Sedona Hutton's Blog, page 2

Non-Meditation-Meditation Process

 

Paramahansa Yogananda said, “Learn to be calm and you will always be happy.”

People meditate to find this sense of calm, inner peace, and to align with their Higher Self to experience the spark of divinity that is within each of us. Some meditate for the health benefits, including, reduced stress, improved immune system, lower blood pressure, and enhanced sleep.

Yet for many, when they sit down to meditate, the process doesn’t work. This is, at least in part, due to our conditioning of believing that meditation means sitting in lotus position and having no thoughts while chanting ‘Om,’ following our breath, or reciting a mantra.  

Those are fine ways to meditate. I learned in that manner and became certified to teach a mantra-based meditation practice. However, that’s not the only way to meditate, and it’s not the way I meditate these days.

Over the years, I’ve come to realize we are all different, and therefore, it makes sense that the way we get to the calm, peaceful, heart-centered state, will differ from person to person. Based on this, I introduce the “Non-Meditation-Meditation Process.”

Using this process, you simply do whatever feels relaxing to you. This may be cutting your grass, driving a tractor through a field, taking a bubble bath, basking in the sun at the beach, or talking a walk in the woods. For me, it’s sitting in the afternoon shade of an oak tree and stargazing on a clear night. Any activity in which you are fully present can be meditative.

So, instead of forcing yourself to sit in an uncomfortable position and trying to meditate like a yogi, figure out what makes you feel calm and relaxed. Then, take some down time, engage in that activity, and see how you feel.

This customized process takes away the pressure of meditating—since it’s not really ‘meditation’ and because you are customizing the process based on your desires—you can’t do it wrong!

It also resolves the greatest challenge people have with meditation—“I have too many thoughts.” Well, guess what? We all have a lot of thoughts! Research has shown we have between 6,000 to a mind-boggling 70,000 thoughts per day. Even using the low-end number, that’s a lot of thoughts. Based on these statistics, we are bound to have a thought—or a bunch of thoughts—in whatever we are doing, including the Non-Meditation-Meditation process.

If you have a thought during the process, so what? Let your thoughts come and go. Watch a cloud float by or gaze at a twinkling star in the night sky. Eventually, your thoughts will lessen and if it was something important, it’ll be there when you are finished with your Non-Meditation Meditation practice.

“It is indeed a radical act of love just to sit down and be quiet for a time by yourself” – Jon Kabat-Zinn

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction

 

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THE PERFECT LAP, His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line?

Reader Review Excerpt: “It was a heartfelt, sweet, foster child romance that gave me all the feels! Through it, we see how people can rise above past mistakes and that is a beautiful message!”

THE PERFECT LAP is a Reader’s Favorite Finalist for Contemporary Romance. Available as eBook, paperback, and audiobook. Purchase link:  https://amzn.to/2VkXIkv

 

CLOUD WHISPERS: A novel of family and forgiveness with a strong spiritual message: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate….

Reader Review Excerpt: “A beautifully woven story filled with love, loss, betrayal and renewal. It touches the heart of the reader as life unfolds for Liam and Katie. Peppered throughout the story are spiritual awakenings and life lessons which help to clarify many of the “why’s” in each of our lives. While Cloud Whispers includes passionate love stories, it also feeds your spirt and renews your soul. The gifts from this novel are unforgettable.”

CLOUD WHISPERS was awarded the IPPY Bronze medal winner for visionary fiction, Reader’s Favorite Finalist for visionary fiction, and an Official Selection in the Summer eBook Awards for New Apple Literary. CLOUD WHISPERS purchase link: https://amzn.to/2IZ6DRc.

 

To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/.

 

Photo by Artem Kovalev on Unsplash.

Joy Makes Us More of Who We Are

 

Many of us live like Professional Hinkle in Frosty the Snowman… “Busy, Busy, Busy!”

We have jobs, families, volunteer work. Homes to clean, yards to cut, meals to cook. We cart our kids around to soccer practice and chaperone school field trips. We pack it all in and sometimes even manage to fit in working out and meditation—that is, if we get up before the crack of dawn.

What about relaxation…play…joy? How have our lives become so busy that we no longer have time to include these important elements?

