Category: Uncategorized

There has been a BIG energy vibrating in my being recently that whispers, “Changes are coming!”

The urging to do for myself has been strong, and loud.
It has been speaking to me for some time now…
in the sleepless nights,
in the dreams that fill my head when I do sleep,
in the music that fills my thoughts when I wake from sleeping,
and in the buzzing that drops into my ears from the ether.

I’ve been working on really surrendering to these callings in my being, and going deep to seek their meaning.
This process has encouraged me to reacquaint myself with the places, spaces, people, and things that shifted my soul in this life.
Not just the shadows, but what lit me up too.
Without both, I am only half a being.
And that journey to find a balance of the two halves of me, has been the impetus for me coming back to this webpage.

I had let it sit, derelict and ignored, for quite some time.

Not because I had nothing to share, but because I allowed fear to keep me away.

Fear of failure.
Fear of being seen as a fraud.
Fear of actually becoming what I dreamed of being.

But I have come to know a new version of myself…
A true version of myself…
The me that was ALWAYS meant to do what I’m about to do!!!

And thus I say… Changes are coming!

So, sign up for the emails, and keep your senses tuned for the rumblings…

BIG CHANGES ARE COMING!

Affirmation: “I am gentle with myself.”

Journal Prompt:
Are there any of my needs that aren’t getting met?

Self-Care Ritual:
Can you believe we’re already at the end of this challenge?!?!?
We’ve reached Day 28, and it’s time to look back at Day 1.
So scroll through your phone, find that selfie, and let’s compare.
Take a good look at the person in that picture.
Do you remember how you felt about them?
Do you feel the same today?
I hope you are seeing yourself through very different lenses.
I hope you’ve grown to realize there is nothing wrong with you.
Wanting and needing attention, doesn’t make you selfish.
It doesn’t make you desperate, or a burden, or weak.
In fact, it makes you just like everyone else… human!
We all, if we’re honest, have a need to be seen, heard, and valued.
And we all deserve to have those needs met.
You are no exception!
You deserve to be acknowledged, loved, and cared for.
You deserve to be happy, and fulfilled.
You only have this one life, and it’s only as long as the dash between your date of birth, and your date of death.
So, do you want to spend your dash…
…apologizing?
…regretting?
…questioning?
…hating yourself?
You have this one life…
Be brave in it.
Believe in yourself.
Trust your intuition.
Take the risks.
Eat the cake.
Make yourself proud.
Don’t let anyone, including you, convince you otherwise!
And remember, this isn’t the end of your Self-Love Challenge, it’s the beginning of your new life.
A life full of self-love, and self-care.
And here is your final Self-Care Ritual –
Use the insights for your journaling today, to create a plan of action for yourself. Decide that you’re going to seek what you need.
Go get those things. Create them. Ask for them.
It’s not hard, it’s just a bit scary; but you are brave!
Go into it with your whole heart…
I promise, you won’t regret it!
Go get your needs met!
Sending love, and light to you. And honoring your effort. I’m so proud of you, for choosing to give yourself some attention and care. Thank you for sharing the journey with me.

Affirmation: “I am worthy of my dreams.”

Journal Prompt:
What lights me up the most?
How can I fit more of it into my life?

