We hear it all of the time. Surrender. Turn it over to God. Surrender to the Universe. Let it go and let it be. It all sounds so amazing in theory, right? If we could just learn to surrender our worries, our fears and all of the stuff that weighs us down over to some unseen higher power, life would be that much easier.

We both know that it’s much easier said than practiced, and that is what we’re tapping into today. We’re going to chat about what it actually means to surrender, to have faith and to truly “let it go.”

Faith is a finicky thing. 75% of Americans say they believe in a higher power and give it some kind of label. God. Universe. Source. Spirit. Inner Being. 75% of Americans identify as believing that there is a force greater than themselves in control of everything. 75% of Americans say things like “everything happens for a reason” or “if it’s meant to be, it will be.”

Yet- and here’s the kicker for...

Everyone has them. Those people in your lives who make you feel as though there is nothing you can do that will make them proud of you.  It doesn’t matter if you are the most successful, most beautiful, richest, kindest or most compassionate person - they will not be able to fully support you with unconditional love.

They criticize everything you do.

They judge your choices.

They seem to take every step possible to try and make you feel as though you are not enough.

It’s exhausting.  It’s infuriating.  And it’s something that you can overcome easily by understanding that these people cannot support you for 2 very simple reasons, and if you can comprehend and fully embrace these reasons described below, you'll have a much better perspective from which you can approach these family members who dismiss you and your dreams.

It all starts with this:

If they praise you for all that you do, it shines a spotlight on all that they are not doing.

...

Truth time:  you're an adult.  It's time to forgive those who have trespassed against you. I don't care if the thing you experienced was huge or tiny - if you are still reliving it today, you need to let go of it so that you can live better tomorrow.

When you hang on to something that has happened in the past - large or small - you are only impacting YOUR now. 

Here's how it works:

The thing happens.  Big. Small. Medium sized.  You're hurt. Offended. Taken off guard.

• You tell people.
• You tell more people.
• You talk about it over and over again.

All of this focus on that thing is lowering your vibration into fear, anger, stress, upset - low, low, low vibration.

When you are in a low vibration, guess what?  You attract from a low vibration.

So, what happens?  You are rehashing the experience, and it's keeping that low vibration active in your life, and the Universe responds in kind.  You attract lots of things you don't want to happen.

• ...

Right now, it seems as if the entire world has a grudge against Network Marketers. Whether it's the annoyance of the pushy posts on social media, the follow up emails to buy stuff, the constant conversation about products or the never ending stream of sales texts, I can see why.  

Admittedly, I used to be one of them. I used to be annoyed by the network marketers who showed up in my newsfeed. I used to get irritated. I used to think of that career as "less than" that of a typical entrepreneur.

It was 2 summers ago when I was sitting in a theater at a weekend long mastermind training with Gabby Bernstein.  I remember the moment vividly when she said, "The thing you're resisting the most is the path you're meant to follow."  In that moment, I found myself shifting, thinking, uncomfortable and agitated.  It was all centered around the network marketing industry, and it took Gabby's words of wisdom to kick me out of my own shit and into a new space.

Every January my social news feed is filled with resolutions, intentions, fitness goals, business goals and a whole host of good intentions.  It's amazing to witness, and always makes me feel like there's hope for humanity because people WANT to change. They WANT to shift and grow and evolve into what they know they can be.

Sadly, by February at the latest, those posts go away, and the people return to their regularly scheduled programming and the resolutions are no more.  This year, I want to uncover the why. Why do we fall apart so quickly? Why do we let go of the change we desire?

Well, the obvious answer is because it's hard, yes? Change is terrifying. Change is difficult and tedious.  Change takes time and we live in a society where immediate gratification is the name of the game and anything less is exactly that.  

The deeper reason has to do with intention and decision.  You see, the people who stick to change and who stick to the "new year, new...

Recently I shared a graphic on Instagram that caused a bit of a stir.  It was this image and the caption said:

 "Repeat after me: I cannot make anyone feel anything that they aren’t ALLOWING themselves to feel." 

Who knew such a simple statement could strike a nerve like it did.  Dozens of private messages, nasty comments (all deleted - I don't allow that energy to stay in my space), and a LOT of feelings over this simple statement. 

It would seem that people are not keen on being told that the negative feelings they've been feeling for so long are actually within their control and not the fault of another human being.  So, I thought I would take this space to explain what I mean and why I firmly believe that we cannot make someone feel something they are not allowing themselves to feel.

Imagine for a moment that you are sitting in a restaurant and you're waiting on the wait staff to come to your table.  He or she is late and...

I woke up in a funk last week. I knew it from the moment my eyes opened and the first thing I saw was my husband had all of the covers on his side of the bed and he was cocooned around them instead of under them and I was freezing. I knew it because the first thing I thought that day was “asshole.” I realized it further when my coffee spilled everywhere, and I dropped the wet grinds all over the countertop.

I knew it from the very moment I turned on my phone and it proceeded to die, and when my mother called me to tell me her computer had crashed. Followed by a phone call from a family member with a horrific story, and a text from a friend about her hardships too. Throw in the sick child and unexpected bill, and my day was off to a fabulous start.

The day had gone from slightly annoying to frustrating to downright irritating, and my mood was 100% on track with that.

I remember being in the midst of this day and thinking, “I’m watching my own...

The conversation is always the same.

Me:  "I wake up at 5 am. Every day of the week."

Them:  "On PURPOSE?"

Me:  "Yep.  I'm thinking of making it 4am."

Cue the deer in headlights stare-down.

A few years ago I realized something about myself:  I'm a morning person. Not only in that I can wake up in the morning without issue and have a deep conversation 3 minutes later, but in that I am AMAZING in the morning. My mind is clear, my thoughts are inspired, my energy is the highest of the day, and I feel so much alignment with my source in those hours before my family wakes up. I have come to crave those early hours for the inspiration they provide me, and I am at the point where if I don’t receive this time each day, I am completely derailed.

I am 100% addicted to the 5am hour.

After dozens of conversations asking me "What's your bedtime?" "What do you DO at 5am?" "How do you wake up while it's still dark?" and a thousand other questions, I did a little...