The Morning Muse
It's been pouring rain this morning in San Diego. It's still funny to me that rain is something to talk about here in SD. But, it is. When it rains, it is an event. In NY, there was one spring that it rained almost every weekend. When there was a weekend without rain...that was something to talk about! Anyway, there is a reason I am bringing up the rain in the first place. When I woke up this morning, and I was lying in bed looking out my window, I watched the rain come down. It felt therapeutic. I felt calm and relaxed. Why did the rain have that effect on me? I thought about how the rain was coming down to wash away impurities and that the downward flow of the rain was extremely grounding. I guess, even by simply watching it come down outside my window, the rain had a powerful effect on me. I thought about how I also feel that way when I take a shower, cleansed and grounded! So, I thought that I should use the rain as the inspiration for my day. Aside from a shower, which is always on my agenda for the day, what else could I do to promote my cleansing and grounding? What I came up with is a fairly long list of possibilities. I will share a few with you.
-Meditate (visualize)
-Clean out and organize my desk
-Clean out the fridge
-Take a walk in the rain (I most likely won't choose to do this one! It's too cold.)
-Get a pedicure and foot massage
-Take a bubble bath
I am going to pick a few from my long list and incorporate them into my day. Also, I am setting my intention to attract activities and experiences that offer me that feeling of being cleansed and grounded.
Gratitude Review:
1. Of course, I have to give my thanks to the rain. Not only because it is free therapy, but because it has also become inspiration. Aspects of nature have always been inspiration for the arts...why not inspiration for the theme of our day!
2. I am so very grateful for my Mastermind Group. A Mastermind Group is a small group of like-minded people that get together for a common purpose, to help each of the individuals within that group accomplish their goals. Sometimes there are shared goals, joint ventures, sometimes one member's goal requires the assistance of the other members, or sometimes the members just offer each other emotional support and guidance on the path to accomplishing their goal. Anyway, my Mastermind Group is amazing. There are three of us and we often refer to ourselves as the "Happy Cats" (a reference to the Chinese cats that are symbols for prosperity). We met last night and I can't express how much I appreciate both of them. After every meeting I am always filled with gratitude. Not to mention that I am usually also left feeling super-motivated and excited about my path. Thank you Happy Cats.
3. I am grateful for the advancement in technology, specifically I am grateful for GoogleEarth. I downloaded it last night (for free) and spent an hour visiting places in the United States that I had either lived or visited. I was with my boyfriend and I was able to show him my childhood home and my high school. It was so much fun. Check it out...www.earth.google.com. Technology is so amazing!
Daily Musings:
Create a list of anything that makes you feel cleansed and grounded. The list can include things that make you feel one or the other, or preferably both. A lot of times when we clean up or clean out we will feel more grounded as a result. However, you know yourself better than anyone. Before you add anything to the list, ask yourself how you have felt after or would feel after you completed that action. Would you feel cleansed? Grounded? Get creative with your list, make it at least 10 items long. Once your list is complete, choose 2 of the items and incorporate them into your day (even if it is not raining where you are!)
Enjoy your day, set your intention, and find inspiration within nature!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Random Acts of Kindness
The Morning Muse:
Random acts of kindness are selfless, giving acts to help, uplift, or better someone else's life. They are often unplanned. They can be as simple as paying the toll of the car behind you or as grand as donating a large some of money to a charity that comes knocking at your door. There exists a theory (made popular in the Kevin Spacey movie, Pay it Forward) that if everyone sets their intention to practice three random acts of kindness as repayment for every one they receive, random acts of kindness would spread throughout society and create a social movement. Although, a social movement of kindness is motivation enough to start doing these random acts, there is another reason to practice random acts of kindness. And, ironically, it is a selfish reason. I know this goes against the definition of a random act of kindness being selfless. But, hear me out. I am the biggest supporter of personal development and self-growth (The self-improvement section of the bookstore is a very dangerous place for my wallet). I believe that one aspect of personal development is to look deeply at yourself, BUT... I believe that in order to truly grow, to raise your vibration, you need to embrace the power of altruism. Random acts of kindness are one way to start being altruistic on a daily basis. Outputting goodness into the world breaks self-absorbant and self-obsessive patterns. SO, even though random acts of kindness are supposed to be selfless, I don't see any harm in using them to better yourself and your spirit. It is a win/win situation. If we all practiced random acts of kindness, for selfless or selfish motivations, with the intention of changing the world or changing ourselves, we will ultimately accomplish both. The more we change the world for the better, the better we each become. The more we change ourselves for the better, the better the world becomes. This is the power of altruism! So, I am setting the intention to practice at least three random acts of kindness today, regardless if I have received one or not, and I encourage you to join me. Let's spread kindness together!
*Sidenote* I want to give you an example of how setting your intention in the morning really can work to create your day and change your life. Yesterday I met a wonderfully bright and enthusiastic girl, a friend of a friend, who had bean reading my blog. She was so excited to share her story with me about how she set her intention in the morning and all these amazing things started happening. She is a teacher and yesterday she set her intention on career development and she received not one but two opportunities to advance her career, one of which she had been waiting on for the longest time. See...setting your intention really works!
