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What’s Your Stress Mindset? The Simple Shift That Could Be a Difference Maker

3/8/2022

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By Erika Fehrenbach Prell
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Stress…we’ve all had it, right? It’s an unavoidable part of life. Did you ever consider that you can flip the script on stress and make it a positive force in your life, rather than a negative and destructive one? And, Dream Chaser, it all starts with your stress mindset, or where your belief about stress lies. Let’s dive in!

Being the self-proclaimed science nerd, let’s start our stress discovery with physiology. Stress was designed to save you from life-threatening danger. Perhaps you have heard of the “fight or flight response”? That’s stress in action as it was meant to be! When this life-saving instinct is triggered, your body releases two powerful chemicals, adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline causes your heart rate and blood pressure to go up while cortisol increases alertness, combined these give you the energy for fight or flight. While these are extremely helpful to survive dangerous situations, this powerful stress response is more often triggered unnecessarily in our day to day life.

Experiencing stress isn’t inherently bad, in the short term. The effects of adrenaline and cortisol  can increase focus and motivation, resulting in improved performance. On the other hand, study after study consistently demonstrates that chronic stress, or continued exposure to adrenaline and cortisol, has very negative effects on the body and has been linked to health consequences in every body system with contributions towards developing heart disease, depression, anxiety and diabetes. 

Phew. Okay…now for the fun and inspiring part! 

Have you ever stopped to think about your stress mindset? Your stress mindset is what you think and believe about the stressful event that is happening. (And, quick recap, your thoughts and beliefs are two things in your control…this is an important point to keep in mind.) Psychology has been looking into this idea and has found there to be 2 mindsets on stress: enhancing and debilitating.

A person with an enhancing stress mindset views stress as challenges they are prepared to deal with effectively while a debilitating stress mindset sees stress as overwhelming and they are unprepared to handle it. There was an interesting psychology study that looked into this closer. It found that people with the enhanced stress mindset performed better in cognitive tasks, had more positive emotions during the stressful task and had higher levels of the hormone DHEAS, which is known for promoting mental resilience and positive mood. Conversely, people with the debilitating stress mindset had decreased ability to adapt to the stressful task, paid greater attention to negative events and results, and had higher levels of cortisol in their systems. The difference maker was having a growth mindset, that the stressful situation is a challenge you can handle, instead of focusing on the stress as an insurmountable burden.

Stress is just a part of life, and the presence of stress is out of your control. But, here’s the thing, Dream Chaser…your thoughts and beliefs about stress ARE under your influence of control and this is the difference maker on if the presence of stress is a negative or positive influence in your life. These studies are showing that simply changing your thoughts about stress can decrease the stress response in your body. That is so unbelievably powerful!

Where do you start? The first step is being aware of your stress mindset. Here are some statements researchers have developed to help you evaluate your stress mindset. Read each statement and rate them from a 1 (strongly disagree) to a 5 (strongly agree):
  1. The effects of stress are negative and should be avoided.
  2. Experiencing stress depletes my health and vitality.
  3. Experiencing stress inhibits my learning and growing.
  4. Experiencing stress debilitates my performance and productivity.
  5. Experiencing stress facilitates my learning and growth.
  6. Experiencing stress enhances my performance and productivity.
  7. The effects of stress are positive and should be utilized.
  8. Experiencing stress improves my health and vitality.

This might not be a surprise…higher scores on the first four statements indicate a more negative stress mindset while higher scores on the last four statements lean towards a positive stress mindset. Having an awareness of your natural tendency is the first step in retraining your brain to reframe stress in a new, more positive way. Here’s the place to start with your reframing, Dream Chaser…

You have made it through every challenge life has thrown at you so far.

These past challenges have equipped you to be able to deal with what’s coming next. The next time you feel stress coming on, stop and take a deep breath. (Okay, take another one, if you need to.) This challenge in front of you is here for a reason. It will make you better, stronger, more resilient. You are stronger than you think. You’ve got this!

Shine On!

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Spring Cleaning Isn't Just For Your House. It's Time to Declutter your Mind, Body, and Soul

3/1/2022

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Jackie White
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Winter has been slogging on for a few months now and sometimes it feels like you are too. Hey! The good news is that spring is almost here and it’s time to shake off the sluggish old routines and consider a refresh!

