LIfestyle | Victoria Zanini

Category: LIfestyle

Magic Wishes and Piles of Laundry – What a Life

Posted on by Vicki

Today I want to share what I call “one of those magical moments in life” when we suddenly become aware that we truly are connected to something bigger. Dr. Wayne Dyer helped me with this one and for that I’ll always be grateful. He continues to inspire me.

It was a Sunday afternoon a few years back and I was folding laundry and listening to one of my favorite authors and teachers, Dr. Wayne Dyer, on PBS talking about his latest book, Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting.

All morning I’d been feeling stuck and a bit frustrated and I just couldn’t shake it off.

So there I was on a beautiful sunny and clear day in Colorado, my little Yorkie longingly staring up at me with those big beautiful brown soulful eyes desperately wanting to go for a walk, and I just didn’t feel like it.

So I folded t-shirts and jeans, shorts and, well you get the picture. I don’t “hate” anything but if I did it’d be folding laundry. Although, through practicing mindfulness over the last few years I’ve managed to not NOT hate it so much because, well, I don’t hate anything. (Obviously I have more work to do in that department).

I had finally folded everything I could before facing the dreaded sock pile (the absolute worst part of laundry) when I heard Dr. Dyer talk about St. Germain in the I AM Discourses, and I experienced an instant shift. I was no longer focused on the “stupid” socks, although I continued to fold them.

Maybe because I was a student of meditation and mindfulness (I’ll always be a student) or maybe because Dr. Dyer is SO connected that like gravity he pulled me from the confines of my own self-focused pity party and I was free to experience a “higher” me. What I do know is his words were a beacon that completely transformed who I was being in that moment.

“The moment you say ‘I Am’, you set in motion this Power that has inherent within it all of these faculties. It has all substance, and must take on whatsoever form the attention of the mind is fixed upon. The ‘I Am’ is the Fathomless mind of God. Use this fathomless mind of yours to place your attention always on what is aligned with your Source of being – the unlimited abundance that is the highest good of all concerned.” The I Am Discourses by St. Germain as quoted by Dr. Wayne Dyer in Wishes Fulfilled .

Well, the laundry was done, the sun was still shining and my little puppy still wanted to go for a walk, so we did. We were three blocks down the street when Rosco tried to pull me onto a neighbor’s lush green lawn. I figured he needed to “conduct some puppy business” but we were close to the park and I decided he could wait so I attempted to pull him along. He wasn’t having it though and put up quite a fit. He’s small but feisty! So I had to take two steps onto the lawn to reach him and as I bent down to pick him up I noticed a piece of plain white notebook paper on the ground at my feet. What I saw next truly took my breath away: written in pencil were two words, “I AM”, and nothing more.

I still feel a spark of electricity pulse through me when I think of that day. A day like many others that keep me on a path of embodying my “better self” or “taking the high road” as my mama use to say.

Transformation often feels magical. Now, if I could find some magic that could transform laundry from dirty to clean, well pressed and hanging perfectly in my closet, well, now THAT would be something.

Seriously, if you haven’t read “Wishes Fulfilled” by Dr. Wayne Dyer, I highly recommend it. And if you have laundry tips, please let me know.

Be well friends,

Victoria

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No More Wishy Washy Resolutions.

Posted on by Vicki

So you’ve polished off the last of the holiday cookies, and rang in the New Year but have you written down your goals for 2018? Do you even have a clue where to start? Have you even given this any thought?

I recently read that 41% of people make New Year’s resolutions and only 9.1% keep them.

Well, that makes me feel a bit better because I have not made any New Year resolutions this year. It’s not that I don’t believe in them. It was a New Year’s resolution that my husband and I made together that got me on the road to meeting my health goals this past year.

So I sat down this morning, just me and my journal, and I did a bit of soul-searching.

I realized that I’d been beating myself up for not making New Year resolutions! And the reason I haven’t set them is because I don’t take them lightly. I’m not going to make resolutions about just anything.

Seriously, the word resolute means firm in purpose or belief characterized by firmness and determination.

