Intentional Living

New Year’s Reflection

January 8, 2021 by 0 Comments
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2020 wasn’t all that bad and I refuse to call it a dumpster fire…

In the beginning of the year, I chose the word “flow” as my word. I’ve been choosing a word for the year for a few years now and this word felt appropriate as I was feeling the familiar urge to control creeping back through my bones.

As the year progressed, I found “flow” becoming more and more difficult to achieve. I wanted to know where and how things would turn out. I wanted to feel certain as more and more things felt like they were falling apart (personally and in the world!)

Lately, I have been trying to find stillness to process all the memories and emotions that 2020 created. I realize that everything felt heightened as well a dulled at various parts of the year. For me, 2020 was the year where immense space was created. What some called a “dumpster fire” I refer to as a clearing, a time to release.

The more I released, the more life seemed to flow for me.

In the beginning of the year, one of the dreams I had been holding so close to my heart became a vapor when we received news of infertility. This sent me into a swirl of emotions. Through deep love and support of friends and family, I found flow again and slowly learned to reconnect with and respect the cycles of my body.

This news became such a gift as I look back because I saw how disconnected I had become from my physical being. Spending so much time in my head had become a place of comfort and yet, it also was a place of paralysis as I stayed fixed in thought not moving forward.

Our greatest pains have the potential to become our deepest insights.

I ended the year completing a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training, which was immensely healing and beneficial in helping me reconnect my mind, body and spirit. I have wanted to do YTT for years and never found the “right time” to pursue it. A friend casually mentioned, Awakening Yoga Academy, over brunch one day and something inside me sparked and the timing felt perfect. After a year of grieving and feeling angry with my body, I decided to do something to bring me back into my body with appreciation, love and grace.

This year also marked the release of book #3! Holding my 3rd book, Sunrise Gratitude, for the first time was very special. I waited extra long for this book as shipping was unpredictable this year. I remember seeing it in the hands of a reader in Australia before I had a chance to see it. It was exciting to know it was real and that people were reading and connecting with it.

Every year, my belief that everything I need is already on its way becomes more solid. There were things I thought I needed this year, and they only became areas of great resistance. Instead, FLOW created so much room for the things that were meant to arrive. The more I trusted, the more hope took root.

As I look forward to 2021, I feel a sense of excitement and HOPE, which I chose as my word for the new year.

This is what I imagine HOPE to look like…

  • New dreams
  • More love for others and ourselves
  • Welcoming serendipity as control is released
  • Collective healing and growth for the world
  • New perspectives and horizons
  • Connection with DEEPER appreciation (hopefully in person)
  • More acceptance of differences
  • Recognizing possibilities instead of dwelling in failures

This year of flow was full of stillness and uncertainty and yet, it felt healing. Flow proved to me that I don’t need to be in control of everything because when I release, all the goodness I can’t see is allowed to fall into place.

Life will always ebb and flow and the more we stay open, the easier it is to accept and grow.

Did you have a word for 2020? I’d love to hear what it was. I hope your year was filled with magical memories and that through the hard stuff, beauty emerged. May your reflections of the past year be filled with wonder because no matter how your year transpired, you are here and that is amazing.

May this next year bring you peace and hope!

How to Deal with Social Media Triggers

June 8, 2020 by 0 Comments
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The past week has been heartbreaking. I have watched several people spew hate and vitriol at strangers on social media and it’s not okay.

We are living in a time that calls for understanding, inclusion, and justice. And yet…the issues are becoming deeper with the harsh judgments and criticisms.

I grew up in a very fundamentalist and legalist environment and I am seeing so many parallels to it on social media and it turns my stomach. I’ve even questioned if I want to continue to be a part of something where such “all or nothing thinking” runs rampant.

When we see hate, we must show up with love.

However, I find myself asking (cue the Black Eyed Peas) “Where is the love?” I am shocked at some of the comments I see and even posts from people I follow(ed) correcting, admonishing, and judging so harshly.

So I took a break…and may continue to because I know I need to learn more about what’s going on and wrestle with the discomforts that have surfaced during the past couple months.

