My experience with a decision that could have jeopardized a relationship.

Emy and I are The Adventure Sisters but we are not biological sisters, we weren’t even raised together. We met at a class several years ago and were friends before we knew we were friends. Our friendship goes so much deeper than a typical friendship. We are soul sisters. There is a familiarity between us that hints at past lives of being princesses together. A soul connection that calls to past history of dancing through lives together. I am completely myself with Emy. Her presence brings out a deeper part of me. I feel safe in her love; safe in the knowledge that I can be me and she will not judge or walk away from me.

Emy and I have had an annual trip to the BWCA for awhile now. It has been something we both look forward to; at least until a couple years ago. For some reason, I have become more resistant to this trip. I know how much Emy loves it and how it feeds her soul; so I keep trying to push through to make it happen for her. This year, only about 3 weeks prior to the trip that has been planned for 6 months, I started to feel anxious about going. I am not an anxious person; typically I can push through whatever hang ups I may have to do what needs to be done. I spent a week, trying to work through it, seeking guidance and even talking to Emy about making modifications to the trip. In the end, just over 2 weeks prior to the date of the trip, I told Emy I wasn’t going this year. I still needed to feed my spirit but I needed to do it in a different way. I needed alone time to go deep within myself. I needed time to recharge my own batteries. I advise people all the time to take care of themselves first but relized I had not been following that same advise.

I knew Emy would be upset, disappointed, and angry with me. I imagined she would feel abandoned and maybe even disrespected. I reflected on how I would feel if the places were switched around. I also trusted that Emy loves me just like I love her. No two blood relatives could have a stronger connection than we do. I knew she would understand why I needed to back out and would support that decision, even if it wasn’t what she wanted. Emy did not disappoint me. She showed me what a strong, nurturing, and amazing woman she is. She modeled how I would hope to respond in a similar situation. She expressed how she felt, honestly, to me. She had reflected on what the lessons might be for her in this situation. She shared love and support with me. She is a beautiful soul! She encompasses so many powerful, nurturing qualities. I am proud and so very blessed to have her as my adventure sister!

This year we will still have an adventure but different than it has ever been before. She will voyage in one direction and I in another. I am setting off into a forest to spend time in nature searching for parts of myself that seem to have gotten lost in caring for others. She is taking her personal trip to discover her own lessons.

I love helping others; I feel it is a part of my mission. But, as they say on the airplane, I have to put the oxygen mask on myself first. I appreciate it so much that Emy understands and support me in this. I appreciate those wise friends who helped me dig deep for guidance. They supported and encouraged me through making a challenging decision, a decision that could have jeopardized a relationship that I hold close and so very dear.

Thank you for reading my blog today. I wish all of you will find your soul siblings, as if by magic. I love you and I am proud of you!

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Daily Meditation – Week 4 check in

If you have not already joined our 90 day meditation adventure, I hope you will still do so. Here is how the last week went for me.

Experiences during the week: I am still on the road with co-workers. This always complicates my ability to make time for myself. I love my co-workers. They are amazing, smart, and experienced people. I enjoy their company and have fun spending the evenings chatting with them. This has complicated my life, however. I know they would be supportive if I told them I needed to sneak away to blog or meditate, but I enjoy them, so I make the choice to stay.

What I have learned: I have learned that making the choice to not make time for myself causes it not to happen. Not only did I miss meditating certain days over the last week, I also missed writing the week 3 check in. I let myself down and also let you down. This is a wonderful illustration of why it is important to make time for ourselves. This morning, while I meditated, my monkey mind tried to tell me all the other things I needed to get done. I decided mantra was the best way to quiet that monkey mind. I started with “I am thin and beautiful. My fit body supports my active life.”That mantra felt good. I then switched to “I release what does not serve me and keep only what I need”. With this I was able to have a profound experience. I saw a volcano all orange and red. It made me realize that the process of releasing, what no longer serves us, creates change. Although change may be scary at the time it is happening, it does serve a purpose and things will be okay in the end.

