Lessons from Speaking at TEDX

So it's officially over. 

I spoke on my dream stage and it was everything I hoped it would be. 

I felt beautiful. I felt powerful. I felt like the true me came out that day. 

But it took A LOT of effing work. Way more than I thought it would be. But it was SOOOO worth it. And it brought out so much from inside of me. I grew. I got clarity. I gained perspective. 

And so as with any monumental milestone, the journey there is where the gems are. I am still processing it all, but I'm going to start with some of my big lessons. Some of the greatest hits from the past 2 months, where I literally stopped my life for this talk. I took a major pause on social media, being social and public, writing my book and pretty much everything else aside from the necessities.

I rewrote this thing at least 10 times, and had to recite it at each of the 5 rehearsals with the TEDx team/speakers - many of which I showed up with a different version of my speech because while I was practicing, I was still in the process of honing it down to what I wanted to say - the hardest part of this whole process.

But once I got it - I got itt. It was like it clicked and practice became easier, I became inspired and those I practiced it for were moved. So here is what I learned (so far) from speaking at TEDx: 

1. Be prepared. I thought I would wing it, like I've done several times before on the stage, but for some reason, I didn't want to do it that way this time. I wanted to be Intentional. Impactful. I wanted to take the audience through a journey and make them feel things and learn things, and feel inspired. I know I am inspirational, but I knew it needed to be EXTRA good. So I wrote it out, and practiced like over 100 times, over and over and over again. I practiced the speech with the powerpoint. I practiced it with mistakes, stopping in the middle during a distraction and continuing on. I practiced with and without the timer. I recorded it and listened to it like it was my favorite song. I practiced it so much so I became the speech.
2. Expect to win. This terrified the shit out of me. For a few weeks, I expected to lose. Expected to fail. That of course didn't serve me. It brought my energy down, I couldn't memorize and it would've created a completely different reality than what I wanted. Expect to win. We create our own reality. Why would I focus on what I don't want? I was forced to face my fears and surrender - so what if I messed up? So what if I forgot my lines? I expected to win but at the same time, surrendered. It's a fine line.. 
3. Embrace the labor. It was a labor. That's what it felt like. Painful. Hard. Emotional. Climaxing. Waves. Sometimes I felt depressed. At one point I wanted to give up. But I had to keep reminding myself that it was necessary and to just embrace it. When would I do this again? When would the journey be in this exact way? NEVER. Even if I do a TEDx again, the moment would never be the exact same. So I embraced it for the sake of knowing it would be over and done with. I savored it. I breathed it in. Soaked in all the moments- the scary, the ugly, the breath-taking. I've never done it like this before. Never alllll of the moments. 
4. Don't stop using your tools. This is probably the most important of all. When I felt low, when I felt the pain, I was tempted to stop meditating. To stop tapping into stillness. But this is probably the MOST IMPORTANT time to do it all. It keeps it all moving. 
5. Be flexible. Change is constant. We are a process. Always moving. Always evolving. Nothing truly fixed. Like life. We sometimes want it to be fixed. A lot of the time we do. Because change can be scary. But change is the one thing you can be certain of. Embrace it. Flow with it. Ebb and flow like the ocean. 
6. Surrender. When I was finally mic'd up and I had only a minute before it was my turn, there was a moment my heart felt like it was going to bust through my chest. I took a deep breath and surrendered. I allowed myself to be a vessel. An instrument. When I was up on that stage, I felt so connected. I remember the mic didn't work right off the bat, and somehow the words kept flowing while I held the thought of wondering if I should keep going. But I went with it. And I flowed. I became a channel. Not worrying about the words.. About the speech. I trusted, opened my mouth and my body and it just came through me.
7. Receive. When we channel, or become the instrument, we must be open to receive. If we fight it and resist - wanting to stay in control, wanting for it to be perfect or however we want it, we get stuck. Receive. We are just instruments of the Universe. Life just flows through us. It is when we resist that things get stuck - stagnant energy, stagnant emotions, memories, moods, beliefs, disease. Just accept, flow and receive. 

