Welcome to Week 3 of the Be Lifted Challenge! You are doing INCREDIBLE, and this week I have some awesome challenges for you to push you through more growth and transformation. Often times, our inner dialogue may suggest that our passion is lost, our purpose unclear, and that our resources are limited. Well, none of these are true. If there’s one mystery I wish I could solve, it would be to figure out why people choose to hide behind their passion and save it for a rainy day (which often times never comes around because we don’t pursue our passion!). I also don’t believe when people or clients tell me, “But, I don’t know what my passion is.” I call BS. You have already identified your passion, you’re just facing resistance because you’re afraid to live your life authentically, probably because you think that you’ll fail or be judged by others. Well, here’s the thing. You will more than likely do both. But, that shouldn’t hinder you from continuing your passion-filled-journey. Let’s see, allow me to go through the rolodex of icons who met resistance and failure, yet have legacies today: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, and probably like every musician and actress that you idolize. And guess what, your name is ALSO on that list. You just have to live through your passion, not behind it.

 I love that part in the Bible when Jesus turns water into wine. Like, how cool would it be to have the power of manifestation that fast. And I won’t deny it, I don’t think any of us have manifestation down like Jesus did, but, we all are very powerful manifesters. Did you know that by just emitting a thought and holding that thought for 17 seconds, the Law of Attraction is already conspiring to make that thought a reality? Which is why, when you’re running late and proclaim, “Gee, I hope I’m not late,” Murphy’s Law says you will be. And PS, when you say words like “late” the Universe hears, “YES! I will ensure you are late.” But when you say things like, “I hope we make it on time,” the Universe says, “YES! On time.” See the difference? So, in order to practice manifestation, change your wording up so that you only affirm positive. Don’t use words like “need, wish or want”, because that just screams desperation. Choose words like “desire, claim, or have” because the Universe takes that seriously. So, your exercise today is to attract $100. Tell the Universe, “I am so excited for the $100 I will receive.” Once you attract it and finally believe me, then up the ante.

 Ask any of my clients, when a New Moon comes, I’m sending e-mails nonstop to remind them of how powerful this energy is. I’m not an astrologer or intuitive counselor so I don’t feel entirely qualified to speak to its psychic effects, but from the time that I’ve worked around New Moon Energy, the power is unreal. Scientifically, a New Moon occurs right after the cycle of a Full Moon, so we’re starting fresh here. This begins a new cycle. Consider the New Moon your time to re-start and set intentions that wax with the moon (grow to become a Full Moon, therefore completing a cycle). New Moon’s are perfect when starting a new project because energetically, this is a clean slate, for you, our planet and the Universe. Farmers actually harvest their seeds around New Moon’s, hence why setting intentions and planting seeds for your future is pivotal as this time. So ground yourself in this energy today. Grab a paper and list away your intentions. If you’re on Pinterest, start a new vision board, or perhaps make one on your own. This is also a time to release anything you don’t need anymore, so something fun to do is to write down emotions or events that you want to release and burn the paper in a simple little ceremony.

 In current literature, Mindfulness-based techniques are actually being used to help people who suffer from depression and other mental health ailments. It’s what Buddhists rely on in their spiritual practice and its the core of meditation. Being mindful is about being present. See, grounding, or being mindful, is really just about being present, something we don’t allow ourselves to do. We’re caught up in scenarios that haven’t even happened yet, conversations that haven’t even occurred in real time, and things that we have to do, that will get done, we just create unnecessary stress around. My challenge for you is to start your next morning or day by taking time to ground your body to Earth energy. Be centered. Be calm. Be grounded.

 In my opinion, being and feeling lifted is an active and conscious mindset that just through our thoughts and actions alone, has the ability to transform our lives. Many people assume that the quality of life is dependent on other sources—people, relationships, money, career or other external sources; Although some of those areas are pivotal in terms of quality of life, being lifted ultimately resides in our Inner-Selves and we are the only ones capable of maximizing that source of empowerment, self-love, and transformation. Once we take time to reflect about who we are, our deepest desires, mission and purpose in life, what transcends is that passion becomes ignited and we move towards a lifestyle that invokes feelings of inspiration, happiness, and infinite possibilities for our future ahead.

 Recently, I wrote that, “the thoughts that confine us are often times the same thoughts that have the power to transform us.” What I mean is that sometimes our limiting beliefs become our platform and launching pad to take us to the next level. Once we are aware of some of the limiting beliefs that we’re holding onto, our inner-dialogue and thought processing immensely shifts because those “don’ts” turn into “can’s” which turn into “will’s” which then complete as “I did.

 All of us have a creative edge, some maybe more than others, but all of us possess this power to tap into a creative space and birth some awesome ideas. Essentially, this challenge is set to break you out of your pragmatic, linear thinking and literally, create exactly what it is that you want. If you were an architect, this is where you would construct your blueprint. If you’re a writer, this is where you outline. If you’re an artist, this is where you look for inspiration before you go to the canvass. Whatever your process may be, the most important thing to do is just to immerse yourself in creative energy. And get creative about harnessing your creativity—inspiration is ALL around us!