In a few days Hay House kicks off their 2018 Online World Summit with 100 free interviews from legends such as Esther Hicks, Eckhart Tolle, Louise Hay, Don Miguel Ruiz, Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Neale Donald Walsch, and 93 other "greats." Last year's summit had over 500,000 people tune in, IT'S THAT GOOD!

If you register for the summit today, you can watch a cool bonus interview from Deepak about the pillars of health, identity, and consciousness (it will be removed next week). He talks about 6 secrets to great health based on decades of scientific research, and my favorite part... it ends with a powerful exercise to help you tune in to your higher, inner-self.  Click on the link below to learn more.

A POEM WORTH READING...EVERYDAY!

Chanie Gorkin was 17 when she wrote a poem for her 12th grade school assignment that went viral.  What a wise young lady! It’s one of the most brilliant things I have ever read.  See for yourself:

Today was the absolute worst day ever
And don’t try to convince me that
There’s something good in every day
Because, when you take a closer look,
This world is a pretty evil place.
Even if
Some goodness does shine through once in a while
Satisfaction and happiness don’t last.
And it’s not true that
It’s all in the mind and heart
Because
True happiness can be attained
Only if one’s surroundings are good
It’s not true that good exists
I’m sure you can agree that
The reality
Creates
My attitude
It’s all beyond my control
And you’ll never in a million years hear me say
Today was a very good day

Now read it from bottom to top, the other way,
And see what I really feel about my day.

How To Teach Kids About Money

I use Ron’s allowance system. He shares some great wisdom around money. Money is energy and your relationship with it will determine how much or how little you will allow into your life. I’m so grateful that my daughter is learning early in life what hers can be. Thank you Ron!

In his book "The Opposite of Spoiled," Ron Lieber delivers a manifesto against silence around money in families. While well-meaning parents avoid talking about money out of concern that it is impolite, impolitic or age inappropriate, he makes the inverse case -- that building family conversations around money is one of the best ways we can teach kids great values.

Conscious Parenting with Dr. Shefali and Lewis Howes

Shefali Tsabary, PhD, received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University. Dr. Tsabary was exposed to Eastern mindfulness at an early age and combines its teachings with Western psychology. Blending East and West, she lectures in great detail on mindful living and conscious parenting around the world and is in private practice.  Her teachings have changed my world.  Not only with my relationship with my daughter but with myself.  She is a truth speaker.  Lewis Howes interviewed her last August.  It’s sooooo good.  Every parent should listen to this podcast!  Enjoy and get ready for your mind to be blown!

I was listening to an interview of Tony Robbins and was so moved by a story he was telling.  He was talking about how unaware we are of the impact a small act of kindness can have.  He gave an amazing example.  He was talking about Arthur Bremer who is an American convicted for the attempted assassination of Presidential candidate George Wallace.  He initially wanted to kill Nixon and attempted many times.  But actually didn’t and instead went after Wallace.  According to Bremer’s journal in one of his attempts he was about to pull out a gun on Nixon when a little old lady bumped into him.  She turned around and looked into his eyes and said in the most compassionate way that she was sorry.  He said he couldn’t do it at that moment because of her and that entire interaction and took his hand off his gun that was in his coat pocket.  So the next time you smile at a stranger, or hold the door for someone, or go out of your way to show kindness to your family, friends or clients you could be changing someone’s world on a much bigger level then you could ever even know.  Just remember that.      

Affirmation For Your Car

We operate on 90% subconscious.  I use these to help reprogram mine.  I just change up the message when I need to.  Dashboard Reflective- Spiritual, Positive, Inspirational Affirmation "Things Are Always Magically Working Out For Me" by Well Being Being, Inc.  

Dashboard Reflective- Spiritual, Positive, Inspirational Affirmation "Things Are Always Magically Working Out For Me"

Well Being Addict, Inc

Every Parent Should Watch This!!

Funny reminder why we need to question everything...everything.

To save humanity, a dietician travels to the past. A lot.

