QUOTE FROM THE HEART
In each issue of Heartsong, I will open with a quote, poem or lyric, which I have found inspiring and uplifting. In today's issue, I'm featuring not one quote, but two! These quotes deal with a topic with which many of us struggle sometimes, myself included, self-confidence! I hope these quotes inspire you, as they inspired me.

"Don't let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was."
~~Norman Vincent Peale

"If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started."
~~Walt Disney

A NOTE FROM KIM
Welcome to today's issue of Heartsong! Can you believe that August is flying by so quickly? At the end of every month, I find myself asking, "Where did the month go?!" I find it so important to cherish each passing moment, and make the most out of each one of them. I love the feeling I have when I can snuggle under the covers and tell myself, "Well, Kim, you've accomplished something today!" I hope you are enjoying yourself, as well!

My website is about to get a major update. Among the additions to the site that are in the works, is my newly revised schedule of teleclasses, which will begin in early September. I'll soon be offering several powerful and beautiful meditations via MP3, which I'm currently creating. There will be a couple complementary meditations up on my site, as well as several others at very affordable prices. Also, within a month or so, I'll have expanded versions of my teleclass topics available to be purchased as MP3 downloads. They'll be a great way to get to experience the teleclasses from the convenience of your own home or office, and get extra material not covered in class. So that will make them great for those of you who attend my teleclasses, as well as those who haven't attended yet. They'll be very affordable, as well, and with the holidays practically around the corner, they, as well as the meditations, would make great gifts for those you love, including yourself! grin

The teleclass schedule should be online by the time you receive your first September issue, and the MP3's should be up pretty soon after that, so stay tuned! Lots of exciting things are happening, and I hope you'll enjoy them!

Before I close, I want to recommend some wonderful reading material to you. Since this issue's Lighthouse article deals with confidence, I wanted to direct you to this wonderful story, "The Powerless Stone", by John McNally. If you're looking for an afternoon read to inspire you, make you smile and boost your confidence, then this is a must-read! It brightened my day when I read it, and I hope it will do the same for you!

http://www.mindalteringfiction.com/stories/PowerlessStone1.html 

John has lots of other wonderful fiction on his site, also, so check it out!

Well, enjoy the rest of today's issue, and I wish you a wonderful week!

Love,
Kim

FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE, WITH LOVE
A lighthouse serves as a beacon of hope in a violent storm. A lighthouse sheds light on our worries and troubles, and brings us joy and peace. Therefore, in each Heartsong issue, I will include an article, which will help to guide you through the dark and troubled times, or lighten and brighten your heart and life in a special way. In today's Lighthouse article, we're talking about self-confidence, and methods you can begin using, right now, to improve yours.

Scaling The Walls: Five Tips to Create a More Confident You

Has this ever happened to you? You're beginning a new project, or considering beginning a new project. It may be a trip you're planning to take, a purchase you're considering, or a relationship that you'd like to embark upon. Just when you've nearly made up your mind to begin this new project, you hear a distinct, and far too familiar little voice inside your head.

"What? You, do this? Are you serious? You can't do that! You're not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, popular enough, etc, etc."

Suddenly, that niggling doubt has shattered your hope, your dream, your idea, and you don't have enough self-confidence to reclaim your enthusiasm. So... you give up.

It happens to all of us... there are plenty of situations where I simply can't find the self-confidence to follow through. This lack of follow-through, in turn, often leads me down the road of anger, frustration, and even depression.

So what steps can we take to gain, restore, and / or enhance our self-confidence, and silence that nagging voice of doubt and derision? Here are five tips that I use in my own life, that I hope will be helpful to you, as well.

1. Find a creative outlet. Is there a hobby you'd like to take up... perhaps a sport, a musical instrument, sewing, cooking, etc? Even if you aren't good at it now, the more time and effort you invest in something you enjoy, the better you're likely to become at doing it well! And, the better you become at doing the thing you love, the more your self-confidence grows! For instance, when I was a little girl, I desperately wanted to learn to whistle. It was something I enjoyed doing, but I couldn't do it well at all, to begin with. But, with practice, I eventually mastered whistling, and became very confident in doing it. It's a simple example, but the idea can be applied to many other situations, also.

2. Find a support group. It often helps to have a supportive group of friends and / or family members to talk to and confide in. There's nothing more special than a kind or encouraging word to boost one's self-confidence. Another example from my childhood can apply here. Once, as a kid of about eight or nine, I was asked to sing at a church gathering. There were several other singers scheduled to sing before me, and it was very late before my turn came. I was sleepy and distracted, and... I forgot the words to one of the verses of my song. I felt very disappointed, but people told me afterwards that, despite my memory slip, they still greatly enjoyed my song. This made me feel a little better, and served as an encouragement to me. The words of a kind and supportive person can do wonders to lift one's spirits, and build one's confidence.

3. Fill your life with inspiration! Watching the news can be very grim, indeed, and reading the newspapers can be just as grim. Instead of devoting every night to the news, why not bring a little inspiration into your evenings? Find a book that looks particularly inspiring, watch an inspiring movie like "Field of Dreams" or "It's a Wonderful Life", or another one that warms your heart. Listen to some uplifting music, or find an inspiring documentary on TV. I've devoured lots of inspiring material that made me want to reach for my dreams, and have found it a great way to build my confidence.

4. Smile. Yes, I'm serious. Studies have shown that the very act of putting a smile on your face brightens not only the moods of those with whom you come into contact, but lifts your own spirit, as well. I've been faced with many situations, which scared me or made me nervous, and the very act of plastering on a smile before facing my fear, has proven extremely helpful in making me more confident.

5. Prayer. Each morning before I start my day, and each evening before I drift off to sleep, I pray for God's loving assistance in helping me to be the best person I can be. It is my personal belief that we are always watched, embraced and loved by a benevolent higher power, whether we call that power God, Goddess, Spirit, etc. When I release my niggling doubts, fears and anxieties to God's care, I always fear that a great burden has been lifted from my shoulders. This process of release helps to restore my confidence, and encourages me that I am never alone, and always loved and supported.

When we are bogged down by a lack of confidence in ourselves and our abilities, it is as if we've built a huge wall around ourselves, which keeps us feeling scared, unworthy and embittered. In order to gain confidence in ourselves, we must first scale that wall we've built. Just the act of scaling the walls of doubt and despair is a huge step in proving to ourselves that we are, in fact, worthy, empowered, powerful, and lovable!  I wish you much love and joy as you scale your own wall, and continue upon your journey towards a more confident you!

Notes: Among the meditations I'm currently creating, is one for boosting self-confidence and self-esteem. I'll be sending you more details soon!

Also, I find self-hypnosis to be an extremely helpful tool in enhancing many areas of my life. The wonderful hypnotherapist, Victoria Wizell, has a program to assist you in gaining unlimited self-confidence.
http://www.hyptalk.com/cgi-bin/a.pl?hyptalk&2289&products/selfconfidence.htm 

Also, check out Victoria's entire store, for lots of other incredible hypnosis products, by browsing from the link above. I'm sure you'll find something to enjoy. I own Victoria's products, and can't recommend her highly enough!

HOPE AND HEALING
All of us need to take the time to be gentle with ourselves. Therefore, each issue of Heartsong will include tips with which you can nurture, pamper and transform all aspects of your life. Enjoy!

Every one of Us

(I wrote this article for my blog: http://www.kim-loftis.blogspot.com  back in March, and thought I'd share it with you in this issue.)

I'm sure you've all experienced feelings of loneliness, abandonment and unworthiness. Most of us experience those feelings at one time or another, some
of us more than others.

It's always important to remember something at times like these... that is, we are all much beloved children of God! God created each of us, each unique and individual, and therefore, each special. All of us are precious to God. Moreover, God appointed each of us guardian angels to love, guide and protect us as we travel life's path!

Not sure you have an angel? Often times, it's those strange little synchronicities that let us know they're there. You may smell a scent without knowing where it came from. You may feel something brush your cheek, hair, etc. You may sense movement or a twinkling light out of the corner of your eye. Or you may simply feel or sense a presence around you.

So, when you feel alone or afraid, always remember that God and your angels love you unconditionally, and will never leave or forsake you!

HOME AND HEARTH
In this section of the newsletter, I will provide tips to help you to bring your own creativity, spirituality and unique talents into your everyday life, and, more specifically, into your home.
Enchanted By Nature

Here in the northern hemisphere, the Summer months are slowly drawing to a close, soon to give way to the beauty and magic of Fall. While we still have some Summer left, take some time to enjoy the beauty of mother nature's bounty during this season. Look at the lovely Summer flowers, enjoy the trees whose leaves will drop off when Fall arrives. Watch any wildlife that surrounds you. Just take the time to get outside and appreciate nature's blessings. It's a great way to spend time with your family, and to commune with God, and nature itself. Enjoy!

PRAYER FROM THE HEART
Each issue of Heartsong will feature a prayer, either from my own heart, one which I hold dear in my own life, or one suggested to me by others. I hope they will speak to your spirit, as well.

I know that God is the one and only source of my being.

Spirit Itself created me. Life Itself lives through me. Love Itself sustains me. I am in important and connected part of this spiritual universe.

If God loves me enough to create me and to give me life, then I can love and respect myself no less. Therefore, I no longer believe in unworthiness, limitation, and shame. I no longer believe that I am undeserving of the best life has to offer. I deserve and accept all the good things in life - for myself and everyone else in my world.

I ACCEPT my own beauty, and I see it reflected in the world around me.
I ACCEPT my own power, and I use it wisely.
I ACCEPT my own worth, and I live abundantly.
I ACCEPT my own love, and I share it freely.
I ACCEPT my own potential, and I live it fully.

My past, my false beliefs, and my feeling of unworthiness no longer limit me. I accept full responsibility for my life, my thoughts, my feelings, and my actions. I may not always like what I do or how I feel, but I choose always to love myself in the meantime. Never again will I judge myself as undeserving.

Growing and evolving feels good. Accepting responsibility feels good. Giving myself permission to become the person I was meant to be feels good.

And I deserve to feel good about myself and my life.

And so it is.

Affirmative Prayer for Confidence, (from www.cotwest.com )

HEARTSONG REFLECTION
Until our next issue, reflect on the wonder of you... you are a special and unique person. There's no other person in the world like you. Remember that you are empowered, appreciated, and deeply loved.

Love, Light and Blessings,
Kim

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Heartsong is a biweekly publication, and is published on the first and third Sunday of each month. All content is copyright Kim Loftis, unless otherwise indicated.
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http://www.kimloftis.com/news/news.htm 
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Have any questions or comments about this issue, or about Heartsong in general? If so, please don't hesitate to email me.
Kim@KimLoftis.com 
And who knows? Your questions may inspire an article for an upcoming issue! Your questions and comments help me to make Heartsong as engaging, fun and inspiring as possible, and I thank you in advance!
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For compassionate, personalized spiritual healing and coaching services straight from my heart, please visit my website: http://www.kimloftis.com   I would be honored to serve you today!
Until the next issue of Heartsong, let your heart sing, and I send you all my love!