braving the darkness blues

Here on the east coast we have fallen behind with the clock.  We gained an hour of sleep but I feel as if I have lost my way.  The time change in the fall is always hard for me.  I know the cold is coming and leaving work in the dark fills me with the blues.  All I want to do is  curl up in bed.  It is this time of year I know I need to push myself harder than I usually do to stay active and motivated. 

There is much beauty in the world.  The leaves change to vibrate yellows and reds.  The sunset lights up the sky.  The morning darkness provides a moment of quiet reflection as I ease into the day.  Even through the cold I need to push myself out the door.  Fresh air fills my lungs with hope and wakes me up to the world.  

I know that this is a hard time for me and so I need to lean in deep and ask for help from others.  I need to let them know when I am struggling and not allow myself to fall down the rabbit hole.  When I talk about it I feel much better and it doesn't feel so hard.  I need to be more vocal.  

It has ben a while since I have spent hours in the coffee shop writing.  The fall and winter months are the perfect time for me to get back to this.  I miss those moments of collective togetherness hand in hand with solitude.  It is time for me to get back to the page and spill open.  Maybe, just maybe the book that is living and breathing inside me will begin to take shape.  

It is time for me to embrace this darkness.  To give it space to breathe inside me.  For when we stand in the darkness the light becomes that much more beautiful.  One of the reasons I love living in NJ is I get to experience all four of the seasons.  It brings an opportunity for me to reflect as I shift into the change in the weather.   

And so we begin, another shift.  Another moment to begin again.  

How do you handle these transitions?  Do you have any tools in your toolbox that help get you through?  Together let's brave the blues.

follow your path

As the darkness falls earlier and earlier with the changing of the time my body has shifted into hibernation mode wanting to curl into bed as soon as I arrive home from work.  The darkness feels as if it is engulfing my soul and dimming it's light.  The light that was burning bright and powerful in the warm summer sunshine.  

I know it is not only the darkness that has engulfed me.  Accomplishing a major goal {running the NYC Marathon} and finding myself on the other side of daily training has left me feeling a bit lost and unsure.  I was highly regimented.  Waking up before the sun rose to get my runs in, pushing myself to stick to my schedule.  But now there is no schedule.  Nothing telling me what to do and my feet feel unsteady.  What is my next move?  Where do I go from here?  

There are other goals to be met, dreams to be fulfilled.  I can't allow the darkness to bring me down.   As I did for training, I must keep putting one foot in front of the other and follow my path.  I must be open to where it leads me and trust that I am headed in the right direction. 

"but with out the darkness we never see the stars" ~ unknown

Yes, the darkness can be tough but it opens up opportunities for us to see things that can only be seen under the cloak of darkness.  There is beauty in the dark.  Quiet solace.  A place for deep thinking.  Passion.  Energy.  An unknown path before you ready to be explored.  

I invite you to embrace the darkness with me.  To find your footing on your path and brave the blues that tend to surface this time of year.  For the past couple of years I have turned to #bravingtheblues and find ways to get myself motivated and moving during this time when I usually struggle.  It is always more fun to do things together so together let's walk down the path and find the goodness that is hidden in the dark and let's boldly brave the blues.  

braving the blues

It is this time of year where I feel a few steps behind everyone.  With the day's falling into darkness sooner than I am ready I seem to lose my footing.  The world spins on and I do not know how to keep up.  It is the darkness that drags me down.  

I remember when I started my first office job.  I was coming from the restaurant world where my hours were very different.  I worked mostly at night and had the day time to soak in sunshine and fresh air.  That first year at this job was one of my toughest.  I struggled to adjust to this new normal of leaving for work in the dark and coming home when it is dark.  The sunshine rarely found it's way to my face.  

It is during these dark months that I just want to curl up into bed as soon as I get home from work.  I lose my motivation and I know it is all due to the darkness.  I am a sunshine girl.  It is the sun that makes me smile and draws me out into the world.  I need the sun as it breaths life into me.  

Last year I put a plan into place to stay ahead of the struggle by listing out ten ways to help me brave the blues.  I also showed up throughout these months on instagram with the hashtag #bravingthblues.  Doing this helped me find the light within the darkness.  

We just changed the clocks this past Sunday and I can already feel myself sinking down the rabbit hole.  With the passing of my mom I know that this winter will be tougher than usual and I will need to find different ways to help push me out of the blues.  

During these darker days I am going to try to:

• Exercise daily
• Send snail mail
• Write often
• Push myself out of the house
• Give myself permission to rest

I often try to do to much.  Rushing from one thing to the next.  I need to slow down.  Allow my mind and body time to rest and rejuvenate.  

I invite you to slow down with me.  To utilize #bravingtheblues and show how you are not letting the darkness win.  Going through a difficult time is always easier when you are doing it with others and know you aren't alone.  So jump on in.  Together we will make it through the winter blues.  

#bravingtheblues :: making it through the winter blues

Winter is always a tough time for me.  The darkness drags me down and I find it hard to get inspired and stay active. This winter I choose to take action before the blues set in and I wrote a game plan.  I was not going to sit on the sidelines and let the darkness pull me to hibernation.  No way!  I was going to actively pursue what inspired me and seek out the happy. 