Self-Care Ritual:
When I was a young girl, I spent a lot of time playing by myself, and I had a very vivid imagination.
I recall one time specifically, while visiting my grandparents, when they got some new appliance. I was charged with carrying the refuse (a medium sized cardboard box, and some styrofoam inserts, that had protected the appliance) out to the big trash can.
I couldn’t begin to tell you what the appliance even was, but I can tell you that stuff never made it to the bin. Instead, it became the fodder to fuel my wildest imaginations!
I carried that stuff right over to the edge of the back yard, where I had a pile of rocks I usually played with, and I commenced to create.
The cardboard box got torn at the seams, and laid out flat.
And I drew up an elaborate apartment complex for my rock “dolls”.
There were four sections of the foam, and so I stacked them, two on top of two, to make homes for two families of little “people”, complete with garages underneath.
My package of MR. SKETCH scented markers came out, and I drew all sorts of amazing things on that cardboard and styrofoam.
I played with it for hours on that first day, and even carried it all inside once it started to get dark, where I laid it all out on the floor in the guest bedroom.
And when it was time for me to go home, my grandpa helped me stash it all away in another intact box, and let me keep it in the garden shed for next time.
And there were a lot of next times.
I brought things from home to add to the collection too…
… pieces of scrap fabric, that I turned into clothes and bedding, and curtains.
… plastic seals from inside bottle caps, that became dishes for their tables.
… empty thread spools, and sections of paper towel tubes with oatmeal box lids glued on, for tables & chairs.
… anything that let me add to the ambiance of the design.
I recall playing with that “pile of junk” (the words of my grandmother) for hours, and hours, creating the most intricately detailed story lines.
I know now too, all that day dreaming and imagining I did, is what fuels my ability to manifest the future of my dreams today.
I’m sure most of you have heard of a vision board. For those who haven’t, a vision board is a collage of pictures, quotes, and affirmations of your dreams and desires. It creates a visual representation of your imaginings for the future, that you can look at and ponder on, day in and day out. It’s meant to be a motivational tool, to help you become whomever you desire to be in the future.
And for today’s self-care ritual we’re going to focus on those dreams of the future…
we’re going to create a vision board with a bit of a twist, using the insights from our journaling about all the things that light us up!
For me, what really lights me up, is spending time with my kids, and grand-kids. But I don’t get to see them much lately, thanks to the pandemic. So I’ve spent a lot of time dreaming about all the fun things we’ll do when we are able to get together again.
Step 1: Create a bookmark tab on your browser, and title it “Virtual Vision Board”.
Step 2: Think about what you wrote in your journaling today. And more specifically, about the ways you can fit more of what lights you up, into your life, and do a web search of some of the ideas you had.
Step 3: Sort through the results, and find articles or videos to save to your bookmark folder. The intention is to build a catalog of inspiration for yourself; something you can go back to, and use as motivation to keep going.
Step 4: Go back daily, and pick a new thing to watch or read. Let the information help you to create a new habit, reach a goal, or have a new experience. Let it become a springboard, for you to live out those dreams when the time comes.

Affirmation: “I am enough.”

Journal Prompt:
What are my best qualities?

Self-Care Ritual:
Do you know the definition of the word enough?
It means you have as much or as many as needed.
Do you believe that definition applies to you?
It’s not surprising, in the world today, that you might not.
We’re constantly being told we’re not enough.
Sometimes overtly, sometimes subtly, but we’re always being told.
We need to be more…
We need to be less…
What we were born with isn’t enough.
Nearly everywhere we go, and in almost everything we do, we’re told…
We should to be plucked, and tucked, and puffed and stuffed.
We should buy the latest clothes, newest make-up, and latest skin care products.
We should have straighter teeth, and frizzless hair; it can always be curlier, shinier, or have more volume.
Of course it needs low-lights, or highlights, or brightening, but for sure, it cannot be gray.
We should all be skinny, and active, and eat healthy, or be working to get that way.
We should all have a large group of friends, male and female alike, and always exclude anyone who doesn’t think exactly like we do.
We should speak a specific way, using just the right pronouns, and never mistakenly address someone wrong.
We should all think only one side of politics is right, and never trust the others, or anyone who agrees with them.
We allow all that noise to be the reflective glass in which we see ourselves, and it’s no wonder we never think we’re not enough!
And NONE of those things even address who we truly ARE.
They have nothing to do with how smart,
or funny,
or strong, we are.
They don’t speak to our compassion,
or our capabilities,
or our skills.
They don’t acknowledge our unique passions,
or our gifts and talents.
So let’s get some things clear, okay?
You are NOT:
what you do,
what you did,
what you haven’t done,
what you shouldn’t have done,
what someone else says you are,
what someone else says you aren’t.
You are so much more than all those external things!
You are whole, and all that you need to be, just as you are!
Sometimes you are a mess, and sometimes you are pure magic, but all the time, you are amazing!
You’ve always been enough, from the second you were created!
You’ve always been enough, just by being just who you are!
You are enough!
YOU ARE ENOUGH!
And today’s self-care ritual is going to help you create a piece of artwork to remind you!
So, grab a blank sheet of paper, some markers, crayons, paints…
whatever YOU think is awesome, and let’s get started.
In the center of the piece of paper, write
I AM ENOUGH!
Now, take a regular pen, or pencil, or skinny tip marker, and use your journaling to write all the things you think are great about you! And hopefully, while you do it, you will think of other things to add.
When you’re finished, I want you to hang it up…
On your fridge, on your bathroom mirror, on the wall by your bed…
Somewhere you can see it all the time, so it can remind you…
YOU ARE ENOUGH!

