Find Your Inner Kid

I spent another weekend back east for a gorgeous fall wedding in Cooperstown, NY.  It was for my brother in law's sister where my 8 year old niece's dream came true by being the flower girl.

I spent the whole weekend with my niece, Sage, including the 4.5 hour drive both ways from NJ to Cooperstown - and wow did I learn a lot from her.

It's interesting being around a kid who's perspective on life is still fresh, new and untainted.
 

• Pulling up to the hotel her reaction: "Oh those guys who help with the bags!!! I appreciate them."

• While I did her make up for the wedding: "Ooo powder, ooo pink lip gloss - I love makeup!"

• When asked by her mom (my sis) if she wanted to be announced and walk into the reception with her and her dad: "No I want my own introduction and will dance my way in!"

Then she proceeded to rock the dance floor all night like no other.

We take life and ourselves so seriously.  When do we lose that wonder and confidence we had as a kid?!  

Can you find your inner child and be more playful?  Look at things with reverence?  Appreciate the things we take for granted?  Find that unshakeable confidence?!    

It's a much more fun way to live.  

I'll Do It Tomorrow

If you follow me on social media, I posted a video on Friday about a recent stat that I heard - assuming you live to be 80, that means you have roughly 4,000 weeks in your life.  And if you're around age 40, that means you only have about 2,000 left!

I don't know about you but that doesn't sound like very much.  

I've been contemplating this all weekend and it makes me think how we spend every day and every week.  

How often do you say to yourself "I'll do it tomorrow."  Or "I'll do it when I have more time."  Or "More money."  Or "Fill in the blank with some other excuse."  

With such a limited amount of weeks in our lives - WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?!?

We need to put in as much energy and enthusiasm into every single day.  We need to stop waiting for all the conditions to be perfect - or else we'll be waiting forever! 

Don't put something off that is going to make you happy.  Life is short.  This is your sign to go for it - I believe in you!


XO

Adrienne

Staying Present…

I was in Buffalo, NY for a wedding over the weekend and had the opportunityto check off something on my bucket list - Niagara Falls.

It was breathtaking and beautiful seeing Mother Nature’s strength & fury in the powerful force of the falls.

We took the boat “Maid of the Mist” to see the great views from the water and it brings you right into the horseshoe of the falls.  

While in there for what seemed like an eternity (in actuality it was probably closer to five minutes) it feels like you are in the middle of a tempest getting soaked, thrown around and rain pelting so hard on your face you can barely keep your eyes open.

Thoughts were fervently running through my mind:

"OMG is my hair getting wet under this poncho, I don't want to wash it again."
"When is it going to turn around and get out of here?!"
"This rain hurts and I can't see anything!!!"

Then it dawned on me - here I am experiencing a natural wonder of the world and something I've always wanted to see and I am in my head not even enjoying the moment.

I took a big deep breath and started to focus on everything I was feeling - cold water beating on me, gale force winds in my face, fear and excitementin the pit of my stomach.  

And suddenly the whole experience changed and I was able to appreciate it on a different level.

If you are depressed you are living in the past. 
If you are anxious you are living in the future. 
If you are at peace you are living in the present.

Lao Tzu

Stay present and your experience of life will change.

XO

Adrienne

Enjoy the Ride

Do you go to the movies just to see theend? A concert just to hear thelastsong?

No, you want to enjoy thewholething!

So why do we do this inlife?

✔️Stuck in a job you don't like just waiting for retirement

✔️Wanting a relationship, house, vacation etc to be happy

✔️Waiting for the perfect time to do something you love

Lifeis just as much about thejourneyas it is thedestination.

Often times weglamorizetheendingand it never lives up to ourexpectationsanyway.

Stopwaitingfor theend. Enjoytheride. Focus on theprocessand not just theendresult.

If there's something in life you'reunhappywith,changeitnow.

"It is not death that we should fear, but we should fear not beginning to live."
-Marcus Aurelius

XO

Adrienne

Worrying

I've always been a worrier. Ruminating about possible outcomes, decisions to make, things on my to do list etc.

Someone once told me - worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but gets you nowhere.

I've learned how destructive worrying is because our feelings are always attracting to us more thoughts and circumstances of that same frequency.

When we're focused on possible negative outcomes, we're literally drawing to us those experiences.

