So What IS a Life Coach?

When I talk to people about what I do, I often get the question: "So, what IS a life coach?" Let me start off first by telling you what a life coach is not.

A life coach is not a therapist.

Or a psychiatrist.

Or a parent.

As a life coach, I hold a sacred space for you. A place where there is no judgment, no critique, no worry that you're not doing something "right." The truth is, there is no "right" or "wrong" way, as long as you're doing what best serves you. As your coach, I help you dig deeper into who you are, who you were created to be, how to live a life in harmony with all the wonderful gifts and talents that were given to you. I help you break away from all the fears and limiting beliefs that have been programmed into all of us and make radical shifts toward a life of deep, true, unending fulfillment.

Our sessions together are relaxing, fluid, and deeply connected. It's a place for us to meet, by telephone, a few times a month to check in, check-up, reconnect with your true self, and make forward movement along this journey of life. After most sessions, you'll leave with an inquiry or commitment. This could be reading a few pages of a book that I think will really blow your mind, writing that chapter of your book you've been putting off, or maybe even ripping up your to-list (for all of my fellow over-doers out there :) It'll be something regarding what ever it is we're talking about during that session that will get you moving closer toward that goal.

The process of working with a life coach is truly life-changing. I can say that because I've had my life changed by my own coach! It's a meaningful, intimate, unique relationship. And there just aren't many better feelings than seeing your life change before your eyes! Even better than that... you feel the change. You feel it within your soul.

Through our time together, I'll remind you of your truth. The beautiful truth of who you are. I'll help bring you back in tune and in sync with your true self along with your gifts, talents, and life purpose. I'll help you cut the crap, release what is toxic, break through the blocks, and truly start living life full out.

If you've been thinking of working with a life coach, if you've been feeling the push, feeling the pull within your soul -- now is the time to act. I am here to help you blow your own damn mind, my friend. I've stumbled, fallen, gotten back up, fallen harder, and been at points of almost giving up for good. But here I am today. Happier, more fulfilled, and conquering all of my wildest dreams. I've seen a lot of life already. A lot of tragedies but also a lot of successes. And I want other people, like you, to know the abundance that this life holds for you. Don't settle. Don't settle for a career, a relationship, a city, a friendship, don't settle for anything. Value your dreams. Challenge yourself… everyday.

Take the initiative now to never settle for living a mediocre life. Get out of your comfort zone. Do the work today. Make the choice to stop avoiding your "shit" and instead, deal with it. Face up to it. There are so many wonderful, beautiful ways we can live an even more fulfilling life than we are today. What are you waiting for?

I am currently accepting a few more clients to work with! Send me an email today and let's not waste another precious day. Let's work together!

Shoot me an email at hello@chelseadinen.com or pop on over to my website chelseadinen.com if you want to explore further. You can check out my different coaching packages here. I am so ecstatic for those of you who are feeling that push. It's scary as hell, I know, but the tools you'll gain from our sessions will propel you into deep fulfillment for years to come. Imagine how empowering it's going to feel to one day look back and see how far you've come!

I believe in you. Stop putting yourself on the back burner. You've got this!

Let me know if you have any questions and I'll talk to you soon!

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Photography by J. Poling

A Letter to Myself One Year Ago

"If you could go back just one year, what would you tell yourself? What advice would you offer about everything you've experienced?" - Journal prompt from Sometimes Sweet.

I'm a big-time reflector. I am constantly going back to "where I was one year ago." It keeps me in check. It helps me realize two things:

1. Life is short.
2. A lot can happen in a year.

One year ago, I was living in San Diego. I had recently started dating a man who was a real breath of fresh air. It was around this time last year when things started to change for me. I started letting go of the fear of falling. I was finally ready to put my heart back out there.

He challenged me. In a good way. And it was at this time that I really started to come into my own. I started saying "yes" to new opportunities and experiences and started saying "no" to people and things that didn't align with where I was in my life. And I was at peace with that. For the first time ever.

I started putting my foot down and started standing up for myself. For my dreams. For what I believed to be right. For my previous pains. For my spiritual practice. For my fears. For my body. For my mind.

It was a wonderful, scary, beautiful time of my life. So many transitions were taking place. I had no idea which things were going to stick and which would dissipate. I get this gut-wrenching feeling in my stomach when I visualize being there in those moments one year ago. Gut-wrenching in a positive way. It was all so pivotal for me. So exhilarating. Even with all the challenges that come from uprooting your life again and settling down in a new place with new people, I just felt so alive.

So, looking back... there are some things I'd want to tell my "one year ago" self:

California is for you. It's the place where you flourish most, where your spirit radiates. Think about the people who you connected with. When you leave San Diego in late October, those people will continue to be a part of you. Remember the lessons they taught you. You will think about them each day. You will miss your memories. Your bonding. Your laughter.

