Flow

I've decided to take time each Monday this month to center and set myself some simple, synergistic  goals, and this week I'm focusing on flow. Flow is the natural, effortless unfolding of my life in a way that moves me toward wholeness and harmony. Flow is always here, around me and in me, whether or not I am in it. Sometimes it runs underground like a river, and I stay aloof. But when I step into the power of flow, I am connected in an intuitive sense to patterns and meaning, and to a dynamic force beyond myself.

Agenda:
1. Read "5 Resets"
2. Mediteranean Diet

3. Synergy and Flow plan

4. Simplify the living room

1. Read "5 Resets":

I started this book for Lent: "The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress and More Resilience" (2024), by Aditi Nerurkar. I'm half-way through, and into the 3rd reset: 

Synch Your Brain and Your Body. Our mind-body connection is always running in the background, and plugging in to it with intention can help reduce your stress. 

Today I continued to read about how to lead with your gut: ie, pay attention to my nervous stomach. When I experience bloating, acid-reflux, etc., it could be in reaction to stress and the daily habits I use to sooth my stress, especially drinking and snacking. My gut's response is a double warning -  to reduce my stress and also improve my habits - in order to feel better and be more resilient. 

2. Mediterranean diet:

She goes on in depth about the Mediterranean Diet, the diet she suggests for resilience. I already do many of the parts, but I plan to add some new bits this month - this week:

1. 3 half-cup servings of fresh fruit per day (as snacks, to replace crackers and cookies!)
2. 3 servings of fish per week - especially fish rich in omega-3s, like salmon, sardines, herring, tuna and mackerel.
3. More whole grains - less white grains.

3. Synergy and Flow plan:

Lately I've been holding onto a lot of guilt that I'm not accomplishing enough to satisfy the urgency of the situation. It creates anxiety and a feeling of panic that sometimes bursts out as frustration in others. This out-of-control feeling is stress building up in me (and in others); it's what resilience habits are supposed to help with.

But I also need to keep an overall message in my head to SLOW DOWN and GO WITH the FLOW.

I feel “in the flow” when I stay awake in the moment, open to my intuition as well as to messages from the Universe, and become fully engaged in whatever I am doing. Time seems rich, full, resonant and still, all at once. I am ready to embrace whatever develops, because I know everything I experience has value.

When I swim with the flow, its currents move me smoothly and gently through life. My anxiety and anger drop away, and my joy and peace increase. I have an “aha” feeling of familiarity and rightness. Flow brings balance into my life, allows me to make better decisions, and move more confidently toward the outcomes that make me happiest.

I'm going to add this reminder to my schedule this week, so that whenever I drink water I will also Cultivate flow:

• Live with Immediacy– Slow down and just BE, in this moment- aware and awake.
• Open- Listen to my intuition and my gut, as well as messages from the Universe.
• Be Passionate and Brave- Let go of caution and involve myself wholeheartedly with what I love. Stretch beyond the way I’ve always done things.

I'm also going to continue to write a daily synergy plan and checklist for my projects that will lead me to: 

1. Be prepared - have a plan and visuals, and gather supplies each morning for grandson time and projects. 
2. Inner synergy and full-effort - Engage all of myself (physical, mental, spiritual) in my priorities so that I create an explosion of power!

4. Simplify the living room:

This week our living room needs a little organization. The toy chaos is becoming a daily drain. May simplicity is not only about less clutter; it's my goal to have order, to have a home for each thing, and put it back there every day.

My plan is to completely empty one basket, toy box, or cabinet each day, and put back only what we need. Also, find new, creative ways to store toys so they look tidy and are easy to put away.

Clearing even a small space, like the book basket, gifts me with feelings of peace and joy. This week I plan to:

• Clear and tidy the kid books and remove some we no longer use.
• Clear the toy box, and put some things away for the summer.
• Clear the crafts cabinet and restock with summer things.
• Make a new nature table.