She speaks to audiences old and young, from all walks of life. By sharing her own story, she proves how anything is possible. If she could achieve her dream of becoming a Harvard Ph.D (an impossible dream for a young girl who grew up in poor rural Korea and really struggled with school), anyone could achieve their dreams too!

Her message is simple, but extremely powerful…

She has changed the trajectory of people’s lives by encouraging people to dream again. No one is too old, too young, too poor, or too anything to be able to make their dreams come true.

It was an honor to be able to interview Dr. Jin Kyu Robertson and be able to hear her wisdom and advice on how to achieve impossible dreams. Her advice nudged me forward and gave me a different perspective on how to live my life. I walked away with the sense that I could do anything, and I hope you will too!

This year is the perfect time to rekindle those dreams that lie dormant in the back of our minds. They are there for a reason. They are yours to birth into this world!

To learn more about Dr. Jin Kyu Robertson’s amazing journey, you can purchase her book, Major Dream. It’s an inspiring memoir that demonstrates how you can overcome even the most difficult obstacles in your life to achieve your dreams.

Major Dream: From Immigrant Housemaid to Harvard PhD

Visit her website at: http://drjinrobertson.com/

It wasn’t the year I expected, but it was the year I needed. I needed this time to go deep to sort through issues I didn’t realize were even there. Did this happen to you too?

I intended it, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise, but it kind of was… only because I did not realize how many problems would want my attention. Painful as it was, I dealt with each one by spending the time to face them, address them, and make changes for a different future.

I know I wasn’t the only one. I’ve had some conversations with others who have experienced the same. Rather than moving forward on goals we had wanted to accomplish, we were directed to “clean up” our lives. Emotional baggage, past resentment, lingering to do’s… they kept us busy. We were busy working on letting go of anything that was holding us back.

Now that December 31st is here, I can really look back and say… what a productive year! Productive, not necessarily in the material sense, but rather in the emotional and spiritual sense. I feel happier, freer, and more resolved. My head is clearer and I am stronger. I know what I want and confusion has lifted.

Perhaps the energies of December 21st, 2012 have really started to take effect after all.

It was a transition year for many of us, preparing us for the road ahead. It was time to take care of issues that needed to be addressed once and for all. I don’t know what you went through this year, but I hope everything worked out in your favor. For me, it was a year of lessons learned, deep reflection, self-awareness, and many aha’s. It was also a year of making changes in my life, standing up for myself, and uncovering what would make me truly happy on the inside.

My soul has called and I am listening. Are you? Are you doing what fulfills you on the inside?

Wherever you are, let’s make 2013 the absolute best year yet! This is the year to shine very bright. What do you really want this year to hold for you?

If you were to choose one thing to make 2013 an outstanding success, what would it be for you? Is there a change in your life you’d like to make? A fear you’d like to overcome? A challenge you’d like to achieve? A goal that seems impossible that you’d like to make happen anyway?

What would make 2013 your BEST year yet?

Dream big and let your imagination run wild. This is the time to listen to your soul and let it guide you to your deepest desires. Write down what you want, and then take a moment and really think about what you really, really, really want. You may think it’s not that important or too impossible to achieve, but ignore those thoughts for now. Just imagine what would blow your mind if you were able to have the year you always wanted, but you just never allowed yourself to have.

What kind of year is it?

What kind of year would get you really, really excited?

Imagine it, for it is yours for the having, if you will only imagine it, believe it is possible, and take the steps to make it happen. Get into a state of deep conviction where you KNOW you can make it happen. Talk yourself into it. Whatever it takes. Convince yourself that it is possible and stay open to the possibility of it showing up in your life.

2013 will be a magical year. Your dreams are for the having. Go and seize them! They are yours for a reason!

Many blessings to you and your loved ones for beautiful, healthy, loving, prosperous 2013! May blessings from the heavens shine down upon you this year and beyond!

Thank you for visiting this blog today. Happy New Year!

Are there things you’ve always wanted to do, but never gave yourself an opportunity to do? Maybe you dismissed these things as not being that important because they did not make much sense or because they had nothing to do with your career.

What are the things you’ve always wanted to do but never gave them much time or thought? These could be from your bucket list, new year’s resolutions, or random thoughts related to “if I didn’t have to worry about money, I would…”

What are they? List them now.

I want you to give these thoughts some room in your mind. You don’t have to go after these right this second, but I want you to let them wander around in your mind rather than burying them or letting them go. Explore the possibility that these things may happen for you.

My “What I Always Wanted To Do” Fantasy Came True!

I’m encouraging you to do this exercise because one of my long-term fantasies has just come true for me!

For as long as I can remember, I’ve written new year’s resolutions that included a laundry list of items — too many to accomplish in any given year. I used to get discouraged for not achieving them, but now I look at these lists as possibilities.

This year, I created a list on my birthday too. Rather than calling it a list of “resolutions,” which always makes me feel a twinge of guilt if I don’t accomplish the entire list (or any of the list), I decided to call it “Gifts To Myself at Age ____ (fill in your age).”

I listed all the things I wanted to “gift” myself this year. Rather than feeling obligated (as I do with resolutions), I felt privileged to be receiving all these wonderful gifts, whether or not they came. I read the list of items I was giving myself and basked in the wonderful feeling of being able to receive all these gifts.

One of the items on the list this year said: Learn healthy gourmet cooking

I had no idea how I was going to learn healthy gourmet cooking and where I would find the time to do this, but it didn’t matter. I just decided to give these gifts to myself internally, and I went on my merry way. I randomly thought about wanting to learn healthy gourmet cooking and entertained the thought about taking some cooking classes at the Natural Gourmet Institute, a place I had been randomly looking at for about 4 years. I wanted to be competent in the kitchen beyond the basics.

A month later, my husband mentions to me that the Natural Gourmet Institute is having an open house. I hadn’t been considering the chef training program, but going to an open house couldn’t hurt. I had no intention of becoming a chef… I just wanted to learn gourmet healthy cooking so that I could cook delicious meals at home for my family.

I went to the open house and as the evening went on, my heart started to sing! Really! My heart was beating like it would beat when you meet a loved one. I felt like I was in the right place with the right people. I loved the feeling.

I went home and decided that I was going to apply for the chef training program because this random thought of “learning healthy gourmet cooking” had been on my new year’s resolutions since I was a teenager. Somehow, I hadn’t really noticed it among the list of all the other things I wanted to do, and it was always pushed to the bottom.

This year, it was moved to the top of my list as I struggled with trying to find healthy food for my baby to eat. She adamantly refuses all vegetables and fervently picks them out. She has a gourmet palate and will not eat anything that tastes bland. I had to find a better way to make meal times more pleasant.

I applied and was accepted! It all happened so fast!

This week, I started my first week of culinary school at the Natural Gourmet Institute, and I have to say, I haven’t been happier! My heart is singing, I feel so great, and all of a sudden, everything that was in need of my attention is finally getting it and moving forward! Any heaviness from my life has been lifted and I feel like I’m on my way to aligning my values with my lifestyle and my career.

Even though I did not see myself being a chef before I went, I can completely see it now! Sometimes we need to immerse ourselves in something we love before we can see it as a possibility. When we’re too far removed from it, it seems strange, and not possible, or even impractical.

Moral of the story: When you do what makes your heart sing, everything in your life comes together beautifully!

When you do what you love, you are energized by your happiness, and then all parts of your life come to match your happy state. There is a ripple effect on the rest of your life when you give yourself the time and/or money to do the things you love.

Take a look at your list, and see what you have always wanted to do. What things would you like to do in the next 12 months?

Give yourself the permission and opportunity to explore these things. Try them out. You might be surprised at how easily they can come into your life if you just explore the possibility. Testing them out will give you a sense of whether these things really fuel you or not.

Fantasies are only fantasies because we don’t see how it can fit into our life in this moment, but the truth is… anything is possible! So, throw them all out there. Why not? Isn’t it worth living out the things we’ve always wanted to do?

What are some of your “always wanted to do” items? I’d love to hear about them! May all of your “fantasy” dreams come true for you, no matter how big or small they are!

In my last post, I talked about following your impulses. I’m doing that now as I am taking action on creating a video series called Flow Living TV that I’ve been thinking about for the last 6 months, possibly longer.

It’s no accident when you have a re-ocurring idea that keeps popping up in your head again and again. It’s an idea that wants to be birthed and it’s asking you to be the mother or father of it.

Whether we choose to take the idea and run with it is our choice. Whenever we have new ideas, we may be asked to step into territories we are not comfortable with to make it happen, but if we believe in the idea, we’ll be able to muster up the courage to take the actions necessary to make them happen. This idea is definitely outside of my comfort zone since I am more comfortable working behind the scenes rather than in front of the camera, but it’s an idea that I thought would be valuable to those who are on their journey towards pursuing their passions in life.

