Category: Energize & Thrive

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Fabulous Fucking Resources

Hey beautiful People!

How are you coping with the choice to shelter at home to stop
the spread of the virus?

Palace of Fine Arts ~ March 26, 2020

I’m letting my inner child play!  I’ve gone outside every day to get some recess, and I’m taking afternoon naps.  I’m creating new landscape photography while getting fresh air and physically distancing myself from others who are out playing in the sun, and I’ve enjoyed creating some new zentangle art.

Learn more about zentangles here.

One of the things that’s helping me most is devouring as much counterpoint to the general negative vibe of the planet as I possibly can.  To that end, I want to share some fabulous fucking resources that are helping me to manage my thoughts and stay calm in the face of all the panic and fear swirling around the complicated challenges arising from the global pandemic.

Esther Hicks ~ Inspirational Speaker & Author

abraham-hicks.com

Esther is my go-to positive vibe guru. She presents Law of Attraction workshops drawing hundreds, sometimes thousands of people together in up to 60 cities per year.  I have been to half a dozen of her events and always leave feeling like my battery is charged high enough to power me all month!  Obviously her events have been shut down for the foreseeable future, so she is offering something new and I want EVERYONE to experience this!  

Esther is currently hosting Abraham NOW where Abraham answers write-in questions from viewers three times a week. Abraham NOW is online Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays!  This is such a COOL way to hear what infinite intelligence has to say about the questions coming up right now about what the FUCK is going on in our world!  You can get access to this fabulous fucking resource in two ways.

One way is to pay $300 and get unlimited access to the three live streams per week PLUS recordings of all the past live events since Esther began doing this on March 21.

The second way to get access is even better!  Pay $225 for any live event currently scheduled and get access to the live streaming broadcasts for FREE!  That’s like paying for one Abraham-Hicks event and getting a free Abraham event every week! I had planned to go see her in July when she’ll be back in San Francisco, so I purchased the ticket and now I get live streaming Abraham three times a week!  I can’t think of a better way to tune my vibration to Source!  Even if the July event gets postponed, my ticket is still good whenever they return to the Bay Area!  This is a big WIN in my book.

Tosha Silver ~ Author & Spiritual Teacher

You may remember Tosha from a blog post I wrote last year.  I highly recommend all of Tosha’s books as counterpoint to any negative energies you may be experiencing.

Well check this out!  She is currently offering a FREE two week trial of her Living “Outrageous Openness” Forum.  The jewel in this offer is the weekly 75-minute phone call led by Tosha!  The call happens Tuesday mornings and consists of Tosha leading a grounding, doing some teaching and then answering questions that were written in, from forum members.

This week she talked a lot about how important it is to take care of our inner child right now, completely validating my own plans to spend my afternoon entangling some seashells!

Access Tosha’s free offer by clicking here.  I am not sure how long the offer will be valid, so check it out SOON!  Even if you miss the offer, Tosha’s books and her Living “Outrageous Openness” Forum are a fabulous fucking resource!

Ana Verzone ~ Master Coach & Freedom Junkie

freedomschool.anaverzone.com

Ana runs the Freedom School ™ online where I am currently enrolled for the entire year and congratulating myself on making THAT decision back in December because Ana is a fabulous fucking resource for gaining confidence, managing my thoughts, and understanding how not to lose my shit in times like these! 

Ana offers lots of free resources and trainings and last week she gave a one hour class on How Not to Lose Your Shit in a Crisis!

Click the link for the recorded class for lots of solid wisdom that helps me to feel courageous, and not worry about the things I cannot control.  She is amazing and so are all of her trainings.  Here is the recording of another free class she offered recently called Mindset Reset.  Ana’s trainings are solid gold!

When I grow up as a coach, I wanna be as fucking awesome as Ana!

Michelle Dwyer MS, CNC ~ Health Coach & Nutrition Consultant

healthcoachmichelle.com

Michelle is an amazing health coach and nutrition consultant with a high vibe, who helps her clients improve body, mind & spirit.  Michelle is currently offering a special deal that is an amazing opportunity to get a personalized solution for your unique health and nutrition needs!

Michelle is a fabulous fucking resource if you are currently struggling with any of these topics or any topic related to health and wellness.

  • Immune system support
  • Eating well while in staying in
  • Self-care practices including sleep, movement, stress-management, emotional/spiritual grounding
  • Strategic supplement suggestions based on your body’s needs (access to online e-store where everything is 25% off retail)
  • Strategies for mindful eating (and limiting emotional eating)
  • Creating healthy daily routines
  • Healthy weight maintenance during stressful times
  • Practical tips for grocery shopping, food storage, and meal planning
healthcoachmichelle.com/nutrition/10-personal-practices-for-self-care

Click this link to access special discount offer from Michelle.

Jill Lebeau MS, LMFT~ Living in the Flow Coach, Spiritual Psychotherapist, & Author

easejoylove.com

What can I say about Jill?

Jill is who I call when I need an instant magical manifestation of joy.  She is my therapist and my energy coach.  She maintains her own vibration in such a high frequency that just being in conversation with her soothes my soul and lifts my vibe!  And THAT is the most fabulous fucking resource I can think of during this time of heightened fears and incredible uncertainty. 
My one-on-one sessions with Jill always leave me feeling incredibly free and invincible!

