“She was never quite ready, but she was brave. And the Universe listens to the brave.” ~ Rebecca Ray

One thing I’ve learned from my mentor, Melanie Ann Layer is the understanding that…It’s never about what you do, it’s about who you are when you’re doing it! If you want to accomplish anything from losing weight to exercising on a regular basis to not drinking, the most important thing is to realize that the power is within you. No outside thing is going to save you or help you…when you tap into the power of the Universe that lives within you anything is possible. In other words, get your head right, get your energy big, trust, and then surrender! Willpower may help you initially, but in order to stay the course, you have to vibe with God! It’s that simple, but not really simple all at the same time!

As I’ve grown and changed as a person, becoming stronger in my belief that the power of the Universe surrounds me and is the actual light within me…as I’ve I’ve learned to trust that I’m being guided and surrender to the fact that even though I don’t know the how…I get to co-create my life with the Universe - I’ve come to understand that my inspired action will allow me to accomplish anything! When I’ve done the work to get to a place where I’m vibrating with the power that creates worlds, I’m unstoppable. God, the Universe, Source, responds to me…I go first and the Universe responds.

As I said in my previous post, I’ve started Project 50 Days (keep reading) and this commitment is my way of saying to the Universe…”I’m ready for the next step”. I’m ready to move into a new phase of my life and become a coach/mentor. I’m sure you know that a coach doesn’t necessarily need experience, only a knowledge about something. A mentor has experience…life experience. I want to share what I’ve learned along my path to becoming who I was put on this earth to be. I want to embody the spiritual truths that I’ve learned and continue to learn and help other women to do the same.

It’s time for me to step into this. Midlife is a time to become curious about the possibilities if you haven’t already. It’s a time to finally stop repeating the patterns of the past and step into a place of creative possibilities!

The past only exists in your mind…you can’t go back and fix or change anything, but you can take the wisdom from the past and apply it to the the here and now. What you do in this moment creates the future you want.

I’ve was feeling a little stuck until I started Project 50 Days. I knew I was repeating patterns that didn’t serve me. During May, with my daughter’s wedding and so much going on, I got out of the habit of exercising and started drinking too much wine. I made the excuse about how busy I was and how stressful my life had become. In just 4 days of Project 50 Days, I feel like a completely different person (lots of exercise, sleep and now wine!). I have my priorities straight and I’m very focused on living a full and joyful life. I want to go to bed full of gratitude for my day and the things I created and accomplished. I want to be clear headed and feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.

We all go through the normal ups and downs of life and at times, things simply are more stressful, but there is always wisdom to be gained from those times. I fully believe that I needed to go through the stress of the past couple of months in order to take the next step and go to another level in my life.

The Project 50 Day challenge consists of 7 rules.

Wake up before 8 am (who sleeps that late anymore?). - I’m up by at least 6 am and usually earlier.

Do your morning routine every day before looking at any social media - 1 hour with no distractions. I’ve been getting up, reading something inspirational, journaling, meditating, making my bed and straightening up a little, having coffee and lots of water all before looking at my phone. It’s such a good routine because it keeps my mind from spinning into my to-do list and allows me to connect with myself first.

Exercise for 1 hour. This has been a bit of a challenge for me because I’m used to working out 4 days per week, but I’m fitting the other 3 days in in segments of 15 or 20 minutes which makes it easier. It’s making me stretch and do some yoga which is so good for me.

Read 10 pages a day of something motivational and/or inspirational. - I’ve been doing this for a good while now but not daily. I also listen to podcasts and replays of my coaching course while I’m driving and getting ready in the morning.

Dedicate 1 hour towards a new skill - I’ve already been doing this with the coaching and mentoring programs I’ve been taking (I actually completed two phases of this program during May which I’m really proud of). I’ve also been trying to spend some time taking pictures and learning more about photography. I’m also still in the middle of the meditation course I’m taking through the Chopra Center.

Follow a healthy diet - I do this for the most part, but I tend to rush and eat standing up during the day. I’m working on that and I’ll also be sharing some healthy recipes in the coming weeks.

Track your daily progress in a journal. I’m journaling morning and evening and really enjoying it. Gratitude in the morning, along with goals and quotes I’ve found…reflection on the day in the evening. This is really helping me to stay focused and also to sleep better. I get everything out on paper and turn the lights out!

Project 50 days is a way to hold myself accountable and create new, better habits. It’s not something I’m doing because I want to force change…that’s going backward. It’s something I’m doing because I want to grow and create a life I truly love and am proud of. I want to embody the spiritual principles I’ve learned and be an example as I’m mentoring others. This is very important to me.

Life can be a challenge and it can also be so exciting. Ride the waves as they come…feel the feelings, remember the hard times are temporary and are there to teach and embrace the joy with everything in you! Stop contemplating your life…get out there and live it!

This set from Petal & Pup…I love it for several reasons…it’s fun and summery and gives me all the summer feels. My daughter actually ordered it for herself and decided not to keep it. Before sending it back for her, I decided to try it on and loved it. I paired this cute set with a hat from Eric Javits, an adorable bag from Amazon (just $31) and Valentino sandals. I’m including links for all of the pieces shown as well as some of my affordable favorites from Petal & Pup!