Best Self Magazine

08/03/2024

Sonia. Danielle. Kris. Kate. Christiane. Marianne. Kelly. Nancy. Elizabeth. Regena. Glennon. Aviva. Ruth. Vani.
13 reasons to celebrate the glorious, fierce, messy, wise, heart-centered, keeping-it-real, fabulous, powerful, curious, soft, creative, wounded, intuitive, ground-breaking forces — my Best Self Cover Wonder Women who have paved the way for all the other Best Selfers. And cheers to the women who birthed them, raised them, nurtured them, held their hands, help them shine...
…and to all women near and far, on the stage and behind the scenes…
Here’s to fierce women — not the ones who show up perfectly, but the ones that stumble, fall, dust off and get back up again. May we know them. May we raise them. May we see them. May we be them.
And here’s to our mommas, grandmothers, ancestors, sisters, friends, dream keepers and all Best Selfers…deep bow of gratitude — and a reason to celebrate. I accept this challenge on behalf of them.
Happy International Women's Day! xo

01/07/2023

Who says you can never go home?
Best Selfer Christie Chandler writes, paints, mothers, creates community — and connects deeply to the land she inhabits. But it wasn’t always this way. She traveled far, left her home town and spread her wings. This article in Best Self Magazine reads like a rich novel, but it is the story of a true homecoming uncovering history, yearning, possibility and belonging.
You can take it all in here: https://bestselfmedia.com/theres-no-place-like-home/
As Dorothy said, there is no place like home. This is an ode to small towns, to the whispers of our past, the places we grew up and where we once belonged. It is a nod to the small towns scattered across America that have withered with time, the ones we once escaped from as young people that whisper to our souls... “Come back, there is a piece of you still here that was left behind.”
Christie takes us on her own journey of reconnection and shares how she answered the call and rediscovered ‘home’ — and how she learned to live in harmony with land. Returning home wasn’t all about renovating and revitalizing a wonderful old, regal house on 100 acres — but about reconnecting to the soul of her past in the process.
“Everyone says that old houses are special because of their character and the quality of their materials. I think they are special because they are archives of memory, silent witnesses to the passage of time.” ~ Christie Chandler
https://www.facebook.com/HawkinsvilleFarmsRetreat

19/03/2023

Raw. Candid. Real. That is the mission of author and trauma survivor, Laurie Timms who lays it all down: psychotic break, gang r**e, molestation as a child. This is her story — actually, only part of her story. The second act is all about healing and helping others do the same.
In this article for Best Self Magazine, and in her upcoming memoir, she steps from beneath the shadows of shame, abuse, unworthiness, pain and deep trauma — to create community and to remind others that they are not alone no matter how dark, deep and far they have fallen. Healing is possible...and Laurie is living proof.
This is the story of a truth-teller — deeply personal, profoundly inspiring.
You can read it all here: https://bestselfmedia.com/healing-from-complex-trauma/

27/02/2023

Admit it. In this modern world of technology, constant connectivity and instant gratification — we all tend to get a bit exasperated when we can’t connect to WIFI. Well, that certainly is the case for many, but for a small, but growing population that is actually music to their ears. Not because they have anything against WIFI, but rather it has something against them and their physical well-being.
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This is the very dramatic and eye-opening story of Alison Main, who at the height of her young adult life living in a brand spanking new high rise in NYC, suddenly began experiencing debilitating neurological and immunological symptoms as a result of living in the presence of man-made electromagnetic fields. So much so, that she was forced to leave it all: her apartment, her job, her life in the city. When I first met Alison, I had frankly never even heard of this, let alone a condition that is now referred to as ‘electro-sensitivity’ or ‘electro-hypersensitivity’.
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Quite honestly, her story is frightening, illuminating and a call to action for us all. In her piece in the current issue, Alison shares her personal journey and provides us with the facts: electro toxic triggers, symptoms and suggestions. Hers is an ongoing battle as WIFI proliferates the globe. It is an eye-opening journey that makes one question, if one is being affected, aren’t the chances that we are all, a high probability? It is estimated that 3-5 % of the world’s population is severely electro-sensitive, with 30-50% moderately affected symptomatically.
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So what now?
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It’s time to reconsider our relationship with the electromagnetic field whether we are yet experiencing physical symptoms or not — and Alison has some amazing information for you.
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You can read the article here: (LINK IN BIO) https://bestselfmedia.com/electrosensitivity/
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“I do not hate technology. In fact, I love it, and I still find ways to use it, safely.”
~ Alison Main
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26/02/2023

