Masterful Mindsets

“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...

“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...

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi  

Wouldn’t it be great if you could flip a switch and change the world? I’ve often thought about how nice it would be, to be able to rid the world of all negativities.

Of course, I know there’s no magical solution but what I do know is that there are a few simple concepts that, when practiced regularly, could change your life a bit for the better and perhaps the lives of others around you. And quite honestly, I think our world could use some change so why not let it start with each of us?   

Before I go on, please know that this is not a political post, nor is it a declaration of me thinking I have the answers to change the world. It’s simply a viewpoint on a couple fun and simple steps we can all take to be better and be kinder. And no matter what your beliefs are, I would hope you always strive for kindness and to be your best. So please read on…

Be Present ...

"Our character isn't defined by the battles we win or lose, but by the battles we dare to fight."  ~ Robert Beatty

What battles are you fighting in your life right now? Are you still fighting old battles from the past? Fighting with others? Or fighting an internal battle?

We all have battles we fight in our lives. Some are external - with other people. For example, a power struggle at work or a court battle with a spouse, over a divorce. (Even holding a grudge over a fight between siblings from the past can stir up new battles every time you interact with each other.)  

Some battles are not of our choosing - the battle for your life when facing a life threatening disease like cancer or maybe having to battle back from an injury, after having an accident. Sure we can choose whether or not to fight them. But we don't necessarily choose them to be in our lives.  

And then of course, there are the internal battles we fight. The battles with our ego and our self limiting...

“Happiness is a habit. Cultivate it.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

Last week I shared with you that happiness is a choice and I challenged you to be the sunshine for yourself and others. This week I want to share a few simple ideas with you on how to cultivate more happiness in your life on a regular basis so you can in fact choose happiness and be the sunshine! Let’s go…

Guard Your Energy – Being around negative people who are unhappy with their current circumstances and unwilling to empower themselves with hope and hard work to create a better future, can be a real energy suck and emotional drain. Guarding yourself from that negative energy will help you keep your soul fire burning. Ever heard someone called a “wet blanket” it’s a term used to describe someone who spoils other people’s fun. So, you can see how they’d easily put out your fire. And how can you be the light that shines for others if you’re around people who are...

“When you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine.”

A dear friend of mine recently posted a picture of her home with bright rays of sunshine beaming down. Her caption read,

“In these hard times, don’t forget to shine your light friends.” 

It reminded me of a post I did years ago, which still rings true today. So, I thought I’d pull one from the archives and share it with you this week. Enjoy… and most importantly, be the sunshine!  

Read On: 

Life isn’t always full of sunshine, there are cloudy gloomy days. We all have heartbreaks and sorrows in our lives at times. We all have struggles. Maybe you or someone you know is struggling right now. But know this, happiness is a choice. If you are finding that there hasn’t been a lot of sunshine in your life recently or maybe you know someone that has been struggling and hasn’t had a lot of sunshine in their life lately, then this...

“Love is…” ~ Kim Casali

What does love mean to you? What does love look like? Feel like? Act like? What is love?  

When I was a little girl, I found a book titled, “Love Is…”by Kim Grove-Casali. She made the book from a series of love notes to her soon to be husband, Roberto Casali. It was a funny little cartoonish book that had illustrated images of a couple in love doing mostly random acts of kindness for each other. Beginning with the cover which displays the caption, “Love is… what gives you a smile from ear to ear.”

It was a cute little book and yet so influential. I mean, here I am, 40+ years later, writing about this book! For some reason, I was completely intrigued by it. Maybe it was the adorable little cartoon couple who looked so in love or maybe it was the message of how simple love can be. I still don’t know, but it always lifted my spirits and I’ve never forgotten it.

So, although...

"The best self-help must always begin with self-compassion." ~ Margie Warrell

Last month I confessed to you that I am a recovering perfectionist. And like so many of the people I work with who are high performers, we do tend to walk a fine line between having a desire to perform at a high level and trying to be perfect. But striving for progress rather than striving for perfection can actually free you to be your best self rather than getting paralyzed by the pressure of perfectionism.

It is my hope that after reading the article I wrote on this topic last month, you decided to make the shift with me. But, now what? Maybe you’ve tried and then found yourself back in old patterns if being hyper-critical of yourself, feeling like you must prove your worth, overachieving and striving to be perfect once again…  

If that’s true, then this article is for you because now it’s time to help yourself step into this new way of being, beginning...