Practice Mental Hygiene for a Lifetime of Better Moods

mental hygiene better moods

Have you ever noticed that as people get older they become more entrenched in the way they view the world? I remember one woman I met while volunteering at an Alzheimer’s facility. She was always smiling and would get really excited about simple things like a game of Bingo. Her positive mindset was helping her stay happy and enjoy better moods during a challenging time of her life.

And then, I remember my dad. He would complain endlessly about people who he felt took advantage of him or what was wrong with the world. Visiting him meant listening to much repeated stories of things that had gone wrong in his life. He was angry, hateful and sad and I always felt drained after visiting him.

Both of these people had chosen a way of thinking that programmed their brains year after year until they were living fully in the mindsets they created.

Continue reading

Strange Things Life Coach Training Didn’t Prepare Me For

life coach training

I’ve been at this life coaching thing for awhile. Twenty years to be exact. And, in that time I have experienced many amazing moments, witnessed miracles and felt sure I was doing what I am meant to do.

My life has been blessed by this career choice in many ways. My work is flexible and supports me well. It transitioned easily when I moved cross country and because most of my sessions are by phone, I can work from anywhere, wearing whatever I want.

Being a Life Coach has allowed me to study a variety of interesting subjects each year and call it working. It doesn’t hurt that they can be claimed as tax deductions too. My studies have taken me from emotional healing, brain hacks, fearless living, quieting the mind, shifting limiting beliefs, and more. The high point was a master’s program in spiritual psychology. Along the way I met many amazing people traveling a similar path as mine who continue to be my friends today.

Continue reading

The Path to Serenity

serenity

I’m often drawn to people who have a sense of quiet confidence and serenity about them. They seem to move through the world differently, like there is a river of strength, capability and peace running through them.

I want to be more like that.

And, I wouldn’t be surprised if you did too.

Whenever we grow or heal or improve ourselves we move closer to this sense of strength and peace within. Serenity is our natural state and the things that keep us in stress, anxiety and overwhelm are simply covering it up. The path to deep serenity is one of loving ourselves and letting go of what no longer serves us. It is a lifelong journey.

While we travel this healing journey toward peace, we also find ourselves craving serenity in our daily lives. Every time we listen to that call and focus on a more peaceful way of being we take one step closer to our authentic serene selves.

Continue reading

Embracing Gratitude for Health and Happiness

gratitude grateful health happiness

I’ve recently returned to the practice of journaling gratitude at the end of each day. I was feeling off center and a bit ungrounded and this is something that has worked for me in the past. It has been one of my favorite practices since Oprah talked about it decades ago and recent studies have shown it improves mood and well-being.

Continue reading

Feeling Stuck in the Muck and How to Get Out of It

stuck in the muck
bike stuck in snow

Life is commonly viewed as a straight line that goes from birth to death. I don’t know about you, but mine is full of peaks and valleys, twists and turns and a whole lot of spirals that don’t seem to go anywhere.

Those spirals, that I often call getting stuck in the muck, keep me spinning in circles instead of moving forward and make me miserable too. The symptoms are easy to identify:

Continue reading

39 Simple Ways to Brighten Your Day

improve your day

Even when our days feel good, there is always room for improvement. It doesn’t mean you have to put a lot of effort into it. Sometimes, it’s the simple things that can brighten your day the most.

Here are some simple and easy ways to make your days feel great:

Continue reading

Decluttering Questions that Help You Let Go of Stuff

decluttering

I am not a lover of clutter. It seems the older I get the more suffocated I feel when things start to accumulate. I crave space, breathing room, and love knowing exactly where everything is. Don’t get me wrong. My house is not always clean and I’m not anywhere near OCD, but opening a closet or cupboard and being able to see each item clearly with plenty of open space feels peaceful to me.

Continue reading

How to Break the Cycle of Over-Eating

over-eating over eating

This is the time of year when my clients are asking a lot of questions about dieting, over-eating and resolutions. A new year is always a good time for a fresh start, but that doesn’t mean I’m a fan of New Year resolutions. Very few people actually keep them and broken resolutions can damage our confidence and self-esteem.

Instead, I recommend choosing a theme to play with and/or setting intentions for the year to come. Intentions are more fluid than resolutions and still lead you on a path to what you want and who you want to become. If you fall off the path there is no need for judgement, you simply pick up where you left off.

This morning I was talking to a client about improving her relationship with food and breaking the cycle of over-eating. As I recommended some steps for her I realized they might make a good blog post, so here they are:

Continue reading

Intentionally Creating Your New Year

new year intentions
new year resolutions

We can let our next year happen and just accept our default experiences or we can work toward intentionally creating a year that we will love.

While this may sound like resolutions, it is a bit different. Resolutions have fixed outcomes and if you don’t reach them you feel like you have failed. Intentions move you forward the direction you want to go without expectations of a specific outcome. They leave room for shifts in direction or moving toward new opportunities when they arise.

Intentions are a more gentle and graceful way to follow your heart and become the person you want to be.

