​Self-care isn’t always about indulging yourself in manicures and late-night movies (although those are really important). Self-care is about doing what’s needed to have the life you want, no matter how difficult it may seem: Speaking up to your best friend or your boss, recycling the clothes you’ll never fit into no matter how many diets you try, asking for professional help so you can resolve your relationship or insomnia or whatever isn’t working. Now, more than ever, is the time for you to take care of you. The stronger and more centered you are, the easier it will be to weather what crops up.
 
Following are ten ways to step up your positive attitude and overall well-being:

1. Say what you mean. Are you afraid to express yourself because you’ll hurt someone’s feelings or your words might be misconstrued? Speaking up is much more than just saying “no.” When you don’t express yourself or stuff your feelings, people don’t have the opportunity to see and know the real you. Being true to yourself not only empowers you, it empowers those around you. So don’t be afraid to speak your truth. When you say what you mean you honor yourself and you give others the chance to know you, the real you, the one they’re longing to know.
2. Take baby steps. Whatever your goal, you don’t have to get there today. Or even tomorrow. Trying to get there too fast can cause stress and frustration and bring up feelings of “I’m not good enough” or “why can’t I be like him/her?” Remember the wise saying, “All good things come to those who wait.” Picture the Buddha and see yourself smiling and patient. Make one new change in your lifestyle and see how that goes. When that’s working well, then add something else. Take baby steps. There’s no hurry.
3. Let go of the past. Isn’t it amazing how hard it is to let go? Those events that transpired eons ago—the raise you didn’t get, the relationship that failed, a family member saying you’ll never amount to anything—can still create feelings of fear, anger, shame, guilt. And all that’s doing is ruining your current life. It’s time to let those puppies go. You don’t have to be stuck with that baggage. Coaching, energy healing, therapy, meditation, inner child work, tapping, there are hundreds of methods to help you access those memories and transform them. And when you rewrite the past, you create a brand new present.
4. Connect with Spirit. It doesn’t matter whether you believe in God or the Divine or simply an energy that binds us all together. Seeing, understanding, believing, or knowing about that connection serves to calm you. You could be exercising or deep breathing or just looking at a flower, something that transports you out of your typical awareness. When you’re in that “zone,” you feel a deep inner peace that can transcend time and space. Those little moments are like nectar to your body, mind, and soul.
5. Appreciate yourself. To paraphrase Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “How do you love yourself? Can you count the ways?” Appreciation goes farther than skin deep. It penetrates to the core of your being and radiates beyond. The more you love yourself, the more lovable you become. We all have our flaws and faults, but this is about finding the things you like. Do you love your eyes, the way you support your friends and family, how you find joy in the little things? Start a list of the things you appreciate, at least one per day, and tell yourself how much you love that quality. Before you know it you’ll be in love with YOU.
6. Reward yourself. Are you searching for acknowledgment? Recognition? A little praise? You don’t have to wait for someone else to give it. Give it to yourself! It’s easy to overlook all the little things you do—cleaning the house, exercising, finishing that painting. But all those things matter and create space for the bigger things—an inviting home, a well-toned body, winning first place at the art show. Acknowledge your successes and reward yourself (the reward begins a pattern of self-acknowledgment). Take a bubble bath with lighted candles and soft music. Indulge in that dark chocolate. Buy yourself a new dress. You deserve it!
7. Get up and move. Exercise may be a dreaded word, but the body is designed to move. Exercise improves your mood, increases endorphins, and decreases stress. So get up and move! You don’t have to join a gym. Even little movements can help. Try stretching or ease into yoga or qigong. Walking outdoors is fantastic. Or dust off your stationary bicycle or elliptical machine. If you’re at work and you only have a minute or two, get up from your desk and take a brisk walk around the office. Movement makes the body happy and a happy body means a happier you.
8. Be grateful. Giving thanks is one of the most important aspects of self-care. If you do nothing else, be grateful for who you are and what you have. As in self-appreciation, find something to be thankful for—your job, your friends, your spouse, your health, your house, the food you eat, the ground under your feet. Nothing is too small. Giving thanks creates a beautiful vibration that increases your prosperity and attracts more to be thankful for. [Try the thirty-day experiment in Thank and Grow Rich by Pam Grout.]
9. Laugh and play. When was the last time you felt like a little kid? Remember playtime? Hopscotch, jump rope, hide and seek, jacks? Games that made you laugh and squeal with pleasure? Your inner child is still with you, wanting to come out and play. Fun lights up your soul and makes you radiate with joy. So dip your toes into a nearby lake, pull out the croquet set, play some badminton or horseshoes or miniature golf. Get your joy on! You might be surprised how wonderful you feel.
10. Follow your dreams. Now that you’ve revitalized your inner child, take a moment and recapture your dreams. What did you want to be when you grew up? Dreams are fueled by your imagination, and your imagination is endless. If you wanted to be a painter, what about a painting class? If you thought about writing, try an online course or join a writer’s group. If you wanted to be an astronaut, visit a space camp. It’s never too late. Creativity and exploration are like candy to your soul. So let your imagination loose and explore. You’ll feel recharged and restored.

