5 Major Blocks to Happiness & How to Release Them

When people are asked what they want in their lives, it’s always more happiness.

Then as a society, why aren’t we happier?

According to research, happiness levels in industrialized countries have stagnated since the 1950s and are now actually declining.

And it isn’t about needing more stuff, earning more money or having a bigger house.

As many of you know, I’ve been actively studying happiness since 2011 when I became a certified happiness coach. Since then, I’ve taught workshops on happiness as well as continued to dive into the practice of daily happiness on a deeper level in my life.

And here are the 5 biggest blocks to happiness.

1. I'm Too Busy

Have you filled your time and energy with events, bookings, appointments, and jobs, in other words, tasks that keep you running and “busy” all day everyday so that you don’t have to be alone with you?

 If you just answered yes, here’s your solution:

Schedule an afternoon with yourself. Check in with you. Be willing to go within and ask:

~What does happiness mean to me?

~When do I feel happy?

Sit down with a pen and paper and ask yourself these questions.

Even though we all say we want more happiness, how many of us have actually sat down and thought about what makes us feel happy?

The first time I answered the question, when do I feel happy? My immediate answer was, when I ski! Guess what I schedule once a week during the winter and early spring?

2. There's Not Enough

 Does it always feel like there’s never enough time, money, friendships, love?

The easiest way to shift out of that deep well of lack, is to practice gratitude.

AND, it turns out that gratitude is the shortest short cut to happiness!

Why not start a gratitude practice today?

It’s really easy.

All you have to do is make a list of 5 things you’re grateful for. Do it right now, even if it’s in your head.

At this moment,

• I am grateful for my reliable computer that allows me to create and communicate easily and effortlessly with countless folks across the world.
• I am grateful for my healthy body.
• I am grateful for my loving family who support me, protect me and nourish me with their kindness and devotion.
• I am grateful for the nutritious, wholesome food I am able to put into my body everyday.
• I am grateful for the countless opportunities – in business, marketing, creativity, wellness, friendship and on and on- that I have in my life right now.

I love to do this activity at night, right before I go to bed. It’s a positive review of the day and brings happiness, peace, satisfaction and love to me to fall into dreams.

3. No Reception

Often times we forget to open up, to receive because it might mean we have to do two things: Ask and then listen.

God or the Uni-verse or whatever word you like to use for the great mystery that surrounds us, is always trying to support us.

Our task is to help God by allowing ourselves to open up and receive all the love, goodness, kindness, prosperity, and health that it has for us.

Here’s an easy exercise: try asking for something you want more of in your life (like creativity) then lie down with your arms over your head and feel that creativity raining down on you.

4. Lack of Intimacy

Are you spending more and more time interacting with people online, on Facebook and Twitter and less time talking face to face?

Well, you’re not alone. But you might feel lonely.

One of the best ways to feel happier and more fulfilled is to have meaningful, deep relationships with real, live human beings.

Reach out to people you genuinely care about – friends, family members, cherished loved ones.

Schedule time to be with them. We are all social beings. The love, generosity and support you get will pay off in dividends.

5. Pursuit of Happiness

We are taught that happiness is some elusive thing that we have to chase, and I did this for years. I’d already figured out that stuff didn’t make me happy. Yes, it’s pleasurable, and enjoyable but my new bottle of perfume isn’t going to sustain my happiness day in and day out.

Instead, I went seeking for happiness, learning everything I could, working with different teachers, traveling. I thought, if I kept looking, eventually I’d find it.

And what I found was that I had it all along!

HA

Because joy is who we really are. It is our innate nature.

And the ONLY thing that keeps you from experiencing joy all the time, is you.

We all tune in and out of joy.

It’s so easy to forget happiness and get consumed with emotion or worry, allow fear or anxiety to crowd in. Even when that happens, joy is still there. It waits patiently for you to return.

Think of joy like the radiant sunshine. Even when it’s raining or the clouds have covered over the sky, that sun is still there above it all, beaming down, right?

Joy is the same way.

Sadness, stress, or worry might crowd in and narrow the view, make the winds tremble, the rain fall. But above it all, beams happiness, waiting patiently for us to clear away those clouds.

Take a self inventory and scan how many of these happiness blocks are preventing you from accessing that bright sunny joy.

Happiness is there – waiting patiently for you.

What's the major block you're ready to release?
Share it with us below so we can see you stepping more into joy today!

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3 Steps for Anxiety Free Decision Making

What if you’ve spent a ton of time heading down the road to your awesome new promotion, house or relationship when you realize it’s going south fast?

Do you keep your head down, stay on track and ignore the whisper that’s telling you something is wrong?

Or do you cut your losses and come up with a new game plan?

This was me last Saturday.

My daughter, Maya, decided after 9 months of college planning, to scrap her first choice school and begin at square one AGAIN.

She explained that the reality of living in Southern Cal and going to that school didn't match her fantasy of it. In other words, what she thought is was and what it actually was, were two very different things.

As her mom, I was both proud of her and angsty. Because now we had more work to do.

So here’s what we did:

1. Be Willing to Re-Evaluate

Rather than being resolute about sticking to a game plan, allow yourself to consider alternatives. Willingness opens the door to sight, to viewing something with fresh eyes, to the possibility of new opportunities.

