Manifest Your Ideal Life

I am fortunate to be part of a mastermind group of luminaries (individuals who share and shine their light with the world). We meet each month to share insights, encourage each other to grow and support one another personally and professionally. We had our first meeting of 2014 and the main focus of our discussion was looking at past and present goals. The big question was “Where (personally and professionally speaking) are you?” As we began to share our different experiences there were common threads that I could hear within each message that made me pause and reflect on how we are all capable of moving forward in our lives and reaching the goals we set out to accomplish and that there are specific techniques that facilitate the ability to meet our objectives and live our ultimate lives. Funny thing is that some of these insights might be different than you expected. By implementing these strategies you can accelerate your ability to create the life of your dreams. These simple steps will help you become clear on your goals and develop quick and effective ways to manifest your ideal life.

Plant Clear Seeds

You might have an idea of what your inspired life looks like or what you would be doing to live the life of your dreams. With the New Year, many folks begin to ponder these thoughts, envision their idyllic future and put goals together to make their ideals come to fruition. Gaining crystal clear clarity is essential to accomplishing your goals and bringing your dreams to fulfillment. Think about how it would look, feel, and smell. What sensations would you experience in your ultimate world? This clear vision is the seed you plant that will encourage your dream/s to grow.

Focus on the Goal

It is important to focus on the goal without pushing so hard that you push it away. Have you ever experienced wanting something so badly that you keep pushing to make it happen, only for it to be more elusive than it was previously. Roadblocks and obstacles appear that weren’t previously there? I can appreciate this phenomenon. As a Type A person, there have been many times in my life where I have focused in on a goal and blazed forward to make it happen. Unfortunately, more times than not, this energy pushes the goal farther away leaving me wondering why things aren’t working out. In recent years I have finally come to the understanding that we are better served to become crystal clear on the goal, which plants the seed of possibility. From there it is important to step into the energy of ‘Allowing’. Move with the natural rhythm of a greater power that taps into infinite potential and possibilities.

Take Small Steps

Strategically make decisions that will help you flow gracefully towards your goals without pushing them further away. I suggest strategically because often times I see clients or colleagues spinning their proverbial wheels doing busy work that gets them no-where fast and leaves their dreams just beyond arms length, never to be reached. Break down your goals into smaller steps so that the big goals don’t seem insurmountable. When moving with the natural rhythm of the Universe nothing is impossible and small steps can begin to accelerate your momentum.

Celebrate the Past

The great thing about small steps is that they are achievable! I can’t say enough how important it is to celebrate even the smallest of successes. I know in my own life that I often find myself moving forward towards the next goal or project without taking the time to notice how much has already been accomplished. I think our culture exacerbates this experience and many find themselves not only disconnected from the present but, negating their triumphs by ignoring what has already been fulfilled. You might hear that it is important to live in the Now. This is true, but it is also imperative to appreciate the past. It is in the pausing, reflecting and appreciating that we replenish. This gives us the energy, passion and enthusiasm to continue moving forward.

Let 2014 be your best year yet! Clearly articulate and envision your dreams and goals. Plant seeds of clarity that when gently nurtured will blossom into a splendid life. Move from a position of forcefully willing your goals to happen, which pushes your dreams farther away, to a place of graciously allowing the flow of natural rhythm to support you and your dreams. Celebrate each small step as you gracefully flow in the life of your dreams. These strategize will help you to accelerate the speed with which you manifest the goals you have set in motion for 2014.

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Happy Soaring!

XOXO

Do You Have Cancer Anxiety?

In this blog I want to touch on a somber reality that affects so many of us. It is my hope that amidst the anxiety and stress I can bring knowledge and hope that can lead you out of the darkness and into an empowered state of being.

Unfortunately the statistics on cancer rates are staggering. The reality is that 1 in 4 deaths in the US are due to cancer. Along with this sobering truth, the average person holds more than 700 contaminants that become stuck in their bodies wreaking havoc, literally causing disease and other glitches that affect the system. The good news is that we are beginning to truly understand why and how this is happening, which empowers you and I! We can take action to support ourselves in creating optimum health. The following blog will share 5 simple solutions to help you create vibrant health!

I had a friend, Sam call me today in a state of panic because he had just gone to visit a dear friend who had recently been diagnosed with cancer. His friend was a strong, fit and seemingly healthy individual who lived a lifestyle that incorporated health conscious choices much better than the average American. The new found diagnosis was perplexing and frightening on so many levels. Typical to many individuals who learn that someone they know or love has become sick, there were questions and anxiety associated with how Sam was living his own life, the concern for the foods he was eating and an extreme fear of getting sick. Sam actually said, “I am afraid to eat and I don’t know what foods are going to be ok.” This is a common fear and understandable in today’s day and age. We all know people who have been impacted by cancer or other diseases. We now have a greater understanding for the toxins in our environment and our food that are wreaking havoc on our bodies. It is important to gain an awareness of the affect of these toxic substances, what they are, where they are, and how they become stuck in our bodies. You need simple solutions to help not only eliminate these toxins, but to eliminate the fear. There are things that you can do to empower you and help you live a healthy and vibrant life. Let’s look at five simple solutions that will help you be proactive in creating great and optimum health.

