steady on this roller coaster ride take some simple steps.

1. Talk openly with your financial advisor about how you feel, your concerns and ask for their advice. After all that is what you pay them for!. If you don’t have an advisor, find one that you trust. If you need a referral to a financial advisor, call me and I would be happy to pass on some names of advisors who understand financial integration.

2. Review YOUR goals. Unexpected changes and losses in life (like my mother’s cancer) as well as financial losses may push you to reevaluate your needs and priorities. This is a great time to do this!

3. Give me a call and I can help you talk about these trying times in a confidential environment AND assist you in reviewing your priorities and goals.

I am extending an offer to you this week to hire me as your personal coach. My regular fee is $130 hour but if you buy a 6 session package, the fee is $300. A savings of $90. Each session is 30 minutes and will provide you laser coaching that will keep you focused and moving toward your goals and dreams. Email me at lauralongville@inatm.com or call me at 605.342.0478.

I’ve got all the time in the world. Do you?

A Reality Check

“I’ve got all the time in the world”. So I thought. When I heard these three words, “you have cancer” my world came to a screeching halt. A doctor spoke these words to my mother and our family in early July. She was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma; a cancer of the plasma of the white blood cells.

Since this diagnosis, my life has significantly changed. I thought I had a lot more time with my mom as she is only 69 years old. We were actually supposed to be in Italy this week to celebrate her 70th birthday that is coming up the end of this month. This trip was one of the things on her “bucket list”.

In the past few months, I have learned a great deal about myself and what is really important to me. I would like to share with you what I have learned in the next few issues of Living with Heart Fully Alive.

My mother’s terminal illness diagnosis permanently affected my life. Now, I know that seems really logical, but until it became a reality in my life I didn’t really grasp the ramifications it would have on my life.

It has helped me focus on what is truly important in my life; my family. I have given that “lip service” over the years but today I have consciously designed my life around my mom and my immediate family.

When an opportunity arises, I run the choice through the priority of family first. If it doesn’t support my family or it interferes with being available to my mother and her needs, I don’t do it.

So how can you apply this to your own life? Ask yourself, I mean really ask yourself, what is top priority in your life and why? The priority is what keeps you focused on the target (your goal) and the “why” of it all, is the bulls eye. Once you have determined what is top and I mean top priority, make a conscious decision to do whatever it takes to make it happen.

· Think about what your priorities are on a daily basis
· Run your daily decisions through the grid of, “Will this move me closer to what is priority” and remember “why” your priority is so significant to you. This will help keep you focused!
· Plan your days, weeks and months (if possible) around what’s important

Doing these things will help keep your life moving toward that which is important and create greater meaning and purpose in your life. I'm giving it a try, won't you?