What is your game plan for today? Are you working through a difficult situation? Are you feeling stuck, uncertain, frustrated? Do you feel tired, uninspired and/or bored with your current circumstances? If so, you may need to take some inventory of where you are. You have to allow yourself to ask "what's going on with me?" Taking some time each morning to do some self inventory can be truly helpful in understanding and evaluating the many emotions and feelings that you may be experiencing. Setting the intention of your day creates an outline of things to get accomplished. Whether it is to take yourself for a walk, meditate, pray, make the difficult phone call, create a healthy boundary, ask for help, take a break, read a book, attend a conference, do community service, you allow yourself to have clear goals that can assist you in feeling more fulfilled in your day. Give yourself the opportunity and leave a comment... What worked? What are the challenges? Go. Be intentional....
Quote of the Day~ Hans Selye
"The healthiest of human emotions is gratitude."~ Han Selye
Given the aforementioned quote by Hans Selye, one the pioneers in the study of stress and its affects on the physiology of the human body, what does it mean for you to be grateful? What are you grateful for? Why do you think the expression of gratitude is a healthy emotion? Leave your comments...
It's ok to say, "No."
At times, there may be situations where you may feel compelled to say "Yes" to things, knowing deep in your heart that you want to say "No." So, you may go against your intuition and commit yourself and then "feel bad" for making a decision that is not in alignment with your values. You say yes to the happy hour, you say yes to hosting a gathering at your place, you say yes to the request to spearhead a new project at work, you say yes to a million other things and don't take notice that there is another option. There is another alternative to saying "Yes" that may be more in-tune with you. Although it may feel different and uncomfortable at first, you can give yourself permission to say, "No." You can start saying "no" to overcommitting yourself. You can say "no" to the requests from people who will drain you of your time and energy. You can begin to say "no" to things that go against your better intuition.
Giving yourself permission to say, "No" can cause people to feel angry, upset, disappointed and uncomfortable at times. However, it is a necessary exercise to say "no" to take care of yourself. Saying "no" is an intentional act that places your needs first. There are many individuals who have a difficult time putting themselves first. As such, they experience their own disappointment, depression, and feelings about going against their better intuition.
I implore and encourage you to begin saying "No." It is a radical act of courage. By saying "No" to over-commitment, people who will steal your time and energy, projects that don't inspire you; you will be saying "Yes" to a life that will be less stressful and more balanced.
Therefore, give it a shot. Take some practice. Go say "No" and feel free to comment on your experience(s)
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Quote of the Day
“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”~Carl Jung
Be full
Several years ago, I had a "real" conversation with my older sister who is both a licensed psychologist and lawyer. I was sharing with her my own struggles with compassion fatigue and feeling overly stressed. She gave me some great advice that I practice each day. Some days are better than others, but I strive to adhere to her recommendation. She told me to "be full." "Fill your cup up and work to keep it that way. You cannot come from a place of depletion."
I welcomed those words then and I encourage my clients to practice being "full." Far too often, many people feel empty. They feel empty in their relationships. They feel empty in their careers. They feel depleted as parents, caregivers and empaths. Some view their "cups" as half empty. As such, it will be very difficult to feel energized, motivated, powerful, even alive, if your power source is only half full. Therefore, you must be deliberate, diligent and intentional in keeping yourself full. Full of hope. Full of love. Full of curiosity. Full of excitement. Full of meaningful relationships. Full of laughter. Full of exercise and healthy conversation. Full of inspired action and activism. Full of life. Full of meaning.
In order to fill yourself up, practice taking some time to evaluate what and who takes away from your energy source. Do you allow people to steal your time? Reclaim your time and fill yourself up. Do you allow people to dump their problems onto you? Reclaim your boundaries and fill yourself up. I, by no means, assume this will be an easy endeavor. Rather, I surmise, that it will be difficult in the beginning to tell yourself that you are worthy to be "full." You no longer have to give from a cup half-full. You no longer have to come from a place of depletion. You no longer have to come from a place of emptiness.
If you would like to see a change, give some consideration to what I am trying to convey and ask yourself these questions. In what ways has my energy been depleted? In what ways am I willing to give myself a re-fill? What will I do to ensure that I keep myself full, as best as I can and as often as I can?
Think about it. Write it down. We'll revisit this theme later. But for now, "Be FULL!"....
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Tell a new story....
There is a story that you have been telling yourself. Sometimes it is the same story that you tell others. The story begins with all of the troubles and problems that affect your life. It is the story of incompleteness. You have told yourself that you are broken, unable to accomplish much, lacking finances and devoid of resources. It is the story that replays in your mind over and over and over again. The story gets reinforced each time something "bad" happens. You believe the story to be true about yourself as if the story, the plot, the characters, the setting, the mood and the tempo cannot change. Well... I am here to encourage you to tell a new story or develop a twist to the current story that you have been telling yourself. If your story is one of adventure, excitement, gratitude, love, heartache and heartbreak, redemption and re-birth, you have been writing a heck of story.
If you haven't changed your story in awhile, what new things would you like to introduce to the story of your life? Where would your life story unfold? Who are the central characters? Where would you find yourself to be triumphant? What new skill and/or attributes would you highlight?
Each day is a reminder of how we can create a new story about and for our lives. Consider each passing day as a turning of the page. Each new day is a new page in your life. What would you like to read about yourself? What new things would you like to convey if someone were to read this new book/chapter about you? Like life, reading a good book can only be enjoyed by reading the page that is in front of you. Enjoy the process of creating a new story and you will find that as the chapters of your life unfold, so will the progression of a great ending. As such, create and compose a new story. Tell something different about yourself. If life has been "ugly", what beauty could you allow to emerge from telling something new? Think about it. Then create. You are the author of your life. So. What are you waiting for? Now is the time.....to tell a new story!
