The Wisdom of Star Wars -- Top 10 Quotes to Live By

The last few days here in NYC have been decidedly gloomy...at least from a weather perspective.  But, when the weather is glum (meaning I have no desire to walk outside and risk a bad hair day!), I take it as a sign from the universe that it is time to curl up on the couch and do nothing other than watch old movies.  This weekend, I was really in the mood to get my geek on and watch the Star Wars trilogy.  I mean, who doesn't like a glorious story about the fight for good over evil?  While I was watching, it occurred to me that behind the snappy dialogue, there is actually some pretty good wisdom to share.  It's funny how a flash of insight sometimes can come from the strangest places. 

So, with the help of the internet, I've compiled my top ten bits of wisdom from the Star Wars movies for your reading pleasure.  Enjoy.....and.....May the Force Be With You!

Wisdom from Star Wars

1.  Do or do not, there is no try.

2.  Anger, fear, aggression.  The Dark Side are they.  Once you start down the dark path, forever it will dominate your destiny.

3.  The Dark Side crowds everything.  Impossible to see the future it is.

4.  Named must your fear be before banish it you can.

5.  Many of the truths we cling to depend on our point of view.

6.  Already know that which you need.

7.  Remember, concentrate on the moment.  Feel, don't think.  Trust your instincts.

8.  You can't stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting.

9.  The more you tighten your grip, the more....will slip through your fingers.

10.  There's always a bigger fish.

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Crazy Things You Need to Know About Orgasms

Every BLISSED OUT! woman needs to respect the "pleasure principle" in life and never take things too seriously. So, in honor of celebrating our sexy sides, here are some crazy fun and bizarre facts about orgasms. Enjoy! For more ways to BLISS OUT! your life, click here.


Via: Medical Insurance

Channeling My Inner Latina -- Inspiration from Carnaval and the beaches of Rio de Janiero

Last February, I had the unbelievable opportunity to experience Carnaval in Rio de Janiero.  It was everything I imagined that the world's greatest party would be:  throngs of people wiggling their hips joyously as the melodic thump of the samba beat hung on the balmy air, women in elaborate headdresses and barely there costumes sparkling majestically as they strutted their stuff down the parade runway.  We took our place in the stands at 9pm and were still there dancing our hearts out at 6am, as the the last samba school shimmied its' way to the end of the runway and the sun rose gloriously over the Sambadrome. 

After a few hours of much-needed sleep, we headed down to the beach in the hopes that the warmth of the summer sun and the soothing sound of the ocean waves would help us recover from the crazy excesses of the previous night.  It turns out that a lot of other people had the same idea, which turned the beach into a blanket of bodies bronzing in the sun and people-watching into our spectator sport of the day. 

Now, as you might expect, Ipanema Beach in Rio had more than its share of taut, shapely Brazilian beauties -- both male and female.  Heck, even the garbage collectors had bodies worthy of being immortalized in a Greek statue.  But what really struck me was sheer number of rotund middle-aged men with Buddha bellies hanging over banana hammocks (speedos) and fleshy, Rubenesque women in bikinis with crack-flossing thong bottoms sashaying down the beach with the sassy confidence of supermodels.  I was gobsmacked.  Here in the US, it seems that any woman with even a couple of pounds of extra weight dreads bikini season and is far more likely to cover up than to 'let it all hang out'.  (I could certainly relate!) But somehow, this wasn't the case for these luscious Latin ladies.  I was instantly intrigued.  And I wanted whatever 'it' was that they had.

The more I watched them and thought about it, it occurred to me that the difference between them and me was that I always thought that feeling truly beautiful, sexy and confident would result when my body was perfect and rest of me was as well-manicured as a magazine layout.  Yet, many of these women, who met neither of my technical criteria exuded more beauty, sex appeal and confidence than I did even on my best day of feeling cute.  Utterly fascinating!

I was still transfixed by this experience as I got ready to go out that evening and was discussing it with my roommate (from the UK).  Neither of us felt like we had 'it', so we decided that until we could figure out how to get 'it' all the time, we were going to focus on channeling our Inner Latina.

Channeling Your Inner Latina

So I'm sure that you're wondering what I mean by channeling my Inner Latina.  For me, it means trying to find different ways to connect to feeling beautiful, sexy, and confident by owning and celebrating who I am today, rather the obsessing over what I'm not or what I 'should' be in the future; by embracing and accepting all of my beautiful parts as well as my flaws.

Sometimes just visualizing those women on the beach is enough to put a smile on my face and a bit of sass in my step.  Sometimes I take a belly dance class.

Other times, as I'm getting ready to go out, I will crank up the tunes and shake my groove thing to some She-Wolf Shakira, bump to some Bootylicious Beyonce or -- my guilty pleasure favorite -- "It's Raining Men" by the Weather Girls.  As you can see, it doesn't have to be Latin music to access your Inner Latina.  In fact, it's amazing how just a few minutes of silliness can help me access 'it' and I start off the night in a completely different state of mind than I used to.

