5 Lessons from Saint Patrick that Will Transform Your Life Today 

Do you feel imprisoned? Oppressed by your life’s circumstances? Are you constantly annoyed by the division, polarization and intolerance in the world?

Take a cue from Saint Patrick’s life and turn your annoyances into food for personal development.

Saint Patrick’s Day is coming up. This is a jolly feast, associated with parades, wild parties and decadent foods like corned beef and cabbage and, my favorite, Irish soda bread.

This year, before you take a sip of green beer, I invite you to take a closer look at the life of this extraordinary man.  Let his legacy inspire you, so you can trade those feelings of oppression and annoyance for a sense of purpose and invincibility.

In this post, I will share with you five takeaways from his life that you can incorporate into your own for a happier existence.

Saint Patrick is best known for the conversion of Ireland into Christianity, but many of us know very little about his life.

You may be as surprised as I was that this holy man, born in fifth-century Britain to a prominent Christian family, did not start out with a particularly strong faith.

Then, fate intervened. When he was only 16, Saint Patrick was captured by Irish pirates and sold into slavery. Saint Patrick spent six years as a slave, shepherding sheep in the mountains of Ireland.

There, in isolation and inclement weather, he experienced conversion into Christianity and devoted his days to prayer and contemplation, which deepened his connection to a God he barely knew.

Inspired by his now unwavering faith, Saint Patrick managed a miraculous escape and returned to his homeland at the age of 21.

But his conversion caused a deep transformation that left him restless. He felt a call from God in a dream to return to Ireland as a Christian missionary, giving him a transcendental place in Irish history.

Like Saint Patrick, you can create your own history, starting where you are right now, regardless of your circumstances.

Today is the beginning of the rest of your life.

Why not emulate the example of Saint Patrick to create a life full of purpose, freedom and miracles?

Saint Patrick’s life is an invitation for ordinary people to live extraordinary lives.

Below are five lessons from this exemplary life that can inspire you to transform yours today:

1. Freedom is Your True Essence

Even as a captive, Saint Patrick knew that his true nature was freedom. Being held against his will and working for others without compensation could not rob from him his inner essence.

Instead of focusing on his lack of personal liberty, he focused on the freedom available to him in his mind, in his soul. Saint Patrick spent endless hours in prayer and contemplation and received from these inner activities the peace and solace that made his outer circumstances not just bearable, but productive.

No matter what your personal situation is, you are the master of your innermost thoughts, where creation begins, where your life finds its ultimate expression.

Rather than allowing those life annoyances to make you feel imprisoned or disempowered, you have the power to turn within and get control of your thoughts and feelings.

Make time in your daily life to nurture your soul. Devote even just a few minutes to meditation or contemplation.

Seek stillness and find your center. Enter that private space where no one can have any influence, and use those moments to rejuvenate, refresh and reconnect with your spirit.

2. Turn Adversity into Fuel for Transformation and Growth

Even the worst of situations can have silver linings that can transform, not only your life, but the lives of others you touch.

Saint Patrick did not allow slavery to stop him from discovering and achieving his life’s highest purpose. To the contrary, he used it to fuel his life’s purpose and achieve goals that he did not even fathom before his enslavement.

Take a close look at your life. What circumstances appear to imprison you or hold you back?

Contemplate these circumstances and ponder how a shift in attitude and action can transmute these seeming problems into opportunities for your personal development and most importantly, the highest good.

3. Follow Your Call with Passion and Against the Odds

After returning to Britain, Saint Patrick felt a call from God to go back to Ireland and become a missionary.

He heeded the call and returned to Ireland to share the message that had sustained him while in slavery, a mission with inherent dangers and possible martyrdom. Yet, he pursued this vision and fulfilled his mission with extraordinary zeal and success.

Most of us do not receive dramatic calls or see a billboard with our life purpose spelled out in bold letters.

So, are you willing to listen to your inner voice? It will reveal to you your mission and the steps necessary to accomplish it. It will show you the tools you need to make it happen.

Again, spend time in meditation and contemplation and tune in to your inner voice. What is it calling you to do?

