keep your friends close and your enemies closer

This is my newest intention and I’m wholeheartedly committing to this one.

No, no nooo, this is not a vindictive, vengeful “plan” rather I’m perceiving this as an act of love and humanity.

Like one of my all time favorite spiritual teachers Jesus said “love thy enemies.”

Why on earth would you suggest we do that, you ask? Well because I’m a lovetarian and I’m always preaching love : )
And I’m sure it’s of no surprise to you that hatred is toxic and once you start harboring hatred it’ll take you over! It can take you from a sweet, compassionate person to someone who is hell-bent on ruining another human being. You’ll be totally consumed with your desire for “justice” or revenge and what kind of life is that?

Ever hear this old adage? “Resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies.”

Now, would you quit killing yourself already and just LOVE?! And as I wrote in my last post, life is too precious! There is no time for petty revenge or hatred! LOVE is where it’s at ; )

I’m sure in your life, several people you’ve loved have hurt you, badly. Maybe a parent or sibling, maybe a best friend, maybe a lover, or several… And I’m sure that you have forgiven them, maybe not all of them, but at least some of them.

Yea, I hear you, you say “that’s easy because I already HAD love for this person but my enemy?! Grrrrrrrrrr, there’s just something about them, I’ve NEVER liked them!”

Well… they way I see it, we’re all the same. We are all one.
We are all human beings and we have to live in this world together.

Put yourself in your “enemy’s” shoes.
I bet you that he or she is not pure evil, I’m sure they live a life very similar to your own. Much like yourself, they have friends and family that they love and that love them back. They have strengths and insecurities…

And they (just like yourself) often make mistakes and have their own “enemies.” Perhaps you’re one of them.

And now I’m going to go all “woo woo” on you; I’m going to propose the idea that our enemies are in our lives for one of (and or) two reasons; to either mirror back a quality within ourselves that we are ashamed of or in denial about
(remember, when you point the finger at someone, there are always two fingers pointing back at you!)

…and/or to teach us a lesson in compassion and forgiveness.

“…if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.”  (Romans 12:20)

This does not mean that your kindness will actually harm them, rather it means that it may temporarily drive them insane that you are being so kind and as a result, they will have to either stay in that insanity (their own personal hell) or they will have to reciprocate with kindness.

One condition, this has to be genuine.
None of that two-faced crap! If it’s fake kindness and then you go and talk sh*t behind that person’s back, they too will be fake kind to you. But if you express kindness out of authentic compassion for that person, then it will be extremely difficult for them to respond with anything less than kindness back to you.

Nothing good comes from harboring resentment but A WHOLE LOTTA good will come from letting go and forgiving.
You will be happier and freer…

…and as a result so will your family and friends, and it may inspire them to take on this new way of living and loving. And this will pass on to their friends and family and so on…
Imagine the ripple effect, imagine that by letting go of your resentments you can help humanity as a whole!
Pretty amazing, huh?!

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” ~ Edith Wharton

Now, DO IT!
Go on…. kill ‘em with kindness ; )

love & light,

Allie : )

that little girl looks terrified, but she’s awesome!

I am an AADP Certified Holistic Health Coach and I received my training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition®. Based in New York City, Integrative Nutrition® is the largest nutrition school in the world and teaches over 100 dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques, and cutting-edge coaching methods.

If you have any questions about my training, anything you read about here on my blog or are curious about if and how health coaching can help you, feel free to email me at supernaturallie@yahoo.com

nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time… it’s easy

I’ve got something to tell you.

I am dying.




















































…and so are you.

Lately I’ve been writing a lot about rebirth and new beginnings but today I want to write about death. Not about what happens after we die, not about the actual process of dying, just simply the idea of death.

Look at that word… DEATH. It invokes a sad, scared feeling in you, doesn’t it? And I bet when you read my announcement that I am dying, you felt really sad for me (until you read that I said you were too, and then you probably felt mad at me for being so “insensitive.” I was tempted to say “April Fools!” but THAT would have been insensitive… and false.) Why is death so taboo in our world? If we talk about it, it’s behind closed doors and only if we have to. If we bring it up casually we are being insensitive or morbid. We look at DEATH as if it is something to be feared.

“I used to worry, but then I did a little research and found out that 10 out of 10 people die.” ~ Brilliant Unknown

It’s inevitable, it’s part of life. We’re all going to die, we are all dying. Some of us know because the doctor told us we are, some of us know because we’re 95 years old and our bodies are failing. Nevertheless, it’s happening. We are all dying. From the day we are born that “countdown” begins. Everyday, everybody, no exceptions, we’re dying.
So what are we so afraid of?

Don’t worry, I’m not going to go all doom and gloom on you.
Surprise surprise, I have my optimistic perception of dying to share with you!

I want you to think about living each day as if it was your last.
Wow. Really? That’s all you’ve got?

“Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” ~ James Dean
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
“Gotta tell them that we love them while we got the chance to say, gotta live like we’re dying” ~Kris Allen

I know, I know, we hear this saying A LOT, but do we really “get it?”
What if I were to step outside today and get in a car accident on my way to get groceries and I died?
Have I lived my life to the fullest?

Lately, I find myself having this conversation with friends; you know how (more and more it seems) you hear of people who felt fine one day, then went for checkup and they found out they have cancer? Well what if you or I are living with cancer and didn’t know it? Eeeeks! Right?! You NEVER know.

I often wonder why we are SO afraid of death… some of us are terrified of flying, some of us are super paranoid about crime, while others worry day and night about what is going to happen this year, 2012 dun dun DUNNNNNN!

My thoughts? We are afraid of dying because deep down we know that we have been taking life for granted.
Perhaps we haven’t told the people we love how much we love them or often enough.
Or maybe the last thing we said to them was a shitty thing. And what if you didn’t wake up tomorrow? What if they didn’t? That’s something to think about huh?
What really matters; being right or being love?

