Mental Illness Is Not A Choice, But Recovery Is...

May  is Mental Health Awareness Month and was inspired to write a blog on what it means to live this illness.  I don't speak by experience however it exists as I've seen family members go through this ordeal of pain and have also volunteered along and worked with mental ill patients in my community.

It happens to everyone. Mental illness knows no  age limit, economic status, race, creed, colors or celebrity status. It doesn't make a difference it happens to all. When I worked as a volunteer for The San Pedro Mental Health Center in my community couldn't understand what happens with the mind as they lead their daily lives and wanted to know more.... this is when I studied "Life Coaching" and "Leader Intership" and received by certification by Harvard PHD Medical School 3 years ago.

I figured helping the ill would make our community a better thriving city however it involved  a lot of hard work... more than I anticipated and I was already working a business from home which took my time away. You need to also learn how to not get too involved in the process as it can affect your life. It became draining to me because I've also dealt with it in my family. 

This is a touchy subject as I haven't come forward speaking of this in itself within my family however we must be authentic as it can help others heal, seek help and know they are not alone. The dilemma is not doing anything about it and thinking it will go away. IT won't go away. 

One of the things people need to understand about mental illness is that we can be clueless as to how to deal with it. I've caught myself as well not knowing how to deal with it when others go through this and how to help... However maybe we can ask "Help me to understand what your going through?" "What's going through your mind?"  

We've heard lots of celebrities that also endure this illness. Some of the greatest Leaders and Celebrities are the following:

• Robin Williams (Rest In Peace)
• Demi Lovato
• Catherine Zeta Jones
• Emma Thompson
• Jim Carrey
• JK Rowling
• John Nash
• Beethoven
• Winston Churchill
• Charles Dickens
• Abe Lincoln

Whether it's bipolar, depression, schizophrenia, paranoia, anxiety... they all derive from mental illness and to not seek therapy or counseling is very unwise! Majority of  times medication will be prescribed however I a a firm believer of healing the mind with a higher power. To me that is God (Jesus Christ) 

Not pushing religion on anyone - (Just thought I'd throw it out there)

There is one things in common that I've found with mental illness people and that is that they are incredibly intelligent. They have great memory, are the most profound mathematicians... Although I was considered a whiz kid (I don't fall into that category)  As a matter of fact I couldn't stand Math! Worse subject ever that I failed over and over again ha! (Just being real!) 

Ever seen the movie "A Beautiful Mind" starring Russell Crow? 

It was based on the life of "John Nash" a nobel in economics. A mathematical genius, he made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood at the brink of international acclaim but the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a painful journey of self-discovery. 

That movie was crazy! You didn't know what was real and what happens with a person that suffers this illness. Movies are incredible because they depict real life stories of what people go through and helps us understand a little more of what they go through in life. Another movie similar was "What's eating Gilbert Grape" Anyone remembers? Starring Johnny Depp and Leo DiCaprio (oldies but goodies)

And the reason I write this blog is to share this month's awareness and to be REAL. It takes guts to be real but it takes more guts to accept help and seek recovery.  Recovery takes time and if you suffer from it and unable to function in your daily activities my suggestion is to seek therapy. If it's too expensive research programs in your neighborhood. Medi-cal can be accepted or your own private insurance... But seek HELP! As it won't simply go away... 


"End The Stigma"

Super Fun & Creative Way To Be Greatful :)

"Gratitude Is The Best Attitude"

 Are you running into serendipities? Signs? Awe moments? If not pay attention to your surroundings. I love to be out in nature and lead a balanced life and when this happens I tend run into animals, signs, amazing moments. Today I seen a hummingbird on some purple flowers and had to say awe! How cuuute! It flew by the time my phone was about to snap a selfie ha!

Yesterday and today noticed lots of signs very good ones so I'm thinking were going to have a great week full of them if you have haven't experienced them maybe you should head out in nature and notice the stillness, the wind, the sun, the rays, flowers, animals and be Greatful for the simple things we often take for granted and not pay much attention to! :)

At the beginning of 2016 read somewhere in social media about a really cool project you can do to feel more greatful. Not only is it creatively fun but trains your mind to feel greatful and focus within rather than what we lack or comparisons. I do it daily in the mornings and intend to have it filled by the end of the year. I've included in this vlog the jar which I decorated and as you can tell it's filling up! Yay! :)

Laura has many things to be greatful for especially after recovering from very bad stomach pains I had recently endured that landed me in the ER. Not a happy camper! I'm good now though thank GOD! :)  Life is precious and last time I take it for granted! And so I'm greatful for starting over, turning a new leaf and getting my body back in shape.