So, here goes… Flow Living TV – an online video series to inspire you to pursue your dreams, give you insights on the real journey to success, and tips and stories to inspire you to live a healthy, happy, and successful life.

Do you have someone who you think would be perfect to interview for this series? If so, let me know!

Don’t forget to subscribe to receive future episodes and inspiring message in your inbox. Also subscribe to the youtube channel here.

Sending you lots of love on your journey! May your life be full of dreams coming true!

Opportunities are not always obvious. Sometimes they arrive as an idea or an impulse that may or may not make sense. These ideas and impulses are often gifts from the universe, opportunities to help take you to your next step in your journey. A random idea might pop into your head or you might have a strong feeling to do something. Listen, then step into the opportunity by taking action on it.

Every year I create a list of things I want to to do in my life. Part New Years resolutions and part bucket list, I write out the goals I want to accomplish along with the crazy ideas I come up with as I dream and explore infinite possibilities of what my heart desires. It’s usually a list of items that span all areas of my life, from career to health to fun experiences.

My lists are very long because I add everything I want on there, so it would be really difficult for me to manifest everything on the list in one year. The goal was not to accomplish everything on the list, but rather to uncover what my heart really wanted.

To give you an example, this year, some of the items on my list are:

1. Travel internationally with my family (starting with Korea)
2. Learn gourmet, healthy natural cooking
3. Host a TV Show
4. Meet Andrea Beaman
5. Have a 6am natural wake-up time (I’m a bit of a night owl and have always wanted to change this)
6. Start an eco-fashion line
7. Write a book

Honestly, I did not even realize I had written some of these items until I just looked them up as I was writing this. The reason I want to bring these up is that each one of these are in the process of coming true without me really trying to create it in my life. It’s really wild. Honestly, I’m a bit floored thinking about it right now.

Let me explain how each one of these are unfolding because I followed my impulses and paid attention to what the universe brought me. Rather than controlling what is happening in my life with crazy planning (which I used to do in the past), I am now allowing things to effortlessly come into my life by living in the flow.

1. Travel internationally with my family

Going to Korea was on my radar earlier this year and my husband and I decided on Sept/Oct as the optimal time to go, weather-wise. When mid-August rolled around, my internal alarms started going off tell me to book my flight NOW. I did, and even had miles donated for one of our tickets for our flight.

I could not have orchestrated the series of events that occurred in Korea better than the universe did. Not only did I learn so many life lessons while traveling (yes, the universe uses every opportunity to help you learn), it turned out that my in-laws were also going to be in Korea at the same time, making it a family trip. I was also able to interview someone for the first episode of my upcoming TV show (read below) and meet so many other amazing people I had never anticipated meeting.

2. Learn gourmet, healthy natural cooking

I did not think this goal would be something I would pursue this year, but the universe found a way to bring it into my life. The thought of taking classes at Natural Gourmet Institute popped into my head several times this year, but in August, the impulse was strong.

It turned out there was an open house the following week that I registered for. My heart was singing when I went there. I knew I had to apply for the program. I managed to get my application and recommendations together in a matter of days and applied and was accepted within the week. I’m going to learn gourmet natural cooking after all in format I know I will love!

3. Host a TV Show

The thought of hosting a show, as strange as that sounded for me, kept popping up in my mind. With no background in this and no idea why this was what I wanted to do, I put it on the back burner for a few months. The impulse came on strong last month and through the help of my coach, a topic for it emerged. I had no idea I could host a TV show, but I will be launching a new youtube channel with my own TV show soon!

4. Meet Andrea Beaman

Honestly, I didn’t even know I wrote this one down, but the universe did not forget. Last month, as I was checking an email, I clicked through to a conference call at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, where I received health coach training from. I had not been following their current program, but something made me join that call that night. It turned out it was Andrea Beaman giving a talk on the line.

I was so inspired after the call that I sent her an email. And then she emailed me back! I then felt the urge to ask her to be on my upcoming interview series. She agreed for a couple of months later after her schedule freed up. Wow, how the universe delivers!

5. Have a 6am natural wake-up time

This one may sound funny to you, but I have always struggled with waking up early. I’m a natural night owl that always wanted to be a morning person. After returning from Korea, perhaps because of jet lag, I’ve been naturally going to bed early and waking up early ever since I returned. While I was in Korea, I also met someone who inspired me to have a morning practice waking up very early to fit in study time for the things we wanted to learn. You never know how the universe will answer your request!

6. Start an eco-fashion line

Even though I may not be able to launch this line this year, the process has begun. I attended a couple of events this year where I met someone who organizes eco-fashion events in the city. After meeting her, I’ve been introduced to so many people in this community that has been teaching me so much about what it takes to start a line.

Also, a friend of mine randomly called me to coach me about my fashion line direction and invited me to Vegas to attend fashion trade shows to learn the buyer side of the business. Of course I grabbed the opportunity, flew out there, and learned so much! The universe continues to pull in the right resources, books, and people I need to make this dream a reality.

7. Write a book

This idea has been on my mind for several years, but I had no idea when I would write a book. I started one four years ago, but put it on the shelf because it did not seem the right time to complete it. Recently I’ve had the urge to start writing again, and the universe is sending me so many signs to nudge me along by providing me with multiple resources to learn how to publish a book.

Dreams and Goals Are a Work-in-Progress

All of these goals and dreams are a work-in-progress, but if you told me at the beginning of this year that these would have unfolded the way it did, I would not have believed you. My mind could only conceive of accomplishing possibly one or two items from this list, but definitely not all.

Reflecting on this year reminds me that the universe can orchestrate many events and opportunities for the greatest good of all. There are multiple benefits to each action taken and each action leads to the next opportunity. Our minds tend to think more linearly and cannot see everything that is going on.

It truly is miraculous how everything comes together to benefit everyone and everything.

Rather than trying to figure out how you will accomplish everything, start by doing the work that is in front of you. Each step will lead to the next.

And don’t forget to declare what your dreams are and write them down! You never know what the universe will deliver if you pay attention and follow its lead.

What are some of your dreams that have manifested this year (or are in the process of coming about)?

I want to talk to you about courage. It’s one of the most important qualities that I’ve had to muster up to accomplish anything BIG in my life.

How many times have you been presented with an opportunity to do something in your life that you knew that you probably should do, but it wasn’t easy for you? Ok, maybe it was just downright scary?

• It could be a little thing, such as being invited to an event where you know no one except the person who invited you. You might want to opt-out and just stay home because the thought of having to put yourself out there and meet new people is just a lot of work and you are tired that day. Or perhaps you are just scared or uncomfortable to be in a room with so many strangers, but you know you should go anyway.
• Or, maybe the opportunity is a big thing, such as being asked to speak at a conference, start a big project, or maybe you have a random BIG thought that keeps rolling around in your head that tells you to take your life in a completely different direction. It could be asking you to change your career, move to a new city, work through a big relationship issue, write a book, or any other big, bold moves that don’t feel comfortable to you right now.

What is calling your name now? The idea may not even make sense to you in that moment, but you know you need to do it.

I’ve learned that any time you are presented with an opportunity or an idea that propels you towards your dreams, FEAR usually gets in the way of you stepping out on a limb and pursuing that route.

Are You Playing It Safe?

You see, we’re conditioned to play it safe in our society. Find a good job, make a good living, and save for retirement. But that old fashioned advice does not get our juices flowing every day and won’t make our dreams come true.

Dreams usually come with risk. Good risk, but risk. We have to put ourselves out there and stretch ourselves in ways we never have before and do things we’ve never done before. That’s how dreams are born… if we say yes to it.

To Get To Your Dreams, You Must First Face a LOT of “Internal Stuff”

When you are pursuing your dreams, everything comes up… and I mean EVERYTHING. Every insecurity, every judgment, ever fear, every excuse, every block, every relationship problem, disorganization, chaos, and every issue that you didn’t take the time to address to clear out. It all comes up. There are two reasons for them showing up.

1. It’s an Opportunity 

It’s an opportunity for you to clear it out so that there’s a clear path between you and your dreams.

When issues come up, you must face it, address it, and clear it out by taking care of it.

2. You Are Being Tested

Everything that comes up is also a test from the universe to see just how badly you want what you are asking for. This is NOT the time to shrink! This is the time to rise up and say that you are going to get past the fear, insecurities, and blocks that are in your way. It is the time to show your commitment to the universe by saying, “I’m fearful, but I’m going to do it anyway!”