Continue reading

40 Clutter Free Gift Ideas

gift ideas clutter free

Many of the people I talk to as a Life Coach tell me they wish they had less clutter in their homes. It comes up so often it feels like a cultural trend. When they are working on clearing out stuff, one of the things they often get stuck on is getting rid of unused or unloved gifts. They seem to feel a sense of obligation to display or keep whatever has been given to them.

Continue reading

7 Meaningful Benefits of Living Simply

benefits of living simply
daisy flower

In the midst of our commercial world there is a quiet movement toward minimalism and simplicity. People are realizing that the drive to have more and more stuff, compare and keep up with others and try to cover their emotional pain with shopping sprees is not the answer.

They have frantically pursued shiny objects they thought would make them happy while burying their awareness that this way of life was harming their health, putting them in debt and causing them to stuffocate.

The question is: What is enough?

Continue reading

When You Can’t Get What You Want

can't get what you want
little girl crying
life coach

We all have dreams and desires that may not be possible at the present moment, but what do you do when something you really, really want can’t happen.

One of my clients contacted me because she wanted to move to a small town in the midwest, but her husband didn’t feel he could leave his high earning job at the time. The small town idea was stuck in her mind and she just couldn’t shake it. After we confirmed the reality of her situation, I asked her what she thought it would be like to live in a small town. She painted a beautiful picture of a simple life with a close-knit community that reminded me of a Hallmark movie. It was lovely.

Continue reading

Quieting the Inner Bully

inner bully kindness matters sign

I love garage sales and the picture above is of one of my recent finds. As I hung it on the wall, I reflected on the message of kindness. Yes. Kindness truly does matter and it’s something I work to integrate into my life. Like many of you I can be very kind to others, but sometimes it’s a bit harder to remember to be kind to myself.

Each of us has an inner bully, a voice in our head that belittles us and makes us feel bad. Many of us give it free rein and believe what it says even though it’s messages aren’t true. The strange thing is that we would go to great lengths to protect a child who was being bullied, but then let our own inner bully beat us up day in and day out.

Continue reading

7 Easy Ways to Transform Your Mornings & Start Your Days Right

transform your mornings start day right

How do you start your mornings? It’s easy to fall into the habit of letting negative thoughts lead the way. For many, their first thoughts are about what hurts, what they “have to” do that day, or rehashing something negative that has happened. You and I are likely to fall into that trap occasionally too, but we know there is a better way. And, it begins with morning habits that help you start your day right.

After all, how you start your day will impact how you feel and perform throughout the day.

Continue reading

How to Figure Things Out

figure things out

“Everything is figureoutable.” – Marie Forleo

While I’m not sure that I agree that EVERYTHING is figureoutable, I’m pretty sure most things are. It’s not always easy though. Whether we are brainstorming or making decisions, the process will go more smoothly when we are focused and tap into what I call, empowered thinking.

Empowered thinking is when you bring your mind and your intuition together to help you discover what you need or want to know. If you only use one or the other the process can be hard, confusing and sometimes even impossible. It’s only when your intuition and mind work together that you can be your most effective and make the best choices.

Continue reading

8 Lessons I Learned from Getting a Dog

getting a dog

For those of you who don’t know, this is Daisy. Today is the 3rd anniversary of her adoption day and I am grateful that she has come into my life. Daisy is my first dog so I had a lot to learn. I had always wanted one, but lived in apartments and condos for years and didn’t feel I had the right space. Once I moved to a home with a yard the time just felt right.

We’ve had a lot of adventures together and I’ve learned a lot from this little girl who seems to have taken over my life.

Here are a few of the top lessons:

Continue reading

I Think Covid Broke My Shopping Addiction

shopping addiction
covid
life coach

I used to have a shopping addiction. This might surprise you because I am known for being a bit frugal and living within my means, but the truth is I would often go shopping whether I needed something or not. I would shop for all the wrong reasons:

  • Boredom
  • Emotional ups and downs
  • To treat myself
  • Wanting to look good for others
  • For the high of getting something new, even if it was short lived.
  • Loving to get deals (I never met a t-shirt on a clearance rack I didn’t love.)

Continue reading

Mindful Meditation – How I Integrate It Into My Life

mindful meditation
life coach

You’ve probably heard that mindful meditation is a good way to relieve stress or anxiety and improve general well-being, but it sounds like you have to go sit somewhere, close your eyes and meditate like a yogi. While that is one possibility, there are many other ways to practice this healing tool.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not very good at the whole meditating thing. There are times when it works for me, but most of the time I somehow get lost in the trying instead of the experience. Practicing mindfulness feels more natural and has similar benefits.

Continue reading

Moving from California to a Small Town in Missouri – 5 Years Later

Leaving ca moving to a small town in Missouri

I just passed the 5 year anniversary of my move from California to a small town in Missouri and have been reminiscing quite a bit. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. Making the decision, house hunting and the road trip here with my friend Traci seem like they just happened yesterday.

Continue reading

Distractions, Fear and Staying on Purpose

distractions fear living on purpose

One of the things I often see with new coaching clients is that they can have a pretty good idea what they want, but be totally confused and overwhelmed at the same time. This keeps them spinning in circles and unable to move forward. Some times they just have too much information to process, but more often than not fear is using overwhelm as a distraction to try and keep them from taking a risk.

Continue reading