Burnout, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Overwhelm, Receiving, Relationships, Self-Care, Self-Fulfillment, Self-Love, Spirituality, Uncategorized
“You have no choice. You must leave your ego on the doorstep before you enter love.” ~ Kamand Kojouri
Self-love is an inside job. It’s about fully accepting yourself and loving what makes you unique, instead of seeking validation through your performance. It’s treating yourself with kindness and respect even when you feel uncertain about your choices or circumstances.
Self-love is a healthy choice for your mind, body, and soul. However, it is not always easy to achieve. You encourage greater self-love by carving out time for yourself, engaging in mindful activities, and connecting with things you’re passionate about.
You can fuel a deeper love for your authentic Self, ignite greater inner passion, and connect with the divine by nurturing your mind, body, and soul with self-love practices and self-acknowledgment. Yet, even as you engage in these practices, you may find that you struggle to connect with a more profound love for your Self.
Why do you find yourself struggling with true, authentic self-love?
The greatest obstruction to self-love is your ego. The ego is the part of the psyche that’s preoccupied with the Self and the external world. It’s driven by the need to maintain and protect the Self. This can interfere with your ability to love yourself, because it can cause you to be overly critical and judgmental of your own thoughts, feelings, and actions. It can also lead you to focus on your flaws and insecurities, which can make it harder to love yourself.
When you loosen the ego’s grip and focus inward, you can evoke a deeper self-love. You’ll then feel more passion in your everyday life and discover greater success that comes with ease—and without the ego.
7 Ways To Loosen The Ego’s Grip
Practice mindfulness and cultivate self-awareness.
Self-awareness is an internal guide that lets you know when self-love is needed and the ego must be checked. When you slow down and move mindfully and intentionally during each moment of your day, you cultivate greater awareness of your mind, body, and soul. Take a pause before starting something and inquire about the intention behind it.
Show compassion towards yourself and others.
When you show compassion towards yourself and others, you acknowledge that everyone has a right to practice what they love without judgment. Help others when they’re in need. Celebrate their accomplishments. Also, be kind and forgiving to yourself. When you learn to love yourself, despite your mistakes, the ego has less power over you. See mistakes as opportunities to learn something new and move forward with greater wisdom and understanding.
Let go of judgment and comparison.
The ego loves to compare the self to others. It will imply that something is not worth doing if your performance is not perfect. This is to protect itself from failure or inadequacy. Remind yourself that your journey is not to be compared with that of other people, as you are a unique individual. Celebrate your successes and the successes of others to loosen the ego’s grip of envy.
Question the validity of your thoughts and beliefs.
Your thoughts and beliefs often come from long-ingrained conditioning deep in the subconscious mind. However, these beliefs may no longer serve your best interests. Keep a journal to record these outdated thoughts and your ideas about more valid beliefs. The ego has less control when you can see things from a different perspective.
Challenge yourself to think outside your comfort zone.
The ego is the voice in your head telling you that something’s not possible. It fears failure and disappointment. Feel the fear and step out of your comfort zone anyway. You might surprise yourself or learn something new during the process.
Acknowledge and accept your limits.
Your ego will often tell you that you can’t do something. However, it can also push you to be an overachiever. It may tell you that you have to do it all and please everyone in order to be adequate and successful. Be mindful of when the ego is pushing you too far in this direction and pause to check in with yourself.
Seek outside help and feedback.
You don’t need to feel shame or embarrassment when you ask for help—that’s your ego talking. Learn something new or gain greater insight into your actions by embracing the wealth of knowledge from your friends, family, and associates.
Choosing self-love over the control of the ego is an internal shift. When you invoke a deep love for your authentic Self and connect with your greatest passions, you can transform your life from struggle to ease.
Click here to claim your free tip sheet: 10 Ways To Love Yourself and discover a more profound love for your true Self.
Burnout, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Overwhelm, Receiving, Relationships, Self-Care, Self-Fulfillment, Self-Love, Spirituality, Uncategorized
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Although you are a spiritual being, you may struggle with unresolved issues stemming from your human experience. These issues tend to cause emotional and mental upset, which can keep you “asleep” and unaware that you are a spiritual being. Yet, at some point you may tire of the struggle and desire to embark on the path of spiritual evolution.
