The Traveling Psychologist Blog

“If your path demands that you walk through hell, walk as if you own the place.”

To say life has been a bit crazy the last several months is an understatement. Some may describe it as hell and others a welcome reprieve. Either way, many of us have been left feeling as if the wind got knocked out of us and at the same time the universe changed the way we breathe. So now, we find ourselves gasping for breath trying to figure out new ways we can inhale and exhale. Fatigue, burnout, stress, overwhelmed, uncertainty, and isolation are all words that accurately describe any given day. We’ve lost our mojo!

"Should you shield the canyon from the windstorms, you would never see the beauty of their carvings."

Elizabeth Kübler-Ross

In 2006 my father was diagnosed with cancer. A few weeks after receiving this news, he came home from work one day to find the house full of water because a pipe burst while no one was home. Then, just a few weeks after that, one of the neighbors began to complain that they did not like how the backyard fence looked and petitioned the city to have my parents remove the fence.

A child’s point of view is magical. We have all heard the term “childish innocence.” I hear this term, and I think of the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun.”

Humans tend to have an insatiable need to fill things that are empty. We do it without even realizing it. If our refrigerator is empty, we go to the store to fill it with food.

Hi everyone. With everything that we are going through lately, I felt compelled to share my perspective. I hope that the words in this message will help you get through these trying times

Disneyland is closed. The N.C.A.A. canceled March Madness. Major League Baseball has halted spring training. Ireland cancelled all St. Patrick’s Day parades (WHAT!?).

In 1988 the members of The Proclaimers stated their love for a women by saying they would walk 500 miles for her. Well I did walked 500 miles just not in the name of love for some else.  

On May 19^th 2014 I started my 2 month journey in Ireland. After many beer and whiskey filled days with my loved ones (which I do remember), it was time for us to part ways. As my mom boarded her plane back to Arizona I boarded one to Paris, and that’s where my story begins. From Paris I took train after train after train and finally ended up in a town called Saint Jean Pied De Port, which is right on the border of France and Spain. Now this, this is where my journey began.

All of your experiences, every one, bring to the surface the deepest wounds that need to be healed. Did you ever notice that you seem to experience the same things over and over again?  You may be in a different place

My grandson Noah “I just don’t understand why this has happened?” I said in a tearful voice.  “This is the first time in my life that I truly do not know what to do.” The soft and wise voice on the other

Guest blog contributor, Chris Sopa’s daughter, Natalie Sopa, 19 years old. “Above all, don’t lose hope”  ~Pi, “Life of Pi” When you look up at the stars, what do you see? Do simply see stars? Do you see beauty? Do they

1.  Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout the journey. 2.  So why is a car's windshield so large and the rear view

Ariana Langford is an emerging motivational speaker and writer.  Her main theme, “Finding My Voice,” is directed at dispelling the shame of being a victim, while finding hope and forgiveness.  She encourages compassion and personal growth in groups which include

A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on its own wings.  Always believe in yourself.” When you were born, you believed in yourself.  You knew your

“The next time that a piece of your life breaks off and falls away, try to remember that what is Real cannot be lost, and then give thanks that what is false must always prove itself so.” ~Rev. Angela Peregoff Illusion

* This blog is dedicated to my daughter and anyone who suffers from an addiction, as well as the loved ones that are standing by watching, loving and encouraging them to wholeness again.** The 12 steps are a group of principles,

My name is Chris and I am a “fixer.” I am attracted to people who have problems and think that if I only make them happy, do something different, change myself or sacrifice my time or resources they will change and

**  This blog is dedicated to my daughter and anyone who suffers from an addiction, as well as the loved ones that are standing by watching, loving and encouraging them to wholeness again.** The 12 steps are a group of

 “I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to

This is an excerpt from Chapter 5 Believe in Yourself of "Choosing the Life You Were Born to Live:  How Changing Your Thoughts Will Change Your Life" by Chris Sopa published by Balboa Press. Click here to purchase your copy! Self-Love “Love

This is an excerpt taken from Chapter 4, “The Power of Choice” from “Choosing the Life You Were Born to Live:  How Changing Your Thoughts Will Change Your Life” by Chris Sopa. Click here to purchase your copy! “We did not

This is taken from Chapter 3 ~ Overcoming Limiting Beliefs from "Choosing the Life You Were Born to Live:  How Changing Your Thoughts Will Change Your Life" by Chris Sopa, published by Balboa Press.  Click here to purchase your copy! "One

"Hunger, thirst, cold, fatigue, your own physical and mental limitations - you will feel all of these.  This teaches you about nature, more than that, you come face to face with yourself."  ~Willi Unsoeld If your life has been anything like

“Every day, think as you wake up, Today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it, I am going to use All my energies to develop myself To expand my heart

“Suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.” ~Victor Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning” We have all heard the phrase, “what does not kill me makes me stronger.”  Let’s face it, some of us have had some pretty

“If you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining.” ~Pat (Bradley Cooper), from “Silver Linings Playbook” After my three week trip back east and coming home Wednesday completely exhausted, I found myself on Friday night wanting to get out. 

“You do not attract what you want; you attract what you are.” ~Wayne Dyer   Our desires are what motivate us to move in our lives.  We are constantly giving birth to new desires…as one desire is fulfilled; another one almost immediately takes

(In memory of my friend Heath McBriarty) Oh, for the peace of a perfect trust, My loving God, in Thee; Unwavering faith, that never doubts Thou choosest best for me. Best, though my plans be all upset; Best, though the way be rough; Best, though my earthly

“If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry.  If it is not fixable, then there is no help in worrying.” ~Dali Lama Worry = a state

  “Self- love is about radical self-acceptance.  It is about embracing of all that you are, as you are, right now.  It is about honoring all of your feelings and allowing them, for they are precious and everything about you is

Recently, I had the honor of being a guest on Madison Morgan's radio show, "Life in the Fast Lane," which airs out of Sedona, AZ. Please enjoy this 45 minute live radio interview where we discuss my new book, "Choosing

"More than any other kind of knowledge we fear knowledge of ourselves, knowledge that might transform our self-esteem and our self-image

“To believe in the things you can see and touch is no belief at all - but to believe in the unseen is a triumph and a blessing.” ~Abraham Lincoln I had an amazing experience happen to me this week…I became a

You are not here by chance, but by God’s choosing. His hand formed you and made you the person that you are. He compares you to no one else – You are one of a kind. You lack nothing that His grace cannot give you. He has

Ilya Prigogine, a Nobel Prize winning physicist, has a theory called "dissipative structures."  This theory states that friction is a fundamental property of nature and that nothing grows without it

Our lives are a creation process.  We create our life choice by choice.  The lives we each are living are a "school" of sorts.  We make a choice, have an expereince and then learn something, either from that experience or

“Only as high as I reach can I grow, Only as far as I seek can I go, Only as deep as I look can I see, Only as much as I dream can I be.” ~Karen Ravin In preparation for 12-21-12, please answer the

“The soul of humanity is a messenger; YOU are a messenger, and your message is your life.”  ~Don Miguel Ruiz This past week, we have seen what evil can do.  Now, it is our turn… our turn to turn that around. 

“The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the Social and the Political fabric of America. The confidence that we have always had as a people, is not simply some romantic dream, or a proverb in

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to

"If you always listen to the advice of others and ignore yourself, you will be living their life, not yours.”  ~Chris Sopa Change is scary.  We are not scared of the change itself, we are scared of the unknown around the

“Mankind has a moral duty to seek joy.”  ~Shirley MacLaine, “The Camino” Identify your priorities and stick to them.  Your priorities are those things that are most important to you right now.  Your priorities are your decision making tools.  If something

Things happen to us in our lives.  People hurt us, we are disappointed, things don’t go as we expected.  This was not the life we signed up for…or is it? I believe that we signed up for exactly the life we

by:  Ernest Holmes Cast aside all doubt, O Soul of mine, and be unafraid, for Thy power is from On High. He who sitteth in the heavens shall be Thy champion; Thou need not fear; Come forth, O Spirit, from within and express

Do you ever feel as if you must be walking around with a “kick me” sign on your back?  A BIG sign…like, one so big the Universe even sees it and says “ok, no problem!”  When this imaginary sign is