Insight Timer: My Favorite Free Meditation App

I’m a big advocate of meditation as mentioned in previous blogs. It’s something that has significantly changed my life and entire being. I have never been happier, calmer, clearer and more creative. I also love sharing things that excite me and help me in life. So I want to tell you about this FREE app I use.  I was telling a friend of mine that I was looking for something better than the timer I had on my iPhone for meditation.  I wanted something more soothing like chimes, bells or singing bowls.  She then told me about a meditation app called Insight Timer. This app has that!  My favorite timer bell is the Shurong bowl with no ambient sound. It’s a perfect little timer. It also has tons of guided meditations that I use at my office group meditations. And what’s even cooler it shows you how many people are meditating in the world and in your little corner.  You can even friend people and send supportive messages to each other.  I love this app and use it all the time!  Here are some fun facts from their webpage about it:

• Home to more than 3,700,000 meditators, Insight Timer is rated as the top free meditation app on the Android and iOS stores.
• Every day our community logs more than 50,000 hours of meditation.
• 8627 free Guided Meditations
• Every day our community spends more than 6,000 hours listening to guided meditations.
• 1853 of the world's best meditation teachers
• Every day our community connects with 1853 meditation teachers in 25 languages.
• 5250 Groups
• 3,700,000 meditators discussing topics from humour and compassion to spirituality and support.

I’m big on meditating.  I do it every day and I now crave it if I don’t.  I even started group meditation at my office.  When doing my research on companies that already offer this to their employees I came across this great article on how it improves performance at work.  Check out the link below!  My favorite part of this article in section #6 “Become A Better Leader”.  According to Harvard Business Review, “Mindfulness should no longer be considered a nice-to-have for executives. It’s a must-have”. And they mention how neuroscientists are now showing the benefits in relation to the body and brain.  But here’s the thing…it’s not just for business leaders…it’s for everyone.  Why?  Because it taps into the most precious resource we all have: ATTENTION.  It’s a huge resource that we use all day everywhere…at work and at home.  So, if and when you start you will most likely find like I did that is was harder than I thought.  But don’t get discouraged.  It’s like a muscle.  You have to work out to build up your muscles.  Well you have to practice with meditation.  Start with just few minutes and keep extending it.  That’s what I did.  The goal is to be absent of thought.  So, an easy way to do that is to just focus on your breath.  Thoughts will come in and when they do just put the focus back on your breath.  Ideally, I do it for 20 mins, but if I only have 5 minutes I take it.  And another thing, most people think you have to sit up. Well yeah if that’s comfortable but I actually lay down or recline.  Do whatever feels comfortable and right to you.  I like reclining because I feel less resistance and that is the part of the goal.  To let go!  More tips to come on meditating!

Why We Pick Who We Pick

I couldn't have said it any better...

In theory, we're nowadays allowed to get together with pretty much anyone we like. And yet, at a psychological level, we aren't free to love just any suitable person. We have a type - and strangely and awkwardly, these types are often not those who stand a chance of making us maximally happy.

Keep It Real

Nicely done!

I'm so tired of the "Happiness Lie." You know, the lie that you're always supposed to be positive or happy. This Isn't Natural! It's better to be authentic than to be fake Happy!

Right now, Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra are offering a free 21-day meditation experience. I did their last one and loved it. I highly recommend it.  The theme for this one is called Shedding the Weight: Mind, Body and Spirit.  Just go to your app store and download the free app.  It just started.  I did day three today. I always walk away with some great insight.  Invite those you love to join you!

A Gem Cannot Be Polished Without Rubbing

When someone shows you who they are believe them the first time.  People Know themselves much better than you do.  That’s why it’s important to stop expecting them to be something other than who they are.  - Maya Angelou

I touched on this in my previous blog.  So let’s get into it.  I think that once you really start trying to accept yourself you need to face the other side of it and that is accepting others.  And trust me the universe will start to give you opportunities to practice this more and more right around this time.  You may not be where you want to be with this.  I know I wasn’t.  But I am realizing that I was looking to others and expecting them to not be themselves as well as myself.  Or I was seeing where they could be and not understanding why they were not there.  But that’s just it.  It’s where I think they should be, not where they want to be or think they should be.  That advice by Maya Angelou I started this blog with is great advice, right?  Well I want to take this a step further.  So yes, believe them and accept them as is, but that’s doesn’t mean I need to hang out with them or be their friends.  Just look to them exactly as they are and see them as being right where they need to be.  It’s a tough one to swallow I know because we care and want the best for others.  But sometimes the best for them is right where they are and the best for you could mean not to be around them.  But here’s the catch.  Don’t ever let that stop your growth.  Don’t become less than you’ve become!  A dear friend of mine who I was talking to about this gave me some great insight.  I told her that I was seeing examples of this showing up in my life and my filter was pretty much non-existent.  So clearly, I was having a hard time with it and didn’t know why.  Why can’t I just accept people and not let them rub me the wrong way?!!  This is what she said. 

