How to Create Time

Posted on May 21, 2009 in happiness | 2 comments

I’ve been meeting with my life coach for almost two months now. It’s a lot different than I anticipated. I thought it would be like reading a very insightful book loaded with plenty of “ah-ha!” moments that I would apply to my every day life. Instead, she’s asking me incredibly tough questions, pushing my boundaries, and really making me think.

I originally met with her because I was feeling overwhelmed and didn’t think I had enough time in the day. I wanted her to wave her magic wand and somehow create an extra 12 hours for me.

Then one day she sat me down and repeated everything I told her in our prior visits. “I have no time. I never see my friends and family. I’m working too much.”

It sounded awful and devastating. I instantly kicked back demanding “That isn’t me!” Well, if it wasn’t, why was I saying it?

Later it occurred to me that I’m feeling overwhelmed because that’s precisely the message I’m putting out in the world. I repeat it all day long in different forms “I have no time…” or “I wish I could, but I’m busy…” or “gotta rush…”

But what would happen if I simply told myself, “I have all the time in the world”?

I repeated this to myself anytime I felt rushed. Someone stopped me to chat, I had time. Working late, no problem. Caught behind a slow driver, I chilled and enjoyed the view. In the end it actually worked. I created time.

By sending out a new message “I have time” I’m relaxing, finding a new rhythm and living in the moment. I’m focusing on one thing at a time instead of ten different things. As a result, I get more accomplished, do a better job, and truly do have more time.

So if you constantly feel overwhelmed, ask yourself — are you really? Or is it just a conditional thought that you repeated so often to yourself, you believe it and live it? Just maybe you too can magically create time through your thoughts.

Listening to Your Inner Voice

Posted on May 7, 2009 in happiness | 5 comments

The other night I was watching Oprah’s Best Life Series РSpiritual Practice. At the end she asked each teacher for one parting question. Michael Beckwith presented us with this one:

What gifts are within us that I promised myself I would give and that I need to dust off?

I instantly wondered — how do we even know what our gift is?

The answer is within each of us. We have to listen to our soul — our inner voice. Listening to my inner voice used to come naturally. But somewhere between majoring in attitude in college then opting for the secure career, I sold out. Then gave up on myself.

Over time I eventually managed to shut out the outside noise and hear my intuition again. My life suddenly became richer and more meaningful.

I discovered there are seven habits I need to practice daily to keep me headed in the right direction.

7 Habits to Listening to Your Inner Voice

1. Visualize your ideal lifestyle. A vision board is extremely powerful tool. I write letters to myself describing my ideal day. The more details the better. This lets the universe know what to bring into your life.
2. Give thanks daily. My Gratitude Journal changed my life. Writing down everything I’m grateful for is a message to the universe to bring more of it into my life.
3. Meditate as much as you can. Clearing the mind allows for new thoughts to come in. Even just a few minutes a day makes all the difference. Sit in silence, go for a walk, or just take a deep breath and repeat a mantra.
4. Give away the exact thing you want to receive.This might sound silly. How are you suppose to give away what you don’t have. The good news is that we all have plenty to offer. If you’re looking for a new job, help a friend with an introduction. If you want to lose weight, donate your Twinkies to the food panty and a few hours of your time to a community garden. Giving is the currency of the universe.
5. Take care of your health. I changed my diet and lost over 20lbs. It also cleared my head and calmed my soul. I exercise daily, try to get plenty of rest, and take vitamins. My physical body is the temple of my gift, so I nurture and pamper it. A long, hot bath works too!
6. Be the real you as much as possible. As I write this, there is a girl sitting across from me in the coffee shop with a big pink flower in her hair. It’s a bold display of individuality and true spirit. Once you start letting your true self out, you’ll discover that life is far easier and far, far richer.
7. Go with the flow. Last spring I wasn’t selected for a very cool job. Of course I was crushed. But I just found out that role was made redundant, so I would have been out of a job anyway. Everything works out as it should. And the more I accept life rather than resist it, the more creativity and innovation blossom.
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The Loving Kindness Meditation

Posted on Apr 29, 2009 in happiness | 3 comments

I started seeing a life coach. My hope is that she can help me find balance in my life so I have time to do the things I love most, like writing in my blog.

We only met a couple times so far but I feel we’re cracking this nut open. My first task was to ask myself, “What am I committed to?” All sorts of answers surfaced, but the one simple word appeared the most and that is “love”. I want to love what I do, the people I’m with, this very moment.

My next task is a little more involved. For fifteen minutes each day I do the “Loving Kindness Meditation”. It’s a gorgeous poem that really sums up the blessing I want for myself and for everyone.

I invite you to join me in this task and say this poem to yourself each day for one week. I’ve only been doing this for a few days and already I can already sense a difference. After one week, I’m guessing you will too.

Loving Kindness Meditation

May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I be safe from inner and outer danger.
May I be healthy in body and mind.
May I be happy and free.

Just Say No to Aging

Posted on Apr 21, 2009 in health | 3 comments

Quite a few years ago I became friends this amazing woman who was in her 70′s but had more vitality than any of my 20 year old friends. She went salsa dancing every night, had men chasing her, and looked amazing. To her, age was mental not chronological.

I recently discovered a Newsweek article saying that my friend’s belief has actually been proven. Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer did a study with some elderly men. She had them stay in a hotel retrofitted with complete 80′s decor. She told them not to reminisce about the past, but to actually act as if they had traveled back in time.

After just one week, the men in the experimental group (compared with controls of the same age) had more joint flexibility, increased dexterity and less arthritis in their hands.

Langer have been running similarly experiments for decades, and her theory is that we are all victims of our own stereotypes about aging and health. We simply accept our society’s negative beliefs about disease and old age effecting our behavior.

If we can disregard the negative clichés about health and believe we are youthful, we can mindfully open ourselves to more productive lives.

Start telling yourself that you have the mind and body of a 20 year old and you will feel the difference. And while you’re at it, pull out those old Farah Fawcett or Rick Springsteen posters to really throw you back in time.

Easy Low Fat Low Sugar Homemade Granola

Posted on Apr 19, 2009 in health | 1 comment

Instead of paying $7.95 for a 10oz bag of granola, I like to make it myself. It costs a fraction of the price, is a whole lot better for you, and tastes far better too. I’m just about to bake up a batch for our Sunday morning feast.

Easy Low Fat Low Sugar Homemade Granola

Dry:

4 cups old fashion (not quick) oats
1/2 cup ground flax
1 tsp cinnamon

Extra Ingredients (for example):

- 1/2 cup coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup almond slivers
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup of any kind of dried fruit

Liquid:

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup low sugar maple syrup
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

Line two baking sheets with wax paper. Mix all the dry ingredients together except for the dried fruit. In a separate bowl mix the liquids. Gradually add the liquid to the dry, giving it a good stir each time. When all the dry ingredients is coated, spread out on the baking sheets using a rubber spatula.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, removing it every 10 minutes to stir. I lift the wax paper on each end to get it to unstick. After 30 minutes let it stand for 10-15 to cool then add the dry fruit. Store in a cool dry place and it will keep about 2 weeks.