Let’s face it, 2020 was one heck of a strange year and yet it also gave us time to think about our lives, our values, our priorities, our health and what we really want to do in the future. In every crisis there is a necessity for innovation and change, which creates new opportunities for us to grow and become abundant.
Read MoreAccording to the World Health Organization, the average person should eat no more than 26 grams of sugar a day. That about equivalent to eating one regular size Hershey’s chocolate bar. The average American, however, eats around…
Read MoreRomantic love is such a powerful feeling that consumes our minds and our hearts when we first fall in love with another person. It sweeps us off of our feet and makes our minds feel floaty and joyful. All that we want to do is be with this person through this period of high vibration and obsession.
Read MoreDo you ever wonder why people make the same mistakes over and over again? The answer to this question is both biological and psychological in my opinion. Patterns in our behavior come from deeply seated habits and beliefs that we have hardwired within our brains. In addition, our love of the chemical neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine can also play a role in promoting our non-productive behaviors, like screen addiction. Once a habit has been developed, it is really easy to repeat it because our brains have developed strong neuro pathways that make it effortless for us to perform these behaviors.
Read MoreManuka Honey is a superfood that comes from New Zealand. According to Dr. Josh Axe, it is loaded with important nutrients such as amino acids, B vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. Most of all it is antimicrobial, antiviral and antibacterial, which gives it powerful medicinal qualities to treat a whole host of infections.
Read MoreDo you make New Year’s resolutions? Do you follow through with them? You are not alone if you answered YES to the first question and NO to the second. For example, 90% of people who join gyms to in January no longer go to them by March. And according to Forbes Magazine, just 8% of people achieve their New Year’s Resolutions. Why is that?
Read MoreI’m guilty of playing small. At least the old me. You see it’s so much easier to play it safe and not take risks in life. If we can just stay small, maybe no one will see our flaws or question what they see in our shadows. This is why so many of us are satisfied with our comfort zones, even though our souls continue to remind us that we were born to be so much more.
Read MoreWhat does “As Within, So Without” mean to you? This expression is considered to be a universal truth or law which shows us that the outside world is a reflection of our inner world. What we feel and what we believe have a tendency to manifest in our lives. For this reason it is very important to raise our awareness regarding this universal truth and to understand how it applies to our lives.
For example, have you had periods in your life where bad things keep happening to you and it feels like you never get a break from the problems and challenges that keep weighing you down? Stop and think about this,
Read MoreFor the past four weeks I have been on a solo journey across the western states of the USA. I’ve traveled over 5000 miles while visiting beautiful National Parks such as Glacier, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Yosemite and the Redwoods. Along the way I have enjoyed countless conversations with people from across America and from around the world. Inevitably Total Soulful Journey came up in these conversations along with a host of questions about life, reaffirming that people are hungry for actionable information on how they can live their best lives.
Read MoreDo you love yourself? I’ve been called to revisit the subject of self love (click here to read Libby's blog on this topic) this week because I've noticed on social media and in my own life that so many people are currently struggling with the issues of self worth, self doubt and of feeling unloved. I have also struggled with these challenging feelings at times and have come to realize that self love and self knowledge are vital foundations for living a Total Soulful Journey. My hope is to help you come to love and appreciate yourself fully by creating awareness and by sharing inspiration to encourage you along your journey. We are all here on this planet for a reason. There are no coincidences and as Libby and I often say, we all have a mission and a purpose that is unique to us. This means that you matter and that you have a story to share with the world. You may not feel important now, but you are. In addition, when we love ourselves, share our God given talent and live our mission, the human collective benefits as well.
Photo featuring Elli Yokochi - Photography by Paul Garrett
To overcome our insecurities and issues of self worth, it’s important for us to discover the root causes behind them. There are many ways to go about this including self study, spiritual practices and working with a therapist or a life coach. Sharing our pain and other perceived weaknesses requires us to be as honest as possible, and I understand how vital this is from my own life. Those of us who have experienced trauma know that taking the path of healing is not easy, but the pain will not go away on its own. By shining the light of truth upon our painful memories we can transmute and release them. Healing is an act of self love that liberates us from the chains of our past so that we can become the greatest versions of ourselves.
When we learn to truly love ourselves we come into harmony in mind, body and spirit. This is what is meant by wholeness. As a result we develop self respect, raise our standards and set new boundaries. Toxic people, who once controlled us no longer have influence over our lives as we let them go. Furthermore, when we love and appreciate our bodies, we stop eating unhealthy foods, take an interest in exercise and are turned off by our old unhealthy ways. I, for example, can’t believe that I used to drink soda pop and ate certain junk foods often. Today it turns my stomach just thinking about that former lifestyle. Love yourself by taking care of your body! Without energy and good health it is difficult to feel joyful and to fulfill your potential. Make yourself a priority! That is another act of self love.
Photo Featuring Danica Johnson - Photography by Paul Garrett
An additional truth is that we cannot fully love another person until we fully love ourselves. To love and be loved is one of our greatest desires, but how can we give and receive love when we do not feel lovable? So often we expect our partners to complete and heal us. We expect them to fill our love void and put our broken pieces back together, but that is impossible for them to do. In fact it is an unfair burden to put that responsibility upon our partners when our love void stems from trauma that we experienced long before they ever came into our lives. It is our responsibility to love ourselves first in order for us to fully experience love with another person. By doing the self work and healing, we gain the courage to open our hearts and allow ourselves to experience the richness and the beauty of healthy unconditional love.
