Month: March 2012

Hold on tight.

Some songs just seem to give you what you need when you need it.

Electric Light Orchestra was singing right to me the other day…

Hold on tight to your dream
When you see your ship go sailing
When you feel your heart is breaking
Hold tight to your dream

And now I cannot get it out of my head. It is important to create a dream in your head. Visualize that dream and then never, ever let go of it. Things may not always go the way that you thought they would, but you will still end up with the results you want…if you can “hold on tight to your dream!”

See where you want to go and then have a little faith in the process. It matters not how you get there, only that you end up getting there. So enjoy the adventure, and the unknowns, that life gives you. The unknown will only be an unknown for a little longer. Clever advice from my mom, Janet Legere.

Dream big and then never let that dream fade or be taken from you. You are in control, even when you tell yourself you’re not.

It’s TGIWWW (Wicked Women’s Wednesday) tomorrow…and I am looking forward to my standing Wednesday lunch with my mom and my sister. We are coming into our fourth year of choosing to spend Wednesday afternoons together! And even after all these years, the time always goes too quickly on Wednesdays.

Thanks for choosing to read my inspirations. You ROCK!

Birthdays.

We all deserve to have at least 1 day of every year where we feel like we are the most important person. That day is normally your birthday. The phone rings for you more often that day and you may be able to take liberties like longer lunches or sleeping in, and feel good about it. Today is your reminder that age is a state of mind.

I am constantly preaching about looking at results and using those as a basis for judgement and action. When I look at people who practice yoga, I see the kind of results I want. They may have grey hair, but their bodies are tighter and more flexible than most people in their 20’s! I am looking forward to feeling like a 25  year old until I am 105, and I want to have the body to back those feelings up.

Do what you can to preserve the wellness of your body so that you can continue to do all of the things that you feel like you should be able to do, for as long as you want to do them. And don’t let a number like your age restrict you. Remember, you’re only as old as you feel…how old is that today? Me, I’m 25 and holding. Namaste.

Faith.

It’s Sunday, a typical day of rest, reflection and worship in a lot of cultures. No matter what your religious background is, today I want to remind you that

“you gotta have faith…oooh you gotta have faith. You just gotta have faith, faith, faith….”

-George Michael

I awoke to this song the other morning on my clock radio. That same day at  school while volunteering with my daughter, I was cleaning up after an activity and there was a sticker affixed to the paper tower rack. It simply said “Faith”. I had to take a picture of it!

What is faith? Defined per the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Faith is a”firm belief in something for which there is no proof.”

So today, have faith in the universe and its ability to provide for you. Have faith in your wildest dreams, and faith in your ability to create everything you want and need in your life. Have faith that no matter what, everything is going to be all right. Have faith, even when there is no proof! If you believe in something, you make it real.  Namaste.

Get what you want…or at least what you need.

I want to inspire you today with two of my favorite music quotes.

“Oh, you can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.”

-Rolling Stones

Followed by….

“All you need is love, love. Love is all you need’

-Beatles

Take some time today to consider what you have in your life right now. Are you constantly chasing what you want when in actuality you already have everything you need? Embrace the love that exists all around you and allow yourself to feel supported and content. Namaste.

Just add Fun.

The Best Books on Self Help will teach you how to get happy.  One way to do this quickly is to add fun!

I was volunteering at my daughters school the other day and in gym class the kids were doing skipping. I was immediately taken back to the asphalt of my elementary school and I vividly remembered skipping my lunch hours and recesses away. The challenges of learning to skip double dutch and doing double- and triple- unders while singing silly rhyming songs had me reminiscing and giggling to myself. And I found myself wanting more of it!

As we age, the pressures of work and family and home life leave little time for fun. But fun is what keeps us going. Fun is what motivates us to hop out of bed in the morning. Creating fun in our lives inspires us, makes us smile, and helps us learn in a positive way. Fun is what it’s all about.

Think back to your days as a child and think about an activity that you really enjoyed, like skipping, softball, hockey or dancing. Remember the fun you had. And start creating some of that fun energy in your life right now!

My birthday is coming soon, and this year I am asking for 2 long skipping ropes and a couple of friends willing to take turns skipping double dutch. I am already imagining the conversations that we can have, and the laughter that will ensue from an afternoon of skipping on a chilly spring day.

Add some fun to your life today. Namaste.

Success Law: Be Careful What you Change.

The Best Books on Self Help, Be That Books, encourage you to use their Success Laws.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Do not waste your time making changes to things that are working. Just assess everything, decide what is working and what isn’t, and leave well enough alone the things that do not need your intervention. Simplify!

Success Laws: Keep your cool.

It is important to remember that your successes in life are dependent upon your interactions with other people. We cannot do things on our own. We need others to help us, guide us, and give us what we need. Oh, there are times when I wish this was not the case! But it is a reality.
 

