Everyone defines success differently. The definition I like to use is “the achievement of internal peace and happiness.” Many very influential and brilliant people have defined success in a similar way. About six months ago I decided it was time for me to get on board too.

External objects and people no longer define the way I experience my own successes. I found that striving for external validation was extremely unfulfilling because what other people said never seemed good enough. That was because I personally didn’t feel good enough.

I continue to do the internal work necessary to experience success and being successful is when I am experiencing internal peace and happiness. Nothing and no one else is responsible for my sense of success.  I invite you to think about and write down what it means to you to be successful and how you will know when you reach that point.

Also, I highly suggest reading or listening to Deepak Chopra’s Book: The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams. I have listened to the book on Audible almost 3 times now and I learn something new every time. As people we are always learning and evolving and become better than we were yesterday. This book is a wonderful way to learn more about yourself and the person you want to become. You can buy it here on Amazon.  Or you can buy it here on Audible.

Love and Happiness,

Carmen P

I’m working on finalizing my book titled “How To Believe In Yourself: A 7-Step Guide For Overcoming Fears and Self-Doubt” I want to share with you a little bit about why I wrote the book and walk you through the first two steps.

Many times we have goals, yet we have a tendency to talk ourselves out of what we really, really want. We end up settling for less. What if we all believed we could achieve all of our goals? I realize now that I am rare, however, I have been able to achieve every single major goal I’ve had in life because I knew I could. My brain didn’t create excuses, or obstacles or any reason why I couldn’t reach my goal. When I really, really wanted something, I was able to make it happen.

Are you someone or do you know someone who doubts themselves or do you have a tendency to say, I can’t do it, only to find you that you couldn’t actually do it? You may have told yourself “nope, that’s not going to happen for me,” and sure enough it didn’t happen. What you believed to be true about yourself did actually come true. The outcome you pictured, was the outcome you experienced. What if you can take all of that energy you used to talk yourself down, and instead you used it to talk yourself up? Your self-talk can actually lead you to believe that you can achieve what you set your mind to.

I am passionate about helping people tap into their internal power so that they can achieve their goals and beyond.

Step 1 is all about identifying what you really, really want. This is where you let go of all self-judgments and you simply write down what you want.

Step 2 is where you get the chance to write down your self-talk. Say out loud what it is that you really want. It is important to say it out loud because that makes it more concrete. Then immediately following, write down everything that comes to mind. This is your self-talk.

I will announce the book release in March through this newsletter.

Love and Happiness

Carmen P

With Valentine’s Day coming up on Saturday, I thought I’d write a love themed newsletter. My dog and my partner taught me such a wonderful lesson the other day. As we were winding down our day, I was talking to my dog, Pepper, who is the cutest, most precious pug ever. She is a very active dog and loves to run around the house and play fetch with stuffed animals. That night, I said “Pepper, I wish you were more cuddly.” My loving and thoughtful Partner says to me “She has so many other great qualities. She is sweet, sensitive, loving, helpful, playful and she loves her people.” Thank goodness for him because he was right. I was so focused on the type of dog I wished she was that I forgot to appreciate all of the wonderful things about her.

Ultimately, this little lesson reminded me to focus on the great qualities that other people possess instead of being focused on the qualities that I wished they had. More importantly, I am now more aware of my own great qualities. The one (or many) things that I wish I could change are irrelevant to all of the other amazing qualities about myself, my life and the people in my life.

We all have a tendency to see and focus on what’s not there instead of appreciating what is there. This Valentine’s week, I invite you to write a love letter to yourself. Include all of the wonderful qualities you possess and end it with “I Love You”. This week, and every week, remember to appreciate everything that is wonderful in your life as well as everything that you have to offer the world. It can be a waste of precious energy to focus on what might be missing.

 

Love and Happiness,
Carmen Parks
Owner
Life By Design
Author of the forthcoming book: How To Believe In Yourself
HowToBelieveInYourself.com
mindbodybalance.biz
[email protected]

What Do You Really Want?

It’s the beginning of February and if you set your New Year’s Resolutions/Declarations, you may be questioning your ability to stay on track. It’s okay to reevaluate your progress. I set very ambitious goals, some of which I haven’t started. But that doesn’t mean I need to give up. There are still 11 months remaining for me to reach my goals and today is as good as January 1st to start making positive changes.