As the Beatles say, “Love is all we need.”

Yet we get so wrapped up in building “our lives”
Acquiring things (and sadly, sometimes people) to prove ourselves.
To who? Other people? To ourselves?
What does any of it matter?

More, more, more! It’s become our way of life.  We think that the more we have, the more valuable of a person we are. Super-Size It! Buy One Get One! All New! Upgrade Now! Etc…

“It seems really odd that in today’s world that we have more than ever before yet we think in a very lack state. There’s a world of abundance and an attitude of lack.” ~ Jason Vale

Do you ever find yourself wondering where the time goes?
I know I do, I say it ALL the time, “There never seems to be enough hours in the day!”
Don’t you find it strange that we have all of this technology, our smartphones and all of it’s apps designed to streamline and simplify our lives yet we are more overwhelmed than ever!

Where does the time go?
To all the wrong places, that’s where.
But when you live for the moment, when you live FOR creating moments, time slows down! Honestly, I think that’s why vacations are so relaxing. Not because you’re not working, not because it’s warmer, but because you are soaking up and savoring each and every moment of it, because you know it’s going to be over soon. We wouldn’t dream of taking our precious vacations for granted! Psh! We earned this, we deserve this! Well I’ve got a secret for you… you deserve to savor every moment of your life, not just the “vacations”. Why don’t we live our day to day lives thinking this way?
Think about how many hours in the day do you spend crossing things off of your to-do list? Completing tasks and “accomplishing.” Accomplishing what? What do you really need in life?

SIMPLIFY.

When the angel of death comes knocking on your door are you going to look around your house at your flat screen TV, iPad, Stainless Steel chef’s kitchen and Pottery Barn furniture and say “ahhhhh, look at all I’ve acquired in my life, my life is complete!” HELL NO! If you’ve spent your whole life acquiring things outside of yourself, chances are you’ll say something more along the lines of “Oh Sh*t. No God, please! I’m not done yet! I haven’t found the love of my life yet, I haven’t had children, I didn’t tell my parents how much I love them lately!”

What are we waiting for? A doctor confirmed diagnosis?
Every day that we put off love is another day we suffer. Love is the only reason you are here.
You are an expression of God and God is Love.
Therefore, YOU ARE LOVE.

Our purpose in this world is to LOVE and BE LOVED. Only love and connections and memories matter. I see us all seeking happiness as if it’s something outside of ourselves, something that we can buy. We’ve got it all wrong! Of course many of us have to work and of course we want “things”. Things are fun, they are enjoyable but they are not what will make you happy.

Happiness is something you ARE, its a choice. It’s not something you can buy, it’s something you create! It’s something you DO, it’s something you ARE. BE happy, BE love.

Don’t take this life for granted, not for one second!  You never know when you may take your last breath.
So live in the moment and make beautiful memories!
Those are they only things worth acquiring. THAT is how you build a life that is worth living.

And no more waiting! Why wait until someone dies to tell them how much we love them and how wonderful we think they were? Why don’t we tell each other these things everyday? MAKE TIME. This is the priority! This is the meaning of life! Be love, be open to love, give and receive love!

Treat everyday and every moment as a miracle, because that is precisely what it is! YOU ARE a miracle! Every breath you take IS a miracle. That you woke up this morning is a miracle.
Be grateful for every smile, every laugh, every tear and every pain. Every experience, good or bad, is another moment you got to live.

Be grateful, for all of it!

love & light,

Allie

I am an AADP Certified Holistic Health Coach and I received my training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition®. Based in New York City, Integrative Nutrition® is the largest nutrition school in the world and teaches over 100 dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques, and cutting-edge coaching methods.

If you have any questions about my training, anything you read about here on my blog or are curious about if and how health coaching can help you, feel free to email me at supernaturallie@yahoo.com

if the weather’s fine an’ you got the time

“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine, or the slowest form of poison.”
~Ann Wigmore

Happy Spring, everyone! Yesterday marked the first day of spring and I can hardly believe this weather we are having! I mean, 80 degree weather in March?! Unreal! I’m LOVING it and I’ll take it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! And while I’m sitting outside, basking in the sun, rocking a tank top and shorts and giving my feet a nice DIY pedi so they’ll be sandal ready, I’m already thinking about bikinis and boats. Premature, I know, that’s at least another 2 months away, sigh… Even so, just as the birds are out chirping and buds are breaking ground, my body is telling me to get prepared for summer!

A week ago I wrote about “spring cleaning” on a soul level. Today I’d like to write about spring cleaning in another internal sense, a body detox.

Let’s take a second and think about the term “spring cleaning.”
Why is it that we must clean in the spring? Do we hoard crap in the winter? Did this originate from a simpler time when we were like animals, who would stock up for winter, hole up and hibernate, and once spring came we had to take out all of the winter’s collected trash?

Interesting… I don’t know. What I do know however is that spring is also a wonderful time to “spring clean” our bodies! In the winter we tend to eat very hearty and comforting foods. While these foods serve their purpose in nourishing us and keeping us warm and healthy, they often leave us a little lethargic and quite often, heavier. And I don’t know about you but I live for summer. I love the sun, I love the water, I love the long days, I love running around barefoot in bikinis and quite honestly I would live in one everyday if that tropical climate weren’t so far away from my family. So for the sake of swimsuit weather, I’m detoxing.

For me, this means an alkaline diet; rich in vegetables, sour fruits and tart berries, some nuts and legumes, insane amounts of lemon water, lots of dandelion tea, very few grains, no sugar, no dairy, and very little animal protein. But hey, if my body is craving meat (I had BBQ tonight, hehe!) or eggs, I listen to it. I don’t deprive myself or else this detox would fail within in a week.