This was definitely the most important event of my career so far. I am grateful I was able to do it and that I made it my job so I got the outcome I wanted. I wanted to be proud of it so I could share it with pride and confidence. 

Anything in life that is hard is good. Nothing worth doing is easy. It's how we grow. 

Do you dream of doing something big? Maybe it's TEDx? Maybe its something else. I'd love to hear about it! 

xo

M

Why Do We Question Our Rise?

The rising sun does not think about whether to rise each morning. It does not question its potential or  its ability to rise. It surrenders to its purpose, its calling, its own wisdom without a second of doubt and rises each morning with brilliance and radiance. This is your potential. This is who you are. You are just as magnificent as the sun, with the potential to rise each morning. We only stop ourselves from rising with our limited mind. 

What would life be like if the sun had free will?

I have been pondering this question for quite some time. I can tell you that after working with LOTS of women over the last 3 and a half years, I have come to conclusion that it is because we have simply forgotten. We come into this life with part of us as a blank slate - the biological part of us that gets molded during pregnancy, during childhood, and throughout our lives. While the other part of us, our soul, keeps us connected to our truth - who we really are. I feel so blessed as a mother, being able to have learned so much by meeting so many women, hearing their stories, learning their brains, their history, so I can see and feel the patterns that are the outcome of this molding and see how my own behavior and energy is currently molding my children, and how they are molding me.

So what are we remembering exactly? That we are the source of all creation. That we have only taken into account part of us - our biological part- when we call ourselves by our names. That we have forgotten to know our soul, wholly and completely. There is a massive shift happening towards this remembering at this very moment, as we continue to evolve, an evolution that is happening right now, at this very minute. 

And so my question for you today is: what would life be like if you woke up every morning with a certainty, a knowingness, so natural it IS YOU, about your potential - like the knowingness the sun has to rise, or the knowingness a caterpillar has when it enters the cocoon, that all will be exactly as it should on the other end.

What would life be like for you if you knew that the word "enough" wasn't even enough, because words can't even compare to the magnificence that you are?

What would would you do if failure didn't exist? This my darling is a trick question, because failure does not exist. It is a figment of your imagination, a meaning you have created. Yesterday's failures are today's seeds of potential. All just information and energy. All here to support your growth and brilliance. 

If you find you are having fear of what is to come, and are having a challenging time surrendering to the uncertainty of the Universe and to your life, here is a Kundalini Yoga meditation for having Fear of the Future. FIND IT HERE

Sending you lots of power and peace this week! xoxo

- M

Are you Living? Or Are you Existing?

Something I know very well. For most of my life, my choices were based on what was happening externally. What did the world want? What would be pleasing to the people around me? What can I choose or do that would gain me the most acceptance? How can I continue to get reassurance that I am liked and that there is harmony? How can I avoid conflict? 

A very exhausting way to live. Never in flow. Always in resistance. Resistance with myself. It was scary to just be. What does that even mean? 

It wasn't until 2 major things happened in my life - I became a mom and I became an entrepreneur that things started subtly shifting. I didn't even know it. Next thing you know, I'm making leaps and bounds, selling my law firm and living a life I always wanted. 

But, because this is a life long journey, the lesson was sure to come back again.. and so it did. This year. I got the stage I wanted. TEDx. And I got poked. Over and over again. Worried. Tormented. Until I wanted to give up. I actually thought about giving up -  a recurring conversation I had with my husband - because I was scared. Terrified. Scared of doing great. Scared of doing bad. Just plain scared. All of a sudden I didn't know what I was doing anymore. And it spread. I started questioning EVERYTHING. I had an infestation of doubt. And I stopped all of my daily tools, routines. I became exhausted. 

And then a week ago my father had a stroke. His health took a downward turn and he found himself helpless with little movement and lots of sadness. Wishing he had more time. Unfulfilled wishes. And it was a slap in the face. Everything I was taking for granted. Seriously?? This is how I was going to let it all go down?? 

