Happy 2011!

Do you have a sense of excitement about the year ahead – a clean slate, new possibilities and positive change?  Do you feel inspired thinking of how you’ll take action to make a better life for yourself.

If you’re like most people, you’re making your New Year’s resolutions and you’re gung-ho to begin following them with gusto.

My guess is that your resolutions involve at least a couple of these issues…relationships, health, career, and money.  So how do you plan to improve all of these areas?  Will you set the intention to spend an hour or two a week (or day) on each of these areas of your life to improve them?  That sounds like a good plan—but will it work?  Has it worked in the past?  (If it were that simple, your resolutions from the past wouldn’t have made it to this year’s list again!)

There is a better way.  Rather than try to create an elaborate strategy to construct a better life, wouldn’t it be easier to work on one underlying thing that could affect all of your resolutions?  Sounds easier to me.

So what is that one thing?

That one thing that can change everything is LOVE—unconditional love, or what I call “love for no reason.”  It’s the subject of my new book, Love for No Reason: 7 Steps to Creating a Life of Unconditional Love.  When you experience this inner state of love you automatically become a more powerful, peaceful and open-hearted person, which affects every area of your life.

While this may sound a little airy-fairy, there’s actually scientific evidence showing that if you experience more unconditional love, you’ll enjoy these fringe benefits:

1. You’ll have more fulfilling relationships
2. You’ll be healthier
3. You’ll recover more quickly from stress
4. You’ll be more creative and effective
5. You’ll be a better parent, friend and colleague

When you love for no reason you bring love to your outer experiences, rather than try to extract love from them.

In Love for No Reason, I show you how to access that inner state of love no matter what’s going on in your life.  Here’s a quick way to get started by feeling unconditional love for yourself first and foremost.

The next time you are feeling judgmental toward yourself, try using the ABC of self-love:

A = Awareness.  Become aware of any negative feelings you’re having toward yourself.

B = Be with the feeling.  Allow the experience to be there without trying to change it.

C = Compassion. Bring the same kindness and compassion to yourself for having this feeling as you would bring to a dear friend.

Take a look at your list of resolutions.  Would having an inner state of love help you stick to them?  If you had self-compassion would you be less likely to give up on your resolutions?

Try the ABC process right now.  In what areas are you feeling judgmental towards yourself?    Is it your weight? Are you a procrastinator? Does your desk look as if a hurricane hit it? Direct your compassionate heart toward the person experiencing the challenges: you! And watch what unfolds.

So in 2011 power your New Year’s resolutions with love. Expanding your capacity to love yourself, others, and the world is the one element that WILL make the biggest difference in your life this year.

Please share your thoughts/concerns/progress with our community by leaving a comment below.  Your lessons may make the difference in someone’s day right now.



Happy New Year! Happy New Decade!

Here’s to ringing in the new decade with great openness, optimism, and hope for the coming years.

I love the promise a New Year holds–when we start afresh with a new vision of possibilities for our lives. And yet, New Year’s resolutions are usually a bust. By the time we’re halfway through January (right about now), most of us have forgotten all about them!

Here’s a better idea. Select a theme for your year: “The Year of…” Vital Health, Faith, Being in the Moment, Happiness… whatever most speaks to you. I’ve done this for years, and it really works. The theme stays tucked in the back of my mind where it percolates, inspires ideas, and generates energy. It’s a quiet intention that lays the foundation for the entire year.

If you haven’t already, now is a good time to select your theme.

Since I’ll be spending much of the year working on my new book called Love for No Reason, I thought I had my theme: Love. I’ll be thinking, breathing, and talking love all year long!

But a few days later, “The Year of Trust” popped into my mind. It felt so right! At first, I resisted, thinking it should be my Year of Love. But then I realized my way of getting to the place of love is through trust.

When I relax and trust life, I let in more love. When I trust myself, my heart opens. So, as the gate opener to love, Trust is the perfect theme for my year.

Once you’ve selected a theme that inspires you, create a vision board to help you take it from concept to reality. This week I’m creating one for my business and one for my personal life, both of which will have The Year of Trust across the top.

Having a theme is a powerful form of happiness intention–the first step of what I call The Magic Formula: Intention, Attention, and No Tension. Follow these steps to build a strong foundation for your happiness:

1) Select a theme for your year-one that sings to your soul.
2) Create a vision board (or two) with your theme at the top.
3) Make a habit of looking for the ways your theme shows up throughout your day.

In happiness and trust, Marci

Fall is a time of transition-we say goodbye to summer, leaves begin turning, and children head back to school. Change is in the air.

When I was growing up, every year in early September my mother would don her fancy white gloves and take me on the big trip into “the city” (San Francisco) for our annual back-to-school shopping adventure. I remember feeling equally excited and nervous about the start of a new school year.

Beginnings are often that way-a mixed bag of fear and excitement.

This year, the roles were reversed. Last month, my family and I helped my mother embark on her latest beginning. After 57 years of living in the same beloved house, she moved to an assisted-living facility for seniors. Though I’m sure it was a little scary for Mom, she handled it with remarkable openness, ease, and optimism for what lies ahead. She loved her new home immediately. She’s meeting wonderful people and already getting involved in the daily activities.

I’m so inspired by her grace (at age 87) in letting go of the past and greeting change with open arms and a willing heart.

It seems as though everyone I know is going through some significant change in their life right now.

Are there new beginnings in your life, too? Is your child going off to kindergarten, or are you a recent empty-nester? Are you starting a new relationship or ending a relationship and facing life on your own again? Is there a change in your job status or a shift in your health?

Or maybe you wish you could make a change but are feeling a little stuck. What new beginning would you embark on to bring more happiness into your life if only you could make the leap?

I’m in the midst of some new beginnings in my life (more on those later). I’m noticing I have two choices in how I approach them: I can either resist the changes or be open to what’s ahead and feel the peace that “all is well in the universe.” When I lean into the latter, I feel excited about the future.

As you face your new beginnings, consider this helpful three-step process:

1. Clear and cleanse: Shift out old energy. Reorganize your home or office space, and give away things you no longer need. On a physical level do a healthy body cleanse. On a mental/emotional level examine and release any limiting beliefs. Letting go of the old creates a feeling of spaciousness, allowing room for something new to enter.
2. Embrace the new: Whatever change is before you, when you open to the unknown (even the discomfort), you welcome in growth, revelation, and miracles. Imagine what is possible from this place.
3. Be open to support: During times of transition, you may feel like retreating within, hiding your inner work from the outer world. However, seeking support from a friend, family member or support group is one of the keys to graceful change. It’ll help promote a smooth ride to your new reality.

Of course, a great role model always helps! Let’s take Mom’s lead, and embrace what is unfolding before us with open arms.

Happily, Marci

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