Apr 10, 2011
Dan and I were playing Pictionary the other night and I picked the word, =&0=&. I drew test tubes, a beaker, and a thermometer to show the heat. While we weren’t able to guess it before the time ran out, it did get us thinking about the other meanings of the word.
The meaning that stuck with me and is still here days later is,
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There is something very satisfying to me about sitting on it for awhile rather than immediately acting on it.
Let it germinate – let the seeds start sprouting before taking any action.
We have been given a wonderful opportunity to put this concept into action immediately.
And before we probably would’ve acted right away – but this time we are sitting, pondering, weighing the options, and just letting the idea of it grow and blossom inside of us before we put it out into the world and act on it.
Can you think of an idea, goal, or plan that you can let incubate?
Is there anything in the back of your mind that you are ready to “give birth” to?
Have you ever tried to think of a word and the harder you tried to think of it the harder it was to remember?
And then did you notice when you gave up the struggle of trying to think of it, it just suddenly came to you?
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Apr 9, 2011
As I sat down to write about this week’s selection, I was thinking over different possibilities, and one book kept coming to the forefront of my mind. It’s a book that I read several years ago that had a big impact on my life. And I’ve noticed that it’s been mentioned in several blogs that I read recently, so I thought it would be a great time to recommend it here.
It’s called:
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I have been sensitive all of my life – and while I have always embraced this side of myself, this book also helped me to understand my own sensitivity better. It helped me realize that it’s not just about emotions but also about how we take in stimuli and how our nervous systems are wired.
While you most likely are already aware if you are a highly sensitive person, here is a test just to check in and see where you fit on the spectrum:
The HSP Self Test
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In her national bestseller, The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You, author Elaine Aron defines a distinct personality trait that affects as many as one out of every five people. According to Dr. Aron’s definition, the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) has a sensitive nervous system, is aware of subtleties More
Apr 8, 2011
I was reading last night about how energy is contagious – just like the common cold.
And while we take many precautions to protect ourselves from getting sick when we come in contact with others (such as washing our hands), we don’t always take precautions to protect ourselves from taking on other people’s energy.
And this passing along of energy works in both ways – positive and negative.
The Passing of Energy
Example 1:
Imagine that you have plans to spend the day with More
Apr 7, 2011
Sometimes it feels like life is just connecting one “to do” to the next.
It can feel busy and overwhelming and stressful.
Dan and I spend our days working on orders and making calls and answering emails and coming up with new products and writing and marketing and taking pictures and having meetings and delivering product and packing orders and sometimes in the midst of all of this we step back and take a moment to check in with ourselves.
That’s when we realize just how tired we truly are.
When this happens, it’s time to go back to the basics.
We put everything else aside and take some time to catch up, get organized, go within, and slow it all down. I am a creature of habit – and monotony and routines can be very comforting when I start to feel frazzled.
There is something very soothing about putting on some soft music, getting a warm drink, lighting a candle, and then getting to it – I file papers, respond to emails, organize the studio, and clean out my inbox. Every task that I finish clears up space in my mind for fresh ideas and new energy, which is such a great feeling!
I take some time for myself, too. I curl up on the couch and watch tv. I read. I write. I play a game. I sleep. I slow down my thoughts. I recharge.
This feels like a good day for me to get back to the basics. And the weather is cooperating, too. The mountains got a dusting of snow this morning – it’s cloudy and feels like a blustery winter day. Perfect for staying inside, catching up, and recharging.
When you start to feel overwhelmed and it seems like things are spinning around you – what are some things you can do to get back to basics?
What can you do to simplify and calm your mind?
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Apr 6, 2011
It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time to write a post about gratitude!
Feel free to click here (or below) to learn more about our Gratitude Project.
Okay – now for today’s post:
Today I am most grateful for the power of visualization.
Seeing it in action in someone else’s life inspires me and gives me the spiritual kick in the pants that I need to get focused and create it in my own life.
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Apr 5, 2011
As many of you know, we’ve gone through a lot of loss over the last few months, which has allowed me to reflect on life a bit more than I normally would. I feel as though I am in two worlds – my everyday world and the spiritual world. Both existing side by side.
Spending my days making journals and writing while at the same time grieving and contemplating the other side has been both exhausting and uplifting. Realizing that there is so much more in this vast universe than I ever thought possible has revealed so many wonderful possibilities and has opened my heart and soul.
And because I’m in this space, I thought it would be fitting to include a particular writing prompt from our
Journaling Further Within book:
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We each have our own beliefs about death, the universe, and the afterlife. And it’s possible for these beliefs to change as you go through life and have different experiences.
