2020 has had more than its fair share of bad luck so far and I bet that you are feeling the same way. One bad thing has happened after another and we are all wondering when the downward spiral will turn around. The good news is that even when the world is turning upside down, there are things that we can personally do to stop a cycle of bad luck and make the most of any situation.
Read MoreOne out of every three American adults has what is considered to be high blood pressure. So the question you should asked if you have hypertension is, “what is causing it and how can I manage it without being on high blood pressure medication for the rest of my life?”
Read MoreHappy New Year and thanks for stopping by to read this blog. January feels like a logical time to start over, level up and become the best versions of ourselves! For the past several years a lot of us have been through some very difficult and even painful challenges, but most people that I’ve talked to lately are feeling really optimistic about 2020 and I feel the same way.
Read MoreDo you struggle with low energy during late fall and winter? We’ve recently had a series of cold gloomy days in the Pacific Northwest and I have to say that they started to take a toll on my mood and my level of energy. The good news is that there are things that we can do to help boost our energy this time of year…
Read MoreEat healthy food. Eating well is especially difficult when we are rushed or on the road. Fast food is plentiful, but it lacks nutrition and can ultimately make us feel overweight and sluggish.
Read MoreLast week I wrote about competition and how it can be a good thing by motivating us to work harder to become the best that we can be. Since writing that post I have really been stepping up my photography and editing game in an effort to push my boundaries and get really good at this craft. This may look like a blog about photography, but stay with me. It actually applies to all of us as I show you the steps the you can apply to become the best that you can become in your areas of interest. These steps are common sense, but sometime we get stuck or discouraged and we need a reminder of how simple it is to get started taking steps toward the fulfillment of our dreams.
Read MoreAugust and September are transitional months and with change comes uncertainty. As we transition from summer into fall many of us are dealing with big moves in our lives. Some are starting new jobs, others are going off to college for the first time, and many of us are actually moving to new places.
It is possible to sit comfortably with uncertainty. Photography by Paul Garrett
Uncertainty can be stressful and the anxiety that it brings does not sit well with most of us. We like to know what is coming up and to have total control over our futures. The reality, however, is that we have little control outside of ourselves. There are just too many factors that depend upon other people before they can be worked out. What we can control, however, is how we respond to what is going on around us. Self mastery and faith are two practices that will help you to conquer uncertainty and to grow in mind, body and spirit.
I think that most of us take life too seriously and that we care way too much what other people think of us. This leads us to perfectionism, people pleasing, double guessing and stress. During a time of transition it tempting to force our will upon the outcomes not only to feel in control, but to also impress other people out of fear that they will judge us if we fail.
Use uncertainty to your advantage. It can be a good thing! Photography by Paul Garrett
I’m moving in September and for the first time I don’t know exactly when and where I will finally end up. People want to know “what’s your A plan and your B plan?” This time around I have given my plans up to the Universe, trusting fully that the best outcomes are in the works for me. In the meanwhile I am going to go on a road trip that I have been dreaming of for awhile to see parts of the USA that I have not seen in years and to gather new inspiration and photos for this blog. This might sound crazy, however, the Universe has brought me some unexpected experiences and opportunities over the past three years that have been amazing. As a result I’ve truly learned to trust the journey and let go. Thanks to my growing faith, I’ve become comfortable for the most part with uncertainty. In fact, I often welcome it because it can be exciting and it is always a catalyst for my growth.
Uncertainty is a part of life. Welcome it as an opportunity to change and grow. Sometimes it takes being terribly uncomfortable to move us out of our comfort zones and into action. Growth only comes when we challenge ourselves and I believe wholeheartedly that we are not here just to eat, sleep, work and pay the bills. We are her to enjoy life, to learn, to love, to fulfill our purpose and to grow.
Wishing you all the best,
Paul
New Posts Every Tuesday and Saturday
I’ve been pet sitting a dog and a cat for the past three days and they have reminded me just how much we can learn from them and why we love animals so much. Let me share with you the six lessons that I have been reminded of from this experience:
1. Love unconditionally: If you have a dog or a cat I’m sure that you can relate to this. Animals express unconditional love so freely and it makes us feel appreciated and happy. Imagine if we could be that free to share our love with other people without fear of rejection, expectations or judgement. Think how good that would make you feel. So many of us have been hurt in intimate relationships that we tend to hold back for fear of getting hurt again. Take it from a dog and always choose love over fear. By opening our hearts to others we can experience the beautiful energy of love and acceptance.
Read MoreFear and anxiety are so pervasive these days. Amongst our biggest fears is the fear that we are not good enough. This leads to other fears like the fear of failure, the fear of abandonment and the fear that we will never be loved. If only we could realize that these fears are illusions, we could then break the grip that they hold over us, banish our anxiety and start living the beautiful lives that we were born to live.
Don’t get me wrong. Life will always have its tests and trials. Challenges and obstacles are necessary in to teach us the lessons that will help us to grow wiser and stronger. As humans we have a natural tendency to resist adversity. We would rather ignore it with the hope that it will go away on its own. Our resistance, however, creates more anxiety and pain in our lives. It also makes us feel helpless. In order to reverse this downward spiral, we need to face our fears and ove
Read MoreWhat’s your favorite social media platform? For the past five years I have been a big fan of Instagram due to my love of photography, travel and nature. It’s also been a wonderful place to make great friends from around the world, including my TSJ blogging partner, Libby McAvoy. When I started on IG it was fun and easy to gain followers and make friends. Since Instagram introduced their notorious "algorithm" a couple years ago that selects what photos appear in our feeds, however, it's become more competitive and, quite frankly, rather frustrating at times. Seeing some accounts grow while your own stays the same can be discouraging, considering that many of those fast growing accounts are using computer bots to follow and unfollow you. And then their is the risk of falling into the "comparison trap" when you see so many fantastically edited photos, exotic locations, fabulous lifestyles and heavily curated galleries.
Read More“The Untethered Soul” is a number one New York Times bestseller by Michael A. Singer, which has sold over one million copies. Libby highly recommended that I read this book and now I know why it was so impactful toward her spiritual growth.
I have to admit, that this book felt a little slow to me through the first few chapters. Libby explained that it was because I already knew this material and she was right.
Read MoreWe all have masculine and feminine energies within us no matter what our physical gender may be. These energies empower and influence us with an array of contrasting traits. Having these duel energies within us allows us to recognize the mirrors of attraction within our potential mates, bringing the male-female connection into a relatable place. When we recognize our qualities within another person we connect with them. If we did not share these traits to some extent, it would be be more difficult to connect, merge and find commonality. Like magnets we are energetically attracted to our polar opposites, as well, and together we find a balance of swirling energy and emotions that lift us up and give us a feeling of being completed. One of the keys to a Total Soulful Journey is knowing how to balance, embrace and honor these energies within ourselves and with each other.
Read MoreAccording to the Merriam-Webster dictionary synchronicity is: The coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (such as similar thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality
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Total Soulful Journey is a inspiring blog about living your best life through awareness, acceptance and forgiveness with the goal of elevating our minds, our bodies and our spirits to their fullest potential. This blog will help people find their purpose in life and fulfill the calling of their souls through mindfulness. We'll explore the many aspects of love, health, fitness, yoga, nutrition, cooking, careers, entrepreneurship, travel, and manifesting abundance. Awaken with us on a Total Soulful Journey to becoming the best version of you!
Total Soulful Journey is an inspiring blog about living your best life by Paul Garrett. Paul is a writer, an award winning filmmaker, an internationally published photographer and an entrepreneur who lives and thrives in the Pacific Northwest.