Gratitude Review:
1. I am grateful to be able to use my words to make a difference, however small, in someone's life. I have said it before, but I will say it again... knowledge is power. So, if you have insight, share it! I am so thankful to be given opportunities to convey my messages. I am grateful for the internet, for the schools that I teach classes, for the pads and pads of paper that I keep my notes. We are living in the information age, and although we need to filter the information we take in, I am so thankful to be living in this age.
2. I am extremely appreciative of farmer's markets. I live in Ocean Beach, here in San Diego, and they have a farmer's market every Wednesday night. In NYC, I used to go to the one in Union Square. Anyway, the OB farmer's market is particularly wonderful. I just love walking around and checking out all the organic fruit and yummy chocolates (oh, and I love, love, love all the samples). Also, there is always some local musician or musicians playing infectious music. There is a real feeling of community, and an amazing energy to the market scene. Even if I only buy one little thing, I am always happy I experienced it. So, I am thankful for all farmer's markets, but especially the OB farmer's market.
3. I am grateful for worn-in sweats. There is nothing better than coming home after a long day and slipping into my old West Virginia sweatshirt (which I think I might have actually gotten at a thrift store in West Virginia) and a pair of comfy sweatpants. I am especially thankful for my sweats when it gets colder in San Diego and I have drafts coming through my windows (my place may have lots of character, but what it doesn't have is insulation). So, thank you warm and comfy sweats!
Daily Musings:
Todays tip is to practice random acts of kindness (try to do at least three)!
Random acts of kindness are selfless, giving acts to help, uplift, or better someone else's life. They are often unplanned. They can be as simple as paying the toll of the car behind you or as grand as donating a large some of money to a charity that comes knocking at your door. There exists a theory (made popular in the Kevin Spacey movie, Pay it Forward) that if everyone sets their intention to practice three random acts of kindness as repayment for every one they receive, random acts of kindness would spread throughout society and create a social movement. Although, a social movement of kindness is motivation enough to start doing these random acts, there is another reason to practice random acts of kindness. And, ironically, it is a selfish reason. I know this goes against the definition of a random act of kindness being selfless. But, hear me out. I am the biggest supporter of personal development and self-growth (The self-improvement section of the bookstore is a very dangerous place for my wallet). I believe that one aspect of personal development is to look deeply at yourself, BUT... I believe that in order to truly grow, to raise your vibration, you need to embrace the power of altruism. Random acts of kindness are one way to start being altruistic on a daily basis. Outputting goodness into the world breaks self-absorbant and self-obsessive patterns. SO, even though random acts of kindness are supposed to be selfless, I don't see any harm in using them to better yourself and your spirit. It is a win/win situation. If we all practiced random acts of kindness, for selfless or selfish motivations, with the intention of changing the world or changing ourselves, we will ultimately accomplish both. The more we change the world for the better, the better we each become. The more we change ourselves for the better, the better the world becomes. This is the power of altruism! So, I am setting the intention to practice at least three random acts of kindness today, regardless if I have received one or not, and I encourage you to join me. Let's spread kindness together!
*Sidenote* I want to give you an example of how setting your intention in the morning really can work to create your day and change your life. Yesterday I met a wonderfully bright and enthusiastic girl, a friend of a friend, who had bean reading my blog. She was so excited to share her story with me about how she set her intention in the morning and all these amazing things started happening. She is a teacher and yesterday she set her intention on career development and she received not one but two opportunities to advance her career, one of which she had been waiting on for the longest time. See...setting your intention really works!
Gratitude Review:
1. I am grateful to be able to use my words to make a difference, however small, in someone's life. I have said it before, but I will say it again... knowledge is power. So, if you have insight, share it! I am so thankful to be given opportunities to convey my messages. I am grateful for the internet, for the schools that I teach classes, for the pads and pads of paper that I keep my notes. We are living in the information age, and although we need to filter the information we take in, I am so thankful to be living in this age.
2. I am extremely appreciative of farmer's markets. I live in Ocean Beach, here in San Diego, and they have a farmer's market every Wednesday night. In NYC, I used to go to the one in Union Square. Anyway, the OB farmer's market is particularly wonderful. I just love walking around and checking out all the organic fruit and yummy chocolates (oh, and I love, love, love all the samples). Also, there is always some local musician or musicians playing infectious music. There is a real feeling of community, and an amazing energy to the market scene. Even if I only buy one little thing, I am always happy I experienced it. So, I am thankful for all farmer's markets, but especially the OB farmer's market.
3. I am grateful for worn-in sweats. There is nothing better than coming home after a long day and slipping into my old West Virginia sweatshirt (which I think I might have actually gotten at a thrift store in West Virginia) and a pair of comfy sweatpants. I am especially thankful for my sweats when it gets colder in San Diego and I have drafts coming through my windows (my place may have lots of character, but what it doesn't have is insulation). So, thank you warm and comfy sweats!
Daily Musings:
Todays tip is to practice random acts of kindness (try to do at least three)!
If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.
- Tenzin Gyatso (the 14th Dalai Lama)
I believe that includes kindness! Have an amazingly altruistic day!
