with Kandice Cole
This week, I am over at Havingtime.com, a wonderful inspirational site ran by Lesya Li!
I was really honored when Lesya asked me to contribute a guest post and am excited to share with you!
Head on over to Having Time and find out why the “all or nothing” approach doesn’t work, as well as ways to get out of a burn out rut. Let me know what you think.
Here’s to a wonderful week!
xo
K
Cultivate14, Day 4 Prompt:
Our bodies are vast machines for storing: memories, toxins, dreams. What physical rhythms will you follow to loosen your scar tissue, heal old wounds, and stimulate the birth of new cells?
Sometimes we literally have to move our bodies for other things in our lives to move whether it be something physical, spiritual, or emotional. For me, walking outside and going up to the lake helps to loosen up and stimulate newness. Yesterday, it was especially cold when I snapped this picture.
It felt exhilarating to breathe in the cool air and hear the sound of waves sloshing up against the icy shore. I walked up and down the beach feeling my heartbeat rise and my cheeks warm up. Nature is such a wonderful teacher. I also feel this way when I let loose and dance. It feels like I am waking up parts of my creative self that have been wanting to be expressed. The parts that are yearning to be noticed and given light. This year I plan on more walks by the lake, more unabashed dancing, and more exploration of how my body wants to move.
Here’s to letting go. Here’s to letting loose. Here’s to letting in the new.
xo
K
Day 3 Prompt: Unintended Consequences: Sometimes the choices we make have consequences we don’t expect or that run counter to expectations. Do you consider these when looking at your options and if not, how do you deal with the fallout?
I love to have things planned and figured out . I used to try to stay so far ahead that I would avoid following my heart because I wouldn’t be able to figure out how something would end up. Here’s the thing: we can never fully know how something is going to turn out. No matter how much we try there will be stones that are left unturned. I am at the point now where I make choices that feel right to my heart. I trust that I am being led to a certain place for a reason even if it means dipping out into the unknown.
Each minute we breathe is an exploration into the unknown. When I surrender to that truth, I realize that I have the power to deal with any expected or unexpected fallout as a result of the choices that I make.
Here’s to living life one moment at a time and seeing every choice as necessary to our evolution.
xo
K
Day 2 prompt for Cultivate 2014:
Tell us about a time when you’ve been heartbroken, angry, or even just annoyed. Tell us about something you just can’t seem to let go of or get over. Spread that grievous infection all around, and thin it out. Really lay into it. We’ll all feel better in the long run.
I quit teaching elementary full time back in June of 2011 with the intention to jump start my writing and consulting. My eyes were on being a creative entrepreneur and being paid to do what absolutely love. Over 2 years later, I am back working full time but not as a teacher. I actually have a lot more flexibility in this current position and get to telecommute some days, but it’s still a full time job. I continue to write and work at it, but you know what it’s ok to say that it is going a lot slower than I thought.
I am still on that path towards creative entrepreneur and the journey has been winding and surprising. Now I feel like I can truly exhale, let go, and dive in to 2014.
xo
K
I love reflecting writing prompts and am participating in Cultivate 2014 this year hosted by Meredith Shadwill.
Here is the first prompt for Cultivate 2014:
What did you set out to accomplish last year? What did you do to cultivate your goals and your life? Did your intentions manifest last year?
Last year I set out to finish my fiction novel and get a book deal. Upon finishing the novel, I took a few months to really dive into what I wanted for my work and what was the heartfelt desire versus what I thought I should do or some logical timeline. I sent queries to a few agencies but didn’t dive into the submission process full force as I reflected on how I wanted this process of sharing my work on a larger platform to feel.
Even though that accomplishment of getting a book deal didn’t manifest, I do believe my underlying intention of wanting to express myself creatively through writing a book shined through.
And that is what I am coming to realize that though my goals may be very specific and quantifiable, the root of it is an intention. An intention which can and will manifest in an infinite number of ways if I simply allow it. Though I am still working on getting that novel published, I have self published my own eGuide in the meantime that is aligned with the same intention I had for myself last year. Intentions are like breaths of fresh air that I hope to breathe in more in 2014.
xo
K
When you learn to be faithful over a little, you will be given much more to be faithful over goes the theme of a popular biblical parable. I have often heard this wisdom referred to money, yet I think it also refers to time.
When we want to move towards creating our dream life, we often don’t possess lot of time. When I decided to begin writing again, I had very little time. I’m a writer who also works a full time job. Throw in spending time with the hubby, eating, having a bit of down time , and it’s as if the minutes kept dwindling even more.
Rather than throw in the towel, I decided to be faithful over what I did have, which was 10 minutes in the morning. Surprisingly enough, after a week I was able to spend 15 minutes each morning. Just last week I was up to almost 60 minutes each morning working on my writing.
I believe that if I continue to do that, I will be spending my days as a full time writer in the near future. The thing is that I can’t wait for the perfect time for my ideal life to magically appear. I have to work up to it and be excited along this phase of the journey.
Start creating your ideal life now with the small pockets of time you have. Prepare yourself for the grand fruition of your greatest desires. Manifesting your dreams and attracting the resources to make it happen will come full force when you start taking consistent steps.
Today, I share what was birthed during those small pockets of time: My first product of 2014! It’s an eGuide called Everyday Experiences, Extraordinary Lessons. Its a 21 day journey of appreciating your life and seeing how extraordinary it is, even when you don’t have a lot of time to notice. I share my own everyday experiences, including the lesson I learned from a really loud car alarm, the realization that happened in a parking garage, and how a messy apartment calmed me down. It’s gentle, simple, and full of love.
