Stress and worry Archives - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Indecisive Vata Traits Keeping You Stuck

Indecisive Vata is one way to describe how Vatas act often. This could be new news to you. It was new to me too up ’til 2008 when I learned about Ayurveda.

Indecisive Vata often is confronted with this or that path choices that can create anxiety. — Indecisive – which path will you take?

…That’s when it clicked and made sense as to why I had indecisive and other Vata tendencies.

You can read my back story here about when I went to go get help for my immediate Pitta mind-body symptoms. And I also came out with knowledge and awareness on why certain Vata ways were natural to me. I’m naturally a Vata with some dominant Pitta mind, but like all of us… sometimes tired Kapha kicks up.

…And whether you tend toward uneasy, annoyed, or listlessness it all ties back to your balance.

If you’re wondering if you have Vata traits, this article shares more and how you can benefit from knowing.

Growing up, I always felt hesitant about small decisions. Do I want an orange or crackers? Do I want pink or blue to wear? This could easily be chalked up to the fact that most of us like more than one food or color. …or I’m a female, so being indecisive is typical.

But in reality it’s not about the color, food, or gender. Or even about how you were raised.

It’s about our natural makeup, that’s unisex. We have Ayurvedic orientations called Vata, Pitta, and Kapha inside us. Or wind, fire, and earth if that’s easier to remember. 💨🔥🌎

Earth, Wind, and Fire is already taken. 🥁🎹🎺

And we’re more dominant in one or two of those names in body. And same goes for the mind. Putting those two parts together, you get the mind-body connection that affects so much of our lives and behaviors.

Indecisiveness is one way that’s mostly a mind situation that you can easily pinpoint from an Ayurvedic lens.

When you can do that, you can restore the healthy balance back in awareness to your calm and confident decision-making.

Being decisive all around not only saves time, but leads to better decisions and outcomes.

How Being Vata Indecisive Can Hurt

At the heart, indecision is second guessing your first decision that comes from gut instinct and clear minded processing. So in a way, being Vata indecisive is being confronted with a brain fog moment.

Indecision can lead to worry that Vatas lean into already. And that state of mind can lead to staying stuck in a cycle of unproductive thoughts playing as an undercurrent in the back of your mind. 🌊That’s added stress that doesn’t need to be there.

Feeling anxiety also can cause indecision as body symptoms make it more difficult to clearly process thoughts.

Vice versa, indecision can lead to anxiety (that’s another common Vata trait).

Depending on the body symptom severity, anxious feelings lead to poor decisions and outcomes.

It numbs awareness of what is real.

And making matters worse, that pause can linger and keep you frozen from making a decision or in “fight or flight” that can cost.

For small things like daily preferences, that’s not such a big deal… but if it’s deciding on taking a right or left or making a quick life threatening decision, that can be concern- elevated.

Vata indecisive traits can compound into feeling uncertain about other areas in your day when those moments could be better spent enjoying yourself or even better… being in the moment in peace and mindfulness.

That’s when stress melts away for whatever is in your life eating at you. Those anxious feelings are traded in for feeling calm and joyful.

That’s the ticket for your healthy and happy life. 🎟️

And that can be your norm or new norm! I know because my life did a 180-turn from stress to peace when I got rid of the triggers. I became self-employed.

And I became more clear-headed… more like a human and less walking around like a busy Bot. There are too many of those already roaming our internet spaces.

How to Get Back To Your Vata Mind Balance

And in learning from my balanced seasons where I could disconnect and detox, I’m more decisive.

I’m my balanced Vata (the way that is naturally greater and my optimal best) 🧘🏻‍♀️

I don’t teeter back and forth. I can catch myself in the act of hemming and hawing and doing what I know to do to restore any Vata imbalance that tries to creep back in.

It’s not difficult or unnatural. It’s simply being intentional daily doing the specific balanced steps that turn the tide around for a better life. 👣

No one is doomed to the “I’m just indecisive” label. That’s putting a stamp of acceptance that’s not the way it has to be or stay.

And you can start by doing these two balanced healthy steps:

1) Get self-awareness in the moment so you can be next step-intentional.

2) Then, breathe the calm back into your mind-body as soon as you can so you can feel the calm pause in the next moments.

Finding ways to have a calmer life, I believe is underrated. And not what Western culture aims for although we’ve wised up post-2020.

