I know, I know, I hear your gasps, and I feel you scrolling to look at my picture. Yes, my hair is now mostly white and I’m still in my fifties.

Before I made the decision, I posted a question on facebook, what is the appropriate age for a woman to stop dying her hair? Sad to say, this was one of my most liked and commented-on posts—second only to what’s your go-to snack?

Is hair really that important?

I’d like to say the comments (about the hair, not the snack) surprised me; but they didn’t. They were nearly 50/50 between NEVER and WHENEVER you feel like it. Other comments included when you’re 80 years old, only after your mother does, and don’t ever start dying it.

The point is, there’s lots of judgment out there from people who love us and people who don’t even know us. So, the big question is:

Why do you care what they think?

I invite you to show up as you are. Do, have, and create whatever you desire. And be your authentic self. Besides feeling good, you’ll encourage others to express their authentic and beautiful selves too.

With love and gratitude,
Sue

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As adults, we still create our own monsters. These monsters come to us in the form of fear, worry, lack and anxiety. These feelings are created only in our minds.

Like monsters, they are only as real as we think they are.

Perhaps we can take a lesson from our childhood and recognize that we are creating our own monsters with our imaginations and thoughts. Perhaps we can “turn the light on” and the monsters will go away.

What is the light?

The light is the knowledge that you are safe, secure, and there is enough. The light is the knowing that you are not alone. The light is the love that is in your heart. Where there are no shadows, there are no monsters. Keep shining your light.

Now, that’s Powerful!

P.S. Don’t let the monsters invade your valuable life ~ Get my 7-Day Video Series for FREE. Visit: https://www.sueurda.com/videoseries/ 

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The other thing I find myself thinking about, and sometimes dwelling on, is that I realize how much I didn’t do or didn’t complete that I had intended at the beginning of the year. Often, this feeling lingers, and I find myself stuck in regret.

Why can I more easily be drawn to the negative than the positive?

Does this happen to you too?

I don’t think this is uncommon, but I sure don’t like to stay in this space. The good news is, I have developed a New Beginnings Ritual that helps me release the negative and open myself up for the positive. It’s simple, doesn’t take a lot of time, and sets me up for a fantastic future. Because it works so well for me, I thought I’d share it with you. Enjoy!

New Beginnings Ritual

There are 3 simple steps to this ritual. You can spend as much or as little time as you like on each one. The thing that makes this ritual even more powerful is when you put yourself into the feeling place as you move through the steps. Be intentional, clear some quiet time, and get ready for an opening!

STEP ONE: RELEASE – Bring to mind and think of the things that happened or that you did over the past year (or any period) that didn’t feel so good. This might be things like:

• a disagreement or fight you had with someone
• an embarrassing situation you found yourself in
• a promise you didn’t keep (or that someone didn’t keep with you)
• you gained some weight or didn’t work out or ‘eat healthy’ like you committed to
• you’re still holding onto a grudge
• you judged someone without knowing all the facts
• you said or did something you wish you could take back

Other things you might like to release are specific emotions that keep you feeling stuck like: anger, guilt, pain, worry, fear, resistance, frustration, jealousy, disappointment, or hate.

You might choose to write down the list of things you want to release. Writing helps to ‘get it out of you’, and the paper can be used in a ritual of release.

Now that you have these things top of mind, the next step is to get into the feeling place of each one. Recognize that it was in your life for a reason, and like all things, in some way it was here to do some good in your life or to teach you a lesson. Thank it for showing up and playing a part in your life. And now that is no longer necessary, you may release it. Ask it to leave your life, your mind, and your heart, leaving behind only the lessons.

If you wrote your release items, you can do a ritual to release them. Shred them in a shredder, burn them in a fireplace or the flame of a candle, or simply tear them up and throw them in the trash.

If you didn’t write them, you can figuratively release them by visualizing them in the palm of your hand and offering them up to the sun or moon or to the flame of a candle.

