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This is a lively and sometimes controversial conversation with the amazing Amy Bliefnick. In this episode I talk about my life as a labeler, self-labeler to be exact. From a young age I began to unquestionably accept labels put on me by others, and allow them to shape my behaviors to fit them. Then I started doing it myself. I talk about how I not only accepted my labels but happily went about adding to them. Defining myself under the guise of self-awareness, into a static snapshot of a person. Some of the labels I’ve carried are: Bookworm, cerebral, cold, introvert, INTJ, PA, TA, cynic, empath, INFP, the list goes on. I also talk openly about my neurological disorders, stemming from a traumatic brain injury, that I allowed to define my identity for a period of my life. At some point, I reached my labeling limit, or maybe came to my senses, aided by a timely podcast by Jess Lively, where she discusses her theory of Tran-sensitivity, and moving beyond labels. I began questioning whether all these labels were limiting who I was. And more importantly, whether it was limiting who I could become? Labels are based upon the past, and at the end of the day, if you can lose your self-definition, aren’t you free to become whoever you want to be, in any moment of time?   Show notes: The Lively Show

In this episode, Amy and I have a fun discussion about my journey from someone who had no appreciation for meditation, to someone who now gets up early before the sun is up, to begin my day in deep stillness. I start out the show describing my lack of appreciation for all things meditation, and all things stillness, and even all things sitting still. A true skeptic. I talk about a number of different things that moved me toward the meditation path, and all the starts and stops along the way. It’s probably the slowest integration of a solid meditation practice that you’ll ever hear about, literally years in the making. (No, you are not the only one!) Eventually I realized the time I put into quieting my mind was worth more than the time it took to do it. So much more . . . My advice on Stillness practice: Develop your own practice Don’t try to do it right Do what feels good to you Just as this is your life to create, this is your practice to create Towards the end, Amy and I get into an interesting discussion about animal communication and heart coherence. Magical! I’ll share how Reykjavik guided me, even during the last part of his journey, to understand the beauty of stillness and how much a quiet mind could actually hear. He communicated with me patiently, until I finally understood that meditation is really listening to your soul. Show notes:Martha Beck Steering by StarlightOprah and Deepak Chopra 21 day meditation series Xenia Splewinsky Yoga Nidra on Audible

This is a very special episode. It’s the very personal recounting of the intentional transitioning of my beloved Great Dane Alexander Reykjavik, and how it turned into a more heartfelt and celebratory transition than I could have imagined. To be very clear, this is a story of the end of my dogs life here on earth. But it’s not a sad story. It’s a story about my growing awareness that you can let go of how things are “supposed” to be, and live them as you feel them in your heart. In this episodeI talk about how the day of Reykjavik’s transition came to be called Freedom Day, and how I ended up looking at this day in a completely different way than I would have imagined years before. How I finally made the decision to schedule an intentional transition, after declaring that I would never make that call for him. I talk about the ups and downs, and second guessing of this decision and how I came to terms with the self-doubt I felt at one point. I relate my heartfelt communications with Reykjavik during the weeks leading up to Freedom Day, and the enormous gift he gave me one night. I always joked that he was my heart, and that I wore it recklessly, outside my boy. That night he gave it back to me. It’s like he was saying, it’s your turn now, to carry it and keep it open. Finally, I talk about our small spontaneous slumber party the night before and the beautiful way everything flowed on Freedom Day. Not as planned, but as how they were supposed to be. Full of love, and peace.

I am now a Certified Inner Voice Facilitator! Connecting With the Inner Voice is really what I do and how I live. I’m doing a 3 part series on the Inner Guidance System and how to access it. This is part 2 of the 3 part series, and it is specifically about how I use my inner voice to direct everyday aspects of my life. This episode is about how I have gradually adopted a style of intuitive living through greater attention to what my inner voice is saying, instead of following the mind and external cues. I got started with intuitive eating in a dramatic way, but you can do it more gently. I talk about how to develop your awareness of what your body really wants, by staying connected throughout the whole eating process. I talk about using my inner guidance system to choose my clothing every day, and what a surprising boost it can be to your comfort and ease, and even confidence, because you and your personal presentation are aligned. Plus, it’s so fun! The next area I talk about is using your inner voice to guide you through your work day. There are ways to give yourself choices, even if your workload for the day is set. I also use my morning meditative time to be open for downloads from my inner voice regarding work projects and I give examples about how my Internal Guidance System sometimes offers very specific visual advice. Often, my inner voice even acts as my social media manager. My newest way to use my inner voice guidance is in regard to socializing and I talk about how it has worked for me. Increasing my awareness of what feels good vs. what fits with how I have defined myself allows me to choose outings and interactions that feel good. This is really all about turning off the auto-pilot and tuning in to what is truest for you. This becomes so much easier once you have a fluid connection to your inner voice. I invite you to find an area of your life where you can play with this idea of asking your inner voice for guidance in small everyday ways. All it takes is some awareness in the moment and a little trust.