Tapping Curious?
https://rd117.isrefer.com/go/2023-TWS-EReg/bestselfmedia/
Are you feeling stressed? Tap. Do you want to lose weight? Tap. Do you have financial strain? Tap. Do you want to get un-stuck? Tap. Limited thinking? Tap. Disempowering beliefs? Tap. Negative thinking? Tap. Anger? Tap. Guilt? Tap. Shame? Tap. Anything holding you back? Tap.
Are you ready to tap into something else? Transformation. Freedom. Healing.
Tapping (EFT / emotional freedom technique) is a simple, scientifically proven technique that works to rewire the brain by sending calming signals to the amygdala, the stress center of the brain, allowing both the body and brain to release limitations from negative experiences, emotions, thoughts and much more that hold us back from creating the life we want.
You can learn how to use EFT from the experts, our friends over at the Tapping Solution. Check out their FREE Tapping World Summit. It all starts on February 27th and will include 10 days of life-altering presentations...

May the tapping begin!

Join 20 of the World's Leading Personal Development and Health Experts in this FREE Online Event as They Show you Step by Step How to Use a Technique Known as "Tapping" to Improve Your Finances, Health, Emotions and Much More...

25/02/2023

So, what happened? Everyone wants to hear the juice when you mention the ‘D’ word, divorce — and accordingly, they expect some dramatic tale of betrayal, abuse and deception to unfold. But divorce isn’t a one-size fits all. Not all marriages end in a maelstrom.
And while we are at it, what does skin care have to do with divorce?
When Dawn Dais, the author of The S**t No One Tells You About Divorce, came across a photo of herself a few years ago, she was stunned. She didn’t recognize the person captured in that image — and knew she had to address this shell of herself she had become. As they say, sometimes a picture conveys a thousand words. And that picture became the impetus for her leaving her marriage.
What she had become in the marriage was her dramatic happening.
This article in Best Self Magazine, is her ode to her story conveyed with wisdom and relatable humor — and even includes some tips for navigating it all. You can read it all here: https://bestselfmedia.com/divorce-the-ultimate-skincare-routine/

25/02/2023

This article from Best Selfer Solomon Stevens, feels heaven sent...literally. At a time when the world is filled with doom and gloom at every turn, we certainly need resets and reminders of the contrary — and simply put, of our power to dream. Aaaaah, I feel relieved already.
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As a professor raised by a professor, Solomon was groomed to seek facts, evidence, proof — a life of logic and reason ensued. Until he began to realize that he held fundamental beliefs to the contrary, that he could be both a seeker of logic and a dreamer — unlimited by either.
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As Solomon reminds us, we must not be bullied by the cynics around us. Seek the wonder and the curiosity of life that cannot be explained by logic alone. Why must we choose? This is an ode to the dreamers thinking out of the logical box, embracing one’s heart and marching to the beat of your own cadence.

“The greatest empires have come and gone. They have risen and fallen with the breeze. But the dreamers have changed us. Religious dreamers. Scientific dreamers. Artistic dreamers. Social dreamers. Literary dreamers. And so many more. Who knows? You could be the dreamer of tomorrow. You can change the world, if only you feel free enough to try.”
~ Solomon Dennis Stevens
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You can read the article in Best Self Magazine: https://bestselfmedia.com/of-dreamers-and-dreams/
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25/02/2023

Let’s talk about the ‘F’ word: Forgiveness

As only Pam Grout, #1 New York Times bestselling author and explorer on the frontiers of magic and enchantment can do — she keeps it real and provides us with a refreshingly profound, yet lighthearted take on forgiveness.

