Author Archives: kristi

Stillness

Posted on by

Stillness

I believe there’s a misconception about what a daily meditation practice looks like. That it has to include specific rituals, or unfold a certain way in order to be of benefit. That it’s only an esoteric pursuit. But that’s just not so! Meditation is simple and for everyone.

Stillness is a much better word to describe what my daily practice looks like. Or should I say ‘cultivating stillness’, as attaining that desired quiet mind is never instant or simple. Stillness can be described as ‘just being’, without the interference of thoughts. The objective is to quiet your monkey brain long enough to create spaces between your thoughts. At first these gaps will be fleeting, but in time the spaces expand. It’s a process of finding your way back to the stillness, over and over and over. Meditating is like wrestling with puppies – chaos, punctuated by moments of bliss.

Where?

It’s rare that I sit cross-legged in lotus, with palms face up on my knees all Buddha-esque. More often I’m laying down on the floor (or the grass), or just sitting comfortably on the sofa (or on a log at the beach). I love to meditate outside. Weeding meditation is a seasonal practice (and you get something to show for it!), while walking the dog meditation is an all season fan favourite.  Not to be overlooked are waiting in line meditation, stuck in traffic meditation, and ferry meditation. I love multi-tasking!  My point being, not having the perfect time or the perfect space shouldn’t deter you from slipping in some quiet time.

ocean_meditation

How?

The goal is to quiet the chatter of your mind, to find prolonged moments of stillness and silent awareness. And you do this by choosing something to focus on. As your thoughts stray away from your focus and onto what you’re going to make for dinner or that phone call you need to return (and they will!) just gently return your awareness back to your focus.  Over and over and over, without resistance or judgment on your performance.  In time and with practice, you will spend less time herding your thoughts and more time in the silence between… which is where the magic is.

Start by focussing on your breath. You don’t need to exaggerate your breathing, but just centre your awareness on the subtle sound and feeling of the air entering and leaving your body.

If you need something more commanding to focus on then try repetition of words.  I use mantras because these are what I was taught when I learned to meditate 20 years ago, and they are instantly calming.

Om Namah Shivaya (I bow to my true self)
Sat Chit Ananda (existence, consciousness, bliss)
So Hum (I am that)

Don’t force yourself to use any specific words if they don’t feel right for you. You can use everyday words with just as much effect. Try choosing one or two positive words that resonate for you and repeat them in time with your breath…  Joy, Love, Peace, Bliss, Happiness.  It can be very useful if you’re struggling with a particular problem in your life, to choose words that affirm a positive outcome….  Forgiveness, Acceptance, Health, Abundance.

Guided meditations are useful for relaxation, but I find that as I’m picturing myself on that warm sandy beach, my imagination takes over and moves me away from the silence and into my thoughts. However, having peaceful music playing quietly in the background can be helpful.

I do enjoy the Deepak Chopra meditation series.  He starts the 15 minutes with a brief lesson, then introduces a mantra, rings a bell, and then you get a period of silence with soft music playing. Your meditation ends with another bell, and he sends you into your day with a centering thought.  This is a great place for beginners to start.

How long?

As long as you want! Start out with shorter, more manageable times and work your way up as you get more comfortable.  As little as 5 minutes can be beneficial.  I often meditate multiple times per day, because I don’t wait to find the perfect time or place.  My morning meditation is the longest – I find 20-30 minutes is about right.  It takes a bit of time to find my rhythm, settle into the stillness.

Why?

When you become the observer of your thoughts, rather than identifying with them, you development an awareness of your true self.  That deeply peaceful, silent being that is able to witness the chatter of the monkey brain is your true nature.  When settled in that place of silent awareness, I am able to be more present to messages from the subconscious. It’s particularly helpful if you’re trying to make a tough decision, or if you are looking for answers for important life questions.  You will be amazed at the information you receive from your true self in these moments of quiet.

Stillness is a safe harbour. As you become more practiced at releasing thoughts and centering yourself, you realize that you have this place to retreat to whenever you need. Any time, any place. You have the ability to step away from any situation that’s troubling you, settle your mind, then return with a fresh perspective. Stillness melts anger, calms fear, soothes emotions.

