I’m sure you are thinking . . . Living Life as a Teacup?  What does that mean?  Stick with me and I’ll explain. 

Do you find yourself in a place of helping others?  Many of you naturally help others in your family.  You may help people in your line of work.  Perhaps you volunteer.  Maybe you are the one everyone goes to because they know you will get done whatever needs to get done!

Some days it may seem like all you do is take care of your children or do things for your spouse or partner.  Then there are those of you who are taking care of ill parents.  What about all the people at work or in your community that you help?  The list goes on and on as to all the people in your life that you are helping on a daily basis.  

I am amazed at all that you do to help others!  We certainly need that in the world perhaps more than ever.  And yet, at what expense to yourself are you helping others?

Don’t get me wrong.  I feel it is important to help others!  We certainly need to be helping each other during these unprecedented times. 

I would ask you to pause reading this for a minute though, and ask yourself when was the last time you took care of yourself.  Yes, you.  When was the last time you did something for YOU?  If the answer is yesterday, I congratulate you!  If you can’t remember when was the last time you did something for you, then let’s look at that.  

I can hear what you are thinking or saying.  “I don’t have time to do anything for me because I’m so busy taking care of my child or my mother or I’m working 10-hour shifts.”  I understand you are busy and have responsibilities. Maybe it is time to look at that list of responsibilities and see if you need to change some of the priorities.

You must be your #1 priority!  You can’t be second or tenth on your list of priorities.  If you don’t take care of you, how can you take care of anyone else?  As you continue giving and doing, at some point your body or mind will say “enough is enough”!  You will be forced to stop to take care of you.  

Now would be a good time to get back to the teacup.  I use to say “You need to fill your cup up first and then let the extra overflow to others.”  When you are filled with energy, good health and a positive attitude, then you can share the excess with others.

Then I spoke with a very wise person who said to me that I give so much to others that I need to serve others from my “saucer”.  I didn’t know what she meant.  She explained that I need to think of myself as a beautiful teacup sitting on a saucer. 

She told me that I could fill my cup up first and then let the excess spill over to the saucer.  And the excess in the saucer is what I was to give to others.  Not a continual flow out of my cup to others that I constantly had to keep flowing.

Some of you may feel this is selfish or you can’t do this.  When you take care of you, it helps everyone around you.  You are a better mother or spouse or son or co-worker.  Think what this world would be like if we each took care of ourselves!

I challenge you to find a way to give to yourself first before others.  It would be ideal if you could do something every day but if that seems too big of a challenge, then do at least one thing this week for you.  If you feel in your busy life that it is impossible to find time in the day for yourself, then get up 30 minutes early, take 30 minutes during your lunch hour or 30 minutes before you go to bed. 

Make yourself a priority!  You matter and you are deserving of it.  If you don’t do it for you, who will? 

Time to become the teacup, fill your cup up first and let the excess flow into your saucer.  Do it for you.  Do it for everyone in your life.

​Thank you for sharing, liking and commenting below about this blog.  Feedback is always welcome.

​Are you ready to live the life you desire and deserve?  Julie Wilson is a Life Coach who is dedicated to help you be the best version of YOU!  For more information, click the button below.​

It’s that time of year, where it seems as though there is a long pause between what was and what is about to happen.  You know, that window where we look back on the past year and we look forward with anticipation to the upcoming year.  This year, what are you seeing when you look back and even more importantly, what do you envision for the upcoming year?

Regardless of what you have experienced this year, it can be perceived as the most difficult year of your life or the most rewarding year of your life.  It’s about your perception and beliefs.  Are you a cup half full or cup half empty person?

Yes, everything changed in 2020.  Everyone on this planet was affected in some way this year . . . jobs lost, friends and family died, isolation, fear, separation, anxiety and so much more.  How we function individually, as a country and all of humanity is forever changed and there is no going back.  

The bigger question as you look back is how have you changed?  What does it mean for you?  Are you resisting what has happened?  Or, can you stay in the moment and go with what is presented and make the most of it?

