March 1, 2017

A Touching Mother Daughter Story

This past month my mother asked to come to my women’s circle for the first time.  She has always been curious about it, but hesitant to invite herself.   In my heart I felt it was the right timing.   We did an activity, where I asked everyone to share one hobby that they absolutely love.  I was initially surprised, but then inspired by her answer.

Mom ResultsMom said “I love my Isagenix.  It has changed my life.”  At first I thought what an odd thing to mention as a hobby, but in the spirit of no judgment, I let her proceed to explain why and my heart began to melt.  When I started the program my goal was weight loss.  I wanted to look and feel good again in my body.  I didn’t really have any aches or pains.  But mom on the other hand, has had a variety of different health issues.  She explained how she had very little energy and had a hard time getting through the day.  She also had really bad knee and joint pain.

After being on the product, she found that she had more energy, less pain and she lost over 35 pounds and 50 inches.  To top it off she has this aliveness about her that I haven’t seen in years.  My mom has always been a loving giving person who focused on giving to others and not focusing on herself.  It warms my heart to see that she has finally taken the time to do something for her.

She said I will be on this product for life, I FEEL SO GOOD!!!!

I was totally not expecting that.  While I experienced weight loss and a new zest for life, she experience SO MUCH MORE. The PAIN was minimized or gone. How many people live with PAIN until it is too much to bear?

I know Isagenix has the power to help with a variety of different health issues, its just that I had never personally experienced alot of PAIN, or maybe didn’t realize it.  I didn’t know what it felt like to have a hard time walking, to struggle to have the energy to keep up with kids or grandkids, to physically be in pain throughout the entire day, but still keep on a happy face and move on through the day.

My mom’s success had been a huge motivator for me to get back out there are share the benefits of this amazing product. I am starting a 30 day challenge on March 15.  I would love to have you join me.   You will not only have the benefits of the product itself, but you will have the support of a certified coach who can guide you along the way.

The interesting part of this whole experience, is that the weight loss and increased energy came with absolutely no working out.  I am not advocating for no movement, however, I want to share the benefits that you don’t have to focus on changing eating habits AND adding in exercise at the same time in order to reach some of your health and weight loss goals.

PhraseEvery positive change in your life begins with a clear, unequivocal decision, that you are going to either DO SOMETHING or STOP DOING SOMETHING.   It all begins with CHOOSING TO DECIDE you want more for your life.  Start giving your body the nutrition it needs.  You will be amazed at the life transforming results.

Contact Jen at Jen@thefreedomkeys.com for more information.

February 21, 2017

Thank You and It Takes A Village

Gift

As a special thanks to all of my subscribers, I have decided to provide some BONUSES for you. We all know that it takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to help each of us grow in our own journey’s as well and I have 3 special offers for you.

 

 

1) FREE CONSULT: If you are someone who could use help in transforming your passions into actions for your life, I want to support you. I have challenged myself to serve 20 women in the next 2 weeks with a FREE consultation.  We will discuss how to help set you up for success so you claim what you really want for your life and your career.

To schedule your NO OBLIGATION consult click HERE

2) INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS: I am looking for volunteers to participate in a series of interviews around the challenge that women face in the corporate world. If you or someone you know would be a good candidate for this interview, please let me know.  I am scheduling to have interviews completed by the end of March.

To participate in an interview send an email to Jen@thefreedomkeys.com  (Draft Interview questions will be sent ahead of time so that you can prepare for our discussion)

3) SPOTLIGHT SECTION: I have decided to create a spotlight section in my newsletter to provide you with even more value and suggest other practitioners and resources that might be of benefit to you.  You will see our first Sponsor Highlight below.   If you are interested in a spotlight section, please send an email to Jen@thefreedomkeys.com 

I would like to Spotlight two friends Karen Carlson of Be Well Massage and Brenda Gray of Hypnosis for Change.  They are hosting an event that will enlighten you to 10 simple techniques you can integrate into your daily lives to create wellness, relaxation, and a sense of well-being.

