Mac's 5th anniversary of posting personal daily 3 pictures.

5 years !!!

It's truly hard to wrap my head around the idea that I have been posting my #blissdaily3 's for 5 years but here I am. My name is Macara, I would like to introduce myself and the story of how my daily postings organically began 5 years ago.Then almost 2 years ago, I decided to  bring my dream to reality and create the free gratitude app , obviously named, Bliss Daily 3 ;) so others can begin to shift their focus to the positive moments in their everyday lives like I started doing 5 years ago. 

I want to start this blog post with a big thank you for those of you who have followed along in this journey of mine. I had no idea what or whom would care to see what I posted. In truth, my posts were purely selfish, posting for my own mind set to refocus on the good in my day. 

I would like to take you back to the beginning and give you an insight as to the WHO and the WHY..

Why OCT 4? well with 100% disclosure, I was posting on my personal page a bit earlier, but I began posting on my  business page ,BLISS with Mac Health Coaching on OCT 4 2014. I wasn't sure if posting personal photos on my business page was a great idea, in all truth.  I took the leap and decided that it was a good way for people will learn about who I am.  

For those of you new to this page, or new to the idea of #blissdaily3 , here is a quick overview of who I am and most importantly how the pieces of my life's journey are fitting into place...

My name is Macara Brachmann, I was widowed at 41. This is not something I like to dwell on but state more for being the turning point in my life. 

You see, when Scott died, a shift happened... when people asked me how I was doing I gave them 3 blanket answers... 1)thankful the bad guys didn't kill him(being in the Seal Teams for 21 years it was always one of my realities) my boys do not have subconscious feelings of retaliation  2) there was no question about if he had suffered (the coroner said he was dead before he hit the floor with this heart attack) and lastly 3) I didn't have to think about bringing his body back from overseas, since he had just returned from Africa 4 days earlier...These were my go-to responses.... 3 things.... why? I have no idea.... 

Something shifted my thinking. Why? I have no idea and in all honesty realize that this shift is a gift that was given to me. 

FAST FORWARD...

SR and I began a long distance relationship while I was living in MN and him living in CA.

We decided it was time to live under one roof, so the big move happened in 2013, returning back to CA and into SR's home. We were blending 2 families into 1 (which is no small feat with the kids all having experienced a loss of a parent). We always knew that his home was not going to be our second chapter home together.We both wanted a fresh start, so house hunting began.  

Here's where the whirlwind started...

SR's house went on the market and sold in 4 days with all cash offer + 20 DAY
ESCROW!!!!!

yup, SHIT HIT the FAN...

Life went into complete get'er done mode. You know what I mean, the panic of oh shit, 20 days to pack and find a house.... 

To make a long story short, we didn't find a house in 20 days. We moved into an original bungalow in the opposite direction from where we wanted to live with an insane commute.Mentally, I am a firm believer that you can do anything you set your mind to, it was the transitional chapter, I kept telling myself...  I can do anything for 3 months.... 

3 MONTHS TURNED INTO 7 ..


I would sit in the house and feel overwhelmed at all that transpired for us to be living there. It was pretty craptastic, I'm not gonna lie. If I told you the entire story your head would be shaking, like you gotta be kidding me....I kept telling myself, it was happening for a reason, it would all make sense at some point....

 I decided that the way I was going to change my mindset was to take 3 pictures a day of appreciation. No fancy lighting and cameras, just my phone camera + 3 things that made me smile. 3 things that might not make a difference to anyone else on the planet, but for me on that day, it did.That day was OCT 4,2014 my #Daily3 was born.... I began training my brain to look for the silver lining of each day.

Here was the first official post..
It was nothing exciting, morning coffee with coconut oil, dinner and enjoying some quality time with Mitchell while the little's were at practice. This was my transitional life that I was embracing...finding moments that made me smile.

 I made the commitment to myself to post everyday.....  What happened next was such a complete surprise.  I started receiving DM's from people who had found my page and were thanking me... I thought to myself... why? I started these posts purely as a method to shift my thinking going through a sucky situation and somehow someway, it is touching others.... Interesting how life works....

After a complete renovation, we  moved into our current home The RNB (Rogers n Brachmann) in March of 2015.  I decided to continue to post since truth be told, it helps me stay focused on the good in my day to day life. Raising teenage boys, any children for that matter, can be challenging.... this keeps me focused on the good in each day. The re-wiring was a success! 

