Tag: gratitude

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Morning Routine and Daily Structure

Today I am going to share with you why having a morning routine and daily structure is so important. Especially now in our current state.

I have seen tons of posts and talked with my clients about how difficult it is to maintain a routine when we have to stay at home.

First, I want to talk about the fact that it is not that you can’t maintain a routine, it’s that you need to adapt your normal routine to your new normal.

It’s a different perspective for sure. It’s different. And it’s doable.

I will talk about all that in a minute because first, I want to start with the morning routine.

I want you to think about how you handle your mornings. After all, how you handle them will dictate how you handle your entire day.

If you are continuously snoozing your alarm and then jump out of bed, rush around getting ready, and then run out the door, how can you expect your day not to be just like that?

Sure, we have responsibilities. We have kids and husbands and pets that all need tending to and cared for.

But it IS possible to tend and care for yourself also!

The trick is (shocker) to change your mindset first. Instead of thinking “I don’t have time in the morning for me” you need to think “I have all the time I need for me” and then MAKE the time.

If you are “looking” for time, it will never happen.

Let’s take a look at my morning routine.

I wake up at 5am-every day. Except occasionally I will allow myself to sleep in an extra hour on the weekends if I was up later the night before or not feeling well.

This is easy for me because I am a morning person. My body naturally wakes early.

But for those that have trouble waking early, start with 15-minute increments and increase from there.

I read for a minimum of 10 minutes every day. The topics of reading are all personal development, educational, self-help, or inspirational in nature.

I journal my gratitudes-every day. I actually write them out. Then I go back through and read each one slowly and actually FEEL grateful while reading them and say thank you.

I write out my 10 dreams every day. This is a practice I got from the amazing Rachel Hollis and I can do a whole session on this later, but it works just like the gratitudes. As I write them, I say and read them slowly, and say thank you as if they have already happened.

I meditate for 10 minutes every day. I meditate on my business. I meditate on my affirmations. I meditate on the life that I am creating. Whatever it is. I take this quiet time for me.

So, as you can see, I am at about 30 minutes total. Notice what DID NOT HAPPEN…

I did not once say I checked my email, social media, the news, or picked up any electronic device of any kind.

When you are first waking up, your subconscious is still fully engaged so you definitely do not want to infiltrate it with all of the negative or stimulating things that can send you spinning first thing.

Now, I am awake and feeling refreshed and so I get out of bed and get ready for my workout.

My workouts last anywhere from 30-60 minutes depending on how I feel and what I am doing. I work out at home so if you have to drive somewhere, be sure to plan your time accordingly.

Now, my workouts aren’t always hard and intense. The goal is to move the body for 30 minutes at an elevated heart rate. That’s it. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Some days, I do what I call a “get ready for work workout” where I start my activity on my Fitbit and start marching in place and then pick up the stepping while I am tending to the dog, packing, my lunch, making my bed, getting my clothes ready. 

I incorporate jumping jacks, running in place, high knees, etc. every few minutes to get a little spike in the heart rate.

I do squats and lunges while I am brushing my teeth.

I then do some push-ups and crunches, a little stretching, and then hit the shower.

I am ready to hit the road. Or, in this case with my current situation, hit my dining room table and get to work.

I had to develop this way of working out because I have such a long commute to the office and I am not able to work out at night, so I work in a workout as I get ready.

You can do the same with chores but I add my 80’s music and it becomes a dance party!

That’s the morning routine guys. It’s not glamorous but I LOVE my morning routine because it sets me up for great success for the rest of the day.

And speaking of, now let’s talk about the daily structure. Adapting your normal routine to your “new normal”.

I am going to use my daily “normal” as an example so if you have kids at home, you can adapt their daily normal to your “new normal” as well.

And speaking of…the whole workout thing. I see so many of you saying that you “can’t work out at home because you have kids”. I call BS on that. Here’s why:

They can do what you are doing! And they will love being included AND get their own exercise going!

So, in the example of my “getting ready for work workout”, have them do the same. As they are “getting ready” have them keep their feet moving while making the bed as you are doing the same. 

Then yell out “20 jumping jacks” and you stop and all do them together. Keep doing that until everyone has completed the said tasks. SIMPLE GUYS.

Ok, back to the daily structure.

I have two words for you. TIME BLOCKING.

I am not even kidding.

USE YOUR CALENDAR!