Jill teaches simple, powerful, fun ways to become an alchemist of love and master of your life, transforming lower vibrations like fear, resentment, stuckness, and depression into love, forgiveness, gratitude and inspiration.  She helps clients remember the peace, love and joy of our True Nature from the very first session.

If you need a therapist, I recommend Jill with all my heart, and know that she can help you through whatever you may be struggling with! 
I also highly recommend Jill’s coaching skills if you have a desire to feel better than you currently do, or just want to live more fully in the magical flow!

Jill’s new podcast, The Spiritual Sandbox, is here now!

Click here for more information on living in the magical flow and booking a session with Jill.

These are the tools I use!

How do I keep a positive mindset on a regular basis, stay healthy and balanced despite everything going on in the world? 

I tap into these fabulous fucking resources with regular frequency.
I use the tools they have provided me and I LIMIT the amount of news that I see.

Cyndi Combs CPC ~ Empowerment & Wellbeing Coach

Yes. I am a fabulous fucking resource, and I am just going to own that.

Fair warning though, if you are easily offended by F-bombs
or other off-color language, I may not be the best coach for you.

If you are struggling right now due to all that’s going on in the world, or something going on in YOUR world, I would LOVE to offer you a free coaching session! You won’t get a sales pitch and there are no strings attached. I simply want to be of service at a time when so many people need the kind of help that coaching can offer!

In the most basic of terms, coaching decreases emotional suffering.

If you are suffering emotionally, please reach out for a free session. Maybe I can help with what you’re going through, or maybe I can refer you to someone else who can help! Call me at 707-515-8324.

Grow on! 

Access resources at the links below:

Esther Hicks
Tosha Silver
Ana Verzone
Michelle Dwyer MS, CNC
Jill Lebeau MS, LMFT
Cyndi Combs CPC ~ cyndicombs@gmail.com

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Discomfort Foods

I love food!  A little too much maybe?

Humans love delicious food to celebrate the good times,
and we use food to soothe ourselves during challenging times.

Facebook meme – March 2020

Self-soothing with food is something to which most of us relate, though I’ve heard people say they don’t like the term ‘self-soothing’
or that self-soothing is for wussies.  But if you are stress-eating,
or using food to deal with anxiety, push away discomfort, or buffer uncomfortable emotions, you are self-soothing with food.  What’s your favorite comfort food?  Pizza?  Mac & cheese?  Chicken soup?  Sugary sweets?  Sometimes it doesn’t matter what the food is, it’s the act of eating that soothes us simply by causing a momentary distraction.

One drawback to using food to soothe is that it tends to result in overeating and excess weight.  Comfort foods rarely include vegetables, and almost always include either high fat or processed sugar.  While neither of those is detrimental in small doses, if we are overeating them on a regular basis, they can cause physical discomfort, increased health risks, chemical imbalances, confusion, emotional fluctuations, and spiritual stress (due to being out of alignment with personal wellbeing goals). 

Used repeatedly as an anesthetic, soothing with food sets up the craving/reward cycle.

Cravings and Rewards

A bigger problem with using food to sooth discomfort is that we train ourselves into a cycle of craving and reward.  When we experience an emotion that is uncomfortable, then reach for food to dull our discomfort, we are rewarded with a little hit of dopamine. 

Dopamine is a chemical signal from our brain that we have done something that sustains life.  Our body regularly produces dopamine when we are warm, when we eat, when we have sex – because these things are necessary for survival.  The dopamine REWARDS us by making us feel good for a minute. 

We experience discomfort.  We soothe with food.  We receive a chemical reward of dopamine.  We experience discomfort, soothe with food, receive a reward.  Experience discomfort, soothe, receive reward.  Discomfort, soothe, reward.  Discomfort, soothe, reward.  

Repeat.  Repeat.  Repeat.

Our lizard brain now believes that the foods with which we soothe are necessary for survival.  When you try NOT to soothe with food, your mind will try to convince you that you will DIE if you do not indulge.  

Have you ever experienced a time when you felt you HAD to have something?  Where you felt you couldn’t NOT eat (smoke, drink, do) something, like you will DIE if you don’t?  That’s what that was about!  Your lizard brain actually thinks it will die without that dopamine reward.   Processed sugar produces a highly concentrated hit of dopamine, much higher than the amount we are normally rewarded for engaging in life-sustaining behaviors, so if you are self-soothing with sugary treats, the craving/reward cycle becomes much more powerful.

Despite what our lizard brain thinks, we will not DIE if we don’t get that sugary treat.  Imagine a six-year old throwing a tantrum because you won’t give her a candy bar.  She can scream and cry and throw the biggest fit full of snot and tears, but you know she’ll be fine.  She won’t die because you don’t give her the candy, right?  

Compromised Immune System

Another issue with using food as comfort is that it causes an overload of toxins that our body systems must deal with. While the body is focused on removing toxins from less-than-healthy food choices, it has less energy to keep the immune system strong to protect us from illness. And isn’t THAT what we’re all craving right now? Safety. Protection from harm. Food can’t give us that, but a strong immune system can. Protecting our immune system might be the number one reason at this time to avoid using food to soothe our challenging emotions.

Food is fuel.  It’s meant to efficiently power our physical body.  When we eat to soothe or comfort ourselves, we actually cause discomfort.  We experience physical discomfort or mental/emotional discomfort, even spiritual discomfort from misuse and overuse of food.

Food is NOT a healthful coping mechanism.  