Buy a copy, give it as a gift, and tell someone else about it. Thank you so much for supporting my work!
Here’s to our dreams unfolding in 2014!
xo
K
It’s so hard to believe that Reverb13 is coming to an end. What a lovely journey it has been this time around. Special thanks to Kat McNally for making all of this possible and putting so much time, love, and effort into making Reverb13 happen!
Reverb13, Day 21 Prompt:
Today, I’d like you to revisit what you wrote on 1 December on the first day of Reverb13. How does that compare to where you are now?
Then, without thinking too hard about it, grab a pen and some paper and finish the following five sentences:
2014 is going to be MY YEAR because…
In 2014, I am going to do…
In 2014, I am going to feel…
In 2014, I am not going to…
In December 2014, I am going to look back and say…
—
On the first day of Reverb13, I was just recovering from a cold (read the full post here) and waiting to get my new week started on a healthier more energetic note. Ultimately I was excited and ready to step into the new year more grounded in my truth and my fullness. Now, after 21 days I just realized that I was taking lots of leaps and steps into my truth. Since that post I clarified some goals for myself and started working on my first offering of 2014. I also shared my prompts on my blog and embraced the support and community from my fellow Reverb13 buddies. During Reverb I shined and danced just as I am hoping to keep doing in 2014. Writing and reflecting over these past 21 days has opened me up even more to the dance of life.
2014 is going to be MY YEAR because… I’m going to build upon this strong foundation that was built in 2013 and shine. I will step into my starring role and live a life that absolutely love with open eyes and and an open heart.
n 2014, I am going to do…more things that make my heart absolutely sing and soar.
In 2014, I am going to feel…Excited. Pure Joy. Grounded. Clear.
In 2014, I am not going to…Complain as I go through the journey. I’m also not going to stay beyond the present moment.
In December 2014, I am going to look back and say…I’m celebrating going full time with my creative business. I feel like I’m living even more of my dreams.
Thanks for being on this journey with me. Onward and Upward.
xo
K
Forward is the only direction.
The mirror never lies, but everything in it is backwards.
Look at what you see in the mirror. How does it change if you view yourself with eyes that can only look forward?
I see a woman ready to take more leaps, scared a bit, but a twinkle in her eye. I see years of learning and growth that have brought her to this moment , which will bring her to more moments of realization and actualization.
I see a woman who has grown comfortable in her own skin. Who has fully accepted and embraced her body- her beautiful brown skin, the curves, the natural hair. Taking it all in and loving that which makes her unique.
I see a woman standing taller, feet planted with glimmers of light in her eyes.
I see me. In this mirror simply being: Vulnerable. Ready. Accepting. Unapologetic. Free.
xo
K
Reverb13, Day 19 Prompt:
The Buddha said, “You, yourself, as much as anybody else in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
In the past year, I have been on a mission to understand and practice self-compassion, which is sometimes defined as “extending compassion to one’s self in instances of perceived inadequacy, failure, or general suffering,” and what I have learned has made me realize that this practice is at the heart of everything.
How will you practice self-compassion?
I will practice self-compassion by giving myself more timeouts. You know those times when I let myself sit down and just let go. This year I found that I would try to work and keep going during those times when I was utterly flailing. And like I used to do when I was a taught 2nd grade, I would tell kids that were having a difficult time or getting frustrated to go sit on the couch in the room, chill out, and breathe for a bit. This kind of timeout wasn’t about shaming them, it was all about making sure they knew that it was ok to take a break when getting frustrated by something or someone.
I will do that for myself. It may be a few minutes or a few hours, but I will give myself permission to take a timeout when I feel like I am on a downward spiral or when it seems like nothing is going right. I won’t shame myself for feeling that way, rather allow the feelings to move on through and give myself some solace and rest in the meantime. Those timeouts may be walking around the block, taking a nap, turning off my cell phone, watching funny youtube videos, or screaming into a pillow. This practice of taking a timeout reminds me that I am indeed beautifully human and that I can honor my own humanity with more gentleness right now rather than later.
xo
K
Reverb 13, Day 18 Prompt:
I am often surprised where I find peace, it is usually in the midst of chaos.
In the midst of living, did you find moments to breathe? Were there moments that held you in the embrace of peace and quiet and pure contentment?
Did these moments catch you by surprise or did you create the space for peace to find you?
how will you make space for greater peace in 2014?
Sometimes my mind can be really chaotic. Thoughts rushing around and swirling that feel like they won’t slow down. Sometimes things like walking outside or taking deep breaths help me to find some peace but this year one mantra from Tonya Leigh’s blog really helped me cultivate more peace and quiet in my oft-times chaotic life:
“I am responsible for how I feel.”
Repeating that for what felt like hundreds of times a day always gave me peace in the midst of a storm of chaos and mayhem. For whatever reason that affirmation sunk into my bones and made me feel powerfully aware of my role in creating peace in my life. I could choose to feel peaceful at any moment. That affirmation became a encouraging nudge for me to settle into my inner wisdom and become aware of the peace that existed inside of me, the quiet that ran underneath the crowded spaces of my life.
Next year, I plan to take even more responsibility for how I feel by setting more healthy boundaries when I am feeling that need for peace. I also will take some intentional time away in solitude because that is what my souls loves so much and a gift I can give myself. I also am going to unplug more from technology on a daily basis and do activities like painting and reading that always provide me a peaceful space.
Here’s to more peace and goodness in 2014.
xo
K
Reimagine Self Care