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Tag: inspiration

Pick your word

It’s been a heck of a year and with a few days left, I want to share a ritual of mine: Choose a word, a theme you’d like to set for for the year to come. (This year my word was “Courage,” and boy, did I need it.) For 2021, I’m choosing “Joy.” I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to welcome more spark, more pleasure, more happiness, and more fun.

Tell me your word for the year to come @redheadlefthand.

Sending greetings and wishes for a restorative, healthy, and calm new year — a year filled with laughter, joy, and magic.

The weight you carry

On a normal day, you carry a certain amount of stress. Depending on the season or time in your life, you may be adding extra to that load. This weight looks different for everyone, and someone may be carrying more — or less — than you at any given time.

Have compassion.

When your arms feel tired, take time to focus on your foundation: Your basic needs for today.

Concentrate on the first next step. The rest will fall into place.

Are your friends ready to evolve with you?

Different experiences demand different strengths, and different phases of life bring different challenges.

What areas of your life do you refuse to compromise?

Set non-negotiables and make moves accordingly. Then, trust yourself enough to know that if it doesn’t feel right, you will go.

Confidence grows from clarity.

Dealing with fear

Fear stops relationships from growing, businesses from booming, and projects from shipping. But to deal with fear — to dance with it — you have to first recognize the role it plays in your creative process.

Fear is natural. It’s not going anywhere.

It’s much better to learn to see it and confront it so you can put it in its rightful place.

Don’t shy aware from fear. Dance with it, instead.

Tell me what helps you manage your fears @redheadlefthand.

Take 5

Tell 5 people you appreciate them.

Think of 5 things you love about yourself.

Set aside 5 minutes to write.

List 5 goals you want to achieve by week’s end.

Check-in with 5 people who appear strong.

Remember 5 obstacles you’ve overcome.

Thank 5 service workers.

Choose 5 songs you can play the next time you feel anxious.

Invite 5 people to a Zoom call.

Bookmark 5 websites that inspire you.

Tape 5 quotes next to your workstation.

Make 5 calls to people who might be struggling.

Take 5 deep breaths.

The case for risk

We’re afraid of making our desires known. It’s scary to show pieces of ourselves to another, parts that make us vulnerable, the gentle spaces we perceive as fragile. It’s easier to hide behind accomplishment and labels and somebody else’s dreams.

what if I’m alone

what if I can’t make rent

what if it never happens

what if I’m found out

what if I fail

Fear morphs into competitive comparison as we scan the lives of colleagues and peers, anxiously wondering if we measure up. Our minds stop us from living, from allowing ourselves to just be.

Imagine if all that watching and playing it safe on the sidelines turned into focused energy.

Who do you want to be?

What do you want to do?

When I finally pushed doubt to the side, I became a writer. I became generous, forgiving, loving, and daring because I stopped caring about what didn’t matter in the first place and started paying attention to moments that made my heart swell.

I’m scared often.

I’ve had to get comfortable living with little in my bank account and not having a neatly packaged answer when people ask, “What’s next?”

But because of that, I’ve experienced beautiful mysteries I would have otherwise missed.

Life shouldn’t be neatly laid out.

Not the life I want to live.

Modified from this original post.