Friday, January 30, 2009

The Simply Fearless Family Channel

I am thrilled to announce that SimplyFearless.com has launched! It is an on-line community dedicated to helping you design, create, and live:

Your Simply Fearless Life!

You can find articles about parenting and family through the Family Channel. I hope you will stop by, leave a comment, and continue to grow with me.

We are currently looking for contributors to submit articles in the following categories:
  • Health & Humanity

  • Fun & Friends

  • Family & Parenting

  • Solopreneurs & Blogging

  • Home & Office Design

  • Love & Romance

  • Spirituality & God
If you'd like to contribute an article (even one you've already written & published!), then send me an email at Cassandra@SimplyFearless.com.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Parenting a Teen is Easy {part 1}

Attack of the Couch Potatoes!
3 teens from left to right: Noah, Carina & Charice


Each day I write down an intention and 5 Simple Ways to practice it. Today my intention is to take it easy. As soon as I wrote "take it easy" in my journal I felt this nice, calming peace settle through my body. Aaahhhh, I let out a sigh of relief and triple underlined the word "easy". Then I wrote it in big capital letters: EASY! Then I wrote "life is easy."

This past week has been a challenging parenting week and I might blog more about the specifics later. As I begin my day today with a grouchy, depressed teenager I am going to practice the idea that parenting my teen is easy. I mean, I know that it's challenging and confusing - believe me, I know! But, today it's easy. I'm just going to do the best I can and watch how it goes. I'm going to be open and honest with my teen about how I'm feeling and give her feedback on her behavior. And I'm going to do it all from this place of parenting my teen is easy.

I feel so inspired and ready to take on my day. I I can handle anything my teen throws my way. Wish me well and I'll let you know how it goes...



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Monday, July 21, 2008

Is Insecurity Holding You Back?

Is insecurity holding you back?
Would you like more courage?
Clarity?
And confidence?

Our family relationships dramatically affect our level of confidence and how willing we are to put ourselves out there. The truth is that most of us allow disempowering family beliefs and patterns to stop us from going after what we want - we simply don't realize we're doing it! If you are ready to shine a bright light of awareness on insecurity and stop allowing it to hold you back, then you absolutely must attend our next FREE Coaching Group:

Simple Ways to Boost Your Confidence!
led by teen & family coach Cassandra Rae


Dedicate an hour to your success and join us to:
    * Expose disempowering family beliefs & patterns
    * Create new & empowering perspectives
    * Brainstorm simple & practical ways to put them into action
    * Connect with others who champion the same goal
Over the phone on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 12pm Pacific Daylight Time {this call will be recorded}

In person on Monday, August 4, 2008 at 7pm in downtown Sunnyvale {space is limited to 6 participants and spots are reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis}

This group is for adults and teens who are:
    * Ready to move past the insecurity
    * Willing to receive uplifting support and acknowledgment
    * Open to learning new perspectives and skills
Registration is required for this FREE Coaching Group. To register click here

Sunday, July 20, 2008

New On-line Resources for Parents & Teens

We are so excited to announce the launch of our brand new website and Family Resource Blog! They are absolutely beautiful because they were created with you in mind! Within our internet pages you will find inspirational quotes, powerful perspectives, book recommendations, and opportunities to receive support as you navigate through the challenges of life, family, career, and happiness. Our intention with our web presence is to provide you with a treasure trove of resources and information to help you rock out your family life and relationships!


Follow the links above to check them out for yourself and be sure to leave a little commentluv while you're there. We love to receive your comments, questions, and feedback!

Friday, May 30, 2008

From ParenTeen to Simple Ways Coaching

Simple Beauty

I have some fabulous news. The 7 Simple Ways to Connect class has evolved into a brand new coaching practice! I am proud to announce that I have launched Simple Ways Coaching, which is dedicated to empowering people to simplify their relationships while deepening the connections of their heart's desire! It's all about healing, creating, and nurturing fulfilling connections with yourself, with others, and with your purpose, passion, and life calling.

It's all still coming together and I'm not exactly sure where it's all headed - that's part of the fun of it all - but I do know that it's headed towards greatness! I have created a new website, a new community blog, and I am working on a new personal blog. A great, big THANK YOU! to everyone who has been a part of ParenTeen! I'll keep ya posted :~)

Simply evolving ~
Cassandra

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

A Look into My Life

Photography is a hobby of mine and today I thought I would share some recent photos - although I must admit that my husband took the photos that I am in! If you click on the photo, it will take you to my flickr gallery where you can view larger. Enjoy...

My Neighbor
Isn't this photo cool?! I love the little critter hanging out of the bird's mouth! I was able to capture this because the nest of little birdies was very close to here and the momma or daddy bird was hanging out to make sure that I went away without disturbing their home. Awesome!

Family
From left to right: Gracie, Me, Carina, My Mom
I love this photo! Even though Mom's eyes are closed - it's a true candid - even though we were posed!

Wilted
I love taking photos of dead and dying flowers - it captures the "not so pretty" part of life that we tend to push away and shut out. We even do this to parts of ourselves that we don't like - but, it's just a natural part of being alive.

My Promise
This is my promise bracelet. It's huge! And I wear it every day - even if it doesn't match - because I wear it to remind me of my daily intention. Today's promise is to connect: to share, to listen, to let go, to embrace, and to ask for help. Nice!

Gracie Me Carina Mom
Will took this photo of us girls on Mother's Day. I super enjoyed getting together with Mom and Carina. We had some girlfriends over and we all enjoyed a lavendar foot soak along with a glass (or two or three!) of almond champagne - well, Carina got a sip anyhow :~)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Shockingly Simple Ways to Connect with Your Teen!

View of Your Teens Before Taking My ClassView of Your Teens After Taking My Class!
Teens before my class ~ Teens after my class!

Connecting during the teen years is one of the biggest challenges for teens and parents alike. There are heightened emotions, power struggles, conflicting values, hectic schedules, and technology barriers. But, staying connected is also one of the most important factors. Here are three simple ways you can connect with your teen:

Simple Way #1: Share Something about Yourself
Get the ball rolling in your connection by sharing something about yourself with your teen. You don´t need to share your deepest, darkest secret (in fact, I advise you against it), but please do share something real. You are leading the way in the depth of your connection and believe me, your teen knows when you are being real. You can talk about something that happened at work, a story you heard on the radio, or something you read on the front page of Yahoo (this is a great way to find an interesting topic, by the way!). But, be sure to include how you feel about it or what your thoughts are – something that´s specific to you. Many parents expect their teens to open up without reciprocating. It simply doesn´t work. It´s very important to give what you want to receive in your relationship with your teen. Relationships are two-way streets…even parent/teen ones.

Simple Way #2: Ask an Open Ended Question
Keep the ball rolling in your connection by following up with a thought provoking and interesting question like, "What was the best or worst part of your day?" Simply avoid the standards like, "How are you?" and "How was your day?" You will get one-word answers like "fine" and "boring". And remember, if you ask a yes or no question, then you will get a yes or no answer and nothing more. Get creative and curious. Dare I say, even playful with your questions!

Simple Way #3: Be Quiet and Listen
Okay, this is quite possibly the most challenging Simple Way because we parents love to give advice, offer solutions, and just plain old talk! But, this is not the time to talk. This is the time to listen. Listening with an open mind and heart is one of the most respectful things you can do for your teen. And remember, that what your teen is sharing is about her and not you. She has a life to figure out and the less you feel inclined to fix her, the more she will open up. Needing to fix is actually a form of judgment, which will break a connection in an instant. Just being available to listen is one of the biggest motivators to inspire your teen to come to you and ask for support, help, or advice.

Well, Parents, I know that staying connected is challenging. But, it´s also vital to the health of your relationship along with your sanity! My hope is that it also now feels a bit simpler. Happy Parenting!

© 2008 Cassandra Rae

This article is part of a FREE telelclass I'm giving titled 7 Simple Ways to Connect for Teens & Parents. To learn more and to register, check out my website at http://www.CassandraRae.com

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