The Life Engineer - TIPS for your Best Life

Want to make your Thanksgiving memorable this year?

It was 2012 and I had the turkey brining (yes, the Alton Brown method of putting your turkey in a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket filled with salt water) and sides prepping and I decided to do something new this go round besides focusing only on food.

In a moment of inspiration, I took some branches off my tree, grabbed some spray paint and sprayed them a beautiful metallic gold. Tree branches never looked so pretty and with a tall, skinny, glass vase I had at home, I stuck those branches in it with some rocks and voila! I had created a grand centerpiece for $6. I then took my papercutter and cut out cardstock squares for every single one of my guests, with their name on it, and hung those with ribbon off of the branches. I was so proud of my display right when you entered the party.

But, this isn't a note about how to make beautiful centerpieces. What happened from there is what made it the most memorable Thanksgiving...

So, what happened?

Well what happened was seriously AH-mazing and liberating!

For those of you who have been following, I went on a reading deprivation, or fast let's call it, for 1 week. That meant no reading of books, no watching TV, and NO social media (yes, that means no Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and I threw in no WhatsApp for good measure). You can read why I did it at my post here: Distraction, Deprivation, or Dream-cation?

The week was SO much better than expected and I felt...

Distraction, Deprivation, or Dream-cation?

Hey beautiful, I wanted to let you know that I'm going off of social media completely.

Not forever...

I have to apologize

You know those times when you feel like you're in a good groove with something and then you miss one time and then another and then another?

Like a great workout routine you start, and you're consistent and motivated and the momentum is building and you're like I CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!

And then one day you have to miss a workout...you're tired, your head hurts, you had a bad day, you ate chik-fil-a, or you just don't feel like it. Whatever it is, you say...

Farty Party

OMG...this is SO embarrassing...

I was on a flight the other day and super hungry so I ordered a 'healthy' snack of hummus and chips.

Fact #1 - hummus is pureed chick peas...which are straight up beans...which means gasiness central!

Why is this fact important? Well I ate my snack in joy and then a few minutes later, I had to fart SO bad. But I couldn't get to the bathroom because the drinks cart was still in the aisle and I was STUCK.

SO....

Perfect and admired or Real and loved?

After a difficult conversation with my husband last week (he would call it an argument...tomato, tomAtoe), I decided to distract myself by curling up on the couch in my pjs and reading a girly book.

Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton had been on my short list and it was INCREDIBLE. It was like being seen and heard by someone...except she has no idea who I am.
This particular passage summed it up beautifully:

Have you ever felt like you made a mistake?

We all make 'mistakes' and it can feel debilitating at times. Thinking ugh...why did I do that?! Maybe playing the scenario over and over again in your mind. Or not moving forward out of fear or because of regret.

But what if the mistake wasn't wasn't a big deal or maybe not even a mistake?

What Makes A Good Life?

I just watched a beautiful Ted Talk by Robert Waldinger on 'Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness.'

The big takeaway - relationships matter most. It still catches me by surprise. At this point, how many times have you heard that connection and quality relationships are more meaningful than wealth, fame and achievement? And yet, how many times do we go after those very things?

Birthday Wish

It's my birthday today!!!
There are many things I love in life and birthdays are one of them.
A whole day to celebrate you?! YESSSSSSSSSSS....I LOVE IT! like LUWAH it.

What if You Felt Free, TODAY?

I've been thinking about this question for a while...when will I be free? I keep thinking once I'm 'free', I'll be good.

What's the Right Choice?

Disaster struck in my first world, with blood...

Panty Confessions

Confession time. I bought new panties recently - the VS 5 for $28 panties. Why?

How Her Life Transformed

You know what's tough? When you feel like your life is 'just fine.' Or so you tell others and mostly yourself. It's this weird in between you live in where you rationalize everything in your life to feel better about it.

And you live like that for a while. You take your smart, motivated, passionate self and you subdue her bit by bit.

Wondering where the joy is amongst the junk?

The Reason Behind Your Fear (and the science of it)

When I first heard about the Women's March last November, I was SO excited about it! Finally a march for women. Women to stand up and be seen. Our voices being heard. To show we exist and matter.
Feminine power rising in a time where we need it most. Nurturing, empathic, multi-dimensional, high quality, considering everyone affected when making a decision, and the list goes on. #mothernature. Not a knock to masculine power but we have enough in the world and the balance has been skewed for some time.
This march was everything about empowering women and it wasn't even a second thought for me. I help women step into their own power so wouldn't I march with so many to show our collective power?
And yet, sometimes the very things we get so fired up about is what can dissipate with the best rationalization ever. The thing you know for certain in every part of your being -- so much so you get those tingly feelings throughout your body -- can be what we end up letting go so easily.
Why is that?

What’s Transforming Today?

Snafu from my side. I had this diamond metaphor to share but realized I can't use some cheesy metaphor because it's not big enough to capture the essence of who YOU are. Truth is you're already a diamond. Fashioned beautifully. What’s missing is the final polish for you to see your brilliance.

I see the immense light within you, even if you don't see it yourself yet.
The light trying so hard to shine but stifled by the box it feels like it has to live in. That it has to be in all the time.

The perfection box
The I'll-get-around-to-it box, after I've done all these things for others.
The I haven’t accomplished anything box
The I’m not beautiful enough box
The I’m SO busy box…with things I don’t really want to do
The box you don't fit into, but for whatever reason you keep trying to stuff yourself in.

Talk about a bad outfit, the box has got to go.

I'm reminded of a beautiful client of mine --

10 Secrets to More Time

It's YOUR time and you can feel it. Right now though, you’re overwhelmed. Feeling unfulfilled.
If only, you had more time…

Download The 10 Secrets to More Time! It's unlike what you’ve seen before (hint: there's no secret about schedules). And it's FREE.

Click here to Download the 10 Secrets to More Time

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