That's On Me

You've probably done it.
I've definitely done it.

Not spoken up.
Not expressed an opinion.
Not added our 2 cents worth.

I did it when I didn't want to upset someone. I chased an opportunity to speak up away because I didn't want to cause trouble. . . or make waves. . . or be rude. I put my friends' and family's feelings before my own.

Sound familiar?

I've bitten my tongue more times than I can count in my life. Every time I decided to censor or oppress myself in order to people please or keep the peace, I chose not to be true to myself. Not to express my truth. Not to share from an authentic empowered intention. Not to give a clear view of me.

Not anymore.

Keeping quiet felt okay until it didn't. Now it feels awful and I don't do it. I have learned that every time I stifle my voice or don't express my opinions or feelings, I lose a little bit of myself. A chance to respectfully speak my truth dissolves and crumbles away into oblivion and I feel cheated.

Feeling cheated by myself is unacceptable.

By not honoring my own voice, I hurt not only myself but also the people I spoke with. I unknowingly gave other people the permission to treat me the way I was treating myself.  When I didn't value my thoughts and feelings enough to express them, they didn't value them either.

Now it's your turn.

Do you know that thought process when you weigh what you want to say against the reaction it might receive? I stopped it and I want you to stop it too if that feels right for you. Instead express your voice. Use the old temptation to gage what you want to say against the reaction it will receive as a road sign, or red flag or call to action to respectfully express your thoughts and feelings.

Share your thoughts, intentions and feelings from your inner wisdom and genuine strength. You might find, like I did, the more you do it the more you can do it and the better it feels. Not only do you speak your truth from a place of genuine empowerment, but you release those old self chosen blocks and gain clarity.

Practice makes progress.

I realize that not all situations encourage respectful dialogue and I gage those situations. Sometimes not speaking up can be a strategy for survival. I get that. I don't believe there is a one size fits all approach to communication and that's the challenge I believe we all can meet.

Speak in your truthful voice from centered self-love, and model it in all your relationships. We need your input and value your contribution in connecting. Use your empowered voice to express yourself. Your contribution is on you.

Asking For a Friend

You know this person. Or maybe you know many people like this:

A friend or family member that has answers and advice for everyone and yet doesn't know how to help themselves?

Why is that?

Is it because it is easier to help other people than help ourselves?
Or could it be that it is more uncomfortable or difficult to look within?
Or because we might think that if everyone around is happy, we will be too?

Advice and answers that aren't asked for, aren't followed.

So Caught Up In You

Who do you know that is 100% sad or joyful or confident or angry or eating healthy or laughing or loving or sleeping well all the time?

For me, nothing about human emotion and behavior are consistent. We are constantly changing, evolving, learning, adapting and trying again. Therein lies our beauty.

When it Comes to Real Love: You Have Been Lied To

Do you remember any love fables or fairytales?

You know, the seemingly wise little stories passed down from generation to generation that tell you your soulmate is out there searching for you? Your other half is waiting to meet you. "The One" is just around the corner if you remain patient . .

Stop waiting.

I'm here to tell you this is not going to happen. Nope. Nobody is galloping in on a white horse to swoop you off your feet and out of reality. Nobody is going to save you or make it all better. There is no shining armor or magic wand that will fix your love life.

That is, until you do it yourself. Yep. The Big Love DIY. Look to yourself first. Consciously breathe . . . and close your eyes to turn within, and to begin your journey of self awareness. Go off grid and listen to your inner wisdom to take the first step on your own yellow brick road of love.

Allow and embrace your own consistent quiet time, to center yourself in your strength and use it to self soothe. With breath, closed eyes and your feelings you begin the journey of internal connection that changes everything. Open up your new love possibilities and potential.

Connect with your inner unconditional love to help yourself release the dead leaves and toxic myths that led you to believe genuine love is outside of yourself. Love is within you, you are love. Remember and feel into your unconditional self love inside that connects you to healing love everywhere. 

Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day.

We Are Mirrors

Emotional triggers, red flags, flashes of anger, guilt, shame, and fear.

Most of us have them and we react to them in our own different ways.

If your appearance, behavior, communication or your ideas upset me, that is on me. That trigger is a clue to me that there is something inside of me that needs my attention. There is past emotion, experience or expectation that I haven't allowed, learned from and released.

When I close my eyes and become quiet, I can become self aware and understand why I am upset. I can apply compassion and unconditional love within myself to let it go. I am a work in progress and in the process of healing when I go within and dissolve more blocks and triggers.

If I am upset with you it is because you reflect to me emotions, experiences and expectations I haven't released. We are mirrors.

Imagine It

One love.
Law of the One.

We are connected to each other and everything. Everything is energy and all energy is bonded. Separation is a myth. Unconditional love is every present and links us all together. Love is the highest frequency. Everyone is embraced and insulated by unconditional love.

A Breath of What?

You have tried everything and still you don't feel as well as you know you can, as your are able to, as you want to. You seek a solution outside of yourself. You have read, researched and spent your money on solutions that don't stick.

The first step to feeling better is to remember you have all of your answers inside of you. Yes, fulfillment, joy, happiness and love are alive and well within you. You are an amazing being.

Uncover and connect with your internal wisdom by giving yourself quiet time so that you may listen to your self. Turn off social media and electronics, limit distractions and unplug so that you can listen to yourself think and be. Go off-grid. In the stillness and quiet you become aware of the voice inside of you that knows what is best for you.

Close yours eyes to look inside.

Begin with your breath. Breathe gently or deeply or rhythmically in a way that feels peaceful to you. Breathe in your way. Play with it. Focus on your breathing and relax into it. Allow yourself to enjoy it.

You come into the world with a breath and you leave with a breath. Your breath is a tool you can use anytime, anyplace to calm, clear and center yourself in your genuine well being. Your breath helps you self soothe.

As you breath in, focus on the strength of your body as it brings in new air. Feel the power of all your systems working together. Invite fresh air into your body. Notice the flow of air into your nose or mouth and lungs.

Focus on and enjoy both your inhale and exhale.

As you breath out, visualize releasing stress through your breath. See your stress vaporize and leave as allow it to leave you. Picture yourself breathing stress out into the atmosphere . Mindfully relax and cleanse your muscles of tension and as you breathe comfortably. Notice how good it feels to release your stress.

Relax as you inhale and unwind as you exhale. You can't do it wrong.

Notice how you feel after you breathe mindfully. Practice and use conscious breathing to self soothe and calmly release stress. When you bring your presence to your breathing, you begin to bond with the strength and wisdom you have inside. Your breath is a key to open up spaciousness and quiet within yourself and to listen to your answers.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

What's Love Got To Do With It?

Only everything.

Many of you have been socially conditioned and taught by past relationships and life's bumps and bruises to disassociate from your emotions. You don't want to feel pain and heartache so you deny them and stuff them way down inside. I know because I used to do it too.

That is not okay because when you numb yourself to pain, you also numb yourself to the other end of the emotional spectrum. As you protect and keep yourself kind of safe from hurting, you also dull the joy that enriches you and helps you feel alive, engaged and grateful. You exist half alive as you miss out on delicious contentment, happiness, joy, bliss and love. You sleepwalk through a world of grainy gray while the whole brilliant clear spectrum of colors is yours for the taking.

And here's a secret for you if you are willing to be self aware and present with your emotions and actions - your emotions of joy, bliss and love help you identify and understand the contrast when you are not feeling so great. Unconditional self love helps you remember you are not alone, that you can release your pain and that everything changes. It helps you get up and keep going through your sad, blue and painful times.

All of your emotions provide you with information. Use them as guides to connect with more of your joy. Move away from what hurts. If something feels painful, allow it , learn from it and then release it. If something feels joyful, move toward it as you learn from it and release it.

Start with your self awareness and gift yourself quiet time and self love so you can hear your internal wisdom. Consciously choose to welcome and help all your emotions flow to you and through you. Understand and release your emotions to live into your wellbeing, your joy and your unconditional love.

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