Sunday, March 20, 2016

Clutter

Yesterday I overheard the following “Team, one thing you should know about me is that it is my pet peeve to have a messy dugout!  Let’s keep the walkway clear, put your gloves and water bottles under the bench when we are not using them.”  If you guessed that quote came from one of the coaches, you would be wrong, it was actually one of the 11-year-old players!  It made me smile for two reasons.  The first I was impressed that she was confident enough and sure enough of herself, to stand in front of her peers and say something that could have been met with eye-rolls and criticism.  Let’s face it, tween girls are not always nice and peer acceptance is a big thing at this age.  The second thing that stood out to me was that she believed with a little bit of organization, things would run more smoothly during the game, a pretty advanced concept if you think about it.

There are varying degrees of organization depending on your personality and life-style.  Some people are extremely organized with everything in a specific place at all times.  While others may feel like they don’t have that gene and take a looser approach to organization.  No matter where you fall in the spectrum chances are that when days get busy and time at home is rushed, little piles start to grow.  It starts out innocently enough with a stack of mail that you weren’t able to get to.  A couple days later you pile on copies of your finished tax returns or a stack of catalogs you want to look through.  Meanwhile in your bedroom a pile is starting to form of clothes that need to be ironed or maybe the ironing board is still out 3 days later and is now growing stacks of its own.  If you live with others, the stacks and piles and clutter multiplies exponentially.  Toys are strewn about waiting for someone to come back and play with them.  Home projects are left unfinished because of a missing part or more likely an interruption of something that was more urgent to attend to.

If any of the above made you uncomfortable to the point that you are now sweating, it’s ok, take a deep breath.  There is no judgement in any of this.  It happens to all of us.  What you may not realize is that looking at stacks and “stuff” around you subconsciously adds stress and anxiety to your already busy life.  When you are able to clean up and clear space, that added stress goes away.  The feeling is incredibly rewarding.    After weeks of looking at stacks on a table, to be able look over at a clear table can actually make you feel lighter. 

Many of us put off clearing because we feel like we need to set up a big block of time to get it all done, but it doesn’t need to be like that.  All you need to do is decide to tackle one small area a day.  Or maybe there is one space that tends to be a magnet for “stuff” (for us that is right near the phone).  Start with that one space and commit to clearing it off at a specific time every day, maybe right after dinner or before you go to bed.  By getting rid of the clutter, you will not only clear off the surfaces but your home will be a more comforting, relaxing space to come home to.   

Journal on this: Where are than main areas in your home/life where you need to clean/organize/clear space?  How do those spaces make you feel today?  How will you feel when they are cleaned/organized/cleared?

Heart-FULLy Yours,   

Kacey

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Gone Tastin'


Years ago my childhood friends and I tried to plan a vacation getting all our families together. For multiple reasons the vacation was cancelled, postponed and moved multiple times. After trying to plan for over a year we scrapped the original plans and my friends and I met up for a long weekend (leaving our families at home). Little did we know what an impact that weekend would have on all of us. The laughter, the fun and the break from motherly responsibilities was just what four moms with eight kids between them needed. A tradition was born. (A tradition that always seems to work in wine tasting no matter where we go.) Since that weekend, we have traveled to four different states, eight different cities and more wineries than you can count on two hands. This weekend marks our eighth consecutive year. 

We are often told, "It's so great that you do that" or "You are so lucky to be able to get away every year."  But our response is that luck has nothing to do with it.  All four of us make this trip a priority.  We plan months in advance and the date become sacred.  We've missed baseball games and family birthdays because of it. We’ve left behind sick kids, with a hug and a smile knowing that they would be just fine (and that we would get updates via text). We have a village that supports us while we are gone and that allows us to leave every ounce of guilt at home because we all need this time.  We need this time because over the years we've come to realize that to be the best mom's we can be, we must first be they best women we can be.  Being together makes us laugh and allows us to shed a little bit of responsibility for a couple of days.  Being together we get to eat good food, hot meals and leave our "schedule" behind.  But most of all, being together makes us stronger.
So forgive me for keeping it short this week, but it's time for me to go back to doing noting, or reading a magazine, or laughing about the time when......  And know that this post is not intended to make you jealous of us, but to tell you that you could, no you should do this too - grab a friend, make a plan and get away. 

