Can you imagine if all leaders in every area of business, education, government and every sector, used the strategy to lead with Love. I recently did a training on Positive Leadership and one of the principles I have always used in my own leadership is to lead with love. I believe when we put people first, and we genuinely care about them, it creates this connection and sense of trust that endures all challenges. I have had leaders and mentors over the years, some of which lead with their hearts and genuinely cared, they to this day are an example to me. I have also had leaders, that did not truly lead with their hearts (even though they said they did), and their motives were self serving and while I thought that at the time, I know as a fact now that is the case, and they too are an example to me of who I do not want to be.

This spirit, this leadership approach can be applied to any area of your life (in addition to business). When we lead with love, we seek to listen, to better understand and to support those around us. Empathy is a trait that helps us support others in a compassionate way. Oprah shares that “leadership is empathy”, and to embrace that in your leadership style truly is about putting people first.

Emotional Intelligence is so important in leadership, and is the “secret sauce” when it comes to developing leaders, developing culture and creating strong team dynamics. At the end of the day, we all just want to be heard, we want to be valued and we want to surround ourselves with people that care, that have our backs and those we can count on to be positive, loving, caring and supportive.

Here are 10 things you can do to prepare yourself to lead with Love.

1. Personal Growth: Dedicate time each day to reading and/or writing positive content to inspire you, educate you and “fill your cup”. Leadership begins with you, and building your foundation and growth is essential to effectively leading others.

2. Mind/Body/Spirit: Exercise, eating good and all of these things help us feel our best. Create time each week so that you are feeding your body/mind/spirit, you are the vessel, and when you are healthy and grounded, you are able to serve others better. Also pray (or meditate), know that you are the co-creator and you are not alone.

3. Vision: Cast your vision, not only for what you want to create but also, who you want to be and how you want to make others feel. People want to follow someone that knows where they are going, that have a vision and seek to impact others positively in their journey.

4. Put Others First: This has to be the way you work with others when you are leading. It is always about them, their goals, and how you can serve them. It is a spirit and methodology in finding out what they want, and guiding them on how to get there.

5. Recognition: Recognize and praise others. This is a big part of leading with love, it is sharing the love. People work harder for praises than raises. This is so important and is a pillar in positive leadership and leading with love.

6. Breath Life: Breathe life into others. Build others up. Be that positive example, voice and builder. Your words matter, let them be positive, let them up lifting and be the person that believes in others, and cheers them on.

7. Self Love: You need to give yourself love, because without loving yourself it is difficult to love and serve others. Speak kindly to yourself (self talk is critical and course correct when you find yourself talking negatively.

8. Listen: Leaders are good listeners, learn to ask questions, learn to listen with empathy and compassion and seek to understand others.

9. Encourage: Lift others up, encourage, cast a vision for what is possible and share your belief in them.

10. Be Vulnerable: Vulnerability lets others see you and it shows those you lead that you have been in their shoes, and you are in fact a human. Humility is relatable and sharing your true self is okay, speak from your scars and not your wounds.

Love is the most powerful emotion and I believe that Love is our gift to the world. When we work with people and we want to help them grow, leading with our hearts, and caring about the people we lead is what is going to make our world a better place! XO

I am building my plan for my re-brand and finally monitizing on what I have to offer. It is time to step out even more....

*I have 2 decades of experience in Social Selling, promoting to the top of 2 companies (building a 7 figure business &

*I have created successfully built my businesses virtually while raising 3 amazing kids (now all in college)

*I have created a lifestyle of shifting from struggling with juggling to seeking joyful moments (a shift from hustle to balance)

*I have written a book and created a lifestyle brand (which is basically a Personal Development methodology and lifestyle).

*I have achieved my dream and vision of living in beautiful homes, in affluent communities and most importantly, creating a family centered life. The most important vision for myself and my husband has been to raise good humans that are well rounded, happy and good people in the world. My kids are AMAZING!

* I have lost 20 pounds and gained 20 pounds, I know that we many of us are weighted down by more, and I understand this deeply and it continues to be a core belief in mind/body/soul work.

*I have had a long time vision of living by the beach, 2 years ago, we built a home by the beach, each day, I see the water, walk the beach and sooth my soul. I have always created places and spaces that nurture my vision, comfort and peace.

*30 years ago, I had a vision and dream that I would meet Oprah some day--I never gave up on that dream, in fact, I kept it alive and through belief, manifestation and the power of the internet, I spent the day with Oprah and other amazing people!

As I reflect on the blessed life I live, I am going to be honest that it has not been easy and none of it was luck. My story is hard work, belief, vulnerability, inspiration, authenticity, and self discovery. Over these decades of being a Mom Boss, while creating amazing opportunities (and failure behind the scenes), I have done all of these things as a human being that has experienced grief, loss, anxiety, addiction, depression, ADHD to name a few. I have let fear get in my way, and I have overcome fear and have been unapologetic in living life on my terms--I have always been the co-creator of my life, and have done so with my own human experience, vulnerabilities and challenges. I am gifted, I know that (no, I am not anyone special, but I am a child of God, and I am miraculously made). I can go on and beat myself up about how I am not good enough (that damn voice inside), but also, I can get louder on all I have to offer, and all I am made to do:

--I am a highly skilled coach, I have an amazing ability to get people to uncover their purpose, their passion and to truly design and create the life they want to live (it usually comes down to simple joys). I am the cheerleader, the encourager and the lifter of spirits.

--I am a dynamic speaker, I have high energy, thought provoking, humorous (self depricating at times) and real. I have spoken to audiences both large and small and have inspired thousands of women to believe in themselves, go after their dreams and to embrace the mess and chaos along the way. I love to get a crowd going, and the more energy and positive vibes in the room, the better I perform and show up. I shake in my boots the thought of it, and while I am confident and strong as a speaker, I am afraid to really step in to this greatness.

--I am a seasoned pro and success story in Social Selling and Personal Branding. I have dedicated the past two decades to creating my own success and helping many others to do the same (for some, it is just building their confidence, community and vision). My technical skills are terrible, but my comprehension of digital media, attraction marketing, authentic living & story telling is my super power in this industry.

--My content area of expertise aside from Social Selling, Personal Development, Personal Branding is also Leadership Development, Team Dynamics, Presentation Skills and Training & Development. My former corporate career, Master's Degree and interests have been dedicated to these areas for 30 years.

There you have it. Personal Success, Business Success, and also Real Life challenges and vulnerabilites along the way. There are so many people on line teaching, over promising and some are really good and others really not qualified.

Hold up now.......

Who am I not to get back out there, and build myself back up to serving others. A caring heart, a desire to help others create change, and a woman that has experienced many stages of life (I'm not faking it, I actually did it)!!!!! If I have these feelings that hold me back, I can’t help but imagine how many women do the same. I see women on line, touting themselves as experts, branding themselves with far less experience in business and life, and in some ways it both infuriates me and inspires me. The on line space has become so busy, and I just don’t want to be another program, and I believe that holds me back. I can only imagine the imposter syndrome these girl boss/mom boss experts feel, I can almost see through them, the combination of passion and lack of confidence all in one.

