How to move forward gracefully after a divorce

Nov 16, 2018

Divorce, and break-ups in general are very difficult to process and move on from. For many reasons, separating from someone we love leaves us feeling lost and desperate for answers. Many times we blame ourselves in hopes that if we take ownership of the breakup we can then fix it and not have to suffer with this pain any longer.

The pain can be so deep that it triggers other emotional issues inside us, ones that we thought we buried and would never see again. Sometimes break-ups are the Universes’ way of getting us to deal with our issues instead of filling voids and living the day to day as if these issues do not exist. That’s called denial.

Being divorced twice and losing both husbands in a similar and pretty traumatic way I realized the Universe was sending me a message…it was the same message both times and this time I listened.

Below are my simple tips of letting go and moving on after a divorce (or breakup):

Let yourself go through the stages of grief/loss – A divorce or breakup of a significant relationship is quite similar to a death. In order to move forward you must go through the stages of grief. The five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance and they are a critical part of the framework that makes up our learning to live without the one we lost. They help us to gain the tools we need to help us identify what we may be feeling, however there is no exact timeline when it comes to the healing process and you may bounce around from grief to anger and back to denial before you hit acceptance. Healing is not linear.
Accept that healing takes time – As I stated, there is no time table and healing is not linear. Just know, you are where you are meant to be, healing. The more difficult the relationship and break up the harder the hit is to your body, mind and soul. You need to be compassionate with yourself and accept that it can take years to recover and that is OK! Honor yourself and where you are at, at every moment.
Allow yourself time to heal – solo – Fix yourself and heal first before bringing someone else into your world otherwise you risk repeating the same patterns until you have learned the lesson you were meant to learn – the Universe is speaking to you so listen. The only way over it, is through it.
Do not fill voids by immediately trying to replace your ex – Believe it or not, you are not ready for a new relationship! By jumping in to a new relationship, you are trying to fill a void to escape from hurt, that never works, it delays the healing process and puts other people at risk for heartbreak.
Allow yourself to feel anger, fear and sorrow – These feelings are normal and are part of the healing process. Feel every feeling until you are numb to it. Stuffing your feelings does not work, facing them head on speeds up the healing process.
Fill your life with interests and activities – Now is the time to try something new (new hobby, take a class, start an exercise routine), make new friends, and start some Keystone Habits (see my blog on Improve your life with these simple Keystone Habits). This creates a full and satisfying life. Become a better version of yourself!
Make peace with your loss and try to forgive – If you focus too much on the loss and don’t let go of the story you will not get to acceptance and you will prolong the healing process. There is a lesson in all this, take the time to learn what it is.
Let go of the story – Yes it was traumatic – yes you are in pain – yes you miss him or her – but if you do not let go of the story and make peace with what happened and why it happened you will delay creating a new and better story, one that doesn’t involve a traumatic breakup. Learn the lesson and move forward.
Make time for yourself and figure out who you are as a person – I imagine you have spent a majority of time focused on your relationship and your significant other. Now it is time to focus on yourself and figure out who you are and what makes you tick. Fall in love with yourself!
If you want to find a happy, nurturing, compassionate relationship, look for those qualities inside yourself – Do you have those same qualities you are looking for in another person? Remember … you are holding up your mirror so be who you wish to meet! Its that simple.

Once you change your mindset from loss to opportunity, the healing process will be a much easier Journey to the next story of your new and wonderful life.

Namaste’

Please share this with others who you think will benefit from this article.

Who are you?

Oct 14, 2018

Through the process of self-discovery I realized that I had spent so much time living the way I wanted others to see me that I wasn’t being my true and authentic self. After much time alone in self-discovery mode I have truly found my path on this Journey and it is incredible.

One of the best things that I did was removing myself from all social media (i.e. Facebook, Instagram). In fact this is first thing I require my coaching clients to do. This helps them regain their sense of worth, empowers them to validate themselves and frees up a lot of time that they were spending looking at other people’s lives and comparing their own lives to another’s. This is not healthy.

