2019 Goals

This year I don’t want to use the word ‘resolutions.’ Instead, I want to come up with a list of goals that I feel confident in. Ones that will challenge me to work hard and take chances. Ones that will help me grow as a person.

This list is only the starting point. How can I possibly know every goal I want to achieve in 2019 on day 1? In no particular order, here are some of my goals for 2019:

1. Spend more time reading. This year I challenge myself to read books that I wouldn’t normally pick up. I want to read inspiring and motivational works that fill my soul and challenge my thinking.

2. Focus on my physical health. In 2018 I worked my butt off and lost 30lbs. In 2019 I challenge myself to be disciplined in my eating habits and consistant in my workouts. I challenge myself to not focus on the number the scale shows, but instead focus on getting strong and staying healthy.

3. Focus on my mental health. There will good days and bad days. I challenge myself to be proud of the good ones and be gentle with myself on the bad ones.

4. Concentrate on my marriage. Let’s be real, I have married an incredible man! This year I challenge myself to strengthen our bond further through laughter and adventure.

5. Practice more kindness. I challenge myself to spread love throughout the year. Buy a cup of coffee for a stranger, lend a listening ear, offer to help someone. Genuinely love others without the expectation of anything in return. I strongly believe that this is how we start to change the world.

I’m sure this list will grow and change with me throughout this year and I am excited to see where it takes me. I challenge you to come up with a list of goals that makes you excited for this year. Challenge yourself. Love yourself. Allow yourself to flourish. May 2019 be your best year yet!

Happy New Year!

More Flowers, Less Weeds: A Short Musing

So this whole meditation thing is amazing. I may not be as consistent with it as I’d like to be, but it is definitely a start. Heck, I may even be doing it wrong. All I know is that I feel a heck of a lot better.

I just finished reading “Count Your Blessings: The Healing Power of Gratitude and Love” By: Dr. John Demartini and man is there a lot of truth in that book. I found myself highlighting in my Kindle so many great tips and lessons that I wanted to remember.  One of my favorite quotes from the book is “Plant flowers or forever pull weeds.” So simple, yet so  brilliant! Those six little words hit me like a ton of bricks. How true is that statement? If you don’t start working towards what you want in life, you will never get there. If you aren’t happy with yourself, your job, your situation, etc., then you need to change something. What you are experiencing is lack of a goal. What you are ‘pulling’ is just stuff that is sitting in place of what you want. If you don’t try, you will continue to find yourself in situations that you are unhappy with. Making one positive change can start you on a path towards complete happiness. To a place where you want to be. More flowers and less weeds. Brilliant!

Meditation: Round 2

When something doesn’t seem to feel quite right, it probably isn’t. This is so true especially when you are talking about yourself and how you feel. If you have been reading along, you are familiar with the fact that I just feel out of whack. I am stressed, antsy, exhausted, etc. and so I decided that I needed to take steps towards bettering myself and finding my center. I am trying new things and evaluating how they make me feel. So far I am incredibly excited about what is happening!

I have definitely decided that I think I love meditation. 🙂

I consider my first attempt on Saturday a successful one and knew that I needed to try it again. So Sunday evening right before I went to bed, I dove into attempt number two! I sat on the floor of our bedroom and set the timer for 10 minutes. I immediately began to concentrate on my breathing while trying to tune out the crazy thoughts that run rampant in my mind. Part of me felt silly for what I was doing, but the bigger part knew that I needed to give this a serious go in order to find the peace and balance that is so desperately needed right now. Once I relaxed into my meditation, I decided to start telling my body to relax. Starting at the top of my head and working my way down to my toes, I let my muscles relax. I told the stress to leave my body. That it was no longer welcome. Once I finished that, I had this little tingly-like feeling telling me to recite some affirmations. From what I can only assume was my inner voice, I found the perfect affirmation/mantra for me:

“I am whole. I am happy. I am healthy. I am loved. I am Love.”

I kept reciting that over and over again until the timer went off. Before opening my eyes, I rolled my shoulders and did some light stretching and I felt great! I climbed into bed and fell right asleep! Now it could have been a coincidence, but I choose to believe that because I had that 10 minute unwind and recharge session, but I slept like a baby! It was amazing! Call me crazy if you wish, but this is happening.

I am challenging myself to meditate once a day for at least 10 minutes. I really, truly think that this is going to be incredible! Who’s with me?

Finding the Sweet Spot: Meditation

Well, I did it. I just finished my very first meditation! I had high aspirations to be sitting in a secluded spot outside in nature and really doing it right but apparently the Universe had other plans. After a very long (54 hour) work week and a bout with a flu bug, I decided I needed to try it now. There’s no time like the present, right? So I gathered myself to a nice little chunk on the floor of my apartment and set my timer for 10 minutes. Not really sure what to do or expect, I tried to focus on breathing. The first thing that I noticed was that my mind sure is loud. There is so much going on, running about in the background, and I never even had a clue.. No wonder I am tired all the time! Sheesh!

I tried to clear my mind and focus on breathing once again. Sitting with my back straight and my head held high I tried to consciously relax my body and just breathe. The most ridiculous thoughts were popping into my head. “I am breathing to heavy.” “Is that how I sound all the time?” “Am I breathing right?” Am I breathing right?? Seriously? I have been breathing my whole life and my brain chooses this moment to ask if I am doing it right? Wow, Jen. Just, wow. Focus.

Once I got the hang of breathing normally, I was able to focus more on myself as a whole. I tend to carry my stress in between my shoulder blades and decided that I wanted to remove that stress. I tried to focus my thoughts and tell myself to release that stress down through my body and into the floor to be absorbed. I know this sounds crazy, but I felt it move. Seriously. I could feel the fiery sensation that typically manifests between my shoulders, moving down the center of my back. And me, being easily distracted, got excited! I lost focus and had to start from the beginning again. I’m not entirely sure what to think of that, but I know it happened. Call me crazy if you wish, but I know what I felt.

Before I knew it, my timer went off! I lasted the whole 10 minutes without opening my eyes or giving in to my distractions. It was pretty cool. I learned that not only is my mind is incredibly loud and messy, but also beautiful and powerful. Did I totally heal my body and relieve all the tension? No. But I sure as heck feel a lot better now than I did before I started. I will most definitely be trying this again. Here’s to hoping I can find my sweet spot!