Affirmation: “I deserve to be happy.”
Journal Prompt:
When do I feel the most joy, and how can I get more of it
into my life?
Self-Care Ritual:
I woke up really happy this morning!
Like “giggly little girl” happy!
And it made me laugh… out loud!
And once I started laughing, I couldn’t stop!
It was such a fun way to wake up!
It’s Thursday too, and that meant I had a class at 9am.
So, I got dressed, and came into the office, to start my day.
I made myself a cup of coffee, and settled in at my desk, just in time to join the zoom call.
My happy mood was oozing into my morning, and I was feeling pretty great!
My session today was a Q&A, about the things we’d learned in our class on Tuesday evening. Every question was relative to my life right now, and every response from our teacher was giving me insight into how to move forward in my ascension. It was amazing! I took six pages of notes!
When my class ended, I cleared away the clutter on my desk, and got ready to create the posts for today. I pulled the affirmation for the day, and got pretty excited, as it fit right into the vibe I’d been experiencing all morning.
Then, as I decided on what the journal prompt would be, I knew joy was the perfect connection to a happiness affirmation.
And, then the song came…
So, for most of my life, I’ve had an interesting ability, that involves songs.
Whenever someone is talking, a word or phrase they say will cause me to recall lyrics to a song. It happens when I read things too, but not as often. And on many mornings, I wake up with a song in my head. Especially if I went to sleep the night before with something weighing on my mind.
The song will play on, over and over in my mind, until I recognize the spiritual meaning. It usually ends up insight to whatever I’ve been dealing with. It somehow applies to a situation in my life.
I’ve lovingly dubbed my ability “the gift of song”. I now know this gift is part of my clairaudient abilities, but that’s a topic for another day.
So now, I bet you’re wondering what the song was, that popped into my head, so I’ll tell you.
It was the “Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy” song, from Ren and Stimpy!
You know the one…
“Hello, boys and girls.
This is your old pal, Stinky Wizzleteats.
This is a song about a whale.
No!
This is a song about being happy!
That’s right!
It’s the Happy Happy Joy Joy song!”
Ok, so maybe you don’t know the song, but it was totally poignant for me. LOL
All I could hear, playing over and over in my head, was the chorus of that song…
“Happy Happy Joy Joy, Happy Happy Joy Joy!
Happy Happy Joy Joy, Happy Happy Joy Joy!
Happy Happy Joy Joy, Happy Happy Joy Joy!
Happy Happy, Joy Joy Joy!”
And what I saw, playing along in my mind with the song, was a memory of my son.
He’s 31 years old now, but in my memory his was a young boy. And he was wandering around our house, singing that song, AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS!!!
The memory made me so happy!
And remembering how that ridiculous song made him so happy back then, gave me sheer joy!
And suddenly, I was smiling so brightly!
The joy inside me, was radiating on my face!
And I could feel it oozing out of me!
So, when do you feel the most joy?
Let’s take a look at your life, paying close attention to your own vibe.
Can you recognize times when you were grumpy, annoyed, or upset? Where were you? Who were you with? What was happening?
Can you recognize times when you felt joyful, happy, or “high vibe”? Did you feel gratitude during those times?
Gratitude is the key to happiness and joy.
Your current circumstances are EXACTLY right for seeing what you need to see, in order to be happy, and joyful. But, you MUST have absolute gratitude, and love for yourself and your life, in order to see it!
And that brings me to the self-care ritual –
Settle into a comfortable sitting position, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths.
Begin to think about where you are in life.
Now zoom out for a second, and look at the bigger picture.
Expand your consciousness, look deep into your heart, and see how small this piece of time in your life really is.
Be grateful that you’re alive, and you have all the things you do.
No other situation is going to allow for the perfection you have now, RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!
Allow the energy of this thought to wrap you in a bubble of joy.
Take several more deep breaths, focusing on the joy you’re feeling. With each inhale, imagine you’re being filled with the joy.
As you exhale, release all that is contrary to the joy.
Now open your eyes, keeping your mind focused on the joy.
Step out into the world, carrying the joy with you,
knowing you deserve to be happy!
And maybe, sing the song… 😉

