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To Have a Gratitude Attitude

“Remember to have a gratitude attitude!” –my mom

It’s the season of giving thanks (but like, shouldn’t that be every season?), and I’m finding myself feeling rather out of balance, grasping for tools that bring me back to myself. This has been a difficult month for me. Well, to be honest, it’s been a pretty difficult year. This month has been challenging with the 7th move in 11 months for me. This is because I ended my marriage in January, which was devastating to not only my world, but all those that were effected by my decision to leave. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through and by far the most difficult choice I’ve ever had to make. I hesitate to share much out of respect for my former partner and his family, but I feel that this personal learning experience I went through might offer healing to some who hear it.

We need to hear one another’s stories. We need to see each other as mirrors, put before one another to reflect (sometimes painful) truths about ourselves, but nonetheless there to teach us. I’ve been studying clinical hypnotherapy for several years now and have been witness to so many stories that have touched me on a deep level that no matter how vulnerable I might feel, I’m committing to speaking my truth in the hopes that it helps someone else do the same.

This very idea was at the root of why I decided to end things with my husband last winter. I had been struggling with physical symptoms like nausea, chronic fatigue and IBS as well as depression and anxiety for years by this point, but through the deep work that I was luckily guided to (via my mother), I was able to uncover what was at the root of my chronic symptoms. I had established a daily mediation practice several months prior to this, committing to even 5 minutes a day, as long as I was consistent, which I surprisingly was. My mom had been meditating daily for years, encouraging me and my 3 siblings to follow suit when we would ask her why we felt anxious or depressed. My step-dad was a meditation teacher for crying out loud! But I wasn’t ready until I was, and that’s okay.

What hypnotherapy and meditation ultimately did for me was offer clarity. I was able to see not only what was creating the physical symptoms, but also why I had let it go on so long. Heart-centered hypnotherapy is like a flashlight that shines past the conscious mind and into the subconscious mind to where the beliefs we created about ourselves and the world during childhood actually live. Talk therapy operates in the conscious mind, so unfortunately I didn’t make much personal progress as a client until I discovered this deeper kind of work. This is because these deeply rooted subconscious beliefs are what drive our actions and emotions as adults. They’re a result of us observing the world and people around us as kids, deciding how we were going to survive, what felt safe, and ultimately how our egos were going to run the show. But the great thing is we can rewire those beliefs, it just requires exploring the subconscious mind (which makes up 90% of your psyche!), not the just the conscious mind (a mere 10%).

Once I could tap into why I was blinded by my fear of abandonment (through hypnotherapy) and begin to heal the root belief that I wasn’t important or lovable, I was able to release some of the anxiety that was keeping me “safe” in my comfort zone (my marriage), rather than take a leap of faith and do what my soul was guiding me to do, which was leave. My body was manifesting physical symptoms to get my attention, I’m just super skilled at ignoring things that make me uncomfortable, so me and Netflix lived in a fog together for quite a while. I felt like a shell of a person most of the time, with terrible nausea and digestion- it felt like there was this huge weight inside of me. I had no motivation and terrible insomnia, and honestly wished I wouldn’t wake up a lot of the time when I could finally sleep. It was a pretty dark time, and forced me to become super desperate to do anything that might help.

After committing to a regular meditation practice I couldn’t help but be more attuned to why my body was sick. And guess what? Once I made the terrifying decision to leave my best friend and husband because I knew it was best for my overall growth, I felt like a different person. Almost a year later and I still feel clear, happy, and light.

So…why? I’ve gone through each end of the emotional spectrum about 50 thousand times this year and have sat with this question quite a bit. I mean, c’mon, Spirit! Couldn’t it be a little easier? Why do hearts have to break and why do families get torn apart? Why did my body force me to uproot our world and life and cause so much pain?

