There have been countless pleasant twists and turns, not without challenges, that have introduced me to many wonderful people that have enriched my life.  Sometimes that has meant that I have learned something that I had not expected to learn, or gone places I never thought I’d go, or have been given opportunities to serve that have been extremely gratifying beyond words.

Of course, as you read this, it is true that I may not know your present set of circumstances.  I may not know the circumstances of your past.  And I certainly cannot pretend to know what your future will look like.  But I do know this:  that there is such potential humming under the surface of what we see when we look in the mirror, and it is just waiting for us to  connect with it, claim it, and choose to use it.  It is always there, but it is not always just the right time to actually see it in a tangible form.  But do not let that fool you or stop you from pursuing your dreams and goals. It may very well be that you are one rejection away from the “yes” that you are waiting to hear, and you may never know, if you choose not to press on.  It may be that the ultimate manifestation of the dream you carry inside, is trying to take on a totally different appearance than what you have imagined, but it cannot happen, if you do not allow it. I know I bring up this theme often, but it is probably one of those we need to be reminded of most often, if we are to reach our goals, and see our dreams come true.

Now, the tricky part comes in when we forget that what is happening in our physical body, and what is happening in our relationships, and the choices that we are making to create our daily habits, are all interconnected, and impacting the ultimate outcome.  So, in simpler terms, what does that mean?    It means that  it is important to keep a clear picture before us, of that which we are trying to create, not only carefully choosing the components, but arranging them is such a way to create a balance .

Questions you may find yourself asking in your process:  How big is it?  How small is it?  What colors might it contain? What energy does it carry? What is its purpose, and how does that purpose affect me and those I care about?  And the only way to answer truthfully is from the heart—not the head. You must be willing to go there.  Bottom line.

There are many questions for us to ask ourselves as we set out to redesign our lives, but just approach it with a good, healthy attitude as well as gratitude.  Take a deep breath and let  it to happen.  Let it be a fun and adventurous experience, rather than a dreaded experience, that you are afraid to face.  Change is normal.  Change is good.  And change is how we get from point A to point B.  It’s pretty simple.  We tend to try extremely  hard to make things much more difficult than they have to be.  Do you agree?

So, just a reminder to simplify every step as much as you can, and you will soon feel how much more possible it all becomes.

I never saw Hawaii coming, but here it is—as real as it gets. So, don’t give up on what your heart is telling you.  Be good to your heart and to your truth.

See you soon, on the mainland.

Mahalo!

You may feel like what is the big deal here, Mary?  What is this really all about?

Recall the importance here, if you will, the power that lies in the “seemingly simple” things that we do every day, and the choices that we make that dictate those actions. Do you realize the power that you possess?  By trying a new floss, that memorable day, I actually found something that turned out to be priceless for me.  I won’t get into the details, but point being, that I was so glad that I did it.  And of course, this is not the only incident that I could mention, because there were many similar experiences.  Can you recall any of your own?  If so, did it not feel good to have taken that side-step, to try something different, when you realize the good outcome was so worth it?  And the amazing/funny thing is that the doing and not doing, changing or not changing, are but a breath apart, because the thought precedes the action, and we all know how quickly a thought can come and go.

So, be on your toes, and be prepared to try a sudden turn, take a side-step, and see what awaits you.  You won’t know unless you go.  The best life could be a breath away.

How can they be so profound? As I have tried to emphasize in the past, many of the most powerful  things in life are the most simple.  (I did not say easy.)  This is why people still struggle so much; they are straining to see the solutions, and are looking everywhere “out there”,  only to overlook what may already be right there in close proximity to them.

Let’s talk about “LISTEN”.  Whenever you are attempting to listen well  to something in particular, do you agree that ideally you would want to rid your listening zone of distracting sounds, that might interfere?  It might be a loud television or stereo, or maybe other electronics that are in your ear non-stop.   It could even be the unceasing voices of negative people, with whom you live and work, that are always coming at you. Maybe you have well-meaning people in your life, who seem to be constantly telling you how to live your days and your life.

Whatever it is, it is time to step away from it, and find the quiet space and time that is critical to your health and happiness.  It could be a few minutes each day or it could be once a week.  Find what works for you.  But just do it.  Why?  You need to be able to listen to your own body and your spirit. Otherwise you cannot hear your body’s messages that it gives you, as to what it needs and when.  And you cannot connect with your spirit, that guides your direction, your path.   You need to be able to listen and observe nature as it speaks to you, in volumes, with its many valuable lessons.  And last, but not least, how can you hear—truly hear—the communications, on any level, of the ones near and dear to you, who simply want a beautiful fulfilled relationship with you?