From a young age, we’ve been taught to value actions and accomplishments over relaxing and doing things that bring us joy. We’ve learned that play is for children and that we should derive joy from our accomplishments.

Yet somewhere along my journey, I began to challenge these “truths” because I feel better when I take time each day to relax and engage in activities I enjoy.

Studies show countless benefits for doing things that make you happy, including improved heart health, enhanced mental health, reduced risk of strokes, improved immunity, increased life expectancy, and less stress in one’s life.

For some, “happy, happy, joy, joy” doesn’t come easily. It may be because we’re out of practice, we don’t make time for it, or we’ve simply forgotten what brings us joy. If the first two resonate with you, make a commitment to carve out pockets of time for joy and see the positive impact it makes on your life. If it’s the latter—you’ve forgotten what brings you joy— read on for some great tips!

7 Questions to Help Uncover What Brings You Joy

If you had all the time in the world, what activities would you engage in?How can you find novelty in everyday life?If you won the big lottery, what would you do?Think about the times in your life when you’ve felt the greatest joy. What were you doing? Who were you with? How were you being?When you were a child, what brought you the greatest joy?What unique personal qualities do you like sharing with the world?What would your life look like if you put yourself first?

Joy is a choice and a positive practice. Every day when you get up, choose to make time for joy. Commit that you’ll find and experience joy throughout your day, regardless of what’s happening in the world around you.

Having fun helps us know ourselves better. When we engage in activities that we enjoy, we enlighten ourselves and others, and make ourselves more of who we really are.

“Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and the end of human existence.”— Aristotle 

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction blended with inspiring and empowering ideas to live one's best life. 

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THE PERFECT LAP, His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line?

Reader Review Excerpt: “It was a heartfelt, sweet, foster child romance that gave me all the feels! Through it, we see how people can rise above past mistakes and that is a beautiful message!”

THE PERFECT LAP is a Reader’s Favorite Finalist for Contemporary Romance. Available as eBook, paperback, and audiobook. Purchase link:  https://amzn.to/2VkXIkv

 

CLOUD WHISPERS: A novel of family and forgiveness with a strong spiritual message: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate….

Reader Review Excerpt: “A beautifully woven story filled with love, loss, betrayal and renewal. It touches the heart of the reader as life unfolds for Liam and Katie. Peppered throughout the story are spiritual awakenings and life lessons which help to clarify many of the “why’s” in each of our lives. While Cloud Whispers includes passionate love stories, it also feeds your spirt and renews your soul. The gifts from this novel are unforgettable.”

CLOUD WHISPERS was awarded the IPPY Bronze medal winner for visionary fiction, Reader’s Favorite Finalist for visionary fiction, and an Official Selection in the Summer eBook Awards for New Apple Literary. CLOUD WHISPERS purchase link: https://amzn.to/2IZ6DRc.

 

To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/.

 

Photo by Simi Iluyomade on Unsplash.

A Mom / Mom-Like Tribute!

For all of the moms, stepmoms, grandmothers, aunts, foster moms, mentors, and other amazing women who are raising, nurturing, coaching, and mentoring children, Happy Mother’s Day Week!

There is no greater gift than positively influencing a child’s life. As Abraham Lincoln said, “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”

Throughout Mother’s Day Week, take time to reflect on how amazing you are!  Mom’s (and mom-like-parents) are kind, caring and compassionate. Determined, dependable and patient. Smart, generous and resourceful. Loving, nurturing and protective.

The significant impact mothers have is eloquently penned by Mitch Albom in his book, FOR ONE MORE DAY, “But there's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin.”

Are we perfect? We may not think so…however, we do our very best, which makes us perfect for the needs of our children in each moment. “A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.”—Princess Diana

This week, take some time to recognize your amazing self and all that you do. You don’t need others to give you this recognition, self-appreciation and self-love are the best! Give yourself a pat on the back, treat yourself to something special, and take time throughout the week to do things you enjoy. Most of all celebrate how special you are…nurturing, mentoring and positively influencing a child’s life is a beautiful gift, not only to your child but to humanity as well!

To all of the magnificent mom’s and mom-like women around the globe, I wish you a beautiful, bright and blessed week!

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction blended with new age spirituality. 

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THE PERFECT LAP, His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line?