As mentioned, calm allows for clearer, confident decisions.

Calm is also better for your healthy outcomes.

But if you don’t have that life now because of situational triggers you can’t avoid, then restoring daily when you can with what you do have as calming resources will be the next best way.

Use your surroundings: calming activities and scents, music, yoga, and a nature walk.

Do this daily and often.

They’re not time wasters. It’s like taking care of your teeth. It’s always minutes well spent investing in your daily smile. 😁

If you feel you’re daily Vata indecisive for what to do (such as jumping from task to task), get back to your breathing awareness.

We often forget, yet another Vata common trait. Not picking on Vatas as we’re a creative, enthusiastic bunch… but in your remembering moment (or in the slight gap pause), recall there is calm balance and no anxiety.

Let the weight of the world you live in go by letting all that out in deep inhale and exhale breaths. That’s an activity you can do anywhere, anytime… and wise to do all the time.

Set a reminder if that helps. ⌚️

And when you do your breathing exercise, you’re able to work your way out slowly in the gap or one moment at a time.

And this date recipe that you can make for your daily self 😊 can help restore your Vata especially if you add the orange and cinnamon tastes.

Print Recipe

Date Cookies

You can make these ahead of time and in any oven including an apartment oven. And enjoy.

Ingredients

coconut flour and plain flour combined
a few pats of butter (or coconut oil)
chopped dates
water as needed
orange zest and cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

Prepare and chop dates filling. Tip: since dates are sticky, it's easier to use a serated chopping knife with edges. Add cinnamon and orange zest if you'd like more Vata sweetness.
Mix cookie ingredients: flour, butter or oil, and water as needed to make a cohesive cookie dough disc. You can make this in advance and freeze the dough if you like.
When dough is slightly cooler than room temperature is the ideal temperature to work with this dough. Roll out cookie dough to about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick (doesn't have to be too thin).
Add date filling to center of dough.
Roll up and cut into small, even pieces.
Bake on 350°F for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

De-Stress Holiday Habits (Part 1)

De-stress is highly called for come holiday season. Below are 5 good mental habits to keep in mind for a less stressful holiday. Plus a bonus habit to make “dummy proof” white rice or your favorite rice for your holiday (and everyday cooking) like my mom served every weeknight dinner meal when I was growing up. Rice cooking steps below.🍛

total fluffy rice method.

De-stress is a good wellness move year-round and especially during holidays when stress, irritations, and anxiety can creep in around our work, travel, family, and loss situations. Your mind-body is put to the test. And that can send us to needing some body balance therapy and mood restoration.

But,first things first, hiking therapy steps are a good mind-body way to de-stress. 👣

Last-minute changes are never fun. And not to mention, the uncertain feelings of setting yourself up for a new year can bring nervous sensations. You can have looming internal questions like: will it be a good new year?

The answer can always be yes! if we choose. Because what’s happening to us is all relative to our lives. And there’s always something good that comes out if we fix our eyes on our perspectives.

Instead of magnifying and putting energy into what didn’t go right and the hardships we endured, focus on what did go right. And that will change your outlook in your life.

Moments become blurs in your life as you distance yourself over time from specific situations.

Through those times, you grow as a person. And when you’ve had enough time to process, you become stronger and wiser if you focus on the better perspectives and attitudes.

And over time, you can realize avoiding stress isn’t a measure of your life success… it’s how you process your stressful situations and what you learn about yourself in the process. Staying cool, calm, and collected always pays off for your mind-body balance.

Recently in my processes, I was hit with a travel planning situation to face where I had to work with loved ones who did the planning. And then a day later, faced a work situation that needed repair. There, I was put in a position to fix the issues between an employee and boss.

I had to create some stress to get to the bottom of what the messy middle was. I also had to bring up heavy conversations and discuss touchy areas, so I could help temporarily restore what was broken.

Testing the waters, that delivered better results the next day than if I hadn’t stirred up the conversations. Had I decided to sugar coat or dance around topics, both would have led to long and drawn out unease. Being direct, I knew the outcome I needed for everyone’s happy sake.

I thought with the end in mind. I wanted both situations to end well in happy endings.

Fortunately, both stressful situations were fixed by end of week. But, I needed de-stress therapy from the heavy moments.

And I realized those stressful moments were setups for what my mind-body would have to face for another stressful situation closer to the holidays.

