Setting the intention to love yourself and others at the beginning of every day is a perfect way to start the day don’t you think?

The point of power is always in the present moment. ~ Louise Hay

Such a simple message, but so profound. 

Last night after dinner while watching tv with my father, I noticed him muttering to himself so I asked him what he was thinking about.

He said, “I’m trying to figure out how this month will play out.”  He’s been going through chemo.  Although he has this month’s schedule he felt it necessary to obsess over all the details for nearly a half an hour.  That’s a lot of moments.

The power of the moment.

Each moment we have the ability to change our future.  We can impact the life of another.  We can love.

What you choose to do with your moment is up to you, but here’s a couple things that won’t help:

• Dwelling on the past – for the past doesn’t exist any more.
• Worrying about the future – it will come no matter what.

Avoiding the present.

As I watch my father age, I notice he spends less and less time in the present.  The past is an old friend he wraps around himself especially when he’s sick.  The future is uncertain and he fears it.

I know I can’t change my father’s thinking.  That’s up to him.  What I do know is that I can choose to live in the moment.

In each moment I can focus on my intentions.  Is it to bring more love?  Then I will do that.  Is it to experience abundance?  Then I will do that.  Is it to be true to myself?  Then that’s what I’ll do.

Where is your focus?

Claim your point of power now.  No matter what your situation, when you strip away all the shoulds, you own each moment.  Gobble it up!

photo credit: reneesilverman via flickr

You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Buying Gifts

You have a list of people to buy for.  You say, this weekend I’m going to the mall and get it all done.  By Sunday, you’ve checked off most people on the list.  You feel exhausted and accomplished, but something is missing.

Buying gifts at the holidays is full of pressure.  You don’t want to disappoint, but you only have so much money.  Do you worry about finding the right present, or just pick up something to wrap.

Thinking Outside the Gift Box

One thing is to think about giving an experience as a gift.  This is thinking outside of the gift box.  Here are some ideas:

• Buy gifts that remind them of special times – a snow globe of the Empire State Building to remember the great vacation to NYC this year.
• Give time as a gift – plan a special girls day out with lunch, or tickets to an upcoming show.
• Create gifts that tell a story – one of the most touching was a picture book my sister got for my brother-in-law of the baseball season when they won the tournament.

You can’t find these gifts at Walmart.  The place they live is in your heart. Buying gifts like these takes a little extra thought, but the end result not only will leave you feeling accomplished, but with the warm glow of holiday love.

Just Try It

I know this won’t work with everyone on your list.  I will challenge you to try this with at least one person on your list.  See how it feels to give that give versus the other gifts you’ve chosen.

Warning!  Once you start buying gifts and giving gifts based on love, it’s hard to turn back.  In our house, guaranteed someone will be crying by the end of the gift giving because of the gift of love.

Have you every noticed that it’s always unhappy people who attack the things happy people believe in? ~ Santa Claus, The Autobiography of Santa Claus

Holiday Affirmations 

As many of you know, I love Christmas.  It isn’t just the day, it’s the entire season.  I’m kicking off my daily Holiday Affirmations for 2012 with this quote from one of my favorite books, The Autobiography of Santa Claus.

I don’t tell a lot of people out of season about my Christmas passion because I tend to get negative responses.  Only a hand full of people I’ve met in my life have the same year round enthusiasm.

What’s Special About Christmas

Here’s why I love Christmas.  For at least a couple days out of the year, people are encouraged to take care of one another.  Did you know there is scientific research that says when you give you increase the feel good hormones not only in the person you’ve given something to, but your feel good hormones also rise.

We all lead very busy lives trying to raise our families, grow our businesses, pay our bills.  It’s easy to get sucked into living every day on the treadmill.  At the holidays, we’re given the reminder to pick our heads up and look around.

So my gift to you this holiday are 30 days of Holiday Affirmations to help guide you through the holidays.  Here’s today’s affirmation.

In loving others I find compassion to love myself.

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If you can’t check in here on a regular basis, join us for weekly specially written (not on the blog) Holiday Affirmations delivered to your email every Sunday.    This week’s is on Daily Gratitude.

photo credit: Google, 9.13.12

I didn’t know much about Clara Shumann until I tripped across her Google cartoon celebrating her 193rd birthday.  Reading a bit about her life, reminded me of a quote by Wayne Dyer:

“Nothing is gained by making yourself small and insignificant other than to manifest small and insignificance in your life.”