Sometimes when one is moving higher and can "see" the whole picture, the "higher perspective”, you will find that others are not standing next to you like they once were.  You just have to let them go with love.  Just visualize them going with love-you saying goodbye, cutting the string, walking in opposite directions...whatever it takes.  You can't bring everyone along.  Their path is their path; your job is not to convince them of anything; just be YOU and by being that you are an example.  Those who follow do and the rest just let go.  What I am feeling is the resistance to letting them go. 

She was 100% right.  Carole is one wise cookie!  If I didn’t care it wouldn’t bother me and she is right.  People come and go into your life for a reason and at the perfect moments.  I was listening to Eckhart Tolle on this subject and he made a great point too.  He said to look at these moments as opportunities to work out your higher consciousness muscle.  It’s just like working out in the gym.  You will feel uncomfortable and soreness at times.  But the stronger you get the easier it will be accepting others. 

Dr. Brian Weiss always says that this is earth school and we are all in different grades.  Some of us are first graders and some of us are in middle school or highschool etc.  We are all at different levels of awareness and that’s just part of life.  He is so right.  So what I am learning in all of this is that while I am working on accepting myself, I am being reminded to accept others.  They really do go hand in hand.  And really, we are all exactly where we need to be and it’s all good.

Self-Acceptance

A Zen master poured a cup of tea for his student.  He poured the tea and it rose to the rim and began to spill over.  The student yells and says “Enough, can’t you see the cup is full?”  The master stopped pouring and smiled at his student. “You are like this cup, so full that nothing more can be added. Come back to me when the cup is empty. Come back to me with an empty mind.”

The other day I had brunch with two of my friends and one said something to me that hit me right to my core.  She said that when she went away on a soul searching vacation she came to the realization that she just needed to accept herself for who she was at this point and time.  There was no need to search for anything more and just be.  She is a truth seeker as am I so I know what she was saying.  I needed to hear that.  I thanked her for giving me that message as I believe we get messages all the time from different sources.  She’s talking about true acceptance.  I will admit that I was on what felt like a crash course to becoming awake.  I couldn’t get enough of reading or listening to different teachers, life coaches, podcasts, self-hypnosis videos, subliminal videos…just to name a few.  I just wanted to soak it all up.  I wanted to break all the generational patterns and walls for me and my daughter.  But she’s right and it’s so simple.  It usually is that simple too.  I need to pause and just be.  I need to let my cup get empty again.  Be completely and utterly ok with exactly how I am right now and right here in this time and space.  That includes everything I have learned up to now, my gifts and talents as well as my flaws and not-so-awake traits.  I don’t need to be anything more or be in a different place as far as my level of awareness.  Don’t get me wrong that seeking growth or striving to be in a different place is a bad thing.  Of course not!  I mean one of my mantras is to be the best individual self in everything I do.  But that all comes as natural as our earth grows flowers and trees.  So I am still allowing all that to happen, but I don’t need to force it or make that the sole focus.  So I sat with this message for some time.  It actually brought tears to my eyes.  Because I am actually giving myself something that I’ve been searching for in so many other ways…acceptance.  I still aspire to be more and be enlightened in all areas of my life, but I am so happy for pausing and being loving to myself.  I am exactly where I need to be.  The evolution of me is unfolding in the perfect way.  And yes this relates to all areas of life even in career.  I know we all strive to be the best and aspire to be more, but just be gentle on yourselves.  I want everyone to pause and think of where you were 2 years ago and where you are today.  I’m sure you have lots to be grateful for and lots to celebrate.  I know I do!

I’ve also noticed that this entire experience has opened up another can of worms.  Acceptance of me means acceptance of others.  A big one right?!  I’m going to save this topic for the next blog.  So to be continued!

