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How to Achieve Your Dreams and Goals

September 11, 2016 By Heather 8 Comments

Happiness Mama

Intention without action is powerless.

Like a hot air balloon without hot air, it isn’t going anywhere.

I don’t want to live a life of wishes, intentions, and regrets. I want a life of mistakes made, actions taken, dreams realized. A life fully lived.

Imperfect action is necessary to learn.

It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to try.

First steps are not pretty. They’re not perfect. They’re messy. Uncomfortable. Even painful.

But without the first, you can’t take the next.

Sometimes, when you want to create something, you wish it would spring forth fully formed. But that’s just not how things work.

You have to start small, string together a bunch of little steps, and make plenty of mistakes… but eventually you’ll find that you’re actually going somewhere.

Sometimes it happens fast… you get into a creative whirlwind and ride your wild donkey until it’s done, through late nights and early mornings, notebooks and notes and thoughts and everything coming together until you have completed your goal, albeit imperfectly. Oh, the thrill of creating!

And sometimes it happens more slowly. I find that I’m on the slow track most of the time, sometimes making faster spurts of progress, but mostly getting there one tiny turtle step at a time. But that’s okay. That’s where I am right now.

When my children are a little older, I may have more time to work more and work faster.

For now, I’m happy to be making as many mistakes as I can, happy to try things even when I’m scared, happy to learn and meet my goals, even if it takes a while.

You can, too.

If you don’t try at all, you’ll definitely fail.

Failure isn’t making mistakes. Failure is not trying.

You want to do something? Get started, make a plan.

Or don’t make a plan. But definitely start. You can plan as you go.

Whether you want to start a blog, write a book, learn ballet, or start a new healthy habit, you can do it.

Even if all you have time for right now is the planning, that’s okay.

My Story: Shining Biz + Life Academy, Starting My Blog, and Coaching School

When my youngest daughter Rose was a newborn, I started reading about blogging and freelance writing. My blogging dream was in the incubation stage, and I enjoyed reading, learning, and thinking about what I might want to create.

Around that time I found my way to Leonie Dawson’s Shining Biz + Life Academy. In addition to gaining access to tons of inspirational and educational courses, when you join you become part of the most amazingly loving, encouraging, and helpful community of women from all over the world.

(And just so you know, a recent development in the Academy is that now you can join just for the life products,if you don’t need the business and marketing resources. Every year I enjoy using the Life Planner, and the Radiant Goddess e-course is one of my favorite of the life courses.)

Anyway, one thing led to another, and I decided to go to coaching school to become a Mama Bliss Coach. Coaching school was such a joy, and I am so excited about offering the gift of coaching to other mamas. Becoming a coach is perfectly aligned with my desire to help and support other mindful mamas in living their happiest lives.

Working with a coach is an excellent way to find support in moving towards your dreams, one small step at a time. Not only is it really helpful to have that one-to-one support, it is such a source of joy in itself. I always feel happier after working with my coach. I feel that I have been heard and understood, supported, and nurtured, and I know I’m not alone in my journey.

Mama Bliss Coaching is a special type of coaching which focuses on supporting mamas through strengthening the Four Pillars of Mama Bliss, which are self-care, creativity, values, and simplicity.

Are You Ready to Grow Your Life and Business?

If you’re a creative entrepreneur who wants to create a life of purpose, mindfulness, and self-care, I work with a very limited number of coaching clients. At the moment, I have room for 2 more private coaching clients.

Want to know more about Leonie’s Shining Biz + Life Academy? Do let me know.

You can also check out my 2016 Shining Academy Review to learn more about what I love about Leonie and the Shining Academy. I have loved being a member.

And if you join using my affiliate link, I have some extra special goodies for you: a copy of my upcoming course, to help you create lasting self-care habits, plus a group coaching call in November to help show you around the Academy and help you get comfortable. It will be fun!

Did you like this post? Share it with your friends. See the easy share buttons above.