I'm sad for my father. I'm thankful we spent time together. I'm humbled by the Universe and it's profound messages. I'm grateful for my life and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

I want to live. I don't want to wait until it's too late to feel alive. Because feeling alive doesn't just have to be a momentary thing. We can have this more times than not - I know this. 

So my question to you is - are you living, or are you just existing? 

Redefine Yourself.

You think you are your name. You think you are this identity. This is only a part of who you are. You are SO MUCH MORE than this name. You are undefinable. 

We limit ourselves by our own identity and who we think we are in the world. You have defined yourself based on how you see yourself, your behavior, your action, what you look like - your personality. Even if you think highly of yourself, you think you are the best at everything you do- it is still limited. Because you are undefinable. 

You have limited yourself within flesh and skin-like boundaries, a beginning and an end where the environment meets you and you meet it. But this is false. It is an illusion. There is no boundary. You are the environment. You are all of it. You are me too. You are all of us. You are everything. 

How different would life be like if you were coming from that place as if it were real. As if it were true? How would it affect your decision-making if you woke up every morning as if you were the Universe, and not you - the you who slept on the wrong side of the bed, or the you that needs coffee to wake up, or the you that needs to brush your teeth? What if you woke up like - I am the coffee and I am the toothbrush. And I am the sun. And I am the sky. And I am the galaxies, and my strangers, and the ocean, and the roots in the ground. I not only created it all, but I AM All of it. Powerful enough to keep the earth orbiting around the sun. Powerful to keep the tides rising. Powerful to give the sun it's light. Powerful to give the stars in the night sky it's twinkle. Powerful enough to keep the plants breathing and make babies in my belly and to keep my heart beating without trying to. 

You are powerful my dear. All you have to do is believe. Redefine yourself today as undefinable. This is you. 

How Often Do You Use Your "Powers"?

The day I found out the "secret" about the Universe, I remember feeling almost upset that I hadn't learned it earlier. That the first part of my life was a sham - so much unneeded suffering. I eventually got over it as I became more aware, more connected, realizing that I wasn't ready to receive the information, which is why I hadn't learned it until then. But at the time, I couldn't understand why I wasn't taught that in school. Rather than learning theories and taking classes that I would never use in real life, why wasn't I taught about my inherent power of intelligence? Why wasn't I taught that I could collapse invisible waves of information into particles of my desire using my thoughts and feelings? Why wasn't I taught how to meditate or that mindfulness would expand my brain so much that I could become smarter, sharper and better at dealing with the stresses of life?  That would've been helpful!!

So when I had the chance, I left my old career of being an attorney so I can educate the world of this Truth. My goal is that one day it will be in schools, that this knowledge will be so mainstream and stop being classified as WOO WOO.

And when I became a mom, it became a part of my mission to educate my kids about the Truth about who they are. My daughter, now 5, knows about her chakras, that she is energy and is a part of everything in her reality. She knows the trees are alive and that we are all connected. She knows she has "powers" and has used it already to manifest things in her life. 

The other day my mom was in town visiting, and told me this story of their escapades out and about. They were in search of a store to buy something she needed for school. When they got to the store, it looked as if it were closed. My mom said, "Oh, I hope it's open!" My daughter replied with, "Abu, if you believe it will be open, it will be. That's how it works." 

It makes me so happy to know that she is already learning this information, about who she is - creative potential. That she is connected to others - so she can recognize herself in others. That she is connected to the Earth and that it is alive - so she can begin to take care of it. She is using this everyday and it has become who she is. This is what the future of our human race needs- for us all to wake up.

Now, if you are reading this, there is a part of you that believes you also have powers. You believe you can manifest, make things happen with your mind. The problem I see in working with my students is that they don't 100% believe they create the reality around them. There is a limited view on their own manifesting powers. You co-create the ENTIRE reality you see. That's right, YOU. For some reason, there is a manifesting movement right now that shows us we write things down or think about the things we desire, and then we try to manifest them. And if we don't see a fast turnaround (like we do with everything else in our lives) we don't believe it's really happening. But if you're a big dreamer like I am, just imagine what might need to happen in order to make your dreams a reality. Things need to be built or broken down. People need to shift around. You need to be ready and have created space for this thing you've asked for. Subtle shifts occurring in the Universe that you can't see. But believe it. You've got powers, baby.