One of my favorite quotes is “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” The author of the quote is unknown, but in times of doubt this quote has kept me motivated to imagine a bright future and keeps me moving forward and making it happen. Whether I am training for a race, sticking to a cleanse diet, or picking up the book I’ve been planning to read. When I tell myself that today is the first day of the rest of my life, I begin to imagine what it is I really want and reevaluate if the choices I’m making will get me to that desired future.

Steps for how to “Make It Happen”

1. Identify what you really want. If you don’t know, choose one sentence below and fill in the blank:

Today, my life would be a little bit easier if _______________.

Or

I would feel accomplished if by the end of this year __________________.

2. Ask yourself: What would it take to make that happen. Make a list of all of the things that you would have to do in order to reach your goal.

3. Organize and Prioritize. Take your list from step two and identify the order in which events, steps, etc need to happen in order for you to reach your goal. Some items may need to happen consecutively and this is where you can prioritize because in reality you can’t be in two places at once. Therefore, identify which one comes first.

4. Execute the list. Start with the first item and either tackle it or break it down into smaller more manageable pieces and start each one of those in the necessary order.

If you really want to reach your goals, you have to start somewhere. The key is to Make It Happen one step at a time. By breaking up a big goal into smaller pieces, it becomes more manageable and less overwhelming. What can you make happen this week that gets you closer to where you want to be?

Leave comments and let me know how you’re doing!

How To Be More Present Workshop

Do you tend to get stuck in your head?

Do you find yourself overthinking everything?

Are you stressed out more often than you would prefer?

Do small things cause you anxiety and you wish you could just turn it off?

 If you answered yes to one or more questions then I invite you to join me for a complimentary workshop. My personal theme for this year is “Be Present”

 This workshop will allow you to brainstorm and share ideas with other woman about what works and what doesn’t for you in your life.

  Workshop Details

Who: Those ready to practice being present

What: Workshop designed to help you reduce stress and anxiety

Where: Complete Holistic Wellness

4701 S. Lakeshore Dr. Suite #3 Tempe, AZ 85282

When: February 10, 2015, 6:30 pm-8:00 pm

Why: To learn how to live life by design not default

Reserve your spot now

Reflection

If you haven’t done so already, I anticipate that your 2015 will require you to make some changes in order to create what you want in life. Change leads to progress and ultimately fulfillment. I’ve talked to a lot of different people since the year started and most seem to be very optimistic about what 2015 brings.

I’m generally a very busy person, I schedule meetings, events and workouts back to back all week long with little breathing room. Well, I’ve been sick for most of this week and I have been forced to make breathing room. Of course canceling meetings is not at the top my list of things to do, but the extra time I’ve been giving myself has allowed me to think about priorities. My body obviously cannot continue going full speed ahead without proper rest and relaxation.

Along with practicing staying present this year, I also have a goal to remain healthy. That’s going to require me to make some changes. It’s time to put me in my schedule more often so that I’m able to maintain balance. As I outline my schedule for next week, I invite you to do the same. Take a look at what you have planned and make sure that there is “you time” scheduled in. Does scheduling you mean rearranging some things and maybe rescheduling a meeting, if so, it might be worth it. If you’re not healthy then you’re not able to keep up with normal activities with a normal energy level. An hour of scheduled relaxation is better than a week in bed.

I’m learning to recognize the trade off. I know that I won’t take my relaxation time for granted any more.

Here are 3 ways to include rest and relaxation in your schedule

1. 10 Minute Daily Mediation – If you don’t mediate regularly or want to get back into your practice, Deepak Chopra provides some tips.

2. 10 Minute Daily Walks – Whether on a lunch break, first thing in the morning or right after dinner, adding a relaxed paced 10-15 minute walk each day is a great way to schedule yourself into your day.

3. 10 Minutes of Daily Reading – Have you been meaning to start a new book? Working on finishing a book? Schedule time for yourself and read.

Whatever you find relaxing and enjoyable, begin to add it to your daily routine.

Love and Happiness,

Carmen P

P.S. In a few weeks I am hosting a workshop titled: How to Be Present In The New Year. You can learn more and sign up by clicking below.