"Just in case you ever feel its absence…know happiness always returns.” In my new book, Choosing the Life You Were Born to Live, I talk about the path to finding joy in your life. The Ancient Egyptians believed that when we

What if you found out today that you only had one week left to live?  Looking at your life as it is right now, can you honestly say you could die feeling as if you gave it your all? Many of

There I was, sitting at my kitchen table in the new house my husband and I had just bought.  It was 2003.  I had a stack of bills in front of me that always seemed to be higher than the

"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire." ~Unknown We make a lot of choices throughout our lives, from what to eat for breakfast to who to vote for in an election. In this last week,

“Do you get that your environment comes in response to your thoughts?  So often people play it backwards and their thoughts come in response to their environment.  That's why we are quite often wanting to control everything in our world.

When there is light in the soul there is beauty in the person. When there is beauty in the person there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home there is honor in the nation. When there is honor in the nation there

"It is time to stop talking and start walking; stop crying and start sweating.  Working together with a common faith we cannot fail."  ~Jimmy Carter, U.S. Presidential Speech 1979 In the movie What the Bleep Do We Know, Dr. Hagelin describes a rather

“Life is too short to waste any amount of time on wondering what other people think about you.  In the first place, if they had better things going on in their lives, they wouldn't have the time to sit around

I was blessed to spend the entire weekend with 30 amazing women at the 2nd annual Goddess Conference at the Peaceful Spirit Enrichment Center owned and operated by Melanie Dunlap (an amazing “new” female).  As I sat among these fabulously

“Your enemy reflects back to you everything that you do not like about yourself. He shows you exactly where your fears and insecurities lie. If you listen to what your enemy is saying to you, you will know exactly where

Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty, only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good only because there is evil. Being and nonbeing produce each other. The difficult is born in the easy. Long is defined by short, the high by

"You may never know what results come from your action.  But if you do nothing, there will be no result." ~Mahatma Gandhi Those of you who have heard me lecture or read my new book know that I am a huge proponent

"I believe that everything and everyone is healed right now.  I choose to focus on this truth instead of on illusions of fear." Everyone has seen a magician at some point in their life.  David Copperfield is my all time favorite.

"

(I have had this story in my possession for many years and do not know who the author is, but it is one of the most beautiful stories I have heard.  Whoever you are, I give you credit here.  Thank

  “In memory of Nancy Oberlin Bestwick and Dr. David Hawkins” "In this interconnected universe, every improvement we make in our private world improves the world at large for everyone.  We all float on the collective level of consciousness of mankind, so

Sunday morning I decided to go on a hike.  For the last several weeks I have felt kicked around by life.  Every time I seem to turn a corner, another “opportunity for growth,” in the form of a major life

Announcing! Choosing the Life you Were Born to Live by Chris Sopa published by Balboa Press is now available!  Click here to purchase your copy! “Once you become aware of a thought that is limiting you in one way or another, you

"If there is one secret to success, it lies in the ability to get the other person's point of view and see things from that person's angle as well as from your own." ~Henry Ford Before I begin any of my

Close your eyes and take a deep breath.  Remember back to when you were five years old.  What did you want to be when you grew up?  At five years old, you had no mental limitations.  No wounds.  No thoughts

It’s my turn to live. It’s my turn to feel my feelings. It’s my turn to speak my truth. It’s my turn to rest. It’s my turn to let my light shine. It’s my turn to see the joy and beauty in everything around me. It’s

No matter how far you have gone wrong, you can always turn around. Balance is a myth.  Yes, you heard me correctly.  It is a myth…at least a myth in the way you think of balance.  Most believe balance is an

“Do not allow the distractions of your day, your body, and your thoughts to own you. Step outside of the body and observe it as a vehicle that you instruct, a vehicle that transports you through time and space and

Beginning this week, the "Journey Back to Self" blog will be published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only.  All three blogs will be written by me unless otherwise noted in the blog.  Thank you SO MUCH for being a regular