You’ll also want to find out what Dolly Parton has to do with all of this — and why Pam herself practices forgiveness like a ‘mofo’! She has a remarkable gift for helping us rescript spiritual constructs in a more user-friendly and accessible manner. In other words, it’s like a light bulb goes on and we ‘get it’ in a way we hadn’t before. Her unique sass, intelligence and relatable humor will have you running to collect all of her books…and of course...forgiving.

“Forgiveness, like most meaningful concepts, has more baggage than a Samsonite store.”
~ Pam Grout




You can read the article in Best Self Magazine (LINK IN BIO):
https://bestselfmedia.com/cosmic-blessing/

19/02/2023

What do you see…a parking meter? I see a random act of kindness in the making!
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So apparently, there is a Random Acts of Kindness Day (yes, it’s a thing)...and it was the other day. Frankly, it should be EVERY DAY...seriously. It’s a gamechanger, a total life hack that has the power to transform a completely sh*tty day in an instant for both you and others. That’s the magic.
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Whenever I think of RAK’s I always think back to this particular afternoon a few years back when I had just pulled into a parking spot along a street lined with parking meters.
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It was a bright sunny late afternoon with sunbeams blaring through the car. While digging for quarters in my purse, I looked up through my windshield and saw a man who had been walking down the sidewalk, stop before my meter. The glare of the sunshine prevented him from realizing I was still sitting there inside watching him.
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Though I didn’t say anything, my first reaction was, “Uh, hello? What do you think you are doing?” I hate to admit, but I was defensive at first.
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I was transfixed watching as he pulled change from his pocket to feed what appeared to him to be an expired meter — and to prevent some unknown person from receiving a ticket. He tossed in a few quarters and went on his merry way. It all happened so quickly and suddenly he was gone. I didn’t even have a chance to thank him, but I will never forget it.
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It made my day. I couldn’t believe how such a delightful, kind, anonymous gesture — with absolutely zero expectation of receiving anything in return — could transform everything.
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There are so many ways to show up for others when we open our eyes. How simple and yet so profoundly sweet and playful, a gentle kiss of humanity. It’s inspired me to be on the lookout for expired meters. Be a meter feeder...or your version of it!
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It will delight your spirit and your lucky recipient’s too! Here’s to random acts of kindness...Go!
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08/01/2023

Very few books that were printed over 75 years ago in 50 languages, are considered iconic and can be touted for having launched millions of spiritual paths — such is Paramahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi. As a student in the 1960’s Philip Goldberg was one touched by its reach. In this piece written for Best Self Magazine, he paints a rich portrait of life at a crossroads; how he transformed from “Marxist, atheist, anti-religion, political activist to questioning seeker enchanted by the philosophical and spiritual insights of the East.” The Beatles had just traveled to India and the world was awakening.
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Throughout his own spiritual journey, though Philip didn’t become a disciple of Yogananda, he grew increasingly more curious about what he calls the ‘missing pieces’ in the revolutionary autobiography — so much so, he decided to fill in the blanks and write the book.
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Fascinated by the span of Yogananda’s life (nearly 6 decades) of massive social change, on two hemispheres and two vastly different cultures that traversed the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, World War II, the dawn of the Atomic Age, and the post war boom — his greatest desire was to bring forth the human side of the story.
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While honoring this great spiritual teacher, commensurately he wanted to honor the man; his quirks, paradoxes, idiosyncrasies — the complexities of the human experience. In filling the gaps that were previously missing, Philip illustrates why Yogananda is truly a spiritual model for the ages. You can read it here in Best Self Magazine: https://bestselfmedia.com/yogananda-and-me/
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“People on the spiritual path tend to romanticize, idealize, and glorify revered teachers, sometimes to the point of deifying them as perfect incarnations of God”. ~ Philip Goldberg
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23/12/2022