Stretch Yourself! It’s the Only Way to Grow.

What I’ve also learned is that if your dream does not make you feel uncomfortable and stretch you outside your comfort zone. It just isn’t big enough. Dreams should stretch you and make you go where you’ve never gone before. They take you on a journey of personal growth.

There are so many times that I’ve been invited out to an event or to drinks after an event when I could have just bailed and said no. After having a baby, I felt exhausted and not myself. I lived in mommy clothes and really didn’t want to have to put in the effort to make myself look presentable to the world. I just wanted to sleep.

But, I know from experience that EVERY time I said yes to the universe by showing up, something great happened. No matter how much I was resisting it, I’d still make myself go and it was always worth it. I would either meet someone new that developed into a great friendship or great contact for something I was interested in doing or have an amazing conversation with someone I knew or didn’t know that gave me an amazing perspective that helped support what I was going through in that moment. The person or people I would meet was the person that I needed to meet right at that moment in my life.

I’m not saying that it’s been easy. What’s easy to someone else may be extremely difficult for you, but what’s important is that you step outside of your comfort zone by mustering up the courage to say yes.

The good news is that the universe doesn’t ask us to take on a task too large for us to handle. Usually the opportunities and ideas we are presented with are things we are completely capable of doing, just as long as we let go of our fears to just take the leap. Believe that you are more than capable of what it is you are being asked to do.

What is the universe calling you to do now?

It could be asking you to send that email to someone. It could be to telling you to put yourself out there by introducing yourself to someone new, go to a new event, write a blog post about a vulnerable topic, create a video, give a speech, offer your services, write a book, take a class in something completely new, sign up for something that will help you, etc. You get the point.

What scary thing is being called of you right now? If there is nothing scary in front of you, it means you are not stretching yourself and dreaming big enough for yourself. Expand the possibilities of what could be in store for you.

I’m stepping outside of my comfort zone right now by reaching out to people I would have never conceived of doing before. I know that one thing leads to another and we are always guided to the things that are good for us. I know I’m on the right path because my nerves are shaking, and that’s a good thing!

As long as we are not crippled in fear and we’re moving forward, that’s what counts.

What’s one thing should you do that you’ve been hesitating to do?

Take a deep breath, ask the universe for help, and release all the things that are holding back. Let them go. Then, focus on your purpose, the reason why you need to do what you are being asked to do, muster up courage, decide to rise up, and take the step (or the leap)!

What courageous next step are you committed to doing? Please share with us in the comments below!

You’ll be glad that you did! You’ll also realize that it wasn’t as scary as you thought it would be!

Wouldn’t it be nice to have everything flowed into our lives effortlessly? Without struggle, without pain?

The key is to listen to you inner guidance, tune into what your heart and soul really wants, and when you hear the message, actually go and do what it says. This is what I call flow living, or living in the flow. When you listen to what your soul really wants and go for it, the universe miraculously rises up to support you in all of your endeavors. Really!

You will meet the right people to help you at the right time. You will find the money when you absolutely need it. You will find the time to do what it is you need to do. Things just work out.

I’ve experienced this so many times in my life and when I tell people about it, they tell me that the “stars aligned” for me and that it was destiny. Yes, the stars aligned and the universe supported me in my decisions, but that’s because I knew what it took to get the stars to align for me. I followed my inner guidance, my own north star.

Have you experienced this? I’m sure we’ve all experienced this at some point in our lives where we decided to do something and everything just came together miraculously. Maybe you were trying to finish a project by a deadline, plan your wedding, move to another city, get a new job, find a new client, have a baby, launch a business, or just find the perfect gift for someone… it could be anything you were trying to do.

As long as these goals are in line with your heart’s true desires, and you believe without a doubt that it is possible, then take the inspired action steps to get there, everything comes together perfectly.

What Happens When You Don’t Listen To Your Soul?

As much as we’ve experienced these magical moments in our lives, we’ve also experienced extreme pain and suffering from going against the grain of what our soul really wants for us. Perhaps we compromise our direction because we are living from fear… the need to make money, the need to do something because everyone else is doing it, or to satisfy our need to be accepted by others.

When we don’t follow our own inner guidance, we break the flow of abundance in our lives. Things become extremely hard. Instead of being energized by the direction we’re headed, we feel drained every day. That’s how you know you’re not living in the flow.

The problem most of us experience is that we have a hard time listening to our inner guidance. There’s just too much noise out there telling us so many things, sometimes very conflicting things. We don’t know which way is the best for us.

Listening To My Inner Guide

From my experience, the voice of my soul has always been a soft nudge. It begins with a random idea, and by random, I mean random! The more left-field the idea is, the more I pay attention because I knew the idea didn’t come from my logical mind.

For example, at the beginning of this year, I did an brainstorming exercise to determine what my soul really wanted in my life. I asked myself what my fantasy job and life would be. I let my imagination go and just came up with the most exciting answer I could come up with that would be impossible to achieve.

What I came up with was something I had never let myself consider before because it seemed “impossible” given my current situation in life. My soul told me that I wanted to travel around the world with my family before my baby started 1st grade. I wanted to travel to exotic destinations, sacred spiritual sites, and visit healing spas and somehow make money while living around the world.

Sounds crazy, huh? Who would think of taking a baby, uprooting a family, leaving my husband’s stable job, and traveling around the world? WIth what money? With what job? And with a baby/toddler? And with the possibility of another baby in the future? It really didn’t make any sense. But, that was what my soul wanted to do. I felt that the first destination would be Korea, which would be where we start my Asia trip.

Why rule out the possibility of such an adventure? Anything is possible, right? So even though the idea seemed crazy, it was exciting, and I kept the idea alive. After discussing with my husband when a good time to visit Korea would be to “check it out,” we decided on Sept/Oct because the weather would be nice. We decided that at the beginning of this year.

Life went on. Finally, June and July came and went. My gut started getting this feeling that I really needed to act on planning our Korea trip, but so many other things got in the way. We moved to a new place, we moved my studio into the home, we changed our baby’s day care, our home was in chaos, and we needed to plan our upcoming vacation first. There were so many things to do, so we pushed it off.

End of August came and went, and then September came. It was time! The alarms started ringing inside my body and I couldn’t ignore it anymore. We had to book our ticket and it had to be NOW! September was here and we had committed to going in Sept/Oct. We had told many people that we were going to visit Korea this year with the possibility of moving next year. We had to follow through. We decided to finally give it some attention and make it happen. We had to follow our gut.

People Will Sometimes Worry For You… Don’t Listen!

We were warned by people that the time we wanted to go was during Korean Thanksgiving, Choosuk, the same day as the biggest full moon of the year. Traffic would be crazy, all hotels would be booked, and it would be nearly impossible to find a place to stay, especially with such last minute planning. It would be too much with a baby.

Rather than listen to a string of reasons of “why we can’t,” we forged ahead.

Choosuk might be the perfect time for us to go after all. We could experience the traditions that took place that day. Plus, my husband’s parents were going to be in Korea at the same time too. Coincidence? The universe is perfectly orchestrating a master plan that takes into account everyone’s schedules. All we needed to do was trust our inner guidance, take the leap and go for it.

Funding the trip was a concern. It was going to be expensive, especially since it was last minute. Rather than focusing on that, we decided to look for alternate solutions. We asked for help. And help came!

• Booking Flights – We had some flight miles donated by my parents to purchase a ticket, so we only had to pay for one. (We had donated miles for their flights before, so we were willing to receive this time. To live in the flow, we have to engage in a constant process of giving and receiving.)

• Booking a Place To Stay – All the hotels were either fully booked or much more than we wanted to pay. I wanted to make this trip as inexpensive as possible. My friend who lives in Korea ended up being able to find a place for us to stay through a friend of a friend, and negotiate the price down to about 50% of the original price! Talk about the universe offering us abundance! Breakfast is included and the place is in a great neighborhood that my friend wanted us to spend a lot of time in. Perfect!

I knew it would all work out because I’ve experienced miracles in my life so many times before. I had faith that the universe would take care of me because I was following it’s guidance.

How To Live in Your Flow

Our inner guidance not only speaks to us about the big plans in our lives, but it also gives us information about small decisions in our life. Our life will be easier and much more enjoyable if we just listen to it.

It could be as small as a random thought to grab your cardigan before you leave your home. I’ve dismissed these little random thoughts many times and paid dearly for it. I sat freezing in a room wishing I had just grabbed that cardigan of mine!

Here are the steps to take when you’re not sure what your soul wants:

1. Take some time out with a journal and ask yourself — your heart and your soul — what it really wants. Just asking the question and taking the time to connect with yourself will help you tune into your inner compass.