Trust, even if your future seems uncertain. Trust, even if you have no idea how your situation could ever improve. Trust, even if you feel alone and abandoned. Trust, even if your heart is shattered. Trust, because your strength comes from trusting that everything

“You do not need to leave your room.  Remain sitting at your table and listen.  Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet still and solitary.  The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no

“One cannot weep for the entire world.  It is beyond human strength.  One must choose.” ~Jean Anouilh Ok, hands up if you would label yourself a “control freak?”  Its ok, my hand is up too. Here is the thing about us control

“Oh, God, help me! And I walked faster, my thoughts pursuing me, and I began to run, my frozen shoes squealing like mice, but running didn't help the thoughts to the left and right and behind me. But as I

Please enjoy today’s article from Elaina Love, author of three recipe books and founder of Pure Joy Planet and Pure Joy Academy as the guest columnist every Friday in the Journey Back to Self  Blog. ~ Chris 21 Days to Break

The alarm goes off; you crawl out of bed (hopefully take a shower) and begin your day.  The “hamster wheel of life” continues…bringing with it more to do with each moment.  Do you ever feel totally consumed with all there

“We can let circumstances rule us, or we can take charge and rule our lives from within.”  ~Earl Nightingale The other day I received an email from a dear friend and former coaching client who has been unemployed for over a

“In a genuine relationship, there is an outward flow of open, alert attention toward the other person in which there is no wanting whatsoever.  That alert attention is Presence.  It is the prerequisite for any authentic relationship.”  ~Eckhart Tolle If I

Please enjoy today’s article from Elaina Love, author of three recipe books and founder of Pure Joy Planet and Pure Joy Academy as the guest columnist every Friday in the Journey Back to Self  Blog. ~ Chris 21 Days to Break

“That which you seek is within yourself.  Teach by example that which you are inclined to share.  For your actions speak far more clearly than any theory you may feel inspired to impart.” ~Rasha, “Oneness” I always found truth to be an

I know…it hurts.  That ache in your heart from being disappointed, betrayed once again, losing someone you love, words that sting so bad you feel them physically…ouch!  Welcome to the power of your heart chakra. The middle of your chest is

“Within each of us is a hidden store of energy. Energy we can release to compete in the marathon of life. Within each of us is a hidden store of courage. Courage to give us the strength to face any

When I was a little girl, if I did something good, I got rewarded; if I did something bad, I was punished.  This is typical parenting of a young child to teach them right from wrong.  No harm done…or is

Please enjoy today’s article from Elaina Love, author of three recipe books and founder of Pure Joy Planet and Pure Joy Academy as the guest columnist every Friday in the Journey Back to Self  Blog. ~ Chris 21 Days to Break

“As we must plant a seed before we reap a harvest, so we must believe before our prayers can be answered.”  ~Ernest Holmes, “The Science of Mind” Do you ever feel as if the line “Lions and Tigers and Bears, OH

Click here to enjoy a visually inspiring song, My Wish ~ Enjoy! Live an inspired life! Chris   Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at http://www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn,

You cannot get to where you want to go until you know where you are starting from. If I got in my car and wanted to drive to “Destination B” I would need to know two things; where do I want

The Smithsonian recently published an article on “inattentional blindness,” or in other words selective attention.  The article was written based on an experimental minute and a half video asking viewers to count how many times a ball is caught by

Please enjoy today’s article from Elaina Love, author of three recipe books and founder of Pure Joy Planet and Pure Joy Academy as the guest columnist every Friday in the Journey Back to Self Blog. ~ Chris Food is many things

“The Trial By Existence” By Robert Frost And from a cliff-top is proclaimed The gathering of the souls for birth, The trial by existence named, The obscuration upon earth… And the more loitering are turned To view once more the sacrifice Of those who for some good discerned Will

There is a time to do what you want to do and a time to do what you were meant to do. Those of you who know me well know that I possess the gift of insight.  I can see, hear,

Dear Chris, Before you head down there to your new life on Earth, I wanted to give you a heads up about a few things that will take place in the life you are about to be born into.  There are

“Karma is the eternal assertion of human freedom…Our thoughts, our words, and deeds are the threads of the net which we throw around ourselves.” ~Swami Vivekananda Saturday I turned 42 years old.  In 42 years I have had a lot of