Now, in that quiet space and time, however long or short, the next step is to observe and absorb the lessons that are coming at you.  Some may be applicable for the moment, and some may apply to the rest of your life.  You will know.  But ONLY if you do listen, and practice listening.  It does require some practice; developing a new habit.  The sooner it becomes second nature to you, the easier things will flow and the richer your life will become.  So, in other words, learn this habit and learn from these experiences.

And lastly, take what you learn and apply it to your life.  Live out those lessons you have learned.Weave newer, healthier tidbits into your life, every day, every week, every month, and see how your life can gradually be transformed into something better and better, as you live out the rest of your life.

   Obviously, when we are noticing some weak points, fractures or holes, we will want to address those as soon as possible.  The sooner we do that, the sooner we can get back to continuing on our way.  But if we ignore those problems, then it can mean trouble down the road, and it could mean big trouble.  I am wondering if sometimes we might even realize it, but for whatever reason, we just ignore it.  Maybe you are too busy to think about it in this moment, so you will just consider handling it later, when you are not so busy.  But does that time ever really come?  Most of us are constantly busy these days, so then it never really gets addressed; it just goes to the bottom of the “to-do” list.  Or, maybe you think it will just go away, and so you go back to what you were doing, and hope for the best.  Whatever your reason is for ignoring the signs that you need to pause, re-group and strengthen what you have right now, before going on, I encourage you to take a deep breath and take a good look.  The body can and will last and re-build, when treated well.  That requires some attention, care, and using what works to get the job done—to reach your health goals. 

By this point, I am guessing and hoping that since we started on this journey together, that you have  developed a sharper health awareness and are eager to learn and do more to achieve better and better health.  WONDERFUL!   And Congratulations!  That is exactly what we have been shooting for.  But today’s message is just a reminder to check in with yourself intermittently, and maybe have a little checklist that you laminate and carry with you, to remind yourself of some of those all-important basics to remember, just to keep things flowing nicely. Next time you have, for example, some change going on in your body, and it gets you wondering, ” Why am I feeling this way, when I am taking everything that I am taking? I didn’t feel this way last week.”  It’s time to pull out the list of basics, either literally or just in  your mind, and just check in.  Are you covering all the basics or are you missing something  in a certain area?  As a help to you, I encourage you to review some of my first posts for support with that task.

Just remember, the basics are your foundation, and when some of them fall out of place or get weak, then nothing else is going to work optimally either.  So, think of what you want to use as a reminder system for this, and hang on to it  like it is your life-line, because it could make a huge difference in the results that you are getting.

Best of luck.  I’m rooting for you.

Are you feeling the love?  Are you spilling over yet, onto others? Whether the “love” that is “in the air” on Valentine’s Day has affected you or not, maybe you can bring it about now, and every day, by starting here, today,  with yourself. 

Have you felt the pressure of other people—whether at work, home, extended family, or friends—directly or indirectly trying to tell you what you “should do” or “need to do” in order to make your life better?  Have you lived under the umbrella of influence from the perspectives, views and interests of other people for far too long?  By posing these questions, it is not my intention to disrupt the flow of your life, or to tell you that where you have “come from” is a bad set of principles or values.  It is merely my intention to lift you up out of the fog, in which  you may be finding yourself at the moment.  So, if you are in such a place, where you are feeling a little lost or confused, which could be stifling your growth,  it may be time to take a stand, and start fresh.  I am here to tell you that it is okay and that you are not alone—not today or any other day. 

I am also here to tell you that I am personally  not the solution, I do not necessarily have the answers, but I will say that I am here to encourage you and to connect you with possiblities, so that you can see the light of hope.  And from that hope, be more ready and willing to learn of some fresh, new ideas or be reminded of things from of old, that you may have forgotten, that might be worth a minute or two of your consideration, in order to hopefully  bring you closer and closer to the better life you seek. 

I am currently working on the launch of an internet-based talk show, called “Redesigning Health”.  It will be a series intended to create a “trail of hope,” by way of an endless stream of diverse individuals sharing the unique gifts they feel called to share, in an attempt to improve the quality of your life.  I will keep you posted on that, and let  you know when it is up and running, so that you and yours can benefit at any time.  The shows will be Archived. 

Also, in the meantime, just a reminder that I am available to do personal support and/or motivational health coaching—confidential face-to-face or phone (if  you are not in the Phoenix Valley). If you have questions or comments, you may either leave it here, or you may email me at redesigninghealth@yahoo.com.

Together we can make great, positive  changes to our world.  And it all begins with giving, and the giving begins with giving to yourself.  You CANNOT serve or spill over, from an empty cup.  Can you?

