Monthly Archives: April 2016

Apr 30
0
Timing

Timing

By | Encouragement, positive thoughts | No Comments

The timing in the universe can be a very challenging experience. When you put a question, desire, or prayer out into the universe, we often do not get the results or solution the same day. We may receive some signs and guidance, but we can get tied up in the length of time it takes and either block or fail to notice the opportunities flowing our way.

It’s good to take your mind off the situation for a little bit. Once you have expressed your desire or intentions and put some faith behind the visualization, it’s beneficial to redirect some focus in a positive way. When you sit around and worry about the fact that it hasn’t come yet or why it’s not happening fast enough, you end up causing yourself more stress and worry that get in the way of your blessings. It’s a bit like reversing your trust and faith.

Many times, much is working on our behalf behind the scenes. It can take some time to line up the people, events, and situations that move your towards your goals and answers. When we get too impatient on the process or outcome or frustrated with the timing, we use our time and energy more negatively. We are not helping our goals very constructively.

There is timing and rhythm in everything in life. When we can be patient and trusting, and move with the rhythm, we can receive more powerful results working in our favor. If you find yourself overwhelmed, worked up, or frustrated over receiving an outcome, it’s a good time for refocus or a break in general. When we try to force an answer or outcome before the timing is right, we we are not allowing the most powerful outcomes. It may feel easier to get frustrated if you’ve practiced that habit often, but I’m encouraging you for a more powerful outcome. Let the forces and universal powers assist you with better outcomes than you could imagine.

Timing in all things allows you a buffer to play with. You could use the power of positive emotions and feelings to attract and receive what is in harmony and alignment with your answers and desires. I’ve learned often in life we are taught to focus and worry much on our problems, and preparation for the disasters more than how to be patient, trusting, and how to use our strengths to receive.

You can limit your energy by using it only on what you try to force and be impatient with, or you can receive higher vibes with trusting, opening, and often going with the flow. There is a difference between inspired action and forced action. In my business and educational experience, I noticed more of my culture teaching the latter, so I’m learning a more powerful, joyful, and inspired way to move. Instead of attempting to swim against the currents like I was taught, I’m learning how to float more powerfully. You move faster floating with a water current than you do swimming uphill against one. That is how the difference of inspired versus forced action feels to me. And I’m lucky to have stumbled across some good teachers along the way.

The next time you feel worry, stress, and frustration over the timing of things, slow down and be aware of how you can be more beneficial to yourself and go with the flow as things are lining up behind the scenes. I believe you can enhance your journey and spend less stress and worry and allow the beautiful rhythms in life. Timing can be your best ally. You just may need to give it some trust and a chance to work its magic.

Apr 27
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Homeostasis

Homeostasis

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One of the first things I remember learning in anatomy and physiology is that the body is in constant movement towards reaching and maintaining homeostasis. The body has the tendency to seek and maintain a condition and balance or equilibrium within its internal environment. The reason the body seeks to maintain this balance is for optimal health. It’s our natural state to seek balance internally.

With that said, when we are caught up in lifestyles that produce a lot of stress each day, the best way to maintain our health is to find balance. When you participate daily in activities that leave you internally feeling stressed, you would greatly benefit from regular de-stressing techniques. What works for one is not necessarily going to work for all . You have to play around a bit to find things that help you de-stress. It helps to put forth the time forth into depositing the balances in your life. We can assist the body at maintaining its homeostasis by not continually fighting against it.

Just as the day shares time with the night, we need to share ample time for rest as we work. Some people’s schedules and lifestyles can allow little deposits each day, while others may be able to set some days or hours aside for self care. It is also certainly okay for each of us to reboot in the ways that relax us. The main goal is not to get so caught up in our busy stressful schedules that we do not put forth the effort in re-establishing or renewing some balance.

It also helps us move forward more productively. We tend to give less of ourselves and perhaps do a poorer job when we are tired and stressed than we can when we are refreshed, rested, and renewed. Placing the value for balance in ourselves creates a more positive atmosphere and positive health choices for ourselves. When the body is nurtured and cared for, it can do a much better job at healing and maintaining our homeostasis. Think of it as a team effort.

