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Why Letting Your Heart Break Is a Good Thing

While driving to work recently, a female reporter over the radio said, “Lamar Odom was found unresponsive in a Nevada brothel.  Recent cocaine use and natural sexual performance enhancing supplements were reported…..”

I don’t remember what the reporter said next or what story she moved on to, but she moved on quickly, as newscasters must do.  They report the news.

I’m not sure why I had such an extreme reaction to this particular piece of news, but I immediately felt hot, stinging tears form in my eyes and a lump grow in my throat.  I turned off the radio, which had now moved on to ads at this point, to process what I’d just heard.

I don’t know Lamar or follow his career or his life in the tabloids, but what broke my heart that day was the story of a 35-year old man: Once a newborn baby held in the arms of his mother.  Once a kid shooting hoops on the playground—did he dream he’d play professionally one day?  Once a man becoming a father himself for the first time.  Now, found unresponsive in a brothel.  What happened?!

Can you imagine if this was your son, your grandson, or your brother??

The point of me sharing this story today, is to Read more

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Why We Should Be Taking a Vow of Silence

Have you noticed what a noisy world we live in?

When at home, many of us have our televisions on while we scroll through Facebook, stopping to watch all the awesome cat or laughing baby videos, all the while, attempting to be semi-engaged in a conversation with our family members.

When we get in our cars, we turn on the radio or listen to our favorite podcasts.  We fill the empty space in our cars with noise.

When we walk the aisles at our grocery store, ads or music (subliminally sending us messages to buy more) are streaming from above.

When in the company of others, most of us find it awkward when there are those rare moments of silence that settle over the conversation.  It’s our nature to want to fill that silence with words.

Have you experienced a time lately when you’ve actually sat with silence?

Silence can feel thick.  I know that sounds weird, but some of you know what I mean.  There is a heaviness that accompanies silence–not a bad heaviness—one that’s like an old cotton hand-made quilt.

Silence is loud itself, but not in a noisy way.  I know this sounds weird, too.  The loudness of silence I’m talking about can feel deafening–in a good way.

There’s an art to sitting with silence.  I imagine we could learn a thing or two from the monks who take life-time vows of silence.  I’m not suggesting you and I need to take a vow of silence to that degree, but I am suggesting that we vow to take a few minutes each day to sit with silence.

Friends, our brains were not created to be stimulated and firing at all times, so consider your daily vow of silence as a means to caring for the one body, and all its contents, which you’ve got to carry you through the remainder of your time here on earth.

It’s not easy sitting with silence because our minds have a tendency to wander and race.  I could write an entire post on methods of managing and facilitating your quiet time, but for today, let me arm you with one helpful tip: Breath in and breath out, taking deep steady breaths.  Breathing this way is good for you both physically and mentally.  Deep breathing releases endorphins and increases the flow of oxygen through your body, which aid in pain management, stress relief, and increased energy.

Here’s my challenge for you today.  Plan a daily retreat to get away and have quiet time.  Some of us may find it harder than others to find that place of retreat in our lives, but even if you have to go and sit in your car in the driveway to get a few minutes of quiet, that’s OK.

Two minutes, five minutes, 10 minutes….just allow yourself some time to just sit in silence and breathe deeply.

Not only will you enjoy the benefits of this time but those around you will, too.  Enjoy, and let’s see if we can’t all make this a daily practice.

As always, I appreciate you spending time with me here today.

Please share my blog with your friends, family, and co-workers.

Have a great day!

Jill xx

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog…my new 7-Day Life Balance Challenge starts next weekend.  It’s free, so don’t miss out!

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The Importance and Benefits of Being Curious

Are you a naturally curious person?  Are you fascinated with how things work, how they’re created, and why they occur?

If so, did you know that your inquiring mind is helping you to not only learn and retain more about that which interests you, but also to better learn and retain the additional things you learn after your brain is in a state of curiosity?

For example, say you were interested in learning how to make a stained glass window.  As you begin to research and learn how the process works, your curiosity will pay off by you now being able to take what you’ve just learned and create a stained glass window.  The added benefit is that while your mind is still functioning in that state of curiosity, if you were to study up on something that wasn’t interesting to you—maybe your 5th grader’s math homework–you’d be more likely to learn and retain that information as well.

Do you see the significance of stimulating curiosity and how this can benefit all of us in our everyday lives?

Imagine how teachers, parents, business people, artists, students, etc. could use this scientific discovery to their advantage.

Curious about the science of this phenomenon?

It’s all about the dopamine.

