Category: Mindset

Posted on

Failed Fucking Fairy Tales

Do you remember Aesop’s fables?  

Slow and steady wins the race.

The fable always ended with the turtle winning the race.  I knew the moral was to go slow and make steady progress.  Be a turtle.  But I did not want to be a turtle.  The rabbit was full of love for life!  He visited with friends, enjoyed a good meal, and took pleasure in napping! He didn’t win, but he certainly enjoyed himself along the way.  

Hard work makes us stingy.

All day, every day the ants work hard while the grasshopper plays music, relaxes, and enjoys life.  The ants grow mean because they take no pleasure from life, and leave the grasshopper to die.  You just know if that grasshopper had food he would share it with the ants, because he’s happy and enjoying his life!  I could not understand why the ants were so mad at him for being in his joy.

What about those fairy tales full of quick fix magic?  

Beans grow into a ladder that leads to wealth.  A kiss can reverse death, and transform love into it’s true form.  Spinning wheels turn barn straw into purest gold, and Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo solves all that is wrong in the world.

In my child’s mind – to make it in this world, I either needed to find my fairy godmother, or work my fingers to the bone.  Magic leads to happily ever after, and the path of hard work leaves one hardened, cruel, and unwilling to share.  

Is it any wonder people are always looking for a panacea?

panacea ~
noun - cure-all, universal remedy, elixir, wonder drug, magic bullet.

I can’t tell you how many times I wished for a pill that would magically let me eat anything I wanted, while becoming slender and fit, or how many times I started a diet hoping I would become model-thin as quickly as possible so I could get away from boring rabbit food and return to eating what I wanted to eat.  

Once it became clear that the required magic was missing, I returned to my favored foods until the next quick-fix diet came along, and I’d jump on that bandwagon hoping for the magic doorway to a perfect body (whatever I thought that meant at the time).

Magic is real.

Real magic is not in the beans, the wand, or the kiss.  Real magic exists in the slow, sustainable, baby steps.  The turtle had the magic all along!  Sure we recognized that his slow and steady progress won the day, but he made it look so dull!  Of course we want to keep moving toward our goal, but we need some fun while we move through our days.  Remember those stingy ants!

So we want to be both a turtle moving toward our goal in small sustainable steps, and a rabbit bouncing through life enjoying our journey.  I know that’s not what the fairy tales promised, but they fucking lied.  The magic is not outside us.

Real magic is inside each of us.  We are powerful beyond measure!

So why do we frequently NOT feel powerful?

We deplete our own power when we look outside ourselves for magic.  We literally hand our power over by denying that it is inside us! To wield our power, we must first own it.

Looking for the quick fix draws our attention away from our true Source of power.  If I believe that I am going to find a magic bean to fix my issues, why on earth would I ever try to do it on my own?  If we believe the answer is “out there,” we forget to look in here.  We forget that every goal is within reach if we just take one small step today, and another small step tomorrow, and one more the day after that.  We have the magic to manifest anything! 

Time is the missing ingredient. 

We own the power to create sustainable change one step at a time, but since we believe magic is supposed to happen overnight, we give up too soon before the magic has time to get a foothold.  We cry that we haven’t got what it takes, and that magic must not be real.  Real magic takes time.  We can create real change that lasts by believing we have the power, and mixing in the crucial ingredient: time.

When we choose fairy tale magic – we try, expect instant results, count it a fail, and give up.

When we choose real magic – we try, give it time, move toward the goal, give it time, adjust our efforts, move toward the goal, give it time, grow more confident, take bigger steps, paint broader strokes, and create the most beautiful, magical life we can imagine.  But we’ve got to believe in our own magic, and give it time to transform us.

Happily Ever After!

I hate to break it to you, but fairy tales fucked this up, too.  We will never reach a place where all is perfectly perfect, and no change, growth, or expansion is desired or required! Happiness is not a destination to reach someday, which is REALLY great news!  We can choose to be happy now instead of waiting to be happy at the end!

We can choose to be happy for no reason at all other than it feels GOOD to feel happy.

We can choose to be happy because we know we have magic.  We know that mixing our magic with time allows us to wield great power that transforms – our bodies, our lives, our careers, our relationships – whatever we wish, into whatever we want.  

