Happy Halloween! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because it allows people of all ages to dress up as alter egos or characters and show a different side of themselves. We wear different masks around different people as we play the different roles of our lives. This is not to say we are not genuine or authentic but we hold different roles in different groups. Tonight we can exaggerate one of those or go with something completely different all together. There are no judgements. It is a holiday for play! It is also a great time for sorting through relationships and letting some energy vampires go. For me, the timing is absolutely perfect as I uplift myself out of yesterday's funk and open my spirit to it's playful nature! I am grateful to go to work today and help others release their burdens so they may have high spirits on this festive, fun holiday. I'm grateful to go and receive some work on myself as part of my own release and uplifting process. I'm grateful to ask for help and have that request answered so quickly. I'm grateful to get to go out with friends tonight and enjoy a giant bonfire. I'm grateful for all the fun and laughter we will share. I'm grateful for a wonderful heart to heart with my fiancé last night that healed the fears I had been holding in. I'm grateful for that release and his unending love and support. I'm grateful to get up early this morning to make Halloween omelets complete with orange pepper eyes and mouth. I'm grateful for two sweet dogs that will allow me to dress them up and take their pictures in return for some treats. What will you dress up as this Halloween? What masks do you wear in your everyday life and what will you choose for the holiday? May your day be blessed with joy and a playful spirit. May you release some of the stresses you have been carrying as you shed off the everyday and become what you wish. Have a beautiful day!

There are so many things in this World that contribute to our lives that cannot be seen. Some things can be heard, like laughter and song. Some can be felt like wind. But some things are harder to pinpoint, like the energy of a person or place, or the thoughts in your mind. While these things may be invisible they leave visible tells that they are present. They leave emotions that can be felt and observed and they influence our actions. Depression can be one invisible invader in our own or our loved ones lives that requires seeing the invisible and reading between the lines to assist. But it is not as strong an adversary as some may fear. It can be conquered head on, especially with help and support from the loving people in your life. I have struggled with this darker side of my thoughts over the last couple weeks and I had resisted witnessing it because I felt that as a newly engaged gratitude coach I should somehow be above or immune to these thoughts. Instead, by denying these thoughts I actually delayed overcoming them. Today I turn to face them. Today I practice seeing the invisible, witnessing my thoughts- all of them- and feeling the energy that is behind them so that I can navigate my way back to the loving arms of joy. I am a witness to these feelings. I am a witness to the thoughts behind them. And now as a witness, I release those attachments and judgements to them. I'm grateful to give myself permission to accept this place as a part of my perfection. I'm grateful to know I have the strength and power of choice to work through it. I'm grateful to believe in myself and to honor the times in my past when I have navigated my way out of similar feelings. I'm grateful to know that depression is a result of being out of sync with my needs. I'm grateful to make the commitment today to focus on myself and commit to regaining balance. I'm so blessed and grateful for an amazing fiancé that is my steadfast supporter. I'm grateful to make the choice to laugh today. It can be easy to get caught up in stress and let it carry over into other aspects of life, interrupting sleep and adding more stress. It can be easy to stop these cycles too, if you are willing to recognize them. Having a daily gratitude practice has been proven time and again to reduce stress, improve sleep, and improve not only lifestyle but quality of life. I'm calling on my own practice now, in action. I'm so grateful to have such a solid practice to assist me in times of challenge. I'm so grateful to be open and acknowledge what I am facing so that I may witness the invisible and shift it back to light. I already feel the light returning. What challenges are you facing that you have been keeping to yourself? Who in your life could you share this with, gaining support, and allowing love to return? I know that sometimes it may feel like there is no one, but this is not truth, this is the result of the pain you hold. Know there is always help. Reach out to those around you, a hotline, or even to me. Love is always waiting for you. Thank you for joining me today. Thank you for the outpouring of support. Know that it is received with love and appreciation! May your day be blessed with witnessing the invisible in your own life. May you find your way back to loving light and balance. Have a beautiful day!