You may decide not to go ahead with a new plan, but having the willingness to at least look gives you options and helps you to not feel trapped.

2. Explore Your Options

Give yourself time and space for this part.

Start drawing (even if it’s just a figure 8) or go for a walk so you can access your right brain. This will allow your creativity to flow and help you come up with lots of ideas.

Write every idea down even if it sounds crazy!

3. Look at the Cold Hard Facts

Now it’s time to get clear on your priorities. Take your list of options and evaluate each one. Use your analytical brain for this task.

• What happens if you stay on the original course?
• Where do your other paths lead?

Now ask yourself: What do YOU really want?

In other words, what’s the most important thing for you? Is it square footage? Geography? Paycheck? Commonalities?

Make a list of the pros and cons for each viable possibility.

When you're done, it's time to take action. This is key to combatting stress and anxiety. Getting clear and then moving forward is empowering. Plus now you know exactly what you want and where to go!

Once you have a new plan, you can look back at that sidelining as a blessing. It allowed you to get super clear about exactly what you wanted and which direction to move in. Even if you do stay the original course, now you're even more sure why.

At a crossroads? Share your story with me below!

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Feel More Deeply Connected: 3 Simple Ways

Let’s face it, life, especially in the USA, has felt polarized and chaotic. Even Mother Nature seems to agree. Forest fires from Montana to California, and TWO Category 4 Hurricanes making landfall in a matter of weeks.

This is NOT a political message, this is a call to action.

Because when I think about the devastation in Houston, along the coasts in Florida and in swaths of land across the west, the message seems loud and clear.

All it took was seeing the Facebook video of the line of pickup trucks towing boats toward Houston to know.

These disasters are a reminder for us to come together.

It's time for us to put our differences – be they race, gender, ethnicity, political view, education or religion – to the side and remember that underneath all of that, we are all human beings who share the same needs and wants.

If you’re ready to lay down those outer differences and step back into a bigger picture, and if you’re willing to hold a higher vibration, here a 3 actionable steps you can take right now:

1. Reach Out

Who in your community needs support or help?

Wherever you are – from New York City to Santa Barbara, Cape Town to Wellington- there are people and animals who are suffering.

Contact a local shelter, community organization or religious institution. Maybe a food pantry needs donations or volunteers. Perhaps an elderly neighbor could use some help raking leaves. The local pet shelter might need dog walkers.

Don’t have time? Find a local organization or environmental cause you care about and make a financial donation.

2. Start A Conversation

For all that technology has enhanced our lives, it’s made it easier for us to ignore true human interaction. I’m talking real face-to-face time.

Make it a goal to meet ONE new person a week.

It could be in the supermarket, at church, at a yoga class… and beam love at him or her. This isn’t about trying to find common ground or being persuasive, it’s simply about showing up as the embodiment of love.

Because if we really want to shift the vibration of our world, we all have to step into the frequency of love.

3. Find A Bigger Pond

What, apart from your family and job, are you passionate about? Arts? Social Justice? The environment? Is there a cause that you’d like to see transformed or well funded? How could you get involved?

Last weekend, I went to a free theater production of The Odyssey, a musical based on Homer’s classic epic. It was done by Public Works Seattle, an organization committed to being theater of by and for the people.

Nearly the entire cast was volunteers (except for the main parts) and came from their partner organizations: local Boys & Girls Clubs, senior centers, and homeless transition programs. The performance was fun, professional and inspiring.

And it's exactly what I’m talking about, being a part of something bigger than you.

What do you say?

It’s so easy to fall into us versus them thinking, or to feel like everyone is doing better than you. But if you’re ready to move that aside, there’s plenty to do. And as we come together and celebrate each other, we not only heal ourselves, we heal one another.

Are you ready?

Let me know what you plan to do! Leave a comment below.

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3 Must Haves For A Happy & Rich Spiritual Life

What does it mean to be “spiritual”?

That word gets thrown around a lot.

Sometimes spirituality can sound serious. Like when people talk about "mind training." That phrase can feel daunting and complicated. 

Other times spirituality can sound airy-fairy, when people talk to angels, or leave food out for the little people.

For me, leading a “spiritual” life means committing to God but also to humanity.

In other words it’s about being in the world, aware and conscious, with a wide-open heart, while also deeply connecting to the one-ness, to God, to source.

In the decades that I've been studying and living this truth, I've discovered that there are 3 things you need to have a grounded, rich, soul filled life.

1. A Healthy Body

Have you ever tried to meditate when you’re sick?

If you have, then you know exactly why this is here.

It’s so hard to focus the mind and sit still when the body is aching, or out of alignment.

Care for your body.

Treat it like the temple that it is for it houses your soul on earth. AND it’s here with you on this journey the entire time.

Your body is your constant companion.

Eat healthy foods.

Move.

Treat your body with the love and respect it deserves.

2. Heal Your Mind

I don’t know one adult who hasn’t experienced suffering.

As Buddhism reminds us, this is one of the Four Noble Truths; life is suffering.

For some, this can be physical – starvation, deprivation, illness.

For all of us, it is emotional.

And here’s the dirty little secret: what you don’t deal with, your unconscious material, rules your life.

Be willing to examine that anger, lack of trust, anxiety or depression.

Often these symptoms hark back to unresolved issue from childhood. Common ones are: feeling unloved, abandoned or unsupported.

