Day 31 of 2021-January Month end

 Happy Sunday Friends! And its a snowy Sunday where I am. Woke up this morning to an inch of snow and it really looked so beautiful. As I say if it is going to be this cold it might as well snow. 

So here we are on the last day of January. We made it so far!!! How are you feeling with one month down in 2021? It certainly has been a tough month with the pandemic and everything else that all of us are going through. A hard start to the year but lets not forget we can do the hard life things, we have to do it for ourselves and for our children.

Did you decide to keep new year resolutions or any goals for this year? How was the first month? No matter where you are with your resolutions, I hope you feel proud of yourself with all that you are doing during this tough times.

Its so hard to be in a pandemic, working from home and having kids schooling from home to, plus trying to take care of yourself and keep resolutions. It can feel so daunting and we are all trying to do our best to just get through the day.

As hard as the times have been, it is not a time for self neglect. Whatever resolutions or goals that you have set for you, keep striving towards it. You may not be close to reaching it or you may not have started and that is absolutely okay. 

If you have not set any goals and would like to, it is not too late to start. Just because its the end of the month, it does not mean you can't start. You can at any point and there is no rule that you have to set the resolutions at the start of the year only. You get to decide when.

Do something for yourself. Don't let this time just slip away. Set some small goals and do your best to achieve it. 

If you are well on your way to reaching your resolutions, take this time to evaluate how things are going. What's been working well and what are some tweaks you need to make? Use this last day of January to reflect on your resolutions. 

The end of the month is a great way to look back and see what did you accomplish and what lessons did you learn. Remember, be gentle on yourself. This is not a time to be hard and talk negatively to yourself.

For me, writing it down has always been my tool to go to when I am doing self reflections. I find that when I do write it down, I tend to really write everything that I am feeling and thinking. Its very different for me. For some, they talk it out or think about it but when I write, I don't think over it and the words come pouring out. I also tend to feel a lot better when I write rather than just say things in my head. 

My goal for today is to just write about how the month went for me. How can you use the last day of January to reflect on your resolutions and goals? 

Friends, its always a choice. I hope you don't give up on your resolutions and just keep finding the strength to do it. 

I know that I am really proud of myself for writing for 31 days every single day and I hope to continue to provide minute tips like this. The focus in January was a lot on resolutions and goals and I hope to continue doing that with maybe other topics that come to mind. 

Wishing you peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 30 of 2021- Get your Zs

 Happy Saturday! How are you feeling this morning. I had a really great night's sleep last night and it made such a difference in my mood and energy this morning.

Now, I am a morning person and wake up early everyday no matter what. For me getting 8-9 hours of sleep is so crucial. Not getting enough sleep affects my health and overall mood. There is so much research and science on the benefits of getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep and the effects of sleep deprivation.

Since I have been talking about resolutions and goals, it truly makes a world of a difference to get the right amount of sleep every night. Now I know its not always possible, but we all really need to strive going to bed early and getting a good nights rest.

When you do get 8 hours of sleep, it helps to make the right choices for your goals. For instance, if one of your goals is going to the gym early mornings, 5 days a week getting the right amount of sleep will not only make it easier to wake up early to hit the gym but it will also make more of an impact on your workout.

Imagine if you only had 5 hours or less of sleep. Well you may not want to wake up to hit the gym but you will likely not be feeling 100% at the gym either. That is not going to help you stick to your resolutions especially if your consistently not getting good sleep.

Getting sleep helps you make better decisions throughout the day. It gives you more mental clarity, helps your body repair, makes you more productive, helps your immune function and host of other benefits. Sleep is non-negotiable.

We all have had days when we have not had enough sleep and know how it effects us. Some say that they "really" don't need more than 5 hours of sleep and operate just fine. I say that's great, but its not sustainable long term. You might feel fine for a few days, but it can't be your lifestyle. Sooner or later, it will affect other areas of your life.

While all of our needs are different, there is no doubt that getting the right amount of sleep can make a world of a difference. Now its not just quantity but also quality that matters. If you are constantly waking up then you are not getting good quality sleep. 

I would strongly urge you to set up a good routine before you hit the bed. Avoid caffeine, alcohol or eating too close to your bedtime. Be consistent in your bedtime routine and try different things to help you get a good nights rest. Maybe even taking a bath, turning off the T.V or any of your other devices a couple of hours before bed. Studies have shown that the blue light from the screens can really affect your sleep. Quality matters as much as quantity in sleep.

Some of you may have some other issues like sleep apnea so I certainly encourage you to seek medical advice. Understand that not getting the right amount of sleep can bring about a host of other issues in all areas of your life. 

I know a lot of people don't pay attention to sleep but it is one the most important areas in your life. It certainly can affect your ability to achieve your goals and resolutions because of the choices you end up making. I know that when I don't get enough sleep, I do tend to eat unhealthier and that does not help with my intentions to eat healthy this year.

We are all different and I hope this post helps you think about the effects of your sleep on your resolutions. A lot of us never think about sleep till it becomes something to think about. Don't let it be too late. 

So here is something for you to think about. What changes do you need to make to get more sleep? What routines can you create to help you sleep better?  

Wishing you peace and happiness my friends from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 29 of 2021-Quote of the day

 " You never know which raindrop will start a hurricane." -WOW

Hope you all are having a great Friday morning. I know that I will have a great day today even though I woke up with severe hip pain this morning. But as the quote says you can start whenever you like and so today even though my body is in a lot pain, I am going to start feeling positive about my intentions no matter what. 

I certainly know that as much pain as I am in, it would be easier to just sit around and complain and not do anything. But no, I am in severe pain and I know that the more I stick to my intentions to eat healthier and loose the weight that I need to, the better my body will heal. The severe pain my body is in is my motivation to want to change.

Think about your own resolutions and where you are today. What "raindrop" can you drop today to create the "hurricane" in your life. I noticed in Nikki Banas quote above with the number of times she used "you can" because its just a choice to change right now, no question or doubts. 

Believe that you can and that is more than half the battle. If you believe you can you will get there. It may not be immediate but nothing good comes quickly. 

Whenever you want to you can do whatever you like. How are you feeling after reading the above quote? I know that I am more motivated but I also have no choice. Remember, it does not have to be something big, just one small step, just like a raindrop. 

What is the one raindrop you can make happen in your life today? I think the quote sums up well that we are all capable of change. One small step, one day, one hour and one choice at a time. 

Hope you found today's quote encouraging.

Wishing you peace and happiness from my hear to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 28 of 2021- Find a friend

 Good Morning Friends! How are you doing today? What emotions are coming up for you? How can you sit in it and allow yourself to just feel?

Its so hard for us to just sit with emotions. We like to fix things right away but what if we instead just sit with it. Just try your best to sit with it today. This is a bigger topic and I will post more another time but for now, just be with your feelings and let it be. Take a deep breathe and know that this to shall pass.

As you know embarking on this journey to reach your resolutions and goals involves so much emotions so don't go on it alone. A lot of people have reached their resolution and goals especially as it relates to weight loss by having an accountability partner. Research has shown that having a friend, partner, coach or anyone else to hold you accountable will likely lead to success in reaching your goals. 

Having someone along on the journey provides a whole other level of accountability and motivation. Of course having self accountability should be number one but sometimes having a friend or someone to join you on this journey can make a huge difference.

If you have someone already on this journey with you, I hope that you both are holding each other accountable, sharing recipes, tips and maybe even working out together so you can achieve this together. Motivating and sharing the struggle and frustrations with someone can really take the stress out of reaching your goals and resolutions and make it easier to attain the goals.

If you don't have an accountability partner yet, I strongly recommend that you give it some thought. Maybe a friend who you can trust or an online group that you can join in. Maybe even a fitness coach or trainer, a nutritionist or speak to your doctor. There is no question that working on your goals alone can not only be stressful but you are more than likely to quit before reaching your goals.

