Gentle Living - Page 2 of 12 - Living a gentle but powerful life.

Autumn Stories: Transitions, Twists of Fate & a Baby Shower

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Liz • 11 Comments

TRANSITIONS…

I find myself slowing down lately. I move slower. I walk slower. I breathe slower. And I let less in.

I have just a few more weeks before I give birth. And I’m full of wonder. Curiosity, hope, worry, excitement, joy, anxiety, laughs, tears, love, fear. It’s all there, making me smile yet keeping me up at night.

And more than ever, I’m full of protection, for myself… I tolerate less, I avoid more, I give less time to people and things that rob my energy, and I indulge in the positive love that surrounds me much deeper. And I wonder if I’m getting selfish, or if this is how I should have been living my life all along…

I simply have less to give, less energy as my baby and belly grow bigger and bigger. And so in prioritizing the life I’m giving her, I’m prioritizing me far more, and it’s a strange feeling.

Greedy yet empowering. Full of relief, with a side of guilt.

And with this big change coming up, the changes its causing in me, and the beautiful change in season, I keep thinking of the transitions we take in life. The curves in the road that weren’t planned for, the changes in direction that were.

Student, to lawyer, to wife, to selling travel for animal lovers, to wanting to engage in more self-growth work, to getting my first coaching clients, to motherhood. To feeling found, and then lost again. And repeating that cycle, over and over.

And wondering when it all comes together in perfect harmony or if life is about constantly creating, experimenting, and challenging oneself, and seeing what road leads where. Wondering how safety and security join with dreams and creativity. Wondering what it is I want to give and teach to my daughter…

TWISTS OF FATE…

I live in the neighborhood I grew up in. A neighborhood I left 16 years ago for college and swore I’d never come back to. But with twists of fate I landed here again two years ago, leaving behind the Brooklyn home I had turned into my sanctuary. We now live in the apartment my husband bought before we ever started dating, in this neighborhood I never wanted to see again, in an apartment we’ve had trouble selling and could no longer rent (darn coops rules…).

Ironically my husband also grew up in this neighborhood, yet we never met here, despite living just minutes from each other throughout our entire childhood. We met in college, after leaving here. Twists of fate combined with love to create our story.

For years I envisioned having boys, based on certain fears I have about raising a daughter. And here I am carrying a girl, in the neighborhood I thought I’d vanished from my life, smirking at all the irony.

And yet it’s all perfect; imperfect twisted into perfect. Perfect because it needs to be, so I choose for it to be.

This is my soul work. It’s the journey I’m meant to live; to heal and to grow and to create. To transition, from old stories to new stories. Stories I write. Love I nourish. Twists in the road that I learn and work hard to celebrate.

Soon my life will no longer be just about me and my husband. It will be about what we give to our child. How we love her and the life we give her. How we teach her to travel down her own beautiful roads.

To teach her to live independently, confidently, and with grace, I need to embody and embrace all the transitions, twists of fate, and lessons I’ve been learning along the various seasons of my life.

A BABY SHOWER…

I had my baby shower this past weekend. And it was wonderful, packed with all the people I’ve gathered throughout my many roads in life.

A friend said to me afterward, “Wow, there was a lot of love in that room.” And there was. Love I’ve created. People I adore. And feeling that love, from all my favorite people, I realized that my soul work is well on its way. Progressing beautifully, at its own perfectly imperfect pace.

Transitions and twists of fate, however confusing they may seem at times, however curvy the roads may feel in our guts, are leading us somewhere. Somewhere beautiful, to a destination we can’t see yet.

And all the positive things and people in our lives are all flashing signs that we’re on the very road we’re meant to be traveling on…

Can you see all the signs in your life?

xo,
Liz

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{Gentle Powerful Souls} Jodi Chapman & The Coming Back to Life Ecourse

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Liz • 2 Comments

“It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life
waiting to start living.” ~Eckhart Tolle

I met Jodi Chapman online over a year ago. She struck me immediately as the most genuine, kind hearted and giving soul, and she’s lived up to that impression and then some. She has an amazing Ecourse starting on October 1st that’s designed to bring you back to life, in every sense of the word. Have you ever felt like you’re sleepwalking through life? I certainly have and it takes a lot of soul work to get yourself out of that state. Jodi’s course is designed for just that and is a reflection of her generosity of spirit and willingness to bare her soul to transform the lives of others. Grab a cup of tea and get to know Jodi and the inspiration behind her amazing new course in our below interview. I’m a proud affiliate of Jodi’s ecourse. I stand behind her work, her generosity and her transformative spirit!

Hi Jodi! For those who are meeting you for the first time, please tell us more about yourself.

If you’re just meeting me for the first time, I would love to start by saying hello. I’m grateful that our paths have crossed, and I look forward to getting to know you better!

I am an inspirational writer. (I still pinch myself when I write that because it’s such a dream come true.) I am definitely evidence that our lives can change drastically once we make our minds up and begin to leap toward our dreams. (More about that in a bit.) For now, I’ll say that I write the blog Soul Speak, and I am so grateful for the loving community there. I also co-wrote (with my amazing husband, Dan Teck) the bestselling Soulful Journals series – 11 writing-prompt books that make getting to know yourself fun. I am the author of the upcoming book, Coming Back to Life: How An Unlikely Friend Helped Me Reclaim My True Spirit, which is what my new ecourse is based on.