I woke this morning with a sort of longing. Often I speak about how grateful I am for the stillness of the house in the morning. This morning I wanted to crawl inside of it; be one with the stillness instead of just witnessing it's calm properties. I have this option, as always, and yet lately I have chosen to DO other actions instead. It is so easy to get caught up in the actions of what is going on around me. Do I want to watch my local team in the World Series? Absolutely! Do I want to go have dinner with my parents and my grandpa? Of course! Do I want to  walk the dogs, play in the leaves, edit engagement photos, work on my new projects, and a million other things? YES! In saying yes to all these things I am having a great week and yet I have not been sleeping as well. Why? I have not taken as much time to be; not just to witness the stillness but to become it. When I sit in stillness I am calm, peaceful, and happy. If I am just sitting in that place of stillness though, when I move back into the hustle and bustle of the day that calmness is gone. I find myself stressed, rushed, and my mind racing to keep tabs on the to do lists and the schedules. Instead, if I take the time to BE the stillness, truly invite it into my body, mind, and spirit then I can navigate the day knowing that I am where I need to be and what is meant to get done will get done. It takes conscious awareness throughout the day to be stillness. It requires and allows me to let go. And most importantly it reconnects me with that inner joy and peace that have been waiting for me. The World I see is a reflection of my inner world and I get to determine how still the reflection. Today I am making a conscious effort at BEING the stillness. I invite you to join me. What thoughts are causing ripples in your reflection? How can you let those rest? I'm so grateful to type slowly and mindfully of each key. I'm grateful to take the time to eat breakfast with my love, undistracted by the "need" to get my blog done or anything else that may be sitting on this imaginary to do list. I'm grateful to take the time to meditate and witness the thoughts that had been crowding my mind leave one by one. I'm grateful for the way the rising sun is cresting the house lighting the treetops in the back yard in golden light. I'm grateful for this healing peace reentering in my body once again. I'm grateful to know it is always there waiting for me and that at my core I am stillness. I'm grateful for the years of practice of learning truths about myself and I'm grateful to share my ideas with you. I'm grateful to be a "Rey of hope for a more positive world". I'm grateful to give myself care, love and forgiveness when I am  not in tune with this place of stillness and love. And I'm grateful to recenter and bring myself back to it. May your day be blessed with stillness. May you find oneness with it and BE that stillness. May your world reflect the joy and love in your heart. Have a beautiful day!

About a year ago I was at a gathering with some friends speaking with a man from Peru. I had been told the man was a shaman but upon meeting him learned that was not the label he chose for himself. Either way, his culture and knowledge was fascinating. During our gathering, one concept that got brought up was the craving for sweets. Several of us were discussing the biological ideas behind cravings, dependency, and actual need of certain nutrients. The man had a different interpretation. He asked what if our craving was actually a craving for sweetness in action, such as affection, hugs, and love. It was something we had not really considered. Often we look at the physical act for physical motives but he was suggesting that it went well beyond that. I had heard of the concept of emotional eating but had not thought to translate sugar into the sweetness of affection. 
Today I am so grateful for the sugar and spice in my life. I'm grateful to have those needs met by myself, my wonderful fiancé, family, friends, and delicious food. I'm grateful to have so many sources of love and affection, of sweetness, that food does not have to fill that gap. I'm grateful to have healed some old ideas around food and enjoy it in a more healthy way. I'm grateful for the "spice of life" and all the little curveballs that can be met with laughter. I'm grateful to be so blessed to share my life with a wonderful man. I'm so grateful for all the friends that were at that gathering with me. I'm so grateful for the beauty of each soul I meet. I'm grateful for the ideas this man from Peru shared with us and I look forward to meeting him again and learning more. I'm grateful to be blessed with a healthy body and good metabolism. I'm grateful to honor my body and my looks even when it does not match the media's version of beautiful. I'm grateful to know I am beautiful. I'm grateful to know that I am full of sugar and spice and everything nice. But I'm also grateful to know I'm perfect in water and dirt, jeans or a skirt; on the ground, in a tree with healed or scraped knees. I'm grateful to be on this grand adventure and I'm so grateful for all the people whose adventures have intermingled with mine. What do you think about the concept of sugar and sweets as love and affection? What do your cravings tell you? How can you recognize your needs within your own perfection? May your day be blessed with the sweet love of your family and friends. May you embrace the beautiful body you have and see your own perfection. Have a beautiful day!

