

### The Diva Discovery Plan

By:

Becky Shafi

A 14-day journey for women of middle age

Find your joy through discovering

and embracing your inner Diva.

The Diva Discovery Plan

Published by Becky Shafi at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 by Becky Shafi

Cover art: Rita Y. Toews

Image attribution: Blastoceal, under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author. Brief quotations may be embodied in critical articles or reviews.

**IN JUST 14 DAYS YOU CAN** :

Change destructive thought patterns,

lose weight, heal broken relationships,

gain confidence and self-esteem, and...

become more powerful

than you ever dreamed possible!

### About This Book

For women in mid-life:

Mid-life is a unique turning point for women. For most of their adult lives, middle-aged women have been wrapped up in their careers or in the lives of their children and families. They often arrive at mid-life to find they've inadvertently created an existence that no longer fulfills their innermost dreams and desires. They wake up one day to realize that the past few decades have been a total blur, and they have no idea how they've come to this point in their lives. Looking back they see that they've spent most of their time caring for others and not enough time caring for themselves. They may find that they are in dead-end jobs, feeling inadequate, over-weight, unstylish, out of shape, and unhealthy in their body, mind and spirit. Maybe some of this sounds familiar to you. If you've reached this point in your life and are ready for a change, this book is for you.

The middle-age turning point is a good time to start directing your own destiny and manifesting the happiness, beauty and wealth that's rightfully yours. It's time to find your joy and live the life of your dreams. In this book, Becky Shafi goes step-by-step through a 14-day program that will help you do just that. If you've tried for years to lose weight, get into your ideal job, and find fulfilling relationships, you'll want to try the Diva Discovery Plan. After just 14 days you'll start to see significant changes as you begin to manifest the life you really want.

### Introduction

Not long ago I was working at a job I hated and felt trapped in a marriage that caused me considerable unhappiness. My body was out of shape and my face was looking haggard. I was living in a disheveled home that made me depressed. My life was one disappointment after another. I felt that I was just biding my time until I retired, my kids got out of college or I won the lottery.

It took a threatened layoff at work to finally shake me up. For years I knew I needed a serious change, but somehow I felt paralyzed by my feelings of inadequacy and wasn't able to get out of my horrible rut. The idea of being out of work really scared me and I decided that I should look for another job, gain some self-esteem and finally lose the weight that made me so uncomfortable. It was time to make some serious changes and set my life on a new course.

For many years I'd been reading self-help books on personal enlightenment and spiritual realization. I'd tried many diets and health regimes. I took yoga and meditation, but nothing seemed to stick. I was in my mid-life and had gotten stuck in the mommy pattern. I did everything for my kids and nothing for me. My children were getting older and didn't need me as much. It was time to work on myself. I was finally going to do it and nothing would stop me!

I secured a new job and took two weeks off before beginning at the new company. I vowed that I would make those two weeks really pay off! All the books I'd ever read, all the programs I'd ever tried, all of that learning would culminate in a two weeks' adventure to create a new me.

I wasn't exactly sure how I'd do it, but I proceeded in the faith that I would. I held the vision of myself as a new, thin, stylish, confident woman and acted as if it were already true. I took one day at a time, proceeded with an open mind, and welcomed any new learning or assistance that came my way. Teachers and lessons did come my way. It was as if the universe responded, bringing me everything I needed when I needed it. The transformations that took place were just short of a miracle. The husband who had tormented me for years had changed. The diet I tried actually worked. My house became a place I enjoyed and was proud of. In every way imaginable, I was able to change my outlook and everything in my life changed as a result.

It wasn't always easy. It took a lot of hard work. But, the payoff was more than worth it. I discovered many things along this journey and realized that as a woman in mid-life I faced challenges that younger women don't have. Women of mid-life have issues that men and the younger generation don't understand. They also have incredible strength and wisdom. Through harnessing this strength, I was able to achieve more than I ever thought possible. I went deep inside myself and discovered my inner sacred Goddess. When I worked to discover and embrace her, I was able to heal myself.

I want to share my journey with other mid-life Divas and help them live as the sacred beings they were meant to be, to find their joy and learn to love life again, and get more of all the good things they desire.

Whether you're looking to find more joy, lose weight, have happier relationships, wake up your sex life or get into a job you really love, you can achieve it once you learn to harness the power of your inner Diva - your sacred inner self.

I've devised this 14-day program based on my own experience. You may wish to modify it to fit your personal circumstances - but know that it WILL work. You simply need to believe, think positively, have faith and don't give up. You are a Diva, a creation of God, made in the image of God. As a woman you are a Goddess with powers that you can't begin to imagine.

I am inviting you to imagine, to embrace, to dance and to sing with your inner Diva. It's time to live the life you've always wanted.

### Preparation

There are several things you'll need before you start your Diva Discovery journey. You may wish to take a day or so to prepare yourself before you begin.

Get a Journal:

You'll need a journal. Much of the work you'll be doing will be mind work. Thoughts are much more powerful when written. As a Diva, I suggest a journal that will fit in your purse – or get a cute bag to carry it in so that it will always be with you.

Watch The Secret:

Next, I suggest you watch the movie "The Secret." This movie will motivate and inspire you to take meaningful action to change your life and get more of what you want. The movie focuses on how to use the law of attraction to manifest a new reality for your self. Just before I embarked on my journey, someone happened to mention "The Secret". I had watched it years ago and believed in its message, but I needed a refresher. Circumstances conspired so that I could borrow it from a friend. The movie and its principles are at the heart of your journey. You should watch it (or at least parts of it) every day during your two-week plan. You can buy the movie at Amazon or visit <http://www.thesecret.tv/>, or check with your local library, you might be able to check it out there.

Go Food Shopping:

If one of your goals is to lose weight and you are interested in the diet portion of the Diva Plan, you will be embarking on a strict diet. The diet will help you change poor eating habits and will give you good energy through healthy foods. If you'd like to follow the diet as outlined, the first four days consists of a lemonade fast. This is a cleanse program that will help rid your body of toxins and impurities and will kick-start your diet. After the four-day cleanse you will be eating mainly fruits and vegetables. Be sure to have enough of the right foods in the house so you can stick to your Diva diet plan.

For the lemonade fast –

*16 lemons (Limes are ok too. You can get a variety)

*Pure Organic Maple Syrup

*Cayenne pepper

*Mint tea

*Smooth Move tea

After the fast **–**

Get a wide variety of your favorite fruits and vegetables. Be sure to have melons and lots of lettuce for salads. Apples and bananas are great portable snacks. Raisins and nuts are good too.

Be sure to have multi-vitamins and if you are low on iron (as many women are) also get an iron supplement.

**Get an Exercise DVD** :

If you don't already have an exercise routine, you'll want to start one with the Diva Plan. While I went through the program, I did yoga with the fitness channel on my cable TV. If you don't have access to a fitness channel, I suggest buying a yoga DVD or video. If you like Zumba or kick-boxing or any other type of fitness program, feel free to purchase one of those instead. I like yoga for its low impact and focus on balance and body awareness. But, this is your program. Do what makes you feel good.

Water bottle

A Diva is always hydrated. It will be important to have a water bottle with you always and drink water often.

### Chapter 1

Getting Started

Mental Preparation – Things to know before you begin

As you begin your 14-day plan you'll need to be mentally prepared for the changes that are going to take place in your body, mind and spirit. Know that you're going on a journey, and if you do all the exercises sincerely with the belief that you're transforming your life, you'll experience a major shift in your consciousness and will begin to manifest more success and attract more of the opportunities you've been craving.

As women of middle age we may be spending too much of our time being mentally focused on signs of aging – our lined faces, our flabby bellies, our sagging chests. As you move into this journey take the time to start shifting your focus to more of the positive aspects of being older. Older women are more experienced. Our sexuality is more developed and refined. Maturity shows on our faces, but many people consider this a sexy attribute. Start to appreciate all the benefits of being an older woman. Be thankful that child rearing, and the stormy days of youth are behind us and a new life is dawning. Begin making these mental shifts. When you find yourself starting to focus on negative physical attributes, gently shift your thoughts to the beauty and grace that older women bring. Focus on these qualities and begin to feel that you're beautiful, smart and confident.

There are other areas of your life where you'll want to start making mental and physical shifts in preparation for what's to come. First, make mental notes of the aspects of your life that you'd like to change and improve. You may wish to lose weight or maybe you'd like the confidence to move into a new job or relationship. Start to focus on these key areas and begin to imagine that you've already achieved these goals. It's important to think of your goals in the present tense, rather than something that will happen in the future. If you keep your desires held in the "some day" state, they may remain there forever. Someday goals sound like this: Someday I'll be happy. Someday I'll be thin and healthy. Wrong! You only have the present. You can be happy NOW. You can be successful NOW. Start thinking this way as a beginning to your Diva Plan: I am so happy and grateful now that I am thin, healthy, happy, successful and beautiful.

All the work you'll be doing in this plan is beneficial to all areas of your life. You'll need to work on your body and your mind to improve your relationships and your job. Know that personal transformations are all encompassing. Begin to mentally prepare yourself to fully commit to the entire 14-day plan.

This is a journey of positive thinking. You need to turn off the external messages that will decrease your energy and create unnecessary worry in your life. If you're sincere in your desire to change, it would be best if you don't watch TV news or listen to radio news talk shows. Don't watch programs or movies that create worry or stress or cause your mind to dwell on negative images. This includes crime shows or cop programs which include murder, sexual abuse or the occult. These images will cloud the progress you've made and will make it more difficult to advance quickly. The mind will manifest what you think about most. These shows, while entertaining, bring many negative thoughts and images into our mind. These thoughts create a perpetual loop of negativity. During the Diva program, you'll want to celebrate and live in the light of beauty. It's extremely difficult to do this when your mind has been polluted with the images of death, murder and depravity.

While I went through the program I found myself wanting to enjoy the downtime of TV. However, when it came to choosing something to watch, I wanted something uplifting and there isn't much to choose from on network TV. I finally chose to watch the movie The Secret. (http://thesecret.tv/) I would watch it over and over and with each viewing I found a new message that I hadn't previously internalized. I recommend that if you want to watch TV, either choose a comedy or watch The Secret. It will really advance your practice and assist in your progress.

You may also be spending quite a bit of time alone as you work through the exercises. I found that listening to positive affirmations such as meditations and prayers were a good way to clear my mind. I also enjoyed listening to calm, quiet music as I did my exercises or spent time alone. Quiet is OK too. Try just being quiet with yourself – no TV, no radio, no music, just quiet. This is a great time to let the mind just "be." Start coming into awareness and begin to shift the negative thought patterns that are keeping you from advancing.

You'll want to stay away from negative people, especially those who love to gossip and focus on life's hardships or spread bad news. Don't spend too much time with people who are prone to complaining or being critical of themselves or others. Once you've completed your journey you can connect back with your friends and share a positive attitude that may help them change their outlook as well. They'll see the changes in you and be drawn to the noticeable transformation you've made.

If you're taking part in the diet, you'll be fasting for the first four days. This is a great time to quit bad habits. Do you drink too much alcohol? Are you addicted to sugar? Is caffeine your downfall? Use this time to kick the habits that are harming your health. Perhaps you'll want to get rid of all the alcohol in your home. Maybe it's a good time to throw away all your sugary snacks. If your refrigerator's full of soda pop and ice cream, why not give it to the neighborhood kids? You won't want to have temptations around that might cause you to lose focus.

In preparing for the fast, you need to consider your current state of health. The fast is meant to be a detoxification of impurities and toxins in your body. Many people have toxins built up in their colon and intestines. It's best to do a colon cleanse before beginning the fast. There are herbs available to help with this cleanse. Begin the night before with a flush of your intestines. If during the fast you're not having bowel movements, you'll need to be sure to flush your intestines once a day. You can do this by utilizing a saltwater flush, drinking smooth move tea, or even taking a laxative. The saltwater flush consists of one quart of pure water and two tablespoons of natural, non-iodized sea salt. Drink this water all at once and within an hour you should have cleared your colon. Using the laxative is the least preferable method because it's not a natural procedure. Try the other methods first. If you're feeling lethargic or achy while fasting, you're probably experiencing a backup of toxins in your system and should make sure that you're clearing your bowels.

It's extremely important to always feel good when you go through this program. You may be too busy to do every exercise every day. Don't beat yourself up about it. Don't get discouraged. Keep the momentum and give yourself love and understanding. To help yourself stay in a good mood I suggest that you dress nicely every day and make sure you have at least a minimum amount of makeup. When you feel like you look good, you feel better about life. Some days you may just want to relax and be natural. As a mid-life Diva, I know this feeling. However, in my personal experience, when I would dress in old clothes and my hair was a bit messy or dirty, it was very easy to find myself in a less than happy mood after just a few hours. My outer body was lacking attention, and my inner self started to take notice. Take time to make yourself feel pretty on the outside, and you'll match that feeling on the inside. We aren't twenty years old any more. We aren't able to throw on a pair of old sweats and look sexy. Sorry, it takes a bit more work now - but, don't despair! We can still be sexy! So, take the time to look and feel great, the payoff is worth it.

