Authentic Living – Being Yourself

Moving to a Small Town in Missouri – It’s Been 2 Years

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Memoir Writing, Simple Peaceful Living / Leave a comment
moving to small town life Missouri California

My special friend – Little Momma

I am feeling nostalgic about my journey from California to Missouri in 2016. A lot has happened since then and I am very happy in my new town where I am close to my family and feel connected to the community.

A few weeks ago I moved again to another house just blocks from the first one. I have great neighbors, a beautiful view, and the house has great bones. I am currently in decorating mode and keep staring at samples of paint colors on my walls, hoping I will make a decision soon.  Continue reading →

How to Get Perspective When Feeling Pressured

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Feeling Confident & Empowered, Life Tools / 10 Comments

under pressure valve

I’ve been to a lot of seminars over the years. Some were great, some were okay, and some of them made me feel uncomfortable. The ones I didn’t like usually involved pressure to buy, sell, or do something out of your comfort zone in order to be accepted.

It’s interesting to watch these charismatic seminar leaders in action. They make a lot of money doing this and are experts at building momentum and get people fired up.

They create a sense of urgency, use peer pressure, and sometimes shaming language: Continue reading →

Listen to Your Heart

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Life Tools, Positive Thoughts and Attitude, Simple Peaceful Living / 4 Comments

heartfelt listen to your heart follow your heart

I’ve been a life coach for 15 years now. That is a long time. And, during that time I have witnessed transformations, courage, and deep pain as I supported people through the challenges in their lives.

When people ask what my niche or focus is I feel lost because I work with whatever challenges people bring to me – divorce, career, life threatening illness, restlessness, relationships, stress, simplifying their lives, confidence, self-care, creating something new, etc. You name it and I’ve probably coached it. And, I’ve loved it all.

The truth is – I don’t coach specific problems, I coach people. I believe that the issue isn’t necessarily the issue. It’s what lies beneath that matters. Continue reading →

How to Cultivate Inner Peace

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Life Tools, Navigating Life Challenges, Simple Peaceful Living / 13 Comments

heart on fence inner peace

How peaceful are you feeling today? If you are like most people on earth there is probably a lot on your schedule and even more on your mind.

The following peace enhancing steps are ones that I taught at a retreat a couple years ago. I think you might like them. Continue reading →

Spring Clean Your Life

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Life Tools, Positive Thoughts and Attitude, Relationships & Communication, Simple Peaceful Living / 2 Comments

spring clean spring cleaning

For the last year and a half I have lived in a place that has real seasons. Hot summers, fall leaves, winter snow, and birds and flowers in spring. But, I think my California brain is still adapting.

A little while ago we had a sunny and relatively warm day in the midst of winter. It fooled my brain and triggered a desire to spring clean, even though I knew the cold weather would return. I took advantage of the motivation and deep cleaned my house. It was a day of energy and satisfaction brought on by what felt like spring sunshine.

I loved having a preview of spring and appreciated how it motivated me to refresh and renew my space. And now, the change of seasons is really happening and I am ready to spring clean and spit polish my life all over again.

Would you like to join me? Here is how: Continue reading →

Want to Clear Clutter? Start with These 25 Things that are Easy to Get Rid Of

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Feeling Confident & Empowered, Life Tools, Simple Peaceful Living / 2 Comments

Don't sutffocate! clear clutter declutter minimalism

Clearing clutter out of your home creates a more peaceful and supportive environment. But, sometimes it’s hard to get started or create positive momentum toward your clutter free goals.

Decluttering  can feel like an overwhelming project. That is, unless you can kick start the process. One way to do this is to start with some of the things listed below. Continue reading →

5 Simple Soulful Practices You Can Start Today

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Feeling Confident & Empowered, Fun & Happiness, Life Tools, Positive Thoughts and Attitude, Simple Peaceful Living / 5 Comments

wood heart in tree soulful practice

Soulful practices support you in feeling more peaceful, centered,and tapped into the inner guidance of your heart. They don’t have to be fancy and doing them regularly will help you sustain the peace they bring.

There are probably thousands of potential soulful practices and I have played with many of them. Here are 5 of my current favorites that are so simple you could start them today. Continue reading →

7 Reasons Why You Should Write Your Life Story

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Feeling Confident & Empowered, Healing Your History, Life Tools, Memoir Writing, Relationships & Communication / 8 Comments

pen writing memoir autobiography life story

I love listening to people talk about their life story.  As a coach, hearing my clients’ stories is an important part of my work. Their histories often reveal what has shaped their lives today and also bring light to just how powerful, loving, and beautiful my clients really are. They may not be able to see it, but I sure can.

Gradually, this love of stories began to pull me into the idea of helping people honor their histories by writing them down, and I became certified as a guided autobiography (GAB) class instructor. Continue reading →

How to Create a Simple Heartfelt Life

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Feeling Confident & Empowered, Fun & Happiness, Healing Your History, Life Tools, Money, Positive Thoughts and Attitude, Relationships & Communication, Simple Peaceful Living / 5 Comments

stones simple heartfelt life

Over the years I have felt drawn to the idea of creating a program or new foundation for my work around either simple heartfelt living or supporting women in midlife and beyond. Maybe, a combination of both. There have been several times when I created outlines and ideas that still reside in notebooks filed away, waiting to be shared with the world.

It happened again this morning as I was writing in my journal, another outline surrounded by heartfelt words of what I really want to share. I was surprised when I realized I keep creating the same outline over and over again with slight variations.

