This is an interesting time of year the week between Christmas and New Year’s.  It seems on the surface that not much is happening. Work is slow, the freeways aren’t as crowded because people are on vacation.  But underneath the surface a lot of activity is taking place.  We’re preparing ourselves for the New Year. We’re taking down the decorations, getting organized, and coming up with our goals and resolutions.  This is a creative time – in Ayurveda this is Vata season.

We see it on a global scale.  We have elected a new president, but he hasn’t taken office yet.  He’s busy planning and preparing, choosing his cabinet, figuring out just how to get things done.  And we see it in nature, too.  Trees shed their leaves in preparation for a new Spring.

In life, we can’t be in two places at the same time.  We can’t keep both feet on the ground and expect to go anywhere.  If we want to take that leap of faith, and really make changes in our lives, then both feet have to leave the ground.  How can we do this?  We need to release.  We need to let go. 

Today I led the service at a church, and instead of the traditional “burning bowl” ceremony, we put the “ancient wisdom, modern style” CoffeyTalk twist on it.  We wrote down what we wanted to release, and then put the papers through a shredder!  This is the prayer I wrote for releasing.  Enjoy, and take it to heart.  I love you!  Happy New Year!

Dear God, Sweet Spirit,

Knowing that all is one and I am one with all that is –
I recognize that certain habits, or thought patterns, or misconceptions
No longer serve me, no longer contribute to my greatest good.
I choose, here and now, to release any and all
judgments, anger, guilt, or self-destructive behaviors.
I choose to let go of pain, and heartache, to let go of resentment and blame.
I choose to unburden myself of any heaviness that is weighing me down.
I choose to leave behind any pettiness of the past.
I choose to relinquish control, to let You,
the guiding light of the Universe, in Your infinite Wisdom,
take care of the details of my life. I choose to open the door, to clear out the clutter, in my life and in my mind and to make room for
All that is offered to me.
I choose to let go completely – and let GOD! I choose, right here and now, to give up the struggle.
I choose, right here and now to release all my fears, all my doubts, any falsehoods that are holding me back from knowing and experiencing and celebrating all that I am. I choose to get with the program, to embrace the
Trust and Faith, and Health, and Light, and Truth, and Opportunity, and Love and Prosperity and Wholeness
That right here and now runs in and around and through each and every one of us.  This is who I am.
And I am truly grateful. I now release and let go of anything that contradicts this fact.  Whatever it is, I let it go.  Happily, with grace and ease, and forever. And so it is, Baby – and so it absolutely is!
Amen!

Sleeping together is an important way for couples to feel connected to one another. While many partners can live happily together; they just can’t sleep well side by side. Research from the Better Sleep Council (BSC) found that on average, one in three Americans report that their partner’s sleep problems negatively impact their own quality of sleep. If your partner’s sleep style has you headed for a separate room, relationship expert Lissa Coffey and the Better Sleep Council have some tips that just might bring harmony back to the bedroom and into your relationship. 1.    Problem:  Your partner kicks in his or her sleep, waking you up.
Solution:  Make sure your bed gives each person adequate sleep surface. If you are sharing a double (full–size) mattress, that only gives each person as much room as sleeping in a crib! Couples should share a mattress no smaller than queen-size. 2.    Problem:  Your partner likes it hot, but you like it cool.
Solution:  Temperature is a major issue in many relationships. Ideally, your bedroom should be a cool 60–65 degrees Fahrenheit. But a few simple adjustments can make it possible for a person who craves heat and a person who craves cool to sleep side by side comfortably.
�    Double fold the blankets so there is more coverage on one side.
�    Invest in a dual-control electric blanket or a twin-size electric blanket for one side. 3.    Problem:  Your partner snores, keeping you up at night.
Solution:  Snoring can be a serious health concern, so make sure to consult your physician. If your partner’s snoring is not a serious health condition, try alternative treatments like investing in anti-snore pillows, sprays or nasal strips that are designed to help people breathe more easily. If your partner’s snoring persists, try foam earplugs before you try a different room. 4.    Problem:  Your partner tosses and turns.
Solution:  It may be your mattress. If your mattress is uncomfortable, it can lead to restless sleep. Mattresses should be evaluated every five to seven years for comfort and support. 5.    Problem:  Your partner loves to cuddle, but you like your space while you sleep.
Solution:  Compromise. Before falling asleep spend some time snuggling together and then agree to sleep apart.  6.    Problem:  Your sleep schedules don’t match.
Solution:  Try finding a bedtime that works for both of you. If your partner turns in early and you’re a night owl, try reading a book with a personal book lamp until you’re ready to nod off. If you’re an early riser compared to your sleep partner, be considerate in the early morning. Keep overhead lights off and use minimal lighting while your partner is sleeping. 7.    Problem:  Your bedroom feels more like an office than a place to sleep.
Solution:  Your bedroom should only be used for sleep and sex. Keep work, laptops, PDAs and televisions out of the bedroom. This creates a much more relaxing and romantic atmosphere, and will give you both a better night’s sleep. BetterSleep.org