Oh, this human experience in all of its messiness and glory! No, none of us gets to escape life adversity, try as we may (sigh). We will each inevitably face off with it in one way or another — the question is what are we going to do with it, that counts.
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As Andrea Mein Dewitt, author of the newly released book, Name, Claim & Reframe: Your Path to a Well-Lived Life, reminds us “Life’s bruising is inevitable, but enlightenment from the bruising is optional.” Boom.
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Andrea, no stranger to life’s storms, shares a raw financial fall from grace that paved the way to the creation of her methodology for navigating upheaval and embodying its gifts. As I always say, we can choose to use our life experiences or be used by them. Which is your Best Self going to choose?
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Let’s start naming, claiming and reframing. You can read more in Best Self Magazine: https://bestselfmedia.com/name-claim-reframe/
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Andrea Mein DeWitt

23/12/2022

Not everyone is headed home for the holidays. In fact, with the undeniable rise of homelessness across the globe, author Barbara Ann Briggs, who calls herself a ‘Citizen of the Universe’ reminds us — homelessness is actually a crisis of the heart, our individual and collective heart — and the solution lies there as well.
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This beautiful piece reminds us to connect to our humanity and the most powerful force in the world — love. You can read more in Best Self Magazine here: (LINK IN BIO) https://bestselfmedia.com/crisis-of-homelessness/
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“We must awaken to the reality that if anyone is suffering, I am also suffering because suffering anywhere effects all of us.” ~ Barbara Ann Briggs
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23/12/2022

Solstice (and Hanukkah and Christmas and everything in between) Greetings dear Best Selfers! Doesn’t it seem like the end of year somehow always manages to come barreling down upon us at lightspeed? Another year in the books.
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Ironically, the Winter Solstice is a time of great stillness where we are intended to align with the cadence of Mother Earth...to lie dormant, to reflect — a sacred time of rest, rejuvenation and hibernation. And yet, it’s typically anything but, as we get whisked away in all the fa la la la la, la la la la, to-do lists, shopping, wrapping, prepping and over-indulging and doing. Phew.
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And then, on top of all that — you want me to prep for the new year...align my chakras, choose my ‘word’, set my intentions, toss in some resolutions and know where I’m going with absolute clarity...or all else is lost? That’s kind of a bad set up, don’t you think?
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This final blog of 2022 is a high-five to you for showing up, doing your best, remaining present, open-hearted, compassionate, connected and aligned with your intuition...and always stretching your Best Self.
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It is a permission slip to party like its 1999 or nestle in at home and nurture yourself under a cozy throw talking to no one. You can say yes or no, lean in our out — follow your own rhythm no explanations needed. And it is about my ‘word’ (the first one that ever really landed on me with definitive confirmation...don’t worry, I’m happy to share it with you if you’re in need of one).
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It is also a celebration of the sweetness of life, connection, community and the sacredness of it all. Whether you have a word or a resolution or a plan — or not — trust yourselves and your ability to navigate it all...according to your own cadence. Let me share more of what I mean...
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Does picking a word for the new year sound corny? I thought so too, but this year 1 word smacked me in the face

22/12/2022

There’s probably never been a time in my life that I can remember where nature played a more pivotal role — simply put, it’s saved me. And I know I’m not alone. Nature has been saving grace these past few years, a healing touchpoint during incredibly stressful times.
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Which of course made me think of this beautiful piece in Best Self Magazine: https://bestselfmedia.com/rewilding-revealing-winters-gifts/
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Micah Mortali, the founder of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership introduces us to practices that can help our disconnected, over-taxed selves plug back in to our own natural primal settings. A true gift and reminder that no matter where we live, be it an urban landscape or a mountaintop — we can avail ourselves of Mother Nature’s treasured gifts. And he’s got some prompts for you to do so.
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His book, Rewilding: Meditations, Practices and Skills for Awakening in Nature, brings together yoga, mindfulness, wilderness training, and ancestral skills to create a unique guide for reigniting your primal energy and for deepening connection with the living earth.
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Isn’t it time to take a walk on the wild side?
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“Rewilding is a return to our essential nature. It is an attempt to reclaim something of what we were before we used words like ‘civilized’ to define ourselves.” ~ Micah Mortali
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18/12/2022

