Warren’s Wisdom

After I left the finance industry, I quickly realized I made the right decision when I never turned on CNBC again.

Although I do still have a passion for investing, businesses, making money etc. 

When I found out I was going to be in Omaha during the Berkshire Hathaway annual investor conference, I decided I had to go.

Especially since the firm I was at for ten years, First Eagle, followed Warren Buffett’s investing style and I spoke about him all the time. 

Getting to hear from the famed investor exceeded my expectations. Of course it was interesting hearing from him about the companies they’re invested in but what was even more interesting was some of the life advice he gave.

Here were some of my favorite nuggets:

💡There’s a great advantage in not knowing when you’re going to die.  Live everyday as if it were your last.

💡Spend your days doing things you enjoy.  If you’re lucky, you find your interests when you’re young. But if you don’t, you keep looking until you do. It’s never too late. 

💡Think about how you want your obituary to read and start living life that way now.

💡Surround yourself with people you trust. When you find those people, cherish them and forget about the rest. 

💡Find the person you want to share your life with and marry someone that will help you reach your vision.  Sometimes you find them early and sometimes you make mistakes along the way. 

💡The opportunities today, especially in the US, are endless. Go after what you want.

What a cool experience this was for me and even cooler to hear him preaching about life advice (especially being similar to what I share!)  This was an unforgettable experience and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.

If you find yourself in Omaha for this annual event, I’d highly recommend buying some BH shares and checking it out.

XO

Adrienne

PS...Want to find a like minded community you trust, uncover your passions and learn to design your life the way you want it to be?  Join me for my next round of Alchemy. Reply to this email to get on the waitlist!

Protection

I was having a conversation recently about all the ways we protect ourselves in life and what it actually does.

I equated it to walking around with a big plastic bubble around us - we think somehow this bubble is protecting us when in fact it is actually just keeping us from experiencing life to its fullest!

I notice how this comes up for me - I don’t share certain information because I don’t want to be seen as weak.  I don’t express my needs for fear of being “needy.”  And if I look closely, a multitude of other ways.

All these protection mechanisms are not actually doing me any good!  What I’ve realized is that we can only love to the depth we can grieve.  We can only experience joy to the degree we can feel sadness. 

If we’re constantly protecting ourselves from so-called negative experiences, we’re actually dulling our capacity for the highs of life too!

The word protect comes from a Latin word that means “covered in front.”  If we keep ourselves covered, it only ends up creating a prison for ourselves.  Overwhelm and loneliness ensue when we keep things out with this protection.

I believe the antidote to protection is self-trust.  When we can completely trust ourselves that we will be OK no matter what happens, then we can allow ourselves to be raw, vulnerable and open to anything.  

We can let people in completely, seeing all parts of us and not run from any experience because we know that we can handle it.  

Notice the ways you protect yourself and try giving it up.  I promise you will be ok.

XO

Adrienne

PS...So grateful for the amazing souls in my new group for Alchemy!  Reply to this email to get on the waitlist for the next round!

Grand Adventure

What if everyday you woke up excited, looking at life as a grand adventure?  Because in reality, that’s what it is!!!

This is how I see it: we came from the spirit world so incredibly eager and excited to have an experience as a human in Earth school.  We told ourselves we wouldn’t forget who we really are and our innate powers.

We knew it would be a grand adventure.  That nothing that happened could ever actually hurt us - it was all just for fun, for the experience of it!  And that there would be learning in it all.

This is the attitude we could be taking into life everyday.  Waking up excited and eager thinking “What’s gonna happen today?!”  

The problem is our mind and body are so conditioned to the past that we believe today is going to be just like yesterday.  We get addicted to emotions like guilt, anger and resentment.  Our mind plays a trick on us thinking that somehow the future is going to be better than this present moment which couldn’t be further from the truth.

It’s time to start looking at your life as the grand adventure that it is.  It’s a journey to nowhere - there isn’t an arrival!  So you might as well just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Today could be the best day of your life - wake up with eager anticipation for the grand adventure of a new day.  

XO

Adrienne

PS...want to learn to train your mind to be excited and inspired every single day?!  Come join Alchemy!  Last chance to get in before we start tomorrow.  Stop putting things off for the future - learn to live fully in this moment!

Victim or Victor?

