Friday, April 13, 2012

Slow your pace.....

Slow your pace…..and you might begin to appreciate your space!

After a long productive week at work, I found myself with a headache and my mind racing.  I have found walking with my dog, Nila, to be a good stress release for me however, my pace has been so brisk that it sometimes just encourages the thoughts from the day to simmer.  Today, was a little different.  I went out for a walk with Nila tonight and my pace was quite brisk as usual, but not for long.  It wasn’t till I entered into the park (pic below) that I felt the beauty of the openness and the wonderful early evening sky give me that ‘aha’ moment.  I stopped, took a deep breath and observed my surroundings…then took a slow step forward and really focused my attention on this simple action.  I took another step and another and while I did, I looked around and NOTICED the beauty of my space. 

This is a journaling blog so I think it would be best if I tell you what I decided to do while ‘appreciating my space’.  I began to think about everything I loved in my life.  From my family, to my work, to my friends to my country….I “loved” it all!   This is an exercise that I actually came up with as another form of the ‘gratitude’ activity but instead of just being grateful, I am bringing to my awareness to the areas that I should invest my time in.  As the amazing author, Dr Wayne Dyer states “Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.” and this is what I intend to do with the “What do I love” journaling activity is helping me.  Will it be effective for you?  Try it and let me know J
 In your journal, write down everything you love to do and try to do this for 10 minutes.  I normally do this type of activity in point form but the choice is totally up to you. Happy journaling!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Make your day a 10!

Make your day a 10!

A few years ago, I sat in an 'Intro to Coaching' session where the speaker challenged us to evaluate our lives on a scale of 1 to 10 based on several subjects including Health, Wealth, Self-Development, Family, Friendships, etc.  After we put a number down, we were then asked to think about what we needed to do to take that number up a notch.  Example.  If I gave myself a 7 for health, what would I need to lose or incorporate into my day to make that an 8.  It was a powerful exercise and I revisited this idea from a journaling point of view.

Here's how....
At the end of the day, I write down each subject, (example. Health) and  I rate myself on the subject based on how I felt I did today, and then write down why I gave myself this 'mark'.  Then I would write down what I could do tomorrow to make myself get a 10.  And this is where the right side of the brain comes into play.   :-)

The effects of this activity are amazing.  Not only because of the great ideas generated, but it has begun to train my mind to continuously challenge how I would rate my day and I how I could make it better throughout the course of my day.  A friend of mine used to say 'the past does not equal the future' and by catching myself in the day, I can let a day that began wrong, end of right.  We may not be able to control everything, but we will definitely have a stronger part in determining our destiny.

What are some ways that you are making your day a 10?