When we neglect ourselves for the sake of others, we aren’t able to be as good to them as we possibly could. When you overfill a cup of water, the cup is not going to be able to hold all of the water; it’s going to overflow. When our kids are tired and cranky, we may insist on or put them down for a nap, but frequently ignore our own cues. We can follow our feelings, emotions, and body to find where we are imbalanced. What a nice compass we were born with.

Often we ignore our compass due to imitating unspoken behaviors we pick up as we grow up rather than making a conscious effort to take care of ourselves along the way. We have those bells and flags that subtly and sometimes loudly signal us that we need more rest or balance. This is a call to pay attention to our radars and respectfully listen. It can save you from some crises down the road. Be a team player in your own health and support your own homeostasis. Your body, health, mind, family, friends, and universe will thank you for it. Heck, it’ll also support you!!

Apr 24
0
Feeling stuck

Feeling Stuck

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Do you ever struggle with feeling stuck? Not fully sure of which direction to go, or just blocked from new ideas? Some people feel they know they want or need something more, but feel stuck not knowing exactly what that is. We can easily get sucked into our daily routines and habits of “busyness” without feeling daily passion and purpose. Over time it can begin to feel like a numb, stuck feeling. Even though we feel stuck, many of us feel energy urging to surge without a direction to help it flow.

This is a time that I have found creativity and exploring can be your best friend. Especially if you can’t feel the pull or direction nudging from your soul. Sometimes we just haven’t stumbled across that YES!

We are energy constantly in motion. Technically speaking we cannot truly be stuck. So where does the feeling come from? We can all have different underlying reasons, but at some point in our lives we may have felt this burned-out or questioning feeling. We can forget to add some excitement into our daily routines, or perhaps forget to have some time for our soul. Our hobbies can be little lifesavers . Hobbies represent. Our secret wishes, the things we would rather be doing if we didn’t already have so much to do. Often in our culture, our hobbies are encouraged only when we’ve met all of our responsibilities or given some grief because of time spent “goofing off.” .

For many successful entrepreneurs, hobbies become careers. No one starts off with a successful business or initially becomes an expert in their fields, but over time we can learn and grow our passions into careers or simply use them to keep our lives sane. Hobbies are no joking matter. To me it’s the gold thread woven into our canvas of life. When you do not have a hobby or passion, it is easy to become stuck, burned-out , or depressed. We need things that make our souls smile. To spend time getting into a flow of our joy can really help and enhance balance.

Hobbies are very much like meditation. When you meditate, the goal is to slow down all the 50 million thoughts you have running constantly in your head. When you can slow down the thoughts and not get wrapped up in them, we give ourselves a break and open ourselves to receiving of ideas, inspiration, and joy. When we get involved in a hobby we truly enjoy we can become so engaged that we forget or slow down the 50 million thoughts in our head. Our hobbies can be the healing we just may need.

I know some of you actually do not have active hobbies. I know this because I’ve heard it from many clients over the years. And you may not even know where to start. You do not have to sign up for professional golf lessons unless you are excited and can’t wait. What I would suggest is exploring some interests you may have never gotten around to. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to take an art or pottery class. A dream you never had the courage to move forward with. These are great places to start. Take a Saturday or evening class. There are also many free tutorials online this day and age to learn just about anything. It can be a start.

I also know that there are probably more than a few out there who aren’t sure what you are interested in. A good place to start is to try to recall as a kid what you were drawn to . What did you enjoy before all the adult responsibilities? Painting? Drawing? Dancing? Music? Baking? Riding a bike ? What did you enjoy that you may not be doing anymore? If you cannot recall, now is the perfect time to try a few new things and explore. Your soul will let you know which ones light you up. It’s hard to ignore. This doesn’t require any rhyme or reason. Just activities that you find fun. Anything that you enjoy, and that you can engage in. If it can distract your mind from your worrisome thoughts, troubles, or long to do lists, you’re on to something.

