Trust Life Today

Can You Cure Your Addiction?

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addictionJagged Little Pill

For longer than I’d like to admit, I allowed my addiction to hold me in some odd state of self-imprisonment.  My seemingly uncontrollable drive to “be productive,” or DO has been my jagged little pill, with edges ranging from ice pick sharp to moderately smooth, but the pill remains.

Here are some observations:

  • it does, on occasion still get the best of me
  • the more I’ve attempted to manage, control, coerce, or tease-out through logic, the more I’ve failed
  • the more I’ve failed, the more I’ve felt like a failure

So, where is the hope?

Look To The Granite And The Onion

The hope begins in the granite: your foundation, your belief system.  (Refer to the previous post for more on foundation—do not skip this part. I spelled out my foundation, as did readers within the comments. You must have a foundation first.)

Next, have you identified an addiction you’re struggling with? It can be anything you feel powerless over, anything you know has control over you.

With your foundation and addiction written down, close your eyes and visualize a granite countertop with an onion sitting on top.

In your mind, take your addiction and wrap it around the outermost layer of the onion. Wrap it so tightly and completely that you can see an opaque layer of your addiction coating the onion. Use your imagination to see the alcohol, the gambling, the sugar, the whatever wrapping around the onion until the ends meet. Picture your addiction permeating each layer of the onion, stopping just before you reach the center.  Continue Reading

Do You Know Why Managing Addiction Doesn’t Work?

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addictionAs the steam from the shower begins to fade, I look in the mirror and I see her. I see an addict. I get dressed, center myself with a cuppa tea, and go out into the world. I look all around. More addicts. All of us with our unique demons. All of us with our unique gifts. Two of the many examples of how we are more similar than different.

I’ve tried to manage my addiction to DOING  for years.

Let me stop here and note this:

As far as addiction goes, there seems to be a commonly held belief that certain addictions are “worse” than others. “More damaging” than others. Warrant “more attention” than others. But is that true?

Isn’t Addiction ADDICTION?

Whenever an outside substance (or act, such as gambling or overeating or sex, or yes, even doing) has control over you… If you, in any way, feel as if you are powerless over anything, doesn’t that count?Continue Reading

2016 Watchword: Turn Your Word into Action

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journey

Several years ago I declared I was done with New Year’s Resolutions. I just couldn’t stick with them. By mid January, I couldn’t even remember those oh-so-important resolutions I had painstakingly thought up and had numbered 1 through whatever. That’s when a girlfriend introduced me to the idea of a watchword. (Thank you, Karen.)

Watchword — just one word to remember. One meaningful word to place your intentions behind, to drive your actions for 2016. When one word is behind your intentions and actions, it’s easier to stay focused and reach your goals and dreams, whatever they may be.

Last week on the Love, Trust & Pixie Dust Facebook page, I introduced the idea of a watchword to the Pixie Dusters. Below are some of the watchwords they posted, plus some of mine from past years.

FAITH
BALANCE
FIERCE
CREATE
PLAY
RELAX
LISTEN
YES
LAUGH
SURRENDER
COMPLETE

Did any of the watchwords above resonate with you? If so, run with it! Or maybe none of the words spoke to you, but instead triggered a different word, go with that instead.

Don’t think about it too much. Go with the one that you feel yourself leaning in to…you will know it when you see it. And when you see it, GRAB it, run with it…which means, put action behind it.

Your watchword doesn’t mean a thing if it doesn’t change your actions, your behavior. Don’t make it the super special silk camisole that is so special it sits in the drawer waiting for a super special occasion to be taken out and worn. Wear your word today! Wear your word now! And tomorrow. And the next tomorrow. Keep wearing it till it feels right. Really right.

My watchword for 2016 is JOURNEY and here’s how I intend on wearing it:

This morning I determined that I have 12 pounds to lose (and hopefully never find again!). I will focus on the journey of getting there, not arriving. The getting there journey will involve:

  • enjoying much smaller portions
  • eating more protein
  • limiting desserts
  • being AWAKE while eating

AWAKE = EXPERIENCING THE JOURNEY, NOT BEING FOCUSED ON THE OUTCOME

I am opening a new business this week, which is a really big and exciting deal to me, something I’ve planned and worked very hard to see come to life. Now that life is being breathed into the new Pilates studio, I set my intention to enjoy the journey, not merely run a business. Enjoying the journey looks like:

