Halloween Harmony Hints

This week ghosts, goblins, and other creatures eagerly anticipate the yearly opportunity to expand their creative power, and allow themselves to express their inner vision. These imaginative expressions venture out ringing doorbells, excited for the treats and treasures on the other side of the door. For many, the two-fold question is: How does one make sure that the candy and sugary treats make their way out the door instead of being consumed before the first doorbell rings? And, how do you ensure that the little ones who have collected bucket loads of candy don’t actually consume their bounty, or at least not all of it. Let’s look at 7 simple steps to help manage the hunger habits associated with sugar, and bring harmony and balance back home!

It is important to create a plan when you know a situation is about to unfold that can leave you frazzled and off-balance. Halloween is one of those holidays that can create psychological and physical disturbances due to the side effects of sugar and candy that impact the mind and body.

Here are 7 simple solutions to navigate the sugary slope of the days ahead…

1. Buy at the Last Minute

The first simple, simple solution is to buy the candy at the last minute. That means, wait until Halloween day! This will ensure that the temptation won’t be lurking behind your cabinet door. I know, I know… you are probably saying that there won’t be a good selection at that point. Well, that brings me to my next tip.

2. Buy Things You Don’t Like

Buy candy you don’t like. It is for them after all, right? Choosing candy that won’t tempt you is a great way to ensure that you won’t sneak a treat especially at points in the day where you might be tempted more than at other times.

3. Super-size ?

I will often hear my kids say, “Oh, we have to go to that house or neighborhood because they have King Size candy bars.” As a parent who tries to instill in my kids an appreciation for healthy choices and appropriate portion size, I find this practice frustrating. It reminds me of how our culture has bought into the idea that super-sizing is better and that more is always best. This is especially challenging in the days after Halloween when kids are asking to have something from their bag of goodies. It is much easier to say yes to a small treat instead of saying you can only have a half of a regular size bar. Moderation is key! This can be hard to achieve when the Super-size phenomena takes hold.

4. Make it a Game

In our house we try to foster an atmosphere of learning. There are opportunities around every corner to teach everything from social skills and good manners to mathematics and creativity. Making the candy collection into a game has been a fun activity for the kids that they created. It is also great that the end result isn’t just about consumption. One of the favorite parts of Halloween for the kids is when they return home from their trick-or-treating adventure and dump out their bag load of candy on the kitchen floor. They sort, count, and trade. (The added bonus is that I get to see what is in their bags and scope out if any packages have been tampered with or opened.)

5. Sugar Boundaries

With the excessive amount of candy that is being consumed each Halloween, it is important to set up boundaries around what is allowed and what isn’t. How much candy are your children allowed to consume each day? Two treats each day or ten? How long do you want them consuming the candy? Will you allow your kids to eat it until the Easter Bunny comes with a basket load of goodies, or is fourteen days of extra sugar an ample amount of time? Thinking about these questions ahead of time will help you to clearly communicate, remove confusion, and set clear boundaries. This will circumvent the turbulent tantrums that sugar highs and lows can bring.

6. Choose What to Keep

Determining the answers to the above questions before Halloween night has the added benefit of helping you assess what should stay and what can go. Additionally, setting the level of expectations and the attachment to the candy that is collected. After the counting, sorting and trading, my crew chooses their favorite items to keep that they can consume at will for the next two weeks. There are many programs out there that collect extra candy to send to shelters, children’s homes, and to soldiers overseas. It has been my experience that the kids feel best about giving their candy away when they know there is a recipient on the other end.

7. Swap Out Sugar

It has been scientifically proven that sugar is linked to a whole host of maladies in our society. Research has shown that cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity all have a direct link to sugar consumption. Similarly, sugar is known to exacerbate behavioral issues. During the festivities of Halloween, limiting the ingestion of other sugary items can help decrease the amount of overall sugar. Swap juice for water, graham crackers for carrot sticks and cookies for apples.

Holidays (and the big business of candy manufacturers) can encourage harmful habits that throw off the equilibrium of one’s mind and body. Putting a plan in place before the annual trick-or-treat fun begins will promote a sense of balance and harmony for you and your ghouls and goblins.

P.S. Did you schedule your FREE Success Strategy Session so that I can help you design the home and life of your dreams? Click here and let’s get started. If not now, when?