What I’ve come to learn through the pain and the mess and the tears of this year is that life is just one big arena. We’re here to learn and expand and transcend the trauma and pain that we’ve experienced; not to become a victim of it, but rather a student. When my body started getting sick, I could have continued to let it dictate my life for even more years than I did. I could have given up after years of trying allopathic medicine didn’t help me and continue to sink into a deeper depression and chronic fog. But thank goodness I had the support and community to encourage me to keep asking why and keep digging deeper to heal the real root of my symptoms, because now I have skills that I otherwise wouldn’t have had if my body hadn’t become ill. I know there’s more growth to go, but I’ve become highly attuned to my body as a result of my experiences this year. I also learned more than I can possibly express in my marriage and am a much better and more self-aware person as a result of it. Both of us walked away with gratitude and love for one another and agreed that even though it ended in divorce, it was still a successful relationship because of how much we both expanded and grew.

I began this entry saying this was a very difficult year for me. But I’ll finish by saying it’s also been the best year of my life. I’ve moved homes 7 times in 11 months, completing my 7th a couple of days ago. Each time was extremely difficult, but always reminded me of the unconditional support and deep community I have surrounding me. I rehomed my beloved dog to my uncle in California because I know he’ll have a happier and more fulfilling life there. The grief still feels like a knife in my gut sometimes, but Leo has a playmate and loving home and for that I feel immense gratitude. I lost a husband, 2 step-children and our home this year and faced depths of pain I could have never imagined. But I’ve also learned that I can and must trust myself, because out of the pain I’ve emerged brighter, more vibrant, and closer to my true essence than ever before.

So if you’re feeling lost, scared, depressed, or hurt, I’ll ask that you give something a try. When you’re stuck in one of those automatic mental tapes- you know the ones: “No one will ever be with me because I’m too fat,” “I’m not smart enough to go to grad school,” “My husband is selfish and doesn’t pay attention to me,” etc and on and on and on, press pause on the tape and take a breath. Look around you and decide to be grateful. I know that sounds ridiculous but seriously, if you redirect your thoughts, your emotions will often follow. It can be anything; the color of the fall leaves (that’s been a big one for me in my moving fog), the fact that you have an iPhone and can FaceTime your mom from 10,000 miles away, RUNNING WATER…the list goes on. Gratitude has been one of the most powerful tools for me during this year’s challenges and I love sharing it with people. Our thoughts become habits, and just like any bad habit, you can change them to good ones with practice. We can’t escape pain in this life, but we can choose if we allow it to become suffering. Life is too short to keep suffering, don’t you think?

In vibrant health,

Kendyl

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Manifesting the Life You Desire

I’m currently sitting in a “sleeping pod” on the Northlink ferry from Aberdeen to Orkney and Shetland Island. There are two groups of people on this ferry: those who are on board for 6 hours for Orkney, and those that are on it for 14 hours for Shetland (plus boarding time which is 30-60 minutes prior to ship-off). I fall into the latter category. I’m on my way to Yell which actually happens to be another bus ride and ferry ride from Lerwick, the biggest city in the Shetland Islands.  I’m headed to my final destination- 3.5 weeks volunteering on an organic sheep farm through WWOOF (World Wide Organization of Organic Farmers).

I just finished my first WWOOF experience with a wonderful couple at Laikenbuie Holidays, 3 miles outside of Nairn in the Scottish Highlands. Peter and Therese have created a masterpiece of 150 acres filled with a poly-tunnel, sheep, hens, cattle, tons of pigeons, an organic garden and poly-tunnel, 4 holiday lodges, a caravan, and 3 homes that they’ve built from the ground up. They’ve owned the property for over 30 years and when they bought it the land was covered with gorse bushes taller than them. Now, it’s a magnificent retreat and absolute dream come true to stay on.

One of the beautiful ponds that my hosts dug after buying the acerage, It rarely felt like “work” being on this land.

While there I was treated like a member of their family. They asked me what I was hoping to learn and then catered the 2.5 weeks to those goals with enthusiasm, patience, and diligence. I wanted to see how a farm was run and learn as much as possible about organic gardening, and that’s exactly what they provided me with. I began each day by riding my bike down the short track that runs through the property to the garden where I collected the chard and lettuce for my breakfast smoothie and lunchtime salad. I would then make a protein shake with chard, chocolate pea protein powder, almond/coconut milk, and sometimes some fresh raspberries from the garden. Peter curiously asked for a small glass each morning after about the third day and I always enjoyed sharing it with him. Therese would partake sometimes 🙂 It’s definitely an acquired taste, especially if you’re used to typical breakfast food like porridge, toast, pastries, yogurt, cereal, etc. But I was delighted to have it each morning for the first time on my trip, returning to a daily routine similar to home, although I don’t have a vegetable garden (yet) that allows me to eat the greens minutes after they’re picked! What a delight it was to eat such fresh food- the way it ought to be for everyone.

