Envision a Bright & Beautiful 2023!

Another holiday season has passed, and a new year is approaching.

Over the last several years, I’ve made New Year’s resolutions, set personal intentions, and tossed rocks to release that which no longer serves. But this year, I feel the nudge to do something different. Something bigger and more meaningful; something that will benefit not only me, but all of humanity.

In prior blogs, I’ve written about vibration, about like attracting like and how we are creators of our own individual world and that of the collective.

Visualizing is a powerful process that leverages the laws of attraction. Research has shown that the human mind doesn’t know the difference between a real or imaginary thought, event, or action.

What one imagines affects one’s life—positively or negatively—it’s your choice!

If your mind can’t tell the difference between a real or an imaginary event, why not put your attention on the things you want in your life? And while you’re at it, why not consider the kind of world you wish to live in?

Studies have demonstrated the positive benefits and increased effects of people praying, meditating, and/or visualizing individually within the same timeframe or together as a group. Given this, what if we all envisioned the world we want to live in? Imagine the impact if each of us take time at the end of this year (or in early January) to imagine a new, beautiful world!

What would this world look like? How would we feel? What would be new? How would the world be different? 

My vision for 2023 is....

• Inner peace
• Peace in the world around us
• Endless hope and faith
• Compassion and care toward one another
• Clean air, food, and water in every corner of the world
• Healing, including new technologies to naturally heal cancer and every disease
• Unity and embracing / celebrating our differences
• Abundance and prosperity for every person on Earth
• Reverence, connection, and care for Mother Earth
• Love—unconditional and everlasting—seeping into all that we are and all that we do

I invite you to create your own vision and contribute toward the collective creation of a bright, beautiful, and unified world in 2023!

Happy New Year!

Peace, Love, and Joy,

Chris / Sedona

Chris Clifford (non-fiction books): https://cyclifford.com/

Sedona Hutton (fiction books): https://sedonahutton.com/

Photo by Jorge Fernández Salas on Unsplash

**Important note to Sedona Hutton followers**: In 2023, I will be combining my Sedona Hutton blog with my Chris Clifford blog. If you want to continuing receiving blogs delivered to your email address every month, please sign up at: https://cyclifford.com/. For legal purposes, you need to opt into this website in order to continue receiving emails after I consolidate. Thanks for joining me on this journey...I wish each of you boundless blessings and miracles in the new year!

 

COMING SOON: TRANSFORMED BY FIRE—RISING FROM THE ASHES TO FIND MYSELF, by Chris Clifford: Shocking devastation left her questioning her purpose. Can this workaholic climb from the rubble and embrace her true self?

 

THE PERFECT LAP by Sedona Hutton: His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line?

Reader Review Excerpt: “It was a heartfelt, sweet, foster child romance that gave me all the feels! Through it, we see how people can rise above past mistakes and that is a beautiful message!”

THE PERFECT LAP is a Reader’s Favorite Finalist for Contemporary Romance. Available as eBook, paperback, and audiobook. Purchase link:  https://amzn.to/2VkXIkv

Cluttered Space = Cluttered Mind: 14 Tips to Simplify, Organize, and Declutter

 

A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind!

Too many knick-knacks, scattered belongings, and overflowing drawers may seem harmless, however, research indicates clutter in your physical environment creates clutter in your mind.

 

A cluttered space sends signals to your brain suggesting there is too much work to do which triggers a stress response in your body. Ongoing images of disorganization—in your home and workspace—can drain your cognitive function, reducing your ability to focus. In addition to higher levels of stress, clutter can make one feel anxious, cause difficultly sleeping, and even lessen one’s satisfaction with life. 

 

Here’s the irony about clutter…whether its piles of books in your bedroom, excessive clothes in your closet, or papers strewn across your desk / digital desktop, even if you do nothing with these, you’ll expend energy on them.

 

If you don’t organize or complete these, you will still think about them (as in “I really should have done ‘X’…,”) and / or you’ll feel guilty because you haven’t taken action or because you have been meaning to clean up that messy space.  Jack Canfield says, “Your physical environment should inspire you, not expire you.”