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

Photo credit: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/

Organize the Clutter

As we start to move into the colder months we begin the tendency to naturally spend more time indoors. The idea of more time inside might be hard to fathom as you enjoy the crisp air, inspiring autumnal colors and the opportunity to go apple or pumpkin picking to celebrate the season. However, as the leaves begin their descent and cool nights become cold days our instincts take hold and we begin our migration indoors. Knowing that this experience is on the horizon is your opening to begin creating an indoor space that you will love to occupy. Consciously creating a space that can nurture and support your well-being. One simple way to optimize your nest is to remove clutter and organize your belongings. Taking time now to make your space great, before you are stuck inside from a snow storm or freezing temperatures, will help you savor those moments of sipping mulled cider or hot chocolate by the fire, that are on the horizon.

This article will give you simple solutions to help you clear the clutter and begin enjoying your space.

Clutter brings low energy to your home and depletes your vitality. When you have a cluttered space it bogs down your personal energy due to the innate mechanisms in the subconscious part of the brain that unconsciously keep you focused on the instinctual need to clear the clutter. So, whether you are walking by the piles of clutter or engaged in an activity miles away, part of you is tuned- in to the need to let you and your space breath easy. Begin to remove the clutter and organize your stuff now so that you are able to truly enjoy your home in the coming months when you will be spending more time inside.

1. Organize Your Strategy

Breaking the process of clutter clearing down into manageable pieces takes out the overwhelm. Don’t try to tackle everything all at once this can be defeating. Put a strategy in place so that you know exactly what needs to be done and when. Make a list of the rooms that need to be revitalized and the areas within each room that need your attention. Something like…

Bedroom: Fri-Sun

Drawer next to bed: Fri

Closet: Sat

Dresser: Sun

Mudroom: Mon-Wed

Key drawer: Mon

Closet: Tues & Wed

Realistically assess how much time each space will take you to purge and organize. Give yourself ample time to complete each area so that you are able to accomplish your goals. This will leave you feeling satisfied and confident allowing you to tackle each new area. This is a much better feeling than being disappointed that you were unable to complete what you had set out on accomplishing.

2. What You Need: 4 categories

Throw out, Donate, Not Ready to Part With, & Find a Home

The process of clearing the clutter is simple. There are four categories: throw out, donate, not ready to part with but never use and find a home. You will need a big heavy-duty garbage bag, a large shopping bag and two boxes. In big bold marker label the boxes “Find a Spot” and “1 Year” with today’s date. Begin going through the first area on your list and put items that are garbage in the big garbage bag. Include anything worn, broken, chipped or in disrepair. Next, take your big shopping bag and go on a shopping spree in your closet or drawer for someone less fortunate than you. Plan to donate these items to an actual person or organization in need. You will benefit from the act of giving which will uplift your spirit. Find the things that are in good shape that you haven’t worn or used in you-can’t-remember-when and have lost their sparkle for you. Put these items in the shopping bag to donate. With the remaining items decipher items you truly love and use regularly (put these in the “Find a Spot” box) with the items that you like but never use (place these items in the “1-Year” with today’s date box).

3. Take Action Immediately

Take immediate action with the boxes and bags so that they don’t become unwanted clutter. Throw out the garbage, bring the donation bag to the person in need, tape up the “1 year” box and place it in an area where you can put the all the “1 year” boxes. (Did I mention that if you haven’t gone back to the box in a year you should donate or throw out the box?)

With the items in the “Find a Spot” box it is helpful to create a designated spot. This will help you know where items are and where to place items when you are finished using them… that way the area won’t get cluttered again.

4. Start in Your Bedroom

Begin with your bedroom. Make this a nest that nurtures you and an oasis away from clutter elsewhere. This room is incredibly important because you (hopefully) spend seven or so hours in it each day. It is the last room you see before you nod off for a sweet slumber and the first room you see upon waking. Creating an organized bedroom will help your sleep to be sweeter effecting your mind, body and spirit. It will also help you to begin your day in a more positive way. Allow your bedroom to give you the support you need and deserve. This will help you tackle the next cluttered area on your list.

As you clear your space, begin to notice the before and after difference in your overall sense of well-being. Do you and your space breath easy? Are you going to enjoy spending time watching the snowflakes fall outside your window?

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Happy Soaring!

XOXO

Spirit Soaring Sensations

This weekend I had the pleasure of traveling up to Maine with one of my daughters for a soccer tournament. It was an energizing experience of sensory stimulation. Seeing the vivid display of colorful fall foliage along coastal marshes, hearing the cheers of fans and players as goals were scored, smelling the salty sea air as we strolled by lobster shacks, feeling the warm embrace of an old friend’s hug, and experiencing the immense heart-opening gratitude afforded from uninterrupted one-on-one quality time with one of my girls. Sometimes moving out of the daily routine into a new surrounding can help one to be more present. The gift of this is the ability to live more fully in the moment, which will give you a heightened awareness and appreciation for each sensory experience. We notice colors more, are aware of new sounds, can smell foreign scents, and overall grow our capacity to appreciate and feel gratitude for this thing called life. What would it be like if you were able to open your sensory awareness, and enable yourself to move out of the habits of daily living into a place of constant appreciation and heart opening gratitude that would help your spirit soar?