The very best way to go through the program would be to take time off of work and clear your calendar so that the next 14 days are all about you. I understand that this very difficult for most mid-life Divas. If you need to work during the program, don't fret. You can adjust your schedule to allow time for most of the exercises. I would suggest that you do the meditation and journaling in the evening after work and then do the corresponding practice the following day. Otherwise, you would need to wake up very early to give the journaling sufficient time in the morning. Whatever you do, make sure it works for you. Maybe it's not easy for you to do an hour of daily yoga. Perhaps you'd like to try a yoga session for two hours once a week. Or, you may wish to substitute a daily thirty-minute walk instead of yoga. Perhaps you already take a kickboxing or Zumba class. Great! Adjust the schedule to fit your life and allow yourself to be flexible. Be open-minded to change. It's your "intention" that's the most important factor in this journey. Hold the intention to change and don't waver – you WILL be successful!

The key to making this a successful journey is finding the pace that fits your life. If you'd like to take the program at a slower pace, by all means do what fits your schedule. Maybe you'd like to do each day's work on the weekend. Maybe you'd like to give an entire week to working on each area of practice. The point of the program is to progress, to grow and learn and become a Diva in body, mind and spirit. Whether you take the program exactly as outlined or do only the exercises that most speak to your own personal area of growth opportunity, it's my hope that you'll find a working foundation that will help you in creating the personal growth plan that fits you and your specific life circumstances.

A couple of notes on approach: You'll notice that many of the exercises and daily reminders are repeated each day. Repetition is the best way to change old patterns. Also, keep in mind that this book isn't meant to be read in a single sitting, but rather to be referenced on a daily basis. It's a daily practice. Open the book each day or just print the page(s) as you need them. Each morning as you wake, you'll be asked to write what you're grateful for. I cannot stress enough how important repetition is to your progress and the daily gratitude list is key to shifting the direction of your life. Feel free to write the same gratitude list everyday. Or, think of new things to be grateful for. It doesn't matter. The most important thing is to FEEL grateful and to write statements that reinforce your thought patterns. Don't skip this part or feel that it's not essential. It's critical to establish a pattern of gratitude, a pattern of commitment and creating new disciplines. In addition, there are daily reminders about the progress you've made and a repetition of the previous days' lessons. This is meant as a time of focus. Take time to read this passage each day and internalize your progress. Focus your mind on your goals and think about them often during the day.

In addition to journaling and writing, a daily meditation is part of the plan. If you're not familiar or comfortable with meditation, this may seem strange to you at first. Be open to the changes that you'll be able to reinforce through this practice. Give it a try. Realize that the internal work is probably the most important part of your journey. You may know certain things are true intellectually, but when you experience them on a metaphysical level everything changes. The internal work of meditation can take you to a different plane and has the potential to be some of the most life changing work you'll do. Give it a try. Be open. Be sincere. Be persistent. BELIEVE that it will absolutely bring change, and it WILL.

Also note that I don't profess to be a nutritionist or dietician. The meals outlined in the plan are meant to be examples. You don't need to follow them exactly as written. If you are diabetic or have other medical or nutritional issues, please consult your doctor or other specialist before making changes to your diet or taking part in the lemonade fast. Use your own best judgment as you embark on this journey. If your goal is to lose weight, know that you must make some major changes and stick to them. Use the journaling time to write statements of commitment to assist you in making meaningful and lasting adjustments in your daily eating habits. Even if your plan is to simply reduce your portion sizes, you can lose weight when you think positively and have a sincere and deep intention to take real action that will change your life in so many ways.

The basic tenant of the Diva Discovery Diet Plan is to honor your Diva body through eating only healthful foods that create good, pure energy. This means eating mostly fruits and vegetables, avoiding carbohydrates including sugar and sweets and keeping all portions small. Staying healthy and thin means eating nutritious foods and avoiding foods that are over-processed. Processed foods such as chips, crackers, cereal, bars, powdered drinks and anything that comes in a can or a box, often have chemicals and other additives that cause weight gain and disease. Avoid these foods and seek out whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, seeds, and lean meats. Some of our favorite foods such as bread, pastries, bagels, cookies and deserts should be avoided during this plan and then eaten very sparingly once you have completed the plan. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water. You should try to drink up to eight 8 oz glasses a day. Water helps to keep hunger cravings at bay and keeps a mid-life Diva's skin hydrated and healthy. Keep track of how much water you're drinking by tracking it in your journal. Do this until it becomes a daily habit.

The ideas in this book aren't new or original in any way. These are ideas and concepts that have been around for a long time. You've probably read or practiced many of these philosophies at some point in your life. The Diva Discovery Plan is new only in its approach. I found that when I'd read a book by Deepak Chopra, Eckardt Tolle, Marianne Williamson or other motivational authors, I would be completely inspired by the wisdom of the ideas conveyed, but totally baffled as to how to apply them in a practical way to improve my life. The Diva Discovery Plan takes many of these ideas from a collection of the world's great thinkers and organizes them into a 14-day program with easy-to-do exercises that will provide instant and amazing results.

As you go through the program feel free to go to <http://www.discover-your-diva.com/>and give feedback on the book or comment on your progress. This is a good way to connect with other mid-life Divas and get support or give encouragement. We're all in this together and we have so much to learn from one another.

This book was written in the hopes that all mid-life Divas may grow to fully love who they are. That they may learn to dance in their own special light and that they may finally, joyfully embrace their inner Goddesses and live as the powerful, beautiful and loving beings that they were meant to be.

### Chapter 2

DAY 1 - Meeting Your Diva-Self

Welcome to the Diva Discovery Plan Day 1!

Today it's all about YOU. Your first day will be a quiet day of reflection with some mental work to get you started. Make sure you have enough time for yourself. If you work a Monday through Friday job, and will be doing the diet, it would be a good idea to begin the program on a Saturday since Day 1 is the beginning of the fasting diet. Be sure you don't have too many events or social obligations on the first day of your program.

_On Waking_ :

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of beginning to realize your goodness and starting to manifest more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for this morning. Take deep breaths and close your eyes. Try to really FEEL the gratitude in your body. Smile and think, "I am so happy and grateful that I'm taking time to treat myself well and change my life! I am happy and grateful for the new me that I am manifesting." If you're saying these words without really feeling them, do it over and over until you really FEEL the happiness and gratitude behind them. Try really smiling when you do this. It's amazing the change you will feel just by turning up the corners of your mouth.

When I was getting started with this it took some practice until I was able to evoke a real feeling. I couldn't truly feel it down deep into my whole body. However, when I took the time to be fully thankful that I was finally taking time for myself, I would almost feel like crying from the sheer happiness and relief that I felt. Try to really FEEL.

_Yoga Practice_ :

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Breakfast:

Make your first lemonade of the day. You will drink between 4 and 8 of these each day, depending on your level of hunger. (I only drank 4 – I just wasn't that hungry and I got very tired of the cayenne pepper if I had too many during the day.) Be sure to take your vitamins and supplements as needed.

Lemonade:

*Juice 1 lemon and strain into a 16 oz glass

*Measure 1 tablespoon of the pure, organic maple syrup into the glass

*Add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

*Fill the glass with water and stir.

This recipe is specially designed to give you the right amount of vitamins and minerals to keep your body going. Many people will do this lemonade fast for up to 20 days. If you want to read more about it – you'll find it online referenced as "The Master Cleanse."

_Discovering your Diva_ :

Today will be a day of quiet reflection and mental preparation. Today you will be introduced to your inner Diva self.

Background:

All people were created in the image of God. The bible and many holy books tell us this. This means that all beings contain the sacred and have the power to create. As women we are Goddesses. The Italian word for Goddess is Diva. The early Goddesses, Venus and Aphrodite, ruled over beauty and sexuality. The Egyptian Goddess, Hathor, also ruled the realms of music, motherhood, foreign lands and joy. As women, and especially as women in our mid-life, we embody all of the attributes of these early Goddesses. Women are beautiful and sexual, motherly and musical. Women create joy.

Meditation:

Find a quiet place and dim the lights. (I like to sit on a pillow on the floor in front of my sofa. I place my back against the sofa to help keep me sitting up straight.)

Sit on a mat or pillow with your legs crossed and your palms flat against your knees.

Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. Imagine traveling deep inside yourself where you will meet a magnificent woman. Light is shining from her head and hair, she is splendidly dressed, she is smiling benevolently and she takes you in her arms and hugs you close. You feel warmth and goodness - you are home. You may feel like crying from an instant relief as if you are finally reunited with a long lost mother, sister or friend. Feel this moment - take it in. Breathe deep. Spend time with this woman. Take time to notice all the many little details. What does her hair look like? What is the shape of her body? What is she wearing? Sit with her and feel peace, feel unity and oneness. Take your time and breathe, relax and clear your mind. If random thoughts pop into your head, just observe them. Don't berate yourself for losing your concentration and focus. Don't judge the thoughts. Just observe them and let them go and bring your self back to the quiet spot with this woman you love. Take as much time as you need, but be sure you are spending at least 10 minutes.

Journaling:

Once you've finished your quiet meditation, you should reflect on your experience by writing in your journal. Answer the following questions by writing as quickly as you can. Don't agonize over your grammar or trying to find the right word. This journal is for you and no one else needs to read it.

Consider the following and then write:

The woman you met when you went deep inside yourself was YOU. She was your inner Diva.

*How did you FEEL when you met her? What were the emotions she stirred in you?

*How would you describe your Diva? What did her face, hair, body look like?

*What was she wearing?

*How would you describe her demeanor and her character?

*How would she act around other people? How would she make them feel?

*Realize that this woman was your perfect Diva self. You'll want to begin to manifest the qualities you found in her. What are the changes you'll need to make to be more like her?

*Describe your perfect self. Write in as much detail as you can.

*List all the areas in your life that you'd like to improve. Rank them in order of priority.

_Know This_ :

The law of attraction, as outlined in the movie "The Secret," states that what you think about most is what you attract into your life. What you think about with the most passion is what you will manifest the quickest. The secret to getting what you want in life is to "Think" about what you want, "Feel" the emotion behind it, and finally "Thank" for all good things to invite more good things into your life. Think most about yourself in this positive light. Don't focus on your negative aspects. Many women spend too much time thinking, "I'm too fat. My belly is too big. I don't have the right shoes. I'll never be like so-and-so." Each time we have these thoughts, we're manifesting these negative things.

Think of yourself as your ideal Diva. Hold that image in your mind and you'll attract more of these qualities to yourself. If you're like me, when you met your inner Diva she was: beautiful, gracious, loving, generous, happy, peaceful, graceful, sexy, thin and confident. Your adjectives may have been slightly different, but I hope you found deep, deep beauty within. These are the qualities you want to embody and exude now that you know you ARE a Diva.

Spend some time imagining what your ideal self would look like. Imagine face and body, but also emotional state. Do you want to manifest a calm peacefulness or an energetic powerfulness? Imagine what you wear and how you hold yourself and what your words create in other people. Find your ideal picture and hold this picture in your mind. Feel how happy you are that this beautiful Goddess is you - that you can manifest your ideal self through your thoughts. Then express your gratitude. I am so happy and grateful now that I've discovered my inner Goddess and have embraced her qualities and made them my own. Feel the gratitude, feel the love. It is very important to really LOVE yourself.

When I think about why my diet was able to work on this Diva plan, it's simply because this time I was able to really love myself. Take all the time you need to imagine your ideal self, know that she is you, and give her all the love you can.

It's very easy to start the negative thought patterns. In fact it is very natural. You may start thinking, "This is dumb. It will never work. I'm so hungry. I can't do this." Let those thoughts come – because they will. But, work very consciously and very diligently to switch them to the positive. "This is great! I am feeling great! I am doing this!" As much as you can, and whenever you can, state your positive affirmation in the present. It should not be, "I am going to lose weight. I am going to be fabulous." Rather, you should change your speech to reflect that you have already achieved your goal. "I'm losing weight. I'm fabulous."

Remember, what you think about becomes your reality. If you spend too much time on the negative thoughts they WILL come true. If you believe you can't do it – you WILL fail. Henry Ford once said, "Whether you believe you can or you can't, either way you are right." Believe in yourself. Believe in your Diva. You CAN do it. You WILL do it. You have already achieved it. Believe it.

_Today's Practice_ :

Today you should practice holding the image of your ideal self in your mind. Fill in all the details – hair, face, body, clothes, attitude, outlook, emotional state, sexuality, relationships, career, etc. etc. Imagine your Diva self as she would be in all situations. What's she like at work? What's she like in each of her relationships? Today hold that vision. Hold the image of your Diva and in all of your dealings today. Emulate those Diva qualities. Be beautiful, thin, confident, loving and sexy. Believe in your Diva and act it today. Make it real.

Dress in clothes that make you feel like your Diva. Take time with your hair and your makeup. Smile. Tell yourself in your reflection, "You are amazing! You are desirable! You are so sexy – you Diva you! I know that I am confident, powerful, loving, giving, secure, kind and oh so beautiful!" Say these words over and over until you believe every one of them. Use the adjectives that you'd most like to embody. For me, confidence was one of the attributes I most wanted to acquire. Deeply feel that you possess that quality and really project it. Some people say, "Fake it until you make it," or "Act it until you be it." Either way, spend time really believing in yourself. For me, I spent a lot of time visualizing myself as confident and secure. You'll choose the words and adjectives for the qualities you'd like most to enhance in your life.