There are a few things that we all need to remember when using social media:

  • Social media can cause an urge to compare
  • Social media can cause an information vortex (like any media outlet)
  • Social media causes high anxiety for many
  • Social media can be a tool to bully others

This past week was supposed to be a call for justice and inclusion and yet, I see more judgement and hate than ever (and I thought COVID posts were mean!). It’s okay to be upset by the injustices. It’s okay to want to do something about it. It’s okay to admit that you need to learn more.

It’s not okay to assume someone else isn’t doing their part. The only thing we have control over is ourselves, our reactions and our thoughts. THAT’S IT! So if we think that spewing hate and judgement is the answer, we have it all wrong.

I’d like to challenge you to flip the narrative in your mind next time you see something online that makes you want to lash out and comment in cruelty. Stop yourself, take a deep breath or three and ask:

  • Why am I being triggered right now?
  • What about this is causing me to react?
  • If I am judging this person, what do I see in myself that causes me to judge?
  • Will my comment bring understanding and love to this situation?
  • Is it my job to correct or change this person?

After asking these questions, comment or move on.

The same can be said if someone isn’t showing up on social media. Do not assume they are staying silent and inactive. They may be taking a break to learn more, volunteer, show up physically to help or they may need a mental health break. All of these reasons are okay. Assuming the worst only makes you upset.

I know the urge to want to create change deeply and intimately. I chose my career path because I feel this urge so deeply. However, I know for a fact that nothing I can do or say will make someone change. I can inspire, encourage and hold accountable (if asked), but that person chooses how they show up in the world.

When we release the need to control others, we free up so much space to create change within, which ultimately creates outward change!

Think about that. When you let go of the need to control others, you have the freedom to change yourself. Life is a learning experience and I guarantee you none of us have any of this right. Social change creates unrest and disrupts the status quo. It’s okay to be uncomfortable and let others find their own way.

The new narrative is being written, edited and translated right now.

Please be part of the solution by spreading love. If you don’t know what to say or do, ask. I reached out to several friends early last week to ask how to show up. They thanked me for asking. All I received was love and advice, because I asked. Please love more.

Love will heal. Love nurtures understanding and growth. Love erases hate.

How will you show up in love today?

Year in Review – 2019 Reflections

December 31, 2019 by 0 Comments
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It always seems to happen around this time of year, nostalgia rises and the memories of the year flood in. Lately, I have been trying to find stillness to process all the memories and emotions that 2019 brought up for me. I realized that this year everything was experienced at a deeper level.

Now, I am a pretty deep person, I live in my head and my heart. I am always thinking and feeling. And yet, this year, I found myself going even deeper. In the depths, I found new ways to love, communicate and show up.

Surrender was a reoccuring theme for me this year and even when I felt like I couldn’t let go anymore, I was shown that I could. As my grasp became looser, my life became richer.

Dreams came true this year as well as some faded into memory. There was a constant pendulum of emotions as I saw my creations come to life as well as some fall away. This is the nature of choosing a creative life; some seeds grow while others never take root. The beauty lies in the ability to create over and over again.

Holding my 2nd book, Find Your Glow Feed Your Soul, for the first time was very special. It’s more beautiful than I could have imagined (thanks to Quarto’s amazing design team). Launching the book was different from the first time because I am constantly learning how to be an author.

Even with the critics, I learned to release my desire to justify and surrender to the fact that not everyone will be my audience. There is a certain freedom that arrived after that. I can still show up for my readers and share my voice.

I learned to love deeper as marriage continues to help me grow and transform as a human. Surrender helped me release my ego a bit more so I could be open to a new level of love. Getting married is an act of surrender. To welcome another person into your life so intimately, especially after years of doing it my way without thought is a beautiful and heady act of release.

I’ve learned new levels of forgiveness, comfort and wonder this year with my husband. We traveled for 67 days as an experiment to see if we could really take our businesses anywhere. Through the digital nomad experience, I learned that not only can we work anywhere, but that we can overcome difficulties fairly quickly.

Our time away was magical, difficult, exciting and inspiring. I loved traveling all over Spain and Italy with Nate. He is an amazing travel partner and his sense of wonder is one of the things I admire most about him. Even with missed trains and lost luggage, he rose to each occasion with calm. He doesn’t dwell and moves forward quickly.