My advice to everyone who is on a Journey of healing is — GET OFF SOCIAL MEDIA! Yes, I am yelling 🙂

Once you remove yourself from social media or at least Facebook, you can start to learn who you are and get to know yourself without all of the noise and the constant chaos of social media. You won’t be posting something in hopes of validation that someone “liked” it and disappointment when they don’t. Instead, that validation will come from within. It is critical that you learn to validate yourself and not seek your self worth from others.

It took me a good solid and downright painful year of solitude to figure out who I was, the good and the not so good. I found it to be easier to start with the broken side of me, because that is usually the most obvious and well its the hardest to face and conquer.

I learned very quickly that I was a complete control freak which derived from a severe fear of abandonment. I literally tried to control every single aspect of my life. I knew this needed to change. So I dug deep with a therapist and we started working to heal those childhood wounds. I learned that because of my need for control, I wasn’t even remotely enjoying life I was steering and driving it to go the way I thought it needed to go and missing the beauty of surprise which can be so magical. I was missing all of the magic.

The reality is, it is impossible to control every aspect of our lives, but this is a hard lesson to learn for sure.

I learned many other things about myself which were depressing, interesting, eye opening and confusing all at the same time but I have to say, this Journey of self discovery has been truly amazing. Learning about yourself is cathartic on so many levels and really opens up the doors to healing.

So, after I started working through the “bad” stuff, the positive parts of me surfaced and I have discovered some really neat things about me.

Like….I am more of an introvert than an extrovert, which was highly surprising to me. In the past I always centered myself around people and truly felt I needed people to survive. This is no longer the case. I understand now that it was my intense fear of being alone that drove a more extroverted behavior and not that I was an actual extrovert.

I also learned that I am very creative, intuitive and philosophical a true to form Sagittarius.

As a result of all this work, I really appreciate and even crave my alone/down time so much, I process information differently, I look forward to every moment I spend on my yoga mat and I am actually able to meditate on my own now. I used to think with meditation you had to shut down your brain to the point that no thoughts entered which is impossible and not what is required. Once I got the concept of simply “resting your body and mind” even for 5 minutes, I saw the benefits immediately.

Because of this transition I am a better person. My relationships are stronger and deeper. I have zero tolerance for toxic people and because of this I made a conscious choice to only surround myself with people who I feel good around. Sounds a little selfish, but it isn’t. Life is short and spending it with people who emotionally drain you or continuously take from you is not healthy, for either person.

Always choose yourself.

The old me used to be busy constantly, planning my weekends in advance and making sure I always had a social function to attend or in the very least, people to spend time with. Now, I value my time so much, that I refuse to plan my life away. Some things are avoidable and there are times you need to plan things in advance. But my weekends are my time and most of the time I don’t know what I want to do until I tackle the day and sometimes I just want to do my own thing with no responsibilities or commitments and I want that flexibility to decide. This is OK!

Through this amazing transformation I have learned who I am as a person, a mother, friend, co-worker, employee and person of society and I truly like who I am. There are things I am working on and things that will not change that I have to accept about myself, but overall I am the healthiest I have ever been. I am grateful to have had this time to find me.

So, I encourage you to ask yourself…who are you? do you like you? and what would you change if you could?

Namaste’

Interested in life coaching?

Visit http://www.AveshaEmpower.com and contact us to schedule a free consultation

How to practice self love daily

Sep 3, 2018

How do you start your day?

~Life is an endless process of self discovery~

Self-love is not a trend, it is not something you do when you feel like it. You don’t just “do self-love” after a break up or after you experience trauma. Self-love is a life long practice that needs to be added to your every day life. With self-love comes the releasing of negative thoughts and self-criticism by embracing more of a loving and positive acceptance of yourself through forgiveness of yourself and others.

