It's All About The Reframe, Baby

I’m going through a transition in life. Aren’t we all? 

It’s quite the journey. Suuuuuuuper uncomfortable at times. Fun as shit on other occasions. 

This time around, I’m learning how to embrace my authenticity and what that actually means to me. 

Where I’m at: Authenticity is our Innate Divine Essence. It’s the life force energy. It’s the magnet. It’s the guide. It’s the boundary. It’s the sovereignty. It’s the security. It’s the vulnerability. Self-love & an empowered mindset is the key to it flowing freely and positively. 

In theory it’s simple: tune in, get out of the way, and enjoy the ride with zero resistance. 

Not always easy. Old stuff comes up. Holding patterns rooted in a false sense of security get louder and grip tighter. A lot of the critical voice’s “You’re not enough” mumbo jumbo. Fear tries to steal the show. 

When that stuff is present it’s an opportunity to say, ‘No, thank you!” and choose a supportive intention for the mind to focus on instead - a new mantra if you will. 

When we are rooted in our heart-center, our thoughts are naturally more loving. If you’re like me, the mind can get in the fucking way and require some adjusting. 

The constant catch and reframe is what’s up. It’s a commitment. It’s an active choice. It’s also the energy that creates positive ripple effects for us collectively. We all grow together. And that’s the point!

What’s been working for me lately is this - when I feel wobbly, I take a sec to reconnect to my breath. I let myself see the cold, hard truth of whatever I need to see, feel it fully, and then use a mantra to pull me back into my body by breathing it into my heart space and belly.

These are some mantras I’m loving right now:

If I want it to shift, I can cause it to shift

I choose to see the lesson, blessing and gift in every moment, no matter what

What story am I telling myself? Is it rooted in fear or love?

It’s ok to believe before I see

It’s safe to choose love

Is it a condition, expectation or neediness? If so, could you let it go?

It’s safe to trust the natural flow of life 

I’m safe. I’m good. 

I choose a nourishing inner dialogue

I meet my critical voice with unconditional love and compassion 

I’m listening 

What’s the intuitive message you’re receiving right now? Could you let yourself trust it? 

Follow the joy

Is there a little more peaceful version of this thought you could let yourself think?  

It’s safe to stay open, in the unknown and totally non-reactive

I surrender it to the powers that be and am cool with any next direction because I trust it’s Divinely guided

Receptivity

Drop the judgement

Sit back and enjoy the ride. There’s no rush. I’m grateful and happy to be right here

It’s safe to feel whatever comes up and be with it

Stay open. Be gentle

Breathe

Thank you

<3

 

Let Go or Be Dragged // Patiently Impatient

Historically, one might say patience is not my greatest virtue. Pretty much my whole entire life people have been telling me to slow down. Sometimes I accidentally jump many steps ahead. I like things big, briiiiiight and fast. Sometimes a touch jolty so I really feel alive. Recovering massive risk-taker over here. While I promise myself to always keep leaping, I intend to do it with more stability underneath my wings from now on.

When I do slow down, it’s like the Universe laughs at me and sends in a little more weight so I have to move even slower than that. Wtf. I tell myself it’s like Soul Cycle, add the resistance - receive additional support and it will take you straight through to the sweet spot. If you let it.

What I'm realizing is that the restorative effects of relaxation don’t happen if we only physically slow down but stay overactive in other areas. That’s choosing the noise. It’s not the point. Easy to think you’ve let go and wound down when your body is there but it’s a deeper practice to tune in to how the other stuff keeps running and discover real turning off. True slowing down is settling into empty, open space. Total non-resistance. Allowing all that is. Letting yourself be guided into each next moment - not forcing or controlling. Open-ended trust. Not conditional trust.

Kim, my spirit animal, one of the many gifts you’ve showered upon me is this saying, “Patiently impatient.” It’s like, know what you want and hold the space for it while allowing it to take as long as it takes because you trust there is no rush when you flow with Divine timing and you are all good and totally happy exactly where you are with all that currently is.

Ummmm - EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

And, absolutely crucial for “growth mode” as my guy George Mumford puts it.

Patience is the key. Gotta let it all alchemize. Don’t rush through it. Grow through it. Elongate while in it. Think like a yoga pose.