So this is what the basic blueprint for this “diet” (gah, I dislike that word!) of mine looks like:

Wake up, drink a TALL glass of room temp water (with fresh lemon in it) on my bedside table.

Brew hot water, make herbal tea (dandelion, echinacea, goldenseal or pau d’arco for any detox nasties)

About an hour later I make some green juice. This consists of one cucumber, several large romaine leaves, a few stalks of celery, one lemon (or lime), a couple handfuls of parsley, a few sprigs of mint, a 1″ piece of peeled ginger and a granny smith apple to sweeten. (Since it’s not yet garden/farmer’s market/CSA time, I try to buy all of these organic) I also sometimes add fennel (yummmmm!), arugula, spinach, kale… Anything green, really!

After my green juice (nature’s espresso) I exercise; something somewhat gentle (as detox can be rough) like 20 mins on my rebounder (excellent for detoxifying your lymph nodes), kundalini yoga, a 4-5 mile walk (which I do most mornings anyhow, pre-green juice) or my favorite, dancing my heart out for a good 15-20 mins.

My meals go something like this; breakfast is liquid or pureed, lunch is solid, but always clean (whole foods & never more than 5 ingredients) and dinner is usually liquid or pureed as well. This allows your body time to do it’s detox thing and not be in a constant state of breaking down your meals!

For breakfast, I usually have a LARGE smoothie. My favorite at the moment is the greeña colada (below) which consists of cucumber, pineapple, fresh lime juice, parsley, mint and coconut milk! Soooo yummy! But I also love my Choco-cado Pudding (you’re curious, aren’t you?) and if I’m craving something warm I make a scrumptious (5 minute) cinnamon apple pumpkin puree! So, SO good!

Lunch, lately has been (brown) rice and beans with sauteed veggies, a large mix green salad loaded with fruit or veggies (& sometimes salmon!) or quinoa salad!

And dinner is soup! Either that Pumpkin apple puree with some almond milk added to “soupify” it, miso with watercress and mushrooms, Thai Carrot and Ginger soup, or this yummy one I made today (below) that I call the “everything but the farmer’s sink soup!” It has liver loving brussel sprouts and asparagus, along with lots of garlic, onion and peas to give it a creamy consistency! After all that cooks tender, in water with some himalayan pink salt and curry powder (though I thought of using some Spike Seasoning!), I add a few handfuls of watercress (another liver detoxifier) for some punch! And then puree! Mmmmmm : )

For snacks, I love grapefruit, celery with raw almond butter, carrots with guacamole, sometimes just half an avo with a little lemon juice and sprinkle of pink salt, larabars, pepitas, and if I feel really weak, like I’m gonna cheat I’ll do up some homemade popcorn in coconut oil! HEAVEN!!!

The key is to be patient and gentle with yourself. There IS room for an occasional splurge (ie, Piggy Pats with friends tonight!) I just work around it. Today I did a liquid breakfast and lunch knowing I’d be going out for dinner and chose as healthy as I could off the menu (while still feeling satisfied!) It’s only a small moment in time that you’ll be on this restricted “plan”, so hang in there!

Lastly, I can’t stress this enough; I’m always sure to drinks LOTS of water! Water with lemon, herbal teas, cucumber water, whatever! Water makes everything flush out so much faster! If I’ve been feeling a little headachey, tired, or my skin is looking rather dull, I increase my water consumption! It really helps with those typical detox symptoms. It’s rough I know, but it’s totally worth it. The temporary discomfort will subside and I will feel so much lighter and energetic and vibrantly healthy! Just in time for those 13-14 hours of sunlight days!  And to reward myself, I think I’m going to splurge on a Vix bikini! Wahooooo!

So what do you think, doesn’t sound too bad right!? Will you join me in this challenge? I promise that it is not THAT painful! ; )

Oh yea, I almost forgot to mention one other “green” drink of mine… liquified clay. In the morning and at night (on an empty stomach) I drink 2 ounces of liquified Calcium Bentonite Clay. CLAY?! For real?! Yup! Clays have been used medicinally by indigenous tribes since… well, you get the point. It was used to draw out toxins from snake bites and heal infected wounds. Even the Bible references the healing abilities of clay! So what do I get from drinking it? Well, it detoxifies (surprise, surprise!) and it alkalizes and balances your pH! Put simply, if this stuff can draw out the poison from a snake bite, imagine what it can do for our intestines!

Alright, creeps! Time for me to drink my clay and go to bed… windows open, aaaaaahhhhhhh : ) and wake up to yet another beautiful morning!

love & light,
Allie

I am an AADP Certified Holistic Health Coach and I received my training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition®. Based in New York City, Integrative Nutrition® is the largest nutrition school in the world and teaches over 100 dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques, and cutting-edge coaching methods.

If you have any questions about my training, anything you read about here on my blog or are curious about if and how health coaching can help you, feel free to email me at supernaturallie@yahoo.com

great expectations

Last night I cried.

I cried my eyes out.

Crying isn’t something I allow myself to do often, which is silly, really… But yesterday a series of events lead me to one major meltdown. I completely lost it and there was no holding it together, I didn’t even try.

To say that I threw myself a pity party would be an understatement, this was more of a…. pity parade.

Am I ashamed? Not really, I suppose I wouldn’t be telling all of you if I was. This meltdown was long overdue and totally necessary.

A few days ago I wrote about detoxing our negative beliefs, and boy was I experiencing those HELLISH detox symptoms.. I knew that some ugly stuff was bound to come up. Well, a whole lot more than I expected came up last night and it purged itself through my tired, puffy eyes.

A major weakness of mine is this feeling that I need to hold it together. I often feel like I need to be ON, all of the time. And I’ve been foolishly doing so under the guise of grace.

Last night, I let that go.
Curled up in a ball with my head buried in my pillows I came to the realization that in many ways I HAVE been letting life happen to me. And whatever was handed to me I tried my best to graciously accept.