Magic is a process.  Own your magic.  Give it time.  
There are no magic fucking beans.

Grow on! 

What is it you most want to transform? 
What is one small action you can take that moves you toward that transformation? 
Play with making a list of several actions that might lead toward that transformation, and play with the one that sounds most fun, or that you found effective in the past when you tried it. 
Play with that action for awhile and see how it fits. 
Try giving it time for the magic to grow. 
When you’re ready, choose another action and integrate that for awhile to see how it feels.  This is the process of creating magical transformation.

Studies show that coaching helps support your transformation magic by lending support, encouragement, and a solid belief that you do already have the magic.  We learn through repetition, so all transformation takes time.  If you are ready to create magic and would like some support, CLICK THIS LINK to schedule a free chat to see if I am the right coach for you!

Posted on

Remembering Verla

My favorite aunt transitioned out of this life last month.  

(Fuck you COVID!)

Verla & Daniel

I began pondering life, death, and the overwhelming relief of ascension while she was sick and in the hospital, which is where last week’s blog post, Gravity vs. Lightness of Being came from.

I know she’s not gone.  I truly believe we are all eternal, and every time I am connecting to my highest vibration – unconditional Love – I have access to Verla right here and now.  These thoughts ease my heart, but does that mean I don’t feel sad?  

Fuck. No.

I miss Verla.  I am sad that one of the most positive influences of my life is physically absent.  One of my sources for unconditional love is less accessible to me.  I am still fully supported by the Universe, but for the moment I feel like someone stole one of the legs off the chair I am sitting in.  Balance takes effort, and I occasionally hit the floor.  

(And it is nobody’s business but mine, how long I lie on the floor eating Hershey bars before I get back up!)

Just because I am able to relax into uncertainty and embrace the eternalness of myself, and the eternalness of Verla, does not mean I am not angry at fucking covid, and hurting from loss – of course I am! 

I’m beautifully human that way, and feel the entire spectrum of emotions available  to me.

But my beliefs hold me up, so that my grief cannot drown me.  When I feel I’m going under, my beliefs rise like the life preserver they are to save my ass.  

In order to help transform my grief, I decided to share some stories of Verla here.  After all, our stories are what carry us after death.  

Cyndi, Patty, K Lynn, Jan, & Laura, with Verla front and center.

I met my aunt Verla when I was 6 months old.  She took me in her arms and called me Tuffy Duck.  I took to her like a second mother, and we were close my entire life despite how many miles lay between us.

When Grandma bought my sister and I our first bicycle, Verla drove the five of us to Des Moines – Verla, Grandma, Mom, Laura & me – five incredible women. 

We got the bike at Sears, and before we could push it to the front door, Laura and I started arguing – the way sisters will – about who would get to ride it first.  Mom and Grandma tried to stop the argument, but Verla mounted the bike, training wheels and all, and peddled right out the front door of Sears, assuring that she got to ride it first.  

In 1977, Mom took us to visit Verla in Baton Rouge, and we all went to the hottest movie released that summer, Star Wars: A New Hope.  None of us had ever seen anything like it.  Thus began my love affair with Han Solo (and – let’s just admit it – Harrison Ford), the Rebel Alliance, and the Evil Empire.  Three years later, Verla was in Iowa and took Laura and me to see The Empire Strikes Back.  I still love the Star Wars Universe, and remember fondly attending the first two movies with Verla, and calling her after viewing the third to revel in the triumph of the Endor Moon.

A couple of years ago, Verla broke her leg.  After more than a year of being mostly immobile and trying to save the leg, she chose to have it amputated above her knee.  I have never seen anyone as positive as Verla in the face of such a challenging recovery.  She called her leg stumpy, or sometimes Bob, and threatened to tattoo a smiley face on the end of it.  She joked with the techs who were making her prosthesis that she would like to have a pogo stick. 

She was a wonderful example of not sweating the small stuff, and apparently to Verla, losing a leg is small stuff, cause it sure didn’t dampen her spirit.  One of her church friends said Verla had fantastic sass, a lively spirit, a cutting wit, and a heart of gold.  I would have to agree on all counts.  

