☺ "Against Balance" ☺

We hear about balance a lot in our day-to-day struggle to be human, to do our best, and to find our calm and our perfect bliss in our lives. When a lovely woman in my own life shared this piece, I couldn't help but pass it along. I think it sums up the idea and struggle with "balance" perfectly. 

I hope you enjoy! 

Originally posted by Elizabeth Gilbert -- find her work here. 

Against BALANCE...

 Dear Ones -

 The other night at my event in St Paul, a young woman asked me about how I achieve balance in my life.

 First of all, I love that she thinks I have achieved balance in my life!

 Secondly, I felt the need to speak out once more against the subtle tyranny of the word BALANCE, which I think haunts and punishes modern women more and more every day. 

 We are constantly being told that we should be achieving balance — that we should somehow exquisitely be negotiating the relationships between our work lives, our home lives, our romantic lives, our health and well-being, our spiritual selves. You can't read an interview with a famous woman these days that the journalist does not applaud her for having achieved BALANCE....and then if you turn the pages of that magazine, you will find ten more articles showing how you can achieve balance. too!

 Be careful. 

 The word BALANCE has tilted dangerously close, I fear, to the word PERFECT — another word that women use as weapons against themselves and each other. 

 To say that someone has found the secret to a balanced life is to suggest that they have solved life, and that they now float through their days in a constant state of grace and ease, never suffering stress, ambivalence, confusion, exhaustion, anger, fear, or regret. Which is a wonderful description of nobody, ever. 

 Balance, when we do find it, is a breathtakingly temporary condition. We stand upon a world that spins at 2000 miles an hour. Our minds, meanwhile, spin at 200,000 miles an hour. We collide every day with other humans who are also sliding and spinning wildly. The landscape of our lives, therefore, changes by the minute. You find your balance one day and think, "Hooray! I have solved it" and then five minutes later the world utterly transforms again, and you're knocked on your ass one more time.

 That's just how life is on this planet — messy, fast, out of control, unpredictable. It's all terribly interesting, but also terribly unstable. 

 That being the case, I dropped the myth of BALANCE a long time ago. (I buried it right next to PERFECT.) My life seems happiest — as I tried to explain to this young woman the other night — when I just surrender to the madness, and embrace the glorious mess that I am...and also when I embrace the glorious mess that everyone else is, and the glorious mess of the world itself. My life gets the most painful when I try to set the entire mess (myself other people, life itself) into order. 

 The world is like a dropped pie most of the time. Don't kill yourself trying to put it back together. Just grab a fork and eat some of it off the floor. Then carry on.

 If you can get some stuff done in the chaos sometimes, god bless you. If you can basically hold it together, propping yourself up with duct tape and glue, rock on. If you can manage stay upright even one hour a day, you're doing pretty great, as far as I'm concerned. And if you can be kind to the other stumbling fools around you half the time — well, that's just heroic. 

 Basically, I think we are all just sloppy stupendous champions.

 Onward!

Heart,

LG

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{Intentions for 2014}

We're already over a week into this beautiful brand new year! How exciting! I hope that you are in the action phase of your life and really taking the wheel of your own happiness and making magic happen in your life. I know I am! And if you've been struggling then I highly recommend you check back through all the posts of the New Year Kick-off I've been doing every day here at ReLove Plan.et; a ton of inspiration and practices and recommendations that can transform your life and give you back the power of your happiness! 

It's already been an exciting year for me, I feel supercharged! I feel in control again! I feel ready to tackle this wondrous year, make it my own, and pursue all my dreams and passions without anything to hold me back. 

I've written before that I'm not much for New Year's "Resolutions", because I feel the term has been washed over with people half-assed setting themselves up with goals and failures to these goals because their heart isn't really in it. Instead, I use the term "Intentions" because I feel it is more forgiving and also puts you in control. Intentions are things we want, but things that do not happen without action; therefor, any intention must be followed by action. Even if that action is getting your life on track (with happiness and balance) so that everything else in your life can flow more smoothly and those Intentions may be fulfilled. 