Things are feeling really stressful for a LOT of people right now. 
No one will blame you if you overeat or if you eat foods you normally don’t eat, and you certainly won’t be the only one.  But if you want to comfort yourself in a healthy way, or soothe any anxiety you may be feeling, there are many ways to do that without using food.

Some effective ways to soothe without food include:

  • Physically place your hand on your heart and pet it. This is an amazingly effective technique for comfort!
  • Wrap your arms across your chest and around your own shoulders and give your self a long hug.  
  • Write yourself a letter and say every comforting thing you wish someone else were saying to you right now, or that you would say right now to a child whom you love with all your heart.
  • Get outdoors every day.  
  • If you can’t get outdoors, google gorgeous landscape photography and imagine yourself in the photograph! Your imagination is a powerful tool.
  • Take a walk, even if it’s indoors.
  • Go for a run.  
  • Put on your favorite song and dance around your living room.  
  • Call a good friend for a long chat.  
  • Journal about your emotions or about the circumstances you experience and what you are thinking about them.  
  • Talk to yourself as you would talk to a friend.  Have a full conversation about how you understand how hard this is, that you’re sorry you’re going through this, and remind yourself that you will get through this, that everything will work out again, whatever you would tell a close friend in this circumstance, tell it to YOU out loud so you hear it in your own voice.

Please list your favorite HEALTHY ways to cope or soothe
in the comments! I love hearing from my readers!

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Coronavirus COUNTERPOINT

A steady diet of fear will make us fearful.

I am a fairly fearless person, and I have been feeling an undercurrent of fear in my community strong enough to pull me under – and I do NOT watch TV news shows.  Feeling that fear is completely understandable, especially for those of us sensitive to energy.  Over the last few days I have had several times where I simply felt like something is off. 

Like a great disturbance in the Force, as if thousands of voices cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

Yesterday I had a panic attack.  The panic wasn’t my own, it was seeping in from the general atmosphere of fear surrounding the globe.  It didn’t last long, but it sapped my energy JUST enough to make me wonder if I might be coming down with something.  There are multitudes of people panicking right now, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better. 

If we watch the whole thing unfold on news programs, more of us will die from stress than from virus!

It makes sense to keep informed from reliable sources of news, but if we are living on a steady diet of ‘what’s happening in the world’ without digesting some kind of counterpoint as well, it depletes not only our energy, but our immunity.  

Don’t do that to yourself!

First of all, reduce your exposure to the news.  Don’t let it saturate your waking hours with fear and anxiety!

Counterpoint can be anything that lifts your spirits.  

Watch a feel-good movie or TV show.
Get out in nature!
Move your body.
Try a new meditation app
Research something that interests you.
Have a long conversation on the phone with someone you love.
Read uplifting books and blogs.
Listen to something uplifting on YouTube.
– One of my FAVORITES: Everything is Always Working Out for Me
Here are links that frame the virus in a different perspective
– What if the Virus is Medicine? From Heartward Sanctuary
– What if… by Gurpreet Gill

Choose whatever counterpoint you like, as long as you LIKE it.

If we eat a steady diet of fear, we become fear filled.  If we balance that with counterpoint, we can become whatever we choose to look at. 
We can be inspired.  We can be informed.  We can be calm, prepared, steady, helpful, uplifting, fulfilled, joyous.

The choice is ours.

Grow on!

Purification Meditation ~

This exercise will communicate to your energy system (body) that you are willing to align with vibrant health, and willing to release any resistance to wellbeing you may have been holding.

  • Visualize yourself in a stream of light.  Let it pour through you as if you are translucent.
  • Allow the light to cleanse and rejuvenate every cell in your body as it pours through you, warms you, strengthens you, and purifies you physically.
  • Then reverse the stream and allow the light to emanate from within you.  Imagine it purifying all your cells as it streams out from you.

Please feel free to share YOUR favorite counterpoint activities in the comments!

Namaste.


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Who the Fuck needs a Life Coach?

It has come to my attention that marketing professional coaching
is much, MUCH harder than marketing amazing massage therapy. 

If I ask you for referrals to my massage practice, you can probably think of at least a dozen people who want one or who can benefit from it.  If I ask you for referrals to my coaching practice, you probably know at least a half dozen, but how would you KNOW they need a coach? 

In thirteen years of practicing massage, I never had to pay for advertising and I certainly never had to educate people about what it is that I do.  People know what a massage is and many of us (me FIRST!) are addicted to the stress release, pleasure, comfort, relaxation and overall feeling of well-being that comes with massage.  Many people are realizing that massage is an essential part of their health care budget, and include it as a regular part of their self-care.

If you have an amazing massage therapist and you hear someone say that their back hurts, or that they started running and have tight hamstrings, or that they suffer from tension headaches, you know from personal experience that massage is helpful, and you feel confident saying so and recommending your therapist.  Massage therapy is pretty mainstream, so if you find yourself in need of massage, you feel comfortable asking friends for recommendations.  But, who the fuck needs a life coach? 

Maybe a better question to start with is, 

What the fuck does a life coach do?

When my therapist first suggested that I would make a great life coach, my response to her was, “Is that a thing?”  So I am never surprised when people haven’t a clue about what I do or who needs/wants professional coaching.

Coaches are NOT therapists, psychologists or counselors. If you are clinically depressed, please seek help from one of these professions. Coaches do not give advice or delve into the roots of your issues.

