Taming the monkeys: Part VI, the glue + tip #2

Words we speak about an experience become the experience.
~ Derek Hough

In my post, “…Part V and thinking SMART,” I review nighttime routines and working smarter. Plus, I promise to reveal the glue that holds it all together: consistency. If you’re not seeing results, crushing your goals or manifesting your dreams, try sticking to a consistent habit, goal or practice until 1) either change occurs or 2) you need to try something new. Oh, and tip #2 that KM gave me at the start of my 45-day challenge? Quit complaining. The hard truth: complaining attracts negativity and misfortune. Don’t believe me? Try this at home (aka everywhere): Wear a rubber band on your wrist, snap it each time you complain and then switch wrists. But attempt to keep it on the same wrist for 21 days and watch what happens. Bonus: incorporate five minutes of focused gratitude into your morning routine. Check out these other resources: James R. Doty, simplemind.eu/how-to-mind-map/examples/goals, zapier.com/blog/smart-goals/.

Are you ready to attract abundance?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Mojo with a twist: positive affirmations

The last day of my 30-Day Reboot Challenge came and went with very little fanfare. Maybe because I got off track at times. Regardless, one of the biggest revelations to me was that the words we speak about ourselves—whether in our own minds or while talking with others—affect not only our psyches (mental and emotional), but also our physicality. I tested the theory of positive affirmations in the hot room one afternoon during yoga: I wore a top that reads “Strong is the new skinny” and I stared at that shirt for the next 90 minutes. This affirmation of strength resonated throughout the following 90 minutes and my body responded with a strong, grounded practice. But it doesn’t end with positivity. We also limit our success with the words (and thoughts) we entertain that devalue or restrict our capabilities (see The Language of Limitation and Hate-Speak). Let’s make a pact today: to speak self-love. And then witness a powerful transformation.

What does your self-speak sound like?

Image courtesy of sattva at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Under construction: how to cope with change

A major renovation is underway at the grocery store I frequent. A ‘pardon our dust’ sign hangs over the entrance and, inside, plastic curtains hide activity and workers move stock from one area to another, shelving in disarray. I don’t like it, but I can find a teachable moment if I pay attention. For example, I no longer know my way around like the back of my hand, which forces me to slow down, take notice, ask for and accept help—important attributes to practice in ‘real life’ as well. Also, although change is oftentimes painful, better things may be in store (literally and figuratively). As for my grocery store, the changes make no sense to me. Sometimes that’s how we feel about change in our own lives. Even when everything looks the same on the outside, major transformation might be taking place within. And if we are patient and wait to see what’s to come, we might be pleasantly surprised.

What kind of transformation are you undergoing?

Image courtesy of Supertrooper at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Everything is different, yet unchanged

Just because everything is different
doesn’t mean anything has changed. ~
Irene Peter

Irene Peter’s quote strikes me as simple, yet profound. It brings to mind the passage of time—how the seasons vary according to the earth’s rotation; how our looks mature as we age. Yet while outward appearances might seem different to a casual observer, that doesn’t mean that, inwardly speaking, we feel altered. Years ago, my sweet mama told me how she’d regard herself in the mirror and wonder who the little old lady was staring back at her, because inside she still felt like a young girl. Her then mottled skin, faded hair and weakened eyes made no difference to a heart overflowing with childlike wonder, despite surviving life’s disappointments and setbacks. I oftentimes acknowledge the same thought when I gaze upon my own reflection or review the recent transformation I’ve set in motion in my life. Knowing everything is different, but nothing has changed.

How do you relate to Peter’s quote?

Image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

All things are possible

Miracles occur daily. From the sun rising to setting to opening our eyes each morning, we witness marvels on a day-to-day basis. Even the seed of hope we plant in our hearts—to bring about transformation in our lives and the lives of others—is a miracle waiting to happen. My post, Be the change, focuses on being what we want in order to manifest more of what we desire; i.e., if we covet more love, we must be more loving, etc. During the past four weeks, as I’ve bid adieu to my forties and jumped headlong into the fifties, I’ve engaged in a personal makeover of sorts. It entails reflection, prayer and specific assignments that challenge me daily. In the process, I’ve discovered forgiveness, healing and growth, as well as an understanding that, as we change, it’s possible to effect change around us. But this requires living with intention and being true to ourselves. Always.