Reader Review Excerpt: “It was a heartfelt, sweet, foster child romance that gave me all the feels! Through it, we see how people can rise above past mistakes and that is a beautiful message!”

THE PERFECT LAP is a Reader’s Favorite Finalist for Contemporary Romance. Available as eBook, paperback, and audiobook. Purchase link:  https://amzn.to/2VkXIkv

CLOUD WHISPERS: A novel of family and forgiveness with a strong spiritual message: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate….

Reader Review Excerpt: “A beautifully woven story filled with love, loss, betrayal and renewal. It touches the heart of the reader as life unfolds for Liam and Katie. Peppered throughout the story are spiritual awakenings and life lessons which help to clarify many of the “why’s” in each of our lives. While Cloud Whispers includes passionate love stories, it also feeds your spirt and renews your soul. The gifts from this novel are unforgettable.”

CLOUD WHISPERS was awarded the IPPY Bronze medal winner for visionary fiction, Reader’s Favorite Finalist for visionary fiction, and an Official Selection in the Summer eBook Awards for New Apple Literary. CLOUD WHISPERS purchase link: https://amzn.to/2IZ6DRc. 

 To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/. 

 

The Secret to Success: Believe in Yourself!

 

One of the most important things you can do to experience success and achieve your dreams is BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

This is so critical because your mind listens to what you say—through your thoughts and your spoken words—and it takes action accordingly. If you think, “I’ll never get this done;” rest assured, you won’t. If you think, “I’m not smart enough to take this job,” you won’t be.

Throughout the ages, men and women who believed in themselves and their capabilities, have experienced great success.

Napoleon Hill, bestselling author of Think and Grow Rich said, “You can be anything you want to be, if only you believe with sufficient conviction and act in accordance with your faith; for whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”

Business magnet and founder of the Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford, summed this concept up well, “If you think you can or you can’t, you’re right!”

Ford’s success didn’t come quickly or easily. Henry Ford experienced major failures over two decades before he found success. His famous Model T didn’t come off the assembly line until 20 years into his automotive career. He succeeded through persistence and by believing in himself even in the face of failure.

Thomas Edison experienced thousands of failures during his lifetime. A master of trial and error, Edison was quoted as saying, “Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” 

Ford and Edison regarded failure as an opportunity to learn, and they chose to believe in themselves, even during failed attempts…and you can too!

Belief is a choice you make. When you choose positive thoughts over negative thoughts and choose to believe that what you want is possible, your subconscious mind (and the universe) 

will help you achieve your goals and make your desires a reality!

In my bestselling contemporary romance novel, Restart in Bristol, CC Clark loses belief in himself after a double whammy—his high school sweetheart (the love of his life) gets engaged and he loses his NASCAR ride. His family and friends help CC rediscover his authentic, confident and magnetic self. After CC begins believing in himself again, his ‘luck’ changes.

“Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.”—Richard Bach, bestselling author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull

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RESTART IN BRISTOL, A Racing Hearts in Serenity romance—He’s a hot mess. She wants stability. Will these childhood sweethearts risk another pass at love?

Reader Review Excerpt: “Do you believe that we all have a soulmate in life?  Somebody who is simply made for us and fully understands our unique ins and outs.  All others just simply pale in comparison.  What would you do in order to discover and hang onto such love?  Would you fight for it no matter what comes your way?  Overcoming potential obstacles and barriers along the way so this romantic fate can fully come to fruition.  If this notion has captured your interest, then Restart in Bristol by author Sedona Hutton is a must pick.  A beautiful romantic tale which will captivate the reader from the start to the finish line!”

 

Restart in Bristol purchase link:  https://amzn.to/37cCw1b.

CLOUD WHISPERS: A novel of family and forgiveness with a strong spiritual message: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate….

Reader Review Excerpt: “A beautifully woven story filled with love, loss, betrayal and renewal. It touches the heart of the reader as life unfolds for Liam and Katie. Peppered throughout the story are spiritual awakenings and life lessons which help to clarify many of the “why’s” in each of our lives. While Cloud Whispers includes passionate love stories, it also feeds your spirt and renews your soul. The gifts from this novel are unforgettable.”

Cloud Whispers purchase link: https://amzn.to/2IZ6DRc.

To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/.

 

Photo by Katrina Wright, Unsplash.