And my gosh, you will miss the weather. Stop complaining about it being sunny and warm all. the. time. In September, you will be faced with a tough decision. As you find your purpose and decide to take a new route with your career, know that you are making the right choice to leave. And this will continue to be proven to you through the following months. Though you have to trade the palm trees, Pacific Ocean, and wonderful new friends for this opportunity to start a new business, you'll see these people again. And they will be the most supportive, loving, encouraging people during the journey you embark on.

But, most importantly of all, just remember the way San Diego makes you feel. That feeling never changes. From the second you first visited, to the way you feel one year later just thinking about it. Remember that feeling and carry it with you everyday. That's the feeling of passion. That's the feeling of your soul belonging. That's the feeling that will continue to remind you what it feels like when you're aligned.

Continue to let that feeling guide you. Be around the people who ignite your spirit. Do the things that ignite your happiness. Serve the people who ignite your purpose. Live in the place that ignites your soul. Never settle. No matter how hard it can be sometimes, you know how your heart wants to live. Follow that.

My Life Coaching Launch!

When you find your true passion and purpose in life, it becomes something that radiates through you everyday as you wake up and each night as you shut your eyes. You feel a constant flow of vibrant energy move through your body and life makes a whole lot more sense. 

I'm here today to share something that's very near and dear to my heart. Something I've been planning for and working toward and praying about for days and weeks and months. I've learned that life is too short to keep waiting for "the perfect moment." There's no such thing. The time is now. If you believe in something and you're passionate about it, your heart and soul know the answer. They'll guide you. And as long as you listen, you can't go wrong.

Today is the day. I am officially launching my life coaching services online! I couldn't be more excited to not only share my passion with the world, but to be able to connect with all the beautiful souls that are out there.

For some of you reading this, you might be feeling that pull right now. The pull toward something bigger. Something different. Something that excites your soul and ignites your spirit.

I'd love to join forces with you to explore that pull that you're feeling. To find your purpose. To find yourself. To conquer your fears. To make your dreams a reality. To leave relationships/friendships that no longer serve you. To re-learn to love yourself. To start living life full out.

Join me over on my life coaching website to learn more about me, my coaching approach, and all the details on how to get started. I am so excited to connect with you! This life is so precious, there is so much we can be doing everyday to change our perspective and live an even fuller life, and I would be honored to lift, support, and give you that extra "you can do it!" along the way.

Also, I would LOVE for you to follow along on my Facebook page (and Twitter and Instagram if we're not already friends there!) If anything I post resonates with you (or if you think it may resonate with someone you know) I will be super appreciative if you spread the word! I am so grateful for the love and support I've received in these past months on my journey from you all. I look forward now to being a part of YOUR journey :)

xo,
Chelsea

Two Years Without Mom

Two years. I've often tried but always felt as though I cannot entirely convey the feeling in your soul when your mother has died.

It's true. A part of you dies as well.

An hour into tomorrow, February 22nd, will mark two years since my mom passed into the next life, as we sat by her side, hanging on to every last breath. Two years. I think about her constantly. But it's the hole buried deep within my heart that continues to remain empty that burns. Every second of silence or stillness and that physical burn within me is felt. The void never disappears.

And I've accepted that.

But it's hard never hearing "I love you!" It's hard never getting motherly advice, even when it's unsolicited. It's hard never getting a "mom hug" when I'm going through a rough time. Her voice is but a memory as are her hugs, her spaghetti, and all the little thoughtful gifts that came when you least expected them, reminding you that she cared. Always.

And without those things in life anymore, it changes.

I think we all grow up, knowing, as much as we don't like to admit or think about it... that our parents aren't always going to be with us. Some of us lose them younger in life and some of us even get the wonderful blessing of seeing our parents with their great-grandchildren. But life is so, so precious. I can't say this enough. And as dark and "hush hush" as it may be thought of by some, seeing your mother go from being full of life to struggling to take her final breath to laying there lifeless and cold in front of you... it wakes you up for the rest of your life.

So, wake up now. Stop living life unconsciously. Stop taking part in things like gossiping and lying and settling and waiting. Because one day, whether you want to believe it or not, you'll get the phone call or the prognosis as the doctor stands in front of your family that will alter your life forever. Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you, go to that family dinner, mend broken relationships.

When my mom left for the emergency room that night, I had no idea that she would never be coming back. I had no idea it'd be the last time I'd help her put her jacket on and see her walk out that door. No idea at all. Life happens faster than we can comprehend.

I can't bring her back. Nothing can. But I can live my life now fuller and truer than ever before. In honor of her. In honor of the greatest gift that she could have given me - the precious gift of life.

I love you, Mom.