It’s a great time of year to reflect on you and your life.  Why are you here at this time?  What is your true, soul purpose for being on Earth during this time of great transition?  

How has this year shown up for you?  What changes happened for you?  What do those changes mean for you and your life?  

It’s all in your perception.  Look at what “good” happened this year and focus on that.  Perhaps there are more positive things that happened this year than you realize.  First look at yourself, then your family, country and the world.  What are all the ways the world changed for the better?  

As you focus on the positive things that happened within and around you this year, can you take all of that and carry that into the new year? Imagine the Highest and Best for yourself, all those around you and the entire world.  As you visualize this, what can you do to contribute to make the world a better place?

Some of you may have the belief that you can’t do anything that will make a difference in the world.  You see others doing things that make a huge impact.  That’s wonderful and beneficial but so are the little things that we all can do.  You are capable of doing something to make a difference!

You don’t have to “do” something or “be” someone great to affect change.  Little things can have a profound effect!  Start with yourself.  What can you do every day or at least 3-4 times a week that would be a positive change for you?  Get up early and write in your gratitude journal or do stretches or meditate are just a few examples.  

Then try doing things for others . . . your family, friends, people you work with or strangers.  Say hi to someone as you pass them in the store or while you are walking.  Write a note or call a person that has a lot of challenges in their life and let them know you care.  

As you “do” for you and those around you, it ripples out into the world. You could continue to do all these things on a regular basis.  You will impact the world more than you may ever know.  Of course, there are community and world projects that could always use your energy, gifts and talents. 

You are here at this magnificent time of transition on the Earth.  You have a purpose through this time of change.  It is no accident that you are here. How will you participate?  

Being the best version of you is doing “enough”.  It’s not about doing, doing and more doing.  It is in the quiet, small actions that often the most profound effect is felt. 

At this time between, take time to reflect on this year.  Then with all your imagination, visualization and feelings, create the world you want to live in next year.   So many choices and ways of making a difference. 

What do you choose for the new year?

​Thank you for sharing, liking and commenting below about this blog.  Feedback is always welcome.

Can someone please tell me?

What does it mean
when they say the word . . .
self-love?
 
I know how to love others.

I love my family.
My parents who raised me,
my siblings who grew up with me.
My spouse of all these years, and . . .
my beautiful children.
 
How can I love myself?
 
What does it mean,
what does that look like . . .
self-love?
 
I’m told it is important.

All these years of loving others.
That’s what I was told was necessary,
that’s what I was made to believe.
Always do for others and never . . .
take time for yourself.
 
How do I unlearn all the truths no longer mine?

I was told it was selfish to take time for me.
Old beliefs must be released . . .
self-love. 
 
How can I make myself a priority?
 
It feels so foreign
to take time for me.
Five minutes of quiet deep breathing,
and time long overdue to . . .
read a favorite book.
 
Can I do this for me?
 
One step at a time
to become stronger within . . .
self-love.
 
I do this for me, I do this for you.

As I learn how to love
and experience love  
of myself,
I am better able to love . . .
everyone, including you.
 
Will you do this also?

Give yourself permission
Know you are deserving and worthy . . .
time for yourself.
 
Do this for you, do this for others.
 
Love yourself
fully and completely.
Know that you are special
and loved more than you could know. . .
self-love.
 
We all can do this.
 
Love starts with me
and doesn’t end with you . . .
self-love.
 
Love of self and love of others.
 
A gift you give yourself
and all others.
The gift of self-love
that turns into love of others . . .
self-love and love.

 What a treasured gift . . . self-love.

​Thank you for sharing, liking and commenting below about this blog.  Feedback is always welcome.

​Are you ready to live the life you desire and deserve?  Julie Wilson is a Life Coach who is dedicated to help you be the best version of YOU!  For more information, click the button below.​

What is going on in your life in this moment?  With so much going on out in the world, have you been able to stay present in your immediate world?  Are you moving forward, perhaps on a different path than a year ago, but none the less moving forward with your life?  If you are not moving forward, what is holding you back?
​
What are you afraid of?  Are you so afraid that you have stopped living?  Don’t allow fear to stop you.  What can you do that will set you free of fear?