 

Given that you expend energy on your stuff anyway, why not channel your energy in a positive manner and clean up your messes? If you don’t know where to start, below are 7 helpful tips to declutter your home space and 7 tips to simplify and organize your workspace.

 

7 Tips to Declutter Your Home Space

 

The first three tips noted below are from organizing consultant and author of “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” Marie Kondo.  Kondo’s simplification methods have become so popular, they’ve spawned a cult-like following of fans who call themselves Konverts.

 

1. Keep only what “sparks joy.”
2. Discard anything and everything else.
3. Assign a place for everything in your home.
4. Donate any clothing you haven’t worn in the last year (unless it’s a special occasion outfit.)
5. Follow the “One In, One Out” rule—when you bring a new item into your home, get rid of something else.
6. Be selective with new purchases—don’t buy something just because it’s on sale or just because you might need it one day. As an added bonus, this tip is great for your budget, too!
7. Use storage boxes, bins, and containers for quick organization, and label them for easy retrieval.

 7 Tips to Simplify and Organize Your WorkSpace

 

1. To efficiently work through stacks of paper (or overflowing digital folders,) use the “4 D” process: Do the task; Delegate; Delay (put it in a read folder and read it within one week); or Dump.
2. Take action on each item that touches your workspace—paper or digital—even if said action is to put it in your “read” folder. This removes the item from your desktop or inbox and eliminates rework.
3. Reduce visual clutter by hiding or clipping together your monitor, computer, laptop, printer, phone, and charger wires.
4. Don’t get discouraged...follow Lao Tzu's wisdom: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Each day organize one file, one shelf, or one drawer, and before you know it, you’ll see a material difference in your workspace!
5. Label your files, folders, cabinets…label everything! It will save time later.
6. Use a whiteboard to keep critical tasks, projects, inspirational quotes, and/or affirmations in an organized, front of mind manner.
7. Declutter and organize your computer desktop—delete folders, apps, pictures, and anything you don’t use. Organize individual items into folders and use digital sticky notes.

 

Use these tips to clean and organize your personal and professional space. When you clear clutter from your physical environment, you open space in your life for new opportunities and experiences.

 

“You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.”

—Louise Smith

 

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This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary and romantic fiction sprinkled with spirituality.

 

To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/.

 

CLOUD WHISPERS: A novel of family and forgiveness with a strong spiritual message: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate….

Reader Review Excerpt: “A beautifully woven story filled with love, loss, betrayal and renewal. It touches the heart of the reader as life unfolds for Liam and Katie. Peppered throughout the story are spiritual awakenings and life lessons which help to clarify many of the “why’s” in each of our lives. While Cloud Whispers includes passionate love stories, it also feeds your spirt and renews your soul. The gifts from this novel are unforgettable.”

CLOUD WHISPERS Awards - IPPY Bronze medal winner for visionary fiction, Reader’s Favorite Finalist for visionary fiction, and an Official Selection in the Summer eBook Awards for New Apple Literary. CLOUD WHISPERS purchase link: https://amzn.to/2IZ6DRc.

 

 

Recommended Reading:

 Life Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo: https://amzn.to/3dqM1hY

 The Success Principles by Jack Canfield: https://amzn.to/39SgKSt

Disclosure: The above links to recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book through these links, I receive a small commission on the sale. I’ve recommended these books because they’ve been meaningful to me personally and not because of the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, I need to identify these as affiliate links.

 

Photo by Wonderlane on Unsplash.

 

5 Easy Ways to Stay Grounded in the Now

 

Many people throw out the term “Focus on the now!”…which is sage advice. But what does this really mean—isn’t everyone living in the now?

Living in the now or being truly present is when you live fully in each moment, aware of what you are experiencing in the here and now, without dwelling on the past or being fearful of the future.

When you’re persistently thinking about the past, you give your energy to people, events, situations, feelings, and thoughts from the past. Often, these aren’t situations you want to repeat. Yet thinking about them and giving them your energy creates more of the same. Remember, the Law of Attraction states, “like attracts like.”