You Won’t Believe How 10 Simple Wellness Techniques Will Change Your Life

Date: March 22, 2017
Time: 6-8:00pm
Place: Ruah Center, 1110 Washington Street, Naperville, IL
Tickets: http://bit.ly/2lxh4A9
Questions?  Call Brenda 815-557-9752 or Karen 630.542.7573

 

 

February 8, 2017

I Faced My Fear

How many of us have the courage to face our fears? Its so much easier to run away and hide from them, than it is to face them.  If we can point the finger or blame someone else for a situation, then we keep ourselves in that fear mentality.  We are choosing to not take responsibility in the moment.  How are we modeling that for our kids?  Do your kids see you talking about your fears and facing them?`

I want to share a recent story from my 7 year old son.  We went to his brothers hockey tournament and of course he wanted to stop at the snack bar and get a bag of chips for the game.  I gave him a couple of dollars and suggested that if he really wanted the snack that he could go to the counter and order himself.  He looked at me and said, “no you do it”.  I looked back at him and said, “mommy is right here.  If you really want the chips you will go and pay for it yourself.”  He proceeded to refuse.  I then told him I was NOT going to buy it for him.  As you can imagine he was not a happy little camper. He was very upset with me and didn’t want to speak to me. He was pouting.

face fearThe afternoon passed and a few hours later there was a second hockey game. Andy said mommy “can I have money for a snack? I’ll do it this time.”  I was surprised.  I watched and waited as he went to the snack bar all by himself.  He then came back and said “‘Mommy, I did it I faced my fear!”.

I was so proud of my little guy.  He must obviously hear me talk about facing our fears all the time for him to be so confident and proud in saying what he did.  This was a great example for me in standing my ground and not giving in just to please a kid.  He experience what it was like to pout and not get his way.  He learned it didn’t work.  Then next time he learned how to step up and take responsibility for his actions.

Happy Kid.  Happy Mom!

January 23, 2017

What are Three Little Words that Hurt Our Self Care Practices?

You hear phrases like, nurture yourself, self-care, take time for you, etc… You know self-care is important, but if you are overwhelmed like I was, you almost don’t know where to begin.  You know that something feels off.  You know that you have this burning desire for something more.  You know that in your gut that something is missing, BUT where do you even begin?  Will anyone even care if I start taking time out for me?  Will anyone even notice?  Will one small act REALLY make a difference?  You will be surprised at how little things can make a big difference.  The first step though is really looking at what you care about.

Do you REALLY care about how you look?
Do you REALLY care about how you are perceived?
Do you REALLY care about being put together?
Do you REALLY care that your house is messy or clean?

What we think to ourselves about ourselves REALLY does matter.  If we even think to ourselves that things really don’t matter, then we will continue to bring it on.  For what we think about, we bring about. I can remember as a little girl thinking that certain things didn’t really matter to me.  I didn’t care.

lovecarebodyThe 3 little words that hurt our self-care practice is “I DON’T CARE” or Nobody Cares!

How often you find yourself saying the words “I don’t care”.   If we look at this more closely, that means “SELF DOESN’T CARE”.  WOW.  We know our words are powerful, but when you continue to repeat the phrase I don’t care, you might not realize how often you are bringing “not caring” into your life.

Three years ago my word of the year was NURTURE.  I focused on self-care from a variety of different angles.   I began to take time for me.  I began to meditate, rest, eat better, focus on spiritual, mental and emotional aspects of self, however I forgot one piece “the physical”.  I let it go.I started off the year focusing on nurturing me, and then life and business got in the way.  I didn’t spend as much time on self- care.  I also didn’t realize that I was sabotaging myself by consistently using the words nobody cares.

I would find myself constantly saying, nobody cares around here.   Nobody gives a shit.  Does that sound familiar?  WOW!   Since my word of the year was NURTURE, the Universe was pushing things into my life to remind myself that my intention was to NURTURE myself.  So when I wasn’t in alignment with my intention, the energy of the Universe sent messages my way to remind me of how I wanted to be and also sent me “not caring” messages, because I was actually inadvertently asking for them.

Self-care is MORE than taking time for you.  Some people begin with eating healthier and exercising.  These are both great places to start, however, SELF-CARE is BIGGER than that.  It is paying attention to the words we choose and where we give our power away.   Whenever you say, I don’t know or I don’t care, you are giving your power away and in fact, asking for nobody to care.  The next time you find yourself saying those words, take a pause and really think about what you REALLY want in that situation.  I bet your will find new opportunities for you.

