“Rather than spending more of your time trying to work through your conceptual self, move out of your head and touch your life. Do just one thing differently than you did before. Care for yourself in the quietest, most intimate ways. Your idea of yourself will reform as you give yourself solid, undeniable, consistent proof that you are different than you once believed yourself to be. - Brianna Wiest from The Pivot Year

Each morning when I wake up, the first thing I do is drink a huge glass of water and then get a cup of coffee. While I’m drinking my coffee, I read a bit from a book by Brianna Wiest, journal, or look at something that inspires me and then I meditate…all of this before I look at my phone because I don’t want my mind to go to thoughts of the day and my to-do list. Many times, I have insights that guide my day, or my blog post, or I work out some sort of problem or concern that has been on my mind.

This happens because I give myself the time to go within…to get out of my head and care for myself. This is a gift to me and those around me…including, hopefully everyone that reads my blog.

I have realized over the years that when I care for myself, others benefit as well for so many reasons.

Yesterday, on my Instagram post, I expressed gratitude in the spirit of celebration! I shared that I was celebrating my life and how far I’ve come, celebrating sunshine and family and being in my happy place. I was and am celebrating being alive and feeling so much gratitude for all I have to look forward to. “I am different than I once believed myself to be”!

Celebration in the name of gratitude is a huge way we can care for ourselves. Instead of looking at what’s going wrong, find something to be truly grateful for and celebrate that. In doing so, you put yourself in a different state and many times, are better able to handle the problems that inevitably come up in life.

Years ago, when I first started this Journey of self discovery, I was fortunate to find teachings to tap into that helped me to turn my life around. I have continued over the past 10 years to study every single day and stay curious about becoming the best person I can be.

This started because I was in such a desperate place and I knew something had to change…I could not go on the way things were.

I don’t even remember how I was led to Abraham Hicks YouTube videos, but that’s the way the Universe works…when you ask from a place of truth and sincerity…things show up in the most random ways. Abraham Hicks introduced me to the idea that “we create our own reality”. That was a hard pill to swallow because why in the world would I have created the life I was living. That’s a topic for another blog post!

One thing led to another and I was reading books, diving in feet first to the personal development world. I studied and read and learned to meditate and slowly started digging myself out of a deep hole that I’d been living in for most of my life.

The work is never done. Life comes with it’s problems and it’s all about how we deal with them. When you start to embody the work, the way you think changes and you begin to approach things that come up in a different way. You come out of your subconscious mind and are able to create new and more effective ways of dealing with things.

I could write about this forever, but I have a sweet little three year old waiting for me, so, I’ll save that for another day (also, please forgive any typos!)

Below, I’m sharing some of the mentors and teachers that have helped and continue to help me on my Journey. Whether you are just dipping your toes into personal development/spirituality, or you’re deep into it, there is always something new to live and learn. Curiosity is everything…stay curious, be grateful and by all means, celebrate, celebrate, celebrate!

A Celebration is a party thrown in the name of Gratitude - Melanie Ann Layer

Abraham Hicks on YouTube - life changing for beginners with an open mind. When I first discovered Abraham Hicks, I binged the videos almost 24/7 because I couldn’t get enough…I listened in the car, while I was getting ready and sometimes, I listened as I went to sleep. I still listen to Abraham Hicks often.

Michael Beckwith - I love this man and call him the Southern Baptist metaphysician (he’s amazing and the real deal)!

Carla Coulson - Carla was my first real coach and I am presently working with her as a business coach and spiritual mentor. She is helping me practically and also helping me to stay centered every day. She is a talented photographer and an all around great person!

Dr. Joe Dispensa - I have been doing Dr. Dispensa’s meditations for years. He is very science based and men generally love him for that reason. He teaches Quantum Physics, explained in the spiritual realm (that’s totally my interpretation). I go back to his teachings often.

Neville Goddard - I read my first Neville Goddard book last summer and to say it was life changing, is quite an understatement! I highly recommend delving into this if you haven’t already!

Brianna Wiest - I continue to study Brianna’s work and quote her often! The Mountain is You opened my eyes to the ways I was self sabotaging and didn’t even realize it! Her book The Pivot Year is 365 days of inspiration and a great way to start the day!

And…last but certainly not least - Melanie Ann Layer. I have quoted and written about Melanie often. I first discovered Melanie while sitting on the beach in 2020. I was mesmerized and went into a deep dive about who she was and never looked back. Melanie shares a lot of free content and that’s how I started out. One thing led to another and I bought a small course, then another and then, I bought a bigger course. With each purchase, I put the work in and really tried to implement the ideas she was teaching. Eventually, I jumped in with both feet and now I’m in her year long AFENext program which stands for Alpha Femme Next. I get all of her programs…old and new and she is constantly in my ear. Her body of work is large…it’s like drinking from a fire hose and I love every second. I’ve had the great privilege of being coached by her personally and my life has turned around 100% since I found her. I am so grateful for what she is doing and highly recommend her to absolutely anyone! Melanie doesn’t have a website and she hasn’t written a book. She’s done everything through Facebook and other social media channels. Find her on Facebook at Alpha Femme and Instagram at Alpha Femme and Melanie Ann Layer.

Of course, there are many other teachers and mentors who have touched my life, but these are the ones that really stand out! Clearly, I believe in mentorship and believe that the investment comes back exponentially!

And lastly, about the dress I’m wearing in these pictures…it’s probably no surprise that it’s from Brochu Walker! This dress comes in so many colors and I can’t say enough about how much I love it! It’s perfect for the beach, or really for anything! Dress it up with heels, wear it with bare feet, flats or sneakers! It’s gorgeous, flattering and fabulous no matter what you decide! My beautiful bracelet is from Tamera Beardsley…it’s such a special piece made by a very special friend!

Well…that turned into a long post! I’m off to the beach to build a sand castle! I hope this post serves you in some way and I would love for you to share it if it resonates! Thank you for reading and have the best day ever!