Dear Friends,

If you’re in the Phoenix area, I invite you to join me for the “Celebrate Your Life” conference on November 7-9. It’s a great event with a host of wonderful teachers including Byron Katie, Wayne Dyer, Brian Weiss, John Holland, and more. For more info visit here.

On September 24th I’ll be supporting the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society here in Mass, by giving a talk called “Life Lessons from our Furry Friends.” I’d love to have you join me to support this great organization. You can get ticket info (and see a photo of me and Poupon as a kitten), here.

Have a great week!

Love,

Cheryl

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

“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage —

pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically — to say ‘no’ to other things. And the way to do that

is by having a bigger ‘yes’ burning inside. The enemy of the ‘best’ is often the ‘good.'”

–Stephen Covey

Topic of the Week – The Remembrance Ritual

Dear Friends,

Every year on September 11th, I perform a “remembrance ritual” to remind myself of the things that mattered most on September 12th in 2001. This year was no different. On this important day, I spent the morning quietly by myself answering the questions I use for this ritual (I’ve included them below) and then thought about the souls who lost their lives seven years ago. I still weep for them and imagine I always will. I certainly will “never forget.”

Later that day, I drove into the city to record the audio program for my next book. As I listened to myself read the words that reflected my journey of Extreme Self Care over the years (as well as the challenge of remembering those skills these last two years), I found myself feeling even more committed to the principles that have literally saved my life.

The older I get, the more compelled I feel to spend the precious time I have left on the planet on the things that really matter. In the last month, I’ve listened to my heart and it’s become clear that it’s time for me to release some things so I can make room for what’s next — the ways in which I can make a greater contribution to humanity. While I’m not sure what shape that will take, what I do know is that it’s important to first make the space.

To that end, I’ve made some major decisions, one of which is to close our online store. While it makes me happy to send life-changing tools and nurturing self-care gifts around the world, I know in my heart that it’s time to close that chapter. It’s always so hard to say goodbye to a goal or dream — especially one that’s been successful. And yet, I know that our lives have limited space and that, in order to grow, we need to be brave enough to let even the good things go in order to prepare for the next evolution.

I’m so appreciative of your support of the store over the last few years. And I’ve been touched by the notes and emails from those of you who have made purchases. We’ve dramatically reduced most of our prices in our store, and I encourage you to act quickly to take advantage of them as we have limited quantities left. When everything is gone, we’ll put a notice on the store homepage. I am in conversations with my publisher about fulfilling orders for books and CDs in the future and will keep you posted sometime after the New Year. Until then, you can always order books and CDs on amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com after our store is closed.

So, this is your chance to save money on early holiday gifts, or to get books personally signed by me with a special note if you’d like. Just put your name in the comments section (or the name of the person you’d like to have me sign it to) when ordering. You’ll find the store here.

Finally, be sure to conduct your own remembrance ritual by considering the following questions:

Am I pleased with how I’m spending my precious time on earth?

Am I spending enough quality time with the people who matter most?

Am I doing my best to listen to the voice of my soul so I make real, honest choices based on what I most want?

Am I sharing (or working toward sharing) my God-given gifts and talents with others?

Are there any petty disagreements or differences that I need to let go of once and for all?

Is there someone I need to forgive?

As always, I send my love to those of you who were touched by the events of September 11th seven years ago. Whether you lost a loved one, a job, hope, or faith in a positive future, always remember that you have a place here with us in a wonderful community of like-minded souls who care about you.

~*~ Take Action Challenge ~*~

This week, take some time to consider the questions above. Honor those who lost their lives on September 11th with a commitment to live fully, deeply, and with meaning.

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.

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.