Life can be hard… let me give you some examples as of late:

// My Dad and a few of my family members tested positive with COVID

// This month marks 5 years since my Mom passed away and entered her eternal life

// We’re in a really rainy, gloomy and cold season in WA

Don’t worry– I’m truly okay and don’t need empathy, I promise!

I am sharing some hard truths with you to let you know that THESE MOMENTS HAPPEN. Eventually we learn something from the hard moments and things start to shift because nothing stays constant. I have grown more appreciative for the hard moments that occur in my life. They always tend to jolt me back in gratitude of my normal life.

Those hard moments I shared with you are all disruptions of my norm, and required me to pivot and think of new ideas and possibilities:

// I stayed prayerful, faithful and calm for my family who felt like crap and had to isolate themselves from the rest of the family and America. I connected more on a daily basis with my family to ensure they were okay and they had what they needed to feel as comfortable as possible.

// I thought about my Mom a lot and pondered how she would feel watching my kiddos grow up with sass. I cried as I thought about how much I miss her, and then I sat in gratitude for her fun, loving and strong spirit she carried and left on this earth.

// I really have to be intentional in getting ourselves outside at least once a day, rain or shine. We started tracking our time outside following the 1000 Hours Outside challenge and mother nature is life giving for us all!

It may seem unreasonable to think you can go from OMG THIS IS HARD… to I GOT THIS type of mentality, but reaching a point of action is totally do-able with time and practice. Here are a few steps of a process that might be of help to you the next time your hard moment occurs:

1. Feel – Think of the hard moment you are experiencing as an indicator to check in with yourself and your feelings. Don’t fight the hardship and DO NOT ignore it. Give yourself time to express what the hardship is bringing to you. The trick is not to let yourself feel the hardship beyond the day it occurred.

2. Reflect – Give yourself time and space to journal or verbalize your response to a few key questions: What is the disruption that the hard moment is creating? What’s uncomfortable about it? What’s the gift or opportunity that might be in this hard moment?

3. Desires – Once you release the negative feelings, think about what you really want to feel. How might you embrace the gift and grow from it? Think about the best case scenario for you and stay with those feeling – maybe it’s relief, presence, compassion, empathy… name it and claim it!

4. Permission – What permission do you need to stay in the desired feeling and move forward from the hard moment? It might be permission from yourself or from someone else you know. Stating your permission frees you to move on and not revert back into the hard feelings.

5. Action – Through taking action, you are moving forward… taking your learnings and putting them into practice. For example, with my Mom’s eternal life, the action I eventually took was talking about her with my husband and kiddos, thinking about what we have done in years prior to honor her life on earth. New insights are great, and taking action upon those insights is where your growth lies.

We all get through hard moments, and yet there’s always room for improvement. I challenge you to get through the next hard moment with intention, in service of YOU.

You can do hard things! If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not growing!

Light + Love,

Bev

Ready to take action and start gaining clarity on who you truly are? Click here to schedule a free 30-minute Clarity Call with me!

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Hello 2021!

So much happened in 2020 that had me feeling SO many different things. It felt like I was running very short sprints with my emotions which totally makes sense after reflecting on the year. There were so many different events that occurred, lots of big events, lots of little ones… some things brought intense emotions like overwhelm, stress, anxiety, while other events brought excitement, curiosity, joy or calmness.

I took the last few months to reflect on the year and to my surprise I had an overwhelmingly sense of warmth. The big and small events brought me closer to God, bringing all of my thoughts to him and surrendering what was out of my control. I felt more connected to the Holy Spirit which always grounds me. I also spent more and more time outside in nature paddle boarding, fishing and swimming at the lake, hiking new trails. Being outside as a family brought so much curiosity and exploration… exactly how I remember my childhood being outside a lot of the time!

That sense of freedom was KEY for me last year and I refuse to have another year go by without spending time every day outdoors. One thing I choose to focus on in 2021 is to bring back the things that brought me joy as a kid – rollerblading, playing softball, dodgeball, basketball, playing games. I am saying YES to more of these types of things and NO to exhausting my eyes and brain at the computer screen from morning until night. YES to meaningful experiences and NO to buying things that have no purpose. YES to more outreach and volunteering my time with communities who are in need and NO to things that don’t energize me or that I feel obligated to say yes to.

Essentially, what I’m doing is preparing myself to say yes to more things that serve me and no to things that are preventing me from being honest. I’m saying yes to things that are good for my soul and no to things that my ego may be attached to.

Are you ready to claim your YES’s and stand firm with your NO’s? Here are 3 simple steps to help you gain some clarity:

1. REFLECT – Think about the last year and the ebbs and flows in your life. It started with life pre-Covid and ended in the midst of Covid. There will be good moments, neutral moments and perhaps even some bad moments that occurred. How did you build resilience and strength? What worked or didn’t work for you? Carry those things over to the new year as lessons learned that you can course correct along the way as you begin 2021.

