"I Think, I Breathe" - Poem by Jennifer Arcila (Oct. 31, 2016)

“I Think, I Breathe”

Poem by Jennifer Arcila, Oct. 31, 2016

A troublesome thought pops into your mind... 

Simply be Aware and close your eyes
Don’t believe everything you think
Some thoughts, my friend, have no heart; they’re easy, lazy lies, 

They flow in streams, link to link, leading many to the brink.

Simply notice; breathe into that thought
bring yourself into your heart center.
The Truth is pure, supreme, and eternal - it cannot be bought.
Let Breath be your loyal, loving mentor.

Let truth float to the surface, for you and all to see,
All in due course, my child; the timing is just right.

Surrender those thoughts to the easy, breezy light.
And so, my child, right now - You simply breathe, simply BE.

* The End - Thank you *

 This quotation is powerful: It is about Consciousness and Awareness of our mind and thoughts. Our Soul and Spirit Self is that energy/voice/inner energy that feels loving, nurturing and balanced; it does not judge or criticise and it's the voice that stays with you throughout your life guiding you to your joyful path through compassion, wisdom and God's grace. You are not your thoughts; thoughts are thoughts and they come and go and change. Anchor yourself, not to your thinking, but rather to that inner presence and energy that feels love, sincerity and connection to a higher power...a creative force that pushes you to be loving, kind, caring, and generous. Trust yourself to discover this Inner Resource and to focus on this particular relationship.  
{Image Source: http://redfairyproject.com/2015/04/5149/ }

Remind yourself daily, moment to moment: How am I breathing? Breathe in through the Nose, deeply into the belly, and exhale through the Nose, releasing whatever does not serve your joy and highest good. Let it go and come back to your Inner Peace.

Valuable Tips: Eating Out & Sticking to your Eating Plan - Stay On Track & Succeed!

We've all been there. You're on your eating plan and doing well. Food prep is going smoothly, you are hitting your daily targets and feeling motivated. And then we receive invitations to dine out and you're wanting to join.
What to do when you feel that you may veer off of your plan and possibly sabotage your goals?

Dining out can be pleasant and satisfying, and you can honor your eating plan if we follow some clear parameters to keep us on track.

Here are some tips and ideas to help all of us who are following a diet or healthy eating plan (clean eating) and are dining out.

Earlier on the same day or 1 day in advance:

• Review the menu in advance – Check out the menu online if possible and assess which is the best dish for you.

• Plan/Strategize Ahead - Plan out your meals and caloric distribution for the day so that you can identify how much you will budget for dinner. Chances are the dinner (meal X) will be higher in calories even when you estimate and will likely contain more fat than you can accurately estimate. This is especially true since it's not entirely feasible to weight your food at the dinner table. 

Psychological, Mental & Emotional Preparation is key:

Prepare yourself mentally and emotionally - Set yourself up for success with Positive Vibes in advance. 

Decide in advance of sitting at the table on how you want to feel. Example talk to self: 

• "By the end of the dinner I want to feel light and satisfied, I want to feel good, proud of myself, I want to enjoy the company of other diners. I want to appreciate this special moment and opportunity to take in fine food."
• "I want to eat well and make healthy choices that are aligned with my health, wellness and fitness goals. 
• I trust myself to make the best possible choices knowing what I know about good food selections. I can do this. I trust myself to make the very best, ideal choices for myself tonight. It's going to be OK. I'm going to be fine. It's alright and I feel good about this new experience. I've got this and I can do it. Most importantly, I WANT this and I believe in myself. 
• I am my own partner on this wellness, health, fitness journey. I trust myself! I love myself and I can do this. It’s going to be fine.

When seated at the table & you’re ready to order: This is where your power lies.

Make savvy choices when you ready to order. Here are some pointers that can support you in more easily and effortlessly making the best choices aligned with your goals:

• Simply ASK for what you want - Inform the waiter directly: "You know, I'm really careful with my nutrition. Can you please recommend the lightest or "healthy" dish available tonight? That with the most veggies and least oil/fat? The waiters typically know which dishes the restaurant would rate at on the 'healthier' side.

• Salads - Look at the salad options and if it’s enough for a main course, pick the salad. Request dressing on the side which includes oils. If there is a protein, ask how it is prepared to avoid inadvertently ordering fried options. Ask for grilled, steamed or boiled options (same for the vegetables).

• Appetizers - Try to avoid appetizers since these are normally small bites packed with loads of fat and calories but which will not fill you up as you will then have a Main Course (correct?)

