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One day life was going great and I couldn’t figure out why I was feeling restless. On my drive home I realized there was an overflowing basket of feelings that needed to be untangled. When I got home I:
Have you ever felt restless and didn’t know why and how did you handle it? 
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Yesterday I was invited to a writing group and I was nervous about going and decided to go anyway. There are talented writers in this group and a couple people have been coming for over 20 years. I enjoyed listening to different writer’s styles and what they came up with on our afternoon topic to write on. It was a great experience to read some of my writing to others. It reminded me of my college writing class when we would come in and free write about a topic on the board. I was glad I went and I think I will go back again. Have you ever gone to something even though it was outside your comfort zone and what was your experience?  Today I got invited to a writing group. At times new experiences are uncomfortable. This is one of those times for me. It is funny that I have been blogging here and there for a while and reading my writing out loud, in person, to strangers is hard for me. Sometimes these are the best experiences though because;
What experiences have you had that was uncomfortable to do and did you learn something new?  One day I was going about my day and I realized I felt off. I asked myself “what is going on?” I realized I felt negative and I knew I felt better when I was more positive. I just wasn’t sure how to shift it and I decided to ask and this is what I learned:
Have you ever had an off day and someone suggests something so simple and your day improved?  Yesterday I was going about my morning and I got an unexpected text from a new friend. She was thinking of me and wanted to know if I was available to go write with her at a local park. I have different ways to come up with ideas to write on and lately it’s mainly about blogging. This experience was different; we made plans, went to a beautiful park and picked a place to write. We chatted a bit and a woman was singing beautifully in the distance. Then it started to rain so we found a quiet restaurant, ordered, talked and over time a plan came together:
It was inspiring and motivating. I was glad I went and did something different and creative with a new friend. Have you ever done free writing with a friend and how was the experience for you?  I had to laugh at myself because earlier I did yoga and even got on the treadmill for a short time. Both involve breathing; yoga breathing is practiced during it and it’s natural to breath while walking. I really needed a massage and it’s important I get regular massage for my health. Shortly into a massage I realized I was holding my breath and/or shallow breathing. It was more challenging lying face down but I knew massage is more effective with good breath. I was glad I could laugh at myself about it and concentrate on improving breath during the massage so it was more productive. Have you ever noticed how you catch your breath doing tasks or hold your breath during certain times?  Instead of reading or saying something positive like “I am working on my health every day”, how about asking a question? For example: “Why do I exercise so easily?” Maybe even have some different ones and look through them weekly and pick a new one out. Read it or say it in your mind. I have a paper basket with a bunch of these questions. I pull out one and leave it where I’ll see it every time I walk down my hall. Here is how it can work:
Let me know how it goes.  It was time to find new happiness outside the box. After a while my dog walking ended because my neighbor got a roommate with a dog and her dog had plenty of company. I was shopping one day and there was a pet store close by and I went in. Normally I don’t go to pet stores, especially when I miss having one and want to bring one home. They had many hamsters, birds and fish. I was beginning to think they didn’t have any other animals. Then I found a small area with cats that needed to be re-homed. A nonprofit ran this area of the store. I would go periodically if I was in the area to get a bit of cat time. People who care for the cats are mainly volunteers. One day a volunteer was cleaning cages and invited me into the petting area. I kept a cat company while she took care of his living space. I was glad I went in that day and kept a cat company for a while. It was a win for all of us. What are some outside the box adventures you've had?  Today I had a lot to do and I can bounce around a bit on my projects. I have used juggling as a tool for quite a few years and I realized I was using it naturally today. I get more done when I use this tool because I am more focused and if I stray I catch myself sooner. When you see someone juggling he has two balls in his hand at once and the rest are up in the air. I have a House Hold ball, Self-care Ball and Blog ball to name a few. There were errands to run for the house hold, I needed to do some exercise for self-care and I wanted to write a blog to name a few of the many things to do today. To stay focused I was holding the House Hold and Blog ball (I am on the lookout for great new blog topics) while I was running errands and the rest were up in the air. See "how to" below:  I am so glad I have juggling in my life it has helped me with many busy days and through some big life events.
Have you used something like juggling before and how has it improved your life? We never know what is around the next bend in life. Shortly after moving to my place I met a neighbor at a business in the community. I live in a place where I can’t have animals and I miss having them. She has a dog that needed an extra walk and companionship. I walked the dog a few times a week. Her little guy got some extra TLC and I was grateful to have an animal in my life. This helped out a neighbor and I had the joy of a pet (with no vet bills). I think that is a win all the way around. Have you had surprising joy show up in your life?  This week I noticed I have been feeling restless in my office. It is a multipurpose space and I plan to use Skype for school and business and want a restful, serene back drop instead of my treadmill and sewing machine. I realize as I am writing this I feel stuck and overwhelmed by the entire project and need to find a way to move forward. It’s time to pull out my tools and break down the project. Moving the bigger pieces around will take two but in the mean time I can work on list below of 15 minutes a day:
I am glad I pulled out my tools and can move forward on my project. What projects have you been working on and have you felt stuck or overwhelmed by any?   It is marvelous to have adventures together and helpful to work towards a common goal.