The Crossroads

Crossroads. I've had a lot of them. I thought going away to college would have been one of the most major, along with getting my first job in the "real world." However, I was wrong. Very wrong. The last time I took part in these Sometimes Sweet journal prompts, I was at the beginning of the greatest crossroad of my life.

Photography by J. Poling

I had no idea that six months later, my mom's life would come to an abrupt end, leaving my family devastated and leaving me without the one woman who had helped me through it all. The next couple months are all a blur. I continued going back to an unhealthy relationship. I was fragile, unsure, and unsteady. What the hell had just happened?

Eventually, I started to break away the chains that were holding me down. I was tired of being numb. I was tired of being hurt. I was tired of giving the power away. It was time to take that power back and live the life I was meant to live. Somehow, my mom's death propelled me into manifesting the life I had always wanted... the happiness I had always wanted.

In December of 2012, I moved to San Diego. Something that once had just been a dream, was a reality. It's in San Diego that life really started to take off for me. It's where I found peace, meaning, self-love, and inevitably, it's where I found my purpose. It's a huge landmark of my life that I will always look back on because it symbolizes so much of what life is all about to me.

I've since moved to the East Coast where I am pursuing my purpose and my passion as a life coach. So, I guess in a sense, this is another crossroad for me. It's another new pathway. One with challenges and speed bumps and a-ha moments. But the greatest thing about this new pathway, is the peace it brings. To know without a doubt that I'm on the path I'm meant to be on.

And I guess that is what the crossroads of our lives are for. We can't always control our circumstances. But we can control the way we react. We can control the meaning we assign to those circumstances. Eventually, they lead us to the exact path we are meant to be on. 

Broken Wing

I am a woman with bruises and scars.

I fall down. A lot. The frequency of falls has slowed down. But I still fall and they still hurt just as badly.

I am human. I make mistakes. But I AM human.

But sometimes (all the time) I don't let myself off the hook. I dwell and over-analyze and beat myself up over those mistakes. Because they always seem to be mistakes that were easily avoidable, yes? But then I remember the magic of the Universe and how it's through our trip-ups, shortcomings, and falls that we learn. Whatever lesson is hidden in the tears and the bruises, it's there. I promise you. I promise myself.

I'm reserved until I get to know you. Until I trust you. And once that sense of comfort is established, I put my heart on the line. And it's at that point that anything goes. I take that leap.

But... I usually over jump. I don't land on my feet. And I spend the next bit of time waiting for my broken wing to heal from that failed flight.

The healing hurts. It's not graceful and it usually includes a lot of self-bullying to the tune of, "You idiot. What were you thinking?" Sometimes the hardest thing to do is forgive yourself.

I know that my heart is tender and that no matter how hard I try to pretend that it's made out of sturdy bricks, it's fragile. Always. It's my heart and I accept it. They say to be with people who love the way that you love. And maybe that's been my problem. Maybe I've looked for the people with the brick hearts. Maybe I've looked for them as a way to make me tell myself I'm not vulnerable. But I am. With this little fragile heart of mine that's seen a lot, felt a lot, been through a lot... I still have this heart. It's my heart and I accept it.

Looking back, I see a bit of a pattern in this thing called life. We're rolling along, making lots of forward progress and movement and feeling great and confident about life when, BAM... disaster strikes. But, we are not our circumstances. We can't allow ourselves to fall victim to those trip-ups and shortcomings. The truth is, if we never try, we'd never know. And we owe it to ourselves to be proud that we had the guts to even make that jump.

We may fall, time after time. We may have to wait as our broken wing heals. But one day, after one of those jumps, those wings will take us on our greatest flight yet.  We will soar. And our little, tender heart will continue to beat on.

Everything Has Changed

The other night, as I was getting ready for bed, reflecting on a lot of the big changes that are currently taking place and where I am in life right now, I started thinking about change. More specifically, about how much I have changed as a person. It kind of freaked me out for a second. Like, holy sh*t! I used to be that girl?

I looked back at my life three years ago. Three years. Not too long ago but still a significant amount of time has passed since then. And, well, everything about me has changed. Errrrythang.

The state that I live in.
My hair color.
My marital status.
My religion.
My diet.
My lifestyle.
My style.
My happiness.
My thought process.
My friends.
My family.
My career.
My hobbies.
My ability to handle uncertainty.
My confidence.
My self-image.
My life.

Yep, now you're understanding why I had a "holy sh*t" moment. Everything in my entire life has changed. And then I discovered why. It's not that I have changed, necessarily; that somehow I just became a magical new person and knew how to be happy and surround myself with awesome people and go after my dreams and not give a flying you-know-what what anybody else thinks. No.

Instead, I did something that sounds really simple but for those of you who've been through it too, you know it's easier said than done... I found myself. Really, truly. I stopped trying to impress "what's his face" and stopped comparing myself to "what's her name" and just took the time to get to know everything about myself. About my soul, my heart, my innate being.