• Inquire on the Cooking Method - Request grilled, boiled, smoked, or steamed options. Bypass the sautéed, fried, deep-fried, pan-fried, seared, buttered, breaded or such ‘rich’ sounding dishes. The restaurant will typically be generous with the oils/butter they use when preparing their dishes and this is true from simple restaurant to 5-star cuisine.

• Request grilled or steamed with little to no butter/oil. Mention, if need be, that you are allergic to excess oil/butter.

• No Fried Anything - Be wary of and avoid dishes that are deep-fried, or with a complicated-sounding sauce, especially because sauces are made with fine ingredients like butter, oil, cream, milk, etc.

• Sauces/Dressings - Request all sauces and dressing on the side so you can then control the amount you decide to ingest. You can sample the sauces, and thus not deprive yourself, by using the Teaspoon as a measuring tool.

• Avoid dessert. You do not really need it, do you? If you can exercise self-control then only take in 1-2 bites and call it a day. Desserts will be energy-rich no matter how you slice it and any dessert can easily add 100-500 extra calories, unless you choose simple fruits (without creams, sauces, or other accouterments, etc) - bear this in mind! 

You made it through the main course making healthy, mindful options; don't squander your excellent effort by consuming excess calories at the very end. Furthermore, if this is dinner remind yourself that desserts are pure sugar; large quantities of sugar consumed at night will have you buzzing with energy the rest of the night and thus interfere with getting deep and restful sleep. 

• Alcohol – Alcohol/Spirits contains calories and carbs (sugar) and thus you may want to restrict this particular item from the evening. Beer can cause bloating which you probably don't  want to feel after eating. However, if you absolutely feel obliged due to social/professional pressures, then go for 1 glass of red wine which is easy to account for and contains some positive qualities such as resveratrol which is an antioxidant (antioxidants reduce oxidative damage in the body). However, bear in mind that there are many mixed evaluations on the need to drink wine for its health benefits. You can obtain antioxidants through fresh fruits such as berries.  

   

When you receive your food; the process of eating itself. 

You still have the power to:

• Bless your food and thank life for having it available here and now to nourish your body.
• Infuse your food with positive vibes and trust that it will only have positive, desired, beneficial effects on your fantastic, special and unique body.
• Pace yourself whilst eating; take slow and deliberate bites. No need to rush because if you eat too fast and finish before others you may feel compelled to eat even more food such as bread or any leftover appetizers still on the table.
• Savor each bite. Detect the variety of favors. Appreciate the food that you are eating and its preparation. 
• Appreciate the different food components - spices, ingredients, etc -  all the more if you are dining in an elegant, refined restaurant with a noteworthy chef and top-notch cuisine.
• Engage in conversation with other diners so you enjoy their company and also give your stomach enough time to process the food being ingested.

Finally, may we always appreciate that one meal will not make or break our ultimate success. Overeating in one meal can leave you a bit puffier and bloated for the next day, or feeling mental fogginess if you've eating something completely off of your plan.

The most important thing is to realize that it's about the habits and actions we are taking on a daily, consistent basis. How are you eating every day at each meal? Are you being true to your plan and thus aligned with your goals and vision?

When it comes to eating out perfectionism usually jumps out the window. Rather, it's about eating as close to ideally as we possibly can. The more you practice and experience what works for you, your own psychology, your own triggers and your own strengths and weaknesses, you become a more skilled eating-out diner.

For those of you who must constantly eat out for business and social reasons, then you will definitely want to be more strict (dare I say militant) about your nutrition and eating with the above ideas in mind.

Practice, reassess and see how your progress goes. And if eating out if really complicated for you then do not do it as much - you can always say no and meet you friends and others within another context that does not revolve around food.

Wishing you the greatest health and wellness! 

Jennifer

Personal Power Life Coaching

My Morning Ritual - Om/Amen :-)

Today is a new, magnificent day!

Thank you, God. Thank you. Universe.

What kind of thoughts do I want to think and harness?

Where do I want to focus my attention and energy?

Lovers' Sunrise in Seychelles

Rituals....

If you think about it, our daily life and existence is composed of recurring rituals. They come in various spans of time, at different points in the day, week, month year, and can take on a life of their own. The more you do it and the more consistent you become, that ritual becomes ingrained in our self as automatic behavior(s).

For instance, there are rituals such as: how you start your day, how you prepare yourself before you go to work, the things you say or do before a presentation, the way you prepare for bedtime, ritual of going to the gym/exercising and this one encompasses the sub-ritual of how you prepare yourself pre-workout and post-workout (i.e. warm-up and cool-down).

