40 Days to Personal Revolution: Week 1 - PRESENCE
The theme for the first week of 40 Days to Personal Revolution was PRESENCE. That meant getting present to what's currently happening in our lives as well as getting present to where we want to go. To do that, we were to notice what's actually happening in the different areas of our lives that are important to us. We were to also begin acknowledging what we want and how those wants make us feel. In addition, we were to notice what we do not want in our lives.
The tools to help us get PRESENT (also a recap of the program requirements) were the 6 days of yoga, daily meditation, and mindful eating. Finally, we were to attend one group meeting, which ended up being the best part of the week.
I got present to the fact that I was subconsciously looking for a reason to drop out of the program. For example, if I got too busy, I told myself I’d drop out because my business is more important. If I were too tired, too sore, too annoyed, too…whatever, I could just drop out. Could that mentality have affected my business or other areas of my life? Yes. Yes, it has.
I realized I failed to go to networking events, because I assumed they would be a waste of time and money. I failed to ask for referrals because I thought the person I was to ask would refuse. I failed to tell others about my business at one point because I did not want negative feedback.
I also realized I have surrounded myself with others that share the same limiting mindset. Prior to attending the group meeting, I spoke to a friend over the phone. She also practices yoga at the same studio, and she had a lot to say about the 40 Days to Personal Revolution program:
“40 Days are for you young kids that are still trying to find yourselves!”
“I don’t need 40 Days. I do yoga 365 days a year!”
“I have a real job and am too busy to do 40 Days!”
“Yoga 6 days in a row? That’s ridiculous! What if you’re new to yoga?! That sets the new people up for failure!”
“I can’t wait until a lot of you start to drop out of this thing so there can be room in the yoga studio again!”
Was there any part of the conversation that was supportive or positive? I nearly made myself a stiff cocktail because I felt terrible at the end of that conversation! Thank goodness for the group meeting as that was the perfect cocktail.
In the meeting, we were asked to draw a circle, in our journals. In that circle we would write what we want in our lives, and those wants can be anything. And by anything, a participant declared she wanted a new bathroom in her home. We were to also write what we do not want in our lives, outside of the circle.
On a different piece of paper, we were asked to draw another circle. In that circle we wrote how our wants made us feel. Outside of the circle we also wrote how what we don’t want makes us feel.
I was so lit up by that circle exercise that I bought a giant white poster board on my way home. When I got home, I drew a large circle, on that poster board, and repeated the exercise from the group meeting. I nearly filled the circle with my wants, and I want a lot of things!
However, I was struggling to write the things that I do not want. Yet what I did write seemed to carry a lot of weight. We tend to dwell on the negative when there is so much more positive. Why is that?
By the way, I continue to write inside and out of the circle.
In summary, I really enjoyed week 1. Specifically, I appreciated how I was able to realize some of the ways I limit myself in my business and daily life. Going forward, I will look for the reasons I CAN do something. I also loved the circle exercise because it helped me get clear with what I want in my business and life. Now that I have clarity, it’s time to put a plan in place to achieve what I want. It’s time to step into possibility!