Charan Ranganath, neuroscientist at University California, Davis, explains: “This work suggests that once you light that fire of curiosity, you put the brain in a state that’s more conducive to learning. Once you get this ramp-up of dopamine, the brain becomes more like a sponge that’s ready to soak up whatever is happening.”

Now you’ve got the scientific backing for the importance of curiosity, so I’d like to add a few points that I think are important too:

Curiosity helps us to look past ourselves.  By nature, we are self-centered.  Being curious about other things and other people is good for us and will make us better people.

Curiosity deepens relationships.  Do you know your spouse’s, your child’s, or your best friend’s favorite food, book, movie, color, word?  If not, ask them.  Ask them what their dreamy-ist dream is.  Ask them about the most painful time in their life.  Ask them about the happiest day in their life.  The more you know, the closer you’ll grow.

Curiosity keeps you actively engaged with life.  There are so many fun, wonderful, amazing, and even sad things in this world that are just waiting for you to discover them.  Your curiosity, if you allow it to, will introduce you to events, opportunities, and experiences that you’ll never forget.

Two things I’d love for you to accomplish today:

  1. Try out the following experiment: Stimulate your curiosity with something you’re interested in and while your brain is all dopamined up, switch to something not so interesting and see how you learn and retain.While you’re at it, make sure to allow this experiment to truly benefit you by picking a real-world boring or uninteresting thing to learn about.  We all have things we need to learn around the house or at the office that just don’t get us excited.
  2. “Interview” someone you love today. Ask all the good questions and have fun!

As always, I appreciate you spending time with me here today.

Please share my blog with your friends, family, and co-workers.

Have a great day!

Jill xx

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6 Steps for Transitioning to Your New Normal

There are these huge waves on the Oregon Coast called sneaker waves.  They appear without warning, oftentimes catching an innocent bystander by surprise and whisking them out to sea.  There are warning signs posted on the beach, but like with many things in life, most people don’t think anything bad will happen to them.

I don’t know what it is lately, but I’m hearing from more and more friends, family members, and co-workers being hit by one of life’s “sneaker waves.”

Divorce, loss of a loved one, cancer diagnosis, break-up of a precious friendship, loss of a job, mental illness, problems with aging parents, personal injury.  Even things that aren’t supposed to be traumatic, like becoming an empty nester, or moving to a new city, can throw us for a loop.

The bottom line is that what was once normal, is now uncharted territory.  Transition to a new normal is necessary.

If you’re reading this, and are going through a tough time in your life, I encourage you to consider the steps below to help navigate through this difficult season.

Six Steps to Transitioning to Your New Normal   

Grieve the loss of the what was.  Grieving is a necessary process when you’ve experienced loss.  It’s important to allow yourself to grieve the old normal, but be careful not to spend too long in the denial stage.  Depending on what you’re going through, denial can actually be a helpful tool your mind uses to help pace your emotions.  The key is not to get stuck there.

Manage your expectations.  Yes, life will be different now.  It can be helpful to outline in your mind or even on paper how the new normal might be.  Sometimes just getting a visual picture or a plan for what’s to come will help manage the ups and downs that are typical in these transitionary periods.  With this being said, read on…

Be flexible.  Remember that no matter how perfectly you plan and try to manage your expectations, there are bound to be setbacks.  This is normal.  It is, however, extremely important to be flexible during a difficult transition period so that you don’t add to the stress you are already undergoing.  Roll with the punches—as best you can–learn from your experiences, and get back on course.      

Replace the “hole” with something healthy.   After my mom died, I inherited a bunch of her cookbooks.  Not much of a cook before, I found myself diving into culinary experimentation.  Not only did I learn new skills, but I felt a connection with my mom while cooking—a void was filled.  When my son left for college and I became an official empty nester, I started this blog.  I knew I would have extra time and I didn’t want to fill it with watching tv or something else that wouldn’t benefit me.  Be careful not to let drugs, alcohol, or any other destructive activity fill your void…sometimes these things may feel good in the moment, but they are bound to cause trouble down the road.

Understand you’re not alone.  It can feel like you’re the only person in the world who has been handed such a crappy hand, who has been so heartbroken, or who has experienced so much pain.  No two people will have the same exact experience, but you can bet there are lots of people out there who’ve experienced something similar.  There will come a time when it’s important to lean in to such people.  Leaning in does not mean you’re weak.  Leaning in can be your saving grace.  Whether it be through a support group, a friend, family members, church members, or a perfect stranger who was set in your path for a reason you may not understand.  Just lean in, friends.

