Something Better is Up Ahead in 2021! 30 Days of Letting Go: Day 22

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For the last day of our 31 Days of Letting Go I want to share with you an article I thought was really cool.  It’s about creating Earth Altars.  Click here to be taken to the post.

I love this article! 

It resonated with me because it aligns with Marie Kondo’s philosophy about our homes being sacred spaces and honoring them.  I love that!  Although the article on Earth Altars talks about making your garden a sacred space, I think this can apply to all of our spaces—home, work, and community areas.

You might think that honoring a community space sounds weird and nearly impossible to do.  Not so!  Following the lead of Andy Goldsworthy, a world-renown Land/Environmental Artist, he uses found objects in nature to create art.  The art is not intended to be permanent—he often uses icicles or creates mounds of sea rocks near the tide line.  He makes art for the enjoyment of passersby.

As we let go of stuff in our homes and other spaces, let’s challenge ourselves to make something that’s a token of how we honor the spaces we are in.  It doesn’t have to be a beautiful creation like the ones shown in the Earth Altars article or like what Andy Goldsworthy creates.  It can be simple things such as a small pot of Gerbera Daisies in your kitchen, hanging a photo or a piece of your artwork in your living room, having a scented candle on your bedside table, or a small seasonal decoration on your desk at work. 

The really neat thing about Earth Altars, Land/Environmental Art, and tokens of honoring our spaces, they are fun to create and very satisfying to view every day.  Such a great way to celebrate ourselves and the marvelous work we’ve done this month!

Yay you!  You done good, Kid!!

Please to share these posts with your loved ones and friends.  Thank you!

Something Better is Up Ahead!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

 

Something Better is Up Ahead in 2021! 30 Days of Letting Go: Day 21

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Looks like I won’t make 30 Days of Letting Go before January is over.

For today I’m letting go of perfectionism and holding myself to goals that turn out to be unreasonable.

January is a very busy month for people in the accounting and finance industry.  At the beginning of the month I thought setting the goal of 31 days of blogging about letting go was a reasonable goal.  Turns out it was not.  Instead, I will actually achieve 22 days of blogging about letting go.  Of course I would have liked to have met my original goal, however, I know I did the best I could and my best for this January is 22 days of blogging.

Next month should be better.  At least that’s my hope and my goal.  Stay tuned to find out.

How did it go for you with your letting go?  We still have one more day.  Join me in doing the best we can in letting go tomorrow.

Something Better is Up Ahead!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

Something Better is Up Ahead in 2021! 30 Days of Letting Go: Day 20

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Some quotes to help you as you let go:

There’s an important difference between giving up and letting go.
Jessica Hatchigan

 

 You can only lose what you cling to.

Buddha

 

Suffering is not holding you. You are holding suffering. When you become good at the art of letting sufferings go, then you’ll come to realize how unnecessary it was for you to drag those burdens around with you. You’ll see that no one else other than you was responsible. The truth is that existence wants your life to become a festival.
Osho

Sometimes it takes a heartbreak to shake us awake and help us see we are worth so much more than we’re settling for.
Mandy Hale

Today expect something good to happen to you no matter what occurred yesterday. Realize the past no longer holds you captive. It can only continue to hurt you if you hold on to it. Let the past go. A simply abundant world awaits.
Sarah Ban Breathnach

Let go of certainty. The opposite isn’t uncertainty. It’s openness, curiosity and a willingness to embrace paradox, rather than choose up sides. The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, but never stop trying to learn and grow.
Tony Schwartz

Pain will leave you when you let go.
Jeremy Aldana

Something Better is Up Ahead!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

Something Better is Up Ahead in 2021! 30 Days of Letting Go: Day 19

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It’s important to practice good self-care during this process of letting go.  Giving away items, clearing out unhelpful thoughts from our minds, and changing habits and routines releases pent-up emotions that need to be cleared from our systems.