My weight: I am still on the road and have no mechanism to measure if my weight has changed. I do not sense a change in how my clothing is fitting me.

How I feel: After my meditation this morning I feel grounded and more connected. I feel that my senses are more tuned in. I hear the birds chirping and cooing. There are so many different bird songs making a morning symphony. I smell the Arizona air and the occasional scent of someone smoking weed on their balcony. I feel the dry heat of the dessert building despite the early hour of the day. I see the filtered sunlight sneaking through the leaves on the tree in front of my balcony. The taste of my black tea washes through me, helping me be fully present in this beautiful day.

How it is affecting my life: It is challenging me to be better. Teaching me that “If at first you don’t succeed, try try again” was a very profound quote by William Edward Hickerson. So despite a shaky couple of weeks, I am still committed to the 90 days meditation challenge. If you have tried and struggled, please don’t give up. It is never too late to start again.

Thank you for reading my blog today! I wish you a lifetime of trying again when the first pass does not provide the desired outcome. I wish you a lifetime of goals met and feeling good about yourself. I love you.

Previous meditation blogs by the Adventure Sisters: Join Us on This Adventure, Meditate the weight away?, 9 ways to improve meditation, Meditation contemplations, There’s an App for That: A review of meditation Apps, 7 Common Meditation Myths, 11 Types of Meditation

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Go Beyond Your Fears

Alligators, snakes, and turtles, oh my! I love to kayak! This is a love I share with my Adventure Sister, Emy, as well as with my husband. It is an activity that is infectious and when I share it with others, I soon hear they are shopping for a kayak themselves. It is a lovely way to experience nature by gliding smoothly through the water. I feel as one with the kayak and close to the nature all around me when out paddling. Now that I am spending more time in Florida, I want to be able to practice this peaceful activity all year round. After all, kayaking season in Minnesota is a bit short.

One day, as my husband and I were traveling the backroads in Florida, I was looking longingly at all the little streams and rivers that were just waiting for us to kayak through them. I looked at the grassy banks and thought, I wonder if the Alligators bother the kayakers. Hmmm, I had not considered that this prehistoric looking critter might pose a treat. I calmly did , what I do when I have a question like that, I pulled out my trusty phone and researched it. It turns out that if you don’t bother them while kayaking, they wont bother you. What a relief!

So what else might pose a threat? Well, another possible problem with kayaking in Florida is the snakes. There are 4 poisons snakes here and unlike Minnesota snakes, they don’t stay on the ground. They get up into the trees. I have heard stories of them dropping out of the trees into boats. Ick! Although I am sure they fall out of the trees at times, perhaps due to a strong wind, I am guessing they do not intend to fall into boats. It really seems like it would be a bad plan on their part. I wonder if these stories are more for the “thill” factor of watching the listener’s eyes widen than anything.

So my husband and I purchased a second hand tandem kayak. We tested it by paddling down a stream with overhanging trees. It was a lovely paddle. Everything was so green and there were beautiful purple flowers along the shoreline. We did see some reptiles on our paddle in this lovely place but it was just was a big turtle and a baby turtle, sunning on log.

So often in life we hear stories or thoughts occur to us of all the: “what if’s”. What if the snakes would have been raining from the trees? What if they gators were hungry and aggressive? I read in a book once, many years ago, “Why walk, we might fall?”. We can stop ourselves from doing anything if we let our fears become larger than our dreams. If you truly want to live the life of your dreams, you must boldly push beyond your fears. I am not saying be careless, but do some research. Check the facts. Have a plan to counteract the “what if’s”. And then go fo it! After all, the only reptile on your battle may be turtles!

Thank you for reading my blog today. I love you. I wish you the life of your dreams, today and everyday.

I Am Proud of You!

I am Proud of you! Do you hear me? Yes, I’m talking to you! I am proud of all you have accomplished. Just think where you were at a few years ago. Now look at you! Look how far you have come. It may seem like baby steps to you, but every one of those steps forward is a step in the right direction. Even f you take 2 steps forward and 1 step back, that is still one step forward. It doesn’t matter if those steps have taken place in the last week or the last 20 years. The speed of your forward progress is up to you. It is not a race to the end.