Heart-FULLy Yours,    

Kacey

Monday, March 7, 2016

Permission Slip

It seems as though everything regarding your children needs your signature.  You need to sign their homework, their behavior chart and their agenda for the day.  If you want to go into the school, you need to sign in and sign out.  To pick them up from daycare you need to sign them in and sign them out, both on the computer and on a piece of old fashioned paper.  Birthday parties that involve bouncing, or any other chance of injury, require a permission slip.  Play a sport?  You, and your child, must sign a good sportsmanship agreement.  Sign here, sign there, sign everywhere.  It’s a wonder that going over to a friend’s house or a slumber party does not require a credit and background check.

But it’s all good, right?  I make light of the situation, but we want our kids to be safe.  We entrust them to other individuals for a period of time and we want to make sure that those individuals take our children’s lives as seriously as we do (and in my experience those I have entrusted have gone above and beyond to care for my children). 

Not only do we give permission to others as it relates to our children, but we are also responsible for what our children do.  We give our children permission for screen time, for dessert, for anything that is considered a “treat” or out of the norm.  When they get older, permission revolves around time with friends, driving and curfew (aaahhh!).

Permission is part of being a parent – it’s what we do.

Now here we are at a fork in the story and we can go one of two ways with this.  Road number one, we can talk about permission, kids, and raising them to make the right choices.  Instilling in them values during this time of being able to grant “permission” so that when they are faced with a decision to make on their own they are grounded in right and wrong.  But that is not the road we are going to travel in today’s blog.  No my parent friends, we’re going to go the opposite way.  We’re going to talk about how easy it is for us to dole out permission (or not) for our kids without a blink of an eye, but when it comes to granting ourselves permission we go into lock down mode.

Did I lose you?  Is this a foreign concept to you?  Granting permission to myself…..whuuuuhhhh?  When was the last time you came in from a long day, sat down and did nothing before starting dinner/homework/dishes?  When was the last time you left the drama at the office because you knew that you didn’t want it to influence your mood for the rest of the night?  When was the last time you signed a permission slip for yourself?  To do something that you wanted to do?  That was more than going to Target or the grocery store?

New York Times Best Selling author Brene’ Brown tells a story about the first time she sat down with Oprah Winfrey to film an episode of Super Soul Sunday.  Brene’ Brown is a researcher and professor and carries with her the responsibility of academia with her.  Before arriving to the show, Brene’ explained that she sat down and physically wrote herself a permission slip to be in the emotion of the moment while filming the show.  She gave herself permission to show her true self and as a result connected with Oprah at such an authentic level that not only was she invited back to do a second show, but she also met Maya Angelou (whom she had been quoting in her classes for years). 


Why is it so hard for us to write a permission slip for ourselves?  Why do we feel guilty if we are not the one watching our child?  Why can’t we sit and do nothing or acknowledge that we need quiet time by ourselves?  Why is it that we struggle to write a permission slip to go get a mani/pedi or have a glass of wine with an old friend?  Or gawd forbid we make the time to take care of ourselves by exercising our body, making a healthy meal or getting the sleep our bodies crave.  We think that we are too busy or that we don’t have the time.  Is it that, or is it the guilt that is somehow associated with all of these things? What if we wrote ourselves our own permission slip, signed ourselves out, and took the time we so desperately need to refresh and reset so that we can be the best parent/spouse/co-worker/family member/friend that we can be?  
  
Journal on this: Write a permission slip for yourself right now that you have to execute in the next twenty-four hours.  What’s holding you back?  Write it all out and make it happen.

Heart-FULLy Yours,    
Kacey

p.s. Why do you think I know so much about this?  Because I lived it.  Because I was once a mom that didn’t give myself permission to do anything outside of family, work and home.  I get it, I’ve been there and when you are there you feel like you are the only person who is feeling this way.  Don’t waste another day denying yourself permission.  Call me, PM me, email me, I can help you help yourself.  

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Practice makes.....

How would you finish this sentence: Practice makes ______?  
Practice makes perfect is the most common ending to that sentence.  
Less popular, but no less true sentences would be:

Practice can make you better (or not).
Practice makes you crazy.
Practice makes you want to quit/give up.
Practice is necessary.

By now we’ve all heard the study that it takes about 10,000 hours of practice to master a skill.  Think Tiger Woods and golf, Bill Gates and computer programming.  You get the picture.  When you are really motivated to do something, or when it is something that really interests you, practicing is a challenge and a joy to do.  You want to get better so you practice and practice some more.  You see the results and any little improvement serves as motivation to keep going, doing and pushing forward.

