Carin Rockind, Author at Carin Rockind

July 18, 2017 By Carin Rockind Leave a Comment

The 1st Step to Being Empowered

If you could solve any problem in the world, what would it be?

This weekend, I was in Montreal with hundreds of people at the International Positive Psychology Association conference who dedicate their lives to answering this question.

Karen unexpectedly lost her husband at a young age. She wanted to die with him, but with young children, she knew she had to live. She began reading, meditating, and working on herself, and soon she realized that she could CHOOSE happiness. Wanting more people to realize that they too can make happiness a choice, she created the World Happiness Summit for thousands of people. Everyday, she wears a bracelet to remind her.

Emilia was nearly beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend before she escaped with nothing. She healed through sheer determination, running and deciding to dedicate her life to social justice. In November and December, she's running the length of New Zealand – 1500 miles – to show other survivors that they there's life on the other side of trauma. She wants to “encourage people to reach out for their extraordinary, exceed themselves and become leaders of positive change.”

Talking to them, I was both inspired, and to be honest, I also felt a teeny-tiny bit inadequate. Then I remembered… I'm just like them, and so are you.

These extraordinary people once had ordinary lives, but they woke up one day and made a choice to pursue their purpose. Emilia didn't know how to get sponsors or raise the money, she hadn't run that far, and she was afraid to leave her job, but she made the choice to try.

That's the 1st step to being empowered and living a life of purpose: To make the choice to finally do it. Even if you don't know how, trust you'll figure it out. It's really that simple. The research is super clear about this: Your level of commitment is critical to success.

Yet, many of us are walking-dead. We shuffle through life wanting more, but then get drowned in email and laundry, and before we know it, we're waking up on New Year's Eve wondering where the year went. I'm constantly receiving emails from people who feel “stuck”, “lost”, “unfulfilled”, “exhausted” and “like something's missing.”

If this is how you feel, then something is missing – YOU. Your passions, your strengths, your heart's desires.

Every single one of us is capable of doing something “extra”ordinary. Your purpose doesn't have to be “huge” like Emilia or Karen, but you are worthy of putting your gifts and ideas into the world. In fact, the world NEEDS your gifts. Where would we be if Rosa Parks had held back out of fear? One simple decision of her worth changed civil rights forever.

My client Heather just launched her dream yesterday (see the new “PurposeGirls on Fire” section below for her story) and it's amazing to see how she's already impacting lives with simple social media posts.

Journal on this:

Which of your heart's ideas you've called crazy, stupid, impossible, impractical, yet they still nag at you and won't go away?
What issue do you want to contribute to?
What would make you feel alive?

Or maybe you don't know what you want to do. Then decide that it's time to get help in figuring it out.

Let these extraordinary people who are just like you remind you of what's possible when you make the decision to get unstuck and be empowered.

With so much love,
Carin
(Here's a pic of me speaking about Purpose at the Intl Pos Psych conference! It was such an honor and so much fun! I got to do it because 8 years ago, I made the choice to pursue my purpose no matter what.)

PS: I’m going to have something huge to share with you in a few days: The doors will be opening on Monday for my transformational 4-month coaching program – EMPOWERED! I’ve led EMPOWERED for several years, and it has truly changed the lives of so many women in dramatic ways! As I share with you details about the program I’ll also share stories of some of the amazing women who have gone through the program. They’re truly inspirational, and the opportunity to empower women like them – and like you — is the reason I do what I do. Stay tuned!

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PurposeGirls on Fire – Real success stories of people who are going for it!