What a load of crock!
I am not a sideline girl, I AM NOT A WALLFLOWER! What have I been doing?!

While yesterday was more than I could handle and it pushed me over the edge, this past month has been a total whirlwind. My head has literally been spinning, I feel as though I fell down the rabbit hole! Isn’t it funny how our internal struggles can manifest into physical form? In my case this manifested as vertigo.

This vertigo started almost 2 weeks ago. The day before it began, I experienced the most serendipitous of days!
I hit the road to escape for the morning, to clear my head (isn’t that ironic?) and to shop for a dress. I stumbled into a boutique, one that I’ve never before visited and I started talking with the owner. She was this radiant, down to earth, free-spirited woman, and she seemed unusually interested in my life story. I stayed and talked with her for a while, exploring the eclectic mix of goodies in her store, we discussed what has brought me to where I am. She went on to tell me how much beautiful potential she thought I had… and then she blew me away;
She said she had this feeling about me and this dream of mine (something I had not disclosed to her) and with complete conviction she told me that it was going to happen for me very soon.

I wondered if I had walked into a boutique or a palm readers…
Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but feel all sorts of giddy and inspired. I mean this complete stranger was SO confident that this desire of mine was going to manifest, she said it really wouldn’t be long before it did and that I had better come back and tell her all about it as soon as it does! I walked out of that store feeling so uplifted, so ready to take on the world! I don’t know what winning the lottery or any other huge giveaway feels like, but I was right up there with those people that have! Coincidentally (or not!) it seemed, the rest of my day was filled with nothing but the most kind and beautiful people!

Later that day, my soul sister and I were out for the night and I decided to throw caution to the wind and completely let go. Boy, did I let go! I haven’t drank that much since hmmmmm, my birthday 10 months ago! I’m not a huge drinker and this was very out of character for me. Anywho, that night is a blur, a very fun blur from what I can remember (and what my pictures tell me!) The next day… not so fun!

In the following days a couple of people told me how “sweet” (nice translation of sloppy drunk) I was that night; apparently I walked up to them, hugged them and said “I LOVE YOU! No seriously, I really do! You’re so awesome!” Haha! Sounds about right. I wasn’t really embarrassed, considering the people I said this to I’ve known for years, though until that night they never knew just how fond I was of them! There’s a point to this story, I swear!

There is something about me that up until right now (eeeeks!) I’ve only had the guts to tell two people, my mentor, Cora, and my soul sister, Janelle. Are you ready for this?

I often have the urge to tell complete strangers how beautiful they are. (…so, what?)

And sometimes, I get this overwhelming (takes-over-my-whole-train-of-thought) profound feeling of “I love you.”

Yea… Crazy, right?

That’s what I think when this happens! I wonder, did somebody just slip a hallucinogenic into my yerba mate?
WTF? This is not the sixties, Allie! You can’t go around telling complete strangers what a beautiful aura they have or that you love them! They’ll think “Oh my god! Hide the children, this girl escaped the psychiatric center!” And I don’t blame them, I would too! Nevertheless, it happens. Quite a lot.

You know what though? While I knowingly hold back in telling these strangers how I feel, I’ve just began to realize how often I do it with people I know too! People that I’ve considered myself comfortable around!

How is it that this complete stranger felt comfortable enough to tell me what beauty she saw in me? Why can’t I do that? She absolutely made my day! Maybe people need more of this soulfelt honesty!

Why do I feel the need to be intoxicated to express my honest feelings?
(Because than you can chalk it up to the booze and not feel so embarrassed, that’s why! haha!)
Why do I struggle with this need to hold it together all the time?
Why do I feel as though I have no right to cry, and do so in shame?
What is “graceful” about hiding my true feelings, good or bad?

I am a woman, damnit! I am allowed to cry! I am allowed to express my feelings!

I whole heartedly believe that a woman’s purpose on this earth is to heal and inspire (…and to show compassion, to love, to create, to nurture, to encourage and so much more!) In Ancient Greek mythology this woman would be referred to as muse.

And I do believe that this is the purpose of my existence. It doesn’t matter what I do for a living, it doesn’t matter what I wear, or what size I am. It doesn’t matter if I marry, or have children. What matters is that I fully embrace and embody that feminine essence within me and express it fully in all of my interactions; with men, women, children, animals, and myself.

My positive power has been going unexpressed far too long. Well, no more!
Last night I fully embraced my feminine essence and I cried. I cried for myself and for everyone else who feels the pain of holding back their pure potential. Watch out, World! My eyes may be sore, but they are fresh and I can see more clearly. Now more than ever I am so looking forward to this journey!

Oh yea, and that vertigo? What vertigo? : )

love & light,

Allie

Before you leave, what one of my blog posts would be complete without a video?
My favorite actress, Gwyneth + an all time favorite Singer/Songwriter, Tori
+ my favorite fictional (“broken yet perfect” human) Muse, Estella
= Goddesses!

shake it out

It is that time of year again, time for spring cleaning!

And in my world, that translates into spring detox; of my home, my body, my mind and my soul.

As the weather gets warmer, we shed our layers. What an appropriate time to shed from our lives the things that no longer serve us. To most of us that means clothes from last year, paperwork, and other miscellaneous crap.

Soon, the trees will be budding, the grass will be getting its green back on, and those little baby birds, well they’re already waking me up in morning : ) Oh and puppies! Lots of puppies are born in the spring! Who doesn’t love puppies!?

Spring is naturally a time of rebirth and new beginnings!

New beginnings, ahhhhhh…. Don’t you just love the sound of that? I for one, have this fascination with starting over. I often dream of being plucked from my life and dropped into a new one, with different people, different circumstances, different relationships and different opportunities to stretch outside of my comfort zones and grow. I like to think that if this were to happen to me, it would be so easy to just drop my insecurities and cynicisms. Like a newborn baby, young and naive, not yet jaded. (Think Man Vs. Wild, except Bear Grylls would have amnesia. That’s actually horrifying… and BRILLIANT! I wonder if I could sell that idea to Discovery Channel; bring Bear Back!)
But that’s not how life works! That would be too easy and in order to get the most out of this life we have go through some “sh*t.”

