The Journey's Made me Stronger

We all have our struggles. I have mine. And you have yours.

Our challenges make us stronger, and in a way we want them. Because if we are not pushed to grow, we're not living.

But here's the thing.

Sometimes it's pretty tough. We wonder, "what is it this time that I need to learn? Because this time I'm challenged in a direction I've never been before. It's uncertain and scary."

Well let me tell you this. There will always be lessons and new experiences as long as we are living and engaged with the world. We get to choose, though, how we handle them.

Are we coming from a place of self love? Are we asking for the support we need? Are we surrendering to what is not within our control and taking charge of what is? Do we believe in ourselves? And better yet, are we surrounding ourselves with people who believe in us?

These are all questions we ask ourselves along the journey. The way we choose to respond to them determines how the journey will feel.

When we come from a place of self love and support, we cultivate insane faith, we realize that we can handle whatever comes our way, and we know that, "this too shall pass."

"Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling."
-Margaret Lee Runbeck

The journey is the destination.

Are we surrendering to our truth along the way and embracing our vulnerability? And most importantly, are we letting go of who we think we should be to be who we are?

Because when we embrace who we are and stop the judgement, when we lean into love and open ourselves up- yes, even when its hard- we find happiness.

Happiness is not dependent on something we think we need to get later, it really comes from inside and is always present when we stop, listen and allow ourselves to feel. 

Blessings,
Julie

How to Kick Ass During Uncertain Times

This past month has been a great time of uncertainty for me- losing my job challenged me to push my limits in so many different ways. I've always loved the hospitality industry and have learned many a skill working in restaurants and bars all over the city. The work definitely gives me the opportunity to connect with people and network. However, my passion for yoga, meditation, mental health and wellness hasn't been fulfilled in this work. So a month off pushed me to explore other opportunities, research and start a whole new conversation. 

As I've learned in the past few years, asking for help is in fact a sign of strength- this month yet again, showed me that although vulnerability is often messy and uncomfortable, its where our power and truth lies.

Owning out story, sharing it and asking for help is how we grow to be our strongest selves and find connection with each other.

So I asked. Many times. It wasn't always easy, but Ive realized that if we don't express how we feel, we cut off the pathways to the support and nourishment that we need. And we all need it.

Alongside my exploration of work opportunities and interviews with employers, I spent much time running and doing yoga. I started cultivating some pretty radical faith and trust. I realized that I had a choice- I could choose fear and scarcity or I could choose love. Each day I focus on choosing love.

Because when we choose love and when we love ourselves, we practice self care, we are patient and kind to ourselves and the people around us and we know that we will handle whatever comes our way. We have done it before and will do it again. Its time to get creative, open our mind and realize that when one door closes, another always opens.

I learned to really surrender, to feel the power of prayer and to let go of the need to control everything. We persevere and do what we can, but we also remember to rest, play and be kind and gentle to ourselves. 

Balance.

And I practiced loads of gratitude. Because by noticing how many incredible people I have in my life and much more, by raising my awareness to the abundance I have now, I found more opportunity, peace and strength.

Blessings,
Julie

The D Word.

Okay, okay, it's not what you might have thought. But it's better.

In this post at least, D stands for discipline- the toolbox of resources and practices that allow us to be the most focused and strongest version of ourselves.

When we master self care, we master our freedom. Our happiness is not dependent on others or our circumstances. Wherever we are, we use the habits of self care.

"Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out." 

Regular practices such as yoga, running and meditation have served me greatly. I highly recommend all three! And yes, it takes discipline to do these consistently. Believe me, I don't always feel like going to the gym at first, but always feel better after.

The motivation? To feel good. Being disciplined is about self love and self respect. When we are consistently active, asking for help when we need it, feeding ourselves wholesome meals, engaging in satisfying work, we are telling ourselves that we are worthy of happiness.

Discipline is something we want to do, because we love ourselves and know that we deserve to be happy.

 
There is an abundance of resources available to all of us, we have everything we need and all the answers lie within- it is simply our choice to be open to this abundance.

And are we ever!

Discipline is about talking to ourselves and treating ourselves the way we would talk to someone we love. It's an act of self love really.

Our focus is on showing up and trying. I truly believe that success and greatness has little to do with perfection and more to do with having the courage to show up, be real and do the things that make us feel good. It's the journey where each day we take a step, even when times are uncertain. We let people know where we're at and we ask our friends to hold us accountable for staying on track. These people encourage with love and support our doing what makes us happy.

I've realized that the longer we live, the better we know ourselves. We develop a toolbox of resources- self care practices, we adopt a mindset of abundance, we choose love over scarcity and fear, we focus on gratitude, we learn what we need and we learn to ask for it.