Spiritual evolution is the journey to find and experience the divine being at the core of your existence, also referred to as your true nature or higher self. To evolve spiritually, you must free your awareness from your ego, identities, and the conditioning of past experiences. This allows you to dissolve your unresolved issues and view life from new perspectives. This shift enables you to experience greater peace, joy, and ease. As a bonus, your growth contributes to the evolution of the human collective consciousness.
The Process of Spiritual Evolution
A key step to evolving spiritually is recognizing that you’re on a journey to discover your true nature. You deepen your introspection by engaging in spiritual practices such as journaling, meditation, and mindful movement. This provides you with greater clarity and insight. As you continue forward on your journey, you may notice certain indications that you’re evolving. Here are 3 stages of spiritual evolution:
Conscious Connection
Your subconscious stores an accumulated wealth of knowledge that isn’t always accessible to your conscious mind. As you evolve spiritually, you’ll experience greater mental clarity, and connections between the conscious and subconscious become more frequent and distinct. You might notice that your instincts are heightened or that you make decisions with greater confidence and ease. These are signs of an increased connection between your conscious and subconscious.
Awareness
Being present and living in the moment is a sign that you’re developing greater awareness. This awareness is essential to connecting with your true nature. Being at ease with uncertainty or finding joy in quiet moments are both indications of your growing awareness. Appreciate the moments when you are present and aware, as they bring more clarity and a deeper relatedness with your true self.
Awakening
An awakened mind sees the positive aspects of a situation more readily. You’ll find that you have greater faith in the Divine, allowing you to better trust your timeline. As you discover your deeper purpose, you’ll experience profound levels of insight and joy. Awakening to your true nature enables you to access and activate your greatest potential.
Tips to Remember
It takes time
Spiritual evolution is an ongoing journey. Throughout life, your true nature will provide guidance and wisdom. The more you trust in the Divine and stick with your spiritual practices, the greater chance there is of synchronicities appearing in your life.
It’s not always easy
Even when you engage in consistent spiritual practices, you may encounter obstacles. Choosing to stay on the path of spiritual evolution requires discipline. How you handle the challenges that occur will determine the extent to which you reap the rewards of ease and flow.
Major shifts might occur
Change can be uncomfortable at times. Yet, it’s important to your spiritual evolution. Your insights may invite shifts in such areas as your relationships, career, and lifestyle. Welcoming these shifts opens the door to receiving outcomes that are beyond your imagination.
As you look for signs of your spiritual evolution, you’ll be more inspired to remain on the path that leads to experiencing your true nature. For additional guidance on this journey, click here to claim your free gift, Evolve With Intention: Become The Highest Version of Yourself.
Burnout, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Overwhelm, Receiving, Relationships, Self-Care, Self-Fulfillment, Self-Love, Spirituality, Uncategorized
Evolution is typically defined as “a change in the genetic composition of a population over successive generations.” When we hear “evolution”, we tend to think of the progressive change of a species adapting gradually over time in response to their shifting environment.
This article will address evolution from a spiritual perspective. For simplification, let’s say that evolution is a process of growth and change that usually produces a stronger, more advanced form that is better able to thrive in an existing environment.
The term “spiritual evolution” indicates that our mind and spirit evolves from a simple form, that’s dominated by nature and the physical world, to a higher form dominated by the Spiritual or Divine. In plain language, it’s the growth and transformation of your soul and the awakening of your higher Self. Therefore, understanding how to evolve can guide you on an unimaginable journey of self-discovery.
As you move through life, any number of circumstances can encourage your personal evolution. The choices you make in response to these occurrences are catalysts for the evolution of your Soul. These defining moments allow for transformational shifts in your journey and encourage growth and self-discovery, which are key to achieving success with greater fulfillment and joy.
4 Questions To Guide You Through Evolutionary Change
Where are you in your evolution?
