Author: nicole

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Keep on keepin’ on

Today I woke up on time, then promptly fell asleep.

I strive to wiggle out of bed around 4:45, but this morning’s rain gave me permission to push that back. Since I couldn’t run as I intended, I slept instead.

Despite the extra sleep and snuggling with my boo, I was still sleepy throughout the day. I blame the rain and subsequent clouds. I perked up later on when the sun won out.

Allyson Felix

Reminding myself of yesterday’s victories, I scheduled and scored some today by eating a frog early and then making my way through some easier, yet still dreaded, tasks.

I also planned my approach to an ongoing project so I can stop making excuses and gain momentum. There are still a couple of things left to do before calling it a day, but I can claim today’s W already.

What are you doing today to ensure tomorrow’s success?

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Difficult, possible

Today I had plans and stuck with them. This isn’t always the case.

Some days I jump right to work with no plan, and other days I have a plan but never commit to it.

These are bad ideas, and  yet human nature, decision fatigue, and/or any other number of life events sometimes make it difficult for me to use the tools that work best.

Difficult, but by no means impossible. It’s time to stop letting difficult win.

Every now and again I remind myself of some of the most productive years of my life, the early 2000s when I taught elementary school. I was relentless with my planning and execution, my organization and classroom management. Things ran like clockwork, and the momentum was enough to keep me going to the next round. Working this way was not a chore. It was fun. In 2013, I wrote about this noting:

I’ve long since left the classroom, but I’ve found that, to the degree I prepare the night before (cleaning, planning, organizing materials, etc.), I can expect a high-energy, productive day. One wonders why I don’t do this all the time. I’m writing this post as a reminder to do just that.

Here I am again, writing this as a reminder to myself… Take a few minutes, plan ahead, and commit to one small victory each day.

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On parks and land and coded language

North Georgia is beautiful. I say this grudgingly, as someone who counts Florida’s beaches, glorious dawns and scenic sunsets among my favorite things to experience. Born and raised a Georgia Peach, I know Georgia’s winters are short, summers long, springs fragrant, and falls gorgeous. It’s beautiful here.

IMG_8360I also know Georgia was a slave state, and the legacy of slavery is unmistakeable in these here hills.

Today’s trip to a nearby park was a good reminder of that.

While exploring the area for places to write and think, I noticed a plaque. Memorials are always fascinating documents to examine, and even more so in light of actual history and the language used to disguise it.

The plaque mentions a “beloved plantation” and notes “cotton was grown,” but there’s no mention of people being involved in any way. Certainly no mention of slavery or anything unpleasant as southerners are wont to say. Nope, just cows, cotton, and trees.

Some could argue that the purposeful use of passive voice helps the community heal and come together. Kumbaya and all that. Others could say it obscures the truth for no good damn reason.

Guess what I’d say?

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Food for thought

The Japanese word for mission (shimei) means to “use one’s life.” For what purpose do we use our lives? For what purpose have we been born in this world, sent for from the universe? ~Daisaku Ikeda

Some people spend years seeking, but never really finding, their mission. Others seem born understanding their place in the world. I believe each life, no matter how many breaths allotted on this this plane, is here to accomplish something. Perhaps  some are more fortunate than others in being able to discern (and even work to fulfill) their mission early in life.

When you can’t perceive your mission, you may feel your life is meaningless. But this is false. Reflecting on the events and the nature of your life can provide a window.

Even when, or especially when, your overwhelming experience is pain, you can find a way to use the events of your life to create more peace – for you and for those around you.

This is I think is the key from the statement above. It says “For what purpose do we use our lives?” This implies choice and effort rather than a passive anointing.

You needn’t await permission or a special phone call. You can look at your current circumstances and ask yourself, what can I do where I am, as I am? How can I create value here and now? Your answer may evolve over time, and based on your capabilities. It can be as simple as creating a more hopeful environment at work, or as complex as finding ways to eliminate lupus.

The point is to use your life in a contributive way. In so doing, you can better discern what you can do best; how you can help best.

For what purpose do you use your life today? How will you develop yourself to do even more tomorrow?

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Good morning, blue bird

This morning Blue and I hit the greenway for a run date. Today’s plan was 4 miles or 40 minutes, whichever came second.

At the two-mile turn around, we were greeted with a surprise: an indigo bunting! These cute birds usually hang out farther up the trail. In fact, I can’t recall ever seeing one on this stretch. There he was, bouncing and flying alongside, making us laugh.

No videos or pictures today; we only have the memories of the moment.

It was a cheerful start to a long day.

