It's OK to cry!

When you're upset about something... really upset,

it's OK to cry! to bitch! to feel like shit!

When you allow yourself to feel that way, it's easier to release it. Don't fight it! Give yourself permission to feel like crap.

So, next time you're so pissed off you want to scream, just do it! (OK, maybe not at work, or in a very public place)  Cry! Bitch! Get it of your chest!

I promise, you'll feel better.

I have got a great life!

I've been thinking a lot about gratitude lately.  I've been intentionally meditating on gratitude daily.

I firmly believe in order to receive all the wonderful gifts life has to offer us, it starts with gratitude and giving. Its easy to be grateful and there are many ways to give- you can give your time or something as simple as your smile or a caring ear to a friend.

I think about all the things I'm grateful for and they are really simple- like running water, warm bed, clothing, etc. The more I reflect on all the things I'm grateful for, the more I realize that I've got a blessed and beautiful life!

What are you grateful for?
Try this: make a list of the things you are grateful for and why you are grateful for them. Do this everyday for a week. After the end of the week, reflect on how you feel.

Life itself is the proper binge ~ Julia Child

The Law of Least Effort

Nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease....with carefreeness, harmony, and love. 

And when we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love, we create success and good fortune with effortless ease.

~Deepak Chopra

“Worry is like a rocking chair--it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere.”

Emotional Energy

How is your emotional energy spent? Is it on things that aren't serving your purpose? Is it on things that don't deserve your precious time or that deplete your energy reserves? Or is it on things that enliven and encourage you and cause an abundance of positive energy?

Think positive, Be positive.

I'm happy NOT by what I have in my hand, but what I have in my heart.

I Deserve.

We are spiritual beings, having a human experience ~ Deepak Chopra

If you want the right relationship with someone, become the right person.

Go stand and look in the mirror. You're looking at your happiness.

Be your best self, it's all you can do.

The depth of life comes from experience, so experience it!

Flood your life with positive love and light!

Be Still, go within.

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." Winston Churchill

I Suffer Because?

I really LOVE this blog post from Cheri Huber.

I Suffer because?
http://cherispracticeblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/i-suffer-because.html?m=1

Stories we tell ourselves

We tell ourselves stories every single day. Mine sounds like this "I'm not good enough" or "I'm not worthy."

It took me a long time to have awareness of these stories. But now that I do, I realize when its happening and then I can stop. Just stop! I choose to stop telling myself the story and instead tell myself the truth.

Once I know the truth, I can tell myself a new story. It sounds like this "I am worthy!" and "I have valuable experience and skills to offer."

With all stories, the more we hear them, the more we start to believe them. So why not choose a better story?

Letting people struggle

I know it sounds bad but its so true. You need to let people struggle so they can find their own power. If you dont you handicap them. An example is alcoholics. If you have someone you love who drinks, there is nothing you can do but love them. You cant change them and you cant make them stop drinking. You can let them struggle until they find their own willpower and desire to change. Its the best thing you can do for them.

I speak from personal experience.

Every investment you make in yourself, is an investment for the world!

Life's surprises

Life surprises us by leading us on paths we didn't know we were going to travel. I find hope in those surprises.

Breathing in...

Following the Breath By Thich Nhat Hanh

Breathing in, I calm my body.
Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment,
I know this is a wonderful moment!
Breathing in, I know I’m breathing in.
Breathing out, I know
as the in-breath grows deep,
the out-breath grows slow.
Breathing in makes me calm.
Breathing out brings me ease.
With the in-breath, I smile.
With the out breath, I release.
Breathing in, there is only the present moment.
Breathing out, it is a wonderful moment.

To learn more about Thich Nhat Hanh please visit www.plumvillage.org

To be your best- be your authentic self- there is no place to go, you have it all NOW.

This video of humans saving dolphins makes my heart sing

See the video HERE.

