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#ThankfulThursday Endings and Beginnings

Sunday afternoon — the day I wrote this post — I found myself chased outside into breezy 52 degree weather to satiate my urge to write a week’s worth of posts. I wanted this week to be squared away so that the rest of my week could be devoted more towards self-care and less towards feeling guilty about not scheduling posts while I had the urge and ideas. And while I shivered and typed quickly to keep myself as warm as possible, tucking the blanket tightly around myself, I couldn’t have felt more thankful to have found myself comfortably settled on our old, defunct futon listening to the sounds of birds singing and the creek flowing. I spotted mocking birds and orioles flitting through the tree branches. The orioles may have actually been blue birds, though, but I don’t claim to be a knowledgeable bird watcher.

In addition to be treated to such pleasant sights and sounds, this has been a week of endings and beginnings. The first three days of the week were spent in January’s end, while the last four days are being spent in February’s beginning. Today we look to the groundhog as our weather forecaster, wondering if he’ll see his shadow or not, predicting an early spring or a continued winter. Given the mild conditions we’ve experienced so far in 2012, I doubt we should expect anymore wintry weather in Northwest Georgia. And while I may be disappointed by the lack of solid, sticky snow this winter, I’m still thankful that we’ve enjoyed cooler temperatures than we dealt with in Florida. I’ve had the pleasure of wearing scarves and gloves, cuddling up in fuzzy socks and pajama pants, and sipping warm cups of tea and hot chocolate on chilly nights. I may not exactly be cold-tolerant physically, I’m mentally enjoying this weather.

I also happen to know that the end of a chapter is fast approaching, as is a new chapter — a new beginning. It may not have happened on scheduled, but we’ll be moving soon enough. The odds of our financial situation clearing up for us to mark our calendar for March 1st or April 1st have increased, and I’m cautiously optimistic. Things are looking up, and the groundhog may very well be predicting the end of this winter. Our spring is right around the corner, and I can’t wait to embark upon the new journey.

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#Cultivate2012 February Prompt

Welcome to February 2012! This month is very exciting because we’ve got 29 whole days to work on cultivating ourselves, thanks to 2012 being a leap year. This month I want to take that word — leap — and absolutely leap with it. We’re going to take leaps to cultivate ourselves and our lives, and I’m very excited to share February 29th, 2012 with all of you. Here’s the February Cultivate 2012 prompt:

What leaps can you take this month to cultivate a life worth living? They say it takes baby steps, but let’s vigorously leap at the chance to life our lives to the fullest and make the most of our extra day this year.

This month I’m going to take a leap to finalize my plans for the Cultivate 2012 conference. I’m going to take a leap to invite some stellar people who I think will make this conference shine. I’m going to take a leap to take better care of myself — no more planning baby steps that I forget to take. I’m going to take a leap for myself and my family to finally make our financial situation one that can afford us the luxury of our very own place. I’m going to take a leap for myself and my business by getting the word out there and putting offerings, services, and products out there. I’m going to take a leap with my designs and my writing, and I’m going to wow all of you with dazzling words. My outlook for February calls for blue skies, puffy cumulus clouds, sunny days, and pleasant temperatures. My February calls for throwing up the sash, letting that fresh air breeze in, and further cultivating a life worth living.

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#Cultivate2012 End of January Review

Can you believe we’re already one month into 2012? January has flown by so quickly. It brought with it the fresh slate of a new beginning, the promise of big changes, and lessons in patience. Before beginning February, I thought it would be wise to review January to prepare ourselves for the next month of cultivating our lives. My prompt for you, should you choose to accept it:

What lessons did January 2012 teach you? Did January go as planned?

My January blended frustrations of 2011 with hopes for 2012. My irritation was tempered by reassurance that this chapter is drawing nearer to its end, and I need only to cultivate my patience to endure the last month (or two or three) of this situation. I expected to be purging and packing, but I’ve been searching within and outside of myself instead. While that wasn’t exactly my plan, it followed my intentions to cultivate myself and a life worth living. Searching for — and finding answers — within ourselves and in our surroundings can bring us peace of mind necessary to see the brighter things in life. I missed a few days of writing, but I know the missed days were needed absences to maintain myself.

This month I discovered a couple of similar projects, suffered from a few illnesses, and promoted my own project. I spent a good amount of free time brainstorming a conference, and next month I know I’ll finalize the details. It’s been a very productive and exciting month, and I’m even learning to be thankful for the downs because they make the ups that much sweeter. See you on the other side of the week tomorrow!

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#MondayMeditations Manifestival Style

I’m so glad that Kirsten clued me into her collaborative project with Kathy because it’s been so deliciously perfect to pair with my Cultivate 2012 project. “Weeding and tilling of soil necessary to build from the foundations” — see what I mean? But whereas my project has been an open-ended check in sort of project, they have taken to running a full-on Manifestival over there. So many prompts and questions provoke my thoughts and begin spinning thousands of threads that all tie together. Last year I created another list of 101 goals for 1001 days, and these women have inspired me to sit down with those goals and mold them into a manifesto. Because I took a day to plan ahead and schedule publishings, I’ve got a whole week to be with myself and focus on goals, intentions, self-care, and cultivation. It’s time to take a big leap instead of tip-toeing around my ideas. (Look for the keyword “leap” later this week.)

