Important

What's most important to you?

I was chatting with my husband last night, sharing with him that at the end of each day if I know in my heart that I had a moment or two of great connection with my loved ones that constitutes a great day for me.

That is the single most important part of my day, my commitment to connection. When it doesn't happen I feel a bit off, sometimes I get out of bed and kiss my kids gently in their sleep. That need for connection is of number one importance for me.

What's most important to you?

“Working with inspired women who choose to align their priorities toward a healthier mind, body and spirit so that they are living their BEST life!”

What happens to you when you eat something you know you "shouldn't"?
What are you feeling before, during and after?
What needs are being met?

When shouldn't comes up use it as a way to reframe your thoughts.

Maybe I can have this a couple times a week in small quantities because its not necessarily something that is as healthy for my body as other choices.

Then when you are eating really be present. Savor every bite, don't do anything else while eating it. Take a rest between bites, check in with all your senses, smell,texture,taste, vision...Fully ENJOY!

Take one food you know you would like to eat less of because it meets a need to improve your health. Make a commitment to yourself for how often you will eat it this week. Notice how you feel when you allow yourself to have it and are able to cut back. Congratulate yourself!

“Working with inspired women who choose to align their priorities toward a healthier mind, body and spirit so that they are living their BEST life!”

Small changes

After seeing Al Gores movie "An Inconvenient Truth" last week I have felt a need to take more steps in my own life to create less of an impact.

My children and I have been riding our bikes to their activities, I've been more conscious of consolidating trips in the car, I've asked to carpool to meetings, bought three more compact fluorescent light bulbs and have been buying locally grown produce.

I've been doing these things off and on for a long time but now something has shifted and I recognize that for me to feel my best I want to hold this knowledge more closely to my heart.

I want my children to embrace these changes and recognize their future depends on our willingness to do things differently.

It feels good to make small changes, I'd like to do more and will hold that intention whenever we need to purchase new appliances or vehicles.

I really do believe small changes can make a big difference, it makes me feel hopeful when I hear others are doing the same.


“Working with inspired women who choose to align their priorities toward a healthier mind, body and spirit so that they are living their BEST life!”

Peaceful Living

I have a book titled "Peaceful Living" by Mary Mackenzie. It's a book of daily meditations which supports me to look at life with new eyes each day so that I can learn and grow to be a more compassionate human.

Todays reading is one of my favorites. It's about getting past our judgments.

Simply spending a day noticing how often you are judging yourself or others is an eye opener. Add to that the practice of translating your judgment into feelings and needs and that makes for one powerful day.

When I are able to shift judgment to feelings and needs their is more room for compassion and joy in my life.

Take this on for a day, a week, or the rest of your life and experience the magic!


“Working with inspired women who choose to align their priorities toward a healthier mind, body and spirit so that they are living their BEST life!”
www.intobalancecoaching.com

Best life

What does it mean to live your best life?

What is missing now that would support you to shift just for today? Because life is one today after another.

I often think about my day as a microcosm of moments. When I break it up into moments it seems easier to be my best. Not looking back on what I didn't do ten minutes ago but looking at what I can do now to feel and be my best. When I do that one great moment inspires another and they link up to make an amazing day...

Best days for me include, deep connection with loved ones, exercise, healthy, delicious foods,fifteen minute nap, meditation or heartmath, listening well, coaching, eating lunch with my kids, writing, calling a good friend, being in nature, taking a walk in the evening with my husband, reading a blessing at dinner, great conversation at dinner...

What about you?


"I say a prayer for a compassionate world each and every day"
-The Dalai Lama

Relax

"learn to relax and health will follow"
-Taoist proverb

What about relaxing would support your health?

Often relaxing is about letting go of stress.
Take a moment to jot down three or four ways in which you relax.

Now ask yourself; do these ways enhance your connection with yourself and health?

I envision relaxation as something that brings about positive thoughts, something that supports me to reconnect to myself. Then when I move back into my routine activities I notice my energy has shifted. I am able to bring greater joy into my life and the lives of those I am surrounded by.

Positive relationships with yourself and others is often a first step to greater health!
Ready to take the leap!

Shoulds

What are your shoulds for today?

It's amazing how often clients share all of the shoulds of their life. How is it that we have been programmed to believe that we should rather than "get to", "want to", "would love to".

Try this for the weekend. Everytime a should comes up shift it into feelings and needs. Ex. I should clean the bathrooms...to I feel uncomfortable when the bathrooms are this dirty because I have a need for order and cleanliness. It isn't any longer a should at this point its a "want to" in order to meet my need. Just play with the concept and notice if your mood improves and you have more joy in paying attention to who you are being as you are doing.

Have a lovely weekend!

"There is more to life than shoulds"
CD

A Farmers Market Meal

With the bounty of the season at hand this weeks recipe is found at the local farmers market. If you haven't experienced one yet I highly recommend it. Shopping in the outdoors, with local vendors is a real treat. Last week we had a delicious meal. Greek salad, corn on the cob, and fresh steamed green beans.
Greek Salad:
One head of romaine lettuce washed and torn
One cucumber sliced 1/2 inch thick and quartered
Two tomatoes sliced 1/2 inch think and quartered
One red onion sliced and diced
Kalamata olives pitted and sliced in half
Feta cheese crumbled
Combine all ingredients in salad bowl and toss with dressing
Dressing:
1/4-1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves cleaned and finely chopped or one teaspoon dry
Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/4-1/2 cup
2 cloves garlic finely minced
2-3 lemons squeezed
Salt and pepper to taste
combine all ingredients and shake, adjust seasonings to taste

Steam, grill or boil your fresh corn. Top with butter and salt.
Steam green beans, don't overcook, they should still be crisp. Toss with extra virgin olive oil, lemon and salt.

Enjoy the bounty!

Shift or Compromise

I was sent something from a friend yesterday that shared this topic.
What's the difference between shifting and compromising?

Shifting is becoming aware of your needs and the needs of others.In the process of connecting to needs you recognize that you are willing to do what meets the needs of others in that moment. You will not be letting go of your own need or devaluing it. You have simply chosen to go with the others need now.

Compromise is when one person gives up what they need or want so that the need of the other person or group can be met.

There is a huge difference in how you will feel when you shift versus compromise.
Shifting will create positive feeling and needs that are met for you and the other individual. Compromise can create feelings of frustration and unmet needs. Shifting is learning to explore your needs as well as the needs of others. Compassionate Communication is a great way to practice this.

For today notice when you compromise. What are you feeling? What needs of yours aren't being met when you let go of them to meet others? What would it feel like to shift instead?

"You don't get to choose how you are going to die. Or when.
You can only decide how you are going to live. Now."
-Joan Baez

An Inconvenient Truth

I saw “An Inconvenient Truth” last evening. It’s the Al Gore movie about global warming. I highly recommend viewing it. He does a great job of clearly and articulately explaining what is happening and shares the simple things each of us can do.
We do need to choose to make some changes. One is simply recognizing we can have a healthy, thriving economy and a healthy planet at the same time.

Many of the changes that can and will make a difference are the little changes. Energy efficient appliances, compact fluorescent light bulbs, phone calls to congress, driving less, hybrid or biodiesel vehicles, solar power, reduce, reuse, and recycle… Many of these things support your individual health as well.
We need to start being big picture thinkers. How does what I do affect more than just my family, friends,schedule, and finances…?

The data is in. If we choose not to change course we will be leaving our children a planet that will not sustain them.

Choose to make whatever changes feel right for you. It does add up!

Accountability

What does it mean to be accountable to yourself?

Here is a definition of accountability to think about:

"The choice to create the life you want to live, to assume personal responsibility for your actions, thoughts and feelings, and the emphatic refusal to blame others or view yourself as a victim" -Rick Foster/Greg Hicks


What will it take for you to get here?

What beliefs might you be holding onto that prevent accountability from being fully present for you?

What's Fueling You

Summer time which offers an abundance of beautiful fruits and vegetables also is a time when schedule changes make health a challenge. Vacations, friends visiting, increased family and relationship time and we can end up fueling ourselves in celebratory ways that don't support our health. I'm talking about that extra ice cream, barbeques with hotdogs, hamburgers, chips, special meals out and eating in the car while traveling.

A friend of mine asked me yesterday, What can I do different so I don't slide back into habits that I know in the long run don't make me feel my best?

What often works for me is some preplanning, while also allowing for flexibility. For instance you might choose to have dessert two nights of the week. If you say no today, you know later in the week you will have the option to have your favorite ice cream or chocolate. Also be mindful of having dessert out of habit, if it's not something you love hold off and treat yourself to that.

When traveling fill a cooler with fresh berries,carrots, cucumbers, nuts, some dips and one special treat. Same thing with camping, pack healthy first and then add some special treats in small amounts. Don't get the extra large bag of chips or cookies. Get enough for everyone to have a serving or two along with the fresh vegetables and fruits.

Mindful eating is also more challenging when we are in bigger groups. Getting a plate and sitting down is helpful, you are more aware of the portions you are choosing and are more relaxed which can aid in digestion.

While you are out there enjoying the beauty of the summer you can fuel your body in positive ways. Take some time to figure out what works best for you!

Legacy

"The legacy we leave the world does not have to take the form of a book, a painting, or a place in history. It can be a virtue, a love that makes a difference, a life honestly lived."
-David Richo

When I read this I found myself smiling deeply. Once again it reminded me it's not in the details, or the bigness, of what we are here to share that matters. It's that we connect to whatever that gift is, simple or profound, and give it!

What is your gift?

And can you honor yourself by stepping fully into it...

No worries if you don't know or aren't ready, ask for support if you need it.

Self-Care

When we choose to begin to take better care of ourselves it can be scary. We are stepping out of our usual patterns of behavior and often that may confuse or upset other individuals who have relied on us.

When we have spent years meeting the needs of others before ourselves we take a risk in changing. A risk of choosing to be vulnerable, of sharing that we haven’t been happy and a risk of changing some of our most valuable relationships.

However the benefits of being a happier, more empowered individual will usually outweigh the risk. Once you begin to take better care of yourself, new individuals and opportunities do show up in your life. Resentment and blame start taking a backseat to more positive thoughts and feeling…excitement, enthusiasm…

If you find yourself feeling resentful, or blaming others more often than you would like it’s probably time to look at how you can better take care of yourself. Each of those thoughts can now be your internal cue to do something different. You can now look at those thoughts as your friends, they remind you to take a different path.

For today: Anytime you notice that you are blaming or feel resentful take a deep breath and ask yourself what you could do differently?

You don’t have to do it alone, get some support!

“They seemed to come suddenly upon happiness as if they
had surprised a butterfly in the winter woods.”
-Edith Wharton

Needs

How well do you honor your needs?

If you spent time making a list last week use something off that list to work on today.

Do you eat when you're hungry, rest when you are tired, get support when you are feeling down...

The way to connect to your needs is to pay attention to how you feel. In the high paced society that we live in it is often hard to stay connected to feelings and needs. What can you do to get some of your basic needs met for today? Is there some way of cueing yourself?

Give it some thought and choose one need that often gets shoved aside. Put some structure around getting it met just for today. Ask for outside support if you need it.

Then, notice how it feels at the end of the day!


"Take your life in your own hands and what happens?
A terrible thing: no one to blame."
-Erica Jong

What do you need?

What do you need so that at the end of the day you will say to yourself
"wasn't that a wonderful day!"

Here's some of what I need:

A small amount of quiet time for reflection

Exercise outdoors, aerobic or not

Healthy food and a small square of dark chocolate

Wonderful coaching sessions, supporting others

Connection with family and friends

Reading or writing something that inspires me

Noticing something beautiful in nature

Some small act of kindness toward another

A good nights sleep!

Take a moment and brainstorm your own list. Then pay attention to opportunities to get what you need!

Peace

I marched for peace in a small local parade for the 4th of July. It was an interesting and overall positive experience. The group I marched with is part of a National Group called Code Pink, women for peace.
With the recent death of a local serviceman we opted to be silent and simply display words of peace and wear pink.
We got clapping and cheers from the children who loved our pink umbrella's and some of the older folks.
I did get a greater sense of what it is like to stand up for what you believe in knowing there is potential for adversity.
It felt like an important step in a small community and I was glad to have participated.

Peace begins and ends with you!

Tomato Basil Garlic Pasta

Many of you have probably had this dish at one time or another but I felt called to send it because right now is the time to make this! The ingredients are at there peak.

Serves four:
Tomatoes- five medium- if you can get these from a farmers market or vine ripened it will enhance this dish enormously
Basil- ½ to ¾ bunch
Garlic-3-4 cloves depending on personal taste
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Salt and pepper and a good Parmesan cheese for topping
Pasta of your choice- angel hair is nice with this dish, you can use spelt or quinoa if wheat sensitive.

Core tomatoes and dice in quarter inch cubes. Finely chop basil, and garlic. Mix together (drain off juice of tomatoes if it looks too watery) add olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Boil water for pasta, cook pasta al dente. Drain and toss pasta with small amount olive oil, place on plate, top with sauce and add grated Parmesan and fresh cracked pepper.
Enjoy this summer delight!

Luxury

Recently as I was working with a group of women someone mentioned that this kind of work, internal wellness, is a luxury. I realized that I too consider it a luxury. When I initially was looking at coaching as a career I struggled with that and then recognized that the value for me was in the fact that with luxury comes responsibility.

If you are a middle or upper middle class American you lead a luxurious life. Compared to most of the women of the world we have more opportunities, money, possessions, and freedoms… and yet many of us are not healthy, happy individuals.
That’s where the responsibility piece comes in.

I was born here and have so much more than so many women on this planet. Yet until I began to work on my own health and happiness I wasn’t bringing a whole lot of compassion, love, and peace into the world.

Coaching offers me the opportunity to do that. By supporting women to be and feel there best I have the incredible joy of seeing more peace, compassion, health and happiness transform lives.

My request to each of you is do whatever it takes to find your way to all of the above. Your life will not only be more joyful you will be sharing that with the world. Each one of you do indeed make a difference!

What makes you really, deeply, honestly, personally happy?