Chinh

I’m sure you’ve all heard of it, this Law of Attraction. Basically, it’s the idea that you can attract anything you want in your life, from money to love to material things, just by your thoughts. I’m not going to try to explain how it works, but from the many books out there and my own experience, this stuff is pretty darn legit. BUT there is a secret to attracting all that you need and want in your life, and that is, using VISUALIZATION.

No, this is not some touchy-feely, hocus-pocus, spell or wand-waving ritual. Visualizing is simple and it’s effective not just because it charges your thoughts to attract what you want, but it puts you on the wavelength of feeling good and being happy. It also gets your mind clear on what it is you really want, since the first step of achieving any goal is to have a very specific goal in mind.

Now, here’s my simple 5-step process to visualization:

1. Sit in a quiet space.

2. Clear your mind as best as you can. Imagine putting all your thoughts in clouds or in a saucer in the sea and watching those thoughts float away.

3. Now, start “seeing” in your mind’s eye what it is you truly want. Make sure it’s actually something you actually WANT and not something you think you SHOULD be doing or have. For instance, if you want to lose weight, then visualize your perfect body size/weight.

4. Now, here’s the SECRET. You gotta FEEL the emotion of having what it is you want. This is why I mention it’s important to actually WANT it. For instance, you feel like you should clean your room (silly example), but it’s not actually something you want, so obviously you are not going to feel any strong emotions for it except perhaps abhorrence. When you feel the emotion of having what you want or achieving that goal, it makes your visualization 10X stronger. Seriously. And you will feel a million times better after you’re done.

An important tip: If you know what you want and you don’t know “looks like”, then definitely imagine how it would feel. Here’s an example: you want another job but you don’t know what exactly you’d be doing, you just know that you want to be traveling the world or helping people. Imagine yourself doing just that, exploring the Louvre in Paris or seeing the smiling faces of people grateful for whatever help you gave them. And then FEEL the emotional sensations of happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction from having your dream job. Get my gist?

5. Next, send out your thoughts, feelings, and visions to the world and TRUST that what you want will come to you or the ANSWERS you need to get what you want will come to you.

How often should you visualize? Ideally once per day for 6 minutes. Set your timer and go! Start out with just a few times and week and work up to it. Keep trying it out until you experience the MAGIC!

Tried it? Let me know how it goes below!

What lights your fire? What do you do that gets you excited, exhilarated, heart-pumping, adrenaline-rushing, gives you that high-on-life feeling? Is it painting? Is it singing? Dancing? Running? Sky-diving? Playing video games? Baking? Helping people feel better about themselves?

Think about all the things that light your fire and fuel your passion. Those things should be the guide you use to dictate your decisions and your ultimate journey/path to fulfill your highest purpose.

Imagine if we all acted from a place of passion and excitement, how happy we would be? How fulfilled and how content would we be? The world would be a beautiful place and everyone would walk around with smiles on their faces.

To figure out what lights your fire, ask yourself this: “If I could do ANYTHING at this very moment, with no concern about money, how to make money, where to live, or the what-if’s, the buts, the excuses, what would that be? What is it that I can do all day, for free, and never be tired?

Lighting your fire is the guideline to how your life’s journey unfolds. You may not necessarily know where you’ll end up, what career you’ll take or where you’ll end up living or who you’ll end up marrying, but you’d better act on an opportunity when you start feeling your internal fire light up! It’s unmistakable, so take action on those feelings and the answer will always be shown to you.

This also applies to all of you overachievers! We are all busy and are all striving to achieve “success” in our own way, while having the myriad responsibilities of a: mother, wife, girlfriend, daughter, friend, sister, mentor, colleague, etc. A great way to figure out if you are acting in alignment with who you are and what you want in life is to make sure before you commit yourself, that you only say YES to the activities that will light your fire!

Now go strut your stuff Goddesses!

“If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you.” -- T. Alan Armstrong

Okay ladies (and gents), are you ready for the answer to ALL your eating/dieting confusion? Go green! Literally. I am completely obsessed with the raw food/vegan diet right now. And when I say “diet”, I don’t mean DEPRIVATION. I mean a change of lifestyle and eating habits.

