Ya’ll I was fighting a cold these last few days. I wouldn’t say I was out right sick but I wasn’t fully well for sure. I noticed I didn’t feel like doing my three things. 😟 Just being honest. Well, at least not the things that will move the needle on my arms/upper body (which is why I started the challenge to begin with)… But. Today I feel much better, so hubs & I ventured out to try a new cafe in town. I was thinking about how being able to take time like this with my husband is a true joy if my life (joie de vivre). We’re having Italian coffee & dessert 🍨 together. I’ll get on those three things when I get home. What about you? What things to do you to enjoy life deliberately? And how is your “3 things” challenge going?

Is anyone else feeling kinda…meh? These last few days here in Florida the weather has been really yucky-windy, rainy, chilly. I know, no rain no flowers 🪷🪻🌼, but sometimes days on end of overcast skies get me a little down. We also had company visiting, which was great -BUT/AND- our friend has pancreatic cancer, so there were some heavy feelings mixed with the joy of having time to spend together. I noticed today after he & his family left that I just felt very tired, but not necessarily physically. My normal thought process would be to go down this trail of thought about being discouraged. I noticed all of my feelings & thoughts though, so I decided to make a post & just share a little about how I work through down days, or heavy feelings. First, I acknowledge what I’m feeling. I don’t “should” on myself by telling me I “should” feel some other way- I feel what I feel. Second, I do try to think of a gratitude. For example, even though it’s hard to see my friend & his family going through this medical crisis, I am extremely grateful for time we have been able to spend together. Thinking about that, I realized how much extra time our families have had since his diagnosis, as we have all made a point to get together more frequently. That made me think of how grateful I am for these relationships we’ve all built over the years. He & I met in college, but now our spouses & children are friends too. What a blessing! I still don’t feel as perky or motivated as I usually do, but that’s ok. I’m giving myself grace. Finally I will make a point to do something that I know moves me in the direction I want to go in. Today it’s sharing this post, cleaning some things, and I will do 20 pushups…so even though I’m not feeling my best, I can still get in my three things, practice gratitude & give myself grace.

Happy Easter to those who celebrate! This is a time of renewal & new beginnings, regardless of your faith tradition. Today I give thanks for the promise of eternal life. For a God who is merciful & just-even when it can seem hard to understand the “why” of His timing. I’m also so grateful for this space. This month I’m going to start adding here, adding courses, videos & more content in general. My prayer is for this community to be a place that you intentionally seek, because it gives you hope, encouragement, understanding & support. The more we interact with each other the more we can learn from each other. In a world that is inundated with noise, information, & false content, people are seeking connection, authenticity & hope. My goal is to provide that here & foster an online presence to be a refuge in your day!

Ok friends it’s Good Friday. I’m checking in with my Three Things for today… ~I spent some quiet time (my health & wellness) this morning ~I saw a couple of clients because I love 💕 to be of service (work/vocation) ~I got out in the water with my paddle board again.(wellness/joy) The temptation was there to skip the board- it’s hot & I’m not in the best physical shape for that, plus there’s a storm offshore that looks to be heading kinda towards us… But I thought: stay the course. Three things each day that keep me in the energy of my best self or propel me towards a better version of me. Being out on the water brought a profound sense of aliveness. The water we’re on feeds directly into the Gulf if Mexico, so once I cleared the protected estuary I was on open water. Connecting to nature that way really helped me feel small, but in a very good way. There’s still time left today. If you haven’t done your three things, you still can. Stay the course. One day at a time…you got this!

Hey all! I posted yesterday about being away from home, yet making sure to get my three things in anyway. Sometimes following through on a commitment requires both discipline & kindness. Discipline is, after all, the cornerstone of freedom. If I remain disciplined in my commitment to improve my health, for example, I get to enjoy the freedom of life in a healthy body. Which enables me to do stuff like paddling (see pics!). However/but/and sometimes discipline can seem…I dunno boring or hard or yucky. That’s when I use kindness as my secret weapon. When I speak kindly (but firmly!) to myself I am ALWAYS more motivated to do whatever. I feel more encouraged when I’m kind to myself. I learned the hard way, after decades of speaking to myself harshly, being mean to myself & sometimes downright abusive to me verbally, if it did work, it sucked on some level. No one likes to be called names or spoken to unkindly, yet we often do that to ourselves. But when we speak with kindness & hold ourselves to a higher standard, it becomes easier (not easy, easier!) to accomplish whatever tasks we set for ourselves. So when you read this, maybe take a moment & script some kind words for yourself, words of encouragement & building up, so that when you falter or struggle to do something, and you will sometimes, you have language at the ready to speak to yourself to lift yourself up. My words today: You got this! You are wildly capable! I believe in you 💗! And I believe in YOU, too. Michelle