A few months ago, Greg called me into the backyard to help solve a mystery.  Our lawn was torn up, kind of rolled up in patches.  How could this have happened?   It was so strange – something I’d never seen before.  It didn’t look like a vandal, or something human – we had considered an alien invasion but thought better of it.  A quick search online suggested that possibly it was a raccoon invasion.  Since we have had raccoons in our backyard before, that explanation made sense.  It seems that the raccoons roll up the sod looking for little grubs to eat.  These grubs are not usually there, so the lawn is generally left alone – but somehow the raccoons know when they are there, and then they feast.

 So, to get rid of the raccoons, sites suggest you get rid of the grubs.  And that means all kinds of nasty chemicals.  No, not for us.  Poisons can go straight from our lawn to the lake, hurting our wildlife.  We decided to take our chances and hope that the raccoons would run out of food and move on to another lawn.  No such luck.  It only got worse.  We kept researching.

Finally, Greg came upon a natural solution: Cayenne pepper!  It seems a little spice mixed into the buffet would turn the raccoons away.  Ah!  Sounded good to me, red pepper can’t hurt animals, just maybe enough them enough to take their interest away from our lawn.  It is an inexpensive remedy, too – I went to the grocery store and got a bottle of the cheapest cayenne, came back home and sprinkled away.  Quite colorful, the green grass and the hot red pepper.  And so far, it seems to be working!  I’ll keep you posted.

10 Qs from Justin Sachs
I’d like to introduce you to Justin Sachs who is the author of a new book, Your Mailbox Is Full and is the founder of the Creating Possibilities Coaching Program in which Justin helps teenagers to increase their grades, eliminate procrastination, and create balance in all the areas of their life. 1.    What do you do?
I work with teenagers to increase their grades, eliminate procrastination, create balance in their lives, and overcome any obstacles standing in their way of success.
2.    Tell us about your new book.
Your Mailbox Is Full is a book for teenagers, that teaches them the tools they need to become successful in school and throughout their lives. They learn things like goal setting, time management, living a healthy lifestyle, and modeling and attracting success.
3.    Why did you write it?
When I was 14 years old I went to my first Tony Robbins Seminar and I was in a room full of thousands of adults thinking, “Where’s all the teenagers?” “Why aren’t other youth here getting these powerful tools and strategies?” It was with that realization that I found my passion: Empowering teenagers with life-skills and leadership development tools for success. That’s what my book is all about: Teaching youth the most powerful skills they need to know to create enormous success and fulfillment in life! Now, teenagers don’t have to wait until they are 30 or 40 to get these tools and strategies, they are available to them within Your Mailbox Is Full.
4.    What makes you an expert in your field?
After going to Anthony Robbins seminars for 3 years, I began working for his product sales team and non-profit organization at all his events worldwide.  I then began working for Mark Victor Hansen, the co-founder of Chicken Soup for the Soul Series, and learned even more about life-skills, writing a book, and supporting people in bringing possibility into their lives. I then read everything I could get my hands on from The Secret, to Jack Canfield, to Stephen Covey, to Eckart Tolle, among many others. I learned everything I possibly could about personal development and transformation such that I can now create transformation in others!
5.    What type of people should read your book?
The book is designed for teenagers and young adults, but parents throughout the country are reading the book and loving every page! The contents of the book are limitless, this is the perfect book for anyone looking to take their lives to the next level, especially youth!
6.    Are you on any social networks? Eg. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
Yes, on www.Twitter.com/JustinSachs or http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=511068642
7.    Advice for Teens or Parents of Teens
Follow your passions and never give up on your dreams! If you have a goal, a vision, or a hope for the future, hold on to it, focus on it, and take action to make it happen! You’ll be amazed at how quickly your dreams will manifest themselves when energy is focused on them.
8.    Favorite Quote
Every day, every week and every month, you must challenge yourself to continue to grow to new heights and to take your standards to higher and higher levels. ~ Justin Sachs
9.    Favorite Theme Park
Walt Disney World of course!!!
10.    How can we purchase your book? Learn more about you? Do you have a blog?
My book is available on my website: www.YourMailboxIsFullBook.com To learn more about my coaching services visit www.JustinSachsOnline.com and be sure to check out my new radio show at www.MotivationalMindsRadio.com

Last week I read an article in the Los Angeles Times about an auction that was scheduled through Julien’s Auctions.  They were selling items that had been a part of the household at Michael Jackson’s Neverland.  The next day there was another article, saying that the auction had been canceled.  Michael stated that these items are irreplaceable, and that he never agreed that they would be sold.  The auction company was allowed to keep the exhibit open, and for a $20 admission fee, anyone could come in and take a look.