I speak with a lot of people about their current life situation and my ears have been finely tuned to pick up on what the problem is going on in their lives.

So often I hear people blaming spouses, business partners, their firms, the market, their families for why they can’t be living the way they want.

I am guilty of this at times too. Blaming circumstances, situations or people for why things aren’t going my way.  Until I remember that the key to freedom is radical personal responsibility.

When we take radical personal responsibility, we take our power back.  We are no longer victims to our lives - we realize we are the creators and we can create whatever it is we want.

When something doesn’t go my way or I’m upset about a certain situation, I know that I somehow attracted that into my experience by being an energetic match to it.

I know the universe is bringing it to me to remind me to step into my own power and learn from it.

For example:

🤍If someone is rude or disrespectful to me, I look at the ways I am disrespectful to myself.  
🤍If prospects are being noncommittal, I see the ways in which I am being noncommittal.
🤍If a situation is very frustrating, I find where I still hold frustration and resentment inside.

And then I look to change that pattern within.  

The outside world is a mirror to our inner state.  And just like we wouldn't try to change the image on a mirror, we would change ourselves to see a different reflection, the universe works the same way.

I know this is a tough pill to swallow for a lot of people.  But when we can start taking radical personal responsibility, it is extremely empowering and liberating.

We will never get to where we want to go as long as we continue to blame the outside world for everything.  Start taking your power back and take responsibility for everything that happens in your life.

XO

Adrienne

PS...Want to learn how to change your energy to start attracting what you want?  Join my course ALCHEMY - where you will learn to get on the frequency with all your desires.  Book a call with me to see if it's a good fit.

Love

I’m really open about my life in these emails, on social media and with my clients. I believe it’s one of the best ways I can help people - to show the things I’m going through and have experienced and how it’s possible for others too.

Something I am not as open about is my love life.  Why?  I think it’s because there’s been a lot of shame about my past and failed relationships.  

For the last few years, I have been dedicated to understanding myself, seeing my patterns in relationships and making sure I am happy on my own instead of relying on someone else.

I spent a lot of time dreaming up what I wanted in a partnership in my life.

Anything that wasn’t that, I said no to.  I met some really great men along the way but they just weren’t what I wanted and needed in someone.

In the fall of last year I met someone unexpectedly and serendipitously.     

As much as I said I wanted a serious relationship, I see how my old patterns of walls and fleeing are still very much present.  This whole journey has been so healing for me in many ways. To allow someone to see all of me, and let the love in.  It’s not something I’ve really experienced before.

I’m learning to actually ask for what I need (instead of assuming someone knows) and then trust he will give that to me if he can.

This is a completely different dynamic than I’m used to where I would perpetually strategize and keep my cards close to my chest.  (Why did I think that would work?!)

I found myself nervous to send this email out thinking “what if we break up shortly after?!”

I recognize that’s still the scared little girl inside of me who is terrified of getting her heart broken.  But the more we let fear get in the way, the less we can experience the fullness of life!

I don’t know what the future holds for us living in different states but I have to keep reminding myself that I don’t need to figure it out.  I can stay present and enjoy the unfolding knowing that everything is always working out for my highest good.  And just enjoy the healing power of love along the way.

XO

Adrienne

PS...Want to create the vision for your dream relationship?  That's one of the first things we do in ALCHEMY - get super clear on what we want for our relationships and three other main areas of your life.  Then I show you how to bring it to life.  Book a call with me to see if it's a good fit.

Perception vs. Reality

I once heard that if we were to see through the eyes of someone else, it would seem like we were tripping.  Being in someone else’s mind, seeing things from their reality is an interesting concept.

I like to keep this in mind.  That reality never is as we believe it to be.  It’s just our perception of reality.  

The powerful thing about perception is that it can be changed at any time.  We can change our perception to view a situation in a different way.  

I like to use the concept of what I call the “big” me and “little” me.  You see little me thinks I’m just this little human battling the world and everything is happening to me. 

Big me understands that I am part of all that is. And that everything is divinely orchestrated for my highest good.  Even if it doesn’t seem like that at the time.

Perception is powerful and can help us become more compassionate.  The waiter is rude?  Maybe he just had a fight with his partner.  Driver cuts you off?  Maybe she reeeeally has to go to the bathroom.  Someone doesn’t get back to you?  Maybe they’re overwhelmed.

