Hope for our Graduates

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My fiancés’ daughter graduated today and my eyes welled up as I took in all the bliss. These graduates held their heads high; they wore big smiles, and emanated energy of inspiration; it is beautiful to experience.

My fiancé and I have 4 young adults, 18, 19, 20 & 21 years of age. Seeing these kids grow into individuals who now all tower me in height is surreal. I love their individuality and witnessing how they explore and figure out what feels right to them.  I am in awe of how smart and creative they are, and most of all, when I see their kindness shine through, it makes me feel most proud.

Yes, I know that applying all of our heart to our endeavors can be vulnerable and scary, but I think it is worth the gamble. I am all about heart!

What do you think is the best advice you got when you graduated? It’s funny. I really do not remember being the recipient of any words of wisdom. I’m sure I was, but I wasn’t really present to hear them, so I didn’t retain the information.

My wish for the graduates today is to fully experience the present moment in everyday life; take as much of it in as possible because life goes by too quickly, but it's truly a beautiful journey!

Positive Health Trend

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I must say that I’ve been through a lot in my 40-something years of existence, but financial distress tops the list of hardships. Loss of a job, embracing the path of an entrepreneur, and the associated costs have been overwhelming. It is really difficult when it feels like our financial worlds are crumbling around us. Like most any trauma, our rational minds seem to shut down, and the outlook becomes very grim; at least, this is the way it feels.

But, the truth is we can gain control of our financial well-being, and our success in this area will also positively impact our success in our physical health efforts. Balance overflows in a good way.

Like any behavioral change, it starts with realizing the need to change and the motivation to implement a new discipline. We must take action by opting for healthier choices. This may mean questioning our real need to spend money during each and every purchase decision, and instead of spending, we must save whenever possible. It feels very fulfilling to pay down debt and gain control back. I have a handle on my financials these days and I’m hopeful this positive vibe will also help shape my physical body in a good way as well.  

What are your thoughts about financial health? Does it impact you physically? Do you believe these two realms are connected?

Emotional Safety Planning

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If you have a kind heart and are full of love for others, you must also feel this love for yourself. This is a hard concept for many people, but it is essential for you to find balance.

I’ve shared many times in the past that I believe we create our worlds from the inside out. If we’re unhappy and the toxin is in our core, we’re emulating this negative energy, and this vibration is magnifying the darkness. It is a horrible place to be, but the good news is that we can shift our psyche and make a positive change.

Emotional safety planning enables you to strategize ways to help you feel better during the times when you start feeling hard on yourself. You are creating a go-to list to help you lift your spirit.

It is okay to feel sad, this is part of life but it is not okay to hate yourself. It is necessary for you to work on self-love. Love is truly the answer to almost everything. If you want to manifest a brighter world, start with self-love. It offers a firm foundation to build upon!

What do you do when you’re feeling down? I like to do something creative.

Thinking about problems, continued...

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Examiner article

I like how Leroy Hood states, “…you need to have a core belief that what you contribute can fundamentally change the paradigm or way of thinking about problems.” Of course I do not know anyone who likes to have problems but denying they exist only adds to and prolongs the drama. I realize that life is full of challenge but I also appreciate that every time I persevere such challenge, I gain from the experience. I do not go out looking for issues but when they find me, I try to deal with them head on in order to minimize the impact.

I agree with Leroy Hood’s quote, it is really how we look at challenge and how confident we are in ourselves to handle these concerns; it’s fundamental to taking ownership and overcoming.

We also have to be careful we do not sabotage ourselves by manifesting problems because the situation is presenting itself without issues and this makes us uncomfortable. It’s okay to move forward cautiously but if we go through life thinking this is “to good to be true” we are cheating ourselves from fully appreciating the present moment. We must feel worthy for all that life has to offer in order to continue to manifest more of this bliss.

I wish you a beautiful and problem free Memorial Day but if challenge does present itself, perhaps by addressing it head on it will be short lived!

Life in full swing, continued...

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Examiner article

It does seem like the world comes to life as the calendar turns to Spring each year. Invitations flow as we come together to celebrate births, weddings, graduations and much, much, more. Of course I do understand that it is necessary to balance our schedules so we can enjoy some downtime but socializing is a beautiful thing and it is a form of replenishment all in itself.   

I’ve shared in the past that I’m an introvert person but even considering this, I enjoy supporting others in celebration of whatever their festive occasions might be in the moment.

