Risk is The ONLY Road to Success!

Risk Is The ONLY Road to Success!

Anything or anyone that has grown above and beyond the considered “norm” of the time has had to take a risk. Most of the time they did it with everyone either laughing at them or doubting it could be done.

Some individuals were so strong in their conviction that they were persecuted and exiled from their homes.

Galileo discovered that the earth revolved around the sun and that the earth was not the center of the universe, which was the popular belief at that time. His life was threatened. To appease those judging him, and to avoid the torture with which he was threatened, Galileo confessed that he had been wrong in saying that the earth moved around the sun. His life was spared, however he remained under house arrest for the rest of his life.

Other people had ideas that society thought were so outrageous, that they were marked as crazy for even coming up with the ideas. Once the Wright brothers had their Kitty Hawk success, they continued to fly in open fields for an entire year.

The Scientific American Magazine published stories about “The Lying Brothers.” Authorities refused to come and see their demonstrations even though letters came in reporting the local crazies and their flying machine. The Wright brothers moved to Europe and became an overnight success, selling contracts to France and Britain.

Yes, risk is a scary thing. But I would rather be happy choosing to take my own risks than continually living my life based on others’ comfort zones.

So what if other people think it’s crazy. People make judgments because they are uncomfortable with the thought of change.  Very rarely can you achieve the ultimate success by staying in your comfort zone.  There is a limited amount you can do within the comfort zone, and eventually you have to venture out.

There is nothing different between you and me, or you and any other person who has created success in their life. The only thing different is that they took action.They started and never stopped.  No matter what detours got in their way, no matter what anyone said, and regardless of whether it had been done before, they kept going. All it took was belief and faith in what they were doing.

(From Got Baggage? – Packing for Happiness, Author Mikki St. Germain)

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“Christmas In Denmark”

With the Holidays approaching I decided to travel the world and celebrate traditions from around the world. As many of you know I host a radio show each Thursday on Inner Light Radio. My programs entail a variety of topics and guest that will always leave you feeling a little better about life.

From Oct 1st to Jan 2nd I can not think of a better time of year where we all come together and share a little more joy between us.

So as we kick off December we will celebrate “Christmas In Denmark” with my dear friend and Co-host  – Dorthe Larson Hopkins. Dorthe is a native of Denmark and her gift to us is the traditional Rice Pudding used to celebrate each years festive holiday.

I Love this tradition as whom ever finds the whole almond in the pudding gets an little gift!!

Holiday Rice Pudding!!

• 4 cups full-fat milk
• 1/3 cup short-grained white rice (65 g)
• 1/2 vanilla pod (reserve the other half for the sauce)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup almond paste (or use almond flakes or finely chopped almonds)
• 1 whole almond (more if you have several children present)

Cherry Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups frozen pitted cherries (about 185 g)
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 vanilla pod
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon corn Starch 

Directions:

• Split half of the vanilla pod length ways, scrape out the seeds.
  Place the milk and vanilla in a heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to a boil.
  Reduce the heat. Add the rice gradually, stirring constantly.
  Increase the heat and bring to a boil again.
  When the milk boils, reduce the heat, cover and simmer on a very low heat for about 1 hour or until the rice is cooked. Stir from time to time, making sure that the rice doesn’t stick too much to the bottom.
  Leave to cool completely.(over night is best)
• Whip the cream together with sugar. Fold the whipped cream and almonds into the rice. You can add more sugar or more almonds if you wish. Serve with warm cherry sauce.
• Now make the cherry sauce. Place the cherries in a medium saucepan. Add sugar and 1 1/2 cups water. Add the vanilla pod. Simmer until the cherries are tender.
• Combine the potato starch with 2 tablespoons cold water.
• Bring the cherries to a boil. Remove the vanilla pod from the pot. Reduce the heat, and , stirring constantly, slowly pour the water with the starch. Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
• Stir in the lemon juice and serve warm over the rice pudding. Garnish with a fresh mint leaf, if desired.
• * I used frozen sour cherries in this recipe, but regular sweet cherries should work as well.