Therese and Peter’s daughter, brother and sister-in-law, and their son and his partner. Such a lovely and down to earth family.

I learned so much while I was at Laikenbuie and was honored to be taught by 2 people who are living their passion. They work hard. I mean, VERY hard. There’s always something that needs doing on a farm and they have created a true masterpiece because of their unrelenting dedication and skill. I couldn’t have been luckier to find such warm hosts.

I had a realization last night while having a heart to heart with my hostess’s sister-in-law that I’ve been dwelling on ever since. I used to have chronic anxiety, especially when I was alone, and so choosing a WWOOFing location when there are hundreds to pick from was absolutely terrifying for me. ‘HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE?!’ I kept thinking. ‘What if my hosts are crazy or awkward and I want to leave after a couple of days? I’ve never been away from home for this long, let alone been traveling solo for weeks on end!’ Looking back I realize how much wasted energy was spent worrying about this. I’ve tried to keep my mindset in check the last year because I’ve realized how powerful it is, but the weeks leading up to this 2.5 month journey were wrought with anxiety and fear, even though I was also really excited and knew deep down that it was what I was meant to do.

I’ve learned recently that real change and growth don’t come without fear or probably even some suffering to get there. Breaching the boundary of our “comfort zone” is terrifying! But that’s where the yumminess of life happens, and that’s what I’ve not only learned but really felt in my bones the last few weeks on this journey. I’ve been away from home for over 5 weeks and am just now realizing how GOOD I really feel. The anxiety that was consuming me leading up to the trip was because my soul knew it was embarking into the unknown, which we all know is scary AF, but super necessary if you want to taste all the sweetness of life. Despite the fear, I kept on trusting that the universe would lead me to the people, experiences and circumstances on this journey that would offer me some wisdom as I continue down my life path.

And now? The anxiety is gone. I’m on a 14 hour ferry ride headed to Shetland Island, which is closer to the Arctic Circle than it is to London. On my own. Talking to strangers. Headed to an island with 996 people. And I can’t flipping wait! Me. Kendyl. Codependent used to be my middle name! And now I’m doing stuff like this because I learned to trust the intuition I was getting from the universe to jump into the unknown and leap out of my comfort zone. And ever since I’ve surrendered to the waves of life, I’m so much happier and lighter.

My favorite beach in Nairn that I biked to many times where I swam, meditated, journaled and did yoga. I’ll see you again East Beach!

Each one of the experiences that have lead me to where I’m at have been puzzle pieces leading the way to the life I’ve been working on manifesting. You know those moments that stick out for no apparent reason? The beginning of this journey was 2 years ago when I had a client tell me about her WWOOFing experience in Ireland. She shared how impactful and wonderful it had been for her and for some reason, I remember this conversation vividly- I couldn’t get it out of my head, even a year later. It was the only time I’d ever heard about WWOOFing and I believe it was one of those intuitive nudges we often overlook that can lead us towards the experiences that ultimately change our lives. If I hadn’t listened to the voice inside guiding me to look into WWOOFing, I wouldn’t have met Peter and Therese. I also wouldn’t have been able to travel for this long without working, but WWOOF is an exchange of room and board for volunteer work, keeping travel expenses minimal.

When you have a goal, whether financial, in your career, romantically, or a trip you want to do, get really clear about what you want, sorting out all of the nitty gritty details related to that goal and then release it to the universe/god/divine consciousness. Once you’ve set the goal, the puzzle pieces appear. The friend who tells you about this amazing coffee shop she went to and for some reason you can’t get it out of your head so you go and meet your soul mate there. Or the nutrition certification you keep seeing come through on your Facebook ads that gives you a feeling in your gut each time you see it, even though you see loads of ads pass by with no notice all the time- fast forward a year and you have a successful nutrition business instead of the soul-sucking corporate job you hated. Or the nudge to apply for a job you feel underqualified for but then kick butt in the interview and get the position.