STEP TWO: GRATITUDE – Bring to mind and think of the things that happened or that you did over the past year for which you are extremely grateful. This may be things like:

• spending time with family and friends
• falling in love or recommitting to your love relationship
• achieving a goal
• overcoming a health crisis
• enjoying a vacation
• solidifying a partnership
• your new car, house, pet, etc.
• your parents and/or kids are healthy

Your gratitude list may also include ‘regular, everyday’ things like: having an income, your home, food to nourish you, being able to see and walk, being alive, clean water to drink, your cell phone and computer to connect you.

You can write these things down and use them to refer to later to remind you of all the great good that has been a part of your life. I highly recommend this!

Feel the feeling of gratitude deep in your heart. Rest in this space and allow it to envelope you with its beauty and glory. Know that you are innately worthy and deserving to feel good, and the fact that you have enjoyed these things over the past year is proof of it. Breathe it in. Rest in gratitude.

STEP THREE: INTEND & OPEN – Now you are ready to open yourself to your bright future. This is where you bring to mind all the things you’d like to have happen in the coming year. For this one, it is best to write a list so that you can also ‘write it’ on your subconscious mind. You’ll also have it to refer to you as you move through the days and months ahead. Here are examples of what to include:

• the experiences you’d like to have
• things you’d like to do and who you’d like to do them with
• things you’d like to accomplish – specific goals
• people you’d like to spend time with
• health, physical, and spiritual aspirations
• business goals or the amount of money you’d like to make
• day trips and vacations
• improvements to your home

Now that you have your list, read through it and feel the feelings that each one brings.

It is the feeling place that has true meaning for you.

Now, let’s take it a step further and a little bit less tangible – Write how you’d like to FEEL. Includes feelings like: happy, fulfilled, content, peaceful, joyful, loving, loved, accomplished, complete, confident, courageous, kind, patient, etc.

Setting the intention to bring more of these feelings into your life on a regular basis will help you to live and be in this space every day.

I would suggest focusing on a few of the words/emotions as a sort of your ‘go-to’ feeling place for the coming year. These words can also serve as a guide for making decisions in the coming days, weeks, or months.

Now, you can do one of two things:

1. Keep these lists with you and read them every day. This keeps them top of mind and helps you stay on track with your intentions. It also keeps you motivated and energized.
2. You can burn or throw away your list knowing that your intentions are within you and trusting that the Universe will hold them and bring them to you.

Both ways work.

I hope you enjoy this ritual and I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences when you do it. Keep in mind that it’s not only a New Beginnings Ritual. You can do it anytime to up level your emotions, get back on track, and give you a boost. The combination of clearing, gratitude, and intentions is powerful – just like you!

Now, that’s Powerful!

Wishing you an outrageously awesome and blessed year ahead!

With love and gratitude,

Sue

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What the heck just happened?

Have you ever thought these words to yourself? It’s the end of a day, or you’re walking out of a meeting, or you just tucked the kids into bed, and you wonder how the time passed so quickly … And you think to yourself: What the heck just happened? Did all this time simply pass? What do I have to show for it?

It happens to all of us, and time keeps marching on. Truth is, the minutes, hours, and days pass, no matter what we do, or what we accomplish. This is the nature of life – in fact, it IS life.

So, how can you feel more connected and more aligned
as you move through each day?

It’s simple really. It comes down to being present in each moment, so you don’t miss a thing. When you are truly engaged in what you’re doing, and when you’re truly paying attention to the people you are with, and when you are putting your energy into the little stuff, you will find that you feel more fulfilled and more alive. The key is to be intentional. How do you do this? Set your intentions ahead of time, because…

You get what you set.

Since the holidays and the New Year are upon us, I propose that you set your intentions – ahead of jumping right into the holidays. This way, when you tuck the kids in, or sit down at the end of the day, you can look back and feel good about how you spent your time and energy.

If you’re anything like me, you want to enjoy the holidays and feel connected to the people you’re with; you want to have fun, learn things, feel contented, happy, and productive. If this is you too, then I have some suggestions.

Here are some of my Holiday Intentions that might work for you too!