So! I thought it would be fun to share the list I wrote on New Year's eve for my Intentions for 2014. Please note, these are greatly simplified with sharing my list, my written list is much more in depth--which I recommend you get as detailed as possible with your Intentions, just like you should with your Vision Boards and things you're manifesting. 

Intentions for 2014

• Perfect Health! Health has been a personal struggle with waves of ups and downs in my life. When I first went vegan, I was eating amazingly, got an allergy test, and was really convinced that I was invincible with my health. That mentality and action worked, I never ever got sick, even when I was surrounded by this horrible plague that washed over everyone else one holiday season. However, because I have also struggled with depression, my health takes a toll. Digestion doesn't work the way it should, nutrients aren't absorbed as well, and overall health can decline. I have had a lot of struggles with an under active stomach. However, before the new year even started I did a candida cleanse, a parasite cleanse, an overall cleanse, and have been taking HCL enzymes, multi-vitamins, and supplements to help. I feel like my health is back on the rise, and I am going to employ gratitude as part of my every day routine. My women's health has also been an area of trouble for me, ever since I went off the pill my hormones have been struggling to become balanced again. Our womanly cycles are such an important part of our lives so that is also an area that I am working on this new year, and have been already. I look forward to Perfect Health this year! 
• Be the Best Me! I am always striving for self improvement, I am always striving to become the best and fullest version of myself. The older I get, the more comfortable I become with myself, and the more self-exploration and growth I do as I get older the more I become aware of my own personal wants, needs, desires, and dreams. Realizing all of these things helps you to live the life you're meant to live, to live fully, and to really shine. Part of my new year is taking back a bit of the fire that I feel I've lost. For a long time now I feel as if I know myself, and yet, despite this, have struggled to really step into that Self. This year, I'm taking back my fire, learning to be assertive, to stick up for myself and my dreams, and to become the best and truest version of myself! 
• Balance! Balance is always an area I have struggled with. At times, I feel I have an obsessive personality; I could hermit for weeks on creative projects if I could. But that wouldn't be very good for my soul either. Balance is about finding what works for you to live your life fully and enjoy it to its fullest potential. For me, the introvert within needs the creative alone time, and I really thrive on this, but there are so many other sides to me and those sides need nurturing equally. Social time is important, and I love love spending quality time with family and friends that I care about. I also love meeting new people and making new friends. And, of course, there is finding a balance with work, as well as inner self, and health, and just about everything else in life. It's all about Balance. This year, I am really striving for balance in all areas of my life. And, overall, to just have more time to do the things I love. 
• Adventures! Travel! I want lots of new and fun adventures this year! I want more road trips, more vacations, more hikes, more camping, more living! I intend to go back to Portland with my bestie; go to Seattle to visit a friend there I have been meaning to visit forever; road trips to Vancouver and Victoria; make a trip back to New York to visit my awesome friends there and go back to the Farm Sanctuaries; and hopefully go somewhere warm and out of the country as I still haven't done enough worldly travelling! I would also love to see some more concerts this year--I miss awesome metal shows.  
• Great Relationships! I would love to work on some of my relationships that have been struggling, to get them back to a great place. I want to meet new like-minded people and make some new friends. 
• Heal Old Wounds. There are a few issues from my past (both old and recent) that I would like to heal this year. I feel very blessed to recognize what these issues are so that I can make my life all the more amazing and free of past wounds, and grateful for the tools to heal such wounds. 
• New Tattoos! Yes, this is most definitely on my list this year, I want and need more tattoos this year. I've come to realize that whenever I've gotten a tattoo it has been to recognize a moment of personal empowerment, and this year I'm all about personal empowerment. ;) Plus, I want to get a tattoo by my amazing friend, Dana! ^_^
• Publish Everwake! I would really like to be in the beginning phases of publishing my manga/fantasy novel, Everwake. Much of my free time has been in the creativity of this project, and I am excited to do something with it. 
• Blog Growth. This year is off to a good start, and I am very happy with the blog traffic. However, the video blog needs some more dedication, which is something I would like to work on this year. I would also love to see ReLove Plan.et grow and grow and become the main part of my job. This is my dream. I love blogging, sharing inspiration, getting people motivated, and hopefully changing people's lives. 