Start your gratitude journal today.  If you don’t already practice writing in a gratitude journal, today is the perfect day to start.  Maybe you can only come up with one thing per day, that’s OK, just write it down.  If you’ve already been in the practice of writing in a gratitude journal, don’t let any setbacks you’re experiencing prompt you to stop.  Expressing gratitude is wonderful in the good times, and can be a real life-saver in the bad times.  I wrote an entire post on journaling here, check it out for ideas and inspiration.

Here’s to reaching a place of peace and stability in your new normal.

Jill xx

As always, I appreciate you spending time with me here today.
Please share my blog with your friends, family, and co-workers.

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How Your Perspective Can Affect Your Circumstance

Are you feeling like you’re stuck in a rut? Tired of your routine? Feeling useless or even hopeless?  Maybe you’re going through something right now that’s painful, hard, or doesn’t seem fair.

The reality is, at any given point, we’re either going through, have just passed through, or are about to enter into a difficult time.

So often when we’re in the middle of a not-so-great-time in our lives, all we can focus on is getting to the other side.  Of course, overcoming or getting through these less-than-desirable circumstances is a worthy goal, but it’s worth acknowledging that there may be something very important happening during the tough parts of your journey–something that you might be very thankful for later.

All this is easier said than done, but I’d like to encourage you to view your present, past, and future circumstances in a different light.

I present to you The 3 C’s of Circumstance: Connections. Competency. Compassion.

My hope is that you’ll learn to view your current, past, and future circumstances with a new perspective.  A perspective that will shed positive light on a dark time.

Connections.  Shared experiences, good and bad, create a bond like no other.  Friendships can grow and develop deeply during difficult times.  Many of us have a friend that we’d never have met, had our paths not crossed during a difficult time in our lives.  A friend of mine became friends with some of the nurses that treated her while she was undergoing cancer treatment.  Would she have ever wished for a scenario like this to make friends?  Of course not.  But it happened, and I’ve heard her say many times that she wouldn’t change a thing for what she gained during that period–new friendships being just one of the positive outcomes.

I remember sitting on a plane the day after my mom died, and a lady came and sat next to me.  For the next three hours we talked about the death of my mom and the deterioration of her dying father.  I haven’t seen her since that day years ago, but I will always be thankful for the powerful connection we had during those few hours, thousands of feet in the air.  By the way, I’ve always thought she was an angel sent to me that day.

Competency.  At any given point, there are tasks that are set before us that we have the opportunity to learn something new or develop a skill for.  From digging a hole for a fence post, to typing up notes from a meeting, to leading a sales team at your office, to advocating your own healthcare–learning and growing opportunities abound.

The problem many people face, is when they tire of their job, they’re not doing exactly what they think they should be doing with their life, or they’re stuck in a rut in some other area of their life, they allow a negative mindset to take over.  Do you realize the wasted energy we expend when we groan and complain (vocally or to ourselves) over tasks we have to do?

I used to dread washing dishes and vacuuming, so I’d just put those things off.  Guess where that left me?  Procrastination wtih household chores equals a messy house.  Years ago, I remember hearing someone suggest trying to be “present” during mundane tasks such as these.  I took this to heart and worked on developing that “present” mindset.  Friends, I don’t lie when I tell you that I find myself smiling and feeling energized when doing these tasks now!  The skill I built through this experience:  Focusing on the positive and appreciating the fact that I have a rug to vacuum and a dish to clean in hot water.  This mindset change has served me well in all areas of my life and it will for you too.

Compassion.  Unless you’ve been divorced, you don’t know what it’s like to experience divorce.  Unless you’ve been an addict, you don’t know what it’s like to experience withdrawal.  Unless you’ve fought cancer, you don’t know what it’s like to experience all the doctors’ visits, sickness, and the feeling of being alone in your illness.  Unless you’ve raised a child with special needs, you don’t know the extreme emotions, you as a parent, will experience.  Unless you’ve lost a job, you don’t know the fear that sets in.  We could go on and on with the examples, couldn’t we?

Don’t let your experiences disappear in the distance in vain.  Use your experience to be a source of light for someone else.  Don’t underestimate the power of extending an understanding ear to someone going through a tough time–this can be a monumental act of compassion.

I hope you’ll recall the 3 C’s of Circumstance–connection, competency, and compassion–next time you’re in a tough place, or when you find yourself in a position to share or utilize your experiences to help someone else.

Thanks for spending time with me today!  Please share this post with your friends, family and colleagues.

Jill xx

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1 Year Blog Anniversary!

I cannot believe I published my first blog post a year ago (September 2014)!  It’s been fun, hard, exciting, and nerve-wracking all at the same time.  You’ve been there with me, so I hope you’ll join me today in celebrating my 1 year blog anniversary today!    

