Category Archives: change

A Change of Scene

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Sometimes we get stuck in a rut – the routine seems extra monotonous and the known seems stale somehow. We feel restless and know that we want to change, but we just aren’t sure how to go about it. We aren’t sure what steps to take to move toward our ideal life – the one filled with joy and exciting energy.
When this happens, a great way to get unstuck is to mix things up – get out of the house, walk around the block, go for a drive. Change your outward experience and stimuli so that you can create new experiences within. 
I needed this more than ever yesterday. There are so many ideas floating around in my head that it was feeling overwhelming. I felt like the more I tried to figure everything out, the deeper into confusion I went. 
So Dan and I got in the car and went to a movie. And it was the perfect movie to escape to: Midnight in Paris. It’s about longing for the past – another era – anywhere but your present life. And by going back to these times, the character realizes that the present truly is where the joy is and where life is. 
It was great to escape for awhile, and now I’m in a much better place today to be better able to make some sense out of all of my thoughts that are swirling around. 
If you are ever feeling this way, I would definitely recommend a change of scene. It truly does switch things up and helps in huge ways.

Choosing to Change

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(This was originally posted on 5/12/11. I’m so thankful that it wasn’t lost when Blogger reprogrammed their site. Here it is again!)

Today’s writing prompt comes from Journaling Within: 50 Prompts for Self Exploration:

If you could change one thing about your life, 
what would it be?
What I love about this question is that it empowers you to look at the possibilities for your life. It puts you back into the driver’s seat and allows you to create the life that you know you are meant to live. 
It’s so easy to shy away from change and think that you couldn’t possibly recreate your circumstances. You may feel that there are just too many external factors working against you, too many reasons why it’s just not a good idea to change. 
Maybe it seems too overwhelming and too scary. 
Maybe you just don’t feel strong enough to mix things up and break free of the constraints you have put on yourself. 
When we take responsibility for our own lives, stop blaming everyone else, and find the strength to change whatever isn’t working – miracles start happening. 

If your inner voice is telling you that something needs to change – listen. 
If you feel that a part of your life just isn’t working the way you would like it to – act on it. 
If your soul isn’t being nurtured and fed in every part of your life – do something about it. 
If you are still breathing, you have the power to change. 

And yes it can be scary, but that’s how we grow and learn.
And that’s also how we build up our own self worth, 
which is the key to true and lasting happiness.
So get out there and start consciously creating the life of your dreams! 

If It’s Not Working – Change It

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There is something very empowering about realizing that we control our own life. 

When we recognize that our thoughts become our reality, 
we also recognize that we have the power to create the exact life that we want. 
This can be a wonderful feeling – and it can also be a scary feeling. 
When we realize that we are in the driver’s seat of our life, we are no longer able to blame others or be a victim if things aren’t working out how we would’ve liked. And it’s so much easier to just point the finger at someone else. You might want to say, “It’s their fault that I’m in this situation. If they hadn’t have done that to me, I wouldn’t be suffering now.” 
And while blaming others takes the responsibility off of you in the short term, it creates such low self esteem and powerlessness in the long term. Imagine how great you would feel about yourself if you simply accepted that you have the power to change your life. It’s all in your hands. You are in control of your own destiny, and if you don’t like something about your life you can change it. 
Spend some time today thinking about your life.
Is there any part of it that isn’t working or flowing as well as you would like it to?
If so, you can follow the formula below to start making the changes and begin living the life you were meant to live:

First you figure out what isn’t working. 
Then you take responsibility for your part in whatever isn’t working. 
How did you help to create this? 
Next you visualize how you would like the situation to change.
And finally you create a new thought pattern that would create this new life. And you keep saying these thoughts and affirmations over and over. And you really believe them – you really feel them. You really take the time to feel what your ideal life would be like. 
And pretty soon, you’ll start to notice that your actual life is becoming your ideal life.
You’ll start to notice that your positive thoughts are creating a positive reality. 
And you’ll feel great, empowered, and happy knowing that you have taken responsibility for your life.
These are such wonderful things to realize! 

