Janet Cohen Consulting, LLC

Archive for the ‘Upcoming Courses’ Category

I’m one of those people who has been uniquely blessed to know my purpose on the planet. Some people struggle with that concept and spend decades changing jobs, changing careers, relocating time and time again in search of their “right work.”

Other people may struggle with weight, relationships, health, money, time, or a host of other issues.  These perceived struggles impact our self esteem.  Some people like to work on these with a therapist, a life coach, or in a group.

You have probably noticed that while we all have self esteem, it seems to rise and fall as often as the winds change. Can you imagine learning a set of techniques that you can employ to raise your own esteem, at will, any time of the day or night?

Please join me for a FREE preview session on Tuesday, October 25, 6:00 p.m. in Galveston to learn more about the Power of Self Esteem and learn a technique that will help you raise your self esteem.   The evening session requires no payment and has no obligation.

And if you’re interested in more, you will learn about the upcoming Power of Self Esteem course.  If you are not available to attend the preview session and know you’d like to register for the course, please do so now. 

Are you worth one weekend, dedicated solely to you?  I hope so.

I never thought I’d be old enough to write a memoir, but that has recently changed. Now I realize that I have an important story to tell at any age, and I started writing it.

Three months ago I took a writing workshop with Natalie Goldberg, and I’ve been consistently working on my book ever since. Yesterday I recorded 25,835 words with NaNoWriMo and I’m still working on my book.

The Galveston County Daily News did a story that includes my participation in the writing contest. The newspaper also mentioned my upcoming writing group that begins on 1/1/11, and they included a link to my web site for more information. Hats off to GCDN.  See details on the Power of Writing Practice at www.janetcohenconsulting.com.

My memoir will be published in 2011. On the surface it looks like a book about Hurricane Ike, but it is more than that.  Though Ike is the throughline, it’s not just another timeline with stories about how awful the storm was.  My book is more about the generosity of the human spirit and the silver linings that arise when people are genuinely evoked to do something for others. It is a story about philanthropy, community building and hope. At times you’ll laugh and at times you may shed a tear or two, especially when you read how the storm impacted my daughter.

A second throughline in the book is the relationship between loss and prior losses.   This will be rich with information for people in helping professions who counsel people in grief.  More to come.

Years ago, I wanted to write a memoir about AIDS/HIV because I was so impacted by it in the 1980’s and early 1990’s.  By the time I was 35 years old I had lost more friends than I had years in my lifetime, so I stopped counting deaths.  It’s been nearly 20 years since then.  I’m still impacted, but to a lesser degree.  And yet, I publish this post on World AIDS Day.

So I ask you.  How old do you have to be to write a memoir?  And if you are courageous enough to write one, what would it be about, besides your life?

Just returned from a writing and meditation retreat/workshop with Natalie Goldberg and Wendy Johnson at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY.

It’s been a dream of mine to meet and study with Natalie, after reading everything she’s published and listening to all of her audio recordings. This workshop was a delightful combination of studying different authors (Patricia Hampl and Chang Rae Lee, to name two), writing (solo and in groups), reading our writing aloud (with guidelines for listeners), meditation (indoors and out), and learning techniques that aren’t usually taught in traditional classrooms.

Goldberg, best-selling author of Writing Down the Bones and several other books, has a way of teaching people how to follow the author’s minds, be natural about when to follow and when to crack structure, and when to be still enough to let the writing settle.

Goldberg’s work is pure pleasure. My favorite of her books is Long, Quiet Highway; at this point, I’m re-reading Thunder and Lightning. I highly recommend her work.

Johnson, a Zen teacher, master gardener, and author of Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate, led some meditations (both indoor and outdoor) to help ground us in our writing. Her book is a deliciously rich combination of memoir and gardening, but it is oh-so-much-more than that.

Join me for a regular writing practice group in Galveston.  This may be for you if you are at any level of writing, from beginning journal writer to published author. Only a desire to write freely and unleash “Wild Mind” is necessary.

The small group will meet for a series of eight Wednesdays, September 29 through November 17, from noon – 2:00 p.m. in Galveston.  Please pre-register by September 24 and read Writing Down the Bones prior to participating. Cost for the eight weeks is only $120.00.  Are you in?

What is Self Esteem?

Self esteem is more than self confidence.  Self-esteem is our idea of our own basic worth, and it has roots in our childhood.  Early on, our sense of value is associated with the positive regard of others, or linked with our achievements. 

Why Does it Matter?

We may accomplish much later in life, yet feel dissatisfied because our self-esteem still depends on our next success or failure.  It is as if we ‘missed something’ – life seems like a treadmill, lacking in excitement or purpose. 

Instead of struggling to deal with unconscious demands about the way you ought to be, you become free to be as you are.  And, as you learn to distinguish true self-esteem from the endless cycle of reward and punishment to which it has become attached, you will connect more deeply with what you really want for yourself and your life, and start to express yourself with a new kind of passion and power.

The power of self esteem is the dynamic energy of a person who stands in their true authority, connected with the creative power that is at the heart of our being.

This is the place of authenticity, spontaneity, courage, nerve and grit.  From here springs our joy in life, as well as the determination to persevere, to partner and to create the life we most want to live. 

These are not the qualities of mythic heroes or movie stars, but qualities of character, and the connection they are built on can be lost, deepened or enhanced at any time, once we understand what fosters It and what gets in the way.

Can I Enhance my Self Esteem?

The Power of Self Esteem is a 15-hour course that shows you how to identify this deeply-rooted system of beliefs, and develop a new kind of awareness of who and what you really are.  It teaches a series of techniques that are practical, simple, and that you can use anywhere.

The course is taught to small groups in a warm and supportive atmosphere.  Audio and video supplement what you learn in the sessions, and you can continue to apply what you learned after the course ends by keeping all audio and printed materials for future use.

How Can I Learn More About Self Esteem?

• Enroll in the next “Power of Self Esteem Course” being offered in Galveston.
• Call or email Janet to discuss private coaching.  (409) 744-1900
• Request an onsite Preview (for nonprofit organizations, civic groups, writers’ groups, or other interest groups).
• Sign up for our E-News to hear about upcoming courses, seminars and trainings.

 Content of this post adapted from text in “The Power of Self Esteem Preview” brochure, courtesy of More to Life (www.moretolife.org).