Reading a blog post can be like grabbing coffee with a best friend. An easy, breezy cup of comfort and connection. Taking sips of information that you can relate to, learn from, and be inspired by. That’s how I want you to feel with these Healthified Lifestyle articles. Like you have wrapped your hands around a hot beverage which will warm you from the inside out.
One of my favorite stress reduction techniques is to curl up on the couch with a magazine. A real magazine, where you have to flip the silky pages with your fingers. There have to be others who share my sentiments; it’s why the magazine industry isn’t completely dead. Maybe I’ll turn Healthified into a hardcover magazine one day, but until then, I bring you the digital version.
I talk a lot about life alignment, both in my articles and on the podcast. I think alignment and flow are the secret sauce to a life well lived, although it can feel like a privilege to be able to experience both on a consistent basis. It can also take a lot of courage. To let go of certain “shoulds,” and an attachment to others’ expectations can feel a lot like fear. But from what I’ve learned about living a happy and fulfilled life, those stories will arise. You feel the fear and do it anyway.
While it might not look like it from the outside, for much of my career, I have chosen and behaved in a way saturated by the “shoulds.” Money has also played a large role, but dissecting my money story is another post for a different day. What I have truly wanted to do – write, create, blog, and build a media brand – has never felt like enough. Where’s the return? I would ask myself. And what would others think? Awareness is the first step to change. It’s time to let those beliefs go.
When you are aligned, your energy and emotions will tell you as much. Simply writing these words, my fingers are tapping happily along, I feel a fluttering in my chest, and I’m excited about my work again. It’s feels right in my body. Your body compass never lies. Your mind on the other hand will lie to you all day long.
So I ask: where are you “shoulding” on yourself? Do you have a bigger vision for your life and alignment? Without needing to know the what and how, what does it feel like? What is one baby step you can take today to get you closer to that vision? A good exercise is to write down what you want, what you think you “should” do instead, and see if you can prove yourself wrong.
