Recently I attended the “Sages and Scientists Symposium” sponsored by the Chopra Foundation.  Great minds from around the world were there to talk about the “new science” and what it means for us.  There were many common themes echoed, including – that materialism is dead, that consciousness is the root of everything, and that our interconnectedness is more apparent than ever.  I got to meet and interview Fred Alan Wolf, aka “Dr. Quantum,” Larry Dossey, Jim Tucker (a child psychiatrist who wrote Life Before Life about children’s past life experiences), Marilyn Schlitz (the president of Noetic Science), and so many more amazingly brilliant people.  As you can imagine, scientists often speak in a way that can go way over our heads – everything they have to say is fascinating, it’s just not always that easy to understand!  But I got them to simplify for us, to explain just how all the new discoveries that the new science has come up with are relevant to us, and how we can use this wisdom right now, in our own lives.  Here are two of the videos I did where the sages and scientists talk about the concepts expressed in The Law of Relationship:  http://www.closurebook.com/sages

My friend Kym Douglas has a terrific new book out: “The Beauty Cookbook: Over 200 Recipes to Make Your Kitchen Your Own Personal Spa.”  This is so fun!  You don’t even need to go shopping, most of the items that Kym and her co-author Cindy Pearlman suggest are probably right in your refrigerator or pantry now.  For example, oatmeal is a gentle scrub for sensitive skin.  And sugar acts as an exfoliator and also helps balance the PH levels of the skin.  Lemons can help remove stains from dark polish on your fingernails.  Here’s one recipe, that has its origins in India.  It naturally helps get rid of dead skin cells so that you end up with soft and glowing skin.  Simply mix 1 “tiny pinch” of the spice turmeric with 1 teaspoon of honey.  Blend into a paste and work it into your skin.  Leave on for 15 minutes and then wash it away.  Tons of great tips! These are environmentally friendly beauty recipes, no chemicals, everything natural – and yes, mostly even edible! But the recipes aren’t for concoctions to eat, they’re to bathe in, or slather on. Yummy, fragrant, and practical. You’ll never look at your refrigerator in the same way again.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616235764?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1616235764

Here’s some good news!  According to the Federal Corporation for National and Community Service, we are experiencing a “compassion boom” right now.  It seems that in the past, when economic hard times his, there was a decrease in volunteerism.  But today, many more people are participating in public service.  PARADE magazine recently conducted a poll that showed that people feel strongly that service is an essential part of achieving both community and national goals.  90% of those responding said that working hard to teach their children the importance of activism.  We are giving of our time and talents in many ways, and even though finances are tight, we’re also giving our money.  87% of people polled supported a cause financially in the last year.  Interestingly enough, the internet has made it easier to be of service.  Many of us are using e-mail, Facebook and Twitter to get the word out about a cause.  Are you on Facebook?  We have a CoffeyTalk group there, so join us – and let’s talk about our favorite causes.  Mine is Big Brothers Big Sisters.  I’m a mentor.  What cause do you care most about?

Bbbsa.org

While we sleep, our brains are still busy.  During REM (rapid eye movement) is when we have our most dramatic dreams.  Research from Harvard Medical School says that while REM sleep helps us to consolidate learning and memories, it also helps prepare the brain to be awake.  We experience emotions in dreams that we need to express while we are awake.  A dream is a kind of “dress rehearsal” for this experience.  Because the brain doesn’t hold memories very well during the sleep process, if we want to remember our dreams we need to write them down.  This involves waking up fast, with little movement after sleep, and making that effort to put pen in hand.  Since bad dreams wake us up more quickly we tend to remember them more often.  Dream interpretation can be fun and insightful!  Start a dream journal, then look up some of the symbolism of your dreams in one of these books.

The Dream Book

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0967979013?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0967979013

We’ve heard it before – walking is good for us!  Ayurveda recommends a thirty-minute morning walk for everyone, to help boost metabolism and energize the body for the day ahead.  Research shows that people who walk daily reduce the risk of heart attacks by one-third, and have 91% fewer cases of type 2 diabetes.  But with our busy schedules, sometimes a regularly scheduled walk is easier said than done.  There are ways we can those steps in, and help ourselves to be more fit.  Here are some tips:

-Use a pedometer.  Research shows that people who use a pedometer take about 2500 more steps a day.  This is the equivalent of one mile, and burns about 100 calories.  Over the course of a year, this can burn off about 10 pounds!

-If you can’t commit to thirty-minutes in one go, then increase your daily activity levels by a few minutes at a time. 

-Be aware of extra steps.  Walk around the grocery store before you start picking up items on your list.  Park at the far end of a parking lot.  Park at the opposite end of the store you want to visit at the mall. 

-Whenever possible, take the stairs rather than the elevator or escalator.

-For short errands, less than 1 mile away from your home, walk rather than drive.  Or park once, and walk to each stop from there.

-Try some of the new shoes that are designed to give your legs more exercise when you walk.  I have 4 pairs of Skecher’s Shape Ups – they’re so comfortable I find myself wearing them all the time, not just to go walking.  They’re great!  They come in styles for men and women.  When you click the link below you’ll see my favorite pair.

