What is your body yelling??? Are you listening??

In 2015, I ended up at the MAYO clinic in the US. I now know, looking back, that this was the moment in time that shifted my entire soul forward.

Up until 2015 – I was living my life like society asked us too. I wanted to fit in. I want to show the world I could do it too. I met an incredible man in 2005, moved in together in 2006, got married in 2008 and had our children 2009/2011. In 2012 I started back to work and my goal was “to the top”. I was ready to show the world the superhuman that was Nancy F***ING Seibel.

I laugh as I write this, as despite the fact that I was trying so hard to fit in and do everything, the universe had so many different plans for me….

In 2009 upon the delivery of my first beautiful girl – I was blessed with a “fu** up” in the delivery room that shifted it all. They made a mistake in my bloodwork and caused all of us (doctor and nurses included) to believe that there was a chance I wasn’t going to make it out the delivery room. They coded me, I felt the emotions that day (as I am a SUPERPOWER feeler) of death and more importantly – it was all a mistake. As a result, my beautiful Lucy was born into this world and I felt NOTHING. PTSD hit hard after that, and instead of pausing to tune in- I kept moving forward. A diagnosis of Hashimoto’s (thyroid) soon followed and yet – I chose to keep showing up -as I knew, I had to be a MOM.

I was a “fake it til I make it” type of girl. I was taught early in life that if you show up confidently and keep learning, you can do and be anything. The greatest wake up call came when I realized I could not do this with my kids and more importantly – myself and my health.

I am amazed, looking back, at how invincible we as HUMANS really are and yet, it can only go so far…

By the time 2015 had hit – I had conquered and built an amazing life that looked incredible on facebook and looked at though I had achieved all the goals society asked me too…

On the inside – I  had nothing left. I was numb. I wasn’t feeling and more importantly, I wasn’t listening. My body was picking up all the sickness and underneath the authentic positivity of Nancy – I was losing my power within.

The wake up calls came as my children started to yell and cry daily and more importantly – my body started to wither away and yell louder and louder. 

By the time I ended up at the MAYO clinic – I was sick and yet still fully functioning. My thyroid had been so high and my body so off that I should have been hospitalized and yet I was still SHOWING up – at work, at CrossFit and at HOME.

I became labelled “crazy”. I became a hypercondriac and yet, I knew deep down I wasn’t well.

I am blessed for my Mom. She saw what I was attempting to carry and knew that if she didn’t get me help, I wouldn’t make it in this world.

After five years of showing up at the doctor’s office weekly, having multiple tests that showed nothing wrong and being given pill after pill for symptoms that manifested even more symptoms, we had had enough of the medical system and went to the US for help.

That week at the MAYO clinic is why I am still here and begging you to listen.

That week I wasn’t given a diagnosis of death. I was given a diagnosis of opportunity- FIBROF***INGMYAGIA…..and CHRONIC FATIGUE…and a huge opportunity to shift it all.

I was given a choice that day and words that resonated in my soul that I’ve carried with me since. “THERE IS NO YOU, WITHOUT YOU.

You are welcome to go HOME and continue on this path you are on, however I am NOT sure you will come back here next year 

OR…..

you can go home, PAUSE it all, UNRAVEL it all and REWIRE it all.

You have kids at home that need you to be here. You have this job that you’ve chosen to put all your priority into and more importantly you are attempting to “keep up with the joneses” and it’s killing you….

You must STOP and the only person who’s going to make you do that – is you.

This choice all comes back to YOU.

I wasn’t prescribed more meds that day however what I was prescribed, shifted it all – REST. MINDFULNESS and a FULL STOP.

I remember being told to go home, put on my housecoat and watch a full series of a show on the couch. This was something I had NO Idea how to do…

I was a triple type A personality with a drive and determination that allowed me to push through anything and now I was being asked to stop….FULL F***ING STOP.

WTF. I am invincible? I can fight and push through anything….

I don’t have PTSD

I don’t have anxiety

I don’t have work to do ON myself…..

This is everyone else’s fault…

I am amazing the way I am….

I am a fighter and can conquer anything….

I am FINE….

I feel….

I don’t numb….

WTF…..

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA.

I chose that day to go home and make a decision that shifted my whole life. To take all the effort I so easily gave away to others and learn how to put it back on myself. To learn how to embrace the things I was so afraid of and to learn how to use the powerful tools of mindfulness and rewiring that I’d be taught to shift it all….

The most important lesson that day – to stop fighting myself and to learn how to start loving myself…..

