Archives for September 2014

How important is Mindset?

Mindset is “a habitual mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations.”

After reading that definition from Webster’s Dictionary, it stopped me in my tracks. I never thought of how important mindset is and it can direct your life.

Mindset is not some diddly little attitude you walk around with. In fact it is the lens you look at life with. Your own personal filtering system on how you will play the game of life.

I consider myself as someone who has a very positive attitude, always looking at the glass half full. But honestly, I have never delved into consciously studying how I respond to situations. Not until now.

I am a very strong believer that you are not meant to walk this journey of life and personal awakening alone. I am completely transparent about my 25 years of addiction and 26 years of recovery. Did I do this alone? Hell no!

At different stages of personal discovery, I sought out coaches that were proficient in taking me to the next level and mentors that would inspire me to open my mind to endless new possibilities. Without the help of these glorious souls who contributed greatly to my development, I would not be the woman I am today. I have become masterful in so many areas of my life and I now teach other woman to do the same.

Women are meant to live passionate and purposeful lives. Once you have the lessons, the strategy for mastering the game of life, you become a powerful creator in your life. You realize you are deserving of all your desires.

I am off to participate in a Mindset Retreat with the acclaimed Fabienne Fredrickson. I am so excited for the opportunity to go. It’s one more step in my personal development to be the best expression of myself. The wiser and more conscious I become the better coaching and support I can offer the women I am blessed to serve.

What I am discovering is that my life will be a process of continued self-discovery, revelations and releasing what no longer serves me. When I think I know it all, a cosmic 2X4 hits me on the head to wake me up. I will never have all the answers but the pursuit of finding them is absolutely delicious.

I can’t wait to share with all of you when I return what I learn from the Mindset Reatreat.

I will post some golden nuggets on Facebook while I am gone. Stop by personal page (facebook.com/malduane) or my Fanpage //www.facebook.com/malduanecoach for a sneak peak.

Faithfully,

Mal

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Mal Duane is a Best Selling Author and Personal Life and Recovery Coach who has overcome life challenges using the steps in the Alpha Chick Process. Her personal mission is to help women excel in all areas of their lives from business to personal relationships. Mal has been featured with Fox 25 Boston Morning Show, CBS Radio, Aspire Magazine, Healthy Living and Metrowest Daily News. She has also been a featured guest on over one hundred Blogtalk Radio shows discussing recovery and personal transformation.

Mal’s book, Alpha Chick, Five Steps for Moving from Pain to Power, is a best selling book and is available on Amazon.com.

Is beauty an illusion?

Is beauty an illusion? I love the description the IPhone dictionary has for illusion. It says it is an erroneous mental representation or the act of deluding.

Have you looked in any magazines lately of images of women appearing in ads or fashion layouts? Do they look authentic to you? And yet you are supposed to aspire to look like and use the products they promote. I don’t know about you but I just can’t buy into that crap.

There are a few brands that promote real women in their advertisements. The key word here is REAL.

Dove soap stood up and launched an amazing campaign about real beauty in real women. More magazine is one of the few publications that have real women in their editorials. Daily we are brainwashed by images that have been airbrushed and altered to sell things we really don’t need.

The skin care industry is a multi-billion dollar business. Why? They ignite our burning desire to want to look better (which is ok) by selling us products that re grossly overpriced and make miniscule improvements. I laugh when I think of my mother’s beauty regiment of Ivory soap and Pond cold cream. She never more face makeup, just some powder, rouge and lipstick. She had amazing skin all her life. Barely a wrinkle until she got into her eighties.

So how much is too much?

I know if I tried to purchase all the products recommended for a woman my age, I would need a second mortgage and an addition on my home. I take very good care of my skin, treating it from the inside out. I maintain a healthy diet, Good nutrients and vitamins B, C and D daily. I drink a ton of water, no carbonated beverages and no alcohol (in recovery). Of course I don’t smoke as well. I love Basis super-fatted soap, great for sensitive skin since I get broken capillaries very easily. I follow with Thayer’s Lemon Witch Hazel Astringent (it works as well as the very expensive toners). Then I apply Aveeno Daily moisturizer with SPF 30 and Bare Minerals makeup. At night I use a Vitamin C cream that I by on Vitacost.

So being completely transparent, I have tried some of those miracle creams with fancy French names. The experience was comparable to applying Crisco to my face but at 100 times the cost.

Bottom line, spending more doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to get better results. A lot of people tell me I have really healthy skin. So you be the judge.

Here I am bare faced…like it or not.

Would love to hear your comments below.

Faithfully,

Mal

If you like our content sign up here for updates and a free gift!

Mal’s book, Alpha Chick, Five Steps for Moving from Pain to Power, is a best selling book and is available on Amazon.com.

Has love failed you?

I don’t know how many times in my own life I went to such levels of despair thinking that I was unloved or being rejected by someone I thought I loved. It was the fuel for my alcoholism for many years. I would think I am not loved so I will beat the crap out of myself. Sound familiar?

Love Does Not Fail For You When You Are Rejected or Betrayed or Apparently Not Loved. Love Fails For You When You Reject, Betray, and Do Not Love. . . . Therefore, The Most Direct Way To Know Love In every moment Is To Be Love In every moment. By Adida Samraj

When I first read this, it knocked me on my ass. I had to go back and reread it a few times before I could fully understand the enormous lesson in this statement.

I have written many times before that everything starts with us. I am not trying to sound like a broken record but the truth is we are responsible, we have the power to choose. Everything comes from within and most importantly love starts with us first.

You can’t give away what you don’t have!

So in order to attract love you must BE love. When you become emotionally reactive to another person, you attack or you judge. When you do this, you are shutting down the flow of love within you. But what if you stay open, maybe even be vulnerable-you stay in the energy of love. You are elevating the vibration of the emotional disagreement. How can someone not love you for that?

When you are rejected in a relationship it hurts. Retaliation doesn’t make you feel and better and it only keeps you in a state of “lovelessness”. When you withhold love, who are you really keeping it from? Instead feel the pain or sorrow from the ending of a relationship. Be clear on what you feel, acknowledge your feelings and transcend them.

Let go of the wounded ego, the small voice from within so that you can connect to your radiant love consciousness.

Love is your birthright-no one can take it away from you accept your wounded self!

Faithfully,

Mal

If you like our content sign up here for updates and a free gift!

Mal’s book, Alpha Chick, Five Steps for Moving from Pain to Power, is a best selling book and is available on Amazon.com.