You cannot make resolutions from a wishy-washy space of uncertainty. You’ve got to know what is important to you, where you will put your energy this year, and what you refuse to fail at.

So if you haven’t set resolutions this year, don’t beat yourself up but don’t dismiss this opportunity to take a really close heartfelt look at the year ahead.

I invite you to take some time to do a bit of soul excavation. Sit down with your Journal, make a coffee date with your friend, take a good look at the coming year. What area of your life really needs your attention. Be honest with yourself. I guarantee you know exactly what you need to do in the coming year, at least there is a part of you that does, and your job is to tap that wisdom.

You don’t have to have it all figured out either. Just be willing to take an honest look at your life and tell yourself the truth about where you are and where you want to be.
It could be in the area of health and fitness, career and finance, general self-care and well-being, and maybe you just need to clean out all the clutter! And if you want to improve the relationship you have with others, start with the relationship you have with yourself.

And if you need support be sure and subscribe to my mailing list to receive tips and tools to keep you inspired in 2018.

Blessings,
Vicki

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Do Your Books Haunt You?

Posted on by Vicki

I have to confess that I use to have an addiction to personal development books. I couldn’t help it, I was constantly reading three or four at a time.

I had several on my night stand.
My bookshelf was stuffed to the max.
I even had a closet full of banker boxes full of them!

And don’t even get me started on my Kindle library!

This past year I’ve gotten better.

I spent more time at the gym and less time in my comfy reading corner.
I spent more time preparing healthy foods and less time reading recipes.
I’m applying what I’m learning. Sometimes without even trying!

But I’ll never give up reading!

Reading expands your perspective, introduces you to new ideas and is the friend beside you as you discover new things about yourself. And some haunt you for years!

Many of the books I’ve read have earned a permanent place on my bookshelf, and one such book is, “The Four Agreements – a practical guide to personal freedom, by Don Miguel Ruiz”.

This book was published in 1997 and it didn’t take long to read as it’s only 160 pages long but did it have an impact! The message is timeless.

The Four Agreements, in case you are not familiar with the book, is centered around the following four “agreements” you make with yourself:

Be impeccable with your word
Don’t take anything personally
Don’t make assumptions
Always do your best

I’m convinced that just reading this one book and applying it to your everyday life would transform your world.

This book has haunted me for years! Sometimes I hear the words from this book running through my mind, like when I’m running late for an appointment.

Have you read a book like that? One that continues to “haunt” you long after you’ve put it down. One that’s gotten under your skin and calls your best self forward?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers,
Vicki

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Neglecting This Relationship Will Cost You

Posted on by Vicki

Living in today’s fast-paced world you can’t afford to neglect yourself.While you are focused on meeting the demands placed on you by others, it’s easy to lose sight of the things that really matter. That is a recipe for burnout and that’s what happened to me two years ago.

We have so many choices about where to focus our energy and if we are undecided in any area of our life, life will eagerly step in and decide for us. We won’t even notice that it’s happening!

So how do you decide?

You start by getting clear about what’s most important to you, your priorities, what you really value, what really matters to you.
You have to build and nurture a relationship with yourself just like you would with anyone. This is critical in building sustainable success in any area of your life. It’s a simple idea but sadly many people never give it a thought.

Think about it, how well do you really know yourself?

Can you list the top three things that are most important to you?

Do you like yourself?

Do you trust yourself?

If you answered yes to all three questions, congratulations! You are equipped to add your unique value to the world and get on the path to a more rich and meaningful life, which I believe is a necessary ingredient in creating sustainable success.

If you were not able to answer yes to any one of these questions, don’t beat yourself up. Life, as they say, is a journey and I’ve just handed you a compass. I hope it’s useful.

I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on anything I’ve shared with you today. Feel free to comment and let’s further the conversation. I’ve just scratched the surface of this topic but I feel it’s a really important conversation to have.

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Life Is Perfect Even When It’s Clearly Not

Posted on by Vicki

My hubby John and I recently went camping in the Rocky Mountains. We were both looking forward to getting off the grid for a few days.

So imagine our disappointment when our SUV started losing power as we drove along the Arkansas River through the canyon. The roads were filled with S curves, traffic was bumper-to-bumper with eager campers and weekend adventurers, and places to pull off were scarce and far between.

We were pulling our 16 ft trailer behind us so this was not convenient.

One minute we were gliding down the road like happy little campers and the next we were sitting ducks.

We were fortunate enough to find a place to pull over safely and then sat there for a moment in dismay wondering what our next move would be. We were still about 20 miles out from the next town where we knew we could find a mechanic.

The first thought I had as John hopped out of the car and popped the hood was how I had been wanting an adventure and life was now presenting me with one.

I remembered a coaching principle I learned long ago that said that things are always perfect even when they clearly aren’t, and this clearly did not seem perfect.

I was a little surprised at how calm and peaceful I felt just beneath the rush of panicky thoughts that were beginning to form.

We had no phone service and I began to offer up silent prayers as my husband did his best to get us back on the road.

After about a 20-minute rest the car seemed to gain full power again and we were able to go a few more miles down the road before we had to pull over again.

Several people stopped to check on us and offer help and we pondered whether to continue towards our destination or try to get back home.

And then an angel dressed in jeans and a t-shirt came to our rescue.

His name was Lonnie and he offered to look under our hood. After making a few changes with no improvement, he headed into town to see if there was a mechanic available, and we weren’t sure we’d see him again.

We were meeting friends at our campsite and they eventually caught up with us on the road. And then Lonnie showed up and announced that it would be several days before our car could be seen. And even though our friends were now with us, like a guardian angel he stayed at our side and followed us all into town.

As we limped into town Lonnie suggested we pull into the AutoZone parking lot, and we did. The news from the diagnostic machine wasn’t good but Lonnie paid no attention and suggested that we purchase a $13 fuel filter that he felt would fix everything. John was on the fence because we had just replaced the fuel pump and fuel filter a few months earlier but it was only $13 and we were looking at a very expensive tow home.

While John went inside to purchase the new part, Lonnie grabbed his tools and removed the old one.

It took Lonnie all of 2 minutes to install the new fuel filter and then John unhitched the trailer and took the Tahoe for a test drive. Fifteen minutes later he pulled up and said that the car was running perfectly, and it has been ever since!

We drove another 30 miles to our camp site, spent the weekend there, and drove all the way home with no further problems.

As we said our farewells to Lonnie that day John offered him some cash, which he flatly refused. This man had given up an entire afternoon to help us out and accepted nothing in return.

We live in a virtual world surrounded by technology and there are eyes everywhere that show us life from the convenience of our comfy homes.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy and am grateful for the technology that keeps me connected to friends and family all over the world but it’s nice to know that there are angels waiting to guide us when we decide to unplug and go out into the real world.

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Back from Burnout and Ready to Play

Posted on by Vicki

For the past year-and-a-half I’ve been on sabbatical, what I like to call my own personal self care retreat. The truth is, I had to retreat. I needed to find myself again.

The day I was hauled off to the hospital in the back of an ambulance was the final straw. It was time for me to take my self-care to the extreme, something I had been teaching my clients to do for years.

So I withdrew from the world for a while. I shut down my websites, put my coaching business on hold, I turned down the volume on what felt like an extremely loud and busy life and I began to listen to my heart again.

Me with my partner in all things and the love of my life, John. Biking where the dear and the antelope play!

My life has changed in so many ways this past year. I have broken through barriers that I never thought I could. I had already been working out with my husband, John, for over a year when I hired a personal trainer to help take me to the next level, and she did! I’ve worked hard physically and spiritually. And I can’t wait to share more with you!

I would love your feedback so let me know if there are any topics that you would like me to cover or any questions or comments you have regarding anything I share here. And if you haven’t already, take a minute to subscribe so you’ll receive blog post and announcements by email.

I’m looking forward to staying connected!

Be well my friend,
Vicki

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