As far as Moms are concerned, I am not convinced your next step is to pay thousands and thousands of dollars on that next program, that magic guru who is going to magically erase the vulnerability you have. You want to have purpose and passion, you want to provide for your family. You want to dream, and create more for yourself and those you love. You want to feel good in body/mind & spirit, you want to live out your full potential and somehow accept the chaos and mundane reality of being a Mom. You are fed up with Social Media and comparing yourself to Perfect Patty with her perfect children, her perfect business, and perfect pictures (news flash: guess what, Patty is overwhelmed, comparing herself to someone else and she is not crushing it all the time)! No one is crushing it all the time, TRUTH!

As a Mom, you want to create that flexible and virtual business and not lose yourself and ignore your family. In fact, your hearts desire is to build a family centered life, feeling some balance (in the chaos) and create amazing humans that grow up to be incredible people that you have strong relationships with. All the while, you grow personally, you uncover your true self, your desires, your vulnerabilites and accept those beautiful parts of you that you don't want the world to see. If this speaks to you, I'm your girl. I have been there and I have done that (over and over) and I still grow through it, it is not a destination, it is life and daily living.

The fact is, we never arrive. I did not realize this a decade ago, when I was launching Living HIPP, and truly breathing in all things good. Life is going to hit you and for some, knock you down. If you are creating a business or desire to create an on line brand, let it be authentically you, and know that sometimes you will need to start before you are ready. I am in a new season of my life, and in this process and really looking at my impact in the world. I have more in me, and in order to unleash it, I need to step forward in courage, belief, and serve other women and moms that hide behind their fair of success or failure, that hear a little voice inside that says “I’m not good enough”, and who feel in their gut, there is more to be shared. It is time for us to step forward, share our gifts with the world. This my friends is Living HIPP! XO

For two decades, I have had the honor to lead women in building home based businesses in the Direct Sales Industry. This was not something I ever imagined I would do, but somehow, it has turned out to be an incredible platform to create what I want and be able to do what I love (mentor and inspire others as leaders and mom’s). I have always had a desire to have flexibility and a great earning potential, I found it in the work that I do, which has offered me an incredible opportunity to teach, learn, and ultimately do things on my own terms—both in my DS business and with Living HIPP.

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, my corporate career included developing leadership programs from mid to upper level leaders and also creating Executive Leadership Programs at local Business Schools. In that time I also taught programs in Team Dynamics, Leadership, Facilitation & aligned these programs while immersing our positive team and corporate culture. Thirty years later, it is no surprise that this has been my area of focus, and while I love empowering women and Moms, I equally love leadership, and unleashing the emotional intelligence that is required to truly emerge as a leader. We are all leaders, and while this topic is so vast, there are certain traits and growth opportunities that help leaders develop, and in my opinion it happens in the daily practices, routines and habits of personal development, intentional living and mindset work. Leadership has to begin with you, and always be part of working on you, as you grow and develop and learn to focus on others.

I have always believed that love is a leadership strategy (and to me personally a trait and a bedrock to my leadership style and what I seek in others). I truly believe that you must genuinely care for others in order to lead them, and you need to peel off the layers of distractions, tactical things, management behaviors to uncover the emotional intelligence within. Give me someone with a caring heart and positive attitude and I will teach and train them all day long to build a business and grow as a leader. On the contrary, you might have someone who is highly capable (Type A) but lacks the EQ and positive leadership to truly thrive and impact others—earned titles yet not fully developed leaders, this is an ongoing misconception and so misunderstood in some circles. Leaders are not the top sales person, leaders are the balanced person that knows how to influence a team, and redirect them to their vision and goals, and to rise above and beyond the adversity.

At the end of the day, people just want to know that you truly care, that you put them and their needs first, and that no matter what, you have their back. There are times I have had to lead, and while I genuinely care for those on my team, I have had to either have the critical conversations and/or share something that they don’t want to hear. I do it to help them grow, to teach them a different school of thought and also to help them navigate positive leadership, and how to let go of any thoughts or activities that no longer serve them. I find some of the best leaders to be the best followers, they put their ego aside and open themselves to learning, growing and evolving, which is something I had to do myself 2 decades ago, we never stop evolving, and success is never a straight line. Leaders are learners, and in most cases it is not the tactical areas people get caught up in, it is self awareness, self growth, having a vision for your life, your business and yourself as a leader—it is in the daily work on becoming and transforming each season.

Unfortunately, people are leaders by mistake, or their business grew before they did, or perhaps they are incredibly good at the mechanics, but leadership is not a title, it is a way of being, it is a lifestyle (as in team culture), it is truly pouring in to others, even when they can do nothing for you in return. In my own life, I feel inspired to do this, and there are times I do it really well, and there are times I realize I don’t always show up (again, humanity is humility, and knowing that we are imperfect beings helps us to express compassion and empathy for others. Leaders see the power in the people, the power in unity and the power in building better (building yourself while building those around you can create the best of results, and that feel good culture on your team). I am grateful for so many lessons I have learned from others, and I believe that we learn these leadership lessons by life experience, through the example of others and also based on our own core beliefs and instincts.

On those days that I don’t know what to do or say, I just remind myself to care, to follow my heart, to put others first, and when I take the focus off myself and place it on others, that is where the magic happens.

The good news is that leaders are not born, they are made. They are made in the day to day work behind the scenes that people do not see. They are made in the ability to fall down and get back up. They are made in the adversity, and the situations where most people will quit, they don’t, they just smile with grace, hold their chin high, and understand that no matter what, the cream always rises to the top.

I observe too many base decisions, behavior and attitude on the circumstances, people go down that rabbit hole, and they lose sight of their role, the vision and leading with love. Leaders must always have a vision, and when circumstance happens (which it always does), they must hold the vision not only for themselves but also for those they lead. Distractions, circumstances and adversity will always be there, and as leaders, we must let go and say “lets go”!

On the times I lose my way, I just go back to my vision, and I also make the connection with my heart, and I think about those I am leading, and from that, I lead with love and with love, we can do anything. Put your heart in to all you do (and all you serve) and it will come back to you tenfold. XO

For almost 20 years, I have had the benefit of participating in meetings that are uplifting, inspiring, confidence building and collaborative in team development, leadership development and women’s empowerment. For many years, my business partner and I have hosted leadership retreats in our Direct Sales business where we not only teach business, but more importantly, we help women grow their vision, create a life by design, and to use their business as a vehicle and platform to grow in all areas. It is that unique opportunity to decide what it is you would like to create in your life, and to build the courage and confidence to go after it through consistent action (the marriage of both the mundane and the magic).

