"I'm in A New Year State Of Mind."

"I'm in A New Year State Of Mind."

Day Twenty-Three of the Self-love 31-day 5-minute Challenge: Resolutions

On the Eve of the New Year, we are all busy making our plans for what we want to do, making declarations of the things we want to do different and making New Year’s resolutions. The end of another year, causes us to ‘pause,’ thinking about all the events that took place. We certainly had many.

I don’t believe in resolutions, at least I don’t wait for the end of the year to start something new. I let go of that idea a long, long time ago. Resolutions so often set people up for disappoints if they don’t live up to what they promised themselves, and doesn’t make for feeling good about oneself either.

I believe every day, every breath, every minute, every second is a ‘New Beginning.’ The practice is Less about thinking we are a small limited human roaming the earth. More about remembering we are a Divine limitless soul, embodying a human body.

I do understand that it is tradition to have this resolve thingy happen, after all, we are about rituals.

So, if you must make a New Year’s resolution, try reframing your expectations this year and not put so many pressures and unrealistic expectations on yourself.

I invite you this New Year’s Eve to spend five minutes making a list of things you would ‘like’ to do, in 2017.

I have always been a practitioner of writing out my wishes and dreams without attachment to the outcome, one of my journal joys in life. An example would be; “How would I like to grow and expand more?”

“Where in my life can I open up more of myself, so that I can raise my vibration and start living more of the life I have always wanted?” I am sure you can come up with many many more of your own desires.

And more importantly, let us practice;

*Fewer Judgments; work on accepting most are doing their best.

*Less putting you on lock down until some mystical day in the future is the right time. Life is happening NOW.

*More grounding ourselves with heart opening morning rituals to begin our day; setting intentions that will set the tone, move the energy and raise our vibrations.

*Stop worrying about what others think. OH Hell NO baby- Rock that boat baby, the world needs the raw, untidy, extraordinary, messy, incredible and irreplaceable you. Shake it up. Your genuineness is magnetic; YOU were BORN to shine, glow and grow.

*Stop doubting yourself and putting things off because you don’t feel ready. NEWS FLASH…You are never ready, you will figure it out as you go with your flow. Believe in yourself, you are a force to be reckoned with, you always have the power and the creative juices, just trust yourself more. YOU are a warrior baby!

*Let go of your attachments to outcomes. Be open to the ‘curve balls,’ they are excellent opportunities to breath more and practice being ‘ok’ when the going gets turbulent. A realignment on the way is not a dead end, just a new beginning.

*Less worry and controlling how things need to be. There is this life force that is working for you, with you, in your and around you-USE IT. Trust that it works out no matter what. There is this invisible life force in the Universe that keeps things spinning-That is a “WOWIE.” Imagine the miracle(s) of life more and start trusting in that. It is the only gig in town.

*Less feeling you are not enough and that you are a divine being born beautiful with nothing to prove. Just be YOU. You are living a “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” Life!

*Less negative self-talk; the bullshit stories you tell yourself; I can’t, I am incapable, I am not worthy, I am not enough…Whatever your story is that does not serve you. ‘S T O P’ Choose new empowering beliefs that serve you up, raise your vibrations.

*Lose the shoulda, woulda, coulda story. Less overthinking and making decisions only with your mind or based on what you “should” be doing or what other people are doing. More tuning into your heart, soul, and intuition, because, you have an unlimited Source of love, wisdom and guidance inside of you. BAM!

These are Simple goals, easy to track, certainly not overwhelming.
The Mantra: I deserve love. I AM worthy of passion. I deserve a superb life.I hope that I have inspired you to love and honor yourself more; all the sum parts of your humanness; you are a beautiful soul!

It’s a tremendous honor, joy, and blessing to have this opportunity to inspire you here in “Self-Love Land” this past year! I am sending you SO much love energy, creativity, success, clarity, purpose, passion, abundance, meaning, fulfillment and mystical miracles for 2017 may you continue to ‘grow’ in love and ‘BE’ a loving presence to everyone and everything you encounter. Cheers!  Dolby Dharma

“To see the first sunrise in New Year is the most sacredness of existence.” ― Lailah Gifty Akita

🍹

"Let it Ride"

"Let it Ride"

Day Twenty-Two of the Self-love 31-day 5-minute challenge: Expectations.

