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Monday Thoughts 3/8/2021

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love—then make that day count.”~~Steve Maraboli

“There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.”  ~Gandhi

“Dance. Smile. Giggle. Marvel. TRUST. HOPE. LOVE. WISH. BELIEVE. Most of all, enjoy every moment of the journey, and appreciate where you are at this moment instead of always focusing on how far you have to go.”  ~~Mandy Hale

#11 Enthusiasm is my daily exercise.

I treasure the moments of my New Life.

Statement #11 has not been easy to embrace and practice recently; the global pandemic upended the daily lives of everyone. Life looks and feels quite different from just over a year ago.  Yet in our WFS Program booklet it states, “Much of what we do in life can feel unremarkable — going to work, doing the laundry, shopping for groceries, etc.  These actions take up a great deal of our waking time.  Many of us grumble about these tasks, yet if we choose to be enthusiastic about doing the simplest chores, they can become more gratifying.”

One of the ways that has helped to foster enthusiasm and put action into Statement #11 is by changing my internal dialogue. For example, instead of beginning my day and saying that “I have to _______” (while not feeling any enthusiasm either), I can change it to “I get to ________.” (there it is!)  This subtle shift of one word changes the temperature and tone of internal dialogue.  Now it is all about possibility and anticipation, which can remove potential hesitation or criticism.

Additionally, altering the Statement to fit your current needs is helpful as well.  Maybe enthusiasm feels too much of a stretch, so a phrase like ‘Contentment is my daily exercise’ or even ‘Connection is my daily exercise.’  (current events makes connection that much more critical).  Whichever word speaks to you and encourages appreciation, gratitude and being fully present, embrace it.  Live it.  Be it!

Hugzzz

Karen

Hi 4C Women,

I absolutely love changing my internal dialogue from “I have to” to “I get to.”  Immediately I felt a shift in my attitude.  I also felt a great sense of gratitude that I am able to do the ordinary and explore new adventures or experience unexpected moments of enthusiasm/joy.  Being open to spontaneity was something I had to learn.  I am an organizer which actually gives me a sense of comfort.  However, in being so restrictive, I am sure I missed those fleeting moments of joyfulness in the past.

I still plan/organize, even my vacations, because my one and only vacation is visiting friends and family in PA/NJ.  However, I have relaxed in what I do when making those plans.  I just want to be sure I see the people I am missing so I am learning to be a bit more flexible as to how we spend our time together.

Have you ever woken up with the list of tasks on your nightstand and your first thought was, “Is all this really necessary?  Is fun anywhere on that list?”  Knowing I “get to” do the necessary, is there time for the acceptance of a spontaneous adventure?  With this pandemic, a spontaneous adventure could be just about anything from a thrift shop sale to a drive in the country.  Just a change of scenery can create enthusiasm.

I was reading Life Lessons for Women from the creators of Chicken Soup for the Soul.  One writer talked about the nurturing voice that she had to learn to listen to when her critical voice demanded she do what was expected of her by others and even herself, putting a lot of pressure on herself to be perfect.  Well, there is no perfect person or as the writer said, “Remember Super Woman? She’s not dead – she never existed!”  So, for me the key word in experiencing enthusiasm is “BALANCE.”  Perhaps your list on paper or in your thoughts could contain a couple of things you have been thinking about that sounds like fun, contentment, enthusiasm, joy, different, out of your comfort zone – you choose the word that expresses what might be missing as you learn to practice Statement #11.

If the pandemic is not the cause for delaying an enthusiastic experience, think about what is stopping you and if it is the pandemic, perhaps plan it to happen in the timeframe that fits your life right now.  If it is a simple and doable activity, I encourage you to just go for it.  Be spontaneous or plan it just for a change of pace and see how it feels.

Bonded in learning what inspires our enthusiasm and how to make it happen, Dee

WFS Conference News

June 11 – 13, 2021

Registration will be opening soon!

Registration fees will be on a sliding scale: pay $25 – $50 – $75.

Be sure to be on the lookout for the announcement as the first 400 conference registrations will receive the “I’m Possible” Toolkit!