Tag: living well

life curation · reading list

Currently Listening To . . .

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With my January book review coming in a few days, it only seemed appropriate that I did a little more research on the author, Tim Ferriss. Somehow, I’d completely forgotten that Tim has had a podcast for YEARS, giving practical advice on how to implement the strategies he outlined in the Four Hour Work Week book.

The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts out there, with hundreds of millions (yes, you read that correctly) downloads. He has interviewed many famous and influential people, and his various time/creativity/productivity hacks give solid strategies for getting things done more efficiently and effectively.

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It’s hard to tell you exactly where to start: I find great information in each podcast. These podcasts are a bit longer (more than 30 minutes in length) so they are great for listening during a long commute or while completing chores. Among the most popular posts is “How to Build a Million-Dollar, One-Person Business – Case Studies From The 4-Hour Work Week” from December 2017. That’s pretty impressive, considering that (at the time of this post) this episode is less than two months old.

I’ll be listening to Tim over the next few weeks as I work on some other projects: I think I’ll find some more great tips throughout the episodes. If you’ve never listened to Tim before, check out the podcast! I think you’ll enjoy it.

life curation · words of wisdom

Powerful Words on Motherhood

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I love hearing the insights of mothers. I think of my own mother, and the words she passed on to me, and the thoughts that she continues to pass to me. I’m happy that she chose to give the best of her to me, and certain lessons she taught me have served me well up to this day. I think most of us underestimate those lessons until we are still and engaging in reflection.

I’ve found that the encouragement I received to go after the things that I desire (her famous words are, “The worst thing they can tell you is ‘No’ “) is the only reason why I’ve gotten as far as I have. I realized that the advice she gave me on interpersonal relationships (letting people “think what they want”, so long as it doesn’t hurt you) and career (get as much benefit out of a job as you can: every job offers more than a paycheck) was truly timeless. She didn’t take big risks with her own life, but she spoke words that allowed me to take bigger risks with my own life. And for that, I’m eternally thankful.

With that in mind, I’d like to share a video that was shared with me almost a year ago. Phylicia Rashad, acclaimed actress, timeless beauty, and mother extraordinaire, discusses what it’s like to have a brand new baby (she already had a 13 year old son at this time) and the lessons she learned from her experiences in motherhood. The whole clip is a treasure, but starting at 4:55, you can see that it was her mother’s words and influence that molded her into a fantastic parent.

I hope that you enjoyed this clip as much as I have! Let me know what you think about it in the comments below!

life curation

The Result of My Toleration Release Experiment

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It’s been several days since I completed my toleration release exercise for 2017. I wrote about it initially in this post, but I also gave an update in this subsequent post. I’m really excited to tell you about the outcome of that experiment.

As a quick recap, I’ll explain the specifics of this exercise. The goal was to release/discard items every day in the month of December, and the number of items I released had to correspond with the date of the month (1 items on December 1st, 2 items on December 2nd, so on, until 31 items on December 31st). At the end of the month, the items released/discarded should total nearly 500 items.

I didn’t release 500 items. I did release 450, and I’m very proud of that.

prawny me uk

She makes it look so easy! (image courtesy of Prawny Me UK)

I could have released more, but I’ll be the first to admit, this was HARD to do! I’m still sifting through a lot of stuff and coming up with more things I should discard, but I can’t come up with more than two or three items a day that I’m perfectly fine with releasing. I can say, unequivocally, trying to reduce my possessions has been a challenge. But I’m glad I tried, and I’m really proud of what I did accomplish.

I’ve resolved to do this again in a couple of months, and I’ll focus on clearing out some of (well, most of) the junk in my attic. I think I’d benefit from doing this at least once a quarter, so I’m sure I’ll have more to say about toleration release throughout the year.

Have any of you taken a stab at releasing tolerations? If so, let me know in the comments below!

life curation

Preparing for 2018: The Advantage of Setting Impossible Goals

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2018 is almost here and I’ve got a final “Preparing for 2018” post for you all. I saved this one for last, not just because it’s my favorite (though it is), but because I truly feel that doing this is key to great goal setting.

Here’s the thing: goals that are easy to attain tend to feel “flat” when accomplished. Realistic goals may be great for boosting confidence but they don’t offer you any inspiration.

That’s why you should always have some impossible goals on your list.

Now, all of your goals shouldn’t be impossible. After all, how long will you continue shooting for those goals if you feel like you can’t reach any of them? Your fire and zeal won’t last long if you feel like you keep failing. You do, however, need some goals that light you up and put some pep in your step.

You can’t let your energy get cold, which is where those impossible goals come in. Impossible goals have FIRE, and FIRE keeps your energy from going cold.

I set an impossible goal in 2016. What made it impossible, you ask? Well, I wasn’t 100% on where it would take me, or even that I was ready for it. All I knew was that I know how I wanted to feel when that goal was accomplished.

