Transformation: from Rock Bottom to Cloud 9

To those I love,

My most beautiful transformation of 2013

Who am I, Who is Arielle and How did I get here.

Straight to the point - I hit my rock bottom this summer. My goal growing was to go to film school. I moved here from out of state and spent 3 tough years focusing on school. I based my whole life around it. My house is 2 miles from school, my job is one mile, my daughters school is across the street. I worked hard and made my life convenient. And then Fall of 2013  approached... the main focus of the last 3 years of my life was coming to an end. I have a great job… I love my job and they love me. They have worked extremely well with my school schedule each semester for the past 3 years. But it isn’t a career end job. So here I was graduating and feeling stuck or I should say the opposite… over whelmed with too many options. I was now graduating and nothing was keeping me here in Hollywood; the possibilities seemed endless and daunting. And everyone would ask what are going to do when you graduate? Well shit I have no idea, I don’t even know what I WANT to do with my life, what my “passion” or “calling” is.

During this time I went through a breakup that just left me devastated. I was confused hurt, lonely, feeling betrayed. I spent a year with this man and had completely come to adore him. I had structured my life out of helping him with his desires to go back to music school and so on. I respected him and truly appreciated his friendship and company. I felt happy content and appreciated. And did anything and everything in the world to help him achieve those goals…and to this day I know he knows still deep down inside.  I thought things were good, I thought I was happy. I had lost myself in my concept of him. Then one day he just walked away, no looking back, no explanation. In fact immediately after, had his new girl, or I should say not so new girl, all over his social media sites. This man that would call me “love” every single day I now had to watch him call “love” to this other girl. A man I had let so close into my world and into my daughters world as well. She adored him and would ask about when was coming over to play guitar with her.

How could someone that said they cared, walk away so easily and effortlessly? I felt crushed, helpless, angry… I had given the keys to MY happiness over to him and I had no idea. I was crying all the time behind my sunglasses. I cried myself to sleep. I avoided all movies involving intimacy and love. I rolled my eyes any time a man offered the slightest compliment or “hit-on”. I secluded into a shell. I lost about 15 pounds and started having other personal health issues. My neck/back injury flared up again… as I now see was a way to hide myself, to protect myself from feeling vulnerable. I lost all self esteem and felt ugly and unattractive. I started focusing on my flaws. I would cry myself to sleep trying to hold it all in. My heart just ached deep down to the center of my back. It was an emotional roller coaster. I would talk to myself all the time… saying why the heck are you wasting a tear on a man that does not even spend one second thought about you? That apparently didn't care or even respect your feelings.

Who was this girl? Who was this Arielle?

I was the girl people would always jokingly say, can your face do anything else but smile? I was happy, carefree, positive, easy going… How did I get here? Where along the way did I lose myself? I started asking myself when was the last time you were truly happy. And I shocked myself realizing it was 4 or 5 years ago, Why was it that long ago? Sure I had fun times and good moments along the way… but when was the last time I truly smiled ear to ear, or just laughed for no apparent reason?

I began to question well what made me happy then that I don’t have now. I have a better place, I completed film school, I have nice clothes, a nice car… But why am I less happy? I realized I had it, that this was enough. I didn’t want to feel this way ever again. I was tired of crying of feeling hurt or betrayed. I’m a Gemini anyways, and since when did I let a man get me down. I’m the social butterfly …bouncing around on life. I choose who I want to let in my life… not the other way around.

Then I began to realize, if I feel this shitty and am crying behind my sunglasses (and by the way during this time frame not one person ever asked if I was ok) So I thought, if I feel this way how many others were going about their day crying behind their shades that I didn’t even notice?! So I decided then and there I was not going to feel this way anymore and that I had the power to show others they didn’t have to either.

I had heard the sayings and scriptures… Give and it shall be given into you. Or what you give comes back tenfold. Like attract likes…. There was no lower bottom for me. I couldn’t feel any worse. So I decided I am going to start loving and giving to the best of my ability for purely selfish reasons… to feel good and be loved in return.

