As the fall rolls around it sometimes feels like the colder days approach us faster than we’d like. This is the season we typically see more colds and flus than any other time of year.
There is so much that we can do to support our immunity so that we stay strong, especially as the holiday season approaches us. Stress in our lives is a real thing and it impacts our immune system negatively, so using these tips below will assist you with the strongest immune system that will fight any issue.
Here are some simple ideas that you can implement so that you can fight any giant.
Sleep - this is the #1 thing that is necessary for a strong immune system. You could be eating the best, taking your antioxidants, managing stress, exercising and more. If you don’t sleep well or are tired when you wake it will throw all the good things off. These other things are important however, sleep wraps it up into a nice bow.
Drink more water -I know you’ve heard it before and I will likely share it again. Water is our most important nutrient and its what most don’t focus on even when they know they should. We use 2.5 litres of water a day just to function. If we’re not replenishing and even giving our organs and body systems the water it needs then our immune system won’t work at its best. Add lemon, cucumber, mint or even chlorophyll to your water for that extra yumminess and nutrition.
Eat more colour - The typically SAD (Standard American Diet) offers few deep coloured vegetables and more potatoes in the form of fries. Phytonutrients are essential for a strong immune system. The more colour you can get into your body throughout each day the better. The deep colour represents antioxidant power which helps your immune system fight off disease. It also helps to alkalize your body and when your body is more alkaline disease cannot live.
Get Fresh Air - we are a society that is indoors more than outdoors. Getting yourself outside in the fresh air will increase your energy, get you moving (which is important for lymphatic flow), improve mental health and is so important for your immune health. Sunshine and fresh air does a body good!!
You can grab your Free Immune Guide here, if you’d like to learn more about how you can improve your energy, sleep deeper, and age gracefully as you bullet-proof your body from disease. >>Your Free Immune Guide<<
Kristen Owens
Holistic Nutritionist, Natural Health Educator & Essential Oil Educator
Kristen is a mom of 3 and has been privileged to work in the wellness industry for the last 25 years. She has a passion for working with women with busy lives to guide them into becoming their own health advocates. They are free’d from excess weight, fatigue, cravings, imbalanced hormones and feeling 10-15 years older. Kristen puts the ease and fun back into making her health a priority as she becomes the CEO of her wellness.
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You can’t explain it but you feel different. You even have the sensation to have become a new person, which has nothing to do with the one you were before. The reason you're seeking is because your soul instinctively knows that it's ready to grow and shift into a new, higher vibration. As I understand it, this growth can result in aches and pains, as the lower densities inside you move through and are transformed.
The journey to become “woke” is unlike any other and there are certainly no shortcuts or set time frames to get us there. The clearest way in which spiritual awakening manifests itself is in terms of the wakeful person’s different perception and experience of the world around them. It can at times, honestly feel like you’re going crazy! In the first stages it can also feel lonely and overwhelming. But bit by bit we start to see the beauty of life unfolding as we seek the magic that each day brings.
When the filters of social conditioning begin to dissolve, more impressions come into our minds and affect us more powerfully.
Most Common Signs of Spiritual Awakening:
1. Intensified Perception
This intensity of perception is sometimes experienced as openness to experience or, in slightly different terms, an increased sensitivity. We become acutely aware of our environment, those around us and whatever is happening in each given moment.
2. Increased Timelessness
As our sense of ego becomes weaker, the more linear time seems to fade away. Our perception of time slows and expands — and eventually disappears into now-ness.
3. Awareness of Spiritual Energy
Every moment offers the sense of being both magnificent and also very ordinary. We come to understand that this life force is the “source,” of something underlying and fundamental that doesn’t just pervade all things but gives rise to them, too. This is the space where we become master manifestors.
4. Aliveness & Harmony
We see and recognize that all things shine with the radiant aliveness of spirit. All things in existence have a quality of bliss or joy so when we perceive their presence in the world, there’s a sense of harmony, a feeling of “oneness”.
