Articles Tagged with: motivation
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April 11, 2013
How to Zap Stress

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So last week I had been incredibly stressed.

I had been dealing with an unusual work situation and one that was causing major havoc in the moment.  My stomach has been in knots, and it has caused a migraine, backache, major stomach ache and definitely sleep loss.

How do you come back from a stint like that? Remember that you need to get back on your game and get back to work.

1. First address the Giant.

You have to learn to face confrontation head on and stand up for what you believe in a way that is authentic and true to how you are feeling.  Get it off your chest, but always play fair. Remember karma is a bigger b*tch then you or I could ever be! Let the flow of energy run its course. Do what you can to clean up your side of the street. When you have done all you can do and the ball is not in your court, give it up to the universe. Try to relax and trust that everything will work out. If you can’t do anything about it, don’t worry; instead pray for it to be resolved for the highest good of both parties involved (as my mentor Gabrielle Bernstein would say).

Now that you did what you could…

2. Warm it up.

The best thing to do to reduce stress; as soon as you feel it coming on is to get warm. Go put on a cozy sweater, take a walk over to the heater in the winter or go outside for a stroll in the sun.  Warming up your body will get that frigid chill of your back, release muscle tension, and calm your anxiety levels.

3. Eat your cravings.

I know it sounds counter productive and a surefire way to gain weight if you emotionally eat every time you are stressed, so DON’T.  However, sometimes if you are REALLY stressed and you eat SMART cravings you can actually reduce the levels of chemicals in your body that are in freak-out mode and increase the one’s with calming effects.

Your body intuitively knows what foods you need and if you are craving chocolate – there’s usually a scientific reason why.

Dark chocolate reduces the levels of stress hormone cortisol as well as the “fight-or-flight” hormones called catecholamines.  Coco is also rich in antioxidants called flavonoids which are linked to numerous health benefits.

Peanut butter is high in tryptophan, a chemical that helps the body relax and the brain produce “mood improving chemicals”.  Nuts are full of vitamin B, the vitamins that help stress.  Almond butter is especially high in these vitamins so reach for that healthy alternative if you crave peanut butter frequently and down want the high glycemic rush.

Bananas are rich in calcium and potassium, which helps to relieve anxiety, stress and lower blood pressure.

So when you’re stressed make a lethal anxiety killer on a plate – Bananas topped with peanut butter and chocolate. Oh what a torturous Rx indeed! (Sarcasm)

4. Meditate.

Now that your body feels nourished, time to relax your soul. Sit for 5-10 minutes in meditation or listen to some zen-ed out music.  My favorite meditation choice right now is Oprah & Deepak’s 21 day meditation challenge. The free Challenge just ended but you can purchase the meditations here. They. are. AWESOME.

5. Write it out.

Now to calm our mind.  Now that you have given your body and soul a chance to get back in balance, take pen to paper (or hand to keyboard) and vent it out.  It’s not likely other people will relish in your stressed out angry venting so don’t rub that energy off on them.  Write it out to clear your mind, write what you are feeling and what you are going through.  If you need to do this before and after you meditate, the meditation will surely give you a clearer perspective on things and the ability to forgive your foes so you can get back to better things, like being happy!

Just remember, when you are stressed on a work day its hard to step away and calm yourself. However – if you don’t you will be carrying those stressful vibes with you on everything you do.  Imagine this: Your work project will get some fiery comments, perhaps some errors and any phone calls or in-person meetings you may have – the person on the receiving side may get the brunt end of the stick.  You could lose a deal, a client or just blow your lid in front of an important decision maker.  Not a cute look!

Warning: Don’t let this happen to you!

Step away from the situation and take some time out to regroup. It could be 10 minutes or it could be an hour but you will leave that stress at the door and be able to get back in the groove in no time! Everyone will appreciate it.

Hope that inspires you!

Xoxo

Emily

April 4, 2013
Reflection

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Your outer world reflects your inner world

When you take the time to stop and look at what you are experiencing in the world around you, it becomes clear that your outer world tends to look a lot like what is happening internally to you.

If you stub your toe, spill coffee all over yourself (or the person next to you), even loose your voice or have a health condition – ask yourself if there is something you are avoiding or suppressing in regard to a specific area of your life. Are there emotions you are burying inside of you?