What are some of the things that you do to access your Inner Latina...or Angelina...or Beyonce?  Share your ideas with us and pass along the blog post to your friends!

Three Questions to Ask Yourself that Will Improve Even the Most Horrible Day

When I was little, my mom used to make the best birthday cakes. I’d asked her how come her cakes were always the best and would I ever be able to make a cake that tasted so good. She’d answer “My secret is in the love I bring to my baking.” I didn’t understand it then, but my mom was mastering the art of setting intention.

If you’d like to make everything in your life “taste” a little bit better, ask yourself these three questions everyday:

QUESTION 1 (ask yourself this in the beginning of your day):

“What’s my intention for this day?” Put another way, “What is one personal quality that I want to focus on today?”

Is it love, trust, faith, open-mindedness, non-judgment, patience? Notice that focusing on any of these qualities doesn't require a specific result. Life will happen, and though you won’t always have control over everything, you do have control over the way you choose to perceive things and what intention you choose to bring to the experience. Even on the most horrific day, just sticking to your intention in the heat of the moment can keep you sane and grounded.

QUESTION 2 (ask yourself this during your day):

As I go through my day, are my words and actions truly reflecting the intention I set for myself this morning? If not, how could I change them so that they are?

Setting an intention is only part one. We must put it into action to watch it flourish. My mom couldn’t just think nice thoughts about baking a cake and hope it would come to fruition. She had to put her good intentions to work and trust whatever impact they had on the process of her baking. In a similar way, we must constantly check in with our intentions throughout the day, no matter what is happening, and ask ourselves if we’re being truthful to honoring them in the moment.

I know it seems easier said than done. But what have you got to lose? Try asking yourself this question and following through with the feedback you receive, and you may be surprised at how dramatically this small act might change the course of your entire day.

QUESTION 3 (ask yourself this at the end of your day):

What am I grateful for today?

No matter how crappy or horrible a day may appear, I am convinced there is always something you can find about it that you are grateful for. Some days it might be something really basic like being grateful for having a roof over your head or food to eat. Other days it might be more specific like being grateful for a certain person or event that happened in your life. No matter how significant or insignificant these things seem to be, connect to your gratitude for them daily. Gratitude brings perspective and expands the heart to receive more good things, making us less susceptible to the dramatic flairs of our egos.

Even, on the rare occasion, when my mom would screw up a recipe, we’d end up laughing and feeding the crumbs to the birds in the backyard, just being grateful for this opportunity to have time together and to connect. Practicing intention and gratitude may not make your life all rosy, but they do help you to ride out the inevitable ups and downs of your day with a lot less wear and tear, and they remind you that your true power, the power of perception, lies within.

Try it out and let us know how it goes. And pass on the BLISS by sharing this post with your women friends and helping us spread the word about living a BLISSED OUT! life.

Thanks!

Amy

The Time Value of Money: What is an Inch of Time Worth To You?

"An inch of time is an inch of gold but you can't buy that inch of time with an inch of gold."
                                           --Ancient Chinese Proverb

My sister sent me this quote a few weeks ago and it really got me to thinking about the time value of money. As someone who spent my entire career steeped in the world of Wall Street, I always understood this phrase to refer to the notion that a dollar received today is worth more than a dollar received tomorrow, because if someone gives you a dollar today, and you are able to receive interest on that money, it will be worth more than a dollar tomorrow. But this notion of the "time value of money" places a lot of emphasis on the value of money, but very little emphasis on the value of time.

I am fortunate that for the better part of the last year and a half, I have been traveling around the world and have the chance to learn a lot about the true value of time – time for space, time for myself, time for what really matters to me. Immersing yourself in other cultures can have that effect!  Here’s one of my favorite stories from the road that has stayed with me and continues to remind me not to get too caught up in the rat race. Have a read through it and see what you think.  Does it change your mind about how you spend your time?

TO FISH OR NOT TO FISH

An American consultant was at a pier in a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied "Only a little while."

The consultant then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish? The fisherman said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. Then the American asked how he spent the rest of his time.

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, and then stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor."

The American consultant scoffed, "I am a very successful business consultant and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and, with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, and eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York City where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"

The consultant replied, "Probably 15 to 20 years."

"But what then, senor?" asked the fisherman.

The consultant laughed, and said, "That's the best part! When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public. You'll become very rich, you would make millions!"

"Millions, senor?" replied the Mexican. "Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

We hope you enjoyed this post! Please share your comments and let us know if there are any other topics you'd like to hear about!

