The Great Exchange.

This morning, our three daughters were up early and Ryan and I were desperate for a half hour more of sleep. So, I asked my oldest daughter to help us by getting breakfast for herself and her younger sisters. A blissful half an hour later, we walked into the kitchen to find cereal all over the floor, and our kids dining on a crazy oatmeal concoction laced with chocolate chips, honey and marshmallows out of soggy paper muffin cups. The kids were happy, and high on sugar. The kitchen was a disaster. Ryan and I eventually felt like it was a fair payment for the extra sleep.
 
Remember that nothing is FREE in this life, and in order to get, you must be willing to give. This is the great exchange. Realizing the inevitability of this exchange can change your perspective on everything that happens in your life. So, what are you willing to do, or give up, to get what you want? It is always your choice, and in your control. Have a fantastic week!

Something to consider.

Something to consider. Is what you have right now really what you want?
 
If you answered yes, then get excited and be happy and enjoy every moment. Strive every day to maintain, and get more, of what you have. You must nurture what you have to be able to keep it.
 
If you answered no, then get excited and be happy because you have the power to change it! Stop embracing the comfortable, and start embracing change. You can have what you want, but you need to do something different. Remember that thinking about doing it is way more painful than actually doing it. So just do it!
 
Have a wonderful week!

Hang in there.

That moment that you want to give up, and often do give up, is also the moment when things are about to turn around for you. You have got to hang in there. Do not give up. The Universe always provides, but only at the last second. If you give up, you will miss it. Your patience and your strength will be tested. Stay the course. It is all within your reach if you have enough faith to stand strong, and persevere. Namaste.

Be Proud.

On Friday, I was invited for an interview at Calgary’s Independent Radio Station, CJSW (90.9 fm). I feel blessed to have met and chatted with Kevin Brooks and Grant Burns on their show ‘Road Pops’.
 
The station is located inside the University of Calgary. Strolling through the campus, I became aware of how rapidly time had passed for me. Walking past the old smoking lounge, the ‘Black Lung’ immediately brought back vivid images of chain smoking, coffee drinking and late night studying.
 
I suddenly realized how far I had come since my University days. A degree in Psychology, quitting smoking, a wedding, 3 children, 2 liquor stores,  4 years of Wednesdays with my mom and my sister, and the release of a sensational new book. I realized that I should feel proud of myself for my achievements to date. So I gave myself a good old “Thatta Girl Tina”!
 
I would encourage you to be proud of yourself for where you are today…right now. Don’t wait until some future date when you feel that you will have achieved even more. Tell yourself now how proud you are! Do not compare yourself to others; that is not what matters. What matters is what you have done with, and for, yourself to date. You are amazing, and you should tell yourself that more often! Talking positively to yourself will motivate and encourage you to go farther.
 
You are your own worst critic, and unless you stop and say “Great Job!” to yourself, your achievements may never be good enough for you. It is okay to want more and strive for better, but you need to embrace the present and look at what you have accomplished already.  Be proud of you. You deserve it.
 
Namaste.

Flip a switch.

Your mind is a powerful computer. When you give your mind the right input, it will, in turn, produce the right output. On the flip side, when you put garbage into your mind, you will get garbage out. Just what you would expect from a computer.
 
For most of my life, I had been telling myself, and anyone else who cared to listen, that I could never write a book. I really, honestly believed that I couldn’t. About a year and a half ago, I was inspired by a powerful book to look at my life a little differently.  Actually, it made me look at myself a little differently.
 
I remember distinctly the day that I flipped a switch in my mind. It started with a simple question to myself. “Could I write a book?”
 
The day that I allowed myself to believe that it was possible, the floodgates of my mind opened up and a stir of excitement started to grow in my belly.
 
Today, I hold my book in my hands with great joy, and I love to inspire others with it. I have proven that I am capable of anything I put my mind to. What will I think of next? A plan to take over the world?
 
You are also capable of anything, but you must first believe it is possible. Once you know that you can, you can! That is the secret.
 
So, flip a switch in your mind today and start getting more of everything out of your life. Namaste!

 

Be Prepared for Monday.

What causes stress? Anxieties about time management. How will you get it all done? Alleviate stress and be more prepared, calm and excited about your week by doing a few simple things each day. Here are some simple tips to help you get more efficient, and feel more prepared, quick.

  • If you have not done so already, you need to keep an agenda or binder that accurately shows your time. I was taught by one of my coaches to use an agenda with one day on each page, and to use my own hand to write in it (versus typing everything into a computer). Writing with your own hand is very powerful. You can print daily calendar sheets from Outlook and keep them in a binder if you are anxious to get started right now.
  • Write down everything that you need to do each day in the appropriate time slots, and then include the stuff you want to do (there is a difference). Need: get groceries. Want: go to yoga class. Although I could see myself arguing for need on the yoga class…
  • Use the notes section to write down all of the projects that you are working on, or tasks that need completing. Things like “book dentist appt” or “finish writing article for yoga journal” or “look up easy easter crafts to keep my kids busy, and me sane, while they are on Easter break”.
  • Cross off tasks as you complete them, or put check marks beside them. Do what feels right for you. If you do not complete a task on the day you had it written on, just keep moving it forward to future days. Eventually you will do it. When things come up suddenly, you will need to assess how to prioritize it based on everything else you have going on. Only make changes to your existing schedule if what comes up is an absolute emergency, or is something of extreme importance to you. You may be able to tackle it the next day, so do your best to stay focused on your original plan. But be sure to write everything down as it comes up so you never forget a thing.
  • Look at your week and see where the tasks you need to complete might best fit in. If you drop your kids off right by a registry office, perhaps you can squeeze in your vehicle registration renewal when you drop them off, then get groceries, pick up your mail, and get the coffee that you earned. Work smart, not hard. There is always time to do what you need to do, but you need to plan for it.
  •  Every day, at the end of the day, review your day, and then look at the next day. Create a plan in your mind of what you would like to get done based on the time you have, and then write that down. Seeing your next day all laid out for you can really ease the anxieties of a busy lifestyle. It is easy to feel overwhelmed with everything you need to do, but when you see it all written down, you will know that it is achievable.
  • On Sundays, review your week, and plan everything accordingly. You will sleep much better on Sunday night knowing that you have a plan that is scheduled to suit your needs.

Allow for some flexibility in your schedule, but if you want to take on the world, you have got to be accountable to yourself and your schedule. Plan it, then do it! You have full control over your time, and your stress.

Happy Monday!

Get Efficient.

Do what you are good at, and what you enjoy, and ask for help with all the other stuff. Experience true efficiency.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Kelly Domonceaux! She won my door prize draw for a Complimentary Hair Cut and 3 bottles of eufora organic hair care products. Now this is not just any haircut.  It is compliments of  my own personal hairdresser, Marissa Sullivan, at Suburbian Hair. Located in Hanson Ranch in NW Calgary, Marissa offers boutique styling and specializes in personalized service. For those of you who are not as lucky as Kelly, feel free to call Marissa at 403-731-1233 to make an appointment.

I always have FREE stuff to give away at my signings, so make sure you come out and see me.

Happy Hump Day!

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.

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.