Living As Your Authentic Self

It is with great excitement that I share with you, my first published article. I wrote last month and it has been a great experience working with new editors and writers. I hope you enjoy the article and that perhaps something within it resonates within you.

Enjoy:

Each year as October greets us with the promise of a new beginning in yet a new season–offering us another chance at creating positive changes and new routines–she also brings with her a reminder that we have but a couple months to wrap up the loose ends that are lingering around us, waiting to hold us back from finishing this calendar year with all of our goals accomplished.

October arrives out of nowhere and, before we have our flip flops put away, she demands that we pull out those cozy sweaters in preparation for the coming months that will inevitably find us preparing to cocoon our way through the fall and into the winter. Oftentimes we tend to withdraw from our social circles and adopt a more central focus as the dark months descend upon us.

This can be a time for managing those action items on our to-do lists that we have yet to see through to completion. It can be a time for setting our intentions for the coming year and deciding what we wish to manifest for ourselves in our lives. It can also be a time when we unintentionally allow ourselves to be burdened by our inner voice, reminding us of all that we have yet to accomplish.

Each year, we set forth with a list of good intentions that we convince ourselves will promote our higher well-being. For example, we decide that we are going to eat organic, that we are going to do more yoga and that we are going to connect more often with loved ones. The one thing we often forget to do, that would enable us to bring all of these wonderful goals into fruition, is commit ourselves to being truly authentic with ourselves at all times.

As a new year approaches, we create these goals that we believe are for the betterment of our lives and the lives of those around us, but we sometimes do so with judgement instead of self-compassion. We hold ourselves to these goals without an ounce of self-compassion, which is the worst thing we can do if we want to live as our authentic selves. The minute we find ourselves unable to meet a self-projected expectation, we harshly judge ourselves for not following through in that given moment. Instead, we should focus on being in the moment, acknowledging that for whatever reason we are unable to achieve our goals that day, and allowing ourselves the right to be human and to have an off-day. Often, when these types of situations arise, we tend to give up on that goal and chalk it up as a failure–chalk ourselves up as failures. As a result, we go forward not living up to our potential. All this because we did not honor the fact that we are exactly where we are meant to be right now, and we are always doing what we are meant to be doing in any given moment.

If we are going to live our best lives, and achieve great things for ourselves, we must first give ourselves permission to be in the present moment and to honor it despite it looking different than what we had originally visualized. We so easily get caught up in our to-do lists, and we forget to just "be." We need to allow ourselves the moments that we did not count on coming our way. Life is always full of surprises. Surprises that sometimes leave us feeling overwhelmed, bewildered and down. Human nature predicts that we will not prepare for these moments, regardless of if they arrive on our doorstep month after month or year after year. We only seem to plan for the easy, cheerful moments that nurture our spirit; rather than the ones that challenge our self-compassion.

As we head out of 2013, and embark on what is sure to be a blessed 2014, I encourage you to be gentle with yourself. Move forward with the intention of completing the goals that you set for yourself in 2013, but work to accept the fact that a few of those items may be carried over to 2014. Acknowledge that some of these goals, that you will carry forward with you, are in fact worthy of a little more effort. Treat them with the respect that they deserve–the respect that you deserve.

We all have a reel of "negative speak" that runs inside our heads. It has a mind of its own and it plays on repeat when we need it the least. I hope that one of your goals for the coming year is to hit the delete button on that recording. That once and for all, you become conscious of the havoc it plays on your ability to be kind to yourself. I hope that you learn that hitting the delete button will allow you to achieve your dreams and to live as your most authentic self.

My wish for you as you embark on the next leg of your amazing journey in 2014 is that, when that reel of negative self talk begins to run inside of your head, you THINK. That you ask yourself the following questions with love and compassion:

T - is it true?

H - is it helpful? 

I - is it inspiring?

N - is it necessary?

K - is it kind?

Wishing you light and love in a world where your beauty shines.

love & light,

t.

ThanksLiving.

As you know, I love autumn. I love everything about it. I especially love Thanksgiving. It seems to me that we all slow down and take a sort of personal inventory of the blessings in our lives. We stop to be grateful for so much of what we often take for granted.

Life is so precious and fragile. Everyday we hear stories on the news that should remind us how blessed we are, but somehow the insulation of the bubble that many of us live in, protects us from realizing how close to home these heart wrenching stories, actually are.