2. Trust what comes up. One of the hardest things for us to do is trust the information that comes up because sometimes it’s so random or doesn’t seem to “make sense.” Trust it. Your soul knows what it wants and if you follow the guidance you will be led to a life where you just live in the flow and miracles happen every day.

3. Commit. Make a conscious commitment to follow through with the idea. If relevant, set a date or time frame to make it happen. Create a plan and trust that the plan that you devise is what you should follow. Your body and soul will communicate with you and give you ideas that are in your life’s best interest. Commit to the idea.

4. Tell People About Your Plan – Tell your friends, your family and people you meet about your plan. Telling people not only makes your idea “real,” but it also keeps you publicly accountable. People will start asking you about your progress towards your plan. The last thing you want to say is… uh, we decided not to do it. You want to show yourself and others that you will follow through with what you say you will do!

5. Make it Happen! Now that you’ve identified what you need to do and have trusted and committed to the idea and set a timeframe. Make it happen! Take the actions necessary to line everything up.

6. Ask For Help Along the Way – You are not meant to do this all alone. We all need the help of others in our journey. Ask for help. You never know who can help you, so you need to start asking people that you think might be able to help you with different parts of your plan. First, ask God/Universe/Spiritual Helpers to help you. Then, ask people for help. Research help online. Once you commit and start acting on every inspired action, the universe lines everything up for you and everything always works out. Always.

7. Believe That Everything Will Work Out. Just like #2 where you need to trust what comes up, while you are trying to make things happen, TRUST that everything will work out. Believe it. Have faith. Get to a point where you really know that everything will work out, because it will. If you truly believe that it will and cast away all down and move full force towards your goal, the universe rises to support you. Every time. Believe it! Then, watch miracles happen!

Live a life where you are flowing with the current of your life rather than against it. By choosing to do this, you will create a life you absolutely love. Your soul knows what you want more than what your brain can conceive of. Trust it!

What are some of your experiences where you followed your inner guidance and everything miraculously came together? I’d love to hear your stories! Please leave a comment below!

Take my life, for example. I thought I was going to be a doctor, a reconstructive surgeon, in fact. Instead I went into technology. Then, I thought I was going into product design, but life directed me towards software and the web. Then, I thought I was going to be an energy healer, but life sent me to fashion school… and then nutrition school… and the changes keep coming.

It doesn’t make sense, does it?

There is a method to this madness. I didn’t see it then, but I see it now. Life does not waste our talents and our experiences and it all comes together eventually. Your soul has a master plan.

In order to follow the master plan that our soul is guiding us through, we need to let go of expectations and our ideas of accomplishments that we want to achieve by a certain age.

My most dominant thought while I was going through so many career changes was that I had to find my passion so that I could start a business I loved BEFORE I had a baby. I wanted to be an entrepreneur and I thought I’d have everything all set to go by the time I was 30. I would be financially free, I would be in control of my schedule, and everything would be set up for a wonderful work/life balance.

30 came and went. No baby, no business, and I was moving to another city to go back to school again.

It can be very frustrating not knowing where you are going even though you know you are headed in the right direction. It would be simpler if life just handed us a neat little package with our life plan clearly laid out. But that would spoil the fun, wouldn’t it?

Do you have things you thought you’d accomplish by a certain age or point in your life?

As I talk to people, I realize I’m not the only one with these disappointing expectations.

• My husband wanted to be married by the time he was 27. He didn’t even meet me until he was 28.

• A friend of mine thought she would be settled down, married, with kids by now. Instead, she went through divorce and some trying relationships afterwards. She feels the clock ticking and is feeling disappointment.

• Another friend has been job hopping his whole life and had no idea what he wanted to do. At 38 he finally found his dream job and is very happy to have found something he is passionate about.

• Another friend told me how lucky I am because I have a husband and a baby. At 36 she’s still looking for the man in her life. I look at her and see her passion for her career and the clarity she has with what she wants to do with her life and I think – she’s lucky she’s found her passion!

I think you get the idea. Everyone has something they wanted to accomplish and achieve in their life, but most of our lives are not the neat little package that we see from the outside. You really have no idea the inner turmoil that is going on until you really get to know someone at a deep level.

The grass always looks greener on the other side, but everyone is facing their own issues. It’s a part of life. Life challenges you so that you can grow.

No one’s life is perfect, no matter what it looks like from the outside.

The perfect life is the life in which you can be happy with where you are in this moment, no matter where you are in life.

I know that big life changes can shatter even the most confident person’s sense of self. It happened to me. When I left my career, I lost my identity. I was lost. After I had a baby, I lost my sense of self. It takes a process of building ourselves back up by giving ourselves credit for everything we’ve achieved so far in life. We all have successes that are impressive, even if it’s just getting a baby to sleep through the night!

When you’re feeling down and out, know that you are actually in the perfect place at the perfect time and the right things are happening to move you forward in life.

Even though you may not be exactly where you thought you were going to be by this point in your life, remember that through all your struggles you have become a wiser person armed with life experiences and more tools in your tool belt to create an amazing future. Had you not gone through all the things you did, you would still be creating a future from your old self. Now that you’ve grown so much, you can create an even better future than you were capable of before. The future is bright and anything is possible!

So, let go of those expectations from your past that are just making you feel bad about yourself.

Why did you have these expectations in the first place? Was it because everyone else is doing things by a certain age? Is society or family expecting it from you? Is it because you want to look good in front of others? What truly matters is your own happiness and being okay with where you are right now. Let go of all these expectations.

The good news is that whatever you wanted to achieve in life is still in store for you! You just had the timeline wrong. Because you waited to create this future after going through all the personal development that you did, you will be rewarded. Focus not on where you are in life, but on the person you’ve become in the process.

It is more important who you ARE rather than what you HAVE.

Remember, you are in the perfect place at this moment in your life. You are in the process of gathering skills, learning, and becoming who you need to become for the next stage of your life. The world is conspiring to make everything work out for you and is supporting you every step of the way. All you need to do is have faith, be grateful for where you’re at, and keep moving forward!

What you will create now will be truly beyond your own imagination. Great things are in store for you!

Here are a few quotes that really drive this point home:

“I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
- Thomas Edison

“Often the biggest breakdown happens just before the biggest breakthrough.”
- Author Unknown

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
- Michael Jordan

Even the greatest had their challenges and more failures than we can count. Keep your head high, do your work, and know that great things are in store right around the corner.

Personal style is an important element when choosing what to wear each day and conveys much more than the shirt du jour. It is also a channel for self-expression. It is a reflection of places been (both figuratively and literally), where in life one seeks to go, as well as a person’s feelings in that moment.

As humans, we are breathing, walking and talking canvases, and how we choose to adorn that canvas ultimately portrays how we wish the world to view us and how we perceive the world.

Style is also about presenting the best possible you to the world and being an example to those who look up to you. I find that through accessorizing, it is the easiest and perhaps the most fun way to accomplish this.

Jewelry is an easy way to bring several elements of your personality into an outfit. It offers opportunity to add visual interest to any number of outfits. Pieces can be religious or offer calming Zen reminders. It can recall memories from world travels and express exotic cultural interest.

Jewelry can also bring shine and glamour to t-shirts and jeans or romantic bohemian elements to office attire. For example, today I’m wearing a beaded cross pendant & necklace purchased in a Stuttgart museum, a dainty solitaire ring, and citrine birthstone bangle bracelets I received as a gift.

Ann Taylor dress / INC International Concepts gold plated bangle / Beaded jewelry / Kate Spade statement necklace

 

In addition to mirroring one’s experience and self, jewelry can add unexpected texture and excitement to your outfit and provide an average outfit with essence and depth. Statement pieces with beads and jewels or made of metal can give an outfit a really contemporary or artistic voice.

Colorful stones and natural materials like leather and wood can bring earthy elements into an otherwise ordinary outfit. It also offers opportunity to create juxtaposition of style; imagine a classic black sheath dress at the office or an evening out paired with chunky turquoise stone bracelets or some long beaded necklaces.

Or perhaps pairing a flowy floral dress with a metal cuff or collar necklace to mix hard structural elements with soft feminine features. Really anything goes, because accessorizing is about projecting a strong sense of self to the people you encounter every day in the world –including your kids.

Playing up your own personality characteristics with seasonal accessories couples panache with daily wear. Colder temperatures are on their way perhaps a pair of (faux) fur earmuffs, chic driving-style leather gloves, cable knit leg warmers, or even a colorful vintage hat can marry style with function. This methodology is not cold-weather specific and can be applied to all seasons with a pair of bright red rain boots, leopard print umbrella, day or diaper bag with clean modern lines, or perhaps sunglasses with a sculptural element, for example.