But what about the things that don’t come so easily?  Practice in those cases feels like a chore, something you HAVE to do even though you don’t enjoy it very much.

My son loves baseball.  I joke with friends that if I had the energy he would practice with me nonstop all day long.  It is his passion, he loves it and practicing baseball is something he enjoys very much.  Whether it’s a dropped fly ball or a swing and a miss, he is self-motivated to try it again and again (and again) until he gets it right.  It is not work for him; it is pure enjoyment.  On the other hand, reading is not something he particularly likes.  First of all, it requires sitting still for a period of time, something that is not easy for an active eight year old.  Second, it’s just not something that he truly enjoys (which is especially hard for me to relate to as a lifelong book lover). So for all of these reasons, he’s not super excited to sit down and read for his nightly homework assignment.  I’ve started to relate reading to practicing – having to sound out a word is no different than dropping a pop fly.  Just because you drop it doesn’t mean you quit playing forever.  No, you figure out what you did wrong and try to do it better the next time.

As adults it gets easier to avoid the things that require practice.  If you are not good at something or not interested in getting better, you just don’t do it.  But if we are all honest with ourselves, we would realize that practice is on-going and never ending.  There is always something that we must practice – it may be a physical task related to your job, or exercise, or diet.  Or it may even be interpersonal practice – figuring out how to get along with a co-worker or resolve a misunderstanding with a friend.  Or it may just be being a parent – we’re all just practicing aren’t we?  You practice handling a situation with your kids in the best way you know possible in that moment.  If it doesn’t work out, then you learn from it and use it to guide you the next time.

What I know now is that the old saying is wrong, practice never makes perfect.  Practice often makes you better, but there’s no guarantee.  (Ever tried to play golf?)   Practice certainly helps us learn, improve and know more for next time.  The only thing that is for sure is that practice is never over.   

Journal on this: What practice have you been avoiding?

Heart-FULLy Yours,    
Kacey

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Hello

Last night as I was driving from work to get the kids I started thinking about what we would do when we got home.  After a long week, I wanted us to all spend time together, but selfishly I also wanted to relax.  I knew they would be tired too and it was possible they would want to do their own thing.  It reminded me of when they were babies I was so excited to see them I’d practically run out of work.  When I finally made it to the daycare their face would light up.  They were as happy to see me as I was to see them.  I remember the feeling vividly.    

How you greet someone sets the tone for everything that comes next.  Feelings are contagious.  Greet someone with joy and excitement and they’ll likely rise to meet your excitement.  On the other hand, if you are quiet or tired the other person will instantly ask “What’s wrong?”.  They’ll automatically abandon the feelings they were having to meet you at your level.  Hello is such a simple word but depending on our inflection, volume and tone, it can take on so much more.   

How we greet each other can have a big impact on our relationships.  Our current feelings (aka energy) directly impact the other person.  Often we allow these feelings to be driven by instinct.  If you are trying to make a good impression with a boss, teacher or new friend, you automatically rise to the occasion with a positive and enthusiastic greeting.  In relationships where you are more comfortable (spouse, parent, old friend), our instinct may default to letting our tiredness show through.  Our greetings in these situations are unfiltered and often a reflection of our exact emotion in that moment (which is not always a good thing). 

What would happen if we paid more attention to the way we said “Hello”?   

Journal on this: Think about the different ways you greet people throughout the day - how does your greeting change?  How do others greet you?  How do those greetings make you feel?  Is there a relationship (romantic, friend, family, work, etc.) that would benefit if you changed up your greeting?

Heart-FULLy Yours,    
Kacey


p.s. How does your energy impact your everyday relationships?  In our next Journal 2 Joy workshop, “Relationships: It’s all about YOU!”, we’ll dig deeper into this very topic!  I hope you’ll join us Sunday, February 28th as we talk about the role we play in ALL our relationships, not just romantic relationships, but family, work and friendships too.  R.S.V.P. today, visit http://www.balancedheartcoaching.com/journal-2-joy.html for all the details. 

Saturday, February 6, 2016

8 is Great!

8 is Great
you couldn’t hardly wait
for this day to come
when we will celebrate 8!

You’re not a baby any more,
you’re big and strong.
You’ve got enough energy
to last you the whole day long.

You’ve gotten too big
to cuddle up every morn
but you still wake up and stretch
just like the day you were born.   

8 is great,
there’s so much you can do
hit a baseball, run a race
build a city or two. 

