mondo beyondo

There are dreams living and breathing in your heart and they matter.  Some of them have never been spoken and some may even surprise you.  What you dream about is important and these dreams need to be spoken out loud.  It is in the act of writing them down that you breath life into them and give them an opportunity to bloom. 

For the past many years I have been following Andrea Scher's lead and writing my yearly Mondo Beyondo list.  This is a list of everything I dream and desire.  There are no rules to what can go down on the paper.  It is an opportunity to let go and dream big.  The way it works is you set a timer for ten minutes and begin to put all your dreams down.  You don't let the pen stop until the time goes off.  There is no judgement to what comes up just space to put it down.  

It is incredible to look back on my list and see some of the things I wrote down that I forgot about and how they have come true.  Things when I wrote them I couldn't imagine ever happening.  But that is the power of manifestation.  When we write it down we begin to put it into motion and once it is in motion it is has the power to come true.  

I encourage you to set aside ten minutes with your journal.  Light a candle.  Say a prayer to being open. Then let your heart spill onto the page all that it desires.  Show up with out judgment and see what you unearth.  You may be surprised. 

2018 Mondo Beyondo List

• Coach people on the power of writing and using it as a daily tool
• Travel to Ireland
• Ride my bike across country
• Be better with my money
• Move my body daily
• Nourish my soul
• Hold hands and be close to the one I love
• Spend time with my family
• Laughter, lots and lots of laughter
• Own a house at the beach
• Teach yoga and meditation
• Teach writing workshops
• Host yearly writing and movement retreats
• Have a job that fills my soul and makes me enough money to not have to worry
• Live in a community where I can ride my bike around town
• Create my own inspiration deck
• Be deeply connected to those around me
• Have the ability to express how I feel without hesitation but also with kindness
• Love deeply and go on many adventures with the one I adore
• Run another marathon
• Gather with women and connect through honest and open conversation
• Have gatherings of individuals from Love Notes
• Give a Ted Talk
• Bring Love Notes on the Ellen show
• Sit down with Oprah and be on Super Soul Sunday
• Travel the world giving talks that inspire and move individuals to live their best life
• Get paid to share my writing
• Travel often with the one I love
• Be present in the everyday moments
• Cook more often
• Slow down and savor the moments and the people I am with
• Share my heart with those worthy of sharing it with
• Inspire people with my words
• Have a deeply connected relationship with the one I love filled with mutual respect, kindness, space, and intimacy
• Continually grow and develop

What is on our list?  Whisper your dream out loud to help unearth it coming true.  

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Need a little extra love in your mailbox.  Join me for the next round of Love Notes staring January 14th.  

in this moment

In this moment I know that I am so much stronger than I ever have given myself credit for
In this moment  my heart is broken, but it won't be broken forever
In this moment I know that I need to get back to moving my body
In this moment the page is calling and now is the time to begin writing my book
In this moment I know that I have an amazing support system that I am beyond grateful for
In this moment I have a safe space to land
In this moment I know that I must choose love, always
In this moment I have to be tender with myself
In this moment I know that I must allow space to heal
In this moment I cannot forget about laughter and joy
In this moment I know that there is so much goodness
In this moment I must lean in, open up, and share my voice
In this moment I know that I will never get back today so I must choose to live it

Where are you, in this moment?

{In this moment ... is a prompt from my free Heart Notes class that I am closing out the year with}

dreaming up the year ahead

I invite you to close your eyes and think about the year that lies before you
What do you want to unfold
What dreams do you wish will come true
What do you want to overcome
How do you want to feel
What do you want to make happen
What is it that you want more or less of
Who do you want to be along with you for the ride

Go ahead, take your time
Think deeply about the next 365 days
Each one a chance to begin again
Each moment a new opportunity
What are you hoping for
What is your heart whispering
Which roads do you want to travel
Do you know exactly where you want to go

Nothing in life happens unless we make it so
We must set our dreams into motion
Speak them out loud
Tell other people of our goals
Show up and put in the hard work
Lean in
Navigate the unexpected
Make the plans but be ready to veer off course

You know where you want to go
Set those dreams into motion by writing about them
Imagine it is November 21, 2017 and you are looking back
What happened
Who did you spend your time with
What did you do
Where did you go
How did you feel

Go ahead, grab a piece of paper and get writing
Start with your year at a glance
Then break it into six month chunks
What happened
Now really dig in
And explore each month
Be as detailed as possible not leaving anything out
Write your best year yet  

