Remember, the career path you choose is one of the most important decisions you make in life. 

With time, asking the right questions, and following the steps above, you can decide what you value and then make sure you are living in those values with your job choice, or explore making a change.

Don't forget, you don't have to do this alone!  This is where a great coach comes in.  Someone who can illuminate your path so you can see things that may have been hidden from your current view.  If you want a guide for your journey,  click this link to schedule yourself a free discovery call with me.  

If you find yourself not loving where you are in your career or workplace, you owe it to yourself to find within you the courage to change your direction!

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?

Hard resets are big, serious, and require a firm decision, lot of time and focus.

If you’re ready to make a big change quickly, follow this process of proven strategies:

Our intuition is one of the amazing instincts we are born with, but we can make ours stronger with practice and intention.

Following our intuition or our inner guidance system is a practice that we can all get better at using.  

When we practice trusting our intuition we can use it in the way it was intended, naturally and in alignment with our highest selves.

I've found 9 great ways to do this easier.

As it says in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”

Whether you consider yourself to be a Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, have new age, universalist beliefs, or whatever beliefs you hold, the principle is the same.

Trust your intuition, your inner guidance system!

So, now we know our inner guidance is the path to feeling in balance, connection with the creator within and with others. 

We also know this is the way to not allow criticism or fear of it to taint our creativity or deter us from releasing our gifts to the world, but how do we do it?

Well, read on.  I'll let you in on the best ways I've found that work wonders for my clients and myself.

Sure, it might be cool to be able to fly or breathe underwater, but focus is a superpower you can actually develop and put to good use.

The ability to focus is also a great predictor of success.

It’s been said in marketing if you can’t grab someone’s attention within the first couple seconds, you’ve lost it.  

This is true of the one being marketed to and the one doing the marketing.  

SOS or shiny-object-syndrome can throw us into a tailspin and cause us to chuck a great service idea or product into the waste can.  Then we’re off to the next “better” idea, and around and around we go.  

All the while we end up with unfinished projects or we get less than stellar results from the few that do get accomplished.  

This leads to loss of confidence and even more SOS!

But it’s not just nefarious companies trying to make a buck that are to blame.

Your environment and habits are to blame, too.

There’s a lot that goes into focusing at a high level over an extended period of time.

Luckily, despite all this, focus is a superpower that you can develop!

Enhance your ability to focus by using these strategies:

Focus isn’t something that can be maintained indefinitely. It’s a relatively short-term activity. But you can repeat it after a short break. You also need something to focus your attention on.

Decide what you’re going to do.

Be specific.

Have a specific task in mind that you’re going to either complete or work on for a set amount of time..

What is distracting to you?

Avoid trying to focus in the presence of distractions. 

Either remove the distractions or move to a different environment.

You might have to take the TV out of your office.

Maybe you need to go to the library to do any real work, or try another location that has less distractions.

Timers free you up from having to check the clock repeatedly. They also create a sense of urgency and provide a little emotional relief. You know that you’re done when the timer goes off.

It’s a lot easier to sit down and focus for 40 minutes multiple times than it is to focus for an entire day.

Sufficient sleep and a healthy diet can greatly enhance your ability to focus.

Make sure to have a comfortable room temperature and ergonomic furniture and equipment.  It's hard to focus when our bodies are screaming at us. 

Regular exercise increases oxygen to the brain and assists with focus in addition to energizing us. 

Productivity experts recommend not working for more than 50 minutes without a 10-minute break.


Some people find that 25 minutes of work with a five-minute break is best.

Also, take a 20-30-minute break every couple of hours. Your ability to focus is recharged when you take breaks.

Computer and smartphone notifications are focus killers.

Turn them all off. You can check them on your breaks.

Put your phone on airplane mode and stick in the drawer. Or leave it in the other room if you must.  

Every text message, phone call, and email will still be there when you have a break.

Practicing meditation gives our powers of focus their supercharge!  If you’re not already in a practice of meditation, and you are having a challenge with focus, there's no better time to start than right now!    Start with 5 minutes if you're just beginning.                                                                                                                  

Set an intention.  For example: “my intention is to pay attention to my breathing for 5 minutes”.

Studies have shown that people who practice meditation increase the focus centers in their brains with practice.  It does not take a monk or years of practice, either. These results have been noted in everyday people with a little instruction and a daily practice.                                                                

If you would like more information on how meditation can increase your superpowers or guided meditations, check out some of the resources here or enroll in one of Awake Alive Abundant courses.

