This past weekend I hurt myself and without a doubt, caused the chain reaction 100% from my state of being. I let my emotions take control of my mind, body and soul, and I am dedicating my post to the ugly facts. “Your beliefs, either positive or negative, helpful or hurtful, largely determine everything you do and how you do it” - Brian Tracy.

The message I was given was I needed to drop into my body. WHAT? Drop into my body? Immediately, I thought how do I do that? Okay Sheryl, let’s not put the cart before the horse.

In June I took part in a venture titled, 50 Women Over 50. It was a project that was created for the purpose of giving women over 50 the confidence and voice to own their beauty, experience, and wisdom. Posing in front of a camera for hours was stretching myself right outside the box and into left field.

A full moon is said to bring powerful energy. It calls us to release any negative emotions, and asks us to take corrective action. One way would be to create a list on paper or in your head of the things that no longer align with your heart, focusing on the things you need to let go of or those neglected areas you need to cultivate.

“Loving ourselves through the process of owning our story is the bravest thing we will ever do” - Brene Brown. Self-acceptance can definitely be a struggle based on what we were exposed to growing up. Were you praised as a child for what you did, or were you scolded for what you didn’t do? For me it was a little of both. Maybe that’s true for most?

Last week my daughter and I were hanging out and I asked her if she would give me some feedback on a few videos for an important project. She’d been my voice of reason even though sometimes the information’s not always easy to receive. After reviewing for a few minutes of the first video, she asked, “Why are you whispering?” I retorted back that I wasn’t and she preceded to imitate my voice and intonation. We started laughing and couldn’t stop. Okay, maybe she had a little point, but I didn’t think it was as bad as she was saying.

A few weeks ago a friend had offered to teach me how to use a kayak. By all weather accounts it was going to be a great day to learn. The forecast read sunny and mild with no chance of rain. However, Mother Nature had other plans and I would be learning under rainy and cloudy skies. Granted, we could have rescheduled but we both really wanted to go.

Last weekend I was able to check something off from my bucket list, learning how to kayak. It had been on my list for a few years and was starting to bother me that I hadn’t given it a try. However, there were a few things that stopped me: 1. I was not a strong swimmer, 2. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to gracefully get in or out of the kayak without making a fool of myself and 3. my fear of spiders…..haha.

How’s your calendar looking these days? Not your work or to-do list for yourself or others, but rather days that are scheduled just for your joy. The activities or events that make you feel like you’re living on purpose. Most of us spend our days on auto-pilot and before we know it another day has passed without feeding our soul.

If you’ve been following my blog over the last several years, you’ll know the work I’ve done around my personal soul-excavating journey. I’ve consistently looked for ways to improve my quality of life. Most recently I’ve committed to a focused year of creating and living my life map. Along with 31 other women, I’ve been busy developing the path for my present and future journey.

How’s your inner critic been doing lately? Our inner critic is that little nasty voice we hear in our head. The one that knows just how to criticize, cut us down, and tell us we’re less than. Frankly the list can go on and on with all the chaos and damage those messages can do.

At one point, Julie asked for me to pull something I would wear to a cocktail party. Umm….seriously? I hadn’t been to a cocktail party in, well, I couldn’t remember. “I have no cocktail attire, or at best, none that fits.” She also suggested I grab something sparkly or with ruffles or lace. Again….I had nothing I could think of. I pulled so much out of my closet that clothes were piled everywhere as I threw them left and right.

“What the hell did I just do?” Those were the words that flew out of my mouth a few months ago, and I’m still uttering them in my head over and over as I prepare for an appointment I’d been dreading.

Recently, I was listening to an audio recording on the Law of Attraction that focused on being a solution seeker rather than a problem finder. There were so many good points to consider when faced with unexpected or unwanted situations. The absolute best quote of the audio was, “The universe doesn’t hear what you say, the universe hears what you mean.” - Abraham Hicks.

When was the last time you put your bare feet on the earth? Removed your shoes and socks and put your feet right in a luscious patch of green grass or on a sandy beach? Whenever I do, it makes me happy and i feel like a child again. Grounding also know as earthing is putting the body in direct contact with the earth.

If you’ve followed my blog posts, you may know how much I love trying new services that help balance my mind, body and soul. Last week I tried something new and booked a spa session for a float tank. If you’ve never heard of one, stay tuned.

I’m always reminded of the saying, “April showers bring May flowers” each spring. It’s been a wet season which lends itself to the blooming flowers and the budding trees. It’s nice to remember, with the rain comes the sun, and if we’re really lucky a rainbow. One could use the saying as a metaphor for life because everyone must experience stormy weather in order to bask in the sun.

Last week the sun’s been out more times than not, and the weather has been creeping up into the “oh, my gosh, let’s get outside” temperatures. Bring on spring, mild temperatures and new life.