Sometimes we have to stumble and fall, sometimes we strive and sometimes we thrive. We have to make mistakes and make them again, and again, until we learn. But everyday we have the choice to change. Sometimes that can seem a little daunting, so I like to view our lives like the changing seasons. Naturally, spring is the time to create new habits, new intentions, and new possibilities!

In order to make room for these new possibilities, we have to do a little spring cleaning within ourselves. We need to release our toxins; the old fears and beliefs that no longer serve us.

When we take inventory of our thoughts and beliefs, some ugly stuff is bound to come up. (Detox symptoms! Trust me, the pain is only temporary!) We all have negative beliefs and fears; our “demons.” These demons are like parasites, leaching off of the healthier, happier parts of ourselves and it’s vital that we let them go! But we cannot do that without first accepting that they exist!

This reminds me of a song I love by Florence + The Machine, called Shake It Out.

Can I just say how much I LOVE Florence Welch? She is such a wildly, enCHANTING, unbridled and passionate, fiercely feminine woman! As are her lyrics, agh! SO beautiful!

“And I’ve been a fool and I’ve been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I’m always dragging that horse around
Our love is pastured, such a mournful sound
Tonight I’m gonna bury that horse in the ground”

Florence is acknowledging her “demons.” Instead of pushing them down and pretending that they don’t exist, she’s blowing them up! She’s exposing them and saying “hey I know you’re in there, I know what you’ve done, and thanks but I don’t need you anymore! I’m ready to move on!”

Now calm down, I’m not suggesting that you’re possessed! K, maybe just a lil, but don’t worry, I am too ; )
Think of it like those old cartoon characters with an angel on one shoulder, and a devil on the other. The angel is your truth, your authentic self; the angel is LOVE. The devil is your ego, your negative beliefs, your insecurities; the devil is FEAR.

“looking for heaven, found the devil in me”
It’s hard sometimes to admit our weaknesses. Even more, forgiving ourselves for holding on to them for so long. But what’s the alternative? Carry on the way that we’ve been; fighting with our angel selves who consistently remind us that we deserve better? Complaining after we fall prey to our fears, yet again? Settling because it’s “easier” than the unknown?

“…every demon wants his pound of flesh”
Don’t give your power away to those demons! But don’t ignore them either, repressing your “demons” denying your negative thoughts will only make them angrier and louder! Nobody is positive all the time, that’s impossible! So try to show yourself a little love and compassion when you discover the dark sides of yourself. You CAN change, but it takes time and instead of beating yourself up and telling yourself that you SHOULD be a certain way, or it SHOULD be easy, or that there must be something wrong with you, maybe you can just take some baby steps in the right direction.

Maybe you can start with just accepting that yes, you have this negative belief but that doesn’t mean you have to hold on to it. Everything is temporary, life is temporary and so are the events we are experiencing and the choices we make. Every moment is a chance to start fresh and you can CHOOSE to do it differently if you want to.

“regrets collect like old friends
here to relive your darkest moments”
How true this is of our past beliefs! We’ve crafted these stories about our lives, based on how we’ve perceived the events of our past… I forget where I’ve recently heard this, but it’s definitely relevant right here and now “your biography does not define you, it’s the decisions you make that do.” We have to stop giving up our control and our happiness to our regrets and our “stories” about ourselves. It’s a total cop-out! I can hear you now, “oh, I’ve always been like this, what’s the use?” or “I’ve never been successful at that, what makes this time any different?” Those are the crazy, mad ideas that we let wreak havoc on our lives. “… and it’s hard to dance with the devil on your back, so shake him off!”

Take a second and think. What is one thing you deeply desire in this life? One thing that you seem to constantly be struggling with? Do you find yourself settling for less AND justifying it? What have you been afraid to claim as rightfully yours? What do you find yourself dreaming about, but perhaps you just don’t feel like it will happen?

Why?

Everybody has demons, everybody feels unworthy at times. IT DOESN’T MAKE IT TRUE!!!

Authentic love IS your birthright! Prosperity and abundance (in both the material and spiritual sense) ARE your birthright! Radiant health IS your birthright! Claim them!

I was reminded last night, while talking to a friend about my dreams, that we can’t ever be sure how or when they will come true, all we can do is believe that they will. In the right time they will… It’s okay to wonder and maybe even worry a little about when, but don’t stay there too long. Trust that you are worthy of your dreams and desires and as long as you hold that belief they will become your reality.

A saying that has been coming up for me a lot lately, as a reminder to myself and to the people in my life is this: dreams always seem a lifetime away, even the day before they come true.

Life is not easy, sometimes it really f^*&!#@ sucks! But then out of nowhere, something miraculous happens!
You know what I’m talking about, right? If you’ve hit a rough patch, just hang in there, stand strong and know that your miracle is just around the corner.

As Flo says “it’s always darkest before the dawn.”

love & light,

Allie : )

L.Y.L.A.S.

Hey, hey! Long time, no see my “creeps!” ; )

I’ve missed writing, and I’m sure you’ve missed me ; ) Hopefully this will get me inspired and writing some more posts! It’s really therapeutic, if you’re a natural writer, I definitely recommend blogging! Try it, and send me your blog links! And if you already do write, again, hook me up with links! We all need some daily inspiration from one another : )

Okay, so… call me cheesy, but I watch Oprah. Yup! There, I said it. Like pulling a band-aid off!
Hi, my name is Allie… and I watch Oprah.
Well, honestly, I watch an OWN series; Super Soul Sundays, it’s my new addiction. It’s something I DVR and then on Monday morning I watch it while I bop up and down on my rebounder for an hour or so. : )

A few weeks ago, for Valentine’s day, Oprah interviewed the author Gary Zukav. He wrote this book about Spiritual Partnerships.