Like Saint Patrick, you simply need to say YES, believe in your mission and devote yourself wholeheartedly into making it come to fruition.

Your success, as Saint Patrick’s, will be commensurate with the level of passion you dedicate to the task.

4. Tolerance is the Building Block of Peaceful Relationships

When Saint Patrick returned to Ireland for his ministry, Ireland was inhabited by people who, by Christian standards, were heathens and pagans.  Yet, he did not attempt to convert them by force.

Instead, he studied their traditions and sought the beauty of their beliefs. He integrated them with the Catholic faith, giving birth to Celtic spirituality, a flavor of spirituality that combines the best of both worlds.

In my world, many friends have been seething in anger since November 2016. What a waste of two years!

Are you willing to discover the good in every person you encounter, instead of perceiving him or her as an adversary?

Train yourself to seek common ground with others and to build relationships based on shared beliefs and values. Avoid discussions into subjects that engender division and dissent.

Discipline yourself to politely end or walk away from conversations that are likely to go sour, jeopardize friendships and sever family ties.

I know I am not alone in this and I know you can do it! I am married to a man of a different religious denomination and completely opposite political beliefs. Yet I refuse to engage in fruitless discussions that will bring us apart.

Allow others to have their beliefs the same way you expect others to allow you to have yours. Pursue activities that you can do together that don’t involve arguments.

Do you enjoy hiking? Take a quiet walk in the woods with a friend. Sports? Work out a sweat together and melt out negative emotions. Strengthen the bond that emanates from open hearts and watch negativity dissolve.

5. Find Sustenance in Nature

As a slave in the mountains of Ireland, Saint Patrick derived comfort and peace from nature. So can you.

Nature is the ultimate source of creation and healing. Notice how nature continuously creates and renews itself—on a daily basis as well as when there is a natural disaster. Use that same power to heal to restore your body and soul.

Spend time in nature every day, even if it’s just a brief walk in the park. Take your shoes off and feel the sensations of your feet on the grass, soil or sand! Meditate outdoors and feel the wisdom of nature infuse you.

These are just five lessons I have unpacked from the amazing life of Ireland’s patron. I am sure you can draw even more inspiration of your own.

This Saint Patrick’s Day spend some time reflecting and acting on opportunities to transform your life.

Then enjoy your favorite green beer.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Sonia Frontera is a family attorney, empowerment trainer and full-time doggie mom. She is the proud survivor of an unhappy marriage, a liberating divorce and is living proof that there’s life after separation.  Sonia is the author of the #1 bestseller “Solve the Divorce Dilemma: Do You Keep Your Husband or Do You Post Him on Craigslist?”

She loves to hear from readers and can be reached at her internet home.

Sign up for more blog posts and freebies here! And join our Sisterhood on Facebook.

The post Celebrate Freedom on Saint Patrick’s Day appeared first on Sonia Frontera.

There’s a silver lining to every cloud and, to live fully, we need to train ourselves to find them and to learn to dance in the rain.

The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. 

Maybe this ordeal feels like a black cloud over your head. Or it has rained on your parade, canceling an important event like a wedding or a vacation you looked forward to.

Even though this pandemic is scary and dangerous, you can make the best of it.

Besides the obvious measures health authorities recommend, such as washing your hands, social distancing and not touching your face, there are other things you can do to weather the COVID-19 pandemic with grace and, as a bonus, create new habits to improve your life after it’s over.

While this pandemic has caused death, illness and disruption to our daily lives, the situation also presents ample opportunities to grow, so we can emerge from it stronger and more united than before.

Don’t surrender to fear or glue yourself to your TV for constant negative news or numbing programming. 

Instead, try these fool-proof strategies and unleash the hidden blessings of the COVID-19 pandemic:

Your day just got longer–enjoy every minute!

We all wish there were more hours in the day.

Well, you just received bonus time to embrace healthy habits that will boost your immunity and lower your stress.

Time spent commuting or getting ready in the morning, picking an outfit, doing your hair and makeup, can now be diverted to improving your health and enjoying fulfilling activities.