I started trying to do a Pay it Forward act at least one time a day; leaving love notes all over town, dollar bills in random places... I started making my 15 seconds videos telling myself these messages. Like “fake it till you make it.” And “happiness is a muscle that needs to be practiced” and that “I choose happiness every morning.” And let me tell you my life changed! There were days and weeks I was crying in bed saying please just let me not feel this way any more, I just want to be happy. And would force myself to list off things in my life I was grateful for. Now I go to bed with the biggest smile on my face saying wow I am so grateful and love going to bed with this inward happiness.

        I practiced happiness every single day! I forced that smile on my face. I would say out loud, “I am Happy Healthy and Whole and there is no Hole in my Soul.” I would say this over and over through out the day…most of the time through my tears and shakey voice but still forcing a smile. And guess what,I no longer feel lonely or unloved. I don't need the presence of a man to make me feel complete.  Every single time his name would pop across my mind, and let me tell you it was ALL the time. I would say out loud, “Bless you, I release you.” Because I firmly believe in karma, that the energy you wish on others always comes back to you. So why would I want to say f*#ck you… if I believed that I was bringing that negative energy back in to my life. So bless you I release you and I wish you and your “love” the best.

Sometimes a door is closing but we are so afraid of change or letting go that not only do we not see it but we fight it and resist it...only prolonging the inevitable and causing more harm and grief to us. So I started saying "thank you for walking away, you leaving was actually the BEST thing that happened to me." I started forcing myself to see and say the opposite. And you know what, him walking away was the best thing that could have happened to me. I am so happy now. I would have been still content and living a mediocre life had it not been for that moment. Many people would look at me or read this story and say oh you are damaged goods now, or good luck finding a man that wants to deal with those feelings. But, oh they couldn't be more wrong. I climb into my bed alone and happy with my own companionship something I would have never appreciated before. A relationship at this point in my life is not something i seek, but true love and friendship and adoration is something I will obtain for it is already mine.

Sometimes we are so broken, or cracked open, to allow that much more love and light in. For in the breaking we learn to love deeper and more intensely. Just think of how much more love we have when we are completely cracked open and have allowed the light to pour deeply into our souls. The Key to happiness is gratitude and love. The more you are grateful for, the more you have to be grateful for. The more love you pour out into the Universe the more love fills your life.  And let me tell you, I am happy. I am smiling, I am sexy, beautiful, energetic and contagious; the very essence of me is LOVE. There is no question of will I be afraid to love again. I am love, that is all I am capable of.

Through this transformation I found my passion in life, what makes my soul come alive.  I discovered a life for and about myself is not a life at all. Through my creating of my morning 15 sec videos, I discovered I truly feel happy when I am inspiring or helping others. I started to feel and listen to other people’s pain and truly know I had felt that way and to also know it is VERY possible to feel alive and happy again.

Paying it forward and doing random acts of kindness are not events or even acts…they are a lifestyle. Love is our natural normal state. We are love, so of course we are going to feel the best and be the happiest when we are loving our self and others. Share a smile, a nod, a polite hello… take a minute to show love to any one who may cross your path through out the day. 

So thank you to the man who has brought me to my highest level of love and appreciation and thank you to everyone who walked this journey with me this summer. It has been five amazing months of transformation. And I am so excited for 2014; to share my life journey with my true soul mate, to create a hit reality show that will be aired on major national television, to begin my career as a LOA life coach changing lives all over the world, to run a blog that inspires and impacts all of our lives, and to open a Haven center for teens and young adults from all over the world to come live and experience and find true love, peace, passion, and happiness in their own lives. 

Be yourself today, tomorrow and the next day; love. And join me on clod 9, which is very large i might say ;)

“One starfish at a time."

Blessings and Namaste.