5. Inner Quietness
Say goodbye to the endless inner noise of our thought-chatter! We align with the things that connect us to the essence of our being, beyond our ego-identity, and strengthen our sense of inter-connectedness.
6. Transcendence of Separation
Separation dissolves into connection. We no longer feel that we’re “in here” looking out at a world that seems to be “out there.” This sense of connection manifests itself in different ways; at the most basic level, we may feel strongly connected to other human beings, other living beings in general, or to the whole natural world. This shifts to the realization that not only are we one with the world but that we actually are the world.
7. Empathy and Compassion
My fellow empaths, you know this all too well; this ability to “feel with” other beings gives rise to compassion and love. Love stems from a sense of connection and oneness, a sense that you are another person — or other people — and so you belong to them and share their experience.
8. Well-Being
Spiritually awakened people are more likely to feel a sense of gratitude for their health and are much less prone to negative states such as boredom, loneliness, and dissatisfaction. We know we are and always have enough.
9. No longer Fear Death
The ego feels especially fragile in the face of death. When our own ego isn’t the epicenter of our universe anymore, its demise no longer seems so devastating. We know that our own death isn’t the end of all things; the world that is part of our identity and the essence of our being will continue to exist after the dissolution of our bodies.
10. Enjoyment of Inactivity: The Ability to “Be”
If you love doing nothing, you’re on the right track! Solitude, quietness, and inactivity; we can rest contentedly within our own being because there’s no turbulence or discord inside us. Instead, we enjoy them deeply because they allow us to touch into the radiance of our own well-being.
11. Autonomy: Living More Authentically
We finally realize that that all this time we weren’t living our own lives but largely just following social conventions or trying to please other people. We become more autonomous and inner-directed. We step into our power with greater confidence in our choices and preferences and we hold ourselves accountable to stand by them, even in the face of ridicule or rejection.
Each day, many people are becoming more conscious and aware to want to take their lives back into their own hands and escape the model imposed by society in order to really know happiness and live the life they truly want to live. As our consciousness grows, the meaning of life changes for us, and we have new aspirations and inspirations, coupled with the desire to change ourselves in order to change the world.
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Do
rothy Knight is a Reiki Master Practitioner &Teacher, a Yoga Instructor and wholehearted writer. She currently practices Reiki in Mississauga. She is a certified Reiki Master in the Usui Method of Natural Healing. Her passion is to empower people to reach their greatest potential of health and wellness through Reiki healing methods dorothyknightreiki.ca. Dorothy is also one of our featured speakers and energy expansion expert at our upcoming HHW “Pure Expansion” summit! Find out more and get your tickets here
Oh, the ever elusive happiness.
Is it just a fleeting emotion? Is it something that we can reach and actually sustain?
Researchers have been studying happiness and wellbeing for a few decades now. And they have discovered some pretty fascinating things.
And although some of it has caught on in the mainstream media, (gratitude, yes, start a gratitude practice, gratitude boosts our well being and level of happiness) a lot of it hasn’t yet.
And a lot of what hasn’t really caught on yet is actually pretty transformative.
Here is an interesting fact that can shift your perspective a little bit and nudge you in a good direction, if you’re wondering why it’s so hard to just be happy.
Today’s Happiness Fact:
We’re not wired to be happy. We’re wired for survival
What does that mean? Well, it means that the “bad” is stronger and more attention-getting than the good. This is called the negativity bias. And we all have it.
You know how you can do a presentation or a project and you can receive a whole bunch of compliments and they feel, well, pretty good. But then you get that one little criticism and …OUCH!! Exactly. The bad is more attention-getting than the good. You feel the “bad” with a lot more intensity than you feel the “good.” Or you know how having something stuck in your teeth, or a tiny pebble in your shoe can practically ruin an otherwise perfectly good day?
Our minds are wired to notice and pay attention to what’s wrong around us. We evolved this way because it helped us to survive. Our ancient ancestors that noticed and tended to the potential dangers in our surroundings (what was wrong or what might be wrong) instead of just noticing what was good, were more likely to survive the tigers, the poison berries, and whatever else posed a risk in their environments.
