self love, personal growth
Rockstar Awesomesauce

Rockstars Don’t Have to Figure it Out

In adult life, we all have to “figure it out.” We need to figure out how to pay bills, get a loan for a home, and if you are a parent, how to keep another human being alive and thriving.

This practice of “figuring it out” has strengthened the rockstar in me but has also hindered me at times, too. Recently, my husband and I have been set back 10 years financially. So, in true” figure it out” fashion, I leap into action. We come up with a plan. I research and research, analyze and reanalyze…to the point of having trouble turning it off at the end of the day to sleep.

During my first bout of restlessness (3 nights or so)…I cannot “figure it out.” I research and research, analyze and reanalyze, and I still cannot “figure it out.” I begin feeling gloomy, mad, and frustrated…probably due to lack of sleep 😉 So, I set it aside.

But, I Cannot Let it Go

I have to make something happen. I have to figure it out. So, again the following night, I research and research, analyze and reanalyze, and still I cannot figure it out. I feel a myriad of emotions. The betrayal of been taken advantage of. The sadness and loss of the money. The raw anger.  The frustration of still no conclusion.

Let Go and Let Change Happen

Then, at 3’oclock am…through the myriad of emotions…a breakthrough! The serenity prayer comes to me. You know it…

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.”

I cannot change the fact that the money is gone. The only thing I can do is to let it go, and be grateful. I know, sounds ridiculous. Grateful? WTF?! Grateful for what? I get to start over?

Yes. And, I am grateful. There is a solution. We will use the equity we have built in our home over the last 10 years to get us out of debt. We have the opportunity to start over. We are wiser. We are stronger. And, in my experience, in tough times likes these…what’s behind the next door is better than we could have ever imagined. We are guided. Find the good in difficult terrain, and be grateful for it. Embrace change.  And, never give up!

This week’s challenge Rockstars: Let’s get real and raw with ourselves. What are you “figuring out?” Then practice letting go and letting change happen. Take time each day to be grateful (even if it is just 5 minutes). After the week is over, share your experience with us. Do you feel relief? How is this simple exercise changing your life? Giddy up!

Giving and Receiving

I had an amazing opportunity to volunteer or “crew” at a recent Tony Robbins event, Unleash the Power Within. The experience was profound in many ways.

First of all, I didn’t know anyone there. I got to step out of my comfort zone and just show up with almost 600 other strangers (to me) that wanted to help support the attendees of the event. Instead of planning and controlling everything, my motto for those 5 days was to “be flexible.” what a refreshing experience!

When I got there we were waiting to find out which entrance we were allowed in due to security. We walked from one end of the building to another. I laughed about it. Was going with the flow. I got to meet several people while we walked. It was actually fun. From one activity to another, we all went with the flow, going with what was needed and what would happen next.

I wasn’t sure what it would feel like to give so fully of myself for several days. IT WAS AMAZING! I was able to take care of my own needs just fine and had plenty overflowing to give. My energy was high, and really loved smiling at others and helping with whatever they needed. Much of the time I simply walked around answered any questions asked of me, handing out items when needed and things like that. Small, simple acts of giving. Giving love essentially. For the first time, I didn’t think, “What about me?” at all and that was really refreshing and fulfilling.

I know there are others out there that have the opposite pattern of giving so much they are depleted, but for me this was perfect. Being able to serve others and be spontaneous actually was giving ot myself in the end.

body self love, self care, personal growth
Body Self Love

Self Love Rockstar Confessions of a Sugarholic

Every since I can remember, I have loved sweets. When I was in elementary school, I would sneak over and buy candy at school whenever I could. At the grocery store I practiced my puppy dog stare at the bakery section until a nice person behind the counter asked if I wanted to sample a cookie. It didn’t matter that I am lactose intolerant and have a pretty strong reaction to any kind of dairy products (like chocolate for example). I suffered the consequences and pretty much had a stuffy nose throughout childhood, despite my mother’s best efforts.

In junior high and high school, I took pride in my ability to eat the most candy out of everyone (probably the way some drinkers take pride in their ability to ‘hold their liquor”). I never thought about it as a problem or issue until recently.

When I started dieting in high school, I found all kinds of unhealthy artificial alternatives so I could still have my “sweets.” First I switched to “nonfat” items and later I switched to honey, maple syrup, and organic sugar. I still felt the daily pull and cravings. I could never have enough sugar. It wasn’t until about 7 months ago when I started a new way of eating and decided to go “cold turkey” with sugar, that things really changed. Confession #1- I still use stevia, which is still a sweetener.

Turning the Corner to Self Love

Anyway I’m doing much better now (am in great shape and overall eat incredibly healthy), but still have those days where I fall off the cliff- probably similar to any addict. Thinking of the pull towards sugar as an addiction has been helpful because it allows me to not minimize the intensity of the addiction. Confession #2- if I have a day where I let myself eat whatever I want, I tend to go really overboard and feel really nauseous afterward (like when I was growing up).

Why do I put myself through the fight? Again, I am no expert in addiction, but I am sure there are correlations with any type of addiction. Here is a happy confession (#3)- the next day I wake up and ALWAYS go back to my routine. I go to the gym and cut out all sweets including Stevia. Screw you sugar addiction- I always win in the end!

For me, the self love rockstar part is forgiving myself and as Louise Hay says “loving myself anyway”- all of me so-to-speak… even the part that still feels like it gets nourishment from sugar or sweets.

I read somewhere once that people who are drawn to sweets need more overall sweetness in their life. I feel so rich in sweetness already… so not sure emotionally what I am looking for… maybe some safety or security? Confession#4- I don’t even really enjoy the food while I’m eating it.

Also for the final and most embarrassing confession, and this is why I generally don’t have any sugar- I never feel satisfied. I could just go on and on and it doesn’t fill the void of whatever I think it’s going to fill when I start eating it- the only reason I stop is because I feel sick.

There are my confessions- open and vulnerable. I am going to love myself anyway. Your turn rockstars… find something you feel vulnerable about and share it with someone (even if it’s just yourself in the mirror) ,or share it with us- and then love yourself anyway. Giddy up rockstars!

self love, personal growth
Rockstar Awesomesauce, Self Love Books

Believe in Yourself: #GirlBoss Book Review

It blows my mind how so many of us knock ourselves down regardless of successes achieved. I just read #GirlBoss with Sophia Amoruso and even she is talking about not believing in herself while running a $100 million plus company. She finally had enough, and basically stepped in and stopped the negative story playing in her head.

How many of you have felt not good enough… like you were faking your way through something? A job? A social event? For years I carried around that voice, “If they only really knew me they wouldn’t like me.” WTF! Why not? We all have amazing gifts to share and have a right to be here on this planet. Time to take up some space rockstars!

Here is our review of #GirlBoss:

This book is awesome… Sophia is raw and authentic in every way. It’s amazing to hear her story and learn from her evolution to self love and acceptance. The fact that she actually shares things in her past (like shoplifting) only accentuates her honesty and the contrast to where she came from, to where she is today.

I also really love how she shares the level of work that has gone into her success. Following her passion along with taking tons of “massive action” as Tony Robbins calls it.

She offers advice on getting a job or having a business, such as interviewing, cover letters, working with investors, creativity, and being a badass in general.

We completely recommend this book!

Awesomesauce quotes from #GirlBoss:

  • “In about eight years, I went from a broke, anarchist ‘freegan’ dead set on smashing the system to a millionaire businesswoman who today is as at home in the boardroom as she is in the dressing room.”
  • “I’m telling my story to remind you that the straight and narrow is not the only path to success. “
  • “Learn to create your own opportunities. Know that there is no finish line; fortune favors action… And prepare to have a hell of a lot of fun along the way.”
  • “What I know now is that nothing is universally boring–what’s boring to you could be totally engaging to someone else. If you’re bored and hating it, it’s a big sign that you’re most likely just in the wrong place.”
  • “If you’re frustrated because you’re not getting what you want, stop for a second;: Have you flat out asked for it? If you haven’t, stop complaining. You can’t expect the world to read your mind. You have to put it out there, and sometimes putting it out there is as simple as just saying, ‘Hey, can I have that?’”
  • “In my  book (and this is my book!) magical thinking is the alchemy that you can use to visualize and project yourself into the professional and personal life that you want… each time you make a good decision or do something once or take care of yourself; each time you show up to work and work hard and do your best at everything you can do, you’re planting seeds for a life that you can only hope will grow beyond your wildest dreams. Take care of the little things–even the little things that you hate–and treat them as promises to your own future. Soon you’ll see that fortune favors the bold who get shit done.”
  • “You have to kick people out of your head as forcefully as you’d kick someone out of your house if you didn’t want them to be there.”
  • “I’ve always been willing to throw myself at the wall and see if I stuck when it game to general life experiences, and my approach to my personal style hasn’t been any different. I was always willing to try something new. “
  • “When i’m confident in what I am wearing, it makes me feel more confident throughout the day. Granted, I could probably negotiate a deal in my pajamas, but i’m a lot more dangerous in a pair of leather pants and boots that could hurt a fool.”
  • “Bad bitches are taking over the world. When i walk into the Nasty Gal offices, it’s clear: Busting your butt isn’t just for the wallflowers anymore. We’ve arrived, and we’re killing it. There’s a chance for you, #GIRLBOSS. So take it.”

POTENTIAL ACTION STEP FROM #GIRLBOSS: SIGILS

Abstract words or symbols you create and embed with your wishes. Start by writing out a desire or goal as brief as possible (at most a short sentence). Then remove duplicate letters, then all the vowels until you have a bunch of lines that can combine into a symbol. Then place this somewhere it won’t get lost and forget about it.

The #GirlBoss challenge for you rockstars is to do something fun that you enjoy and could possibly make money from at some point… it can be a small thing on the side like it started for Sophia. Have some fun and go for it! Giddy up rockstars!

personal growth, body self love, nourish the body
Body Self Love

From Toxicity to Nourishment – Where to Start?

I still remember the first moment I became aware of nutrition or what I ate. I was 15 and I had always been active (on the cheerleading team and things like that) up until middle school. I was so skinny my dad used to say things like, “You eat like a bird. You are going to fly away.” Anyway I stopped exercising and all summer I ate bagels with cream cheese late and night and gained weight. I didn’t notice until we took our school pictures in tenth grade and I saw my face and thought, “Who is that?” That was the beginning of the nutrition journey and exploration, in terms of starting to eat healthier (and also being self conscious).

I still didn’t do much different in any other aspect of my life, in terms of taking care of myself. It wasn’t until my third year in college that I started to question things I had been taught (related to health and body self love). I had been invited to a network marketing seminar. Have you ever been to one? Well there was a ton of amazing energy, and someone on a stage talking about saving the environment and making a huge amount of money doing it. I was completely engaged. Then they started talking about things like vitamin absorption, chemicals in our products (hair and body), and how unclean our water was. I never thought about what was in the products I used or the food I ate (except maybe how fattening it was).

After that evening I started this long journey of questioning… looking at labels and starting to decide for myself what is and isn’t healthy for my body, and not taking for granted that my doctor or the government was right. I became an active participant regarding my health and health-related choices.

To clarify, I am talking about EVERYTHING related to our health-

  • What we eat
  • What we drink
  • What we put on our skin and body
  • What we put in the air and ingest (from cleaning products, to air fresheners, to perfumes)

There are layers to this process and it’s important to start slow, wherever you may be on this journey of discovery.

A good place to start is with basic essentials like what we put on and in our body. What kind of deodorant, toothpaste, and skin care do we use? For example, deodorant should not contain aluminum, which doesn’t breakdown in the body and is a potential cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Regarding toothpaste, do your research regarding fluoride to decide for yourself if you still want to use it. More and more organic and natural skin care options are available (where you can actually read the label and pronounce the ingredients).

