Let Your Life Bloom

Storytime...

...just because everyone needs a good princess story now and then.

Hello, my name is Vanessa, and I used to be a professional princess. That's right. I worked for Magic Princess, a delightful company that truly does bring joy and all good things to parties.

In my time as a princess, I accumulated many stories that I pull out of my back pocket every now and then. What better time than right now to share them with you! (Princesses like to use exclamation marks, a lot. I will try to keep it to a minimum).

Here are a few of my favorite stories/images:

Pumping gas into my carriage at the local station as Cinderella!

Reluctantly asking for the apple side dish to my meal at a local restaurant after Snow White gig!

Sunny afternoon, 4 yr old, laying on the grass next to me, asks, "Tinkerbell, where do you shower?" The following conversation: 

Tink: "Why, first I fly down behind the oak tree, turn right at the berry bush, jump over the rainbow, and that lands me in the waterfall where I shower"
Boy: "Geez, that's a long way away."
Tink: "Not when you have wings and know magic. Where do you shower?"
Boy: "In my bathroom, of course."
Tink: "Wait a minute, you are telling me that you have a whole room just for taking a shower?! You must be rich, like a King."
Boy: "Yeah, well, I really am."
HA HA

***
It was also pretty amazing to see the differences in culture, family behavior/dynamics, food choices, and economic landscape. I traveled across the Bay Area to parks, houses, churches, community centers. Whether parents were laidback or stressed out, there were 2 people at the party or 50, rich or not so - the greeting/yelling was the same "THE PRINCESS IS HERE!!!!!!!"

And that was from the parents.

Intuition: Your new best friend

I have a love/hate relationship with my intuition. I love when I trust it. I hate when I don't.

Why? Because it's always right. I'm telling you, take any situation, any topic - my intuition has an opinion. And, it's a way better one than what my ego can come up with. The difference? My intuition is there to support me, help me get clear, make decisions easier, see a larger perspective, and discover the underlying dynamics of a situation aka "what's really going on". Isn't that what you want a best friend to do?

What about the ego? She's the wild and crazy friend, talking you into and out of drama.  Getting you to stay in situations where you are comfortably uncomfortable, date the trouble maker, be the co-dependent. With her, there's some version of "Yes, I rock" or "Dang, I suck" applied to yourself, others, and the experiences you find yourself in. Each serves its purpose and there's a place for it all. I'm just looking to create a little more balance, to tilt the wheel in the direction of clarity instead of confusion.

You don't need any convincing though. That intuition of yours is the most valuable compass you have.

Funny Money - part 2

Bet you're still wondering how money and health are connected. I will leave you in the dark no longer.

Let me start with this, I was inspired/driven to write about this topic because of the many conversations I've had with friends, clients, and strangers about their pocketbooks - literally and metaphorically. I've watched people deny themselves food, pleasure, career options, and even getting their basic needs met due to lack of money. Their arguments are mostly out of fear - not having enough, failing, succeeding, cost is too high - take your pick.

It's not necessarily the lack of money that hinders one's choices. The real health impediment is the attitude of "lack" or "not enough" or "isn't possible." This creates nothing but stress.

Stress reduces your quality of life in the short term and, possibly, the quantity of your life in the long term. If you want to learn more about stress and the power that thoughts have over your ability to be healthy, check these out - Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, Your Body Believes Every Word You Say, and Dr. Masaru Emoto's work and how that parallels our individual health. 

Funny Money - part 1

The other day I was in line at a grocery store. The woman in front of me was sighing heavily, tapping her foot, and waiting for me to make eye contact so she could share her frustrations. I could feel it coming- the dump. She looks at me and quips, "It never pays to be in a hurry." Not wanting to be rude, and not wanting to join in the complain game, I tried a different approach.

"But, wouldn't it be great if it did?"

There was silence for a moment. Then she burst out laughing. I continued my role as stand up comedian. "Can you imagine how great that would be? The person in charge of all money shows up and says 'Thank you for your patience, how much would you like to be compensated for that?' Let's get them over here right now." We continue to chat it up for a bit, visualizing money and all good things coming our way. Her toe tapping and sighing stops.

Ode to a clear, blue sky and good food

Last night was the first time in weeks that the windows in my house were open. As you know from my last post, the fires have been raging in California. The smoke finally lifted. No longer breathing in unhealthy particulates. No longer stuck inside. Fresh air, blue sky, and more oxygen to the brain - definitely a good thing.

Having spent the last few hours giving the garden a good haircut, and losing 5 pounds in sweat due to the heat, I am dedicating this post to cooling off. Which I plan to do after I finish writing this. The focus of the cool - FOOD.

Some people don't realize that the foods you typically reach for on a hot summer day often have the opposite reaction of cooling off. Sodas, candy, hot dogs, beer, and the like are often rich in additives including sugar and other unpronounceable chemical concoctions. These processed "foods" set off a chain reaction in the body, heating you up as your body detoxes from what you just put in.

Before you reach for the old standards, try these naturally cooling foods instead:

Natural Disasters

Well, nothing like a rampage of natural disasters to get you out of your own head.

The fires of NorCal have been raging with some level of containment for the past few weeks. Luckily, it hasn't affected me beyond going a little stir crazy from staying inside all the time. It wasn't until I got an email from a friend whose house is in fire danger, that I realized how much time I spend in my own world. I do love myself, and wouldn't trade me in to be anybody else... but my goodness, the self-absorption can take over.

I know I'm not alone. After working in many positions and interacting with many people, I became acutely aware of our capacity and ability to be utterly self-centered. I'm not talking about sharing who you are, expressing your creativity, or your critical thinking skills. What I'm referring to is the obsessive quality of being so involved and attached in one's own thoughts that you forget there is a whole world out there.

It took me awhile to figure this out, and I think I finally got a piece of the answer. The media is on all the time, focusing on pain and disaster and war. It's overwhelming. We think we are getting away from it by swinging to the other side of the pendulum by tuning into ourselves. Well, what aspect are you tuning into? Often when you talk to people, you hear of their version of internal pain, disaster, and war. It's the same way of thinking, same paradigm, this time focused on you, rather than the world.

There is a balance, and I'm learning that it must be chosen.

Briefly interrupting our previously scheduled program

That was funny. Typepad just erased my post! I went to the blog to double check it and nothing was there. Talk about interrupting the program. Sheesh.

Ok, here we go again.

I promised myself that I would write daily. I have, just not on this blog. The good news is, I updated my Coaching website, here and here. Plus, I just finished my monthly newsletter full of tips you want to know about. Sign up for it in the top right corner, here. Cheers.