But what does that mean for us now? Getting some negative feedback isn’t likely to affect our survival, but it definitely can affect our mood. And focusing our attention on every little thing that is wrong in our lives can leave us feeling pretty down. No wonder it’s so hard to feel happy, even when things are going well!
So what can we do about it?
A powerful thing we can do is to amp up the positive. This fits in with one of the other amazing things that scientists have learned about our brains pretty recently. Our brains are constantly changing. And we can wire and rewire our brains with our thoughts and behaviours. This is called neuroplasticity.
So focusing on what’s good around us, deliberately, and creating a habit out of it, actually changes our brain to see more of what’s good. You see, what we practice we get better at. And that includes where we put our attention. That’s a big reason why gratitude is so important and valuable for boosting our happiness and wellbeing. It counters the negativity bias and changes our brain to see more of what’s good.
What else? Savouring and mindfulness are also powerful tools you can use and actions you can take. And there are also strategies to challenge your negative thoughts head on. Learn about them on my future posts, or sign up to one of my online Flourishing Skills Groups where we do a deep dive into all of this cool stuff. And we do it while building a heart-centred community and connection, which is another key component of wellbeing and happiness.
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Lina Maria is a certified life coach and well-being educator with a background in Positive Psychology. Her drive has always been to find the most effective way to bring meaningful, positive social change to societies and the world. She combines her knowledge of the science of optimal human functioning and wellbeing with her experience in education and coaching to bring powerful and effective change to people’s lives through coaching, Flourishing Skills Groups, and workshops.
Through personal coaching, Lina Maria provides a safe and supportive space combined with powerful solution-focused questioning and reflection to support you to find clarity and direction for moving forward in the direction you want to go in your life. Schedule a free life goals assessment and coaching session. And stay up to date on my events and other cool wellbeing science-related stuff by Following me on Facebook.
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As we begin thinking about the fall… I know, hold on to the last week of summer! And still, it is time to look to the next month. And 7 years ago, the fall saw me entering the second half of my Master’s work on Gender Equity and the Engineering Workplace. Beyond feeling ‘wow, it’s been that long?!?’ I remember hearing myself present my research, and watching the faces in the audience as they heard the information for the first time.
One of the key concepts that stood out for me, and them, was the notion that the % of a behaviour that the people within the engineering profession accept, is the % that will never change. For example, if you accept 37% of a situation as undesirable, than 37% of that situation will remain undesirable. Therefore, changing the dynamics or structure of a given situation becomes impossible. Thinking back, no wonder I was hitting glass ceilings!
Reflecting on how 2019 has gone so far, I can recognize situations where I simply accepted what was in front of me, instead of expecting a better, more desired outcome. And yes, the situations where I expected more stand out like the shining beacon of light, that they are.
However, it’s those moments of just accepting that become our growth points for greatness. In those moment, by essentially letting others, and myself, off the hook and just accepting the situation, we said no to stretching into bigger and better versions of ourselves. By only accepting, we stay within our comfort zone, and as my mentor Dr. Kim Redman is always reminding us – Comfort and Growth don’t hang out at the bar together… And every time you accept something as “the way things are done” you down the possibility for change.
For myself, I had accepted that evolving STEM fields into inclusive, equitable professions would be hard, difficult, impossible. No longer. I now know that change is possible, and that we can even quantify the process of change. We know HOW to guarantee that it happens.
Now I’m curious – what have you been accepting, when you should be expecting, instead? And how can you flip that around and expect more from the rest of your 2019???
“Expect, Don’t Accept.” ~ An Uncomplicated Life, Paul Daugherty
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Shannon is also honoured to be the Branch Director for HHW Central Toronto, Ontario (where she runs the Secrets of Stress Success event 😊)
With summer well underway, we are likely spending more time and/or vacationing with family. While family is supposed to be our safe haven, sometimes, unfortunately family is where we find the deepest heartache. Since our birth into this world, our relationship with our family is the closest bond we form in this lifetime. The foundation of our mental and emotional being is established within our family ties.