Divine guidance flows through everything and everyone we encounter, if we only stop to pay attention. The puzzle pieces that help us create our dream lives are all around us, ready to be woven into the masterpiece that is your life. Get clear on what you want and then keep your eyes and ears open for guidance. You must have unshakable faith that this energy is headed your way. Ignore the nay-sayers and wet blankets in your life who try to keep you in your “safe” and secure life, even though you know there’s a better version out there. Do you really want to spend your life in a job, relationship or city that are “safe” but make you want to binge watch Netflix every day just to escape the chronic stress you feel?

Remember how powerful you are; you can create whatever life you desire. Just keep looking for your puzzle pieces no matter how scary it gets, pick them up, dust them off, and place them where they fit to build the reality you know you deserve. Beautiful, worthwhile puzzles sometimes take extreme patience, losing some pieces and then finding them again, a hissy fit, chocolate and taking your emotions out on your family/friends, but I find that the result is nearly always worth it.

In vibrant health,

Kendyl

 

See you in Shetland!
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Change Your Mindset, Change Your Life

A wise man once said nothing. -Proverb

I’m 13 days into my mum’s (@drkeesha) 40-day Abundance Practice and am experiencing the results already. The practice consists of doing a specific meditation for ten consecutive days and then repeating that 4 times until you reach 40 days, otherwise you start back on day 1. It’s a great way to stay consistent with your daily spiritual practice. Trust me, I have those mornings where I want to sleep in, thinking, “I’m sooo grounded right now, I don’t need to meditate today.” And then 5 hours later I wonder why normal things are overwhelming me more than usual. Some of us are slow learners…. cough, cough.

I’ve done the full 40 day abundance practice 6 times, and each time I do, I always feel more motivated and inspired than if I’m missing a day of meditation here and there. It’s amazing how powerful not speaking- just sitting in silence and focusing on your breath can be in making magic happen in your life.

In the abundance practice, you basically focus your awareness on abundance and divine energy and how it’s all around you (this could be physical abundance in your health, mental/emotional abundance, monetary abundance, career abundance, you name it) and change your mindset to really believe and feel this truth. Simple, right? Not really. That’s why having a guide to help rewire the automatic self-sabotaging thoughts is extremely effective, and that’s what the abundance practice does. All you do is read a short meditation -I like to write it in my journal as well- and then meditate for 5-30 minutes with this in the back of your mind and receive whatever guidance comes. It’s like tapping into the flow of the universe and attracting whatever energy you desire toward you. What you focus on you create more of. Trust me. This shit works.

These pictures are some of the abundance I’ve experienced recently. I manifested 2.5 months in Scotland and made it happen using the abundance practice. Better yet? I got to spend 2 of those weeks traveling around to the many sacred sites and stone circles in Scotland with my mom and bonus dad.

This is the Ring of Brogdar on Isle of Orkney, one of the amazing isles north of mainland Scotland. It’s an ancient structure, dating back to 3000BC that originally consisted of 60 standing stones (36 remain) and is believed to be a gathering site that forms a ring of stones around one of the many powerful energetic locations on the planet. Tapping into the energetic flow of universal intelligence/consciousness/god- whatever you want to call it- was easy there. It was like plugging in- I could literally feel a visceral change in energy when I walked inside the circle- a recharge of the soul- full of love, gratitude, nourishment, joy- it felt like all of the yumminess of the world converging in one place and it was all pouring into my being.

Mesa ceremony with mum in the center of the Ring was one of the most powerful mother/daughter bonding experiences I’ve ever had. Someone before us had left tobacco during their own ceremony. We didn’t move it, just added our own contributions. So lucky to call this mum mine.

