![Tips on Stress Free Happy Holidays]()
by Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos | Nov 20, 2015 | Access Your Inner Guide, Uncategorized
Quote: “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”
William James
Are you stressed beyond belief but cannot pinpoint exactly where it is coming from, or which challenge is the most annoying? Perhaps viewing stress from a different perspective can help find positive solutions.
Once again, the holidays are upon us. As we prepare to celebrate them by giving thanks for past successes while facing the changes we plan to make for the New Year in the form of resolutions, stress levels often rise. Especially, when we realize we did not meet our goals from last year. Such is life in the fast lane. Welcome to the real world. The good news is you are not alone. This year resolve to be successful in your resolutions by turning stress into a positive game.
Dreams, Prayers, and Meditations are three under-utilized innate gifts perfect for stress-reduction and resolution creation.
Your dreams are Sacred Doorways to Universal Wisdom that contains answers to all your daily challenges. Daydreams solve nagging problems. Your answers to prayers often come in the form of dreams or nightmares. Simple Meditations that focus on Breath and Gratitude can be done anywhere anytime and have been proved to:
- lower blood pressure
- increase focus and productivity
- promote healing
- and adjust your attitude.
Here is a very short meditation to help you through the holiday season. Don’t wait. You can start right now. Use it anywhere and anytime to de-stress.
1.) Focus on your breath flowing into your nostrils.
2.) Breathe in. Breathe out…
3.) Count five breaths.
4.) End with one deep breath.
5.) Repeat until your tension melts away.
6.) Give thanks for all you have including the Breath of Life.
You can do this simple meditation as often as necessary; in your work place, at home, or while stuck in traffic, with your eyes open, of course No one will know you are de-stressing. You secret will be safe.
Are you making New Year Resolutions that take too big a bite out of life to chew?
By focusing on a New Year resolution that is realistic you have a better chance for success. Success reduces stress. Choose to set yourself up for success rather than failure which add to stress.
According to statistics, one of the most frequently implemented New Year’s Resolution deals with diet and weight.
Diet and weight are an important part of our physical and mental health. It is as simple as realizing that when we look good we feel good. When our favorite jeans fit, we are happy. Resolving to make that dream a reality is great. Let’s start by taking small bites, no pun intended.
Rather than saying you are going to lose a large amount of weight by this time next year, break the resolution down into workable parts. Choose a realistic amount of weight loss, or gain, that you will chart weekly. Now you are working with yourself rather than against yourself by implementing a realistic and achievable goal that will display positive results on a chart.
Evaluation and accountability are very important in the success of a New Year Resolution.
Often the most difficult parts of a New Year Resolution is stating it in a way that is precise, measurable and can focus on success. This is called a behavioral objective which is a defined description of an expected experience. Behavioral objectives that are people oriented place the emphasis upon what the person is expected to do within a designated time period with testable measurements for evaluation, and accountability for optimum success.
One of the biggest problems with New Year resolutions is accountability and evaluation.
The key to solving the accountability and evaluation issues is to develop a clear, concise objective.
Below is an example of a very simple precise and measurable New Year resolution that focuses on weight loss. The behavioral objective below has five parts;
1.) The defined time and weight
2.) What amount of weight that will be lost
3.) How it will be measured
4.) How the weight loss will be obtained
5.) The end result and time.
Starting today, November 20th, 2015, over the next 12 months, I will lose 30 pounds of weight. My weight loss will be measured weekly on every Monday using a scale and will display a 1/2 pound loss which will create a 2 1/2 pound loss per month for 12 months, resulting in a total 30 pound loss by November 2016. This weight loss will be charted and achieved by reducing the consumption of deserts and alcohol to only one serving per weekend and increasing twice the current amount of leafy greens consumed during at least one meal per day.
Here is a behavioral objective pattern for success that you can use for anything you wish to change in your life. Although it is taken from the one above that focuses on weight, health and wellness, tweak it to meet your needs, time period, and objectives. Fill in the blanks so it becomes your successful Behavioral Objective New Year Resolution.
