Category: Inspirational

Looking Back to December 2019

Looking back to December 2019, what did you think would happen for you in 2020? I’ll bet it was something pretty monumental, after all not only were we on the cusp of a new year, it was a new decade.

What Do I Know Now?

I realize a lot of the transformations I experienced in 2019 were setting the stage for this incredible opportunity of a pandemic, a worldwide virus that would change everything. Although many people have become ill, even died due to this pandemic. It could be so much worse. I’m so grateful it is not the typical Hollywood end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it catastrophe movie or as devastating as Stephen King’s epic novel, The Stand. Rather, in my life, it is like a stern parent, irritated with our behavior, who has placed us in the corner for a time-out.

What to do With Our Time-Out

The stay-at-home order has stripped away all non-essential activity outside our home base. However, we still have access to our digital world; smart phones, tablets, computers, smart tv, social media. We also can talk to friends and family even while seeing their faces in applications like FaceTime, Facebook Video or Zoom. Perhaps we even visit more now than before.

All these options feed two of our senses, vision and hearing. In contrast, we are feeling deprived of touch, taste, and smell. Do you know how we are feeding these senses? Yes, we are cooking our little hearts out; baking, roasting, sautéing, broiling, and grilling. Sometimes we feed our desire for creativity by pulling items out of the pantry and freezer to pull together a meal. I’m doing these things too, grateful we finally replaced our old gas range the first week in March.

Onto the Next Challenge

This flurry of cooking leads to the next challenge – exercise. Remember earlier when I mentioned my transformations in 2019? Hiring a personal trainer who comes to my home is one of those transformations. Little has changed on that front, except the use of Lysol on equipment and the six-foot distancing rule. I am so grateful for my trainer and our efforts to keep healthy and safe.

My new found yoga practice on Thursday mornings ended almost a month ago. Thankfully, a fellow Dream Creator Mastermind participant is helping me by sharing online gentle yoga like this video from Shelley Nicole. I still have to adjust some positions for my arthritic knees, but it feels so good to participate in yoga again. I’m so grateful for my online social community.

Do You Notice a Theme?

All the changes and challenges of the last months have upped the energy of gratitude in my life. I feel more free, centered, alive, and focused than ever before. Looking back to December 2019, I realize that everything good I expected in my life has come to pass or is in progress. I am grateful for everything and every person in my wonderful life!

If you want to know more about anything I mentioned in this blog, contact me, or better yet, signup for my newsletter, where you will not only receive my blogs, you’ll also know about other opportunities to connect.

Still smiling,

Dawn

Access Hope in an Atmosphere of Fear

This week has most of us reeling in a place of fear and hopelessness. How do I access hope in an atmosphere of fear?

Add Normalcy with Caution

I look for opportunities to continue with activities that bring me peace. If you read my posts, you know I love Bok Tower Gardens. The atmosphere there is quiet, contemplative and serene. This weekend I’ll pack a snack, add my wipes, fill my water bottle and explore the trails.

In the gardens, I’ll engage all my senses to see the beauty of flowers, hear the music of the carillon and birds, catch the sweet scent of yellow jessamine and citrus blooms, feel the hardness of the cardboard cycad and the softness of the Spanish moss. By surrounding myself with the beauty of nature, my sense of calm and hope will be restored.

Find Your Hope

Do you know what brings you a sense of calmness? I invite you to explore connecting with your heart to find the answer.

Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Sit upright in a comfortable position, feet flat on the floor. Place your left hand over your heart, close your eyes and take a slow, calm breath in through your nose. Exhale in the same slow manner through relaxed lips. Repeat three times.

Think about the last time you felt the most serenity.

Add Some Calmness to Your Day

What can you do right now that will bring you a similar sense of calm?

For some it is as simple as taking a warm bath, reading a book, taking a nap, listening to music, stroking the fur of their pet, or sitting outside. What gives you a sense of calmness? How can you do that right now?

I wish you calmness everyday, multiple times this coming week. It’s the most important step you can take to access hope in an atmosphere of fear.

