What Feels Real to You?

The more life experience we get, the more we have to work with. As we meet more new people, take on more opportunities and find ourselves in different environments, we have the opportunity to reflect. The only way to really know if something makes us feel good is to decide after we experience it. We must be open and willing in life to face both excitement and challenge. The only way to discover what we want and what feels real is to try all that life gives us with courage, trusting ourselves that we will sift through our experiences to create more of that which ignites our spark. We must consciously sift through all that we know, while continuing to gain more experience with each day, and focus on that which has touched our heart.

 And what do I mean by "that which has touched our heart?" Well, I am referring to those experiences or people who have left a permanent positive impact on you. That have made you realize what it really means to be alive. To flow with the universe and live from the heart. People and situations that have freed your soul, allowed you to be your truest and happiest self.

This process requires intense focus and self-trust. As we learn more about what liberates us and sets us free from all limits, it is important to focus with all that we have on it. To trust that by following the realness of these life-changing experiences, we become truly free and happy.

Take a few minutes to reflect. Become aware. Take out a piece of paper and identify that which has ignited your spark. The people and experiences that have inspired you. And focus on actively expanding upon these experiences. 

This is where the truth lies. Believe in it.

Blessings,

Julie

Follow YOUR Path and Nothing Else

 

Over the past few weeks especially, I have realized the importance of what it means to stay true to myself. In order to become truly happy, we must trust in who we really are as individuals and act accordingly.

We must also trust that what we believe in is a reality that we can consciously create. We have the power to create that which we think about. Therefore, we must realize that our thoughts manifest into our physical reality.

We are what we believe in. We develop with experience and as we learn more about life, we are able to become who we really are, do what we really want to do.

What do you believe in? What are your values?

If you believe that a certain life, the life that you really want, is possible, then it is. We can only become that which we first believe.

 If we believe that we deserve to be around energized and supportive people, that we can have exciting travels and adventures in our lives, that we can become more spiritually, that we can be part of an inspiring community or project, then we are paving the path of possibility. By understanding that we can create that which we want and believing in it, we are taking the first step. Then, with consistent focus and effort, we can, one step at a time, create the life that frees us from all limits.

In order to be our happiest selves, it is important to make every choice in alignment with our beliefs. This means making every choice with awareness and making sure each choice is in sync with what we believe to be true.

Blessings,

Julie

Decide to Take Action!

There is a certain power, an undeniable force, in deciding to do something. Rather than being at affect of the decisions of others or whatever the universe brings upon us, when we decide to create the events of our own life, a certain spark ignites. We feel inspired.  We often underestimate our own power that is limitless. As a famous quote says, we fear our greatness- we fear how great we can be and the intensity of happiness and freedom we can achieve. 

I say take the risk. Believe in yourself and decide that YOU are the one who makes the decisions. After all, it is YOUR life. Take the leap of faith and decide.

And now comes the burning question. "How do I decide when there are so many options/possibilities?" Well, here is the answer: when we ask ourselves this question and look at the limitless possibilities that lie before us, we often become overwhelmed by them all because we analyze each one- "what is going to happen if I do this?" "What will so and so think if I do this?" "What happens if it doesn't turn out as I expect?" "What if I fail?"

We spend so much time and energy thinking and rationalizing each choice and forget to realize that there is no possible way we can determine the effect of a choice until we actually DO it. Of course it is important to make sure we are not taking a risk that will cause harm or something of that extreme. But most of the time, the decisions we make are not life and death- therefore we need to stop thinking so much, and take more action. We must DO consistently.

So decide to do something that your intuition is guiding you towards. You won't be able to figure out the end result before you actually do it, so stop the thinking. The process is where the fulfillment really lies. 

Be the creator and manifestor of your destiny. Of course there are certain things that are out of our control such as the weather and the people around us, but we can start from somewhere. We can start with our own power to create a structure for ourselves. We can decide to do something, because either way we will get a result. It is better to take responsibility for our decisions and learn all that we can from them, knowing that we are the conscious creators of them. So decide, make a plan, think less and take action.

Blessings,

Julie

Surrender to the Experience

In life, there is a powerful force that becomes ignited when we let go of limits to experience things fully, for what they truly are. When we allow ourselves to be in the moment. To drink a warm tea and let our minds wander and simply dream.

