How could we forget that night?!?!  Sitting at Carolyn's kitchen table well into the wee hours trying to name our creation. 

We knew we wanted "Inspired" as part of the name, but Inspired What????  Nothing felt quite right but after a few hours and some (OK LOTS) of  wine, we finally came up with Inspired Elephant. 

It helped that Carolyn had all sorts of elephant-themed decor in her house!  Here we are five years later, we still love the name, elephants are still Carolyn's favorite animal, and we are over-the-moon proud of the community we've built and how it continues to grow and evolve.

Our inaugural Vision Board Workshop.  It was just so gratifying to see all the elements of our collaborative work, hopes, and dreams come together in a room filled with like-minded souls.  And it was so much fun!  

The energy in the room was AMAZING.  Everyone was incredibly open and supportive of one another; all united in the desire to breathe light into our respective dreams and encourage others in the process. 
 
We were a room of single women, wives, girlfriends, mothers, career women, and stay-at-home moms who all carved out time in our very busy lives to assert that our dreams are important, and we need to nurture them. 

And many of those women still attend our events to this day!  It all started with that first vision board workshop.

It is one thing to find the support and love from your local community (filled with friends and loved ones) but when we took our first IE trek outside our own backyard it was so thrilling. 

In the mountains, by the lake, on the hiking paths, and in rustic cabins, we found only love and support for our IE message. It confirmed that what we set out to build was needed. Our Herd grew with each retreat and we got the pleasure of connecting with inspirational women while enjoying the beauty of nature. 

We look forward to the day when we can once again enjoy an inspired IE trek.   

Hello Herd Sister!

I recently gleaned a nugget that I want to pass along to our Inspired Herd.  It's a meditation tip that's really been working for me, so of course, I wanted to share!

Set aside 5-15 min to meditate.  I like to set a timer because it keeps me from peeking at the clock.  Call it quiet time or you time.  Whatever you want to call it, it’s sacred time spent in a comfortable position, eyes closed, breathing fully and regularly.

As racing thoughts begin to fade, to-do lists drift away, and you are just BEING in the moment, choose a feeling you want to focus on. 

I’ll give you an example.  This morning, I chose clarity.  In the midst of working from home with wonky WiFi, my kids being home full time, selling my house, and getting projects done in the new house has me running here, there, and everywhere.  Yesterday, I couldn’t remember if I had set an appointment with the electrician or if he was going to call me back to set it up.  I also double booked myself to be at two different places at once and couldn’t find my keys for a good 10 minutes.

I hate feeling disorganized. Don't you?  It feels like having lost all sense of agency and being at the whim of your day.

Universe, give me clarity!  So towards the end of my meditation, I imagined what it would feel like to have that clarity.  I saw myself as more of a pre-Covid version of me with a routine knowing where everything was. and what needed to happen and when.  I observed this less-frazzled version of myself as she led the charge in her day and admired how composed she was because she was on top of everything.  I loved it!  It felt so good to feel so COMPETENT. 

This is how I chose to start my day: deliberately and with intent.  I already feel good.  I know what needs to happen, and I’m not rushed or stressed because I know on top of it. 

And that is what I want for you!

What feeling are you missing, *|FNAME|*?  Perhaps it’s joy, health, calm, or even wealth.  Whatever it is, place your focus on what you want to be prevalent in your life.  If you focus on it as something that's lacking from your life, it will always be just that.  I want you to feel what it feels like to already have it.  I promise it will completely shift your outlook and upgrade your mood several notches.

I suggest focusing on a theme for a few days in a row so you just get used to creating the expectation of it.  Almost like creating a new habit!

Please let me know how it goes for you here.

Have a beautiful and intention-filled weekend.

XO, Carolyn

P.S. Have you signed up yet for our September Sister Talk on easy, mindful, and healthy eating?  It's FREE and happening Wednesday, September 23rd at 7:00pm via Zoom.  We hope to "see" you there!

Life as of late has been handing us all sorts of hard things.  Can we get an amen?!
When we’re going through a hard situation, we have a choice to make: RESPOND or REACT.

Sometimes though, we automatically hit the REACT button, without even thinking. 

• We hit reply to respond that email we read snarky tone into
• We lose our temper with our kids or partner after being quarantined together for 3 months
• We curse and cry when our dishwasher breaks (Oh yes, I did. Last week).
• We resist and argue when we are told something other than what we want to hear (Ok, so I did that too.)

When reacting is your go-to, it's likely that you have given yourself the space, that oh-so-needed moment to recognize that there is more than one way to respond.

So maybe there is an interim step here. 

Let's call it PAUSE.

Pause is not denial or ignoring the situation at hand.  Pause means you give yourself the space to process, to feel and then to choose an appropriate response.

So if the way to get to Respond is through Pause, how do we get to Pause?

There are actually many ways -- all of which involve self care which we've talked about, especially in recent months.  However,  in less than 2 weeks on July 7th at 7:00 pm via Zoom, we will have our next Sister Talk featuring Dr. Terry Lynch who will guide us as we explore EFT or Tapping as a way to Pause.

If you are not familiar with Tapping, it is a scientifically-proven, holistic method to realign the body, mind, and spirit in order to let go of negative emotions and the tension they cause, and then move forward in a positive and mindful direction.

Specifically, EFT involves tapping on acupressure points while focusing on a distinct and troubling issue.  Doing so, sends a signal to the amygdala which is the area of the brain responsible for emotions, survival instincts, and memory (Flight or Fight).  That's our Panic button. Perceived threats such as a broken dishwasher or bad news stimulate the amygdala and can create anxiety. The idea behind Tapping is to reprogram your response (this is your Pause) to these threats, focus on the anger, grief, or whatever other emotion is holding you down, and to send a signal to the amygdala telling us we are okay.
EFT can be enormously beneficial for so many aspects of your life and place you on the path to living a life filled with positive responses and fewer negative reactions. 

And you get to learn it from an expert in the field, in the comfort of your home, in the virtual company of like-minded souls.  And did we mention it's free???

Please don't wait for the dishwasher to break or an eyeball-roll from your teen to push you over the edge.  Join us!

  Register here.

With so much love,
C & C

​1. BE REAL - it’s important to be clear and honest about what’s going on when things aren’t going well.  Trying to act like nothing is wrong only makes us exhausted and confuses our kids (that intuitively know something is not well).  Experts agree there is not a one-size-fits-all guide on how much to say to kids and what words to use; so every Mom needs to decide that based on their child’s personality.  But, addressing what’s happening head-on with our children will ease some of the struggles for the whole family.

2. ASK FOR HELP - When it comes to action, this is the key…enlisting allies. Of course, that means you have to be willing to reach out for help. I have a hard time asking people for help but I am super lucky that I have people in my life who recognize that.  Those that love us truly want the best for us, but sometimes support needs to be carefully cultivated, even when it feels uncomfortable to us.  

3. ADJUST EXPECTATIONS - During stressful times, I have to re-calibrate and scale everything back. This may mean adjusting your expectations of what a normal day looks like, and sometimes that means just surviving until bedtime.  It doesn’t even matter if the kids logged in extra screen time, stayed in PJ's all day, did takeout for dinner, etc.  Did you make it to bedtime? You’re good.

Parenting is a tough gig under the best of circumstances, and when we’re struggling with stressful, uncertain times it can feel especially overwhelming.  I hope knowing that you are not alone has helped a little and that the above ideas can provide some assistance.  I leave you with one last reminder…it is totally fine that whatever solutions you pick to cope may not reflect some mythical idea of what motherhood is. And that is OKAY!   Keep it real and keep going.

xo,
Cher    ​

Hiya Herd,

Last week we had the great privilege of being interviewed by Lynn Fitzgerald for the We Love Metuchen online community.  It was a fun and insightful chat with her and we offer a sneak peek into our 2 upcoming virtual events that are specifically geared to provide you with guidance and support during this pandemic:

Writing for Clarity Workshop on May 3rd: ($25)
Our most cathartic and revelatory workshop that will take you from feeling helpless to empowered - even in the midst of all the fear and lack of this pandemic. Click here for details and to RSVP.

Managing Coronavirus-related Anxiety: A workshop on Self-Love & Preservation on May 13th: (FREE!)
Self-Love Coach and Psychologist, Joann Tavares provides the tools and techniques to help us be our best possible selves in the midst of crisis. Click here for details and to RSVP.

If you have any questions on either event, please feel free to reach out here!

If you have some time, take a listen!  We also shed some light on our personal challenges and tips  as working moms for getting through this roller coaster ride of a “new normal”.  

Getting Started:

• Set your timer for 15-20 minutes and write without thinking about grammar, style, who will read it or anything else. Just free-write. Think about it as a brain dump, or as we prefer to say it, a brain release. Really tap into your emotions — your deepest thoughts, worries, and concerns. Take time to explore those feelings. Try to tie those current feeling to past events.  

​Afterward:

• Accept and let go! When you are done take a moment to read the words out loud (to hear them spoken gives them weight). Now, let go of them and what they represent by throwing the pieces away or burning them.

Back to Reality:

• These “brain releases” can get emotional so, time to re-center yourself. Take a few deep breaths and ready yourself to re-engage with the world, hopefully feeling more centered and aware of your needs. 

As shown in multiple studies, writing about your emotions improves your life — it leads to better health, stronger personal connections, and overall success.  We have experienced it firsthand and encourage you to give it a try.

If you would like a little help kicking-off your personal journaling experience, we are currently offering a hands-on 90-minute Writing for Clarity workshop (Sunday, May 3rd) via ZOOM.  Learn more at www.inspiredelephant.com/writing-for-clarity-workshop.html

Be Well,
C&C