 
There’s no guarantee that life won’t throw you more curve-balls. As we all know, it’s a crazy obstacle course. But if you use some or all of the steps here, you will be a happier, healthier, and more prosperous YOU.

[Originally published in the Conscious Life Journal, ​July 2018]

by Nanette Littlestone

Following your dreams seems like an easy pursuit at first. Your imagination creates a wonderful scene, say owning a house at the beach. You feel the sand between your toes, you smell the salt air, you walk along the shore with the sun on your back. And there in the distance is the house of your dreams, open and inviting and so very perfect. Of course you can have this. You deserve it.

But just imagining what you want doesn’t mean that you get it. Creating your desires takes perseverance and determination. You don’t get time off. All those moments when life gets in the way deter you from your purpose. And if you’re off course, how will you follow your dreams?

One of my biggest challenges is being willing to trust and surrender. I grew up learning to be independent and in control. Sometimes independence and control come in handy, but many times they’re a hindrance. If the Universe is aligning people and events for your greater good and you’re trying to do things “your” way, the greater power that is can’t do its job. 

Last month divine guidance whispered another acronym to me—B.E.S.T.—and the question “Are you doing your B.E.S.T. today?” The first thing that popped into my head was a flash from the Army advertisement “Be all that you can be in the Army.” But this wasn’t about being the strongest or toughest or most willing to fight. The acronym stands for Believe, Envision, Surrender, Take action. 

Doing your B.E.S.T. is about shifting your perspective. It’s about playing all out. It’s about shining your light. 

1. Believe – believe in who you are. Right now. You’re constantly growing and changing. Support yourself in that growth and change with good friends, spiritual companions, teachers, coaches, workshops. Engage in those activities that will nurture you and empower you. The more you believe in you, the more other people will too.

2. Envision – imagine what you want. Only you know what you desire. Only you have the blueprint inside your heart and brain. Draw it, color it, write it down. See it in living Technicolor and feel it in your body. This is how you bring it to life.

3. Surrender – once you’ve brought your vision to life, it’s time to turn it over to your higher power. We humans can only go so far with our connections and skills and abilities. But the universe has unlimited resources. When you turn over your idea to your higher power, miracles happen. So surrender and know that your highest good is taking place.

4. Take action – there are so many ways people and things can come to you. Email, telephone, a chance meeting at the grocery store, an ad on TV, a jingle on the radio, a conversation with a friend. When you’ve surrendered, you’re open to receive. Now is the time to act. Follow up on the email or phone call. Contact the person you just thought of. Take the next step.

When you imagine your dreams, remember the question “Are you doing your B.E.S.T. today?” Every time you Believe, Envision, Surrender, and Take action, you’re taking one more step on the path to fulfilling your dreams.

Nanette Littlestone, author, editor, writing coach, and publisher, is a frequent blogger and visionary leader behind F.A.I.T.H. - Finding Answers in the Heart, Volumes I and II. To find out more about these books, click here.

by Linda Goodman

Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you. ~William James

Our dreams are as unique as our fingerprints. The size of the dream doesn’t matter and it can be about family, relationships, a creative endeavor, service to others, a career with financial security, or pure joy and feeling fulfilled.  If our brains fire differently, why wouldn’t our dreams be as varied?

I view goals as the ACTION component to manifesting a dream, and (as Maslow illustrated) until we have our basic needs met, “self actualization” or finding purpose can’t be reached. Each adult chooses how to grow forward in their own way and their own time. Becoming self-aware allows one to do the difficult work within to mature one’s self for more meaning and inner potential. 

Remember your childhood dreams . . . can you dream that, again? Dreams don’t manifest in a vacuum. Once they are planted, action is required to nourish them. Even with the road zigzagging, we develop tools along the way and set our own manageable goals. Perhaps all roads are leading to fulfilling your desires. You have your own system of values that will be one of the foundations upon which you build your dream, and for a greater motivation, goals are developed out of Need rather than Curiosity. 

To help you on your path:
• Get rid of the fear, guilt, feelings of insecurity and worry that might surround your dream.  

• Find like-minded friends who will be your support group to cheer you onward.  

• Make business contacts and find mentors who can help you take the next step.  

• Network, read, explore options, continue learning.