- Tenzin Gyatso (the 14th Dalai Lama)
I believe that includes kindness! Have an amazingly altruistic day!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The Secret Truth to Relationships #1
The Morning Muse:
There are secret truths to relationships that should've be taught to us before we even started dating as teenagers. I can't believe that after 15 years of dating and committed relationships I only recently started to learn and accept these truths.
Secret Truth to Relationships #1: You can't control your partners, you can only control yourself! This may seem like common sense, but ask yourself how many times you've tried to control your partners. You may not have even realized you were doing it. Have you ever been disappointed when your partner did not meet your expectations? Have you tried to get them to change something about themselves, even something little? Have you resorted to "game" techniques in an attempt to elicit a desired response? Those are all ways, however harmless the intention, that we try to control our partners. Here's the most amazing thing... if you focus on yourself, on making yourself a more evolved partner, and give your partner love and support instead of criticism, you are actually giving them the space to make changes (changes that make the relationship better). If you give up the control and give in to unconditional love, you are in turn getting a richer relationship. And, if your partner, after your gift of unconditional love combined with honest communication, does not evolve with you, then you have the power to choose to stay in the relationsip or find one that is more compatible. Again, the only thing you can control is yourself and your actions. So, if you are following the Secret Truth to Relationships #1, and find yourself in an unfilling relationship, you have the power to leave. Just know that you did all you could. However, being the optimist that I am, and being that I personally have seen my relationships improve by accepting that I can not control my partners, I believe that in some way your relationship will deepen even if is in unexpected ways. My intention for today is to remember Secret Truth to Relationships #1 and give my boyfriend extra love and support.
(If your interested in more Secret Truths to Relationships, keep reading my blog!)
Gratitude Review:
1. I am so thankful for the lessons I learn. I am thankful to come across people that teach me lessons and I am thankful to be the kind of person that is open to learning new lessons. I used to be a stubborn girl, but I have grown into an open-minded woman, and I am proud of that. I am constantly growing, my relationships are constantly deepening, and my life is constantly evolving! I am very grateful for that and I owe it to all the lessons I am taught and accept.
2. I am grateful for the generosity of friends. I am so thankful to have friends that want to lift up the people around them. They want success and happiness for their loved ones as much as they want it for themselves, and I am grateful to be surrounded by these people. For example, my friend, Vanessa, is opening a personal development school in San Diego this January. She has invited me to teach classes there, and I have welcomed the invitation. She asked me because she supports my dreams and the message I deliver to my students. I feel the same way about her mission. I am grateful to have a friend like her and to be able to give her the same support she gives me. If your interested, check out the classes on her website, www.illuminateyourlight.com, she will be having open houses in the month of December (and she has phone classes for distance learning).
3. I am so grateful for Wite-Out tape. It is the most amazing invention. you don't need to wait for the wite-out to dry and it makes the most perfect lines. I need to buy stock in this product because I am addicted to it. In fact, I probably use wite-out too much because I love using the wite-out tape. Oh well, it's freed me from worrying about being too perfect!
Daily Musings:
Rumi said it best when describing our quest for love and enriching relationships...
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
Have a wonderful day and make sure to give unconditional love whenever you can!
There are secret truths to relationships that should've be taught to us before we even started dating as teenagers. I can't believe that after 15 years of dating and committed relationships I only recently started to learn and accept these truths.
Secret Truth to Relationships #1: You can't control your partners, you can only control yourself! This may seem like common sense, but ask yourself how many times you've tried to control your partners. You may not have even realized you were doing it. Have you ever been disappointed when your partner did not meet your expectations? Have you tried to get them to change something about themselves, even something little? Have you resorted to "game" techniques in an attempt to elicit a desired response? Those are all ways, however harmless the intention, that we try to control our partners. Here's the most amazing thing... if you focus on yourself, on making yourself a more evolved partner, and give your partner love and support instead of criticism, you are actually giving them the space to make changes (changes that make the relationship better). If you give up the control and give in to unconditional love, you are in turn getting a richer relationship. And, if your partner, after your gift of unconditional love combined with honest communication, does not evolve with you, then you have the power to choose to stay in the relationsip or find one that is more compatible. Again, the only thing you can control is yourself and your actions. So, if you are following the Secret Truth to Relationships #1, and find yourself in an unfilling relationship, you have the power to leave. Just know that you did all you could. However, being the optimist that I am, and being that I personally have seen my relationships improve by accepting that I can not control my partners, I believe that in some way your relationship will deepen even if is in unexpected ways. My intention for today is to remember Secret Truth to Relationships #1 and give my boyfriend extra love and support.
(If your interested in more Secret Truths to Relationships, keep reading my blog!)
Gratitude Review:
1. I am so thankful for the lessons I learn. I am thankful to come across people that teach me lessons and I am thankful to be the kind of person that is open to learning new lessons. I used to be a stubborn girl, but I have grown into an open-minded woman, and I am proud of that. I am constantly growing, my relationships are constantly deepening, and my life is constantly evolving! I am very grateful for that and I owe it to all the lessons I am taught and accept.
