Taking A Personal Sabbatical

During November and December, the holidays are beginning to roll around, and in this subtle moment, life becomes a little slower and more meaningful. The world starts to feel the joy of the holiday spirit as you realize spending time with the ones you love is essential. Although society capitalizes on marketing the commercialization of Christmas, this holiday season is about joy, love, and peace on Earth. 

I took a road trip to visit my family recently, which was the best thing I decided to do. I knew after relocating, staying with a friend temporarily, and establishing a new career path, a mental reset was vital for me. I was determined to get some rest, let go of the past six months, and relish a new beginning. However, I knew taking a personal sabbatical was the motivation I needed to move forward. 

The holiday season is the perfect time to reset and incorporate a sabbatical in your life. A sabbatical is a period of rest or time away. It is beneficial to reflect on the past moments in the year and begin to prepare for the year ahead. I encourage you to opt out of the busyness and tap into rest and enjoyment for the holiday season.

Here are a couple ways to start your holiday sabbatical:

1. Take a month away from social media in November or December.
2. Keep track of your sleep schedule (with a sleep app such as Calm or Samsung Health)
3. Make a list your favorite Christmas movies to watch or get a subscription to Frndly for the Hallmark Channel. (I pay only 6.99 annually to enjoy Hallmark)

Here are a couple of blog post to prepare you for the holiday season:

Embracing A Season of Hygge

The Art of The Pause…..

Generating Gratitude Daily…..

Also if you need a dose of self-care this year get my book, 28 Days of Love: A Self-Love Journey. (Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and whereever you enjoy buying your favorite books).

Three Ways To Revive Your Mind, Body & Soul

How often do you check in with yourself?

Have you been feeling out of alignment?

If so, maybe it is time to revive your mind, body, and soul. Often we let days, months, and years pass before we decide to reconnect with our inner being. And we find ourselves out of alignment after feeling the pangs of overwhelm, stress, or burnout. Life can feel rough, leading to dead ends and taking us off the path we desire to go. However, reconnecting to the spirit within can lead us to a road of fulfillment to get back on track.

In the last five months, my life has felt out of balance. Somewhere between relocating, dealing with unnecessary drama, and settling in a new place has made me feel abnormal. However, last week was the first time I felt like my life was taking a turn in a positive direction. The positive direction was a sign of everything calming down in my life. And I began to realize how reestablishing self-care routines, spending alone time, and creating a schedule for well-being is vital.

When we take a daily inventory of our emotions, we will bring awareness back to ourselves—spending more time reconnecting and disconnecting from things that disrupt us from living a well-balanced life.

Below are three powerful ways you get back in alignment, find fulfullment and honor your soul within.

• Put Yourself First. This new self-care movement has everyone finding ways to fill up their cup, but surface self-care isn’t enough. When you are intentional about asking specific questions to gain clarity, you will find that putting your needs (mental, emotional, spiritual, etc.) first will assist in moving in the direction of alignment.
• Go M.I.A. It is okay to disappear and not feel like you need to be in the midst of everything. When you take the time to regroup, it allows you to see things from a better perspective.
• Slow Down. When our life is disoriented taking time to slow down can guide us back to our place of fulfillment.

If you desire to reconnect with your mind, body & soul check out my free ebook on creating a self-care plan.

The Joy of Solitude….

Long holiday weekends are warrant for spending time in solitude. This weekend was no exception. After spending the last two months suffering from exhaustion all I wanted to do is simply nothing. I can honestly confess I am tired of going hard; doing more to get more to be more.

When I lived overseas I cherished life in slow motion. Since I’ve been back in the U.S. life on autopilot is the norm. I constantly battle with this insane concept. So, I decided for the next 30 days I will spend time replenishing my mind, body and spirit.

I will take intentional time to slow down and be present in the moment. It is refreshing to be still, marinating in life’s precious moments. Below, I made a list of  ways you can replenish yourself.

1. Read your favorite novel.

2. Take a lavender epsom salt bath.

3. Unplug from social media for a day, week, month or year.

4. Take a walk without your phone.

5. Sleep.

6. Meditate.

7. Get creative and color.

8. Go to the beach.

9. Watch a sunrise.

10. Watch a sunset.

11. Go to a bookstore.

12. Staycation; reserve a hotel room in your local town.

13. Binge watch your favorite Amazon Prime show or Netflix episodes.

14. Stay in your house all day.

15. Cook your favorite meal.

16. Listen to your favorite music streaming station.

17. Aromatherapy; buy some aromatherapy candles & burn them in your house.

These are just a few ways you can replenish your mind, body and spirit. I dare you to make your own list and spend a day, week or month in replenishment. How are you going to replenish yourself this summer?

 

 

 

The Cinderella Effect!

She was humble even though she was the underdog she didn’t complain. She dreamed, smiled & stayed sweet through it all. No one knew this handmaiden would become a princess. Her transformation changed everything. As she transformed she inspired women to rise up and reclaim their throne. This was her time to shine !

We all are familiar with the story of Cinderella and the life she had to endure before her happy ending. I believe one time or another we all have felt like Cinderella in our lives. Cinderella was mistreated and abused by people she called her family. However, they were jealous of her and tried to break her spirit. Cinderella stayed humble, kind and loving through all the things she experienced. In the end, Cinderella no longer was a handmaiden  but, she became the queen on the throne. 

I believe Cinderella was able to transform into this elegant princess because deep inside she was always a princess. Many women continue to hide in the shadows because they have believed the lies told to them. They had no clue that the  lies were rooted in envy. They were lies of not being smart enough, pretty enough or good enough to accomplish their heart’s desire. I can relate to Cinderella because all my life I hid behind the mask of insecurity. In my  transformation journey I have learn to rise above criticism, stay humble and wait on my God appointed time to be at the front of the line. When it is your time of reciprocity nothing or no one can stop the blessings  that are due to you!

Below are  five tips on how to create your own Cinderella transformation.

1) Stay Humble. It is hard to stay meek during the times of hardship however, understand your time of testing is also a time of growth. God will bless you if you stay humble; even in the most uncomfortable seasons. 

2) Love Anyway. When you’ve been through things in your life it can be hard to love the people who treated you bad. However, Cinderella loved her stepmother and stepsisters in spite of how they treated her. Love is the answer.

3) Show Mercy. We all deserve a little mercy because we are imperfect people on this journey called life. Mercy allows us to forgive others and help us understand that everyone is at different levels in their life.

4) Be Confident. People may criticize you but do not allow that to stop you from being true to yourself. Sometimes we allow negative words to keep us from being our self. Those who judge, criticize or make you feel bad reveal their own self-hate. Hate produces more hate. 

5) Rise. Every underdog has a time where they are no longer a(n) underdog. They no longer are last in line because they have been ushered to the front. Do not let your  past keep you from reigning the throne. It is time to become the Queen of your life.

 In the end, it is your time and season to claim everything you deserve!