Did you know that more than 86% of your behavior is based on habitual patterns that you do every day without even thinking about what you are doing or experiencing? These habitual behaviors create dulled sensations that move you from one activity to the next without thinking, feeling or sensing anything… unless for some reason you are jarred out of the routine and quickly need to think or experience, usually for safety sake. What if you could awaken your senses to experience more vibrancy, feelings of aliveness or being energized?

Let’s look at 3 simple steps to make this happen today!

1. Intentional Living

Take a moment to set an intention at the beginning of the day to live in the present moment becoming fully aware and appreciative of each experience that touches your senses. “Stop and smell the roses” is one of those sayings that we often hear, but don’t take the time to practice. Sometimes it takes moving out of one’s comfort zone (whether on a trip or experiencing something new) to shift gears. The repetitiousness of your routines puts one into a trance like the dance of rhythmic living that leaves you moving on auto-pilot verses noticing the intoxicating, beautiful, and awe inspiring world around you. Setting an intention at the beginning of the day can help you step out of these habitual patterns and help you to move to a new, energizing and spirit lifting beat.

2. Sensory Awareness

Take this week to become fully aware of each of your senses within your daily routine. Maybe on Monday you choose to focus on what you smell. Observe the aromas wafting through the air; notice the scent of each new place you walk in or through and how different things smell. Often times our routines become so rote that we forget to notice. When we first moved to our new town every time I would walk outside I would experience the faint scent of sea air. Now, four years later, I don’t notice it unless I purposefully take the time, and have the intention to be aware of the salty smell. Do this for each of your senses.

3. Attitude of Gratitude

Taking the time to write about your experiences helps to activate the part of your brain that has fallen asleep from years of inactivity. Otherwise, this inactivity allows the habit-forming center of the brain to continuously be in use, and this repetition creates the same effect as an over-flexed muscle, which builds strength. Writing about your sensory experience helps to move you from the autopilot mode to an awareness approach that assists you in fully experiencing the richer, deeper, and more vibrant sensations that you were meant to enjoy. At the end of your day evaluate which miracles you experienced that created a feeling of gratitude. It is also important to be aware of the sensations that you might not have enjoyed. I love the smell of lobster boats, my daughter, not so much. The gift is in the awakening of conscious awareness.

Reflection and gratitude increase your awareness and move you from habitual routine to joyful creation. This helps you to draw more of those sights, smells, feeling and sounds to your consciousness and opens your heart to experience these inspirations at every turn.

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

What Does Your Home Say About You?

As I decorate for the different seasons I often take note of how I feel in my home. As I walk around my abode replacing summer accessories with fall foliage decorations or holiday trimmings with splashes of spring embellishments I take a moment to really notice my space and the messages it is sending me. This gives me the opportunity to determine if my space is supporting me or depleting my essence. It also gives me a great barometer for where I am at personally. If clutter has begun to pile up or my desk has cascading files, I know that I am in a state of overwhelm and it is time to shift gears. Let’s look at your home and determine what it is saying to you and about you. Your home not only speaks to you but it says a great deal about you. A Buddhist monk once said, “When you get up in the morning, the way you leave your bed, tells us what is going on in your head.” You can begin to understand yourself better by looking at your environment and determining what it is saying about you and to you.

Let’s look at a few ways to begin the process…

First, begin to notice your space overall. If you had to describe it in in a few words, what would those words be? Would you say neat, clean and organized or would you say disheveled, messy and cluttered? Would the words be serene and harmonious or chaotic and discordant? Finding the words to describe your space gives you the first clue about your internal environment. In my many years of working inside people’s homes I have witnessed a wide variety of examples of home spaces that reflect the inner environment of the inhabitants who live there. There is the teen whose room is a disheveled mess, (the one whom literally needs to hunt to find things at the bottom of mile high piles) which conveys that they are feeling a bit lost and probably searching for themselves. There is the mudroom that has labeled bins and color-coded calendars probably belonging to the type-A parent whose household runs seamlessly despite having six kids. Then there is the home of the overwhelmed and harried inhabitant, which is conveyed in the piles of clutter that demonstrate an outward representation of their internal barometer. Your home gives you information on your psychological state; begin to notice the clues that your home is giving you.

Second, observe the messages that the items in your home are sending you. Everything in your home literally speaks to you and your subconscious. It is your job to see, hear and identify the messages. Begin to look around your home and determine if the objects that surround you on a daily basis are sending you supportive, nurturing messages or life draining messages that deplete your vitality. When you walk by a piece of artwork that you picked up on your last vacation it may make you smile. As time goes on and the artwork fades into the background walls, your subconscious still takes note of the happy memories when you walk by the art and it uplifts your spirit. The same phenomenon takes place when you walk by items that hold negative memories. The expensive vase that was gifted to you by the relative who made unkind remarks year’s earlier triggers those energy-draining memories in your subconscious every time it comes into view. Begin to notice the messages that the items in your home are sending you.

Third, set an intention for your home. Do you want to live in a space of harmony and serenity? Do you envision your dream home as a clutter free oasis where everything is easy to find? I recently re-read an article on Rob Lowe in Architectural Digest. In the interview he explained that he had a vision or goal for his Southern California home. He wanted to create a space that was comfortable, kid friendly and welcomed guests to relax and enjoy themselves despite the grandeur of the home. He wanted it to be a space alive with energy. The pictures conveyed a space that captured the essence of his intention and goal. Decide what type of environment would best support you and set that intention for your home.

The fourth key is to clear your environment of the things that do not resonate with the intention you have set for your space or the one’s you have determined have negative associations. Look at every space and every item within the space and determine if it is aligned with your vision. If it is, great! If it isn’t, it is time to clear the clutter to make room for only things that support you and the goals for your home.

These four steps can give you a new way to access your home environment and inner environment. Learning what your space says about you can be an eye opening experience. Deciphering the messages your space currently holds can help you determine the intentions, goals and vision for your future space. Envisioning this aspiration will help you create the inner and outer environment of your dreams!

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

Clearing Your Path

T Harv Eker wisely said, “How you do one thing is how you do everything.” Looking at life through this lens can give you such incredible insight into your behaviors, habits, relationship, home, body and mind. Take 48 hours to notice how you do all the little ‘one thing’s. Do you procrastinate, rush, over-think, become scattered or distracted? These are a few of the many ways people show up in their lives. Taking the time to notice how you show up in yours allows you the opening to evaluate and determine if the way you do things is really working for you. It gives you the power of choice and the opportunity to change.

As you decide to keep or clear the behaviors that have become habits in your life you will notice how other areas begin to adjust as well. Cleaning or detoxifying one area of our life shifts our being-ness and clearings are manifested in other areas of our life. When the ripple of change, growth and awareness shifts in one area all other areas are touched. The way we show up can shift and be reflected in our home, body, mind and soul!

As I ran on the equestrian trails through New Seabury, past the inlets of Ockway Bay and along the shores of Nantucket Sound, I realized that how we show up in any area of our life is a direct reflection and representation of how we show up everywhere in our life.

Running down the slopes of the winding path I realized that I was holding myself back, assessing, before I allowed gravity to speed my pace and take me effortlessly down the trail. “Interesting”, I thought to myself. This was a direct reflection of how I sometimes showed up in life. Actually, if I was being honest with myself, it was a direct reflection of how I show up in this lifetime all the time. Instead of just allowing and going with the flow, I assess the situation. I make sure that I am going to be safe and not trip over something in my path. This hinders the natural flow, ease and momentum of my run and can slow the graceful evolution of synchronistic events in my life. Do you move with ease and grace down the slopes of your life?

I am up for the challenge of the short, steep inclines that stand in my way as I traverse up the sandy path. “Interesting”, I think to myself, do I enjoy the obstacles that life brings as much as I enjoy the conquest of the hill ahead? Is it the satisfaction of the accomplishment that makes me stride and strive along? How do you meet the hill ahead?

Little bugs bite at the salty sweat that trickles down my legs. The distraction stops me, for a moment, in my tracks. I refocus and continue along my journey. Is this similar to how I handle distractions in life? The realization that this was a distraction and awareness of it (or them) allows me to mindfully continue on my journey. Are you easily distracted from your vision? Can awareness penetrate through to your consciousness?

The distraction awakens my awareness. I set out on this morning run to detoxify my body, enjoy the wonders of nature around every turn that bring a sense of peace and calmness to my mind and to contemplate and connect to the Divine that nurtures my Soul.

As I return to the little cottage by the sea, I am intrigued that I have decided to do a bit of cleaning and clearing. Again, I think to myself, “Interesting”. I am actually looking forward to cleansing, cleaning and opening windows to let the sea air in to my home.

Cleaning or detoxifying one area of our life shifts our being-ness and clearings are manifested in other areas of our life. When the ripple of change, growth and awareness shifts one area all other areas are touched. The way we show up can shift and be reflected in our home, body, mind and soul.

This morning’s run let me witness how I show up for my journey. How are you showing up in yours?

Happy Soaring!

XOXO