Happy Spring! About De-cluttering & Letting go

Happy Spring Equinox!

I love spring because it’s bright & optimistic, & everything smells fresh. This friday I will be going to Amsterdam (my hometown) for a week, I’m so excited!! This time of the year always inspires me to de-clutter, get organized and clean up. Below you find some inspiring words from galadarling.com (love her blog btw!) and she inspired me even more to get into the spring de-clutter mood.

Letting Go

The process of clearing clutter is all about letting go. Not just letting go of your belongings — that is only the end result. The most important thing is learning to let go of the fear that keeps you holding on to them after it is time to move them on their way.

I live half of each year in Bali, Indonesia, & half of each year in the West. I have been doing this for the last eight years, ever since I decided to do it. Sometimes people tell me they wish their lives could be like mine. They imagine that I have pots of money & can do whatever I want, but the truth is I started with nothing except an insatiable desire to live in Bali for six months of each year. When they look honestly at their own lives & see what prevents them from doing something they say they really want to do, a lot of it is attachment to possessions. They have set their lives up so that they are not free to do what they really yearn to do.

Just passing through

Life is constant change. So when something comes into your life enjoy it, use it well, & when it is time, let it go. It is that simple. Just because you own something, it doesn’t mean that you have to keep it forever. You are just a temporary custodian of many things as they pass through your life. You can’t, after all, take the contents of your kitchen cupboards with you when you die, & nor would you want to!

Everything material is merely energy in transition. You may think you own a house or have money in the bank, but the fact is you don’t even own the body you stand up in. It is on loan from the planet &, after you are done with it, it will be automatically recycled & reappear in a different form without you. You are spirit — glorious, eternal, indestructible spirit — but your human circumstance is what can best be described as a transient, “rent-a-body” situation.

Your body is the temporary temple of your soul. What you keep around you in the extended temple of your home needs to change with you as you change & grow, so that it reflects who you are. Particularly if you are engaged in any kind of self-improvement work, you will need to update your environment regularly. So get into the habit of leaving a trail of discarded clutter in your wake, & start to think of it as a sign of your progression!

Let go of fear

People hold on to their clutter because they are afraid to let it go — afraid of the emotions they may experience in the process of sorting through the stuff, afraid they will make a mistake & later regret getting rid of something, afraid they will leave themselves vulnerable, exposed or at risk in some way. Clutter clearing can bring up a lot of “stuff” to be faced & dealt with, & intuitively everybody knows it.

However, the rewards for clutter clearing are well worth it. Love & fear cannot exist in the same space, so everything you are holding on to through fear is blocking you from having more love in your life; clearing it allows more love to start pouring in. Fear stops you from being who you truly are & doing what you came here to do; clutter clearing brings you greater clarity about your life purpose. Fear suppresses your vital life force energy; releasing clutter helps reconnect you to your own natural vitality. Letting go of clutter leaves you free to be you, which is the greatest gift you can ever give yourself.

– by Galadarling.com 

I hope you feel inspired this by this post. Let’s get ready for spring and have a clean-up! Here are some ideas:

♥ Do a detox and drink many veggie juices and smoothies.

♥ Throw away any excess stuff you don’t need.

♥ Organize your closet, give away any clothes you don’t wear anymore.

♥ Clean up your computer, make everything nice and organized. Clean up your inbox and you itunes library.

♥ Clean the house!

P.S. If you liked the cherry blossom image at the top of this post, here’s a wallpaper-sized version!

Read Full Post »

Lets Start the Week With a Boost of Self Love

Hey there other side 🙂 ♥

Hope you are having a great start of a new week. To make it an even better one.. try this:

Read Full Post »

Self Acceptance Means Self Forgiveness

♥  Please share if you like this  ♥

Read Full Post »

Love who you are!

I hope you share if you like it 🙂

Read Full Post »

5 Ways Mindfulness Changed My Life

Today’s Inspiration: Creativespiritualwoman.com

“Mindfulness can be sooo powerful! That’s why I love this article so much. I think many of us have heard about it and this article gives you lots of inspiration and ideas on how to get more mindful in your life.”
~Sophie

5 Ways Mindfulness Changed My Life

It’s incredible to me how mindfulness has changed my life.

