You Are What You Think

I recently read E Squared: Nine Do-It-Yourself Energy Experiments That Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality.  As a big believer in the Law of Attraction, I was already biased toward having a successful experience with this book.  However, as the author, Pam Grout, mentions in her first chapter, we may believe that there is a higher power or Universe available 24/7 to bring us what we desire, but we don't really believe it.  We take it for a coincidence or some special "magic."  She was speaking my language, and I wanted to prove to myself that I believe in the Universe and was going to start manifesting my desires now.  This book did just that.

About 60% of the experiments worked (I didn't do two of them), and after analyzing the ones that didn't, I realized I either was not specific enough with my intention, or I waffled in my desire.  My favorite was the experiment where we had to ask for a gift within 48 hours.  I set my intention and was awarded the next day with a surprise visit home from my hubby who was supposed to be gone for the evening.  I fell ill that afternoon, so it was literally a godsend to have him home to cook dinner, put the kids to bed, and take care of me.  TLC is the best gift ever!

There was another experiment where we had to manifest a message to someone else in a different place than ourselves.  I chose a friend I haven't heard from in over a year.  Within hours, I started receiving Facebook status updates from her in my feed (something I had not received in the past).

Then, there was a question we had to ask and set the intention to receive an answer on it.  I asked guidance about a book I am working on, and the next day, sure enough, I did receive an answer.

I was less successful with the weight experiment.  We were to send positive energy to our food before eating it and watch our weight drop around 3 pounds over the next two days.  Unfortunately, I had no success here, but this is where indecisiveness comes into play. Although, I was sending positive energy while I ate, I still held guilt while I indulged in a treat or a glass of wine.  The Universe rewarded me with no weight loss.  

I really enjoyed this book.  Overall, it reinforced the power of intention, something I already believe in strongly and practice daily.  It reminded me to stay the course and believe in the power of the Universe to manifest our desires if we would only ask.  It further cemented the idea that my thoughts create my reality and motivated me to start thinking, dreaming, and asking for what I want now; to focus on what I truly desire and let those thoughts guide me to the life I have always dreamed of.  

What are you thinking about today?  Don't waste another single thought!  Manifest them into your desires now! 

Creating A Sacred Space

While reading Denise Linn's Soul Coaching last month, one of the assignments was to create a "sacred space" - a space that honors the sacred aspects of life, sort of like an altar or temple that can assist you on your journey towards peace, love, joy and all of your other desires in life.  It is not necessarily religious, but rather something that connects you to Source, Universe, or whatever name you have for the higher Being that connects us all.

I dug this assignment.  Count me in for any opportunity to create a tranquil, personal space for reflection and meditation!  It was actually a great excuse to makeover the space in my bathroom I already had.  It had lost the initial luster I created for it years ago and as such, I was using the space less and less.  Within just 15 minutes, I recreated the space with a few things I already had around the house.  Now, I use it daily to do my morning ritual and meditate.  I also come to this space any time I need to go inward, reflect on an issue, or calm my nerves.  I love my new space!

Here are my quick and easy steps to create your own sacred space.

1. Find a location.  The space does not need to be large.  (Mine occupies only half a bathroom counter.) No matter the size, it should include some type of table, counter or flat surface upon which you can place objects/items that you consider sacred.  

Something else to keep in mind when choosing your space is the location in your house.  It should be somewhere private (or that you can make private with either a room screen or by shutting a door).  It should be an area that feels calm and tranquil.  I placed mine near a window directly facing the ocean, because the ocean soothes me.  

Make sure you have a stool or cushions nearby so that you can access the space easily whenever you want, and that you are comfortable.

2. Gather your objects.  These can include books, affirmation cards, candles, crystals or stones, statues - whatever is meaningful and special to you.  

