Dear Jane Podcasts

Most of us struggle, at one time or another, about money. But what is that struggle really about? Here are a few questions I ask myself whenever I am in lack consciousness.

I want to start my own business. But something is holding me back. I know it’s fear, but so what! Good for you for recognizing that it’s fear and for not making excuses. Here are five suggestions you’ll find in my book to help you say “boo” back to fear.

I am in love with a woman but she doesn’t love me. This prevents me from having an extraordinary life. If you believe that someone else prevents you from leading a more extraordinary life, you are giving away your power, which will only fuel a belief that you are a victim. It is never someone else who stops us from manifesting our deepest truths and longings.

What is a life coach and how do I know if I need or want one? What I do as a life coach is help my clients recognize and let go of the sabotaging thoughts and behaviors that have undermined their success, joy, and intimacy. We all have sabotaging thoughts and behaviors; sometimes it takes someone else to help us see them and to believe in us more than we believe in ourselves.

Although most people don’t consider themselves isolated or friendless, 1/4 of Americans say they don’t have even a single close friend. This is a change from just 20 years ago when only 10 percent reported having no close friendships. How does technology affect our friendships and even our ability to know how to be a good friend?

Most of us use New Year’s resolutions as a way to try to boost our self-esteem. We think that if we lose weight, exercise, or pay off our credit card debt, we’ll feel better about ourselves. This seems logical but it’s actually backwards thinking. Why? Most of us don’t believe that we are worthy of treating ourselves better.

This was a busy day. I’m sure you understand. So when I received two emails each from Amnesty International and the International Rescue Committee imploring me to contact my senators and urge them to support sending UN peacekeeping forces to Darfur, rather than call I felt annoyed, put out, guilted.

What do you mean by endurance and what’s wrong with it? I always thought enduring was a good thing. Here are four immediate ways to get out of your prison of endurance and to make each day forward a remarkable one.

The holidays can be a mix of renewing connections and being reminded of old wounds. If you are approaching the season with both excitement and dread, keep these ten pointers in mind. They will help ensure that you leave family gatherings with the kind of memories you want to recall.

How can I strengthen my so low self-esteem? In my book I talk about The Big Lie, which is the mistaken belief that we are unworthy. As long as we believe this lie, we will behave accordingly, encouraging others to also believe this lie. You can increase your self-esteem. The only thing in the way is a belief that you don’t deserve to.

I received a wonderful email recently from a teacher of underprivileged teens who has no books and must rely on the Internet for materials. He wrote to thank me for offering my grammar and punctuation rules for free on my other web site, www.grammarbook.com. This email was a lovely reminder that our wealth is not just our money or what we do; it is our knowledge, our wisdom, our compassion, and our love.

I wake up every weekday morning dreading the upcoming day. I’ve got a good job and a loving family and should feel grateful. What’s wrong with me? If this is how you feel most mornings, wishing you had a different life, you are suffering from burnout. Burnout is the result of enduring for too long and is debilitating to your spirit. The good news is that it’s curable.

I had the honor of officiating a wedding this last weekend, giving me a chance to reflect on the idea of promises and vows. What promises can or should we make to others and to ourselves? Which ones might be overreaching or setting us up to disappoint?

How can I get a handle on my road rage, this seething resentment that seems to come out at strangers? As much as you don’t want to feel resentful and angry, you need to see it as a clue. Underlying every resentment is a disguised regret. So resentment provides an opportunity to heal.

How do you let go of a love you know is not good for you? In my life coaching practice, I often work with people desperate to let go of “unhealthy love.” The most important question to answer is: Are you self-destructive in the relationship? If so, recognize that what you are calling love is not love; it is an addiction.

Do you ever feel that it takes more work, more out of you emotionally, to live a conscious life than it did to live less-than-consciously? So why do we do it? Why do we keep working on ourselves when it takes so much effort, when we’d sometimes rather be zoned out, pour a cold one, light up a joint or cigarette, or grab the remote?

As hard as it is for us parents to watch sometimes, it is the job of teenagers to find out who they are in the world, where they fit in, and where their talents lie. In addition, children often act as mirrors for our own fears, self-judgments, and limiting beliefs.

How do I forgive some family members for what they have done to me? I hate going to family events and skip the ones I can. Often, we attempt to forgive because it would be more convenient for everyone concerned if we just hurried up and did it. Forgiveness, however, is a four-step process.

Decide what rich means for you. Read books by experts on creating wealth. Examine your limiting beliefs. Practice generosity, kindness, open-heartedness, and compassion.

This is one of those times that I wish I were a poet, even just a decent one, because New Orleans deserves to be described with more powerful imagery than I can offer. I knew that New Orleans was special. What I didn’t know was that it would steal my heart.