Last night as I went to bed, I wrote down my gratitudes and set the intention to explore my hesitations while I slept. What were these underlying fears and how could I address them head on? The roots of what I saw were in the box of labels. Primarily, what's in a name? There is actually confusion in my name because some people in my life call me by my legal name, Amanda. While others know me as Rey, the name I say I prefer. The truth is my preference is AmandaRey, both sides of myself as one individual. But I had stopped introducing myself that way because often people think Rey is my last name and just call me Amanda, which is my least preferred. In my dream, by not knowing my own name, I also could not name my friends. Which ones were real? The ones that had known me longest or the ones that know me as Rey? And if the ones that know me as Rey were somehow not as genuine, did that mean that I was not as genuine? In waking, I explained the dream to my fiancé who has also faced the struggle of what name to use for me in different company. His take is that a name is a label given to you before birth and therefore does not define you. We talked about the differences in culture. Here if you ask "who are you" a name is usually given in reply and if you ask "what do you do" a job title is the most common answer. Yet these are not really accurate answers to the generic and wide scope of the questions. What do you call yourself is more accurate a question to learn someone's name and yet that is very rarely our wording even though that is the translation of how many other cultures speak. The truth is none of these labels (Amanda, AmandaRey, or Rey) are WHO I am. Who I am is a playful sprite with a huge heart that strives to help others in any way I can while doing my best to live a grateful, loving life. And even that is just scratching the surface of the descriptions and labels I could use. We are all such dynamic and unique people, how could we possibly condense ourselves down to just a few adjectives in a sentence? And more importantly, how do those labels and descriptors define our relationships and our friendships? I know who my friends are, not by what they call me, or by how they know me, but by their heart. I know which relationships are healthy and loving and which will stay surface friendships because the truth is in our interactions. Yes, I am sometimes playfully childish. No that does not effect me being an Empowerment Coach. My name is AmandaRey and I am blessed to have friends on all sides of that name. I'm grateful for dreams that bring things to the surface for me to explore. I'm grateful to know that who I am is ever shifting and changing and yet always perfectly me. I'm grateful to know that a name is just a label and I do have the choice on which one I use. I'm grateful for all my friends that are patient as I try out the different names and labels to see what fits best for me. I'm grateful for amazing friends that genuinely connect with their hearts. I'm grateful for a wonderful fiancé that is also a great sounding board for me. I'm grateful or the way my mind works to explore the uncomfortable, dissect the traditional, and write my own answers from what I learn. I'm grateful for who I am and I'm grateful to know that it is a dynamic and fluid definition. What do you call yourself? Is it a name or a definition of who you are? If you could pick five characteristics to describe yourself, what would they be? How do those align with your name? May your day be blessed with loving and understanding people in your life. May you find your own truth within the name and labels you choose. Thank you for following along with my journey. Have a beautiful day!

Last night I was blessed to share a birthday celebration with friends down at the Louisburg Cider Mill and Corn Maze. I could not have asked for a better birthday party. The weather was gorgeous and the perfect group of friends came for a fun night. I could have focused on the people who were unable to join us or the few things that did not go quite as I had imagined but I know that I create my reality. I create my experience and my story. And what I experienced last night was absolutely perfect! Laughter and silliness, playing and talking with friends combined with a huge bonfire packed with fireworks created the best night. I know I say this all the time but it is a fact that we are bombarded with millions of bits of information every minute. Our brains can only process a small fraction of that and an even smaller fraction can be committed to memory. We have all the power to choose which pieces of information we acknowledge, and which memories we write. As my fiancé and I got home last night I thanked him for being a part of the last couple birthday parties. They have been some of the best I have ever had. In "reality" there was probably nothing all that different about these last two from the ones of the past as far as sharing it with great people that I love and having fun (though I am very grateful to have had him with me). The difference is my mindset. I have learned to write my reality by focusing on all the wonderful things that happen instead of dwelling on the one of two people or things I may have missed. Everyone that was meant to be there to create the evening we shared, was there. And it was perfect. I'm grateful to have done my first corn maze! I'm grateful to have gotten to play in it at night and see how different it feels in the dark. I'm grateful for the slides and that my fiancé and friends joined me in playing. I'm grateful for the gifts my friends brought that we so perfectly representative of me and my playful nature. I'm grateful for the gorgeous sunset and meeting new friends. I'm grateful for the bonfire and the streaking fireworks through the night. I'm grateful to come home with my fiancé, to sit and snuggle my dogs, and feel truly at home. I'm grateful to wake and start a new day. I'm grateful to see this amazing weather continuing. And I'm grateful to know today will be awesome! What beauty will you create? What stories will you write? How can you begin choosing to see the perfection in your experiences and let the rest fall away? Thank you for reading along. May your day be blessed with joy. May you see the good in everything that happens today. Have a beautiful day!

