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A quick look into how NY resolutions can make or break your year
Have you ever had a new year's resolution? One wherein you swore off alcohol, or passed up sugar, or promised yourself a triweekly session at the local gym, or some sort of devotion to a craft or hobby to keep yourself productively busy, or something as simple as less screen time on the phone--the list goes on in a varied spectrum of rationality: from realistic to idealistic to borderline "are you sure about that?!" It's almost like a universal tradition to set goals for the new year. Some have a long list, while others keep it short and sweet. It makes us feel intentional, oriented and prepared. All great things for someone who wants to keep their life together ✋ Now, I'm not saying that in order for you to be a put-together person, you have to have a list of resolutions. I'm sure there is a multitude of successful and put-together individuals out there that don't have a "New Year's Resolutions List", and you might just be one of them. For the people that do make this a tradition and actually stick by it, yours is the power. But for the majority, the vagueness of the word "resolution" may just be its downfall. The word itself tends to set us up for failure. It implies that achieving a goal is as simple as setting the intention to do so (though intention plays a big role). In reality, setting a goal and being intentional about it is just the first part--it's the desk duty. To actually see it through requires implementing carefully designed strategies for making resolutions--or better yet--new habits stick. We all have habits and not all of our habits are good, and that's okay. We have ones that serve us and ones that absolutely do not. These habits are important because we do not only cultivate them, they also have the propensity to impact our lives in the long run. Sometimes, we unintentionally pick them up, and sometimes we build them with so much care and intention. Here lies the beauty of our human capabilities and free will. Our habits in part determine our physical and mental health, shape many of our relationships, help us to achieve our goals, and allow us to embody the type of person we want to be. Always remember, setting resolutions for the sole purpose of checking them off the list is a red flag. The bucket list is not the list. It is self-expansion; it is where you cultivate your habits--the ones that serve you--and watch them grow and flourish as you live your life--not just your year--to the fullest in the brightest of spectrums because, ultimately, all this has very little to do with doing, but more on being.
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With our 21 days of Affirmations mini series up and running for more than two months now, we are paying homage to where it started--and one of the big inspirations for this course. In Louise Hay's published work, What is Mirror Work?, she acknowledges affirmations as effective subconscious messages that establish habitual ways of thinking and behaving. The most powerful affirmations are those that you can truly say out loud with belief and conviction. This is where mirror work becomes supplemental. The mirror, as it reflects your outward self, can also reflect back to you the feelings you have about your inward self.
Statistically the average person's stream of consciousness is 70-90% negative. This depicts the multifarious feelings and thoughts that pass through the human mind on a daily basis. Sometimes, statements in your head can whiten out reality. You might be doing this habitually, through years and years of unconscious practice, or vice-versa (through conscious practice for whatever befitting reasoning). But, just as were you given the innate ability to flip the script towards negativity, you were also given the same faculty to do so towards positivity. Now, you may wonder: Why a 21-day program? Can you totally transform your life in just three weeks? There's no one answer to this. If a major perspective change is too much for you right now, you can start a day at a time by planting seeds towards this affirmative transformation. If you're ready, open and in a position to commit to the exciting and whimsical winds of change, your life can transform swiftly. Adding affirmations shouldn't simply be just a 21-day thing, a "one and done" or a kickstart to a lifetime long automation of self. It's a lifestyle, a practice that you don't only do for the sake of doing, but for the sake of ingraining. And don't let it just stop there--don't let it stop with you. Make it a tradition, something you can pass down from generation to generation. Not only will this practice affect you. Once your energy changes, so does your energy field, which has the influential capacity to affect the people that surround you. That's how powerful you are. Coupled with mirror work, you can be more aware of the words you say, the things you do, what you're resisting and where you are open and flowing. You will then learn to take care of yourself--and the people around you--on a deeper level than you have done before. You become less self-critical, and the 'mirror work' turns into 'mirror play'. Eventually, this will start feeling like less of a program and more of a character trait as you transform into, a more pronounced and positive version of your inner self by developing new and healthy habits of mind that open the door to a more joyous and fulfilling life. Inspiration: https://www.louisehay.com/what-is-mirror-work/ A time for reflection