The Universal concept is that our thoughts create our actions and therefore those thoughts dictate the outcome in our lives. Self-love is a very powerful and necessary practice and critical if you want to have healthy relationships with others.

Self-love is not selfish!

Taking care of and loving ourselves and being a whole, sound and emotionally healthy person allows us to take care of others without it feeling like a burden. If you aren’t taking care of yourself, if you don’t rest and relax your soul, then you will be of no help to others— especially yourself. You will eventually feel drained and eventually there will be nothing left to give. You must give to yourself as well as give to others.

Below is a a simple self-love checklist that may seem overwhelming to you at first, however, I promise that if you commit to adding a majority of them into your daily routine or practice as I like to call it, every single day, you’ll see the benefits immediately.

45 Ways to Practice Self-Love

Create a quiet and safe zone in your home (may it be a corner, a closet, or a spare rom and deem it your “space”)
Buy yourself fresh flowers (or cut them from your garden and display them)
Grow a garden of fresh vegetables
Start an exercise routine (yoga, pilates, the gym, take a walk) – increase those endorphins (see Creating a workout routine you can and will stick to)
Read, take a nap, listen to music, sit quietly – please just rest your soul
Buy yourself some new makeup and play with it
Create a daily bucket list and post it
Repeat the following mantra “I love and accept myself”
Make a list of all the things you like about yourself
Create a gratitude journal (see How to start Journaling – Keystone Habit)
Start your day with meditation and yoga
Implement a “treat yourself day” (mine is Friday)
Dress nice, even if you don’t have to, put on those earrings, scarf and lipstick and show the world how beautiful you are
Take a breath between your bites of food and savor the taste
Make yourself a hot cup of coffee or tea and savor each sip
Have a protein or collagen smoothie every morning
Sleep at least 7 hours a day
Say no and be ok with it
Pay it forward, always
Make someone feel good whenever you can
Smile often, even if no one is smiling at you (they may think you are weird but that is ok)
Eat food that is nourishing (put down the boxed food – unless its treat day)
Get a massage and have them use essential oils
Go for a hike or long walk in nature
Be confident (walk and talk with confidence)
Learn something new – dance classes, yoga, tennis lessons, start or join a MeetUp group
Host a ladies night
Call a friend and laugh for hours about nothing (no complaining)
Spend time with your kids before they grow up and move away 😦
Get a new haircut and/or buy some new makeup
Eat chocolate guilt free (maybe on treat day)
When someone offers your a compliment, simply say, “Thank you”
Travel solo
Set a no screen time in your house (dinner, after 9, etc)
Set goals (see Improve your life with these simple Keystone Habits)
Take a day off and do something nice for yourself (go to the gym, coffee shop, shop, meet a friend for lunch, take a walk, sleep)
Self-love mantra: “I am enough. I have enough. I do enough”
Let go of what no longer serves you
Buy a diffuser and infuse essential oils like lavender
Write a letter to yourself and put it away for a year
Host a dinner party
Hire a coach or a counselor (see The real benefits of working with a Life Coach)
Take a hot bath with Epsom salt and lavender (or whatever your favorite oil is)
Make new friends (and remove those toxic ones)
Clean out your closet and donate clothes you no longer wear

The biggest message I have is, be gentle with yourself and always honor where you are at every stage of your Journey.

The best advice I have been given – ever is to ~feel your feelings~

Namaste’

How do you start your day?

Sep 2, 2018

“Every day we are born again” – Buddha

Over time and by creating daily KeyStone Habits you can learn to transform your life into the one you deserve. For this, I like to use the term – stepping stones. Every little step you take brings you one step closer to your new and healthy life.

With stepping stones you literally take each and every day, one step at a time. It takes self awareness, inspiration, determination and the drive to want to change and the commitment to stay on task (and focused) as you begin your new Journey. I know, because I have done this work and although there were times I wanted to quit, I am so grateful I didn’t.

It takes 26 days for a habit to become a lifestyle.

