A Note To My Clients

On top of all our daily stresses, we are now coping with the disturbing news surrounding the Coronavirus. I have noticed higher levels of anxiety, and I feel it myself due to the constant media attention and the fact that everyone is concerned and talking about it. I wanted to take this time to do two things.

First, to let you know that I am taking the CDC precautions in my office and in my meetings by cleaning and sanitizing doorknobs, restrooms, and surfaces that we all use. I’m not hugging or shaking hands like usual. This makes me sad as I feel clients appreciate and need human contact when they are experiencing life’s difficult moments, as well as when we are celebrating a breakthrough. If you are not sick and miss these normal interactions, please let me know that you feel comfortable engaging in them.

Second, I’d like to quote Taylor Swift and ask that you “just calm down.” That may sound unsympathetic at a time when this virus is spreading, and people are dying. However, I do have the advantage of being older and have seen pandemics before. I have no reason to believe that this one will be any different.

Here is an article on the 2009 Influenza pandemic: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/2009-h1n1-pandemic.html. This was just 11 years ago. It started right after the economy started falling in 2008. At the time it seemed like the world was ending. As someone who had been taught to believe in Armageddon from birth, in 2009 it looked like that prediction was coming true with both the worse recession in my lifetime and then the pandemic. However, the virus was contained in 2010 and continues to circulate as a seasonal flu virus. Over 12,000 people in the US died from this flu, mostly people who were elderly or had compromised immune systems. The media was going crazy with doomsday editorials. There was panic then, but a few months later, everyone calmed down and didn’t think about it anymore.

We need to use caution and take the necessary steps to stay healthy, but I urge you to also take care of your emotional health. Watching the news continuously will elevate your stress level. Instead, notice your breathing. If you are holding your breath, anxiety has taken over. Take three deep breaths. Remind yourself that we live in the best time in history when it comes to our quality of cleanliness and health care. Be sure to balance the worry with laughter and don’t isolate yourself. Use Facetime to keep in touch with friends, family, and workmates if you do become ill. Check with your doctor and remember that this is the time of year that many suffer from colds, the flu or even seasonal allergies.

It is my mission at Clear Path to help promote mental, emotional and physical health. If I can help in any way, please know I am here to support you and your families.

Cindy Cipriani

It may seem like Groundhog Day – another morning working at home. When our emotions are raw or scattered, it can be hard to focus on work. But this too with end, so what can you do TODAY that will bring you emotional Clarity? Here are three suggestions:

1. Start your pre-pandemic routine. Start waking, exercising, eating, working and going to bed at the same times each day.

2. Create a short list of three most productive tasks to do today that will help either bring in income or create a connection for future income.

3. Drive around the block 20 times with the windows down and the music blasting! (after all it is 4/20/2020)

#emotions #clarity #routine #clearmypath #selfmotivation #the5CSolution

“Communication is the key to creating understanding and unification in families. Putting yourself in the shoes of the other person will go a long way toward helping you understand their point of view.

If the other person is abusive or uncooperative, decide what the best way is to deal with this person to maintain your physical and emotional health and well-being.

There is nothing you can do to change that person, so concentrate on remaining the person you want to be when you have to be in their presence. In order words, create a plan of how you will stay calm, act with respect, and communicate with a loving tone.

You can practice your response to words or actions that would normally trigger you into arguments or hurtful comments.”

– The 5C Solution book by Cindy Cipriani

The word Commitment means being dedicated to a cause or activity. Many companies are committed to a standard of quality. They are also committed to the well-being of their team. The spirit in your team may be shaken right now. What commitment can you make to them to help them through this turbulent time? How will you build their spirits so they can stay committed to their jobs? Would it help to have a tool that is easily learned, builds a foundation for communication and increases productivity? If so, The 5C Solution is just what you need now.

#CommitmentIsEverything #TeamWorkMakesTheDreamWork #liftspirits #the5Csolution #ClearPathByCindy

Your children and young adults need to learn how to handle finances. This is a great time to get them involved in finding solutions on how to help tighten the budget.