2. I am grateful for the generosity of friends. I am so thankful to have friends that want to lift up the people around them. They want success and happiness for their loved ones as much as they want it for themselves, and I am grateful to be surrounded by these people. For example, my friend, Vanessa, is opening a personal development school in San Diego this January. She has invited me to teach classes there, and I have welcomed the invitation. She asked me because she supports my dreams and the message I deliver to my students. I feel the same way about her mission. I am grateful to have a friend like her and to be able to give her the same support she gives me. If your interested, check out the classes on her website, www.illuminateyourlight.com, she will be having open houses in the month of December (and she has phone classes for distance learning).
3. I am so grateful for Wite-Out tape. It is the most amazing invention. you don't need to wait for the wite-out to dry and it makes the most perfect lines. I need to buy stock in this product because I am addicted to it. In fact, I probably use wite-out too much because I love using the wite-out tape. Oh well, it's freed me from worrying about being too perfect!
Daily Musings:
Rumi said it best when describing our quest for love and enriching relationships...
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
Have a wonderful day and make sure to give unconditional love whenever you can!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Embrace Your Creativity!
The Morning Muse:
Creativity is a core value to me. It is the basis of my coaching style, it is a powerful tool for self-growth, and if you know how to harness it...you can use it to attract the things you want in life. When I am being creative I am in a zone. My intention is at an all-time high. And, if I focus my intention on something while I am being creative I can attract that something into my life. Like what? Well, with creativity I have attracted the apartment I am living in, my roommate, my boyfriend, and my career, for example. How? I use various creative tools (Creative Visualizations, journaling techniques, Manifestation Boards, and a bunch of other tools that I teach people in my Artful Manifestation classes). It is very important to me to stay in touch with my creativity, but in order to guarantee myself creative time every week I have to set aside a special time to feed my creativity. It keeps my creative juices flowing. Right now, Tuesdays are my creative days. I am taking a class called "A Painterly Approach to Collage" at the San Diego Art Department. Collage is one of my favorite ways to be creative. And, since I also love acrylic painting, the class is a wonderful fit for me. I can use the collage techniques I am learning in this class whenever I am creating my Manifestation Boards! So exciting. Anyway, getting back on track, today I am setting the intention to 1. learn a cool, new technique in class tonight and 2. when I am in my creative zone, to focus my thoughts on something that I want to attract into my life (not sure yet what that will be...but I have the whole day to prepare!).
Gratitude Review:
1. Keeping in the line with the creativity theme, I am so grateful for all the imagination in the world. Sometimes I look around a room and I am blown away by the amount of creativity. I am looking around my room now and I see my antique dresser. My dresser has these intricate handles on every drawer. Somebody created these handles. They exist because first they existed in someones mind. I can also see my curtains. They are from India and they are stitched with gold thread (not real gold, but the color gold). They are stitched in the coolest pattern. And, again I think how amazing it is that someone first created that pattern in their mind and now that pattern is on curtains that are decorating my windows. I am so so so grateful for original thought. The products of innovation and imagination are everywhere around us! I LOVE IT!
2. I am thankful for my roommate. I live in the most wonderful apartment. It is not only wonderful because I live a block and half from the beach, or because we have huge windows that bring in the natural light, or because it is filled with eclectic decorations with so much personality...it is wonderful because it is filled with love. My roommate is one of my best friends and we manifested this apartment together and when we moved in we brought with us positivity and abundant love. I always feel at home when I am here. And, everyone that visits us always comments on how comfortable they feel it our apartment. I have an amazing roommate and I want to take this opportunity to thank her.
3. I am thankful for alarm clocks. Even though I don't feel gratitude when mine goes off in the morning, I am appreciative for its existence. For without my alarm clock I would not make it to early morning events or all the events that happen after a late afternoon nap. I would not make it on time for work. I would miss airplane flights. The list could go on and on. So, I am grateful for my alarm clock and all the alarm clocks that help run our world.
Daily Musings:
Here is a fabulous quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald:
Creativity is a core value to me. It is the basis of my coaching style, it is a powerful tool for self-growth, and if you know how to harness it...you can use it to attract the things you want in life. When I am being creative I am in a zone. My intention is at an all-time high. And, if I focus my intention on something while I am being creative I can attract that something into my life. Like what? Well, with creativity I have attracted the apartment I am living in, my roommate, my boyfriend, and my career, for example. How? I use various creative tools (Creative Visualizations, journaling techniques, Manifestation Boards, and a bunch of other tools that I teach people in my Artful Manifestation classes). It is very important to me to stay in touch with my creativity, but in order to guarantee myself creative time every week I have to set aside a special time to feed my creativity. It keeps my creative juices flowing. Right now, Tuesdays are my creative days. I am taking a class called "A Painterly Approach to Collage" at the San Diego Art Department. Collage is one of my favorite ways to be creative. And, since I also love acrylic painting, the class is a wonderful fit for me. I can use the collage techniques I am learning in this class whenever I am creating my Manifestation Boards! So exciting. Anyway, getting back on track, today I am setting the intention to 1. learn a cool, new technique in class tonight and 2. when I am in my creative zone, to focus my thoughts on something that I want to attract into my life (not sure yet what that will be...but I have the whole day to prepare!).