Versatile & Eye-catching basics by missemiliejames featuring mini handbags

R2 bow flat / Zara mini handbag / Nixon watch / Letter necklace / J.Crew plastic sunglasses / Mango leather glove / Leopard umbrella / Mango slim belt

 

Investing in staple accessory pieces versatile enough to be worn with any outfit and for various occasions is another tried and true method. The trick with these essential items is to keep them classic, classic with a twist, or so incredibly unique that because they go with nothing they thus go with everything. What’s really great about these essential items is that they can make a person look well put-together even on the busiest of mornings and because they are fundamental go-to items that’ll endure through trends and wear.

When you only have a few minutes to get dressed, be it due to over sleeping an alarm or getting the family ready, style is the furthest thing from mind. You can easily pair whatever clean pants and shirt are available with a chunky bracelet or watch, a printed scarf about neck, studded flats shoes, and a chic day bag. You’ll be dressed looking like you put a lot more thought into the outfit than the 10 minutes a busy schedule would otherwise allow.

the 10 minute outfit by missemiliejames featuring a pintuck blouse

Forever 21 pintuck blouse / Skinny leg jeans / Zara shopper handbag / Zara leopard print scarve

 

A distinct sense of style tells the world – and your little ones – that you’re comfortable with who you are and that as mom, as a woman and as a person you are worth celebrating. It presents people with insight into your personality, your experiences, and the life you live as well as give an outfit unexpected polish and versatility.

Accessorizing and style may seem trivial to some. Indeed there are more important things in life. However, accessories can add a little shine to hectic days and help you maintain a sense of self while caring for and putting others first.

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”
– Coco Chanel

Emilie James is a recently-turned 30-something style devotee. Living in the city, working, being social, and with friends in various life cycles she sees the value of style in the everyday world and garners influences from the runway and fashions past.

Emilie truly believes having style is a fundamental key to owning your voice and conveying one’s own perception of self-worth and personality to people we encounter each day. Her favorite food is empanadas.

Let me be real with you here. I had been struggling to get a post out onto my blog for the past few weeks. Contrary to what this blog is all about, I was not in the flow. I would sit down to write and everything would get in the way of me writing. Quite literally!

Here’s one day’s example…

I would sit down to write and I would of course start checking my email and then click through to some things that might interest me. Then Facebook would call my name. I finally got myself back onto a blank page to start writing and then the doorbell would ring because a package came. I’d have to run downstairs and get it then otherwise the super would lock it up in the package room and I’d have to follow up with it later.

As soon as I got back upstairs, a random phone call would come from a telemarketer. Then the doorbell would ring again because another package came. Was this for real? What was with all the interruptions?

There’s more. I’d sit down to write again, and then my mom called and would talk to me for half an hour. As soon as I got off the phone with her and was determined to write, my husband would call me, and then another telemarketer. I never got calls from telemarketers on my cell phone before. What was the deal? I could not believe everyone was calling me back to back during the time I had allotted for writing.

Did the universe not want me to write? Why was all of this happening all at the same time on the same day? Pretty soon, the day was eaten away by all these little disturbances and then it was time to pick up my baby from daycare. Imagine the frustration of having accomplished nothing. Maybe you can relate.

It really was a message to me that I was blocking myself from writing. Perhaps I was inviting all of these “excuses” into my life somehow. Perhaps it was a test to see if I would push through all the barriers to get things done.

I’d like to say I took the high road and gracefully moved through it all without getting frazzled. But no, the universe was showing me I still had work to do. I was frustrated and it showed.

I tried to determine the cause of this blockage.

I had been dealing with a LOT of other issues in my life. Perhaps they were getting in the way. Perhaps it was because of mercury retrograde? Whatever it was, honestly, I felt like a hot mess. Have you ever had days or weeks like this when you just did not feel motivated or productive?

Don’t worry. I finally overcame it and this is how I did it.

• I made a decision. I decided to get off my self-pity horse and do something about it. No more feeling sorry for myself or using the excuse that I’m blocked to not write. Deadlines weren’t helping me get over the hump. I didn’t know how I would fix the problem, but I decided not to let myself linger in any thoughts of “I have a problem” anymore.
• I made another decision. I decided to get myself in a better emotional state. After talking to a couple of people about my issues, rather than feeling better and more inspired, I felt worse. I realized they were not able to help pull me out of my negative emotional state. They couldn’t do it. It was myjob to do it. I needed to help myself by finding things that inspired me and made me feel better.So what did I do?

• I did whatever I could to change my state and my focus. I shook the tension in my body out. I meditated. I stretched. I watched inspirational videos on the web. I let other people’s positive energy influence me. That helped chang my energy and outlook and things started to feel better.

Those things alone wouldn’t fix the problem, though.

I was still carrying around a heavy weight. The burden needed to be lifted so that I could move on.

So what did I do about that?

There were two issues I was dealing with.

1. I needed an answer to a question I had about a direction I should take in an area of my life.

I cleared up the issue by asking myself the question I needed an answer to. The answer did not come right away, but as I was walking somewhere, the answer popped into my head.

2. I was unhappy about a situation in my life.

To address it, I watched a movie that was about the same issue that I was going through. Watching a similar scenario that was outside of my own life made me realize that 1) I was not alone with this issue, and 2) I saw how the actors moved through the problem and improved their situation. It’s funny how watching someone else move through a similar situation can help you with your own life.

Then, after seeing my issue through someone else’s eyes, I addressed the situation that was blocking me. I faced it. I looked at it square in the face, let it go, and decided that I was no longer going to act as if this issue was a problem anymore. I was going to move in the direction to build it up rather than tear it down. I made peace with it.

And voila! Something shifted.

Then what happened? I had a glass of wine, went to bed and woke up at 5am unable to go back to sleep. The title of my next post kept playing in my mind. I decided to take this opportunity of extreme wakefulness in the early hours to finally write a blog post. There was nothing to interrupt my focus at this time of day.

I sat down to write the post I was thinking about in bed, but then this post came out instead. I guess this post wanted to voice itself. They key thing was that the block was removed and things were flowing again.

So, what is the moral of the story?

If you are feeling blocked:

1. Change your focus. DECIDE to no longer stay in any negative emotion or give it any more of your attention.

2. Change your emotional state. Do whatever you need to do to uplift you. Exercise, meditate, stretch, dance, listen to uplifting music, read an inspirational quote or message… find something that inspires you and gets you excited about life to pull you into a positive, more empowered place.

3. Face the issues that are weighing you down. If you need an answer to a question, ask yourself the question while you are in a positive state and then let the answer come to you when you least expect it. Find a way to give yourself a new perspective on your issue so that you can either let it go, do something to address it, or change your outlook. Find a way to make peace with issue.

I watched a movie to see the same issue through someone else’s eyes. You may be able to talk to a friend, read someone else’s story online, or journal your way through what’s keeping you stuck. If your problem deals with someone else, you will both have to work through these issues together. It’s best to do this after you’ve brought yourself into a positive state.

By changing the way you feel about a problem, you shift the movement towards a positive place rather than a downward spiral, and that’s all you need to change the direction you are heading.

If you are feeling blocked or have been blocked in the past in some area of your life, I’d love to hear where you are feeling (or were feeling) blocked and what you’ve been able to do to successfully unblock yourself and move forward. There are many paths you can take to get back in the flow, so please share your successes!

Let’s get you back in the flow and feeling great!

“The Mad Russian”

I am always interested in learning about alternative healing modalities and therapies. A few months ago, a friend of mine told me about her trip to see someone that was known as “The Mad Russian” or “The Russian,” a man out in Boston who could erase cravings, addictions, depression, anxiety, or phobias. The man’s name is Yefim Shubentsov and he calls himself “The Eraser.”

My friend went to see him from a recommendation from her friend because she was trying to solve her problem of eating under stress. As a future business owner, she realized that she needed to address this issue in order to become an effective business owner. She had suffered from a life long problem of turning to food to make her feel better during stress. She knew she needed to break this habit in order to be a truly effective leader and she finally realized she needed help. Dealing with it on her own wasn’t going to fix the problem.

What amazed me was how her lifestyle completely changed after going to see “The Mad Russian.”

You may be able to relate to my friend. Especially during stressful times, she turned to sweets, fried foods, and anything unhealthy to comfort her. She was addicted to these foods. Willpower alone was not going to prevent her from turning to these foods. A stressful episode might leave her completely depleted emotionally for a full day or two. She wanted a more effective way to deal with her stress and not turn to food.