Coming home to our 1 bedroom apartment felt amazing. The place that feels too small at times, was the place we longed to be. I’m learning that roots are a good thing and that I can be grounded and free simultaneously because they are both a state of mind.

Every year, my belief that everything I need is already on its way becomes more solid. There were things I thought I needed this year, and they only became points of resistance and remnants of failure. Instead, so much room was made for the things that were meant to arrive.

As I look back, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and peace. This year was exactly what it was supposed to be. This year was hard in so many places: hard work, hard conversations, hard realizations. Surrender isn’t for the faint of heart. And yet, 2019 was also pretty magical and that is how I want to remember it.

As I look forward to 2020, I feel a sense of calm knowing that I am prepared to hold loosely and allow life to flow; which happens to be my word for the new year.

This is what I imagine FLOW to be…

  • More Stillness, Less Anxiety
  • More Love, Less Judgement
  • More Experience, Less Scrolling
  • More Laughter, Less Pride
  • More Reading, Less Screens
  • More Gratitude, Less Wishing
  • More Acceptance, Less Resistance

This year of surrender was the most productive and successful year of my life. Surrender proved to me that I don’t need to be in control of everything because when I release, all the goodness I can’t see is allowed to fall into place.

It’s good not to always know what’s around the corner, thats where wonder will always abide.

Did you have a word for 2019? I’d love to hear what it was. I hope your year was filled with magical memories and that through the hard stuff, beauty emerged. May your reflections of the past year be filled with wonder because no matter how your year transpired, you are here and that is amazing.

Choosing Joy

August 1, 2018 by 0 Comments
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Every month, I choose a theme to set the tone for how I want my month to go. I starting this practice four years ago and it amazes me what transpires around each themes. What I intend to feel and focus on always presents a lesson to learn. I find that at the end of the month, I have created momentum to welcome the attribute into my life.

Basically, the universe delivers circumstances where I can exercise whichever muscle I say I want to strengthen. For instance, the month I chose patience was trying, but I did become more patient because the opportunities and intention were there and I met them with the willingness to grow. The month I chose stillness was the slowest month socially, but with plenty of time to learn to be still.

The universe meets us where we are at and provides the tools and lessons needed to activate our desired outcomes.

This month, I am choosing joy. I wanted to choose a theme where I knew I could gain more strength and be celebratory because August is my birthday month and I love birthdays! My intention is to welcome more joy into my life and choose joy when I feel negativity creep in. I want to calibrate my brain towards joy and rewire the pathways that default to lower vibrations like anger, sadness, judgement, jealousy and anxiety.

Choosing joy does not mean that happiness is a constant state. It means, when joy is the hardest to feel, I want to work on choosing it and strengthen my emotional resilience.

Going through hard things makes joy even greater.

When I visualized what this would look like, it thought about those moments when I feel my face scrunch up because a smile just isn’t enough to express how happy I feel. I call these heart smiles and have been known to use the expression “you/it made my heart smile” because I feel the joy so deeply. People, experiences, nature and certain memories are things that bring so much joy, my heart bursts with happiness. The great thing is that feeling is available to me at all times.

For instance, I waited a long time to get married, I have the heart scars to show it. There were so many sad endings and at points, I didn’t know if it would happen for me. Then, I got very specific and intentional to attract the relationship I desired. When I met my husband, I knew it was him. It was the most sure I had ever been in my life. I told my close friend that I met the man I was going to marry after our first date. Sure, it sounds strange, but I knew it.

Fast forward to our wedding day, I could not get down the aisle fast enough to marry him. He was standing at the end of the aisle beaming, my eyes were fixed on him. My heart was smiling and instead of crying tears of joy, I had perma-grin, my heart found joy. Even as I type this, I can feel that emotion of seeing him as I walked down the aisle well up inside my heart. It is a beautiful feeling: joyful, exciting and deep.

Joy lives deep within us and is ready to be recalled at a moments notice.