“Spiritual partnerships are the most fulfilling, substantive, and deep relationships possible. They are relationships between equals for the purpose of spiritual growth. Growing spiritually means creating a life of more joy and less pain, more meaning and less emptiness, and more love and less fear. As we become aware of ourselves as more than we once thought that we were—and this is happening to millions of people—we long for relationships that are the most meaningful and rewarding possible, that support us in becoming healthy, vibrant, creative, and loving. These are spiritual partnerships.” - Gary Zukav

Now I haven’t read his book, but I have heard of it. And I WAS curious to read it but I’ve got to be honest, this passage Oprah read from the book kind of turned me off. (But, I’ll probably still read it.)

Gary wrote “Friendships ARE NOT spiritual partnerships.”

Hmm..
Really, Gary?

That’s a pretty bold statement, and quite frankly, I feel sad for you if none of your friends are your soul mates. I understand that we may feel unable to be 100% honest with a lot of our friends, though we love them. Come on, you know you sugarcoat (ahem, lie) sometimes to your friends.

BUT what about our “best friends?”

Let me tell you something, Gary… Maybe we’re just lucky, maybe we are the only exception to the rule (I doubt it) but my best friend, Janelle and I ARE soul sisters (queue Train’s top 40 hit!)

Yea, just like that… ukulele and all! (Minus the sexual connotations, of course.)

We’ve even been given a portmanteau, you know? Like super couples Brangelina and TomKat?

We’re Janallie, how freaking adorable is that?!

Yea… I think we’re pretty awesome, and I know, I know, it’s totally not “polite” to think highly of yourself. But really? That societal grace has gotta go. No wonder we’re all running around self conscious and completely numbed by antidepressants, anti-anxiety, anti-feel-anything-real meds!

My prescription?
Grab a mirror, look at yourself and repeat after me, please.
“I’m beautiful.
I’m awesome.
And I’m doing the best I can.”
Now, believe it.
Kind of uncomfortable, huh? Yea… I know. But it’s good for you!

Where was I? Oh yea, I love Janelle : ) I mean honestly, my awesome lil bestie can do no wrong in my eyes. Even when she thinks she messes up, I only see the pure perfection of her life playing out. She just doesn’t know how awesome she is and that’s why I’m here! And I know when I’m feeling fearful and all “AGHHH!!! FML!!!!” she sees the same for me, and she reminds me of it. I mean, how awesome is that?! Right? Because it is SO, so much easier to see the beauty in other people than it is to see it in ourselves. And to find someone who always sees that in you and always reminds you of your awesome-ness, well… that’s a pretty amazing gift!

Janelle and I often joke that if only one of us were a guy, we’d probably have the most kick ass relationship ever! Male version of Janelle? Are you out there??? Show yourself! Haha! He is out there, and I’m sure he’s wondering where the hell I am too!

Wow, I’m damn good at going off on tangents! Have I lost you yet? HELLO??? ECHO, Echo, echo….

Focus, Allie!

So, I get what Gary is saying, but I totally disagree!
“Friends will try to console one another, empathize with one another… They won’t ever help their friend look at where these experiences are coming from.”
MEH! WRONG!

He also says, that friendships and marriage partners do not want to rock the boat.

Well Gary, if I ever find myself sailing along on a marriage boat with someone who’s sea sick or can’t swim, I’ll be cannon balling off that boat so fast, I pray that when I hit the water my bikini stays on! ; )

Now, I know a lot of people have friends like those that Gary talks about, but I just have to disagree in his general statement that friendships ARE NOT spiritual partnerships.

Call me a bitch (and hey, maybe this is why I can count my true friends on one hand) but I’m a firm believer in tough love. I don’t NEED anyone in my life that will enable me to indulge in self sabotage and the only way I know how to do that is to not let others do the same to themselves. “You are who you surround yourself with.” If my friends can’t handle the truth, if my friends don’t want to take responsibility for their lives, if they just want to think that life happens TO them, then they are no friend of mine!

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t walk around calling everybody out on the daily pity parties we often throw ourselves; um, no, that’s the opposite of compassion. If I did that, absolutely NO ONE would like me and honestly, it’s not my place to. BUT with the people that I trust, the ones with who I allow myself to be 100% vulnerable and authentic? Yes, they need to be 100% vulnerable and authentic with me as well. And they need to promise to call me out on ALL of my bullshit. I would have it no other way.

I do agree that we try to console and empathize with our friends. Yes, Gary, you’re right; when my best friend is going through something tough, of course I want to comfort her, and I do. People just want to be heard, that’s all we need to be comforted. We want to be heard and we want to be understood. “I feel this way, and it sucks!!!” And how can you not sympathize with that? So yes, we sympathize with how each other is feeling, because we’re not perfect, no one is! To console each other we give pep talks, but we also try not to go into the whole blame everyone else, you did nothing wrong spiel. One of the key differences in our friendship vs. those non-boat-rocking, huddle-together-to-hide-from-the-storm friendships, is that we ask why? “Yes, honey, that most absolutely does suck, but why do you think you feel so hurt? And is there a more positive way to look at this situation? What can you do to learn from this so you don’t have to feel this hurt again?” I love that my best friend doesn’t let me wallow in self pity, but she also doesn’t let me go into hating on other people.

I can’t change how other people feel, what they do or what they think of me… All I can change is how I feel, and how I perceive the events in my life.

A true friend helps you to see your truth and stay true in life. That seems pretty simple and straight forward to me!