Affirmation: “I am limitless.”
Journal Prompt:
What do I need to let go of, right now, to love myself more?
Self-Care Ritual:
I love elephants!
They’re one of my favorite creatures, and I’ve made a hobby of studying them throughout my life. They’re strong, and capable creatures. They live to be about 70 years old, on average, and although a female can give birth every three to four years, most females only bear between two and four calves in their lifetime.
Elephants can also be trained to do just about anything. I’ve seen elephants dance on their hind feet. I’ve seen them wear a saddle, and carry cargo and passengers (and I got to go for a ride!!!). I’ve seen elephants used as farm animals, pulling plows and pushing over trees. I’ve even seen elephants who can paint, holding a brush in their trunk!!!
Did you know, an African elephant calf will weigh about 250 pounds when it’s born? And they stand about 3 feet tall!!! When it has grown to it’s full size, it can weigh between 5,000 and 14,000 pounds, and reach heights between 8 and 13 feet?!?
They say elephants never forget anything.
Sadly, this is how humans are able to keep them captive. It’s sad, and I don’t agree with it, but it is a reality. Even in some sanctuaries, tethering is used at night, to keep the elephants from wandering off.
But I bet you’re wondering what this has to do with today’s self-care ritual, right?
Well, when a baby elephant is born into a life of captivity, it is often fitted with a metal cuff around one of it’s legs. The cuff is then connected to a length of heavy chain. The chain is attached to a large wooden spike, that has been hammered deep into the ground.
The baby elephant is strong, but not nearly strong enough to pull the spike out of the ground. Although it will try, for quite some time, it eventually comes to understand that it cannot break free. And it stops trying, because it believes that it will never be able to.
The baby elephant now has a limiting belief.
It knows it is limited to length of chain it is attached to. Because it tried to break free, over and over, but wasn’t able to do so, it believes it is an absolute fact, that it never will be able to.
But remember, that baby elephant only weighs about 250 pounds. By the time it is one year old, it will have more than doubled it’s birth weight. That now 600 pound elephant might more easily break free of that restraint, but…
…it believes it can’t, so it doesn’t even try.
By the time the elephant is an adolescent, about 12 to 15 years of age, it is reaching its full size. That means the elephant now weighs around 10,000 pounds!!! It could ABSOLUTELY, with just a slight tug of the chain, pull that spike out of the ground! In the blink of an eye, that elephant could be free! But…
…it believes it can’t, so it doesn’t even try.
A limiting belief has successfully held the elephant captive.
For my 3rd birthday, I got a cute little pink tricycle.
I recall riding it on our back patio.
I would circle around and around in a loop, always staying on the concrete. My older brother, who was about 5 1/2 at the time, had a two wheeled bike that he was riding around too. But he was going out in the yard, in a big figure 8. He would ride in giant circle, around the perimeter of the yard, then bump back up over the edge of the concrete, and make a smaller loop, with me, on the patio.
Well, that big brother of mine, was kind of a stinker. And at one point he decided he wanted to ride my tricycle. So, he told me it was his turn, and persuaded me to get off. Then he sat down on my trike, and took off with it, on his jaunt around the yard. And I was left standing there, with nothing to ride.
Now, anyone who knows me, knows I’m pretty adventurous. I generally have no problem believing I can do something I’ve never tried before. This trait is not new in me, either. It has apparently been a part of my DNA since I was a very little girl…
A little girl of about 3 years old… 😉
So, I decided I was going to ride my big brothers two wheeler.
I’d watched him enough to know how he got onto it. I’d seen how he positioned himself when he rode. I knew how he used his foot to push himself off the edge of the patio, and I knew how to pedal from my own experience.
So, by all my 3 year old wisdom, I should have been able to find success.
So I put my leg over the bike, grabbed the handle bars, and pushed off just like I’d seen him do a hundred times or more,. I hopped up on that banana seat, straight and tall, and felt the full excitement of moving forward.
Then the front wheel turned one way,
the rest of the bike went another,
and I went flying off, over the handle bars.
What I hadn’t taken into account, was needing to know how to balance myself on those two skinny wheels. Not to mention the fact that once I got up there, my short little legs wouldn’t reach all the way to his pedals.
I landed head first, hitting hard against the concrete of the patio,
and my head split open like a watermelon!
I immediately started crying, and that made my mom come running.
My brother jumped off my tricycle, and came running over too.
When mom asked what had happened, he told her, and she started yelling.
She was mad at him, for riding my trike.
She was mad at me, for trying to ride his two wheeler.
She was chastising us both for being so stupid.
Then we were riding in the car, on our way to the doctors office. And my mom was continuing to rant. She was yelling about how my brother had been in charge of watching me, and how could he have let me do that. She kept yelling at me about how stupid I was, for thinking I could ride that bigger bike.
Once we were there, all the natural pain killer had worn off, and a new level of pain began as the doctor was poking around on my head. I couldn’t see what he was doing either, and that made it even more terrifying. Then the nurse and my mom held me still, while he put several stitches into my wound.
It was all quite traumatic.
Every detail of it was burned into my mind.
When I saw a two wheeler, I would think about that day…
…and how I’d tried to ride my brothers bike, and had failed.
…and how much it had hurt, to hit the concrete, and then to get stitches.
…and how scared I’d been at how big a fuss my mom had made.
I would become frozen, and unable to even try.
I wouldn’t go anywhere near a two wheel bike after that.
I believed, without a doubt, I would not be able to ride it.
And the fear of the negative outcomes of any attempt, only served to solidify the belief.
I was like the elephant.
My limiting belief ended all ideas of me riding a two wheel bike until I was in between 4th and 5th grade. When the fear of looking silly for not knowing how to ride a bike, became stronger than my limiting belief. I eventually got past it, but I wasted a lot of fun bike riding years, allowing that belief to control me.
Today’s self-care challenge is about identifying your limiting beliefs, and rewriting them, so you can begin to grow.
A limiting belief is anything, from thoughts to opinions, and even traumatic events or the actions of others, that keeps you from doing something. They tend to be negative ideas, that you believe to be the absolute truth, and they stop you from moving forward. They limit your truest potential.
Here is a four step plan, to help you become limitless…
Step 1: Think about times in your life where you felt you couldn’t do something. Think about scenarios where you acted in a negative or toxic way. Write out whatever comes to mind, no matter how far back, or how small you think it might seem.
Now read through your list. Acknowledge each thing you wrote, and accept that these ARE your fears. But know, starting right now, they do NOT have to continue limiting you!
Step 2: Choose one of the things from your list that you’re ready to rewrite. Let your intuition guide you, as it will know what you’re ready to face.
Say it out loud.
When your mind to hear the words, versus just seeing them, it activates a higher level of processing. Now ask yourself what the underlying root cause of the limiting belief is. Ask what took place, that instilled the belief in you.
When you ask your mind a question, it starts looking for an answer; and it won’t stop until it comes up with one. (That’s why, out of nowhere, we’ll recall something we were trying to remember previously. Isn’t our mind awesome?!?)
Sit quietly, listening to what your mind reveals to you. And write it down.
NOTE: A lot of our deepest limiting beliefs come from traumatic childhood memories, or things others projected onto us because of their fears. Be gentle with yourself, and go slow, but don’t let the fear win. Knowing the root cause gives you power, so you can begin the process of removing your limits.
Step 3: Now that you know the root causes for your limiting belief, you have everything you need to begin rewriting the story! Take what you just learned, and change the focus of those negative patterns. Decide what you want to believe instead, and write it down. Then, say it out loud, so your mind receives the new information audibly, and can begin integrating it into your life.
Step 4: Once the new belief is in your head, it will take some time to sink in. You can encourage the integration by doing two very important things.
#1) Write the new truth on a piece of pretty paper, and put it where you will see it every day. Recite it, as an affirmation, as often as you see it. Over time, it will begin to become ingrained in your mind, and your actions will begin to reflect it back to you.
#2) Begin seeking out evidence of your new truth. Find people who already live their life in the truth you are claiming in your own. Being around them, and seeing them live it out, will help you feel more comfortable in it. They are proof it IS true, and it can happen for you too.
Now that you’ve done the steps, I hope you feel more confident in being able to rewrite the other limiting beliefs in your life. When you feel ready, go back and work through the rest of the list you made in Step 1. Just keep making the effort, and before you know it, you’ll be sharing your new skill with other people, and helping them rewrite their stories too! And always remember…
YOU ARE LIMITLESS!!!