+++++
As seen today (date)_________by this time next year, (date)___________, I (your name)_________ will have (state your desired behavior) _________________. This behavior will be measured (how often) _____________by (device)____________, and will display (desired results)_____________ which will create (amount)_________ per (time period)__________. This will be charted by ______________ and success will be seen as (state new behavior)____________________________________.
+++++
Set up your chart. As you review your success on the chart you will be rewarded by accountability and evaluate. Now you are working with yourself for success.
Use your dreams as a GPS to keep you on the right road. If you miss a self-evaluation measurement see if you are reminded of it in a dream. Your dream may be validation that your inner-guidance is now part of your success team.
Turn your stress into a game.
See how often you hit your mark on your daily or weekly objective. Reward yourself with a pat on the back when you fill in your chart. Now, you have bragging rights. Share your New Year Resolution Behavioral Objectives with your friends. Perhaps they would like to join you in this healthy game.
It is human to be stressed. Suffering through it alone is a choice. Choose to control your stress through dreams, prayers and meditations rather than allowing it to control you. Make resolutions you can keep. And, enjoy your Happy Holidays.
+++++
By: Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos, TV/Radio Show Host/Producer, International Bestselling award winning author of Surviving Cancerland: Intuitive Aspects of Healing. Kat taught special education and psychology for ten years. She frequently taught and created Behavioral Objectives on Individual Educational Plans for students. Kat believes dreams can diagnose our life. Learn more @ http://www.AccessYourInnerGuide.com
![Tips on Stress Free Happy Holidays]()
by Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos | Oct 29, 2015 | Access Your Inner Guide, Uncategorized
Are you ready to co-create a resilient, equitable and spiritually fulfilling future for humanity in community with the Earth? Being spiritually fulfilled does not mean adapting to any specific creed or religion, but rather embracing a sense of connectedness—of oneness with the universe. Two amazing people, Merry and Burl Hall tell us how they do it, despite living with Alzheimer’s Disease.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wickedhousewivesoncapecodradiont/2015/10/14/kathleen-okeefe-kanavos-show-with-merry-burl-hall-envision-this
Burl Benson Hall is very open about his life with Alzheimer’s Disease. He was kind enough to share insights into this challenge which he embraces as part of his life-wisdom. Burl’s wife Merideth ( Merry) Hall lives her name– she is one of the merriest people I have ever interviewed.
Burl is an author, philosopher (lover-of-Sophia), mystic, and retired counsellor. He writes with the editorial assistance of his muse and wife, Merry Stetson Hall, a retired teacher.
“I am Grandmerry Hall, a name given me by my grandchildren. During my 70 years of life, I have been a teacher, mother, grandmother, author, editor, care-giver, end-of-life mentor, and radio show co-host of Envision This connecting online listeners to visionaries. Folks tell me I embody “The Mother” archetype and Sophianic wisdom. This description humbles me and also moves me to offer my counsel as an Elder.”
Merry and Burl Hall are authors, co-hosts, and co-editors from Sabattus, Maine. What makes this team so amazing is the fact that Burl has Alzheimer’s, but he is quick to tell you he does not suffer from it. He simply exists with it, and embraces the daily lessons it teaches him. Merry is the love–of-his-life, Rock-of-Gibraltar, and editor of the books they create together.
During this interview Burl shared with listeners how having Alzheimer’s is much like “living in a constantly shifting dream where everything is only now. There is no past or future; only the big NOW.” The insights Burl shares with listeners is absolutely astounding because he is never remorseful, or feels victimized, only grateful for the wonderful productive life he is still leading.
Their vision is to share with you, the listener, with Gaia, and with many, a vision of a healthy Earth and humane culture where our descendants and fellow creatures can thrive and flourish.
Merry and Burl explain how their mission is to co-create a resilient, equitable and spiritually fulfilling future for humanity in community with the Earth. “By spiritually fulfilling, we do not mean to adapt to any specific creed or religion. Rather, we mean a sense of connectedness—of oneness with the universe, our loved ones, our ancestors and posterity, and within ourselves. We are awakening the realization that we belong to the cosmic All.”
As a three time breast cancer survivor whose dreams diagnosed my illness, I was astounded by the information Burl shared with his doctor to get the correct treatment for Alzheimer’s.
Listen to the answer Burl received from the medical community in the interview.
