We are officially in that strange, blurry week between Christmas and New Year’s. The leftovers are in the fridge, the "holiday magic" is fading into holiday mess, and most of us are stuck in a very specific kind of discomfort.

I call it Mental Constipation.

In The Wellness Vortex Habit Change Model, we talk about the 80/20 rule: 80% is healthy, nourishing food and 20% is freedom food. But as Dr. Shaklee says, you are not just what you eat—you are what you think and what you do. Your thoughts and emotions are mental food. Just like physical fuel, thoughts are meant to come in and pass through. When we store them, they become like a closet full of old clothes you haven't seen in years—they take up the space where your future is supposed to live.

For the last 10 days, I have been training my body and brain to fall asleep in total, beautiful silence. No noise, no distractions. This wasn’t luck—it was a non-negotiable training of my new neuropathways.

To clear the "mental waste" of 20...

I was driving yesterday, and I caught myself in a moment that I think almost everyone can relate to right now.

I noticed my posture. I was holding the steering wheel so tight my knuckles were white. My whole body was leaning forward, my chest was tight, and my shoulders were up to my ears. Mentally, I was already at my destination before the car even got there.

In that moment, I remembered my own tools. I stopped.

I physically sat back into the seat, relaxed my body, and opened my chest to take a deep breath. The shift was instant. As I sat back, I noticed my emotions shift as well. The stress simply dissipated. My mind became clear, and for the first time all day, I felt emotionally present—actually capable of feeling joy.

The Physicality of Overwhelm

I realized something profound in that moment: Leaning forward is the posture of overwhelm and pain. Sitting back is your trumpet to Power.

As we enter the final rush of the holiday season, look around. You can see the collective "l...

The New Year is just around the corner, and with it comes the annual surge of "work out more" resolutions. But if you're like most people, you may be confused about one fundamental question: What exactly is formal fitness, and is it the same as just being active?

In my Wellness Vortex Model, we talk about integrating non-negotiable movement. Today, we're clarifying the difference between simply moving your body and having a structured exercise routine.

I recently recorded a quick video right after my run to clarify this important distinction.

The Apple-and-Fruit Analogy: Formal Fitness vs. Being Active

This is the key concept we need to understand to avoid fitness confusion:

Formal Fitness is being active, but being active is NOT Formal Fitness.

Think of it this way: Every apple is a fruit, but not every fruit is an apple.

• Being Active: This is simply moving your body throughout the day (your daily steps, walking while on the phone, gentle movement). It is essential fo

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Have you ever found yourself stuck in the painful habit of waiting for a "better time"—after the holidays, when you have more money, or when life is finally easy and smooth?

We are fed the lie that being "too busy" is a badge of honor. This habit of deferral is why the quotes, "Ready is the result," and "Waiting is not an option," hit so hard. We wait to feel ready, but the truth is, readiness is forged in action.

The "Bad Time" is Your Best Time

As we enter the holiday season, I found myself thinking about this "better time" trap. It's an easy default: "I'll start my health routine in January." * "I'll focus on self-care when things calm down."*

But that mindset is precisely why January is actually your worst time to start a new wellness routine.

Here is the great mental flip-flop we must make—it's time to put your flip-flops on and change your mind about time:

• The easy, comfortable, smooth time is only for MAINTENANCE and FLOW.

• The chaotic, inconvenient, busy time i...

Have you ever had a piece of furniture, or perhaps just an item in your possession, that you don't really like anymore—that you don't even need—but you just can't bring yourself to throw away?

It’s familiar. It's comfortable. It's just there.

This "Old Sofa" is the perfect metaphor for the silent, disempowering beliefs that sit in our minds, running a program that no longer serves the person you want to become.

The Sofa That Doesn't Belong to You

Many of our most stubborn limiting beliefs don't even belong to us.

Think about that old sofa: it might have been inherited, or maybe you got it during a time when your needs were different. Similarly, many core beliefs are formed early in childhood—often before the age of five—by something someone said or by a single circumstance.

That belief is a program running in the background, consuming mental space and energy, much like that old sofa consumes valuable physical space in your kitchen. It's not serving your current purpose, but it...

I want to talk about the simple, yet profound, power of the Daily Mini-Check-in with Yourself.

It's such a basic concept, yet we often forget it entirely. We are so busy doing what we have to do, we forget to check in on how we are actually doing. This disconnect is what leads straight to burnout and the dreaded yoyo cycle.

This practice is part of my Moments of Silence non-negotiable habit. It’s not about sitting on a cushion for an hour; it's about pausing and asking, "How am I feeling right now?" This simple question is the key to stepping out of reaction and into intentional action.

🚶 The Intentional Action Test

Yesterday was a full day that proved this test works. It involved a high-energy speakers meeting followed by an hour of pure bliss at a sound bath. Sound baths are amazing—they cleanse the nervous system.

When the sound was over, I knew my body needed something, but I had to ask: "What does my body need now?"

The answer was clear: "I want to go for a hike." That's ...

I want to talk about the most frustrating thing in life, health, and business: the yoyo cycle.

We've all been there—whether it's weight loss, managing finances, or getting that workout routine started (and then quitting too soon). Statistically, 95% of people who get on a weight loss program gain the weight back six months later. This same pattern of failure haunts nearly every goal we set.

The failure isn't a lack of accountability, and it’s certainly not a lack of willpower or discipline.

The real question is: Where do we need to start to stay consistent for the rest of our lives?

The Truth: You Are Starting in the Wrong Place

We confuse goals with destinations. Health, relationships, and money are not destinations; they are lifelong journeys made up of stepping stones.

The reason our habits fail is simple, and it comes down to my life principle: How We Do One Thing is How We Do Everything.

We start building the walls before we check the ground.

It’s like building a ...

As the leaves begin to turn and October sets in, the pace of life often picks up. But before you dive into another busy week of caring for others and tackling your to-do list, I want to ask you a simple, yet profound question:

Who is the single most important person in your life?

You might think of a partner or a child, but the answer should be the person looking back at you in the mirror.

I know how easy it is to forget that. I remember one chaotic evening when I was hecticly cooking dinner, rushing to manage the household while my kids buzzed around me. My 8-year-old daughter took my hand, looked straight into my eyes, walked me to the front door, and simply said: “Mama, go be happy.”

She didn't need the perfect meal; she needed the version of me that was present and calm. She knew, even then, that my genuine happiness and peace came from my time outdoors.

We are often brilliant at caring for others, yet when we look inward, how often do we ignore and neglect the one person whos...