I didn’t realize the impact that writing and publishing a blog every week for 52 weeks, all the while holding down a full-time job, would have on my life.  Not only have I become more comfortable with writing, but I’ve grown and have been stretched in ways that I never would have expected…ways that have made me a better person.

I’m so grateful for this last year.

When I first set out to write this blog, my plan was to put my 18 years marketing experience to work and help small businesses with developing online marketing strategies.  The crazy thing was that as I drafted a few posts, my mind would wander and I’d begin to write completely different content.

I began writing for a reader who was in need of guidance or insight on regular life stuff.  Instead of sharing business strategies, the strategies I was sharing were ways to overcome obstacles like limiting beliefs and fear, tools and practices to bring clarity about life purpose, ideas and exercises to ignite inspiration—always leaving off with actionable steps that could be taken immediately to live a more fulfilled life.

These are the things that have flown from my “pen,” and I have loved every minute of it.  So, whether you’ve been with me since week one, or you came along somewhere else along the line, I thank you for spending time with me each week.  Your comments, questions, encouragement, and willingness to share my blog with others has made this entire year all the better.  I hope to see more of you in the coming year!

To commemorate this last year, I’ve linked up all my posts here in one spot.  If you’ve missed one, would like to revisit one, or would like to share one, this is the place to peruse.

Before you take a look at the list below, I’d like to share something new that I’m going to offer this year.  It’s a 7-day challenge that will change your life.  It will!  If you’re dealing with stress, feeling overwhelmed, or just need some clarity and focus in your life, this challenge is for you.

I’ll be launching the 7-day challenge soon.  It’s free, so if you’re not already on my email list, sign up now so you don’t miss the opportunity to participate.  Just fill in your name and email in the box at the bottom of this post and I’ll be sending information about the challenge in the next few weeks.

Thanks again friends!  It’s been awesome and I’m looking forward to hearing more about your life success stories in the future!

Week 1:  Gratitude in a Virtual World

Week 2:  The Beauty of Living a Life of Balance

Week 3:  How to Stop Your Negative Self-Talk From Bullying You

Week 4:  5 Lessons We Can Learn About Life From Appollos Hester

Week 5:  Tips for Empty Nesters

Week 6:  When a Loved One Needs Assisted Living

Week 7:  Reboot Your Life

Week 8:  Why We Procrastincate and How To Stop!

Week 9:  It’s Scary What a Smile Can Hide

Week 10:  Losing the Moment When Taking Pictures

Week 11:  Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Week 12:  Dream Big!

Week 13:  Dreams Can Come True

Week 14:  Being a Person of Influence

Week 15:  Overwhelmed by the Holidays

Week 16:  Grief During the Holidays

Week 17:  How to Set and Achieve Your Goals in the New Year

Week 18:  Overcoming Slumps, Depression, and the Blues

Week 19:  It’s Never Too Late For a Kind Word

Week 20:  Treat Each Day Like a Special Occasion

Week 21:  Never Stop Learning

Week 22:  Creating a Sanctuary in Your Home

Week 23:  Why You Should Act More Like a Child

Week 24:  Learn The Best Way to Show Your Love

Week 25:  The Benefits of Being a Good Neighbor

Week 26:  The Power of Ugly Words

Week 27:  Get Back on Track After Falling Off The Wagon

Week 28:  VIDEO:  5 Steps To Overcoming Difficult Obstacles

Week 29:  Taking Care of Yourself Before You Crash and Burn

Week 30:  How Saying No Will Improve Your Life

Week 31:  The Art of Delegation

Week 32:  Lessons Learned: Perspective From an Adult Child of An Alcoholic

Week 33:  Combat Fear and Shame By Sharing Your Story

Week 34:  Taking Time To Develop My Passion In San Diego

Week 35:  VIDEO:  4 Steps To Living An Authentic Life

Week 36:  Please Take My 2015 Reader Survey

Week 37:  How Accountability Will Save You From Overwhelm

Week 38:  Mind Mapping: Who Should Use It And Why

Week 39:  When Quitting Is A Decision That Will Enrich Your Life

Week 40:  How To Stop Hurting The People You Love The Most

Week 41:  Letter to A Graduate

Week 42:  How To Take Those Lingering Project And Get Them Done

Week 43:  VIDEO:  How Changing Specific Words You Use Every Day Will Greatly Impact Your Life

Week 44:  Journaling…The Benefits, Methods, and Ideas

Week 45:  3 Steps To Cultivate And Grow Your Relationships

Week 46:  VIDEO:  The Definition of Success — A 10 Year Old’s Perspective

Week 47:  Top 5 Online Etiquette Rules and A Challenge

Week 48:  Removing Limiting Beliefs From Your Life

Week 49:  VIDEO:  How To Deal With The Grief You Are Experiencing Today

Week 50:  How To Create A Vision Board in 3 Easy Steps

Week 51:  Are You Comfortable In Your Own Shoes

Week 52:  Time is Short…How Are You Spending Yours?