Watch the first 4 minutes of the above video featuring Tom Bilyeu, who has an inspiring YouTube channel called, "Impact Theory." The thoughts that we feed to our minds are as important as the food that we feed to our bodies. Negative self talk brings us down and reinforces our old stories of being unloveable. Positive thoughts and positive self talk, on the other hand, help us to rewrite those old negative stories with new ones that tell us that we are lovable. Surround yourself with positive people, read self help books and listen to inspiring podcasts. They will help you to change the way that you think about yourself.
There is a GREATER LOVE that lies within us. Dedicate yourself to finding it and building a solid foundation that is based upon this divine energy which connects us with all of creation and the ultimate feeling of oneness. Start each day by saying "I love you," while you look at yourself in the mirror. Repetition is important for reprogramming the old beliefs in your mind that made you feel unloveable. You matter and life is short. Do not delay living and loving to your fullest potential. You owe it to yourself to make your life count, to live it well, to share your gifts with the world and to experience all of the love and the joy that is possible!!
Wishing you love and happiness,
Paul
P.S. - Libby and I are starting our bookclub back up again. This September we'll be reading and reviewing "The 5 Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. Pick up a copy and join us for the review and discussion of this important book at the end of September. It is a quick read that will help you create a stronger communication skills and a more loving connection with your partner.
New Posts Every Tuesday and Saturday
Joseph Campbell was famous for saying, “follow your bliss” and I am in total agreement with him. Most of us grow up being highly influenced by our parents, our teachers our peer groups and our culture. This puts the power of external expectations over our lives. In order for us to fit in, we have a tendency to conform to the norms around us, even when they run counter to our natural interests and calling. As a result we struggle to make the grade, which places a whole lot of pressure and anxiety upon us. Ultimately over time this takes a toll upon our health, our happiness and our satisfaction with life.
Photography by Paul Garrett
It is difficult to excel when you do not LOVE what you do. This leads to dreading Mondays, burnout and the feeling of being trapped in a job just to pay the bills. Before we know it we are just going through the motions wishing that Friday would come along faster and faster. As a result we don’t fully enjoy every day of the week. This is such a shame because life is short and should never be wasted.
One of the things that I value most is freedom. Freedom to do the work that I love. Freedom to work with clients who inspire me. And freedom to choose when I work and when I take time off. By letting go of the expectations of other I’ve been able to design a life where I feel inspired each day to do my very best work. This not only makes me happy, but it also benefits my clients. As a result I’m excited for each and every day, I am super healthy and I am filled with creative energy most of the time. Getting to this point in my life did come with taking risks and having to ignore the criticism of others. This is a natural part of the journey. Others don't walk in our shoes, however. They can give us their opinions, but they don't have the right to run our lives. Ultimately we have to stand up for ourselves and do what we know deep within our hearts to be our major purpose on this planet.
“You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”
If you are unhappy with what you are doing for a living, I urge you to make important changes in your life. Once again, life is short and you are here to fulfill your purpose. When we align with our life’s true calling, everything flows so much better and it is easier for us to manifest abundance, love and our dreams. It is this alignment, ease and subsequent joy that will make your calling blissful. Life should not be a daily grind that you dread. Instead it should be an exciting and fulfilling journey.
The quality of your questions determine the quality of your life. Be curious and pursue the paths that feel intuitively right for you.
Mount Rainier - Photography by Paul Garrett
Changing paths in life takes courage, but you owe it to yourself to follow your bliss and do what you love. To bridge the gap you may need to cut back on your expenses for a while and even change your social groups, but making short term sacrifices is a price worth paying in order to live your dreams in the long run. It’s also important to develop good financial habits and to save money for a rainy day fund. This will bring you peace of mind and following your bliss will bring you untold happiness and satisfaction. It’s time to live the life you love remembering once again that all things are possible when you believe and take action.
Wishing you a blissful weekend,
P.S. - We will be reviewing, "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman at the end of September for our TSJ Bookclub. Pick up a copy and read along with us. In this #1 New York Times bestseller you will not only learn what your love language is, but also the love language of your partner. This knowledge will help you to have a more harmonious relationship and to feel more fulfilled.
Click here to read Jess Dale's inspiring story of how she journeyed from a "should job" at a law firm to living the life that she loves. Jess also has a popular gallery on Instagram that you can see at https://www.instagram.com/jess.wandering/
New Posts Every Tuesday and Saturday
Total Soulful Journey is a inspiring blog about living your best life through awareness, acceptance and forgiveness with the goal of elevating our minds, our bodies and our spirits to their fullest potential. This blog will help people find their purpose in life and fulfill the calling of their souls through mindfulness. We'll explore the many aspects of love, health, fitness, yoga, nutrition, cooking, careers, entrepreneurship, travel, and manifesting abundance. Awaken with us on a Total Soulful Journey to becoming the best version of you!
Total Soulful Journey is an inspiring blog about living your best life by Paul Garrett. Paul is a writer, an award winning filmmaker, an internationally published photographer and an entrepreneur who lives and thrives in the Pacific Northwest.