Coaches help you clearly see where you are,
then help you map a path to where you want to go.

Humans sometimes struggle with getting to where we want to be.  We might know what we want and just can’t quite figure out how to get there.  Or maybe we KNOW the steps required to get us there, but we can’t quite motivate ourselves to take those steps.  Sometimes we can’t even figure out WHAT the hell we want because we have so many thoughts cluttering our minds.

People may struggle with time scarcity and feel overwhelmed. 
We sometimes deal with financial scarcity that can create cycles of fear and worry.  During transitions in our lives, we can sometimes feel unanchored, and unsure what course to chart next.  If we have many paths before us, sometimes we can’t choose.  And if we have any difficult emotions attached to the situations we are going through, that’s when things can get challenging. 

It is immensely helpful in times like these to talk to someone who is not emotionally attached to your outcome, someone who can help clarify your thinking and help you find your way forward to where you want to be.

That’s what life coaches do. We help clients overcome obstacles to get from where they are to where they’d like to be.

How do we do that?  By having conversations about values, goals, and habitual thoughts and behavior patterns.  By looking at what influences their energy socially, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and environmentally. 
By discovering ways to increase energy in all those areas.  By replacing fear with faith, which has a very different vibration and attracts very different energy into one’s life.

So, who the fuck needs a life coach?

People going through one of the struggles mentioned above.  People who never have the energy to do what they love doing. People who want to reach their goals.  People who want to manifest their dreams.  People going through any kind of transition like changing careers or relationships, moving to a new city, or empty nesting.  People struggling to reach their health goals.  People who have lost their confidence or have low self-esteem.  People who know they want MORE from their lives, but aren’t quite sure more of what.

Me.  I need a life coach.  

One of the BEST parts about my coaching school was that we constantly had peers coaching us for practice.  I was practicing my coaching skills which was extremely valuable, but receiving coaching weekly had the added benefit of tremendous self-growth along with an increased understanding of what it feels like to receive the benefits of regular coaching.  My mother looked at me like I was crazy when I told her I was still being coached regularly.  “But you are a trained coach, why do you need one?”

GREAT question!  There are a lot of ways in which I can and do coach myself all the time to change habitual thoughts from my past that do not serve my goals.  But I also pay two professional coaches for regular sessions.  I have an In the Flow coach who helps keep my energy and enthusiasm high, and I have a life coach to help me plan my goals, improve my relationships, and be the best version of me that I can be!  I also follow a business coach on Facebook to pick up lots of hints and tips on how to grow my coaching practice.

So, who needs a life coach?  Everyone NEEDS a life coach!

But, who can coaching help?

Coaching can ONLY help those who are willing to show up for themselves, and take the actions required to get out of their own way and get to where they want to go.

Here is the most important question:

Who the fuck is READY for a life coach?

If you know a truly amazing life coach, who do you refer to her for coaching?  

Coaching is becoming more common, but when someone finds themselves needing a coach, they may not feel comfortable asking for recommendations.  They may not think any of their friends know a life coach.  It’s just not that main stream.  I mean, really, is life coaching a thing?

PLEASE keep your ears open for key phrases like these:

I always feel so overwhelmed!
I’m tired all the time. I have no energy. 
I want to change (something), but have no idea how! 
I have tried to change (something), but I always fail. 
My life doesn’t matter. 
I’ll never reach my goals. 
Is this all there is to life? 
I want more from my life, I just don’t know what. 
Why can’t I stick to my own healthy intentions?
I have to do everything myself. 
I’m in a rut and I can’t get out. 
I want to complete (some large goal) but I have no idea where to start!

Anyone saying these things will benefit from coaching.
If you regularly say these things, contact me for a chat!

When you hear phrases like these from friends, you will be helping us both by giving them my name and contact info. 

I will be delighted to schedule a 30 minute session to see if coaching is a good fit for the challenges they’re facing.  No obligation. No sales pitch.  If it seems like coaching can help, I’ll tell them what I offer my clients.  If I am not the right coach for them, I have an extensive network of other coaches with varying specialities that I am delighted to refer them to, and a LONG list of free resources that might be all they need to set them on the path to their dreams!

This is partially about building my practice, but it’s mostly about making sure people have the support they need to succeed in life! 

That’s what I am passionate about! 
I want everyone to live the best possible version of themselves!

Grow on!

What will happen if you share this blog post?
Who will you help? 
Who do you know who is currently facing life challenges? 
Who do you know who’s been struggling awhile to reach a goal? 
Who do you know who is in transition and could use some support? 
How many of the key phrases above have you used recently? 
What is your biggest goal? 
What steps are you currently taking to get there? 
What steps are you avoiding?  Why? 
What’s holding you back?

Yelp Reviews from Cyndi’s Coaching Clients:

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DITCH the New Year’s Resolutions!

I am not suggesting that we give up our goals.  Goals are crucial to creating the life we dream of living.  They give destination to the intentions that drive us, and the values that guide us.

Goal = destination.
Intention = driver.
Values = navigation.

All three are crucial when it comes to guiding our lives, so when I suggest that we ditch the new year’s resolutions, it’s not because goals aren’t important, it’s because BIG goals often feel overwhelming or unobtainable.

Daily intentions on the other hand are amazing tools, and weekly and monthly resolutions can also be super helpful because human beings have amazingly short attention spans.

