It's Powerful to Dance Like No One Is Watching!!!

                Good Morning Universe…Let’s talk about “letting loose!”  I am not talking about letting go of your sanity, your respect, or your responsibilities as a law-abiding-citizen.  I am talking about letting loose, celebrating, dancing, letting go of your pain, and bringing some Pure Joy into your day.

                In the past I have talked about letting go and letting your “silly” out, but I KNOW this is a topic that can never “get old.”  Last year at this time I spent my evenings watching TV.  In fact I spent the majority of my day watching TV. 

                I never spent time with myself, I never wanted to change my routine, and the music I listened to was always “Sad.”  At the time the soundtrack of my life was extremely negative. 

                Don’t misunderstand me, I LOVE Sad Songs and that type of music evokes powerful and useful emotions, but that is not the “ONLY” music I respond to. 

                I have found a LOVE for music that makes me want to move.  Music that makes me want to get up and shake my body in ways I really never thought of before.  I LOVE TO DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING!!!

                I define dancing like No One Is Watching as….PURE FREEDOM with a quite bit of awkwardness on the side.  Imagine watching The Original Footloose, but seeing All The Characters doing moves that aren’t choreographed.  Maybe even doing moves that are so CAREFREE and SILLY that you aren’t sure if you LOVE IT or HATE IT. 

                Well, that is my version of dancing like no one is watching.  I just put on some music that “MOVES MY SOUL” and see what happens.

                The best part is that I can feel “pure emotion” at it’s finest.   Sometimes the emotion is a little sad and introspective.  Though most of the time the emotion is FUN, SILLY, CRAZY, and EXCITING.

                When we dance like no one is watching we are truly connecting to OUR SOUL.  When we dance like no one is watching we can experience and work through our best and worst feelings.  When we dance like no one is watching it is Therapy For The Soul!!!

                What is the soundtrack of your life?  What songs move you to express your True Emotions?  What songs help you “work through” the best and worst parts of your life?

 

To The Universe

Love Brandy

What you Believe...You Perceive!!!

“The truth is that we co-create our experience CONSTANTLY, as you believe, so will you perceive.”  Dave Elliott

                How often does how we see our lives come true, it’s more often than we realize.  If we think our lives are sad, impoverished, loveless, and desperate, that’s what we will see.  When we believe our lives are filled with negative people and emotions, that’s exactly what we will.

                If you can look at your life as a gift, even the bad stuff, then you will begin to see the greatness of your life.  It won’t matter how much you have, you will always feel happy and blessed. 

                When you look for the negativity in your life, you are sure to find it.  Everyone has “bad experiences” in their lives, it’s what we do with that negativity which will set our course.

                Are we going to grow from the negative, do we learn from our mistakes, are we grateful?  These are questions everyone should take the time to think about.  If you can honestly answer “Yes” to those questions, then you are on a path to believing, perceiving, and living a Great Life.

                It is up to us what steps we take, what decisions we make, what steps we are willing to take to create the lives we dream of.  It is also up to us how we see ourselves NOW. 
                If you see yourself surrounded by negativity it will drown you, and it will be that much more difficult to bring happiness into your life.  If you work towards seeing positivity in your life, it will lift you up and make it that much easier to have more of the same greatness come your way.

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Sometimes You Have to JUST GET UP and DO IT!!!

                Good Morning Universe…This morning I wasn’t feeling right.  I woke up groggy, cranky, fatigued, and sad.  I moved through my morning, getting my work done, writing, and even figured out how to make new changes to our website www.theelevateinstitute.com.  This is a Big Accomplishment for me because in the past I have gotten very nervous and frustrated doing new technological things.  

  

                Accomplishing my morning tasks and learning, on my own, how to do new things made me feel better for a while.  Though it didn’t last long, I started to feel down and apathetic, AGAIN.  As the time when I normally go to the gym approached I found myself making excuses.

                I began to tell myself that it was OK to skip my workout because I wasn’t feeling 100%.  I began to tell repeat “my old story.”  What is “My Old Story” you may ask?  My Old Story is always based in procrastination and excuses.   I have been pretty proficient in my life at making excuses and procrastination at least on a personal level.

                I began to tell myself things like, “It’s Ok to go tomorrow and who is really going to know if you don’t go to the Gym?”  I am not saying that it’s always bad to change your routine, or take a break because those things are necessary sometimes. 

                What I am saying is that if you are unaware when you are making excuses, it can easily result in your life and goals becoming stagnant.  It’s one thing to take a break, but if that break goes on Too Long your daily routine and habits can be negatively impacted.

                So what did I do?  I forced myself to get dressed, stretch, and go to the gym.  I used “One Good Thought,” to overcome my lack of desire.  My good thought was…”I always feel good after I workout.”  Exercise releases dopamine and endorphins that elevate my mood.  I also knew that I would be proud of myself for overcoming my desire to stay stagnant.

                I am back from the Gym and couldn’t be happier that I basically FORCED MYSELF to go.  I am not advocating that you force yourself to do things which are unhealthy, uncomfortable, or just plain stupid.  What I am saying is that sometimes on the road of growth We Are Going to have to move forward, even when our “Old Self” tries to make us quit.

                What can you do today which you know will give you a positive benefit in the long run, but you just don’t really feel like doing?  What are you proud of today?  If you have slacked off on keeping up with your positive intentions and growth, are you willing to recommit and Just Get Up and Do It!!!

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Breakthrough The Clouds...The Sun Will Shine Bright!!!

                        How many times do people say things like, “I feel down, I think it’s the weather.”  I know that many times “Good Weather” can bring a smile to my face, though I wonder why bad weather often makes people gloomy.

            It has been cold, cloudy, and windy.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Clouds, they are beautiful and can Elevate my mood in wonderful ways.  But I miss the warmth and beauty of Nice Sunny Day.

            I think I am finally able to enjoy the clouds, not because I need it to appreciate the Sun, but because I find beauty in it.  Like the ups and downs of life, the “good” and “bad” weather is beautiful if you are able to view it in the proper context.

            If it never rained, how would we grow food?  If it was always sunny, how could we be witness to the amazing cloud formations that the sky creates?  If it was never “too hot” or “too cold”, how could we appreciate the perfect temperature?

            Just like in nature, it is the opposites of life that make appreciation possible.  I don’t want to live in a perfect world, with perfect people, and perfect weather.  Perfect is nice, but if that’s all there is then boredom would soon set in.

            If people worked as hard to see the positive as they do at dwelling on the negative, then we would have a revolution.  A revolution that could inspire beauty, kindness, greatness, and compassion.

            I want to live in a “perfect” world, but my “perfect” world would be where everyone can see the Bad as just another way to increase their perception of the Good.  We could see that darkness isn’t Bad, it’s just waiting to be LIT UP.

            How can you Light Up your world?  Can you look at life from a different perspective and truly appreciate it?  Can you see the “bad weather” as just another example of the greatness of Mother Nature?

To The Universe

Love Brandy

Change Doesn’t Always Start Big!!!

Sometimes people are waiting for “the big moment” or epiphany to start a change.  One day you can wake up and realize that things are different, your life is different, YOU ARE DIFFERENT.  Often times change can be so gradual you can’t pinpoint it.

   

I have been trying to pinpoint when I started truly feeling happy, and not just believing happiness would be mine.  I can’t remember a specific day, week, or even month when I was sure that my happiness was more than just belief.

The first step to change is desire, then belief, then action, and perseverance.  All of a sudden you look back and realize not only is your life different, BUT YOU ARE DIFFERENT.  It works both ways, with positive changes and negative changes. 

I have had experience with the “positive changes” and the “negative changes.”  When I became addicted to drugs, I didn’t just WAKE UP like that.  It was gradual, I knew I was taking chances using drugs but I told myself I was stronger and smarter than that.  I was wrong.

When I quit using drugs I didn’t just wake up and everything was great because I was sober.  My road to sobriety and ultimately to happiness was long and difficult.  When I was using drugs, I didn’t want to be an addict.  I was afraid, I was ashamed, I was unhappy, I felt unworthy and unloved….That is a lot of negativity to face sober.

Today I am SO VERY BLESSED.  My life isn’t perfect and I’m not always happy and chipper, but I feel different deep down inside.  I don’t dwell in the bad stuff.  Negativity, Anxiety, and Fear come to visit me sometimes, but I DON’T LET THEM STICK AROUND.

To The Universe
Love Brandy

Don't forget to check out The Elevate Institute's Website at http://theelevateinstitute.com/ 

Don’t Let Your Reasons Become Excuses!!!

                Good Morning Universe.  Let’s talk about the dreaded “E” word.  Ok…no one actually refers to “Excuses” as the dreaded “E” word, but maybe they should.  So often in my life I have felt that I had valid reasons to think, choose, and act in a specific way.  I had specific reasons for my behavior.

                The problem I realize today is that All Too Often what I thought was a perfectly good reason to think or act a specific way, led to a perfectly good excuse.

                Webster’s Dictionary defines reason as “a statement offered in explanation or justification,” or “the power of comprehending, inferring, or thinking especially in orderly rational ways.”  It also includes “a rational ground or motive” as another definition.  These definitions are just a few examples of the proper context of the word reason.

                I am not one to argue with the Dictionary as to the proper meaning of a word, but I would like to put the first definition into the context of personal growth.  When you include justification into your reasoning it is the first step to “making excuses.”

                People explain themselves, their choices, and their actions every day, and it’s often a part of healthy communication with others.  So how can we stop making our reasons into our excuses?  How can we even be sure that our words and actions are based in reasons and not excuses?

                The biggest indicator that you are no longer explaining your reasons and have moved into making excuses, is how you feel?  When you are giving valid reasons for your thoughts and actions you aren’t going to feel guilty.

                When you start to make excuses there is usually a little voice inside your head telling you that you have to lie, embellish, or omit something important.  Often times when we make excuses the little voice inside our head is feeling guilty, or just a little off.

 

                Come on people it’s not brain surgery.  If it feels wrong, if it feels deceptive, if it feels negative then we are probably on the wrong path.  Start listening to that little voice in your head, start listening to your intuition, start listening to your heart.  If we are really listening we will know when our reasons have become excuses.

To The Universe

Love Brandy

                  

Explore...Exercise...Grow...Keep Moving Forward!!!

                Good Morning Universe…I am still so excited about my weekend of Exotic Animals and Hiking that I can’t seem to stop talking about it.  I may still be a little physically sore, but that’s OK WITH ME.  I Got Up, I Got Out, I Explored!!!

                This is one of those “Good Memories” that my father Jerry Brady is always talking about holding onto when negativity strikes.  I am not openly asking to have negative thoughts and emotions come into my mind, but I am sure it will happen at some point.

                When negativity does try to “sneak up on me” I will have more fuel to fight it off!!!  What is the best fuel to fight of negativity you may ask.  Well it’s happiness, contentment, smiling and laughter, pride, accomplishment, plus a whole host of other positive thoughts and feelings.

                Every GOOD THOUGHT, Every GOOD MEMORY, Every GOOD ACTION that you can draw on is the fuel you can use to fight off negativity.

 

                In the past I didn’t have any concept of a Good Memory.   I never took the time to truly appreciate and experience the Good Stuff.  I think it was because I was afraid.  I was afraid to expect happiness because I thought for sure it would disappear or that I didn’t deserve it.  I don’t believe that anymore.

                Sure some days I feel down, stressed, angry, anxious, or just plain negative…The difference is that now I have been practicing not letting that negativity hang around like an unwanted house guest!!!  Banishing the Negativity is a skill that can never be truly mastered until we acknowledge it and work on turning it into growth.

                You know what they say…Practice makes Perfect.  Well…We may not always be perfect, but we can always be practicing.  One thing practicing does do is it makes us better.  Keep Practicing, Keep Exercising, Keep Growing, and Keep Moving Forward!!!

Don't forget to check out The Elevate Institute's Website at http://theelevateinstitute.com/ 

To The Universe

Love Brandy