#14: 50 Life Secrets and Tips

This tip really speaks to me, because one of my big callings / sources of fulfillment is helping others. 

Help others. A plethora of reasons why this is a MUST:

• Helping people has a ripple effect. If you help someone they will feel more obliged to help someone else, and so on. Pay it forward

• You grow by giving and helping others. It can change you in ways you never expected

• Your relationship with that person will become stronger

• It’s the most fulfilling thing you can do on this planet. It not only feels amazing physically, you also feel like a good person

• You might be able to call in a favor later when you need some help

• Karma (if you believe in it)

• Because there are more people in this world than just you

I believe in this 1000%. Helping others, only when you are really altruistic about it, is such a wonderful way to love them. Whether it's a family member, a friend, or a stranger, helping is a universal expression of love and care. I like to make people feel special by lending a helping hand or surprising them with something that will make them smile. I really enjoy helping take a load off of others and feeling like I am contributing to them feeling more balanced and loved. It's important to me to know that the people in my life feel like they can count on me and call on me. I thrive so much on the high I get from helping others and the joy it brings the recipient, that it's hard for me to be with people that I can't contribute to. I don't know how to be myself around people who are closed off to getting help from me. I realize that I feel a loss of worth if I can't be of service to the people that I love and care about. My enneagram results (Achiever, wing Helper) really speak to this desire I have to make others happy and feel helpful. I guess there are worse things I could want! But, I realize that this trait (like all others) isn't all "good." Sometimes I use it to avoid thinking about myself and the things that I need help with (whether I need help from myself or others). It's so much easier for me to focus on how I can help others than it is to be self-flective. Naturally, I am really drawn to people who can engage me on a deeper, "self realization" level. Through journaling and sharing with close people in my life, I have come to some very interesting conclusions about myself and my growth. But those who can "help" me / facilitate a less surface evaluation of myself (and or those who are really in touch with themselves) are very desirable because of my tendency to think of others' needs more than my own. 


It's interesting how I chose to interpret this tip tonight. The direction I took my response tells me that I am learning to think more about what I need - from others and myself - and to be aware and accepting of who I am. 

#13: 50 Life Secrets and Tips

Sorry to post this tip in the midst of a bit of a rain... but it's so important for overall health and mood.

Get in the sun. Superman was completely re-energized when he flew out to space and soaked in some rays and you can do the same right outside your front door (if you live in a constantly dreary place, my apologies). The sun feels amazing: your entire body will be coursing with warmth and life. 

In addition to those warm memories of summer and reminiscent smiles that perk up at thoughts of a sunny convertible ride or a beach day, there are medical reasons why the sun makes us feel so energized and uplifted. Vitamin D, the "sunshine vitamin," may protect against a host of diseases, including osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon. Additionally, sunlight has other hidden benefits—like protecting against depression, insomnia, and an overactive immune system. Sit outside without sunscreen for about 10 mins in direct sunlight every day, and your body and mind will thank you handsomely! If there isn't any sun to bask in, make sure to eat food high in vitamin D (fish, milk, some oatmeal/cereal), or take a dissolvable supplement. 

#12: 50 Life Secrets and Tips

Today's tip is simple.

Read books. No explanation needed.

Whether you enjoy fiction or non-fiction, reading is such a wonderful thing. You can travel to imaginary places and go to other parts of the world through the pages of a good book. It's nice to use books as an outlet to get immersed in an interesting story or to relate to characters you wouldn't otherwise meet. Some stories can be mindless fun, and others can really stir things within us or teach us about some unknown. They also spur great conversations - who doesn't like melting over a good book with another fan (or perhaps someone opposed to it)? It's even more exciting than talking about a TV show or a movie, because the visuals and audio live in the mind of each individual reader. I love to ponder different interpretations of scenes or how a character may actually look. Whenever a movie is made from a book I've read (which has been happening a lot lately), there is always that moment of truth where you have to see how the movie executives have interpreted the book. Will they get that sub-character right? Does the actor look like the character that has been played out in your mind? Will they keep true to the climactic ending you imagined?

Don't default to a new show or movie when you are looking to stimulate your mind with an outside medium. Give your imagination a jog and read a book instead!

Below are some of my favorite recent reads. Please comment and share yours with me! I want to have a new book at the top of my list for when I finish The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Pure Inspiration.

Follow Your Dreams

My dream has always been to travel - to see different places of the world and experience things that I couldn't here in Los Angeles. Working full time allows me 2 weeks vacation per year - this means that I CAN follow my dream and travel to at least one new place every year! I have already decided where I want to go this summer...


Sometime between May and July (need to check weather and availability), I am going to Costa Rica for a week! Specifically, I am going to the Yoga Farm in Punta Banco. This spot and all it stands for encompasses so many things that I enjoy and am passionate about. Read...
  

The Yoga Farm is a rustic yoga center and sustainable living project located on Costa Rica's southernmost Pacific coast. Set amidst beautiful tropical rainforest, and overlooking open ocean, we are ideally located for those looking to reconnect with mind, body, and nature.