Regarding food… there are tons and tons of different theories of what to eat, but all seem to agree that organic is better than conventional wherever possible, and that antibiotic/hormone-free, wild caught meats and fish are better than conventional/farm-raised food.

Finally regarding what we drink- water is the best option, but what kind? Bottled water is better than tap water but not always by much. If possible invest in a water filter in your home, which saves tons of money over time and helps the environment by reducing plastic ending up in landfills. They cost under $100 for a good one and last for years.

We’ll get more in detail with future posts, but for now the challenge for the week rockstars… find one body self care product and modify it based on your own research and intuition. Enjoy the journey and giddy up!

self love, personal growth, meditation
Rockstar Awesomesauce

How do Rockstars Stay Present?

Usually when I share something with you all it’s because I’ve been on the journey and discovered some useful rockstar tools that can help you along your own journey. Today, however, I’m writing about something I’m currently working on myself- being present. Yes I’ve heard about the gift of “now” and all of that, but recently I’ve become increasingly aware that it’s a challenge for me to actually be present and in the moment.

I know the first step in any personal growth is to become aware of the contrast of experiencing something I do not want to experience, which is a good thing. My tendency is to shift into future (and sometimes in the past), which I notice most when I am around my children. They are a constant reminder of change and growth happening quickly.

Tonight for example, I was getting my 5 year old to sleep. She asked me to rub her back (adorable) and I immediately started thinking of what I was going to do after she was asleep. I stopped myself. Well actually, those mean self-destructive voices about being a terrible mother stopped me. After I told them to chill out I stopped and took some deep breaths. I became aware of the way my daughter’s back felt as I rubbed it for her. I felt sad/happy. In other words, sad because she is growing so fast, and happy because I am grateful I get to experience her and my other daughters, as they grow. I enjoyed the sweetness of the moment. And then I remembered a book I’ve never sat down to read by Eckart Tolle, The Power of Now.

So my challenge for me rockstars (and for you if you’d like), is to read that book if you haven’t already along with me, and to find one moment each day to stop and bring yourself present. Ideally, it would be amazing to be present most of the day, but just start wherever you are, just like I am. Giddy up rockstars!

self love, self esteem, personal growth
Rockstar Awesomesauce

Self Love in a Hurry

I used to have the impression that I needed gobs of time to set aside in order to connect and feel good. Ideally it is really beneficial to take at least 30 minutes to an hour every day when possible. However, for those times when we are busier in our lives, it really doesn’t have to take a long time to connect with ourselves and receive some self love. Especially now, where it seems like everyone is busier and busier in general, finding short and simple ways to reorient and re-member who we are, can mean the difference between a wonderful or horrendous day.

Here’s an example of a quick tool I love. Abraham-Hicks has a really powerful incantation I use most mornings which is this:

“Today, no matter where I’m going, no matter what I’m doing, no matter who I’m with… it is my dominant intent to look for what I’m wanting to see.”

I even created and posted an acapella song on Youtube a while back (thank you those 1,000 people who enjoyed it too), so that I may hummm the melody throughout the day. What does the incantation mean? Basically it means to take a moment and think about what we WANT versus what we don’t want and to look for THAT during each day, instead of the potential problems around us. After saying (or singing) that incantation, I always take a moment to think about what I’m wanting to see and feel for my day. I usually do this in the shower and it takes less than one minute. It makes all the difference in the world… try it!

A simple reminder to connect can shift everything- that all is well and I love myself… followed by a deep breath.

Another great rockstar resource to add to your self love arsenal is to add an hourly alarm to your phone with a message like, “You Rock!” or “All is well.” Set the intention that every time it goes off you are going to breathe and become present (for just a few seconds- that’s all it takes)! Then go back to whatever it was you were doing.

Here’s your challenge for the week rockstars: try one of the above tools (or your own) for quick self love and self care reconnection. Giddy up rockstars!!!

 

Newer posts
Older posts