Creating this gratitude jar really helps! :) You can buy any clear jar as the reason for it being clear is to notice the gratitude papers inside crumpled or folded. At the end of the year you can read each one and see how you lead a greatful year and many reasons to be greatful for :) It's super easy, super simple and super duper fun! :)

It doesn't matter how you apply gratitude whether a journal, a blog, social media or a jar like this one! What matters is your putting it out  and being grateful for the small things is sexy! 

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

Take a look at the video I did for a little more info on the jar and how fun it can be!

What Does God Say You Are & Why It Matters... :)

There is a quote I read in my devotionals today that said...

“Be more concerned with what God thinks about you than what people think about you”

 And when I read it I knew I was going to have one of those days! Your valued to God as a Princess or Prince. Was up early drinking my coffee as usual. Cinnamon dark coffee + cinnamon creamer. (Yummy!)

And as I read about a story of a person mentioning one hour is only 4% of a day I was interested in knowing more about it. It’s a story of a woman putting more effort into prayer time by applying 4% of her time when she heard someone talk about this subject. She was determined to try it! Kinda reminds me of my recent 21 day blog challenge I was so determined to complete! Done! 

Rather than trying to fit prayer into her schedule she decided to “fix” a prayer time, and then “fit” the rest of her day around it. Her kids were old enough to travel to school alone and by 8:30 a.m. each morning her house was quiet as a mouse.  A hush fell over her home. She knew this was her best prayer time. To guard antee she was uninterrupted, she made it knows to the ladies in her group that except emergencies, she would be greatful if people didn’t call her until after 9:00 a.m. in the morning.

To her surprise no one was offended instead they responded very positively. Several other women began to follow her example by setting aside the same hour to pray every day.

When we seek God’s plan first, all our plans with other people will have a way of falling into place. 

And so I ask when we have standards and confidence in ourselves by setting priorities as to what we have time for and what we don’t…. people will respect us for it and therefore we will be successful knowing it was a win/win.

This devotional helped me to understand my day even further. I wasn’t expecting to have a breakthrough day but I did! Some reality checks were hard to swallow however it was for the good. It’s difficult  to notice anything bad turning good but you must be able to discern this as that is when you become wise and follow your “gut” and not what others think or believe you should do.

My day started out productive and started by setting priorities. I may not have kids but sometimes it just feels that way. Being the oldest child comes with responsibilities even after your 21 however little by little step by step I’m releasing old responsibilities that I shouldn’t have. Some may think it’s selfish but in reality it’s not. It’s selfish not to self-care yourself.

So I had a family meeting and I’m laying down the cards on the table.  I will do this and that and release this and that. It felt pretty good saying it as it was soo unexpected of others to hear. What made me say this? Well, there comes a time when you have to put yourself first and leave responsibilities to others. I have to remind myself I’m not “Cammy” You know the cartoon character of streetfighter! (video games) Yak!

And so after headed to the ER because I needed to get checked what was up with my Gut! It’s been acting up for the past 3 days and the pain persists and won’t go away. It just totally screwed me up. I was this different person. A person lacking energy, yawning a lot, gaining weight. I looked in the mirror and said “What is going on Laura?” This is not you! See we all have intuition to discern when we are at our best and when we are not and I sure haven’t been feeling great. And so I kick rocks! (literately)

I had several tests run on me such as a pregnancy test (really?)  they insisted and according to the triage nurse. What revealed was the culprit of my laziness, weight gain and pain was found in an ultra sound. It hurted as she rubbed my stomach with gel and a computer handle joystick and said Crap! looking at the computer myself and watch her take notes.