Trust what flowed out of you
And seal it in an envelope
Find a safe place for it to  be for a year
And go on living day by day
Next year I will remind you
To pull it out and open it up
A precious opportunity to see how far yo have come
And celebrate what has come true   

Each January I make a list of my wildest hopes and dreams, nothing is off limits.  It is such a fun exercise to do, giving myself permission to spill open.  But as the season is changing and shifts are happening in my life I am feeling more of a call to go in deeper.  I want to dream the big picture then dig into the details.  I want to give myself permission to say yes to my hearts deepest desires.  And so I am going to do just that.  Looking out a year ahead and dreaming of all I hope it will be.  I invite you to do the same.  Carve out some time, settle in, and give yourself permission to listen to your hearts deepest calling.  It knows where you want to go.    

a world where

I want to live in a world where kindness comes first
Where individuals choose to be there for each other
Reaching out a hand, offering up help

I want to live in a world where risk taking is encouraged
Going after dreams is what individuals thrive on
And you navigate your own path by following your heart

A world where laughter rings out
Music fills the air
And love and light swirls around

I want to live in a world where people show up as themselves
Each and every day, proudly standing in their uniqueness
Sharing what moves them openly and freely

I want to live in a world where people hold hands
Offer hugs
Invite others in

A world where what matters most is how you treat each other
The way you share your heart
And being deeply present in the moment

Yes, a world that we create
Overflowing with love, compassion
And lots of silliness

What kind of a world do you want to live in?
What do you need to in this world?
What do you want it to feed you?  

We all need a world where we are seen and loved
A world that shows up compassion, encourages us to take risks, and nudges us to live bravely
A world that doesn't hold you back but helps propel you forward

Show up in the world the way you want it to be
Share what you need with others
Live the life you desire

When you create what you need
You encourage others to do the same
Go ahead, live BIG!

{This post came out of the first prompt for the Love Notes Postcard Project:

I want to live in a world where ...

Finish the sentence and share what your world would look like in the comments below}

love letter to journaling

Dear Journal,

I must start this letter with extreme gratitude for you.  You are are more than just sheets of paper bound together in a book.  You are the keeper of my heart.  You catch every single feeling I throw at you.  You never judge.  You simply just open up and allow me space to spill open.  Thank you!  

I have gravitated towards you ever since I was very young.  Tucking you deep below my mattress so my brothers couldn't find you.  You became my best friend then and you have remained ever since.  Although I could write pages and pages about why I love you here is a quick list to let you know some of those reasons.  

Top 5 Reasons why I LOVE you!

1. You give me space to show up and say exactly how I feel in that moment.  I don't have to put on a filter or think about anyone else's feelings.  I can write directly from my heart and that feels so good.  You understand that these feelings may not depict how I truly feel about something, it is just where I am at in that moment.
2. I can take you anywhere!  I have journaled while waiting for a plane, on a plane, in my car, at the park, at a coffee shop, in bed ... the list could go on and one.  All I need is you a pen and I am set!
3. You are the keeper of my stories.  You show me how far I have come and remind me of where I have been. 
4. When I struggle to say something out loud you give me space to work it out.  
5. Because writing in you heals my heart, encourages me to keep stepping forward, and helps me to understand who I am and where I want to go.

I feel so lucky to have such a divine kinship in you.  Without, oh my goodness I would be a mess.  I tell you all the stories, even the ones I didn't realize I needed to tell.  You give me the opportunity to see them from a new perspective and with a bit of space between us.  This provides me the chance to calm my nerves and unearth how I really feel.  

I have turned to you a countless number of times in utter desperation and in celebration.  You remind me that in life there is space for everything, we just need to take the time to tend to it.  You open up your blank pages to me even if I keep you closed for long stretches of time.  You always whisper "I am here" and this is such a comfort to me.  

Because of you I know and understand the power of writing our stories.  We must put them down on paper.  We must get them out of our hearts and our heads and give them space to breathe.  This simple act of writing lifts the weight from our shoulders and clears space inside for new and incredible adventures.  

I know you are just like me and wish that everyone would carry you around and spill open into you.  I think the world would be a better place if everyone spent a few minutes a day with you.  Have no fear, I am doing my part and spreading the word.  I am out there encouraging others to grab a hold of you and write away.  

