Purpose – michelletroxell.com

5 Steps to an Authentic and Effective Self-Image

Michelle — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 21:59:33 +0000

Your self-image is the way you view yourself. You might view yourself as a parent, construction worker, friend, blonde, sports fan, intelligent, impatient, and middle-aged. But you’re more than your career, gender, and age. You’re more than others' opinions of you.

You’re a unique person with nuances that are unique to you!

When who you are aligns with what you do, you’re living authentically.

But most of us view ourselves as one way and live another.

Authentic people act congruently with their values and their self-image.

An authentic self-image is one that is aligned with your values.

The benefits of this congruency are enormous: success, self-esteem, respect from others, greater health, and inner peace.

Those that live misaligned with their values, beliefs, and attitudes have more stress and experience more anxiety, guilt, and shame.

It might seem easier to live up to the expectations of others in the short-term, but the long-term costs are significant.

I can speak to these these long-term costs.

I was feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and didn't know what was causing this feeling. I thought I may be coming down with something. I was stressed at work, but wasn't looking too closely at possible causes of the feelings. I was having trouble walking the couple blocks from my car into my workplace, and telling myself, "I don't know how long I can do this job, its killing me.", and "I'd give anything for a vacation right now!"

Next thing I know, I'm home in bed with the flu and it was no vacation. While recovering, it gave me some time to reflect on the weeks leading up to my "vacation". This was when I recognized a big source of my stress was feeling like my values and my workplace were not in alignment. With further inner work, I recognized this was not a new feeling and by letting it continue it was taking a toll on my health. The stress made me more susceptible to the flu, and high blood pressure, and overall irritability which was affecting my relationships both at home and at work.

By doing work on myself, determining my values and my own path, I first made my inner adjustments to protect my energy and engage in better self-care. As I did this, I found my path and made my exit plan from the job that was not lighting up my spirit.

I share this with you, as I know that staying true to yourself is only possible when you know yourself. Knowing ourselves is not always an easy thing to do, but becomes easier when we have a plan.

Follow these steps to determine your true self and live life on your terms:

Identify your core values.
You can build a self-image and life that are more meaningful and enjoyable.

By knowing your values, you’ll gain an understanding of what is important to you. Once you’re aware of your values, you can build a self-image and life that are more meaningful and enjoyable.

Make a list of your values. Create a long list and include everything that you think applies to you.

Then, reduce your list to the ten values that are most important to you. You might struggle to narrow your list to just ten, but ten values are plenty.

Determine if you have any conflicts.

For example, you might say that adventure and freedom are two of your most important values, but what if you also strongly favor responsibility and security? Those values could be in conflict.

When you’re faced with an inner conflict, you’re likely to shut down and do nothing.

If you’ve ever been paralyzed while making a decision, it’s possible your values were in conflict.

Think back to when you’ve struggled to make a decision and see if it’s true.

Do you have any values listed that aren’t really priorities for you? We often carry around perspectives instilled by our parents, other family members, or society. Here’s a newsflash: they may have been wrong.
Take the time to determine your values for yourself. Disregard what society says you should value. You’re an individual.

Create an action plan for each value.

Imagine one of your values is frugality. You could create a budget and savings plan that incorporates that value. You might plan to start clipping coupons, visit less expensive stores, and search for free entertainment options available on the weekends.

Make a list of activities you enjoy that are in alignment with your values.

For example, if generosity is a priority, you could find an enjoyable way to spend your time helping others.

If health is a value you cherish, you could join a soccer team or a yoga class. Find your favorite sport and participate.

Evaluate yourself at the end of each day.

Think about the instances when you failed to live according to your values.

Likewise, contemplate the times you were able to live according to your values and self-image, particularly when doing so was challenging.

By first identifying and choosing your own values and then constructing a life that allows you to live out those values consistently, you thrive in the process.

Authenticity eliminates many of the common stressors in life, but it’s not always the easiest choice.

Be bold enough to choose the person you want to become and live accordingly.

The benefits are enormous.

What are your values?

Did you Know? September is National Yoga Month!

Michelle — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 14:32:16 +0000

Did you know September is National Yoga Awareness Month?

If you didn’t, you’re not alone. I just learned of this recently and I’m thrilled!

I’ve been practicing yoga for most of my life, although I’ll admit, at times I practice more diligently than others.

I’m using this month to recommit to myself and my yoga practice.

It’s ironic, but I’ve found in times of busyness and stress when I need to engage in more self care, that self care is the first thing to go!

National Yoga Month was declared in 2008 and it was instrumental over the years to bring the practice to so many more people since it’s inception. You can read more about this national awareness month by doing a Google search or going here NIH National Yoga Month. A live stream is scheduled on September 29^th at National Center Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

If you’ve never tried yoga or maybe tried a class in the past and thought “it’s not for me”, maybe this month can be a time for you to give it another go?

