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By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  “If it’s a priority, you will find the time for it.” That, DreamChasers, sums up the tough love of time and priorities. The first time I read this phrase and really stopped to evaluate how it was playing out in my life was a #gamechanger. I not only identified as being busy but also thrived on it; I wore that busy badge with honor! This reality check clearly illustrated that my priorities and time were not in alignment; I was creating busyness and chaos in all the wrong areas for the sake of being busy. Yikes! We create the busy and chaotic lives we are living to the point that our schedule starts running our lives! Who can relate? And, if we stop to really evaluate where all that time is going, there’s a good chance we are giving away some of that time to things that aren’t priorities. The good news is choice got you into this mess, and choice combined with a good strategy can get you out of it! It is time to treat time with the respect that an irreplaceable, non-refillable, limited commodity deserves. It doesn’t have to be hard. The key is identifying your priorities, scheduling your time into these areas, and letting go of the things that do not align with your priorities. That last one might sound hard; I can relate. I, myself, suffer from FOMO, Fear of Missing Out. Here’s the secret to making letting go easier; if your priorities are identified and top of mind, it is easy to let go.  Ready for a simple strategy to do this? Here it comes the 5 Roles Life Hack… Step 1: Look at where you are spending your time. Sort each activity by roles like mom, wife, friend, daughter, colleague, coach. Under each role, make a notation of how much time you are spending for each role. For example, if you are coaching your kid’s basketball team, you likely have several practices and games per week; all of this time would count under this role. This will give you a gut check of where you spend your time and how much. Step 2: Are there any roles missing? Add these to your list. Step 3: Pick the 5 roles that are the most important to you. This does not mean the 5 roles that you are spending the most time on in this moment; this is the key to determining a priority and a time taker. We only have so much time and energy to give into what we do; spreading ourselves too thin means we are not giving our best to anything. This will require some thought, and, perhaps, some hard choices. Step 4: Align your schedule with your 5 roles. Literally, you will schedule time into your calendar reflecting these 5 roles. Why schedule? Because scheduling things into your calendar creates protected time and increases the chances you will follow through. It may help to break down how you plan to spend your time for each role. For example, if being a mother is a top role, you may have daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly goals. Set reminders in your calendar to make sure you are on track with these goals; I recommend Sundays to plan the week as well as the 1st and 15th of each month. Step 5: Say no and let it go. Doesn’t align with your 5 roles? Say no and let it go. This might take practice. And, yes, some of your commitments might require you to find someone to take over for you. One thing to keep in mind; some of these roles may literally be for a season. For example, coaching a basketball team or training for a marathon literally has a finite start and finish. As that role is completed, you can take on a different role in its place.  Have you realized what these 5 roles are? They are your priorities!
Aligning your priorities with your time and effort makes it easier to say no and let go of things that are not a priority; you will be living a life of intention, purpose, and fulfillment. You will be living your best yes, and, in turn, your best life! As you get better at this alignment of priority and time, the feeling of busy and chaos will lessen because you are back in control! Then, something magical happens! Pieces of unclaimed time will appear. This is when you might choose to take on another role into your life, but choose wisely, DreamChasers! Shine on!
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By Jackie White  Today’s SoulShine SOULutions talks about reclaiming our time and ultimately our lives. Knock Knock Who’s there? Needle Needle who? Needle a little extra time in your life? Then this blog will help you! What is the one thing we all claim we need more of? Yup, it’s time. We all want more, we need more and yet, never before in history have we wasted more of it. Doh! What’s going on? We are running on the fast track and desperately trying to “get to the finish line” at the end of the day, only to get up and start it all over again the next day. We feel behind before we even have had a chance to get the day started!  ONE: We are not living intentionally - When you stop and think about how you really want to spend your time in life, you are being intentional. This might take some self-reflection to discover what you should be focusing on. The Fix: Identify what you want in life and how you want to live your life. Write these things down and compare what you are currently doing to that list. Review the list daily to assess if you are doing the things you really want in life. If not, refocus on doing things that support your intentions. TWO: We are not being mindful of choice of how to spend time - This is about really being present in the moments of your life. Are you on auto-pilot and are almost sleepwalking through each day? If so, you are not being mindful about the choices you are making about how you spend your time. The Fix: Being mindful requires you to slow the craziness down and really focus on what you are doing. You may find that by really focusing on the things you are doing you can be more efficient by eliminating, delegating or refining your processes. THREE: We are not prioritizing important things - Obviously, some things are more important than others in life. Not everything is equally deserving of your time. You should take inventory of where and with who you want to spend your time and make sure those important things in life are scheduled in before the other stuff. The Fix: Take time to reflect on what is important in your life and then see how those things (and people) are fitting into your life. If you they are not being given the time you’d like, then you need to re-prioritize some tasks by working around your priorities first. Not trying to fit priorities in after the busy stuff.  FOUR: We are not saying no - You must review what is important for you to be a part of and the rest of the stuff cannot go on your plate. It’s ok to say no. Your time is precious and you shouldn’t be spending it on some random thing you were “roped into doing”. The Fix: Just stop volunteering for everything! Seriously, you can’t and shouldn’t have to do it all. Choose what you will volunteer to do after you have worked on setting time aside for your most important priorities in life. FIVE: We are not focusing on task completion - This means we are thinking muti-tasking is an efficient way to use our time. It is not. When you multi-task it can take you almost 20 minutes just to get re-focused on the original task you were working on. That’s a waste of time! The Fix: This is a mindset that may be hard to break, but the best way to do this is to set a timer for your tasks and do what you can within that time bound segment. Do not check your phone or try to do something else, just focus on the one task. You will find you will be much more efficient than trying to multitask. SIX: We are not scheduling tasks properly - When scheduling your time, be realistic about your time. Remember there is travel time when running errands. Don’t underestimate the time it will take you to complete a task. It’s better to overestimate than to underestimate your time. The Fix: Schedule tasks with set time parameters. Be realistic about how long it will take you to complete the tasks. Include drive time if running errands.  SEVEN: We are attached to our bad habits - Taking time to write out a schedule may at first seem like a hassle and a time waster, but you will soon find that when everything is thought of ahead of time, it makes things much easier. Creating a new habit can take some effort, but we need to break those bad habits in order to get to a place of more time. The Fix: If you want better time management results, then you have to do something different. As you begin to revamp your time management processes, implement one change at a time. Small changes over time will make a difference. EIGHT: We thrive on being busy - News Flash! No one ever gets crowned Queen of Busy. There is no reward, trophy or status level earned by living a life of busy. This is one of those bad habits you just have to drop. The Fix: You need to change your perception that busy is better. It is not good for you to be running to the finish line daily. Schedule in 20 minute time-outs for yourself where you can relax, read a book or take a walk, do something that helps you to slow down and enjoy your day. NINE: We are not planning ahead - When we don’t plan ahead, we end up reacting. The constant bouncing from one thing to another during reaction wastes a lot of time and creates chaos. The chaos then drains your energy. It can be a vicious cycle! The Fix: Brainstorm all the things that affect your schedule. Some things may happen every week, like picking a child up from school. Other tasks may only happen on occasion like a dental appointment. Get a planner with space where you can write tasks in at the time of day you will do them. Do this monthly and weekly so you are aware of your time. This way you won’t over-commit yourself and throw yourself into reaction mode.  TEN: We are wasting the time we do have - We all are experts of wasting time. With screens invading our space everywhere we go, we can easily get sucked into them...for hours every day! The Fix: This is a big one. Set time blocks where you will not be on a screen. If that is difficult, then install an app that will restrict your screen time. Set up technology-free zones in your home or choose certain days or times of days that you will not be on a screen. Fill the time with non-screen activities you enjoy like exercise, crafting, journaling or reading.  Final Thoughts