Clara’s Life

Clara Wieck Shumann was an accomplished pianist and composer well before she marred her husband, famous composer Robert Shumann.  According to her story, she met Robert Shumann when she was only 8 and he 17.  He was so inspired by her playing, he discontinued his studies and took up music studying with Clara’s father.

Clara’s career was 61 years long.  During that time she had 8 children, published over 30 pieces of music and wrote 25 more that were found later, and played concerts.  If that wasn’t difficult enough, she had to commit her husband and son to an insane asylum, lost 3 children and raised several of her grandchildren.  She was also a bread winner in her family.

Phew! And you thought you had a busy day!

Her husband is quoted as saying:

“But to have children, and a husband who is always living in the realm of imagination, does not go together with composing. She cannot work at it regularly, and I am often disturbed to think how many profound ideas are lost because she cannot work them out.”

Life Is 24/7

We talk about our lives being 24/7.  Don’t you think that Clara’s life was pretty 24/7 back in the 1800′s?

You have so much to give the world, just like Clara.  Living small, convincing yourself you can’t do something or that you don’t have the time is wasting your talents.

Robert Shumann felt his wife had so much more to offer, and so do you.  Just like Clara you live with constraints.  Take a lesson from this wonderful woman and don’t let your passions completely fade away.  Hold on and make time for them throughout your life.

Ask yourself what you would do if you could, then give yourself permission to try.  You have no limits so fly!

photo credit: Carla216 via photo pin cc

When searching for important clues, anything labeled “Top Secret” might be a good clue.  The Crooked Banister (a Nancy Drew Mystery)

Caught In The Act

As a kid, I loved to day dream.  Once, while in school, I was brought back from imagining I was Nancy Drew by a piece of chalk whizzing past my head.

Undeterred, I still day dream today and believe it’s essential.  Daytime reverie lets you to tap into your deeper imagination giving your rational brain mind a break and allowing new ideas to come to life.

Playing Into Your Dreams

When I was younger we brought our imagination to our games as well.  My best friend and I would pretend we were Nancy Drew solving all sorts of mysteries.  It was so much fun!  Did you play out your dreams when you were a kid?

Today you can still “play” into your dreams.  You don’t have to spend days playing Nancy Drew like we did, but if you dream of painting you could take a beginner class, go to a museum, or read an art history book.  As Walt Disney said:

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.

Adults Forget To Day Dream

What stops most of my clients from dreaming are their daily routines.  Imagining and playing isn’t how most people make a living.  Every day they go through the same motions wishing for something more.  Over time they grow frustrated, lost, and apathetic.

If you’re feeling like this, maybe you need to do a little more day dreaming.  Lucky for you there isn’t a chalk throwing teacher around.

When you dream, you plant subconscious seeds into your brain.  Soon you notice pieces of your dream showing up in your life.  You pick up a book and it talks about your dream.  You see a movie and part of your dream is revealed.  You talk to someone and they tell you they are living your dream.

Dreaming Balances You

I believe when you feel your life is out of balance, it’s not because of time management, it’s because of life management.  You aren’t paying enough attention to your dreams.  This creates an internal imbalance.

To avoid the discomfort, you stop day dreaming and stick with your daily routines, careful not to deviate.

The remedy? Become curious again.  Instead of using your “What If’s” on disasters, use them to spark some creativity.

Once you do, you’ll experience a decreased level of frustration and anxiety.  You’ll be more relaxed.  You’ll be able to breath easier.  I, dare say, you’ll be happier.

We keep moving forward, opening doors, and doing new things because we’re curious and curiosity leads us down new paths. ~Walt Disney

To Live A Balanced Life

My best advice for living a balanced life is to start to day dream.  Give your inner child some imagination time.  My prescription for a hectic out of control life is 15 minutes a daily dreaming.

Don’t be afraid if you’re inspired to take new actions.  I’ll bet once you do, you’ll find the happiness, peace and contentment you’ve been seeking.

What did you day dream about as a kid?  Even better, what was your favorite Nancy Drew mystery?

