Comfort Is Quicksand

Think about those mornings when every inch of your bed just hugs you? The sheets and blankets have created the perfect temperature, that you almost feel one with them. Your pillow is a soft cloud for your heavy mind.

What else is going here? That’s right. Your comfort is holding you back from beginning your day. Exercising. Meditating. Eating a heathy breakfast. Spending some meaningful time with someone - or even with yourself.

Comfort denies new experience. Comfort ignores creativity. Comfort stunts growth. Comfort delays learning. Comfort teams up with fear to stop you from: exploring, going further, looking more intently, being curious and courageous, and yes, they stop you from living divinely and loving deeply.

Comfort is best experienced as a flowing reminder that you are living. However, it can also be a stagnant stop.

words + words on image: Michael Barata / image: Lisa Fotios

Your Inner Badass

Inside each of us is a badass. Our inner badass lives authentically. Loves boldly. Speaks confidently. 

To our inner badass, fear is something to overcome. Pain is the teacher and healing is the lesson. Vulnerability is an opportunity for growth. Our inner badass will only express our truth. 

What stops our inner badass? We do. We quiet it. We hide it. We ignore it. We deny it. We doubt it. 

No more. Give way to your inner badass.

words on image: Michael Barata / image: Mabel Amber

Your Truth Is Enough

No need to figure out life. Your life is your gift. Your truth is the unfolding of it. 

Along the way, you will doubt your truth. You will hide your truth. Hell, you’ll even be told your truth is not enough. They are obstacles. You may trip and fall. Get up. It’s your truth. 

Your truth is beautiful because it’s your truth. It’s what makes your life, authentic. The highs and lows, the flow and the falls. 

Your truth is yours. All of it. The knee-buckling obstacles as well as the awe inspiring beautiful scenery. 

words: Michael Barata / image: MaLeK DriDi

Heal From Within

We hurt. We endure painful experiences. We mourn. We resent. We express anger. We cry. We lament. We self-doubt. We feel exploited. We fear. 

Through all of those experiences, we can also heal. It may look and feel unattainable, but healing is the mindful, heartfelt, and soulful experience we can choose. That journey will be unique to YOU. 

Healing is an inner experience...and ever available to you. .

words on image: Michael Barata / image PhotoMIX Ltd

Self-Love To Heal

We yearn for what was. We fear what hasn’t happened. And we tend to loop inner dialogues based on both.

If you’re hurting, then hurt. But also give yourself an opportunity to heal. When you relive what has hurt you in the past, you ignore what can heal you in the present. Your hurt will only last as long as you give it energy. The clear message is that you do have something or someone in your life to be grateful for. Yes you do. Remind yourself, as often as you want/need.

Accept the hurt and accept the healing. I know we can’t control every thought that pops into our minds, BUT we CAN consciously decide what to do after a thought. This is true for every moment of your life. Therefore, the beauty is you can choose healthy, healing thinking and behavior whenever you want, such as: gratitude journaling, positive self-messaging, therapy/counseling, meditation, yoga, exercise, walk, travel, a forgotten hobby, a warm bath, reading, etc. I’ve deiced to do 20 pushups whenever I consciously engage in a hurtful thought or behavior. Bonus: my pecs desperately needed the attention,

I know the ache can be debilitating which can also cloud all of your senses. In these states, we also doubt the possibility and bliss of love. So, we give even more space to the hurt and build a wall to love. Your healing can be so restorative. The journey to healing can present lessons and gifts you never could have imagined.

But first, you need to commit to self-love. To heal, you must love yourself.

words: Michael Barata / image: Designecologist

Begin With YOU

We can spend so much time and energy wondering what others are saying about us. If you’re not there, you’ll  never know the what, the intent, or even the sincerity. It’s ok to not know.

What you do have complete control over is your own self-dialogue and how you express yourself to the world. 

We tend to forget or hide ourselves in the curiosity of “the other.” Why? Because sometimes being you can be excruciatingly vulnerable and scary as hell. But it can also be magical, freeing, and healthy. Yes. It can be ALL of that and more if you choose it. 

Find yourself. Accept yourself. Love yourself. For all that is unique and beautiful about you. That all begins within you - not with the other.

words: Michael Barata / image: Leah Kelley

We Are Worthy

We surrender our self to people because we are taught to believe that’s what it means to serve. 

We barely get to know our self, which is why it’s so easy to surrender it. And for those who catch a glimpse of it, but deny it, that then causes us to fall prey to our fears and doubts. 

Sure, we always hold the power to be whatever we choose. But, when someone you respect or care deeply for or love prefers you don’t live your truth for whatever reason and if you comply, in that moment, you also dismiss your worth. 