Please enjoy today’s article from Elaina Love, author of three recipe books and founder of Pure Joy Planet and Pure Joy Academy as the guest columnist every Friday in the Journey Back to Self Blog. ~ Chris What you eat and

“The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success,” by Deepak Chopra “Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment…intention and desire in the field of pure potentiality have infinite organizing power.  And when we introduce an intention in the

“Never be afraid to ask a question, especially of yourself.  Discovery is the mission of life.” ~Brian Kates I would like you to take a few minutes to answer the following questions.  Sit down somewhere comfortable, take a deep breath and write

I am about to make a bold statement…stress is the main and only cause of all illnesses!  Everything we experience in our physical world is simply a projection of what we are allowing to run through our minds.  Our thoughts

“When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way.” ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer I will never forget sitting in my parent’s living room in Cleveland with

Please enjoy today’s article from Elaina Love, author of three recipe books and founder of Pure Joy Planet and Pure Joy Academy as the guest columnist every Friday in the Journey Back to Self Blog. ~ Chris Many people I speak with say they find it hard

"Love doesn't make the world go 'round.  Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."  ~ Franklin P. Jones  A huge kudos to all the men out there (especially my “anonymous” male friend who supplied many of these)!!  I got more than

“Until the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing, you will stay the same.” The pain was unbearable.  It didn’t seem to matter which way I moved to try to get some relief, it persisted and

“I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.  I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me.  I

"When a thought hurts, that is the signal that it isn’t true." ~Byron Katie Relationships have not always been my strong suite.  Relationships with men, that is.  Every other area of my life is amazing; my girls refer to me as

Please enjoy today’s article from Elaina Love, author of three recipe books and founder of Pure Joy Planet and Pure Joy Academy as the guest columnist every Friday in the Journey Back to Self Blog. ~ Chris   Can what you eat significantly affect your mood? Yes, according to

“Life is a test.  It is only a test…had this been a real life you would have been instructed on where to go and what to do.” ~www.visiblebynumbers.com August has arrived and traditionally August is a month of abundance in the

Intention with no action leaves you only with a dream. ~Unknown I decided to go to a Bikram Yoga class yesterday.  Bikram Yoga is a series of 26 yoga poses over a 90 minute period in a room heated to as hot

Life is like a racetrack.  It’s the curves that make it worthwhile. ~Regina Brett, God Never Blinks I recently sat down and took an inventory of my life.  I figured I’m going to have a birthday in a couple of weeks, why

In the movie, Chalk Talk, there is a priest who counsels alcoholics and tells stories to inspire those who are in recovery.  He told one particular story about a woman who came to him after her drunken husband called her

Please enjoy today’s article from Elaina Love, author of three recipe books and founder of Pure Joy Planet and Pure Joy Academy as the guest columnist every Friday in the Journey Back to Self Blog. ~ Chris Understanding Sugar Cravings and

“It makes no difference how many peaks you reach if there was no pleasure in the climb”. ~Oprah Winfrey A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor,

“Until we see what we are, we cannot take steps to become what we should be.” ~Charlotte P. Gilman Anyone who has coached with me has heard me say over and over again, “We cannot get to where you want to

“Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces.” ~Judith Viorst I travel quite a bit.  Most of my travels have to do with someplace

Several years ago I came across some lectures on cassette tape (that is how long ago it was) called “Infinite Self” by Stuart Wilde.  I remember listening to his tape series over and over again until I pretty much had

Please enjoy today's article from Elaina Love, author of three recipe books and founder of Pure Joy Planet and Pure Joy Academy as the guest columnist every Friday in the Journey Back to Self blog. ~ Chris It seems that the

“Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us”. ~Stephen Covey When I was 7 years old my friend Tracie and I decided to play “barber shop” in my garage.  Tracie

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is bliss, taste it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life

“Never retract, never explain, never apologize; get things done and let them howl.” ~Nellie L. McClung Charge!!!   No…not with your credit card! As fast as life is moving lately, doesn’t it seem that you are either getting a lot done or nothing