How can you release that old pattern or limiting belief?

Does it involve forgiveness, a frank discussion with someone, creating healthy boundaries?

What you don’t see has all the power. So make the invisible visible and walk through the pain.

Whenever I get scared of doing this, I’m reminded of a passage in A Road Less Traveled, by M Scott Peck in which he says:

“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.”

Pain can be the great transformer because it can push us to change, learn, grow and evolve.

It also helps us remember that we are not our neurosis.

We are in fact already whole and healed, perfect in every way. We just have to remember and re-align to that.

So be willing to ground yourself both in your physical body and your mind.

3. Maintain a Practice

Whatever it is that you are inclined to do: prayer, breath work, meditation, yoga, free dance, chanting, ritual, mantra…

Make it a habit. Commit to it every day.

It is the only way to truly shift and release.

Whatever you experience during meditation, eventually you will come back to this present, the here and now and to this body and mind.

That’s why it’s critical that your mind and body are strong and healthy. As you build your spiritual muscles and gain more power, you have to be able to hold it. This is why you need a strong physical and mental constitution.

What’s your favorite way to nurture your mind, body or spirit?

Leave a comment below. Let’s get inspired by one another!

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A Love Contract? 4 Ways to Write One

I’d never really though about having a contract for an intimate relationship until I read an article in the New York Times about it.

At first, it seemed crazy to “formalize” love.

But then I realized the author, Mandy Len Catron's, idea had merit. And, it reminded me that, in essence, my husband and I have this.

Well, not exactly.

We never created a written contract that we sign and annually review, like the one Mandy has. Instead, we have agreements or tenets that define our relationship.

Ours are simple:

1. Honor the God in Each Other

This means that we want the best for one another, that we truly see each other, and that we love one another from this higher space.

2. Share Everything

We talk about everything. And this commitment means that we are willing to have the hard conversations and be vulnerable with one another.

3. Don’t Go to Bed Angry

This is the most specific one. It's a reminder to share everything EVEN when talking about hurt feelings is the last thing I want to do.

4. Make Decisions Jointly

When it comes to big decisions, we do our best to consult one another. Having two heads on an issue provides more insight, clarity and thought. It is also a way to respect one another and value each other.

Mandy Len Catron and her partner, on the other hand, have a detailed contract outlining the various facets and complexities of co-habitation. Their contract is annual, up for renewal and revision every year.

And this was what I appreciated the most, its fluidity. Each partner has an opportunity to discuss their needs – be it emotional, physical or sexual. It allows them to talk about all the issues that couples frequently struggle with – money, sex, emotional vulnerability.

I’ve been with my husband for 13 years now and we know each other pretty well. But when I think about starting again, like if we had just decided to get together, I might have embraced the idea of a contract, an agreement that’s more detailed and explicit. It certainly makes sense.

If you feel like you want a contract or even a set of principles upon which to base your relationship, here are 4 ways to get started:

1.  Have a Conversation

What’s important to you? What topics would you want to include? Where are each of you willing to compromise?

2. What Are Your Shared Values?

For my husband and me, it was about wanting the best for one another, wanting to support each other in being our highest selves. Everything fell into place after that.

How do you feel about intimacy? Children? Spirituality? Retirement? Politics?

3. Make A Budget

Money creates so much tension and animosity. Decide together what your goals are. What is joint? What is separate? Who pays for what? 

4. State Your Needs

Be honest about what you really need from a partner. People aren’t mind readers. Tell your significant other what you need, what you want, and how to best take care of you.

Whether you’re just starting out or have been in a relationship for a decade, these conversations are vital to keep those channels open and help you create a deeper, more intimate, loving and fulfilling relationship.

Let me know how it goes! What would you add to your contract? Jot down your ideas under the blog.

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Get Your Groove Back: 3 Easy Steps to Re-Awaken Creativity

Stuck in a rut?

Feel like you’re creative juices have dried up?

Let’s face it. This happens to ALL of us especially if you have a deadline or are starting a fresh, new project.

But here’s the great news. It’s actually pretty easy to fan that flame.

Check out these 3 ways to get going again:

1. Move

This is actually two ideas in one:

The first is to physically move your body.

Get out of that office chair, quit standing behind that easel and go for a walk.

Moving does a few things.

It oxygenates the body. It also frees your mind to begin free-associating. This can help you solve a problem or resolve an issue. Steve Jobs often walked when he wanted to think out a problem and frequently invited other people to go with him and brainstorm!

The second is to change locations.

Go and work somewhere else.

This is like magic for me.

Normally, I work at home but am just as likely as you to get stuck. When I feel this coming on, I go to a café, park bench or someplace where I can work undisturbed. 

Sometimes you just need a change of scenery.

2. Be inspired

Creativity can be jumpstarted by something you see, hear or read.

Exposing yourself to other ideas can act like a springboard and launch you into a new thought or way of seeing something.

Maybe you read a great article and it inspires a blog post or you see a cool sculpture at a gallery and it gets you thinking about how you could draw it. Magazines come in handy, too, for ideas about decorating, new clothing outfits or dinner menu ideas.

Ready to find inspiration?

Check out your local library for magazines, see what visual or performing arts shows are happening in your local area, browse Pinterest or Etsy for ideas. You can even google a topic (like creativity) and see what the search brings.

