Love Harder

Recently, I've been handed information, which I have no idea what to do with. Information that will change my life, and others around me forever. Nobody's sick, and nobody's in danger...yet, I feel like a bomb went off.

Working with others, and helping them see their situation from a different perspective, I have forced myself to do the same. When I say forced, I mean FORCED! I found myself consumed, obsessed, and down all day thinking...thinking about how I can fix what I was handed. With lots of prayer, as the days passed, I began to see my situation from a new perspective. My days became easier, and with light shoulders and a softer heart, I found myself smiling again.

I came to the awareness that not everything needs fixing. In fact, in this situation, I'M the one who needs fixing. By looking at what I've been handed, in a new perspective, I'm able to see happiness and love from a different angle. I'm able to see how my life is going to change for better...I'm going to come out caring more, sharing more, and laughing more. I'm going to love harder than I have ever loved before. I'm going to see beauty in everything.

My journey is far from over...but at least, now, I can see the light that's going to be guiding me through. 

Gratitude in 2017

As I was searching online for a perfect picture to go with this blog post, this one caught my eye! Not because of Kermit, lol, because I instantly related to what was written beside him.

My trials and tribulations have always brought me closer to the people, and things, that matter most to me. It was through the lowest points in my life, where I became more grateful for all that I have, and used my gratitude to lift me back up.

Think of a moment in your life, when an unpleasant situation created gratitude.



A Life Coach can help.

www.donnaleakeclc.com

Creating Stress Free-ish Experience During the Holidays

When I think of the holidays, I can literally feel my muscles tense up, and my shoulders rise up into my neck. It's not that I don't love spending the holidays with my family or look forward to all the great holiday parties with friends, it's the little annoying things in between that get my neck in a twist!

Here's a list, from Children's Hospital Colorado, I found online that can help us through this holiday season.

How parents can reduce stress this holiday season

Do you have a holiday to-do list eight pages long? One hundred gifts to buy and 12 dozen cookies to bake? If this sounds like you, take heed: Ongoing stress is a major contributing factor to poor health and it makes this time of year much less enjoyable. Check out these tips to keep your blood from boiling and your head from exploding.

1. Don't be afraid to say no. T'is the season of giving to others, but perhaps the best gift you can give is your serenity. If you're stressed from overcommitting, your bad mood could sour someone else's yuletide cheer. If you don't want to go to a party, send a kind thank-you card; if you genuinely want to see someone, make plans for after the holidays. Pare down your to-do list as much as possible. If you must complete a task or errand, find a way to make it enjoyable - have a cookie-baking party or a gift wrapping-palooza.

2. Set limits with troublesome family members. Meet him or her for a set period of time in public, instead of inviting them into your home. Suggest nice hotels or bed and breakfasts if you do not want family staying overnight at your home. Make a personalized tourist book for visitors to keep them busy and out of your hair.

3. You don't have to be perfect. It took a team of professionals to create those beautiful decorations and delectable-looking cookies in that magazine, so be careful not to set that standard for yourself. You will notice more than anyone else if something isn't perfect.

4. Remember why you are doing this. Ask yourself why you celebrate certain holidays. If this task or that errand doesn't contribute something meaningful to your celebration, cross it off your list. Chances are no one will notice it's missing.

5. Make your own traditions. Hold on to the practices from your childhood that you love and get rid of the traditions you don't like. Create new traditions with friends and/or family instead.

6. Accept help. Who said you have to decorate and shop all by yourself? Probably no one, but you took it all on anyway. Bring friends and family into the fold. Teach kids the meaning of gift giving and ask them to help pick out gifts. Teach a significant other how to make your favorite cookies. Turn that holiday dinner you're hosting into a potluck and have everyone bring a special dish from their childhood.

7. Exercise.

8. Eat well. Try to keep stress-inducing foods like sugar, caffeine and alcohol to a minimum.

9. Get enough sleep. Set boundaries. For example, if you start a task at 8 p.m., set an alarm for 9 p.m. Quit the task when the alarm goes off and save the rest until tomorrow. If your task requires a long time commitment, plan ahead and leave that for the weekend.

10. Involve the kids. Involve the kids so they can contribute to the spirit of your celebration. Did you commit to making a meal for the homeless shelter? Teach the kids a simple recipe and have them make the meal, helping them understand the importance of the gesture.

11. Cut the gift list. With consumerism running rampant, with displays and ads targeted to entice, be sure to make a list and set a budget before going shopping. It will be much easier on your willpower. Also ask yourself if you're buying gifts just to buy gifts or if they will make a meaningful impact. If not, consider giving time instead of gifts. For example, offer a free night of babysitting or a homemade meal come January. Chances are, your friends and family will remember these meaningful gestures more than something you picked up at the store at the last minute. Also consider a gift exchange, where everyone draws names and each person buys just one gift. It's easier on your willpower and will avoid the stress of overextending your budget.

