Sunday, January 18, 2015

"You're Worth More Than Gold"

Here are part of the lyrics to another of my favorite songs, written by Britt Nicole.

"You're one in a million, this, this is for all the girls
Boys all over the world
Whatever you been told
You're worth more than gold
So hold your head up high
It's your time to shine
From the inside out it shows
You're worth more than gold.........

All the rain in the sky
Cant put out your fire
Of all the stars out tonight
You shine brighter..........

So don't let anybody tell you that you're not loved
And don't let anybody tell you that you're not enough
Yeah, there are days when we all feel like we're messed up
But that truth is that we're all diamonds in the rough..........

So don't be ashamed to wear you're crown
You're a king, you're a queen inside and out
You glow like the moon, you shine like the sun
This goes to you, wherever you are.........

So hold your head up high
It's your time to shine"

If those words make you feel uncomfortable, maybe dig a bit deeper as to why you can't give yourself permission to shine and shine brightly.  We all take compliments and criticism differently for many reasons, our environments as we grew up are a factor. 

We all have had negative things happen to us, that is another factor.  If you can't accept the belief that you are worth the best life has to offer you, it will diminish your ability to break through self-imposed barriers, or self-sabatoge.  

Each day is a new opportunity to shine.  Do you wake up excited about the day ahead or do you wake up dreading each day?  In the spectrum of happiness, the hopeless and helpless have more to work through than adjusting attitudes.  But for most of us, we can begin to change our perspectives with tools that move us toward our goals.  

We are all lovable.  We are all worthy and deserving of great things.  You have it believe it on the inside.  "You're a queen inside and out."

Have a great day!!

Xo
Conni

Today's Mantra:  "You're worth more than gold."


Mantra for Every Day: I choose to send love to all; receiving love back multiplied in infinite proportions, creating and nurturing pathways of love.



Saturday, January 17, 2015

"This is Gonna Be the Best Day of My Life"

If you aren't in the habit of setting intentions, it's a great habit to start.  First thing in the morning, if you can carve out five minutes, setting intentions will bring an awareness to moments of your day and how you react to good or bad situations. 

We all have minor daily irritations.  Everything from bad traffic to forgetting to defrost something for dinner can throw us off our games.  Setting an intention, "this is gonna be the best day of my life" can help us to find ways to take focus off the bad and maximize the good.  The goal is releasing the effects of minor irritations as quickly as possible.

It takes practice and commitment but it's worth its weight in gold (or Bitcoin).  When we come across a minor daily irritation, concentrating on our breath begins the process of staying in the moment.  Some issues that bother us become chronic.  It's possible to have some control over those items.

I've mentioned before, someone suggested writing down your top irritations and working through the ones you can control.  My husband just replaced the pads on the bottom of our kitchen chairs, a few were worn out.  I bought new cookie sheets over the holidays, my old ones bothered me whenever I used them.  Can you set aside a few hours to lower your ongoing irritation level?  Making a list is a great step.  Sometimes we don't even realize the little things that really bother us.

Other irritations can't be controlled, that is when we have to remind ourselves nothing is perfect in this world.  If you can't let stress roll off your back, yoga and other mind-body activities work well for letting go.  

It's always one step at a time.  Hopefully, we are heading in the right direction as we take each step.  

Have a great day!

Xo
Conni

Today's Mantra:  I chose to minimize the effects of daily minor irritations.

Mantra for Every Day: I choose to send love to all; receiving love back multiplied in infinite proportions, creating and nurturing pathways of love.







Thursday, January 15, 2015

Do You Take Care of Yourself in Mind, Body and Soul?

I started doing yoga.  I have been taking care of my mind for many years, processing negative memories that needed to be acknowledged and released.  I have become a more healthy eater, taking care to choose better ingredients, when possible.  I did other forms of exercise, but yoga is bringing it all together for me.

Vinyasa is a form of yoga where you go through poses as a flow and the room temperature is 88 degrees.  Some teachers push it up a few more degrees, I definitely notice the difference.  Before I started practicing Vinyasa, I knew, on some level, that I wasn't as hydrated as I could be.  My first yoga session, my body made sure to give me signs that this was true.  

I felt like I was getting a bit lightheaded and the aftermath was somewhat painful, mentally and physically.  In this case my body was telling me to take my self-care up a notch.  Drinking water when I happened to think about it has since then transformed into a conscious dedicated intention to hydrate.

The mindfulness of deep breathing is a great tool, and with yoga, it becomes a constant reminder to quiet my thoughts and stay in the moment.  Sweating out toxins is an added benefit.  I didn't know I could sweat that much!!

The instructors have been extremely kind and gentle.  It's really testing myself without worrying what others are doing, which is truly the best way to live our lives in total.  Hard to do, but having an awareness of it is the first step.

Have a great day!!

Xo
Conni

Today's Mantra:  I choose to take of myself in mind, body and soul.