There are two great holidays happening today. The first is National Make A Difference Day and the other is International Artists Day. Most of us want to know how we can leave an imprint on the World, make it a better place, and find a way to be remembered. Martin Luther King Jr did it by speaking of his dream for an equal World. Mother Theresa did it by devoting her life to helping those in need. But how can the everyday person make a difference? I truly believe we are all here for a reason and the best way to learn what that is, is by honoring our unique gifts and perfections. We are not gingerbread men and women that are all cut from the same form. We have had unique experiences, hold unique views, and have unique talents. What the World needs most is us to express and BE fully ourselves. What the World needs is for us to embrace our unique gifts and use them to make a difference just like the people that we honor for making a difference.  So where is your heart? What talents do you hold that can make a difference? This does not mean you have to walk away from the life you have to achieve it. It can be simple things you do like taking an extra plate of food to a neighbor in need or helping a child study for their test. You can be a positive role model or an actual hands on creator for helping others. There are millions of possibilities and what better day than National Make a Difference Day to explore those talents and purpose. Perhaps one of your talents is creative expression. I truly believe we all have an inner artist in us. We all hold creative power in different forms. Some sing or paint to inspire, while others use their creative talents to invent new programs or new ways to save lives. I believe this is all art. So where do your artistic talents lie? We all want to be remembered but the truth is we don't have to be a famous musician or a well-to-do philanthropist to accomplish that goal. You will be remembered for the things you do, even if it is by the handful of lives you directly touch. You never know how the ten dollar bill that you pretend the woman in front of you dropped so she can pay her grocery bill will effect her life. I promise that you will be remembered by the people you touch. So today, go make a difference for people and maybe today that person needing help is yourself. We all have those times too. What the World needs most, is for you to be fully yourself and make a difference in your own unique and creative way. How will you choose to shine your light today? I'm grateful to wake to a beautiful fog this morning that keeps my view simple. I'm grateful for the quiet breath of the house as everyone sleeps in. I'm grateful to have taken the time to give back to myself and allow myself to sleep in as well. I'm grateful to know that by letting my heart shine and by sharing my journey I am making a difference. I'm grateful to see all the beautiful ways others shine their light. And I'm so grateful for holidays that encourage us to not only be ourselves but to help those around us in our unique way. May your day be blessed with self-love. May you know that you will be remembered and that your light will shine on eternally. May you find unique ways to make a difference today and let your own form of creativity shine. Have a beautiful day!

Each day we face obstacles, challenges, and choices and each day we choose which of those lessons we will accept. We are like a river, flowing and making it's path through life. The weather may change giving us more water than we can handle and we may overflow a bit, while at other times it may seem there is hardly enough to keep moving. The wounds of our past can create rocks or even dams that stir or stop the flow. During these challenges, one of the most beautiful gifts is to allow ourselves to be vulnerable. Asking for help, seeking comfort or encouragement, and taking the time to refocus are the best gifts during this time. These all require a certain level of vulnerability to be expressed and a certain level of support to be sought. We were meant to live this life together. While we have our individual personalities and purposes, we are not meant to navigate this life alone. There are different ways this support and connection may look, depending on your own needs and wants. Love comes in a millions shapes, sizes, and styles. Connections come in even more. The vulnerability of letting someone in and seeing our deepest fears, daily worries, and the old scars is our biggest asset and our most impressive strength. Learning to communicate that vulnerability is an art. One that I have not mastered but constantly practice. But in opening to that vulnerability, I find peace, love, comfort, and acceptance on a much deeper level. The more open we are the more of us we allow to be loved. Who in your life are you able to be vulnerable with and show your heart? How is that received? Are you open about what you need? I'm so grateful to open to my fiancé about my fears and insecurities. I'm grateful to share with him what I need both from myself and from him. I'm grateful to have those words received and those requests met with so much more love than I even imagined. I'm so grateful to have found a healthy, loving relationship where we can both be vulnerable and both be supportive of that triumph. I'm grateful to be blessed with an amazing support network in my life on different levels and for different situations. I'm grateful to know I am supported and loved. I'm grateful to be here for others both in my personal life and as a professional so others may find the triumph in vulnerability. I'm grateful to be a sounding board, mentor, and coach for those wanting to uplift their lives. I'm grateful to know from experience what it is like to open that door of vulnerability and the changes and triumphs it provides. Who do you choose to be in your support network? Do you know in your heart that you are not alone? May your day be blessed with loving support and the gift of being vulnerable and accepted. Have a beautiful day!

