A safe harbor where beliefs are respected and kindness prevails.

Life Lessons In Disguise

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When things are going well, it is easy to remain optimistic. We need only look around to observe the good in our lives. The challenge is remaining positive during difficult times, finding meaning in life’s obstacles. When we are faced with hardships, it is easy to become overwhelmed and question, “Why me?” or “What have I done to deserve this?” But what if there is something valuable to be gained in these challenging times? What if hardships provide us with invaluable lessons that make us stronger, wiser, and enable us to grow emotionally and spiritually? Often, perceived mistakes become our biggest blessings and a difficult situation our greatest opportunity for growth.

The question then becomes, “How do I keep the faith during challenging times?” “How do I trust that perceived mistakes can be blessings in disguise?” An important first step is believing there is a greater order and purpose to life than we see in the present moment, having faith in a higher power, and trusting that the universe or God can help us make peace with difficult times. Believing there is an ebb and flow to life can help us appreciate the “good” and the “bad” and see the value in both. A second step we can take is practicing self-care. When we are feeling down, we often turn to comfort foods and neglect our workout program when this is precisely the time we would benefit the most from looking after ourselves. Make sure you are getting adequate rest and exercise and eating a healthy diet; your body needs the extra care and love. Lastly, adopting a mindset of gratitude can be transformative. It shifts our focus from what has gone wrong to everything that is going right. If we expand our definition of gratitude, we may find ourselves becoming grateful for life’s challenges.

If you are able to keep the faith during difficult times, you will be able to look back on your life and appreciate the lessons, and even the many blessings, that are present in all your experiences. Perhaps losing your job encouraged you to start your own business and pursue what you are passionate about. The loss of a relationship led you to look within and learn more about yourself and what you want from life. The death of a loved one led you to explore your spiritual beliefs and come to an understanding that we are more than our physical bodies.
In order to receive these important life lessons, we must be open-minded, not get so wrapped up in our current situation that we fail to see the possibilities that surround us, challenge our definition of what it means to live a meaningful life, and understand that within every experience there is a life transforming lesson we can choose to receive.

Still Searching For Rainbows

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glassofrainbowWe are all being challenged at the moment to stay positive no matter how things appear around us. This attitude, this looking at the glass half full, is what will carry us through these times of change.

So, picture a glass half full, with a rainbow ending right in it!

Too Pollyanna for you? Well just try it. Get a photo of a rainbow and put it behind a glass of water, half full! What does that do for you…well at least it should be worth a chuckle! It would be even funnier if someone came in and caught you doing it…caught you looking for the rainbow in the half full glass!

I ask you to wonder, are we all a bit afraid to show optimism now? When so many have lost so much, all over the world? Perhaps just a little. Sometimes expressing optimism activates a tirade from someone you know, someone who you care about. Fear of that can perhaps cause us to be reluctant to express it.

If that is how you sometimes feel, then become a closet optimist on those days!

People will sense the positive energy coming from you. Even if you don’t share WORDS of optimism, if you spend a little time each morning thinking about:

  • Something you are grateful for in your life
  • Something you dream might happen to you (like winning the lottery!)
  • Appreciating what you have, not what you don’t have
  • Appreciating the friends that you do have (even if they are glass half empty people)
  • Appreciating the weather if it is good, or the farmers market if you can go, or the phone call you got from someone you wanted to talk to …

You get the idea. Then don’t share it with anyone but see if you light up the faces of the people you encounter during the day…even just a tiny little bit … just by emanating a slightly more positive energy. If they don’t smile when they see you, it may be something going on with them…you don’t always get a “sign” that you are shining positive energy. In fact, sometimes it can really irritate people to see you happy when they are not.

But do it anyway.

You may help that person without their realizing it. You may help them question why they are irritated with your happiness. You may shift their energy up just a tiny bit. You can’t be “positive” because you want proof that you are a good person. You just have to do it because it feels good to you and hopefully feels good to those you encounter during the day.

Keep it in the closet if you like, but open up the door just enough to let that rainbow in! Oh, and then drink the water!

Believing Is Seeing

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fotolia_18145709_Subscription_LThat’s right. I’ve lost my mind again. Shouldn’t the title of this article read, “Seeing is believing”?

Well, only if you need to prove something that is already in the past. The idea of merely seeing in order to believe comes across as old news now. What we should always choose is the act of believing, which will ultimately leads to “seeing.” This is especially true when we are creating the health and fitness we desire in our lives.

You see, part of the spirit, mind and body connection is becoming aware that anything you desire in life should first begin as a consistent thought filled with emotion.

The health and fitness you desire can only take shape if you place your thoughts and emotions within that construct consistently. You have to dream big, and feel as if you are already living with this dream of complete health.