Overall, I want to be living my perfect, happy, enriching, fun, blissful, dream life. And I know I can make it possible. I want my days to be filled to the brim with my loves and joys and passions. I hope that you, too, have the courage to follow your hearts and pursue your dreams! All the best for an amazing happy 2014!!!  

Much love and hugs! 

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☺ Regain Your Energy! ☺

So many of us feel burntout, lethargic, tired, as if someone burst our energy balloon and ran away giggling while we are left without the energy to even chase back after the little energy-stealing monster. Okay, so there isn't really an energy zapping monster, but if you'd prefer to think of the sources of your lack of energy as such I won't stop you--in fact, it kind of sounds fun, I may be picking up that new mental image… where was I? Right, energy zapping. 

While we may sometimes feel as if the solution is out of our hands it truly isn't; the power is in your hands as usual. Yay! Okay, I realize you may not have the energy to "yay" yet, but you will, I promise. ;) Most of the time all we really need is to make a few lifestyle changes. Think about it, how many of you eat well? Exercise? Actually take care of yourselves? How many of you focus your thoughts on the fact you're tired instead of telling yourself that you're full of energy? The truth is that regaining your energy isn't as hard at it may sound. So hopefully you'll have the energy to read on and make those important lifestyle changes that could have you buzzing and bursting with energy. ;)

Balance! Remember that balance thing I'm always talking about? Apply it now! Meaning, don't overburden yourself. Unfortunately, when we exert more energy than actually exists, we are usually going to burnout. When we spread ourselves too thin then we simply don't have enough energy to do the things we're supposed to do properly. And no one likes sloppy work. Balance is key. Say no to things if your energy is low. Clear up your schedule and remake it so that it is properly balanced. Watch how much energy you are exerting. Life is meant to be enjoyed, not running around like a mad person trying to do too many things at once. You know, stop and smell the flowers. ;)

Sleep! Everyone's need for sleep will differ, learn how you run best and try to stick with it. For example, I function rather perfectly on 7 hours of sleep. My husband on the other hand needs 8-9 hours of sleep. Keep in mind that oversleeping can be just as bad as under sleeping. If I oversleep (for me over 8 hours) then I feel lethargic. Again, figure out what you feel best at. Generally people need a minimum of 7-8 hours. And if you're having trouble sleeping, figure out why and work to remedy it. Maybe you're snacking too much before bed or watching too much TV before bed? Maybe your room simply isn't dark enough? Maybe it's too noisy. There are always solutions, so seek them out and… sleep. 

Move! Okay, you're done sleeping, now get moving! Go go! If you're not creating energy then you won't have energy. For example, if you're sitting around being lazy watching TV or playing video games all day then don't expect to Feel energetic or to Have more energy. Moving, on the other hand, Does create energy! So try adding more activity to your day, get that body moving in any way possible and as frequently as possible. 

Eat! Whether it's from not eating or eating the wrong foods, fix any eating problems. Food is life, food is energy, food is fuel for your body! Don't cram it full of processed, sugary, junk food! Fill it with good-for-you veggies, fruits, and Real food! I swear this is the biggest problem most people have, eating bad foods and then wondering why they have no energy. Getting an allergy test is a great idea as well as eating foods your allergic to can totally zap away your energy. And learn to eat less in the evening and more instead during the day--which is most people's problem.   