So what can one do when they feel negativity creeping in? Try this practice to help retrain the brain to find joy:

  • Identify one of the most joyful moments in your life; one where you felt like your heart would burst with happiness.
  • Now, REALLY feel it. Feel it in your heart, your mind, your skin, your gut…
  • Sit with that feeling.
  • Breathe in the positive vibes that memory provides.
  • Notice the energy shift that occured because you just took a moment to choose joy.

Remember: this feeling is available to you at any time. You can access it whenever you feel a lower emotional state. Just take a moment to practice this exercise at those times and the feelings of joy can arrive. The more we stop negative emotions from taking over and choose joy, they less frequently our brain will want to default to negativity. This practice raises your vibration and since like energy attracts like energy, higher vibrations will arrive.

What will you choose to focus on this month?

Worm Moon

March 1, 2018 by 0 Comments
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Spring is soon arriving! As the ground thaws after a long winter, the soil begins to aerate thanks to the movement of earthworms. Underneath, where no one can see their work, worms are creating a healthy environment for seeds and roots to take place.

Even before the eye can behold the plant, important inner work is being completed.

Tonight’s Worm Moon highlights the work that needs to be completed in our souls. Allow the light of the full moon to illuminate the places where you would like growth to take root. Clear out the soul clutter that has accumulated and create room for movement.

Soul clutter can look like the following:

  • Hurt Feelings
  • Resentments
  • Attachment
  • Expectations
  • Bitterness
  • Obsessive Thoughts

When we hold on to things that no longer serve us, we stunt our own growth and healing. Vibrancy radiates from the inside outward. Letting go revitalizes and gives space where restriction once occurred.

There have been several things in my own soul that have accumulated as clutter. I realized that I was unable to focus on the amazing things that are happening because I held on to single events that caused pain. By holding onto the new pain, I wasn’t being present for the new joy flowing into my life. I was caught off guard by the whirlwind that persisted through the calm of joy.

I had to decide to embrace the joy and let go of what was no longer serving me to fully appreciate the magnitude of what was happening in my life.

Soul clutter will numb the joy and even the sorrow. We can get so attached to the feeling of clutter that we don’t even realize we are holding on to something negative. It is like hoarding negative emotions; the more we ignore them, the more comfortable they become. In stillness, we can discover the places that need to be moved and aired out.

Here is a good way to locate the places that need clearing out:

  1. Sit in a quiet place and write down how you have been feeling lately. Notice how your body, mind and spirit feel. Take note on how your relationships have been functioning and how you relate to your physical environment.
  2. Write how you would like to feel in each area.
  3. Then note what keeps you from feeling or experiencing what you want to feel or experience. (These are the things you need to let go of.)
  4. Choose 1 or 2 things to let go of tonight. Allow yourself the next month to focus on letting go.
  5. Watch for new growth where there was once stagnation.
  6. Offer gratitude (every single day).

During a full moon, it is important to notice what no longer serves you. Think of the amount of light the moon is reflecting. Use this time to see all the places where clutter has been stored, release it and allow the moon’s light to illuminate the new space so what is meant to be there will find its way.

Creating a Side Hustle

September 25, 2017 by 3 Comments
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Starting a business is one of the most exciting and terrifying things I have done. When I decided to go into business, I had no idea what I needed to do. I just knew I wanted to help people. The idea of coaching was presented to me by a stranger and when I asked those close to me, they agreed that he was right.

I didn’t know where to begin, but the more I thought about it, I realized it was where I needed to be.

One of the questions I ask my clients is “What is something people consistently ask or need from you?” There is a wealth of information in this answer. Each of us have talents and will find that we are asked to do the same favors or asked for the same advice time and again. When I answered this question, the answer was coaching, mentoring or training.

Starting a business was something I would think about, but was afraid to embark on because it seemed too difficult to navigate. There were so many pieces to the puzzle, and I didn’t want to take the time to figure them out, especially while I was working for someone else.

When I finally started my business, I realized that every job I had before gave me tools to help run a business. I noticed where the skills I acquired working for companies were coming in handy and helping me create a business. Each experience provided an outline for a process that I would need to create.

Now, I coach several women who want to start their own businesses. Many who want to start a side hustle before leaving their jobs. I love watching the progression from “I think I want to …” to “I am so happy I started …!”