Jodi, I know you have such an amazing story to share. Can you tell us what inspired you to create the Coming Back to Life Ecourse?

I was given a helping hand when I needed it so desperately, and this course is my way of offering my own hand to anyone else who is stuck and needing to wake up to their own life.

Just two years ago, I was in a very different place. I definitely wasn’t awake. I was feeling lost and numb and completely disconnected from my soul and from all of life. Like so many of us, I was living my life on auto-pilot. I was alive in the sense that my body was functioning – my heart was beating, and I was getting up each day and going to work, but I wasn’t REALLY living. I was just going through the motions – sleepwalking through life – and I wasn’t even aware of it.

And it’s not like this numbing out happened overnight – it happened gradually over a period of many years. Throughout my life, when something or someone hurt me, it felt like a little part of me left. I’ve always been a sensitive soul, and sometimes it was just easier to retreat rather than feel the pain. I also have lived most of my life feeling afraid and stepping back rather than leaping when I was called to take a chance. Also, I had spent several years in survival mode – struggling to get by financially, and if I did realize that I was numb and needed to wake up and start living, I would’ve seen this as frivolous and not a great way to make sure all the bills were paid. So all of these pains and fears and struggles piled up on top of each other – creating a dark cloud over my heart. It was just easier to go to sleep and not think about it or feel any of it.

Two years ago, all of the struggles in my life came to a head – my husband and I had to move under very stressful and surprising circumstances, we were having a hard time staying passionate about our struggling gift business, we were drowning in bills with no light that we could see at the end of the tunnel, and we had just lost two people who meant a lot to us. So we were grieving and trying to put our life back together at the same time. All I wanted to do was crawl into my bed, pull the covers up, and wake up when everything was better again. I didn’t know how I was going to keep going.

That’s when the helping hand came. My loved one who had just died began communicating with me from the other side. He was my childhood sweetheart, and we hadn’t spoken in almost 20 years. I was definitely not open to this sort of thing at all, so it took an entire year of him sending me signs and me asking for more signs and on and on before we finally could get to work. And once we did, my entire world opened up. He helped me see that being here on Earth is such a beautiful gift – a gift that we have chosen to be a part of. He helped me see that I wasn’t really living. And he helped me wake up and step back into my life again.

Our journey together has been life-changing for me. Everything changed – all because I now saw things through a different lens. I now know that my time here is precious, and I can choose to come back to life. We all can.

That’s why I created this course. I was given this beautiful gift, and I didn’t want to keep it all to myself. I want to be the helping hand for anyone who wanted to start living again and wasn’t sure how to do it.

Your story is so inspirational Jodi, and one I’m sure so many can relate to. Can you tell us more about the Coming Back to Life Ecourse? Who is it for?

I would be happy to!

The Coming Back to Life Ecourse begins on 10/1 and lasts for 6 weeks. It’s a helping hand, a set of concrete tools, and a loving support system all wrapped up into one heartfelt course!

This course is for those of us who have ever felt disconnected from life – from our soul. It’s for those of us who have felt our light dimming. It’s for those of us who know that there is more to life than simply getting through the day.

This course is for those of us who are ready to plug back into this magical universe, reconnect with our soul, and open our hearts again. It’s for those of us who are no longer willing to just “get by” and sleepwalk through our days. It’s for those of us who are ready – truly ready – to start living fully.

If you’re ready to:

♥ live fully and love fully.
♥ take responsibility for your life.
♥ push past your fears & reach your dreams.
♥ forgive, let go, and move forward.
♥ see the world with childlike wonder.
♥ reconnect with your soul.
♥ believe in miracles again.
♥ open up to this amazing universe.
♥ join a community of loving souls.
♥ be completely authentic and vulnerable (in a good way).
♥ join a course that comes from the heart and soul.
♥ come back to life.

…then this course is for you!

What does the course include?

♥ Over 150 pages of love – including weekly lessons + soulful activities. This is where you get to show up for yourself. This is where you get to reconnect with your soul and discover who you are deep down at your wisest, most loving core.

♥ Heartfelt Videos. This course contains over 30 soulful videos! Each week includes at least one video from me sharing that week’s message, one from an inspirational soul sharing their story, and one designed to teach, inspire, and offer concrete tools that you can apply to your own life.

♥ Guided Meditations. Each week contains a guided meditation that is specific to that week’s message. They are grounding and calming, and I find them to be so helpful.

♥ Beautiful offerings from over 35 soulful friends who are also on this journey of self discovery. These friends have been on a similar journey and are brave enough to share their experiences with you. Whether they share their stories and inspirational messages through video, audio, artwork, or writing – they all serve the same purpose: to help lift you up and see that you are not alone. We have all experienced the darkness, and we have all opened up to the light.

♥ A private Facebook community. In this community, we can all join to support each other in our journeys, ask questions, and share our experiences. This community will be available to you even after the course ends.

♥ Weekly chat sessions. This will be a space where we can go deeper into the material, truly support each other at the soul level, and really create a tribe filled with love and nurturing energy. I will commit to spending at least one hour each week there to talk in real time with you!

♥ My guidance/story. Throughout my life, I have found that I like to have things modeled for me – it helps me retain what I’m learning if I can see how someone else implements it in their own life. With that in mind, each week includes my own experiences and what I have learned along the way.