This Thanksgiving, one of my children was seriously ill. It took away my ability to be grateful for my family's health. It made me stop and look around and to really notice that other than my family and friends and the beautiful life my husband and I have manifested, nothing else matters when you have an ill loved one.

Today marks the 8 year anniversary of my husband's best friend's passing. Not a day goes by that we do not think of him, talk about him, or benefit from having him in our lives. Having had a such an amazing person in our lives was such a gift. He taught us, and everyone around him how to live in the present moment. He taught us how to live life to the fullest and to not make apologies for being true to ourselves. Randy was the epitome of an adventurer. He was such a good person and he had such a love for life. It breaks my heart to this day that cancer took him away at such a young age.

Although saying good bye to loved ones, and I have said good bye to a few very dear loved ones in the  past decade... I must say, I am so grateful for having known them and for having them in my life for the short time that we shared together. At this time of year, I am always brought back to the questions - Am I thankful enough? Am I grateful enough? Am I using my life to the fullest? Am I wasting any time, talent or opportunities? I ask myself these questions at this time of year because I am faced with the fact that in order to be truly grateful, I must use the gifts and blessings in my life to their fullest, in order to be as grateful as possible.

I recently saw something that read: "Thanksgiving is a holiday, ThanksLiving is a way of life." I must say that this quote has really resonated with me. It is a beautiful reminder that living in gratitude is the easiest way to live life without taking the little things for granted. I do try to live mindfully; however, being human allows me to get caught up in the mundane and I sometimes lose sight that without gratitude, no other blessings will find me. It is just a belief that I carry.

ThanksLiving, gives us the gift of the feeling we experience around Thanksgiving, all year long. I do not think that we can ever be too grateful or too appreciative of the many, many blessings that surround us. Most of the people I know, need for not. They love, and they are loved. After health and home, there really isn't much else to be grateful for, nothing else really matters.

Wishing you all the blessings that come with a ThanksLiving attitude.

love & light,
t.

Affirmations are Everywhere

It never ceases to amaze me how the universe works. I know that often speak to the fact that put what you want out into the universe and then prepare to receive it. I just am always floored when it happens in record time.

No sooner did I announce that I was writing a book, did I receive positive affirmation from the universe that I am indeed on the right track, at the exact right time in my life.

For years I have been a closet writer. I write in my journals, I write poetry,  and don't judge me, but I have often helped friends write difficult or emotional letters that they were struggling with. I have written articles and submitted them to many magazines and publications. I was happy to do it for the sake of satiating my need to write and I have had absolutely no ego about having my articles published or graciously rejected. Up until recently, I have experienced a whole lot of the latter.

I never really had the need or urge to pursue my writing as I was, and have been completely nurtured by the creative process that designing jewelry has offered me. I didn't need to pursue a deeper creative outlet.

Although my jewelry is still very inspiring to me, I have felt a growing need to write a story based on my own story. I would love to write my own story word for word, but I have been advised by some dear lawyer friends of mine, that I would be opening up myself to possible litigation if I chose to write that way. Needless to say, I will be writing a story based on my life experiences. It is just a safer way to go.

 I knew that when I put it out to the world that I would be writing my book, that some people would be very supportive, while others would be skeptical. I was not however,  prepared for the universe to send instant affirmation of my mission.

A few weeks after I posted about my intentions to write my book, did I hear back from one of my favorite publications that they are going to run an article that I had submitted a couple of months earlier! I was  and am beyond delighted. I knew in that moment that I was living my best life, and doing what I am meant to be doing with my life at this time in my life.

For the most part, not entirely, but for the most part, my inner circle of beloveds has been very supportive. Many have been checking in to find out when they can read my article. I am unable to publish my article on here, prior to it being published with the magazine. I will share it as soon as I can. I am excited to share my first publication that is in a global publication that reaches 2.5 million readers per month.  I cannot wait to share more with you.

My wish for you is that you make the choice to revisit that *little idea* that you have tucked away in the back of your mind, and shine a little light on it. Dust off the cobwebs and invite it to come out to play.

What if you did? What if, you announced to the universe that you were ready to take the leap of faith and walk a while with your idea and feel what it is like to have it come to fruition? What if now is the time to breathe life into that corner of  your mind that is waiting to be debuted. What if?

Life is so fragile and far too short. We need to make our dreams come true. There is no promise of tomorrow, there is only today, only now. You deserve to live your potential, and to bring your deepest desires to reality.

Today is your day... live it.

love & light,

t.