As the year winds down and the new year begins, what a wonderful time to reflect on the progress of our lives. It’s easy to look in our bank accounts to measure success, but is that the most accurate gauge? I doubt it.
Take a few moments to review your relationships, the attempts at your dreams, the mistakes that caused great pain and hopefully learning, the steps towards banishing your fears or perhaps a new-found joy that comes only with maturity and understanding. Sure, there’s plenty of resolutions to make, lots of things we claim we need to change in the New Year. These often turn into a self-bashing session of why we aren’t good enough. Yes, it’s good to have goals, but equally if not more importantly, its great to congratulate yourself on the things you have achieved, no matter how small. Some days I marvel that I’m still here and have new opportunities every moment. I’m in awe that I get to DO THIS – to live.
I’ve had a wonderfully challenging year. Creating a new show and brand for my company is far less than easy, but I’m glad I started. And because I started, there’s a full season of new TV Shows that just wrapped! I look forward to a new year with a new season and also look back to see a year full of success. The obvious highlights were interviewing great personalities like Deepak Chopra, The Naked Cowboy, Don Jamieson and 30 other fabulous people, but the highlights most people see are the results of much labor coming to fruition with a group of talented people that we can now view on the screen. Releasing creativity feels like a tremendous success to me.
I wish you the best year-end celebration, and a New Year full of surprises and realized dreams. Come visit us with our new show at www.whosondeck.tv! Happy 2012!!!
Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category
It’s a Wrap!
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011A ‘lil Flav Makes Memorial Wknd
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011
This Memorial weekend was one that will go in my diary as “memorable.” On Saturday night, I hustled up to Harlem to meet Flavor Flav for an interview. He’s got a new book out, The Icon, and I couldn’t resist a little time with Flav to ask the questions I want to know.
Flav’s a bright guy, multi-talented and an admitted addict to the front-line/hype scene, look-at-me-I’m-Flav. Deservedly so. If the cops weren’t watching him, millions of people in front of the television were. He’s been the face of the number one progressive rap group Public Enemy and has himself caused many public enemies. Mix all that up for 30+ years and you’ve got some flavor.
Catch the interview here: http://youtu.be/SrxGYqJF79w or above in my archives.
Did you Quit??
Wednesday, January 12th, 2011Well, did you? Maybe you are having a hard time quitting (or starting) that New Year’s resolution you made a few days ago. Many are. It doesn’t mean that you should give up. Make a Chinese New Year Resolution. A Feb 5 resolution. It doesn’t matter what you make, but make sure you get back on the resolution wagon. You can achieve your goals. Whether it’s weight loss, quit smoking or sugar addiction, you can do it. We want to help you quit/start and succeed, so we’ve joined up with a company that cares! Quit Tea is a simple, delicious and effective tea that will help you succeed on your journey! Particularly formulated for smoking cessation, the tea helps with cravings, withdrawals, detox, anxiety and lung function. As you can see, it’s good for MANY of us! So, we are GIVING AWAY a free GIFT SET and want it to go to a winner that needs help to quit. Or start. Or start quitting. Or maybe quit starting. Either way, you should try this tea!
You can win one of two ways. 1 – Subscribe to my free newsletter Sage Advice for healthy living tips, or 2 – Email me with a short description of your journey to quitting. The winner will be chosen by Feb 1.
You can subscribe to Sage Advice on this site, right column down or at www.modernsage.com. I can’t wait for you to start quitting and want to hear all about it!
Deep Love
Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
I’ve been thinking about the holidays and what they mean to so many. As I walk the streets of NY, it’s hard not to notice the vast amount of people, cultures, beliefs and rituals during this time of year. I love the diversity and at the same time feel longing to find the common denominator.
As much turmoil as our world experiences, I figure the only way we’re able to co-habitate is due to this one root experience: love. In celebration or grief, I believe that innately we all know an experience of deep love. It may not have ever come from a parent or spouse, it may seem missing in the battlefield of warzones. We may question it in times of loss & environmental catastrophes – but somehow the human race has a sense of it and if not received, would parish. It’s true that deep love is often overshadowed by material gifts or abused by lustful desires. Even still, our hearts know better. Our souls long to experience this deep love and seekers all over the world go to extreme measures to glimpse it.
I hope today and through this holiday season, you will have an experience of deep love. From our Maker, from your family, to your friends and perhaps to a stranger that is hurting. It is the most affordable and treasured gift available, and luckily, it’s never oiut of stock on Amazon.
Merry Christmas to you!
Bathtub Reflections
Friday, November 26th, 2010I’ve been spending a lot of time in the tub (see Detox Bath Review www.modernsage.com) and with that comes relaxitation: meditation in the tub. As I was finishing a bath recently and watching the water drain, I began thinking about drains in general. Sink drains, tub drains, physical drains, emotional drains.
