Reset

I woke up late.  I barely made it out the door with kids in tow.  Definitely not on time.  I had to give news to people at work that started their day badly.  It all felt overwhelming and it seriously sucked.  I went to make a cup of tea.  At least that would be the one good thing this morning I thought.  I LOVE Yogi Tea.  It’s one of my favorite brands.  I also like that each bag has a tag on it with a saying to give you something to think about.  It wasn’t until I made it back to my desk that I remembered to look.  And there it was. “Peace of mind comes piece by piece.”

Ah! Of course.  Here I was rushing around, trying to tackle everything all at once.  Fix everything all at once.  I just needed to slow down, find a moment of peace, and reset my whole day.  And so I did.  I took my first real deep breath of the day at 8:22 am.  I meditated on the saying.  I realized in that moment I was letting my ego convince me that everything had to be perfect, run smoothly, and work out exactly as I wanted in order for the day to be a good one.  That’s total bull by the way.  NOTHING has to work out the way I want in order to have a good day.  We all have a choice.  To lean into love or lean into fear (ego).  Living from the ego is what makes us feel crazy, scared, defensive, and overwhelmed.  All of those feelings made an appearance in my life this morning.  But, I also know that I can make a different choice and choose to see everything through love.  I can reframe it!

Yes I woke up late, but my body needed the extra rest.  I am thankful that I now respect, listen to, and understand what my body needs from me.  I love my body and what to take care of it.  I barely made it out the door with the kids, but what a miracle those children are!  They teach me something every day.  This morning when I was grouchy and short they taught me grace by being loving and gentle with me when I probably didn’t deserve it in the moment.  I was late, but I arrived safely!  I may have had to deliver bad news, but I can also recognize that I am doing the best I can right now in this moment.  I can take a bit of the grace the children showed me, and give it to myself. 

“Peace of mind comes piece by piece.”  Everything doesn’t have to happen all at once.  Everything doesn’t have to happen the way we plan.  All we need to do is slow down and be here now.  This moment is all we have.  Revel in the peace.  Enjoy your life piece by piece.

Adding to Multiply Happiness and Connection

Happy Fat Tuesday!  This of course means the Christian world is about to embark on the Lenten season.  I’m not a Christian, but I do love this religious season for its call to sacrifice, devotion, and focus.  A few years ago a good Catholic friend and I were talking, and she had decided she wasn’t going to give something up for Lent, instead she was going to DO something every single day.  I loved the idea of adding something of value to my life as well, so we headed off to conquer the days, her reciting the Rosary every morning and me chanting every day.  It was a wonderful experience that brought me closer to G-d.

After giving it some thought I decided to invoke this practice again this Lenten season.  I tend to be someone who with good intentions gets in over her head with my commitments.  My mind swirled with all the things I wanted to add.  I started to feel excited and overwhelmed at the same time.  So pulling a little self-care I worked on in February out of my tool box, I narrowed it down to 2 things I am committing to do for the duration of Lent.

Morning Prayer Time.  Every morning I am going to carve out time to pray and do my Course in Miracles study.  I’ve been doing ACIM when I have time to squeeze it in during the day, but I believe it is time to commit a specific period to it, as well as reach out to my Higher Power in a meaningful way every day. 

Embrace gratitude as a daily practice.  I will do this by writing something I am grateful for on the wall of a wonderful Facebook page called The Gratitude Circle.  During the holidays this year I participated in a 40 Days of Gratitude challenge with them.  It was wonderful not just to see everyone else’s blessings, but to also realize the little things I had to be thankful for that I often forget.

It may not seem like a lot, but I know for myself if I added any more than this I would feel too much pressure for perfection.  I just want to connect consistently with my Higher Power in a meaningful way.

Are you giving up anything or adding anything for Lent?  I’d love to know!

Happy New Year...Or I'm Always Right On Time Even When I'm Late

It is a new year, and as always I am late to the party.  I am just fine with that.  I have realized that “new” take me a bit longer to process.  I know I spend too much time in my head and too little time in my heart.  That is what January was about.  The realization, the decisions on change, and then the actions of moving forward into a new way of being.  I also started the study of A Course in Miracles (ACIM) and have committed to completing it this year.  I am 70 plus days in and loving it.  I have already decided to do it again next year, and deepen my study.