Being able to have something or some things that can distract your mind for periods of time is very healthy. This leads to filling your own cup with joy so you can serve everyone around you better. When you can have some activities helping your soul to sing and find joy, you perform better at work, become more pleasant for your family to be around, and remain true to your authentic self. The more you can tap into you, the more you receive. It may be an idea or inspiration for a new venture or business. It can just be the balance you need in your life now. When you can feel more joy in your life now, you create a more joyful future. And our hobbies are a key to happiness.

Apr 20
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Put yourself out there

Put Yourself Out There

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To move forward towards your goals and dreams, sometimes you have to put yourself out there whether you are ready or not. I notice we often wait for the perfect circumstances to line up, or think we need to see the whole plan to move. These excuses hold us back from the progress we need to make and the lessons we need to learn along the journey. Many successful people got to their big breaks by learning many things that didn’t work out. The difference between hitting the mark and missing it is often defined by whether we give up, or keep moving forward despite our falls and stumbles along the way.

I often speak in my blogs about the trust factor. In order to trust, we have to believe in what we do not see. We don’t have insurance for our dreams to fall back on. Some of the best hunches come from the trust and faith that we will get there. Believing in the unseen isn’t taught much in our textbooks and academic education, but I found it as the necessary ingredient in my adult life. I mentored small business owners for years, and most often those clients needed reassurance and support of their instincts more than any business advice I could give.

Most of our impulses, great ideas, and hunches do not come from well-calculated plans. And often the stories that lead to success beyond our wildest dreams do not come from a safe plan. We can let logic stand in the way of our greatest gift in this world, our intuition. I think a lot of it has to do with how we attempt to justify what we know in our hearts to others. There can be a gap in other people’s understanding of our ideas and our own. When we try to explain and justify our hunches, we can either talk ourselves into doubt, or more often listen to the doubts of others. If we listen more to their limitations over our own intuition, we can miss our strengths, gifts, and opportunities.

When you have an idea, a dream, or a hunch in the beginning, it’s a bit tricky to understand the path ourselves. When we try to explain or ask advice of another, we can block our own power. It’s often a good idea to protect and nurture our ideas until we can get our faith and trust behind ourselves. Share them with those that can encourage your intuition, or keep them to yourself for a bit. When we have the courage to stop making excuses and put ourselves out there, we can accomplish many things. It’s a bit like expecting to win the lottery when the odds are good, but you didn’t buy a ticket.

When you put yourself out there, you are doing so to accomplish your goals and dreams, not anyone else’s. Try not to worry about what other people think of your journey. It helps to remember they can only see from their bird’s eye view. It does not have to make any sense to anyone besides you. Have faith in the gifts you’ve been given, and trust your strengths to unfold as you put yourself out there for the journey. You just might be amazed at what can unfold for you.

Apr 16
0
Passion

The Passion Factor

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The passion factor can be a powerful directional compass in life. In talking with friends and clients through the the years, I’ve found that one of the biggest obstacles can be struggling with decisions. Which is the best way, what are the pros and cons , and what if I chose the wrong way? These seem to be common stems of questions in decision making. If I could give anyone an easier gauge , I would say to try the passion factor.

When you think about choices and a decision you’re facing, ask yourself which avenues bring you towards your passions. I don’t think it’s possible to know all the facts before making any decision. We also do not have a remote control in life to fast-forward time so we may peep at the results before making a decision. We are left with the mystery of anything can happen, and life can go many different ways. If we knew exactly what to expect, we may make decisions quicker and easier. Since we don’t have that magical remote, we do have a passion factor.

We can make decisions on how we feel. Pay attention to where your intuition is pulling you. Sometimes the best advice is to leave some logic out. We can drive ourselves a little crazy imagining too many possible scenarios. Sometimes visualizing outcomes can be a benefit to imagining, but too often we can use our imagination in a more negative direction. When we worry about what could happen, or picture worst case scenarios while weighing our decisions, we can bring less positive energy into our life. I bet if you sit and think long enough, you can always add to the list of pros and cons and never stop. Eventually a decision is still left to be made.

