Masterful Mindsets

“Another day, another blessing and another chance at life. Take nothing for granted and think of every breath as a gift.”  ~ unknown

As you know, if you’ve been following along the past few weeks, I’ve been focusing on Gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful thing. So much so that it can actually boost your happiness by up to 25%. So today, I want to explore the power of focusing on the gifts and blessings that we often overlook so that instead, we can make certain we take time regularly to look at them through the lens of gratitude.  

It can be easy to take people, experiences, and things in our lives for granted. But to practice gratitude from a higher level of consciousness, we must not take things “for granted” but rather see them “as granted”. This small shift in language creates a powerful shift in mindset and moves us from an attitude of entitlement to humility. And even if we don’t like to admit it, an underlying sense of entitlement is actually the #1 thing that gets in the w...

“It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” ~David Steindl-Rast

Last week I gave you an interesting statistic on the power of gratitude… I shared that people who have a gratitude practice of writing down at least 5 things they are grateful for once a week can boost their happiness by as much as 25% in as little as 10 weeks. Which is a compelling statistic in and of itself. But today I want to share a few more facts with you about the power of gratitude. (Just in case a 25% increase in happiness isn’t enough to convince you that it’s worth it to have a gratitude practice.) 😉  

So Robert Emmons, who is one of the world’s leading researchers on the science of gratitude along with his colleague Mike McCollough were the first researchers to discover the profound benefits of gratitude through their studies.

What they found was that people who regularly cultivate gratitude “experience a multitude of psychological, physical, interpersonal, and spiritual...

“In order to make a visualization a reality in the world of form, you must be willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.” ~ Wayne Dyer

You’re clear about your future identity and your ideal future. You’re committed to your visualization practice. So now what?

Well, the power of manifestation is not complete until you take action. Yes, you can visualize yourself owning a successful company, vacationing in exotic places, having a fit body, doing a TED Talk, being in a loving relationship, etc. but without action they stay dreams. Visualization gives you clarity and confidence to take action when the opportunities you're manifesting show up. And then, it is the actions you take when those opportunities present themselves, that turn your vision into reality. But you will not see results without action.  

For example, let’s say you’ve visualized yourself being an Olympic athlete. You can dream and visualize it all you want. But you aren’t going to just wake up one day as an O...

“When you visualize, then you materialize.” ~Denis Waitley

If you’re following along in this series, then you know that last week I shared several powerful benefits of utilizing visualization to dynamically create the future you desire. But I realize that starting something new can feel awkward or difficult. Maybe you’ve tried visualization before – once or twice. But “just couldn’t get into it.” I hear you… but don’t worry. There’s more than one way to practice visualization and I have no doubt that with a little effort, you can find something that you can easily do AND enjoy doing.

Which is what this post is all about! I want to give you several simple techniques you can choose from, to practice visualizing your future identity and your desired future, as if you’ve already achieved it all. So what do you think? Are you ready to have an open mind and commit to a practice of visualization, in order to be able to more rapidly reach your goals and dreams? If that’s a YES, then let...

“Whatever goal you give to your subconscious mind, it will work night and day to achieve it.”  ~Jack Canfield

Last week I challenged you to begin the practice of visualization to be able to clearly create your future identity because without having a clear vision for your future, it can be difficult to create it. Did you give it a try? What? You forgot. It was hard to start. You got busy. You just didn’t have time. Hmmm…

Sure, I’ve heard all those reasons (aka excuses)😉 before.

But what if I told you that research shows, you can dramatically increase your odds of creating your ideal future by practicing visualization in as little as 10 minutes a day? Do you have 10 minutes to spare for the sake of making your dreams a reality?

That’s right… While in order to get the best results, it is vital to be consistent with a daily visualization practice, you don’t need to spend all day thinking about your goals for visualization to be effective. In fact, I don’t actually recommend spen...

“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 self-care practices, it will be difficult to sustain the new habits you’re trying to creat...

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 just to manage the...

“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 conjunction with the ideas I gave you last...

“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 necessity. And yet, when we start to get busy, ...

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”  ~unknown

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the US, so of course I can’t miss an opportunity to talk about the power of gratitude...

Research has shown that practicing gratitude regularly has a positive impact on not only your happiness and sense of well-being, but it actually has a positive effect on your health too. That’s pretty amazing for something that doesn’t require anything more than some effort. No magic pill, no money needed, just a commitment to pause every day, be present and choose gratitude.

Which is why I started a gratitude practice for myself years ago where each day I journal about what I am grateful for. And I truly believe that as a result of keeping this simple practice going throughout the years, it’s transformed me into a more positive and hopeful person on the inside and it’s made me into ...