Affirmation: “I am brave.”
Journal Prompt:
What can I do, right now, to love myself more?
Self-Care Ritual:
Have you ever seen someone doing something brave, that made you feel pretty anxious, and thought to yourself, “If I only had that kind of courage!”?
Ever looked back at a scenario from your past, and wished you’d been braver?
Chances are, if you’re breathing right now, you have… probably more than once.
We all face challenges, and need to be brave at times. But bravery requires rising above our flight instinct, which is strongest in these situations. It’s during these challenges, when our inner ego desires to protect us, and avoid the risk of pain or loss.
And I’m not saying it’s not okay to be afraid. It’s perfectly normal, actually. But what happens when we’re just too scared to move past our fear? What happens when we want to run away?
We’re all pretty good at acting brave, even if we don’t truly feel that way. We’ll jump in., and power on, because it’s what is expected of us. But let’s face it, being brave is sometimes a lot easier said, than done.
When we’re scared, we’re out of balance, and we start to feel not-so-good. And when we indulge the fears, our confidence suffers. And we often end up creating a habit of not being brave, just because it is easier to do. We eventually come to a moment where we look back, and discover we regret the risks we didn’t take.
But here’s the thing, we’re NOT born brave!
In fact, that’s why babies cry so much,… they’re afraid!
They’re totally helpless, and thrust into a world they know nothing about. Their fight or flight instinct kicks in IMMEDIATELY, and they begin to cry… right after they’re born! But when they’re given love, and tender care, they come to realize they’re safe. And over time, they learn to rely on their caregiver.
That’s right, they LEARN to rise above it.
Courage isn’t an endowed ability, it’s learned… It’s a skill.
And like all skills, you can become a master of it, with practice.
But, in the words of my husband, “You don’t become first chair trombone, by purchasing a trombone. You become first chair, by committing to practice on your trombone every day, for as long as it takes.”
In other words, you CAN build your bravery skill, if you’re willing to commit to practicing being brave.
———————–
As a girl, I learned from the women around me. And the overwhelming lesson I learned from these mothers, wives, teachers, nurses, and caregivers, was to put others first, and be human second.
As women, we’re trained to act as caretakers. We’re filled with an innate sense of responsibility for the well being of others, and we’re compelled to put their health and happiness before our own. And we act out the scenario, every single day, over and over. And we’re simultaneously training others to expect that we’ll, internally and externally, directly and indirectly, prioritize them above ourselves.
Within this vicious cycle, we show up exhausted, get burnt out, and often work even when we’re sick. And the people who’ve come to expect our care, actually end up getting less than the best version of us. And likely less than our best care. For sure, we’re living far less than our optimal lives!
Choosing the scary path, that involves possibly disappointing someone, in an effort to take care of you, is true bravery. But it’s also the choice to love yourself. And in choosing to love yourself, you’re also choosing…
your health,
your wellness,
your self-esteem,
your value!
On the surface, such an act appears selfish. But to give ourselves the time and energy we deserve, isn’t wrong. We’re simply using our personal resources to promote our own well-being, instead of someone else’s.
When our needs aren’t being met, we end up using more of our energy coping, or seeking to meet our needs. Which means we have less to give others. But when those needs ARE met, when our cup is full up, we have greater energy at our disposal. We can then show up energized, contribute with more joy, for longer, and we avoid our own burnout.
It’s up to us, to be brave, and to practice the everyday acts of self-care, which brings me to the self-care aspect of bravery. Here are a few rituals to put into practice, to increase your bravery.
* Acknowledge that you’re afraid.
It’s alright to feel fear sometimes. Trying to repress it, will only make it bigger, and more frightening. Instead, sit with it. Let it tell you its story. Then rewrite that story for yourself, with a positive outcome statement, and let it go.
* Dig deep.
Some fears don’t take much, but other times you need to go pretty deep within, to find your courage. Be willing to go through a few shadows, and a bit of discomfort. You’ll eventually get to the pure bravery, which is what you’re after.
* Listen to your inner higher self.
Once you’ve done the deep dive work, you’ll be better able to hear your intuition. Learn to sit in quiet meditation, and ignore the static your fear can produce. Your intuition knows, and is ALWAYS there to guide you!
* Keep your head up.
Everyone is afraid sometimes. Don’t ever face a problem with your head down, because you’re NOT alone in being afraid. Keep your chin held high, and face the world head on, with pride in yourself for being brave enough to walk forward!
* Don’t stop trying.
It’s going to take more than once, to find your bravery. Sometimes it takes many attempts. But persistence and courage go hand in hand. Stick with it, and when you finally solve your problem, you’ll feel that much better for having stuck with it.
So remember…
Being brave is not the absence of fear.
Bravery is feeling the fear, the doubt, and the insecurity,
but deciding that something else is more important…
loving YOU!
So keep moving, in spite of the fear!