1. Toxic Reality

The first step is to gain an understanding and appreciation for toxins. In my Fresh Start Wellness and Healthy Home Programs I call it the what, where and how. First, become aware of what toxins are. Second, understand where toxins are lurking in your life. Unfortunately they are in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. When you begin to understand this reality you can then take action on how to remove the toxins that are in your life and inadvertently in your body.

2. Deep Breath

The second simple solution is to take a deep breath. Know that just by becoming aware of where toxins are lurking in your life, you automatically will make healthier selections. Your awareness will allow you to begin making choices that can create better health and well-being. It is in the small steps that we are able to transform our lives. Each day choosing to acknowledge your awareness and make healthy choices based on reality gives you the ability to design your inspired life. An inspired life is about being empowered, open to the truth and welcoming new insight into our lives. This new knowledge gives you the power of choice. The power of choice helps you make daily decisions that affect the big picture of your life.

3. Course Correct

Even when we are making healthy choices on a consistent basis there are going to be times in everyone’s life when we might choose to go out for a meal in a restaurant or imbibe at a party- this is natural. Don’t beat yourself up about making a few unhealthy choices as long as you’re able to course correct and make more healthy decisions than unhealthy ones.

4. Eliminate Toxic Blocks

Lastly it’s really important to make sure that your digestive system is functioning optimally. Our digestive system is the highway that allows the toxins that are in our bodies to move on out! It is essential to make sure that there are no blocks on this highway and that any toxins that we may breathe in or ingest can be eliminated naturally.

5. Sweat

Eliminating toxins in other ways can be exceptionally beneficial as well. If you go out for a night and enjoy a few cocktails or some standard American food you might want to go to the gym the next day and make sure that you get in a vigorous exercise where you’re able to sweat profusely. This also helps to flush out toxins from your system.

Take the time to understand the what, where and how toxins are lurking in your life. This knowledge will empower you to make the best choices to help you live a long, vibrant and healthy life!

Join me on January 9th, 2014 for the Fresh Start Wellness and Detox Program to learn the what, where & how of toxins that impact your body. Join me on January 30th, 2014 for the Creating Your Healthy Home Program to learn ways eliminate toxins from you home so that you can breathe easy.

Wishing you blessings of amazing health and harmony!

Did 2013 Reflect the Best You?

I hope you are enjoying this amazing season and the last days of 2013! The New Year is the perfect time to take stock on what worked or fell short the previous year. It is also a great time to determine what you wish to adjust to help you live your best life and decide how you can be the best version of you. Life is all about learning and growing. As you move through each day you discover what makes you feel vibrant, healthy and blessed. These experiences teach you what to focus on so that you can attract more of those positive, uplifting and life-affirming moments into your life.

Today, take a moment to reflect on 2013. Did you fulfill your hopes and dreams for this past year or did some of your aspirations fall short? Often times we are striving to achieve the next big thing that we forget to look back and see how far we have come. We may compare ourselves to someone else’s successes or our own new ambitions that we are striving to attain which leaves one feeling unfilled or defeated. By looking back and noticing how far you have come this year can help to energize your spirit and invigorate you for the next big challenge. Consciously take note of what you did to help you create an amazing year. If you have unfilled goals for 2013 and haven’t arrived at the place you hoped to be, the New Year can be a perfect time to put a plan in place to make 2014 the best year yet for your home, body, mind & spirit! Let’s look at a few simple ways to ensure that you live a happy, healthy and harmonious life.

1. Expansion Letter

Write a letter to yourself from your future self who is writing the letter on December 30, 2014. That’s right, pretend you are you a year from now! Describe your amazing year and all of the fabulous things you did, the goals you accomplished and what you are currently doing to make you feel vibrant, healthy and happy. Let loose and have fun with this (after all you are pretending), which is your license and creative freedom to imagine BIG! This will give you a great guide to determine what your true hopes and dreams are for your amazing life. This unlocks your unconscious to move you from a space of limited thinking to an expansive mode where all things are possible. And, as Albert Einstein once said “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”

2. Clarity

Look at your future-self-letter and pull out goals and aspirations you hope to achieve in the coming year. Is it… a healthy body… a calm mind… harmony in your home… to find and live your passion and purpose? Whatever it is write these goals on a piece of paper. When we become clear on our goals it is much easier to move towards achieving them. Be as clear, concise and specific as possible. “I want to be happy” is a great idea, but to live in a state of happiness you need to clearly articulate what that means to you. What would you be doing that would help you live in a state of happiness. What would you eliminate from your life. Moving from a vague sense of what you are hoping to achieve to a well-defined vision will help your dreams become reality. Use pictures, words and feelings in your descriptions. The more concrete you are the easier it will be for you to live the life of your dreams.

