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Saturday Selection – Shatter Your Speed Limits

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I’m so excited to recommend this week’s selection:
 We were just at a conference in Philadelphia this week and had the opportunity to hear Wendy speak. She is a dynamic presenter, and she had so many wonderful tips for those of us in attendance. 
I read her book coming home on the plane, and I am so excited to put her outlined plan into action.
Here is a summary of the book from Amazon:
Shatter Your Speed Limits: Fast Track Your Success and Get What You Truly Want in Business and in Life tells an inspirational story of four different people who capture their dreams using a simple – but powerful – formula. 
Unlike traditional how-to books, this fast-reading story takes us on a stirring ride of twists and surprises as we witness first-hand the process of each person’s reinvention. Through lively conversations, emails and video chats, we find ourselves rapidly entwined in their journeys as the Formula takes them in unexpected directions. With each new turn in the road, they discover precisely what they need to achieve their goals. Along the way we too uncover the missing links to our own success and to getting what we truly want-faster than we ever dreamed possible. 
Recommended by experts in the self-help, goal achievement, sales, healthcare, corporate, marketing, media, retail and service industries, Shatter Your Speed Limits is a catalyst for change. Step-by-step, it teaches us how to identify and break through the only three barriers that stand between where we are and where we want to be. 
It all begins with one question: If you woke up tomorrow morning and magically found that you had everything you truly wanted…how would your life be different? 
***
The formula that Wendy introduces is simple yet profound:
Desire + Resources + Permission = Action
She breaks each part of the equation down with details and exercises, which is what I am looking forward to delving into later today. 
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who has a dream and just needs that extra push to start reaching for it and living it. 
Please let me know if you enjoy reading it! I would love to hear your thoughts.

Permission to Rest

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I just went on an amazing journey – one that I promise to share with you all very soon. And it’s so good to be home where I can process it all, take some much needed time to rest, and just be.

Giving ourselves permission to rest is such an important part of life. 
We have all had moments where we push and push and keep at it and keep doing and keep going. When we’re in this chaos, it’s crucial to step back for a moment and recognize that we do have a choice – we can stop for little while and recharge. It’s okay to take a break and take care of ourselves. It’s not only okay – it’s completely necessary. 
The world will keep turning. Nothing will fall apart. Everything will be fine.
So please, come on this journey with me today – let’s all give ourselves permission to rest. 
We’ll all feel so much better! 🙂

Are You Worth It?

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This seemingly innocuous question from our Journaling Further Within book can really bring up all sorts of outdated beliefs and issues of self worth if you dig deep enough. 
 I think most of us believe that we are worth the necessities of life – food, shelter, love, etc.
But if we go beyond this, our self doubt tends to kick in, and we start wondering what we are truly worth after all.
A great example of feeling worth it is with regard to self care.
We probably would all agree that we are worth giving ourselves a reward now and then for a job well done – this could be in the form of a night off, or a day out just by ourselves, or treating yourself to a spa day, hanging out with your girlfriends, etc.
And yet – how often do we actually do these things?
Life takes over, and we have to take the kids to various activities, dinner needs to be made, the house needs to be cleaned, and before we know it the days have stretched into months, and we can’t remember the last time we took any time (even a moment) for ourselves.
If I were to suggest that we each take time every single day for ourselves, I would imagine that many would think I was crazy. Or maybe they would think that I just don’t understand the infinite demands that are put on them. That if they took this much needed time for themselves, everything would fall apart.
Or would it?
Sometimes feeling like we are needed and like we can’t take the time to nurture ourselves can be our saboteur stepping forward. This is the part of us that doesn’t feel great and truly doesn’t think we are worth much at all. This is the part of us that lacks self esteem, self confidence, and self awareness. And when this part takes over, if you aren’t conscious of it, you will look back at your life years later and wonder why you feel like a shell or only part of a person. You may wonder how this happened, which can be really scary.
The saboteur is only part of us though, and we have the choice to decide how large or small we would like this part of us to be.
Once we recognize this shadowed part of ourselves, we can push it aside and let our souls do the talking from now on.
And your soul emphatically wants you to take time for yourself each day. It knows that you are worth that – and so much more. And the more you can step into this part of yourself wholeheartedly, the more worthy you will feel. And the more it will become second nature to fill up your own tank and build up your own confidence.
Because you are worth that and so much more.  

I Am Grateful For…Today

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It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time to write a post about gratitude! 

Feel free to click here (or below) to learn more about our Gratitude Project. 
Okay – now for today’s post:

Our I Am Grateful For… journal was our very first in the Soulful Journal line. Writing down what we are grateful for each day is such a simple concept that really goes a long way in changing our consciousness and helping us feel more positive.
So I thought it would be fun today to have us each write 10 things that we are grateful for that happened today. 
I’ll start, and I hope you all do it with me! Feel free to post your lists here, so we can all share in your gratitude!
I Am Grateful For…

1. Meeting new connections and making wonderful new friends.
2. That I am pushing out of my comfort zone and reaching for my dreams.
3. My wonderfully supportive husband.
4. Yummy vegan food – today I had a veggie quesadilla for lunch and pasta primovera for dinner – yum!
5. Reconnecting with old friends.
6. Being inspired by wonderful mentors.
7. Feeling new ideas being formed.
8. So much love and positive energy in the air.
9. Smiling, supportive faces.
10. Tomorrow and all that it will bring.

