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You Reap What You Sow

3/28/2017

Last week marked the spring equinox. This is a time in the spring where the amount of light and darkness are equal in any given day. Spring is a time for the planting of seeds, a time of renewal and rebirth. Many of us celebrate the rebirth of Christ. The spring flowers begin to surface and bloom, the trees begin budding, the grass turns green, farmers plant their fields, and the robins return.

Some of us mark spring by engaging in spring housecleaning. Decluttering our homes and renewing them for the year. It can be a time for the attitude of "out with the old and in with the new". Spring can also be a great time to declutter our minds, our mental energy, and our spiritual energy. An "out with the old and in with the new" so to speak. A planting of a new energetic seed.

It's a great time to check in and take a look at what we want to clear out and let go of and what it is that we want to plant. It's a time for transference and manifesting. A time to reflect on what it is that you want to draw into your life.

A time to remember that what you water, what you give energy to, what you give your attention to...grows. You reap what you sow.

What is it that you would like to energetically clear out to make space for planting some new seeds to grow? What old story are you willing to let go of, so you can energize a new story, a new way of being, a new mindset, a new experience? What are those seeds that you would like to plant this spring?

We are a quarter of the way through this year already. What is it that you were setting out to accomplish this year? Are you giving it some good energy, are you shining some light on it, some water and nourishment? You reap what you sow.

Take a few moments this week to be still and check in with where you are at. What's going well and what isn't? What would you like to clear out to make room for something different? Take a step off that hamster wheel of life and reflect, reevaluate, renew, reenergize and rejuvenate. Don't get sucked into the belief that you don't have time. Don't let the days, weeks and months float by unintentionally.

This week, I invite you to be still, to be intentional, to remember that what you water, what you give energy to, grows. You reap what you sow.

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Most Of Today's Problems Were Yesterday's Dream

3/20/2017

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Most of today's problems were yesterday's dreams. I'm not sure anymore where I heard that phrase, but it stuck with me. What does this mean? If you think about it, a lot of what we might complain about as being "problematic" or "annoying" or "frustrating" are things that we once wished for and dreamed of having in our lives.

Here are some examples:

I dream of having a job where I feel needed and can earn a living.

I dream of being married.

I dream of having a house.

I dream of having children and a family.

I dream of having a car.

I dream of making a difference in the world.

So, fast-forward a few years and you now have a job where you are needed, a home, a spouse, kids, a car, whatever those dreams were for you. What can easily happen is our daily complaining centers around caring for the things that we once dreamt of having in our lives :) Yep, I'm guilty of this too.

It can be easy to whine and complain about transporting kids to activities, doing yard work, about the mounds of laundry, about the pile of dishes, about taking the car in for an oil change, about going to work, the volunteering project, etc. The very things that we once upon a time dreamt of having in our life.

It's not that the reality isn't sometimes overwhelming, but what I've personally found is that it's not that the "reality" is really that problematic. Sure there are real struggles, challenges and suffering in life and I'm not trying to diminish or sweep them under the rug. However, it can be pretty easy to become fixated on the grind of life versus celebrating the beauty and richness of life and all that we have in it. This is where a gratitude practice is really helpful. It gives us perspective. It keeps our brains in check.

Instead we could be grateful for having a reliable vehicle that takes us where we need to go, that we have a washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, and running water to make our daily tasks so very much easier. Cherishing the loved ones in our lives and that we have things to care for and love and support. Celebrating and focusing our brains on the fabulous gifts, the dreams that became reality, and the amazing modern technology that helps us get things done with ease.

Remembering that most of today's problems were yesterday's dreams helps me keep perspective and appreciate. A pause where I can remember...oh yeah lucky me I wished for that, I dreamt of it, I worked hard for it, I am so grateful to have a life full of yesterday's dreams!

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How To Write Your Way To More Happiness

3/14/2017

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Do you journal? Journaling is something that I've been actively working on being more consistent at doing. A girlfriend of mine gave me a beautiful new journal and it's giving me incentive to get in there and write on a daily basis. What you may not know is that journaling is another tool for your happiness toolkit.