Gratitude Review:
1. Keeping in the line with the creativity theme, I am so grateful for all the imagination in the world. Sometimes I look around a room and I am blown away by the amount of creativity. I am looking around my room now and I see my antique dresser. My dresser has these intricate handles on every drawer. Somebody created these handles. They exist because first they existed in someones mind. I can also see my curtains. They are from India and they are stitched with gold thread (not real gold, but the color gold). They are stitched in the coolest pattern. And, again I think how amazing it is that someone first created that pattern in their mind and now that pattern is on curtains that are decorating my windows. I am so so so grateful for original thought. The products of innovation and imagination are everywhere around us! I LOVE IT!
2. I am thankful for my roommate. I live in the most wonderful apartment. It is not only wonderful because I live a block and half from the beach, or because we have huge windows that bring in the natural light, or because it is filled with eclectic decorations with so much personality...it is wonderful because it is filled with love. My roommate is one of my best friends and we manifested this apartment together and when we moved in we brought with us positivity and abundant love. I always feel at home when I am here. And, everyone that visits us always comments on how comfortable they feel it our apartment. I have an amazing roommate and I want to take this opportunity to thank her.
3. I am thankful for alarm clocks. Even though I don't feel gratitude when mine goes off in the morning, I am appreciative for its existence. For without my alarm clock I would not make it to early morning events or all the events that happen after a late afternoon nap. I would not make it on time for work. I would miss airplane flights. The list could go on and on. So, I am grateful for my alarm clock and all the alarm clocks that help run our world.
Daily Musings:
Here is a fabulous quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald:
There are no days in life so memorable as those which vibrated to some stroke of the imagination.
Have an incredible day and take notice of all the creativity that surrounds you!
Monday, November 26, 2007
Monday, Monday
The Morning Muse:
The Monday morning after any holiday is the perfect time to set your intention. The holiday is over and it is back to work. There is that rebellious side in all of us that resists returning to our scheduled lives and has at least a little trouble letting go of the vacation mindset. Well, this is just the time to set your intention. Intend to have an exciting day amongst the routine. Intend to breeze through your day with confidence. Intend to laugh. Intend to accomplish all that you set out to and more. Intend to make a difference in somebody's life. Intend to have fun. However you want the day to unfold... intend it. Please, don't fall victim to the Monday Blues. Make this Monday different, create it the way you want. I am setting my intention on a productive, yet effortless Monday. I intend to complete some tasks that I had been putting off (Ex. renewing license, purchasing an airline ticket for an upcoming trip, returning calls from the weekend, and prepping the classes I teach). I intend to accomplish these goals with ease, in a timely manner, and while having fun! Why not throw in the fun part? So, I encourage all of you to set your intentions for the day, and throw in some unexpected fun while you are at it!
Gratitude Reviews:
1. I am so grateful to be healthy. I watched Michael Moore's Sicko last night and I was appalled at the state of our healthcare system here in America. Now, I must say that I make it a point to not immerse myself in the news, because I don't completely trust the information, but this documentary was straightforward and honest. He was presenting facts from the people, and showing the audience the alternative systems that are successful in other parts of the Western world. I have to say I am an optimist, and I am always trying to put a positive spin on everything. So here is my positive spin on the healthcare matter... Universal Healthcare works. Let's all be pro-Universal Healthcare. I refuse to focus on the corruption of the existing system. Instead I choose to think progressively. I will support universal healthcare and I will support politicians that support universal healthcare. The only way to move forward is to look forward. You can't move forward while looking back, focusing on the frustration, and wasting your energy on all that's negative. Let's look at what's working (even if it is in other countries) and put our energy on the positive. Anyway, I am sorry for the rant... I don't even consider myself political, but I wanted to use my optimism for the greater good. Let's all be pro-Universal Healthcare. And, I want to reiterate my gratitude for being healthy!
2. I am grateful for good conversation, intellectual, enlightening, and stimulating conversation. I love that moment when you are in a deep discussion with someone and you are both listening to each other without pretenses and you can feel the connection that you are sharing. So, I want to thank everyone that comes into my office and shares a bit of themselves with me through a simple conversation about life.
3. On a more supeficial note, I am extremely appreciative of e-bay. For without e-bay I would not have my very rockin', size 7, black leather motorcycle boots. And, I love love love these boots. I am wearing them right now and they make me very happy.
Daily Musings:
In the movie, The Secret, it is mentioned how Mother Theresa refused to attend any anti-war rally. However, she said if there was ever a pro-peace rally, she would attend that! Think about that. What cause could you greater support by taking a more "pro-" stance? It doesn't have to be a political cause. On any level, think of 3 things you've been resisting or fighting against. How can you spin it so that you are focusing your energy on the positive.
Ex. Let's say you are unappy with your current job. Instead of waking up every morning in resistance, saying "I don't want to go to this job," become the biggest propent of a new job opportunity for yourself. Be pro-New Job! (Sidenote- still be grateful for all that you do have... like the fact that you have a job and anything else you can be thankful for that comes along with that job.)
The Exercise:
1. Write down the three biggest things you've been fighting or resisting in your life.
2. Turn that negative thinking into positive thinking. Write down your positive stance for each of the three.
3. Name each "Pro-________".
4. For each of the three, write down anything associated with them for which you can be grateful.
(depending on what you are fighting or resisting, you might need to look very deep to find the gratitude...but it is there!)