So, fresh on my mind, these are some helpful tips you can also use to de-stress in your holiday situations.

How to De-Stress Around Holidays

1.Look for loving happy endings, first.

Consider the alternatives. Usually there is miscommunication in play whenever there are sour grape situations with people involved. And instead of trying to attack through ego walls, it’s better to put the loving hat on. Putting fleshly feelings aside, we think of what will be best for the situation. And sometimes that can be as simple as we just agree to disagree (and leave in peace) or figure out how to fix what’s broken. And then with those attitudes, inadvertently the language of what “we” can do slips out instead of just “me” and my agenda that never wins.

2.Be fearless.

Fear is the opposite of love. Proceed with your plan if you know what to do. Your gut instinct is usually always right for higher, and more loving ways. But if you react in doubt and fear, then you create more negative energy for yourself that adds more stress. When you trust the best outcomes, then you can eliminate fear. The worst that can happen is you’re no longer in those stressful situations because of a loss. And when you have loss, that’s the opportunity for growth and a new door.

3.Look for how to correct a wrong way quickly.

Fix quickly and then get past quicker. Resentment only results in your unhappiness. You don’t want to have sour feelings lingering and then that turns into a stressful season. In both my situations I mentioned, they could have lasted for a month longer and hung around like gray clouds. But with swift and fearless action, all that was mitigated instead of trying to sugar coat or dance around topics that could’ve been easily misunderstood. You can’t always predict what others will do, but you can predict your actions so you can more quickly de-stress.

4.Get rid of baggage and replace with happy ways.

Assume no trauma. Work out your frustrations same day as you experience them. If it’s sadness, then cry. And if it’s anger, then work off your anger at the gym or on your yoga mat.

But don’t act like nothing is wrong. And don’t assume unhappy traditions such as a guilty mourning ritual every time you see a sign that reminds you of a sad situation. Because those are self-imposed obligations to hold onto stress and what doesn’t have to be. It’s an unnecessary burden and for those around you who have to dance around the day or situation. Life is too short to hold onto past sad memories, and not create new happy ones instead. My book Empowered Happiness is all about that.

5.De-stress routine.

To de-stress, get out of the daily routine. Purposefully decide not to engage with those people in your daily stressful situations for a few days so you can gain new perspectives. Start your detox as you’re going through.

In my case, I didn’t lose additional sleep. I planned self-care. And I took healing steamy showers, spritzed lovely bergamot scents, and enjoyed calming tea. I didn’t wait until the dust settled. There’s no need to withhold daily joy from your life.

The goal doesn’t have to be to get through the sufferings, avoid the stress, or only seek happy moments. When you learn how to be content, that’s when life gets easier.

And that can help you get back to present moment awareness faster where the calm is.

In my situations, I sang along with calming music that’s therapy to the soul. And to get out of routine, I listened to a little Aretha Franklin that brought me to a mood that helped bring me back to present moment awareness. I also did 4-7-8 breathing: inhaling in the gratitude and exhaling stressful negative energy.

So even when I felt the weight of my situations, I made sure to re-center myself with yoga and think about what I would be looking forward to later in the week and at nights. I had a focused reminder of what I’m grateful for. We all have something to be appreciative of in any of our situations.

And basically I did all the activities that bring my mindfulness back (that destroys the unhealthy ego from growing). Mindfulness revived me. It’s one of the secrets to mind-body balance.

And I believe we all have this in us so we can de-stress our negative energy away and turn into healthy, growth, productivity, joy, and creativity that lasts through the holidays and into the new year.

Have a Merry Christmas! 🎄

holiday de-stress moments enjoying the views. — Where my young story began growing up near this village center.

My mom never wrote down any recipes or cooking methods, but she also never worked on a computer 🖥️.

She passed down her white rice method in my memory and I added a few healthy ingredient steps. Rice makes a good side, is a good filler, and has many healthy nutrients (vit-mins).

The Actual Perfect Mom Fluffy Rice Method

Cooking rice directly in a cooking pot can leave you with inedible scorched, overcooked rice, or sticky rice if you're not watching closely. This consistent "dummy-proof" Fluffy Rice Method will actually free you up so you do not have to watch your rice every few minutes and worry about if it will come out edible for your meals. This method is inspired by my mom's white rice that always turned out perfect. She never measured amounts or wrote down recipes. 🙂

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Chinese

Equipment

microwave/oven-safe soup size mug
cooking pot with lid larger than mug

Ingredients

white rice or rice of choice (brown or wild rice for whole grain healthy)
water
olive oil, drizzle (healthy fat)

Instructions

Add tap water to the pot that goes up half way up the outside of the mug.
After rinsing rice, add rice to the mug. Add up to 2/3 to the top of the mug (leaving 1/3 of the mug unfilled).
Then, add filtered water to the rice-mug leaving about 1/2" from the brim top so it doesn't boil over.
Cook on medium (or medium-low) heat with covered lid for about 30 minutes or until rice is soft, almost cooked done to liking, and water is almost absorbed. Add a little filtered water as needed to the rice to finish off cooking (usually a few additional minutes) and an olive oil drizzle if desired for perfectly moist rice.

Work Freedom For Happiness In Your Life (aka Creativity) You Deserve

If you could have more work freedom in your life, what would that look like?

I describe 3 freedoms below that I think would make all the difference in the world. 🌎

…And that you deserve in this life, so they’re worth fighting for! Good to be your own advocate or cheerleader for your BEST career or self-employed dreams.

Each of our personal desired versions of work freedom is different.

For me, like many of us, it’s not having a boss. And, being able to create my own schedule deciding when I’ll show up. In 2019, I started my humble self-employed journey after I left my last corporate job and office life.

As far as I’m concerned, I retired from my corporate career for good. Before that, I reported to many bosses with the exception of a few years in between when I dabbled on my own doing consulting work where I felt most empowered.

Some workplaces and bosses were good enough for a little while, and others, well… let’s just say they aren’t for everyone. 😉

All of us who have worked know what that’s like for at least part of our careers where we may have stuck it out as a stepping stone to climb the ladder 🪜 or as a bridge to our next venture.

…Or different turn. I’ve done all of the above to eventually move toward my better work freedom.

I know that not having the pieces fit together in the dozen or so roles from my first, second, or even third corporate career helped me realize that’s what I wanted! Every pivot made me more intentional about what I wanted my work life to look like.

And not having a mentor but instead becoming one, helped me realize I didn’t want to work for anybody EVER again.

But I had to take that windy journey in the corporate work world to confidently know that, and what I’m capable of…

And to also know that you can be excelling at your job that looks good on paper, but not be fulfilled.

Looking back, I realize those experiences made me the person I am today who’s resilient and not gonna settle for less than what the whole life has to best offer in every season (God willing!). No experience goes wasted.

And in my last corporate job, I had this whisper that could’ve been a billboard sign because it was that loud to me as by then I was used to following whispers that others often miss or ignore.

In my mind I heard, I would not get this time back. And from that point on a cascade of work problems followed where I knew I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The only way UP was OUT. And then I got my time freedom back. Once again I felt cage-free to pursue new opportunities.

And I know I’m not alone in how I feel here because even the conservative peers I’ve talked to in their mid-careers who left jobs prematurely before they thought they would, said they felt a weight lifted off their shoulders when they gave their notice.

Feeling good was a sign that a right decision was made. And every time I gave my notice, that’s how I felt.

But that satisfying feeling fades into now what? that gradually replaces excitement. And this is where people differ. Some would run from misery to insecurity and others would stick it out and stand firm for security.

And you know where you stand on that.

In the years I started in the workforce, workers didn’t leave jobs as they do for mental health and happiness reasons that are recognized these days. Our younger workers today value health over stability and moving away from discomfort and into promising ideas and possibilities.

The workforce generations today have amped up the employers’ game where bosses can’t get away with the same toxic behavior or red tape antics they used to without a backlash or being caught on camera. And I think that’s great that our society is moving away from that type of dysfunctional workplace.

We don’t have time for that as we’re making room for workplace robots in the near future, so it helps if us humans get along now as the compassionate type of the two.

So #1 is creating work freedom from the wrong kind of bossing.

And #2 is freedom from stress or anxiety.

As someone who valued work-life balance in her 20s, I also believe reducing stress is underrated and needs more stressing these days. Having lived through stressful work situations, I know enduring stress can be the cause of so many health problems and arising mystery ailments.

I think stress reduction is even more important than sleep because if you’re tired, your body crashes. With stress, it could go on quietly for years without visible detection and a remedy. Our bodies do their best to try to daily whisper to us in headaches, our skin, and even our bathroom life. 🚽

But if we ignore the signs for too long, the wear-and-tears become loud. And in those anxious-filled stressful seasons, we aren’t running optimally as our self-care and immunity defenses go down.

Not to mention our creativity isn’t reachable.

…And creativity I believe is where our happiness is. It’s the passion we can control, that gives us freedom.

When we can birth new ideas or re-create old ones for new life, our body cells are happier and that radiates through our daily life, outlook, and how we feel about ourselves.

Don’t you beam from to ear-to-ear when you’ve contributed and acknowledged (or have been recognized by someone) that those new ideas came from you?

That uplifting feeling creates space for opportunity and opens doors for hope, more achievement, and possibilities that we all aspire to in our lives.

But most workers never get to that sweet spot. I know I didn’t because of all the work limitations…

And the answer isn’t to quit your job necessarily. The answer is to add more playtime in the quality free time, doing the creative things that light you up and you’re passionate about. And maybe those activities become your next season.

A few hours could be an enjoyable weekend afternoon. And then let those happy feelings and memories carry you through the tough week ahead if that’s what you face. And then look forward to the next free future playtime afternoon.

And if you find that you’re skipping off from work to do more of that, then maybe that’s a sign.

Because having been on both sides, I now know that not doing daily work that inspires you gets old.

The new could be: if today were your last day (not at work, but your LAST DAY), would you be happy?

…And if the answer is no, then coming up with a plan to do more of those passionate things or to discover more of what you want to do is going to help get you to your happiest place.

Explore creativity and develop your gifts, talents, and abilities. Remember, you won’t get this time back. And this season will end.

Not all plans come to fruition, but you’ll never know something better or your highest achieving potential self if you don’t try.

Take some risks and do projects that you want to do more of or explore to see what you like at both work and in your personal time. With a more enriched life, you can dream new and better dreams and start heading in the new re-routed direction that becomes your NEW LIFE.

And eventually, if you keep pacing slowly, inching toward what you figure out you like, you’ll be doing more of what you want and not what was old in the past.

Like a butterfly that struggles to get out of the chrysalis, the creatures that we are, in determination successfully make it out.

Believe that in yourself.

That’s so liberating! 🦋

In the humble beginnings, like most, you pay the price of being inexperienced, and then the price is paid and life gets better with experiences.

And Life is unlimited. And you see it as abundant.

And once you get a taste of the potential and the genie is let out of the bottle, you know you’ll never go back to the old, lesser ways.

OK, and finally…

# 3. Mind freedom is another freedom worth getting. It’s another one that slips under the radar (and can cause stress).

But, with mind awareness, we know we can change our happiness from the inside out.

For whatever life and work freedom you’re yearning for most, mind freedom is something to create space for in yourself first to be successful.

It grows when you make mindset shifts from old ways, beliefs, and attitudes, and rewrite daily thoughts and doubts.

Because so easily, what is within our potential reach can easily fade if the mind isn’t daily reset, in-check, and our motivations (our why) isn’t prioritized.

So often our busy situations and demanding lives can get in the way and make us tired and lazy. And that’s how we get stuck while our clocks keep running.

So having your why and what defines your freedom can keep you moving toward your north star. 🧭

And keep you from going back to the old thinking ways that are meant to stay in the past that got you to where you are today.

Keep pressing forward in your life and let that forward motion become your guide in life to greater freedom and happiness.

…That includes a passionate, purposeful life of creativity if you want that, where you get to express your human you-niqueness and contributions where work is joy. Wouldn’t that be great?

And if you want to get started or know how to happily content create consistently online (and not burn out), I wrote “a recipe” list of how to do that enjoyably, that you can check out.

30 Days of Self-Empowering Thoughts and Journal Prompt Ideas

self-empowering thoughts can start with joy in your life — Merry Christmas!

Self-empowering thoughts are one way we can count on to feel-good daily.

…Btw, how are you these days?

The holidays aren’t over yet, but we’re just one week from New Year’s and that can be a relaxing or a stressful time…

One thing that we all wonder about is what the new year will bring.

And besides putting out a spread of merry cherry gluten-free Christmas cookies, plus a couple of probiotic-rich Greek Yogurt chocolate peppermint and nutty yule logs, I’m working on cranking out a New Year’s List ✍️ of healthy mind-body tips that’s growing daily… and should be ready next time after I bake my 4th batch of healthy gingerbread cookies.😊

…And before January 6th (that’s Epiphany Day with a capital “E”) that’s meant to be a hope-filled day, that somehow got erased by an unrestful Capitol political news headline.

Which btw, used to be the area I lived in and was just a few minutes away from at the time… but was able to find peace amongst chaos. And now I’m breathing in less cultural-political air.

…And more life-giving oxygen. And you can too no matter where you are in the world.

Because you have peace inside you.

And you can look for more hope and encouraging messages to help your cause. And on that mission, I have a list today of 30 self-empowering thoughts to keep the loving good vibes going that you can check out and think about today. 📝

And these also make good journal prompt ideas, so you can better breathe in your best self today and breathe out what isn’t helping you grow into tomorrow.

Self-empowering thoughts are your ticket to happiness and the way out of mental blocks that are holding you back in this life. You don’t have to wait for situations to change… it’s YOU and your perspective that can be changed. And when you do, you reap mind freedom. It’s the difference between abundant mind vs. victim mind and sad thoughts.

Leaving Negative Energy to Find Creative Energy

Apple chunks in homemade carrot juice is a great fall breakfast juice 🧡

Are you holding onto negative thoughts taking up your time and energy?

If so, you want to read this blog post (and maybe with a fresh, healthy apple carrot juice), to help you change your thoughts and maybe the trajectory of the next steps you take in life.

Restoring calm emotions is an art. That’s what I know, and I’ll explain below how it takes some creative skill.

At the very least, it takes shifting of thoughts. And doing what you need to do that sits right with you. Sometimes that means caring less. And letting go of your pride. And focusing more on what you want in your life (than what you don’t want).

And another way to say this, is to find a stronger WHY (that’s the reason behind what you’re doing).

Getting to these answers is a win-win strategy because you’re doing what you need for your Best Self to show up in the positive energy that the world needs more of.

None of us can fool our deeper mind-body selves, that gives us daily, subtle clues into how we authentically feel or think about situations.

Besides writing articles, I read a lot of articles and they kinda lump together the idea of stress, nervousness, and anxiety. Your mind-body sees these things differently. For example, if you feel nervous like before presenting to a group, you may be running to the bathroom a lot.

But if you’re actually anxious (from your body’s perspective), it’s the opposite effect. You could take extra fiber so you can become regular again when your temporary anxiety goes away. If that’s confusing, just understand that your mind-body needs are different than how you think you feel. 😉

And if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing or who you’re doing it with or for, then you’re wasting valuable time in this life of finite years.

If you’re not feeling excited and calm, then what you’re involved with may not be for you for the long-term.

In my life, this took many years and dues paid for me to get this freeing, healthy balanced lifestyle that I’m describing, but I know if you start to aim for and walk towards it in your life, then you will get closer and closer to the bullseye 🎯 until it gradually becomes your life because of the small actions you take.

If you’re a Vata especially, that’s like the sensitive wind metaphor, you live off positive energy, enjoying what you’re doing and feeling good about.

Natural Vatas don’t have the same level of endurance or tolerance that say a natural Kapha does who will stay in a situation because it’s easier than making a change.

Take it one step further, it’s the mind (in the mind-body) that leads. Feeling resistance to change is one negative energy example.

And any negative energy is like oil and water. They don’t mix. Oil grease sits there stagnant and the situation doesn’t change until change is made.

That’s how stress builds up, and is counterproductive to someone looking for growth or making improvements.

But, working really hard to get rid of the oil spills is not fun. It’s hard work.

In our messy oil spill life situations we can get in, we can take on negative energy that turns a good week into wasted energy and unproductivity. And not to mention leave stress marks and somersault stomachs along the way.

But, if your WHY to why you’re in your situation causing your knotted emotions and nerves is worth getting over the hump of your fears or nerves, well…then, that’s a good sign to keep with it!

Otherwise, better to nip it in the bud. And make changes early on as soon as you know the direction of the negative energy that has sunk in.

…And maybe that’s a WAKEUP CALL to change your strategy today, and what you’re doing.

And maybe that’s an exhaustive job, a wrong relationship, or anything that doesn’t feel good or right for you. Your life leaves clues.

And instead of fighting against this area and taking on snowballing negative thoughts and energy, there’s a better path for you in or out of those situations even if you don’t see them immediately (in your clouded state).

And there’s nothing to be gained holding onto negative energy (after you’ve thought, meditated, or prayed about your options and know what you should do).

Because you make your best and good decisions when you’re calm and when you find joy and love (or passion) every day of this life, that’s already short enough. Amen!?

And not to mention, if you carry negative energy, you will have a tough time getting to your creative juices and passionate activities that could bring on a whole new side or opportunity for you.

And if you want help with that, you can sign up for this one little personalized recipe step to move forward in a healthy, creative way.

Which btw, in a recession, I made this available for less than the cost of a yoga class and it takes less than 10 minutes of your participation time to get good insight into your mind-body. And then you can use your personalized recipe for life whenever your energy is off like the way it could be this season.

…It takes one to know one! and to have gone through the rough patch challenges, to know that negative energy can rob you of your weeks and life.

So maybe these lessons will help you turn things around…

Life Lessons From Corporate to Creative

Sometimes you need to quit something because it feels off. You know it because your problem weighs like a ton of bricks on you and in the pit of your stomach. And that doesn’t go away after a few nights’ sleep. And the problem grows.

That’s the ultimate sign that it’s time to make a change. That situation you started with no longer serves you in the same way it did before.

And if it’s a relationship, spark those new conversations and see where there is life. And if it’s work, see if those you work with are vested in you and your future with them.

Work is hard enough, and to have negative energy on top… yikes!, that shows up on the body as new gray hair, acne, and added accumulated stress.

…And even if it’s a volunteer position where you’re helping others. Duty reasons aren’t good enough to keep at what you’re doing.

It may not be the best thing for you to continue as you miss your own needs and self-care over time which can turn into resentment towards people (…and maybe even the ones you’re trying to help).

Even if no one can do things your way or as good as you can, someone else willing can fill those shoes.

…But no one can replace your shoes you wear in your life. And your livelihood. Only you can do that.

And that’s how I knew I was gifted to do something different than the corporate path I was on. Someone else could replace me in my roles and as the role needs of the world change.

In the beginning, it was hard to get started on a new path. And in relearning old ways, I had to unlearn some things that helped me to succeed in the corporate world.

Those things were slowing down my creative path, like oil and water. Mostly because I had adopted a corporate work mindset that’s all about following structure, and procedures, and doing what you’re told.

And I did my jobs well enough to get promoted to new positions, but to my own detriment.

And when I took on the new creative path a few years back, I think I gained back health years. My mind-body was in alignment and I felt free.

I could appreciate the day. And even when I was doing responsible work (aka what I had to do) to support my creative lifestyle.

At the core, my mind and heart were aligned. And I could hear and get to my deeper spirit or core inside me (that’s hard to do if in negative energy or worry thoughts).

And the creative ideas came regularly and not just once in a while in the shower or on a walk.

Creative thoughts are the opposite of your mind being in a fog in distracted la-la land.

You know, where passively focusing and following what’s going on in the moment, in news reality or a television show, is difficult. Or getting motivated enough to do something out of the lounge position (that’s not a productive yoga pose 😊).

That’s when you know you’re off alignment in mind-body. And if that’s often, that’s too often.

One smart thing you can do in that moment when your mind-body is controlling you instead of the other way around, is to take a closer look at your thoughts as an observer. Are your thoughts positive or negative? Loving or fearful? Try to witness and catch your fearful ego in its act (and acting up).

Because there are two opposing voices in your head, one loving and one fearful or negative (if that’s easier to pinpoint). And the ego fearful one is much louder.

Turn to the loving (positive) channel if it feels like you’ve been wronged. Find some way to turn it around in your thoughts. If it’s worry, know that there’s nothing to be gained about worrying after you’ve noodled out some potential solutions.

Worry is a time-sucking activity with no productivity.

Your solutions are there if you need them. Or write ’em down in notes so you’re sure they’re there, and so you can peacefully move on.

And maybe you need to go one step further and spend more time doodling or journaling until you get all the emotions out, and realize why you’re feeling the way you do and know your WHY, so that you can sleep and be at peace.

Those are the restful thoughts I have this week. Peace be with you and have a joyful and calm week (no matter the situation)! 🦢 And I have a peaceful image I’ll leave you with that I saw this past week. 🦆