M-POWERING PEOPLE TO DISCOVER THEMSELVES AND ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS!

WELCOME!
I am so excited to present the very first M-Powerment Newsletter to you!  If you find this FREE monthly publication to be useful and interesting, PLEASE forward it to your own distribution lists and encourage people to sign up to receive it themselves.  It’s my goal to help as many people as possible, so your assistance in getting the word out would be greatly appreciated!

If you are receiving this email as a forward from a friend, please sign up here to receive the newsletter direct to your inbox – for FREE. 

In this Issue:

1. What is Life Coaching?
2. About M-Powerment
3. Feature Article: November Means No Excuses
4. Website Updates and FREE Resources
5. M-Powerment Services
6. Things To Look Forward To At M-Powerment
7. M-Powerment on MySpace
8. Recommendations From The Coach
9. The Next Issue

WHAT IS LIFE COACHING?

“part consultant, part motivational speaker, part therapist and part rent-a-friend, coaches work with managers, entrepreneurs and just plain folks, helping them define and achieve their goals – career, personal or most often, both.” 
--  Newsweek

Got a Telephone?  Change your life!  Coaching is done on the telephone at appointed hours, convenient to your schedule.  It is a very unique and special partnership, where the coach holds the client accountable for their goals and helps them design a strategy for achievement of those goals.  A coach’s only desire is your success.  Coaches are not therapists, nor do we want to be – we are dedicated to helping you manage the here-and-now, and find ways to make your dreams a reality.

“coaches have the ability to view things from afar…and to shed new light on difficult situations, often they can act as a sounding board through tough decisions, help sharpen skills, motivate.” – CFO Magazine

While properly-trained coaches, such as myself, are taught the basic fundamentals of coaching, including listening and questioning, I believe that the best coaches are born, not trained.  In my opinion, instinct, insight and experience, with the addition of the ability to listen between the lines, are rare, priceless and ultimately necessary skills that a coach must have in order to give the client true value.  However, these vital skills cannot be taught - they are acquired over a coach’s lifetime and are part of their inherent makeup.  I can honestly say that I possess these traits.  If you decide to hire a coach, I recommend looking for these qualities in your initial coaching consultation (which, by the way, should always be FREE). 

ABOUT M-POWERMENT

The "M" in M-Powerment stands for me - my name is Melinda Zupaniotis. M-Powerment is my vision and it is also my mission statement – I want everyone to feel empowered...confident with who they are, certain of their standards and strong in their boundaries.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut, I graduated from the top professional Coach Training Program in the world at CoachU, and I have 11 years of corporate experience under my belt in various industries, working in a number of roles.  Most importantly, I am a real person, just like you, who works hard every day to be the best person I can be and to live the best life I can.  I struggle with the curves that life throws my way and I am constantly striving to make things better.  I am always evolving, growing and learning about myself and I sometimes have to force myself to do things that I know I need to do.  I am not perfect, but I am aware of that, and I strongly believe that if one is aware of one’s weaknesses, one can consciously change and affect those patterns in the moment.

As a coach, I am positive, empathetic, approachable, compassionate, trustworthy, practical, honest and on the same level as my clients.  I use personal experiences, logic, analogies, games, visualizations and good old fashioned Q&A’s to help my clients come to realizations, make decisions, gain perspective and forge a path ahead.  I am most proud of the fact that my clients are always telling me how much value they get from our work together.

Everything that comes out of M-Powerment – every press release, each original article, the website, from design to content to updates, all of the coaching conversations, this newsletter – everything from M-Powerment is directly from me.  I don’t have a big machine behind me, nor am I trying to pretend to be something I am not. 

I know what I like and what I believe in, and I know what I want for my clients, so I try to create an environment, both online and in my coaching calls, in which I would want to participate if I was a client.  So far it seems to be working out well, but if you can think of something new, I am always open to suggestions!

You can find out more about me and my extremely diverse background, interests and credentials on M-Powerment.com.

FEATURE ARTICLE:  NOVEMBER MEANS NO EXCUSES

Procrastination.  It’s an amazing thing.  It can unexpectedly thwart any plan you have and provide you with an endless supply of seemingly-logical reasons why it’s OK to fall off-track.  For example, I planned for weeks to make the feature article for the November newsletter about procrastination, its excuses, and give some tips on avoiding the temptation of falling into the procrastination trap.  I thought about the structure of the piece, wrote an outline for the points I want to make and discussed the topic with others in an attempt to make sure the article is comprehensive, accurate and wide-reaching.  I even sent out an email notice outlining the article in order to get people excited about it. 