Actually block out the time you will be working out.

Block out the time you need to spend “working”.

Now working for you should be as close to the normal time and hours spent you would be working during a regular day.

If you have been furloughed or laid off and have kiddos at home, your working time would be the time you are spending homeschooling or doing activities with them.

But you need to time block this.

I am not blessed to have kiddos at home while also trying to work from home but I do have some thoughts and suggestions as to how to manage both.

By no means will this be perfect. But keep trying, stay flexible, and you will get to your new normal.

Incorporate their “study” time with time that you are “working”. That way you all are focused at the same time.

Take breaks and get up and move, and start again.

But time block this.

Set a block of time for each task, study/work hour, workout, whatever on your digital calendar and set a reminder to go off when you should be ready for each task.

This will help you stay focused, more efficient, and hopefully less stressed about your day.

I have some people say that they have to time block their showers because they will forget..and that’s ok!

So, I hope this helps. I am available for questions or bouncing ideas. And as always, you can book a call with me to talk about this or any other issue you are having and we can look and see if hiring a coach is the logical next step. Click here for access to my calendar.

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Surviving a World of Uncertainty

The world is CRAZY right now! Many of you are thinking “How in the heck am I supposed to keep a positive mindset when I don’t even know if I am going to have food to put on the table right now?”

The key IS your mindset.

I am always saying thoughts become things.

Your THOUGHTS create feelings and your FEELINGS create your ACTION.

So think about the toilet paper situation-yes, the toilet paper. It’s what is happening right now and it’s a good metaphor to see how this all transpires.

When someone starts to think “what happens if the world shuts down and I run out of toilet paper?” That thought then creates a feeling of fear and lack. So, in response to that feeling, said person decides to take action and runs to the store to buy as much toilet paper as he or she can to ensure that he or she will not run out, thinking this will dissipate the fear.

Did the fear go away? No!

Because it isn’t about the toilet paper at all. It’s about how the person is thinking about what is going on.

How could this have been different?

By reframing the original thought.

Now, I want you to know that I am not looking at this situation through rose-colored glasses and not believing this is a real pandemic. Quite the contrary.

I am fully aware of the severity of the situation. I am being affected by what is going on around me directly.

I have elderly, not well parents that could be literally taken out if they caught this virus.

My Tai Chi center closed until further notice so that we can participate in the social distancing.

We have a friend that stayed with us a couple or weekends ago and was not aware that his mother, who lives with him, has not been feeling well the past few weeks. Her doc asked her to come in and there was a good chance she may have needed to be tested.

Which meant our friend would have had to be tested and in turn, if that test came back positive, we would have had to be tested.

Good news, Mom only had one of the symptoms and actually had a sinus infection causing her to feel yucky.

A couple of weeks ago, I was laid off from my job. Fortunately, I called back and a week later, was told that we were all going to start working from home because of the state mandated Stay at Home order.

Everything is still uncertain for me as to if I will have a job tomorrow.

Does any of these scenarios cause fear within me? A little, sure.

However, the difference with how I am CHOOSING to respond is how I look at the situation. My thoughts around what is going on may be quite different than yours. I am NOT living in a state of fear and allowing it to consume me.

Am I concerned about our medical system? Am I concerned about my future and how I am going to come out of all of this, especially since I just launched two program offerings RIGHT BEFORE this all went down?

Sure I am! But it is NOT dictating my life.

I am carrying on, business as usual, with even more passion, vigor, and drive. I know this is all temporary. We will come out of this.

And, I look at this as an opportunity. An opportunity to educate, create awareness, and hope that I can make a difference in someone else’s outlook, which is life-changing.

I am the beacon of light in a dark situation. I know this. This is my gift and what better time to burn the light even brighter?

I went live last Sunday in my private Facebook group, from my bed (because it was self-care day) and again Monday morning and talked about the state of fear we, as a society, are operating in and how we can survive the state of uncertainty. I also posted about gratitude and how gratitude is the antidote to fear.

I practice gratitude every. Single. Day. All. Day.

It is the number one way to stay resonating at my highest power and combat fear or any other feelings of uncertainty.