♥ Soul Art. I have designed printable posters to go with each week’s message. Perfect for hanging up around your sacred space and filling your soul with love each time you see it!

♥ Surprises. Who doesn’t love surprises? I have a few fun things up my sleeve that I’ll be sprinkling throughout the course – gifts of love that I can’t wait to share with you!

♥ Bonus gifts. When you register for this course, you’ll received instant access to over $150 in amazing bonus gifts!

When you register, you’ll immediately have access to the private Facebook Group, where we are already getting to know each other! You’ll also be able to download all of the bonus gifts and start going through them right away.

This course sounds amazing Jodi, and abundantly generous. Can you explain how it will be structured?

Each Monday for 6 weeks, you’ll receive an email with that week’s goodies (the workbook, videos, guided meditation, soul art, etc.). You can either set aside a chunk of time each day to spend on the course, or you can take one day to work through all of it. It’s completely up to you! Every Thursday, you have the option of being part of the live online chat where we can connect about that week’s content.

There are optional assignments every week where you can participate with the Facebook group, too!

All of this is completely optional though and can be completely self paced.

Some of us work better in a group, and some of us work better on our own. This course can be as group oriented or as self paced as you are comfortable with. If you find that it’s too much for your busy schedule, slow down and stretch it out. The material is yours forever, and you can go through it when the time is right for you.

What are the benefits for people who enroll in your course?

Oh my gosh, there are so many!

First, I would say that the biggest benefit for anyone who enrolls is to know that they have taken the first step toward embracing their life. They have walked toward the light and are sending a clear message to their soul that they are no longer okay with sleepwalking through life. Through awareness comes healing, and recognizing that your life isn’t how you would like it to be is the first step toward creating the life you want to be living.

Second, I would say that knowing you aren’t alone in feeling this way is a huge relief and a benefit that will last a lifetime. Like I said earlier, I went through much of my life completely closed off to outside help, and it was a very lonely way to live. Once I opened up and allowed others in, everything changed. I now feel love constantly pouring in, and I am constantly letting it flow out as well. It’s a much more free and loving way to live, and you’ll definitely experience that within the course. It’s already starting in the private Facebook group!

What can someone expect to learn from this course, and how will it change their life?

I do want to mention that this course can’t change your life unless you are willing to change the way you are living your life. You have to be open to it and you have to be willing to put in the work. That may sound harsh, but it’s the truth. I have read tons of self-help books throughout my life and was always disappointed when nothing changed. Well, it was because I simply read the book but didn’t apply any of the teachings to my own life. I read them like I would read a novel – simply for enjoyment rather than to learn and REALLY change and grow.

If you sign up for this course and simply watch the videos and read through the workbook but don’t apply any of the exercises to your own life, I’m sure you will enjoy everything but I would bet that nothing in your life will change. You have to make the choice to take action. You have to be so fed up with your current way of living that you are honestly ready to make a change. And if you are, then this course really can help you. It’s based on what I went through in my own life, so I know that it works.

Once you decide to wake up and start living fully, you will begin to examine why you stopped living and then you get to figure out how to heal from that, forgive yourself and anyone else that needs to be forgiven, open up to the universe, and begin embracing your life again.

And no, it’s not always as easy as this makes it sound. But once you begin and once you feel that glimmer of hope again – that feeling that you probably haven’t felt in a really long time – you won’t want to turn around. You’ll want to keep moving toward the light. I guarantee it. This course will start you on a beautiful journey that you will continue for the rest of your life.

Why did you decide to invite so many other contributors?

Part of my own coming back to life story was realizing that I didn’t have to go through life alone. I used to pride myself on being a solo act – never needing to ask for help – and doing everything myself. Once I opened up and allowed myself to be vulnerable and honest and realize that I could really use some help, my entire world changed. And that’s why I asked so many other beautiful souls to contribute to this course. We each are sharing the same core message in so many different ways, and each way is equally important. And what I love about everyone’s contribution is that each one is a direct reflection of who that person is – who they are at their core. My videos are pretty quiet and reflective, whereas others are more buoyant and lively. Some have concrete exercises and lessons, while others share heartfelt stories that pull you in even though you may just be meeting them for the first time. We all have so much to share with each other, and this course is such a great representation of how beautiful our world is when we open up and collaborate with each other.

A complete list of the 35+ contributors can be seen here: click here, but here is a short list of some of the souls who share their heart inside the course:
♥ My beautiful husband, Dan Teck http://www.halfwayupthemountain.com,
♥ Kristine Carlson (Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Series) http://www.kristinecarlson.com
♥ Jen Louden (The Woman’s Comfort Book) http://www.jenniferlouden.com
♥ Linda Joy (Aspire Magazine) http://www.aspiremag.net
♥ Amanda Oaks (Kind Over Matter) http://www.kindovermatter.com
+ so many more!

What do you hope that people will take away after completing the course?

I want them to see that there is another way to live. I want them to really know that we have a choice – we truly don’t have to go through life simply going through the motions and just getting through the day. There is an entire universe out there that we are only just beginning to tap into. Our soul is connected to such a beautiful world – and waking up is the key to experiencing this way of life.

What bonuses are you offering to enrollees?

I’m thrilled to offer over $150 in wonderful bonus gifts, which you’ll receive immediately after joining!