10 Strategies to Keep it Together When Your World is Falling Apart

 

Hello beautiful readers,

It’s been a long time!

Last year my husband almost died and my world crumbled. He is blessedly better now, although still on the road to recovery.  Looking back, ten key practices helped me keep it together when it would have been easy to fall apart.

10 Strategies to Keep It Together When Your World Is Falling Apart

Transcend Fear – While Sean was in the hospital, doctors and other specialists often gave us a long inventory of everything that might be wrong, tossing out scary words like septic, kidney failure, and oncology. When this became a trend and anxiety arose, I reminded myself that fear is simply, “Fanaticized Events Appearing Real,” and imagining every scenario that could go wrong wasn’t serving us. I asked the doctors to share what they knew instead of every scary outcome that could occur. With this new process, our fears subsided.  Focus on the Now – While Sean was in the hospital, my motto became, “In this moment, all is well.” I defined “well” by the basics… he was alive, he was breathing, and as time passed, he was getting a little bit better every day. Staying focused in each moment helped me remain positive and hopeful. Use a Mantra – I came up with a couple of statements that I repeated over and over in my mind. These included the above referenced, “In this moment, all is well,” and “Things will get better; they always do.”Be Grateful – Even in the darkest of moments, I found I had something to be grateful for. Some days, it was a stretch, but when I focused on my husband’s breath, gazed at a tree in bloom, pet my dog or appreciated the warm spices in my tea, I felt an immediate lift. Question Everything – I asked myself questions every day. Some of my favorites: What is the evidence that this is the worst-case scenario? Are there other scenarios that are more hopeful? What is the evidence that nothing will change? Are there other possibilities that are more positive?Practice Positivity – Even though Sean was in the hospital for over a month, every day, we looked for blessings. When we looked, we found them…even on days when we received bad news. Instead of imagining all the scary stuff that could happen, we imagined healing, full recovery, and great wellness. Shifting our thoughts from scary to positive made us feel better, and I believe it contributed to Sean getting better, too!Ask and Receive Help – For many, it’s hard to ask for help. I used to struggle with this, but I’ve come to realize no matter how strong a person is, there are times when one needs help. I wouldn’t have made it through this situation sane without the help and support of so many people. Sometimes help comes from unexpected sources. I learned to say, “Yes…I need help…Thank you!” For example, my daughter’s best friend moved in with me to dog-sit and cook while I spent nine hours a day at the hospital. Later, our niece moved in to help after Sean was released from the hospital with very limited mobility. Take Care of Yourself – While it’s natural to put all of your time and effort into that big thing—here, I’m talking about my husband’s illness, but in the past, it’s been a large project, a critical deadline, or some major event—avoid doing so. It’s critical to take care of yourself, too. Every day, I took time to do something that renewed and restored me—I ate a special lunch, sat in silence next to a nearby creek, took a walk in the fields with my dog. I also got up early so I could meditate and exercise. The old saying is true…If your cup is empty, you’ll have nothing to give to others. Have Faith — For me, this was two-fold. First, I had to believe my husband would get better, and he had to believe, too. If you don’t have faith, it’s nearly impossible to materialize your desires. The second part is to look to a greater power for love, guidance, and support. We prayed. We asked God, our spirit guides, and the angels for help. I love the expression, “Let Go, Let God,” which reminds me there is a higher power who will help, but only if I ask. Fake It ‘Till You Make It –This cliché worked wonders for me. On some days, repeating my mantra fell flat, and practicing positivity and having faith was a challenge. On those days, I faked it. The simple act of faking it caused me to find a glimmer of hope, which expanded and over time, evolved into a beacon of light.

At some point in our lives, we all experience trials and tribulations. It’s my hope that these practices will help you through the next bump on your road of life.

Peace, Love, and Joy,

Sedona

 

Photo by Ben Whiteon Unsplash

Is There Life Out There?

 

I’m pretty sure this blog will raise a few eyebrows, and that’s okay. I invite you to stretch your imagination and join me on an otherworldly journey.

As a child living in the country, I spent many nights gazing at the shimmering sky pondering what life might be out there. In school, I was taught we are the only life forms. But it never made sense to me…of the bazillion stars and countless planets and galaxies, I found it arrogant to assume we were the only ones.