And what this experience made me remember is that this yumminess is all around us, not just at sacred sites like Brogdar. Every time I sit down and meditate, or take a walk in nature, sink my feet in the sand, laugh with friends, eat delicious food, hear a beautiful song, see a devoted elderly couple holding hands- all of this is that catalytic energy that we can tap into to manifest whatever we desire in this life. But we forget because we’re too distracted and numbed out by our stress, electronics, media, dead/nutrient-lacking food, chemicals, and the rest of the 21st century that we lose focus of the beauty surrounding us. And then we feel sick, depressed, alone, anxious, and/or inflamed.

But the medicine for these imbalances is right there for your taking. All you have to do is focus your awareness on it. The laughter of a toddler, the vibrant colors of the forest, the way it feels to be held by someone you love, the stillness from sitting in meditation- that vibration, that feeling- you can harness it. Bring it close. You can soothe the worry of daily life with this medicine. Recharge your entire being with it.

And when you do, you’ll be amazed at how powerful you are. And you won’t be able to look back. You’ll see and experience abundance all around you. The goals that you’ve set your mind to- that promotion, the new clients, the vitality you used to have, the man of your dreams- all of those will start becoming your reality. It’s unreal how quickly it starts to unfold. It’s like we all have this superpower that we’re ignoring. Imagine what a wonderful world we would live in if each one of us took a few moments each day to tap into the life force of the universe.

Each one of us makes up a light in the constellation of the universe- like a grid of stars. When you tap into the energy of universal consciousness you’ll realize that if you don’t shine your light fully, you’re robbing the rest of us from experiencing it, and that my friend, is a damned shame. Don’t keep your light dim anymore. Ask for help. Sit in silence and receive the medicine from the world around you. You are the microcosm of the macrocosm of the universe. Let’s shift the tide of this planet for the better. We have to do it together.

In vibrant health,

Kendyl

If you’re interested in trying the 40 Day Abundance Practice you can get it here. Let me know what unfolds for you in the comments below!

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Forgiveness: Medicine for the Soul

I’ll never forget the first time I heard of the ancient Hawaiian prayer, Ho’oponopono. They call it a ‘rinse’ because of the medicinal washing effect it has for the soul. Ho’oponopono means, “I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.” I couldn’t stop reading it when I first saw it, and found that I was doing exactly what it was intended for- rinsing and repeating. At the time when I first came upon this practice I was the lowest of lows in my physical and mental health. I had severe IBS, chronic nausea and fatigue from SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), cystic acne, was 30 pounds overweight, and had depression and anxiety as a result of all of this. Reading the words, “I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you,” really hit me. It made me realize how hard I had been on my body for ‘failing’ me. Why couldn’t I digest my food properly like everyone else seemed to? I didn’t eat gluten, sugar, caffeine, or dairy for months and months, took loads of supplements, did dozens of colonics, and only noticed mild relief from the chronic symptoms that were tearing me down each day. “Why is this happening to ME?,” I kept thinking. I was completely stuck in a victim mentality, until I read ho’oponopono. I immediately put my hands on my belly and heart and was brought to tears at the effect I felt from repeating this only a few times to my body. It was as if the force that had been weighing me down and keeping me in a dark fog was beginning to lift.

The medicine I gained from the brief exposure to this forgiveness practice changed my life. I began doing this each time I would have a victim thought about how I was feeling or what was happening to me, and attune my awareness instead to all of the things my body was doing for me and how lucky I was in my life. This body has taken me up mountains to see amazing sights, my eyes have allowed me to witness all of the beauty and magic around me, my tongue has allowed me to taste the sweetness of the earth, my voice has allowed me to communicate and sing, I have an amazing family and freedoms many people will never feel. The list goes on. A quick shift in perspective can change everything. The momentum gained from this practice encouraged me to begin daily mediation. Once my emotional and spiritual body felt stronger I noticed my physical body follow suit pretty quickly. But not entirely.