Skechers Shape Ups

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001SN8DCK?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B001SN8DCK

I remember when I first learned about St. Patrick’s Day.  I was in kindergarten, and our teacher told us that leprechauns had come into the classroom to play a trick on us, they changed all the crayons to green!  Of course we all thought this was so funny.  We ate green cupcakes and made four leaf clovers out of construction paper.  St. Patrick’s Day is a very special day, so let’s look at where some of these traditions come from.  The first American celebration of St. Patrick’s Day was in Boston, Massachusetts in 1737.  The color green is significant because it is the color of Spring, Ireland, and the shamrock.  A leprechaun is an Irish fairy that takes on the appearance of a miniature old man.  Leprechauns usually spend their time making shoes, so listen for the sound of a hammer when you go looking for them.  The shamrock is a member of the clover family, and St. Patrick used it to explain the mystery of the Trinity – the three leaves representing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Four leaf clovers are rare, and considered to be very lucky if you can find one.

An Irish Blessing

May you always have…

Walls for the winds

A roof for the rain

Tea beside the fire

Laughter to cheer you

Those you love near you

And all your heart might desire.

Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006092943X?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=006092943X

One of my favorite books is “The Four Agreements” by don Miguel Ruiz.  The four agreements come from Toltec wisdom.  I have them memorized, and I quote the four agreements all the time because they are so applicable in so many situations.  As a refresher, they are 1) don’t take anything personally, 2) always do your best, 3) be impeccable with your word, and 4) don’t make assumptions.  Now, don Jose Ruiz joins his father on a new book that offers a fresh perspective on the Four Agreements, and a powerful new agreement for transforming our lives into our personal heaven.  The Fifth Agreement takes us to a deeper level of awareness of the power of the Self and returns us to the authenticity we were born with.  The Fifth Agreement says: “Be skeptical, but learn to listen.  Don’t believe yourself or anybody else.  Use the power of doubt to question everything you hear: Is it really the truth?  Listen to the intent behind words, and you will understand the real message.”

The Fifth Agreement

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1878424688?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1878424688

Four years after I was divorced, and happily re-married, my brother-in-law died suddenly.  So many emotions came up that surprised me: hurt, anger, resentment, bewilderment, and more. 
I saw how my sister and I were going through similar experiences.  I realized that what we both really
needed, and didn’t know quite how to get, was closure.  Closure is different than
grieving.  We can have gone through the grieving process and still not have the closure we desperately seek.  The Law of Relationship says that 1) we
are all connected, and 2) we are here to help each other learn and grow.  When we understand that the law of
relationship operates in every situation, we begin to see that relationships
don’t end at all, but they do change. 
And how we respond to this change can greatly impact our lives.  I worked for two years with this principle
to come up with a five stage process by which we can achieve closure.  Whether the change in your relationship
has come from a death, a divorce, a break-up, a move, or even age, now there
are clear steps to help you can get over it and get on with it in a powerful
and positive way!  I am so happy to
introduce you to my new book “CLOSURE and the Law of Relationship: Endings as
New Beginnings.”  This is a book
for all of us, because we each have relationships, with parents, spouses,
partners, children, friends, co-workers, and even with our communities, and our
environment.  And we all go through
changes and need closure at some point. 
I have a video on my new website that outlines the five stages of closure,
so check it out.

https://www.coffeytalk.com/closure-book/

Intuition.  You’ve got it, we all do, but do we use it?  Do you know how to use it?  Let me introduce you to a woman who has intuition down to a science.  Laura Day is the New York Times bestselling author of “Practical Intuition.”  In her new book, “How to Rule the World from Your Couch, she teaches us how to create success in any area of our lives by using the brain in unique and compelling ways.  Yes, it is all up to us, and we have the power to find ourselves a great job, a perfect partner, a better investment opportunity, and even to lose weight – all from the comfort of our own couch!  Laura has systematically made is possible for us to tap into our intuition with step-by-step exercises.  Laura says: “Intuition allows you to experience yourself and the world in its totality.  Your actions (when guided by the various realms of your intuition) become commensurate with your skills, your skills then find the information to improve, and you will start to make choices to create and achieve goals.  You will save time by predicting mistakes and avoiding them, as intuition works on your past to create a happier, better functioning present, poising you for a more peaceful future – all of your separate parts working together to the benefit of the whole.”

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439118205?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1439118205

Alicia Silverstone is a beautiful and successful actress, and a dedicated advocate on behalf of the planet and its animals.  In 2004 she was voted “Sexiest Vegetarian Alive.”  This woman walks her talk!  She is now the author of a wonderful new book called “The Kind Diet.”  It’s a cookbook, with amazing recipes, and it’s also a guide to the vegan lifestyle.  Alicia shows us how going meat and dairy free doesn’t mean suffering deprivation, introducing delicious food that satisfies on every level, including amazing desserts!  She also addresses the nutritional concerns faced by those who are new to a plant-based diet.  Going vegetarian has many benefits for the body, and also for the planet, as we preserve our precious resources.  So, if you want to drop a few pounds, boost your energy and metabolism, or just save the world, The Kind Diet provides the encouragement, the information, and the tools you need to make the transition to a plant-based diet deliciously empowering.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1605296449?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1605296449