So although I was faced with living in that cozy bungalow in Reseda .. something wonderful resulted....I never once thought that my daily 3's would make a difference in other people's lives.

I believe in the world of social media, my posts are different. I keep my daily 3 posts genuine to who I am and why it began. I would be lying if I said it was easy to find 3 things everyday... some days it's tough..but all the more reason to find the positive and post.

In 2017, I brought my dreams to reality when my Bliss Daily 3 free gratitude app launched.

MY BLISS DAILY 3 APP IS FREE FOR EVERYONE

Let's be honest, we are living in a world full of  high emotions, high stress and  increasing anxiety. It is easy to get wrapped up and saturated with all the negative surrounding us... 

I created the FREE  BLISS Daily 3 app for BOTH IOS and Android users. It is my vision and dream that  people will begin to recognize and post positive real life moments. Not the "picture perfect" social media blah blah posts ;)... The BLISS Daily 3 App allows everyone the opportunity to shift their thinking to look for the positive each and every day. instead of getting wrapped up in the negative and free of typical social media "curated" posts. 

You need to use hashtag + follow #blissdaily3 so I can see you and for others to follow you!

I have great things planned in the future for the BLISS daily 3 app...I look forward to sharing more when the time comes ... In future phase rollouts, this FREE options will always be available.

Since launching in  app stores in 2017, The Bliss daily 3 app has been downloaded by thousands. From its organic beginnings, of taking my own advice. I am thankful that so many of you have made the commitment to wanting to shift your focus to the positive in your lives. While having users is an amazing feeling, it is my hope that the idea of posting 3 pictures, creates a change in your mindset that in turn creates a ripple effect in your life.  You have the ability to rewire the neurotransmitters of your brain. What does this really mean?

When I began to research if  there was any scientific research backing what I was doing,( because I felt a shift internally) that studied this, I found a tremendous amount of research that confirms that consistent daily gratitude and the number 3 has proven effects to rewiring the neurotransmitters in our brain. Neuroplasticity is the scientific name for this occurrence… we are hard wired to remember the bad, you see that was how our ancestors survived. Those 4 lane highways are paved and well-traveled. If you wish to create a new pathway, you must start with the foundations of daily gratitude and build to that 4 lane highway…  That is where the app comes in. The Bliss Daily 3 app is a simple concept, look at your photos on your phone, and post 3 pictures that made your day better. Write a brief reason why they made your choice for that day, and post to social media.  I compare it a bit like People magazine, photos with little description. The concept is simple and yet effective if consistent.

Here is the reality which I get asked a lot. What if nothing good happens, or it was just a crappy day. Trust me, in the past 5 years I have experienced plenty of those days. I’ve had to scroll for quite a while to find some pictures to post. There is a saying, everyday might not be good but there is good in every day. My go to is my 13 year old lab named Finn, I am always taking pictures of the old boy usually in the morning when his nose in my lap while I’m sipping coffee. Being intentional and making the commitment to your own mental health takes time. You are creating a new habit. Research shows it takes 21 days to create a new habit. Give yourself some grace when start. Find what time works best for you. Maybe you are more of a morning gratitude person, maybe you are like me and choose to post before bed.

November 1 kicks off our #Blissdaily3 November Gratitude Challenge. I will be featuring user’s daily 3 when using hashtag #blissdaily3 or tag @blissdaily3. I like the idea of getting a group of friends or family to join together. It makes the whole idea of posting far more fun. 

Happy Birthday 5th Birthday Daily 3's, thank you for the gift you have given me.

Love and gratitude,

My full circle moment meeting Ram Dass, 11 years in the making

There have been times where I sit quietly simply amazed at life and my own journey.

I would like to share my story of connecting the dots backwards to my full circle moment meeting and spending time with Ram Dass, famed meditation master, spiritual teacher and acclaimed author of Be here now. The story began 11 years ago, my cousin after years of trying to conceive had a baby boy they named Jesse Shawn. Jesse lived on earth only 3 ½ months before unexpectedly passing away. It was tragic… the whole thing, devastating is an understatement. I was trying to wrap my head around seeing a 3 ½ month old lying in a coffin. As a mother, my instinct was to stand by the coffin hoping to see if a breath would come. As strange as that sounds. I think most mothers have experienced the feeling of concern when your infant child was sleeping so deeply, you instinctually check for breathing.

