Sharing Our Gifts

Posted on May 19, 2011 by admin

I woke up today thinking about yesterday’s post where I wrote about Sanctuary One.

I am so inspired by the wonderful ways they are helping animals, people, and the planet.

I believe that we all want to be of service in some way. We all want to help others.

And maybe we are clear about how we share our gifts.

Or maybe we need a bit of guidance to figure out what we can give, see what our talents are, and learn how others could benefit from them.

Dan and I were filling out some paperwork yesterday for an authors’ program that we are a part of. We came upon the question, “What can you do to help others?” That is – what gifts do you have to offer that are unique and beneficial?

We really had to think about it (and are still thinking about it, actually). The answer didn’t just flow out for either of us, which got me thinking about how deep this question really is and how important it is to really feel and be able to embrace what we are able to give to others and to the world.

This seemingly innocuous question really has us thinking about our lives and going within to find out what gifts we are truly able to bring to others. What talents do we possess that will ultimately help others live their ideal lives? What can we offer in terms of skills, talents, personality traits that will be of service somehow?

We will be spending the day really thinking about this question, and I thought it would be great if we could all think about it together.

What gifts do you bring to the world?

What do you have to offer that would be helpful and make someone’s life better?

It could be a specific skill that you are trained in (e.g., computer knowledge, editing, etc.)

Or it could be a personality trait that you have (e.g., listening, compassion, etc.)

How do you use your gifts to help others?

How could take it a step further and use your special talents to reach more people?

Opportunities to go within and get to know ourselves better sometimes appear unexpectedly, such as this questionnaire. And staying open and seeing it as a way to learn and grow is a great way to embrace your own inner wisdom and learn what your gifts truly are. And once you know what your gifts are, you can share them with the world!

Mirror Work

Posted on April 25, 2011 by admin

When you look into the mirror what do you see?

Sometimes we are in such a hurry to start our day that we only look into the mirror to make sure our hair is brushed, our makeup looks okay, or we don’t have anything in our teeth.

And sometimes we get so busy that we can’t even remember the last time we looked at ourselves in the mirror period.

One of my favorite exercises in self love comes from Louise Hay’s book: The Power is Within You.

In it, she recommends looking into a mirror every single day and saying,

“I love you.”

It’s an amazingly powerful exercise.

When you first begin, you may feel silly and self conscious; but if you keep at it your world will start to shift.

At first you may notice your inner critic pointing out your flaws (both physical and emotional), but if you keep at it and continue to pour unconditional love into the image you see, that inner critic will begin to subside and quiet down.

This is where the magic begins.

This is an exercise that I have dabbled with but never really stuck with.

I’m going to commit to doing it regularly again, and I am asking each of you to join me in this journey of self awareness and self love.

All of happiness starts with you and your ability to love yourself.

And mirror work is a great way to begin your own journey.

So every single time we pass by a mirror, take a moment to look into it.

Really look into your own eyes and say (out loud if possible),

“I love you, (your name).”

If any thoughts of criticism come up, replace them with thoughts of unconditional love for yourself.

Commit to it for just 30 days, and let’s check back and see how we feel.

I have a feeling that we’re all going to be loving ourselves more

and will be more connected to our souls.

And that’s such a great thing!

We are definitely worth it!

Embracing the Good

Posted on April 12, 2011 by admin

I love choosing one of our Soulful Journals and randomly picking a writing prompt.

Today’s question comes from our Journaling Further Within book:

When something good comes your way,

are you able to embrace it or do you sabotage it?

If you do sabotage yourself, can you think of why you might be doing

that and what you can do to change?

Why Sabotage Yourself?

You might be wondering why we would ever sabotage ourselves from receiving something good into our lives.

It could be for a number of reasons:

Maybe you were comfortable with how things were going in your life.

Maybe the unknown is scary – even if you know that the unknown is a good thing.

Maybe you feel that you aren’t really worthy of this good news or good fortune.

Maybe you are afraid that now you will have no excuses – nothing is standing in the way between you and your own happiness.

Maybe you are waiting for the bubble to burst or the other shoe to drop.

Maybe you think that something this good definitely couldn’t truly happen to you,

and you wait for it to go away.

The Right Emotion at the Right Time

It’s okay to not be completely ecstatic when good news appears in your life.

It’s okay to take some time to take it all in.

It’s okay to sit with it until you understand the ramifications of how it will change your life.

It’s okay to notice any feelings of fear, anxiety, or uncertainness that surface.