The first step to realizing your full potential is to acknowledge that your journey has already begun. Recognizing where you are on your journey and where you desire to be helps you continue forward with greater confidence. Consider your past, your future, how far you’ve come, and the values you want to convey to the world. As you reach greater levels of awareness, you may discover you’re further along in your evolution than you thought or you might uncover new aspirations for growth.
How do you perceive your past choices?
As you reflect on your journey, you might feel regret about a moment in the past. If this occurs, it’s important to understand that dwelling on past mistakes can prevent forward movement. When you are able to look back and recognize these moments as learning experiences instead, you shift your narrative.
How do you respond to change?
Your response to challenges can significantly impact upon your evolutionary process. As you grow spiritually, you begin to shed your ego and embrace greater self-awareness. So when you are faced with unexpected external events, instead of reacting without thinking, you’ll be able to respond more consciously and with greater clarity. Learning to accept even the most difficult circumstances with greater ease creates the space for new opportunities and paths to show up.
What tools can help you have a positive evolutionary experience?
When a life event occurs, it may not seem clear at first how it will impact your growth. There are tools, or spiritual practices, that can provide the clarity and perspective to evolve with greater ease. Below are a few of these practices and how they work:
- Mindful movement: relaxes the body and calms the mind. Mindful movement is any activity that is done with intention and allows you to focus on your breath in order to create stillness in the mind.
- Journaling: evokes subconscious thoughts for greater mental clarity.
- Spoken affirmations: encourages greater confidence and ease during uncertain times.
- Gratitude: a reminder of how far you’ve come in life and the growth you’ve accomplished on your journey. Practicing gratitude daily to acknowledge all that you have can bring even more blessings into your life.
Spiritual evolution is a personal journey that might be prompted by an undesirable or unexpected circumstance. When you understand that any experience is a part of your evolutionary journey, you are better able to harness its positive aspects for a greater connection with your higher Self.
Looking for more? Click here to claim your free guide: Reinvent Yourself: Embrace Who You Truly Are and discover how to evolve into the greatest version of your Self.
This year, let life’s changes inspire your journey of evolution.
Burnout, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Overwhelm, Receiving, Relationships, Self-Care, Self-Fulfillment, Self-Love, Spirituality, Uncategorized
My previous article, How To Share Your Blessings With Your Community, responds to the question, “What can I do for the community?”. In it, I addressed how sharing your blessings with your community can evoke fulfillment, especially around the holidays.
However, community can also benefit you in other ways.
You may be wondering, “What do you mean by community connection and how can it serve me?”
A community is composed of like-minded individuals who share common interests and goals. Connecting with community can spark passion, align you with your purpose, and fuel your dreams.
Whether you’re feeling disconnected from your purpose… Or lacking the strength of passion that you once possessed… It could be that your journey requires the giving and receiving of support that can come from being in community with other high-achieving women.
Connecting with like-minded women can reactivate your passion, provide insight, and encourage you to realign with your life’s true purpose.
How community encourages passion and life purpose:
Elicits communication and truth
Communicating with others can give rise to unrecognized aspects of your true self. Expressing yourself with those who give you permission to be fully YOU allows for the discovery of deeper truths within, as well as greater insights into your journey.
Boosts confidence
It is not unusual for our thoughts to spin out into ‘what if’ narratives. This can lead to self-doubt and stuckness. Your affiliation with a community that cheers you on can boost your confidence to continue forward on your path.
Provides alternate perspectives and possibilities
Perhaps you’re at a crossroads in your journey. You’re not sure which direction to take. Or you’re questioning whether your current path will lead to the desired result. Access to community provides you with the opportunity to receive different perspectives and broader possibilities. This allows for shifts in your mindset that you might not have otherwise experienced.
Helps overcome unhealthy emotions
Feelings of fear, anger, or unworthiness can negatively impact your journey. However, when you’re connected with a group of women who share your interests and values, it’s easier to shake these unhealthy emotions. Community can encourage laughter, joy, and support that clears the way for aligned action.
