Moments of awareness shared with you
There is no blueprint for me.
There is no blueprint for you.
There is only acceptance of our truths.
Daily Moment of Awareness [10.14.2019]
Moments of awareness shared with you
Maybe it’s not work. Maybe it’s not grueling. Maybe it’s not exhausting.
Maybe….it’s necessary.
When you consider making change in your life, do you cast a negative shadow on the experience? Like, before you even take a step? Think about how you characterize what you need to do or what you are trying to achieve. The more you paint it in a negative light, the more mental blocks you create to get in the way. As if you needed any more excuses.
When you reflect on areas of your life that you believe to be unhealthy or in need of a healthy dose of change, it is helpful to think and speak about the change in a grounding and benefiting way. Ask for the effort and energy needed to move forward. Allow lessons along the way. Be patient with yourself. Say, “Thank you.” for the opportunity.
You affect the process of change by your attitude about change. See it as necessary and welcome it as part of your growth.
Daily Moment of Awareness [10.10.2019]
Moments of awareness shared with you
Today was a day filled with gifts.
It began with breathing in a beautiful morning and deepening my awareness in meditation. Then a 9+ mile run through a blissful autumn scene. Followed by a calming, restorative float session. And culminating with reiki and a full body massage.
My mind was clear. My heart was open. My soul was shining. My body was rejuvenated. My whole being was filled with gratitude.
It is good for your spirit to love and care for yourself.
Daily Moment of Awareness [10.1.2019]
Moments of awareness shared with you
I have been enjoying a pretty steady ritual of daily morning meditation, followed by reading, then a run, then some social media work and then….well, whatever I need to do in the moments following.
Today was completely lopsided for me. I was up super late and basically, so my sleep schedule was totally messed up. I actually laid in bed until about 5p. Though I was feeling conflicted about some stuff, unmotivated, and annoyed that I allowed the day to go by, something happened.
I told myself it was ok to deviate from the plan. I recognized I could still accomplish what I do in the mornings, in the evening too. In that moment, I felt ok about not feeling ok. But I also become mindful that making healthy choices to boost my energy, clear my mind, and nurture my well-being are available to me in every moment - not just the morning time.
So, I sat up. I scheduled some social media posts. I leaned into my mediative practice. I read. I got a quick run in. I showered. And I even ran out for some quick fall knick-knack shopping.
Even when things feel off, you can still make choices to align yourself with well-being.
Be Instead of Prove
Think about your energy. Think about your time. Think about YOUR LIFE. How do you want/need to be expressing yourself? How often do you allow someone else to influence how you create and live your life?
Your reference point for your authenticity is within YOU. Your successes and failures contribute to the path you are blazing. Burn the bridges of conformity and judgment with every step you take.
Stop proving yourself. Love yourself. Trust yourself. Nurture yourself. BE YOURSELF!
all words + words on image: Michael Barata / image: Nick Fewings
Your Worth
You know what is special about you.
Go. Reconnect. As often as you forget.
all words + words on image: Michael Barata / image: Jessie Bowser
How You Frame It
Your inner dialogue greatly influences your mood, your behavior, and your outlook about life.
If you are forever re-running something painful from your past in your head, don’t be surprised when the emotions associated with that experience are what you feel. If you doubt yourself or harshly judge yourself, don’t be surprised when you feel “less than.” If you are always giving into fear and telling yourself, “I just couldn’t do that.” don’t be surprised when you don’t make progress.
If you are going through a challenge, how you think and talk about it, matters. A lot! How you frame it is how your whole being responds to it. If you refer to your life (experiences) in a negative and/or defeating way, you will attract more negativity and defeat and feel negative and defeated.
It’s not magic. It’s not being naive. It’s not ignoring the work. It’s all about taking a healthy approach to your life in every moment. Everything you could ever feel or give begins within YOU.
If you’re hurting, acknowledge the hurt, and tell yourself you are healing. If you’re lost, acknowledge being lost, and tell yourself you’re learning. Of course, reinforcing this healthy mindset with healthy behaviors in healthy environments will also help.
words on image: Michael Barat / image: Pixabay
Comfort Is Quicksand
Think about those mornings when every inch of your bed just hugs you? The sheets and blankets have created the perfect temperature, that you almost feel one with them. Your pillow is a soft cloud for your heavy mind.
What else is going here? That’s right. Your comfort is holding you back from beginning your day. Exercising. Meditating. Eating a heathy breakfast. Spending some meaningful time with someone - or even with yourself.
Comfort denies new experience. Comfort ignores creativity. Comfort stunts growth. Comfort delays learning. Comfort teams up with fear to stop you from: exploring, going further, looking more intently, being curious and courageous, and yes, they stop you from living divinely and loving deeply.
Comfort is best experienced as a flowing reminder that you are living. However, it can also be a stagnant stop.
words + words on image: Michael Barata / image: Lisa Fotios
Heal From Within
We hurt. We endure painful experiences. We mourn. We resent. We express anger. We cry. We lament. We self-doubt. We feel exploited. We fear.
Through all of those experiences, we can also heal. It may look and feel unattainable, but healing is the mindful, heartfelt, and soulful experience we can choose. That journey will be unique to YOU.
Healing is an inner experience...and ever available to you. .
words on image: Michael Barata / image PhotoMIX Ltd
Self-Love To Heal
We yearn for what was. We fear what hasn’t happened. And we tend to loop inner dialogues based on both.
If you’re hurting, then hurt. But also give yourself an opportunity to heal. When you relive what has hurt you in the past, you ignore what can heal you in the present. Your hurt will only last as long as you give it energy. The clear message is that you do have something or someone in your life to be grateful for. Yes you do. Remind yourself, as often as you want/need.
Accept the hurt and accept the healing. I know we can’t control every thought that pops into our minds, BUT we CAN consciously decide what to do after a thought. This is true for every moment of your life. Therefore, the beauty is you can choose healthy, healing thinking and behavior whenever you want, such as: gratitude journaling, positive self-messaging, therapy/counseling, meditation, yoga, exercise, walk, travel, a forgotten hobby, a warm bath, reading, etc. I’ve deiced to do 20 pushups whenever I consciously engage in a hurtful thought or behavior. Bonus: my pecs desperately needed the attention,
I know the ache can be debilitating which can also cloud all of your senses. In these states, we also doubt the possibility and bliss of love. So, we give even more space to the hurt and build a wall to love. Your healing can be so restorative. The journey to healing can present lessons and gifts you never could have imagined.
But first, you need to commit to self-love. To heal, you must love yourself.
words: Michael Barata / image: Designecologist