Think about the things you once struggled with but now you can cope with well. I am proud of you.
Think about how you have matured in your response to those you do not agree with. I am proud of you.
Think about all the magic things you have manifested in your life, even if they were small. I am proud of you.
Think about how you have matured in your opinions. I am proud of you.
Think about the new ways you have found to take care of yourself, so that you will have the stamina to better help others. I am proud of you.
Think about the ways you have stood up for the underdog. I am proud of you.
Think about the ways you have brought improved order and peace into your life. I am proud of you.
Think about the meditation and/or exercise practices you have started and started again and maybe will start again. I am proud of you.
Think about the ways you have helped your community. I am proud of you.
Think about the smiles you have shared with strangers to brighten their days. I am proud of you.
Think about the ways you have shown your body, you love it, as is. I am proud of you.
Think about the times you have said what you meant with love. I am proud of you.
Think about the times you have excelled with determination. I am proud of you.
Think about the things you have done, that you once said you would or could never do. I am proud of you.
Think about the new adventures you have gone on and will go on next. I am proud of you.
Think about the ways you have heard Spirit talk to you and the ways in which you have answered. I am proud of you.
Think of the all the times you have pushed on, even though you have felt very stressed or overwhelmed to do so at times. I am proud of you.
Think of the ways you have supported your friends and family. I am proud of you.
Think about the healthy boundaries you have set, even if you have to reset them from time to time. I am proud of you.
Think about how you have inspired someone else. Even if in a small way. I am proud of you.
Think about the things you have learned about yourself. I am proud of you.
Think of the ways you have shown, expressed, and felt gratitude. I am proud of you.
Think about the ways you have given and received love. I am proud of you.

You are doing great! Yes you are. There are always ways to continue to grow and improve yourself. Just by you are reading this, you are making forward progress. You are walking your path to being your best version of you. Look back over the decisions you have made. See how you have progressed over the years, months, weeks, days. There is progress there to celebrate. You are moving toward living the life of your dreams and I am so very proud of you.

Thank you for reading my blog today. I wish you a lifetime of success and many things to be proud of yourself for. I love you and I am proud of you! Blessings!

7 Common Meditation Myths

When I was talking about the 90 day meditation to release weight challenge, people mentioned things to me that were just not true about meditation. So I thought maybe I should showcase some of the these myths to help dispel them. What is important to know is meditation is accessible to everyone of every fitness level, from the very young to the very old. Here are some of the myths that I have heard of.

1. You have to sit Criss Cross Apple Sauce! – Many people do meditate in the Lotus position or Easy Pose, but is is not necessary. You can meditate sitting in a chair or on the couch. Even while laying in the bed it is possible to meditate. I met a lovely woman in India who would meditate while she was doing the dishes.

2. You have to have a lot of free time – Meditation can be done in quick 3 minute intervals. There are longer meditations if you have time for it, but a quick 3 -5 minute meditation while you are in your car waiting to pick up your child or before a job interview, can be very beneficial. Just as people come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, so does meditation.

3. There is only one “right” way to meditate – There are many different ways and types of meditation. Some include chanting a mantra or phrase while some are silent. There are sitting mediations as well as walking meditations. You can meditate with your eyes open or closed. Watch for a upcoming blog, I intend to write, highlighting several different types of meditation.

4. You have to be able to quiet your mind – Our minds are not by nature quiet. Our monkey minds jump all around, from planning what we will eat for our next meal to thinking about what we still need to do at work. What meditation does is help you be more present and learn to bring the mind back when it wonders off.

5. It is religious – Mediation is not about any particular religion. It is about being in relationship with yourself.

6. It is something only “hippies” do – Anyone can meditate. Athletes, celebrities, spiritual leaders, children, and everyday people turn to mediation for stress relief and to improve their life.