ENJOY!!!

Happy Holidays!!

Love,

Mikki

#Mikkistgermain

Am I Grateful because I am Happy or Am I Happy because I am Grateful!!

Last official day for Attitude with Gratitude!! Even though we are coming to close on the official “Gratitude” month, Gratitude is something we need to feel each and every day….even in March 🙂

Am I Grateful because I am Happy or Am I Happy because I am Grateful!!

I would like to think it is the later of the two. Finding the beauty, the lesson, the opportunity the personal growth allows us to be more of an authentic person that we are truly meant to be.
When we are grateful it opens up an avenue to more giving. Gratitude allows us to let go of the things that are not so important because we become focused on the good. We begin to let go of what doesn’t serve us anymore. It allows us to create a space in our lives to accept the joy. We begin to celebrate even the small things that surround us. Gratitude, gives us the clear ability to see the day as a present that we can graciously accept and emerge ourselves in. Circumstances no longer have the control over us when we have gratitude within our soul.

Gratitude is more than just a Thank you ..it is an action from your soul that overflows into your heart!!

I am so touched by those of you who contributed your thoughts, gratitude and comments along the way. I hope this gratitude month overflows into next month and the next month and the next year.. and every day of your life!!

Stay Inspired My Friends!!

Love, Mikki

http://www.MikkiStGermain.com

Gratitude doesn’t always come wrapped in pretty packaging as a gift we embrace.

Here we are Attitude with Gratitude on day 26 the day before Thanksgiving!! Being Grateful comes in so many forms. Who knew that trying to fill 26 days with something to be grateful for would at times leave me staring at my computer screen asking myself, “What am I Grateful for Today?” Sometimes there would be big things, others time little things and a lot of times the same things.  I am always grateful for my healthy children, my health, my relationship, and my opportunities to live a life that I always enjoy. In order to be grateful for all the wonderful things in our lives we have to be grateful for the ugly things too.

 Gratitude doesn’t always come wrapped in pretty packaging as a gift we embrace.  

I am grateful for the events, experience and people that are far less than a desirable.  I am truly grateful for the difficult times of my past, As today I am a stronger person.  I am grateful for the events that left me wondering what I did wrong so I could pick myself up and go on with that knowledge.  I am even grateful for choices made for the few individuals that no longer take part in my life, as it opened up more of opportunity to love and grow by letting go. It even gave me the opportunity to receive them with compassion instead of resentment.

Being Grateful allows us to find Joy in everything even the things we don’t want to be grateful for.

Stay Inspired!!

Mikki St. Germain

http://www.MikkiStGermain.com

Loss or Clean Slate?

Hi Everyone!! It has been waaaayyyy to long since I have posted to my blog. I apologize as I have spent the past two months writing and putting the finishing touches on my second book in the Got Baggage? series. 

Now with that being said, three days ago,I returned from a little overnight vacation in the mountains. As I returned I turned on my computer to check my email. I walked away to get a cup of coffee and as I returned I discovered the screen froze. I attempted Ctl Alt Delete and nothing. I finally shut it down manually…gave it a few moments and tried to restart it. As the power came on it said ” No Operating System” Now I am in a panic. As I realize that I had not backed up the 2nd half of my book that I just finished. Part of me felt sick. I then realized that the 3rd book I was working on was never backed up at all. However, luckily I had sent a rough draft to some friends to read and give me feedback. 

So off to the Windows store on Thursday to see if they had any clue. To my surprise I was informed it would take at least 14 day to even determine if it is a virus, a disconnection on the hard drive OR the hard drive is complete toast.

14 days is a loooonnng time to wait and see if they can recover all my work. So as I drove home feeling like a complete idiot.. as I should have backed up my book. I thought to myself. I have two choices. 