Stop the holiday merry-go-round I want to get off! Come on…who of us hasn’t gone about the holiday season all wrong in the past?
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It’s nearly impossible to not get caught up with the ‘spirit’ of the holidays — and yet, we are going about it all wrong as over-consumerism, frantic last-minute shopping, over-consumption and over-indulgence, social calendar burnout, etc. take over. Sound familiar?
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But here’s the good news. It doesn’t have to be this way and we don’t have to play by that playbook any longer. Isn’t it time we stop going against the flow of the natural world? This beautiful piece by author and Qigong practitioner Lara Day, is the roadmap for going about this in a new way; one that aligns us with the spirit of winter.
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You can read more in Best Self Magazine: https://bestselfmedia.com/?s=lara+day
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The 13 Holy Nights practice is simply music to my Best Self over-taxed soul. It is an invitation to connect with ourselves, Mother Nature, God and each other in a beautiful and poignant way. It is a homecoming of sorts to our truest essence. I’ll be honest, the first time I heard someone speak of this gorgeous oracle card deck, I ordered 1, then another and another. It is a joyous gift to self and all the souls you love — one that embodies the truest essence of the holiday season.
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This 13-day practice is a deep dive into the womb of winter, embracing her in all her glory — a lullaby to your spirit that will set you up for a new way and a new year. Sounds pretty refreshing to me right about now! Join me.
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17/12/2022

What is true diversity after all? If we want to walk the walk and talk the talk of inclusivity, Nejoud Al-Yagout challenges us further by asking how we can embrace what was created by a divisive mind-matrix?

Part poetry, part prescriptive — this is a retrospective on how free souls liberate themselves from the chains of separation. This is an invitation to detach from conditioning, cultural programming, fear and ideologies that feed separateness.

It is a prison we can free ourselves from.

You can read more here: https://bestselfmedia.com/true-diversity/ (LINK IN BIO)

17/12/2022

Holidays are supposed to be synonymous with all things happy, like we just stepped into a set of a Hallmark movie. But, that’s rarely the way things go. Imagine if we actually felt the joy of the season.
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Ready for some myth busting about navigating the holidays? Some tools and strategies to get it right this time around — and to avoid setting yourself up for the emotional pitfalls and traps we so commonly slip into? Me too!
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You won’t want to miss this Q&A with Dr. Dain Heer, chock full of tips for self-preservation during the holidays. https://bestselfmedia.com/emotional-self-preservation/ (LINK IN BIO)
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“What I have found is that if you start shifting your own perspectives and your own expectations, you can find your happy regardless of the world around you.” ~ Dr. Dain Heer
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# holidayhangover Dain Heer

17/12/2022

Listen up! We interrupt this regularly scheduled holiday chaos to bring you some salve for the soul. I know it's only a week before Christmas (yikes)...and yes, you likely have shopping to do, cards to write, gifts to wrap, cookies to bake, parties to attend...WAIT a minute? Are you Mrs. Claus?
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I'll keep this brief...there is another way. And if you don't have time to read this amazing piece by Best Selfer Pilar Gerasimo (who by the way found her way out of the above) — you can listen to it here! https://bestselfmedia.com/podcast/pilar-gerasimo-daring-to-disrupt/
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With humor and relatability, she shares how she stopped the holiday merry-go-round and got off — and dared to do the holidays differently in lieu of self-preservation and the commitment she had made to her creative book baby.
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This article will soothe your aching holiday soul, chock full of realigning goodness — prompts and even access to a Healthy Deviant quiz! Cheers to that!
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“If you give yourself one gift this year, make it the repeated affirmation of this simple truth: Your holidays, like the rest of your life, are up to you.” ~ Pilar Gerasimo
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You can also read the article here: https://bestselfmedia.com/daring-to-disrupt/
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24/11/2022