A "BIG energy" expectations; we all have them, and they can rule over us if we let them. I believe the only way to avoid the dark side of expectations is to learn how to 'manage' our anticipation of people, places, and situations. An unfortunate Challenge of having high hopes; it can and does prevent us from enjoying the experience altogether.

Therefore, let's practice being open to life!

We are not going just to delete the idea of not having expectation(s), nor should we, having an idea, or wanting something in our lives and expecting it to turn out is natural, it gives us something to move towards. What causes the downside; is our attachment to the outcome. It can wallop us when we don't get the desired result. Most of us have experienced great disappoint at some point in our life.

When we hold steadfast to our ideas about how things need to turn out, we can't help but be disappointed, hurt and let down.

What can we do? We can practice having 'less' expectations, be open to more exploration, and trust the process, that life will throw us curve balls, people also what their way and situation don't always turn out the way we want!

But that doesn't and won't always change our disappointment. But if we can practice adopting a free-flowing attitude, and a knowing, that things don't always turn out the way we planned, we are meeting our expectations with an openness that allows us not to be so rigid and disappointed with our outcomes, but open to new opportunities.
This way of being affords us let judgments of ourselves and others.

There are amazing benefits practicing acceptance; most situations in our lives needs to be mindfully worked toward to set us free. Dolby Dharma

Today's Mantra: I Am open to unexpected outcomes!

“Expect the unexpected, believe in the unbelievable, and achieve the unachievable.” ~Ashley Fern

"YES or NO either way I grow." Today, I say, "YES" to life!

"

YES or NO either way I grow." Today, I say, "YES" to life!

Day Twenty-One of the Self-love 31-day 5-minute challenge: YES

Where can you say YES more in your life? Are you quick to say, “NO” and wish you would have said, “YES” because you missed out on an opportunity thinking it would not work out for you? Saying no is often the easier way out for some of us. I know, “NO” keeps some of us within our comfort zones, it just stops us in our tracks and keeps us uncommitted to ourselves and other opportunities.

Saying, YES is not always easy for some of us, it means a commitment to ourselves and others, it can be scary not knowing how things will turn out because we ventured out to the ‘YES’ zone.

I invite you to say, “YES” today where your first reaction might be to say, “NO.” Within minutes we make snappy ‘NO’ judgments right off the bat. Today, you have five minutes to think about your answer to a situation, to go deep and make sure you are not saying, “NO” when you really want to say, “YES.” Saying YES to life can work in your favor, even if it turned out ‘NO’ answer would have worked. There is always something to gain because you ventured out.

Growing up my step Dad, always told me to ask for EVERYTHING because I would never know otherwise. He said, never be afraid of the NO answer. Yes or NO answer provided me with knowing, and stepping out of my comfort zone. Therefore, whenever my first reaction was “NO,” I am not gonna ask, I turned it into “yes” I am; I gotz to know. It has served me well. I say, “YES” to life a lot more than my snappy, quick draw “NO.”

Make sure that what you want to do is in alignment with your heart first and foremost that the “YES” to life is coming from your true self and not to make something or someone else happy. Ask yourself “Do I really want this?” If the answer is “YES,” then be awesome, be graceful, own yourself, stand in your power, show kindness and be loyal and disciplined to your goals in life! Dolby Dharma

Here are some ‘YES’ opportunities. Retrieved from “The Value of Saying YES More Often – IQ Matrix Blog.

Say YES to opportunities to attempt something new that you hadn’t tried before.

Say YES to possibilities for new adventures, challenges, and experiences.

Say YES to things that somewhat scare you or that you don’t quite understand.

Say YES to things that break your monotonous rituals, habits, and routines.

Say YES to things that help you learn something new about yourself, about others and about life.

Say YES to building friendships and connections with strangers.

Say YES to experiencing changes that feel uncomfortable and yet somewhat exciting at the same time.

Say YES to unexpected invites that create interest and pull you out of your comfort zone.

Say YES to random encounters and coincidences that you don’t quite understand but would like to make the most of.

The Mantra: I say YES to my life. I am expanding my opportunities!

“Always say ‘yes’ to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? What could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say ‘yes’ to life — and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.”

— Eckhart Tolle

"Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I NEVER wonder where you are!"

"Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I NEVER wonder where you are!"

Day Twenty of the Self-love 31-day 5-minute challenge: Wishes

I invite you to take five minutes to plant your wishing seeds, I have been doing this beautiful ritual all my life it seems. I am a Moon groupie, I follow its phases daily. For me, the Moon has always been magical, mysterious and powerful. I've always felt the presence and the power were on the dark side of the Moon.

There’s no wrong way to make a wish; crucial you detail it out as you would like to have your wishes, hopes, and dreams come true.

The power is in the details.
A side note, you can wish away at any time until your heart desires. But with the New Moon energy, there is a magical power that just gives our desires a little more potency.
You are always entitled to wish for anything your BIG heart desires, at any time of the month, use your imagination, reach for the stars. But when you have Moon energy to help you out, you want to make those wishes count so use the NEW MOON to assist you. When you follow these rituals, you give your wishes that much more power by resting your faith in the 'Moon to Manifest.'
Here are some tips to help you do just that.
Make a declaration of your goals, desires and wishes. The more specific you are, your vision can make them come true.

You want to write your New Moon, and Full Moon wishes down, there is power in the pen. By writing out your wishes, you are basically making your own written contract with the universe on what you want to manifest for yourself. Make it count.
Your wishes must be for YOU, that is correct, this is about YOU. Make it count.
Go outside, LQQK up into the Big Sky and declare your love for all the gifts you are about to receive. Then forget about it, believe your wishes will come true in their own Divine time.

Most of all be a believer in the power of the Universe and YOU. It all starts with our intentions, that is how we move energy around.
The Mantra: I Believe EVERYTHING is possible-Thank You! Dolby Dharma
“May Light always surround you;
Hope kindle and rebound you.
May your Hurts turn to Healing;
Your Heart Embrace Feeling.
May Wounds become Wisdom;
Every Kindness a Prism.
May Laughter infect you;
Your Passion resurrects you.
May Goodness inspire
your Deepest Desires.
Through all that you Reach For,
May your arms Never Tire.”
― D. Simone

When in Doubt, Take A Rest!

When in Doubt, Take A Rest!

Day Nineteen of the Self-love 31-day 5-minute challenge: Rest

The challenge came late in the day today. Therefore, I felt 'Rest' was an excellent suggestion to take the night in.

What do you think of when it comes to rest? For me rest is not necessarily rest of the body; it is about inner rest of the soul. 
About allowing the restorative balance in our lives.

We make time for workouts, lunches, playtime, etc....But what about tuning into that deep inward relaxation of 'letting it go.' To walk away and allow ourselves to be restored, to feel the breath, to feel the mind, to feel the energy bathing the cells in our bodies, healing us and granting us another moment.

Per the ten commandments, the rule of thumb is to take twenty-four hours off in a week to rest. But not all of us follow that law, and there are many circumstances that people feel doesn't allow for that kind rest commitment. Therefore, this challenge is simple; FIVE minutes just to rest, sit and sip yourself inward.

The purpose of rest is NOT about the rejuvenation of the body so that you can be more productive: The purpose of 'rest' is to enjoy your essence, your life in general, to feel an appreciation for rest and restoration of the body, mind, and spirit.

There is this magical AHHHHHHHH that happens when you just 'Let it go, a relief and a pure pleasure.' Spread your wings to fly beyond the little nest of your old habits, 'STOP' what you are doing and take a rest. Dolby Dharma

The Mantra: It's ok for me to unplug myself for a few minutes to rest.

“Sometimes you just must turn off the lights, sit in the dark, and see what happens inside of you.” 
~ Adam Oakley

'Sitting in the Silence,'

'Sitting in the Silence,'

Day Eighteen of the Self-love 31-day 5-minute challenge: Introspection

I invite you to take the grand journey inside your interior castle and discover the treasures that are waiting for you to find. Observe without evaluating, only then the unwrapped gifts of your own true Nature will become unveiled.

Winter is the time for shadow work, the hermit beckons us, as the nights invites us on an 'inward journey' to know ourselves more.

The hibernation, the turning within is our opportunity to practice a deeper listening to whatever arises, not looking for anything other than where can I open more, expand my breath, be more love and let the Divine light enter to heal the cells that nourish the body.

The benefits: Knowing ourselves more; as we move inward we take ourselves out of the world and into the world that knows us all too well, that knows what is best if we listen, trust and gain wisdom unraveling our highest self.

Surrendering; a benefit of 'I don't know' gives us the innocence of a child open to whatever arises.

Soulfulness; unites us with our lost soul. There is an internal energy, by going within can we tap into this infinite resource.

You will undoubtedly find more benefits in five minutes of just being and going within. There is much to be revealed.

Once we journey into ourselves, we can appreciate with new eyes; we awaken more as an individual that compliments the collective.
Dolby Dharma

The Mantra: My heart is open to myself.

“APPLY WITHIN
You once told me
You wanted to find
Yourself in the world -
And I told you to
First apply within,
To discover the world
within you.

You once told me
You wanted to save
The world from all its wars -
And I told you to
First, save yourself
From the world,
And all the wars
You put yourself
Through.
~~ Suzy Kassem”

"A 'Beary' Merry Blessing."

"A 'Beary' Merry Blessing."

Day Seventeen of the Self-love 31-day 5-minute challenge: Blessings

Today I invite you to feel how truly blessed you are, just look around you and feel your heart expand knowing that life can be hard at times, but life is great most of the time, there are so many reasons to count blessings; Begin as soon as you wake up!

Blessings come wrapped in the ordinary and unordinary circumstances. Just go out in nature today and feel life, look around you and know that every tree is full of angels. The sun lights the earth and radiates blessings all day long. The full moon bathes us in magical energy and illumination. The birds sing mantras to keep us awake to the miracles in life. Nothing more beautiful than the flight of a bird soaring above.

Hidden beauty is waiting in the unknown, we don't always see it, or feel it, it is just there protecting us, guiding us throughout our days.

Blessings are not religious, blessings are our birthright magic, we were born into blessings. Take moments throughout the day and bring yourself back to you; close our eyes, embrace your breath, open your hearts and believe in the blessings and miracles that surround you everywhere, receive them and acknowledge life's gifts.

Today as we gather around our families and friends, or even if we are alone, look around and within, breathe in love for this moment, nothing more. We all have something that creates that inward feeling of gratitude. Live in the now, wake-up and feel yourself come alive and know you are blessed! Dolby Dharma

The Mantra: I am blessed beyond my wildest dreams. I trust Blessings are doing beautiful things in my life even when I can’t see them.

“This new day has greeted us with no rules; unlimited opportunity. Do not dilute the power of this new day with the hardship of yesterday. Greet this day the way it has greeted you; with open arms and endless possibility.” ~~Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Leap for Joy!

Leap for Joy!

Day Sixteen of the Self-love 31-day 5-minute challenge: Leap of Faith

I invite you today to think about or act upon something in your life that you can just 'Go for it, take a chance on something or someone or just start believing YOU CAN DO IT; whatever IT is?'

What is a leap of faith; it is when we believe in something or someone even though the circumstances are not visible or reachable yet, and maybe they won't appear as we had planned, maybe there is something bigger and better on the horizon for us that we could not imagine yet. Our idea or leap was/is just the fire started to get the energy rollin.

The only thing in life we know for sure is that life is dubiousness. We can’t predict how it’s all going to turn out no matter how calculated we are and some of us are pretty calculating. Thus, it is an excellent idea to roll with the changes, go with the flow and ride the wild ride, and "Why NOT'.

Fear, self-doubt, and uncertainty will endlessly make appearances even long after we took that leap of faith, especially if we are expecting our results immediately or just flat out have that expectation. But the actual magic begins to happen when we 'LET GO' and 'TRUST' that no matter how it turns out, we will be alright.

So many of us are blessed with so many extraordinary and unordinary abilities, it is not about measurable talents that we see, it is about the unforeseen creations that have yet to appear. None of us are meant to live ordinary lives we are extra unordinary humans with infinite potential to create. We are here to let go and plant our seeds to grow.

Take a chance, call someone you've been afraid to talk to, quit your job that you bitch about daily. Speak up and share your wisdom, ask for a raise, you deserve it. Replace fear of the unknown with a sense of desire and wonder for what’s to come. Love yourself more.

The list of fears can go on and on. REO Speedwagon said it in a song; "If you're tired of the same ole story, turn some pages and keep on rollin."

Ultimately, for me, “faith” is synonymous with personal trust and confidence, when I let go of how things look, life works in my favor no matter the outcome.

Happy leaps- Dolby Dharma

The Mantra: When I take a leap, I land safely. I am in love with life.

“Be at least as interested in what goes on inside you as what happens outside. If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place.” - Eckhart Tolle

Befriending Yourself; Make time for a play date."

"Befriending Yourself; Make time for a play date."

Day Fifteen of the Self-love 31-day 5-minute challenge: Friendship

I invite you to BEfriend yourself, you are wondering how do I do that, or what does that look like! First; everything begins within! There is no question about that. What's on the inside vibes on the outside, that is the law of attraction. Before we can be any kind of friend, we must start with ourselves. We most likely don't even think about ourselves in that light.

Today, just for five minutes’ feel what it's like to be a bit more “Self-ISH” (not selfish) but taking care of your own well-being and not leaving yourself behind so that you can bring to the table the very best YOU. After all, everywhere you go there you are, love that expression.

Being a friend to yourself is the introduction to the beginnings of relationships with others. First, we must approve and accept ourselves before we can share that friendship with another.

Think about how many times you have gone out of your way for a friend to be kind, and leave yourself out. How many times did you sacrifice yourself for another's attention and time without giving yourself that same courtesy? Plenty, I am sure, I know because I have done it.

It is crazy how great we can be to others showing them the BEST parts of our 'Giving Tree', but when it comes to our own needs, that goes on the back burner. Not being friends with ourselves doesn't allow sustainability with others. 

Being a good, kind, loving BF is showing YOURSELF that same grace and hospitality that we show our friends. Be kind to yourself, embrace your humanness; Celebrate yourself as a part of a whole family, the likenesses of all those outside ourselves, that we truly are, imperfect, perfect, filled with magic, filled with love to share and wanting to be loved, accepted, appreciated and most important, connected.

Self-friendship is knowing YOU. It’s not only about embracing the less appetizing parts of ourselves, but also engaging a strength that perhaps has gone unnoticed because we might have been looking outside for that part of ourselves. Befriending yourself is about coming into your fullness. If we don’t treat ourselves in a friendly manner, we don’t treat life in a friendly fashion.

I have always believed, "the best way to have a friend is to be a friend to yourself first and foremost."  What you do for yourself, affects your world outside of you, remember to practice random acts of kindness towards yourself! Dolby Dharma

The Mantra: I AM my own best friend. I choose to give love to myself first and foremost.

"Loving yourself...does not mean being self-absorbed or narcissistic, or disregarding others. Rather it means welcoming yourself as the most honored guest in your own heart, a guest worthy of respect, a lovable companion." ~ Margo Anand

"One day I woke up to myself"

"Befriending Yourself; Make time for a play date"

Day Fifteen of the Self-love 31-day 5-minute challenge: Friendship

I invite you to BEfriend yourself, you are wondering how do I do that, or what does that look like! First; everything begins within! There is no question about that. What's on the inside vibes on the outside, that is the law of attraction. Before we can be any kind of friend, we must start with ourselves. We most likely don't even think about ourselves in that light.

Today, just for five minutes’ feel what it's like to be a bit more “Self-ISH” (not selfish) but taking care of your own well-being and not leaving yourself behind so that you can bring to the table the very best YOU. After all, everywhere you go there you are, love that expression.

Being a friend to yourself is the introduction to the beginnings of relationships with others. First, we must approve and accept ourselves before we can share that friendship with another.
Think about how many times you have gone out of your way for a friend to be kind, and leave yourself out. How many times did you sacrifice yourself for another's attention and time without giving yourself that same courtesy? Plenty, I am sure, I know because I have done it.