Most importantly, I stopped trying to be what I thought I "should" be... whether by my mom's standards, my "friends'" standards, my former church's standards, society's standards, etc. and I just WAS. I AM. I can finally be. And by truthfully, authentically, organically BEING, life is constantly this exciting, amazing, captivating gift and puzzle and blast all at the same time.

This is the woman I was created to be.

Everything has changed. That's life. We wake up everyday with new opportunities and new choices to make. Those choices and shifts that we consciously make for ourselves and for our lives are what create the changes. And, little by little, on days like the one I just had, we look back and say, "holy sh*t!" Some of those changes are painful and some seem impossible to make, others are easy and natural. But, if those changes remain in harmony with our true self, we'll say that "holy sh*t" with a big grin ;)

2013: The Best Year Yet

2013 was the best year of my life. What's even crazier is that it followed the absolute worst year of my life. How does that happen? It's pretty phenomenal when I think about it. When I think about the way life works.

Life, the Universe, God, whatever you want to call it… hands us events and circumstances when we least expect them. Some of these events shape us, some completely change our life, and some leave us never to be the same again. The events that took place last year left scars that will forever remain a part of me. They caused me to change the way I live, the way I think, the way I make decisions, and the way I am.

2013 was the year I learned to say "no" to others. To do only what was true to myself. To honor my being. To stop pretending. To stop chasing. To stop settling.

2013 was the year I learned to say "yes" to myself. To give myself the go-ahead. To encourage myself. To go after my dreams like there was no tomorrow.

I think I may always look back at 2013 in awe, pleasantly surprised by all the beautiful, new moments that found their way into my life in such a short period of time. Proof that life really does unfold naturally, organically, and perfectly the way it is meant to when you live a life in harmony with your true purpose.

San Diego was the most gorgeous setting I could have asked for during this period of self-reflection. It inspired me, lifted me, and propelled me out into the big, endless, adventurous, exciting world that was always surrounding me, just waiting to be discovered. And as this year comes to a close, I can say with confidence that my time in San Diego is not over ;)

My journey is still just getting started, despite it being the end of one year and the beginning of another. All of our years are connected. They fluidly roll like the ocean's waves, one into another and so on. And at the end, we have one vast, beautiful body of water to look out to. Each year brings in new sets of waves, new currents, new freshness. Some years are spent surfing the waves and others are spent paddling back out in preparation for a new set that will take us even further.

I'm ready. Are you?

Happy New Year! Sending love and wishes for health and happiness to you all!

It's Time to Re-center

I haven't done much writing lately. Writing, one of my deepest passions, and I've left it last on my list (or left it off entirely) lately. I'm busy, yes. Trying to manage working during the day with class at night along with coaching calls in the evenings. I've been half-assing my social life, trying to figure out if there is any other time to go to the gym other than at 4:30 in the morning, and my health is now suffering because of it.

I'm seeing a pattern here.

I get a ton on my plate (Let's be honest. When do we ever not have a ton on our plates?) But I let it get a hold on me.

The things that are most important to me get put on the back burner while the must-dos take first priority because of commitments to other people, meetings at work, etc.

And I know that's b/s.

One of the first things we talked about the day after I arrived in Florida for my certification program was that taking care of ourselves should always, always be our number one priority. And I think that goes for all people, not just us life coaches. 

The example of the oxygen masks dropping down on a plane was mentioned. We are always told to place the mask on ourselves first before helping someone else. You'd think it was common sense but how many times do we let ourselves down because of an obligation with someone else, or to meet a work deadline or because other little events pop their way into our day-to-day life?

I want to re-center myself this week and I invite you to as well.

Breathe. Relax. Write. And remember to be present.

The Greatest Experience of My Life

Throughout life, I sought happiness, bliss, and a life of peace and love at the deepest level. And I have the tools now to have all of those things. To live a full and kickass life.

This past week has been the greatest experience of my life.

Last night, I sat around a restaurant table, surrounded by the people who have become my home here in Florida. Home is a word with deep, rich meaning to me and I do not use it lightly. But being there in that moment with these people that I have come to know and grow intimately with from a heart and soul level, sharing experiences, acknowledging one another for honoring our truth and for honoring our callings here on Earth, it was something that touched me deeply.

It's a very enriching experience to work among other life coaches as we do the work not only with each other and with others, but we do the work for ourselves. There were moments of clarity, moments of intense breakthroughs, moments of some of the deepest spiritual connections I have ever witnessed, and moments of pure bliss. Yes, bliss.

Through the coaching that I've been doing here, I have received the joy and peace that come with living your purpose. 

I have truthfully never been in such a deep level of gratitude, awareness, and being.

It all makes sense now. Everything.

This is what it means to be awakened. This is what it means to come alive.