Mom, Verla & Uncle John

Verla was smart, funny, and full of life.  She was easy to talk to and put people at ease.  She loved Willie Nelson, and my uncle John.  She loved my mother in the way that only a fierce, protective sibling can – deeply and without condition – the same way she loved me and my sister, and her entire family.

She called me on her last day to tell me she was flying out.  I thanked her for all she had been to me, and all the love she had shared.  I assured her that I would continue to communicate with her, and follow her wisdom.  She assured me from her death bed that if I didn’t, she would kick my ass.  

I was her Tuffy duck, and she was mine.  I will think of her whenever I see a turtle, a monarch butterfly, a barking sea lion, or a royal red cardinal.  I will connect with her and listen for her wisdom every time I am plugged into Source energy, because if I don’t, I do not doubt that she will find a way to kick my ass.

My friend, Bekka May Curtis, gave me the most important reminder for which I thank her. “Verla will shine eternally in every universe and every sparkle of sun.” 

It’s true!  I feel it in my soul, and I see her in every sparkle of sun.

Amber with Verla

The intent of my blog is to empower the reader, so write on!

Optional Journal Prompts ~
How much do your beliefs buoy you up, or weigh you down?
What do you believe about the transition called death?
How well is that belief serving you?
What would you like to believe about death?
How do you want to be remembered?

Posted on

Practice the F Word

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word faith?

I know that’s probably not the F word you were expecting from me, but I’m also willing to bet that the first thing that came to mind when I said “faith” was religion.  I know for most of my life that was true for me.  I thought faith was something reserved for the saints and martyrs, something that didn’t pertain to me in any way. Now I understand that faith has nothing to do with religion, that it’s available to every one of us, and essential to cultivate!

In my observation, far more people resonate with doubt than with faith.  Our culture conditions us to doubt.  We doubt our worthiness.  We doubt our capabilities, our decisions, our thought process.  We doubt our readiness, our level of education, our physical attractiveness.  We doubt our inner voice, and our own ability to change our lives.

Then fear moves in.  What if that little voice of doubt is right?  If the voice of doubt is right, I might never find my true love, or my purpose in life.  How can I possibly ever feel confident or successful?  It’s a downward spiral that becomes more powerful the more we feed it with doubt and fear.

Where do doubt and fear come from?

Doubt and fear are emotions.
Emotions only come from one place: our thoughts.

Some might argue that a circumstance or situation can also “cause” fear.  We know this can’t be true, because if a circumstance caused the emotion, it would cause the same emotion in everyone without fail.  But we can take any situation that most people might face with fear, and we will always find some who face that situation with faith.  So it’s not the situation, but the thoughts we choose to think about the situation that create fear or faith. So what’s the magic ingredient that allows someone to choose faith?

Practice.   

A practice breaks through default settings that were curated through our conditioning.

~ Amit West, Spiritual Sandbox

We are practicing fear or faith every day.  We are choosing to worry, or we are choosing to relax into the knowing that we have handled 100% of our challenges so far, and that we will likely handle 100% moving forward.  We can choose to worry, or we can choose to relax into knowing that we don’t need to have all the answers right now, and that when challenges arise, the way through that challenge will also arise.  We can choose to worry about money, or we can trust the Universe to always have our backs no matter what.

Most of our culture is thinking thoughts that are fear-based, so it’s super easy to keep a parade of fear-based thoughts moving through our mind. 

If currently the fear-based thoughts dominate your vibration, it is only because we have been conditioned to practice fear.  To shift from a steady diet of fear-based thoughts to a steady diet of faith-based thoughts simply requires practicing faith.

So how do we build faith through practice?  What do we even practice?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question.  It’s like asking what food plan is exactly right for every person on the planet.  There isn’t one!  We want to play with several elements to dial in the perfect plan to support each individual.

Cyndi’s Fabulous Fucking Toolbox

If you follow this link to my toolbox, you will find some fabulous fucking tools that have proven useful to many people for connecting to Spirit (Source energy/God).  It’s a running list of resources that inspire the crap outta me & my clients so we can build our faith muscle! 

It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen with practice.

We may have been practicing negative programming for decades or longer, so we can be gentle with ourselves as we begin to explore this new way of thinking and being.  When worry pops up, don’t beat yourself up for returning to familiar patterns, bless the Universe for this great opportunity to practice faith.  Then do some deep breathing and pull out the tool box.