What can you do this week to take action on your dreams and goals?

Even if your dream is in the incubation stage, you can take small steps towards your goals. Each small step takes you a little bit closer.

And there is joy in the journey.

Happy mistake-making, learning, and growing!

Love,
Heather

Filed Under: Goals, Happiness, Productivity, Self-Care

Leonie Dawson Shining Academy Review

September 8, 2016 By Heather 3 Comments

Here it is, a Shining Academy Review just for you! xo

Leonie Dawson Shining Academy Review
Thinking of joining Leonie Dawson‘s Shining Academy? In this Shining Academy Review, I will share about my own Shining Biz + Life Academy membership experience over the past few years.

I’ll also give you the scoop on everything you need to know to decide if Shining Academy membership is right for you.

Shining Academy Review Overview

My Shining Academy Review will help you learn more about Leonie Dawson and all that Shining Academy membership includes, so you can decide if it’s right for you! Also, it’s always fun to talk about unicorns, mermaids, and empowering women, which this Shining Academy Review most certainly does. So, let’s get started!

Who Is Leonie Dawson?

Leonie Dawson is an inspiring, totally herself, totally woo woo, and self-described hippie mama from Australia. She is also a creative, heart-centered, and super smart entrepreneur.

She went from working in a government office job while selling her artwork and running women’s retreats on the side, to creating a 7-figure business teaching other creative women entrepreneurs how to follow in her footsteps and create the businesses of their dreams.

With an irreverent, quirky sense of humor and a love of colorful language (ie, if you can’t handle the f-bomb used in humor, she’s not for you), Leonie’s fun, devil-may-care, completely honest personality is one thing that makes her stand out from other business teachers.

Loving her family is one of her passions, along with helping other creative women find success in their businesses.

Leonie loves mermaids and unicorns and being honest and real. She has shared so much of her own trials over the years, both in business and in life. For example, during her second pregnancy she shared about her struggle with hyperemesis gravidarum. And more recently she shared about how she was going through a time of not feeling like her creativity was coming to her as it had in the past, and how scary that was. Such honesty and openness is refreshing.

One of my favorite things about Leonie is her huge heart for helping others, and the fact that she lives it out through her actions. Leonie Dawson International supports a number of charitable organizations.

What is the Shining Academy?

So, now that you know a lot about Leonie Dawson, what exactly is the Shining Academy, you ask? The Shining Academy is Leonie’s online membership program for creative entrepreneurs, or for women who want to be creative entrepreneurs.

What Does Leonie Dawson’s Shining Academy Membership Include?

The Shining Biz + Life Academy includes ALL of the courses and products Leonie has created and continues to create, every month.

Members of the Shining Academy have access to thousands of dollars worth of business courses, life courses, meditations, recordings of live calls and trainings, and more.

The community, or Mastermind, of Academy members is another awesome perk. There are monthly live calls in which you can ask Leonie questions and get her feedback. Plus her team is active in the community group, answering questions and making sure the group stays positive and supportive.

Shining Academy Membership also includes her life and business workbooks and yearly diary, mailed to you, for free.

I share more about these life-changing workbooks below.

Who Is the Shining Academy For?

The Shining Academy is for you if you…

  • Are a creative woman who would like to start a business or grow your business
  • Would love to be part of a diverse community of creative, heart-centered women from all over the world
  • Like the convenience of having tons of useful resources immediately available to you for use whenever you wish
  • Resonate with Leonie: her warm personality and fun sense of humor, her colorful artwork, and her love for other women and the world
  • Would love to set goals and reach them so you can create the life you desire

If you are a photographer, designer, life coach, shop owner, health coach, or any kind of passionate liver of life who wants to make a living being creative or spiritual or whoever you truly are, the Shining Academy will be a good fit for you.

My Shining Biz + Life Academy Experience

I somehow came across Leonie, maybe through a blog post, and I quickly downloaded her Biz + Blog Star Workshop. I was so inspired by her story that she shared. At this point I was thinking of starting a blog, although it was still a twinkle in my eye.

My first purchase from Leonie was the 2013 Amazing Biz + Life Planner/Workbook. (At that time, the Shining Academy was called the Amazing Biz + Life Academy.) I printed out the pages of the Workbook, filled them in, and put them in a three-ring binder. I LOVED my yearly planner.

In fact, I loved it so much, I’ve been using them ever since, and they’re one of my favorite parts of the Academy.

Then in April of 2014, I decided to join the Shining Academy, and I haven’t looked back.

While I love my planners, my other favorite part of the Academy is the friendships and connections I’ve made there. They have enriched my life beyond measure (as wonderful people do), and they have helped me grow my blog and coaching business.

During the time that I’ve been a member, I have achieved so many of my goals, and I have learned so much. I created this blog, Happiness Mama, and I created The Happiness Mama Podcast. I love being part of the Shining Academy, and for me it has definitely been a worthwhile investment.

My Shining Academy Community

I actually signed up using the affiliate link of a blogger I admired. She later became a mentor and a friend.

Some of my best friends online continue to be friends I’ve made through the Academy. I’m thankful to count as dear friends lovely Academy members from England, Canada, New Zealand, Denmark, and across the U.S.

Friends from the Academy have also been wonderful podcast guests, and I have done guest blogging for other Academy members. It’s a great place to meet some amazing women doing amazing work.

Last year I went to Denver for a special Academy live event, and it was wonderful, too.

And I’ve had the opportunity to do other members’ programs for free as a beta tester, and that has been really amazing, too.

Some of My Favorite Academy Courses

Two of my favorite Shining Academy courses are Business Goddess and Radiant Goddess.

While not technically a course, the yearly life + biz planners and the new Diary are among my favorite things about the Academy, and using them has been a great inspiration and support for helping me meet my goals.

Want to check out the other courses, trainings, resources, and meditations that are included in the Shining Biz + Life Academy membership? Cool! You can click here to see the curriculum in greater depth.

Should You Join Leonie Dawson’s Shining Academy?

If you are a creative, heart-centered entrepreneur or you want to be, Leonie Dawson and the Shining Biz + Life Academy are definitely worth considering. It is a treasure trove of support, community, and practical knowledge to help you grow your life and your business.

Leonie Dawson started the Shining Biz + Life Academy in 2010. While starting a family and working just part-time hours, from home, Leonie has grown the business to $3 million. She has been a finalist for Ausmumpreneur of the Year and Australian Business Woman of the Year. And she donates significant amounts of money to people around the world who are in need. For example, they recently built a school in Kenya!

It is an investment, it’s true. If you are at a place where you feel ready to invest in yourself, your business, and your life, then this investment will be worth it. You can click here to read all about the Shining Academy and tons of testimonials from happy members.

The Shining Biz + Life Academy will be closing its doors to new members at the end of September. If you feel called and ready to join, now’s the time. Doors won’t be opening again until sometime in 2017. So now’s the time to make it happen!

Shining Academy Review Questions

I hope you found this Shining Academy Review to be helpful. If you have any questions about the Shining Biz + Life Academy, I will be happy to answer them. Feel free to share them in the comments below. You can also send me an email at heather (at) happinessmama (dot) com, or join me in the Happiness Mama Community to chat and meet other like-minded mamas.

I’m passionate about helping creative mompreneurs to create the lives they most desire while being the moms they want to be. And I know that if the Shining Academy resonates with you, and you decide the time is right to jump in and make the life and business of your dreams real, then it’s a no brainer.

Join The Shining Academy & Get Free Coaching and Goodies From Moi

Has this Shining Academy Review helped you decide that the Shining Biz + Life Academy is for you? If so, I have some bonuses for you!

For everyone who joins with my affiliate link (as long as you click on one of the links in this article, you should be covered), I will help you get started and get the most out of your Shining Academy Membership with a free group coaching call in early November, as well as a copy of my upcoming book.

