BLOG – Page 11 – Emily Brickel Edelson

Blog

October 24, 2013

Dream and Trust

“Dream, for it is you who creates your world.”

“Because when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing!”

These two quotes really moved me when I came across them on instagram. It’s true – it is YOU who creates your world.

The energy and expectations you give off and set, are read loud and clear by those around you as well as the universe. You may not even be aware of it.

Like attracts like, so get out of your own way and try to always see the positive in a situation. It’s normal to get down sometimes but buzzing off that low energy only attracts more low energy things to you.

Ever hear of when you are looking for a relationship, you never get one but when you are suddenly not looking, a relationship appears? The same goes with anything. If you are holding onto something so tight, it will fall out of your grasp. This reminds me of one of my all time favorite quotes about love.

“Love is like find sand, grasp it and it will quickly slip though your fingers. Cup it gently and it will fill the voids of your soul – as sand seeks to fill the spaces in your hands.” Unknown.

Everything in life can be applied to this quote. A goal, a business deal, a 5 year plan or just about anything. Sometimes things don’t happen how you expect, or how you planned for it to happen. But sometimes, that’s when the right thing happens. It can happen to teach you a lesson, make you stronger for the next test ahead, to give you perspective on a new situation or to close one door FOR YOU, so that you are lead to the right door.

Here is a good read if this is really speaking to you.

It’s not going to turn out the way you thought… it will be better.

Sometimes you just really need to hear something specific from a person in your life, but they don’t say it the way you need them to, they’re not there for you how you need them to be, or their time here is cut short by unforeseen circumstances. It can be really hard to deal with, but trust and know that there is a story, a reason and a lesson that goes with it. Look deeper than the surface to find out what is really going on and look towards the future to see what can only be known in retrospect.

Sometimes you just must trust and know that everything will work out exactly as it is supposed to, even if you don’t understand it right now.

A different job, a different relationship, a different hometown, a different story, you never know how it will end.

As long as you can take the lesson from it and have faith that you are EXACTLY where you are supposed to be RIGHT NOW, things will happen for the best.

“Take pride in how far you have come. Have faith in how far you can go.”

The only thing you really have control of in life is your REACTION to things.

Your positive and constructive reaction is what can change your life for the better. Two different people can both loose one of their legs. One person will become a marathon runner with a prosthesis, the other will just be the victim.

“Have faith in your journey. Everything had to happen exactly as it did for you to get where you’re going next.” – Mandy Hale.

So, remember to still dream, to continue to plan. Your dreams can still come true, but maybe it is a road you never expected would get you there. Create your outcome. Create your result. How do you want it to end up with the cards you are dealt? How can you make the most of your situation, no matter how good or how bad? It’s up to you to navigate this journey.

And I will leave it off with my REALLY all time favorite quote, or prayer, the Serenity prayer that my grandfather used to say to us all the time.

“God (Universe) grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can and the Wisdom to know the difference.”

Hope that inspires you!

Xoxo

Emily

Dedicated to Christine and Isabelle.

This illustration will be one of my New Holiday Cards!

—–

Specializing in Fashion, Health, Beauty and Entertainment Illustration, Emily is a published illustrator with works featured on NY Times Best selling author’s CD covers and books. Emily also has a consulting business where she works with multiple brands in fashion and other categories. Emily specializes in creative direction, branding and business development.

October 17, 2013

The Story you tell… becomes the life you lead.

Perception is everything. Reality is totally different. Now, That’s not to say if you dress up like a cat you will be a cat, but … (maybe just for Halloween!)

Reality is actually completely different for everyone. Your reality is different from my reality and each of our realities are different from your parent’s and siblings realities, your friends realities and your coworker’s realities. How is this possible? Because it is our PERCEPTION of reality that changes from person to person, and that is why perception is everything.

If you perceive your life to be hard, and a struggle, it will be. If you perceive the road to be long and the battle to be tough, it is. If you perceive your life to be full of joy and abundance, so be it.