7. It takes years to receive benefit – There are so many different ways to meditate. There is no one right or wrong way. There is better or more improved meditation, which comes with practice but even if you are new to meditation and your mind is very busy, you can still receive benefit from the practice of it.

You are the perfect person to receive benefit from meditation. Give it a try. Join us on our 90 days of daily meditation. We would be glad have you join us.

Thank you for reading my blog today. I love you. I wish you a lifetime of beneficial meditation to help you get to the next level with your goals.

There’s an App for That: A review of meditation Apps.

Since I ask you to join me in 90 days of daily meditation adventure, I though I would provide you with a review of some helpful tools. On my Join Us On This Adventure, I also included a link to my blog, 9 Ways to Improve Meditation. Today I am offering you my insight on 6 meditation Apps. There are many meditation Apps out there so I randomly selected 6 to try. Below is a brief look at what I learned about each one.

10% happier: The Facilitator suggests that you sit in a dignified posture. I really liked how that sounded. It gave you the option to choose meditation from 3 minutes to over 25 minutes. It is also very reassuring, that it is normal for the mind to wonder but when you notice it has, bring it back to the breath. This App is free, unless you choose to upgrade to premium which is $14.99/month or $99.99/year. Provides you a daily reminder.

Headspace: It compared your thoughts to cars in traffic. A very interesting analogy. With this App you can chose 5 or 10 minutes for meditation. There is a little lesson before each meditation. The Facilitator has a loverly accent. After the introductory 10 sessions, it is $12.99/month or $94.99/year. Provides a daily reminder.

Breathe: This App lets you rate how you are feeling and then gives you a few meditations to choose from. You can choose a woman’s or man’s voice to guide you through the experience. The one I tried was a “5 senses” meditation, Here they talked you through your 5 senses, one at a time and help you focus in the here and now. This App is free, unless you choose to upgrade to premium which is $9.99/month or 58.99/year. Provides a daily reminder.

Simple Habit: This one allows you to pick a topic for your meditation from a pretty impressive list. I chose weight loss. This App is free for a month and then $7.99/month. It tracks your meditations for you and lets you choose between 5,10, or 20 minute meditations. It connects you with your Facebook friends and can create a community. Provides a daily reminder. This one was my least favorite because I felt it was too pushy about signing you up for a subscription to the App.

Insight Timer: This one also has a wide variety of meditations to choose from. There are very short meditations (3 minutes) to longer meditations (1 hour). I chose a 5 minute meditation called Weight Loss and Your Beautiful Body. I was shocked when the Facilitator used a cuss word. Not that it offended me but just because it surprised me. Even with that it was still a very positive and uplifting meditation. I did not see any cost on this App. Provides a daily reminder.

Meditation Studio: This one has a free starter series for beginners. I like their analogy of the mind as a puppy, because it will wonder off, just bring it back with a smile. The beginner meditation was a bit longer than 10% happier or Headspace but was very supportive and relaxing. After the starter series this App is $7.99 month or $49.99/year. I didn’t see an option to set up a daily reminder.

These Apps are not necessary to use but they maybe a helpful tool for you. Especially if you are new to meditation, They provide some instruction and insight into the practice of meditation. I do like that most offer a reminder to help you remember to make your meditation a part of your self care priorities. Along with these Apps, there are also many YouTube videos that offer various levels of meditation, from beginning to experienced. As we start on this journey together, I think it is best to go out an experiment and find the technique and meditation type that are most helpful for you.

Thank you for reading my blog today. I wish you a transformative and effortless meditation practice.

The More Stressed the Vine the Better the Wine.

Today Marty and I had the pleasure of attending a wine tasting with my friend. The lady wine expert, at the vineyard, happily told us about the wines and the growing process. She explain to us that they stress the plants because “…the more stressed the vine the better the wine.” I think this is a great metaphor for our development in life.

When you hear the life stories of admirable people, they often had a rough start or very difficult lives. Some of my most amazing close friends, who now live wonderful and healthy lives, had huge past struggles and stresses that many of us cannot imagine. Like the story of the addict who has to hit rock bottom, but once they do, they completely turn their life around and never look back.

