Month: March 2022

Decide First: How to Adopt New Habits and Develop a Positive Attitude
“Trust your instincts, and make judgements on what your heart tells you. The heart will not betray you.” ― David Gemmell

Quora Question: How can you change your habits and thought process that control your daily life and wellbeing?

I think when you finally get tired of the drama that’s in your life and you make the decision to change, even if it is just one small thing, that is when life itself will change for you. Change begins with the decision to change. It could be as simple as wanting to drink more water and less sodas or alcohol.  One small change can shift the trajectory of your path.

Pay attention to things that cause an irritation in you.  Ask yourself, “what’s in my control?”  If there is something you can do to reduce or eliminate the irritation, then do it. Change begins the moment you decide you want to change.

Let me give you an example:

A couple of years ago, I used to be big on scrolling through Facebook and other social sites, but I started noticing how I would feel once I got off. It wasn’t leaving me with positive feelings. I asked myself, “what’s in my control?”  That’s when I realized I could choose to do something else with my time like read books rather than scroll social media sites.  I could go for a walk or write in my journal when I felt the urge to grab for my phone. When I pondered what else I could do with time I usually allotted for scrolling social media, that is when I saw other activities that were more in alignment with achieving my desired goals.

So here are a few suggestions I would like to offer anyone looking to change their habits and thought process:
1. Pay attention to your emotions and your feelings. They are like signals from your soul that let you know if you are heading in the right direction or indicators that you might want to make a U-turn.
2. Make the decision to make one small change. It is that one small change that can and will change the trajectory of your path.
3. Trust the process and watch it unfold. Learn to become friends with your body, mind, and spirit. I call them the “Three Chairmen”. Once I learned to listen and pay attention to what was coming up from within, I know get a better sense of when I am on the right path or when I need to pivot.
4. Stay open to possibilities. There will be things that you will pick up on your mental radar that you may have never noticed before. It is like your brain goes to work looking for opportunities to help you achieve your desired goals.
5. Keep a journal. Record your progress. As we grow and change, you can always look back through your journal entries to see how far you have come. By paying attention, simple change in your habits, behaviors and thoughts are more recognizable.
6. Find an accountability partner. Connect with others and share your insight with others. Help to hold each other accountable for your goals.
7. Have grace with yourself. We didn’t develop these habits and thought processes in just one day and that means we can’t change them in just one day either.
The truth is that we are always changing whether we realize it or not. By paying attention and recording our process, we can see the process and watch it unfold.

Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/decision-making

Thank you for taking time out to read this post. I would love to learn more about who you are and what you do. Feel free to connect with me through a Meetup group.
1. Confident Strides Women’s Empowerment Network https://bit.ly/CSWENMeetup
2. Confident Strides Personal Development Network Group https://bit.ly/CSPDNMeetup
3. Confident Strides Women’s Professional Network https://bit.ly/CSWPNMeetup
4. Confident Strides Entrepreneurs Network https://bit.ly/CSENMeetup
To connect with me: https:///confidentstrides
March 25, 2022
How Being Mindful of Our Actions Has a Powerful Affect Others
“Looking at beauty in the world, is the first step of purifying the mind.” ― Amit Ray

For the past few weeks there have been signs that spring is right around the corner. Watching the flower stems produce the buds is exciting because it signifies the end of winter, and this is great news for me here in Ohio.

I noticed two flowers had bloomed along the wood line, so I know they were not planted there. On a couple of occasions, I would walk over to the patch and take pictures of what I would call “the natural beauties.” I event captured them on video as they were tossed around by the crisp morning air. I never had a desire to pick them, but as a child I would have.

This morning, as I ran by the flower patch, the flowers were gone. Someone had picked them and the first thought I had was how rude and selfish of them to do such a thing. I was a little disappointed in not seeing the flowers. I felt that whoever picked them was only thinking of themselves and not considering how picking those flowers would affect someone else.

What a different world it would be if we all truly took a moment to think about how our actions might affect someone else!

This made me stop and think about some of my recent actions and how they may have affected others.  It’s in these very moments like this that make me really take notice of what I do. I have come to learn that if some type of emotion is triggered with in me by someone else’s actions, there is something that I can learn from.