• Write a 30-second elevator introduction of yourself and the dream. In the mirror, practice this identity of yourself. Speak it aloud, feel it, hear it, taste it, touch it, see it as a dream already manifested.  Do this more than once/daily, and BELIEVE that whatever is currently happening in your life will be a viable path to achieve your dream. 

Linda Goodman, a Mediator, Reiki Master, and Consultant/Coach, is a guest blogger and coauthor of F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of this inspirational book, click here.

by Maureen Roe

If only I could go back and count the times in my life that I touted myself as being logical. For the most part, I am. Logic makes sense to me and I can get behind it and follow it without a problem. So when I reached a certain age, I wondered why I seemed to walk to the beat of a different drum. In most things in life, my thinking patterns are very rational, but in certain arenas I frustrate people or make them uneasy because that logic I am famous for seems to run and hide.

In my late 30's I learned I have a balanced brain. After some testing it was determined that I use both sides of my brain equally, meaning I don't only use logic (right brain) to make a decision; I also use my creative left brain. While the linear logical thinkers saw the steps laid out, I could also see another nonlinear creative way to address the issue. This explained why I would frustrate people with my occasional indecision, especially when it was a big issue.   

Society tends to produce a lot of linear thinkers. When your life is not logical and you don't progress to the next step when expected, you will experience some unpleasantness from those linear thinkers because suddenly they won't understand you.  Ask any single lady who isn't married by the time she's 30, anyone who is married at least a year and hasn't yet produced a grandchild, someone who decides to take off a year before going to college, or someone who just can't seem to decide what they want to be when they grow up and bounce around from one career to another trying this and that.  Believe me, you will get some very interesting tirades.

For those of you out there who follow your heart, your vision, your dream, and meet this pushback from society, I applaud you. Daring to be different and following those dreams, no matter how long it takes, requires guts and lots of faith.  So often you get disheartened because your dream doesn’t come when you expect. Then judgment from family and friends starts the descent into shame, embarrassment, depression, and endless questions, all while you feel your soul urging you to continue to seek and find. Or you simply give up on your dream.

It has taken close to 40 years to see my dream coming to fruition. If you think I haven't felt embarrassed because I couldn't spell out what it was my soul was asking me to do, you'd be mistaken. But that small nonlinear portion of me allowed me to roam and explore numerous ways to accomplish what I wanted. I like to think that Thomas Edison and I have something in common. I'm not a failure. I’ve just found many ways in which to utilize my skills.

If you are struggling with a similar search for your dream, don't give up. Don't let others convince you that it has to be done in logical steps that might not be your way. Be true to your soul's calling and your authentic self. That way you can stay true to your dreams.

Maureen Roe is a Self-Expression Coach, Registered Corporate Coach, Metaphysical Minister, Ageless Grace Educator, speaker, and co-author of F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of this inspirational book, click here.

by Suzanne Baker Hogan
 
I am a true believer that going for your dreams is the best thing you can do in your life. I speak from experience. And from that experience, I can say that going for your dreams also requires major change. What kind of change exactly? You will have to leave every comfort zone you have created that hides your fears.  

Following your dreams means leaping into unknown territory, and old methods of safety will have to go. Your human self won’t like this one bit. Most likely, it will fight you, kicking and screaming. But keep going! You are learning to let your soul take control. 

You’ll also have to stop doing things for other people. Or, more specifically, stop doing them based on how you look to other people. It is truly scary how much we put others in charge of our power. And changing this might shock everyone around you. So be it! Eventually, they will applaud your bravery.

When you harness the courage to leap for your dreams, you grow exponentially. And it helps to know that you are already extremely courageous. Consider for a moment the courage it took for you to come here and live a human life! 

There you were in your beautiful heavenly home where you felt so loved and supported. And you said, okay, I want to grow even more. I am ready to go back to that tough, rough earth school again. You knew that it would be heartbreaking. You knew that it would be frustrating beyond measure. But most of all, you knew that it would cut you off from your true, divine nature: LOVE. 

Did this stop you? No. You signed up on the spot. 

When you follow your dreams, you will summon the same deep courage it took to come here. And you will have to let your soul guide you all the way. You must trust this guidance and let it lead you, step by step. This is so much easier than getting overwhelmed by the whole picture. Be warned, things might not look anything like you thought. Not a problem! Just have faith in the process. And know that if you fully believe in yourself and your dreams coming true, the universe always delivers. 

Dream big! Leap courageously! Because you deserve to see the deepest desires of your soul materialize in your human life. You were born to find your way to total freedom and do what you really want while on this earth. So sing the song of your soul out loud! For all to easily hear. You will be amazed at how your dreams take flight. And how much you inspire others to do the same. 

Suzanne Baker Hogan, spiritual writer and author of SharetheSpiritual.com and Twin Flame Help, is a guest blogger and coauthor of F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of this inspirational book, click here.