When life’s hard and you are really feeling stressed ad tested, remember this quote. Remember that this stress is helping you to become a better version of yourself. Just as it takes pressure to turn coal into a diamond. That stress and pressure are there to help you to transform. To help you become an even better version of yourself.

At this time in my life, by my choices, I am currently very stressed and horribly busy. I work a full time job, that is more than a little demanding. I volunteer as the admin for the local Buy Nothing group. I am writing blogs, getting book proposals ready to submit, participating in Toastmasters and functioning as their club secretary. Add to that rehabbing a rental property with my husband, helping our children and making time for our grandchildren. My job requires travel, so I am gone about 4 days a week. There is a lot of stress to do a lot and to do it well. Sometimes the pressure seems overwhelming. How do I get through it all? How do I find the gumption to keep going? I try to remind myself that the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. I pick one task and work to get that accomplished and move forward. Even during a period of stress, keep moving to grow the best fruit possible. You might just find you are amazed at what you can accomplish.

It is like when Emy and I go to the boundary waters. It has not been easy. There has been a lot of work, stress, and pressure involved. The process of sticking with it and keeping one foot moving in front of the other, has helped us continue to evolve in our skills out there in the wilderness. It has taught us how much we are capable of and given us a new sense of pride and self worth. All of the hard work is totally worth it. It makes for an awesome trip. That is why we keep going back. You may think that the BWCA is a fun thing we go and do, and you would be correct. You may not see how something so fun is at all the same as the stress and demand of everyday life. I want to remind you that fun is a state of mind and It can all be fun. No matter what you are doing, if your attitude is right.

So when it all feels like too much, take a deep breath, and remember the fruits of your labor will be all the sweeter, once you overcome the current stress and pressure.

Thank you or reading my blog today. I wish you a life full of sweet rewards as a result for journeying on.

Do You Believe in Trolls?

Albert Einstein said,”Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” Imagination is a wonderful thing. My husband and I are in Seattle, traveling and exploring the Pacific Northwest. This is one of my favorite parts of the country. Today we went to Fremont and saw the troll under the bridge. It reminds me of my childhood.

When I was a child, my grandmother used to tell me the story of 3 Billy Goats Gruff. I was always so nervous for the Billy Goats. Afraid that the troll would come out from under the bridge and eat them up. I was so relieved when they would outsmart him and get safely across the bridge. It was a great story to let you know, as a small child, that you could overcome things that seemed bigger and stronger than you with cunning and creative thinking.

I find that traveling is a great way to embrace your creativity as well. You can imagine what it must be like to live in the area. Think about what it was like long years ago when only the indigenous people were here. I find myself wondering if perhaps Bigfoot really does lurk in the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest amongst the Hemlock, Douglas Firs, and Aspen trees.

We decided that this trip really should be an adventure, so we booked several quirky places to stay that include an Airstream, yurt, and an little cabin in the woods. This is further sparking our imagination and allowing us to dream. What great originality our hosts had to offer such unique experiences.

The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before. ~ Neil Gaiman

Imagination is not just for children. It is for all of us. It is fun, it gives life a spark that it just doesn’t have, if you don’t allow yourself to dream. Dream big, dream often, and dream in a way that might just change the future, even if it seems to be in a small way. Think about the artists that created the troll under the bridge in Seattle. This creative project has attracted people to the neighborhood to see the troll. Children look in awe and then with a gleam in their eye, run and climb all over him, while parents snap pictures with delight.

Thank you for reading my blog today. Dream my friends. Dream in big ways and in small ways. Allow your imagination to sore. Blessings.

Sisterhood

l love my male friends, but there is something special about female friends. This week my life has been full of the beauty of sisterhood. There is an extraordinary quality to the relationships of woman. An ease of understanding; an ancestral community of healers, caretakers, and nurturers. Some woman have forgotten this bond. Some women look for enemies in other woman. I encourage you, if you are one such woman, to look for the good in your sisters. I hope you can seek to understand why their journey has made them who they are and find respect for them, even if you do not agree with them.