You’re our little home body,
you love to spend time with family and friends.
You’re a supportive teammate
and remember to be thankful when the day ends.

You’re considerate and nice,
always willing to lend a hand.
You’re sensitive to other’s feelings
helping them out any way you can.

8 is great
but it might start to get a little tough
learning you can’t win them all
and other grown up kind of stuff.

School’s getting a little harder
it’s not so easy breezy any more,
but now is when it gets interesting
there is so much more for you to explore.

It’s hard to understand why
people laugh and call names
but dad and I are always here
to talk about it and not find blame.

8 is great
there is so much more to come
but today we’ll enjoy this moment
and how blessed we are to have you Son.

Journal on this: What are your favorite moments right now with your child?  What funny things do they do or say?  How are you alike?  How are you different?  It’s easy to think you will remember all of the important moments, but as the years go by, those moments start to slip away.  Take a minute today to jot down what’s important today.  In eight years (or eighteen) you’ll be happy that you did.

Heart-FULLy Yours,    

Kacey

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Screen Time

Screen time is a daily topic in our household and I suspect it is for many of you as well.  You will find no shortage of articles on how much is too much and what is the right balance.  Earlier this week I posted a video by Dr. Shefali Tsabary.  She admits that her position on the subject is not clear cut and that as long as children have a balance, technology is not such a bad thing.  Other opinions take a more black and white approach.  Last month I read this article by a mom who strongly supports not giving her children a cell phone until after they turn 16. 

It’s a hot topic for a couple reasons.  One reason is that this is a new challenge faced by parents of this generation.  There is very little history to look back on, so we are all learning as we go.  There is also a safety concern of what they see online and who they connect with.  Of course there are also the social implications of what is appropriate to share, what is not and what they see their friends sharing.  It’s complicated.  The number of scenarios are endless and almost impossible to predict.  It’s also a topic that is surrounded by judgement.  As parents, we all want to do the “right” thing but we are all struggling to determine what the “right” thing is when it comes to screen time.    

Many of these articles focus on the perils of screen time – behavioral issues, sleep issues and the issues listed above.  Our children have grown up during a time when entertainment is literally at their fingertips whenever they want it.  Parents are also trying to juggle more than ever before, so using an iPad or movie to occupy your child while you get chores done is sometimes more of a necessity instead of a luxury.  As a result it’s easy for our children to become conditioned to the idea that they must being doing something every second of every day.  However, when you take away the screens something interesting happens.  The first reaction may be “I’m bored” or “there is nothing to do”.  Slowly creativity and imagination start to take over.  Forts are built.  Stores are opened.  Games are invented.  Adventures are had.  New worlds are created.  Eavesdropping on the conversations during these times is more entertaining than any screen could ever provide.      

The debate about screen time and technology is just getting started and will continue to rage on for years to come.  In the meantime, let’s not forget the importance of play time, creating something out of nothing and imagining that anything is possible.

Journal on this: What factors are most important to you in the screen time debate?  Why?  What do you think is best for your child’s personality?

Heart-FULLy Yours,    

Kacey

Saturday, January 23, 2016

CheerFULL

As many of you know I was lucky enough last weekend to go to an NFL playoff game.  The game was a battle - our home team was up, then they were down, then they were up again.  Just when it looked like they were going to win, the other team tied the game.  Two big plays in overtime and the home team emerged victorious!  It was an exciting game and unlike anything I had ever been a part of, so of course I had to look a little deeper and write about it.

The stadium holds over 60,000 people.  That is a lot of people.  Outside of a sporting event, where else do you ever have that many people in one place at one time?  A concert or an event at a convention center are the only other things I can think of that would compare.  A sporting event is unique because not only is it a lot of people, but all of those people are focused on the same thing.  They are watching and cheering for the action in front of them.  And let me tell you, the cheering is amazing.  According to the decibel meter inside the domed stadium, the noise level reached 114 decibels (that is really loud).  It’s almost as if it is contagious, the louder everyone around you is, the louder you get.  You’re clapping, shouting and high fiving strangers.  Cheering gives you this amazing energy – you can physically feel it within you.  You can tell that the cheering has an impact to the players on the field as they raise their arms encouraging the crowd to get louder.  It’s such an amazing feeling and atmosphere – how do you bring some of that to everyday life?  We naturally cheer/encourage our kids, spouse, friends and family without giving it much thought, but what if we were more intentional?  Wouldn’t it be great if you could gather up a couple people to cheer on your child before a big test or your spouse before a big presentation at work?  It doesn’t even have to be a big event, it could just be encouraging words at the beginning, middle or end of the day.  What kind of a difference would it make?  It’s so simple, yet it could actually make a really big difference (for you and the person you are cheering for).  Or on the flip side, are you like the players on the field in need of some louder cheers?  The players don’t feel bad or shy away from lifting their arms up and down encouraging the crowd to get louder, so why should you?  Need encouragement?  Ask for it.  Get those are around you (kids, spouse, co-workers, fellow Starbucks customers) to give you a cheer, a pat on the back or a smile.  That’s all it takes.   

