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Money Tree

2011 is quickly becoming a wisp of the past  . . . time to pull out your 2011 Dream Board and see what miracles major and minor happened for you and celebrate them. There’s still a few weeks to knock out a few goals if you hurry!

Last year I did something different. As 2010 closed, I noticed I had accomplished a lot of goals, but it didn’t leave me feeling as validated as I thought it would. So, I did an experiment in 2011. I made a Feelings Dream Board. Rather than goals, I put feelings I wanted to experience.

Unexpectedly, I got the feelings in the end — but, the road to them was rough and jagged. I had to deal with a whole bunch of bottled up, gnarled, rotten, curdled, stinky anger and fear from my past and figure out how to let go of them. I had to confront stuff in my present that I was sweeping under the rug because I didn’t want to see what I saw because then I would have to do something about it. Then I had to figure out what to do about it. There was no way around it. At times I didn’t think I was going to make it through. Of course I did. I always do. Only then did I feel the feelings I had set out to feel: happy, carefree, validated, etc.

This year I’m bridging 2011 and 2012 with a Prosperity Consciousness course at Whole Life Center for Spiritual Living  and I’m adding new principals to my practice of Dream Boarding.

Namely I’m writing a Vision Statement. I will then create a Dream Board as a visual representation of my Vision Statement.

I’m also choosing a word to focus on or represent my year. I’ve chosen “Release.” This was the word that was crucial to my 2011 year, but it felt so good that I’ve decided to continue with it. See, after the release of all the anger, the extreme purge of all the excess in my house, the purge of all my psychic clutter came a gift unexpected — room to Receive. So maybe I have two words – Release and Receive. Release that which no longer serves me and be open to Receive that which does. This practice came recommended by my Anasara Yoga Instructor, Staci. Your word will come to you and then it will come back to you over and over throughout the year, not without some challenges, so be prepared. It will peel itself for you like an onion sometimes and bloom for you like a flower by the end.

Vision Statement Rules 

• Write in the present tense only. “I am so happy and grateful that my body is healthy and functions perfectly and is at it’s optimal weight of 125 pounds.”
• Write very specifically. Tell the Universe exactly what you want, don’t leave it guessing. “I am so happy and grateful that in 2012 I make $50,000.” If you want to travel say where and with whom. “I love our trip to Mexico with my husband, it is so bonding and wonderful.”
• Cover all the basics: Mind, Body, Spirit; Money; Relationships (marriage, kids, family, friends, coworkers, mentors); Creativity; Career.
• Ask for what you want not what you think you can get.
• There has to be at least “the faith of a mustard seed.” If you say you’re going to make $3 million in 2012 and you currently make $30,000 you probably don’t even have the faith of a mustard seed that you’re going to get it. But, if you say you’re going to make $60,000 and you don’t know how you’re going to get it, but you probably know people who make that much and you probably can believe that it’s at least possible to make that much – that’s at least the faith of a mustard seed.
• Edit. Your Vision Statement is not set in stone like the Ten Commandments. Even God changed his mind and narrowed down what he wanted down to “Love One Another.” Once you reach your goal you’re free – obligated even – to expand your goal. You make the $50,000 then it’s time to up the ante to $100,000 or $300,000.
• Leave room for God to do better. At the end of your statement write “Or Better!” Remember God can dream a bigger dream for you than you can dream for yourself.
• Write only in the positive. You don’t want to write “Get out of debt,” because then you are focused on debt and what you focus on expands. You want to write “I am so happy and grateful that we are able to pay our bills in full as soon as they arrive.” Don’t write “Lose 30 pounds.” Write “I love to put on my size 6 Lucky Jeans, it makes me feel so hot and sexy!”
• Read your statement out loud morning and night. Memorize it. When you catch yourself repeating in your head, “God, I need to stop eating this, I’ll gain 20 pounds” Tell your self, “I love putting on my size 6 Lucky Jeans, it makes me feel sexy and hot.”
• Get clear about what you want. Sometimes you think you want something, but it’s not resonating with you. You’ve always wanted to live in New York, but you have kids and every time you think about selling the house and dealing with the NYC school system you feel anxiety. Time to reconsider and go inside and ask yourself: is this something I want or something I thought I wanted?
• God’s not going to make you give up your value system to get what you want. Make sure what you’re asking for is in alignment with your value system.
• Get a witness. Show it to someone you trust. Not someone who will scoff and say, “yeah right, like anyone will hire you without a degree in this economy.” Don’t show it to that cynical dickhead. Show it to someone who will say, “That sounds freaking awesome! I can’t wait to see you do it!” A five-year-old is the perfect witness, cause they know you can do anything. A ten-year-old will make your dream even bigger and show you where you’re still thinking small.

Reread it. If you asked for what you think you can get instead of what you really want – you did it wrong. Edit. Be bold.

Now you’re ready to make a visual representation of your Vision Statement in the form of your Dream Board. Have fun with it. It doesn’t have to be literal. It can be representational and subjective.

Do this with your kids. Faith is learned and takes practices. As does achieving goals and focusing on what you want. These skills take practice and the sooner they learn them the better. They will serve them for their entire lives. Believingis the essence of life.

There is something out there greater than ourselves, put stuff on your statement and your dream board that can’t happen without help from the Divine, from the Universe, from forces greater than yourself. Ask for miracles. Teach your kids to ask for miracles. Because is there anything more profoundly beautiful than the opportunity to witness them?

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Author, Tracee Sioux Photo Credit, Ainsley

If you’re a regular here, you know I spent the summer battling depression and anxiety. Beating down old demons and wrestling dragons from my past that would creep up on me in unexpected ways. And learning to let go. It was excruciating. Here’s that post if you’re interested.

When I was done with that — and properly medicated — I felt like I was staring at a blank page. Just sort of waiting for what was next. Not in pain anymore, and greatly relieved about that. Just waiting for my next wave of inspiration, in anticipation. Here is that post.

Well, the day after Ainsley’s 10th birthday party I woke up in an inexplicable frenzy. I went down to the basement to the “storage room.” and began to clean. In this room is everything no one in the house wants to deal with. Boxes we have not unpacked since we moved from New York in 2002. Shamefully, I found boxes I packed upon leaving Morro Bay, Cal. in 1999. We were “box hoarders” keeping every shoe box, every box from items we purchased from last Christmas and since, every Amazon box – why?

I won’t bore you with everything in that room. Crap we don’t need. Crap that’s not in my house anymore. And I haven’t stopped. Everyday I’ve just been seeing piles of stuff, clutter, magazine racks, book shelves with books I’ve already read, boxes in the garage full of stuff we don’t want, shoes that don’t fit anyone. OUT!

It feels so good and it has set my Creative Energy FREE!

My creative energy is sky rocketing as a result. I’m taking risks where I wouldn’t have before. I have a freelance marketing gig from this stuffy baby boomer CPA who hadn’t updated his marketing material in 20 years. I wrote this hilarious, hip and edgy marketing piece and it was brilliant! I mean it really was brilliant! I threw caution to the wind and sent it to them. They LOVED it. It wasn’t at all what they were expecting and they loved it!

I’m redecorating everything. Picking edgy paint colors that make my heart sing! Peacock for my bedroom and bathroom, and I’m going to mix in fine grained silver mica so it shimmers! I’ve made two art pieces for the basement and made bright orange curtains with Ikea graphic prints and I’m painting the room candy apple green! My living room kitchen area has been reorganized and the walls are going to be butternut squash. I think I’m going to graffiti the walls on the stairs with words like Love, Dream, Joy or I’ll scribble inspiring phrases or whatever else I feel like painting!

In my Anasara yoga class this morning my teacher said the New Year is coming and she suggested we pick a word to hang onto for the year, and mine is RELEASE!

Just the idea of releasing makes me feel so free. The more I think about it the more liberated I feel. Not only is cleaning out all the extraneous stuff in my life symbolic of releasing all the stuff I don’t need or want, but it’s freeing me to be more creative.

