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Simplicity: All Day, Every Day

30 August, 2014 — Posted in: Simplicity Leave a Comment

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This summer we’ve looked at the energy of simplicity. Whether you are on vacation right now or have just returned, the question comes up, “How can I keep this vacation feeling going?” The relaxing, totally fun, in the moment, not thinking about anything but what’s for dinner – not a care in the world – that kind of feeling.

I believe it is possible to carry this feeling with us as we move into fall and winter. We have a choice every single day of our lives in how we focus our attention. That may sound too simple, but it’s the way I’ve come to experience my everyday life.

Here’s a recap of the summer’s blog posts on living simply:

We developed a list of our priorities – the necessary non-negotiable parts of our life – our core needs and desires. And we thought about what was missing from our lives, uncovering more clues to those people, events and things that are necessary for our happiness and ease.

We learned the art of saying no so that we could eliminate the unnecessary so that these necessary priorities may have room to flourish and grow.

We sat with the thought –are we hiding behind our busyness as a way of avoiding life’s difficult decisions? Brene Brown talks about wearing our busyness as a badge of honor. She suggests that our culture has become one which equates being busy with being important. “One of the most universal numbing strategies is what I call crazy-busy… We are a culture of people who’ve bought into the idea that if we stay busy enough, the truth of our lives won’t catch up with us.”

That made us sit up and think!

We asked whether we were numbing ourselves, and if so, were we ready to let go of the crutch of busy, busy, busy, allowing us the time and attention to delve into the center of what’s missing from our lives.

We explored with Richard Carlson, Ph.D, author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all small stuff, about simplicity and living an authentic life. He says, “…as long as you think more is better you’ll never be satisfied.” He goes on to say that the problem isn’t in the wanting, but in the longing for more.

We looked at whether we are craving and striving after more stuff, more love, more happiness. And realized that being happy with what you have right now is a key ingredient to happiness, joy and ease. We can want more – as long as we come from the state of being OK with what we have first and leave the craving and the longing behind.

We came to the realization that simplicity is a state of mind. It’s the feeling-state of joy, ease, play and gratitude. The world can be in chaos, our lives full of activities and to-do list items, but if we are in a state of joy and inner peace at the same time – that’s the key – that’s simplicity in action.

We talked about our attitude –that how we view life – is up to us. We are in control of our attitudes and emotions, and we can either succumb to the drama queen within or choose another option. As Charles Swindoll so famously said, “Life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it.”

 And we even learned how to use a new energy tool – a protection rose– to keep those drama energies at bay.

Finally, we brought into focus the wonderment, the joy and simplicity of children; knowing that even as adults, it’s possible for us to pause and return to the wonderment we once felt.

We explored the energy of perfectionism; the need to seek approval from others that is keeping us from being comfortable in our own skin.

And finally we asked ourselves this question: “Are we able to put our own happiness first?” Such a radical concept – but freeing at the same time. As we come into balance with our own needs and desires, living from a feeling-state of ease, joy and gratitude, we find simplicity.

The feeling state of simple, free to be me, free to play, to sing, to dance with joy.

It’s been there all along. Just below the surface. Waiting to be discovered. Simplicity in action – simply being me.

365896495_d8d620ed2c_zWays to Keep in Touch. If you have enjoyed our summertime series on Simplicity, please let your friends know about the blog. I truly believe that we can change the world – one feeling-state at a time.

 

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Demanding Too Much (of yourself)

25 August, 2014 — Posted in: Simplicity Leave a Comment

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“Just do your best to keep yourself in balance. One of the first things that cause energy misalignment, is asking or demanding too much of yourself in terms of time and effort. In other words, you just cannot burn the candle at both ends, so that you are physically tired, and then expect yourself to have a cheerful attitude. So, the rule of thumb has to be: “I’m going to be very, very, very happy, and then do everything I have time to do after that.”— Abraham

So, the question becomes what are you doing to make yourself “very, very, very happy”?  Or I should re-phrase that – you don’t have to “do” anything – you need to think it, feel it, allow it, and then it will be.

So are you putting your happiness first? Part of living a life of simplicity and ease is giving yourself permission to be first in your life. Checking in with your priorities, saying no, finding a balance between giving to others and giving to yourself.

One way to do this is to be aware of the present moment.

Look around you, see the room you are sitting in, look out the window and see what’s going on in the world around you. Take three deep breaths and just be aware.

Be thankful, be happy, and be grateful for all that you have right now. Say a soft “thank you” for all the blessings of your day. Now feel it. Sit in that state of gratitude for just a moment longer…..Don’t you feel softer, calmer, happier?

Now allow it – say to yourself, “Yes! Life is good in so many ways…” and allow it to be so.

As Abraham says, “be very, very, very happy and then do everything you have time to do after that”. So now think about what you want to get accomplished in the next hour. Doesn’t it feel easier and lighter and don’t you feel more energized and more willing to get to it?