It is crazy how great we can be to others showing them the BEST parts of our 'Giving Tree', but when it comes to our own needs, that goes on the back burner. Not being friends with ourselves doesn't allow sustainability with others.

Being a good, kind, loving BF is showing YOURSELF that same grace and hospitality that we show our friends. Be kind to yourself, embrace your humanness; Celebrate yourself as a part of a whole family, the likenesses of all those outside ourselves, that we truly are, imperfect, perfect, filled with magic, filled with love to share and wanting to be loved, accepted, appreciated and most important, connected.

Self-friendship is knowing YOU. It’s not only about embracing the less appetizing parts of ourselves, but also engaging a strength that perhaps has gone unnoticed because we might have been looking outside for that part of ourselves. Befriending yourself is about coming into your fullness. If we don’t treat ourselves in a friendly manner, we don’t treat life in a friendly fashion.

I have always believed, "the best way to have a friend is to be a friend to yourself first and foremost." What you do for yourself, affects your world outside of you, remember to practice random acts of kindness towards yourself! Dolby Dharma

The Mantra: I AM my own best friend. I choose to give love to myself first and foremost.

"Loving yourself...does not mean being self-absorbed or narcissistic, or disregarding others. Rather it means welcoming yourself as the most honored guest in your own heart, a guest worthy of respect, a lovable companion." ~ Margo Anand

"What's LOVE got to do with it"

"What's LOVE got to do with it."

Day Twelve of the Self-love 31-day 5-minute challenge: LOVE

I invite you to take five minutes and think about a situation in your life where you can BE a loving presence, Give more love and Feel more love for Yourself. YES, this is about Self-Love.

Love is a universal word, but not a universal feeling, at least not to me. I have always thought of love as something indescribable, intangible and ambiguous in nature. The "L-word" is just blurted out, but it doesn't mean the same thing to everyone that is for sure.

Where to begin: Loving yourself first, in a healthy, NONnarrcistic way; that is having a reverence for humanity, wanting for others what you want for yourself.

Loving yourself is key to knowing what it feels like to have a quality connection to self and others. If you don't own it, or know what it feels like to honor yourself, you can't possibly know the depth of another, without knowing 'YOU' first.

The power in a 'love connection' begins with self-acceptance.

In our culture, we are too busy seeking someone to love us, take care of us to make us feel accepted, validated, whole and complete. Not for all of us, but for most of us.

On a subconscious level, we seek people to grow more, learn more, and work out our ancestor's generational downloads. These downloads have taken up residency in our body, minds, and spirit. We are not aware of it; hence ending up in crazy making relationships.

These collective generational dramas live in the cells of our bodies waiting to be fed. We all carry around all kinds of stories about ourselves, but until we address and gain an understanding of what our needs are, address the wounds, then we know that what we were seeking outside ourselves we had all along. Love is meant to be a compliment to each other, at least that is how I feel it. 

Receiving love from another always feels good, but the love I feel for myself allows me to have healthy relationships with others. I want for them, what I want for myself. 

The good news with this challenge, you get to spend five minutes opening to yourself and see where you can love yourself more.

Today get over to the mirror, gaze into the soul of your eyes and allow the floodgates of love to open. Spend those minutes looking for what is beautiful and loving about YOU. Receive it as you breathe in the life force of love that is your birthright. Open a little more, and take in all that is RIGHT with you, sip a little more love in. Love is never-ending and eternally flowing, all you have to do is practice this mirror work each morning. You will be glad you did, it sets the tone for a unordinary day of unexpected LOVE.

At the end of the day, it ALL boils down to LOVE. <3 Dolby Dharma

Today's Mantra: I AM a loving presence, love is my life force.

Love is more than what can be expressed in words, love is more than grammar and verbs. Love is compassionate and soothing, love can be painful and grueling, but only for growth. Love is not abusive, love is not vindictive, love is not selfish. Love will not leave you with a black eye and hating yourself. Love is the building blocks of creation, love is the substance from which we are made. From love, to love, by love. ~Muneera Rashida