My goal was to land in my dream job. I wrote out my goal in April 2016. I had my dream job by August 2016. Now a “job” may not feel impossible for most people, but this is the job I’ve wanted since 2008. It took nearly a decade to get it, but it happened only four months after I did the steps I mentioned in previous Preparing for 2018 posts.

Setting “impossible” goals can work for you. And if you need help in accomplishing your goal, just click on the “Preparing for 2018” tag below, and you’ll see all of the other posts I’ve written that can help you on your journey.

I have more to say about goals in general, but this is it for the Preparing for 2018 series. I hope you all enjoyed it!

 

life curation

Releasing Tolerations: A Follow-Up

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As you all know, I am completing the challenge to get rid of 500 items during the month of December (you can read about it here). For simplicity’s sake, I’m just lumping it under the umbrella of “Releasing Tolerations”.

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(Cartoon depiction of me during this challenge)

So, I’m halfway through the month and I’ve been breezing through this exercise, which tells me three things:

  1. I have (had?) way too many items that were taking up space and not enhancing my life.
  2. This purge was overdue.
  3. My easy release of these space occupiers is proof that I’m ready for the next chapter of my life, and I’m not letting anything hold me back.

According to my count, I’ve gotten rid of roughly 125 items (I’ve done a little more than the daily amounts). I’ll update again at the end of the month, and let you all know how it’s gone.

At this rate, I may repeat the exercise again in January LOL! I already feel “lighter”, more energized, and accomplished. It feels good to know that you’re clearing space for things that will enhance your life and assist you with going to the next level.

This has been fun! Keep your fingers crossed for me as I power through the second half of this challenge!

reading list

Reading List: December’s Book

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I had originally planned to just pick up my October book selection and finish that one, but I believe in following inspiration and I was not inspired to finish up Mae West’s story this month. Now, don’t get me wrong: I love Mae’s story, and I am excited to finish it. But I felt that the last month of the year deserved something . . . different.

Instead, I decided to read something that would set the perfect tone for the upcoming year. So I selected “The Best Year of Your Life” by Debbie Ford. I read it many years ago but I feel that now is a good time to reread it, especially since I intend to make 2018 the best year of my life.

You can thank Debbie for the terms like the “shadow self” and its counterpart, the “light chaser” (many people also use this term interchangeably with “lightworker”). I haven’t read her most famous book, “The Dark Side of the Light Chasers” but who knows: maybe that will be one of the monthly books sometime in 2018.

You can feel free to click on the links or the photo of the book to see what “The Best Year of Your Life” is all about. I’m looking forward to this “refresher”!

life curation

Preparing for 2018: Releasing Tolerations

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Happy Monday, friends! Can you all believe that we are just a few days away from the LAST month of the year?!?! I am in awe of how quickly 2017 has passed. This was a good year, but I’m excited for how awesome 2018 will be!

As part of the Preparing for 2018 series, I want to share a very powerful tool for clearing mental/physical/emotional “space”. This practice can really help make room for all of the good stuff that you want to come into your life.

The practice is, of course, releasing tolerations. This involves removing anything that doesn’t enhance your life or boost your energy. The energy drainers may be physical (living with lots of clutter is a good example), emotional (perhaps some unresolved issues around self-worth) or mental (maybe a colossal to-do list that never seems to shrink). Additionally, this is a way of “clearing the deck” so you have more energy to focus on the things that you enjoy. If you’re curious about learning what tolerations are, check out this post and this one, over at Good Vibe Blog. Jeannette Maw has done an excellent job of explaining tolerations and how they affect your ability to create the life that you want.

To prepare for the upcoming year, I’m going to work on clearing my physical space even more. I have some big plans for the upcoming year and reducing my possessions is one thing that needs to happen in order to best realize at least two of those big goals (I’ll share more about those goals in 2018).

I’ll be doing the 30 day challenge as mentioned by Terri Savelle Foy in the video I’m linking below. Information about the challenge is at the 21:30 mark (start at 19:35 for all of the tips related to releasing tolerations):

Every day in the month of December, I’ll discard an item corresponding with the date of the month (one item on the 1st, two items on the 2nd, 3 on the 3rd, etc.,). I will keep going until I reach December 31st, by which point I would have eliminated nearly 500 items from my life. Some items will be thrown away, while others will be donated to charity or given away to family and friends. In any case, the items will be leaving my space for good.

You can either try this particular challenge, or maybe try one of Jeannette’s recommendations. No matter what you decide to do, eliminating tolerations is a great way to prepare for the upcoming year.

Have you missed the other Preparing for 2018 Posts? Check them all out here:

Preparing for 2018

Preparing for 2018: Before Setting Your Goals …

Preparing for 2018: Commit It In Writing

Preparing for 2018: Listening to Your Intuition

Preparing for 2018: A Resource for Developing Your Vision

Preparing for 2018: Prioritizing Fun