So how am I so damn sure? Well for starters, it's been proven. I've read the research on how just by observing i.e. thinking, we can collapse the wave-particle function , i.e. manifest. I've also experienced this for years myself. I think and I see it happen. And the more aware I become - because it neverends - you think you're aware now, but believe me, you never stop - I see more and feel more. 

So I want to ask you, how often are you using your powers? Daily? Weekly? Only when you do a vision board or when you have time to journal? If you really believed in all of this, wouldn't you only focus on what you want ALL THE TIME? Why would you focus on anything else??

This should be a daily and then moment to moment practice. Practice being present as often as you can remember. Start your day off with a meditation and visualization, then think about the intentions you want to set. What do you want to accomplish? Who do you need to be today? You'll realize how much faster and efficient life will become once you work smarter - using your mind, using intentions - rather than harder - more doing, acting. 

Connect to the ideal version of you - because in some potential reality, the happy, healthy version of you ALREADY exists. You just need to let her show up and you can do this by BEING her already. Don't get tripped up with what your reality looks like and that "something" needs to occur first. Just BElieve it. And then let me know. Because I love hearing these stories! And if you have one that I believe will help the world, I'll interview you for my book coming out this Winter. 

Stay Mindful, 

Monica

Love is Who We Are.

As a mom with 2 kids, and EVERYTHING else I do currently - I can lose myself quickly. I used to feel guilty anytime I'd lose my patience or when I'd get frustrated and flustered. Then I realized- I'm not perfect, I will never be perfect, and that is OK because I am human and I need to ALWAYS be growing, especially as a Spiritual Teacher. 

When you allow acceptance into your life, the energy shifts from resistance to flow. It becomes a beautiful opportunity every time, and you can actually see it that way. Now, it is not always easy, believe me. When I'm knee high with Barbies, paint, slime and also trying to answer client texts and emails - I get stressed. But this is where I have learned to let love lead. 

Love is what and who we are. It is fear and everything else that we have learned and become. This is evident by nature - everything flows with loving kindness. The bee doesn't hate you when it stings you. The flower doesn't get frustrated when it cannot reach the light. The sun doesn't feel competitive over the moon. There is only love. 

So when we can tap into this ourselves - love for ourselves, love for each other, letting go of the resistance, shaking off the stagnation, releasing anything we are holding on to, and instead loving and being here - JUST HERE, right now with ourselves, with each other, we are ALWAYS at our best. Because our best is who we really are. When we think too much or limit ourselves or others, we put up walls, protection, ego, judgment - fear runs the show. 

So here are some ways to invite more love into your body, mind and life:

1. Meditate - meditation slows your mind down, it connects you to the parts of your brain that activate empathy, altruism, compassion, overriding the limbic fear and stress response part of your brain. It also allows you to stop reacting, see the world for what it really is - love and information, rather than any past meanings we have created in our minds. Here is one of my favorites that will open your heart. CLICK HERE
2. Allow- bring love in, requires us to allow it in. We must be open to receive as there is a flowing through that happens. If we resist it because of fear or judgment, we stop the flow in our lives and into the collective. Allow it in - be vulnerable, and open. Love fearlessly and don't expect anything in return. 
3. Accept- we must accept who we have become and who we see others as in order to bring more love into our lives. When we don't accept, we create resistance in our minds which causes suffering. We become uneasy about things and again stop the flow. Accept and you shall see things move. 
4. Respond- Life is simply responding back to you at every moment - an energetic reflection of you. Everything - us, you, me, everything belong to a fluid field of energy that is who we are, within us, through us, and connects us. Thus, everything that comes into your awareness is feedback or a response to you. Learn to simply respond back. Anything other than simply responding back to this information is resistance. 

When we learn to become more aware, we can do all of these thing with ease, because it is our true essence. Awareness allows us to tap into this true part of ourselves. Everything that isn't awareness isn't who we REALLY are - it is the parts of us that hold on, resist, fear and judge. 