So, don't forget, although there’s a lot that goes into focusing at a high level, you can practice some new tools that will help.  You are worth it!

And when you do, you will agree focus is a superpower that you can develop!

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.

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.

• 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.

Work in service-based industries, what we now call “front-line work”, is what makes the world go round.  Can you imagine if there were no waitstaff, no fast-food workers, no convenience store workers, no chefs, no grocery store workers, no healthcare workers, day care workers, mail delivery people, environmental services workers like facilities maintenance, housekeeping or sanitation workers?  The world would cease to function.  If you are working as a front-line worker, and you are feeling insignificant, please never forget this.  The world would cease to function without you and the self-less work you do.

Recently I’ve become aware that not everyone has the same idea of what “work” is, and what is valuable and honorable when work is discussed.  I had not always thought about work in these lines and silly me, I thought (wrongly) that everyone knows what work is and what is honorable and valuable.  But what I know now is these concepts vary a lot depending on where a person’s thinking is originating.  Does work mean leaving home at 5 am, commuting 2 hours in stop-and-go traffic, punching a time clock, doing tasks on “autopilot”?

The current pandemic has opened my eyes to what it means to be a frontline worker.  I had not thought much about all the different roles that make up frontline work until we had to close all but “essential businesses”.  This put a whole new light on a lot of work that many of us take for granted.  Well, that can no longer be true, at least for me.

While I’ve always respected whatever shape work takes for people, I’m also aware that not everyone has the same respect for different types of work.   

I’ve been asked “when do you work?” and I answer, “everyday” which is true, because work takes many forms and often due to when inspiration strikes, for me this is often a daily occurrence.

I’ve had loved ones question my answer like the one above with, “no, I meant when do you actually go to work?”   I now realize this question has to do with a person’s idea of work being a place you trudge to, and a place that is not your home.   

It’s been said, “When you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life”, and cliché it may be, but I feel it is true.

 I may do a voice record memo while on a walk with wording for an article, research needing to do, or something to add to other pieces of material I’m working on. Then when I get home if I’m still feeling energetic and inspired, I continue the line of thought that my walk inspired.  Now I consider my walks part of my work, essential to inspiration, flow and organizing ideas in my mind.  It doesn't always look like I'm working when these things occur, but to me it is work.  

It is enjoyable AND it is work. 

Never let anyone make you think that your work is without value, or not honorable.  Especially if that work is not of the “traditional” variety, or if it is not what you went to school for.  If you love what you do, it shows in what you do and how you do it.  This is something I’ve thought of a lot in the past.  I am a firm believer that no matter what job I was doing, I would do my best in that role, if my thinking was on the right path, and the job aligned with my values. “Bloom where you’re planted” is an expression that rolls around in my mind in times like these. 

I’ve been a nurse since I was 21, however, I’ve done some additional job roles in my work career that were not nursing related, some by choice, some by necessity.  Some roles I’ve worked in addition to nursing are gymnastics coach, realtor, beauty consultant, grocery store cashier, waitress, author, coach.  What do all these roles have in common?  The main goal of the job role is to serve others.  To make another’s day brighter, to empower another to be healthier, to guide to a choice that will make their lives better, learn new things.  Trust me, I was not always in a right frame of mind to think these things, but due to lifelong practice in shifting my mindset, I could usually get myself back to a more helpful frame of mind quickly, or after not too much turmoil.   I know that no matter what job role I was doing, I would find a way to feel great about it.  When doing this, I would then find ways to make the job, the workplace, and the people I worked with brighter, more efficient and a place that works for the purpose it was intended! Lol, that is just the way my mind works.    

Is it not work if I enjoy it?

Is it not work if I would, and have done this work voluntarily, and in what normally would be “off-time”? 

 Does enjoying ones work not mean it is not work?  I often hear “work is not supposed to be fun”, or “work is a grind, that’s just the way it is”.   I don't agree with this.  

I understand we often must do tasks we may not prefer in our work, but if our work is overwhelmingly painful or not fun, it may be time to think of what would make it fun or possibly a career change. 

I sometimes hear people say “I can’t wait to retire; I’ll finally get to do what I love”.  I am saddened by this the most.  Do you know how many people don’t make it to retirement or pass away shortly after retirement?

If you are not doing what you love now, why not?  Is there a way you can work in little bits of what you love into you present job?  Is anyone making a career out of doing what you love, and you could find a way to do what you love right now, by making a career change?