The trick is to stay present, don't follow these thoughts down the rabbit hole. And start to turn the worrying into wondering "What if it all works out perfectly?"

REMEMBER: Where you place your attention is where you're placing your energy.

Where do you want to place your precious energy?!

XO

Adrienne

Be the Change

This phrase came up this past weekend while I was with my sister and then I saw two different people wearing a shirt with it in the airport on my way back to Denver.

It's such a cliche that we've all heard before but I took some time to contemplate its meaning since I felt the universe was trying to tell me something.

Then it hit me. I talk so much about how we give our power away to externalfactors always wanting other people and situations to be different.

But when we change ourselves, the outside changes.

🌟 Want more love from a partner, BE more loving

🌟Want more peace in the world, BE more peaceful at home

🌟Want more accountability from a coworker, BE more accountable yourself

🌟Want more respect from people, BE more respectful to yourself

The world is always mirroring back to us our beliefs and blindspots. If the same situation is consistently arising in different ways in your life, look inward and find how you are the one being the way you are asking others to be.

Literally BE THE CHANGE you want in your life.

XO

Adrienne

Expectations

I once heard that expectations are premeditated disappointments. 

How true that is!  Why then is so difficult to remember?!

I find it most challenging in dating & relationships.  I often have a lot of expectations about how I think someone SHOULD be.  But how often does that work out?!

Basically never.

And I'm left disappointed.  When I can let go of expectations and just acceptsomeone and the situation as is I am able to find much more peace.

It's not always easy but I'm working on it.

Where do your expectations show up and how do they leave you feeling?  

When I feel mine creep up I take a deep breath, relax and remember nothing is under control :)


XO 

Adrienne

Mind, Body & Soul

When I think back to where I was two years ago, I was in a very different place. I was riddled with anxiety, I had trouble sleeping, I had terrible eating habits, I drank too much etc.

I've always worked out and I started meditating around five years ago but when your life is a tornado, a little meditation isn't going to do much.

It wasn't until I started nurturing all aspects of myself that things started to change - my mind, my body and my soul.

Most people all know the importance of exercise on the body but are you also paying attention to the food you put into it? How do you feel after you eat? Does it make you feel energized or do you need a nap?

How about your mind - when was the last time you sat in stillness? Or watched all the negative thoughts that ran by in an effort to change them?

And your soul? Do you do things to feed it regularly like being out in nature, painting, blasting your favorite music and singing or dancing?

It's important to nourish ALL areas of yourself in order to feel whole, healthy and happy. When you are at your best, you can give your best to everyone and everything in your life.

Try to add one new habit this week that nourishes your mind, body or soul.

XO 

Adrienne

Two Sides of Being Human

I spent the weekend in Park City with a teacher of mine.  We talked a lot about how as humans we have two sides to ourselves.

We have the side of us that operates from instinct and our higher side.
 

Human Animal vs Human Spirit

Ego vs Soul

Higher Self vs Lower Self

Most of us are walking around on autopilot operating out of instinct, our animal side.  

From that place we’re driven from emotions like fear, worry, judgement, anger, shame etc.

When we can operate from the higher side, we experience emotions like joy, love, peace, gratitude and humility.

Next time you’re making a decision, check in and see how you feel.  Are you operating out of instinct from your animalistic side?  Or from your spirit side?

The more awareness you can bring to each side, the more you can CHOOSE if you want to bring out your best or worst, higher or lower self.

Which would you choose?!

XO 

Adrienne

Good vs Bad

I had a dream over the weekend that I walked into a hotel room and there were a bunch of moths all around the window.  I was immediately disgustedand mad. 

As I got closer to the window I realized they were not moths but beautiful, colorful butterflies flying in and out of my room from a garden outside.  One that was larger than my hand came and landed on me and sat for a while.  

Then I felt so lucky to have them there and was filled with wonder and gratitude.

I woke up and immediately wrote the dream down and contemplated what it meant.  

Our minds are so quick to judge things as good or bad.  But if we hold off on the judgement, something that seems to be "bad" can actually turn out to be good.

There is beauty and good in ALL of life's experiences - even if we can't see it at first.

Hold off on the judgement.  Accept what is happening even if you don't like it.  Then look for the good - it's always there.

