Today's Topic - Adventure

There's no guarantee that trying something new won't kick your ass but there's no guarantee it won't. God has a way of making us grow whether we're ready or not. We can be brave and do things that scare us or God will eventually push us out of the nest so we can grow.

There's a big world out there and more than the little bubble so many of us stay in because it's comfortable. I'm not suggesting we recklessly jump of cliffs without thinking things through; I'm saying that if you want to try something but are afraid, do it anyway. The fear is always bigger than the outcome whether it be easy or challenging.  You will grow no matter what and that's what we're here to do.

Today's Topic - Forgiveness

Forgiveness doesn't mean we are letting them off the hook for what they've done. It means we are no longer willing to carry the heavy burden of the resentment. Forgiveness sets us free and makes us feel lighter, this includes forgiving ourselves.

Freedom comes from realizing we are all human and we all make mistakes. Some of us even forget why we are mad at someone; we just know were mad so we stay that way. Life is too damn short for petty shit.  Forgive others, move on and enjoy your life.  Surround yourself with supportive and loving people even if that's just one person. Send those noble friends love & light and pray they find their way.

Today's Topic - Processing Grief

I know for me, I've run from grief because I didn't want to feel it but have learned you can't run from it. Eventually it comes out in other ways such as unresolved issues that bleed into our relationships with others. It's hard to feel our feelings and we tend to want to numb them out. I think it's probably a natural survival response for some of us.

So if we can't run from our feelings the only thing left to do is face them head on. Not easy but essential for our well being. Maybe we just process a little at a time and that's ok. Like anything in life, there are ebs and flows that this too shall always pass. Time and feeling heals all wounds.

Today's Topic - Choose Your Battles Wisely

How often do we fret over the stupidest things? I know I have and I've learned most of it is nonsense and not worth the fight. If we want happiness & at peace, we need to prioritize the battles we choose to fight. We don't always need to win. Sometimes walking away is winning and taking the high road.

Love and Forgiveness = Happiness.

Today's Topic - Timing

If you ever looked back at a situation you really wanted to happen and either it didn't or it took longer than you hoped? And then you realize how grateful you are that it didn't happen or happened later- So why do we still tend to get stuck in the timing? For me, I guess I forget to trust the process and even God's plan sometimes.

Reminding ourselves that diving timing is on our side is another key to our peace of mind. Things always work out in the end, maybe not the way we think it's supposed to but usually better.

Today's Topic - Letting Go Of Shame

Shame is the lowest vibration one can hold in their body.  We are not perfect beings and we all have something we are ashamed of but holding that shame in the body is toxic both physically and emotionally.  Releasing shame is a way we can forgive ourselves and be free.

We are only as sick as our secrets so in order to be free is to tell someone about them. Whether that be a close friend or God, getting rid of shame and secrets will make you feel lighter and happier.

I learned a theda exercise that's helped me over the years. Writing a letter to yourself about your shame or secrets, then burning it while affirming that you forgive yourself for whatever mistakes you've made helps peel that onion and release shame from your body. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by just trying this exercise. It may take more than one letter but continuing to forgive yourself until you feel lighter will free your body and mind of toxins.

Today's Topic - Self Love Self Care

Taking care of ourselves first is not selfish, it's essential. When your on an airplane they always tell you to put your oxygen on yourself first, then your child. So why is it that we take care of others first? Are we avoiding taking care of ourselves? Do we feel like we're not good parents or spouses if we don't take care of ourselves first?

I don't know about you but for me, if I'm not good nothing around me is either. Every day there are things I need to do to set the tone for my day. Meditation, stretching, exercise, and affirmations. It gets my mind right for the day. You cannot transmit what you don't have so you are doing yourself a disservice by not taking care of yourself first.

Today's Topic- Hope

There are random acts of kindness going on all around us every day if we choose to see them. It's as simple as a courteous driver letting us into traffic or someone holding the door for us, we for them. Watching the news can bring our vibration down forcing us to see only the bad that goes on in the world.

That goes with our internal struggles too. We can always see the light of a bad situation we are in or want to change. There's always something to learn from a dark experience. Getting through tough times gives us our wings to fly. Hope of good things to come despite being up against obstacles.

We have the choice to choose hope and see the best in people and situations. Today I choose to see light and have hope.

Today's Topic - Taking Risks

It's not the mistakes we regret in the end, it's the risks we don't take.  Fear can keep us paralyzed and stuck in the "what if".  Try this one, what is the worst thing that could happen if you take a particular risk?  Usually if we really break it down we can live with the worse case scenario.

I'm working on this with my book. For me, the worst thing that could happen is I put my vulnerability out there and am judged or that I make all this effort, spend all this money and nothing happens. Can I live with that? Well, I've been judged and will always be judged by someone- I can deal with that.

Not finishing my book however, would be more of a regret because I quit on myself. My hope in helping even just one person is out the window. I have to keep going and give birth to my creativity no matter how scary it is.

There are no guarantees in takings risks but there is a guarantee that if we don't, we will never know the possibility of what could be. Can you live with that?

