Dear Friends,

Attention Writers! On Saturday, April 26th, I’ll be offering a brief overview of the book publishing process called, “From Brainstorm to Bookstore” at the Newburyport Literary Festival. This annual event is open to the public and you can learn more about it here.

Our “Mother’s Day Special” is up and running and this is a chance for you to give mom a special gift of self-care (or to get the products you love at a reduced price). The set includes our Lavender Lotion (chemical free and great for the whole body including your face!), the “Tuning In” CD (so Mom can relax and unwind), a deck of Self-Care Cards (so she can receive a new message every day), and your choice of one of our Hang-a-Heart ornaments (just to remind her of how great she is). The set of four gifts is $49.95 (save almost $15 dollars) and you can find it here.

Have a wonderful week…

Love,

Cheryl

p.s. – Need a little Divine Direction? Use the “Touch of Grace” button on our homepage here: http://www.cherylrichardson.com.

“It is time for us to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever,

the one who recognizes the challenge and does something about it.”

–Vince Lombardi

Topic of the Week – My Accomplishment List

I just returned from the Mexican Riviera Cruise last night and look forward to telling you about it when I start back writing newsletters next week. In the meantime, this newsletter was inspired by a series I watched on “The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch” called American Dream. During the series, Donny interviewed accomplished people about their journeys through success and failure. I’m always so fascinated by personal stories that reveal the steps men and women take to live their best lives and one exercise, in particular, caught my attention. Here’s what happened…

Last night while watching the show, I saw a few stories about individuals who had overcome adversity and were able to come out on top. One gentleman, a businessman who had made billions only to lose it all before creating success again, said that the thing that gets him through the hard times is an “accomplishments list” he keeps with him in his briefcase at all times. He said something like,”Most of us spend a great deal of time thinking about how we’ve failed or what we don’t have, and not enough time on what we’ve done right or on the success we’ve created. I use this list to remind myself of what I’ve done well — especially during the difficult times.”

As I listened to him talk about this idea, I thought about how valuable a tool this would be for anyone who needed a boost of confidence or a reminder of their potential. And I realized that it

had been a very long time since I’d done anything like that myself.

It’s an important exercise. When’s the last time you sat down and looked at your life through the lens of success? If I asked you to list ten accomplishments right this minute, could you? If that

thought causes your mind to immediately go blank, I invite you to join me in making your own list this week. Here are some examples of accomplishments you might include:

• I raised healthy and good kids
• I enjoy a successful marriage
• I completed my college degree
• I landed a job in a field that I love
• I created my first garden
• I started my own business
• I wrote a book, a poem, or a song
• I bought my first car or home
• I made a difference in someone’s life

Get the idea? Okay, now you’re ready for a little challenge. Open up a new file on your computer right now and take a few minutes to do your own list. Come on, take the time. Challenge yourself to come up with at least 15 examples, large or small. And don’t groan at that number :). This is about honoring your relationship with yourself. Think of this exercise as securing a great insurance

policy that may just pull you out of an emotional fire someday — and it may also help you to make a wise decision to stay in the game when you’re tempted to jump ship.

Once you’ve made your list, print it out and keep it somewhere safe and handy. Read through it at least once a day this week and smile as you do. In spite of what challenge, failure, disappointment, or hardship you may be facing right now, deep inside is a smart, wise, committed, and hard-working soul who has a track record of success :). That’s you!

~*~ Take Action Challenge ~*~

Have you started your list yet? :-)

In the News

• Have a question for Cheryl? Call in during her live Internet radio show, Coach on Call, on Mondays at 5pm ET (2pm PT, 10pm GMT) at www.hayhouseradio.com. Simply dial (866) 254-1579 if you live in the US, or for international callers dial, 1-760-918-4300 after your country code. Cheryl discusses a variety of topics related to practicing Extreme Self Care and living a high quality life.

• We have a variety of unique life-changing gifts in our webstore at www.myextremeselfcare.com. You can have books personally signed for you or a loved one with a note of encouragement or support, include a hand-written gift card with your order, or find a special item to support your own self-care. There are heart ornaments, books, audio programs, lotions, and our popular Mesmerizing Oggz Egg (you need to see it to understand :). Check them out here: www.myextremeselfcare.com.

• Listen to the free Practice Building Workshop telegathering on audio podium and learn to build your client base in a relaxed and authentic way. Whether you’re a coach, therapist, lawyer, massage therapist, or other service oriented business owner, you can learn about our program and the important steps for practice development by calling (405) 244-4000 – Box 104. For more info on our PBW audio program, click here.

Life Makeover For The Year 2008 (sm) is written and produced by Cheryl Richardson. If you have any questions or comments, please send them to: cheryl@cherylrichardson.com. © Copyright 1999-2008

Cheryl Richardson, P.O. Box 13, Newburyport, MA 01950. All rights reserved.