2. ENVISION – This is where the magic happens! Take a few hours or days to think about what you desire in the new year. Set your intentions on what to focus on, to complete or to integrate into your day to day life. Allow yourself to DREAM!

3. TAKE ACTION – Taking action each day towards what you envision is one way to step out of fear and into abundance. You don’t need a grand master plan before you step into action, you just need hunger and determination. Also expect to fail – it leads to growth!

If you need more guidance, visit the Coaching Resources page to download the New Year and Reflections worksheet.

Last year was rough for each and every one of us. Extend yourself some grace and build from it. Set your intentions and get ready for all of those possibilities in 2021!

Light + Love,

Bev

Ready to take action and start gaining clarity on who you truly are? Click here to schedule a free 30-minute Clarity Call with me!

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I was talking to my husband the other night about TRANSITION. What does that mean? How is transition different from change? What has transition looked like for us, and even my life before meeting my prince charming (yes, you Babs if you’re reading this!). First off, to differentiate the two, the biggest difference between change and transition is that change is an event that occurs quickly, which most people react towards. Transition occurs internally through your mindset, which is the response to change that occurred.

What I realized is that the first time I truly experienced a transition was when when my parents divorced when I was 2 years old. The change was both of them splitting up (the event) and my transition was about creating a norm being raised by 2 parents who lived apart from one another. From that very early point on, I can spot MANY other seasons of transition carrying over to present day.

Each birthday brought on a new transition in that year. Each grade I entered certainly came with transition. Each weekend I went from Mom’s house to Dad’s house I had to transition into my environment, family, culture and home. Even now as an adult I am constantly in a state of transition – moving from state to state… becoming a new parent… embracing different career opportunities… understanding myself even deeper through my walk with God.

Some of these transitions were smooth sailing for me, while others I resisted… pretty hard. Which led me to think, what are the lessons I have learned in my life about transitions? How can I take those lessons and re-learn them to help with some of the current transitions I face today (hello, COVID!) and any transition I will embrace in the future?

Here are the top 5 things I have learned through transitions which I hope can help you through any transition you may be facing:

1. Acknowledge the change that is occurring – Don’t step over it or hide from it because it will just delay your healing.

2. Nothing in life will stay constant (including yourself!) – Life is about the ebbs and flows of your being, including the ups and downs of situations that occur. Relax through the transition, giving yourself time to reflect on what was, honor what is, and anticipate what is to come with an open heart.

3. There is no picture perfect “right way” to approach a transition – Your way is the only way that you will get through it. Find what works for you, use your own methods to stay grounded through the shifts, and make adjustments that are necessary to honor your soul.

4. Breathe into who you are in the present moment without judgement – Don’t fault yourself for feeling sad, upset, stressed about the change. You are exactly where you need to be in this season of life, and know that you can choose to feel another way that will serve you.

5. You have what it takes to embrace this transition – The years and experiences on earth has equipped you with what you need to survive. God would never put you through a situation you can’t handle as long as you walk alongside of Him. Lean into your faith, your family, your support system.

I have a nice graphic about transition that you can download on my FREEBIES page.

Be kind to yourself, meet your current needs through a change, and embrace the new transition with a heart of possibility.

What season are you transitioning into?

Light + Love,

Bev

Ready to take action on your transition today? Click here to schedule a free 30-minute Discovery Session Call with me!

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Morning routines are a necessity for me to function throughout my day. I have a specific routine that gets my mind and spirit right which involves spending time in the bible reading God’s word, praying, meditating, breathing and journaling. This is a jump start for my day, where I set intentions in a proactive way rather than allowing life to happen to me.

These rituals have helped me launch into the morning, yet I soon realized how my evenings differed. I’m so mentally exhausted from work, kids, life and I just want to sit on the couch and veg out to some reality TV. I decided I needed to end my evening the way I began the morning– in stillness, thanking God for the many many blessings, and journaling in gratitude.

Morning routines… night routines… here I was thinking I’m killin’ the game in life! Then I have an intensely emotionally-draining day just a short week ago. After pinpointing the root cause of the exhaustion (different meetings with different people with different ideas), I realized– shoot, Bev… you have a killer morning routine, and added a soothing evening routine, yet you’re missing a mini-routine to keep my sanity throughout the day. Something that would allow me to be in silence, take deep breaths, and re-center myself with the world around me instead of staying stuck in a perspective that does NOT serve me. I needed something that is attainable in a short amount of time for those busy days, and also help me release any ill-feelings towards anyone or caused by anyone’s words.

