Category: Wellness

The Good and The Bad of 2020 Lessons Learned

Goodbye 2020, hello 2021 and a whole new chapter in my life. As I enter this new year with a whole heart full of gratitude and hope, I wanted to share a few of the things that made 2020 both challenging and rewarding for me. I also want to make a few things clear… I’m doing this because of a few reasons.

  1. I am focusing on being more honest and open in 2021. This is not just with others, but with myself as well.

The first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself… Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.

Nelson Mandela

2. Blogging helps me stay creative and fulfills my love of writing. Making it a consistent practice helps me continually improve my writing and use of words. I always wanted to be an author and this is sort of like my place for that, it’s my life book.

Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written large in his works.

Virginia Woolf

3. While I don’t put everything on display, I do seek to share my adventures in hopes to find connections with people who have shared experiences or to lead someone to discover something that may be useful in their life. If my blogs impact even just one person, I’ve done something positive for the world and therefore, it isn’t all for naught.

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.

Sylvia Plath

The Good of 2020

All in all, 2020 was filled with a lot of learning opportunities. Everyone had to adjust to a new way of working and a new way of living life. My journey through it brought me to understand a few things better:

  • How to show gratitude – I started my daily gratitude list practice once again
  • How to be more positive each day – I made a commitment to wake up each day with a smile
  • Renewed friendships – I rekindled a few friendships that really have helped me get through tough times, but also that I feel I can offer a lot of support to
  • I learned to give with my heart again – Always a giver, I felt like I had lost that spirit. But, through renewed friendships and a focus on healing, I’m finding my path again.
  • Importance of family – I moved back to Texas to be closer to my family and I’m so happy as their presence is so important to me. I made the commitment to truly see my family as a priority.

In 2020, I also had a few surprises and exciting updates:

  • Started a new job
  • Began my journey to earning my Master’s in Business Administration
  • Found new opportunities to learn and grow in my personal health and development
  • Created a new business venture
  • Developed new skills

It’s amazing how much progress we make over a year, when we look back on it all. I believe I’ve grown the most during the most challenging times. So while most people wanted 2020 to end, I didn’t want it to. I was stretching myself, growing, and really becoming a whole new me. From running more, to eating healthier, to finding a way to build my own business and grow my mind. I don’t think 2020 was all that bad for my personal development.

But of course, there were times when it wasn’t so easy. Here are some of the things that forced me into this growing stage last year.

The Bad of 2020

Because I try not to dwell when “bad” things happen to me, I’m choosing to really only share a couple of the things that had the biggest impact.

  1. My 10 year relationship with my husband ended and I moved away from him and California.
  2. My grandmother got really sick, unrelated to covid, and has been in a hospital since March. With covid happening though, it’s prevented me from seeing her.

So, now that I’ve shared that, I think there are probably a lot of other people in the world who could say they’ve had it worse. Sure. Everyone is battling something. What I think was the most powerful thing about my “bad” list of 2020, was that neither of these things has really brought me down. Despite going through a divorce, despite having a heart full of worry and despair, I was able to achieve so much this year and still come out positive.

My good list will always outweigh my bad list. My good list just grows and grows. It’s where I put my focus. The bad list always has a light at the end of the tunnel. It always has a positive spin and I know that these bad situations don’t last forever, nor do the good ones. We have to keep mining for them and wake up every day with a smile ready to accept them.

I am working to bring a light to people’s lives in 2021. I am working to share what I find to be the most effective ways to look passed the bad and look at how to effectively flip it. My blog means so much to me. While I am always “busy” working and studying and focusing on my health, I know there is plenty I can be doing to share and make a positive impact. So for YOU, I commit to being a writer and to sharing what I learn. I commit to seeking new things to share with YOU my readers and my community.

I also commit to being a great writer so that you never have to feel burdened by my typos… 😛

To peace and wellness in 2021.

A

CBD Oil: Myths and Facts

I’m a CBD lover… I swear by it. Other people are not so convinced, but there is a real truth to the powers of CBD oil. Here are a few of the myths and facts behind the magic.

Top 3 Myths About CBD

1. CBD Oil Doesn’t Work

Before you go too far down this road, let me explain something… CBD is not THC. If you’re hoping you’re going to try it for the first time and feel instant effects of CBD oil, then you’re doing this all wrong. CBD is what I like to call a therapy. Therapy works over time and usually you’ll start to feel better with several doses/treatments. When you’re not getting your therapy, you’ll notice the effects.

2. CBD Will Make You High

Well, I can’t even explain how very wrong this is. Again, THC is the chemical compound that’s attributed to immediate effects of feeling high. You’re not going to feel any sort of psychosis with CBD oil. Some products do help with sleep as it is a calming therapy, but CBD is not a known sleep aid.

3. CBD is Unregulated and Unsafe

The only comment I’ll make on this is you get what you pay for. It’s not recommended to purchase CBD from unknown sources, or try to find it for cheap online. There are plenty of companies that are safely creating high-quality CBD. When you’ve found a good company, they will provide lab results and certifications such as these here. Find yourself a good, quality company to source your CBD from and you’ll be fine!

Top 3 Facts About CBD Oil

1. CBD is Helpful for Anxiety

If you carry a lot of worry and stress, then CBD is the saving grace you may need. As I like to say, I got 99 problems, and CBD solved like 84 of them… The calming effects of CBD go a long way. Over time, it can help you cope with major life events, deal with your anxiety, and get better rest because of it.

2. CBD Can Help Your Pets

Yes, even pets need relief from anxiety and stress too! I’ve heard stories about dogs that get anxiety when their humans are away during the day, causing all sorts of messes and constant stress. CBD oil sprays and drops can have very similar effects on dogs, cats, and other animals.

3. There’s More to CBD Than Calming Effects

Not only has CBD really come out strong as a wellness and overall calming product, but we have also discovered the positive effects it has on skin, cell regeneration, immune system function, digestion and even energy and blood sugar levels. CBD has a lot of power to help overall wellbeing and to help you get on track to reach your fitness and lifestyle goals (especially as we head into a new year).

My Top CBD Products

Can’t decide on which CBD oil product to try? No problem! I’ve got some excellent choices for you to check out. My personal top choice is this 300 MG Full Spectrum CBD Oil. It’s a great product for anyone who is just looking for some calming effects. I notice it’s especially helpful come time for “that time of the month” and ladies, it does help tremendously with cramps and pains.

300MG Full Spectrum CBD Oil Drops by CTFO
Buy Now – $49.97 Wholesale

Want something with a little more “oomph”? If you’re looking for something to help with intense pain, like that from arthritis, or severe anxiety, then this 10x Pure product is definitely worth it. Sure the price tag is a little more, but the 10x Pure product is 10 time more effective than anything else on the market right now.

10x Pure 500 MG Full Spectrum CBD Oil Drops by CTFO
Buy Now – $99.97 Wholesale

For relief of things like joint and muscle pain, this healing relief cream is infused with CBD and emu oil to provide deep comfort.

500 MG CBD Ultimate Healing Relief Cream with Emu Oil
Buy Now – $79.97 Wholesale

Want to take your bath time to another level? I especially love this product when I’m feel achy or sore. These bath bombs also make for an amazing Christmas gift idea! You can also purchase them indvidually for $14.97 each.

CBD Bath Bomb Combo Pack – Peppermint, Lavender, Eucalyptus & Grapefruit
Buy Now – $49.97 Wholesale

Want to chat more about CBD and what products are available to help you? Send a message to the CBD Babe on Instagram or find me on Twitter @IntentlyAmy.

Be well.

Finding Balance

Well hello last month of 2020…. we’ve been waiting for you! If it wasn’t bad enough that this year brought on a whole new level of public health fears and political anxiety, there was a lot of personal life struggles that came with it too. There are probably very few people that could say 2020 didn’t have some sort of personal life rattling event.

So now, we’re all about this “new normal”, whatever that means for you. Hence why I thought I’d share a little bit about finding balance in this crazy, hectic life because now more than ever we need to find harmony.

How do you juggle all the chaos without pulling out your hair and losing your mind? I’d say a lot of deep breaths, anti-worrying techniques, and intentional movements through it all… But, here are some practical ways you can start attracting a balanced lifestyle.

Identifying the Imbalance in Your Life

First, let’s start off by pointing out that not everyone knows exactly why their life feels out of sorts. Maybe you wake up with anxiety or go to sleep with worry and you can’t pin point exactly where it’s coming from. After all, isn’t EVERYTHING a reason for worry? Trust me, I know from experience that the minute you start thinking about the things that cause you anxiety, it all starts pouring in and you can’t stop the noise.

The first thing to do in this situation is to start listing all the reasons you actually have to worry. Truly identify the reasons and put them on paper. Take a moment to do this now…

… do it.

Now, hopefully after writing down these things you notice that there isn’t actually a whole lot on the list that either a) you can control, b) will impact your life significantly, or c) is long-term. In fact, looking at this list, I hope you realize that worries are sometimes over dramatized in our minds. When we actually sort them out and identify them, they become much much smaller.

Only Focus on What You Can Control

Here is your opportunity now to really take things into your own hands. Find those things on the list that are in your control. These should be things that can be stopped, helped, or avoided by taking an action.

For example, if you have a lot of anxiety about an upcoming test, then that’s in your control. To eliminate anxiety about the test, you can study and that will give you the confidence and tools to do well so you don’t have to worry about it.

Highlight all the things on that list that are actionable…. you can also circle them, put stickers next to them, write them out even bigger. Whatever you choose to do, call it out and separate it from the other things that you cannot control.

Prioritize Actioning your Anxieties Away

We’re at our final step. This is where you actually put your anxieties into check. You have all the power now… do you feel it?

In this step, I want you to put down in your agenda or calendar, whatever you use, time to action those things you highlighted above. Make time for it in your calendar because when you prioritize working on these things that means you are cleansing yourself of the anxiety associated with not taking action.

Most people would say, Amy, this is stupid because it’s too simple. But, I’d argue that the most simple things do not come easy to people. It’s really difficult to plan in time to address your anxiety and most of the time it’s because it takes doing things we probably don’t want to do.

Back to my example, studying doesn’t always feel like a whole lot of fun. Planning in time to do this is a discipline, and that’s where a majority of people will fail. They will not take time to be disciplined in their actions and to do the things that aren’t the fun things to do.

So, as we end this year with a solid effort to make it as great as possible, I encourage you to plan in those anti-worrying activities. Change your habits and make an effort to do the things no one else will do. A great benefit will be getting some better sleep going into 2021. End this year with peace and balance.

Namaste (<that felt right),
Amy

“Successful people do what unsuccessful people are unwilling to do.” -Darren Hardy