I look around me and see my life is full of smart and capable female friends and family. This week I have supported one amazing woman who has turned her life around and continues to do so in miraculous ways. Another friend needed encouragement to continue to walk a difficult journey. I watch a dynamic millennial blow the competition out of the water at a speech contest. A friend called and gave me encouragement to continue on a new creative project I am working on. I see other woman making their dreams come true and I am inspired.

We must, as woman, band together and support each other. Celebrate the successes and cry over the losses. Together we are stronger than we are as individuals. Together we can make the world a better place. Together we will nurture the children to become fine adults, we will plan for a better tomorrow, we will mend the broken and heal the sick. We will encourage the forlorn and help the lost find their way.

Let’s look at being a woman as a super power. Let’s see our strength. Let’s gather our emotions around us and see how they do not make us weaker but make us stronger. Let us not step on the backs of other women to get to the top but rather take turns pulling each other up to the top.

I love you my sisters! I am here rooting you on. Your success is success for us all. My success is your success. We are a community of powerful women.

Thank you for reading my blog today. I wish you a feeling of sisterhood, community, and love!

Gratitude: Mastering Manifesting Part 3 of the Series

Being grateful for the lives we have is an important part of manifesting. There is more to it than just that though. It is also being grateful for what we want. Here are three tips or ticks to help you make gratitude a part of your daily practice.

So, does it sound strange to you to be grateful for what you want but don’t have yet? It can feel a bit strange, but the emotions of how you will feel when you receive what you are asking for, is a powerful way to manifest. Let’s say you want an improved relationship with a family member. Focus on the gratitude and love you will have when you and that person work out your differences. By focusing on that emotion, our energy aligns with what we are wanting. Let’s say you feel you need a new car. When you think about the vehicle you want, jump for joy at the prospect of having it! Feel the gratitude and excitment flow through you for this new automobile which will soon be yours. Remember, even though your logical mind knows you don’t have it yet, that doesn’t matter. Keep the gratitude flowing as if you do own it.

Here are some tips to help you remember to be grateful for what you already have as well as being grateful for what is coming to you.

Gratitude button or stone; something small you keep in your pocket. I like the idea of a stone because I really like stones and crystals. Every time you touch this item you think about something you are grateful for. We have our hands in and out of our pockets many times a day. So this can be a powerful way to get gratitude to be a daily part of your life. You can even raise the score and tell yourself you will think of 5 things every time you touch it. You get to make the rules for your life. Make it fun. You do not want stressful emotions associated with this.
Gratitude journal. They actually sell these, but any notebook, journal or memo pad on your phone will do. I even have a journaling app on my phone that I can add a picture to each entry. However you do it, start by making a list of all the things you already have that you are grateful for. Then add the other items, experiences, feelings that are coming to you that you can be grateful for. This is another way to really get the gratitude moving through you. You will be surprised how many things you can think of. Some will be very small like I am glad I am able to write this today. Others may be huge like gratitude for a science report that shows improved water quality in the world. I like to get into a nice relaxed state before I start this exercise. Take some nice deep breaths. Feel your body resting comfortably on the chair, couch, bed, floor (wherever) and then begin.
Incorporate it into other daily activities. Do you have a drive with many traffic lights? Every time you have to stop, make a list, mentally in your head. Do you eat lunch alone? With each bite, think of something you are grateful for. Really feel that gratitude while you chew your food. Are you a runner or do some other form of physical fitness? Incorporate gratitude into that time too.

These are just some ideas how you can incorporate more gratitude into your day. However you do it, keep that attitude of gratitude flowing. I am grateful for all of you who read my blog. Thank you! What do you do to keep gratitude a part of your life?

Happy manifesting friends! I wish for you abundance, excellent experiences, and magic to be grateful for!

Part 1

Part 2

More about what to be thankful for

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