January 16, 2017

The Last Time

You never know the last time that your child might do something cute.  Especially if you have multiple kids.  The first time a child walks, talks, or has a milestone, we tend to take a lot of time and energy ogling over the experience.  The more kids you have, sometimes the less we remember to capture those moments, but you never know the last time you will witness their childlike glee in things that they enjoy.

I have 4 boys ranging from the ages of 17 to 7.  This year my son started to question me about the real Santa Claus.  I saw a post on facebook on how a family shared the news with their children about Santa Claus and it sounded like an awesome tradition and way to share the news with them in a fun way. I tried to explain to him one day that Santa wasn’t real and after our experience it didn’t work. He said, are we going to see the real santa now.

The evening of x-mas was absolutely amazing.  I saw the excitement on his face as we gathered the carrots for the reindeer and put out the milk and cookies for Santa.  It all had to be perfectly placed. I could see his eyes beaming from ear to ear. Then the following morning I got to see him run down the stairs and look at the tree.  He was so excited. His expression was priceless as I basked in the glow of witnessing and remembering this experience forever

Then the worst of all things happened.  Andy’s present decided to not arrive in the mail.  So I had to scramble and find a new gift for him  When he opened his gift he did not seem excited.  He also made a comment about seeing some of the wrapping paper in my office for one of the gifts. He was very quiet that day.

A couple weeks later he whispered to me.  My shoes weren’t from Santa you know., they were from you and Danny.  I don’t think there really is a Santa. My heart broke.   I tried to have the conversation with him so that he wouldn’t find out and be disappointed like he was. However, there is a part of me that is glad that I was able to witness his childlike joy and curiosity one last time.  If he knew Santa wasn’t real then I would not have this last experience of his childlike wonder.

You never know the last time you might experience a special moment with someone, so treasure every moment to its fullest.

last time

January 5, 2017

Has any one told you to stop playing the victim?

This past week I had two opportunities show up in my life that really tested me.  My family has been looking for a dog and it seemed like everything was falling into place with grace and ease.  I was excited and nervous at the same time.  I kept praying and asking for guidance on what we should do.  While I was a bit nervous, I decided to take the leap and follow the signs I kept getting from spirit.  On Friday this week, I received a message that the family decided to keep the dog.

Of course my heart broke hearing the news that was not expected.  My first reaction was, “Really God?  Why?  I thought all signs were leading in this direction and now things shifted.  What did I miss?”  I started blaming, getting angry at God and questioning all that had transpired.

My coach saw a post of mine and said “STOP PLAYING THE VICTIM”.  There is something better out there and God knows what the best answer is for your family.  He rearranged this for a reason.  Look for the evidence and expect that something is coming. Many other people provided thoughtful encouraging words, which was great.  But what really caught me in my tracks was “STOP PLAYING THE VICTIM JEN”.  Many people might not like hearing those words.  I didn’t like hearing it, but I GOT THE LESSON.  I loved all of the other supporting encouraging words from people, which was SUPER NICE.  Those messages didn’t get to the CORE of the issue at hand.  I was sulking.  I was playing small.  I was blaming God.  Really? What good is that going to do?

I had another instance happen with a very dear friend where I wanted something, but wasn’t clear on what I was asking for and when I didn’t get the response I was looking for, I shut down. I was already in a “bad place” emotionally and I PLAYED VICTIM AGAIN.  She didn’t tell me I was playing the victim, but was DIRECT and HONEST with her feelings and put me in my place.  I felt terrible and never meant any harm by what I said.  Subconsciously I was trying to get a reaction by not being honest with my own feelings.

This is what stepping into and claiming your power is all about.  LEAVING VICTIM MENTALITY BEHIND, no matter what the issue.  It could be as small as not getting the answer you were expecting to experiencing a death in the family.  There is a series of feelings that need to be felt, however, if you are not honest with yourself and others you pave the way for conflict and victim mentality in your relationships.

victimHow many times are people not really honest with you about how they feel for fear of hurting your feelings? Being nice doesn’t support your higher good.

Did I like hearing the feedback I got? NOPE.
Did I learn from it? YES
Will I be more cautious next time? YOU BET!