Much of your relationship with yourself and others stems from your childhood. Being treated badly by someone is painful enough, but when you’re hurt by a family member, it can be especially hard to overcome.
Almost every one of us knows and has a family member that just puts us on edge, is unpleasant to be around and may even put you down. You know who they are! When there is a family function you moan that you have to be in the same room with them. Or you feel attacked when they criticize your choices and how you live your life. I’ve got a few of those people in my life too!
While a good drama makes for some interesting conversation at the family BBQ, besides the leftovers, it’s better not to take that energy home with you!
How to deal with toxic energy:
3. Beware of manipulation! Your family member may lash out at you for speaking your truth. They may spread rumors about you, try to get other family members not to speak to you, or try to manipulate you into repairing the relationship. Use this experience to teach you what you will and will not accept from the people in your life; be firm about your boundaries in the future.
4. Limit your time. Do whatever it takes to limit the amount of time you have to spend with the toxic family/family member. Try to not allow yourself to get sucked back in.
5. Learn ways to protect yourself. Practice meditation and learn to protect your energy field with energy work such as, Reiki.
Take charge of your life and your happiness. Don’t wait for others to give it to you. Many of my clients are tied to the drama in their relationships that create emotional blockages and drain their vital energy.
So much release happens for my clients from just talking to me before we even begin the session! It is essential to seek guidance for yourself. Talk to someone, anyone who will listen and someone you feel comfortable with. Ask for help with change and with taking risks. Surround yourself with people that lift your spirits and support you. While we can’t choose our family, we can choose how we respond to them.
Even a family that looks “perfect” from the outside can have its own problems and drama. Cutting ties with a family member is the one of the hardest and best things you can do for your mental health! You take your power back by setting clear boundaries; you can begin to move on.
Dorothy Knight is a Reiki Master Teacher, Yoga Instructor and wholehearted writer. She currently practices Reiki in Mississauga. She is a certified Reiki Master in the Usui Method of Natural Healing. Her passion is to empower people to reach their greatest potential of health and wellness through Reiki healing methods.
“Shift Happens”
It’s easier than you think.
"What should I do with my life?"
Isn't this the most important question you might ask yourself?
Creating a life you love is a beautiful thing, and figuring out what makes you happy personally and professionally is a way to start chipping away at this ultimate life question.
Many of my clients fall into careers after college or university or succumb to parental influences or societal norms about good jobs out there. They haven’t invested in themselves to make the best choices – much less created a vision for how they want their lives to be.
Then, these clients get to a stage in life where they are bored, unfulfilled, stuck, and at loose ends. Sometimes this happens after a significant life change, like losing a job, having a child, going through a divorce, or kids leaving the nest. They know there is something out there they’d like to do – something more purposeful and joyful, but they have no idea how to uncover it.
I get it because I was once there, too. And, here’s what I learned: life is too short not to do what you love.
The good news is that figuring out how to spend your time meaningfully doesn’t have to include anything drastic like quitting your job tomorrow or spending a month in a monastery (although these could be exhilarating and soul-stirring approaches).
You could start with journaling or speaking with a trusted advisor, coach, or friend to get more insights. Quite often, you overlook thenatural talents that others see more clearly.
For help identifying possibilities, I use several tools with clients, including career assessments and personality instruments. These draw out our passions, occupational interests, information about how you like to learn, what work environment may bring out your best, and your innate preferences and ways of working. They don’t tell you precisely what you should do with your career and life; they give you something much more empowering: greater clarity and valuable options.
If you’ve tried other tactics to figure out what to do with your life without success, now might be the time to open yourself up to the possibilities that a world renown assessment and a professionally facilitated self-discovery process can bring.
Find out:
What if you could get up every morning with gratitude and excitement about what the day would bring?
When you love what you do, you feel energized and fulfilled, and ready to give your best. This is the ultimate in experiencing joy.
