Masterful Mindsets

“Nurture your dreams as a gardener nurtures his plants.” ~Vridhi

We typically see a lot of moisture during spring. Being from Colorado this often comes in the form of snow, but it is moisture nonetheless. And seeing the tulips popping out from beneath the snow brings a sense of hope and excitement for what’s to come.

A very good friend (whom I always think of fondly around Earth Day, because she loved gardening) said to me one day, years ago, as we were talking about some plants that I was sure were dead... "All they really want to do is live, you just have to help them along and give them a chance."

I’ve never forgotten that. It was so profound to me because, truly, isn’t that what all of us want? We want to live and thrive. And sometimes, we just need a bit of help or support along the way. We need to be reminded not to give up on our hopes and dreams, instead, we need to nurture them. Just think of how you and your dreams might be able to grow...

"The journey to joy begins with acceptance." ~ Margaret Feinberg

Ever have one of those days when nothing seems to go right? Kinda makes you cranky, doesn't it? But what if you just accepted it and laughed it off? Could it be possible to find joy even when life seems to be unraveling?

Let’s get one thing straight about this week’s quote, it does not mean that you should settle for whatever or wherever you are in life. But rather, I believe it means that once you face where you are with acceptance of the situation – whether good or bad – you can put your energy into adapting and advancing. In other words, instead of wasting time and energy staying stuck in the problem, you just acknowledge it and then you can begin to shift your focus to the solution and moving forward into a more joyful life.

Let’s face it, life does not always turn out exactly as we’d like. There are plenty of mistakes, disappointments and failures all along the way....

“Only you hold the key to unlock your true potential.” ~MW

Several years ago, I wrote an article that was inspired by a late-night TV commercial and my husband being the smart-aleck that he is.

Then a few months ago, I ran across this article while I was looking for inspiration again… The interesting thing is, this time when I read what I’d written, it nudged me to heed my own advice. Below is the original article. Have a quick read and then at the bottom, I’ll explain why this article coming across my desk recently was exactly the nudge I needed right now.

Do you have a flavor lock lid keeping all your potential inside?

I was watching late night TV the other night and wondering what I should write this month’s article about. Looking for inspiration, I asked my husband if he had any ideas. It just so happened, at that moment, there was a commercial for coffee that had a flavor lock lid to keep all the freshness in. So my loving husband, being...

"Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is rest and let your angels wrap you in their loving wings. They've got you covered." ~ Anna Taylor

Where do you get your inspiration from? How do you stay productive, especially when you're overwhelmed and exhausted?

I've got to admit something to you... I was feeling less than inspired to write this week's Masterful Mindset. I started writing four different blog posts this week. I even wrote the word "poop" after a long pause in a sentence, as I was trying to think of what to say. (Yes, sometimes my posts require a lot of editing before you see them.) 

I also wrote down nine - yes - NINE different quotes, looking for inspiration. I got nothing... then I decided to just sit on my back porch and watch the sun set. Partially because I was so frustrated that I just had to stop but mostly because I knew it was a sure sign that I needed a break. I've had a lot going on lately... and I've been working long hours. (Can you relate?) It...

"Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t." ~ Rikki Rogers

We’ve all experienced events in our lives when we just didn’t think we would possibly have the strength to get through, and yet we did. I look back on the eight years my husband and I dealt with infertility and I can remember many times thinking I didn’t have the strength to endure another unsuccessful treatment or heartbreaking negative pregnancy test. Yet, month after month and year after year, we found the strength to keep trying. And now here we are, twenty-one years later, having just celebrated our oldest daughter's birthday and preparing to send our youngest daughter off to college in the fall. (Funny how all those years went a lot faster than the other 8!)

Anyway, if you really think about it...

You can probably recall times when you’ve overcome an obstacle or reached a goal you weren’t sure you...

“Grow through what you go through.”

Well, spring is here! My family is home for spring break, and we are busy planting, playing, loving and working. In other words, we are enjoying life.

Although the reality is, life can be chaotic and full of hardships, disappointments, and trials. I was thinking about this recently as my youngest daughter is nearing the end of her senior year. Time has flown by, and we are about to embark on a new chapter of our lives. That’s a challenge for me because I know she will be leaving soon. But instead of choosing to stay stuck; rejecting change, and resisting the future, I went through a process that I want to share with you today. I set into motion a series of steps that have pushed me past the bittersweet pain that change often brings and on to making the most of the life I have while I work towards embracing the future that is before me.

In general, it can be easy to get stuck in the trap of...

“Sometimes life takes you in a direction you never saw yourself going but it turns out to be the best and most beautiful journey you’ve ever taken.”

I read a short story once by Longtime Sesame Street writer Emily Perl Kingsley. It was something she had written to help people understand her experience of raising a child with disabilities, as her son was born with Downs Syndrome. She explains it as someone who’s planned and planned to take a vacation to Italy, only to board the plane and land in Holland.

Imagine the surprise and disappointment you might feel when you realized you’d reached the wrong destination. All your preparation, studying the Italian language, mapping out your trip, creating your itinerary, researching your destination, were all lost. Time wasted. Now you’re somewhere you didn’t want to be. At first you might not be able to look past the disappointment of not being in Italy to see what a beautiful place Holland...

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” ~Mother Teresa

As we wrap up February, let’s take a look at the journey of love we’ve been on all month. Inspired by the reality that our world could use some much-needed love and kindness right now, we’ve ventured into a month-long exploration and challenge to amplify the goodness within and share it generously with our families and communities. Reconnecting within to build self-love and create an extraordinary impact of cultivating love in our homes and communities. I am hopeful that this journey goes beyond the calendar and leaves an indelible mark on the very essence of who you are as we continue to create ripples of love to transform the world. So, if you missed any of these big ideas for little ways to exemplify love, then read on for this quick review and reminder. Let’s keep the love ripples rolling…

"Remember there’s no such...

“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” ~ Mother Teresa 

In the last several months, I’ve repeatedly spoken with others who are feeling a great need to do something to heal the current state of our world. Which is why I’ve been writing about this topic all month. And while I agree, our world is in dire need of healing, I also think that we can get so focused on what’s happening outside that we forget to look inside – inside ourselves and our own homes.

Don’t get me wrong, I do think it is important to do our best to be active parts of our community and support others with love and compassion, but sometimes we need to begin in our own space. Which is why when I saw today’s quote, it actually lit me up because it’s something I’ve been talking to several of my clients about. As a matter of fact, I recently told a group of women that I was working with, “If you want to change the world,...

"Your life is a journey of learning to love yourself first and then extending that love to others in every encounter."  ~Oprah

Last week I challenged you to double down on your goodness to others. Because quite honestly, our world needs to reconnect and embrace loving kindness as a consistent practice in order to begin to heal. But if you don’t love yourself or your life, it can be difficult to extend love to others. Think about it, those people in the world that are so hateful and mean… do you think they actually love themselves or their life? I’m guessing, no.  

Loving yourself plays an important part in how you show up in the world. Once you love and respect yourself, you can give to others from a heart full of love, respect, generosity and kindness. But if you don't have enough love for yourself or your life, then a couple things can happen.

Either you find you give what little you do have to others with no regard for yourself. This is what I call...