Learn more about awareness and become an Aware Self in my newest program! Click here for more details! 

The Stranger Myth: We Were Meant to Meet

You're waiting in line at the coffee shop and the person behind you sparks up a conversation with you about the scones. Next thing you know, you exchange something unexpected - maybe a message you were waiting for. Maybe a lesson or reminder. Maybe even just a smile that you needed. How did they know? What a coincidence! Right when I needed it! How is that possible? 

Ever have a moment of reflection like that? Well I'm here to tell you that strangers are not real. There is no such thing as a stranger. I know - I know. You're mom told you not to say hello to strangers. Meaning, don't talk to anyone you don't already know, except for friends, family etc. Which may be why it might be hard for you to get comfortable with speaking to people you don't know - just a quick note. But I'm here to debunk your mom, and here's why... 

Let's start from the beginning. Can you agree with me that there are no coincidences? There is a certain "order" in the Universe that orchestrates the world with a certain precision or intelligence. Therefore there are no "coincidences" or "mistakes". Because if there were, then we would be saying that there is a flaw or mistake in the fabric of the Universe and that is false. Based on the fact that there are no coincidences or mistakes, then there must be a purpose for everything. Everything is intentionally created. If it wasn't supposed to be there, it just wouldn't be. If it exists, there must have been a reason for it's existence or else it wouldn't exist at all. The mere existence of something, tells us there is a purpose. So based on this idea, people can never be "strangers". This is what I call the Divinity of Relationships. 

Let's go back to the coffee shop example. Although you may not personally know (or think you know) the person who sparks up a conversation with you, based on the Divinity of Relationships, you were both supposed to be there at that exact moment, standing in line next to each other. If you weren't both meant to be there, then you just wouldn't be there or someone would be minutes late, and the encounter would never happen. Therefore it is a Divine Encounter , an encounter of purpose and meaning. What's interesting is that because most of us carry that old "Don't talk to strangers" tape in our heads from childhood, we don't see the opportunity of speaking with people we don't know. 

Let's take it back to the coffee shop. The Divinity of Relationships tells us that based on the ancient spiritual principles and science of energy, every single person at the coffee shop at that exact moment or any given moment, is supposed to be there. Therefore, theoretically if you went up to every single person and sparked up a conversation, there would be meaning in the encounter for you or for them. No mistakes or coincidences! 

The realization of this idea has transformed how I see my life. I used to be super shy and uncomfortable with speaking to people I didn't know. But once I realized that I was missing out on opportunities - opportunities to learn or teach, and they were all meant for me - no matter where I was - then I shifted my perspective and now I make a point to speak to anyone I can. 

Sometimes it's just a smile or a hello. Maybe its being compassionate to someone if they are in a bad mood or having a bad day. Maybe it's a conversation so they know they matter. Whoever it is, I try to leave them in a better place than when they met me. It has become a way of being and it's made me happier because I'm in alignment with the natural flow of the Universe (rather than resistance) and I'm giving the gift of attention. It's a win win. Not to mention, I always gain something too. Maybe it's the smile I need, or a message, or a connection. It's an opportunity that we usually miss because we think we are separate. We are all connected, all one, all a piece of the fabric of the Universe. One love, baby. 

I challenge you to debunk the Stranger Myth this week. Try it out - see every encounter as an opportunity. Could be on the phone with customer service or at the coffee shop. Maybe it's a birthday party or the ladies bathroom. No coincidences. No mistakes. 

The Confidence Factor

So I'm having an event February 11 called the Confidence Factor (You can check it out here). 

And I decided to have this event because over the past month in talking to women I've had a lot of self-reflection of where I came from. I've been telling my story of where I am now and where I was, but I guess I hadn't really stopped and thought about it - the immense transformation I have gone through. 

The Universe provided me with opportunities this month to remember so I wanted to share it with you.

That I had zero confidence and self-esteem which affected me in every area of my life. I remember being such an amazing athlete and giving up before the finish line because I was afraid. Not jumping on opportunities because I was too scared. Not telling someone how I really felt because of fear. No self-care, I was promiscuous, and didn't value my worth.  I was addicted to drinking and drugs and escaping constant from my reality. 