Secrets of a BLISSED OUT! Woman...and Important Life Lessons We Can Learn from a Newborn

In the last month, I have had the great pleasure of becoming an auntie not just once, but twice. What an incredible joy! While visiting recently with my new baby niece, I was reminded of the elegant simplicity of one of life’s greatest lessons: no matter how different we all may seem on the surface or how complex our personal stories may be, underneath it all, we all are all the same -- just human.

Allow me to elaborate: As babies, our needs seem pretty basic: sleep, eat, poop…repeat. But of course, as we get older, life seems to become increasingly complex. It is true that, as we age, none of us will be immune to the highs and lows of daily life; to the experience of feeling vulnerable; or to the shock of life's inevitable curveballs. But I fear we often make life more complicated than it needs to be. In fact, I think we sometimes complicate it so much that we forget the innate wisdom with which we were born and spend much of our lives
re-learning what we knew as certain truth when we were little babies.

So, here is a list of some important life wisdom, courtesy of my six week-old niece:

1. Always get plenty of sleep. And then sleep some more.

2. Practice being an effective communicator. (Cry out in your loudest voice if you have to - especially if it helps you get heard when you really need to be.)

3. Giggle for no reason at all.

4. Delight in how many people love you, and cuddle with them whenever you can.

5. Find something amazing and new in each day, and share your astonishment with others.

6. Express your emotions freely. You'll feel better afterwards.

7. Exercise your muscles daily, and don't be afraid to try new things.

8. Always make sure your most basic emotional needs are taken care of. They are the cornerstone for everything else you'll do in life.

We created this blog for the women of the world – not because we think we have all the “answers” to living a fulfilled or BLISSED OUT life - but because we see enormous value in creating a platform for women to connect. We are all holding various pieces of this universal puzzle, and perhaps if we do a better job of sharing our insights with each other, we will be able to complete our life journeys with a lot less wear and tear!

Our goal with this blog is to create a space for innovation, inspiration, and creativity to take root. We’ll interview women from around the world to hear about their journeys on the road to INNER BLISS, and hopefully you’ll share your stories too. We are eager to hear your questions and suggestions. So, welcome to a place where you can let it all hang out as you BLISS OUT.

Thanks again for stopping by! We hope you’ll join our email list and become a regular visitor to our blog -- and share it with your friends too. The more the merrier!

Have a blissful day,

Amy

What is Inner Bliss....and Where Can I Get Some?

Have you ever plopped on to the couch at the end of a tough, busy day, eyes glazed over in complete mental/physical exhaustion, feeling like the Dementors of Azkaban (a la Harry Potter lore) have sucked all of the happiness and joy out of your body?  It is ok to admit it, Amy and I certainly have had this experience!

During those times, I often wondered why, when so many good things were happening in my life -- prestigious job, awesome family, great friends, money in the bank, my health -- I just didn't feel content?  In fact, I felt guilty that I didn't feel content.  Sure, I had moments of pure, unadulterated happiness scattered throughout my life, but even when I felt relatively great, there was always an undercurrent of dissatisfaction about something, lurking in the shadows.

That is, until I met Amy, who helped me find my Inner Bliss.

Although she never phrased it to me this way, one of the most important things I learned from Amy was the difference between Outer Bliss and Inner Bliss.  Outer Bliss is comprised of all the transient, momentary pleasures in one's life:  a cold ice cream cone on a hot summer's day, closing a big deal at your job, the huge smile on your child's face on her birthday.  Sure, you feel happy, but the happiness is often short-lived and it can evaporate as quickly as it materialized.  It's called Outer Bliss because it is something in your external world that you rely upon to access that feeling of contentment -- it is happiness from the outside in.

Contrast that with Inner Bliss, which is the exact opposite.  It is happiness that emanates from the inside out.  It is the peace, joy, and contentment in your soul that results from knowing that you are living a life where your beliefs and values are clear and are lined up with your actions.  I honestly thought I was living my life this way, but through working with Amy, came to realize that I was doing anything but.  I was living to please an undefined 'someone else', to keep up with the Joneses, to be a martyr without a cause.  

In truth, the road to finding my Inner Bliss wasn't always an easy one.  Rather than facing some of the less flattering aspects of myself, it would have been much easier to have that ice cream cone....or the glass of red wine....or the massage...or a bit of retail therapy to make myself feel better.  But, having been down the road less traveled, I wouldn't trade the journey for anything in the world.  Because, when you take the time to learn how to access your Inner Bliss, you've got a well of inexhaustible positive energy that is genuine and doesn't rely upon anyone else or anything else to bring you happiness. It doesn't mean that Life is perfect or problem-free....not by a long stretch.  What it does mean is that you have the opportunity and the skills to choose where you energy goes, what you believe and determine what impact those things will have on your happiness.  

I get it.  Not all of you are going to be believers.  Some of you may think this is hokey.  Or that it is just too much work.  But, all we ask is that you keep reading the blog and keep an open mind.  If you do, you might just be on the road to Inner Bliss before you know it!