It’s easy to do when things feel good. It’s those damn challenging moments that require we really turn up the volume on cultivating inner peace. Not rushing things creates a healthy space for the pieces to come together and things to land. When we can say “Yes” to the unknown, shit usually turns out better than expected. It does mean you have to be down with free-falling taking as long as it needs to take. And as Danielle McCleerey says, “We don’t get to decide how long healing takes.” So, we can freak out - or we can choose to dance while suspended in air.

The moments that I authentically believe my own spiritual mumbo jumbo are glorious, and I feel like I am Queen of the world. The moments that are drastically not that, I fake it ‘till I make it. Occasionally, faking it is a positive thing :)

Here’s what I’m learning about practicing patience while staying open to whatever is meant for me and being cool with moving on from everything that’s not:

The George Mumford way works - He says, “Embrace everything that comes up and choose the glass half full perspective. Look for the lesson. See what’s in it for you. Pick love over fear. This is the growth mode lens.” If we’re gonna patiently chillax in it, might as well get the gifts.

Whatever helps you let go and relax -
I mean yes, there’s an art to to this tip. Don’t go overboard on the stuff that’s bad for you. Don’t fear taking the edge off either. Find what works best for you which in my opinion is whatever lights you up, gives you energy, and nourishes your soul. What uplifts you and offers you confidence. After, you typically feel more balanced and that you’ve received something. Not anxious or drained. It doesn’t cause you to drag. If it drains you, say no thank you. But also, it’s all good when you do say yes please to all that. It’s the grace and compassion we give ourselves that matters most. Everything in moderation including moderation.

I love being right here -
Say this 222 times in a row and then eventually you’ll believe it. Seriously though, intentions & affirmations are potent tools. And I am truly grateful to be right here - ALIVE. Safe. Healthy. Happy. As someone who used to always reach for more before I truly received what’s already available to me (see, skipping steps), I often have to remind myself to fill up with the basics. It’s enough and it’s plenty <3

Maybe it’s not about starting over maybe it’s about opening up -
Like, how can I become more expansive right here and soften into all that is - emotions, perceptions, relationships, etc - instead of misbelieving I need to throw it all away and begin again to get it right. Instead of misbelieving I need anything to be different to be enough, worthy, or deserving. One of my repeating patterns that I’m having the opportunity to transform is blowing everything up, running away, and completely rebuilding from a place of fear and lack. Patience is teaching me how to sit in it, expand into it, and allow all of it. To ground and allow is the name of the game.

With all of this said - keep fucking dreaming! Go for it all. Use the down time for you. Go all the way in on yourself. Keep believing in yourself. That doesn’t need to mean anything specific. Just keep doing you. Keep choosing you. Keep “Showing up fully to whatever is showing up for you” As earth angel Angie Banicki likes to remind me. <3

Let Go or Be Dragged // Receptivity and Allowing

I’ve been in the depths of this lesson lately. It’s amazing. And, scary as fuck. Is it just me or does anyone else struggle to fully let go, do nothing and allow things to show up sometimes? The waiting room requires so much trust and patience. Plus, delicate inspired action. Not non-action. Important distinction. The Universe really likes to keep us on our toes. I do love and embrace the journey though. Honestly, even though I want it all, I’m in no rush. I want to live happily forever like Tuck Everlasting :)

It’s just that calming thy nervous system back to neutral is a thing sometimes. So much fear in there. Fear of not feeling safe to simply be/exist. Fear of disappointment and pain. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of being broken. Fear of dying. Fear of failure - eek a fate worse than death! :) I can barely breathe right now typing all this. But that’s what’s up.

This fear-based programming creates low self worth & disempowering belief systems. Those belief systems are what the outside stuff reflects. Want to see different outside stuff - (the yachts and planes yes, also, think world peace, love and harmony) - then create different belief systems. It is that simple. It’s not that easy.

The thing with creating different belief systems - integrating them - and then embodying them moment-to-moment is that it’s reeeeeeeaaaaallllllyyyyyy challenging to “Catch and reframe” (as Chenoa Maxwell says) constantly. It’s like a game of Wacamole. Right when you think you got ‘em, 10 more pop up all at once, faster and more intensely. Maybe it’s the universe’s game to help us strengthen and lock it in like muscle memory.

You have to ‘Catch and reframe’ every single time - EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. And when you don’t (which you won’t, because we’re perfectly imperfect humans) you have to let yourself off the hook completely, quiet the critical voice by letting that part of you know it’s seen and heard and also not needed while exercising the most amount of self-compassion you could ever imagine and reminding yourself to choose love no matter what the trigger is even though the volume of feels you feel all at once is AHHHHH. No wonder we’re exhausted!

The thing is, this practice is the bridge to the other side. (I think. I’m still free falling but I’ll report back when I land). It can be fun and funny. It’s just a choice to decide how you want to experience life. My take is - I can’t control shit. (I still try sometimes, oops. Look, I’m a work in progress.) I feel better when I’m living in love and light. And, I want to support people on that path even and especially when it’s hard to do. Because it’s possible. It requires dedication and commitment, and it’s totally fucking worth it.

What I’ve realized about the moments that feel overwhelming, is that sinking deeper into them and activating my breath is very soothing. Feels good to kick back, relax, let the wave hit and enjoy the ride as much as possible.

It always comes back to letting go. So, these are some of my most effective reminders/tools right now to surrender fully into my receptivity and allow the great unknown to guide my way with lots and lots of love and gratitude:

Receiving is the inward motion - I use this reminder as a meditation anytime and anyplace. I put my focus on my inhale and I invite it in. Whatever it is, however it feels, I welcome it and get mindful of the concaveness in my belly as I breathe in. I visualize creating the environment for a graceful catch (like a football receiver, even though I can’t name one lol) and then I breathe deeply in and relax into this moment with total acceptance of all that is. George Mumford inspired some of this.

Reconnect - Aaron Doughty has some great videos to help with this. Bring your awareness into your body. Use the breath to notice the felt sensation of whatever is happening within you and to run your energy through and within you for a clearing/filling up/restoring effect. Keep noticing it within you. Then ask yourself, “Do I feel reconnected?” If you hear or sense yes, let go and flow forth into the next moment free of useless noise!

It’s all about self love - That’s literally the prescription. There you go. Now you have all the medicine you need. I’m not a doctor but…It definitely works. Every, single time you get wobbly tune into how worthy and deserving you are of your own unconditional love. Doesn’t matter what’s happening outside of you or with anyone else. You can always choose you. Wrap yourself around yourself, fill yourself up with this love, and be with this truth until it shifts.

Fill yourself up fully first- What this actually means is different for everyone so explore for yourself. Generally, it’s how you access the experience an energetic wholeness/fullness/expanded state from within you before giving anything away. Become aware of noticing it and when you see what you need to know, put some more awareness on it.

Move slower. Slower than that - Woof this one. Get comfortable with uncomfortable, empty, open space. Don’t effort to fill it. Breathe into it. Be willing to see whatever it is you need to know. This is the deep work. It’s not always pretty. It really hurts sometimes. Breathe. You’ll get through it.

The lows are important and good - It’s safe to sit in them. SOOO hard for me to do this because in the lows my deepest wounds and pain that I spent so long running from in so many different ways are fully present and poking at me. Motivation — there’s no better feeling than embracing what comes up, breathing through it, and then getting to experience the weight dissolve. As Peter Evans says, this is the process of “Transmuting lead into gold."

You can change your mind in any moment - This used to cause me a lot of guilt but now that I know so much about Human Design (Thank you Tori and Danielle!) and my cray MG magic, I let myself pivot as many times a minute as I need and use it as practice of trust in self and the forces that support my journey. I choose to know, trust and believe that support serves mine and everyone else’s highest and best good.

The other choice is just one deep breath away - When the demons arrive on steroids, I remind myself that I get to choose how I want the narrative to be, I get to choose my thoughts, I get to create my perception and therefore my reality this way. Anything outside myself doesn’t matter - I can still choose the more empowering mindset. The other choice is just one deep breath (and often a dance) away.

Finally, as Gabby Bernstein says, “Just when you think you’ve surrendered, surrender some more!” Even when you want to quit and run away, keep going. Choose love. Stay open. Pump yourself up. You deserve it. We got this. <3

Lessons from Brazil

I’ve been back from Brazil for two days and the recalibration has been a thing!

I’ve smoked weed before 6am the past two mornings to pull me up a little. Thank God my natural baseline is generally positive and happy - but not gonna lie, things feel slightly unsettling. The energy feels heavy! For all of us. For obvious reasons, yes I know. Exploring deeper - I keep asking, is it because I was on vacation? is it LA? Was it Brazil? Is it the human journey?

I landed on: All Of The Above. It’s easy to feel free on vacation and less free when you come back to the day-to-day responsibilities of life. LA definitely has a hustle and grind to it that feels like a lot when you’re choosing to actively lean back. Brazil is beautiful and as Zach Brown’s dad Ike put it so perfectly, “These people really know how to live!”