There is so much beauty in Fall. The leaves change colors, painting the landscapes. The wind sends the leaves swirling through the breeze to the ground. It is the cycle of life. The leaves bud, grow, serve their purpose for shade and clean air, then they begin shifting into their full beauty and color only to drift to the ground to become nourishment for the next cycle. The moon is also in cycle, as tonight is the New Moon. The darkest nights are those under the New Moon and yet it allows the stars to shine that much brighter. Slowly the moon will "grow" into the Full Moon we see and then move toward a crescent and sliver once again. We are a part of all these cycles in one way or another. We are a part of the metaphor. Yet within that, we can write our own story and our own meaning to these things. The leaves falling to the ground can be sad as we attribute it to loss or it can be inspiring as we see the tree has the strength to let go in order to allow something new. We can see it as selfless how the leaves give themselves back to the Earth. In every situation there can be multiple meanings. Which will you choose to define your moments? I'm grateful this morning for the beautiful colors of the leaves and for the raindrops glistening upon them. I'm grateful for the quiet, dim morning so I could wake gently. I'm grateful for two unconditionally loving dogs that are always by my side. I'm grateful for the strength to carry my sweet, 65 pound dog down the stairs when her joints are hurting her too bad to make it on her own. I'm grateful for a loving fiancé that takes the time to research and find the best solution to her pain so that she may recover quickly. I'm grateful that both my dogs have been aging gracefully and still act like playful young pups. I'm grateful for all they have taught me about living in the moment. I'm grateful to let my fears go this morning and know that this is part of the cycle. I'm grateful to be surrounded by loving people to celebrate my good news with and be a part of the wonderful story I create for myself each day. And I'm grateful to be a part of theirs and celebrate their triumphs with them. It is a beautiful world of cycles. I'm grateful to be a part of it all. How will you embrace the cycle today? What intentions can you set for yourself in the powerful energy of a New Moon? My intention is to release the fears that have been holding me back and stalling me from creating this workshop series and to jump in and see how it goes. My intention is to embrace the love of all the wonderful people in my life and be a strong reflection of that love back to them in return. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share. May your cycles be blessed with love and may you navigate each cycle with grace. Have a beautiful day!

I'm excited to announce, I got engaged! I'm so happy to share with the World that I have found a wonderful partner and we want to share our lives together. I love the word engaged because it seems so accurate. In life there are so many things that divide our attention; work, responsibilities of pets and home, travel, friends, and family all vying for our time. I know all of that will forever be a part of my life, especially now that we have returned home and back to everyday life. Yet today, my heart and mind are currently fully engaged to my fiancé and the life we will continue building together. It is an exciting time for us and I'm so happy to share it with you! I'm grateful for a proposal that caught me by surprise and nearly left me speechless, except "yes", of course. I'm grateful for a man that knows me so well and loves me so completely. I'm grateful to love him so fully, as well. I'm grateful to know that we have a solid foundation to build our dreams on together. I'm grateful to have so many friends and family to share this time with as we celebrate. And, honestly, I'm grateful for such a gorgeous ring that I can't stop looking at. I could go on and on with how grateful I am and the million reasons I love him so, but for today I will only list a few. I am grateful to see both of our hearts healed from old wounds. I'm grateful to see us writing this new chapter of our lives together. I'm grateful to share a playful nature and I'm grateful for all the voices and accents he can imitate to make me laugh. I'm grateful to be able to be silly without worry of judgement. I'm grateful to sing and dance together, no matter what it may look or sound like. I'm grateful to have a man that can be both my safe pillar when I need a hug and my hand back up to remind me I am strong enough, brave enough, and able enough to reach for the stars and achieve my dreams. And I'm grateful for a man willing to let me be the same for him and encourage and support him in achieving his dreams. I'm grateful for this and so much more. Thank you for reading my over the moon gratitude today. What are you grateful for? What things in your life have you engaged? Not just the things that have you busy but the things that truly occupy your heart and mind today. May your engagements reflect your dreams and may your heart be filled with love an joy to help you reach them. Have a beautiful day!