If you are feeling positive, thinking great and beautiful thoughts of the future, feeling gratitude for everything you have and where you are, if you are confidently dreaming about how you can do your job better and help more people in the process; beautiful things will sprout up, opportunities will present themselves, creative solutions will come to you and your outer world will reflect your inner thoughts.

What negative or positive experiences are happening for you in your life?

Reflecting on your experiences can provide major insight to you.  These clues can be pinpointing if you are headed in the right direction towards your goals or if the universe is trying to give you a knock on the head and telling you to turn around.

If things are going awry in your life, try to create an even more pleasant atmosphere for yourself.  Start small.  Decorating, cleaning, organizing, adding flowers, lighting candles, painting a wall or adding or a bowl of fruit are not just for external pleasures.

Setting the scene of your life starts with your immediate surroundings. If you are not inspired by or comforted by the room you work in or go to sleep in chances are you will not feel inspired or comfortable in your work or sleep patterns.

Simply being brought back to our basic fundamental needs, having them met and upping the anti by incorporating scents, spices, candles, visual stimulation and more are incredibly important for your brain and how it functions.

Deepak Chopra says “(Scents, textures, sights and sounds) Nourishes the brain, which takes care of us so we can better take care of our bodies.”

A positive outer environment allows us to make positive choices in the little things we do. The small choices become the things that fill our day. The days we fill become how we spend our lives.

When things are going haywire in your life it signifies that something is wrong, something is out of alignment.

Get comfortable with expressing your true and deep feelings. Become aware that everyone holds a difference of opinion and if you just suppress yours you will never feel heard or supported.  Accepting more love, abundance, and greatness is your job so that your internal abundance can reflect an outer abundance.

Hope that inspires you!
xoxo

Emily

 

March 28, 2013
How to Stay Motivated

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So you’ve started your goal with tons of enthusiasm, but a few weeks in you loose the momentum, life gets busy, and sometimes you just aren’t motivated.

Some times you want to just relax, get that extra sleep, cave in and do something totally indulgent.  Eat those cheat foods, skip your workout,

Avoid, avoid, avoid.

It’s true that objects in motion stay in motion.  The hardest part is when you are trying to get that ball rollin’ from the beginning – or all over again in the middle of your great progress.

Yes sometimes we all fall off the saddle but its important to get right back on and keep the momentum going.

Here’s how to get and stay motivated to accomplish ANYTHING!

1) Start Small. Doing something for just 2 minutes to get back in gear is one of the best ways to keep something going. The key to finishing a long term goal like getting fit, writing a book or just staying organized is to create space for the routine. As long as you get your sneakers on and close the door behind you, your body will most likely naturally get to the gym. If you start with just 2 minutes of organizing you will probably end up spending 20 minutes doing so and you’ll be incredibly proud of yourself in the end.

2) Create public reinforcement. By announcing your goal to friends and family or blasting it all over social media you are holding yourself accountable, and so will the people you tell.  Most people would rather not disappoint others or look bad in public. By doing this you are not only going to disappoint yourself but you will disappoint your community if you give up on your goal. This can be a strong motivational force for sticking with it.

3) Make it enjoyable. Lets face it, if it’s not enjoyable why would you want to do it? You will most likely make up any excuse in the books just to avoid what you “have to / need to” do to accomplish your goal.  If you don’t get great pleasure out of the process or at least the end goal – you probably wont stick with the plan.  If you hate going to the gym, find a fitness routine that is fun and make a pinterest board of Hot Bod’s that you will one day aspire to have.  Each time you hit one of your small fitness goals, reward yourself with a little treat (not food though as that would be counter productive).

This brings me to my other points:

4) Chart your progress & Reward yourself often.  Separate your main goal into small manageable micro-goals. If you want to work out, celebrate when you hit your first whole week of workouts with out skipping a day. If you want to get organized, break it out into one desk draw per day. Chart your progress with an X on the ol’ Cali (aka calendar), create an excel sheet or a daily blog. When you reward yourself, make sure its not something counter productive like a day off from the gym if your goal is to work out or a day to sleep in if your goal is to wake up earlier.

5) Visualize it. Like I said in my previous blogs, visualizing and dreaming about your end goal will light the fire in your pants to do things necessary to complete your goal. This alone will inspire you, how good you’ll look in that bikini, how proud you’ll feel when you write that book or how beautiful your home and cabinets will be when you are organized.

6) Never skip two days in a row. If you are trying to create a routine, we are all human so we may skip a day here and there – however having a goal of never skipping two days in a row will keep you on track. It’s so much harder to get back into a routine than to pick it up after just one day off.  Make this your goal and make sure you have a back up plan for sick days. If you are under the weather, maybe do some weights or stretching at home for 15 minutes. This still counts as working out and it will help you stay on track. No excuses!

How to maintain energy and focus if you loose it along the way.

1) Look it up, read about it and google it. Reading inspiring stories of how other people accomplished their goals will reignite your passion to finish yours!  Seeing others do what you dream of doing is a sure fire way to remind yourself that it IS possible, it HAS been done and you CAN do it too!

2) Think about the benefits. And remind yourself of why you started this goal in the first place. If you no longer think these reasons take priority any more or feel there are more pressing issues at hand, dig for more reasons. Although life does come between our goals sometimes, you will always be more proud of yourself if you simply didn’t give up, even when things got tough.  Most likely your goal is geared towards living the optimal life you dream of.  If stress or family matters take precedence at first glance – it may be more of a time than ever to stick with your goal. It will give you some much needed “me time” and help manage stress from other things that may be on your mind.

A little tip I just was reminded of:

We are all made of atoms that are literally vibrating as long as we are alive. The feelings that we feel and the energy we feel around accomplishing something should not be labeled “good” or “Bad” but simply how we are feeling and if we are feeling like Blah, tired, lazy, bored, nervous or unmotivated (or the reverse of any of these) we should examine WHY we are feeling that way and change the experience we are having.  Just realizing that we are going to vibrate from now until the day we die with either “good” or “bad” feelings doesn’t change the fact that those feelings and vibrations in our bodies will still be there. Channel that energy into your goals and you will be amazed at how it can propel you! – Thanks to Marieforleo.com and this video here for this tidbit on vibrating!

Motivation advice from my personal experience, various websites and Zen habits.net

Hope that inspires you!
xoxo

Emily

March 20, 2013
Soak it up

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Illustration of a pregnant Jennifer Stano David.

Spring is HERE and now’s the time to absorb all that good energy, all the good vibes, the green nutrients and all of the rays (with some UV protection of course) to get in the spirit to welcome this new season.

We’ve all been hibernating and most definitely have caught Spring Fever.  I know I have! The ice has melted and warmer days are upon us.

I plan to rev up my fitness routine, drench my mitochondria in good-for-me vitamins and get out for a walk. You should too! As much as we nurture our spiritual and mental sides, we must also nourish our body with nutrient dense food. We need this to replenish the building blocks we crave and to make sure we are getting the exercise we need to keep our system functioning like a well-oiled machine. Remember, you are the vehicle by which you can accomplish your dreams. Read this past article here for more on my “fountain theory”.

But I digress…

The ancient art of Ayurveda medicine is the science of life. It is a 5,000-year-old science of natural healing originating in the Vedic culture of India.  Many ancient cultures have followed suit and now more than ever it is prevalent in American culture. It is the very integration of mind, body, spirit and our environment that we all talk about.

Incorporating Ayurveda into our life, it is said can lead to perfect and constant health when Ayurveda’s practices are perfectly balanced.

In regard to the basic principals of this ancient science Deepak Chopa says “The most positive message we can send our bodies every day is to be aligned with balance in all things. Taking time to enter the stillness each day (meditate) and getting adequate rest, but we also need to move – both mentally and physically. Exercise is one way to ward off physical inertia. Taking a passionate interest in life keeps mental inertia at bay…These are all deep forms of healing and when you pursue them you are truly experiencing perfect health.”

So go on, make sure that fitness routine is on par and if something is lacking in the balance department – take to the scales.

Plan a trip or more time with friends outdoors and get ready to beat those winter blues.  Stock up on some fruit from the local market and make sure to get loads of vitamin C.

Break out one of your most beautiful bowls and fill it with your new succulent fruits. It will make you happy just to see the vibrant colors and if stored on a kitchen counter it will be a great thing to grab for instead of junk food!