Affirmation: “I am strong and healthy.”
Journal Prompt:
How strong are my boundaries, and how can I improve them?
Self-Care Ritual:
Do you consider yourself to be strong?
How you answer, is based on the context of the question. If we’re talking about how much weight you can dead lift, you might not think you’re particularly strong. But if we’re talking about how well you know yourself, and hold the line on your boundaries, your answer could easily be, “Heck yes, I’m strong!”
Would you say you’re healthy?
Again, the answer hinges on context. If we’re talking about whether or not you exercise every day, and eat a well balanced diet, you might not be all that healthy. But, if we asked how you flow with your emotions, or if you’re meditating in a time of chaos, you may be able to say, “Absolutely, I’m healthy!”
I’m guessing you read today’s affirmation, and then the journal prompt, and thought “What do these two ideas have to do with each other?” And that would be true, if I were just talking about being physically strong and healthy. But our strength and health isn’t just about our physicality.
You can stop by any local gym, and find it packed with strong people. That is, if the ruler you’re using to measure their strength, is how many sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups they can do in 1 minute. Anyone can seem strong, in that context, especially if they’re in the gym every day.
But being strong in a position of weakness, is the truest indication of actual strength.
I’m specifically referencing those times in our lives when we want to be strong, while also feeling our absolute weakest. But we resolve to dig deep; we find our balance, gain control of our fear, and choose a direction for ourselves.
When we’re working on our weaknesses, in order to make our self stronger, that’s when we’re the strongest, and healthiest.
Seeing a bottle of booze, when you’re two weeks sober, and calling your sponsor instead of drinking it…
That is strength and health!
Only eating two or three cookies, and savoring every crumb, instead of gobbling up the entire package in one go…
That is strength and health!
Running into a toxic person, and not falling for their manipulation games, but showing them grace instead…
That is strength and health!
Standing up for yourself, with a co-worker, whose letting you do all the work, while they take credit for it…
That is strength and health!
Each of the moments when you truly love yourself, becomes a boundary marker in your new life. And each time you come through it again, without crossing your original boundary, you’re improving your boundaries… you’re gaining strength, and growing healthier!
So today’s self-care ritual is to assess your current boundaries.
Are they making you feel stronger, or weaker?
Are they making you feel healthier, or less well?
Choose at least one of the ideas from your journaling, and put it into practice.
And then, do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.
Keep practicing enforcing that boundary, and loving yourself, and one day you’ll discover that issue, is no longer an issue.
And you’ll KNOW you ARE strong and healthy!