I often stop to feel the power of gratitude for the life I am blessed to live. For the air I breathe, food I eat, bed I sleep in, for the amazing people who support and inspire me to be the best me- and all of the other beautiful things that I interact with on a daily basis.

While the past nurtures our wisdom and gives us the necessary insight we need to define what we want and make the right choices moving forward with our lives , we have the present moment that provides immeasurable beauty in itself. This is something to be grateful for.

So while we dream and plan for our futures and create what we want through consistent daily action, it is important to also bask in the breathtaking simplicity that the present moment provides. 

As we explore what may be stopping us from experiencing all that we are capable of experiencing, we must take into account one of the biggest limiting factors: judgement.

It is one thing to use our judgement to assess whether a familiar situation is right for us. For example, if we see ourselves going back to an old habit that doesn't serve us, it would be wise to become aware of this and bring ourselves back to the path that serves us. Also, if we find ourselves allowing negative people into our lives, it would be wise to use our judgement to set some healthy limits.

But often, when we don't have enough information, when we step into an unknown territory, whether it is a relationship, friendship, job or new living space, we fall back on judgement. Judging a situation before we know it is an easy thing to do but it is also dangerously limiting.

We often use our rational minds to judge because we are scared to face fear and the intensity of emotional experiences that do not always carry a rational explanation.

 Before we allow ourselves to truly experience something, it is easy to criticize it, based on what we already know. But if it is a new situation, it is especially important to be open to the "newness" of it before we come to conclusions. To go with our hearts and intuition, and to let go of the rational and analytical mind for a moment. To really be in whatever you are experiencing.

This is why my blog is called "Limitless Living". Because I believe that the best thing we can do is to challenge and push our limits to experience more than we know. When we can release judgement, have faith in our intuition and create the life of our dreams, we are truly living.

Many Blessings,

Julie

Never Stop Fighting for What You Believe In

 

Before I begin this post, I want to share a poem that I hold very close to my heart.

A mighty wind blew night and day
It stole the oak tree's leaves away
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark

But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around
The weary wind gave up and spoke.
How can you still be standing Oak?

The oak tree said, I know that you
Can break each branch of mine in two
Carry every leaf away
Shake my limbs, and make me sway

But I have roots stretched in the earth
Growing stronger since my birth
You'll never touch them, for you see
They are the deepest part of me

Until today, I wasn't sure
Of just how much I could endure
But now I've found, with thanks to you
I'm stronger than I ever knew

There is such profound emotion in this poem. And not just emotion, the poem is true. Life may sway you off course, it will place obstacles in your path, but we must know that we are stronger than that. As things fall apart, better things come together. When we lose something or someone that brought us joy, there is more beauty coming our way. At our core, just like the oak tree, we are pure strength and light. And there is nothing to hide, for each and every one of us is fighting a battle. At this time in the world, there is nothing to fear, for it is through facing fear and becoming vulnerable that we see our strength. That we become fearless. When we connect with each other with our pains and joys, this is living.

It is through allowing the natural cycle of life to take its course and acting with it, that we grow, we progress and bloom. Living each moment of life together, with the ups and downs, is what ignites a flow of progress. Experiencing the beauty of every emotion that life brings upon us and moving past our fear, is what allows flow. Moving with our intuition and allowing our pains and fears to motivate us in creating more, is flow. Acting vulnerably with our truest core at any given time represents more beauty and power than we will ever be able to measure.

What do you believe in?
What have you experienced that you know is real?
That experiences have ignited your spark and set you free?

 Listen to this truth because this is where freedom lies. Follow the rawness of your most powerful life experiences, learn from them and create more of them. It is in all of us to create more than we can ever grasp.

Blessings,

Julie

Don't Be Afraid to Be Yourself

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."

I often think about this quote to remind myself that having the courage to be ourselves is more important than we will ever know. Because staying true to who we really are is what liberates us, and frees us from any conditions and limits. We don't pay attention to the expectations of others because what is most important is to do what we feel is right- and the people who truly support us in this journey will be by our side no matter what choices we make. 