A journal is a place to write down your thoughts, your feelings, your experiences. A place to write down your story. A place to journal about your dreams and your plans. A place to express your appreciation and gratitude for the goodness in your life. A place to reflect. A place to savor the good. A place to notice the progress that you are making.

Research has shown that labeling your feelings and emotions through journal writing is healing, it's therapeutic and cathartic. There is something healing about getting those words down on paper and out of your head, so that your brain can stop ruminating about them. Telling the story that we record in our head.

In one study researchers established two groups. They asked the first group of individuals to talk about a negative experience. They asked the second group to write about a negative experience. The difference in the results between each group were significant. Journaling about a negative issue or thoughts versus just talking about it was proven to provide an increase in self-esteem and happiness.

The process of writing about an experience helps to put a story line to what you’re feeling. When the thoughts roll around in our head they just keep surfacing, being ignored, pushed back down, resurfacing, etc. over and over again. The act of labeling your thoughts, feelings and emotions has been proven to help diffuse their negative effect.

I've talked a lot about the benefits of having a gratitude practice. Keeping a journal of positive life experiences, things you are grateful for, has been shown to provide a large psychological benefit.

Researchers from Brigham Young and several other universities divided more than 100 people into groups, and asked everyone to keep a daily journal for four weeks. One group was instructed to write about positive experiences for which they were grateful, while another group was told to write generally about their day. Compared to people who wrote more generally, the grateful journal writers experienced significant boosts in happiness and life satisfaction. Writing in a journal helps us to savor the goodness, the positive experiences in life. This savoring enhances their impact.

Don't worry about it being perfect. Don't worry about your grammar, or your sentence structure, just go ahead and write. This is about you and it's for you only. It doesn't have to be special it just needs to capture what's on your mind, both the challenging life experiences and the positive life experiences. Journaling is another tool to add to the happiness toolkit.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Do you currently journal? What do you think about the idea of journaling bringing more happiness, self-esteem and life satisfaction? Drop me a comment or send me an email.

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Are You Feeling Restless?

3/6/2017

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Are you restless? Antsy? Feel like there is a void in your life? The feeling that you want to do more, that you NEED to do more? A lot of us are feeling a need to stand up for humanity, for decency, for kindness, for love.

Whether it's because of citizens living in poverty, homelessness and hunger, or because of the current political environment, or because of racial disparities, crime or terrorism, whatever your reasons, our reasons, many of us our feeling restless.

Part of why I am feeling restless is due to the continuous barrage of negative news. Is the onslaught of negative news getting you down? For me it's getting exhausting, overwhelming and down right negative and hard to continue to witness the news headlines, the endless social media posts, and related verbal commentary. For me, there is a fine line between fueling the fire with anger and in having your voice be heard.

As positive psychology researcher and author Michelle Gielan says, "We can focus on the problem, but it is equally important to move the brain onto discussion of what we can do about it. Getting the brain to see that there is another path forward and that your behavior matters in the face of challenges is the key to unlocking better health and happiness. The more you seek out inspiration and solutions, the more you fuel your success and that of the people around you."

I think we need more action and less reaction. As author Dottie Fuller recently wrote, "It is time to educate ourselves. It is time to get re-involved. It is time to make our voices heard proactively the right way, starting where we are. It is not the time to share articles that trigger us with the bait and switch headlines or un-researched, smart-ass memes that create more division." It's time to take action. Action instead of reaction.

The time for action is now. What action might look like for you is something that is personal and for you to decide. It depends on what you are passionate about and where your skills and interests lie.

An action-based solution that we can all begin to do today, which will make positive, impactful strides forward on all fronts is meditation. If you didn't see last week's post on the power of group meditation, I invite you to give it a read. It's a powerful intentional practice and a great addition to your activism.

Have hope and faith in the healing power of love and peace. The intention and activism of a small group of individuals is impactful. As Margaret Mead stated, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Stay tuned for more on the movement of bringing mindful love and peace to our communities. We will be organizing with the intention of creating change. Let me know if you would like to get involved.

I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this post. Please drop me a comment or send me an email.

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You Reap What You Sow

Most Of Today's Problems Were Yesterday's Dream

How To Write Your Way To More Happiness

Are You Feeling Restless?

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