I think it makes a good mantra: Be happy first; the rest will fall into place. We choose our own reality every minute of every day, and I choose happiness. What about you?

 

cropped-5764350-symbol-of-prosperity-and-good-luck3.jpgThe final days of summer are upon us. Soon we will be ruled by after-school activities, end-of-calendar-year job deadlines, and that precariously poised thing called “work-life balance”. This summer we’ve asked ourselves the question: “How do we live this summertime easy breezy lifestyle all year long?” Simplicity in all things has been the theme of the past few months. Ridding our mind body and spirit of clutter so that we can hear, and act upon, our soul’s yearnings. Before we leave our summer of simplicity, let’s figure out how to take this feeling-state of ease, play and no effort with us.

What will we do differently? How will we behave differently? What will keep us from falling back into our past state of rushing frantically from one activity to another? Take the time now to answer these questions. Be consciously aware of how you choose to live your life – today and in the coming months. Have we listened to our soul’s yearning? And if we have, what will we take with us as we leave the carefree world of sandals, tee shirts and lemonade?  Subscribe – Stay in Touch

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Are You A Perfectionist?

20 August, 2014 — Posted in: Simplicity Leave a Comment

8600187333_da58cf4566_kIf the picture of the out of place jelly beans is driving you to distraction, you might be a perfectionist.

I was. I’m learning to accept myself as I am warts and all. It’s been a long climb, from the little girl who coveted gold stars in piano class, to a woman who can look in the mirror and smile at the not so perfect hair and the wrinkles on the brow.

I’m feeling much more comfortable in my own skin. I’ve stopped the harsh judgments of myself and others – and that’s made all the difference. It’s nearly impossible to live a simple, joy-filled life if you are constantly badgering and berating yourself for being less than perfect.

I’ve come to realize that if I send out thoughts of judgments and criticism, then that’s what I will get back. One of the Universal Laws is that like attracts like. And so, if I am critical of myself or others, I will draw, just like a moth to a flame, people who are critical of me or themselves. I’ve started a campaign to love myself more; to validate all the fabulous things I am doing and being, and to be my number one cheerleader.

Why wasn’t I doing this before?

If you have to be in control and perfect is your middle name, then you might ask yourself the following questions before you start your next project:

Ask yourself, “Is my goal realistic?” You might want to think about whether you usually perform to this level or is this the level you think you “should” attain?

If this is a “should”, then ask yourself whose should is it? Yours? Your mother’s? Your boss’s?

Ask yourself whether you can concentrate on the process this time around, instead of just focusing on the result. Can you make the process fun, not a chore?

Evaluate your success based upon how much you learned and how much fun you had. Yes, fun can be a determinant of success!

If you are anxious before starting an activity, ask yourself: “What is the worst thing that could happen?” Confront your fears before you start the activity. By naming your fear, you gauge its potency and work to set yourself up for success.

Recognize that many positive things can only be learned by making mistakes. When you make a mistake ask, “What can I learn from this experience?”

Don’t beat yourself up. Nurture yourself and give yourself some positive feedback, even if you didn’t accomplish all that you expected.

I’m working on this – constantly. I’m learning to accept myself as a fallible human being. I do not have to strive for perfection. Mistakes are permissible. I have the right to be wrong.

What a freeing concept! It’s a giant step for this perfect little girl that was raised to please others, but so well worth it. Here’s to more jelly beans, perfectly separated or not, just for fun.

6344848667_b94b51f5f8_qPlease share the love! Thanks for reading, and if this post resonated with you, please share it on your favorite social networks. Every share, like or tweet helps me reach more women who crave support in leaving their perfectionist energies behind. So glad you’re here!

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Meditation: Finding Simplicity Within

15 August, 2014 — Posted in: Simplicity Leave a Comment

Reposted from my July 5th newsletter:

 

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Writing blog posts causes me to dig deep – to think, to search and to go beyond the surface to the meat of the topic de jour. In writing about how to live a simple life, I’ve spent some time thinking about my own path to simplicity.

Like most people I started with the outside me – removing the clutter, lowering my expectations about cleanliness and buying fewer and less costly things. But it wasn’t until I started doing the inside stuff, the energy work, the meditation, the breathing, that I truly came to that feeling-state of simplicity.

As a society we are all about doing, not being. We think that by striving, craving, reaching, working at it, we will attain our desired result. And we do, in a way. We get halfway there. Our closets are clean, we are organized, and our life looks simplified, but inside our minds are still chaotic, and our inner critic is still demanding our attention.

The question then becomes, how do you start on the interior work? For me, meditation was the foundational building block. I’ve heard from lots of people that they’ve tried meditation in the past but have given up because they thought they were doing it wrong.

