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By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  The best lessons in life are right in front of us, if we just have the presence of mind to pause and pay attention. One such lesson uncovered itself after watching my 2 year old Lucy on the playground. Shakespeare is attributed with the quote, “And though she be but little she is fierce”, which describes Lucy to a tee particularly when it comes to playground interactions. She has no hesitation to direct her playground compatriots on where and when to go or point out a playground faux pas like climbing up the slide. She also sees no distinction between her size and ability and those of, say, her 9 year old brother’s; if he can climb the giant climbing wall, obviously, then so can she!
Oye! The palpitations this determined girl gives me! But, this leads me to our lesson, DreamChaser, straight outta the playground. When describing Lucy and her playground antics to other parents and our friends, I find myself saying, “She definitely has more confidence than ability”. After saying this a few times, two things dawned on me. First, this is how we all should be living. And, two, this would be the best t-shirt phrase...sorry, I call dibs on that one. Whether you have come to terms with it or not, you have goals and dreams in your heart and mind. Your SoulShine Inspiration Catalysts (that's us...Jackie & Erika!) hope that you act on them, and our mission is to help guide you to do just that. What gets in the way? So many things but a big one is having a lack of confidence due to a lack of ability. Ready for a truthbomb? This is such ridiculous and backward thinking! The reason something is a goal or a dream is because you don’t have it yet. Since you haven’t achieved it, you don’t have the ability yet to make it happen. So, waiting to have the ability before you have the confidence to go for it means...drumroll...YOU WILL LIKELY NEVER HAVE IT! You have to believe you can find a way, harness just a smidge of confidence, and take the first step so you get going on the path to having whatever it is you want. Want that goal or dream? DreamChaser, it’s time to embrace that inner child and go for it with all the confidence of a toddler on a 10 foot climbing wall! Believe you can. Trust that you will figure it out. Will you fall? Probably a time or two. What does a toddler do? They pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and go at it again...let’s be real, toddlers know that admitting defeat means they have to leave the playground where all the fun and excitement is. That’s exactly why you stay in the goal-getting, dream-chasing game...that’s where the fun and excitement of life is! Confidence over ability, DreamChaser, that’s where it's at. Let’s do this and enjoy the view from the top! Shine On!
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By Jackie White  Some people are wired to see life through a positive lens. They find the silver lining even in troubled times. How do these people do it because we know that not everyone finds sunshine on a gray day?
The question begins with are some people just genetically positioned to be positive, happy people? A depression study done by Stanford University looked at whether some people were genetically predisposed to having higher life satisfaction. What they found was that 50% of life satisfaction can be attributed to genetics, now if you are a glass-half-full kind of person you will see that the other 50% is under your control (40% with intentional activities and 10% related to external events). What that means is even if you are a glass-half-empty person, you can shift your life experience through intentional activities. How to Walk on the Sunny Side of the Street:
By being intentional and implementing any or better yet, all of these 5 tips, you too will find yourself walking on the sunny side of the street! Shine On! By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  The hot weather of summer has water on my mind! That may have conjured images of pools and floaties, lakes and waves, or beaches with your toes in the sand. While a splash session is refreshing and fun, and perhaps the savior on a hot summer day, this isn’t the most important water in your life. Know what is? The water you hydrate with! You guessed it, DreamChaser...today’s wellness topic is all about water!
Let’s refresh our minds. You are made of 60-70% water. You use water in nearly every bodily function from transporting nutrients, removing waste from the body, digestion, and making new cells. You use and lose water all day, every day. Yet, even though water is crucial for function, you cannot make water on your own. You are dependent on the water you consume through drinking and eating to keep this all going. We are quite inefficient beings...lol. Since water is used in so many body functions, there are a wide range of effects insufficient hydration has on the body. These include but are not limited to the following:
Before you start complaining that you “don’t like water” or “it’s so boring”, I’m going to give you some tough love. It’s time to drop the excuses! You need to get over this negative mindset and find a way to embrace hydrating with water. It is honestly one of the best actions you can take to start yourself on your healthy living, best life path...not to mention easy and inexpensive. And, during the hot summer months, it’s even more important to up the hydration game. To help you out, here are 7 Fresh Ways to Up Your Hydration:
You might be wondering how much hydration is enough hydration? Often you hear about drinking eight 8 ounce glasses but the truth is...it’s complicated. The right amount of hydration depends on many factors from your size to activity level to even the weather. A good place to start is eight 8 ounce glasses per day with a goal of half your body weight in ounces. Listen to your body and up your hydration on days that it’s hot or you have a strenuous workout or are feeling ill. Your future self is already thanking you for this lifestyle upgrade! Shine (and hydrate) On! By Jackie White  Ancient Hawaiians penned a prayer of forgiveness that can shift your perception of what forgiveness is and is not. It is so simple and can be applied to oneself in order to clear burdens or negative self-worth issues.
Ho’oponopono means to put things back in balance. Your life needs to be in balance for you to feel happy, secure, and content. The prayer was originally designed to help divided families reconcile. Today it is commonly used as a mantra of forgiveness towards others or in the process of healing yourself. The prayer is simple and concise to effectively address problems big and small. These four simple statements can release a world of hurt and resentment when prayed upon with intention. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you. How can something so simple clear deeply engrained patterns of negative self-talk and evaluation? The answer is in its simplicity. Let’s break each statement down to see what it means and how it can restore balance and peace. I’m Sorry: This statement acknowledges the wrong that was committed. Saying you are sorry that something you may have said or done hurt someone or hurt yourself. It doesn’t excuse the wrong, but in a loving way understands and acknowledges that a problem exists. Please Forgive Me: Asking for forgiveness allows you to apologize to others, to yourself or to The Universe. Asking for forgiveness from the heart begins to clear the pain that was caused. It is much bigger to forgive than to carry the burden of blame. This is essential for moving forward with a clear and unburdened heart. Thank You: Saying thank you acknowledges that you see grace being extended to you by someone else or to yourself. Grace is a kindness that is filled with hope. I Love You: Ending the prayer with an expression of love is essential because love bridges all gaps of pain and hurt. The compassion in love is the connection needed to heal wounds of the heart. Utilizing the Ho'oponopono prayer as an intention of reconciliation is effective and strips issues down to what is really important. Feeling that you have been heard or acknowledged that there is a problem and on the forgiving, you release the negative energy and blame you carry in your part of the hurt. The resistance that comes with forgiveness is that people mistake forgiveness for condoning or excusing the wrongdoing. That is not forgiveness. Forgiveness is about acknowledging and freedom from the restraints of resentment and blame. The Ho'oponopono prayer is especially helpful with building self-esteem and self-worth. Use as a mantra to work through critical inner thoughts. Use it as a way to release yourself from negative feelings against yourself. Use it daily as a preventative measure to keep yourself in balance. There is such power is these four simple sentences. Use them with intention and love and see how the Ho’oponopono Prayer can lift your burdens and fill you with loving intentions. I’m sorry. Please forgive me, Thank you. I love you. 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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