For even more ways to spruce up your life, check out my Desk Zen article and use the art of feng shui on all areas of your home.  Move around some furniture, crack open some windows and get ready to have some major spring in your step.

Spring is HERE people! We have been patient!

As always, Hope that inspires you!

Xoxo

Emily

 

 

March 14, 2013
Keep dreaming…

Screen Shot 2013-03-07 at 1.38.51 AMNo, really.

Keep on dreaming. It’s never too late to live your dreams.

Even if it seems like the farthest thing possible from how you are living your life right now – it’s never too late to do what you really want to do.

You create your reality.  “You have invented the world you see.” – ACIM.

Your perception is your reality. You may have heard this before but it is definitely worth repeating: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you most certainly are right.” – Henry Ford.

It is really powerful to realize that what you think, you create.

If you think you are capable, you are capable. If you think you are not worthy, you won’t be.

When you dream and envision, you open up your mind to your inner most desires – the wishes that you truly want to have fulfilled.  We sometimes limit our dreams or stop ourselves from dreaming too big for fear of being let down, being afraid it is too outrageous to actually happen.  However, that limits our potential and causes us to not only stop our dream in our minds, but literally stop our dreams from coming to life in our reality.

Studies show that after watching pro-athletes’ brain scans in an MRI, when asked to envision their game plan in their minds, the same parts of their brain lit up as if they were actually practicing on the court or the field. This is how many of our U.S. Armed forces are trained, by virtual stimulation simulating real life combat experiences – using video games.  They are learning the process, feeling it out and playing it out in their minds.  The skills acquired during this training period are instrumental in Military real life combat when they get on to the battlefield.

So, how is this related you ask?

When you dream about the specifics of what you want to accomplish, you are literally “practicing” in your mind for what will then seem more natural to you the first time you are interacting in the experience.  Cool huh?

So, if you dream it – you will be able to do it more naturally, you can combat the fear that is creating your Upper Limit Problem head on and start to examine it.   You can, in the safety of your mind play in the “what if this really happens”. The fear you feel about doing something for the first time will not be as strong because it will be as though you have done it already.

When you dream, your mind then becomes naturally fixated on what you are dreaming about which in turn will make you more inclined to do some research, figure out the steps you need to get there, take that class, be at that networking event and know the industry better. It’s these small steps that get you ready for the real deal. Your mind will get you ready for the actions you need to take to actually LIVE your dreams and you can break through your so called “upper limits”.

Dream it and dream of your travels, of your successes, your milestones, how you will feel, and dream bigger.  Imagine what you want to accomplish and keep dreaming it until your mind creates a curiosity that cannot be quenched until you actually are living it.

The only one stopping you, is you.

Dream on!

Hope that inspires you!

Xoxo

Emily

March 7, 2013
Evolve

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This illustration is of an editorial of my gorgeous friend, model and entrepreneur Tash Moore of www.PeaceLoveThreads.com and Agency Model Management.

So many times in life we evolve, we grow out of our old skin and we need to shed – like a snake – to rid of old habits, old belief systems and limiting thoughts.

When the skin we are in feels tight, and it is not comfortable for us anymore then naturally, you must shed the constricted constraints into a place where you can breathe again.

If you are not shedding, but you need to – you will feel it.  You will feel it in your energy and your attitude. Remember we are here to take in new information all the time and change our habits that are not working.

Just because you were taught something, or choose to believe in an “impossibility” does not mean you are correct.  Just because you believe something is scary, does not mean it actually is if you only try.

When you treat life as an experiment, take smart risks, and keep educating yourself on the matters of this world, you learn – you expand. When you are curious and release old thoughts, when you “see your fear and do it anyway”, in all aspects of our life you can then grow in to your new skin.

Then, learn some more and repeat the cycle, shed, and regrow. If we are not doing this than we literally are staying stagnant.

Sometimes we hit a glass ceiling at each level of existence.

Sometimes your old beliefs aren’t cutting it anymore.

Sometimes, you have to evolve with the times.

Go with in and nurture your internal beliefs and ask yourself – is this really worth holding on to? You will find that when you release it is the most powerful and freeing thing you can do for yourself.

Dig deep, and shed.

Hope that inspires you!

Xoxo

Emily

 

 

 

February 28, 2013
Just love… yourself.

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I think the key to having it all, is really just figuring out that you have to love yourself no matter what.

