Magical Moment: One Day at a Time

Photo by Kelsey Knight on Unsplash

This is certainly a challenging time for us all, and now more than ever, we need to know that we are not alone.

First and foremost, please know that I am here for you. Truly. If you want to just talk or drop a note, if you need someone to listen, I am here.

As the outside world swirls with uncertainty and everything feels out of control, it’s a time to remind ourselves that even though we can’t control what is happening “out there,” we can control what is happening within ourselves.

Now more than ever I’d encourage you to turn to the rhythm and routine of a Daily Practice.

It does not need to be anything more than a few minutes of a consistent routine ~ something you do every day that your body, mind and spirit can count on.

For me, every morning I set aside time to fill out my Daily Planner, sit in front of the little meditation table I created, light a couple of candles, read the daily passage from my favorite book of devotions, read a forgiveness prayer out loud and then sit for a few minutes and let it all sink in.

Yesterday a particular passage from the daily reading really stood out to me. It spoke to the idea of allowing ourselves to be seen for our true self. I offer it to you as a little something on which to ponder as you move through your day.

From The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo:

“I am humbled to admit that the only difference I see on Earth between being strong and weak is the honesty with which we face ourselves, accept ourselves, and share ourselves, blemishes and all.”

So what about you? Are you feeling called to create a Daily Practice? Is there a book of poetry you could turn to? A daily walk outdoors where you could take nice deep gulps of air and listen to the birds? How about a few minutes with some journal writing?

There is no right or wrong ~ this is what resonates with you and allows you the comfort of predicability and consistency when the rest of the world feels anything but.

If you already have a Daily Practice or you’re inspired to create one, please share so we can all benefit and grow together.

As many of you know, I’d been hosting a monthly virtual gathering called A Cup of Tea with Me. Given the isolation so many are experiencing, I decided it’s time to start that up again. But this month I’m going to make it an evening and replace the tea with wine. (You can bring your tea if you’re not a wine drinker!)

Interested in joining?

I’ll keep you posted when I choose an exact evening and time. I’m thinking Thursday evening, March 26th, but I’m not totally ready to commit to that date and will feel it out over the weekend. I’ll send out something early next week with a firm date, so keep an eye out for that email if this gathering sounds appealing to you.

We meet over Zoom and it’s kind of like the Brady Bunch. We each get our own little box on the screen and have the opportunity to interact with each other. Pretty cool that this technology is available for us to connect!

Stay well sweet friend and know that you are not alone.

 

Magical Moment: Managing Fear

As we all know, there is a lot of fear and uncertainty swirling around in the world right now.

It’s hard not to get swept up in the constant and ever-changing news reports.

I’ve really felt the impact lately, especially with our girl out on her gap year travels.

Yet, I always strive to show up as my best self and inspire others to do the same, and can’t do that if I’m full of fear and anxiety.

So it became apparent that I needed to make some changes in how I was moving through my days.

First of all, news alerts were constantly arriving in my inbox and every one was like a jolt of electricity to my nervous system. But guess who’d signed up to receive those alerts? Me. So I made the choice to unsubscribe. Don’t get me wrong, I’m staying informed, but now it’s on my terms. I choose to read the news when I’m ready. And that means I’m in a strong and centered frame of mind.

I’ve also chosen to stop watching television news. Watching meant I didn’t know what was going to come at me, and once again, leave me full of fear. Just another form of media where control was out of my hands.

In this newly aware state, I also noticed that long ago I’d set the New York Times as my browser homepage. They do an amazing job getting to the essence of a story, but every time I opened my computer, whether I chose to or not, I’d get glimpses of people in masks and hazmat suits and my hands would shake and my heart would race. Now I have my favorite home decorating website as my homepage setting, and I can switch over to news sites when I choose to do so.

I also remembered to breathe. To take those deep full breaths throughout the day that get me out of my head and back in my body. Plus, I take the time every morning to fill out my Magical Living Daily Planner which includes time to move my body, sit in stillness and drink lots of water.

Finally, I remind myself that we live in an uncertain world, and yet really, we always have. There just wasn’t a constant stream of noise reminding us of this from one moment to the next. Yet, we need to remember that we have choice. We get to choose how and when we expose ourselves to information.

Staying present when fear and uncertainty arrives is an ongoing practice, but by allowing ourselves to feel our fear, acknowledge it and move it through us, we can open ourselves back up to the healthy and welcome feelings of trust, gratitude and joy.

photo credit: Chris Ensey

What about you? Are there any changes you’d like to make? Tips, tools or tricks you have to share? Please reply here or over on the Facebook Page