In addition to gratitude, here are 4 things that you can do to make this time a bit more bearable:

  1. Move your body-exercise is the number one top thing you can do to mitigate depression and anxiety. It releases all of the feel-goods that we need in our bodies to maintain a healthy outlook, not to mention it makes us physically feel good.
  1. Talk about your feelings-holding in is never good no matter the situation. My husband and I talk every night about the things that transpired during the day and discuss how we feel about it and what our next steps will be.
  1. Be hyper-aware of what you are consuming from the media and eliminate that which does not serve you. The media is not necessarily your friend. Don’t take their updates as truth. Question everything. The news is here to instill the fear so that you stay glued to the TV which increases ratings. That’s all. Do your research. Stay educated but not through the news or what people post on social media.
  1. Only focus on what you can control. You can’t control what is going on “out there”. You CAN control how you respond. You CAN control if you wash your hands or keep the social distance. You CAN control if you are bombarding your thoughts with fear-based information.

So, check-in and see how you are responding to what is going on around you. If you are stuck in a state of fear, choose to get out!

Start implementing gratitude and the 4 recommendations and start to thrive in this horrible situation.

As always, you can contact me anytime. I am here for you. If you would like to get a bit deeper with this topic and are considering hiring a coach, contact me! Here is the direct link to my calendar. I offer FREE 30-minute breakthrough calls to see where you and how to get you to where you want to be. Just click Here-http://bit.ly/TiffenysBreakthroughCall

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How to Survive Anxiety

There are so many people in my life that struggle every day with anxiety, including myself. I have worked with several clients on how they can manage their anxiety. It almost seems like an epidemic in this world we live in.

When I first learned about my own anxiety, I felt helpless. I felt broken. I felt out of control.

I was, what I thought at the time, in a good relationship. What I didn’t know, was that relationship was going to trigger so many things in my life to cause me to start spinning out of control.

The biggest contributor was his inability to hold down a job and our ever-growing debt.

I was a control freak and I could not MAKE him get a job. I could not MAKE him keep a job. I could not MAKE him stop spending our money as if we had it.

The more I tried to control this and MAKE him do things, the more OUT OF CONTROL I became, and the MORE I tried to control.

I was spiraling deeper and deeper into the “oh my God, how are we going to pay this…how are we going to pay that…” mindset.

I was exhausted. I was scared.

At the time, I had no idea what was causing my anxiety or how I could make it stop.

I also kept my anxiety a secret because of the “mental health stigma”, which caused me even MORE anxiety. My God, what if someone found out!

Now, this was many years ago. Before there was an open awareness of this affliction, so I turned to my doctor for help and she prescribed medication and told me to get a therapist.

I was really hesitant to take the medication. My mom was addicted to pills and I have extreme sensitivity to almost every medication, including Advil, so I was hesitant.

I had already done therapy so I knew how therapy worked. I didn’t need to look at my past anymore and I knew enough about what was going on to know that I needed help with right now so I could stop worrying about the FUTURE.

So I took the meds which helped enough to allow me to research my anxiety.

So, what is anxiety?

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress and a feeling of fear or apprehension about what’s to come. The what if’s of the FUTURE.

This can lead to physical things happening within our bodies. Rapid heart rate, fast and shallow breathing, sweating, feelings of nausea, and other things. And, one of the big ones…the fight or flight feeling. 

Of course, anxiety can affect everyone differently so you may or may not experience some or all of these physical responses.

Anxiety can be normal in stressful situations such as public speaking or taking a test. But, anxiety can also manifest just from thoughts we have or situations we are in where we feel fear. Real, honest to goodness, fear.

And then, everything can spiral out of control and the anxiety takes over, causing you to literally become debilitated from the fear.

But rest assured, no matter how bad the anxiety gets, it won’t kill you. So out of anything you take away today, I really want you to know this. ANXIETY WILL NOT KILL YOU. Even though it can feel that way sometimes.

When someone suffers from anxiety, it’s not enough to change negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Actually, this is probably the LAST thing they need to hear because it is something that can be literally impossible to do depending on how severe the anxiety is. What needs to be addressed goes a bit deeper than just a positive thought.

It starts with awareness. One thing I can say for sure, is I now KNOW when my anxiety is coming on. People with anxiety tend to be hyper-aware of the feeling once they can identify it. Where there is a lack of awareness is what is CAUSING the anxiety. And THIS is where you can actually stop the anxiety in its tracks!

So, how do you get to the root cause? 

