For the Love of Kale |

J’adore la vie Week 22

May 2, 2013 by Heather

Today, I have a beautiful #jadorelavie story to share with you, thanks to my beautiful friend Kasi:

“My grandmother has alzheimer’s. After the passing of my grandfather a little over a year ago, we wondered how she would handle. She began hanging out with a friend named Bob who had previously lost his wife. As my grandmother’s memory continued to deteriorate, Bob cleverly started picture journaling their outings and events. After hearing my grandmother had never been up in an airplane, 85-year-old Bob decided to surprise us all by hiring a private pilot through Norwood airport and taking my Grammy for her first flight ever… He picture-journaled their entire trip because she may have a hard time remembering this milestone… Moral of the story: Life is about, regardless of the circumstances, filling others’ lives with happiness.”

Quote of the week: When I dedicate myself to a life of service to others, I serve myself. To teach is to learn.

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Now, let’s get onto our priceless moments of the week!

Bree finds calmness in life’s crazy storm with beautiful messages from her clients!

Marie celebrated with her brother and made the most beautiful #jadorelavie artwork!

Claire blesses us with another picturesque sunset.

Heather gives us a Universal smackdown on life.

Kasey loves featuring other people’s recipes on her blog. It brings her so much joy! She also wrote an awesome post on embracing our food choices.

Britt got her booty back in the yoga studio and instantly felt at peace.

Caitlin (@hersilhouettetiu) went out for a healthy dinner and enjoyed a glass of wine!

Elle ran her own half marathon. You go girl!

Ally got a fresh, new haircut for Spring! Lookin’ gorgeous, girl.

Brittany spent some q-time with her mama in the warm Florida sun!

Heather spotted some geese and deer while on her run. Talk about a picture-perfect workout!

Thank you to everyone who shares their #jadorelavie moments. It truly helps this world become a more mindful and peaceful place. Let’s keep spreading that message! Have a blessed day and expect miracles.

Stay lovely,
Heather

Category J'adore la vie | Tags: | 1 Comment
Why desire to quit is a good sign!

May 1, 2013 by Heather

For the past few months, I’ve been creating, writing, and music-ing. Yes, the rumors are true. I am releasing a meditation album this year! SURPRISE!

I can’t wait to reveal the final product to all of you. It’s different from any other guided meditations you’ve ever heard. I know that those of you who are new to meditation or are looking for a new guided meditation album are going to absolutely swoon over it. I’m working with my amazingly talented friends and I’m so grateful that they have confidence in my vision. None of this would be possible without them. Three months in, and and we’re already halfway through the project. I can’t get over how smoothly things are going.

And despite all of this, I constantly fight the desire to quit. Every day, my ego creeps in and says, “This album is going to be a total flop. Just quit now.” It’s fear. Fear of failing. Fear of rejection. Fear that people won’t want to purchase the album. Fear that people will not find it useful. Fear, fear, fear. When you have lots of fear and a great desire to quit, you know you’re onto something good. My fear has become so loud that I’ve named my ego so that I can literally separate it from my Highest Self. My ego’s name is…brace yourself…Helga. As in Helga Pataki from Hey Arnold. Yep. I went there. So, we have Heather (Highest Self) and Helga (ego). Lovely, huh?

This little tool has helped me so much. When Helga pops up and tells me I’m a failure or the album will be a flop, I acknowledge the fear. Ignoring the fear will just cause me to resist the fear – and what we resist persists. So, I say hello to fear and ask the Universe to show me the opportunity in this obstacle. And always, the immediate answer I get is, “Go to the piano. Just keep going.” So, I do. And everyday, I’m realizing more and more that this is the lesson. Just finishing the album and not quitting is the lesson.

I think fear is like a muscle. The more we train ourselves to co-exist with our fear, the more it becomes a natural part of any new process. And the more we co-exist with our fear, the more we can use it as a sign that there is something to be learned and something to grow from. Fear is trying to tell us there is a great opportunity in disguise that we must work with – not against. Fear is one of our greatest teachers because, if we choose co-exist with it and ask the Universe to show us the opportunity, we can really show up and prove to ourselves just how strong we are. And that allows us to further grow into our Highest Potential (Highest Self).