This is your first day - take time to pamper yourself. Give yourself a spa treatment. Try creating your own home spa. Give yourself a facial using honey. Pull your hair back, put a towel on a pillow. Spread regular honey all over your face and neck, being careful not to get it in your eyes. Lie down and let the honey do its work for at least 2 minutes. Wipe the honey off with a warm washcloth and feel how wonderful your skin feels. You can also try an avocado facial. Take half an avocado and blend until very smooth – not too chunky. Spread the avocado over your face. Cut two thick cucumber slices and place one over each eye. Lay back on your pillow for five minutes. Wipe off with a warm washcloth.

Light some aroma-therapy candles. Turn on some soothing music and take a long, hot bath. Make yourself a nice chamomile tea to sip in your bath. Scrub your body with a body brush, loofah sponge or washcloth. Scrub and feel exfoliated all over your body. Shampoo your hair and give yourself a deep conditioner treatment by leaving the conditioner on your hair for up to five minutes. As you dry yourself from the bath, spread a softly fragrant lotion over your arms, legs and the rest of your body. Take time to really love your body, face, hair and limbs. Paint your toes and fingernails. Style your hair. Feel ampered today. Be very kind and loving to your self. You are beautiful. Know it. Feel it. Believe it.

Start to really feel like the thin, confident, powerful, beautiful Diva you know you are.

Lunch:

Lemonade

Snack:

Herbal Tea. Mint is good, but anything without caffeine will do the trick. You may want to buy a variety pack of herbal tea to give a bit of flavor to your days.

Sugar-free gum in various flavors may also help when you really have the munchies

Dinner:

Lemonade

Evening Tea:

Drink a cup of Smooth Move tea before bed.

Evening Meditation:

Take at least 10 minutes to clear your mind and give thanks for the day.

### Chapter 3

DAY 2 – Acceptance

Now that you've met your inner Diva, it's time to really embrace her and let her shine. Sometimes that's hard to do, when you haven't done the inner work to totally and unconditionally accept yourself. You may have a lot of inner baggage and ingrained negative thought patterns. Day 2 will be about clearing out some of the old stuff to make way for the new.

Each day builds upon the previous day. Continue to practice what you started on Day 1 by holding the vision of the ideal you in your mind. Feel that you are losing weight. You're changing. You're a Diva and are preparing yourself to accept all the abundance that life has to give you.

On Waking:

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of realizing your goodness and manifesting more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for this morning.

Today write a statement of commitment to stick to the lemonade diet for another three days. Also write a statement of commitment to embrace your Diva self and really love yourself today.

Yoga Practice:

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose, hands on knees. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. Go deep inside yourself and imagine meeting your Diva self again. Sit with her quietly. Feel peace. Just sit and breathe with a clear mind and good intentions. Imagine love washing over you. Acceptance and love is washing over you. Breathe in and repeat. "I accept and love myself exactly as I am. I am good. I am beautiful. I am love." Smile and feel good. Stand up to say goodbye to your Diva self in all of her magnificence. Hug her and feel her unconditional acceptance of "you" exactly as you are. Feel the love and acceptance. Open your eyes and smile. You are good.

Journaling:

In your journal write all the good qualities that you see in yourself.

Write: I love and appreciate that I am... and list qualities or abilities that you appreciate such as your good sense of humor or your skills at baking.

Write: I am so happy and grateful that I have... this might include physical qualities such as your green eyes, or curly hair.

Now write all of the negative qualities that you see. Next to the negative quality write a positive about that quality. Such as "I have a temper - my temper helps me accomplish things." "I am controlling– being controlling makes me a good manager and coordinator."

It's important to accept all your qualities, both good and bad. No one is perfect. Even Divas aren't angels. It's imperative that you realize negative aspects of your personality and love and accept those aspects, integrate them into your whole being, and use them to your advantage. We get in trouble when we try to deny certain parts of ourselves. We become less accepting of our selves and others. What you perceive as negative qualities can also help you in various ways. Your temper may be difficult for others but sometimes it helps you get what you need. Your tendency to want to control a situation may cause others to feel resentful, but it's helpful in many situations. Analyze your negative traits. Accept that they can provide positives in your life and work on using them to your advantage while being careful not to over-use them.

Accept your whole self – warts and all. It's truly the only way to be whole.

Part of loving yourself includes forgiving yourself.

Write a letter and forgive yourself for everything that you ever did that you regret. Write it ALL and list every little thing. You might bring up something unpleasant that you don't want to think about. It's OK. This is your chance to get rid of it once and for all. Be sincere in your letter and really FEEL the forgiveness.

_Today's Practice_ :

Today is about loving and accepting your self. Be kind to yourself. As middle-aged women we've spent a very large part of our lives caring for others. We care for our children, our spouses, our parents or our friends. Now it's time to start taking care of you. Think of how easily you find kind words of forgiveness for your children or your friends. Find those words and that emotion for yourself and be very kind to yourself today. Wrap your arms around your body and give yourself a big hug. Feel acceptance and love.

Today is the second day of the lemonade fast. You may be feeling tired or sluggish. These are symptoms of the detoxification process that the lemonade fast is working through your body. Know that your body is ridding itself of toxins. The combination the lemonade, drinking water and the yoga exercise helps the toxins to leave your body.

Continue to love yourself unconditionally. As you bathe or shower, rub your body with soap and say: "I have a beautiful body. I love my body. Look at these lovely arms. My curves are magnificent." You may feel silly, but the more you believe it, the more you will project it – the more others will see it too. Try this every day in the shower.

Start to become aware of your thoughts today, especially any thoughts that aren't loving or accepting of yourself or others. If you find yourself thinking, "I'm so dumb." Or, "I'm not good at that." Or, "I'm not smart enough to do that." Stop yourself and appreciate yourself for who you are. Pay close attention to how you react to others. Debbie Ford in her book, _The Dark Side of The Light Chasers_ , says that when we have very negative reactions to certain people, we need to examine why. Very often the personality traits that we react most violently against are the very traits that we, ourselves, have not accepted as part of who we are. For example, I had always had a very hard time with people who act out in anger. I would feel myself getting very emotionally charged when others became angry. I would never have considered myself an angry person. But when I took the time to really analyze my feelings, I realized that I harbored an anger that I had been trying to suppress for many years. When I came to terms with my anger and accepted it as part of me, I was able to heal myself. I no longer have such violent emotional reactions in the face of other people's anger, and I am able to use my anger to my advantage. Take time to notice your thoughts and feelings. Listen to what they tell you. Realize that you may be denying a neglected part of yourself that needs to be healed and accepted so that you can live a healthy, whole life. Take note of how you react in every situation. Chances are, your reactions are like second nature now and you probably don't even realize what you're doing any more. Be observant today. Notice things. Vow to be accepting and not critical. It will probably be harder than you think.

Day two is a good day to take a long walk and really spend time being with yourself. Think about who you are, be ok with being you. As you walk feel happy and grateful. Take some time to mentally list everything you're grateful for. Breathe deep and feel good.

Breakfast:

Lemonade

Snack:

Herbal Tea

Lunch:

Lemonade

Snack:

Herbal Tea

Dinner:

Lemonade

_Evening Tea_ :

Drink a cup of Smooth Move tea before bed.

Evening Reflection:

Be thankful for this day. Be proud of yourself that you made it through the second day of the lemonade fast. Say: I am so happy and grateful for every part of myself. I totally accept and love myself as I am.

### Chapter 4

DAY 3 – Letting Go

You are magnificent! You've set a commitment to change your life and you've had two full days of getting to know yourself. You've forgiven yourself and are starting to heal and grow. Today will be another day of immense growth as you work on letting go of all the harmful baggage you may be carrying without even knowing it. Getting over past hurts is key to moving on, opening up and becoming a receptacle for gifts from the universe.

Each day builds upon previous days. Continue to practice what you started on Days 1 and 2. Keep holding the vision of the ideal you in your mind. Feel that you are losing weight. You are changing. Be kind to yourself and live in total acceptance.

_On Waking_ :

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of realizing your goodness and manifesting more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for this morning.

Today write an affirmation that the past is gone and has no bearing on your life today. No matter what happened in the past or the future, you are always a good person. Understand that your past has made you what you are today and with each day you are changing and becoming a new person. What you are now does not determine who you will be tomorrow. Each day you can create a new you. Know that you are a better person because of what your past experience has taught you.

_Yoga Practice_ :

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose, hands on knees. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. Go deep inside yourself and imagine meeting your Diva self again. This time you have a package for her. Imagine that you have gathered up all of your past hurts and put them into a box. Breathe deep and imagine that box. What does it look like on the outside? Imagine how heavy it is. It's full of all of the incidents that you're holding on to. You've taken a long time putting all of those memories in this box. Maybe it was something your mother said to you a long time ago. Maybe it was a time you thought your husband or boyfriend was cruel to you. Maybe it was a friend who never said sorry for a past transgression. Your box is brimming with all of these hurts. You pass the heavy box to your Diva self. She takes the box and walks away with it. She disappears and when she returns the box is gone. She hugs you and you feel as light as a feather. All of those hurts have disappeared. They are gone. You realize they were never really there to begin with. A weight has been lifted. Imagine yourself floating. You're so light and happy. You're weightless. You weigh nothing. You are supremely happy.

Journaling:

Take your journal and write: I am so happy and grateful now that I have been released from all past hurts. Take the time to list the memories you included in your box. When you feel that your list is complete, rip the paper to shreds. Totally rip it and ball it up and feel good that all of these hurts are gone. Throw the paper in the garbage and feel good that it's gone. Feel the release and imagine the lightness you felt with your Diva self.

Today's Practice:

If you're like me, you may have a hard time expressing your anger. I found that I held many little hurts, some of them I wasn't even aware of because I never took the time to express my anger in a constructive way. Try this: Take a pillow and place it at the edge of your bed. Stand facing the pillow and start punching the pillow and saying "I am so angry at..." Punch that pillow and get angry about anything that is brought up. "I am angry at my husband! I am angry about what happened! I am angry at myself for being an idiot! I am so angry at my kids." Let it all out. Get angry. Scream loud. Punch hard. It feels good to get it out. Let it go. You can use this practice whenever you feel pent-up anger. Letting it out on a pillow is much better than lashing out at kids, husband or co-workers.

Take time today to focus on "letting go." Allow things to pass without getting upset about them. Try this: When a bad thing happens to you, change your mindset. Say, "This is good." And then look for the positive in the situation. If I'm late getting somewhere, I won't concentrate on "everyone will be angry with me for being late." Instead I say, "This is good. I am learning a lesson about waking up earlier. Now I'm able to try a new route or now I have more time to prepare myself." Find the positive in every situation, even the smallest ones. Let the negative go and you'll find that you can go easier in your life and reduce your stress levels. You'll also begin to realize that nothing is ever as bad as your mind might make it. So, you are a few minutes late, the world hasn't fallen apart. Interestingly, the less you stress about things the less they are problems. I realized that I often stressed about being late and as a result, I often WAS late. As soon as I decided not to stress about it, I was more punctual. It was almost as if time complied with my thinking, "I'll be on time, everything is fine." It usually was. When I thought, "Oh my gosh, I'm going to be late." Guess what? I usually was. Try a new mindset and see how the universe complies!

Today is about letting go. Surrender to the universe. Contemplate this thought by Eckardt Tolle: "Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life." We create conflict and negativity when we are constantly opposing the flow of our lives. Take a deep breath each time you feel yourself begin to oppose something. Think "surrender," and smile. It is good.

Breakfast:

Lemonade

Lunch:

Lemonade

Snack:

Herbal Tea

Dinner:

Lemonade

Evening Reflection:

Be thankful for this day. You've made much progress. You're letting go of the past and learning to let go of small stresses in your life. Living with less stress keeps you younger and healthier. Be proud that you've completed three whole days of the lemonade fast! Tomorrow evening you will break the fast and begin with raw fruits and vegetables.

### Chapter 5

DAY 4 – Bringing Awareness

Today will be all about awareness. It's time to bring more focus into your practice and really start the transformation inside and out. Your body has been detoxing and changing. Your mind has been focused on loving, accepting and forgiving yourself. In order to move forward it's important to become aware of your thought patterns. You need to understand that your thoughts have created your current reality. In order to change your life, you must change your thoughts. The first step is to bring your mind into awareness.

Each day builds upon previous days. Continue to practice what you started on the previous days. Keep holding the vision of the ideal you in your mind. Feel that you are losing weight. You are changing. Be kind to yourself, live in total acceptance and let go of small stresses.

On Waking:

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of realizing your goodness and manifesting more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for this morning.

Take ten very deep breaths, breathing in as much air as you can. Imagine your lungs filling to capacity. Then breathe out. Imagine all of the air escaping your lungs. Breathe out longer than you think you can, expelling every last bit. Then breathe in again to fill your lungs to capacity. Most people in our society have become very shallow breathers. This doesn't allow the proper amount of oxygen into your lungs, your blood and your brain. Shallow breathing also creates the feeling of stress in our bodies. By breathing deep we feel more relaxed. It brings a deep feeling of wellbeing. Breathe deep and imagine the air filling your lungs and providing life-sustaining oxygen to each of the cells in your body. Breathe deep as if your body depended on it. Become aware of your breathing today, and take deep breaths whenever you realize you're shallow breathing.