The more I think about releasing the things that frustrate me the more it frees me — wanting to weigh 125 pounds, wanting to write a best-selling book, smoking (I released it last week), drinking beer (I released it last week), having specific financial goals, making specific goals in general and then striving constantly to achieve them, having expectations, stories about my past, judgments about what other people are doing and should be doing, having specific ideas about what will make me happy and what will make me unhappy — the idea of making it my spiritual practice to just release these things into the wind, and letting God handle it, is exhilarating and liberating.

I’m releasing.

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2010, I loved you.

You were good to me, my family and The Girl Revolution in many ways. I feel the urge to make a gratitude list, a review so I won’t forget that 2010 deserved one last lingering kiss as the hours wound down. My list is big and small, full of major and minor miracles, involves big shifts in emotion, some falling down and some getting back up, creating little habits that add up to big results, and some shifts in perception.

• We moved to Colorado, on the tail-end of a promotion for my hard-working man.
• Our house rented in Texas, making us property investors.
• We bought a beautiful home in a warm and friendly neighborhood.
• I bought a Size 4 (four) pair of Levi’s and can wear them comfortably. (I keep checking the tag to make sure.)
• I replaced most of my other clothing with size Smalls. (Again, checking the tag.)
• I worked out nearly every day and ate pretty much anything I wanted. (See The Four Day Win by Martha Beck.)
• I got access to great Yoga classes and instructors and became a better Yogi.
• I read a lot of fantastic books.
• I was an efficient and loving wife.
• I was an effective and loving mother.
• I was a very good friend.
• I became closer to my parents.
• I planned and executed a new business model (rolling out in Jan 2011.)
• The Girl Revolution grew.
• I wrote and compiled Two (2) books, with a 3rd in planning, to be released in 2011.
• I wrote two essays to be published in Mother’s of Intention by Joanne Bamberger, PunditMom, in 2011.
• I had lots of paying work and saw my work published in non-Internet publications.
• I let go of quite a lot of anger, dealt with some worthiness issues, became more confident.
• I quit smoking again. (Thank you Chantix.)
• My marriage became deeper, more affectionate, romantic and fun.
• I got an iPhone.
• Went on a lot of adventures, traveled a little and learned a lot.

It was a very good year. I loved 2010. Totally worthy of a big, wet kiss.

Lean on in 2011 . . . I think I’m ready to go all the way.

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There’s a tape about money playing in your head.

It might sound like this: Money doesn’t grow on trees. You have to work hard for money. Poor people are more moral, more kind, or more generous than rich people. Rich people got there by cheating. Rich people are corrupt and selfish. People on Wall Street are greedy. I hate rich people. I’m a starving artist. I always work for free. My jobs never pay me enough. I can’t afford it. . . .

There’s a tape playing about your body in your head.

It might sound like this: Skinny Bitch, I hate skinny people. If I were skinny I’d have everything I want. I hate people who can eat whatever they want. Looks shouldn’t matter. Beauty is about what’s on the inside, it shouldn’t be about what we look like. There’s no correlation between being skinny and being healthy. You can be healthy at any weight. People discriminate against fat people. Fat people are nicer than skinny people. Skinny beautiful people are mean and rude . I look like I’m pregnant. My thighs are huge. I hate my body. I’m like a fat cow. . .

Which is fine.

As long as you’re okay with staying fat and poor.

If you’re aiming to become rich and thin, those tapes are a problem. They’re keeping you fat and poor. It’s a self-defeating habit. It doesn’t impact skinny, rich people at all.

Now, I’m done being fat and poor. It’s far more fun and exciting to be thin and rich. More choices, better kinds of attention, more strut in my walk, more confidence in my being, more swing in my hips, better swagger, more freedom, nicer stuff, better ways to spend my days, better food from every angle, more excitement, more liberating, more freedom.

To get there, I have to reprogram my brain back to being a thin person.

