Hi loves!
Happy, happy Monday! I am writing to you from my beautiful back patio where I planted flowers yesterday, and now I can't get enough of them! Seriously, a little beauty goes a long way!

Which gets me to this week's SPARK… Live! Yes, LIVE. Live like your life depends on it… because it does.

For 2 years, we haven't planted anything here because we knew we were going to move, so it seemed like a waste of money. Instead, we had an ugly back area that we never wanted to use. Talk about a WASTE! We still plan on moving, but just adding a few beautiful flowers has immeasurably boosted my JOY. In 24 hours, I've worked here, meditated here, and eaten 2 meals here. Everything comes from joy. Purpose, abundance, love – they all come from joy. Think about it – when you're unhappy and grouchy, how much do you attract new friends, get new clients, receive a promotion, or follow your dreams? You don't.

JOY creates purpose, abundance, and love. And to have joy, you must LIVE!

Which is why I hope you forgive me that I didn't send a SPARK from Italy last week. I said I would, and I'm sorry I broke a promise to you, but I was having too much fun LIVING while in Italy! (And *Spoiler Alert* through LIVING so fully last week, I now have all sorts of creative inspiration to help you live your purpose in joy – more below!)

WOW did we live there – roaming the quaint, cobbled bridges of Venice, tasting succulent wine in Montepulciano, taking a half-day Seafood cooking class of fresh mussels, clams, shrimp, tuna and branzino in Lucca, hiking the vineyard and lemon-tree laden mountains between adorable towns in the Cinque Terre (where we saw soft white Calla Lilies growing wild!), and indulging for 8 days in homemade pasta, fresh mozzarella, organic olive oil, and creamy chocolate, pistachio, and hazelnut gelato…  Plus, my husband surprised me with upgraded hotels, like a balcony suite overlooking the vineyards in Tuscany!
Sigh… heaven!

I am SO inspired now and I want this for you! To live on purpose and love your life, you must allow yourself to live.

Whether in small or big ways, most of us deny ourselves the enjoyment of full living because we think we don't “need” or “deserve” it or we think it's not that important. But, en-JOYing life literally ignites your brain's creative center, helps you build better relationships, and staves off stress-induced illness from the common cold to cardiovascular disease. So, yes, joyful living is a matter of life and death.

So, how are you not living fully in a way that fuels inspiration, purpose, and success? Follow these tips to live more fully in joy:

1. Be honest with yourself, in which are of your life are you depriving yourself of something you desire? Whether that is adding flowers in your yard, leaving your ho-hum job to live on purpose, prolonging a trip you are dying to take, or deepening intimacy in your relationship.

2. Flip your denial into a positive, proactive statement that begins with “I choose to live fully; I will…. “ then fill in the sentence. Such as “I choose to live fully; I will create more intimacy with my husband,” or “I choose to live fully; I will figure out how to leave this job and go after my dreams.”

3. Then break this down to one very small first step that is easy for action. For instance, if you choose to create intimacy, go buy a book on vulnerability.  If you hate your kitchen, begin small by buying new coffee mugs that you love. Or if you choose to go after your dreams, contact a coach and ask
about his or her process. In fact, if this is a dream, email me. I'm accepting a small number of new clients this summer and would be happy to host a free 30 minute call with you. Or if you've been dreaming of a fabulous trip… guess what? More details to come, but I am taking a small group of women to PARIS this summer!! Can you imagine meditating in the Tuileries Gardens, writing self-love vows along the Seine River, popping champagne while the Eiffel Tower lights up at night, and painting self-love expressions on Montmarte??!! Me too! OMG – I am so excited! Email me for more info!

For now, love, know that just taking one small step will make you feel HUGELY empowered and fuel you to take the next step. Living on purpose requires LIVING and LIVING REQUIRES ACTION!

