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Join Me in 2021 Writing Workshops

Dear Be Inspired Community,

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be offering fun and magical writing workshops on Zoom.  My goal is to offer a creative release for the tensions we’ve all been feeling this past year through writing and journaling workshops.

My Writing Story

I’ve always loved writing. I’ve kept journals for most of my life. Journal writing has helped me in a multitude of transformational ways: meeting life’s challenges, self-discovery, creativity, inspiration, gratitude, writing gutsy or angry letters that I never sent. In my darkest and most challenging times my journal has often been my trusted best friend where I could cry and pour out my deepest, heartfelt feelings and thoughts when I was too afraid or embarrassed to tell a human friend. In my happiest times my journal was a place where I could release my delight in many ways.  Writing has been my escape, my muse, my self-care, my creativity and my work…and many times my challenge.  But in the end, my comfort and joy.

My professional writing experience began as a newspaper reporter and freelance writer in Los Angeles. I also wrote for a variety of business clients in my public relations business for almost 40 years. Most recently I collaborated and published a book with two other life coaches, Lessons from a Fall, Three Powerful Women and Their Stories of Transformation.

I love to write and I know you will too!

Your Time to Write Workshop

Thursday, Feb. 11, 10 am Pacific Time; $25

Thursday, Feb.18, 1 pm Pacific Time; $25

I hope that you can join me in February for two 75-minute writing workshops that will give you a chance to feel, process and articulate. You can sign up for one or both sessions and use this time for personal journaling, creative projects you’ve been wanting to work on or any other writing you do in your life or work.

I’ll provide the sparks of inspiration and support to get the words flowing for your writing sessions.

Group journaling is magical and powerful.  It will open you up to connect with your inner wisdom and higher self.

What you need:

  • A notebook or journal, a good working pen, a comfortable place to write
  • A refreshing beverage to keep you hydrated
  • Put your inner critic aside, and give yourself permission not to be perfect.

l provide :

  • Unique journal prompts
  • A brief guided meditation
  • A sacred Zoom space

* To register contact me at bela@belacoaching.com. Payments can be made on PayPal, by credit card or check. Just let me know how you’d like to pay. There will be no refunds.

Writing workshops coming soon – Dates to be announced.

  • Journaling for Self-Care
  • Wine and Writing Evening

I’m looking forward to sharing these writing sessions with you. Let me know if you have any questions.

Warm wishes,

Bela Friedman

What Makes Your Heart Sing?

Many people I’ve talked to lately are feeling anxious and depleted.  Anxious and depleted about our country struggling with an ongoing pandemic, a divided country, an economic crisis, violence, social and racial injustice, protests and more. But to be a healthy person it’s important to boost your energy from within, helping life balance and taking care of ourselves, our families as well as our values.

I recently watched an inspiring Ted Talk with Chris Hill, a chef, and the talk was called What Makes Your Heart Sing? He left his profession in marketing because he was looking for more fulfillment in his life. And he loved cooking. But one day after a difficult day at the restaurant, he was frustrated and locked himself in a room and wrote for eight hours. He wrote a long blog about his inspiration of being a chef and what’s important in life and posted it. He eventually had over 100,000 people reading his blog daily and received hundreds of emails. In short, he realized that what makes his heart sing is connecting with others and when people around him are happy. He also talked about his mother who died when he was 14, she fought a five-year battle with Cancer. She was always positive and made a huge impact on his life. Her favorite quote was “Life is 10 percent of what happens to you and 90 per cent of how your respond to it. “He asks, how are you showing up to life, to your family, to your community, to the world?

I’d like to ask you, what makes your heart sing?  

It’s not difficult, but If you have trouble thinking of what makes your heart sing, here is a short exercise the International Coaching Federation suggests that can help:

  • Allow yourself 10 minutes of quiet journaling to write your answers.
  • Don’t analyze, just write.
  • Feel free to add extra things to your list that come up in the days and weeks ahead.

Helpful Hints:

  • To help you, just for a moment, close your eyes and think back to your childhood. What were you doing when you were having most fun?
  • Consider your senses: Sight, hearing, touch/feeling, smell and taste. You could come up with one joy for each.
  • Examples could include watching children or dogs/cats playing, hiking a mountain, cooking, telling someone you love them, fresh sheets on your bed …or something completely different. Whatever it is, it is unique to you.
  • Here are a few questions to consider: What do you notice as you review your list? What common themes, powerful messages or surprises do you see? Why do you think you don’t do these more often?

  • Perhaps you’re already thinking of ways you can bring some of these ideas into your life.

  • Now, write one specific action you will take to bring more joy into your life.

Do you need help with making your heart sing?

If you are experiencing issues with fear, stress, lack of confidence, that pesky inner critic or Covid-19, please reach out to me. I offer free telephone consultations and offering Zoom and phone coaching as well as hypnotherapy sessions.  You don’t have to suffer alone. You can reach me from my website at https://belacoaching.com/contact/ or by phone at 503-848-3640.