Using Fear as a Compass

On Friday, I wrote something that I want to share with you today. I choose today to share it with you because of its significance to me and the growth I have already experienced since then and can't wait to share with you:

I sit here in Orlando, eagerly awaiting tomorrow. Tomorrow is officially the day that I begin my new life coaching journey. I'm nervous. I'm curious. I'm enthralled. I'm antsy. I'm ready. I feel like I'm at such an important part of my life. I'm finally understanding my purpose, my passion. I'm in the best physical, mental, and emotional shape that I've been in in my whole life.

But I have to be honest, in the days and hours leading up to leaving for Florida, there was a sense of anxiety within me. It was really hard to explain and to put into words but it was there and it sat with me until I had my feet in Orlando. So, I started thinking about that feeling. What it was, where it was coming from. And that's when I made the connection to something we talked about on Wednesday, when I helped out at The Daily Love event (which I can't wait to write about!!)

Mastin Kipp (from The Daily Love) says:

Boom. The anxiety/fear I was experiencing was there as a compass. They say if your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough and that's exactly what this was. When you have a dream so big and then one day, there it is, staring you right in the eyes, giving you the go-ahead, you're going to have a minor (or major!) freak-out.

It was once I arrived in Orlando, drove around, got accustomed to my new surroundings, and took a deep breath and smiled… that's when I could explain those feelings I had earlier. At the beginning of every new life journey, as we open the door and look back at our old life and into the new one, there will be a few moments right there in between. They're not moments of hesitation or moments of doubt. No, not at all. They're the moments we realize we're defying the odds, or, as Disney would say, "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

Blow your own mind. Excel higher than the goals you set for yourself. Show that fear/uncertainty/anxiety that you have, who's boss. If you told me ten years ago, or shoot, even five years ago, that I'd be here now, beginning my journey and living my purpose as a life coach, I wouldn't have believed you. So, believe in yourself. What ever your heart is calling you to do, do it. And when you get to that space between the two doors, keep going. 

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Thoughts on Waiting

I used to be this way all the time. Whether it was Friday I was waiting on, or Summer, or happiness… I was always waiting instead of enjoying what already was. As I've gotten older, I've learned to appreciate more of the little things in each day. This helps me appreciate Mondays or even cold, windy days in the middle of March.

And it sure has made me realize how much happiness is truly around us. All we have to do is choose happiness.

While my "waiting" isn't nearly as severe as it used to be, I'm still guilty now of waiting until things are "perfect." My perfectionism gets the best of me during the times when I get overly-particular about one thing or another. But I've been making conscious decisions now to change that thought process when I feel it coming on.

I've also been reading a wonderful book by Arielle Ford that says to "savor the waiting." I keep that little piece of awesome wisdom not too far back in my mind and I've noticed a tremendous difference. If I'm waiting at a stoplight that's taking longer than normal, I glance up a the beautiful colors of the Fall trees here on the East Coast. If you're waiting for that perfect ______ (fill in the blank: business opportunity, relationship, number on the scale) remind yourself that you truly live a good life right now, and give it up to the Universe. And, while you wait… savor every moment. Enjoy that time by doing something else that will lift you higher. Remind yourself that when that thing does arrive, the time will have been so worth it and you will have learned so much.

And it's then that you'll realize happiness is one thing you'll never have to wait for. Just choose to be happy today, and everyday :)

Happy Friday, friends :)

Another Door Has Opened: My Next Journey

After moving to San Diego, I never became homesick. I missed my family, yes, very much so. But I settled into my new surroundings and remained excited about the adventure before me. I loved the palm trees, the perfectly blue skies, and the multitude of beaches and baysides where I could spend my afternoons.

San Diego is where I found myself. I moved here as a single twenty-something woman, ready to tackle what ever may be thrown my way. I checked so many things off my bucket list, especially the most important of all...

Finding my purpose.

But as time passed by, as the pages turned in my novel of life, my intuition became stronger and stronger. I took a trip home to the DC area in August for my dad's birthday, my niece's belated birthday celebration and because, well, I needed a break from the West Coast. While I was home, an overwhelming feeling came over me that I was unable to shake. It had a strong grip on my heart. It was the feeling of home, of belonging, of my future. And it was right there in front of me. In the brick houses that lined the cobblestone streets of Old Town, in the history of my family along those same streets, of the humid air that filled my lungs on a warm, August night. It was there and it overwhelmed my heart.

I returned home to San Diego. "Home." It was my new home, the life I had created for myself. But I started noticing all the cracks. The cracks that needed to be filled. The cracks that grew in length and depth. San Diego, like my East Coast hometown, wasn't perfect either. My life here presented many mental and emotional challenges to me that I'm sure I wouldn't have experienced had I never moved here alone. 