Yet, every time I sat down to write this article, procrastination and it’s excuses took over.  One time, it went something like this: “It’s time to write the article.  But wait - you should you finish the rest of the newsletter before you write the feature article.  And actually - you should update the website before you finish the rest of the newsletter.  Oh!  You should return that call before updating the website.  First, though, you should make lunch before you return that call.  But shouldn’t you wash the dishes before making lunch?  And don’t forget to take the garbage out before washing the dishes.  Also, you should clean up the living room before taking out the garbage.”  And so on, and so on…and that day, I don’t think any of those things happened, because I got so overwhelmed that I decided to take a break and watch some TV…and that was just easier, so I didn’t do much more for the rest of the day. Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s a good example of how procrastination is fueled by excuses and how excuses make it so much easier for us to avoid responsibility.

According to Dictionary.com, an “excuse” is “an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness”.  Justification is an excellent excuse for giving an excuse.  Most of us learned at a young age that doing something wrong was grounds for punishment, but we also learned that if we could explain our way out of it, we could deflect responsibility for the root of the problem.  Childhood excuses such as, “Mrs. Jenkins, the dog ate my homework,” and “Mom, I got a C in Mrs. Jenkin’s class because she just doesn’t like me,” morphed into adult excuses such as, “Mr. Smith, I didn’t finish the report because my computer crashed just as I was finishing it and it lost the file,” and “Honey, I got fired because Mr. Smith just doesn’t like me.”  Maybe they’re not always the best excuses, but blaming something other than ourselves can make us feel better.

Be Honest
I believe that the first thing necessary to get anything accomplished is to be HONEST about why you haven’t accomplished it already.  What are the excuses you’ve used to avoid doing something or to justify not completing something you’ve begun? Are those excuses real, or fabricated to make yourself feel better about yourself (or make someone else feel better about you)?  If they’re fabricated, you need to admit to yourself that you’re the only thing holding yourself back, decide if the goal is something you really, truly want, and then simply DO it – remember, you’ve just admitted that you’re the only thing stopping you.  However, if the excuses are real, you then need to ask yourself what do you need to do to overcome these excuses. 

Take A Time-Out
How do you overcome real obstacles that are in your way?  Well, this part is not so cut and dry, as each situation and the obstacles it brings are unique.  However, I believe that finding out how to move past a barricade simply requires a little bit of time.  Time to stop, think and focus. Time to develop a logical strategy. Time to put the strategy in motion.  Just a little bit of TIME.  Once we take that time, and take the steps we’ve mapped out, we have freed up the path to achieve what we want.  And the beauty of it is, if you take the time to work the process once, it’s a whole lot easier the next time.  Furthermore, once you experience the positive results of taking time for yourself, you may find that this behavior becomes instinctual and automatic.

Back-Burner Syndrome
Sounds easy, but the truth is, we are conditioned to spend more time thinking and worrying about other people thank we do about ourselves, and as a result, we tend to completely neglect our own needs.  We forgo our hopes and sacrifice our dreams because somewhere along the way, we were lead to believe that taking care of ourselves was selfish.  In the process, we lose our drive, and forget how to make things happen for ourselves.  Then one day we wake up, and realize that we don’t have what we once thought we would have, and in an effort to restore our self-esteem, we begin to form excuses:  “It’s not my fault.  It’s because…I don’t get paid enough…I have to take the kids to soccer practice…my wife left me…I went to the wrong college…I’m fat…I’m tired…the world is against me…”

Be Aware
Therefore, the key is constant awareness.  You need to always remember the great results you can achieve if you take responsibility and then take some time to formulate a plan to make it happen. You also need to remember how easy it is to fall into the excuse trap and how easy it is to blame other factors for your own failure – and then question yourself every time an excuse pops into your head.   You might also find that sharing your plan to achieve your goal with a close friend can keep the awareness going.  Make yourself accountable to them, and ask them to check often on your progress. 

If you can make this awareness part of your everyday life, it will become a habit, and once it’s a habit, it will just be a part of who you are.  If you want your life to flow better, be less stressful and more satisfying, positive and exciting, you may find that you just need to increase your “excuse awareness”.

In conclusion, I decided to follow my own advice and put these steps in motion.  After admitting that my excuses were completely created in my head, I realized that what I really wanted was to send out this newsletter, but I couldn’t do so without finishing this article.  So I took a deep breath, banished the procrastination, sat down and wrote it.  Hmmmm, I guess this method really works!  Hope it works for you, too!

WEBSITE UPDATES AND FREE RESOURCES

Did someone say free??!  If you’re like me, you LOVE free stuff, and if you do, you’ll LOVE my website – www.m-powerment.com.  I have spent the whole month of October redesigning, updating and expanding M-Powerment.com so that it can be it’s own, self-contained resource for you.  Now on the site, you can find a slew of resources, articles and useful information to help you in your day-to-day life, as well as more information about coaching and how you can try coaching – for FREE!  I invite you to explore the site and find all of the FREE things that might help you begin to make a change for the better!

