Sophie's Six Tips for Leading A More Expansive Life

It’s scary sometimes to break open: to be truly vulnerable. It's scary as shit to take risks, to do something outside of the box, to be different. To be uniquely YOU…to SHINE!  

In order to experience true breakthroughs and expand into new realms and layers of who we are, we must constantly challenge ourselves to accept new situations. We must ask ourselves the toughest questions.

When I play small, who am I helping? When I shrink to make other people feel better, who am I serving? No one--especially not myself.

Here are my tips to start you on the path to a more vulnerable and expansive life:

1) Journal

Every single day. Journal before bed to get rid of anxieties from the day. Journal in the morning to start the day in gratitude. As you change and transform, you will crack open; you will feel that you are unraveling. You might feel like you are falling apart, when in fact you are just coming undone. Much like a seedling before flowering, you are changing so you can become the greatest expression of who you are.

2) Watch Marianne Williamson on her Live Streams

She is incredible! I used to go to her Monday evening live talks in LA. She just moved to NYC, so I have to do it virtually...but it’s still mind blowing. I like to listen to it while I'm making dinner for the kids or doing the dishes. Find other inspiring speakers to listen to on podcasts in the car.

3) Turn off all Notifications on Your Phone.

It's a GAME CHANGER. Go on airplane mode, or completely off at a certain point each evening. We need strength to be our truest selves, and constantly being bombarded and interrupted by beeps, calls, and notifications isn't supporting your growth. It's making us all ADD, distracted and instantly gratified. AKA, not healthy. AKA, no room to expand and morph into the best version of yourself.

4) Get Rid of Relationships and People that Drain You

“Be careful in falling for those that wish to dilute you. You are to be loved at your most potent”-- Dae Lee

Excommunicate from all people that don't elevate you. Quit your job if it makes you unhappy. All the things you do: from your job, your relationships, and your hobbies are all a reflection of what you are and are not willing to accept. "Wherever you go, there you are."

5) Surround Yourself With Positive Vibes

This one is the opposite of número 4. Surround yourself with people who reflect who you want to be and how you want to feel. Energy is contagious.  

6) Read “The Four Agreements”

This book is absolutely brilliant. I reference it whenever I need to re-ground myself. One of the most powerful messages that Ruiz stresses is that other peoples perceptions are THEIR reality, not yours. What other people do and think about you actually has NOTHING to do with you. Nothing is personal.

It can feel like torture to transition into a new, better version of who you are. It can be incredibly difficult to leave relationships behind that you've been invested in for so long. The thought of of dropping an entire group of friends that actually don't serve you may seem daunting at first. You find yourself sticking in it because who would you be without them? It is far better to be alone than to be around negative people that drain you instead of lifting you up.

I promise you, as you drop relationships that do not serve you, jobs that don't light you up, and stop spending your energy on things that don't exude light, you will begin to create space for the things that DO light you up from within. The people you make space for will be kind, loving and will reflect this new version of you.

You may feel lonely because all of a sudden, you aren't spending as much time on social media comparing your life to a pretend illusion of another person’s life. All of a sudden you aren't obsessing over DRAMA. You aren't comparing yourself as often. Then, with this magical new time you can take more time for YOU! You can take more baths. Journal more. Find NEW things to put your energy in :: writing, biking, hiking, drawing, painting, dancing, the list goes on!

Jump in. You're supported! There's no time to waste! Expansion is around the corner. T R U S T.