When you do this, the idea is engrained into your subconscious mind. This, in turn, becomes your belief. If you believe you already are this healthy, fit body in your subconscious, then all of your daily thoughts and actions will guide you to making it a reality!

All of this happens with much less effort and frustration then if you had attempted to use sheer will to create the health you desired.

Your level of awareness becomes one of a healthy, fit person. It literally becomes a part of who you are.

Perhaps you are stuck or struggling with your health and fitness right now. Maybe you can’t seem to find the motivation to do anything except hope somehow your health will magically improve on its own?

That is the level of awareness at which you exist right now. In order for you to raise your level of awareness, you must become the person you desire to be. To become this desired person you must allow yourself to believe this person already exists!

Most people would say I am putting the cart before the horse, but in fact I am not.

I have worked with plenty of clients who, once they have embraced this first step, have been able to overcome all the obstacles and self-sabotage that stopped them in the past.

I would gently offer this thought. What you have believed and done in the past has not given you the results you desire. Does it make sense to continue to believe and do the same thing again and expect a better result? How can that possibly be effective?

It is time to claim the health and fitness you deserve. Begin to create that dream body and health you have always desired. Create it in your mind first, and make it so real and exciting that it drives you to do what is needed in order to create it.

Here’s a good example. In computer terminology you must write the software before the computer can make it happen. The computer is a servant to the software that is installed. You must install the software of your dream body and health into your subconscious. Then you’re subconscious will awaken within you your potential to make it happen!

I received an email today form a client with whom I have been working for several months.

She mentioned that, up until recently, she had not been able to see beyond what she had always seen in the mirror. She felt she was unattractive, unworthy of being loved, and overweight. She couldn’t even pass by a mirror or walk by a store window without looking away. I am sure we can, to some degree, understand that her software was one of being un-loveable.

As we began to work together, we decided to “write a new software” for her. It was one filled with her dream body and life. At first she couldn’t grasp the concept, but she kept visualizing. As the weeks went on she did her exercises and ate only healthy food. Suddenly, the weight began to come off at the rate of about two pounds per week!

Even with everything going well, she still had moments of disbelief. This was only because she was so used to her old way of thinking. We pushed on, focusing only on her dream body and life. Weeks turned into months, and now, after three months she sees her dream body in the mirror.

She has come to see beyond what the mirror is reflecting, and can now visualize her potential to make things happen. More importantly, she now believes she is already the person she has always desired to be. Now her body only needs to undergo the process of catching up.

This client went from being unable to believe, to understanding the power of her subconscious, and then becoming the person she has always desired.

Do you think you are different from this woman? Do you believe that your circumstances are more challenging? I would tell you they are not.

I always have clients proving to me that anyone, no matter what their conditions, can overcome all obstacles of the past and achieve the health and dream body they have always desired.

I know you are someone who will do the same.

I am here to help you on this journey.

I wish for you Vibrant Health!

What I Learned When the Lights Went Out

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(and my dogs)

When the lights go out - Soulcial Living

Weather wise, the last few weeks have been a little crazy here in the Midwest. We’ve had more rain and severe thunderstorms than we’ve had in years. (Kind of interesting after the crazy winter we had. That’s another article.)

These storms caused incredible damage from flooding, fallen trees and downed wires. Although we were blessed to avoid the tree and water damage, we did lose power for a few days. That seems like a nuisance compared to my mom and brother who lost all of the belongings in their basements and that same brother had a 125 year old tree land smack down on the middle of his roof causing the structure of his house to be stressed and compromised.

So what did I learn (or re-learn I must say) when the lights went out? A few simple things that we often take for granted.

  1. Always be prepared – By having at least a days’ worth of fresh coffee grounds and a French press ready. When the power’s out the last thing you want is to be without your morning cup of java! Water helps and so does food. We ate a lot of PBJ’s.
  2. You can live without electronics – I know you’re thinking WHAT? It’s true. If I can do it, anyone can. Instead of picking up my iPad, I picked up the book on my night table. Instead of jumping on Facebook I actually had heart-felt conversations with my mom and my husband. <3
  3. Be nice to your neighbors – That’s right! When it’s really dark out its good to know you can count on the people next door, especially when they have things that you don’t, like a generator.
  4. It’s just stuff – Having experienced the loss of most of my belongings in a devastating house fire, this one is a little easier for me to connect with than some people. The truth is, material things can be replaced and if they can’t, you’ll always have the memory. Because ….
  5. Friends and family are what really matter – (along with those great neighbors) who better to spend your time with then the people (and animals) you love most? Whether the lights are on or not doesn’t really matter.

As the hours turned into days I watched my dogs very closely. They were not phased one bit. As long as they had food, water, play time, a place to nap and were able to hang out with us, they were happy. Which reminded me that we always have a choice on how we are going to look at things, no matter how long the lights are out. Or, as my husband says, no matter how dark it gets you can choose light! Blissings!

 

 

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