Today, write a statement of commitment to being open to change and a dedication to bringing awareness to your mind, heart and body.

Yoga Practice:

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose, hands on knees. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. Go deep inside yourself and today you will just be present. You will listen and observe. Be quiet, breathe and count. Listen to your thoughts. Observe your thoughts without judgment. Try to still your mind, focus on your breathing. Any time you observe a negative thought try to amend it with the positive. Turn, "I am not good at this. I have so much internal chatter." Into, "I am progressing. I am learning. I am getting better and better at this." If you hear something like, "God, my back is killing me, when is this going to be over?" Add something like, "I am so happy and grateful that I am learning to love myself and to be more aware of my thoughts and thinking positively."

Take extra time with this exercise today. Coming into awareness is key to mastering your mind. Once you master your mind, you can achieve anything. Make a real effort, and if you have time, try this meditation several times today. The goal of this exercise to: "still" your thoughts and to quiet your mind and body. It's nearly impossible to stop the incessant chatter in our minds. But we must realize that much of this chatter is self-critical and perpetuates negative patterns in our lives. Becoming aware of our thoughts is a good first step in changing them to the positive and allowing our higher, Diva-selves to be in control.

Journaling:

Imagine that you're going to meet a very important person in your life. This should be a person that you don't know very well who's in a position to promote you, create a business partnership with you, provide business capital, or potentially date you.

Imagine that you're having coffee with this person. It's your first "get acquainted" session. Take time to imagine your outfit. Imagine all details – shoes, bag/purse, skirt, blouse, jacket, etc. Now imagine your demeanor. How would you like the other person to perceive you? How are you holding yourself? What kind of conversation would you like to have? What would you like the other person to know about your intellect, your sense of humor and your conversational abilities?

Give a description of this meeting in your journal filling in all the details. Know that as you imagine meeting this important person you are imagining all of your best attributes. You're hoping to project the ideal you. You're imagining the Diva that you know you are. You are that confident, smart, sexy, attractive and worthy woman.

As you contemplate your ideal self, pay special attention to the attributes that you included in your list that are most out of sync with how you perceive your current self. I imagined myself meeting a potential investor for a new business I'd like to start. I wanted this investor to see me as smart, confident and stylish. These are attributes that I feel I have a harder time projecting. List areas such as these in your journal – these are the areas you will want to start bringing into your awareness. You will want to hold these images as areas of focus as you begin to bring them into awareness in your body and your mind.

_Today's Practice_ :

Awareness is key to change. In the journal exercise you imagined your ideal Diva self. Be aware of how you are projecting yourself today. Anytime you catch yourself projecting something that is not inline with your ideal self, correct it. Be aware, focus on what you're projecting. Be aware of your body and your breathing. Breathe deep and feel calm.

As you try holding the vision of your ideal self and projecting positive images and thoughts, be aware of your inner and outer languages. How are you holding your body? Are you confident, with your shoulders high? Are you sensual and graceful in your movements? Do you look people in the eye and hold their gaze in genuine interest? Are the words that come out of your mouth positive and encouraging or are you repeating gossip? Bring awareness to all you do. Don't berate yourself for falling into old habits, simply correct your actions back to the positive. It takes much practice, but you'll begin to notice immediate benefits as you learn to praise others and show interest in their lives and personal affairs. Turn your focus from a self-centered approach to an other-centered approach and watch as the good begins to come back to you.

Watch all of your thoughts today (and every day.) Are you a Diva in your thoughts? Do you spend a lot of time in critical thoughts of others? Do you often think, "I hate that girl? Isn't that happy couple annoying?" Monitor your thoughts and actions and keep all of them positive. "Isn't she a lovely young girl? What a beautiful, happy couple!" Feel it. Switch it. Negative, jealous, angry and resentful feelings are actually violence turned inwards. These thoughts are not healthy or productive. Be aware. Change your inner voices. Become more loving of others and in turn you'll be more loving and accepting of yourself. Concentrate on the image of your ideal Diva-self. Be her in your thoughts and actions today.

In your journal you wrote a description of your ideal self and what she might wear. Try dressing as your ideal Diva self. You may not have all the pieces you imagined, but try putting together an outfit that's as close to your ideal self as possible. If your purse is old and tattered or your shoes are out of style, consider shopping for that one item that will make you feel stylish. Choose an item or two that will bring out more of your Diva self. Project that Diva self in all of your interactions today, even if it's just ordering coffee at your local coffee shop. Feel sexy, confident, happy and positive. Feel that you are your ideal Diva.

Bringing your self into awareness means becoming aware of the state of your mind, body and spirit. Be aware of your body as well as your mind. How is your posture? Are you breathing deeply? Is your face relaxed or do you have tension around your mouth. Check in with your body. Breathe and relax, stand up straight and have a grateful thought.

Repeat: I am so happy and grateful that my mind and body are coming into awareness and I am creating a healthier, happier me.

Breakfast:

Lemonade

Snack:

Herbal Tea

Lunch:

Lemonade

Snack:

Herbal Tea

Dinner:

Tonight you will eat a light dinner. One hour before dinner, eat ¼ of a melon – cantaloupe, honeydew or any of your favorite melons.

Be sure to allow an hour to lapse before eating your dinner. You want to allow the melon to fully digest as a way of cleansing and preparing your stomach after your fast. Dinner will be a light salad. Cut romaine lettuce, add green apples sliced into bite sized pieces, sprinkle a generous amount of raisins and dress lightly with a very light Italian or oil and vinegar dressing. Don't over-do the portion. Keep the salad on the small side, but be sure that you feel full when you've finished.

_Evening Tea_ :

Drink a cup of Smooth Move tea before bed.

Evening Reflection:

Be thankful today that you have started the important work of bringing your consciousness into awareness. Be grateful for this opportunity to change your life and feel so grateful for all of the good things in your life. You are amazing! You have completed the fourth full day of dieting and are actively becoming a new you!

### Chapter 6

DAY 5 – Healing Relationships

Many people get caught up in destructive relationship patterns with the people they are closest to. As mid-life Divas our patterns are probably decades old. We're in long-time marriages or are having persistent issues with our adult children or our parents. Many times we focus most on the negative aspects of those we spend the most time with. With these long-time patterns it becomes very hard for us to see how our own thoughts and actions manifest more of the negative traits in our loved ones. As we start to come into awareness and become more conscious of our own thought patterns we are better able to recognize the destructive patterns that are harming our relationships. Today we'll be focused on healing our relationships and bringing more joy into each and every one.

Each day builds upon previous days. Continue to practice what you've started. Keep holding the vision of the ideal you in your mind. Feel that you are losing weight. You are changing. Be kind to yourself, live in total acceptance and let go, being mindful to bring awareness to everything you do.

On Waking:

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of realizing your goodness and manifesting more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for this morning.

Yoga Practice:

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose, hands on knees. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. Go deep inside yourself and imagine meeting your Diva self again. Today you will introduce her to your significant others, especially those that are giving you the most trouble. One by one introduce your Diva Goddess self to each of the significant people in your life. Remember how loved you felt when you first met your Diva self. Remember the unconditional acceptance that she gave you in her hug. Imagine this Goddess meeting and hugging and accepting each of the people in your life. The love that she showers on each person is completely non-judgmental. It is deep and real and healing. You feel it with each introduction and each deep, loving hug. Feel how proud you are of each of the people in your life. Feel them accepting and thriving and healing in the glow of your Diva Goddess. Smile and feel at peace. It is good. It is good.

Journaling:

Today in your journal we'll focus on the relationships you most want to heal. For each person in your life that gives you the most trouble, begin to write a list of the qualities that you most admire or appreciate about that person. Write them all. Write as many as you can – even the small things. They have a nice smile; they dress very well, etc.

Feel a loving thought toward that person and write a gratitude statement for them, such as: I'm so happy and grateful that I have this person in my life.

Next, think of the problems you're having with this person and think a loving, forgiving thought. Write a letter of forgiveness to this person. Forgive them for all of the times they hurt you or disappointed you. Write it all and really feel forgiving. You don't need to give the person the letter. This letter is to help you overcome your negative feelings toward that person.

Write a letter of forgiveness for each of the relationships in your life that you'd like to heal.

Today's Practice:

Try to spend some time with the person in your closest relationship today (one that is in need of healing). For me, this was my husband. He works from home so it was easy. You may wish to schedule a lunch or dinner or other kind of outing with that person. Begin by letting your husband/friend/lover/daughter know how much you appreciate them in your life. Let them know of the changes you're going through and how you are hoping to heal your relationship them. When old patterns return (which they inevitably will) be aware of your thoughts and emotions, and change them. Resist the urge to respond in a defensive or critical manner. Instead, hold your tongue and think of the appreciation list that you made this morning. Respond by saying something like, "I'm so grateful that you're such a thoughtful person. This is what I appreciate most about you." Then, watch the energy change. You've just shifted your relationship and sooner or later the other person will respond in kind. Feel loving, act loving, be aware of your old pattern and change it.

The law of physics state, "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." You cannot change without the other person also changing. They cannot stay the same. It's impossible. You'll be amazed at the difference in your relationship when you can hold the genuine feeling of appreciation and love even when the other person isn't being loving. They'll soon come around. You must practice patience and understanding and remain persistent in your new approach.

When it gets hard for you to sustain a loving feeling, imagine your Diva-self hugging that person and healing them with unconditional love. Realize that this other person is most likely acting from a place of deep fear. People often try to mask their fear or insecurity with anger or hostility. Remember this and think kindly and generously before you respond emotionally. Focus on "healing." Hold this healing image in your conscious mind and focus on the feeling. You'll surely be rewarded for your efforts.

If there are other relationships that need healing and the person doesn't live close by, try calling them today. Let them know how important they are to you and how you appreciate having them in your life. Express love, forgiveness and appreciation.

Breakfast:

Yogurt and fruit – I like vanilla yogurt with blackberries. Don't add granola, it's full of sugar

Snack:

Herbal Tea or lemonade

Lunch:

Small salad with vegetables and an oil and vinegar dressing – don't add croutons, cheese, meat or creamy dressings yet – keep your salad simple at this point

Snack:

Apple slices or celery with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter

Dinner:

Sautéed greens (kale, collard or spinach are the best – try mixing the three using olive oil and a garlic), pinto or black beans, and a small green salad

From now on, be aware that you want to portion your meals to ¾ salad and vegetable and ¼ meat or protein. Today the beans are your protein. Also, keep all portions small. Perhaps you'll want to start off with a smaller, salad sized plate instead of the larger dinner plate until you are used to serving yourself the smaller portions. Resist the urge to go back for seconds. Relax and have a glass of water if you're craving another portion.

Evening Tea:

Drink a cup of Smooth Move tea before bed.

Evening Reflection:

Be grateful for a productive and loving day. Know that you're healing important relationships and helping others to grow and thrive in your love. Be thankful for the people in your life and be grateful that you're taking the time to appreciate the goodness they bring. If today was hard, know tomorrow will be better and the day after that will be better yet. You've taken the first step. The energy has begun to change. Don't lose focus. You are good. You are sacred. You are a Divine Diva with amazing powers. Know this and feel it at the core of your being.

### Chapter 7

DAY 6 – Getting Your Sexy On

You've been doing amazing and important work! You've discovered your Diva and have begun to let go of destructive thoughts and are working to heal your most important relationships. Today it's time to celebrate the new you by celebrating your sexuality. As mid-life Divas it's often more difficult to sustain a feeling of sensuality and desirability. Too often we're focused on our loss of youth – the feeling that we are "less than" other young, nubile female beings. Guess what? Mid-life Divas are some of the sexiest female creatures there are! Imagine your experience. Imagine your maturity. You're sexy and it is OK to flaunt it. Today you will celebrate it and bring it to the fore. You are a Diva, sacred and sexy – Believe it! Be it!

Each day builds upon previous days. Continue to practice what you've started. Keep holding the vision of the ideal you in your mind. Feel that you're losing weight. You're changing. Be kind to yourself, live in total acceptance and let go, being mindful to bring awareness to everything you do. Focus on the joy you're bringing to others with the relationships you're healing.

On Waking:

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of realizing your goodness and manifesting more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for this morning.

Today - write a statement of self-appreciation: I am so happy and grateful that I am a good, loving and sexy person. I am a Diva and I give myself love and I live in beauty and sensuality every day.