Merry and Burl Hall are the authors of SOPHIA’S WEB: A PASSIONATE CALL TO HEAL OUR WOUNDED NATURE. Merry explains, “Sophia’s Web encourages you to discover how you can co-create individual, planetary and universal health.” It also examines Burl Hall’s individual dreams, visions, passions, and missions, in the light of the Wisdom shared by great thinkers in all disciplines.
SOPHIA’S WEB is calling out for you to become part of the healing of the Earth, all of nature, humankind, society, and yourself. Healing the wounded nature of humankind and the Earth is a primary mission of the 21st Century. It’s on the minds of millions; it’s on our minds; and it’s on yours. That is why we wrote SOPHIA’S WEB and why we are hoping you will read it. In Sophia’s Web, Burl takes the reader with him ever deeper into the heart of Divine Wisdom.
On the radio show Burl and Merry discuss how:
- Sophia’s Web is the saga of Hall’s journey from fleeting visions of Sophia in childhood to a mature, surrendered embrace of the Sacred Feminine which now underpins and informs his life, his work, and his connection with the earth community.
- Burl’s primary belief, “is that the Goddess is the power by which all are born, maintained, and dissolved. It is she who weaves the entire web of life.”
Almost effortlessly Burl was able to acknowledge, at an early age, not only the feminine principle in the world but the feminine within himself. As with any male socialized within the context of industrial civilization, Burl experienced societal pressure to embrace the patriarchal perspective which prizes a way of life based on power and control. Yet, Sophia’s Web reveals a man who has moved through and beyond patriarchal programming to an integration of the feminine principle within himself, and who strives to apply Sophia’s wisdom in his life and work.
Rarely do we have the opportunity to hear an embodied male acknowledge what the author lays bare in this radio interview.
“Together, we can co-create a more abundant future for our planet.”
Burl Hall follows the thread within this web that connects his research in these fields to his personal mystical experience and dreams. “We are amazed by the opportunity the worldwide web offers us, a couple living on Social Security Disability and Social Security Retirement, to reach out to the world both through our writings and Sophia, the Spirit of Wisdom, which has woven the multi-dimensional aspects of our lives—personal, relational, cultural, intellectual, scientific, philosophical, and spiritual—into a cosmic web.”
Thank you, Burl and Merry, for this rare insight into such a beautiful mind and loving heart.
ABOUT THE GUESTS: Merry and Burl Hall are the authors of SOPHIA’S WEB: A PASSIONATE CALL TO HEAL OUR WOUNDED NATURE available on Amazon at: http://amzn.to/1JUvrkf . The E-Book is available @ http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XUV57KO They are also the radio show hosts of Envision This @http://www.blogtalkradio.com/envision-this and http://www.envisionthismedia.com/envisionthis-radio where they connect listeners to visionaries of a more resilient, abundant, equitable, and Earth-friendly future.
ABOUT THE HOST: Kathleen O’Keefe Kanavos is a TV Host/Producer of Wicked Housewives ON Cape Cod Radio and TV, Author of International Bestseller & Multi-award winner Surviving Cancerland: Intuitive Aspects of Healing, and a 3x Breast Cancer Survivor whose dreams diagnosed her illness. She’s published in medical journals. Kat believes dreams diagnose your life. “Did you have a déjà- vu or dream come true?” Kat’s interpretations are in American Express Open Forum. She’s a Coach & “Go-to authority” on Beauty, Health, Wealth & Relationships, Keynote Speaker/Panelist/Presenter at International Associations, Columnist, & blogs on many professional sites. Kat taught Special Education and Psychology at USF. http://SurvivingCancerLand.com/ www.AccessYourInnerGuide.com
All pictures, information and quotes used in this blog are used with the permission of the guests.
![Tips on Stress Free Happy Holidays]()
by Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos | Sep 20, 2015 | Access Your Inner Guide, Uncategorized
It has been almost five years since Elizabeth Edwards was laid to rest Tuesday, December 7, 2010 after a brave battle with breast cancer.
Mary Elizabeth Anania Edwards was an American attorney, a best-selling author and a health care activist. She was married to John Edwards, the former U.S. Senator from North Carolina who was the 2004 United States Democratic vice-presidential nominee. She was 61 years of age when she died.