Have a great day and I hope to see you in my free 7-day challenge!

Jill xx

P.S.  If you’re the sharing type, please, please, please share this post.  Surely someone you know could benefit from at least one of the 52 posts I have listed out here.  Appreciate you!

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Time is Short…How Are You Spending Yours?

In the blink of an eye, something happens that changes everything:

You lose someone important in your life…
The baby you held in your arms heads off to college…
Your marriage dissolves…
The 5 pound gain turns to 40…
A parent’s health begins to decline…
20 years has passed by and you’ve yet to…

Time is short…it either passes us by, with what seems like warp speed, or creeps up on us and catches us by surprise.

Today, I’d like you to spend the next few minutes–or if you have it, the next hour or two–answering the six questions below.  You may want to work through all in one sitting or spread them out over the next week.  I have included exercises with each area, so feel free to use those as a guide through this process.

The point is for us to take inventory of our lives and see how we can make the most out of our precious time.

Here we go…

MAKING AN IMPACT:  How do you want to be remembered?  What will your legacy be?  How will your obituary read?

Exercise:  Write your own obituary.  You could take it from two approaches:  Write it as it would truthfully read today and see where you see “impact holes.”  Secondly, you could write out the obituary that you’d love to see.  Either way, find the impact areas you haven’t accomplished yet, and begin to work toward implementing those in your life.

CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS:  Are you taking steps to nurture and grow your most important relationships?

Exercise:  Write a list of names of your most important relationships.  Now think about how those relationships could be enriched.  Some relationships will be fine as is, others may need a little TLC.  Try not to overcomplicate things either.  Nurturing a relationship can be as simple as texting one of the people on your list every couple of weeks, another may be to make a walking date every month, another to get together every three months for a fun weekend.  The point of this exercise is not to overwhelm your schedule, it is to bless you and those you are in relationship with.

LIVING OUT YOUR DREAMS:  Have you pushed your dreams to the back burner?  Are you stuck trying to figure out how to make your dream a reality?

Exercise: Write out your big dream and then write out the first 10 steps that could begin to make your dream a reality.  Oftentimes the biggest stumbling block to not living out a dream is not starting because the process seems overwhelming or unrealistic.  When you write out these 10 steps you’ve now got a “to-do” list broken out into digestible steps that you can begin working on.  Maybe you have a dream to travel to Europe.  Step 1 might be to research areas you’d like to see.  Step 2 to look into cost of flights and accommodations. Step 3 to set a budget.  Step 4 to set your dates.  Etc. etc.

LOSING CONTROL:  Are you trying to control things that are not within your control?  You’re fighting a losing battle, my friend.

Exercise:  Write out the things you struggle to control most.  Look at your list and see which of these you have the ability and power to control…circle those.  Now draw a line or a big X through the others.  Work on the ones you have circled and let go of those you have crossed out.

NOT WORRYING AROUT TOMORROW:  “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow has its own worries.”  This quote is so true.  Worrying about anticipated threats is a complete waste of your time and energy.

Exercise:  Write a list of the things you worry about most.  With each item, write out possible solutions.  If there are no solutions, then work on staying in the present moment.  Worrying ties in with letting go of the things you cannot control: both these areas are some of the hardest to overcome, but very critical to living a fulfilled life.

PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR HEALTH:  How’s your physical health?  How about your emotional health?  Are you eating right, exercising, and sleeping well?  Are you filling your mind with positive thoughts?

Exercise:  Include non-negotiables in your schedule to keep yourself healthy.  Schedule exercise, time to prepare healthy meals, and proper sleep.  If you struggle with emotional issues, schedule non-negotiable time for counsel, for exercise, and the other things to work on getting healthy.  Put these things in your calendar today.

A lot to think about, but remember time is short, so don’t delay in making your time on this earth the best it can be.

As always, I appreciate you spending time with me here today.

If you found this post helpful, please share with your friends and co-workers.

Have a great day!

Jill xx

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Are You Comfortable in Your Own Shoes?

Following is an excerpt from something a friend of mine wrote on his Facebook page a couple days ago:

“I may not know everything about myself and I know I’m far from perfect – but I like what I do know and for the first time feel confident and comfortable in my own shoes.  Shoes I know I like because I like them, not because I saw them on someone else.”

