Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Creating the Life You Want:
Intention. Visualization. Reflection.













How do you create the life you want? Seriously, I'm asking....

That is the big question for many of us. In particular, how do we make those big lifestyle changes that seem impossible? I've been pondering this question a lot lately. I'm no Deepak Chopra, but here are my humble thoughts on the subject.

I'm interested in knowing your thoughts.... please share.


Intention.
Set a clear and conscious intention for the things that you want in your life, then write it down and communicate it to someone else. Think about all the times we say, "I didn't mean to do that". Instead of floating through life unconsciously, we should mean what we do, and do what we mean to do. The funny thing is that setting an intention and achieving it is not really all that hard.  The hard part is figuring out what it is that will really make us happy. The expression, "be careful what you wish for" comes to mind.

Visualization.
Once you have set your intention, spend time creating a picture in your mind of what that reality would look like. Use all your senses to imagine that intention coming to fruition. Write about it, cut out pictures and stick them on your refrigerator, draw a picture.... just spend time thinking about it. It is in these moments of positive contemplation that ideas spring forth, paths emerge, plans fall in to place, and the inner strength and motivation that may have once seemed lacking suddenly comes to life.

Reflection.
As you start to achieve your goals, the visualizations will take on new shapes, become more detailed, and perhaps take unexpected detours. The process of fully realizing the intention can be stymied when you don't take the time to properly reflect on the journey. It's important to process (ideally through writing) all that you have done to achieve your goals, what has worked, what has not worked, and how you want to proceed. Acknowledge the progress that has been made. Allow yourself to appreciate it and use that gratitude to motivate yourself as you carry on.
Creating the Life You Want:
Intention. Visualization. Reflection.
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CSN Stores.... Shop Easy? Let's Find Out.





I was recently introduced to a massive online shopping portal called CSN. Through this one site you can buy all kinds of products - anything from light fixtures, to kid's stuff, to furniture and housewares.

The folks at CSN asked me to review my shopping experience with them. In exchange they are giving me $40 to spend at their store.
Sure, I'll give it a try. 

So far, I'm impressed with CSN's huge selection and eclectic styles. At first glance, the prices look reasonable, and they claim there is FREE shipping on "just about everything". There are a number of organic and eco-friendly products. They also have a clearance section (which doesn't seem to offer many significant discounts), a rewards program, and price matching. There were a number of somewhat unusual items that caught my eye, including cool bean bags for kids, educational and developmental toys, and a compost bin for the kitchen counter.

CSN could easily be another go-to place when I'm shopping online. Their tag line is "shop easy".  I'll find out if that's really true and report back to you.
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