I married an amazing man with 2 young boys (one of them is autistic) when I was 22. I knew this was a lot to take on at my young age but I felt like I could handle it because I loved him and his kids so deeply. I was so accustomed to feeling anxious and a lack of physical/mental vitality since adolescence that I didn’t think the marriage had anything to do with it, until I started my daily meditation and forgiveness work. I noticed drastic changes in my health from these practices, but I knew I still had a long way to go because of the anxiety and chronic bloating I still had. I’d done therapy, hypnotherapy, immersion retreats and other healing practices to get underneath the roots of my emotional and physical imbalances, and made lots of progress with certain symptoms, yet I still had chronic anxiety and gut issues.

I had been studying chronic disease in children because we were starting to prepare for pregnancy and I wanted us in peak physical health before conceiving, so as to avoid passing down our inflammation to our child. So I had to keep digging. Underneath every symptom is a true root cause that is often overlooked or hidden with medication. And unfortunately, the root cause of these imbalances ended up being the marriage and stresses that came with it. Being a step-mother is a tough job for anyone, but at my age is was eventually too much for my body to take on. Obviously I had thought about this before marrying him, but when you love someone that deeply, you’ll do anything to be together. I had worked with clients in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who had autoimmunity and other chronic illness, and nearly each one of them I spoke to had an unhealthy or unfulfilling marriage. I could see the path I was headed down if I didn’t address my symptoms. Do I get pregnant, raise a kid together for a while, and let the anxiety turn into something more severe, only to end the marriage later? Or make the hardest decision of my life and end it before going in deeper? Luckily, and very sadly I chose the latter, and the effect on my health that this had has been profound. I’ve never had so much energy, my anxiety is mild when it comes up, my gut is happy, and my heart feels completely open and light. This took a while to get to because I had a lot of grieving to do, but I’m so glad that I had the courage to take the leap of faith for the sake of my health, and for the sake of my ex and his boys. If I had stayed in the marriage with the knowledge that the relationship and responsibility of being a step-mother was affecting my health it would have built up resentment and I would be living out of integrity. It would have hurt everyone far more in the long run. Being in integrity with yourself and those you love is the only healthy choice, even if the process is painful for you and those around you.

Fast forward 8 months- I’ve been in Scotland for almost a month, pursuing my dreams of entrepreneurship and volunteering on sustainable organic farms to learn as much as I can. I spent a couple of weeks of this time with my mom and step-father, touring around the highlands and isles, visiting ancient sacred stone circles, burial grounds, and Pictish stones. It has been a completely healing and heart-opening experience that I feel incredibly grateful for.

This photo was taken at the Fairy Glen in Rosemarkie on the Black Isle. Scotland is a magical and mystical land. The magic is evident in the rock faces and sacred pools. It’s almost as if I was in a trance when I came upon this pool. I was drawn to the face in the rocks on the right of the waterfall and stepped into the pools to get closer.

Before I left home in June I received a ton of emotionally abusive hate mail out of the blue from a mother of a former peer. There was no reason for it and it really shocked me. It completely threw me off my center and I felt like a scared little kid, about to embark on a solo trip to the UK with an overwhelming amount of fear and uncertainty. But eventually I saw this woman as a wonderful teacher for me. Anytime someone triggers you they are providing a mirror for some behavior in yourself that you don’t like. Now, obviously I don’t harass people online, but I have acted out because of my emotions and was able to use this experience for some spiritual growth in recognizing this part of myself. It was actually perfect timing because it created a challenge that the universe knew I could handle on my own, without my family and friends around me- independence has been my growth edge and the reason why I decided to do this trip alone. Once I received the medicine and teaching from this experience I had to start the forgiveness process, which I’ll admit was very difficult at first because the hate mail kept coming in for days, not only to me but my mother and ex-husband as well. But the pools at the Fairy Glen provided a sacred setting for me to do some really deep forgiving. Because staying angry or bitter about this wouldn’t change anything, it would only be poison for my soul, and eventually my body. So in the pools I brought every person who I had bitterness or resentment towards into my mind’s eye and repeated Ho’oponopono until I felt a lightness in my heart and could send them on their way. I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you. Once I had done the forgiving of others, I turned it around and sent it to myself. Being a child of divorce, I knew how much pain I had caused my step-sons and ex-husband. I held so much shame in my heart and body about what I had done and couldn’t seem to let it go, even though I knew it was the right decision to leave. But as I stood in this pool, with the guardian of the glen looking down on me, repeating ho’oponopono and physically rinsing my body with the sacred waters, I started to feel a completion of this grieving process. A true release of all of the pain and shame I was holding inside towards myself. I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.

