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Step Away From The Screen

9/24/2018

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How much time do you spend each day behind some type of screen? A computer, cell phone, iPad, TV any type of screen. Be honest now between work, school and personal time how many hours each day do we spend on these devices? 

Research is bringing forth some dramatic numbers. On average, 8-18 year olds spend between 7.5 to 11.5 hours per day on technology and 3 hours of this time using social media. 
The average adult spends 11 hours each day in front of the screen.

These devices, some of which are toted to create connection, are actually the source of social disconnection. 
Technology makes adults and teens profoundly anti-social. 
Our happiness and longevity are on the decline. Disease and loneliness are increasing.

Screen time is a likely cause of the ongoing increase in teen depression, anxiety and suicide. Numbers significantly changed around 2012 when smartphones and tablets became widespread among teenagers. ​And teens who spend more time on screen activities are more likely to be unhappy. After a little less than an hour a day of time spent on a smartphone, their well-being begins to decrease. These statistic also mirror adult figures as well.

When we are young we don’t always use good judgment because we’ve yet to form good judgment. The prefrontal cortex is where we house problem solving, decision making and impulse control and it’s not fully developed until you are in your 20s. As a teenager and into the 20s, they are inherently lacking these critical skills and yet perpetually using devices that ask them to respond immediately, react immediately, make decisions immediately, to click, like, tag and post. They/we are not asked to stop and critically think.

Research is also showing that we are 40% less empathetic than we were 30 years ago. Exercising empathy fosters connection, if we don’t, we become disconnected and ultimately foster loneliness.

We learn empathy through vulnerable situations and experiences. On social media we are masking our vulnerability. Social media portrays one-side of our life, and it's the side that we want people to see, not our real side, not our vulnerable side. We can't empathize with one another when we aren't being authentic and vulnerable.

The common thread among all ages is that more screen time means less time for activities that are good for our health and well-being. The most important question to ask yourself is...What is screen time replacing? A lot of us are giving up sleep, communicating with each other as a family, social connection, exploring the world, exercising, hobbies, etc. Remember we are all disciplined to something, what are we disciplined to?

This fall season, let's intentionally chose to decrease our personal screen time and replace it with actively engaging in life through social connection, nature and experiences that nurture and fill up our spirits with goodness. 
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What Did I Do Spiritually Today?

9/16/2018

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During busy or challenging times in life, we can fall prey to running on the hamster wheel of life and toss aside the practices that can support us through the challenges. Practices that keep us propped up, energized and full to move through them with grace and ease.

It's easy to make concessions in our schedule and stop exercising, getting enough rest, eating well, and it's easy to stop meditating, praying, being in a place of gratitude, being still, listening, letting go, asking for guidance, paying attention to our intuition, offering ourselves compassion.

​We fall prey to trying to control life and prioritize the busyness over our practices that can help to sustain us. When this happens it's easy for life to feel overwhelming and like it's spiraling out of control, so we try to control it some more. 

​In last week's post, I invited you to stay in your magic when life gets tricky, to have faith and trust. Staying in your magic requires daily spiritual practice, especially during the messy challenging times. It doesn't have to be time-consuming or even the same each day, but practicing is key. It works best for me if I don't over-complicate it and allow my practice to be flexible.

I firmly believe that a few minutes of daily spiritual practice will reap the rewards ten-fold. It will buy you back the time you spent, it will keep you grounded and centered, it will help you be in the flow, it will keep you energized. When you are consistent with your spiritual practice you will be more productive and creative and life will unfold with a lot more ease. 


Find the practices that resonate most with you. For me daily prayer, affirmations, meditation, gratitude, Reiki and exercise are my go to practices. I add in others on days where I have more time, but those are my consistent practices.