Fear often holds us back from expressing our deepest thoughts and emotions and taking action upon them. We must realize that when we face the fear and be who we really are and all that we are, then we are powerful beyond measure. We are unique and special, and letting our light shine is the most attractive thing we can do. When we let go of society's expectations, and the need to please others or be perfect, when we realize that there is no "right"way to be- only the way that speaks from the heart- we are truly free. 

 By letting out light shine, we give others the permission to do the same. We allow others to discover their inherent gift, because we all have a deep passion and intense light inside ourselves. We are all capable of moving past our thoughts into the realm of intuition. People are often saying, "think before you act"- I am not dismissing the importance of this idea. But often we think too much and about things that rob us of our precious energy. Of course it is important to be mindful of the risks involved in making a choice, but we all too often waste our time on thinking about how people will judge our decisions or about "what if something goes wrong?" The "what if's" that have no proof of being real are usually just fear speaking.

 It is important to move past fear and realize that we must show who we are. This is where our power, beauty, happiness and freedom lies. And anyone who isn't a positive support on our journey to be more of ourselves every day isn't someone worth having in our lives.

So be yourself, say and do what you feel, dance your song and realize that this is the most beautiful thing you can do. 

 Blessings,

Julie  

 

Ignite the Free Spirit/Crazy in You!

 

I believe that we all have a crazy part of ourselves that doesn't reveal itself often enough. Our world of rules and expectations makes it hard to get into our "optimal freedom zone". We are worried about what others think about us, we are scared to be unique- to do things because we simply feel like it. Everything has to make sense, has to be rationalized. But what if you just did something based on your intuition? What if you say what you really want to say and do what you really want to do? Well then, you would feel unbelievably free!


We are given a precious life with limitless opportunity to feel emotion and follow our passion. It is important to connect with what we want and not pay attention to people who tell us otherwise.


So this is my challenge to you: explore.

And by explore I mean really look into yourself and see what it is that you want. Take a pen and paper right now and write down a few of the things that you really enjoy doing, things that bring you happiness- they could be small things or big things- remember, value can be found in many of the simple things in life. 

Now you have a base, a place to start from. Do those things. Today.

And at the same time, be open to experience more of the things that you think would excite you- that would make you want to wake up in the morning. Take another piece of paper and write down those things that you simply haven't done, or are too scared to do. Now go out and do them! And if they are big things, remember that consistency is key- so small achievements every day lead to massive outcomes.

Often we get caught in "thinking" about what we should do, rather than "feeling" what we want to do. We listen to others' opinions and try to find reassurance that what we want to do is going to be the "right" thing. And this can be counter-productive.

So in this case, just be spontaneous. Don't give yourself too much time to think. Just do. Trust me, the fears are just fears. Because when we actually do what we want, we realize that what we feared is rarely true. 

Break the barriers, push the limits, talk to a stranger, write a book, attend an event, plan a trip, do something just because you feel like it- whatever this may be.

Blessings,

Julie

Live Richly Without Being Rich

Sometimes we forget that the little things in life mean a lot. We too often forget that its those simple things that can bring us an incredible sense of fulfillment and pleasure. Yes, intense pleasure. Of course it is important to have a long-term plan in life, to have goals. It is important to figure out the big stuff like where we want to live, what career we want to have, what kind of partner we want to be with and so on. But, at the same time that we patiently work towards achieving our dreams and success, there is nothing stopping us from enjoying the simple things. We have access to experiencing these simple pleasures right now. It is simply a matter of choice.
We don't need money, or very little of it to experience these simple things.

- a warm coffee or tea in a cozy shop
- a sunset or sunrise
- the company of a good friend
- a walk in nature
- a warm bath
- an organized and refreshed room
- a good song
- smelling a flower

And many, many more. You can continue the list. 

So why do so many of us forget to take the time to do these things? Because they are so simple and small that we forget how important they are. Yes, it is easy to do them. But it is also easy not to do them. 

That is why we have to use our awareness to realize that they are important. Until we are actually experiencing them, we often forget the pleasure they bring.

So all it takes is a conscious mindset that abundance is not only in the big things, but in the little things as well.

And very often, at the end of the day, we realize that what we thought were the little things are actually the big things. 

There is so much value in taking the time to refine the quality of our life experience by simply reminding ourselves to do the small things every day.