This time of year always reminds me of the year I spent in Scotland. I arrived on December 13th, 1996, after spending 18 months in rainy Oregon. I had become close with my friend Goldie, who had, with her boyfriend Jason, decided to spend 6 months in Scotland with Jason's roommate, who was doing a semester at Caledonian University. They'd done it right - gotten work visas, made connections, gotten work, etc. Back then, if you can remember, there wasn't a world wide web just yet, but there was email, and Goldie and I stayed in touch when they left in September of 1996 through this first generation of global technology. Calling was expensive, writing was too slow, so it was a new way to communicate, and very gen-1 - black screens with white War Games font and all. From September to December, I'd found someone to sublet my room, sold my car, my bike, and most of my stuff, and parked my cats at my parents house, ready to embark with a one-way standby airline ticket to somewhere in Europe. I landed in Luxembourg, took the bus to the train station, which took me to Brussels, where I caught the ferry to England, took another train to London, slept, and then embarked on the train to Glasgow. I arrived on December 13th to a dark, cold, rainy Scotland. My first thought was, what have I done?? I didn't speak "the language" (Scottish English is VERY hard to understand), I didn't have a job, and by the time I arrived, I'd spend most of my money on what was supposed to be the "cheap way" there. But one thing I appreciate about myself is my ability to reflect and rebound. So I reflected. I slept in, I ate sparingly, I practiced yoga and meditation every day, I walked throughout the big city getting to know it, I wrote letters back home, I communed with my spirit guides, and I read the Celestine Prophesy, 10th Insight and The Only Planet of Choice. I stayed in their flat and worked a little here and there to keep money in my pocket, and I began to rebound. By the time they left 6 weeks later, I was ready to be on my own, take over their flat and their job, and create a life there for the next 11 months. So this time of year, while it's blended with the chaos of the holidays, an imbalance of spending and socializing, its darkness reminds me that it's ok to do all of those things - sleep in, eat less (yes I know, that sounds counter intuitive right now), practice mindfulness, write, and read. But mostly, REFLECT. I also use this time of year to CREATE and ENVISION what I want to manifest and do in the next year, so over the next few weeks you'll get some tips and resources from me on just that - vision boards, visualizations, and MindMovies. Stay tuned. Wishing you and yours a very merry happy holiday week for whatever holiday you celebrate! What are you grateful for?
I can't believe that it's come and gone again! This time of year always feels so... shocking in a way. Exciting, a little stressful, and mostly grateful, too. It always seems that the year comes and goes in a flash, and we're on this wheel of repeat, year in and year out. So one of my annual practices is to slow down and show my gratitude for the year that's passed, while setting intention for the year to come. To do this I have several intentional activities that I engage in, and I encourage you to do the same! I'm a big journaler, I always have been. As an only child, it's a key way for me to process with the sounding board I was always missing. I have boxes and boxes of journals, and I rarely go through them again, unless I'm looking for something. I use them really just to let go of the emotional baggage I'm carrying, or to write my intentions and dreams. So one of my practices this time of year is to write down everything that passed this year that I'm grateful for. I often have to go through photos or calendars to remind me of trips we've taken, people we've gotten to see, or accomplishments we've made. Every year I make a holiday video, so this practice helps me with the other one. I find that writing down all of these accomplishments reminds me that I HAVE done a lot this year to be grateful for, and let's me spend a minute in that self-pride we often don't allow ourselves to have. The other practice is my 2022 CREATION Journal. What do I want to be grateful for at the end of 2022? I write that entry like it's this same day, but at the end of 2022, and I write all the things I've accomplished, the places we've gone, the people we've seen, and the dreams I've created. I hope these two ideas help you – and I hope you do them! Without gratitude, we aren't telling the universe "YES! More of that!" and without dreams and intentions we aren't telling the universe the direction to point "all that" to. Time with the family can bring up old belief patterns, stress, and anxiety that's not always explainable, but suddenly, it's there. Maybe it's that cooky aunt that always makes you feel bad about yourself, maybe it's aaalll the things you need to get done before the entire family comes over. Maybe it's the ungrateful guest that doesn't help in any way, just expects you to do it all. Maybe it's that feeling you wake up with in the morning that is dread for all of it, you can't pick out one thing that adds to your stress, it's all of it. Or... just maybe... it's all the crap you (or your kids/husband) put into your body over the holidays, not connecting that to your mental health at all, and suddenly there's chaos in the house!