February was all about self-care.  Thanks to Maureen Muldoon and her Spiritual Vixens I slowed down and really took a look at what I needed for myself so that I could be available not just for others, but to also move into my calling. I found Maureen through her YouTube page during my search for videos on ACIM.  She’s a great spiritual teacher and so down to earth.  I joined her Spiritual Vixens Facebook page for their February self-care challenge.  I not only enjoyed it I learned about myself as well.  At one point Maureen challenged me to write a blog post and post it to the group.  Here it is!  Better late than never.  Maureen’s website is here, and her Spiritual Vixens Facebook page is here.

February was also a month of getting back into pushing into myself with hypnosis.  Ever so slowly but surely I am completing my certification, but I had stagnated in my personal practice.  I needed some shaking up.  Here comes Grace Smith to the rescue again!  Grace started a free Weight Loss Challenge on her Facebook page. It was 21 days of hypnosis as well as discussion of a book for those who chose to participate in the reading.  There were LOTS of amazing results reported by the participants, but I can only speak for myself.  As of day 21 I had lost 10 lbs., was sleeping better, changed my eating patterns, and had begun exercising almost daily.  I have kept with ALL of those new habits and continued losing weight as well.  Grace is going to continue doing different challenges, and she even has a website you can sign up for to access different hypnosis. Her Facebook page is here, and her website is here.  Take a look! 

I am excited for March!  I have a few new things I am throwing into the mix.  I plan to write more, read more, and get more physical. I’ve only just begun!

Pictures and a Few Thoughts On My Training

Venice Beach

A week ago today I was boarding my first flight on my way to my hypnotherapy training.  

It. Was. Amazing!  There are no words to describe how life changing the experience was. 

The first day we did a group hypnosis right on the beach.  It was just the beginning.  The other students were wonderful to work with and were really good. And our teacher Grace Smith was out of this world.  

We started practicing right away.  And we learned so much.  The twelve hour days felt much shorter. We even go to practice sitting under this yummy fig tree. We ate right off of it.

We practiced at two locations.  The picture below is the backyard of the second location.  It was amazing to sit outside on the deck, and listen to the wind blowing through the trees as we came in and out of trance.

I left so much that was holding me down behind as I climbed into the plane to return home.  I felt light.  I felt more whole.  It helped that everyone was so open and ready to do the work.  Having that support and watching others transform was so wonderful.  We really connected.  

I can't wait to go back in November and work with all these ladies in person again!

After my last class came to an end I hugged everyone good bye and strolled with my friend back over to the beach.  We spent the final hours of our last day in Los Angeles watching the surfers as they attempted to catch the waves rolling in.  It was so peaceful.  It was a great ending to our trip.

In just a few short months I will be back here finishing up the in person training. I can't wait to see everyone again!  I know what we learn will expand my mind yet again.  

I'll blog more about the experience and what I am learning soon.  For now enjoy the pictures.  

Love and Light

Stone Heart or How I'm Getting More Vulnerable

I have often joked about how I was the warmest machine you’d every meet.  Part of that was because of my Myers–Briggs personality type, and part of that was because of my life experiences.  I spent a very long time building a high thick wall around myself and my feelings.  I have many friends and acquaintances, but there are really few people who KNOW me. 

I have had to spend a good deal of time being “ON” and happy in front of others.  It was easier to do that than deal with my emotions and be vulnerable with other people.  I learned growing up that it was dangerous to be vulnerable.  It was painful to have feelings and emotions, and it was definitely not something you shared with others.  Who I was wasn’t good enough.  Who I was was wrong.  I took all of those ideas that other people had and hid myself away inside an impenetrable shell.

As an adult that protective shell became even harder.  I had to be strong through bad relationships, and a failed marriage.  I had to be strong and care for my children.  I had to put my own feeling aside and move forward through life, always with them at the forefront.  When my daughter became chronically ill I felt as if I didn’t have the luxury of being sad, afraid, or scared.  Someone had to hold HER hand and tell her everything would be alright, and that was going to have to be me.  I remember coworkers who didn’t understand why I was so calm, so unfeeling during that period.  I was feeling, just so deeply inside that it was in a place no one else had access to.