FUCKKKKKKK….

Today, I am seven years out and my perspective has completely shifted…

I no longer have the career path of becoming CEO….except of my own life…

I am an amazing Mother with two beautiful strong girls that mirror who I’ve become – from the inside out

I am a superpower feeler AGAIN in my ability to feel and flow through emotions using them as my guide…

I am now a Divorced woman with an ex-husband who is my friend and our #1 mission is our children

I am a HUMAN that embraces all aspects of my mind, body and soul

I am a cannabis user (now on occasion) and now take ONLY one PILL a day to manage my health (was on 100mg of an antidepressant)

I am a CrossFit junky

I have FIBRO and CFS however they do not define me – they guide me….

Most importantly of all – I am a HUGE believer in myself and the LOVE I have for myself, overpowers everything else.

Brene Brown wrote a quote in one of her books that when I read, I almost vomited and yet, it’s been my guiding force forward. “You cannot truly love others, until you love yourself.”

I remember calling bullshit on this quote and yet, knowing what I do now and feeling what I feel now – I know she is right.

My ask after reading my story isn’t for empathy or compassion. If you resonate with any of it, I need you to PAUSE and ask yourself right now to do something differently as a result.

Choose you.

Find a way to start small and start choosing you…

Find a way to embrace the sides of yourself you aren’t listening to….and trust that you are worthy of it.

THERE IS NO YOU, WITHOUT YOU….and the only choice you have is RIGHT now.

You are welcome to wait for your wake up call on your health, however know that if you aren’t listening, what may come, may scare you so much that you are no longer capable to shift…..

I beg you to tune in.

I beg you to make NOW the time you do….

You are so fucking worthy of it.

Bye for now.

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Why our KIDS aren’t Thriving? The Mirror reflection that will Reveal it all…

What if your kids aren’t thriving because deep down you aren’t either?

What if your kids are the key to unlocking the emotions you hold within and all you’ve got to do right now is lean in and observe?

What if you are about to stop reading because you “feel” you aren’t NUMB and yet your kids are yelling in a way you’ve never seen before?

What if, this post today isn’t about igniting guilt but empowering your next step as a parent – right now.

I am sitting back, reading all about the incredible chaos that our children are feeling and its igniting a frustration in me that I need to share.

My wake up call came when my girls were two and four. I was attempting to take on the world and be a superhero in all aspects of my life and I was failing miserably. I was rocking my priority of work and failing in the place that mattered most – at home. I was faking it all and hoping that like everything else – if I faked it, I’d eventually make it. I was NUMBING it all – hoping it would pass. 

My kids were yelling every day and despite the fact I was using calming tools to shift my energy – they saw through it all….and showed up in a way I had NO IDEA HOW TO DEAL WITH.

So – like us all right now – we visited the counsellors office for help. We sat in that office for about $5000 worth of counselling and no kids ever showed up. As the conversations flowed – It was becoming clear to me that I needed the courage to ask a very powerful question  that I was avoiding and yet, I knew I needed to hear the answer.

Why aren’t my kids here?

 We are hoping to get guidance and help with our kids, however they aren’t here for you to observe???

Why not?

The answer that came that day shifted my entire life…

In that moment, I fully admit –  I cowered with guilt, shame, sadness and fear as she spoke….

YOUR KIDS ARE A MIRROR REFLECTION OF WHO YOU ARE. 

They are superpower feelers and their abilities to show you your emotions within are incredible. 

All you’ve got to do as a parent is TUNE in, observe how they are showing up and use this as your guide to move forward.

WHAT?

I am not angry?

I am not crying endlessly?

I am not screaming and looking at myself with such frustration and anger???

WTF???????

The next thing she said blew my mind. 

What if you are?

 What if, underneath the way you “think” you are showing up is actually the truth and you’ve NUMBED it all because it’s the only coping strategy you’ve been taught??

What if, the best way forward isn’t to attempt to fix your children, but instead DIVE deep into yourself and face the emotions you’ve been NUMBING your entire life??

You have no idea the spiral downward that came after this moment.

I didn’t believe her so I went home and did research of my own to find out – SHE WAS SPOT ON.