The point is, there is a big difference between reality and perception.  Remember this the next time you react.  And use the tool of perception to change how you view a situation. 

XO

Adrienne

PS...Want to learn how to develop your perception and five other mental facilities?  Check out my course ALCHEMY to become unf***withable!

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

I was watching the Netflix docuseries Full Swing over the weekend.  There was an episode about Pro Golfer, Wyndham Clark, and how he hired a psychologist and performance coach to help get him out of a negative cycle.

It worked so well for him and in such a short amount of time, he went from being on the verge of leaving the tour to winning a major!!  Incredible!

We can get stuck in patterns of negativity and belittling ourselves.  And you may not know how destructive this can be to your life!

The way we talk to ourselves is SO important.  After doing this work for a while, I can tell when people are caught in this negativity and not speaking to themselves kindly - because it is happening with the words they speak:

“This is hard.” 
“I’ll shut up now.” 
“I’m not good at X.”
“I got screwed.”

These are just a few examples of things that I hear.  I know if this little bit is slipping out, there must be even more negativity going on inside.

I understand this because I deal with this ALL the time!  That voice in my head can be brutal!  It’s constantly comparing, criticizing, judging, complaining - all the things.  

I’ve said this many times before but I believe your pain is your purpose.  My pain is that voice in my head which is now why I help others get it in check because I know how disempowering it can be.

We don't always have a choice in the thoughts we think.  But we do have a choice if we want to believe it.

Changing your mind CAN change your life and help you accomplish things you thought were once impossible.

Whether you're a pro athlete, or just someone with big goals, you can’t do it alone.  Whether it’s with me, a psychologist, another coach, whatever - if you want more from life, find someone to help you accomplish it.

XO

Adrienne

Stories

We tell stories a lot - stories of our past, what happened to us, stories of why we can’t live the way we want or why we are the way we are.

What is a story?  It’s a made up account of your life.  I say made up because it’s just your perspective on it.  

I’ve been noticing in meditation how at times a feeling will start bubbling up and my mind immediately attaches a story to it of why I feel that way.

That’s the job of the left brain, the analytical mind - to create a story.  What I’m realizing is that story may not have anything to do with the current feeling but the mind is trying to make sense of it.

If I catch it and let go of the story, I can just go into the sensation in my body and feel the feeling without judging it or getting stuck in the story.

The story is what keeps us stuck in the feeling.  If we just go into the emotion, the raw feeling of it and let it pass through us, it doesn’t take long for it to dissipate.  

If and when I find myself getting stuck in a story, I remind myself that there is always a higher perspective.  That maybe from my little point of view it seems harsh, but from the soul level, everything is perfectly orchestrated.  Even if it doesn’t seem like it to little ol’ human me.

Catch yourself when you are replaying stories of your past that don't feel good or creating new ones as an excuse in your life now.  Let the story go and just be present.

XO

Adrienne

Two Operating Systems

A big thing I have learned on my path is that we have two operating systems within us.

The first is that of the mind.  When we live our lives from our mind, this is where programs of lack, limitation and separation are.  It’s where all the fear is.  Living from the mind keeps us small, keeps us stuck in situations we don’t love because of fear.  It keeps us from being all that we can be.

The other is the heart.  The heart is said to be the seat of the soul.  The heart has answers that the head doesn’t.  When we make decisions from our heart, they may not make logical sense, but they FEEL right.  

When we start living from the heart, we do things out of love and passion and we’re excited about life!  When we’re living from our minds, we’re in fear and probably living with stress and anxiety.  That excitement and joie de vivre isn’t there.    

It takes courage to live by the operating system of our heart.  In fact, the Latin root of the word courage is cor which means heart.

Because the answers from the heart aren’t logical, they don’t make sense to the mind.  The mind will come in with lots of reasons why that shouldn’t be an option or why it won’t work.  

What the mind doesn’t understand is when you start making decisions from the heart, you’re so much more supported.  It’s not just you against the world - the universe has your back!  You start to flow downstream with life and things become easier.  

This is a process and one I am still learning how to do.  But the more I do, the more I am amazed by synchronicities and things I couldn’t have imagined!

