In the dark, continued...

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I think sometimes we need divine intervention to slow us down otherwise we risk spiraling into major health issues. My power outage was minor but it really was a blessing because it caused me to take time out of a busy schedule for renewal in order to avoid mental burnout. It gifted me more than just the 2 hour nap because during the time I spent in the dark, quiet and alone, I discovered my need to make downtime a bigger priority in my life.

We can be determined but we have to balance this determination with self-care otherwise we risk burnout.

When I look back at what I’ve survived, I feel appreciation. When I look at where I’m at today, I’m grateful and when I look to my future, I realize trying to get there too quickly really isn’t a good thing. I have to continually try to slow myself down in order to fully comprehend and gain from my journey. I know this for sure; I’m trending into a better and healthier me. And, I can thank my path to enlightenment for this slow but empowering improvement!

A safe place, continued...

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This article was inspired by an assignment in my Trauma-informed Expressive Art Therapy class. In my response to a safe place, I wrote the following, "I feel safest while in my home. It is an extension of my creativity and it reminds me of me at my healthiest. This is my 8^th year volunteering in a domestic violence/sexual assault shelter and I have and continue to feel grateful each and every time I put my key into the lock, unlock my door and step into my home.

My home is warm and colorful. It feels artsy and inviting. The furniture is familiar and comfortable. The material feels soft but supportive. It usually smells like a nourishing meal I’ve recently cooked. It’s a nice place for relaxation; a place to let my guard down...

If I’m feeling startled or uneasy, I turn on the lights outside of my home. I might look around the front and the back yard through the windows upstairs to see if anything looks questionable. I will also get up and make sure the doors are locked; we have 4 young adults, 17 years old to 20 years old so most bumps in the night are connected to our kids. I will wake my fiancé or I might call someone if I’m feeling uncomfortable and he is away on business."

I'm happiest at home, it is a place of retreat for me. My heart aches for those who do not have a safe place in their life. I'm sending prayers of safety to all of you. May you find a peace of heaven right here on earth; you deserve this safe haven, create it if you can!

Positive thoughts shape you, continued...

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Todays article was inspired by Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday’s interview with spiritual speaker, Russell Simmons. They discussed his success and how much he attributes this to his spiritual endeavors. Russell devotes much of his time to meditation and yoga. In his work he creates music as an offering to world. He feels once you find your own bliss within, you do not see the world as a void but as a vast place for your offering to manifest.

He spoke of happiness coming from inside out instead of the outside in; once you realize this, you’ll define and find your own success apart from the world’s view.

I have let meditation slip off of my priority list; I’ll be putting it on the top again in order to calm my world. As Russell has realized, this place that can be reached once we still ourselves is pure and serene. It is a little piece of heaven that exists within each of us. Why wouldn’t we want to visit this realm as often as possible?

Do you meditate? Have you ever tried it? It will help cleanse your thoughts; it soothes and aligns you with your natural rhythm.

Have you had any self-discoveries while in this mode? If so, share them with me.

  

Priming the brain, continued...

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I’ve not yet tested the “priming the brain” technique shared by Lifehacker.com that I discussed in the article but I believe it is worth a shot. Usually, each morning as I awake I say a protection prayer for the day, and I’ve recently started logging my dreams that I can remember, from that night, before I’m out of bed and on the run. I’m going to make an effort to write a few words to create a group related to something positive I’m trying to instill for the day. I don’t think it would take much time or work to think of a handful of words, write them down in my journal, and then read them in order to “prime my brain” for the day.

Do you think this sounds crazy? Drop me a note. I’ll let you know how it is going on a later date!

Intelligent or motivated, continued...

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If I consider motivation as something of the light, and, if this is the case, is procrastination something dark? Is equating this energy to good verses evil really appropriate? Maybe it isn’t this drastic but I have known some really smart people who just can’t seem to summon the energy to pursue their dreams and passions even though they have the ability to achieve them, this is disheartening to me. Perhaps laziness or fear of failure is holding them back, I’m not sure but I do know that a pinch of motivation can go a very long way.

I consider myself both intelligent and motivated, why not? Because I believe we can have both qualities! But, we are human and this involves procrastination. For me the idea might have to simmer for a while before it really comes full circle with it; I guess this sounds nicer than labeling my process procrastination! On rare occasions procrastination actually works to ones benefit, have you ever had a problem resolve itself before you really had a chance to tackle it?

I was once going to fire an employee for a trend of errors and when I was trying to determine my timing for this uncomfortable confrontation, he inadvertently put in his notice. Yeah, problem solved!

Perhaps he saw the writing on the wall and this motivated him to move on, hopefully it motivated him enough to put forth a more focused effort in his new work environment!

If you are procrastinating something of value to your life, it’s time to take action. Who are you really hurting by putting important life moves on hold? Gather your courage and give it your best shot, you my friend, are worth it!