I always have believed that everything happens for a reason and that nothing is just a coincidence. However, it was once I really "started to do the work" (a phrase I use a lot) that synchronicities really started to show up and become apparent to me. Like novels often do, my life in San Diego started to take a few turns. Doors started to close. In yesterday's post, I mentioned  some synchronicities that started to occur and I knew I had to pay attention to them. In a matter of 24 hours, I received the closure I had been looking for in the love department, I told my landlord I was moving out and was going to move into a high-rise downtown (or so I thought at the time), and then, just a few hours later, my company conveniently told me they couldn't pay me any longer.

So, as I said yesterday, when I got home that evening, I hit my knees and said, "Alright, Universe... let's do this!" I truly had no idea what my next step should be. Twenty minutes later, my 3-week course with Gabby Bernstein on fearless living began, a class I had previously signed up for after feeling the prompt to do so. Talk about timing...

I knew not to be scared, not to panic, not to make any moves yet. Instead, I just needed to listen. This was the Universe re-organizing things in my life. I knew I had no control and to just trust the process and listen as the doors opened. I prayed every night to be led to what was right for me; where I was meant to go next.

I thought, I prayed, I read, I wrote, I continued on with Gabby's class where, during the second week, we did a meditation to expand into intuitive knowing. It was in the last minute or two of that meditation that I was completely overcome with joy and tears filled my eyes. I knew in my heart what I was supposed to do. I knew it was the path I was meant to take.

Now, let me backtrack. A few months prior, as I was spending a lot of introspective time getting to really know myself, my dreams, my passions... I finally found that one thing I bolded up above. My purpose. After all the jobs I didn't enjoy, all the career paths I almost went down, I finally realized what I was given the gifts and tools to do in this life.

For months, I kept asking myself "Why would the Universe give me this loss?" Not in a "Why me?" way but in a "What am I meant to do with this?" way. I knew and trusted that there had to be a reason I was given those trials in my life. Instead of turning outward to drugs, alcohol, food, etc. to help me out of those painful events, I turned inward. I wanted to live a happier life than I had ever lived before and thanks to an amazing counselor, the life wisdom of people like Mastin Kipp and spiritual junkies like Gabby Bernstein, I got myself into the best physical, mental, and spiritual shape I've ever been in.

My blog made some transitions that paralleled the changes in my life. I found my heart was pouring out with words and paragraphs and blog posts about life. About the trials. The lessons. The failures. The achievements. The pain. And the happiness. I put it all out there. And eventually, an email would pop up in my inbox. Followed by another and another. People reaching out for help, advice, support. They explained their stories to me and I felt the pain through their words, especially since so many of their situations sounded so similar to my own. I found myself sitting there for hours exchanging emails and it was in those hours that something ignited inside of me. One day, a few months ago, it finally hit me. All the workshops I had done, books I had read, blog posts I had written, prayers I had said... they all came together and I finally felt the light go off.

I was going to be a life coach.

So, now I can finally announce some of THE most special news I've ever had. In November, I will be starting my new journey as I earn my Life Coach certification. I already know that this is going to be the greatest year of my life as I learn, study, and start to do the one thing I feel most passionate about. In November, I am off to Florida where the first part of my program takes place. That part I have known about and planned for the past few months. However, it wasn't until the past month when all of these synchronicities started to occur that I knew where I was meant to live during this next journey. So, as my certification program continues, I will be working in... DC! :)

California has always had my heart. This was the place where I found myself and it will always be my second home. I am so sad to say goodbye to the places and the people who have played a role in helping me become who I am today. But, as I saw these synchronicities taking place and as certain doors were closing and others were opening, I knew I had accomplished what I needed to in San Diego. It was time. My purpose is calling and I have to honor it. So, this weekend, off to the East Coast I go to start yet another new life, finally, as the woman I am confident to now be!

Because of how much I love this blogging community, all the comments, emails, and tweets I have gotten that make MY day, I want to give back! So, this is where you come in! I am offering up TWO free life coaching sessions while I'll be in Florida. These sessions will be laid back, over the phone and last 45 minutes to an hour. I have one session on Saturday evening (Nov. 16th) and one on Monday night (Nov. 18th) These spots have already filled up BUT I will be accepting paid clients at the end of November!

I am so grateful for all the doors in my life. The doors of tragedy that go smashing shut and the doors of hope that open when you least expect them to. I encourage you to watch for and pay attention to the synchronicities that occur in your life. They're there for a reason. We all have our purpose here and it is truly one of the greatest feelings to know I have found mine. Finally.

Love and light to you all!

Chelsea :)

When One Door Closes

I am about to embark on a new journey. At the beginning of December 2012, I made the trek from Virginia to California to my new home, San Diego. I "knew" a couple people through blogging and had some memories here as my brother called this same city home for a few years, but that was it. It had been a dream of mine for nearly a decade. I quickly fell in love all over again with America's Finest City.