Long story, short; Janelle is awesome, she is my soul sister and I’m super grateful to call her my best friend : )

love & light,

Allie

thanksgiving is good, but thanksLIVING is better…

I LOVE Thanksgiving. Love, love, LOVE it! It’s the organic, whole food version of holidays. It’s unprocessed, unadulterated, un-commercialized. It’s pure, it’s wholesome… it’s just scrumptious!!!

It’s about good food, good company, good thoughts and good conversation. No unnecessary gift giving, just THANKS giving. The very essence of this holiday is to sit down, slow down and realize and be grateful for all of the wonderful things in our life. This ONE day a year we are filled with so much love and gratitude for one another, right?

Haha! Okay, let’s be real! It’s almost impossible to get the family together without so and so whispering behind so and so’s back, or maybe an obvious dig or two… perhaps even a couple family members lunging across the table, arms extended, hands in strangling position? You know what I’m talking about, don’t lie!

Alright, so what if we just put a little more effort this year to celebrate this ONE day the way it’s meant to be celebrated? One day, people! Can we agree to disagree? Can we put our worries, resentments and criticisms on the back burner and just focus on how amazing that gravy smells?

I’d like to share with you a fitting mantra, one that is often cited during Thanksgiving.

“Thank you for everything. I have no complaints whatsoever.”

Isn’t that lovely? : )
I know what you’re thinking; this girl is CAH-RAY-ZEE!!!

“I have bills to pay, insane amounts of gifts to buy, and no time to buy them, and my car is making a funny noise, yada yada yada….”
Okay, okay… But do you have any REAL problems? I know I don’t.

I have a roof over my head.
I have my health.
I have a job.
I have food everyday.
I have a lot of people that love me..

I have everything necessary (and then some) to survive on this earth. I have everything I need. And I am grateful.

Are you?

Imagine what your life would be like if you stopped complaining. Stop complaining about circumstances outside of yourself. Stop complaining about your own circumstances (and do something about them!)

We miss out on so much of life when we complain. We miss how beautiful a blue sky is. How wonderful the warmth of the sun is when it hits our skin. How amazing it is each morning that we (and the people we love) wake up. Yea, how about that? Be grateful now because you never know when that day may come…

From the moment we wake up, we are go, go, go! We bombard ourselves with worry and negativity. What are we doing?! We are missing out on life… We are seriously, gravely UNGRATEFUL.

Ouch… that stung a little, didn’t it?

Now, while it may be a little unrealistic to go from our lives as we know it, to one of never ending gratitude, would you be willing to join me in making this mantra THE mantra of day this Thursday?

Will you join me in sitting with our families (and/or friends! Sometimes we make our families…) and take in just how lucky we really are, and how trivial our tiffs with each other are, and how not worth it it is to hold grudges? We are all doing our best in life. If we held that thought, even just for this one day and we loved each other despite our differences and “conflicts” then we could truly have a Thanksgiving worth celebrating!

Try it, and if it feels good, try it again on Friday. Perhaps you will facing the mad rush of bargain shoppers, try to be thankful when you are out there. Maybe it’ll be a little hard to be thankful for be elbowed in the ribs, or to watch the very last of that must have item be taken off the shelf, but try not to focus on that, focus on the great deals you DO score, and how happy you will feel giving those gifts to your loved ones. Baby steps!

Before I wrap this up, I want to take the time to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for stopping by and reading this. Even if YOU are the only one that reads this, I hope that it made you smile! : )

Thank you for everything. I have no complaints whatsoever.

Have a beautiful ThanksLiving, everyone!

love & light : )

Allie

“Thanksgiving is good, but ThanksLIVING is better.” ~ Matthew Henry

there are no coincidences…

If it has appeared in your life, there is a reason; to teach you… that your dreams (or nightmares, depending on what you chose to think, so choose wisely!) come true, and that only you have the power to heal yourself. From that knowing you see beyond just your physical senses, and you finally realize that you are already the person you’ve been dreaming that you’d become…

Dream BIG : )

love & light,

Allie

The Avett Brothers know what’s up…

“When nothing is owed, deserved or expected
And your life doesn’t change by the man that’s elected
If you’re loved by someone, you’re never rejected
Decide what to be and go be it

There was a dream and one day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage I broke in and demanded that somebody free it
And there was a kid with a head full of doubt
So I’ll scream til I die and the last of those bad thoughts are finally out

There’s a darkness upon you that’s flooded in light…”

stormy weather

So… I’ve been in kind of a bum mood the past few days. Yes, it even happens to us “optimists.” I’ve been feeling anxious about my future, what steps to take next, all of this uncertainty… and really that is so unlike me! I went into a tailspin of sorts on Monday. I was supposed to have a phone sesh with my mentor (Cora) but she had to reschedule. No big deal, right? I thought “I have a lot I can get done.” And then… throughout the day everything I had planned started to fall apart. And it totally freaked me out!

Now, I openly admit to be an obsessive (to-do) list maker; what I don’t think I’ve yet admitted is that I’m somewhat of a control freak. Surprise! Hey, I’m working on it…

This morning as I sat quietly (whimpering), I let the negative thoughts come up again. “Ugh, this really isn’t my week! I really could’ve used a little direction from Cora, why am I feeling this way? Wah Wah Wahhhh…. Why does everything seem to be out of control right now? I’m so overwhelmed!!”

Then something awesome happened. An “aha!” moment if you will (love those!) I remembered that while I know that I have no control over what happens to me, I do have control over how I react.

And then I heard Cora’s voice “Thoughts are like clouds, let them pass through. Attach no emotion or outcome to them.”(Thank you, Cora! See, you were there for me this week!)

She had said this to me a few weeks ago, I wrote it down somewhere. But now? That baby is going up on my window, yup! So when I look out at the clouds, I see my thoughts! Gotta love dry erase markers!