That’s the truth! This culture is rooted in love, and you know how I feel about that :) I get there’s tension and divide - LIKE EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD. But all I felt was love! From everyone. All the time. Brazilians seem to know how to really savor the moment. Sink into it. Breathe. Be. Play. Enjoy. They also know how to fucking party. There is music and dancing everywhere, for hours and hours it never ends, and it’s AMMMAAAZZZIIINNNGGGGG. The people in Brazil inspire me SO MUCH! And to the women I got to know, you are all beautiful angels who adjust other people’s crowns, take care of everyone, keep giving love, are so creative, really fun and cool as shit. Namaste :)

P.S Even if you’re not Brazilian and we spent time together anywhere in Brazil this trip, this all applies to you too! The coming together of great people on this adventure was right on — it was all love :)

Since I’ve been home, in the wobbly moments when I “Wish I was still on vacation,” I remind myself to bring the vacation to me. I ask myself to understand the feeling that I’m looking for. Then I pick a lessons from Brazil and integrate it wherever I am right now. I guess that’s the point, as Peter Evans quoted Jon Kabat-Zinn yesterday, “Wherever you go, there you are.” And that is one of my greatest gifts from this trip, a renewed understanding of real presence and how to be there.

With that - here are my favorite takeaways from Stef’s Brazil Adventure 2022:

Brazil Vinaigrette YUM - olive oil w chopped basil and kalamatas (tomatoes)

Everything is beautiful

Joy and fulfillment is in this moment

Need less

Go with the flow

Balance

Real connection x sovereignty (alone together)

Generosity with resources - there is always enough

So many angel numbers: 222’s, 5555 (1010), 333, 7s

Queens and crowns - High Empress Energy

Allowing support

Strong healthy boundaries

Freeing and channeling emotions productively

Balance

Embodiment

Integration

BEING in it. BEING IT

Magnetism

Effortlessness

Raw energy

Space is good

Union of self

Confidence

Trust

Self love and acceptance

Alignment w me

Surrender

Transcendence

I get to choose to think and believe whatever I want. I get to choose

Worthiness

Enoughness

Fulfillment from within

Honoring the still small quiet voice

Trusting my intuition

Believing

Alchemy

Gratitude for it all

Divine devotion

Embrace the unknown

Stop overthinking

Learn more of the language before travel next time

Nothing wrong with feeling exactly how you feel and honoring anything and everything that comes up with compassion and love - without trying to fix it. Simply supporting and nourishing it with love to soothe it while allowing it to be freely present and smiling at it with love. That’s freedom

Homestretch is where the work begins

It’s allllll good. You don’t have to be anywhere that you’re not. Here is perfect. Breathe. You’re enough. You’re worthy. And you’re safe. Truly. Go within and get what you need

See the fear. Allow it. Meet it with love and then choose love.

Fuck the insecurity

Stay in it. Vulnerability is good

Reminder: It’s safe to always listen to and trust myself

The root is choosing unconditional self love and radical self acceptance.

Celebrate everything

Slow down there’s absolutely no rush

The Brazilian Queen

Inner compass

Feel the flow and go with it, let it guide you

Branded Post - Why Skims Makes Me Feel Like My Best Self

I love the Kardashians. They are Queens! That’s some straight up empowered Divine Feminine energy in ultimate flow if you ask me and yes please to it!

Whether you agree or disagree, one thing is for sure, you should be wearings Skims. The technology is superior, the quality is high end, the fit is amazing, and when you wear it you feel like the true you - the sexiest, most confident and authentic version of your highest self - plus an extra sparkle of that Kim K superwoman vibe.

On a date the other night at Koi, I walked into the bathroom (wearing a Skims bodysuit obviously) and from inside my stall heard a couple girls at the sink raving about Skims. I bit my tongue for a minute and then finally HAD to get involved. I threw open the door before I even buttoned up my jeans to exclaim that I TOO am rocking and obsessed with Skims. We all shared the excitement and specifics of how good they make us feel and then out walked a beautiful woman from the other stall who said, “Y’all talking Skims?!” and proceeded to show us hers! And right there just like that several diverse strangers in a bathroom bonded over Kim K. She united us all in love and y’all KNOW how I feel about that!

Seriously - that’s how you feel in Skims. Completely and totally worthy of unconditional love - receiving it and sharing it. Abundant, joyful, expansive and grounded.