As a child, Heather Daniel loved her grandmother's cooking. She wanted to write a cookbook “one day,” but before she knew it, she had two kids, a full-time crazy-busy event planning job, had gained a lot of weight, and was stuck in constant stress and overwhelm. She was turning 30 and knew she had to make a change. Heather came to Goddess Girls Retreat with me and Taylor Strecker and immediately opened up about feeling stuck and wanting more. As she and I began working together, at first one-on-one, and then in my EMPOWERED sisterhood, she focused on getting healthy for her boys. She did Whole 30 and saw amazing results so she continued eating paleo and began taking her kids on walks and in time, she lost 40 lbs. Heather posted all of her delicious paleo recipes on Instagram and people asked for more. She felt ALIVE and excited again about life! So she came back to her dream of a cookbook and I'm SO THRILLED to share that just yesterday Heather launched her new blog, “Sweet Revel“. She's a brilliant healthy chef (mostly Whole30/Paleo) and an expert event planner so you can expect lots of fun, refreshing ideas for meals, mommy-ing, and play. She's got the mom-meal-planning down! She's getting her dream done one blog post at a time. She's lost more than 40 lbs on her own cooking and is so so so inspiring. PLEASE join me in following this awesome mama who's following her true purpose. Click here for Sweet Revel!

July 3, 2017 By Carin Rockind 8 Comments

From Pain To Purpose

Nine years ago today, I was robbed at gun point.

I was walking home from a bad blind date, laughing about it on the phone with my sister, when a scared young man followed me into my condo building. At first I didn't see him, but when I put my key in the front door I felt thick hot breath on the back of my neck. I turned around and was within inches of these big, sad, saucer brown eyes.

“Are you going in?” I asked him. I thought maybe he had a friend who lived there.

He paused and then looked down at my belly. I followed his eyes and saw that he pointed a gun my stomach. I fell to the floor, with my arms over my head, screaming, “Please don't hurt me, please don't hurt me!!!”

Thoughts raced through my head, “Tell my parents I've had a good life, thank my grandparents for me.” I remembered my 3rd grade birthday party and envisioned my funeral. I looked up at him and now the gun was pointed at my left temple. I could see down the steel barrel.

At that moment, a strong, calm voice came over me: “Oh no,” she said. “You're here for purpose. People are waiting for you.”
So I made a promise with G-d: “If you let me live, I promise to pursue that purpose.”

At that moment, the man took my purse and he ran.

See, I had known that I wanted to do this Purpose work for years, but I had been too afraid to do it. I was afraid I'd fail, afraid you would all hate me, afraid that no one wanted to hear what I had to say. I was afraid I'd never make money and afraid I'd never be published. I was afraid of everything.

So I stayed stuck. Stuck in my job, stuck in my relationships, stuck in my life. And staying stuck made me severely depressed. I called myself horrible nasty names for not following my dreams. I went on heavier and heavier depression drugs and I got shingles at 34.

I was a mess – all out of fear.

But that day, with a gun to my head, I made a decision: I was doing this. I was going to use every talent G-d gave me for purpose. I was going to use my life to make a difference in the world. I was going to become PurposeGirl.
It was all I ever wanted. It still is all I want. When I die, I want millions of women saying, “She impacted my life.”
And I will tell you my friends, this Purpose-thing is not easy. I've had many days of crying and fear. I've been terrified of running out of money. I've compared myself endlessly to coaches who have bigger audiences than me. I've been excited one day, felt like shit the next, and called myself a loser. At various times, I've become obsessed with winning your “likes.”
But as I was working on my book today and realized that TODAY was the day 9 years ago that changed the trajectory of my life FOREVER, I KNEW that I would not change that experience for any amount of money or “likes” in the world.

I'm a survivor. I'm a warrior. I've survived so that I can inspire you to thrive. And I don't take my mission lightly. As of this moment, I'm more serious about it than ever. I want EVERY woman on earth to know and love who she is. I want EVERY human being to realize his true purpose. I want ALL of us to live and love fully with open hearts and giving souls. There is so much more I can do. So much more I want to do.

When this young man was sentenced, I went to court and his attorney handed me a letter that the young man had written to me. He explained how he had grown up without a father, how he had 2 babies and one on the way, how he robbed me because he needed money for diapers. Tears streamed down my face and sobs left my throat. (They are again writing this.) The judge asked if I wanted to say anything. I stood up and faced his sweet sad eyes once more. “It's not fair that I grew up the way I did, and you grew up the way you did,” I said. “And I don't want your kids growing up this way. I want them to go to college.” Tears now streamed down his face.

