Category: Manifestation

Posted in Goal, Inspiration and Motivation, Manifestation, Personal Skills

5 Inspirational Quotes I Live By

Posted on by tracydee

I love anything inspirational or motivational and my friends and family know it. When I taught K-12 students I used to have quotes all over my classroom. My favorite candy is Dove chocolates because of the sayings on the wrappers. Of course, I do like chocolate as well, but the quotes are what keep me coming back to Dove. I get lots of gifts like inspirational calendars or cards that I can reference or hang up in my work space.

In this post I want to share my top 5 favorite inspirational quotes and how I interpret them for my life.


“If you’re always trying to be normal, you’ll never know how amazing you can be.” – Maya Angelou

I love this quote because it reminds me that I don’t have to be like anyone else in this world. Also, normal is an abstract thing because what is normal anyway? It also encourages me to take risks. If I just stayed complacent with where I am, I may never discover that next new amazing thing that brings me happiness.

The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.

Michelangelo

Now this is a quote I often use in my courses when I teach goal-setting strategies. It kind of relates back to the first quote I mentioned here. As the first person in my family to graduate college, I saw an opportunity to keep going and now I have a terminal degree. I set my goal for the highest education possible and while it was challenging and time consuming, I did it. And if I hadn’t set the goal, I may never have known how much I was capable of.


“Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.” – Oprah Winfrey

As an aspiring leader who hopes to make a positive impact in this world, this quote really stands out to me. I’ve really tried to become a person who displays empathy and encourages others to build this quality. I think I’ve gotten better at it as I’ve gotten older and experienced lots of different life circumstances. I may not fully be able to understand someone’s unique situation, but I can provide grace and space as much as possible.

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.”

–Helen Keller

I love this quote because it’s a reminder that opportunities are always in front of us and we have to let go of the past in order to embrace the possibilities of the future. It’s easy to dwell on negativity or rejections because it’s not great to feel those emotions. And it’s okay to feel them and recognize it, but I cannot let it bring down so much that I miss out on something even more amazing right behind that new door.


“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” — Alice Morse Earle

The quote above keeps me grounded in the reality that every day and every moment we have with one another is precious and we shouldn’t take it for granted. As someone who relives past mistakes and creates future problems, it’s also a quote that speaks to fact that I should focus on the here and now. I can’t change the past and I don’t know what the future holds, but I know that today I can be kinder, work hard, and appreciate the many blessings that I do have.

Please leave a comment if you’d like me to do any more blog posts on quotes I enjoy!

Posted in Goal, Lifestyle, Manifestation, Personal Skills

Limiting Beliefs: Strategies I’m Using to Overcome Them and Create the Life I Want

Posted on by tracydee

I feel like the universe is trying to tell me something. Lately, everywhere I turn I hear someone mentioning limiting beliefs, including my therapist. So I took that as an opportunity to do a deep dive into what that is and give myself some strategies to overcome them.

So first of all, what the heck are limiting beliefs and how do I know I have them? I had to break it down for myself to truly understand what I was dealing with. First I looked up the definitions for belief and limiting at dictionary.com

So putting it all together, I realized that these limiting beliefs were confining opinions or convictions about certain aspects of my life. The thoughts such as “I’m not smart enough to deserve this degree” or “I can never have as much money as that person” or “This business idea isn’t going to work out even if I try hard so I might as well give up.” I could go on and on and I bet if you think about it, there is at least one aspect of your life where this may be the case. Perhaps the limiting beliefs are not so obvious to you anymore because these are things you’ve been telling yourself for so long that you truly believe them to be true.

What I’m learning is that we can make conscious choices to change our thought patterns and that can have direct impacts on our daily lives. It’s one of the reasons that I started to write daily affirmations to change these limiting beliefs and start to create limitless beliefs and strategies to work through them. Here are some of the things I’ve been doing to help myself grow:

Look for Solutions

If my immediate reaction to something is “oh, that won’t work” or “that’s impossible” I look at the big picture and try to find solutions. Perhaps it seems like it won’t work or it’s not possible because I haven’t tried before or that’s the way I’ve always done it. For example, I’ve been struggling to lose weight. Instead of saying that nothing is working, I can reframe it and say the things I’ve tried haven’t worked. Therefore, what else can I try? Perhaps I need to combine some strategies and make them work in tandem to see the kind of results that I’m looking for.

Take Breaks – let it marinate

If I have lots of negative thoughts or limiting beliefs in a row, then I know it’s time to step back or step away. It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race of work, work, work, but that connection to a greater purpose needs to stay front and center. This is where I use strategies of visualization or go outside for a walk and breathe in that fresh air.

Recognize the thoughts in real time

This is a challenging one that I’ve truly been working on. It’s especially difficult when limiting beliefs have been such a part of my practice and I didn’t even realize it. I’ve particularly had a lot of financial blocks associated with what I thought I deserved or what was possible. So even though my blog hasn’t even made a full dollar yet, I’m taking any limiting belief or thought that comes my way and transforming them.