Meditation brings you into the Here & Now. It’s curious how we spend the majority of our time thinking about things that happened in the past, or things that are (potentially) going to happen in the future. The moment that really counts and deserves our attention is the one we are presently in.  Now, and now, and now.  Just Be Here Now!

buddha

At the end of meditation, when my mind is very clear, empty of thought and I’m settled into the present, I like to finish by spending a few minutes visualizing my goals and dreams. The present moment, devoid of distracting thoughts, is supremely fertile ground.  Sow the seeds of your intentions and desires, let the universe know what you want in your life. Be very specific and paint a picture in your mind of your vision. Feel what it’s like to be living it.

Namaste

~kristi

 

 

© Kristi Bellis and Bluleaf Living, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kristi Bellis and Bluleaf Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Hybrid does not mean GMO

Posted on by

The Difference between Hybridization and Genetic Engineering

Finally, a topic that brings together my horticulture education and health knowledge!

As I read many health articles online, I feel there is a general confusion about what genetic modification really means – particularly that people are confusing this with hybridization.

For the record, my position is firmly anti-GMO, but I am most definitely pro-Facts.  And the fact is that we are all eating hybrids every single day, as most of the produce in the grocery store is hybridized.  Which does NOT necessarily mean that it’s genetically modified – the two do not go hand in hand.

Hybridization is the crossing of two different parent species. Many plants within the same Genus are receptive to cross-pollination.  Pollen from the male parts of a plant (stamen) gets transferred via bees, wind etc to the female part of a flower (pistil). The ovary of the female develops and produces seed – this seed results in a plant that carries the characteristics of both parent plants.

This is a commonly occurring phenomenon that takes place in nature (much to the exasperation of taxonomists!)  It’s also a process that can be purposefully handled by humans, with humans playing the role of the bee. Either way, the process is the same, and pollen is transferred from one parent to the other.  When humans get involved, the intention is to create a hybrid plant that carries the most desirable characteristics of two carefully chosen parent plants.

hybrid apple

Fuji is a hybrid apple. It was developed by hybridizers in Japan by crossing a Red Delicious with a Ralls Janet – resulting in an apple that carries the sweetness of a Red Delicious, along with the benefits of lasting well in storage that comes from Ralls Janet. The new hybrid apple was named Fuji because of where it was created.

 

Such is the case with Canola, which is a highly misrepresented plant.  Blogs decry that Canola doesn’t exist in nature, that it’s a genetically modified franken-crop. The bloggers write, “olive oil comes from olive trees, sunflower oil comes from sunflowers, but there is no Canola plant.”  To be fair, there is also technically no Arbequina plant, or Leccino plant, or Mission plant.  Yet if you use olive oil you are likely consuming at least one of these, because all three are the hybrid names of olive producing trees.

The fact is that Canola is simply a name given to a hybrid of rapeseed (a plant in the Brassicaceae family which includes broccoli, kale, turnips). The species Brassica napus (rapeseed) contains high levels of unpalatable and unhealthy substances, which are not suitable for human consumption. However, through cross-breeding, the undesirable qualities of rapeseed were eliminated while retaining the beneficial qualities.

The resulting hybrid rapeseed plants are named Canola – Can (Canada), ola (oil), as the hybridization was done in Canada.

The resulting hybrid rapeseed plants are named Canola – Can (Canada), ola (oil), as the hybridization was done in Canada.

Since that hybrid was created in the 1970’s, scientists discovered genetic engineering and there are now GM strains of the original hybridized Canola plants. This is where things get ugly and I’ll get into that below.  However, while the majority of modern canola plants being grown in North America are genetically engineered, there are still non-GM varieties in cultivation around in the world in countries that have rejected the use of genetically engineered crops. And there are also manufacturers that use cold-pressed, non-chemical processing to extract the oil from the rapeseed.

Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)

This is where the expression ‘FrankenFood’ starts to make sense.  Genetic engineering, unlike hybridization, involves scientists placing DNA from one species into an unrelated species.  In nature, there would never be an instance where genes from a bacteria or virus, and a plant would mix together.  This must take place in a lab.

Crop plants are genetically altered to produce resistance to herbicides and insects.  So what you end up with is a plant such as soy that can resist being sprayed with the chemical glyphosate, which would normally kill any broad-leaved plant it comes in contact with.  Or, a corn plant that has been genetically engineered to be pest resistant contains DNA from bacteria that create an insecticidal effect when bugs take a bite.

