#live out loud

[fortheartsofnone]

“be realistic”

no.

[munchymunchkin]

[tammyblackday]

Routines.

I despise routines.

They're boring and repetitive. I do not believe we were intended to live out the exact same day of our lives every day. This it what routines feel like to me. It's kind of like the opening to Dexter; same thing every time with the shaving, getting dressed, and making breakfast; same foods. It's so boring.

I need routines.

I do. I hate to admit it but I do so well when I have routines. It requires less of my brain power to have routines, which gives me more thinking time for writing and schooling and teaching. Routines help me stay healthy and grounded. I thrive whenever I stick to my routines. It's so healing.

Still.

I don't think we're supposed to live each day, our whole lives, doing the same exact things. In fact, I know we're not. Otherwise, we would still be swaddled in diapers, relying on others to change and feed us. Doing things differently helps us to learn and grow. It helps us experience new things to learn about ourselves; what we like and don't like.

Diversity in action is the process of being alive!

It's like how in the movie Groundhog's Day (watch it!) when our main character realizes he's waking up in the same day; doing the same things. Spoiler alert- he starts to get depressed until he realizes the opportunities in each day to learn new things, expand his mind, help others. And, not to make everyone else happy or like him. He does these things for the joy of learning and growing; he becomes a better version of himself by doing things differently each day. Here's the catch....

Routines ground us.

In the movie, he still creates routines such as saving a boy falling from a tree; however, he makes time throughout his day in these routines to explore his interests and enjoy the process of learning. The movie is a profound example of how routines and spontaneity coexist in a beautiful dynamic, allowing us to unfold our great potential. For the past three weeks, I've been doing a routine each morning where I wake up between 4:30am-5am, sit in my dark office with only the glow of my Himalayan salt lamp, journal for 15 minutes with a small cup of coffee, say two prayers (adapted version of Mother Theresa's morning prayer and the actual translation of the lord's prayer) and five pages of belief code affirmations to embrace new thought processes in my life, walk 1/2 mile to our local recreation center, do water aerobics for 30-40 minutes, walk 1/2 mile home, visit with my husband for 15 minutes, do 20-30 minutes of yoga, shower and get ready for my day, start my day by 9am, fast until noon, eat lunch and dinner, start fasting at 6pm, go to bed by 8am, and then I fall asleep by 9pm. On the days I don't do water aerobics, I often write in my blog or do extra walking or longer yoga sessions. I rest on Sundays.

Here's the thing about this routine, although I despise routines, I feel better, I've lost 10 lbs, I'm not having as many sensory meltdowns, and I manage all the other things in life so much better with a clear mind and calm disposition. I know these routines are helping me become a better version of myself. I'm learning how to move my body differently. I have more energy to do house work and keep up with my 18 mos. old grandson.

I'm happier.

I simply have to remind myself every single day that I choose these routines centered around my personal wellness and growth because it helps me be who I want to be; a calm and joyful person able to help others and create healthy boundaries with family, friends, school and work. Typically, by week three, I'm starting to think about all the ways in which I'm going to break the routines once my 30 Challenge is over. However, this time, I'm thinking about extending my challenge to a lifestyle change, and I've been considering all the ways in which I can uphold these routines to be the foundation that helps me create and manifest greater things in my life; to fully and audaciously live my life out loud!

[followthegreenfaerie]

What’s the fun in life if we can’t be exactly who we are?! ❤️‍🔥

Thank your lucky stars if who you are doesn’t look like everyone else.

Stand out! Live out loud!

❤️‍🔥💋❤️‍🔥

[thelowlandbench]

[willowgirl713]

Edit: sigh. Tumblr flagged it… so daisies hide the bits now. How incredibly silly.

———

Let’s see if I can get away with this…. 🤍

New lingerie… not from AdoreMe, just Amazon… I have this in peach but needed it desperately in white. Yes, desperately. Can you blame me? I think I need it in baby blue too.

Needed to get my mind right today. Embrace the moment. Lost someone in my circle yesterday- quite suddenly in a motorcycle accident. He was vibrant and kind and generous to his core. He was flawed, as we all are, but loved reggae and lived that life of One Love more than anyone I know. He never missed a show on the East coast… and he’d buy you a ticket if you couldn’t afford one. He was unabashedly himself, spontaneous, and lived life at Maximum Everything. So today, I did the same. And I feel better. I feel connected and settled. And sexy. There’s something about being authentic with yourself and being fully present that makes you feel like a fucking Goddess.

J, you’ll be missed by so many. Ride on…. and 🖕🖕🖕

[derogatoryapparently]

Iiiiiiii'm just gonna leave this here 😏

Aaaaaand my post gets some life breathed into it! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[weirdcultstuff]

One time someone told me, as a compliment, “Follow your passions! You’re so good at what you do.”

And I laughed and later I wrote in a journal something like: “Life isn’t a Disney movie, you can’t just follow your heart -your heart is corrupt, it will lead you down the wrong paths!”

And now, looking back, the fact that I accepted for twenty years ‘I and everything about me is evil and corrupt and can’t be trusted’ as a baseline fact of life is HECKIN PROBLEMATIC.