Mantra for Every Day: I choose to send love to all; receiving love back multiplied in infinite proportions, creating and nurturing pathways of love.





Sunday, January 11, 2015

What's Your Life's Work and Will it Stand the Test of Time?

We all have our jobs.  We all have our responsibilities.  Is your current work your "life's work"?  Do you work to live or live to work?  If your current job was your legacy, would it make you proud?

Some are workaholics.  It's not good or bad, although employers most likely prefer workaholics.  Some are slackers, trying to get by, get away doing less than is expected.  Some are life-balancers, who choose to "have it all", maybe not all at once, constantly juggling commitments and priorities.

Do you know who you are?  More importantly, do you know who you wish to become?  Setting intentions adds positive energy to your thoughts.  

The "brass ring" is to do what you love and be paid generously for doing it.  We all deserve to be paid for doing work.  Hopefully, we can be paid well for doing a job that is mentally fulfilling to us.  The beauty of it is that we all have different expectations of what it takes to make us happy, so we won't all be competing for the same jobs:)

If you aren't in a position to change jobs, maybe you can find a way to make your current job more fulfilling.  You deserve to spend your time away from home in a way that enriches your life.  You deserve the best life has to offer!!

Xo
Conni

Today's Mantra:  I intend to match my passions to my job.

Mantra for Every Day: I choose to send love to all; receiving love back multiplied in infinite proportions, creating and nurturing pathways of love.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Enough Already!

Are you enough?  We have to be enough for ourselves before we can be enough for others.  I used to mold myself into the the person someone wanted me to be to get his or her approval.  Trying to be enough for someone else can be a road leading to unhappiness.

Self-esteem and self-worth is about being enough for yourself first.  Being the perfect "me" doesn't have to be perfect.  Being my perfect self means accepting who I am right now to be good enough.

If that's hard for you, begin to list the reasons why you can't do it.  With each reason, think to yourself "I was doing the best I could do at that time in my life.  I forgive myself for errors of the past.  My best is good enough."

The more you cut yourself a break, the less energy you give to beating yourself up.  You can use that space to create positive changes in your life.

Have a great day!

Xo
Conni

Today's Mantra:  I am enough.

Mantra for Every Day: I choose to send love to all; receiving love back multiplied in infinite proportions, creating and nurturing pathways of love.



Just for the Halibut;)

Have you taken the time to consider why you do the things you do?  Are you a risk-taker or are you methodical and careful?  Most children are fearless.  Did you add caution to your life as you got older? Being wiser doesn't have to mean you give up all risks.

Some people take actions to prove they are risk-takers.  Others do the opposite.  In my opinion, it's good to take risks, but we can mitigate the risks and still enjoy the thrills that come along with going beyond our comfort zones.

If you like to drive fast, there are simulators and closed racetracks to fill that need.  If you want to be a rock star, you could start with the feel of a standing ovation at Karaoke Night.  There are countless ways to take the risk of moving toward your dreams.  

Certain personality types want to do activities just to prove they can.  That's my definition of "just for the halibut;)".  Without labeling them or trying to define why people do the things they do, the need to test limits is universal, with some needing it more than others.

Yes, life is precarious and yes, we need to plan for the future.  But sometimes it's good to test our limits.  Because we won't know what we are capable of unless we try.  And oddly enough, the people trying the halibut are getting a healthy source of protein as a bonus;)

Have a great day!

Xo
Conni

Today's Mantra:  I choose to be aware of my personal limitations and test them when it feels right.


Mantra for Every Day: I choose to send love to all; receiving love back multiplied in infinite proportions, creating and nurturing pathways of love.




Can I Ask a Favor?

Why do we feel most comfortable with an even exchange?  When someone begins a sentence with the question "can I ask a favor", our senses heighten to be aware of what is coming next.  That is when our personal boundaries come into play.

We all have boundaries.  Part of having healthy boundaries includes an awareness of who we want to be.  We also need to maintain healthy boundaries by using our voices to be consistent with our personal limits.  We all have some leeway, however.  When boundaries are crossed, there is a certain amount of allowance for deviation.  

So when someone asks a favor, a healthy response might be "can I think about it for a minute" instead of saying "yes" without thought or consideration.  Saying "yes" right away may make it feel like we are being selfless.  But selflessness, in the long run, may be unhealthy.  

There is not one choice that makes us unhealthy, we need to look at patterns of behavior to understand ourselves.  Do you have an awareness of your patterns?  Awareness is the first step to change.  

Can I ask a favor?  It would be a great favor to me if you put more thought into how you react when someone needs something from you.  Your personal goal of how you wish to lead your life should be complimentary to your actions, most of the time.

Have a great day!!

Xo
Conni

Today's Mantra:  I intend to give thought to my decision before committing to a response.

Mantra for Every Day: I choose to send love to all; receiving love back multiplied in infinite proportions, creating and nurturing pathways of love.