1. Wait – Outcome:  Get back everything and be two weeks or longer behind sending my book out while waiting for them to fix it. Or Discover that it is completely gone and have to start re-writing everything again. 

2. See it as a Clean Slate. – Outcome:  start writing everything over again and probably be finished with it prior to them even giving me an answer Who knows I may offer a better book as I rewrite the information.. Plus if get everything back I can compare and maybe discover something better I didn’t have before.

As much as this frustrates me, more because I didn’t do a simple action by backing everything up, It gave me a strong sense of taking control of a situation that I could do nothing about to change.at this given moment. 

I have limited access to a computer to write, blog, update my web-site, FB, Tweet,or edit past Radio Shows (which I lost past shows also). and in a way I look at it as Blessing in a round about way.

Instead of seeing this a a detriment to my lifestyle..I see it as a chance to really shine and take this opportunity to knock out 2 Amazing Books that can help others far beyond a one time tweet!!

Embrace Events My Friends.. Even though they can be a hassle.. the outcome maybe Spectacular!!!  

Stay Inspired!!

Mikki 

Happiness is an Inside Job!!

 

Happiness is an Inside Job!!

To many times I have heard from my clients: “I just want to Be Happy”,  “I would like to FEEL joy” “I want to BE successful” My question back to them is; So what choices are you making that is keeping you from being that way?

Have you noticed the optimal word is “BE” and “Feel” If I came up to you and said “I want you to envision something that makes you feel sad”,regardless of what kind of mind frame or what we like to call “ our mood”, Most likely you could get yourself to feel sad.

Now, if I said, envision something that makes you really happy, you could switch the sad to feelings of being happy. Actors and Actress do it all the time. They learn to control their emotions.

So is it fair to say that all of our feelings are really what we choose to feel and be at that moment?

If all we want is to “BE HAPPY” what is it that keeps us from allowing these feeling to filter through to lift our spirit? It really comes down to what WE decide to make us happy.

Our definition of Happiness is a feeling that we create for ourselves to be fulfilled. If I suggested to some of my female friends “Lets go paragliding because that’s what makes me happy. (Which btw, it does) Most of them would rather pay $150 to get their hair done because that is what makes them happy. It’s all a choice!!!

In my humble opinion to feel happy and joyous it is really based on our own actions and needs.No one or one thing can “Make” you happy or unhappy. It really comes down to what you allow and the choices that you make to create your own inner joy.

If you surround yourself with someone who is always complaining and miserable in his or her own life, it is an environment that is not positive and will leave you feeling drained. I call these individuals Emotional Black Holes, the person who sucks the life out of you, so when you walk away you are left feeling emotionally drained.

Than there is that one person you can be around for 5 minutes and you leave feeling inspired and lifted. Almost recharged. That is the person who should be your new best friend. However, it works both ways, you have to be there to lift them up too.

So…What are the GPS coordinates to the Road to Happiness?

Choose Your Happiness!!

Appreciate what you have

There is always someone in this world that has it worse than you and  they are still happy.

Weigh out what is really important and what is irreverent

There are things that can affect us in a strong way. However, you still have to choose how long you would like that feeling to exist within you.

Be Optimistic

Remove yourself from the people who think the light at the end of the tunnel is a Train!!

Surround yourself with positive people and build that relationship. The people you surround yourself with should leave you feeling good about them and yourself. Take the negative Nelly’s and Ned’s in small doses and eventually remove them all together (unless they’re family, than small doses only when needed)

Choose to work and do Hobbies that are meaningful to you

Use your time and effort where you feel engaged toward your goals.  We all have to deal with finances. However, how awesome would it be, if you finished your day and looked back on those 8 hours and felt proud and accomplished?

Give

Giving is so easy!! Give food, give time, give a smile to a stranger on the street. What you will get in return is priceless!!

Choose a Spiritual Life

Whether it is in prayer, meditation or a moment of silence. Give yourself at least 10 minutes a day to stop and regroup.

Take Care of you

Do something for your physical health. Change one unhealthy food to something beneficial for your body. Exercise creates happy endorphin’s. Take a walk. You can be one step away from a happy mood.

We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same…Anne Frank

 Stay Inspired!!

Mikki St. Germain

http://www.MikkiStGermain.com

Resentment Is Only Hurting You!

“Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”-Malachy McCourt

If you are constantly resenting someone or something, you have limited the amount of room available for happiness in your life. Resentment is an emotionally debilitating condition. If you are constantly focusing on the anger and hurt of the situation, then that is all you’re going to keep creating in your life. Resentment holds you prisoner to your past. The long term effects are nothing but destructive and will eventually affect everything else in your life.

If you are constantly obsessing over something or someone’s actions, all that energy you are creating by waiting, wishing and worrying is wasted. The only person that is affected by these feelings is you.

Why waste any amount of time on someone or something you don’t even want in your life?

 You have to ask yourself, “How much time and energy do I want to use on this?” The only person holding you prisoner to this event is you. Letting go of hurtful feelings has to be one of the hardest things to do. However it can also be one of the most Self Empowering choices you can make!!

Stay Inspired!!

Mikki St. Germain – Got Baggage? -Packing for Happiness!

http://www.MikkiStGermain.com

Can We Achieve “The Gold” in Our Own Lives?

 Can we achieve “The Gold” in our own lives?

The Olympics over the next 14 days will par-take as a part in our lives. Even if we are not watching it, there is no way not to hear something regarding these sports. If you are like me, I absolutely love watching the Olympics’. Even though I will probably never a jump the half pipe on a snow board or fly through the air on skis, it still brings out the excitement in me to see someone thrilled beyond words when they accomplish that amazing goal that they have worked years to achieve.

 It takes a very special kind of temperament to be an Olympic Athlete. They’re an elite group. I have often asked “What makes an Olympic athlete different than those watching the sport?”  “Can we achieve “The Gold in our own lives” and “What does it take?”

Passion, Focus and Determination!!  I truly believe anything you have a passion for can become a reality. It doesn’t matter whether it’s winning an Olympic medal, getting to your ideal weight, starting the business you have always dreamed of or creating the life you truly desire.

 The key is choosing what is important to you and focusing on that goal. Once your ideal passion is in place, the trick is not to lose focus and to keep the determination to reach it. We all have an Olympic Athlete within us.

 It’s about choosing the things that make your heart soar… It’s about the passion of going for your own personal “Gold Medal.”.. It is believing you have already won!!

 Mikki St.Germain; – Speaker, Author, “Got Baggage” – Packing for Happiness” 

Giving – IT’S THE FEELING THAT MAKES YOUR HEART FULL!!!

GIVING!! – IT’S THE FEELING THAT MAKES YOUR HEART FULL!!

There is a place dear to my heart (outside my family) where I have watched babies grow, miracles happen and unconditional Love that one can only imagine. For the past 17 years I have volunteered and supported The Big Bear Alpine Zoo. It is one of the only two Alpine Zoos in the United States located an altitude of 8,000 ft.in the San Bernardino Mountains. It is a “Home for Life” for some of the most incredible animals I have ever had the privilege of interacting with.

All of these wonderful creatures have either been harmed, encountered human interaction or found themselves in location where they were not desired and their lives were threatened. The Big Bear Alpine Zoo takes in animals and will rehabilitate them and release them back into the wild if they can. If not, they become permanent residents of the Zoo. One of my best and dearest friends is Debbie Richardson who is the curator of the Zoo. I have watched her over the years give all her time and energy and sometimes sacrifice her own well-being and money to take care of these animals always doing it willing and with Joy.

 I can’t tell you how many times she has said to me “How in world am I going to get enough money to get the medical supplies, food and material for a new enclosure to take care of some of the animals that were dropped on her door step. Always finding a way to do it . .even if the money came out of her own pocket. Deb’s love and passion for these animals is what makes her day..Everyday!!

Over the years I have experienced what some can only dream of. I have played with baby mountain lions and watched them grow, Bottle feed a bear cub and watched her heal, listen to a porcupine talk to me as I cleaned her housing. I have drove home with raccoon prints all over my jeans and back. I’ve had a Bobcat play with my hair and the privilege of building a house for an eagle names old man, who just watched from a far. I usually smell like a combination of fruit, fish, peanut butter and hay (I know some of you were totally turned on by that ..LOL) along with my boots covered in a combination of mud and use your imagination while cleaning the bear’s housing and racking the Mule deer area. 

So why I am telling you this? The location that the Zoo is currently on, has lost its lease and is in the process of a relocation program. The proposed relocation, if approved, will enhance the facility in hundreds of ways. I have been involved and created fundraiser in the past for the Zoo as anything and any amount helps. The Big Bear Zoo is not just a place of rehabilitating animals. It is a place where these precious animals become family. 

They have become part of who I am and what I love. I am true believer of ALWAYS giving back!! This is why, I am going to give 50% of my proceeds for every copy of Got Baggage? that is purchased through Amazon or through me personally.

I am asking you truly and sincerely to consider buying a copy. Please know this is not about me.. my book is a way for you to get something along with helping these precious animals. If you would like to make a donation without a copy of Got Baggage? You can send me a check (which is tax-deductible) made out to “Friends of the Big Bear Alpine Zoo” and I will present it along with my proceeds. My address, links for my book, and more info regarding zoo are on my giving page.http://www.mikkistgermain.com/Giving.html

By helping yourself through Got Baggage? You are not only helping yourself.. You will be helping those who can’t do for themselves!! 

Over the next couple of weeks I will be posting the amount we generously have to give along with pictures of the animals and their pictures. 

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I would like to present Big Bear Zoo the best Christmas present ever in December. Thank you so much!! You guys are Awesome!! Let’s Make a Difference for those who cant’!!! Stay Inspired!! Love Mikki

Forgiveness – The Courage to Let Go.

The first and most important thing about forgiving is that it’s not for the other person, it’s for you!! I’m sorry, but forgive and forget just doesn’t sit well with me. Forgive and “let fade” is more realistic.  If you need to forgive, there is no way in hell you’re going to be forgetting – especially if it is a life-altering event. Forgiveness does not minimize or justify the wrong doing.

 Giving forgiveness is for you, and it’s only yours to give.

Forgiveness is for giving ourselves the inner strength to know we have grown and evolved past the hurt, and that the event no longer has control over us.  What we can achieve through forgiveness is to open ourselves up to other things in our lives.

 When you unpack the resentment, revenge and obsessions, you make room for other positive events to enter your life. When you finally have peace within yourself, the anger and hurt have a way of fading, and you can replace those ill feelings with something more productive and stronger within yourself.

 Resentment, revenge and obsession are nothing more than energy that is being stolen from you to empower another person or event.

 “Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”– Malachy McCourt

 If you are constantly resenting someone or something, you have limited the amount of room available for happiness in your life. Resentment is an emotionally debilitating condition. If you are constantly focusing on the anger and hurt of the situation, then that is all you’re going to keep creating in your life. Resentment holds you prisoner to your past. The long term effects are nothing but destructive and will eventually affect everything else in your life.

If you are constantly obsessing over something or someone’s actions, all that energy you are creating by waiting, wishing and worrying is wasted. The only person that is affected by these feelings is you.

 Why waste any amount of time on someone or something you don’t even want in your life?

 You have to ask yourself, “How much time and energy do I want to use on this?” The only person holding you prisoner to this event is you.

 Got Baggage? Mikki St. Germain, Author/Life Coach/Speaker 

http://www.mikkistgermain.com