Affirmation: “I am completely free.”
Journal Prompt:
How can I create more space in my life?
Self-Care Ritual:
What did you feel when you read the affirmation for today?
“I am completely free.”
Did you ponder the thought that you’re a sentient being, free to decide your own fate?
Or did you literally consider if you’re a captive; to a person, to a job, to a limiting belief?
For me, it was a combination of both.
I’m blessed to live in the United States of America, and therefore have certain inalienable rights. I am completely free. And I’m not ignorant that many others in the world don’t enjoy that luxury.
I’m also blessed to work for myself, and I’m building my own business. Many others are tied to the wage their employer offers, working when they’re scheduled.
The most amazing freedom I enjoy, the place I truly feel completely free, is in my ability to believe as I choose in regard to my soul. And just as the Revolutionary War ultimately brought about America’s freedom, learning to love myself took a revolution of sorts as well. My soul’s freedom did not come without me taking part in actively changing things. And yours won’t come without it either.
The soul revolution takes movement away from what doesn’t work, and toward what does. And that movement requires you to assess things in your life. Which is where the journal prompt comes in…
How can I create more space (freedom) in my life?
Let me see if I can explain it another way…
You walk into your bathroom, flip the switch to turn on the light, and notice nothing happens.
The room stays dark.
Now, you must pause, and attempt to repair the issue, so you can proceed with your day. But how do you know what the issue even is? How do you proceed from here?
Do you immediately assess why the light is not turning on?
Do you head for your power panel, to check the bathroom breaker?
Do you grab a flashlight, and check to see if the bulb is burnt out?
Or do you simply stand there, continuing to flip the switch on and off?
You won’t know, until you do the work to get clear on the issue, and then you’ll be able to fix what’s broken.
We have to do the work of assessing our situation. Then, we can begin the process of fixing what’s broken in our Universe. And as we do the work, we’ll gain more self-control, more self-respect, and ultimately more freedom, through self-acceptance.
It’s all about being intentional, listening to your intuition, and incorporating new practices that help you become confident, and experience true freedom. And today’s self-care ritual is just such a practice. We’re going to create a Miracle Jar!!!
A Miracle Jar is an actual vessel, that you make or select for yourself. In the choosing, you assign meaning to the container as your personal Miracle Jar. The jar then becomes the receptacle for your worries, giving you a tangible way to release them, thereby creating more space… more freedom… for your soul.
First, you need to choose a jar.
Please consider your jar to be sacred. This container is not just a decor item, to look pretty in your home; it’s a bridge between you and the Universe. Select it with care, as it has a very important, empowering and transformative job to do. Its appearance, stature and energy must all be considered.
NOTE: I’ve been saying “JAR”, but the actual container can be any vessel that feels right to you. Just choose something you absolutely love and cherish. Oh, and it also needs to have a lid, or some other way to close it. The possibilities are endless, so let your intuition guide you.
Now comes the best part… Using your Miracle Jar!
Step 1: Identify a specific concern, that is taking up space in your life. Get clear on exactly what is whirling in your mind. It can be anything that stresses, worries, bothers, nags, or otherwise pressures your space. What exactly do you need to release?
Step 2: Continue clarifying this “worry” further, by seeking what resolution you desire for it. What would be the healed thought you want to see? By transforming your worry into a positive outcome, you begin to open yourself up to receive that very resolution.
Step 3: Write a description of the resolution of your concern on a piece of paper. In other words, write what you would like to see come to pass. Be sure to use a new piece of paper for each situation; then you can come back later, pull out the Miracles that have taken place, and create a gratitude celebration!
Step 4: Fold the paper up to suit the size of your container (going as small as possible), and place it into your Miracle Jar. As you do so, envision that you’re handing the worry over to the Universe… literally releasing it from your own grip. The resolution is no longer up to you. Repeat steps 1 thru 4, until you’ve released ALL your worries!
Step 5: Give thanks for the resolutions that are coming, and put the lid on the jar. This signals the Universe of your intention to lean into your feminine energy, believing things can be resolved, and it will all flow in with ease, in accordance with the highest and best plan for you. You’re opening yourself to receive, and telling the Universe you trust everything will work out as it should.
I hope you’ll join me in this ritual, because although ascending into the woman you’re becoming will cost you… whether it is in the form of people, relationships, spaces, or material things… it’s always going to be worth it! So choose her, over everything, and the most fantastic,magical things can happen… it all starts with a wish!