We all have gifts and talents that are so needed right now in this world.  You are special and you have a unique gift that no one else possesses.  You might feel that you have nothing to offer to anyone.  I’m here to tell you that you have much to offer!

You might feel you can’t offer anything on a grand scale that would make a difference.  That’s okay.  The “little” things are just as important as the big things.  You being you can make a difference.  Your kindness, your thoughtfulness matter.  You being positive and upbeat matter.   A kind word to someone who is down can make a big difference in their day.  Your words may help them get out of the dark hole they are in.  

You may feel “stuck”.  I hear some of you saying that you are waiting for “things to get back to normal”.  The normal we use to know is no longer going to part of our current world.  Everything has changed!  There may be a new normal and yet, we are not even sure what that will be.

Fear is running rampant on the Earth.  Many things are not certain.  Some things have come to a standstill.  Because of this, many people are almost paralyzed with moving forward in their lives. 
​
Regardless of your age and situation, I would encourage you to go within and take an assessment of what you have learned and done over the course of your life.  I feel certain you will find many talents that you could share with another person or group of people.  

Start small if necessary.  Take a baby step but just start!  One person loves to sew.  A teacher friend asked her if she could make hand puppets to use when teaching her young students the alphabet.  The teacher wanted a puppet for each letter of the alphabet.  By helping the teacher, this person is now affecting the lives of all the students. What a win-win-win situation.  The person loves to sew, the teacher has a creative way to teach her students and the students have a fun way to learn!

Maybe you have a dream to create or do something that seems big and daunting.    There is no better time than the present to get started on that dream.  The world is different now and many people are creating home-based businesses. Can your dream become a reality from your very own home?

In pursuing your dream, you might have to collaborate with others.  There is power in numbers so why not take that chance and reach out for support with your dream.  Who knows, by doing this you might just help someone else have their dream become a reality also.

I have had the pleasure of helping a some of you start on a new path in your life journey during these uncertain times.  During the unknown, maybe it is also time for your dream to become real.  Don’t wait for the “right” time or for things “to get back to normal” . . .  start now. 
 
You matter.  You have a gift or gifts to share with others.  Step out your way and share those gifts with others.  Take that step to free yourself from the fear.  You and all of us will be glad you did! 

Thank you for having the courage to do so.

​Thank you for sharing, liking and commenting below about this blog.  Feedback is always welcome.

​Are you ready to live the life you desire and deserve?  Julie Wilson is a Life Coach who is dedicated to help you be the best version of YOU!  For more information, click the button below.​

​How is your world?  Not the big expansive world out there with all of humanity in it.  I’m talking about the world within you and around you wherever you are in this world. 

What world are you creating for yourself?  Are you even thinking about creating your world?  Yes, you have the power to create your world.

There is so much going on in the outer world right now.  Some of you are experiencing profound life changes you couldn’t even imagine a year ago.  Everyone is experiencing what is going on in the bigger world in their own way.  

Do you feel stuck?  Don’t know which way to turn or what to do?  In spite of what is happening in the world, if you pay attention, there are glimmers of possibilities for a new life.  Please don’t allow what is happening in the world to cause you to stop “living”. 

What gets you excited when you think about it or you do it?  What pulls at your heartstrings? Sometimes you may even have tears of joy it feels so good. When you feel this way about something, it just makes you feel alive and joyful.

When was the last time you felt this way about something? 
 
Many of you may be on autopilot and don’t feel you have the time to be passionate about anything.  Are you bored?  Or, you are so busy you just can’t even think about the last time you did something that made you joyful. Time to change that!

How are you feeling about what is going on in your life?  Are you excited to get up each day or do you have to drag yourself out of bed because you are in the same old rut?  In the blog You Are a Master Creator! I wrote how you can be the creator of your life.  While you are creating your life, why not create a life full of passion?