 

The end of 2014 means that 2015 can begin. This is obvious. We are used to years coming and going. It’s the nature of how we measure time on Earth. Today, Earth is completing it’s last few hours of it’s orbit around the sun. (Yes I’m a science geek.)

Today, like everyday, is a perfect time to reflect on the past year and really decide how you want to show up in the world starting tomorrow. It’s natural for us to want to start fresh at the beginning of something and what better time than a new year? What will you do differently in 2015 in order to design or create the life that you desire.

Now think about what you want to say about yourself at the end of 2015. Do you want to say the same things you are saying today or do really, really want something different. The saying goes: “Your life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by change.” – Jim Rohn. What are you going to change this year?

I’m on a mission to make my 2015 better than 2014. My 2015 theme is to be present in all that I do. I have a tendency to over think things and I get stuck in the future of how I want things to be. This habit hinders my ability to enjoy the people I am with and the feelings I am having in the present moment. I only have 12 months, 365 days or 8,760 hours to make 2015 amazing and nothing is going to stand in my way. I intend to make each day meaningful in some way.

I am a planner by nature and of course there is a time and place to plan, but this year, all of my thoughts will not be occupied with planning. To me, being present is learning to turn off or turn down those nagging thoughts and start experiencing life through my heart instead of my head.

If you are a person who tends to over think everything from past conversations to future events that cause you anxiety, I have a challenge for you. Starting tomorrow, I challenge you to start noticing when your thoughts become overwhelming and practice stopping yourself in mid thought. At the same time you stop your thoughts begin to use your senses. Notice what you see, hear, smell and feel around you. Noticing your surroundings will help you get out of your head and into your heart.

I wish all of you a safe and happy New Year!

Are you feeling overwhelmed or having a hard time making a decision? Have you recently said “I can’t” do something that you might actually want to do?

Here are my 4 steps for living life by design not default:

1. Identify the thing you want. It can be a goal, or outcome, feeling, or object.

2. List all of the reasons why you haven’t yet achieved that goal, outcome, feeling or obtained that object. This is you “Excuses List”

3. Take each of the items on the list and turn them into statements that work for you and not against you. Some items may need to be turned from negatives, into positives. This allows you to identify what you do have control over.

4. Take those new statements and create a plan to help you get from where you are now to where you want to go.

If you want assistance with this process, please contact me for your 30 minute complimentary coaching session.

Are you ready for something different in your life but you’re not quite sure what you want or you don’t know how to get there? Join me for a complimentary workshop:

Life’s Key Questions Workshop!

December 16, 2014

You can also get a jump start on your New Year’s Resolutions!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that you are enjoying your week and have the opportunity to share time with friends and family.

Often, especially this time of year, we tend to get carried away with buying items and sometimes we focus on what we do not have. Therefore we may forget to be grateful for what we do have.

I received the below information in an email from Author, Speaker and Spiritual Business Coach Shayla Mihaly and I want to share it with you. Enjoy!

What thoughts am I focusing on when I am not feeling gratitude?

There is always so much to be thankful for… but we don’t always feel it.  What thoughts are you thinking that make it hard for you to feel gratitude? How do those thoughts make you feel? Are they even true, right now?

Practice Noticing and Giving Thanks

We are truly blessed to experience so much plenty in our lives…. yet we have a habit of noticing and focusing our attention on what’s wrong or missing.  How do we correct this, and come back to the truth and direct experience of absolute abundance?

We do it moment by moment, and day by day.  Remember, as humans we are wired to notice what is “not right” as a survival mechanism.  Through daily meditation and self-awareness practices, we can notice when we are experiencing “not right” and then gently come back to the beauty and abundance of the moment by simply noticing something in our environment that represents beauty, pleasure, love and/or abundance. It can be something as simple and luxurious as a jar of local honey, the blossom of a flower, or clean running water.

I invite you to practice noticing the manifestations of abundance, pleasure, beauty and love that are already all around you.  In the morning when you wake up, at night before you go to sleep, and a few times throughout the day, put your focus and attention on the specific things you could be grateful for if you simply noticed them.  Allow yourself to relax into gratitude for all that you have.

Then…. relax, and watch the magic happen!

Love and Happiness!