We spring clean our homes by gathering up the clutter, dusting from top to bottom, and opening the windows for some fresh air! Everything feels squeaky and new! Well, what if you did that with yourself? Just think about how that might feel if you gave yourself a good refresh! Wouldn’t it be amazing to revitalize yourself?

Cleaning From The Top-Down:

We begin with spring cleaning for your mind. Everything good in life begins and ends with a positive mindset. When you focus on the good, the good gets better! The best way to go about clearing your mind is by allowing yourself some quiet time where you can sit peacefully and rest your ever-racing mind. Many of us are so used to constant stimulation, sitting quietly with ourselves can feel like a challenge. To begin, find a place where you won’t be disturbed, put on some quiet instrumental music, and set a timer for 3 minutes. Close your eyes and breathe. Focus on your breath and think of calming your entire body. If this still feels difficult for you, one very helpful app that can guide you to a place of calm is called Insight Timer. The benefits to getting still will not only help your mind but your total wellness.

The next place you will want to clean is the place in your mind where limiting beliefs are holding you hostage. Isn’t saying that you are being held hostage somewhat dramatic? The answer is a resounding “no”! The beliefs you buy into are driving your behavior 100% of the time. That looks something like this: 

I don’t believe that I am:
qualified enough
smart enough 
worthy enough

Therefore I will not:
go after the promotion
go on to college
to ask that cute guy out

Do you see what’s happening here? The beliefs we default to dictate what we can do in our lives! They are indeed holding us hostage! In this refresh of the new you, you need to examine those limiting beliefs that have been holding you back. Write down those restraining limiting beliefs and get ready to flush them away. To move forward with more confidence and clearer direction replace the limiting belief with a belief that better serves you. 

One other pesky mind mess is negative inner talk. It does go hand in hand with your limiting beliefs so when you hear this fool negative talker cluttering up your mind, you have to shut it down immediately. This would be a good time to tap into those new positive beliefs and fill your mind and soul up with goodness and light.

Next Stop - The Heart and Soul

The heart and the soul is where we feel life. When it is gummed with regrets, grudges or old residual feelings from days gone by, your heart won’t be as open as it could be. Here is where another cleaning is needed. The best way to address this is to just let go and forgive. Stop holding grudges and negative feelings towards others. Easier said than done, true, but absolutely necessary. Beginning with forgiveness will release you from the energy you are expending on things that are in the past. Forgiveness is about giving you relief and peace, so do this for yourself. When your heart is cleared, it will be available to new positive feelings of love and connection.

Last Stop - The Body

Now, listen, you clean and clear your mind and soul until it is sparkling, but unless you address your body, you are not done yet. The body needs care. Feed it good, healthy food and drink lots of water. Seriously, your body is made up mostly of water and so you have to fill-er-up every day with the stuff. Also, you have to move, and I don’t mean from the couch to the fridge! Take a walk, do some yoga, ride your bike or try my favorite, dance! Moving your body is not only good for your body, but it is also a mood booster! Remember you want to keep your mind in a positive state and kicking your body into gear will flood your mind with the happy chemicals called endorphins. They lift your mood and help to alleviate stress! Consider this flood of positivity the final touch of renewing you!

Now you see that spring cleaning isn’t just for your house, it’s for the home that resides within you. It is something that we all should do at least once a year, but ideally a good once over every few months with weekly maintenance. Keeping your mind, body, and soul decluttered will allow you to enjoy more of your life.

Shine On!
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Love Yourself Enough to Give Up These 3 Life-sucking Things

2/22/2022

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By Erika Fehrenbach Prell
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DreamChaser, I have a challenge for you. Not just any challenge. I’m talking about a life-altering, happiness-boosting, ignite-the-path-to-your-best-life kind of challenge…and I know you are up to the task.

We talk about the importance of self-love alot, that we need to take care of ourselves daily, not sometimes or if there is time, but daily. That in order to do all the things we want to or need to do, it is crucial to fill our own cups first, minus any guilt for doing so. For many of you, this will require intentional action, focus, and practice to instill a new habit. 

When you start thinking about self-love, the place we start is actions we can do for ourselves that we enjoy, that refuel our batteries, and bring us inner calm. Things like exercise, reading, meditating, or journaling. That is awesome and having a list of go-to’s for self-love is important. But, I want to challenge you to take your self-love to a deeper level! Here’s my challenge…I want you to love yourself enough to give up these 3 life-sucking things. 

