LIVE THE PROCESS : Editorial Feature | Lessons From Gina Clapprood

  "Erica Cornwall sits down with longtime lifestyle coach and intuitive, Gina Clapprood, to learn more about her unique way of supporting people—especially women—and about the benefits of being more selfish."

I am so blessed for those amazing souls in my life, that every now and then, see the amazing in me and share it with others. Thank you Erica Cornwall for this editorial feature on me.

If you ever wondered what I do, or why you may want to connect with me. This interview in Live The Process perfectly describes it.

I was referred to Gina Clapprood by an amazing friend of mine, who happens to be a celebrity tarot reader. She works with A-listers like Gwyneth Paltrow, but, every once in a while, she needs some guidance for herself—so she calls Gina. She suggested that I do the same.

That was six years ago. Ever since I have contacted her anytime I needed to make a big choice or validate my intuition when it didn’t seem logical. She has been able to support me in becoming more clairvoyant myself and more confident in my inner guidance. 

She’s not your typical woo-woo reader. She’s a very down-to-earth, funny, matter-of-fact, kind, but also realistic human. She has had a day job in the corporate world and is happily married with three kids. So, unlike many of the readers I’ve met along the way, she’s very “normal” by societal standards. She works with questions very well: she gives you both guidance from her master helpers and also space to disagree if something doesn’t resonate with you. She helps you weigh your options and take an in-this-lifetime look at things. She’s also nonjudgmental and brings light and humor when things feel sticky. 

Over the years, Gina has become someone I talk to like a friend. Having her support during shifts and scary times has helped me find peace with many struggles, plus self-love and acceptance. She’s great for a quick ask or an in depth reading and is available via email, so it’s easy to get guidance.

I sat down with her to learn more about how she helps people:  Read Full Article on Live the Process

Fall in Love with YOUR Life

It is so easy to get wrapped up in the day to day routine of our lives.  It happens to the best of us and is something I often focus on with my clients – how can we stop and be in the present and truly appreciate where we are in any moment? 

This is something that I personally am seeking out to do this Fall to keep myself not only sane, but deliberately happier. 

So, as we head into a new fall season, here are some tips to take action and “fall” back in love with our lives:

1. Wanderlust. Designate one day or weekend a month to get yourself out of the city, out of the country or at the least, out of the front door of your house. Be adventurous and journey to somewhere you’ve never been. It doesn’t have to be a far destination and could be as simple as driving to a coffee shop a few towns over that you’ve heard of. 

2. Be spontaneous. Instead of trying to have everything planned out and control every aspect of your life, give your life the chance to surprise you for a change. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Say yes to the date you would usually reject or the party you’re not sure if you should go to. Sometimes the things we’re most resistant to agreeing to end up being the things we’re most thankful to have done – but you’ll never know unless you give it a shot.

3. Learn to accept what is being offered. Why struggle if you don’t have to? Accept help from friends when they offer it. Accept compliments when they’re directed at you. Let yourself be loved in the tiny ways you don’t always allow yourself to be and watch how much easier it becomes to accept your own love, too.

4. Practice forgiveness. You deserve peace in your life and you won’t be able to achieve that peace unless you can work to let go of any grudges you are harboring. This doesn’t mean you need to accept others back into your life but allows you to bring peace back into your own life.

5. Choose to see the good. Instead of allowing your brain to sway toward bitterness and judgement, try focusing your perspective on the good qualities in others. This will help free up your thoughts and allows you to focus on all that you love and appreciate in others.

6. Make positive plans. Instead of focusing on what could go wrong in the next couple of years, try taking a long look at what could go right. Plan your life as though all of your wildest dreams could and might come true – you’ll be surprised at the effect this mindset has.

7. Dress for success. You deserve to feel good about yourself. Our outer appearance dictates almost nothing about what kind of people we are – but it can influence the way we feel. When we present ourselves in a way that makes us feel confident, that confidence shines through in everything we do. Figure out what that means for you, is it a new hair style, lipstick, outfit, etc., and then go for it!

8. Pick your jam. Listen to the right kind of music.  Listening to music can be a gamechanger when it comes to our daily routine and we can use that to our advantage. By coordinating the music you’re listening to the mood you’d like to be in, you can train your brain to engage in positive (or mellow) vibes as needed and it can also help get you out of a certain mood as well.

9. Challenge accepted. Who challenges you? We all need people to push us a little outside our comfy boxes.  Decide who in your life challenges you to think, want more for yourself, take action…and holds you accountable. You will feel challenged, inspired and should you accept - successful in return. 

10. Laugh a Little. Make laughter a priority. We are so good prioritizing work, school, the gym and other activities – but we’re not as comfortable prioritizing the activities that bring us true joy. Like sharing a glass of wine and a night of jokes with the people we love most. You will quickly find that laughter truly is the best medicine.

11. Choose optimism over cynicism. It is my belief that optimists have more fun because they choose to see the glass half full. And by making slightly more positive choices in our everyday lives, we will attract more positive results.

12. Unplug. Spend more time in nature.  Taking a half hour walk outdoors may just be the antidote you need for decompressing, reducing anxiety levels, increasing your quality of sleep and boosting your mood. 

13. Keep it simple.  Minimalism is trendy – and with good reason. The less we own, the less we realize we need in order to get by. It’s a simplistic and empowering concept – and one that doesn’t tug on our purse strings. 

14. Shine your light. The best way to intensify a good mood is to share it. Go out of your way to compliment a friend, buy a coffee for the person behind you in line or tell someone exactly why you love them. It’s almost impossible to make someone else’s day and not have your own made as a result. I dare you to try it.

15. Be open to possibility. Life has its drags and slumps. But more often than not, the reason it does all of that is because we have closed ourselves off to it. When we commit to saying ‘Yes’ a little more often with every passing day, we commit to opening our lives back up to possibility. And we may just end up falling in love with wherever those possibilities take us.

Listen to my LIVE Radio Interview on ABMFM: (Click Below)

NOT Today.

Not today.

I have always been a believer of setting an intention for your day to keep you focused and grounded on the positive, as well as recording what you are grateful for each night.  And I still am….although this may seem to put a little bit of a different spin on this practice.

Lately I find myself doing a bit of the reverse and have been setting the intention for myself each day with saying: “Not Today.”

This seems to go against my normal positivity, however I have been finding that it is necessary and helping me keep my sanity when faced with difficult conversations, situations and people…as well as my own thoughts and opinions when my mind wanders to the less positive.

What do I mean? Let me break it down for you.

I get up each morning and say to myself, “Not Today”. This is the answer that could pertain to the following:

•          Will I let someone to treat me rudely?
•          Will I allow for my viewpoint to remain silent?
•          Will I accept the status quo?
•          Will I take a back seat and watch things unfold that I don’t agree with?
•          Will I allow for anyone else to treat me less than I deserve to be treated?
•          Will I let someone walk all over me?
•          Will I over-compromise my own beliefs?
•          Will I allow myself to judge my self-worth against others?
•          Will I accept something that I feel I need more information on?
•          Will I be a witness to something that makes me feel uncomfortable?
•          Will I overcommit myself?
•          Will I feel bad about not reaching a certain goal I have set for myself?

NOPE…NOT Today.  Tomorrow? Sure, maybe I’ll let you push me around tomorrow. But I’m definitely not going to allow for that today. 

It’s like there is this little voice in my head reminding me of the things I don’t want to observe, fall victim to or put up with, and when it goes off, I have this burst of additional strength to speak up for myself and/or take the action that makes the most sense (depending on the situation).

I feel more empowered and ready to face not only potential conflict that may arise, but myself.  I’m more equipped somehow to hold myself accountable to the goals I set such as working out, drinking more water than I ever thought I could, or something as simply not allowing a day to go by without telling someone I love them.  When I find myself hinting toward an excuse to not do something I set out to do, I say, “not today” and make sure I tackle it head on, and smash it.

The result: I am happier. I am accomplishing more goals. I am not dwelling on the would-haves, could-haves or should-haves. I am looking back on the “I dids” instead and feeling more confident tackling whatever else may come my way.  And others may learn that I'm not going to put up with their shenanigans without out least saying something about it. 

Are you up for giving it a try? If so—let me know how your “not today” goes! I'd love to hear from you!

Xo

Gina

Decompress, Recharge & Take Care of YOU This Summer

Summer is here. And for many of us it’s a time of vacations, a time of being free from school or a slow time at work or in your business. It is synonymous with relaxation and taking a break.  Often times this mentality can also cause unnecessary pressure and stress due to the expectations that everyone is going on a vacation or you are going to blink and the summer will be over with nothing to show for it. 