A great practice is to pause and take three conscious breaths while focusing your attention on your heart and then ask your question.  I can guarantee your heart has been waiting for you to listen.  Try it.

XO

Adrienne

Walls

As I continue on my path of self-discovery, I’ve learned how many walls I have put up around myself.

I believe we build these walls after heartbreaks, disappointments and other life experiences that cause us to want to protect ourselves from getting hurt.

What I’ve come to learn is the more we protect ourselves with these mind-made walls, the duller our life experiences become.  

You can only love to the capacity you are able to grieve.  You can only find joy to the capacity that you are able to experience sadness.  It’s only when we fully embrace our failures that we can appreciate our success.

I’ve committed myself to notice and integrate anything that keeps me from living with a fully open heart.  It hasn’t been an easy process. I see how I use things like judgement, criticism and worry to keep me from experiencing the fullness of life.

Now that I’m aware, I am able to catch myself in those unproductive thought loops.  I go inside and I nurture that part of me that is afraid and using those things as a defence mechanism.  

I’ve come a long way and believe that my life is blossoming in such a beautiful way because I am so much more open to living and experiencing fully without fear.  Trusting that I will be able to handle anything that life throws my way.

While this will be an ongoing journey for me to dismantle these walls, I know that all it takes is a lot of presence to notice when they creep back up.

Where are you building walls around yourself?  Can you begin trusting your heart has the capacity to weather any storm and let go of your walls?

XO

Adrienne

Awareness

I say this often, mostly because the stat is so staggering to me, but 95% of all of our behavior is subconscious.  We’re very rarely present and we’re very rarely reacting to a situation as it is because we’re mostly just replaying an old program from the past.

This is why raising our conscious awareness is so important because it’s the first step to change.  Once you’re aware of the program, you can deliberately make a different choice.  

As I’ve been on this path, I continue to raise my awareness and it’s not easy.

At times I’ve become so acutely aware of subconscious thoughts, programs and behaviors and how self-sabotaging they are, it almost makes me ill.

I start thinking to myself “What is the point of all of this?!  It’s easier to go back to being asleep and just numb myself.”  

But I know that’s not the answer either.  

It takes courage to look inside yourself.  It’s not always pretty but it’s about developing a ton of self-compassion and understanding that we’re always doing the best we can with what we know at the time.

Once we’re aware, once we know better, we can do better.  And even if we don't do better, that's ok too.

XO

Adrienne

Perfection

I consider myself to be a recovering perfectionist.  I can get very wrapped up in portraying perfection in looks, life etc.

Especially now that I am a coach this comes up a lot.  I feel like I have to be perfect, always do the right thing, have the most amazing life etc. in order to help others.

What I’ve learned though is how untrue that is.

I can have my own struggles and still help people.  I can be a mess and still help others through their mess.  I can screw up and still lead others to do their best.

In fact I feel being imperfect, having these experiences and sharing makes me an even better coach because I understand what my clients are going through and I can help them even more.

Who wants a perfect coach anyway?!  There’s no fun in that and probably will make you feel even worse about yourself.

I am here to say I am not perfect by any means.  Far from it.  But I always do my best and I am always learning and evolving so I can help others too.

Do you want any support in your life?!  Come chat with me.  I’ll tell you all my crazy mistakes, biggest fears and deepest struggles so you can know you’re not alone in whatever it is you’re going through 😊

XO

Adrienne

Positivity

Often times people will say to me about how they like the positive messages I share.  Which I very much appreciate. But what I want people to understand is that there is something called toxic positivity.  

A lot of new age people are all about “love and light” and because of this may end up suppressing a lot of negative feelings.  I know I used to do this.  

If I was angry or upset I would tell myself “I shouldn’t be feeling this way".  And I would force myself to feel better.

What I understand now is that ALL emotions are valid. In fact, I believe we came here in this human experience to feel the full range of emotions.  How can we expect to feel whole if we’re only allowing half of the spectrum of emotions?!  

Emotions are energy in motion and if we don’t allow ourselves to actually feel them, they can get trapped in our bodies.  With enough build-up of this energy in our bodies, it can start to disrupt the body and distort our sense of reality.

I believe that reality is always reflecting things back to us and every situation we encounter is what we need for the evolution of our consciousness. This means that we will face situations that are going to bring up those suppressed emotions so we can feel and process them. 