You probably already know that vegetables are good for you but here’s a summary of the nutritional value of leafy greens and vegetables:

• Tons of vitamins and minerals
• Antioxidants that protect us from illness, cancer, and age-related conditions
• Almost ZERO calories (here’s the lose-lots-of-unwanted-fat factor)
• Leafy greens are high in various essential amino acids your body needs to build protein, so consume an assortment of leafy greens in order to ensure you’re satisfying all of your amino acid needs

I know what you’re thinking: you don’t have time, greens don’t taste that great, and eating them raw? Oh ew!

But wait! Try eating your greens by making “green smoothies”. That’s right, blending your greens with some fruit, avocado, nuts, and some type of liquid. AND they taste great! Like actually DELICIOUS. Here is a standard recipe I use; feel free to add/substitute for what you have in your fridge (even better is if you can find organic produce):

• 1 avocado
• 1 apple or pear
• 1 banana
• handful of spinach
• 1 cucumber or zucchini
• enough filtered or coconut water to blend
• sprouts if you have them
• Natural sweetener to taste, like agave nectar or stevia

Put it in your blender and blend blend blend! Then drink up to good health and radiant energy!

Some of the benefits I’ve already experienced by replacing 1 or 2 of my daily meals with green smoothies:

• Increased energy
• Better sleep
• No more headaches
• Nasal passages almost entirely clear (I am a year-round allergy sufferer)
• LOST WEIGHT- ladies, I’ve only been doing this for about a week and already I’ve noticed firmer tummy, thighs, and glutes (I do work-out regularly but I was still struggling with my “problem” areas)
• Best of all, I have to cook less (I hate cooking and sometimes don’t have enough time)

Ladies, it’s a win-win situation! If you want more amazing recipes or information about a raw food diet, check out these books:

Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko

The Green Smoothie Bible: 300 Delicious Recipes by Kristine Miles

Try it out and I’d love for you to tell me what you think!!!

This is my first blog on “love”, specifically dating, so I’d love for you to leave some feedback below!

Are you single and ready to mingle? I think the most important “rule” to keep in mind when you’re dating is just to “be yourself”. I know this is so cliche, but what I really mean is: love yourself completely, hold the people you date to a high standard, and embrace the Goddess that is inside that beautiful shell! Here are some common dating scenarios and how you can apply this Goddess “rule”:

He doesn’t call you in a reasonable amount of time after he gets your number or he bails on your second date.

• A Goddess shrugs it off. Moves on to the next opportunity. Pretends that she just told him “peace out homie, you don’t know what you missed out on” except that she doesn’t actually tell him because she’s too busy being her fabulous self to waste time on people who can’t recognize a good thing when they see it.

You go on your first date and you worry that he won’t like you because you have a weird quirk like snorting when you laugh (okay, maybe you don’t but you can insert your own quirk here).

• A Goddess recognizes that she is wonderful and beautiful just the way she is, quirkiness, weirdness and all. She realizes “normal” people are BORING. A little nerdiness and dorkiness are awesome qualities that make her Goddess-self stand out from the rest. So, she just acts like herself during the date and knows that if he truly likes her, he’ll accept her just the way she is.

You worry about texting or calling him too much.

• A Goddess is too busy with her beautiful self: hanging out with her friends, pursuing her many hobbies, busy with her career, pampering herself, working out, and just busy with being so fabulous that she hardly has time to text or call him anyway. So she doesn’t need to worry about contacting him too much. If you are a Goddess-in-training and are still working on being “busy”, then refrain from contacting the guy too much so he doesn’t get the “impression” that you’re desperate (which of course we know you’re not but he doesn’t!).

You go on a first date with a guy and realize that he ain’t “the one”, but you wonder if you  should keep hanging out with him because it’s fun and something to do on a Saturday night.

• A Goddess has so many guys knocking on her door that she doesn’t have enough time to get to know them all, so if she knows a guy is sorta LOSER-ish, she kicks him to the curb with the quickness (figuratively–she lets him down easy because she’s full of graciousness). She knows that she has limited energy and time, and each minute spent on someone who doesn’t “float her boat” is a minute taken away from her “true match”. If you don’t yet have a lot of guys knocking on your door, just remember that your match is out there, and it takes some positive energy and faith in order to attract him. Don’t waste time on guys who may be bringing your energy or positivity levels down because they’re just not right for you.

You start to realize he doesn’t go out of his way to make you feel special or beautiful (e.g. opens the car door, stares dreamily into your eyes, compliments your perfect, symmetrical face, etc).

