Nourish your needs

Babies spend a lot of time crying.  Parents try to understand the babies needs by offering gifts of food, clean diapers and rocking chair sessions, but the crying continues.  We too may find ourselves moping, low energy or exhausted, thinking that we simply need time in front of the television to recharge.  But think about the personal needs you have which you have grown to understand and appreciate. Is there something deeper, more primal that is asking for some love? Are you an extrovert?  Maybe you need to call up a friend and go for a walk.  Have you taken any time to be creative today?  Perhaps, there is energy lying dormant that is holding you down, hoping to be brought to life through writing, painting, mending items in the home.  Sit still and breathe into your heart, ask it what you need.  The answer will come to you.

Knowing when to let go

How often do we resuscitate a dying plant, knowing that with just a bit more of our energy, it will thrive again?  Sadly, the path is already set and we may be powerless against it.  Plants die. It is just hard to let go of something you've become attached to.  We sew a piece of ourselves to the items and people and goals around us.  Spend some time thinking of other aspects of your life where letting go might be a more gentle option than fighting.  Your work, a relationship that is waning, a pet who is ill or aging, clothes that do not fit, your home.  Sometimes, although we don't want to, we need to surrender and say good-bye before more pain is inflicted.  In the letting go, we prepare a new pot for another plant to grow.  Which, when the right time again, presents itself.

Strut your stuff

Many of us shy away from standing out in a crowd or appearing overly confident.  We can place negativity toward this way of being, calling it conceited or vein.  When really all of us were created just as amazing as the next person and we can celebrate that.  Today, practice your strut.  Ground down into your legs, let them take your weight and free your hips.  Hips are essential for strutting.  Roll your shoulders back and lift your head.  Discover how this changes your feelings about yourself.  Marvel at your new height, your open chest and witness how others perceive you.

You are perfect and amazing, strut it out.

Perception deception

Perception is a filter that lays over our consciousness which can sometimes blur reality without us realizing it.  Some days we look at our jobs and consider leaving for a new career.  But would the new path really benefit us more than the gifts we are receiving from our current job?  Perhaps.  But it is essential to remove the veil of perception before making any decisions.  This can be done by writing out your feelings (or your brain, or your perception) and your knowing (your expansive mind or your heart) and compare them.  The current job may feel stressful, but starting at a new workplace could add stress as well.  You may feel undervalued, but the latest evaluation from your boss tells you otherwise.  Your situation with your job, partner, body, home may be based more on how you are perceiving it, than about what the reality is.

Do your worth-its

Human evolution has brought us many gifts, but one strange attribute we've adopted is to question our worth once in awhile, or everyday for some people.  We can prevent these feelings from bubbling up by taking care of ourselves behind the scenes.  There are tasks we can perform that lay the foundation for a good day, good health and an overall peacefull feeling.  These tasks are called "worth-its" because by performing them, we feel better about ourselves.  What's your worth-it?  Flossing, ironing clothes for work, washing the car, writing in a gratitude journal, and taking a morning stroll offer simple ways we can create positive change.  By doing small tasks we can make a large difference in our feelings of self-worth.

Expand your territory

Imagine our ancestors searching to find a new forest with rare berries, or discovering a new lake as they move away from their typical gathering space.  Even though we now live in a world of planes, vehicles and internet we often stick within the circle of familiarity that we visit often.  We take the same route to work, visit the same friends and shop in the same spots. 

Spend some time choosing a place to expand your territory.  Could you go catch a movie in another town, grab groceries from a different market or try a blog or website you haven't been to yet?  Feel the changes this new experience creates within you.  Are you more aware of your presence, of those items and people around you?

Happy travels.

Celebrate your birthday every day

We wake up new every day.  Reborn from the being we were yesterday.  Morning light shows us the possibility of a fresh start, a new version of our already blessed life.  It is important for us to celebrate this miracle, of going into a dark sleep and emerging alive into a new light.  In nature, the morning celebration is quiet, subdued.  Dew on the grass, a light mist in the air, birds making their sweet call.  But as humans, we have limitless ways to celebrate our morning.  Maybe some yoga, a hot coffee or perhaps a simple, "thank you" to the world for bringing this day to life.

How do you celebrate mornings?
How could you invite more celebration into the early day?