Some things that you can do when you feel your anxiety kicking in:

  • Take some deep breathes
  • Sit with the anxiety. Remember, it stems from the FEELING of fear or apprehension about something in the FUTURE
  • Try to identify what that something is
  • Check-in with your thoughts.
  • I then recommend writing it down, acknowledge it. This way, it is somewhere that you can refer to and no longer swimming around in your head.
  • Understand that your mind is playing tricks on you, and in fact, could be lying to you so question it!
  • And bring yourself back to the present using affirmations, gratitude, and meditation.
  • Find someone to talk to. Someone you trust that can help bring you back to your present self.

Lastly, Remember, diet and exercise with adequate sleep are great ways to manage anxiety.

You don’t have to suffer!

If you are ready to dive deeper into this or any other subject you are working through, book a call with me here and let’s get you on your way!

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Intentional Living

I have always thought that I was living an intentional life. That was until recently. My “intentional life” was taken to a whole new level. I have spent the better part of my adult life on a “self-improvement” journey always striving to be the best version of myself. Of course, life happened all over the place and I would fall back into the not so best version of myself, but I always found my way out of it and back to what I thought WAS the best version of me. Boy, was I wrong. Sure, the best version of me then was always way better than the not so best version of me but I was never quite all the way there. What changed for me?

First of all, I had to reevaluate what it meant to actually live an intentional life. Obviously, what I thought was intentional, was only part of what I needed to do. I found that I was half-assing it at 100%. But hey, some is better than none right? Sure it is, but I soon discovered that is why I always slipped when life happened and that was the time I needed intention most. So, here is what Wikipedia says that intentional living is:
Intentional living: any lifestyle based on an individual or group’s conscious attempts to live according to their values and beliefs. These can include lifestyles based on Religious, Political or Ethical values, as well as Coaching, Personal Transformation, and Leadership Training.

I was only half living according to my values and beliefs. I was only half present in my life journey. Half of my life when “life happened”, was being dictated by how I was reacting to experiences and events while the other half when things were great, was intentional. So how in the world could I make that shift from a reactionary life to an intentional life? I got to work.

In December of 2018, I connected with a life coach and spiritual healer. I firmly believe that the Universe intervened and brought her to me because I was in dire need of some serious guidance. I was at a crossroads. This woman is an amazing person that helped me to figure you what I needed to get rid of so that I could FINALLY live the life that I was meant for. I always knew I was meant for something greater and it revolved around helping people, like me, create their desired life. She helped me to get out of my own way so that I could push through and take ACTION. This woman has become someone very special in my life. She is my guide, my spirit sister, my mentor, my friend and I am eternally grateful for her. What did she do to help me change?

Well, among several things, she re-introduced me to gratitude. I have been saying a gratitude mantra every morning for the past 10 years along with some affirmations but they were all for the big things in life. I was tasked with texting her every single day during my coaching journey one gratitude for that day. A little thing that I could be grateful for. This one thing turned into SEVERAL things throughout the day and I started to notice a shift. My mood changed. I started to become aware of what I was feeling in my body when I would practice saying what I was grateful for. My interactions with those around me changed. What in the world was happening? I had no idea, but I knew I wanted more. I didn’t want it to ever stop. It was strange at first. Almost like a stirring of warm butterflies fluttering in my abdominal area. Then it would move up my body, out to my limbs, and into my heart. I was experiencing, what I now know, as true joy.

I started to feel courage and driven again. I decided to leave my job and look for one that would allow me the time, my time, to work toward what I really wanted to do in this life. In January 2019, I started blogging. In April 2019, I found a new job. In May 2019, I started my Lifestyle and Success Coaching practice. In October 2019, I shifted again to an even deeper intentional life and started certification training so that I could expand my practice and have more tools for my clients.

I also intensified my gratitude practice. On October 1, I joined a challenge led by the best selling author, coach, and motivational speaker Rachel Hollis. It is the Last 90 Days challenge. I was encouraged by someone very close to my heart to participate in this challenge because she knew I loved Rachel Hollis and she had done the challenge before and had gotten so much out of it. So, I committed. I even bought the journal to go along with it. The premise behind the challenge is to gear up for the beginning of the year by being intentional with your goals for the 90 days PRIOR to the end of the year so that when January 1 hits, you are full boar running strong. This is great for me because I normally wait until January 1 before THINKING about what I want my life to look like in the coming year and then I have to spend forever planning on how it will work and then I lose steam and fall right back to where I was…and then have to start over. Again, half-assing it at 100%. This challenge covers everything. Mindset with gratitude, moving your body, drinking water, making healthier food choices, and making time for YOU!  Again, ALL of the things I am so into!