XO 

Adrienne

Say Yes

Do you want magical, fun and exciting experiences in your life?

Yea me too. But if we're doing the same thing, same routines day in and day out, how can we expect something magical?

If we're stuck in the ordinary, we'll never experience the extraordinary.

I heard someone recently describe it like this:

If you were watching the same Friends episode for the 100th time, wouldn't you be bored?! You could fall asleep and wake up at any point and know exactly what was going on and what was about to happen so then you doze off again.

That’s your soul watching you everyday. Is your soul excited for each day?! Or is it bored and asleep because you're stuck in the same episode day after day?!

Step outside of your normal routine, take a different route to work, say yes to a happy hour with new people, try that workout class.

Say yes to new people, places and experiences and watch the unexpectedstart to happen.

XO

Adrienne

Is 8/10 good enough?

A question I often ask people is - on a scale of 1-10, how happy are you? The typical response is "I am very happy, I'd say 8/10." Which at first sounds good, but is it really?

8/10 = 80% = B- = Slightly above average

Is "slightly above average" good enough for you?

For me it sure isn't. We only get one life, one chance to live the way we want and leave the legacy we wish. One shot on this planet, one try at our best effort.

Many people are building for a better tomorrow but what if that tomorrownever comes?

Joy and happiness are our birth right and we should strive for that all the time - a 10 every single day!

If you're not a 10, ask yourself WHY.

Happiness doesn't just come, it's our job to cultivate that 10.

Remember: Your state of being creates your circumstances and not the other way around.

Do one thing today to bring yourself closer to that 10 and you'll start to attractmore of those experiences into your life.

XO

Adrienne

Take a look at my latest YouTube video to hear my takeaways from the Dr Joe retreat.

You Are So Powerful

Wow what a week I had at the meditation retreat with Dr Joe Dispenza! We spent anywhere between 4-7 hours a day meditating including one where we woke up at 3:30 to do a 4am meditation that lasted over four hours!

I know this may sound crazy to some people but wow was it powerful. To sit with yourself, to confront your thoughts, your emotions, your fears, your old patterns that are running you.

One of the things I found so cool is how we can get ourselves into certain states just from thoughts alone.

There were a few meditations where I was in a state of total bliss with tears of gratitude running down my face in complete awe of life.

It was a true example of how if we're in a negative state all we have to do is change the THOUGHTS!

How empowering is it to know that you alone have the ability to completely change your emotional state that quickly?!

We all get so caught in the victim mentality blaming other people and situations for how we feel but that just gives our power away and keeps us stuck.

Where you put your ATTENTION is where you put your ENERGY.

What are you spending your precious energy on?

If you want to feel better, you have the power to change it right now.

Try it.

XO

Adrienne

PS...If you want to learn more what it takes to create better habits of thinking and feeling to create the life you really want, let's talk.

Open to Everything

As I sat in meditation recently, this phrase came to me:

Open to Everything, Attach to Nothing

I wrote it down and have been thinking about it ever since.

It's our attachments in life that cause us to suffer. When we attach to the way we think something or someone "should" be.

Expectations are pre-meditated disappointments.

What if we can live in the present moment, experiencing everything fully with an open heart and mind, without expectations or resistance.

Then not attach to the outcome.

It would be such a beautiful way to live, don't you think?

See where you are attaching to the way something should be and how it causes you to suffer.

Can you let go of it to find more peace?

That's what I'm working on.

XO

Adrienne

Are You Free?!

In the spirit of July 4th and celebrating our great country's freedom, it made me think "Are we really free?"

As I've been learning, our brains are literally a computer that gets programmed. And we run on autopilot most of the time. In fact, 96-98% of all of our behaviors, perceptions and results are all driven by our subconscious mind.

Which makes me wonder, are we actually free?

If we're running from these subconscious programs, do we actually have free will? Most of the time the answer is NO.

We're so tied to the stories we tell ourselves on why something can't be done that keep us stuck and comfortable. Throw the subconsciousprogramming on top of that and we literally are in a prison of our own making.

If we don't stay present and aware in every moment of every day, these programs and stories run us and we are not consciously living (let alone creating) our own lives!

We must start to open and expand our minds, study ourselves and learn to tap into the infinite potential that lies deep inside of us.