So, I have gallstones! 3 small ones that are still. Not moving anywhere they are just sitting there however they can grow in size and move around if I don’t care for my body and therefore a change of LIFESTYLE is expected of me. The thought of becoming vegan came to mind as that is when I was at my healthiest and my gut was regular, my skin was glowing, hair was shiny and felt energized.

The fact of knowing you have rocks in your tummy is just so wrong in many ways and not healthy. I’ve known lots of people that have had these rocks removed successfully. In and out they are out of the hospital however one sad case I also know of a surgery going totally wrong! My cousin’s wife died and had a painful journey in the hospital due to being botched to remove the rocks. I don’t even want to think of it as thoughts are things and remaining positive about my outcome when I get surgery however need to do my diligence and not go based on their advice. Apparently I should go to a county hospital and get in line to see when surgeon is available. There is a waiting list as they only do surgeries to people with big insurance companies well known that will qualify them to use their hospital.  This is why it's soo important to have really good insurance! 

I've decided not to follow that advice and research a more experienced hospital with non med students performing surgeries even though it's not a big deal of a surgery but anything can go wrong and I'm not putting my body in the hands on non-experienced MD's. 

For some reason though I was not feeling too comfortable after I met several nurses and I wouldn’t want to stay overnight. One had an opinion about my birth date and would I of been born an earlier day in March I probably would have been treated very different and this is a catholic hospital? Should I feel lucky I was a late march baby? The energy that day was soo off... thank God no surgery was performed I probably wouldn't be writing this blog! Whew!! I don’t know but that’s the day I was born the day God breathed in me and blessed me with talents. It was just soo unexpected to hear comments like Whew! Good thing you’re a late one! One thing came to mind…. Weirdoooos! 

And this is why I write this blog because it’s not what people see you as when it comes who you are due to your birth date. I can go more further on this subject as it goes really deep but I won’t. You can’t be opinionated on someone’s birth date just because. Everyone is different and not all the same based on birthdays. 

So, I end this blog with the thought of listening to what God says about YOU not what others say because if you knew what God says you would be smiling like I am :) See, I know I am a child of God and he sees me as his precious princess just as any father would feel for his kid. When kids get hurt, in pain the father rescues the kid well the same goes to our heavenly father. 

 Cheers to MILES stones! :)

Omg! The Best 21 Day Challenge Ever!

Today marks my final hours of the 21 day blog challenge I challenged myself and I must say I’m so Greatful that it ends tonight! I didn’t think it was going to be this difficult but it has and it’s okay because nothing easy is learned. The reason I say it’s been difficult is because writing 1 blog per day (Monday-Sunday) can be a challenge!

We all lead busy lives, have families, chores, duties, run errands, workout, work a side job whatever it is that you do… you are always doing something and to know you have to spare an extra 1-2 hours to blog without distractions can be a doozy! I seriously have soo much respect for women who have kids (single-moms) as they have to care for their kids and work their business.

As someone who doesn’t have kids I said Oh I got this! My schedule is free however lots of things got in the way and glad I was able to travel to the woods to pet sit my sister’s kitty because I needed that downtime to get creative out in nature and get caught up in blogging. I was able to blog however the kitty “honey” was very attentive and needy and wanted time spent with her…. It’s kinda odd because cats are not this attached. Ha!

So, I’m on my last blog… Blog #21 and pretty challenged! But, hey the fact that I’m writing it means I said I would do it and I did! Prior to this challenge I would procrastinate! If we are speaking in all honesty here to speak the truth is... not sugar coating anything... Something always got in the way and would get distracted easily but now things are soo different. Yay! Si Se Puede! (Yes You CAN!)

What this challenge has taught me is that it becomes the norm when you blog a lot throughout the week, so yes friends 21 day challenges do work! I have come accustomed to write, write, write and that is all I know now. That’s a great thing. I just needed that breakthrough and I’ve found it. It’s by applying ACTION! And just doing it anyway. The fact that it was a challenge is what made me just do it!

And now my question to you is…. Do you struggle with procrastination? It’s been said that diligence is the mother to success! I suggest you do a 21 day challenge on any part of your life that you are struggling with. Is it to release anything? Then take baby steps one day at a time for 21 days. As you get into day 13 you will start noticing your on a roll and the rest gets easier however know at the end you will probably get tempted to quit and that is when you have to push harder like what I’ve done now.

So that’s it Peeps! Hope you all have enjoyed my blogs and look forward to more blogs as I have decided to write 3-4 blogs a week! (I’m shooting for 3 blogs but 4 is my number this year so I might do 4!) ha! :)

To Your SUCCESS!

What Do Stars Do To Be Happy... :)

Wikipedia defines "Celebrities"  as fame and public attention in the media, usually applied to a person, group of people (celebrity couple, family, etc.), or, occasionally, to animals. 

Celebrity status is often associated with wealth (commonly referred to as fame and fortune) and fame can often provide opportunities to make money.

Successful careers in sports and entertainment are commonly associated with celebrity status; political leaders often become celebrities. People may also become celebrities due to media attention for their lifestyle, wealth, or controversial actions, or for their connection to a famous person.

I began to research what celebrities do to stay happy as they are like all of us only difference is they have more chi-ching! And this is what I found and you will see your not any different. We are all people and next time you see one... don't be star-struck (note to self) ha! 

• 1) THEY FOLLOW THEIR PASSION - it takes nerve to do what you love! They’ve done just that and show what can happen when you commit to a dream the rest of the world thinks your crazy. They don't quit or let others get in the way of their goals
• 2) THEY DEFINE THEIR OWN SIGNATURE STYLE - forget the trend du jouivez. Enduring icons develop their own unique style and identity. Think of your all time idol. Chances are she can claim a signature look or defining fashion statement.
• 3) THEY TAKE RISKS- Whatever its playing an unexpected role, experimenting with a new hairstyle or speaking up about controversial issues, trendsetters have the courage to put themselves out there
• 4) THEY ARE GREATFUL - The benefits of cultivating gratitude are endless.  Being thankful opens doors, enhances self-esteem and improves emotional mental and physical states.
• 5) THEY FIND INSPIRATION IN OTHERS-Why go it alone? Mentors offer guidance and support professionally and personally. Models are admired because they recognize the importance of asking for help.
• 6) THEY KEEP IT POSITIVE - They are optomistic, root for themselves, live in the present and understand the importance of self-care, our most admired stars approach their goals holistically from all angles and find balance in work, family and play (One star comes to mind: Gwyneth Paltrow)

These are pretty good traits we can also follow as our self-care matters and should be a priority in our lives. When we inspire others, take risks, define our own style, keep it positive and most importantly follow our passions we can be unstoppable! 

Have a great one! 

XO

Don't Be Fooled By Horses, They Lack Confidence Too... Read How...

Many times we don’t always have Confidence in our abilities to our work, project, assignment, mission etc…. and so I think what separate confidence v’s insecurities? I’ve been on both sides and I can attest that as we speak I am in confident mode. When you are passionate about what your doing you are confident. When you have a purpose you are confident. You know where you are moving towards... Just like horses...

Horses are very similar like humans. They pout and smile just like us. They also need to be trained and coached to built up their confidence. They were not born with it it's trained. They have a social life and have a rich communication with their eyes, their movement, their mouth and so on... And so I wondered how do they appear with great stamina and energy to do their work which is run races...

Well... 

It brings me to the analogy of the"GPS" If you are driving without a GPS trying to find an address what happens?  Imagine yourself being in a different city and not able to find your way. You will feel lost, insecured, nervous… Geez! I speak for myself as I had recently was on a mini vacay in the woods of Big Bear County. I was pet sitting for “honey” my sister and brother in law’s kitty (meow meow) and completely got lost trying to find my way back home.

Even if I had GPS I would not be able to find it. The streets were very dark and with lots of swirls and wide turns. But prayer worked and lots of affirmations telling myself “You got this!” Had to train my brain to and keep repeating myself Your there, your there your there and then lower the music in the car ha! Why do we do that? Why do we lower the music when we are lost or trying to find an address? (Million Dollar Question?)

As soon as I reached the cabin I knew I found the place and was able to breathe and thank God for guiding me into safety. I even had to call my sister but somehow knew she was not able to help me and I was right, she couldn’t help me so it was just me, God and dark roads to nowhere!