It’s okay to be in whatever emotional state that you are in.

As long as you are aware of your emotions and are able to delve into why you are feeling the way you are, you’ll come to see that any reaction to any circumstance is just right.

Embracing the Good

By truly believing that you are worth all of the good fortune that you are receiving, you will open yourself up and be able to embrace all of the wonderful things that come your way.

Hopefully after spending some time calming down your own saboteur and building up your self esteem, you will come to realize that you truly deserve happiness.

You can start to embrace all of the good that enters your life!

You’re worth it! 🙂

If It’s Not Working – Change It

Posted on April 4, 2011 by admin

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!

A Day Just for You

Posted on March 29, 2011 by admin

Let’s schedule an entire day where we pamper ourselves and

do exactly what we want.

Let’s spend the day replenishing our energy and nourishing our soul.

Let’s declare it to our loved ones. Let’s let them know ahead of time that this is our day.

On this day, let’s wake up when we want, eat what we want, and do exactly what we want.

Let’s get creative in what this means for us – let’s talk about the specifics.

Let’s spend some time planning it out.

Write down when you want this day to take place.

Write down exactly how you plan to spend your time – is it going to be scheduled
or will you just take the day as it comes?

How do you plan to pamper yourself? Will you stay home and take a hot bath and read, or will you schedule a spa day, hang out with your friends, and go to a movie?

This is your day. and you get to decide what makes you the happiest.

What are some things that you are not okay with doing?

What are some boundaries that you might need to set with your loved ones on this day?

What arrangements will need to be made ahead of time as far as work, family, and chores?

Once you have your date chosen and your schedule cleared – circle the day with a red permanent marker. It’s final – it’s set – you have put yourself back on your priority list!

Not only will it feel good to actually rest and pamper yourself for a day – but you’ll feel great knowing that you are taking care of yourself. Your self esteem will soar when you remember that you haven’t forgotten the most important person in your life: YOU.

I’m so excited for us all to do this assignment!

Let the pampering begin!

Extra credit: Once you have taken care of yourself for a day – you’ll feel so good that you’ll want to do it again! Spend some time thinking about how you can make this special day and your ordinary days look and feel more alike. How can you put yourself on the priority list every day? What are some things you can do to continue taking care of yourself?

Smile. Smile. Smile. :)

Posted on March 22, 2011 by admin

Doesn’t it feel good to smile?

You can’t help but be happy when you are smiling – so smile, smile, & smile some more!

I recently watched Eat Pray Love, and I loved the part where Julia Roberts was in Thailand meditating with a smile on her face the entire time.

I started doing this each morning while taking a shower.

And at first it feels a bit strange to just be in there with a big smile on my face while shampooing my hair.

It’s definitely awkward.

But…while I’m doing it I can feel something start to shift in my brain.

I start to feel happier.

I start to feel lighter.

My brain isn’t able to worry or stress or be overwhelmed when I am smiling.

And these are definitely good things!

Try it tomorrow – see how great you feel!

Plant a big fat smile on your face from the moment you step into the shower until the moment you step out of it.

You get extra credit for thinking about everything you are grateful for while you are smiling!

And for today, take some time to write down some things that bring a smile to your face. (Be prepared to start smiling just thinking about them.)

The more you think about smiling, the more you will start to smile. And the more you start to smile, the happier you will be. And the happier you will be, the more fulfilling your life will become. And the more fulfilling your life is, the more you have to give to others. And the more you give to others, the more they will pay it forward and give to others. And pretty soon the entire world is paying it forward and happy.

And it all started with just one smile.

🙂

Unplugging Your Circuits

Posted on March 20, 2011 by admin

I woke up this morning thinking about the many unfinished projects I needed to do, emails I wanted to send, and the seemingly endless pile of papers that needed to be filed.

Not always the best way to wake up. I immediately felt tired and overwhelmed.

But then I remembered a wonderful cd that I listened to several years ago that talked about how we store energy in our bodies. It was called Energy Anatomy by Caroline Myss.

While it was an amazingly insightful series that I enjoyed listening to, the part that still sticks with me today and that I still use in my daily life is thinking about our bodies as circuit boards and everything we have to do and all of the thoughts we have are plugs. We only have a certain amount of circuits – and just imagine how many circuits you have plugged in when you are feeling completely overwhelmed and stressed out.

When I start to feel this way, I first take a look at where my circuits are plugged in.