Rediscover how fun it is to practice faith, rather than fear!

Grow on!

Click THIS LINK to my Fabulous Fucking Tool Box.

There are LOTS of options, so I invite you to identify the ones that inspire you.  As you’re reading the list, which ideas appeal most, or give you a feeling of lightness in your heart?  Click a few links and check them out.  Play with the tools that you love and leave the rest for someone else.  When you find ones that really resonate, use them frequently.  Post reminders throughout your home to practice until they become habit.

F is for Faith ~ a poem by Cyndi, inspired by Dr. Seuss

F is for Faith
And I don’t feel a smidgen
When I try to tie Faith 
To dogmatic religion.

Faith is not tied
To a God that’s outside me.
Faith is a feeling,
An emotion inside me.

And since I create feelings
With the thoughts that I choose,
Faith is simply a matter
Of curating my views.

I don’t want to think thoughts 
That make me feel crappy.
So I’m choosing thoughts 
That let me feel happy!

I won’t predict failure.
I won’t fret, or lament.
I will point to my success rate
Of one hundred percent!

I’ve come so far!
Of my triumphs take score!
I am worthy and capable
Of ten thousand times more!

And when doubt creeps in
From time to time,
I’ll relax and release,
And just let my light shine!

The Universe carries me
on the vibe I create,
So I’m turning from fear
to be carried in Faith.

Posted on

The magical power of the almighty list!

Ah, yes, the humble list.  People tend to love the list or hate the list, but as tools go it’s pretty extraordinary for both action-taking individuals and procrastinators alike.  I love lists!  When I have a big project going, I make a list of the lists I need to make.  My mother is a list maker, so maybe it’s hereditary.  I refer to my lists frequently, and often recommend making a list as a helpful tool for my clients.  

Last week, one of my clients told me that when she makes a list, she invariably loses it.  I asked her how often she loses her phone.  When she admitted that she’s never without that vital instrument for communication, I asked her to play with the idea of keeping the list in her phone.  If you are at your computer screen frequently, you could try keeping your lists in a document on your desktop.  I keep a list of ideas in an email draft that I never plan to send to anyone.  I can access the draft on my phone or computer, and print it out if I need a hard copy.

I’ll never forget when a friend expressed her utter disdain for lists. 

“If I write it down and don’t get it done, that’s like failing.  Every time I make a list I end up feeling overwhelmed, or like I’ve failed.  It’s one or the other and I don’t like either, so I don’t make lists.”

No wonder she hates lists, it made perfect sense.  Every time she made a list, she was using it like a whip to drive herself forward, or punish herself for what she labeled as failure.  Used as a weapon against oneself, the list becomes hateful, instead of valuable.

The list is not a whip.  It’s a basket.

A basket is not punishing.  A basket is quiet.  It sits humbly and holds what we put into it until we are ready to retrieve what we put there.  

Something that can cause me a great deal of stress is worrying that I might forget something important.  I run three businesses with a lot of moving parts, and I get a lot of ideas.  When I get a particularly good idea, my mind runs in circles with it’s arms clutched about the idea thinking, “I must not lose this gem!  MUST hold onto thought.”  That fear of losing something causes unnecessary anxiety – especially if my mind is trying to hold onto several good ideas at the same time.  Lists help me keep track of items without the constant mind juggling.  As soon as I add the idea to the appropriate list, I can let it go, knowing it will be here for me when I come back for it.  Anything that helps relieve stress is magical in my book.

Lists allow us to see everything at a glance.

When the time is right to take action on listed items, a quick glance reveals our options.  I often look at the list of what I’d like to accomplish and pick the one that sounds most fun in this moment.  Alternatively I can choose the item I least look forward to and do that first. Then anything else I mark off the list seems like a cake walk.

I have a basket full of spiritual practices that raise my vibration.  I don’t feel compelled to do all of them every day, but I don’t want to forget about the ones I like doing once in awhile which is easy to do if they are out of sight.  I can browse the list any time and magically pick the one that feels right in the moment.

Lists help us prioritize!

We can make the list in order of importance, or once the list is complete, we can go back and order it numerically, or just add stars to the most important items.