And the fantastic thing is, you can find that perfect job and enrich your life in ways you never thought possible once you figure out what you should do with your life.
Lisa Petsinis is an ICF certified life and career coach who works with resourceful women who want to rediscover their brilliance and create alife they love. She is a former Certified HR Leader who has worked withprofessionals for decades to chart their career development, and now she uses her coaching skills with clients more holistically -- as well as certifications in the Strong Interest Inventory® and MBTI® -- to explore new visions for their lives. Visit her website to learn about her coaching programs, including “What To Do With My Life,” and upcoming events.You can also contact Lisa for a discovery call or sign up for her newsletter for even more advice and inspiration.
Big presentation tomorrow. Networking event later today. Your boss calls you into their office. Cue the beginnings of stress - the nervous butterflies in your stomach, followed by worry and then doubt about your abilities. As this feeling washes over your entire body, you mind goes blank, what are you going to say? You look around and there's no way out! What do you do?!?
Phew, take a breath. In and Out.
The problem comes when adrenaline fires without a Saber Tooth Tiger present, when our old brain triggers the fight or flight response simple because something is new… which happens all the time.
Good news! You use this normal, neutral, natural fuel to move you forward! Instead of shutting down, learn the science of stress and how to flow with adrenaline, using it to move you and your team forward. In a matter of seconds, just 2 breaths!, run through these 2 secrets to calm your mind, block out the crazy energy and find your words, painting a different picture of your situation.
A – Grounding
B – Bubbling aka Shields Up!
So, the next time the nervous butterflies in your stomach begin, quickly spreading to the rest of your body and your hands begin to shake… Despite the roaring in your ears, both blocking out and amplifying the sounds around you… Instead of looking for a way out, wishing it would all just stop…
Ground & Bubble!
And Ace that Presentation. Stay calm and collected during conflict between team members. Speak up with confidence.
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Shannon is also honoured to be the Branch Director for HHW Central Toronto, Ontario (where she runs the Secrets of Stress Success event 😊 )
Just over a week ago I remember thinking, 'Summer in Canmore sure is amazing (and it is!) and I just LOVE how we're pretty much mosquito free here.' Well ... then they hatched. It's not like other places I have been but by the end of my morning meditation I had numerous patches of blood - my own - on my hands, my thighs, my ankles, my forehead - and I felt anything but relaxed ... I was leaning towards crazy!!!
Here are some strategies that have helped me in the past that I'm now implementing …
1. Changing my scent - you know how some people just don't get bitten and we all have our own scent? No one has figured it all out yet but there are certain things that can change that scent from the inside out and it makes sense to me that this is part of the puzzle - just think about how your sweat smells after you have had a lot of curry or garlic or if you are a woman, how your scent smells around hormonal changes and PMS. In the past B vitamins and garlic are two of the things I increased internally to change my scent when I was travelling in countries where malaria was present and it seemed to work well for me so I'm getting back on that.
2. Physical protection - mosquito nets, jackets, long sleeves and long, light pants, all of that - of course doing what you can to protect yourself - especially at night is super helpful. I know too much about pesticides and DEET to want to put any of the standard repellents on me or my kids and have been very happy with a spray called 'Summer Survivor' that is made of essential oils mainly catnip oil. It smells great and works well and I'm crossing my fingers that my local health food store has some. Rocky Mountain Soap Co. has come out with a "Hydrating Outdoor Spray" that has some great insect repellent type ingredients in there too including catnip oil so that's another great option as well that a fellow mama brought for the fairy camp crew that we all thought was helpful.
FYI - There are studies talking about how the warmer you are the more mosquitoes are attracted to you and the more carbon dioxide you breathe out the more they are lovin' you as well and right after a can of beer ... lovin' you! ... and how white clothing and not moving makes you less attractive and .... really, at the end of the day no one has figured it completely out yet and so do what makes sense enough to you and now what to do about the bites?!