I am now a Certified Inner Voice Facilitator! Connecting With the Inner Voice is really what I do and how I live. I’m doing a 3 part series on the Inner Guidance System and how to access it. This is part 1 of the 3 part series. I start off by describing the Inner Guidance System that we all carry within us. Then how I learned about Hot Tracks from Martha Beck (in books called Steering By Starlight) and Writing To Your Intuition from Jess Lively’s Podcast. I present some thoughts about why we have the mental chatterbox in the first place, and if it’s useful or not. I share 9 reasons why you would want to listen to your intuition, and some ways to help set the stage for an inner voice connection, including: Why meditation may help you to hear your inner voice. What a mind diet is and how it can facilitate connection How it might help to limit external stimuli I discuss what was one of my biggest questions early on, and also probably the most frequent question I get, which is how to distinguish your inner voice from the mental chatterbox that lives in your head. Then Amy and I have a great time talking about how to apply this to a topic such as exercise. Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Inner Voice Series: Living an Intuitive Life!

This is not my normal storytelling podcast episode.  This is Amy and I having a conversation about life in the time of COVID-19, in direct response to what is happening in the world right now.  For once, there is no question that we are all in this together. And yet, we are all individuals, and we all have different ways of coping with upheavals in our life. We talk about how much  or how little news we should consume and what determines the impact that has on us.  I have personally altered the amount of news I am taking in and the sources. I offer two great links to websites that offer factual, positive news (links at the bottom).  We talk about the importance of maintaining or creating routine and ritual, to provide structure, comfort, and support for your stay-at-home lifestyle.  I have two extra people at my house and we are all finding ways to Co-exist very peacefully at home, even though two of us normally work outside the house. We discuss how to adapt old routines to fit within the new safety guidelines, so you can still do things you love while respecting and protecting others. Stay socially connected as you physically distance.  We mention that regardless of your own feelings, it’s important to be Respectful and Responsible to others on your QuaranTeam, and in your neighborhood. We also talk a lot about not going down the rabbit hole with worry about things you have no control over, and how to focus on things within your circle of influence.  It’s important to remember that we can have compassion for the world and each person in it, without having to go through what they do. We can keep our own vibe high and still hold space for others.  It is so much easier to help others from a place of wellness and strength. Every single one of us has the power to help others, whether it’s running groceries to your neighbor, donating to someone in need, lending a compassionate ear, or going deep to offer a prayer or send love wherever it is needed. Lastly, we talk about being aware of our focus, and how that creates your reality.   And those of you who say you never have time for brief periods of stillness in your daily life?  We are calling you out!   Links to Good News Reasons to be Cheerful https://reasonstobecheerful.world/ The Optimist Daily https://www.optimistdaily.com/   If you have comments you like to share, please DM me @BrightBlueMoment on IG

Why an episode about my dog? Because as it turns out, he dramatically changed the way I live my life. He is also the catalyst for many of the magical podcast episodes to follow. This first story shows the beginnings of the depth and beauty that can be found in the animal-human connection. In this episode, I will share a few funny, and unusual Great Dane puppy stories. I’ll also share how he became a model for fashion ads at a very young age, and how he gathered a crowd at The Time Warner Building at Columbus Circle in New York City one day. I’ll share how I started to realize that he was not a normal dog, and when I began to sense he could possibly provide a life-changing service for me. I’ll share how he unexpectedly became my service dog, and the craziness that is a Great Dane service dog on an NYC Subway. As my constant companion as a navigational guide he enabled my confidence and independence in a way that was transformational for me. I also tell fun stories about his sophisticated manner and about how he came into this world with his own style of etiquette that made me laugh almost daily. I was constantly surprised by the things he brought into our life and as you listen to this episode you will come to understand why I nicknamed him JoyBoy. I’ll share how even during the last part of his journey, he was there to teach me about the beauty of stillness and how much a quiet mind could actually hear. He communicated with me patiently, until I finally learned how to listen. He taught me how to open my heart and keep it open, until I found my own spirituality there. This podcast is for you if you like dogs, joy, laughter, spirituality. YouTube Videos: Walking the Last Mile (Part 1) How to Carry a Great Dane (Part 2)  

I now live in an amazing house on Diamond Head in Hawaii that I was not even looking for. I set out to find a condo, and then fell in love with a graceful old Hawaiian home.  It was too big, more than we were going to spend, and already in escrow with someone else by the time we went after it. And yet through a lot of focus on abundance and pure intention, and desire just to bring the house back to it former glory, one by one the obstacles disappeared.  By this point, I’m really starting to understand how to let go of resistance, and intentionally feel as if I already have the prize I have my eyes on.

Manifestation is really a fairly new word to me. Episodes #2 and #3 of this podcast are about big things I manifested without even knowing the term. This episode, #2, explains how I came to love Hawai’i as a vacation destination and how much angst I would always have about leaving. By listening to my intuition, I developed a sense of calm about the situation, and learned to not focus on the leaving end of the vacation. I made peace with where I was at, and where I was at eventually changed.

This episode is about why I finally decided after much nudging, to do a podcast. I talk about what it was like to spend a weekend fleshing out the creation of my podcast  with my marketing partner Amy Bliefnick, and the messages that came to me afterwards. I never thought being so honest could feel so good! In this podcast I also talk about previous me, the perfectionist, who had a lot less time for sanity, let alone fun, because I was so busy trying to do everything.  I describe what an Utmost is, and why it’s a trait you may want to leave behind. Or go ahead and embrace it, and move three steps forward to the emergency room on your life game board. Future  episodes will be about my journey toward a higher level of awareness and purpose, one crazy story at a time, and all the things I’ve learned and am learning still as I peel away the unnecessary layers I’ve accidentally added in this lifetime. I’m learning how to find the pure joy of the moment and to sometimes just go towards fun!