I realized I can be impulsive and inconsiderate of other people’s feelings, and I don’t always stop and consider the ramifications of my actions, but with self-awareness comes new insight and new behaviors. Life is always offering us an opportunity to learn and grow even if someone cuts the flowers.

Taking a moment before we speak, or act can make a huge difference in all our relationships whether it is with ourselves, with others or with the world.

What I learned from this morning’s walk is this:
- Don’t be so hard on others.
- Don’t be so hard on myself too.
We are all doing the best with what we know at our own level of consciousness. Awareness is key!

Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/mindfulness

Thank you for taking time out to read this post. I would love to learn more about who you are and what you do. Feel free to connect with me through a Meetup group.
1. Confident Strides Women’s Empowerment Network https://bit.ly/CSWENMeetup
2. Confident Strides Personal Development Network Group https://bit.ly/CSPDNMeetup
3. Confident Strides Women’s Professional Network https://bit.ly/CSWPNMeetup
4. Confident Strides Entrepreneurs Network https://bit.ly/CSENMeetup
To connect with me: https:///confidentstrides
March 18, 2022
The World is Waiting: How to Build Self Confidence to Be Seen
“You can keep as quiet as you like, but one of these days somebody is going to find you.” ― Haruki Murakami

Quora Question: What are you hiding from the world?

I am a planner person. I love the washi tape and stickers and all that crafty, creativity stuff!  I used to run an Esty shop and sell my items at craft shows, so when I sit down to work on my planner, I usually have it all laid out on the living room floor. Recently, when I had all my crafting stuff out to update my planner and my husband was upstairs, I could hear him getting ready to come downstairs and my first reaction was to gather up all my things.  As I started to, the first thought that popped in my head was “stop hiding.”

Ask yourself… what are you hiding from the world?

I can’t speak for others, but as a child of an alcoholic parent and a young girl who grew up in an area where there weren’t many others who looked like me, you try not to bring attention to yourself. It wasn’t until a few years ago, that I realized my opinions and feelings mattered.  I didn’t learn anything about self-care until I was in my forties.  That’s a long time to stay in a hiding place.

As I continue to come out of my hiding space, I am learning more about who I am and what I want, and I encourage you to come out of your hiding place too!

Our “wounds have wisdom” as Oprah Winfrey often says.  What I am learning along this journey is our experiences can be lessons for us and blessing for others. Here are some practices that have helped me thus far:
1. Meditation. I sign up for the free meditation programs that Deepak Chopra offers. You can also search YouTube for guided meditation practices if this of interest to you. I like the guided meditations in the beginning because they helped me stay focused.
2. Reading. Anything you are interested in learning is available in a book, an eBook, or an audiobook. Reading helped me to realize, I am not alone. Many of the personal struggles we are dealing with, have been encountered by others who chose to share how they overcame and can be a source of inspiration for you.
3. Walking or Exercise. Getting up and moving is a great way to shift your energy. I say it helps to get the “gunk” out of our system. It’s like taking your car our on the highway and opening it up.
4. Join a group. There are several great groups that you can connect with in-person as well and virtually.
5. Journal. I started journaling years ago, but I never stayed consistent. What I found that can help is keeping the journal in my sights. If I see it, I am reminded to pick it up and write.
6. Blog. Share your story with others. You may hold the key to unlocking someone else’s breakthrough.
7. Have Grace with Yourself. Your life is a marathon not a sprint. Take time to sit and get to know who you are. You are worth it!
Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/hiding

Thank you for taking time out to read this post. I would love to learn more about who you are and what you do. Feel free to connect with me through a Meetup group.
1. Confident Strides Women’s Empowerment Network https://bit.ly/CSWENMeetup
2. Confident Strides Personal Development Network Group https://bit.ly/CSPDNMeetup
3. Confident Strides Women’s Professional Network https://bit.ly/CSWPNMeetup
4. Confident Strides Entrepreneurs Network https://bit.ly/CSENMeetup
To connect with me: https:///confidentstrides
March 4, 2022