There are so many ways to begin making little but impactful changes in your life. Personally I found that starting with a morning routine was the best place to begin my Journey to an emotionally healthy lifestyle.

Thankfully I am a morning person so creating a morning routine was easy as well as exciting for me. This routine is very important to me as it provides me with much needed structure and it gives me something to look forward to each day as I rise in the morning. This positive start to my day gets my head in the right place so I am ready to tackle my day with a clear mind and a peaceful soul.

I am grateful for this practice and I continue to alter it to adjust to life’s little changes and challenges.

Below are some”morning ritual” ideas to help you create your own daily practice –

Wake up with the sunrise (“early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” – Benjamin Franklin, famously)
Drink a glass of room temperature water (with lemon if you can – fantastic liver cleanse)
Intermittent fasting
Walk the dog / get on the treadmill (I don’t care how cold or hot it is, get that body moving)
Make a collagen smoothie – google smoothie recipes for some awesome ideas
Brush your teeth, wash your face, give yourself a mini facial or at least a detox scrub (I have some fantastic organic facial recipes to share)
Do at least 20 minutes of yoga stretches or if you are feeling bold do a 30 minute power yoga session 🙂
Start an exercise routine
Make a hot cup of coffee or tea – drink it slow and savor the flavor 🙂
Meditate for at least 5 minutes (download the Simple Habit, Calm or HeadSpace app for an easy guided meditation) – or just sit in silence as you drink your tea/coffee/smoothie
Practice grounding and earthing
Peruse your garden and cut fresh flowers for your home – assuming you have a garden, if not, steal your neighbors flowers and put them in a vase (LOL, kidding, well, kind of)
Write in your journal (express your gratitude, set your goals, write down your worries and let them go) – Don’t know how to journal or where to begin? start here
Read your gratitude list out loud and thank the Universe, God, Buddha, whatever you believe in for another beautiful day in this life
Take a hot shower and be in the moment (you can also take a hot bath with Epsom salt and lavender before bed to wash away the day)
Get ready for your day (do your hair, put on makeup)
Dress to impress (even if you work from home – yoga pants are not pants)
If you commute, put on your favorite music or audio book – enjoy the time you have to yourself

Its just as easy and important to create an “evening wind-down ritual” as well (Contact Us for ideas to create your evening ritual).

Until soon!

Namaste

The Empowered Soul

Apr 7, 2018

What is the definition of “Empowerment”?

Empowerment Means:

The process of becoming stronger & more confident.
Gaining or claiming control of your life and your rights.
Being more assertive and powerful in your personal and professional life.
Going after what you desire and feeling you deserve it.
Trusting your intuition to make good decisions.

What does it mean to be Empowered?

This is solely up to you.

Each person defines Empowerment differently as it pertains to their own goals and what they are looking to achieve.

I am requesting that you to dig deep here and ask yourself – “how do I want & what do I need to be Empowered?”

(personal exercise: what does empowerment mean to you? – please write this down in your journal – be descriptive – this is the first step in the empowerment process)

What Empowerment means, in the words of some beautiful women

Strength, wisdom, independence
Living in the now & being at peace with my complexities
Being my best self
The ability to take all of life’s challenges & rise just how we are
Feeling in control of your life
Being able to make decisions & have options
Self care and a loving relationship with yourself
Feeling free to be yourself without worrying about what someone else might think
Having the strength to recognize and travel my own path and not the path others would lay out for me
Supporting yourself, and those around you, to provide the confidence needed to voice feelings and take action
Having the confidence to say no or walk away from a toxic or unhealthy situation
Setting boundaries

How to become Empowered

Below are a number of suggestions on how to Empower yourself to be more confident, self-assured, powerful and more importantly to trust your intuition.

There is no timeline on how long it takes to become empowered, but the key is to be consistent and to always be working on yourself!

Remember we are all a work in progress!

~Life is an endless process of self discovery~

Exercise, Often

No more using the “I don’t have time” excuse.

