Category: Blog

Put yourself under the tree! Eat, drink and be merry… that’s what the holiday season is all about, right? But let’s be honest, coming together and spending time with loved ones over the holidays is sometimes best paired with more than just a cocktail. As we move thru the holiday season and approach the new year, I want you to take a few moments to focus on yourself and how you are operating and moving. What have you been focusing on the most during this time? Has it been YOU at all? Recognize that self-love and self-care are often seen less during this time of year. Instead, people find themselves focused on everything and everyone else but themselves. So, let’s put ourselves under the tree this year as a present for ourselves and a reminder of our importance. To ensure you are focusing on yourself now and through the holiday season, I have some helpful tips to share: 1. Check your emotions: Take a moment and check in with yourself. Seasonal Depression (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a real thing: It is a depression triggered by the change in seasons. Maintaining your emotions, getting adequate rest and exercise, and talking with your counselor, therapist, or coach to help alleviate some emotional turmoil help. 2. Ask for help: Stop trying to be a superwoman or superman when assistants for just about everything that exists in this modern world. Love yourself enough to recognize that you cannot do it alone. Well, maybe you can, but asking for help allows you more time to focus on yourself and your needs. 3. Let your expectations be kind:I mentioned in the “Crisis of Self Love” Blog about talking to yourself with kindness. But it is also filling yourself with positive expectations. Be easy on yourself when things do not work as planned. Roll with the punches and see what the silver lining is. 4. Create Space to learn how to love yourself:Loving ourselves in our fullness can sometimes be challenging. Join me on January 28th for the “Creating Space to Love Yourself Workshop. In this workshop, you will learn to “Embrace the good, forgive and correct the bad and clean up the ugly.”   Save the Date Creating Space to Love Yourself Join me for a powerful and transformational workshop as we “Create Space” to learn to love ourselves! REGISTER TODAY! Learn More!

The 4 Ps of Success! Moving into the New Year always makes me feel grateful and hopeful. Grateful because I’ve lived thru another year and my family and I are healthy. Hopeful because I expect this coming year to be even better than ever and I typically get what I expect. I know some of you have experienced challenges and loss in this past year and I respect and honor your feelings. I encourage you to look to the future with a passion to live your best life. Please remember, you create your reality by what you think and what you say. In other words, you have the power within you to make the necessary changes to bring you joy. “Every year you make a resolution to change yourself. This year, make a resolution to BE yourself.” – Author unknown What I know for sure is this… Purpose creates the PlanPlan creates the PassionPassion creates the Promise “No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.” – Buddah Stop resisting your opportunities. Stop thinking you’re all alone. Stop thinking you can’t. The minute you start believing you CAN, your entire life changes…Really. You can do this!!! Then why don’t you? Here’s the Problem… No matter how hard you may want to behave differently and incorporate new behaviors into your life, it is very difficult to stay focused and intentional in order to maintain momentum. Here’s the Mistake… You feel invincible in the New year, with new energy, and think you’re capable of doing anything you want…but that feeling, if you’re lucky, maybe lasts till March 🙂 Here’s the Solution… Join me for “The 4 Ps of Perseverance – Purpose, Plan, Passion, Promise” a free zoom webinar I’m offering on January 4th at 7:00pm. Since PERSEVERE is our Theme for 2023, I want to show you how to organize your thoughts and prioritize for all of 2023. Register below and then show up Jan 4th at 7:00. Those 4 Ps are intricately connected and will bring order into your life. Let me show you. See you on January 4th, 2023!! I am Rita…speaking to your Spirit Save the Date Our BURN VISION Retreat is where you want to be. Throughout the weekend, we will guide you, support you, life you listen to you and speak to your spirit. REGISTER TODAY! Learn More!

