Masterful Mindsets

“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...

“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...

“Just imagine becoming the way you used to be as a very young child, before you understood the meaning of any word, before opinions took over your mind. The real you is loving, joyful, and free. The real you is just like a flower, just like the wind, just like the ocean, just like the sun.” ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

We all grow up learning certain “agreements” through our family of origin. Don’t get me wrong, some are good virtues and values. But some, are not so good. They are the messages that create the limiting beliefs which can hold you captive from being your best true you.

Sadly, some people spend their entire lifetime trying to break free of them. As a matter of fact, I often spend quite a lot of time with my clients, helping them overcome and rewrite their old life story into something new and freeing. It's in rewriting that story and no longer allowing the agreements of your past to control you, that you are free to create a new future. Otherwise,...

"Money and success don't change people; they merely amplify what is already there." ~Will Smith

How is your relationship with money? I’ll be honest, I haven’t always had the best relationship with it. I grew up with a father who was born during the Depression. He spent his whole life working very hard for very little. So I don't need to tell you that my own money story used to be one of lack and negativity. I've heard all the old sayings, many times:

>>> "Money doesn't grow on trees."

>>> "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer."

>>> And the one that really used to get me, "Money is the root of all evil."

Now my dad was well meaning and I knew that his relationship with money was based on what he had experienced in his life. But I also knew I wanted a different relationship with money. I wanted to change my story. It took me many years and several lessons in abundance - but I still remember when it all really clicked for...

“If you need something to be grateful for then check your pulse. Always be thankful for the gift of life.” ~unknown 

My birthday is this week, and I will admit, I have moments periodically when I feel a little ho-hum about getting older. It’s usually when my body or brain doesn’t allow me to do some of the things I used to do with ease…

I tried to “limbo” under our split rail fence recently and wasn’t sure I was going to get back up. I’m sure if my husband watched the security camera, he got a good laugh.

Anyway, my point is, that it’s easy to take life and all its moments for granted. We can be quick to complain about the passing moments without appreciating them. But life is made up of all those moments, the good and the not so good. And aging… well, that’s a gift that not everyone gets to experience. Yet most people are quick to complain about it instead of being thankful that they get to breathe...

“A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.” ~ Denis Waitley

People often say they want a different life, but they can’t really picture themselves living it. Or they say they want to be a different person, but they can’t truly visualize themselves being that person. As a matter of fact, they can’t see themselves anywhere but where they are right now or where they’ve come from.

What about you? Can you picture your future identity and your future life? Can you see past where you are right now or what you know from your past, to truly envision and create the dreams of your future?

Not being able to visualize your future identity can be one of the biggest factors to why you might not be moving forward in your life and why you’ll struggle or fail to get to where you want to be or who you want to be. But don’t worry,...

“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...

"You must have control of the authorship of your own destiny. The pen that writes your life story must be held in your own hand." - Irene C. Kassorla

Everyone has a story. For some it might feel like a mystery, a fairy tale, a drama, a love story, fiction, or fact. But perhaps what's most important...Is it holding you back?

I repeatedly hear "stories" from people about why they are like they are and why it has kept them stuck. They refer to all this as the "reasons" why they are stuck or struggling, why they haven't made changes or haven’t succeeded at their life’s dreams. But basically, what they really are - are the excuses that they've become comfortable with so that they don't have to step out of their comfort zone and change.

So I ask you, do you often find yourself saying things like: 

"Oh that's just the way I am.”  
"That's how I was raised." 
"My parents were this way, therefore, I'm..." 

Do you find yourself launching...

“I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love.” - Mother Teresa

I’ve been a bit nostalgic lately for some reason, revisiting many relics from my childhood. First, telling you about the book, “Love Is” and now, I want to share another memory…

I had a little plastic figurine, that had a sickly-looking person on it with the caption that read, “I love you so much it hurts.” Truth be known, I think it belonged to my big brother or sister and they probably got it from a high school sweetheart, but none the less, for some reason, I really liked that little figurine. It was meant to be funny, whimsical, and cute. (Which it was!) And although I didn’t understand that feeling then, I have to say that in my lifetime, I’ve actually experienced that feeling on many occasions...

With my husband, when I’m away from him. With my girls, when I watch every...

“Some of the greatest battles will be fought within the silent chambers of your own soul.” ~Ezra Taft Benson

I was speaking with a client recently about an internal struggle she was having with her thoughts and emotions around a situation she’s dealing with right now. She is a caring and giving woman to others but never that kind to herself. And of course, as we all know, when frustration or fear are involved, our thoughts can become our own worst enemy. Can you relate? I know I sure can. 

Anyway, as we talked through her coaching session it reminded me of the old parable of the two wolves. I asked her if she’d ever heard the story and she had not. I did my best to tell it from my memory. (It’s been about 20 years since I’d heard it.) Then told her I’d find the story and send it to her. To which I went to my old trusty friend Google to search for it.

And sure enough, I found it right away. But as with any good Google search, I was soon...