3. Pick something from nature.  Bringing nature into the space is helpful to connect us to our higher Being and remind us of our Creator.  I used sand and seashells in my space because that's what I connect to most in nature.  Maybe you love flowers.  Keep a vase with fresh blooms in your space.  If you love the mountains, perhaps a bowl of pine cones speaks to you.  A terrarium with succulents would also work well, as would a plant or anything else that represents nature to you.  

4. Arrange your objects.  This the fun part!  Move your things around until they are displayed exactly how you want them.  

5. Use and enjoy your space daily!

I would love to see your sacred spaces.  Email them to me at veegmama@gmail.com or Instagram them with the hashtag #VeegmamaSpaces.

What's Your Word?

Flipping through a magazine earlier this week, I saw this ad.  It is for Special K cereal, but that is not what caught my eye.  It was the consumer insight behind the #1 New Year's resolution to lose weight. 

It reads: "This year, pick a word.  Not a number."  

And the scale reads "joy."

Brilliant!  This ad is a great reminder to be kind and loving to ourselves (and each other).  I mentioned in my weekly newsletter (sign up here) a couple of weeks ago, that I have been tackling my health, weight loss, and writing goals with great success - and I am having fun (not always the case when I am in "achieve" mode).  Instead of being strict and rigid in what I eat and how much I exercise (what I normally do), I have approached my goals from a place of love and joy.  I don't always get it right, but this past month and a half, I have tried to be kind and loving to myself.  I have been more aware of what I need at a particular moment and have practiced forgiveness (of myself) for my missteps in all areas.  I have held the word "joy" (that actually is my word) close to my chest and kept it as my guiding light in doing anything.   

Today, on Valentine's Day, I thought this was a great ad to share.  What is your word this year?  How do you want to feel today - and how do you want to feel when you achieve your goals?  It does not have to be hard to work hard.  It does not have to feel difficult to accomplish a difficult feat.  It is supposed to feel good.  Choose your word wisely and let it guide you to a wonderful, joyful place this year.  

Happy Valentine's Day!  There is only love!!!

My Happiness Project

I am part of a wonderful book club (shout out to my ladies - woo hoo!) that reads a diverse and fun mix of equally wonderful literature.  Our group deviated a bit from our usual genres about a year ago and selected Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project.  In the writer's memoir about her effort to get "happier," she chronicles a year in her life, tackling an area of herself, (such as family, work, hobbies, marriage), one month at at time with a series of resolutions connected to each area.

Let's be honest.  The book had me at the title - happiness and project together.  C'mon - just calling my name!  I urged my book club to read it (it had been sitting on my shelf for months) and lucky for me, they appeased me (thanks, girls!).  It came as no shock to anyone in the group that I would then, proceed to embark on my own happiness project after reading this book...complete with spreadsheet and all.

I started my project last August and completed it last month.  A year of happiness projects.  With truth and transparency, I can say that I am happier.  More than that, I am more self aware, and hopefully, more evolved.  I am more conscious of the behaviors, attitudes, and habits that bring me joy, and more purposeful in the choices I make in my life, including how I play with my kids, when I say "yes" or "no", and what relationships I nurture.

The self improvement task master in me couldn't pass up this opportunity to fine tune every part of my life I felt lacking, especially with the promise of "happier" at the finish line.  Each month presented new challenges, with different resolutions proving to be easier than others, such as "Stop complaining" (hard), "Ask for what I need" (very hard),  "Practice forgiveness" (even harder), and "Turn off the computer earlier" (easier than I thought).

I posted my monthly resolutions on my office wall and checked them regularly.  They brought order to my daily chaos and grounded me with a vision of "better" that kept me going on many days when I struggled to find "happier."

Like the author, Gretchen, I was happy before I started this project, but also like Gretchen, I felt that I should be happier given the wonderful, blessed life I was living.  I too, wanted to find a way to live more joyfully.  It is no coincidence that my blog launched shortly after embarking on my Happiness Project and continues to inspire me on my good life journey.