When women gather, amazing things happen….

After 18 months of not doing any in person events, we hosted a special Leadership Retreat for some amazing women in my business. We went to Chatham Bars Inn on beautiful Cape Cod, a luxury hotel on the Atlantic Ocean with breathtaking views, and impeccable ammentities. While the location was stunning, the spirit and team synergy among the group was what really took my breath away. Every person came with a desire to feel inspired, to feel reignited around life and business and to get that necessary re-charge that we all need. By the time every person left, we were confident that our vision, objectives & intentions were not only met, but exceeded (it truly was magical, and that magic came from the beautiful women in attendance who put their heart and time into the weekend).

While this ignites us in business, it truly ignites us as women, and how important community is, how important collaboration is and how important it is to lift each other up. The spirit and feeling is something difficult to describe, but it is felt, and the emotion and positive spirit can carry us through the remainder of the year and on (to focus daily on our vision, goals and dreams) and to do so with an abundant mindset, and one that looks for the best in ourselves and others, when we lead with a positive heart and mind, there is not anything we can’t accomplish!

As I reflect on our time together, I can’t help but think how much women need this and would benefit from this, not just those in business. To “retreat” is to take time outside of one’s life, to take time to connect, to connect with oneself and to connect with each other in a positive way. To dedicate time to casting a vision, and to grow that vision, to believe in more, to know that anything is possible, and to decide what must stay and what must go in order to make that vision a reality. Time with like minded people that lift you up, inspire you and believe in you (it is so powerful and so needed when women gather).

I come out of the weekend humbled, grateful, inspired and with a full cup (my cup runneth over) and full heart.

I think about Living HIPP, and I ask myself why I don’t offer similar get aways to women and moms to take “time out” to look at their life, their purpose, and to cast a vision for what they would like to create, and to leave with an action plan of things that they can do. Until then, I feel grateful that I am surrounded by a tribe of women that inspire me to use my voice, and teach them to create more in their life, as I have done in my own.

To that end, when woman gather, amazing things happen. I am so grateful to gather, to give and to receive. XO

It has been just over a month since we have been Empty Nester’s and truth be told it is still strange and I am not quite sure what to think. So, while I don’t have words of wisdom here, I can share the emotions, thoughts and what I see transpiring in our lives. Many have asked and continue to ask how it is going, overall, it is going well, however, we are in a phase of discovery, and that is both exciting and strange, all in one.

The best part by far is that I am finally putting myself first again! Oh, why oh why do I do that to myself!!!! Getting all 3 kids back to school, the inside emotions of facing this next stage and my sentimental heart of my babies leaving the nest, it all got to me. Throw in the Pandemic and the past year of trying to “get back to normal”, my attention span, motivation, mood and all of those things that either work for me or against me were triggered and fried. The great news is that I am back on track, I am following my lessons and path of Living HIPP, and that by far has been the greatest gift so far. I am able to prioritize myself again, and have committed this past month to my Yoga practice, more walking outside, eating better and drinking more water. Feeling better, stronger and refocused again, I have work to do, and my priority is that work, per usual I want the results, and I need to be patient and just show up each day, and that is exactly what I am doing.

Life is more simple. Our schedules have opened up even more, and that is an incredible gift. We spent decades with full calendars, dual careers/businesses, our weekends were spent all over New England at Hockey games or Dance Competitions and now, it is strange to have more time. Although, we have had full weekends this past month with Parents weekend, and other family commitments—it is knowing that we can plan more for ourselves and not have everything evolve around the family. We are both loving this feeling, and are beginning to realize, wow, we can do what we want to do, when we want to do it. I think the pups are holding us back a little bit, and while that is another consideration, they are bringing us so much joy these days, we love to love and they are there for us to share that. They are getting more walks from me, and at night, we all snuggle and yes, we talk about “the girls”, our kids and also our lives. Oh how we love our fur babies!

New Discoveries…. We have joked that we are going to do Pottery Classes, and all sort of things and we laugh each time we say it to each other. As a couple, we are looking to try new things, perhaps do more field trips and replace our date night (of dinner out) to other sort of outings (that of course will still include a great meal out). Travel is on this list, and at this point is a Vision & Dream, we are going to chart out places we want to see and things we want to do. We find that we want to talk about family vacations and things we can do with the kids (the next few years are still partly ours for family planning). I just keep asking to go for a hike, and hopefully this weekend, we will do just that! In our 40’s, we had a some great trips as a couple and were fortunate to get away to Paris, London, Barcelona, Madrid and most recently Dublin. Italy is top on the list, as is Greece and some other countries we would love to see. We would like to do more travel in the country, and top on my list is Big Sky MT, obviously the list is long, so hopefully each year will include a few trips as a couple and as a family. Another vision is to continue to explore the South West Coast of Florida with hopeful plans to live there (or stay there) a few months out of the year. We love all four seasons in New England, my most dreaded months around here are March and April, I would love to be in a warm climate in those months for sure.

Grocery Shopping and cooking is just so strange. My cart at the grocery store is just empty, it is so strange not to fill it with everything. The first few trips was a challenge, and I was like a fish out of water…. I love it now. Just simple, focused shopping and more fresh foods (I no longer have to have the pantry filled with snacks and things that I really don’t want in the house). We say we are going to do meal planning: I cook one night, he does another night, date night, take out night, and perhaps catered night. We are winging it now, and perhaps will get into a rhythm and eat out more (which we have been cooking at home for the most part so far). The simplicity is refreshing….

The first month was not exactly an empty nest. Two of the three kids got Covid at school, one stayed there and our daughter came home and stayed in the basement. We laughed at the irony of this new chapter, and how truly at the core of our values and our lives, we will drop everything and do anything (well almost) for our kids, it is just how we roll.

The Guyer 5 group text is fired up and that is truly how we stay connected as a family these days. Most of the communication is humor, but also Charlie and I use it as a platform of communication to update the kids on anything important. As I reflect on where we are as a family, I just could not be more grateful for G5, all the years of family centered living and the teamwork we put in to raising the kids, being present (as possible, it was never perfection) and the beautiful human beings we raised. We love who they are as young adults, and we love spending time with each one of them, and our family time of Guyer 5. As a Mom, I find myself saying at each phase of the kids ages saying how much I love this phase and these ages. While having 3 in college at the same time is a challenge (financially), it is so much fun to see them thrive. We are blessed.

We started our marriage focused on family life—I got pregnant just a few months after getting married, and Kaili came home from the hospital on our first wedding anniversary. As a couple, we did not have years of doing things just for us, so now, we are in a place where we are able to do that. While we always made sure we had date night, or weekend get aways, and even great trips to Hawaii or Europe, we truly are able to explore new things all while being the anchor to our kids, and welcome them home and back to the nest.