I intend to be OPEN, HONEST and DIRECT in my communications with people.  I also will keep up my enthusiasm and see the beauty and gift in every circumstance.  I will not let myself wallow in my own pain, but rather lift myself up and out.  I KNOW and BELIEVE that God is directly my life.  It won’t always look like a straight line, but if I continue to have faith, look for the evidence and expect bigger and better things, then something better will come around.

“Playing the victim only blinds you to your own flaws so you can never improve yourself.   Self pity is the easiest way to create unilateral misery”

January 3, 2017

Shift Your Energy Around Abundance

How do you feel about money and abundance? We all have a story around money, and it’s important to dive into it deeper. I attended a networking event once and the presentation was around understanding your perspectives around money and abundance and the story that many people have created for themselves.

It started with a quote from Albert Einstein: “Everything is energy and that is all there is to it, match the frequency of the reality you want and you can’t help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.”

The speaker then described the functioning of the brain and how we train and wire the brain into patterns that are repeated over and over. If we want to make a change, we need to consciously retrain and wire the brain, just like a new habit. This is true for money and abundance, too.

Here are 3 steps to help you get clear about your relationship with money and abundance…

Step #1 – Discover your money story – Do you recall any of these comments in your life? Money doesn’t grow on trees, we can’t afford that, I don’t need to spend the money on X… These types of thoughts have become part of the story we defined for ourselves around money and abundance. God wants abundance for us. He wants to do great things for us in this world. Many of us hold on to these “stories” which in essence create negative energies around abundance. We need to believe that we are WORTHY of abundance. However, if we don’t believe and have faith, then we close our minds to the possibilities of what could be.

Step #2 – Operation Affirmation – We need to put good thoughts and energy into our lives. They say what comes around goes around. If you put out negative energy, then that is what you get back. If we are constantly saying I can’t afford that, or complaining about something, then those are the things we attract to ourselves. If you generate good prosperous thoughts, then positive energy is what you get back. When trying to think about abundance in any area of life, it is important to focus on an intention and positive affirmation. Here was an example: “I easily and effortlessly accept money and abundance into my life in expected and unexpected ways.” This doesn’t mean you are going to win the lottery and become a millionaire, but it opens up the pathway for abundance to flow through to you in however God or the Universe chooses to provide.

Step #3 – Promise to Self – Consistent intention to be deliberate and diligent is important. It’s one thing to say we want something and another thing to REALLY want it. How many people say, “I want to lose weight,” and don’t. It is one’s belief and then the actions that follow the belief that lead to the outcome. If you truly BELIEVE it will happen, then live as if you are where you want to be and the written or spoken words will begin to manifest.

I challenge you to think about your own personal beliefs and story around money and abundance. I truly believe that the universe and all living things are made of energy. Energy surrounds us and helps to create our futures. I have personally seen a variety of examples on how BELIEVING and having FAITH enables amazing things to happen.

Use these steps to help you get clear about your money and abundance stories, then shift your energy so that you can create the life that you want.

December 29, 2016

The Secret to New Years Resolutions

It is that time of the year again after the holidays where we take the time to think about our goals, dreams and intentions for the next year.  Many people want to lose weight, make more money, create more intimacy in their lives, find the “right” someone for them and the list goes on….

I hear stories of so many people who had the best intentions in creating their New Years Resolutions.  But for some reason or another something happened!  They started out with the desire, will power and motivation to accomplish their goals, but ended up not achieving what it was they really wanted.  What happened?  Has this ever been you?

Trust me, I have been there myself.  However, I want to share with you a secret of something that has changed the course of my life and how I look at my intentions for the year.

I do create intentions of how I envision my life to be each year.  However, I have another secret that has helped grow my life and my business in exponential ways.  I focus on how I choose to BE FOR THE YEAR.  I don’t just pick a word of the year. I also choose a word for each month of the year.  So rather than creating a huge “to do” list of how I intend to accomplish all of my goals, I focus on BEING and embodying that word for each month.

word-of-month

I have many stories from myself as well as my clients on the impact focusing on one word has had in our lives.  Click here to read about my word of TRANSFORMATION from this past month.  When we have multiple goals and intentions, we can create a huge to do list which can seem daunting for how we are going to accomplish our goals. However, when you focus on BEING ONE WORD, prayers are answered in ways that your “to do” might never have imagined.