3. Collaborate

Sometimes if you’re really stuck, it helps to talk it out.

Call up a friend or colleague, explain what’s going on.

It can often be easier for an outside person to provide clarity than it is for you to cut through your own stuck-ness.

We can often be blind to the most obvious thing.

Share where you are and where you want to go. 

Sometimes just saying the words out loud brings the solution.

We are all creative. And we all fall into slumps. 

So the next time you need a little kick start, try these tips and see what happens!

AND be sure to let me know! Leave me a comment below or shoot me an email!

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Step Into Your Future: 3 Ways to Manifest Exactly What You Want

Last weekend I attended a writer’s conference. There were classes and opportunities to network but most importantly, I got to pitch my book to potential agents.

Before I went, I was kind of nervous.

I had never done anything like that before.

What if none of the agents were interested?

Even when we want something to happen, dream about it, and vision it, we can be afraid when we’re looking right at it.

Which is why I found the guidance from a recent meditation so helpful. My anxiety was swirling when I heard a very distinctive voice. She cut right through the chaos and said, “Step into your future. The door is right there, in front of you.”

Whoa.

I looked and saw exactly what she meant.

If you’re standing on a threshold too, about to walk into your new future, here are 3 ways to make it real.

1. Believe It

It isn’t enough to vision. You have to see a new version of you.

See yourself having passed the test, already earning that killer salary at the hospital, happy and successful in your new social media job.

Once you really envision it wholly, then you can believe it. Within every part of your being, you have to embrace this version of you, know it is real, true and right.

This is knowing on a cellular level.

It's meant to be. You can feel it.

2. Own It

When I was facing my anxiety about finding an agent, I flipped the tables and looked at it through their perspective. I am a talented, successful, healthy, vibrant person.

I am a gift to them!

Step into your own magnificence and greatness. See how much you are bringing to your new job, organization or partnership. Allow yourself to fully embrace exactly what YOU offer.

In my home office, I have Macrina Wiederkehr’s quote, “Oh God, help me to believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful!”

When you own our magnificence, you radiate it out!

3. Live As If

Whatever your dreams and aspirations for the future are, they are only ONE step away. So live right now as if they have already occurred.

This is moving out of lack thinking - of being in the place of wanting - into a space of satisfaction, abundance and gratitude.

One of the ways I do this is through gratitude.

I say thank you for finding me the right and perfect agent, thank you for landing me a lucrative publishing deal, thank you for the money that pours in from seen and unseen sources…

Get the idea?

What hasn't already happened that you're grateful for?

Perfect health? A loving partnership? 

When you step into the vibration of who you want to be and how you want to show up in the world, you attract exactly what you desire.

Your future is right here, right now. It’s so exciting. The threshold beckons. The world needs your insight, guidance, creativity and love.  

I see the doorway, you’ve just stepped through!

Tell me what you desire, leave a comment below and I'll help manifest it by seeing you there!

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Procrastinate Tomorrow: 5 Ways To Push Through

For many of us, procrastination feels like the bane of our existence.

It’s the voice saying, “I know I should be…,” the project you just don’t have time for, or the dream going unfulfilled.

I used to procrastinate with everything. I’d drag my feet, wait until the last minute, freak out and then just before the deadline, get it done. But after awhile, I realized that my pattern was causing so much stress. I hated feeling the pressure and tension.

That’s when I decided to make some adjustments in how I approached my life. And here’s what I found most useful:

1. Just Start

What you’re dealing with is the mind, your own resistance to taking action.

Be gentle with yourself. Suggest that you do one thing, one small act: an email, a blog post, a phone call, a walk around the park, reading 10 pages of your assignment.

Do one thing to get you started.

For whatever reason, the mind is fearful- fear of change, of growing, of an unknown. And the best way to deal with fear is to take action.

When you don’t take action, you’re stuck in the loop.

The mind is always saying, “you know you should be reading, researching, walking…” You ignore the voice and watch TV, eat chips, do the crossword puzzle. But it’s still there, like a broken record.

I was most chronic with this about exercising. And one day my Dad said to me, “You’d have been done hours ago if you’d just gone for a run. Think of all the time and energy you’ve wasted thinking about it.”

Stop thinking about what to do and take action.

2. Small Pieces

Sometimes a project can seem or feel overwhelming. It’s a massive undertaking. Something you’ve never done before. Where do you start?

Break it down into steps or pieces.

Think about your project as stepping stones. What is the first thing that needs to get done? And the second?

When we put things into bite size pieces, it suddenly doesn’t feel as overwhelming or huge.

Now it’s manageable.

I took a writing class recently and the instructor was talking about completing a manuscript, which, as you can imagine, consists of many chapters. (and chapters are comprised of scenes.) She suggested you write the titles of every scene on scraps of paper, cut them up and throw them into a jar. Then when you’re ready to sit down and write, you pull one of your pieces of paper out of the jar and write that scene.

Talk about bite size pieces!

3. Schedule Time

There’s a huge project on your horizon. You’ve decided to break it into small pieces. Now make sure that you schedule it out.

Plot out over time exactly when you're going to do each piece.

When I was completing my Master’s program in Social Work, I was taking care of my family and had a full time job so time was tight. The only way I was able to manage the workload was to create a schedule. 