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The People Could Fly

IMG_8324On a recent visit to the public library, The People Could Fly jumped off the shelf and into my hands. I knew the author, Virginia Hamilton, and the title was familiar, but one I’d not yet read.

It demanded to come home with me.

It did.

Today I cracked it open and was struck. The pictures and storytelling moved me. So much so I could see it – as dance. I could see the brilliant bodies of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater making these pictures. And flying.

Revelations is my favorite thing. This would give it a run for the money.

I’m currently adapting a children’s book into a play. But if I were born with different talents, I would adapt this for dance. If you have this talent, I invite you to interpret this piece for the world. It’s Black people dancing pain. Then dancing magic, freedom. Flying away.

IMG_8325This work moves me because I’m interested in helping adults tap into their imagination. I believe many problems in society are due to lack of imagination. Too many don’t believe in the possibilities of change. They think the way things are is the way they’ve always been, and subsequently, have to be.

But if you are imaginative, you know better.

We need more art in the world that forces people to reckon with possibility.

Did you create art today?

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Get ‘er done!

Dig deep. Get ‘er done!

Sometimes the day just slips away. Or the hours of the day more specifically. Today was one of those days.

I can’t exactly say I was productive – at least if we’re only considering deliverables or output. Simply put, I don’t have products to show for my time.  But I do have mental space cleared and three project plans in the works.

Moreover, I updated my goal list, transforming it to include bigger, yet more concrete goals. I even changed the name, now calling it a Victory List.

We’re nearly halfway done with 2016. It’s time to get it cracking! How are you doing on your 2016 goals? What will you do to make them reality?

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#TempleBuilding with Lady Buddha and @PhYINomenal

Today I had a great conversation with my girl, Sojo of PhYINonmenal.com. She wanted to pick my brain about all things #templebuilding. We discussed everything from how I define it, to how it might look through the decades.

Templebuilding includes a family of practices all geared toward the edification of the mind/body/spirit. There’s no one way to do any of these practices, so I don’t approach it as a singular pathway or approach.

Screen Shot 2016-05-10 at 10.19.33 PMWe talked for nearly an hour and a half. Near the end, she asked me to offer encouragement for newbies.

A key first step for anyone ready to take a more intentional approach to their overall wellness is self-reflection. Ask: what is one small thing you can do each day to develop yourself? What practice will help you honor and polish the divine in you? Jot, draw, or think through things you’ve tried and loved in the past:

Create your own #DailyDivinty. A couple of things you can commit to for a short amount of time every day – and commitment is the word! It’s going to be important to you. And you know based on your own inner wisdom what it is that will help push you forward. …

Whatever it is you know you have to do {read a holy book, watch the sunrise, journal, etc), incorporate that on purpose and everything else starts to come naturally.

Go to PhYINomenal.com to find the chat and explore more ways to practice self care in your daily life.

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A quick diversion

Goddess of Snaps
Goddess of Snaps

I’m on Snapchat.

I rejected it sight unseen for ages, but recently I set up an account.  Surprise, surprise, I like it! There are no think pieces or debates on my feed. It’s just silly and interesting updates from a variety of people. Some I know personally, and most I don’t.

IMG_8286In the Land of Snaps, filters reign supreme, and that’s my favorite part. In a world of violence and anger and negativity, grown people voluntarily “wear” silly headpieces and special effects while laughing and telling stories in 10 second bursts.

There are more than enough serious moments. It’s nice to have (make) a quick diversion from time to time.

Here’s to not taking yourself too seriously.

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Be present to win

It’s important to take time to listen to your intuition – your inner wisdom or “inner ding” as Louise Hay would say.

There are many ways to perceive that inner voice, and meditation is one tool in my arsenal.

Although I’m a practicing Buddhist, my tradition does not involve meditation. When I feel it’s time to be still and listen, I pull out an old CD – Jack Kornfield’s Meditation for Beginners. I enjoy his combination of teaching, encouragement and guided practice.

A few statements always stand out. One is:

Love in the past is simply memory, and love in the future is fantasy. To be really alive, love, or any other experience, must take place in the present.

He puts it more simply with the familiar admonition:

 Must be present to win.

Meditation teaches me to experience a moment as it is and as it happens. I can discover the truth of a moment, or access divine wisdom to the degree I am tuned in.

If I’m purposely distracted or mindlessly engaged in an activity, I’m not truly plugged into the encounter. As such, I can’t witness it properly. I can’t, then, place it in the proper context. I can’t hear my own voice telling me to keep going, screaming at me to stop, or nudging me to make a small change.

It’s been over two years since I’ve practiced the art of inner listening. This week I’ve refreshed my connection to the silence. It’s time to be more present. It’s time to win.