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Gratitude
What are you grateful for? Give yourself an opportunity to write down 3-5 things that you are grateful for. If you can, try this exercise once you first wake up in the morning and see if you notice a difference in your mood, outlook, and/or worldview after a couple of days.
Quote of the day~Maya Angelou
In memory of two of the great titans of the twentieth century who have transitioned, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was assassinated on this day fifty years ago and Dr. Maya Angelou who was born is this day , I would like to honor them with a quote by Maya Angelou who offered these words: “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
As we reflect on these words and the contributions of Dr. King and Dr. Angelou to humanity, thrive in your life pursuits and purpose, do it with passion and sprinkle some style on top!
Detach yourself/Attach yourself
Detach yourself from unhealthy relationships. Detach yourself from unhealthy thoughts. Detach yourself from fear and jealousy. Detach yourself from bad eating habits. Detach yourself from unrighteous anger. Detach yourself from things that you have no control over. Detach yourself from negative energies. Detach your from the ideas and perceptions that other's may have of you. Detach yourself from your own unrealistic expectations.
Attach yourself to love, self-love and love for others. Attach yourself to a renewed sense of peace and freedom of mind and thought. Attach yourself to your purpose. Attach yourself to healthy relationships. Attach yourself to the idea of exercise and treating your body like a sacred vessel. Attach yourself to nature. Attach yourself to silence and the sound of an empty room. Lastly, and most importantly, attach yourself to nothing!
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe...
Take a moment to breathe. Take a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale for a count of 5 seconds. Exhale for a count of 5 seconds. Breathe and release. Breathe in all of the goodness that life has offered you. Exhale and release all of the doubt, fear, shame, guilt and insecurities that have impacted you. When you give yourself a moment to breathe, to be intentional in taking a breath, it allows you to connect to the life force of living. Breathing is a gift. It is your gift. If you are breathing, you are alive. Your breath is a reminder that you are among the land of the living. Practice breathing. Intentionally. On purpose. With purpose. Inhale all the beauty of fresh ideas, courage, infinite possibilities and love. Exhale all that is toxic and unhealthy. And as you notice yourself breathing, smile and then notice how wonderful you are, breathing. It is a beautiful thing.
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New Year, New You!
It's amazing to know and realize that 2018 is in full effect. 2017 is gone and each day is an opportunity for you to do some things differently than last year. Give yourself some time to process where you are and to take inventory of the many things that you accomplished in 2017. Then ask yourself about those things that went unaccomplished. What didn't complete in 2017? Where did you have intentions to travel and didn't quite get there? What dreams or aspirations where you afraid to act on? What new experiences would you like to have this year? What type of relationships would you like to cultivate? What would bring you joy and happiness this day, this month, this year? Do not allow fear, negative self-talk, doubt, the expectations of others, your ego, self-limiting beliefs and unhealthy distractions, deter you from making this year, the best year of your life! Think about it. Really. Give yourself some reflection time and go into ACTION!
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Self worth
What are you worth? How do you consider your worth? How do you determine what your worth is? What is your value? What are your values? Have you considered these questions? Think about them. These are very important questions to ask yourself.
Be you!/Do you!
Don’t ask for permission to be the person you would like to become. It’s is up to you to determine the lengths and measures do your worth. #begreat
Quote of the day
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” ~Rumi
Live a life of joy
Life is happening each and every day. There are meetings, bills to be paid, errands that need to be taken care of and a host of other things to do. Days can be busy and burdensome. You can feel like a hamster running long and hard but not going anywhere. If that's your reality, take a moment to slow down. Yes. Slooooow Doowwnnn. Take a deep breath. Gather yourself. Allow yourself permission to take inventory of your life and remember that life should be lived joyously. Oftentimes in the hustle and bustle of life, it is easy to forget joy. Well, here's a reminder. Create joy in your life. Cultivate it. Now. Yup. Right now. Go. To a movie. Have a walk. Laugh with a friend. Be grateful. Dance. Sing. Shout it out. Go have some joy!
Seize the Day
Take this day, this moment as an opportunity to do something bold and courageous. Fear may present itself. You may even be hesitant. But this is a day that you have never lived before. Tomorrow isn't promised. You owe yourself to make a choice to seize this day by the horns. Take the leap of faith. Either you will leap and land or leap and soar. Go!
Be intentional with your time
Be intentional with your time today. Do not allow yourself to be distracted by others. Time is the only commodity that can't be retrieved. As such, manage your time wisely. Your time is precious to you and you should give yourself permission to guard and protect it. Use your time for things that matter. Also, do not waste time thinking about the past. In this moment, decide how you would like to best utilize your time and execute that plan. Be honest with yourself and your time. Trust your intuition and create the meaningful live that you would like to live, in this moment!
Create
Create opportunities to explore art, dance, music, cooking, writing, photography, comedy, love, running, volunteering, speaking, swimming, horseback riding, sewing, blogging, etc. Whatever it is, engage your imagination and create! The time is now!
Happy New Year
As you embark on your journey in the year 2016, dare yourself to do something different. Challenge yourself to create, develop and execute an audacious goal. Trust the process, despite whatever fears that you may have. Persevere and persist!
Quote of the day~Buddha
"The mind is everything. What you think you become."~Buddha