Being in my mid 40's and looking at myself in the mirror brings with it a lot of ‘gosh you look old.’ Almost every day there is a constant reminder of my age, from another gray hair to my crow’s feet, joint and back pain and the wrinkles on the back of my hands. And then the sagging breasts, the belly, my bottom blending in with my legs and my muscle tone from youth, now a distant memory. Any self-confidence that I thought I had, long gone.
My much younger self, loved to travel, go on adventures and push the boundaries. I lived and breathed youthful optimism with endless possibilities. The whole world ahead of me! Don’t get me wrong, I am blessed by having an amazing education, a successful on paper 20-year corporate career and beautiful children. But, now that I have reached “mid-life” what next?
Everything we’ve been through has prepared us for this next evolution of ourselves.
I started my self-discovery journey by writing down my dreams, the big goals that I previously had for myself and the cherished moments that have given me purpose and meaning. This need and desire to unlock something more within myself, lead to the development of the Live Louder, 30-Day Journal. A simple three step process to reclaim your day and live your most intentional life.
My day now begins with me reaching for the Live Louder, 30-Day Journal from my nightstand. I spend around 5-10 minutes setting a maximum of three clear, actionable intentions for the day. These intentions are aligned to my priorities and core values so that I can make the most of my day. What I discovered by doing this, is that I now don’t sweat the small stuff. I have learnt to delegate the task to others or just let-it-go. My control freak nature struggles at times, but persevering and being resilient in times of weakness has led to a much happier and more fulfilled life, including for those around me.
Another lesson that I have learnt from journaling is to make myself a priority on my own to-do-list, rather than being the first to fall off it. I soon noticed not-so-good behavioural patterns emerging.
I always put everything and everybody else, before my own basic needs.
Saying ‘’Yes’’, much more often than I needed to. I was exhausted. I made everyone else a priority, work, family, parents, friends and even the pets. I had lost myself and my own identity, I struggled with defining, who I was and what I actually needed.
So, this is what I did…
One of my big goals for the month was, I wanted to be able to run 2 miles without stopping. I know for some this is an easy goal, but for me this was a big challenge. I eagerly booked in with a personal trainer 3 days a week to focus on building muscle and strengthening my core. After having children, I never really looked after my body the way that it deserved to be looked after.
My household can be a little chaotic at the best of times. With young children, school and after school activities, work and meals, there is often little time left over in my day. Therefore, for me to be able to attend my exercise classes, I know that I need to book in a week ahead with my partner. I used to feel really guilty about doing this. But now, I have changed my mindset. I now know that by me doing regular exercise and looking after my body and wellness, it benefits everyone.
Before I turn out my night light, I take 5 mins to reflect on my day. Instead of being on auto-pilot and crashing from exhaustion, I take the key learnings from the day to help me grow, learn and improve for tomorrow. Little by little each day at a time, my past dreams have resurfaced with more clarity. I now feel renewed with more purpose and meaning to my life.
The benefits that I have found by writing in a journal
- Reduced stress levels
- I can now manage more complex issues without feeling overwhelmed
- Clearer more meaningful goals
- Improved mindset
- More optimistic about the future
- I am clear on my purpose
- Remain focused on the big things
- I can let-go-of the smaller things (still a work in progress)
- I have a deeper understanding of my mid-life self
- I am accepting of my body and everything that it has achieved so far
To add to my journal writing experience, I also began using positive affirmations. This is where you write a statement or expression of hope and optimism, with the belief in your own internal abilities and strength. For me it was a form of spiritual awakening. To start with, I almost felt silly and maybe even a little superficial, but by taking the time to better understand how these positive affirmations work at a sub-conscious level, has helped me to embrace their energy and overall good vibrations. One of the key factors on positive affirmations is ensuring that they are in fact positive and that they are clear.
Do you love a good affirmation, too?
Start with a ‘I am’ not a ‘I will’ or an ‘I can’.
Here are 10 positive affirmations that have helped me to remain focused on my health and wellness and to live life with more intention and ease.
- I am super excited to exercise right now
- I am strong mentally and physically
- Everybody around me benefits from me being here, right now, on my mat
- I am the best version of myself
- I always reach my health goals
- I am proud of myself for exercising today
- I am fit, happy and healthy
- I achieve anything I set my mind to
- I am amazing
- I love how I feel after a workout
What are the benefits that you have found by writing in a journal?
Do you have a favourite positive affirmation that you would like to share with us?
Let us know, we would love to hear from you. Until next time, we look forward to seeing you in the #OneHIVE.
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