3. Treating the bites to decrease itch and scarring ...
My favourites have been R30 ointment from Bio Lonreco, Lavender Essential Oil, to lemon juice on the bite, (or the old standby I used as a kid of making an x on the bite with my nails!) and a couple days ago I have been turned onto a product called Therapik (from MEC) - it is a battery operated handheld little device that you put on the bite and I have to tell you it worked like a charm to take away the swelling and itch - this may be my new favourite!
For you oil lovers, here is a simple, healthy after-bite essential oil option from Lea Harris that would be easy to find the ingredients for. I like the idea of the roller especially for my daughter to use easily at camp but putting a drop of each - Lavender and Tea Tree - directly on (applying it "neat") is how I would do this for myself at home.
Instructions
Hope this helps you and your family enjoy everything Summer time brings that much more! xo
Dr. Monika Herwig ND is a Naturopathic Doctor, mother of 2, Calm-Joyful Mom Mentor and a Trailblazer with Happy Healthy Women in Canmore, Alberta. She practices Mind-Body Medicine especially around Adrenal, Gut and Mental Health in her clinic and leads Wellness Workshops and Retreats locally and internationally. Dr. Monika supports heart centered women shine their light and share their gifts with the world without burning out. She is especially passionate about supporting moms and creative women and runs yearly Fairy Nature Camps for her clients’ children (and herself!).
To connect with Dr. Monika to see if she can support you naturally with health concerns you or your family have or in creating a calm, joy filled home life you can set up a clarity call through calling her office at (403) 609-8385or texting her at (403) 678-7901. Her website is www.opentowellness.ca.
If you asked me what being an entrepreneur is like I would have to say, “It’s hard. Plain and simple, being in business for yourself takes effort, a lot of time and it’s can be lonely.”
On the outside, it’s portrayed as all rainbows and unicorns. On the inside, it’s exhausting and, at times, discouraging. “Will I ever be successful? Do I have what it takes? Can my adrenals survive this?” are just a few of the questions that take up my headspace.
Let’s be honest, most of us are drawn into becoming an entrepreneur under the guise of the freedom it will afford us. Entrepreneurs are driven. It’s the double-edged sword that lends to no boundaries between our personal and business lives and before you know it, we’re working all the time.
Been there, doing that.
With a few years behind me now, I see what’s really been going on through this entrepreneur journey; my business has been a chrysalis of healing for me. I fled the corporate world of money and security to follow my dream and find my purpose. Except I didn’t really know what that was. I just knew on a deeper level to take one step at a time towards my interests and passions and the journey back to me began.
I believed I had to let go of the money to do meaningful work; that it was an “either/or” choice.
Interestingly, the constant thread in both worlds was my need to strive and work hard. The common denominator was me and the deeply rooted belief that my success was defined by my external world.
Funny enough, I recreated the same situation except I was no longer making a lot of money! I thought I had to choose one over the other and now see how my lack and scarcity mindset of climbing the corporate ladder transferred over to battling it out in the trenches of entrepreneurship.
My goal as an entrepreneur was to create an abundant life with my business. I believed that if I led a spiritual life, had meaningful work that gave back to others and set up the right systems and processes, that I would make money while I slept which would allow me the freedom and balance to do whatever I wanted to do. Except it hasn’t worked that way and it has almost killed me trying to get “there”.
Fast forward to today, I see clearly that lack and scarcity thinking and an abundant mindset are nothing more than different sides of the same coin; fueling the “either/or” mentality. Ah, that’s the missing link! I haven’t been living from my heart. I haven’t been living a life in alignment with what I truly valued. Instead of spending time with those I love, I’ve been taking myself away from them.
Now begins the big work of sifting through what is important to me so I can powerfully create my life one empowered decision at a time. Success isn’t defined outside of ourselves; it comes from within ourselves. I am now choosing to live in a “Both/and” reality versus and “Either/or” and asking myself what do I value and leading my business and life from there.
There IS middle ground between lack and scarcity and abundance and it’s called enough; enough love, enough money, enough time, enough doing and all the excess is just fluff.
What is enough to me however, may not be enough for you. That’s why each one of us needs to go inward and connect with our hearts to see what we truly value.