With love,
Dawn

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Enjoying the Gift of Tranquility

Enjoying the gifts of tranquility by living in the moment is sometimes easier than others.

I planned my day thinking about enjoying the gift of tranquility. Formally turning in my volunteer materials at Bok Tower Gardens was my Monday declutter priority.

As I pulled into their parking lot, I thought, “Why not enjoy a nice lunch first, then a walk in the garden before handing over my notebooks and name tag.”

A Place Created for Tranquility

Approaching the visitor center, I stopped to read the Edward W. Bok quote, “Make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it.” I breathed out a calming sigh.

Then I saw evidence that a bus load of active seniors was eminent. My focus changed. Quickly, I walked to the Blue Palmetto Cafe and placed my order. As I made my way toward my favorite table for two by the window,  I saw the volunteer leading the first walking tour along the ‘river of stone’, the participants clearly engaged in a story about Spanish moss. This was my primary volunteer job. I felt both sadness and relief to see someone else performing this service.

My sense of tranquility, looking out onto the pollinator garden, intensified during my meal. Normally, I quickly finished my two-piece sandwich wrap and wolfed down the bag of chips. However, my behavior has slowly changed. Last lunch here, I saved the bag of chips for over a week in my car.

Today, I started feeling full before even finishing the first half of the sandwich. In addition to tranquility, I felt a sense of accomplishment as I walked to the cashier for a takeaway box. For convenience, I returned to my car with my half-wrap and bag of chips. By the time I again reached the cafe area, the active seniors had finished lunch and  gathered for their special walking tour.

My Frame of Mind Had Changed

My feeling during this visit to the gardens was like any other member or guest who enjoyed the beauty and tranquility. I took the path less traveled toward a bird blind, “Window by the Pond”. I hadn’t ventured there during the three years I’ve been a member. Volunteering, I was too busy leading tours.

As I pulled open the heavy door, all my senses heightened. I stopped just inside the entrance, closed my eyes and breathed in the scent of the rough hewn benches and the earth beneath my feet. I heard the bird sounds from the trees above the roof of the blind before gently opening my eyes.

Water spread out before me, the surface reflected the blue sky and puffy white clouds. I slowly walked toward the large glass window and scanned the water’s edge for signs of nature. Next I stepped closer to the edge of the glass. My fingers ran across the words on the smooth surface of the plaque, which dedicated the structure as a place to view the natural Florida residents.

A Shared Moment

When I exited the blind, a male northern cardinal was perched on the back of a bench, transfixed on the squirrels enjoying the birdseed spilled beneath the feeder suspended from a large tree. I stopped in my tracks. Warning a visiting couple just entering the area across from me, I mouthed “Bird” and tilted my head toward the edge of the clearing. They had seen the squirrels, and now saw the bright red cardinal. We stood still,  a moment shared by strangers. Eventually we needed to move on. The couple stepped toward the pond, I moved past the squirrels and the cardinal flew back into the safety of the native wild coffee shrubs.

My Tranquility Continues

I made my way to the wetland, always eager to see the carnivorous pitcher plants. There are at least three different types; one tall and lanky, another short and squat, and finally a yellow hue marked the third.

Wanting to wander a bit more, I let my heart lead me along the mulch trails by the edge of the older garden plantings. There I saw the beginnings of the azalea display. Once again I closed my eyes. A slow, deep inhale and the faint scent of flowers filled me as I stood beneath the filtered shade of 90-yr-old live oak trees.

My uplifted mood continued as I walked back toward my car, my mind at rest. As I opened the door, I remembered to stretch my legs, loosening the muscles. Slowly, I eased onto the driver’s seat. Before turning the key, I took a moment in gratitude.

“Thank you for showing me the wonder of nature and slowing my mind toward enjoying the gift of tranquility,” I whisper.

Continuing my day, I felt the stress of others tone down a notch as they reacted to my calmness.

That’s the best part of enjoying the gift of tranquility, sharing it.

~ Dawn