Our lives can be very misunderstood by others. What is YOUR mindset? What does YOUR heart feel? Walk your path at your own pace.
Live Before You Improve
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. We hear that all the time. That statement implies something may (or may not be) better. But what if it’s not about being better? What if a decision, a choice, is made to reflect one’s truth? In essence, the intention to live authentically is the driver rather than the expectation of the outcome.
Face and Move
Sure, we must face our fears. But what may be even more necessary for living an authentic, blissful life, is facing what we do not feel we deserve. If you don't feel you are enough, if you do not believe you are worthy of your dream life, you stagnate.
Step Into the Uncertainty
We can be ninjas at talking ourselves out of anything. Fear is a healthy reminder that change is around the bend. Summon the courage you know you have and go….
Are You Here?
What are you putting off? What you are holding back? What are you pausing? What are you denying?
S2E7 : How About Curiosity?
Have you wondered if your conditioning of the past is overriding your curiosity in the present? I sure have. Let's explore together.
Allow Your Truth
What will others think?
What will others say?
What will others do?
There is compassionate consideration and then there is self-abandonment. Sometimes it’s not about circumstances. Sometimes it’s not even about change. It’s just about you loving yourself. Accepting yourself. Allowing your truth to breathe.
Pull Back The Curtains
Even the closest, most trusted people in our lives have opinions about how we “should” see the world. If you are forever looking at the opinions of others, you are missing your unique opportunity to see life with your own eyes. To feel life with your heart. To experience life with your soul. To move through live in your own, authentic way. Mishaps and missteps. Milestones and miracles. Pull the curtains back!
Face Yourself
We are not our fears. We do give them a place to live within us. We do nurture them with limiting beliefs. We do attach to the expectations we want from our experiences and relationships. We can become aware. We can set intentions. We can accept and release. We can heal. We can love. We can live our truth.
Radical Love
Love energy is the most divine and transformative energy. It is within all of us. It connects all of us. Love is how we accept, release, heal, teach, learn, and evolve. Radical love is about no longer settling. No longer compromising. No longer hiding behind contentment while your inner fire burns. Radical love is next level living.
Thrive From Vulnerability
Your life is there for you to create and live. Fall in love with the experience of your own breath. Allow your soul to be. Allow your heart to love and to receive love. Be grateful for what you have and be open to all you are worthy to receive...
Setting Intentions
Limiting beliefs yield a limited life. Your fear of failure/judgment tricks you into believing you can’t, you shouldn’t, you’re not enough, you’re not worthy. So, you settle for less than, for comfortable, for safe. There is no growth, but rather, the illusion of progress. Why? Because, “It’s better than nothing.” However, being consciously aware of abundance, endless possibilities, and infinite love can shift your mind’s mantra to, “I am worthy of my magnificence!”
Be
Courageously and lovingly tap into your authenticity and allow yourself to be exactly who you are.
The Lounge Podcast Ep. 1 - Are You Ready?
Tune in for my first episode on my newly launched podcast, The Lounge!!!!
In this episode, I chat about being “ready”, how our brains like to overprotect us, and changing your mindset from, “What will happen?” to “What can I learn?”
Fear Is Not A Validation
People hear what you say. People see what you do. But people do not experience your life experiences as you do.
Furthermore, we often dial down or even hide our truth. The deep, core experience dancing in our souls and warming our hearts. For as real as it feels to us, we still try to make sense of it. We question it and doubt it. There are so many reasons why we do this and it all points back to fear.
How much do you reveal in your moment to moment?
We tell people what we think they will accept. We show people what we think they will accept. We surrender to fear. We tell ourselves we have difficult choices to make, but what that really mean is we have tradeoffs to make. The tradeoff is our authenticity for someone else's acceptance. Why? Because we allow fear to be a validation for how we choose to live.
Fear is NOT a validation.
words on image: Michael Barata / image: Jez Timms
Your Truth
Who YOU are can only be discovered and realized by YOU. What others may think or say is their own deal.
You make choices. You make decisions. You make mistakes. You learn lessons. You dance in bliss. You grow from pain. You express your truth. You reflect in silence.
Life is your most precious gift. The journey is yours to unwrap it.
words on image: Michael Barata / image: Ravi Pinisetti
Be Instead of Prove
Think about your energy. Think about your time. Think about YOUR LIFE. How do you want/need to be expressing yourself? How often do you allow someone else to influence how you create and live your life?
Your reference point for your authenticity is within YOU. Your successes and failures contribute to the path you are blazing. Burn the bridges of conformity and judgment with every step you take.
Stop proving yourself. Love yourself. Trust yourself. Nurture yourself. BE YOURSELF!
all words + words on image: Michael Barata / image: Nick Fewings
Your Energy Foundation
We allow the outside world to influence how we live. We all do. From situations to people, what is happening outside of us receives so much of our attention.
Speaking your truth cannot be contingent on how it may be received. Choosing who or what gets space in your life does not require permission from anyone but you. Being there for yourself in every way possible is a healthy imperative. And your dreams, are your dreams to discover, pursue, and live out.
You deserve your own attention, time, and space to create a strong, grounded, and loving foundation for yourself. It’s your energy.
words on image: Michael Barata / image: Chetan Menaria
Be Seen
Your truth is your voice.
How you express your beingness is a journey from within. Too often, we focus on being accepted rather than being authentic, real, and unfiltered.
Go all in with who you are. Your life is your playground for living out loud. Connect with your essence, nourish your soul, ground yourself in your truth, love yourself, and be grateful for being YOU.
Your life is NOT about being accepted. It’s about being seen.
words on image: Michael Barata / image: Aa Novo
The Next Chapter
One day back in 2006, I was sitting at my desk at work and something just felt off. The whole work-life balance buzz was popping up here and there, and honestly, I didn't even know what that meant. So, I googled it. There were many results. But one jumped out at me. It was an article in Business Week entitled, "Smashing The Clock."
I read it and IT CHANGED MY LIFE! The article was about Best Buy's implementation of the Results-Only Work Environment. What stood out to me was how this approach to work (and life) was grounded in trust. Of course, a mind shift journey of this magnitude can be disruptive, liberating, and transformative. Well, I got it. I felt it. I connected to it and I wanted it!
I began reading and commenting on the ROWE blog - a lot! I had the book, "Why Work Sucks and How To Fix It" mailed to me (it was autographed too!!!!). At the same time, I was requesting a ROWE-like experience where I was employed. It didn't happen. Fast-forward to three years later and I was hired by the co-founders/co-creators of ROWE, Cali Ressler & Jody Thompson, to be a ROWE facilitator as part of a N.I.H. research project studying workplace culture and health. The study lasted for two years. MY LIFE CHANGED AGAIN!!!!
After the study ended, so many things happened with regard to my career path. Over the next seven years, I never lost sight of ROWE and how it changed my like and how I believed it can change the lives of others. I began teaching college psychology with a ROWE mindset. I worked as a return specialist with a ROWE mindset. I was a beertender with a ROWE mindset. In 2017, I was hired as General Manager to manage a craft beer garden, a fitness center, a cafe, and a restaurant (slated to open in 2019). And yes, I still have a ROWE mindset.
That's me with Jody enjoying a layover!
And then....I received some social media messages from Jody Thompson about a possible BIG opportunity. We scheduled a call and I listened. And just like back in 2009, I said, "YES!!!!!" I'm on board as a Master Trainer for CulureRx shifting mindsets and facilitating adaptive change in Canada. Yes. ROWE in Canada!
I'm still a General Manager too. So, the next few months are sure to be fun. I hope you enjoy reading about my journey....