Daily Intentions vs. New Year’s Resolutions

Let’s use one of the most popular new year’s resolutions as an example.  A very large number of people will resolve to lose weight in 2020.  I like to reframe that goal as health improvement through weight reduction, so let’s look at weight reduction as our goal.  

Example Woman wants to reduce her body weight by 40 pounds. 
If she simply uses “I am going to lose 40 pounds” as the New Year’s resolution, statistics suggest that she has an 8% chance of success.  Anyone who has tried to reduce their body weight knows how much effort it can take to drop just 5 pounds.  The full goal can be too big and too non-specific to provide the motivation required over the long term.  If losing 40 pounds is the goal, then seeing that first two or three pounds fall away seems insignificant, when really it’s a HUGE big deal that can be celebrated as the first milestone, and used as a foundation upon which the rest of the goal can be built!

If, on the other hand, Example Woman sets a goal to lose two pounds this week, and supports that goal with daily intentions that align to that goal, her chances of success grow exponentially.  For example, her daily intention might be to avoid desserts and move her body for 20 minutes every day.  Or maybe she chooses to focus her intention on walking 12,000 steps each day, and eating a healthy green salad with dinner instead of buttery potatoes or french fries.  Maybe she’ll choose to simply stop snacking after dinner for 6 nights this week and give up sugary drinks.  Each of these small goals aligns with the bigger, overall goal, and each of them is easier to focus on, and easier to achieve.

Example Woman has three possible outcomes:
1) She reached her goal and has a foundation of success and confidence to motivate her forward. 
2) She achieved partial success and can make small adjustments to do more of what worked and resonated for her, while doing less of what she didn’t enjoy or didn’t seem as effective. 
3) She made no movement toward her goal in which case it is obvious that what she did this week didn’t create the results she wants, so she can adjust the plan to try something different next week.

This process allows more space to review what is being achieved, which pieces of the process are creating the results we crave, which pieces of the process we enjoy (and therefore will be more likely to continue), and which pieces we do not enjoy (and therefore may want to find a different perspective from which to view it, or a different way to approach it entirely.)

Every time we reach that small daily or weekly goal, we’re building confidence in ourselves and our ability to create what we want to create.  Every time we stick to our intentions, even when we don’t feel like it, we build confidence that we can depend on ourselves.  We create the evidence that we always follow through, that we will do something when we say we will.  Our self-esteem grows as we walk our talk and reach our goal.

You know that picture you have in your mind of you standing at whatever finish line you aspire to?  The picture you imagine of you living the results you want to live – whether it’s a novel you are writing and want to publish, or the optimally-functioning, healthy body you are creating & maintaining, or that new language in which you wish to be fluent. You CRUSHING it. You thriving and prospering and happy. Yes, THAT picture.  Take a minute and really SEE it in your mind.  Allow yourself to feel the emotions that will flood you in that moment of triumph. 

The difference between living that picture and having it remain an unfulfilled dream is in how we map our route to get there. For most of us, taking a million baby steps will get us to the BIG goal faster than trying to arrive in one or two giant leaps. 

When  Example Woman reaches her goal of eating a salad daily and increasing her activity level, she can count herself successful even if the number on the scale hasn’t changed yet!  There are myriad factors that contribute to health improvements and weight reduction and they are NOT the same for everyone, so if the goal is to change that number on the scale, and that’s the only marker being used, it can be REALLY frustrating for Example Woman “A” if Example Woman “B” is doing the same things but getting different results just because of her genetics, or the part of her cycle she’s in, or the amount of water she is drinking.

Let the weekly goals be specific and achievable.  We get bonus points if we can make them specific, achievable and FUN! Thinking that physical activity needs to be unenjoyable is a very limiting belief! Open your mind to the infinite possibilities available to us! Make a resolution to try one new activity this week that engages your body.

So ditch the year-long resolutions in favor of short-distance goals paired with daily intentions that support those. You’ve GOT this.  I believe in you.  If I can improve my life one step at a time, anyone can do it.  I believe in us!

Grow on!

What is ONE healthy new habit that you could start doing each day?
(twenty minute walk, more leafy greens, drink water every hour, floss twice, positive affirmations, meditation, the list is endless)
What will change for you when this new activity is a habit?   
What is one habit you could quit today that would have the biggest impact on your health and well-being?
(using tobacco, drinking soda, eating sugar, being sedentary, drinking alcohol, and nail biting are a few that yield quick benefits when released)
What will change for you without this habit?
How much money will you save?

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Fear vs. Faith

Before electric lights and heaters, the long, cold dark of winter practically knit itself into endlessness at winter solstice.  People had to face the dark with fear or with faith.  Winter holy days began being celebrated to bolster our faith in the darkest part of the year, and celebrate the return of the light.  This holiday season, celebrate the return of lightness to your heart!

Fear and faith cannot exist at the same moment because one supplants the other.  So which one do you choose on the regular?

Whichever one you have practiced becomes the vibration that comes naturally.  One reason people seek a life coach is because they have been living in a vibration of fear for the most part, and are ready to trade that vibration for one that feels better.  Worry, doubt, judgement, overwhelm, anxiety, perfectionism, control issues, resentment.  All of these stem from fear.  