In his post, Landon, who had just celebrated a birthday that, as he put it, pushed him firmly into his 40s, was giving thanks for all the birthday well wishes, but was also sharing another important personal milestone in his life…finding, understanding, and loving his authentic self.

Earlier in that same post, he wrote, “I don’t think I wanted to know who I was before, and instead just mimicked what I saw around me.”

Can anyone relate?

I can chalk up most of my childhood, 20’s and 30’s to feeling this same way.

Does going through a Madonna (the singer, not the Virgin One!), hippie, and “rocker” phase, all within a couple years, tell you anything?  And believe me, I got into each phase with gusto!  That all took place in my teens–my 20s and 30s brought on their own set of mimicry issues.

I would guess that most of us, at some point, have struggled with identity issues, some more than others, but the beauty in this story today, is someone “coming into their own” and sharing their experience with us.

We can learn from others.

You and I can learn from the words Landon shared.  We can learn for ourselves, for our children, for our friends.

My challenge for all of us today is to realize the importance of, and take steps towards, living as authentic people.  Let’s stop walking around wearing someone else’s shoes.  It’s no fun!

Following are some key points that may be helpful to you as you traverse along your journey in discovering your authentic self:

Introspection: A little self-examination goes a long way.  Ask yourself these introspective questions, either during or after you’ve experienced certain emotions:
1. When I get upset or agitated, what is the core reason for the emotion?  Am I feeling attacked?  Are painful memories being brought to the surface?  Am I feeling judged?  For certain parts of this exercise, I find it helpful to step away from my circumstances and view it from an outsider’s perspective.  Doing this gives some clarity and “unbiased” perspective that I might not be able to see through my eyes.
2. When I’m really grateful, what is the core reason?  Do I feel understood?  Do I feel safe?  Do I feel blessed?

Discovering the answers to these types of questions will help you uncover truths about yourself that are extremely important in this process.

Consider taking it a step further and work through these questions and answers in your journal.

Forgiveness: “Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”  The act of forgiveness sets you free.  Free to move to an emotionally and physically healthy place.  Remember that forgiving doesn’t equal forgetting, and it doesn’t equal acceptance of the wrong that was committed.  This goes for forgiving others as well as forgiving yourself.  Forgiving yourself can be harder than forgiving someone else, but it’s just as important.

Listen & Be Open to Criticism: There are two types of criticism.  Constructive criticism can point out a mistake or a fault, but is intended to provide improvement and growth opportunities.  Destructive criticism is hurtful and can have negative effects on self-confidence.  Being criticized can be hard, but if you learn to receive constructive criticism well, you’ll have an opportunity to grow in ways you might not imagine possible.

Give of Yourself:  I’ve learned more about myself when I’m not “thinking about or doing for myself.”  The point of giving is not to receive, but I’ve found, time and again, the beautiful bonus of giving is going away with more than you came in with.

Practice Gratitude:  The practice of expressing gratitude not only brings the obvious benefit–feeling content and happy–but it also brings a concentrated awareness of the important things in life.  I love this quote by author Melody Beattie: “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Maturity: You know the old saying, “with age comes wisdom.”  This can certainly be true, but we need to be mindful of the latter part of that quote, too: “…but sometimes age comes alone.”  No matter our age, we will always be a work in progress, but we have so much to gain from our experiences.  The key is to actually learn from those experiences.

Think about these six areas as opportunities to grow closer or deeper into a person who is comfortable in her own shoes!

As always, I appreciate you spending time with me today.

Jill xx

P.S.  If you enjoyed this post, you might also like this video I did on authentic living.

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How to Create a Vision Board in 3 Easy Steps

Ahhhh…summer is drawing to an end, kids are headed back to school, vacations are wrapping up, and most of us will be settling back into our normal, non-summer routines at home and work.

I’ve got an idea…let’s not let summer slip away too quickly.  Let’s do something fun today!

(NOTE: If you are reading this at another time of year, there’s no better day to create your vision board than today!)

You know how much I love and encourage journaling?  Well, today’s fun “end of summer” project is kind of like journaling in a way.

We are going to create a vision board!! 

If you’ve never created a vision board, you are in for a real treat!  It’s super easy–I have listed out the supplies (they are minimal) you will need and have written out the three easy steps to create your board.

Making a vision board is fun to do on your own or in a group setting.  Kids can create one, and I bet if I was visiting my 100-year-old Granny this weekend, I could convince her to make one too!