I’m good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggonit, Alexa like's me!

What is an affirmation?  It’s a positive statement that you hear, think or say to yourself.  In my opinion it helps you to become greater than you are or affirm where you are.  Even if you don’t believe it just think of it this way…it’s speaking to your subconscious.  And since we operate on 90% of our subconscious you want to fill that up with nothing but positive reinforcement and high aspirations.  We tend to self-sabotage and don’t even realize we are doing it most of the time.  So think of a behavior or thought you want to change in your life and career.  Then find a statement to counteract it.  I am such a believer in this that I have a positive statement on my dashboard that is written backwards so that when it reflects in my window I can read it over and over and over again.  It says “Things are always magically working out for me”.  And they do! 

Alexa was a recent gift to my daughter from my dear sister.  My daughter loves it and we use it all the time.  Well one of my colleagues was telling me about all the things Alexa can do and how she can give you a daily affirmation.  I was like “GET OUT!”.  Of course I did it the next morning with my daughter and loved it.  So if you have Alexa, give it a try and ask Alexa once a day in the morning for your daily affirmation.  It’s fun and you will benefit from it!!

The Flower Experiment

Many higher thinking leaders have always taught that our thoughts create our reality through the power of our intention.  Positive thoughts can create a positive reality while negative thoughts can create a negative reality.  Personally, I’ve always had a knowing about how powerful intention can be.  I would see it in my own life.  One example was when I would write down my goals or wishes and see them happen.  I would see it when people would interact with each other and I could tell if it came from a positive or negative intention.  Recently I discovered the most interesting experiment about the power behind intention and words.  I am so grateful to Rebecca Cecilia for taking the time to document and show us in a physical way how this works.   The video is posted on my quotes page so you can all see it with your own eyes.  Ok so let’s talk about the experiment. 

Rebecca laid out three plants and labeled each one…the first with “I love you”, the second with “ignored” and the third with “I hate you”.  She then sent thoughts to the plants and documented the physical effects to each plant.  The results are very telling.  Based on Rebecca’s consciousness, she directly altered the shape, structure and well-being of her plants.  The plant labeled “I love you” thrived while the other ones were basically shrinking and dying.  The one labeled “ignored” was the worst one which I found interesting.  I thought the one labeled “I hate you” would have been the worst one but it wasn’t.  It showed me that even though it was getting negative attention it thrived more because at least it was getting some attention.  

I was so fascinated by these results that I wanted to try it myself with my 6 year old so she can see how powerful she really is.  It didn’t quite turn out the way I wanted it to, but in a good way.  I bought three little plants and labeled them accordingly.  I told my daughter what we were doing and why.  She right away said “I don’t want any of the plants to be harmed”, but reluctantly went along.  After a few days she reiterated to me that she really didn’t like this experiment and felt it was wrong to do.  I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach and quickly rethought the whole thing.  Here was this little perfect being who really didn’t have anything in her but love.  How could I ask her to do something that went against everything she was made of?  I thanked her for bringing me to a new level of awareness and told her right away that she should never do something that didn’t feel right to her.  So we stopped right away.  She made me promise to not continue the experiment myself which I agreed to do because if it’s important to her then it’s important to me.  Grace and I learned some beautiful lessons in all of this. 

Driving at the Speed of Life

Life is quite a journey isn’t it?  Just like in traffic, you never quite know what is around the bend, but so what?  Isn’t it fun to drive on scenic unknown back roads with some good tunes playing?  I wanted to share a traffic study that inspirational speaker and author, Esther Hicks, talked about in a podcast.  We can all learn something from this: 

Intersections:  Analysts counted how many cars would pass through three different intersection styles in a 15 minute period of time.  The three types were:

• 4 way stop: Where a lot of cars were stopping and going. 
• Man directing traffic:  Instead of stop signs they had a man directing traffic. 
• Roundabout: No stopping and cars would just go into it on their own.  Every individual making their own decision.

Guess which style allowed the most traffic to flow through?

The roundabout had more cars pass through.  This study shows you that it’s better for the whole when all of the individuals are making the decisions for themselves.  I loved this because it supports the belief that we can stop trying to control what everyone else is doing.  If left to our own devises, we will eventually do what is the best for everyone.  In the traffic of life, just worry about yourself and everything will just fall into place. 