Have a wonderful day and stay healthy and happy!
The Monday morning after any holiday is the perfect time to set your intention. The holiday is over and it is back to work. There is that rebellious side in all of us that resists returning to our scheduled lives and has at least a little trouble letting go of the vacation mindset. Well, this is just the time to set your intention. Intend to have an exciting day amongst the routine. Intend to breeze through your day with confidence. Intend to laugh. Intend to accomplish all that you set out to and more. Intend to make a difference in somebody's life. Intend to have fun. However you want the day to unfold... intend it. Please, don't fall victim to the Monday Blues. Make this Monday different, create it the way you want. I am setting my intention on a productive, yet effortless Monday. I intend to complete some tasks that I had been putting off (Ex. renewing license, purchasing an airline ticket for an upcoming trip, returning calls from the weekend, and prepping the classes I teach). I intend to accomplish these goals with ease, in a timely manner, and while having fun! Why not throw in the fun part? So, I encourage all of you to set your intentions for the day, and throw in some unexpected fun while you are at it!
Gratitude Reviews:
1. I am so grateful to be healthy. I watched Michael Moore's Sicko last night and I was appalled at the state of our healthcare system here in America. Now, I must say that I make it a point to not immerse myself in the news, because I don't completely trust the information, but this documentary was straightforward and honest. He was presenting facts from the people, and showing the audience the alternative systems that are successful in other parts of the Western world. I have to say I am an optimist, and I am always trying to put a positive spin on everything. So here is my positive spin on the healthcare matter... Universal Healthcare works. Let's all be pro-Universal Healthcare. I refuse to focus on the corruption of the existing system. Instead I choose to think progressively. I will support universal healthcare and I will support politicians that support universal healthcare. The only way to move forward is to look forward. You can't move forward while looking back, focusing on the frustration, and wasting your energy on all that's negative. Let's look at what's working (even if it is in other countries) and put our energy on the positive. Anyway, I am sorry for the rant... I don't even consider myself political, but I wanted to use my optimism for the greater good. Let's all be pro-Universal Healthcare. And, I want to reiterate my gratitude for being healthy!
2. I am grateful for good conversation, intellectual, enlightening, and stimulating conversation. I love that moment when you are in a deep discussion with someone and you are both listening to each other without pretenses and you can feel the connection that you are sharing. So, I want to thank everyone that comes into my office and shares a bit of themselves with me through a simple conversation about life.
3. On a more supeficial note, I am extremely appreciative of e-bay. For without e-bay I would not have my very rockin', size 7, black leather motorcycle boots. And, I love love love these boots. I am wearing them right now and they make me very happy.
Daily Musings:
In the movie, The Secret, it is mentioned how Mother Theresa refused to attend any anti-war rally. However, she said if there was ever a pro-peace rally, she would attend that! Think about that. What cause could you greater support by taking a more "pro-" stance? It doesn't have to be a political cause. On any level, think of 3 things you've been resisting or fighting against. How can you spin it so that you are focusing your energy on the positive.
Ex. Let's say you are unappy with your current job. Instead of waking up every morning in resistance, saying "I don't want to go to this job," become the biggest propent of a new job opportunity for yourself. Be pro-New Job! (Sidenote- still be grateful for all that you do have... like the fact that you have a job and anything else you can be thankful for that comes along with that job.)
The Exercise:
1. Write down the three biggest things you've been fighting or resisting in your life.
2. Turn that negative thinking into positive thinking. Write down your positive stance for each of the three.
3. Name each "Pro-________".
4. For each of the three, write down anything associated with them for which you can be grateful.
(depending on what you are fighting or resisting, you might need to look very deep to find the gratitude...but it is there!)
Have a wonderful day and stay healthy and happy!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Do Nothing
The Morning Muse:
To me Sundays are about relaxation, restoration, and readying. RELAXATION is an important part of the day because you are giving yourself permission to be in the moment, to be present, and to enjoy THE ART OF DOING NOTHING. In today's society, we are constantly being stimulated, whether that stimulation comes from outside forces, like the media, car horns or huge billboards, or from inside ourselves, like when we lose ourselves in mental to-do lists, fixate on the future, or create drama just to feel intensity. But constant stimulation has its cost. It wreaks havoc on our minds and our bodies. Have you ever felt like you couldn't turn off the mental chatter about how to prepare for an upcoming event? Do past conversations run on a loop in your mind? Do you feel wound up? Or, are you so tired all the time that it is a chore to get yourself out of bed every morning? These are just some examples of what over-stimulation can do to the mind and body. If we can simply take the time to wind down, at least one day a week, we gift ourselves a scheduled time to RESTORE from the past few days and READY ourselves for the next few. I do it on Sundays. I do it in many different ways, I may do it at extra times during the week, but I make sure to always do it on Sundays. I cherish that time that I schedule for ME! So, what do I do.... NOTHING (well, that can be misleading...I do whatever feels like nothing, like no effort, like quiet, like peacefulness, like calm). Examples include, taking a nap in the middle of the day, sitting on the beach and watching the waves, getting a massage, taking a bubble bath, meditating or doing breathing exercises, getting a manicure and pedicure, or sometimes I'll do an art project that simply involves coloring or doodling. So, today I am setting my intention to relax, rejuvenate and ready myself for next week!
