Tag: #free

“If You Believe in Magic, Come Along With Me….”

fairy_forest_3_v3I was driving along in the car with my mom one day when somehow it came up in conversation that I believe in mermaids.  My mom chuckled a little bit, rolled her eyes and kept driving.  A few moments passed, and when I didn’t follow up my statement with any other thoughts that might prove my sanity, she looked at me a little funny and said, “Wait, are you serious?  You seriously believe in mermaids?”  I nodded my head matter-of-factly and continued that I also believe in fairies, sprites, unicorns…the whole lot of enchanted beings that have shown up over hundreds and hundreds of years through storytelling and folklore.  She reminded me that I was 37 and, confused by my lack of logic, she asked me why.  My answer was quite simple…why not?

This conversation has kept me thinking.  Why is it acceptable to believe in some things that we haven’t seen, but ludicrous to believe in other things we haven’t seen?  For example, we have been taught since childhood that all things are created from matter and that matter is created from even smaller particles known as quarks and leptons.  Have you ever seen a quark?  How about a lepton?  Yeah, me neither.  Okay…you may argue that these things have been proven scientifically, so I’ve got another one for you.  Did you know that over 80% of the world has some sort of religious or spiritual affiliation, the majority of which believe in a God or Gods who have not been personally met, an afterlife that has yet to be experienced by those of us still living here in this plane and countless tales of miracles spanning centuries?  Just based on statistics, that means that roughly 8 out of your 10 closest friends believe in something magical, incredible and unseen.  You may even be one of them.

I’m not expecting you to lump your spiritual beliefs, scientific evidence of matter and the idea of fantastical creatures into the same boat.  Obviously, they mean different things to different people and that is more than okay.  What I am asking is if you can broaden your worldview enough for a brief moment to include the possibility of all of these things, whether you firmly believe in them or not.  Our egos have a funny way of shutting down the things that we cannot understand, which is the root cause of so many conflicts within the world and even in our personal relationships.  Ego causes us to set our jaw, draw back our shoulders and stand firm in the belief that our truth is the only truth, but how do we really know?  How do we know what is possible, or even what is real?  The fact is that we believe in things that are beyond our comprehension because they offer us hope, direction, and joy…and sometimes, just because we can feel it with all of our senses to be true.  Consider a quiet moment sitting in nature, a peaceful meditation, the feeling of falling in love or of having your prayers answered…you can feel your connection to things unseen in those moments, even if you can’t see them with your physical eyes.

Our perception is the filter through which our entire life is colored.  When we can take the time to see through brighter filters, so much possibility opens to us.  We become less judgmental of others and more sensitive to the world around us.  Magic seems to dance within us and we start to recognize that magic in others.  We become freer and lighter, curious and delighted, knowing that there are surprises around each and every corner.  It’s not about knowing for sure so much as it is about being sure that we don’t know it all yet and being okay with that.

What would it feel like to shed some of your doubt and step fully into an existence full of infinite possibility?  Speaking from my own experience, I can say that stepping out of my cynicism and truly learning to embrace the unknown that surrounds me has given me a sense of peace, curiosity and wonder that I haven’t known since childhood.  It’s allowed me to stop trying to be in control of everything, and instead learn to sit in the discomfort of not knowing with a deeper understanding that things always work out the way that they are meant to, even if I can’t quite comprehend why in the moment.  It feels a bit like freedom from so much of the conditioning that I have picked up on my journey, and I’m okay with that.

I invite you to give it a shot yourself.  What can you open up to?  You might be amazed at how it shifts the way you see the world.

If you’d like to inquire about one-on-one coaching with me, please fill out the form below to reach out.  I will do my best to get back to you within the next 24-hours.

Jillian Arena is a Certified Transitional Life Coach, RYT-200, and Reiki Practitioner.  She uses her training in each to help her clients around the globe achieve maximum clarity, happiness, and possibility out of life!  For more on working with Jillian, visit her website HERE.  You can also sign up for her FREE 30-Days to Joy Challenge.

