This story started over 6 years ago which seems like a long time. I lived in a reality which I will call herding (living a life without meaning… doing what everybody else did) until I lived my very personal melt-down. Then I had a massive reboot; it was time for me to “grow up.”
That reboot was the beginning of the end of all things toxic in my life, starting with a job I hated and a marriage that was destroying me. Melt-down you might be asking?!
Well, yes!
I was very aware this was a step towards healing. Suddenly, my apartment was blissfully empty… no ex, no mat, no cat. My schedule was magically free. Completely free from most anything, and so was my income. Also just as suddenly, I discovered it was time to slow down and heal so I could build a fulfilling life; I ADORED living.
What’s this to do with you? And why now?
If you are in the best-case-scenario, you’re able to work online doing your regular job while trying to discover new ways to be present with those you love without visiting. So, allow me to invite you to pause, yes, pause right here and breathe.
Right here and right now, in the middle of the cyclone you have one of the most precious assets in life, one you most likely complained about not having, and that is TIME.
And while you cherish that, let me share some tools and techniques I used to build the life I adore living, and how I thrived in the storm.
Perhaps, one of the most valuable pieces of advice I got was to build routines that gave structure.
One of my favorite tools from that day forward has been to add routines that nourish and leverage my inner healing.
Here are some ideas:
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- Build a morning routine – 1 to 2 hours which include prayer and/or meditation, exercise, breakfast, and shower.
- Use your shower time for me time… spa, energy cleansing, and energy charging.
- Read on your favorite topic and/or on personal development.
- Nourish creativity – brainstorm ways in which you can find your passions.
- Spend time with your loved ones.
While you’re at it, make sure your routines:
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- Are fun, and easy to remember and follow
- Help leverage your stepping forward into your new life, or the new stage of your life.
- Are stackable – Start with small habits that take a short time so you can pile them up.
- Start slow (one by one), and make them stick by doing things you love.
- Allow you to spend time finding out which works best for you.
Perhaps while you were running in the hamster wheel, your life was also packed with time-draining necessities, like sitting hours in traffic. And the busier you were with that kind of stuff, the more difficult it was for you to silence your mind.
One of my favorite tools to silence my mind is to involve most of my senses, and do one thing at a time, practicing mindfulness.
Here is how:
Start with a cup of your favorite warm drink.
Time: 5 to 15 minutes
Get your favorite drink. If it’s plain water add your favorite taste; it is important for this activity.
Sit down at your favorite place. You will need to read all these instructions first because I will ask you to close your eyes. If you’d like to play some soothing music, do so.
Grab your cup, feel it’s texture. Smell your drink… close to dunking your nose in the cup. Close your eyes and inhale deeply. What images come to your mind with this smell? What sensations arise? Do they elicit any emotion? Have a sip. Let it rest in your mouth. Notice its temperature, its texture. What flavors stand out? What sensations arise? Is there any emotion present?
If any other thoughts come up, just let them go. Now is not their time, now it’s your time.
Doing this allows you to appreciate and be present in the moment.
Repeat these instructions until you go through your whole drink. Before you open your eyes, notice if there are any sounds around you. If you put on some music, did you notice it while you were having your drink? No?
I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t. It might take some time to effectively slow down or stop your thoughts, and focus on one thing at a time.
Mindfulness and eliminating multi-tasking are natural stress killers. They will also naturally boost your focus, raise your vibes, and nourish peace and more positive emotions.
I know, it might seem I went off topic. But you see, a calm mind is key to thriving in a storm. A quiet mind will allow you to become more efficient, as you will finish things in half the time. It will also allow you to make better decisions from a more objective stance amid chaotic change, while embracing the blessing of time and not being run by clocks and deadlines. A growing mindfulness and focused practice will give you the opportunity to stop and smell the roses. It will also help you leverage your strengths and aid you in taking your goals to the next level.
How exciting is that?
Besides focus, clarity, and feeling more energetic, some of the other effects of a calm mind are life-changing. You will be able to notice more things by being more present. Sensations will soar, which will lead to more powerful emotions. To be honest, that is not necessarily all milk and honey. This awareness might imply you’re facing your deepest wounds and your darkest demons. Again, meditation, meditative exercising like yoga, martial arts and dancing, mindfulness and prayer (communicating with your higher self) might be a huge help to get through the dark.
Another key to thriving in the storm lies on how well you treat and love yourself. Be reminded that you set the rhyme and tempo of how you allow others to treat you by how you treat yourself. Additionally, by how much power you see yourself having, and how you allow yourself to experience and express things.
This always reminds me about a scene of a house cat that has an encounter with an alligator. The cat hits the alligator’s nose until the gator backs off into his lake leaving the cat alone (10x smaller than the gator). By no means am I inviting you to act reckless, but to own your power, and to state a strong NO without even raising your voice. As in the case of the cat, he exherted his power and the gator backed off.
To close this article, let me leave you with two thoughts, one is never take a step back, not even by impulse. And two is a quote I built based on Norman Vicent Peale, “The strength of a cyclone lays on the calmness of its core, so does the strength of a human.”
Are you ready to soar?
Article Written and Contributed By: Angelica Weaver
Angelica Weaver — MA Life Experience Education, Humanistic Counselor, Gestalt Education Specialist/ Therapist, Master Coach by the Transformation Academy, Master Coach in Strategic Intervention (currently getting certified).
Angelica holds more than 17 years experience in training, program design, business coaching, individual counseling, and group therapy. She has designed from Corporate Strategies to Individual Success Strategies.
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