AMY HANSEN

We are the makers of our thoughts.  We control what our mind thinks.  Our thoughts determine our beliefs.  These beliefs are what we hold true about ourselves.  These beliefs are the stories we tell ourselves in certain situations.  And these stories can hold us back from going after our dreams.

Think about some things that you have done in your life that made you a bit afraid.  Whether it’s speaking in front of a group, putting yourself out there on social media, meeting someone new, etc.

We all have these stories that we tell ourselves that psych us out, cause sweaty palms, and butterflies in our stomach.  These moments terrify us because maybe we will look ridiculous or screw up what we were trying to say.  We are afraid of being judged and what other people think of us.

I want to give you a process to help you change your thoughts which will in turn change the story you are telling yourself.

The...

We all have those moments of frustration when things don’t go the way we hoped.  Sometimes it comes down to lack of communication where a task doesn’t get completed properly.  We may be late or the process just isn’t flowing as smoothly as we’d like.

We are in control of our lives.  It is up to us to communicate what we expect and envision.  No one can read our minds.  When something doesn’t go the way we’d hoped, it’s easy to put the blame on someone or something else other than yourself.  Each one of us is one hundred percent responsible and it’s accepting that it was our own poor communication that caused the result.

There are many roadblocks and obstacles in life.  These moments try and knock us off our game.  We are faced with either giving in or finding a solution.  Often these situations come up when our patience is being tested.

Personally, when someone...

There are many mornings when the alarm goes off and you feel like staying in bed.  Then there are on mornings when you have some fun planned and you wake up with excitement ready to start the day.

Jumping out of bed in the morning ready to tackle the day honestly seems like a day dream to me.  Unless we are going away on vacation and I have a time schedule to make a flight, most days are rather routine.

Personally, I love having trips planned.  Having something to look forward to gets me excited about life and the adventures ahead. I can get through the mundane daily chores and work routine with the thought of having some time off to make lasting memories.

Sometimes you need more than just a quarterly trip to bring happiness into your life.  We all fall into the boring daily routine.  Our days begin to look the same because life really isn’t that exciting.  Posting our breakfast picture on social media doesn’t...

We hold all the power within us to guide our lives.  We control our thoughts and decide what actions to take.  Often times we look outside ourselves for the answers we are dying to have.  But usually if we turn inward and draw upon our own strength we can find the answers we have always been searching for.

Many times we think if we only had the answer to this then we would take action.  That thought actually holds us back from doing the one thing we know we need to be doing.  We use the constant search for answers as an excuse that keeps us stuck where we are.  We don’t allow ourselves to try and fail because we are so afraid of judgement.  Instead we question ourselves to the point where it’s easier to remain in our comfort zone because it’s safe.  Rarely we put ourselves out there for fear that we may fail.  Worse yet, we may be criticized or made fun of.  We decide that we shouldn’t put ourselves...

Set an intention for how you want to feel this week.

My yoga teacher taught me this idea of setting a weekly intention.  Each week you choose a different aspect to focus on and bring more awareness to it.

This really aligned with my belief in focusing on how I want my life to feel and ways in which to make that happen on a daily basis.

The idea is to make a conscious effort to set an intention to focus on how you want your life to feel.  Then find ways to feel that way on a daily basis.  It may be something you’ve been neglecting in your life or something you feel is missing.

I’ve come to realize that happiness is essential to life feeling good for me.

Defining happiness can be different for everyone.  I will be truly happy when…

For some it’s when they have all the “things.”  Such as, unlimited income, a nice car, a fancy house, the perfect family, etc.  Essentially, having...

Finding your purpose is a major goal in life.  We often struggle to know what our main purpose in life is.  Today we are going to define your gift, passion, and purpose in life.

First, let’s start by defining your gift.

Gift

Your gift is your talent. It’s what you’re inherently good at. Your gift is your unique tool of choice to help someone.  It’s what you do naturally when someone comes to you for help.  Consider your gift to be a strength that you may have had since you were young.  You may have a few gifts.  Gifts can be the power of communication, time management, amazing vocals, etc.

Passion

Your passion is your outlet right now.  It’s your current choice of where you’re using your gift.  This can be on a blog, in video, on stage, etc.  Your passion can change over time.  It’s what you’re excited about right now in order to share your unique gift.

...

We all have limiting beliefs that holds us back from stepping outside our comfort zone.  There is an inner critic inside that puts us down or tells us we can’t do something.

How do we change that voice inside our head?

Step 1

Notice negative patterns. If there is a phrase or belief that you keep using that is not benefiting you then take notice.  Make a mental note of these thought patterns and what they are causing you to miss out on.  If these beliefs are holding you back from going after something you want then it’s time we change that belief and the story we are telling ourselves.

Step 2

Acknowledge and decide you want to make a change.  Only you have the power to choose to change.  You have to decide you want this bad enough.  Usually life gets to a breaking point where it feels like there is no other option but to change.  Otherwise you keep living the same life over and over without any growth.  As...

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that in order for someone to love you have to love yourself first.

Growing up we all encounter some bullying and jokes or not nice words said about us.  In today’s day and age it seems to only be getting worse. Especially with social media and how easy it is to write hurtful things without seeing how it truly affects the other person.  As kids we are just learning how to be in this world.

The external environment is not the only battle we are fighting.  The internal one can be much more powerful.  Our inner critic can be so strong.  We often tell ourselves that we are not good enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough, etc.  We need to change the voice inside our head.  We have the power to choose the thoughts we think.  These can be negative and hateful or they can come from a place of positivity and love.

Watch what you are telling yourself this week.  When...

Many people find it easy to start journaling.  The difficult part is making it a habit.  After a couple of journal entries the pages go blank.

Here are the top five questions asked when you are considering to start journaling.

Why should I journal?

Journaling takes away the overwhelm of what you’ve been thinking about and actually addresses some of the difficult decisions you have been trying to make.  Get everything out of your mind and written down that you’ve been thinking about.  Use journaling as a stress reliever to organize your thoughts.  Journaling your thoughts on a topic can clear your mind and allow you to focus on what you need to accomplish.

What should I write about?

Start writing about what’s going on in your life.  Write down what you did that day, decisions you’re struggling with, things you’re grateful for, what you’re reading or listening to, and what you’ve...

Have you ever heard a song and all of a sudden you’re singing along, transported back in time to when you first heard that tune?  You can remember hearing Taylor Swift for the first time as you as you drive down the 101 on a hot, sunny day.  Soon you’ve got all her albums and memorized the lyrics to put on your best performance as you sing into your fist microphone.  It takes you back to when you were a child and dreamed of being a singer.  Where you were holding live concerts in your bedroom and honing your vocal skills.  That is the power of music.

Music is a transformational outlet.  Today I find myself singing along in the car or in a store when a tune comes on that I can’t resist lip syncing too.  Music holds a deep personal connection for all of us.

What you decide to listen to will often depend on your mood.  If you’re feeling nostalgic you may choose something from your younger years like a boy...