So the word discipline for me is a nourishing one. It's habit, its self-love and it's abundance. It's strength, freedom and focus.  It's sexy and powerful.

Danielle LaPorte is a shining women I look up to- here's what she has to say about discipline. I could not agree more.

"Can discipline feel joyful? Yes!
So how do you know when you’re stifling yourself with structure vs. nurtur-ing, or setting yourself free, with structure? 
You know because it feels good to do it, and it leads to more good feelings."

Blessings,
Julie

Is it Okay to be Angry?

The simple answer is hell yes! We have many stories about how anger should be expressed- what ends up happening is that we often keep our opinions, anger and resentment so pent up that it comes out in the extreme.

The natural flow of life demands that we move with it.

Anger is a healthy human emotion that is meant to be expressed. When we can listen to our anger as it comes up, it will actually act in our favor.  Its there to tell us something about what we're going through.

Maybe we are settling in work that doesn't support our growth and vision, or in a relationship where we don't feel free. When we act out of fear, holding onto something- but not what we really want- we end up feeling resentful, stuck and yes, angry.

As Danielle LaPorte- a woman I very much respect- says, "if the journey towards your vision doesn't feel good, STOP". Sometimes we need to put short term plans in place during transition periods. But even these demand limits.

Anger also happens to be a part of the grieving process. We all go through grief at some point in our lives. When we are letting go of someone or something we have lost, our experience of grief will include anger. Its so important to express what we are feeling as a way to let go, release and create space for new beginnings.

Noticing our anger and where we feel it in our bodies is the first step. The ability to feel means that we are alive! Physical activity (in all forms) is a great way to release. When we sweat, we are cleansed in so many ways. Writing and dance are also great ways to express. Telling people how we feel is also important. 

When we allow ourselves to experience our truth, we become clear. We move past fear and take off the the mask. We may write a letter to an ex for closure or quit work that is soul sucking. We may ask for a higher position within a company or set a boundary to create more personal time.

Standing up for ourselves means we won`t be resentful. 

So really, confronting our anger is healthy. It may be messy at first, but the truth is that anger is a part of the human experience and when we listen to it as it comes up and express it, it will show us what we are fed up with so we can let go and make changes. 

Maybe its time to change.

Blessings,
Julie

Losing a Job: What I Learned

I haven't blogged in a while and I must admit, I miss it. I've been writing a bit for myself, but doing just this- sharing authentically, is what brings me fulfillment.

Why? Because we connect over what makes us human. Through both the great times and the tough times. What an interesting past few months its been- I spent beautiful time again in California in May, but when I came back, felt I was coming back to a routine. I knew something was missing- I was starting to feel bored and the sense that I want more adventure, excitement and growth.

Well you know how they say that being let go of a job can be a blessing in disguise? Well it certainly may not feel like it in the moment, but now I realize it's true.

I had the opportunity to be a part of the opening team of a restaurant. I learned about marketing to increase sales and how great food is made. But I also learned that sometimes things happen that we never expect. Well, until they happen.

After putting my heart into my work at this business, seeing things change literally every day, including people getting fired at a rate that seemed too frequent, I started wondering. I asked questions and tried to confirm that my position was stable.

I realized that management didn't engage in much feedback with their staff. A lot of the time, threatening and hostile behavior was used to improve staff performance. Many of us agreed that this just created unnecessary stress.

And after all that? Well, my friend and I were next. I was shocked when I lost my job- after investing energy and trust into the business, I felt betrayed. How the hell could this happen, this is ridiculous!

I spent much time replaying what happened in my head and feeling disgusted by how I was treated, but then realized that at the end of the day, we can't control what happens, but we can control how we react to it.

So I've taken what I've learned and am moving forward. I think this whole situation has urged me to cultivate more faith and trust in myself. I don't fully feel it yet, but I am stronger and wiser. And I'm starting to really support the idea of having multiple income streams!

And you know what they say about things falling apart so that better things can fall together? Well, it's true. Sometimes it takes patience, but tough times have made me have greater faith, realizing that while a certain job, situation or person may bring us much fulfillment and happiness, sometimes things end to create space for what is more in line with what we really need and want.

What I've also learned? That we have a choice: love or fear.

We can choose to live in the scarcity mindset that there isn't enough, or we can choose to see that there is abundance and opportunity. In times of uncertainty we can choose to worry about things that have a 99.9% chance of never happening, or we can choose to love ourselves, claim our self worth and find the source of powerful love within.

Because there is enough, we have enough and most importantly, we are enough. 

We are more than a job or a relationship. And it is because of who we are- beings of pure love- that we continue to attract what it is we need most.

Until soon,
Julie

We Are Creators

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit."
- Aristotle 

Each day I learn again and again through my experiences that we can literally shift how we feel by realizing our power to choose and in practicing intentional choice-making.