“You are destined to fly, but that cocoon has to go!”  ~Nelle Morton The Story of the Butterfly A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.  One day a small opening appeared.  He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it

Over the last year many people have asked me what I have been doing differently because they have seen an increase in my mood, energy and 20 pounds melt off of my body.  What I have done is changed my

Be Thankful By:  Author Unknown Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to? Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn. Be thankful for the difficult

“Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” ~Muriel Strode, writer A client of mine told me recently that she and her daughter went to see the new movie about

Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream.  Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily life is but a dream. We all remember this nursery rhyme.  I honestly never really understood what it meant or when it was appropriate to sing it (seriously,

“I really don’t think life is about the “I could have beens.”  Life is only about the “I tried to do.”  I don’t mind the failure, but I can’t imagine that I’d forgive myself if I didn’t try.” ~Nikki Giovanni,

This is my first blog post officially from Scottsdale, AZ.  I arrived at my new home yesterday afternoon at a sweltering 113 degrees!  My new home is beautiful with a scenic view of the McDowell Mountain Range as the view

As Donna and I are making our trek across country, one of the main things keeping us quite entertained is SiriusXM radio.  We are finding ourselves moving from the 80’s hits, to Love songs, to the Comedy channel (when we

For the next few days, you will have the distinct pleasure of being inspired by my 4 day trek across country to my new home in Scottsdale, AZ.  My bucket list buddy Donna and I are traveling in my lovely

Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but by how we react to what happens; not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life; a positive attitude causes a chain reaction

“There is no better way to bring one to a knowledge of himself than to lead him to a knowledge of the powers that are lying dormant within his own soul.” ~Ralph Waldo Trine We have all at one point or another

  “To create the new, first you must imagine it, then you embrace it, and finally love it until the invisible becomes true for you.” ~Rev. Angela Peregoff I thought the title for my blog today was fitting because it bears two meanings;

"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of

To achieve your dreams: Avoid negative sources, people, places, things and habits Believe in yourself Consider things from every angle Don’t give up and don’t give in Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them

“What God chose for you to do is at the intersection where your greatest joy and the worlds greatest need meet.” ~Frederick Buechner (paraphrased) Have you ever asked yourself the question, “why was I born?”  Not in the “I’m worthless so why

“The darkness hides the true size of fears and lies.  The truth is the fears are more shadow than reality, so they seem bigger in the dark.  When the light shines into the places inside of you where the fears

Taking action is sometimes not so easy.  Do you notice that with some things you move right through it and with other things someone needs to put a fire under your butt?  Usually it’s with those things that we either

When you wish upon a star Makes no difference who you are Anything your heart desires Will come to you If your heart is in your dream No request is too extreme When you wish upon a star As dreamers

Today I decided to take a step back and write about what I am seeing going on around me in our world and hopefully give you a few tips on how to deal with all of the chaos.  The only

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." ~Neale Donald Walsch Ok…I admit it…I used to be a HUGE control freak!  Those of you who know me are probably saying, “What do you mean USED to be!?” but I have

Most of the time, when I talk about “dreams,” people think I am referring to their night time, sleeping dreams.  And although I am not, your sleeping dreams play a very big role in helping you navigate what steps to

Go for the Gold!!"The recent energetic years have ushered you into the dark abysses and crevices of your fears and doubts. You cannot be allowed the pleasure of doubting. You cannot doubt your work, your thoughts and intentions, or your

The word will either send shivers down your spine or get your adrenaline rushing to the point you can’t sit still.  Change. It is the only constant we have in life yet it sometimes gives us that feeling we get

"The greatest good that can come to anyone is the forming within him of an absolute certainty of himself, and of his relationship to the Universe, forever removing the sense of heaven as being outside himself." ~Ernest Holmes, “The Science

"There once was a woman who longed to have a flower garden.  Each year she would visit her neighbor, who had the most beautiful garden she had ever seen, and he would give her cuttings and seeds for her own

We all have experienced times in our lives where we have to “let go” of something or someone.  Whether it is a loved one that has passed away or a job, a habit or even an old wound; letting go

Most of us were brought up to believe the following formula: DO » HAVE » BELIEVE In other words, if I DO something (whatever that something is), then I will HAVE whatever it is I am wanting and THEN (and for most,