Forgiveness is medicine for the soul. When the soul receives medicine, the mental and physical body also receive that medicine. What may be manifesting as a physical or emotional symptom like arthritis, IBS, acne,  autoimmunity, anxiety, depression or insomnia has a much deeper root. Give yourself the freedom of forgiveness. It isn’t always easy, but just repeating those words: “I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you” will literally create a new neural pathway in your brain so that eventually you’ll believe it. Replace a resentful or angry thought with ho’oponopono and your body and sprit will feel lighter.

Remember, darkness and light can’t occupy the same space, nor can anger and love. I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat. This life is yours to make what you will with it. You can’t control what’s happened to you, only how you choose to respond to and assimilate it. Forgiveness may just be the medicine you need.

In vibrant health,

Kendyl 

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Gratitude for lunch

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einstein

I’ve pondered the concept of gratitude for a few years now. It first started when I realized the truth in what Einstein said. I can either choose to be apathetic or annoyed with life, or I can start to focus on the things that are miracles (big or small). And once I started paying attention to these things it seems like they multiplied. I realized that there’s always something to be grateful for. The sun that gives us warmth and light, having a roof over your head, family, music, chocolate (duh), education, etc. And even in the moments when it feels impossible to be grateful for anything, especially ones like when this hot tea that just spilled all over my clothes!… the magic is still there. The magic is in the person next to me rushing to help me clean up and asking if I’m okay. It’s in the barista who runs to get a mop and gets me a new, fresh tea. It’s community. Right? Even in those dark moments, I promise you, if you can attune and focus your energy to the joy and brilliance of everyday moments, you will feel so much happier for it.

I was reminded of gratitude today when I grabbed lunch at Chaco Canyon in Seattle. It’s a fabulous organic and vegan cafe with super healthy and tasty food. I ordered the Gratitude Bowl which is priced on a sliding scale of $3-11 based on what you feel you can afford. I was reminded of how grateful I am for my life and the path I’ve chosen. And it wouldn’t be a reality if not for mentors and coaches who inspired me to live the life I dreamt of. I leave in 20 days for a 2 month solo trip to Europe. I’ll be working remotely because I decided that traveling the world was what I wanted. There were so many obstacles along the way and people/society leading me to believe that a life like this was a fantasy. But with the help of amazing books and mentors, I know that I can design the life I want. And so can you. I learned to relentlessly focus my energy on the goal (traveling Europe for 2 months while still working as a health coach- aka the dream job) and to surround myself with good vibrations so that I would have MORE energy to focus on my goal. This was huge. Start to notice how the people, media, food, and energies your surround yourself with affect your overall motivation and energy. You know those people who just bring you down? Or how when you watch the news/other violent/depressing/dark media (it’s all the same, isn’t it?) you feel tired or deflated? Or how you feel like you’re in a coma after you kill half a batch of gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies while watching Friends during certain times of the month? (Me neither…)

We are energetic beings, and so the energies and vibrations we surround ourselves with will indeed affect our mood and vitality. Gratitude is one of the best ways to start raising your vibration if you feel depleted. If you’re in an emotional rut or stressful situation, take a moment to take a deep breath (deep, full breaths are how we move energy through our body- you should try it sometime!) and think about what you’re grateful for. Even if just for a few moments or a few minutes, if you do this, I promise you you’ll notice a positive difference in how you feel. If you want to be even more proactive about it, beginning and ending each day with an expression of gratitude will be like medicine to your soul.

You can have the life you’re dreaming of. The energy, the job, the partner, the living situation, health, and purpose are all there waiting for you to reach out and claim them. What you focus on becomes bigger: this is the foundation of manifestation. So focus on the goal with unrelenting attention and energy, and I promise you, it’s yours. Remember what Einstein said?

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

Which way will you choose to live?

In deep gratitude,

Kendyl