I meant it. I still mean it. I'm remembering it all today in vivid color and I'm really wanting to make a bigger impact. I want to serve. I want to empower kids in challenged situations too. I don't know how and I don't know where.
And I want to empower EVERY woman to RISE UP. I just know that we are ALL PurposeGirls! We are ALL here for SOMETHING! We can't let raw talent go wasted. You can't let your dreams get lost. If you don't know your purpose, let's figure it out. If you know it but aren't following it, let's get you on your path. Please don't hide behind fear anymore, my friend.
You never know when a gun will be pointed at your head.

Written in complete and utter love. Sending love tonight to C. H., wherever he and his children may be.

June 29, 2017 By Carin Rockind Leave a Comment

Living Fully Alive!

When is the last time you allowed yourself to feel totally and completely alive? To declare out loud what you want, even if others don't get it or support it? To dance when there's no music? To risk failing a big dream because your heart would never forgive you if you didn't at least try?

This is what my client did with me by going on an exclusive VIP retreat with me in Paris, and you can do it too. You don't have to come to Paris with me (though you'd love it), but you do need to take space away to get clear.

When the plane took off to Paris 2 weeks ago, I had no idea what to expect. I was meeting a client that I didn't know for a private exclusive retreat where we would be together in Paris for 5 days. I knew that we'd have fun going up the Eiffel Tower, eating fresh croissant, and seeing a live cabaret show, and I knew that our work together would be powerful, but I couldn't predict just how much she would spread her wings.

This was a scary proposition for us both. Together for 5 days? What if she didn't open up? What if it doesn't work?

But on Day 1 as we sat in a rose garden next to the Champs Elysees, devouring steaming hot crepes filled with nutella and caramel that dripped down our chins, we discovered her true purpose. She remembered when she's felt most alive in life, and committed to live that in her relationships, her work, her health – in every aspect of life.

Out of respect for her, I won't share the details of her purpose or desires or struggles, but I will share that throughout our VIP retreat, I witnessed her unfold, expand, and stand in her power with joy and grace.

As we meditated in the Tuileries Gardens, and then toured the Louvre, we created our own definition of beauty. One painting spoke “Empowered woman” to her; another, “JOY” to both of us, and as she stared at a sculpture for a long time, she declared, “Freedom.”

Each day I witnessed her own more and more of her true self. We practiced yoga in the gardens, elevated up the Eiffel Tower, celebrated life with champagne, and let our inner child play with paint in the very spot that Picasso and Renoir did. She faced her fears and bravely overcame them while declaring to fill her soul with JOY.

By the end of our retreat, she was clear on what she needs and EMPOWERED to go get it.

Plus we had the most incredible time having an all-dessert picnic along the Seine, savoring an all-souffle meal (what??!!), and indulging in the most delicious Guerlain perfume personalized with our names in GOLD!!!

This retreat reminded me why I do VIP retreats: They WORK! Spending a full day together away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life achieves this result. With whole days, we go deep into your purpose and move past your fears.

I want to do this for you. I dream about you dreaming big, stepping into your full power, and LIVING fully ALIVE.

You desperately want to write a book, but feel like no one would read it – I want to read it and show you all the people who do! You yearn to start a blog, but feel like the market is over-saturated, I want to show you why your voice is needed and get it going! You KNOW you'd make an amazing attorney but you're 55 and fear can you really do it now? YES! I'll cheerlead you all the way through final exams!

This private retreat was SO POWERFUL that I'm opening up 2 new ways to work with me this Summer:

1. VIP Exclusive Retreat: I'm opening space to host 3 people for exclusive 1:1 VIP retreats where you and I will get together for two fabulous nights and one powerful day to uncover your purpose and move past your doubts and fears. We'll get together in New Hope, PA, or a location of your desires, and we'll get clear on what you want and activate a plan to get it. We'll move past fears and cultivate your confidence so that you leave energized, activated and READY to take on the world! I'm only doing 3 of these, so reply now!
>>>>>Email me here to apply for one of these 3 spots to see if we're a fit to work together.