Aerospace engineer Werner von Braun concurred when he said, “Our sun is one of one hundred billion stars in our galaxy. Our galaxy is one of the billions of galaxies populating the universe. It would be the height of presumption to think that we are the only living things within that enormous immensity.”

So, before you write off the idea of a real-life ET, consider the following…

Astronaut Edgar Mitchell claimed, “We are not alone in the universe. They have been coming here for a long time.”

Former President John F. Kennedy boldly stated, “Citizens of this Earth, we are not alone!” With these words, it appeared the former president intended to share secret information with the American public. Kennedy wrote a letter to the head of the CIA demanding to be shown highly confidential documents about UFOs ten days before his assassination.

Before President Trump left office, he created an order instructing the Pentagon and other agencies to reveal what they know about UFOs to the American public by June 2021.

And, just last month, the Pentagon admitted it has been holding and testing wreckage from UFO crashes.

You may be wondering why I’m sharing my thoughts on potential extra-terrestrial life now. Based on the above, it appears we are on the brink of receiving new, significant information on the topic. And isn’t it better to stick your toe in the water before diving in head first?

On the next clear night, go outside and gaze at the sparkling sky and join me in contemplating who else might be out there. Personally, I like to think there are many benevolent star families gazing down at Earth and perhaps even helping us through our rocky ride.

 

What do youthink? Join the conversation!

"In the deepest sense the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is a search for ourselves."-Carl Sagan, American astronomer

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of women's fiction and contemporary romance blended with  new age spirituality. 

CLOUD WHISPERS: 2019 IPPY bronze winner for visionary fiction and 2018 Reader’s Favorite finalist for visionary fiction. A novel of family and forgiveness with a strong spiritual message: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate…. https://amzn.to/2IZ6DRc.

 

RESTART IN BRISTOL, A Racing Hearts in Serenity romance—Reader’s Favorite 2020 Honorable Mention in the Romance genre and Semi-Finalist in Kindle Book Review’s Romance category: He’s a hot mess. She wants stability. Will these childhood sweethearts risk another pass at love? https://amzn.to/37cCw1b.

To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/.

Our Stories Become Our Reality

 

In my contemporary romance, Restart in Bristol, Holly tells herself stories about her childhood that become her reality. I won’t give away a spoiler, but I will share that she focuses so intently on one aspect that it creates limiting beliefs in her life.

According to the Oxford dictionary a belief is, “Acceptance that something exists as true; without faith or evidence in someone or something.”

Beliefs can be beneficial, but they can also limit us. Sometimes our beliefs stop us from trying and stop us from achieving our dreams. Why do people have limiting beliefs? Because our minds have a tendency toward the negative.

So, what can you do to diminish limiting beliefs? I could write an entire book on this topic, but awareness is a great place to start. Begin questioning your beliefs. What are they, why do you hold them, and do they make sense? Maybe a particular belief made sense at one point in time, but now that you are older and wiser, it no longer serves you.

For example, a limiting belief could be that you think you can’t do something because you failed at it in the past. You can let go of this limiting belief by looking at the facts and considering new possibilities. The facts could be that you failed at this activity five years ago and since that time, you’ve read a book on the subject and learned new skills. Now, turn your “I can’t” statement into, “X was challenging in the past, but I have learned new skills and I’m capable of learning, growing, and achieving X.”

Establish an ongoing practice of questioning your beliefs. If they don’t make sense—change them or simply let go! Our thoughts are powerful and the stories we tell ourselves create our life experience. Keeping this in mind will allow you to write new chapters in your life story that are positive and align with your dreams.

“Be careful how you are talking to yourself because you are listening.” Lisa Hayes

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction blended with new age spirituality. 

Restart in Bristol, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—Reader’s Favorite 2020 Honorable Mention in the Romance genre and Semi-Finalist in Kindle Book Review’s Romance category: He’s a hot mess. She wants stability. Will these childhood sweethearts risk another pass at love? Kindle: https://amzn.to/37cCw1b. Audiobook: https://adbl.co/3hgKZpF.

To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/.

 Recommended Tools & Reading:

The Vision Board Workbook by Chris Clifford: https://bit.ly/2JpqOdi

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield: https://amzn.to/39SgKSt

The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra: https://amzn.to/2C9BF5k

Disclosure: The above links to recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book through these links, I receive a small commission on the sale. I’ve recommended these books because they’ve been meaningful to me personally and not because of the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, I need to identify these as affiliate links.

