Showing posts with label intention. Show all posts
Showing posts with label intention. Show all posts

Monday, December 30, 2019

What a Snooze Fest!

Some time ago while listening to the Rise podcast with Rachel Hollis, I learned about her Last 90 days program. Basically, for the last 90 days of the calendar year, you do five things: Wake up an hour earlier than usual. Drink half your body weight in water. Stop eating unhealthy food for 30 days or more. You practice gratitude by writing your gratitude down everyday. You workout or move your body for at least 30 minutes each day. I started my effort well before the 90 day kick off because I'm generally an overachiever in some regards, but I have to tell you, I wasn't able to maintain the practice of “five to thrive” until the end of the year. I also discovered The 5 Second Rule. It's by a gal named Mel Robbins and basically you set an intention and when it's time to live the intention, you count 5 4 3 2 1 and you just do it. So, I started using that approach to make sure I got out of bed when the alarm went off at 6:30 a.m.. Well, I kind of got off that routine as well. Now, I bring this up because even though I fell off the personal improvement wagon, there's always the opportunity to hop back on it. Last night, I went to bed with the intention of getting up at 6:30 a.m. and set my alarm.. When that alarm went off this morning it didn't take me five seconds to get up - I hopped out of bed! And even though it was 35 degrees and raining, after I did my morning practices of writing reflection and meditation, I put on my boots and I went out for a 30-minute walk around the park. It's a time for me to listen to my favorite podcast, to learn a little bit about things I can try, or what other people have done in the world. Its also getting my body ready for the day ahead. As I was listening to Rachel Hollis this morning on episode 125, one thing that resonated with me is her expression of excitement about living her day and what she does to get into that space. So when I got home and ate my granola and yogurt and drank my second glass of water, I kept thinking how excited I am to live this day. I have several things I need to attend to and I'm excited because these things are helping me live my dreams. Last year, I decided to become self-employed and launched CTD Creative Consulting. In 2020, it's time to get down to brass tacks and focus on reaching my goals with my business. I do feel a sense of anxiety every once in a while, but I also spent time retraining the voice in my head telling me I couldn't do it for so many interesting and not so interesting reasons. So, I picked up my list of my five to thrive this morning and I resumed my practices of waking up an hour earlier, drinking half my body weight in water, and figuring out what unhealthy food I'm going to stop eating I'm already halfway through my gratitude list for the day and just had an invigorating walk in the cold rain. Making changes in your life is not easy but I have learned its really quite worth it. Well, the positive changes that is. New Year's Eve is just a couple of days away as I write this reflection, and I will come up with moments and ideas of how I see my intentions for the next year and what I can do to hopefully reach those goals. No, on second thought, doing what I can so I will reach those goals. Ready to join me? Happy New Year!

These boots are made for walking...

Thursday, March 28, 2019

An intention to inspire: Love and Kindness

A few months back, I treated myself to one of those monthly subscription services called Lunarly.  Each month, I received a package that contains a plant, a crystal or special rock, some self-care products, and an intention...all of which are based on the New Moon cycle.  I love it!

Each morning, I write a reflection on the month's intention.  It provides an opportunity to really go deep on a specific topic or issue.  I do this on top of my morning journal writing and evening gratitude reflection.  I am learning a lot about how I can best navigate life's challenges and celebrate the joys.

Moving forward, I hope to share some of those writings here on my Direct Living blog because it is very much in line with the intention of living a life as directly as you can by understanding your deepest essence. Perhaps you may recognize a similar journey or be prompted to pursue the same practice.  Enjoy and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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Love is...a friend (or two!) who give you a call when you least expect it.  Love is...thoughtfully assembling a few birthday surprises to ship to a friend across the country.  Love is...convening a social outing group for your new friends so other women can also pursue fun activities that they might not know about and make a few new pals. Love is...recognizing my own needs for self-care and joyful living.  It is reminding myself that the day will be filled with challenges and joy - no doubt about that!  Love is...taking note that I get to choose how to see and feel each of my experiences and determine how I will move forward - and through - those experiences. Love is...believing and knowing that all is well.  Love is...welcoming the lessons and learning from them.

 

“Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.” – Vivian Komori