The science that backs this claim is incredible. Epigenetic’s proves that kids are actually in a meditative state until the age of eight to learn HOW to show up in this world and take in how society needs us to exist. ​​There is so much to learn in those first eight years of life that nature actually intuitively aligns us with those around us to become our greatest mirrors. Who are those people? Our parents, our friends, the environments we surround ourselves with. The ways we are taught to cope, the ways they love and the ways we treat others are all a reflection of the things we’ve taught them – unconsciously as parents. It is only after the age of eight that their brains shift into another state and this state opens the door to perspective. As we all know – perspective only comes in time with lessons and awareness and this process takes a lifetime.

UGH…..

The reflection I saw of the two young girls SCREAMING at me daily was SO HARD TO see and accept and yet now – I know all of this to be true….

Almost six years later – the reflection we now see as a result of this profound awareness is why I need you to hear what I’m yelling.

YOU have CHOICE only in the NOW. 

We cannot look back and stay too long in the guilt we are choosing to hold as a result of this awareness – we must see the opportunity in what is being asked and move forward knowing we are the key to unlocking it all.

So if your kids are giving you dirty looks….

NOT talking about their emotions…

Talking unkindly of others

Judging others…

Focusing too much on their looks…

Having Perfection issues…..

Anger issues

Anxiety issues

Too much technology issues

Distraction issues..

Here is your WAKE UP CALL.

STOP BLAMING YOUR KIDS

STOP TRYING TO FIX YOUR KIDS

START becoming aware of your greatest opportunity right now – YOUR GROWTH.

If you are choosing to raise your children as your parents did and not adapting to the ever changing world around us – you will be in for a wake up call when you watch your kids continue to barely survive in this world.

It’s time we did it differently and the time is NOW….

The greatest gift that happens as a result? 

As I went inward and felt through the NUMBNESS I created – what came was a newfound love of flow, of trust and of intuitive guidance and more importantly a newfound love of myself.

When we love ourselves and strive for happiness within – we show our kids they are worthy of the same. You have this same choice…trust me…the time is NOW.

I hope this wake up call wakes you up….

I leave you with this…

Mirror mirror on the wall, 

You have the choice to shift it all.

Follow the path back towards you, 

and watch magic happen in all that you do.

Our kids are the reason we must choose to thrive,

Now, more than ever, they need us to guide….

We only have “ choice” – right now in the now…

So choose to grow, shift and change and be open to wow!

BYE for now.

Trust in the Process

This year, more than ever, we’ve been asked to TRUST. Trust the unknown and know that for whatever reason, we are being asked to just BELIEVE that everything will turn out ok.

I know you’ve heard this phrase before and yet, I am here to remind you how powerful it truly is.

What if, everything you’ve gone through had to happen for you to get RIGHT here. RIGHT NOW. What if, right now, you now have a new opportunity to see your path differently and it all comes down to one thing….

CHOICE in the NOW and PERSPECTIVE in how you see it all. My Mom was amazing at shifting perspective and her motto of life is what got us through the worst. Her words “choose your attitude” have been at the forefoot of every choice I’ve had to make and change I’ve had to endure.

I’ve moved more times than fingers can count. My bigs moves as a kids changed who I am as a human today. My first was Grade Nine. I will never forget that November when my Dad lost his job. It was 1995 and I can still tell you where I was standing the day I found out. I was 15 years old, I finally had discovered who I was (or so I thought), had my first boyfriend who I honestly thought I would spend the rest of my life with and poof – we were moving. We packed our bags and moved from Newfoundland to Halifax. This moment is etched in my body as the first of many moments that changed who I am.

The next move was Grade 12. The middle of grade f***ing 12. This time from Halifax to Toronto. My family did everything they could to allow me to stay, however half way through the year, I gave up and came home. This meant another year of school as Toronto had OAC. This also meant that everything that I had dreamed of doing and being as a grade 12 student had to be realigned. To this day – I still remember what it felt like to walk across the stage of a school not really knowing anyone.

I remember these moments as if they were yesterday and over the years as I’ve felt them time and time again, There are moments I look back and wonder and yet, the human I’ve become, including these moments, has made me one strong, resilience person.

Choosing your attitude.

In order to flow through change, we must find tools. These tools build the muscles we need to flow through change. Regardless of how much we resist change, the world is full of it, so if we have any choice in how we move forward – the greatest advice I could ever give is “choose your attitude”.

Every move, we made as a family – my mom made it FUN. She always guided us to see the good and more importantly, she did small things to ensure we never felt sad for long. Every 30 days for the first year after my move from Newfoundland, I flew back and in Grade 12 – I was blessed with two graduations rather than one.

CHOICE, PERSPECTIVE. ATTITUDE.

