RESET

REST. RESET!

When I first wrote the title of this blog the word REST made it's way onto the page. Yup, I'm sleep deprived. And it's causing me to fall off course and get cranky.

Yesterday was an incredibly off day. I was the grumpiest of the grumps, all my meetings and appointments decided to rearrange itself, and I was feeling pretty hopeless and helpless in the land of mommy hood. So naturally, I started to think negative thoughts about my relationship. I don't know why that's the first place I go in my head, but it is.

Do you want to go on a date? wait... we have a baby

My Happiness Project for the year has been carrying on steadily as we near the end of January. My focus this month has been on getting this project set up, squeezing in more exercise, eating more vegetables, reading more, and staying on top of my habit tracker. So far, so good. I've fallen off a couple of times, but have not given up. I just hit the reset button and keep on moving.

I've decided to focus on my relationship with Darren for the month of February. I'd like to try and be a better partner to him. We've been together for about four years now, and it's the longest relationship I've been in. Now that the "in love" honeymoon period is long gone, and we have a baby and have decided to build our lives together, the work can begin.

I think to start things off, we need some quality time together. In the last year, we've fallen into a comfortable place. And in this comfortable place, most of that spark and intimacy that brought us together have diminished. So a few date nights or date days thrown into the mix might be nice. After having Ralph, I spoke to a lot of my coupled up friends about how they managed to maintain their relationships and marriages after the kids came, and all of them offered up the same piece of advice... date each other; designate a couple of hours once a week, get a babysitter, and just the two of you go out and do something together. Make it a ritual.

I've brought this up to Darren and he seems to agree. Now the problem is finding the time in his already full and busy schedule. And to find something to do that beats curling up in bed and getting a few extra hours of sleep. What are some fun, creative, and low maintenance date ideas that you've found to be successful? Yep, I'm asking you...

2017 Vision Boarding

Yesterday, we had our 4th annual Vision Boarding party at Harlem Yoga Studio. Eighteen of us came armed with magazines and ideas and spent the afternoon cutting, gluing, pasting, and of course snacking!

I've been vision boarding for four years, and each year I notice that my board becomes more and more refined and specific as the years go by. I pick a few things that I really want to focus my energy on, and they become the centerpiece of my board. I've had many people tell me that they keep putting up the things they want on their vision board, but year after year, they just don't get it. So why continue making one each year?

Well, the vision board is just a start. It's a place to gather all of your hopes, desires, and wishes onto something that you can see everyday. My first vision board was a smorgasbord of everything I've ever wanted in my life. From travel to work, romance to health, career to passions; you name it, it was on there. That year, not many things from my board came to life. Then the next year, my board became a little less cluttered. I put a bit more focus on the things I really wanted. And slowly, the journey towards manifestation began. The wheels started turning and the Universe started listening. Then the third year came, and my images and cut outs became even more specific. And surely, it all started to come true. One by one, my passions and dreams and goals started showing up. Some of the things from my first and second year started showing up too. But this is still just a start.

We must first create and visualize what we want. Then comes the work. Now our thoughts, words, intentions, and actions must sync up with what it is we are asking for. It's not so much that we have to control how our future must unfold, but we must be ready and open to receive them when the time is right. And that's sometimes the hardest part. To ask for something, then let it go.

So now, I've asked for it. My 2017 vision board is up on my wall alongside all the boards from before. And now, I let go. I'm ready and open to receive whatever the Universe has in store for me this year. Happy 2017 everyone!

THE HAPPINESS PROJECT 2017

So I'm four days late into this new project of mine, and usually I would've just given up on it because I didn't start exactly at the time I wanted to start, so it wasn't "perfect." But now, who cares, starting is starting. So here's to STARTING.

Towards the end of 2016, as I was gearing up to close out the year and begin a new one, I started re-reading 'The Happiness Project' by Gretchen Rubin. It has always been a book that resonated with me, but I never actually committed to finishing a happiness project of my own. So I thought why not do it in 2017?

2016 brought me some pretty incredible events and milestones! At the top of that list is my son Ralph. I spent this past year being pregnant and setting myself up to be a new mommy, and I'm so happy I gave myself the space and time to do so, because being a mom is not an easy task. In addition to having my son, my work as a yoga teacher was also flourishing, as were my personal relationships with people I love. But despite all of these blessings, I still sometimes had the tendency to brood and complain. And most of all, I noticed that my perfectionism was holding me back, It stopped me from taking chances and pushing myself. So I decided I wanted to do something about it. And here we are.

This year, I plan on dedicating each month to a bunch of new resolutions and work on building up my base level of happiness month by month, just as Rubin did. I will not let myself give up, even when  ESPECIALLY when it's not perfect. I'm not unhappy, and this project isn't just about being happier. This project is about being present in my happiness, savoring each moment of happiness, and being mindful as I steep in this happiness. I want to soak myself in the bliss as it is happening, rather than scroll through the pictures later. I want to have more faith, go to the edge more, be nicer, be kinder, take chances, fall down, and put myself out there. And I want to be present in my life, fully and actively engaged in this incredible journey.

Happy 2017 everyone! Thank You in advance for this amazing year!