And then it was clear, the reason this idea keeps coming forward is that it is really about the life that I want to create for myself. And, share with you. A simple life, full of meaning and based on the guidance of my heart.  Continue reading →

Going Gray – When Should I Stop Coloring My Hair?

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Feeling Confident & Empowered, Simple Peaceful Living / 32 Comments

woman with grey hair, gray hair, stop coloring hair

It all began decades ago when I started adding sunny California highlights to my hair. And now, more than 30 years later my hair is still the same color I grew up with, or at least close to it thanks to Clairol Nice n Easy medium neutral blonde. Coloring my hair has been a monthly ritual for so long that it just seems like a basic part of life, like brushing my teeth or washing my face.

I’ve been thinking about giving it up.  Continue reading →

50 Ways to Say No Gracefully and Effectively

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Feeling Confident & Empowered, Life Tools, Navigating Life Challenges, Relationships & Communication, Simple Peaceful Living / 10 Comments

just say no carved in tree

For some of us, including me, saying “no” can be challenging. We want to help and please, sometimes to our own detriment. I personally believe that most of us are way to busy these days and not honoring the time and space needed for ourselves to stay grounded and whole.

It’s important to be clear when enough is enough for you and honor those boundaries. And so, I thought I would share 50 ways that we can say no in a graceful and respectful way.

But first, I have a some tips that will help you say no successfully: Continue reading →

12 Morning Practices that Start Your Day Off Right

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Feeling Confident & Empowered, Fun & Happiness, Life Tools, Positive Thoughts and Attitude, Simple Peaceful Living / 9 Comments

good morning

Every day is a gift.  A blank slate to write on. The choices you make in the first moments after waking up can impact your energy, effectiveness, and mood for the entire day.  I am a big fan of morning practices and encourage you to create one of your own.

Here are some fun ideas for starting your morning off right: Continue reading →

How to Eliminate Closet Clutter with a Simple Wardrobe

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Life Tools, Simple Peaceful Living / 2 Comments

My simple summer wardrobe. Jeans are on the shelf above.

I had a lot of clothes. Many of them didn’t fit or seem to go with anything else in my closet.

Can you relate?

I’ve never been a big shopper, but my passion for finding deals tripped me up. Instead of having nice outfits to wear, I had a bunch of budget clothing misfits and a lot of closet clutter. Continue reading →

Living in Alignment with Your Values

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Feeling Confident & Empowered, Life Coaching, Life Tools, Positive Thoughts and Attitude / Leave a comment

hearts representing values

We are happiest when our lives are in alignment with our core values.  Living this way nurtures what is most meaningful to us and allows us to feel more peaceful, grounded, and fulfilled. Anything that conflicts with our values will create more stress and dissonance in our lives. Continue reading →

Intentions for Being – Declarations for Life

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Creating Success, Feeling Confident & Empowered, Simple Peaceful Living / 7 Comments

 

intentions for life flower

(I first wrote this in January 2015 and came across it today. The words and intentions I shared feel even more powerful now. It’s time to re-commit and share them again.)

There are a lot of goals and resolutions set at this time of year about what we want to do or accomplish.  While I am playing with some of the doing stuff, I felt more called to look at how I want to be and show up in this world. Continue reading →

Let Your Heart Guide You to Your Best Life

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Feeling Confident & Empowered, Navigating Life Challenges, Simple Peaceful Living / 2 Comments

let your heart guide you listen to your heart

 

It’s almost like we are running a race. I hear over and over again from my clients and friends that they are struggling to keep up with the speed of life. I feel it, too.

When we are racing through our days we lose the guidance of our hearts and are more likely to make unconscious choices that do not serve us well. Continue reading →

Moving Cross Country to a Small Town: My First Year

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Simple Peaceful Living / 4 Comments

moving to a small town house

This week is the one year anniversary of my moving from a busy city in Southern California to a rural small town in Missouri.

My intention was to live a more simple life and be close to my 3 grandchildren. After 62 years as a SoCal girl I anticipated some culture shock and knew I had a lot to learn about my new way of life.

Looking back over this first year I feel that I have done well, but am also aware that I am in a process that will take some time. Continue reading →

Let Your Soul Guide Your Healing

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Feeling Confident & Empowered, Healing Your History / 6 Comments

healing heart your soul is calling out to you

I recently came across this wonderful quote by Wayne Muller:

“Your challenge is not to keep trying to repair what was damaged, your practice instead is to re-awaken what is already wise, strong, and whole within you, to cultivate those qualities of heart and spirit that are available to you in this very moment.” Continue reading →

My 7 Step Plan for Overcoming Social Anxiety

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Feeling Confident & Empowered, Positive Thoughts and Attitude / 10 Comments

little shy girl with social anxiety

I have always been a nervous person. This may surprise some of you, because I have worked hard on it and usually seem pretty easy going and calm. But, it’s true.

One of the things that scares me the most is people. Other human beings.

Kind of crazy, isn’t it? Continue reading →

Life Lessons I Learned from Popeye

Posted on by Linda Luke / Posted in Authentic Living - Being Yourself, Fun & Happiness / 4 Comments

 

popeye life lessons

My Mom used to tell the story of when I was around three and kept asking for a “Toot –Toot” for Christmas. It took my parents quite a while, but they finally figured out that I wanted a corncob pipe so that I could be just like my cartoon hero Popeye. Continue reading →