If you think of yourself as ugly or to have a big nose, that is the reality you live in, and you truly feel that way – going on, day in and day out, feeling bad about yourself. Meanwhile, someone else may think your nose is the most perfect nose they have ever seen and that you are really beautiful. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

If you identify yourself as intelligent, you live in a world where you ARE intelligent. You feel you make smart choices, based on the choices you have seen others make and based on those around you. However, that doesn’t mean someone else can think the exact opposite is true, and be correct – in their own reality – and based on their experience perceive your choices to be ignorant and inept.

It is all based on perception. Your analysis of yourself is based on how you view others around you, their behaviors and your past experiences. From that you draw a conclusion.

That teaches us to all be a little more compassionate. Someone you may be judging may just as well be judging you. When in an argument, someone else’s point may seem preposterous, yet when you try to see things from their eyes you can see that each reality may be true.

The Earth was deemed flat based on our perception of walking, sailing and driving on land. The Earth was deemed round upon our discovery of flight and our view from higher altitudes.

Ok, ok – what am I getting at you ask? It is a very simple yet complex point. We create our own realities. Our minds and thoughts organize themselves in a way that informs the world around us. The thoughts we think inform the feelings we have, which then create the energy we release into the world. Those around us recognize the energy we give off subconsciously. The energy we feel determines our day, our mood and compoundly, our life.

If all this is true, then why couldn’t you change your whole life as you know it. You can.

Change your perception of being the VICTIM to the VICTOR of your life.

Change your perception that “It can’t be done” to “You need 99 no’s to get 1 yes,” and that “impossible is nothing.”

You have to make the choice EACH and every day to live in Faith, or to live in Fear. The stories that we tell ourselves from our past are lodged so deeply in our psyche that we believe them whole-heartedly.

We believe that we are worthless without those external things we seek. We believe that because it happened once, it will happen again. We believe that our future will be based on our past suffering.

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you will certainly most always be right.” Henry Ford.

Change your story. Declare that although it happened in the past, it does not have to be our future. Decide that your family’s story or struggle is not your own. Choose to have faith that your past occurred to teach you lessons to deal with your future so that you don’t have to replay history.

Choose to tell the story you WANT to live, as opposed to the story you keep telling from your past and decide that NO LONGER is your truth!

Choose the story of your life.

Hope that inspires you!

Xoxo

Emily

Special thanks to my mentor Gabrielle Bernstein who ingrained this theory into me and I wanted to share it with you!f

P.S. Im giving away $50 off your Order of Custom Illustrated Holiday Cards for the Early Birds, Now – Nov 8th with code: EARLYBIRD13

October 10, 2013

Autumn Glamour

Something about the fall always makes me feel like it’s time to pamper myself. The cooler weather commands us to focus on fall fashion, on our beauty routines and freshening ourselves up for a new season.

Fashion week, fall fetes, holidays coming up and more social gatherings in a new climate lend themselves perfectly to trying a new lip color or trend.

Everything about the jewel tone colors, the excuse to wear more makeup then in the summer months and the call to play around with fashion is so fun. Halloween, thanksgiving and holiday parties are what’s new to prep for.

Adapt a new hair conditioner now to combat brittle strands before they arrive, slather on that skin cream to hydrate in windy and brisk situations and go to the local boutique or drug store to try on new fashion or beauty finds.

It’s just a great excuse to feel extra girly. To prep our shells for winter weather; skin, tresses and garbs.

If you’re not into all those frills, just take this as an opportunity to get really vivid, nutrient-rich autumn veggies to steep into a stew, or douse the tub with Epsom salt and hop in for soak.

Whatever it is that feels like luxury to you, do it. Treat yourself. The end of summer solstice marks the preparation to get all our nuts in a row in order to hibernate and marinate in our situations.