Stephen Covey says to begin with the end in mind and that is what you should do when you are thinking of how you spend your time. The time you have is finite. It should be treated as your most precious commodity. Think about when you come to the end of your time, will you be happy with how you spent it? If not, then it’s time for a change. Implement some of the fixes above and begin to really live the life you have always wanted. Shine On By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  Do you have a friend that has always been healthy? That fit, looks great in everything, friend? The one that seems to be able to eat anything she wants and not gain a pound? Meanwhile, you are checking out this diet or that exercise plan or struggling to eat kale salad? You know what I am talking about, right? (My apologies to kale; I actually find you quite delicious.) I am in the trenches with you! Now that I am entering my forties, which comes with the realization that those “grown-up” diseases like heart disease are a legit concern, I wanted to get to the bottom of this once and for all. What are the always healthy people doing? What are their secrets? Being the science nerd I am, I went into research mode. Here are the 10 “secrets” of the always healthy people revealed!  Secret #10: Choose to hydrate with water No shocker here; always healthy people not only stay hydrated but they also choose water over other beverages. You won’t see always healthy people drinking soda, diet or high-octane regular, highly caffeinated energy drinks, or sugary coffee drinks. How much water is your goal? Take your body weight and divide by 2; that is how much water you should be drinking every 24 hours. No joke; half your body weight in water. (I just found some added motivation to lose the extra pounds...lol.) Secret #9: Get 8 hours of sleep most nights It is a short Google search to uncover the vast benefits of sleep...reduce stress, improve memory and concentration, increase metabolism, better mood...the list goes on and on. Not only do the always healthy people get their 8 hours of ZZZs, they also have a consistent sleep-wake cycle, meaning they go to sleep and get up at the same time every day. This is the sleep #gamechanger! Your body develops rhythms for releasing hormones, regenerating and repairing your cells, and other functions based on your sleep. If you have a sporadic sleep cycle, you are not allowing your body to develop these cycles so you are not functioning at your best. Secret #8: Know how to manage stress Stress management is one of the pillars of health. Not kidding; there are 4 core focus areas that are taught to health providers to teach their patients when looking to improve health and stress management is one of them. Like most things on this list, it is not that the always healthy people do not have stress in their life or feel stressed at times; rather, the always healthy people have figured out strategies that work for them to deal with stress and keep it under control so it does not negatively affect their lives. Manage stress means managing the damage stress causes to the body.  Secret #7: Don’t diet Hmmmm? Say what? Don’t diet and healthy go together? Ehhh...wrong. Here is an important revelation. Diets don’t work; consistent self-serving habits do. The always healthy people have learned to remove the emotions from eating, especially guilt. They enjoy food as what it is intended-fuel for your body. Literally, what you put in your body is what you get out either as the energy you have or literally in the form of your body’s cells and tissues. So, it is no wonder that the always healthy people have a tendency to look AND feel better, right? This is not a coincidence! Everyone reacts differently to different foods as well. Exploring what foods give you energy versus those that make you feel poorly, either literally ill or affect your energy, is important combined with getting to the bottom of emotional eating. Once you break through these obstacles, you can freely eat. Without guilt, without shame, without counting macros or calories. You fuel yourself based on what you need in that moment or to accomplish what you have coming up. Secret #6: Enjoy exercising There is a big difference between enjoying exercising and exercising. Exercise is another one of those four core focus areas for health improvement. You might not like to hear this but exercise really isn’t an option if you are looking to be an always healthy person. There are two revelations that are important here. First, exercise is not a weight loss strategy; it is very hard to out-exercise poor eating habits. Rather, the point of exercise is to strengthen your body, particularly your bones and cardiovascular system. The second revelation is that always healthy people find exercises that they enjoy. When you enjoy doing the exercise, it doesn’t feel like exercise. Here’s an example from me. I don’t like running; I wish I did as it is so versatile and you can do it anywhere but I really don’t like it. I do, however, love playing soccer. Guess what happens a lot in soccer? Running! I probably run more in a soccer game than I ever have otherwise, but I don’t even notice it because I’m playing a sport. That’s enjoying exercise! Here’s a bonus when it comes to enjoying exercise, this allows the exercise to be I get to instead of I have to; this shift to a growth mindset allows exercise to serve as a de-stresser or part of your self-care, or both! Secret #5: Prepare healthy food ahead of time Here’s the truth that no one likes to admit; eating healthy is harder than eating junk food. The reason junk food has become popular is because it is easy and convenient. To combat this, you need to think and plan ahead. Having healthy meals and snacks prepped, available, and ready to go make it more likely you will follow through on this commitment. A good goal to strive for is the 80/20 rule; 80% of the time you consume whole, unprocessed foods and 20% of the time you go for convenience. Take this strategy with you to the grocery store; 80% of your food items should be fresh and 20% boxed or processed. A quick aside, be careful with frozen! For instance, frozen fruits, vegetables, and unbreaded protein are typically healthier options but frozen pizza, meals, or breaded proteins are junk food items.  Secret #4: Eat unhealthy You read that correctly. The always healthy people eat unhealthy. Here’s the “secret”; the unhealthy eating is not their normal. This falls in the 80/20 rule; 80% of the time always healthy people eat nutritious, whole foods and 20% of the time they splurge. This is also that elusive term, moderation, at play. And, just like secret #5, this 20% of splurging is often part of their plan for the week. Planning for going out to eat or a dinner party or a friend’s birthday is how you have the unhealthy stay in the exception and the healthy stay in the rule. This also adds to the no guilt or shame in eating as well as releasing the feeling that you are restricting yourself or dieting. You can eat whatever you want, just not whenever you want. Secret #3: Make time for self-care The always healthy people have the understanding and belief that self-care is not selfish. Rather, self-care is necessary to be able to give your best to others and live your best life. Taking care of yourself includes your mind, body, and self. It’s as simple as that! Secret #2: Have an optimistic and growth mindset Every always healthy person I know is positive and sees possibility instead of being negative and close-minded. Being truly healthy means your mind is healthy, and your mindset is a crucial piece in this department. This does not mean that the always healthy person does not experience negative feelings or emotions; rather, that the always healthy person reframes to see the lesson or positive potential in a negative situation. This takes work, and the easiest place to start is adding “yet”. For example, instead of “I can’t do this”, you would say “I can’t do this yet”. Doesn’t that feel different? Secret #1: Have purpose There’s a reason this is last; this is the big kahuna! The always healthy person is living a life of inspiration and purpose. Always healthy people are at peace with themselves. They accept themselves and others as well as understand and appreciate that everyone has unique gifts and talents to bring to the world.  Did you notice something interesting about these “secrets”? There is nothing that secret about any of them! Surprising, perhaps, but not secret. There is no secret ingredient, no secret sauce, no special trick or fad diet. These are a string of simple, self-serving behaviors-turned-habit that compound on each other in a positive way resulting in the “always healthy person”.
The real secret is that you must read each point and reflect on if that plays into your life. Here’s the truthbomb, friends. If you aren’t healthy, it means several of these secrets aren’t playing out in your life. These secrets are actually the 10 Revelations of the Always Healthy People! Ask yourself, honestly, where am I getting stuck? Which of these am I not doing? Once you realize where you are getting stuck in these 10 revelations, and work to correct them by replacing poor habits with good habits, you will also be one of those always healthy people. Do you remember what’s great about habits? Habits are just what you do, what you are. You don’t think about them. Always healthy people are just people who have worked at developing healthy habits. Always healthy people do not think about being healthy; they just are healthy. Just think how empowering it would be to just be healthy and not need to waste brain power on it! Now, that’s a goal I can get behind! Let’s do this together! Who’s with me? P.S. This Jumpstart Your Health in 30 Minutes or Less is a great place to start. Stay tuned for more guidance in these secret areas! https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/T32MY4A/jumpstartyourhealth As always, Shine on!! By Jackie White  We are all busy, busy, busy - aren’t we? Some days it’s tough to keep it together with all of the stuff we have going on. We get on that crazy track each day chasing after a list of “to dos” rarely even stopping for a moment to catch our breath. These days can be rote and lack meaning because we just have to get stuff done. Luckily, many of us have today off of work because it is a federal holiday dedicated to recognizing the great contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But, before you sit back in your Lazy-Boy check this out. For the past 25 years, there has been a movement to do more than just remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, instead this movement wants you to take today and “Make It a Day On and Not a Day Off”. This day has been designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer in their communities. I know you’re busy and just need a break, but let me share a shocking statistic with you. In America only 25% of the population volunteers! As you may have guessed the majority of those who volunteer are women. The good news, though, is as more women have entered the workforce, their example of working and still making time to volunteer has impacted men and the number of men volunteering is increasing. Still, we are looking at only ¼ of the population who are making time to help others.  Let’s consider the impact of volunteerism. Consider these scenarios: There is an apartment fire and several homes are ablaze! Thank goodness for the local volunteer firefighters who jump out of bed and rush to the scene to put out the fire and rescue those in need. These families are displaced. Thank goodness for the Red Cross and their resources to temporarily home the families and to provide them with needed supplies that were donated by thoughtful people. A family of five has found themselves homeless. What do they do? They luckily have agencies to contact to find a shelter, a food pantry to get food and resources to help them through these tough times. Many of the people lending a helping hand are volunteers and much of the supplies and food have been provided by community members. Local schools everywhere are lacking the resources they need to properly run the daily happenings at the school. Lunch rooms, playgrounds, the office and classrooms need staffing, but the budgets can’t cover the need. Thank you to the volunteers who have stepped up to make these things happen. In America, we are very fortunate to have a number of organizations that exist to help others. Think of the impact these organizations have on the community. Organizations like the United Way, Salvation Army, Lutheran Services, YMCA, American Heart Association, Red Cross, food pantries, St Vincent de Paul, Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity are only a few of the thousands of nonprofits whose goals are to help those in need. Most if not all of these organizations cannot function without the help of volunteers to enable them to be able to help those in need.  It’s stunning to think of the impact of these organizations. It’s eye-opening to know that many of them are majorly staffed with volunteers. These volunteers are people like you and me. They aren’t necessarily formally trained to do the job they are doing. They have just stepped up to offer a helping hand. Let’s pause for a round of applause for these folks! What’s in it for you? I have shared the stats with you, but I know some of you are still thinking that kind of stuff just isn’t for me or that you are already overcommitted. If that’s so consider what’s in it for you personally.  What if I told you that by volunteering you could impact your life in ways that may blow your mind? Volunteering can make you a happier person and make you feel like you have a sense of purpose in life. Many studies including one from the Mayo Clinic have shown that you can also reap health benefits like lowering blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, reduce stress, depression and anxiety. It can even help you live longer! You can also build leadership skills and increase your chances of being hired because employers look favorably on those who volunteer. Do you have teenagers in your house? If so, you will be happy to know that volunteering can even promote positive behaviors in teens and it looks awesome on college applications! Volunteering is almost like a wonder drug for your life! I know it is hard to believe that by helping others you literally are helping yourself! Think about it. When you connect with others by helping them in some way, shape or form, you are being a blessing. By the virtue of being you and extending a hand to those in need, you are being a positive light. Depending on what you are doing, you may even be a saving grace.  Visiting with an elderly person who may not have had a visitor in months may uplift that person to a place of happiness that they haven’t felt in a really long time. What if you volunteered to help someone learn to read? You are giving them an invaluable tool that will allow them to be successful in life. What if you made sandwiches for some people experiencing homelessness? Your gift of a meal could go to someone who is in desperate need of nourishment. Honestly, it doesn’t really matter the kind of volunteering you do to reap the rewards for yourself. As far as the way you volunteer, it is likely that no matter how insignificant the act may seem to you, it is likely going to be very much appreciated by the person or organization you are helping.  I encourage you to find a way to get out and help others today and tomorrow! Make it a day on and not a day off and help America get its volunteering numbers up! Help because you can or help because it can reflect back in your life in so many positive ways. Remember there may come a day when you are going to be the person needing the help of a volunteer.  If you would like help on how you can re-prioritize your busy schedule so that you can find some time to volunteer, check out SoulShine’s Plan Your Priorities download.
For ways to volunteer and more information on the MLK Community Service Day, go to:https://www.nationalservice.gov/serve-your-community/mlk-day-service Shine On! By Jackie White  When I was a kid, I had a friend who was the best listener and playmate anyone could have. Although he was quiet, he was filled with wisdom. If you were to see him, you would instantly recognize him and maybe even write him off as just a “silly old bear”. You might have guessed by now who my friend was. His name was Winnie the Pooh. For as long as I can remember he was always there.  I think it’s funny now to look back on how I loved Pooh. He was my favorite, but I knew he belonged to Christopher Robin. It was never a bother to me because I always thought that was how the story went. Winnie taught me that he and I could still be friends because Winnie had many friends and that I could be one too. What a great lesson!  Winnie the Pooh was never just a silly old bear to me. He was kind, gentle and compassionate to others. Pooh had his weakness and that was honey. He simply couldn’t help himself when it came to honey! His bumbling and fumbling of his “hunny pots” were just part of who he was. Nevertheless, he was always a joyful, optimistic bear who loved to laugh and although he wasn’t perfect, he always was to me. I think one of the most important things about Winnie was that he was fine with just being himself. And, since he was fine just being himself, he let me know it was fine to just be myself, too. What a gift he gave to me in that.  As a kid, I read his books, or maybe they were read to me? I don’t really remember. I watched his movies and was lucky enough to get a life size Winnie at Disney World one year. Over the years, my love for him endured. My children were also lucky enough to have had Pooh as part of their childhood. That silly old bear is undeniably lovable! He was the friend you always wanted to have. One that cherished your friendship and cared about you. He was brave and fun and sometimes a little discombobulated, which made him all the more endearing. His character was a great example to me on how maybe I should be. I too could be kind, caring, silly, brave and definitely not perfect and that was ok, in fact, it was more than ok. Thank you, Winnie, for being such a great role model!  My friend, Winnie the Pooh had rhymes and hums that peppered his language. He was playful and was always child-like, except when it came to his words of wisdom. I think the genius in Winnie is that his wisdom is plain and simple. It certainly is one of the things that makes him timeless and even more importantly, his wisdom taught all of us to be a little better.  Winnie the Pooh Words of Wisdom Words about Love Some people care too much. I think it’s called love. Piglet: “How do you spell ‘love’?” Pooh: “You don’t spell it…you feel it.” --Winnie-the-Pooh Even the smallest things take up the most room in your heart. Words about Friendship If you live to be a hundred, I hope to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you. “We will be friends forever, won’t we Pooh?” asked Piglet. “Even longer,” Pooh answered. A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey. Words about Life Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved. You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes. It’s more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long difficult words, but rather short easy words like “what about lunch?” No one can be uncheered with a balloon. Words about Just Being You You are braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. Your smile is a reason for many others to smile. The things that make me different are the things that make me.  In the end, leave footprints of love and kindness on every step of your journey. So, on this honored day of Winnie the Pooh, I have one simple wish. I wish that more people lived by the wisdom of Winnie the Pooh because the world might just be a better place. Thank you to A.A. Milne for creating a character that will continue to teach us all how to live more kindly and with more joy.
I will leave you with one last piece of wisdom from my friend, Pooh that I hope we can all incorporate it in our own lives: In the end, leave footprints of love and kindness on every step of your journey. Shine On. History of Winnie the Pooh: Winnie the Pooh was a character that A.A. Milne developed after seeing how much his son, Christopher Robin loved a bear at the London Zoo named Winnie. The first book called “Winnie the Pooh” was released in 1926. The series of books became favorites of Walt Disney’s daughters and subsequently, Disney began animating Winnie the Pooh in 1966. In 1977, Disney released the first feature film called “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh”. Later in the 1980’s a television series called The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was released. Winnie was and is today Disney’s second most loved character only after Mickey Mouse. Limiting Beliefs are the Sneaky Villain to Your Goals and Dreams: Learn How to Defeat Them1/16/2020 By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  Hey, DreamChasers! There is an important topic that needs addressing and attention as we all go after our dreams. This little stinker is the antithesis, the archnemesis, the villain in the journey to the life you want to have. This little twerp might also be like one of those stealthy ninjas in action movies, lurking in the corners of your mind and you don’t even know he’s there. This is what makes him so powerful! This scoundrel is none other than...da da da da...limiting beliefs! I know, I know. That doesn’t sound so scary or terrible. But, read on, DreamChasers. You need to take limiting beliefs seriously and deal with them head on if you want to cross that finish line!  Let’s start with getting a grasp of what we are dealing with. A limiting belief is a false belief that a person acquires as a result of making an incorrect conclusion about something in life. Did you catch a few of those important words? They are false, so not based on fact, and you acquire them, meaning you learn them. They can be general or specific. Limiting beliefs can relate to many areas in life such as money, family, friends, work, health, and fitness. If you acquire them, where do they come from? Here's where limiting beliefs start:
As someone relays their beliefs to you, their personal opinion on a given situation may influence how you react to that same situation. You may believe you will have the same result even if you have never tried or experienced the situation on your own. This is how someone else’s opinion becomes your limiting belief. And, get this! Your confidence can be affected just by absorbing the limiting beliefs being imposed by others! Before you get annoyed at other people for imparting their beliefs on you, you have most likely done the same. (I know. Ouch.). Give yourself grace, and others grace as well. This is where the stealthy ninja part comes in! You push your limiting beliefs on others without realizing it, and others return the favor. One of the biggest challenges with limiting beliefs is that most of us don’t think we have them, which makes them hard to spot. The other challenge is that it is often easier to believe the negative limiting belief story than the positive one. Here’s a silly example. Say there are 2 boxes in front of you. Box #1 is labeled “heavy, lift with care” while #2 is labeled “100 pounds”. A typical reaction might be to carefully attempt to lift box #1 while assuming you cannot lift box #2. Reasonable assumption, right? Now, let’s say that the boxes are labeled incorrectly. Box #1 still says “heavy, lift with care” and box #2 still says “100 pounds” but there is actually only 10 pounds contained in each one. You will most likely have the same reaction, attempting to lift box #1 and being surprised when you almost throw it over your head because it’s so light. Meanwhile, box #2 sits untouched because you assume incorrectly that it contains 100 pounds, and you can’t lift it. That’s a limiting belief. Okay, I know that was a silly example but, hopefully, the point is there. The danger of a limiting belief is that they constrain you in some way. They force you to live below your potential. They hold you back from making different choices in your life. They keep you from seeing the different opportunities presented to you each day. They prevent you from seeing your own gifts or the gifts of others when they offer them to you. They keep you stuck focusing on the negative aspect of your situation. They are that negative committee convening in your head telling you all the head trash like: -I am not worthy. -I am not _____ enough. (insert pretty, smart, fit, rich) -I don’t deserve it. (or worse, I deserve bad things to happen to me) -I don’t have enough _____. (insert time, support, experience, money, brains) -I don’t want people to think I am_____. (insert your own word here) -I can’t handle it. -I am going to fail so why bother trying. Did any of these resonate with you? Limiting beliefs are the poison of your dreams! They crush your goals and suffocate your success. One of the biggest differences between those that succeed, and those who don’t, is the ability to locate and eliminate limiting beliefs.  Don’t worry, there is an anecdote to this poison! SoulShine is here to deliver it. The kryptonite of Limiting Beliefs, the defender of Dreams and Goals and Success is none other than mindfulness, inquiry, and self-compassion. Simple solutions, my friends, are often the answer so don’t overthink this! You can eliminate limiting beliefs with purposeful work harnessing those three pieces of kryptonite. For those that love a plan of action, here you go:
Step 1: Awareness that they exist By reading this post, you are already armed with the knowledge that limiting beliefs not only exist but also may be a negative force in your life. See? Already a win to celebrate! Step 2: Assess where limiting beliefs lie This might seem overwhelming as those pesky limiting beliefs can be hidden and anywhere, right? Don’t fret! A good place to find limiting beliefs are in places you want to change or have attempted to change but have failed. Chances are, a limiting belief is at the core of this repeated failure. Once you locate one limiting belief, it is easier to find them in other areas. And, also, easier to defeat them! Step 3: Question the limiting belief. Remember, limiting beliefs are exactly that, beliefs or opinions. They are not facts. Increase your knowledge in the area of limitation to base your belief on facts instead. Step 4: Switch from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset Limiting beliefs are firmly planted in the fixed mindset. One easy way to switch to a growth mindset is to add the word “yet”. I am not healthy, yet. I can’t do (that thing), yet. I don’t have enough time, yet. This opens your mind up to the possibility, not the limitation. Another strategy to use here is the good old strategy we like to call “Flipping the Script”. This is where you take a negative belief or thought and flip it around to make it positive. This will switch your thinking from fixed to growth mindset, too! Step 5: Try it yourself The best way to know if you have a limitation is with your actual experience. Keep that growth mindset in play during this part. You might fail. Failure isn’t a bad thing; failure is life’s best teacher. So, learn the lesson, live in the journey from “not yet” to success. Step 6: Believe in yourself and never, never give up! Because… -You are worthy. -You are enough. -You deserve it. -You have enough. -You are amazing and everyone loves you for who you are. -You can handle it. -You will fail and those lessons will make you better. Shine on! P.S. Make sure you get the SoulShine DreamChasers Goal Getter Success Guide! https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/DO2xnDo/becomeadreamchaser It's Make Your Dreams Come True Day! The essential guide to getting your butt to the finish line!1/13/2020 By Jackie White  Do you have a dream? Is there something you are aspiring to become or do? Well, then today is your day! January 13 is "Make Your Dreams Come True Day"! Serious! It’s a holiday for those of us who have dreams! Since January is the time when many are setting goals and resolutions, it is the perfect month to solidify your resolve to go after those dreams.  This is exciting - isn’t it?! Today you can celebrate your dreams! Is there anything better to celebrate than what your dreams hold for you? Well, bacon is good. We could celebrate bacon! I am sure there is a national bacon day...I am sorry, I digress. Let me state for the record, that bacon is definitely not as important as your dreams! Bacon is good, but dreams are what it’s all about! Seriously, nothing is more important than your dreams! So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get to it!  In order to celebrate making your dreams come true, you will need a plan! All great things begin with a plan and here is how you go about making your dreams come true:  Step 1: Take a sec and close your eyes. Go to that place where your dreams reside. What is it that you have always wanted to do, learn or be? Wrap your mind around that vision. Is it clear? How does it make you feel? It’s exciting isn’t it? Do you feel the power that your dream holds? It can take your life to a new and fulfilling place! Ok, Rockstar, now that you are amped up, move on to the next step! Step 2: Make a decision and commit. You must make a decision to commit to what it takes to make your dream come true. Ok - I know it’s scary, but we will address that. But right now, you have to make the decision to take action on your dream. Maybe it’s going to take some hard work or it involves change. The journey to making your dream come true might take a while and that’s ok! Consider what it will take and decide today that you are going to commit to moving forward. Here is one important fact to consider: those who pursue their dreams feel happier and more fulfilled than those who have chosen to sit out that dance. So, c’mon, put on your dancing shoes and make that decision to begin the journey. Just do it! Step 3: Ok, you’ve made it to step 3, so you have decided to commit! Awesome!! Now you should begin to feel the excitement build! You might also feel a little bit of fear creeping in. That’s ok, you just need to respond to it. Fear is usually the obstacle that stands between you and your dream. Don’t let fear do that to you. You need to face the fear and walk through it! It will be worth it because your dream is waiting for you on the other side! Because fear is the problem child with dreams, you will need a method you can follow to keep fear from stealing your dream.  Method for Squashing Fear: Imagine how great it will feel to achieve your dream. Feel the power in that accomplishment. In order to feel that power, you will have to step out of your comfort zone. You must face your fear by knowing that the ultimate goal is just beyond it. Don’t be bullied by fear! Reach down deep inside and listen to the voice of your dream. Believe in yourself and that you are worthy of your dream! You know no one is given the power to dream without being given the ability to make it come true! Let me remind you of a great quote by Vincent Van Gogh “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” It would be blah - ok, so I added that part, but you know I am right. It’s time for you to put on your superhero cape and rescue yourself from blah-ness. Remember the power is within you to do this! The ever-glittery and all-knowing Glinda, the Good Witch of the North told Dorothy :”You’ve always had the power my dear”. Glinda was right, so know that you too have the power to make your dreams come true. Click your heels together if that helps you believe! You can do this! Step 4: You are doing this thing! It’s so exciting! What happens now? Well, you have to make a plan, but before you do that, you have to do a little research. Thank goodness for the internet, it makes developing your plan a lot easier! Begin to research ways others have achieved your dream or something similar. You do not need to reinvent the wheel! You are allowed to steal other’s plans and repurpose their ideas as you develop your plan. Your mom isn’t going to punish you for stealing in this case because it is really just being efficient at getting to what you need to do to make your dream come true. Once you get a feel for the steps you need to take to pursue your dream, it’s time to make that dream a goal! Are you on the edge of your seat? Do you feel the energy building? Think of this like a soccer match when that guy announces a player scoring and he yells “GOOOOAAALLL!!!” Can you hear the crowd roar? Yes! Keep going, you are almost there!  Step 5: Well, hello there! You made it to Step 5. I knew you would! Now you are ready to solidify that dream and make it your goal! The steps needed to make a dream a goal is really about adding measurement and action. Think through the steps needed to achieve your goal and identify what that entails, how you will measure success of completing those steps and when you will complete those steps. Keep things challenging, yet reasonable for you to accomplish. It’s important not to make the steps and timing so aggressive that you give up. Because remember, you’re not giving up (see Step 2 for your commitment). Hey, it’s my job, to remind you about that!  Here is a quote that maybe should be your mantra: “I want to see what happens if I don’t give up”. Holy Cow! Think about that for a minute. If you were standing at a crossroads with one path called Keep Going and another path was called Give Up, which would you take? That is just about the worst analogy ever, but seriously, do not give up. Not this time! In fact, I am going to add one more step just to ensure this won’t happen.  Step 6: DON’T GIVE UP! Sorry to shout, but that is maybe more important than anything else when it comes to chasing your dreams! I want to remind you that if you just keep keeping on you will get your butt to the finish line of your goals! Just don’t give up. You are going to do this! Be in your own corner and be your number one fan! Cheer yourself on and don’t forget that today is the official "‘Make Your Dreams Come True Day”, but also remember that everyday after that is “Today is NOT the Day I Give Up On My Dreams Day”.  If you’d like more help on putting your goals together and getting your butt to the finish line, grab our DreamChaser Goal Getter Success Guide in the link below.
https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/DO2xnDo/becomeadreamchaser Shine On! PS: You can do this! By Jackie White  This new decade starting with the year 2020 is fodder for all sorts of vision puns and word plays and this blog is no exception! This year of 2020 is screaming the message that it’s time to get clear on what life is about. What your is life is about? This new year is a great opportunity and invitation to craft a vision for not only the new year but also for the new decade! How do you even start thinking about a vision? It seems so daunting. Shouldn’t we just worry about throwing down a few goals or resolutions to try to follow? Isn’t that good enough? Nope, it’s because having goals without an overarching vision is like putting random addresses into your GPS and not really knowing where you will end up. We need a vision to guide all that we stand for in life.  It’s a nice thought, but you just don’t have time for this vision thing Here’s the deal, yes it takes some up front time to craft your personal vision, but ultimately it will be a time saver for the rest of your life. Suddenly, decisions that seemed impossible before will now be easier to determine because your vision will be clear. You won’t be in a constant state of reacting to life’s demands. You will have a compass that will help you balance your life’s journey.  So what’s the big deal with having a vision? A vision is what you ultimately see your life to be. It is a future state and it is a guiding force. The beauty of having a vision is that it will make managing life easier because all that you do will fall into alignment with your life vision.You may wonder how having a vision will benefit you. Here are a few key benefits to having a vision: Decision making will be easier Life balance will easier to manage The choices you make will be more meaningful Life satisfaction will be higher You will be less inclined to be influenced by others agendas Goal achievement will be easier Get off the hamster wheel: Having a vision will align you to what you have defined to be the principles that guide your life. These guiding principles will strengthen you to live congruently with a foundation of important core values. You will be able to get off that reactionary hamster wheel where you are stressed and are being swayed to make decisions that aren’t necessarily in your best interest. An example of this is to say no when you are being asked to volunteer for something that you do not have time for and the saying no part will be easy because you will see how that activity isn’t aligned to your vision. Let’s get started: Quiet Your Mind: This could be called meditation or if you don’t like that idea, then let’s go with taking time to reflect quietly (no phones, no blaring music or kids screaming in the background). Just quietly ask the question in your mind for the Universe to give you insight on what your life vision should be about. Connect with your breath and remain quiet for 3-5 minutes or more if that is helpful. Write down the thoughts or images that come to you. Attach your own personal meaning to those thoughts or images.  Take a Personal Inventory: Core Values: What are your top 5 core values? These values are your personal code of conduct and what is important to you in life. Click link for a list of core values: www.FindYourSoulShine.com/Resources 
Personal Interests: What things do you enjoy doing? Life Balance Areas: Look across the different life balance areas and see opportunities that may need further focus. Roles: What roles do you play in other’s lives? How does that define who you are? Work: What 3 things do you do at work that makes work fulfilling for you? Consider these important questions: If your life was ending, what things would you regret not having done? How do you want to be remembered? If money wasn’t a factor, how would you spend your time? What strengths do you have? What strengths have you heard others say you have? What areas of opportunity do you have to work on? Distill your thoughts: WHY you do what you do: Once you take your personal inventory, write one to two sentences about what you believe your purpose is/how you envision the world with you in it HOW do you do what you do: Write two to five characteristics or values that makes you unique in the way you will be realizing your purpose WHAT do you do: Write what you are doing to bring your vision to life  Put it All Together
Now distill what you have uncovered in your personal inventory. Using the following template will help you to succinctly define your vision. Feel free to embellish further if that’s helpful to express the essence of your vision. Template: My vision is to (what you will do) in order to serve (the group you will serve). In such a way that (the reason why). Example: My vision is to teach food allergy management in order to serve families with food allergies in such a way that they will feel competent, educated and confident to manage their food allergies. Congratulations! You are ready to head into this decade with a clearly defined 2020 vision. Your personal goals should support your vision. If you would like help flushing out your goals, click on the link below to get your copy of the DreamChaser Goal Getter Success Guide. https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/DO2xnDo/becomeadreamchaser Shine On! By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  Do you know what the most common New Year’s Resolution is year after year? Consistently, it is some version of getting healthier like to diet or eat healthier, exercise more, and lose weight. This may not come as a surprise to you as it may be or has been on your own list. But, here’s a better question for you. Have you ever stopped to think why health is so important? Here’s why! Health is one of the foundational or basic needs of life along with shelter, food, clothing, safety, and financial stability. These basic needs must be filled and replenished regularly for a stable, stress-free, sustainable life. Like building a house, once you have a stable foundation you can start building up; start building before you have a solid foundation and your walls come crumbling down. That’s why health is so important; it is the foundation of the life you can lead, not the life you want to lead or dream of leading. Here is the truth, ready or not. If you do not have your health, nothing else matters. Did you catch that? Your health determines if you can live the life you want. Want the energy to play at the park with your kids? Want to coach your kids? Want to play a sport yourself? Want to run a 5K, 10K, half marathon? Want to walk around Italy with your partner or friends? The list is endless, right? But, you catch my drift. To do all the things you want to do, all those things from everyday life to bucket list dreams, you need to be healthy enough to do them. I am not talking so that you can just enjoy them, I mean so that you can actually do them at all. When your health is in jeopardy, you may literally be prevented from doing the things you want to do, either self-limited or limited by a medical professional. Or, you might be limited in how much or how well you can perform; or, let’s be real, you might be so sore or stiff afterwards that it takes you days to recover from the activity. I don’t know about you, but living a life of limitations is NOT on my agenda.  