Grateful

Magical Mornings

May 28, 2025 By Shauna

Today’s episode is to awaken your awareness of the world all around you, the world you are a part of. How do we do that? It’s all about crafting a magical, wonderful morning. Not just “I hit snooze five times and rolled out the door with mismatched socks” kind of morning – but the kind that makes you feel like a warm cup of joy with whipped cream and just a little sparkle of wonder on top.

Wonder of everything around you. Wonder of your life.

SHOWNOTES

Hello, beautiful humans! Welcome to A Journey to Awareness, I am Shauna Hoffman.

Whether you’re still snuggled under the covers or already sipping your favorite morning brew, or you’re listening to this in the afternoon or evening! I thought I would share my new morning rituals and see if you are ready to change up your life with your own morning splendidness that will ground you, wake up your senses and maybe even sprinkle a little magic on the rest of your day – one gentle laugh, one deep breath, one intentional thought at a time. This podcast is called a Journey to Awareness. So, today’s episode is to awaken your awareness of the world all around you, the world you are a part of.

How do we do that? It’s all about crafting a magical, wonderful morning. Not just “I hit snooze five times and rolled out the door with mismatched socks” kind of morning – but the kind that makes you feel like a warm cup of joy with whipped cream and just a little sparkle of wonder on top. Wonder of everything around you. Wonder of your life.

I started a new ritual a few weeks ago that has changed my day, my moods and my life. I decided that I would not wake up and look at my phone right away. As a matter of fact, I would put it away till after I enjoyed my new morning sunshine. OK, that wasn’t easy as that phone calls my name the minute, I open my eyes. But I decided to try something new. something out of the box for me. My own magic.

I decided I wanted to take my coffee outside and say good morning to the world! No matter how cold it was! I was going outside to start my day. I layer myself in clothes, beanie on my head, scarf around my neck and take my coffee and cookie outside to my patio to be greeted by everything I see and then greet it all back! Oh, if my neighbors could hear me, they would think I am crazy.

Good morning neighborhood. Good morning plants behind me. Good morning mountains, good morning bamboo. Good morning sliver of white moon still up in the sky. Good morning palm trees on the other side of the fence. Good morning magnificent date tree. Good morning magical mystery plant that we don’t know what you are. Good morning giant majestic towering tree in the distance. Good morning lovey doveys, (the two doves that visit me every morning.)

Next, I look at the Aloha sign we have on our fence and say to the world… “Aloha!”

Then I close my eyes, and I thank Gaia, Mother earth. All of a sudden, I feel a part of it. I don’t feel like I am this human on a mission to just be my lone human with human purposes all day. I feel like part of the world around me and I feel connected. Connected to something I didn’t even know I needed.

So today as I was staring at the sky, I said to myself, I want to share this with all of you! I love this line from the Rascals.

“It’s a beautiful morning… I think I’ll go outside for a while and just smile.”

Let’s play with a few ideas that might help you fall in love with mornings.

First, Morning Magic could Start the Night Before.
Okay, I know this is a bit of a cheat. But let’s be real – future you loves it when present you lays out your clothes, sets the coffee, or puts your journal by the bed. A little prep the night before is like giving your morning-self a warm hug. And who doesn’t like a good pre-wake up hug?

There is nothing that makes me smile more and makes it easier to get out of bed than knowing I already have my coffee ready to just turn on, brew and enjoy!

And can you Wake Up to Something Lovely?
Really, You don’t have to wake up to your phone blaring a techno remix of anxiety. Try waking up to a favorite song, or even better – a light that mimics a sunrise. Your body goes, “Ah yes. I am a plant. Thank you.”

Bonus points if the first thing you see is something that makes you smile. A picture, a quote, your dog’s face. Maybe your own sleepy face. It’s a good face! If you have a phone addiction and it’s right next to your pillow and you really have to look at it, then turn on the camera and look at your own face! Or have an app like the I AM affirmation app on it and soak up morning affirmations and nothing else! No news! No emails! Don’t start texting people or reading texts. I want you to ask yourself, is it really possible for you to honor yourself for maybe a half hour every morning to create wonder for yourself the rest of the day?

Or try this!
Before you scroll, before you open the floodgates of everyone else’s lives… jot down three things, or ask yourself these three things while your head is still on your pillow…

What is one thing I’m grateful for this morning?
What is one thing I’m looking forward to today?
I love this one… What is One thing I want to feel today?

It takes less than a minute, and suddenly you’re not just reacting to your day – you’re co-creating it. Like a life artist.

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Oooh, This could be fun…Romanticize Your Coffee/Tea/Toast Routine.

This is your own rom-com moment. Make your coffee or tea like it’s a love letter. Add cinnamon. Froth the milk. What if you could stare wistfully out the window for at least 6 seconds? Or like me, take your coffee outside onto your patio, or sunroom, or room with a giant window, or your roof! Someplace that connects you to nature. The way you do small things tells your brain, “Hey, we matter. This day matters.”

I personally start my day with Life Is Good Mugs! Nothing like drinking out of your favorite cup! I have 7 different Life Is Good mugs that I rotate out. Each is for a different day. My yoga one is for Sundays and meditation. My hanging in a lounge chair mug is for my Saturdays when my work week is over. My dog mug is for my dog rescue days. My sunshine one, or ladybug one, or daisy one is for all those days I am ready to embrace or maybe need some extra joy in my morning!

Oooh, I love this idea. Move Like You Love Yourself!
Stretch. Wiggle. Dance to one 90s song. I’m not saying you need to do a full cardio routine at 6 am, unless that’s your jam. But even five minutes of gentle movement can whisper to your nervous system: “All is well, gorgeous.” A little yoga! Go outside! Reach up to the sky and sun, stretch and salute the day.

Now I know – sometimes in our lives, it’s not so easy. When you’re walking through grief, anxiety, illness, burnout, or just the quiet weight of everything, the idea of a “magical morning” might feel… out of reach. And that’s okay. This isn’t about pretending things are perfect – it’s about creating small moments of care in the middle of the mess.

Let me repeat that. This isn’t about pretending things are perfect – it’s about creating small moments of care in the middle of the mess.

A gentle stretch, a warm mug, a sticky note with a kind word – these tiny rituals won’t erase the hard stuff, but they do help soften it. They give your nervous system something steady. They remind your heart that it’s still allowed to hope. And sometimes, that’s all it takes to begin again.

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love.” — Marcus Aurelius

Whether you are going through struggles or not at this time in your life, what if you had a Dash of Whimsy all around you? Something to jumpstart a tiny smile or a huge one?

Fairy lights in the kitchen? Yes.
A shower playlist to greet your day?” I mean, why not?
A note on the bathroom mirror that says “You’re doing amaaaaazing.” Hell yes.
An aloha sign! A hummingbird bird feeder outside your window. A dream catcher.
Sometimes the tiniest things are the sparkliest.
Say hello to it all!

Now let’s think about this for a moment. The truth is, “magical” doesn’t mean perfect. A magical morning can still include spilled milk, mismatched socks, or forgetting what day it is. But it’s magical because you showed up. With curiosity. With heart. With the intention to treat yourself gently. That’s where the magic lives.

Doing these small things in the morning doesn’t just make your morning better, it shifts your whole day. You’re calmer in traffic. You smile at strangers. You answer that email with a little more grace. You’re not pouring from an empty cup – you’ve already filled it a little. And people feel that. You feel that.

Suddenly your productivity doesn’t come from pressure, it comes from peace.
Your mood? Brighter.
Your posture? Taller.
Your relationships? A little warmer.
And your smile? Oh, it sticks around longer.

That one magical morning moment can be the domino that topples the whole day into goodness.

My granddaughter said to us at 3 years old, “It’s going to be a great day today, Gigi!” Out of the mouths of babes. So now my husband and I turn to each other when we wake up and say, “It’s going to be a great day today!”

Buddha says,
“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” — Buddha

Oh, beautiful listeners, I hope you got a lot to think about from this podcast. And if you know anyone who would benefit from hearing it please share.

I hope that you take loving care of yourself. Wake up gently! See the beauty all around you. Connect with Gaia, mother nature.

I hope you see the beauty in yourself both inside and out. I hope you drink lots of water, eat nourishing foods, have lots of fun and surround yourself with loving beings.

Thank you for letting me in your life this week and I look forward to popping back in again next time.

49 2020 The Gift Of Time

December 19, 2020 By Shauna

WHAT THIS EPISODES ABOUT…

Hello and Welcome, I’m Shauna Hoffman

This will be the last podcast for the year. I decided to actually take off a few weeks and reboot myself! Rest, relax, clear my mind to allow so much creativity to seep back in as I welcome with open arms, and a few hallelujahs and a few THANK GODs, the year 2021! The last year has been quite the journey for all of us. So I wanted this podcast to be all about how we release 2020 while honoring all that it has brought to us. The good, the bad, the heartache the fear, the changes, the new closeness, and reality checks, and every other crazy emotion that we have all been experiencing. For many, it has been upheaval, sadness, illness business loss and so much stress. For others it’s become an opportunity for change, letting go of all that we thought we knew and all that was our “quote-unquote” normal. And for many of us, it’s so much of all of those things in a fricking big mess of what the hell! But I have to say, there is an interesting phenomenon that happened this year that doesn’t happen often. It is a rare shared experience with the world, with other people from other countries, and cultures, and with all of our neighbors in our own towns, across the street, in cities across our own countries. It has been one helluva year.