Are you ready?!? Here we go…

1. Ditch the Negative Self-Talk

The path to that dream life starts with what is going on between your ears. We all have an inner monologue; that little voice that is constantly talking in our ears. Have you ever stopped to really listen to what that voice - what YOU - are saying to yourself? Is it positive and possible or negative and demoralizing?

This little voice is often called the Inner Critic, and for good reason as it is not usually a very nice voice. At SoulShine, in fact, we have deemed this jerk the Itty Bitty Shitty Committee, and it’s time to give them the boot. 
  • Step 1: Recognize the committee is in session. This is typically when you are feeling down and your confidence is shaky.
  • Step 2: Pay attention to the conversation. Here’s a great rule to follow - if you wouldn’t say this outloud to someone else, you should not be saying it to yourself! 
  • Step 3: Fire those jerks! This might seem silly but it’s quite effective. Imagine the Itty Bitty Shitty Committee is sitting on your shoulder, like the bad angel you see in movies and television shows. Pretend to flick him off, sending him to oblivion, and replacing him with your own personal cheerleader.
  • Step 4: Do the SoulShine Flip the Script. Turn the negative statement into a positive, which might be as simple as adding the possible and positive word “yet” to the statement.

Beware, the Itty Bitty Shitty Committee can have a strong hold; it will take time and practice to recognize and thwart this foe. I guarantee that it will be worth the effort!

2. Let Go of the Things You Can’t Control

A big source of stress and negativity in our lives is trying to control things we really have no control over. There are really only 3 things that are in your control: your thoughts, your beliefs, and your actions. You can’t control outside influences happening to you but you can control what you think, believe, and your actions in response to them. 

Everything else? Let that crap go. This, DreamChaser, is one of the most freeing things you can do for yourself and is self-love at it’s finest.

3. Keep Stress in Check

Stress is one of the most negative forces on our wellness. Stress is a contributing factor in not only our mental well-being and health but also our physical. Stress is an inevitable part of life; spoiler alert, you will never have a completely stress-free life. The key is developing a way to keep stress in check so it doesn’t overrun your life, your Calm the Chaos plan. Don’t over complicate it, DreamChaser, start with making a list of actions you can take when you feel stressed to bring inner calm like going for a walk, deep breathing exercises, or practicing gratitude. Then, when you feel the stress level climbing, simply recognize you are feeling stressed and try an action, or two, from your list to bring on the calm. Of note, stress typically comes from an outside influence; by intentionally choosing your response to stress by calming the chaos, you bring it into your area of control! Bam!

That’s the challenge, DreamChaser…take self-love to the next level by giving up negative self-talk, control issues, and excess stress. Your future self is thanking you already!

Shine On!

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The Brain is Smart, But the Heart is Smarter. Follow Your Heart, It Knows the Way.

2/15/2022

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By Jackie White
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Did you ever think about just how many sayings we use to refer to the heart? Follow your heart, from the bottom of my heart, a heart of gold, my heart goes out to you, have your best interests at heart, pour out your heart, from the kindness of your heart…The list goes on and on. So, what’s the big deal about the heart? It’s an important organ, of course, but so is the liver. Why don’t we say I love you from the bottom of my liver? Well, that would be weird, right?

Big News!
It turns out that the heart not only functions as the workhorse pulmonary center, it is also our second brain. Say what?! 

A Science Moment
For more than 25 years scientists have been studying the connection between the heart and the brain asking questions like why do people feel emotions of love in the heart? Or how does heartache seem to be felt in the heart? The research further expanded to ask questions about how stressful emotions affect the heart. It showed that heart rate variability and heart rates turned out to be the best predictors of a person’s emotional state. But wait a minute, I thought emotions came from the brain? 

The Kicker
The heart works in conjunction with the brain but here is the kicker in all of this research, the heart can influence the way we perceive and respond in our daily interactions. In fact, the heart can affect mental clarity, creativity, emotional balance, intuition, and personal effectiveness! What?! This is frickin’ amazing!

Who Cares?
You might be saying, so what? Who cares? Well, you should care because this has significant ramifications for how we act and behave our way to success in life. Emotions are how we feel about the world and what is happening to us. You might feel giddy when you are around someone you have a crush on. You can’t help but smile when your dog greets you at the door. You might totally dig playing the guitar and when you do, you are filled with joy. All of these things trigger emotions in you. And through those emotions, you can begin to gauge what is really important to you. Ta-dah! This is why this is so cool. Your heart is feeding you information on what is truly significant to you. 

