An Update on My Weekend

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit my dear friends who live in Chicago.

Our weekend was full of exploring the city like locals (my favorite way to travel!), lots of laughter, newly formed memories, Golden Doodle fun, and so much good food and wine.  Oh, and some “Dora the Explorer” action with the kiddos (I think Sean and Jake enjoyed that part even more than the kiddos, haha!!).

It’s always so much fun catching up with good friends, isn’t it?

Especially old friends where you can pick right back up where you left off…like no time has passed at all.  I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends.  They are friends for life, indeed. 🙂

If you’re interested in checking out a few pics from our weekend fun, head on over to the “travel” button on my Instagram profile or my Facebook page.

Here’s also a sneak peak of some of our fun with Hamilton (those PAWS!)…

Back at it: New Monday, New Week

As much fun as the weekend was…it’s back at it with another week. 🙂

Mondays can be rough, can’t they? 

Especially following a special fun-filled weekend or following some vacation time off.  Any peace and calm gained from the break can be quickly replaced with stress and anxiety over the demands of every day life. 

Well, I don’t want that…for me or you.  I want this week to be an opportunity for us to welcome in some intentional peace and calm into our days.  Even if it’s in small, little pockets here and there. 

To help you (and me) fight against the hustle and avoid being swept up in the hurried buzz of the work week, I bring you this week’s mantra:   
 

“I am calm.”

I hope this mantra allows you to experience some calm in those “less than calm” moments this week.

This mantra may sound silly to you.  Perhaps you may have even found yourself rolling your eyes with a sarcastic “oh come on, that won’t help” after reading the words above.   

I know, I know.  I felt the same way when I first heard someone advise using this mantra. 

But Friend…I have started putting this into practice (along with some deep breathing exercises)…and man has it helped me! 

So, the next time you feel your blood pressure rising…try repeating this mantra to yourself (as many times as you need to do so to find your way back to a neutral state). 

Perhaps even try it out along with some deep breaths in and out (breathing in “I am calm” on your inhale and letting go of all the negative emotions on your exhale). 

For me, this works wonders when I’m annoyed, angry, or impatient. 

…Like when someone says something to tick me off. 

…Or when I’m in traffic. 

…Or when I’m running errands. 

In fact, one of the motivators for this week’s “I am calm” mantra was a recent grocery run that caused me to lose my cool. Let me be honest. It wasn’t my best moment.

But it was a good learning opportunity. It helped me realize my need for more peace (and less hurry). And it also helped groom me for the next time, so I can choose patience as my response.

To read more about my triggering event in Whole Foods, check out my post where I explain why life in the Slow Lane beats the hustled Express Lane.

So What Now?

Practice, Practice, Practice

To achieve more peace and act less reactively during triggering situations, it requires a lot of practice.

And in case you’re wondering? Yes, you will fail. But that’s okay. When you do, just pick yourself right back up…and try to do better the next time.

One way to practice tapping into peace instead of immediately reacting to our emotional triggers is through the use of mantras.

Mantras help ground us in the present moment and ride out the emotional wave. We are better able to choose how we’d like to respond (i.e., more in line with Christ’s character) once the emotionally charged state has passed.

I encourage you to practice this skill by incorporating the mantra “I am calm.”  

The next time you find yourself triggered… What are you going to say?

That’s right!

Cheers to another purposed week, Friend.  

I encourage you to groom yourself for choosing peace over hustle. Be intentional about seeking out times for silence and solitude today: if even in small pockets here and there.

And in the event you find yourself in a “less than calm” situation?

Do your best to practice patience and ride out the emotional wave by choosing to reinforce: “I am calm.”