Botton Line: Stand Strong In Your Own Free Will

There are MANY resources available in our world by which to learn about ourselves. Oh the questions we have! Who Am I? What am I here to learn? Why am I the way I am? Why did this happen to me? Where am I headed? What will my future hold?   ….and oh SO many more.

We can consult many fields for information and clues to these answers, including and not limited to, the medical, psychological, astrological, numerological,  various psychic/intuitive realms etc.  As I see it, ALL of these resources are valid and we are very lucky to have them available to us. AND, once you compile your desired information you must sit with it all, solid in knowing that they are all (with the possible exception of some medical info) PROBABILITIES! These probabilities are blended with your free will to create your future. Yes, it’s all great information for you.  AND, YOU are your own map maker. YOU are the ultimate decision maker and you do this with your own FREE WILL.

Take a stand for YOU! Research all areas you feel pulled to learn about…then create a reality worthy of YOU by Engaging Your Free Will!

Note: If you are one who could use a little support and guidance around this…don’t be afraid to seek assistance!  (It’s what I DO as a personal coach)   I know that it is NOT as easy at it seems, and….. you CAN do it!

A Heart Centered Approach to Joyful Living…

Your life… is YOUR life. Every choice you make sends you along your path. Is your path full of JOY? Or is your path full of things that are getting in the way of your JOY?

Whether you know it or not, you are living a life with the gift of being “at choice” with every decision you make. What does this mean? It simply means that you have the amazing ability to truly go inside yourself to find your answers. Go not only into your brain, but into your HEART as well. One of my favorite quotes of all times is this one by Albert Einstein: “The Intuitive Heart is a Sacred Gift, the rational mind it’s faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant…and has forgotten the gift.” To that I would add: And we wonder why life feels less then joyful?

When we make choices, we often ONLY consult our brain. We go there automatically to gather the facts. Unfortunately while we are there, we also gather things like “should” or “supposed to” or “have to”. While up there in our brains and egos, we tend to also stumble into what we make up about other people’s opinions and even what our ego has made up about the issue itself. When we combine only factual information, with “should” or “have to” or “supposed to”, and then pile on a little of what we’ve made up about the issue, we are NOT properly armed to make the best decisions for ourselves. No kidding. We are forgetting to consult with the most knowledgeable part of ourselves! Our Intuitive Heart.

I cordially invite you to drop down into your Heart as well while pondering every decision you make. Consult your inner knower. We all have one! We all have access to wisdom within ourselves that many of us are not aware of….because we “think” our brains have the answers. I believe that our bodies know more than our brains and/ or our egos. Your heart, or the very soul of you, has access to intuition….and that is powerful stuff! When you learn to trust your intuition, your heart, your soul, your inner knower….or whatever you are comfortable calling it….you will make decisions that are truly right for you. You will live more “on purpose”…with more joy and satisfaction in your life. And know that sometimes your heart will inform you AND it can still be difficult to make that informed decision because it may go against what your ego, your brain, or what other people, may want for you. Please always remember….your life is YOUR life. YOU are the only one who owns the privilege of choosing what to do with it. Be Strong, and choose consistent inner dialog with your heart/intuitive center as you follow your JOY.

With Love & Laughter to all,

Leann Maxwell-Burr, CPCC, CSSP

Certified Life Coach & Intuitive Practitioner

www.LeannMaxwellBurr.com

An Aging Face…with Artist’s Grace!

Today my vibes are stirring in a humorous and artistic way.  It is interesting how our physical bodies age. And I am part artist, my favorite canvas? The human face.

Yes the human face, and in particular women’s faces. I had a past career as a make-up artist. I actually got paid to have fun blending art with people. It was fabulous work….until one day, after WAY too many encounters with “Mother-Of-The-Bride-ZILLA’s”….I had decided to move on.  Let me just say that dealing with the MOTHER’s of these beautiful young women (especially from a certain income bracket) is a torture that NO human should have to endure. I mean seriously…did they REALLY believe that any make up technique could fill in those wrinkles like some magic youth putty? Come ON. LOL.

