What Dis-Empowering Spells are you Under?

There are times when life is pure magic; and then there are times when the spell is on you!  We’re not talking hexes or voodoo.  The curses we’re referring to are the ones we cast on ourselves.  Below are the top 5 dis-empowering spells we see women living under and how you can break them.  

Break the Spell of Negative Thinking: Watch what you think about because often it’s what you will bring about.  Think positive, happy and grateful thoughts, and you’ll attract more of the same.  Likewise, focus on what’s wrong in the world, the deadlines at work, difficulties with the family, and you’ll find it hard to fit a good thought in edgewise!  If you’re looking to make a big impact fast, change the way you look at things.  Find the silver lining in every situation and soon your outlook will transform, as if by magic.

Break the Spell of Limiting Beliefs: Our thought patterns are formed at a young age, often inspired by influential adults and experiences during our young formative years.  Our beliefs about money, self-worth, deservedness, and more, are shaped early-on, never to be questioned again.  But question you must!  What if you belief is a lie?

Every belief that is holding you back from your best life can be converted into a new, true, and empowering belief, simply by changing your mindset.  “The Work” by Bryon Katie, offers a formula for questioning these thoughts: Is it true?  Can you absolutely know it’s true?  How do you react (what happens) when you believe that thought?  Who would you be without the thought?

Break the Spell of Blame: Have you been playing the game of “Blame and Complain”?  Well, no more pointing fingers at your parents for the way you were raised, at your spouse for not helping enough around the house, or at the boss for hating your job.  If you know there’s a problem and things aren’t working, decide to make a change and then follow through.  Nobody is in charge of your happiness but you.

Break the Spell of Mistakes: We’re all human and make mistakes.  Don’t let them hold you hostage for the rest of your life!  Think of them as experience and practice for your future.  Admit your role, make amends with those hurt (including you), and then break free from the past so it won’t screw up the present.

Break the Spell of Envy: Do you have a propensity towards a “grass is always greener” way of thinking?  If you actually had the opportunity to walk a mile in some else's shoes, you might be surprised at what you find.  If we all threw our problems into a pile, and saw ours compared side-by-side with everyone else's, we’re pretty confident we’d each grab our own back.

Kim,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
“The appearance of things change according to our emotions, and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves.”  ~Kahlil Gibran

I’ve Got Some Bad News and Good News

How many times have we heard that statement? We’re reluctant to hear the bad news but at the same time so relieved to hear there’s some good in the mix. The only question that remains is which to hear first.

Recently I had a revelation; a big ah-ha moment that has changed forever the way I think about the “good news-bad news” phenomenon. What if the “bad” news was also the “good” news? Bear with me a moment and let me roll out my thought process…

A few months ago when I was in Tampa for the “I Can Do It” seminar I called home to check in with the hubby. I could sense immediately that something was wrong and sure enough his mother had fallen and broken her leg. Mom celebrated her 86th birthday in August and has been struggling with foot and leg pain for a while now, and her eyesight has been deteriorating as well; all a result of diabetes. Getting around was a challenge for her already and now a broken leg…yes, this was definitely bad news.

However, I was already in day three of my “I Can Do It” experience. I had received a hug and a kiss from Wayne Dyer, saw Louise Hay gush over pictures of my niece and nephew, heard the greatest motivational speakers share about God’s hand in our lives and His miracles (not their rarity, but their frequency), and saw scientific evidence proving the existence of Divine support (as if I needed more). The underlying message throughout the event was that we are part of a greater plan, contributing to a greater purpose, supported and loved by a greater Power. Thus, everything that happens, happens for a reason.

But what could possibly be the reason for my mother-in-law having to suffer yet another blow to her health? Well…with the broken bone and surgery to repair it, Mom will be getting some physical therapy; I’m sure that will contribute to her ability to get around in a more stable fashion in the future. Maybe eating meals and taking her medications under the supervision of medical staff will improve her health overall. And Dad…well the best of Dad comes out in times like these. At the age of 90, his Marine training kicks in and…how shall I say it…everything from meals to laundry becomes a little more regimented.

Wow, maybe some “good” could come out of this. I started to think back at other “bad” experiences from my past and found that even the “worst of the worst” of them had set into motion events that in hindsight support my happiness today.

From our vantage point it’s impossible for us to see the greater plan for our lives. We must stop labeling anything as “bad” because it might actually be for our “good”. What if instead we imagine the best that could arise from the situation and look for the lesson or gift that is hiding there for us?

O.k., humor me one last time… “I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news IS the good news.”

Kim,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
“If you don't change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?” ~ W. Somerset Maugham

Online Women's Empowerment Danger: Stinkin' Thinkin'

We’re all so much more connected now with social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. While it’s a great way to stay linked with family and friends, there are also many dangers lurking there! I’m not talking about internet stalkers but negative thinkers!

Yes, social media is just one more way to get sucked into the negative thoughts of others (or pull others into ours). Here’s a sampling of what I’ve seen recently on the Facebook News Feed:

"Bad night=Crabby Morning ;("
"Went from having a great day to a bad night."
"Why can't life be simple?"
"Why can’t diets be fun??"
"Wants to know why everything always goes wrong."

It’s time to clear out the social media negative thoughts; not only for yourself but for your entire virtual community of family and friends. While you can't control or change the posts of others, there is one thing you do have control of and that's the news you post and how you choose to respond to the posts entered by your social media friends. While some may argue that this is easier said than done, it only requires that a simple decision be made; the decision to stop and be inspiring.

Let’s give all Facebook and Twitter users the benefit of the doubt; maybe they don’t realize how negative they’re being? Maybe none of us realize how negative we’re being? Here’s a simple exercise that will easily bring our negativity to light:

Grab yourself a common household rubber band. Place it on your wrist and wear it for an entire day. The catch is that every time you have a negative thought you must snap yourself. I’ve actually done this exercise myself and it works! It’s amazing how our negative thoughts can become so second nature that we don’t even notice them anymore. With this simple exercise you will become immediately aware of your negative thoughts, and thus able to quickly correct them with a simple thought of “Stop!” after which you can replace the negative thought with a powerful and positive one!

We all know that negative thinking only brings about more of the same. The question becomes, “How much stinkin’ thinkin’ will you allow in your life?” Make the choice today to change your negative social media ways and inspire others in the process. Who knows, the life you change most may be your own!

Becky,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
"There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” ~W. Clement Stone