When we understand on a very real level that everything we focus on we are bringing into our lives, we begin to see that there are fewer and fewer things that really deserve that kind of power.

This is incredibly liberating and powerfully creative. As a result of the laser-like focus of mindfulness, I’ve learned the following life-altering things:

1. What is not in front of me now doesn’t really matter. 

So, so much of my old life was spent thinking about what might happen or what had already happened. I analyzed situations and motives until I couldn’t even remember what had really happened. I spent hours predicting what might happen, what someone might say, what the situation might be like and then developed resentments when reality was completely different. Becoming present has made it incredibly clear to me that this moment is the one I can act in. This moment is the one I can step into fully, make eye contact with others, and feel myself in my skin. No amount of recapping history or imagining an upcoming event can substitute for what I have now.

2. Asking myself, “what do I love now?” over and over again has made it powerfully clear to me what I want in life.

I used to get so frustrated, wondering if I was doing the right thing or wondering if I should be in a different field. I would get derailed easily when someone else would be passionate about what they were doing, wondering if I should do that, too. It was all lack of presence. Now that I have the experience of asking myself, over and over, what I really want, I am not at all swayed by what anyone else is doing. I know that at any given moment, I know what I want in life, because I’ve spent time honestly asking myself and listening to the answer.

It’s also a joy now to hear about new things that others are doing, and to be excited for them. I used to be frustrated when I heard about a new technology or new fun thing that someone was learning – I felt like I “should” be learning it too, and it felt heavy and oppressive. Now I love hearing about their passions and can be genuinely happy for their interests and accomplishments.

3. Knowing what I want has made it easier to eliminate what I don’t want.

There are so many amazing things in the world! It can be hard to choose from at first, when there are mountains to climb and people to meet and businesses to start and ideas to bring to life. There are an infinite number of amazing things to do and learn and love! I used to beat myself up for all the amazing things I wasn’t doing, and now I know that this isn’t possible, practical, or desirable.

In asking myself, over and over, in so many beautifully present moments, “What do I love now? What do I want to do now?” I have not answered with, “Write a novel,” “climb Kilimanjaro,” “go skydiving,” or “cure cancer.” Many other beautiful, perfect souls have these things on their lists. Maybe someday they’ll show up on mine – but not today! Today, my loves are: walking, eating amazing food (I’m pregnant, so food is powerfully important to me now), writing anything that helps someone else suffer less, collaborating with amazing friends, and having an online-based business. I’m fantastically in love with my little girl and I love doing things to prepare for her arrival. I love these things.

Should I feel guilty that I’m not: training for a marathon, writing the next great novel, learning Chinese and travelling constantly? Absolutely not! It’s so easy to lovingly eliminate what I don’t want. Not in a negative, harsh way, but in a beautiful acknowledgement of what I’m focused on and what I don’t need to worry about right now.

4. Outside messages have no power anymore.

You know those messages that come from TV, family, friends, the internet, our coworkers…every message that used to make me feel like I wasn’tenough: “You’re not doing X, you’re behind the times,” or “You’re not size 0, you need to work harder,” “you’re not as fast at X task as Susan, you might want to work on that.”

Now, it’s obvious to me that being a size 0 is not on my priority list, and that’s perfect. Learning Susan’s task isn’t one of my favorite things, I’m so grateful that Susan is so good at it. There are so many great things that others are doing, and that’s wonderful! I have that much more time for what I do want.

The more present I become and clearer I get with what I love, the more absurd those messages sound. It’s hilarious how often we’re led to believe we should do something just because ten other people believe it’s a desirable goal.

5. The things I love multiply and come into my life at lightening speed.

This is where that “magic” happens. As a result of not thinking about what I don’t want, not getting caught up in the messages of “should” and “shouldn’t,” not getting distracted by what isn’t happening now, I have incredible time and energy to do exactly what I love. I have the time to spend 30, 60, 90 minutes on writing my ebook that I previously would’ve spent chasing after something I “should” be doing. As a result? I’m about ready to release another ebook! I have more time to take walks, work on my business, and prepare for the new baby. Things happen so quickly in my life now that people tell me they can hardly keep up!

Go ahead and read the whole articles and more inspiring articles here

Read Full Post »

Are You Positive? How and Why Affirmations Work.

Today’s Inspiration: Thewellnesswarrior.com.au

“Until a few months ago I never really got into affirmations. However, after reading Louise Hay’s books  I started to understand the power of affirmations. I loved this article, written by Jessica, describes how affirmations work and why they are so powerful.”
~Sophie

“An affirmation opens the door. It’s a beginning point on the path to change.”
– Louise Hay

I talk to myself a lot. Most of the time I do it in my head, but some times I will do it out loud. The latter is usually only in the company of my dog. I’m not crazy. Not by clinical standards, anyway. I simply understand the power my words and thoughts have over my life. Constantly repeating positive affirmations has had a major effect on my life.

According to Dr Bruce Lipton, most of our beliefs are formed when we are children. Perhaps it was said that you are stupid, lazy, selfish, or shy. This affirmation would have left an imprint in your mind, during the years that are most formative. And then these unwholesome statements can stay with you in the conscious or unconscious mind, only to be reinforced throughout the rest of your life. Unless you do something about it. The core beliefs that we have in this moment are the results of our past experiences – things we heard, things we’ve seen, and things we were told. This doesn’t make them real though.

The unconscious mind cannot tell the difference between a real or imagined idea, so it responds to whatever suggestions you give it. So, if you’re constantly telling yourself that you are stupid, fat, lazy, or shy – that is the reality you are going to create for yourself.

The awesome and empowering part of this is that we can turn it all around. When we are aware of the mind’s powerful ability to create whatever it is we tell it to, we can go ahead and do just that.

By repeating positive affirmations you can actually retrain your mind to create a reality that matches your goals.

By changing your perception, you change your reality. It all starts with the thoughts you think. These thoughts become your feelings, these feelings become your vibration and your vibration ultimately becomes your life. It is your vibration that determines whether you are attracting what you want into your life or not. So, as simple as they are, affirmations can transform every aspect of our lives including our health, relationships and success.

How to make affirmations work

For affirmations to be effective they must be written in the first person, be in the present tense, be goal orientated and be written as though they have already been achieved. So don’t go around saying things like “I wish” or “I will” or “I want”. You need to act as if.

You affirmations must be followed through with some kind of supporting action. You need to walk your talk. There’s no point in affirming that you’re a Power Ranger if you’re not prepared to go out and hire a coloured suit and helmet.

Here are some of the affirmations I repeat every day:

• I have a perfectly healthy body and mind
• I am healing now
• I love and approve of myself
• Abundance flows into my life in surprising ways every day
• Life flows effortlessly
• All my relationships are harmonious

Add power to your positivity

Repeat your affirmations as often as possible. The more you repeat them, the deeper they will be ingrained into your mind, and the faster they will be implemented in your subconscious.

You can speak them out loud, repeat them to yourself, write them down over and over again in a journal and write them on post it notes and stick them all over your house. I have mine written on the mirror in my bathroom, inside my diary, on my computer screen saver, on my vision board, and I even set reminders on my phone throughout the day so I am randomly greeted with something telling me “You look beautiful today, Jessica!”

Want to dive deeper?

Read more at the super inspirational site by Jessica: thewellnesswarrior.com.au

Do you use positive affirmations? How have they helped you? What are some of your favorites?

Read Full Post »

Cheerfulness is the Best Promoter of Health

Read Full Post »

7 Mental Mistakes That Stop You From Living a Life of Freedom and Peace

Today’s Inspiration: dumblittleman.com

“This article points out some ‘mistakes’ that we all make all the time. Many of these mistakes you create out of a habit so it is quite useful to read this list and shine a light on some of the things that you didn’t realize you were doing.”
~Sophie

7 Mental Mistakes That Stop You From Living a Life of Freedom and Peace

How often do you lament the fact that you’re still not where you want to be?

There’s still something missing from your life that if you could get, you’d be happy.
Life doesn’t seem fair, and it never works out just the way you want it.
If you identify with any of these statements, then you’re most likely making mental mistakes that may hold you back for the rest of your life. The good news is that since they are mental mistakes, they can be changed, and when changed, your whole life can be changed.
1. Living in the Future

Do you dream of a better future where you have more money to travel, more time to do what you want, or even a better job? Then you’re falling into the first mental trap, which is giving your attention to a future projection that does not exist.
The future cannot save you. The more you complain, the worse you will feel.

The solution? Notice whenever you feel pulled to daydream and bring your attention back to your body. Be present with whatever is here and now, even if it feels negative. In the beginning, it may be uncomfortable, because you are used to running away, and your mind is active, but if you truly want to live a joyful life, then this is one of the fastest paths there.

This doesn’t mean you stop planning. It means you stop excessive future projection that leads to chronic dissatisfaction.

2. Living in the Past

Do you wish you could go back to the past and change something? Or maybe you’re marveling in a memory that is sweet as cotton candy. It fills you with joy and excitement, but at the same time, it carries with it a sour aftertaste, because it’s only a memory.
Remembering good times is all fine and good. The problem arises when it is done excessively. Whenever you notice your attention drifting away either to the past or future, gently bring it back, and notice how you’re feeling right now.

3. Saying No to the Here and Now

Staying right here and now can be painful. Stay vigilant of what is happening within you even as you read these words. Guard the temple that is your inner space.
How deep or shallow is your breathing? What thoughts are arising? Do you want to be somewhere else, do something else, have something better? Is there a problem in this present moment unless you think about it?

4. Going Nowhere Fast

Are you constantly in a hurry? You have a goal that you want to get to, because you think it will make your life better. The best measuring stick for a good goal is to ask yourself if it is making your life better right now.
If not, then drop the goal.

Most people are constantly going somewhere else. They are never here. And when they reach that somewhere else, they set a new goal, and off they go, back on the hamster wheel.

It is a never-ending journey that is full of suffering.

5. External Solutions to Internal “Problems”

Things do not give you peace, freedom, and fulfillment. It is your reaction to them that gives you all the good feelings. The good feelings come from inside, not from outside.
Beyond food, shelter, and a few basic needs, things do not dramatically increase your happiness, which is why you see so many miserable people swimming in material abundance. They are trying to fix something internal with something external. It just doesn’t work.

The only way to experience freedom and peace is to go inside.

6. Avoidance

Whenever you feel inner turmoil, negativity, suffering, or pain, sit with it, and be with it, without analyzing. It is the running away and wanting it to go away that feeds the fire. Stop avoiding what you are experiencing, and simply be.
Notice the chaos of your mind, and notice that you are not that. You are the presence behind your thoughts. And if you want to take it further, notice what is aware of both your thoughts and the presence behind them.

7. …

What if all your thoughts and ideas were like this? What if it was okay to feel whatever you feel? Just let it be. It is your constant wanting to change what is that stands between you and a life full of freedom and peace.

Read the full article here

Read Full Post »

5 Steps To Stop Overeating And Emotional Eating

Today’s Inspiration: crazysexylife.com

“I think everyone has some kind of emotional connection with food, some more than others. It seems like there is still a taboo on over-eating, even though it is extremely common. I love this article a lot because it goes to the actual source of why we overeat. Instead of just focusing on the symptoms these tips will help you to really understand why it happens and how you can change it forever.”

~Sophie

5 Steps to Stop Overeating

Have you ever felt compelled to keep stuffing yourself to the point of discomfort?

Maybe you’ve found yourself reaching for a packet of cookies when you’re home alone, tired and lonely? Perhaps it’s even healthy foods you’ve overeaten, such as a whole bag of raw nuts.

If so, you are one of many who have overeaten for emotional reasons.

Overeating can wreak havoc on your mental, emotional and physical health if left unaddressed, and the talking down to yourself that typically follows flushes a lot of energy and self-love down the toilet. If you are binging regularly and beating yourself up about it, you’ll also have much less time to focus on what really matters to you – your dreams, relationships, contributing, having fun.

Yet despite what your reason and intelligence tells you to do (i.e., stop overeating), you are still unable to close the bag of processed (or raw) chips.

Emotional eating can be a very challenging habit to release as usually:

• It is a deeply ingrained behavior.
• You have been doing it for a very long time both consciously and unconsciously.
• It can be frightening to consider a life where you don’t numb yourself with food, even if it is a conscious choice.
• Processed foods and junk foods are highly addictive, so even without the emotional component they can be extremely hard to stop eating.

But it can be done.

What is needed is support, compassion, kindness and a safe space without judgment where you can release your fears, and identify your emotions, triggers and real needs. Having a toolbox of strategies is essential to do this.