What possibilities do you hope come to pass in the New Year?

Image courtesy of Greenleaf Designs at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Avoiding self-imposed ruts

 

According to Oxford Dictionaries, a rut is “a habit or pattern of behavior that has become dull and unproductive but is hard to change.” A friend of mine recently said the difference between a rut and a grave is its depth. (We also have a choice about the one in which we get stuck.) At any given time, we might find ourselves trapped in old thought patterns or routines and feel like guinea pigs going round in one of those wheels because sometimes it seems easier to go through the motions. However, each day is an opportunity to transform our reality—to jump off that spinning wheel and reinvent ourselves. A few tips that have worked for me are to: practice 1) letting go of things I can’t control; 2) making choices that advance my goals; 3) not worrying about what others think; 4) prioritizing and learning to say ‘no’ and 5) engaging in activities that make me happy.

How do you avoid or escape the self-imposed ruts?

Image courtesy of Gualberto107 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Be the change

Many of us are familiar with the saying: Be the change you wish to see in your world. It coincides with my Dress for success post because, if you want (more of) something, you seek to attract that very thing. Consequently, if you want more love in your life, be more loving. If you want more peace, be more peaceful. If you want to see more compassion from others, you’ll be more compassionate. Feeling misunderstood? Be more understanding. So often it is another person we wish to change, but we may as well beat our heads against a brick wall for the good that will do. If we can only change ourselves and our circumstances, then it is up to each of us to become magnets for the change we desire within our small frames of influence. The more we focus on being what we want, the more we’ll bring about lasting, positive transformation in and around us.

What change do you wish to experience in your life?

[Image credit Stuart Miles and freedigitalphotos.net]

Get a grip

The other day I read an article about how to create a paradise and daily balance within our homes (for free!). The steps listed in the piece revolve around applying a vacation mindset to our everyday lives (instead of waiting until we’re actually on holiday). This includes removing clutter from our surroundings, retaining only those things that bring us happiness, establishing rituals in our home that invoke peace and tuning in to whatever makes us excited to jump out of bed each day. I feel like I already live in a paradise of sorts, but there are so many areas I want to transform both internally and externally that I don’t know where to begin. Instead, I do nothing and then wonder why I’m in a funk… again. I know all about the take the first step, make one change today mentality. But I feel like I’m wearing waders and I need to get a grip before I sink.

What one thing makes your home a daily paradise?

[Image courtesy of Feelart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.]

Checks and balances

[Image credit: Stuart Miles]

 

Today is the final day of my Two weeks to a new, improved you challenge and time to Be alive with step 5. I’ve revisited my LIST and re-evaluated my satisfaction in the various areas of my life and, although at a snail’s pace, I’ve made progress. A common lesson taught by yoga instructors during Bikram practice, especially during Savasana, a pose of total relaxation, is to acknowledge any unnecessary movement—to be aware and then to let it go. We can address the distraction(s) the next time it comes to our attention. This is where I find myself at the culmination of my “change my life in 14-days” assignment: I’ve recognized those areas in my life that deplete my energy reserves and, in some instances, I’ve let go of one (or more) distraction in order to address another. Eventually I’ll make my way through each item but, instead of a challenge, it’ll be a mental-health check and balance over time.

How did your two-week transformation turn out?

It’s all a process: enjoy it

[Image credit: Stuart Miles]

With one more day to go of my “change your life in 14-days” challenge, I wish I would’ve seen more of an outward transformation. Actually, I’m kind of stressed out almost more than when I began. I’m at a point in my life—that mid-life point—where I’m questioning my destination. I have all these aspirations and dreams and feel like I’m getting no closer. Yet I also recently celebrated three years at my publishing position, the job that supports these aspirations and is in a field I’m passionate about. My boss treated me to lunch and we discussed my workload, education plans, career goals, etc. Over a balsamic spinach salad and lemon ice water, he advised me to give myself a break and, as much as I want to “get somewhere,” to remember to enjoy the process. As a yogi who knows living in the present is where peace is found (see “Practicing patience, perseverance”), it was a much-needed wake-up call.

How’s the process going for you?