Here’s my skinny on meditation:

1. You do not need to sit on a cushion with incense burning chanting mantras all night long. Meditation doesn’t have to be all that formal or all that woo-woo. In fact, there is no one right way to meditate. Some people like to listen to music, some take long meditative walks in nature, and some people swim laps.  I teach a form of creative visualization – giving your mind something to focus on while you enter deeper and deeper states of relaxation. That seems to work for me.
2.  You don’t actually silence your thoughts. If you do find a form of meditation based upon breathing and repeating a mantra, your mind doesn’t have to go blank. In fact, you will still have thoughts. But instead of attaching emotion to your thoughts, you just watch them go by. I’ve heard it described it as watching traffic without deciphering between the cars. When you realize you’ve become distracted by a certain thought, you simply come back to the breath and start again. No judgment. No emotions. Just return to breathing and continue on.
3. Meditation doesn’t have to take hours. Sometimes I meditate for ten minutes, sometimes twenty, sometimes five. It doesn’t have to be a certain amount of time, or at a certain time of day to be effective. In fact, I often find that little three minute meditative breaks throughout the day are of great benefit. I sit in a quiet spot, check my grounding, fill in with a golden sun or two, say a heartfelt thank you and then get up and move on with my life. Other days I will spend some time really checking in with my intuition, asking myself, “What do I need right now?” Then I sit in silence as the answer comes to me; sometimes in a warm nurturing energy that surrounds me in peace and contentment, other times as words of wisdom or new ideas that just pop into my awareness.

I truly believe that if we find the peace and calm on the inside first, our outer world will match.

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This is an example of the type of information I include in my newsletter.  In fact, the above post was actually part of my July 5th mailing. I have re-posted it here in the hopes that you will choose to join us as we delve into the month’s topic in a deeper way.  I also send out a special meditation designed around the topic at hand. (July’s meditation – Living in Joy and Simplicity, August’s meditation – Free to be Me). Find your own true path to a life of prosperity and abundance.  Join Us!

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Children: Simplicity in Action

10 August, 2014 — Posted in: Simplicity Leave a Comment

2677226728_4746c31095_bHave you ever watched a four-year-old squat down in the middle of wherever they happen to be and stare at the worm in the rain puddle or the pretty sea shell on the ocean floor?

A child sees and wonders, “How did that worm get here? Who lives inside that sea shell?”

I want to continue our topic of simplicity with some thoughts on living each day as if we saw everything through childlike eyes of wonder and awe, because that’s where the magic lies.

It’s not difficult, but it is a choice. And our choices are the outward manifestations of what we view as important.

Here are seven small things that you can do to bring about some of that child wonder – that simplicity.

  1. Cut down on the noise graffiti. Turn off the TV – if not for the full night, then just for the one hour during dinner. Sit and talk with those that are important to you. Connect with them, instead of some nightly TV drama character. Hear them. See them. Be in gratitude for having them in your life.
  2. Be in solitude for ten minutes every day. Talk a walk around the block. No cell phone, just you and the trees. Or if you are surrounded by little people all day long, put them in the stroller and take them with you. Or enjoy a ten minute solitude break at work. Close your door. Sit in a different chair away from your work station and just breathe. Tune into your body as you ask, “How am I doing right now? What’s going on within me?” Bring some attention to your inner needs. Be a good friend to yourself.
  3. Play – dance – sing in the car – blow soap bubbles – hug a tree – drink hot cocoa. Do something nurturing and fun just for you, each and every day.
  4. Sleep! Get your eight hours of sleep each night. If that’s not possible, then spend twenty minutes each day in meditation. Studies show that the deeper levels of meditation are as rejuvenating as sleep.
  5. Ground and fill in with golden suns. These two energy tools will help you flush away the thoughts, feelings, criticisms of other people and replace it with your own energy. The more we fill in with our natural life force, the less room we have for the inner critic to roam. Remember that children do not have inner critics- only adults!
  6. Be grateful. Wake up each morning and say thank you before you get out of bed. And each evening say it again. Be thankful for all the little parts of your life. What you think and feel is what you will be. Your thoughts attract back to you more energy of the same frequency. Be in wonder as children are – expecting the good and joyfully awaiting the next adventure.
  7. Know that your thoughts and feelings have power. Much more power than you realize. How you think and feel affects the quality of the energy that surrounds you every day. What type of energy do you want to live in? Peace, calm, tranquility or anger, jealousy and frustration? Choose your thoughts well for they act as beacons bringing you in touch with the events, circumstances and people that are of that same vibrational family.

Simplicity is possible. We just have to want it.

 

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We are continuing this discussion of simplicity, ease and joy in the bi-monthly newsletter. We dive deeper into the topic of the month, and I provide additional material and an exclusive meditation – just for you!   Come join the discussion: Subscribe

 

 

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