Being a child of the ’70’s I feel like I grew up with Michael Jackson, and I was very interested to see his awards and costumes.  At the last minute I threw my camera in the back of the car, just in case they let me take some footage.  And guess what?  They did! 

So, here is the video that I made… fascinating stuff!

Michael Jackson’s Neverland Collections

Hi!

I’m doing a Satellite Media Tour for the Better Sleep Council.  I’ll be talking about Better Sleep Month, and how to get a good night’s sleep despite stress!

If you’re in any of these cities you can tune in LIVE:

KIMT, Rochester-Mason City 7:05-7:15 am ET

KHGI, Lincoln & Hastings – KRNY 7:15-7:25 am ET

KJTV, Lubbock 8:15-8:25 am ET

WHAM -CW, Rochester 8:40-8:50 am ET

KCWJ (radio), Kansas City 9:05-9:10 am ET

KCWE, Kansas City 9:15-9:20 am ET

Tell Rochelle (National Talk Radio, CBS) 10:05-10:10 am ET

KBFX, Bakersfield 10:40-10:50 am ET

Cable Radio Network, National 10:50-11:00 am ET

And we’re pre-taping shows in these cities so check your station listing for times and dates:

WICU, Erie

WCJB, Gainesville

WKMG, Orlando

KRIV, Houston

WDIS Radio, Boston

WYAM, Huntsville-Decatur

WYYZ Radio, Atlanta

WBFF, Baltimore

WWL, New Orleans

WWMT, Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo

WDAZ, Fargo-Valley City

You can find more sleep tips online at: BetterSleep.org

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful, nurturing women in the world!  i think we are all mothers in some way.  We give birth through our creativity and our caring.  We garden, feed the birds, volunteer, parent our pets.  There is an intuitive sense of care-taking that just comes with being a woman.  We can’t help ourselves.

i was lucky enough to grow up knowing my two grandmothers.  I loved them both, and each had an influence on my life in a different way.   Grandma Granich was the more traditional grandmother, she doted on me and my brother and sister, constantly feeding us, catering to our every whim.  Her face lit up when she saw us coming.  She’d bake apple strudel from scratch, rolling out the dough to cover the whole kitchen table.  She grew figs in her front yard, and climbed the ladder to pick them herself.  Her garden was the pride of the neighborhood, colorful carnations and geraniums blooming for everyone’s enjoyment.  This Grandma never learned to drive.  Instead she walked to the market just about every day for fresh bread and vegetables.  She’s the woman who made the journey by boat from Croatia alone, at age 16.  She’s the woman who lost her daughter to cancer, and her husband to old age.  She’s the woman who lived a simple life, and gave the best hugs in the world.

My Grandma Penny was the sophisticated Grandmother.  She was a working woman, married three times.  She had style, and determination.  Grandma Penny drove a turquoise sports car, and had a lavender bathroom.  For most of her life she colored her hair a bright copper; she dressed beautifully and entertained elegantly.  Grandma Penny owned a radio station in Lake Tahoe for awhile, so she got to meet celebrities and go to fancy parties.   She always had something interesting to talk about!  And she had various little dogs to take care of over the years, each one lucky to be so spoiled silly.

My own mother is very much her own person.  She grew up in San Francisco and was a ballerina for awhile.  She graduated from high school at 16, married at 20 and had me at age 21.  Divorced at 30, she lived the life of a single, working mom until she met my step-dad.  My mother is smart, she started her own financial planning business.  When I moved to Los Angeles, my sister followed, and then my brother.  After I had my first child, my mother couldn’t stand being so far away from all of us so she and my step-dad moved down here, too.  She loved being “Nanny” to her grandkids and babysat regularly for both me and my sister.  Now all of our kids are grown, and my mom has taken on a new project: “Hugs from Home.”  She and her friends pack up boxes for the troops.  Not just any boxes, these boxes are packed with love, and it shows.  My mom has big binders filled with thank you notes, cards, and photos from men and women overseas who have gotten and appreciate these beautiful packages.

My first mother-in-law Kathy is still very much a part of my life, even though I don’t get to see her very often.  She’s smart and hard-working, and besides her 6 almost-grown grandkids down here, she has two little granddaughters up in Sacramento.

My second mother-in-law Judith passed away a couple of years ago.  I still miss her.  Judith was fun and flamboyant, a retired actress and opera singer who lived the country life when she married her race-car-driver husband in Australia.  Judith understood me, and loved me.  I took her only son far away to the United States, but she was never anything less than thrilled that we had found each other.  I’m so happy that she got to participate in our wedding.

Each of these women has been special in my life.  And I think of each one today, and every Mother’s Day.  Now I’m a mother, and I know my boys will have other moms in their lives who will be special to them.  And for that, I am grateful.