The Results of My Friend’s Experience

Going From No Exercise to Running Every Day

After her trip to Boston, starting from the very next day, my friend woke up early in the morning and she went out for a run. She simply woke up early and thought, “It’s time to work out.” She laced up her shoes and went out for a run. There was no emotional resistance to prevent her from going for a run and no negative self talk to talk her out of going for a run. It was simply time to go run.

Keep in mind she had never done this before. This is completely out of character for her. Exercise was not part of her life. She had been overweight for most of her life and that was the life she knew.

When I met up with her, she had already been running for 2 weeks straight without a single day’s lapse. The most surprising thing is that she had gone out partying one night and stayed up drinking until 4 in the morning (yes, she likes to party). Yet she still woke up 4 hours later and went running! Even getting drunk and staying up very late did not prevent her from carrying out her new lifestyle regimen.

Going From Addicted to Junk Food to Eating Healthy

Not only did she start running daily, all of her cravings were gone!

Yes, completely gone. She had an individual session with “The Mad Russian” and after her 5 minute session with him, he erased every single one of her cravings. She no longer craved these foods and she was free from any emotional ties to them. It was as simple as that.

Now, when she sees any of the foods that she used to have no willpower over, she has no emotional ties to them. She sees them, but has no desire to eat it. The cravings have been “erased.”

When we went out to eat, she ordered a healthy salad. She told me that her old self would have been ordering a burger with fries.

I was really shocked when I heard her success story. I had never heard of anyone that could erase someone’s cravings just like that! It was so simple, and all she had to do was sit through a 3 hour group session and a 5 minute individual session. What a dramatic overnight transformation of her lifestyle and habits! It was hard to believe.

I followed up with her a few months later to see if she was still sticking to her daily morning workout regimen or if it had worn off over time. Surprisingly, she was still at it. She was still running every morning and staying away from all the foods she had no control over before. She was eating very healthy.

My Experience With The Mad Russian

I decided to try it out for myself. I didn’t really have any cravings or drug/alcohol/smoking addictions to erase, but I still wanted to experience this for myself. I used to have severe ice cream cravings, but those were in check now and pregnancy pretty much forced me to give up coffee, alcohol and everything else that was unhealthy. I was feeling a bit “stuck” in my life and was hoping that he could help erase some of my anxiety and fears.

I took some family members with me and scheduled several appointments with Yefim Shubentsov and booked flights and a hotel in Boston.

The Group Session

Since I wanted to erase anxiety and fears, I was placed with the smoking group and sat in on a 2 hour lecture where I tried my best to understand everything Yefim was saying through his thick accent. Yefim does not consider himself a healer, nor does he exhibit the usual healer personality that one would expect. Once I was there, I understood why he was nicknamed “The Mad Russian.” He is very passionate about the topics he speaks about and talks about everything from his background on how he left Russia to what’s wrong with the healthcare system and the legal system. Not everything is relevant to the workshop topic, but it was interesting.

My Individual Session

After the group lecture, we all sat in a row outside waiting our turn to see him privately. Once it was my turn, I stopped him from telling me to think about smoking and told him I was not there for that. I explained to him that I was trying to start a business and I had some fears around that. He gave me some practical advice and had me think about my fear and made this noise, and that was it. It was erased. I also decided to bring up the fact that I didn’t like to exercise and he told me that no one likes to exercise, but just encouraged me to start. He had me think about that too and made the same noise.

I may have brought up one or two more issues that I wanted to address, but I can’t recall exactly what they were. I mainly just wanted to get out of my rut and propel myself forward in starting my business. I’m not sure if he can really help me with that, but I thought I’d give it a try.

My Results

I can’t say my results were as clear as my friend’s since what I went to Yefim were for reasons that are not as cut and dry as quitting certain foods. But, what I can tell you about what I noticed the next few days after going to Boston was that a lot of issues that I had forgotten about in my life rose to the surface. Things came up that I hadn’t thought about in 10 years or more. He must have affected something because there was no reason for these issues to bring themselves to light now. He must have shifted some sort of energy within me.

During my session, I was not sure if I was thinking of exactly what I needed to in order for Yefim to “erase” what I needed to address. It’s easy to imagine eating chocolate cake or having a cigarette, but it’s a bit more unclear how I focus on a fear if there is no tangible action tied to it. The good thing is that by going to see him once, we can go back for free for the rest of our lives or have a free phone session with him whenever we need it.

About working out… my results were definitely not as dramatic as my friend’s. I managed to join a gym, sign up with a trainer, and get myself to the gym a couple of times, but it was with considerable effort on my part to make that happen. I may have to call The Mad Russian for a follow up phone session on this one. Maybe he can erase my resistance towards working out so I don’t have to solely rely on sheer determination to get myself to the gym.

What To Expect

If you are interested in going to see “The Mad Russian,” here’s some info for you. He doesn’t advertise and he doesn’t have a website, so you won’t find anything but people’s testimonials about their experience online. He strictly relies on word of mouth to keep his business alive and has no need to advertise, which he considers a testament to his effectiveness.

Yefim is not a hypnotist. He does not use hypnosis to erase your cravings, addictions, and phobias. He uses something called bio energy where he makes a sound from his mouth and waves his hands to “erase” your your addictions, cravings, depression, anxiety, and phobias.

There are many, many people who have quit smoking, quit drug addictions, removed phobias, and have lost weight with his help. He has even helped celebrities including Billy Joel, Drew Berrymore, David Arquette, Courteney Cox Arquette, and Amy Tan (source: Wikipedia).

While I was there, there was one woman who came for a follow up session after 10 years. Her first session had cured her of her smoking addiction, but after some recent trauma, she had lapsed and came back for another session to quit again. This session was free, even 10 years later. She walked away proclaiming, “It really works!”

Here is a video clip that you can watch to give you an idea of what he does:

Price
The charge is $65 for the session. The $65 includes free lifetime follow-ups via phone or repeat visits.

How to Book
Call (617)232-3930 to schedule an appointment. Dates and times book up quickly, so don’t expect your slot to be open if you call back in a few hours. This happened to me. I expected my slot to be open the following morning after I had called in the late afternoon the day before and it was gone. Be ready to put your name down for a date and time when you call.

Sessions To Choose From
There are two sessions to choose from: Smoking Sessions and Weight Loss Sessions. These are the only two groups he offers. The Smoking Session is for anyone who wants to work on any kind of addiction, usually alcohol, smoking, and drugs, or any behavioral issues, such as compulsive disorders, or any phobias, such as fear of heights, sharks, public speaking, etc. The weight loss session is for those who want to work on food addictions and weight loss issues.

The Smoking Session is 2 hours + your individual session. The Weight Loss Session is 3 hours + your individual session.

During the individual session, you are able to work on both types of issues, so if you need help with both, don’t feel like you can only address one issue. Choose the one that is most pressing for you and bring up both issues during your individual session.

If you have a lot of issues you want him to address or a lot of food cravings you want him to address, I would write them down and bring them in so that you have everything covered.

Planning Your Trip
Here is the address so that you can book flights and a hotel near the area.

Yefim Shubentsov (The Mad Russian)
1680A Beacon Street Suite 201
Brookline, MA 02445
(617)232-3930

If you are interested in reading more about Yefim, he has a book published called Cure Your Cravings:

Cure Your Cravings

If you do end up going to see him, I would love to hear about your experience! Or, if you have any other interesting healing experiences, I’d love to hear about those too! Don’t be a prisoner to your addictions and cravings. Let’s kick them once and for all!

Most people I know hate moving. It’s a physically and emotionally taxing process to have everything in your home packed up and moved into a new home where you have to spend weeks and months setting everything up again before you feel truly settled in. The amount of work it takes is incredible, but there are huge benefits to creating such a big change in your life.

The truth is, I like moving. It gives me a fresh start and a chance to re-evaluate everything in my life and an opportunity to make changes to improve my life. I find that most people don’t share my sentiment, but because I know my mission is to truly create a life I love, I am ready and willing to make any drastic changes necessary in my life to create a better future.

I just recently moved to a new place just a few weeks ago, hence the delay in posting. Thanks for your patience! Moving is a lot of work, especially with a baby, but looking back, it was worth every ounce of effort.

We were nervous about how the baby would adjust to a new home and a new daycare, but it was absolutely seamless that it truly surprised us! All the effort it took to find a new home that fit the criteria we was looking for, get all the paperwork together to apply, find a new day care, and logistically schedule movers and time off to make it all happen was all worth it.

Practically speaking, our family did not need to move. We were only moving one neighborhood away, a 10-15 minute walk. Everything was situated… day care, my studio nearby, we were in an elevator building and located right next to the train, making it a very convenient commute to the city. We had everything we needed when we moved in a year ago.