Supports alignment with purpose
Your purpose or legacy isn’t always clear to see. And, getting to a place where you have more clarity can be a journey. With a community of like-minded women as your champions, you’re that much closer to aligning yourself with your greater purpose.
3 Ways to connect with community
Attend events
Connecting with others requires action on your part. You may need to step out of your comfort zone or adjust your normal routine to find a community that resonates with you. Consider taking classes that feed your interests or attending meet-ups and programs happening in neighboring areas. You can even join virtual communities that connect through online or in-person events.
Explore public spaces
Find public places that appeal to your interests. If you love being outdoors and have a passion for nature, move some of your activities to a nearby park. If you love business, move to a co-work space that could evoke associations with others who have similar goals. This might not be a formal community, however, a communal space can be a good place to start expanding your connections.
Schedule time
A big part of uniting with a community is making the time to connect. Perhaps you already have a network of like-minded friends who can serve as your community. Then, it’s merely a matter of scheduling get-togethers where you can share your thoughts, goals, and dreams. And don’t forget to ask how you can support each other moving forward.
If you’re uninspired, unmotivated, or lacking passion to move forward, community can provide the support you desire. Connecting with like-minded women can bring greater purpose and joy to your journey.
For additional ways to stimulate your life journey, click here to claim your free Tip Sheet: 8 Simple Strategies For Greater Passion And Purpose.
Embrace community and discover greater inspiration on your path of purpose.
Burnout, Overwhelm, Self-Care, Self-Love
During the holiday season last year, we explored how to discover your inner sanctuary.
And with the year we’ve had, retreating to your inner sanctuary may have felt like a great option.
Yet, you may not have gone there as often as you intended.
And I understand.
This year has been hectic. Undergoing a global pandemic with shifting circumstances and now tackling holiday errands has added to the pile on your plate.
So you kept putting off self-care and visits to your inner sanctuary. You were busy, and you needed to be there for your family. That’s excusable, right?
This is the pitfall I see so many women fall into… Thinking that your well-being is optional.
Rather, it’s the opposite. Self-care is the pathway to success, abundance, and growth.
If it’s been a while, it’s time to brush the cobwebs from your inner sanctuary and restore it to a temple of peace and reverence.
But first things first…
What is Your Inner Sanctuary?
Your inner sanctuary is the sacred space within you where you can retreat.
Only you have access to your sanctuary.
And your inner sanctuary can be whatever you need it to be.
For now, it can be a place of solitude, serenity, and silence.
It can also shift over time. When you feel like you’re in a rut, your inner sanctuary can also be a destination for inspiration, creativity, and empowerment.
Your inner sanctuary is how you define it, and whatever serves you best throughout your life.
Why Is Your Inner Sanctuary So Important?
2020 confirmed that we can’t always visit an external destination to feel peace.
With businesses closed, you couldn’t retreat to the spa for the afternoon. You might have even needed to postpone your travel plans.
When your external world is affected, the only place you can find relief is your internal world.
You can find sanctuary and peace within yourself.
So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and burned out, you know that you can visit your inner sanctuary to feel centered and revitalized again.
But the thing is, your inner sanctuary serves you best only when you visit it regularly. Otherwise, you may be denying yourself all the benefits it has to offer.
How to Restore Your Sanctuary If You Haven’t Visited It For a While
Last holiday season, we talked about how to discover your sanctuary. But if it’s been a while since you visited it, you may have noticed some things have changed. In this technological age, your mind may feel like it’s hooked to a dopamine drip. You crave constant stimulation, and you find it in television, social media, or your emails.
Rediscovering your inner sanctuary is difficult when your attention is splintered.
So, here’s a meditation for restoring your inner sanctuary to the oasis of peace and inspiration you desire…
#1 Relax Your Senses
Find a quiet room where there’s a comfortable place to sit (be sure to leave your phone in another room and turn off the ringer).
Close your eyes.
Breathe in through your nose slowly to the count of five.
Then exhale slowly through your mouth to the count of ten (let the world around you melt away).
#2 Visualize Your Inner Sanctuary in Disrepair
If it’s been a while since you last visited your inner sanctuary, let its appearance reflect this.
