Welcome to the maiden voyage of The TCW! NewsWorks

You told us you wanted more. More useable information. We listened. Starting now, on the 3rd Friday of each month, you can expect real ideas, practices, news and connections to arrive in your email in-box.

NewsWorks will consist of 7 regular columns:

• Walking Your Talk — practical ideas from our presenters
• Caught Our Eyes — thought-provokers from our staff
• Community News — updates from our presenters, co-sponsors, you and the consciousness community-at-large
• Have Your Say — your letters and comments to the NewsWorks editor
• What’s Up at TCW!? —updates when we have something new to share
• The Polling Place — a new question each month to help us learn more about ourselves as a community
• TCW! Calendar — up-to-date TCW! workshop schedule

This is only the beginning. Let us know what you think about our newsletter as we continue on our journey together. Forward the email to friends and family, too! Full steam ahead!
                                                   Rae and M.A.

In This Issue:

Walking Your Talk: Geneen Roth
Caught Our Eye Reflections from a TCW! associate
Community News The latest from TCW! presenters & affiliates
What’s Up @ TCW!: Coming soon - TCW! Online Community
Have Your Say A place for you
The Polling Place: Do you Blog?
TCW! Calendar The latest TCW! workshop information

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The Limits of Weight Loss by Geneen Roth

It's true - having a noncompulsive relationship with food frees our energy and time. It also allows us to feel lighter and less restricted. But as the saying goes, happiness is not in getting what you want, but in wanting what you have.

The truth is that many thin people are miserable. Many of them don't like themselves. And all people -- thin or fat -- get old, have cellulite, and die. Being thin does not exempt anyone from illness, loss, or heartbreak.

Bummer.

But there's another way of looking at this. I spent a good deal of my life believing that someone else would have done a much better job living my life. Now, whenever I find myself thinking the answers are out there as opposed to in here, or if I catch myself wanting what someone else has or believing I am the wrong person to be living my life, I do two simple things:

1 - I take a few deep breaths.

2 - I turn my attention inside myself instead of outside. How do you know when you're outside yourself? The first clue is that you start to feel panicky about needing to be "fixed." You embark on a major program of self-improvement, feeling 2 feet tall, weak, stuck, and unable to move forward with anything.

That's when you know you need to climb back into your own body and focus your attention on yourself and what's really important in your life.

To do this, I make myself notice simple, concrete things: the pale turquoise sky, the cool air, the crisp taste of an apple, the fact that I have arms and legs. And, oh, I almost forgot: the sheer fact that I am alive. (That last one really helps as there are not many opportunities for earthly happiness if you are dead.)

Being concrete about what we already have works every time, and here's why: One of the few things over which we have control is where we put our attention.

And if we pay attention to the fact that we can move, breathe, feel, laugh, cry, and notice sunsets, there is cause for joy. Every single one of us has a richly embroidered life, though different from the one (we believe) we would choose.

If we put our attention on what we already have instead of what we lack, that desperate, panicky feeling that something is wrong and someone else has it better goes away. We come back home to ourselves and begin liking our own lives -- which is all we ever wanted from being thin anyway.

KISS Your Life Hello 
by Steve Russo

We've all known the acronym K.I.S.S. - Keep it Simple Stupid. 

Yet how many of us have adopted KISS as a life theme? While I don't consider myself as stupid by any means, I'm certainly guilty of tending to make things in my life much more complicated than need be. 

But let's be honest - life can be very complicated.
 
Balancing work and home life, finding time for family, aspiring to reach personal goals while at the same time simply moving forward on life's everchanging path takes a combination of concentration, organization....and just plain commitment.
 
This year, I've adopted the concept of KISS as my mantra for a better life - and I'm reaping the benefits!
 
Every day, I devote time to simple pleasures like a walk with my dogs, a phone call to a good friend just to say hello, a trip to the library, a visit to a museum or art gallery or time out for an espresso at my favorite bistro. I've even taken time (Gasp!) for an afternoon nap.

Nothing complicated, just a brief break from the grind.

And lo and behold, after each respite, I've found myself more energized and more focused - ready to take on the rest of day's responsibilities. I feel more alive.

Try it yourself. Carve out some time just for you - every single day. Take this precious time to slow down, recharge and reflect.

You'll soon discover simple life solutions magically appear when you KISS.

Gregg Braden’s newest book, "The Divine Matrix–Bridging Time, Space, Miracles and Relief" hit #12 on the New York Times bestseller list. You can find Gregg's book at all popular bookstores or order it directly through TCW! partner, Source Books at http://www.conferenceworks.com/affiliates.php

Starting in the May issue, read Geneen Roth’s new column in Good Housekeeping Magazine. Click here to find out more http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/

Congratulations and welcome to AHP-The Association for Humanistic Psychology's new president, Cuf Ferguson.

New Dimensions Radio is making the transition to 100% online and pod casts. Click here to learn more: www.newdimensions.org/

The 2007 Institute of Noetic Sciences Conference, Consciousness in Action, August 8-12, Palm Springs, CA. Click here to learn more: http://www.noetic.org/
Note: for those who first met us there, TCW! is coordinating the conference again this year.

Coming soon to the TCW! website will be our new Online Community.

You'll be able to join other kindred spirits online, read others' thoughts, post your comments and stay abreast of new ideas, holistic health and healing and spiritual growth. Or just come to exchange knowledge with others who share many of the same viewpoints as you do.

There's no charge to join and you'll even be able to post your own online identity (kind of a Face Book for adults) as part of the community.

We're very excited about this new feature on the TCW! website. We will use the many wonderful possibilities of the internet to bring our community closer together and offer a forum for new thinking and the exchange of positive energy amongst all.

Of course, your thoughts & suggestions will always be welcome as we grow our online presence.

We welcome your comments, questions or anything you have to say about NewsWorks or something we printed in an issue.

Just email TCW! at info@conferenceworks.com

Comments should be not more than 100 words. Anything longer belongs on the open Forum. Due date for submission is the 2nd Friday of each month.

This month - How up-to-the-mark is this group with the latest online technology?

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To participate in this quick survey, please click: www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp

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