But, I had a gnawing feeling in my heart that said that although we had an amazing setup, there was something out there that would fit our needs better. We just weren’t utilizing our space or my studio well, and I wasn’t quite living up to the lifestyle I had imagined for myself.

I had a feeling that my environment was a big contributor to how I was feeling. Our needs were changing as my baby was growing, our family’s goals were changing, and as we were learning what we truly valued and what we didn’t.

Sometimes what you think you want is not actually what you want. What you really, REALLY want is something else.

A fancy kitchen is nice, but what I really wanted was space to bring my studio inside my home so that I can work in the evenings when I had time after the baby went to bed. What I wanted was more living space and less bedroom and bathroom space since that’s where we spent most of our time. I wanted to be closer to the the areas I walked to every day. It seems like little things, but a lot of little things can really impact your lifestyle.

What you want one year is not always what you want the next. Things change over time and it’s important to recognize that and adjust accordingly. If things are working for you, great. But, if they’re not, even if it will require a lot of effort, it may be worth it to make a change.

Rather than settling (if you can really call it that), I decided to really create the life I really wanted. The amount of effort to create this big change in my life paid off in more ways than I could have imagined. Despite all the work it required to research and visit places, find a new day care, sell stuff we don’t need, find movers, find a new renter for my studio, etc., it brought in a renewed sense of energy, excitement, and big positive changes to my life. We are just steps to absolutely everything we need and wanted. I even have a gym a block away. No excuses for not working out anymore!

This move taught me a very important lesson. Just because your current situation seems perfect doesn’t mean it actually is. All the little annoyances and things that you wish were different add up to feelings of being “stuck.” Changing your environment can be a lot of work, but can definitely be worth the effort if you know it’s not fueling a productive and happy life.

Your environment has so much influence in your life.

• Neighborhood – What you see in your neighborhood during your daily commute to work affects your mood.
• Furniture Layout – The way you set up your furniture affects the way you use your space and the way energy flows through the space.
• Decorations – The way you decorate communicates subconscious messages that affect you every day.
• Location – Proximity to stores, the gym, grocery stores, coffee houses, and other places determine how frequently you will visit these places.

Colors, shapes, sounds, layout… all of it impacts your lifestyle. And most of all, how you FEEL in the space will determine the state you will be in as you do everything else in your life.

Benefits of Moving

Cleaning Out Your Stuff
One of the biggest benefits to moving is it forces you to go through all of your belongings and really evaluate what you want to keep in your new life. It gives you an opportunity to give yourself a fresh start.

Uncovers Hidden Emotional “Junk”
One of the things I have noticed time and time again with each move is how much moving shifts energy in such a way that it brings up latent issues to the surface. As you clean and organize your physical things, you will find that unresolved problems and issues will also resurface, giving you an opportunity to face them and address them.

Although this process is not pleasant, moving provides an opportunity to clean out emotional junk. Don’t be surprised if there is extra moodiness or fighting between family members shortly after a move. There is a lot of energy being shifted and old issues and problems will come up. By addressing these issues you will be clearing out emotional junk and paving the way for a brighter future.

Renewed Energy
The feeling of starting new brings in energy and excitement. New energy will give you the motivation to be more productive and make positive changes in other areas of your life.

Ways to Create a Supportive Environment Without Moving

I know moving is not a practical for everyone, so if you aren’t ready for an actual move, think about what’s not working in your life and how shifting your environment a little can support the lifestyle you want for yourself.

Some things to consider to create a more supportive environment:

• Do you have pieces of furniture in your home you don’t use?
  What you actually use can give you insight into what you actually need. Perhaps a new furniture layout can help you create a more welcoming environment that encourages the use of all your furniture.

• How do you feel in each of the rooms in your home?
  It’s surprising what a new color scheme, new pictures, or rearranging objects can do to make a space feel great. Add object or image to your home that inspires or uplifts you every time you see it.

• Is there clutter in a certain area of your home?
  Chances are that area corresponds to an area of your life that feels stuck. Clearing out clutter in all areas of your home will give you back your energy rather than tying it down in clutter.

• Are there things you don’t use in your home?
  The things we own that we don’t use take up mental and physical space in our lives. By letting go of these things, we will feel lighter and have more space to bring in new opportunities.

• What does the artwork you have hanging up in your home say about you?
  Remember that the pictures you hang up on your walls speak to you subconsciously every day as you see them and pass by these images. Analyze each images and see if it represents what you want to create in your life.

One way to really look at your space objectively is to take photos of it and see it from a photograph. You may notice things in there that you don’t see every day because you are used to seeing things where they are.

Our physical environment is a reflection of our mental state. By changing our environment we can help change our mental state, and vice versa. When we change our mental state, we naturally clean up and improve our environment.

Wishing you a healthy, happy, and productive life! May your environment support everything you wish to accomplish and do in your life!

A few weeks ago I attended a natural dye workshop held by the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn, at Etsy Labs. I had been wanting to learn how to do natural dyeing and had purchased several books, some natural dyes and a dedicated pot that I purchased for my natural dyeing months ago.

After flipping through the natural dye books, I was overwhelmed. I learned that natural dyeing is not 100% non-toxic as one might assume. There are some mordants (the chemicals used to make the dye color “stick” to the fabric) that are mildly toxic, some more than others. While some sources say that the mordants are completely non-toxic, others say that they are mildly or just plain toxic. It’s controversial, it seems, so many companies opt to use low impact dyes for their fabrics.

This debate was enough for me to hold off until I could learn about the topic in more depth before I proceeded to test stuff out in my kitchen. What I learned from a natural dye book was that each color requires a different mordant in different amounts. There’s a science behind all of this and it was going to take more research than I had originally thought.

(I’ve since found that the most toxic mordants are chrome, copper and tin, which are heavy metals. Avoid these if you attempt to use natural dye. They pollute the environment and are toxic for you too.)

Fortunate for me, Etsy was holding a natural dye workshop not too far from me where I could go and see how to use natural dyes.

The type of natural dyeing method we learned in the workshop is called “bundle dyeing.” The name is quite literal. We bundle the dye stuffs into a piece of fabric (we used a silk scarf in the class) and tie it together. Then into the pot it goes.

I was most curious about what type of mordant was used to adhere the dye to the fabric. To my surprise, it was truly non-toxic. The mordant that was used was tea bags! Yes, the tea bags that we use in the teas we drink. Black tea was used because it contains tannins, which is the mordant. Interesting! So, there are non-toxic options after all. I’ve done some research and it seems that using tea bags as a mordant is not used in the fashion industry because the colors will fade over time using this method.

Natural “Bundle” Dyeing

Here’s the process of bundle dyeing in case you want to try this at home.

1. Choose your fabric. We were provided with a silk scarf to use for this project.

2. Place natural dye objects onto fabric. You can purchase natural dyes online or find stuff in your kitchen or backyard to use, such as onion skins, unused herbs, plants, etc.

Here’s my little attempt at trying to create a pattern. It all gets bunched up together anyways, but I tried to create a little design anyways.

3. Fold the edges over before “bundling the fabric” so the natural materials do not fall out. Wrap the fabric around a stick and tie it using some string.
The tighter you wrap the fabric around the dye material, the stronger the dye color and impression will be of the objects you placed inside. The looser you wrap and tie the string, the result will be a softer, water color effect.

Here’s my final bundle:

4. Place the bundle in a pot of boiling water and tea bags.
They used 6 tea bags for each pot for this demonstration. Leave it in for 20-30 minutes.

5. Take the bundle out and resist the temptation to unravel it right away.
If you leave the dye on for a day or two, the dyes will set into the fabric and give you a richer color. Just beware that some mold may grow on the fabric that you will have to wash out.

6. After waiting a day or two (or earlier if you couldn’t wait), unwrap and rinse thoroughly in water.

Here is my final result. Ta da!

I’m sure it would look better after ironing it, but you get the idea. What a fun little experiment. If you plan on trying it out, have fun!

What about the rest of us?

Maybe you know you want something more for your life, but are not ready to just go for it yet. There are many reasons for not moving forward and pursuing your dreams — financial concerns, not wanting to give up a lifestyle, fear of failure, kids, etc. Surprisingly, the main reason I hear why people are not pursuing their dreams isn’t one of the ones I listed.

The #1 reason I hear why people aren’t pursuing their dreams is: “I don’t know what I want to do with my life.”

Is this you?

Figuring out what you want to do with your life is not always an easy question to answer and is one that many people struggle with.

We always hear of people who were born knowing what they want to do with their lives. Lucky for them, they can easily focus on the dream that they had since they were a child. For the rest of us, it requires a journey to uncover what we are really passionate about.