Mindfulness Practice

Mindfulness meditation is a lifelong practice. If you make this commitment to practice, you need to know what is important to you. What is it that you value deeply? When you bear in mind what is most important to you, you wont be lost or betrayed in the heat or reactivity of a particular moment. Every moment is an opportunity to practice!

How I react when I do something wrong

I received an email from an online review system that I'm a member of, advising me that they would be removing my latest review. My first reaction was surprise. I often post on this site and pride myself for my reviews. What had I written that was so offensive that it had been flagged and removed?
Turns out, I had written nothing offensive at all, in fact, I had written an update to a review that didn't contain first hand experience, and therefore, violated their terms of posting. OK, no biggy.

But, my first reaction wasn't a "no biggy" response. What happened was my familiar pattern of bodily, thought and emotional response when someone tells me I did something wrong. Anger. My chest tightens, my breathing stops for a moment then becomes forced, my mouth clenches and my mind whirls. The anger only masks my real feelings- Shame. I'm ashamed when I feel I did something wrong. This is from childhood- it was a long discovery process to know this, but I know this. When I was young, I was often shamed into not doing something or into doing something better. I carried it into adulthood like we often carry childhood issues into our present lives.

The difference today from many other times when I've reacted this way in the past is that I noticed it was happening when it was happening. I immediately processed what was happening and called myself out on it. "Nikki, you're angry because you feel ashamed." Because I did this, I was able to make a different choice about how I was responding and how I was going to experience this. This awareness is not new, but the choice-making part is. Today was the first time I was able to immediately let it go. As soon as that happened, my body relaxed and my breathing was normal.

How do you react when you feel you did something wrong? What comes up for you? How does it feel in your body? How do you respond to yourself or others in the situation?

"All that anxiety and fear didn't help..." ~Book Recommendation ~ Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch

"As I look back, the road to where I am today has been a series of happy accidents I was either smart or stupid enough to take advantage of. I thought I had to have a plan, a strategy. Turns out I just had to be ready and willing to take chances, look at what's right in front of me, and put my heart into everything I do."

That is an excerpt from Jane Lynch's book titled Happy Accidents. It's about her journey in life, the ups and downs, and the insights she's gained. Really great read, check it out!

Live your life like its Golden!!

This song by Jill Scott is inspirational! Listen and enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QCXr79Rkcw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

If you wanna do it, do it!

Presence

Over the last few weeks, I've been thinking a lot about presence. I've been working on becoming more present for the last couple of years with the aid of meditation and yoga. These practices help me with my awareness. If I'm more aware, then I can notice when I'm focusing too much on the past... on things I should've done, I could've done, or would've done. When I am present to each unfolding moment, I can let go of the past but also let go of my focus on the future... on what I'm going to do, how I'm going to do it, or when I'm going to do it.

Being present to me is freeing and allows me to slow down and enjoy each moment of my life more fully.

How do you practice presence?

You cant always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need

Letting go of the irretrievable past and the unpredictable future , we discover our selves in the living present ~ S. Levine

We are the Ones

Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once,
but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach.
Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul,
to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely.

~Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Patience with the job hunt

 As my frustration grew today and my patience was tested with the job hunt, I decided to step back and do an internet search for "patience for getting a job." I came across a web site, ejobcoach.com, and liked this little tidbit: "A baseball player with a batting average of .300 is doing damned well, yet we often forget to recognize that what this means is that he has missed 70% of the balls thrown at him."

After reading that I breathed out some of the frustration and breathed in a bit of hope and patience. Just because I haven't gotten a job in almost a year, and I don't receive responses from 99% of all the jobs I apply to, doesn't mean I'm not worthy of a wonderful job. And it doesn't mean that the right job isn't on its way. In its own time. 

I realized that if I continue with this frustration level, my resentment level will increase. This will negatively affect my energy levels when searching and interviewing for jobs. The moral of the story is that I need to practice more patience with myself and potential employers.

What do you need to have more patience with in your life?

Argue for your limitations and they are yours. Richard Bach