I create vision boards for two reasons: 1. It’s fun!  When else do I get to play with paper, scissors and a glue stick?  2. It helps to keep my goals, my dreams, and the things I love and find joy in, at the forefront of my mind.

I’ve created several vision boards over the years and I keep them all.  It’s fun to look back and see what has happened in my life since I created the earlier vision board.  It’s also interesting to compare what I choose to include in my present day board versus the previous ones.

Here’s the last one I created about four years ago.  A friend of mine had a bunch of ladies over to her house and we all sat around a table and created our vision boards.  It was a ton of fun!
Vision Board from 2011

Now, here is the one that I am currently working on.  I plan on finishing it this weekend.

Vision Board Words Cut Out

One BIG thing I noticed about this go round, is that I selected mostly words or phrases instead of images.  I guess it makes sense, since over the last couple of years, I’ve spent a great deal of time writing.  I do love words!  There are a couple of images I will add to the mix, but I have to print those from my camera (family and places I love).  I’m also going to write out a couple favorite quotes to include.

So, let’s get you started on creating your own vision board!  I’ve included a supply list and instructions to create your own vision board in three simple steps.

By the way, you can easily do this project in one sitting, but if you prefer to stretch the process out collect the words and images over a couple of weeks, that’ll work too.

Have fun!

What you will need:

  1. A stack of magazines you don’t might cutting up. If you don’t have any, run by your local library and ask for their past issues.  My library is happy for me to take their old magazines and “recycle” them in this way.  You can also use your own photos for this step.
  2. A glue stick or rubber cement work the best.  I wouldn’t suggest Elmer’s liquid glue because it makes the paper lumpy.  If all you have is Elmer’s, just make sure to apply very thinly.  You can use tape instead if you like, but you’ve got to decide if you mind seeing the exposed tape, or if you affix the tape to the back of the paper, if you mind the edges of the paper curling up.
  3. Poster board, cardstock, or printer paper.

NOTE: If you prefer, eliminate the glue/tape, and create your vision board pinning the papers to a cork bulletin board.  You can also do this entire project on a computer, if you like.  I personally like the paper, scissor, and glue method.

Vision Board Process:  

  1. Flip through the pages of the magazines and cut out any word, phrase, or image that you are drawn to, that makes you happy, or is something you would like to strive for in the future—dream and goal related. You may want to go through your personal photos to include.  Don’t think too hard in this step, just cut away.  You may cut out 50 things and only use 20, and that’s ok.
  2. Now that you’ve got your pile of words and images that you’ve cut out or set aside, start sorting through and choose those that are most important to you. Remember you are creating this board as a visual for the life you want.
  3. Now arrange the pieces you have chosen on your paper and affix them. Arranging what goes where, is a big part of this creative process.  You may want to place a big image of your “happy place” smack dab in the middle and have all the other pieces surrounding that.

That’s it!  See how fun and simple this project will be?

All that’s left is to choose a place to display your vision board.  You’ll want to hang it where you will see it often.  In the past, I’ve hung my vision boards in a clearly visible place in my closet, so that I would see it every day.  I may put the board I’m working on today in a picture frame and hang it in my writing nook.

While the process of creating the board is fun, the purpose behind it all, is to have a visual reminder of things you want in your life.  When your goals and desires are right in front of you, you will be reminded and motivated to get out there and make your dreams come true!

Have fun creating your board!  If you are willing to share, I’d love to see how yours turns out.

As always, I appreciate you hanging out with me today!

Jill xx

P.S. If you haven’t already subscribed, don’t delay…it’s free.  My goal is that you leave my blog inspired, motivated, and clear on one thing you can do or think about that will make your life more fulfilled.

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Removing Limiting Beliefs From Your Life

There’s a story in the Bible about a man named Moses who, one day, God personally asked to go talk to the leader of Egypt (who, by the way, was not the most friendly fella) and ask him to release His (God’s) people.  These people (some say as many as 2 million) from Israel had been in captivity for 400 years and had become slaves in this country, so chances are this leader was probably not just gonna let them go on their merry way without a fight.

As you can imagine, Moses gave every excuse in the book as to why he shouldn’t/couldn’t do this for God.  I’m sure he was nervous to approach the leader of this country, but Hello!! — the one and only Almighty God was asking him to do this– this wasn’t just some friend asking for a favor!

Fear and insecurity got the best of Moses, so, to help out with that, God showed him some amazing miracles he could perform that would prove God had sent him, in case the leader didn’t believe him.  After all this, Moses, all set for success, pulled out yet another reason why he shouldn’t be the one to perform this task.  Here’s what he said, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”  This is where I imagine Moses is getting on God’s very last nerve, but God, in all His grace, decided to let Moses’ brother Aaron go along with him to be his mouthpiece.

The story goes on and it’s a doozy (Moses and Aaron do complete their task, by the way), but what I’d like to point out about this story is what Moses was experiencing that day—a case of limiting beliefs.

Limiting beliefs. 

We all experience them.  Sometimes things we’d like to do just don’t seem possible.  We may have an idea that goes against all logic, so we put it behind us before giving it a fair shot.  We ultimately convince ourselves that we don’t have the capacity to achieve certain things, even though we very well may be able to.

The reason I use Moses as an example here is because if a guy, that the God of the Universe was audibly asking to do something, and telling him He would help him with the task, still couldn’t believe in himself, then we are all certainly bound to experience a limiting belief or two from time to time.

Limiting beliefs dictate how we think, how we feel, and how we behave.  The power they have over our lives can be immensely defeating.

First, let’s take a look at some typical statements that cue limiting beliefs and then we’ll discuss several ways to overcome these beliefs so that each of us is striving to live our fullest potential.

LIMITING BELIEF STATEMENT CUES:

I could never…
I’m not good enough to…
I’m not smart enough to…
I don’t have enough time to…
I shouldn’t…
I’m not skilled enough to…
I wouldn’t know how to start, so…
I don’t have enough money to…
I don’t have a college degree, so…
I don’t deserve to…
I don’t know how to __________, so I can’t…
I’m too old to…
I’m worthless.

Read through those again.  Does one in particular look familiar?  Have you used any of these statements in the past?  Are you using them now?

Let’s take a look at six ways to overcome the limiting beliefs that may be hindering you from reaching your fullest potential.

OVERCOMING LIMITING BELIEFS

Learn from past failures.  Don’t allow past failures to dictate your present or your future.  These failures and mistakes should be used as prime opportunities to learn and grow.  Haven’t you noticed how the biggest lessons you’ve learned in life have come from being on the other side of a bad decision?  The key is to be able to pinpoint what went wrong and how it could be done differently in the future.  Learn, grow, and give yourself a little grace, friends.

Replace negative voices in your head with positive affirmations.  You know these darn voices have a way of creeping in and making you feel “less than,” or even worse, “less-than less than.”  Because these are involuntary voices, we not only want to be reactive (say something affirming to yourself the second the voice pops up), but we should be proactive as well, by stating positive affirmations every day, regardless of how you’re feeling that day.

Another approach could be to ask a question directed at the negative voice.  For example, let’s say my inner-voice said, “You are terrible at writing!  Who would want to read what you have to say??”  I could come back with the following question for myself: “Have I ever helped anyone with the content on my blog?”  My answer would be “yes,” so that helps to shoot down or point out the lie the negative voice is projecting.
NOTE:  I wrote an article titled, “How to Stop Your Negative Self Talk From Bullying You.” In it, I discuss the impact of negative self-talk and four specific ways to overcome your own voice when it bullys you — click here to read.

Let go of the naysayers in your life.  You probably have someone that comes to mind immediately, as you read this.  There are people who have a tendency to either suck the life out of you or see everything through a negative lens.  I firmly believe you should cut out or at least substantially minimize your interactions with these type of people.  If you don’t, they’ll weigh you down and limit your potential for positive growth.       

Invite emotionally healthy people in your life.  As some relationships fall away, others will blossom and grow.  Jim Rohn always said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”  Makes sense doesn’t it?  Who do you spend time with?  Who are the top “influencers” in your life?  When we surround ourselves with people we respect and admire, they’re bound to rub off on us, right?  Yes, they will, and hopefully you’ll rub off on them too. : )  Iron sharpens iron, friends!

Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.  It’s when we step out of our comfort zone that we are able to experience real growth.  It doesn’t have to be a HUGE step either—small steps allow us to ease into new things without fear taking hold and throwing us back.

Obviously, you don’t want to live in a constant state of being outside your comfort zone—there is much good that takes place in the comfy zone too!  Find a good balance and think about the steps you take as adventures and growth opportunities.

Practice gratitude verbally or in written form every single day.  Expressing gratitude is associated with greater happiness, and when you make it a daily habit, the benefits are 100-fold!  Whether you write three things down each day in a journal or you say them out loud, your perspective on life will change.  You’ll become aware of the little things in life that we oftentimes take for granted, and by becoming aware of these things, you will experience more joy in your life.

I urge you to take steps today to begin the work of overcoming the limiting beliefs in your life.  Don’t let the “I don’t have time” belief take you away from this!  You deserve better.

As always, I appreciate you hanging out with me today.

Jill xx

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