• A Goddess knows that the first few dates are CRITICAL, and he should be bringing his A-game in order to impress her. If he ain’t tryin’ that hard in the beginning, then he sure as HELL ain’t gonna pull out all stops to treat her like the Queen that she is. If you find yourself in this situation, ditch the boy now! He should be kissing the ground you walk on, otherwise, he’s not interested enough so don’t waste your time.

To sum it all up my dear lovely Goddess, you are BEAUTIFUL and PERFECT just the way you are. If someone can’t accept that, then don’t waste your time trying to change to fit his “ideal”. As I love to say to my girlfriends, “you gotta kiss a lot of frogs before you’ll find your prince“. So don’t get discouraged, get yourself out there and start strutting your fabulous Goddess-stuff!

“There comes a time when you have to stand up and shout:

This is me damn it!

I look the way I look, think the way I think, feel the way I feel, love the way I love!

I am a whole complex package.

Take me… or leave me. Accept me – or walk away!

Do not try to make me feel like less of a person, just because I don’t fit your idea of who I should be and don’t try to change me to fit your mold.

If I need to change, I alone will make that decision.”

-Stacey Charter-

At this very moment, you have all the answers that you need to resolve any conflicts in your life or overcome any challenges. All you need to do is TRUST yourself. Huh? It should be simple but turns out many of us just don’t trust that we will make the “right” decisions. Also, there is no RIGHT decision, only a decision. Whatever the outcome, you will learn and grow, so that should take off some of the pressure based entirely on the end result of our decision. Good.

Here’s how you know if it’s the right decision: your heart tells you it is.

Any decision that you make in your life, do it with your heart. Okay okay, I’m not trying to give you LOVE advice per se, but I am telling you that if your gut and heart tell you that it’s the right decision to make NO MATTER how risky or fearful the outcome is, it’s probably the right decision. Here is a possible scenario:

Situation: You have been working for a few years as an accountant for a big company that pays decent money but leaves you sort of unfulfilled at the end of the day. You reckon it’s probably because the work you do doesn’t allow you to fully utilize your talents or express your creativity, and you feel as if you’re not really making a difference. So by chance you hear of a job opening for a product development assistant for a small company located in London that creates eco-friendly exercise equipment for yogi’s. WOW. Totally different kind of work but you’re intrigued because: 1. you love yoga 2. you are a closet hippie and want to save the environment 3. you have a knack/interest in design but you never really pursued it because you thought it was not practical.

So, what do you do? (Oh, I also forgot to mention that you grew up with the owner of this company so there’s a good chance you’ll get hired)

Your heart and gut would tell you that this job would be super cool and that you should go for it because it seems like it fulfills all of your major requirements.

But your brain tells you all the reasons why this wouldn’t work: you don’t know anyone in London, you’d have to MOVE abroad and how in the world do you do that, what if you fail at this because you have little experience in that field, and ARE YOU CRAZY?????

Well, ignore that negative/doubtful voice in your head right now!

Imagine if you WERE able to succeed in this job. You would be living in a new city, with new people, new opportunities, new ADVENTURES, doing work you love and waking up every day excited to go to work. The benefits of succeeding will ALWAYS outweigh the risks. And success can only be achieved if you are operating out of your COMFORT zone.

So my advice is a no brainer: GO FOR IT!

Next time you face a major decision like that where the thought of the risks or outcome is SCARY as hell, but it feels exciting and your heart tells you yes, then go for it! Imagine all of the unlimited possibilities and magic that will happen if you just go for what your heart tells you.

So, next time you are wondering if you are making the right decision, try these mantras:

TRUST that no matter what the outcome is, you learned from the choice you made. Learned and grew into a stronger individual. And that is more valuable than the end result.

TRUST that you will be alright in the end. That you are a strong and tough warrioress that will dust off her knees and get right back up after each fall.

TRUST that you will be taken care of by the Divine, the Spirit, God, Angels, Buddha, or whatever higher being/power that you believe in.

TRUST that you have all the skills, knowledge, abilities, and strength inside to deal with any challenges that come your way with this decision.

And don’t forget to give yourself lots and lots of doses of LOVE for having the courage and strength to go after what your heart tells you!

You go Goddess!!!

“A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.” Denis Waitley

People often say, “follow your passion.” How the heck do you do that if you don’t know what your passion is??