People who are helpers and caregivers can sometimes over-give.  If you are someone who tends to do more for others than for yourself, you are not alone!  When my clients fall into this category, they are often feeling resentful.  I ask them to make a list of the things they want to do for their own health and well-being, and things they want to accomplish. 

The list then becomes a magical tool that can help us stop over-giving.

When someone asks us to help them, we can use the list to discern whether we actually have time to help them, and if their “to-do” is a higher priority than the starred items on our own list.  We can even use one or more items on the list to postpone helping someone, or even say “no” to helping them once in a while.  How would it feel to say, “I am willing to help you with this after I complete (your priority task).”  Or, “I promised not to say yes to helping anyone until I finish writing my resume.”  You get the idea.

The list is an incredibly simple and free tool, yet powerful enough to relieve stress, remind us of our priorities, help us say no, and create what we want to create. 

I’m a fan!

Grow on!

How frequently are you using lists? 
Are you using them as a whip or a basket?
Where is the place you find most effective to keep your lists?
What list could you use right now to help you create what you wish? 
Try making a list of all the lists that might be helpful to you!  Remember these are just baskets to hold great ideas for later! 

Posted on

Stop and Play in the Sandbox!

I know I have talked about my favorite podcast before, Spiritual Sandbox with Amit West and Jill Lebeau. So at the risk of repeating myself,

What a fucking BRILLIANT podcast!  

Jill and Amit bring so much joy and light to my world!   Their podcast is a gift, and I love playing with them in the Spiritual Sandbox!

Currently they have fourteen episodes to which I listen repeatedly to absorb the joyful vibration and the pure, unconditional love!  It never fails to open my heart and release any stress I was holding. Each and every one of them is my favorite episode, but the newest episode with special guest Karen Drucker might be my most favorite.  Karen is an extraordinary woman who writes and sings songs meant to heal, inspire and empower.

Not only am I adding Karen’s music to my Fabulous Fucking Toolbox, but during the podcast she mentions a tool she uses – the fun file – that I am also adding to my FF Toolbox!  

The episode left me jubilant!  Karen is full of joy and enthusiasm – much like Jill and Amit – and I felt positively giddy as I scrolled Karen’s website downloading her musical affirmations. I quickly had several of the catchy tunes lodged neatly in my brain. I found Money is Coming to Me, Gifts of the Goddess and I Give Myself Permission to be particularly catchy. I felt joyful dancing around my living room!

Karen writes music to inspire a positive vibration.  She creates beautiful positive affirmations set to inspiring rhythms and I absolutely adore all of it!  Karen talked about writing a song for a friend undergoing treatment for cancer, called Healed, Whole, and Healthy.  Her intention was for her friend to listen to the song as a vibrational healing tool while getting her physical treatments. “Like putting a double whammy on the disease,” she said. I love this idea!

We receive so much negative messaging throughout our day, Karen’s songs shift that messaging back toward love, back toward the Divine in each of us.  Her chants help us reframe the messages in our head that want us to believe we are not enough, the voice that tells us to play small, and fear the unknown.

As an energy coach, reframing is my favorite tool. Karen’s music takes that tool to astounding new heights!  If you’re looking for a really fun way to lift your vibe on a daily basis, I highly recommend all of her chant CD’s.  You can also purchase collections like healing or prosperity if you want to focus on a particular manifestation.

Grow on!

What are you doing every day to raise your vibration?
Try playing in the Spiritual Sandbox and see if that feels like fun to you!
Listen to Karen Drucker on YouTube or her website and see if you don’t feel deeply happy and inspired!

Posted on

Deprivation or Liberation?

Disclaimer: I am not endorsing any cleanse for anyone.  Should you choose to undertake a cleanse of any kind, I highly recommend that you speak with your naturopath or other trusted health-care provider to discuss what’s right for you.

I am preparing to do a cleanse.

To a lot of people this may sound frightening, uncomfortable, or possibly unfamiliar.  What does it even mean to do a cleanse?  There are myriad cleanses out there and I have tried a few.  In the simplest terms, doing a cleanse just means eating clean, or cleaner than what is ‘normal’ for you, for a specific amount of time.  For some people a cleanse might be eliminating one, or a few foods.  Some cleanses are bottled and branded, and come with meal-replacement shakes and all kinds of supplements.  The Elimination Diet is a fairly common cleanse that can be safely used over several weeks or months to identify problem foods specific to each person.

