When you don't know where you are going, the saying goes, any road will take you there...
Finding happiness often starts with visualizing where you want to go.  YOU, not those around you, where do you want to go?  Who do you want to become?   Life expands when we reach for our potentials. 

I am happy to announce that "Becoming You" is now available on Kindle - what a treat, especially if you have the new one that can read to you!  The kindle version only costs 9.99!   What a bargain - and you can download a few chapters for free to see if you like it!

To get to the kindle store follow this link: 
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-You-Creating-Happiness-ebook/dp/B004AE3O8M/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1288966425&sr=1-1-fkmr0

Remember - it's better when you know where you are going, then you can enjoy the ride.

Wow what happened to the summer?   I got a year older (that's always good news), more and more people are getting happy with Becoming You, and the warmth of summer finally appeared in August.  Much to be happy about!   What about you?  The biggest miracles usually happen when we are not paying close attention.  The smile that flutters across your best friend's face when you give a complement or the sound of a perfect sunrise heralding the birth of a new, perfect day.   Open your eyes and ears.  Find some wonder in today.  Then share it.  Amazing the power in passing on positive energy. 

It's funny how when we hear that someone is in trouble we drop everything and run to their side, but when we hear that someone is doing well we don't make it a point to carve out time to celebrate.  Finding the people who are available to be joyous with you will help you move in your positive direction.  Focus on what is going well, and then plan a celebration.  See who comes and who is happy for you.  I promise you they will be there when the chips are down too - but first - celebrate.  Life is too short to spend it in the BMC club!  (If you don't know what a BMC club is - get a copy of Becoming You ASAP!   :)

Join Dr. Marshall for a book signing in Pompton Lakes NJ  on June 6th at 7:30 pm at Practical Magick II.  For more information please visit the Becoming You website - www.becomingyou.info

SEE YOU ON JUNE 6TH!  

What will it take to make you happy?  Have you ever thought about what you could do to move yourself one step closer to that goal?  Is it money, or a bigger house, or something that you can purchase?  Is it being out of debt, healthier or in love with another person?  Do you know one thing you could do today that would move you a little closer to feeling happy?  For most of us, happiness is elusive.  We don't realize that being happy depends on the choises we make and the actions we do, day in and day out.  Let the words to your June song be - I'm walking to happiness, one step at a time.  As for the tune... well that is up to you!   Just keep singing!  :)   Welcome to JUNE! 

Many people think that summer is the time for relaxation and slow paced days of dreaming.  I think not!  Summer is the perfect time to consider what YOU want to have happen next.  It is the begining of the next season, a season of warmth, long days, and renewed spirit.  What better time is there to focus on changing ONE behavior that will benefit the rest of your life?    I am opening up the Becoming You Challenge, a course that will be taking place at Learn 2 Choose Inc., Center for Social Emotional Learning, in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey.  I will provide this course free of charge for the first twenty participants!  E-mail me, Dr. Marshall, at learn2choose@aol, with "Becoming You Challenge - count me in" in the subject area.  Make this the summer you do what YOU want to become you!

Beginnings, endings and awareness of both - Memorial Day Weekend.  The start of summer, the joy of getting together with friends and family, of anticipating the change of season and the warmth of long, lazy days, mixed with the memory of Americans who have given their all so that we can be free.    Some people say that it is a hard time to be American, with our economy in shambles, fighting two wars, homlessness and joblessness at an all time high, but I think that because we are American, we will be able to see the potential of the situation and rise to the challenge.  What do you want to have happen next?  Imagine you have achieved that goal then step back and explain how you got there.  The warm days of summer come back every year, with or without Memorial Day, but taking the time to savor the potential of what is to come, and reflect on how much has been done already, makes it even sweeter.  Happy Memorial Day,  the best is yet to come!

I was driving home this morning from a class and noticed how green the trees have become. They were swaying in the breeze, their green leaves shimmering in the sunlight.  I wondered, when did that happen?  It seems as though just yesterday I was questioning if spring would ever arrive.  

 On this mother's day - my 17th - I look at life like those green leaves.  It seems as though just yesterday my children were born, how can they now be such wonderful young women?  The difference between my drive home musing and those on my life is that I have watched my life more closely.  I know where every day went, and how, step by step, my family has grown and flourished.  It did not happen over night, and I was not oblivious to it because I was wrapped up in some other project.

 So, on this Mother's Day, I wish everyone happiness.  Take the time to call the people you love, look at the new wrinkles on your mom's face and find your comfort there, knowing that her smiles have carved those memory lines.  Be careful not to put too much importance on "personal projects"  that might bring you instant gratification, but cost you process happiness in the long run.

 BECOMING YOU, An  Owners Manual for Creating Personal Happiness  has been published and is available on Amazon.com.   Just type  Becoming You B. Marshall in the search engine and you can order a copy today.   Welcome to the Becoming You challenge - Are you ready to be happy?

Focusing on what you want to have happen next allows you to see where you want your life to go.  Many of us have created habitual, somewhat negative responses to our dreams.  What I mean by that is the negative self-talk we engage in during the day, like "I can't believe it's three o'clock already and I haven't accomplished anything!" When in fact you have accomplished quite a bit, but you are so used to de-valuing your small acts.  SO  for the moment, stop phrasing your life in negatives.  REMOVE can't, won't, and never from your vocabulary.  What small achievement CAN you accomplish today  that will make you happy with yourself?  Think about it, write it down, clarify it, quantify it, and then DO IT.  Afterwards take time to smile about it.  You are one step closer to moving towards who you want to be

Have you become the person you always wanted to be?  Too often, our lives get in the way of our goals.  Getting "ahead" takes the place of finding happiness.  In this economy our fear of losing our homes, jobs and health care is robbing us of our peace of mind. 

This site, Becoming You, will share some insights on how to keep your sense of self, and even re-discover the person you have always wanted to become.  My book,  "Becoming You" will be out in the spring of 2009 - so keep an eye out for it.