As stated before, we don’t have a remote control to show us the outcomes that could have happened if we had made different choices. You have to trust your gut and do what feels right to you in that moment. Worrying about how this decsion will affect you in ten year’s time is adding unnecessary stress to your life. Often we think back on some decisions as bad ones. Your perception of good or bad choices is only a perception. Have you ever considered that even though things didn’t turn out the way you would have liked, a decision you once made wasn’t necessarily a bad decision? Perhaps it didn’t go the way your would have liked or planned, but maybe it was still a better route than an alternative decision.

Without knowing how things will go in every direction, we are limited in facts and outcomes. We can logic the “what ifs” to death, or we can use our magical intuition compass in our choices. Instead of making a pros and cons list, make a list of the known facts in your decision–and then, apply the passion factor. Which aspects bring you more joy? Sometimes it’s helpful to take certain factors off the table. Instead of basing your decision on the details of money, other opinions, and doubts, it can be an advantage to you to take some of them out of the equation that may be holding you back. We can move towards our dreams using our passion factor leverage. Decisions can be easier when you follow your bliss.

Allow your intuition to work in your own favor. Get out of your head a bit and lean towards the decisions that bring you joy. It most often won’t steer you wrong. Even if your ego tries to convince you it did, you’ll never know for sure and don’t have to agree with it. I’m going to bet the more you use your passion factor in making decisions, some beautiful doors and opportunities will open up for you. The next time you make a decision, especially one that can really change the direction in your life, consider applying the passion factor. Once you make a decision, the rest are just details. The rest can be figured out or fall into place. Don’t let the small details overshadow your passion factor.

Apr 13
0
Falling down

The Power to get Back up and Dust Ourselves Off

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When life hands us a ““no,” we have the power to get back up and dust ourselves off. We often get stuck or paralyzed by the “nos”. If we give up without making more attempts, we can’t accomplish as much and move on to the greater things. Having a bad fall in life, like facing a no or dealing with a failure, doesn’t have to be an invitation to give up, but rather a bigger opportunity to keep moving forward. I’ve learned that the more we stumble and fall, the closer we are to our goal. Rather than dwell in our woes and self-pity because something didn’t work out on the first try or because of a “not this time” answer, we can celebrate how much closer we are to catching that big break.

When we feel sorry for ourselves , we can lose the momentum of the energy going in our direction. We can take a fork in the road too personally. I have found when I get a detour in life, the detour teaches me what I needed to know to move forward. To prepare me in a sense for the blessings. You can miss them if you’re not ready and up to speed.

Learning and growing is part of our journey in life. It is also how we get to our goals and dreams. If we dwell too long in why something didn’t work out or how bad it felt to face another no, we keep ourselves further from our destination. You can actually thank your losses and your nos for helping you move towards better results. Just because you may be told you aren’t a fit for a project, job, or opportunity, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t fit for your dreams. Sometimes life blesses you by keeping you from the wrong people and wrong opportunities. Especially those scenarios that do not line up with your dreams.

Think about being a kid and learning to ride a bike. I know I fell off many times before I got the hang of it. That sure didn’t keep me from getting back on the bike again. When we are kids, we don’t let a fall deter us from continuing to try. We have this magical instinct that we are going to do it and Get it! And we keep trying until we do. When we learn to walk, we don’t continue to crawl the rest of our lives because we were wobbly at first and fall. Nor do we let the thoughts of others sway our decision to keep trying. We are focused in our task and we keep trying.

We can lose that determination and spark over the years. The longer you live the more falls you have. Without those falls, we wouldn’t experience our greatness either. How would we have the privilege to drive, find a mate, or perhaps start a business without some learning, stumbling, and failing? We don’t usually master anything at the first go.

What can you do when life hands you an unexpected no? Besides getting back up and dusting yourself off, you can say THANK YOU! Really– don’t take it personally. You just got handed a favor. It might not have been what your ego imagined, but there could be a better door waiting for you down the hall. Thank the situation for steering you better towards your destiny and dreams. Thank it for sending you better people and a better environment to go along with your aim. Let life bless you. Understand your yeses and nos are arriving to serve you better in life. Not to stop you. Just helping you change directions for a better result. Thank life for its internal GPS. Your grand navigator.