A couple of weeks later, I picked up the book The Magic by Rhonda Byrne. You may know her from a little ol’ book she wrote some years ago called The Secret, which also became a full feature film (if you haven’t read or seen it, I highly recommend you do so ASAP). Well, The Magic is ALL about…GRATITUDE. 28 days of one gratitude exercise every day to strengthen your practice. Holy hands, I hit the jackpot and it was a great compliment to what I was already doing with the Last 90 Days Challenge. Every morning, I got up and I read that day’s exercise. And then I actually DID what it said to do. Talk about things changing. I was on hyperspeed. The shifts I mentioned before, well, let’s just say I am in a constant state of joy now. If I feel myself starting to slip into any type of low energy, negative thinking, or anxiety, I immediately revert back to what I learned in The Magic and I do one or two exercises until my energy level and my thoughts go back to being positive. Guys, this is the real stuff right here. If you REALLY want to change your life, this is it.

Where am I now? I am thrilled with my life! I am actually LIVING my life on MY terms instead of reacting to everything. I have even turned off ALL push notifications for my social media accounts and scheduled two 30 minute sessions on my calendar for checking my social media. Once in the mid-morning and once in the evening. I answer emails and check text messages once per hour so that I don’t get caught up in filling my day with busy work. The best part for me is my morning routine. It sets me up for success every single day. Here is what it looks like:

5:00-5:15 am-Wake Up and take a few moments before getting out of bed to say a few gratitudes.

5:15-6:15 am Grab my journal and start writing (I am currently using the Start Today Journal-The Last 90 Days and also writing my 10 gratitudes inspired by The Magic)

6:15-7:15 am Get things ready for work, fit in a 30 min workout, and shower and head out the door for work between 8 and 8:15 am

Notice I did not put anything in my morning routine about a phone, tablet, checking email, or any other distraction from ME. I don’t look at my phone (except for using my timer when I work out or to look at a text message from my hubby to tell me the road conditions when the weather is bad) until I get to work. I may or may not use my 30 minutes of allotted social media time. It’s not a big deal anymore. It is not dictating MY life. When you look at your email, social media, or news first thing in the morning, you are starting your day in reaction mode. You are allowing other outside influences to dictate your day. Stop doing that! YOU have control of your day and your life, so take it back!

You have been given one life. Now is the time to figure out if you are living your best life. Are you living your life on your terms or are you letting everything that goes dictate what kind of life you have or desire? Don’t wait on this. Don’t say “I’ll start tomorrow” because there may not be a tomorrow. Start living intentionally NOW and if you need guidance, I am here. I believe in you! I believe you can create your desired life and I believe you should start now.

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Gratitude: A Powerful Appreciation

When we are very young, we are taught manners. We are taught to say please and thank you. As we get older, the thank you portion of what we were taught starts to take on stronger meaning and feelings around it. As adults, we often say “thank you. I appreciate it.” Again, a stronger message with stronger feelings behind it. An even stronger aspect of this fine manner is gratitude. What is gratitude exactly? According to Merriam-Webster, gratitude is the state of being grateful: THANKFULNESS.

In my world, gratitude is the ultimate in appreciation. It’s not just saying “thank you”. It is all about your energy and feeling around what you are grateful for. Gratitude can and should be expressed regularly for all things. People, places, things, etc. Gratitude affirmations are my favorite. “I am grateful for this life. I am grateful for this beautiful day. I am grateful for my family. I am grateful for my coffee!”. The key is to FEEL grateful too. Don’t just say the words (although there is something to be said for “faking it until you make it”). The FEELING behind the words is where all the magic begins. The words alone trigger our brains to cease all thoughts and get present real quick. The FEELING is what is resonated out through God and the Universe. This causes you to be at the highest frequency for receiving.

Living in a state of gratitude also does something magnificent. It puts you in a present state of positivity resonating at your highest level. What in the world does that mean? Well, let’s break it down. A “present state of positivity” means now. Not the past, not the future. NOW. Why is that so magnificent? Because it is impossible for our brain to succumb to any other thoughts other than what we are currently showing gratitude for. Now, “resonating at your highest level” magnifies positive emotions. WHAT??? It’s really quite simple. It’s the Law of Attraction. The positive emotion that you are emitting through gratitude will attract more positive emotion to you. You get what you give. Are you looking for a path to happiness? This is it!