Now is a good time to focus on taking care of you.  It’s time to unwind, decompress and to recharge. Here are some tips on how to accomplish just that.

Just watch the clouds go by.

It is so easy to get stuck in the mindset that you have to do something pretty much all the time. This can add a lot of unnecessary stress. Why not change things up a bit and try doing nothing at all from time to time this summer.

Just go for a walk in the woods. Sit by the ocean and take it all in. Or lie down in the grass and just watch the clouds go by.

Do only that, savor the moments of summer and feel how the inner tensions flow out of your body and mind.

Disconnect.

Don’t go online unless it’s necessary. Try to check your emails once a day. Leave your smartphone at home while you are out in the sun enjoying a book.

You may find that you haven’t missed much by not being available all the time. And discover that your stress levels have dropped quite a bit and it feels easier to fully focus on your family, friends and the moments that you are spending making memories.

Half of 2018 has now gone by and it’s easy to get stuck on focusing on what went wrong or on your own setbacks or mistakes. So take a break from that. Try flipping it around and ask yourself: What can I appreciate about what I did and I accomplished during these 6 months?

It doesn’t always have to be big things. And be sure to appreciate what you did, the effort you put in even if things didn’t go exactly as planned.

Slow it down.

This will also dial your stress down. And, perhaps even more importantly, help you to be in the moment and to fully enjoy all the sights, sounds, smells and people of your summer. Instead of being lost in a memory while life and perhaps something really wonderful is happening right in front of you. In other words…be fully present.

Say no to the ‘shoulds’ of summer.

There are sneaky shoulds in life. They can make a vacation filled with things you “just have to do before the summer is over “and they’ll leave you more tired than you were before your time off even started.  Avoid them and you may find that it makes it easier to simply relax and to say no to doing something because you realize that it just isn’t that important anyway, just to be able to say you did it.

Spend more time doing what you love.

Maybe it’s hanging out at a marina with friends. Or reading books. Or playing with your kids or hanging out with an old friend by a fire.

No matter what it might be, think about how you can fit more of what you love doing into not only your summer, but the rest of your 2018. Think about what you spend your time on during a normal week.

Then find 1-2 things during your regular weeks that you can spend less time on. Or things you can simply say no to so that you have a bit more time and energy over each week during the summer, fall and winter for what you love doing.

Saying Goodbye to 'A Girl's Best Friend'

Saying goodbye to “A Girl’s Best Friend”

Today we had to make one of the hardest decisions anyone must make that has a pet-to allow them to pass without suffering anymore.  Our boxer Logan was the sweetest, gentlest and kindest soul.  I feel I need to acknowledge him in some way because what I may have taken for granted is the fact that he was my absolute source of unconditional love.  I am writing this because I feel I need to memorialize my feelings. 

We adopted Logan when he was 5 years old from a family that was moving and looking to give him to a family that would give him a good life.  I never grew up with pets and when we adopted Logan, we had already had our smaller dog, Harley, a puggle.  I thought that was more than enough for me at the time.  However, my husband had always wanted a Boxer and when I received a text that a family was looking for a home for their Boxer, and then the picture came through, there was just something about him.  I had to show my husband and I somehow became open to the fact of possibly owning two dogs.  We met him soon after and Logan immediately had an effect on us and I immediately had a soft spot for him.  He quickly became a member of our family. He quickly became my best friend.

I feel that he came to us during a time in our life where things were stressful, also joyful and completely crazy-insane!  No matter what we were going through as a family, he was our silent support.  What I am now realizing is that he was not only my constant shadow, following me around the house, no matter what I was doing-getting dressed, working, cooking-he was always right there by my side.  He is the only one I feel in this house that loved me completely unconditionally. This is going to be one of the hardest things about losing him.

He didn’t care if I was happy, sad, stressed or moody.  He didn’t care if I looked a complete mess, he loved me regardless.  He didn’t care if all he had to do was sit with me in silence.  It’s like he knew what I was thinking and didn’t judge me.  We vibed on one another’s vibes. I felt he knew what I thinking or how I was feeling by just giving me this 'look' he had.

I never had to worry about him wanting to spend time with me.  That’s the amazingness about pets, they love you and want to be with you no matter what.  They don’t care how you look, (thank goodness) or what you have or don’t have—they just love your soul and the true being you are.  They understand your energy at any given moment and adapt to it, letting you know they are there. Sure, I would tell him many times to stop following me and just to relax and go lay down. Sure, I would tell him to just let me take a shower in peace. Those are the moments I am now going to miss the most.  He knew me—ME. The real me and loved me anyway.

With him around I always felt safe. I was never truly alone, and I am going to miss that feeling of safety. 

He was part of our family for 6 years, not nearly long enough but we were blessed to have even been able to have him be a part of our lives.  It seems he aged so fast and literally over a month’s time.  He was almost 11.  Time flies fast and this serves as a reminder that time is passing, it is always passing, and we need to do whatever we can to slow it down and enjoy the moments in time that we will look back on and remember as the more meaningful ones.

So, Logan, I am truly thankful for having you in my life. I hope you will keep an eye on us from your side of the rainbow bridge.

Thank you for your unwavering and unconditional love. Thank you for being my non-judgmental shadow and confidant.  Thank you for being you.  I love you and am going to miss you terribly kiddo.

You were truly this girl’s best friend.

Boston Voyager Magazine Interview for Boston's Most Inspiring Stories

Honored to be nominated and interviewed for

 Boston Voyager Magazine! 

Boston's Most Inspiring Stories

If you ever wanted to know more about me and what I do, 

this article captures 'me' very well! 

Read Full Article Here!

Change the Game

Change the Game

What you can do when you feel like giving up!

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”

William Shakespeare

Some days are light, fun and filled with inspiration. Some days are just routine. And on some days, you may feel like just giving up on…

 Your new habit of working out or eating healthier.

 Your own small business or blog because you haven’t had the results you expected or wanted.

 Dating because you can’t seem to find the right person or maybe even have a good date at all.

When you find yourself in these predicaments and feel like just giving up and throwing in the towel…don’t.  It’s what you do in these circumstances that will determine a lot about where your life will go. 

Here are some tips on how to deal with those days and change the game.

1. Keep it Real.

If you read no further than this, it’s ok as this one is SUPER important.

Usually if something sounds too good to be true, it is.  Make sure you have realistic expectations.  Allow for mistakes and failure.  Heck even allow for the disappointment.  It’s ok to be cautiously optimistic.

It’s totally acceptable to have hope, keep the faith and believe that things are going to go your way, but when you keep it real, you are safeguarding yourself from letdown.  You are also preparing for a plan B in the event things don’t go as expected and sometimes, that journey leads you to an even better destination. 

2. Remember your WHY.

It’s easy to lose the big picture in our busy everyday lives. If you feel like giving up, try reconnecting with why you are doing what you are doing in the first place.

Is it to: 

 Support and keep your family safe.

 Live healthier and longer so you get to watch your kids grow up.

 See the world and explore new things.

Write down your why. Then, whenever you feel like giving up pull out that piece of paper with your most powerful why(s). It often helps.

3. Remember: The light will shine through the darkness.

This thought has helped me to hold on when things have felt very difficult and I felt like giving up. I have found it to be true.

When you find yourself at that low point it will force you to change something in how you do things.

But life seems to also always have some kind of balance if you can just keep going. Try to keep taking action instead of giving up-when we keep pushing through, this is when the magic usually happens.

4. It’s ok to readjust or change the path.

When you run into a plateau or a longer rough patch try to learn more, and course correct. Reconnect with the basics and examine how you do things.  Be honest with yourself and admit to what isn’t working.  Try replacing those things and see if things work better, even if it means you have to step out of your comfort zone. 

5. Try something different or something else.

Sometimes it is not time to give up. But it may be time to quit what you are doing and to try something else.

If you feel like giving up or you are bored a lot, if you feel no real passion or excitement on your current path, then ask yourself these two questions:

 Am doing this because I truly want it?

 Or am I doing it because someone told me to or because so many people around me seem to have done it or are working on it?

What you want isn’t easy to know before you get started though. You may need to try different paths before you find one that fits you. For instance, just because everyone around you seems to love yoga or running, doesn’t mean that you have to love it or that you have to give up on the habit of regular exercise that works better for you. Try a new way of doing what you want and see if it is a better fit and more enjoyable for you.

Stop the negative self-talk and realize that you are your own worst critic.  Don’t expect to be in a judgement-free zone if you are constantly judging yourself and that bar you have set so high for yourself is stressing you out! 

It’s time to change the game and show yourself some love. 

xo,

Gina