Well, I challenge you that you DO know that your passion is. However, you may not want to admit that this passion of yours is logical, profitable, or even realistic so you discount it. You talk yourself down, name reasons why it wouldn’t work, or just make plain ol’ excuses to make yourself feel better for not following your passion. In other words, you have an internal struggle that is preventing you from following your passion. Let’s do a little exercise. Folks, get out your pen and paper!

1. First, ask yourself, “What is my passion?“. Don’t hold back when you answer! This can be anything, and here are some ideas:  music, helping people, fixing stuff, painting, nature, guitar, art, architecture… etc.
2. Next, ask yourself, “If I could turn my passion into profit, what would that look like?” DO NOT let the little nagging voice invade your thoughts that tells you, “This won’t work because… but I could never do this… what if I fail…” etc. Stop the negative voices and let the brainstorming voice take over!
3. Next, ask yourself, “What’s stopping me or slowing me down from pursuing my passion?” Here is where you can list your challenges.
4. Lastly, ask yourself, “If all my challenges could magically disappear and I can finally do what I love, what impact would that have on my life?” Go crazy with this one! List all of the positive emotions and benefits of doing what you love. FEEL the emotions that come from being able to do your passion everyday.

Now that your mindset is in the realm of possibility, create at least one “next step”. It can be as big as “quit my job in the next 6 months” or small as “explorethe websites of different companies that would utilize my passion or talents”. That’s it.

Success is achieved by taking ACTION, and you only need to take the first step toward change in order for the subsequent steps to magically appear.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Need more help creating an action plan or squashing some of those negative thoughts/excuses? Then contact me today and let’s come up with a strategy plan together!

We’ve all been here. Something inspires us and we set a new lofty goal of getting in the best shape of our lives by eating no fat, sugar, or salt and working out 2 hours a day. All goes well for a month or so, and then we end up giving up or slacking on our goals.

Why does this happen??? It gets us frustrated and discouraged to keep on striving for our goals! ARRGGHHH!

The main reason this happens is our minds, bodies, and taste buds resist total deprivation of all things that taste good and feel good. Life is meant to be sweet, like having a yummy ice cream cone, trying a new cupcake flavor, or skipping a day of working out just to stay in bed to give our mind and bodies extra TLC. In order to make fitness and health stick, we need to make it our LIFESTYLE! What I mean by this is incorporate it into your daily life. Here are some concrete examples:

• DON’T go on a diet by restricting everything you’re eating. Eat healthier by adding more fruits, veggies, and whole grains to your diet and avoid processed foods
• DON’T deprive yourself of all the yummy sweets and delicious foods! If you deprive yourself completely, you will more likely binge on these foods and then give up on your healthy-eating habits. Instead, once in a while have that cookie or that piece of pie, BUT share it when a friend or two. This way, you can still indulge but in moderation.
• Cook at home. This will reduce your intake of sugar, fat, and sodium that is served in abundance at most restaurants
• SLOWLY incorporate working-out into your lifestyle. Start by taking a walk to your regular destinations: work, the grocery store, laundromat, etc.
• Keep yourself ACCOUNTABLE by finding a work-out partner
• Make fitness fun by taking group fitness classes, doing outdoor activities (hiking, biking, swimming, running), or dancing by yourself in your room with your headphones on!
• Incorporate exercise into your lifestyle. Make it a priority by carving out time every day in order to do some working out. Pack your work-out clothes the night before so you’ll have them once you get off work. Walk up those flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator. Take a 30-minute power walk at lunch time.
• Chuck that floor-length mirror! This may seem drastic for some (especially if you need to check to make sure outfit looks cute), but not having a mirror will prevent you from critiquing every little curve or soft spot in your body that doesn’t match those “starvaceous” models/celebs we see on TV and magazines. Ugh!

People say it takes 21 days to create new habits. Others say it takes up to 90 days. Making fitness and health a lifestyle will not happen overnight, but once you are able to regularly eat healthy and be active, it will stick and you won’t need to go back and forth on your goals. Even if you have your “setback” days, it’ll be easy to get back into your healthy habits because it has become a part of your daily life.

Now Goddesses, get out there and take a hike (literally)!

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle.

Today I am reminded that we are all human. Sometimes we have our good days when we believe we are truly unstoppable, life has endless possibilities and everything is within our reach.

Then there are those days when you question everything you are doing, where you are at in your life, and why things aren’t going the way you want.

There is only one explanation for this: it’s human nature to have doubts and question your actions. However, at the end of the day we ultimately have control over our actions.