Living between the lack and scarcity and abundant thinking creates a striving energy that reinforces the societal belief that we are not enough. This striving shows up when we are going against the current. Yet, when we decide what is enough in each area of our life, it creates an allowing energy which puts us in the flow and life unfolds with grace and ease.
I never imagined that this whole journey of being an entrepreneur was really all about a journey back to me. It’s not what I expected or planned, it just happened. And like the caterpillar that’s in the cocoon, it cannot comprehend the possibility of becoming a butterfly; it’s totally out of its realm of possibility and yet, it just happens.
All the trials of entrepreneurship have led me to my wounds and as a result, I’ve uncovered the gifts that they hold. It’s been a wild ride that’s for sure. Recognizing that my business and myself are really one in the same. Doing the inner work IS hard. It DOES take effort. And…a big AND here, the lessons ARE worth it.
I’m choosing to relax into who I am and trust the process. I am choosing to strive less and be more. I am allowing…and I’m grateful for it.
Leigh Ann makes her home with her family in the Canadian Rocky Mountains where they enjoy the outdoors, community and small town living. Best known as a Transformational Leader and Intuitive Change-maker, Leigh Ann is on a mission to uplevel women’s lives through feminine leadership and entrepreneurship.
With a unique blend of credentials in Business, Feng Shui and Life Coaching, Leigh Ann inspires women with new skills, new thinking and new hope to transform their lives to become powerful creators of a life they love.
If you are ready to take the next step towards a life you love, connect with Leigh Ann for a free 40-minute clarity call by clicking here. You are worth it!
Leigh Ann Betts
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Many tennis players have what is called their “sweet spot” which refers to the place on the racket at the center where the ball will rebound with the most velocity. This reference transcends into life as well; when you find your sweet spot, you just know it.
Our “sweet spot” really shines when it comes to our spiritual gifts. There are some areas in which we will serve (no pun intended) that will have greater “bounce” than others. It is amazing once discover your unique combination of gifts and abilities that the universe has given you.
My clients often express the longing to uncover what that sweet spot may be. Often, they aren’t sure what their particular gifts are. Finding your sweet spot happens the moment when you feel connected, validated, acknowledged and honored for exactly who you are. Everyone has a different sweet spot because we all have different goals and dreams.
What can you do to discover and develop it? Here are three things you can do to find your spiritual gift “sweet spot.”
Feeling spiritually alive and connected to some kind of higher power immediately brings us to our spiritual sweet spot. There are many fantastic ways to find your sweet spot from practicing mindfulness to expressing gratitude to the things and people you have in your life. Meditating is also a great way to find that sweet spot because it allows you to be alone with your thoughts as you connect to a higher power. You awaken to the truth that your purpose is greater than your possessions or your career.
There are many ways to look within, and it’s important to find the best way for you.
A great place to discover your bliss and follow it is to approach the journey with curiosity and playfulness. You may need to try many different things, to see what resonates best with you.You’re naturally adept to giving when you are in your place of bliss. When your heart feels “full” that self-love emanates into everyone around you; there is unique quality present in what you do and how you do it when it comes from the space of infinite love.
Develop a growth mindset and be a student of life. Remain open to the world around you, as every relationship, challenge, setback and accomplishment serves as your teacher. When we can see things from a wider perspective, we can better navigate life and see each moment as an opportunity to learn something about ourselves that in turn, contributes to our personal growth.
Finding your sweet spot spiritually is a life-long journey because there is no time limit. You will know you have found it when everything just seems to “flow” and you feel happy, content and in sync with everything unfolding around you. You feel connected to a higher and much greater consciousness. You know the universe has got your back and that no matter what happens, you are going to be all right. Your spiritual sweet spot feels like home because YOU ARE HOME. And wherever you go, there you are in all your magnificence.
Dorothy Knight is a Reiki Master Teacher, Yoga Instructor and wholehearted writer. She currently practices and teaches Reiki in Mississauga. She is a certified Reiki Master in the Usui Method of Natural Healing. Her passion is to empower people to reach their greatest potential of health and wellness through Reiki healing methods. Healing starts from within.