  • being present for every experience with each client—from preparing their session, to listening with a whole-heart to their goals and desires, to delivering the best I have to offer while I continue to learn more about how their body moves and what motivates them
  • viewing the business end as something I get to do to reward myself for a job well done, not a cumbersome chore
  • being AWAKE while creating an experience/running a business

AWAKE = EXPERIENCING THE JOURNEY, NOT BEING FOCUSED ON THE OUTCOME

Those are just two examples. My intentions and actions will stem from the word JOURNEY, being awake for the journey, not focused so heavily on the outcome. When choosing my word, I tuned in to what my spirit needs. I hope you do the same. Look at where you are in your life; if your spirit needs 2016 to focus on outcomes, choose OUTCOME as your word. It’s a great watchword, just not where my focus is this year.

Listen to your gut. Lean in to the word that speaks to you, then determine what your intentions and actions are behind it. And note, tomorrow I will set my intention again, choosing to focus on some of the bulleted items again, adding new ones, taking some away.

With this practice in place, exploring how I can wear my watchword, I feel a lightness, a true sense of optimism.

Happy 2016 to YOU! Feel free to share your watchword with us—you never know—your watchword could be exactly what someone needs to see!

Love,
Leslie

journey

Choose Your Truth: I Am a Tree Person

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I believe there are city people, beach people, and tree people. Yes, tree people. Tree people consist of those who prefer the mountains, the woods, the forest—anywhere they can be surrounded by trees.

I am a tree person.

Take a good look at these trees.

trees help know yourself

Just looking at them makes me want to walk among them, touching the twists and turns of the intertwined branches and trunks. Admiring their uniqueness.

They are not your standard trees. These trees have character.

What if, as young saplings, they were told by their elders, “No, no, no. You’re doing it all wrong. You’re growing improperly! Grow straight and tall, like us. That is what a real tree does.”

Confused, not understanding what they were doing to displease their elders, the young saplings tried to grow straight. They concentrated hard, making every effort to reach straight for the sun.

The more they tried (to become what they were not), the more they failed.

The elders began to chastise them. “What’s wrong with you?” they would ask. “Why can’t you do your simple job? No one will ever love you looking like that.”

The saplings believed the elders. They grew more twisted, less straight. Sadly, they did not see their beauty.

 

fairy in woods

 

One day, a lost fairy entered the wooded area. She was quite young herself, and didn’t yet realize that trees could read the thoughts of fairies (and humans alike).

How lovely, the little fairy thought. What exquisite tress. This must be an enchanted forest; it feels magical.

The saplings began to smile.

The trees were mesmerized by the little fairy. They watched, with both curiosity and awe, as she began to flutter about, flying high in the air, dipping down low, spontaneously making figure-eights in mid-flight. As she glided between gaps in the branches and trunks, her heart soared. With every tree-filled, joy-filled breath she took, it was as though she was finding more of herself among the trees.

As she flew away, the trees could feel her happiness. They themselves were happy. But more than happy, they felt fulfilled. No matter if she returned or not, these young saplings now knew their worth. They chose to see it. And to believe it.

One small fairy. One small fairy who saw the beauty in the different, the unique.

Young saplings, I ask you, which will you choose to believe? The story that you are doing it all wrong? Or the story that you have within you the inner power and strength to be uniquely who you are? That you can grow up to be anything you want to be, no matter your age.

Choose to see that inner power and strength. Choose to believe it.

Know your worth.

Find yourself among the trees.

glass half full

We are defined by the stories we tell ourselves.

If a story about trees and fairies is too out–there for you, try this one on:

At a very young age, Steve Jobs was told by a neighbor girl that he had been given up for adoption—“discarded,” was the word she used. As you can imagine, upon hearing this, little Stevie ran home to his parents, crying all the way.

When his parents asked him what was wrong, he told them what the little girl had said, that he had been discarded.

They responded by telling the young Jobs that he was CHOSEN, he was not discarded.

Question: Which story is true? The little girl’s story or Jobs’ parents?

Answer: Whichever story you choose.

Whichever story Steve Jobs chose to believe.

Ask yourself this, is your story helping you to maximize what the Divine has given you? Or is it helping you to fall short?

Choose your story. Choose who you are. And who you are not.

Choose your truth.

glass half full

I dedicate this post to my boys, Davis and Christian. Be who you are. Always. See your truth in the story you choose. Love, Mom

Learning to love yourself and trust yourself is just a matter of time. Let's begin!

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