steffani

What you can do about BAD NEWS…

This news makes me sick.  

I try not to watch the news but you can’t escape it.  

I woke up this morning with my husband sharing the news of another mass shooting this time in Las Vegas.  And my stomach literally hurts.  I get thrown off my routine.  I feel sad and depressed.  I can’t just ignore these tragedies.

And I know too that it doesn’t help.

No amount of sadness or depression on my part will help end these senseless acts of violence. What will help?  When I pick myself up and get my head back on track.  

So here’s what I do….

First, I feel it… BRIEFLY.  

What we focus on expands, right?  So if we wallow in this misery in this tragedy in this sadness for long we’re only creating more of it.  I try to BRIEFLY feel my feelings over it.  Sending love and prayers to those victums and everyone effected by it.  And then I try and raise my vibration.  That doesn’t mean I ignore it.  I can still bring awareness to mental illness because there’s no doubt that played a key role here.  I can still peacefully voice my opinion on gun laws.  But I want to raise my vibration as quickly as possible if I want to help at all.  

Next, focus on my HAPPY RECIPE.    

We all have things that make us happy.  If the word happy is a trigger for you exchange it for whatever you’d like, inner peace, contentment, joy. Any of those are a step up from sadness and sorrow.  To raise our vibration we need to do what makes us feel good.  What makes us happy.

Do you have a list?

If not, here’s a big bold move you can make to serve the world…. MAKE ONE NOW.

Make a list of all the little and big things that make you happy.

Here are a few things on my list to get you started.

Be outside in nature
Spending time with like minded people
Uplifting music
Exercise
Dark chocolate
Listening to personal development books, podcasts, etc
Jumping on a trampoline (because who can do that and be sad?)
Red wine, specifically Freakshow cabernet #obsessed
Playing catch with Jack
Playing statue with Zoe
Date night with John
The sound of waves crashing on a beach 

I could list 100 more things.  Literally. Once you get started it will flow out of you.  Everyones list is unique.  We might have a few things the same but MANY that are totally different. One of my clients said it made her happy to wear red lipstick.  Clearly she should be putting that on EVERY MORNING.  Especially on days like this.

Now the next step is to focus on that list.  Look at that list like it’s your J.O.B.  Do as many things today as you can on that list. I might not be able to get to a beach to listen to the waves but I could watch a live video of beach waves and close my eyes and breath in the fresh air on my porch and listen to the sound. (Actually I’m gonna do that as soon as I finish this…) I can put on some fun music.  I can exercise and get out in nature.  All of those things I can do TODAY to raise my vibration.

Or I can sit around and be sad and depressed and feel sick.

Which one serves the world more?  

I’m sure you’ll join me in sending love to Las Vegas and the MANY victims of this shooting.  The families, the city, the witnesses all who’s lives will never be the same.  If we briefly feel that, and then focus on raising our vibration we can better serve them.

I’m about to head out the door to workout, in nature, listening to some amazing music.  And return refreshed and renewed.

What will YOU DO TODAY to raise your vibe?  What makes YOU happy?  

Raising my vibe,
Steffani   

PS I still have a few spots left in my Happi Mom Squad.  This is the sisterhood we need at times like these.  If you’re a Mom who feels the call and wants MORE, We start October 8th.  You can find all details here. http://hms2.myhappilife.com/fast-track

A Guide To Happiness
steffani

A Guide To Happiness

Happiness. It can be a loaded word for some…

For most of my life, that word seemed just out of reach.

When you’re growing up in a Midwest middle income household.  With 3 older sisters and one younger brother, you basically only wear hand me downs for your entire childhood.  That does not equate to happiness to a pre-teen.  That usually means misery.  Add to that an alcoholic father and losing your sister in a car accident when you’re 11 years old and happiness is like a red balloon that you let go of in your yard.  Never to be seen again.

When I turned 18—the same age my sister was when she died—I realized I had to fight for my own happiness. No one was coming to save me. This was an internal job. It started with me.

My journey to happiness began with a steep but steady climb. True happiness, as it turns out, doesn’t happen overnight.

I took on this mission like a J. O. B. Diving headfirst into the world of personal development, I read every book from Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to Power Vs Force. I studied every guru out there: Pema Chodron, Wayne Dyer, Neale Donald Walsh, Eckhart Tolle, Oprah. (Oh wow, did I watch a lot of Oprah.)

The climb was long and hard at times, but I found my way to the top of the mountain and even started downhill. (The view, the trees, the easy road ahead! I’d done it!)

Then at 35, I got married to the man of my dreams. Brand.  New.  Mountain.  At 38, I had Jack. He was seven weeks early. And then he cried for six straight months. Zoe came along at 40. And I realized I was only at base camp. There in front of me stood Mt. Everest.

I had to start climbing again…

So, that’s exactly what I did, and what I do. Every single day.

