Welcome
The April-May issue of Right Now! Notes teaches you how to create a living environment that supports you in achieving your goals—right now!

Happy May Day!
Hail! Sacred thou to sacred joy,
To mirth and wine, sweet first of May!
To sports, which no grave cares alloy,
The sprightly dance, the festive play!
—George Buchanan, The First of May

Traditionally on May Day, people leave baskets of flowers and treats at the doors of friends, ring the bell, and run away—leaving their surprise behind! According to the scientists, it’s a tradition that’s bound to bring joy.

What the research says . . .
 A 2005 Rutgers’ study found that receiving flowers makes people happy! All study participants (men and women of all ages) smiled and expressed delight and gratitude when they received flowers. But that’s not all—participants reported that the flowers had a positive effect on their mood in the weeks that followed. The flowers both increased their life satisfaction and decreased feelings of anxiety and depression.

Other research on environmental primes suggests that our surroundings train us to behave in certain ways. College students who came home to a frat house filled with studious classmates were more likely to study than the students who encountered socializing classmates. This means that the state of your house or office, the stuff in it, and what people are doing there affects how you feel and what you are able to accomplish.

A tale from my dining room table . . .
 Our dining room is smack-dab in the center of the house. I pass it to go to the kitchen, my office, the front door, or upstairs. For years, the table has served as desk, bookshelf, mailbox, and the inbox for school papers. The chairs function as coat hooks, book-bag holders, and even clotheslines. To use the table to eat or do homework or even hold flowers—well that takes a Herculean effort of time and organization. No wonder I’ve always felt tired by the time I sat down in my home office for work! I’d just passed messy stacks of stuff I needed to deal with—a visual to-do pile—and I was ready for a nap!

After reading the research on both flowers and priming—that changed. I’ve cleaned off the dining room table and added a beautiful tablecloth and a vase of colorful fresh flowers. Now when my son does his homework, he can spread out on a clean space. We can eat together as a family without the exhausting task of clearing a space. And I can stop to smell the flowers on my way to work!

Now it’s YOUR turn . . .
Think about your own life—your goals and the places you live and work in. How does your environment support or hinder you in achieving your goals? Here are some ideas for making changes.

Clear out items that:
• drain you (e.g., the stack of unpaid bills on your desk)
• belong to parts of your past that you want to leave behind (e.g., books or tokens from a previous career)
• distract you from the work you need to be doing (e.g., cell phone, email, online games)
• support behaviors that work against your current goals (e.g., that bag of candy stashed in your desk, perhaps?)

Add items that:
• energize you (e.g., a clean desktop)
• remind you of a goal you are working towards (e.g., a photo of your goal)
• support behaviors that will help you achieve your goals (e.g., a bowl of fruit, a pedometer)
• encourage you to move forward (e.g., photos of friends who support you)

No matter what else you do today, buy yourself a bouquet of May Day flowers. It will make you happier—right now!
—Rochelle,
the Right Now! Coach

Right Now! Resources
Listen to:
What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

Architect Sarah Susanka helps people create homes that reflect their life’s goals. In her book, The Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters, she says: “In the remodeling of a house, it is important to throw out the things that are no longer useful before you start designing anything new. These things may include old furnishings that served an important function years ago but now give the structure an outdated appearance and restrict movement; old patterns of behavior that remain only because of the existing layout of the house; old piles of junk—stuff that should have been thrown out along the way but wasn’t; and finally, all those things we have kept for their sentimental value, which we now barely remember, . . .” (p. 69)

Good News!
from Dream Keepers’ Teen Writing Group!
The Dream Keepers participated in the local Schwartz Bookshops' Six-Word Memoir contest. Last Friday night at the Six-Word Slam, the Dream Keepers read their memoirs and were awarded an honorable mention (and prizes). (The crowd loved their work!) You can read all about the night AND the Dream Keepers' inspiring and thought-provoking memoirs here: http://dreamkeepersblog.blogspot.com/

Summer Coaching Groups New! Walk—Write—WIN!™ • Do you need support to start and stick with an exercise program? • Do you want to accomplish a new goal but need help making it happen? • Do you need people who will hold you accountable and cheer you on? THIS GROUP IS FOR YOU! WHAT IT IS: Walk—Write—WIN!™ is a goal-setting program for women that uses the winning combination of walking, writing exercises, group coaching, and group accountability to support women in achieving their goals. WHY IT WORKS: This program combines two proven interventions for making people happier, healthier, and better able to achieve their goals: writing and walking. Add to that the power of doing something together. Research has found that getting in shape is contagious. Having a friend or colleague lose weight makes you more likely to do the same. Join us and see for yourself! WHEN: Six Wednesdays (June 4, 11, 18, 25 July 9, 16) from 5:30-7:00 WHERE: Meet on the lawn of Alterra by the Lake in Milwaukee. FEE: $120.00 (A portion of your fee will be used to support a Walk—Write—WIN!™ group for women in the inner city.) TO REGISTER: Send an email with, Walk-Write-WIN! in the subject line to rochelle@rightnowcoach.com. Include your name, address, phone number, and how you’d like to pay (check or credit card). Sign up soon! Class size is limited to 10! Get it Right: A Revision Workshop for Nonfiction Writers WHAT: This 4-week workshop is for writers who have a nonfiction article, essay, or book chapter manuscript and who are looking for a supportive, constructive critique of their work from an experienced editor and writing coach. Each class will include 30 minutes of teaching and 90 minutes of roundtable critique. Each group member will have the opportunity to present and receive feedback on his or her work at least once in the 4-week session. WHEN: Four Wednesdays (June 4, 11, 18, 25) from 3:00-4:30 CDT. WHERE: On the phone! FEE: $150.00 TO REGISTER: Send an email with, Get it Right! in the subject line to rochelle@rightnowcoach.com. Include your name, address, phone number, and how you’d like to pay (check or credit card). Sign up soon! Class size is limited to 10!

Coaching Packages Life Coaching Each coaching session costs $100. Buy 5 coaching sessions for $450. Buy 10 coaching sessions and get them for just $900. Coaching for Spiritual Leaders Coaching for spiritual leaders costs just $80 per session. Purchase 10 sessions for $750. Writing Coaching Each 45-minute writing coaching session provides you with the additional benefit of having Rochelle read and comment on 15-20 pages of double spaced text. Each session costs $150. Right Now purchase 5 sessions for $625 or 10 sessions for just $1250. How to register: Book a free consultation to find out if one of these packages is right for you. Email Rochelle at rochelle@rightnowcoach.com Get Inspired to Write! Check out my Right Now! store for inspiring clothes, bags, and mugs! All of my profits from the store benefit the Dream Keeper’s writing group, a class I teach for inner city teens. Greeting Cards Check out the Right Now! Web site's ECard section. Stop by today to encourage a friend to Dream Big, invite a loved one to coffee or dinner, or wish a colleague a Happy Birthday!

Right Now! Notes is a free monthly newsletter designed to support people in living their dreams right now! It is written and produced by Rochelle Melander, a professional life and writing coach. If you have any questions or comments, please send them to: rochelle@rightnowcoach.com.
I would love to hear from you.

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This newsletter is COPYRIGHT 2008
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