Exercise changes our mindset and gives us more confidence (this is a top KeyStone habit) – for more information on Keystone habits visit my website at http://www.aveshaempower.com

Exercise comes in many forms, you do not have to join a gym to start an exercise routine. Here are some examples of ways you can get exercise:

Wake up early and walk your dog (or at night after work)
Start a Yoga, Pilates or a BootCamp or interval training routine (at home or a local studio)
Hop on that treadmill (yep, the one you don’t use)
Walk with friends at lunch (organize a walking group)
Take a hike – this is an amazing grounding or earthing exercise that can truly change your mindset as soon as you enter the forest
Download an exercise app (there are plenty of them to choose from) – ask me and I will recommend a few

Find your inner “bitch”

Yup, I said it, be a bitch!

Honor yourself
Put yourself first (I promise this is not being selfish)
Speak up for yourself and stand up for what you believe in
Say NO whenever it is appropriate
Do NOT tolerate behaviors that are not healthy for you!
Let go of those that do not serve your greatest good

Enjoy being with YOURSELF

Notice I did not use the word, alone?

Why? because you are not alone – unless of course you are living in isolation which I would guarantee you are not.

But in all seriousness you are not alone, you have yourself – and who is better than that? No one!

Get comfy with who you are, enjoy your own company, spend time doing the things you enjoy doing and you will discover a lot about yourself by doing so. Spend some time in nature…enjoy the peacefulness and the beauty of all that surrounds you.

(personal exercise: Grab your journal and go for a hike, find a nice place to rest and write about how you feel. Nature is very grounding! Sit with your thoughts and then write about them)

Say NO and feel good about it!

Everyone, including you, has the right to say no.

So, if there is something you do not want to do or that you are not comfortable with – use your voice!

Say no, confidently, knowing you are honoring yourself.

**Disclaimer: make sure you say no in a non-offensive way…you don’t want to intentionally upset anyone.**

(personal exercise: Grab your journal and think of a scenario where you would like to say No but you don’t – write it down in your journal – how does it make you feel when you thinking of saying no? write that down too)

Try new things!

Seriously, try anything (within reason).

Make a list and check them off one by one (bucket lists).

Examples:

Take a class (art, cooking, photography, pottery)
Try making soap or jewelry
Take up a sport or start exercising – daily
Travel with someone or alone
DIY projects (refinish furniture, paint something)
SUP/Kayak, hiking, get out into nature
Yoga
Create a Meetup Group
Go back to school and take classes

The list is endless really….start making your list right now (journal exercise)

Remove toxic people from your life!

This is probably the most important thing you can do in your life to move forward (and the scariest and the hardest to do).

This includes:

Dramatic people
Negative people
People with opposite morals/values
Time and life suckers
Users
Addicts

Let them go.

If they do not bring you happiness and only cause you stress, anxiety or dread…its time to move on . However, if you cannot remove them from your life, at least set boundaries with them.

(personal exercise: Grab your journal and make a list of those you need to create boundaries with or to remove from your life altogether)

Know and accept your beauty,

inside and out!

Self acceptance and self love is the most critical piece to our self worth!

How we feel about ourselves is how others perceive us.

Remember…the mirror?

Put it this way, if you don’t love you….and I mean all of you, who will?

Ok so your butt is big, your eyes are too small, you are too short or too tall, you could use a few pounds or could lose a few pounds – who cares, no one is perfect. Never compare yourself to anyone! You are unique.

(personal exercise: Grab your journal and write down what makes you loveable? start a list in your journal of at least 7 or more of your most amazing qualities and add to it over time)

Define YOUR own success!

Remember success is specific to you and your unique goals!

Let’s set some obtainable goals BIG & small so you can figure out with your life coach or by yourself how you will reach these goals (i.e. relationship, weight loss, new job, life balance, work, no work, buying a house, raising kids, cars, vacations, school, etc.)