If you are looking for direction and inspiration, whether its your career, finances, relationships, spiritual life, or other life area that needs clarity, get your FREE pdf to here to “Design Your Abundant Life”

What are your thoughts on work?  Does work you enjoy and can't wait to get out of bed for sound like a dream?  Or are you already doing work that lights you up?

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.  I love to hear what's on your mind!

Be well. 

If you answered yes to either of the above questions, you may have a problem setting boundaries.  

It’s not easy to set boundaries when others are accustomed to you not having any. Whether we like to admit it or not, sometimes people take advantage of other people.

Even “nice” people can be quite exploitative if it’s the easiest and most convenient path to take.

When others take advantage of our kindness, it leads to resentment and lowered self-esteem.

The solution to this unfortunate situation is setting boundaries. Your boundaries can be anything you choose.

A few examples include:

You don’t loan money to anyone.

You don’t allow people to yell at you.

You don’t spend time with people that are drunk.

You don’t kiss on the first date.

You don’t allow pop-over guests.

You can have boundaries regarding your own behavior too, such as:

You don’t eat meat.

You don’t curse.

You refuse to ride on the back of a motorcycle.

Set some boundaries of your choosing and enjoy these advantages:

1. You’ll have less stress in your life. When you have boundaries, others stop taking advantage of your good nature. When they understand there are limits, they tend to obey and respect them. A good set of boundaries reduces the amount of stress you experience in your life.
   
2. You’ll receive more respect. We all know the person that will loan you $100 and then take the bus at their expense to care for your pets, because you’ve borrowed their car for a 2,000-mile road trip. They won’t even care if you bring their car back with a cracked windshield and an empty tank. Those people aren’t respected.
   

When you respect yourself and your time by setting boundaries, others will respect you, too.

3. You’ll be less annoyed with others. When fewer people are making demands of your time, you won’t be so annoyed with them. When you have less stress and more respect, you’ll also be less annoyed.
   
   
4. You get to practice being assertive. Setting boundaries is a way to be assertive. The people that need to set boundaries are often the people who need the most practice being assertive.
   
   
5. You develop more respect for the boundaries of others. You become more aware of the boundaries of others when you set boundaries. You’re more respectful when you receive respect.
   
   
6. You learn how to say “no” to others. Saying “no” is a valuable skill. It’s not easy to deny the requests of others, but it’s important. You can’t accommodate everyone at every moment. There are times that a refusal is the only reasonable response.
   
   
7. You’ll have more free time. Fewer people making demands on your time means having more time available to spend as you please. What would you do with more time?
   
   
8. Your life improves overall. If you’re less stressed, more respected, less annoyed, more assertive, and have more free time, your life is bound to be better overall. It’s amazing what a few boundaries can do!
   
   
9. More self-respect and self-esteem. When you stick up for yourself and fewer people are taking advantage of you, you’ll experience more self-respect and self-esteem. It’s easier to like yourself when you treat yourself well.

You have the right to determine what you will and will not accept in your life. You can require others to comply with your boundaries if they want to continue being part of your life. It’s your time, life, and attention. You can allocate them any way you please.

Start by making a list of boundaries that you’d like to apply to your life and the people around you. Expect resistance at first but be firm. The important people in your life will comply in time.

Have compassion with yourself and remember setting boundaries is a new practice you are taking up.  It will take time and practice.

When you’ve begun setting boundaries, let me know how your practice is going.  I love to hear what is challenging and what is working. 

How does a typical day start for you?

Does the following scenario sound all too familiar?

You’re jolted out of sleep by the blaring alarm clock. As you crawl out of bed already stressing about the day ahead, you turn on the TV or radio, open your newspaper, or click onto social media. What do you see? The media delights in engulfing you with stories of horrific events.

As you leave your home, you’re surrounded by impatient, oblivious drivers until you finally arrive at the office, only to be submerged in office politics and other trappings of the rat race.

In a world filled with so much negativity, is it possible to live a positively charged life?

The answer is yes! Consider, for a moment, how this same day could have started if you were focusing on positivity, instead:

As you awaken, you feel rejuvenated by restful slumber. You’re greeted by the melody of the birds singing as they herald the beauty of the new day. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air, and you sit up, stretch, and spend a leisurely moment taking it all in.

You spend your commute wondering what exciting opportunities await you as you plan a fulfilling day mixed with working toward your goals and enjoying your favorite hobbies. At the office, your co-workers chat amiably as they settle in for a productive day.

Which morning do you prefer?

The amazing thing is you have the power to choose either one!

Try these 5 life-changing strategies that help you discover your power to keep positive energy flowing daily: