Ten Ways to Simplify Your Life

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Ten Ways to SImplify your lifeThese days a chorus of thousands has taken up Henry David Thoreau’s advice to “Simplify, simplify.” And for good reason. Few among us would deny our lives are too complicated and filled with too much stress.

Simplicity is about eliminating clutter – from your mind, your home, your relationships and your lifestyle. Following are ten ways to begin.

1. Get a clear idea of what you want your life to look like. This picture will help you discover what you must eliminate.

2. Let go of projects, roles or self-imposed obligations that take up time and keep you away from what you really want.

3. Say ‘No’ to what you don’t want in your life. Say Yes to what you do want.

4. Schedule “break” days for yourself where you don’t do anything but what you really want. Don’t cancel them.

5. Make a “to do” day and get all those chores and errands done in a single day.

6. Create space. File away or toss out; give away, sell or trade.

7. Make and return phone calls only during certain hours.

8. Shop only when you have to. Question your purchases. Consuming less is good for the planet, too.

9. Ask for and accept help. Delegate chores. Hire work done when possible.

10. Remember to breathe, to ground yourself and be physically present.

Simplifying means making choices that will improve the quality of your life.

*Bonus* A gratitude list will help you discover what really matters to you. Let’s start a list together! Join the conversation down below in the comments section! I’m looking forward to seeing what you are grateful for!

 

Author’s content used under license, © Claire Communications

How Well Do You Stay in the Present?

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How Well Do You Stay in the Present?The way to live a full and rich life, to deepen our connections with others and to experience true intimacy is by staying in the present moment. Yet much of what we do and how we live takes us out of the present and ricochets us into some unknown future or drags us back into the mire of the past. Other times, we simply “space out,” disconnect from where we are, who we’re with, and what we’re doing.

The great spiritual teacher Thich Nhat Hanh said mindfulness is to be present in the present moment. Take the following quiz to discover how much, and in what ways you detach from the present moment.

T/F 1. I have a tendency to live in the future, projecting into tomorrow, or next week or even years from now.

T/F 2. I spend much of my time thinking about the past, replaying conversations or reliving incidents or events, or I play “what if” in my mind.

T/F 3. Sometimes when I’m in conversation with someone, I can’t remember what was just said.

T/F 4. When eating a meal, my family often watches TV or videos or reads.

T/F 5. In talking with someone, I think of how I’m going to respond rather than listening to what the other person is saying.

T/F 6. I tend to worry.

T/F 7. I try to figure out how things will work out or what someone else will do.

T/F 8. I allow the telephone or pager to interrupt whatever I’m doing.

T/F 9. I often/frequently hope for something better or different.

T/F 10. I often/frequently dread something worse will happen.

T/F 11. I find myself always busy, with never an empty or spare moment.

T/F 12. When I am feeling uncomfortable in a situation, I change the subject or get up and move around, or get something to eat/drink/smoke/do.

T/F 13. In some situations, I find myself getting sleepy or yawning when I’m not really tired.

T/F 14. I find it difficult to maintain eye contact when I’m talking with someone.

T/F 15. Sometimes I can’t remember what I just read or I don’t know what just took place in the movie or video I’m watching.

T/F 16. When I’m with certain people, we talk about others (gossiping, discussing shortcomings or talking about their problems).

T/F 17. I take my cell phone everywhere and it’s always on.

T/F 18. My conversations with others tend to be about superficial subjects.

T/F 19. Rather than staying with my emotions and naming them (“I am feeling…”), I attempt to alter the feelings.

T/F 20. In my family or with my partner, we watch TV programs that we don’t really care about rather than interact with each other.

Many of us may feel a push-pull when it comes to intimacy. We want to be closer to others, but the vulnerability that it demands is too frightening. Or we may feel restless or distracted or just plain uncomfortable when we attempt to stay in the present.

If this quiz brought up some things for you that you’d love to do some energy work on to release negative triggers, please visit my Certified SimplyHealed™ Practitioner page. These wonderful Certified SimplyHealed™ Practitioners can help you feel more peace, joy and balance in your life!