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash.

Affirm & Visualize a Better Future

 

Are you ready to create a vision for a better future? Let’s envision great success and unprecedented joys in 2021!

If you’re wondering how to do this, read on!

In previous blogs, I’ve written about using affirmations and visualization to achieve your desired future, and both of these are powerful processes. But, did you know they are even more powerful when used together?

As a reminder, an affirmation is a positive statement that declares what you desire. Examples include: I appreciate my great health; I’m enjoying my beautiful beach home in the Outer Banks; and I’m gratefully celebrating the birth of my baby girl. 

Affirmations allow us to consciously choose thoughts that will deliver positive future results. These statements plant seeds and direct your subconscious mind to begin working toward achieving your goals.

Tips to make your affirmations more powerful:

Create affirmations using the present tense (Use “I am enjoying…” and not, “I am going to enjoy…”) Affirm in the positive (Use, “I am enjoying great health,” not, “I don’t want to be sick.”) Use images to strengthen your affirmations.

Using images (visualization) is also an easy and effective process. You can use guided visualizations to identify and fully imagine what you want or simply close your eyes and think about your goals and desires in minute detail.

Research has shown that using affirmations and visualization together makes them even more powerful. There are many ways you can combine these tools.

 

You can state your affirmation and at the same time visualize it coming to life. For example, if your affirmation is “I appreciate my work promotion,” you would envision how you would feel, who you would be working with, and what kind of work you would be doing. 

Another great way to combine affirmations with visualization is by creating a vision board. When you look at your vision board, your mind naturally starts to imagine the outcomes you desire. You can use a vision board workbook or kit to aid in this process.

My favorite is the Vision Board Workbook (https://bit.ly/2JpqOdi) which provides a tutorial on how to design a vision board, tools to make it easy for you to create one, and a worksheet to identify your deepest desires, which is a critical first step of creating a vision board. There is also a “Tools of the Trade” section with page after page of phrases, affirmations, and pictures you can cut out to design your own unique vision board.

Affirmations and visualization are both powerful processes to help you achieve your goals and desires. Combined, the two processes become super-charged! So what are you waiting for? Create affirmations, visualizations, and a vision board that outlines the future of your dreams!

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction blended with new age spirituality. 

CLOUD WHISPERS: 2019 IPPY bronze winner for visionary fiction and 2018 Reader’s Favorite finalist for visionary fiction. A novel of family and forgiveness with a strong spiritual message: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate…. https://amzn.to/2IZ6DRc.

To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/.

Recommended Reading & Tools :

 

The Vision Board Workbook  by Chris Clifford: https://bit.ly/2JpqOdi

 

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield: https://amzn.to/39SgKSt

 

Disclosure: The above links to recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book through these links, I receive a small commission on the sale. I’ve recommended these books because they’ve been meaningful to me personally and not because of the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, I need to identify these as affiliate links.

Photo by Peter Fogden on Unsplash.

10 Unique Holiday Gifts

 

Are you tired of buying hum-drum gifts or giving the same old thing year after year? 2020 has been a unique year…why not make your gift giving unique as well?

 

To this end, I’ve created a list of ten unique gift ideas. This isn’t a comprehensive list; instead, these ideas are offered to get your creative juices flowing and to inspire you to come up with your own list of thoughtful gifts.

 

10 Unique Holiday Gift Ideas:

 

Time: Take your dad on a fishing trip, a green-thumb friend to a local garden, a music lover to an outdoor jazz festival.

Experience: How about a cooking, photography, crafting, or writing class?

Service: Give your neighbors the gift of a night out when you babysit their children.

Charity: Give to your friend’s favorite charity in honor of him or her.

Sweets: Sweeten someone’s holiday with a plate of cookies, homemade fudge, or your own unique sweet treat.

Photo Gift or Book: What parent, grandparent, or friend doesn’t love a walk down memory lane? Create a themed digital book or keep a special memory alive by creating a keyring, blanket, or wall canvas from a treasured photo. You can use a local drugstore or an online company like Snapfish to create your photo gifts.