Get off them screens! TV screens, phone screens, computer screens. Have you ever noticed how tired you can feel after staring at a screen for an hour or few? They're like energy zapping machines, releasing positive ions (which are actually the bad ones) and taking away your motivation and making you feel lethargic… which usually turns into, well I don't feel like doing anything anyway so I'll just stay on Facebook a while longer. NO! Get your butt off that seat and go back to point #3, get moving! Your eyes, your mind, your body, your energy will thank you. If you are stuck at a computer for work then take breaks often, look away from your screen often, and if you're still limited then try to keep your body moving in other ways even if you're at your seat. 

Granted, you may not see improvements the next day, after all, you'll be replenishing the lost energy. However, most people will start to see changes within a couple days if you start doing things right. These are simple but crucial points so remember them well and start feeling like the sparkly energetic creature that you are and steer clear of that little energy-zapping monster. ;)

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☺ The Balance to a Truly Healthy Happy Life ☺

Along the path to happiness, and manifesting (using the Law of Attraction) we often stumble and find it hard to maintain that positive level all the time. But there are some key points that many of us forget about, and that is that for happiness to truly flow freely and easily then you have to Feel Good. While choosing to be happy is indeed a choice that you do need to make in order to actually be happy, there are many things that will help your happy journey. Remember that everything in life is connected, and so if you want a truly happy life then everything within that life requires balance and love and attention. The key aspects of our lives that we should check on are our state of mind, our health (including diet and exercise), and general all-around balance in our active lives. 

Choose It!

Happiness is in your head, and it is certainly the biggest step you need to take to change your life. You always have a choice and that will be the key to unlocking all other aspects of your life. 

I'm not going to focus too much on this topic in this particular article because I have so many others that go into more in-depth details into tricks and ways to make your life happy and finding that within yourself. So go and explore my "Inspirational" posts for more tips there. ;)

Eat Well!

You have a choice to be happy and you have a choice to be healthy, but we often pay attention to one and forget the other yet they are both so closely connected. Being happy all the time is much harder when you are eating crappy foods. Remember a happy body is a happy mind. Food is fuel for your body and if you are giving your body junk food that it can't get proper energy or nutrients from then you are living your life running on empty all the time. And that is not a happy body. Your body and your brain cannot properly (or happily) function on junk food. If you are starving your body of what it needs then you are also starving your brain of what it needs. When you make healthy food choices then your body will feel wonderful, nourished, energetic, and alive! So how do you suppose your brain responds? It will also feel wonderful, nourished, energetic and alive! So many of our health problems today are a combination of too much stress and a poor diet. Making simple healthy changes can clear your mind and make you feel new again. If you want to be happy--which I assume you do--stop kidding yourself and get healthy! It's simple as that! 

Remember that everyone's body is different, especially when it comes to food. Allergy tests are a great idea, but they are not always completely accurate as well. My suggestion is to cut out junk food, cut out common allergens (wheat & dairy), and seriously cut back on (or eliminate completely) sugar and refined foods. Some people can't tolerate grains well, others can't tolerate beans or starch well. Cut out the common problem areas and then slowly reintroduce them to see your body's reaction. If you don't think food affects you at all, please stop denying it, food affects everyone, we just aren't often very in-tune with our body's reactions and needs. If this sounds like a lot of work, take it one step at a time. Just remember that if you want to be happy then this really isn't as hard as you think.  

Exercise!

Being healthy also means being active. Exercise can do wonders for depression and your energy levels. All the amazing health benefits of exercise (read about them here!) will transform your life onto another level of bliss. Happy will flow much easier because you are giving your body more of what it needs--health! 

People & Surroundings!

Health is great, but what about your surroundings? What about the people you interact with on a regular basis? People can be just as toxic as food, negativity can completely overwhelm our minds and good energy. Bad vibes are bad vibes. If someone is negative all the time then chances are they are going to rub off on you. Don't put yourself through that. I'm not talking about people who need to do a little venting, most of us are guilty for needing a little venting, I'm talking about the people that literally have nothing good to say ever and complain constantly. Being in that person's negative cloud regularly is damaging to your own mental health and can drain you dry and leave you feeling just plain blah. People certainly can change, but there is no reason to primarily surround yourself with those types of people. If you have those negative people in your life but you don't want to end the relationship then make sure you have plenty of super positive people in your life to make up for it and try only to see the negative people on an occasional basis. Place yourself in a positive environment and surround yourself with positive people! It really helps--and it helps when dealing with those negative people as well.