Buried Dreams

Our dreams are often buried because we have been busy just trying to survive, chasing money or prestige, or because we have been living someone else’s dream. It could be one of your parent’s unfulfilled dreams that has been directly influencing your decisions, or maybe you have been working for your parents’ approval your entire life, so you followed a career path they would approve of. Maybe you have been trying to follow a path that society has deemed “successful” or one that will be the most lucrative given your skills until you figure out what you want to do with your life.

Many people have pursued certain professions for these reasons or because they just didn’t know what we wanted to do with their lives. They opted for the best opportunity that came to them where they could learn the most or where they could make the most money.

No matter what your reason is for following the profession you chose, the longer you go down a path that you do not feel passionate about, the more you will feel the gnawing sensation that there is more that you are supposed to be doing with your life. The sooner you can identify what makes you feel alive, the sooner you can direct your life to doing something that is more meaningful and that you are passionate about.

How do you find your passions?

There are many ways to uncover your path, but the answer often does not arrive as expected. Instead of it being one big “aha” moment, life tends to give you a series of clues that will surface and build upon each other as you explore things that interest you. As you go deeper into exploration of topics that interest you, the path will often lead you to something you never expected.

The key is to stay committed to figuring out what you are passionate about rather than just settling for a life or a career in which everything you do is just to make money. You want to feel fulfilled and spend your life doing things that light you up! Life is too short to spend time doing things that make us feel dead or trapped.

Step 1: Decide to Uncover Your Dreams

To find your passions, the first step is to decide that you want to uncover what your dreams are and that you want to live a life full of purpose and doing something you love. Once you decide that is what you want to do, your awareness towards discovering what your passions are will increase and you will start noticing the things that excite you.

Step 2: Notice What Lights You Up

Take notice of the things that really interest you and peak your curiosity. Notice what books you read, what magazines you subscribe to, what TV shows you watch, and look for clues that take you closer to the things you are naturally drawn to. What do you find yourself being able to talk hours and hours about? What activities make you feel energized?

Step 3: Make Time to Explore the Things That Interest You

The main reason why so many people do not know what their passions are is because they have been too busy. If your life is too busy with work, family obligations, chores, to do lists, and an endless list of obligations that keep you tied down, you won’t have the time to explore your passions.

The first thing you must do is to make time for play and exploration in your life. We are all busy, but those that make time to explore hobbies, interests, and things that excite them tend to uncover their passions sooner than those that are trudging through life working really hard but never making room for anything else in their life.

I’ve heard of so many stories of people who “stumbled upon” an interesting idea while traveling or pursuing a hobby that they turned into a business. Pursuing your dream does not mean you have to start your own business, but it does mean that you should be doing work that you feel passionate about, that excites you and energizes you, and is fulfilling.

How To Discover the Buried Passions

Maybe you don’t have books, magazines, other items in your home that can clue you in to your passions because they have been buried very, very deep inside. The more you have stopped yourself from dreaming because it’s not “realistic” or the more you have been focused on just making money or “working hard,” you probably buried your passions so deep inside that you have hidden them from yourself.

If you are in this camp, take a blank piece of paper and answer this question at the top:

If you could live your fantasy dream life and have your fantasy job,
what would that look like?

Let your imagination run wild and write down everything that comes up. Remember, this is a fantasy exercise, so it’s okay to let yourself completely go. Write down anything and everything comes up. Let any ideas of what is realistic or any other filters go.

The answers may surprise you and give you clues to what you really want to do but have not been giving yourself permission to do.

When I did this exercise, I discovered that my fantasy life and job revolved around traveling around the world. I had believed traveling around the world was something I had to give up because I had a baby now, so I had subconsciously buried this dream inside of me and completely forgot about it. By doing this exercise, I reawakened the possibility of creating any life I wanted and was able to remember the dream I had before having my baby.

After re-discovering and remembering this dream of mine by doing my fantasy life brainstorm, I learned what I really wanted in my life. I learned what my soul wanted that I was denying myself. After this discovery, I decided to plan a completely new lifestyle for my family that would involve traveling around the world. Why not? (We’re figuring out the details later, but for now we’ve committed to a 4-5 year plan of traveling around the world starting next summer.)

Now it’s your turn. Do this exercise now.

If you could live your fantasy dream life and have your fantasy job,
what would that look like?

Once you have this list, choose the thing that excites you the most and see how you might be able to start incorporating more of that into your life. Anything is possible, but you must first take the time to first conceive of an idea that you feel is worth pursuing for you.

If you don’t get any interesting answers the first time around, don’t worry. The more you  buried your desires, the more you’ll have to dig to uncover your true passions. This can take time. Just keep at it and ask yourself this question again at another time when you feel safe to truly let your imagination run wild.

Sometimes we are not ready to hear what our dreams are because it can be scary to know… once you know what they are, you may have to completely change the direction of your life if you want to really go for your dreams. I understand that not everyone is prepared to jump into their dreams.

I wasn’t prepared to jump into mine either, which is why although I am pursuing some of my dreams now, I am not planning to start my “dream lifestyle” until a year from now. But, by keeping my dream of traveling around the world at the forefront of my thoughts, I have making different decisions today that are planting seeds and helping me let go of things that do not align with my future lifestyle. This makes the transition easier and helps me make decisions based on a broader vision that just trying to survive day to day.

Knowing what your dreams are is the first step, but a BIG step. Once you’ve discovered what your dreams are, you can now take actions towards making them a reality!

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t discover what your dreams are right away. If you’ve buried them pretty deeply because you you were always too busy to think about it or because you didn’t believe your dreams were practical or possible, it will take a bit of excavating to uncover what you really enjoy. Just trust the process and know that even if you aren’t shown the entire picture all at once, you will see clues and will see step by step what the next step of the journey will be.

What’s your dream? I’d love to hear what you’ve uncovered!

I had an opportunity to meet an amazing vegan shoe and accessories designer, Monisha Raja, doing amazing things with her company, Love Is Mighty. She told her story of how she started her company, inspired by travels through India, in search of doing something that was more meaningful in her life. Prior to starting her company, she was working for many well-known fashion houses in New York, yet didn’t feel fulfilled. Two years ago, she left in search of something more.

What was so inspiring about her story was how she started her journey by really letting inspiration take her wherever it led her. By following where it led, she ended up in some tribal villages in northwest India where she met with tribal artisans that create some really exquisite embroidery. She spent some time in these villages and lived among them, in a hut, really learning what their lives were like and learning about the beautiful work they do.

In these tribal villages, every aspect of their lives are decorative. Girls make everything they wear from head to toe, dressed in their own handiwork and embroidery. They all learn how to sew and embroider from a young age. Women mainly do the bead work and men do the metal work. Embroidery is a big part of their culture.

Meeting these tribal artisans led to the creation of her company, Love Is Mighty, where she incorporates the handmade embroidery of these artisans into the designs of her vegan sandals, shoes, and accessories. All of her shoes and accessories are handmade by these tribal artisans.

Here are some of the beautiful shoe designs from her collection:

Producing With Artisans

Unlike the typical factory lifestyle we find in the U.S. and other developing countries, these artisans do not have all day to spend working on producing designs. They have lives and families have other things they need to tend to. Monisha is lucky if they have 4-5 hours to work per day. Because of the limited time availability, there is a limited quantity that her company can produce.

These tribal villages are also semi-nomadic. They are goat herders, and for parts of the year, they travel to different locations in search of different pastures for their goats to graze on. Monisha must coordinate production cycles with when they are home.

Monisha has had learned to respect the lifestyle of these artisans and the pace they work at. Compared to working with factories, working with artisans requires a much slower pace. Things get done when they get done. It’s teaching her patience, she says.

Here are some of the accessories from the collection:

Preserving Indigenous Culture

Love Is Mighty is working to help preserve indigenous culture. By employing these artisans, Monisha is helping keep their endangered craft alive. One shocking fact is that only five people exist that do cut work, a type of technique she uses in her embroidery. Only five people! If these skills are not passed on to others, this skill can become extinct!

The preservation of indigenous culture is a global issue, and not just about India. There are endangered crafts everywhere from all cultures. Unfortunately, the younger generations tend not to be interested in learning these crafts because they prefer “MTV clothes.”

It is great that there are companies out there trying to preserve these crafts.

The shoes from Love Is Mighty are really a work of art that belong in a museum. It’s really hard to fathom the number hour hours that go into making each shoe. Every piece is very special.

To learn more about Love Is Mighty, visit their website, where you can shop their collection! Buy buying a pair of shoes, you will be supporting these tribal artisans by preserving their craft and helping them make a living! You’ll also look great too!

You can also follow Love Is Mighty on facebook.