3. Plan

Put a plan in place. Now that you have specific goals that you hope to fulfill in 2014, it is time to pull out a calendar and determine what you can do and by when you plan to do it, to make your dreams a reality. Break your goals down into manageable and achievable parts that you can systematically make happen. When you create a system to achieve your goals by set times, you become unstoppable! Just make sure that you break down the steps into bite-size pieces that you can truly implement, otherwise you could become overwhelmed or exasperated with yourself, which could throw you off track.

In the moments of doubt (which we all feel at some point or another) look back at the letter your future self wrote to you… this is your inner guide or cheerleader letting you know that anything is possible! You can do this! Cheers to making 2014 your best year yet!

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

5 Ways to Feel Blessed Instead of Stressed During the Holidays

I hope you are enjoying the wonderment, beauty and sparkle of this beautiful season. It can sometimes be challenging to remember the true meaning of this time of year when you are driving in circles trying to find a parking space at the local retail spot, you find yourself frantically dashing from one store to another or you wake up feeling bloated from one too many gingerbread martinis or the scrumptious hors devours that were oh-so-tempting. This over stimulation, for all the senses, can move you out of balance and harmony. In this week’s blog we look at 5 ways to help you feel blessed instead of stressed during this season of love and light.

I also wanted to mention that the Fresh Start Wellness and Detox Program is available on January 9th for those that want support in getting back to balance by removing toxins from their system, restore optimum health and rejuvenate body, mind and spirit. This program is the perfect way to help make your 2014 your most vibrant year yet!

The holidays can be a hectic time of year filled with social commitments, family obligations, to-do lists that are miles long and full of unhealthy indulgences that make you feel tired and overwhelmed. Here are 5 ways to help you manage the holidays and allow them to flow with ease and be filled with grace.

1. Gratitude Journal

The first suggestion is to give yourself a few moments at the beginning of each day to write about a few things you are grateful for…maybe it is a loved one or special friend that fills you with gratitude or maybe it is a cozy cup of tea that warms your soul. Whatever it is, write it down. Focusing our thoughts on what we are grateful for places our attention on something positive. The things we place our attention on in our lives expand. By doing this each morning before we start our day helps to set the tone for the rest of the day bringing more experiences into our lives that will fill us with gratitude. Taking this time each morning to focus on the things that are truly important to us and fill us with gratitude allows us to be more aware of what is really important.

2. Give to Someone in Need

The second suggestion is to take a moment to really give to someone in need. I know it might seem counter intuitive to add something to your ever growing list. If you are feeling exasperated by the notion of spending more time or money on another charity or person, let’s look at this a little closer. In the past, as a family, we have given to many charities and written many checks. Although these are important, I have found that it has really grounded me and the other family members to give when we have a better understanding of the people or person we are helping. I want to feel that connection because it touches me at my core and makes me realize that my crazy schedule or commitments really are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I am blessed to be healthy and have people around me that love me. When my children were young we had a wonderful woman who would come and help me around the house. She was a beautiful soul who loved to watch my children play. She and her husband had come upon hard times because he had been diagnosed with a severe form of Lou Gehrig disease. It was sad to watch this beautiful soul take on the weight of taking care of the man she loved and their financial situation that was now her responsibility. I knew that she loved to cook but couldn’t afford many of the healthier options and she was unable to prepare a big Christmas dinner that she had once enjoyed serving her family. Our family decided that we wanted to give this beautiful soul the gift of a Christmas dinner and we would provide the ingredients for her to create her tradition for those she loved. We surprised her at her home with loaded down with all of the fix-ins she would need… a turkey, potatoes, cranberry sauce, eggnog, cakes and pies and anything we could think of that would help this women and her family enjoy their Christmas Day. Each year this tradition would help me to look outside of my own busy schedule and crazy circumstances, which helped me, look at the bigger picture in life. It helped me to see and appreciate my blessings more clearly. The gift we gave her each year was really a gift given to us. It made the idea tangible for my children that there really are people in the world who are suffering and we can be part of the solution. I would drive away from that home with tears streaming down my cheeks understanding that my to-do list was really insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

3. Create a Priority List

Speaking of to-do lists. If yours is a mile long, then it is time to sit down and examine, prioritize, structure and eliminate. For this suggestion you will need a calendar to help structure your list. First, go through your list and determine which items are the most critical and need to get done right away. Add these items to your calendar where they will get completed in the coming days. Now go through the rest of your list and prioritize the rest of the items. Can you break some of the larger items into smaller parts. For example, holiday shopping is too big a criteria. Look at how you can make that big umbrella turn into smaller components. Christmas shopping can include, stocking stuffers, presents for friends, presents for the young kids, presents for the teenagers and food shopping. Notice if there are items that can wait until after the holidays to lighten up your load. Now put the remaining items on your calendar to be completed on or by a specific day. This will give you relief in knowing that you have a date scheduled to complete each item. You don’t need to stress about when you are going to get it done because you know exactly when you are going to complete each task. Enjoy crossing the items off your calendar!

