Life is stressful at times, hard and sad and unexpected things happen.  It feels like there is too much to do and not enough time.  Stress is rampant and life is fast paced.  I am learning new ways to process pain, sit with discomfort and work through fear.  And I am discovering that I can do it with joy & pleasure.  They are not mutually exclusive. I can feel sad, anxious or uncomfortable when life circumstances aren't what I would want.  AND I have the power and permission to support myself in difficult times with nourishing, pleasurable, joy inducing practices.  While I face uncomfortable feelings, honor and lean into them learning to let go, relax, or move through grief.  At the same time, I can chose to practice feeling pleasure during the hard times. Especially during the hardest times.  So today I am starting a challenge to practice what brings me pleasure, peace and joy for 10 days.   Today I danced to the Sade channel on Pandora, diffused Frankincense to get me in a meditative mood, and painted a feather in fun colors, with glitter. It was so much fun to play with colors! What  would feel good to you today? Do it! Permission granted :) 

Check out the clip below from Rebel Girls. A friend of mine just sent it to me. And it triggered so much in me. First I laughed, then as it sank in sadness and regret filled my heart.  It was so potent to see a man play the role of Cinderella. And know that we would never expect our boys to be treated this way.  It got me thinking about limiting beliefs....which is my favorite work to do with women, because it is everything. The key to us reaching our potential, chasing our dreams and finding resounding peace and happiness, or the key to us not having those things.  And we hardly ever question  them.  We BELIEVE our limiting believes. That is what keeps us stuck.  That is why they are so powerful.

I am so passionate about the work I do and the women I work with in this area.

This is a funny video, except it is so not. It challenges how we view ourselves and the world we grow up in. How much power we learn to GIVE AWAY at such a young age.  

Cinderfella is a joke, and he would be viewed as a joke in the real world. 

As young girls we develop our belief systems about who we are - THAT STAY WITH US FOR LIFE. Living a life time based on limiting beliefs and never examining if they are true and serving us, is not a joke. 

They limit us. 

A lot. 

So, loves, I ask you. 

What did you learn to believe about your potential as a child? How have these beliefs impacted your choices?  What beliefs that you have, may not really be true?  Have you questioned them? Where did they come from? 

And then ask your self. 

Are you READY to identify and change your limiting beliefs and reclaim your POWER? Reach your true potential? What would Cinderfella do? I highly doubt he would live out his life feeling he wasn't pretty enough, didn't work hard enough, or deserve enough, or be expected to walk around in glass shoes. Nope. He wouldn't take that crap from the first second! And so this is why....

This work is so life changing.  

I am so fired up about helping women in this area to change their futures , one woman at a time.  It adds up, and we become the role models for our young girls. Not Cinderf***ingrella. 

My Coach and Mentor, Jeanine Yoder, shared this story with me last week as a part of her Mentor MasterClass Program.  And it has me thinking, how am I like the Scorpion. She credits Tony Robbins for using this story to help us see how our beliefs and our identity cause us to act and the choices we make. Sharing with you to get you thinking, how are you like the scorpion?  

​The Story of the Frog & the Scorpion:
A scorpion wanted to make his way across the river.
He saw the frog a few feet away, so he asked the frog if he would be willing to let him ride on his back across to the other side to see his family. The conversation continued:
I don't think so Scorpion, I know you so well and know you are a scorpion and scorpions sting frogs, I will get halfway across the river, and you will sting me."
To which the scorpion replied "You are not thinking with your little frog brain. If I kill you then I will drown too, so I wouldn't do that, I'd be killing myself.  Do you think I am that stupid?"
The frog seemed confused but agreed and the scorpion jumped on his back. 
He started to swim across the river, and about half way across the scorpion stung the frog.
The frog couldn't believe it.  He looked the scorpion in the eyes, as they were both going down and said, "I can't believe this. I'm dying, but you will too.  Why would you do this?"
The scorpion answered, "because I am a scorpion, I sting frogs"

I find rituals keep me focused on what is important in my life and continuing to move in the direction of my dreams.  Because life is busy, I tend to struggle with feeling overwhelmed and pushing my needs to the side.  To achieve the desired feeling I have to be productive, calm, and out of overwhelm, I started the following practice.  

Every morning I dedicate just 15 minutes to myself. (once the kids are at school, phew) I start by taking a moment to enjoy the sunny smell of oranges & do some light stretching, slow down, and breath. It makes me feel optimistic, calm and happy about the day ahead. It creates a space and a calm few moments to feel into what my body needs so I can intentionally decide what I need to care for my self throughout the day.  I journal to commit to the intentions I have for self care for the day, and finally write down all of the practical to do's I need to tackle to feel complete at the end of the day in this friendly notebook :)

This is my most productive practice, and keeps me out of overwhelm.