Masterful Mindsets

“When we throw out the physical clutter, we clear our minds. When we throw out the mental clutter, we clear our souls.”  ~ Gail Blanke

I’m hopeful that last week’s article inspired and motivated you to do a little spring cleaning and remove some of the old, unwanted items you’ve been hanging on to for way too long. I don’t know about you but for me, clearing out the clutter feels so freeing. Not only is the physical space lighter but so is my mental space. I swear I’m able to think more clearly and creatively when my space is free of clutter.

As a matter of fact, that feeling is so important to me that I actually clear off my desk every night before I leave my office because I want to start my next day fresh, empowered and full of inspiring energy. Clearing the clutter does that for me!

But do you know what else can leave you feeling light and free? Getting rid of the old unwanted mental clutter that you’ve been hanging on to for...

“As I unclutter my life, I free myself to answer the callings of my soul.” ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer

Spring is well in bloom here and before we know it, summer will be shining down on us. This past weekend, having been Mother’s Day, I was able to get my family to do something that probably wouldn’t have happened had they not been wanting to do something nice for me. 

See every year for Mother’s Day, they ask me what they can do for me. They know that my Love Language is “Acts of Service”. So this year, I told them I wanted the storage room clean. Oh, the groans! But they were accommodating nonetheless.

What I don’t think they realized was just how important that was to me… And why clearing the clutter is important for you too!

Here's the deal, clutter really bothers me because when you allow too much clutter to fill up a space it can actually cause you to become distracted, lose focus and become less productive. Not to mention the...

"The very fact that you worry about being a good mom means that you already are one." ~ Jodi Picoult

Mother’s Day is this weekend. A time to honor moms for all they do throughout the year. But for many moms, there’s an internal struggle that occurs between accepting and enjoying that recognition and the ever-so-strong mom guilt that tells them they don’t deserve all the love and praise because they don’t do enough. If you’ve ever experienced a similar guilt, you’re not alone.

These feelings are normal – I don’t know a mom (or dad) who doesn’t experience them from time to time. Even if you aren’t a parent, odds are high you’ve experienced a form of this guilt at some point in your life. (Just replace parenting children with what’s at the root of your own guilt – i.e., family, friends, business, school, work, etc.) But in honor of the upcoming holiday, I’ll be focusing on mom guilt here. So if your...

“I’ve learned that you can’t have everything and do everything at the same time.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

Throughout this month I’ve given you several simple but powerful ideas to intentionally incorporate self-care into your life, in an effort to help you let go of the tension, stress and overwhelm that life seems to hand us on a regular basis.

But all that I’ve given you are just theory and words if you don’t put it into practice. So, it’s time for a little accountability check right here… How intentional have you been? Which of the practices have you tried? Which have you started consistently using? If you don’t like your answers, read on… because I have three BONUS ideas for you to help you level up your intention so you can let go of tension.

Consistent – Consistency is the key to creating new habits. If you aren’t consistently practicing the concepts I’ve shared with you or started your own...

The rhythm of life is intricate but orderly, tenacious but fragile. To keep that in mind is to build the key to survival. ~ Shirley Hufstedler

This week is the last of our mini-series on letting go of tension by living with intention… And I am so excited to share these last three big ideas with you because these three are foundational game changers when it comes to regular self-care. Once again, just like the other concepts I’ve shared thus far, they are so simple, yet so profound and powerful. These three concepts, when utilized effectively, can help you implement a consistent self-care practice that will have you feeling more balanced and peaceful in your daily life no matter what you might be facing.

Now of course, the first two parts of this mini-series were all about incorporating small self-care activities into your life to help you eliminate symptoms of stress, anxiety, overwhelm, etc. But keep in mind that perhaps the best way to eliminate tension isn’t...

“Be like a tree. Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break. Enjoy your unique natural beauty. Keep growing.” ~ Joanne Rapits

Last week I shared three of my favorite ways to let go of tension and live with intention through super simple and quick daily self-care practices. I hope you gave them a try because this week, as promised, I want to share a few more.

The great thing about the concepts that I’m sharing with you through this mini-series is that they do not require big changes or much time. The truth is - small shifts can produce big results. If you commit to consistently being intentional with even a few of these simple practices, I believe you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the profound difference they can create within you.

With that being said, let me share three more powerful but simple ways to intentionally practice self-care and relieve tension:  

Ground Yourself – This can be done in...

“If we pause and breathe in and out, then we can have the experience of timeless presence, of the inexpressible wisdom and goodness of our own minds. We can look at the world with fresh eyes and hear things with fresh ears.” ~Pema Chodron

Let’s face it… life is demanding! We live in a fast-paced world where busyness and overcommitment are rewarded. Where the drive to get ahead has us feeling like we are always behind. And where there are so many obligations and expectations required of us that our lives feel consumed by stress and overwhelm.

Which is why it’s essential to learn how to let go of tension and instead, live with intention if you really want to feel joyful and fulfilled in life. If you want a sense of peace and contentment in your outer world, you’ve got to begin with your own self-care.

Whether it be an intentional act of caring for our mental, emotional, or physical health, practicing self-care is not a luxury, it’s a...

“Begin each day with a little courage, a little curiosity and a little spring in your step.”  ~ Doe Zantamata

What excites you and gives you a little spring in your step? Are you doing these things regularly? If not, then what are you waiting for?

It’s so easy to go through life on auto pilot. Following a mundane routine, day in and day out. But what if you had the opportunity to make life a little more exciting? What would make you happy and put a little spring in your step today or this week?

If you find yourself living by the “When-Then Principle” as I like to call it, then I want to invite you to reevaluate what’s really important to you and make a plan to change the way you are living.

So, you ask… what is the “When-Then Principle”? Well, it’s that rule of life that you follow when you find yourself always saying, “When I __________ then I’ll __________” You can fill in the blanks any way...

“No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.”  ~Proverb

Living in Colorado we have a saying, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes, it’ll change.” And springtime here is certainly guaranteed to make that statement ring true. It’s this time of the year when one day it can be a beautiful warm, sunny, spring day and the next - a huge storm bringing freezing temps and several inches of snow. It’s during this time that we start to feel like winter will never end. But, just like this week’s quote, no matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.

So, what does this have to do with Masterful Mindsets and more importantly, life?

Well, it is a sign of hope! And not just hope for warmer days. But hope for new beginnings. It’s a reminder that in the dark, dreary, cold spaces of your life, you can still have hope that no matter how long that period lasts, a new season of life will come and with...

I’m a great believer in luck, I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”   ~ Thomas Jefferson

What are your beliefs around luck? Do you believe that having good luck is out of your control and only the lucky ones can really have a life they love? Or do you believe that you are in complete control and that your beliefs, attitude, and actions determine the kind of luck you have?

My daughters are both highly competitive athletes. You can usually find me at a field or court, watching them play soccer or basketball, year around. As a matter of fact, my youngest daughter just finished three weeks of travel for back-to-back-to-back soccer tournaments.

And like most parents, I always have a few pre-game words for them that almost always include these three phrases, “Play Hard! Have Fun! And Good Luck!”

So with St. Patrick’s Day being tomorrow, I thought it would be fun to discuss the concept of “luck” for this week’s...