Journal on this:  Who are you cheering for on a daily/weekly basis?  Is there someone else that could use more of your cheers?  What are you doing now and how could you step up your cheerfulness for them?

Heart-FULLy Yours,    
Kacey


*My next workshop, Setting Resolutions that Stick, is tomorrow, Sunday January 24th!  Details are here, sign up today! If you don’t live in AZ, or can’t make it to the workshop, let’s schedule time to get on the phone and talk about what you need to do to make your resolutions/intentions work for you! 

Saturday, January 16, 2016

I don't know how

“My day was awesome!” my son proclaimed when I picked him up from school.  He proceeded to run down the events that led to such an awesome day – getting a piece of candy for helping out a teacher, being recognized on the school-wide announcements for getting an award and having a classmate share a prized possession with him, were among the highlights of the highlights.  Not to mention it was Friday which meant pizza, video games and family movie night, near nirvana when you are seven years old.  With so much excitement, it wasn’t surprising when bed time was met with resistance.  After lying there for only a couple seconds, he declared that he couldn’t go to sleep. I could see that the pendulum was swinging to the point of being over tired and emotions were taking over.  All of a sudden the “awesome” day was the “worst day ever” and tears were threatening.  I wasn’t going to let him go down this path.  I told him to remind his brain of all the awesome things that had happened today, to which he hopelessly replied “I don’t know how.”

Children are so honest.  This openness doesn’t last long, because soon they realize that when they admit that they don’t know how to do something people think they are weak.  We become masters of avoidance. We carefully tiptoe around situations where we would have to admit that we don’t know something.  The other side of the coin is that we use “I don’t know how” as an excuse to get out of doing certain things, like a work project or a friend asking for help on a home improvement project.  Imagine saying the words “I don’t know how” – how does that make you feel?  Anxious?  Embarrassed?  Hopeless?  Instead, why don’t we see “I don’t know how” as a new opportunity to learn and grow?   It should make us feel excited, educated and empowered.

I took a deep breath and said to him “You do know how - just think about the list of all the great things you told me when I picked you ….”  “But, I don’t know how!”  I knew he was tired and fueling this argument would not help the situation, so I held my rebuttal.  A few seconds went by.  He whispered in a small voice “Can YOU say the list?”  I quietly recounted all the things he had told me, plus the fun things that had happened while we had been home.  His breathing slowed and he smiled while we remembered the great moments of the day.  The awesome day was saved.  On the inside I could barely contain myself, I was so excited for what had just happened.  He saw that it was possible to turn your outlook around by focusing on the positive.  It will take a lot of repetition and practice, but we’ve taken the first step and that’s all that matters today.     

Journal on this:  What does it feel like to say “I don’t know how”?  How do you flip the script to be a positive?

Heart-FULLy Yours,    
Kacey

*My next workshop, Setting Resolutions that Stick, is NEXT Sunday January 24th!  Details are here, sign up today! If you don’t live in AZ, or can’t make it to the workshop, let’s schedule time to get on the phone and talk about what you need to do to make your resolutions/intentions work for you! 




Saturday, January 9, 2016

Love Language

A couple years ago, Katy Perry had a popular song “Unconditional”.  At the time, I was driving in the car with my kids and they were singing along to the radio.  Seeing this as an opportunity to talk to them, when the song was over I asked them “What does unconditional mean?”  They looked a little confused and weren’t quite sure.  They were only 9 and 5 at the time and I knew it wouldn’t be a word they were overly familiar with.  After a minute of guessing, I told them “It means I love you no matter what.”  They paused for a moment and then began singing the next song.  It wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for, but it a started the conversation.  A couple weeks later, my five year old came home with a not so stellar report for the day – he had been talking in class and gotten a warning from the teacher.  He was nervous to tell me, worried about my reaction.  I reminded him that I loved him no matter what, that though I may be disappointed in his behavior for the day, it doesn’t change the amount of love that I have for him.  A tough conversation to have at any age and to be honest I’m not sure he truly got it at the time but, I know that by talking about it with him a dialogue has started to try to explain such a deep and layered emotion.