P.S. Yesterday I set my intention to get a phone call that would advance my career and one of my clients called me and offered a testimonial on the power of my words... it doesn't get much better than that!
Gratitude Reviews:
1. Today I want to give special thanks to my sister. She is an extremely talented graphic designer and is diligently working on my website, even as I am typing. I am grateful for her creativity and talent, as well as her friendship.
2. I am grateful for good food! I'll tell anyone who is interested that I love eating, but the truth is that I love eating good food. I am grateful that I get to experience bursts of flavor and intense satisfaction each time I have a good meal, like last night's sushi dinner. I am so appreciative that I have food on my plate every day, but I have to express my extra appreciation when that food is prepared well. So, thank you to my sushi chef last night!
3. I am so grateful for whoever invented hair clips, hair ties, scarfs, and head bands. I have so much hair. It hangs down way lower than my shoulder blades and it often seems to be everywhere around me. That's why I love anything that can control my hair, keep it out of my face, and still make me look cute. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for hair accessories.
Daily Musings:
Here's a tip for the day...
Catch yourself at random times throughout the day and notice your breathing patterns. Are you breathing really shallow? Are you holding your breath? Are you breathing from your chest instead of your diaphragm? In those moments that you catch yourself, take 7 deep breaths from your belly. Belly breathing is how we breathe when we are most relaxed, it is how babies breathe.
To me Sundays are about relaxation, restoration, and readying. RELAXATION is an important part of the day because you are giving yourself permission to be in the moment, to be present, and to enjoy THE ART OF DOING NOTHING. In today's society, we are constantly being stimulated, whether that stimulation comes from outside forces, like the media, car horns or huge billboards, or from inside ourselves, like when we lose ourselves in mental to-do lists, fixate on the future, or create drama just to feel intensity. But constant stimulation has its cost. It wreaks havoc on our minds and our bodies. Have you ever felt like you couldn't turn off the mental chatter about how to prepare for an upcoming event? Do past conversations run on a loop in your mind? Do you feel wound up? Or, are you so tired all the time that it is a chore to get yourself out of bed every morning? These are just some examples of what over-stimulation can do to the mind and body. If we can simply take the time to wind down, at least one day a week, we gift ourselves a scheduled time to RESTORE from the past few days and READY ourselves for the next few. I do it on Sundays. I do it in many different ways, I may do it at extra times during the week, but I make sure to always do it on Sundays. I cherish that time that I schedule for ME! So, what do I do.... NOTHING (well, that can be misleading...I do whatever feels like nothing, like no effort, like quiet, like peacefulness, like calm). Examples include, taking a nap in the middle of the day, sitting on the beach and watching the waves, getting a massage, taking a bubble bath, meditating or doing breathing exercises, getting a manicure and pedicure, or sometimes I'll do an art project that simply involves coloring or doodling. So, today I am setting my intention to relax, rejuvenate and ready myself for next week!
P.S. Yesterday I set my intention to get a phone call that would advance my career and one of my clients called me and offered a testimonial on the power of my words... it doesn't get much better than that!
Gratitude Reviews:
1. Today I want to give special thanks to my sister. She is an extremely talented graphic designer and is diligently working on my website, even as I am typing. I am grateful for her creativity and talent, as well as her friendship.
2. I am grateful for good food! I'll tell anyone who is interested that I love eating, but the truth is that I love eating good food. I am grateful that I get to experience bursts of flavor and intense satisfaction each time I have a good meal, like last night's sushi dinner. I am so appreciative that I have food on my plate every day, but I have to express my extra appreciation when that food is prepared well. So, thank you to my sushi chef last night!
3. I am so grateful for whoever invented hair clips, hair ties, scarfs, and head bands. I have so much hair. It hangs down way lower than my shoulder blades and it often seems to be everywhere around me. That's why I love anything that can control my hair, keep it out of my face, and still make me look cute. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for hair accessories.
Daily Musings:
Here's a tip for the day...
Catch yourself at random times throughout the day and notice your breathing patterns. Are you breathing really shallow? Are you holding your breath? Are you breathing from your chest instead of your diaphragm? In those moments that you catch yourself, take 7 deep breaths from your belly. Belly breathing is how we breathe when we are most relaxed, it is how babies breathe.
Belly Breathing:
When you breathe in, make sure you breathe into your belly.
Watch your belly expand (not your chest).
You can put your hand on your belly and notice as your hand moves outward with your inhalation.
When you breathe out, make sure you breathe out from your belly.
Watch your belly contract.
Notice as your hand moves inward with your exhalation.
*Repeat 7 times*
When you breathe in, make sure you breathe into your belly.
Watch your belly expand (not your chest).
You can put your hand on your belly and notice as your hand moves outward with your inhalation.
When you breathe out, make sure you breathe out from your belly.
Watch your belly contract.
Notice as your hand moves inward with your exhalation.