If you are thinking about starting a business, here are a few tips to help you get started:

  1. Get clear on what you want to do: make a list of all the things you would do if money wasn’t an issue. Ask yourself: what do people tend to come to me for or ask me often? Look at your list and notice where a potential side hustle could bloom.
  2. What problem do you solve?: Think about all the things that you are good at and think about the specific problem you will solve with your business.
  3. Who is your ideal client?: Write out the attributes, spending habits, specific needs and issues this client faces. This exercise is valuable to help you hone in on who you are speaking to and recognizing your market.
  4. How will I make money?: Decide on whether you will be offering a product or service. Make a list of what your potential offerings will be.
  5. What do I need to start?: Will you need materials, a website, social media, products, a certification, investors? Figure out what you need to do before you get started and make a list and timeline.
  6. Name your business: Once all of the above steps are completed, its time to name your baby! This can take some time and you may find out that someone else has the name. I always suggest making a list of words that emulate what you are trying to say with your business and working from there.
  7. Never stop learning: if you haven’t already, pick up books, take classes, watch videos and surround yourself with like-minded individuals. Owning a business is a never ending education and have resources and a network are lifesavers.

With these steps, you will have a great start to beginning your journey as a business owner. There are many intricacies to having a business, but clarity must come first. It is also important to allow your business to be fluid and change with you as you grow.

If you would like more help on how to make your dream idea into a reality,  check out my business coaching packages to help you get started.

Flow

May 24, 2017 by 0 Comments
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I recently traveled to Utah with my boyfriend for a quick weekend getaway. Days prior to the trip, I was laid off from a job that I used to help supplement income. Despite my efforts, it felt like a constant struggle and my soul was not at peace. I tried my best and remembered a lesson my dad taught me “Always do your best and keep your integrity intact.”

I created a deadline to leave in a month if the energy didn’t shift into alignment. Two days after I set that goal, I was called into an office and laid off. I was grateful for my renewed freedom, but disappointed with the way it ended. Although I did not see it coming, I offered gratitude for the manifestation blessing.

So, there I was in Utah about to embark on a hike. As we stepped onto the trail, we were welcomed by a rushing river tumbling through the valley. It was breathtaking. It had been a while since I had seen a river so swollen and rushing. The sound was meditative and never ending, staying with us until we made our way high enough to where the path became snow.

The snow was a surprise as we trudged our way through ankle deep snow trying to reach a lake that we were told was magnificent. Now, I am not a fan of being cold, let alone hiking through snow in summer clothes. But, I knew that I needed to keep going. I complained to my boyfriend who seemed unfazed by the new terrain. He encouraged me as I made my way up the icy hill.

After what seemed like forever, we made it to the lake. It was surrounded by snow and was frozen solid. I had a bit of disappointment because my expectation was a lake surrounded by a meadow filled with wildflowers. I sat down on a rock and meditated. I released my expectations. I released my fatigue. I released being cold. I sat there in the sun for 20 minutes with my eyes closed, just breathing in and out.

Off in the distance, I could hear a rock falling from up high. I was amazed at the silence of the scenery and the ability to hear a rock falling. The frozen scene created the stillness to be present. I felt at peace.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the lake through a different lens. It was absolutely beautiful. The mountains that surrounded us seemed to provide an expansive nature making me feel so small, yet very powerful. I made it all the way to 9000′ where the sun had not melted a lake yet. I breathed in gratitude for the newfound appreciation and smiled.

I raised my vibration at a higher elevation.

As we made our way back down, I felt renewed and accomplished. Halfway down, the river started rushing as the ground went from snow to mud to dirt once more. The river once again serenaded our hike and I realized that I needed to welcome flow back into my life.

I recognized for my life to flow freely, I had to let myself melt like the snow.

The rigid constraints that I had made to create security and certainty were blocking flow from occurring. I was in my own way. When I take things into my own hands with control, it never really works. I was pushed out of something that wasn’t allowing flow to continue into my life. I noticed what a tight grip I tried to maintain once again.

From experience, I know that the things I hold tight to are the ones that slip away. In this case, it was security and certainty.