Yoga Practice:

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose, hands on knees. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. Go deep inside yourself and imagine meeting your Diva self again. Today you will meet with Goddesses from the past. Your Diva self has brought Aphrodite, Venus and Hathor to meet with you. These are the Goddesses of love, beauty sexuality and joy. Imagine each of them in their splendor. They're magnificently dressed. They're glowing and their bodies are curvy and generous, all hips and breasts and grace and goodness. Imagine how they glow with love and beauty. Imagine their sexuality as a natural part of being a woman, a Goddess. It's not a dirty thing. It's not a shameful thing. It's a loving and graceful and natural part of being a woman. Imagine each of these Goddess women giving you a deep and loving hug. When they hug you, imagine they bestow beauty, love and sexuality upon you. They infuse you with their essence. They tell you: You are a sacred Goddess. It's time to call forth the love, beauty and sexuality you were born with. It's in your core, bring it forth and let it shine. It's part of you and you have a natural right and responsibility to be the Goddess you were meant to be. Imagine that you hug each of these women, taking on their light. You're glowing as you say goodbye. Be sure that you really feel loving, beautiful and sexy before you open your eyes. Breathe deep. It is good. It is good.

Journaling:

Today in your journal write a plan for how you will bring forth your sexual, sensual being. How will you practice feeling more sexual? How will you call forth your beauty and light and share it with the world? Make a plan for today and each day going forward. This plan might include: Today I will seduce my husband. Or, I will buy some beautiful underwear. Or, I will buy some blouses that are feminine and make me feel desirable. I will feel more comfortable in my body and become more aware of the way that I walk and carry myself. Being confident and graceful is extremely sexy. Write a list that includes things like: I will practice moving. I will update my wardrobe and get rid of baggy clothes that hide my figure or make me feel matronly. I will light candles and wear beautiful nightgowns instead of ragged flannels. I will ask so-and-so on a romantic date. If I don't have a man or significant other in my life, I will make a point to pleasure myself. I will watch a sappy romance movie and will take note of the leading woman, her mannerisms, wardrobe and facial expressions. Or, I will get over my societal taboos and watch a porn movie. Perhaps you'd like to face your fears and finally try a dating site or a sex club. Realize that many of your sexual limitations may stem from your youth when your parents placed shame around the act of sex. It's time to get over that – challenge yourself and see how liberated you'll feel.

Be creative with your list. Be daring and think of things that might work for you. Maybe your list contains tame and easy things like: a new haircut or a new hair color. Maybe you'll pluck your eyebrows or get some new makeup or new glasses or some sexy earrings. You might want to add a second list with the more daring things on it: Act out a sexual fantasy, try some kinky lingerie with spike-heeled boots. If you secretly fantasize about these things, add them to your list! Don't feel shame or guilt. If you really don't get turned-on by these images, don't include them. The key is to be true to your Diva self. Don't try to be kinky if you're not, but if you're repressing a kinky side – by all means, bring it out!

Take your time in being thoughtful. You'll be surprised by the many ideas that you'll want to add to your list.

Today's Practice:

Today you'll put into practice some of the plan you wrote in your journal. If you made plans for a romantic date, get your wardrobe together and begin to imagine how you'll be more sensual and sexy. If you have to go to work today, dress nicely and practice how you move and interact with people. The goal is not to seduce or flirt. You're trying to be graceful, loving and beautiful. People will notice a difference in you and your interactions will change. When you project goodness and beauty, others will respond in kind. Use your awareness practice and become aware of your facial expressions, your conversation and your body language. You may be a big boss at work, but that doesn't mean you need to be hard and masculine. Try softening your body, face and conversation. You can still get your work done and express your power. You may be surprised at how much more willing people are to do things for you when you're comfortable in your body and are projecting goodness and beauty. Smile, be patient,

Start doing some of the items on your list. With each item complete, feel how your beauty is manifesting. Feel how you are becoming more sensual and sexual.

You've always desired to be a more sensual being. You know how to do it. The problem with mid-life Divas is that we all too often make ourselves less of a priority. Know that when you make yourself a priority and treat yourself well, you will automatically manifest more of the things you want in your life.

Please note: There is a big difference between tasteful sexiness and outright raunchiness. Don't go overboard. Showing off your figure doesn't mean you have to show too much flesh. If you don't feel comfortable, you're probably going too far. Feel comfortable. Feel curvy. Don't feel over-exposed. Don't overdo your makeup, jewelry or hairstyle. Sexiness comes more from a feeling than from outer packaging. Remember, you want to feel like a beauty, not like a call girl. Most of all, the goal is to practice feeling comfortable with the sexuality of your inner Diva.

Breakfast:

Half a small melon sliced. ½ cup of cottage cheese

Snack:

Sliced pear, apple or banana or other fruit

Lunch:

Spinach salad with walnuts, feta cheese, dried cranberry and a light dressing

Snack:

Lemonade or celery and peanut butter

Dinner:

Chef salad with sliced boiled egg, sliced ham or turkey, tomatoes, cheese, and your favorite vegetables with a light dressing (watch that the portion isn't too big)

Evening Reflection:

Today give thanks that you're a sensual and sexy being, one that is worthy of attention and adoration. Be grateful for your Goddess body and your ability to enjoy it. Enjoy your sexuality and feel good in it. Revel in it! Repeat: I am so happy and grateful that I am discovering my sexy Diva self and letting her shine in her own unique way. I'm so grateful to be a beautiful, loving and sexual Goddess.

### Chapter 8

DAY 7 – Your Ideal Diva Life

You've been doing amazing and important work! Imagine your progress – you've begun to love yourself and are manifesting more of your Diva Goddess qualities. You've begun to change your body and your thought patterns and are healing your relationships. Today you'll be focused on getting more of what you want out of life and creating goals and a vision for your future. You'll spend some time Imagineering a new you. It will be important that you don't block yourself with perceived limitations from the past. It's a new day. You're reinventing yourself; everything is possible. It's an important Day, Diva! Let's get to work!

Each day builds upon previous days. Continue to practice what you've started. Keep holding the vision of the ideal you in your mind. Feel that you're losing weight. You're changing. Be kind to yourself, live in total acceptance and let go, being mindful to bring awareness to everything you do. Focus on the joy you're bringing to others with the relationships you're healing. Realize that you're a sexy Diva Goddess and shine like you know you can.

On Waking:

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of realizing your goodness and manifesting more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for this morning.

Write a request to the universe to give you clarity and a powerful imagination today as you plan a vision for your future.

Yoga Practice:

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose, hands on knees. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. As you clear your mind, think about your long-term goals. What have you always wanted to be or do? You are in mid-life, but that doesn't mean it's too late to go to college, learn a new trade or start a business. You're powerful and can do anything! What is it that your heart REALLY desires? Don't limit yourself to what's easy or what you know how to do. Clear all of those limitations and imagine what you've always wanted to be since you were a little girl, but you never let yourself imagine it because you didn't have the money or the education... or the courage. Imagine THAT dream. Hold it. See it. Add some details around it. What do you look like when you are doing that thing? How does it feel? What kind of house, car, clothes, garden, lifestyle and friends will you have when you are doing this thing of your dreams? Imagine it ALL and feel it. Breathe deep and believe that you can achieve it. Believe that you deserve it. Imagine that it's already true and feel grateful for all the blessings you've been given. Breathe deep. Relax. It's good. You're good. You are a Diva.

Journaling:

In your journal write about the ideal life you envisioned in your meditation. Write a statement of commitment that you'll work on achieving your dream life. Write a statement of gratitude for the blessings in your life and your ability to achieve anything you want. You don't need to see or understand how you'll achieve all of your goals at this time. You just need to see an image of what it looks like and feel the goodness of having it. Make a list of all the areas of your life and add as many details as you can for each area. The areas are: House/Home, Financial Situation, Career, Relationships, Physical Health, Lifestyle, Hobbies, Achievements, Legacy, and any others that you can think of. This can be your first pass at setting the goals for each area of your life. You can refine and change as you go along. Sometimes the hardest aspect of this exercise is: knowing what you REALLY want. Most people have lived in a very limited state for a very long time. Once they begin imagining, they have a difficult time accepting that they deserve a better life, a life that can be wildly improved from their current situation. Be creative with your wishes! Wish for the moon – really!

_Today's Practice_ :

For your work today you'll be creating a vision board. Get a large piece of poster board, a big glue-stick, some scissors and a bunch of magazines. As you go through the magazines, clip pictures of anything that makes you feel happy and that represents the goals in each area of your life. Perhaps you find a photo of a house that looks like your ideal home. Clip it out. If you find words that speak to you, clip those – words are also very powerful. Be imaginative. Feel free as you do this – again, no limitations. My vision board has a luxurious home, a country home, flowers, chickens, outdoor living, clothes, travel, romantic relationships, etc. Maybe you're drawn to certain shoes, a certain car model, or a certain type of man. Include it all! Take your time and add to your vision board as you find new images that you feel are important. Paste the images on your board. Don't feel intimidated by your artistic abilities. Feel good about what you're doing – you're beginning to create your future.

Place your vision board in a visible spot in your home. Make sure it's not hiding in that spare bedroom. Put it in a place where you see it everyday. Mine is right on my dresser where I can see it from my bed when I wake up in the morning. Maybe you want to put yours near the desk where you do your work or in the kitchen if you spend a lot of time in there. Each day as you look at the vision you created, feel as if you already have everything you wished for. Feel grateful and happy. Your feelings are as powerful as your thoughts - feelings are the key to your achieving your goals. If you just write your goals but don't FEEL as if they are achievable, guess what? You won't achieve them. Just having the intention is not enough. You need the conviction, the belief, the feeling and the gratitude. Work on it. Cultivate it. Perfect it, and you'll get everything you want.

As you go about your day today, practice holding the image of your future. Practice feeling what it's like having all the things you wished for. Imagine that it is already true, live as if it is. I used to imagine a vision of myself living the life of a writer. I would feel what it would be like to wake up in the morning and go to a café to write a book. At this very moment, I am doing just that. At one point it was only a vision, a wish. I have manifested that vision with my thoughts and feelings. You can do it too.

Breakfast:

Boiled egg.

Fruit – melon, banana, raisins

Snack:

Apple sliced with peanut butter

Lunch:

Turkey roll – roll a couple slices of turkey and one slice of cheese in a leaf of romaine lettuce.

A side of raw vegetable – I like celery, string beans or sliced red pepper – yum!

Snack:

Lemonade or carrot sticks

Dinner:

Taco salad – Put warm pinto or black beans at the bottom of a small to medium sized bowl. Top with lettuce, tomato, a little bit of shredded cheese, a few slices of avocado, and dress with salsa.

Evening Reflection:

Congratulations, Diva! You have made it to the end of day 7! You're half way through the program. You should be feeling tremendous change taking place in your life. Your body is getting thinner, your mind is getting clearer, your thoughts are becoming more positive and you're loving and caring for yourself and others. Today you've taken important steps toward manifesting your ideal life. Feel grateful for the progress you've made. You are a Diva! You are worthy! Be grateful for this day.

### Chapter 9

DAY 8 – Creating Your Diva Sanctuary

Today is another day of tremendous growth, Diva! Now that you've completed so much of the inner work, it's time to make sure your outer environment is supporting all of your efforts with positive and spiritual energy. Get ready to start a whole new chapter in clearing your life's energy force! Today you'll be working in your home, cleaning and clearing stuck energy that accumulates in your drawers, closets and cupboards. It would be ideal if you have the entire day free of obligations. Maybe you'll take the day off or call in sick.

As mid-life Divas we have accumulated a house or apartment full of memories and paraphernalia that stack up over time and begin to block our creative energy. Often these energy blocks will result in career or relationship stagnation, weight gain, depression, financial problems and even illnesses. It's imperative that your home is clear of clutter and free of items that keep you stuck in the past or block your progression. Your home and its decorations need to assist you in manifesting your dreams. It is common that mid-life Divas will hold on to sentimental objects without realizing that these objects actually result in negative reinforcement. We have no idea that a few simple changes in our living environment can begin to bring about more opportunities, relational healing and financial gain. It's an important day indeed. Please do not skip this step, even if you think your home is as neat as a pin.

On Waking:

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of realizing your goodness and manifesting more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for this morning.

Give thanks that you have a home or an apartment or a living space. Commit to a productive day of clearing the energy.

_Yoga Practice_ :

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose, hands on knees. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. When you have achieved a clear mind, begin to imagine that you are an invisible spirit, a clean energy life force. Imagine that you're flying slowly through the front door of your home. Imagine everything you see, beginning from the outside of the front door. See the front porch, the area around the door, and the outside of the door itself. Enter your house as a spirit and look left, right and center. What do you see? Is your path clear and clean? What are the images on the wall? Are there areas that have lots of "stuff?" Do you see shelves with ornaments, collectibles, or books? Is there dust and clutter? Imagine your spirit-self flying slowly around the other areas inside your home. Is the pathway clear? Is there enough room to move around? Where do you get stuck? Where are the areas that are especially dense with "things?" Take extra time in your bedroom. This is where you sleep and spend the most time with intimate relationships and where you most likely do the most Imagineering of your life and life's dreams. What's on the dresser, in the drawers and under the bed? Imagine entering the closet – is it neat and tidy? Does it include clothes you haven't worn in years? Don't forget to do a fly by in your kitchen and bathroom too. Hall closets, garages and attics are not exempt. If you have a patio, garden or storage sheds, take a look at those too.

Take a deep breath. You are happy that your home will soon be in good shape to support your energy and help you build your future dreams. Breathe. It is good. It is good. Be grateful for your home. Be grateful for this day and this Diva process you have undertaken. Feel happy and optimistic.

