Sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. It allows our body to rejuvenate and restore itself. Sleep deprivation is one of the biggest causes of aging. Tiredness can also affect your mood and how you feel. Chronic tiredness can increase your risk of depression and anxiety. It can also affect the way that you respond and react to the people around you.

It can also affect your cognitive ability and your ability to use your brain. This can cause you to be less constructive and creative. It can also decrease your ability to think quickly which may impair your ability to drive or do daily tasks. There is no set amount of time that everyone needs to sleep, since it varies from person to person. Studies indicate that people are generally most effective when they sleep an average of 7 hours, but people can find anywhere between 5 and 7 hours okay for them.

Insomnia and stress can be caused by deficiencies in certain nutrients. The foods that we eat can help us to gain those nutrients and help us sleep. These 7 simple foods can help us get a good night's sleep at last so that we can feel refreshed and energized in our daily life.

Bananas
Bananas are a delicious sleepy time fruit. They balance melatonin and serotonin levels, which are the neurotransmitters necessary for deep sleep. They also contain magnesium, which is a muscle relaxant.

Chamomile tea
Chamomile is a mild sedative that calms and relaxes, making it the perfect natural antidote for restless minds and bodies.

Honey (preferably raw honey)
While sugar is stimulating, honey helps the brain to turn off because it contains orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that's linked to alertness.

Potatoes
Potatoes contain tryptophan, which will ensure you get your ZZZZZZZZs.

Oatmeal
Oats are a rich source of sleep inducing melatonin.

Almonds
A handful of almonds can help one relax and unwind because they contain the snooze helping nutrients tryptophan and magnesium.

Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which make them a natural mood lifter. Many have found that switching from olive oil (low omega-3) to walnut oil (high omega-3) and flaxseed-oil capsules (very high omega-3) helped sleep, balance, and even moods to improve.

by Sheryl Walters, kinesiologist, nutritionist and holistic practitioner.

Source - Natural News, www.naturalnews.com

Today is a gorgeous day in my part of the world. It's 67 degrees with clear Carolina blue skies. After a few inches of snow and some very low temperatures earlier this week, I am excited because the weekend is going to be very Spring-like here. The reason I am illustrating my day to you is because I had a "reminder" of sorts as I was driving home earlier and I would like to give you a nice visual. I was sitting at a stop light and took a few moments to just take in the day and look up into the sky. I happened to notice a few black birds at play at the top of a large oak tree. There was one bird in particular that kept swooping back and forth with an air current - forming a "U" shape. Hmm, I thought, interesting that this bird is flying in a U shape over and over again. (I digress for a moment. See, I believe in signs, nudges, gentle reminders (if we pay attention) and  they can serve as reminders or lessons in our lives.)

So back to the bird, after playing for a minute or so, he found a nice perch among one of the tallest branches of the tree. I started to think and this is what went on in my head .. birds use air currents as a part of their movement... they don't resist the current ... how crazy would it be, a bird resisting an air current.... and it was flying in a U shape....hmm....so where in my life am I resisting a current... where am I resisting the flow.... where am I experiencing the most 'dis-comfort' in my life? See my point yet?

Well, I got my answer and I know exactly where I am experiencing discomfort and for that matter what I am going to do to irradicate it from my life.

Let this be a reminder that the more you resist something the more it persists. So take time to live in the flow and move with the current!

Faith

Have you heard of the expression “As within, so without; as above, so below? “ 

If you are willing to suspend yourself and look at this statement from an objective view then join me by reading on. See, there are those that will argue that the world around us is nothing more than a mere projection of what is going on within us. Read that again and let it sink in, the world around you is but a projection of what is going on within you. Look around at your own life ~ Are you experiencing pain on the inside that is manifesting on the exterior? Is your mind all a clutter from less than empowering thoughts and therefore shows up as an unkempt office or home?

It is my belief that we, as a society, are experiencing our current pain for a whole host of reasons. Most of which is there to show us where we need to change and grow/expand.  If you are a student of history, you know that our past has been shaped with economic prowess as well as recessions. What have we learned from the past? Oh, I know that there had to be some lessons learned but I would argue that they were on a much smaller scale then needed to secure a spot in the “lesson learned, not doing that again” category. I have learned that to the degree that you do not pay attention, you pay with pain. So what it is that we need to learn to break the cycle; to learn the lesson, this time?