Listen to Your Heart…It Knows You
The moral of this story is you must listen to your heart because it truly knows who you are deep down. Pay attention to the feelings, the pangs, the ache it is sending to you.

Your heart sings when you go to an art museum…you should be creative!
Your heartstrings are pulled when you see dogs in need…you should find a way to help them!
Your heart longs for the blue ridge mountains of your childhood…you need to go visit!
Your heartaches for children who need a role model…you should be one!
You are happy as a clam when you work in your garden…then do more of that!

Choose to be mindful of what your heart is telling you. Those things your heart is pointing you towards are super important. Likely something that has to do with your purpose. Ah-Ha! The elusive purpose has been feeding you signals all along! (I told you the heart was smart!) So, do yourself a favor and pay attention to those signals because that brain in your heart is one smart cookie.

Shine On!
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A Tale of Two Hearts: Not Your Typical Valentine’s Day Love Story

2/8/2022

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By Erika Fehrenbach Prell
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What comes to mind when you think of February? I’m guessing for most people the answer would be Valentine’s Day. But, I’m not most people…lol. When I think of February, I think of heart disease because it’s American Heart Month. (Remember, self-proclaimed science nerd here, Dream Chasers.)

This will sound weird but I love heart disease! More specifically, I love helping people understand their risks for heart disease so they can potentially course correct and avoid heart disease. Here’s the truth, heart disease is consistently the number one killer of Americans, men and women alike, every year. Here’s another one, heart disease is largely preventable! This means unlike many cancers or immune diseases, your actions combined with inherent risk factors will determine if, when, and how heart disease presents itself. Like many things, the choice, Dream Chaser, is yours.

Let me tell you a Tale of Two Hearts starring two brothers. These brothers are close in age, less than 2 years apart. They grow up in a comfortable and supportive, middle class family. They take over the family business and go to work together, living in similar small towns. Neither of them are smokers but the older brother did develop healthier eating and exercising habits from an early age. And, both of these brothers have a strong family history of heart disease - 3 of their mother’s brothers had either heart bypass surgery, stents, or both at young ages. Other than the diet and exercise, these brothers have similar risk for developing heart disease…so, how much does that diet and exercise really matter?!?

Turns out, alot…and it might have been the difference maker! You see, this Tale of Two Hearts is about two brothers that I know quite well - the younger brother is my dad and the older brother is my uncle. Here’s the next chapter...

At the age of 47, my dad recognized and was diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease; this was following the unexpected death of his best friend from a massive heart attack 3 months prior. My dad underwent life-saving, emergency 4 vessel bypass surgery; after my many years serving as a nurse practitioner in the field of cardiac surgery, this is not an exaggeration…he was very close to his own life-ending heart attack. Fortunately, my dad has done very well since that time. Now, back to my uncle, with nearly identical risk factors as my dad. He eventually developed single vessel heart disease, requiring a less invasive cardiac stent, over twenty years later. 

Twenty years later…and, way less significant disease! The biggest difference between them was diet and exercise, managing two important risk factors that contribute to developing heart disease. This clearly demonstrates the power of taking preventative action! Here’s the thing about heart disease, Dream Chasers, it is something that happens over time. It does not happen overnight. It is your everyday decisions that compound over time to push you towards or away from heart disease. This might sound familiar, right? It’s a concept we like to focus on at SoulShine…lol. It holds true here just as it does for going after your goals and dreams; small wins and steps in the right direction pay off over time.

So, where do you start? Here are 3 Steps To Take Back Your Heart Health:

1. Know Your Risks - It’s hard to intervene if you don’t know your risks! Here is a link to Mayo Clinic’s Health System’s Heart Risk Calculator…this is a great place to start to identify your personal risk factors.

https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/locations/cannon-falls/services-and-treatments/cardiology/heart-disease-risk-calculator

2. Check Up Time - When was the last time you had a routine physical? With fasting labs, specifically cholesterol? If it has been more than 1 or 2 years, or if your labs were borderline, it’s time to make that appointment. Your labs tell the whole, undeniable truth about your risk.

3. Take Action - There’s no time like the present to start working on your heart health. By focusing on making your heart healthier, you will make your overall health better. Nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction are the best areas to focus on to make the biggest shift in your heart health. Small changes in the right direction, Dream Chaser, like a 10 minute walk daily or decreasing sugary drinks like soda or energy drinks.