Being Able to Roll With the Changes

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Change is inevitable. 

If you are a planner and like to be in control, this can be an unsettling fact. But if you can learn to roll with and embrace change, it can truly be seen as a welcome and much needed adjustment to your life when it appears.

We are going through some pretty major changes with our business, and I have to keep reminding myself that change is a good thing – knowing that without it we wouldn’t grow, learn lessons, or expand our horizons.

Our changes involve moving more toward our passion of writing and helping others – and away from anything that doesn’t fit into that vision.

This means that I am in the process of saying goodbye to a lot of products that have been with us for years. They have become old friends – and I have been very grateful to each of them.

Saying goodbye to them, though, means that I will clear up space in my studio (and my mind) for what I am truly passionate about – which is very exciting!

So if you, too, are going through a transition in your life – it might be a good idea to take a step back and write about your thoughts, fears, hopes, and dreams regarding where you see your life going. Take some time to explore any feelings of uncertainty and unsettledness. It is completely normal to feel this way. It may also be helpful to write how your life will look after you have gone through this transition and are living your new life. This will be a great motivator for you to push through and not turn back because it feels uncomfortable.

Change is good for us – it helps us become our best selves.

And that is a great thing.

Saying Goodbye So You Can Say Hello

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Sometimes in life we have to make tough choices if we want to grow and live the life we know we are meant to live. We may have to give up a part of ourselves that we have grown comfortable with, even if we know that it isn’t the self we want to bring on our journey. 
I was watching Peter Walsh’s decluttering show the other day on the OWN Network, and I love his approach to physical clutter. He first has you create a vision for your room. Then you only bring in the things that reflect that vision. Everything else has to go. I was thinking that this system could also be applied to mental and emotional clutter. 
Let’s try this exercise together:
Think of the person you strive to be: your best self. 

Now create a vision for this new self.

How do you look (e.g., peaceful, radiant, rested)
What do you think about (e.g., the present moment, happy and positive things)?
What kind of friends do you surround yourself with (e.g., supportive, nurturing)?
How do you spend your days (e.g., reflecting, laughing)
What else can you visualize about this new self?
Take some time with this and get as specific as you can. 
Write it all down, and then hang it up where you will see it frequently.
Once you are clear on your vision, you can start the process of decluttering all of the emotions, thoughts, activities, friends, etc. that no longer fit into your current vision. 
This can be a painful process, and change can be hard.
If you keep your vision at the forefront, though, and remind yourself that in order to grow into the person you know you can be, you will need to let go of the person you have become. (At least parts of you.)
It’s your rebirth – and it’s a beautiful thing!
Goodbye to you.
And hello to you.

An Authentic Life

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Are you living an authentic life? 

When you look at yourself in the mirror, do you know and like who you see? 
Is there anything that you aren’t being truly honest about with yourself or others? 
Is the “you” that you represent to the world the “you” that you really are?

I thought it was interesting the other day when a friend posted on Facebook that they sure hoped they could live up to their profile there.

In one of his stand-up routines, Chris Rock talks about dating and how we tend to send our representative to make a great impression.

While these are funny concepts – they are also very true. We all want to be liked. We all want to please others.

Sometimes to live an authentic life, we have to rock the boat. We have to stir things up a bit. And change isn’t always easy – for you or for anyone who knows you. It may seem threatening. “But they have always been this way – maybe I never really knew them at all,” they might say.

When this happens, stand strong in your own beliefs. Stand strong in knowing that you are living your own life to the best of your ability. Live the life that feels most like you, even if it’s not how you’ve done things in the past. Your inner voice will let you know if you’re on the right track.

Live an authentic life. And when you look in the mirror each morning, you can be proud of who you see smiling back at you.

🙂