I’m excited to do a few New Year’s Rituals today – firsts for me. What I usually do is reflect the last few weeks of the year and get clear on some new intentions and goals for myself for the upcoming New Year.  Writing a letter to yourself as if you are at the end of that next year – and what you are grateful for – is a powerful way to seal in your vision.

In that process, I also chose one word (an idea that floated around on Facebook this month that I thought was so simple yet powerful) to capture what I want to embody more of in 2011.  It will be my foundation. I chose ‘Responsibility’.  I’ve realized that as much as I say I want to take on and create for myself in life, I still shy away from taking 100% ownership. (Yikes- not easy to admit to myself! )My journey this year has led me to understand how essential it is to be completely responsible for every thought, feeling, emotion, intention, action, calling, desire, etc that I have.  Be responsible for ME, for my actions and re-actions, and what I create. No one else!

It’s a little un-sexy of a word, I know – it feels kind of heavy from one vantage point at least – but it excites me! And that’s because I know that with this truth and focus, 2011 will be a year unlike any I’ve every experienced. I’m already feeling the ‘fire-walking’ energy of it, and yet I know my soul is on board. Writing this I’m reminded of a fabulous card that I recently found,  with a little girl and a dog sitting side by side in chairs, and it reads, “Life is tough. I recommend getting a manicure, and a really cute helmet.”

What’s your word for 2011?

The rituals I’ll be doing today were suggested by a friend who is so full of gorgeous Goddess-energy and very wise beyond her years. She handed them to me, and so I trusted that this is what I am meant to do today! Mostly because they felt right to me.

1) Write down all the things you are choosing to let go of as you head into 2011 (I know for me these live much more in the land of outworn thoughts & beliefs, behaviors, habits, patterns that no longer serve who I am becoming).

2) Burn that list.

3) Cast 2011 intentions into the ocean at sunset today (a special method she shared that’s too compex for this blog, but you can lay a rock on top of a list of intentions and then throw the rock into the ocean (or place it on an altar or special holding place). Sunset is a time of fertility (who knew?). A time to ‘birth’ these intentions.

No matter what you choose to do as far as goal-setting, my wish is for you to release. Release anything that you know in your heart isn’t serving the YOU that is bursting to be born. The YOU that yearns for more love, new love, less baggage, less drama, more peace, more success.  We always have to move through whatever blocks our path, yet it can be tricky to see and painful to admit. So be very, very gentle with yourself, yet brave.

When we want new love, yet we are not being the love we so long for, we must release something.  When we want new success, yet we are not embodying and acting from that new feeling and place of success, we must release something.  A full glass can’t hold new water. And often, even if ‘He’ isn’t in your life,  you have old beliefs, thoughts and feelings that would probably equal a loooonng line of men out the door.  How is he going to get to your doorstep? Or that new business, or body?

Go with your gut on what those are, write them out, and burn them.  Let 2011 be the year that you step into more of YOU, creating much more of what you want to experience.

I write this for myself as I write this for you.

Happy New Year !!!  I am so grateful to connect here with you.

To your love, success and abundance ~

Leslie

This morning I was conflicted. My life works so much better when I dedicate anywhere from a few minutes to 30 or one hour if I get up early enough (very luxurious) in the morning, to inspiring reading, affirmation, prayer and meditation.  It’s become a ritual that I need. And often,  when I have just a minute, I take that minute to read something inspiring and peaceful, and simply anchor myself for a moment in positive truth before jumping to a higher gear.  Even a minute gives me something, and it sets a positive intention for my day.

BUT, I’m a morning person with exercise – and often if I don’t lay out my workout clothes the night before, and have my coffee ready first thing, I easily slink into my ‘morning ritual’  (if I workout first thing, I make sure to take a few minutes for my morning ritual, even if it’s not until lunchtime)  before heading out the door to exercise. And then it’s *really* tough to motivate 30 minutes later.

This morning was one of those mornings where I wasn’t prepped to workout first thing, but I knew I really needed to move my body. So, I made my coffee, grabbed my book and journal, and headed for my favorite chair in the living room, bargaining for 20 minutes of this time before heading out the door. It looked cold and gloomy outside, after all.  Well, 20 minutes turned into an hour after toggling between reading, checking my email (not usually allowed, but it slipped in) and assessing if I needed to head to the gym instead of walking outdoors.  Now a big part of me was ready to delay exercise until tomorrow. Finally I peeled myself off the chair and pushed myself outside to walk – my spirit knew it needed nature after a very indoor, rainy weekend.  I felt stiff from sitting so long, and really not very motivated to move.  Thank g*d for Ipods.  After contemplating a short walk, once I got into the groove I found myself back home after a great hour walk.  This really felt like a miracle this morning. We know we just need to take that first step, but sometimes it’s just so easy to make an excuse and not take it sometimes.