I was a thin person before. I’m a naturally thin person. I love being thin. It feels good to move my body when it’s lighter. I love buying clothes. I feel healthier. I have more energy. I adore getting on the scale. I feel great when I pull on my favorite pair of jeans. I love skinny people. Skinny people are awesome and fun and funny. I love eating healthy foods. I love exercise, running, yoga, biking, hiking. weight training, pilates, and swimming.

I love living in abundance. I love having more choices. My choices control my money. I am great with money. Money grows on trees – what DO you think it’s made of?  I love that my accounts grow while I am sleeping. I have everything I need and want. I can buy that if I want to. I can have that if I want. Money comes easily and frequently. Money helps me serve my purpose.

It’s especially useful to retrain your brain if you have a daughter. Think back to your mother’s beliefs about money and bodies – your thoughts are probably not so unique. Most likely, they’re inherited and then supported by evidence of your share experiences.

Change your own thoughts and change your daughter’s body and money messaging inheritance. What could be a better motive?

I can help you reprogram your brain. Contact me at traceesioux@gmail.com for Life Coaching.

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The idea of being aligned with what I truly want is coming up for me a lot lately. Even among my circle of close friends it’s appearing. Teaching me. Teaching us.

People think they know what they want. But, most of the time, with further inquiry they’ve somehow convinced themselves that they can’t have it. So, they then try to convince themselves they want something more achievable. They believe its more achievable, but I wonder if it really is.

I’ll use a few easy examples: on my dream board I have two numbers. Size 8 and 135 pounds. These are fitness goals for me. But, guess what? They conflict. I am currently a size 8, but I weigh 145 pounds, not 135 pounds. As long as I insist on being a size 8, I’ll never make it to 135 pounds.

Of course, I ripped the size 8 goal off my dream board and am focusing on the other goal.

I find this to be true about our geographical location as well.

I’ve wanted to move to a more conducive climate, with more opportunities for myself professionally and more activities for our family, for about 7 years.

But, I could never really identify where, exactly, I wanted to live. I have two conflicting places on my dream board and prayed for both of them regularly. I have Portland, Oregon on my dream board and I also have a “small coastal town in California, near a big city” on my dream board. Hmmmm. How exactly can God deliver on them both simultaneously?

The thing is, I need more sunshine than Portland can offer.

I also need to make a great deal more money to live in a small coastal town in California.

My knowledge of these facts, about myself, keep my dream from me.

The fact that I’m trying to simultaneously attract two different locations keep them both from me.

I did another dream board and since I could never get very clear on where, exactly, I wanted to live I put the words “My Place.”

Within six months my husband was informed that we’d be moving to the Fort Collins, Colorado area. We just visited and it felt exactly like “My Place.” To both of us. To our whole family. I can see us being very, very happy there. Everything about it – from the people to the culture to the opportunities – felt like Our Place.

To apply this to your own life – take an inventory of what you’ve been asking for and see if any of them conflict.

Have you been asking for two different kinds of jobs or employment? Have you been simultaneously asking to be a stay-at-home-mom and work outside the home (another of my own internal conflicts until recently), have you been trying to move to two different geographic locations, have you been torn between two lovers, have you been trying to become a mother but resisting all the emotional and physical stuff that comes with motherhood, have you been torn between a desire for love and living with a person incapable of giving it to you, have you been trying to get a certain type of  job and taking detour after detour? Have you been trying to build wealth, but focusing on debt? Have you been trying to become thin, but criticizing thin people? Have you been hating the wealthy, while trying to improve your own finances? Have you been dragging the 250 pound dead-weight of an uncooperative significant other who isn’t as sold on your dream as you are? (Getting on the same page about what you’re trying to attract and you’ve got significantly more power instantly).

Give up one of the things that conflict and the other will flow easier. Once you figure out how to do it, it’s a pretty easy thing to teach your kids too.

Contact me traceesioux@gmail.com if you want to arrange a life coaching session to figure out if you’re blocking what you’re trying to achieve.

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