The following post is one of the first posts on my new site: Graceful Rising (it will be up soon!).
The year 2016 will be my third year doing a "word of the year"
instead of a typical resolution. I did not come up with this awesome
idea, I was first introduced to the concept by Christine Kane (she's a
badass and worth following on your journey). The cool thing about
having a word is that it's more of a guide than a general resolution.
In
2014 my word was "confidence" and in 2015 it was "stability." These
words just came to me as I was doing the exercise, which I will provide a
link to at the bottom of this post. Just to give you an idea, some of
the specifics of working toward stability included physical stability,
mental stability, and financial stability. I journaled frequently (2-3
times per week) about ways I was meeting this goal. Things like
meditating, exercising, tracking spending, and saving money were all
ways I was embodying my word of the year.
If you were thinking
about doing a New Year's Resolution, or two, consider instead doing a
Word of the Year. I guarantee you won't regret it. Just let the word
come to you (you might be amazed at how easily this happens- a perfect
example of tapping into your awareness) and then work toward, and with,
your word for all of 2016.
Let's make 2016 our best year yet.
Christine has a 'Word of the Year Tool' that you can download to figure out your word for 2016. Download the tool here.
The Graceful Art of Falling
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
#WCW Ellen and Happy Thanksgiving!
It's hump day! And that means #WCW. My crush today
is Ms. Ellen Degeneres. I am a big fan of her show and she always
seems to put those around her in a good mood.
Three things I have learned from Ellen:
1) Don't worry too much about what other people think of you. Ellen obviously dances to her own beat- and literally dances. She does what makes her happy. This is a lesson that takes some of us years to learn.
2) Care about others and have compassion. Ellen often has guests on her show that do amazing things for others. She celebrates them and, in turn, reminds us to give it our all in our work and personal lives.
3) Be kind to one another. As you probably know, this is Ellen's sign-off phrase. I have always loved it. In a world that seems less interconnected these days, it's important to be kind to those around us. I try to remember to give a simple smile or hello to anyone I see. You never know how much that may mean to someone.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Three things I have learned from Ellen:
1) Don't worry too much about what other people think of you. Ellen obviously dances to her own beat- and literally dances. She does what makes her happy. This is a lesson that takes some of us years to learn.
2) Care about others and have compassion. Ellen often has guests on her show that do amazing things for others. She celebrates them and, in turn, reminds us to give it our all in our work and personal lives.
3) Be kind to one another. As you probably know, this is Ellen's sign-off phrase. I have always loved it. In a world that seems less interconnected these days, it's important to be kind to those around us. I try to remember to give a simple smile or hello to anyone I see. You never know how much that may mean to someone.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 1, 2015
What I Have Learned From a Two Year Old
Well hello there. I am feeling quite happy today because my dad sent me a bunch of photos of my adorable nephew. He is two and a half and it
amazes me how much I can love a child that isn't mine. Sometimes I think about him randomly throughout my days. I realized the other day how much he is teaching me about my life.
The way he moves through life is a good reminder of how I should behave in my own
(not always literally).
He reminds me to do the following:
1)
Give myself credit for small wins. It's a big deal when he goes "poopy in the potty." We cheer, we clap, and
we even have a song about it. He gets a big smile on his face because he knows he did something great. This reminds me to congratulate myself for
things that might seem small to others. There's no harm in being kind
to yourself.
2) See everything as a learning opportunity. He's at that age where he questions everything. And when you say something- he repeats it. His mind is like a
sponge. This reminds me to be aware of what's going on around me and never stop
learning. There's always more to learn.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Malala #WCW
It's that time of the week again. My #WCW tribute this week is for a young woman by the name of Malala Yousafzai. You may or may not know of her, but she is a truly inspiring young lady.
Three things I learned from Malala:Sunday, October 4, 2015
Good Credit Is Important in Life
Hello again. I have been thinking a lot about debt lately. I,
like many of us, have some debt. I have student loan debt, and I just
bought a house. Sometimes I feel like I will NEVER pay off my student loans. However, I still have a pretty good credit score.
There are a few rules I followed to build a
good credit score.
When I was 18, my parents allowed
me to get a credit card- one card. It was to be used only for emergencies, and I always paid off the balance right away. A few years later I opened a
credit card for more regular use. The following tips allowed me to
build enough credit to buy a house on my own when I was 30.
1) Only use a credit card for things you would already buy. For
instance, I use my card for groceries, gas, co-pays at doctor's
offices, etc. But these are all things I could also buy with a
debit card. In other words, I have the money to pay for these things.
I just use a credit card in order to earn SouthWest points for flights.
2)
Pay off your balance in full every month. I never even look at the
interest rates on my credit cards (I have two), because I pay off the
balance every month.
3) Don't have more than one or
two cards. I open up a new credit card account from time to time to buy
things like a computer or, most recently, a washer and dryer. I do
this because often there are deals like "no interest for 6 months," and I
know I can pay the bill off in that time. Now, I've heard mixed things
about closing a credit card. It supposedly affects your credit score,
but I choose to do it anyway so that I don't have a bunch of cards open
that I am not using (mostly I worry about identity theft). Talk to a
financial advisor or do more research before closing a card.
4)
Pay on all your other debt every month. Don't
let loans go into default. Student loans are easier to negotiate the
payment amount. You can even work out plans for many that are income-based. Make an arrangement to pay
an amount you can afford each month for all of your loans.
If you are looking for more information, there are plenty of online resources, advisors, and books on this topic. We all know how important credit is when buying those large items. If you are just starting out with credit cards these are good tips to follow. If you already have credit card debt, there may be other important tips and hints to get out of debt. Wednesday, September 23, 2015
#WCW J.K. Rowling
It's Wednesday- we're half way through another
week! I would like to honor Woman Crush Wednesday by sharing three
things I have learned from Ms. J.K. Rowling.
I don't think it is any secret that I am a Harry Potter SUPER fan. I started reading the books in junior high; they weren't all published yet and I painfully waited a year for the next book in the series to come out. I love the books and all the wonderful quotes and lessons throughout them. The author of this popular series is just as awesome as the books.
I don't think it is any secret that I am a Harry Potter SUPER fan. I started reading the books in junior high; they weren't all published yet and I painfully waited a year for the next book in the series to come out. I love the books and all the wonderful quotes and lessons throughout them. The author of this popular series is just as awesome as the books.
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Since we keep meeting like this...
Well hello, I hope you're having a good week. Tonight I am going to
tell you a few things about myself you probably don't know. If we're
going to keep meeting like this, it only makes sense for you to know me
better...
1) I am currently working as a Housing and Program Manager/Case Manager at a nonprofit organization.
2) I love to learn new things about health and wellness and hope to pass this information on to others.
3) I just started a Master's program for social work and clinical counseling.
4)
I volunteer for two nonprofits in Albuquerque, one helps persons
experiencing homelessness access healthcare and the other is an
international education program.
5) My favorite season is Fall. Fall in New Mexico is no where near Fall in New England, but I love it just the same.
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