The following week, I approached my business with a new-found focus and intention. I realized that when I let go and allow flow to happen, everything falls into place and it is — effortlessly and beautifully. The resistance and pressure I had created blocked the positive energy that was trying to flow into my life.

I was not expecting such a lesson from a river in the middle of the Utah wilderness. But I am so grateful for the raging river and frozen lake that taught me to change my perspective and release expectations in order to allow flow to occur.

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.  – Lao Tzu

Reclaiming Time

April 25, 2017 by 0 Comments
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I have been struggling with my relationship with time: I feel like there is never enough. When I think back to the days right after I quit my job to travel, I remember the immense fear of “What do I do with my time now?!” As I became more comfortable with my freedom, I felt like I could soar and had no limits. I couldn’t believe that I had created a reality where I could to write, travel and soak up as much sun as possible.

That lasted 2 years. And then I started to get busy with building my business and had to coordinate a schedule again. It was fun and exciting to create something from scratch, but it took up a lot of time. I found myself on the edge of overwhelm.

The frustration that comes from feeling like there is not enough time rob the joy from the present moment.

I found myself no longer enjoying the moment I was in and looked at the time wondering if I had enough to get to the next thing on my long list completed. Then my sleep started to suffer. I would wake up at 3am my mind decided it was the perfect time to think about my schedule and dwell on the feeling of not having enough time.

The feeling of time scarcity created even more fatigue and stress.

I was missing was being in the present moment and embracing what was happening as it was happening. I was spending too much time projecting into the future that I robbed the present moment of my attention. So I decided to break up with my relationship with time in order to rebuild a healthier one.

As I found a healthier way to approach time, I found these tools to help immensely:

  1. Meditation every morning: This grounds me and brings me into the present moment before the day’s events even have a chance to overwhelm. From this new grounded state, I am able to approach the day with focus and intent.
  2. Put the phone down: Having access to the internet, emails, calendars and even time keeps me from enjoying the present moment. I decided to put the phone away while interacting with people in order to fully appreciate their presence and the time we were spending together. I found my interactions became richer and time seemed to feel abundant.
  3. Prioritize tasks: To-do lists are very important to me, but now I make sure that each week, I only write down the “must dos” instead of creating a long list of tasks that aren’t as pressing. When I complete the tasks I set out to do, I realize that I have plenty of time to tackle some of the less pressing priorities.
  4. Make time for myself: All the running around and working made me feel guilty to take moments to myself. But, when I make time for myself, guilt free, I feel more energetic and joyful and time seems to slow down for me when I am not as stressed.
  5. Workout: There is always time to get some physical activity in. Taking walks, bike rides, trips to the gym…can all be fit into a busy schedule. There are apps that have been created to help you get workouts in. Prioritize physical health and the gift will be higher metabolism and more energy to tackle a busy schedule.

The feeling of scarcity that comes from being constantly connected fades when I make time for stillness.

I learned that when I treat time with respect, it doesn’t run out. I feel more abundant with time when I practice mindfulness and step into the present moment.  From this place, I can breathe deeper and notice my surroundings.

Snow Moon

February 10, 2017 by 0 Comments
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In the depths of winter, a stillness takes over. Snow falls, covering the ground like a blanket. All is white. Even sound is muffled by the snow’s insulation. Layers are worn to protect from the cold and keep warmth inside. The snow remains as long as the temperatures stay low. Winter is the time for shorter days and colder nights.

Snow provides a beautiful stillness.

Tonight is the full snow moon. The cold of winter has lingered and many of us have gone inward; into our homes and into our thoughts. We have put on layers to protect ourselves from the cold as well as emotional walls to keep others out. Some intentionally and other without a thought. Our defenses go up and keep things from getting in, muffling the voices and emotions that want to get through.

The snow moon is the time to notice where these walls are taking place, where the cold lingers and as a few important questions…

What is being muffled, muted or quieted?

  • Is it your voice trying to say the things your heart is dying to articulate?
  • Do you keep up a wall in order to protect your heart from being hurt?
  • Have past hurts caused a cooling down of your desires?

The beautiful thing about the snow is that underneath, growth is still occurring. In the spring, melted snow reveals that life goes on despite the cold. No matter what layer you have put on to insulate you from pain, growth is still taking place.