Author’s content used under license, © Claire Communications

Energy Work Can Improve Relationships

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In this video, Jolene Victor of Victory Energy Wellness joins me to talk about her experience as a SimplyHealed PractitionerTM and how it has improved her relationships with her family members.

Find out more about taking the SimplyHealed™ training here.

Energy Work Can Be Simple

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In this video, Jenny Hobby of Australia shares her experience as a certified SimplyHealed™ Practitioner and the simplicity of this energy healing method.

Find out more about taking the SimplyHealed™ training here.

SimplyHealed Practitioner™ Experience

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In this video, Jen Poulson shares her experience as a certified SimplyHealed Practitioner™. She says, “It’s been an amazing journey… developing that ability to listen to your intuition.”

Find out more about taking the SimplyHealed™ training here.

10 Behaviors that Block Happiness

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10 Behaviors that Block HappinessSpring is the time for new beginnings and that means Spring Cleaning to let go of what is not serving you. We all seek that elusive quality of “happiness.” Here are some things you can place your awareness on and clean out of your life so you can be happier.

Impressing. What you have —your possessions, your accomplishments—don’t result in real relationship or lasting happiness.

Blaming. Your response to any situation is your choice. Try making it a learning opportunity—taking responsibility is empowering.

Controlling. It doesn’t help you feel good about yourself. Honor your boundaries, but make space for others’ needs and choices, too.

Criticizing. We are all unique and different, not better or worse. Appreciate the differences instead of zeroing in on shortcomings.

Whining. Complaining is ineffective, whereas asking for what you want is liberating.

Clinging to what is known. When you’re feeling afraid or insecure, be willing to let go of the familiar, take a risk and try something new.

Being Ungrateful. Stay aware of all the gifts and blessings that you do have. Express gratitude and happiness will follow.

Preaching. Another form of judging. Find more fun and empowering ways to share your knowledge.

Negative Self-talk. Train yourself to notice your mind’s chatter. Working towards changing negative thoughts to positive ones will transform your life.

Fear. Don’t let fear get in the way of progress. Whatever you’ve been dreaming, get going on it. “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”

How have you been able to overcome these negative behaviors in your life? How have you become better at recognizing these behaviors and stopping them? Share with us below…

Author’s content used under license, © Claire Communications

Top 10 Ideas for Journaling

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Top 10 Ideas for JournalingIt has been said that journaling is a voyage to the interior. Inside of all of us is a unique wisdom that can inform our choices and enhance our experience of life. Once we tap into that, we realize that we know more than we thought we did. One potent way to access this wisdom is through journaling. I love the answers I find when I relax, put pen to paper, and just begin writing. Sometimes I write about weird or silly thoughts until something better and more constructive comes out. But the trick is to sit down and begin.

Here are 10 ideas to help you mine for gold with a pen:

1. Free write. Write as fast as you can—whatever comes to your mind—without regard to spelling, punctuation, etc. This “brain dump” helps you clear your mind and prepare for the day.

2. Write about your childhood. Write specific memories and notice any trends that occur or insights you have about your present life.

3. Free associate. One word sparks another and so on. Watching where your mind takes you can help you get “underneath” issues you may be dealing with.

4. Create timelines, graphs or word clusters (aka “mindmaps”). Use these tools to explore trends, patterns and different perspectives.

5. Write letters. Clear up issues or unfinished business. Even if you never end up sending it, writing can clear up stuck energy.

6. Draw or collage. You know the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

7. Keep an idea journal. Jot down ideas that come to you throughout the day.

8. Make lists. Fears, things you’re grateful for, aspirations, animals in your dreams, etc. Making lists aggregates information in ways that give you a big picture view.

9. Ask and answer questions. Pretend someone is interviewing you about an issue and answer their question. You may be surprised by what comes out of your mouth or pen.

10. Record your dreams. What do the images and feelings in them tell you?

Author’s content used under license, © 2008 Claire Communications

Can Energy Healing Help with Money Problems?

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Can Energy Healing Help with Money Problems?Yes, energy healing can help transform your finances. You hear the phrase “poverty mentality” a lot, and that’s because poverty really is a mental thing. Our own thoughts and those we carry in our ancestral lines can affect our money situation.

Besides using energy work to clear money blocks, you can also work on changing your thoughts. If you’re having trouble manifesting money, it’s really a state of mind. Shift your thoughts, and you can shift into greater abundance. Making the shift requires getting past thoughts like

  • Who am I to have money?
  • I’m afraid people won’t pay for what I have to offer.
  • It might not be okay with God for me to have a desire to make money
  • Maybe you were reared with the mindset of, “We can’t afford that.” “Money doesn’t grow on trees.”

We take in so much in our childhood and our adulthood. For example, I lived in a neighborhood for several years where everyone spoke negatively about money. They said things like. “Oh, we can’t afford it.” Community conversations were always very negative about money. Most of us in the neighborhood were young marrieds with a couple of kids. At that time of our lives most of us in the neighborhood were struggling with money.

I was raised that you don’t really talk about money. When I moved into this neighborhood a few years after we first married, I thought, “Oh, everybody’s so open about how poor they are.” That seemed really weird to me. After a while you get used to it and you start talking the talk with them.

Then, our family grew and we needed a bigger house. We sold that house and moved to a different neighborhood. I was still in that mindset and talking like that. It took me about a year to realize, “Wow this negative talk about money makes people uncomfortable if that’s not their way of speaking.”

I had to figure out the hard way, “I have got to change the way I talk, the way I see it, the way I view it.” When we moved into a bigger house, I was excited every day when I got up because I thought, “I can’t believe I’m living in this house. This is too nice of a house for me.”

Just be aware of those thoughts. Why are you thinking these things? Why do you feel that you aren’t worthy of nice things?

I’m going to suggest some books. If you’ve already read them, re-read them. They’re old books that have been around for years.

  • The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles. Don’t let the title throw you off. If you’re thinking, “Oh, that’s not a spiritual thing to want to get rich.” It’s really quite a spiritual book.
  • Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
  • As a Man Thinketh by James Allen

These books go deeper than just money. They go into your thoughts, emotions, and how your energy lines up. A lot of it has to do with the Law of Vibration, which is one of the seven laws of the universe. When we live in accordance with these laws we can manifest what we desire. The Law of Vibration states that you attract to you people, circumstances and things that resonate with your own thoughts and feelings.

Think of it like a radio. As you adjust the dial you are in tune with a different frequency. If you keep your radio dial set on the “poverty station” with constant worry and fretting about money, you’re going to keep bringing poverty into your life. Adjusting your thoughts and words about money can take a lot of work and effort, but it doesn’t have to be hard. It can be as easy as changing the station on a radio.  It’s a matter of allowing it to be easy and becoming aware of your thoughts and words.

Remember, if you’re in a poverty mindset, you’re going to attract poverty. If you’re in an abundance mindset you’ll attract abundance. It’s like switching to a different station. Your frequency determines what you resonate with outside of yourself. What you resonate with is what you can draw to you. Start with just being aware of your thoughts. That’s the key.

Yes, energy healing can help with poverty mentality, but there is also a lot you can do on your own. Get those books, read them and pay attention to the little details about how your thoughts directly impact what is going on in your life.

How to Create A Balanced Relationship

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How to Create A Balanced RelationshipWhether they are married, in a relationship or single – most people would say they want to have a balanced relationship with their significant other.  But what does a balanced relationship look like and how do you maintain it?

The fact is, we all relate to people in different ways: Dependently (or codependently), Independently and Interdependently.

Dependent/codependent:
In these relationships one person sets aside his or her personal welfare to maintain the relationship. This dynamic implies that the codependent person in the relationship can’t survive independently of the other person.

Independent:
In this configuration, the couple lives mostly separate lives. For example, they have different friends, are rarely together and make decisions autonomously. They may live separately as well and they are fine with that arrangement.

Interdependent:
In this type of relationship, two people are intimate with one another but don’t compromise or sacrifice themselves or their values. This dynamic is about collaboration and cooperation. Each person is self-reliant (physically, emotionally, financially, etc.) and, simultaneously, responsible to the other.

While it’s possible to find happiness, at least temporarily, in all three types of relationships, the Interdependent relationship is generally considered the model for a balanced relationship.