I climb for my kids.

So they don’t have a mom who acts all happy on Facebook but yells at them every night.
I climb for my husband.

So he’s not married to a woman who gets resentful when he works late and punishes him by withholding sex.
I climb for my siblings.

Because they already lost one sibling and don’t deserve to lose another—to anger, sorrow, frustration or stress.
I climb for other moms.

Moms who know deep down that they deserve more and desperately want to go to the edge but are afraid to even venture out of their tents.
The journey isn’t easy. It’s long, hard and treacherous at times. But one thing I know for sure is that we can’t climb alone. We need a team. We need a whole village of sisters to help us up this mountain.

We need Oprah and Deepak and wine. (So. Much. Wine.)

Together, we can uncover what true happiness looks like. Hell, we can even design our own path to get there. We don’t need a map. We need a sisterhood. We need some accountability. We need the right tools, support and some dark chocolate. Then we can master this mountain together, with the right mindset and the right women. That’s the tribe I’m building, with every blog I create.

Because we need to share our wins. We need to own our happiness. We need to find as much joy along this journey as humanly possible. We need to share more of what we DO want. And put some energy, attention and focus on the GOOD in our lives. No more ranting about the rain or venting about our negative spouses. We need to blow up our own damn red balloons and fill our entire lives—our houses, our cars, our minds—with happiness.

We need to take each others’ hands, get to the top of the mountain and shout down over the tiny rooftops: We love our lives!

So, I’m asking you to climb. To climb for you, to climb with me, to climb for your kids, for your relationship, for the happiness that you know you deserve.

Who’s with me?

We start now.

Happi Mom Squad Fast Track – hms2.myhappilife.com

You are not alone… I know how you feel.
steffani

You are not alone… I know how you feel.

Recently I felt overwhelmed.  I had too much on my plate for one women to handle.  I didn’t want to get out of bed and face my day and all the challenges that we’re headed my way. There was a mountain to climb and I just wasn’t up for the task.  

Have you ever felt overwhelmed?  

You are not alone.   

I had the desire to feel better.  I have so much to be grateful for.  But it was hard to get back up.  I was frustrated.  I was impatient with my kids.  I was snapping at my husband. I wasn’t making my health a priority.  I couldn’t get on top of it all.  

Have you ever felt like you can’t control your reactions?  

You are not alone. 

I have incredible people in my life.  I’ve fallen down before, and always picked myself back up.  But when I’m in the middle of the storm it’s hard to see my way out.  I worry more.  My negative thoughts get the best of me.  And it continues to spiral out of control.  

Have you ever felt like life is harder than it should be?  

You are not alone.  

I’m happy to say I did pick myself back up.  It took a new plan, some accountability, and a nudge from a friend to start back up that mountain.  I knew it was possible.  I just couldn’t see where to start.  Luckily this time it didn’t last long.  It was only a matter of days not weeks or months.  But the funk still felt unbearable.  I’ve been working on my STATE, my STORY and my STRATEGIES for living a happy life for a LONG time.  It seems like lifetimes.  And it still happens.    

If that happens to you I want you to know…

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.   

If you ever need help or support picking yourself up, I’m here for you.  I’m committing to my monthly (at least) blogs again.  Because that’s one way I can hold myself accountable to BE who I want to be.  Its important to me to live my truth.  To show up genuinely and authentically as my highest self.  And to support as many women as possible to do the same.  

So I’m back.  And I’m excited to engage with you again.  

I have a new round of my Happi Mom Squad starting in October.  

THIS is my deepest passion.  And what I’m here to do in this lifetime. The sisterhood that is formed in my Happi Mom Squad programs, the women who make me feel that I am not alone, that’s why I do what I do.  

I started Happi Mom Squad because I was sick.  

I was sick of worrying that I’m not doing enough or parenting my kids right.  
I was sick up fearing that I’m F’ing up my kids, or my marriage or myself. 
I was sick of drowning my frustrations in food, or drinks or gossip or reality TV.  (Or all 4..) 
I was sick of doubting myself.  
I was sick of feeling pulled in a million different directions.  
I was sick of not making ME a priority.  And focusing only on EVERYONE else in my life.  

If you’re sick and tired of settling for a life that doesn’t help you live your highest self.  Then please join me and the amazing group of women we have already joining this 8 week program.  

We start October 8th.  You can find all details here. http://hms2.myhappilife.com/fast-track

As an extra bonus, because sometimes we need a little extra push to get started up this mountain to happiness, the first 10 women who sign up will receive my $97 audio program called 4 Simple Steps To Manifest Anything.  So you can quickly manifest not only an easy trek up this beast of a mountain, but also a great relationship, your ideal health, a fulfilling career and whatever it is you TRULY desire.  (Yes that’s all totally possible) 

This life is so precious.  I’m ready to take it to a whole new level.  I hope you’ll join me.