I invite you to join us for an amazing event on January 13th.  You can experience the magic of creating your soul forecast for the year and experience how focusing on ONE WORD each month can change your life.

December 23, 2016

Feeling Transformation at its Core

This month my word for December was transformation.  I have seen my life and business transform in so many ways.  Not only am I able to see the transformation, but I can feel it too.  I have seen have HUGE shifts in perspective that I would have never dreamed possible.  I saw my children have huge breakthroughs. I have seen huge shifts in my business and the experience I share below allowed me to not only dream of my transformation, but physically feel it in the core of my being.   When you are able to fully embody your word, your vibration rises to meet your desires.  This is when life being to manifest at rapid speed and you begin to attract more of what you desire because your physical and spiritual vibrations begin to come together.

One night last week I experienced a depth of my being I didn’t even know was possible. I felt like a caterpillar in a cocoon that was much to big to remain where she was. There is no longer enough room for where I am right now to continue. I could feel the breath of life flow through me like waves in the ocean. It was as if I was dancing with the spirit of the divine. As I engaged in deep breath, soft tears slowly flowed down my cheeks as I fully embraced the depths of my being.

As I danced, I could feel my body move in ways I never have before. The breath in combination with the flow and the rhythm of the music, allowed me to stretch, pull and move my body as I made room for this new version of me to emerge. I could physically feel it. The lower half of my body was strong and grounded and the upper half of my body felt like it was thrusting and bursting its way through. I typically feel strong in my lower body but this upper body energy was like no other. I could literally feel the muscles in my body pulling and tugging its way out.

This was a breaking free into the depths of my being physically, spiritually and energetically. It’s not an awakening, but rather a re-birth. Taking all of the seeds that have been planted and emerging into this new version of me. A total TRANSFORMATION of my becoming.

This experience is available to all of us if we allow ourselves to dive into the depths of our being and do the work that leads us on this path to transformation. It isn’t always easy, but its well worth it.

trans2

December 14, 2016

Being Present is the Perfect Gift

It’s that time of year again – the hustle, the bustle, the fast pace of the holiday season. Between parties and planning and gift buying, we have an overly full plate most of the time. We can find ourselves searching for the “PERFECT” gift for each of the loved ones on our list. You may find yourself spending hours combing the internet or driving between multiple stores to seek out that special gift that represents how much you appreciate that person. For me, there have been many holiday seasons where I have shopped and shopped and shopped and still couldn’t find what I was looking for. Why does that happen? Sometimes I shop and immediately find everything on my list, but many times I hit a dead end.

Has that ever happened to you? Your intentions are good, you weren’t going to these lengths for the perfect gift for yourself. You are on this search because you truly want your loved one to feel special. But why is it that sometimes we cannot find what we are looking for? Why is it that your efforts of kindness and giving suddenly feel like a chore? Let’s ponder this for a minute. When we are DOING instead of BEING, sometimes it feels harder and takes more effort. I have realized that in being attached to the outcome, which in this case is a gift, I am limiting the possibilities that could happen in really bringing the joy to the person I wanted to touch. However, when I let myself BE, with no intentions, the greatest miracles happen.

I attended a church service once where we heard discussion about our Plan A versus our Plan B. Have you ever thought about Plan A versus Plan B when it comes to the holidays?

Plan A in most cases could be shopping for the PERFECT gift. But what if Plan B was even better?

What if that PERFECT gift was YOU! Show up to your friends and family and those that are most important to you as who YOU are.

Here is an example from my life. I was on a mission to seek out the perfect gift but was struggling to find it and getting frustrated. While we were out shopping, my son saw a gingerbread house and asked, “Mommy, can we buy this please?” I hesitated, thinking that nobody eats gingerbread in our house and this definitely was not the present on my list, but I saw the look in his eye and knew I needed to go with this Plan B.

The result? We created some amazing memories because I was open to being present and noticing what was really important. My plan A turned into the absolute best Plan B and a memory we will never forget.

As we head into the holidays and the final few weeks of the year, I hope you remember that sometimes the best PRESENT is the gift of YOU! Be present and enjoy all the beautiful moments this holiday season.