This Year's Word with Courtney Symes

Why you need grace in your life…and how to find it

“Life is measured in love and positive contributions and moments of grace.” - Carly Fiorina
So, what exactly is grace, and when was the last time you expressed grace, or were the recipient of grace from someone else?
In this episode I explore how we can introduce more grace into our lives each day.
Check out my courses: Magical Mornings and Joyful Journaling Journey, as well as my book, A Year of Love: Finding peace one day at a time. 
Grab your FREE Journaling Guide with 100+ prompts here. 
Read more on my blog, or connect with me on Facebook. 

What do you want most in life? (and how to get it!)

This month on my blog and socials, I’ve been asking and pondering life’s big questions. Today’s question is:
What do you want most in life?
I selected this question as I’d love to unpack and work through this one with you. I’m also hoping it will really challenge you to not only think deeply about the future, but also reflect on how far you’ve come.
I’ll also present some questions you can ask which will prompt you to identify what you want, as well as some easy goal-setting strategies you can apply today to get you started on the path of acquiring what you want most in life.
Check out my courses: Magical Mornings and Joyful Journaling Journey, as well as my book, A Year of Love: Finding peace one day at a time. 
Grab your FREE Journaling Guide with 100+ prompts here. 
Read more on my blog, or connect with me on Facebook. 

The one piece of advice I’d give to everyone

This month on my blog and socials, I’ve been asking and pondering life’s big questions. One I’ve really enjoyed mulling over is:
What piece of advice would you give your younger self?
Picking one piece of advice was TOUGH. So, I narrowed it down to the piece of advice that would apply to everyone, and have the most impact on ALL areas of our life. I eventually landed on Love Yourself.
Here's why loving yourself is the most important thing you can do for yourself...
Check out this touching tribute to Steve Irwin, Wildest Things in the World. 
Check out my courses: Magical Mornings and Joyful Journaling Journey, as well as my book, A Year of Love: Finding peace one day at a time. 
Grab your FREE Journaling Guide with 100+ prompts here. 
Read more on my blog, or connect with me on Facebook. 

How to get the most out of the books you read

A few years ago, I discovered a hack to read more books.
But now I was reading more books, I was faced with a new problem: I couldn’t remember what I’d read! Because I was reading so many books now, they all had the tendency to blur into one another.
I was also writing my own book, and wanted to recall some of the information I was reading, but didn’t have a specific process for recording this information to use later.
In this episode, I share the way I overcame mindlessly blasting through more books, to recording and retaining the information I was reading so I could not only use it in my writing, but also apply it to my life.
Here is your FREE Book Notes template. 
Check out my courses: Magical Mornings and Joyful Journaling Journey, as well as my book, A Year of Love: Finding peace one day at a time. 
Grab your FREE Journaling Guide with 100+ prompts here. 
Read more on my blog, or connect with me on Facebook. 

The best advice from the books I’ve read

In this episode, I share some of the best pieces of advice I’ve acquired from my favourite books (you can read more about them here). 
This list is not in any particular order, and is certainly not exhaustible. Let me know if you enjoy this episode as I would love to create more episodes like this in the future.
These are the top ten books I'd gift to my kids to set them up for life. 
Check out my courses: Magical Mornings and Joyful Journaling Journey, as well as my book, A Year of Love: Finding peace one day at a time. 
Grab your FREE Journaling Guide with 100+ prompts here. 
Read more on my blog, or connect with me on Facebook. 

How to read more books

"Studies show that there is a direct relationship between your ability to read and your success in life. Skilled readers enjoy better jobs, higher incomes, and greater opportunities for success in all realms of life.” - Jim Kwik, Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life 
Reading is one of the best life skills we can cultivate – for learning and pleasure. Reading is one of the quickest and cost-effective ways to learn anything, or simply entertain ourselves as we step into someone else’s shoes or escape into other worlds.  
Reading gives us knowledge, and knowledge gives us power.
But in such a busy world, how do we make time to read? In this episode, I share my top six tips for consuming more books.
I would be so grateful for any help and support you can provide Rhani and Keira at this difficult time via the GoFundMe page set up on their behalf. 
Check out my courses: Magical Mornings and Joyful Journaling Journey, as well as my book, A Year of Love: Finding peace one day at a time. 
Grab your FREE Journaling Guide with 100+ prompts here. 
Read more on my blog, or connect with me on Facebook. 

Mindful Moments Challenge: Day 5

Welcome to day five of the Mindful Moments Challenge 2023. In this episode, we'll be exploring mindfulness through our senses. 
Check out my courses: Magical Mornings and Joyful Journaling Journey, as well as my book, A Year of Love: Finding peace one day at a time. 
Grab your FREE Journaling Guide with 100+ prompts here. 
Read more on my blog, or connect with me on Facebook. 

Mindful Moments Challenge: Day 4

Welcome to day four of the Mindful Moments Challenge 2023. In this episode, we'll be exploring mindfulness through our breathing. 
Check out my courses: Magical Mornings and Joyful Journaling Journey, as well as my book, A Year of Love: Finding peace one day at a time. 
Grab your FREE Journaling Guide with 100+ prompts here. 
Read more on my blog, or connect with me on Facebook. 

Mindful Moments Challenge: Day3

Welcome to day two of the Mindful Moments Challenge 2023. In this episode, we'll be exploring our connection with others. 
Check out my courses: Magical Mornings and Joyful Journaling Journey, as well as my book, A Year of Love: Finding peace one day at a time. 
Grab your FREE Journaling Guide with 100+ prompts here. 
Read more on my blog, or connect with me on Facebook. 

Mindful Moments Challenge: Day 2

Welcome to day two of the Mindful Moments Challenge 2023. In this episode, we'll be exploring the environment around us. 
Check out my courses: Magical Mornings and Joyful Journaling Journey, as well as my book, A Year of Love: Finding peace one day at a time. 
Grab your FREE Journaling Guide with 100+ prompts here. 
Read more on my blog, or connect with me on Facebook.