Sunday Love Notes Dec 20: Letting Your Light Shine Brightly Within

Dear Beautiful Be Inspired Community,

With Christmas and New Year’s just around the corner, I hope that you are taking time for self-care.  Here is my special love note to you.

    “Let your light shine so brightly within, that others can see their way out of the dark.” – Unknown

Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday and a week filled with health, love, joy, self-care and inspiration.  Have a happy holiday!

Sending love and light,

Bela

Learning To Let My Light Shine

I learned to let my light shine by being true to myself.

But it took so many years to find that light and the truth of my soul.

The light that allowed me to marry someone I loved and who loved me.

I let my light shine by leaving Los Angeles and moving to Oregon with my children and new husband not knowing a soul when I arrived.

Being true to myself by leaving my public relations business after more than 30 years of work that no longer brought me joy.

I let my light shine by following my spiritual journey that led me to discover a new field that I love.

Now my light shines brightly in the work I do to inspire others to shine their lights brightly as well.

My light shines in my adult children and the beautiful bright eyes, laughter and love of my grandchildren.

That light that will be passed on and touch others in ways no one yet knows and will burn brightly for generations to come hopefully in a world of truth, justice and peace.

It took many years, but I had to reach deep into my soul to find my light, my truth.

It was difficult taking off the mask of happiness, the mask that was a lie so many years ago…

But now, years later I’m happy that I did, because life is fulfilling, precious and full.

Being my true self and knowing that I’ve allowed myself to blossom and my spiritual light to shine has helped so many others do the same.

Are you allowing your light to shine?

If you are experiencing issues with fear, stress, lack of confidence, that pesky inner critic or Covid-19, please reach out to me. I offer free telephone consultations and offering Zoom and phone coaching as well as hypnotherapy sessions.  You don’t have to suffer alone. You can reach me from my website at https://belacoaching.com/contact/ or by phone at 503-848-3640.

Our Precious Moments

As my husband and I celebrated Thanksgiving a few weeks ago, we had to navigate being grateful in this very strange time. We all have many things to be grateful for. But many of us couldn’t be with our loved ones; things today are strange and different.

I was feeling pretty let down when it was decided that we couldn’t visit two of our adult children, their spouses and our four grandchildren in California because of Covid. It was a punch in the gut because we haven’t seen them in more than a year. We had a nice Zoom Thanksgiving, and we also do lots of Facetime. I’m very grateful for the technology that is now available enabling all of us to reach far and touch those we love.

But as I was going through my pity party, I re-read an article on the Daily OM website written by its founder, the talented Madisyn Taylor. Here are some snippets from her quote: “Honoring our memories and focusing on the ways our past experiences have blessed us can offer a richer awareness and appreciation for where we currently are in life. While we can relive happy memories and honor our experiences, we can’t go back and dwell in the past. Choosing to honor your memories and then move forward with hope and joy for the future will help you to feel more optimistic about your current circumstances today.”

I started to think about the many precious moments of my past – and began writing them down. And it gave me such a lift!

I’d like to give you the same opportunity. So here is a wonderful journaling exercise that will help you get in touch with what truly has given you joy in life, especially if you are feeling down about not being able to see your loved ones in person during this holiday season. Open a journal or notebook, take a pen and make a list of the precious moments you’ve had in life. You will feel so much better!

If you are having issues with fear, confidence or stress please reach out to me. I offer free telephone consultations and offering Zoom and phone coaching as well as hypnotherapy sessions. You can reach me from my website at https://belacoaching.com/contact/ or call me on my landline at 503-848-3640.

Sunday Love Notes Nov 29: Allow more peace, love and clarity

Dear Beautiful Be Inspired Community,

I hope that you are taking time for self-care, some introspection and fun. Here is my special love note to you.

            Allow more peace, calm , clarity and light

                     into your life by not

          watching, listening or reading the news for at least 5 days.

                   Will you join me in the challenge?

Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday of health, love, and for a peaceful week ahead.

Sunday Love Notes Nov 29: How You React

Dear Beautiful Be Inspired Community,

I hope that you are taking time for self-care, some introspection and fun. Here is my special love note to you.

“Life is 10% of what happens and 90% of how you react to it.” (Charles R. Swindoll)

In life, attitude is everything; it is what shapes our beliefs and desires.

Harsh times occur throughout our lives, but how we react is up to us.

How are you reacting?

Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday of health, love, and for a peaceful week ahead.

Sending love and light,

Sunday Love Notes Nov 15: Thriving

Dear Beautiful Be Inspired Community,

It’s been another remarkable week. I hope that you are taking time for self-care, introspection and fun. Here is my special love note to you.

“My mission in life is not merely to survive,

but to thrive; and to do so with some passion,

some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

– Maya Angelou

(Thank you to Rich Aanrich for the reminder of this wonderful quote.)

Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday of health, love, and here’s to a peaceful week ahead!