Want to unleash your creativity? Set up creation stations throughout your home to encourage the flow of your artistic and innovative self. From a comfortable chair for reading, meditating, writing or journaling to an artist’s easel and palette for exploring your artistic talents, imagine the many places in your home that you could create a place for unleashing your creativity and have some fun!

Recently, as I faced a long streak of personal challenges, I noticed how self-focused my life had become. And as I pondered this observation, it struck me that my challenges are not the problem; my challenges are the solution. Huh?  Yep, the solution is definitely in the problem. Let the questions begin. How can I grow from this experience? What am I learning?  What do I need to know?  With this “ask questions” mindset, I can help others going through the same challenges as me. And there it is, as if every challenge had just delivered an answer! No kidding this was a revelation for me and I knew exactly what to do, and what steps I could immediately take. But the point of this is not about me and my problems. It’s about reminding all of us to turn our problems into solutions. This is a wake-up call to look inside every personal challenge for the answer and then ask the question, “How can I grow from this experience?” We are all in this together, and if we set out to heal our world by helping others, our world will heal.

I was thinking this morning about adding more magic into my life and how that might occur. Does it feel like the magic in your life got up and left? I have memorized countless magical moments. The birth of my sons and my grandson, falling in love, weddings, anniversaries, side-splitting laughter, biking my butt off, swimming hundreds of miles in laps, being immersed in nature and so many others. But since my sons moved out on their own several years ago, I have been challenged to find my magical place in life. Today I am focused on adding some magic back into my life. I know this will show up through creative ventures, meaningful relationships, artistic expression and personal expansion. The what and the how are still evolving, but I definitely feel some magic coming my way! How about you, how will you invite magic into your life today?

What makes you feel good? Is there a technique or a special practice you follow to bring about a sense of well-being? As I pondered this question, I began to imagine all the ways that I am able to produce my own joy. I wondered what kind of habits I could form that would help me feel good or happy all of the time. Naturally there will be hiccups in this theory, as life always finds a way to send little challenging nuggets to interrupt joy just when you begin feeling really on top of the world, but don’t we always find our way back to those feel-good places?

What are some of the tricks to overcoming negative feelings such as doubt, fear and anxiety in general?

Change your mind. Deliberately put your thoughts on something that makes you feel good. Think about your blessings; a comfortable bed, a warm shower, or a family who loves you.  Who and what are the experiences that bring you great joy? Focus on those as soon as you begin feeling doubtful or anxious.

Get moving. Movement is a quick and easy way to get to a feeling of happiness. Take a walk, work in your yard or garden, take a quick jog around the block, take your dog for a walk or jump on your bicycle and take a quick ride around the neighborhood. Movement is a great tool for sparking energy and happiness.

Do something different. Try to create a new stride in your routine which will shake up your emotional state and help you change your focus. Rearrange your rituals or daily habits so you feel a little “out of the ordinary” and help shift your focus to something new.

Avoid negative people. Some people are just wired to complain about everything. Steer clear of those energy vampires and direct yourself to the more positive people around you.

Call a friend. Pick up the phone and call someone who always cheers you up. I always choose a friend who makes me laugh. There is nothing like a good dose of laughter to improve your mood!

Write it down. Sometimes it helps to document what you are feeling and what you would rather be feeling to begin to shift your mood from bad to good.

Change your words. The words you use play a powerful role in how you are feeling. Replace I’m so depressed with something less daunting, such as I’m feeling frustrated. When you get upset, see your obstacles as challenges rather than roadblocks. Everyone can work their way through a challenge, where a roadblock tends to be much more difficult to break through.

Monitor your self-talk. Correct what you are saying to yourself. Your mental chatter can be very self deprecating and unkind. Speak words of encouragement to yourself. Practice phrases like, “I always know the right thing to do at the right time” or “life is good to me” and remember to practice, practice, practice positive self-talk. Write a list of positive phrases and record them to play back as you are going to sleep at night. Positive self-talk is one of the most effective tools to creating joy in your daily experience.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on what makes you happy.

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Maybe you’ve been feeling a little restless lately.  Or perhaps you feel you need to make noteworthy changes in your work, your routine, your life, or your space.

These are times that require an enormous amount of creative energy and a lively dose of inspiration to pull you through.

What new countries will you explore?  What unfinisihed goals will you strive to accomplish? What will you do differently starting today? How will you begin to embrace your life with amazing new enthusiasm and flair? What new dream job or career will engage you? What wonderful financial surprises await you?

Creating this new script refocuses your energy and your attitude. Writing this new story directs you to becoming more open to the possibilities and certainly more attractive energetically to all of these wishes and dreams that you most desire. So grab a pen and a tablet and begin writing your new story today!

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It’s an all too familiar scene – you continue to do what you’ve always done because it is familiar and comfortable. You’re not terribly happy, but you are certainly complacent staying right where you are. What if you were to mix things up a bit and challenge yourself with something new, something unfamiliar, something delightful today?

Imagine the possibilities if you stretched your comfort zone just a fraction each day and started to experience new adventures, new joy, new opportunities and of course, a new attitude. Splash in a puddle, draw outside the lines, chase fireflies, build new forts, design castles in the sand and begin designing a life filled with curious adventures!

Experience something new today! Expect to be surprised, imagine a life full of adventures, tap into your creative reserves, stretch yourself past your normal experiences and create something incredible today!

When you have a deep desire, or a profound longing for something new to manifest in your life, put your energy into the emotions that lie deeply rooted to that experience. For example, more money would likely elicit feelings of independence, freedom or peace. Having extra time might bring a sense of relief, calm or liberation. Travel might satisfy your spirit of adventure and feelings of curiosity, discovery or excitement. Dig deep into your wish list for the feelings that you truly crave and start to express those emotions openly and actively. As you live the emotions that you deeply crave, by design, the attached experiences will inexplicably begin to unfold.

Find work or hobbies that really sing to your soul. Find a way to perform work that brings you the greatest joy. From a meaningful job to a rewarding hobby—immerse yourself in a daily practice of acting on your greatest expressions of joy. Use the clues of your daily routine to help direct you to the experiences or job opportunities that best suit you. If you enjoy working with people, find a job in public service, if you like working with numbers consider the accounting arena and so on. Use your life experiences, your favorite forms of expression and your passions to help direct you toward work that fits you best.

Beautiful things all around, make us feel wonderful. A fresh bouquet of flowers, beautiful art, a fragrant burning candle, a favorite expression or quote framed on the wall, a decorative bowl of fresh fruit, furnishings that we love, fluffy quilts, our loveable furry friends, a clean and uncluttered home, favorite photos, or a decorative urn filled with dried flowers. Imagine the countless ways you can enhance your space with little things that are beautiful to you. If you have things in your home that no longer inspire you or fit you, let them go, move them on, donate or sell them. Choose to surround yourself with all of your favorite things, from smallest to greatest and then take heed of these wonderful gifts of beauty!

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Lets face it, procrastination is just a fancy word for lazy. It’s not pretty and it’s not fun and it can be crippling when it has a grip on you. So I recommend that you just say NO. Later will not offer a larger chunk of time or a better state of mind for you to tackle your task or project, so do it now and feel good about it. Tackling undesired projects is like receiving a wonderful massage for your spirit. It removes the job from your list, it gives you peace of mind and it removes that gnawing anxiety over looming deadlines. If the job is too big, break it down into smaller tasks. Get your actions on board with your desires and get the job done. And when the job is done, check it off your list, give yourself a small reward and pat yourself on the back! Well done!

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