I didn't actually realize I was smart until law school, and I didn't fully own it until much later. I had an unhealthy relationship with food and my body. I remember being so mean to myself and the names I would call myself in my head. 

I had no friends. No relationships. I ruined all of them with fear and avoidance of conflict. 

That at one point, my marriage was a co-dependent relationship where I depended on my husband to fulfill me and complete me in all the voids of my life. So when he decided to have a life or he started to become successful I was filled with severe insecurity and jealousy and fear which almost broke us apart. 

I felt like a victim to my own life. Chaos. Powerlessness. Holding myself to impossible standards which set myself up for failure. Seeing a vision of who I wanted to be, but not believing in myself enough to try to get there. 

I can put myself back there and see it.

And then I remember reaching my 30's and there was one birthday where I woke up and thought, holy shit, I love myself! I don't want to be anyone else! 

And I've only fallen deeper and deeper in love with myself since. Embracing all of my scars, cracks, imperfections, and flaws. It's what makes me, ME. And I wouldn't change a damn thing. 

I'll be sharing my journey on February 11, along with what I did (and what I do daily) to keep stepping up my game. 

You can register here if you'd like to join me. 

Feel it. See it. Be it.

Wow! This year has been one hell of a year already!! Scared the crap out of myself a few times, but it was all worth it. Limits give us comfort, that's why they're there. So when we push them, the process can be a little scary.

This has been the theme of my year so far. Pushing my limits.

As you may know if you've been following my journey, I had a HUGE fear of public speaking. Terrified of connection, vulnerability, authenticity and communication, aka PEOPLE. So instead of running towards them, I'd run away. I'd avoid conflict and all conversations generally, especially with strangers. I was super comfortable with the comfortable. Until one day, I decided to change all of that. A simple (not easy) decision.

So after pushing myself for about a couple years now, into this new realm of public speaking, I am happy to say I am done being afraid of it. So much so, that I actually love it. 

My dream has always been to speak about things that I'm passionate about and that matter to the world on stages that create change. My big dream is to travel the world as a global leader of change, speaking my passion about humanity and compassion as a humanitarian to inspire change in the world. 

About a couple of months ago when this all showed up for me in a meditation, I decided that this was going to happen and so I started to visualize it. 

Then a few weeks ago I got the opportunity to apply to speak in front of a crowd of 10,000 people about my message, and so I applied - what the hell, right?

And when I got selected, I don't think I understood the magnitude of this until... I got on stage. 

Being terrified was an understatement LOL! You could feel the energy of the crowd penetrating your veins. It was so overwhelming. 

But thank goodness I had visualized this moment over and over again in the days leading up to this event, so I was able to get myself centered quickly as I had done so many times in my visualization. 

You see breaking limits are scary because we don't know what's beyond them. What would we see or feel? What would the consequence be? Can I handle it? 

But when you experience it a few times before it actually happens, it takes some of the "scary" out of it. 

So I invite you to try to live more intentionally. You can do this on a daily basis or right before you're about to break the rooftop off. 
What does it feel like? 
What do you see? 
Who do you need to be? 
Connect to it. Feel it. See it. BE IT. 

I use this technique (modified and expanded of course) with myself and my clients and the outcome is INCREDIBLE.

Want more confidence? 
Want less fear?
Want more love? 
Want more power? 

Visualize it. 

You are SO powerful. All you have to do is believe. 

Watch my speech here:

Monotasking in the Workplace

Have you heard of the term Monotasking yet? 

It's when you focus on one task at a time, versus multitasking where you focus on a variety of tasks at a time. 

What's interesting is for the longest time, people believed that multitasking was a great quality. We even put it on resumes as a skill. 

But there’s a lot of different research showing that if you do several different things at one time, you make so many errors, it’s done carelessly, you have to go back and redo things, other people have to correct you. So now there’s more of a shift towards ‘How do we train our brains to do one thing at a time again with total attention?' -->THE ART OF MONOTASKING.