2. Paris and South of France 2018! I'm taking a small group of women to France next year so that you can experience this soul alteration! For the past several years I've taken women on my Purpose in Paris retreat, but now I'm SO OBSESSED with the South of France (newsletter on those gorgeous lavender fields and sun-filled Riviera coming soon), that I'll be taking women there, too! Purpose in Paris will start on June 24, 2018, we'll spend several days in Paris, and then we'll travel to the South of France on June 28 for the next retreat, which will end on July 2. You can do one of these retreats – or both, for a discount. Plus, if you reserve your spot byAugust 1, 2017 with a small deposit, you will get 2 bonus private coaching sessions with me THIS SUMMER so that you are ready for our journey next year (That's a $660 value). Plus, you can make payments over 12 months, and guarantee your place on these exclusive retreats!

>>>>>Email me here to apply for Paris and/or South of France 2018!

PLUS – there are 3 spots left for Goddess Girls Retreat with me and Taylor Strecker August 4 – 6 in Miami, Florida! Due to some unexpected events, a few spots opened up, but they will sell out, so if you're interested, email me or register here NOW!

Whatever you do, make time to get away from your routine and figure out what YOU really want in life.

Being away allows you to remove the barriers of can't/shouldn't/impossible and to answer the mother question: How Can I?

You weren't born to live with barriers. You were born to live fully. To know your heart's desires and soul's purpose and to create a life that allows you to live that. I'm not saying it's easy. But it is possible.

And if you want support doing it, email me. My work works. It brings out the truth of your hidden, secret desires. It melts the layers of shame and fear that you've been hiding behind. It allows you to not only see the truth of your soul's purpose, but to accept, embrace and embody it.

And again, if your heart is sparked by the idea of working together 1:1 or by coming on one of my powerful, transformative retreats, then take the first step and email me! No obligation – just exploration!

With so much love,

Au revoir,
Carin

PS – If you have FOMO on this elite retreat, email me to talk about your own Elite Retreat, and/or to get on the waitlist for my next retreat. They are fabulous and you don't want to miss this experience of a lifetime!

And get ready to be EMPOWERED!
If you KNOW you're READY for big change and you don't know exactly what you want, or how to do it, join my proven 4 month coaching program, EMPOWERED. You will gain clarity on who you are and what you want. You will identify your heart's desires and take action on them. You will finally shed the old layers of guilt, shame and fear that have held you back. And you'll do it all in Sistherhood – the best way to ensure that you move forward on your dreams! Past participants call EMPOWERED “The best decision of my life,” “Life-changing,” and say, “I”m a new woman!” Email me for more info, or click here to be among the first to know when the next program opens up! This program always sells out, and you won't want to miss this life-changing experience!

June 9, 2017 By Carin Rockind Leave a Comment

Crave Adventure?

Bonjour!

Greetings from Paris where I'm about to meet a very special client for a private Elite Retreat in the most beautiful city in the world!! Tonight, I'm taking her on an immersive cruise down the Seine at dusk, then an exclusive self-love tour of the Louvre tomorrow, and then meditating about our deepest desires in the Tuilerie Gardens!!

She wrote to me, I can't wait to see what unfolds on this adventure!

I can't wait either. Something extraordinary happens when you take yourself outside of your comfort zone and allow yourself to open to possibility.

But it feels hard to go out of your comfort zone, right? It can literally be paralyzing!!!

Have you ever craved adventure or a desire so badly but talked yourself out of it because it was too expensive, too risky, too big, or too small? You told yourself you were arrogant to want it, it was indulgent to do it, you were stupid for even thinking about it.

Me too. In college I so badly wanted to come to Paris for a semester, but was afraid my boyfriend would break up with me. In my 20's I so badly wanted to move to a big city, but I was afraid I'd never get another job. The fears went on and on.

Spending years in fear… what a waste of our precious little time on this great earth.