I wanted to share my project with you, to perhaps inspire you to also focus on being happier.  In which areas of your life do you feel less than happy...or maybe just enough happy?  What areas do you feel should make your happier?  Work, fitness, hobbies, a relationship?  Make your list.  Those are the areas for each month of your project.  Next, list 1-5 things (don't overwhelm yourself) with a few small things you can do each day to help you improve your happiness in that particular area.  Now, do them.  Next month, do the next five things in the next area of your life.  Oh, and here's the fun part: keep doing the list of things you did the previous month and all of the months before that, until you get to your one-year month, where it's "Boot Camp Perfect" and you try do all the things on your list for every month.

Here's an example of what I charted out for a few of my months:

Parenthood
Lighten up.

1. Take time to play.
2. Make them laugh.
3. Enjoy the moment.
4. Say "yes" more.

Spirituality
Create sacred spaces.

1. Start a meditation practice.
2. Read Autobiography of a Yogi.
3. Commit to yoga.
4. Appreciate nature daily.

I encourage you to do the same, and don't get too stressed out if you don't do everything on your list every day, or even at all that month.  I found that although, I missed the boat on some things one month, I ended up finding my way to those very things during another month while working on another area of my life.  As it is said, everything in life is interconnected, and I was repeatedly surprised by how often my project weaved itself together with a life of its own that would bring me back to the very thing on my list I had missed and didn't even realize I was getting back to.

As I wrap up the year of this project, I realize I have learned so very much about myself.  I am clearer and stronger, and yes, happier.  I also realize that I have by no means finished my happiness project.  In fact, I think I will just re-label it my "happier" project because we are continuously evolving and enhancing our lives, and this self growth warrior wants to keep setting the "happier" benchmark higher for myself.  While this energy drives my husband crazy (I love you, babe), I believe it is what makes me, well...me.  And for that, I am happier.

Is Your Vision A Reality?

I read The Secret about five or so years ago.  It was a life changing book for me that shifted the way I thought about the power of my thoughts to manifest realities.  After reading it, I went about immediately creating a vision board (two to be exact) that I hung in my office (and still hang there today).  The concept of a vision board is simple: surround yourself with images and words of things that describe what you want out of life.

After reading The Secret, I realized that I had been doing this my whole life without even realizing it.  My vision boards were in my head.  Since I was a little girl, I daydreamed of the man I would marry someday, the qualities he would have, and the type of person he would be.  It came as no surprise to me when I found him my first year in college - exactly as how I imagined him.  I have solved issues in my life by posting things on my vision board and repeatedly looking at them and focusing on what I want.  The idea is that by turning your attention to the same thing over and over again, you are drawing your attention to that same thing and inviting the Universe to guide you in that direction.  You will sub-consciously make decisions and be attracted to opportunities that are all in alignment with your vision.

Skeptical?  I invite you to try it.

Here's what you need:

• A poster board, display board, piece of canvas, or some other type of base material that you can hang or post somewhere
• Paints, crayons, or markers
• Magazines and/or photographs
• Stickers and other embellishments to decorate your board as you like 

Here's what you do:

• Look through your photos and magazines and find words and images that represent what you want in life.  This could be your dream vacation or house, your ideal job or soul mate, or anything else that you desire.
• Cut out these images and words and start pasting them to your board in collage fashion.  Have fun.  Think kindergarten where you could create anything you wanted and your parents and teacher told you it was beautiful.  There is no wrong way to create a vision board.  Let your creativity and imagination guide you.
• Add paint, crayons, markers and other decorations as you want.

Once you have completed your board, display it in a place you will see every day, multiple times a day is ideal.  Make a point to look at the board often and fixate on what you put on it.  Really focus and think about what you want.  Then, watch what starts to happen in your life to draw you closer to those things until you finally attain them.

The process is easy, but I guarantee you, the result is empowering.  You have the ability to manifest your desires.  Make it happen.  Turn your visions into realities today.  It is one of the key components in my good life. 