1. Entire Soulful Journals Ebook Series – $65 Value!

I co-wrote this popular series with my husband, Dan Teck. It contains 11 books to help you get in touch with yourself and live your best life. The topics include gratitude, soulful journaling, healing through transitions, two books for couples, two books for teens, manifesting your ideal life, and keeping your commitments.

2. Emotional Awareness Workbook – $20 Value!

My friend, Dominee Wyrick has created this beautiful workbook to help you get in touch with your emotions. It’s completely free when you register!

3. The Intuition Principle Guided Meditations – $10 Value!

My wonderful friend, Angela Artemis is giving you 3 guided meditations from her brand new program when you register! They are designed to help you connect with your soul.

4. Best Affirmations Workbook – $27.95 Value!

My friend, Scott Armstrong, is offering his Best Affirmations Workbook when you register! I have this program and can personally say that it’s a wonderful tool to help you use affirmations to change your thoughts, which will lead to changing your life!

5. The Bold Living Guides – $19.99 Value!

My friend, Barrie Davenport from Live Bold and Bloom is offering her popular Bold Living Guides for free when you register!

The Bold Living Guides include six essential areas for self-improvement: Self-Awareness and Personal Growth; Passion and Purpose; Positive Change and Simple Productivity; A Healthy Lifestyle for Mind, Body, and Spirit; Amazing Relationships; and Professional and Financial Well-Being. It’s a beautiful, helpful guide!

6. 3 Issues of Sprout Online Magazine – $18 Value!

Created by my friend, Amanda Fall, Sprout online magazine uplifts and inspires through color, beauty, and meaning! Each issue explores soul-stirring themes, planting seeds of hope and healing. Receive 3 back issues of your choice for free when you register!

7. Flying by the Seat of My Soul Ebook – $13 Value!

My friend, Tess Marshall, has written this uplifting book that will inspire you to live more passionately and pursue your heart’s desire with more conviction! It’s yours for free when you register!

All of these are FREE and available immediately after you register for the ecourse!

Amazing!! Where can people find out more?

Please go to the Coming Back to Life page: CLICK HERE

You will learn all about the course, including each week’s content, a detailed description of all that you’ll receive in the course, and a complete list of contributors!

What else would you like to share?

We have all felt disconnected from our soul and the universe throughout our lives. This is completely normal. And when we feel this way, it can be hard to know how to plug back in. When I was feeling numb, I had a friend help guide me back. That’s why I created this course – to be that helping hand for you. To offer concrete tools and a loving community to support you in your journey back home. I would be thrilled if you joined us. Isn’t it time you woke up and embraced your life again? Isn’t it time we all did? This amazing ecourse begins on 10/1 – I hope you’ll choose to come back to life!

Are you ready to awaken your life? CLICK HERE to learn even more about Jodi’s Coming Back to Life Ecourse!

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19 Positive Affirmations to Transform Your Self-Confidence

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Liz • 6 Comments

Below are 19 positive affirmations to remind yourself of, strive for, and live by to help you fully believe in yourself and all the beauty, character and depth you inherently possess (even when the world tries its hardest to throw conflicting ideals your way…).

1. I am a magically feeling tender heart beating creative manifestation of someone’s {or some greater being’s} perfect vision of love.

2. I am kindly welcoming, vulnerably open and spontaneously giving. I have a limitless capacity boundary-breaking heart for the collective sharing.

3. With each harsh word delivered my way I learn, grow, and expand with empathy, depth and wisdom so I can heal others with speed, focus and clarity.

4. Family may misunderstand me but kindred spirits abound and I trust that my soul sought the home it needed for growth, expansion, lessons unlearned, mysteries unsolved, and elevations yet unknown.

5. I am more than my past, my mistakes, my faults, my circumstances, my struggles, or my diseases. I am a magnificent totality of imperfect parts only beautified by my choices, bravery and impact.

6. I may not love my ______ but it gives personality driving character to my totality, a unique addition to the sum of my bodacious parts; plus my _____ is slammin.

7. I am defined by, and I define others by, love grounded principals, essence exuding manifestations, and radiant energy transmissions. Income, status or title float shallowly in the depth of my perceptions.

8. I admit when I’m wrong, despite my pride, ego or the taste of the words as they flow out my mouth. My need be right isn’t as important as living in my truth.

9. I respect my sweet and sour jealousy for all it teaches me about what I yearn for from life. I let it’s sweet center guide me in positive directions so its sour shell doesn’t poison others.

10. I feel. Deeply. Powerfully. Fully. I am gifted with the strength and power of my abundant feelings.

11. I cry to release internal toxins and cleanse the air and ground around and beneath me as only the purity of water and exfoliation of salt can do. It is beautiful, necessary, cleansing and empowering.

12. I don’t allow the harshness of others or the world around me to harden the softness that lives inside me. It is my softness that helps to heal the world.

13. To my _____, I am the sun, the moon and the planet his/her life orbits around. It is through those eyes that I know the extent to which I can be loved.

14. My kindness towards animals mirrors the purity and innate depth of my character for, unlike many, I am gifted with the ability to see the purity and innate depth of theirs.

15. The way I treat people who I seek and expect nothing from is the same way I treat those I hope to gain and learn from.