You’ve got this, Dream Chaser. Your future self, and heart, thank you already!

Shine On!

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I Love Me…I Love Me Not. Why Leaving Self-Love Up to Chance is Not a Good Idea

2/1/2022

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By Jackie White
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We all have done it. Picking the petals off a daisy and wondering if he loves or loves me not. A game of chance that ironically gives us some sort of hope if the last petal we pick says “he loves me”. It seems so silly, yet we play this game symbolically with ourselves most days. Maybe there isn’t a daisy involved, but instead it’s a really good hair day that we say “I love me! I look good today”. Another day equal to the last, might result in “nothing looks good on me” when you try on half your wardrobe and you feel you are not super model status that day. On those kind of days, the petal reveals that perhaps it’s a “I love me not” day. So, what’s the big deal?

The big deal is that when you don’t love yourself unconditionally, then you are leaving yourself to the wolves. Seriously, who knows you better than you? You are in control and need to stand up for the care of yourself. When you don’t, you can find yourself in a real shit-storm of emotions. Oh, and by the way, that is a technical term.

The wavering of love for yourself can come in many forms, not just in your appearance as we spoke of earlier. It could be something you said or didn’t say. It could be someone else’s compliment or comment that has made your day or set you off. Then there is that inner voice, which can show some love, but for many it’s a string of negative tapes playing over and over. Thoughts like you were never good at math, don’t try now or who do you think you are, you don’t deserve that. These types of thoughts can keep playing even while you are not conscious of them, which is the ultimate sneak attack on your mental health.

The Chains of Love or Non-Love

With all these thoughts comes emotion. Emotions are the result of your thoughts. An emotion that can be joyous when the thought is a positive one or it can make you feel depressed or filled with anxiety when the thought is less than complimentary. Somedays you might feel like you are on a roller coaster of emotions. Here is the kicker, those fickle emotions dictate your behavior. Doh! That is the chain of love (or non-love): thoughts, emotion and ultimately behavior are inextricably linked.

Wouldn’t it just be nice to feel calm and steady? What if you stood tall all the days? The ones where you look like you can walk the runway and the next look like you are the runway? What if you could go about your day and feel confident and find yourself strong against any negativity? That thought might feel like some sort of super power, right? Well, that super power, my friend, is actually living inside you and only requires you to give yourself unwavering love. Oh, did that make you wince a bit? Yep, women get used to putting themselves last, putting themselves down and putting themselves so far off the list of priorities that you can’t even spit that far. Guess what? It’s time for change…starting right now.

The Essential Guide on How to Love Yourself

Decide that loving yourself is important. This is no flimsy decision. Loving yourself is as important as living or dying. When you live your life soaked in self-love, life is very different than living life rotting in negativity. Rotting is not living. Loving is living, remember that.

Show yourself some love daily. Yep, daily because practice makes close-to perfect! Each day stop in front of the mirror and smile. Each day find something nice to say to yourself. These compliments can come in the form of affirmations if that is helpful.

Fire the Inner Critic. That lousy yapping voice of discontent and foul comments that ruminates in your mind needs to be let go. Fire that Itty Bitty Shitty Committee! That voice will try to creep back in and when it does, give it the boot and replace negative comments with positive ones.

Celebrate you. I don’t care how you do this, but you deserve to celebrate the person you are and are becoming. Get your nails done, take a walk, do a dance or whatever allows you to best recognize the gift of your life.

Share that gift. Share who you are with others. You see, the love you have for yourself can grow exponentially when you decide to share love with others. Help someone each week by giving a compliment, volunteering, opening a door or sending a letter. Have giving back be part of giving to yourself. When you do, you might even surprise yourself as to how lovable you actually are.

No more leaving loving yourself up to chance, ok? Don’t waste anymore time on wondering if today is the day you will love yourself. Choose that for yourself and give yourself not only love, but peace and calm. 

Shine On!

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Habits…Goal Maker or Goal Breaker?

1/25/2022

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By Erika Fehrenbach Prell
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Know what today is? Today is around the date that most people have given up on their New Year’s resolutions. If you are one of the masses that started out the year with good intentions and have found yourself falling short, shrug the guilt and extend yourself a little grace.