I am in the midst of packing for a cross country move and as you know when you move, you end up going through boxes and boxes of things you totally forgot you owned.  My ex-husband recently found a box

Safety and security are such basic needs for a human being that we do not even worry about our other needs if these two needs are not met…hence why it is at the bottom of Maslow’s famous pyramid!  We need

"Truth starts within the self.  If you are right within, you will be right in the world."  ~Justin Asar How you are with people in your outside world is usually a reflection of how you are with yourself in your inside

Don’t allow someone else’s behavior to assign you to their plan. 10 years ago I learned a very hard lesson in regards to my physical health.  I was working a corporate job, putting in around 55 hours a week, commuting over

Have you ever heard a song on the radio in the morning and then that song got stuck in your head ALL DAY LONG!  That happened to me recently and it was one of those annoying songs! Our brains work in

And NO

“We can only be made as new as we are willing to let go of who we have been.”  ~Guy Finley Change is a funny thing.  Some thrive off of change and some do everything they can do avoid it.  One

“One doesn’t grasp a great truth.  One opens to it hoping that one day it will drift past your ear and be caught in the net of your awareness, then sink into the soul where it will resonate with the

“The Trial By Existence” By Robert Frost And from a cliff-top is proclaimed The gathering of the souls for birth, The trial by existence named, The obscuration upon earth… And the more loitering are turned To view once more the sacrifice Of those who for some good discerned Will

"Remember, we all get from the world what we bring to IT through the choices we make about who we are willing to be.  Our lives cannot move to higher ground until we do, and we elevate ourselves strategically by

“What you see is a direct result of what you believe” Recently when I was in Peru, I had the honor of working with the world-renowned Jorge Luis Delgado, author of “Andean Awakenings.”  We were blessed to have many discussions with

"You presume poison is bad

If you haven’t noticed, this past week we just completed was a doozy!  Taking action and honoring ourselves is not an easy task sometimes…especially when those around you react to the actions and choices of the “new you” in not

I open myself to the unknown future in full trust and I release the past with gratitude for how it has blessed my path with joy, difficulty and knowledge. I am blessed to be on the Board of Directors for the

“Be not afraid of life.  Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create that fact.  If you want a quality life, act as if you already have it.” ~William James I think you would all agree that

“Things may happen around you and things may happen to you, but the only things that really count are the things that happen within you.  We cannot always control what happens to us.  But we can control what we think

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”  ~Seth Godin   (Thank you Chris Whitcoe of Pure Joy Academy!) I just recently got back from hiking the Inca Trail

Many of you are used to reading my blog only when I am on one of my many CSI Journeys

On Monday we left from our hotel around 6am to head for the Cusco airport to catch our plane to Puerto Maldonado

Day 3 Barely able to get up because our knees hurt so bad from all of our uphill climbing the day before, we were up at 5:30 am and on the trail by 7am.  This day was only slightly easier than

Day 1 For those of you who have been waiting patiently for the blog, I apologize for it being a few days late.  We had no internet connection on the trail (obviously) and during our day in Aquas Calientes after the

Do you remember yesterday when I said we are following the "Cosmic Agenda" rather than our own?  Well

Being in Peru is like giving birth.  For those of you who cannot relate to the process of giving birth, it is joyful in the beginning, challenges arise in the middle as the baby is growing, the birthing process pushes

We started our day out extremely early after only getting about 4 hours of sleep.  Upon arriving at the Cusco airport, we were surprised and thrilled to be greeted by Jorge Luis himself!  On the bus ride to our hotel,

Day 1 of our journey began at the Philadelphia Airport around 10:30am.  Although we all arrived around different times, we found each other fairly effortlessly.  It is always interesting when you get a group of women together to travel across

OFF WE GO!! Hi everybody!  Thank you so much for joining us on our 12 day adventure to Peru and the Sacred Valley! Those of you who have followed my journeys before via my blog know what you are in for…those of

It is always such a sweet sadness for me to spend my last day on one of my incredible journeys.  I am so grateful for my life and what I have chosen to experience! Today I had the pleasure of facilitating