You don’t want to play HOLIDAY? Allow Me to Enlighten You. It saddens me, that with the tradition of three well-known family celebrations held in December… Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, too many people do not celebrate in this month. I read an article from Mcleanhospital.org stating… “according to the American Psychological Association, 38% of people surveyed, said their stress increased during the holiday season. This stress can lead to physical illness, depression, anxiety, and substance misuse. The reasons given: lack of time, financial pressure, gift-giving, and family gatherings, while Grief and Loss bring another level of sadness. Please consider reaching out to me. One conversation could help you see what’s really important to you during this season. If not me, choose another professional. It would help to learn why this season triggers sadness in you, rather than true joy. One day at a time is one way to look at each day, no matter the season. We cannot change yesterday, and tomorrow is not promised, so Today is all we have. We’ve all experienced a complete shift in our lives with all that’s happening around us, and I get it. It’s not an easy space to be in. So, what are the choices? Do you continue feeling sad and hope things get better? What you send out, comes back to you. You send sadness into the Universe and it comes back to you. So, start by focusing on what you’re grateful for and allow more gratefulness to come back to you. What do you have to lose? Rita’s Recommended Action Steps: Think about what makes you smile. One memory could totally make a difference. Think about what brings you joy, then close your eyes and relive it. Think about those less fortunate and reach out. December is a time for giving and it doesn’t have to cost you anything but your time Think about WHY you’re spending the money. Is it because you feel guilty, you want to impress someone, you feel pressured? None of these excuses will matter in January. Ask yourself WHY! I am Rita…speaking to your Spirit My final recommendation is that you download our Holiday gift which you can benefit from all year. Angela has created a beautiful and peaceful meditation tape. She begins by saying “do not drive while listening”. Her words. her tone, the background music is medicinal…ENJOY!! I am so proud of her and I know you will be as well. Download You are hearing it first. It will be on our website and YouTube channel next week.              Happy Holidays from us to you!!! Save the Date Our BURN VISION Retreat is where you want to be. Throughout the weekend, we will guide you, support you, life you listen to you and speak to your spirit. REGISTER TODAY! Learn More!

“Worry Bout Yourself” There can be so much going on during the holiday season that can easily distract us. We’ve got shopping. We’ve got food buying. Don’t forget the food preparation and eating. There is personal time with family and friends. We have parties and festivities.  We attend faith-based and remembrance services and share moments where we honor our ancestors. And during this special time, how often are you taking a moment to focus on yourself? Taking time to Worry Bout Yourself or focus on yourself can easily take a backseat when so much needs to be done, especially during the holiday season. But too much focus on other people, places, and things can pull you out of balance and keep you far away from fulfilling your own needs. It’s essential to recognize that if we worry so much about others, we can blur the lines that define what we have to do and what we really don’t have to do or worry about. Please recognize that focusing on yourself does not make you a selfish person. In fact, it makes you a brilliant person focusing on being able to be a better person to not only yourself but others. We have all heard the quote about pouring from an empty cup. But there is also such a thing as pouring from a toxic cup. So, ensure that what you’re pouring into yourself and others is of good nature, love, hope, patience, compassion, and generosity. Here are a few ways to “Worry Bout Yourself” during this holiday season… And any other season, for real! 1. Stop talking bad about my best friend, You! You wouldn’t allow your best friend to talk bad about themselves, so why do you talk so bad about yourself? I don’t care if their negative thoughts, limiting beliefs, or taking on the opinions of others. A simple rule is to not say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to anyone else. Be gentle to yourself. Use positive phrases and affirmations to yourself while looking in the mirror. You are a child of God; remember that! Begin to speak love and light into and over your life. Holiday Cheer is a real thing, and it starts with yourself. 2. Remember to Just Breathe We often work ourselves up over things that we have absolutely no control over. For example, there’s often worry about forgetting someone’s gift, not being able to attend an event with the in-laws, or the unrecognized fear of what the holidays will be like after a significant change. Just breathe… Take a few moments to be still. During the season, I’m often reminded of Psalms 46:10, “Be Still, and know that I am GOD .” We do not have to do everything. We do not have to be everyone. We do not have to go everywhere. But we can be confident and assured that no matter what happens, God’s got us. With that protection, it makes it a little bit easier to simply just breathe. 3. Take Advantage of the opportunities I love all the holiday sales that pop up during this time. Now it is important to be mindful of senseless spending. But it can be easy to include yourself in some of the deals. For example, some of my favorite restaurants are offering bonus gift cards with purchases. This creates opportunities to take me to lunch or happy hour! I am a great bargain shopper, and while finding great deals for others, I may purchase something small too. Or while the family is visiting and they offer assistance, you allow them help and remove critics about how it’s done. So take some pressure off and take advantage of the gifts around you. 4. Check out the Three Wise Women Now we all know the story of the Three Wise Men and their journey to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus. But have you heard the story of the Three Wise Women who are combating holiday stress? Join Rita Ricks, Angela Lightfoot, and Celia Powell on November 12th at 10 a.m. for The Naughty List: Combating Holiday Stress. This workshop will help you set clear boundaries, manage your finances, and show you successful ways to create your best holiday ever. Save the Date The Naughty List 2.0 Join us as we share recommendations for navigating, overcoming, and enjoying your holidays. REGISTER TODAY! Learn More! ACHIEVING YOUR GREATNESS Coaching session for Young Adults Are you ready to support your young adult in their healing, contact me today! Learn More!