In my novel, Nora’s Promise, Nora’s beloved grandfather offers this wisdom, “When you dwell in the past, you give away your personal power to create what you want in that moment because your energy and point of leverage is all directed in the past and on what has already happened, so you keep creating new versions of the past. If you’re overly focused on the future, you’re living in a time that doesn’t yet exist.”

If this is the case, how does one plan for the future? You can be focused on the present moment while taking actions that move you toward your desired future. The key is to trust your inner voice (you and only you know what you want and what steps will move you in the direction of your desires.) Also, move in flow with the universe and be flexible to change.

Wayne Dyer addressed this concept eloquently, “Present-moment living, getting in touch with your now, is at the heart of effective living. When you think about it, there really is no other moment you can live. Now is all there is, and the future is just another present moment to live when it arrives.”

Eckhart Tolle offers a simple exercise to help us return to the present moment. Ask yourself, “Am I breathing?” and shift your attention to your breath. You will become aware of your inhale and exhale, and even if it’s just for a few seconds, you will enter the state of presence. 

5 Easy Ways to Stay Grounded in the Now

1. Focus on your breath.
2. Do whatever you are doing consciously (whether it’s taking a sip of tea, washing your hands, or driving to work…use all of your senses – draw in the scent of vanilla, gaze at the water, feel your hands grip the steering wheel – and remain fully conscious in that activity.)
3. Practice yoga, Qigong, or any other mindful exercise.
4. Take breaks throughout your day. Go for a walk, watch the sun rise or set, stand barefoot in the grass, sit under a tree (in other words—get out in nature!)
5. Set the intention to “catch yourself” when you drift into autopilot. After you catch yourself, you can shift from unconscious to conscious activity. 

“Most humans are never fully present in the now, because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss your whole life, which is never not now. And that’s a revelation for some people: to realize that your life is only ever now.” —Eckhart Tolle

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction sprinkled with spirituality.    

 

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NORA’S PROMISE—DISTRACTION IN DAYTONA: She trusts animals more than men. He runs through women like tires. Can one orphaned boy force them to change gears?

Reader Review Excerpt: “Chemistry that just sizzled off the pages...Amazing and lovable characters...A wonderful story of love and spiritual journeys.”

NORA’S PROMISE—DISTRACTION IN DAYTONA is the first standalone novel in the Racing Hearts of Serenity romantic fiction series. If you like small town family sagas, stories with second chances and a touch of magic, you’ll love Sedona Hutton’s captivating tale.

NORA’S PROMISE—DISTRACTION IN DAYTONA was awarded the Bronze medal in the 2019 Reader’s Favorite Contemporary Romance category and was a Finalist in the 2019 NIEA contest. Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2OktquX

 

CLOUD WHISPERS: A novel of family and forgiveness with a strong spiritual message: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate….

Reader Review Excerpt: “A beautifully woven story filled with love, loss, betrayal and renewal. It touches the heart of the reader as life unfolds for Liam and Katie. Peppered throughout the story are spiritual awakenings and life lessons which help to clarify many of the “why’s” in each of our lives. While Cloud Whispers includes passionate love stories, it also feeds your spirt and renews your soul. The gifts from this novel are unforgettable.”

CLOUD WHISPERS was awarded the IPPY Bronze medal winner for visionary fiction, Reader’s Favorite Finalist for visionary fiction, and an Official Selection in the Summer eBook Awards for New Apple Literary. Purchase link: https://amzn.to/2IZ6DRc. 

 

To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/.

 Photo by Elia Pellegrini on Unsplash.

 

Non-Meditation-Meditation Process

 

Paramahansa Yogananda said, “Learn to be calm and you will always be happy.”

People meditate to find this sense of calm, inner peace, and to align with their Higher Self to experience the spark of divinity that is within each of us. Some meditate for the health benefits, including, reduced stress, improved immune system, lower blood pressure, and enhanced sleep.