They know the world is in chaos. They are feeling anxious too. By getting them involved in some problem solving, you will be giving them some power to do something to help.

You might be surprised at the great suggestions they may come up with! Why not teach them how to cook, bake bread, or make their own snacks? Can you make a menu of meals using the food you have on hand? Not spending money on hobbies, entertainment, restaurants, school supplies, extra gas in running to all the activities, can help you have funds for necessities.

Creating a Plan for the next week or month will give you short term peace of mind. It will give you the clarity you need to find the help you need. This is an unprecedented time. We will get through this together. Your family may even come out stronger and more frugal!

Take some time today to create a plan with the help of everyone in your family. Let me know how it went or if you need suggestions if you hit a snag!

#quarantinelearning #financialknowledge #createaplan #ClearPathByCindy

Personal Guidance System

Imagine not having an address to program your GPS. You wouldn’t get anywhere. Life is the same way. When things happen that changes the course of your life, you can feel stuck and lost.

Would you like a simple tool that helps you figure out what to do and how to navigate these changes? Wouldn’t a Personal Guidance System (PGS) be useful?

The 5C Solution is a system that moves you from chaos to clarity in your life, relationships and business.

For the past eight years, this system has helped hundreds of people turn their life from confusion and depression, to clarity and happiness. The power of The 5C Solution is that it is a simple memory tool which quickly walks you through any challenge or decision. People from 5 to 75 have learned it and discovered a level of self empowerment that they never had before.

Yes, life changes. We move, graduate, change jobs, find and lose relationships, become parents, become caregivers to our parents, lose loved ones, suffer with sickness, fight addictions, have financial setbacks, etc. However, I am positive that these changes can be easier when you have a formula becomes your roadmap to who you want to be and what you really want out of your life.

Coping with Change

If someone asked me to name one thing that I am positive about, it would be that life never stays the same. When we talk about finding or being our true selves, it is because our life has changed and we are trying to figure out what that means going forward. Actually, until something unexpected and drastic happens, most people rarely take the time to stop and analyze who they are. We are too busy just living.

We grow older. Our circumstances change. We take on different roles in life. All this has to be navigated without a life GPS. How much easier it would be if we knew where we wanted to end up at the end of our life, plug that information in, and be provided with a step by step guide to navigate all the decisions that come across our paths day to day. It would be even better if the GPS calculated our emotional reaction to change because it is this response that usually trips us up and keeps us from knowing how to move forward.

On top of all that, we all have that nasty little inner voice that validates every doubt, fear and insecurity that we have. You know that voice. It’s the one that tells you that you aren’t good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, educated enough, or worthy enough. Every time you set out to achieve a goal, whether it is writing a book or finding love, this inner whisper starts shouting and drowns out your confidence. You begin to rationalize that maybe you didn’t really want to do it, it wasn’t that important, maybe it’s not the right time, etc. And each time this happens, your real self grows sad until you stop dreaming, trying and tuning in to your real self.

Who is that voice? Why do we have it?

Your Negative Inner Voice

Now that you have gotten Clarity on Who you are, who you WANT to be and WHAT you want, you are probably battling your negative inner voice. Just writing down a goal is an opening for this voice to start listing all the reasons it will never happen. So, what is the next step in defeating this “Frenemy”? (Read my last blog post for Step 1)

Second, you need to disassociate yourself from your negative inner voice. How? Name it. Years ago, I was struggling with self-loathing. After being in a verbally, emotionally and physically abusive relationship for nearly twenty years, I was broken. So broken that my inner voice was convinced that everyone would be better off if I was not longer alive. After attempting suicide twice, I had a moment of clarity where I became angry at my inner voice and decided to divorce it as well as my spouse.  

I took some time to find my foundation, but this voice would constantly prick at me, so I called it “Mr. Prickly”.  Every time Mr. Prickly would start his negative rhetoric, I would close my eyes and imagine turning down his volume until I couldn’t hear him. I would talk back using my renewed knowledge of who I am, who I wanted to be and what I wanted to give him reasons why I could accomplish my goals. Doing this over and over built my self-esteem so that I could take the action required to walk down the path of a new life. 