4. Set a Holiday Intention

I was inspired on my yoga mat today which brings me to my forth suggestion. The yoga instructor suggested that we set an intention for not only our class but for the day ahead. She also suggested that we choose an item that we look at often throughout the day, that could help remind us of our intention. I pondered on this for a bit realizing that this was a great way to bring our attention not only to our intention but to the here-and-now at any moment of any day. It made me realize that this idea was applicable and helpful for the holiday season. As I began to slowly exhale, my intention for the season began to surface ~flow with ease~ As I took a deep breath in the second part of my intention emerged ~filled with grace~. I wear a special necklace that reminds me of my connection to the Infinite. During this season I intend to remember my Holiday Intention whenever I see my necklace or rub it with my fingers. This will ground me and act as a constant reminder that with this holiday season I am going to Flow with Ease and be Filled with Grace. What is your intention for this holiday season?

5. Take Care of Your Body

As we get caught up in the festivities and enjoy many social obligations we can eat rich sugar and fat laden foods, overindulge in drinks and deprive ourselves of sleep. This coupled with the stressors that the holiday season can bring are a recipe for exhaustion, sickness and depression. Give your body the added boost and benefit of mindfully choosing healthy options to eat and drink. If you know you are going to be in a situation where good healthful options are not going to present themselves, plan ahead. Eat something healthy before you walk into that soiree. When ordering drinks, ask for an extra splash of soda water or juice, and try having a glass of water between each cocktail. It is important to keep your body hydrated so that you don’t turn to other things that your body really doesn’t need. This will help you to eliminate extra calories, fat, salt, sugar and alcohol that can be so prevalent during a holiday party. Also, remember that our sleep is extremely important in keeping our bodies and minds feeling balanced, vibrant and healthy.

I hope these five suggestions will help you move through the holidays experiencing flowing ease in all areas of your life and filling your days with grace, joy and peace.

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

Quick Tip Holiday Harmony Homescaping

The holiday season is in full swing! Whether you celebrate Christmas or one of the many fabulous holidays that fall during this time of year it would be difficult not to notice the change of energy and pace that people move at during the month of December. Some enjoy the accelerated swiftness the season brings while others cringe at the chaotic cadence. Either way, it is my goal to provide easy & quick tips to give you home harmony and joyful living to help make the coming weeks flow smoothly. In this issue we will focus on simple, quick & easy solutions to spiff up your holiday décor.

Our home environments can help create calm in the midst of chaos or they exacerbate overwhelm. Looking around your home with delight produces the happy hormones in your body to release and fill you with joy. Being organized can help lower cortisol, the stress hormone that produces the physical responses associated with stress, anxiety and agitation. Let’s look at three easy ways to bring organization and joy-filled beauty to your home for the holidays.

Glass Container:

I love using glass jars, candleholders and canisters to decorate. The great thing about using glass to decorate is, they are so versatile. You can fill them with acorns or pinecones for a natural look or you can opt for sparkling garlands of tinsel or glistening red Christmas bulbs for a glamorous effect. If you need an inexpensive holiday solution fill the glass jars with fresh cranberries or red & green apples. They can be placed on the mantle, counter or on the table for a fabulous Tablescape. For our annual Holiday Party that includes guests, young & old, I multi-purpose the glass containers by placing candy canes in and around the rim. They initially add to the holiday mood and décor but later become the perfect holder for candy canes that eventually get passed out to young guests as they leave the festivities.

Pictures:

Pictures of years past are another fabulous way to add to the nostalgia of the season. Find a favorite frame and store pictures from previous holidays behind the one being viewed. For example, you might have pictures of past summers, Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving and the family ski trip. Keep those pictures in the same frame and as the season or holidays change, rotate the picture that is viewed to match the season.

Holiday Tree:

Easy breezy & inexpensive way to change up the same old holiday tree… new ribbon! Before you select that perfect ribbon, decide what colors will suit your needs this holiday season. As mentioned in a previous blog and on the CBS Holiday Home in Harmony segment, if you are feeling a little more stress than usual you might want to stay away from the color red because it can have a physiological impact on the body and mind by increasing stress levels.

I hope these quick decorating tips help you create a home environment that uplifts your spirit and helps you move with effortless grace throughout this season of light.

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

Photo Credit: http://camillestyles.com