You weren't born to live in fear! Think about it – why would you have been born with vibrant dreams and creative ideas and expansive wanderlust if you were meant to just drown in fear and stay stuck in mundane routine for the rest of your life?

The fears are deep and so you must get in touch with the patterns, old limiting beliefs and stories that are getting in your way. The key to an Empowered, purposeful life is overcoming the fear.

You were born to follow the cravings of your soul. ALL humans crave adventure. Our early ancestors were wandering people so it's literally in our DNA to want to explore.

And what happens when you don't fill your craving? I bet you feel empty. Or stuck. Or lost. Or depleted, short-tempered, exhausted. Or all of the above.

I taped this short video for you about why you must take adventures. I'll be posting videos from France on my Facebook page (click here) and Instagram stories (follow me @carinrockind), so to go on this adventure with us, make sure to follow me there.

And whatever you do, please commit to one adventure today. Or at least commit to getting over the fears. Work with a coach, read a book, write out your fears and why they aren't valid. Email me if you want a free 30 minute session when I return, to talk about your fears and desires. It would be my pleasure to help you become Empowered!

With so much love,
Au revoir,
Carin

PPS – Did you know that I work with corporate groups to inspire and motivate employees to maximize their potential? Last week I worked with LinkedIn in Toronto, and employees loved it so much, they stayed for more instead of taking lunch! Their manager told me they've never opened up this way. Wow!

And 2 more amazing offerings:
August 4 – 6 Goddess Girls with Taylor Strecker is Back!:
SiriusXM star, Taylor Strecker of “Wake Up with Taylor,” is joining me in Miami for our annual Goddess Girls Retreat. Join us for a weekend in Miami to release old fears and embrace your inner Goddess. This retreat is about three-quarters full and it will sell out, so if you're interested, register here NOW!

EMPOWERED
If you KNOW you're READY for big change and you don't know exactly what you want, or how to do it, join my proven 4 month coaching program, EMPOWERED. You will gain clarity on who you are and what you want. You will identify your heart's desires and take action on them. You will finally shed the old layers of guilt, shame and fear that have held you back. And you'll do it all in Sistherhood – the best way to ensure that you move forward on your dreams! Email me for more info, or click here to be among the first to know when the next program opens up! This program always sells out, and you won't want to miss this life-changing experience!

June 4, 2017 By Carin Rockind Leave a Comment

Will Money Make You Happier?

Hi friend,

Quick question (and answer with your gut and without judgment): Does money make you happier?

According to research, after around $75,000, research shows that money doesn't make you that much happier. However, I know that I want more than $75,000 and I bet that if I gave you $10,000 right now, you'd be thrilled!

See, we want money, but most of us have a love/hate relationship with it:

You need it to live, so it's holding you back from starting your dream business.
You're thrilled to get new Jimmy Choos, but hate paying your credit card bill.
You're dying to go to Paris, but feel guilty spending the money.

Recently, a woman emailed me that she NEEDED to come on one of my retreats. She has been in a horrible relationship, she's stressed from her new boss, and she has completely lost herself since becoming a mom. However, she said she couldn't afford it. When probing, it turns out that she has money to go out to lunch every day (because she has no time to pack it!), for fast food a couple times a week, and for a gym membership she never uses. Money isn't her issue – self-love is. But she blames money rather than realizing how easy it is to shift how she spends it and to make more! (More on that below.)

For years, I had a love/hate relationship with money. I secretly wanted it, but told other people that I didn't because I thought that money was dirty. It made people snotty and gross and I would rather do GOOD in the world than do WELL financially.

What a ridiculous statement! As if I can't both do well and do good!!

I needed to change my “money story”: The narrative you've created around money that lies deep in your subconscious. It tells you that there isn't enough of it, that making money is hard, that rich people are obnoxious like your Uncle Jim, and that money is for other people.

Whatever your story, it isn't your fault. You learned your story from your parents, grandparents, church, community, television, etc. My dad said that money didn't grow on trees (yes it does – it's paper!!), my grandparents saved tea bags so I learned that money is sparse, yet I grew up in a ridiculously wealthy area where kids drove their BMWs to school so I felt “less than” around them. (No wonder I had a messed up money story!)