It was in San Diego that I learned to love myself. I learned to forgive myself. I learned to open up my heart again. I learned to try new things. I learned how to be completely uncomfortable. I learned how to conquer fears. I learned more about myself in almost a year than I had my whole life. I prefer the road less traveled and feel inside out and upside down when I'm on any path but that one. And the best part is, I've finally accepted that about myself. It's never felt so good to not only accept myself, all my quirks, flaws, and lessons to learn, but to love myself for them.

It's kind of like finding your own written signature. Growing up, you're taught how to write: How to hold the pencil, each letter of the alphabet, how to write your name, how to write in cursive, and then eventually, you start signing your name. In most cases, this signature of yours changes a bit throughout the years until you find something that really sticks. Then it's you, it's yours. That signature is you.

Well, throughout my life I was guided and taught. By my parents, my siblings, my friends, my mentors, and by life. About two years ago, when I was at a huge crossroad in my life, I found a counselor who, looking back, helped me create a breakthrough during the most painful part of my life thus far. She challenged me, listened to me, made me question things I had never thought about, and through our time together, I really woke the hell up. 

Aside from helping me develop my process of healing, she also helped me tremendously with starting to finding my purpose, something I had struggled with. Through some extensive journaling, exercises, and discussions about my Myers-Briggs Profile [INFJ!] I realized that I really had not been living to my truest potential, my truest calling, my truth! I played around with the idea of going into certain INFJ-appropriate professions since the event planning/marketing route just never felt very "me" despite my crazy attention for detail and need for having everything planned. However, those ideas never really panned out. I trusted that when it was right, it would come to me but, for the time being, I needed to move. I needed to stop putting off my dream to live in San Diego.

I moved to San Diego. With my cat, some belongings, and some memories already made in this new city of mine. I spent a great deal of time studying, reading, and in seminars about finding my purpose, my true potential, and living a life of positive vibes and energy. I was being given all the "life tools" I needed and finally developed my "signature." 

I started making some new friends, and met a dude who intrigued me, challenged me, and started to open my heart up for the first time in years. After applying for many jobs, I began an internship coordinating events in the surf industry, the industry I wanted to work in since I was little. I'm sure it sounds exhilarating, and don't get me wrong... working surf events really was a dream come true for me but I started to notice how out of harmony my life was becoming. "Work" started to consume my life. I was working about 60 hours a week. My runs through Balboa were no longer existent, I was getting sick, had no social life, and my meditations and reading practices I had established weren't happening anymore. There's a period on my blog back in April where all I seemed to write about was the importance of balance.

I realized the importance of living a life in harmony with your values, your dreams, and your purpose and this "internship that might turn into a full-time job" was taking top priority and, because of that, everything else started to shut down. Since this was a start-up company, taking a long time to start up, I decided that if I wasn't going to get paid, it was time to find something else. However, the company decided they could pay me but that didn't change the fact that if something doesn't feel right, it's not right. I suffered with insomnia and migraines for two weeks straight after I started getting paid. I felt so conflicted and uncomfortable working for this company. All the harmony I had worked so hard to instill within my heart felt like it was being ripped apart with a chainsaw.

Long story short, the Universe loves to teach me lessons the hard way. Mainly because I'm stubborn and that's the only way to really hand it to me. I knew deep in my soul that this was not the career path meant for me. I had known for some time. I knew where I should be headed instead but yet there I was, still working, not in harmony. The longer I worked for this ego-driven company, the more conflicted I felt. I knew I needed to leave. But then there was the worry of not having a paycheck. Well, like I said... the Universe always seems to handle the rest. I had been feeling pretty intuitive that something was going to happen on the job front and sure enough, one day, just as I was about to head home for the evening, my supervisor decided to show up and tell me the company is too in debt to afford me any longer. And that was that.

And it was in that moment that I felt my faith. I smiled, packed up my office, and left 5 minutes later, never to return again. I left, completely unaware of what was going to happen now but with total trust in the Universe. I remember saying that in my head as he delivered the news. I kept saying, "I know the Universe has a plan. I know it." I was relieved. I was at peace. I was happy to be on my way out the door that day KNOWING the Universe had a BETTER plan for me!

As soon as I got home, I shut the door and dropped to my knees in the middle of my living room and said, 

"Alright, Universe. Let's do this!" 

...to be continued.

Two Lessons On Living Fearlessly

This week is a big one for me. It really is. I wanted to start the week off by reflecting back on a class that I started four Mondays ago. It was a class/workshop that I felt compelled to sign up for. I knew I was going to learn so much from it and knew, deep down, how badly I needed that wisdom and guidance.

