How do you know when to say yes...or no?

Well, it’s official – I’ve entered into more than one retail store over the past few days to find it transformed into a Christmas wonderland, complete with music, new staff uniforms, and a spirit of joy that doesn’t seem to come at any other time of the year.

But wait a minute…

Didn’t we JUST have Halloween?

I suppose it’s inevitable that the stores are always going to seem to start Christmas earlier every year – particularly this year when they’re so eager to get a jump over the somewhat dismal performance of recent economic downturn.

As much as I enjoy the early holiday spirit, I notice that it always seems to call for an increase of targeted advertising – particularly relating to children. One of the areas I’ve seen this most is among the mobile phone companies, who seem to be targeting younger and younger audiences all the time.

While these ad campaigns used to have a clear target of mostly teens and twenty-something’s, they’ve now shifted over to the ‘tween’ sector. The actors in the ads are younger – there’s even one ad that has a tween asking her dad if he signed her up for a calling plan yet. In another, the entire family is in the car with both kids in the backseat – the younger one is texting while the teen is arguing with her mom about expired minutes!

Last year, my daughter began to ask for her own mobile phone.  Her asking became begging, and her begging became desperate acts of pleading and yearning. But throughout all this desperate pleading, she could not actually tell me why she wanted a mobile phone – other than repeating, “Everyone has one – and they are cool!”

The truth was, there wasn’t really a need for her to have a cell phone. She is on a closed campus during the day for school, and has access to the office telephone should she need to contact me. When not at school, she’s with me. Despite her arguments of, “Other people in my class have one mom – it’s just not fair!” she did not get a mobile telephone. I did not feel in alignment with giving her a mobile phone, so she did not get one.

Even more importantly than my alignment with her having one, it was very clear to me that she was really not in alignment with having one. She could not give me any real reason that she wanted one, other than everyone else has one, and they are cool

It can be such a difficult struggle when your child asks you for things like this. It can feel like you’re asking your child to earn his or her wellbeing. It can feel like ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’.

But it doesn’t have to feel like any of that. Read more

Sit back, relax, and listen in!

As the holiday season FAST approaches, it seems like there’s just no time left in the day to get everything accomplished. I’ll tell you a secret – while some people like to shake their heads at things like microwave steamer bags for vegetables, crock pot liners (to save on washing!) and coffee pot timers – I’ve gotta tell you, I love ‘em! As a parent, pretty much anything that can save me time is a GOOD thing.

In the spirit of saving you time, I’ve recored two audio versions of what it means to apply spiritual parenting skills and energy management practices to your experience – allowing for the beginning of what I love to call Blissful Transformation among the family life that for so many just seems to boil down to chaos!

If you’re getting tired of the chaos and looking to begin transformation, take this opportunity to listen to one (or both) of these recordings – created especially for busy parents like YOU!

It was an honor to join the Queen of Joy, Velma Gallant, on her Welcome Changes Radio show, where past interviewees include people like bestselling authors Guy Finley, Christine Kloser, and Masha Malka, as well as amazing experts like Kathleen Gage and Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein. :

Velma’s easygoing and welcoming helps make an instant connection between host, guest and audience, where you’ll be sure to feel drawn right into the conversation – just like sitting down with a good friend! It was truly a pleasure to join Velma on her show – when you listen in, you’ll hear a lot of tips I haven’t shared anywhere else!

This next audio is a recording I created especially for my community – a one-hour tele-training called “The Magnetism of the Awakening Parent“. You’ll find a wealth of useful information here – and best of all, the tips and tools you get in this call are fast, easy, and ready for you to apply right away for almost immediate results!

Listen in to the recording by visiting here now: The Magnetism of the Awakening Parent

If you have any comments or questions on what you are hearing, please feel free to get in touch with me  at Cyndi@blissfullytransformchaoticfamily.com. I look forward to connecting with you again soon!

How Are You Viewing Your World?

Guest Post By: Ruth Hegarty

As I meander through my days I talk to a lot of people, and I often hear how hard things/life/etc. are, especially around this time of year as the holiday bustle approaches. It seems as if life can sometimes feel like one big chore and that the holidays, which are supposed to be restful and joyful, are just a whirl of hassle and disappointed expectations.

Now, I love taking it easy and I love the holidays, and I have spent many years working with the issue of why some people find it so challenging to take it easy. So, as my gift to you today, I’m not only going to ask the question: “Why is taking it easy so hard?” I’m also going to give you the answer (just to prove how easy I love to make things!).

First, let’s make it clear that the reason so many people find it hard to take it easy isn’t what you think it is. It has nothing to do with not having enough time, having too many responsibilities, other people’s demands, or any of the other excuses that are so popular.

The real reason why you find it hard to take it easy is because (drum roll, please) you THINK it MUST be HARD. Seriously, that is the ONLY reason life feels hard. When you choose to believe that life has to be hard because that’s just the way it is, then you are deliberately (even if maybe unconsciously) creating the experience of difficulty in your life.

In order to take it easy in your life, you simply need to come from a place where you believe it’s possible. Now, I know it isn’t always comfortable to change, which is the main reason we get caught up in staying in situations that don’t feel good. However, I promise you that deliberately creating a life that you love is more than worth the initial discomfort.

There is always – ALWAYS – a way to do something that feels good and doesn’t feel like work.

The key to remember is that even actual work doesn’t have to feel like work. That is what ease and effortlessness are all about. It’s a mindset that orients you toward looking for a better way to get things done.

This mindset come through anything from hiring someone else to do things for you, finding the simplest and most comfortable strategy for getting things done, or deciding that it doesn’t even need to happen (this one is great for anything you think you “should” do.) You can delegate tasks to staff, family, etc. You can also delegate tasks to technology. This is one of the ways I get so much done myself – I take a little time to automate my systems, and then they pretty much run themselves.

Ease can mean different things to different people. It doesn’t mean lazy, though it can include lying around. Ease can include lots of activity so long as it feels great to you and feels effortless. All of the behaviors of ease follow naturally after you create the mindset. Read more

What's Your Wish?

For the past nine years, I have been a mother, business woman and executive at a Fortune 100 Company. As a Coach and Energy Worker who is at the forefront of spiritual training, it is my passion and my purpose to discover and introduce programs that will enrich and bless your parenting life.

Today, I want to ask you a few questions and then tell you a personal story…

• Have you ever wished parenting could be easier?
• Have you ever thought, “There has got to be a better way!”?
• Have you ever wished LIFE could be easier?
• Have you ever wondered – as I did – why some people always seemed to have that golden touch – always being in the right place at the right time – something it seemed would never happen to you?

Nine years ago, I felt the same way.  My marriage was ending, my father had just been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, I had a newborn, and I was making a career move! Against all odds and conventional wisdom, I doubled my income in less than one year.  In less than 2 years, I was elevated to an executive position at a Fortune 100 company.

People were surprised at what I accomplished; they even congratulated me.

But I didn’t have the energy to congratulate myself. I was just exhausted – and I couldn’t imagine how in the world I would manage another year of the same. It was just not possible. All I wished for was an end to what seemed like constant chaos.

In hindsight, I know I did lots of things the hard way. I worked late nights and weekends – and I felt guilty ALL the time. When I was with my family I felt guilty for not working and – yep, you guessed it – when I was working I felt guilty for not being with my family!

On more than one occasion, I was ready to give up. I knew I couldn’t continue much longer at the same frenzied and chaotic pace. Then, it dawned on me! Read more

Is it Even Possible to Find Bliss in Homework?

Just last week a friend came to me with an interesting question: “How can is it possible to tell if your child is following their bliss? What is it that I will observe my child doing as well as BEing while she is following her bliss?”

Thanks to Steve for asking a great question! Realizing that other parents out there may have the same questions, I decided to blog about it.

Observing my daughter or any child living their bliss is actually a relatively simple thing to do. For example, I know when my daughter is in her bliss or in alignment by:

• The tone of her voice
• The way she is carrying herself – her body language and posture
• An easy and relaxed expression on her face is a key indication of her bliss – she appears to be glowing – just radiating happiness.

Other indicators are when she sings and dances – her creative sense of self is predominant. Lots of artwork, song writing, and improvisational skits are bestowed upon me. When she is doing homework and is in her bliss or alignment, the homework is done lickety split and with accuracy! She trusts and knows that she has the answers to any homework questions or assignment.

When she is in her bliss, people are drawn to her. Teachers ask her to do the coveted duties for the classroom and schoolmates want to be around her. The telephone rings off the hook with invitations to various events.

Most parents can easily identify when their children are in a blissful state. The tricky thing for parents to do is to allow their children to continue to live in their bliss.

Many times, a well-meaning parent can pull a child away from being in a state of bliss or state of alignment. Most times this occurs when a parent is wanting their child or children to “do” something that the parent has placed more importance on than the child’s own scale of importance.

Take homework, as an example.

Homework is part of the school system. Even if you are homeschooling your child, certain curriculum standards have to be met. So how do you as a parent make sure the homework gets finished and allow your child to stay connected to their bliss? Read more