I am on day 7 of my second "30 Days to Healthy Living and Beyond" program with Arbonne. It's a detox and we cut out all known allergens: gluten, dairy, soy, corn, artificial everything, processed foods and refined sugars. We eat clean, drink a lot of protein, fiber, detoxifying tea and use a killer prebiotic/probiotic. I love it because for me, it really resets my entire system. The first time I did it I had just quit an insanely taxing and stressful job and had been trying to get pregnant. I found out I was pregnant right as I ended the cleanse! I really believe that food is fuel and we need to be conscious of what we are putting in our bodies. Similarly, what we put on our skin is just as important. Did you know that our skin takes what we put on it into our bloodstream in just 26 seconds? Our bodies are amazing. I am happy to have found a company I trust and believe in and products that I cannot live without. I am so grateful for the knowledge that empowers me to be better and take the best care of myself!

On another note, I have been setting a lot of goals, the most urgent being to see people as they can become and the greatness they are capable of. I wonder how often we really take stock of how we treat each other, if we give each other the benefit of the doubt. I know that I have a "listen to respond" personality and am putting all of my energy into becoming a "listen to understand," "listen to serve" person. I think the world is a much better place when we just show a little compassion and a lot of love. Joseph B. Wirthlin said: "Kindness is the essence of greatness." In a world where you can be anything, be kind.

Feeling incredibly grateful. For my family, for my struggles and the many sacrifices we are having to make right now in order to get where we want to be. I read two books recently, one by Dr. Wayne Dyer titled Wishes Fulfilled, the other The Power is Within You by Louise Hay. I love both of these beautiful humans for so many reasons. I love the way they love and serve others. I love their steadfast commitment to be truly happy. And I love the way they self-reflect.

These books helped me reconnect to my deeper, spiritual self and really take some of my own time to reflect. I learned that I have a lot of negative talk. Self talk, gossip, judgement. From these two sources came a couple of incredible and immediate actions to take to change these bad habits. The first: stop, consciously remove a thought from your mind, and replace it with another. Dr. Dyer's exact words:

"Whenever you're experiencing discomfort or sadness, rather than trying to change the thought behind your emotional state, instead just put it back on the never-ending conveyor belt of thoughts, and then select a different thought. Keep doing this until you've selected a thought that allows you to feel good, and you're no longer condemning yourself for creating unhappy thoughts."

This can be exhausting and tedious. But it works. And it's great.

The other, from Louise - every time a negative thought or bad memory comes up, or even the onset of anger, in any situation, immediately stop and release it with love. The words Louise uses: "I bless you with love and release you and let you go." It's tough to recondition your mind to forgive yourself and forgive others and to let things go when you are so used to holding onto them. Our feelings are familiar, like old friends, and even when they are toxic, we feel like we are losing something when we let them go. The more you do it though, the easier it is and the lighter you feel. I am happy to release toxicity and unburden myself. These exercises have me feeling more and more like myself. My truest and happiest self.

Both Dr. Dyer and Louise talk about setting your intentions CLEARLY for God and the Universe to respond to. Louise advises, say to what you want most: "I accept for myself          ." Your subconscious she warns, cannot distinguish between positive and negative meaning, or meaning at all for that matter. So, "I don't want to be sick" vs. "I am feeling incredibly well" gives your subconscious either "sick" or "well" to work with. It's that simple.

It's lovely the way books and people come into our lives just at the right moments.