Category Archives: personal growth

Dream It. Act On It. Live It. Enjoy It.

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Have you ever said you were going to do something that you really wanted to do – that you really needed to do for yourself – something that nurtured your spirit and felt so right – and then life got busy, and your declaration of self care turned into a pipe dream – pushed aside for another day? 
There is something very sacred about honoring our word to ourselves, especially when it involves self care. 
Usually when we dream or say things that seem far fetched, it’s our higher self reminding us that we matter – that our needs are just as important as our loved ones. It’s our inner wisdom letting us know that we can go for our dreams – even if they seem far in the distance at the moment. 
Just one action a day will lead you that much closer to realizing your dreams.
I have been feeling an inner pulling for the last several months – my inner voice has been telling me that I need to take time off from production to focus on writing. My higher self has assured me that this is exactly what I need to do – and I feel it with every part of my soul. 
This seemed like a distant dream when I first started thinking about it several months ago. Taking a month off to write seemed so luxurious and decadent. And it didn’t help that my worrying self kept popping up to tell me all of the reasons why this may not be a good idea – we make our living from the orders we receive, and if we put a halt on production, how will we live? 
And then I remembered why faith is crucial when a dream is so new and fragile. 
I remembered that my higher self would not lead me astray.
I remembered that in order to live my ideal life – the life that I was born to live – I would have to take risks and get out of my own way sometimes. 
And so it is.
We are taking one month off to write starting on May 18th. 
And I’m so excited to see where it leads!
Spend some time today thinking about your own dream.
Have you been pushing it back and not allowing it to blossom? 
What is one thing you can do today to take action and lead you closer to making this dream your reality?
Dream it. Act on it. Live it. Enjoy it. 
🙂

Clarity Through Contrast

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In order to find out what your true calling is – what life path you are meant to be on, you can tune in to your inner voice. You can sit still, breathe, and listen to what your wisdom deep inside wants you to know.
Another way to find this out is by gaining clarity through contrast. 
Have you ever done something that seemed so far away from what you knew deep inside you were meant to do? 
Many people feel this way about their jobs. They realize exactly what they want in a new job by recognizing what they don’t want in their current job.
This can also be seen in relationships. Have you ever noticed another couple fighting and filled with contempt for one another? I’m sure this made you realize right away what you didn’t want in a relationship of your own. 
Being on a direct path to your true calling is one way to start living your ideal life. And being on a roundabout path by experiencing different situations and recognizing which parts of these situations no longer feed your soul is another way to get there. And neither one is better than the other. They each take you to the same outcome: you living the life you were born to live.
Anytime I do something that I am no longer excited about doing, I realize that I am receiving clarity through contrast. I have begun the process of sifting through each experience and putting it all into two categories: my true life path and my “this no longer serves me” path. And it all becomes so clear when I look at everything through this lens. 
Take some time today to think about what you truly would love to do with your life. 
Take some time to think about what your ideal life would look like. 
And then take some time to notice if there are any parts of your life that no longer fit this ideal (job, relationship, etc.). 
Can you gain clarity through contrast?
When we begin to sift through and get clear on what our true life path looks like, we are able to recognize each experience as either on the path or away from it. 
And we can then begin to let go of any relationship or experience that no longer fits in with our plan for our life. 
And this is such a fun, exciting process!

Standing Strong When Doubt Creeps In

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If you have ever made a shift in your life that took true courage and conviction, you know that it’s easy to sometimes second guess your decision. Fear suddenly appears, and you might wonder if the road more easily traveled would be safer and better. You may even start convincing yourself that stepping out of your comfort zone was a mistake, even though in your heart of hearts you are more sure than ever that this new path you are on is sacred and needed for your soul to grow and be truly happy.
I have been experiencing a big shift in my own life over the past few months. Everything that I have known is being reevaluated. I have been listening to my inner voice and following where it leads me. And while this can be empowering, it can also be scary. I definitely am more comfortable in the known – and yet I know that my new life will lead me to a wonderful place with so many more possibilities. 
If you have recently made a shift in your own life and decided to follow your passion and go where your intuition leads you, bravo! This is a wonderful decision that shows your growth, courage, and strength! 

Whenever doubt and fear start to creep in, go back to the space you were in when you made the decision to change in the first place. Acknowledge the fear, and then move on to being self assured in knowing that your higher self is in the driver’s seat this time, and this part of you will never lead you astray. 
We all have an inner compass and know where we need to go. When we can tap into our inner wisdom and set aside the fear, our lives will truly change forever. 

Push Out of Your Comfort Zone

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Have you ever pushed yourself way beyond your comfort zone and taken yourself to a place you never thought you could go? 

Have you ever felt so strongly about a path you were meant to be on that you took a huge leap of faith knowing that it would all work out?