One of my personal favorites is the Liver Rescue Cleanse (LRC) from Anthony William.  I’ve done it four times previously at various times of year and it always leaves me feeling lean and energized.  Maybe my liver needs a little extra TLC because I drank like a sailor through my twenties and thirties.  Or maybe my liver is sluggish from eating a lot of high fat foods.  Whatever the reason, each time I do this cleanse, I walk away feeling fantastic.  It works for my body.  

Anthony wrote two full books on this cleanse, so I won’t try to explain it.  I will say that over nine days I eat unlimited quantities of a very restricted variety of foods.  Unlimited quantities.  I eat as much as I want of what’s on the menu, but there’s not much on the menu – mostly produce, no starches or fats after the third day.  Anthony has prescribed specific foods that are healing for the liver.  The nine days allows the liver to release some of the toxins it’s been holding onto for awhile.

I have seen improvement in immunity and digestion, as well as cleared up rashes, eliminated night sweats, reduced inflammation and lost weight.  But even after I describe all of these highly desirable affects, invariably someone will ask how I can put myself through this kind of deprivation.  

That’s easy.  I don’t see it as deprivation.  Quite the opposite, it’s my liberation.  I am liberated from making decisions about food for at least nine days.  I am liberated from cravings for depleting foods.  I am liberated from excess calories.  I am liberated from the inflammation and extra weight.  I feel powerful when I align myself with eating that is meant to optimize my health.  And by the end of the cleanse I am reminded that I can thrive on far fewer calories than I normally feed myself.  And I feel lean and powerful! What better incentive could I possibly have?

It’s like pushing the reset button on my appetite and taste buds!

Someone might go on to ask, “But isn’t it hard to eat such limited foods for nine days?”  I like to see challenges as opportunities to rise to my full potential.  I want to come through for me!  I deserve a healthy, good-feeling body, and I want to feel leaner and healthier.  

Google image

Nine days is really not that long!  If there is a particular food that someone thinks would be unbearable to do without for 9 days, it’s highly likely that food needs to be looked at for sensitivities.  Studies have shown that people often crave foods to which they are allergic.

I’m not trying to convince anyone to go on a cleanse.  I’m just illustrating that we get to choose how we see EVERYTHING.

If you WANT the benefits of a cleanse, but have hesitated due to fear of deprivation, let me assure you that if you focus on feeling deprived, you will feel deprived! It’s easy to feel miserable if we obsess on what we’re missing.  Or we can focus on the goal, one day at a time, and find liberation from our trepidation, and so much more.

Additional Resources

If you are interested in learning more about the Liver Rescue Cleanse, I encourage you to check out Anthony William’s website HERE.  You can also find most of his six books at your local library or bookstore.

In 2019, I lead a support group for fifteen people as we undertook the LRC together.  It was really fun to watch others find their balance moving through this path to liberation. 

All of the grocery lists and support videos that I produced for my Liver Rescue Cleanse Support Group are available at THIS link. 

Do not attempt to undertake this cleanse without thoroughly reading the entire Liver Rescue Cleanse book. Anthony’s book is full of information and support to inspire, soothe, and heal you throughout each phase of the cleanse.

Posted on

Deprived or Energized?

“I’m going to feel deprived!”  

That is one of the limiting beliefs that held me back for years from reaching my health goals.  I was convinced I would feel deprived if I didn’t eat pizza, or delicious baked goods and sugary treats.  For years I would say I wanted to eat healthier foods, but in my heart I didn’t WANT to lose my favorites!  The problem with some of those favorites is that once I started eating them I wouldn’t stop until they were gone.  If the supply was large enough, I would binge on the cookies or fudge or other yummy treats. 

But after a binge, I always felt deprived of my energy, and powerless. – like some other power possessed me and MADE me eat those cookies.

When health issues forced me to to abstain from certain foods altogether, I was sure I would feel deprived forever.  But once I stopped eating the foods to which I had been giving my power, an intriguing thing happened.  I didn’t feel deprived or hungry.  I felt satisfied, powerful, and more confident in my body.