What do you do if you don’t consider your relationship to be balanced? With a little information and effort it’s possible to attain a balanced relationship.

1. Find Inner Balance by:
• Focusing on what you can control (your thoughts, feelings and actions) not what you can’t (others’ thoughts, feelings and actions).
• Noticing how you feel and, as clearly and calmly as you can, communicating those feelings.
• Recognizing and owning your issues, which will help you recognize your partner’s as well. You can be empathic and supportive without having to “fix” everything.

2. Create and Maintain a Balanced Relationship by:
• Staying present and empathic even when your partner is upset.
• Stepping back from conflicts to avoid escalation, assess the problem and make positive changes.
• Reframing the actions/reactions of your partner. For example, seeing a loved one as anxious and fearful, instead of cruel and controlling, paves the way for a more sympathetic, less confrontational approach.
• Being a good listener and focusing on the only person you can change—yourself.

3. Recognize and change old emotional patterns and blocked energetic pathways by:
• Writing down negative feelings that manifest themselves throughout your day. Then rewrite them in a positive light.
• Become aware of “triggers” that influence your mood. Many times just the awareness will lead to your ability to not be influenced by them – putting you in control.
• Write down up to 10 positive affirmations you would like to see manifested in your relationship and post them where you will see and read them often (ie. Bathroom mirror, near your computer screen, etc.)

Keep in mind that balance, like a relationship, is dynamic not static. It’s impossible to keep balance 100% of the time in every situation. Even a balanced relationship can, at times, feel like more work than play.

Remember, sometimes the focus will be more on you, other times more on your partner, and still other times when what’s best for “us” needs the focus rather than either individual.

Like a wave, there is an ebb and flow to relationships. But once we are aware of what balanced relationships look like we can better manage that dynamic.

Would you like to pull out those threads of negative emotional patterns and release blocked energy to allow your Spirit to be more open to and/or attract the relationship you desire?

This month I am having a group phone session focusing on Romantic Relationships. For those of you in a relationship this call will be focused on your relationship with your partner. If you are single we will also be releasing issues blocking you from attracting your ideal mate. So really, this call is for everyone!

Here’s what we’ll be working on:
• Releasing negative dependent/co-dependent/independent false beliefs.
• Shifting thought patterns to accept and attract an interdependent relationship.
• Instilling positive affirmations to support your raised energetic attractiveness for the relationship you desire.

To learn more about group phone sessions and to sign-up, go here.

Author’s content used under license, © 2011 Claire Communications

Thoughts Under the Stars

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Thoughts Under the StarsLast week I had the opportunity to be out in nature, sleeping under the stars. Now, I’m not a big fan of camping (the dirt, the cold nights, the out-house, lying on hard, bumpy ground, etc.), however, I do love sleeping under the stars and admiring their brilliance, majesty, and beauty. There were SO many stars in the sky last week! And I even saw several shooting stars, which always puts a big smile on my face even if I’m the only one still awake to see them.

Something about sleeping under all those stars in God’s great big sky that really brings life into perspective for me. I always think of the millions of others around the globe who are looking up at the same stars as I am, as well as people throughout history who have lived, camped, traveled, warred, and loved under this same beautiful canopy of stars -cue the song, “Somewhere Out There” from the kid’s movie “An American Tail” (yes, that’s the way they spell ‘tale’).

Somehow realizing how small I am in this huge galaxy inspires me to live bigger, live better. Here in the US it is summer, and I recognize I have many readers from other countries, where it may be a different season for you right now, but no matter the weather, have you taken the opportunity recently to really look up and connect to this beautiful Universe? I don’t do that often enough, but when I take the time to be still, look up and just listen for the inspiration that is waiting to talk to me I sense and feel juicy nuggets of knowledge that help me on my journey through life.

How about you? When was the last time you relaxed under a beautiful star-filled sky? How did that inspire you? When can you arrange to do that again? Ask yourself these questions, and/or feel free to add your comments to the blog by clicking below.

Now I am on my way to find my air mattress in my storage closet so I can set it up on my deck tonight, gaze up at the stars once again~ I am open to receiving all the inspiration I can get!