Subject: Celebrating the Differences

Welcome to Celebrating the Journey!
Monday, February 5, 2001
Issue #52

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Welcome Notes
2. Celebrating the Differences
3. Coaching: Celebrating the Differences
4. Quotes
5. Humor: Words of Wisdom
6. Celebrating Out Loud!
7. FREE Teleclass on Boundaries
8. Shameless Marketing: Your Best Year Yet in Aspen

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1. Welcome Notes

Welcome to this glorious winter morning! The morning
is clear and crisp and filled with possibilities here in the
mountains of Colorado. May it be the same for you,
wherever you are!

Welcome to our new subscribers. Each new member of
our CTJ family, creates a celebration here at To The
Summit. Thanks for giving us so much joy.

REMINDER: FREE Teleclass on Boundaries begins at 10
a.m. EST next Monday, February 12. Details are in Section
7 below. Cheryl Richardson, best-selling author of Take
Time for Your Life and Life Makeovers will be on the
Oprah show today talking about Boundaries. This is a
great prelude to our Teleclass! Check your local listings for
time and channel.

Make it a great day!

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2. Celebrating the Differences

My niece Meg, who is also one of my closest friends,
visited me this weekend. We had an hour or so together
in the car on the way home from the airport to catch up.
We chatted non-stop, as 2 women who love each other
and haven’t seen one another in a while, are apt to do.

We talked about the challenges we had each faced in the
last year, how strongly they had affected us, and how we’d
both felt stuck in them for several months. And we
celebrated that we are both now in a rewarding, happy,
and successful time of our lives.

“Yup,” said Meg with a smile, “And you did a Vision Fast
in the desert to unstick yourself, and I went to New York
with a group of girlfriends, drank Cosmopolitans and
bought a purse.”

She paused, then added with a giggle, “And it worked for
both of us.”

We looked at each other and laughed out loud for a long
time. It was the clearest example I’d ever heard of how we
are different. Meg is one of my closest friends, and yet in
many ways, we are very different.

Last night in that car, I saw clearly that our differences are
as important a part of our close friendship as are our
similarities.

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3. Coaching: Choose Celebration

Close relationships happen in spite of the differences
between people, sometimes even because of them.

Rarely are the people we love like us in all aspects of our
lives. The mysterious something that creates a bond
between two people can happen even when the two
appear to be completely dissimilar with no connection on
which to base a relationship. Sometimes these are the best
relationships we have in our lives.

How is that possible?

We need only celebrate the differences rather than allow
them to get in the way. That means not judging, not
fearing, not trying to change anyone, not trying to convert
anyone to our way of thinking or being. It means being
patient, accepting, tolerant.

Is it more important that your spouse doesn’t share your
love of camping or that (s)he smile at you in that special
way?

Do you really want to end that relationship because your
friend likes action movies and you prefer romance?

Where are the differences between you and someone close
to you getting in the way of the relationship? How can
you celebrate those differences rather than dwell on their
negativity? It is simply about changing your frame of
reference, choosing an attitude of acceptance.

I cherish that Meg loves to buy designer clothes and I love
to fast in the desert. I get a huge kick out of the fact that I
am a mountaineer who spends months without a shower
and my best friend Becky won’t go anywhere she can’t
plug in her hairdryer. Both of those differences could be
extremely annoying! I choose to celebrate them.

When you notice the difference between you and your
loved ones, choose celebration rather than irritation. Bless
the dissimilarities rather than gritting your teeth. It will
transform your relationships!

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4. Quotes:

We like someone because: we love someone although.
Unknown

Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate
the journey!!
Barbara Hoffman

If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love
affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go
into business, because we’d be cynical. Well, that’s
nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and
build your wings on the way down.”
Ray Bradbury

Fear makes strangers out of people who should be friends.
Shirley MacLaine

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5. Humor: Words of Wisdom

My sister Barb is always sending me e-mails that make me
laugh out loud! Hope these Words of Wisdom do the
same for you!

Love is grand;
divorce is a hundred grand.

I am in shape.
Round is a shape.

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember, amateurs built the ark.
Professionals built the Titanic.

Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.

Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if
you just sit there.

Politicians and diapers have one thing in common.
They should both be changed regularly and for the same
reason.

An optimist thinks that this is the best possible world.
A pessimist fears that this is true.

In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday.

I am a nutritional overachiever.

I am having an out of money experience.

I plan on living forever.
So far, so good.

A day without sunshine is like night.

If marriage were outlawed,
only outlaws would have in-laws.

It’s frustrating when you know all the answers,
but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right
thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong
thing at the tempting moment.

Brain cells come and brain cells go,
but fat cells live forever.

And this one is the real truth, so pay attention:

You don’t stop laughing because you grow old,
you grow old because you stopped laughing.

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6. Celebrating Out Loud

January 27: Rena celebrated her 54th birthday.

January 31: Kathy Rees celebrated 17 years of recovery
from an eating disorder.

February 6: I celebrate the anniversary of the day the world
was given the great gift of Elizabeth Horner! Happy
Birthday, Elizabeth!

Cheryl Richardson is celebrating her close friend Patty
who is dying. Cheryl writes, “Life is such a precious gift
and joy lives in small places. Please join me in honoring
Patty by claiming some joy for you and your loved ones
this week.”

Barb Thurston is celebrating making it through the first
round of her Fulbright application.

