If your true nature is forgotten, darkness and confusion in life are the result.

When out of touch with your internal power, chaos is created through the need for external power.

When you are out of flow with life, attachment to possessions and outcomes lead to suffering and pain.

If self-love is unavailable, seeking belonging takes over. Self-doubt and heartache become the norm.

Begin with your identity. You are more than you believe yourself to be. You are a light in this world.

LIVING THE TAO: Do you feel out of balance or does your life feel out of control? Revisit your thoughts about who you are and begin the process of reconnecting with your true nature.

My 2018 focus is to intentionally live the Tao Te Ching. This is my fifth reading of Stephen Mitchell’s translation. I share my daily interpretations hoping to inspire you to do the same. 

Embrace your journey. Experience bliss. Live the Tao.

Original image by Larisa Koshkina.

Success is equally as dangerous as failure. Both are able to draw you away from your center.

Success can lead you to false judgement of yourself. Failure can lead you to false judgement of others.

Likewise, hope and fear are equally disabling.

Hope can lead you to the suffering from want. Fear can lead you to the pain of avoidance.

Rather than judge, seek after vanity or resist growth, simply allow things to be as they are.

Love yourself as you are becoming.

Appreciate others for their purpose in your world.

Refrain from forming attachment to outcomes that are temporary.

Know that since all things and concepts are but for a time, fear is a fallacy.

Then, you can hold your center.

LIVING THE TAO: Which one of these are holding you back being present and mindfully connecting with your true nature? Practice silence to reconnect with your truth.

My 2018 focus is to intentionally live the Tao Te Ching. This is my fifth reading of Stephen Mitchell’s translation. I share my daily interpretations hoping to inspire you to do the same.

Embrace your journey. Experience bliss. Live the Tao.

Original image on Pixabay.

Comparison and judgement lead to suffering.

Seek to measure up against no one and free yourself from feeling less than others.

If you judge something as better you create internal sorrow. When you compare yourself to another, you diminish your unique worth. And when you elevate your status in comparison to others, you inflict pain.

The wise compassionate soul does neither. She helps people become more of who they are by encouraging them to know who they are.

LIVING THE TAO: Consider this: how have you been inflicting emotional pain on yourself or others with judgement or comparisons and are you willing to stop?

My 2018 focus is to intentionally live the Tao Te Ching. This is my fifth reading of Stephen Mitchell’s translation. I share my daily interpretations hoping to inspire you to do the same.

Embrace your journey. Experience bliss. Live the Tao.

Original image by Lakeisha Bennett.

The person who aligns their ways with life’s flow, is always complete.

There is no power to strive for nor is there any work left undone because there is nothing to do. She only needs to be. In being her true nature and fulfilling the work that finds her, she accomplishes what is to be done and is complete.

Busying oneself for power, status or wholeness is energy best used for uncovering your true nature. When this is done, you can rest in the peace that accompanies being no one but yourself.

Your worth never needs to be proven.

LIVING THE TAO: Today, be truthful as you confront yourself with this question: are you striving for power or working to prove your worth? If so, here is your truth: discover your true nature instead. When you do, there is never anything to prove to anyone. There is inner peace.

My 2018 focus is to intentionally live the Tao Te Ching. This is my third reading of Stephen Mitchell’s translation. I share my daily interpretations hoping to inspire you to do the same.

Embrace your journey. Experience bliss. Live the Tao.

Becoming consumed with the way things appear is a distraction from a full life.

Allowing yourself to get caught up in the stories in your mind diminish your life experience.

A focus on acquiring things takes your mind away from uncovering the beauty of who you are.

Instead, open yourself to understanding your true nature. You are not the collection of your things or the perception of others. You are a unique, dynamic, miracle of the universe.

Let the distractions fade away to learn this truth about yourself.

LIVING THE TAO: Today, (1) pick one possession you really like and give it away; or (2) analyze one upsetting thing someone has said about you to determine if it truly is worth being upset about in the long run; or (3) make one of your “I can’t” stories untrue by doing what you have said you can’t.

My 2018 focus is to intentionally live the Tao Te Ching. This is my third reading of Stephen Mitchell’s translation. I share my daily interpretations hoping to inspire you to do the same.

Embrace your journey. Experience bliss. Live the Tao.

That’s what a wellness tribe is all about!

A wellness tribe is a group of people who share a common interest in wellness, who get together to exchange ideas and provide mutual support, and who gain inspiration from collective empowerment.

The concept of tribes is ingrained in human history, and was used to refer to groups of people who shared land and followed certain ways of life for many generations. But in modern times, we can choose our tribes as a form of non-dietary social nourishment.