Have a wonderful week – LIVE!
xoxo,
Carin

ps – Remember, if one of your dreams is to leave your job and live your purpose, I am accepting a small number of new clients and would be delighted to have a complimentarily 30 minute call with you to determine if we're a match. Email me to set up our call.

pps – And if just the idea of Paris is lighting you up, let's talk! You never know how to make a dream come true until you ask 🙂 Email me!

pps- Here is another photo – thanks for indulging me. I can't help it! 🙂

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about happiness. Sure, it’s my job to teach this stuff to you, but lately, it’s been personal. See, my life was out of whack. It’s embarrassing to admit this to you, but I became so afraid that I wouldn’t be successful, so wrapped up in comparing myself to OTHER coaches, so obsessed with pursuing fortune and fame, that I almost lost track of of who I am.

I now remember: I am a woman on purpose. And to honor this remembrance, below is an invitation for a totally free gift to you – keep reading and enjoy!    🙂

As I mentioned in a recent blog post, I almost gave up my purpose to make a buck. I was trying to fit a mold that a big-time agent told me I had to do to make it big. It wasn’t until he called me “An F’ing Idiot” for not wanting to work with a demeaning multimillionaire who videotaped me unknowingly, that I fell to my knees and surrendered.

In that moment, my truth returned. I remembered YOU. My faithful readers, my loyal clients. You whom I serve. You whom I live to impact. YOU are why I left corporate America. When I left my 6-figure VP job and moved across the country to study positive psychology, I said that if I impacted just one life – just ONE – then it will have been worth it. I would be happy.

What would be worth it to you to live on purpose? What would make you really happy? Not fleeting momentary happiness of chocolate, sex, or even an extra $20K. I mean deep down FULFILLMENT. The kind of happiness that overflows your heart and seeps through your veins.

This week I received three gifts from clients:

• A bouquet of flowers with a note saying, “Thank you for inspiring us and helping teach us how to make our brilliance shine.”

• A card from another saying, “Thank you for being. Thank you for asking the right questions and helping me find MY TRUTH.”

• A note from another saying, “I want to say thanks. I remember back to our first phone call. To say I was languishing would be an understatement. I felt hopeless and truly out of options. I wanted to just disappear because I thought it would be easier than living in such misery every day. I had forgotten who I was and what I had in my life. Fast forward to today.  Nothing around me is perfect.  My kids are still challenging.  People are melting down around me at work like popsicles on a hot day.  But, I have a bright and shining core in me.  I see and feel potential again. I know my strengths and feel empowered to use them.  There is not a day that I do not perform self-care and give myself permission to be human.  Most of all, I want to LIVE OUT LOUD instead of disappearing.  I have started dreaming again and I plan to fulfill them because I've rediscovered that I'm freaking awesome.”

I mean, WOW! I am so blessed. This is why I do what I do. She IS awesome! They all are! And so are you!

These three women remind me why I am here. I am a woman on purpose. I live to make a difference. My job is to shine my light brightly on the world so that you can shine yours. Yes, I want to make money, and in just a few years of coaching, I’m back to where I was in corporate America… and I believe that I can move the masses, and in a short amount of time I got a spot on SiriusXM. But that’s not why I’m here. I am here to live my purpose – to help you LIVE YOUR PUPROSE.

And so, I am inspired to offer you a gift. Beginning today, I am launching a new totally complimentary teleseminar series: Purpose Power Hour. Every month, I will focus a blog or two on a component of living as a woman (or man) on purpose and hold a 100% free teleseminar for YOU. It’s my way of saying thank you! Topics include:

• Self-Love

• Using Your Strengths

• Hope and Optimism

• Courage

• Resilience

• And MORE!

The first Purpose Power Hour is April 21, and the topic is Hope and Optimism. To sign up, register here. Also, please use this link to invite your family and friends to register. Again, this is totally free. It is my way of giving back and living on purpose. Remembering that when I serve, when I give, then I receive.

With so much love,

Carin

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 21: Purpose Power Hour: Hope and Optimism

April 25: #ThisIs40 Graduation! Closed event for the women in #ThisIs40. These amazing women are ROCKING life, writing books, following their passions, demanding respectful relationships. Watch out world!

And great news…

New Date! Succeed As You: 3 Steps to Your Happiest, Most Authentic Self! Introducing a new LIVE webinar with Sirius host, Taylor Strecker. You’ll learn to how to live your purpose, get your dream job, and finally be your true authentic self without shame, guilt or apology! Tickets on sale now