Written in love,

Arielle Caputo

Meet Fighter, Aiden

I am soo happy to announce the RAK community will be helping this little fighter and his family for the Holidays. Meet him and follow his story at gofundme.com/aidensarmy 

"One love, one heart, one destiny" - Bob Marley

*RAK community-a group of people who selflessly perform acts of kindness wishing to assist, cheer, or inspire others for no reason other than to make the person smile.

Tis the Season: RAK Community wants to help

We would like to reach out and help a family who is in need of a little extra help this season.

To be entered in:

Follow (ariellecaputo) on Instagram, I will post the selected family on Dec 18th.

 

1.) Post your story below in the comments box

     OR

2.) email your story to rel87@ymail.com

     OR

3.) tag your photo on Instagram #RAKcommunity.

I know every story is deserving, so one family will be selected randomly December 18, 2013. I will announce on my Instagram page, as well as here, and my Facebook page.

RAK Community: a group of people who selflessly perform acts of kindness wishing to cheer, assist, or inspire others for no reason other than to make the person(s) smile.

Be Brilliant: That is what you were made for

  

You weren’t born to fit in; you were born to be brilliant.  Brilliant comes from a French word meaning to shine. Everyone has the ability to shine, sometimes we forget how to. And if we forget how to we never attract the right people into our space. So this is about going on a journey of discovery.  When we find our brilliance and we chose to no longer play small or live down but to really live up to, all of a sudden everyone that has been assigned to aid and help us be brilliant show up in our space almost as if they were summoned to us. It is because of what we are putting out into the universe that we literally start to find “our people,” the ones that really really get us. 

Our body is an electromagnetic force field that attracts like-minded objects. So the energy that we all have, vibrates from the inside out. So literally the moment someone steps into your space, they can pick up on where you are energy wise.  So when you tap into that brilliant it factor that brilliant you, and you really begin to live your life in true alignment (so alignment of head, heart and hands) you literally are releasing your brilliance from the inside out.  When you have the alignment of head, heart, and hands your feet will follow and you will then begin to vibrate to the universe that “I am happy, healthy, and whole and there is no hole in my soul because I know who I am.” and you will begin to walk in that.

Then what happens is you have these serendipitous moments where you bump into people.  We can have these moments every day once we get in the flow and expect it and don’t see it as strange and say, “this is how I live my life.”  

Steps to “Getting in the flow.”

1.     Be Silent. Get quiet. Listen and mediate. Quiet the chatter of the mind. Journal what is happening write now.

2.     As you go throughout the day you have a daydream, a flash of insight, capture that moment and bring it to speech. If it wants to happen it has to be spoken. So literally speak out load. “I am happy, healthy, and whole. My business is increasing, I am a lover and a giver.” Or even when you are sleeping at night and have a dream, a dream is a sneak preview of a coming attraction.

3.     Who are the folks that I am associating with that are causing me to move forward, or causing me to stay stuck, or move backwards.  People are like elevators they move you up and move you down. At times you need to examine your relationship portfolio to really understand in my life who are the assets and who are the liabilities that enable me to be all that I can be or are there relationships that perhaps you need to re-evaluate because they impact what you produce and who you become.

You have to let it go in order to let it come. What is to come? All of the things that you deserve, all the happiness, love, peace of mind… those things can’t come to a crowded contaminated fearful mindset.  Part of being brilliant and releasing your brilliance is asking yourself do you want to be brilliant or do you want to stay average? Average is safe. But brilliant is saying I am going to go for it. There is nothing wrong with being comfortable, but the world will pass you by. When you are congruent and whole within your soul, you start to attract into your space all of the things that you deserve.

So brilliance is all about committing to ourselves. And it’s a whole chain reaction that literally causes a domino effect. Things start lining up for you all because of a decision to commit to you. When this happens all of a sudden all of the relationships that I needed to make, happen because I was at the right place at the right time. Don’t be cash rich, but relationship poor.  Say yes to yourself and that releases your brilliance. Everyone has that it factor and the moment they release it they begin to attract others to their space who will help them release their brilliance.