There will be times when it seems like other people are on a mission to destroy you. They seem to thwart all of your efforts and have you thinking that you are just an interruption and annoyance in their day. Unfortunately, you need them. Even though you will feel like you want to scream, swear and cry to get what you want, you need to approach these situations differently. It all comes down to proper communication and persuasion. And it all hinges on your own perception of the person and the situation.
 
When someone appears to be pulling attitude with you, or just generally not doing what you need or want them to do,  remember that it is rarely about you. It is not personal. Everyone has their own issues, and often the reactions that you get from people are a result of their own insecurities or background, which you know nothing about. And you may not need, or want to know that information!
 
All you need to do is keep your cool. Remember what the goal is… get what you need out of that person. Time to turn on your charm. Let them know that you understand where they are coming from and that you appreciate everything they are doing for you (even if they are blatantly NOT doing a thing for you), and then help them to understand where you are coming from. People are innately selfish, so focus on what they are going to get out of a successful transaction with you. Maintain your assertive position, but keep your emotions in check.
 
And if you need to lighten it up, just keep thinking to yourself “how sweet can I be to the B*#tch*s I encounter in my life?” (you may also insert an appropriate male gender specific title when the need arises).
 
Keep your communications light and sweet… do whatever it takes to make yourself smile even when you’re having a particularly difficult negotiation. Do not get discouraged if one conversation ends in you not getting what you wanted. It’s not personal. The important thing is to keep trying and keep smiling.  Namaste.

Dream Big and Plan for Reality.

Having dreams and then chasing them is the ultimate feeling. Dreaming big keeps you motivated and forces you to keep going. Visualizing your success is a huge part of getting you there. You have got to see it to believe it and then achieve it.

Until you achieve all your wildest dreams, you do need to plan for what you have right now, and also plan for what you will need in the future. This means having a budget in place to keep you on track.  Do you know how much your monthly income is in relation to your monthly expenses? Do you plan to save portions of your money in order to pay for upcoming dreams, like vacations or vehicles?  Are you falling short every month and not sure why?

The only way you will be able to realistically achieve your goals is to know what you are starting off with, and then plan for what you need. Implement a personal monthly budget, and then be sure to stick to it.  You have got to hold yourself accountable to your budget in order to see the results.  Check out the Personal Budget Worksheet available on my website to assist you with this process. Reassess your budget monthly to ensure that you stay on track.

There are always ways to increase income or reduce expenses in order to achieve what you need. Plan for what you want, and then try to be a little patient while the Universe shifts things around to accommodate your wishes. (Patience is something I am still trying to wrap my head around. I want it all and I want it now!)

Make real plans today to achieve your dreams. Reduce stress and build confidence by managing your cash flow.  Happy budgeting!

Motivate Yourself.

Taking action and adding effort in your life is how you will physically see results. Taking action and effort requires time, and this time must be found in amongst the rest of your busy lifestyle. In order to make time to put forth extra effort, you may need to give up something else in your life. The only way that you will do this consistently is if you are motivated to get the results that you want.

You have to change your thinking about how your time is spent. Focus on what you want. Visualize getting the result you want. See yourself having the result NOW. How does it feel to get what you want? Write down the result you want in your journal, or on a piece of paper, along with the feelings you have surrounding your results (dreams).

This exercise is self motivation. You know what you want. You can see it and feel it and now that you have written it down, it is real. You have given your subconscious something to work on and focus on. There are always trade offs. What are you willing to do to get the results you want? You need to prioritize your time so that the focus is on your results, which requires you to be motivated. Take little steps everyday toward your dreams and results.

Do not grieve over the time you give up to put focus on achieving your dreams. Remember that you are chasing your dreams, and every step you take gets you closer to making your dreams a reality. Know that every action you take moves you forward, and then never stop taking action! Motivate yourself, change your thinking, take action, have faith, get results.  Namaste.

 

Tips of Feng Shui: Do something powerful.

Clearing some clutter can really have a powerful impact on you.  When you are feeling like you don’t know what to do next, clear some clutter! Take 2 minutes and walk through your whole home, and look in every cupboard and closet.  Notice how each room and closet feels to you.  Do you feel warm and cozy and smiley in certain areas? Do you feel anxious and apprehensive about other areas? Be on the lookout for the area that makes you feel the most awful.  Now find half an hour over the next two days to clear the clutter in that particular area.  Set a timer for 30 minutes.  Pull everything out of that space, assess its value to you and decide to keep it, toss it or donate it.  If you keep it, YOU MUST have a tidy spot for it.  Be ruthless.  As one of my dear friends said to me the other day, edit your emotional life by releasing yourself from the emotional ties you have to your things.  Put everything back neat and sweet and enjoy the positive energy that you have just created.

While you are clearing your space, your mind will be free to dream about all of the wonderful things you are going to do with yourself.  When you see the beautiful results of your clutter removal, you will feel inspired and happy and more at peace.  This will allow you to put more focus on your dreams and less focus on your worries.  Have a fun and tidy weekend.  Namaste.