If you listened to the last podcast with the Amazing Britt Bolnick I asked her how we look forward to 2021. I loved her answer. “We need to embrace what was good in 2020, what I’m grateful for. Then look at what I want to do differently.” So there is another shout out to listen to podcast episode 46 “Keep the gratitude flowing!”.

I also had an interesting conversation with someone that believes that sometimes the pendulum has to swing in another direction to right itself in the end. There is no question that the political pendulum is swinging, the concept of work is swinging, the care we take of our emotional and physical selves is swinging!

I know for me personally, my business pendulum has been hard at work all over the place! Many of you know that one of my absolute passions is taking people on retreats on the high seas or to the Caribbean! Art trips to Cuba! Writers Cruises! Women’s retreats! One side of me is a passionate world traveler who loves to experience people and cultures that I have never seen before, and then to share these experiences with as many people as I can! It really is an offshoot to my therapy practice for I believe we all grow exponentially when we experience other cultures and see the world with a new lens. Travel is the best way to shake up your norm!

Well let’s put it this way….until this damn covid grounded all of us! My life and my business were shaken to the core. The travel business came to a screeching halt. But what it gave me in return was something I can never truly explain and yet we can all relate to. It gave me the gift of time. Grounding all of my travels gave me the opportunity to be here when my therapy clients needed me most. When the travel pendulum swung all the way in a scary direction, my therapy practice swung the opposite way and it all balanced out.

With telehealth, I was able to continue seeing women, families, and couples! The anxiety and stress that everyone is feeling through so much change and loss has created a world of clients reaching out to me. Many who have not been in contact for years! I was given the blessing of helping others. With every call I got, I knew why I needed to be doing what I love so much, healing the wounds, hurts, and fears of others. Covid has affected each of my clients differently. I know it has affected each of my podcast listeners differently, too. But Covid lockdown gave me the time to be here for those who need me.

Aaahh the gift of time. It gave me this podcast. I launched it in February literally weeks before Covid hit. I have to be honest with myself. I had no idea of how much work it would take to create, record, edit, and promote each podcast. I know without a doubt that had my travel business been going strong I would never have been able to continue on a weekly basis. Being able to share my thoughts and insights with all of you through this podcast has been profound on more levels than I can name. Not only has it helped many of you. It has helped me.

I have so many personal gifts from 2020! I have been able to help my grandkids with their homework via zoom! We definitely never thought of that before the craziness of virtual school! And though it has broken my heart for every child learning this way and for the parents and teachers struggling with it I have tried to see ANY silver lining! I think that there will be a new vision of teaching that comes out of this. I know from families that I see… that parents have been able to witness first hand any struggles their children have learning. Parents and teachers will have new eyes to see the needs of every student now. I believe! Although side note! I am not digging the New Math!

Another silver lining! The crazy workforce! So many clients and friends are working from home! Some love it, some hate it. There will surely be a shakeup of how companies view this option in the future! They will have a new paradigm when a single mother or father needs to work from home. There are talks with some companies for a 4 day in-office work week and another day at home! This “offering” that 2020 handed us will change the workforce in the US forever. What it will be? Who knows! But you know the saying, there is no going back. I believe that working from home has shown so many families what they were missing. Both at home with their families and getting away from home! What its going to look like in 2021 is going to be a mystery yet to unfold!

AAAAH And our pets! This is huge change for me and so many other animal-loving humans. Mine are getting so much attention it’s nuts! In the past, they knew when I took out a suitcase that I was leaving. Well, they have not seen a suitcase in 9 months! Shelters and rescues have had an influx of adoptions! People are home and can find time for a new pet. And believe me those pets have been like little therapists for so many people! I only hope that when people go back to work they plan properly for the care of these new pets. If you are a pet owner at home for a while make sure that you start to think about a healthy transition for your pets to life after covid! That’s going to be an adjustment for humans and pets alike!

The lessons around the world in 2020 have been so profound. From Black Lives Matter to reality checks on the importance of our planet and science, medicine, and health care. Again, we are watching THE PENDULUM SWINGING TO CORRECT ITSELF.

And we lost some amazingly strong role models this year, like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Lewis, groundbreaking artists and musicians, amazing athletes, Kobe. But with everyone, we were each reminded of our own mortality. And our own purposes here on this earth. What is our purpose? Everyone has their own paradigm of how to judge your self worth and reasons for being here. But I find that with every New Year that is the most hidden and unhidden question most people ask themselves. Why am I here and what am I going to do differently in the next year to fill my heart, my passions, and my soul?