I became more energized.  I am physically more energized because
I choose nourishing foods instead of depleting ones, but I am also more energized because I am not draining my energy wondering, “Why can’t I control myself? Why can’t I reach my health goals? What is wrong with me?”  Anyone familiar with this cycle knows how draining it can be.  It depletes one’s energy and erodes the confidence.

I have confidence that I can thrive on a lot less food than I used to eat. 
I have confidence that high-nutrition food can be delicious and satisfying.  I have confidence that I can make important changes in my health and well-being, and I am enthusiastic about feeling healthier and stronger!

I kept telling myself that if I made changes in my eating to improve my health I would feel deprived.  That belief held me back for a long time, but no more!

I’m going to feel energized!

Every time I choose to eat for optimal health, I feel energized and empowered.  Every time I choose to eat for optimal health, I am choosing unconditional love.  Every time I choose to eat for optimal health, I feel energized by my choice!

Grow on!

What’s keeping you from reaching your health goals? 
What do you believe about your health goals? 
Are those beliefs moving you toward your goals or keeping you from them? 
What will change for you when you shift limiting beliefs into inspiring beliefs? 
What is it you’re ready to change?

Posted on

Deep Gratitude for 2021

I’ve heard a LOT of people this past few weeks saying “good riddance” to 2021, decrying what a foul year it was, and how happy they are to be past it.  It’s completely understandable.  Plenty of negative things happened last year and it’s easy to focus solely on those. The media certainly does.

I want to give shout out to all the good shit that happened!

Let’s not take a one-sided inventory.  What we look at is what we attract.  If we choose to just look at what went wrong in 2021, then we set ourselves up to attract more of that.

Personally, I found a lot to be thankful for in 2021.

  • My partner beat cancer and it hasn’t returned.
  • We got to travel to Hawaii while he was recovering from radiation.
  • I was awarded a small business grant from the county in which I live.
  • I was introduced to Virtual Trips which has added tremendous joy to our lives.
  • We made new friends.
  • We traveled to Croatia to capture some fabulous new photos.
  • I sold art!
  • I got to spend a lot of time with my daughter.
  • I have a hot water heater.
  • We have a roof over our heads.
  • We shared the year with a very spotty dog.
  • Though loved ones were touched by COVID, each of them recovered.
  • I was able to replace my car when it needed replacing.
  • The sun came up every day, even on days I couldn’t see it.
  • We have enough money.
  • I am growing in awareness.
  • My coaching practice is growing.
  • My massage practice is thriving.
  • I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, and I get to visit so many others!
  • I find blessings in challenges.  Most days.
  • More people are reading my blog and leaving comments.
  • I’m not hard on myself like I used to be, beating myself up over perceived imperfections and missteps.  That feels REALLY good!
  • I get to help people every day!

Grow on!

I challenge you to make a gratitude list for 2021!

Posted on

Fuck the Resolutions

Many people start thinking about making changes in their life around this time of year and lots of us resolve to “do better” at something.  People tend to think of New Year Resolutions in broad strokes, making BIG changes that last all year.  According to Forbes, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail for a variety of reasons.

One reason resolutions can fail is that humans tend to want the whole enchilada and when it does not come fast enough, we get discouraged and may stop trying.  If the goal is to “reduce body mass by 30 pounds,” then you’ve only succeeded after the 30 pounds are gone.  Every day between now and the day the weight is gone, we have “failed” to meet the goal. See? 

If we’re after a big goal, we’re more likely to reach it if we have support in the way of an accountability partner or coach, and if we break that big goal into steps that become smaller goals that build confidence as we go.  

So I say fuck setting one big resolution for the year that “changes everything.” I recommend that clients create smaller sustainable intentions that are actually steps leading to their big goal.

What’s one small change you can make today that you could maintain for one week?  There are millions of changes we could choose to focus on, but which one feels most beneficial for you right now?  

Here are just a few that my clients choose to focus on:

  • Increased hydration
  • Move the body more
  • Eat more vegetables
  • Reduce sugar intake
  • Track foods/food journal 
  • Add supplements

Instead of trying to do all of these things (and more) until the big goal is achieved, set an intention to focus on one thing today.  Just one.  Just for today.