You can reach Dorothy at dorothyknightreiki.ca
You can follow Dorothy on Instagram@dorothy_knight_reiki
Getting real about ‘balance’
Finding/Reaching/Attaining balance. What an out of date concept.
Nothing is ever balanced... okay, except maybe a set of scale in a clean room devoid of any outside influences.
So, let's get real. And take a timeout from the quest for balance.
Instead of striving for some impossible pipe dream of 'balance' let's switch up the conversation to something more attainable, more real.
Wholeness.
How can you fill your mind, body and spirit to live a Whole Life?
What does that even mean?
It means you look inside to identify the missing pieces and then you go our and fill them!
The beauty of a Wholeness focus? You can get to full! And then its your choice whether to be satisfied OR stretch more, expand your cup and fill even more.* This is how you get to the More that's Waiting For You. You fill towholeness and then expand and grow even more!
Forget 'balance' and switch your focus to Wholeness.
*Note: Open space is the most important element to include when filling your cup... this is what makes it possible to move between the different areas, to have choice and to set a foundation to grow from.
Okay – now how do you do this. Simple, #1 ask yourself these questions – or get a friend to ask you, as its so much simpler to be real with yourself when someone else asks you. (And I said real with yourself… you can keep your answers to yourself…)
Step #2 – Book in the time. Carve the space for them out of your schedule. Fill your ________________ (insert feeling from b) muscles so you have the juice to do all of the other things in your calendar.
A change is as good as a rest… until you’re burnt out. So, switch it up, add some you time, and rock it!
Join her on Facebook for more tips, tricks and magic wand moments to get to your more.
Shannon is also honoured to be the Branch Director for HHW Central Toronto, Ontario.
Can we really live and lead authentically?
Okay. This is one of my favorite words, however it’s also a word that is overused in the corporate (and non corp) world, thus being tagged as a current ‘buzz word’.
But here’s the deal with Authenticity, it is not easy to embrace. In fact, it’s tough.
The world is probably in the most unauthentic era ever.
We are bogged down with social media pressure and expectations, false imagery, massive shifts in the employment landscape, generational shifts on leadership ideals and these are just to name a few. This makes practising authenticity tough.
Currently, millennials make up the majority of the workforce and by 2020, they will make up 70%. Gen Z’s are also entering the work force in a big way and Baby Boomers are re-joining the work force as consultants, temp workers and advisors.
There is a lot of confusion out there. Living and leading authentically is certainly a challenge.
In some corporations, there can be up to 5 generations within a company.
Confusing right? This means that leadership must be highly adaptable. Flexibility is crucial in order to accommodate the different needs, ideas and perspectives.
Let’s take a look at what authenticity truly means. But first, let’s move past the buzz word. I believe, more than anything, the greatest thing we can do as leaders, parents, employers, employees and volunteers, is lead and live as authentically as possible for ourselves and as our contribution to our communities and our country.
Here’s the Webster Dictionary definition of Authentic: true to one's own personality, spirit, or character
Pretty solid right?
Here’s Brené Brown’s (my favorte author and speaker) definition:
‘Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.’
I love this.
So, in our pursuit to live and lead more authentic lives, to cultivate and live with more joy and perhaps ease, here are a few ways we can begin to make those positive strides together.
Allow yourself to be wonderfully imperfect and know you are enough. Even more important, your neighbour is enough. Save the judging and comparison.
Set boundaries for yourself. Let go of the ‘Yes Woman’ syndrome. We can say no, or ‘not right now’.
Practice empathy. Lean in, and really listen to your children, your partner, your employee’s, your friends. Ask questions.
Know that everyone is struggling, and it’s okay.
Dance your a** off even if people are watching.
I’m Katy, join me in living your true self. It feels frigginawesome.
xoxo
Katy Loewen Co.
Learn more about Katy at : www.katyloewen.com