In our adventures of “Living Our Nest Life”, high on our list was going North and Hiking in the Mountains. I say “our” but it was really me, I have just wanted to hike, and while we walk locally and in nature, I wanted a day trip to explore something new and hike a great trail. This weekend, we did just that, and as usual, there are lessons for life in almost everything I do. I want to share some of this, and perhaps you have had this experience too, or even better, you need the inspiration to do something new. As I reflect on the day, I can’t help but think that such a simple thing, does include a process and emotions that can be applied to anything in our lives—especially when it comes to vision & goals and also stepping out of our comfort zone.

It began with Desire, I had a desire to do this, which I said verbally for months (and it just never happened, because I only stated it, I did not schedule it, get a commitment (buy in) and make it happen. This time, I was sure to find a weekend day that would work, I stated it, we scheduled it. We also asked a friend for advice, he hikes a lot, and suggested this location. The next step was planning, I can’t take credit for that, Charlie is a planner and handles all the details on many things. He was the one that went so far as to reserve a parking spot, print all the information, and of course have a folder (such a Dad move). None of this is interesting, all of us do this sort of thing when we plan an event or activity, it is just logistics and commitment at this point.

So as we embark on our climb (and in my mind, a simple walk up the Mountain), the emotions, experiences and being in it, is really where the lessons show up. I am not going to lie, from the onset, it was a challenge. I did not expect so much climbing, rocks and opportunities to either twist an ankle, slip, fall, trip and all the while my cardio game (or lack there of) was evident as we were in motion. I went from “all in” to questioning why we were doing this, what if we fall, what if we get injured, and of course my irrational thoughts on what if something bad happens, how will we get help.

We see seasoned hikers, and they are going by us and I keep thinking maybe we should have started out with an easier trail. Of course, with this mountain there were two choices, and little miss competitive and “all in” insisted we do the harder one, which was also longer. At one point, I was cussing, all while trying to stay focused on my steps and looking at every step as there were way too many obstacles (branches, rocks, boulders to trip or slip on). I found it funny how this activity is all about nature, all about the scenery, but quite honestly, I had my head down the entire time (except for the view up top) because I had to be aware at all times where I was going and what I needed to do to stay safe. It felt like we were on Survivor, and I could only think of how much I would not like adventurous trails in the future (it is just not for me). A walk in the woods is far more easy going, and I kept thinking of the beautiful trail we do at home in the Fall. Why am I here and not walking that beautiful trail at home?!

There was one point I wanted to quit, I was thinking this is not worth it, I don’t want an injury, I want out. I was okay if we did not go all the way up, and as I let these thoughts occupy my head space, I saw older people hiking and doing this. In particular I saw a woman my age, with her mother, as we went by them, I thought, if she can do it, I can too!

Self doubt, wanting to exit and being uncomfortable were all the emotions in this climb, even thou it was my idea, I was getting mad at my husband taking selfies as we climbed. At one point, a person coming down said the view is worth it, and once again, my vision was redirected, and while the climb was hard (but doable), I began to focus on the opportunity (the view, the vision, and reaching the top) as opposed to the challenges, the fear, the possible injuries and how my body is not in the shape I am typically in. I even made note to myself how this is such a leadership and life lesson, any time I focus too much on the challenges, I get stuck, I get down, I get overwhelmed and it can be paralyzing or it can be like ground hog day, same thoughts, same fear, same obstacles that keep me from my desired outcome or way of being. When I shift, and focus on the opportunity and what I want, my vision, I create space to not only visualize it, but I put the momentum in to get there. This happened on the climb, and at one point, I just pulled it together (in my head) and sure enough I created a cadence. We reached the top, the view was beautiful (not a perfect day in terms of weather) but certainly felt good. In typical Guyer fashion, we pulled a Vacation (the movie), “look kids there’s Grand Canyon”, we took a pic or two, enjoyed the view and then began our descend. On our way down, we ran into the mother/daughter team, and I of course said hello, and also said that seeing them inspired me. The daughter said with pride, “she is 90", about her mother—I was shocked, this woman, 90 years old, climbing this mountain, and being brave not to let her older age be an obstacle. I shared my admiration and I asked her, how do you do it, what advice do you have? She said, take it one step at a time. I replied that advice is much like life and when we are challenged, we just need to put one foot in front of the other and take it one step at a time. She began hiking at age 65 (she said she got a late start) and has done some serious climbs as her daughter shared. We wished them well, and that one exchange filled my heart with such inspiration, confidence, and was another reminder of the human ability and spirit and it’s power. Our mindset can either fuel us or block us, and being aware of this, and making the shift can lead us to new heights. While we were on our way down, my spirit was lifted and inspired to reach new heights.

We were so happy to reach the base of the mountain, while it was a nice experience, we were wiped out and limping out of there. At one point, my vision went from reaching the top and seeing the view to making it down without injury. Thankfully we did that, and as we arrived home, we showered, got our pajamas on (by 5pm) and chilled.

The mountain had many lessons, challenges and rewards—even thou our focus was on safety, we look back on it as a fun experience (well, sort of fun).

The reward was not just the amazing view, the reward is truly all of the lessons and feels along the way

My Colby and his video celebrating his high school graduation. Colby, my baby boy, you are going to do great things in this world. Colbism!!!!!!

I have avoided writing this summer, as my youngest graduated high school and my 3 babies will all be in college this Fall. Having 3 babies in 3 years was overwhelming when they were little, but my Mom talked about how great it will be to have them close in age. She was right, while crazy at times, we have loved this journey and parenting these 3 amazing human beings has been my greatest work and blessing. It is bittersweet, because I am letting go of having my babies home (or at least one of them), under my roof and in my care. For 22 years, I have built my life around my family and being a Mom, I learned to balance work and life and it has been both messy and magical.

Fortunately they are still home during breaks and I am learning that college is this time of transition for both parents and their children, they become more independent and when they graduate within that year, they are usually flying the nest.

I feel deeply, I always have. Life stages are both exciting and emotional for me, I am sentimental when it comes to many things, and when it comes to my children, I get overwhelmed with emotion, feelings and that can throw me off.

We have prepared them and while I give credit to the people in our lives and theirs, my husband and I have made a great team when it comes to home and family. The past two decades has been a family centered life, we have dedicated so much and invested so much to creating a home and life with family at the core. What I have not prepared for is when they really do leave, when they really do spread their wings, and knowing that they are ready to fly. As my parents said to me “Fly Little Birdie, Fly”! This Momma bird wants to hold on tight, but this Momma bird also knows she needs to let go.

I annoy them with my life lessons, but somehow, someway, I know they are listening, and if they don’t get the message today, they will apply the message and understand the love and care in my words. If I am not preaching and teaching, I am making them laugh, we have our own language in my family, and many of these sayings or memories make us laugh. Laughter in our home is our love language. I look at my kids and I am in awe of the amazing young adults they are. We love our kids but we also love being with them and the friendships we have, that was the vision way back when, and to see it actually be true, and be us, is just the reward of years and years of building a family centered life.