Here’s a hint, look at the world around you/us and ask yourself what major challenges we facing as a society. If you choose to look at the state of the economy then you may want to ask yourself, “Where in my life have I been out of integrity with my money? Where in my life have I not been paying attention to my own state of affairs?” You can pick any challenge out there and then examine its meaning in your life.

I have to admit that what we are going through today has given me an opportunity to evaluate my own life. I have asked myself those same questions and had a few “a-ha” moments. And guess what; those moments of realization have set me free. I now know where I made mis-takes and where I am going to change my direction and path for a better future.

My wish for you is that you take time to evaluate your life in response to the mirror reflection of the world today and have your own “a-ha” moments. Take time to go inward and learn about YOU. Now is the right time to look inside and purge what no longer serves you.

Openhearted,

Faith

 

 

 

How many of you have been to a carnival and walked through "The Fun House"? You know, the house will all the funny mirrors in it. The mirrors that distort your image into 100's of funny looking reflections?

How many of you live in "The Fun House"? Are you starting to draw the metaphor here?

Living in a Fun House is simply living in a state of Illusion 24 hours a day. Your negative beliefs about yourself are the cause of your own personal distortion or illusion. What is causing you the most pain in your life right now? Can you trace that pain back to the belief?

Example:
Sally doesn't believe she is good enough. This is a deep rooted belief that started many years ago. Because Sally believes this at such an unconscious level she creates situations in her life to support her belief. Sally may or may not be aware of her belief. If she isn't aware of the belief, Sally will experience many situations in her life that "show" or "prove" to her that she isn't good enough. She will wonder why she is a failure, why she is unlovable, why she is always the victim, etc. Failed relationships, failed career, just missing the opportunity for advancement, being taken advantage of .. the list goes on. If Sally is aware of the belief, she may not know how to make the swich or the change needed to get rid of the belief.

Where in your life do you have a distorted view of yourself? Do you know? Evaluate your life and find the patterns that keep repeating time and time again.

My example:
There was a time in my life where I believed that I wasn't good enough - on all fronts. I found many successes, sure, but they were short lived. I had accepted the belief in childhood ( like many of us do ) and it took me until I was 28 to fully realize it - to challenge it. I had come to the realization that this belief had stolen so many moments in my life. Many moments that I longed for but on the other hand, moments that I wasn't willing to let go of in the future. The moment that I challenged my own beliefs is the moment that I found freedom from them. I found many reasons to support the opposite of what I had once believed. Hence, I relied on the times that I was a success (no matter how SMALL) and I focused SOLELY on that.

I am no different from you, my friend. Because I have overcome my own illusions, that means that you can too.

What moments are you willing to sacrifice for your distorted reflection?

In Love and Harmony,
Faith

Short, sweet and to the point.

"Decide what your highest priorities are, and have the courage and independent willpower to say no - pleasantly, smilingly, and unapologetically - to the things that are less important to you." ~Stephen R. Covey

Sometimes you hear the message loud and clear and sometimes you keep repeating the same situations until you finally get the message. My wish for you is that today, you hear the message.

~Faith

The past.  Do you live in it? Do you know that the past only exists to the degree that you give it life i.e. energy? Do you realize how much it affects your life right this moment? The past is alive in your mind and life right now b/c you keep it alive. Am I suggesting that you can change your past ... well, yes and no. Can you change the actual events? No. Can you change how you feel about it and change your perspective? Yes. By changing your perspective you allow yourself the space to heal the past; therefore, setting you free. Now.

Having dealt with my own past, I speak from experience and knowing. A friend of mine likes to say, "I know, what I know, what I know." And I know that you can live today, right now and start anew.

Letting go of the past is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself .. because in return you receive the rest of your life!

