We Only Die Once

A wonderful reminder to live every day!

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Where Is Insecurity Costing You The Most?

Greetings all!

In my recent yoga practice, the teacher spoke of the insecurities we all carry. We might not be aware of them, but the fear of being not good enough might have an invisible but a very real impact on our lives. Our health, finances, happiness/wellbeing, career/work, and relationships might be suffering because we think we are not good enough.

Take this free 5-minute assessment to see if insecurity has no real impact, is somewhat limiting your life, or if you are in the danger zone.  

The test consists of 16 questions similar to these:

• If you are an employee, how fulfilled are you in your current work situation?
• Do you have any ongoing health issues?
• Would you describe yourself as an attractive person?
• How would you describe your relationship with money?
• How well are you treated by friends and family?
• To what degree have you settled for less than you really desire?
• Are you making genuine progress towards your most important life goals?

Take the test here: https://www.onlineassessmenttool.com/where-is-insecurity-costing-you-the-most/assessment-105133

What did you think? Drop me a line!

Seven Emotional Clutter Blocks

Greetings all!

Do you have trouble getting rid of the things you do not need or use? Understanding your emotional relationship with stuff might be the first step to decluttering! 

Image from https://blog.wickerparadise.com/post/44225749416/im-not-a-shopaholic-im-helping-the-economy-keep

Tracy McCubbin, a professional decluttering expert, suggests "to organize for what you're keeping, not what you have currently." According to her, there are seven emotional clutter blocks that prevent people from getting rid of stuff:

1) My stuff keeps me stuck in the past

Do you have an item of clothing in your closet that will probably never fit again?

2) My stuff tells me who I am

Is what you buy an important part of your self-identity?

3) Avoiding my stuff

Do you let your bills pile up unopened?

4) My fantasy stuff for my fantasy life

Have you bought equipment for a new sport or a hobby only to realize it is not how you want to spend your free time at all? Have you gotten rid of it?

5) I am not worth my good stuff

Do you have any fancy china that you use only for special occasions or do not use at all?

6) Trapped with other people’s stuff

Do you feel an obligation to keep the things people gave you (inheritance, gifts, etc.)?

7) The stuff I keep paying for

Have you ever bought an expensive item that you do not use but feel guilty getting rid of? In my opinion, the item might not even be expensive but because you worked hard for the money you spent on it, you might have trouble getting rid of it.

MY NOTE #1: Do not buy things you do not need just because they are on sale or currently trending!

MY NOTE #2: Be prudent about buying several of the same. But to tell you the truth, I am on the fence about this one, especially shoes! Comfortable cute shoes spark joy, no? Hmm :)

Read the full article by Krista Torres here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristatorres/tracy-mccubbin-declutter

What did you think? Drop me a line!

Ground Yourself [Yoga Practice]

When you are about to step into a situation where you’ll feel anxious – like giving a presentation at work or having a tough conversation with your partner – you can literally shake off some of that negative energy.

Try this technique, which you can even do in public. Bring your palms together and rub them vigorously for two or three deep breaths; connecting the two sides of your body and making you feel more balanced. Next, shake your hands off as if you’ve just washed them and don’t have a towel to dry them with.

This simple practice is yoga’s best-kept secret to recalibrate the mind-body connection and instantly feel more grounded.

~ Jessica Lin (as read in the November-2019 issue of Real Simple magazine)

Live Now - Today Is the Right Day!

Image from https://pixabay.com/illustrations/now-clock-time-mindfulness-moment-2662796/

Greetings all!

A friend recently shared advice by Boucar Diouf that really resonated with me. How often do we postpone things to “later” and “then”? But “later” might never come, and “then” is not guaranteed. Live your life now! Today is the right day!

This is what Boucar says (http://www.1000advices.com/guru/life_now-not-later_bd.html):

“The day just dawned and ... it is already six in the evening. The week barely arrived on Monday and it's Friday.
... and the month has passed.
... and the year is almost over.
... and 40, 50 or 60 years of our lives have passed.
... and we realize that we have lost our parents and friends.
And we realize that it is too late to come back. So ... Let's try to make the most of the time we have left. Do not hesitate to look for classes that we like. Let's add colors to our gray. Let's smile for small things in life that are balm for our hearts.
And after all, let's continue to enjoy the peace of this time that has remained for us. Let's try to eliminate "then" ...
I'll do it later ...
I will say then ...
I'll think about it later ...
We leave everything for later, as if "after" was ours.
Because we do not understand that:
then - the coffee is cold ...
then - the priorities change ...
then - the year is over ...
then - health ends ...
then - children grow up ...
then - parents get old ...
then - promises are forgotten ...
then - the day becomes night ...
then - life ends ...
And then it's often too late ...
So ... do not leave anything for later, because we can lose if we wait for later
best moments,
best experience,
best friends,
the best family ...
Today is the right day ... This moment is now ...
We are no longer in the age when we can afford to postpone what needs to be done right away.”

What did you think? Drop me a line!

Every Thought Is Not Valuable [Quote of the Week]

Self awareness is noticing the rhythm of your thoughts, feeling when they are clear and when they are out of harmony, knowing when to take them seriously and when to not attach to them and let them flow away. Every thought is not valuable, most are just the sounds reactions make.

                                  ~Yung Pueblo (https://twitter.com/yungpueblo?lang=en)

My favorite part is that most of our thoughts are the sounds of our reactions. I think it is true! We have so many thoughts each day, but many of them are just noise, so we have to learn to let them go, let them flow away!

Ha Long Bay [Visiting Vietnam]

Greetings all!

One of the most beautiful places I have ever visited was Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, which Lonely Planet describes as “emerald waters and islands.” This popular destination is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can enjoy a leisurely cruise, go kayaking, or visit caves – and whatever you do there, the beauty around you takes your breath away. 

Ha Long means “descending dragon” - according to legends, after the dragons saved the country from hostile invaders, giant emeralds scattered along the bay. Believed to be the dragons' teeth, they created a barrier against future invasions. After many centuries of peace, these emerald barriers became the many beautiful islands that we can enjoy today.

Watch this short National Geographic video to get a glimpse of the spectacular scenery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpOWgms2uto.

Image from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ha_Long_Bay_in_2019.jpg

Image from 

https://www.visithalongbay.com/insight-guides/the-legend-of-halong-bay.html

Image from 

https://www.visithalongbay.com/insight-guides/the-legend-of-halong-bay.html

Image from 

https://pixabay.com/photos/vietnam-halong-halong-bay-sea-1614725/

SOURCES:

• https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/how-to-visit-halong-bay
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%E1%BA%A1_Long_Bay
• https://www.visithalongbay.com/insight-guides/the-legend-of-halong-bay.html

What did you think? Drop me a line!