What Stops Us From Finishing What We Start

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What Stops Us From Finishing What We Start

What do you want in life? Pause and reflect a moment. Most people can list all the things they do not want faster and easier than they can answer what they do want. Life is truly full of choices; what do you want for breakfast, will we workout before work or after, do we really want to commit to the relationship we in and where will we be five years down the road?

The truth is that we are all born with a purpose. Many do not know or understand their purpose and instead get caught spinning unhappily on “the hampster wheel of life.” Others wear “masks” living the life they feel their parents wanted for them. Marriages are crumbling at an astonishing rate of one out of two. People are dying of heart disease and suffering from obesity as a result of stress. The stress though, is a result of unhappiness. We work to make more money, but that often robs us of time and energy and does not create true and lasting happiness. 

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Parenting Through Difficult Health Situations

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Parenting Through Difficult Health Situations

Parenting is both the greatest gift and experience life can offer to many, but it is also the most difficult. It does not come with an owner's manual or certainty for success. It is an unknown world. Once you have multiple children you tend to ease up a little and feel a little more in control, but with more children come more responsibilities and pressure. The sound of a child's laughter coud melt your heart as it warms you completely. Many times we wish we could bottle that sound because it speaks of innocence, lightness and divine love. 

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How to Constructively Deal With Mistakes

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How to Constructively Deal With Mistakes

We all make mistakes, but how we handle correcting them is what matters most. The other day I accidentally left my copy of “The Untethered Soul” at my daughter’s house. I was hoping to finish reading it last week in order to write the review for this month’s TSJ bookclub. I was initially bummed and felt frustrated for a moment when I learned that I didn’t have my book with me. I hate making mistakes and I really don’t like to let other people down. Fortunately I’ve learned that it is pointless to allow negative emotions to linger in me for long, so I acknowledged the mistake and let it go. 

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Wanderlust into the Best Version of YOURSELF

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Wanderlust into the Best Version of YOURSELF

This seems like a straight forward question, right? Yet, many of you reading this will struggle to answer it. You might give me responses that refer to your title or the "contracts" that you signed long before you were born, such as I am a strong compassionate woman, a mom, a daughter and a yoga instructor. Those would be my superficial answers. However, what I am really asking is what is your life’s purpose? Some may be fortunate to have the answer and be pursuing their life's purpose, yet others struggle to even know what they are passionate about.

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How to Calm Anxiety - 11 Helpful Tips

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How to Calm Anxiety - 11 Helpful Tips

The relationship that we have with ourself is the most important relationship in our life. Furthermore, how we feel about ourselves impacts the closet people around us. One of the biggest things that affects most of us is anxiety. This is particularly true right now due to the troubling events that are happening around the world these days. Anxiety is a form of stress that generally stems from overthinking. This is especially true if we are focusing on an uncertain future, rehashing traumatic or unpleasant events from the past, or comparing ourselves to others, like we often do when we spend time on social media. We all experience anxiety to one extent or another, but that doesn’t mean that we have to live with it all of the time.

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Communication: Male vs. Female

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Communication: Male vs. Female

There are subtleties in the language men vs women use in comunicating with one another. But it is not as divergent as in “men are from mars and women are from venus.” We are actually more similar than you might think. Communication includes words spoken, tone, posture, micro-gestures and the ability to listen. Men and women possess both male and female qualities (read about them in our last post), which allow us to connect on a deeper level. We all can be nurturing, sentimental and also aggressive. Sometimes it is not the words spoken, but instead how we translate what is said to us that creates our reactions. By understanding our different communication styles, we can have healthier relationships. 

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A Balancing Act... The Masculine and Feminine Energies Within Us

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A Balancing Act... The Masculine and Feminine Energies Within Us

We all have masculine and feminine energies within us no matter what our physical gender may be. These energies empower and influence us with an array of contrasting traits. Having these duel energies within us allows us to recognize the mirrors of attraction within our potential mates, bringing the male-female connection into a relatable place. When we recognize our qualities within another person we connect with them. If we did not share these traits to some extent, it would be be more difficult to connect, merge and find commonality. Like magnets we are energetically attracted to our polar opposites, as well, and together we find a balance of swirling energy and emotions that lift us up and give us a feeling of being completed. One of the keys to  a Total Soulful Journey is knowing how to balance, embrace and honor these energies within ourselves and with each other.

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Do Not Judge A Book By its Cover

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Do Not Judge A Book By its Cover

Judgement from Appearances

Why is it that we tend to judge by appearance before we even know a person or the kind of day they are having? There are outward behaviors that tell us a little about a person on the surface such as cleanliness, being on time/early/late and mood or verbal expression. 