We refer to our family as Guyer 5. We have a text group chat Guyer 5. There are times it is just updates on important dates or information, and other times it is funny things that happen in our day. I actually do Mom Car Karaoke & share that with them (and lots of pics of our puppies, and the simple things that bring us all together).

Like all brothers and sisters, they can fight, but what I love most is that they are close, they share this common bond of Growing up Guyer and all of the memories along the way.

I will write more about Empty Nesting this Fall. My husband and I are making jokes about it because quite honestly it is both scary and exciting. We had babies right away, so we never really had our time as a couple, which will be nice after all these years. We want to do new things, and venture out be it travel or day tripping (oh and he is already talking about trips to campus and catching Cam’s football games). We will need to rediscover ourselves and our relationship and that will be a journey for sure. My hope (and vision) is that I take this time to focus on me, getting back on track with fitness, yoga, eating, sleep and a super HIPP routine. But this week, my last week before we drop our son off on Campus 7 hours away I am swept in the awe of how fast it goes by. I am realizing that childhood is a season, and while the days were long when they were little, the years truly fly by.

While my nest will soon be empty, my heart will remain full. My greatest honor in life is being their Mom, and while I might be letting go, I am always going to be there for them through my words, my laugh, my smile, my text, my videos (sorry kids) and my hugs.

Fly little Birdies Fly, remember who you are, what you stand for and that your Momma loves you so very much!

Glennon spoke at our Leadership Conference this weekend, and she spoke truth about how women are viewed in the world, and how women can treat each other at times. This truth hit me in a visceral way, very deeply as I have experienced this throughout my life. The irony of hearing her say this, and my own experience of coming in to this company on fire, and immediately, some women trying to put out my flames. Ouch.

Fortunately for every story I have of someone trying to dim my light, I have another story of a woman building me up, believing in me and cheering me on. I love this and I love the power in it. Any time we cheer a woman on, we cheer all women on. I feel so strongly about this as I have experienced both sides, and being an empath I feel both the negative and positive energy of others.

Let me ask you this…..

Are you a champion of others (other women) or are you a critic?

Naturally, we all have our inner critic, but making the choice to cheer others on, lift them up, edify them and be happy for them is in my opinion traits of a strong leader and necessary for leadership of women.

Here are some thought provoking questions we as women can ask ourselves:

—Are we seeing the best in others?

—Are we recognizing those around us?

—Are we leading with a positive and caring spirit?

—Are we building others up?

—Are we a champion of good words, good deeds and positivity?

We have choice in how we show up for each other, and these power words are a choice each day and in every way:

—Collaboration over Competition

—Joy over Jealousy

—Edification over Ego

—Co-Exist over Comparing

—Faith over Fear

—Generosity over Greed

—Love over Loathe

—Team Work over Self

—Positive over Negative

—Empathy over Emotions

—Real over being Right

—Compassion over Comparing

—Courage over Conflict

—Building over Blaming

—Compliments over Complaining

—Friendly over Fickle

—Spirited over Selfish

We are human and as women, we feel all sorts of feelings, some of which do not feel good and are sometimes a natural response because of our environment or how we grew up. It is okay, it is not black and white. What it is, is an opportunity to RISE above—and be the person that has courage to be different.

As women, we are conditioned to believe we are suppose to be busy, perform and kick ass at all times. Unfortunately, we spend too much time doing that and not enough time on the emotional intelligence of connecting with each other with more compassion, more positivity and more inspiration. Can you imagine if we looked at each other with joyful eyes and without judgement? Can you imagine if we cheered each other on like never before?

What If? What if you made the decision to be the champion of those around you, not just the ones that do something for you? It’s time for us all to RISE UP, it is time for us to Lead with LOVE! XO

As I write this, we have been in this state of Pandemic for a year, just over a year ago, we were shut down and life as we knew it changed. I am going to first address how many of us (especially Moms but not exclusive to Moms) might be feeling and then we will chart our course to talk about things we can do as we lead ourselves out of this, sound good?

It has been a stressful year for everyone. Beyond the fear or concern we have for others, those lost, our families—there have been several other factors that weigh on us and I am going to call out all of them right here. Know you are not alone, you are not failing at anything, you are not stuck (which of course you might be in a rut right now)—you are human. Let me say it again, you are human, and the human experience is one of both joy and pain, strength and weakness, hope and fear, energy and depletion, and this year, we have had more challenges thrown at us, that have required us to be more resilient than ever. Give yourself a lot of grace, a lot of compassion and and let us all have this for one another.

Let me really delve in to how you might be feeling, and what is weighing on you. You are tired, you are exhausted and perhaps feeling the effects of a year that has been hard. My guess is you are physically depleted, maybe you ate too much, maybe you drank too much—maybe you did both. Maybe you have felt the mundane effect of one day after the other, just getting through the day, some days better than others. Maybe you tried working out, you had some good weeks and some not so good weeks—perhaps sitting watching Netflix just feels better at the moment.

If you are a Mom, you have had to be teacher, mother, coach, nurse, housekeeper, cook and for some, you had to do the majority of it yourself along side your work. We are not mean’t to do it all, let me say it again, we are not mean’t to do it all! The pressure is real, the anxiety is real and for some the depression and/or lack of motivation (because of low energy or exhaustion) is real. I hear you. I see you. I am holding space for you. I am you.

You are not alone.

Not only are you feeling this way to some degree (perhaps on some days or weeks), but also, you are comparing yourself to others—you know, your friend that just ran 10 miles that morning, or the other friend that is kicking ass in business and life (or so it appears that way by her Instagram pics). You are doing what we know we are not suppose to do, you are comparing yourself to others, and worst, you are comparing someone’s on line (social media) life to your life in your head. Her highlight reel compared to your behind the scenes reel, are in fact not comparable. Let me use the analogy of the Christmas Card…. You know the adorable Christmas cards you send and receive each year—I know every year when my kids were little, I loved the card, but the actually scene behind getting that perfect picture was far from perfect. While trying to make my family look like they were ready for the J Crew Catalogue, they were cranky, and not cooperating but some how each year, we got that perfect shot (behind the scenes at least one kid was acting up, my husband and I were most likely grumpy with each other and the stress and untold story is what you don’t see. Isn’t that an example of life, especially now that we are on line so much, you are taking someones curated life and comparing it to the mess in your home, heart or head. So, let us all be reminded that we are not going to compare ourselves to anyone else, we are all blessed in different ways, and stressed in different ways, lets lighten our heart to accept that and let go of the burden (expectations) we put on ourselves.

I am writing this from a place of feeling weighted down from the past year. I am writing this from a place of having experienced both anxiety and depression this past year. I am writing this mostly because I miss how life was, and I want to feel that energy again, that place of feeling good, productive, energy & vitality. I am reminded it does not happen over night (just like feeling this way did not happen over night)—patience and putting one foot in front of the other is the only way through.

