Welcome back to Going Gentle, where we talk about every day strategies to decrease our stress and increase our peace! 

For today's post, I thought I would address the issue of being down in the dumps and how a Personal Party might be just the thing to get ourselves back to a better place and mindset! 
In the video, I share several ideas for a Personal Party and how this can change the energy to help give us a fresh perspective, since, sometimes, that's what we need! 

Have you ever had a day where you just felt grumpy and couldn't quite shake it off? 
Have you ever considered what you could do to get yourself into a better space? 

The last thing we want is to stay stuck in stagnant energy that drags us down, leaving us feeling exhausted and unhappy. We sometimes need to take Gentle Action toward creating a shift, to shake things up a a bit, but in a way that is fun and uplifting! 

What will you do to get yourself out of the dumps? 
Share below what works for you! I 'd love to hear about it and others may benefit from what you do as well! 
We are here for each other in community as we Go Gentle together! 

Journaling Prompt: 
Detail the last time you felt "down in the dumps" and what might have 
triggered such a feeling. 
Now write a list of the things that help you create that shift in the energy, that make you feel vibrant and alive. 
Now pick one of those things and do it as soon as possible! 
One goal is to get out of that stuck place. 
A secondary goal is to prevent getting IN that stuck place! 

Let's take preventative action to stay aligned with positive, healthy energy that leaves us feeling peaceful and satisfied. 
​And remember that Gentle is Magic! 

Hello friends and welcome back to my new Going Gentle Series, the Surprise Series! where I share something that comforts, inspires or makes me laugh, whether it's in my personal space or something I ran into that I just HAVE to share with you! 

So, this week's Surprise is all about Sparkle! And about purposefully enjoying something outside the original context it is specifically meant for. Why not, right? 

So, I love holiday decor; I don't have much of it in my house, but what I do have, I love to keep around for the long haul. 

When I came across this sparkly gold/silver star, I just had to have it for my Christmas decor! But guess where I put it? Not on a Christmas tree. Nope. Although it would look awfully perty there, wouldn't it? 

I decided to hang it in a space where I would see it all the time. It hangs on one of my vision boards above the illustration area in my art studio space! Yes! I wanted it to be front and center along with several other items of joy. 

This sparkly star just gives this space some holiday punch, so basically it's a visual holiday year 'round! Yay! 

So, do you have an ornament or some other item of decor variety that you have/keep in a special spot so you can see it all the time? One that you never put away? You're welcome to comment below and share! 

Remember that making a simple choice to make yourself happy is all about Going Gentle...because Gentle is Magic! 

Ode to the Star: 
I love how you
sparkle
No matter
if someone is
looking
or not. 

You just hang in your
space happy to 
grace 
my visual desire
for joy. 

Happy star, silver 
and gold, 
a place to hold
that sparkle that
                                                                                                           never dies. 

Hello friends and Welcome back to Going Gentle where we share strategies to decrease our stress and increase our peace! 
For today's post/video, we focusing on our Heart's Desires and how we can more gently align vibrationally to manifest those desires! 

In the video, I talk about the issue of resistance we may be creating without even knowing we are! How? With our emotions. I share some tips on how to resolve this resistance. 

How can you tell when you are creating resistance? 
Ask yourself the question: How am I feeling when I think about what I desire? 
We are often completely unaware of how we're feeling at any given time, but especially when it comes to our emotional state in connection with what we desire in our hearts. 

It really doesn't matter what those desires entail, whether it's for something specific that you're drawn to out of curiosity or something that you have held on to for many years that you would love to do or experience. 

What your heart desires is there for a reason! So don't get frustrated...instead get grateful! 
Now I know that can be hard to do, especially when it feels like what you want will never happen. That can certainly be disheartening. I completely understand! I've been there myself! 

But I find that when I engage with what I already have, reminding myself of how blessed I am, that I feel so much better! Less stressed, more at peace. 

And that's what we all want, right? 
So here's to attracting what we desire because we already appreciate what we've got! 

 Journaling Prompt: 
What is your most cherished heart's desire? Do you have a dream of doing something fun, inspiring or maybe life changing, but it seems so out of reach? How have you felt about this dream? Are you frustrated or determined, aligning with gratitude for where you are right now? What would get you into that positive space in a short amount of time? Consider doing that right now! Don't hesitate! 
​                                      And remember that Gentle is Magic! 

Hello and Welcome Back to my new Surprise Series! Are you ready to be inspired? I'm excited to be sharing a moment of colorful appreciation with you for this second surprise! (You can check out the first one here!)

Everyone loves a fun surprise, and I wanted to share my color joy with you. 
Here's the back story: 
I love color in my spaces for sure. Years ago, I went to my local Target and found this set of office supplies in orange and yellows, those vibrant hues being at the top of my color list at the time. 
I've used them on repeat and still keep them in my art studio space because just having that vibrant visual makes my eyes happy! 

I recently added some olive green accessories from a recent estate sale find for 50 cents! 
There's nothing like color joy to liven things up; and when I feel that sensation of appreciation for those colors and when they can be put to practical use to hold my stacks of collage papers, mag clippings and photos together, that just spices up my space! 

So, do you have a favorite color that you feature in your environment? Perhaps on a desk, in your kitchen or some other nook where you spend time? Why not include what makes your sense of sight light up! How fun is that? 

Why not make life a little more colorful? Let's celebrate color together! Leave a comment and share what your favorite color is and how you have incorporated it in your surroundings! I'd love to hear about it. 

Here's to more Sensational Surprises! 

Hello and Welcome Back to Going Gentle, where we talk about strategies we can use to decrease our stress and increase our peace! 
For this week's video, we're talking about the Mundane; and how we can choose to be present with all the tasks we do on a daily basis rather than getting stressed out and pressured by what we need to do next. 