The best thing we can do for ourselves is to never give up. Despite all the doubts and fears, it’s crucial for us to not throw in the towel when the journey towards our dreams gets roughest. I truly believe that when things seem most difficult, they are about to shift in your favor. It’s the point where you reach the top of the roller coaster after hauling your butt up for miles and miles (seems like it sometimes) and you’re about to descend.

The best of the journey has yet to come, so you just gotta keep going and wait for the roller coaster to descend for the best ride of your lives!

Keep your chin up Goddesses!

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” -Proverb

Don’t feel bad. It has happened to all of us, those times when we feel flat-out BROKE. Well, there are obviously some long-term solutions to this, but I won’t go into that here. However, in the short-term, there are definitely things you can do to help you feel better right away and won’t encourage you to be so down on yourself (trust me, I’ve done the whole self-pity thing many times). Thus, when I’m down in the dumps because of money, I do 2 things:

• Find activities that cost $0 dollars
• Count all the ways I’m lucky

So first, find activities. This is a GREAT way to find ways to distract myself, have fun, and not dwell on my lack of cash (since that will only increase the pain!!!). Trust me folks, in order to be happy, you gotta think HAPPY thoughts. Here are some great activities:

• Watch an old favorite movie that you own- This is like meeting up with a great friend. Familiarity. Remembrance. A place of comfort.
• Explore the rugged outdoors! Take a walk in the park. You can admire the trees, the landscaping, the sky, the animals, the squirrels. There are SO many positive benefits of taking a walk in quiet, solitude, and peace. Better yet, bring a sandwich and have a picnic!
• Cook breakfast! Yea, best meal of the day in my opinion, no matter what time it is.
• Check out your local touristy sights. Yea, you’ve probably been there done that but you’ll be surprised at what you may discover.
• Hit your local library. There’s plenty to read AND watch here, and it’s FREE (my favorite word)!
• Hit your local museum. Check out their website to check which days offer free admission to the public.

Secondly, change your perspective! What is it that you’re grateful for? Here’s a quick list:

• You have a roof over your head! (I usually think about people in third world countries and it helps with being grateful)
• You ate. Well, I hope you did.
• You have technology at your fingertips (you ARE reading my blog off a computer or phone right?)
• You are ALIVE. This is biggest thing you should be grateful for. You have another day of life and that is a gift.
• Talking about being alive, if you are healthy and have all your limbs and organs, be thankful for that! It’s an invaluable gift that some people wish they had.
• Think about the friends, family, colleagues, and wonderful people in your life. That’s definitely something to feel lucky about.

So, when you get in the dumps, get out there and do something FREE and FUN, and then remember all the things that you are grateful for. Everyday is a gift, as life holds no guarantees and you never know what tomorrow will bring, good or bad. So enjoy it! Now turn that frown upside down!

“Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need.”
Sarah Ban Breathnach

Wait! Before you get offended, I only mean this only in the figurative sense! Let me explain. What I’m trying to encourage all of you is to have courage, moxy, guts and be ballsy, fearless, and brave.

Naturally, you ask: Why are you telling me to grow some cojones? First reason: that’s the SECRET to “success” (which can be defined in many ways) and happiness. “Growing cojones” can be interpreted as having the courage to take RISKS in pursuit of your passion or dreams. No one ever succeeded by thinking small. It means putting yourself out there and not being afraid to fail (you just gotta pick yourself back up and try again). Having courage will help you fulfill every wish, goal, or dream you have, no matter how big or small.

Second reason why cojones are so important: it will help you embrace your most authentic self. Being authentic means being yourself and not caring what others think of you or how they judge you. Most people care what others think about them, so they conform to a certain “decorum” or code of behavior. This puts them in a box and doesn’t allow them to fully express themselves and step up to be the fearless God or Goddess that is in every person. I say SCREW the box that the world tries you confine you in! And if you are afraid of others judging you, remember, no one can make you feel unworthy or inferior without your permission (nicely said by Eleanor Roosevelt). The BEST positive affirmation and validation you need comes from within you. And no, I am not giving you permission to go streaking in the night just to show people how you can be yourself!

Last piece of encouragement why you should grow cojones: You actually gain MORE RESPECT. This is an amazing phenomenon that I’ve noticed lately. Why is that? Probably because people look up to others who are ballsy, gutsy, and not afraid to follow their dreams and not let anything get in their way. Simple as that. I know so many personal examples of this that I’m encouraged everyday to really be myself as well. How refreshing to know I can embrace my quirkiness and urge to tell bad jokes! So stop reading this and go out there and grow your own “cojones”!

