ecoPharmacist

Monday Mantra

I think I might start a new blog fad for myself…introducing Monday Mantra! I’m feeling that some positive affirmations are needed to get the week going in the right direction. Think positive, be positive, have a positive attitude.

Are you one who dreads a Monday, or loves it?

Monday signals the start of a new week. Monday signals the start of new beginnings, new opportunities, new chances to live. We need to see each day as a reminder of how amazing life is and how lucky we are to be alive facing a new week. You can embrace the many opportunities that each day brings. Each day is a chance to improve your life or the life of another.

Think back on today and determine the good things you did to make your day special and how may you have affected that of another. Do you wish you could or would have done some things differently? Well don’t worry, there is tomorrow and another chance to make the day what you want; To live in the moment and be present. Express gratitude for the day. Be aware of the beauty of nature that surrounds you, and enjoy the sounds that sing to you. The smallest things can make a great day. Those great days make the worst days feel a million miles away. Be you, be happy.

Hope you had a wonderful Monday!

Sunday Thought

I came across this quote from Elizabeth Gilbert, and wanted to share it. Attitude is everything. The choices you make direct that attitude. It affects how we react to the world, and how the world reacts to us. Wake everyday with a positive attitude and even if the day doesn’t go as planned, look and find what was good and hold onto that. Of course in the moment that may not be as easy as it sounds. That is where mindfulness will come into play. I have been trying as much as possible to stop and breathe before reacting. It changes everything. That impulsive reaction can be harmful sometimes. Be in the moment and you can make the moment yours, you can own the moment.

I have spent the morning cleaning, and getting ready for the coming week. The kids have been in the kitchen practicing their recipes for the upcoming cooking contest, and they made a mess! They made a mess of my freshly cleaned kitchen! I had a few ways to react. The impulsive reaction could have been to be upset, to dread that I would have to clean it again. The result of that reaction would not be good. The kids would feel shame. They would get discouraged and not want to try again. They would see me as uptight and no fun. That reaction wold dampen everyone’s mood for the rest of the day, negatively.

Here is where being mindful kicks in. Stop. Take a deep breath (if you have to). My immediate impulse was to practice my golden rule; treat others as I would want to be treated. The instinctive positive reaction…to give praise for their hard work and their dedication to practice their kitchen skills. I let them know that I anxiously await a sample of the quiche and oatmeal pancakes. That reaction was a catalyst for them to be excited, proud, and encouraged. They were aware of the mess they made, but that mess was necessary to get the end result. Foods not good if can’t make a mess, right? They smiled, saw the result of their hard work, offered me samples, acknowledged their messes and offered to help clean the kitchen again. This needs to be the impulsive reaction they see and feel.

Take Action

I spend a lot of time researching, and looking for ways to make changes in life or ways to make life more enjoyable naturally. There are so many aspects of your life that you can look at to determine where things can be improved. The one thing that has become very apparent to me, is that nothing can change until you take action. Change has to start with yourself. I see that there are habits or reactions that are learned through out life. We all learn to adapt to the situations of life. Depending on the environment or the people you have in your life, that reaction or habit will either be good for you, or bad for you. I think this is very true for those who struggle with self esteem issues. Knowing yourself, and loving yourself is key to the decisions you make in life.

“Don’t wait for your feelings to change to take the action. Take the action and your feelings will change.”

~Barbara Baron

To get to know yourself, and take action in making changes in life, you have to start by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness has allowed me to become more aware of my thoughts and reach a sense of inner peace. It’s not always perfect, and somedays are easier than others. As my awareness has increased, so has the peace and joy in my life. The more familiar I have become with the inner workings of my mind, the better I have started to feel. Being mindful of the inner workings of my mind, allow the avenues to my heart and soul to be free. Again, it is a work in process. However, one of the most influential things I am learning to do, is to self regulate.

Self regulation for me has been my stepping stone to mindfulness and meditation. I was introduced to it, not realizing what I was being taught…essentially, mindfulness. I become aware of how my body is reacting to a situation. Those reactions can sometimes be stressful or negative, if the situation is not positive. In essence, the body can get triggered to go into a fight or flight response when it gets stressed. Before I practiced mindfulness, I would stay in that fight or flight state and panic a bit. I now can take a deep breath. Focus on my breathing. Notice how my body is reacting; Is my heart pounding? Am I clinching my jaw? Muscles tense? Once I assess my reaction, I begin releasing those tense reactions. Breathing to slow the heart rate, release clinched muscles, and relax. In that time, you have cleared your mind to give a proper reaction to the situation, a rational reaction. That is self regulation. For many, this is a normal, easy practice. For me, it had to be learned, and I am continually practicing, and I wish I had learned earlier in life!  It has brought more peace and kindness into the home. I know how important the modeling you provide your household is. Teaching peace, is so rewarding, in so many ways!