Today's Topic - Expectations

We've all done it. We get excited about something or someone and get let down. Intention and expectation are two very different things. Intention is putting it "out there" and letting God do the rest. Expectation is putting it "out there" expecting a certain outcome.

I know for me, I've been let down by people, situations, and myself. This especially goes for me when I'm trying to change a behavior and slip back into old behavior.  I beat myself up because if I can't control my own actions what control do I have?

I'm working on being more conscience of my own behavior but I'm human and I slip from time to time. My expectations of myself are just as devastating when I let myself down.

This is something I'm working on and haven't mastered. It's a daily workout on my mind and practice will never make perfect- at least for me. Practice means I'm getting better but I'll never be perfect. I can live with that.

Todays''s Topic - Perspective

I love this quote from Wayne Dyer. Life has it's everyday ebs and flows and the key is perspective. Things can always be worse. When I get stuck in my shit whether things are hard at work or I don't feel well because of my auto immune issues, I try to put things into perspective.

What if I didn't have the use of my legs? Without my legs I couldn't work. What if I couldn't see? I couldn't drive to be of service to my clients. That's a dramatic perspective but it helps me get unstuck. We tend to take for granted the simple things that, if they were gone our lives would be very different.

If your in a good space today, enjoy that thoroughly. If you're struggling, put things into perspective. Things can always be worse.

Today's Topic - Comparing Ourselves

One of my favorite teachers Eckhart Tolle wrote in his book, A New Earth that whether we are feeling inferior or superior to others, we are in ego.  Nobody's better or less than anybody, period. It doesn't matter how much money, status, fame they have we all still bleed red.

We have to remember that social media is an illusion. People don't typically display the ugly parts of their lives, it's best foot forward and it's bullshit. We have the lives we have for a reason, to learn what we need to learn here. Embracing the life that God gave you will produce more happiness and peace.

When you find yourself caught up in comparing, remind yourself to get back into your own life. It's the only one we have and make the best of where you are in this moment. We all have the choice to take ordinary and make it extraordinary.

Today's Topic - Celebrate Being Different

Sometimes the things that make us different can feel like a burden but they are what make us unique from everyone else. We all come in different shapes and sizes, different personalities and quirkiness  Celebrating and embracing that unique part of ourselves is what makes us shine.

 The part of you that you try to hide from the world is what the world needs to see. Celebrate all aspects of yourself, including the parts of you that are messy and rough around the edges. Ordinary is overrated.

Today's Topic - Addiction

My addiction has been cigarettes for 37 years. It's been a process of quitting, slipping, quitting, and slipping. Each time I've learned something about myself and how I tick. We tend to think we are so different from each other but the truth is, most of us are recovering from something. Recovery is anything that holds us hostage and those things are vast.

In A.A. they teach you to look at the similarities and not the differences in people. That's where we can reconnect with the world. We are never alone because we are all fighting our our battles and weaknesses.

Today, remember compassion for others and yourself. Whatever your battle is, take it one day at a time and be gentle with yourself. Remember that your not alone and that your human. You will have good days and bad days and that's ok.  Just don't give up on yourself.

Today's Topic- Don't Sweat It

"Don't sweat the petty stuff and don't pet the sweaty stuff"- Steven Tyler. I love this quote because first, it always makes me laugh and second; it reminds me to not take life so seriously. Worriers are notorious for sweating the small stuff and 99% of what they sweat about never happens.

It's a challenge to break a cycle but totally achievable with discipline. How happy do you want to be? Sweating robs us of our joy and happiness. Choose your battles wisely. Choose what's really worth sweatin' about and toss the rest of the nonsense. Life's too short.

Today's Topic - Falling Back

If you've ever hiked up a mountain, you know that every time  you look up at how far you have to go to get to the top, it feels like you'll never make it. When you look behind at how far you've come; well, that's a different perspective. Sometimes life can feel like we're just pushing spaghetti and going nowhere. Absolutely not true, we are moving forward, it's just hard to see it when your in it.

I'm sure you've heard the term two steps forward three steps back. So what does that really mean? I guess you can look at it this way. If your two steps forward and three steps back, your one step ahead; and that's progress. It's all a matter of how we choose to see it. There's always something to learn from a set back but it doesn't mean we're not moving forward.

My point is, don't give up. You will astonish yourself with your progress once you realize how far you've come.

Today's Topic - Envy

Social media has certainly had it's way with me over the years, causing me to compare my life to others. We all know social media is fake, the real shit is behind the scenes so it's an illusion of happiness.

Social media tends to take us out of our own lives and we forget our own greatness. Envy and  comparing ourselves with others will never bring joy. Learning to have a boundary not just with people but with social media is important to our well being.

Who we are is enough and amazing and there is greatness in all of us. We all have a gift that nobody else has. Tap into your own gift and let yourself shine in the world. Be in your own life, it's the only one you have.

