The Community

I wrote a blog post last week about my life feeling as though it were the movie Groundhog Day . Every day has been feeling somewhat similar to the last and I've been desperately wanting a vacation or escape of some kind. I feel like a change of scenery would do me really good, as most of January I was sick and in bed and now every time I go into my bedroom, my first instinct is to walk right back out the door. Since I'm moving into a new apartment soon I don't have the time to go away right now, but I do have the time and space to switch up my routine and introduce something new into the everyday feel of things. When my life feels repetitive and habitual, I remind myself that I'm in control of my schedule and what and whom I'll engage my time with. If things feel a little boring, then I can easily take a mini "escape" within the parameters of my work schedule. Sometimes doing something new every single day, whether that be meeting a new friend for lunch, going out with coworkers for happy hour, seeing a movie with a family member, reading a good book at night instead of watching TV, taking a walk outdoors, going for a drive to a new town for a different type of cuisine, or taking a new gym class can make the ordinary feel less stagnant. Every day this week I will challenge myself to do something new. Today, I plan on getting back to the gym since I'm (finally!) feeling healthy again and afterward I will try a new Greek restaurant in town. Tomorrow I have plans with some girls from work to get pizza, and the following day I will go for a run outdoors. Friday I have a bowling date with a new friend and this weekend I will be getting things ready in my new apartment - painting, cleaning and reorganizing! Incorporating new things into your schedule doesn't only have to be monetary, it can be going to a new park or venue to be outside, taking up a new hobby or practice, trying an online course, researching side hustles for extra income, or simply bringing in a new type of mindset into your every day world. (Which this Weekly Awareness is obviously all about!) So for this week, how does doing something new every day help you see yourself and your world with new eyes? By challenging yourself to do something new and different every single day, do you find life is more interesting and engaging? Does experimenting with new things make your older ways of being seem outdated? Comment below with some ideas to upgrade your routine and let me know how this new weekly challenge is working for you!

I wrote a post on Instagram yesterday about scrolling through Instagram to see images of Australia burning and protests in Iran and how it made my heart heavy to see such things. For the first time in a long time, I felt so sad and angry for our world. It took me awhile to process these emotions - I'm still battling with waking up in the middle of the night and thinking about the state of our world, how things can seem pretty scary at times. I always think of things in a positive light and allow myself the time to breathe in the discomfort while waiting for a fresher perspective to take form. When looking at tragedies and crises, we are forced to shift our perspective off of ourselves and our own lives and look for ways to help others. When the narrative of our everyday existence isn't so much about "me, me, me" we can move through life in a more thoughtful and altruistic way, noticing how our own thoughts, actions and relationships with others affect the world around us. How can you choose to live every day this week in the service of others or something else? This can be something as simple as being more patient with the over-talkative or nosy co-worker; offering advice to someone who you think could use some insight; lending a land to a family member or friend who could use assistance; volunteering at a local nonprofit; or simply seeking out ways to feel of use or importance to something outside of yourself. So far for me, I donated to a charity that is helping to fight the Australian bushfires and I'm thinking of planning my own fundraiser, possibly with a friend, to help raise money to donate toward Australia as well. Sometimes when you focus on what you can do right now to help something or someone, the problems or issues of your everyday life don't seem as burdensome anymore. What can you do this week to help shift your own narrative? What types of services and volunteer work do you take part in that make you feel connected to something more? This week's challenge: How does shifting the narrative off of your own life and onto someone or something else help you to see things from a different perspective?

This week's challenge for a more conscious awareness is: How does creating a gratitude practice for both the morning and evening change the way you look at things? Try choosing one thing you're thankful for and write five reasons why you're thankful for it. Do this before your day begins and at the end of your day.You'll be shifting from a scarcity mindset into an abundant mindset. Here's my list: Thank you for my growing passion and connection to writing - how its instilled within me dedication, creativity and a perception founded in inspiration. I love writing because it starts and ends my day with magic. It centers and grounds me, making me feel at peace. I love that writing helps me understand myself, others and life better. I'm grateful for the journey it takes me on and how it offers me the opportunity to create another world for myself and others. I trust and love that my writing can be my full-time job. I can earn a living from my gifts and craft. I'm grateful for the community its built me, the dreams that grow from it and the life I've created with daily writing practices. Do you ever focus on one thing to be grateful for and list the reasons why it makes you happy? What are you grateful for and why? Comment below and let me know! 🖤