Note To Self: 5 Ways to Return To You

Eleanor Roosevelt, Jen Sincero, Sheryl Sandberg, Carrie Fisher, Jennifer Lopez, Mirtha Michelle Castro Marmol and Maya Angelou. These are the women on my wall – today.

I keep a commemorative wall of quotes. Some sticky notes remain indefinitely. While others are replaced with new ones over time. Every morning and night as I brush my teeth these are the thoughts that keep me company. Prayers l recite along with ones of gratitude and patience. Life doesn’t always give us what we want but has a way of showing us what we need to rise to the next phase of the journey.

I choose quotes according to what my soul demands to be fed. It’s easy for me to do. The task becomes simpler as I learn to listen to my mind and body. Both parts give off signals indicating what’s necessary for survival. Unfortunately, we frequently ignore or forget to stop and pay attention to what the voice within whispers to us. I try to stay aware so I can be mindful of the messages being sent.

Women are hard on themselves. We challenge each other by trying to measure our accomplishments against one another. Unfairly creating a load of pressure too heavy to carry on human shoulders even for a woman. It’s easy to feel unfulfilled or unhappy with yourself when the goal you set out to finish is incomplete. Many times taking longer than expected. As your own toughest competitor – YOU will be on the other side of the court telling yourself this is wasted effort.

I won’t tell you reading some quotes or thinking happy thoughts will guarantee great things will happen. The truth is that you must to make a choice every single day to make positive moves. It could mean forcing yourself to change a negative into a positive – unwillingly. One of the hardest things to do!

We all require reinforcement from time to time. A little helper to boost our confidence when dreams or goals are lagging. An aid to help heal the spirit when it’s low on positive energy. Your best bet is to rely on yourself to do this. Trust that you can be your own cheerleader. Although, it’s useful to vent to a loved one or confidant. Depending on someone else to take you out of your rut could enable you or create a co-dependency. You have to believe you are enough. Here are 5 ways to guide you when in need of a lift in preparation for the next round.

1. Gratefulness: acknowledge the gifts life has given you. Be thankful for the blessings big or small. It is one of the best reminders that we are on a path to greatness.

2. Deep Breaths: Do you ever forget to breath? I know when anxiety overwhelms me, I freeze up. My brain goes into overdrive leading my body into a state of frenzy. STOP everything and breathe in and out slowly. Think of the next step. The one thing you will do now to start the unraveling. Remove yourself from the hurdle.

3. Pause, Relax and Laugh! Notice the world around you. Step back even for a minute. Find the funny in anything you can. Surround yourself with those that have an overflow of good energy. Enjoy decompression by taking part in laughter. A movie, song, commercial, book, your child’s silly or bad joke. Anything!!

4. Rest: Get some Z’s. We neglect the importance of a body’s resting period. Sleep is essential to our daily function. We think more clearly when we get the appropriate amount of rest. This will re-energize the brain and help everything run more efficiently.

5. Consider starting a journal: I began writing journals at the age of 14. It helped me get my emotions out. Understandably, not everyone is willing to keep a record of their feelings. It’s one of my top favorite things to do. It does not demand that you write it all down. There are many different ones varying in style. You can try writing one word on a page to reflect how you feel. You can write anything your heart desires! So long as you understand the shorthand or coding is all that matters. This is a reliable way of keeping score of what is happening inside your beautiful mind.

It’s essential to nurture the “Self.” Help promote emotional, intellectual and spiritual well-being. The way our bodies respond to challenge, trauma and adversity depends on how we care for it. So, write a note today. Reminding yourself to be loving, caring, forgiving and patient while she finds her way back to you.

“Protected content. 2018 awakened-woman.com