If you’ve ever felt alone in your efforts to change your diet or lifestyle, or transition your career in a more positive direction then a wellness tribe is definitely for you. It can help you feel more connected, inspired, and motivated to maintain your wellness habits and experiment with new ones. Besides, it’s fun to discuss creative new yoga trends and the most affordable superfoods with others who will get as excited about it as you do!

So what can you do to create a wellness tribe if you don’t have one?

1. Attend a meetup.
Meetup.com is a great resource for local gatherings centered around nearly any topic you can imagine, including wellness or even specific areas of wellness, such as nutrition, fitness, mental health, certain conditions, energy healing, you name it! See what you can find in your area and attend a few meetups to connect with wellness-loving people in your area.

2. Organize a gathering.
If you have a few friends or acquaintances who are also interested in wellness, schedule a get-together at your place, or meet for lunch at a healthy café once a month. You can share your latest personal wellness practices, favorite recipes, books, challenges, or tips. Keep it regular so you stay connected, and use social media to share virtually between gatherings.

3. Become a regular at a local wellness hub.
Whether it’s a yoga studio, a café, or a meditation center, chances are that there’s someplace in your area where wellness-loving people are already coming together, so go there and check it out! A real tribe is one you come in contact with regularly, so once you find a place you like make it a part of your schedule to attend. You’re likely to meet new people and keep the connection alive even outside that particular hub.

Wellness tribes that connect in person will have a stronger bond, but digital tribes can be great too! Find a virtual wellness program that has a “community” element so you can interact with others regularly, or find forums or Facebook groups focused on topics that interest you.

Consistency is key when it comes to tribes. You won’t get the deeper feeling of connection if you jump around from one group to another, so find one you like and stick with it or start your own!

Do you have a wellness tribe you’re a part of? Share in the comments below!

Courtesy of Integrative Nutrition.

It’s crazy. It makes no sense. I don’t understand it.

When you hide, cower, or make yourself small, there are some who love that. When you don’t allow yourself to be the big, bright, bold, beautiful you that you are, there are some that thrive.

But, make the decision, take the actions to burst on the scene being who you are, and those same “some” cower, as if you being you takes away from them. They’ll stand behind you and scowl. They’ll smile in your face, but plot against you behind your back. They won’t feel they’ve won until they feel they have put your light out.

It’s crazy. It makes no sense. I don’t understand it. And I don’t have to understand it.

You don’t have to understand it. Just know this: what you put out comes back to you. Your choice to put light out into the world, comes back to you as light. Your choice to put love out into the world, comes back to you as love. Everything beautiful about who you are that you choose to put out, comes back to you making you more of who you are.

So my friend, don’t fret. As it’s been said, “Don’t sweat the haters. Do you boo,” and I guarantee life will lift you higher. Make a decision and declare, “I AM bold enough to be myself” and you will always win.

Yet on the other hand, in school students are taught to cooperate and that learning to cooperate prepares them for the real world. Heck, there’s even a teaching strategy called cooperative learning! In youth we learn that cooperation is needed for success.

Well which one is it?

I have noticed that most successful people in the world are busy being who they are, and they tend to be the people who break the mold.

Take for example Oprah–she’s got her critics, but look! I didn’t even have to use her last name and the chances are extremely high that you know her. She’s busy being herself.

Then there’s Joel Osteen. Folks criticize him for not teaching brimstone and fire, but guess what? He’s experiencing success nonetheless. He’s busy being himself.

There’s even a guy that’s running for president. Most people I know don’t care for him, yet he is winning the race. And he’s doing it being himself. (Yes, one could argue he is in competition with the other candidates, but c’mon, is he really?)

The point: if you want to have success with whatever you’re doing, don’t worry about other people and focus on yourself. Focus on your unique gifts and talents, allow the brighter side of your personality to glow, and show up busy being you.

Make the decision to live this truth: I AM running my own race.

Now, break the mold.

If it’s anything less than this, then it’s time to step your inner game up.

Repeat this all day until you’re on automatic: I AM awesome!

My mother, always said that when she was parting ways with someone. Even when she’d hang up the phone–same thing.

Growing up, I always took that line for granted, but as an adult, I understand.

Every morning we wake up, we are still here. I like to think that we are still here to  make someone’s day, make someone laugh, and make someone feel loved by sharing our heart’s light with them. Every morning we wake up, we are still here to enjoy our friends and family, enjoy a good laugh and feel the love of those we care about. Every morning we wake up, we are blessed.

So if you are able to read this, whatever time of the day it is, I encourage you now to take in a refreshingly deep breath, break out into a big beautiful smile and say, “I AM grateful for my life.”

You’re still here to be blessed and to be a blessing.

If this post made you feel good, then please share what you’re feeling inspire someone else.