Focusing on road blocks and feeling stuck vs. trying new things and seeing doors begin to open.
Which scenario works best for you?
It’s easy to fall back into what we are used to doing, stories we are used to telling ourselves and others about our lives, and being afraid or worst, feeling like giving up and becoming apathetic.
I invite you to get out your journal and write down everything you want in your life.
Read this list every morning and at bedtime. Continue to add to it as you feel inspired to do so. Everything good you already have in your life, put a check next to it and say a silent thank you.
Move as much as you can and try out different experiences every day.
I love the name of this new platform of mine: Courageously Go!™
It is active and it certainly suggests movement. One message I want to share with all of you and I don’t mind repeating it is this:
No matter our age or circumstances, we can always switch things up and make positive changes in our lives. We never need to feel stuck!
All we really have to do is make a move. Any move will do.
I love this definition of confidence: To take a thought and turn it into action.
Perhaps living a courageous life is less about being brave and more about just deciding to move and start doing things (rather than talking about doing them).
Why do we get ourselves stuck and end up not doing anything even when we know we need a change?
The reasons are many. A few are:
1. We are creatures of habit. Change is scary and even when we are not happy at least what we are used to is a form of comfort in a way (strange as that sounds).
2. Perfectionism and the fear of making the wrong decision. Paralysis Analysis is real and can be a huge road block for many.
3. Negative self-talk. We tell ourselves why we can’t do something or why now is not the right time…
Ways to get moving NOW:
1. Decide to take action. Even baby steps. Don’t worry about an action being a “right” or “wrong” move. Just move.
2. Challenge yourself everyday to do one thing that is not part of your regular routine. This does not need to be time consuming. Go to a different Starbucks location, say hi to someone you don’t know, read an article about a topic you don’t usually engage with…
3. Stop worrying about perfectionism and failing. The only way you fail is by not doing anything. When we move and take action, we grow and feel more confident in our abilities. Our life outlook becomes more positive. We regain a zest for life and become more energized. If a decision and consequent action does not reap the best result – just do something else. The main thing is to keep moving.
The streets of Montmartre with the Sacre Coeur in the background
Last August (eight months ago), it hit me. I had to go to France– Paris in particular. Why France was calling me, I had no idea. I love good wine, the French language, and have great memories of my brief visit there in the summer of 1986 as a young college student. My husband John and I had other priorities (or so I thought). We have been talking for a long time about visiting my childhood home, Hawaii or Italy where John has relatives he has never met.
But when the City of Light beckons… what do you do? You go! On y va- tout de suite.
It took many months of planning but John and I got there. We just got home yesterday. It was quite a journey of seeing the sights (and eating and drinking wonderful wine) of Paris, the Loire Valley, Burgundy, and the Alps.
Before flying home we had one last night in Paris. We stayed in Montmartre, the neighborhood I remember staying in when I was last in Paris at age 19. We arrived late due to the rail strike happening (we were traveling back to Paris from Chamonix). We only had time to have a quick dinner and stroll the streets just long enough for me to take a snapshot of the famous Moulin Rouge before going to bed.
We were too exhausted and it was too late for us to get up into the part of Montmartre that I remember- where the painters set up and the grand cathedral of the Sacre Coeur Basilica stood on top of the hill looking over all of Paris.
We had an afternoon flight out the next day. I woke early and set out to do a power walk. I had one hour and I was determined to get up to see the Sacre Coeur before it was time to head out for the airport. John’s knees were not up for all of the uphill trekking so I was on my own.
I meandered up cobble stoned streets with cafes and saw no sight of my destination. After asking a few locals, I found it.
The sight took my breath away. I took many photos of the cathedral itself and the sweeping city views. Then I stepped inside.
Just as I sat down on one of the benches, I closed my eyes and the most beautiful singing started. I had no clue that a service was even about to begin. The singing was a combination of the nuns and children singing a most delightful French song. I wish I knew the name of it. All I know is that I felt as though I was listening to angels sing. A huge image of Jesus was in front of me and inside the confines of this beautiful old church I knew why I had come to Paris.
The spirit and love of God, life, and tears of joy welled up inside of this tired traveler. The stress of the prior day and any tensions or worry I felt immediately melted away. I listened. I prayed. I gave thanks.
Although I am home now and acclimating to my regular day to day life including work and household chores… the angels’ beautiful voices from the top of that Parisian hill and God’s love continue to fill me with light.
Thank you, Paris, City of Light. Je t’aime.
To learn more about the spirituality and prayers at the Sacre Coeur, I recommend their website.
Here is what they call the Sanctuary Prayer:
Lord,
you who wanted to remain present in our midst
by your Holy Eucharist,
mystery of Your Love,
we unite with all those
who come to worship Him,
in spirit and in truth.
Praying day or night,
we want to offer our presence to Your presence.
Give us to listen to you in silence,
you who want to reveal yourself
to the heart of our heart.
Give us to surrender ourselves to you:
let our hearts rise with
praise and supplication, with
the offering of our life in trust.
May your Sacred Heart, the
source of all mercy,
establish our hearts in inner peace and joy,
strengthen our faith,
renew our love,
and sustain our hope.
If you intended to visit The Warm Milk Journal and you ended up here, I welcome you to Courageously Go!
In many ways, this platform is simply an extension of the WMJ. Life is not static. We all grow and move in other directions. The Warm Milk Journal for the last eight years has been a place where I found my voice, healing, a new career, confidence, a better night sleep, and many new friends from all around the world. Now, I am more excited about focusing on courage, confidence, and living a joyful life (instead of the focus being on sleep,insomnia, and anxiety).
Like many creative types, I have lot’s of ideas and theoretically, I could juggle many different blogs. I could choose to keep the WMJ going with a focus on getting a good night sleep. I also have aspirations to write about wine, food, and travel. I would love to have a blog devoted to prayer and spirituality. I have also contemplated creating a platform centered all around playful living. The list goes on, really. I am a writer and my brain is a fountain of ideas.
Alas, there are only so many hours in one day and I need to just choose one platform to work from. As much as The Warm Milk Journal has been “my baby”, I am at least for now going to express myself on this new platform, Courageously Go! To learn more about this new project, I invite you to read the about home page. I will however, keep the WMJ domain in case I ever wish to re-open it as a separate platform.
I know that here you will still find a similar style and voice since I am the same person as the Debra you read on The Warm Milk Journal. What can you expect?