Yoga is for everyone, every shape, fitness level and mobility level.

It doesn’t require any special equipment, expensive gym memberships, or fancy workout outfits (although I’ll be first to say happiness is a new pair of yoga pants, lol). There is however no end of tools that can make the practice more comfortable and add variety, but the only requirement is you and your breath. Yoga is great for small spaces as well; I’ve found I can modify my practice for any space that’s available.

I’ve recently been introduced to Yoga Nidra, which is no movement at all, only breathing! My first experience with Yoga Nidra was incredible and best thing is a dear friend made the introduction.

Check out this YouTube video Yoga Nidra from Daisy Arrillaga, who made the introduction by bringing this practice to the health and wellness committee of our nurse’s organization. Thank you, Daisy! That’s another benefit of yoga, it’s something that can be done alone or with those you love.

There are so many types of yoga and chances are you will find one that resonates with you if you take time to try some out. It’s much more than stretches and poses, too. For me, and many that embrace their yoga practice, it’s a way of life. Yoga is life.

Here is a handy guide From YogaMedicine.com . The article gives a rundown of 13 types of yoga to give an idea of some of options. There are several lines of thought about how many types there are in total, some say 28, some say only 4. I say all forms of yoga come from one, and the most important thing is to practice the ones that feel right to you. I’m having a blast exploring some new types of yoga in my practice, and I’ll never cease to be amazed at the diversity.

For me, yoga is not only fitness or a means to quiet my mind, it is more a way of life, a way of staying in touch with my spirit, mind, body, breath, and nature. Kind of like tapping into my roots. It’s a time for me to just be.

Whether you have only a couple minutes or an hour or more, the time spent getting in tune with your breath and your body will benefit you immensely.

What are your thoughts on yoga? Love it? Not a fan? Haven’t tried it yet?
If you practice yoga, what are some of your favorite forms of practice?
Are you thinking of reigniting your yoga practice? If so, what is your plan to do this?

I love to hear your thoughts, so if you'd like to share, you can do that in the comments.

Namaste.

5 Step Simple Path To Manifest Your Heart’s Desire

Michelle — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 02:19:12 +0000

How do you manifest your heart’s desire?

How do you achieve your dreams? I have a simple path for manifesting your heart's desire, and goals large or small.

The simplicity does not imply that it is easy, however, it is easy to understand. This has helped me teach the process to others. This is the same process I've been using for years to manifest my dreams and I can tell you it works when you do.

Step 1: Set your intention.

Your goal must be crystal clear, you must know exactly what you want beyond a shadow of a doubt.

When you have determined what that goal is, what your heart’s desire is, you set it as an intention, and write it down. Several times a day, you focus on this intention, write it out and think about it clearly.

Step 2: Know your why.

You’ve determined what it is you want, now you must know your why. You must know why you want this goal. The reason why behind your goal is what will keep you motivated to go after it.

If you don’t know why you want to write a book, for example, you will get stuck. Writing a book is hard, it is tedious, and unless you are a whiz at it, it will take a lot of hours. Even if you are a whiz at it, it will take you a lot of hours, a lot of frustration. It is going to be difficult. Your why is what will get you through those tough spots.

Because you will have tough spots.

This is true of any goal that is worthwhile, it will come with challenges. You will have obstacles that come up. But, when your why is crystal clear and you know exactly who is going to be helped by you achieving your goal, how you will be helped by achieving your goal, this will get you through.

Think of all the people you will be able to reach and how their lives will be impacted by you achieving your dream and sharing it with them. This is what is going to get you through those tough spots.

Step 3: Believe it is already yours.

When you believe in your heart that this dream is already yours, it is already achieved. One of the biggest indicators of success on any journey is the belief factor. Let’s say your goal is to lose 15 pounds, if you do not honestly believe that you can achieve this, you are not going to do it.

Whatever you must do to increase your belief, do this. You must believe it as if it has already happened. This belief that you have lost these 15 pounds is part of how you can also visualize it. The visualization goes into each of these steps, it goes into setting your intention, when you write it down, you think about it day and night. You need to eat, breathe, sleep, bathe in this intention. And now with the belief that it is already yours you need to do this visualization to see it as already done.

Step 4: Have gratitude

When you are seeing your dream as already done, you now want to have gratitude that you have achieved it.

Have gratitude that you are achieving your goal, and you have achieved it, and you will.

Have gratitude in the process and gratitude in the journey.

Have gratitude in the challenges as they are making you stronger and more persistent.