One of the most profound rituals that has transformed my life is my Morning Ritual - the things I do when I wake up and the way my mornings unfold.

In fact, Google "Morning rituals" and you will get 2+ Million results!

Evidently, Morning Rituals are important enough that many famous and successful people have outlined their own processes:

• 25 Famous Thinkers and Their Inspiring Daily Rituals

• Huffington Post on Morning Rituals - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/morning-rituals/
• Famous and successful people with morning routines (e.g. Barack Obama, Franz Kafka, Winston Churchill, Steve Jobs, etc) - http://morning-routine.com/famous-and-successful-people-with-morning-routines/

Magnificent Morning Ritual/Routine

I gave birth to my morning ritual 2 years ago when I joined the gym and started weight training. Committing to a healthier and fitter life meant, for me, waking up early, preparing my awesomely delicious coffee, healthy food in the morning and going to the gym before work. 


It has evolved over these past 2 years from a bare-bones minimum to a more evolved [dare I say 'enlightened' :-) ] approach, now including meditations, prayer, affirmations, listening to motivational speakers, music, podcasts & making my own motivational videos on social media.

Today's Morning Ritual (25 Mar 2015):

I started my day by saying "Thank You, God. Thank you, Universe. Thank you, Source. Thank you for all that I am and all that I have. Thank you for the magnificent blessings and flowing abundance; the well-being, love and peace in my life. Thank you for my family and friends, and my work, my home, my life, everything that surrounds me. Thank you for blessing us all."

Then I meditate. 

Today I tried a new one (Youtube) to tap into a universal consciousness meant to give generate more serenity, ease and empowerment - it was wonderful.

Meditation time is part of my daily awakening; I can't go a day without it, in fact.
Some mornings I also listen to or record my own spoken affirmations - a rampage of appreciation, if you will. Inspired by and in the spirit of Abraham Hicks. I love you so much, Abraham! Thank you for coming alive in my life and everything that we've become.

I enjoy varied meditations - it can be on gratitude, feeling happy, peace, love, abundance, enhancing creativity, imagination, past lives - there are hundreds, thousands and probably millions on YouTube. Thank you, YouTube!

I feel so good and ready for my day after meditating, 5min, 10min, or even 15min if I am feeling more time-flexibility.

Then I Affirm.

Powerful Affirmations! The power of Affirming.

I listened to a 6-minute recording of my own spoken affirmations which I recorded yesterday. I've started recording my own since last month and I find it very empowering, uplifting, love-generating and positive. It is also fun!

Some mornings, if I am particularly inspired, I will record a new set of affirmations. I've noticed that they have been improving in terms of scope, strength, empowerment and joy that comes through me and my voice. It feels great to laugh at yourself in a positive way listening to your voice saying happy things to yourself.

If you want to record your own affirmations, you can simply use your phone and I recommend doing them in the morning when you are fresh, mind is clear, and you are overall energized for the new day. If, however, you are not at your best in the morning and rather have a great mood later in the day, record your affirmations at that time - the point is to do so when you are in your 'zone' and feeling awesome about yourself and about life.

I added Affirmations since January 2015, this year, after reading Louise Hay's "You Can Heal Your Life". I love that woman & I am deeply grateful for her contribution to our world community :-). 

She has changed and improved millions of lives by generating positive messages of self-love, self-appreciation and self-esteem. What a marvelously beautiful life mission and accomplishment. If you yourself are or have ever struggled with self-esteem, low confidence,self-love and inner struggles, it is worth visiting her site: http://www.louisehay.com/.

I discovered Louise Hay 1.5 years ago and she led me to beloved spiritual teacher, Abraham Hicks. Connecting with AH has helped me improve the quality of my thoughts, my relationships, my appreciation for the world, self-love, and consequently my life has improved dramatically.

~~~

After praying, meditating, & affirming (all this only takes 15-20 minutes overall) I can start my day feeling spiritually and emotionally positioned to make the best of my life today. It is worth the time invested in meditating, affirming and most certainly praying and thanking God for all the goodness of life.

Sometimes I also listen to an uplifting song of praise that really touches my heart and raises my soul's vibration.

Music is extremely powerful and it can totally get you feeling wonderful!

Time is our most valuable commodity - a non-renewable resource - so use it wisely, lovingly and reap the returns of time well invested in your self-improvement.

~~~

Morning Kitchen Ritual

After this awakening process I am really eager to proceed with the Kitchen Ritual - making the coffee, boiling the water for my lemon water + sea salt + herbs (Rhodiola, Gotu Kola, Gingko Biloba + others if required such as for Immunity). The lemon water gets the digestive juices flowing.

I take a scoop of Raw Greens powder which is Alkalizing and very beneficial as the first thing to take into your colon. If it has pro-biotics that is especially good as the healthy gut bacteria will be beneficial to your intestines and colon on an empty stomach.

I cook the egg whites, veggies (if I don't have pre-prepared from the weekend or night before).

Recently I've been focused on going to the gym on a somewhat empty stomach with the aim to optimize fat burning...It is an ongoing process.

While I am cooking and preparing I listen to Motivational podcasts and videos on Youtube to get my mind right, raise my vibration and nourish thinking positively.

~~~

Journaling Intentions

Some days I write down my intentions for the day. 

For instance: 

"It is my powerful intention to live today with an open heart, to release old fears, let go of criticism and judgments, and embrace the love in my existing relationships."

Or: 

"It is my dominant intent to focus on feeling good, to care about how I feel, and to take the path of least resistance."

Once you get started you sort of have this willingness and desire to keep writing more beautiful, empowering intentions. Indeed, it is an enriching experience because you start thinking more about what you want, how you want to behave, the kind of life you want, the way you want to feel, and the awesome day you can experience.

If you look back on your morning intentions at night you may discover that you lived your day actually fulfilling many of your intentions! 

The spoken and written word is magical and magnetic.

 ~~~

Video Blogging/Motivational Vids

Finally, I've recently been feeling super inspired to make videos with a motivational message. I infuse them with the most inspired message I'm feeling from the Universe and then I share it with my beautiful community on social media - Facebook and Instagram (for now). I'm keen to make my own Youtube channel soon. 

And then I'm off for the gym to build muscle, burn fat, get sexier and have fun!!! My Fun Zone.  :-)

~~~

Closing Words

• So, do you have a Morning Ritual? What is your routine?
• How does it make you feel, and could it be improved upon in a pleasing way?

Ultimately, RITUAL is synonymous with HABIT.   

Habits make up our character and yield our life experience.

If you are what you do, then what does your Ritual say about you and how you like to live?

Food for thought :-).

Wishing you boatloads of blessings and sunshine.

Love, Jen

xx

2014 in Review - WOW - Thanks, Facebook

Hey Gorgeous, Hey Handsome! 

Facebook generated this 2014 overview: https://www.facebook.com/arcila.jennifer


Looking it over, it's apparent 2014 was a year to develop and sow the seeds of RELATIONSHIPS, FRIENDSHIPS, FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY. There is certainly FITNESS overall as that is my main hobby...THank you, dearest loved ones, for being a part of this magnificent and joyous experience.
It's been a great year! Thanks for being a part of it.

In 2015 what will I do? 
How will I focus?
What will I achieve?
How will I thrive, delight and inspire myself and others?

I will focus on LOVE, ease, wellbeing, taking it easy, and releasing resistance. I more aligned than ever to have and enjoy the physique of my dreams - a sexy, tone, lean, fit and healthy body which I enjoy with comfort, joy, convenience, satisfaction and total confidence.

I am no longer concerned with meeting the man of my dreams, because what I do know is that I am the woman of my dreams. If he lives in my dreams then how can he enter my physical reality?
Nah...The most important relationship is the one if have with GOD, Source Energy, myself and my Inner Being.

I care about how I feel, all is well and getting 'weller'. 
Things are always working out for me.
I am always at the right place at the perfect time.
I support and encourage myself; words of self-criticim and judgement are no longer part of my psyche and vocabulary.
Complaints are a thing of the past, and I am solutions oriented.

I smile a bright, full, genuine and gorgeous smile.
I believe in the best of myself and support my greatest possibilities. My subconscious is Infinite Intelligence and I feed it empowering, caring and kind messages that support attainment of my heart's desires. 
It's magnificent. I am a magician and intuitive being, I feel clairvoyant and wise beyond my years. 
I know my purpose in life, I know why I am on earth, and I totally appreciate this time-space reality to be myself and the fullest expression of God in my unique vessel and energy.

I fulfill my life purpose each day; I do what makes my heart sing.
I do what I love and I love what I do.
I am committed to my wellbeing and alignment, and that's just divine. 
I am loving the supportive friendships, situations and experiences that enter my reality continuously.
I am always surrounded by love.
I expect the very best and I always receive it. 
Thank you, God, for all that is.
xx
<3 

-All my love,Jennifer Arcila