I was asked to do a private seminar for a group in my town. So I decided to create a workshop of the same for my podcast listeners. I’ll tell you more about that in a few minutes. But for now, I wanted to share my wishlist for you for 2021!

My first wish is that you send off the year 2020 with love. I wish that you could make a list of the beautiful things that have happened to you this year. The lessons learned, The growth from the sadness. The growth from the joys and the wonderful realization that you just may have needed the gift of time.

I wish for you that you embrace the lessons learned and truly never lose track of the insight you have gained.

I wish for you that you can hug all the people that you love in 2021! Laugh with them, party with them, and celebrate all the beautiful milestones of your life together. It may be later in 2021. But I wish that it happens just when you need it most!

I wish for you so much health and the realization that your body and breath are sacred. Never to be taken for granted again.

I wish for you walks in nature on beaches and mountains, watching the sunset and embracing every sunrise you have.

I wish for you travel to amazing places filled with culture and new people, food, art, and music that you have craved to fill your soul.

I wish for you peaceful sleep knowing that our country is on its own path to healing. And if you are out of the US that your beautiful homeland is healing and mending from the challenges of 2020.

I wish for you the glory of your own self-awareness journey. That you stay on course! That you do the things that help you let go of past pains and embrace all of life around you. That you meditate and get lots of sleep, honor your body, and home. But most importantly I wish that you never give up learning and digging deep within your soul to find your own paradise.

I wish for you that you KNOW without a doubt that you deserve it!

Remember what Tinkerbell says in Peter Pan- All it takes is a little Faith, Trust, and a little bit of Pixie Dust!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Here is the workshop that I will be offering on January 16th. I am making it really affordable for everyone and anyone. Just a $20 donation in these crazy hard times. I have also been asked if you can gift it and yes you can! But most importantly if you can’t afford it just shoot me an email and I will gift it to you!

[Read more…]

46 Keep the Gratitude Flowing

November 29, 2020 By Shauna

WHAT THIS EPISODES ABOUT…

Hello and welcome, I’m Shauna Hoffman.

It’s right after Thanksgiving and I want to keep the gratitude flowing! So I thought it was time I reached out to all of my podcast listeners to say thank you! I have such deep gratitude for you coming along on this journey with me. This is the 46th episode! WOW! That just floors me. When I first started this undertaking I knew that my voice as a speaker, therapist, woman, entrepreneur, and part of an amazing family had so much to say. I didn’t really imagine 46 episodes later that so many people would be listening. Many of you have been on this adventure with me through the name change and rebranding of the podcast. And many of you are my new podcast family. To all of you, I say a magnificent thank you! Believe me, as I have recorded these episodes for you, I have learned so much about myself. For it has also been a journey to awareness for me! When I said take this journey with me I had no idea!

On this shorter than usual episode as I thank my podcast listeners, and family and friends, and my adoring husband, who have all supported me through this I thought I would share some of my favorite books, songs, quotes about life with a grateful heart. This week I want to join you on this journey to that beautiful soft spot in our souls… gratitude!

I’m going to start by sharing with you a book with the same name. “A grateful heart. Daily blessings for the evening meal from Buddha to the Beatles”. Seriously any book with that tagline has already made me grateful for picking it up! It’s edited by M.J. Ryan. The first time I heard about it was on my 40th birthday when my precious friend Dexter read this prayer by one of my favorite writers, Daphne Rose Kingma. And it is perfect to start this podcast. It hearkens back to podcast episode #36 For the love of friends.

Tonight we give thanks for the great gift of friendship. Thank you for the circumstances that brought us together and have bound us together into the sacred bundle of life. Thank you also for the gift of our friendship: for knowledge that comforts, for words that encourage, for insight that blesses, for all the experience shared, for the sweet bliss of knowing each other deeply in so many ways; for history and a hope of the future, for conversation and laughter, for silence, for bearing each other’s witness truly, for holding each other safe in our hearts with great love and tenderness.
—Daphne Rose Kingma ( 28th May)

There are so many things in our lives to be grateful for. Though we are struggling through some of the hardest times of our generation, definitely the hardest times of this century, I can’t help but stress that if we can each find things to be grateful for, no matter how small they are we can give our psyche and our souls a rest… a moment to remember the truth.

So let’s have some fun and see where you can find it. Certainly in books, and poems and quotes. But we also know the amazing power in music to change our moods! So I went searching for music and quotes from great songs. Lo and behold there are so many great sites to help us heal on that journey!

[Read more…]

FOR APPOINTMENTS