16. I value my health, even when my needs inconvenience others, as I can’t truly love myself without loving and inner-adorning the shine that encapsulates the magic of my soul.

17. I forgive and cherish my mistakes, mishaps, slip ups, foul words and temper losses as items I needed to try on for size to truly understand what a bad fit they’d be for my mental, physical and spiritual wardrobe.

18. I train myself to focus on positive thoughts so the fruits produced by my subconscious are ripe and rich instead of weeds that devour and swallow.

19. I am perfectly imperfect. I strive for better while loving all that I am today. In loving myself today, I am better equipped to improve myself tomorrow.

Speaking to yourself positively is an invaluable skill for self-confidence that requires mindfulness, practice and discipline. With a little help, it can become your daily practice.

How do you speak to yourself daily?

If you liked this post, please “like” above, share it, and leave a comment! Thank you!

photo: http://goo.gl/IBleL

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Filed Under: Self-Growth

11 Years Ago… My 9/11 Story

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Liz • 7 Comments

September 11th

11 years ago today I lost my best friend, Saranya (Susie).

I was sitting in my law school dorm room when the first plane hit. Susie worked for Cantor Fitzgerald. She had just emailed me to update me on girly stuff. Her email was light and funny, I could hear the giggling in her words.

I remember not understanding what was happening. Not remembering which building she worked in. Not knowing what floor she worked on. I called her over and over again but I assumed she was fine, of course she was. And then as we gathered in the law school auditorium, and watched the first building fall to the ground on a large screen, reality started to settle in.

But there was no giving up. We formed a search party, meeting daily at her family’s apartment to strategize. Going from hospital to hospital. Chasing one false lead after another. Someone saw her on TV. Someone found a name similar to hers in a nearby hospital. Yet all the hospitals were empty. Everyday we waited patiently for the Cantor Fitzgerald survivor updates. There were never any updates. And that email was the last time I ever heard from her.

I didn’t realize how much her loss changed my life until one day, months later, my father and step-mother pointed out what a different person I was. I didn’t know what they were talking about. But they described to me all the changes they saw, and it all made sense.

I learned more from that loss than any experience of my life. It taught me the value of life, a lesson I’ve never forgotten. And so I stopped wasting time on many of the trivial things that used to plague my mind, heart and attention. I stopped letting myself feel run over by life or by people. Her loss helped me take the reins of my own life in a way I had never done before.

Today I remember my friend, her beautiful heart, and all she taught me about friendship and what it means to be a good person. Her love was the purest love I’ve ever known, and I was blessed to have her in my life for as long as I did.

Susie, I loved you then, like I love you now, and will love you forever…

Never forgotten…

{photos courtesy of facebook friends}

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Super Sensitive: From Broken to Belonging as a Highly Sensitive Person

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Liz • 4 Comments

I had to share this kickstarter project as an update to my recent post You Are WAY Too Sensitive. You Feel WAY Too Much. Ane Axford is raising money to fund her book Super Sensitive, her story about how she went from a life of struggle to using her trait of high sensitivity to lead with power.

She shares this adorably comical video on the top 10 signs that you may be a highly sensitive person (HSP)… funny little traits I never knew were associated with HSP, traits I always thought of as my own personal silly quirks

If you think you might be HSP or know others who are, head on over and support Ane’s kickstarter campaign. You’ll also find a link there to the first chapter of her book.

I just donated myself as I have also fallen in love with my own sensitivity after years of struggle and I wish more woman (and men) were taught to embrace their sensitivity at a younger age instead of viewing it as a weakness. Once you understand the strengths behind high sensitivity you can access them instead of constantly fighting against them.

Ane only has 3 weeks to get her project funded so check it out, donate if you can, and either way help her spread the word about what I’m sure will be a powerful and transformative book!

Here’s the link again: Super Sensitive Kickstarter Campaign

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Filed Under: Self-Growth

Tanzania Safaris ~ Mobile Camping

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Liz • 0 Comments

Mobile camping is a unique and intimate way to enjoy a safari, especially for animal and nature lovers. You’re completely immersed in the national parks of Tanzania with wildlife all around you. These camps move according to wildlife concentrations, following the Great Migration, so you’re always near a prime location for animal viewing.

And there’s no sacrifice on luxury, most mobile camps combine the ambiance of early explorer campsites with the amenities of modern day hotels. Mobile camps are beautifully decorated and include comfortable beds and fully equipped bathrooms (ceramic toilets, showers, etc.). Meals and drinks are served in a separate dining tent where you can connect with fellow travelers and sit around a campfire enjoying the serenity of your surroundings.

The service at mobile camps is as attentive as any luxury hotel with all your needs being attended to without losing the authenticity of the camping experience. At night, guards walk you to your tent, your safety is always the number one priority.

If you’re vegetarian or vegan, theses camps are an especially great option as your chef is just feet away and able to handle customized orders far more easily than at a large crowded hotel.

There are many mobile camping sites to choose from, here are some favorites in Northern Tanzania. A picture speaks a thousand words…

Tarangire River Camp, Tarangire National Park

Exclusive Mobile Camps, Serengeti National Park

Maramboi Tented Camp, Tarangire/Manyara National Parks

Serengeti Migration Camp, Serengeti National Park

Ang’ata Camps, Serengeti/Ngorongoro National Parks

Serengeti Under Canvas, Serengeti National Park

(photos courtesy of each hotel)

If you’re interested in booking a trip to Tanzania, click here to learn about my booking services through Gentle Living’s travel branch, Your Time Travels. I have a very close relationship with a small local supplier in Tanzania who consistently goes above and beyond to take care of my clients and their needs. You can read about some of my own experiences with them in Tanzania here, here and here.