I think the key is to achieve balance in our schedules. We all have to have some downtime along with some time to fuel our passion, whatever this may be. I was overwhelmed this winter with overlapping work, intern, school and home responsibilities and now that my internship is over, I am feeling more whole again; I’m still volunteering at my site but I do not feel like I’m juggling so much any more and this offers relief.

The spring has gifted not only good weather and energy but a break as well. I will have 2 weeks between my spring and summer semesters and this is greatly welcomed. I’m heading out West for a few days of leisure and exploration; I’m pretty excited about the trip. I am passionate about travel and I love exploration and finding photo opts in places I haven’t been before. Whether I’m exploring a new part of Michigan or flying off in the sunset, it is all pretty exciting!

I am blessed to have a warm circle of loved ones around me and many opportunities to explore my passion and balance my responsibilities. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your responsibilities, seek help and offset some of the stress by sprinkling in some excitement (however you define this in your life). If you do not, you’ll get burned out and your health will be sacrificed. You are worthy of bliss so strategize your life in order to manifest as much joy as possible!

In the now, continued...

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Examiner article

I have had many friends who were single and did not understand why there were but from the outside looking in, it was easy to see; these wonderful individuals really were not happy with themselves. It doesn’t mean these were not smart and heartfelt women, of course they were; it just means that they needed to see and believe in themselves as much as what the people in their circle of love saw and believed in them. We saw the beauty of what they were instead of what they were not; this is what they needed to learn how to embrace. We can all look at another person and say, “Boy I wish I had her waistline or …”. I’ll let you fill in the blank here.

But, what about our own attributes; I can tell you my waistline has expanded significantly since my early adult life but I’m not letting this taint my everyday world. I’m grateful for my body even in the condition it is in today (I’m at my biggest currently). Even though my weight is up I am still positive my body is healthier today because of all of the healthy trends I’ve implemented over the past several years. Yes, I’ve still have a lot of work to go, more change to implement, but my psyche is still positive regardless. I love myself for all I have accomplished, for what I bring to the table today, and for all that I will yet accomplish; I am a confident person and this energy is genuine and in my aura.

I think when we get caught up focusing on what we do not have we are robbing ourselves from the pleasures of our current everyday lives. Of course there isn’t anything wrong with striving to do better and have more but there is a cost to this if we’re not in a healthy mindset when we are attempting to manifest our needs and/or desires.

If you’re looking for a good self-help book, check out Sydney Bank’s Enlightened Gardner. It is a fiction, quick read that is quite empowering. I’ll repeat the quote I inserted in the article because it is worthy of a repeat. In his words, “Living in the now is seeing what is instead of what isn’t. And what isn’t is created from living in the memories of the past and contaminating the now.”

Tap into your fluidness, continued...

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Examiner article

The more I learn about the human body and the similarities it shares with the world or essentially nature, the more I am in awe with this.

I found this paragraph in the International Geological Congress OSOL 2008, August 6 throughthe 14th:

Connections between earth and human body processes - uniformitarianism and homeostasis

William Size, Emory University (United States)

“The inorganic physiology of earth compares in many ways to that of the human body - they are both complex, adaptive, system of systems, operating at various scales and levels of performance. When corresponding processes are alike in their structure or function they are homologous or archetypes. Displaying these generic similarities and attributes provides a clearer picture of natural processes and human health without the divisive, derived entanglements that increasingly isolated disciplines have produced. This process or system science approach to learning resonates with students. For example, the weathering process in rocks and the aging process in humans are basically homologous. Processes such as exfoliation, oxidation, and erosion describe both. The process of biogeochemical (re)cycling, including exchange rates, residence time, and chemical sinks relate just as easily to human processes of digestion and respiration as to plate tectonics, volcanism, and climate change. Human metabolism has many analogs with earth energy budgets and conversion. Earth's immune system is one of resilience and, just as in humans, it can resist change, become sick, or suffer irreversible catastrophe. Earth has a respiratory system and humans have weather patterns and climate controls. Earth has a nervous system and humans have stress patterns and earthquakes. Earth has blood vessels, lungs, liver, and kidneys and humans have stream networks, neural networks, climates, and swamps. One purpose for this investigation is to format an electronic guidebook in such a way as to allow students to actively participate in the branching and interweaving of systems.” I know this reading is a bit complex but the message is really pretty cool at least to me. I think there is such a strong connection between the body and nature that it would be crazy not to acknowledge this. For example, I am suffering a headache today and I believe this is partly in response to allergies and the storms that are rolling through my area. Barometric pressure most definitely impacts me. What are your thoughts about the human body and whether it shares connections with the earth? Is it significant to you? Let’s talk about it!