It would seem I don’t have the space or resources to create a physical manifestation board, so I’m going to finally make us of my Pinterest account to pin together inspiration and motivation. I’ll need to sit down with my planner and my cell phone to schedule bed time, writing time, exercise time, and quiet time. On the days in which I squeeze those actions in, I feel refreshed and peaceful. Bed time is especially important. It may sound silly, but a well-rested body is a more functional body. I’m not ready to sacrifice my body to a sedentary retirement, and I don’t believe a sedentary retire is the dream for me, either. It’s also time to learn to love myself — no more negative self-talk. Look at what I’ve accomplished this month alone: I’ve started the Cultivate 2012 project and have grown a following. Instead of locking away my genius, telling myself it doesn’t exist, I’m embracing it and sharing it with the world. I’m inviting others to embark upon a journey to live our lives to the fullest, to care for ourselves in a loving and nurturing way, and to make time to cultivate those lives we want to live. Instead of living by my saying “some times stupid comes out of my mouth,” I’m choosing to to live by a new saying: “Some times I speak brilliance.” It’s not meant to be egotistical either — it’s meant as a confidence booster. We should all focus on boosting our self-confidence in order to cultivate ourselves and those lives we want to live, and I especially know that a good confidence boost makes life a lot brighter and happier. When I feel good about myself, I smile more. I share more. I love more. And that’s the kind of life I want to live — a life of love, laughter, and happiness.

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#365Altars Chilly Writing Conditions

The mood to write finally struck me. I prepared an extensive list of topics and idea, hungrily anticipating the moment when I’d get to tap my fingers upon the keys, releasing my thoughts and ideas into binary (im)permanence. Slowly but surely the afternoon wore on, and each passing moment made me more aware of the fact that I was the only one who planned on my writing time today. Being in a fairly stubborn mood — and too good of a mood to throw myself across the bed in a defeated slump — I set to work exploring my options outside. Only one electrical outlet afforded me this luxury, but I’m resourceful. An extension cord! Yes, an extension cord would length my tether, providing a comfortable, quiet, and serene location for my laptop to absorb precious energy (the battery no longer functions, and more pressing matters require funds at the moment). Untangling, unwrapping, and stretching out, the cord reached with room to spare. Gloves, a scarf, a blanket, and some shoes made the 52 degree weather bearable. Water bottle, laptop, and gear in tow, I found the defunct futon in dry, squishy, comfortable shape. The wind brushes through my hair and against my face, carrying the songs of birds chirping happily above the flowing creek. If only the sun were on this side of the house right now. I shiver slightly, but I stay diligent with my gloved fingers, typing and expressing myself in a creative manner similar to the days before I had an audience outside of myself. A strong breeze roars through the tree tops before finally making it’s way through the woods and in between the fibers of my blanket. Can I really manage through several more posts? Yes, yes I can. I’m determined. I’m ambition. I’m filled with the promise of a week with 3 days of ending and 4 days of beginning. It’s a magical sort of week when ends fuse with beginnings. Cautiously, I remove my right glove to better access my touch pad. It’s cold, but I must mouse over to other fields if I’d like to see my words enter cyber-space.

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#ThankfulThursday Another List

Let’s chase away the crummy mood with a list of things to be grateful for!

  • A simmering pot of ground turkey chili, bubbling away in all its beauty
  • A day off — meaning time to make a fresh hot batch of cornbread to accompany said chili
  • Making peace with the rainy weather and calling it a pajama day
  • A page filled with pink-inked ideas for a conference close to home
  • Warm tea to soothe tight, inflamed airways
  • The knowledge that I do not, in fact, need to hurry up about dinner — it’s my day off!

Even when a bad day comes to call, a nice little list always helps brighten my perspective.

 

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#MondayMeditations Cultivating Yourself While Sick

I’ve been suffering from my first infection of 2012 for the past six days. Working outside the home makes it fairly difficult to get the proper rest and self-care that I need, but overall I’ve made it a point to drink as much fluids (preferably warm) to flush my system. While at home, I’ve made sure to sit down and rest when I can — of course, having children makes that a bit difficult, as well. However, I’ve done incredibly well. I discovered that I love gingerbread spice tea (and unless I get a paid for endorsing the brand, I leave it to my readers to figure out the brand name). Yesterday I took a wee bit of my energy to clean up the bath tub and treat myself to a relaxing soak. Some times when I’m sick, a good soak in a tub filled with warm water calms me down and sucks out the illness. It may only provide temporary relief, but it certainly is nice to just relax in the water.

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#365Altars

Upon the physical manifestation of my altar sits a pair of candles, flickering away with the scent of apples and cinnamon, filling the air with their sweet scent. Hints of lemon steeped through my herbal infusion tickle my taste buds, or what little remain after scorching them in hopes of that first sip of freshly brewed tea. Weak, I ponder the concept of soaking. Energy must be summoned to clean the tub, making it acceptable for a good, relaxing bath. I contemplate the ingredients to dump in the running water — salt, tea tree oil, scented soaps — to soothe my condition. I don’t like being congested, and I don’t like the sound of my scratchy, wheezy voice. Above all else, I hate feeling weak and tired, dizzy and faint. A pot of freshly made soup could help, but today I’ve relinquished dinner duties to a man who’s sole purpose for the day seems to be making me smile. A small smile spreads across my face as I realize he’s been most successful in his attempts. Who am I to complain if someone else wishes to wash the laundry? Busy work, that’s what it is. It’s busy work that prevents me from sitting here, being creative, attempting to show instead of telling. Attempting to bring forth that which is typically stifled in a sea of to-do’s and requests. I stare up at the candles, wondering if I’m up to the task of wiping down that tub. After a deep breath, I go forth to soak — to let my mind wander and daydream about healthier days.

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