IT'S THE WEEKEND

I am so happy it's Friday and time to unwind with my chai!!! It’s been along week. My work was less stressful this week, thanks goodness. I usually have these periods of ups and down where one week it is really busy and by the third week, I can usually breathe a little easier and catch up on other things with work.

I love the weekends and better yet if it were a 3 three day weekend. I usually find the time to catch up with my reading, meditate more and my walks are longer and more relaxed compared to weekdays. I am still up early in the mornings and take the time to read, write in my journal or just pray. It’s quiet and I love the stillness that I can experience on the weekends before the day starts.

There was a time last year and earlier this year when the weekends were mostly filled with social activities, such as, meeting friends, going out to dinner or me hosting. Ever since the start of this summer, I have really cut back on the whole social weekend thing.

To be honest, I am an introvert and socializing is not really my thing. I have a hard time with it and most of the people I know are night time people, meaning they like to stay up late, eat dinner late and drink. I barely drink since I just don’t enjoy it so I avoid it. I am happier with a cup of tea and a good book.

I am definitely not a late night person and the thought of staying up late really messes with me and my body. It takes me days to recover to get back to my regular sleep cycle. So now, I have started saying no more often and just prefer to be at home. Another thing that I also noticed is that I don’t have a lot of things common with the people I do know, so making conversations with them is starting to feel awkward.

Since I know my kids love to hang out with their friends, I try to entertain earlier in the day on weekends or schedule play dates, while still trying to keep to a schedule, though it is hard. It is a fine line that you have to balance like everything else.  I also try not to schedule a lot of things on the weekend especially their activities so they too can get a break. I just don’t believe that weekends should be a constant go, go, go.

 For me weekends are more about having the time to connect with my kids and just playing and being with them. They are young so I really want to treasure this time with them. I have a rule that every weekend we need to find one day or both days preferably, to spend time together and do nothing.

I have seen some people keep a really busy weekend with party’s to attend and kids’ activities and they keep it every single weekend. It’s a really busy socializing time with very late nights and hanging out with their group of friends. That’s what suits them and makes them happy and I am happy for them. Do what makes you happy.

I find weekends a time to rejuvenate myself and recharge my batteries so to speak for next week. As long as you take the time to power up yourself again to start on Monday, it does not matter how or what you do.

So I love my weekends. This weekend is all about family time and a chance for me to write more and read more. I love it and can’t wait to start with my cup of chai bright and early at 4:30am tomorrow morning. Enjoy!!!

Peace,

Monita

MORNING WALKS

So for the last 4 days, I have been taking a walk/jog around my neighborhood and I never knew how much I would love it but I really loved it. I am actually kind of surprised since I usually work out in my basement in the mornings around 5:30a.m. I am an early riser and love to work out in the mornings since it is really the only time I get to work out and it gives me so much more energy throughout the day.

Not sure what came over me the last few days but I wanted to go out and workout. I never feel that way and it is hard for me to work out once the day gets started and the kids wake up. So if I don’t work out at 5:30a.m., I usually don’t do it later.

I have actually never worked out outside and always thought that I would hate it or that it is too cold. To my surprise, I actually loved it. Since I was home, I could make the time to go out later in the morning. Now I am wondering how I can make the time to go out at 5:30am since it will be dark and cold and I will be by myself so I am a little concerned. But I am going to try.

I have also noticed that I have slept so well the last few days. I love feeling the cold air in my face and just witnessing the morning sunrise and the start of a new day. My eyes automatically go to the sky and the trees and the birds. It feels so refreshing and I truly feel so rejuvenated.

There’s something about being outside that truly connects with something inside of me. I noticed that during the time, my mind is quiet and all I do is just be with nature. It’s like we are one. It’s a little hard to put it in words but I feel like one with nature, with the trees, leaves, sky, birds and the smell of the air. There is a calmness that sweeps over me and time just goes by. It does not even feel like I am working out and the next thing I know, I am back home.

I get so lost in nature. I know where I am going and I usually have my headphones on listening to good music, saying hello or good morning to the people that I pass by. It feels so easy but the calmness that I feel is truly amazing.

So if you have never tried to workout outside, I suggest that you do try at least once. Even a short walk can do wonders for you. Nature is truly amazing and we can all truly learn to connect with it.

I looked up the word nature and it described it as “nature is derived from the Latin word natura, or "essential qualities, innate disposition", and in ancient times, literally meant "birth". I think it really brings out something inside of us that may be deep down or suppressed and it can strengthen us in amazing ways.  I can cry just being outside and being part of the marvelous nature. It feels like something inside of me is born and I feel so alive.

The experience will be of course different for everyone. You may not feel anything that I have felt but just take a moment when you are outside to be present with it. I am so thankful that I actually followed my instinct and went out and now realize something that I love that I actually thought I would not.

So I really hope that I can work out more often outside and have the opportunity too. I need to make it work even if I can do it only on weekends but I know that I will do it.