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One of my favorite quotes comes from a much-respected Life Coach: “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” Many people enjoy living in what I call the “safe zone”: of knowing what to expect, of constancy and routine, and of being comfortable. That’s all fine and dandy, but what accomplishments or achievements can you really celebrate when you don’t get out of your comfort zone to do something scary but equally magnificent?

Here’s a personal example of what I’m talking about. My Hot Hula class has been gaining some popularity, which attracted a local news station to come out and do a story on this new fitness craze. So they came out yesterday with their cameras and interviewed and filmed me while I was teaching the class. WOW. I have to admit that my initial emotions when I first agreed to do this interview were fear, anxiety, dread… but that only lasted for a few seconds. Afterward, I sucked up my courage and knew that this experience would put me WAY out of my comfort zone and would in turn help me grow. So, guess what? After the interview and all the filming, I felt such an incredible sense of accomplishment that my class had been filmed for TV. It was amazing. I felt so proud of myself for teaching a class worthy of being featured on a show, and for having the courage to tell the world about it. And this is the joy of being uncomfortable. It is so worth it to feel acknowledged for your achievements, and for doing something new and scary.

So, lesson today: Goddesses, get ready to be uncomfortable! The only way to achieve great things is to attempt the scary stuff. The “will people think I’m foolish or don’t know what I’m talking about/doing?” stuff. Even though it’s scary, you just have to tell yourself you’re gonna do it anyway. No matter the outcome, it will be PERFECT. Get out there Goddesses, I am so PROUD of you!

“Come to the edge.”
“We can’t. We’re afraid.”
“Come to the edge.”
“We can’t. We will fall!”
“Come to the edge.”
And they came.
And he pushed them.
And they flew.
-Guillaume Apollinaire,   1880-1918

Call it “serendipity”. Or “good luck”. Or just plain “being in the right place at the right time”. But I truly believe that the Universe provides what we ask for and truly believe in. It may not always be instantaneous, or exactly like we imagined, but it’s usually better. Let me give you an example.

I had a sudden urge to go to a yoga class yesterday. So lucky for me, my local yoga studio was holding a “pay what you want” yoga class (sweet!). I got there and turns out the person teaching it is the owner of the studio. Woot! I had been eyeing this studio wanting to eventually teach Hot Hula or a workshop there, so I approached the instructor and introduced myself, explained what I’d like to offer, etc. He was definitely interested in what I wanted to do, and whether I end up teaching there or not, this was an opportunity provided to me by the Universe. I believed and still believe in my own success and didn’t dwell on the “how it’s going to happen” but focused on the fact that “it’s going to happen”, and the Universe answered.

A side note, many of you have heard of the Law of Attraction or have watched The Secret. I believe in it. However, I have tried to “visualize” and “pretend” that I already have EVERYTHING that I could want, that I’m already there and already successful. However, pretending just hasn’t cut it for me. Sitting in my room, cross-legged, and “pretending” that I’m already successful, rich, and already living in Paris just isn’t realistic.

So the realistic strategies that I use are:

• Take Action! This is most important single step! When you feel inspired, act on it.
• Have faith that the Universe will deliver everything that you need or want. Just trust. However, it does so at it’s own pace. In the meantime, you gotta enjoy the ride!
• Believe in yourself, that you are capable and able to achieve the levels of success that you want.
• Don’t forget to celebrate each achievement and success! Give yourself some love already!

Learn to recognize the signs that the Universe is conspiring in your favor. It may not always be obvious (like you don’t get hired for that job but a week later an even BETTER opportunity presents itself). Just believe and trust. And take action! Until next time, keep on being your fabulous self!