Over the past few months, I have experienced something truly magical, which I will write about once I have had a bit more time to process it. This experience has solidified my belief that life does go on, that the universe is neverending, and that our time here is just a tiny part of the whole. This experience has changed many of my beliefs as well – I have had to reevaluate many things that I thought I knew and start from scratch in many ways.
Spend some time today thinking about your beliefs and your faith.
Did your beliefs come from your own experiences or
were they passed down from your family?
Is there anything about your beliefs that you would like to change or modify in some way?
Do your beliefs serve you today? Do they reflect the person you are right now?
What are your beliefs about death and
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Apr 4, 2011
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When we recognize that our thoughts become our reality,
we also recognize that we have the power to create the exact life that we want.
This can be a wonderful feeling – and it can also be a scary feeling.
When we realize that we are in the driver’s seat of our life, we are no longer able to blame others or be a victim if things aren’t working out how we would’ve liked. And it’s so much easier to just point the finger at someone else. You might want to say, “It’s their fault that I’m in this situation. If they hadn’t have done that to me, I wouldn’t be suffering now.”
And while blaming others takes the responsibility off of you in the short term, it creates such low self esteem and powerlessness in the long term. Imagine how great you would feel about yourself if you simply accepted that you have the power to change your life. It’s all in your hands. You are in control of your own destiny, and if you don’t like something about your life you can change it.
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If so, you can follow the formula below to start making the changes and begin living the life you were meant to live:
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First you figure out what isn’t working.
Then you take responsibility for your part in whatever isn’t working.
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Apr 3, 2011
A little while ago, I wrote about the
Enneagram System, which is an amazing system that categorizes personalities into 9 types. It’s been a really useful tool not only for learning more about myself, but also for having a better understanding of how my friends and family see the world.
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And just like the Enneagram system, no type is better than another.
Knowing your type allows you to have a better understanding of yourself.
You can truly see how you are wired and know how and why you react to situations.
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Depending on how in-depth you want to go in learning about this system, there are many tests you can take.
If you just want to get an idea of what type you are, I found
this free test that just takes a few minutes.
You can take the complete test
here.
Once you know your type, you can learn more about it
here.
Have fun learning more about yourself!
P.S. – I am an INFJ. 🙂
Apr 2, 2011
I always look forward to the Saturday Selection post because I get to share and recommend things that I love – things that have helped me – things that I truly feel will help you, too.
Today’s selection is no exception.
It’s Louise Hay’s book:
Heal Your Body A-Z
The Mental Causes for Physical Illness and the Way to Overcome Them
We all have experienced a physical sensation as a result of an emotion.
Think about the first time you fell in love – you felt a rush all over your body and tingles in your stomach.
If you have stage fright, think about what your body experiences before you give a speech – you get a dry mouth and maybe feel a bit shaky and queasy.
We hold our emotions in our bodies.
And sometimes emotions get stuck in certain places, which can cause a physical illness.
(ex., such as someone who develops an ulcer from worrying or someone who has a heart attack due to too much stress.)
Throughout the years,
Louise Hay has counseled thousands of people and given many workshops. She started noticing patterns for physical illness and the thoughts that were behind them. Her extensive research helped her put together this amazing book, where she lists where in our bodies we hold certain emotions and then gives us affirmations to say to help us heal any illness that has manifested.
Here is an example:
Let’s say you’ve had a really bad headache on and off for the past week.
If you look up “headache” in the book, here is what it says:
Probable cause: Invalidating the self. Self-criticism, Fear.
New Thought Pattern: I love and approve of myself. I see myself and what I do with
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Apr 1, 2011
Happy Friday, everyone!
Here is a writing prompt from our book,
Journaling Within: 50 Prompts for Self Exploration:
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We all have an inner voice that guides us through life.
But hearing that voice and actually listening to it are two different things.
Our soul speaks to us all of the time, but sometimes we get distracted and busy and push this guidance away.
Sometimes our ego takes over and gets in the driver’s seat.
Our soul is very patient though. Our soul is very persistent.
And it will keep telling us exactly what we need to hear until we sit down and truly listen with an open heart.
Spend some time today letting your soul be heard.
Spend some time in solitude – even for a few minutes.
Try to quiet down the chatter in your mind so you can get to the wisdom in your soul.
Breathe. Slow down. Be still.
And listen.
What does your soul want you to know?
The answers are always within you.
And you can find them simply by slowing
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