10 Free and Simple Things You Can Do Today to Make Somebody Smile

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As a general rule, I will pretty much do whatever it takes to elicit a good laugh out of somebody.  I’ve been known to do things like what you’re seeing in this picture for pretty much my whole life.  This particular instance was because my dear friend Julia, who you see in the background about to wet herself, was having a rough day and I took it upon myself to do what I could to make it better.  As you can see, it worked pretty well.  Now, please don’t get me wrong here.  I’m not suggesting that in order to make the world around you a lighter place you need to Scotch tape your face.  In fact, I don’t recommend it.  If I remember correctly, it really hurt to pull that shit off my eyebrows.  What I am suggesting, is that there is literally ALWAYS something that you can do to brighten up somebody’s day, and it takes such little effort.  Read on to discover 10 easy ways you can bring a little positive flair to somebody’s day starting now!

1.  Smile

Yep, legit the easiest way to help another person experience some joy in their lives is to smile at them.  You weren’t born with that beautiful visage for nothing!  Put what yo’ Mama gave you to good use by sharing it with the world.  You’ll most certainly inspire the recipient to do the same.

2.  Listen

Your ears…also there for a reason (other than being able to jam out to some really good tunes while lead-footing it down the interstate).  How often do you feel like nobody’s listening to you?  Sometimes all it takes is slowing down long enough to truly hear another person that will leave them beaming from ear to ear.

3. Crack a Joke

Sometimes life gets messy and really serious and it’s hard to see beyond the chaos that’s happening in the moment.  Dropping a relatively stupid and well-intentioned joke can be just the medicine to remind another person that this too shall pass and it’s okay to laugh.

4. Write a Letter

Let’s just be honest…it’s freaking awesome to get an ACTUAL letter in the mail.  Seriously, I’m just going to own it…my husband and I literally race each other down the driveway if we happen to both be home when the mail carrier comes.  90% of the time we find ourselves inundated with junk mail and bills we don’t want to open, but every once in a while there’s an unexpected letter and it’s like Christmas morning!  It feels good to know that people are thinking of you even though they might not be around.

5. Compliment Them

I’m not talking some sideways compliment solely intended to instill a feel-good factor.  I don’t do bullshit and I would recommend you avoid it too.  People see right through that and if they smile, it’s probably a bit of bullshit back at you.  No, I’m talking a real, genuine compliment that comes from your heart and reminds the person receiving it that they are valued.  One or two kind words can go a very long way in changing the course of somebody’s day.

6. Tempt Their Tummy

Why?  Um…because FOOD!  Yes, because FOOD is amazing and delicious and it makes people feel full and when people feel full of yumminess their brains send off little, happy signals all throughout the rest of their bodies and that makes them smile.  Also, because when you give people delicious food, they will feel compelled to share and that will make you smile too.

7. Random Acts of Kindness

There is something so incredibly gratifying about anonymously performing an act of kindness.  Donate your old towels to an animal shelter, leave your unused coupons somewhere the next guy might find them or let somebody merge into your lane of traffic even though you are in a rush (preferably without flipping them the bird).  These simple acts can help to change somebody’s day and who knows…they might even pay it forward.

8. Be True to Yourself

Believe it or not, one of the best ways you can make somebody smile is by owning yourself unapologetically.  People want to live out their own dreams, and when they see somebody else doing it, it’s a reminder that it’s possible for them too.  Why do you think those videos of human beings picking up cars and jumping from rooftop to rooftop trend so hard on social media?  Uh, because it’s freaking awesome, duh!  I’m not suggesting that you should attempt to walk on fire or swim the English Channel in nothing but your Speedos (unless that’s your thing), but embrace what makes you unique and let it shine.  People love to smile at that stuff!

9. Make Them Something

Again, people like to see other people doing what makes them happy.  When you are being creative, you are expressing yourself by doing something that makes your heart sing.  Passing this expression onto another person is like saying, “Hi, this is a big chunk of my heart that makes me super happy to create.  Would you like a piece of it?  Maybe it will make your heart smile, too.”  I mean, that’s a pretty awesome thing to share!

10. Scotch Tape Your Face

Well, c’mon…it works!  I mean, go back and take a look at that picture.  The girl is legit about to fall out of her chair.  Mission accomplished!  If all else fails, you always have this to fall back on.

Now that you know a few really, excruciatingly easy ways to spread some joy, get off your buns and go do it!   None of this takes money, a college degree, an abundance of creativity, or even very little energy.  All it takes is the genuine desire to share some love and make the world a better place, one smile at a time.  Go get ’em.

If you’d like to inquire about one-on-one coaching with me, please fill out the form below to reach out.  I will do my best to get back to you within the next 24-hours.