So, no matter what, I’ve made a promise to myself to sit my butt down at my piano and play. It can be one hour, three hours, or 20 minutes. It doesn’t matter how long I play. Just that I do it. The desire to quit will always be there. This time, I’m choosing not to listen. And every time I choose not to quit and choose to leap, the net will appear. And the net comes in the form of little miracles. I will get a new idea to enhance a song. I will get a loving text message from someone. Those little bread crumbs are not coincidences. They are signs of synchronicity from the Universe, reminding me that it is my biggest cheerleader when I can’t be that for myself.

What about you? Do you have the desire to quit at something you’re insanely passionate about?

Take this mantra with you today, courtesy of my friend Steve: “I will continue to place myself in situations that challenge my ability, regardless of my fears.”

Stay lovely,
Heather

Category Daily Musings, Self-Love, Spirituality | Tags: | 9 Comments
Pleasure vs. Happiness

April 30, 2013 by Heather

Yesterday, I watched this amazing interview that Jonathan Fields did with best-selling author Karen Salmansohn. She is a master creator/author/entrepreneur in self-development world. Towards the end of the interview, Karen talked about Aristotle’s distinction between pleasure and happiness and it totally got my wheels turning.

Aristotle once said, “The reason why people are so unhappy is because they confuse pleasure for happiness.” Pleasure is about stimulating your ego or your body. She went to say that pleasure-filled things are the means through which we become happy, but they aren’t the sources of happiness themselves. So, for example, you might want to be more financially lucrative and that’s great. But if you’re using that money to spend, spend, spend and you’re not using that money to source your passion and to serve others, then you’re thriving off your ego. You’re thriving off pleasure. And you can’t find happiness with pleasure. It’s just not possible.

True happiness, Karen said, is about growing into your Highest Self; it’s about being your greatest potential. Aristotle put it so simply and so brilliantly: everything that happens in your life that helps you grow into your Highest Self is what makes you happy. And sometimes, there is a time delay in this. So, your ego wants you to have stuff right now – and if you don’t have it right now, then you’re a failure. Your Inner Guide, should you choose to follow its advice, will give you small action steps. Instead of focusing on the big picture, focus on the small action steps that are revealed to you in the present moment. They’re like bread crumbs…a trail leading you to success. What if you knew that, no matter what, you’d be okay in the end? And that everything would be okay? You’d just follow the bread crumbs and enjoy the present moment, because you would know the end result was already taken care of.

Another part of this is really becoming clear about your intention underneath why you want something. I want more money and I am unapologetic about the fact that I want more money. I want more money so that I can start a life together with Matty and so that we can create a space that inspires us. This will create a better work environment for me, which will then allow me to create more and give more to others. I also want more money to source a bunch of creative projects that I have brewing. These creative projects bring me joy to create them and they also bring joy to others because they will be of service to them. So, the intention is one of service.

Now, this isn’t to say that we shouldn’t have nice things. I love shopping and I love fashion – clothes are part of an expression of who I am. They amplify my inner light and are the pleasure-filled things that fuel my creativity in many ways. But they aren’t the means to an end. Happiness, as Karen said, is growing, learning, and stretching into your relationship with yourself and others. We can have those moments of bliss with others that are so effortless – and that is happiness and that is beautiful too. But happiness also comes through enduring difficult times. It comes from busting through fear and having the courage to look at your fear. It comes from embracing the journey and becoming that nonjudgmental witness to your fears, acknowledging them but doing things that bring you joy anyways.

What do you think? Are you living a pleasure-filled life of a happy life?

I definitely have some work to do. I mean, we all do. But I think that I need to focus on all the good that’s going on and really LIVE that idea of embracing each bread crumb from the Universe.

Stay lovely,
Heather

Category Random Thoughts, Self-Love, Spirituality | Tags: | 3 Comments

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For the Love of Kale

J’adore la vie Week 22

Why desire to quit is a good sign!

Pleasure vs. Happiness