Whatever it is, it's hard to stay focused, peaceful and grateful through the holidays, it's just plain and simple. We're going in 10 directions, making food for parties, making sure all the gifts get bought, making sure the gifts fit into the budget, making sure we still get our vegetables!--trust me I've been there. I've got a few relatives that trigger me, I've got a history with control issues and spending issues, I've got a fiercely introverted personality that just wants to stay home and hide. So I wanted to provide you with some tools that I've come to trust to help get me out of the fog of holiday anxiety. I hope they serve you as well as they've served me! 1. Plan your self care: whether that's blocking time to spend outside in the woods or soaking in the hot springs, getting a pedicure or taking a yoga class, I plan my self care with consistency. Every week, before my calendar fills with to-dos and appointments, I fill in the things I want to do for me. Usually that's 3 to 5 time blocks of about 90 minutes each. If I know it's going to be a stressful week, I make sure it's more like 5 sessions, and I book an extra special one like a massage. One caveat--if you think "shopping therapy" or food is a version of self care, let me urge you to shift your thinking on that. Self care is something that brings down your blood pressure, is done alone or with just one other person who is taking care of you (massage therapist, esthetician), and it's preferable if it actually helps you breathe deeper, bonus points for outdoor fresh air. 2. Just say no: during this time of year we take on more than we can, because we think it's right to say yes. But it doesn't serve you to say yes, it just makes you less of you, when you fragment yourself off into smaller and smaller pieces, leaving not much of you to be present in everything you do. It's your presence that's the present to others, just being there to listen, nod, love. So say no to 3 things this week. THREE. If someone asks you to take extra hours at work, say "I'm practicing setting my boundaries, Johnny, and while I appreciate you thinking of me, I am going to have to pass on the extra hours this week." If someone asks you to make an extra four pies for the church function, say "I'm so glad you think so highly of my pies, MaryAnne, but I'm going to have to decline, I can only manage the six I'm already bringing. Thanks!" JUST SAY NO! (Graciously.) 3. Smile more: preferably at inappropriate times. This is one of my favorite anti-anxiety tricks. You see, anxiety is the evil twin of your adult self, the grownup self that feels she has to do everything, get it done, be the grownup, be responsible, suck it up. But the Inner Child in you is the one that really wants to PLAY, to smile, to jump, and laugh, and be loved. So one of my favorite hacks to the anxious adult energy is to smile--preferably at inappropriate times. When your eco-warrior relative lays her guilt trip mindset on you about all the paper you're wasting with wrapping paper, instead of getting defensive and grumbling under your breath and maybe storing up that hurt and anger like little cancer cells, think of me, and SMILE. REALLY BIG. Maybe nod too, maybe giggle a little. You don't have to answer, just smile. It's pretty hard to stay mad at someone while smiling. 4. Breathe: This one seems like a no brainer. It's simple, it's automatic. But we live in a space of shortness--we are never quite fully taking deep breaths. So we have to consciously do that. And when we do, we can fully let go. So try it. When you feel the anxiety coming on, take 5 deep breaths, and try adding something like I love you, or Ho'Oponopono (I love you, I forgive you, I'm Sorry, Thank you). 5. Affirmations: If you haven't seen what we've been sharing lately, we just released a wonderful 21 days of Affirmations Mini Series, and we'd love for you to join us for that! In it we cover so many key points of healthy mindset and peace of mind--that all start with affirmations (over 60 of them through this series!). Check it out! It's my foundation for mental health, and has been for over 20 years now! Wherever you are, and whatever you're doing this holiday, we hope that you work on your own inner peace throughout, so that you can help us cultivate a more peaceful, loving world for generations to come. Let's get inspired – together