Then tomorrow, set an intention to focus on that same thing.  If you follow your daily intention every day for a week, it is becoming more familiar, less cumbersome to carry out.  At the end of the first week, ask yourself (if you’re ready) which change you most want to undertake next.  Then you can choose that as your new daily intention – alongside last week’s intention.  

By the end of the January you will have made four small changes that you are practicing regularly.  The first two at least will already feel like habit.  You’ll have reached four goals already, and be on your way toward your BIG goal. 

These small daily/weekly successes are the building blocks of the confidence we need to make those bigger changes.  One reason resolutions can fail is we don’t have the confidence that we are capable of creating change.  So building confidence daily and weekly with changes that create improved health and well-being is crucial.

Even if you stick with the first intention from the first day and let that be your guiding intention for the whole month, think how much can change with just one change!  Any one of the changes listed above done repetitively for one month (renewed each day as our intention) will create change we can see or feel.

It’s easier to maintain focus for one day than for a full year, so daily intentions can be far more effective than year-long resolutions. Set those big goals for sure, but let your daily intentions carry you toward them one small step at a time.  

Grow on!

What will change for you if you make just one small change today? 
What’s one small change you can make today? 
How possible is it to maintain that change for a week?
What change do you most want in your life? 
How can you break it down into smaller action steps? 
What is your intention for today?
How can I help you with that? 

Helping clients get past what’s holding them back to reach their goals is what I do! Schedule a free 30-minute chat HERE to see how coaching can help you reach whatever goal you are ready to reach! You will walk away with at least one action step to move you in the direction of your goals, and a better understanding of what coaching is and how it works.

Posted on

Count Your Fucking Blessings

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I recently saw a friend that I hadn’t seen since COVID began.  She told me about some homeowner challenges she faced, and about the anxiety that arose around the subject of her home.  It had her thinking maybe she should sell while the market is high, after all it might be worth more right now than it ever will be again.  She described feeling stuck in her energy, and being unmotivated.

Then she said something so simple, so wise, so profound:

“I chose to see the house as a blessing instead of a burden, and everything shifted.”

Her stuck energy unstuck.  She started creating art again.  She’s manifesting new opportunities for connections and finances.  She feels lighter and happier.  All because she chose to see the house – and ALL the challenges it presents – as blessings, and part of her learning adventure.  She listed all the things she loves about her home, and all the ways it inspires her creativity.  She even realized that she had fun learning about the home repairs as they happened.

One decision changed everything.  She chose to count her fucking blessings, and she is an inspiration for all of us who know her.

In the same week, I had a wonderful conversation with a client who described growing into a “lens of gratitude.”  She told me that often she finds herself shifting from the old story of “not enough” to a new appreciation for seeing things with gratitude.  I love that phrase!  Choosing to look through a “lens of gratitude” reminds us that shifting mindset can be as easy as putting on a new set of glasses.

What will shift for me when I look through my lens of gratitude instead of a lens of criticism, or fear?

Both these women reminded me of the tremendous value in simply counting my fucking blessings! 

My lungs inflate and bring oxygen to my blood without me ever thinking about it!  What a blessing.  The sun came up – HUGE blessing!  Mortgage to pay?  I feel so blessed to have a roof over my head.  Flowers, blue sky, rain, my pets! The list of things and people which I appreciate is infinite!

And because energy attracts like energy, the more we look for and focus on what we appreciate, the more people and situations the Universe brings us to appreciate!

Celebrate Thanksgiving by feeling truly thankful. If you feel inspired, take a few minutes and make a list. Mental lists are great, but writing it down boosts our gratitude energy!

It’s simple and free, and feels really REALLY great!

Grow on!

This is the BEST recipe for the holiday season and every day!

Ingredients: ANY possible combination of the following (or others):

  • frustration
  • irritation
  • resentments
  • stressful situations
  • annoying relatives

Directions:
Count your fucking blessings.
When you become aware that these ingredients have been mixed into your day, stop, breathe, and count your fucking blessings.  If you are open to it, make a gratitude list about the person/situation you are encountering. If you’re just not ready to make a gratitude list about whoever is pushing your buttons, make a gratitude list about all the OTHER stuff you have to appreciate like running hot water, your cat, and the miracle of your lungs.