We think that small negative ‘things’ in our lives don’t affect the whole. We try to isolate a stressor and believe that it’s not wreaking havoc on our other affairs. But, think of the drain. What happens in the sink when a small bean clogs one of the drain holes? The water still goes down, but at a slower pace. Think of that drain with several food particles from the dinner plate, covering a many holes. A much slower drain, indeed. Even tiny hairs in the sink can quickly cause a complete clog. Meet plunger, your new assistant.
Imagine that those food particles or hair strands represent negative stressors in your life.
In a healthy state of mind, we want life to be less cumbersome. We seek happiness, love, positive movement and a continuous gentle flow. Life thrives in these environments. To think that one negative factor (be it a person, habit, debt, burdensome weight or addiction) is not causing your entire life to be more difficult (less thriving) is false thinking. No matter what is clogging your drain, be it small or large, your life is being held back from the movement it is trying to make.
Maybe it’s time to start clearing out some blockages in your life, to remove the beans and pull out the gnarly hairs so that your life-force can flow freely.
Enjoy your holiday. Give thanks for all that is brilliantly *alive* in your life and consider how much time you are spending plunging the same issues that are holding you back.
(I highly suggest tub relaxitation for further discoveries.)
Sage Advice
Thursday, November 18th, 2010I write a column called Sage Advice. It’s a quippy diddy full of healthy living tips. If you aren’t already a subscriber, I encourage you to do so. Why? 3 reasons. It’s free. It’s full of info about new health products and insights. But mostly, many people find it mildly to highly inspirational. Don’t worry, it only comes once a month so your inbox will remain available for the thousands of other emails you surely don’t want to miss.
Go ahead, subscribe now and you’ll be in on the latest Sage Advice about positive and organic lifestyles. And, thanks to our sponsors, you may just win the next giveaway! (See right column, Subscribe link).
If not, follow me on Twitter, fan of A Girl Named Guy on Facebook and check out www.Modernsage.com to stay in the loop!
Getting a grip on happy living by changing attitudes, thoughts and status updates.
Tuesday, October 26th, 2010Part of my work in mindful media is to offer a new perspective about this thing we call life. I read people’s status update on Facebook and much of it makes me cringe…people droning on and on about how they hate Mondays, can’t wait for humpday, the joy that it’s one day before Friday, then TGIF and if we’re lucky, negative status reprieve for maybe 18 hours until the witching hours on Sunday evening…Is this really all there is to life, with a few victorious football games in the mix? I’m amazed at the number of people that, according to their status, are just plain miserable on a day-to-day basis. Either that, or they have no ability to communicate positive thoughts, emotions or experiences. We’ve all had water-cooler chat, bitchvests and vent-time over a beer. But good grief have we lost the joy of simply living?
I posted a status update one day, which is one of my favorite sayings: “If the grass is always greener on the other side, water your grass.” Only one person “liked” it, of course, the other hundreds were sitting on their brown plots moaning about Monday.
Being unhappy or speaking about unhappiness does nothing to make one happy – in fact, it breeds the same misery and invites others to muddle in the mix. This lifestyle is one that doesn’t propogate joy, peace and love, or health. It’s been shown that what we think and talk about defines our life experiences. Mental afflictions, depression and poor attitudes create stress in the brain and body, as well as germinates poor relationships, bad sex lives, weight gain, loss of sleep, less friends and an overall less enjoyable experience. One thing that is for certain, our attitude is a choice. You are the only one in control of that.
Seriously, life is too short. Surely you’ve had some awakening to the fact that life is terribly short and could end any second. You are going to die. Why would you want to spend a moment, or years, doing something that you dread? I wouldn’t, can’t and won’t. There are some things I don’t like to do but need to. I work to find some positive about it. There are other things that I know would definitely make me unhappy, so I avoid with full gusto. All the rest, I have to say, I’ve chosen and enjoy. If you think I have a charmed life, you are right. I could also come up with 100 ways that it sucks, but why would I do that? What purpose does that serve? It certainly doesn’t make me happy.
Can you make some changes in either your situation or your perspective so that you have a good feeling about Monday? So that hump-day doesn’t define your level of freedom? How about a positive status update that finds gratitude in the very essence of simple living… I can’t wait to read it!
I’m A Christian & I do Yoga
Thursday, October 7th, 2010
In response to the recent headline news from an ill-informed Southern Baptist leader in my home state of KY, (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39553520/ns/us_news-life/) I’d like to offer a bit of Christian enlightenment to the forum.
God loves my down-dog. As does my yorkie, Corkie. We do it together and I’m not sure, but I believe he’s a Christian too.
For the past 15 years I’ve been practicing yoga. For the past 25 years I’ve been practicing a Christian faith. I do sun salutations with God in my heart and Jesus as my Savior. What a wonderful gift to my creator to move my body with such ease, freedom and joy to the glory of His name. Perhaps I’m really living on the edge, but I confess that, most likely, I practice yoga with people of different religions, cultures and colors. I accept them and their beliefs.