Today's Topic - Intention

Clear intention along with action to back it up creates miracles. First we must get clear on our intent. When we're not sure of our intent we confuse the Universe and it doesn't know what to bring to us. Today try this on, write down your intent for the day- what do you want to achieve?  What actions need to be taken to achieve the goal? Be really clear about it.  Take the intent with you throughout out your day and see what happens. It's just an experiment, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Today's Topic - Procrastination

I don't know about you guys but I needed to hear this one this morning. I've been procrastinating and makes excuses for why I'm not writing my book. It's hard, I'm scared, blah blah blah... The procrastination is tormenting me somewhat because it's going to be on my mind until it's done.

I never thought of procrastination equating to worry but it makes sense. So, whatever your procrastinating about, remember that worry follows and if you don't want to worry, don't procrastinate.

Today's Topic - The Perfect Moment

We will never be ready to do something we are afraid of. Anything new is scary for many people. The fear of the unknown paralyzes people.  So much; that for some, that they never jump. You will never be ready to grow because it's painful and requires stepping outside the comfort zone, outside the predictable and into a completely new space.

And once you've taken that leap it's hard to go back. Once you've grown, you can't shrink again and if you try; it's painful. It's like wearing an outfit that just doesn't fit anymore. We're meant to grow and shine so get comfortable being uncomfortable and jump! Leave no regrets on the table.

Today's Topic - Getting Unstuck

I learned this one when I was in A.A working through an addiction. We all tend to get caught up in self pity on occasion and that's ok. To stay in that space for too long is not healthy. I find that for me, getting outside myself when I'm stuck turns the focus on service of others rather than myself and it helps.

Service work and helping others raises our vibration and when others witness us helping others or an act of kindness, it raises their vibration. It a world where so many people have become disconnected from themselves and others, we can help them by being the change we want to see in the world and that in turn, we get unstuck and find our happy place again.

Today's Topic - Anxiety

How is it that just a word, not even a tangible thing can have so much effect on us? It goes back to not getting what we want or losing what we have that makes us anxious.  When we're 100% present doing something we love, anxiety is the farthest thing from our minds but on Sunday night when we have to go to work the next day, anxiety sweeps in to give us a swift kick in the ass.

Ok, so how do we manage it? Well, as much as I don't love to meditate, breathing always brings me back. We forget to breathe and how powerful it really is. Last night was a testament to that. I was struggling and uncomfortable in my skin. I wanted to smoke and do anything not to feel the way I was feeling. Instead I did a 10 minute meditation. I spent the whole 10 minutes actually slowing my breath down because the anxiety was intense but it worked. I felt calm again and the anxiety was gone.

Breathing doesn't just keep us alive, it keeps us sane.

Today's Topic - Progress

I've been up and down the stairs trying to write a book. It's been a labor of love and very difficult to write yet something inside of me tells me to keep going. I'm scared. I'm scared of being judged. I'm scared of not making a difference. I'm scared of what I can't see. I have to keep going and keep digging deep down to find more courage inside myself.

We are all going through something like this and it takes grit to keep going and not give up. The regret of not doing it is bigger then the fear. Keep climbing, even if you fall to the bottom. Get back up & dust yourself off. Don't give up on yourself!

Today's Topic - Perception

When a caterpiller is in the chrysalis, it's purpose is to struggle so it can give it's wings strength. When you change your perception and realize that when your struggling, your preparing your wings to fly. It's not a bad thing, just part of the process.

What we resist persists so if you are in a struggle at the moment, lean into it. Do your best to learn what God is trying to teach you and reveal to you. The clarity will come, this too shall pass, and you will soon be flying. Don't give up!

Today's Topic - Insanity

My biggest challenge has been quitting smoking. I've tried every which way to smoke like I'm not an addict. It doesn't work. I've quit countless times, my mind tricks me into thinking I can just have one. Addiction is addiction. Working through those really uncomfortable moments when I think I just can't do it is going to be the key to my success.  Until then, I will be living out the definition of insanity.  Easier said than done, at least for me.

No matter what space you are in today, whatever habit your trying to break, doing the same behavior the same will always lead you back to the beginning but try and try again until you get it right. To not try is to fail so what do we have to lose? Again, we have more in common than we realize. We are all fighting something inside of us that holds us back or keeps us stuck. It's ok. It's ok to fall and relapse but get back up and try again. Progress not perfection.

Today's Topic - The Need To Know

I don't know about you guys but I'm a need to know kinda gal. I am constantly working on releasing the outcome and what I can't see or control. I guess if we knew all the answers it would take the fun out of life a little. I'm sure we would live our lives differently but there would be no mystery.

Not knowing what's around the corner gives us the opportunity to be excited for the possibilities of miracles. We get to live each day as if it's our last, continuing to stay in gratitude, telling our loved ones how much they mean to us, and enjoy each moment the best we can.

No matter where you are in this moment know that this too shall pass.  We will always be in the ebbs & flows of life going up and down. It's up to us to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Today's Topic - The Past

We are not defined by our past, it's simply a trail we've left behind. A simple shift in perception on how we view the past can set us free. We can look at the past mistakes and lessons as friend, not foe and celebrate the fact that, without our past we would not be the people we are today.