“If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.”  ~Thomas Alva Edison

Athena, The Warrior Goddess by TaekwondoNJ

Just yesterday I read an article in the NY Times questioning the credibility of my profession based on age, linking inexperience to people in their 20′s. I was automatically hurt and deflated to read the negative comments that followed the article. I quickly recovered but I’d like to share some ideas around blocking out negative energy, because it appears all the time around us. There will be people who will doubt your abilities, question your ambitions and your dreams. Sometimes they don’t realize that they are even doing it! This is where you will need to pull out your invisible shield of protection and place it all around you, blocking all the negative energy that may be coming your way. The next time you are faced with criticism and negativity:

• Use your shield and don’t let people’s negative opinions and ideas get you down
• Recognize that people are entitled to their own opinions, and these opinions have no power unless YOU give them power to affect you
• Remember your purpose in the fabulous work that you do for the world (that means you!, my wonderful fellow bloggers!)
• Keep doing what you love, as the energy of love is so much stronger than hate that it will attract to you everything you need, including supportive people who believe in what you do

So keep on shining my beautiful Goddesses!

 I have yet to quantify or write into an equation on exactly HOW to be happy, but I can share with you my thoughts and experiences around it.

Happiness… everyone wants it but it seems so ethereal and fleeting, sometimes escaping through our fingers like sand, despite our valiant efforts to hold onto it. Personally, I’ve struggled with just being happy and satisfied with my life, no matter where I am at. I’m one of those people who lives life in the future: always waiting for my next accomplishment or success in order to be truly happy and satisfied.

Of course, there have been many times in my life when the ecstasy of happiness was so intense and so naturally spontaneous: falling in love, absorbing the sights, sounds, and smells while traveling abroad on vacation, reuniting with my family and friends after being away for so long, scoring a new job, etc. The common theme of these moments of happiness was this: they were all intense yet fleeting. Each event made me insanely happy, but the moment never lasted. I’ve wondered about this for so long. I even read the book, “The Power of Now”, which explains the only true state of happiness you can achieve is living in the moment. Easily said but very difficult to implement.

So as I walked to the gym last night, I had a sudden realization that my life is actually GOOD. I just got a gig teaching Hot Hula Fitness at my local gym, and I savored that moment to allow the happy emotions to seep into my bones. And before I could let it go, I began to think about all the things that I’m grateful for right now: my job, my business, my significant other, my family (who are all healthy and happy), and me being alive and well. Thus, I did two things. I reminded myself of the grateful things in my life, and I reminded myself to truly savor each delicious moment that life delivers to you. Also important is looking for love in all things and all people. It’s everywhere. And that’s it. I didn’t worry about tomorrow, about the things I don’t yet have in my life, but truly remembered why I was put on this planet, to share my gift of unyielding belief and support in every person that I encounter. So I guess I could write out how to be happy:

1. Appreciate and be grateful for every good thing you have in your life, however small or seemingly insignificant

2. Remind yourself that all you have is the NOW and that is a present, worth cherishing

Sometimes you just gotta remind yourself of these 2 things, and to remind yourself to be happy. It’s that simple and yet so complicated! Keep smiling my lovelies!

Love this quote, stating that happiness is learned and not spontaneous- “Being happy is something you have to learn. I often surprise myself by saying ‘Wow, this is it. I guess I’m happy. I got a home I love. A career that I love. I’m even feeling more and more at peace with myself.’ If there’s something else to happiness, let me know. I’m ambitious for that, too.”- Harrison Ford

I used to hear people say, “Be true to yourself”, but I’m not sure if I understood it until now. I think what it means is you need to give yourself permission to be who you are. For example, maybe you’re the one person out of all your friends that doesn’t like that Twilight franchise. So what! That’s a silly example, but another case is perhaps everyone around you is trying that new “fad diet”, and you decide that since you love to eat (in moderation of course), you don’t want to jump on the bandwagon and instead you’ll just work out regularly in order to maintain how you look now. Well, good for you for not being a follower! Or maybe you met your friend’s circle of friends and decide that you just don’t jive with all of their ideas and opinions. You don’t have to pretend that you do. And no, you don’t have to please everyone and make everybody happy in this world either. The most important thing you can do is make yourself happy first, and naturally your happiness will begin to uplift others in this world without you even realizing it. So I’m saying it’s okay to belch out a tune off-key in your bedroom while dancing naked (just make sure the blinds are closed!). It’s okay to run through an open field screaming at the top of your lungs. It’s okay to like eating pizza with ice cream on top. It’s okay to “feel” how you feel: if you don’t like someone because they did you wrong, then you don’t have to “pretend” to like them or be cordial with them just because others say you do. It’s important to give yourself permission to just “be” who you are, because there will be times in your life when you need to rise up and be your #1 supporter, because the rest of the world may be in disagreement with you. Be strong and just remember that YOU are perfect how you are and that no one can change that fact!