It’s about creating the self-care habit, even (and especially!) as a busy mom and entrepreneur. You deserve happiness, as well as a thriving business. So let’s do this!

Filed Under: Coaching, Creativity, Goals, Productivity, Self-Care

Casey O’Roarty: Raising Our Children, Growing Ourselves, 12

July 26, 2016 By Heather 2 Comments

Happiness Mama Podcast Episode 12 with Host Heather Ash

My guest for episode 12 of the Happiness Mama Podcast is Casey O’Roarty of JoyfulCourage.com. Casey is a mama, blogger, podcaster, parent educator, and coach. I love the tagline of Joyful Courage, which is “raising our children while growing ourselves.”

Before our conversation, I knew we had a lot in common, but wow! We are both former school teachers, both have done positive discipline training, both started blogging and then podcasting, both do coaching, both love mindfulness and personal growth, and we also both love the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon! Wow! Talk about “sisters from another mister!” (Ha ha! I learned that one from Casey.)

I loved hearing about her journey from being a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in the mountains (really!) to becoming a positive discipline parent educator, and then starting and growing her online business while also growing her family.

We talked about so many topics related to being a mindful mama while also filling our own cups and growing ourselves as people, and how the two are so closely related.

How can we be the parents we really want to be?
Why do we need to nurture ourselves?
How can we deal effectively (without jumping on the “crazy train”) when our children manage to push all our buttons?
And how can we stay tuned in to our values and make time for things like self-care and meditation?

Listen, and find out!

You’ll also learn how getting a tattoo can make you a better parent, and learn about the man who encourages her every time she takes a drive.

I had so much fun talking with Casey O’Roarty, and I think you’ll love this one, too!

Highlights:

  • Teaching in a one-room schoolhouse
  • What it was like teaching while wearing and caring for her newborn
  • How she created a custom position for herself that allowed her to nurse her baby through circle time
  • How and why she started her online business
  • Positive Discipline live training
  • How positive discipline and her work have affected her life at home
  • Casey’s philosophy on why her children are hers
  • The mindset that helps us be the best parents and the best people we can be
  • How child behavior is like icebergs and weeds
  • #JoyfulCourage10, Casey’s free program to support parents in being the parents they want to be, and the unconventional way she’s delivering it
  • How body awareness and small physical changes can shift things in big ways
  • Making sure we have our toolbox in hand when we need it
  • Creating reminders of our truest values
  • What self-care is (and isn’t)
  • A simple way to do your own women’s circle

We can choose something different, quote by Casey O'Roarty, Guest on The Happiness Mama Podcast with Host Heather Ash

Quotes:

  • “The hardest parts of being a parent are the richest opportunities for personal growth” ~Casey O’Roarty
  • “We design our lives. And yes, there are instincts. Yes there are things that show up, but they don’t have to. If it’s not serving us, it doesn’t need to define us, and we can choose something different.” ~Casey O’Roarty

Links and Books Mentioned In This Episode:

  • Joyful Courage, which is Casey’s website, and the link to her #JoyfulCourage10 free program, which is www.joyfulcourage.com/jc10
  • Positive Discipline
  • Positive Discipline Parent Educator Training
  • Soul Navigation Cards
  • Tattoos from Danielle LaPorte
  • Essential oils from Happiness Mama

Essential Oils!

Happiness Mama is now offering essential oils to support you in your wellness and happiness journey.

You can learn more and get started with essential oils here: abreathofhappiness.com

Subscribe and Spread the Word!

Make sure you get all the episodes by subscribing via I-Tunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcatcher. (Mine is Podcast Addict!)
And you can help me and our mindful mama sisters out by leaving a review on iTunes or Stitcher. More reviews will help me get the podcast to more ears.