Today I decided to make my day all about airplanes.  Boeing’s main factory, where they assemble most of their airplanes, sits right in the heart of Seattle.  It was a great day to be inside touring because it was raining

Started my morning off this morning crawling out of bed because my gluts are killing me!!  (I couldn’t help but remember my ego boost from yesterday….lol!)  I took my time waking up, had 2 conference calls with potential clients and

Today I left at 6:00am from Mount Shasta to begin my drive to Seattle where I will be for the next 4 days.  I started the morning off in a bit of a panic.  As I was getting ready to put

Since this is my last day in Mount Shasta, I wanted to make sure I squeezed everything I could out of my day today so I started off at 7:30 visiting the Mount Shasta Pastry Shop for some coffee and

Please contain yourself…you get 2 days worth of blogging in one!  Yes, I know…too much to handle. Yesterday I left Baker, NV at 5:20am and began my 9 ½ hour drive to Mt. Shasta, CA.  I passed several interesting things along

  Hi.  My name is Chris.  It has been 2 days since I have had technology. ~ Baker, Nevada….population = 125 people ~Border Inn Motel …..Sits directly on the border of Utah and Nevada.  The only road leading into this area from

Can I just say that Milk Duds and Dead Horse Amber Ale beer from the Moab Brewery ROCK together as a combo! Anyway…I digress…today I decided to do some hiking in the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park which is about

Today I decided to spend my day in the Island in the Sky part of Canyonlands National Park hiking.  I started my morning with a sunrise hike at the Mesa Arch.  It was chilly and cloudy (thank God it never

I thought I would start this blog where the South Africa one left off

  Hi everyone! I wanted to give you all a heads up on a trip I will be taking May 9th.  I will be flying into Grand Junction, Colorado, renting a car and then driving (taking my time, of course) west to

For our last and final blog entry, we felt we needed a name to sum up our experience here.  “Ke Bona Lesedi” means “I See the Light” and this seems to be extremely fitting for what Tina and I experienced

Last night in South Africa we were feeling both sad to leave yet homesick at the same time.  We spent our last night in Cape Town and left this morning.  We thought it was strange that when we checked out

We had our last and final workshop today at the WP Blood Services Center in Cape Town.  What a wonderful group of people!  I always say as a speaker, I am only as good as my audience and this audience

So this morning Tina and I had a quick breakfast because our ride that was taking us to Table Mountain was early.  Tina thought it would be nice to take our coffee to go.  She very carefully made our coffee,

(Tina here!) We woke up to a perfect day - the weather was glorious as we ate our breakfast.  It continued to be glorious as we boarded our chariot for the Wine Country.  Our guide’s name was Issy and we shared

As we mentioned in our last post, we ended up checking out of the B&B we were scheduled to be in due to lack of internet service and distance from where we needed to be.  Sad, because it was a

This morning was our last day at the Birchwood Hotel in “JoBerg” (we feel we are natives now so we can call it this  J ).  We had breakfast with Zali, reminisced about the week and the fun we had

(Tina Here!) Well we slept through breakfast because we were so exhausted from the last two days.  We met up with Zali for the Opening Day of the Congress before Chris had to give her Keynote.  The Keynote was extremely well

One follow-up note to yesterday's dinner:  We now are Wanna-Be members of the "Amarula Club".  We enjoyed our little aperitif while Gayle told us the story of this delightful beverage.  The facts:  The African Marula Tree produces round fruits (a member of the mango family) that are

Tina’s (Editor in Chief) day to type:  I woke just in time to look at the alarm clock and have it go off in my hand.  What a surprise that was!  But it was nothing compared to the hysterics we were

As Tina and I were waking up this morning I was blabbering about how great I slept, how comfortable the bed was, how rested I felt, blah, blah, blah

Awake, alive, full belly, still tired and off to meet Zali. The weather here is gorgeous! 70ish and all sun!! 🙂 Stay tuned

Hi all!  We're here

Hi everyone- As many of you know, I am headed to South Africa November 9th through the 24th to speak at the South African National Blood Services Congress.  I have had many people ask me about the trip, the blood center