Some people are still more focused on her scandalous marriage and messy divorce than her accomplishments as a mother and woman in the public eye. Bloggers speculate on whether Elizabeth will be remembered as a fighter or a victim.
Personally, I will remember Elizabeth Edwards as one of my heroes.
Even in the face of extreme adversity, Elizabeth Edwards always presented herself as a classy lady. She was aware of her cancer while her husband ran for office but reassured women all over the world that she would be fine, kept a smile on her face, cared for her family and put her husband’s career before her own needs. Those are the actions of a devoted mate—a winner.
Elizabeth and I were diagnosed at the same time with the same type of breast cancer. That is where the similarities stop. While Elizabeth’s husband deserted and then embarrassed her with extramarital activities that resulted in a love-child, my husband quit work to stay home and care for me. This type of love and devotion is not unusual. I believe it is the same devotion Elizabeth would have displayed to any member of her family.
Two days before Elizabeth’s death, a close friend or mine was also laid to rest after succumbing to triple negative breast cancer. She too had lost a son and died in the home of her ex-husband from whom she had been divorced for years. Her needs became his focus. He cared for her in her last days and was her devoted friend to the bitter end. My point is: do not judge all men by Elizabeth’s ex-husband. There are wonderful, devoted mates, ex-husbands, and friends in this world. Unfortunately, Elizabeth Edwards did not marry one of them.
When someone is going through a life threatening illness, they must choose their battles. Elizabeth chose to concentrate on surviving and providing for her children in the face of her possible demise. She encouraged a positive relationship between her children and her ex-husband rather than driving a wedge between them. Their future was more important to her than her husband’s past. I don’t consider that the actions of a weak victim. I consider them the wise choices of a strong woman.
Elizabeth was a fighter who won the hearts of people as she bared her soul, and shared her insights as a single mother undergoing treatment during challenging times. And, she did it without publically whining or playing the blame game. I believe she realized that life was too short and precious to waste it on negative behavior—another sign of a winner.
Life is a bed of roses. Roses do have thorns. Elizabeth had her share of scratches.
I have always lived by the saying, “How someone treats me is their karma. How I respond is mine.” Despite insurmountable adversities that included the loss of a child, public humiliation, and TV interviews while battling a painful disease, Elizabeth Edwards always responded to personal questions like a lady.
Elizabeth Edwards please, take a bow. In my book, you are a winner.
Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos is a TV/Radio Producer/Host of Wicked Housewives ON Cape Cod and Author/Lecturer of the International award winning and bestseller, Surviving Cancerland: Intuitive Aspects of Healing which promotes patient advocacy and connecting with inner guidance for success in health, wealth, and relationships. She is also a contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams & Premonitions. Kat taught Special Education and Psychology. learn more @ www.AccessYourInnerGuide.com
![Tips on Stress Free Happy Holidays]()
by Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos | Sep 14, 2015 | Access Your Inner Guide, Uncategorized
Dreams, Prayers, and Meditations are three under-utilized innate gifts perfect for stress-reduction.
In this blog I will share a quick meditation you can use anywhere and
anytime to de-stress.
Your dreams are Sacred Doorways to Universal Wisdom that contain answers to all your daily challenges.
Daydreams solve problems.
Your answers to prayers often come in the form of dreams.
A short (30 second) Meditations like the one below that focuses on Breathe and Gratitude can:
- lower blood pressure
- increase focus and productivity
- promote healing
- and adjust your attitude.
Don’t wait. You can start right now.
1.) Focus on your breath flowing into your nostrils.
2.) Breathe in. Breathe out…
3.) Count five breaths.
4.) End with one deep breath.
5.) Repeat until your tension melts away.
6.) Give thanks for all you have including the Breath of Life.
You can do this simple meditation anywhere, anytime, and as often as necessary; in your work place, at home, or while stuck in traffic, with your eyes open. No one will know you are de-stressing. You secret will be safe with you. Use your Dreams as a GPS to keep you on the right road of life.
By: Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos, TV Radio Show Host/Producer, International Bestselling award winning author. Learn more @ http://www.AccessYourInnerGuide.com