Take a minute and recall an experience from your life that was exciting for you. Maybe it was baking with your mother as a child.  Perhaps it was a vacation that turned into quite an adventure. Do you have a hobby that use to bring you joy but you stopped doing it for whatever reason? 

I know that each of you reading this has at least one thing that you enjoy doing that just fills your heart with happiness.  I bet some of you have a smile on your face just thinking about it!  When was the last time you did this?  If it was recently, I applaud you!  If it was a while ago, how can you get back to it?

I also can hear some of you saying there is nothing you are passionate about.  Okay, is there something you really like?  If given the opportunity to do anything for just the fun of it, what would that be?

There is a simple exercise to help yourself.  Brainstorm everything that you love to do.  It can be anything!  For example, you may love to work with people, exercise, be outdoors, play golf, create with your hands, be your own boss, etc.  Once you have your list, then look at what jobs incorporate many of the things you love.

Some of you have dreams that you have held onto for a long time and done nothing about them.  Now is a great time to make them a reality.  No matter how big or small, take the first step to bring them into your life.

Some of you may be saying you don’t have the money or time to be passionate about anything!  I challenge you to change your beliefs.  Get up early or be brave and schedule an hour during the day to pursue your dreams. 
 
Money a factor?  There are so many free resources available in our world today.  There are also many people who are willing to spend time with you to share their talents.  YouTube is a wealth of information and it costs you nothing!  Take time to research what and who is available to you to help you with what you would like to do.

Begin to take steps to do what makes you happy.  Even if you only have limited time to do so, do what you can!  When you are doing something you enjoy, life just feels so much better. 

Today, more than ever, when you feel good about yourself and what you are doing, it makes a huge difference for everyone!   Find your joy, your passion, first for you and then let that flow out to others.  Thank you for co-creating the world we would all like to live in!

​Thank you for sharing, liking and commenting below about this blog.  Feedback is always welcome.

​Are you ready to live the life you desire and deserve?  Julie Wilson is a Life Coach who is dedicated to help you be the best version of YOU!  For more information, click the button below.​

​
​Change . . . the only constant in life.
 
I look around
And everything is changing . . .
Everywhere.
 
What does this mean for me?
 
I am scared
I feel paralyzed
Not knowing what to do.
Where to turn . . .
How to move forward with my life.

I feel the changes
 
Within me
Around me . . .
Out in the world.
 
Great resistance in the mass consciousness.
 
Change can be difficult . . .
Especially if there is resistance.
Adapting and adjusting can be hard
It’s all in the mindset.
How to flow with the changes?

The change begins with me.
 
Recognizing it is time . . .
To change
Beliefs and conditioning that are long outdated.
 
It all begins with that first step.
 
No more hiding
No more running
No more avoiding.
If I change myself . . .
It changes the world.

I will find the courage to take that step.
 
First looking within . . .
What beliefs are not mine
What is my truth?
 
Time to find the strength to begin.
 
I am but one person . . .
Change can start with me.
One step at a time
Walking the path of transformation
I have the power to affect great change!
 
What will my future hold?
 
If I look too far ahead
So much unknown . . .
No guarantees.
 
I stay in the present moment.
 
In the NOW
I know what is happening.
I can make choices . . .
See the results
And affect change.
 
I am the creator of my life!
 
Now as I look within and around me
Everything is changing
And I feel . . .
 
Empowered!

​Are you ready to live the life you desire and deserve?  Julie Wilson is a Life Coach who is dedicated to help you be the best version of YOU!  For more information, click the button below.​

The true essence of the soul is revealing when we embrace the light and the shadows within ourselves.  ~ Dee Waldeck​

​I look into the shadows.
 
Not a place I often go,
Sometimes too scary
And difficult to see within.
 
I know it is time to embrace the shadows.
 
Rather than look with my eyes,
I feel into the shadows with my heart.
I don’t like what I feel,
And yet I know that I must
Consider all the shadows.