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What is Synchronicity and Why Does it Matter?

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What is Synchronicity and Why Does it Matter?

Do you believe in synchronicity?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary synchronicity is: The coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (such as similar thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality

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The Alchemist BOOK CLUB REVIEW

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The Alchemist BOOK CLUB REVIEW

Put your comfy yoga or sweat pants on, grab a bowl of ice cream, tea or a glass of wine and let’s discuss "The Alchemist." We may all be from different places, but today, I invite you into my home, virtually, where I am hosting our first ever Online Book Club! After all, community and connections are a vital part of our happiness and success. The book club is a great way for all of us to share insights and get to know each other a little better.

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Greek Island Surprise: The Historic Island of Patmos

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Greek Island Surprise: The Historic Island of Patmos

Are you ready to escape the cold of winter in reality or at least in your mind? A Greek island cruise is a dream trip for many and one that I highly enjoyed myself. The Greek islands are diverse, beautiful and steeped in culture and history. If you love sunshine, azure seas (deep blue) and good food, you'll definitely want to add Greece to your bucket list.

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The Powerful Benefits of Meditation and How to Get Started

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The Powerful Benefits of Meditation and How to Get Started

Many people are intimidated by meditation because they associate it with quieting the busy mind, which can be difficult at first. But meditation by definition is, “a written or spoken discourse expressing thoughts on a subject. Musing. Concentration. Reflection. Pondering” (source: Google Dictionary). So, when we think of it like this rather than trying to stop thinking altogether, meditation becomes much more approachable. What we resist will always persist. Allow the process and trust that the results of meditation will be worth the effort.

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5 Vital Tips for Feeling More Energetic

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5 Vital Tips for Feeling More Energetic

The average American gets around 6.8 hours of sleep each night, when the ideal amount is around 8 hours. Our bodies need sleep in order to heal and regenerate. Our brains also need time out to process information and to rest. If we continually deprive ourselves of sleep, our bodies and our minds are not able to function at their maximum potential and eventually we get into the habit of being tired throughout much of the day. If you want to feel more energetic, make it a habit of getting around eight hours of sleep each night. Not only will you be able to think more clearly and creatively, you will also be healthier.

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The Power of Vulnerability

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The Power of Vulnerability

We are all human and none of us are perfect. We all have flaws and fears. We also all possess the ability to love fiercely. What is it about vulnerability that scares us and makes us feel weak? Being Vulnerable means loving and accepting ourselves, admitting to times when we are wrong or make a mistake, accepting and acknowledging our weakness in order to grow, and forgiving ourselves and others. 

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TIME IS LOVE

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TIME IS LOVE

Spending quality time with others is a form of love and making memories is a wonderful gift. My dad was a busy person when I was growing up. He was always on the go do this and doing that, but he didn’t take much time to just hang out with me and my siblings. Almost every summer we headed out west on a long trip, but even then, his focus was on being in the right place at the right time to take pictures. Yes, I have great memories from these trips and they are why I love travel and photography, but it wasn’t until the last ten years of my dad’s life that I really got to know him as a great friend.

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How to Effectively Communicate

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How to Effectively Communicate

How We Communicate is Critical in Relationships

Words can be forgiven, but they are never forgotten. Tone is equally important. Not speaking or saying loving supportive words is also damaging and neglectful. To effectively communicate with others we must also be good listeners. 

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The Four Agreements - A Book Review

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The Four Agreements - A Book Review

The “Four Agreements” is one of my favorite books. Its principals are foundational toward living a good life and pragmatic life. Author Don Miguel Ruiz started his career as a medical doctor. According to the bio on his website, “A near-fatal car crash forever changed the direction of his life, however, causing him to leave medicine and to examine the essential truth about life and humanity.” In 1997 he published “The Four Agreements,” which became a New York Times bestseller for nearly ten years.

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10 Secrets to Long Term Diet Success

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10 Secrets to Long Term Diet Success

Spring is a time of renewal and growth. We have spent the winter letting go and shedding what we no longer need in order to make room for what is to come. Just as the lotus flower rises through mud to bloom, we too have to rise up to become our best selves. Part of that is what we feed our body and the other part is what we feed our soul. In this blog we are going to focus on what we feed our bodies. Bathing suit weather is approaching and whether you are thinking about getting your body ready or not, it is always good to take a look at your diet and see where you can do a little improving. 

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