Live Like You Mean It!

There is no better time to live like you mean it than now!  Use this time of spring awakening to grab what you want for your life.  Check out this article from The Chopra Center on "The 3 Keys To Living The Life You Want."

Why Meditate?

After years of yearning for a regular meditation practice, I finally took the leap and made a commitment with Deepak Chopra's meditation challenge back in November.  I am happy to say that I have maintained my zen ways and have registered to join him again with Oprah in their next 21-Day Meditation Challenge which started yesterday.

There are so many good reasons to meditate - improves your health, brings clarity to your mind, enhances relationships, decreases anxiety....  I could go on, but I think you get the idea.  Check out this article for more of Dr. Chopra's wisdom on the topic and I hope you'll join me in his next 21-Day Meditation Challenge.

A Whole New Take on the "Thank You" Card

I am trying something new this month.  Every day in the month of March, I am sending a thank you card.  I have found that I feel and live my best when I am actively in a state of gratitude.  Whether it is a simple "thank you" out loud to my husband for giving my son a bath so I could finish up some emails, a written list at the end of the day in my gratitude journal, or a morning affirmation that expresses thanks for the abundance in my life, it all builds momentum towards a lifestyle of appreciation and thankfulness that feels increasingly good.

This month, I am kicking my gratitude practice up a notch with Lori Portka's Gratitude Kit.  "A Month of Thank You's" is a gift to yourself and 30 people in your life to express your love and gratitude.  The thank you can be for something big or small.  It does not matter for what you thank, as long as you do it once a day to 30 different people.  The ritual and habit of this practice will change you instantly.

I have had so much fun making my list of those to thank and being thoughtful about the reasons to thank them.  The actual ritual of addressing and mailing the card every day is becoming a habit.

I love Lori Portka's kit.  It even comes with stamps!  Her cards are beautiful and inspired.  Of course, you can use your own cards - or take it up another level and make your own!  How and who will you thank today?

What Is Your Intention?

I was recently reminded of the importance of setting intentions during my daily meditation as I thought about what I wanted for myself for the day.  Coming off of a fun, but busy vacation and two of my children's birthday parties, I was feeling overwhelmed about all that there was to do.  As I meditated, I was quickly urged towards what I always seek - joy:  Feel it, spread it, share it!

I set my intention right there and then: "Today I will feel joy, spread joy and share joy."  And what a difference that intention made for the day.  For starters, it immediately dissipated any anxiety I was having about my to-do list and put me in a gleeful mood.  It also helped me deflect any negativity and unplanned circumstances that arose that morning (e.g. a sick child home from school and another grumpy one who didn't want to go back to school after a week's vacation).  As I journeyed from errand to errand that morning, I exuded happiness and ease (in fact, I may have held a private concert in my car, singing loud and proud).

My point to all of this is that intentions can literally make or break you.  They force you to be present in the moment, to clearly reflect on and think about what you want for yourself at a particular moment, course of the day, or goal for the month.  Intentions keep us thoughtful and purposeful.  I find them necessary to keep me in the moment and focused on my goals.  They have the power to change a bad situation into a good one and turn in a cranky mood into a joyful one.  When I am uneasy or anxious about anything, I find that when I set an intention, all goes to plan.  It is mind over matter.  We have control over our thoughts - to direct them into manifestation.  Nothing proves this better than the setting of intentions.  You can intend to have a great day when you get out of bed in the morning.  You can intend to have a peaceful time doing homework with your kids after school.  You can intend to have a safe ride in your car as you get into drive for the day.

By setting an intention, you make it clear to yourself and others what you plan to do.  You can do this for the simple things that you are faced with every day (like the examples above), but you also can do this for your dreams, hopes and wishes.  Setting intentions for these things is the first step we must take in reaching for those goals.  If you are not clear with yourself about what you want, how are you going to ask the Universe to help you get it?  And if you don't state what it is you want, how will you know the steps to get you there?  Exactly.  Intentions are critical.  Ready to set some?  Here are a few steps to get your started.