Here are things you can do to help yourself during this releasing process:

drink plenty of fluids

            Water, tea, infusions of water with herbs, water with fruit, water with spices

eat nutritious food

            Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, legumes, grains, etc.

eat at regular times

            Keep yourself fueled up!

breathe

            No special techniques needed.  Just pause periodically in your day and take slow full deep breaths then slowly exhale, expelling all the air—especially the stale air at the bottom of your lungs

movement

            Light exercise helps the body systems flush themselves.  No need to do strenuous exercise.  No need to spend hours exercising.  Gentle movements to music you enjoy can  be very restorative. 

sleep

Give yourself the gift of a full night’s sleep

earthing

            Spend time in Nature—even in your own yard.  Observe the birds and animals, enjoy the sky, listen to the sounds of the breeze

sitting in silence

            Whether you call it meditating, prayer, or quiet contemplation, taking short breaks throughout your day to tune inward and listen can be very restorative.

 

These are just a few self-care things you can do.  You may have other practices that aren’t listed here.  Perfectly fine.  If it helps you flush out the old from your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual self, then it’s a good practice. 

Feel free to share in the comments below.  Thank you!

Something Better is Up Ahead!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

 

Something Better is Up Ahead in 2021! 30 Days of Letting Go: Day 18

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It’s been a while since I posted.  I apologize for the delay and hope that you continued on with your letting go. 

We must make space for all the Good Stuff that’s eager to come into our lives!

Here’s what I’ve let go of since I last posted:

~yet another pair of socks—what is it with me and socks this year?! 😉

~cleaned out the bottom shelf in my refrigerator—you know, the one where food gets pushed to the back and you can’t easily see it so you forget about it?  Yeah.  That one.

~shredded a small box of old files

~returned clothing purchases that didn’t fit properly

~returned boots and shoes that were too small

~challenged myself to stop hitting the snooze button in the mornings when my alarm rings.  I was successful on 3 of those days.

 

How about you?  Were you able to continue letting go of items, habit-patterns, and the like these past several days?  I hope so.

Let’s let go so our hands are empty and open to welcome interesting new things into our lives!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

Something Better is Up Ahead in 2021! 30 Days of Letting Go: Day 17

Yesterday we talked about sometimes having to just let go and let the chips fall where they may. 

Today I want to talk about another thing to do when letting go and stepping back.

When you’ve hit a wall and need to let go and take a step back, it’s a good time to throw away some stuff in your life.

Look around your living environment and where you work.  Throw out items you’ve accumulated that are collecting dust.  They represent locked up energy.  Free your energy by releasing these things.

Look at the way you are spending your time:  watching mind-numbing TV, hanging out with people who are negative and judgmental, overloading yourself with too many obligations.  Let go of things that are not helping you—things and people that don’t make you feel energetic and hopeful and rarin’ to get going on your dreams.

Once you do this, you’ll be surprised and very pleased at the results.  You’ll feel lighter as well as more positive and hopeful.  And, regarding the project you’re temporarily stepping back from, you may find new insights that will help you take the next step

Please leave a comment below.  Thank you!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

Something Better is Up Ahead in 2021! 30 Days of Letting Go: Day 16

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Sometimes you have to let go and let the chips fall where they may.

There have been times in my life when I’ve worked very hard on a project.  I’ve made my way through problems and challenges, I’ve pushed through setbacks and obstacles.  After all that, sometimes I’ve found that I[m still struggling.  When I realize this, it’s time for me to consider just letting go and letting the chips fall where it may.

This doesn’t mean I give up or walk away.  Instead it means I pause and take a step back and just observe.  When I’ve done this sometimes things begin to work out on their own and I can see where to step in and help.

Other times when I take a step back and observe, it gives me a slightly different perspective and I might see a different path that was obscured before.    If nothing else pausing, stepping back, and observing gives me a break from the project.  Rest is always a good thing and can be very helpful.

How do you know when to let go and let the chips fall where they may?  When you feel that you’ve hit a wall, when you aren’t making progress, when you feel like you’ve tried everything, when you’re spinning your wheels.  When this happens, let go.

Do you have other techniques that you use when you feel you aren’t making progress?  Please share in the comments below.  Thank you!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

Something Better is Up Ahead in 2021! 30 Days of Letting Go: Day 15

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Let go of making a Big Production out of projects or tasks!

Sometimes I find myself procrastinating on beginning projects or following through to the finish on those projects.  I realize that in my thoughts I’ve made a Big Production out of it—usually because I have set a high standard for how I want the project to look at the end.

It’s time to let go of this Big Production thinking.

Big Production thinking doesn’t help me begin projects and it doesn’t help me finish these projects.  For instance, I don’t have to move the furniture every time I vacuum and I certainly don’t have to use a toothbrush on the grout of the shower stall every time I clean the bathroom!

To get over this Big Production thinking, I pause for a moment to give myself a chance to press the reset button on my thinking.  Then I lob myself a metaphorical softball by choosing something simple I can do on that project—something quick and easy.

Have you found that sometimes you make a Big Production out of tasks and projects?  If so, what techniques do you use to get you going on them?  Please share your thoughts in the comments below.  Thank you!

Also, please share these posts with your friends and loved ones.  Thank you!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

Something Better is Up Ahead in 2021! 30 Days of Letting Go: Day 14

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Let go of overthinking. 

A dear friend of mine sent me an email the other day and I have her permission to share with you an excerpt:

“I came across another really great quote that made me think of your blog and your theme for the month. 

Making a big life change is scary.

But you know what’s even scarier?

Regret.

(from positivelifetips.com)

I think this is really true.  Making a change is scary because of fear of the unknown.  But when I get caught up thinking that, I then challenge myself “Yes, maybe doing xyz will be bad/make things worse/be the wrong choice.  But what if it isn’t/doesn’t?  What if doing xyz makes things so much better?”  And that’s where faith comes in.  Plus remembering that very few choices that you make in life can’t be undone or changed again in the future.”

 

My dear friend is absolutely right—there are very few decisions that are irrevocable.

I’ve made decisions in my life that, at the time, seemed good.  But when they played out, it became obvious that they were not the right choice or they were a flat-out bad choice.

I was frustrated and very disheartened when I realized it, but I managed to live through it.  I figured out tactics, strategies, and actions that changed my direction and got me back on track.

So kick your overthinking to the curb and step out in faith as my dear friend suggests.  You can always tweak things as you go along.

You can do it!

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren

Something Better is Up Ahead in 2021! 30 Days of Letting Go: Day 13

 

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For sure we are living in a tumultuous time but it is NOT the end of the world!!

Let go of the thought that with disasters at every turn, the world is crashing and burning and will soon cease to exist.

NOT TRUE!

Look back in history and you will see that in spite of immense disruptions, the world continued on.  People figured it out and bravely marched on. 

For instance at the height of the plague from 1346 to 1353, it’s estimated that 60% of Europe’s population was annihilated.  This was catastrophic, but it was also the catalyst for Europe’s modernization.  The Black Death destroyed the feudal system, which cleared the way for the merchant system.  This then created the middle class, which is the backbone of all modern economies. 

Additionally, the profound social, economic, cultural, and religious changes led to the emergence of the Renaissance.  The thoughts, ideas, and discoveries made during the Renaissance are some of the building blocks of our modern society and culture.

Humankind managed to slog through The Black Death and they came out strong and energetic on the other side.

If they can do it, we can too! 

We CAN muscle through the pandemic’s disruption and all the civil unrest and we CAN become stronger, more vibrant, and we CAN live our soul-prospering life as a result.

 

Let go of disaster thinking and open your mind to how you can use your immense talents and gifts in new and exciting ways.  Hold onto your hat because soon new doors will burst open for you!

You can do it!  We can do it!

Yes I Can!

 

Your Friend and Pep Pal,

Lauren