Go be Brilliant 

 Adapted from Release Your Brilliance by Simon T. Bailey

Fall Giveaway - Nominate a Giver

"There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up." -John Holmes

Its a Fall Giveaway

Do you know someone who gives from the heart consistently... with no promise of reward or even being able to afford the time or money? 

Nominate them today.  

The Winner will be randomly selected and will receive a mystery gift box.

You can share their story in the comments box below or hashtag their story/pic on Instagram with #starfishstories

      If you want to feel good, then do good!! "Scientific studies show that helping others boosts happiness. It increases life satisfaction, provides a sense of meaning, increases feelings of competence, improves our mood and reduced stress. It can help to take our minds off our own troubles too." 

     Kindness and caring is also contagious. When we see someone do something kind or thoughtful, or we are on the receiving end of kindness, it inspires us to be kinder ourselves.  In this way, kindness spreads from one person to the next, influencing the behavior of people who never saw the original act. Spreading Love is the key to creating a happier and more fulfilling life. 

What are you Doing Today: Creative Ideas to Pay it Forward

"Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness.
Every act creates a ripple with no logical end." - Scott Adams

What are you doing today? 

Kindness is Addicting and Contagious. Try it today and I promise your day will change for the better instantly. Here are a few creative ideas for you.

 

Have you ever watched the movie, Pay it Forward?

Here is a short clip from the inspiring movie - based on the novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Watch it here

www.youtube.com/watch

Kindness Wins Everytime: Giveaway for Kindness Agents

 Give to those you love; give to those who love you, give to the fortunate, give to the unfortunate — yes, give especially to those you don’t want to give. You will receive abundance for your giving. The more you give, the more you will have!– W. Clement Stone

DID YOU KNOW: In the book, The Healing Power of Doing Good"  it lists the effects of kindness can include a greater sense of calmness and relaxation, which may also ease pain (from headaches to back pain) and may even reduce high blood pressure. It also suggests that other effects of kindness may increase your energy level!!

"All your words and actions define the world you want to live in." -Thaddeus Golas When we focus on kindness, our world becomes kinder; we become kinder.   Kindness can lead us wherever we want to go: to a happier life, to enlightenment, to making a difference in this world, to raising loving and kind children.

 "Kindness begets kindness, openness, health and reduces the effects of stress on our bodies and our hearts.  When you are kind to others, the impact of your action doesn't stop there.  Many times the recipient of your kindness and others who see or hear about your kindness are inspired to be kinder.  The ripples of kindness are truly endless."

 

So lets share our stories and inspire each other.

OCTOBER GIVEAWAY: Acknowledging and Encouraging Acts of Kindness.

Do you know a Kindness Agent that you would like to nominate?

Did you perform an act of Kindness? 

Did you see someone else perform an act of kindness? 

Were you the recipient of a kindness deed? 

Share your story below and be entered into a giveaway. OR you can hashtag your photo/video on Instagram #starfishstories. Deadline is 11.06.13

(Win a DEAP bracelet, Mercury earbuds, gift cards and more...)

 

 NOTE: In order to be entered into the drawing you must be following on IF (ariellecaputo)

Gift Items:

"Dream Endless, Actively Pursue" bracelet cuff. Available in copper, nickle, brass, aluminum silver . The proceeds from each bracelet purchase go towards a RAK of your choosing.

Mercury Innovation Earbuds -Designed to deliver a clear, rich audio experience, the Waterproof Sports buds are ideal for an active lifestyle. Whether swimming, running, or working out, the cork screw ear-tip and activity loop ensure a secure and comfortable fit.

Gifts cards: AMC movies, Visa card, Best Buy... 

Random Act of Kindness is: “a selfless act performed by a person or persons wishing to either assist or cheer up an individual… There will generally be no reason other than to make people smile, or be happier.” 

DEAP Cuffs: Buy one and Donate to a RAK of your choosing

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.”
- Christopher Reeve

"Dream Endlessly, Actively Pursue" Bracelet Cuffs are now Available. Join the Movement and make a commitment to Pursue your Dreams while Helping others Accomplish theirs.