How to Subscribe to the Happiness Mama Podcast:

  • Click here to subscribe via iTunes
  • Click here to subscribe via RSS
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  • Click here to listen on Google Play Music

Stay in Touch:

Make sure you’re getting the Newsletter!

Sign up below for the Happiness Mama Newsletter and get a free guided meditation to relax and release tension and stress.

Also if you want to join a wonderful community of like-minded women, come on over to the Happiness Mama Community. It’s a free, kind, and supportive community of women consciously creating our happiest lives and encouraging each other along the way.

Thank you so much for listening! I hope this podcast helps you live into your truest values. You deserve happiness!

Filed Under: Happiness, Mindfulness, Parenting, Podcast, Self-Care

Small Steps to Self-Care

March 16, 2016 By Heather Leave a Comment

Small Steps to Self-Care

As busy mamas it can be such a challenge to find even a small bit of me-time, to breathe, much less for self-care.

If you want to get back to yourself and spend a little time for YOU again, it doesn’t have to be hard or involve drastic changes all at once.

Through small steps, you can get the self-care you need to feel good, to feel like your truest self again. You can get back to you.

Small Steps Lead to Results

Often it is easiest and most effective to start with very small steps to make change. Choose just one to three areas to focus on this week.

Choose Small Steps

What small steps can you take to bring your self-care to where you want it to be?

Make them tiny, so that they feel almost effortless. This idea was brought home to me a few years ago when I learned the Tiny Habits Method of habit formation.

Here are some examples of applying tiny habits to our self-care practice:

1. Leave a glass of water on the kitchen counter. Take a sip every time you walk into the kitchen.
2. Do anything on your yoga mat for 5 minutes a day.

Use Anchor Habits

This strategy really has the power to make actions into habits.

Notice in the first example that going into the kitchen is the anchor, and it’s the trigger for the new habit of taking a sip of water.

And in the second example, I can make it easier by choosing an anchor. It should be something I do every day that is already a habit that I do automatically.

For example, I could try making my anchor the moment I come in the door from dropping off my daughter at school. The only drawback is that it’s not something I do every day.

Ideally it’s good to choose an anchor you do every day to help you solidify your new small step into a habit.

Set the Stage

Another helpful strategy for making our small steps even easier is to do what we can to set the stage, or alter the environment in ways that make it easy for us to follow through.

In the first example, make it easy by leaving the glass on the counter in the kitchen near the water filter.

For the second example, set the stage by putting out the yoga mat the night before and leave it right in front of the door so that you can see it when you walk in and out.

Celebrate!

It’s a wonderful (and needful!) practice to celebrate our successes in life, big and small.

It’s also a powerful way to create habits.

This is how it works to change small steps into habits that become an effortless part of our lives (the definition of habits!):

Right after or even while you are doing your small step, consciously choose to feel great and say encouraging, celebratory words to yourself. You can do this aloud (if you don’t mind the people around you thinking you’re a little bit off your rocker) or you can do it in your mind.

What I do is usually think, “Woohoo! Yay, I did it!” If you want you can add a hand motion to it, such as raising your arms in victory, jazz fingers, or a fist pump, the moonwalk (yes!) or whatever feels good.

Every time you do your small step, you do the celebration. This really helps make the step into a habit more quickly.

For bonus points, kick off your habit formation practice by doing your desired habits on purpose, several times in a row. Basically, act it out. Do it. Over and over… Fun, right!? And silly! But it works… :)

Be Gentle with Yourself

Just try. If you forget, or if it doesn’t happen for whatever reason, just try again.

And celebrate!

Notice your thoughts, bring awareness to your feelings, and let it all go. Cultivate positive thoughts and the attitude of loving yourself no matter what.

It takes work to create new habits. Our brains want to keep on doing things as they’ve been doing.

So one of the keys is to keep on. We try again. And we celebrate the successes while letting go of negative feelings such as shame or inadequacy.

One of my favorite maxims is to “Just Show Up.”

Just keep on showing up for yourself as you cultivate your self-care habits.

You can do this!