Feel better? Great! Grace period is over, time to get back at it. Kidding, not kidding. To quote one of my dear friends, there’s a fine line between grace and excuses, Dream Chaser. And no one on their dream chasing, goal getting, best life journey has time for excuses or quitting, so let’s get back at it.

I’m about to let you in on a secret to where the source of your failure may be…and it’s the exact place to take time to evaluate and take corrective action to learn from the failures and move on to success. It’s your habits! Those every day actions you don’t even think about or realize you are doing are your goal breakers or your goal makers.

That dream in your heart…that goal you are going after? Your habits are the key to making them a reality. To use your habits to your advantage as the goal maker, you need to understand the basics of how they work. Here’s a quick basic habit review before we move on:
  • A habit is created when the brain recognizes a repetitive behavior
  • Habits are automatic, allowing the brain to move on to and focus on something else
  • The habit cycle has 4 pieces - cue, craving, response, reward
  • Habits create permanent brain pathways

A common reason we fail in our dream chasing, goal getting journey is we forget about habits, which is easy to do since they automatically happen. We jump into our goals and resolutions, making plans and taking big action. As our enthusiasm wanes and willpower fades, our already established habits kick in, inevitably leading to failure at reaching the goal. Here’s an example: the goal of eating healthier. You get all the vegetables, cut the sugar, throw out the snacks, drink the water. All goes well for a day or two, until you start getting hungry or having a craving for your old comfort snacks. You have a soda here…a few chips there…a little extra cream in the coffee…before you know it, you have circled back to where you started. Sound familiar?

Behavior change is possible when you work with your habits, not against them. Try these strategies to Flip the Script on habits, turning them from the goal breaker to the goal maker:


1. Small Changes = Big Results
Changing too much at one time is a recipe for goal breaking. Modifying your behavior slowly to give yourself time to adjust is less shocking to your brain and more likely to lead to lasting behavior change in the positive direction. We all want a quick fix or magic wand. The truth is it took time for unserving behaviors to point you in a negative direction, and it will take time for positive course correction. These small, seemingly insignificant daily actions compound on each other over time creating big results.


2. Stack Them Up
An easy way to add a new habit into your routine is to use the strategy called habit stacking. Habit stacking is where you add a new behavior with an already established behavior that is also a habit. This helps you remember to do it and makes the new behavior a new habit quicker. An example would be to practice gratitude when your alarm goes off in the morning or drinking a glass of water when you brush your teeth.


3. May the Cycle Be With You
Ready to create a new habit? Make sure to use the 4 pieces of the habit cycle (cue, craving, response, reward); each piece is needed to create a new habit.
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4. Practice Makes Permanent
Habits are formed from repetitive behavior. The jury is out on how many repetitions are needed, ranging from 20 to 70 times. Why the range? Like many things, all behaviors are not created equal; easier behaviors and more enjoyable behaviors often become habits quicker. Regardless, you need to practice and be consistent to create a new habit or modify an existing one. Tracking your progress, setting phone reminders, and doing the new behavior at the same time in the same way every day will help.
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5. Slam the Door
As mentioned earlier, habits are permanent brain pathways. They do not go away but can become inactive over time when not being triggered. This is the key to long term success…slam the door, twist the lock, and throw away the key on those old, unserving behaviors. Going back, even for a brief interlude, is likely to reactivate and restart that old habit!

As you can imagine, there is a lot that can go into habits. If you would like to dive a little deeper, I highly recommend the book Atomic Habits by James Clear; it’s one of my favorites! If learning more about the power of the compound effect, the concept of how small behaviors over time makes a huge difference, check out The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson; this was my start into personal growth and development. Let’s upgrade those habits, or develop new self-serving ones, that make getting after our dreams and goals just what we do!

Shine On!


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This Girl is on Fire! How to Stoke That Fire in Your Belly to Achieve All Your Dreams

1/18/2022

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By Jackie White
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This is the month where many of us are jazzed up about a new year and new possibilities! Our heads might be swimming with all the dreams we look to achieve this year, but it almost always fizzles out a week or two into January. So, how do we prevent this from happening? We need a new way! Let’s get excited because you can do this!

Girl, you are on fire! Make this your mantra as you go after your dreams this year! The key to achieving your dreams is feeling your dream’s importance before you even begin to take action! I am talking about that fire in your belly that has been smoldering for awhile. You have to stoke those fires!