1.  Close your eyes.  Take a deep breath - inhale and exhale.

2.  Think clearly about what it is you want.

3. Say it out loud.  Write it down and look at it if the intention is part of a bigger goal (e.g. losing weight, finding a new job, getting married).

4. Now, do it.  Take a step towards that intention.  It doesn't matter if that step is big or small, as long as you do something towards the intention.  As you take that step, state your intention again out loud.  Let the words of the intention flood you and fill you purpose.  You must really believe in your intention.  The Universe is waiting to give you all that you seek.  Believe in yourself, your power to make it happen.

5. Rejoice in the steps you have taken toward your intention and keep going.

A road of intentions is the only path to success.  Get started on yours today!

My Favorite Wellness Apps

Self care is big on my list of resolutions for 2013.  Self awareness, staying present, and quieting my mind are all gifts I have been working on giving myself this holiday season.  Thanks to these iPad and iPhone apps, wellness is never out of hands reach.  I really love these tech helpers for the mind and body.

• Power Cards by Louise Hay - I own the physical affirmation cards as well, but love that I can FB post, Tweet, and email these cards - sharing the love!
• Deepak Chopra Daily Gift - I look forward to opening my "gift box" each morning to see what is waiting for me.  It could be a thought for a day, a video message from Mr. Chopra himself, an affirmation or some other surprise that warms my soul and sets my day off right.
• Deepak Chopra's Meditation Challenge - I took the challenge last month and love this app that continues to lead me in meditation practice.
• Deepak Chopra's Heart Meditation - Another guided meditation from my meditation hero, Deepak Chopra has a series of different ones...Stress Free, Great Career, Live Happy, Love, Sleep, Breath...
• Relax Melodies - This is what I use when I meditate.  It has a great assortment of music melodies and sound effects.  I pick my mix for the day, depending on my mood, set the time and meditate away.

Join the Meditation Challenge!

Meditation has been on my "to-do" list for many years.  As an evolving, spiritual being with a yearning for a deeper connection with the Universe (whatever that may be), I understand that meditation is critical.  As a busy mom of three with lots of demands on me, I have experienced the calm and serenity that a daily practice provides.  I have started a meditation routine too many times to count, only to get busy with life and let it fall to the bottom of my list, and then eventually off of it.  Each time I start again, I am overwhelmed with the positive energy and overall calm that it adds to my life.  Then, I am cursing myself when I can't keep it together to maintain the practice.  Well, folks, this time is different!  I started Deepak Chopra's 21-Day Meditation Challenge last week and I am in my meditation stride.  For those of you who don't know Mr. Chopra, he is a spiritual guru, and highly acclaimed author, named by Time magazine as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century, a.k.a. awesome and incredible human being.  I consider him to be one of the change agents of our time.  

We are so lucky he has  put this challenge together for us - for free!  The 21-Day journey is focused on creating abundance - here, here to that.  The meditations are delivered to your inbox every night and are about 15 minutes in length.  His calming, soothing voice is just what I need to guide me into a state of calm and serenity.  He voices a sanskrit mantra for the day and provides a thought to continue to reflect upon.  There is also an online journal for each meditation, where you can answer three questions that allow you to put your insights and thoughts down after the meditation.  

I am determined to allow myself to be taken over into the meditation vortex this 21 days (they say that it takes 21 days before it becomes a habit) and turn this daily routine into a practice.  I have being doing the meditations right after my morning workout while the house is still quiet.  This has worked well for me, but choose a time period that works best for you (and make sure your family or roommates understand and respect your meditation time so you are not disturbed).  

I am feeling so happy and abundant, I cannot see not doing this every day.  I encourage you to register and join the journey.  It promises to attract more goodness into your life - however you may define that.  In the meantime, feel the peace, joy, love and comfort that only meditation brings - a key ingredient to any good life.