“Hiding behind a façade to please everyone else can make you forget the most important person that you should always keep happy: yourself.” Unknown

Before and After-Photoshop

So the video below really inspired me to write this blog about loving yourself. First of all, honey, you are all you got! Believe that! If you don’t love yourself, then you can’t expect others to do so. The video below pokes fun at the fact that most pictures of celebrities on billboards and magazine covers are PHOTOSHOPPED. I think all of us know this but it’s nice to be reminded that NO ONE is perfect! The fact that publishers photoshop every celebrity to make them look “perfect” and “superhuman” is just so unfair to all of us who get bomboarded with all these images! They cause us to have unrealistic expectations of ourselves, because again, we are all human and we are all beautiful! And the video below is proof in the puddin’!

More importantly, loving ourselves makes everything else easier. It makes us more confident, happier, and more brave so we can put ourselves out there and go after our dreams… And of course it makes us more attractive to the opposite sex! Additionally, loving yourself makes you more beautiful because beauty really does begin from the inside. So my lovely Goddesses, it’s about time you gave yourself some well-deserved lovin’!

Does any of this apply to you?

• You are an entrepreneur working the grind to build the business of your dreams
• You are someone with big dreams such as making a living doing what you are passionate about
• You have goals and aspirations and are motivated to make the best of your life during your time here

I bet most of us can relate to one of those statements, and if you don’t, then perhaps you have been held back by fear. For those of you who dream big, I am here to say you are SO brave and SO strong for going after what you want in life. I salute you! The road can be windy and tough to traverse as you travel to your dream destination. Sometimes you wonder if all the work you’re putting in will pay off in the long run. Well, I’m here to introduce to you The Butterfly Effect! I first heard of it while I was in college and it blew my socks off!

Basically, The Butterfly Effect describes the theory that every little action you make will in the end make a BIG difference, whether or not you can see or forecast that now. Although one pair of butterfly’s wings flapping in the air may only make minute changes in the molecules surrounding it, it is said that weeks later a hurricane can occur somewhere else in the world. Okay, so that may be a little far-fetched but my point is, EVERY drop of sweat, blood, tears, time and effort that you are sacrificing IS and WILL make a difference when put all together. One pair of butterfly wings may not make such an effect on the world, but imagine a MILLION butterflies flapping at the same time. The same metaphor applies to the steps and actions you are taking now. Every little action will culminate into your dreams manifesting, you just need to TAKE ACTION, i.e. connect with someone at a networking event, tell a friend you know about your great idea about writing your book, write letters to the organizations that you are interested in getting sponsorship from, or connect with other like-minded people.

The Butterfly Effect teaches us to not get discouraged or give up when our dreams are not manifesting as fast as we want. I believe in all of you and know that you all have the ability to create the empire of your dreams! It’s your year to SHINE!

I love this concept of being perfectly imperfect; of accepting yourself for who you are at this very moment. To be quite honest I still struggle with this sometimes, partly because I have high expectations of myself and also because I was raised by parents who were perfectionists and drilled unrealistic expectations of the “perfect child” into my head as I was growing up. Now as an adult, I’ve realized that I am who I am and although I can try to deceive myself by thinking I can “change” my body, personality, face, quirks, likes/dislikes etc, there is no getting around the fact that this is who I am. And I accept that now. There’s much less of a struggle to “be someone” I am not. Of course, this is my lifelong journey of self-love and acceptance, which also supports the notion that I am not perfect and yet I still love that fact. SO, I challenge you to think about all the ways in which you love your “quirks”. Is it your weird humor that only you seem to get and find funny? Or the way you smile and crinkle your eyes at the same time? Or your teeth that are not so straight but compliment your smile perfectly? Or the curves in your body that make you so unique and luscious to the opposite sex? Whatever it is, I urge you to accept yourself wholly for who you are and how you are at this moment, because if you can’t love yourself, then no one else can. Goddesses, you are PERFECT! Now keep on struttin’!

“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

To all my beautiful, lovely goddesses out there who are making positive differences in others’ lives, I share this video with you. It is about appreciating the little things that make life beautiful: a baby’s laugh, a blooming flower, birds chirping, a kitten’s paws, the sun on our face, and love that is present in every corner we look. This is an incredible video containing Moving Art, created by Louie Schwartzberg which touched my heart and soul. May you all experience the love and joy I felt when watching this video.

Click here to watch the video Simple Gratitude