Let’s talk about what not to do first. There are many goal-getting systems out there and that can get confusing. There is no need to develop the world’s most intricate plan to achieve your dreams. People tend to over-plan and the execution of the plan then becomes overwhelming and the reason why you quit. Spending inordinate amounts of time on planning to go after goals really is knocking you off track before you even start. Let’s do this differently this year and really make our dreams come true! 

Begin with Meaning
The starting line of any dream requires you to feel this dream’s importance to you. Get ready to strike the match! When you choose a dream to go after there should be a strong meaning of that dream in your heart. Choose a dream that you feel compelled to achieve. Choose a dream that is like a burning desire. If your dream is someone else’s dream it will feel like a shoe that doesn’t fit. For example, you feel that you are expected to become a dentist just like your father was, but you do not feel strongly about that dream, then that is not your dream and you will feel unfulfilled. Instead, the very thought of your dream should stir a fire in your belly! You should feel excited and maybe a little scared, but you know that this is what you want to do! When you have that type of meaning behind your dream, the dream becomes compelling and you will tend to see it through.

Dream with Passion
When you think of your dream, don’t just think of the end result, think about how you will feel working towards achieving that dream. Visualize yourself going after and achieving your dream. What feelings does that stir up? Get excited! Feel unstoppable! Whoa! Get back, those flames are burning high! Visualizing your dream will keep it alive for you. The very thought of achieving that dream might feel scary, but also enticing and exciting! This is when you know you have hit upon a meaningful direction to take your life. Girl, this is when you feel on fire!

Plan the Attack
Once you feel how important your dream is, you can move on to the planning stage. Again, don’t get bogged down into minute detail. Quite simply, every dream needs a plan and a timeline. To begin choose the top 3 action steps you need to take to move this dream forward. 

For each of those steps utilize the following SMART goal framework:

Specific  - Identify the specific actions needed to achieve that step
Measurable success - don’t skip this part. You must keep track of your progress.
Achievable - the step should be a stretch that pushes you to choose the habits needed for success. 
Realistic: The steps must be something that you can realistically do within the framework of your life.
Time-Bound: For every step give yourself a timeline to work towards

Check-In
This is the part where people start jumping ship. They don’t put a system into place to check in on their own progress and before they know it, it’s several months down the line and they have forgotten the importance of their dream. It is imperative to check in on your progress because it will keep you on track and honest about the actions you are taking towards your dream. Along with this check-in on your plan, it is important to go back to that compelling vision and feel its call to you. This is also where you get to celebrate your wins! Make sure you do that because this stokes that fire!

One Foot in Front of the Other
Take action! Keep moving forward towards your dream. We lose a lot of people here too because they don’t make their dream a priority. Choose to make time each day to step one step closer to achieving your dreams. Revisit the feeling of why this dream is so important. When you do feel that dream stir again it’s like putting gasoline on that fire! Light it up and keep it burning!

The dreams fueled by emotional ties to your heart coupled with a SMART plan are the ones that you will be able to sustain the best. This year place your intention on stoking that fire in your soul and when you do you will feel the power to achieve all of your dreams! And don’t forget your mantra: “This Girl is on Fire!”

Shine On!

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Using The Power of Your Mind to Turn Your Dreams Into Reality

1/11/2022

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​What exactly is power? Let's take a look at the actual definition of power. Power: noun The capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. Influencing behavior and directing the course of events would be pretty important things to do as you are managing your life, right?  So, have​ you ever considered the power that lies within yourself? Have you ever just “made up your mind” to do something and just did it? What about employing “mind over matter” and suddenly you have decided that you are no longer ticklish. How can that be? Then there are stories of the ages that tell of a character who had “it” within themselves all along:

Dumbo didn’t need a feather to fly
 Or 
Dorothy: Didn’t need the wicked witch’s shoes to get home


Why is this a common theme and why is it so profound? Because it can’t be that simple, right?

Let’s begin with your mind is more powerful than you can possibly imagine. Your mind is where you house your beliefs and thoughts. As we extrapolate that out through Gandhi’s famous quote, you can see just how powerful your mind can be:

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.”
― Gandhi

When we speak of mindset, this is the connection we are referring to. There is an undeniable linkage from what goes on in your brain. Even on the subconscious level, your brain is sending communication to how you behave. The one doesn’t exist without the other.

Think about that for a minute: if what you think drives your behaviors and those behaviors ultimately define your destiny, then it’s time to start thinking about what you are thinking about!