The workshop was taught by Gabby Bernstein, whom many of you know by now, is a wonderful spiritual thought leader who has helped me tremendously through her books and workshops. This workshop in particular was about living fearlessly. Removing the fear from our lives and making room to empower ourselves to have beautiful, genuine, fearless relationships!

Well, I didn't know it at the time but the day the workshop began ended up being the day when I needed guidance on living fearlessly the most, as you'll read more about tomorrow.

In just the three-week span of this workshop, I identified my fears. You know, the fears that are buried beneath so many layers you don't even realize they are there. They have just become a part of you.

Between amazing meditations that brought me to tears (I know. What doesn't bring me to tears?), thought-provoking homework exercises, and pages and pages of notes, I'm not able to sum it all up for you. But, I can tell you this:

"The Universe can do for you what you cannot do for yourself."

Just sit and reflect on that for a moment. Think about a time when something beyond your control was put into motion for you. When a door closed or opened when maybe you least expected it to but needed it most. The Universe continues to make things happen in your best interest if you allow it. And then there are the relationships in your life, the people you meet which leads me to another of Gabby's points and a huge lesson in A Course In Miracles:

"Relationships are Assignments"

I was overcome this weekend, thinking about the people I've met here in California. The people I talked to for just a few moments and the people who have now become some of my greatest friends. They each impacted my life, however big or small.

Go back now in your mind and think about the people in your life. Even just this past year of your life. Think about the people, the relationships, and how they've impacted you, how they've taught you something. It's really pretty incredible and it makes me so grateful to know and understand and trust that people will be brought into my life for a reason. They each have something different to teach us.

It's a beautiful, beautiful thing when you see it that way. It really is :)

Do Your Thing

Three words that seem so simple yet so many struggles occur when we try to just do our thing. I pinned this quote on Pinterest yesterday and it spread like wildfire. Everyone was repinning it. And after seeing that, seeing several blog posts from others, and the constant thoughts about it in my everyday life, I wanted to write this blog post.

About doing your thing.

In a world of hate, a world of criticism, a world where some of our harshest critics and biggest haters are strangers we've never met sitting behind a computer or cell phone screen, bashing us -- I still say do your thing.

In a world where the girls who gossiped about us in high school and took pleasure in saying, "You can't sit with us" follow our every move as our Facebook "friend" or invisible blog follower, waiting for us to fall -- I still say do your thing.

In a world where the people we love most just want us to play it safe, not take the risk, do things at a certain pace and in a certain order -- I still say do your thing.

Because the truth is, this is a world where anything is possible, regardless of what anyone else tells you or makes you believe.

Find your thing and do it.
Unapologetically.
No matter what.

Follow me on Pinterest!

My California Home

It's hard to believe this place has been mine for a year now. My home. In San Diego, California. This home has been full of blessings and challenges all at the same time. It's one of the greatest dreams I've ever had -- to live in San Diego. I'll never forget the feeling of having those keys in my hand for the first time. It was the start of my most important life journey.

In the Spring, I spent a lot of time out in my backyard. Below is the table where I photographed all of my jewelry for After Sunset. It's where I wrote many blog posts and applied for my job. It's where I was sitting when I received many texts that put such a big smile on my face and where I was sitting when the wonderful guy who took these pictures told me he was booking his flight to come visit.

This home is the place I'd return to after going for a run in Balboa, laying out on the sand in Mission, or watching the sunset at Tourmaline. It's the place where I felt a flood of emotions as my life here in San Diego really started to develop. It is the place where I spent countless nights writing, reading, Netflixing, crying, not sleeping, thinking, dreaming, achieving.

Stella settled in well and found one of her favorite spots to be on the little sliver above the clock on the wall. She and I really bonded here. She's been a part of my life for two and a half years now but here in San Diego was the first time it was ever really just the two of us. She sleeps by my side, at my toes, or above my head on the pillow each night and I wouldn't have it any other way.

This is also where cooking became a new hobby of mine. Baking has been something I've loved for years now, but I spent a lot of my time here trying new recipes which quickly turned into some of my favorites. It's where my lifestyle changed from pescetarian to plant-based vegan and where I've concocted the most delicious green smoothie elixirs ever.

And it's the place where I later found out, thanks to the medium my dad visited, where my mom comes to visit often. She's here with me and Stella. She's seen the challenges, heartbreaks, and pains that have come throughout the span of this year living out here on my own. She's seen the breakthroughs, successes, and happiness too.

When I signed my lease one year ago, I had no idea what was in store for me and my new life in San Diego. Looking back, I went through such an elaborate spectrum of emotions within these four walls. I've never been more scared, confused, enlightened, happy, and excited than I have been here.

This may not be the house I grew up in but it's the house where I grew.

All photography credit goes to the one and only Jonathon, one of the greatest lights throughout my life.

To see his portfolio, check out his website.