The more we are able to actually feel the emotion and let it go, the more energy becomes available for us to use for creating what we want in our lives.

Oftentimes this is difficult for us because we get attached to a story about the feeling and it causes us to get stuck in it.  An emotion has an average lifespan of 90 seconds unless we are giving it a story or judging it as bad - then it starts to last a lot longer.  

Next time something triggers you and you feel angry, upset, jealous etc.  Think of it as medicine and be thankful for it!  Go sit in silence and feel that energy in your body, take some deep breaths and allow it to process through without getting stuck in the story and projecting it on the other person.  You may even want to punch some pillows or let out a big scream which is a great way to get rid of some of that energy build-up.

Remember it’s not about the other person or situation at all - it’s just the stored old emotional pain trying to find an outlet.  

XO

Adrienne

Comfort

I think self-inquiry is something everyone should do. Well there are no shoulds in life and everyone’s path is different, so let me rephrase that - self-inquiry has been extremely beneficial in my life.

I’ve become an earnest investigator of myself and it can be very enlightening.  When you start looking deeply into yourself, you see that you are nothing but pure consciousness living out conditioned patterns set by the mind.

I see how these conditioned patterns are always looking for comfort, seeking pleasure and avoiding pain.  But to what detriment?

I see it with what I eat, what kind of workouts I do, things in my business, and of course while sitting on the couch wanting to just watch Netflix.

If you stay in your comfort zone, your comfort zone shrinks and your world becomes smaller.  When you step into challenge, you start to learn and your comfort zone continuously expands.

I want to start stepping out of comfort and challenge myself more and more.  Because I know that no growth happens in comfort.  And if you’re not growing, you’re disintegrating because nothing ever stays the same.

Start watching how much you seek pleasure and stay comfortable.  How can you challenge yourself today?

XO

Adrienne

Luck

Sometimes I look at my life and get so filled up with appreciation, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.  How did I get so lucky?!  I’ll ask myself.

That question popped into my mind over the weekend and I realized it’s not luck at all.  There’s a universal law of cause and effect.  For every effect, there has to be a cause.

I am causing my life.  I am not just at the effect of everything that is happening. This was all created.  Very deliberately.

This didn’t happen overnight.  For years, I’ve been planting seeds in my subconscious mind about the life that I want.  I’ve journaled about it, visualized it, meditated on it.  I’ve studied this stuff for years!

I looked deeply, asked myself a lot of questions.  I've made some tough choices.  I eliminated things that weren’t part of my vision.  And I consciously have gone after everything I have today.

What I know now is we create our own luck.  Things don’t just happen, there’s always a cause.  

There are some people in life that are at cause. And there are some at effect.  The people at cause are proactive, doers.  The people at effect are reactive let-ers.  They allow things to happen to them while the at cause are making things happen.

So I ask are you at cause or at effect?  If you are not happy with the effects in your life, you can start making your own luck by becoming the cause.

XO

Adrienne

Resistance

Just like a wire cannot conduct electricity when there is too much resistance, we cannot be conduits for energy to flow through us when we have resistance. 

Resistance for us humans comes in when our mind gets in the way.  Negativity is resistance.  Arguing with what is present is resistance.  Anytime we argue with reality - telling ourselves this shouldn’t be happening, you don’t like what is happening or worrying about what will happen - you lose.

Energy is always running to and through us.  And the degree that we allow that energy to flow depends on how much we are allowing or resisting it.  

When the energy flows freely, our life becomes easier.  We have more energy, we have a better attitude and we are in the flow of life.

When it’s not, it's like we're swimming upstream - we’re tired, struggling to get by and everything seems hard.

When you can learn to focus and relax your thoughts and mind, you can reduce and even eliminate the resistance.  

This has been critical in my life and once I learned to do this, my life became SO much easier.  Magical synchronicities happen all the time, my work gets done much easier, I am full of energy and vitality.  

It’s SO much more fun to live this way!  I encourage you to try this for a period of time, and see what happens in your life.

XO

Adrienne

Embrace the Wobbles

I get a lot of ideas for these emails and my other content when I’m out for a walk or in yoga class.  

I think there’s something about moving in a methodical way, being present and quieting the mind during these activities that makes room for inspired thoughts to come in.