What are you going to do with it? Here are some ideas:

Sleep In

Sleep is the sacred time when the body restores itself and is key to good health. Yet, research shows that approximately one in three Americans are sleep deprived. The American Psychology Association states that sleeping 60 to 90 minutes more per night can make you happier and healthier.

If you are not getting enough rest, now is the time to get some extra ZZZs. 

Exercise

You have received extra time to break a sweat and receive its many benefits. No excuses! There are ample workouts you can do at home while you’re quarantined available online, so you don’t need to hit the gym or purchase expensive equipment.

Meditate

If you don’t already, incorporate a period of meditation to your daily routine. It helps boost your immunity and reduce the anxiety and stress associated with the current events. You can start with just 10 minutes.

Take advantage of the meditation apps available to get you started in a pinch.

Pick up forgotten hobbies or explore something new

Any activity will do: read more, take an online course, pick up a craft or hobby you had given up on for lack of time–the possibilities are endless! 

Create your dream future while you wash your hands

To prevent the spread infection, you should wash your hands and lather with soap for 20 seconds, the time it takes to sing “happy birthday” twice.

Instead of singing happy birthday, repeat positive affirmations to attain your fondest desires. 

Find affirmations that you like and put together combinations that take 20 seconds to repeat. 

Here’s my favorite 20-second combination from Florence Scovel Shinn:

“The future holds promises of mysterious good. Anything can happen overnight.” 

“The unexpected happens, my seemingly impossible good now comes to pass.”

“All doors now open for happy surprises and the Divine Plan of my life is speeded up under grace.”

Need affirmation ideas? Visit my website and download your FREE printable affirmation cards.

Spend quality time with loved ones

We are normally so busy that our time together isn’t always well spent. Play games with your kids or improvise an indoor crafts camp. 

Enjoy more intimacy with your partner.

Cuddle with your pet! It reduces stress levels and improves your health.

Reach out to old friends and relatives. Pick up the phone or start a video-conference with someone you have lost touch with. They will be thrilled to hear from you.

Declutter your world

This is the perfect time to organize your home and rid yourself of unnecessary clutter. Clear your pantries and closets. 

Go through your possessions and set aside the things you no longer use or need. Donate the items to charity–lots of people will be strapped for cash as a result of the virus. If you’re one of them, identify articles you can sell for extra income.

Take on some DIY projects.

Practice Kindness

As frustrated as you may feel, others may be worse off than you. 

Allow this pandemic to release the best in you!

Check in with your elderly relatives, friends and neighbors. Help out by picking up groceries and meds, bringing home cooked meals or walking their dogs.

Spend time in reflection and self-observation

If you live alone, self-quarantine offers you a magical opportunity to connect with your higher self. Dust off your journal and start writing. Explore the lessons encoded in this pandemic and how you will apply them when life returns to normal.

Become more efficient

Uncertainties in the supply chain make you more frugal in the use of staples. Identify wasteful practices you engage in as you have to stretch your supplies to last for an unknown period of time. And stick to them. They will save you money over time.

This, too, shall pass

We are in this together. We can get through this.

The dangers of this pandemic have forced us to examine our behaviors and take actions to keep us healthy. 

Paired with a positive attitude, they will save your sanity during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

Sonia Frontera is a family attorney, empowerment trainer and full-time doggie mom. She is the proud survivor of an unhappy marriage, a liberating divorce and is living proof that there’s life after separation.  Sonia is the author of the #1 bestseller “Solve the Divorce Dilemma: Do You Keep Your Husband or Do You Post Him on Craigslist?”

She loves to hear from readers and can be reached at her internet home.

Sign up for more blog posts and freebies here! And join our Sisterhood on Facebook.

The post The Hidden Blessings of COVID-19: 10 Strategies to Improve Your Life During and After the Pandemic appeared first on Sonia Frontera.

Don’t get bogged down by new year’s resolutions! Create a life you love every day of the year with my 4-step plan!

Learn how in this guest post I wrote for Divorce Magazine, the #1 divorce blog!

Read on!

Sonia Frontera is a family attorney, empowerment trainer and full-time doggie mom. She is the proud survivor of an unhappy marriage, a liberating divorce and is living proof that there’s life after separation.  Sonia is the author of the #1 bestseller “Solve the Divorce Dilemma: Do You Keep Your Husband or Do You Post Him on Craigslist?”

She loves to hear from readers and can be reached at her internet home.

Sign up for more blog posts and freebies here! And join our Sisterhood on Facebook.

The post Kiss New Year’s Resolutions Goodbye! appeared first on Sonia Frontera.

Success is a lot more than being famous and accumulating material goods. Success is an inside job anyone can master by being true to their life purpose. Check out this article by Sonia Frontera published on Thrive Global.

Read on!

Sonia Frontera is a family attorney, empowerment trainer and full-time doggie mom. She is the proud survivor of an unhappy marriage, a liberating divorce and is living proof that there’s life after separation.  Sonia is the author of the #1 bestseller “Solve the Divorce Dilemma: Do You Keep Your Husband or Do You Post Him on Craigslist?”

She loves to hear from readers and can be reached at her internet home.

Sign up for more blog posts and freebies here! And join our Sisterhood on Facebook.

The post Redefining Success by Sonia Frontera appeared first on Sonia Frontera.

Do you believe you must be strong? There have been several times in my life where I thought that I had to be strong. Weakness was not an option. Have you ever experienced a situation where you felt it would be humiliating to ask for help? Do you share your concerns with other people? Does anyone know the real you? Who knows what scares you? Who knows your hopes and dreams? Do you expose your vulnerabilities?

My Strength

Over the years, I’ve been proud of how strong I am. I have endured the struggles of being infertile, being a foster parent, and eventually adopting my children. My husband has had several devastating health crises. How did I handle these situations? I stayed strong. I put my emotions in a box and put one foot in front of the other. There was no time for weakness or crying over spilled milk. What good would feeling sorry for myself have gotten me? While feeling sorry for myself would not have helped me achieve anything, I was cutting off my emotions. As a result, I get to ignore the overwhelming devastation of the negative emotions, but I also don’t get to experience the ultimate highs of positive emotions.

Showing Vulnerability

As I considered this situation, I realized that the need to be strong was a limiting belief. Why do I have to be strong? Why can’t I reach out and ask for help? Does connecting with others and sharing my vulnerabilities mean that someone else is going to take advantage of me? Why won’t I cry in front of other people? Would my tears signal someone to think I was weak and incompetent? Why the hell would it matter? I’ve been through a lot of difficult situations in my 46 years, and in all honesty, these experiences make me a person that can handle challenging conditions. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to sit down and have a good cry occasionally.

Are you proud of being strong? Do you ever show weakness? Is being strong keeping you from experiencing a full range of emotions? Are you willing to ask for and accept help?

If you struggle with believing that you must be strong, you may be holding yourself back from being truly connected with and open to others.

Nicolle Lowrey is an American author, course creator & coach. She loves creating, being a Mom and drinking Diet Pepsi.

Nicolle is a true believer that you can have it all–the joy of family while living a fulfilled life.

You can find her working with clients in her member’s only programs, writing books, and sharing her message in her blog and of course, spending time with her husband and three children.

The post I Must Be Strong by Nicolle Lowery appeared first on Sonia Frontera.

Spring Starts Today: Come Out of the Cave of Limiting Beliefs

Do you feel stuck in life? Are you oppressed by the same problems and situations repeating themselves over and over again? Are you always broke? Dating the same kind of jerks? Being taken advantage of?

You may be trapped in Groundhog Day! It’s time to come out of the shadows. Stop limiting beliefs and let spring begin—now!

In the classic comedy “Groundhog Day,” Bill Murray’s character, a weatherman covering Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, PA, gets trapped in a time warp reliving the same groundhog day over and over until he begins to appreciate the little things in life.

It may sound silly, but the basic premise of this film applies to our own lives. We will remain stuck re-living the same experiences until we learn their underlying lessons. Then and only then can we be free to enjoy a fresh start.

For those unfamiliar with Groundhog Day, it is a holiday celebrated on February 2 in the United States and Canada. If the groundhog comes out of his burrow and sees its shadow, it will go back in, prognosticating six more weeks of winter. If it doesn’t, welcome spring!

The Problem

Like the groundhog that gets frightened by its own shadow and goes back to its burrow, predicting an extended winter, we limit ourselves by our own shadow sides.

Unbeknownst to us, we allow our limiting beliefs and behavior patterns to trap us in a dark cave that prevents us from living our best lives.

Rather than being frightened by our shadows, we need to embrace them, make peace with them and let them go, so we can turn around and face the light.

Unless and until we learn our lessons, we will continue to repeat the mistakes of the past and remain stuck in an unevolved life.

The Solution

How, you may ask? It is super simple—with awareness. Examine your thoughts and beliefs, identify those that do not serve you and consciously let them go.

Catch yourself when you’re down and out and listen to the inner chatter that torments you and pushes you deeper into the hole.

Here’s a classic example.  If you peek in a divorce support group, you will find endless complaints of women who keep attracting the same kind of men. They are all selfish, thoughtless, cheaters. The list may be different for each woman–but you get my drift.

Chances are these men are identical personality-twins of their ex-husbands. Why? Because these women hold thought and behavior patterns that attract the same circumstances. No wonder Mr. Wrong keeps showing up at their doorstep!

The Way Out of the Hole

How do you break the cycle? With awareness.

When you’re upset by circumstances that repeat themselves, stop and ask yourself:

• What am I thinking?
• What is the origin of this belief?
• Is this true?
• Does it serve me?
• Do I need to keep this belief?
• Who would I be—how will I feel—if I let it go?

And LET-IT-GO!

In the case of the serial jerk-magnets, these ladies may be telling themselves things like: “I’m not beautiful enough.” “I am undesirable.” “No good man could ever love me.” “He may be a jerk, but at least I’m not alone.” “If he knew what I’m truly like he would leave me.”

These negative beliefs may be stem out of early childhood experiences, where a parent, teacher or classmate rejected them or said to them hurtful things that made them feel unworthy. The scenarios are many and familiar. We all have our own.

Upon further examination, these women can realize that these events are in the past, that their messages are not true and that they have no reason to keep them in their present lives, continuing to hurt them and hold them back from the happiness they deserve.

We all carry around our own set of negative beliefs.

As humans, we have all been exposed to painful experiences, but we don’t need to drag them around forever.

We all have wounds, but we don’t have to keep them open!

And this applies not only to relationships, but to all areas of your life—finances, work, play—you name it!

Most likely, you are holding negative beliefs that you picked up early on—from your parents, teachers, church, society.

We are constantly bombarded with messages and ideas that, rather than serving us, limit our fulfillment.

And these beliefs keep on showing up in our lives as the circumstances we encounter.

What’s important here is to use awareness to catch those limiting thoughts as they come up and eradicating them from our inner chatter repertoire.

You will then realize that you have the key to your own prison cell and that freedom is a choice you can make at any time.

And, by all means, do not limit this exercise to recurring problems. Practice this constantly and you will find yourself living a happier, more peaceful life.

Again, the key here is practice. With practice it will become second nature or, at least, you will be able to catch yourself early on in the process, so you can switch gears and stop the negativity before more damage is done.

Do not be frightened by our own shadows! Face them, embrace them and release them!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Sonia Frontera is a family attorney, empowerment trainer and full-time doggie mom. She is the proud survivor of an unhappy marriage, a liberating divorce and is living proof that there’s life after separation.  Sonia is the author of the #1 bestseller “Solve the Divorce Dilemma: Do You Keep Your Husband or Do You Post Him on Craigslist?”

She loves to hear from readers and can be reached at her internet home.

Sign up for more blog posts and freebies here! And join our Sisterhood on Facebook.

The post Stop Limiting Beliefs and Kiss Groundhog Day Goodbye appeared first on Sonia Frontera.