Yet for many, when they sit down to meditate, the process doesn’t work. This is, at least in part, due to our conditioning of believing that meditation means sitting in lotus position and having no thoughts while chanting ‘Om,’ following our breath, or reciting a mantra.  

Those are fine ways to meditate. I learned in that manner and became certified to teach a mantra-based meditation practice. However, that’s not the only way to meditate, and it’s not the way I meditate these days.

Over the years, I’ve come to realize we are all different, and therefore, it makes sense that the way we get to the calm, peaceful, heart-centered state, will differ from person to person. Based on this, I introduce the “Non-Meditation-Meditation Process.”

Using this process, you simply do whatever feels relaxing to you. This may be cutting your grass, driving a tractor through a field, taking a bubble bath, basking in the sun at the beach, or talking a walk in the woods. For me, it’s sitting in the afternoon shade of an oak tree and stargazing on a clear night. Any activity in which you are fully present can be meditative.

So, instead of forcing yourself to sit in an uncomfortable position and trying to meditate like a yogi, figure out what makes you feel calm and relaxed. Then, take some down time, engage in that activity, and see how you feel.

This customized process takes away the pressure of meditating—since it’s not really ‘meditation’ and because you are customizing the process based on your desires—you can’t do it wrong!

It also resolves the greatest challenge people have with meditation—“I have too many thoughts.” Well, guess what? We all have a lot of thoughts! Research has shown we have between 6,000 to a mind-boggling 70,000 thoughts per day. Even using the low-end number, that’s a lot of thoughts. Based on these statistics, we are bound to have a thought—or a bunch of thoughts—in whatever we are doing, including the Non-Meditation-Meditation process.

If you have a thought during the process, so what? Let your thoughts come and go. Watch a cloud float by or gaze at a twinkling star in the night sky. Eventually, your thoughts will lessen and if it was something important, it’ll be there when you are finished with your Non-Meditation Meditation practice.

“It is indeed a radical act of love just to sit down and be quiet for a time by yourself” – Jon Kabat-Zinn

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction sprinkled with spirituality. 

 

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THE PERFECT LAP, His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line?

Reader Review Excerpt: “It was a heartfelt, sweet, foster child romance that gave me all the feels! Through it, we see how people can rise above past mistakes and that is a beautiful message!”

THE PERFECT LAP is a Reader’s Favorite Finalist for Contemporary Romance. Available as eBook, paperback, and audiobook. Purchase link:  https://amzn.to/2VkXIkv

 

CLOUD WHISPERS: A novel of family and forgiveness with a strong spiritual message: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate….

Reader Review Excerpt: “A beautifully woven story filled with love, loss, betrayal and renewal. It touches the heart of the reader as life unfolds for Liam and Katie. Peppered throughout the story are spiritual awakenings and life lessons which help to clarify many of the “why’s” in each of our lives. While Cloud Whispers includes passionate love stories, it also feeds your spirt and renews your soul. The gifts from this novel are unforgettable.”

CLOUD WHISPERS was awarded the IPPY Bronze medal winner for visionary fiction, Reader’s Favorite Finalist for visionary fiction, and an Official Selection in the Summer eBook Awards for New Apple Literary. CLOUD WHISPERS purchase link: https://amzn.to/2IZ6DRc.

 

To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/.

 

Photo by Artem Kovalev on Unsplash.

Joy Makes Us More of Who We Are

 

Many of us live like Professional Hinkle in Frosty the Snowman… “Busy, Busy, Busy!”

We have jobs, families, volunteer work. Homes to clean, yards to cut, meals to cook. We cart our kids around to soccer practice and chaperone school field trips. We pack it all in and sometimes even manage to fit in working out and meditation—that is, if we get up before the crack of dawn.

What about relaxation…play…joy? How have our lives become so busy that we no longer have time to include these important elements?

From a young age, we’ve been taught to value actions and accomplishments over relaxing and doing things that bring us joy. We’ve learned that play is for children and that we should derive joy from our accomplishments.

Yet somewhere along my journey, I began to challenge these “truths” because I feel better when I take time each day to relax and engage in activities I enjoy.