Journaling:

Today in your journal you'll make a plan to clear the clutter in your home. Perhaps your home is very clean or perhaps it's full of clutter. Either way, there are areas that can be improved and writing a plan helps. Maybe you will start with your bedroom and work your way across the house. Maybe you'll start with the messiest area first and go room by room. Perhaps your kitchen needs the most attention, or you will concentrate on closets, cupboards and drawers first.

The practice of Feng Shui states that your home reflects your career, aspirations, prosperity, relationships and more. In your journal write the qualities that you would most like your home to help support – career, relationship, fame, wealth, health, etc. In which areas do you feel the most blocked right now in your life? Are there areas of your home that make you feel depressed or upset? What upsets you about these areas?

Make a commitment to start clearing your home. Commit to being open to big changes. It's often difficult to move or clear items that we've hung on to for very long periods of time. Know that this is a positive step and write: I am so happy and grateful that I have a home (apartment, house, living space), and I am happy to begin to create in it a Diva sanctuary worthy of my sacredness.

Today's Practice:

Dig right in Diva! Where do you have the most clutter? Where do you feel the most repressed? Is it your bedroom closet or your kitchen cupboards? Get a few large garbage bags, some sponges or dust rags and get to work. Clear out things you no longer use, and dust in those areas that are in need of cleaning.

The front door of your home or space is very important. It must be clean and inviting. Clean your front door and clear everything both outside and inside it. This is where the living energy force enters. It's important that there's a clear path. A mirror in the entry is a nice way to help the energy move through the rest of the house. Make sure the mirror is clean and not cracked or broken in any way. If the front door is hard to open, or has a sticky doorknob this will result in stuck energy. Fix this and repair all the broken things in the home. If faucets leak or windows are stuck, it's important to repair all of these items for the house to be at peace. All windows should be cleaned inside and out. It's very important to have clear vision through these windows and to allow the energy to move easily inside and out.

Clear all areas of useless clutter. These areas cause stuck energy and will begin to drag you down. It's very important not to hold on to items you think might be useful "some day." If it is not being used now, donate it or give it to a friend who might appreciate it. Drawers and closets full of useless things create negative energy holes that prevent us from growing out of our present circumstances.

Walls, shelves and tabletops that collect ornamental items also create unnecessary energy blocks. Often these decorative things just collect dust. Whatever sentimental attachment we had for them has probably been gone for years and we don't even notice them any more. Even worse are the ornamental things that have negative connotations. As I went through my home I was horrified to realize how many things I kept that reminded me of bad times in my life. Literally each day I would look at these things and feel hurt and shame. Yet, those things had always been there. I never even thought of removing them. As I cleared my home I got rid of some of my largest wall hangings. They were quite beautiful, but they showed solitary women looking a bit sad and lonely. Whatever we choose to place in our home becomes the external manifestation of our current reality. It is important that the images you choose to display reflect an aspiration or a vision of your ideal future. Don't keep a sad and depressing picture simply because it is in the right color scheme. My personal vision of my future is not to be sad and lonely. I want healthy, loving relationships. Therefore, I removed all sad and lonely pictures and replaced them with photos or images that made me feel loving, empowered and fulfilled.

Take the time to question each item that you have displayed on your walls and shelves. Do these things make you feel good? Are they beautiful, necessary or sentimental? If you love them and they make you feel warm and fuzzy, keep them. If you no longer know why you have this ornament in your home, or it reminds you of a bad time in your life, remove it, donate it or give it away.

Cupboards and closets should be neatly organized and clean. Attic spaces and storage sheds also should be cleared. If it's difficult to get rid of things, at least take time to organize them neatly.

Your bedroom is where you nurture yourself and it's often the center of your loving relationships. It's where you sleep and find your Diva sanctuary. It's important that this room has symmetry and harmony. Try to remove all extraneous decorations and create a space that feels clean and clear, allowing an easy flow of energy. Be sure that there are no shoes or clutter underneath the bed. Items stored under the bed prevent our minds from settling and can cause insomnia and agitation. Keep the energy flowing in positive ways in your bedroom.

The principles of Feng Shui say that the entrance to your house reflects your life path. The very far left corner of your home, as you stand at your front door facing the house, is the area that controls prosperity and wealth. The very right corner from the front door is the area that controls love and relationships. If the room in the very right corner of your home is a spare room that has become a storage room that is jumbled and disorganized, chances are you will experience negative issues in your love life. Likewise with your wealth corner, if this area is messy and cluttered, your ability to generate more money will be blocked until you clean and organize it.

There are many aspects to creating a positive energy flow with the principles of Feng Shui. You can learn more about it by researching online or finding books on the subject. The most important thing for you right now is that your home feels like a Diva sanctuary. Create a space that is worthy of the goddess you are.

Breakfast:

Cottage cheese and fruit

Snack:

Sliced apple or pear

Lunch:

Rice cracker topped with avocado, sliced cucumbers, tomato and sliced red peppers

Snack:

Celery and peanut butter

Dinner:

Lentil soup and a green salad

Evening Reflection:

Give big thanks for all the progress you're making. Be grateful for the changes you're manifesting each day. Today marks an incredibly important milestone for you, Diva! You have been manifesting a new body and mind. Now you're changing the energy in your home to support your growth on the external plane. Feel good! Feel grateful! Feel incredibly accomplished. You're manifesting powerful changes that are supporting your sacredness. Give thanks. It is so good!

### Chapter 10

DAY 9 – Healing Your Relationship with Money

Today we'll explore your relationship with money. All people desire abundance and wealth in their lives. Often, as we reach middle age, we have deeply ingrained thoughts, perceptions and ideas about the role of money in our lives. As middle-aged women, we may have had many struggles trying to raise our standard of living. We may have been turned down for a promotion or raise, or we may believe that we are not worthy of a promotion or raise. Our relationship with money is at the heart of our current wealth status. Do you desire to improve your standard of living? Do you desire more wealth and abundance in your life? If you do, this will be a very important day for you, Diva! It's time to begin making changes that will begin to bring you more wealth. You deserve it!

Remember! Each day builds upon previous days. Continue to practice what you've started. Keep holding the vision of the ideal you in your mind. Feel that you're losing weight. You're changing. Be kind to yourself, live in total acceptance and let go, being mindful to bring awareness to everything you do. Focus on the joy you're bringing to others with the relationships you are healing. Realize that you're a sexy Diva Goddess and shine like you know you can. Continue to focus on manifesting your ideal lifestyle and creating your Diva sanctuary. You've done much work. Today continue with the good work that's gone before.

On Waking:

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of realizing your goodness and manifesting more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for this morning.

Yoga Practice:

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose, hands on knees. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. Today you will go deep inside yourself and imagine that you are seated in a chair. In a chair directly across from you is the personification of money. Breathe deep and imagine yourself coming face to face with money. What does money look like to you? Is it male or female? Is it friendly or menacing? Are you comfortable in its presence or do you feel threatened? Pay attention to the details of its face and demeanor. Imagine the two of you are talking. What is your conversation like? Do you laugh together or is your conversation stilted and uncomfortable?

Now, take time to reflect and write in your journal a bit about this experience. You'll probably want to come back to this same meditation later.

Journaling:

In your journal write about what it was like to come face to face with money. If you are anything like me, money was 1) male 2) menacing 3) arrogant and 4) totally inaccessible.

I've always felt uncomfortable with my ability to make money. I've always felt that I wasn't worthy. I thought I hadn't evolved sufficiently to make real riches, and that money was only accessible to the powerful ruling class, those who were more ruthless, well connected and raised in a wealthy family.

What are your perceptions of money? Are you comfortable in your relationship with money? If you were surprised by how ugly money was to you, take a few moments to realize that we all have the right to be wealthy. We all deserve wealth and abundance and the universe wants to give it to us. Just as we need to heal relationships with people, we need to heal our relationship with money. Take a few minutes to feel that you're worthy and deserving. Money isn't only for the ruling class. Money is for all of us. Feel as if it's your true birthright to be wealthy. Then take some time to feel as if money is not only your friend, but money is your very best friend!

Now, try the meditation again with your new perception of money. Breathe deep and meditate on becoming more comfortable when you come face to face with money.

Write in your journal about how you want to heal your relationship with money. You no longer want to be afraid. You want to invite him or her into your life. You want to have a healthy, fulfilling relationship. Think creatively about how you can be more comfortable in this relationship and write it out. Maybe you and money will take a vacation and become best friends. You and money will sit on the beach in Hawaii and watch the sunset and she will tell you about all the abundance she'll bring into your life once you've accepted her back into the family. What's your plan to reunite yourself with money? Have fun with your story so that you'll smile about it when you think of it. You and money are pals. You feel grateful and GOOD!

_Today's Practice_ :

You've spent some time imagining a new relationship with money. Now, take some action to make it real. There are many areas in your life where you can begin to feel better about your relationship with money. First, start with your wallet. Is your wallet clean and organized or is it full of old receipts and outdated business cards? Clean your wallet. Only include the credit cards and membership cards that you actually use. You'll begin to feel lighter and will notice that money seems to flow easier now that your wallet's lighter.

Take some time to organize your office space, desk or area where you pay your bills. Do you have some bills that you've been putting off paying? Take time to catch-up on your accounts. You'll begin to feel better right away. Do you have too many credit cards? Take the time to close the ones you no longer use. Cut them up and get rid of them. Simplify your finances wherever you can. Get your paperwork organized into a single file drawer or folder. Get rid of outdated papers or bills and shred them to clear your workspace. Make a plan to begin to pay off your highest credit card bills or consolidate your loans into a single loan with a lower rate. Take the time to take control of your finances. Commit to trying to pay off your credit card balance each month to avoid the finance charge.

Once you have a clean wallet and a fresh start on your bills, you'll feel that you and money are coming to better terms. Things are feeling better! Your friendship has been rekindled and you're no longer afraid to ask money to come over and visit more often.

Now it's time to work on your thought patterns concerning money. I found that I would become extremely anxious when I had to go shopping for items that were in the slightly higher price range. Buying clothes and shoes and certain household items would cause me to almost hyperventilate. I didn't want to see my monthly credit card bill. Each month I would dread the arrival of this bill in the mailbox and would become almost sick to my stomach. As I tried to heal my relationship with money I started to repeat the mantra, "Money comes easily and frequently." Now that money was my friend, she would come around more often. She was to be welcomed, not feared. Later, I learned to expand the mantra into, "I am so happy and grateful now that money comes easily and frequently, from multiple sources, in increasing amounts, on a continuous basis." Try repeating this phrase over and over until your subconscious begins to believe it and you'll slowly begin to change your perception and your relationship with money. And guess what? You're creating your own reality! Why not create one worth of your Diva Goddess self, full of riches and wealth! Go Diva!

Breakfast:

Oatmeal with raisins

Snack:

Banana

Lunch:

Chicken salad with light dressing

Snack:

Apple or celery and peanut butter

Dinner:

Grilled fish, steamed spinach, salad

Evening Reflection:

Give thanks for a productive day. Your life is coming into order and you're clearing the way for money to be a more productive partner bringing wealth and abundance into your life. Be happy and grateful for the changes that each day brings and feel good about the new Diva that you're awakening and discovering within yourself. Life is good.

### Chapter 11

DAY 10 – Achieving Wealth

Wow! You're making such progress. Think of the many lessons you've completed and continue to work on. Today we'll work on bringing more wealth and prosperity into your life. The work you did yesterday will be crucial to today's success. Continue to feel as if you are deserving of great wealth, and that money comes to you easily.

Remember! Each day builds upon previous days. Continue to practice what you've started. Keep holding the vision of the ideal you in your mind. Feel that you're losing weight. You're changing. Be kind to yourself, live in total acceptance and let go, being mindful to bring awareness to everything you do. Focus on the joy you're bringing to others with the relationships you're healing. Realize that you're a sexy Diva Goddess and shine like you know you can. Continue to focus on manifesting your ideal lifestyle and creating your Diva sanctuary. Concentrate on your relationship with money, repeating the mantra, "money comes easily and frequently."

_On Waking_ :

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of realizing your goodness and manifesting more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for.

Yoga Practice:

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose, hands on knees. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. Go deep inside yourself and meet your Diva self. Imagine your happiness when you meet her. You feel relief. You feel at ease, you are home. Imagine that your Diva takes you by the hand and guides you to the life of your dreams. She shows you the house that you live in. She shows you the family or friends or people that surround you. As you walk through your ideal dream life with your Diva, imagine how good you feel to have everything you've always wanted. Imagine each piece of furniture in the house. Imagine the style of your interior design, the color of the curtains and bedspreads. Imagine what a dinner party might be like in your ideal dream house and who would be there. Feel rich and abundant. Feel happy and deserving. Imagine going into the room where you take care of your financial affairs. Maybe it's a library or a modern office-type room. Imagine sitting down at the desk and looking over your financial statements. Imagine large balances on your bank accounts. Don't limit yourself to hundreds of thousands - think in millions. How many millions would be on your personal balance sheet? You're with your Diva. You're deserving of great wealth; you're safe. Take a deep breath and FEEL that you're rich AND deserving. Take another deep breath and feel how well off you are. You are a ravishingly rich Diva. You are a powerful woman. Imagine the feeling. Breathe and enjoy it. Breathe and be utterly grateful for it. This is all yours. This is good. You are so happy and grateful.