We don’t need to decide what is right or wrong for others.  What we can do is to decide how to best blend in.  It is not important to decide what are proper behaviors, actions or interpretations.  You just need to choose for yourself.  Besides, it’s exhausting to worry about what others are doing or not doing.  I would rather use that energy on myself.  So relax into the diversity and enjoy the ride! 

The Real Deal

Ups and downs are just a part of life.  The ups are awesome and the downs can be pretty rough.  But most people will do anything to avoid, stuff down and ignore feeling down. 

Why? 

We do this because we are taught to endure, endure, endure.  But just as in everything in life, there is a contrast to this.  The contrast is to accept and validate all of our feelings (including the negative ones) and to accept our current emotional state.  If you don’t allow this you aren’t being true to yourself.  You are actually disconnecting from being authentic.  You abandon yourself.  You are actually resisting your reality. I’ve come to terms with accepting certain emotions like pain, anger and resentment.  And we must include the feelings of hurt, loneliness and fear.  It’s ok to feel these things.  It’s ok to be in this place. 

Don’t ever be ashamed.  Only when you acknowledge how you really feel is when you can then move forward.  Because whatever you resist will persist.  It’s so important to simply acknowledge what is really happening in your life and how these issues make you feel.  Our feelings, both positive and negative, deserve our attention.  As such we aren’t honestly acknowledging the present moment or the “as is”.  Awareness is the key ingredient to change.  One should simply be honest with oneself.  

It’s that simple.  You must show feelings respect.  Trust yourself.  You are feeling something because you are right to feel…PERIOD.  They are valid feelings.  It’s perfect feedback.  It’s trying to tell you something.  Otherwise you will never be able to take the right action for you or the people around you.  Please stop dismissing your emotions, you have to stop disapproving your emotions and stop expecting yourself to feel differently.  Otherwise, people will just do the same to you.  Do you let other people tell you how you should feel?  If you don’t choose yourself or honor yourself, then why would others choose or honor you?  So don’t deny your true expression or let others trespass on your reality. 

But here’s the real hidden gem in all of this - When you start accepting all of our emotions is also when things can actually start to change for the better.  Since everything is energy, it will start to move this energy up and out just like a bubble in the ocean.  The ocean deep below the surface is quite calm.  That means you can then release it and be free of it.  It’s just that simple. 

Give it a try.  You have nothing to lose except maybe a negative feeling that is holding you back. 

Space: Your Final Frontier

Have you heard the line “if you want something done, give it to a busy person”?  I used to be that person.  But I am so grateful to say that I am no longer that person.  Sometimes, we become busy to avoid looking at things or making the necessary changes in our lives.  Busyness becomes a badge of honor and it creates this false sense of self-importance. 

But when you really dig deeper it’s more like -- I am busy, therefore I am important, therefore I am valuable and therefore I am worthy. 

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any regrets and things unfolded exactly as they should have.  But I got to a point in my life where I had to stop the numbing (and yes it’s a form of numbing) and start living for me. I realized that the number of tasks I could pack into a single day had zero bearing on my value.   I realized that I was worthy no matter what.  We all are.

When we start changing our lives for the better, we give others permission to do the same -especially the little ones in our lives that are watching and learning from our example.  Give yourself permission to free up space in your life.

What does that look like?  How does one free up space? 

• Start saying “No” to things, 
• Automate your life.  Set it and forget it.  (bills, groceries, household chores, whatever!),
• Allocate lots of down time to meditate, journal and get quiet,
• Declutter your life (that includes people and things),
• And when faced with something you are not sure you want to do, ask yourself “will this bring me joy?”

But what’s important to realize about this process is that when you start to free up space in your life, you also start making room for better things to come in.  It’s just how it works.  One door can’t open until another one closes.  So make peace with pausing and becoming less busy.  It will draw you into what’s really important in life; like yourself and being authentically happy. 

Think of it this way.  When you are in a lake and are splashing about, the water starts to get muddy and cloudy.  But it’s when you get still in the water the mud will start to settle down and will you then finally get to see below the surface all the shiny coins at the bottom of the lake.

.