Here are some tools that you can start using immediately:

1. Identify what’s really going on

Do you stop long enough to see what emotion you are feeling before you stuff them down with food?

One of the most powerful things you can do is to train yourself to stop when you have the urge to eat, and ask yourself “Am I really hungry?” If the answer is no, ask yourself “What emotion am I really feeling?”

This alone can bring so much awareness that small shifts in your eating behavior will occur. You will realize that your heart and soul wants to be heard and fed, but the late-night box of candy isn’t doing it.

2. Find a safe place or person to release to

To heal your relationship with food, you need to safely express yourself and release the emotions you feel. A safe place or person will allow you to do this. There can also be a lot of shame and embarrassment around overeating, particularly binging, so a safe space to release becomes even more important.

Get into a journaling practice where you can write about whatever you are feeling with no talk back, criticism or judgment. Find a person you can speak to about your behavior and what’s really going on for you. Create or find a space where you can go to be quiet, think, cry, laugh, journal, talk, meditate. Having a space that you can always go to will give you a sense of comfort, nourishment, familiarity and a haven as you heal.

3. Create a sacred ritual

One of the best ways to nourish yourself every day is to create a sacred ritual that makes you feel centered, strong and harmonious. When you include this in your routine, you will find that over time you are better able to identify and address thoughts, feelings and stress that contribute to overeating (and other unhelpful habits).

What you include in your ritual is entirely up to you. For most people, one or a combination of the following works well:

• Meditation
• Deep breathing
• Affirmations
• Setting intentions
• Nourishing movement
• Yoga and stretching
• Journaling
• Drinking water or herbal tea
• Reading inspirational material
• Listening to music
• Speaking to a loved one
• Playing with your pets
• Having a hot bath or shower
• Resting

4. Understand and appreciate what food gives you

For many people who suffer from disordered eating patterns, food is the enemy. You stuff yourself and make yourself sick with it. You feel compelled to eat copious quantities until you feel heavy, tired, unwell and miserable. It adds the kilos to your body that you despise. It is the enemy you have to avoid at all costs to stay thin because that’s what you see as beautiful, worthy or your way of maintaining a sense of control in your life.

For many of the women I work with, an important step in their healing is helping them to understand what food really is – how it gives life, nourishment, beauty, joy, pleasure, energy, healing and comfort. Nourish yourself with real, high-quality whole foods that are not filled with chemicals, refined sugar, salts and fats, and learn how they produce beauty, health and energy. Respect is built for the role food plays within your body and a respect for your body itself also grows.

5. Unleash your creativity and do something you love every single day

…

Without the drain of overeating, think about how much time, energy and health will be freed up to focus on what you really want out of your life! As someone who has a long history of emotional and disordered eating, I can tell you that you can overcome it, and the freedom and reward you will feel is truly worth the effort.

Read the whole article here

Read Full Post »

Deep-Dish Cookie Pie

Today’s Inspiration: Chocolatecoveredkatie.com

“This recipe is just genius! This is soo delicious and you won’t believe that this pie is actually good for you. One of the ingredients are chickpeas but I promise you’ll have absolutely no idea that they are in there. This pie had lots of fiber & protein from the chickpeas, is gluten free and has about 200 calories for 1 huge slice. Not to mention that it tastes like a delicious & rich thick cookie, YUM!”
~Sophie 

Deep-Dish Cookie Pie

What’s black and white

And even better than a warm chocolate chip cookie?

Warm. Chocolate. Gooey.

This pie is everything you’d want in a cookie.

Except, oh yes, it happens to be five times thicker!

And I promise no one can tell that these ingredients are in there. (For proof: just read all of the comments on this post!) This dessert is a real crowd-pleaser, even with people who aren’t used to eating healthy desserts.

Deep-Dish Cookie Pie

(gluten-free!)

• 2 cans white beans or garbanzos (drained and rinsed) (500g total, once drained)
• 1 cup quick oats (or certified-gf quick oats)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 T canola oil
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar (You can sub evaporated cane juice or white sugar. EDIT: sugar-free version coming soon!! Be sure to check back!)
• 1 cup chocolate chips

To read all about how to make this delicious pie, please go and visit Katie’s blog, you won’t regret it! And there are loads of other delicious healthy dessert recipes you can find there.

Read Full Post »