Journaling:

In your journal write the amount that you imagined on your financial statement. Then write: I am so happy and grateful now that I have $XXX,XXX,000.00 in my bank account. Don't laugh and think, "Yeah, that will never happen." Remember the power of thoughts. If you think it will never happen then it never will. Amend your thought and write: I believe that I am a millionaire. I know that I am a millionaire. I am so happy and grateful now that I am a millionaire. If you are having a hard time, write it over and over until you FEEL it is true. (Perhaps you want to be a billionaire. That's OK too!)

In 1910 Wallace D. Wattles wrote a book called, _The Science of Getting Rich_. In this book he posits that people have the ability to create things from their thoughts when they have a pure and unshakeable faith that the thing will be manifest. The one requirement, however, is that one must have a very clear and definite mental picture. He says, "You can never get rich, or start the creative power into action, by sending out unformed longings and vague desires."

You've spent the past few days practicing and feeling that you're deserving of more money and wealth. Know that you ARE able to manifest it. The one requirement of you is that you are very clear in what you want. Take some time right now in your journal to write about, and get very specific about, exactly what you want. This may be new and scary to you. You may still be struggling with allowing yourself to feel as if you deserve wealth and riches. Take some time to write it knowing that you can amend it or change it any time.

Wattles goes on to say, "Behind your clear vision must be the purpose to realize it; to bring it out in tangible expression. And behind this purpose must be an invincible and unwavering FAITH that the thing is already yours; that it is "at hand" and you have only to take possession of it. Live in the new house, mentally, until it takes form around you physically. In the mental realm, enter at once into full enjoyment of the things you want."

You must envision the things you want and be able to see them in your mind if you want them to come true. Writing about them is a good first step to helping them be realized in the mental realm. Write as much as you can. Then, imagine that everything you have written about is already true, and live as if you already have everything you desire. Use your imagination and your thoughts to achieve the level of wealth and the exact life that you want.

Today's Practice:

As you go about your day today, act as if all of the very specific goals you wrote in your journal were actually true... right at this moment. Be very careful not to stress about upcoming bills or out-of-the-blue expenses that might pop-up. You're rich; you're wealthy. You have more than enough to cover these bills and expenses! Perhaps you want to create a Bank of the Universe balance sheet with the exact amount you've been visualizing. Whenever a bill or an unexpected expense comes, pencil in a withdrawal from this account to pay your expenses. See, you have PLENTY of money left! Now, don't waste another thought on your financial obligations. When you give too much of your energy to being anxious about not having enough money to pay the bills, you actually create more debt and bills. Spend time feeling good about your plenitude and you will create more wealth and prosperity in your life. Repeat the phrase as many times as you can today: I am so happy and grateful that money comes easily and frequently, from multiple sources, in increasing amounts on a continuous basis. Whenever you feel doubtful or anxious, repeat this phrase.

Breakfast:

Fruit and yogurt

Snack:

One rice cracker with peanut butter and jelly

Lunch:

Turkey melt: Place a few slices of turkey flat on a microwaveable plate, spread the slices with pasta sauce, add chopped veggies (red pepper and broccoli are good), top with a spicy cheese and microwave until the cheese melts. Roll the turkey and eat with a fork.

Snack:

Sliced apple or celery sticks

Dinner:

Cup of homemade vegetable soup a small green salad

_Evening Reflection_ :

Give thanks today that you are a wealthy and wise Diva Goddess. You're manifesting abundance into your life by bringing faith into your practice. You have faith in your power to create your own reality. Give thanks that life is good. Breathe, smile and feel grateful for your abundance and good fortune.

### Chapter 12

DAY 11 – Living in Health

Health is something that should never be neglected. It's important to always live healthfully. When a woman doesn't feel good about herself, it's very easy for her to let her health go. It's important for mid-life Divas to really love themselves and feel good about their lives and their futures. When we're in a state of joy, taking care of our health is a natural outcome rather than a chore. Today we'll focus on creating a plan for healthful living.

Remember! Each day builds upon previous days. Continue to practice what you've started. Keep holding the vision of the ideal you in your mind. Feel that you're losing weight. You're changing. Be kind to yourself, live in total acceptance and let go, being mindful to bring awareness to everything you do. Focus on the joy you're bringing to others with the relationships you are healing. Realize that you're a sexy Diva Goddess and shine like you know you can. Continue to focus on manifesting your ideal lifestyle and creating your Diva sanctuary. Concentrate on your relationship with money, repeating the mantra, "money comes easily and frequently." Hold the vision of yourself as already having everything you want.

_On Waking_ :

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of realizing your goodness and manifesting more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for.

Today write a statement of commitment to live healthfully today and every day. Write: I am so happy and grateful that I am a healthy person, dedicated to living healthfully every day.

_Yoga Practice_ :

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose, hands on knees. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. Go deep inside yourself and meet your Diva self. Imagine that you stand and face your Diva. You close your eyes and hold out your arms. As you stand there, imagine that your Diva Goddess is touching the top of your head very gently. As she does this, a very soft golden light is spreading throughout your head. As it spreads, it's blessing and healing your hair, your brain, your eyes, your sinuses, your nose, your mouth and throat. Your Diva then very gently touches your neck and traces a line down to your heart. The golden light is spreading and healing your neck, your chest, your lungs and your heart. Her finger now touches your belly button and when it does the golden light radiates in a large circle, up and down and deep into your body, penetrating all of your organs. Stomach, kidneys, liver, spleen, intestines, the healing light is clearing and cleaning and purifying all of your organs, down to each cell and blood vessel. Imagine feeling light and clean and pure. Your Diva draws a line down each leg to the tip of the toes on each foot. The light follows her motion, until your entire body is glowing with a healing, golden light. Take a deep breath and feel as if you're shimmering with pure health. FEEL it. Sit with this feeling for as long as you're comfortable. Smile, thank your Diva and open your eyes.

Journaling:

Take your journal and without thinking, quickly write about how you felt when your Diva filled you with golden light. If you have specific areas of your body that you felt needed more healing – write about how it felt to clear those particular trouble spots.

Now, take some time to think about your optimally healthy body and then write a Personal Healthy Diva Plan. Chances are you already know all the steps you need to take to get yourself healthy. Perhaps you've already started to take some of those steps as you've started this program. You're eating less and eating more healthfully. You're exercising regularly and drinking more water. But, there may be some more action items you need to add to your list, specific things like: stop smoking, reduce the causes of stress in my life. (Stress and smoking are two of the major contributors to many diseases and health conditions.) You may want to sign up for an exercise class or a healthy cooking class. Maybe you need to limit your computer or TV time and get outside more. Maybe you need to get a new doctor if your doctor is not a helpful partner in your health journey. Perhaps you'd like to meet with a nutritionist or other specialist such as a dermatologist or allergist. There are probably certain areas where it may benefit you to seek additional advice. Your health is important and it shouldn't be taken lightly. Even if you're in the best of health, you can write a plan to help sustain or improve your current state. Maybe you'll sign-up to run a marathon, start a meditation class or take up a new hobby to help reduce your stress and provide more joy. There are many options. Take the time to be thoughtful on your approach.

Set some health goals for yourself and write them in the present tense: I am so happy and grateful now that I am healthy and I weigh XX lbs., my cholesterol level is X, my blood pressure is XX/XX and I am XX-free. Use whatever measure you want to achieve. This is your chance to write real health goals so that you can start to visualize them coming true.

Today's Practice:

Today is the day to take real action on your health. If you have any doctor or dentist appointments that you've been putting off, call right now and start scheduling those appointments. Have you had your annual pap smear yet? What about your mammogram or your 6-month dental check-up? What about that small procedure you've been putting off, but you know you'll feel so much better when you get it taken care of? Today is the day to get it on the calendar. Your body needs just as much attention as your car, and you probably schedule maintenance on your car more regularly than you do for yourself! If you haven't had a comprehensive blood panel taken for a while, ask your doctor to request one. You may discover an easy remedy that will help you feel better. I had this happen recently when I found I was very low on Iron. A regular Iron supplement helped me improve my energy level significantly. Take care of yourself Diva! No one else is going to do it for you and you don't do anyone any favors by putting it off until you're truly falling apart.

If you need to heal from a certain health issue, repeat over and over: I'm so grateful for my healing. Thank you for my healing. Breathe deep and imagine that the air you're taking in is full of healing molecules spreading pure, clean, health and vitality through your body to every cell and every pore. Be thankful. Breathe deep. FEEL the healing. FEEL the health. Smile and be thankful.

Breakfast:

Boiled egg, fruit salad

Snack:

Mixed nuts and seeds

Lunch:

Rice cracker with avocado, cucumber, red pepper

Carrot sticks

Snack:

Celery with peanut butter

Dinner:

Baked sweet potato, steamed broccoli, side salad

Evening Reflection:

Be so full of gratitude that you're taking action toward improving your health. You should be feeling great about the weight you're losing and the improved mental state you're achieving. You are a Diva in every sense of the word. Be grateful. Take a deep breath. It is good.

### Chapter 13

DAY 12 – Do Unto Others

You've made it to day 12! Your journey is almost complete. You've been working on your mind by changing your thoughts. You've been focused on your body through improved eating and exercise. Now it's time to work on feeding your soul. An ideal Diva is healthy in mind, body and spirit. One of the very best ways to heal your spirit is to help others. Often, when we're feeling broken or depressed, we're in no position to be of any help to other people. That's why a Diva will always take care of herself first. That way she'll be in a better position to help others. Be grateful that you're transforming your life. Through your evolution, you'll help others to grow and transform as well.

Remember: Each day builds upon previous days. Continue to practice what you've started. Keep holding the vision of the ideal you in your mind. Feel that you're losing weight. You're changing. Be kind to yourself, live in total acceptance and let go, being mindful to bring awareness to everything you do. Focus on the joy you're bringing to others with the relationships you're healing. Realize that you're a sexy Diva Goddess and shine like you know you can. Continue to focus on manifesting your ideal lifestyle and creating your Diva sanctuary. Concentrate on your relationship with money, repeating the mantra, "money comes easily and frequently." Hold the vision of yourself as already having everything you want and living in health and wellness.

On Waking:

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of realizing your goodness and manifesting more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for.

Include a statement of gratitude for being of sound mind and body and being able to help others.

Yoga Practice:

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose, hands on knees. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. Go deep inside yourself and imagine that you're opening up to the universe. You are a Goddess with powers beyond measure. Imagine yourself projecting that thought. Breathe deeply and really feel that you have healing powers and are giving your intention to the universe. Sit quietly and see who comes to you. Don't start the meditation with specific people in mind. Be open to whatever thoughts will come. If nothing comes right away, wait quietly. Project the intention of helping and healing. Pay attention to the thoughts or images that come to you. Is there a certain person who needs help? Is there a specific action that feels inspired? Maybe you'll start to feel very strongly that you should donate some money to a special cause. Perhaps you'll feel called to volunteer at a certain event or with a certain needy organization. Maybe there's a niece or nephew that's asking for your assistance. Be quiet until you can hear or sense a particular need. You may be surprised at the ideas that come. You may suddenly remember that your friend's child had asked for your help. You may suddenly see a dollar amount that you would be willing to donate. Let the thoughts come. Take time to wait for the inspiration that feels right.

_Journaling_ :

In your journal quickly write the thoughts and ideas that came to you in your meditation. You've been inspired by these thoughts and they can often be fleeting. It's good to write them before you forget. Write a plan of action that would include a date and time that you that you'll schedule to do your good works. If your meditation didn't surface anything, take the journaling time to think about how you can help someone or some organization that you know. Make a list of possibilities. If you have more money than time, make a list of possible donations you could make to worthy causes. If you have more time than money, list the organizations that you'd like to volunteer at and write which day you'd be able to do so. If there are certain people that need your help, write a note to remind yourself to call them up and schedule a time to meet.

Today's Practice:

Helping others is so important to creating nurturing and loving environments. Everyone knows how good it feels after they've volunteered or done a good deed. But most people don't make the effort to schedule time for these things in their calendar. If you simply have the intention to help, but don't give yourself a timeframe, it may never happen. Or, it may not happen for a very long time. Be sure to give yourself a deadline for action.

When you help others, you're helping the flow of good energy move back in your direction. The concept of Karma or reciprocal action is set in motion. When you do good unto others, others will do good unto you. It's the golden rule, and it's so important to your personal growth. Chances are, when you first met your Diva, one of the first things you noticed about her was her generous spirit. We all love people who are giving of themselves. You are a beautiful, giving Diva. Make a plan to incorporate generosity into your life. If it doesn't come naturally to you right now, you'll need to give conscious thought to planning your actions.

If there are any actions you can take today, try to do them. You'll notice right away how good it will make you feel. Even small actions, such as complimenting a person on their appearance or smiling and saying, "hello" to a stranger are acts of kindness. Do what you can today. You are a Diva, give of yourself and begin to heal the world.

Breakfast:

Cottage cheese and sliced fruit

Snack:

Sliced apple with peanut butter

Lunch:

Sliced chicken, chopped apples, raisins and walnuts over lettuce with your choice of dressing (easy on the creamy)

_Snack_ :

Dried fruit and nuts

Dinner:

Vegetables sautéed with garlic (I like brussels sprouts, green beans, red peppers, and carrots) Make a chopped lettuce salad and serve the hot vegetables over the salad. Top with a light Italian dressing

Evening Reflection:

You're a Diva in every way. You're cultivating grace and beauty, wealth, health and generosity. Be grateful for how much you've accomplished. Know that it's good, that you are good! You are living in goodness. Say: I am so happy and grateful that I am a divine and healthy Diva with the ability to help others and spread goodness in the world.

### Chapter 14

DAY 13 – Manifesting Joy

Welcome to Day 13! It's time to be joyful and to work on living joyfully each day. All the work you've done previously is meant to culminate in the realization of true joy. When you're feeling beautiful, happy, wealthy, healthy, generous and positive about your future, you can't help but live each day in a state of joy. I don't know about you, but finding my joy had been my personal goal for a very long time. I would catch glimpses of joy here and there, but it would always be fleeting. Why did all that joy I felt in my youth leave me? It's true that as we grow older life seems to become more complicated. We have jobs, husbands, children, relationships, financial responsibilities and life events that seem to bog us down and bury our joy under layers of obligations and resentments. We experience events that we perceive as personal failures and lose faith in our earlier youthful exuberance. It doesn't have to be that way. We can change and experience personal rebirth and transformation. It's time to live in that joy and feel it powerfully each and every day!

Remember: Each day builds upon previous days. Continue to practice what you've started. Keep holding the vision of the ideal you in your mind. Feel that you're losing weight. You're changing. Be kind to yourself, live in total acceptance and let go, being mindful to bring awareness to everything you do. Focus on the joy you're bringing to others with the relationships you're healing. Realize that you're a sexy Diva Goddess and shine like you know you can. Continue to focus on manifesting your ideal lifestyle and creating your Diva sanctuary. Concentrate on your relationship with money, repeating the mantra, "money comes easily and frequently." Hold the vision of yourself as already having everything you want, living healthfully and giving generously to others.

On Waking:

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of realizing your goodness and manifesting more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for.

Include a statement of gratitude for all the joy that you have begun to manifest in your life. Life is good. You are joyful.

_Yoga Practice_ :

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose, hands on knees. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. Go deep inside yourself and imagine that you're in your own personal heaven. What does it look like? Is it a green meadow? Is it a cloudy paradise with blue, blue sky as far as the eye can see? Is it a pristine mountainside bathed in perfect, sparkling sunshine? Whatever your vision of a perfect, heavenly spot is, imagine that you've gone there. Imagine that you're so filled with happiness that you throw your head back and outstretch your arms. You spin around and feel total joy. You're filled with happiness and wellbeing. This is your special place, the place that makes you feel alive and whole and you're soaking it up. Feel yourself float because you're free of all earthly encumbrances. You've grown beyond the need to feel held back by old limiting thought patterns. You no longer have any barriers to keep you from achieving your goals. You're a Diva with limitless power. Feel the power surge through you. Feel the peace and serenity of this place. Spend time in your personal paradise. Maybe you lie down in your meadow, maybe you float on a cloud, maybe you sit quietly on a bench near a babbling brook, or sit quietly on a beach near quiet, rolling waves. Take time to enjoy this place. Take time to simply "be." Breathe deep and feel good.

Journaling:

Take your journal and describe your heavenly place. Write about how it feels to have achieved this new height. You've ascended to a higher plane. You've experienced transformation because you've freed yourself from the limits of earthly beliefs. Contemplate this and write about it.

You've achieved so much on this journey. Tomorrow is your final day. Today is for taking an assessment of your achievements and feeling gratitude and joy about the many changes you've begun to manifest in your life. Think back on the past 12 Days. Write a list of your progress and make each accomplishment a statement of gratitude and joy. Fill in the details on how you've been able to accomplish these things. Writing, feeling and being thankful and joyful for your progress will help ensure continued growth and transformation.

I am so grateful and full of joy that I've been able to achieve:

*Acceptance of myself as a Diva Goddess worthy of beauty and light

*A shift in negative thought patterns and a new belief and faith in my right to be happy, confident and successful

*The beginnings of new loving and fulfilling relationships

*A home and environment that supports my new Diva energy

*A new relationship with money and wealth as I invite more prosperity into my life

*A new focus on my health as I honor my Diva with healthful foods and exercise

*A commitment to being generous and giving to others

As you write these statements, feel truly joyful. Each one of these accomplishments is huge. You've done amazing and deeply meaningful work. You should feel joyful about the new life you've begun!

Start another list. This will be a list of activities that give you joy. You might title it "My Diva Joy!" Don't think too much about the things you'll add to your list. Just write them quickly. Maybe you write that going to a museum makes you feel joyful. Perhaps meeting friends for coffee at a favorite café or taking your dog for a walk. It could be shopping or dressing up or going to a movie. Make a nice long list.

Today's Practice:

As you go about your day, realize how far you've come. You're acting and looking like a Diva Goddess. Give thanks and be joyful. Notice that as you feel better about yourself you'll feel joy much easier. Hopefully your Diva Joy list included simple things like watching a sunset or enjoying a cup of coffee while the sun comes up. Notice that when you feel true joy, you smile more and others respond in kind. The smile of a baby or a friendly wave from a stranger can make you feel wonderful on the inside. Joy isn't reserved only for special occasions. Joy is a deep-seated frame of mind. It comes from real gratitude and goodness. It comes from knowing that you're good and life is good and that you're able to have whatever you want because you believe in the goodness of the universe.

Be mindful of the many little opportunities you have each day to experience joy. Are you enjoying your thinner body? Are you feeling joy about the changes you're experiencing? If not, ask yourself why not, and try to give yourself love and feel gratitude and joy that you're trying something new and creating a new and joyful you. If you miss an opportunity to give or receive joy, don't beat yourself up about it. Make a commitment to be more observant next time. All of this is a practice. You won't become perfect at it until you've done it over and over many times. The real secret to achieving success in anything is to create habits of the behaviors that will bring progress. Make a habit of feeling joy. Don't expect that you will be an expert right away, but don't give up either!

Breakfast:

Blackberries, strawberries and bananas topped with yogurt

Snack:

Sliced melon and raisins

Lunch:

Burrito bowl - (without rice and sour cream) beans, veggies, salsa, lettuce, guacamole, light on the cheese

Snack:

Carrot sticks with low-fat ranch dressing dip

Dinner:

Steak, green beans, salad

Evening Reflection:

This has been a joyful day. Give thanks for all the good things you're manifesting. Feel joy that you've made it this far. Give thanks for your Diva body, your friends and family, your home and everything good in your life. Give thanks for the many good things that are yet to come. You know they'll come. Take time to realize that they're already here. Give thanks. It is good. You are good.

### Chapter 15

DAY 14 – The Final Diva Plan

Congratulations! You've come to the final day of your Diva Discovery Plan. What a journey! Today is perhaps one of your most important days. Your life plan doesn't end at Day 14. You'll need to continue on all the progress you've made thus far. Today will be a day of planning how to make the lessons you've learned into daily habits. Perhaps some of the exercises you've been doing are beginning to feel like habits. Others may feel like more work. The danger lies in the possibility of slipping back into old patterns. It'll happen, that's only natural. But with a detailed plan, we can keep our lives on a positive projection. Today you'll write your final Diva Plan and commit to a full life of Divahood.

Remember: Each day builds upon previous days. Continue to practice what you've started. Keep holding the vision of the ideal you in your mind. Feel that you're losing weight. You're changing. Be kind to yourself, live in total acceptance and let go, being mindful to bring awareness to everything you do. Focus on the joy you're bringing to others with the relationships you're healing. Realize that you're a sexy Diva Goddess and shine like you know you can. Continue to focus on manifesting your ideal lifestyle and creating your Diva sanctuary. Concentrate on your relationship with money, repeating the mantra, "money comes easily and frequently." Hold the vision of yourself as already having everything you want, living healthfully, giving generously to others and being joyful every day.

On Waking:

Wake each day and give thanks. Gratitude is at the heart of realizing your goodness and manifesting more abundance in your life. Take your journal and write at least 8 things that you are truly grateful for.

Include a statement of gratitude that you have successfully completed your Diva journey. Commit yourself to creating a workable daily plan to continue living like a Diva. Life is good. You are good.

Yoga Practice:

Drink at least 2 glasses of water and practice yoga for 1 hour with the TV or with your DVD/CD/ or video.

Meditation:

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose, hands on knees. Close your eyes. Breathe in deeply and count to five. Breathe out deeply and count to five. Repeat several times until your mind is clear. Go deep inside yourself and go to your special paradise. Meet your Diva self there. You see her approaching. She's walking gracefully, smiling proudly. Her arms are open wide to receive you. You're smiling as she approaches. Take a moment to realize how much you've changed in just 14 days. Now, you embrace your Diva and as she hugs you tight she melts into you. The two of you are one. You are her, and she is you. Take some more deep breaths and realize that you are a Diva in your very essence. Imagine your Diva shining through you. You emanate a sacred, glowing aura of Goddess light. You are a Diva Goddess. Breathe it. Believe it. Be it.

_Journaling / Final Diva Life Plan_ :

Today you'll write a final Diva Life Plan. If you're happy with your progress it makes sense that you'd want to continue to grow past the end of this program. Writing a plan is the best way to ensure that you'll keep working at achieving your goals. It's OK to change your goals along the way, but without a written plan, many of your good intentions may easily fall by the wayside.

**My Life's Vision Statement** :

Start your plan with a Vision Statement of between 50 and 100 words. Make the statement in the present tense and be sure that it's an inspirational and lofty statement. It might go something like this: "I am a Diva of such worthiness that I am constantly sought out for my expertise on the topic of X. I've achieved such wealth that I'm now living in my dream home where I am surrounded by my family and friends. I have a lifestyle that affords me much travel and leisure... etc."

My Life's Goals:

Next, list your biggest long-term goals. Be creative and watch that you aren't being short sighted by blocking yourself with current perceived limitations.

Strategies and Tactics:

With your long-term goals in mind, make a list of tasks you can perform in the short-term to help you get to your big life goals. Next to each task, write a date by which you'll get these tasks done.

Daily Commitments:

Now, move on to your daily commitments. You've begun many life-changing practices. Turning these practices into habits will help you continue the transformative process. Make an effort to continue with each of the areas you've begun in this program. Write the following topics and next to each, write how you'll make daily commitments to continuing your current work. Plan for how you'll continue with your progress now that the program has come to an end.

A Diva's Grace:

*Acceptance – Being accepting of yourself and others

*Letting Go – Being able to surrender rather than resist life's challenges

*Bringing Awareness – Becoming aware of your thoughts, your actions and your affect on others and the world

*Healing Relationships – Becoming a loving and grateful partner and friend that brings out the best in others

*Getting Your Sexy On – Creating a sensual, sexual self

*Creating Your Diva Sanctuary – Creating sustaining and positive energy in your home and personal environments

*Healing Your Relationship with Money – Being comfortable with your ability to attract and spend money

*Achieving Wealth – Creating strategies to help you achieve greater wealth in your life

*Living in Health – Sustaining a healthy body and mind

*Doing Unto Others – Caring for your family, community and those less fortunate

*Manifesting Joy – Noticing all the opportunities for joy around you at every moment

**Particular Areas of Focus** :

Make a list of the areas that you'll need the most effort in to keep your positive momentum.

For example, if the diet is your biggest area of challenge write a list of all the ways you'll continue to practice the good eating habits you've begun. Know that once the program has come to an end, you can't go back to your old way of eating. Make a habit of eating healthy meals and snacks. Only allow desserts, processed foods and carbohydrates in sparing amounts on special occasions.

_Today's Practice_ :

Today, celebrate the new you! Congratulate yourself and be proud of your success. Celebrate in your own special way. Take a friend to lunch, treat your self to something new. Make a special family dinner and invite the neighbors. Whatever feels good to you, do it! You deserve recognition for all your hard work. The world is yours. You just need to realize it, accept it, and reach out and take it. Way to go Diva!

Breakfast:

Scrambled eggs, sliced tomatoes and feta cheese (no toast)

Snack:

Peanuts and raisins

Lunch:

Tuna salad

Snack:

Apple and peanut butter

Dinner:

Grilled salmon, asparagus, salad

Evening Reflection:

This has been an amazing journey. You've committed to changing the course of your life and have taken important and meaningful steps toward positive change. You've started to shine your Diva light on the world and to share with others all the unique goodness that is you. Feel good about who you are and where you're going. You've got so much to give and so much to get. Congratulations Diva! Smile. You are good. Life is good. Be well.

### The End...

and also...

### The Beginning!

### About the author:

Becky Shafi is a long-time corporate marketing manager and a mid-life Diva. After many years of trying and failing at various diet plans and self-realization programs, she has reached success with her Diva Discovery Plan and has changed her life in deeply meaningful ways. Now she wants to share her method with other mid-life Divas.

Becky has an MBA in marketing and has studied writing at UC Berkeley. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, children and dog.