Every little bit counts, and you are enough, no matter what.

Love Heather

Filed Under: Happiness, Health, Self-Care

Camaron Brooks On Staying Present and Happy 07

March 6, 2016 By Heather Leave a Comment

Happiness Mama Podcast with Heather Ash Episode 7 Camaron Brooks On Staying Present & Happy

I’m so happy to bring you episode 7 of The Happiness Mama Podcast! I spoke with Camaron Brooks, a mother of two young children who recently published her first book. In her book, Reporting Live From Studio B, she shares the real joys and challenges of motherhood and her transition from being a TV news anchor/reporter to a stay-at-home mom.

I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed talking with her! And make sure to check out her blog at ReportingLiveFromStudioB.com and her book on Amazon. It’s sooo good!

Highlights of Our Conversation

  • Why and how Camaron wrote and published her book with two very young children
  • The “inherent loneliness” of motherhood
  • Enjoy the phase you’re in…
  • The need to be in the moment as a mother
  • Motherhood is a huge learning experience
  • Our legacy of love
  • The importance of reflection and connection
  • Tuning in to “natural sound”: anchors that help us get back to the present
  • Moving towards love, not fear
  • What is healthy striving?
  • Accepting our past
  • The importance of little victories for our children
  • How we judge ourselves
  • Why self-care matters
  • High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), walking, and having fun
  • The importance of play
  • The power of small steps in creating change
  • Some advice for new mamas

Connection is why we're here. Camaron Brooks

Quotes from This Episode by Camaron Brooks

  • “My identity as a person really kind of exploded when I became a mom, and I didn’t know who I was and I think that’s because I had a false sense of identity based on career and a lot of other things. But motherhood kind of cracked that all open. We all go through that.”
  • “Connection is why we’re here.”
  • “Everything in life is a practice, there’s no finish line…”
  • “How am I treating my body? How am I taking care of myself?”
  • “I see aging as a beautiful process…”

Other Quotes from This Episode

  • “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” – Mother Teresa
  • “A miracle is a shift in perception from fear to love—from a belief in what is not real, to faith in that which is. That shift in perception changes everything.” -Marianne Williamson

Links and Books Mentioned In This Episode

  • Reporting Live From Studio B, Camaron’s book about becoming a stay-at-home mom after a career as a reporter
  • Camaron’s Blog: ReportingLivefromStudioB.com
  • The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
  • 10 MIndful Minutes by Goldie Hawn, Wendy Holden
  • The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
  • The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
  • The Book of Awakening, by Mark Nepo
  • The HMP episode with Kris Dersch: www.happinessmama.com/05
  • Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
  • 10% Happier by Dan Harris
  • Small Change by Susan and Larry Terkel
  • The Happiness Mama Community on Facebook www.happinessmamacommunity.com

Join us in The Happiness Mama Community

The Happiness Mama Community

It’s a warm, supportive group of mindful mamas, kindred spirits on the journey together. And it’s free! Just go to www.happinessmamacommunity.com.

Spread the Word

If you enjoyed the podcast and want to help other mamas be happier, too, visit iTunes or Stitcher and kindly leave me a rating, review, and subscribe. More ratings and reviews can lead to more eyes and ears seeing and hearing the podcast. Thank you!

How to Subscribe to the Happiness Mama Podcast

  • Click here to subscribe via iTunes
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  • Stay in Touch

    Never miss an episode!

    Click here to get the Happiness Mama Newsletter and your FREE gift, The Self-Care Workbook, with a self-care assessment and over 50 specific ways to add more self-care to your life, so you can feel AMAZING.

    Thank you so much for listening! I hope this podcast helps you be a little bit happier, and remember, self-care is not selfish, it’s essential.

    Love Heather

    Note: This post contains plain old links as well as some affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link, there is a chance I will earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for clicking! ~H

    Filed Under: Family, Happiness, Mindfulness, Parenting, Podcast, Self-Care

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