Why are you Here?

It is natural to wonder why you exist. The odds of you being born is 1 in 400 quadrillion*. A chain of events that is extremely unlikely must occur for you to be born (read more here). That is enough motivation for me to want to make the most of this life. What about you?

The wisdom of Kabbalah tells us our purpose in life revolves around our desire to fulfill ourselves in all areas of life. This desire comes from the soul. Long term and enduring fulfillment is the goal. Feeling Good is the goal. Feeling love, happiness, and joy contribute to a wonderful sense of fulfillment. This fulfillment can be described as spiritual fullness that manifests physically.

“According to studies, people eat less when they are in a mode of creativity, growth, sharing and love as a direct result of the good feeling that fills them up. In contrast, when one feels empty he tries to fill himself with food he doesn’t need or consumes/buys products he doesn’t need…So how do we know when we are really full, full with long term and enduring satisfaction? If we look back and examine the times when we felt this full sensation, we would notice that it was easier to love others; we were happier, felt healthier, were more tolerant of others and felt like we had to share this feeling with others. This is a sure sign that we were tapping into long term, enduring, and spiritual fulfillment.”**

We cannot give what we do not have. When we are full of love and energy we share peace, happiness, and joy. This is why I wake up each day and choose how I want to be. I choose myself so that I overflow with love and energy to experience the world and spread love. What will you choose?

Sabrina Custer, author

References

*Spector, D. (2012, June 11).The Odds of You Being Alive are Incredible Small. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/infographic-the-odds-of-being-alive-2012-6.

**Live Kabbalah University.The Way to Happiness. https://livekabbalah.org/the-way-to-happiness.

Intuitive Eating to Honor your Body.

In today’s culture, there is an overwhelming amount of information telling us the right or wrong way to eat. If we start to listen to our body’s needs, imagine how good we will feel.

Intuitive eating is a paradigm of wellness that encourages going inside rather than outside for your cues. This is a drastic shift as you tend to look outside of yourself for ideas on how to eat, how to move, and what to feel. When you eat intuitively, you treat yourself with love and respect and allow your body to unfold into the body that nature intended for you. Imagine the freedom and happiness you can feel when you feed yourself respectfully for the sake of wellbeing rather than for the sake of trying to be a certain size that may not be meant for you.

To start eating intuitively, increase your awareness of your body’s needs. Notice what signals are present when you are hungry. Consider what foods feel nourishing and sound delicious to you. Tune into your body’s signals around movement. Notice what movement or rest your body wants to do rather than what exercise you think it should do.

Commit to eating with love for yourself and pay attention to what your inner voice is saying. Work with a friend, coach, or therapist to diminish shame that exists about your body and address emotional blocks or negative feelings.

Ask yourself, “How would I feed someone I love?” or “What feels the most loving and respectful for my body right now?”

Sabrina Custer, author

References

Santos, L. (Host). (2023, January 9). How to Eat Intuitively in 2023 (No. 2). In The Happiness Lab. Pushkin. https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/how-to-eat-intuitively-in-2023

Steps to Calm your Anxious Thoughts.

We all experience automatic negative thoughts (also known as ANTs). They can cause anxiety, especially if they are on replay in your mind. Here are steps you can take to calm your ANTs now.

1. Take a few deep belly breaths and continue focusing on your breathing.

2. Remind yourself that anxious thoughts are normal and they will eventually pass.

3. Write down your anxious thoughts. Bringing light to your thoughts diminishes their power. When you are done, tear up the paper and throw it away. You can also talk to someone you trust about your thoughts.

4. Practice relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, light stretching, or progressive muscle relaxation.

5. Drink water with lemon or electrolytes.

6. Take a break from any stress-inducing situations. It’s okay to cancel plans for rest.

7. Spend some time outside in nature and take in the sights and sounds around you.

8. Make time for activities that make you happy, such as reading, listening to music, or engaging in a hobby.

9. Get rest.

10. Stay hydrated and eat nourishing foods.

Sabrina Custer, author

5 Steps to a Simple Budget.

Financial wellness is a significant component of your holistic wellbeing. When you understand your finances, feel empowered to manage your expenses and debt, can save for emergencies and retirement, and make informed financial decisions; your vitality skyrockets. Starting a budget is simple.  Here are 5 steps you can take now.

1. Calculate your after-tax income including salary, side hustles, and any other sources of income.

2. Allocate 50% of your income to essential expenses like housing, food, transportation, childcare, insurance, mandatory debt paydown, utilities, etc.

3. Allocate 30% of your income to discretionary expenses (your wants) like entertainment, dining out, shopping, etc.

4. Allocate 20% of your income to savings:

   8-10% of savings should be allocated for near term emergencies and intermediate term goals like a home/car down payment, education or a wedding.

   10-12% of savings should be allocated for retirement.

5. At the end of each month, tally your expenses and compare it to your 50/30/20 allocation. Adjust your budget as fits for you.

Fall in love with your healthy spending habits, recognizing that money is energy. How you treat your money is how you treat other areas of your life. Following these steps is a wonderful way to bring awareness and intention into your life.

Sabrina Custer, author

Steps to Feel Good Now.

Once you experience how good it feels to feel good, I promise you will want to catch this feeling whenever you can. Here are a few steps you can take to start feeling good right now.

1.       Practice gratitude. Think about what you do have such as a warm home, a loving family member, nourishing food, or a job that provides you the financial ability to travel or participate in hobbies you enjoy. Be thankful for the sleep you did get even if it was not much.

2.       Take a break. Take a moment to be alone and do something you love. Go on a walk, read a book, meditate next to an open window, or make your favorite tea.

3.       Look inside. Sit or lay down and close your eyes. Scan your body from head to toe, taking note of how you feel. What emotions are you feeling and where? Are you tired, are your hips tight? Maybe you feel sadness or love wells up inside you. Listen to what your body is telling you.

4.       Eat intuitively. Honor your body and what it’s telling you. Notice what foods make you feel loved and respected. Continue to shift towards foods and habits that make you feel amazing. Maybe reducing alcohol or caffeine makes you feel more energized and reduces brain fog. Maybe a warm frutti di mare sounds delicious and feels satisfying on a cold winter night.  

5.       Write down your dreams and take steps towards them. Write down your greatest desires along with the steps you will take to get there. Let these actions be inspiring and excite you. Allocate time each day to work on these goals that motivate you.

6.       Love the journey, not the outcome. To be happy and feel oh so good, we must have a love for each day right now, not just the future. Allow yourself to love your life now. Be receptive to love and opportunities, give love and spread kindness, do something that lights you up, adjust your attitude. You get to choose how you want to be in every moment.

Sabrina Custer, author