I always tell my clients that you can test this theory (and you WILL be tested). Let your ego run. Let your brain start thinking about the past, about the future. FEEL how your body feels. Are you experiencing anxiety and depression? Are you experiencing dread and fear? Now, turn it around. Find just one thing you are grateful for. Make sure that you are picking something that truly makes you feel joy. Do you love sunrises and sunsets? Go enjoy one and say out loud “I am so grateful for the beautiful sky and loving the calmness I feel.” Are you struggling with your job and having negative thoughts about it? “I am grateful for this job and the money I earn that provides the things I need.” This gratitude practice will immediately stop any negative self-talk or feelings you are experiencing and get you into the present right now! It will also feel good when you are saying them, and who doesn’t want to feel good?

Showing gratitude will also attract things to you that you desire. The key is to use the same “I am” format and attach how you would feel as if it has already happened. Here is my example: “I am grateful that I am a successful Life Coach helping hundreds of people create their desired life. I feel thrilled knowing that I am making a difference!”

So, I challenge you right now to find ten things you can be grateful for. Do this every day! Do this in the morning and do this at night before bed. Say them out loud. Write them down. Feel them every time you practice and watch how things unfold. If you have questions about any of this, please feel free to contact me! I would love to chat about how your gratitude practice is going.

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You Are Worthy!

Have you ever wanted something so bad but can’t get it because your inner voice tells you that you can’t have it? Do you have desires beyond what you are doing now and don’t feel you can get there? Do you often tell yourself that you don’t deserve it or you are not worthy?

I am sitting here on this beautiful Sunday morning relaxing with my coffee, looking out to all of the openness of the 36 acres we live on, and feeling immense gratitude for the life I am now living. I am grateful for the things I have. But I am even more grateful for the journey that brought me here.

I have always wanted a life, partnered with someone that shares my dreams, someone that can support me and I can support him while we work together for everything we desire. I have always wanted a life that provides a loving and open home that I consider my safe sanctuary, not only for me, but for those I love, to be able to come to during times of need.

I have all of that now and more! It took some time and many lessons over 45 years of life to get here. Why did it take so long? It’s a simple concept. I didn’t believe I deserved it. I wanted it so badly. I tried to get there so many times. When I look back, I can see that I had many things to learn. The most important lesson was learning how to receive and to fully believe that I was worthy of my desires.

I have spent the better part of 20 years working on me and taking the self-help journey. I completely believed and understood the fundamentals, but I was missing one thing in the big picture. One thing that sounds so simple but can be the most difficult to obtain.

Our stories tell us so many things. Some truths, some lies. This is the make up of our beliefs. Sometimes, our truths are buried so far down that the lies start to become our truth, and believing the lies is sometimes easier than finding our truth. We find comfort in the lies because they have been a huge part of what we become and fear holds us back when we try to step out of that comfort, causing us to retreat back to the lies. It’s a vicious cycle, but the cycle can be broken.

When I finally figured it out, I was desperate to figure out a way to change it. I wanted to believe that I am worthy. That I deserved everything that I desired. It wasn’t, and still isn’t easy. But I work at it every day. The next fulfilling desire for me? To be independently wealthy enough to commit the rest of my life to helping others create better versions of themselves and have everything they desire. I know that I will have this, because really, it’s already here. I just have to believe that I deserve it and get ready to receive.

Think about your desires. Think about how you truly feel about them. Now think about all of the thoughts surrounding those desires. Are those thoughts truth or lies? Are you telling yourself that you are deserving and worthy of receiving? Now close your eyes and breath. Visualize your desires. Visualize what your life looks like, as you already have everything you desire. Tap into the feelings. Feel the joy and the happiness surrounding your life. This, my friends, is the first step in receiving. Practice this every day, several times a day. Write about it. Talk about it. Every time a lie surrounding those desires creeps in, immediately visualize your new life. Add some affirmations around your new life, but be sure to say them and write them AS IF THAT LIFE IS ALREADY HERE. This will bring it into the present and fast track you to everything you desire. I believe in you. You are worthy. You deserve everything you desire!