I started to feel confident as soon as I was reaching  home. Just got in time to feed the kitty and rest assured that even if you feel lost you will find your way around as long as you don’t give up. You have to keep going and don’t stop! It's usually towards the end that people give up when it comes to their aspirations, goals, ideas.... 

My question to you is “What Do You Have Total Confidence In? Everyone has talents some might be creative, artistic, some may sing, act, some may do missions, charity work, philanthropy work… You don’t have to be born with that talent you can discover it while doing something else. Some are born to speak, influence, lead while others are comfortable following, getting taught and growing

To find something your confident in you have to believe in it first! What are you passionate about? Find that! The skills will come after because you will be so in love with it by achieving results that you will completely forget about the skills or money. It will come believe me! It always does when you love what you do! What fires you up? Find that!

And so I end this blog with one of my all time favorite quotes:

Have A Great One! 

Are Vacays Needed?

This past weekend I went on vacation to pet sit my sister’s and brother in-law’s cat named “Honey” She is adorable and loving. Hence the name “Honey” and I am her buzz! :-)

As I spent my time there I was able to find balance and look within, meditate, pray, eat balanced meals, hike in nature and enjoy the rain. Not only did I really enjoy my time alone but on sunday got to spend it with my sis and brother in law in church service and the message was pretty inspiring. Many have different beliefs and this blog is not to change anyone’s beliefs but to share thoughts I got inspired by.

Lots of times we find excuses as to why we can’t do something or get caught up why our plans are not perfect.... and if they're not we are not moving... 

And sunday’s message was simply that we can’t wait or find an excuse as to why we can’t do something we have talents for. For example needing proof of education, a bachelor degree, special education, special training, years of experience etc…

It really spoke to my heart because I used to think if I have more education then I can land a better job, a better career when in fact today it doesn’t matter as much as before. In the book of Corinthians (Chapter 3) it asks us Do we pat ourselves on the back, insisting on our credentials, asserting our authority? We don’t need letters of endorsement, either to you or from you. You yourselves are all the endorsements you need.

Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. God himself wrote it not with ink but with God’s living spirit, not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives and we publish it. We couldn’t be more sure of ourselves than YOU, written by God are our letter of recommendation. We wouldn’t think of writing this kind of letter about ourselves Only God can write such a letter.

His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn’t written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. His life on our lives.

An excerpt was given of “Paul” in the bible and he was teaching to the people and other’s also wanted to teach and had credentials and were presenting them yet when Paul was asked what about his credentials he stated he didn’t need to show any credentials as God’s endorsement was enough. He didn’t think highly of himself, he was confident in his abilities, experience and talents God breathed into him. No paper proof was needed.

And so I ask had any idea, career goal, plan stopped you from pursuing it because the competition seems pretty thick? Because you may feel lacking experience? Or better yet comparisons robbing you of your joy or confidence? Think again….

As a (student for life) I love to learn and open to opportunities when they are presented to me. Before I thought I’d have to have formal education to land a great job! I found out the hard way I didn’t need it but I can say it’s an addition to what I’ve learned and can use it with my coaching practice. I completed a 6 month coaching/leadership class and although it didn’t land me the job I wanted and more education was required on top of that and college education I wonder would I be kicking myself for listening. Would I be happy at that job with all the education needed? Probably not. Not fond of 9-5 job and it would have been foolish to accept the offer after all the education. When I found out Enterpreneurs were coaching online in social media where all the eyeballs are at and with no credentials whatsoever however they’ve mastered social media that’s when a lightbulb appeared!

See, we don’t need further education. You can learn as you go! Make mistakes, dust yourself and get back up. You adapt as you go. If someone wants to see my certificate I would be more than happy to upload it but there is no need to do it. God is sufficient in my life and the only credential needed not a piece of paper that states I’m worthy to teach or coach.

Reason why I was fired up about this subject was because I was asked from (my motivators) to prove credentials for my teaching which I never did because as a Catalyst I know better. This is what inspired me about this subject. Had I known this earlier on I would of responded correctly but God has timing for everything and now I know.

So when it comes down to it titles are pretty impressive but ultimately it's the results behind the title. If your just starting out its understandable not to be a one hit wonder (it will take consistency & time) but if you've held a title for years & no results it's time to get real!

Lift the Veil Friends :)