#7daysforme Challenge Day 2

I just completed my 5 minute meditation for Day 2 of my #7daysforme Challenge :).

5 minutes may feel like nothing at first thought, as though there’s no benefit that can be had from just 5 minutes. However, I believe that any amount of focused, quiet time listening for your answers can benefit you. 5 minutes is a good place to start.

So our task today was to focus on our word for the year for just 5 minutes of quiet reflection. Since my word is Courage, I spent my time with that word. Out of my reflection, I received beautiful insight. The phrase that kept coming to mind throughout the time was “I have the Courage to be the vision I see of myself.”

In reflecting on this, I believe I know what it means for me. It means that I want to have the Courage to move *into* the visions I see of myself living the life I want to live, doing things I’ve wanted to do, and having the impact on others that I want to have. It’s me believing that the vision of myself that I see is me seeing the future, not just me seeing something intangible and improbable. The reason why Courage is so important here is because it’s so easy to become afraid when I begin to think of all the steps towards the vision of myself that I see. It’s easy to let the nagging naysayer in my mind chide in and say things like 'oh that’s too much to do and will never work anyway. It’s just going to take too much energy to even try.'

And I'm done with letting the naysayer win. I’m done with letting it throw molasses in my path and slow me down with doubt and indecisiveness.

It’s my time to step fully into myself even more.

With Courage, I will.

:).

And how about you? What has your meditation brought you by way of insight?

#7daysforme Challenge Day 1

Day 1 in my #7daysforme Challenge starts today and it begins with choosing my word for 2016!

So I've thought a lot about my word for this year and I've finally settled upon COURAGE (to be a Catalyst). I chose this word and this phrase because when I look back on my life, the one thing that has always held me back from the biggest blessings is fear. Fear to try something and not have it go the way I want it to. That may sound strange and unbelieveable coming from me, but it is 100% true! So this year, I'm going to place COURAGE where there is fear :-). 

What's your word?

Heading into the New Year

And so we are a few hours away from the New Year and I’m sitting down to write you all. I’ve been trying to write this newsletter for 3 days now :-). However everytime I sat down to write, no ‘right’ words would come out. Every beginning felt contrived, not the right thing to say, lacking of soething. And since I’m a believer in divine timing and wisdom, I decided to let the shoulds go and just write what comes through when it comes through. And now, I’m sitting in my favorite spot, in a lull of the day and the time feels right. So be forewarned, this is a bit stream of conscious and I’m just going for it :-).  

I think it’s because it’s ‘this’ time of year. Our minds are tuned to the frequency of reflection, shedding, and renewal. We are winded down with the expectant energy of a new start, ready to jump forward into the newness, the rebirth, the doover of a new year.

I always am excited about this time. Particularly the feeling that I get to doover what I didn’t get to do exactly how I wanted to this year. What I mean is that I get to try again. Everybody wants a rockin’ year. Everybody wants to look back on it and say, man, I really rocked it out this year. I blazed through all of my goals. I was the me I wanted to be and I embraced happiness 99% of the time. I am 100% rockstar!

But the truth is that often times, we may make it to only 85% rockstar, maybe 75%, sometimes barely 30%. And all I’m saying is that it’s ok, because you know what, a new year gives you a new chance (actually a bunch of new chances) to do it over again – to get just a little bit closer to rockstar status :-).

New Tradition

I want to encourage you to take on a new tradition this new year. You may have already heard of this and if so, I hope you are doing it. If not, go for it, this is a great time to start. For the next 365, create a memories jar. Every time something awesome happens, big or small, write it out on a small piece of paper and drop it in your memories jar. You can get fancy and buy a cute little tin from the dollar store or you can go straight utilitarian and rinse out an old glass food jar for your memory keeper. I suggest keeping it somewhere that you can easily see, 1. to remind yourself to keep up the habit and 2. To remind yourself that good things happen :-).

#7daysforme Challenge 

So remember in last week’s newsletter, I said that I wanted to invite you all to do a very easy, very impactful ritual/challenge with me to set off our new year right? Well over the next 7 days I will be posting my challenge over on Instagram and sending you a quick daily email reminder about it. Don’t worry, I won’t make a habit of sending you daily emails :-D .I just really want our new year to start with a good burst of rah rah energy. And intentional focus is a good way to do that ;-).

Simply, we’ll be answer 1 question a day to help us reflect on what we want for this new year. I encourage you to share your answers on Instagram with a picture and the tag #7daysforme or leave a comment here. Participating makes the mental work that much more powerful ;-). You can find me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/leahrpatterson. Look out for my posts :)!

Best blessings lovely people!

Short and Sweet

Today’s message is going to be short and sweet :). I’m sitting here with my warm cup of tea, relaxing on my way too big but super comfy new couch (that I finally bought after almost a YEAR without one!), writing my weekly newsletter to a tribe of lovely beings that really want to receive what I have to give. My Christmas tree is all lit up to the side of me and my doggies are happily playing in the next room. I just finished a beautiful, empowering Tarot Reading for a dear soul and delivered it in a new (for me), more impactful and authentic format.

I love my new couch :D. 

And I feel good, really good. It’s in moments like this that I remember when I wished my life looked like this and I am thankful. I remember having so much less and striving for so much. I remember being painfully unhappy and unsatisfied and unclear about why. I remember wondering how things could get any better. And then, in moments like this, I look up and I realize better has come :-).

The lesson here is that better does come, if we let it. And if we recognize it and soak up the goodness of it, it can’t help but continue to flow. It’s just the way it is, lucky for us ;-).

Happy Holidays!

And if you celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas!

 

What I learned from news of Choco Knight's Passing

Today's post is a lot somber. You all may or may not have heard of John "Choco" Knight's passing.  If you are not sure who he is, you can Google him to see what a huge impact he has had on the salsa community. 

I remember him from the days when I was very active in the professional salsa circuit. I considered him a good dude - always happy to see people. Always supportive of other innovators in the salsa community. But more so than anything else - always on the grind. 

That's actually what I remember most about Choco. He seemed to always be moving and shaking - hustling. He had that drive to keep doing the next thing and yes to keep making money hand over fist. (Which is not a bad thing ladies - I'm learning every day that money can not be a dirty word!)

What I learned though from the way that Choco's passing came to me was that it's ok to slow down and that it's ok to choose self sometimes. 

Let me explain. 

Last night, I was feeling pretty guilty about not attending a local event. It started REALLY LATE, lol.  My intent was to catch some rest and then head out to it to support another local DJ and party promoter. But as life can be, the whole rest thing didn't work out AND I sustained a football player level injury hours before thanks to my beautiful niece and her frantic attempt to run away from a scary monster at a haunted house. (Ok, it wasn't that bad but she had me bear hugging her which resulted in me landing flat on my back and her landing on top of me - OW!)

So needless to say, I wasn't really feeling going out. BUT I felt this major sense of obligation and this major dead weight of guilt about being so selfish and un-supportive. "I mean gosh Leah - you are just a little sore, it's not like you broke something. You are just a little tired. Drink some coffee lazy girl. Man, how do you ever expect people to support you if you don't support them. Dang Leah, you are your own problem. Ugh, I'm so done with you."

Anybody else have a track like that running through their mind? 

Luckily I have some good friends that encouraged me to chill, ice my back, and be easy on myself. But you know those voices don't let up easy. They like to cause a little thing called insomnia. They can really mess with that whole rest thing. I know I'm not the only one ;-). 

So I was still negotiating with not feeling bad about choosing myself last night when I woke up this morning. 

And then here comes news of Choco's passing. And after the shock, the first thing I thought was - man Choco was always hustling. I wonder how many times he chose himself. 

What I mean is this. How many times did Choco feel tired, sick, just plain not up to it - but went to the event anyway to support. How may times might he have wanted to take a weekend off - but instead worked through it because "you know, you gotta always be on the grind no matter what."  

My point is this. You have to choose you sometimes and I'm even going to step out on a limb here and say all of the time. We all know what they say about trying to give when your tank is on empty. And trying to give from a place of guilt is just not ever going to work out long term. It's just the smart thing to do to listen to yourself above all other voices. Pushing yourself for the sake of anything outside of yourself (save someone's life or death) is a dangerous gamble to play, especially long term. Mentally it drains, emotionally it depletes, and physically it dials back your years with us.  

A beautiful person told me "Leah there are always going to be people that judge and hate you. And there are always going to be people that appreciate and love you. You can't worry about and tally up either. You have to operate from your own sense of completeness and what's right and wrong for YOU alone." 

So ladies, if you are finding yourself feeling guilt and practicing self-loathing because you just can't keep up with those demands that are coming from outside of you - resolve to choose YOU from today on. Make a pact with yourself that you are going to listen to your inner wisdom, that you are going to respect that intuitive, guiding voice in your head that says I'm just too dang tired, and you are going to preserve YOU so that YOU are here as long as you can be. And further that pact with affirming that you are NOT going to feel guilty and that instead you are going to feel THANKFUL for the opportunity to pour a little bit more into your own cup. 

I really don't know what caused Choco's passing. I don't want you to think that I do. But I do know that the Universe sent me my message loud and clear through Choco's passing. I'm making the pact too :). And I am grateful. 

Sunday Rejuvenation

What is your favorite way to rejuvenate? Mine is with a warm cup of tea and This time of year, my patio is the most perfect place to be to drink it :).

Remember my dearest friends, if you don't renew yourself, you'll have nothing to give. It's really that important ;-).

If you missed your refresh this Sunday, promise yourself one for next Sunday!

xo,

Leah