I've also learned that not choosing is also a choice, but in doing this we are just denying our expansion. Not claiming the power that is always within us.

We choose who we spend our time with, what opportunities we engage in and how we want to see the world.

Our choices each day cumulatively create our reality.

We choose  to affect our lives, rather than allow our circumstances to affect us.

We choose to make our happiness a priority- because we know that in doing this, we naturally overflow with love for the people around us. We are able to support others from a grounded place when we have cultivated our own ground first. We choose self care and self love.

We choose to ask for help and reach out. Because we know that we are on this planet together to help and inspire each other.

We choose to connect, to face our fears, to take risks, to quit things that are wasting our time and to free ourselves from the limiting stories, allowing for expansion, vision and growth.

We choose to let go of the need to assume and judge because we know that we cannot truly know an experience until we are physically experiencing it. We choose to live in the truth of what we are experiencing in this present moment.

We choose to listen to our bodies and our intuition as we create our lives. Our bodies know what feels good. This guidance system is infinitely powerful is guiding us to choose the experiences that energize us.

We choose to live in awareness and act from a profound place of courage.

And in realizing that our lives are a result of our choices, we are liberated because we realize we are infinitely powerful creators. We are the mapmakers of our path. The painters of a blank canvas given to us each day.

Blessings,
Julie

Focus: Why We need it and How we Get it

A simple, yet powerful truth that I have come to terms with in my life is this: all the results I've gotten, and goals I've reached, especially in the past two years, came through focus.

Focus creates energy. When we focus on our priorities, the things that only bring us happiness, our energy is streamlined and therefore results come our way more quickly. The unimportant naturally fades away.

The universe knows what to give us when we are clear on what we want. We become a much stronger point of attraction for that which we want when we are focused.

Focus creates expansion. It invites clarity and cultivates power. And abundance. What a paradox! But it's 100% true. Every time. Every experience in my life where I felt expansion is there to prove.

One of the most challenging things I've realized about focus is that it involves self trust. We must trust that we know what we need. Focus means creating boundaries on other people's expectations. It's impossible to please everyone and be 100% true to ourselves. This means tuning out the voices of negativity and consciously choosing what we take in.

Here are a few of the ways in which we can cultivate focus:

1 Inviting Challenge and Excitement

Boring routines that don't challenge us to grow are counterproductive. We each have a wackload of potential that is meant to be used. When this energy is stifled, our body feels stuck. This is why I've found challenge to be one of the key points in cultivating focus. When we are challenged to think in new ways, to call upon our inner resources, we feel alive. We are in "the zone", in "flow", you know what I mean. And we realize that our potential and capabilities are limitless.

We can cultivate challenge when we are spontaneous, when we take risks, when we face our fears. For example, booking a low budget trip that challenges us to move past our comfort zone.

We can cultivate challenge by inviting new experiences or by growing in our current environments. For example, communicating with our managers at work to explore new capacities and building skills in other areas of an organization. Asking for a promotion. The truth is that if we don't ask, the answer will always be no. "Ask and you shall receive." When we vocalize our needs and goals, we automatically are held accountable for our own happiness.

2 We are the People we Surround Ourselves With

One of the most important truths I've learned about relationships is that we owe it to ourselves to choose the people who bring the best in us. People who support our growth and hold us accountable for doing the things we want to do. Healthy relationships are energizing, authentic and supportive.

We simply cannot be around negative people and focus on positive growth at the same time. It doesn't work. Letting go of people who bring us down is one of the keys to being focused.

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." We cannot change people. Trying to "make" people understand is a waste of time. But while we cannot change others, we can choose who we surround ourselves with.

3 Exercise and Wholesome Eating

Two days ago yet again proved to me how life-changing physically activity is. The way I felt before and after my run blew my mind. Pick an activity that makes you sweat, it doesn't matter what it is, and do it regularly. Physical activity makes us feel more calm, grounded, present and focused. And did I say amazing? Well, that too.

It's true, "we are what we eat". Eating regular wholesome meals and snacks, nutrient rich foods, simply feels good. The goal is not perfection, but to feel nourished and energized. From this point, we are far more focused, grounded and present in our work and relationships.

4 Travel and Taking Breaks

Booking a trip is a great way to reboot. To refocus. It gives a chance to come back to what we want, separate from the exceptions of the people around us. We are constantly surrounded by ideas of who we "should" be, when really, its simply about being who we are. By developing our individual gifts, we are able to offer something to the world that nobody else can. Another way to take a break is by disconnecting and unplugging. Facebook, Twitter, and our Smartphones can be used as great tools. Therefore, the key here is balance. Using these tools to our benefit, but also reminding ourselves to take time away from them. Why? Because our greatest tool is the knowledge we have in our hearts.