  I’ll bet you can relate to having found yourself in a set of circumstances, regardless of how you arrived there, that seemed to be sucking the life right out of you.  You might have been going through whatever motions, that you have felt obligated to go through, and your feeling of meeting those obligations is the only thing in the scenario that even slightly resembled a “right and good” feeling.  But everything else about what makes you YOU, at your best, has somehow managed to disappear from sight, a little bit at a time.  You know the course you are on is not feeling so perfect, but you hang in there and give it your best, until one day, you realize how far you are away from the real YOU.  And the awareness of that triggers a fight or flight type of response, that kicks in some adrenalin.  You find yourself jumping to your feet, firmly choosing to take strong action to change the course of things before it is too late; before you lose yourself altogether.   And you feel willing to accept the consequences of  your decision to act, regardless, because it feels so “critical” to your survival.  But I am not just talking about surviving.  I am referring to THRIVING.  There is a notable difference.  Might you agree with that?

If  you want to thrive, rather than just survive, and I am going to assume that you do, I hope you will give some serious consideration to what it might require to create that reality.  I am here with one suggestion today, that might be of some help.  Think about those moments in your life when you felt like you could soar.  Or what about the moments that you experienced just such incredible peace, that no words could describe it.  Think about the times when you felt a pulsating love, either from someone else, or that you gifted to yourself, by loving someone else unselfishly and/or without limitation, and were blessed for doing it.

I went walking yesterday, making a point of walking on the dirt rather than the concrete, to allow myself to feel more connected to the earth and its healing energy.  I walked where there was also plenty of green—trees of various types and hills of green grass on the golf course—which warmed my soul with a renewed sense of hope and healing for myself, the people I love, and for the planet of which we are a part.

If you can find something, anything, that makes your heart and soul feel some kind of warmth and healing, either because of a fond memory, or just because of the pure beauty you are having the opportunity to witness, go after it!  Do it now! Don’t put it off.  And then do it again, or do something else that creates that pleasure for  you.  You are worth it, and you need it, and it is waiting for  you.  Dare to spend that alone- time with a purpose, even if the purpose is no purpose at all.

Go have an experience!

That which we consume every day— be it food, drink, or energy/vibration—is fuel for our days and for our lives.  We can go about robotically, going through motions that seem to be sufficient to meet our fuel needs, because, after all, we are still “going about”.  Are we not?  ( Yes, unless you have passed on, of course.)  Or, maybe by now, with the shift beginning to occur in our world towards making  healthier food  choices, you have  decided to get on the train, on a different track, and have begun to improve your dietary habits.  If so, that’s great! Hopefully, you will continue in that direction, becoming increasingly aware, that every time you put something into your body, it determines the quality of your being.  And the quality of  your “being” determines the quality of your work, your relationships and the general quality of your entire life.  So, it’s no small thing.  Is it?

What about your work?  Your career choice?  With the state of the economy, it is very easy for us to hang on to whatever source of income that we currently have, even if it is over-working us, making us have less time for our relationships and our own health, in all regards, and  making us a miserable mess.  What to do?   I am not the career counselor that you yearn for, though I know that there are life coaches that can help you with that.  I only hope to encourage you that life is full of choices and options, and that sometimes  you have to dig deep and sometimes you have to be, first, willing to let go of what it is that you hope to replace.  It is an absolute that you listen to the deepest depths of your heart, and get to know who you really are, and what you feel called to be and do in this world, and then begin on that journey.  Yes, one small step at a time.  It can be done.  But it does require support of someone, whether it is someone who is already in your life, or a new someone who is a professional coach or therapist, or maybe even just placing yourself in some new environments, making some new acquaintances, with interesting conversations.  Go places and do things in different locations, that you do not normally go.  Be around people you have not yet met.  Try new things that can stimulate new interests and creativity. 

We are so much more than we see when we look in the mirror this moment.  There is always room for growth on all levels.  Give and you shall receive.  Knock and it shall be opened.  Wow!  Such power in such simple words.  Don’t you think?

Take these words today, chew on them a bit, and step out there with a fresh perspective and attitude.  Who knows what awaits you out there.  It’s all good, if you choose it to be so.  We can take all of it, find some meaning, contribute a piece of ourselves and create a more beautiful world for us all.  Yes, all of the pieces make up the Whole—ALL of the pieces.  What will your piece look like?

Take a moment now and  ask yourself how this week is going?  Is it totally high speed, with no pit stops (or very few), and do you just wish that you had a moment to catch that all-important healthy breath, and slow things down?  I cannot tell you that every person’s situation can be changed easily or even changed at all.  Only you can decide.  But it really is up to  you, and thank goodness, for the moment, we still have some rights and freedoms to choose what we would like our lives to look like.