Traveling to Africa can be intimidating for many, I make it as easy and seamless a process as possible. By the time you leave you’ll be so prepared that traveling that far won’t even feel like a big deal!

If you’re ready to get started, you can fill out a Travel Interest Survey and I’ll contact you to schedule a free phone consultation. I love booking these trips for my animal and nature loving clients!

“I really don’t know how it would have been possible to plan this trip without Liz. She found an amazing local tour service with a guide who went far beyond what most of the other guides were doing. She handled all the booking details, found amazing hotels/lodges/tented camps, organized the flights and travel insurance, and walked us through all the additional things we would have to do for the trip. And everything was fully customizable and luxurious.” Alyson Decker, Esq.

“I contacted Your Time Travels because I thought it would be nice to work with a woman who understood my priorities and my point of view, and I wanted to support a business that supports efforts to make our world a better place. What I found at Your Time Travels was a thoroughly dedicated professional who was always helpful (not to mention cheerful!) as I worked through the many questions and changes involved in planning my trip. Liz plunged in and followed through with everything. Her care and her attention to detail allowed me to relax and make the most of my travels.” Deborah Hirsch

“YTT’s services were very personal. I really felt like all my concerns were addressed. When I have used other travel planning services, once they had my money I never heard from them again but that was far from the case with Your Time Travels. I got almost weekly calls and emails about my trip up to one day before leaving. It really enhanced my excitement having someone who was almost as ecstatic as I was about the trip.” Erica Kubersky

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Filed Under: Safaris, Travel

You Are WAY Too Sensitive. You Feel WAY too much.

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Liz • 16 Comments

I’m learning so much about sensitivity lately. The aches of it, I’ve always known, but never really understood. The joys of it, I used to not know there were any, but now I see them in abundance.

Until I heard Ane Axford of sensitiveandthriving.com speak at an event two years ago, I’d never even heard of the concept of being a highly sensitive person (“HSP”). Yet Ane’s trained eye seemed to recognize my HSP-ishness almost immediately.

Now it seems everywhere I go, I meet other self-identified HSPs. HSPs who wear their sensitivity badge proudly. HSPs who defy their own previous expectations as well as others misperceptions. HSPs who attract each other like magnets. HSPs who make me feel proud to be on their hyper-sensational team.

Ane described what it means to be HSP on my blog a few months ago as follows:

“High sensitivity is a genetic trait that leads one to have a more highly sensitive nervous system and be more responsive to their environment. They can be emotionally sensitive, have sensory sensitivities, food sensitivities, become more easily overwhelmed and overstimulated as well as underwhelmed and under-stimulated, process information from the environment very deeply, and have a rich inner life.”

I still have so much to learn and explore about being highly sensitive. But the little I’ve gathered in the past few months has helped to make years of my life come into clearer focus.

There’s so much to being highly sensitive that goes beyond what people traditionally think of when it comes to sensitivity. It’s far more than just crying over harsh words or perhaps having a soft voice. It’s deeper, more expansive, and more penetrating than I could have ever pieced together on my own. And while it’s not well understood, it is not a disorder, 15-20% of the population carries this trait.

And as I’ve learned from Ane’s work and the work of other HSP leaders, being highly sensitive a power. A power that either leads you to thrive, or eats you alive if it’s not cultivated properly. A power that can lead to your greatest life, or derail and swallow you.

I love how Ane described it in my interview with her:

“I find that being highly sensitive is like being an orchid, we do need greenhouse care and when we get it we are exquisitely and uniquely beautiful. We can evolve quickly and powerfully because we don’t have the same limitations. Those limitations are what protect others. So our lack of protection, our increased vulnerability, forces us to be powerful forces of nature or else struggle in silence. I believe that we can all be powerful forces of nature and that we all benefit from the fierce desire to evolve that is in us.”

There are many aspects of my youth/young adulthood that my growing understanding of this identity has helped to explain. Perhaps if you’ve read this far, you can relate to some of these…

Why I don’t like bright lights…
Why I love animals so much…
Why I experience sensory overwhelm so easily (i.e.; if there are too many options in front of me, too much ruckus, too many loud noises, too many bright colors, etc)…
Why I only wear clothes that don’t make me feel overly confined and that don’t feel harsh against my skin…
Why people who yell or who have extremely abrasive energies overwhelm me and send me inward…
Why I’ve dealt with endless physical issues, issues you won’t see me writing about anytime soon, that tormented me through much of my life, starting at an extremely young age… (issues that thankfully no longer plague me the way they used to)…
Why when I’m not in environments that help me thrive, things can get really really ugly…
Why I’m so instantly affected by caffeine and sugar…
Why pregnancy affected me so drastically (perhaps)…
Why nothing soothes me more than nature…
Why I often felt misunderstood when I was younger (being shy and introverted, while simultaneously longing for and loving social interaction, played a role in this; it was a carnival or misunderstood’isms)…
Why when people “get” me, they really get me. And when they don’t, they really don’t…
Why protecting my emotional wellbeing is a sacred skill I’ve learned to develop…
Why protecting other people’s emotional wellbeing, has always carried equal importance to me…
Why my home needs to feel a certain way, like a cozy cul-de-sac at the end of a hectic highway…
Why I married a man who never yells, like literally never (it’s kinda strange )…
Why I often feel as though I have a message I need to share, whatever that message may be…

That’s all I’ll say on this for now, more will certainly follow. In the meantime, please check out this video and article by Ane on her upcoming Super Sensitive Power Weekend Retreat. Even if you can’t go to the retreat (how I wish I could…), you’ll learn so much from what she describes, especially if you have an inkling that you yourself may be wonderfully HSP. You can also check out the first chapter of her upcoming book by clicking here.