Yoga is a systemic science. Christianity is a faith. What I can tell you with absolute certainty is that Albert Mohler is misleading his congregation/students/followers with a message that is harmful to Christians: that they simply cannot or should not practice yoga and be a Christian. This is a disgrace.
Yoga is not a religion. Yes, there are religions that implement yoga. So one could say that yoga is in some religions but religion is not in yoga. There is no deity in yoga. A warrior pose will not make one Buddhist or Hindu. Does eating hummus make one Greek? Or enchiladas Mexican? If so, I am a Greek Mexican.
The practice of yoga can be done religiously – as in, with fevor and discipline. Yoga influences the body structure, the organs, the breath, the mind and the spirit indeed. All wonderful. Yoga frees stress from the body and offers an opportunity to connect with our inner selves – aligning our hearts and minds with our spirit and that, my friend, is a beautiful thing. These aspects of a physical practice bring great awareness to our health and environment in many aspects. Yoga does not, however, require a faith, an idol or a religious opinion. If you learn the definition of yoga (union) and some other yoga-ish terms that are often present in a class or chant, you will discover things like forgiveness, honoring the divine present in each individual, open heartedness. These are honorable and considerate attributes that no one should fear, and perhaps similarly, ones that many religions strive to teach.
If you want to eat a jalapeno, you will not become Mexican.
If you get acupuncture, you will not become Chinese.
If you do yoga, you will not become Hindu.
If you accept God into your heart, you will practice living with a faith in Christ as a Christian.
All of the above can be woven into a life rich with half-moons, one-legged pigeon poses, vinyasas and the ever humbling downward-facing-dog. If times get difficult, I suggest the child’s pose – it’s perfect for prayer.
12 Week Energy Series Kickoff!
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010You are used to me writing about health – food, relationships, supplements, alternative treatments. You may not know that I’ve studied energy healing for over 15 years, working with energy of the body, auric fields, energy as it relates to relationships and even our homes. So, I’m starting a 12 week series of blog posts relating to this fascinating topic and how it affects all areas of our health including physical, emotional, mental and spiritual and relational. Energy is a force of life and a God-given instrument to enhance our wellbeing. The posts will go live by each Tues of the week until mid-October! So, join in regularly and post your experiences so we can all learn from each other.
You may have heard of energy fields, auras, chakras or meridians that correlate to your bodysystems in Eastern medicine. We’ll look at all of these aspects and the energy of your emotions, thoughts, foods and more. There are little tricks in the home you can do to increase positive energy, as well as energy tune-ups for increased health and wellness. I’ll talk about how to protect your energy (from negative people or places) and how to project your energy. This is information that will help you feel better, handle stress and life better and potentially heal from long-standing issues that have been “in your energy field” that you will now be able to release. There’s no voodoo involved, or strange & wacky ceremonies. Just great energy information to assist you on your life’s journey. See you next Tuesday!
Dream a BIG Dream
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010Are you holding on to a dream that you’ve had for years? Are you reaching for that dream or letting it be idle in your mind? It’s easy to get discouraged and let a dream fade, but that’s not what dreams are for. I believe we are called to pursue our dreams as part of our life’s work – an answer to the soul’s calling. Some dreams may seem out of reach, but often we can get closer than we ever thought with just a little effort, creative thinking and support.
I’m dreaming a big dream and need your help!!
Oprah is producing a new reality show on her debut network, OWN. It’s a show for TV hosts that will air Jan 2011. I’ve entered the competition and need a severe amount of votes! If you have 3-5 minutes of time, please view and vote for my audition on Oprah by clicking here? You can vote as often as you like, or make comments! The votes don’t tally immediately, but they DO count.
What are you dreaming? Sometimes going for our dreams means asking people for help. It can feel difficult or embarrassing to do this, but I don’t believe we are meant to do this life alone…we need people’s support. Share your dream today with a loved one or a new friend. You never know how you will get there, or if it will look as you imagined, but all you can do is try. Believe me, the journey during the ‘try’ is worth more than a million moments of ‘not trying.’ This way, there is no failure – only success!!
I’ve been in pursuit of my dream since I was a small, small child and feel grateful for the achieved milestones. Now I’m reaching higher for ‘My OWN Show’ and I sincerely appreciate your help!! It takes a village to raise a child, and, launch a big dream…
Leah Guy is a Producer, TV Host, Writer and passionista for inspired, lifestyle content. In 2006 she created A Girl Named Guy Productions and hasn’t slept since. 
A Girl Named Guy Productions is a multi-media company that serves a variety of audiences. Who's On Deck is a new celebrity TV Show produced by the company and Modern Sage is a site geared toward women's wellness. Creator & CEO, Leah Guy, launched the company in 2006 with a goal to meet the demand for positive, inspired content for the mainstream audience. AGNG produces videos, 