Studies show countless benefits for doing things that make you happy, including improved heart health, enhanced mental health, reduced risk of strokes, improved immunity, increased life expectancy, and less stress in one’s life.

For some, “happy, happy, joy, joy” doesn’t come easily. It may be because we’re out of practice, we don’t make time for it, or we’ve simply forgotten what brings us joy. If the first two resonate with you, make a commitment to carve out pockets of time for joy and see the positive impact it makes on your life. If it’s the latter—you’ve forgotten what brings you joy— read on for some great tips!

7 Questions to Help Uncover What Brings You Joy

1. If you had all the time in the world, what activities would you engage in?
2. How can you find novelty in everyday life?
3. If you won the big lottery, what would you do?
4. Think about the times in your life when you’ve felt the greatest joy. What were you doing? Who were you with? How were you being?
5. When you were a child, what brought you the greatest joy?
6. What unique personal qualities do you like sharing with the world?
7. What would your life look like if you put yourself first?

Joy is a choice and a positive practice. Every day when you get up, choose to make time for joy. Commit that you’ll find and experience joy throughout your day, regardless of what’s happening in the world around you.

Having fun helps us know ourselves better. When we engage in activities that we enjoy, we enlighten ourselves and others, and make ourselves more of who we really are.

“Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and the end of human existence.”— Aristotle 

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction blended with inspiring and empowering ideas to live one's best life. 

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THE PERFECT LAP, His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line?

Reader Review Excerpt: “It was a heartfelt, sweet, foster child romance that gave me all the feels! Through it, we see how people can rise above past mistakes and that is a beautiful message!”

THE PERFECT LAP is a Reader’s Favorite Finalist for Contemporary Romance. Available as eBook, paperback, and audiobook. Purchase link:  https://amzn.to/2VkXIkv

 

CLOUD WHISPERS: A novel of family and forgiveness with a strong spiritual message: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate….

Reader Review Excerpt: “A beautifully woven story filled with love, loss, betrayal and renewal. It touches the heart of the reader as life unfolds for Liam and Katie. Peppered throughout the story are spiritual awakenings and life lessons which help to clarify many of the “why’s” in each of our lives. While Cloud Whispers includes passionate love stories, it also feeds your spirt and renews your soul. The gifts from this novel are unforgettable.”

CLOUD WHISPERS was awarded the IPPY Bronze medal winner for visionary fiction, Reader’s Favorite Finalist for visionary fiction, and an Official Selection in the Summer eBook Awards for New Apple Literary. CLOUD WHISPERS purchase link: https://amzn.to/2IZ6DRc.

 

To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/.

 

Photo by Simi Iluyomade on Unsplash.

A Mom / Mom-Like Tribute!

For all of the moms, stepmoms, grandmothers, aunts, foster moms, mentors, and other amazing women who are raising, nurturing, coaching, and mentoring children, Happy Mother’s Day Week!

There is no greater gift than positively influencing a child’s life. As Abraham Lincoln said, “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”

Throughout Mother’s Day Week, take time to reflect on how amazing you are!  Mom’s (and mom-like-parents) are kind, caring and compassionate. Determined, dependable and patient. Smart, generous and resourceful. Loving, nurturing and protective.

The significant impact mothers have is eloquently penned by Mitch Albom in his book, FOR ONE MORE DAY, “But there's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin.”

Are we perfect? We may not think so…however, we do our very best, which makes us perfect for the needs of our children in each moment. “A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.”—Princess Diana

This week, take some time to recognize your amazing self and all that you do. You don’t need others to give you this recognition, self-appreciation and self-love are the best! Give yourself a pat on the back, treat yourself to something special, and take time throughout the week to do things you enjoy. Most of all celebrate how special you are…nurturing, mentoring and positively influencing a child’s life is a beautiful gift, not only to your child but to humanity as well!

To all of the magnificent mom’s and mom-like women around the globe, I wish you a beautiful, bright and blessed week!

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction blended with new age spirituality. 

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THE PERFECT LAP, His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line?