After returning from Jessie’s memorial service, my best friend recommended that I read the book by Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser. She had read this book after her father had passed unexpectedly   I ordered and began to devour every word, highlighter in hand, I couldn’t read it enough. Stories of people experiencing various tragedies, yet with each tragedy people were able to ‘phoenix’ from the ashes of devastation and live a second life with new wisdom gained from the experience and pain.

Broken Open was my first introduction to a story about a man named Ram Dass. His story was compelling to me. For what reason, I am unsure. Maybe it was from all of the years working with stroke patients in rehab facilities. His story drew me in. His mindset of how he shifted his thinking as to what he had gained from having his stroke, while becoming completely dependent on others for his psychical needs. His phoenix post stroke, to live life as the soul of Ram Dass, versus Ram Dass the man.  His name had been planted in my subconscious.

Life moves forward …

I became a widow at the ripe age of 41. Yup… Incomprehensible and devastating. My two sons had found the body of their shaving father who had suffered a massive heart attack in the shower at age 48. I was at work. I came home to the coroners and having to console my two boys. What came next was a bit of a blur in truth, but what I do remember is feeling humbled by having an outpouring of help and support from our little community. I was always the one giving and supporting others, but the tide had turned and all I could do was humbly say thank you to all my friends, my church and my community. As the dust began to settle and life resumed with this new normal, the boys went back to school. I found myself picking up the book that I came to find so much inspiration from years earlier. I instinctively knew that I had to begin my healing from the inside out.  Over the years, yoga has always been my refuge, so I made the decision to start yoga teacher training. It was in one of our teaching circles, the name RAM DASS came up….  I thought to myself how interesting it was for the seed of Ram Dass that planted years ago had come back to visit. I understood at that moment, he was someone to me, I simply didn’t see the connection at that point.

 Spring break 2015

We had decided to spend Spring Break in Maui with the family…While enjoying family time, a longtime family friend messaged me… She was in Maui and wanted to meet up for a visit. We hadn’t see each other in years and apparently, Maui was where we could reconnect. She was staying on other side of the island.. I had no idea what would happen next.  She told me that a close friend of my older brother lived up the street. She wanted to introduce us and spend time visiting and reconnecting. Rick is a famous glassblower, his work had us all in awe. Rick told us his story of his journey from his first job as a paperboy to how he got to where he is today. It was one of those moments when you step back and simply take it all in.  I was standing watching my teenage boys listening to Rick’s story, looking around at the beauty of his property. For a moment, I took a breath and thought how thankful I was at that moment and to the second life which Steve and I had created blending our two families.

While feeding the horses, I asked who his neighbors were… that’s when it happened… … He pointed to a rooftop and said well, that’s where Ram Dass lives…. Very nonchalant…. At that exact moment I wish I could have seen my face… I immediately looked at Steve, our eyes met and no words were needed, he knew.

Rick then proceeded to ask, do you want to meet him? I looked at my clothing choice for our Road to Hana adventure. So many thoughts started spinning in my mind…. I can’t meet Ram Dass in a bathing suit (crazy but my truth) I wanted to look presentable (funny how the mind works right?) The boys, the boys would not understand without long explanation of how important this man and his journey has been to me. How he had suffered a stroke, has gone on to live a second life that continues to transform others while he lives being completely dependent on others. It was too much to explain and for them to grasp the importance. They are teenagers who were interested in Rick’s story, his glassblowing studio but they wanted to continue on to the road to Hana with the waterfalls. So after a wonderful few hours, we left…Knowing full well that we would return one day just the two of us.

Christmas 2017…

I decided I wanted a new tradition to be started. I wanted to have a hand written love letter for Christmas.  Christmas morning came and in the tree I spotted an envelope with my name on it…

I kept it close with the commotion of everyone opening their presents. I didn’t even open until far later when I had gone to my office to read by myself. I had a feeling I might cry and I didn’t want to throw off the mojo of Christmas morning…

Inside was a beautiful love letter and reservations to Maui!  Steve had reached out to Rick and was making it happen. This trip would be just Steve and I. The first big vacation without kids. We have had weekends away, but since we have been together, we have never gone on a true vacation without the boys. This would be the first. On the back of the letter, he wrote, P.S. I thought maybe you and I could visit Baba Ram Dass….

… it was happening…

Valentines week 2018…

Maui was picturesque … Visited Rick at the Maui Art’s Guild and he said to me, just call him (Ram Dass). My mind again raced, I can’t JUST CALL Ram Dass… please Rick can you initiate the dialogue so I don’t look like a complete weirdo. He laughed but I think he understood. You see, although I wanted to meet Ram Dass, I knew there was always a possibility that it would not happen. I had to be ok with however the chips fell.