Sometimes I get so caught up in trying to figure out my life's purpose and making big goals and decisions that I forget that happiness is something that can be fully experienced today. Now, as a matter of fact. Yes, achieving the big things that we want brings much happiness, but it is the process of getting to those big things that is truly fulfilling. And the process involves finding those little moments in life, and cherishing them. Taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary. This is an art and it deserves to be mastered.

Blessings,

Julie

Getting Addicted to True Happiness

The path to happiness is not always straight, but it is worthwhile. Since happiness is different to each person, it is not something that we can achieve by following a set of instructions on how we "should" live our lives. Nobody can tell us exactly what it is that makes each of us excited, what ignites our spark. You are the one who knows yourself the best, because you are the only one experiencing your life. 

 Along the path of true happiness, there are two things we must always remind ourselves of:

1 There is absolutely no need to please anyone else because the people that have your best interest at heart will want you to do what makes you happy

2 Nobody can define your happiness and wants in life better than you. Yes, we need some life experience to see what it is that we want and don't want. Yes, we will need guidance of people who can teach us a lot. But in the end, we must take what feels true and real from each of the inspiring people or resources in our lives and create our own unique belief system that defines the choices we make for our happiness. It is important to make the choice that feels right to YOU.

A very powerful thing I've learned on my own happiness journey is the value of experience.  It takes experience of happiness to truly believe in it. That is why the fight is hardest at the beginning. But once we know what we are fighting for, once we know the exhilarating and liberating feeling, there is no going back.

At the beginning of my journey,  experience hadn't yet stepped into my life and body to show me what I was fighting for.  In the beginning it was hard to believe because I didn't yet know what it feels like to be around positive and inspiring people, to make choices from the heart, to follow my intuition and to feel truly happy. But now I know. And that is why, no matter what anyone else says, you should follow what you believe is possible.

 I started becoming conscious of my choices about three years ago. That was when I started asking myself every time, "Is this choice going to make me happy?" and "Is this person someone I feel good around?" At the beginning it was hard. It was very hard. You know why? Because I was concerned with pleasing people, I was concerned with doing what I "should" do rather than what I really wanted. But with time, I came to know and experience the life I truly want and now I am addicted. 
 I want to share my addiction with you! 

You should never settle for less. Dreams start in the heart, they start inside. We imagine them. But with focus and a sound belief in ourselves, we have it all in us to create them, to make them real and to share them with others.

 Blessings,

Julie

Who are Your Friends? (+ my story)

There was a time in my life when I didn't have real friends. When I didn't know what it feels like to have people in your life who genuinely care for your well-being and happiness. I didn't know what it feels like to have people in my life who support me no matter what, who I can trust to be there when I need them.
A few years ago I had friends and many of them, but these relationships were superficial- most of these people are no longer in my life now because I realized that they weren't the positive, inspiring and supportive connections I want in my life.

When I realized this, I spent a period of time feeling lonely. I wasn't going to settle for meaningless relationships. And then, slowly but surely, I searched to find people who shared my values, people who I still have in my life. Until you know what you can experience by actually experiencing it, it is hard to convince ourselves that what we want is out there. But let me tell you, it is! And sometimes this means setting limits on the "toxic" relationships in our lives, to create space for meaningful ones. Now I know what it feels like to have people who you truly feel connected to and people who genuinely care.

It is important to never settle for less than what we deserve. If we are investing our effort and dedication into relationships, we must spend our time with dedicated people.

And how do you know if a relationship is meaningful? You will know that a person is positively impacting your life when after you spend time with them, you feel energized and free to be who YOU are. Real friends don't expect you to be anyone else other than your true self.

One thing I learned about finding real friends is that they don't just simply appear. Waiting for the perfect friend might keep you waiting forever. We need to consciously go out and do what we love, follow our passion and immerse ourselves in the environments that we want to be in. When we follow our passion, we attract passionate people.

Another thing I've learned about creating meaningful relationships is that after we meet those people who we "click" with, it is our responsibility to show that we care. Simply said, be the friend that you want to have.

When I realized how blessed I am to have meaningful relationships in my life, I make sure to let those people know how much I care about them. 

Blessings,

Julie