So to wrap this up - Dear Skims, since I know someone in my network is connected to you (lookin’ at you Team Poosh <3 ) and I set the intention that you see this, I would love to collab on a drop to raise money for mental health initiatives.

Currently in LA alone, an LAPD program designed to help people in psychiatric crisis can’t keep up with the number of incoming calls. People need more support. We need better programming. And it doesn’t exist yet, we need to build it. Let’s do something!

<3

Lessons Of The Week

I tried to take a nap yesterday and before I could relax into the pillow my inner self needed to journal a few key takeaways . The bold are from the journal. The descriptions came through today.

Creativity & Authenticity - Authenticity is the magic. It’s also the container. Creativity is what gets alchemized in the cauldron. The more we allow and follow our own unique flow, spirit, and guidance to direct us, the more magical it is.

Frame The Vision - Create the container for it to land. In any way that is authentic.

Ask For Exactly What You Want - Be direct and clear and most likely it will arrive. Seems like there’s some weird old conditioning that teaches not to ask for or believe in what we want? What’s up with that. We deserve it and are worthy of receiving it.

Center Yourself in The Story - My friend’s friend who is amazing and I met for the first time the other night dancing in West Hollywood said this in passing to me and man did it stick. My interpretation — It’s all a reflection. What do I want to see? What do I choose to see? How can I create what I choose from within? How can I let it all go, and then come securely back to me every time?

Surrender - Breathe in to the deepest layers where there’s more fear to let go of - touch the most uncomfortable places - and then exhale trust and choose to expand into the present.

Radical Acceptance - It’s safe to be fully free and completely me always. It’s safe and healthy to love my whole self even the parts that are cringy and actually - this is the medicine.

Here We Go

I started writing a book two years ago called Let Go or Be Dragged. It’s meant to be a toolkit to breakthrough internal barriers and transform your life. Written with a strong point of view and spirited sense of humor (if I do say so myself) it’s an honest and vulnerable story of growth. It’s a roadmap with clear takeaways, people, practitioners and resources to help individuals heal old programming, trauma responses and pain so we can all live more peaceful, happier and healthier lives together from the inside out.

I believe we can all get along.

Dar Williams sang “The Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table. Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able. Just before the meal was served hands were held and prayers were said, sending hope for peace on earth to ALL their gods and goddesses.” That’s my vision. We actually do have the power to create a more frictionless world for ourselves and it starts with dismantling (and rewiring) almost everything we were taught and thought was true which actually stems from fear and pain.

That’s the road to world peace. Fine, I realize we’re a few steps away still so let’s focus our energy in the right direction and do the real work to strengthen the foundation. Every single individual that commits to the journey of the heart empowers this possibility. Individual healing is crucial to collective alignment. Empathy, compassion, forgiveness, non-judgement. Communication from this place. Deep listening. Holding space. Faith. This level of self-awareness and radical acceptance causes us to show up for others from a place that inspires their growth - no matter who they are or what they’ve done - without projection, blame, judgement, shame, or separation. That’s God’s love. That is the power of God’s power. It’s infinite. It’s limitless. It’s available to everyone and our work on this planet is to reconnect with that truth. No matter what we were taught growing up - I believe God is love. It’s a universal energy. It’s all-encompassing, not divisive. It transcends labels. Healing is in service to the greater good. Individual growth ignites collective transformation so we all move closer together, in love.

SO ANYWAY - I’ve written like 30 pages and I can’t seem to get back to it in a productive way. Probably because I need everything to be “FUN” and now that I declared I NEED TO WRITE A BOOK I flooded myself with an overwhelming and unnecessary amount of pressure. So I’m breaking it down into smaller steps. Nuggets and vignettes. Baby prose. Random musings. Weekly lessons. Excerpts from the book. And it’s all going here. In my own blog - not for Poosh, MindBodyGreen, Thrive Global, Thrive Notebook or any other brand that I deeply admire and respect and love supporting - but for myself on my own platform. And without the things being perfect. Raw sharing. EEK -scary.

Even if nobody reads a word of this or gives an iota of a shit, here we are :) I’m putting it out there because I need a place to channel the creative flow when she speaks to me! And then hopefully this will all tie up in a beautiful little bow called the full final draft of Let Go Or Be Dragged (setting the intention!).

With that, I close out this intro post and invite you to #2 - The first Lessons Of The Week <3