One for One

How many pairs of shoes do you have in your closet?

If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably have a pair to go with your favorite jeans or dress, along with a range of comfy shoes, sexy shoes, working shoes, walking shoes…you name it.  I’d bet you have several pairs that you can choose from to fit your mood.

What about your kids? Do they have shoes for every occasion?

Soccer cleats, football cleats, dance shoes, tennis shoes, sandals, winter boots, slippers…the list goes on and on – but all of them are essential!

What if you could not provide shoes for your children?  Would they be able to go to school?

I was recently made aware of an amazing company called Toms Shoes.  You may have heard of them or seen their ads on TV, but the TV ads don’t really do justice to the impact that going without shoes has on kids around the world, and how Blake Mycoskie is out to change the lives of children, one pair of shoes at a time.

Toms Shoes was founded by Blake Mycoskie in 2006.  His idea for Toms Shoes came about when he was in Argentina learning how to play polo, which he himself has been quoted as calling, ”The least noble cause in the world for me to go to Argentina, which goes to show you never know what is going to happen in your life.’

While on that trip, Blake observed the polo players slipping out of their boots into shoes called Alpargatas.  The Alpargata are traditional Argentine shoes that have been worn by the Argentines for hundreds of years.  That shoe was the basis for the Toms Shoe design.

Blake had zero experience in fashion or shoes, to which he says, “I think sometimes when you don’t have experience, you don’t know the rules; you don’t know which ones you are breaking and you end up creating true innovation.”

The name Toms Shoes actually started out as Tomorrows Shoes.  It was shortened because Tomorrows Shoes was too long for the logo tags found on the side of the shoes.

The best part is – Blake was determined to donate a new pair of shoes for every pair purchased.  One for One.  How amazing is that! Read more

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 Your Child Living an Empowered Existence?

It’s October now, and the school year is in full swing. You’re settling back into the homework and the before and after school routines. After a long break and the excitement of school beginning, it can nice to have everything settle down a bit – but with kids it also serves as a reminder of how quickly time does fly.

One of the things I’ve really noticed this year is the vast difference in how children behave from one grade level to the next. It wasn’t so long ago that my daughter was starting kindergarten, and now she is fast approaching the high school years!

This really came to light as she and I were on the way home from school the other day. When I picked her up I noticed that she seemed just a little bit ‘off’ – not her usual vivacious, outgoing, tell me all about her day self.

She was quiet – really quiet – and after about ten minutes of driving, she turned to me and said, “You know what Mom? I just don’t understand how someone can be your friend one minute and then be really mean the very next minute – like leaving you in the dust and ignoring you.” Read more