So what exactly are the benefits of monotasking? You are left feeling more focused and with greater clarity to work strategically because you have your full attention in one place, all your creativity channeled to one task. 

Companies are seeing this as now seeing this as performance enhancement which boots productivity and ultimately profit. 

Are you a multitaskter or a monotasker? I'd love to hear your comments!

If you knew that you would die tomorrow, what would you be doing today?

This past week I signed up to become a member of this awesome community space called the Center for Social Change. During the member orientation, I was asked, "If you knew that you would die tomorrow, what would you be doing today?"

I love these thought provoking questions because they shock you into thinking about things outside of your daily routine forcing you to think and tap into your creativity. 

So what would you do? Would you spend your last day working at your 9-5? Would you spend it worrying about paying your bills or that the kitchen isn't clean? Would you leave the Earth stressed and worried? 

It was interesting to listen to the various answers that were said. One guy said he wanted to do lots of drugs and have lots of sex lol. The whole room of course chuckled at this answer but it was so honest. 

For the most part, the entire room said they wanted to be with family or away traveling and doing something really awesome. They all wanted to be surrounded by love and doing things that mattered and that they've always wanted to do. 

But why do we wait until our last moments to do this? Why do we wait until literally the day we die to do the things that matter in our lives or the things we've always wanted to do? Why wait? Why not do it now? Why do we continue to live the life we hate or aren't jumping up and down with joy for? Why do we stay in a relationship that we aren't passionate about or just kinda happy with? Why not be in one with someone we are crazy about? Why not live a life we are crazy about? And do things that make our heart sing? Why are we living life kinda happy? 

This is the sort of realization I had when I was on top of a mountain in the middle of the ocean on my honeymoon in the British Virgin Islands. I invested $200,000 and 3.5 years of my life in a career I was kinda happy with, but was giving me panic attacks. What the hell was I doing? Why was I slaving away when I only have one life?  Why the hell wasn't I enjoying my life NOW? I was so stressed during my honeymoon it was hard at first to enjoy the incredible beauty of the island and just to relax. It was this discovery that led me to choose to be happy now. To make the decision to live my life in a way that some might not agree with but to me, it was the only way. So I left my law firm and followed my heart. 

Following your heart is a daily decision. We need to first know what it means and feels to follow our hearts. I meet so many women who are just like me. They focused their entire lives on their professional lives and careers and then they have an oh shit moment. What now?? Who the hell am I? What do I want? 

My answer to this is this: 

You are SO lucky. You're lucky you didn't wait or have this Oh Shit moment when you found out you were going to die tomorrow. You are finding this out NOW when you have the WHOLE REST OF YOUR LIFE to live! How amazing is this!!

All it takes is a shift. A shift in perspective of I have so much missing in my life, to this is space for something new and exciting. When we look at our lives this way, we bring in gratitude, the energy that will shift your circumstances. 

Listen. The key to this journey is listening. Listening with your heart and your feelings.  Take note of your feelings as your daily life happens. What do you love doing? What excites you? If you can't hear anything, be still. Slow down for 3 minutes and meditate. If you don't have time for this, do you have time to feel like shit? Everything in our lives is a choice. 

Stay open and take action.  Once you find a way, any way, even if it's out of left field, explore it. We have tunnel vision in our own lives. The Universe on the other hand knows what we don't know and knows what's best for us. Try it, do it, take the leap. What's the worst thing that could happen? You might be the happiest you've ever dreamed of? 

This journey back to you, is the most beautiful journey you will every take of unfolding and becoming. It is what we are here for. To figure out who we are and as we love ourselves more because we are finally being who we are meant to be, we end up loving others more. It makes the world a better place. 

Don’t wait to begin your life, or live your dream. Find out more about my Next Level You Strategy Day and how you can move forward powerfully!

Until next time beauties!