I would need another blog post to get into why I and many others believe that consuming food that’s been genetically altered to resist chemicals and kill bugs is likely a very bad idea.

Essentially it comes down to common sense in my opinion – don’t mess with Nature. There is a perfect order and balance that occurs in nature and humans are foolish to believe they can improve on that in a laboratory. There are and will be more negative consequences to altering the DNA of our food.

Which is why I do my very best to make conscious choices about the food that I buy and consume, and avoid GMO’s as much as possible.  Hybrids on the other hand… bring them on!!  I LOVE Fuji apples!  In fact, I just planted a non-GMO, hybrid, grafted, Fuji apple tree in my back yard!

Want to weigh in?  Head on over to the Bluleaf Facebook page and leave a comment on this post  https://www.facebook.com/Bluleafliving

 

In good health,
~kristi

 

 

© Kristi Bellis and Bluleaf Living, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kristi Bellis and Bluleaf Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Core Values

Posted on by

Core Values

I recently spent some time reflecting on what my values are. Evaluating what is most important to me, in order to create some clarity moving forward in my life and in my business.

Core values are fundamental beliefs that guide our decisions and actions.
Kind of like an internal GPS, guided by our feelings.

Being crystal clear on what those beliefs are help us to live more authentically. When you assess each action and decision you make against how it fits in with your values, then you can be assured that you’re living in alignment. And this leads to a life that is more joyful, fulfilling, and prosperous.

When your actions are out of alignment with your values, this invariably leads to unhappiness and disappointment.

My VPS (value priority system!) is essential to navigating this world that bombards us with information, choices, and demands on our time. It helps to determine my priorities and clarify my decisions – what people I spend time with, who I partner with in my business, what companies I give my spending dollars, and what causes I support.

values_quote

Here’s my list of core values, narrowed down to the ones that spoke loudest:

Health – physical, emotional & spiritual vitality

Family – love, security, connection

Freedom – time, financial & personal

Fun – passion, play, joy, adventure

Gratitude – optimism, abundance mentality, positive thinking

Service – contributing to the well being of others

Authenticity – being yourself, integrity, trust, honesty, truth

Personal Growth – willingness to learn, overcoming fear, forgiveness

I have this list posted in my living space, my office, and in my journal, so that I have daily reminders. Holding in your mind a persistent desire for what you want is guaranteed to attract more of it into your life.

Take some time to find clarity around your own personal core values. Ultimately, life is easier, more joyful and peaceful when you are operating in harmony with your beliefs.

value_wordle2

much love & gratitude,
~kristi

 

 

 

 

© Kristi Bellis and Bluleaf Living, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kristi Bellis and Bluleaf Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

Healthy Holidays

Posted on by

Healthy Holidays

‘Tis the season of temptation!  Parties, open houses, dinners and all manner of festivities fill our calendars at this time of year. We are bombarded by baked treats, spreads of bite sized savories & nibbles, and epic buffet feasts.  It can feel impossibly challenging to stick with your healthy, clean eating routine when faced with so much edible cheer.

It may be too much to expect to lose weight through December and into the New Year, but the holidays should not be reason to slide out of our new good habits and pack on extra pounds. A good motto to adopt for the season:   Maintain Don’t Gain!

healthy appies

But how you say?  Here are 9 tips to keep healthy yet still partake in all the merriment:

1.  Be prepared

If you’re hungry when faced with a temptation, it’s much MUCH more difficult to say no. Keep healthy snacks on hand when you’re at work and out & about so that you avoid getting into a low blood sugar situation. No-one makes great eating decisions when they’re starving.

2.  Moderation

Denial is too much like dieting, so I don’t believe that anyone should have to entirely stop eating what they really enjoy. When you’re presented with a platter of something you absolutely love then have a little. Enjoy the flavours and really savour the experience of having a portion. A bite CAN be enough if you decide it is.

3.  Bring the health

If you’re going to a potluck then make something really healthy and scrumptious, so that at least you know that there will be one thing on the buffet table that you can fill up on.

4.  Snack before you go

Arriving at a party really hungry is a recipe for disaster!  Have a portion of Isalean shake or a healthy snack before you go. That way you’re not relying on the buffet to fill you up and you can selectively snack.  As a bonus, the enzymes in the shake will help your digestive system with any of the treats you may partake in.