How you ask? Well I can certainly help with that :)

XO

Adrienne

Be You

A dear friend gave me some feedback last week that shook me. As someone who knows me well and has watched me on my journey, he noticed how I was not fully speaking my truth.

I’ve always been a spiritual person - it’s a huge passion of mine and one of my core goals is to bring spirituality into the business world.

But I’ve noticed how as I am speaking with former colleagues and clients about my new business, I never bring the spiritual side up for fear of sounding “woo woo” and losing credibility with them. So I alter my message a bit.

WHY DO I DO THIS?!?!

As far as I’ve come on my journey, I still have old paradigms sneak in - mostly people pleasing and caring what other people think.

I’ve lived a large part of my life that way. But doing this makes you a prisonerof your own making.

How could I possibly conform to every expectation people have of me?! Why would I allow other people’s opinions to shape what I do and who I am?!

It was the gentle slap in the face I needed to hear and remind myself of this.

Let this be your reminder to be yourself. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Let your freak flag fly!

You’re loved just the way you are <3

XO

Adrienne

Do you trust yourself?

If you follow me on social media, you may have seen a recent video I made on intuition. Our intuition is such a miraculous gift we have - it's one of the mental faculties that sets us apart from the animal kingdom.

But do you use it???

This is something that didn't come naturally to me and I'm continuouslyworking on it. And I've realized something - the minute I start making excuses and justifying something, it means the answer is NO.

When you start justifying something, that's you trying to convince yourself because your intuition knows it isn't right!

No you shouldn't stay in the relationship even though they're a good person.

No you shouldn't stay in the job even though it pays you well.

No you shouldn't eat that food when you know it's not good for you.

Notice when you start doing this and catch yourself. Know that when you start to justify, it's because the answer is NO.

Intuition in a muscle that needs to be exercised daily. Start tuning in and trusting yourself.

We have all the answers.

XO

Adrienne

Do you take responsibility?

As I like to call it: Response-Able. We are able to choose however we want to respond in all situations.

Often times we blame people, conditions or circumstances for what is going on and how we feel in our lives. That is actually avoiding taking responsibility for it.

We are the only ones responsible for our lives.

When we start taking responsibility for everything, we take our power back. We're not giving it to the people, conditions or circumstances we're blaming.

We don't harbor feelings of anger or resentment because we know we are in charge of ourselves.

This isn't always easy to do and I definitely fall back into the blame game at times.

But once you can get into the habit of taking ownership for your happiness, your health, your wealth, your emotional state regardless of what happened in the past - you take control and create a wonderful & peaceful life for yourself.

XO

Adrienne

You get what you give.

Yes, you've heard that before - but do you live by it?

I'm not just talking about physically giving, I mean what is the energy and intention you put behind everything you do every day?

Do you half heartedly respond to a request from your boss or your child?

Are you annoyed when answering a phone call from a high-maintenance client or a relative?

Are you only thinking about your own agenda when meeting with someone instead of focusing on how you can help?

Do you multi-task (either physically OR mentally) when having a conversation with someone?

The most successful people don't become successful by doing certain things - they become successful by doing them in a certain way.

Put in your best effort with every task. Give it your full attention. Witness what energy you're putting into it and start seeing a better result come back.

Take a look at your day. What can you be doing better?

XO

Adrienne

PS...If I haven't told you lately, I appreciate YOU and for taking the time to read this :) If you're enjoying my emails, I'd love to hear!

Everyday is a reason to celebrate.

I was fortunate enough to be on the east coast all weekend celebrating one of my closest friends weddings and it was an absolute blast!

Lots of speeches were given and words exchanged about how much we all appreciate the bride and each other. As we cut it up on the dance floor together I thought to myself - why don’t we do this more often?!

Obviously covid has put a damper on some social gatherings but why don’t we tell each other more often how much we love and appreciate them?!

Why don’t we put on some music and rock out even when we’re all alone knowing how much of a mood lifter it is?

Why can’t we treat EVERYDAY like a celebration?!

Life is a beautiful gift and it’s so very fleeting.

Let’s find ways and reasons to celebrate every single day. Let’s make sure the people we’re closest with know how much they mean to us. Let’s not wait for special occasions to celebrate.

Celebrate everyday.

XO

Adrienne