Remembering this conversation made me start thinking about how we communicate love.  Love is first and foremost a feeling.  It just is, the why and the how of love are difficult to put into words.  You feel it as a physical sensation and as an emotion.  The communication of love tends to be instinctual.  We think about it a lot from our perspective of how we want to show the person love, but do we spend a lot of time thinking about the person receiving the love?   There is a great book by Gary Chapman that many of you have read called The 5 Love Languages.  In the book he proposes that we all express love and respond to those expressions of love in different ways.  He created five categories, or languages, for understanding how the people in your life give, receive and interpret love.  What I find most interesting is that you can also relate these languages to your children.  When you go to the website and there is a version of the quiz that is geared specifically towards children.  Once you know that “quality time” or “words of affirmation” are your child’s primary love language, you can use that in your daily interactions with them.  For someone who’s love language is “physical touch” a hug every morning means more to them than any gift you might give them later on.  This becomes especially useful when the child’s love language does not match your own.  You may think that helping them out with their chores (act of service) was a great way to show them that you loved them, but if their language is “words of affirmation” they would have rather you praised them for doing a great job with their chores instead.  The great thing about the love languages is that they are easy to incorporate into everyday life.  Like a pebble in a pond, it’s often the simple things that can make a lasting impact. 

Journal on this:  What are the love languages of the special people in your life?  (This includes mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, best friends, etc.)  How do their actions reflect their language?  How do your actions reflect your language?  What would change if your actions reflected their language?

Heart-FULLy Yours,    
Kacey

*My next workshop, Setting Resolutions that Stick, will be Sunday January 24th in Chandler, you can find details here. If you don’t live in AZ, or can’t make it to the workshop, let’s schedule time to get on the phone and talk about what you need to do to make your resolutions/intentions work for you! 

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Being vs. Doing

Last week I challenged you to think about what you wanted to accomplish in 2016, to write it down, tell someone, to feel the fear and do it anyway.  After I wrote that, it was no surprise that the majority of messages and emails I received throughout the week all talked about the best way to start the New Year.  Author Gabby Bernstein shared her practice of focusing on one new intention, one meditation and one spiritual lesson to apply per month.  Professor and author Brene’ Brown talked about the importance of taking time to play in the New Year.  Dr. Christine Carter, author of The Sweet Spot, explained that it’s not about what you want to achieve, but how you want to feel. 

An email from the Coach Training Alliance looked at things from a slightly different perspective.  The email explained that a resolution is an act that requires doing.  A resolution implies that there is something that needs to be fixed, so you must do things differently to achieve your goal.  Instead they suggest setting an intention, which they define as a “positive directional desire grounded in a goal.  It artfully recognizes the journey of change and begs the question of how an intention is going to be supported.”  An intention then is not as much about doing, but an overall way of being.  In simpler terms, by setting an intention you try to make it a part of your everyday life so that it can become second nature.  This was, and still is, a hard concept for me to get my arms around because I am a do-er.  I like to make a list, check things off and feel like I am making forward progress in accomplishing something.  However in our hyper focus of checking off the list, it’s easy to overlook what it would take to incorporate this into our everyday lives.  In other words, the resolution to fix something isn’t as simple as putting duct tape over it, because the crack under the tape still remains.

As some of you know I’ve recently started a series of Journal workshops*.  I’ve been writing down my thoughts and ideas since I received my first diary for my tenth birthday.  I love that my journal the one place where I can say whatever I want with no filter.  Over the years I’ve found that it is a great outlet and often leads me to look at a situation differently.  This year I am going to start something new within the blog and include journal prompts for you to think about.  I encourage you to take 5 minutes and free write (or type) whatever comes to your head after reading the prompt (no editing allowed).  Try it out, you might just be surprised with what you learn about yourself.

Journal on this: Are you setting resolutions or intentions?  How can you make small changes to make it less about what you do and more about an everyday habit?    

Heart-FULLy Yours,    
Kacey

*My next workshop, Setting Resolutions that Stick, will be Sunday January 24th in Chandler (watch FB for more details). If you don’t live in AZ, or can’t make it to the workshop, let’s schedule time to get on the phone and talk about what you need to do to make your resolutions/intentions work for you!