Peace,                            

Monita

THIS FALL

I love fall. I love all seasons but fall marks the end of summer and the start of nature winding down, the cool crisp air, pumpkins, thanksgiving and leaves falling off trees. In my kitchen, it’s the smell of cookies and cake baking in the oven, eating fresh apples from the farmers market, making pies, and making butter nut squash for my little ones. It reminds us of the impermanence of nature, of letting go and starting anew, a different type of new.

For me this fall is really marks the end of the old me and the start of a new me. I am really the same the person on the outside but I am completely different inside.  It’s a celebration of whom I was before and who I am today.

This year has been such a great change for me. I have changed a lot in my emotional maturity and spiritual evolvement and wow all the crazy experiences I have had to get to this point. I broke open this year and am now able to stand alone belonging nowhere, standing tall with my head up and my heart open.

Before I go on, I have to say how thankful I am of everything and I thank god every single day for bestowing such grace on me.

I have really grown in different ways and I celebrate each day how far I have come. The celebration will of course continue but this will be one of the years so far in my life where there has been such profound personal growth. I believe there is more to come and I have yet so much to learn.

I feel very much equipped to deal with anything else that will come forth and I have total faith in myself and god. This fall and every day from now, I cherish the new me who is wiser, braver, stronger, calmer and realizes that love is the only way. I have a different and more authentic way of living my life from here on and one of the greatest lessons that I have learned is I AM ENOUGH AND WORTHY.

I believe that I would not be who I am today without ever going through everything I did. Experiences make you and not break you. With everything that is going on in the world and in your inner world, take a moment and reflect how it has evolved you as a person. I am sure that most of us have had a pretty tough year and some crazy experiences and moments but think about how those experiences have shaped you and be thankful for them. Every single thing that you experience is a lesson, a growth opportunity and it is meant only for you. Some of us go through the same type of hardships, whether in your personal relationships, jobs, health or losses but each is unique to its own in the way you experience it. Nothing is wasted.

My friends, I cherish and celebrate every single one of them, not just the happy ones but especially the hard, painful ones. There have been happy, sad, angry, tearful and proud moments and there is more to come. I don’t know how to really express what I am feeling right now but all I can say is WOW!!!

So even though things are slowing down this fall and birds are migrating, the old me is gone and the birth of a new me has begun. I am so excited and can’t wait to see what’s ahead but for now, I take this present moment and truly knell down, look at the sky above me, with my arms wide open and say THANK YOU!!, I am ready to receive more and I LOVE YOU!!!

Peace,
Monita

A DIFFERENT VIEW

So my daughter’s day care missed the bus when it arrived at the stop. So the bus driver drove the kids back to school and moments later, just as the school was going to call the parents, someone from the day care showed up and drove them to the day care.

So given this is a new daycare for my daughter and only her second day there, I called at the time when the bus arrived to make sure she was okay and that was when I learned about what happened. I totally freaked out. I mean how you could forget to pick these kids up!!!! It’s unacceptable; they are a daycare and have a responsibility. I was furious nevertheless. I informed the person in charge and mentioned that the bus arrives the same time every single day and you can’t forget the kids. It’s not okay.

When my daughter got there, they called me and I spoke to her. I asked her if she got scared and was filled with emotions. Her immediate response was “Mommy I got to ride in 2 buses today”.  Her tone was relaxed and calm and her teacher said she was smiling when she walked in. She was not scared and did not cry. I was afraid at first that she would worry and not know who was picking her up. I was the one who was panicked and she was so calm.

I was truly amazed and proud of her bravery. She was so calm and said she was so excited to ride in 2 buses. It was her calmness that made me relax. She was okay and was not upset. I had my reasons to be upset and rightfully so as a parent when safety is my biggest concern.

They apologized and said it won’t happen again. I was really trying to be my calm while very stern to get my message to them. I was really civil. I knew that they were probably already feeling bad.

I learned a huge lesson from my daughter that day. She showed bravery and looked at it positively that she got to ride 2 buses and she said she knew she was going to be okay. I have now tried to look at things a little differently. For example, this morning I was stuck in a lot of traffic and needed to get to work early but instead of getting all worked up, I relaxed and thought what a great time to enjoy the sunrise and listen to some good music. The extra time in the car made me calmer and I was smiling when I got to work. I remembered what my daughter said, it is going to be okay.

So from now on, for the small everyday little gritty stuff that gets to me, I am going to try to look at it calmly and positively. Like my daughter, I am going to smile and take a different perspective and not get worked up.

 I am not saying that it was okay for the day care to forget her, it is absolutely not okay and they got to hear it. Under no circumstances will I negotiate on their safety and health. I had all rights to be upset at them but I also thanked god that she was okay and she was brave.

There are times when we can’t quite spin it positively, like illness or death, but getting stuck in traffic, people being irritating, not getting enough rest or exercise or any of the other times when stuff just happens whether at work or home we can chose our reaction to it and see it differently. We can sulk and complain and whine which will get us nowhere, or we can confront it and take a different, positive spin on it which is the way I strongly intend to see things. Look for the lesson in everything that happens. I hope the day care did and will never make the mistake of forgetting the kids, but we have to move on from here.

It may be hard to see it differently at first but there is always a way. ALWAYS!

Peace,

Monita