My Holiday Intentions:

1. Be a conduit for peace and understanding.
2. Have fun. Be silly. Make jokes. Laugh as much as possible.
3. Create memories I’ll want to look back on.
4. Be fully present and enjoy the moment I’m in and people I’m with.
5. Have conversations that matter. Ask questions. Be curious.
6. Make real, heartfelt connections. Share goodness and light.
7. Learn about family. Ask about relatives, kids, parents, their friends.
8. Give big hugs. Smile a lot. Spread love.
9. Share your favorite longtime family traditions with friends.
10. Create new holiday traditions for your family and friends.

I hope this list of intentions helps you to create holidays that are special and memorable. My wish is that you receive in return tenfold all the goodwill and love that you share, and that your peaceful, fun, and joyful vibes rub off on everyone you encounter.

Now, that’s Powerful!

Happy, Merry, Blessed Holidays to You!
With Much Love and Joy,
Sue

Need an inspirational gift? My book will fill the bill! Purchase now at: https://powerfulyoupublishing.com/sale

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Do you think you have everything planned for the day ahead? How about the week ahead? That’s what I thought last week and then my whole week was upended by circumstances beyond my control.

Nothing terrible happened – just a LOT of stuff that kept coming up one thing right after the other. There was other people’s stuff that caused an interruption to my schedule—a sick child, a forgetful parent who needed help, noisy roofers up above with no prior notice, and someone simply unprepared for our time together. The reasons and excuses kept coming, and so I watched helplessly as my perfectly planned schedule got totally rearranged. I tried to roll and flow with it – but come on!

All this uncertainty really messed with the control freak in me.

I was discombobulated, out of sorts, and even a little irritated. I was in a bad place. Look, I have written about “perfect timing and divine order”, I’ve talked about it and did a webcast on this very topic. And yet, when uncertainty presented itself, when a monkey wrench was thrown into the mix, when I felt at a loss, and at the mercy of everyone and everything else, I caved. I let it get the best of me. I allowed myself to be consumed by the injustice of it all. I mean, come on, Universe! What gives?

And then, something happened.

A smile came to my lips and I began to chuckle. How could I let myself get so upset over this? It was just an interruption to my time. I was fine. The people I love are fine. I’m still alive and well. And so, I started to behave differently. I consciously shifted my awareness to the opening that was in front of me and took my mind to a place of calm. I did my best to breathe deeply, and I remembered a mantra I learned in a meditation class,

“In my uncertainty I find my security”.

I breathed in these words and made a decision—I decided to relax into it. What happened next was pretty amazing (and at the same time pretty predictable). The good news is I ended up getting a jump on other things. I rescheduled appointments to an even better time for me. I had time to relax, talk to friends and family, and organize my workspace. I had more time to cook, put in a new ventilation fan, go to the beach, spend some time shopping, go out for dinner, and relax! It was a little shift in thinking that I wish had come a few days sooner, and yet I am reminded that all things truly are in perfect timing and divine order. All is well.

Get comfortable with uncertainty. Possibility resides here.
Now, that’s Powerful!

Possibility be with(in) you,
Sue

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Peace is the Beginning, the Middle and the End

In times of stress, struggle or unexpected mishaps, it seems that we are seeking peace as the end result.  We want a peaceful circumstance, a peaceful resolution, and a peaceful mind.

As Mohandas Ghandi said, “There is no way to peace.  Peace is the way.”

The best way to get to peace is not to look to it as the end result; instead we must start with peace. We must think thoughts and speak words of peace. Peace must be with us every step of the way and if it is, then peace remains in the end as well.  Where does peace come from?

Peace comes from within.

You can find peace in your breath, in your belly and in your heart, and when you find it there, you must transmit it to your thinking mind.  From your thinking mind you must move peace to your tongue. Exude peace from the whole of you to the object of your discomfort.

Peace begets peace, and when all is said and done, only peace remains.

Now, that’s Powerful!

Today is the International Day of PEACE. Celebrate and intend peace for the world. It all starts with you. Join the GLOBAL MOMENT OF PEACE.

Go to:  https://internationaldayofpeace.org/get-involved/

PEACE be with(in) you.

Love, Sue

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Sure, being in a funk happens sometimes. Circumstances come about, stuff happens, people say things, life takes an unexpected turn, and suddenly we’re on a downward spiral. FUNK is in our experience. And here’s the deal…

FUNK is a mind job.

FUNK is a head case. It happens between your ears. It happens when you allow your thoughts and fears, worries, and anxieties to get the best of you. You allow them to take control and move you further into the abyss. It doesn’t have to be that way!

FUNK is within your control.

FUNK can be whisked away as easily as it was allowed to manifest. It’s as simple as directing your conscious awareness AWAY from the FUNK and TOWARDS something better suited for you. FUNK isn’t fun, and it also isn’t fatal. You CAN release it. You’ve got the POWER, baby! Use it.

Now, that’s Powerful!

Wishing you power and release,

Sue

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Gratitude is a Practice

Feeling grateful is something you have done on and off your whole life. As a child, you were in an almost constant state of gratitude, because you were always drawn to that which made you feel good. There are specific moments that are etched forever in your memory that, when you think about them, you feel a profound sense of gratitude.

The feeling of gratitude is sometimes hard to put into words, because it is so complex.

It is immensely satisfying and deeply humbling. It is a huge overtaking sensation and a small, simple pleasure. It is thrilling and exciting and it is peaceful and quiet. And although the feeling of gratitude may be hard to describe, it is undeniable. If you are unsure about how to feel the feelings of gratitude, ask yourself this simple question: What am I grateful for today? When you have an answer, notice how you feel. Then ask the same question, and again notice how you feel. Continue this process until you feel a fullness, a warmth and a glow in your heart. Ask until you feel your breath deep within your lungs and belly. Ask until you feel a smile on your lips or tears welling up in your eyes, or a fullness in your whole body that feels as though you might burst with joy.

The physical feelings of happiness for someone or something are the feelings of gratitude.

Your whole body, mind, and spirit will be immersed in gratitude and you will remain happy and grateful as long as you think these thoughts and allow these feelings.

What are you grateful for today?

Now, that’s Powerful!

With gratitude and love for you,

Sue

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beautiful young woman with dandelion lying on grass

Positivity vs. Negativity ~ What Wins Out?

Sometimes it’s tough to stay positive. There’s certainly negativity all around us – newspapers, online news sources and TV news stations are filled with it. They use negativity for dramatic effect to improve ratings. There are plenty of negative people too – those who dwell on the “bad stuff” and make things seem worse than what they are. And of course, there are actual horrible, unthinkable situations that befall us. All of these may cause angst, fear, and even depression … if we let them.

There’s also positivity all around us.

Positivity is a choice and an action. The same news sources we mentioned earlier also highlight some good news – hopeful stories of people helping people, new discoveries and advances, and inspirational human interest stories. There are plenty of positive people too – those who talk about and focus on what’s good, and operate from a space of compassion, love and kindness. There are beautiful, heart-warming, love-filled occurrences every single day too. All of these may cause happiness, motivation, and open-heartedness … if we let them.

It all comes down to a single decision.

Mindset. Directing your mind to focus on the positive aspects of what’s in front of you is a decision you make in each moment. Setting your eyes to see the good and the silver linings that are always available takes dedicated focus. Taking steps in the direction of light rather than darkness may be difficult at first because it’s sometimes easier to follow the crowd that complains and commiserates instead of uplifting yourself and others. All these points of decision are yours as you move through the day.

Decide right now to be positive.

There will always be negative people in the world. Sometimes I think the reason they’re here is to remind us how miserable we could be if we chose to look at life like they do. There will always be ‘bad’, sad and horrible things that happen; it’s our ability to accept them as they are and seek whatever good is to be had from them that will determine our feelings about them.

Your ability to be positive, live in your truth, and stand in your personal power as you emanate love from your heart is the thing that will bring peace, calm and even joy to the moments of your day.

“You got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, and latch on to the affirmative. Don’t mess with Mr. In Between.” ~ Ann M. Martin

Mantra for positivity:  Accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative.

Now, that’s Powerful!

Namaste` and Positivity to you!

Sue

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You are where you are because of every single thing you’ve done and said and thought up to this very moment.

Every decision, person, and event has played a part. If you keep thinking things ‘should’ be different, you’ll remain stuck in the now, unable to move forward.

Release the shoulds.

Free yourself.

All is well.

with love for you,

Sue Urda

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