As our week of Maui adventures continued I sent an email, explaining who I was, that I was a friend of Ricks and where we were staying. I couldn’t believe that I received a response back. So much so that I screenshotted it because I was so over the top that the sender said Reply: Ram Dass, I thought holy sh**, I just got an email from Ram Dass, As I gulped air (what I do when I get really nervous) . From there, the communication was open and a time to meet and visit was set. I again said to Steve, Holy sh**, this is really happening….

We were scheduled to meet the day we were leaving. What a perfect way to end this special trip to Maui. We arrived and what happened next still gets me teary. I knew that physically he was a man that had suffered a stroke. Having worked for so many years with stroke patients, I was comfortable about his physical shape. We walked up to the door, Steve and I looked at each other and realized just how life changing this was going to be. Eleven years from the time I first read of him to now standing on his front porch.  A nice young man answered the door and welcomed us in. After a few moments of gracious introductions, we were escorted into see Ram Dass. His chair sat overlooking his grounds and the ocean… Chairs were lined to his left for visitors to sit. He welcomed us in, reached out and squeezed my hand, his soul was greeting us and I immediately thanked him for his time and making space to visit.  He laughed and raised his hand and said “space, I have plenty of space” and we sat down.

The next thirty minutes felt like time stood still. Nothing else existed. We were very much in that and only that moment. I looked in his eyes and again thanked him, then asked how he was. It is the caregiver in me. He said ‘physically I am 86 years, inside I am eternal”.  I began to tell him of the story of how I originally learned of who he was by his friend’s book. How that book helped me when my husband had died, then going into yoga teacher training. How Rick was his neighbor and how this was my gift for Christmas. Something magical happened, his eyes twinkled, looking at me and he acknowledged my awakening. I understood why it all had happened. I understood I had to go through the difficult days. I had to experience tragedy to be sitting where I was that day in Maui.

The Ram Dass I was sitting with was not a victim of his physical circumstances. Who technically, could easily fall into that roll, but has chosen to do the opposite. The Ram Dass sitting before me has chosen to utilize the gifts that his soul was given…and give to others. I explained that as a therapist I work with many who after having a stroke, who's families cannot live outside the victim role, only able focus on what they have lost (or do not have)… He smiled again, I got it…He went on to tell his story of when he initially had experienced his stroke and how he had to fire certain doctors because of their poor outlook on his prognosis. When he spoke, because of the expressive aphasia, there were moments of silence while he found the words, he was explaining what was happening, I responded with a compliment of how well he spoke all things considered, with the aphasia, he belly laughed out loud.

We spoke about raising our 3 teenage boys, he laughed when we told them we are the only people in our neighborhood that has our kids mow the lawn. He laughed and spoke about how growing up in New Hampshire, mowing lawn was so very important.. He looked at me and said, “you are a mom of teenage boys”. I said yes, yes I am and he smiled then let out a little laugh..

He spoke about how when he had his stroke, he lost “things”…. he lost playing golf + driving fast cars but what he had gained by going inside to his soul, far exceeded the loss from the outside world, then it happened  the twinkle in his eyes, I understood and acknowledged the moment. What he gained was immeasurable and priceless.

When our visit was coming to a close. , I asked light heartedly if we could take a selfie…He said ‘absolutely, come down right here right next to me’… we all laughed… Those moments are forever imprinted in my heart and in my mind. Before we left, I asked if the next time we were in Maui if we could visit again, he replied with, “of course!”

As we were leaving, I again thanked him for the visit. He reached out his hand and squeezed mine and when our eyes connected that last time, I all I could see was love. When we stepped back onto the porch we looked at each other in a bit of disbelief and amazement of what had just happened. I told Steve, I know that he loves everyone, making everyone feel special, that is what he does, but I swear, I think he likes me. We laughed a little, squeezing each other’s hands. Our lives are forever changed.

I could have never dreamed up the journey I have been given. Through the peaks and valleys, it is all for a reason, at times not making sense. Sometimes you simply need to wait to see the why… just like I did 11 years ago…I feel fortunate and unbelievably thankful for the opportunity to have been able to meet and visit with  Ram Dass. I am thankful to have such an amazing soul be part of my journey.

Blessings,

Mac