I am NOT saying that there is anything wrong with these feelings.  All of them are completely normal for human beings.  What I am saying is that when people experience more of these fear-based emotions than faith-based emotions, it feels pretty crummy.  Some people decide they WANT to feel better than crummy.  Some people get overwhelmed by the slew of negative emotions that keep attracting more fear-based thoughts that bring more icky-feeling emotions.

It is NOT my job (nor my desire) as a coach to tell people that they shouldn’t be having these emotions – quite the contrary!  Emotions are our internal guidance system like our GPS and exist to give us a signal.  All emotions are valid human experiences.  No emotion is “bad.”  It is simply a signal.  Emotions signal to us how we are thinking.  When we think thoughts that do not serve us, and drain our energy – we get a signal in the form of negative emotion.  The signal simply says, “you are having thoughts that drain your energy.”  What a person chooses to DO with that signal (emotion) is completely up to them.

Some people beat themselves up for experiencing negative emotions because they have gotten the idea somehow that negative emotions are bad, and by extension, they are bad for having them.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  

You are not your emotions. 

If you feel angry about something – NORMAL!  If you feel sad about something – NORMAL!  As a life coach, I never try to talk anyone out of experiencing an emotion.  I’m not asking clients to act happy when they do not feel happy.  Coaching is not about ignoring bad-feeling emotions or squashing them down, or sweeping them under the rug, or pretending you don’t have them. Own your emotions!  If you feel sad, it’s totally fine (and healthy) to admit it.  Say it out loud.  “I feel sad.” “I feel angry.”  If you are a human being, then it’s understandable that you WILL experience these emotions sometimes.

The emotions that come up for a person are the emotions that come up.  We cannot control our emotions.  But it is incredibly important to learn how to MANAGE our emotions if we want to exist with other human beings who also have emotions.  Again, this does NOT mean denying the emotion or burying it so as not to ruffle someone’s feathers, because THEIR emotions are THEIR job to manage, and NOT your responsibility.

Managing our emotions means that we allow ourselves to feel the emotion, but we don’t allow our emotions to define us or to spill over onto others.  For example: Experiencing sadness is completely normal & healthy for humans.  Being sad, or becoming sadness, or letting sadness “be” who you are is not normal & healthy.  If someone gets to a point where they feel sadness is a defining characteristic of their life, it will be very helpful to explore this with a therapist or counselor.

Letting the emotions spill over onto others is also a sign that the emotion is taking over, and not being managed.  In other words feeling angry is a normal part of life.  Yelling at others because you feel angry is not.  It means the anger is controlling you, and not the other way round. Again, it will be very helpful to explore this with a therapist or counselor.

Now, some people are going to think that it’s OK to yell at someone if they “made me angry.”  While it may appear that way on the surface, that’s not really what happened.  

When someone says or does something, that something is NOT causing your anger.  The “something” is neutral until you assign it meaning.  And here’s the really cool thing – you can assign any meaning you want!  The way that we assign meaning is by telling ourselves a story about the “something.”  

For example: You spot a friend on a busy street and wave.  You are sure she saw you but she did not wave back.

What does this mean?  Nothing.  But usually the mind will create a story to give it meaning.  And the type of meaning assigned is going to be based on the kinds of thoughts you think on a regular basis.  

If someone tends to have a lot of negative (fear-based) thoughts about others, or (fear-based) thoughts of inadequacy about themselves, the story the mind tells might be something like one of these: “Well she was rude!  How dare she ignore me!” “I know she saw me, why didn’t she wave?  Maybe she’s not really my friend or maybe she heard about what happened the other day!” “What if she doesn’t like me anymore?”  “Well she’s obviously not my friend.  I guess I can delete her number.”

If someone tends toward more positive (faith-based) thoughts, the story the mind tells might be something more like one of these: “Wow she must have been really distracted to not even see me here!”  “We’ll have a good laugh next time we talk when I tell her I saw her but she didn’t see me!”  

Nothing has meaning until the human brain attaches a story to it, so pick your stories wisely so instead of depleting your energy, and leaving you full of fear or worry, they add value to your life & build your faith!

Fear-based thoughts drain energy.  Faith-based thoughts boost your energy, or at least don’t diminish your energy.  And you get to choose!  If you tend toward a habit of fear-based thinking, you may find your energy depleted a LOT. 

It takes practice to retrain your brain, but reclaiming your energy is worth the try!

Grow on!

What fear-based thoughts are you entertaining?
How do they affect your energy?
What faith-based thoughts come easily?
What affect do these have on your energy?
What will change for you when you shift to more faith-based thinking?

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Baby Steps

Focus on just ONE thing.

Humans often feel overwhelmed because there is so MUCH we choose to do.  We just can’t fit it all in our heads sometimes.  So pick just ONE, and focus on that.

Yes, you want it all.  You deserve it all, and you can have it all. 

But you can’t have it all TODAY.  

So what can you have today?  We need to start somewhere, so sit with that list of desires and decide which one thing you want to focus on first.  Maybe you want a new job, you want to reduce your weight, and you’ve been meaning to start writing that novel in your spare time.  Pick just one to start, and focus on that one goal.  Focusing on all of them splits our energy so there is less of it to spend on anything!  Choose the one that is most calling to your soul at this moment.

Then break that goal into bite-sized chunks.

Let’s use weight reduction as our example because it’s a challenge that many of us relate to. 

What is one small step that you can take today that moves you closer to that one goal?  Maybe there are two small steps you can take.  Maybe the first step is to make a list of the steps required to complete your goal.  Make that list and then prioritize it.

Things to do on this list might include changing the foods we choose, adding more physical activity, journaling, hiring a coach, food & activity tracking, and many other tools that may appeal to you to provide results in the weight reduction/health improvement category.

If we try to add all of these, it quickly becomes cumbersome to try to juggle all of these new behaviors at the same time.  So pick just one step and focus on that piece.  Let one of those new behaviors be your starting point.  If we have been completely or mostly sedentary, then the most obvious place to begin might be increasing physical activity.  Increasing physical activity will look different for each individual, so do not compare your own starting place to anyone else’s!  Just start moving.  

Pick an activity you enjoy and put it in the schedule on a regular basis (at least 3 times a week).  Then show up for yourself! 

Pro tip: If you hate going to the gym, don’t try to make that your keystone habit!  There are a million ways to get active, so choose something you enjoy.  Create a dance party indoor living room, even if it’s just one song each morning, or find a dance class near you.  Swimming can be fun year round if you live near an indoor pool or in a warm climate.  Walking with friends gets the blood flowing and gives us a chance to connect with someone.

Don’t judge yourself!  If you tell yourself you are too old, or out-of-shape to move your body, your body will believe you and just sit on the couch!

We’re not asking ourselves to do ALL the things society is ‘shoulding’ on us.  We have chosen one piece of one goal that is important to us, and we have committed to do it consistently until it’s a habit. 

Once we have created that habit, we can return to our list of goals and decide which piece to add next.  We evaluate the list to see which piece will provide the biggest shift toward our goal, or which piece sounds fun and exciting to embark on next, and we challenge ourselves to add that step alongside our new habit.  So besides being more active in some fun way we enjoy at least 3 times a week, we are now also avoiding dairy, or reducing fat intake, or taking a nutrition class, or whatever the next right piece for YOU seems to be that moves you one step closer to where you want to be.

We can’t do it all at once.  Our brains get overwhelmed when we try.  Then we beat ourselves up for not doing more, and as a consequence, we tend to do less!  So instead of ALL of it, just take the next one step that seems reasonable and achievable today! And instead of beating up on yourself for not doing every damn thing TODAY, celebrate yourself for taking a step in the direction of you goal. 

You took action, and that’s not nothing!  Taking action toward your dreams is a very big something that many MANY other people did not do today, so GO YOU!!  You are awesome and amazing for being brave enough to take action!

Think about how we CELEBRATE when our child takes those first tiny steps.  Do we berate her for not standing up straight and walking all the way across the room?  Hell no.  We praise her, and rejoice because we know this is just the beginning.  She will walk independently and learn to run.  But not today!  Her baby steps are all she needs to give her the confidence that will carry her to her next steps.

Celebrate your baby steps.  If you stumble, just get up and try again.  

Grow on!

Make a list of what you MOST want right now. 
Which of your dreams makes your heart sing more than the others? 
In what ways is one of them crucial to achieving the others? 
What steps will bring you to this goal?  (If you don’t yet know all of them, list the parts you know so far.) 
Which of those steps seems like the next logical one? 
Which of these steps most inspires you to action? 
How will you implement one of these steps into your life this week? 
What might get in your way and how can you plan to overcome that?

If you are still feeling confused or overwhelmed, you’re not alone! 
This is the kind of thing that people hire coaches for every day!

If you like my style and are considering hiring a personal coach, please contact me here, or by calling 707-515-8324.

If you think coaching may be right for you, but my style doesn’t seem like the right fit for you, here is a list of highly qualified coaches that I recommend with all my heart.

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Life Tools

The reason I became a coach is to help people live the greatest version of themselves. To that end, I find it crucial to practice joy daily.

I also think it’s vital to keep a tool kit lying around that contains tools that lift my spirits. Whether I start with a low vibe or am already in high spirits, any of the items in my tool kit help to raise my vibe above wherever I started.

Create your own tool box full of quick pick-me-ups to lift your spirit
and raise your energy quickly! Here are just a few suggestions
from my own tool box that I love. Check them out!

If any of them raise your vibe, stick ’em in YOUR tool kit!

You Are the Entire Ocean in a Drop

This is so beautiful… feel yourself merge with the beauty of the ocean. 'You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.' – Rumi, 12th Century

Posted by Hearts in Harmony – Conscious Loving on Saturday, July 2, 2016
Be sure to click the icon in the lower right corner to turn ON the sound!

This is one of my favorite videos. It soothes my soul and I return to it over and over and over again! If you want to see the full screen version, follow this link to Facebook. It’s an amazing meditation, and it’s usually the first thing I reach for when I feel blue.

Of COURSE I feel blue sometimes – I am HUMAN! It’s important to understand that people who focus on positive, prosperous, good-feeling energy don’t walk around in a perpetual state of bliss or nirvana, never experiencing challenges. Humans have challenges because they are part of the growth process.

However, when challenges arise, those of us focussed on a positive mindset don’t feel like we’ve been kicked in the dirt and left without choice.  We find our balance faster, and move quickly from focusing on the challenge to creating one or more solutions.

Feng Shui Your Mind Body Spirit is an online course with abundant content that uplifts my soul! I did this course last year, but I return to it over and over again to listen to the uplifting and inspiring recordings FULL of positive energy and fabulous tips to keep you balanced and growing toward your goals!