It really is a brilliant theory and what a relief! Phew! THINK about it! (irony? me?! nooooo!) Thoughts are formless, flexible. Thoughts are only what we make of them, meant to be perceived, not controlled (damnit!) Thoughts are not our beliefs or our fears, unless we label them so. Thoughts are free flowing; they come to us, they pass through us, but they do not stay in our minds unless we start obsessing over them. By no means am I suggesting that thoughts are worthless. Much to the contrary, thoughts can be wonderfully inspiring, caring, and supportive too! The problem it seems, is that we give more attention to the thoughts that DON’T serve us; thoughts of negativity, judgement, jealousy, insecurity, and guilt. Why does this happen? I mean it certainly isn’t easier to hold on to these negative thoughts! Noooo, it takes a great deal more energy to hold onto them, because like all other thoughts, they would otherwise pass through us if we just let them.

So today I’m making a conscious effort to check-in and notice my thoughts. If I realize that I am holding onto any that do not serve me, I am going to imagine them being blown away with the help of that hottie Greek God, Aeolus (see below, haha get it? blow? god of the winds?)

Then I’ll treat myself to a warm, loving thought and let my mind rest in the uncertainty, knowing that at every moment, with every thought, I have the power. See? I really do have control! My inner control freak is VERY happy! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! : )

Thoughts?

Anyone?

(crickets…)

I know that there are lots of you reading these, comon! Let those thoughts float through your mind, through your fingertips and onto this page! Pretty please? : )

have an amazing day!

love & light,

Allie

somersault in the sand with me?

“Then Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth. You must change and become like little children {in your hearts}. If you don’t do this, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” ~ Matthew 18:3

“No matter what happens, always keep your childhood innocence. It’s the most important thing.”
~ Federico Fellini

“Grow up! Don’t be such a child! You are so naïve!” ~ You, me, and your brother…

Notice anything strange? Seriously though… when did being child-like get such a bad rap?

When a baby is born, something magical happens. We KNOW we are looking at a miracle. Everyone (strangers included) wants to hold this little miracle and feel that perfection, that innocence, that magnificence. Babies have this power to fill our hearts with love and light and hope for this world. Gosh, my heart wants to explode even thinking about holding a newborn! Children are born into this world perfect, yet for some reason once they begin to develop the littlest bit of personality we feel the need to start molding them, or “preparing” them for the hard facts of life. But what we really need is to be molded BY them. The naïveté of a child is so pure… It’s so refreshing, so beautiful. Personally it is something I envy strive for! Children naturally possess what Buddhists refer to as the beginner’s mind.

They know no other way to live.

But somewhere along the way, as we grow up, we lose that beginner’s mind. We learn to be affected, to be attached and to react. We build walls and begin to resist and fight nature. When and why do we start to view our innocence as a weakness? We proudly walk around wearing our hard earned badges of cynicism and jadedness; oh, how we love to tell our stories! But these stories are taking over our lives… We’ve trapped ourselves in our own negativity and we are blind to the beauty of the world around us!

We all seem to be on a quest to find happiness, no? As if it is something out there, something out of our reach; the destination. We read books about it, receive counsel from afternoon talk show hosts, and try to find it through relationships, success, wealth, food, alcohol and drugs. But none of this works.

The answer is really simple; we just need to go home. Home to who we were when we came to this earth, home to our innocence… The innocence that has been beaten out of us by society. (No, I’m not about to go on an Anarchist rant, but think about it; if we were happy just BEING, we would make pretty shitty consumers, wouldn’t we?)

So how can we reclaim our innocence? How can we explore this life full of awe and wonder and excitement? As you step out into the world today, try to approach everything and everyone with a beginner’s mind : )

How do I do that, you ask? Simple! Be LIKE a child.

Be as fearless as a child. Fear is a dirty theif and it robs us of our true limitless potential. Fear will make you dim the light within yourself and shrink into the shadows of mediocrity. But fear is not real, fear is merely False Evidence Appearing Real. Let go!

Have Faith like a child. A child knows that he or she is and always will be protected. Think of a holding a child’s hand and walking across the street. The child is essentially lost, even though they are holding onto your hand, they’re stepping out into the unknown. But a child does not hesitate. No, that child holds onto your hand and trusts that you will guide them and protect them. Have that kind of Faith in God…

Dance like a child.  Have you ever seen a child dance? They dance like no one is watching! No rhyme or reason, just flailing limbs and a smile from ear to ear! A child is a free spirit, they will dance with reckless abandon. They dance just to dance. They dance because they are insanely happy and they do not care what the world thinks!

Be as curious as a child. A Child is innately curious; full of imagination and carefree. They don’t worry about what other people think, and neither should you! Don’t ever stop asking questions and learning.

Live like a child.  A child lives FULLY in the moment. They aren’t worried about being cool, rich or successful. No, they are too busy playing, creating, loving life, being curious and learning! Of course I’m not saying that we abandon all respsonsibility and I’m not saying this will be easy. Any kind of change requires effort and time. But I promise you, the rewards you will reap will be tremendous! So loosen your grip on that to-do list! Go on… just for a moment, forget about yesterday and forget about tomorrow. Just be here, now. When you are fully present you can see the world through a child’s eyes. Miracles are all around us, at every moment. Just look around! Every moment you have on this earth is a gift. Be grateful and share your gift with the world.

A small child may not yet be ready to cross the street alone, let alone thrive in this crazy world of ours, but these magnificent, beautiful little humans are certainly wise in ways that most of us cannot compare. So next time you are in the presence of a child notice how they live, how they create, how they ask questions, and how they play. Better yet, join them! At the very least, play and daydream everyday. Get lost dreaming about your “fairy tale” world. A little bit of best case scenario syndrome could do wonders for your life! Do cartwheels, somersaults, skip and dance around in public! Who cares what people think… I guarantee you that they are only jealous, wondering what you are so damn happy about!

Lastly, find the beauty in everything and everyone as they are. Especially children.

love & light,

Allie