Set time lines (we all do better when we know what is expected of us and some of us work better when we are under pressure).

(personal exercise: Grab your journal and start making a list of obtainable goals and add to it over time)

LOVE& Respect Yourself!

Madly & Unconditionally

Set a daily routine
Sleep at least 7 hours
Eat Healthy & Amazing Foods (work with your coach on this)
Exercise regularly (*yoga, walking, hiking*)
Meditate daily (download the Simple Habit app for guided meditation)
Get a massage or Energy Healing
Spend time with nature (hike, go to the park)
Read a good book or two/LESS SCREEN TIME AND GET OFF FACEBOOK
Spend time with healthy people
Journal
Set KeyStone Habits

(personal exercise: Grab your journal and write down ways you can love yourself more)

Monitor your thoughts, often!

Be conscious of the stories you are telling yourself (do not let your “stories” be defined by anything but your Higher Self)

Let go of the past and create a new story (not just a chapter)! Remember, your past does not define you.

Keep your thoughts positive & motivating (do not ruminate about the past)

(tip: choose to have daily mantras sent to you (there are plenty of apps to choose from, pick one that works best for you)

(personal exercise: Grab your journal write down the thoughts that keep swirling in your mind which are keeping you from being mindful)

~The mind is everything, what you think you become~

Conclusion

Making significant changes in your life and healing from any sort of trauma or bad experiences takes time and Empowering yourself takes lots of work and energy to keep going.

There will be times you want to give up, you won’t see your progress (although others do) and you may even feel its not worth it. Do not stop, ever, by all means, have a down “poor me” day, eat ice cream, wallow in sadness but do not give up.

Wake up the next morning….get on your yoga mat, take a walk, make a smoothie, sing in the shower, do whatever you have to do to motivate and keep going but do NOT give up.

This workshop was created to Empower you to be your Best and Highest Self. I have done the work, I know how hard it is, but once you get to the other side, you will see that its worth it.

Love and Healing Always,

Namaste

Things I wish I did years ago…

Mar 18, 2018

But I am putting them into practice now! So, better late than not at all.

I could share a long story about why these are critical exercises but I don’t feel that is necessary. We all have our story and my hope here is to provide guidance to those who need it.

So here we go….