This year I joined TOPs (Taking Pounds Off Sensibly) to have support while I drop some pounds. It is very helpful to have people to be accountable too. I don’t stray away from my plan as far and get back on track quicker. There are (KOP’s) people that have reached and maintained their weight loss goal. I’ve noticed it is valuable for them to make sure they are staying on track and they support TOPs members towards their goals. COP’s have shared some of their stories with me of their weight loss and it is inspiring. It is fabulous to have a common goal and support each other along the way. What goal have you worked on with a group? “If you want to live a life you’ve never lived, you have to do things you’ve never done.” By Jen Sincero. Wow this speaks to me as I embark on a new career path. I will be doing tasks I’ve never done before to pursue my career dream.
At heart I am a wallflower taking steps away from the wall because I want to succeed. I am starting to do this one baby step at a time. I wasn’t sure how some people in my life would take my news but I have been pleasantly surprised by the responses. I understand some people won’t understand my choice in career and some people will love me enough to let me soar. I appreciate their beautiful gift and I am excited about my new steps away from the wall. Have you started something new that some of your people were uncomfortable with and how did you handle this? I had an amazing trip to the beach with my Honey. The ocean is so peaceful and grounding for me. We had fun adventures and relaxing ocean times, and then it was time to head home. My Honey wanted me to have a bit more fun before we headed home. We were looking for a touristy shop and on the outskirts of town a glass blowing shop caught our eye. We browsed, and watched the artist make beautiful art. Then our next delightful adventure showed up out of the blue… I noticed a sign for classes to make our own art and we signed up. We picked our project and colors and headed into the artist’s warm studio. She talked about safety and walked each of us through the project step by step. I was glad I chose a pressed glass project and I was thrilled how it turned out. What adventures showed up out of the blue for you?  I was reading “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie and found a great story about a husband and wife. The wife was involved in a self-improvement group. One assignment was to have her husband write down six things she could improve. Her husband asked if he could think about it.
The next morning he sent her six roses with a note “I wouldn’t change anything about you.” He could have criticized her and he chose not to. When she shared her experience with the group some of the women were so moved they approached the husband and told him “That was the most considerate thing I’ve ever heard.” I thought, “Wow! I want to be appreciative of others, especially my Honey.” Have you read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie? A while ago I was going in for knee surgery and I wanted to be more relaxed. I decided to go see a hypnotherapist.
We did hypnotherapy to reduce stress and a saying to make the connection: “I’m doing just fine.” I put up a note of the saying and repeated it to myself whenever I needed it. A friend that accompanied me to the surgery also said, “You’re doing just fine.” It made a big difference and the surgery and recovery went well. Four years later, I still have the note up and it still helps me relax. Have you ever had hypnotherapy and what did it help with? It seems to be a “knock, knock, knock” about Happiness lately. I saw a great quote and journal about it and I was reminded by a friend too. My friend was showing me funny videos and she looked full of happiness and joy. This got me thinking about happiness. It would be great too:
Have you ever felt the “knock, knock, knock” about a topic?   When I was young I wanted to be a RN. This stayed with me for many years. I even started on prerequisites in college more than once. I did many activities nurses do along the way, caregiving, advocating, and administration in wellness.
I still am drawn towards wellness in a different area now. I was introduced to Reiki a while back and continue to learn about it. I enjoy seeing the threads led me to this exciting time in my life. I plan to start taking EFT certification soon and then I plan to build my practice. I can see the many threads that led me to this and I am excited to see where this takes me. Can you look back and see threads that led you to an amazing time in your life? I was getting ready for a dreaded, but necessary encounter. A friend recommended preparing with positive thoughts. I said to myself: “I wish you good things.” I visualized something like a golden beam of sunlight shining from me to the other person. I was pleasantly surprised, the encounter was so much better than before. I’ve used this tool many times since and it works! Ever dread an encounter with another person whom you share some less-than-positive history with?   There was this vexing family situation. At times I felt overwhelmed and like I was running on a hamster wheel.
I knew I needed to find a way to get this out of my brain and decided to write a list of questions to ask at the next gathering. This would help sort out some details. After writing a few questions I felt prepared and more at peace. The gathering went great and I was glad the hamster wheel was put away. Have you ever felt like your running on a hamster wheel? |