Tag: Yoga

40 days of gratitude

The theme of this blog has been evolving ever since I began typing that first blog several years ago. I was searching for meaningful ways to bring more happiness into my daily life. I was in the midst of college and in a dark place in my personal relationships. I was not living authentically or really living at all. I was just grinding it out, day in and day out; existing simply to finish my then goal of graduating college. I was on the back end of personal tragedy and heartbreak, in the middle of a difficult and potentially dangerous situation, and getting ready to step off a cliff into the unknown. There were so many forces at work and I had to focus on the positive. I’m nowhere near where I was, but I’m not yet to where I want to be. I am evolving, and so is this blog.

So I recently asked myself the following:

What is it with 40 days/ 6 weeks? Lent is 40 days; maternity leave is about 6 weeks after the baby is born for those that get it. Why are these numbers or timeframes so engrained in our past and present lives? I don’t have these answers, but I’ve been inspired.

I was reading a book that I was meaning to read for a long time. It was on my Amazon wishlist for a few years, and I finally received it for my birthday, I think. I didn’t read it right away for some reason, but I’m glad that I did. Reading books has gotten harder since having a little one at home. She takes up 99% of my spare waking time that I’m not at work. The other 1% is cleaning. Anyway, the premise of the book Life is a Verb, is that 37 days (which is very close to 40) can transform your life. There are a series of stories and activities to do at the end of each one for 37 days. Each of these activities are designed by the author (whom I seem to feel is a kindred spirit from her stories and experiences) to help you live the life you want. Living the life I want, spending more time with my family, working smarter-not-harder, and being in the employ of myself are my main goals, but living a more grateful and joyful life have been my “small” goals for many years.

Those of you who’ve been following this blog for any length of time know that I’ve been studying and seeking greater happiness for a long time. I’ve had moments of elation that I cannot compare to anything else in this life, but I’ve also experienced some of the most devastating despair and loss that I’ve ever had in my 35 years on this earth. Of course, I’ve felt everything in between and surely will over and over again as I grow older. I hope that the feelings of happiness will be greater than those of unhappiness, of course, as we all do. So by focusing on what I want, instead of what I don’t want, I plan to cultivate just that.

So in the spirit of change, transformation, and happiness, I’m going to focus on gratitude. There have been countless studies and interviews indicating that the more a person is grateful, the happier they are throughout the course of their lives, and also exhibit more satisfaction with their lives in general. I’d like to practice more gratitude, because while I’m extremely grateful for all of the things in my life, I feel like if I can bring intention and magnify the things in which I am grateful, more of these things will grace my daily life.

I have decided that I want to challenge myself to not only be grateful, especially amidst stress and fatigue, but I also want to challenge my personal dedication to writing. I love writing but find that I make excuses not to do it, mostly evolving from not having enough time. Because of this, I want to focus on just a few minutes of writing each day to express my gratitude. Gradually, or at least periodically, I’m sure my entries will be long, but I’m guessing that most of them will be short. Probably very short. But the goal is to do it. Starting tomorrow, I’ve set an alarm to ensure that I simply don’t forget to write. It is my intention to bring attention to this particular goal for just a few minutes every day.

So stay tuned! And wish me luck. I’ll likely need it.

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Happiness is…

To me, the simple things in life are true happiness. Here are some of my favorites:

The calm of dawn when the world is just waking up.

The purr of a sleepy cat.

The perfect downward dog performed by a stretching pup.

The bashful smile of a little kid who is shy but also happy to see you.

The cool breeze as I water the garden.

A nice, long, hot shower.

Stretching.

The first sip of hot coffee.

Clothes straight out of the dryer.

The first bite of chocolate cake.

Talking with others about everything and nothing.

Seeing the pets waiting for you as you come in the door.

My car starting, stopping and doing all the things it does to get me places.

A long hug.

Quietly reading a book in the sunshine.

A good white wine.

A cold glass of water on a hot day.

A good meal.

These are just some of my favorite, happy, simple things. Please comment to share yours! Thank you for reading.

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The Happiness Update

As February quickly comes to a close, much faster than I anticipated, it’s time for me to do a little reflection. The year started off a bit rocky, but once I got into (sort of) the rhythm of school and work balancing, everything outside of those two things seemed to fall more into place. That’s not to say things have been easy so far, because they haven’t been. Not even close. Stress and worry have been at a super level, but on the flip side of that, I’ve been so blessed to have comfort, joy and even a little relaxation.