Affirmation: “I’m comfortable being me.”
Journal Prompt:
When am I my most authentic self? How can I be more authentic now?
Self-Care Ritual:
In my past, I was prone to being the one who always made sure everyone else got what they needed. And more often than not, it was at the expense of doing anything for myself at all. I know what the root causes of the behavior are now, but back then I thought it was what I was supposed to do.
I’m a totally different person now though.
I had what I would call the “dark night” of my soul, and it brought me to a place where I now live for & fall deeper in love daily, with myself!
It has been a wild journey, for sure. And not an easy one. Well, that’s not entirely true either. It has honestly come quite easily to me, but it has not been effortless. Growing into this unfiltered, clear headed me has taken a lot of effort, in fact.
To grow into this 100% authentic me,
To step out ALL THE TIME, in belief in myself,
To not be concerned if people leave my world,
To set boundaries, and enforce them,
To embrace the power I now KNOW is mine,
Took the biggest act of self-love I’d ever taken in my entire life!
What was it?
I finally took personal response – ability.
Meaning, I have the ability to choose how I respond, moment by moment, to the things that come up in my life. And I finally began to actually do just that… take back my ability to respond, and I embraced responding as my real, true, authentic self.
I finally embraced the real me!
But in order to express the being I truly am, and to help those that come along my path, a real shift had to happen. I had to allow myself to trust my intuition (my inner teacher) to make decisions that created alignment with my SELF (my higher consciousness). It was only then, that I began to see deeper certainty in who I am in the Universe.
I learned that if I was triggered, it was MY trigger to deal with!!!
I couldn’t shy away from it anymore, and I truly no longer wanted to. I began to focus my energy into understanding it!
I came to see there is a unique piece of me attached to every trigger; some part of me that needs healing, and clarity. That understanding brought me to a place where I actually began to embrace my triggers!
And you can too, if you’re willing to work on the internal… if you’re willing to look at what is in need of clearing in you!
Clearing and healing your past is the key! By opening up to your subconscious, you can create even more clearing & healing, and eventually remove the shadow. It doesn’t have to take a lifetime to heal either! You just have to choose it, and in that moment, it is done!!!
Step into it,
feel into it,
tune in to it!
You are right in every way, already!
So reclaim your birthright!
Reclaim your personal power!
Reclaim – to take back something that was lost, stolen, or given
Personal – it’s yours, and yours alone
Power – vital life force energy
Follow the breadcrumbs your triggers are providing. Listen to what your intuition is telling you, and make the decision to walk into your most authentic self ever!