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Gratitude

As I was driving into work this morning, I was looking around at my view. It was nice and bright, I was driving west so I could see our beautiful Rocky Mountains, and all around me was country (except for the other drivers with me on the highway) and I got this overwhelming feeling of gratitude. I was grateful for my home, my life, and the beautiful day ahead. A feeling warmth started in the pit of my stomach and traveled through my heart making it feel open and full, and then traveled through the top of my head. I felt calm, peaceful, and present.

I then started to say my affirmations, and remembered an email I received this morning notifying me that I had another connection join one of my business streams. I immediately started to feel grateful again. I was grateful for the connection and I was extremely grateful that I am helping another person save and earn extra money. The feeling started in the pit of my stomach again, but was much faster in reaching the top of my head.

People talk about gratitude all of the time, but I always wonder if they actually FEEL it. I know I have days that I say I am grateful in a sense of “faking it until I make it”, because I may just be having an off day and need something to keep me present, but I know that feeling I am looking for. Today was proof of that. It was a reminder that this beautiful life, no matter where we are, is giving us everything we need, right now.

I practice gratitude every day, throughout the entire day. I not only say/think about what I am grateful for, but slow down and actually FEEL the feelings in my body. From this, I experience feelings of joy and happiness that I know are genuine. I then start to feel love. Love for others, and most of all, love for myself. Could you imagine if everyone on this planet could generate this love? What a different world we would live in.

Practicing gratitude is so simple. Expressing gratitude to others, for others, and for all things in world should be a part of everyone’s daily routines. Resonating at one’s truest, highest self can improve daily life for everyone. Start with the little things. Open your eyes in the morning and say “I am grateful for this day” and then “I am grateful to have a job”. Keep doing that throughout your day and just see what transpires in your body and how your day turns out. Your mood will improve, your energy will improve, and you will feel absolutely wonderful. I challenge you to try it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

And as I type this, I realized that I was in such a rush this morning that I walked out the door without my delicious breakfast smoothie…now, I am grateful for the back-up protein shake I have in my drawer for breakfast! Hey, even being grateful for the little things can make a day brighter and lighter!

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Having a bad day?

So, you are having a bad day. It started first thing in the morning when you overslept and were late getting out the door and you HAD to be in the office by 8am. You spilled your coffee and had to change. You got in the car and started driving…straight into a traffic jam. You were TRYING to be calm and patient, but it seemed that the Universe was throwing everything it had at you. And then…you spilled your coffee AGAIN! You thought you may as well turn around, go back home, and write this day off as a loss. But you were stuck in that traffic jam with nowhere to go but straight to the office. You couldn’t help but wonder if you were being punished for something.

You FINALLY made it to the office, 20 minutes late for your meeting and frazzled by the morning’s events. You are just settling in, and the meeting ends, earlier than anticipated, so you missed the entire thing! You make it to your desk, open your email and find that your boss had emailed you several times with items that you made errors on and they need to be fixed ASAP. (Why is he constantly picking on me?) Your phone rings, more problems. (Why is this happening today?) Your office manager comes to chat, more problems. (Can’t someone else handle this?) And then you realize, you forgot your lunch. UGH!!!!

I am sure everyone can identify with some version of a bad day. But what makes a day “bad”? Well, for one, your mindset. It’s easy when things don’t go as planned and to play the victim. It’s difficult to look at the situation and say, “what have I done to cause this?” or “what is the universe (insert your version of divine energy) trying to tell me?”

With this example, the very first instance of oversleeping was just the beginning. Our first reaction is to fly out of bed and run around trying to get ready quickly. The reality is, you are just causing yourself more anxiety about being late and causing other things to unfold. Here is a thought: acknowledge the time, and then tell yourself I am good! I have plenty of time to get where I need to be. And if I am a few minutes late, no big deal! You make the appropriate calls/texts to alert others that you are running behind and then carry on with getting ready…in a calm manner. I bet the remaining events happen very differently or don’t happen at all. Maybe, they push the meeting by half an hour. Maybe, you are walking out of the door calmly and the traffic jam is only a 2 minute slow down to get around a stalled vehicle. Maybe you are in the car listening to your favorites songs and you just don’t care. You are grateful be where you are.

Your mindset has everything to do with what happens to you. You can’t control anything, but you can control how you react. You may still have the bad day, but you can dictate how bad it really is by changing your energy and thoughts around it. It may seem far-fetched for those who are not as versed in this mindful thought process, but I recommend you try it. Then, throw a little gratitude in there and see what happens!

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