I choose to document this journey with the hashtag #bravingtheblues.  

Now here we are, 12 days away from Spring.  I can hear the birds outside chirping as I write this and we just sprung ahead by turning the clocks forward last night.  We are in the home stretch.  Before I know it I will be lacing up my sneakers and pounding the pavement again. Wahoo!

This Spring I am looking forward to:

• Spending time on our front porch.  {It is one of my favorite places}
• Going for walks
• Exercising outside - - - including riding my bicycle and running
• The sun shining for longer and having the opportunity to enjoy it after work
• Geocaching adventures
• Green grass, spring flowers, and the smell in the air

Choosing to actively brave the blues helped me make it through the winter with so much happiness.  The choice was mine.  I could have settled into the darkness and allowed it to pull the energy from my body but I choose not to.  Instead I choose to make the winter the best one yet, and it was.  

I am grateful for all of the moments and the people I spent time with.  There was so much love, laughter and unexpected opportunities that opened up my world.  It was a beautiful winter, and never in a million years did I think that I would pair up the words beautiful and winter in the same sentence, but I just did.     

Now here we are in the home stretch and I am celebrating!  Happy almost spring.  

creating community

For awhile my heart has been craving a deeper connection to a creative community.  My 9 - 5 side job doesn't fuel me with this type of inspiration and as each day passes the calling has been getting stronger and stronger.  I knew that I could no longer silence the inner dialogue that has been screaming; "invite people in"

I have been hesitant to welcome people into my home because it is not very large and there is no great spot for people to gather and create.  I have been saying to myself that I will wait until we finish the house.  Yet the construction hasn't even begun and if I keep waiting I may just burst.  

So I took the leap and set up a creative gathering.  I invited people to come to my home for a night of vision boarding.  Sometimes when we take a leap and invite others in we are unsure if they will be receptive to what we are offering.   It can feel scary to put yourself out there.  However, the only way we know if something will work is if we give it a try.   You must push past your fear and leap.  Along the way you will learn how to fly.  

I had no idea if the people I invited would be open to vision boarding, all I knew was that I craved a creative community and in order to get that I had to follow my heart and invite people in.  The individuals I invited said yes even though some of them had no idea what vision boarding was.  They knew my passion for life and were drawn in by that.  

I prepared with love a vegetable soup and grilled cheese sandwiches to nourish the creativity.  It was the perfect meal for the cold and snowy weather that was taking place outside.  We gathered around my coffee table and chatted as the sound of ripped pages filled the room.  We laughed, we joked, we shared stories.  We got to know one another just a little bit better.  

My heart filled with love and joy as I watched individuals who have never created a vision board before be so open and into the process.  They ripped away and shared magazines.  Hearts began to open as treasured images and words were found.  Admits piles of papers was someones dream being recognized and coming to life.  

Slowly their visions appeared even if they weren't sure they had one when they began.  With intention each image or word was glued to the page and it became clear what their heart was yearning for.  When we quite our minds and grant ourselves permission to dream we are able to see what it is we are seeking.  

We even broke out the washi tape and colored pencils to bring it all together.  It was beautiful to see what images and words each person was drawn to.  After we had finished we took some time to go around and share our boards.  I loved hearing everyone dreams and what each image represented for them.  It always blows me away how much our hearts open when we are in a safe environment to share what it is we truly want.  There was no judgment, just love.  

I am so grateful for the women who showed up with such open hearts.  They filled my tiny home with laughter and love.  It was a blessing for me to have them gathered around my coffee table.  Through their open hearts and love they encouraged me to keep reaching for my dreams.  

Having a creative community is important for me.  I thrive in a creative environment and need that deep connection to keep me moving forward.  I can already see this community deepening as we continue to gather and I am definitely going to be putting another one on the calendar for April. 

What dream is living in your heart?  What have you been longing to do?  What one step can you take to make it happen?  Go ahead and take the leap, you never know where it will lead you.  

braving the blues

This winter has been mild.  No snow and 50 degree weather.  I was prepared to bundle up and hunker down.  I had a plan in place to help me get through the bitter cold and so far I haven't had to dig much into it.  Rather the bright sunshine and warmer weather has gently invited me outside to play.  I have gone for long walks, laced up my running sneakers, and enjoyed many moments outside in the brilliant sunshine.  

We are over the hump of the darkness and as each day passes we are given just a little bit more day light.  I know we have all of January, February, and March ahead but here on the East Coast I am stepping into 2015 feeling happy and filled with gratitude.  Usually by now I am dragged down and depressed but this year joy has infused my heart and opened up my eyes t the goodness that swirls around.  

I have been braving the blues with each choice I make.  Choosing the gym over the couch.  Going swimming on Friday nights.  Lacing up my sneakers and getting outside for a run.  Taking time to create.  And nourishing my body with vegetables and juices.  I am choosing to navigate my own path and find my own way to happiness.  I will not allow the weather to get me down, instead I will create my own sunshine.  

How have you been fairing this winter?  What have you done to brave the blues?  How do you feel stepping into 2015?