It is time to acknowledge the darkness.
 
I’ve carried these shadows
For longer than I care to
Unknowingly some within my subconscious.
 
I’ve allowed the shadows to control me.
 
This part of me buried deeply
That I do not want to look at
And that which does not want me to find.
Time to release that control over me,
To let go of what no longer serves who I am.
 
What lurks in the shadows?
 
The part of me that is not so nice,
Ready for me to love it
And give it some light.
 
Not proud of what I find within me.
 
I know what I find
Has been a part of me
Not the part I am on the surface
But the part of me
That often cries from deep within.

All the shadow wanted was to be recognized.
 
I ignored the darkness
So it grew even stronger
Trying harder for me to see it.
 
Too painful for me to look at it.
 
The shadows darker than I expected,
The fear of what I would find,
Paralyzing me.
Not able to even glance at the shadows
Nor go within them.
 
I know it is time for me to be strong.
 
I face the inner darkness
Not always easy
But oh, so revealing.
 
I find appreciation for the shadows.
 
It is time to give thanks
For the darkness contrasts the light.
Time to let go of the shadow side
To allow for more light
For me to fully shine the light from within.
​
I look into the shadows.
 
The place I now gladly go
For great inner change
Can happen there.
 
Thankful!

​Thank you for sharing, liking and commenting below about this blog.  Feedback is always welcome.

​Each of us has an inner room where we can visit to be cleansed of fear-based thoughts and feelings.  This room, the holy of holies, is a sanctuary of light. ~ Marianne Williamson

How are you doing? Have you checked in with yourself lately?  I mean “really checked in with yourself”. So much going on in the world, around you and within you.  It's hard not to be feeling some level of stress and anxiety. 
​
Take a moment or two and really check in with yourself.  Can you even put into words what you are feeling?  Confusion, uneasiness, calmness within the storm, numbness?  Some of you have said you are grateful for the time home with family and living a slower pace life with less or no rushing around in “busy-ness”.  You might also be in a place of uncertainty, overwhelm, sadness, shock, grief, depression or fear. 

Whatever you might be feeling, please do yourself a favor and feel what you are feeling!  Take time to look at what feelings and emotions are coming up for you.  It can actually be harmful on many levels of you, especially emotionally and physically, when you ignore your feelings and stuff them.  Rather than “stuff” these feelings, acknowledge them, feel them and then release them so they no longer hold you back. 

Many of you have told me that “old” feelings, triggers and programs are coming up.  Again, a lot of emotional baggage is ready to be cleared and released.  It is a time of great change and it all starts with you.  There is no right or wrong way to feel or “be” during this unprecedented time on Earth. 

​There are days you can accomplish more than you did the entire previous week!  Some days you can’t do anything but rest, even after sleeping through the night.  You just have to honor what your body is telling you and how you feel.  All of this is part of you becoming the new you in the new world. 

I heard from several of you that you can’t wait to get back to normal.  My response has been and continues to be “the world will not get back to normal as we knew it.”  We may have a new normal but we won’t go back to the old normal.  For all our sakes, I pray the world doesn’t go back to the way it was!  

What would your ideal world look like?  If you could, what kind of world would you like to wake up to tomorrow morning?  What role would you have in this world?  There are so many possibilities and potentials for your life and planet Earth.  It starts with each one of us.

This virus was a wake-up call for all of humanity.  As difficult as it has been for many people, it has been a blessing in disguise.  It has caused us as a collective to look at what we hold to be true for us as individuals and as a society. 

Have you taken time to examine what is true for you?  If so, great!  Are you fully committed to living in your truth?
​
If not, it may time to check in with yourself and decide what is true for you!

​​Thank you for sharing, liking and commenting below about this blog.  Feedback is always welcome

​​Are you ready to live the life you desire and deserve?  Julie Wilson is a Life Coach who is dedicated to help you be the best version of YOU!  For more information, click the button below.​