For me, it always comes down to self care. There are seasons I am really good at it, and there are times that I don’t do the things that help me thrive, feel good and be nourished in mind/body/soul. We must put our oxygen mask on first, and this year, the tank is running low, and we need to put that mask on first, and be able to breath life into all other areas of our life. Is your tank running low?

I have had many conversations over the past few weeks with women that are feeling this way. I am feeling this way, and that is why I am writing (speaking), and acknowledging the time we are in. Also, I am going to share with you some things that I have done before, and I am implementing again, to get out of this space. The approach is ‘one day at a time’, it is progress over perfection and it is simple things you can pick and choose what will work for you. One size does not fit all. Some days we crush it, and other days, we just need to be okay with not being okay (remember that, most women don’t know how to sit with our feelings, we want to get busy, push/push/push and while it feels productive, for some, it can be counter productive to the steps of healing, the steps of creating more wholeness, authenticity and being okay with all parts of you! As women, we need to be more vulnerable for each other and mostly for ourselves—this is true authenticity.

1. Morning Routine:

The morning routine is so important, if you don’t have time, then wake up 30 minutes earlier to make it happen.

Pray, meditate and/or reflect (just sit in silence, even if u drink your coffee or tea in doing this, just be).

Gratitude: write 3 to 5 things you are grateful for, it truly helps shift your attitude into gratitude.

Journal: Spend 5 minutes writing what is on your mind, just write the good, bad and the ugly (get it off your chest).

Read: Read spiritual, uplifting or positive words, just a few pages each day can do wonders. Words matter.

Affirmations: maybe u do them now or implement them once you get your morning routine established, create them yourself based on your needs, desires and vision: I am strong, I am confident, I am joyful.

2. Exercise:

We all feel better after exercise, this past year I have felt lazy, I have not wanted to exercise, and I don’t feel motivated (I have had seasonal starts and stops throughout the year). What I do know thou is that exercise always makes me feel good and as I have come to realize, it is necessary for me (that is why I always rely on walking outdoors as a baseline as that helps shift my energy). Choose the exercise that you like, you don’t have to go to the gym, just get your body moving. The endorphins are real, we all need them, and what if we just decide to commit each day to movement? Build on that momentum each day, think of a time when you were more active and use that as your inspiration to get back to that space.

3. Yoga/Mindfulness:

Yoga is my thing, it has been so transformational for me personally, so I always have to share it. Remember, yoga does not just happen on a mat (while I highly encourage taking classes or doing it at home on your own)—more importantly, living yoga off the mat is so good for you. It is living mindfully. It is learning to balance being strong and persistent with letting go and being still. Yoga teaches so many gifts that our world needs (and we all need): compassion, gratitude, kindness, empathy, mindfulness, honesty, acceptance, growth, to name a few.

4. Clean Eating & Drinking:

How is it that we can go from eating so well, to going off course and for some of us, comfort ourselves with food?

I am not talking about wheat grass and raw food (nothing extreme here), I am talking about using food as fuel for our body and getting our taste buds back in the direction of nutrient dense food. We get so opinionated on this topic and we also can feel overwhelmed by all of the options out there (and what ever you do, don’t do a diet)! My opinion is that you do what works for you. Programs help me until I can create my own patterns, so I like to follow programs until I am ready to adopt more of a lifestyle. The bottom line is this…. Do what works for you! We don’t like to talk about weight loss, but lets be real, most of us do have some weight to lose from this past year (be it physical weight or emotional weight and it is okay to look at healthier options and cutting back and out a few things.

So what is clean drinking? Notice how we always talk about everything health: food, exercise, sleep, water, etc… We don’t talk about drinking (I’m talking alcohol mainly), because it is against social norms to do so. The truth is, drinking has increased significantly for women, and it is the one thing that we just don’t talk about in social circles). What we don’t talk about is that alcohol completely impacts how you feel, your health, your energy more than you know (or care to admit). It is okay to take a break from it to feel better and/or evaluate your relationship with it. Does it mean you have to quit forever, no (unless you are a person in recovery, this does not apply to you). Many women suffer in silence, because you don’t want it to be a problem, but actually it is to some degree and perhaps you have to cut back or cut it out for a period of time. Give yourself the gift of looking at your eating and drinking and ask yourself if it is making you feel better or worst, and if the answer is the latter, make those changes to give yourself the opportunity to explore and discover better choices. Progress over perfection is the name of the game when it comes to this.

5. Sleep:

Another area most of us need to improve, and when our sleep improves, so does our physical and mental state. I am such a work in progress in this area too. I stay up late too often, and bring my electronics to bed—I just need to put some boundaries in place, to get better at this, and when I have had success, this is what I have done. I don’t eat past 7pm, as that can sometimes keep me up (and man, have I had those snacks or treats at night many times). I try and stop coffee by 1 or 2pm (does not always happen, but if I put boundaries in place and focus it helps). I try and not bring electronics to bed, but I read on line and even in my FB groups at night, so this one is hard for me). Reading at night in bed (with a book) is helpful, that helps me feel sleepy. Getting in bed at a certain time is helpful, I feel like I have not had that routine for so long, as I write this, I can feel that need to get back to a bed time). Other sleep options I have used before are lavender essential oil, night time tea early evening, melatonin, and sleep meditations as well.

These are just a few areas to begin to look at and make improvements in. Perhaps take a few to begin working on and add things as you go. I tend to thrive on routine, and I will be honest, I also like to break routines I am in as I get either bored, overwhelmed or distracted—I think that is human nature for some of us. The vision and goal is to feel better, and I hope by the time you finish reading this, you feel inspired to make small changes. I am working on doing the same, remember, we are in this together! XO

We took a recent vacation, and it was a decision that we were both not ready to make given the year we have had with Pandemic and previous travel restrictions. After a year of being grounded at home, I had enough, I was feeling the blah of winter and more importantly, I was looking at my son, a Senior in High School who has had the most uneventful year. He has been a trooper, but lets face it, a year of zoom class room, not seeing friends at school, missing prom, senior activities, has been a challenge for these seniors.

I said to my husband, let's just give him a great week away, lets be in the sunshine, lets just do it!

Charlie response was, that sounds great, but how will that look and what will others say (the normal response we all have, the fact is, we base so many of our decisions on what others think). I responded, I don’t care what others think, I really don’t care—I know what is best for us and Colby right now.

So, when we embraced that spirit, we booked it, and we had an amazing week away. Sunshine, warm weather, great time, lots of laughs (and bonus that my son’s girlfriend was down there too with her family for part of it).

As I reflect, I think about the importance of just saying “YES” and translation that might mean F it! Just do it!!!!!