Reader Review Excerpt: “It was a heartfelt, sweet, foster child romance that gave me all the feels! Through it, we see how people can rise above past mistakes and that is a beautiful message!”

THE PERFECT LAP is a Reader’s Favorite Finalist for Contemporary Romance. Available as eBook, paperback, and audiobook. Purchase link:  https://amzn.to/2VkXIkv

CLOUD WHISPERS: A novel of family and forgiveness with a strong spiritual message: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate….

Reader Review Excerpt: “A beautifully woven story filled with love, loss, betrayal and renewal. It touches the heart of the reader as life unfolds for Liam and Katie. Peppered throughout the story are spiritual awakenings and life lessons which help to clarify many of the “why’s” in each of our lives. While Cloud Whispers includes passionate love stories, it also feeds your spirt and renews your soul. The gifts from this novel are unforgettable.”

CLOUD WHISPERS was awarded the IPPY Bronze medal winner for visionary fiction, Reader’s Favorite Finalist for visionary fiction, and an Official Selection in the Summer eBook Awards for New Apple Literary. CLOUD WHISPERS purchase link: https://amzn.to/2IZ6DRc. 

 To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/. 

 

The Secret to Success: Believe in Yourself!

 

One of the most important things you can do to experience success and achieve your dreams is BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

This is so critical because your mind listens to what you say—through your thoughts and your spoken words—and it takes action accordingly. If you think, “I’ll never get this done;” rest assured, you won’t. If you think, “I’m not smart enough to take this job,” you won’t be.

Throughout the ages, men and women who believed in themselves and their capabilities, have experienced great success.

Napoleon Hill, bestselling author of Think and Grow Rich said, “You can be anything you want to be, if only you believe with sufficient conviction and act in accordance with your faith; for whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”

Business magnet and founder of the Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford, summed this concept up well, “If you think you can or you can’t, you’re right!”

Ford’s success didn’t come quickly or easily. Henry Ford experienced major failures over two decades before he found success. His famous Model T didn’t come off the assembly line until 20 years into his automotive career. He succeeded through persistence and by believing in himself even in the face of failure.

Thomas Edison experienced thousands of failures during his lifetime. A master of trial and error, Edison was quoted as saying, “Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” 

Ford and Edison regarded failure as an opportunity to learn, and they chose to believe in themselves, even during failed attempts…and you can too!

Belief is a choice you make. When you choose positive thoughts over negative thoughts and choose to believe that what you want is possible, your subconscious mind (and the universe) will help you achieve your goals and make your desires a reality!

In my bestselling contemporary romance novel, Restart in Bristol, CC Clark loses belief in himself after a double whammy—his high school sweetheart (the love of his life) gets engaged and he loses his NASCAR ride. His family and friends help CC rediscover his authentic, confident and magnetic self. After CC begins believing in himself again, his ‘luck’ changes.

“Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.”—Richard Bach, bestselling author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull

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RESTART IN BRISTOL, A Racing Hearts in Serenity romance—He’s a hot mess. She wants stability. Will these childhood sweethearts risk another pass at love?

Reader Review Excerpt: “Do you believe that we all have a soulmate in life?  Somebody who is simply made for us and fully understands our unique ins and outs.  All others just simply pale in comparison.  What would you do in order to discover and hang onto such love?  Would you fight for it no matter what comes your way?  Overcoming potential obstacles and barriers along the way so this romantic fate can fully come to fruition.  If this notion has captured your interest, then Restart in Bristol by author Sedona Hutton is a must pick.  A beautiful romantic tale which will captivate the reader from the start to the finish line!”

 

Restart in Bristol purchase link:  https://amzn.to/37cCw1b.

CLOUD WHISPERS: A novel of family and forgiveness with a strong spiritual message: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate….

Reader Review Excerpt: “A beautifully woven story filled with love, loss, betrayal and renewal. It touches the heart of the reader as life unfolds for Liam and Katie. Peppered throughout the story are spiritual awakenings and life lessons which help to clarify many of the “why’s” in each of our lives. While Cloud Whispers includes passionate love stories, it also feeds your spirt and renews your soul. The gifts from this novel are unforgettable.”