• Newsletter – This newsletter you’re reading now is sent out monthly and is also available on the website.  Please forward it to your network.  You can unsubscribe at any time by following the instructions on the bottom of the newsletter (but I hope you choose to stick around!).
• Ask the Coach! – This is YOUR page on the website, full of ways for you to experience coaching firsthand – for FREE!  Post a question to the message board, schedule a free coaching consultation, email or chat with me for free advice, find out more about the upcoming Artist Scholarships or take part in a future PodCast.  There’s a lot here – take advantage of it!
• Inspiration - One the things I am most excited about is the Inspiration page, which I update a few times a week.  Using anything from quotes to video clips to pictures and thoughts, I present you with something I find to be uplifting or interesting.  Perhaps it could be a way for you to start the day on an up note, or a way to pick yourself up when down – or just a diversion when you take a break from a hard day.  Be sure to check it out!
• Resources – Articles, assessments, useful links, recommendations, PodCasts (coming soon)…new stuff all the time.  Check out this page often – remember, I am always updating and improving.

M-POWERMENT SERVICES

Besides all of the FREE resources I provide through M-Powerment, I also offer a variety of personal and customized services for very reasonable fees.  More detailed information about each item is available by clicking on the links below to go to the website:

• Coaching – If you have a telephone, you can change your life.  One-on-one coaching is a highly effective and convenient way to make great strides in your personal and professional life.  I offer a variety of standard and custom packages so that you can reap the benefits, no matter your budget!
• Speaking/Events – I want to help as many people as possible, and speaking to groups is a great way to do that.  If you have an event coming up, I can create a custom program on practically any topic you need.  Through humorous stories, poignant analogies and participant interaction, my goal is to inspire, enlighten and influence a new perspective on life.
• Writing – My lifestyle articles have already been utilized by over 200 local news stations across the USA. I write about lifestyle issues ranging anywhere from stress management, to living on a budget, to appreciation, to holiday tips, to cultural critiques (books, music, food, etc.) to basically anything you can think of!  Additionally, I am currently working on a series of pre-adolescent books dealing with self-esteem and self-worth.  If you’re interested in having me write a piece for you, just contact me - some of my past articles are posted on my website.  Enjoy!
• Media Resource – Are you a writer/producer/editor?  Are you looking for a fresh, expert voice to support a story you are working on?  Do you need a devil’s advocate to balance out your viewpoint?  Do you need a quote, statistic or case study to add flavor to your piece?  Just give me a call!  I am available to lend my experienced opinion, insight and advice.  My media kit including picture, bio and suggested topic list, is available on my website

THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO AT M-POWERMENT

I am working very hard to get the word out about M-Powerment and help people M-Power themselves.  Part of my plans for M-Powerment’s growth include:

• Media - Keep an eye out for M-Powerment in the media – press, TV, radio, etc.
• Events/Retreats 2007 – speaking engagements and special events to help you re-focus and re-discover what’s important.
• Artist Scholarships – Are you a struggling artist?  I understand.  Check out the Ask the Coach! page on the website.  Details will be provided soon how you may be eligible to receive free coaching to help you achieve your artistic goal.

M-POWERMENT ON MYSPACE

M-Powerment is on MySpace! If you are, too, click here and invite me to be your friend!  I’d love to create a nice little M-Powered network on MySpace.

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COACH

• October was breast cancer awareness month, but just because it’s now November, don’t forget how important monthly self-exams are.  If you’re a woman, it’s vital!  And if you’re a man, don’t be embarrassed to encourage self-exams among the women in your life.  Click here for more info.
• In the USA, November 23^rd is Thanksgiving.  This is a day of family, friends and food, originally conceived to be a celebration of appreciation for all we have.  Unfortunately, Thanksgiving has become a holiday of dread, peppered with gripes about annoying parents and drunk uncles, fear of traffic and candied yams. Instead of letting aggravation take over the sentiment of the day, I recommend taking a deep breath, exercise some restraint in order to keep the peace and realize that in a few hours, it’ll all be over.  You might even find that you actually enjoy spending time with those you don’t see too often.  You might even discover that you actually like candied yams

THE NEXT ISSUE

This newsletter is issued monthly, so if November meant No Excuses, then December means Decisions.  The end of the year is a reflective time, but instead of looking to the past year, let’s look to the year ahead and make some important decisions to improve our lives in 2007.  In the next issue, I’ll talk about why we are scared of making decisions, how to make a smart decision and stick to it, what we learn by making the wrong decisions, how the right decisions can change your life, and more!

I will also address some positive changes I’ve noticed happening in the world.  The media is finally acknowledging its effect on people’s self-esteem, individuals are taking it upon themselves to spread love...and that’s just the beginning!