We really need to embrace deep within our hearts not caring about what others think. I can’t tell you how many people reached out and did not want to be judged and therefore did not post on social media (and I get it, I really do). But, what if we start letting go about what others think or what we think is a good time or not, or also all of the obstacles we create in the way of doing what we truly want to do? Just say yes!

Be Bold, Be Brave and Just be You! Yes!!!!!! XO

March is the time I always think about my start in business as a Mom Boss, it was 19 years ago this month that I signed on to become a Consultant in a Direct Sales company, I purchased my kit at the end of the month, and chartered waters that were so new to me. Almost 2 decades later it was the best business decision I have made, while I joined my current company 6 years ago this month, I am grateful to have the experience from both companies, and in this post I want to outline the challenges and benefits along the way. My intention is to inspire you to step outside of your comfort zone, be willing to feel & fail—feel vulnerable and fail enough to get back up and keep going—obstacles are a big part of success. Be brave enough to dare, be brave enough to make your stomach squirm and be brave enough to be different from those around you!

This is a story of both courage and fear, and how the decisions we make and the brave action of stepping outside our comfort zone can truly impact our lives in ways we never expected. I have had the good fortune of being with 2 great companies in this industry, I have also had the good fortune of success in each company, the latter of which did not come from everything working out and feeling confident, it actually came from the vulnerability of putting myself out there, taking risks, experiencing fear, having self doubt, putting tons of sweat into it, with hopes and a dream, when things were not proven and there was no guarantee. I chose to jump in, to never give up, to feel awkward and at times a lump in my throat…. I cleared that lump in my throat to speak confidently about my companies, about my business and about the smart decision of being a Mom Boss, I went from embarrassed to empowered, and eventually from follower to leader-all because I worked hard, never gave up and believed in more!

Let me take you back to March of 2002, I was 34 years old, a mom of 2 with my 3rd baby was due in a few months (3 kids under the age of 3). I was desperate to find a job that would support my family, I wanted to make a great income, have flexibility and as I searched on line for a job, it just did not exist. I wanted to balance motherhood with having something I could be passionate about, make a difference and I missed making an income, I wanted to create more.

I was invited to a neighbor’s Direct Sales business launch, and I left with an interest in being my own boss—and a dream that ‘maybe' I could do this from home! While I was excited about what I read on the website, let me share my fears with you…. I was not a person that liked home (business) parties, in fact, I did not like the idea of anyone selling to me or “pressuring” me to buy— I avoided these parties as much as I could, and I was never one to host—it all made me feel uncomfortable. Also, I did not want to be that annoying mom in the grocery store that people would avoid because they were afraid I would try to sell them something. Even more, some of these companies were so cheesy, I did not want to be associated in any way with something like that, the thought made my stomach turn, and I did not trust all the people I met with initially (my skepticism), because honestly, I was afraid they were trying to take advantage of me. Truth: I was beyond skeptical, but thankfully I was curious too, I was willing to learn and fortunately my desire to have a business from home was strong enough for me to move forward. So once I decided to jump in, I did not have much support. My husband was against it, “Pammy, you’re going to sell to family and friends”, my Mom said “Oh Pamela, not one of those businesses, shouldn’t you just get a real job”. Some friends were like...skin care, are you going to have to touch people’s faces? Everyone was well meaning and trying to protect me, but fear, doubt and negativity (resistance) were the directive, not hope, opportunity and belief, which fortunately prevailed. For my first few years in business, I really put myself out there and way out of my comfort zone, not many were doing a business like this, and I heard a lot of no’s, I listened to some caddy moms snicker about my business and yes, every home party had the asshole drunk mom that would try and put me down in a passive aggressive way, I just kept going, and would not let any of the nay sayers stop me, even when I had come home in tears on a few occasions. However, in my business I learned a lot about mindset, and I learned to direct my attention from the nay sayers (and my own negative thoughts) to my dreams, my desires, my vision. By year 3 I had promoted to the top of my company, and also was making a great 6 figure income. My confidence in the industry, business and myself exploded, I had found my place in leadership, speaking, inspiring and growing, this became the perfect career for me as a Mom—it was similar to what I did in my corporate career yet was more entrepreneurial & no glass ceiling. Our income grew exponentially, and I was able to see how having a vision, goals and dreams can help us evolve out of fear, negativity, self doubt, criticism and objections. I had built a dynamic team, developed leaders & created partnerships which fostered positive growth, empowerment and a big vision. I also found my desire to speak, inspire and empower women, which I discovered as my life’s purpose—and was able to build my Living HIPP brand along side my DS business.

Six years ago, I made a bold move to leave my former company and start out again as a consultant with my current company—leaving a successful business behind to start over again felt like jumping off of a cliff. While I was excited, it was It a risk, I also faced the fears, doubts and criticism of others— once again, people show you who they are, it further inspires to encourage women to empower each other, we are more powerful when we stand up and speak up for each other. Today, I see so many lives have changed from this one decision, I knew in my heart that would happen, but getting here has not been easy, and has not been without feeling vulnerable and judged at times. I have met some incredible women in this journey, and that lifts my spirit like nothing else. I have learned to be grace under fire, and while that is not easy, it is important. My advice that I give to so many (after having had to give it to myself) is “go where the love is” which means, surround yourself with people that appreciate you, and build you up. It is a mantra to live by and I reference it for myself and others all the time.

Growing up Mom Boss…. Almost 2 decades later, those babies are college age, and I look back at my career of these past 19 years as the perfect fit for me as a Mom. Admittedly, I don’t think I am a great sales person, I have learned to just talk about what I love. I love this business, I love how it supports women to do this along side being a mom or other interests. I love that it is a platform to build and create a life and lifestyle that you love. I love to see leaders develop, not by selling a lot or meeting numbers (it is so much more than that to me). I love to see them become confident, to use their voice, to develop their skills, to grow personally and to thrive (which often means thriving through the challenges and adversity of being a mom boss). So you can see, it is not all pretty, some of it is pretty darn hard. I think work/life balance is the biggest challenge for all Mom Bosses, and that is something I was challenged with too. I learned to create systems and support, and I coach so many women to do the same. Being a Mom Boss takes courage, you’ve got to be vulnerable, you’ve got to be crazy enough not to worry about what others think and you’ve got to be willing to fail, to fall down, and to get back up.