In order to recognize the transition, melting has to occur. Sometimes this can look like forgiveness, understanding or love. We may need to offer these to ourselves or to others. When forgiveness and love takes place, something melts. Hearts are opened and free to express. All the thoughts that swirl in our heads can lay to rest. There is no more room for bitterness, cold or judgment.

Understanding comes from opening the heart and mind.

Tonight is the perfect time to set an intention to allow melting to occur around the walls you have built. If there are emotions that need to be expressed, express them. If there are words that need to be said, say them, or journal them if your voice can’t find it’s way yet. If your desires have been quieted, do something to add heat in that area of your life and let the melting surface the buried passion.

Growth takes time. Beautiful, strong and vibrant plants are the ones that take root despite the hardships. Spring is coming and the snow is slowly melting. Allow growth to take place and feel the warmth permeate all areas of your heart.

Vibrancy

February 2, 2017 by 1 Comment
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Several years ago, I was driving down the street to work. The jacarandas were in bloom. There was a breeze creating a shower of beautiful, purple petals all the way down the street. At the end of the street was San Diego harbor. It was a dreamy morning. Everything was lined up to make beautiful day.

Everything except my energy. As I drove down the street, I felt the strangle of panic take over. My breathing became shallow and I started to hyperventilate. As I parked my car, tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t breathe. I allowed myself to sink deeper and deeper until I was paralyzed. I called in sick from the parking garage and drove home to cry.

Fast forward 6 years and I am driving down that same street and the conditions are exactly the same. I parked the car and stood underneath the sprinkle of jacaranda petals and smiled. The street was still the same. The trees were still offering their gift of beauty. The only thing that had changed was my mindset and the energy I was choosing to emit.

Think about how a lightbulb is able to shine. Energy flows through to emit light. The exchange of energy with a tiny filament can light an entire room. Cut off the energy and the room goes dim. That is amazing!

We too have the ability to allow energy to flow through us to emit vibrations that invite like towards us. For instance, the regular practice of gratitude creates more opportunities for gratitude. When we give love, it comes back. The same can be said with receiving gratitude and love. When we allow these vibrations to flow through us, we raise our frequency of vibration and therefore are more vibrant.

On the other hand, negative emotions can create the same effect within. A bad day can spiral into a bad week if we choose to dwell on it. The energy that it creates attracts things like commiseration, anxiety and stress. This is not to say that bad things won’t happen…but the energy we allow to flow through us will either brighten or dull our vibrancy.

To live a vibrant life, one has to look at the mind, body and soul. Our minds have great power over us and when we live and react from the mind, we tend to try to rationalize everything. This is where anxiety can take over. If there isn’t an answer or timeline we can create meanings which spiral into beliefs which then create like energy.

The same goes for our body. What we put into it and how we treat it creates vibrational energy that we emit. For instance, the feeling after eating a fresh salad as opposed to a greasy cheeseburger. Its no surprise that eating foods with higher vibrational energy like plants help make us feel more vibrant and energetic.

Finally our soul is our storehouse of energy. This is where vibrancy resides. Creating a routine where there is a connection to the soul is important to nurturing a vibrant life. Books, prayer, meditation, walks in nature, writing, art and stillness all have the power to connect us to our soul and create positive energy.

To create a more vibrant and energetic life, here are 10 things that will help raise the your vibrations and nurture vibrancy:

  1. Exercise
  2. Daily morning routine where you connect to your soul (it can be as short or as long as you like, just take the time to connect.)
  3. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables. Plants have high vibrational energy.
  4. Spend time in nature
  5. Smile
  6. Practice gratitude daily. Name 3 things you are grateful for every day. Write it down
  7. Take time to connect with loved ones.
  8. Breathe
  9. Be careful of what you take in. Think about how you feel after reading or watching something. If you notice that something brings you down, ask yourself: “Is this necessary for me to continue to consume?”
  10. Give of your time and/or resources to help others.

There is a beautiful thing that happens when we start to shine our lights more vibrantly: we light up what was once dark. When we choose to operate from a higher frequency, everything, including you seems more vibrant. This is because the vibration is actually opening the mind and eyes to what has been in front of us all along.