On the 15th of September, Andy started a sit-down, "let's talk" series on all the interesting nuggets she's learned from highly influential individuals all throughout her journey. These individuals and their works have helped her develop the methods, courses, and work she does. Reflect. We all have people like that in our lives, don't we? People who have helped us grow and become the very person we are today. Here to share it with you, you can catch each "All I Learned From" video on YouTube or listen to it on podcast. If you have your very own "All I Learned From person" in mind, whether it be your parent, child, family member, friend or someone famous (you've yet to meet!), we'd love to hear what you've learned from that person. Big or small. Remember, it's made you into the individual you are today! Have you read "The Way of the Peaceful Warrior", or James Redfield's "The Celestine Prophecy"? If not, they are amazing reads that we definitely recommend! If YOU would like to recommend a read to us, please send us an email of a book recommendation you have! Send it to admin@innerselflightworks.com Skate through the holidays with a
healthy mindset Last week I wrote about Montana and my lessons in maintaining a healthy mindset on the road... but what I didn't include was what birthed out of that time away – and it's exciting! This week we're launching AFFIRMATIONS – A Mini Workshop – 21 days! Affirmations are just a small part of what's included in Manifesting with Synchronicity, but it's actually a really big tool for manifesting – so I wanted to extract this and give it to you for the holidays at a very low, affordable price. Back in July we did a podcast on Affirmations – listen to that here for a preview! Check out our page for Affirmations and sign up now to join us for 21 days of Affirmations plus LIVE Q&A sessions with Andy on Tuesdays (starting tomorrow!). You can sign up by Tuesday morning to get that notification sent straight to you. ALSO! Join our Affirmations Facebook Group to get into that Q&A session, and submit your question about affirmations here! This Affirmations workshop runs through 12/31/21. So sign up now and use the next 6 weeks to manifest greatness with us! The lesson is: RISE. I just returned from 5 days in Bozeman, Montana with two of my favorite people -- talking about clearing energy, creating a new reality, and living our truth. I woke up earlier than usual every day to attend a live conference with my network marketing buddies, so I came home a little sleep-deprived. I had yet another scare with Ziggy the foam-eating-monster while I was gone, and he had a trip to the ER that turned out to be a false alarm, thank God. So my intuition and ability to keep my cool was tested. I bring all this up because even when I try to slow down, I don't. Even when I try to plan -- whether that's a break or work -- life is always shifting, moving and changing. And it's our ability to roll with the punches and still hold a positive attitude -- that's the lesson. I was tested this week... my intuition was tested, my introversion was tested, my love of connection was tested... and I asked one of my friends "do you think it's all a lesson," and her answer was the same that my mother gave me a few weeks ago — "no, sometimes it's just bad luck." Well, I don't believe in luck. And I do believe that Earth is School. So what's the lesson? This is what I came up with: Rise. Rise above the noise, the fear, the confusion. Rise up. Rise to the challenge. Rise. Sometimes it's harder to do that than others, but what else is there if we don't get back up and do it better the next time?  Letting go to allow the Flow. . .