Purchase a bracelet and the proceeds go to a RAK (random act of kindness) of your choosing. 
RAK Options:
1.) Warm Blankets for the Homeless
2.) Any Act of YOUR choosing. (the recipient will be notified of your kindness deed, and I will post a pic/video of the act in your name if you so wish)
3.) A Kindness Act of MY Choosing. (I will choose a deed for a lucky recipient and will post a video or pic in your name)

This is a 1/4" cuff bracelet hand stamped with the message "Dream Endlessly, Actively Pursue. It does have some bend to it, so you can adjust it to fit. Comes in Brass, Copper, Nickel, or Aluminum Silver (nickel free)

Please note this item is hand stamped and sometimes letters don't always line up completely straight or perfectly. (Some pieces have whimsical looking letter placement on purpose!) This should not be considered a defect, but rather part of the charm of handmade.

 Order yours now for $22 which includes shipping and handling.

Ready to ship in 3-5 business days

Payment Method: PayPal  Send Payment to: rel87@ymail.com as a GIFT and write in the notes which RAK you would like me to do. 

 

Place your order, chose your RAK, watch acts of kindness ripple all over the world, and sit back and reap the wonderful benefits of sweet Karma.

"Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours." -Les Brown

The Universe Has Your Back - Take action in the direction of your dreams

"Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality." -Darryl Anka

Sometimes we want change but we don't know how to initiate that process to get the ball rolling in that positive direction. Here are four practical ways to take action in the direction you want. Mount these posters up all over your home, car, or work place as constant reminders. For me personally I have my Vision Board on my bedroom mirror, a Gratitude Board in my hallway, an inspirational quote on my car mirror, and then a little sign on my desk at work.

Vibrating it, is as simple as thinking about it, remembering it, listening to someone else talk about it, imagining it, speaking it, writing on it, looking at it – or reading about it.

So tune into the Vibrations you want in your life through any or all of these practical methods.

Success Log 

A success log is simply a written tally of things going your way.  It could be an ongoing list of happy manifestations, a journal of wins and triumphs, or however else you want to capture in writing the experiences and things you appreciate.

Income Journal

Keep a little notebook in your purse, night stand, back pocket and write in it daily. Write down every positive income. For instance, I received a $5 coupon on my receipt from CVS. I got a credit adjustment on my At&t bill. I received my wonderful hourly wage for today's work.... By constantly writing down our bills we focus on a negative money frequency, so switch it up, write every positive income you receive on a daily bases. You will notice that you are receiving money in places you didn't even realize and that in turn generates more creative areas to generate wealthin your life.

Vision Board

This is any goal, wish, or aspiration you may have. It can be, I want to lose 15 lb or just tone up. I would like to receive a raise. I would like a new job.  I would like to take a vacation to... You can cut out magazine clippings or print out picture, and write inspirational quotes or words.

Gratitude Board

I write one thing down everyday that I am grateful. This is a reminder of how blessed we truly are. And by doing this you can physically start to see things you have wished for on your Vision Board  come true!!

We get what we focus on. These methods all about training our attention towards success. Its easy to focus on everything that is going wrong or not coming to pass fast enough. So these methods will help redirect your attention back to generating wealth and success. So take action in the direction of your dreams. The Universe has your back!

Pay it Foward: One of the many definitions of this term

  Thank to everyone for their amazing submissions. It was VERY hard to pick one. Many of you put a lot of time and thought into your submissions, and I am very grateful. I will be combining so many definitions into a up coming blog post.

"Paying it Forward (PIF) means many things, from giving someone the shirt off your back, to a friendly nod, simple smile, or a few kind words. To pay it forward is actually another form of a random act of kindness. If someone is having a bad day you can PIF simply by telling that person how great they are :)  Paying it forward is showing someone a kind gesture and not expecting anything back in return. It's doing a good deed to restore the faith in humanity, it's telling your brother that he's not as annoying as you say lol. You can interpret any random act of kindness from your heart as paying it forward.  