I don’t know what the next decade holds, but what I do know for sure, is that I love coaching other Moms on how to use a business to leverage living your best life! I am so grateful for these opportunities, and I want so many Moms to know they have choices, and why not have a business that supports you and your family as you grow in to a better version of yourself! Oh, and my husband who was against this, well he went from skeptic to all sorts of “way to go Pammy” over the years. The other night as we talked about business, he shared that my business takes the stress off of the two college tuitions and those payments. While it started out as making extra money, it has help put our kids through college. I feel beyond grateful I did not quit years ago all those times I wanted to! So, if you get uncomfortable remember this: focus on your vision, dreams and goal (not your fears or someone elses opinion), and no matter what, create the life you want, don’t follow the crowd, blaze your trail! XO

I was going to write about having Covid, and healing from here but wanted to reach a broader audience, and it reminded me of this time of year, and that feeling of having the “Winter Blues”. I am recovering from Covid, while out of Quarantine, I am still not 100%, I am feeling low energy, fatigue, not myself and “off”—I have been here before, it feels like that place of either depression, procrastination, reactive mode and low energy (not physically feeling good). Many of us get to this place at some point during the year, and certainly the Winter Blues are real and they are lonely—while my blues right now feel more physical than emotional, when you are not well physically, it impacts us mentally, I am not feeling the joy, the excitement and the vigor necessary to Live HIPP—I am finding simple joys and small moments through acceptance (be patient Pam) and through gratitude (grateful for the small gifts, for they truly are the big gifts).

We can’t erase the winter blues, but what we can do is take small steps each day to help and eventually they do go away. For me, it is Covid recovery, and patience and time is what I need to embrace. Small steps every day, showing up, resting, focusing on the good, and being patient with myself during my recovery. Here are some steps in general if you are feeling Winter Blues (adjust according to your personal need and where you are at):

1. Move your body every day! For me, it is a simple walk with the dogs until I can do more.

2. Fresh Air every day (combine this with above, it is so important to get outside & in nature). Get that Sunshine (Vitamin D), it really does help!

3. Create a Routine and Daily Schedule—this is important, especially if you have not had rituals in place. This really helps, start out small and consistent and add things as you go.

4. Hydrate: this is a constant, but water is your friend, it really does help physically.

5. Nourish Yourself: Try to make smarter food choices. I am challenged by this right now, because I don’t have my tastebuds fully back and I crave comfort food. Be patient w/this.

6. Gratitude: this really works, I know I preach this. Write down 5 reasons big and/or small you are grateful each day.

7. Self Care: Self care is not a bubble bath & glass of wine (sorry ladies). While a bath is a great soothing experience and some self care, self care for you might be: doing nothing, journaling, exercise, reading positive words, boundaries, etc…. My point is sometimes we hide behind pampering as self care (which is the cherry on top) but the work is diving in and doing the mind/body/spirit work. BTW, ditch the wine girlfriend (in terms of thinking it helps), it actually is a depressant and can be toxic. I am not saying you should quit, what I am saying is lets stop glorifying it as self care, it is anything but self care for most women!!!!

8. Simplify: This is a big one for me right now because my head is spinning. When I think about getting back to my full self and getting back full swing, I need to work on me, I need to get my house organized, I need to rev up my business—I feel so overwhelmed by all of these things. Overwhelm keeps us stuck and for some paralyzed. Figure out what will help you and take small steps daily to improve these areas and go back to basics, that is how we keep it simple.

9. Mind Set Makeover: If we have the winter blues (or are recovering from anything), we more likely have to work on our mindset so that we don’t feel defeated. Negativity exists in all of our minds, it is human nature. When you find yourself going there (which you will throughout the day), acknowledge the thought and replace it with a positive one. In general, look for the good. This is a life changing shift and can really help in living your best (HIPP) life. Be the encourager and not the complainer, be that for yourself and others.

10. One Day at a Time: This mantra is everything and it is a reminder to not regret the past or worry about the future, just live in the day (I know, that is hard work for many). The “one day at a time” mindset and mantra allows us to take on each day the best we can, to forgive ourselves if it is not our best, and to look to the next day with hope and renewal. There is such wisdom in this and this has saved so many people during hard times. One day at a time can also mean “one step forward”, we just need to do that. Get out of bed every day, somedays are an effort (amiright) and other days before we know it, we bounce out of bed with intention and purpose, the fact remains that we have seasons and we need to honor these seasons. No one jumps out of bed every single day with excitement, if they tell you that, they are not sharing the truth and the whole picture. There are days you put two feet on the ground and you are winning, and other days you spring out of bed with excitement and energy and you are winning then too. Be mindful, be present, and let the simple joys fill your heart, for they are really the most important moments in time.

If this list overwhelms you than simplify it, choose 1 or 2 things to work on each day. Winter Blues are real for many (or perhaps you have hit hard times for some reason), don’t worry, you’ve got this and you are not alone. I am stepping forward with you, I have no doubt I will fall down (as I did with Covid), but one thing that I know for sure is that I always stand back up, and I am offering my hand to you to do the same.

One of the best ways to start my day is having a Morning Ritual which is a big part of my practice of Living HIPP (Happy Inspired Passionate Peaceful)—I have done this for a very long time and I have to say it has evolved (I have more time these days and because of that, I can really indulge myself some days and/or I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn anymore to make that happen (but I will admit I love early morning, I really do).

I think it is important to share with you that there are times that I don’t do a morning practice every single day (but I do them most often)—the times when I don’t do them are the times I am not doing my Living HIPP practice (my tracks to run on) or if my sleep is off, or when I am on that hamster wheel, so over scheduled and/or busy or distracted, so a practice like this is not about perfection, it is all progress based and every day is a new day. I have those mornings where I sleep in and am racing and responding and reactive to the morning—so those mornings happen for all of us, it is called life, and that is why we have the morning routine to turn to, to start a new day and to ground ourselves for the day. This is a practice and a tool to ground you, it is a framework to set yourself up with a strong foundation of intention, mindfulness, gratitude and to fill your spirit with words or affirmations that lift you.

I was asked recently what my morning ritual looks like, and let me share what is typical for me. As I shared, I have much more time now, but when my kids were little, I had to get up early if I wanted this time, so if you either work or have children that need your attention, you can just get up earlier, I promise you, it is worth it. I refer to my time as my magical mornings, there is nothing more magical than waking up early with a clear head, a full heart and taking time to reflect, renew, breathe and “fill your cup” with words that stir the soul and spirit. There are days I feel moved and there are days when things seem more distracted and that is life, right? Like anything else, the consistency is what matters, because the mornings when I am truly engaged, open, connected are the gift of this ritual, and truly a way to feed my soul. So, if you are new to this practice, or just curious, my advice is to keep with it, even if it feels weird, and not as magical as I describe here. You are peeling away layers of distraction and busyness, it will take time for it to settle in. Give yourself time, and let the words inspire you, touch your heart, move you and open up your mind and spirit to more. Sometimes just sitting still, breathing, and reflection are most beneficial, it is important to be present, to reflect, to just breath, give yourself that gift before you dive into the day.

Mornings are magical, mornings are also mundane—they are what we choose. Wake up in order to AWAKEN the spirit. Our world would be a better place if more people started their day with inspiration, and intention (and sometimes the reading might be less motivational and more healing). It all matters. Make your morning routine about spiritual time, a warm beverage, a warm heart and open mind, fill your spirit with hope, kindness, compassion and love . l XO