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Posts tagged ‘happiness’

May 1

In bloom

ITE_Bloom_QuoteSpring in full bloom. I love it. Even when things are at their toughest in life, spring gives me hope. You know it will always come. Things will burst alive, show their colors and renew.

This year, one can’t help but notice the lilacs and crab apple trees in full bloom early (at least in MN). Yesterday on my walk, I photographed every crab apple tree I came across. Those with closed buds and those just bursting open to meet the world. Hello!

Too often in life, fear keeps us closed off and we never really know what it feels like to bloom. I never really appreciated that as much as I do this week. Read more

Jan 26

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Join the “Do One Thing” Challenge

Do one good thing every day for your health. Let me know what happens.

10927214_953709967996259_1130776400138618197_oWhat would happen if you did one good thing for your  health every day…and then kept doing it consistently? What if you took just one small step and started moving to a happier and healthier you?

Would you feel better…look better…have more energy…be able to do more? Would you become better at putting yourself in the daily equation and prioritizing you? Would you gain momentum because your one action inspired other positive action for a healthier you? Maybe you would inspire others in your family to join you? Yes! I think so. In fact, I know so. Read more

Oct 24

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Join the “In Your Equation” 2014 Challenge

An invitation to make a commitment to yourself & achieve your goal(s)

LoriSchaefer-After-BigPantsI’m excited to announce our 30-day “In the Equation 2014 Challenge” and to invite each of you to participate. The “In Your Equation Challenge” provides an opportunity for you to set a personal goal — defined by YOU — and make a commitment contract with yourself and others to help support you and hold you accountable.

Why the Challenge now? I’m struggling more than I have in a long time AND I’ve been talking with many people in my life who are also feeling stuck, unhealthy, or simply out of balance — literally out of their equation. The truth is, we all need help to reach our goals. I’m doing this work to help both myself and others lead happy, healthy and “whole” lives. So let’s do this…together! (And P.S. — there is no perfect time. Now is as good a time as any!)

Why make a public commitment? Research shows — and my personal experience bares out — that going public and making a commitment to yourself and others helps you achieve your goals. Incentives and support from others also help. Thanks to my friend and mentor, Anne Knapp, I’ve discovered a great new tool to facilitate sticking to your goals with a public commitment, support, incentive and accountability. And we’re going to try it out.

StickK is a website developed by Yale University economists who tested the effectiveness of commitment contracts through extensive field research. According to StickK, years of economic and behavioral research show that people who put stakes — either their money or their reputation — on the table are far more likely to actually achieve a goal they set for themselves.

So here we go. I hope you’ll read more, join StickK for free, and then put yourself first by joining our “In Your Equation Challenge.” Read more

Aug 14

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My In the Equation morning ritual

Cardio with a twist!

Como Lake Light on DucksThis summer I’ve adopted a new morning ritual and this morning I realized it and deemed it as such. It’s my “in the equation” start to every day and it totally works for me.

For almost three months, I’ve evolved my morning routine to include this 45 min ritual. It combines my preferred form of cardio — power walking in a beautiful place, preferably around or near water — with a couple of simple mental practices that help me throughout my day.

Also, because I’m on the move and living part-time in Minnesota and part-time in Maine, it allows me to have a daily practice that is consistent and helps me focus mind, body and spirit before the day ensues — no matter where I am. It helps ground me. Read more

Jun 10

Our “In the Equation” Community is growing

LoriSchaefer-After-BigPantsThis week we launched a new “In the Equation” community page on Facebook. Click here to join us.

Rather than a closed Facebook group, we’ve started a community page focused on sharing ideas, inspiration and support for those wanting to live life from the center of their equation.

What does that mean? Whatever it means to you! To me, it means I nurture my overall health, wellness and well being — inside and out. And I hope to inspire others to do the same. Read more

Apr 29

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Look behind the excuses, therein lies the answer

no more excuses - just do itI’ve been in a funk. Not a big one and only for a short time, but I am officially admitting it to myself and calling it a funk.

It’s just one of those times in life when I let the gloomy weather affect my mood and feel less resilient to the daily stress that comes from balancing it all — a career and building a business,  the long to-do list including a host of home and yard chores, relationships with lots of different people while balancing a long distance romantic relationship (lucky girl!), travel, future planning and dreaming, and of course, self care.

What happens when I get in this place is that I start to see excuses crop up for why something is the way it is, or why I can’t do/achieve something I want. Excuses are my clue that something is wrong and getting off track. And only I can right the ship.

Excuses sound like this. I don’t have enough money so I can’t start the business I really want and pursue my deepest passion. I can’t write a book or a full on coaching program right now because I don’t have the time, or a publisher, and I can’t manage and build two businesses at once. There isn’t enough money to do it all so I have to choose. I’m not good with business finances. Sound familiar? Read more

Apr 21

What will you do with this beautiful day?

recite-9854--2069264517-12gfnpfI awoke early this morning as my internal clock is a bit off after a couple of weeks on the East coast where I got used to rising before sunrise. It was dark at 5:15 a.m. in Minneapolis, but I could tell it was going to be a gorgeous spring day.

So I fired out of bed and went for a walk around the neighborhood contemplating what I will do with this beautiful day — nearly 70 degrees expected. Everything is greening and springing to life after a long hard winter. And somehow that just brings happiness and hope.

My plans started with a list of things to do, both work and personal. But then I stopped myself from creating a “should” or “to do” list and decided instead how I wanted to feel and “be” in this day. That changed everything. Read more

Apr 4

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The skinny on happiness

Happiness is a deeply personal thing. We all have our own definition of happiness. Most people would describe me as a glass-half-full, optimistic person. And I am by nature. But I became unhappy and glass-half-empty as I got farther and father out of the equation of my own life.

In my experience, happiness is directly linked to how self-aware, self-accepting and self-forgiving you are. When I learned to love myself — really love myself — I became truly happy.

Happiness is a subject I’ve thought about, read about, and actively studied of late. So, imagine my excitement when this cool infographic from Happify on the science of happiness came across my email! I love it. It not only rang true for me, but honestly, I’m living proof of much of the science behind it. A test case, if you will. So I thought it would be fun to share it here.

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