This pertains to business as well. Take a luxurious approach to your work and really dig into your vision for the future, gnaw into the bones of your dreams and set the course correct, or deeper to get there.

Relish in this time of year that really gets you ready to saturate yourself in earthly pleasures, dreams come true and frivolous things.

Take the time you need, do it for yourself. You deserve it.

Hope that inspires you to live a glamorous autumn in more ways that one.

Xoxo

Emily

October 3, 2013

Fall Glimmer

Add a little glimmer to your day for Fall.

We all get caught up from time to time in a mundane routine and work, no matter what it is you do. Just remember that every day can have a little glimmer in it no matter what is on the schedule for you – especially this fall holiday season.

Relationships: A lot of times we let our social life go by the wayside when we are super busy. I know as an entrepreneur working late until 3am most nights, there really is no room for 5pm happy hour. If you work a 9-5 you still may need to go to the gym, come home, make dinner, care for a family etc. If you do have a schedule like that – of course it will be worth it in the end to see your accomplishments come to fruition (work, fitness, family etc.) but in between make sure to take some time for fun.

Step away from your normal routine if you feel drained and uninspired. Just going for lunch (or a pumpkin spice latté) with a girlfriend will help bring the zing back to your day. Talking with friends also really can rejuvenate you. Even a phone call will totally help.

Fall is the perfect time to nestle in with friends for coffee, drinks, fun and girl talk to battle the chilly weather blues.

I know I recently felt the blah’s coming on and was so caught up with a lot of work that I needed to finish and thought about canceling my plans. However, just carving out an hour or two to see a friend really put things in perspective and reenergized me.

Relationships are what life is all about and it is important to have a balance in your life. Friends, romance, family, work; if any one of these four types of relationships are off kilter you will notice it in your energy.

It’s strange to think that this can literally affect your energy but drowning yourself in work or only a few of these types of relationships can bring on the feeling that there is something lacking.

Get creative, get feminine: No need to wait for a dull day to do something special (or sparkly for that matter). Make it a point to really take care of yourself and know that the more you do that the better your work in the world will be. You will revive the creative juices inside of you by doing something imaginative.

Have girl time with yourself. Take that trip to the bookstore, go candle shopping, do something DIY, break out the glitter and pinterest boards to make some sparkly fall decor, or bake a fun fall batch of muffins. By enjoying the little things that are feminine and creative, your left-brain will be activated and anything you need to do will get a little easier because you will have a fresh and inventive mindset. As a woman on a schedule, going by the to do list is a fairly masculine energy that we in the millennium have come to accept. It’s so important to tap back into the feminine things you enjoy to reenergize yourself for those hardened tasks.

Nest in: Sometimes our home or office needs a mini-facelift. Whenever things feel stale reorganize your space, purchase a fall scented candle, add some fall decorations and really get into the nesting zone. When you do this you will feel like you are nurturing your soul. Cuddle up to those close to you and enjoy your updated surroundings. Visual stimulus really help to provide soothing experiences for our mind, body and soul. Treat your space as a temple. Take it easy when you have to and prep for the fall festivities.

Hope that inspires you!

xoxo

Emily

September 26, 2013

Control your cold weather appetite

-and the reason why you don’t want to work out as much!

So long summer, Au revoir amazing white sandy beaches and hot 90-degree weather. So sad, it was fun!

While most of you (like me) worked hard on your fitness and your bikini bodies for those summer vacations, what is to come of your fall silhouette?

Autumn is typically the weather for cuddling, chilly days; hot chocolate and warm apple pie. Yum, am I tempting you yet?

My point EXACTLY. Who wants to go to the gym when it starts getting chilly? As the mercury drops our motivation for looking slim subtly sinks and although those tight skinny jeans provide some motivation, our cozy chunky knit sweaters can easily hide a bulge. So what’s a girl to do?

Being fit, staying healthy and living vibrantly is not just a 3 month must – it’s a way of life.

If your motivation is purely aesthetics, remind yourself of those slinky Halloween costumes, holiday parties and New Years sparkly dresses to slip into. If you are doing this to FEEL good physically and to feel good about yourself EVERYDAY then that will hopefully provide some long-term motivation.

So incase you are wondering, it’s not just your imagination… the cold weather can really increase your appetite. I have been noticing that I have been craving more kinds of comfort foods and a lot more of it, specifically as the weather cools down.

“Studies indicate that we do tend to eat more during the winter months, with the average person gaining at least 1-2 pounds – those who are already overweight can gain more.” And that adds up over the years.

“Not only does the winter season set us up to crave these higher-calorie foods, but the holidays put them in front of us, usually in great abundance,” says McAllister, MD and author of Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom’s Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim. The same is true for the fall.

The reason why? You may have guessed. It goes back to our caveman ancestors, living outside or in more exposed areas they needed to bulk up to keep warm. We fortunately do not need to do this.

However, feeling cold does trigger a self-preservation mode that tells the body to heat up fast. Your body then begins to crave foods full of carbs and sugars to deliver the heat your body is looking for.

Just giving in to these cravings creates a cycle of spiked blood sugar that keeps you coming back for more.

Our body craves warm foods as well so instead of heading for the hummus platter or a salad you crave richer, heavier meals.

With the decrease in sunlight that you are exposed to dwindling down, people stay in more, especially when its dark and gloomy. You can suffer from a mild depression with out even knowing it which also amps up our desires for instant satisfaction as well as our cravings for cuddles and comfort food.

How to control your cold weather cravings?

Here’s the how to get a handle on your health this fall and winter season:

1) Go for soups. Even though they tend to bloat you with added salt, they will fill you up and warm you up instantly. Stay away from soups with a lot of sodium. Go with homemade soups with real ingredients as opposed to the canned style and have only soups 1-3xs a week and not more, to battle the bulge. They are a great go-to if you are really hungry but are trying to avoid the baked lasagna sitting on the counter.

2) Heat up your plate. Even if it normally would not be heated try to nuke the tuna salad or healthy option. Do this for lunch too. Feeling the warm plate and having something warm to put into your body really is a comfort.

3) Keep snacking. Adding some high fiber, high protein snacks like peanut butter on crackers are great (or almond butter and gluten free crackers if you are me), add protein powder to your breakfast, add bananas, or nuts to a snack.

4) Substitute the coffee and make it a snack. I gave up coffee for chai lattes with dairy free milk like coconut or almond milk, or even just tea. Stay away from coffee as it can lead to caffeine addiction, anxiety, hypertension, insomnia and nervousness, which increase your stress-related emotional eating. Make this new warm drink a snack between meals. It will fill you up and help you avoid the vending machine. For desserts you can even sub in a hot chocolate, just make sure to make it with mostly water instead of all milk – just top it off with a small amount of skim, soy or coconut milk.

5) Make a winter work out plan. Write down how you worked out all summer and see how it can translate to cold weather fitness. Take your outdoor run to the treadmill, swim in an indoor pool, work out to an indoor dvd and find ways to motivate yourself. Working out burns calories and suppresses your appetite so you can easily say no to some of your trigger foods.

6) Get some vitamin D. Add vitamin D to your supplement list or try to go outside in the sun, even in the winter at least for a 5-10 minutes. The sun’s rays help you fight depression and emotional comfort food eating.

7) Hug it out. Skip the comfort foods and sub in some actual comfort. Hugging calms you down, decreases stress levels and releases any pent up emotions that may cause you to emotionally eat.

8) Layer it up. Don’t give in to just throwing on a huge chunky sweater. Layer it up with a body hugging tank or t-shirt first. This has many benefits. First you will see how you look in a tight shirt and notice if any love handles are creeping up on you, second and most importantly it will keep you warm. Keeping warm is an obvious thing to do in the cooler months, but not all of us really layer it up. Trap body heat to make you feel more comfortable in any situation instead of shivering at your desk for the sake of fashion. Add tights under jeans, double up on socks and bring an extra sweater or vest to throw on under your jacket. I know I am always super cold so layering helps me so much. Adding the layers in your clothes will prevent you from adding the fat layer around your stomach.

Hope that inspires you!
xoxo

Emily

September 19, 2013

20 Tips To Hit Rewind On A Bad Day.

Ok admit it, we all have them. A bad day comes around every so often and although we have 24 hours to hit rewind sometimes we just want to mope in our bad-day-ness.

Well, this blog is here to save the day. 20 ways to press pause and reset your brooding. Don’t we all need this once in a while? That’s ok. Mope, then snap out of it. A better day is just minutes away.

*Just as a disclaimer: bad things happen, and sometimes they are very serious. I am in no way saying that any situation can be changed with these tips, but it is your reaction to the situation that can change into a more positive mindset.

1. Look to the stars. Literally. Go outside, go to your window or look them up online (if the clouds in your area have taken up that valuable real estate). Revel in amazement. Realize that life is fleeting and any problems you have are just a flash in the pan. Tomorrow is another chance to change your reaction. It’s not the situation… it’s how you handle it. Believe (if you choose to) that you are being guided and that everything is happening for a reason. Your shit is being brought up so it can be dealt with and healed.

2. Play with your pet. Cats, dogs, furbies, whatever – anything furry and cuddly will do the job. Put it in perspective that these furry creatures are just here to love you and it is your job to take care of them and love them back. Give them a ton of love.

3. Meditate. For amazing meditations go to http://gabbyb.tv/meditate or sit in silence for 5-10 minutes with a deep breath in for 5 seconds, and a deep breath out for 5 seconds. Seriously, this helps me so much any time I am stressed or distressed about something. Meditating often increases your intuition and also helps you connect to the guidance system you already have inside of you.

4. Take a walk outside. Being in nature really changes your outlook on life. The outdoors helps us humans connect with an innate sense of affinity for other living things. It is in our DNA to feel a decrease in blood pressure, anxiety and stress just by being outside, even for a few minutes.

5. Change your breath. This is a new one I just learned. Gabrielle Bernstein of Gabbyb.tv (the meditation link above) prescribes slowly blowing air out of your mouth at any time of anxiety and in through our nose. You can use this trick in the boardroom or in any stressful situation with little detection from others.

6. Pray. No matter what kind of higher power you believe in, just give it up and pray. You can even pray to the stress Gods if you so choose. Sit for a moment and ask for help. I like to say “Please guide me to expand in love, abundance and success today and every day as we inspire others to do the same.” – I took this phrase from the book “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks and it helps my perspective on so many things!

7. Work out.

8. Do something fun.

9. Go shopping / faux shopping. Nothing hits the spot quite like a little retail therapy for the soul. If you don’t have the funds, faux shop – it is so much more fun than you think – trust me. Go online or into a store and pick out everything you would buy if you had all the money in the world. Think about how you would wear it, what it would look like on, keep adding to your imaginary shopping bag. Feel how you would feel if you bought it and then put a bookmark in it until a later date when you have the cash, or indefinitely. You can do this whole thing in your head, you don’t even have to touch a thing. The act of buying these items in your imagination will cue up the attracting power of those things that you desire and tell your brain it’s ok to receive great things. The science behind this is that shopping releases endorphins, which lower stress. Same with…

10. Chocolate and wine. So go ahead, indulge.

11. Do something good for yourself. Try amani/pedi, massage, read a book, do something you’ve been putting off that will make you feel good.

12. Inspire someone.

13. Hug someone.

14. Follow through. Pick one small step and commit to it starting today. You will feel so good that you moved forward with something and that you are in control. Make the commitment to add this new step into your life and continue to follow through.

15. Write down your non-negotiables. It’s so important to feel a sense of self-respect when you feel you have been wronged, so write down some non-negotiables that you need to be happy in business and personal life. If you are having a disagreement with someone or are faced with a big decision, go back to your non-negotiable list and see what matches your priorities. This will make your stance, and your decision a whole lot easier.

16. Stop complaining. There are millions of people who have it way worse than you do. Get grateful for what you do have, food, shelter, etc.

17. Take a bath. Baths are very healing and recharging for your body, mind and soul. Add salt to detoxify your body of harmful built up chemicals, negative energy and other toxins. Sitting in a warm bath can clear your mind and create space to form solutions to a problem you couldn’t solve prior.

18. Do that thing you’re afraid of. Sometimes having a bad day is what happens when things don’t go our way. Take the reigns back in your hands and take a risk. Take a leap. It can be small but just flex your fear muscle and let it grow stronger.

19. Accept failure. Realize everyone fails hundreds of times and the people who succeed are people who failed ten hundred times and got up again and again.

20. Look ahead. Look to the future and picture your life in 5 or 10 years or even 5 days. Think about the amazing things you have in store, and if nothing is planned yet – create your map. “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” – Lewis Carroll.

Hope that inspires you to have a better day, now. You don’t even have to wait for tomorrow!

xoxo

Emily

September 12, 2013

Celebrate your Uniqueness

A unique take on my current illustration style!

So many times we judge ourselves by the standards of society, of our peers or of those who have come before us. We are told by our elders to fit in, to conform and to “keep calm and carry on.”

We live in a society where exceptionality is celebrated by those from afar and resented by those who are close. It is a confusing place to be for those who yarn to express their point of view, their talent or their natural limelight yet feel the need to stifle it for one reason or another.

In the short term, yes it is so much easier to just keep quiet, to not express your opinions, your gifts or your eccentricity. It’s safer. But in the long term – you are doing a huge disservice to the world and you are stifling your soul in the meantime.

We are each given our unique gifts and dreams that match for a reason, for the greater good and to share them with the world. To make the world a slightly better place because you lived in it can only happen when you really LIVE your life – your unique life.

It takes guts, perseverance, and unwavering conviction to repeatedly silence your own doubts and the doubts of those around you alike – but it’s worth it. Take a stand, deliver your point of view, execute your strengths and put to work your talents.

Trust in a divine design for you and your unique abilities, for you to share your thoughts and execute your passions.

It is with great relish that we taste the fruits of our labor.

It is with great savor that share our gifts with the world

It is our divine purpose to use the gifts we were given.

If just one person’s life is better because you lived in it, or because you shared your uniqueness you have done your job.

Hope that inspires you!

Xoxo

Emily

September 5, 2013

How to get what you want and have fun doing it!!

Getting what you want is all about a give and take. Since the term “Getting what you want” has such a negative connotation it can often times seem selfish or mal-intentioned. However, we all desire things in life and why give up our dreams and goals at the risk of being “judged” that we are selfish. The people who are judging you are afraid to ask for and get what they want in life, and if you notice most of the time they are unhappy because they don’t have what they are looking for.

How to:

1. Getting what you want is all about KNOWING what you want. That means setting specific goals and focusing on them.

2. Create a plan to get what you want. Figure out what is it you need to do, what kinds of people, places and events you need to connect with and what you can give in return to get what you want.

3. Get comfortable with the idea of receiving what you want and feeling worthy and deserving of it. This is a really hard thing to do for a lot of people. Sometimes you notice people who literally or figuratively “Hit the Lottery” or gain all of this huge success then all of a sudden loose it all. This is because of a theory described in the book “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks (a book on my Must-read-because-it-will-change-your life list.) The theory says that when you don’t feel worthy you will in essence no longer be a magnet for the successes that you desire. My mentor Gabrielle Bernstein says the same thing. It is only when you feel worthy and attract what you want that you will be able to retain it.

An example to illustrate this point is: Have you ever wished for, felt worthy of a promotion or leap of success in some area of your life (relationships, money, or anything) and received that which you desired – and then once you have attained it you start to self-doubt, self-sabotage and question if you really are truly worthy. Then all of a sudden, your new promotion, new relationship or influx of money disappears just as fast as it came in. This is because you turned your attracting magnet in reverse and not in a good way. Another book that touts this theory: The Secret. Moral of the story: don’t doubt your worthiness – trust in it!

4. Create or add to your vision board. Here comes the fun part. Visualize what you want. I’m sure this is not the first time you’ve heard this about a vision board, but as you grow and accomplish things, your vision board should grow with you. Keep it fun by switching things up, adding images that inspire you and give you the feeling of what you desire, also check off the things that have come to fruition! This will give you a visual reminder of the good things that will come your way.

5. Enjoy the journey, not just the destination. Half of the fun and all of the adventure comes from the obstacles you faced to get there. Don’t stress and understand that each mini success, bump in the road and even failures are stepping-stones to your big picture. Trust in the end game and give it up to the Universe. Have fun along the way and know that any tests you are given are so you can grow stronger and more able to accept the big victory at the end. You literally have to rip and tear your muscles apart (when working out) to rebuild them into a strong toned body.

6. Don’t be afraid – just go with it. Enable the auto response “What’s the worst thing that could happen” question when faced with fear. Generally the answer will not be death or serious injury (if it is stay away). The answer to that question will most likely be not nearly as scary what you picture.

So go ahead, take the risk and go get what you want!!!!

Hope that inspires you!
xoxo

Emily

August 28, 2013

Feed your Life

No matter what it is that you care about, insert here:

You have to feed your _______________ right in order to grow and thrive.

Whether it’s your body, your business, your relationships or anything for that matter, taking the time to nourish your assets is super important to sustainability.

“How you take care of yourself fuels your body’s innate wisdom to be able to heal and balance itself. You deserve to feel vital and good. You really do. Your body is constantly talking to you. When you notice you are tired, make sure to take the time to rest and ask yourself what you can do to rejuvenate yourself. How often do you push yourself, grab a cup of caffeine or eat some sugar to lift your energy to keep you on task, forgetting all the while that your body was trying to get your attention? When you get a headache and feel like your head is in a vice, before you grab an aspirin and forget you even had a headache, make sure to take time to remember that your body is reminding you to be gentle with yourself and trying to get your attention. When you lay in bed restless and can’t seem to get to sleep, before you grab a sleeping aid, take a few moments to write your worries and concerns on a piece of paper so that your mind and heart can feel a bit lighter.” Says Robin Lee, intuitive health coach who writes for The Daily Love.

What Robin says is so interesting; we all tend to ignore our body’s intuitive voice coming through. If that is so, then we can safely assume we also ignore our intuitive voice on many other topics, like how to feed out soul, business and relationships.

Your inner wisdom is profound and if you tap into it you will be truly amazed.

By taking a minute or two to stop what you are doing, close your eyes and ask yourself what you need – your intuitive voice will tell you.

If you need a nap, take it.

If you are working out more and your body craves protein, get some protein.

*Side note: If you don’t eat a lot of animal protein and have food allergies to gluten and dairy like me (ug!) try this amazing protein powder that I add every morning to my breakfast and it tastes pretty good once you can get over the green color.

If you are craving some inspiration and you are drawn towards your September issue of the latest glossy but the work is piling up – take a 15 minute break and put a bookmark in where you left off. It will lift your spirits, will make you feel productive and give you the creative jolt you needed.

If you feel like you want to write a letter to someone telling them how you feel, do it. (Just make sure you sleep on it if it’s not the most positive message – but if it is positive go with it!)

If it’s your money take some extra time to manage it the way you need to if that’s what your intuition tells you.

And lastly if you feel like you need to put more time brainstorming and planning into your business or goals, do it.

Don’t ever feel like any of these things are wasting time. They will benefit you and so many others immensely.

Whatever it is that your body and intuition is telling you – don’t ignore it!

Take the time to properly feed your body and soul and everything else will fall into place. The work will get done and the to do list will get crossed off, but the difference is you will probably get it done faster and happier after you’ve listened to what you need and given it to yourself.

Hope you start listening harder today and every day!

and ..

Hope that inspires you!
xoxo

Emily

August 22, 2013

Pleasure vs. Success and dealing with Burn out

“If you go for success, pleasure is 50/50. If you go for pleasure, success is guaranteed.” Quoted the founder of Boom, Cindy Joseph.

I recently read this statement and it was quite interesting to hear.

“Pleasure is suspicious in our society but if you are honest with yourself and what you really want your only hope of happiness is going for what gives you immense pleasure” Cindy said.

People are judged pretty heavily based on their successes and their enjoyment of life. If you see a hard working person who is grunting and complaining of the pains in their life, but who appears to have it all, money, cars, a relationship, nice things, great job, etc. this person is most always regarded as successful even if they seem to not be enjoying the process. Sometimes these people even go as far as complaining on purpose to even the playing ground, to make others around more comfortable and downplay their actual happiness and successes.

On the flip side when a person is successful BECAUSE they are enjoying life, having fun and living their desires they are almost always regarded with a negative attitude (or perhaps jealousy) and even deemed to have “stumbled upon success”, to have been “handed it” or worse remarks that are so far from the truth.

Why does pleasure have to be guilty? If I want to have a mid afternoon chocolate break (instead of coffee) and also enjoy working out – what really is the problem? But we as a society really enjoy making pleasure seem guilty. After my chocolate break I am hard wired and programed (by society) to feel bad that I indulged. Why?

I honestly have no idea but it is absurd! What’s the point in living life if you truly can’t enjoy it!!!?!!?

Whoever heard of the saying “You can’t have your cake and eat it too!?” WHY WOULD YOU HAVE CAKE IF YOU CAN’T EAT IT TOO!?!?!? This is perplexing! I understand this proverb is about trade-offs in life but why does pleasure have to be a trade-off?

Why can’t we have it all?

Well. My answer to that is we can, actually, have it all. When following your heart’s desire you are on the path to success – headed towards living a life beyond your wildest dreams. So go for it, and keep on going for it. You will always be successful if you are following your passion.

Now, in terms of burn out: “You run long and hard, you get tired. That’s a fact. Marathoners don’t criticize themselves after a race for being exhausted. They rest.” – Danielle LaPorte.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

When doing your Passion work, you are highly likely to face burn out at one point or anther. That’s ok. It’s normal. You should.

Danielle goes on to say:

-As the legend goes, when the Phoenix resurrects from the flames, she is even more beautiful than before.

-“Life balance” is an insidious myth. Picasso, Oprah, Steve Jobs, Einstein, Maria Callas – they weren’t aiming for balance, they were aiming to rock their genius, and they’ve all had periods of burn out.

-On the seventh day, even God rested.

-Take stock of all you’ve accomplished. You’ve come far, baby. And you’ve got the road rash and the muscle definition to prove it.

And lastly

Burn out is a natural part of shining. Naturally. I welcome it now.

Thanks Danielle.

And now I invite YOU to go find your biggest desires and make them come true. Do your Passion work, shine bright, burn out, rest, and do it all over again and then repeat. This is how you serve the world with your gift and keep on giving.

Hope that inspires you!
xoxo

Emily

« First ‹ Prev 8 9 101112 13 14 Next ›Last »

Dream and Trust

The Story you tell… becomes the life you lead.

Autumn Glamour

Fall Glimmer

Control your cold weather appetite

20 Tips To Hit Rewind On A Bad Day.

Celebrate your Uniqueness

How to get what you want and have fun doing it!!

Feed your Life

Pleasure vs. Success and dealing with Burn out

Newsletter

Archives

Categories