Repetition is far more important than I ever imagined it to be.

The spiritual law of repetition states that anything done over and over and over again becomes predominant. So whether you are trying to create a new habit or form a new thought system, repetition is key.

Imagine that you are walking through a forest. Every day you walk down the same trail. You have been doing this for years and so the trail is clear. There are no obstacles.

But now imagine if you decide it's time for a change. You want a new trail but in order to make a new trail, it means blazing a whole new path and the forest is very thick. You understand that the new trail will take some work and commitment but you decide it's worth it.

I recently read a Facebook post from one of my friends. She said something like, "People always ask me how I get these really cool speaking gigs. I tell them... 'Because I ask!'"

How many times have you secretly wanted something in your life but never asked for it?

Most of the time, what we want is right at our finger tips, but it requires us to get a little uncomfortable. In order to get what we want, we'd have to step out on a limb and ask for it. Uh, uh... no way, sometimes that's just way too scary right?

The reasons we don't ask for what we want is because when we think about asking for what we want, these are just some of the stories that play out in our head...

We all have our moments. We do things that make us feel bad about ourselves. We choose behaviors we're ashamed of. We say things we're not proud of. And at the end of the day, when we screw up, we sit in guilt, shame and powerlessness.

But imagine if we loved ourselves unconditionally. How would it impact our lives if we loved ourselves despite our errors? Even if we screwed up over and over again and made the same mistake over and over again... what if we loved ourselves anyway?

Some may argue that we are giving ourselves permission to behave inappropriately and while there may be merit to this claim I tend to have a little more faith in the human race.

It’s Friday morning. My kids don’t have school today, but since I’m used to the schedule, I was laying wide awake in my bed this morning by 6:45am.

Since there was no reason for me to rush, I just laid there and pondered my life. I’ve been making some really big changes for most of the year and especially over the last few months.

These changes are lifestyle changes that I’ve been slowly implementing one at a time. (I’m a huge fan of baby steps).

It occurred to me, while I was laying in bed… why not share some of my favorite things with my readers? And so that’s just what I’ll do… I hope you enjoy!

I had an enlightening conversation with one of my girlfriends the other night. She talked about what it was like for her live under the microscope. She's the kind of woman who is always open and willing to work on herself. So much so, that she allowed herself to be picked apart not only by her own hand but also by the hands of other people.

I could relate... can you?

For those of us guilty of living under the microscope, let me explain my perspective about why this happens and how we can correct it.

Imagine if you could wave a magic wand and suddenly your life would become what you've always wanted?

It's a nice thought, but the truth is, if everything you wanted in life just simply appeared, you'd probably be bored. And chances would be, that you'd keep waving the wand, never feeling satisfied or fulfilled.

Life is satisfying when we push ourselves out of our comfort zones. We are fulfilled when the foundation of our purposeful life is because of our determination, commitment and hard work.

Believe me, we want to be the creators of our own lives; we don't want our paradise handed over on a silver platter. (Even though we might think we do).

Here are 8 important decisions that will move you forward and change your life!

Can you think of a time when you acted or behaved differently because you wanted to blend in with the crowd?

A chameleon protects itself from predators by changing colors; we too protect ourselves by being, doing or acting differently when we feel vulnerable.

For the most part, we have a deep desire to be liked by others. When people accept us and like us, we feel validated that we are worthy and valuable. But when people disapprove of us, reject us or don't want to be friends with us, it can create a sense of insecurity and self-doubt.

When it comes to creating a big life, living authentically is one of the first items on our 'to-do' list. We want to be real; we want to be ourselves because, in the end, that's what brings us joy. Here are 8 ways to keep it real and to live your life as your authentic self.

Things aren't always what they seem... sometimes we need to take a much closer look.

Several weeks ago, I was looking for a natural and healthy meal replacement shake. While I decided to test out one of the latest and greatest shakes on the market, I continued doing more research on 'grab foods' (foods that are quick and healthy).

I had no idea I would be opening a big can of worms! During my research, I learned that most of the foods I ate on a daily basis were loaded with chemicals, additives and pesticides. (Honestly, some of what I discovered wasn't all that shocking...)

But what I did find very shocking was my discovery of MSG (Monosodium Glumate).

I recently brought my kids to the swimming pool. While we were soaking in the hot tub, my son kept bobbing his head in and out of the water. There was only one other family at the pool that night (it was a quiet night). There were five kids in the family. At different times throughout the evening, each kid came into the hot tub and told my son that if he continued to put his head under water he would get an ear infection.

Finally, one of the children explained that their younger brother had gotten an ear infection by putting his head under water in a hot tub.

Indeed, this boy's brother experienced an ear infection and it very likely could have been caused by a hot tub. (We'll never really know.) But does it really mean that every single person who dunks their head under water in a hot tub will get an ear infection?

It seems we have so much going on in our lives that some of us don’t make the time to stop and check our happiness gauge. I had a client once who told me she was unhappy for 17 years but had been too busy to notice.

Is this true for you? When was the last time you asked yourself if you were happy? And I don’t mean just a little bit happy or kinda sorta happy; I mean really happy? The thing is, a big part of our life’s purpose is to be happy. Nobody is doomed to a life of unhappiness.