Do you always find yourself in a hurry to get things done? All the time, right? 
We just can't seem to slow down our pace enough to actually appreciate our own efforts when we do what needs doing! 

Well, we can change that! Watch the video to get my take on the mundane and how we can approach it completely differently for well being and self care in the process. 

Every moment matters in this life; why waste it stressing out when we can bring calm and peace to our every day? 

Let's determine together to pay attention, stay aware and be in the MOMENT as much as possible. Our hearts (and bodies!) will thank us! 

JOURNALING PROMPT: 
What was the last mundane tasks you did? Where was your mind as you accomplished that task? Thinking ahead? Were you stressed out or calm in the process? 
Note the details of that time and strategize how you can Stay in the Moment the next time and see how different you feel. 

What sense do you like to use when staying in the moment with a task? 
Consistent awareness can really help to make the mundane more magical! Imagine that! 

​Remember that GENTLE is Magic! 

Hello and Welcome Back to Going Gentle, where we talk about strategies to decrease our stress and increase our peace! 
Well, who doesn't love a plushy?? How many times have we been comforted giving our plushies a hug as children, right? 
My grandson, Jake, is an avid plushy collector! Well, Grandma likes her plushies too! 

So, This post is the start of a new series I'm calling my Surprise Series, where I'll be sharing images of something that inspires or comforts me or makes me laugh, that I thought I would share with you...as a surprise! I wanted to do something fun we can look forward to together. 

So, my first Surprise is images of two of my curated plushy collection. 
The first one is my most recent that I acquired from a local estate sale. When I walked into the room where it was located, I felt like the lion was eyeing me, like, are you going to take me home? I immediately said yes. He sits on the floor next to my journaling/study desk in my bedroom. 

You see, I have an affinity for lions. Oh, they are the King of the Woods and awesome creatures. But the biggest reason is, the lion reminds me of ASLAN from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia Series. 

When my kids were young, we watched the series (the original as well as some of Disney's versions) on repeat for years. It was a highlight of our times together as a family. And Aslan, Oh dear Aslan. I loved the way Lucy would talk to him and how he spoke to her. She was the first who found Narnia and who saw Aslan herself. 

So, Lions have deep meaning for me. In many ways. The history of our children's childhood. The spiritual meaning of Aslan. And the many things he would say throughout the series that resonate deep in my soul. 

I decided to share my Lions with you to show a very personal element that has deep meaning, that brings me comfort when needed, and just makes me happy when I see them. 

And that really matters to me! 
So, what sort of collection do you keep that makes you happy when you look at it? What deep meaning does it have for you? 

You're welcome to share in the comments below. I'd love to hear about it. You can also use those questions as journaling prompts if you thus desire to reflect. I know I've enjoyed sharing my heart about lions with you. 

Make space for the things that brings you comfort and joy...because Gentle is Magic! 

Hello and welcome back to Going Gentle, a place where we strategize to decrease our stress and increase our peace! 
For today’s post, we are focusing on challenge and what our challenges can tell us about ourselves. How can we do that? By paying closer attention to the details! 

I share in the above video how our challenges can show us things about ourselves that can enable us to learn the way we think and what stresses us the most in the challenges we face. 

We all want to approach challenge with strategic confidence, don’t we? But how often does that happen? 
Do we find ourselves met with trepidation, frustration and even anger and resentment? 

It’s time to take a challenge and break it down into the tiniest bits like we’re going on an excavation to learn about what lies beneath. We can determine what our trigger points are and why they are there. We can recognize patterns in the way we respond to challenge, and learn from what we can do next time, to be Gentler with ourselves and come out strategically successful on the other side. 

So, watch the video for some inspiration and prepare to meet your next challenge with strategic confidence! 

Journaling Prompt:
Detail the last challenge you met up with and how you handled it. What was the greatest stressor point in the challenge and why? What was the context of the challenge? Where would you have wanted to change how you responded to that challenge? ​Always remember to recognize any effort you made in meeting that challenge, especially if it was unexpected. We’re definitely going for GENTLE here. No space for beating yourself up, ok? Nope. We all handle challenge differently; so give yourself space for that as you reflect. 

​Remember that Gentle is Magic! 

Hello and Welcome Back to Going Gentle where we talk about decreasing our stress and increasing our peace! 
For today's post, we focusing on the natural limitations our body creates when we push ourselves too hard with getting things done. 

We all have our to do lists, our goals to meet, our responsibilities to loved one and to ourselves! 
So how do we know when we're trying to do too much all at once? 

Our bodies speak to us in ways we can pay attention to to help avoid the inevitable: exhaustion, irritability, overwhelm, depletion. 

So, instead of allowing ourselves to get to that point, let's pull back and see what we can do to put our well being as a priority while still getting done what needs doing! 

(Watch the video for my take on this subject...) I know that when I don't pay attention, I get more irritable, cranky and fatigued! Learning to listen takes practice and determination, doesn't it? 

When we listen to what our bodies are telling us, we can manage our workloads from a more strategic place of wisdom and discernment, thus decreasing our stress and increasing our peace. 

What is your body telling you today? 

Journaling  Prompt: 
When was the last time you pushed yourself to exhaustion? What were you trying to accomplish? Detail the ins and outs of that day, specifying whether you knew to take a step back and reassess. Were you aware that you were pushing yourself too hard? How did you feel afterwards? What would you do differently looking back? How does that inform your work pace going forward? 
What symptoms or signals did you body speak during that time of stress? 
Was it physical, mental, emotional? Detail this in your journal. This can help you recognize how your body tells you when you need a break. 
Remember that Gentle is Magic!