Balance!

Maybe you've got all those topics covered, in which case good for you! But maybe happiness still isn't coming so easily. So how's the balance in your day to day life? Are you a workaholic? Do you have an active social life? Too much social life? Do you take time for yourself? Time for reflection and self work? We live in a very busy society that teaches us to be on the go all the time, but if we are always on the go then our minds can't keep up. Work should not be your whole life. Making money to buy things you don't need shouldn't be your life. Your life should contain the perfect balance for your time. Make time for work, for play, for people and social interaction, and for down-time (meaning You time). Every day you should also take time for self-reflection and positive affirmations to keep you on track. Balance is key.  

Unresolved Problems!

The last major issue that might be getting in your way to unreasonable happiness is any unresolved issues. It is hard to be happy when you have something nagging at your subconscious all the time with issues that have not yet been dealt with. Don't carry around extra baggage when you don't need to. When stress arises, deal with it. When problems arise, solve them. Work through things! And don't kid yourself, if you need help then get it! We are not meant to go through this world alone, so seek out others who can help you. 

  

Again I will say that balance is everything. Your body being in harmony and healthy is everything. If you are struggling to find happiness then be sure to check what it is you are eating, how active you are, if there are unresolved issues, and how your day to day life is. 

Happiness is within everyone's grasp, so long as we are attentive and kind to our individual needs.

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☺ Motivational Mondays! ☺

Ooooh another edition of Happy Happy Monday!!!! Hope you all treated your mother's loverly yesterday, and yourselves, and the world, and everyone around you! ;) Now let's get that happy contagious silly awesome mood rolling shall we? 

☺ BE the Love in your life! If you feel like there's a lack of love and if you're not seeing the love in your life, then lead by example by Being the love in your life! It's so easy to enrich your life with positivity and it all starts with your decision to be all that you can be. I've said before that Love is the answer to everything. So choose to Be Love and you will welcome more love to come into your life. 

☺ Rar rah rah! Hear me Roar! Learn to stick up for yourself! There's a large line that we usually see as a thin line between being nice and allowing others to walk all over you. Don't be a push over, don't let people treat you badly. You deserve all the love and respect in the world, so learn to stick up for yourself and be true to yourself. Sticking up for yourself is just one more way in which you show care for yourself and love for yourself and respect. And love is always the answer. ;) Rah rah rah! 

☺ Explore your city! It's amazing how many cool things can be hiding where you live that you never even knew existed. Go exploring this week! Check out the back streets, the cute little alleys, the parks, a new part of town you've never been before. Take lots of pictures and have fun (and safe ;p)! 

☺ Get Balanced! In all aspects of your life! We often forget that balance is important so this week I want you to pay extra attention to this and make sure that you balance out all aspects of your life. Balance out your time with work, play, "you" time, and relaxing. Balance out what you eat; are you eating lots of fruits and veggies, getting enough of what you need or eating excess amounts of one particular food? Stress is an easy way to tell when balance in your life is off, so pay attention and get balanced! 

☺ Star Gaze! Choose a nice clear night and spend some time simply looking up at the stars. Feel the energy of the universe around you and say a great big "thank you" for all that it brings you. Take time to connect, with yourself and everything outside yourself. Feel the incredible power of the stars and the moon and the flow of the universe.      

☺ Let Fun be the Reason! You don't always need a reason for doing everything in your life. Your reason is allowed to just be "because it's fun!" Do it because it makes you happy, because you enjoy it and because you want to. You don't need to "accomplish" or "receive" something from everything that you do, and you don't need to explain yourself to others. Just let fun be your reason. 