Let’s say your sanctuary is a small cottage in a peaceful meadow. Imagine a thick layer of dust has settled everywhere. Cobwebs accumulated in every corner, and the plant life around you has browned. The sky is overcast, with no sunshine to warm you.
This may feel unsettling. But let this serve as a visual reminder of what happens when you don’t regularly care for yourself.
“Self-care is a practice that warrants active attention to strengthen your well-being,” said Shainna Ali, Ph.D. in Psychology Today. When you put self-care on the back burner, your health suffers — you feel anxious, your muscles ache, and your focus blurs.
When you don’t visit your sanctuary regularly, it also suffers from neglect.
#3 Now, Visualize Your Inner Sanctuary Being Restored
Continue with your deep breathing. Imagine your inner sanctuary being restored with each out-breath.
Slowly, the sun peeks from behind the clouds. The dust lifts from the surfaces. The plants slowly spring to life in vibrant greens, yellows, and pinks. The sound of birds chirping fills the air.
Immerse your senses — sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell — with all the sensations that delight you.
Experience every moment. Feel truly present within your inner sanctuary.
#4 Recognize How This Makes You Feel
As you embrace your senses, tune in to how you feel within your inner sanctuary.
Do you feel safe and at peace? Notice that.
Do you feel clarity and purpose? Notice that.
Do you feel empowered and inspired? Notice that.
Identify the emotions you are feeling and etch them within your heart.
What you’re doing is creating a strong emotional connection to your inner sanctuary.
When your physical world feels like it’s chaos and you’re pulled in every direction, a strong emotional connection to your inner sanctuary may encourage you to return again and again.
Make Visiting Your Inner Sanctuary Part of Your Self-Care Routine
The beautiful part of your inner sanctuary is that it’s always there when you need it.
But you might take that for granted and not visit as often as you would like.
Remember: your inner sanctuary isn’t solely for when you’re feeling overextended or signs of burnout.
It’s a place you can visit every day, especially during the hectic holiday season.
Just as you would practice self-care every day, make visiting your inner sanctuary a non-negotiable daily practice.
Imagine visiting your inner sanctuary each morning. In this way, before you give yourself away to the world, you explore the world within you.
You’re at peace. You’re centered. And you’re grounded, ready to face the day ahead.
Sometimes the best holiday gifts are the ones that cost nothing at all. That’s why I offer you this free gift: a list of my favorite holiday self-care practices (which take 15 minutes or less). These small acts of self-love can remind you how important it is to prioritize self-care and your well-being during this special time of year.
Click here to claim your copy of 24 of My Favorite Holiday Self-Care Activities That Take Less Than 15 Minutes.
I hope that you use this list to take time for yourself during this holiday season.
If you’re not already part of my online community, click here now to sign up and make sure you’re the first to know when there’s a new weekly blog, free gift, program, and other helpful tips for how to overcome struggle and overwhelm and create your best life with ease.
Burnout, Overwhelm, Self-Care, Self-Love
Thinking about scheduling time off from work to enjoy a little self-care for the holidays?
A staycation to spend your downtime relaxing at home with your family may be the break you desire. Yet, if you’re not mindful of your time, your staycation can be anything but restful.
You imagine yourself unwinding and enjoying the space, ease, and quiet. Instead, you’re spending more time socializing, spending money, running errands, and completing seasonal tasks. Before you know it, your staycation is over and you hardly feel rested at all!
During a staycation, it feels like you have all the time in the world. But if you’re not careful, you’ll spend all that time and have none leftover for yourself.
If you want to feel well-rested and rejuvenated during this time of the year, take time for yourself first.
Why Caring For Yourself is Crucial, Especially During the Holidays
Your to-do list feels like it’s growing each day, but your days feel shorter than ever (especially after the time change!).
So what might you do?
You overextend yourself.
You’re busy at every moment — cooking, shopping, cleaning, wrapping gifts, decorating… the list goes on!
