Masterful Mindsets

“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...

“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” ~Scott Adams

Every year, for every holiday, birthday and special occasion, my mother-in-law sends us a care package. This Valentine’s Day is no different. Over the weekend I opened my mailbox to find a cute little package addressed to my family, full of cards and chocolates in honor of the upcoming holiday. It almost made me cry because I thought of the effort it must have required of her- to get to the store and then the post office, to ensure that we got this special package on time. (Some days I don’t even make it to my mailbox to mail a bill! Let alone do all she did.) She is willing to make that extra effort to show her love. And this is just one example of the little things she does all the time. So why am I telling you this (outside of the fact that I want you to know what a wonderful mother-in-law I have)?

Because I want to challenge...

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.”   ~ Abraham Lincoln

I had a woman schedule a strategy session with me last week who told me she was feeling like a real failure because she had “already blown it” for this year. See she had decided that this was going to be the year that she got her health back, cleared out the clutter in her house and stopped saying yes to everyone’s demands of her. Yet after just a couple weeks she had found herself back in the old patters of unhealthy eating, not even starting on the house and pleasing others by overcommitting herself.  

Here’s the thing… the one resolution she hadn’t made, was a resolution to succeed at the goals she’d set for herself no matter what. Why is this important? Well quite simply because changing old habits isn’t always easy. So, without the resolve to keep working at it, keep pushing yourself to...

“Our habits shape who we become and the results we create in the world.” ~ Lewis Howes

I’ve been writing all month about resolutions and how to create resolutions that work. But when it all boils down to it, keeping your resolutions is really about creating habits in your life that serve you to your highest potential and help you create the results you want.

Think about this…

We all have good and bad habits, right? When you think of habits, you might think of those that are easy to identify – such as good habits like brushing your teeth every day or bad habits like biting your nails. But have you ever thought about the fact that behaviors such as negative self-talk, procrastination, stress eating, hitting the snooze button, and even people pleasing are also habits? Likewise, things like scheduling and planning your day, being fully present with people, keeping a positive mindset or taking intentional breaks to improve your mental and physical...

“Never let a stumble in the road be the end of your journey.” – unknown

Will you be part of the majority that gives up on your resolutions or the minority that succeeds? I want you to succeed! Which is why these last couple weeks, I’ve given you some tips to succeed at making your New Year’s Resolutions a reality this year.

But let’s face it, even though it sounds simple in theory, it can be tough because there are so many things that can trip you up and keep you from staying the course. That point is proven when you consider that statistics show less than 10% of the people who set resolutions actually keep them.

So today, I want to conquer some of the most common pitfalls that can sabotage your success and keep you from sticking with your resolutions.

1. Too Many Resolutions – Trying to make too many changes all at once is a recipe for disaster. You are more prone to get overwhelmed and give up. Pick the one transformation that is most...

“Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out." ~Robert Collier

Let’s face it, success does not happen overnight. Ask anyone who has been called an “overnight success” and they will tell you that they’ve spent years, working at it, day in and day out, to make it big.

So why would anyone think that they are going to make a New Year’s resolution to change and then poof – overnight, they are changed? It’s not quite that easy… and thinking that way can set you up for disappointment. (That’s actually one of the many reasons people give up on their resolutions. – More on that next week!)

But before you get discouraged, there is good news. Because although it might not be quite that easy, it can be as simple as making small efforts on a daily basis. One of the most important keys to creating change successfully in your life is taking decisive, consistent action. But it does not have to be monumental...

“New Year’s Day is only the beginning… never forget the power in what you do with the other 364 days of the year. In each and every one of those days, you have the opportunity to create greatness, however big or small.”  ~ Michelle Weimer

The new year has arrived and although nothing magically changed at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, there is still a sense of hope that the new year always brings with it. A chance to hit the reset button and start with a clean slate.

So if last year left you disappointed at all, whether it was disappointment because the year didn’t go as planned or disappointment in yourself because you didn’t handle the year as well as you would have liked to, this is your time to hit that reset button and start anew. Because it stinks to feel disappointment. And even worse, is the sting of regret. We might not be able to control or change everything that is occurring in our world, but we can most...

“Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to accomplish something big, that we fail to notice the little things that give life it’s magic.”

I don’t know about you, but I think it’s pretty easy to take for granted how important the little things in life really are. I’m guilty of doing it at times and I’m betting you are too. Think about it…

How often do you take the time to acknowledge and appreciate the little things that bring magic to your life?

So many people think that if they could just make something big happen then their lives would be fulfilled. Whether that is getting a promotion, finding love or some other great destiny they have planned for their lives. Now don’t get me wrong, those big things are awesome! And having goals to create the life you desire is always good. But what happens all too often is we focus so much on those big things that we forget to acknowledge and be thankful for the little things.

Without...

"Sometimes it’s okay if the only thing you did today was breathe." ~Yumi Sakugawa

The holidays can be emotional for many people, especially if you’re going through a difficult time. We each fight our own unseen battles everyday no matter how big or small, and the holidays can bring about a lot of additional stress which in turn can cause emotions to escalate.

Whether you are grieving the loss of a loved one or struggling through another hardship like a broken relationship, a lack of direction, a failed business, an illness, a family quarrel or even grieving the dreams for your future hopes that did not come to pass this year, I want you to know that’s it’s okay to honor your grief and sadness. But I don’t want you to get stuck in it.

So today, just breathe... as I share some caring tips for coping with grief, depression or other strong negative emotions throughout the holidays this year.

If you are struggling this holiday season for any reason, please...