One week later...

Remember that tree I showed you in this post?

Well, when Little Man and I went back ONE WEEK LATER...this is what we saw.

I mean seriously...how could 7 days make such a drastic change?

WOW how grateful I am for taking the time to spend that afternoon being still and taking the time to notice all around me. 

I mean who would have thought just ONE WEEK LATER the yellow leaves would have been gone?

Speaking of time, can you believe this month is almost over? How did this month's challenge go? 

Was it difficult? 

How did taking a few minutes each day to be still change the rest of the day or your perspective?

CONFESSION:

I admit there were easier days than others. Some day I could only acknowledge the need to be present and would quickly turn my alarm off as if it never happened. Some days I would close my eyes and take the full two minutes if not more to be still... sometimes almost falling asleep. ;)

It is amazing how resistant we are as human beings. At times, I would find myself in the middle of a hurry and the soothing sounds of the bells on my phone would go off and I would roll my eyes and think, "Great- last thing I need right now is to take the time to spend two minutes and just be still!"

BUT

If you didn't dare do the challenge or found it impossible to do it everyday...don't beat yourself up. The monthly challenges are not for 100% changes... they are about celebrating the percentages. If you were only able to do it 2% of the time... Props to you!!  That is change.

If you don't know what the heck I am talking about and/or haven't tried the challenge this month...STOP RIGHT there and take 30 seconds and just close your eyes and breathe.

There. You did it.

Oh it's 3:03pm...my alarm is going off...Little Man is asleep still and I think I just may close my eyes and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Besitos, 

xo

Stopping to Smell the Roses...Literally

The sun is waking up and I hold a warm bowl of oatmeal in between my hands. I love the way it feels. Little Man is sleeping in which gives me extra time to reflect and think about my challenge this month.

I feel like it's been a busy week -but who doesn't have busy weeks? There were several times I was consumed with the business of my day when the little bells on my phone came on to tell me to take a few minutes and become present. (October's Challenge)

How often do we get stuck in the daily tasks of our "to dos" to really enjoy each moment to the fullest?

The other day Little Man and I were at our weekly library stop... he loves to take his SWEET time to and from the car. I am usually on a mission to get home and get dinner ready and practically drag him to the car.

Not this time.

This time I pushed aside that need to rush on to the the next thing and entered his world and explored with him for a moment. Stomping and crunching through piles of leaves, I followed and observed.

I stopped and noticed the things he was interested in.

We took time to smell the roses. Literally.

Then he ran to a patch of grass and just laid there curiously observing the things in the sky. Feeling quite hungry, I resisted the need to get back home... I went over to him and laid beside him. The sky was bright. We watched an airplane in the sky.

And then I saw this.

Right in front of me was this beautiful tree...the very same one we pass every time I rush to the car. But from down there- it just really struck me. In a few weeks this tree will be bare. I would have missed it's beauty because I was too busy focusing on the next thing to really observe what is in front of me all along.

Reminder: take in the beauties of fall...soon they will be gone.

It was a good day.
besitos,
xo 

What's the hurry?

I had another great reminder in Sister Tanner's Positive Parenting Class the other week that reminded me about being still. Which for me mean to stop being in such a hurry.

A quote by best selling author and journalist Anna Quindlen:

“...But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three on them sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4, and 1. And  I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in a hurry to get on to the next things: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.”
― Anna Quindlen

Yesterday little man fell asleep in my arms and instead of getting on with my day- I stopped. I just sat there. I studied his little face and felt his little hands in mine. I thought of this quote and it reminded me to treasure this moment...one day he will be grown up and it will be just a far memory. But I am so glad to say I have at least the memory.

Don't live life WISHING you could go back in time because you failed to let those moments pass you by.

Besitos,

October's Challenge: Be Still.

 Bright color leaves begin to float about in the wind. The air is beginning to take on a different crisp smell and feel to my cheeks. I love to grasp onto a a mug of hot apple cider and just feel my hands warm up.
It's October.

The signal that the end of the year is near and anticipation for the holidays here.

Although October is one of my favorite months, my heart aches with very mixed emotions about this month.

 For this reason, I have decided that this month's challenge is to:

October.

  It's a reminder. 

A reminder that I should be holding my brand new baby in my arms.

 I knew that the heartache and empty feeling would be strong this month as it reminds me of my miscarriage.

Boy was I right.

My heart does ache.

More than I could have imagined.

Floodgates open as tears flow in the most random times. I could be driving in the car and a particular song sends me into the ugly cry. It's almost as the more I try to set it aside the more it comes to the surface.

It's been a tough 6 months.

I long to be STILL and just listen to my inner voice.

 I long to be STILL and just observe.

I am allowing myself the time to be STILL...to hopefully continue to heal.

OCTOBER CHALLENGE:
I want you to start this challenge by thinking of a  number 1 to 12. Okay got it? Now think of a number between 1 and 59. Got it?

That is your time this week. For example, the number that came to my mind was 3 and then the next number was 2 so my time is 3:02pm. Now set your alarm on your phone for that time of the day- obviously adjust it to AM or PM during a time you are going to be awake.

This is a random time of the day where no matter what you are in the middle of you will take a two minute time out and just be STILL.

If you are in the middle of something with others- just simply excuse yourself and find a place you can close your eyes and observe the sounds, smells, and sense of touch you feel in those two minutes. That is all. No judgment...just observations.

  At first, those two minutes may seem like an eternity, but in time it will become easier. I promise.

You ready to join me??
Besitos,
xo