Have you ever listened to your intuition and went with your gut instead of your mind? 

Have you ever gone against what you knew in order to experience what you felt you truly needed in your life?

Have you ever pushed fear out of the driver’s seat and replaced it with faith and hope? 
Stretching our comfort limits is a great way to grow and learn.
It’s so easy to stay put in our lives – in the known. 
And yet in doing so we aren’t fully experiencing all that life has to offer. 
We aren’t fully experiencing all that we have to offer.

I know that it can be scary to risk and push ourselves.
Fear is a strong emotion that can grab hold of us and squeeze the hope and life out of us – but only if we let it.

Let’s all agree to push fear aside and replace it with strength, knowing, and empowerment. 
Let’s all agree to push ourselves out of our comfort zones.
Let’s all agree to take that leap of faith and risk the known for the exciting unknown, which is filled with infinite possibilities. 

Let’s all agree to no longer be comfortable just being comfortable.
Yes, let’s do this.
And let’s watch the magic unfold together.

Self Care at Work

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Today’s post contains a writing prompt from our Journaling Further Within book:
Do you practice self care at work?
What are some things you do 
to create a space that nurtures you?
Several years ago, I put together a list for myself – a guideline for practicing self-care at work. I laminated it and posted it where I can see it every day. And while I don’t always follow it, I find that it’s a great reminder.
I thought that it would be helpful to post it here for all of us to take in, post in our workspaces, and begin to practice (myself included). 
I definitely can’t take credit for all of these suggestions, but I simply am drawing a blank on the book that a few of them came from. Yikes!

If you have other suggestions for practicing self care at work, please be sure to leave your comment!
Happy balanced working, everyone! 🙂

Our Happiness Level

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I was listening to Hay House Radio yesterday, and the host was talking about how our happiness levels could be measured by averaging the happiness levels of our top few friends. I found this so interesting and also very eye opening. 
It’s so important to surround ourselves with positive, emotionally healthy, and happy people. Because emotions and feelings are contagious (here is my previous post about this), it’s especially important and crucial for our own well being that we are cognizant of who we choose to be close to. 
And I know that this isn’t always the easiest decision to make. Sometimes you’ll find that you’ve been friends with someone for years – you have a history that you would feel bad letting go of. And yet… every time you are with this friend you find that you start off in a happy mood (your mood), and you leave in a negative, sad mood (their mood). It’s crucial to your own happiness to carefully choose who you spend time with. If someone doesn’t help elevate your mood or make you feel great – it may be best to spend less time with them in the future. 
And I’m not talking about a dear friend who has had a bad day and needs to vent (we’ve all been there). I’m talking about the person who continuously sees life through a darkened lens – who sees each experience through their negative filter. And while you may love them and want the best for them, you can also love yourself and want the best for your own well being and happiness. 
On the positive side – think about your friends who radiate happiness. Think about how wonderful you feel after you spend time with them. Filling your life with people like this will actually help increase your own happiness! 
And it doesn’t just have to be your friends – you can read positive books and blogs (like this one!), listen to inspirational podcasts, watch television shows that are happy and fun – anything you can think of to raise your own happiness level.
And in doing so, everyone who comes in contact with you will also have their own happiness levels raised. 
It’s definitely worth thinking about. Your happiness is that important. 

On the Horizon

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While it’s great to spend most of our time in the present moment and truly be mindful of what’s happening right now, it’s also fun to have something to look forward to – something on the horizon that we are excited about – something we can think about and dream about and make plans to realize. 
Spend some time today thinking about what is on your horizon.

Do you have a new project that you are excited to start?
Do you have a much-needed vacation coming up?
Do you have personal goals that you are about to reach?

Write about all of the exciting things that are about to happen in your life. 
Write about all of the wonderful things you are looking forward to.
Take some time to really feel how happy you will be when these goals are realized.
This is a great list to go back to when you are feeling a bit disenchanted or down and need a little boost. 
It’s also a great motivator to help you reach your goals.
I have some wonderful things on the horizon – things that I am so excited to share with you all very soon.
I’ve been letting some plans and ideas incubate in my soul for awhile now, and it’s almost time to bring them out into the world. 
We all have a great idea or project or vacation or goal on the horizon. 
Let’s honor them today and know that someday soon everything on the horizon will become our present reality!
P.S. – This week’s poll asks what type(s) of blogs you like to read. It’s a fun way to see what we are all reading! It’s in the upper right hand corner – please stop by and leave your answer! 🙂

Planting Some Roots

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It’s a beautiful spring day here in Oregon – the sun is shining and the birds are singing.
Dan and I moved to this area two years ago (wow, time sure flies!), 
and I am so grateful that we did. 
We were living near San Francisco at the time while he finished graduate school. Because we work from home, we really could choose anywhere to live – exciting! We both had a great feeling about southern Oregon. I had never even been here but felt a strong pull to this area. And so we moved. And I have to say that trusting my intuition and planting roots in this area has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.
For the first time in my life I truly feel that I have found my forever home. 
I found this writing prompt from our Journaling Within book, which I thought was a perfect exercise for this particular day! 
Describe where you would most like to live. 
If you don’t live there now, 
what steps can you take toward achieving this dream?