I know it can be so incredibly challenging while you ache with pain, but know this, your worthiness is not to be bargained, cheapened, or denied by you or anyone. 

I am worth You are worthy.

words: Michael Barata / image: Lukas Hartmann

You Are Your Obstacle

Not….

Other people

Opinions

Judgment

Fear

Debt

Lack of certainty

Money

The past

The market

The future

Where you live

Self-doubt

Or Lie

So much is said about living authentically. Identifying your purpose. Being who you were meant to be. Acknowledging your vulnerability and choosing to live wholeheartedly. Honestly expressing yourself. Knowing and accepting yourself.

Essentially, if you’re not living your truth, you’re living a lie.

image: Joe Longo

Grounded In Gratitude

We all get so distracted. And then we forget to be grateful.

image: I Love Simple Beyond

There is always something or someone to be grateful for. You can consciously give gratitude for your breath and for yourself. Think about what you do have, instead of lamenting what you don’t. Think about all the people (near and far) who love you. Ground yourself in gratitude.

When you open your heart and your mind to this beautiful life, goodness flows to you. It all begins with gratitude. And in the most magical moments, you will see that grace is a smile in the present about a challenge from the past.

Experience Your Why

Should you do it? Should you say it?

What will it take to convince you to live your truth? Certainty? Security? No judgment? Acceptance from others?

image: Pixabay

Seeking hypothetical comforts or exploring infinite contingencies does not lead to action. You can “What if..” yourself until the end of time or you can take a step and experience what happens. See, living authentically is not about what happens, it’s about how you live your why in each moment you get.

The Choice Is You

Another year…..of reflecting on the last year. Another year….to plan (and hope) to make your life different.

image: Jenna Hamra

Maybe you want to change your health, change your relationship, change your career, or change some kind of behavior. The reality is, it’s not the calendar that can help you achieve that. It’s YOU. Only you. We have been and always will be the one person who holds ourselves back or moves ourselves forward.

Rather than looking at the calendar and choosing a gym, choosing a partner, choosing a new career, or choosing a new lifestyle, look in a mirror, instead, and choose YOU.

Who Is Writing Your Script?

Video Created By: Joe Longo Photography

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....

Forgetting You

Why do we forget to speak our truth? 

Why do we forget to love who we are? 

Why do we forget to move towards the passion burning within? 

Why do we forget to give ourselves time, space, and attention? 

Perhaps fear is the problem? Or uncertainty? Or conditioning? Or we don't feel heard and valued? Maybe we just don't care?

The more you forget about yourself, the more you become someone else.  

image: Joe Longo Photography 

Truth

“If you don’t speak your truth, people will manipulate your voice to serve their agenda. ~ mjb”

image: Joe Longo Photography 

We all have those moments when we feel tested. You look inward and take stock of your principles. You connect with your truth and decide, "It's time." Of course, mulling over how others may respond is natural, but it is also fear based. Being fearful is not a unique experience. Engaging fear, moving through fear, and experiencing life after fear is not only courageous, but also authentic. 

The above quote came to me during one of those moments. I found myself going back and forth between stepping up or cowering behind inaction. And then I realized, it's not about the response from others that matters. Speaking and living your truth is about valuing who you are, trusting who you are, and accepting who you are. If you don't, people will misconstrue your silence and exploit your inaction for their own benefit. 

Your truth is your responsibility. Speak it. Live it. 

Ready and Waiting

When love touches you, welcome it. Free yourself from the grip of uncertainty, and drift in a moment of bliss. It's not how long the feeling will last, that's attachment. It's how open you are to experience love's transcending magic. 

Love's beautiful duality is what electrifies life. When you receive it, you light up. When you give it, you light up. 

However, love is not a force. It will not persuade or convince. It cannot be coerced or compelled. Love goes where it is accepted. Love grows where it is free to flow. 

Love is all around. Ready to flow. Waiting to be accepted. 

The Practicality of Fear

The cycle of indecision is not a process. It's inaction. No progress is made from thinking and talking about something. Only action can produce a change, a result, a deviation. 

image: Joe Longo Photography 

Become aware of how you may anchor yourself in patterns of "what ifs." This stifles any possibility of experiencing, learning, growing, or healing. Rather than moving with the present moment, one may stagnate in the hypothetical, the unknown, and uncertainty. The practicality of fear blinds you from realizing your strengths and hinders your ability to overcome. 

It's not about better or worse. Fast or slow. Painful or easy. It's about truth. It's about living your life in the light. Your life's driving force must not be about the acceptance of others, but instead, something much more powerful and freeing. It must be about embracing the majesty of your own individuality, accepting your truth, and loving yourself through it all. 

Living your truth is your life's purpose.