We are all humans that need and crave connection and when it comes to achieving our goals, we can't go on it alone. You need and deserve all the help you can get. This pandemic has caused a lot of chaos and we all feel alone and lost in connection to others. We need to find ways to connect online and keep moving forward with our goals. Sticking to your weight loss goals now and getting into an fitness program is more important now. 

When you do a fitness program or other weight loss goals and resolutions, creating a plan with a partner will help set the stage and bar for reaching your goals. You and your partner can create plans for the week and day, help each other out, create meal plans, motivate and track progress together. 

Remember, this should be someone who will support you, and move through this journey with you and truly understands you. You should be to count on each other at any time.

I hope that you can find someone to join you on this wonderful path that you are on. I know you can do this. Keep moving forward.

Wishing you peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace

Monita

Day 27 of 2021-Take the thinking out

 Good Morning my friends! How are you feeling today? What are your thoughts on your resolutions and goals? I hope that no matter where you are, you should feel proud of yourself.

Nike has the famous saying "Just do it." Now I know that is easier to say than to actually do it. For me, I know its easier to choose cauliflower rice over white rice or wheat bread instead white bread however, that may not be the same for you.  But if you are feeling overwhelmed with the decisions you need to make to achieve your goals, are you over thinking it?

Now we already have a lot to think about and making it easy to reach your resolutions should not involve more thinking. It should be like brushing your teeth every night where you don't need to think about it. It should be part of your lifestyle. 

So when you go grocery shopping, create your list in advance, look up the item on the grocery app (if you have it) to find the isle where it is located and stick to list and the isle you need to go it. Decide before even going that you are going that you are not going to wander and only leave with the items you came for. Take the guessing out of the equation and make it a lifestyle so it eventually becomes a habit and you can do this without overthinking it.

Its almost like saying "just do it" but without the brain working overtime to achieve it. Sometimes taking a simple view is a lot easier than over thinking and over talking about it. 

Take a closer look at your resolutions and goals and see which areas you are overthinking it. Can you swap out the thoughts and rethink it as just making it as part of your everyday habit like brushing your teeth. What simple actions can you take? For example, maybe buying whole wheat pasta instead of your regular type. 

Take a look at all the positive things you already do daily. I am sure you can think of many things. When it comes to resolutions and goals though we sometimes put too much thought that it can paralyze us from taking the action. 

If you are writing every single thing down, researching it non stop but not actually taking the action, that's when you need to ask yourself if you need to change your strategy. Researching is a great way to help you attain your goal but if all you are doing is just researching and not taking the steps than you may need to ask yourself if you are overthinking this. 

You may already feel anxious and pressured to reach your goal so take the thinking or brain out of the equation and make it a part of your everyday life . Hopefully this gives you a way to reach it.

Wishing you peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 26 of 2021-Sharing a Chart

 Good Afternoon! How are you feeling today? I just realized that are almost at the end of January already. I came across this today and wanted to share it with you. Its from Blessing Manifesting but I thought such a great chart to print and keep front and center of you.

Each of the boxes say so much that will help us and provide inspiration to stay on your path of reaching your goals or resolutions. I know that you are strong, brave and most importantly you matter. You can manifest all these wonderful thoughts and so many others. 

How can you use each one of the sayings in the boxes to help you stick to your goals? How does it feel to know that you matter and your goals or resolutions matter. Everything about you matters. You need to be able to feel it in your bones too. Say it out loud.

I hope this provides some inspiration to you as it did for me. Its made me even want to focus more on my intentions.

Wishing you peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

 

Day 25 of 2021-Clear

 Good morning! What a cold start to the week. Today is going to be rainy, mixed in with some sleet. In fact, there is also the a chance for more rain later this week and snow. Honestly, as you know, I love my summers and being in the heat but in winter, I can't deny how beautiful it is when it snows. If it is going to be cold, it might as always snow or better yet if there was a blizzard. 

So how are you feeling? Start of the week can be pretty hard, but we all have been here before so just keep reminding yourself that you can and will get through this. Before you know it, it will be Friday morning so just keep looking forward.

How are you doing on your resolutions or goals? Remember to be gentle with yourself. I have to say that my intention to eat healthier is certainly getting better but not where I would like it to be and that is okay. I am more mindful now and am learning to pause before I eat the full plate of pasta.

In my last post, I wrote about prepping and some of the things that I do to stick to my intentions. But another useful tip is to clear the way to make the prep easier and that's helped with the prep itself. 

So by clearing, I mean removing the obstacles in the way to prep better. For instance, my gym clothes are always at easy reach to get out the night before since I have dedicated a small area in my closet to just gym clothes. When I fold my laundry, I keep my tops and pants even socks together so all I need to do is pick it up. 

Another example is with my snacks. I have young kids so that means I always have chips and cookies in the house. Now, my kids are well aware of how much junk food they are allowed to eat so everything is in moderation. Knowing myself, I can't stop on my own sometimes. So I only have snacks outside the pantry and a place in the refrigerator.

I clear the way by creating the space to make it easy for me to prep the night before. Now this also fits in with decluttering which is all useful to prepping to stick to your goals. Decluttering is broad and very important but more on that in another post. What I am referring to here is one small step you can do today to help you stick and prep to reach your goals or resolutions.  

Right now, focus on one area of your resolution or goal and do what you can to clear that space to help you stick to your goal. Maybe you can clear your home gym area and make it more inviting space so you feel like exercising. Or how about cleaning your desk so it can help you focus on writing that book. Clearing the way is making the way to help you reach your resolutions. It will also assist you in becoming more efficient. 

Remember, I am not trying to attain perfection. I am far from a perfectionist but I do believe in having order especially as it relates to my intentions. That order is having what I need in a neat, clear sometimes marked space so it makes it easier to me to not loose sight of my intentions. 

Remember the goal is baby steps. You have a lot going on so just take one small simple step to clear the way to help you.

Wishing you peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace

Monita

Day 24 of 2021- Prep the night before

 Happy Sunday! Hope you all are having a relaxing day. I woke up this morning at 5:00am and had a great cup of tea and did my daily routine. It felt good to have a productive morning. I am an early bird and found that no matter what time I go to bed, I am up early.

So part of providing some inspiration to you all to help you move ahead in your resolutions is to share some of the things that I am doing to help me stick to my healthier eating and a big part of it is getting prepped for the week ahead. 

So what do I mean by getting prepped for the week ahead. Well, for starters I mentally think about what's coming up for the week. On Friday before logging out of work, I take a look at what coming up the following week in terms of meetings, deadlines, and things that I did not get done this week that are now pushed to next week. This helps me to get a mental picture of what the upcoming week is going to look like so I arrange my calendar accordingly.

So as part of that, I ensure that at some point I sign up for my weekly gym classes. That way I don't have to worry about not getting a spot of missing a day, and if that happens, that's okay too. As part of setting myself up and getting organized, I set up my gym clothes everyday before going to bed so I know I will be ready the night before. 

I also do a quick check on what's coming for the kids after their teacher sends out the weekly update so I am not surprised Monday morning. I usually do this on Sunday night since I know my kids will likely not want to hear anything about school after Friday or Saturday.

Getting organized is a way to help me manage my own self along with my kids. These days, every day feels the same so getting prepped is now more critical, plus it takes a lot of the stress out of the workweek equation. This is is something that is in my control so taking the steps helps my manage my stress which I talked about a couple of days ago.

So coming back to my intentions, I found that getting organized the night before with my meal plan helps me to eat healthier. Part of that also involves getting the "right" groceries and not something that is going to hinder my progress. Now, that involves putting the grocery list together the night before I am going to the store. I do this so I prevent creating a list in the morning when I am hungry which will get me off track for sure. I also am trying to shop after a meal and not hitting the store with an empty stomach.

So doing some prep involves some effort but then again its all doable. Small chunks at a time and don't try to do it all at once. You have to allow space to think and plan but it puts you slightly ahead. 

I also feel it motivates you in a way that you may not have thought of. For me, getting my gym clothes ready makes me feel motivated to go to the gym. Prepping my grocery list makes me excited to eat healthier. 

Prepping should not feel difficult or put additional stress on your day. Like your resolutions, it should be fun and exciting. It should not feel like an extra burden on top of everything else you may have going on. 

So best of luck prepping and I sure hope this tip helps you to stick to your resolutions.

Wishing you peace and happiness my friend from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

 

Day 23 of 2021- Be Gentle

 Good Morning! Hope you all had a good nights rest and ready to have a good Saturday. So how are you feeling this moment? Acknowledge whatever it is that you are feeling and don't push it aside. 

I wrote about being gentle with yourself in the last post and I do want to reiterate how important it is to be especially as you work on your resolutions and goals. Being gentle is the way that you are treating, speaking to yourself and not achieving perfection. Essentially its cutting yourself some slack.

I know that my posts have been mostly about inspiring you to stick to your resolutions or providing some alternative ways to achieve your goals. I do believe that while we are in this very difficult period with so much going on that we are falling apart. Trying to achieve your resolutions maybe the last thing you are thinking about. 

I am not talking about earning your PHD or Masters or any other more tough challenges but a lot of people are holding off and waiting until things turn around. If the pandemic had not happened, we would easily beat ourselves up more or even get angry with ourselves. Now more than ever, being kind of yourself will help you survive everything you have going on.

Sticking with simple, small easy resolutions or goals are always a good idea. That is why I said, start small. Take one thing at a time to focus on and try your best to keep it up. For me, the intention to eat better is no easy task but if I break it down further and say I won't have my piece of chocolate today, that's doable. 

We all need to find things that will keep us healthy and now more than ever, paying attention to your health will be very critical. Maintaining some form of exercise or even starting something new that will keep you healthy is fun will help you stick to your resolutions.  

Being gentle also means doing a lot of self care. Maybe you don't feel like going for a massage, so why not take a soak in the tub or massage yourself. Get a DIY facial or pedicure spa, but just find sometime to take care of yourself.

Be really careful with your self talk as well. Do you find yourself constantly beating yourself up? Pandemic or not, you need to stop. Stop saying words to hurt your own self. Be gentle and speak to yourself with love. When was the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror and said "I love you."

So being gentle is so basic yet so many of us forget how to do that. We forget how to be gentle with ourselves. I hope that you get the message and starting right this moment, be gentle. Pursue your goals and do your best, but more importantly, be gentle. 

Wishing you peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 22of 2021-Stress

 Happy Friday you all! Any plans for the weekend? I for one have none and hope to just relax this weekend. We were out last weekend so the goal is to just chill and play with the kids, maybe even do some learning. 

So how are you feeling? I know I have started to ask this in almost every post and I do feel its an important question to ask yourself every single day. For me, Fridays are always a lot busier with work then most of the other weekdays. It almost feels like people wait till Friday to just get it done and it in turns causes a lot of stress for me. 

So there is so much written and talked about stress that I am not going to get into here. You can google stress and read up a lot about it. But I am going to write a little about how it affects us and how I deal with stress.

So on Verywell mind, it states that "stress can have negative effects on the body and brain. Research has found that stress can produce a wide range of negative effects on the brain ranging from contributing to mental illness to actually shrinking the volume of the brain. It also affects your memory and kills brain cell." It is important to note the research and science on how stress and affect your overall health. 

We all experience different types of stress and it is a part of life. We can't run away from stress but we can be well informed about it and know how it can affect us. We need to learn what stress is and how it can impact us. We all have different ways to respond to stress and deal with it differently. 

"Stress is a broad term that is used to describe a lot of different things," says Dr. Ressler. The stress you might experience before you take a test is likely very different from the stress of being involved in a car accident or from a prolonged illness. "Certainly, more stress is likely worse, and long-term stress is generally worse than short-term stress," says Dr. Ressler.

So the stress I am referring more to is chronic stress which affects us daily. It affects both mind and body and has both short term and long term affects. Short term can be insomnia, headaches, anxiety, moodiness and other issues and the long term affects are even worse where it really affects your brain. 

So in short, we can't avoid stress but we need to learn about it and know how it affect you and deal with it. For me, when I am stress, I start loosing a lot of hair, feel low energy, can't sleep in the night and eat a lot of unhealthy foods. 

As I have been writing about intentions and resolutions, we are probably feeling a lot of stress about it, in addition to all else we have going on. The "Stress-O-Meter" as I like to call it, is now in the red zone for me at least and probably for a lot of you all as well. So when I am in the high stress zone, I know that there are certain things I need to do, such as:

Walk away from everything and take a time out for myself- I usually can't focus well when I am stressed so that's the first thing I need to do.

Deep breaths or meditation- This usually helps my nerves calm down and bring the temperature down a little.

Figure out what is a priority and how I plan to deal with it- For me, work is usually the number one stressor, so if there are things on my plate, I know that I have just have to get it done. Getting it done, takes the stress away.

Sleeping- Getting a good nights rest always helps lowering my stress so I try to get 8 hours of sleep.

Exercise- This is a big one. It really helps to lower cortisol, which is considered the stress hormone. So getting 3-5 days of exercise is important. Now, there are days when it would be not possible so aim to at least get in a walk, yoga or any type of movement.

Talk to someone- Depending on what's causing the stress, talking to someone you trust can be so beneficial. Sharing what you are going through will help to release some of the tension. 

Being gentle with myself- This is a big one too. When you are going through so much, its easy to get stressed but being gentle with yourself will go a long way to reduce the stress. Maybe take a bath, or listen to music.

Eat healthy- This one is harder for me. I know that when I am stressed, I easily reach for the chips. But I need to be careful and instead go for the apple. It helps to deal with the stress and does not add any additional stress.

Here is something I found on the internet that is so helpful to print and keep front and center when you are stress:

So I hope these tips are helpful for you to try or apply for the times you are feeling stressed. For accomplishing or sticking to your resolutions or goals, its easy to get stressed but don't let the stress deter you from your goals. You may be in the red zone but work through it. Recognize that you are stressed and implement some ways to help you work through it. 

Don't let stress stop you. Do what you need to relax. Resolutions are not meant to cause extreme stress and if they are, then you need to revisit your goals and pare it down. Its not worth it if you are stressed all the time, so take a look at the causes and revise and reset as needed. 

Wishing you peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 21 of 2021- 21 days in

 Good Afternoon friends! Day 21 into 2021. Wow already 21 days in and boy has it gone fast. We have a new president and administration in the country and for them I can't even imagine what it must feel like with all that they have to tackle and take on to get the country out of the pandemic along with other issues.

Its also lunch time. How are you all doing? Are you walking outside, having your lunch, catching up on news or social media or reading? It would be interesting to read how you spend your lunch time or is there no such thing as lunch anymore since you are working from home and taking care of kids or the hundreds of things on your plate.

For me lunch time is usually quite busy. With 2 elementary kids at home, their lunch time is at 11:30am so I am always trying to figure out what to make or order in. I also tend to just their leftovers which is one thing that I must stop. I sometimes skip breakfast and eat a good heavy lunch so for me its all over the place and I don't have a set schedule. But that's okay and the key is looking at what stands before me.

So 21 days into the year 2021 and it has been very hectic and scary at the same time. We started the year feeling intense and unsure about how things will turn out. It is really hard to plan but I am also very hopeful that things will be different by the end of this year.

So I am not a believer in numbers and meanings but since today is the 21st day of the year 2021, I thought why not look up what the number 21 actually means symbolically. The angel number meaning website said "the number 21 symbolizes new beginnings and changes that are about to happen. Its also a time to get rid of your old beliefs and you should leave your past behind because it is time for a new phase of your life." 

So that's interesting given we have a new president and a new beginning. How can you use this time and this day to think about your new resolutions that you set this year, your new goals? What beliefs do you need to leave behind to help you move forward? What changes are you noticing? What changes would you like to see for yourself?

 I am sure other numbers have meanings as well but this is so fitting for the time period we are in. 

In the spirit of being in 3 weeks, 21 days into 2021, I hope that the message to inspires you to start or continue your new beginning. Keep up the great work! 

As the famous and beautiful poet Amanda Gordon said yesterday "we lift our gazes not to what stands between us but what stands before us.".

Don't compare yourself to anyone, don't judge and only look at what stands before you. Where are you today? 

Wishing you peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 20 of 2021- The Inauguration

Good Afternoon my Friends! Happy Wednesday. Today was the Inauguration of the 46th president of the United States. 

"An inauguration is a ceremony that formally marks the start of something. Inauguration can refer to a formal ceremony, such as one marking the start of a new term in office or the opening of a new wing in a museum, but it can be used more broadly to describe a less formal beginning."

Regardless of how you voted, today is the start of a new office, a new administration and a new beginning. Its time to move on and hope for the very best. Such a historic day to have the first female to be the vice president and truly gives young girls such hope to go after their dreams and to dream big and to go after your dreams. Don't give up trying. 

Of note was the poet Amanda Gordon who was just so exquisite in her poetry and totally left me in awe. Here is part of the text of the poem:

We've seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it,

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed,

It can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth, in this faith, we trust.

For while we have our eyes on the future,

history has its eyes on us.

I truly hail her in her message of hope and healing in the face of forces. It was spectacular. I hope you check her performance online if you did to get a chance to see it. 

Today is a new day for American with a new administration and I hope that no matter where you are, you use this moment to find your new beginning. I have been focused on writing and hoping to provide inspiration to stick and achieve your goals and today marks a historic day. Today is the day where America has the first Vice President female its a strong message to all of us and the young women. 

Don't give in. Today is a new beginning and a year from now, history will tell how you did. Make it historic! Go for your dreams, stick to your resolutions and goals. Today is a new day. Mark it and remember it!

Wish you peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 19 of 2021-Take a day off

 Good Tuesday morning. What's going through your mind? Have you been watching to much news or been on social media? Are you full of emotions and thoughts on the events playing out? Of course you are, we all are. We all have our story and each of our stories are right to us. It takes so much courage and openness to hear others. We all just need to do our part. 

While we all certainly can't ignore or turn away from what is currently going on in this country, we can certainly control our part in it. I know that being open to whatever is coming up is crucial and while we all are certainly distracted, we can use this opportunity to heal and deal with all areas of our lives. 

That brings me to our resolutions and goals. I sincerely hope that you are able to stick or hold on to your resolutions. I am also aware of how critical it is to be gentle with yourself at all times. Its okay if you are not where you expected to be, yes its okay. Sometimes, when so much is going on, its okay to take a day off and just rest or reset. 

With resolutions and goals, you don't always have to be so strict with sticking to a schedule. Taking a day off or plan to take a couple of days off to reset. Maybe today you just taking it easy, and do what you like even if it means having a few extra calories. Taking a day off is so important and normal to take the pressure of yourself. Think about it as releasing the valve on a pressure cooker.

As we are all trying to do our best, it bears noting that having a sense of where you are and planning ahead will not get you off track. Taking a day off will really help with your mental strength and a way for you to think about any changes that need to be made.

When you set a resolution or a goal, I do think that it should not be too rigid or else you might not be able to achieve it. With the pandemic and everything else on, we are already on such high alert and it makes it that much more harder to stick to or achieve your resolutions.

Making and hitting your goals is not an easy task by any stretch and now all of us have added layers of stress. I will post more about stress in another post, but for now, you don't need permission to take a day off or have that cake. Please go ahead and have it.

I am also not suggesting that you continue to have cake everyday and drift away from your goals. Do have your cake but also think about what you need to get back on track after the day off. Its a lot easier to take a day off then to take 2 consequent days off so space out your days off. 

Think about how taking the day off will help you. Write it down and also note what you plan to do after the day off. Write down what emotions come up or how you can continue to be gentle with yourself.

For me, I do plan to take days off going to the gym or if I do go consequently, then I plan it out such that I am not pushing myself to hard. Knowing myself when I push to hard at the gym, I do get very sore and then end up taking a few days off just to recover. I know myself and my body and in order to stick to a healthier lifestyle, going to the gym will be crucial but taking days off here and there, will help my body recover and help my muscles heal. 

Hitting your goals does not mean taking it so far that you get sore and then have to take more days off. That's also part of being gentle with yourself and using the days wisely as you strive towards your resolutions. 

For those that are perfectionists, you will have to take extra care of yourself, in setting and reaching your resolutions, there is no such thing as being perfect in my opinion. So going to the gym 7 days a week for an hour each day, will not be good for my body, but that's me. You have to know what will work for you. 

Take a day off and just chill my friends. Its absolutely okay and just like the sun will rise tomorrow, there will always be a tomorrow.  

Take a day off for you, no pressure. There will always be tomorrow so chill, put your feet up and smile. 

Wishing you peace and happiness my friends from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 18 of 2021- MLK

 Good Monday Morning my friends! How was your weekend? How are you all doing? Today is a holiday to honor Martin Luther King's, a day where we honor the legacy, life and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King. Today, please take a moment to read the famous "I have a dream" speech delivered on August 28th, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. 

I read online that Martin Luther King day "is the permanent observance theme is: "Remember! Celebrate! Act! A day on, not a day off!". I love that and do think it we can use that theme today to honor Dr. King and to "Remember, Celebrate, Act!. A day on and not a day off." I am going to remember what Dr. King said and all that he stood for, his famous speeches, commitment to equality for African Americans and his profound speeches. Such great acts of courage and bravery that I truly admire and in today's world that we are living such a great reminder.

We just got back from our trip and this will likely be very short. I love all of Dr. King's quotes but wanted to share some here as a reminder and hope that on this day, no matter what your thoughts are on the events in this country, I hope you find some inspiration wherever you are. Dr. King had many more great quotes online and I hope you do get to read them. 

“The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“No person has the right to rain on your dreams.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“You will change your mind; You will change your looks; You will change your smile, laugh, and ways but no matter what you change, you will always be you.”– Martin Luther King Jr.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”– Martin Luther King Jr.

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“I came to the conclusion that there is an existential moment in your life when you must decide to speak for yourself; nobody else can speak for you.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Wishing you peace and happiness my friend from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 17 of 2021-Quote

 Good Sunday Morning my friends! Hope you are relaxing with a cup of tea or coffee and enjoying your day so far. Keeping this extremely short since I am away.

I am enjoying my time with my family. Its a long weekend for us so kids are happy to get the extra days off. Its a well deserved time off for them and the teachers. 

I am so thankful to the teachers who have worked so hard this year to teach online. It must have been so hard for them and the kids to pivot to online school and my heart is filled with so much gratitude.

A great exercise is to write down the things that you are grateful for. I am thankful for eating healthier and even though I am not close to completely eating healthy most days, I know and believe that I will get there, as Karen stated below:

“One part at a time, one day at a time, we can accomplish any goal we set for ourselves.” — Karen Casey. 

One part, one second, one minute at a time we can decide to accomplish our resolutions, yes we can. We can do this.

Wishing you peace and happiness my friends, from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 16 of 2021- Try

 Happy Saturday my friends! Hope you take the time to enjoy your weekend. I am keeping this very short since I am away with my family. My focus this weekend is to be with my children and spend as much quality time with them as I can.

Here is a post from the Daily Goalcast that I absolutely love. 

"Try, because you want to.

Try, because you need to.
Try, because you've got nothing to lose
and most importantly, try because you owe it to yourself." ✨

All you have to do is try- Goalcast

Keep trying and working on your goals. Don't give up now or ever. I know I won't and will try no matter what to achieve it. Hope this gives you a boost. 

Wishing you peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 15 of 2021- Mid month review

 Good Morning my friends! Happy Friday!!! We made it through the week and here we are already in the middle of January. As I have said before, time does go by fast and all of us are so busy juggling the many responsibilities and roles that we play in our lives. 

I thought it would be helpful to take a step back and do a mid month review, a look so far. So many of us are just caught up in the day to day and a lot of times we are trying to stay afloat. The review can be on anything you would like, but my focus is on the review of your resolutions or goals. My goal is to continue providing you with helpful hints for the rest of this month and maybe next.

I do want to acknowledge and congratulate all of you for having to stick to your goals and if you have fallen off the track, congratulations on doing it and don't be hard on yourself. Celebrate you and your journey. 

Today is a new day and you can still get back on track. Nothing is lost. Just restart where you are but no matter what don't beat yourself on it. Be proud and acknowledge your success, look in the mirror and say how much you love yourself. 

Reflect on your journey thus far. Reflecting is a wonderful way to see how far you have come, your success so far and any changes you need you make. Take your time and ask some of the questions below:

• What am I thankful for?
• How am I feeling about my reaching my goals or resolutions?
• What are my measures of success and how have I been doing to reach them thus far?
• What's been working out and what areas to do I need to tweak?
• What do I need to help me continue on my journey to reach my goals?
• How can I celebrate today? 

These are some questions to get started on the mid month review. Its taking a look back and recognize all the positives and opportunities you have ahead. There is a lot going on and for me, its so critical to be gentle with yourself. The review is not to be hard on yourself or talk down on yourself in anyway. You are not allowed to do that. The review is more of a celebration for having come this far. 

There is no end date and the best part is there is always tomorrow. Just like the sun never fails to rise, you will rise again tomorrow. Reflect on your emotions and feelings on your resolutions. 

Writing down your journey and reflecting on it is a great way for you to gain other insights and to go back and read it. Remember it really is a journey.

I am keeping it extra short for today and the next 3 days since I am going to be away. Short tips, motivation quotes and maybe just a couple of lines. My goal is to provide you with something to think about and to keep cheering you on! You've got this!! Don't give you and know that I am here supporting you all the way. Yes, we can do this.

Wishing you peace and happiness my friend from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 14 of 2021- The Seinfeld Strategy

 Good Morning my friends! How are you doing? How are you feeling today? This morning I was thinking about some other ways that would help me stick to my intentions and create lifelong habits such that they become second nature, like brushing my teeth. 

So one of the ways that came up to me was through reading it in an online article. Interestingly, Seinfeld was interviewed by someone where he talked about staying consistent:

"He said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes and the way to create better jokes was to write every day.
He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker. He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day.
After a few days you'll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job is to not break the chain. Don’t break the chain, he said again for emphasis."

Now, I am not sure if Seinfeld actually came up with this but I do like the idea. The words "don't break the chain", really stuck to me. I love to be able to put an X on each day that I stick to my goals. That's the challenge right.

I am so ready to take on that challenge and for everyday I eat healthy, which to me is lower my carb intake and less sugar, I will put a X on the calendar. For every time, I write on this blog, for everyday I make it to the gym, for everyday checking off my list of to do's, I will put an X on the calendar.

It sounds so simple and I believe it to be true. It is so simple and sometimes we tend to not want to take the simple path. It is so easy for me to put the cookie down, but yet I don't. Now when I have something to visualize and look at my calendar, knowing myself I will put the cookie down just so I can mark that red X.

I am one who loves this type of a challenge and not breaking the chain. I feel like it provides motivation and a tangible way for me to actually stick to my intentions. All I need to do is to look at my calendar and want to mark that X at the end of the day. How can you implement this for your goals? Can you use your calendar or get a new one, a red marker and actually start to do this today? 

Now, I also know that there will be days where I will break the streak. But looking back and seeing how long I kept the streak will give me the boost to not break it for long and to get back on track. So in order to see the streak, I need to stick to marking the X starting today and do my very best to keep it till the end of this month. No if or buts, just do it!

So I don' have a wall calendar but have a calendar book with the dates and month all on one page. You can create your own if you want to but I want to keep it simple so I am using what I have. I am going to write down in each day the intentions that I have. So everyday, it would look almost the same and have the same bullet points such as:

Less carbs today- only one slice of break

No sugar- do not get into the Godiva Chocolate box

Write on your blog

Go to gym and get at least 20 minutes of cardio.

Then at the end of the day, if I achieved all of four intentions, I will mark an X. If I don't, I won't get an X. You can start with just one thing and if you do it, mark it with an X. You don't need to have a long list, just have one goal on there. You can do this. 

I hope this gives you another way to help you stick to your resolutions. Remember, this should not feel difficult. It should be fun and not add any stress. 

Keep it fun and be creative with it. 

Wish you peace and happiness my friend from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 13 of 2021-Drop it

 Hey Friends! Happy Hump Day. Its almost Friday so hang in there. How are you feeling today? Did you wake up feeling excited? I woke up feeling a bit achy but was excited to start the day. It was so cold this morning with temps near the 20s but right now, it is close to 50 degrees and sunny. So it is a pleasant winter day. 

I hate the cold. I have learned that I just need to drop complaining how cold it is. During the winter season, every morning and afternoon, I tend to whine about the weather. It's not like me whining is going to matter or change the weather to 80 degrees. Winter is here to stay for another 2.5months and I just need to deal with it. So I said to myself just layer up dear!

This morning, I was complaining about this physical therapy place I went to yesterday. It is a new place for me and I went in due to other peoples recommendations which was very high for this place. I spent 2 hours there and came home feeling a lot worse then when I went in. It was too much for a first session. This morning, I was complaining to my kids again about my experience. My son turned around, looked at me and said, mom just drop it, its done and while you are achy just deal with getting it better and don't go back there. What's the point in talking about it non stop.

Kids are so much more conscious then we are. My son had a point, and he was so tired of me constantly talking about this place. I then thought to myself, I wonder how many more occasions he has felt this way. What other areas do you need to "drop it." I am asking this more specifically as it relates to achieving your resolutions or goals.

Now, I know there are some things that should not be dropped. There are situations and areas of my life and yours, where you have to address the issue. This is not to say that no matter what you should drop it. No my point is you need to take the situation and really ask if this needs to be addressed or is this something that I need to drop. In my case, I am being whiny about something way past the event and it was unnecessary. 

Boy, that was such a revelation. I need to drop a lot of things in my life, but more on that in another post. The thing that I really need to drop is talking about things that negatively affect my intentions and focus more on my actions. For example, for my eating healthier lifestyle, I need to drop all the things that are not helping me towards my healthier self.

What are some of the things I need to drop? Well, for starters I need to drop or stop whining about those who don't share the same goal or support me. I need to drop the negative talk in my head whenever I eat a bite of chocolate, I need to drop or stop comparing myself to others especially on social media, I need to drop or stop judging myself when I slip and others as well. I also need to drop this PT place and find a new one. I need to drop the whining.

Another words, drop all the things and talk or mental chatter that just has no place in my vehicle of plan. There is no place for those things that are not going to contribute in a positive way. We all need to look at and ask the question what can you drop right now that is not helping you achieve your resolutions. 

I realized how I must have sounded to my kids when I kept whining about the physical therapist place. I mean it was just non stop. I am so glad my son caught me and stopped by. But I really  need to be mindful when I am on the whinny path cause I know it would not help.

The appointment is done, I am home so its time to find a new place for my PT. I should have said what I wanted to say after the appointment and let it go then. But no, we are creatures of holding on aren't we?

Drop whatever it is that is negative. Don't whine and complain even if you slipped on your goal. Its okay. Tomorrow is another day. Just remind yourself to "drop it" anytime. Yes you can! 

Wishing you peace and happiness my friends from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

 

Day 12 of 2021-Are you excited

Good Afternoon my friends! Yay we are half way through the day. Here is something for you to cheer you up:

 "I am excited about what the future will bring and I think the best is yet to come."- Alonzo Mourning

"The only difference between fear and excitement is your attitude about it."- Anonymous

It has been so hectic at work. Systems are not working, emails are going crazy and everyone thinks they are more important than the other and want their email answered asap. So what else is new right! The world we live in today is so full of pain and seeing people's attitude towards everything going on is somewhat hard.

But as I have wrote before, you can only focus on you. Only you, your family, kids, close ones and things within your control. I hope to be able to continue offering a different perspective, motivation and support to help you reach your goals or anything else you have planned.

 This year is off to a very difficult start and we may be in it for sometime more till we can all heal. So till then, I hope these small minute or less reads offers some inspiration, hope or just something to read and think about.

Are you excited for achieving your resolutions or goals? Are you excited about your near term future? If you have set a resolution but don't feel any excitement about it, then perhaps there is a lesser chance of you actually achieving it. I believe that where there is excitement about a goals or anything for that matter, the chances of success are very high since you will put in the work.

Do you feel like the goals are a chore, something you need to do? How can you start to feel excited about it? If you are not feeling the excitement, then maybe you need to relook at that goal. Do you need to let it go or maybe set a different one?

Feeling excited about your achievement will help you work towards it. I am excited about how I would feel once I start eating healthier, excited about the new energy I will have and all the things I would be able to do for myself and with my kids.

I am certainly more fearful of not achieving it. For me, if I don't achieve my goals, I will likely have all kinds of health issues down the road and that is more scary. My attitude is not to be afraid to put in the work now to achieve what I want cause not doing will lead to an outcome that I don't want to think about.

Yes, its hard. No one said it was going to be easy. It maybe the most difficult thing you do this year but don't give it. Get excited about achieving it and how things will be for you say 6 months from now. I am excited to see how I feel and look come June cause I know between now and then, it won't be easy. But I am excited about my future self and what's to come to me this year. I know I can and I hope you believe it in your heart to.

So look at your goals and ask yourself if you are excited about them. 

Are you excited to work hard at it? 

Are you excited to achieve it? 

Are you excited that you have stuck to your plans so far? 

Are you excited that you are seeing results? 

Are you excited for you and your goals?

Does setting up your resolutions make you smile?

I hope these questions give you a good start to really think about your goals and to really feel the excitement. Feel it in your bones, in your breathe. Feel like you have achieved it!

Wish you peace and happiness my friends from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 11 of 2021- Vehicle of a plan

 "Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” Pablo Picasso. Boy do I love this quote!

Good Monday Morning! Second week into the new year. How are you all feeling? How are things? For those of you with kids, how is it going trying to balance work and the kids schedule? What is one thing that you can today to just take a few minutes for yourself? 

My kids are certainly back into the routine as I am back into crazy work schedule. Another hectic week at work, but I know that I will get through it. There is no other option. I am grateful though for still having a job. I know a lot of you out there are probably not having a great day or start of the year, or maybe are feeling really down today.  I am sending you my thoughts and love and know that no matter where you are, you are not alone. Hang in there. 

Pablo's quote above really got me thinking about what the vehicle of a plan and how important it is not just believe but act. We must act to achieve our goals. Time is going by and I don't know about you, but I feel a sense of urgency with my goals and intentions. I must act now. 

How are you doing with your goals? Its so hard to practice what your preach and I too have my own struggles but I know that now is the not the time to slack or give up. Now is the time to keep the foot on the gas peddle and keep moving forward. Today is another new day and start of the week. If you have not quite kept up with your goals from last year, well don't dwell on it. Last week is over and start new today.

I read an article about sticking to habits from James Clear. He is the fabulous author  of the book "Atomic Habits" an absolute must read. So in the article, James wrote that "people who explicit state when and where their new behaviors are going to happen are much more likely to stick to their goals. You can apply this strategy to almost any goal you can think of, and certainly to most health goals. For example, if you want to start a daily meditation habit this month, then you’ll be more likely to stick to your goal if you plan out when and where you’ll meditate each day".

How true is that. As I was reading it, I thought well if you want to reach your resolutions and goals, then writing it down will ensure greater success then just saying it out loud or even thinking it. It gives you a sense of self accountability. You are responsible to reach your goals and the way to achieve it or get you to actually stick to it and make it a habit is to write down when and where.

For example, for my workout this morning, I made a reservation at the gym for the 5:00am time slot. That way I know that I have a reservation and it will help me hold myself accountable to get to the gym. I also went and made the reservation for the rest of this week at 5:00am. Knowing my when and  where, I have committed to sticking to my workout and that is my vehicle for my plan to get on the path of living a healthy life. 

Another example, would be for me to set a timer or an alarm every night at 8:00pm to get to bed. By setting the timer, I ensure I go to bed early in order to wake up at 4:00am to get to the gym. Plus, I get my 8 hours of sleep. Once again my when is at 8:00pm and my where is get to bed.

Set up an appointment and commit to it. Know what your goals are and today starting with just one goal, lay out a plan as to when and where will you be doing it. Maybe its a reservation, a note on your calendar and when the time comes, actually act on it. This is the vehicle of the plan, knowing your when and where. Commit to doing this by acting on one goal and them continue to build. 

I hope that you find these tips to be helpful. My goal, at least for this month, is to keep cheering you on with either tips, motivation or things to think about as you strive to reach your resolutions or goals. 

May you find peace and happiness from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 10 of 2021- More on Intentions

 Happy Sunday Morning my friends! Another nice and quiet day at home for us. Kids are doing their usual thing and I am here thinking more about my own intentions. 

I did want to spend more time on intentions since I believe it to be really powerful. Dr. Wayne Dyer wrote about the four stages of power of intentions: discipline, wisdom, love and surrender. When you set your intentions, to me it really is all about the power of your time. 

As I think about the first stage, which is discipline it really takes a lot of focus to stay disciplined. For my intent of living a healthier life that means truly focusing on not giving in to my cravings or my emotional eating habits. I have to stay strong and really eat the foods that feed my body well and give me the energy to get through the day.

Wisdom for me is to knowing my body and the type of nutrition it needs so it ages well. I can't stop aging and as I get older, I know that I need to take care of my body to live a healthier and longer life. Wisdom is in combination of knowledge, experience and using careful judgement.

Love is giving yourself self love as you go through this process. Nothing is this world is more important than self love and it's doing the things that you love. There is no point is doing something because others have suggested it to you.

Surrender is where you set your intention, have a plan on starting and enjoying the  journey and let it go. For me, its not stepping on the scale everyday and not beating myself up when I have a bite of cake. I need to focus on my journey and let the rest go. 

If you think about setting intentions for the year, think about how these stages can we helpful to you. 

Napoleon Hill said that "Good intentions are useless until they are expressed in appropriate action". 

 I am having the right intention to live a healthy life, but it is not use if I don't take the right actions. That where reminding myself of the stages mentioned above will help me.

As I said in my last post, intention is a journey, not a once and done kind of thing. In order to really set set your intentions, here are some of the ways you can start to think about:

Know yourself- By really knowing yourself, you can decide what you really want. Ask yourself questions like 

What is it that is important to me?

What are the areas in my life that I have not worked on and avoided to deal with?

What is the story that I am telling myself?

Your Why- I know I write about really getting to know your why but what is the thing or reason deep down. Why do you really need to do this? Why is it so important? Why not? It is your decision and you have to find your why so you have a better chance to stick to it.

Believe that you can- Here its a combination of seeing yourself actually doing what you intended, having a vision of yourself of what that would feel like. For me, seeing myself having the energy gives me great feeling to actually want to do it. I can see the path and having faith in my own ability.

I hope this gives you the power and strength to actually want to set your intention or start to think about it. Here is another one of my favorite quote:

Intent is not a thought, or an object, or a wish. Intent is what can make a man succeed when his thoughts tell him that he is defeated. It operates in spite of the warrior's indulgence. Intent is what makes him invulnerable. Intent is what sends a shaman through a wall, through space, to infinity.

—Carlos Castaneda

 Wishing you peace and happiness my friend from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

Day 9 of 2021- Resolution vs Intention

 Good Saturday afternoon my friends! Hope you are well rested and ready to enjoy this beautiful day. It is really cold but sunny with no wind which is what I prefer during the winter. Can't stand those winds during winter when it makes it feel a good 10 degrees colder and especially when it hits your face. 

So at the very beginning of the year, I talked about how I could not keep my new years resolutions and now decided to keep intentions instead. I thought it would be useful to expand on this since there are so many of you who keep new year resolutions but maybe if you are having a hard time sticking to it, this may offer you a different perspective.

The online dictionary defines a resolution as "a firm decision to do or not do something. The quality of being determined or resolute. The solution to a problem". I realized that the reason I was not able to keep my resolutions was because I am a a human and part of being human involves learning and making mistakes. I am not the problem that needs solving or to resolve.

An intention is defined as "what one intends to do or bring about. A determination to act in a certain way". For me life is about being intentional and creating it. In the power of intention, Wayne Dyer defines intention as "a strong purpose or aim, accompanied by a determination to produce a desired result.” An intention is something you aim to achieve, your purpose, something that you actively work to manifest in your life.

A resolution is a lot easier to think about. It either works or it doesn't. An intention is more of a journey that your nurture and create. A resolution is either you do it or not, an intention uses your creativity. I feel that a resolution is more of a check list and the intention requires you to constantly recreate. With a resolution, you get to an end, but with intention you are evolving always.

So in order to eat healthier this year and cut out carbohydrates and sugar, I intend to only stock up on healthy foods and cook at home. I intend not to stock up on frozen foods. To me, this sounds a lot doable than saying I am doing to only eat carrots and celery for one month to get healthy. That will not make me succeed in decision to get healthy.

An intention is a lot more powerful way to stick to the habits that I want to change. Eating healthier is not a one time deal. Its a way of life so to make real changes, it requires more than a resolution. It requires a strong intention.

Similarly with all of the resolutions you have made this year, it may be helpful to take a different perspective on it if you have a hard time sticking to it. How can you look at your intentions instead and instill the life long habits that will change your life. Think about it.

Wishing you peace and happiness my friends from my heart to yours.

Peace,

Monita

Day 8 of 2021- Know your WHY

 Good Morning friends! Happy Friday!!! The end of the first work week in 2021. I am so glad it is Friday and look forward to having a relaxing weekend. 

I hope you are having a good day do far. Hang in there, only a few more hours of work. So as I wrote about taking the one small step to either start your goals or to get back on track if you need to. 

Take one small step for yourself to do the thing that you always wanted to do or achieve. I am not talking about our other responsibilities and the many other roles we play. I am referring to what you need for yourself. Have you set some resolutions or goals? Is there something you have always wanted to do but kept putting off, waiting for the right time? 

If we have learned anything from 2020, its that there is never a "right time". Today, this moment and minute is the only one we have. Why not begin now? 

Part of starting a goal, a habit or a solution and sticking to it is knowing your why. Why is this important to you? Why start this now? Why not do something for yourself? Remembering your why will actually empower you. 

Asking the right type of why question is also important. Questions like, why can't I start my goal, why am I eating a bag of chips, is not helpful. Instead think about asking why do I want to choose a healthier snack instead of chips, or why is it so necessary for me to start my goal. It helps you take a pause and question your motive. 

Try to turn your questions into why and see if you can reframe it. Remembering the why of even doing something in a positive way will hopefully help you to see it through. On the days when I don't feel like going to the gym, I have to remember my why. So for me this usually is because its a stress reliever and gives me lots of energy for the rest of the day and this motivates me to get changed and drive to the gym.

Similarly, when I reach for the unhealthy snack, I have to stop myself and ask why do I need this. The why is your reason for starting something and a way to empower you. Your way will help you find a way towards your desires. 

Remember when you were a child as always asked "why". For those of us with kids, you know the feeling when you child kept asking, but why do I need to this, but why and there were days when I was tired and resolved to the easy answer of "because I said so". Why ignites curiosity and that's how kids or adults learn. You become curious as to what will happen and makes you look at at your actions from a different angle. 

Asking why gets your to the bottom of things or your actions. If you keep asking why you will dive deeper and deeper to a better understanding of your goal or action. 

Find ways to write your why down or a way to keep it front and center so you don't miss it. Keep remembering your reason and keep on moving towards the why for your goals or resolutions.

May you be at peace and happy my friends from my heart to yours.

Peace,

Monita

Day 7 of 2021- Small Step

 Good Morning friends! What a morning. The country is under a lot of turmoil and its so sad to see what's been happening around the country. Just really really sad.

Well, so today is the 7th day of the new year. We are already a week in. This week is surely going by fast. In my last post, I wrote about not giving up and pushing through your new year resolutions. It starts with just one small step. 

Look right now with the country being under such turmoil, the pandemic and just a lot of pain everywhere you turn, don't look away from it. Don't shut your eyes to what is happening and to your feelings. You are entitled to every single feeling within you, but keep your eyes open and keep on. 

This is probably some of the most difficult times a lot of us have ever seen and will see in our lifetime. I don't know what tomorrow will look like. But I do know that in the midst of this chaos, I am going to keep living my life and keep my intentions. Keep in mind that you can only do what's in your control and not anything outside of your control. 

So while there is chaos keep your eye on your road. Well, how do you do that? Here are some of the things that I do daily:

Keep a planner and everyday I write my goals down to remember what I need to get done. For me, writing it down is a way for me to stick to what I need to do.

Stick to my routine. I wake up almost the same time every single day. 

Get some form of exercise in. I love to walk outdoors, but these days walk on the treadmill due to the weather. Move your body every day and do not just sit on the couch.

Get a good night's rest. I aim for at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep.

Doing more self care. What other things do you like doing to take care of yourself? A massage maybe or cooking yourself a good healthy meal.

The idea is to do the same thing every single day to reach your goals. Lay out a plan on how you plan to accomplish your goal and stick to it. There is a saying that it takes 21 days for a habit to stick. Well, I read somewhere recently that it is really a myth. The idea just became popular but people who wanted it to be true and maybe thought it would be easy to do something just for 21 days. 

It does not take 21 days, it takes every single day. If you really want to stick to your new year resolutions, it takes discipline and focus. Be strong and stay loyal to yourself. Its not as easy as brushing your teeth, this takes a lot more effort on your part.

So hope this helps to at least get you started if you haven't or to get you to keep going. 

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."- Albert Einstein

May you be at peace and happy, from my heart to yours.

Peace,

Monita

Day 6 of 2021-Don't toss the ball

 Good afternoon friends! How is your day going so far? It's been a bit busy for me. I did have a good workout this morning so I know that I will be handle the rest of the day. It has been really cold and cloudy where I am. I am not a fan of winter and usually prefer the warmer weather. But spring will come soon enough. 

Anyways, I received a work related email from someone asking if I had done something. This person even attached an email from our last exchange. In the attachment, I was the last one to respond to her giving her the information she needed. I was under the impression that she was going to take it from there and complete the task. 

She wrote in her email asking me when I was planning to complete it. I noticed that in my current job, there are a lot people whom I correspond with that like to just not take responsibility or see the task through. They like to do what I call, toss the ball to someone else, "here you do it since this is not my problem" type of mentality. 

I am sure some of you have encountered similar situations where someone said they will do it and then never follow through with it. It is very frustrating and honestly, not a very efficient way of doing things especially when you are working in a large company. 

I get very fed up with such emails and its a complete waste of time. I expect when someone says they will do something, they will follow through with it and not toss the ball (or task) to someone else. At the end of the day, work is work and not personal. Most people just don't want to deal with anything outside of what is already on their plate. 

Similarly, as you go through this year, don't toss the ball on yourself. Another words, don't give up on doing the hard things no matter how difficult things seem. It is easier to say to push it to another day or say that you will get to it later, then it just gets pushed. Take responsibility of your life and push through the hard times. 

A lot of people are just waiting for a better time, or a better day or maybe next month when things get better. No one knew a year ago that in a couple months, the country will be shutting down. No one knew. None of us have a magic ball that can predict what will happen. 

This is a new year and we are only 6 days in. My hope is that I am able to encourage you to not give up on your resolutions or goals. A lot of people give up on their new year resolutions by the end of Jan or after. Very few actually see it through. I hope to see my own intentions through this year. The start is always hard but like a lot of things, you get used to it if you stick to it which I will talk more about in my next post. It will be hard, but you are build for this. Stay strong!

Wishing you peace and love my friends, from my heart to yours!

Peace,

Monita

 

Day 5 2021- Beating or Building

 Good Morning my friends. Today is the second working day for the start of 2021.  Kids are officially back in school and really did so well waking up in the morning, having their breakfast, getting ready and logging on to virtual learning 5 mins before class start. I am always so impressed and proud of them. They seem to so easily just go with the flow and while I am sure they would love to sleep in, they understand that its time to put the long winter break behind and get back to the routine.

I have settled back into work, well somewhat. It is a busy time for me and will be over the next couple of weeks but I also know that if I focus and keep my eyes on the task at hand, it will get done and while its tedious, its really not that bad. 

I did also try to switch my work out time yesterday. I usually go in the mornings but decided to try the evening class. While it was a lot of fun, I had a hard time getting a restful sleep in the night and woke up early this morning. I did decide that I am totally a morning person and prefer to get my workout done early so I can work and play with the kids later in the evening. 

It felt really good to get my heart rate up this morning. Although that meant not doing my meditation or writing, I know that I will be able to find time to do it. I am certainly not going to beat myself up over it or for some of the days where I know I will miss my workout and meditation. 

I look at it as building myself up. Rather than beating myself up for not having my meditation complete or write in my journal, I am choosing to focus on building my habits up. Building it up by ensuring that I assign myself the time slot that I will be doing all the important things.

Building is laying the brick, a small brick or think of it as a small step that will help make the foundation for this year and the rest of my life. Focusing on what am I going to build today and asking that question every single morning. What can you think about building today?

For me, that looks like finishing this post, meditating and writing in my journal. That's all for this morning and every single morning for as long as I am able to. To break it down even further, for my meditation life brick, I may not do the whole 20 mins but maybe 10 today and than try to work towards the 20 minutes goal daily. It always begins with one right brick that will fit. 

You know when you are a shoe store or a clothing store and you try on many different sizes, styles and brands to see what looks and feels the best, well finding the right brick to build your life takes many tries and many returns. The point is we usually don't mind trying 50 different pairs of shoes and I never have seen anyone beating themselves up over trying the shoes either or mind moving on to a different style or store for that matter. We keep at it till we find what are looking for. 

Similarly, keep building your life and don't beat up on yourself  for anything that you do or experience. Always ask, what can I do now to build again. 

Remember stop beating and keep building. Try just one thing today and note how it makes you feel. 

Wishing you peace and love my friends, from my heart to yours.

Peace,

Monita

Day 4 2021- Tune up

 Good Morning my friends. Happy Monday. Yep, today most of us return to our old schedules and hopefully you are feeling well rested and ready to take on the day. 

Be gentle with yourself today. Taking regular breaks can help with slowly easing back to work and kids school. There really is no point stressing to much about facing the day and remember to just take it one hour at a time. As I said in my last post, by this time next week, you will be more or less back into the swing of things and the winter break will feel long gone. 

It is exciting to start the year. Think about all the fun you want to have this year, the goals to accomplish, the new memories to make. There is so much to look forward to. A whole year and we are just getting started. Just as it feels exciting to start something new like a new job, moving to a new state, getting married, falling in love for the first time, becoming a parent for the first time, starting your new business etc, its new. 

Likewise the feeling of starting the new year should feel that way, especially after the type of year we had in 2020. When you feel overwhelmed, think about how you felt in the past years when it was the new year. So many amazing things are awaiting for you. I certainly feel this way. 

Personally, I am looking forward to learning new things and hopefully getting into a new job. Actually, its all new all the time anyways. Tomorrow will be new day, then a new month. We are constantly in a new moment even though it may still feel like the old but it is a new minute every time.

Friends, its time for us to tune up. Just like we take our car to the workshop for a tune up like when you see a light pop up on the dashboard, or your hear unusual sounds or vibrations, you take it in for a check.

Have you ever felt that maybe its time to get tuned in to yourself to see what areas in your life need a tune up? We have just ended a year that was filled with one of the most difficult and painful time of our lives and non of us are out of the dark times yet. Till we get the vaccine, we are all living by the edge. 

But maybe now is a good time to really reflect what areas in your life are not vibrating well or ringing really loud sounds within you and what can you do to start looking into it and seeing what need fix or get rid of to remove the light on your life dashboard. What's blinking non stop trying to get your attention?

For me, its definitely my skills. For a very long time now (maybe over 3 months), I have been thinking about signing up for an online course that I hope will add to resume skills and help within my current position or move on to a better one. I mean this thing has been on my mind literally screaming at me to sign up and I have not done it. I have looked into it and researched about it, even got close to signing up but never did officially sign up. 

So just like my car, if I don't pay attention to that light or the sounds, one day my car might just not start and then I will have a bigger issue and expense on my hand. But what if I paid attention to the light or sound and immediately took it for a tune up. There's a good chance, my car will not only run better but longer. 

Just like that, my skills need a tune up. As I think about logging on for work in 13 mins, I am thinking about what skills can I be adding to my resume. There are a lot of other areas in my life that also need a tune up, but one step at a time. The online course is something that will be not only manageable but doable as I think about the day ahead or days ahead of me. 

What about you my friends? Any one thing you can think of that will help with tuning up your life? Maybe start with writing one thing down and journaling about it. What would you like to do about it in the near future?

May you be at peace and happy from my heart to yours.

Peace,

Monita

Day 3 of 2021- Preparing for the first Monday

 What a lovely rainy Sunday it is. I love the rain and opened the door to take in some fresh deep breathes, taking in the smells of the wet day. It is so cold here about 39 degrees but I still love to just open the door for a few minutes. 

My daughter loves the rain too and in the summer she loved playing in the rain and getting all wet. Just seeing her jump on the rain puddles and smiling brought me such happiness. I did not go in the rain and join her in the fun, but definitely look forward to doing that this year when the weather is warmer.

Celebrated a good friend's birthday yesterday and going for another one today. We were all wearing masks and safely distanced. It is always nice to be part of the celebration and watch someone enjoy their day. I love to celebrate other birthdays and give them surprises. There's something about giving to others that brings such joy. 

So tomorrow is back to work and kids go back too after their winter break. Never fun to wake up early and start back the grind after such a lovely break. I am heading back to a very hectic couple of weeks of work so a big part of me is really dreading it as I am sure many of you are also feeling the same. 

One of the things that is heavily on my plate for work requires a lot of time and is very tedious. I honestly hate this time of the month but I know that it is only for a short time. So part of the game plan is to just stay focused on my tasks and get it done. I know that even though I don't enjoy it, if I just keep my concentration on the task at hand, then it will get done. 

So as most of us plan for tomorrow and getting back to work and school, what are some of the things we can do to lessen the dreaded day and week ahead? Maybe you are one of the lucky ones and looking forward to it in which case, good for you. But if any one out there dreading to face the day and week or month ahead, than welcome on my ship.

So for me, I know that as much as I am dreading it, one of the things I am focusing on is being grateful that I still have a job. I know so many people are suffering now due to the pandemic and may not have jobs to return to tomorrow. I have been fortunate to still have a job so I am so very thankful from the bottom of my heart. 

Along the same lane, I am also thankful that the kids get back to online school and are home staying safe and healthy. I am so grateful I get to be with them at home, cook for them and just be in their company. Such a blessing. 

So list all the things that you are grateful for and that does take away the dreaded feeling. Be as specific as you can and try not to repeat the same things. Try this every single day. 

Another thing I do is to remind myself that it could be a lot worse. There a many of your out there who have to go to work and there are no other options. I am glad that I get to be safely at home. 

Getting a good night's rest is always key. That helps to not be as tired and grumpy and to face the day with a clear head. 

Get all your prep done for next week, another words, grocery, laundry, meal preps etc. This way its one less thing as you head back tomorrow.

Know that you have been here before. Remember the years past and even though this year is different and difficult especially after the holidays, you will get through it. You will be okay.

And take care and be gentle with yourself as you head back. Don't be to hard and know that by next week this time, you will be back in the routine and in the swing of things. 

It will always be okay. You've got this!!

May you be at peace and happy from my heart to yours.

Peace,

Monita