Under no circumstances have my goals been easy to achieve, nor have I done them all perfectly. Hell, some of them I’ve barely done at all. But in my head, that’s ok. It’s just part of the process… learning what works and what doesn’t in my hectic life. With that being said, here’s the rundown of my goals and how well I have done so far:
– Be authentic- My overall goal- I’ve really come to accept my limitations and my strengths, as well as the fact that I’m ok being the odd bird and I embrace it.
– Outside chaos is inside chaos: declutter, organize, clean- My wonderful man has really helped out with this, since, I’m just too busy and rushed all the time to keep up with this task. He’s been amazing at helping me around the house and even organizing my messy desk for me. I’m so grateful for his support and help, especially in this area.
– Practice makes perfect, do it until it’s right: learn a new skill- I think my skill that I’m trying to master is a combination of patience and acceptance. I have been playing the hurry up and wait game for several weeks now with a few things and it’s taken a unbelievable amount of patience to not completely flip out or cave under the stress. Acceptance because I’m having to accept that I cannot control every aspect of certain situations. These have been very trying, but I’m getting there.
– 15 minute miracles: A.M. yoga, meditation P.M. talking, cleaning- These have been tough to get going too. I’m either running around super busy, or collapsing on the couch in an effort to see my love for a few minutes before bed. Yoga hasn’t happened… not more than once. I’m really sad about that, but I’ve tackled my trouble with meditation. I’ve decided that I was going about it all wrong and took a different view. I need to go back to that “Be Authentic” thing and realize that while unconventional, like myself, my choice of meditation is also. It’s not an everyday meditative practice, and that’s ok too. But the days that I get to skate, is all I need to get me through the rest of the week. Last weekend was a prime example. Skating was perfect. (I play roller derby). Talking with my honey has proven to be exactly what we need to reconnect and revive our tired connections. We don’t spend every single day chatting in our room, but most days we at least mute the tv and have a few minutes of “quality” time talking about our days or nothing important at all. It’s been really great. And finally, I’ve discovered that cleaning at night, even for 15 minutes on a regular basis, is impossible. It’s got to be in the morning when I first get up, or it’s just not happening. :)
– Look good, feel good: dress for success- So, I’m still rocking the tee shirts and jeans. But I have made it a point to buy better jeans and wear more sweaters that cover my punk rock band shirts. I’ve tried to incorporate things like scarves to my wardrobe too… dress up my everyday wear just a little.
– Meditate in a way that works for me: try different techniques- I’ve heard everything can be meditative. I believe this to a point. There’s no part of cleaning the cat litter box that strikes me as peaceful, but to each their own. I have however, found that my morning routine is quite nice though. The house generally quiet as the dogs are slowly waking up, putting together my coffee pot and creating my daily smoothie… very good for clearing the mind. Also, writing has really helped with not only my search for meditation, but also lowering my stress level on several occasions.

Anyway, that’s my rundown as the month creeps to a close. I’m excited for March to come in so I can start to focus on some new things, gain new insight and maybe even a new skill. We shall see! <3

( The above picture from: http://www.daniellemhayes.com/goals-safe-scary/)

 

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A little lacking and a bit of slacking…

I took a look at my project outline this morning and I realized that I’ve not exactly been doing so well. I’ve been trying to do my 15 minute miracles, and most of the time I manage to get one in a day. Usually talking with my honey or cleaning the kitchen. I’ve really been struggling with the overall premise for these months… being authentic. I know who and what I am, however, I’m having trouble balancing other people’s expectations of me with my authenticity. 

Everyone around me and everyone else, whether or not they know it, have expectations of the others around them. Parents, kids, pets, partners, employers… It’s constant. Finding that place where I can be myself and be what everyone around me wants is much harder than I anticipated. I feel as if I’m constantly letting someone down, me or someone else. But everyday I’m plugging away trying to find that happy/medium where I can live with myself and others want to live with me in their lives.

Here’s a recap of my goals this month and last:

~Right Effort and Right Meditation
Be authentic
Outside chaos is inside chaos: declutter, organize, clean
Practice makes perfect, do it until it’s right: learn a new skill
15 minute miracles: A.M. yoga, meditation P.M. talking, cleaning
Look good, feel good: dress for success
Meditate in a way that works for me: try different techniques

 

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Slow and steady wins the race, right?

Day 3 of my Happiness Journey

Three days into my personal growth journey to find lasting happiness, I’m already facing the challenge of breaking old habits. Here’s how I’m trying to stick to my goals, despite the setbacks

We all remember the story of the Tortoise and the Hare, a slow, steady paced Tortoise wins out over the initially sprinting & sleeping Hare, but does that apply to life changes or to happiness?

Challenges of Creating New Habits for Happiness

Here’s what I’ve got so far: not once have I done all 4 of my 15- minute miracles. I’ve tried. But man, I get sleepy some nights or meditating is not easy and don’t get me started about yoga on mornings that I get up WAY before the sun. Strangely, when you set a timer to something, the seconds seem to literally DRAG on and on. I was doing yoga yesterday morning and I was all excited to be setting out my mat, but as minute 6 came to a close, I was lamenting the timer completely. I’m truly enjoying the cleaning up of the kitchen though, since much of what I’ve been cleaning is my blender that I use daily for breakfast smoothies, the coffee pot (which I may die without) and my coffee mug.

Sadly the quest to clean and organize has stalled due to work hours being CRAZY long, but that will be a task better served to start when I have a few minutes during the day to focus, rather than in the evenings after an exhausting day.

Anyway, I’m finding that my head is in the right place, it’s just making my body do what I want it to do. Story of my life. :) Until next time kids!

Share your tips for overcoming challenges in your own happiness journey in the comments below!

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