At the beginning of the semester, I reviewed everything I was required to do: tests, papers, presentations, and then I scheduled them – when I would work on each one - which days, which projects.

And then I did it.

Some days I definitely did not want to, but it was what I had to do in order to stay sane and complete all the work.

4. Ask For Help

A number of years ago, I was tasked with accrediting the school my husband and I founded. That process required clearly communicating all of the school’s operating procedures and processes through writing and massive documentation.

I had never done a project like that. It was enormous and felt totally overwhelming.

I created a timeline and broke down each part so I knew exactly what I had to do by a certain date. But even then I watched myself delay.

That’s’ when I realized I needed help. I needed to understand exactly how to complete the accreditation paperwork. So I went and received professional training which I was able to do for free!

Getting the help you need can be key.

What do you feel like you don’t know? Who can help you?

5. Create Space

Where is your special spot for work, exercise, creativity?

Overcoming procrastination is about creating healthy habits and one of the easiest ways to do that is to have a designated space. When you go to this specific place, you’re ready to work, play, draw or run.

I know a woman who always carries her gym bag in her car. That way she has no excuse for not going to exercise after work. She creates the opportunity.

Clean off that desk, create a beautiful space for you to want to be in to get those exciting projects done!

As Robert Holden reminds us, “procrastinate tomorrow.”

Nowadays when I find myself not wanting to begin a project, I will actually say those words to myself and they help me get going. I pick one thing to start and before I know it, the entire day has flown by!

Let me know how it goes for you.

Which of the above do you think is most helpful? Leave me a comment below!

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Shift Your Life With Mantra

Feel like your life needs a shift?

Have you considered trying mantra?

A mantra is a word or phrase that, according to Yogic philosophy (Vedanta), has power.

The story is that the ancient sages, (Rishi) could hear the vibrations of everything in nature and made these sounds into words and phrases known as mantra.

Mantra is the literal creation of form from energy.

I’ve used mantra on and off. But the first one that I chose for myself was in 2000, when I moved to Florida. I decided to learn a long chant called the Hanuman Chalisa that an Indian friend of mine had been reading in Sanskrit.

The Hanuman Chalisa is 40 verses dedicated to the monkey God, Hanuman, the god of service and devotion. Purportedly, doing this mantra gives the practitioner Hanuman’s grace.

All those years ago, I sang that long song every day – initially for forty days in a row – but then kept going, memorizing it completely.

Excited by the results, I tried other ones.

But, to be honest, I hadn’t done mantra in a really long time, well, not until a few weeks ago.

I’d been sick and was ready for a shift, physically, energetically, emotionally. I needed to kick myself into a new space of action and clarity. And what better way to do that than to create sacred space with ritual?

I bought flowers, lit incense, offered some fruits and sweets and lit the candle on my altar. I rang the bell and called to the gods and goddesses, and then I did mantra.

The one I chose was to Laxmi, the goddess of prosperity. Om Shree Maha Laxmi, Namaha.

After I finished the mantra and my subsequent meditation, I realized I wanted to continue doing this mantra for forty days. We say forty days because that’s the approximate time it takes to change a habit.

If you’re ready to give mantra a try, here are the details.

1. Choose a word or phrase to repeat

2. A mantra can be given by a teacher and/or it can be chosen by a student

Think about what you would like in your life right now: strength, peace, clarity, insight.

Use your intuition to guide you to sources that might have a good selection.

Read through each mantra and it’s meaning before making a choice. Then try it for a few days and see how it feels.

3. The goal is to repeat the mantra for forty consecutive days

Mantra is said to gain power the more it is repeated.

4. Say it once a day or, if you like, choose a number of repetitions

Hindus traditionally do 108.

Repeating a mantra is just like doing rosary.

In Sanskrit, this is called Japa (to repeat). Normally practitioners use a Japa mala, the Hindu equivalent of a rosary. Hindu mala are made with either 27, 54 or 108 beads. It is customary to count mantra in sets of 108.

There are many reasons the number 108 is significant in Hinduism. It is said that there are 108 names for the Goddess. There are also 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. (54 x 2 = 108) Apparently there are also 108 energy lines that cross our bodies, intersecting at our chakras and converging at the heart center. 

If you decide to repeat your mantra, place the mala in your right hand and count each bead with your thumb as it slides over your index finger. The larger guru bead or meru (mountain) bead is where you begin (but don’t count it!) When you hit it again, you know you’ve done one round.

But remember, if you miss a day, start over again at day 1!

5. When you’re ready, find a comfortable place to sit.

Close your eyes.

If you choose, have your japa mala in your right hand.

Focus on correctly pronouncing the sound, word or phrase of your mantra silently or aloud.

If you don’t have a japa mala or feel daunted by this part, simply say your mantra once a day, or use your fingers and say it ten times. The point is to use mantra for clarity, invocation, and grounding.

You can use a Sanskrit one or say a word or phrase that resonates with you.

If you’re interested in a Sanskirt one, here is a short list:

• Om: (vibration of the universe, the word that means God, it has also been translated to mean:  Everything; it is, will be, will become
• Shanti: Peace
• Om Tat Sat: – I am that; what is everlasting and unchanging is God
• Sat Nam: – Truth is my name; I recognize the divinity within you.

Give mantra a try and let me know how it goes!

Tell me which one you chose below!