One of the huge imbalances in life is the disparity between your daily existence, with its routines and habits, and the dream you have deep within yourself of some extraordinarily satisfying way of living. ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer.

photo credit: arnold | inuyaki via photo pincc

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. ~ Steve Jobs

Passionate About Cooking

Last night my sister cooked dinner for our family and some friends.  There’s an unwritten rule when you go to dinner at Julie’s, be prepared for the experiment.

We all know there will be dishes served that she’s never cooked before.  Last night was a delectable collection of noshes ranging from a hummus layered dip to individual bread bowls filled with clam chowder.  With each course, the ooooo’s ahhhh’s from the crowd inspired even the pickiest of eaters to try a nibble.

My sister loves to cook.  You feel her joy as she proudly pulls a carbonara pizza from the oven with sizzling bacon and oozing egg yolks.  Some might dread cooking for 12, but not Julie.  It’s her passion that makes what you might think as work, come across as art.

The Recipe For A Happy Life

Here’s her recipe for a happy life…Love what you do, live passionately and “have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”  The right combination of these ingredients guarantees a full life.

Are you living your passions?

I hear you moaning about how you want to live your passions…but….

Don’t Listen to the Noise

There are no buts.  Everyone has difficulties in their lives, challenges you need to face.  The only way to live a full happy life is to follow Steve Job’s advice – “Don’t let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice.”

When you think you can’t, remember you can.  When you think someone might not like what you need to do, do it anyway.  When you think what will others think, say who cares.

The only way to live a full and happy life is to be true to who you are and express it in everything you do.

That noise, Jobs talked about, will be loud at first.  Instead of listening to it, but on your favorite music and dance around the living room.

Filled to the Brim (and smiling all the way!)

I’m stuffed with all the good food from last night.  It’s not just my stomach that’s full, however, my sister fed our hearts with her love and passion.  Begin this fall doing the same in your life.

How do you live your passions?  Share them below.

Oh By The Way…Here’s the recipe for the Carbonara Pizza.  Great for a chilly night or a fun brunch.

Carbonara Pizza

1 pizza dough (your favorite recipe, fresh from the grocery store or try your local pizzeria)

1/2 lb bacon cut into 1/2 inch strips

1 cup heavy cream – reduced to 1/2 cup and cooled

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (we used fresh) cut up or shredded

1/4 cup Romano cheese shredded.

2-4 eggs

Salt & Pepper

Corn meal for dusting

Cook the bacon until it’s about half way done (the microwave works well for this).  Sprinkle corn meal on a cookie sheet.  Stretch pizza dough to cover cookie sheet.  Let it rest for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the dough with the mozzarella and Romano cheese.  Drizzle the cream over the cheese.  Add bacon.  Cook in a 450 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes.  Take out the pizza.  Crack 2-4 eggs over the pizza.  Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Return to the oven for another 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.  You want the eggs to set, but not become firm.

Take the pizza out of the oven.  Drag a knife through the eggs spreading the yolk over the pizza.

Serve while warm.

Yummm

photo credit: blinkingidiot via flickr

Get out and live your life fearlessly.  Anita Moorjani

Imagine 24 hours of living fearlessly.  I don’t meet throwing caution to the wind, but truly living 24 hours without feeling fear.

You might say, “I don’t really live in fear now so that would be easy.”  That’s what I thought.

It’s More About the Small Fears

Everyone has big fears.  It’s what you worry about.  Will your kids turn out okay?  What if you’re laid off?  How well are your parents?  Will there be a war?  Will you get that big client?

I realize these big thoughts can dominate your life.  It was, however, the small fears like what people will think if you eat that doughnut, paying a bill, keeping the house clean just in case people stop by, or worrying if you’ll make the team that make up many of your routine thoughts.

These small thoughts creep into your consciousness.  Over time, they become part of your daily thought process.  Sitting in the background, you don’t even notice them any more.

Anita Let Go Of Fear

In Anita Moorjani’s book, Dying To Be Me,  she talks about a near death experience.  Throughout her life small fears had shaped her world.  She always strove to fit in, and never felt she did.  After her experience, she learned, life is not about fitting in.  It’s about letting go of all fear and living in love or “being love” as she describes it.

Louise Hay in her book, You Can Heal Your Life, talks about fear being one of the four top reasons people develop illnesses.  By holding onto fear whether we developed them or were handed them by others, we only hurt ourselves.