But what happens once you overextend yourself? According to Psych Central, you may start experiencing:
- Headaches and muscle tension
- Fatigue
- Appetite changes
- Disruption in sleep patterns
- Lack of focus
- Poor judgment
- Nervousness or anxiousness
- Hopelessness
- Anger
All of these symptoms put you on track to feeling overwhelmed and experiencing signs of burnout!
You heard that right. You take time off to enjoy the holidays and wind up experiencing burnout instead! And the last thing you want for the new year is to feel overwhelmed with life.
The first thing you want to do is create more free time and space in your life during your staycation. If you’re a perfectionist and over-achiever, you might want to do everything yourself. As a recovering perfectionist and over-achiever, I feel you. So, if you’re taking time off for the holidays, these tips can help you dedicate some of that time to YOU.
Self-Care for the Holidays: Take Time for Yourself (So You Can Feel Rested and Centered During Your Staycation)
#1 Maintain Your Morning Routine
When you’re taking time off, it’s tempting to stay in bed all day.
Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t sleep in. Feel free to catch a few extra hours of sleep — you deserve it!
What I am saying is that even when you’re taking time off from work, your morning routine need not take a break. Remember: your morning practices are meant to benefit you. This daily ritual ensures that you give time to YOU before you give it away to others.
Even if it means you’re starting it one or two hours later because you’re sleeping in, stick with it. Your morning routine can keep you grounded and empowered for the day that awaits you.
Some of my favorite practices I do in my morning routine include:
- Stretching
- Meditating
- Journaling my thoughts and emotions
- Practicing gratitude
- Applying and diffusing essential oils (aromatherapy does wonders for calming your body and reducing stress)
Doing just these five things helps me start my day feeling invigorated and inspired. And with all the shopping and decorating you might have to do, wouldn’t you want to tackle them feeling empowered?
#2 Gift Yourself the Present Moment
During the holiday season, it can feel like so many things are competing for your attention. You’re putting up holiday decorations, checking people off your gift list, and writing messages in your holiday cards.
Sometimes, you forget that the present moment is HERE and you’re living it right now.
To remind myself to be more mindful of the present moment, I practice sensory self-care. Sensory self-care is tending to your five senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing). And during the holidays, there are so many special opportunities to give your senses some attention:
- When it’s feeling chilly, light the fireplace and enjoy your favorite hot drink
- Run a hot bath and light your favorite scented candle (might I recommend holiday scents of pine or cinnamon?)
- Drive through neighborhoods while playing holiday tunes and admire how families decorate their homes with Christmas lights
- Try a new holiday recipe with the family and let the delicious aromas waft through your home
Delighting your senses during the holiday season can make this time of year even more memorable.
#3 Express Gratitude for Yourself
You’ve worked so hard, and now you’re taking some well-deserved time off.
This staycation is a sign of gratitude for yourself, an acknowledgement of all you have achieved this year.
Nobody will argue that it has been a crazy year.
You’ve gone through so much — a pandemic, social tensions, and now we have political developments to wrap up 2020.
We have ALL been affected. If you felt isolated or fearful during this year, it’s understandable.
Yet, you have made it to the end of the year.
Your hard work, resilience, and commitment to yourself and your family have only empowered you.
And you deserve recognition for that.
And even though it may feel silly, the next time you see yourself in the mirror, tell yourself, “Thank you for all you have done. I appreciate you.”
Reclaim Your Time and Give It To Yourself
During this time of the year, it’s easy to give all our time away, whether to holiday tasks or socializing with others. Instead of feeling centered, you feel like you’re pulled in every direction.
It’s time to stop feeling overwhelmed this holiday season and start feeling well-rested, replenished, and inspired.
This only happens when you set aside time for yourself and use it for self-care and self-love.
If you need a little inspiration for self-care activities that will revitalize you, I offer you a free gift: a list of my favorite holiday self-care practices (which take 15 minutes or less). These small acts of self-love can remind you how important it is to prioritize self-care and your well-being during this special time of year.
Click here to claim your copy of 24 of My Favorite Holiday Self-Care Activities That Take Less Than 15 Minutes.
I hope your holidays are filled with warmth, joy and ease. Take care and happy holidays!
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