Monica

Watch my TEDx Talk about my journey! 

https://youtu.be/A6jfvWnYsWM

Staying Motivated When Life Throws You a Curve Ball

When we feel numb or lack motivation, it feels impossible to grow our business or show up in life. Life is made up of cycles with ups and downs, so knowing how to react to these "lows" are essential to keeping momentum in your life and stay awake to opportunities. It is also important for our happiness and mental sanity. 

So how do we do this? How do we stay motivated when we feel like crap? 

1. BE PRESENT. Staying mindful and present is key here. You can do this by using your breath and body awareness. The presence is where the magic happens and where we are most happiest. We lose this when we are worried about the past or the future. 

2. GET UP AND MOVE. Our physiology has everything to do with how we feel. If you slump over or have a depressed posture, you will feel this same way emotionally and mentally. Do like Bob Marley and Get up, Stand up! Move your body and shake it off and you will literally shake off your funk.

3. DO SOMETHING THAT EXCITES YOU. Create opportunities where you feel excited and passionate. This can be dancing, being creative, being around people or working out. Do what works for you. This will create a feeling of inspiration and euphoria, the fuel behind motivation. 

4. GRATITUDE. What can you be thankful for right now? Sure, you're life isn't perfect, it won't ever be, so being thankful RIGHT NOW is vital to getting motivated. 

Here are the full steps and explanations: 

Alright, hope this helps! Please let me know what you think and as always, let me know what you want to hear! 

Create a Morning Ritual

When we wake up from sleep is a pivotal time in our day. Minutes after we open our eyes is called the twilight period. Our brain is still catching up and we are still not awake. Most of us reach for our phone right when we wake up and begin looking on social media or emails. This sets our day into reaction mode right from the start and we never get out of it. We are reacting and stuck in this cycle all day and it becomes harder to create space for strategy or creativity.

What can we do differently? How about start of your day consciously. Start it off with space and stillness. Check out my latest video to find out how you can set yourself up for success before you day even starts. 

This is what I personally do and it helps me tremendously. I'm not perfect of course, and when I grab for my phone, my day is significantly different than on days I stay away from technology and start with intentions. Hope this helps you as much as it has helped me! 

Intuition vs. Ego

Being human, allows us to experience the world through 2 different ways: the Self and the Ego. When we experience life through the Self or Spirit, we are aligned with our dharma, our path. We experience life as limitless possibilities and in a high vibration. We experience miracles, blessings and synchronicities, where life just seems to be working for us. Everything is going our way. We feel in control and intuned, attracting our desires and experiencing joy and fulfillment. When we experience life through the Ego, we look at life with fear-colored glasses. We are afraid to try new things, we judge moments and people, we fail to use creativity in our lives and our decisions and we do what we've always done. Through this experience, we feel disconnected, alone, afraid and weak. We forget that we are apart of the whole and life seems very unpredictable and scary. Every moment, we have a choice to decide how we want to live our life. Though Spirit or through Ego. When we live life through Spirit, we have full access and hear our intuition clearly. Our intuition is our inner GPS system that guides us along our spiritual journey, telling us to move forward or step back. When we are living in fear and through Ego, we have lots of noise in our mind and can usually not hear our intuition very well. Even if we did, because we are living in this way, there is a lack of trust that exists, which leads to more bad choices which leads to more mistrust. Check out my video below for tips on how to hear the difference- how to listen to our intuition. I even threw in a bonus meditation for you to start activating your intuition. Hope you enjoy!

As always, leave a comment below, let me know what you think, if you want to hear a particular topic or if you have a question. I am always available and have lots to share! Email me if you need some support: monica@SpiritualSuccessCoaching.com 

Have a beautiful day!! xoxo

7 Simple Secrets to Communicating Effectively

Communication has never been easy for me. In fact, I ran the other way when I had to communicate ANYTHING, especially if it was anything difficult. I was terrified of asking to get my needs met, and so they of course never got met. I was left feeling incomplete, and I ruined relationships left and right. This was no way to live. A business coach of mine once told me, "Anything can be solved with communication." She was right. So after lots of practice, and hard work, I learned how to communicate powerfully and effectively and from my heart. This skill can be used in so many situations and with any and all relationships in your life. Here is how I do  it: