by heartsdesireintl | Jul 26, 2013 | Dating, Heart's Desire International, Love, Marriage, Relationship
by Gladys Diaz
We have such exciting news to share with you!
As you know, we’ve been sharing a lot about how you can create your own love story and make your dreams come true! (If you weren’t able to join us for the very special call we had on Wednesday, check out the information below regarding this Sunday’s encore call!)
Whether you are single, in a relationship, or married, the fact is that you get to be the author of the love story that is your life! The first, and most important step, however is believing that you can experience the relationship of your dreams.
That’s why we’re so excited about a new project that we’ve been invited to participate in by a very talented photographer and visionary who has experienced the power of the Law of Attraction in her own life!
During a course she took earlier this year, Melisa Caprio learned how powerful Positive Affirmations can be in making goals and dreams a reality.
She wrote her dreams as Affirmations…
…and they started coming true!
Being the generous person she is, she didn’t want to be the only one experiencing these miracles in her life, so she began thinking of a way to help others manifest their own dreams. She came up with the idea of using her love of photography to help people visualize what they wanted to manifest in their lives by creating Postcards that they could then “send” to the Universe!
And this is where YOU come in!
A friend and client of ours shared with Melisa the work Heart’s Desire does and how it helped her to manifest her relationship. Melisa was inspired and has invited us (that means you, too!) to create Postcards from the Universe that affirm what you want to experience in the relationship of your dreams!
If you participated in one of the “Creating the Relationship of Your Dreams” teleclasses, you created some powerful affirmations about the relationship you would like to experience. What better way to declare your intention for having the relationship you’ve always dreamed of than to shout it out to the Universe?!?
Melisa is going to collect your postcards and create an original piece she will be showcasing at an upcoming art gallery opening! The piece will be titled “Heart’s Desires” and will be made up of all of our Postcards to the Universe! Your postcard may even be selected to be included in her upcoming book!
Isn’t this a creative and inspiring idea? Just imagine…all of our affirmations and dreams coming together to create a beautiful and original masterpiece that is all about LOVE!
All you need to do is head over to Melisa’s website and either select an image from her Postcard Gallery or make your own original Postcard using a photograph, drawing, painting (be creative) that depicts your dream relationship! Then, on the back, write a Positive Affirmation that really captures what you want to experience in your relationship, like:
“We are loving, passionate, and generous with one another.”
“We communicate openly and honestly, and trust one another completely.
“We share our lives, our bodies, and our spirits with one another.”
“We celebrate one another’s victories and encourage one another during difficult times.”
These are examples of Gladys’ Positive Affirmations for continuing creating the relationship of her dreams with her husband! Now you want to search within your heart to discover what it is that you want to experience in your dream relationship and put that on the back of your Postcard!
If you were on Wednesday’s “Creating the Relationship of Your Dreams” Teleclass and created a statement affirming what you want to experience in the relationship of your dreams, go to the Postcards to the Universe page and create your postcard now!
If you weren’t on the teleclass, make sure you listen to the encore calls that are being offered this weekend, do the exercises, and write a beautiful Postcard to the Universe.
The directions and additional information about this project can be found on Melisa’s website.
Now, here’s the deal, if you want your Postcard to the Universe to be considered as part of the Heart’s Desire masterpiece, you must submit your Postcard via post mail by Thursday, August 7th! So, don’t wait!
Create the relationship of your dreams, send your Postcard to the Universe…Then, simply enjoy the process of watching it manifest in your life!
Join this life-changing call and begin living the life and love of your dreams!
Questions? Comments? Let us know below! We love hearing from you!
Photo courtesy of Melisa Caprio, Postcards to the Universe
by heartsdesireintl | May 14, 2013 | Dating, HDI Blog, Intimacy, Love, Marriage, Relationship, Relationship Advice, Romance
by Gladys Diaz
I came across this quote by Miguel Ruiz today and I had to smile! I often wonder if the angels are eavesdropping on my conversations when things like this happen!
See, I was coaching a client yesterday who was sharing what she wants to experience in her relationship. She was telling me that she worries some times because she sees that many of her married friends and family members have lost the passion, excitement, and romance has worn off, and they just seem to be “comfortable” with one another.
I explained to her that love, passion, romance does not have to die, dwindle, or fade away. While it’s true that love changes as we grow together in life, this does not necessarily mean that it begins to go away. It is possible for love, intimacy, and passion to deepen, rather than dwindle, over the years.
Intimacy is made up of thousands of little moments – conversations where we share our deepest fears and wildest dreams; moments of intense physical, spiritual, and emotional connection, where we have the experience of actually being one; silly moments where we’re laughing so hard we can’t catch our breath; and painful moments where we help one another stand and make it through to the other side of disappointment or grief. It’s through our shared life’s experiences – the simple and complicated, through good times and bad, for richer or poorer, and in sickness and in health – that our love can grow stronger and deeper than ever.
So, why is it that some couples manage to keep the love alive in their relationships and others don’t, and what can you do to keep the romance alive in your own relationship?
The answer may seem simple, but it’s profound: Love grows stronger through practice.
Just as the athlete grows stronger, the artist grows in her craft, and the dancer becomes more graceful through practice, so do we become better at giving and receiving love through practicing our love.
No matter how much an athlete wants to win, how much the artist wants to improve her artistry, or how much the dancer wants to glide effortlessly across the stage, without practice each of them will either stay stagnant or regress in their skill level.
Practicing love means being willing to listen, rather than always trying to be heard. It means being accepting and forgiving, compassionate and understanding. It means allowing the other person the freedom to be who he or she is, without trying to control, fix or change him or her. Practicing love means allowing the other person to be there for you, to support and love you. And practicing love means setting the intention every day to love a little more deeply, fully, and profoundly.
Love doesn’t have to dwindle and passion and romance do not have to fade. When we make it a point to make each new day – each new moment – an opportunity to practice loving and being loved a little more than the one before, the love, intimacy, and passion we feel for one another will grow stronger, deeper, and more fulfilling than we ever dreamed was possible!
Comments? Questions? Let us know below! We love hearing from you!
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
by heartsdesireintl | Apr 17, 2013 | Love, Relationship, Success
by Gladys Diaz
If you ask people to define “success,” you’ll probably hear a lot of different definitions, examples of it, and feelings about what success really means. One of our core beliefs at Heart’s Desire International is that women deserve to have it ALL! That means that we believe that success is about feeling happy, fulfilled, and empowered in every area of your life — business/career, physical and spiritual health and well-being, AND your love life!
This is why for the past several years, Heart’s Desire has partnered to help make the Women’s Success Summit a success! This year, I have the honor of serving on the Board of Advisors, and, since I have the inside scoop, I can honestly tell you that this is going to be the BEST summit to date!
Over the years, many of our clients have either met us through or attended the Women’s Success Summit with us! Why? Because “success” isn’t just measured by your career achievements, the size of the business you own, or the salary you make. True Success comes from having everything your heart desires — in life, business, and your romantic relationships!
So, if you are ready to spend 2 days surrounded by some of the most successful and amazing women in Miami, learning about how to take our lives and businesses to new levels of success, then join us at the Women’s Success Summit VII!
Use the code HeartsDesire when you register and save 20%!
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
by heartsdesireintl | Jan 28, 2013 | Intimacy, Love, Marriage, Relationship, Relationship Advice, Romance
By Gladys Diaz
I love it when my husband pulls my chair out for me, gives me his jacket when I’m cold, and walks around the car to open my door. I love that we still dance in the kitchen (sometimes to no music at all), that we love to gross our kids out by smooching all the time (as you can see in the picture above), and that he can still make me laugh until I can’t catch my breath. I love watching him work out, catching him staring at me (or my butt), and when we look across a room at each other and connect, as if no one else there.
And I love that it’s still this way and I still feel like his girlfriend after almost 14 years! The fact is I love that I’m still dating my husband!
The phase of dating and courtship can be a fun and exciting. Getting to know someone new, going out and having a good time, and allowing him to shower you with time and attention makes the first stages of the love journey exhilarating. Unfortunately, many people believe that once you’re in a long-term relationship the fun begins to fizzle and the sex loses it sizzle.
The good news is that this does NOT have to be the case! In long-lasting relationships where both people are happy and still very much in-love, even after several years – and even decades – of marriage, you can bet that one of the main ingredient in that couple’s recipe for happiness includes FUN!
Now, don’t get me wrong. Great relationships don’t “just happen.” It’s not that some people are just “lucky.” It’s not about two people just “clicking” and everything just falling into place on its own. No. Great relationships take work, but the work doesn’t have to be “hard,” and it doesn’t even feel like work when you’re coming from the place of doing what it takes to keep your love alive.
So, what are some things we can do to keep the fun and love alive in our relationships?
- Remember. Remember why you fell in love with him in the first place. List out the qualities that you loved and admired. There’s a reason you chose to spend your life with him! If your relationship is in a stage right now where it’s hard to remember those times, take out old photo albums of when you were dating and let them jog your memory!
- Relive. Sometimes, a great way to relive and re-experience those moments you shared when you first started falling in love is to visit the places you visited in the beginning of the relationship – restaurants, vacation spots, the place where you shared your first kiss or where you made love for the first time. Go by yourselves on a date and relive the memories of those times together!
- Relish. It’s easy to fall into routines and begin to take things – even your spouse – for granted. Every day, take a moment to really be present with your spouse. Whether it’s stopping one another to hug in the hallway, making time to talk after the kids are in bed, or just holding one another before you get out of bed in the morning (we set our alarm 10 minutes early for snuggling time)or before you fall asleep at night. Relish those everyday moments – or, as I call them, “ordinary-extraordinary moments” – together. Allow yourself a few moments each day to feel and express the love and gratitude you feel for your spouse.
- Reignite. Yes, we have busy schedules and lots of responsibilities, but if we want our marriages to remain loving, exciting, and fun, then we’ll make time to be together and keep the love and fun alive. Make time for date nights, exercise and play together. And, yes, this includes having sex and making that fun, too! Wear something sexier than you normally would, dance for him, invite him into the tub or shower, and allow yourself to experience the delight of being desired and pleased by the man you love!
These are just a few tips that will help you experience love, fun, and happiness in your marriage over the years. We’ll be covering even more tips in the talk we’ll be presenting at HeartCamp titled, “Relationship FUNdamentals,” where you’ll learn what both men and women can do to make dating and relationships more fun! If you’re in the Miami area on February 2nd, you won’t want to miss it!
Having a relationship that not only stands the test of time, but in which both people are still happy to be together in the good times and bad, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer is not about luck. It doesn’t just happen. And, while it is magical, it’s a magic that gets created day in and day out, moment by moment. This is your life. It’s your love story. Make it one you want to experience for a lifetime!
Questions? Comments? Let us know below! We love hearing from you!
Photo by Andrielle Photography
by heartsdesireintl | Dec 29, 2012 | Dating, HDI Blog, Intimacy, Love, Marriage, Parenting, Relationship, Relationship Advice, Romance
The other night something happened that caused me to really put my “work” to work. A virtual friend of several years reached out to me on my Facebook Wall about something she was going through, and I responded with some advice I thought would encourage her.
Unfortunately, something that I said must have been misinterpreted, and, what was originally a conversation between me and her on my Wall was taken public on Facebook, where she tagged me in a post that was about “losing friends” as a result of a choice she made. When I first saw my name on the post, I was confused, as our conversation had nothing to do with ending our friendship. In fact, I had told her that I loved her and how I had always seen her as a loving person.
Confused, I reiterated my love and support for her, only to have her son post a very crude and foul response questioning my sincerity, as well as calling my work as a relationship coach into question. I don’t know her son and had no idea where the anger was coming from. I chose to excuse myself from the thread, as this is not the type of conversation or interaction in which I choose to participate. In spite of this, I saw that there were still nasty things being said in my absence.
I reached out to my friend privately and suggested we speak so that we could clarify any misunderstandings, as I know that what is written can sometimes be misinterpreted. No response. I told her I had deleted the post that she had put on my Wall (in case something I had said had hurt or offended her) and waited to hear from her. Again, no response.
I did, however, get another nasty private message from her son. I explained that she and I had been having a private conversation that it was misinterpreted and taken public. And, again, apologized if I had said something to hurt his mom. No response.
I won’t pretend that I wasn’t angry. I was. And I was hurt, too. I’m human.
I tried to shake it off, reminding myself that what they were thinking and feeling probably had more to do with what my friend is going through than it had to do with me, and that the feelings I had expressed were authentic. Still, it hurt that someone would think that I was being anything but loving with them. And having my integrity called into question bothered me.
As a coach, I sometimes have to say things people don’t want to hear. I do it with no other intention than to share what I feel will make a difference for them. And I always remind my clients and friends that I am coming from a place of love and standing in my commitment to them and their happiness. While I may not agree with someone’s choices, disagreement does not equal judgment. I believe that we are each free to choose what we feel is the right choice for ourselves. So, while I may not agree with you, I will not judge you.
After about an hour of feeling bothered, I realized that a lot of what I was feeling had to do with my own ego – wanting to be liked; not wanting to be questioned or seen in a negative light. So I began to let that go.
I spoke to my husband about what was going on, and, as I spoke, the hurt turned to anger. My husband, who has much thicker skin and is a lot less emotional than I am, told me to de-friend her and call it a day. I, on the other hand, wanted to mend the relationship, if possible. He got a bit frustrated and told me I had no need for negative people and people who clearly don’t know me enough to know that I always try to come from a space of love.
In the past, this conversation would have turned into an argument between him and me about how he was being judgmental and unreasonable and just trying to step in and “fix it,” rather than just letting me vent. However, I’ve learned to listen to the message behind his words – his “heart message” – and what I heard loud and clear was: “I love you and I don’t want anyone to hurt you.” In his way, he was standing up and defending me. And I love him for it.
As soon as I got how much my husband loved and wanted to defend me, a space of compassion opened up for me regarding my friend’s son! For whatever reason, something I said had been misinterpreted and my friend was hurt. Perhaps she felt I was judging her. I hope not, but she mentioned feeling that she had to explain her choice in her post. So, perhaps she shared her hurt feelings with her son, and, because he loves her, he felt the need to defend and protect her, too. As much as I disagree with the way he went about doing so, by bringing compassion to the situation and to him, I was able to let go of the “residue” of resentment that was growing in my heart and hear his heart message for his mom.
I don’t know whether my friend and I will ever speak again. I hope we do. I pray that she is able to get through this part of her journey surrounded by those who love her. I’ve apologized. There’s nothing more I can do, except send love and light her way.
No matter what happens, I am so thankful for this lesson learned, this work, the skills and principles we teach, and that I was able to use them both within and outside the relationship with my husband to let go of pain and resentment and bring peace and love back into my heart.
Because, in the end, peace and love are what this work – our work – is all about!
Questions? Comments? Please share them below. We love hearing from you!
Photo credit: Susan von Struensee via photopin.com cc
by heartsdesireintl | Dec 19, 2012 | Dating, HDI Blog, Intimacy, Love, Marriage, Parenting, Relationship, Relationship Advice, Romance
Being Lovers, Parents, and Partners in the Face of a Tragic Event
by Gladys Diaz
TRAGEDY
This past weekend was a difficult one for everyone in our country, and perhaps even more so for those of us who have children. I found out about the tragedy in Connecticut late in the day, and it threw me for a swirl of emotions. I simply couldn’t believe it and could not even begin to understand it. My mind kept going between the poor babies whose lives were taken, those whose innocence was stolen by what they experienced and saw, the educators who risked it all to protect the children, and trying to imagine what the parents of the children who were killed were going through.
When my husband came home, he could see that I was upset and I told him what had happened. Immediately, we were both overcome with emotion – me in my way: tears, and he in his: silence. Our next thought was how we were going to deal with this regarding our children. How in the world were we supposed to explain something neither one of us could fathom or make sense of? And, how were we supposed to relay something so heinous to child, while, at the same time, not trying to frighten or worry them? And how were we to deal with the questions… I know my kids – especially my older son. There would be questions, and lots of them.
We decided that we would not tell them about it and we would refrain from watching the news while they were awake. In a way, we felt like we were protecting them – preserving their innocence – at least for a little while longer. At that point there were so many unverified accounts of what happened that it was best to just wait, anyway. And maybe wouldn’t say anything at all. We didn’t know. What is “the right thing to do” with something that is so wrong?
We were able to avoid discussing the topic with them all weekend and limited our own discussions about the topic. It wasn’t easy. Every time I saw a picture of a child who passed away and the family photos capturing moments of pure love and joy, or read the stories of the teachers who risked their lives to save the little ones entrusted to them, I simply lost it. And as much as I like to consider myself someone who is a positive thinker and believes in the inherent goodness of people, I struggled with anger and found it hard not to want to blame somebody – anybody – for what was happening. A lot of that was going around on the social media networks – finger-pointing, blame, hate — and I just chose not to get involved in the political aspects of the tragedy. I wanted to send my love and healing thoughts with each picture, tear, and story I read, so I chose to focus on that instead.
On Sunday morning, it occurred to me that, while my younger son is in Kindergarten (and, yes, I had to shake the terror I felt each time I realized that the babies who were killed were his age), and that perhaps many of their parents had also shielded his classmates from the news, my older son is in fourth grade, and some of the kids in his class might have more access to the television and Internet than my kids do. I asked my husband whether he thought we should tell the kids what happened, sans all the details. We agreed to think about it and we’d decide that evening. The truth is that neither one of us wanted to be the one to start the discussion.
When evening finally came, I asked my husband again what he thought. He said he was worried, especially about our older son, who also has a mild form of autism and can get very upset and perseverate on a topic for days. He asked me how I felt about it. I told him I didn’t want to tell them everything, but that I also didn’t want them to hear something from another kid who might not have all of the details correct.
TEARS
So we chose to speak to our kids about what happened. They both had questions – about where Connecticut was, what happened to the bad guy, whether some of the kids were able to escape – and we answered them as best we could. We kept the answers simple, and, when we didn’t know the answers, we said so.
Our older son’s first question was, “Are the kids okay?”
(My husband and I looked at each other. He nodded.) “No, honey. They’re not.”
Our younger son (5) was sad and got very quiet. Our older son (9.5) was angry and very outspoken.
“What kind of madman would hurt little, innocent kids, right before Christmas?!?” (I couldn’t agree more.)
Our older son was glad to hear the bad guy couldn’t hurt anyone else (telling him that the gunman “hurt himself” was another topic I wish I didn’t have to talk about), and he had a few ideas about what should have been done to stop him (security-wise) and done to him (throwing him in a volcano full of lava kept coming up).
At prayer time, we always thank God first and then ask Him to help the poor, people at war, our sponsored child, and people on our prayer list. Our older son was still angry and began thanking God that the killer was dead. I explained that we are all angry and hurt and confused, and that it’s okay to feel that way, but that, if we want a world full of love and peace, we also need to pray loving and peaceful prayers and be loving and peaceful ourselves. So, he closed his eyes, took a breath, and thanked Jesus for his toys, that Christmas is around the corner, that some of the kids were saved, and for being able to spend Christmas with his family (his eyes began to water and he hugged me). Then he asked that God please give the mommies and daddies of the little kids a second chance to be happy. His eyes teared up and he hugged me again. He said he wants to write a letter to the parents and the school and send them $10 (a lot of money in his world). I said we would do that.
I wiped his tears and said, “Thank you for loving other people. You’re a good heart. A beautifully good heart. “ He smiled.
I kissed the area of his chest over his heart and said my own prayer of thanks that he was in my arms and I could do that. I was very aware of the fact that at least 20 other parents were longing to do the same with their children that night.
“Good night, my baby. Have sweet dreams”
“Good night, Mama.”
And, as I walked out of his room the tears of sadness, fear, love, and gratitude began to fall all at once!
TEAMWORK
This was not an easy conversation to have with our children, and I hope we never have to worry about having one like it again. I am, however, happy with the way my husband and I handled it. It felt like, even though our initial reactions were different (sadness vs. anger), we were on the same page.
That’s not always the case in our marriage, as in virtually every other relationship. Sometimes he had an idea for how we should explain something or discipline the kids that is different from mine. Sometimes we differ in how we want to approach a decision, make a purchase, or what we want to do with the kids on the weekend. In the past, when this would happen, I would “argue” my point, give my “opinion,” and, I’m embarrassed to say, I would do whatever I thought was best, completely disregarding my husband’s ideas. I was the teacher, I knew kids better than he, and I was always “right.” And it cost me with regard to the intimacy in my marriage. Big time.
Now I know that, while I still have a right to my own thoughts and opinions, I’m not always right. My husband is another human being in this relationship, and he’s entitled to his own ideas, even if I don’t always agree with them. I have learned that the man I chose to marry would lay down his life for my kids and me, and that I can trust him to make good choices and put our needs first. I don’t have to “defend” or prove that my ideas are valid. I can state them and then we can come to an agreement together, or agree to disagree. By respecting and honoring his thoughts and decisions, our parenting has become much more about teamwork and partnership, and our kids benefit from seeing that, not only do their parents love them, but they also respect and love each other.
And, in a world where it seems like things are out of control, and where it doesn’t always feel safe, I’m glad and grateful that we are able to give them the reassurance that comes with living in a peaceful loving home where they know that we are here, we are a team, that they are safe, and so is their family!
Our heartfelt condolences go to the families of everyone who has been touched by this terrible tragedy. Words cannot begin to provide comfort in such tragic situations, but I hope they will somehow feel the love we are sending their way.
Comments? Questions? Please share them below! We love hearing from you!
Photo credit: PhotgraTree via photopin.com cc
“We are loving, passionate, and generous with one another.”