Happy November friends! We have a lot coming down the pipe this month! For starters... I'm so excited! We have a brand new video that we launched on Friday, titled: Clearing the 3 Obstacles to Transformation: Letting Go to Allow the Flow! In this, I cover a lot of ground, share a deeper level of my story, and talk about how these obstacles are the same across the board. Over the years, I have come to find that everyone has the same three objections that all block their future self from unfolding: I don't have enough time, I don't have enough money, and I don't believe -- whether that's in myself, in the person or thing I'm looking at. Do you think that those things will block your greatness? Heck yeah they do! And the only way to step into your biggest potential is clearing those. In the video I also talk about the ways I've worked through those myself! My team and I have been working hard on creating this video for you, and I'm so happy with how it's turned out! I hope you take a moment to check it out, and when you do, tell me what you think! Your feedback is imperative to us! Watch that video now! https://bit.ly/clear3obstaclesTT And second... in just 3 short days is our 11/11 launch of Manifesting with Synchronicity, and you guessed it, these two releases go hand in hand! Let me share a secret with you... I've been thinking about throwing in the towel. I have two other big focuses in my life right now -- 1. my network marketing team is expanding exponentially and it's intense and sometimes all-consuming, but thrillingly exciting, to be a part of; and 2. my novel about my great-grandfather needs my attention, too. Big time. So I thought long and hard about running the Synchronicity course again. It did really well in 2020, but it hasn't been finding the target since then. At first, this confused me, and we kept pivoting and retrying with our marketing tactics. Then, it made me think, is this what I should be doing? I wasn't sure anymore, maybe it was a sign — maybe it was synchronous. But when I started sharing with a few close friends that I may need to just pull the plug, a former student and dear friend said, Andy, you can't NOT teach this, it's your life's work! And she's right, in a way. I've always felt that this course is my calling, my mission. But if I can't manifest students, who am I to be teaching a course on manifesting? So you see, even for someone who's spent 20 years doing the work on a positive mindset, and listening for the signs, the monkey-mind critic still creeps in. But instead of throwing in the towel, I doubled down. I decided to launch a new webinar about obstacles, and to run another campaign to find our people. People who want to rise above the fear matrix that's pervasive right now. People who want to learn and practice the tools it takes to live in a higher vibration. People who want to make a bigger impact on the world. People who will take the tools we give them and help this planet transform. So I ask you, do you know anyone like that? Anyone who is ready to rise above the fear, live in a higher vibration, make a bigger impact, and help this planet transform!? If so, please send them this. Because we can't do this alone. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, for helping me live my mission of facilitating the new era of love and light. Here's to clearing the obstacles and living the Celestine way! This past week was utterly magical. 2000 of our healthiest friends were able to gather, finally. And as you know, it feels like it's been a lifetime since we could do that. Usually, our Juice Plus Community gathers twice a year at a spring and fall "JPLIVE" conference in rotating cities with about 10,000 strong. We haven't done so since fall of 2019. My takeaways from this week were many, but one thing I know — is the LIGHT that we create when we're together. One thing I love that I can trust about this community because of the type of mission work we do, is that we're all healthy. Health focused, body-aware, conscientious and conscious, and eating lots and lots of plant matter. Daily. #IMMUNESTRONG What other group of people can you say that about?! Name one. I dare you. (Okay, maybe you go to vegan conferences, but I still bet we have you beat!) And one thing I do know about eating that much plant matter, is that it raises your vibration THROUGH THE ROOF. The very first time my husband Craig and I attended a conference with this crew, there we were in the main hall, spring of 2015, looking around us at all the people wide awake, bright eyed and chipper at 8 AM, dancing to very loud rave-like music. And then we realized: "These people are all hopped up on Fruits and Veggies!" BINGO moment for sure.  So when we're together, that collective, even at 20% our normal capacity, with 2 years of build-up, we are STRONG, BRIGHT, SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE!
And it was glorious. If you're looking to join a collective like that. Reach out. No experience required. |
Andy KennedyThese are samples of our emails and podcasts – and you can subscribe to both! Subscribe to our podcasts at this RSS or search "Innerself Lightworks" in your podcast platform to find us!
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