The biggest reward though, is that you're really paying it forward to yourself! You PIF because you want to and don't need to think why am I doing this. People were born to pay it forward, sometimes they just need a little help understanding exactly what it is. It's true that when you pay it forward it gets passed along! For example, someone smiles at you, you smile back, you then go on to smile at someone else and they smile at someone else and so on. Well that one simple smile just PIF to a whole group of people. Like I said, PIF to me means helping restore the faith in humanity by doing something completely selfless without thinking about it!" - Nikki P

By the way...

We Want to help you help your neighbor.

Nominate an unsung hero or family in need by filling out the form below. Tell us their story in 250 words or less, and you just might get the chance to reward them with $500 cash. We`ll pick a new nominee every week.

http://www.newschannel9.com/news/features/pay-it-forward/

What's PIF anyways?

“Well, I made a difference to that one!” The old man looked at the girl inquisitively and thought about what she had said and done. Inspired, he joined the little girl in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon others joined, and all the starfish were saved. - adapted from the Star Thrower by Loren C. Eiseley

What does "Pay it Forward" (PIF) mean?

"Paying it Forward" and performing random acts of kindness has become the norm for my daughter and I. It is our lifestyle, who we are and how we go about our day interacting with people.  We keep hand written letters and spare change in my car at all times so that in whatever we are doing we are able to spread love easily and abundantly. As we are driving to and from school my daughter will spot a homeless person on the street side and ask if we can give him a letter and spare change. And since we have them already written, we can! Thus making it so we are able to impact more people. Paying it forward is our way of life. But as we have passed out letters, flowers, or change we quite often receive puzzled looks. It has made me realize that not everyone knows what this term even means and this saddens me. My life is permeated with kindness, love and happiness. I start my morning off with yoga, then I listen to my latest inspirational podcast and head to class. We make it a goal to spread love to at least one person before we arrive at our destination. I never thought that others would have no clue as to this treasure, this amazing gift we experience on a daily basis by giving to others. So how do we insight people on the gift of Paying it Forward? What does this term mean to you?

So I am starting another Giveaway!! How would you describe the meaning of "Pay it Forward" to a complete stranger? Or define the term "Pay it forward" in your own words

Enter your answers below in the comments box or post it on facebook.com/deap. You will automatically be entered into a giveaway. Deadline is 9.27.2013

Keep Spreading Love

Kindness Giveaway Winners

"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."
Dalai Lama

WINNER #1 - Jamie Lago

WINNER #2 -  Autumn (theycallmeautie)

 

WINNER #3 - Jackie (ringgoldja) 

WINNER #4 - Ashleigh (ash_pack)

I received nearly 100 stories and pictures for this giveaway. And they were all amazing stories and pictures. Some that made me laugh, smile and others that made me cry. I am so inspired by all of you. And so grateful to have met you all and proud to know you. I can not wait to compile everyone's ideas and stories for you all to read and hopefully be inspired as much as I have been. 

I believe no story is "better" than the other - kindness is kindness in any shape or size. So I compiled all the stories from my blog, instagram and email. I wrote everyone's name down and picked them out of a jar.

I received some Awesome Donations from several amazing people. So HUGE thanks to them, I was able to pick two winners of this kindness giveaway! And then I have to smaller winners that will receive a little gift of love as well.

Our Amazing donators are:

Brian Koyama
(facebook.com/brian.koyama.)

Jennifer Hammerberg

(www.etsy.com/shop/jhammerberg)

OfLovelyThings

(www.etsy.com/people/oflovelythings)

Lani LD

(www.etsy.com/shop/LittleDistractions)

Kristyne

gold-soul.com

So Thank You Thank You THANK YOU to are amazing donators !!! You are the ones that made it possible. 

Stay Tuned! I will post stories, pictures this weekend!

THE WINNERS and their stories/pics