Jill Lebeau MS, LMFT is an AMAZING In-the-Flow Coach, spiritual psychotherapist, inspirational speaker, and author of the book Feng Shui Your Mind: Four Easy Steps to Rapidly Transform Your Life!

Her partner in the online course Feng Shui Your Mind Body Spirit is Michelle Dwyer MS, CNC, an AWESOME Health Coach & Nutrition Consultant with a Masters in Health and Nutrition.

Both practitioners bring vast wisdom to this course with an extremely approachable playbook full of fun, easy, practical ways to integrate the wisdom into your life! Together their energy blends into a kick-ass, high-vibe resource that I love having in my arsenal of joy!

Besides their beautiful course, I highly recommend working one on one with both of these extraordinary women.

Click their name above to follow the links for more info.

I adore Tosha Silver’s books!

I took this picture of her at the Book Passage when I heard her speak there last April when she released her newest book that I HIGHLY recommend to everyone, It’s Not Your Money.

It’s about releasing financial worry by surrendering finances to the Divine.

You can read my post here.

Tosha also offers several classes!

Follow this link if you are interested in learning more about the classes she offers. I will be taking at least one class with Tosha next spring!

Tinybuddha has a list of 45 wonderful ideas for self-care. I bet at least 10 of them appeal to you! Write down 3 that you want to try this week.

Make a playlist of songs that make you wiggle your butt!
Keep it handy for a rainy day, or a sunny morning!

Books that inspire the fuck out of me ~

Subscribe to my blog to get a free copy of my eBook!

Discover three essential elements to move your life from exhausted and striving to energized and thriving!

Click this link to subscribe, and you will automatically be sent a link to download my eBook free. If you are already subscribed and you do not yet have my eBook, please email me: cyndicombs@gmail.com.

I will email a download link!

It is my mission with this blog to help raise the consciousness of the planet one person at a time. I share stories from my own life, and answer questions I frequently get from my clients. I hope to help the reader realize they are not alone on this awesome journey. We are all on the same journey. We are all One.

From uncovering the life of your dreams by Bruce Schneider:

My purpose in life is not to teach, preach, or convince anyone of anything, but instead to empower others to seek their own answers, access their true dreams, and overcome anything that gets in the way of making those dreams a reality. 

Bruce D Schneider

Bruce wrote the words, but these are the intentions of my heart.
Life’s purpose is to empower others!

Hire a coach.

You deserve to make your dreams come true.
You are worthy of the life you want to live.

If you have any trouble believing or embracing those last two sentences, please find a coach to talk to!

Click here for a list of Certified Professional Coaches.
Check out their websites. Read their blogs. Contact them to see if they are a good fit to help you with what you’re growing through!

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Fruit Fear

Aloha Everyone!

Jeremy and I are in Hawaii this week and I am LOVING all the fresh fruit! This is our third day and we’ve hit two farmers’ markets so far, with plans to hit at least two more!

I have heard more than one client say that they avoid fruit because it so high in sugar, to which I always reply,

Hold on a minute!

The sugar in fruit comes packaged with fiber, vitamins, and micronutrients VITAL to our well-being! We actually hurt our health if we avoid fruit.

I can’t explain it nearly as well as my food guru, Anthony William. He’s already written a highly informative blog complete with a 60 minute recording of his radio show, and since I am on vacation enjoying lots of beautiful fresh fruits, I’ll send you over to grow your wisdom on Anthony’s blog this morning.

Click here forAnthony’s blog about the importance of eating fruit!

Enjoy!

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Stand Up Straight!

Hello Dear Readers!

Just a quick post today inspired by a simple question:

Do bones hold up muscles or do muscles hold up bones?

I’ll give you a minute to consider the question.

I was walking up a hill one day when I realized how tired my back was.
I had that achy, mid back burning feeling, and it felt like my legs were carrying a LOT more than my own body weight up that hill. I was kinda struggling and it wasn’t even a very big hill!

I asked myself WHY it felt so hard, and my inner voice whispered, “poor posture.” My inner voice is never wrong, so I stopped to correct my posture. For some reason I suddenly envisioned myself as a puppet supported by strings, and allowed myself to be pulled upright into proper postural alignment.

As I continued uphill, my legs no longer felt like they were doing ALL the work! It actually felt as if my upper body was helping carry my lower body up the hill. I allowed myself to play with the idea through the rest of that hike. I felt the sensation of letting my bones carry me uphill, then aligned my posture and let the muscles carry my bones up the hill with much less effort!

I don’t know about you, but I usually ALWAYS enjoy easy over challenging, so now I take the time to align. You can too! Save your energy and reduce the fatigue you feel by day’s end. How? With one simple postural correction.

SIMPLE Posture Correction

Lift your sternum.

That’s it. That’s my big tip!

I’ll let the crazy lady in the three-minute video explain.
(Crazy AWESOME!)

What helped most for you: the visual or the sound effects? Let me know in the comments!

Proper posture allows us to feel more energized!

The answer to the question is our muscles hold our bones up. The skeleton falls to pieces on the ground without something to hang on. Proper muscular alignment is required to align the bones to get the most leverage from movement.

Stand up straight to reenergize!

No matter where we are – at the office, bent over a desk or a steering wheel, standing in line – we can lift the sternum to align the posture to reclaim our energy. Post sticky notes around to remind you until standing/sitting up straight becomes a healthy habit!