12. Unplug. The world will not stop if you turn off your phone or close your laptop on the weekend or at night. Give your loved ones your full attention and indulge in some uninterrupted family time.

13. Create a cozy atmosphere as you complete your to-do list. Turn off the TV and instead light the fireplace while you write cards, play music while you bake or light a cinnamon-scented candle while you gift wrap.

A Life Coach can help.

PhotoTherapy Session: This Tiny House

PhotoTherapy Session:

When we look at a photograph, emotions, thoughts, and creativity stirs inside of us. When I pulled up a photo of a house I lived in for 12 years, immediately I was inspired to write down everything that was coming to me. Below is an example as to how a simple photograph can remind me of all the things I did have, instead of focusing on what I didn't have. 

Here's my PhotoTherapy Session with myself...

Before "tiny houses" were considered cool and interesting to see on t.v., this little one here was once my castle for 12 years. This house played a huge part of who I am today. With blood, sweat, and tears houses are built...well, in my case, with blood, sweat, and tears this house built "me"!!!! In this house I've learned to never give up, to love harder, to fight harder, to value an education, to value a dollar, to appreciate a smile and any small gesture as a gift. This house may look tiny, but inside it supplied an endless amount of stepping stones for me to go through my journey, which lead me to be where I am today. This house is enormous, priceless, and magical. I didn't find this house, it found me. Years have passed, and I've been filling my new home with all the tools and experiences I've learned from this "tiny house". When life gets crazy, I can reach for this photo, and remember what really matters. I may not be living near my "tiny house" any more, but forever it will be in this photograph, my memory, and in my heart. -Donna Leake

Why Hire a Life Coach

          

You're Hiring a Highly Trained/Certified Professional

A Life Coach is a highly trained professional who will be your sounding board, change the way you see your situation by having you change your perspective, ask you powerful questions that will have you digging deep for answers you never thought were there, and create a game plan to take you steps closer to achieving your goal.

Accountability

When we are held accountable for our actions, we are more likely to make the best choices for our health, relationships, and finances. A Life Coach will be your accountable partner, and will check in with you to see if you are staying focused, on track, and moving closer to your goal.

Become Un-Stuck

There's no room for growth when we are stuck in an area in our life. A Life Coach will give you tools and techniques that will break through obstacles that are blocking you from reaching your goal.

Best Version of Yourself

A Life Coach will help you bring out the best version on yourself. You will begin to see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow into the person you want to be, and build confidence and strength throughout the process.




A Life Coach Can Help!

Be Grateful and Journal It!

What are you grateful for? 

A while ago, I've started a grateful journal. I wanted this journal to be different than the others I write in. I wanted this journal to be a place for me to jot down everything I was grateful for, and in as much detail as I can.  I want to be able to look back and remember who, what, when, where, and why I was grateful. 

Journaling has always been a huge part of my life, but there is something very different with this gratitude journal. I can literally feel a jolt of happiness as I journal, and the more I journal, the more things I am finding myself being grateful for. Big or small, doesn't matter. 

I set a goal to journal 5-7 days per week...and sometimes adding photos, cut outs from magazines, coloring or drawing around my words, adding stickers or anything I will want to keep in-between the pages to give a "physical/visual" representation of what that gratitude meant for me on that day. 

Here are just some random questions you can ask yourself, as you begin your own Grateful Journal. 

What happened today, or this week, that has made me grateful?

What have I been ignoring, and will choose to be grateful for it today? Why?

What one thing during my commute to ______ am I grateful for?

How am I fortunate, and why am I grateful for it?

Who was I volnerable with today, and why am I grateful for it?

What sights/sounds am I grateful for?

What abilities do I have that I am grateful for?

What have others done that have made me grateful?

What relationships am I grateful for?

Who inspired me, and how has it made me extremely grateful?

What kindness did I experience, and how has it made me grateful?

 A Life Coach can help.

Your Authentic Self Looks Good On You

If you're seeing a Life Coach, you most definitely have been asked this question...Are you living authentically? 

What does it mean to be authentic? How will I know if, or when, I'm being my authentic self? 

To be our true authentic self means to live truly as who we are. That means to know who we are, what we want, to fully trust ourselves, to speak with our hearts and minds, to surround ourselves with others who add value to who we are, to choose a career that resonates with our passion, to reach our goals, and to create a life we want and are proud of.

People who live authentically will shine from the inside out. They realize their worth and are proud to show it.

A Life Coach can help.