I know that if I had decided to chuck my exercise for the day, I wouldn’t have had such a spring in my step as I headed into  my work day.  And I may have taken a friend’s lunch cancellation a bit more personally.  I wouldn’t have felt as confident that I could accomplish what I had on my to-do list.  And , I probably wouldn’t have thought to put Pandora on in my bathroom, dancing to Jay -Z in the shower.  Dancing in the shower is not something I’ve found myself doing much of lately, especially on a dark winter’s morning – and on a Monday, no less! That to me is really the easiest way to compare the results of moving my body, versus choosing not to.

It’s almost like taking a ‘Sliding Doors’ (the movie) approach to something, in this case, exercise.  Day in the Life A, you move your body. Day in the Life B, you don’t. And then wonder and watch what results within you – how you feel, what your energy is, how you respond to things, what you do and what you don’t do.

Moving our bodies is not only good for us in all the ways we are often told and know, but it moves our spirit.  And moving our spirit leads to all sorts of good things too.  ;-)

With love,

Leslie

Dear Savvy Woman,

My work with clients often has a component to it of helping them do things differently – largely, it’s about doing things differently (we all need guidance from those that have been there before as we step out, I know I do).  As they say in the famous definition of insanity, something to : doing the same things the same way and expecting different results.

The other night I went to the bookstore and rather than hunting down some books I had on my list to read, I just let myself browse. After all, I was in a bookstore to do that, and not just clicking through on Amazon.com to get what I needed.  And I mention this for a reaon, as there is such a gift to just watching where our attention and energy takes us rather than always being on a mission and ‘following guidelines’ = in this case, picking up certain books.  It lets you play more, and be creative and open.

So that night I stumbled on the book Personal Power through Awareness (Sanya Roman).  And I want to share with you something extremely important about your future, that she writes about. I just sent a newsletter yesterday (are you signed up?  www.BeLoveSavvy.com/articles.htm) on this topic as it’s been up for a lot of my clients  – and for all of us in the world at this time especially, I think. 

“Every time you think of the future you project energy into it, even if you mumble, ” I never get things done,” or “I don’t know why this happened to me,” or “I wish I hadn’t done it.” Every comment you make is directing energy towards the past, the present or the future. If you could become aware of even one hundredth of the thoughts you are sending out into the future, and evolve them, within a month you would know delight that exceeds all of your pictures (in your mind) today. Every single statement you make about yourself, to a friend or even to yourself becomes a truth. You project energy at every moment. If you want a better future, speak of it, picture it, say it to others. Only you can create for yourself what you want. It is the greatest power, honor and gift you have ever been given.”

To your love & success,

Leslie

www.BeLoveSavvy.com

Dear Savvy Woman,

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day …

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies
hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction….The chain reaction
of evil–hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars–must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of
annihilation.”    -   Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength To Love, 1963

We can equate darkness to prejudice, terrorism, violence – all that we witness and experience as manifestation of individual and collective dark thoughts.

This great man fought against so much.  He had such bravery , and such vision.

You and I live in such different times.  Imagine what he was up against. I simply CAN NOT.  

Stop for a moment and think about that.   It is so incredibly HUMBLING, isn’t it? 

Sometimes it may feel as if you’re up against SO MUCH.  What you desire feels so far out of reach.  Your reality may seem so  vastly different from that of your dreams. 

 I certainly have my moments…

It seems that we as individuals – and particularly as women – create these horrible thoughts against ourselves (even if they’re little tiny ones, subtle…)  and these thoughts can turn into self-sabotaging acts, and acts against others – that take us so FAR away from our purpose of being in an abundance of JOY and WELL-BEING.    It begins with our thoughts. 

Which leads me to another quote of MLK’s that I stumbled upon, which I loved…

“We must combine the toughness of the serpent and the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.”   -Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963.

From my savvy – and tender  – heart, to yours ~Leslie

The Savvy Woman’s Love Coach

www.BeLoveSavvy.com

Dear Savvy Woman,

This is always something that is “up” for me, and it’s in the middle of my work with clients.  It’s responsible for the results that we receive in our lives.  Our minds.  Our thinking.  What we allow in.  The nutrients that we feed it.

You’ve seen me write a lot about mind-set, and my clients experience my focus on it in our work together.  I recently re-read some old journals from years back, and low and behold – as I worked on shifting out of corporate and ending a toxic relationship with a boyfriend, along with attracting more opportunity into my life – what was changing within me was my mind-set.  What makes all the difference with this is sustainability.  Protecting your focus, your intentions, your vision and your thinking.

Ways to do this:

1. Surround yourself with like-minded people, and decrease time with the rest.

2. Keep your environment positive, including what you listen to (audios instead of random radio) and what you read.

3. Take time to connect to your vision – your desires – your dreams – EVERYDAY (see a prior blog post on Mind Movies).

4. Do whatever it takes to BELIEVE. You must have belief.  Fear and doubt are everywhere, and they destroy the thinking and mind-set that’s required to live the life of your dreams.

From my savvy heart to yours,

Leslie

The Savvy Woman’s Love Coach

www.BeLoveSavvy.com