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The Key to Creating Peace in This Troubled World

My family and friends visiting Amantani Island in Peru.

Last Saturday, after a day of sister marches in solidarity with the women’s march in Washington DC., I had the good fortune to hear Imam Jamal Rahman.

Jamal’s lecture was sponsored by our local Jewish temple as he is one of the three Interfaith Amigos. The others are Rabbi Ted Falcon and Rev. Don Mackenzie.

They formed after 9/11 to spread a message of peace through interfaith dialogue. They have written three books and extensively tour the United States and Canada to share their message.

Jamal’s talk was infused with humor but his message was poignant.

He outlined exactly how we could reconnect, re-establish community and heal our divided country and world. And it was this: reach out to the other.

What does the other mean to you?

Think about yourself:

• Your ethnicity
• Race
• Cultural Background
• Sexual Orientation
• Religious Affiliation (or non)
• Political Persuasion

The other is something different from you.

It could be someone who has a different color skin, speaks another language, wears a headdress, sari, or sarong, eats meat, or is a strict vegan. A person whose sexual orientation is not the same as yours, or whose religion or political views differ from yours. It might be the homeless person you see everyday as you walk to work.

Jamal encouraged us to get to know this other person on a human level.

Because let’s face it. Underneath the thin layer that is our skin, we are all the same. As Toni Morrison says, we are one race, the human race.

If we can put aside our judgment or bias about what we think someone else may be like and instead reach out to him or her, we may just find we have more in common than we thought.

So who would that other be for you?

If you live in Israel and are Jewish, maybe it’s meeting someone who is Christian or Muslim.

If you live in India, can you talk to a street beggar or visit another house of worship?

If you live in the United States, see if you can reach out to a person in a marginalized group – a refugee, a homeless person, a family who is food insecure. Perhaps it’s time to visit your local synagogue, Baptist church or mosque. Maybe it’s starting a conversation with someone who voted for Donald Trump or Jill Stein.

The goal of this exercise is to get to know someone.

It isn’t to immediately launch into a political, religious or economic conversation. It is simply an act of acknowledgement. Of opening my heart to yours, in recognition that despite outward appearances, we are all one.

The only way to defeat hate is through love.

By building bridges across racial, cultural, ethnic and political divides, we can come together and remember that we are all part of one glorious family.

Isn’t it time?

I hope you’ve identified a person or persons that you're willing to reach out to. For me it’s getting more active with the homeless here in Seattle and meeting people who share a different political opinion than mine.

Take action, start a conversation. Fill your heart with kindness and non-judgment and see what happens!

And let me know how it goes! Leave a comment below.

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6 Easy Steps to Make your 2017 Vision Board

Ready to receive everything you desire?

Let the Universe know by making a vision board!

I just finished doing a vision board workshop over the weekend. Together, we cleared away what we no longer wanted from 2016 and opened the door to 2017.

Once we knew where we wanted to go, we set out to make boards!

If you missed my class, here is a brief explanation.

What is a Vision Board?

It’s a pictorial representation of your year, what you would like to manifest or be inspired by in the upcoming year.

Why do a Vision Board?

A vision board helps you to see exactly what you want to manifest for your year. We know that what we focus on expands so we always want to focus on what we want. A vision board helps that happen.

Ready to start? Here are the steps:

Step 1 – Get Clear

Spend some time making a list of goals and intentions for your year. Think about every aspect of life: career, health, finances, relationships, learning, creativity, spirituality and- don't forget- fun!

Most of all, think about how you want to feel this year – happy, expansive, clear, vibrant, positive, loving, grateful…

Step 2 - Get Your Supplies

Stop by the craft store and look for the following:

• Something Flat - poster board, foam board, cardboard or canvas panels
• Glue – the best one is Elmer’s Rubber Cement. It’s smelly but doesn’t buckle your paper or come off
• Scissors
• Images – Get a pile of magazines to thumb through. You can also use photographs that you have or grab online
• Words or Phrases (from magazines, online or stickers)
• Anything Else Fun – markers, stickers, glitter, ribbon, stencil lettering, craft paper

Step 3 -  Rip & Cut

Cut out images, words, and phrases that speak to you and relate to your goals and intentions. Make a big pile. Then trim and neaten each piece up.

Step 4 – Lay Out

Take your words and images and begin to lay them out onto your board until you’re happy with the style and placement. The look and design is up to you and your creativity! Allow yourself to relax and let it flow.

Some people keep it really simple with their word for the year and a few images. Others (like me) tend to cover every square inch.

The look and feel is entirely up to you. Just remember to think holistically – and incorporate every aspect of your life – mind, body, emotion, spirit…

You may not use your entire pile of images and words. Feel free to save those for next year in a Ziploc bag.

Step 5 – Glue

When you’re happy with the layout, glue everything into place.

Step 6 – Placement

Find the PERFECT location in your home or office for your board. Somewhere you’ll see it all the time. I put mine on my desk where I look at it throughout the day.

Some people put it on their altars or sacred spaces. Others prefer the kitchen or bathroom!

Find the place that’s right for you – somewhere you can see it everyday.

This is your opportunity to have fun and manifest your dreams in 2017!

When you’re done, post your boards below or on my Facebook page so I can see them!

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What’s Your Word for 2017?

It’s almost New Year’s Eve.

