Spring Has Arrived..

Spring has made it's way back to New England. Not just on the calendar, but in real life! Timing didn't match up this year at all! It was a long and testing winter, filled with LOTS of snow and frigid temperatures for longer than any of us were amused by.

Along with it came trying times to stay positive and see the good. I am the first to admit that it is not always easy to stay in a Connect With Your Life frame of mind....but I do believe there are many advantages in doing so and I continue to make it a priority each day.

A very important component is to be aware of the simple beauty around us. These welcoming Crocus' a couple of weeks ago were my lifeline that Spring was finally making it's way to me. 

Taking the time to slow down and see them was just the gentle reminder I needed. A quiet 5 minute walk around the front yard did just the trick to center my scattered thoughts, recharge my tired mind and resume the glass to half full.

By being connected and taking  a bit of time, we are prepared to face the obstacles and responsibilities that often drain and zap our positive energy. 

So Dear Readers take a few moments each and every day to notice the beauty and Blessings around you. They have been placed before you for encouragement and motivation to take a breath, be in the moment and Connect With Your Life!

Peace,
Maria

    One of my beliefs, ok maybe a handful of my beliefs, but they work in unison: 

Give others the benefit of the doubt

Be gentle with judgement towards others

 Choose your words carefully

 

and here comes the clincher that pulls it all together...

Treat YOURSELF with these same redeeming qualities!

Make The Time.................

There is something I frequently hear when presenting my Connect With Your Life talks,
"I feel guilty taking time for me" and the other obstacle I hear "I have too much to do to fit one more thing in, especially if it's for me". I get that, I was there once too. Now I think hogwash!...You've Got This!

My experience has been taking time to recharge my cell phone is essential if I want it to function properly. See where I'm going with this...It is ALSO essential to recharge ourselves if we want to function properly.

Make heartfelt time for yourself Dear Readers! Feel a flicker of Joy fill your heart while taking time for you and also as you think about creating time again tomorrow. I'm talking start small, even 10 minutes makes a difference ~ a journey starts with a step and gets easier with each one.

Here are a few things I have on my S.O.S list (Something Of Substance)

Talk on the phone with a girlfriend! No work, no stress, no medical complaints allowed. Just some fun lighthearted conversation filled with laughter that recharges us both!

Relax with a journal/ notebook. Write random thoughts, feelings, wishes and 5 things I am thankful for. This winter on the east coast there was a whole lot of wishing for warmer weather and less snow. I let my writing take me to summer " Must Do For Fun" ideas which included planting a veggie garden and going to outdoor concerts!

Play like I did as a little girl. Color ~ Slinky ~ Jacks ~ Pick Up Sticks ~ Paper Dolls. I went to the store a few years ago and bought a bagful of treats from my childhood. Oh and an Etch~A Sketch. Buying these things made me smile, taking them out brings on a smile and just seeing them when I open the closet makes me smile. It is a reminder that I took time to do some whimsical shopping that mattered to me. No guilt there!

Dance! Find a song that makes you want to move and just do it! The silly awkward feeling will pass, endorphins will kick in and you will be on your way to a happy place....if even for just a bit.

So go ahead, make your own S. O. S list and get started. Let what ever is holding you back go...and feel the sweet reward when you take time for YOU!

Peaceful Reserve.......

Greetings! Thanks for stopping by for tips and respite from the hectic and often stressful feelings we all experience on a day to day basis. 

Starting to become mindful of the "pile up" that can cloud and distract you from feeling connected, is a step towards easing, what I call "static in my mind".

In order to Connect With Your Life it is important to take a break and take a breath. 

There is importance/benefits in taking even just a few minutes periodically, to exhale, acknowledge what you greatly value and believe THERE IS a place of calm within you. 

I use a great App on my phone called "Take A Break ~ Guided Mediation". It's free at the App Store. It provides 5-10 minutes of a soothing voice to break the momentum of the hectic sometimes hamster wheel thoughts, while redirecting and creating a calming feeling in just a few minutes, allowing me to get me back on track.

Our goal is to store up a reserve of calm and peace, available to draw from when we need it. I have found this practice of recognizing, resting a moment and then redirecting, works well for me.

Give it a try! Find what works for you and create a peaceful reserve to draw from. It's worth figuring out!

Please also visit my original blog More Than Mom Thoughts for additional inspiration!

Batten the Hatch.......

Yikes! It has been longer than I would have liked since my last post. My world has been tossed a bit, and as a result, my schedule and routine are all askew.

Here's what I would like to share today. When Life comes at you fast and stress is at a level that takes away your breath, know that .....You Will Be OK! 

The importance of staying connected in your life and knowing how to manage your own stress, plays a major role in stabilizing the rapid fire, rushing thoughts, that are all so often crushing.

Put into practice your own relaxing techniques BEFORE the inner storm hits. That way you can put them into action as soon as you need them.

Here is my go to:

Listen to relaxing nature sounds/ instrumental or meditative music to sooth and distract

Close your eyes to block out light and visual distractions

Relax and rotate shoulders to release tension and get blood flowing (helps with brain fog...or is that just me who gets that???)

Focus breath for five: Smell the roses & blow out the candles!  Heard that from a Mom to her upset  daughter, it was so very tender.


Whatever works for you, should be at the ready. Take it from me Dear Readers, I live it  first hand.......you will find peace in the practice as well as peace in the panic.  You've got this!!

Your Time........

"The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made. And the activity of making them changes both the maker and their destination." ~ John Schaar

The creating process to your future begins to unfold as you put into motion the steps to Connect With Your Life! My discovery on this journey has been that there is a strength and momentum that starts to build once you do, and an eagerness takes over.

What will you do today Dear Readers that will strengthen your heart, bring you comfort and ultimately continue to assist you on your journey to Connect With Your Life?

Here's a couple of ideas I enjoy:

 ~ Write a letter to YOU!  One that is encouraging and kind. A letter that offers acceptance at whatever point you are in in your Life. Playful and silly or heartfelt and tender. Taking the peaceful time to create such a letter offers an opportunity to quiet your mind and allow a calmness to wash over you.

~ Magazine time. Clip out words, pictures, anything that captures YOU. Start a collection, add to it whenever you like.... see what it reveals about YOU! I will share more on this activity in a future post. Or check out an upcoming Expression Book class I am giving by going to this link.

So often it's not about exactly what you do, it's the fact that you do SOMETHING heartfelt, something that allows a shutting out of the chaos and an opening of your heart and mind.

Your time is now!

What Makes Your Heart Stir................

"Find the thing that stirs your heart and make room for it. Life is about the development of self to the point of unbridled joy."
~ Joan Chittister

There are so many benefits once you allow yourself to take the journey. Here's how I got started!

1. Acknowledge wanting to Connect With Your Life as a means of discovering what in fact makes your heart stir, what brings you joy!

2. Find your own way to relax.. meditation, yoga, focused breathing, whatever works best for you. With stress at a minimum you are more open to possibilities and discoveries. You are more connected!

3. Make it a priority to explore and discover interest options available to you. You know we can all carve a bit of time each week for something so important. It can be as easy as looking through magazines and online resources like here on wikiHow or how about free writing? (where you capture your aspirations without thinking too much.."spew" writing I like to call it) Allocate time each week and let the "stirring" begin!

Be open to many options, participate in your life and know that this is an evolving journey, and there can be joy all along the way.

Now please excuse me while I go check out a website regarding button collecting!