Reclaiming your health is the most important thing you can do for yourself now and your future self, for those you love, for your life. It will not matter the house you have, the car you drive, the clothes you wear, the vacations you take if you ignore taking care of your health. And, moms, you are not only reclaiming your own health but you are also reclaiming the health of your family. Why? Because you are molding, and literally feeding (lol), the next generation of adults. Reclaiming your health with not only change the outcomes of your generation but will also impact future generations. This is the legacy that you can help build, one amazing, healthy kid at a time. Have you ever stopped to think of that? The word legacy brings to mind something that lives on past you, that is left for future generations. This isn’t just about you! Your children learn many of their behaviors from you. If you demonstrate healthy choices, your children will learn these as well. Raising our children to be healthy from the start means they will not need to waste time or energy relearning behaviors and habits. What is a better legacy than teaching your children about health so they can teach their children and their children’s children? That is an extremely empowering realization on health. I will be the first to admit healthy habits have not always come easy, and I am a nurse practitioner with a background in cardiac surgery. Talk about seeing what poor health choices over time can do! To top it off, my father had significant heart disease at an early age; he had an emergency quadruple bypass surgery at age 46 and narrowly missed a fatal heart attack (more to come on this in February, which is heart disease awareness month). Heart disease is very prevalent in my family, especially in the men. With the knowledge I know now, my father’s heart disease started many years before it was discovered. Chances are his heart disease could have been delayed or maybe even prevented if he would have made healthier choices starting in his childhood. I have two sons and a daughter, and the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle not only for myself but also for them has never been more apparent. I have struggled myself with making healthy choices at times; I am right in the trenches with you on this, busy moms! But, if I could prevent my children, my sons and daughter as well as my future grandchildren and great grandchildren, from going through open heart surgery at a young age, that is all the motivation I need to keep trying and improving my efforts and teaching my kids. One more quick truth bomb, my busy moms. Some of you might be thinking, we already eat healthy or I am at my ideal weight or there isn’t heart disease in my family like you. When we think of health, we often go to what those common New Year’s resolutions focus on...diet, exercise, losing weight. And, yes, these are important parts of good health. However, these are only 1 of the 3 pieces that combine to create your health. SAY WHAT?!?  Health is made of three components, your mind, your body, and your soul or self. The nutrition and exercise piece falls under body but to have complete health, you need to also work on your mind and self. Have you ever failed at your exercise or dieting or healthy eating goals? I am willing to bet it is because you neglected to work on the mind and self pieces. You are not alone; I have also been there! Make sure to work on your mind, particularly your mindset, and your self, especially how you deal with stress and making time for self-care, as you work on the healthy eating and exercise part. Teaching your children how to be healthy in all these areas will serve them, and your future legacy, in infinite ways!
We never want to leave you hanging! Check out some easy tips tomorrow on the SoulShine Life Connections Facebook and Instagram pages for tips to start you and your family on a complete health journey. And, stay tuned for future posts that will dive deeper into creating your health legacy. Shine on! P.S. Have a topic you would like us to cover? Contact us at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you! By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  Jenny Whitens, founder of Jen Whitens Wellness, LLC, and her signature program Wholly Fit, appears to have it all. Spend a few minutes with Jenny and she will tell you to look deeper than the highlight reel. The outdated view that women need to have it together all the time and that they should have to put themselves last after caring for others is a myth that Jenny would like to bust. She is inspired to help women care for themselves while balancing other obilgations and the needs of their families. Jenny has spent years studying mindset, nutrition, and physical fitness. Her mission in her business is to help busy women shed shame and guilt when it comes to self care. She helps them to build their confidence so they can live happy, healthy, and fulfilled lives. This teacher turned coach teaches and trains from her own experience and journey. This real life experience paired with guidance from experts in the field whom she has studied under helps her relate to her client’s journeys. Jenny is an awesome example of living a life of purpose and demonstrating that the key to getting there is believing in yourself and taking a leap of faith that the path will unfold.  Like the clients she coaches, Jenny wears many hats. Besides running her own business, which is no small feat in itself, she is married to her husband, Andy, and they have two awesome and active kiddos, Brennan, age 11, and Nadia, age 6. Jenny started her journey to where she is now as a middle school science and math teacher. She always felt disconnected with teaching, and the teaching environment took a toll on her. She felt it stifled her creativity with too many systems and rules controlling her ability to express her own teaching style, She started to realize that her passion just wasn’t there. What she enjoyed about being a teacher was the actual teaching and helping her students improve, but just not in school system structure. In retrospect, Jenny fell back on teaching because it was a comfortable and safe choice. You may have heard this before or experienced it yourself, that everything changes after you have kids. This is what Jenny experienced after becoming a mom, especially after her daughter was born. Her disconnection with teaching became more evident. She was good at what she did but her heart wasn’t in it, and she knew there were people out there that would love the job she had and be more passionate about it. This lead to her feeling guilty that she was taking this position from someone who would really want it and that she wasn’t pouring into her student’s the way someone else might. The final straw was the awakening that she knew more about her student's lives than her own children's lives. Jenny’s upbringing had taught her that you should remain tough and get through these things, rather than look into what might really fuel your soul and passion. Plus, teaching was an “acceptable” position rather than thinking outside the box. The truth was, teaching in the traditional education system wasn’t for her; and, as Jenny reflects, it’s easy to get burned out when you aren’t doing something that is in alignment with who you are. Jenny realized that what she wanted to do was teach, train, coach, and help people get better but not in the traditional education environment. Jenny realized she needed to find something different and new. An opportunity to join a direct sales company with a health and wellness focus presented itself. This seemed a great opportunity to try something new that was low risk, could go alongside her teaching career, and started linking health, wellness, and coaching people. Jenny learned many valuable lessons during this period including that she loved having a team as well as working with and coaching people. She learned valuable life lessons and business lessons, which ignited her entrepreneurial spirit. The real game changer was starting her own personal growth and development journey, which she may not have done if it wasn’t a strong part of this direct sales company’s culture. And, as her direct sales business grew, she was able to resign as a teacher. During this personal growth journey, Jenny started learning more about herself, particularly her love of coaching and helping people make their lives better. She learned that she thrives on being creative and following her intuition and that guilt and shame have caused her a lot of trauma and strife in her life. She also learned that despite the many invaluable lessons from being a part of this direct sales company, it was not her forever journey. She found certain parts were inauthentic to her, particularly too many rules and systems, and that she didn’t want to be in sales. This was the launching pad to take her from where she was, a burned out teacher, to where she wanted to be, a passionate and purpose-driven wellness coach.  Jenny’s next chapter started with focusing on her own health and wellness. She upped her fitness and nutrition game, focusing on the concept of having no guilt or shame with what she was eating and paying close attention to how certain foods affected her body. At the same time, she started self-education with personal growth and development courses. She found the teaching of Mel Robbins to be her jam and has read Mel’s books, watched many of her videos, and completed some of her courses. During this period of self-reflection and self-care, Jenny was surprised when she realized that she had depression. Because she was so distracted and focused on putting other people’s needs ahead of herself, she had no idea this was an issue for her! Jenny realized that society's expectations that a woman's role is to put others before yourself was manifesting in her life as feelings of shame, sadness and depression.  This came to a crescendo in December 2018. Jenny began experiencing intermittent chest pressure. Knowing this was a potentially serious issue, Jenny had it evaluated in the emergency department and through a follow-up examination with a cardiologist. Fortunately, a serious heart condition was ruled out, however, her symptoms persisted. Jenny also experienced an anxiety attack around this same time. Jenny started working with a neuroscience counselor to look further into the depression and anxiety she was experiencing in hopes of identifying what was going on with her. Through counseling, she learned she had been ignoring and suppressing her feelings and by doing so, she was making herself ill. Jenny is learning how to feel her emotions instead of burying them. One of her favorite mantras is that you need to feel to heal; it is impossible to flourish if you bottle up your emotions! Jenny has learned to stop and force herself to feel what is happening or about to happen to her. This might seem foreign to some, but for those that bottle up their emotions, this is a skill that is needed to be learned. A technique she uses is to control her breathing and connect to her feelings. She then names the feeling and starts to reflect with questions like how do I want to feel or what action can I take? This helps her to experience what she is feeling and deal with it, instead of pushing it down. After studying self-development and refining her coaching skills, Jenny decided to open her own business called Jen Whitens Wellness, LLC, and developed her Wholly Fit program. Jenny’s business focuses on busy moms who are looking to reclaim their own wellness. Jenny understands the challenges busy moms face and helps them build a wellness program that fits their needs.  Jenny’s business continues to evolve but the core concept centers around helping women, especially moms, to get happy and fulfilled through healing their body, mind, and relationships as well as managing their energy. The game changer in her business was when she started connecting her own journey of bringing fulfillment and purpose to her life and helping other moms do the same. She loves creating tools, strategies, and programs for busy moms and women to help them live for themselves. Jenny is passionate about spreading the message that busy moms should not avoid taking care of themselves. This isn’t selfish! She shares this message through her social media pages on Facebook and Instagram as well as on her podcast, which is appropriately named “Shed the Shame”. Jenny serves her clients through her program called Wholly Fit. This is where she provides 1:1 coaching for 90 days to help her clients reach their personal goals from a holistic and emotional perspective. Jenny focuses on habit change and intentionally rewiring the brain from a body, mind, and emotional state. Jenny feels the key is to help people figure out what they like so they can stick with it. She assesses where her client is and develops an individualized plan of action. This is combined with a 3 month nutrition program, focused on clean eating to reset your body and uncover how certain foods serve you. She helps her clients uncover and deal with emotional eating, recreating connections to food from emotional to physical. Jenny loves helping people figure out how a behavior around food has formed. Peeling back these layers results in intuitive eating rather than reactive eating. Once you remove the emotions to eating, food truly becomes fuel and is guilt-free.  Jenny encourages busy moms and women to really work at reconnecting with who they are. Remembering the woman that existed before marriage, children, and career. We should all reflect on what is our passion, vision, and purpose as well as the feelings that go along with these. Jenny emphasizes to let go of the limits we place on ourselves when reflecting on these topics. She recommends getting a sense of who you are as a feeling or emotion and practice aligning yourself with this energy.
Jenny feels strongly that a great way to practice reconnection to self is through self care. One easy way to practice self care is journaling. If you are new to journaling or aren’t sure where to start, Jenny loves a simple journaling technique called the 5 minute journal. This is where you take five minutes every morning to write down three things you are grateful for, three things that will make today great, and one affirmation. One last tip from Jenny is to use simple words or phrases to keep yourself aligned with your intentions. Right now, Jenny is using “relax, breath, release, believe, receive” to keep herself centered. These also remind her to pump the brakes when life gets too crazy and to remember to turn inwards towards self. Jenny's personal journey from uninspired teacher to purpose-driven coach is a true testament to the magic that happens when you believe in yourself, follow your dreams, and push outside the limits of your comfort zone! Check out all that Jenny has to offer on Facebook (Jenny Whitens), Instagram (@jen.whitens.wellness), or online (www.jenwhitenswellness.com). And, don’t forget her podcast, “Shed the Shame” (Instagram @shedtheshamepodcast) available on iTunes. Shine On. |
AuthorsJackie White has been writing about life and its ups and downs for many years. With a degree in Industrial Psychology and a life-long student of personal development she is intrigued by how each individual chooses to live their life. Jackie feels strongly that truly living your best life is imperative to attaining peace and fulfillment. SoulShine was borne of her desire to inspire and teach others to live their best life. This is her mission and her dream. Archives
October 2022
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