These two steps are vital to your PGS – Personal Guidance System. For the past seven years, this system has helped hundreds of people turn their life from confusion and depression, to clarity and happiness. The key is learning 

The 5C Solution – a simple memory tool which quickly walks you through any challenge or decision by reminding you of your foundational beliefs. People from 5 to 75 have learned it and discovered a level of self empowerment that they never had before. 

Yes, life changes. We move, graduate, change jobs, find and lose relationships, become parents, become caregivers to our parents, lose loved ones, suffer with sickness, fight addictions, etc.  However, I am positive that these changes can be easier when you have a formula that creates your emotional foundation. After all, you are the only you that will ever exist. You deserve all the desires of your real self! Don’t wait another minute, call me today and make an appointment to learn The 5C Solution! I’m waiting!!!

YOUR INNER FRENEMY

Last week we acknowledged that all of us have a negative voice that lives inside our minds and is a friend/enemy that constantly swags our emotions and actions.

Who is that voice? Why do we have it? Perhaps we were originally equipped with it to keep us from danger. But now in our modern world, it has become an internal enemy keeping us from becoming all we can be. Did you ever share your ambition with a “friend” just to have them tell you all the reasons not to get too excited because things probably won’t work out? They shoot down your ideas, undermine your confidence and remind you of your limitations. They validate your internal enemy who has already told you the same thing. 

The choice then becomes yours – Do I cave and give up? Or do I tell both to shut up and go away? The difference is that you can walk away from the “friend” and stop associating with them, but your inner voice follows you home. It begins replaying the conversation in your head. What is the answer?

At this point you need to do two things:

First, you need to step back and evaluate who you are, who you want to be and what you really, truly want and why. This knowledge is the foundation on which to build your dreams. 

I come from the construction world. Years ago, houses at the beach were built on concrete slabs. It was quick and easy. However, when storms came, the houses were destroyed because they were built on sand with nothing to hold them in place. Now drive through any shore community and you see houses on tall pier footings (called helical piers) that don’t stop at the surface of the ground. The footings go deep into the bedrock so that when water rises and winds blow, the house is safe. Taking the time to figure out your core values, passions and beliefs create deep rooted footings on which wise life decisions can be made when life’s changes and storms occur. Take some time to build this firm foundation for yourself.

What is the second step that will turn off your negative voice? You will want to come back next Friday because this simple step is a Game Changer!! In the meantime, write down your core beliefs, what changes you want to make, and what goals you want to achieve.

TUNING IN TO YOUR REAL SELF

If someone asked me to name one thing that I am positive about, it would be that life never stays the same. When we talk about finding or being our true selves, it is because our life has changed, and we are trying to figure out what that means going forward. Until something unexpected and drastic happens, most people rarely take the time to stop and analyze who they are. We are too busy just living.

We grow older.  Our circumstances change. We take on different roles in life. All this must be navigated without a life GPS. How much easier it would be if we knew where we wanted to end up at the end of our life, plug that information in, and be provided with a step by step guide to navigate all the decisions that come across our paths day to day. It would be even better if the GPS calculated our emotional reaction to change because it is this response that usually trips us up and keeps us from knowing how to move forward. 

On top of all that, we all have that nasty little inner voice that validates every doubt, fear and insecurity that we have. You know that voice. It’s the one that tells you that you aren’t good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, educated enough, or worthy enough. Every time you set out to achieve a goal, whether it is writing a book or finding love, this inner whisper becomes a shout that drowns out your confidence. You begin to rationalize that maybe you didn’t really want to do it, it wasn’t that important, maybe it’s not the right time, etc. And each time this happens, your real self grows sadder until you stop dreaming, trying and tuning in to your real self. 

How do you keep this from happening? Since life change is inevitable, is there a life GPS that could keep you on your road to the true you? Tune in next week on Friday, and find the answers in my next blog post!

Read These Tips And Stop Suffering From Panic Attacks

While brief in nature, panic attacks can be extremely troubling. If possible, you want to know the best tips available for panic attacks so that you can help to prevent them. This article will have a wealth of great information for just this purpose. Take a few minutes to read and you will be happy that you did.