Clean: Pack up your Bissell Crosswave and clean your best friend’s floors. Or, go all in and clean her home from top to bottom.

Spa Gift Card: Give the gift of pampering and relaxation!

Airbnb Gift Card: The gift of a get-a-way is always appreciated…especially these days!

A New Vision: Give the gift of infinite possibilities with The Vision Board Workbook. This workbook provides a tutorial on how to design a vision board, tools to make it easy to create one, and a worksheet to identify your deepest desires. It’s a bargain at $13.97 plus shipping: https://bit.ly/2JpqOdi .

I hope this list helps you come up with a few new and unique gift-giving ideas. Wishing each of you a happy holiday and peace, love, joy, and success in the new year!

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction blended with new age spirituality. 

Restart in Bristol, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—Reader’s Favorite 2020 Romance Honorable Mention and Semi-Finalist in Kindle Book Review’s Romance category—He’s a hot mess. She wants stability. Will these childhood sweethearts risk another pass at love? Kindle: https://amzn.to/37cCw1b. Audiobook: https://adbl.co/3hgKZpF.

The Perfect Lap, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—2019 Reader’s Favorite Contemporary Romance Finalist—His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line? Kindle: https://amzn.to/2VkXIkv. Audiobook: https://adbl.co/2WAsOnp

Nora’s Promise, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—Reader's Favorite 2019 Contemporary Romance Bronze winner and 2019 NIEA Bronze winner—She trusts animals more than men. He races through women like checkered flags. Can one orphaned boy bring them both to the finish line? Kindle: https://amzn.to/384lB1f. Audiobook: https://amzn.to/2OktquX.

To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joyblog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/.

 

Affirmations for Positivity

 

With a steady diet of negativity encircling us—COVID, the election, worries about the economy, and the news, just to name a few—it’s easy to get caught in the clutches of fear and to focus on everything that's wrong.  

Over the last week, I’ve heard concerns from family members and friends regarding health, jobs, the sustainability of small businesses, and even freedom.

These thoughts and concerns are normal because our brains are wired to focus on the negatives first. This was helpful in ancient times when our worries were life-and-death situations, like avoiding becoming dinner to a saber-tooth tiger.

Today, the tendency to think about everything that may go wrong no longer serves us. Focusing on negative outcomes results in anxiety and fear, and, if unchecked, can cause a plethora of stress-related health issues. In addition, negative thoughts direct our subconscious minds to work toward negative outcomes, which is the opposite of what we want.

The good news is that we can retrain our brains to think positively. Affirmations are a powerful tool to aid in this process.

An affirmation is a statement that affirms what you desire. Examples include: I appreciate my great health; I’m enjoying my beautiful lake house in east Tennessee; and I am celebrating my successful new wellness business.

You can create an affirmation to direct your attention and energy toward what you want in any aspect of your life. You can also use affirmations to replace negative thoughts. For example, when you have the thought, “I’m stressed,” try replacing it with, “I am celebrating my stress-free world,” or “I let go of those things that no longer serve me.”

Using affirmations remind us to stay positive by consciously choosing thoughts that align with what we desire. They help us achieve great success by directing the RAS (Reticular Activating System) in our minds to subconsciously work toward achieving our goals.

“We have to retrain our thinking and speaking into positive patterns if we want to change our lives.”—Louise Hayes

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction blended with new age spirituality. 

The new Vision Board Workbook includes clippable affirmations as well as other positive words and phrases you can post in your personal space or use to create a vision board: https://bit.ly/2JpqOdi.

Restart in Bristol, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance: Reader’s Favorite 2020 Honorable Mention in the Romance genre and Semi-Finalist in Kindle Book Review’s Romance category—He’s a hot mess. She wants stability. Will these childhood sweethearts risk another pass at love? Kindle: https://amzn.to/37cCw1b. Audiobook: https://adbl.co/3hgKZpF.

To sign up for my Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/.

 Recommended Reading:

 ***NEW: Vision Board Workbook*** by Chris Clifford: https://bit.ly/2JpqOdi

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield: https://amzn.to/39SgKSt

 Disclosure: The above links to recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book through these links, I receive a small commission on the sale. I’ve recommended these books because they’ve been meaningful to me personally and not because of the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, I need to identify these as affiliate links.