Cloud Whispers purchase link: https://amzn.to/2IZ6DRc.

To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/.

 

Photo by Katrina Wright, Unsplash.

10 Strategies to Keep it Together When Your World is Falling Apart

 

Hello beautiful readers,

It’s been a long time!

Last year my husband almost died and my world crumbled. He is blessedly better now, although still on the road to recovery.  Looking back, ten key practices helped me keep it together when it would have been easy to fall apart.

10 Strategies to Keep It Together When Your World Is Falling Apart

1. Transcend Fear – While Sean was in the hospital, doctors and other specialists often gave us a long inventory of everything that might be wrong, tossing out scary words like septic, kidney failure, and oncology. When this became a trend and anxiety arose, I reminded myself that fear is simply, “Fanaticized Events Appearing Real,” and imagining every scenario that could go wrong wasn’t serving us. I asked the doctors to share what they knew instead of every scary outcome that could occur. With this new process, our fears subsided.  
2. Focus on the Now – While Sean was in the hospital, my motto became, “In this moment, all is well.” I defined “well” by the basics… he was alive, he was breathing, and as time passed, he was getting a little bit better every day. Staying focused in each moment helped me remain positive and hopeful.
3. Use a Mantra – I came up with a couple of statements that I repeated over and over in my mind. These included the above referenced, “In this moment, all is well,” and “Things will get better; they always do.”
4. Be Grateful – Even in the darkest of moments, I found I had something to be grateful for. Some days, it was a stretch, but when I focused on my husband’s breath, gazed at a tree in bloom, pet my dog or appreciated the warm spices in my tea, I felt an immediate lift.
5. Question Everything – I asked myself questions every day. Some of my favorites: What is the evidence that this is the worst-case scenario? Are there other scenarios that are more hopeful? What is the evidence that nothing will change? Are there other possibilities that are more positive?
6. Practice Positivity – Even though Sean was in the hospital for over a month, every day, we looked for blessings. When we looked, we found them…even on days when we received bad news. Instead of imagining all the scary stuff that could happen, we imagined healing, full recovery, and great wellness. Shifting our thoughts from scary to positive made us feel better, and I believe it contributed to Sean getting better, too!
7. Ask and Receive Help – For many, it’s hard to ask for help. I used to struggle with this, but I’ve come to realize no matter how strong a person is, there are times when one needs help. I wouldn’t have made it through this situation sane without the help and support of so many people. Sometimes help comes from unexpected sources. I learned to say, “Yes…I need help…Thank you!” For example, my daughter’s best friend moved in with me to dog-sit and cook while I spent nine hours a day at the hospital. Later, our niece moved in to help after Sean was released from the hospital with very limited mobility.
8. Take Care of Yourself – While it’s natural to put all of your time and effort into that big thing—here, I’m talking about my husband’s illness, but in the past, it’s been a large project, a critical deadline, or some major event—avoid doing so. It’s critical to take care of yourself, too. Every day, I took time to do something that renewed and restored me—I ate a special lunch, sat in silence next to a nearby creek, took a walk in the fields with my dog. I also got up early so I could meditate and exercise. The old saying is true…If your cup is empty, you’ll have nothing to give to others.
9. Have Faith — For me, this was two-fold. First, I had to believe my husband would get better, and he had to believe, too. If you don’t have faith, it’s nearly impossible to materialize your desires. The second part is to look to a greater power for love, guidance, and support. We prayed. We asked God, our spirit guides, and the angels for help. I love the expression, “Let Go, Let God,” which reminds me there is a higher power who will help, but only if I ask.
10. Fake It ‘Till You Make It – This cliché worked wonders for me. On some days, repeating my mantra fell flat, and practicing positivity and having faith was a challenge. On those days, I faked it. The simple act of faking it caused me to find a glimmer of hope, which expanded and over time, evolved into a beacon of light.

At some point in our lives, we all experience trials and tribulations. It’s my hope that these practices will help you through the next bump on your road of life.

Peace, Love, and Joy,

Sedona

 

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash