BEing Your Light

Support your child in transitioning to middle school with this upcoming webinar to increase confidence, reduce stress & anxiety, make friends with greater self-assurance, and manage time more effectively. In my 20+ years as a teacher and empowerment coach, I've seen how transformative confidence is for children & am excited to offer this to families. Go to beingyourlight.com for more info and to register. Please share so others can benefit as well!

🙏🏼✨🐣 Easter Sunday of 2010 was the day I felt the true power of resurrection in my own life.

Just days before, my world had completely shattered, and I felt lost and uncertain about my future.

But standing on the beach with my family that morning, I realized that the promise of victory over fear, betrayal, and abandonment was within me.

Hand in hand with my loved ones, I entered the frigid waters and allowed all that was dead to me to wash away. And I made the conscious choice to rise-up and resurrect!

Since then, I've been blessed with the power and grace of God, and the unwavering love and support of my family and friends.

I've not only overcome adversity but emerged even stronger from it.

So, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on the themes of resurrection and rising-up in your own life. 🌅

Think about the obstacles you've faced and the ways in which you've overcome them. Remember that "death" is not an end but a passage, and you too can rise-up and keep moving forward.

Wishing you a joyous and empowering Easter holiday!

🐰🌷🙌🏼

"Find out who you are .. and Do it On Purpose!" Dolly Parton said this and it really makes me realize how important it is to know who you are .. really. Dig deep, find out, and then embrace it with everything you've got! "

"They were pointing at me, laughing and snickering.

Then they started badgering me with questions ...
‘Why do you look that?
What’s that thing on your head?’

And giving me put-downs ...
‘You’re so weird!’
You know you don’t fit in, right?’ "

Those are the words no parent wants to hear their child share with them.

They pull at our heartstrings, spark anger, and maybe even ignite a flicker of fear for their future safety and well-being.

Yet, that experience is becoming all too common, because the fact is that we live in a world where judgment is rampant.

And while instinctively we may want to shield our children from the pain of being left out, ostracized, made to feel less than, etc., the truth is ...

Instead of trying to spare our children from social comparison and criticism, we need to prepare them for it instead.

How?

Listen to the rest of the conversation with my young coaching client to discover how she applied 3 principles in the BEing YOUr Light Student Shining Success Program to navigate through a demeaning situation and create an empowering one instead.

#1 – Know Who You Are (Self-Identity)

"Ms. Juranek, I thought back on how you guided me through identifying who I am as a person, and what I stand for.

I saw the list again behind my eyes of the words that describe who I am, what I value, and what makes me unique.

That really helped me to keep my eyes on HOW I SEE ME, rather than the way that they were seeing me."

I looked at them and simply said, "This is my hijab and it’s a symbol of my faith."

#2 – Love Who You Are (Self-Esteem)

"Then, I thought back on everything that was "right" with me ... everything that I offer, all the things that I appreciate about myself.

When they made fun of the color of my skin, I just said, ‘Really? I love the color of my skin. I think it’s pretty.’

They didn’t have anything else to say to that because everything that they said was different and ugly, I said was unique and beautiful."

#3 – Honor Who You Are (Self-Responsibility)

"I remembered the mantra you taught me, "Choose for me, as Me"

This experience made me realize that I’m a spiritual person and I like to express my faith. So, I’ve decided that I’m going to wear my hijab every day when I reach of age.

My sister was a little upset with me and was trying to change my mind because she doesn’t want to have to wear hers to school. She thinks that because I’m choosing to wear mine that then she’ll have to wear hers as well.

I just told her, "My choices are my choices, and your choices are yours."
____

Denise , that session was beyond inspiring. I was so proud to hear this young person embrace, express, and be who she truly is .... so authentically, confidently, and powerfully.

I desire to see that in all of us, especially our youth!

If you share that vision and would like your child (or yourself) to experience it as well,

Schedule your FREE Clarity Discovery session with me Here now! Link is in the comments.

During the 50-minute call, you will gain clarity and insight, for yourself or your child, on who you are, what you’d like to create, and the direction of your next inspired action step to creating and experiencing it with greater confidence, joy, and purpose.

April Fools is known as a day for playing tricks or pulling pranks on others, but it always reminds me of how we can also play tricks on ourselves.

Much like April Fool's jokes, we listen and believe what our brain tells us ... even the things that aren't necessarily true.

For example, you might tell yourself that you're not smart enough to pursue a certain career, or that you're not attractive enough to be in a relationship. 😔

In this week's newsletter, I share a story about my friend Sarah, a gifted artist, and how April Fools Day helped her overcome self-doubt and pursue her dreams. 🌟

It also includes tips on how you can recognize, challenge, and rewrite your own self-limiting beliefs to replace them with empowering ones instead. 📝💪

Click on the link in the comments below to access and read the full article.

You can also schedule a FREE Clarity Discovery session for greater insight and guidance to start living your best life! 🌈

Even though Valentine’s Day has come & gone ... it’s still important to make time to show love to yourself each & every day.
Here are some easy & fun ways to do that.

• Take yourself out on a date (either to that special place that you’ve always wanted to try or your absolute favorite). Be aware of the harmonious balance of both your masculine & feminine energies as you spend quality time as yourself with yourself.

• Buy yourself something special (make sure to giftwrap extra nicely & tap into the excitement of receiving when opening it)

• Gift yourself flowers or a special plant. You can even research the meaning & significance of different florals for a more conscious choice of message.

• Write yourself a poem or love letter (you can write it on floral-pressed or fragranced paper with a variety of colorful and artistic tools to make it extra special). Frame or mount it where you’ll see it daily. 😊

• Splurge & take delight in devouring a decadent yum-yum!

• Adorn yourself in Beauty
- Wear your favorite color (even if it’s your under garments!)
- Put on those extravagant accessories (time to take out your belts, hats, bangles & good jewelry!)

• Relax in a bath of bubbles, salts, and/or essential oils

• Give yourself or receive a foot rub. Research reflexology points and enjoy the health benefits as well

• Give yourself a massage (there are awesome tools you can use on yourself for scalp, back, and body)

• Meditate and listen to God’s love words. Truly receive that You are His masterpiece

• List 10 things that you love about yourself on post-its and put them all over the house

• Surround yourself with fragrance (incense, potpourri, your favorite perfume, aromatherapy, home cooking)

• Bake fresh cookies and relish eating them, one by one. Place a few cookies aside to put in your lunch box tomorrow and remember to add a love note too!

• Get a car wash (you deserve it) and put a love note in or on it. I hang a love symbol from my rear-view mirror as a constant reminder of how much I am loved.

• Do something that makes you feel extra beautiful (manicure, spa day, massage)

• Let your inner child play:
- go to the playground and run to whatever catches your eye first. Then go on all your favorites!

- Play your favorite childhood game (I love to play jacks!)

- Play with another child (yours, a friend or neighbors, at a hospital or outreach program)

• Listen to the song “You are So Beautiful” and know that God is speaking to you. Then sing along loudly & passionately and know that you are speaking to yourself.

• Dance! Move your body to music without judgment or censorship. Whether in your bedroom or at the newest nightclub … gift yourself free expression

• Take a virtual excursion! Research your dream vacation or outing then list the action steps to creating it. Relish in the feeling of already having it. Immerse yourself in the details and enjoy the sensory experience of its manifestation.

• Create a collage of all your favorites (mine would include the beach, camping, belly-dancing, drumming, and Ferrero Rochers). Then, go enjoy them!

• Be open to any new ideas & visions then journal, draw, and create a vision board to bring them into reality.

The above is an excerpt from the BEing YOUr Light weekly newsletter. It’s free and full of inspiration, tips, & tools. If you aren’t yet receiving it, sign up on our website, and begin shining more brightly in every area of your life.

Happy Valentine’s Day!
As you celebrate this day of love, remember that loving others begins with loving yourself.

Loving Yourself means BEing, enjoying, & sharing the most authentic and fully expressed version of YOU!

One of the most critical and foundational questions is not asked often enough in our school systems, "Who are you? What do you value? What unique qualities & gifts do you have to offer? What brings you joy? What do you desire to create?"

Is it any wonder why so many people, including our children & students, lack the level of self-assuredness and confidence that we'd like?

Self-Awareness ... it needs to be formally taught, prioritized, modeled, recognized. and celebrated.

Dreams are a lot like rainbows. It’s not the rainbow itself that we desire, it’s the pot of gold that it leads to that we desire.

In the same way, it’s not the actual dream that we desire, it’s what we believe it will bring or give to us when we attain it that we desire.

My pot of gold is a life-long relationship with my children, guiding, inspiring, & watching them live into the full expression of the unique individuals they’re each created to be.

So when my youngest child left home last weekend, and it felt like one of my dreams was ending, I reminded myself that it’s just the fading of a rainbow.

What I really desire, my pot of gold, is still there ... and I trust that another rainbow will emerge to lead me to it.