Three things to write every night.

“If a writer stops observing he is finished. Experience is communicated by small details intimately observed.” – Ernest Hemingway

Three thing to write every night that will lead to a more fulfilling life.

  1. What did you enjoy today? Just jot down the highlights of your day, whether it was a simple pleasure, a peaceful moment, or something that made you smile.
  2. What are you grateful for today? Gratitude is trendy these days, but that’s a good thing. Even during our darkest moments, we can search for slivers of light.
  3. An Affirmation. These affirmations at the end of the day are a way to carry goodness into your next day. Less about “I am” statements and more about speaking positive action into the next day.

What are you writing? How’s your book coming? Poetry?

Sunday Solitude

Today was a slow day for me. On Sundays I really try my best to listen to my body. I walked, I rested, and a took time to feel my day out.

Still got things done without belittling myself or emotionally pushing myself around. I still nourished my body with delicious food and movement.

I recharged at my own pace.

This isn’t a race. I’m moving at a pace that allows me to deeply enjoy my journey. I’m spending time with my family and investing in my home. I should feel good about that, and that’s what I was gifted to reflect on today.

What do you do on your days of Solitude?

Lets Move Beyond Traditional Definitions of Success

“It’s time to move away from the demands of others—and the definitions given to us by those others around success. By focusing on putting together the unique combination of things that provide fulfillment to create the perfect life that’s right for each individual, it is easier to put down the things that make our life load heavy.” -Bronwen Sciortino, Forbes Councils Member “Five Types Of Personal And Professional Fulfillment And How To Gain Them”

I love how she said, putting together the unique combination of things that provide fulfillment! That is exactly the trick. It’s not just focusing on one thing that fulfills you. It’s really sitting down and thinking about the things that you can do for hours and not once think about the time. It’s the things that wake you up in the morning or keep you up at night. Those challenges that you keep facing even when it’s really not looking good. Make a place for the ones that light you up the most and let the rest go.

Here’s the article if you’re interested in reading more about the different types of personal fulfillment. I think this is worth journaling about in this wonderful month of August. I believe it’s the perfect time to weigh your priorities.

Welcome to August

“Fulfilment in life is the realisation of our own personal meaning of life. By working towards something that is meaningful to us we end up feeling a sense of fulfilment.” -Matthew Gibson at Center for Emotional Education

Yes, here we are. It’s August, and we get to spend August being intentional with our actions to welcome more fulfillment into our lives! Bravo!

What kind of things are meaningful to you?

Fulfillment is Yours to Own

“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.” -H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

I have found my space in this world. I’ve found the things that fill my soul for this season. I’m sure as I grow and mature, new things will spring up and fulfill me in ways I never knew I needed. One thing I had to learn is that it’s only my job to fulfill me, and it is my responsibility to myself to own that. Once I took full ownership of my own fulfillment, I learned that fulfillment comes much easier when I allow myself to be fully present.

Keeping Your Commitments for Fulfillment

Fulfillment- the achievement of something desired, promised, or predicted.

We’ve all been through hard times, but even then, we can still follow through with our commitments to ourselves.

I oftentimes say I yes before really thinking about it, but now that Sunday is my day of solitude, I am immediately hesitant about making any plans that day. It’s not always a definite no; it’s usually more like, “I’ll have to see how I’m feeling.”

Since I started doing Sunday Solitude, like 10 years ago, I’ve learned to trust myself, which led to more self-confidence and security in myself and my own word. This allowed me to fulfill my own desires (that usually rise or originate from my beliefs and values). So today, I wanted to think about and share how we can go into August with the intention of deep fulfillment.

There’s a few ways to ensure we keep our commitments to ourselves even under pressure.

  • Ensure you have a reminder about your commitment on all your calendars and scheduled into your routine.
  • Have go to lines that come easily and off the cuff. “Let me think about that.” “I have to see.” “Wow, thanks for thinking of me. Are there any other days that might work?”
  • Make it easy. Set the mood, and add things to your commitment that bring you joy. For example: a playlist, a planned outfit, a candle to light with your favorite scent, your favorite water bottle or mug to sip from.
  • Create little mementos or reminders that light your fire and inspire you to keep that commitment: Post-it notes, stickers, a little reminder on your desktop background, figurines, and maybe even a tiny pebble as a reminder.
  • Make it a game. This can be funny. Have people ask you for help, and your only job in this game is to say no. Don’t explain. Don’t cave. Just say no.

When you’re used to giving to the point of depletion, it can feel weird to do these things. They may feel silly at first but these tools have worked for me. I think it’s important to share them.

Buuut

what’s most important here is your commitments to yourself. It’s great to write them down! Yes, but it gives us even deeper fulfillment to follow through with our commitments to ourselves.

I hope we carry deep fulfillment into August!

What do you think? How you feeling about this post?

Action Over Words

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” -Anton Chekhov

This month I was craving deeper fulfillment and greater emotional satisfaction. But listen up, I’m not bringing all that with me into August. I hope you don’t carry it all either.

We don’t have to talk in detail about how we’re not going to do it. Let’s just communicate through action. Let’s make this real!

What does deep fulfillment look like for you? Show me.

What does greater emotional satisfaction look like? Show me.

That’s where my focus will be and what I’ll be keeping my eye out for ways to do it in August. 🧐

Inspired Plans

We’ll be wrapping up July this week, and wow! We made it!

I spent today in the sunshine planning out my next few days. Not in detail since the stay-at-home mom life requires flexibility, but just enough to inspire me. There’s a writer who says he writes just enough to keep writing the next day. That’s how I planned out my week. I just jotted down some notes and some doodles to give me some vision. I sipped my iced coffee and poured through my books as I thought about my future projects.

I found the quote:

“I stop every day right at the point where I feel I can write more. Do that, and the next day’s work goes surprisingly smoothly.” – Haruki Murakami

Sunday Solitude

I took the day to recharge. I took a salt bath and breathed in the scents of my favorite candles. I wandered in stores where I knew I wasn’t going to buy anything and listened to my favorite music on full blast in the car. There was no planned destination. Just a day and a time. No ideas. The only commitment was to myself. And now I’m curious to see how this week turns out. I mean, now that I’m full recharged and ready to go! Where will my focus be? Reading, writing, building and creating?? I just don’t know.

Did you take intentional time to relish your creative freedom this week?

Sunday Solitude

Tomorrow is Sunday Solitude!

I cannot wait. I’m so tired from this week, and I’m ready to get some hours to myself. I got my books and my curiosities, and all the pens and notebooks I could ever need. I’m going to think and not think and sit in silence. I want to laugh, learn, and ponder the complexities of life. And take time to appreciate the simple things.

When you take intentional time to yourself, what do you hope for?