Listen to Your Body

What's going on in your body?  If your body is tense, then something is not sitting right with you.  Are you stressed about something? Are you too busy running around?  Are your relationships strained in some way? Are your surroundings cluttered or disorganized?  Do you have too much going on?

Sit down for a few minutes and ask yourself: what's going on?  Do you want to wait until your body really screams at you with some disease, injury, or chronic pain or condition?  It's already trying to talk to you.  Sit quietly when you won't be disturbed for 15-30 minutes and really ask yourself and listen to what comes up. Believe me, it will speak to you. When an answer comes up, ask what you can do about it.  Keep an open mind.  Don't worry if it's your imagination.  (It's your mind.  I guess that would include your imagination.) Just go with it!

Now think about the answers and what sits best with you.  Do you need to take a day off?  Think about a relationship?  Cut down on your schedule?  Clear some things away?  Think it through.  Let it sit with you for a bit especially if any change is major or has consequences.  Let it sit a few days.  How does it feel when you think about days later.

When you feel trapped or that you have no options, it is really unhealthy for your body and mind. Even making small decisions or changes when you can, can change things and how you feel.

Action

Sit quietly and ask your body: what's going on?

Be Well - Honor Yourself

Honor yourself means take care of yourself.  Sometimes we try to do too much and tire ourselves out.  Sometimes we say yes to people and situations that are just too much for us.  We have to remember to honor ourselves in the process.

It can feel like we are being selfish, but really look at it. Is the request on our time really important and necessary to do now? Or can we say no or not right now?  A lot of things during our day can seem important, but sometimes if left alone, they resolve on their own.  They can also tire us out leaving us unable to focus on what really needs to be done.

It's not selfish to take care of yourself.  It keeps you refreshed and centered.  Done often enough can keep you peaceful and happy.  People would be much more pleasant to interact with if they honored themselves.

When I overextend myself, I am not focused and centered enough for my work.  I get crabby with my kids. I complain about life and how busy it is.  But I need to be centered and grounded and happy to take care of my clients.  It's very important.  I need to be happy to be a good mom and wife.  And I have a great life with lots of blessings that I want to be peaceful enough to notice and be content.

Honoring yourself is very important for your health and happiness.  We really do have a lot to be grateful for. We are alive.

Action
Take one day at a time. Look at your day today and see if there is space to do sometime nice for yourself.  Is there time to do something you enjoy?  Or can you make something you need to do today more enjoyable?  If it looks too busy, can you cut something out? Life is too short to not enjoy every day!  Honor yourself and have fun!

Happy New year!

I wrote this blog a month ago, then got busy with family, work, and finishing my book and forgot to post it. So, I know this is a month late, but it's never too late to celebrate a new year!

I love the start of a new year!

It holds so much hope for a happier year.  Whether you had a bad year or a good year, you can always hope for even better. By better I mean happier, healthier, more prosperous, more fun, more connections with people, more authenticity.

We can all have more happiness by being thankful for what we have.  Sometimes you see people have a lot more than you do when you look at social media, but what you see is not always reality.  Even seeing the lives of celebrities, they aren't all happy or there wouldn't be so many issues with drugs and alcohol.  Even wealthy people aren't always happy.  And I bet you can name some people you know who don't have a lot, but are happy.  It's in their attitude.

So as much as many of us hope for more prosperity in the new year, ask yourself why.  Is it to pay bills or enjoy different experiences, which definitely can add happiness to your life. Or is it for more THINGS in your life, which may or may not add happiness.  What is the bottom line?  What are you really looking for?

Deepening your connections to your spirit and to other people in your life can definitely add to your happiness.  Longing to live authentically and feeling the richness of life and love is a longing many people have.  Many people are tired of living superficially.  They want to feel more joy and love and peace.

So this new year, what do you really want in your life?  Get deep down into your soul and feel what it is you want more of? Or less of?

Action

Take a break and sit in a quiet place that feels really good to you.  Honor yourself to do this.  And ask yourself: What do I want for 2015?  What does my soul long for in 2015? What would make my heart sing?
Feel it and welcome it into your life!

I wish you many blessings this year and so much happiness that it is infectious and affects everyone around you!

Having Fun is Healthy for You!

Having fun relaxes the body. It decreases the amount of stress hormones floating around, like cortisol.  It releases endorphins, the happy hormones.  Having fun, laughing, enjoying yourself is very beneficial to your health, physical and mental.

We definitely need balance in our life.  We need to work and contribute, but sometimes we get too serious and stuck in a rut.  That's when we need to go have some fun.  Even if it's only for 30 minutes or so. Even if it's singing in the car or rolling down a hill.  Watch a funny movie and eat popcorn. Get in to a tickling game with your kids. Go out to lunch.  Do something, just do something fun today.

Action

Simple- have fun!

Reaching Out to People

We were never created to exist alone.  Just like they say "no man is an island."  We were made to need others in different ways.  We can be independent, but still need others' services or companionship.

We can live alone. We can work alone. We can travel alone. We can do lots of things alone, but we were made to connect with others in some way.  Computers and other technological devices have helped us in many ways.  They have made many things easier and more efficient. But they have the potential to isolate us as well.

I look at my kids, who are teenagers now. They don't have friends over or go out as much as they used to.  They text, video chat, instagram, facebook, etc their friends. Many people sit home and watch the news all day getting depressed about all the negative stuff going on in the world. People order things online or go to large chain stores and restaurants. What happened to going to small mom and pop stores and diners? What happened to kids playing in the neighborhood?

If you are feeling depressed, unmotivated, or lonely, are you isolating yourself in some way?  Do you go out? Do you talk to people? Do you get involved?  Reach out to others! It helps to connect to others.  It's energizing to our bodies, minds, and spirits when we connect.

Action

Reach out! Go out to a restaurant and sit at the bar/counter.  Go out with friends. Eat dinner with your family, even if it's in front of the TV. And reach out to others who may be alone. You'll feel your energy increase.  Find ways to connect with others. Connect with your spouse.  Connect with your kids.  Connect with your parents and siblings and friends.  Many of us seem to be missing that in this society.  Connect!