Nearly 2017.

Ready to start this new year?

One of the best ways to get clarity is to choose a word, ONE word to focus on, to dive into.

ONE word to be your theme for the year.

In 2016, I chose receive.

I’ve spent the last 12 months really exploring what receive means to me. Some of the questions that I asked were:

• How do I allow myself to receive?
• Where am I limiting that?
• How do I experience opening up to receiving in my body, mind...

This inquiry taught me a lot about myself. About where I hold back, where I get stuck, where I feel afraid.

Through a deeper relationship with this word, receive, it's helped me open up more, relax more and allow myself to feel safe, comfortable and happy to let in all the abundance, happiness, opportunities and change that has come my way this year.

And now it’s time for me to choose a new word!

Here are 3 Ways to Help You Tune into Your Word for 2017

1.     Ask

Get quiet and simply ask. What is my word for 2017? Is there something I could benefit from focusing on?

Here is a list of some of the words my students have chosen in the past: bold, trust, faith, love, dream. balance, speak, mindfulness, pause, deliberate.

2.     Use A Book

If you’ve asked and nothing has come to you, you can always try this cool trick.

Grab a book, any book, off the shelf and close your eyes. Think about your word for the year and then randomly open the book. See where your eye lands and what it reveals.

3.     Meditate on it

Once a word comes to you, try it on. Settle into the energy of that word.

• How does it feel?
• Is there an opportunity for learning and growth?
• Is this where you need to go in 2017?

If the answers feel affirming then you’re on the right track. Don’t be dismayed if you feel scared. That’s often a pre-requisite to change.

My husband often tells me that if he feels afraid, he knows he’s onto something!

Have fun with this and share your word with me! Simply type it in below.

If you’re ready to dive in more, download my free vision worksheet to really jump start your year! Click HERE

Here’s to an amazing, wonderful 2017! 

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4 Ways to Choose Love in the Face of Uncertainty

Life is filled with the unknown. Whether it’s a presidential election, a storm prediction, a doctor’s appointment or the stock market.

In fact, life essentially is uncertainty in action.

Think about it.

Whenever you try something new – a dance class, a restaurant, lunch with a new friend, a job opportunity – there’s risk. Simply because it is new, unknown or uncertain.

So, how do we, as students of spirituality learn to embrace that which is unknown and not fall into fear?

Especially when that fear is palpable and permeates everything.

This is one of the major challenges we face, walking into uncertainty or fear without leaving us cold hearted, apathetic or checked out.

Here are 4 ways to help you.

1. Live In The World But Not of The World

My teacher, Ma Jaya used to say this all the time.

But what does it mean?

I define it as being an active participant in the world, showing up to make a difference, willingly and voluntarily. And working at not having any expectations.

It’s also the recognition that we are here in a body, in this time and space, but it isn’t all there is.

There is a vast reality far larger than we can even imagine – Source, God, One-Ness, Brahmin, Dreaming…

Remembering that this earthly plain is not all there is helps create energetic distance so you don’t get sucked into the drama, the chaos of this world that circles all the time.

Instead, be in the world as a speaker of truth, a messenger of love and choose not to get pulled into the craziness that is ever present.

I often think of the novelist Tom Robbins. In his book, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, he wrote, “and the world situation is, desperate as usual.”

I read this when I was in my early 20s and it stopped my daily news addiction. Unfortunately, it seems even more appropriate today!

2. Choose Love

We always have a choice to stay in the vibration of love or come from a place of fear.

What will you choose?

I recently read about a church in Indiana that was defaced with graffiti that said, “Heil Trump” and another of a tilted swastika. Instead of immediately painting over it, the minister opted to leave it.

As she said, “we believe that symbols are what you make of them. And if we decide to look at these symbols as hate and be angry and frustrated, we’re focusing on the wrong issue. And so we’ve decided to leave them up as symbols of hope, whereas if anybody in the surrounding area — or even country — sees these and knows that we were targeted because we’re inclusive and they need a safe space, then they know that Saint David’s is a safe space.”

Clearly Rev. Kelsey Hutto is choosing love.

3. Nothing Real Can Be Threatened

This is a line from the Introduction to A Course In Miracles. The whole text reads, "Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God."

I find this line especially helpful when I have fallen into fear.

When we experience fear, it’s always coming from our ego selves, the place where we feel separate and alone.

In those instances, I will often repeat this line over and over to myself like a mantra. It brings me back to what I know, that I am safe, that the world is protected and everything else is unreal.

As ACIM reminds us, there is only love or a call for love.

When we are in fear, our soul/God/Source/One-ness is giving us a call for love, to remember who we truly are, that we are not our egos, not the fear, that we are a part of God and love.

4. Do Your Spiritual Work – Strengthen Your Inner Compass

The best way to stay in a higher vibration is to have a daily practice.

What is yours?

Prayer, meditation, yoga, ecstatic dance?

It is imperative to take some time each day to connect in to God/Source/Love. Fill yourself back up, recline in the infinite bliss that is your refuge and sanctuary.

Make time everyday.

This is THE most important time of your day. Do this for your inner growth, your sanity and your ability to show up exactly how you want to – with love, compassion and light.

It is always in times of darkness when the light is needed the most.

Be that beacon and shine bright. 

What will you do? Leave a comment below!