5.  Choose wisely

Certain foods you’ll encounter on a party spread are obviously less than stellar choices.  Anything wrapped in phyllo or bacon for starters.  Add to that… cheese, most crackers, sausage, mini quiches, chips, most dips and sauces. Instead, go for the veggie platter, hummus, guacamole, salsa, shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, kebobs sans sauce, olives, fruit.  If you must indulge in a little cheese, pair it with a piece of apple or cucumber instead of the high fat crackers. At a dinner buffet, fill the majority of your plate with salads, veggies and turkey breast. Easy on the stuffing and gravy!

6.  Know when to stop

It’s easy to nibble mindlessly when you’re socializing. But most of the time you will find you’re eating simply because it’s there and not because you’re still hungry or really enjoying it. Step away from the buffet!  One simple trick I use is to pop a piece of gum in my mouth – just make sure it’s a non-toxic brand such as Spry.

7.  Avoid drinking excess calories

Drink plenty of plain or sparkling water at parties. When you’re inclined to imbibe, have one of these better options… red wine, clear spirits with soda water or tonic, Caesar or Bloody Mary.  Avoid cocktails with pop, diet pop, juice and cream. Egg nog is trouble, nothing more can be said about that!

8. Maintain your routine

As much as possible, stick to your healthy daily habits.  Eat clean at home and continue with your daily exercise. Don’t allow unhealthy treats in the house – if you don’t have them, you can’t eat them! Bake your own clean cookies and bars to have on hand.  Do your best the majority of the time, and then when the time comes to celebrate you can indulge a little and thoroughly enjoy yourself.

9.  Keep your eye on the prize

Do you want to feel and look your best, and be vibrantly healthy every single day?  Certain foods simply do not contribute to this vision. Keep this in mind when making choices – most of the time the fleeting moment of gratification when tasting something is simply not worth the way it’s going to make your body feel later. Once you’ve been clean eating for a time, you will find your system will throw a tantrum if you introduce too much fat or sugar.

Wishing you an abundantly happy and healthy holiday!

In good health,
~kristi

 

 

© Kristi Bellis and Bluleaf Living, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kristi Bellis and Bluleaf Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

John Anderson for A Day

Posted on by

John Anderson for A Day

One of the first things I noticed after giving John Anderson a thank-you hug, was WOW this guy has really great skin!  Seriously, it’s radiant. I told him this and he said, “it’s because of what I’m putting on the inside of my body”.  Just one of many pearls of wisdom that he shared with us on Super Saturday.

Our Nanaimo Team had the honour of hosting Isagenix Product Formulator John Anderson, along with Dr. Bill Andrews and Dr. Michael Colgan on October 19th in Nanaimo.  Yes, all three of these amazing scientists in one room in our wee Island town.

Surreal!

johnAnderson

John shared some fascinating background on how he got started in formulating and how Isagenix came to be. I scribbled volumes of notes and have pieced together the story he told as best I can below. He also shared some other useful tidbids worth passing along:

Cleansing – You receive 1000x the benefit on Day 2 of deep cleansing.  If you eat regular food snacks such as almonds/eggs/celery on cleanse days you are wasting your time and money as it interferes with the process of ketosis.

Snacking – only eat a maximum of 250 calories worth of snacks on Cleanse days, spaced throughout the day. Always include the recommended 6 IsaSnacks (90 calories) and make up the balance with your choice of IsaDelight (50), e+ Shot (35) and/or Energenix (35).

Protein – he chose New Zealand whey because of the superior quality and purity of the raw material. In his testing, whey protein outperformed all other protein sources for how well our body is able to absorb and utilize it.  But he did say that he believes we should get our protein from multiple sources and that he loves Canadian hemp!

Ionix Supreme – he shared that he recently purchased a very high powered microscope. When he looked at Ionix under this microscope he was amazed at how small the particles were (under 500 nanos for those that know what that means!) This confirmed for him why the nutrients in Ionix are so effective and usable by our bodies.  You can’t get the same level of absorption by chewing botanicals.

Product B – in his words, “it’s not about living longer, it’s about having a better quality of life as you age”. He stressed the importance of the work they are doing with telomeres and how much of an impact this will make on world health. A percentage of Product B sales is being directed back into his research with Dr. Bill Andrews to improve the formula even further. Donations are being accepted to fund research: www.sens.org

With his usual warmth and understated passion, John shared that he has made more progress in the past couple years than he has in his 33 years of formulating. The results he has achieved in 12 years of Isagenix are nothing compared to what’s coming in the next few years.  He says he’s so excited that he can barely sleep at night.  He wakes up every day feeling inspired to get to his lab. He shared, “Every day is a new beginning”.

 

Back Story…

John’s grandfather, who was an organic farmer, introduced him to the concept that you have to take care of the soil to preserve the nutrition in food.  As a child, his mother had a mineral concoction that he was made to drink for many ailments. So he grew up with this knowledge of the importance of nutrition and minerals.

His interest in formulating started when he got involved with an organic fertilizer company in Arizona.  He was fascinated by the minerals that were present in their products, and he devised a way to extract the ionic trace minerals to create a tonic.  He shared it with people who started reporting amazing results. The mineral drink was so popular that he set up a manufacturing lab and distributed it through GNC.  This evolved into a major product that distributed nationally and sold 7 million bottles.  John shares that the Green Bay Packers football team was using his mineral tonic when they won the Super Bowl two years in a row.

John eventually started getting requests from companies to develop products for them.  Because he wasn’t a marketer and preferred to be in the lab, he chose to become a product formulator.  He ended up formulating approximately 2500 products for over 600 different companies.

In 1981, his step-father introduced him to Jim Coover who was starting a network marketing company called The Cambridge Plan International.  His step-father was getting involved at the start-up stage and wanted John to join too. So John signed up and began to share their products very passively, surprisingly earning $18,000 with his first cheque. He liked the concept of network marketing because it’s simply people sharing their personal story and testimonials.

Through his connection with GNC he saw many products do well on the shelf and many others fail.  He formulated for numerous other network marketing companies.  Many came to him with a desire to create a product but they weren’t willing to use premium ingredients because of cost. They always wanted him to cut quality to make the products less expensive.  He turned down hundreds of companies because he didn’t want to compromise.

He refused to use soy because he didn’t have a good feeling about it.  His intuition was telling him that it wasn’t healthy even before all the research started showing the link between breast cancer and soy.  He has never had soy in any of his manufacturing plants. John explains that the damaging effects of soy are present only in the protein. Soy lecithin is extracted from the fats.

During his career in formulating he travelled to 25 different countries, visiting labs that do research into herbs and botanicals.  He spent months at a time in India studying Ayurveda and learning about the beneficial properties of phytochemicals.  At this time the Universities in North America were very behind with this research.  So much of what John knows about herbs and botanicals was taught to him during his travels by over 60 top scientists and PhD’s from around the world.

In 1998, he was bitten by a brown recluse spider.  He got delirious with fever and was sick for many days at home alone, thinking he had the flu.  He ended up in hospital for 45 days and was given major doses of antibiotics.  The site of the bite was his foot, which became terribly infected and developed necrosis.  At one point he was scheduled for surgery to amputate his foot. He was so desperate to save his foot that he tried to remove his IV’s and leave the hospital.  Eventually, a plastic surgeon got involved and John ended up having multiple surgeries to save the foot.

However, the venom and infections destroyed his health.  He went blind in one eye due to damage to the optic nerves.  He developed diabetes and his kidneys were compromised.  He sold his product manufacturing company and retired from his hospital bed.

A friend told John about a substance called Shilajit that he believed could help with the damaged eyesight.  His friend knew a researcher in Banglador, India that was working with Shilajit, so John travelled to India to meet him.  His interest now was to search the world to find natural ingredients that would help his body recover from the toxicity of the spider bite.  In the end, his eyesight did restore.

He started formulating products based on his travels and research. He set up a new small manufacturing plant and re-hired some of his old employees. One evening, he was at Macaroni Grill with his wife Cher (then an employee and graphic artist at his company) and they were doodling different ideas for a name for his new products.  He wrote “Isogenix” and then Cher drew an extended strike through the X.  But he didn’t like the sound of ISO, so he changed the O to an A for Anderson!

His new products were very effective and he wanted to get them out to more people. He chose to market his new products through network marketing because he had a history with this industry.  A friend suggested that John talk to someone he knew who was a very experienced and successful marketer.  John agreed and got on the phone with this person, and it wasn’t until they were talking that John realized it was Jim Coover, who he had worked with decades prior.

He met with Jim and Kathy Coover and they asked him, “what is the one ingredient that has the most impact, what is the miracle botanical?”   He replied that the body is complex and there was not just one thing, it had to be a system.  Jim asked how long it would take to develop such a system, suggesting perhaps 18 months.  John replied that he could have it done in a week or two.  Jim thought John had flipped out!

John told Jim that they would need a dense nutritional shake and specified that the best protein would be New Zealand whey because of its purity.  He was concerned about releasing toxins from the cells and how they would need ingredients to help to eliminate these toxins from the body.  He also recognized that there would be a need to stabilize blood sugar during the fasting cleanse.

10 Days later, John had a system put together.  Both Jim and Kathy took a box of the generically labeled bottles and asked how they should take the products.  John told them to cleanse for two days, then do 5 days of shakes, then cleanse for another two.  That is how the 9 day Cleansing & Fat Burning system was born.

12 people initially tried the 9 Day system.  Jim had incredible success and John lost over 18lbs.  Jim and Kathy both recognized the system was amazing and it needed to be marketed, but John told Jim that he needed help.  He knew that this wasn’t a product that could just be sold from store shelves.  He knew that people would need personal support to use the system.

At the time, John had a collection of motorcycles.  He told Jim that if he were to come on board and help him market his system, then Jim could have one of his motorcycles.  So Jim was seduced into Isagenix with a bronze Road King Harley Davidson!

“If I hadn’t been bitten by that brown recluse spider, we wouldn’t all be here.  Bad things can turn out to be very good things”  ~ John Anderson

 

In good health,
~kristi

 

 

© Kristi Bellis and Bluleaf Living, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kristi Bellis and Bluleaf Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

Abundance

Posted on by

Abundance

My vision of abundance is living a life permeated by vibrant good health.  Overflowing with fun, laughter and pleasure.  Filled with Love and friendship and meaningful relationships.  Where there is no lack, minimal stress, and absolute freedom and contentment.

How JUICY is that?!

And so this is my mission statement:

mission

I only arrived at this after many years of feeling like I was living in a perpetual state of lack…  a lack of money, a lack of time, a lack of feeling good – both physically and emotionally.  Feeling discontent, unfulfilled, and often times lonely.

Overall I just felt STUCK. Yet I kept plodding along, doing the same things year after year, somehow expecting that my circumstances would change. Silly me!  I was very clear on what I didn’t want any more of in my life, which eventually led me to start thinking about what I did want…

This clarity of vision that I had for my ideal life led to some BIG shifts in thinking and doing that launched me out of my rut and into a place of overwhelming abundance.  The important first step is getting clear on what you want your life to look like, then try applying some or all of these ideas to move you towards your vision.

Here is what worked for me:

Take control by taking responsibility – everything you have and do not have in your life is entirely up to you. Be the driver, not the passenger!

Commit to doing things different, even if you feel fear (especially then) – nothing can change if you continue to think & do everything exactly the same.

Get healthy – it gives you the energy to take on the world.

What you focus on expands – always give attention and gratitude to the positives and what is working, instead of dwelling on the frustrations.

Find your tribe – surround yourself with optimistic, like-minded people.  Spend less time around negative people who don’t support your dreams.

Go play outside!  Spend more time in nature and less time with technology.  Be inspired by how much beauty and abundance exists in nature. Move your body.

Stop comparing yourself to others – just be the very best version of you.

Find your purpose – when you’re living authentically and in alignment with your values, then abundance will flow effortlessly.  This isn’t just about work and may not involve being compensated…. at first 😉

 

It’s taken me quite some time to live into my vision of an ideal life.  And even now that I’ve achieved it, it takes constant nurturing to maintain. I’m the perpetual student, picking up offerings of wisdom along the way. I practice. I fail. I course correct. I fall asleep. I wake up. I grow, every day, I grow.

But there is one thing I know for certain:  the Universe is inherently abundant.
And there is PLENTY for everyone.

much love & gratitude,
~kristi

 

 

 

© Kristi Bellis and Bluleaf Living, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kristi Bellis and Bluleaf Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.