Many years later, with healthy happy children and a stable relationship, I have been able to begin to remove those layers of protection I thought I needed.  It is difficult, but every day is an adventure.  Some days are easier than others, but I am beginning to honor my feelings.  I now know it’s safe to feel them and express them with the right people.  I also realize that what I thought was protecting me was also keeping me from the kind of intimacy in my relationships that I truly wanted.  Hypnosis has been a huge part of allowing me to find a place where I now know: I am safe, I am loved, and I am worthy.

If you struggle with vulnerability tell me about it.  What do you do to get past the fear?    I want to know.

As Always, Love and Light

The End of the No Complaining Challenge and What I Learned

We are arriving at the end of our No Complaining Challenge.  The last two weeks have been 

 the hardest for me, because I had several unexpected things happen in my work and personal life.  It really WAS challenging not to just complain about all that was going on.  I would be lying if I said I didn’t find myself a few times grumbling and moaning over this or that.  I DID recognize what I was doing much more quickly and redirected myself.  And a big thank you to all those that reminded me to shut it up!

When complaining is a habit we may not recognize that we are doing something that is negatively affecting us, but it is.  I was watching a video by Grace Smith a few days ago, and she was making the association between complaining or not taking responsibility in a situation and us giving our power away.  I realized that complaining allows us to negate our responsibility for our part in any given situation, and in short order make ourselves the victim by handing someone else the power.

I had been upset over something at work last week.  I realized that by complaining about it I was totally giving my power away to make a change.  So I stopped complaining and asked for what I needed in the situation.  If felt really empowering.  Had I not said something I could have easily continued to complain, but I would not have had my needs met.  It was a total shift in my perspective in that particular situation.

This challenge has taught me: complaining is giving your power away; we are truly responsible in every situation for our part in it; owning our power allows us to effect change in our lives; it’s ok to be upset and angry about a situation, we just need to use that energy to move in a different direction.  If you participated with us what did you learn?  Share below!  I want to know!

If you are interested in future challenges check out the Xen Bliss Community Facebook.  It's a great community to be part of.  Lots of support and love all around.

In other news I will be in Los Angeles in less than a week for my hypnotherapy training!  I CAN NOT WAIT!!  This is going to be live changing and I want to share it with all of you!  I'm sure I'll blog a bit so keep tuned.

If you are interested in donating to my GoFundMe account to help fund my training and the travel involved  click here.  The special opportunity for FREE HYPNOTHERAPY is about to come to an end.  Check out the flyer below.  Any and all donations are appreciated beyond belief!

Go Fund Me!

Love and Light

First Week of the Challenge and a Bit on Self-Care

First off I want to say my first week (or a little more than) of no complaining has gone much better than I expected.  Maybe it’s all of the internal work I’ve been doing with hypnosis, but I only caught myself complaining a few times.  I am not going to say there have not been moments I didn’t want to say something, however I have stopped myself, thought about what the real issue was, and redirected myself. I’ll keep you posted on the rest of the month.  If you joined us for the challenge I would LOVE to hear how it’s going for you.  Please comment below!

This week I want to talk about self-care.  It can feel as if self-care is very extravagant

especially if you are used to giving so much of yourself to your children, spouse/significant other, and if you work.  I know that it’s easier for some than for others to find the time for self-care.  Self-care is more than just a bubble bath or pedicure, though both of those can be lovely.  Self-care is about honoring your inner self as well.  Self-care can be a sacred practice, and I believe we should hold it as such.

I think a consistent self-care practice is imperative to keep ourselves at our best.  I would be lying if I said I was perfect at remembering this, and there are most definitely times I fall flat.  But like everything else in life, self-care is about practice, practice, practice.  Some of my self-care practices include daily hypnosis, getting out in nature several days a week, writing, and nurturing a stillness practice. 

My stillness practice is extremely important to me and is usually one of the first things I do in the morning.  It sets the tone for the day and really allows me to connect to my inner-self and to my higher power.  Meditation and prayer can be some of the most important time we spend in self-care.

As I write this I am curled up in my recliner snuggling my dog and watching Naruto with my son.  This too is what I consider self-care.  Time alone with my children connecting about our individual interests is sacred to me. 

Tell me what you do for self-care.  Is it something you do consistently or only after you realize you’re burnt out?  I’d love to know.

Love and Light

PS Come check out my new Facebook page Something for the Journey for some daily inspiration and positive vibes!