No matter how many times you goof up, even if you give up, if you have a bad day, if you can’t go on, if you skipped the gym and had too much chocolate.  How about if you went to the gym, if you stopped yourself from the chocolate after the second bite, if you keep up with the house work.

The little things that you do, the tiny accomplishments should be celebrated.  Be proud of yourself. Be proud of your journey.

The times that you give yourself a less than stellar report card – be proud of yourself anyway.  Appreciate the life lessons. Know that you are EXACTLY where you are supposed to be.  Right now.

Yes, this is your pep talk…

Be easy with yourself, be gentle. Stop the self-sabotaging. You deserve the life you dream of.  You are entitled to happiness.

Give yourself a hall pass, a sick day, a spa day – If you need it.  If instead you need to kick your own butt and push yourself, then do that too.  You KNOW what you NEED.  Don’t’ let others tell you what you need.  If you can’t tell, meditate on it. Figure it out for yourself. Take a week where you don’t ask for anyone’s advice – and take your own advice.

Treat yourself well.  Stop judging and criticizing. You should be your own best friend.  The person you spend the most time with in your life is, after all, you. Don’t you want a pleasant experience? How ‘bout an AWESOME experience?

Listen to your body, do what it’s telling you to do. Eat what it’s telling you to eat.  Step away from what it doesn’t want. SCREW what other people think. SCREW what you think will make them happy, if you’re not happy believe me it will just pile up and that other person you made happy will go on with their day, unscathed. But you, who’s going to defend you if not yourself? Who’s going to be left sulking in the corner over pleasing everyone else and messing up your day, your life, your year?  Do we sense a theme here? Oh yeah, it’s you.

You would defend someone else right?  Why would you not defend yourself?

As a society we people-please wayyy to much. Not that that’s always a bad thing, sometimes we are very “well behaved”.

It’s a lovely thing when parents tell their children, don’t brag, don’t show off, don’t tell her you think that dress is ugly… or is it?

In actuality they are teaching their children to hide, to be quiet, to blend in and to lie to peoples faces just to tell someone what they want to hear.

Sure this will make them happy, you wont ruffle any feathers, but you most definitely will not speak your truth.

These are silly little examples but what if it were about something more important. What if it were about eating disorders, bullying or acting as a bystanding pedestrian, too afraid to speak out against a crime that is occurring.

It’s not the 50’s anymore, its time to speak up and “be you, because everyone else is taken.”

Speak your truth in your relationships, with your health, when a polite family member pushes, oh HAVE the last brownie,… etc.

You do a lot of things in your day, your willpower, your commitment and your ability to say yes to what you want (not to what others want you to do) and to say No to what you don’t want (and not to feel pressured to say yes to please others), is the very exact DEFINING quality and power of free-will that you OWN no matter where you are in life, no matter how rich or how poor, no matter how thin or how heavy – no matter what. And that will be your key to happiness.

Hope that inspired you!
xoxo

Emily

February 21, 2013
Desk Zen

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The art of a clean desk – organizing for energy.

Yep, you’ve done it, I’ve done it.  We work so hard, so much and so consistently that the space we work on becomes a dumping ground for the projects we are working on, the papers we are sorting through and the tools we need to make it happen. Somewhere along the line, it becomes a wasteland of to do lists on sticky notes, outdated post-its, inkless pens, piles of magazines and things stacked and labled “to file” or “to read”.

Don’t you think this effects your work energy?!

So I have been staring at my computer screen for hours and hours doing work, working on illustrations, projects and more but I have been abandoning my desk. I notice it but I rationalize, I have to finish this project first or I’ll do that later.

It kind of got to the point that it was making me sick just looking at it and draining my energy.

The pile of magazines and paperwork piled on my floor next to my desk has become (gulp) literally knee high.  “Oh how I hate paperwork, and why can’t everything be electronic,” my mind ponders.

So, notably it became time to clean my desk off (which I end up doing probably about every three months), but now it is also time to do a massive pre-spring cleaning on my draws and office space in general.

Two desk “S.O.S. cleanings” ago I discovered feng shui for my desk. It worked so incredibly well to rebalance my energy that I had to share it with you. I also use this to place a few items on my desk that inspires me when I look at them because this is my “sacred” creative space.

So if you are in need – here is the how on attaining the ultimate desk zen.

See illustration above! *If you don’t have a big enough desk, consider using the surrounding space, under desk area on the sides, and the walls to house these elements. You can also use colors and anything that gives meaning to you to the section theme to represent each area.

Start by clearing of EVERY single thing from your desk, clean everything thoroughly and then clean the top of your desk.

  1. Starting at the center of your desk, if this were a clock it would be 6:00.  This is where your chair is and your computer should be since this is the career / business journey section. Here you will put your mission statement, communications and this is also your reception area. Having your computer here is the perfect solution. Color: Black, Element: Water
  2. Next going clockwise at 7:30 on the bottom left hand corner is your blue area, and Earth Elements. This is the section titled knowledge and skill building. This is where you put your training material and business library.  This is perfect since books are made of paper, which comes from trees, and this is where your earth element should be. I keep a book I am reading and my sketchbook there.
  3. At the middle left section, where 9 o’clock would be is your green area represented by wood elements. This is the section of growth, teamwork and new beginnings.  Things that represent business structure, leadership, teamwork and new projects belong here.  I keep a mini stack of 2 new notebooks from Christian Lacroix Papier that my friend gave me for my birthday and a Papyrus notecard set for Thank You note writing.
  4. Next at 10:30 on the clock is your Prosperity section. This is where purple reigns as the color and things that represent finances, cash flow and a sense of abundance should go here. Perhaps place a photo of how you make money here, a pyrite stone, which is looks like gold or some bedazzled, crystal encrusted item or costume jewelry for decoration.  I keep a framed illustration and a costume diamond here.
  5. In the top center, at 12 o’clock is the Fame and Reputation area. This area is represented in red. It is also the fire element. Here public relations-building items should go. Think about putting an award you won, your business cards here or something you are proud of that represents your business.
  6.  On the top right hand corner at 1:30 on the clock is your primary business (and personal) relationships zone.  This is represented by a pink color. This is where you should put things relating to partnerships, contracts – also things relating to love and marriage. You may also choose to place things in groups of two in this area. If you are hoping for or focusing on supporting a romantic relationship, put two peacock feathers (like I have), two candles, two flowers or two similar trinkets etc. This is also a place to put beautiful things you love here.
  7. At 3 o’clock is the center for productivity, creative expression and expansion. Here put things that help you get and stay creative, marketing materials that support your expansion or like I have, a pretty glass filled with pens, markers and colored sharpies. This section is represented by white but is where you should incorporate many beautiful bright colors that you love.  Metal is the element here.
  8. The bottom right corner (at 4:30 on the clock) is the section for travel and helpful people. It is a good place to put business cards of your most important contacts, your appointment book or a desk phone here. You can also put religious or spiritual items here that represent angels or your faith. The color is silver.
  9. And the last section is directly in the middle of your desk where the “hands” of a clock would be mounted.  This is the health section and is represented by yellow.  Here is where you should have an item made from earth materials like ceramics, flowers, essential oils, things that remind you to stay centered or even the color yellow. I keep a yellow highlighter next to my laptop in the center of my desk.
  • Another thing I recommend is arranging your desk so that you are in a “command” position. This is when you have a view of the room and the door with out being in a “direct line” of the door or walkway and your back is facing the wall when you are seated. It is a primal instinct of humans to want to “watch their back” and by setting up your desk this way, you will feel instinctually protected allowing you to be more at ease and productive.

The key here is also eliminating things that don’t serve you and that you don’t need to have out. Things that you do need that are not covered above you can file away in your drawers (neatly).

Try this out and believe me you will see an immediate difference.

Hope that inspires you!

Happy feng shui-ing!

Xoxo

Emily

 

 

 

January 31, 2013
Do all things with love.

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Illustration of Solar Plexas Chakra Girl from
new book Kick Ass Dreams by Patricia Tomasi

No matter what it is you do. Do all things with love. That is how you create true joy in your life.

The little things are what matter the most.

Maya Angelou once said, “People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.”

The feeling behind your intentions will always shine through to those on the receiving end.

Last night I made a blue Rice Krispy treat cake, iced with cool whip, decorated with strawberries, purple icing and sprinkles along with white chocolate dipped marshmallows with purple and blue sprinkles for my boyfriend’s birthday. I put so much love into those ingredients and I know my man felt it.  Just doing little simple things like homemade birthday cake with his favorite colors and twist on traditional cupcakes with all the ingredients he likes is what makes things special.

I love birthdays and especially I love the look on his face when he sees each one of my creations and surprises, it makes me so happy to make him happy.

Bring joy to your life by doing all things with love.

I learned this from my mom when she used to make my sister and me lunches, she would sometimes throw in a surprise in our lunchbox. One day it was a pink and purple pen with a foam “cool guy” head wearing sunglasses and a orange feather Mohawk. Another day it was a love note. Another day she put stickers in our lunchboxes. It’s these little things that I will never forget because of how they made me feel.

They made me feel so special and loved and I know I could feel the love she put into those little surprises.

When you make a meal for someone, cut it into the shape of a heart. Write a sticky note “I <3 U” and put it somewhere unexpected.

Think of any little thing that someone will enjoy and make their day easier.  It took me a while to realize that one but it is a good thing to know.

If you are stressed or seem over whelmed, take the time out to do something with love. Garden for yourself and take care of your plants, pick out your clothes for the next day and make yourself feel special. Give your dog a little massage and make him feel loved. Taking that simple break will really recharge your energy and make you feel good from the inside out.

Studies say that making others happy is the best way to feel fulfilled in your own life.

What little something can you do for someone with love today?

Hope that inspires you!
xoxo
Emily

P.S. Check out Patricia Tomasi’s new book Kick Ass Dreams where all of my Chakra Girls are featured and published! Buy it here on amazon!

January 24, 2013
A Breakthrough on "Love" and "Now"

Screen Shot 2013-01-17 at 3.43.50 AMSo sometimes, like today I get a little bit of writer’s block. However, the thing to do is push through it and write anyway. Just like with art, just like with love, just like working out, just like anything you do for fun or for a living – sometimes you get suck – and when you do, push through! Keep going.

Sometimes you’re just not in the mood, or just not inspired. For instance, yesterday I did not want to workout. So, instead of getting dressed and going to the gym I decided to just put some music on and get up and stretch for 5 minutes.  This led to dancing for one song, which led to dancing in my apartment for 20 minutes followed by 10 minutes of weights and some workout moves. I didn’t get down on myself for not wanting to work out – of course there will be days when I don’t. The key is to take that one tiny right action and do something to get the momentum going.

Life is filled with hundreds of thousands of little right actions; it’s all about taking the little right action each chance you get.

While doing Gabrielle Bernstein’s NYTimes Best Selling book “May Cause Miracles.” I came across a profound, yet simple realization.

I have been putting my goals and who I really want to be in a “then”, “one day”, “when I grow up”, “when I’m older” etc. type of mentality and I have been doing this since I was little. I am visualizing this as a far away time and a separate person from the one I am now, feeding into my excuses of maybe why I haven’t keep up certain habits and why I haven’t started others. Of course the longer I do this, while days and years continue to go by the less I am actually “being” this person and the more I am not “being” this person when I arrive at the age or time I had envisioned my “one day” to be.

The breakthrough: I am here NOW and that means in this very moment I can to be the person I want to be by acting as though I am.  For example, if the person I want to be in my 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s etc. is really fit and toned, then today I need to work out so that actually happens – not when I’m 40.  Do you understand what I’m getting at?

It’s not about who you want to be “then” it’s about being that now.

“The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.”― Rick Warren

The past has already happened, the future is not even here yet. The ONLY time we have to change our lives is in the present moment. And that moment is fleeting.  Do what you desire to do NOW.

Like in Gabby’s book – it takes 40 days to make a habit, but it starts with committing to EACH day of those 40 days.

Show up for your life now. Grab it by the steering wheel, you are in the drivers seat and you control your destiny.

No matter what outside factors exist, no matter what card’s you have been dealt, what excuses you have held on to and what limits you have created – you are the only one who can exercise your free will NOW in the present moment, minute by minute to decide who and what you will be in your lifetime.  When looking at other people who have been dealt worse hands then you, maybe having no hands, being born with no arms or legs at all like this guy Nick Vujicic http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org who I saw on Oprah, you have no excuses – and if you think you do watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwpiZTp0N9k.

Hope that inspires you!
xoxo

Emily

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