How To Let Go Of Fear

Because you might not recognize the smaller fears at first, it’s easier to start with something you can name as a fear.  I’ll use the example of Maisie’s training.

I feared Maisie going crazy when she saw other dogs on our walks.  It stopped me from taking her places, walking during certain times or even allowing her outside.

Working with our trainer, Nancy, she brought a dog to walk with Maisie.  My first reaction was to pull Maisie back.  It was then I realized it was my behavior, my fear, that caused Maisie to act out.

Releasing this fear came in a couple steps.

• Recognize and own the fear.  Give the fear a name or a picture.  Then own it.  Know it’s all about you and no one else.
• Visualize the situation.  Visualize the situation that you fear.  Then change the picture.  Imagine you have no fear at all.  It’s all working out fine.  Send love to the thing you fear, for me it was the other dogs.
• Practice.  Whenever you’re in the situation, go back to the good visualization.  Practice living that new visualization in real time.
• Love yourself.  The first couple times I had Maisie out on a walk, I didn’t prepare as much as I should.  We encountered a dog.  I tensed up.  Maisie barked.  Then I did something different, instead of telling myself I failed, I congratulated myself on trying.  I didn’t judge.  Instead said I loved and approved of myself.  This practice was perfect in what I knew so far.

The last step is the most important because it’s where you’ll make it or break it.  The typical pattern I see in people is to scold themselves after not meeting their own expectations (or others). This feeds the fear.

By not judging and sending myself love, it was like shining a light into a dark room.  The fear shrunk away.  I was ready for the next dog to come along in a good way.  It didn’t feel like I was going into battle (fear), but instead another opportunity to practice (love).

You Choose.

Every moment of every day, you get to choose whether you’ll live in fear or love.  The natural choice is to live in love, so choose it.  Wherever you are in your journey, always choose love.

Part of the Life Simplified Garden

Love who you are, what you are and what you do.  Laugh at yourself and at life.  Louise Hay

My Garden

Last weekend I planted my annual herb garden.  This year I’m also trying my hand at tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, spinach, salad greens and summer squash.

Planting each seed and seedling, reminded me of how I’d once again stopped doing my inner work.

The meditative work of planting my garden, reminded me of life’s simple law.  Plant seeds.  Care for them.  Tend to the weeds.  In the end you’ll be rewarded with the seed’s unique gift.

The same is true for our personal and professional inner work.

What Mental Seeds Are You Planting?

If you plant a tomato seed, you don’t expect a zucchini.  Yet every day you the mental seed of I’m not worthy and expect love.  Spend 24 hours monitoring your thoughts.  They are subtle, so listen carefully.

What do you say to yourself if you are running late?  What do you say to yourself if a bill comes and there is no money in the bank?  What do you say to yourself when those summer clothes are tighter than last year or you have to put on your bathing suit for the first time?

Are those seeds you want to grow in your inner garden? I thought so.

I Love And Approve Of Myself

One of the most powerful, yet simple affirmations I use I learned from Louise Hay, “I love and approve of myself.”  When I decide to plant this seed rather than other negative seeds, I find life, personally and professionally, takes on a whole different hue.

Imagine walking into a situation saying, “I’m fat.  No one wants to talk to me because I’m so boring.”  Got it.  Now imagine the same situation and instead you’re saying, “I love and approve of myself.”  Can you feel the difference?When I do this work with clients, I see them sit up straighter, smile and relax.

Tend To Your Garden Daily

If you’re a gardener or just have a few herbs from the grocery store on the windowsill, try planting this mental seed while you’re tending your garden.

As you water your garden, repeat, “I love and approve of myself.”  As you weed your garden, repeat, “I love and approve of myself.”   As you smile with pride over your first tomato, repeat, “I love and approve of myself.”  

You can certainly repeat the affirmation other times as well.  The garden just gives you some time to meditate the feeling of the affirmation.

By connecting this practice with your garden, you’ll find you’re not just reaping tomatoes this summer.

You will see the little miracles occur in your life.  The things you are ready to eliminate will go of their own accord.  The things and events you want will pop up in your life seemingly out of the blue.  you will get bonuses you never imagined! ~ Louise Hay