The key for money happiness to is to become friends with it, and here's how (I've bolded my faves):

Change your money story: Identify your old narrative, check it out for accuracy and then change your story to a new one of abundance. For instance, is it true that money is sparse? No – there is enough money to feed the world; it just needs to be distributed differently!
See money as energy exchange: Money helps you buy what you want; your current job is the first investor in your new business; realize that your contribution to society is worthy of great contribution back.
Be grateful to money: Gratitude tells the brain (and the universe) what you want more of, so…Before you eat your steak dinner, be grateful for the abundance to afford it, be grateful when paying your bills for your clean water and gas stove, be grateful when paying your taxes for the firemen and police and roads and schools that they build. Positivity begets positivity.
Use your money intentionally. Think about how much money you BLOW and have no idea where it went. A glass of Cabernet here, a few Starbucks coffees there, that shirt with the tags still on from 2016… YOU ALWAYS HAVE MONEY FOR WHAT YOU NEED AND WANT. That is a universal law. So if you feel like you don't have money, think about what you want and spend there.
Make money PURPOSEFUL: You were born with a specific purpose on earth. You're here to use your unique gifts to make the world a better place. Know that the Universe wants you to live your purpose, so be clear about what that is, how abundance can help, and believe it's coming.
Have an abundance mindset. See abundance in everything you own, every little gift that comes your way, and every rose that's in full bloom. A positive healthy mindset matters!
Use your money to buy EXPERIENCES. Research is really clear about this one. Experiences give us lasting memories so every time you look at your Snapfish book, the money keeps paying off in more appiness! Plus, planning experiences, like vacations, give us happy anticipation, which researchers show
further elongates the happiness! And, experiences are often with people you like, so that heightens your happiness even more. Spending money on experiences literally makes your dollar stretch into more happiness!

The most important thing is to KNOW WHY YOU WANT MONEY! Not just “I want it” – that won't make you happier! But, that trip to Miami with Carin and Taylor will transform my life! Or, starting my own business will give me freedom! That's how to set your mind and the energy in motion!

And here's the best part: Abundance IS everywhere. Below are 10 things you can do RIGHT NOW to make more money. If Jim Carrey can go from growing up in a trailer to making people laugh all over the world, you can make money for your dreams, too! Here are a few quick ways to bring in money TOMORROW!

Sell something on eBay. I'm sure your house is LOADED with stuff other people would love.
Put flyers in mailboxes offering to mow lawns. Cha-ching!
Offer to babysit your neighbor's kids. ($10-$15/hour!)
Get crafty and make something that you can sell for fun on Etsy.
Have a bake sale or lemonade stand outside of your home. Mmmm!
Host a garage sale.
Ask your neighbors to host a garage sale and offer to market it for a small % of their earnings.
Get a “side hustle” going – a part-time job or part-time entrepreneurial start-up where you sell your talent on sites like Fiverr, UpWork, or TaskRabbit. (Do you know someone will pay you to pick up their dry cleaning??!)
Become an Amazon affiliate and make money every time you recommend a product to someone else and they buy it!
Set up a KickStarter campaign! I've had people pay for their classes with me using KickStarter because their happiness and them living their purpose will improve others' lives! So others said, “Yes, I'm down to make your dreams come true!”

Like I always say, everything is possible. You just have to get clear about why you want it, excited for it to happen, and believe in yourself so much that you're willing to make yourself get creative, vulnerable, and persistent for it. That's how I created this business and if I can do it, so can you!

And PS – if you want ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES OF YOUR LIFE – one that will pay Happiness dividends for years, join me and Taylor Strecker of SiriusXM for the Goddess Girls Retreat Aug. 4 – 6 in South Beach. You will awaken your true heart's true desires, learn tools to change your “story,” and walk away with confidence and clarity to create a life you love. Click here for more information. We only have a few spots left, so if this interests you, click here to join now!

With so much love,
Carin