Step 5: Be the person who has achieved the goal.

To achieve any goal, you must become the person who has achieved your goal. Now I am not saying that you're going to become someone different, although in the process of personal development we really are recreating ourselves. But it's not like we're recreating ourselves patterning after someone else, we are just recreating the best version of ourselves.

So, back to the example goal of writing a book you need to become that person that writes. You need to be that person who sits down every day at the computer or with a pen and paper and writes, that’s how you become the person who has already achieved the dream.

Becoming the person who has achieved the goal gives you the daily actions that go into achieving your goal. The daily actions of this step make all the steps and the goal come together. When these five steps are put into practice and done daily, done several times a day, you will achieve anything you set your mind to.

Using this 5-step plan has helped me immensely in achieving my goals. One big advantage is that I know I have nothing to fear, my goal is already accomplished by using these 5 steps. I’ve found that it is absolutely a lot more fun to be thinking about our goals as already accomplished and basking in that glory of those achievements.

Example

One of my intentions this week has been to get to bed early every day.

My why for wanting to go to bed early is that I know I think a lot better when I have enough sleep. I do not function well on only a couple hours, although I seem to think that I can do a lot more, if I can just stay up later and get more done. But guess what? Staying up and missing out on sleep does not make anything easier, especially when you're running on many days or many weeks of less sleep than your body requires.

Another why for my goal is that I am a morning person. I do my best work early in the morning. I love to get up before the sunrise and watch the sunrise. I like to have those hours as uninterrupted time where I can be creative. Since I have set this intention, I have been meeting that goal daily.

When starting this goal path, I believe that it's already mine, and I know that I can get to bed early.

I have gratitude that I can do this every day. I have gratitude that my mind is enabling me to be setting this goal and that I am achieving it. I have gratitude every morning when I get up before the sunrise and enjoy this special time just for me.

I am being the person who does go to bed early, I make sure I have my routine in place so that I can get to bed at a decent hour, and I can wake up when my alarm clock goes off. I don't hit the snooze now, as I am not someone who hits the snooze button.

I hope this post is helpful to you in achieving your hearts' desire. You can put this plan into action again and again, and you can be working on multiple goals at a time. This path works for any goal, big or small.

Leave me a comment if you have tried this path and what you have learned through the process. If you have any additions or other ideas, I’d love to hear those as well.

If you are ready to take the next step and are ready to begin delving deep into your own personal development, take a moment and schedule your free discovery call or enroll in the Awake Alive Abundant! Course and I will be honored to guide you on the path to your dreams.

Pay Attention: Mindfulness in a Nutshell

Michelle — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 21:13:49 +0000

What is mindfulness?

What comes to your mind when you read this question?

Do you use mindfulness, or do you think it may be complicated?

First, I will tell you what mindfulness is not.

It is not the same as meditation, although it can be a part of meditation practice. It is not "clearing your mind." Mindfulness is not only something for monks or Buddhists, although they do use it. It does not need to take a lot of time, a few moments here and there is a great place to start.

You have all you need to practice mindfulness already within you. You do not need any special equipment, and it is available to us anytime we choose.

If you are not currently in practice, being mindful may take a little getting used to, especially in today's world when multi-tasking seems to be the preferred way of being. The fast-paced world we live in is one great reason the practice is more critical to our wellbeing now than ever before.

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present. In fundamental terms, it is paying attention. Mindfulness is a great tool to improve your focus, your relationships, health, and wellbeing.

Some examples:

to practice mindfulness when you are bathing or cleaning your home, you can focus on the water, how it looks, and how it feels? You can concentrate on the cleanser or soap, the areas you are cleaning, the cleanser's scent, the feel of the surface you are cleansing.
when playing with your children, be fully present, use all your senses. What are you hearing, seeing, feeling, sensing, smelling?
When you are eating a meal or having a drink, slow down, take it all in, experience it with all your senses. What do you hear, see, taste, feel, smell?

The practice of mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety.

Practicing mindfulness while eating has been shown to improve digestion, feelings of satisfaction and reduce times of overeating.

Being fully present with our children has increased the parent-child bond, increases the child's self-esteem, and reduces feelings of overwhelm in the parent.

Some Key benefits of Mindfulness:

Reduce stress.
Reduce anxiety.
Reduce blood pressure.
Improve sleep.
Improve digestion.
Improve bonding and relationships.
Improve mental wellness.
Improve wellbeing.
Improve focus.
Reduce distractions.
Reduce worry.
Improve self-esteem.

Mindfulness is a practice that is available to us any time of day or night, wherever we are.