While in yoga class last week, I was getting frustrated while holding a pose.  I was wobbling all over the place nervous I would fall.

Why was I getting so frustrated about wobbling?  Doesn’t that mean I’m pushing myself to a new zone?  Who cares if I fall!  I’ll get stronger and stronger with each try.

Of course you’re not going to wobble if you’re always staying safely in your comfort zone.  It’s only when we’re pushing ourselves, stretching our limits that we’re going to feel unstable.  

Then with enough practice, maybe some falling down, that becomes our new base line.  Our new comfort zone.  From there, we start again.  That’s the process of growth.  

Without testing our limits and pushing the boundaries, we’ll never see what we’re truly capable of.  So let's embrace the wobbles - it's a sign of growth!

This is the key to unearthing more and more of the deep reservoirs of potential that lie inside of us.

I love this quote by Steve Bow: “God’s gift to us is more talent and ability than we could possibly use in our lifetime.  Our gift to God is to develop and use as much of that talent and ability as we can in this lifetime.”
 

XO

Adrienne

Acceptance

I’ve been into personal growth for as long as I can remember.  I thought the idea of changing yourself and becoming better was very alluring (still am obviously).

What I uncovered was I had a subconscious belief that “I’m not good enough as I am so I have to change in order to be worthy.”  

So I was always in this perpetual state of finding things to change and fix about myself.  This is an easy trap to fall into in a society that’s constantly pushing us to do more.

What I now know is that when you are always thinking “there’s something to fix,” you will continuously attract more and more things to fix!

This keeps you in an endless cycle of never feeling good enough.

Damn that’s exhausting.

I understand things differently now.  The best way to change and to propel yourself forward actually starts with self acceptance.  Accepting yourself exactly as you are now - where you are and who you are completely.

It’s only then in full acceptance can you make an empowered decision to choose a new behavior in the moment (because all we ever have is the present moment).

Instead of running away from yourself, you’re compounding to the greatness that you already are!

As you’re in the thick of working on your New Year’s Resolutions, see if it’s coming from this energy of wanting to fix something or not feeling good enough.

Take a few conscious breaths and shift your focus on radical self acceptance.  You will feel a huge weight off your shoulders.  I know I did.

XO

Adrienne

Intentions

I’m done making New Year’s resolutions.  I’m even done creating goals that I am insisting on accomplishing this year.  Then judging my year based on whether or not I achieved them.

Instead I will set an intention.  Intentions are powerful.  They bring a special quality of focus to your mind. 

My intention for this year is to go with the flow and be surprised and delighted with where life takes me.  

I’m no longer insisting I have to “make everything happen.”  I’m learning to trust more and more that all those goals and dreams in my heart are in fact my destiny.  So I don’t need to push and force anything to bring it to life. I can just sit in absolute knowing that everything I want and need will come to me in due time.

With that I will leave you with my favorite quote from Rumi, the Sufi poet:

When I run after what I thin I want, my days are a furnace of stress and anxiety; if I sit in my own place of patience, what I need flows to me, and without pain.  From this I understand that what I want also wants me, is looking for me and attracting me.  There is a real secret here for anyone who can grasp it. 

What is your intention for 2024?  I’d love to hear!

Happy New Year!!!

XO

Adrienne

That Holiday Cheer

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!  It truly is a wonderful time of the year filled with family, friends, giving and a lot of love.

I’ve been thinking about how we wait all year for this time of holiday music, movies, decorations, cookies etc. that bring us so much joy.  We use those things to help us get into the holiday spirit.

In reality, we can create that holiday cheer any time we want.  Because just like everything I preach about, it’s not about relying on the outside world for it but learning to cultivate those feelings within ourselves.  

My invitation for you is to soak in all the good feelings today.  Anchor in the laughter, love ad joy that is all around; snapshot some memories that made you smile.  This way you can bring up these feelings at will to focus yourself into a good feeling.

It’s not about the amount of decorations you put up, the gifts you give or get - it’s about the love, the joy, the connection.  All of which can be replicated at any time.

Thank you *|FNAME|* for being on this journey with me and my sincerest, heartfelt gratitude goes out to you.  Wishing you and your loved ones all the love, joy and laughter to fill you for the whole year ahead.

XO

Adrienne