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I will continue to carry you with me wherever I go.  Writing down dreams, ideas, fears, worries and sharing all of my stories.  You will continue to be a beacon of light for me.  My best friend and most trusted confidante.  Let's continue this journey together.  

xo
Jennifer

P.S.  If you are interested in dipping your toes into the world of journaling or an avid journaler yourself and could use a bit of spark to get you going again I invite you to join me for Brave Journaling.  During our time together I will provide writing prompts and inspiration to get your pen moving.  You will leave the course feeling ready to approach the blank page and spill your heart open.  

 

Words of Love!

"To any contemplating this, I encourage you to give it a try.  I admit that I won't be abel to join this session, because I will be working on another magazine article for publication.  You see, it was precisely here - in one of Jennifer's writing classes - that I rediscovered my love of writing and found my true self."  - Rita Herrmann

"I am really looking forward to your newest class.  The last one allowed me to be refreshingly honest with myself and to help realign my priorities.  I am looking forward to staying on that track with this class and excited to see how it challenges me this time around.  Jen you are doing an amazing job."  - Kelly

brave journaling

My journal holds my stories and the inner weavings of my heart.  It knows everything about me and gives me space to bravely show up and spill open.  I can tell anything to those pages and it will soak it up.  There is no judgment or talking back, just an open space that I can fall deeply into.  

I have been journaling ever since I was young.  Scribbling down thoughts about my crushes and writing about my deepest fears and dreams.  There is no story that is off limits.  I tell the truth, the whole messy heart wrenching truth.  I work through the darkness and come out on the other side a little bit lighter.  

When I was younger I thought there was something wrong with me because I struggled to form sentences when I was going through something deep and emotional.  I would try to piece together the words but they never came out right.  During one difficult moment my boyfriend at the time saw me struggling deeply so he urged me to pull out my notebook and write.  I wrote and wrote getting it all out of me.  Once I was finished writing we sat down and talked about it and I could actually form sentences and speak, it was incredible.  Showing up on the page first gave me the opportunity I needed to process and understand exactly what I was feeling.  Once I had that space cleared I could articulate what I was going through and we were able to have a really good conversation about it.  

It was in that moment I learned there was nothing wrong with me, I just needed time to process what I was feeling.  The page gives me this opportunity to show up and say everything that is in my heart.  I can write about my deepest and darkest fears.  I can write about the things I feel others may judge me on.  I can write and write.  Once I get it all out of me my head is clear and I am able to have a discussion about it.  

The page is my best friend.  It is the place I turn to first.  It is where I process all of my feelings and figure out my next steps.  My writing is messy.  There are incomplete sentences and misspellings.  There are cross outs, times where I begin again, and other moments where I stop half way through.  It is raw, real, and beautiful.  It is exactly how I feel in that moment. It is my heart spilled onto the page.  

I am grateful to have this space to turn to. Grateful that it allows me the opportunity to be brave.  It is always there waiting for me and I carry it around with me wherever I go because I never know when an emotion, feeling or story will need to be told.  It is my security blanket in a world of uncertainty.  

Yes, journaling is how I come home to myself time and time again. 

Journaling is one of my self care practices.  It is the thing I turn to time and time again.  There may be long stretches where I do not show up, but I know that my journal is always there waiting for me with wide open arms.  

My Brave Journaling class is back for another installment and I couldn't be happier.  It has been incredible to see the way other individuals open up to the page and dive on in.  From first hand experience I know that journaling is healing and seeing that healing take place in others is pure magic.  

This class is for YOU if you are:

• Interested in self-exploration and learning how to use writing as a tool to help you heal and dream
• Looking to unearth your stories
• Wanting to learn how to see the page as a friend and not an intimidating blank space
• Looking to learn how to write from a place from a place of honesty and compassion
• Curious about writing

First time journalers and seasoned writers are welcomed.  

I invite you to join me for 21 days of brave journaling where together we will show up and let our stories spill out onto the page.  

Journaling will:

• Provide you a space to tell your stories
• Help you gain confidence in your voice 
• Help you to become more present
• Guide you into tuning into your feelings
• Provide you the opportunity to release the stories you have been carrying around for far too long
• Awaken your inner spark
• Allow you the opportunity to write from a place of compassion, free of judgement

Class begins February 21st and runs through March 12th and for the very first time I will be offering the opportunity to get a session of mentoring along with the class.  I am beyond excited about this opportunity and the chance to work one on one.  I know that journaling can feel like a very lonely experience at times and through the mentoring session we will be able to connect and work through anything that comes up for you.  

Click HERE to learn more about Brave Journaling!  

I hope to see you in class!  If you have any questions feel free to leave a note in the comments or drop me a message at jbelthoff@gmail.com