☺ "Serenity comes when you trade expectations for acceptance." ~ Unknown. I've talked before about having expectations (if you haven't read the article then give it a read here). Surrender yourself this week to accepting what comes instead of holding onto expectations. 

Have a beautiful day, week, life! Much Love from me to you! 

Create a Nice Day! xo

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☆ The Fantabulous (and many) Benefits of Exercise! ☆

There are so many reasons to exercise, but we sometimes only think about weight loss or bikini season, but truthfully, it goes so far beyond just that. Personally, I am a workout fiend, I feel so so much better and energized and pumped about life after I exercise. It is addictive in a lovely healthy way. And since ReLove Plan.et is all about being happy and healthy, then I simply have to boast about the magic of exercise!
Obviously, exercise is good for your health, but do you know the full benefits? 

Live Longer!  There have been several studies done that indicate exercise leads to a longer healthier life. One said that even just walking or getting your body moving for a mere 30 minutes a day is the biggest key to health, prevention against illness, and prolonging your life. 

Weight Loss. The obvious one that most of us know. Exercise burns calories and allows your body to use calories more efficiently, increases your metabolic rate, and gets your body working optimally so that you get the most benefit from what you eat. You don't even have to do much, if you can't fit in a regular workout at the gym then just try to be more active in your everyday activities. Take the stairs instead of elevator, walk or bike instead of drive, take random dance breaks while doing anything and everything. Get moving and get happy!

Happiness! Those regular sweat sessions feed oxygen to the brain, stimulate various other brain chemicals and gets happy endorphins going to leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. The benefits of exercise have been shown to be as effective in warding off depression as medication--except minus the zombie feeling and instead you get to feel energized and good about your life and not worry about dangerous side-effects. ;) I swear by this as I too once was skeptical, but it truly truly works! So get moving and get happy!

Look younger. Aerobic activity in particular increases oxygen consumption during exercise, which can take years off your skin and stimulate new brain cells. Neat huh?  

Improves… Posture, flexibility, muscle definition, endurance and stamina, sex life, mental focus and clarity, coordination and balance, self esteem, complexion, circulation. 

Immune Booster! Exercise strengthens the immune system over time by raising the body's temps. It also helps regulate hormone levels and may reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancers. And, again, it only takes 30 minutes a day of your time to maintain this lovely healthy level.   

Healthy Heart. Getting your heart pumping raises good cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, and reduces arterial inflammation, all of which help protect your heart and decreases heart attack risk so that you can have a happy heart.  

Health health! Other awesome health benefits from exercising include… lowering blood pressure, increasing "good" levels of cholesterol, strengthening your joints and bones to help prevent osteoporosis. 

Balances your blood sugar. Regular workouts increase sensitivity to insulin and managing weight, therefor decreasing risk of type 2 diabetes. 

Manage PMS and Menopause. Even just light exercise, like walking or yoga, elevates the mood and helps to manage symptoms of menopause and PMS. If you have bad cramps during aunt flow's monthly visit, try regular exercise--especially like cardio--to help relieve those menstrual cramps. 

Improves Digestion! Regular physical activity helps keep your digestive system working efficiently and healthily. You'll even poop better! 

Sleep Better! If you're having trouble sleeping then, yup, regular exercise can help you to sleep better and sleep deeper. Just don't exercise too close to bedtime or you may be too energized from your workout to fall asleep. ;) 

Energy Boost Please! Regular physical activity improves your muscle strength and boosts your endurance so that all of your daily activities won't feel like such a chore. It also helps your cardiovascular system work efficiently and delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. And when your body is working more efficiently, well, you get an energy boost and have more energy for your entire day. 

What more reasons do you need? Plus there are so many fun ways to add physical activity into your life, no matter what your "busy" schedule may be. Get active, feel better, feel healthy, feel happy! Wooo wooo! ;) 

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