As I moved as a MOM, I’ve done the same. We’ve move a lot as a family (two moves back to Halifax and a recent divorce move) and yet, my kids resilience muscle has grown so much, I know, they will be better off for it.

So today – I offer you choice.

What if today, you used that choice to see it differently?

Resilience, strength, courage, bravery. They all come from change and transition.

They all come from letting go of the sadness and choosing your attitude to see the good.

As parents, now, more than ever, we must chose to see the good. If kids really are the mirror reflection of who we are. then showing them how to flow in change – is our greatest opportunity forward.

So, if you must move, know one thing – it’s going to feel awful, it’s going to feel as though you will never get through it and yet, one the other side of it all is a powerful opportunity to grow shift and change.

I wouldn’t change the HUMAN I am today – I bet you wouldn’t either.

So today, wrap yourself in the amazing love you are and know that CHOOSING you ATTITUDE could be the answer you are seeking to shift it all.

Bye for now.

Why NOVA SCOTIA for your FAMIY….

The East Coast of Canada is one of the most beautiful places to live, especially if you are a family.

My family has move TWICE back to Nova Scotia from Toronto and both times settled in very different areas. The first time we needed to be surrounded by like minded people and picked a community in Spryfield that was all NEW parents. Kidston Estate became HOME for three years and the FUN we had will forever be imprinted in my soul. We had New mom groups, parties and our community was exactly what we needed at the time to raise young kids. The houses were close together and our kids took over the streets daily to play activities and be kids. The friends we had, the community “feel” we felt and more importantly, the sense of HOME is what drew us to this neighbourhood the moment we stepped in.

The second time we came back to Halifax (all moves were corporate), we wanted property. We were sick of sitting on top of our neighbours and really wanted a country feel close to amenities so we chose White Hills out in Hammonds Plains. This community is about 15-20 min away from everything, the houses run on wells, and all houses are surrounded by nature and lots of property. There is a neighbourhood bear that visit the hood often and daily you can find pictures of lynx and other amazing animals on the facebook page. Its quite peaceful as you drive in and you feel as if you are literally in the country standing in your backyard. It’s magical and for my family, at that time, it was the perfect place for us to find HOME and PEACE.

Now, after going through a divorce last year – I live at the Bedford Waterfront overlooking Dewolf Park in a beautiful CONDO in Bedford, NS. This incredible, amazing place sits right on the Ocean with walking trails and parks surrounding me. The community is “Older” in nature and yet, the feel of safety and HOME is what I needed to heal after my year of transition and change.

Three different communities, all within 20 minutes of each other, all offering very different lifestyles for your family.

So why? Why would you (and your family) ever move to NOVA SOCTIA??

The number one reason??? The prices of houses and what you get for your money. The dream house you’ve been dreaming about??? Everything you’ve ever wanted in a house is available and you will be blown away by what you get for your money.

The world has shifted after COVID. It no longer about money and things…Now, more that ever connection and family are the most important. It what all of us need to cultivate and more importantly – its what all of us need to thrive.

What else does NOVA SCOTIA offer?

• PEOPLE who smile and wave at you for NO reason…
• A slower pace of life – the TIM Hortons drive threw takes longer than in Toronto and yet the conversation and smile you will receive will shift your day.
• The feeling that we work together as a community (as shown during COVID)
• Oceans and nature at your fingertips
• lakefront property close to amenities
• Small town feel with big city mentality
• Dream neighbourhoods

Our families deserve for us, as parents to feel our best and moving to the EAST COAST gave us this freedom.

When moving from a different province, you need an Agent that knows the area. You need an Agent that has experienced what you are about to go through. I am that girl. I can guide your family through it all.

If you are ready for change, if you are seeking more family time and a dream home that you never imagined possible, maybe it’s time to take a look at Nova Scotia.

I am the Real Estate agent that bring HEARTS and guides your family to find HOME.

Take a look at what the beautiful province of NOVA SCOTIA has to offer and reach out if your ready to find your DREAM HOME

Nancy Seibel

Golden Realty Team

902 430 4806

nancy@soldongold.ca

Cheers for now.

The Power of Kids Movies

My first post in a LONG LONG TIME. I’ve missed writing. I’ve missed sharing….and lately, I’ve had some true “ah ha” moments that I decided are too important not to share.

The more time I’ve spend learning to be my true authentic self and seeing true happiness, the more I realize so is everyone else. And it turns out – that our current method of attempting to seek happiness isn’t working. We are all trying to go at it full throttle– trying to do it all….and in our attempt to do so, we are struggling to get by.

And to make matters worse, instead of embracing what we have or enjoying the moment, we find ourselves always wanting more – more money, a bigger house, a better career. Turns out – the more research I do on this topic and the more conversations I have about this – the more I realize that the only true way to be happy is to embrace who you are and who your meant to be – whatever that is.

And lately, the more kids movies I get dragged too, the more I realize that we are trying so hard to teach our kids these concepts, however, it we aren’t mirroring them in our everyday lives, they truly are “just movies”.

As I’ve discovered who I truly am (on the inside and outside) – I’ve realized something of true importance:

Attempting to live my life as someone else wasn’t easy. There were always obstacles in the way and I never felt aligned with who I was. Something was always holding me back from true happiness and I just couldn’t pin point what it was.

The huge “ah ha” moment came when I stop trying to be someone else and re-learned how to be myself again. Wow, what a realization. Things starting flowing, moving in the right direction and true happiness was flowing like never before.

We were all given space on this earth for a reason. Why is it that we try to be or live it as someone else? Why are we trying to do it all or push ourselves beyond our limits hoping that someday things will change?

Let me share with you something I’ve noticed lately…these silly Kids movies are spot on. And maybe, instead of trying to be an adult and achieve it all, we should take a moment to sit back with a bowl of popcorn and tune in…..

Trolls and my ultimate favorite (music and theme) Moana are attempting to teach our children and ourselves, as parents,exactly what I mentioned above – life is SO MUCH easier when you follow your heart, be happy with who you are and believe that you are enough.

Look at Poppy in Trolls. She was this little Pink troll who was happy – spreading love, and joy through her song, dance and hugs. The Bergens (of course the bad guys) believed the only way to be happy was to eat a troll and spent their lives seeking Trolls. They wasted their entire lives looking for trolls until one day, the Trolls showed them how to be happy without actually eating them. The whole premises is that happiness is not about having more or faking who you are, its about a feeling – both inside and out and having the vulnerability and courage to make it happen. And if you follow your heart and be true to yourself, you too can have that feeling of true happiness.

And then there is Moana. The most amazing, inspiring, beautiful story of a little girl who was told she was to be the Queen of her island (what an amazing opportunity) but yet constantly struggle as her true calling was being on the water….. Her crazy (intuitive –I want to be her) Grandma helped her to see that following her heart is what would find her true happiness and after listening – she restore the heart of Te Fiti and happiness prevailed. Imagine if she stuck with what she was supposed to do, she would have never discovered her true calling and achieved what she did (you really have to watch to understand).

Two amazing morals to this story above: If you steel someone’s heart (like Maui did to Te Fiti), you will soon realize that taking what you want in your attempt to be happy does nothing but slowly wither you away…however, if you follow your heart, treat it as if it’s a gift and empower it with love, connection, strength and courage – you too can be and have everything you’d ever imagined and more. And not only that, but it will be “enough”.

Wow, powerful. I can’t even begin to share with your what your missing if you don’t watch Moana at least once.

And I can’t imagine that after watching both these movies that you aren’t moved by something….the power of living your life as your true authentic self and/or believing that the universe has a path for all of us, if you just follow it rather then attempt to lead it.

So today, take time to sit with a bowl of popcorn and watch.

Life is too short to be unhappy. Be grateful for what you have, follow your dreams and most importantly – be who you want to be. And if your not feeling this way – reach out. I can help. I’ve been there.

See you next time….

What’s your Superpower?

Tomorrow I am 35. Tomorrow, I start, what I believe will be my best year ever.

This quote really stood out to me, when I saw it… and this year, it will be the one I listen to most:

“you cannot seek water from the one who drained your seas, and you cannot build a home from your worth inside of another being. The medicine is when you return to yourself where you will remember your strength reclaim your own rhythm, and write your new song.” Victoria Erickson

As I’ve started back to work, I’ve realized more and more that my job fuels me. It gives me the energy to be the person I want to be and helps me to to use my strength in a way that truly make a difference in the world.

I was recently asked what my superpower was, and after a quick thought, I realized what it was: people. Its my power to bring light to peoples worlds where there was once darkness. Its my ability to connect with people, my ability to make anyone, no matter who or what their personality is, feel comfortable enough to TRUST me, almost from the moment I meet them. My strength is deep within and now that I know – both inside and out – that this is my superpower – using it daily is what makes me a better person on the inside and out.

So, in my 35th year, I am going to use my superpower every day and share it with the world. The world needs more people using their superpowers daily.

I remember Jack Canfield speaking on Super Soul Sundays. He spoke about people cultivating their true strengths and powers and using them in every thing they do. “Imagine if everyone did what they love best, imagine how happy we’d be? The world would be a different place. People would be less stressed and most importantly, HAPPY.

This world isn’t going to give you what you want. If you are waiting for something or someone to come along and give you the opportunity to change or “wow” you, then you are going to learn a HARD lesson – it will never make you truly HAPPY. What will make you happy is turning within, discovering what your true strength are and ensuring that you cultivate them daily in both life and work. This doesn’t mean that every aspect of your work/life has to match your strength, but the majority of your day should follow suit. And if it doesn’t, its time to take a good look at your life.

Life is too short to be STUCK. Life is too short to always be BUSY. Life is too short to WAIT to do something different.

The time is NOW. Stop waiting. The people who are the most happy have taken the time to really discover who they really are, and are now using themselves to their best ability. I remember I used to look around and wonder how some people are happier than others…and now I believe I’ve found the answer. They are Happy, because they are doing what they truly love the most, both on the inside and out.

If you are curious about your true strengths and whether you are using them to the best of your ability, take the time and visit this amazing website and take the strengths test. This was how I started and look where I am now….everything on this website is free and in 15 min or less, you might really think differently about your life.

Authentichappiness.org

Have fun, ponder these thoughts and see you next time.

Happy 35th to me. Wow…what a year its been…and I CAN’t WAIT TO SEE WHATS NEXT.

My top 20 of my Healing Process…

So here I am, Day 1 of my new job. I’ve been blessed to have been given another chance and I am ready. I’ve never felt more ready.

I am excited, nervous and scared….but this time, totally ready.

AS I sat in my second last weekend of my coaching course I’ve realized I’ve learned a lot over this past year and a half and today I wanted to share.

So here I go….and in no particular order…as there were so many important ones….

1. You can only “do it all” for so long before you tank….
2. Your internal energy can create so much anger and darkness without one’s knowledge and it can project in ways you never thought possible.
3. Awareness is the 1st step to recognizing that you are doing too much…but it takes courage to stop and say enough is enough.
4. Listen to what others around you are saying. They might be trying to catch you before you fall.
5. Stay away from Facebook and your phone. They are a HUGE distraction and often take you away from being present.
6. Connection is HUGE. Be with people you love. Laugh often, do things that make you feel young again.
7. Realize that your children mirror your actions. If you children are crying daily, maybe you are too, on the inside.
8. Exercise and music aren’t optional; they are imperative to living a well-balanced life. SO FIND THE TIME.
9. You are brave, brilliant and smart. But if you don’t believe it yourself (inside and out), it really doesn’t matter.
10. Meditation is scary as HELL and the people who are most resistant, usually need it the most.
11. People who are willing to be brave, vulnerable and courageous are usually the ones who listen to their gut, follow the universe and set boundaries that work for themselves.
12. Family is #1. If you get hit by a car or die today, the people who will care the most are your family and friends. Life moves on without you, your Family NEVER DOES.
13. Be open and willing to listen and learn from others. There is no need to be a “know it all” if others have taken the journey before you.
14. Stop worrying so much. Worrying withers our bodies away and it changes NOTHING but your attitude.
15. Work is work. Work hard, play hard but don’t make it your #1 priority or you will end up living a very sad life.
16. Be open to others perspectives. Everyone thinks differently (including your spouse) and sometimes their opinions are much better than the options we’ve considered.
17. Find a space in your home that is yours. Make it your quiet space and spent 2-5 mins in there daily..
18. Yoga is a one hour vacation that most don’t even know about. Its peaceful, quiet, relaxing and powerful. You learn more about yourself in one hour, than you do in most days. Its worth being curious…..
19. Say “no” more often. It might make you feel super guilt ridden at first, but trust me, its worth it.
20. Stop feeling like you are on a pedestal. You are the same as everyone else and you will NOT beat the odds by killing yourself in your attempt to do it all

Love LOVE LOVE….Love yourself 1st….and spent your days showing love and happiness to others. Its worth your time and effort as the payoff is beyond ever imagined.

And last but not least….and its a big one….FORGIVE often. Don’t be angry with the world or others…the only person it really affect is YOU. LET IT GO…..

I wish you a wonderful day and see you next time….

My Spring Awakening ….what is yours?

This year has taught me more about life than I ever imagined. Life is so precious. WE forget how precious it truly is and start to take it for granted without even knowing. WE believe we are invincible and can “push through anything” but our belief in this mentality can quickly change us into people we’d never imagined we’d be.

I have an amazing friend! She is also a Reiki healer and Holistic nutritionist. She too, has been on a journey of a lifetime and has come out on the other side happier and healthier than ever. Now, she shares her story and uses her “powers” to help other heal as well. Like me, her journey is similar, we took ourselves to the limit of what our bodies could take, and instead of catching ourselves before we fell, our bodies just gave up. Why is it that we wait too long to take charge of our own self? Are we missing things or are we just plain old “pushing through”? And if so, if this was our child or best friend, would we sit back at watch??? I BET NOT.

Well, I’m on a journey to find why our generation, more than even, ends up this way. And my gift to you…is that If I can find the perfect balance between self care and life, I will spend the rest of my life sharing the “how”. I see so many people following in the same path that I did and all I want to do is reach out and catch them before it’s too late.

I wanted to share a HUGE breakthrough that I had in the last 6 or so months. My friend Michelle, who is my reiki goddess (mentioned above), used her amazing healing powers on me one day and the message I received was powerful. She told me, that while doing my treatment; I look directly at her and yell with anger. She said I looked similar to a monster. Now, if you don’t know reiki, I was resting on a message table pretty much in a meditative state the entire time so this monster was truly living inside me. I remember thinking “wow”…I am so curious about what this means? I’m not shocked about what she said that day, as I’ve always known that I lived with some kind of hatred or anger in my body (because of my constant negative internal thoughts), but I had no idea it was that powerful.

I walked away that day, in “ah”. For the first time ever, I let my journey take over and knew that someday, it would all mean much more. It was about 3-4 months later, when this same amazing women also posted about a 21 day detox. I’d always been curious about one of these, but was scared as hell to do it. My reasons were very different from others as to my “why” for wanting to jump on board (more spiritual than ever), however my resistance was super high. I believed there was a true reason I hated losing control and I was on a mission to find out why. I loved control of every situation and now something is going to take that away from me? How would I feel? I will never make it! I won’t be able to do it, why am I even starting this???

But, because I’m open to new things, I took it by the reigns and joined the group. I was ANGRY from the start. My negativity within took over my entire body and everything about life slowly went dark. I hated it, I hated the feelings, I hated the lack of control and I hated what I was doing……But I knew It would be the moment when I’d also see why I “Hated” it so much.

And there is was,….DAY 3. I was so angry and about to quit so I reached out to Michelle to give up. Her 1st suggestion? Go meditate. And she was very specific – do an anger meditation….so I listened and went in my quiet room to have quiet time. And within minutes, it came out….my anger…front and centre and as clear as DAY. I stopped almost immediately and starting writing…7 pages later I walked out of that room and cried like a baby to my husband. I sobbed, almost as if I was that girl all over again. And in that moment, I felt a weight disappear from my body. For the first time in my life, I was clear.

The next day was a whole new day. I woke up feeling bright, feeling calm and most importantly, feeling the way I’ve always felt on the outside – PINK. Everything looked different, everything felt different and finally, for the first time in my life, I felt like I was always supposed to be – ME.

And now, here I am. Smiling on the inside and the outside. Feeling the most joy and happiness I’ve ever felt in my life.

A special Thank you to my friend Michelle, for making me brave enough to do something completely out of my comfort zone and for helping me explore my journey.

SO why am I sharing this powerful awakening with you? Because we are all fearful in some way of what’s inside of us. And wow, that stuff that hides inside us can really fester in different ways. So…today I want you to think about this….

How are you feeling on the inside? Does is align with who you want to be? Do you even know what that means?

If you don’t, and you want to learn more, please reach out to me. I am almost finished my life coaching certification and would be more than willing to help you shed some light or direct you in a way that can help you explore where your journey might take you next….and right now, I am free…so you’ve got nothing to lose.

See you next time.

Breath….why do we forget about its valuable contribution in all of us?

Would you be surprised to know that we take approximately 23,000 breaths per day? 23,000…WOW!

Ponder this thought……We arrive in this world with breath – that moment, when you hear that first cry….and our last breath in usually taken in sadness, when we close our eyes for the last time….at death. With all that said, Why is it that, all the breath in between, is missed, forgotten and left to be so automatic? So assumed!

What kind of world do we live in, that we forget to take a moment, and enjoy this amazing thing we call BREATH. We take it for granted. We ignore it, and most importantly, we forget how valuable it truly is.

Today, take a moment and listen. Breath deep. FEEL it. Our lungs have the ability to be FILLED from top to bottom with beautiful deep breath, but why is it that we only use 20% of their capacity?

Today, take a deep breath. Be thankful for it. And notice how you feel after.

I am back. I’m sorry I left….not sure why, but it was apart of my journey. I’m here now and ready to keep sharing.

Have a good day and see you next time.

This year I vow to play in the arena! Will you?

As I sit here and ponder my new years resolution, I realize I have so much to be proud of that I accomplished in 2015. It was the journey of a lifetime and I feel so blessed to have been through it. I’ve learned so much and I feel happier than ever – both inside and out.

A great friend of mine said something last night that truly resonated with me and I thought I’d share. She said that we often set these HUGE resolutions in January, only to fail within months. Imagine, if instead, we set daily intentions. Daily intentions that we know are achievable so at the end of the day, we feel grateful for our small achievement. I loved this…I am all about making small goals and feeling grateful for the happiness they bring – thanks Kat Stillwell for sharing.

So this year. I am going to take her idea, and do it a little differently! I am going to set a resolution and allow for my daily intentions to follow in the same direction. This will accomplish two things for me…..each day I will achieve something and be grateful for it…and secondly, I will be working towards my resolution, without even focusing too much on it….interesting eh??? I might actually achieve my FIRST RESOLUTION EVER – YIPPPEEE!

Before I set this resolution, I want to share with you a quote from Brene Brown’s book, Daring Greatly. This was apart of a speech written by Teddy Roosevelt.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”

Ok, so I bet your wondering how this has to do with my resolution? Well, if you know me, then you know I’m very open and will tell everyone my life story, if they are willing to listen. This is strength and a weakness for me. I think the reason I do this is to get people’s approval – to hear what they have to say – and to see how it can somehow connect with me. However, it usually doesn’t work that way. I can’t seem to separate the good from the bad and this often results in self-talk that’s negative, critical and judgmental. So I get tons of opinion – even from myself – but file them in a way to encompasses me.

So when I read the quote above, something really stuck out for me. I am in the arena. I am the one being vulnerable and brave and willing to put it all out there. I am confident in who I am and who I’ve become. This year, I am willing to continue telling my story, however, I will be more aware and willing to guard myself on which opinions matter the most.

So whose opinions should matter when you are playing in the arena? They are people doing the same – the ones being themselves, their imperfect selves and willing to lay in all on the line with no reservations. They are the ones that in 2016, I am going to focus on. They are ones whose opinions will matter. They are the ones who will be empathetic and will listen to your story without judgment, criticism or comparison. They are the ones you should truly trust and be grateful for their presence.

As we know, there are always others in the arena – watching, staring, judging and criticizing. They are waiting for you to fail and are the first ones to tell you, you did. They will always be there, no matter where you go in life, but this year, as Brene Brown says, I will reserve them seats in my arena, know of their presence, hear their opinions, and most importantly, LET THEM GO! Why? Because they aren’t worthy! They aren’t playing in the arena and are no longer worth the time and effort of anything else, but their reserved seats.

Now, when I hear their opinions, I will stop, take a breath, be kind, and move on. I will be proud of who I am – knowing I’m far from perfect, but confident in who I’ve become. I will acknowledge the reserved seats however, file them totally different that I ever did before. Now, this isn’t easy, and trust me, its still a work in progress. But, if you know who you are and are playing in the arena, you will always face challenge and criticism along the way (whether from your own self or others), however, its what you do with them that allows you to either continue your journey or give up…and if you give up, you never really believed in yourself in the first place!

So as you can see, being in the arena, is SUPER SCARY. This is why it’s my 2016 resolution.

So here it is: I am fully in the arena. I am willing to be me and to accept both the good and the bad that come with it. If you are playing in the arena , then your opinion matters to me…if you aren’t, you area always welcome to sit in my reserved section and your opinion matters, but will never impact who I will become.

Each day, I will cultivate this resolution and my intention will continue to guide me on this journey. I will build my strength and courage in the arena and I will NO longer focus on the negative things that come out of it.

So today, ask yourself, where are you?

Imagine if you were the person you really wanted to be? You followed you passion and your dreams?

If you died tomorrow, would you have any regrets? If so, then maybe its time to start playing in the arena.

See you next time.