It is the moments of bliss while holding a hot cup of tea and looking out at the sunrise, watching the colors as they first start to appear and change out of the night sky. It is noticing the sounds of birds chirping "good morning" and smelling the scent of the grass that is wet with dew, feeling the chair I am sitting on, and noticing the feel of the breeze on my cheek. This is one of my favorite times to practice.

Have you been using mindfulness in your own life? If not, are you willing to give it a try?

Maybe think of it as a thought experiment. It is called a practice for a reason; it will never be perfect. Some days it is easier to get into exercise, and some days it may feel like it is not working. The very fact that you are trying the practice means it is working. The practice is the point of it all.

What are some thoughts or observations you have on the topic? I'm interested to hear anything you'd like to share.

5 Best Tools to Design a Life you Love

Michelle — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 18:24:58 +0000

When we have big goals or are not where we want to be in our lives, we have to do something different than we’ve been doing to get to this point. There are several concrete actions we can take to assess the situation, plan, implement that plan and reassess as we continue on the path.

Here are 5 of my favorite tools to help you determine where you are today and where you would like to go.

This is a collection of resources that have benefitted my clients and myself in looking at themselves with a new perspective.

Where are you? Where do you want to be?

Make a clear assessment of where you are and where you want to go. To get anywhere new in life, you must know where you are starting and where you intend to go. Many of us get stuck on the first part and dwell on where we are. Sometimes we are afraid to dream about where we could go and cut off that possibility before we even begin.

Know why you want to make any kind of change you are planning. The why is more important than what the change is and how you will make that change is determined by clearly identifying that why. The why behind our goals is what gives us fuel to keep going toward the finish line, especially when things may get off track, which they often will.

Habits

Get a handle on your daily habits. What we do daily determines all the results we have in our lives. The way we think and talk about ourselves is a habit that we must include in this list. If the way we talk or think about ourselves is not serving us, we can change this. We cannot control much in life outside of ourselves, but we can make amazing changes in our lives and the lives we interact with, by using some simple tweaks in how we think and speak about ourselves.

Journaling

Daily journaling. This does not need to be anything elaborate or structured. We can write anything that is on our minds in our journals. Do you ever have things that keep running around in your head? Write them down. Sometimes this can help us move on to other issues those persistent thoughts have been overpowering. One simple exercise, I’ve been doing for a while is a practice of writing 3 things that I am thankful for. This goes a long way in getting my day on the right track or ending the day on a bright note, depending on what time of day I am journaling. Even when the day may not have gone as planned, this helps to put things in perspective.

Get Your Mind Right

Mindfulness or Meditation practice daily. If you are not already practicing mindfulness or meditation, please continue reading. I know many people think they have a difficult time meditating, and I believe some of that challenge comes from overcomplicating it in their understanding. This does not need to be complicated. Mindfulness is the act of focusing on one thing at a time. For example, when you get up in the morning and make your bed, focus on each action you are performing, the feel of the sheets and blankets on your fingers and hands, the color of the sheets, the smoothness of the bed when you are finished. As you get your coffee, focus your attention on the smell of the coffee, the sound of the coffee maker, the sensation of the hot coffee on your tongue when you take a sip, the flavor you are tasting, etc. this is the practice of mindfulness. For meditation, an easy way to get started is just to focus your gaze on something in front of you and put your attention on your breathing for a few minutes. This can be done any time of day. If it is challenging to you to start a meditation or mindfulness practice, take small steps, and be kind to yourself. It is a practice and will never be perfect. The important thing is you are taking time for yourself and making the effort to do the practice.

New Every Day

Make a practice of learning or experiencing something new each day. This something new can be listening to a new song, reading a new poem, or listening to another’s view on a subject that is unlike your own. You could study a new language, read a new book, learn to play an instrument, or pick up an instrument that has been collecting dust for a while. Learning something new each day enhances our perspective of ourselves and of others. Learning about other people increases our empathy. As you are exploring new things, you may find a new hobby or business pursuit or a new skill that may help you in your profession. The practice of being open to new information is a way to ensure you are operating with a growth mindset. New learning combats depression and decreases cognitive decline as we age. It is a myth that our mind loses the ability to learn new things with age, the truth is we may not have been exercising this ability and it may have gotten rusty.

Resources

Awake Alive Abundant! Courses uses these and many more tools that will help you get from anywhere you are to the life you've dreamed of, allowing you to let go of beliefs, habits, and conditioning that no longer serves you so you can become free to step into the amazing, confident, high impact self that you were put on this earth to be.

Check out the tools below, and if you would like to go more in depth into your personal development, click the links here to schedule your free discovery call or enroll in the course.

I believe in you and your abundance!

The Facts, Feelings, Faith Framework

Discover Yourself, Determine your Direction

Guided Meditation: Heart Healing