Thought Prompt

I’m going to keep this one short, but I’d like to offer a couple of thought prompts that I’ve been using in my own personal development over the past few weeks that have been really impactful.

What is something you need to let go of?

I like to think about this at the beginning of the day to let go of any limiting beliefs, or leftover nonsense from the day before. It helps me focus on what’s real and what’s now. It creates a lot of mental clarity with which to start the day.

I like to think about this at the end of the day to help me let go of any mistakes or missteps (perceived or real) that I might have made, moments of doubt, etc, that I experienced throughout the day. Journaling on this prompt right before bed really helps me minimize the middle-of-the-night anxiety. It has a nice undercurrent of self-compassion and forgiveness.

What is your prevalent mood? Is this how I really feel, or is it a habit? Does it serve me?

This one is great for calling bullshit on yourself. One example is, I am originally from the Boston area, and people from that area looooove to complain. We complain about the weather, the sports teams, our aches and pains, you name it. Complaining about stuff is basically the unofficial love language of New Englanders. It’s how we bond…over how shit everything is. (❤️💩❤️)

Sometimes, when I catch myself complaining a lot (internally or externally), I self-check. Is this really how I feel, or is this just an old habit? Does this serve me? My negativity can definitely be habitual. And it usually isn’t serving me. Calling myself out on it allows me to see what (if anything) is actually bothering me (I’m usually just hungry) and address it, or it reminds me that everything is actually super awesome, and it reconnects me with my gratitude.

I’d love to hear if/what these prompts spark for you. To share your thoughts drop a comment below.

Thought Prompt: What am I Choosing?

The end-of-year holiday time carries with it an invitation to reflect, rest, and reset. If your inbox looks like mine, you’ve already been getting a lot of messages with tools and advice for closing out this year, and establishing your goals and intentions for the next year. Both the closing out and the setting up are important processes, and there are many wonderful ways to do both.

Whatever tools you use to close out this crazy year and march forward into the new year with new intentions and goals, I invite you to consider weaving this idea into the mix:

👉 Years are made of moments, and every moment is an opportunity to choose.

If 2020 has taught us anything it is that there is a lot that we don’t have control over.  And yet…there is still a lot that we do have control over. Things like our reactions, our activities, how we behave in our relationships, our career moves.

I have recently woven the prompt ‘what am I choosing?’ into the course of my daily life. I find that it is a helpful guide in just about every area of life.

This prompt helps me check in with my mood. For example, if I’m angry I ask myself ‘Am I choosing to be angry? Do I want to be angry? If not, is there another mood I would like to choose?’

It helps me plan my day. For example, when my schedule has too many appointments I ask myself ‘Am I choosing to put everyone else’s scheduling needs before my own? How can I choose to show up for others while caring for myself?’

It helps me come boldly back out to the light when I feel like I’m hiding, and it helps me retreat back to solitude when I feel overextended.

In addition to helping me align with the actions that I take…

This prompt helps me stay aligned with who I want to be, and how I want to show up in the world.

Am I choosing love over hate. Am I choosing to model the behaviors I want to see more of? Am I choosing patience, self-compassion, and understanding. Am I choosing to show up for difficult things in meaningful ways? Am I choosing to use my voice for good? Am I choosing actions and activities that align with my purpose?

As with any good thought prompt, this email barely scratches the surface of all the ways this idea can be applied and used to examine what’s going on in your life.

As you close out this year and set yourself up for next year, perhaps the questions might look like:

What have I been choosing?

What am I choosing now?

What would I like to choose going forward?

Perhaps they might look like something else. Perhaps you will choose not to think about these questions at all, and that’s fine, too.

The choice is yours.

Share Your Thoughts.

We’d love to hear whether you found these tips helpful, and what other tips you’ve used to strengthen your voice.

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