Today I sit here remembering these women. And….looking at my own newfound crepe-y eyelids, I NOW am beginning to understand where they were coming from. (Still…they didn’t need to be such b*tches, and  yes….I get it)

SO…for those of you in my age bracket that love to play with and wear eye makeup, here are the results from my last couple of weeks of playing:

1. Get a good eye cream….AND USE IT DAILY! Crepe-y lids are a part of life now, and you don’t want them DRY on top of crepe-y. There are a lot of great ones out there…with a wide price range. Just choose one you like that fits your budget. The most important thing is that it is formulated for eyes….and that you USE IT REGULARLY! (I happen to love AVEDA’s Firming Eye Cream)
2. Let us NOT go Brow-less!  Nothing ages us more then not having the proper frame for the windows to our soul! Get a good angle brush and some powder shadow in a half shade darker  than your hair color. Brush just a tad of the powder through your brows to give more definition. This is key: DO NOT start at the inner corner of the brow. This will deposit TOO much color there…which will only add 10 years. Instead…start at the outer edge of your arch, THEN go back and touch up the inner portion of the brow. If you like…Smashbox makes a great “brow wax” to dab onto your brow…which will keep your brows groomed for the entire day.
3. Use a good eye shadow base. My findings here: Clinique touch base is for a younger lid. It’s GREAT on my daughters, however too dry for me. There are many good ones for us older gals, and my favorites: Bare Escentuals Prime Time (great stuff with moderate coverage) and Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer, smooth, creamy, great full coverage.
4. Try Cream Eye shadow! It is wonderful and is a bit more moisturizing then powders….HOWEVER, stay AWAY from metallic. FAR AWAY! It enhances the crepe-y-ness and adds about 15 years. LOL  As far as cream shadows, I have tried many  and returned them all EXCEPT for Bobbi Brown’s cream shadow in “Malted”. This is luscious. It’s a nude color that works wonders as a base color. And her “Bone” is a good highlighter color. There is no shimmer in these, and they apply smooth and creamy….giving a more rested look. (and god knows most of us need this) Powder shadows are fine too….but again, STAY AWAY FROM METALLICS.
5. NO Lower Lid Lining please. Let’s face it….the upper lids are drooping a tad now so let’s not make the eye look smaller by lining the lower lid….leave that to the teens. However, if you take a TINY bit of powder shadow in a color that makes your eyes stand out…rub just a tiny bit along your lower lashes. (this looks great if done with a VERY light hand)
6. Always SMUDGE your liner on the upper lids. A sleek liner on the top lid now only emphasizes the crepes girls…..get a good smudger brush and dip it in a little powder close to your liner color and blur that line. It gives a really soft look…..which is what you want here. Again, stay away from harsh liner.

 

Here is one exception to the metallic no-no rule. Shimmer…is different than metallic….it is subtle. We still need to be careful with shimmers however…so here is my “Shimmer fix” for when I want a dewy glow….without the aging effects. Once my cream shadow is in place (usually Malted w/bone highlighter) I blend JUST A TINY bit of Smashbox’s  “Artificial Light” onto my lids. This stuff IS GREAT. It LOOKS scary. It is a warm shimmery liquid that is so sheer….that when added to your face in ANY area, it creates a tiny bit of glow…..without actually looking at all metallic. It really does what the name implies! I love it and will never be without it.

And in closing….always remember…LESS is MORE unless you are a highly skilled makeup artist! (and sometimes even then!)

OK…that’s enough from me about make up for middle agers on a Sunday Morning. LOL If I am not ready to leave for the gym in just a couple of minutes, the hubby will leave without me.

Quick….Where is my Artificial Light???

With Love & Laughter AND LIGHT to all….

Leann

Messages From the Other Side For “T”

Apologies for not writing in this area for so long. I forget to do it when I have the experience, and then, I often have no recollection of the experience at a later date. I am recording this NOW before it leaves me.

I was working with a  client of mine, “T” , about 2 weeks after her father had passed away. While we were engaged in conversation, the name Lawrence appeared in my inner screen. Here is the conversation:

Lee: Who’s Lawrence?

T: Um……oh, my mother’s father’s name was Lawrence.

Lee: ….he seems to be wanting to make himself known. Could he be with your dad?

T: ….SURE! They were very close!

We let that drift by…continued talking about other things and then I got a vision on my inner screen of a large, round belly, with man hands on it….bouncing/jiggling around like he was laughing and jolly or something. (it seemed odd to my logical brain to say the least) I shared the vision with “T”.

She said: Oh my gosh….that is my father’s father…..he played Santa Claus for us every year at xmas…he WAS fat and jolly!

