Links

I’m really glad 2018 is in the rear view mirror. It was a difficult year of pain, change and transformation – because I lost the love of my life. 

I recently marked the one-year mark of my heartbreak. Instead of sitting at home and going internal and letting my thoughts get the better of me, I gathered my girl tribe and celebrated. I proudly toasted my survival, strength and badassery. As an aside, I went back to the same bar where he broke up with me a year ago. I haven’t been there in that time – but it’s immediately where I wanted to go to whoop it up! Take that, pain!

This is part of why I’m so excited about the brand new year and my new outlook. It’s more than a new beginning for me. I’m looking ahead with hope for the first time in a very long time. Not only am I fully hopeful about my general life outlook, I’m optimistic about my personal and professional life. 

Personally, I’m amping up my self-care practices. I’m getting back to basics with my body. I’m refocusing on how I fuel my body and starting a new intense workout program. Sunday Zen days will make a full-on return so I continue to put myself first. Loving me is my first priority.

While I am still at a corporate job, I’m in full launch mode as part of my life empowerment and transformation coaching. Eventually, my goal is to coach full time and help you every day. I cannot wait until I can make that leap! 

One more thing: I’m going to try to get out of my own way this year – and let the Universe take control. I WILL say, unapologetically what I want. I’ll speak it clearly and then trust in divine timing. 

You, too, can make a new beginning from an ending. Are you unsure of how you’re feeling in the new year? Do you want to make some changes but don’t know how? Are you struggling with how you feel about yourself in your core? Let me help you. 

I’m thankful for 2018 for where it brought me and the lessons it taught me – and how strong I’ve become. I know I continue to be exactly where I’m meant to be!

Who are you called to be in the new year? Do you know who you are at your core? Reflect on that as 2018 draws to a close and be ready to be your authentic self in 2019. 

I found my truth this year. I found myself, too, and neither was easy. As I’ve mentioned in this blog throughout the year, I lost the love of my life, my fated partner, at the start of 2018. That means I’m coming up on one year without him. I feel his loss in my heart and soul every single day. However, I’m living more fully, too. 

In early November when I last saw him volunteering with our alumni club (that’s actually how we met), I walked out with him and thanked him. I thanked him for giving me a push early in the year. Without that nudge, I wouldn’t have followed this amazing path to live my biggest, best life. I wouldn’t have found my purpose working with you and planning programs to help you be your best, badass self. That includes me. I’ve transformed inside and out – physically, spiritually and emotionally. It was important for me to thank him. I think I shocked him. 

That was me being vulnerable, living my truth and being exactly who I am – and proud AF about it! I encourage you to to try to do the same. If you live your truth and act in authentic ways, you’ll never have to apologize for how you live or the decisions you make. 

I also think living this way makes you braver, stronger, more daring and tougher. Who doesn’t want to be that spunky and strong? I sure do!

Let me help you do the same in 2019. Sign up for my email list on bridgetzappa.com or by emailing me at bczappa@comcast.net. You can also read my blog from last week, Dec. 24, for all the details on my 2019 program. Jump in and take risks instead of spending your life frozen in fear or stuck. You deserve to live your best life. Let me help you, 

Happy New Year my lovelies. I’ve got your back in 2019 and there are amazing journeys for us to take together!

If you haven’t checked out my free video series about how to survive the holidays, especially if it’s your first alone or after a loss, check it out here. I’ve got one more coming next week. I’ve loved your comments and emails. Keep them coming to bczappa@comcast.net!

Now, I’m excited to unveil to you my new program for 2019! It’s all about tapping into your true self and using tools like crystals and harnessing the celestial like the moon to be the best you, by finding your inner badass.

Be part of the 8-week Manifesting Your Best Badass Life program. The modules include:

1. Uncovering your superpower Find and love your inner badass and learn healthy habits so you can take care of yourself first
2. Follow your inner moonlight Harness the power of la luna to plan, act and work like a badass, especially as you balance the demands in your life
3. Trust the Universe Let go of what doesn’t serve you any longer so you can come into your full badass self
4. Using Crystals for Healing Love your badass self first so you can love others and have fulfilling relationships from family, to friends to partners

I’m also giving you the chance to connect with me personally. If you sign up for my super manifestation level, you’ll get one-on-one time with me and a gift to help you make your dreams reality in 2019.

Watch my website at bridgetzappa.com for more. To sign up now and get a jump on your year, send me a note at bczappa@comcast.net. I’m excited for you to take 2019 by storm by helping you discover and rock your badass self!

I’m with my best friend in Marco Island, Florida, this week. I’m not really a beach-type person. I’m comfortable with my body. That’s been a process for me, but I’ve worked super hard on my health and strength and can rock a bikini for the first time in my life in my late 40s. Just call me J Lo. 

I’m on this trip to spend time with my friend and experience something new by going to the beach and fully relaxing. I did take a few books – which is totally me. I’ll work out and just enjoy the down time. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know this has been quite a year of change for me. Some may say it’s been a “shitty” year. I believe it’s been a year of growing, expanding and transforming, for sure. 

With all of this, and at every step of my journey, I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be – right now – and I don’t mean the beach. I mean I’m where I’m meant to be in terms of my healing journey. 

So are you. At any given time, you are right where you’re supposed to be. It may not feel like it. You may feel like you’d rather be just about anywhere else, feeling just about any other emotion. Oh I so understand! Try to appreciate your journey and where you are RIGHT NOW. Appreciate the now. Too often, we live in the past or rush our thoughts to the future – that we miss today. 

Appreciate each day. Take one day at a time. Try to love each magical moment. And go easy on yourself. It takes time and mindfulness. Let me help you. As a preview, one of my 2019 programs will be about mindfulness and living in today. Drop me a note at bczappa@comcast.net. 

Sending you love, encouragement and support, beauties!

“In school you are taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you are given a test that teaches you a lesson.” Malcolm X

This is a great quote. It reminds us that we’re meant to find the lesson in life’s ups and downs. How you take these lessons and make your life fuller and richer is up to you. 

Losing something or someone important in your life is painful and difficult. Just when you think you may be healing, a memory or another trigger sends you back a few steps and you feel like you’ll never be happy again. This is normal. It’s like taking four steps forward and five steps back to take three forward, and so on throughout your journey. 

This is part of life, especially after loss. What I did during the months after my breakup was to journal constantly about what I was feeing and write positive and affirming quotes so I could read it when I got sad or lonely or felt unworthy. Here are some guidelines I continue to keep in mind so I stay on track with my healing.

1. Take the time to heal. It’s a process – and the time depends on many variables. 
2. Be easy on your self. Pain and loss is difficult and there is no one way to feel. 
3. Appreciate the now. Don’t live in the past or the future. You’ll miss today. 
4. Be grateful for what you have. Even with loss, there is always something to be thankful for. 
5. Tell those you love how you feel. Don’t wait. Life is too short. 
6. Focus on you. Love you. Take care of you. 

In essence, these tips are about taking care of your emotional and mental health. You can’t control what other people will say or do or what they think – which makes controlling what you can more vital. I read something recently: truth bomb: “It would be nice to control, but it’s not necessary.” What great advice. 

What other tips and guidance would you give yourself, looking back at how you experienced your pain and loss? Hindsight is 20/20, but by journaling on what you’ve learned and how you can take those lessons and move forward in your life and next relationships how you can transform your pain into positivity, happiness, peace and joy. 

Have you experienced a loss this year? Are you dreading the holidays because they are your first ones alone? I know how you feel. This is my first holiday season without the love of my life. 

Hi, I’m Bridget Zappa and I’m a life and transformation coach. I’m just getting started with this amazing work because I want to help you find your inner badass and come into your full self so you can live your best life, and I want to share what I’ve learned through my difficult personal experience. 

In the ongoing journey to become our best, many of us experience painful changes in life like a relationship breakup, job loss or other loss in life. I’ve been there – so I know how challenging it can be to not only survive and move on – but to thrive and feel joy and happiness again. 

At the beginning of 2018, the love of my life left me after eight years together. I didn’t see it coming. It sent me into a steep downward spiral of extreme sadness, loneliness and feelings of not being worthy, lovable or like I wasn’t enough. I’m still healing.  It’s a day-by-day thing. I have good days and not so good days. I still love him which is a double-edged sword in terms of fully being able to move on and heal. But I want to be honest with you about where I am in my journey right now. 

Then, in September 2018, my job was eliminated. Thankfully, while a big life change, I viewed it right away as a blessing. I’ve typically had pretty good perspective in my life. That’s why after losing my love, the job loss just didn’t compare. 

These are just some of the reasons why I want to support women like you who struggle with similar (and other) loss and pain. Maybe you need to rejuvenate spiritually, emotionally and/or physically. I’m focused on helping you experience healing, transformation, self-worth and true happiness and self acceptance in the ways that matter and will make the most difference for you.

Regardless of your situation, the holidays can be challenging. Whether it’s the holiday season, new years, or Valentine’s Day – these milestones can be painful. I’m here to guide you and help you find your way – by reminding you of your strength – of your inner badass. 

Because I understand how you’re feeling, and I’m badass AF, too, I’m sharing my thoughts with you to help us all get through the holidays together. I’ll record sessions weekly and offer them to you for free on my website bridgetzappa.com. You can also sign up for my email list (email me at bczappa@comcast.net) and I’ll send you the sessions between now and the end of 2018. They will focus on how to heal your heart so you can fully enjoy and engage in the holiday season. It’s about shifting the attention to yourself so you can navigate your new reality. 

Here’s a quick summary of what to expect: 

• The first sessions will be focused on all that’s amazing in your life and being grateful for today and how to better live in present instead of the past. 
• The next session will be about finding your support system. It can be as few as five people who you know you can depend on regardless of what’s going on and how you’re feeling. 
• Then, I’ll share my thoughts on self-care and what it’s meant to me in my healing journey. Self care is really important during the holidays. It’s an opportunity for you to cut through the chaos and bring your attention back to you.
• Your health is a priority. Eating good food and getting some physical exercise is important, especially during the holidays and in times of pain and change. 

Let me know if you want more information about these free sessions. Next year, I’m going to go more in depth on these topics. Watch my website bridgetzappa.com for more. I can send you information, too. Drop me a note at bczappa@comcast.net. 

I’m here for you, beauties. By sharing with you, I’ll continue to heal, too. Let me help you find your inner badass and we’ll move forward together. 

As a society, we often operate at warp speed, multitask and use devices like an iPhone or iPad constantly. Quiet or stillness may be foreign concepts. Mindfulness? What’s that? Inner guide….say what? Actually, it’s by quieting the mind and sitting in stillness that you can bring true mindfulness to your life. By doing that, you find your inner guide – and what a wonder that discovery can be!

Whether you meditate or not, drawing your thoughts inward and learning to be mindful can help you find your inner self. I call it my inner guide. By meditating and being mindful, I found my inner guide this year. What’s so important about your inner guide? It’s your inner compass or intuition. By tuning in, you can find yourself again, if you lost sight of who you are at your core. It also helps you align with what’s true for you in your life – values, decisions and more. 

For me, my inner guide is my intuition. It may or may not be that for you. By pulling inward on a regular basis, I tune into my intuition. I’m able to not only be mindful, but I can trust what my inner guide/intuition is telling me or guiding me to do. It’s like trusting your gut on any decision – life decisions, decisions about who and what to let go, and decisions about what to pursue and what risks or leaps to take. It’s so fundamental to how I live my life and it’s enabled me to better trust my gut and live more authentically. 

By trusting my inner guide or intuition, I was able to find my larger life purpose of becoming a life, empowerment and transformation coach for strong women. This was a leap and a risk and something I’m meant to do in my life. As I move forward and lay the groundwork to step more fully into my calling, I continue to meditate and tap into my intuition to ensure I’m moving forward in ways true to me and to find the strength and stamina necessary to push through challenges and roadblocks along the way. 

This is how I live today – mindful and aligned with my inner guide. You can, too, and I can help. Early next year, I’m launching a program about learning to find your inner guide and how to trust your intuition. Ask me about it! Or send me an email to bczappa@comcast.net and get on my list for updates about the program. 

It’s Thanksgiving this week. Wow, where has the year gone? In a few weeks, we’ll be upon a new year. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays, is all about family, food and gratitude. Considering, how busy the season is, especially if you’re hosting the main meal, it’s important to slow down and take care of yourself.

In an earlier post a few weeks ago, I talked of the importance of self care. You can’t care for others if you aren’t taking care of yourself. The same goes for this busy season. And maybe it’s because the holiday is about food and happens as the weather turns colder, but it’s a time that I’m especially grateful for my health.

2018 has been a year of change for me – in all elements of my life from relationships to health to strength to resilience. Part of that journey has been to add self care rituals including working out and amping up my health and strength. That new focus doesn’t take a back seat on Thanksgiving or any busy holiday. Before my guests arrive and before I fully dress the bird, I’ll get my workout in. If the weather is decent, I’ll go out for a run. If not, I’ll get a weight and cardio workout in at home.

Then, I make sure I’m hydrating and eating healthy food. I carefully plan the menu to be as healthy as possible. I also cut myself some slack so I can fully enjoy the day with family and friends. I am hosting again this year (I honestly enjoy it!) so I can choose the healthy and not so healthy options. Key is to drink plenty of water and keep the alcohol to a reasonable amount.

Regardless, I’m so thankful for the abundance and love in my life. But I’m most thankful for my health – it’s priceless and something that needs continual attention to maintain.

On another topic, Thanksgiving evening will be a full moon. How wonderful is that!? Just as families are together and living in fullness and abundance, the moon will be full and wonderful. Full moons signify times of great productivity and action. I’ve talked about it here many times. It’s my favorite moon phase of all.

It’s fullness on Thanksgiving of all nights may fall empty on some. Holidays can be difficult, especially if you’ve experienced a loss in your life. Last Thanksgiving I hosted for the first time and welcomed my love’s entire family into my home. It was wonderful. This year, I’m happy to have a full house again, but I can’t help but think of last year and how blessed I felt.

Thank you, lovelies. I’m so very grateful for each of you!

You may have heard this phrase before: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” Versions of this phrase have been attributed to Plato. What that means to me is that for hundreds of years, people have needed reminders to be kind, especially since so much of what we think and feel is hidden behind our external appearances. 

Anxiety and depression and other emotional challenges are internal struggles. You don’t see someone at work, church or Target and think, “Oh, that person must have anxiety.” No. Those close to you often aren’t aware of your internal struggles – unless you tell them. If you can’t get out of bed in the morning or throughout the day try not to have a panic attack, it’s a battle few may know about. That’s why, whether you also face the same struggles or have a friend or family member who does, kindness should be your default in how you treat other people. 

Kindness is underrated. It’s not necessarily as easy to make it your default, but it’s my goal. As humans, we tend to jump to judgment first and react with compassion later. Opening your heart to be more compassionate, kind and loving to others, is the challenge, and we can each meet it or ignore it. By treating others with kindness, it will be reflected back to you, especially at times when you need it most. 

In fighting an internal battle (and I understand more than most), you may feel that it’s obvious to others, but it most likely is not. Part of that fight may be healing from an emotional or spiritual wound. That’s also a a very private battle. Healing a heart or patching up a soul can’t be rushed. It’s sensitive and sacred work. Similarly, if you’re being treated for depression or anxiety, be easy on yourself. You are a unique and beautiful creation and you’re not alone. Find others who you can trust and lean on. Those who will understand your ups and downs and love and support you anyway. 

Whether you can lend love and support to a loved one, or simply be kind to others in all you do, you show you’re mindful of what’s hidden for all of us: our pain, struggle, challenges, battles. 

Sunday is my day. I call it “Bridget’s Zen Day.” I made this change in my life earlier this year as I navigated the twists and turns and pain in my life. It’s made all the difference. 

On a typical Sunday, I center myself early by going to early Mass. After,  I run the beautiful Summit Avenue in St. Paul, Minn. I enjoy the weather, beautiful scenery and changing seasons. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, I hit my mat for a yoga sweat sesh. After either workout, I then luxuriate in a warm bubble and epsom salt bath. For the rest of the afternoon, I write or read or take an online seminar for persona development. 

Establishing this Sunday tradition all about me has been vital to my health and healing. It’s so necessary, that I let my friends and family know so they could understand why I was keeping Sunday as my sacred day. 

For the first time in my life, I’ve worked to align my body, soul and mind. On a regular basis, being healthy and strong physically has helped me be healthy and strong emotionally and spiritually. This alignment is so important to healing. It’s been a key element for me. 

Through this beautiful focus, I’ve also found the real me, gotten to know who I am and what matters to me, tuned in to fully trust my intuition, and fallen in love with what makes me pure magic. That’s why I truly believe taking care of yourself is not selfish at all. It’s fundamental to learning to live a full life on purpose. 

This is a snapshot of what I do to take care of myself so I can not only survive, but thrive. I encourage you to find ways to take care of yourself, too. Your practices may be similar to mine or different. Regardless, you can’t take care of anyone else if you’re not taking care of you – and you are worthy!

Another of my loving practices is aligning with the cycles of the moon. During a new moon, I set intentions for my next month and identify areas of my life where I want to make changes. Our next new moon is this week on Nov. 7. My intention for this new moon is to be more open with the Universe about what I want to manifest in my life and not apologize for what I desire. I want to bring more peace and joy into my life and radiate that shit in every room I enter and with each person I interact with. Living in peach and joy takes effort – it doesn’t just happen. 

What you manifest can happen. What do you want more of in your life? Create an intention and ask the Universe!