A great deal of Courageous Self-Care involves the words we choose to think and speak.

When we're aware of the words we use, we can significantly change our vibration, because words are incredibly powerful.

Each word, whether thought or spoken, has its own vibration, meaning that it resonates with energy.

If we constantly think and speak words with a low vibration, such as coarse language, we're actually draining our energy and putting out a low vibration frequency.

Because like attracts like, whatever energy we put out comes back to us, so we then attract people and situations that reflect that low vibration back to us.

Conversely, when we choose higher vibration words to affirm to ourselves and to share with others, we then experience more situations and people who fill us up with positive energy.

For example, consider the phrase, "I'm sorry." I'm all for using it as a sincere form of apology, but many people, especially women tend to apologize as a habit.

They utter the...

I remember learning the 3 most dangerous words in the English language... "I know that."

It's so true. when we say "I know that", we are cutting ourselves off from deeper learning. We're robbing ourselves from the gift of the beginner's mind, where everything is fresh and full of possibility.

I recently attended a women's retreat in 2 roles; as a participant and a speaker. Since I've been facilitating workshops and retreats myself for the last few years, it had been awhile since I participated as a student.

I struggled the first couple of days because the Great Trickster (my name for my Ego) insisted that I knew what was being taught.

However, I reminded myself that I didn't want to use those 3 dangerous words and that there is plenty I don't know.

Ten years ago, I attended personal development courses on a monthly basis. At that time, there was so much that I didn't know and my learning curve was very steep.

Since I've been studying intensively for a decade, I've learned that I...

The first time I taught my daughter Zoë how to manifest, she had a magical experience.

Zoë was about 6 years old at the time and it was a week before Easter. My mom gave her the sheet for a colouring contest.

"What's the prize?" she asked.

"A giant chocolate bunny from Bernard Callebaut*," replied my mom. *local gourmet chocolatier

"I'm going to win it," declared Zoë.

Step 1: Know without a doubt that what you desire is now coming to you.

Zoë completed the colouring and we zipped off to the store to drop it off, just before the deadline.

In the car on the way home, I shared what I knew about manifesting.

"Imagine you just got the call telling you that you won. Practice feeling like it just happened."

Zoë closed her eyes and imagined the happy scenario. When I glanced in the rear-view mirror, her face was glowing like the sun.

Step 2: Feel the feelings you will feel once you've manifested your desire.

"Next, let's imagine who you would call to share the...

Sometimes we want something so much and we put every effort into making it happen but it doesn't turn out the way we expected.

It can be devastating.

That has happened to me and, for a long time, I didn't know what to think about it. In fact, it can even feel like God/Spirit/the Creator is against us.

Three phrases changed the devastation into understanding for me and, so of course, I wanted to share them with you.

When we desire for something to happen with all our hearts, the Universe (or insert your word for the Higher Power of your understanding) says one of three things:

1. Yes, here you go.
2. Yes, but not yet.
3. No, I love you too much for that.

Courage is required to accept the answer.

You may not know this about me...

I write poetry.

Very occasionally.

Poems seem to come through me when I travel. Several years ago, I was at a retreat in Mexico called Sacred Sensual Splendour. 

I didn't have my kids with me, or my husband. There was almost no wi-fi, so I didn't go on my cell phone. We were given hours of free time every day. There was gloriously little to do.

And as I journalled, poems started to appear on the page.

Up until now, they've been quietly hiding in that journal, but today is a big day! One of them is going to get out into the open, right here. 

If you could, please imagine throwing a little confetti and hearing a party horn blow in honour of this poem's first release.

(I was shocked when I read it over to see that it's about self-care. i guess part of me knew long ago that Courageous Self-Care was in my future!)

I Am a Bridge

I am a bridge between earth and sky.

I am a container. I am grounded.

I choose to contain my strength and...

Ever since my kids started speaking, I've been recording funny and insightful things they've said.

I thought it would be fun to share them with you on my blog every Friday.

Part of Courageous Self-Care is learning to lighten up, be more playful and laugh more often. My intention is to help you do that today, to get your weekend off to a great start.

This one comes from Oakley ( now 9) when he was 2 years old.

One time, Oakley fell down and cried. When stopped crying, he said, "Oakey crying! Panic!"

I realized something recently during a networking exercise: I'm passionate about protecting the subconscious mind.

Since the day my first sweet child was born, I have wanted to protect that precious part of her. As soon as my son came along, I wanted to do the same for him.

In University, during my first degree, I took a course called Human Development. A good deal of the learning focussed on neuroscience. The information was so important that I wished it was a prerequisite for all people who planned to have children.

Although the subconscious mind is often presented as a mysterious entity, it's really just part of the brain, made up of a network of specific pathways.

Many of those pathways are formed in early childhood and comprise our fundamental belief system, which in turn, affects pretty much every singly aspect of our lives.

Since the subconscious mind runs the show, it's critical to protect it. Whatever we let in has an impact. Thoughts, images, words, music, sounds; they...

I first learned about visualization when I was 7 years old. I was a competitor in the Parkland Tap Festival, where each child performed the same tap dance solo and then received their placement.

It was my first year in the competition and much to my dismay, I placed 3rd behind two other girls from my studio. I received a bronze medal. What I really wanted was the trophy that was awarded to the winner.

I shared that goal with my mom and she told me about visualization. The process involves getting clear on what you want and then imagining it in your mind's eye frequently.

For the next year, as I drifted off to sleep, I imagined myself on the stage, receiving that shiny trophy. I reeeealllllyyyyyy wanted that trophy and so I devoted my bedtime thoughts to that image.

The other important part of visualization is taking action in real life, so as soon as I learned my dance routine for the 8 year old category, I practiced it religiously.

I practiced the dance in my mind, which is...

I was on my way to a business meeting recently and found myself with a few minutes to spare. Woohoo! I love it when that happens!

I had missed my morning meditation so I decided to pull over on a residential street and meditate there.

Several minutes in, a lawnmower that had been running turned off.

The silence that ensued was profound. The funny thing was, I hadn't noticed the noise until it stopped.

That's just like energy drains. We generally don't notice our energy draining away until we take care of the leak. Once we do that, the resulting energy boost is noticeable and transformative.

In the Courageous Self-Care model, there are 10 ways that we tend to drain our energy without noticing it. I've created a mini-course on those energy drains and I would love to give it to you as a gift. 

If you're curious about where your energy leaks are, click on this link.

Once we take care of the energy drains, we shift from running on empty to renewable energy.

Just like the lawnmower...

Do you know the metaphor about crabs in the bucket?

In case not, here's the synopsis.

When several crabs are placed in a bucket, generally, one will start climbing, in pursuit of freedom.

The other crabs don't like that, so they pull the freedom-seeker back in with rest of them.

It's such a powerful metaphor, when you think about it in terms of mediocrity.

People can be like crabs. Often, when someone has the vision to change things, the rest of the group can fell threatened and they'll do everyting in their power to bring the visionary back into a more common, non-threatening state.

The ego also works like those clawing crabs.

Your intuition may urge you to reach beyond your current circumstances. It's your guide to expansion and fulfillment.

When your ego catches your intuition making a break for it, it does its utmost to reign you in and settle for the familiar, back in the bucket, where it's familiar. It may be unpleasant circumstances, but at least...