Both Feet In

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I write a lot about faith. Having faith. Keeping the faith. Knowing when to let go and surrender to faith. I write about it because it’s so important. I write about it because without faith, we are filled with fear and uncertainty. I write about it because it’s something that doesn’t come easily for me – it’s not necessarily second nature to let go, trust, and be okay knowing that the universe has my back – that I will always be okay –  that things are always going exactly according to plan. And I like to remind myself that when I do surrender, things truly are magical. I have witnessed miracles that aren’t explainable without faith. And so I continue to write about it and continue to believe and continue to be more aware and conscious about stepping aside and allowing faith to enter my life completely.

 My life is on a very different path than it was on a year ago. Somewhere along the way I realized that things weren’t working – and I wasn’t sure if they were ever truly working. I realized that I had to make some choices and make some changes. I had to stop trying to hang on to the old and stay open to whatever was ahead.
When my mind steps in (which it definitely does) to tell me that this new path is unknown and it’s scary and different – when it tries to pull me back toward the known life that I used to have, I ask it to step aside. I now have both feet in and am open to the possibility.
This doesn’t mean that I am not in control – that I no longer have free will – that I can’t choose to say no if something doesn’t feel right that appears. What it does mean is that I am pushing myself and taking the biggest leap that I have ever taken into the unknown – into the possible – into faith. And I know that I will be caught and taken care of. I know that this is exactly what my soul needs me to do. I know that in order to grow and learn, I need to believe and have both feet in.
So the next time you are wavering between the known and the unknown – try taking a leap of faith and see how your life begins to change just by having both feet in.

Creating a Vision Board – Part 3

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I hope you have all created your vision boards and are enjoying the process of manifesting your ideal lives! 
If you are just joining us, here are my previous posts to help get you started:
Mine has been up right next to my desk for a couple of weeks now, and I absolutely love looking at it. It’s such a positive space that makes me feel more vibrant and alive each time I glance over at it. 
I mentioned in my previous posts that I put a picture of my dream home on it. It’s truly a beautiful home, and it just happens to be for sale. On my vision board, I had some fun in Photoshop and put Dan and I sitting right in front of it. I know that the absolute most important part of visualizing and creating your ideal life is getting to the feeling – really imagining that this is your life – really FEEL yourself in it. And looking at the house pictures are great fun, but I thought it would be even more fun to actually go to the house and really feel what it would be like to live there. So the other day, Dan and I drove by it and while we weren’t able to see the house (it’s on acreage and has a security gate), we were able to drive close to it and feel the energy from the area. It’s such a beautiful part of the country, and I definitely can see myself living there. It’s so exciting!
So this is what this post is all about for each of us who have created our board and are just walking by it and looking at it each day. Stop yourself from simply looking and take a moment to truly feel yourself in this life. Whatever your dreams are – put yourself in them. 
It could be your ideal relationship, job, home, etc. 
Really FEEL it. 
This is how you attract it into your life. 
Let’s all manifest our ideal lives together and then come back here and share!
And remember to have a separate board for your realized dreams – this is such a great motivator for continuing this process!

Love Is In The Air!

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It’s another sappy day here in our house: it’s our wedding anniversary!
Seven years ago today we shared the most magical moment: 
we committed to being together and loving each other for the rest of our lives. And that love has continued to grow, and I feel beyond blessed that our lives are entwined forever. 
As a wedding present, our friends made our wedding rings to symbolize our love – two complete souls coming together to share and grow:
I wrote this card for Dan, and it quickly became our bestselling card – I’m so glad that there are lots of other happy couples, too!
So let’s all celebrate love today – whatever form that takes for you. 
There is always enough love to go around. It seems like the more we open our hearts – the more we are able to let in. 
Big hugs to all of you!

Saturday Selection – Your Destiny Switch

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Happy Saturday!
This week’s recommendation is a book that I have been wanting to read for awhile now, and I am just finishing it. I’m so excited to share it with you! It is called:
by Peggy McColl
Here is the description from Peggy McColl’s website: 
Your Destiny Switch isn’t just another self-help book. It’s a powerful concept and process that can consciously and creatively transform your life.

You could call it a paradigm shift in creative consciousness, a shift that speaks to your demand for a richer and more experiential engagement in your quest for growth. More than a book, Your Destiny Switch allows you  to balance your key emotions in order to reach your destiny.

Peggy McColl supports this work with a wealth of reference materials that provide an abundance of valuable and usable life-changing tools: state-shifters, the scale of human emotions, performance indicators, measurement tools, and a daily and weekly destiny planner.


This book will help you understand your own creative power by way of your emotions and, more important, show you how to use this power to create desired results by tapping into a powerful energy source within.
***
I have been listening to Peggy’s radio show, Attracting Abundance, on Hay House Radio. I immediately was drawn to her warmth and enthusiasm toward helping people. I also love that she walks the walk – she has completely transformed her own thinking by using the tools she provides in this book. 
 
Because I am a visual person – her comparing emotions to a dimmer switch really hit home for me. If we imagine that positive emotions are at the top of the switch and negative emotions are at the bottom, we can think about where our emotions fall in the switch at any given time. And if you would like to feel more love (or any other positive emotion), you get to make that change. It’s a great tool to teach us how to be more aware of what we are feeling – only then can we consciously make changes. 
 
She gives so many great switching techniques in this book, and I’m excited to get started putting her tools into practice. 
 
I definitely recommend this book, and I’m so glad Peggy wrote it.   
 
P.S. – Have you checked out the Healthy Wealthy And Wise giveaway yet? I downloaded several things myself yesterday – it’s amazing how many inspirational downloads are available! You can sign up for free, and you’ll have access to everything – including our Manifestation Ebook Set, which includes our Gratitude Book, As If Book, and Commitment Book (on page 21)! Enjoy! 🙂

Spring Clean Your Beliefs

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Can you think of a belief that you have that really is outdated or no longer serves you or maybe never really was your belief in the first place?
 Let’s say when you were very young you were afraid to jump off of the high dive at the swimming pool. And from that moment on, you were known as the scaredy cat by your friends and family. Before that, you didn’t feel particularly afraid in other areas of your life, but every time you heard this label, it reinforced this notion that you were afraid of life and timid and weak somehow. And this became part of your identity.
Now imagine that you are an adult who is still carrying around this label and belief that wasn’t accurate in the first place. Years have gone by, and because of this belief that you are afraid of everything, you have shied away from opportunities all because of fear. 
But it’s truly not too late to change this belief. You get to decide each moment of each day how you will react to certain situations, and how you view yourself. So even if this label has become part of your identity, it’s not too late to remove it and replace it with something else – something that feels more like you. 
Try on a bunch of beliefs and labels and see which fits the best. Remember that only you get to decide. You can get input from your friends and family (although I would encourage – at least in the beginning – doing this exercise on your own), but ultimately you are the one who has the final say. 
Have fun going through your beliefs and seeing if any of them are outdated or inaccurate for who you have become. Like we clean out our closets each spring and get rid of clothes that we no longer wear or that no longer feel like who were are, we can also do the same thing with our beliefs. 
Make sure you are only wearing the beliefs that feel the most like you.

Your soul will thank you for it!

P.S. – One of the biggest giveaways that we’ve ever been a part of has started! It’s sponsored by Healthy Wealthy And Wise, and over 700 self-help goodies are available! Just sign up for free, and you’ll have access to everything – including our Manifestation Ebook Set, which includes our Gratitude Book, As If Book, and Commitment Book (on page 21)! All for free! I just love giveaways! 🙂

Pushing Distractions Aside

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One of my favorite times of the day is when I sit down to write my blog post. I have some breakfast and sit in front of my computer until a topic comes to me. And then I write. 
And sometimes it goes smoothly and effortlessly. 
 And sometimes life tries to butt in and take over this peaceful space. Usually in my house this happens in the form of cats running through the room (sometimes fighting each other) or crying because they want to have us sit with them while they eat (seriously spoiled). There are so many other potential distractions that can lead me away from this sacred time – my time (e.g., the phone rings, an email pops up, etc.). 
When these distractions occur (which they will), it’s good to have a system in place beforehand to recognize them and eliminate them so you can continue with your work. 
I write in my office. And usually I have the door open, so the cats can come in and out as they choose. Usually it’s a great system because I love having them here with me. But sometimes they get a bit wild and distracting. When this happens, I simply close the door until I am finished writing.
If the phone rings while I am writing, I don’t answer it. Simple as that. If email popups get distracting, I close my email program. 
When you take the control back in your own life and schedule non-negotiable “you time,” you will no longer be at the mercy of all of these distractions. And you’ll feel more empowered and happy that, in this moment, you are putting your needs first, which is crucial for your own happiness. And when you are finished writing, creating, meditating, etc. – then you pick up where the distractions left off. Play with the cats, return the phone calls, answer the emails, etc. They will still be there when you are ready. And you will feel more whole and happy because you took care of yourself. 
So practice this today – take some time for you and push aside any distraction that appears during your sacred time. Your soul will thank you for doing this. 
P.S. – I would love for you to become a fan of my brand new Facebook page! This is where you will find updates about my new book and anything else that I have on the horizon! You can also follow me on my new Twitter page. Thanks for your support! 🙂