I rallied up 3 simple things I can do in 5 minutes (preferably while stepping outside in fresh air). The intention is that I give myself grace and permission to reset and release in the moment until I can journal and reflect at a later time. Thought it would be helpful to share this reset:

1- Release all Judgement – this one is a hard one to do, but has so much freedom in it. I choose to release all judgements of myself and of others. One reason I love to reset outside is so I can take a deep breath, look up in the sky and mentally release the thoughts or reactions I had about someone based on what was said or even how it was said. Releasing judgement allows me to be more present with a full heart.

2- Forgive with Compassion – whether I actually receive an apology or not, forgiving someone is ultimately in service of me (or you). Compassion is key in forgiveness grounding me back to the human being I need to heal from. Compassion allows me to let go of any assumptions and be in the moment moving forward with love.

3- Speak an Affirmation – there is nothing more powerful than to look in the mirror and claim who I am and what I deserve. I deserve to be seen. I hear you. I love you. I can take a break without explaining myself to anyone. You are complete as you are right now. These words guide me in love and self acceptance no matter where I am or who I am with.

There it is… my mini-reset routine I can do in the matter of a few minutes to help me sustain my energy throughout the day. And now comes the practice… which by the way I have created a visual for easy access you can post on social media or save on your photos. Download it in the Freebies page (if you need the password, you can enter your email on the bottom of this webpage)!

What do you do to reset throughout the day?

Light + Love,

Bev

Ready to take action to plan your “reset strategy” today? Click here to schedule a free 30-minute Discovery Session Call with me!

Thoughts fly through my mind… some I chase and some I acknowledge and let pass. Those thoughts I end up chasing take me in quite a bit of a spiral.

True story example:

Don’t forget, Bev – schedule a dentist appointment for the kids

I better go check if I saved the dentist office so I don’t have to dig and look for it later

Well what days are best for my schedule with work and life?

How will this appointment go with them wearing a mask to sitting in the chair with them?

Shoot, I should really look into scheduling my own dentist appointment too

My husband hasn’t gone himself in so long!

In fact, I have to schedule his dentist, optometrist and doctor’s appointment

On…

and on…

and on….

The spiral just spins down QUICK in the matter of minutes! And all of a sudden, I’m tired and have some anxiety about getting everything done before I even forget! I just don’t want to do any of this at all right now and my time, energy and mind was just consumed with information that didn’t serve me one bit but to simply tell myself I need to schedule the kids dentist appointment!

I can do without all the extra non-serving, presence-robbing thoughts in my brain. Fortunately, I’ve been practicing healthy ways to sort through those thoughts and gain clarity to the ones I decide to prioritize. Here are 5 ways to gain clarity on YOUR thoughts so you can release them and go back to enjoying what’s in front of you:

1. Mind dump in journal – put a pen to paper and simply write everything that comes to mind. Don’t pass judgement, don’t worry about proper grammar, don’t overthink it- just write! It’s helpful to set a timer and write for the entire time until your timer goes off. This is a great cleanse of your thoughts and feelings which most of the time can get stuck in a story that isn’t serving you. I love doing this first thing in the morning when I am doing my quiet time before the day starts!

2. Write down your questions – write out 100 questions that you have about a thought or problem you are trying to solve. Your curiosity tends to simply be just curiosity that you don’t have to necessarily solve for. Other times, your curiosity can spark further clarity if your questions target the similar themes.

3. Schedule a meeting with spouse – yes, we talk a lot to our spouse, but there’s something so relieving when you can focus a conversation on a topic on a specified date and time. Both of you have prep time to think and then offer up your individual thoughts and concerns. When I do this with my hubs, it tends to be straight to the point and much more smooth sailing when we know what we’re talking about or solving for!

4. Phone a friend – this is a fan fave! Pick up the phone and call your family or friend. It helps if you preface the convo with if you’re looking for empathy or strategy. That way he/she knows if you want to simply be heard and leave it there... or if you need problem solving. It’s okay to ask for what you need!

5. Walk in nature – Throw on your shoes and take a very present walk outside. Listen to the leaves bristle in the wind, to the birds chirping loudly, feel the sun or rain or cold air against your skin, and feel each step hit the pavement as you move your legs. Breathe in that fresh air and exhale any uncertainties!

Our thoughts do not own us… we are not defined by them! So release them in one of these 5 ways and gain clarity on what truly matters then get right back to what’s directly in front of you. All of a sudden, you’ll blink and that person, pet, thing will be onto other things before you know it!

What thoughts can you release? Which method can you take action on RIGHT NOW?

Light + Love,

Bev

P.S. I have a pretty infographic of these 5 Ways to Gain Clarity on your Thoughts. Check out my FREEBIES page on the website!

Ready to take action on gaining clarity today? Click here to schedule a free 30-minute Discovery Session Call with me!