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Move into Your New Life with Joy & Ease

In my blog a few weeks ago, I laid out the 3 steps for manifesting your vision – dreaming it, writing it out, speaking it into existence and allowing it to occur. (if you missed it, click here.)

As it begins to come to fruition, something curious happens.

Instead of being elated, you may feel scared, unsure or totally unsettled.

This is the moment when we can self-sabotage.

It’s kind of ironic – to move toward creating exactly what you want only to be scared of it.

The first part (see above) was focused on manifesting externally – the new job, the healthy body, the intimate relationship.

Now you have to make the internal shifts in order to fully step in and maintain this new space and way of being. It’s time to up-level both within and without.

Here are 4 tips to help you actually live your dreams:

1.     The Upper Limit Challenge

Gay Hendricks wrote about this concept in The Big Leap. In a nutshell, it’s when we get something we want – like a promotion, dream house, retirement- and then sabotage another area of our lives – pick a fight with the spouse, get sick. Because we can't take too much good.

Upper limit issues can also manifest in that sudden fear you feel after you landed your first $10k client or sold your initial $2M property and your stomach drops. Immediately the internal critic starts: “This is never gonna happen again. I can’t hold onto this, I’m gonna lose it all…”

That voice is a signal to you that you’ve hit the unconscious ceiling – your upper limit of success, of what you believe you deserve.

When this occurs, allow yourself to recognize it. Gently move to a place where you can open up and allow even more happiness, money, abundance, and love into your life. Use your spiritual practice to ground and support you. Additionally, ask yourself:

• Is there someone I have to forgive?
• Does an old belief need to get released?

We must release the old in order to make room for the new.

2.     Give Yourself Time

When we push into the new and get what we've asked for, the expectation is that now everything is perfect.

It’s the fairy tale / happily ever after syndrome.

But the beginning is never the end!

Think about it.

You’ve just expanded yourself. Of course it feels strange and uncomfortable. It's natural to feel vulnerable or weird. Be patient with yourself as you settle into this new state.

Remember, it takes time to learn how to swim in this bigger pond! To navigate the ins and outs of the terrain and make friends with the new inhabitants. To learn how to live your fairy tale.

3.     Expand Into The And

When we feel afraid because something is new or unfamiliar, we immediately want to contract back to what is safe.

Instead, see if you can allow yourself to stay open to possibility, networking opportunities, and new connections.

If you find yourself feeling small or wanting to run back to your old job, home, or neighborhood, recognize it for what it is, a normal response.

Instead of judging, honor your process and nourish yourself in ways that feed you – take a bath, go for a walk, have dinner with friends. Relax.

Then schedule something new at least once a week to help you expand and reach out.

4.     Hold the Tension

The transition between moving from the old situation into the new is fraught with uncertainty and anxiety. Because these are feelings we typically never want to experience, we often push them away resulting in sabotaging behavior.

Instead, see if you can be okay not knowing everything, not having solved every challenge.

For in that space of the unknown lies the alchemy, the magic of total transformation.

It's there waiting for you. Waiting for you to fully step into this higher vibration, this new exciting, thrilling life that you’ve dreamed, visioned, and manifested.

Now it’s time to genuinely and wholeheartedly embrace it and live it.

You are SO up for this. Go for it!

Let me know how I can support you by leaving a comment below.

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Embrace These Days of Awe

We are in the midst of the Days of Awe as they are known to all of our Jewish brothers and sisters. This 10-day period commences with Rosh Hashanah and ends on Yom Kippur.

This is the Jewish New Year and as such is a deep time of reflection, a turning within, as we shed the old year and turn to look at the new.

One of the main themes of the Days of Awe is the idea of atonement.

Apart from the name of a well-known book and film, what does this actually mean?

In the Jewish tradition, atonement is an act of reconciliation, the desire to make amends or reparations for a wrong-doing. This is a time to forgive and ask for forgiveness.

Jews believe that God has a book in which s/he is writing down all your good and bad deeds. This is done during the Days of Awe, so if you are willing to seek forgiveness, God may look favorably upon you.

In Christianity, we also see this word, atonement.

It largely refers to the idea of reconciliation with God. In the Christian concept, man has sinned (think Adam and Eve) and it was Jesus who sacrificed (and was resurrected) that atoned for the sins of the world. This act cleaned the slate and made everything right again with God.

But it is the definition found in A Course in Miracles that I most resonate with.

Here, atonement means to undo erroneous thinking.

This is because we have forgotten who we really are. We falsely believe that we are separate – a body and an ego - and not spirit. We think that we are distinct and apart from God. But the truth is that we are all spirit. Our true relationship is – that we are not separate from God. In other words, at-one-ment.

“You are the work of God, and His work is wholly loveable and wholly loving. This is how a man must think of himself in his heart, because this is what he is.” (ACIM, p.9)

Embrace this idea and see yourself as inherently loveable AND loving.

Atonement is the act of forgiving - both oneself and others. As it says in A Course in Miracles, “the forgiven are the means of atonement.” We forgive ourselves because we have forgotten who we truly are and we forgive all of our brothers and sisters for the same reason.

Have fun with this! Embrace these Days of Awe. Seek to forgive and start your new year fresh and free. And always remember your true nature, divine, perfect and at-one with God.

Let me know how it goes! Feel free to leave a comment below.

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