Attention all mindless wanderers, it’s time to start getting intentional about what you are feeding your mind! Are you reading doom and gloom stories put out by the media to sensationalize and put fear into people? Are you reliving a mistake you made in the past and your brain is telling yourself that you are an idiot? What about just going through the motions and no longer caring to think about the impact you are having on yourself or others? Are you clinging to beliefs that do not serve you in a positive manner? If you answered yes to any of these things, then it’s time for a change.

5 Ways to Harness the Power of Your Mind:

  1. Visualize what you want in your life
  2. Focus on positivity as the norm for your life
  3. Set your intentions each day to ground you in your vision for your life
  4. Meditate on using the power of your mind to help overcome difficulties and thrive each day.
  5. Quiet the Inner Critic (that negative voice in your head). Choose positive affirmations instead.


All the power you need to propel your dreams into reality is lying dormant within you. Get started today and lay the foundation for a successful new year!

Shine On!

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I Double Dog Dare You…(To Try Something New)

1/4/2022

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By Erika Fehrenbach Prell
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Remember the double dog dare when you were a kid? You know, the ole “I double dog dare you to…” fill in the blank with a silly elementary school idea. No one ever wanted to back down from a double dog dare, no matter the cost to your physical well-being or level of public embarrassment. The humiliation of backing down was a way bigger deal than the fear to go for it. The double dog dare gave you that push out of your comfort zone, to try something new, take action without overthinking.

I think it’s time to bring the double dog dare back this year, Dream Chaser, but with a SoulShine twist. Let’s be real, the double dog dare of our elementary years was not usually to encourage positive action. Our SoulShine twist will be to keep it in the realm of positivity and possibility…lol. 

Why is trying new things so important? Glad you asked! Trying something new is how you stretch your comfort zone, and stretching your comfort zone is how you live the best life you were meant to live. The magic in life happens outside your comfort zone. Those dreams in your heart? Those are dreams because they are not your current reality, to get them you need to grow and stretch. Growing and stretching expands your current comfort zone and opens you up to new possibilities in your life.

So, I’m issuing you a challenge. Are you ready?!? I double dog dare you to try something new. That’s it. Pick something new and try it. It can be small or big…it doesn’t matter. It just has to be new. Here are a few ideas:

-A new approach to an old problem
-A new genre of book you’ve never read or listened to
-A new type of exercise
-A new instrument
-A new craft
-A new mindset
-A new de-stressing activity
-A new hairstyle

It just has to be something new! Guess what the result will be? A confidence boost! You will realize that trying something new and stretching the comfort zone isn’t as scary as we make it out to be. After a few wins in the try something new category, you will have the confidence to keep trying bigger and bigger new things, stretching that comfort zone further and further. Before you know it, you will have achieved that dream in your heart. Know what happens then? A new big, audacious, out-of-the-comfort zone dream will appear. One that is so big and awesome that you will be shocked you not only dreamed it but also know you can achieve it. Here’s the truth, though, that even more awesome dream cannot and will not appear until you are ready, until you have grown and stretched enough to take it on and be able to get it.

That’s the fun thing about this goal getting, dream chasing journey. It keeps going! Pushing you further and further to your very best life. But, sometimes, we just need a little positive peer pressure to stop overthinking and start taking action, getting that momentum going. So, here you go…

Dream Chaser, I double dog dare you to try something new. Do you accept the challenge?

Shine On!

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    Authors

    ​​​​​​​​​​Jackie White has been writing about life and its ups and downs for many years. With a degree in Industrial Psychology and a life-long student of personal development she is intrigued by how each individual chooses to live their life. Jackie feels strongly that truly living your best life is imperative to attaining peace and fulfillment. SoulShine was borne of her desire to inspire and teach others to live their best life. This is her mission and her dream.

    Erika Fehrenbach Prell is passionate about inspiring and educating, others on their path to complete wellness-mind,body, and soul. This desire led Erika to the helping profession of nursing, and she obtained her Master's Degree as a Nurse Practitioner in 2007. Erika specialized in cardiac surgery, largely influenced by her personal experience with heart disease. While she loved working with this population, her heart's desire has always been to impact lives on a larger scale and from a proactive, not reactive, place. The universe answered when her path crossed with Jackie and SoulShine was born.  Erika finally feels she is walking in her purpose and is excited for this journey to unfold.


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