Now when I have thoughts about an action or activity or myself, I analyze them and decide if it serves me in a positive or negative capacity. If I determine that it’s negative or holding me back from greater potential, then I go back to the solutions aspect.

Write positive affirmations and surround yourself with them

Truly one of the most powerful things that I’ve done to break free from limiting beliefs is to write down affirmations. I have a goal of at least 3-5 per day that should be written. I also have cards posted in my office work area – “I am thankful”, “I am capable”, “I am valued”, “Anything is possible” so that there are constant visual reminders of that change in thought patterns. My therapist and I have a goal that I will repeat my chosen affirmations to myself in the mirror at least 3 times per day. That has been transforming me to see myself in a more positive light as well.

What can you do?

This process is highly individual and requires a commitment to change. The first thing you need to do is recognize the limiting beliefs you have about family, personal growth, finances, professional goals, and prioritize the areas you wish to change. Limiting beliefs can be a detriment to reaching personal goals and creating the life you want. And realize that you don’t have to be the way you’ve always been or believe the things you’ve always believed. Start small and set guiding goals for each week and keep going!

Posted in Goal, Manifestation, Personal Skills, Time Management

It’s Okay to Change and Become a Better Version of Yourself

Posted on by tracydee

Sometimes I get stuck in this mindset of how people see me. Do they see me as the rebellious child, the dutiful teenager, the naive twenty-something, or who I actually am today? And honestly, I’m still figuring out who I am in a lot of ways. This year, especially, has been an opportunity to reflect and evaluate.

Over the last 5-10 years, I’ve taken time to work on my anxiety, leaving me to feel like a failure at times and at peace other times. However, it’s necessary to do the work on yourself before you can give to others. I used to think that was selfish, but now I’ve come to learn that I have to step back when needed. This is particularly true for overachievers like myself who just want to dive in and do the most. But, I also have to give myself the same grace I wish to offer others, in learning and becoming a more critically thoughtful, kind, goal-oriented person.

I just recently graduated with a terminal degree and this was my first weekend in 5 years that I didn’t have editing or work to do on a specific paper or assignment for school. Do I have other projects that I can work on? Yes, I do. But it’s not so pressing that I have to give up my Saturday or Sunday to complete them. With a more open schedule in the week ahead, these are things I can work on starting Monday morning for a more traditional work schedule.

So in light of this period of reflection, I thought I would share some of the resources I’ve used to continue my personal and professional growth.

  1. Project Implicit – One of the areas I’ve been working on is becoming more actively antiracist and aware of my own personal implicit biases. This website from Harvard allows you to take a series of implicit bias tests to see where you are on a number of important issues. It’s a starting place to then seek other resources to continue to learn and grow, such as “How to Be an Antiracist”, by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi.
  2. Inspirational books – Although I haven’t had a ton of time to read for enjoyment, I plan to change that in the near future and dive in to material that inspires me to reach for my goals and aspirations. Two of the books I’ve really enjoyed these last couple of months are “Hello” Fears by Michelle Poler and “Year of Yes” by Shonda Rhimes. Both taught me to embrace new opportunities and not let fear hold me back. For example, even putting this blog and my YouTube channel out there is scary for me.
  3. Free online courses – There are sooooooo many ways to get free knowledge. I paid a lot of money for my degrees, but you don’t necessarily need to pay for information now. You can go to YouTube or websites with free courses. Some are even worth paying for a membership if you intend to continue your professional learning. I wrote another blog post here about some of the websites that I utilize to take free courses on topics of interest.
  4. Therapy/counseling – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I think everyone could benefit from talking to someone outside their day to day interactions. It’s helpful to process information, get strategies to change thought patterns, or deal with trauma. If you don’t know where to start, you can visit the CDC resources or National Alliance on Mental Illness. The process of counseling has helped me become more self-aware and grow my confidence.
  5. Affirmations – Along with counseling, the idea of positive affirmations is helping me to grow into the person I wish to become. I try to start my day with affirmations. Additionally, I have all of my 2021 goals posted next to my mirror on index cards by category. Each day, I see the goals I have for myself and I repeat statements that affirm my capability of achieving these goals for my future.

The final takeaway is that it’s never too late to change your thoughts, learn more, and become the version of yourself you wish to be. Don’t let fear or lack of time hold you back. Commit to 5 minutes each day to work on something for your personal self-improvement. Then, gradually increase that time as you are able to do so. I believe in you!!

Posted in Lifestyle, Manifestation, Personal Skills

30 Affirmations to use Throughout the Month

Posted on by tracydee

I’ve been working with my therapist on reducing anxiety and helping to believe in myself. Despite a lot of success, there are still times when I think it’s not deserved or I worry about potential mistakes. I’ll probably do another post on imposter syndrome and it’s impact on my life, but for now, I wanted to share some affirmations with you all.