Take some time and really think about where you would like to plant roots.
What about this place draws you to it? 
The weather? The people? The landscape? The opportunities? 
Write about what it feels like to live there. 
And then create an action plan to make this dream your reality. 
As long as you are living and breathing, 
you always have the power to make changes and create your ideal life. 
You can make your dreams come true if you visualize, stay on course, and take action. 
Have fun with this exercise! 
Spend this beautiful day dreaming about where you would most like to live.
If you already live there, write about how grateful you are and appreciative you are to live in such a wonderful area that truly reflects your best self. 
This is a great way to get clear about what you want for your life and what you can do to make that happen. 
P.S. – This week’s poll results are in! Most of us read to relax and recharge! Second place went to spending time with pets. Third place was a tie for napping and watching tv or a movie. Thanks to everyone who participated – I love polls, and I think it’s so interesting to see what everyone chooses. (Be on the lookout for a new poll tomorrow!)

Saturday Selection – OWN

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This week’s Saturday selection is Oprah’s new television network: OWN. 
Like many of us, I grew up watching Oprah. I have learned so much from her show over the years and continue to be inspired by all that she does to empower each of us to live our best lives. 
And while I am going to miss watching her show each day, I am so happy that she’s now able to spread her positive message and reach so many through her new network. 
If you haven’t seen the shows on it yet, I would definitely recommend tuning in. 
Each is handpicked by Oprah herself, and they are filled with feel good vibes that will definitely have you coming back for more. 
Here is Oprah’s plan and vision for the network:
I said from the beginning that this was an opportunity for me to step out of the box and make the kind of shows that make my heart sing.

OWN’s mission statement is to create mindful, not mindless, television 
that helps its viewers live their best lives.
Here are some of my favorite shows so far:

Oprah handpicks celebrities who are masterful at what they do. People who can help teach us what they have learned so far on their journey. I absolutely loved them all, but Oprah’s was definitely my favorite. She has so much wisdom, and I took so much away for my own life after watching her.
Peter Walsh is the decluttering expert, and in this show he helps hoarders get to the heart of the matter knowing that it’s not about the material things but rather about something much deeper. I love the breakthrough moments in this show – that moment when the person realizes what is really driving the clutter. That is when the change can begin.
Lisa Ling travels our country and shows us a glimpse into certain subcultures that we may not have otherwise been exposed to. She is such a compassionate reporter who truly does a wonderful job of telling their stories.
A surprise favorite: 
This chronicles Naomi and Wynonna Judd’s journey together – both through the country as they tour for their final concert together and also their personal journeys of growth and learning how to better communicate and love each other. It’s very raw and very real.
There are so many other great shows in the works that I’m very excited about.
I just love that there is an entire network built on positivity, growth, inspiration, and quality.
And I trust that Oprah will continue choosing shows that reflect this wonderful mission.
If you haven’t tuned in already, I would encourage you to do so.
A daily dose of warm fuzzies and positivity 
goes a long way in helping you create a happy life.
And this network definitely does that! 

Sacred Spaces

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Today’s post contains a writing prompt from our Journaling Within book:
Do you have your own sacred space? 
If so, describe it. 
If not, what can you do to create that space?
Your sacred space is a place you create that’s just for you. 
It is a space that best reflects your true essence. 
It is a place you go to recharge, relax, and rejuvenate. 
It can be an entire room devoted to journaling, reading, and going within.
It can be a small table that you put some of your favorite mementos on.
It can be a comfy chair that invites you to slow down and take time to relax.
It can be a walk in nature where you smell the fresh air and take in all of the beauty.
It can be your bookshelf that is filled with books that are meaningful to you.
It can be a vision board that encompasses all of your dreams and goals.
Take some time today to think about your sacred space.
If you don’t already have a space created, 
take some time to reflect on what would best represent you. 
And then take one action toward creating this space.

Carving out a space that is just for ourselves is so crucial for our own well being.
And we’re definitely worth it!
P.S. – Thank you so much to all of you who ordered our Soulful Journals over the weekend through the DailyOM website! The numbers are still coming in, and they are WAY beyond what we expected. Wow. We are forever grateful to all of you and can’t wait for you to write in them to continue your journey of self exploration.
photo by DailyOM