E-mail your birthday or anniversary or accomplishment
or shift or ah-ha or joyful moment to
mailto:celebration@tothesummit.com. Let us
know what great stuff is happening in your life!

Know someone who’s celebrating a great occasion? What
better gift than to forward them a copy of Celebrating the
Journey with a celebratory wish in it. Let’s spread the joy!

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7. FREE Teleclass on Boundaries

FEBRUARY: Boundaries: The Self Protectors

Do you often say, “yes,” to things you don’t really want to
do? Do people treat you in a disrespectful manner? Do
you put up with almost anything to avoid confrontation?
Do you feel guilty when you put your own needs first?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, it’s time for
you to learn to set better boundaries.

A strong boundary is like an energy field of protection that
you draw around yourself to protect your heart, mind,
body, and spirit. Coach Cheryl Richardson, a regular guest
on the Oprah Winfrey Show, says that, “If I were asked to
name the one action step that would most improve life
for the better, it would be to create stronger boundaries.”

This teleclass teaches what healthy boundaries look like
and how to create them. Topics will include:

Examples of weak boundaries
What happens when your boundaries are weak
The benefits of having strong boundaries
How to set a boundary
Boundaries don’t have to be serious!
Practice with setting a boundary

HOW IT WORKS

We will meet via a bridge telephone line on 3 Mondays:
February 12, February 19, and February 26.

The time of the call is 10:00 am, Eastern time. (That’s 9 am
Central, 8 am Mountain, 7 am Pacific). The only cost to
you is the telephone call.

The number to call is 702-565-8327. If you’d like to reserve
a spot on the call, send an e-mail to
teleclass@tothesummit.com stating that. Otherwise, the
class is on a first come, first serve basis.

If you’re unable to attend all 3 calls, feel free to join us for
as many as you can.

The first time you participate in a Teleclass, you will be
entitled to a free follow-up coaching session with Margo.
Work one-on-one with her to solidify and expand the
shifts that have occurred during the teleclass!

FUTURE TOPICS

MARCH: Free Your Life: Become A Toleration Free Zone

We humans put up with a lot of stuff in our life. Most of
it just isn’t necessary. Putting up with tolerations wastes
our time and energy, keeps us stuck, causes us grief and
generally gets in the way of having what we really want in
our lives. This class is about getting rid of what’s bugging
you! Topics will include:

What is a toleration?
Why do tolerations drain my energy?
Benefits of being Toleration Free.
How do I identify my tolerations?
Now that I know what they are, what do I do about
them?
Eliminating tolerations
(You will eliminate at least 5 tolerations during
the teleclass.)
Maintaining a toleration free zone

APRIL: Standards: Raise Yours To Attract High Quality
People and Opportunities

February’s Teleclass on Boundaries deals with how others
treat us. This month we will talk about the behavior and
actions to which you hold yourself.

What are high personal standards?
Benefits of having high personal standards.
What happens when one’s standards are too low?
Who do you admire and why?
Aligning your standards with your values.
Choose and live a new standard.

For further information send an e-mail to
mailto:teleclass@tothesummit.com.

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8. Your Best Year Yet in Aspen

Here’s the perfect way to identify and remove some of the
weeds that are taking up space in your garden.

John Gray said about Your Best Year Yet, “Personal success
does not have to be years away. [Your Best Year Yet]
masterfully guides you from thought to action and
inspires you to start actualizing your heart’s desires this
year.”

Can the next 12 months of YOUR life be your Best Year
Yet? You bet it can! This 3 1/2 hour workshop leads you to
a simple one-page plan for exactly that, and provides
tools to support you in following the plan. It’s a small
investment with a big return!

I am offering the Your Best Year Yet workshop in Aspen,
Colorado on the morning of Saturday, February 10, from
8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Aspen Chapel, 0077
Meadowood Dr. The cost for CTJ subscribers is $100.

Visit https://www.tothesummit.com/YBYY.html for more
information or click mailto:margo@tothesummit.com to
receive a registration form or answers to any questions.

Margo has a few slots open for motivated clients who
want to create a successful life and have the time to enjoy
it. Every dedicated athlete has a coach. Why not
have a coach for the most important game of all: the
game of life. Visit our website at
https://www.tothesummit.com for additional resources
and tools. To schedule a consultation, send an email to
mailto:margo@tothesummit.com

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Give yourself the gift of celebrating differences this week.

Namaste, Margo

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If you received this copy of Celebrating the Journey from
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My purpose in publishing Celebrating the Journey is to
provide you with resources, motivation, inspiration and
energy for YOUR journey of creating success and freedom
in all areas of your life. CTJ will use stories from my life
and others, coaching tips and resources, quotes and
humor to deliver a learning experience that can enhance
your life. I am always looking for comments, ideas and
ways to improve CTJ. I welcome your e-mails at
mailto:margo@tothesummit.com.

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Copyright © 2001, all rights reserved, by Margo
Chisholm

I invite you to share Celebrating the Journey with your
mailing list, friends, and associates. We ask only that the
entire e-mail with copyright and credits be included. The
author of this article is Margo Chisholm. You may contact
her at (970) 704-9336 or at mailto:margo@tothesummit.com.

—
“At every moment of our life we have an
opportunity to choose joy.”
Henri J. M. Nouwen

Margo Chisholm
Coach, Speaker, Author, Therapist
Partnering you in having success,
freedom and joy in all areas of your life
970-704-9336 fax 970-704-9346
margo@tothesummit.com

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