I take a moment to write down every plugged-in circuit I can think of – everything that is draining my energy.

Do I have emails to send that are weighing on me?

How about papers that are piling up?

Projects needing to be finished?

A house that needs to be cleaned?

Expense sheets to enter in?

Orders to make?

Friends to call and connect with?

Old thoughts and thoughts patterns creeping back in?

Hurts from the past still affecting me in the present?

The list can go on and on – we are all so busy and we all have so many circuits plugged in to so many things.

First simply become aware of these circuits.

Next visualize unplugging them.

See your body increasing with energy and vitality with each circuit unplugged.

Sundays are perfect days to clearing your circuits – are at least starting to.

You can start by clearing a chunk of time to sit down and batch as many circuits as you can into time chunks.

Send all of the emails in one chunk.

Clean the house in one chunk.

File the papers in one chunk.

Journal about past resentments and forgiveness in one chunk.

Just get started – you’ll immediately feel the energy coming back!

It’s so great to continue to check in with your body and mind to see where your circuits are plugged in. And then see if you can unplug anything. You’ll continue to gain so much energy just by doing this!

So let’s all start unplugging our circuits today!

P.S. – We’re super excited that our big giveaway starts tomorrow! More details then! 🙂

Take the Compliment, Darn It!

Posted on March 18, 2011 by admin

Have you ever received a compliment and gotten flustered

because you weren’t sure how to respond?

Your mind starts whirling with questions:

Did you deserve such a nice compliment?

Would you seem too full of yourself if you agreed?

Should you simply look away and say a quick thank you and then change the subject?

Now imagine how you feel when you give someone a compliment. They did something very well, and you want to let them know that you recognized it. So you tell them, and they immediately deflect it or dismiss it or ignore it. How does this make you feel? I bet it hits you right in your gut and makes you sad. It probably feels like you gave them a gift that they immediately sent back. And you’ll think twice before you compliment them again.

And this is how your loved ones feel when they compliment you.

The next time someone compliments you, remember that it’s okay to own it.

It’s okay to think that you deserve this praise.

It’s okay to feel great about yourself.

It’s okay to feel great about your accomplishments and wonderful traits.

It’s actually better than okay.

It’s important and great and wonderful and completely necessary.

This is a hard lesson and might not come easily to some of us – me included.

After receiving some recent press for our business, we’ve had the completely foreign experience of being recognized several times in our daily lives. It’s something that I hadn’t prepared for and takes some getting used to. Seeing yourself through the eyes of others is a great lesson – being told that we have inspired them is wonderful to hear, especially if we can learn to own it instead of deflect it. This is what it’s all about for us. We love helping people, and we are thrilled that our books are doing just that.

So I’ll continue to work on being able to fully receive the love that you all are giving us.

And the next time someone asks me to sign their book, I promise I won’t get all flustered. I will simply thank them and sign it.

And hopefully you can do the same in your own life. The next time someone gives you a compliment, simply accept it, smile, and say “thank you.”

Perfectly Imperfect

Posted on March 15, 2011 by admin

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to do your best.

But what happens when wanting to do your best keeps you from living your best life?

Have you ever had a project that you wanted to start – you had really great ideas – and great hopes of what the finished project would look like – and then you started thinking about how this is going to be the best project that you’ve ever worked on – no one will have ever seen such a project before – and your mind starts swirling with all of this pressure that you’ve just put on yourself to make it such a great project – and you immediately get overwhelmed and just need to step back from it – just for a little bit – and then months go by and you remember that you had a great idea for a project that you never started

(and definitely didn’t complete)?

Sound at all familiar?

Perfectionism can be really amazing – it can push you forward and keep your standards very high. It can make sure you’re living your life to your best potential.

But… it can also be a saboteur in your life. It can keep you from finishing projects, which can do a real number on your self esteem.

Many of us are recovering perfectionists. We strive for the best of ourselves. We push and push and often achieve the best. But at what cost? And who really cares?

And when do we say enough is enough?

Let this be our mantra:

I AM not perfect
nor will I ever be.
I am a work in progress,
and that is definitely
GOOD ENOUGH.

Let it sink into every cell of your being – the message is that important.

Are there any areas in your life where you push yourself a bit too hard?

Are there any projects that need to be finished that you’ve set aside because you felt overwhelmed?

Which would you rather have – lots of completed, “good enough” projects or lots of uncompleted “perfect” projects?

I am a recovering perfectionist, and I’m learning that good enough is a really great thing.

🙂