Are you still with me?  But here comes the challenge…Okay.  You’ve dared to pause, and you have taken the risk to even consider that you may have options.  Now, what will  you do about it?  I repeat, it is a challenge and a risk involved, but the reality is you can stay where you are, and know that you made that choice, or you can at least begin to build something beautiful, one piece at a time.  Granted, some people are more creative than others, by nature, and some are more bold, more intuitive, more something, something, something.  Right?  But please do not allow the concern about what  you lack to stop  your process.  We are all made to be unique,  with certain strong areas, and some ”not-so-strong” areas.  And, now it’s time to allow others to fill in the gaps, and help mold the clay of your life into something  fulfilled and complete.  I cannot stress enough—-you are not alone.  There are many people out there, who are eager and prepared to serve.

After observing people for a very long time, I have seen how difficult it can be  for some to simply “allow” others in, instead of feeling as though you have failed, when  you seem unable to do it all on your own.  Do you think that maybe we came into this world incomplete, so that we would need each other,  to therefore give us relationships, which become the reason for existing?  Just thought I’d pose that question.

So, when  you are feeling less than “on top of your game”, just take a minute to pull that burden down off of your shoulders, inspect what is in that heavy pack of yours, and think creatively and open-mindedly if there just might be another way.  It does not make  you a lesser person, of lesser character,  for doing so.  Quite the opposite.  It gives you a deeper sense of meaning, value and “completeness” that you may otherwise miss out on, simply because you were afraid to go there.

Do not fear change.  Look it in the face, stand tall and choose.  You CAN do this.

Let’s take  fresh perspectives, dig out those hidden ideas that you thought were of no value, attach a new energy to all of it and get busy with a joy, a newfound faith, and an unlimited sense of all things being possible.  Really practice that every day, at least in small increments, and watch a new picture begin to unfold before your eyes.  Just don’t limit yourself.  You are worth so much more.  And don’t forget the people who love you are worth so much more, because remember that the choices you make in every area of your own life, WILL impact your children, your mate, your co-workers, friends and neighbors—everyone who sees or hears you in daily life.

For far too long, we, as a people, have operated in a mode based on  structures or molds that someone, somewhere along the way, has determined in their own mind, was the “one and only” correct one.  And then, everyone just followed suit, and fell into the molds, because they thought they had to, either because someone pressured them or they just didn’t know any other way.  Sadly, this has made individuals feel incompetent, odd or just not “good enough,” or unworthy. And how many lives, how many relationships, have been damaged or unfulfilled, and opportunities unclaimed because we were not up to someone else’s expectations?

Well, today is the day, that begins the rest of your life.  Today you can change what was not right.  At least, you can begin to take some steps. Right?  You cannot do it all at once, and you wouldn’t want to.  That could be an unhealthy approach. 

Begin with an assessment.  Spend time in thought, meditation, contemplation, and prayer. Where do  you want to be, what do you want to become before your life is through on this planet?  Then, think of an action plan.  Know that you can amend that as you go.  Always remember, you cannot get somewhere, if you do not even know where  you want to go.  And THEN, you cannot get there, if you do not choose a road upon which to travel.  There are various routes to take in life.  Pick one. Don’t allow yourself to sit on the fence too long.  Life is short and you will want to load up on its goodness in all its forms.

Just claim it! Be it! Do it! Whatever it is…Not out of greed or to prove anything to anyone, but instead because you are worth it and because it is in you to do so. 

Blessings on your way.

It is but half-meaningful if we only think about something, but either forget to act on it, choose not to act on it at all, or simply procrastinate due to a multitude of possible reasons.  I am not referring strictly to food and diet, but all aspects of our health.  Make yourself a list of the components that make up your days, and look  at those factors that you realize you have some control over.  See how your decisions, regarding each one of those, can make or break, or at least play a part in, determining the outcome.  And then evaluate your perspectives and attitudes that shape those decisions.

If you could create the world you really want, I am guessing that  your heart would be happy.  Right?  If you want to feel “happy,” then dare to create happy.  Whether you eat your eggs sunny-side-up or scrambled, I challenge you to view your world ”sunny-side-up” as much as possible.  Just imagine that you are baking a cake.  I’m sure you would agree that the ingredients you put into that cake batter, absolutely will determine what kind of cake you are going to have.  Does that make sense? So, if we are in agreement, try to bear in mind, in ALL that you do, that everything that goes into your activites each day, will determine the results when all is said and done, and it is time to “cut the cake.”

Do  you prefer “sunny-side-up”?

I do.