*Repeat 7 times*
Have a great day and experience THE ART OF DOING NOTHING!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
An Ideal Saturday
The Morning Muse:
How would I like my day to unfold? Today I would like to experience a healthy balance of accomplishment and relaxation. To me that's the perfect Saturday! I usually like to cross things off my to-do list at the beginning of the day (I love the feeling of accomplishment I get from simply crossing something off my list...anyone who makes to-do lists knows that feeling) and then celebrate after by having some fun. Fun, for me, involves having brunch with my boyfriend or friends, walking to the ocean (if I was still living in New York this would be adapted to "walking to the East Village"), shopping at a flea market (in San Diego it's Kobey's Swap Meet and in NYC it used to be the flea market on 23rd and Broadway before it closed down, which on a side note was an extremely depressing moment in my life), or reading a book anywhere outside (a hammock or lounge chair are usually the best). So, for today... I want to cross at least two things of my list and then go to brunch, sit outside, and people watch (a favorite past-time of mine for as long as I can remember). I also want to set the intention that I will receive one phone call today involving the advancement in my career! I'll let you know tomorrow what it turns out to be.
Gratitude Review:
1. The first thing that comes to mind is to be grateful that the sun is shining and it is a beautiful day. I know this sounds so cliche and extremely corny, but the fact that it is two days after Thanksgiving and it is 70 degrees outside will never lose it's appeal to this girl from the East Coast.
2. I am also thankful that we are living in the information age. I think that knowledge is power. I think that the insight you find in books, from classes, on the internet, or from the people who cross your path each day, can change your life. Information expands your mind to possibilities you didn't even know existed before you become privy to that information. As your mind expands, and you see more options and alternatives for your life, you can change the direction your life is taking. I am thankful for every conversation I have every day. I am thankful for every line I read every day. I am thankful for every lesson I am taught every day. And I am open to new information every day! I am a sponge, and each new insight absorbed changes my life. Today I am specifically thankful to Jack Canfield for the lessons I am learning in his book, the Success Principles.
3. I am thankful that the people I love and surround myself with are positive, loving, creative, healthy, talented, and giving. This helps me to be more positive, loving, creative, healthy, talented, and giving. The people you surround yourself with can either lift you up or bring you down. I am so very grateful to have relationships that lift me higher than I could go by myself. Today I want to give special thanks to my boyfriend's mom, who is in town for the weekend. She exemplifies a successful woman with character and confidence. Being around her brings out the parts of myself that are the most successful, of the stongest character, and have the highest level of confidence. So, thank you to her and all my friends and family for making me a better person.
Daily Musings:
I love this quote by Benjamin Franklin...
How would I like my day to unfold? Today I would like to experience a healthy balance of accomplishment and relaxation. To me that's the perfect Saturday! I usually like to cross things off my to-do list at the beginning of the day (I love the feeling of accomplishment I get from simply crossing something off my list...anyone who makes to-do lists knows that feeling) and then celebrate after by having some fun. Fun, for me, involves having brunch with my boyfriend or friends, walking to the ocean (if I was still living in New York this would be adapted to "walking to the East Village"), shopping at a flea market (in San Diego it's Kobey's Swap Meet and in NYC it used to be the flea market on 23rd and Broadway before it closed down, which on a side note was an extremely depressing moment in my life), or reading a book anywhere outside (a hammock or lounge chair are usually the best). So, for today... I want to cross at least two things of my list and then go to brunch, sit outside, and people watch (a favorite past-time of mine for as long as I can remember). I also want to set the intention that I will receive one phone call today involving the advancement in my career! I'll let you know tomorrow what it turns out to be.
Gratitude Review:
1. The first thing that comes to mind is to be grateful that the sun is shining and it is a beautiful day. I know this sounds so cliche and extremely corny, but the fact that it is two days after Thanksgiving and it is 70 degrees outside will never lose it's appeal to this girl from the East Coast.
2. I am also thankful that we are living in the information age. I think that knowledge is power. I think that the insight you find in books, from classes, on the internet, or from the people who cross your path each day, can change your life. Information expands your mind to possibilities you didn't even know existed before you become privy to that information. As your mind expands, and you see more options and alternatives for your life, you can change the direction your life is taking. I am thankful for every conversation I have every day. I am thankful for every line I read every day. I am thankful for every lesson I am taught every day. And I am open to new information every day! I am a sponge, and each new insight absorbed changes my life. Today I am specifically thankful to Jack Canfield for the lessons I am learning in his book, the Success Principles.
3. I am thankful that the people I love and surround myself with are positive, loving, creative, healthy, talented, and giving. This helps me to be more positive, loving, creative, healthy, talented, and giving. The people you surround yourself with can either lift you up or bring you down. I am so very grateful to have relationships that lift me higher than I could go by myself. Today I want to give special thanks to my boyfriend's mom, who is in town for the weekend. She exemplifies a successful woman with character and confidence. Being around her brings out the parts of myself that are the most successful, of the stongest character, and have the highest level of confidence. So, thank you to her and all my friends and family for making me a better person.
Daily Musings:
I love this quote by Benjamin Franklin...
Dost thou love life?
Then do not squander time,
for that is the stuff life is made of.
Then do not squander time,
for that is the stuff life is made of.
Enjoy your Saturday... love life and appreciate every moment!!!
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