If you currently don't have a daily spiritual practice, I invite you to start one today. Give it a try for the next month and see how life shifts and changes for you.  
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Stay In Your Magic

9/7/2018

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​Sometimes life can get tricky, it can get messy and it can seem to make no sense at all. It doesn't always smell like roses and look like rainbow unicorns. Sometimes it's easy to throw in the towel and think I'm done for now, I give up for now, I have no idea what I am doing.  Do you know what I mean? That's when we need a shifter, a tool in our toolbox to help us get through the muck of life without getting stuck in it.

Today, September 11th, marks a tricky day for me, it's a bittersweet day. It's a day where I very much remember the horrific tragedy that we collectively experienced, and it also signifies for me the day that I decided to live my life. The day that I decided to be brave and have the courage to step into my own unique magic. Especially on this day, I remember and honor those that have fallen, as well as my decision to learn from that experience and to live life with more passion, more authenticity, more vulnerability, more fullness, to live whole-hearted. 

It's a day to reconfirm the choice to shine brighter, to sprinkle some magic, to throw a little glitter at the mess, to laugh at the craziness, to recognize that life can be tricky and messy, but it can also be beautiful and magical. It's up to us to find our way through it, to not get stuck in the muck, to use our tools. 

The Chopra Center recently posted this on Facebook..."Every person has their own magic, bringing something into this world that no one else can. Trust that you are exactly who and where you are supposed to be and life is unfolding as it should. When things get tricky, turn to meditation. It's the best way to reconnect with your magic and align with the power of the universe." Turn to your tools. Meditation, gratitude and faith are amazing shifters and game-changers. 


Our faith can be tested when we experience hardships, illness, disappointment and loss. It's at these difficult times that we can either rely on our faith or turn from it. By holding onto our faith, its possible to see hard times as part of the journey and not as a punishment. It's a belief that there's more to life than what's in this physical world. 

The door is opened for the best things to occur when you let go of your fears and hesitations and just move forward with faith. I believe that everything is more powerful when it starts with faith and trust. Faith and trust in yourself, in your intuition and in a greater plan.

Faith is about trusting the journey, believing that there's a plan, within this plan there are lessons and choices. Faith is about being in a place of yes. Trusting your intuition and sense of knowing to keep you in the flow of life, not resisting against it. Letting go, surrendering control and fear and living in a place of trust.

Life can be tricky, but stay in your magic. Stay in the flow and allow your faith, heart and intuition to guide you. And always sprinkle a little magic and pixie dust along the way. 
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What Are You Disciplined To?

9/4/2018

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It's the first day of school here in Wisconsin. With the start of a new school year, my mind shifts toward getting back to a routine, a schedule. I look at it in a similar way to how we look at the new year when it rolls around. It's a time to look at life and consider what tasks need attention, what has been let go over the summer months, and how I want the year to proceed. It's time to hunker down, get more serious and to get more disciplined. 

As I look at getting "more disciplined" I like to remind myself of something I learned a few years ago (I can't remember who said it), it goes like this...The question is not whether we are disciplined, we are all disciplined. The question is, what are you disciplined to? This hit home for me. It's true isn't it? We are all disciplined, it's just what are we disciplined to that's the question. 


Well, that was powerful realization for me. At times I've considered myself to not be a disciplined person. This simple shift gave me a whole new perspective. I am disciplined, it’s not a matter of me being disciplined, it’s more a matter of what I am disciplined to. These simple little perspective shifts can be super impactful. They cause us to look at something from a different point of view, a little bit different angle, and sometimes that’s all we need in order to catch ourselves and to create a shift.

Am I disciplined to watching TV or am I disciplined or to exercising? Am I disciplined to social media or am I disciplined to visiting with a friend? Am I disciplined to eating out or am I disciplined to planning and making meals? Am I disciplined to reading the news or to reading a book?


This week I invite you to reflect on what it is you are disciplined to and whether those items are serving you. Do you desire to create a shift and discipline yourself toward something different? Something that might bring more positivity, passion, meaning, or impact? 

​Fall is a great time of year to let go of the things that aren't serving you and say yes to a new discipline. Shake up your routine and blend in some new disciplines!
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