Move easily with your yeses and don’t get too hung up on the nos. You’ll learn and grow with the yeses and your nos. Just remember your power to get back up, dust yourself off, and GO!

Apr 09
0
Seeds of joy

Sow Seeds of Joy

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Like Spring and planting our gardens, we can sow seeds of joy in our life. When we plant seeds in the ground, we tend to nurture our seeds by taking the time to choose the location and take advantage of the sunshine and water. It’s all in the anticipation and expectation for the seeds to grow and produce. When we plant, we do so in the faith something will grow. Often if the crop has failed or the plants struggle, we try to give them more of what they need. They may need more or less water, extra nutrients, better soil, or more attention. We observe and add more love.

Like the time we give our garden and plants, we sow in our lives what we expect to grow whether we realize it or not. If you would like more joy in your life, you have the power to plant and grow those seeds. The more seeds of joy you plant each day, the more joy from your crop you can harvest.

Each day are you planting seeds. Your feelings and actions are your seeds. It helps to be aware of what you’re sowing. Are you feeling joyful, or are you frustrated, complaining, and upset more often? Even if your life isn’t where you want it to be in the now, the power you have to make it better is with the seeds you plant in your life. You can keep choosing joy and planting that energy each day to receive those crops. If you are finding yourself complaining about your current circumstances and dislikes, you’re planting seeds opposite of joy.

You do not generally harvest immediately. You plant, love, and nurture your crops while you wait. In life, we can plant, invest time, love, and nurture ourselves as well. We plant many seeds in life. From our gardens, our homes, our children, and our legacies, we are continuously planting seeds. It is important to remember the seeds of joy: joy for ourselves and joy for others. When we sow seeds of joy within ourselves, we have more harvest to give and share with others. The investments we make with ourselves extend beyond ourselves.

We need to patient and trust our harvests. As we sow joy and kindness into our lives each day, we will reap the rewards over time. The more we understand this trust and continue to deposit and nurture our self-harvests, the more fruition we can receive. As you move through your day, pay attention to the seeds you’re planting for your future.

Be inspired by your seeds. Plant the seeds you wish to receive in life. If you want more joy, love, happiness, health, or wealth, you have the ability to plant those seeds. Since you are choosing seeds and planting every day, you might as well be choosy. I challenge you to consciously choose your seeds. In the way you think about yourself, in the way you treat others, and the way you navigate through your day. Think about what you want to harvest. Every day you do have the option to choose joy.

Apr 03
0
Dreams

Follow Your Dreams

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Often what stops us from taking risks and following our dreams is the belief that we have to know how to do everything first. No one starts out as an expert or a professional. You have to take a risk, and experience and learn any field as you go. You begin by setting an intention and moving towards the dream. When you make a decision or intention, you open up the channels to see the path unfold. You narrow your focus for the steps/keys that could help you learn and grow. People, events, and circumstances line up with the energy you set in motion.

Everything in the universe is energy in motion. Intentions and ideas set the declaration for the energy in motion. Basically, what you set forth, you attract. Our ideas, hobbies, and dreams take a risk of trust from us. We move forward one step at a time. We can only develop and learn what we need to when we are ready, and also as we progress. The only way to get from starting to the goal is a step.

It’s rooted in the silent yearning within us, the little hobbies that bring us happiness, and it’s the curiosity that nudges us towards joy. We stall and cause much suffering onto ourselves with excuses we give as to why we aren’t following our dreams.

The cool tip is that you can have fun when you take a risk and follow your dreams. You can begin with baby steps towards your dreams rather than a leap off the diving board. You can also glide into the shallow end before you move into the flow of the deep end. The same way you may have learned to swim, or perhaps ride a bike, you learned your skill over time. You can be just as gentle with yourself and not give up.

To master anything is to learn. It is a process. Take a risk in learning about your passions and hobbies. Have fun in the process and give an opportunity to allow your dreams to come alive. The time in life passes anyway. The responsibilities will remain, and so will your yearnings. So consider as the time passes in your life, to carve out some time in your weekly schedule to have fun and follow your passions.

It takes a risk, but you can have fun, and you have the capability to follow your dream!!!!!