All my best,
Faith

As I drove home tonight from dinner, my mind drifted to the thought/emotion of Happiness. I drove with the windows down, enjoying the beautiful night all the while allowing my hand and arm to be raised by the air currents out of my window like a small child. It was a freeing, childlike pleasure and I was truly in the moment. Then I began to think, why do so many people choose unhappiness for their life and remain unhappy mostly until the end? Trust me, I am a real person and my days aren't always dusted with fairy glitter but I have to say that I am generally a really happy person. I take everything in stride and those who know me well know that I live a very self-examined life. : ) 

So, back to happiness. How often have you "allowed" yourself to lift above your current life and get out of the muck and mire? It may be cliche but honestly, life is too short to live it without some fairy glitter, right? In my moment of inspiration,  I took a deep breathe and started to think about what I would write tonight. How could I convey to you in a short amount of time, in the form of a blog, how to be happy, how to enjoy life? Here's what I came up with and I have to say that it works for me!

1. Be grateful
2. Stop to smell the flowers (hence take care of yourself, relax, enjoy subtle pleasures)
3. Stand on the teetering edge of life - take risks
4. Grow (if you aren't growing, you're dying .. think about it) It's true of plants, animals, YOU
5. Set goals for yourself and place your attention on your intention
6. Look at all the ways you can make your life better starting now. Here's a hint: start with you. Make a list.
7. Realize that you have the power to overcome any challenge in your life. Don't believe me? Book a free consultation. (Forgive the shameless plug. But it's true.)
8. Make time to do the things that bring your joy, peace, happiness
9. Learn to not take yourself too seriously
10. Live the life that you desire and not the one that others tell you/teach/taught you that you have to live.

I truly hope that something I gave you tonight hits home. Maybe you are stuck and need a nudge in the right direction. Maybe you, like me, momentarily get caught taking things too seriously. Maybe you read this just at the right time to start taking stock in your life and all the many God/Universe/Goddess/Spirit given reasons that you have to live to your fullest potential and to be HAPPY! Whatever your reasons for finding this article, I encourage you to start enjoying life!

My best wishes to you!

Good night,

Faith

While watching a very intriguing National Geographic show yesterday, I was consumed with one mans desire to go after his life's work, his "Mt. Everest", as he called it.  I admired his determination and laser focus to make his dream a reality no matter the "obstacle". My question for you today is, what is your Mt. Everest? What would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail? You may say, yeah well, I will never be able to do this or that, Faith. And my answer to you would be, you are exactly right you won't, only because you have already limited your limitless self. You are the writer and director of your own life. Do you know the first step to making your dreams/vision your reality?  Where do you place your attention? Is it on the dream and the gratitude or is it on the how's and the cant's? 

I urge you to make a list of your burning desires that you must accomplish in this lifetime. Once you have your list of dreams, make a list of at least 50 items to back up why you must accomplish this dream. It is imperative that you focus your concentration/attention on what it is that you wish to create. In by doing so you set your course on a different direction ... toward your dreams. Each and every time you find another reason be sure to add it to your list. Look at your list daily and allow yourself to imagine it as your reality.

It is up to you to tip the scales!

Faith

A dear friend recently asked me in an email "what is going on in the world right now?" This question rode upon the heels of a couple of traumas that happened around her in the last week. Of course, I gave her my belief and opinions but then I started to think about my answer in more depth. As I thought about her question it led me to a inner dialogue of "why" things happen the way they do. I am excited to announce that my reflecting on this gave birth to an e-book, Self Discovery 101, that is now in the finishing stages!

If you were to poll 100 people and ask them why things happen; good or bad, I am sure you would get 100 different answers. Some would likely say that life and it's circumstances are in the hands of a higher power, some would say that there is no rhyme or reason or that it's random, some would even say that we create our own circumstances and the rest would simply have no idea! Where do you sit with these responses and how would you answer that question?

If you are open (and if your reading this blog I would tend to think you are) to exploring yourself in more depth and weeding out the "garden" of your mind ... then this e-book is for you. Contained with the pages is a 30-day opportunity for you to explore yourself and your beliefs at the most intimate levels. The exercises in the e-book are deceptively simple but powerful as long as you engage yourself in the lessons.

If you have not yet subscribed to this blog, please take the time to do so that way you will be updated as soon as the e-book is launched and available for purchase. If you have someone near and dear to you that you think will benefit from this information please get their permission and sign them up for the blog updates as well.

Remember: take time out of your day today, right now, to admire the beauty of life, nature and your loved ones.

Until next time,

Faith