Till then, be your beautifully sensitive self

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Filed Under: Self-Growth, Shy Girl's Manifesto

‘Babymoon’ on a Secluded Pink Sand Beach…

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Liz • 4 Comments

A cozy cottage,
on a secluded pink sand beach,
on a long & narrow quiet island,
with the love of my life,
and our growing baby girl…

An island far away from the world,
and all its distractions,
where people sightings seemed far & few between,
the fish were friendly & playful,
the crabs & their antics were our local comedy,
and all the dogs appeared healthy & happy…

A kitchen to cook our meals,
dinners lit by stars,
decadent conversations about life,
and the family we’re creating,
based on our unique ideals…

Two people,
who couldn’t be more different,
but whose values & dreams unite us,
seamlessly,
each other’s own kinda ‘crazy’…

Days spent on the beach,
in the ocean,
hand in hand,
just enjoying being in love…

Eleuthera, Bahamas

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Filed Under: Sweet Thoughts, Travel

The Stories We Tell Ourselves…

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Liz • 6 Comments

The stories we tell ourselves…
The guide us.
They define us.
They get proven true,
as we manifest our lives based on them.

What stories do you tell yourself?

Do you ever say things like…

“I’m too sensitive…”
“I haven’t achieved enough…”
“I’ll be successful when…”
“I keep getting into bad relationships because…”
“Eating healthy is too hard because…”
“If only my parents hadn’t treated me this and that way, I could have been…”
“My passion for this or that may make people think I’m weird…”
“I’ll be happy when…”

We all have our stories. They get programmed into us and then we repeat them to ourselves over and over again, often for years. I know I have…

What I’ve been noticing lately is that truly happy and successful people don’t wait until they’ve achieved their ultimate goals before they decide that they’re living the life of their dreams. As long as they’re following their heart, helping others and living true to their values, they tell themselves nothing but beautiful stories about who they are and what their potential is.

They seem to live in their story of success every single day instead of waiting to find something that deems them worthy of it. And by living within that beautiful story, they then create it.

Of course they aspire for more. Of course they have goals and dreams. But those aspirations and goals don’t downgrade the unfolding of their current story, they’re simply the next chapters, being manifested with each day.

Write your beautiful story…

If you were writing someone else’s story, would you give that person beautiful luscious goals but then have her tell herself everyday the endless reasons why she’ll never achieve them?

Or would you have her live everyday believing in her potential so that instead of running from the big scary goals she continuously crept toward them, seeing the potential in every plot twist, instead of only the obstacles.

What stories do you have that aren’t serving you? What have you been telling yourself for years that you wish weren’t true? What have you been wanting to do that your story has been holding you back from?

What if you picked one area you wanted to focus on and rewrote your story around it. What if you decided that you were on your way to your goal? That it was going to be easy. That it was going to be fun. And then everyday you took one step forward proving to yourself just how easy and fun it is.

Maybe eating healthier has been on your list for awhile but the story you’ve been telling yourself is that it’s way too difficult, healthy food is boring, you suck at sticking to health goals, you have a slow metabolism so it won’t help anyway, or you simply hate exercising. What if you changed your story around to support your goal?

A year and a half ago my husband and I started green juicing. We’ve done it just about every morning since. We could have gone in two directions. We could have bitched over what a pricey pain it is to constantly restock our veggies every weekend, how long it takes to prepare in the morning, how annoying it is to clean the juicer afterward, how inconvenient it all is, and for me, how much I don’t enjoy being in the kitchen…

Instead, we found a routine that made it as easy as possible – we take turns each morning. We made it fun by often pouring our green concoctions into extra large red wine glasses with star shaped ice cubes and clinking our glasses together to toast like it was wine at dinnertime.

Complaining about the inconvenience or how much I don’t enjoy spending time in the kitchen didn’t serve our health goals. So we created the story that it’s fun and easy and even kinda romantic and we’ve stuck with it religiously ever since. That’s an easy example of course, many of our stories are a lot more emotionally charged…

The truth is I have a lot of stories I’m working on rewriting. Stories ingrained for too many years. Stories I didn’t even realize were stories, I simply thought they were fact. Once you realize they’re just stories, the fun part comes in rewriting them.

If you think about it, everything in life is a series of stories…

“Will I get that job…”
“Will I meet ‘the one’…”
“Am I really worthy of love…”
“Will I have an impact…”
“Will I succeed at…”
“Will I ever quit smoking…”
“Will I ever prioritize my health…”
“Will I achieve that dream…”
“Will I prove myself to so and so…”
“Will I only find true happiness when…”

Whatever it is that you want, big or small, write the story in your ideal way. Write it as if you were already a success. Write it as if you were writing it for your best friend. The person you expect and want nothing but magical things for. Be your own best friend and write your story from that loving and supportive place.

Include the hiccups, the let downs, the disappointments – those just make the story more exciting. The story isn’t meant to be unrealistic, it’s meant to be forward moving… beginning, middle, end, and then some… All the plot twists simply move your story forward.

Rewriting our stories isn’t easy. It takes hard work, dedication, patience… but it can be done with time.

Can you recognize some of the not so great stories you’ve been telling yourself? Do you want to re-write those stories to include a little less negativity and a little more magic?

Happy writing & rewriting.

P.S. If you liked this post, please “like” it, share it & leave a comment!

Image 1: http://goo.gl/ukDbC; Image 2: http://goo.gl/QARUI

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Filed Under: Self-Growth

Knocking Down Mental Roadblocks & Achieving Your Dreams

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Liz • 13 Comments

What you want, wants you back.

Do you long for something but weeks and months pass and you don’t seem to achieve it?

Do you put the things you want on an unreachable pedestal and reject yourself before someone has the opportunity to reject you?

And so your self-confidence plummets as you fail to achieve the goals that were calling to you. You know, the goals you pre-disqualified yourself from…

You Can Achieve What You Want

I remember when I was in my second year of law school and it was time to find a summer associate position at a law firm. The competition was fierce and I desperately needed a job that would pay my mounting bills.

My interviews at the law firm I would go on to work for for six years went really well, better than usual. I seemed to bond quickly with the people there. I left my first round of interviews feeling like it was the place for me. Second round of interviews went just as well. But they were only accepting four summer associates…

A few weeks later, I get the call – unfortunately they choose their summers, and I just missed the cut. I didn’t understand. Everything in my body told me that was where I belonged. Of all the law firms I had interviewed with, they were the warmest, the most personal, the most me (at the time).

So I decided to try something bold. A couple of weeks later I reached out to the human resources woman and suggested that they take me on as an unpaid intern (with the hopes that I’d prove myself and get a permanent offer at the end of the summer).

She spoke to the hiring partner and he asked me to come in for another interview with him personally. Like my other interviews there, we hit it off. He hired me on the spot and not as an unpaid intern, but as a handsomely paid associate. He appreciated my perseverance and went on to tell that story every chance got for years as an example of going after what you want.

What’s funny is that somewhere along the way I forgot about how powerful asking for what you want is. My goals and dreams have changed a lot since my law school days but in many ways things were more clearly spelled out in that world, I knew the rules. When your goals are a bit less conventional, a bit more “dreamy”, things get much more ambiguous. What are the rules? Are there any?

One thing that has remained true is that no matter what world you’re in, what type of job, or even what type of relationship, you need to be clear on exactly what it is you want and then find the confidence to ask for it to get to the next level…

Eliminating Your Mental Roadblocks…

I’ve been reminded over and over again in the last few weeks that what you want, wants you, it’s just up to you to believe you deserve it and then ask for it. In viewing things as out of reach you don’t even give yourself the opportunity to achieve the things you want.

When I first started blogging I dreamed of one day writing for Crazy Sexy Life. I wondered what it would take, what “in” I would need, what credentials I would have to show. The series of mental roadblocks I created prevented me from even asking until months later I happened to meet Kris Carr at an event. Without blinking an eye she welcomed me to write for her site. I didn’t understand, didn’t she want to see my resume, writing samples, maybe even a blood sample?! Nope, made that story up in my head. I’ve now written for CSL three times.

With each goal you accomplish you realize that the roadblocks you’ve been putting up are more in your mind than in your reality.

But then I did it again, I dreamed of writing for Elephant Journal one day. It’s a huge site with millions of readers. Maybe one day I told myself…

Well one day occurred last week after simply sending them an email with my pitch. Within two hours they wrote back with their approval and even asked that I consider becoming a regular columnist.

Can’t people see our mental roadblocks?? No, they can’t.

I’m now committing myself to asking for something I want every single week – want to join me? Something bold and full of mental roadblocks. It’s bound to lead to some rejections but not every ask will so no matter what, there’s forward motion.

And the more you knock down mental roadblocks, the bigger your goals need to be in order to see them again. Your growing self-confidence starts to clear up your blurry roadblocked filled vision.

Do you have something you want that you’ve been holding back on asking for? What mental roadblocks have you constructed? Can you see that they may not really exist?

Whatever it is you want, break it down into steps:

1. Determine what you want. No matter how big or small a goal. If it’s important to you that’s all that matters.

2. Decide that you deserve what you want. It’s simply a decision, and one only you can make.

3. Map out the step or mini-goals it will take to get there. Start small and go bigger with each step you accomplish.

4. ASK for what you want at each step along the way. Don’t be discouraged by any rejections, they are bound to happen at times. Put all your focus on the acceptances you do receive.

5. Celebrate each small goal you accomplish on the path to your dreams.

You deserve what you want. Ask for it. You may find that what you’re asking for is exactly what the world wants to give to you…

P.S. If you liked this post, please “like” it, share it & leave a comment!

photo: http://goo.gl/8KmZw

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Filed Under: Self-Growth