Embrace the difficult – there is power in the pain, strength in the struggle and knowledge you receive from lessons you are meant to learn. My advice: learn your lessons the first time and there will be less struggle. Struggle = success, strength & progress
Exercise Daily! – if you have been following me or have read any of my blogs you know I believe that exercise is the end all be all to happiness or at least the start of it. I believe the Journey to happiness starts with giving your body the movement that it needs to release the essential endorphins and get the happiness flowing inside you. We were NOT made to be sedentary. Get moving, start exercising TODAY! Take a walk, get on your treadmill, do some yoga, go to the gym. Whatever you fancy…do it.
Be Grateful – for every single aspect of your life. Even the struggle. Wake up and be grateful you are alive, for your hot cup of coffee, for sunlight, a job that pays you, friends that you spend time with. There is ALWAYS something to be grateful for. Gratitude = manifesting more things to be grateful for
Enjoy the simplicity of life – wake up with the sunrise, take a walk in nature, read to your kids, cook a nice meal, make a hot cup of coffee or tea and sit on the deck and just listen to the birds, play in your garden, read a good book, take a walk at sunset and thank the Universe for another day. It is the simplicity of life that brings us the most happiness, believe it or not.
Keep a Journal or two – I have multiple journals…one for my thoughts, one for my goals, a small one that I carry around with me where I jot down ideas, stories or things I simply want to try. Journaling is a fabulous way to release the ruminating thoughts that take over your brain. It is also one of the top Keystone Habits (after exercise). I journal every morning as part of my morning ritual.
Complain less and appreciate more – if things are hard and you are at your end, instead of complaining, which solves nothing, find solutions. Make small changes (baby steps), start implementing Keystone Habits, you must do something OR accept what is. Complaining = negative energy
Don’t settle for less than you deserve – if you are not ready for a relationship, do not start one. If you are dating and you know the person isn’t right for you…let them go. Learn how to be with yourself. Figure out what you want in a person and don’t settle for anything less. You know what you want, and what you are worth so why settle for anything less? Settling = cheating yourself out of something amazing
Do not judge others – this was and is still a huge lesson for me. It’s very easy for us to make a judgment based off an encounter with someone. However, we don’t know their life story and have no idea what their struggle is. So we make a judgment about them that is completely unfair. You do not know where a person has been or what they are going through, so be kind and accept them for who they are and where they are at that moment.
Be kind for no reason – smile at the cashier at Target, maybe she doesn’t smile back or even know why you’re smiling, it doesn’t matter. Say “good morning” to people as you walk down the street to your office. Compliment someone’s shoes, hair or hat. Hold the door or elevator. Do something nice for someone, you have no idea what a person is going through and you might just make their day.
De-Clutter and simplify – you have read this before, but its true…get rid of clutter, remove all items you no longer use. If you haven’t touched it in three years and is not a family heirloom and it doesn’t hold sweet memories..toss it! Downsize, live within your means and surround yourself with things that bring out the best in you.
Practice patience – this is another practice I am working on and I admit I am not very good at but it is something I practice daily. Patience is a skill that we are not born with, it needs to be developed. For those of us fire signs 🙂 we tend to have less patience and more energy than most people. There are those with a more laid back approach to life whereas patience comes a little easier than those of us who take a more aggressive approach to life. However, patience can be taught, learned and implemented. It is critical to our success to have patience and trust that the Universe knows exactly what we need and when we need it.
Letting go of the past – I have said it before and I will say it again, the past does not define us and it has no place in our present and our future. If you have learned your lessons and are on the right path you will no longer need to revisit the past, it has nothing to offer you. You can remember good moments, but don’t focus on them so much that you are not mindful of the present and especially the now, because this moment really is all any of us have. So “be here now” should be your mantra…if you find your mind wandering to a memory of the past…honor it and say to yourself “be here now” and move on and focus on that moment, as best you can. Letting go of the past and being mindful is hard and takes work but your brain can be re-trained to not wander off to the past and get stuck there. Remember…be here now.
Love yourself – madly and unconditionally. This is a hard concept for some, I know it was for me. I didn’t understand it until I started a self-love/self-care ritual and I learned how magical it is to put yourself first and to fall madly in love with yourself. I have written several articles which have been published in Elephant Journal Magazine (love this magazine) about self-love and taking care of yourself and how to ease anxiety. Read them at your leisure 🙂

https://www.elephantjournal.com/now/5-simple-grounding-exercises-to-ease-anxiety-the-stress-of-daily-life/ and

https://www.elephantjournal.com/now/how-to-practice-self-love-daily/

I pray a number of these exercises resonate with you. You don’t need to identify with all of them, but you should find the ones that do resonate with you and put them into practice.

Just do the best you can to be your best self every day and you will start seeing changes and start feeling better about yourself and the choices you are making.

If you would like to work together to focus on these, please contact us.

Namaste

15 ways to become the best version of yourself

Mar 8, 2018

Being the best version of yourself can mean many different things to people. However, I think there are key attributes that pertain to each of us as we strive to be the best person we can be, internally, not just on the surface.

When I think of being the best version of myself it doesn’t mean I am always happy or things are perfect, on the contrary….it means I honor where I am at all times (the good and the difficult) and I am gentle with myself when I need to be.

Being the best version of yourself means you wake up ready to tackle the day that is ahead of you and you go to bed at night knowing you did the best you could, even if things did not go as planned.

Below are true and proven ways to shift your perspective to help you on your Journey to becoming your best you!

Balance

We must find balance in life in order to be our best and most healthy self. When we are trying to “manage” life without balance we burn out quickly. Creating a balanced lifestyle will help you avoid the crash & burn which leads to anxiety, depression and stress. Remember to always make time for yourself, even 15 minutes a day doing Yoga, meditating, taking a walk or a hot lavender & Epsom salt bath will re-charge and refresh your soul.

Shifting the way you see yourself

During the process of learning who you are, you will experience many painful moments. Rather than resisting or struggling against these times, breathe into them. Shift your perspective so that you appreciate these moments knowing they are helping you grow. Thank the Universe for this learning opportunity, forgive yourself and those who have hurt you and focus on all the wonderful things that make you who you are.

Core Values

What is your Mantra?

If you haven’t defined the best version of yourself, whip out your journal and begin with writing down your goals & values. What are the most important goals & values in your personal life and work? What values do you use to define the person you are now and who do you want to be in the future. Get very clear on those. Exercise: write your values in your journal and add to them over time as you start to shift perspective.

Life Vision

Spend some time with yourself and create a vision for your future life. Look at every aspect of your life and envision how you want it to look through journaling, drawing, vision boards etc. This is a fun and creative way to manifest a vision. Be specific, the Universe can only give you what you ask for if you are clear with what it is you want.

Create a put into action plan

Once you have brought your vision to life it is time to execute an action plan on how to receive all you desire. Setting goals is important and a huge part of creating the vision. Use stepping stones to get there….one step at a time.

Rituals

I love rituals as I speak of them in almost every blog. Rituals create a pattern or a habit and create consistency which is critical with self-love and self-care. It is easy to start something and eventually fizzle out. I personally have learned from experience that rituals keep us on task and motivated to keep going.

Letting go

We all have those people in our life that have been in our life a while, however we aren’t sure why we still engage with them. They are a negative time-suck and are actually toxic to our existence. We dodge their phone calls, don’t return their texts but still we keep them around. Let them go. If they no longer serve you in a positive way, if you feel drained from being in their presence, let them go. By letting them go you will open the door for something better.

Simplify

Determine what you really need in life to be happy. Usually its the simplicity of life that brings us the happiest moments. Exercise: host a de-clutter ritual in your home. It can be very healing.

Create a life you don’t need a vacation from

How many times do you hear people say, “ugh, I need a vacation”. Guess what, you can go away but you must return. Since a vacation isn’t forever why don’t you create a life that you don’t need to run away from. Make your home your sanctuary. Create rituals in your life that give you a break from reality without having to spend thousands to do so.

Intuition

Listen to your gut….always. Intuition will never steer you the wrong way.

Honor where are you are at this moment

Whatever you are feeling is where you are at the moment and you need to spend time in that feeling. Sit with it, accept it and move forward. Do not try to push those feelings away, as they will return and wreak havoc in other areas of your life. If you simply accept and honor where you are at you will move on much quicker than those who choose to ignore how they feel.

“If we do not suffer a loss all the way to the end, it will wait for us” – unkown

Exercise/Nutrition

Start an exercise routine today if you haven’t already. There are so many wonderful and free resources out there to help you design your own wellness routine. If you need help creating this routine, please contact me at aveshaempower@gmail.com and we will get you started. This also includes nutrition. Start a Keystone Habit involving exercise and eating healthy and watch everything else fall into place.

Forgiveness and Healing

Where you are wounded, where you are hurt, where you are frightened — seek healing. Restore and forgive yourself. Get well again. Do what must be done to heal. You can’t be the best version of yourself when you are emotionally, mentally, or physically unwell.

Gratitude

*Be grateful for what is*

Spend a few minutes in gratitude every day through mindful meditation. Focus on all the blessings in your life and thank the Universe for them. Being grateful for what you do have and acknowledging that gratitude will change your mindset over time.

Give back

There are many ways to give back, either through community work or spending time with your friends and sharing this new mindset with them. Everyone can benefit from being their happiest and healthiest self.

Are you the best version of yourself, and how are you working to become that person?

Namaste