On your mark, get set, go....
And here we are again on the threshold of the holidays. Fasten your seatbelts and prepare for takeoff.
It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year again. The time where we get a bit giddy with holiday anticipation (Christmas carols playing in the background of our heads). And the time when we can be triggered, overwhelmed, not our Best Selves and guilted into going places we don’t want to, spending time with people we don’t desire to be with and doing things that drag us down.
Not exactly a recipe for success or sanity.
Simply put...we fall in line and set ourselves up. Most of us have a bit of conditioning in this department. Family gatherings are a robust serving of mixed emotions to put it mildly.
So how do we feel the joy the holidays are supposed to invoke?
A few weeks ago, I visited The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge Massachusetts where we stood before the famous painting from the 1940’s. This single image is the quintessential set-up. Because no one’s holiday table looks or feels like that...and yet, we gullibly lean into it and allow it to carry us away...year after year.
It stirred a few feelings within me — this yin/yang, push/pull of polarities. Let me share about how we can consciously choose what gets served up at our tables and in our lives. Most off all...how gratitude is the salve for our souls.
Let’s not serve up a platter of unrealistic expectation with a side of guilt. How about trying something different this year...
You can read more here: (LINK IN BIO) https://www.kristennoel.com/blog/simply-thankful

19/11/2022

As one season shifts into another we are often met with reluctance and resistance — letting go.
Judy Marano, author of Words Matter, delightfully reflects upon transition (in seasons and in life) — invoking both acute awareness, deep curiosity and poignant gratitude.
Her playful energy is contagious — and just may help you reconnect to the stories and important people of your past through a new lens. Enter the season of gratitude.
If you could use a soul hug, check it out here: (LINK IN BIO) https://bestselfmedia.com/season-of-gratitude/

19/11/2022

Hold on — don’t ditch your Halloween pumpkins just yet!
Tis the season...and in honor of all things pumpkin, we’ve got not 1 BUT 4 recipes.
🎃Roasted Pumpkin Skin Nachos
🎃Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
🎃Sweet Pumpkin Soup
🎃Pumpkin Spice Latte ..and some more musings from the delightful Chef Danielle Shine.
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Check it all out here: (LINK IN BIO): http://bestselfmedia.com/4-pumpkin-recipes/

13/11/2022

Can you? Can you allow yourself to totally enjoy life as it is today?
This spoke to my soul and I hope it speaks to yours — a beautiful repost from Best Selfer, mamapreneur and author (and my adopted little sister), Celeste Orr:
The crumbs on the counter need wiping
Spaghetti's stuck inside the microwave
The stairs really need a vacuum
It's been forever since this house has been dusted
Can you allow yourself to totally enjoy life as it is today?
His teacher needs a word
Her big project is due on Monday
Family dinners haven't been all that healthy lately
We haven't had a real date night in ages
Can you allow yourself to totally enjoy life as it is today?
Health insurance rates are going up again
Things aren't exactly right with that one friend
The division in our town, our state, our country is worrisome
Flu germs, COVID, and RSV risks are so unpredictable right now
Can you allow yourself to totally enjoy life as it is today?
You may not have written that book you wanted to write this year
You never did sign up for that pottery class
Work is crazy busy right now—we're all so behind
Holiday gifts and family vacations aren't going to plan or pay for themselves
And it really would be nice to finally finish that basement, find our forever home, get some time on the water next year, and totally, completely solve world hunger, the inequities and injustices in our society, and really help the hurting. . .
Can you allow yourself to totally enjoy life as it is today?
With all of our imperfections
Every single inadequacy
Even with the shortfalls, mistakes, resets, regrets, and reasons to grieve
Can you allow yourself to totally enjoy life as it is today?
That one little question "Can you allow yourself to totally enjoy life as it is today?" comes from Louise Hay's The Gift of Gratitude: A Guided Journal for Counting Your Blessings. And it has been on my mind and in my heart since I first read it last week.
As we watch our hearts turn toward gratitude more and more in the coming days, I hope each one of us will find moments where we can say...
I am loved
I am safe
I am warm and well-fed
I'm making steady progress on my goals, even if it's going slower than I had hoped
I'm showing up for my family, my community, myself
I can walk outside
I can create something new today
I can look him in the eye
I can ask her what's on her mind
I can be grateful for the crumbs, the spaghetti spots, and my dirty stairs
All of it
Can I allow myself to totally enjoy life as it is today?
Yes, I think I can.
It may not be possible every day — I think that's okay.
🤍But I hope it's possible for you.
Togetherness Redefined