Our particular region of Costa Rica is regarded as one of the most biologically diverse places in the world and guests can expect to see an abundance of wildlife during their stay. We provide everyone who stays with us simple, comfortable accommodations, daily guided yoga classes with resident instructors, and two healthy, primarily vegetarian meals each day. A simple, local fare lunch is available as well. While life here is very much a communal affair, we encourage people to take as much time to themselves as they like.

The Yoga Farm is always working towards developing a more sustainable way of life through permaculture based design and land use. We are 100% solar powered and off the grid. We harvest both rain water and natural spring water on site. Our gardens and fruit trees supplement an ever increasing amount of our food needs and our buildings are built with natural materials in an architecture that eliminates separation from the natural beauty around us.

A tropical oasis where I can explore my body and mind? Yes, please. The pictures are incredible (see here). Per the website, this Farm is THE place for people who want to be surrounded by nature (always centers me), practice yoga (definitely open to new kinds, too!), eat healthy food (perfect), hike the forest (can't wait to see the exotic plants and wildlife), enjoy the beach (you mean, not a CA beach?!), slow down, unwind, breathe lots of fresh air and re-connect (all things that I really want to incorporate into my life more).


I don't know when I'm leaving, how much my flight will cost, or even if I will have anyone interested in joining me. But I do know that I am going. Putting it out there into the universe so that I am inspired to do more research and start aligning my finances and my mind for this trip. Actually, I am going to create a vision board to help kick off this process!


Be inspired to follow your dreams! We only get one life - so don't wait for "one day" to roll around. Sending love and actionable energy your way this evening. 

#11: 50 Life Secrets and Tips

A wonderful tip for today and all days. With the Full Moon upon us, today is a day to really be actionable - at work, with your goals for the new year, in setting appointments and making commitments. As you make things happen today, keep your thoughts positive.

Think positive thoughts.When you find yourself thinking a negative thought, stop it immediately by any means necessary. Slap yourself in the face, yell something positive at the top of your lungs or jump up and down. Do whatever it takes to get back to a positive mindset as such is essential for continual happiness and success.

Stay present and consult reality when you start to have negative thoughts. I've mentioned this before...Usually we slump into negativity when we are experiencing rejection, worry, anxiety, regret, intimidation, etc. None of those things can exist in the present. If you are worried, anxious, or intimidated, realize that these feelings can only affect us when we obsess about the future (which doesn't exist right now). Feeling rejected or regretful and any other kind of dwelling in the past are hurtful too. So let's all be proactive with our positive thinking! New year = new possibilities. Like one of my earlier posts mentions, forcing yourself to smile and thinking about something exciting really can help to repel negative thoughts. There are lots of other natural ways to boost your mood too, including eating a plant-based diet, getting plenty of exercise, and even sitting in the sun for 20 minutes. Those more regimented mood-boosters can help us work towards this tip of the day, which is more about the immediate "slap on the wrist" to train ourselves to deflect unrealities and negative thoughts. It may take time to condition ourselves, so we must be patient and persistent. Share with me what works for you to help snap you out of it! I like to be vocal - either saying "Okay, really? STOP THAT!" aloud (if I'm at work, I like to imagine that one of my friends is saying it) or blasting a mood-boosting song are usually good ways to induce a reality check (be proactive and make a HAPPY play list if music resonates with you as a good deflector).

Love Yourself to Attract Love

Today I had a date with myself in Santa Monica. Something was drawing me to really spend some time on my own and enjoy my own company, instead of calling up a friend instinctually. I did some shopping at a favorite store and had a really great raw lunch at a beautifully spirited restaurant, Euphoria Loves Rawvolution. At the restaurant, I picked up a book called Igniting Life, and found myself in the love section of the book. I read:

To bring love into your life, you must first love your self. Love for self includes taking care of and respecting your physical being as well as other life forms, such as the animals of the land, sky and water. Love for self includes believing that your essence is worthy of love. Knowing that you are worthy of love will drive you to improve your life in every way." -- Igniting Your Life, John McCabe

Though I was having a wonderful time being with my self all day, I did have this lingering blue energy around me even as I sat with my feet in the sand. It was like I wasn't fully accepting myself or entirely enjoying this time of self-healing. Something was missing. This quote made me realize that when I am feeling overwhelmed by sad emotions, I slump into judging myself and feeling unworthy. Unworthy of love, of affection, of company - whatever it may be. And then I punish myself in this dark place until I shake it off, find the answer in Nature, or am brought back to consciousness with the helping hand of a friend. Then I realize that what I'm missing is acceptance - of myself, of what I'm feeling in this moment, of how the world is moving around me, etc. I underwent the full arc of this emotional experience today, and it's interesting to look at it this evening, in retrospect. 


It's so important for me (and all of us) to have respect for myself, and to treat my own heart, soul, and body with the ultimate care and concern. As challenging as it is, I really love learning how to better check in with myself and to look at myself with an objective eye, such that I prioritize taking care of me. Often times I would rather take care of others than truly satisfy my own needs. You can't find true love and respect IN anyone else - it's something that each person must first have with themselves. The beauty lies in the times when two people who truly do love themselves and are open to exploring deeper come together - as two separate wholes that can nurture one another as they are. Now that is Euphoric.