To help you get through a panic attack it’s important to work on your breathing technique. Grab a paper bag or cup your hands and then breathe slowly out and in while covering your mouth. This will help you relax and your panic attack should pass and end very quickly.

While it’s difficult to think clearly during a panic attack, there is a simple tactic you can use to lessen the severity and duration of the attack. Your body automatically responds to what is called the “dive reflex.” By splashing your face with cold water, your brain is tricked into thinking that you are going underwater, and it sends messages to the body to slow down your heart rate and restrict blood flow to your extremities, allowing you to breathe easier and feel calmer.

As you start to take over your panic attacks and turn them around, congratulate yourself for the hard work and dedication you’ve shown! The more you realize the changes you’re making, the better they’ll work to help you stay calm. Keep up the good work!

You know that complete avoidance of panic-causing situations is not always possible if you are prone to panic attacks. Try to learn out of body techniques to remove yourself from the situation and allow you to view it as if you were watching television. What would you tell yourself to do? How would you provide comfort? Often placing yourself in the role of mentor or guide, trying to help someone else deal with panic issues will get you through the worst situations.

Count how long your panic attack takes to end, and then write the information down. Continue to keep a journal and watch as your panic attacks get shorter and shorter. As you learn to apply specific tips you’ll see that not only do your panic attacks shrink in duration, but also get farther apart.

In conclusion, this article has a few great methods to help prevent troublesome panic attacks from occurring. While the attack itself is scary, you know that it is only temporary and that you will soon recover without any permanent effects. Use this for yourself or help out somebody that you care about.

Relationships

Lately I have noticed that restaurants are a lot quieter than they used to be. Families, couples and friends sit glued to their phones. Often they aren’t even looking or talking to each other. I see parents on their phones while their child sits and eats in silence. Or couples that are both texting someone else while sitting there together. It’s no wonder so many people feel disengaged and lonely.

Rate your relationships with the people in your life that mean the most to you. Make a list of their names and titles. Beside each name put a number from 0-10 representing the status of your relationship right now.

0 = no relationship  10 = extremely close and loving

Most people have someone in their life (perhaps a parent, sibling, child or spouse) that you wish was closer. That distance may gnaw at you. Even if you think you are “fine” with the relationship being contentious, on some level you may find yourself looking at other similar relationships that are loving and close and wishing you had the same thing.

Be very honest in evaluating your relationships. Once you have that done, write down what you wish the relationships would look like. Do you have a 3 next to your spouse and wish it was an 8? What are you willing to change to get what you really want – a loving, fulfilling relationship?

TWO ENEMIES OF SUCCESS (Hint: They live with you)

Yes, there are two enemies that most of us battle on a daily basis! We face them every morning when we wake up, and they follow us around all day. Who are these enemies? Mr. Procrastination and Ms. Avoidance. They live inside your mind and feed you with excuses. Come on – you have heard them saying things like, “You can do that later.” “This is more interesting and fun, let’s do this now.” “You don’t know how to do that, so just put it off.” “This needs to be done but we hate doing that, so let’s do something else!”

Why do we do this? We take the path of least resistance. Like this blog. I know everyone and their brother is supposed to blog at least thirty-thousand times a week. But I hate it. I love to write, but I hate thinking that I have to put some spectacular article together that will go viral when I know that probably everyone stopped reading past the first two sentences already! Oh – you are still here?

Okay then here is The 5C Solution to avoiding avoidance:

1. Clarity – get really clear on what this task will accomplish and why you need to do it

2. Commitment – set a timer for 18 minutes (the amount of time shown to maintain

concentration) and don’t do anything else until it is done. Think of a reward.

3. Challenges – distractions. So turn off the phone, don’t look at email, TV, or talk to anyone

4. Create a Plan – if you need help, call someone who can talk you through it. Just make

sure you stick to the topic. Tell them you have 18 minutes to finish this task and have them

check back.

5. Celebrate – go reward yourself!

Follow these simple steps and you will be Mr. Productivity and/or Ms. Accomplishment! Now, go get that thing you were avoiding by reading this blog done!