It would appear then that T’s father was back with his father and father in law on the other side. I delight at the thought that her grandfather knew to send a sign that SHE would recognize (fat jolly belly) even though my brain would register it as odd.

For those of you who pick stuff up like this….never “judge” what you get….just allow it and let it flow in!

Love & Laughter to all.

Our Physical Bodies…keepin’ healthy & fit.

So here is a new topic for me. My body. Admittedly, I don’t have what would be considered a ”serious” weight problem, however middle age has caught up with me and I am finding that I must be much more diligent about diet and exercise then ever before.

I recently joined Ediets….which is a wonderful site that offers lots of options and for me, it is about re-learning healthy nutrition and habits. Not that I don’t know this stuff…indeed I do. It is just that I am very much a free spirit….not all that aligned with following routine if you know what I mean, so I am using it as a method of accountability. I have a little blog over there….which I have posted on twice so far. Amazingly, I had a number of folks comment back and friend me, stating that they find me both motivational and…funny. Who knew? SO…I thought why not post those posts here as well. Here are the first two, and from this point forward I will copy them in this section here as well in the event that they may entertain and make you smile!

#1:  “DIDN’T I HAVE A BELLY RING DOWN THERE SOMEWHERE?

Oh where or where has my belly ring gone….oh where or where can it beeeeee?????

OK. Today is the day. The universe has aligned a magical week of TIME for me to get all about me. About my self-care that is. (was supposed to have jury duty and voila…they settled! so my calendar is amazingly clear!)

I did Ediets years ago…and lost 17 pounds. It works. I like it. NOW at almost 48 I am up to 169….my most voluminous self ever. I have officially too much middle-aged middle to fit into most of my clothes. And SO….I begin again. I am starting to work out again too….rejoined the gym.

One thing I have committed to myself which I think will be fun….is that while on this journey…I do not WAIT for 140 pounds to look great. I WILL pull together some great looks (outfits/accessories/hair and makeup) right now….every day. I am worthy…I am a gift of the universe after all! Yesterday I make a grey sweatshirt look amazing with the addition of a beautiful scarf and some rose quartz and silver earrings! Today….dont know what I’ll create yet because I am sitting her tying in my pj’s…and it will be something cute. I shopped the winter clearance sales for a few cute things in a larger size to this will be possible….next winter…off to salvation army they will go, because they will be too big!

I feel like in the past…I have gotten on that “when I get to 140 I will….” wagon. I think a lot of women (and maybe men) do this to themselves….and it is not right! We are ALL worthy of love…and looking great….at ANY weight! It is our birthright.

Well, that’s it for now…I have to go re-learn the diet…..

I Love me!

#2 “WHOLE WHEAT CRACKERS HAVE MAGICAL POWERS, RIGHT?”

So as I was eating that handful of Wheatsworth crackers last night, I made up that because I was combining them with red wine…they’d have some mystical magical powers what would absorb all of the crap contained in the box of Good & Plenty I ate while at the movies with my daughter! That works, right? LOL

Well, here I am ….tomorrow is my 1st weigh in. I am not exactly optimistic….because I pretty much blew the week with a wildly happy day of eating whatever I wanted yesterday. Hey…I was in a good mood…what can I say…I am a JOY eater! And, I shouldn’t think that a 48 year old can eat what an athletic 15 year old can eat and not have it show up on my middle. In addition to my daughter…there is my husband…who is REALLY GOOD at keeping routines, including healthy eating and working out…and I am not so much. I am more of a free spirit. And let me tell you…when I say he is routine…..if you looked in his underwear drawer…you’d see neatly folded goods. No kidding! On the other hand…my drawer is a colorful array of crazy fun…all fluffed up and tangled in a beautiful messy art-form! Anyway, my point is, that I am NOT so good with routine. And this 1st week proves it.

However, I refuse to beat myself up for it….I am after all, divinely human. And there is still the same physical volume of me to love today as there was last week!

Reality check: I gradually fell OFF the wagon…so it’s ok that it will be a gradual climb back on. I do not view this 1st week as a failure….I view it as a warm up! I DID get something out of it. I re-learned the basics of how to use this site (though I am still learning) AND I re-acquainted myself with the plan. That is progress!

Looking forward to seeing what progress I am able to make in week 2….while honoring that I am wonderfully human!

Much Love & Laughter to all who read….

Leann