Why should you use affirmations?

Researchers have found positive benefits of self affirmation theory (Albalooshi et al., 2020). In a study examining the impact of affirmations on two groups – the powerful and the powerless – Abalooshi et al. (2020) found that those in their powerless group had improvements with inhibitory control. This is essentially the ability to control automatic thoughts that might be negative and change it to more positive thoughts of self worth.

By taking the time to change our thought patterns, we can create more positive views of our self. Additionally, we can use those positive thoughts to bring us closer to our goals and dreams.

How I Use Affirmations

Many days I use the “I Am” app to come up with affirmations. I like to do this in the morning when I’m having my coffee. If I don’t get to it in the morning, I choose some throughout the day to repeat to myself in the mirror and write in my journal. I thought I’d use this opportunity to share some affirmations that I’ve created for myself.


30 Affirmations

  1. I choose to be happy and thankful for all that I have.
  2. My life is worthy of love.
  3. I accept who I am.
  4. Abundance is coming to me in all aspects of my life.
  5. I am healthy, blessed, and loved.
  6. Wealth and love are arriving in full bloom.
  7. I am beautiful beyond comparison.
  8. I am whole and complete.
  9. New opportunities are on the horizon for me.
  10. I can achieve anything that my mind envisions for myself.
  11. I am grateful for my friends and family who believe in me no matter what.
  12. No matter the goal, I will be able to reach it with hard work and dedication.
  13. My life is blessed and treasured.
  14. There are so many wonderful things in store for my future.
  15. I am enough.
  16. I am important.
  17. My worth is not determined by material things.
  18. The world is calling me to a life of happiness.
  19. True love and abundance is on its way to me.
  20. Nothing is impossible and I matter.
  21. I am worthy of a successful career.
  22. I deserve to love and be loved unconditionally.
  23. I will protect my thoughts from negative interference.
  24. My goals are attainable and realistic.
  25. I am destined to have an abundant and full life.
  26. I have a thankful heart for the many blessings in my life.
  27. All that I do is for a better future.
  28. My positive attitude will help me achieve great things.
  29. Nothing can stand in my way when I believe in myself.
  30. There is beauty in my surroundings.

Sources:

Albalooshi, S., Moeini-Jazani, M., Fennis, B. M., & Warlop, L. (2020). Reinstating the resourceful self: when and how self-affirmations improve executive performance of the powerless. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(2), 189-203.

Posted in Manifestation, Personal Skills, Work From Home

Starting a YouTube Channel: My Top 4 Goals To Get Started

Posted on by tracydee

I’m venturing into new things for 2021 and one of them is starting a YouTube channel. I have to admit, the writing for a blog is a bit easier for me than the speaking on camera. I think that’s probably why I’ve written more blog posts than I’ve posted videos.

Here are my 2021 YouTube Goals:

1. Get to 1000 subscribers

This is the level that YouTube says you need to start becoming monetized on YouTube. Not only do you need 1000 subscribers, but you also need 4000 watch hours. Hopefully, I’ll get to between 1000 and 100,000 subscribers by December 31, 2021.

2. Become more comfortable on video

I would like to become more comfortable and self confident on video. There is a lot of fear and anxiety associated with this new project, but I really want to work through this. I want to challenge myself to do this and inspire others to try new things and go after their dreams or goals.

3. Learn video editing skills

I am currently using iMovie for my recording through my Macbook. My skills are limited at the moment, but I hope to continue improving with each video that I make. I will learn as I go and continue to get better as I learn more about video editing.

4. Consistency

There is no growth without consistency. I will have to make a goal to post at least one video per video, if not more. So, that means I have to find out what topics would be interesting to talk about and make content. For now, I’m going to focus on the things I enjoy sharing with others and continue to improve my presenting and video editing skills.

If you’d like to check out the YouTube video where I talk about these goals, here it is!

Posted in Manifestation

Daily Affirmations

Posted on by tracydee

One practice I started several years ago rather inconsistently was listing out what I was grateful for. I found that on the days I started with a thankful heart I was more focused, productive, and positive. If I don’t get a chance to write it down, I try to at least think about it each morning and remember all the good things I have going for me.

More recently, I added daily affirmations to this practice. In December 2020, I downloaded an app called I AM and I did pay for the premium version. Now I’m sure I could have found tons of free resources online, but I really do like the app’s layout, design, user interface, and the affirmations.

Each morning, I scroll through my mix and I write 3-4 affirmations in my journal. If I find myself anxious or stressed I pull them up on my iPad in the app or look at my journal. Today’s affirmations are:

  • My soul is at peace and my body is healthy and beautiful.
  • The key to my future and my life is my mind.
  • I trust the process of love and life.
  • Just breathe and know that everything will be okay.