CONSIDER YOURSELF A SURVIVOR The definition of a survivor is one who copes or manages to live thru a bad situation or affliction that might even cause death. A survivor is a person regarded as resilient or courageous enough to overcome hardship, misfortune, or some other life-changing incident. Is that you? Are you here today, despite some challenges that could have, should have taken you down? Then you are a Survivor! And before you say, “I don’t feel like a survivor,” THINK AGAIN. Don’t downplay what you’ve been thru. It was tough, but you are still here. Thinking from the place of Being a survivor is the opposite of thinking from a place of Being a victim. And let me Be clear, though you may have been a victim during the crisis, you must not allow it to define you. You are bigger than your situation. You got thru it when others didn’t, for whatever reason, and you know it was God who pulled you thru. Remember, “as a man Thinketh, so he becomes.” How do you want to see yourself? How do you want to be known? Victims want sympathy. They choose to stay in that dark place…… Being angry, blaming others, miserable. But survivors pull themselves up and make the decision to heal and then share their story in order to heal others. Whatever your struggle…… domestic violence, breast cancer, COVID, loss from death, loss of income – whatever the struggle. It is a part of your journey; only you can decide how it will impact you. I am a 20+ year breast cancer survivor, and that experience has made my life so much better. When I was told the spot was malignant, I decided that day that I was going to take responsibility for my body. I’ve learned that everything that goes in my mouth sends a message to my body. I know that dis-ease around me can lead to disease in me. I know that my spirit is healthiest when I spend intentional time in prayer and meditation. I am a Survivor. As a Survivor, I encourage you to incorporate the following 10 actions in your life. 1. Celebrate that you lived thru it 2. Be grateful for another chance 3. Create quality time for you 4. Envision yourself as whole 5. Share your testimony with someone 6. Continue learning who you are 7. Use your courage to elevate victims 8. Appreciate and honor other Survivors 9. Find a Coach to assist you in moving forward 10. BE better as a result of your experience My prayer is that this Message has helped you see how very unique you are. You survived when others didn’t, and NO, it’s not always easy. But as long as you trust and believe that God has got your back –As long as you trust and believe that He is working on your behalf –As long as you believe that not only must you pray, but you must listen for the answers — you will be fine. I’m telling you what I know.We are on this planet for such a short time, and there is so much good to experience. Be intentional about identifying the good. And spend your quiet time BEING in the GOOD space. Rita’s Recommended Action Steps: Hover over the difficult experience(s) and look at the bigger picture to see what you’ve learned about you. Begin to think, talk and walk like a SURVIVOR. Write about how your experiences have made you stronger. Re-purpose those thoughts into a book, blog, podcast, or movie script. Remember…today is an unrepeatable day. I am Rita…speaking to your Spirit Save the Date Join us as we share recommendations for navigating, overcoming, and enjoying your holidays. REGISTER TODAY! Learn More!