Your Magenta Monday Magic.
“At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.” Thich Nhat Hanh
When we kicked off our conversation at the start of the month, we likened our health to a three-legged stool. Our physical, mental, and spiritual health are interconnected and interdependent, and strength (or weakness) in one area bleeds into the others.
We’ve talked about increasing movement so we can feel physically stronger and fostering resilience to build our mental fortitude, and we’ve also looked at how powerful it can be to shift the way you look at challenges. When you go from “this is happening ‘to’ me, to “this is happening ‘for’ me, it can help you learn from what you’re going through instead of staying stuck in a mom midlife crisis funk.
I’m sure you’re no stranger to the occasional funk? When you feel off or unbalanced and unsure how to move out of it? It is a pretty natural part of being human right? Especially at midlife when you face a lot of tough transitions.
In your struggle to find purpose for this next phase of life, you might find yourself getting a little myopic as you wonder, “What’s this next part of my life supposed to be about? What am I all about?”
It’s not easy trying to figure out what’s next. That’s where it can be good to have some spiritual strategies to turn to.
There are endless ways to explore your spiritual side and reinvent yourself after empty nest. You can participate in organized religion, spend time in nature, practice meditation, or volunteer to assist other people in all kinds of ways. Or it can be as simple as practicing gratitude or reflecting on whether you’re living in alignment with your values.
Developing a spiritual practice can help you see yourself as part of something bigger and get you thinking about your place in the world, instead of focusing solely on yourself. Getting in touch with your spiritual side can give your life new meaning and texture. It can empower you to make the choices that feed your soul.
It can kickstart you into asking: Do I want to stay stuck? Or am I ready to move forward? It’s a way to get you out of the pity party, help you gain a little perspective, and move forward when you’re stuck – something I am no stranger to!
Last month, I woke up and found myself in an inexplicable funk. I don’t know what caused it, and no matter what I did I couldn’t seem to shake it.
Thankfully, it was not my first rodeo! I’ve spent time nurturing my spiritual side, and I’ve developed a ‘go-to’ process that moves me through a funk pretty quickly.
Here’s some of the things I did:
Get curious: I asked “What’s beneath this funk? Am I feeling resentful about something? Did someone say something that triggered it? What does my body need right now?”
Meditate: Sometimes dropping in can give me enough insight to pinpoint the feeling beneath the feeling. I may find I’m sad because I’m missing my dad who passed, or I’m frustrated because my husband didn’t do something I asked him to do.
Move and get out in nature: I went for a walk in my favorite park. The birds were singing, the creek was running, and the hills were bright green from all of the rain we had.
Solo dance party: I popped in my Airpods, cranked a few of my favorite songs, sang at the top of my lungs, and danced like no one was watching. Wow! Talk about liberating!
It’s amazing how helpful it is for me to go through these steps to find purpose as an empty nester. Sometimes all I need is the first two to help me get unstuck. Other times I have to go through the entire process to clear up any stuck energy.
When you’re feeling stuck, you have a choice. You can actively move through your feelings, or you can have a pity party and stay stuck in the muck….
Don’t get me wrong – sometimes a full-blown pity party (complete with a pint of ice cream!) is exactly what you need. If you need to, let yourself do just that. Just don’t stay there! Once your pint of Rocky Road is empty, and you’ve felt badly for long enough, pick yourself up and get moving!
Even if you don’t feel like it - remember - doing the thing is what makes you do the thing.
Figure out what’s going to nurture you – what spiritual practice will get you through your funk – and then make it your ‘go-to’ for when the going gets tough. There will always be tough spots, but you don’t have to stay stuck in them.
Monday Mindshift
It’s the 1° shift that makes the biggest difference over time.
Get yourself ready for the inevitable by creating your own personal self-care menu of practices that feed your spirit so the next time you find yourself in a funk, you can turn to them and quickly get yourself back to feeling joyful again.
Identify 4 or 5 things that nurture you when you’re feeling down by asking yourself questions like:
What lifts me up?
What makes me feel loved?
What puts an instant smile on my face?
What makes me feel the most nurtured?
Write down your answers and tuck them away for later – think of them as your spiritual toolkit –and then make a list as well of people you can turn to for support if you find you need it.
You don’t have to do this all alone, but it has to be YOU who makes the choice to get unstuck.
Living BRIGHTer is...
B - Be Brave
R - Cultivate Relationships
I - Live with Intention
G - Practice Gratitude
H - Prioritize Health
T - Live your Truth
What is Magenta?
The color magenta is one of universal harmony and emotional balance. It is spiritual yet practical, encouraging common sense and a balanced outlook on life. Magenta helps to create harmony and balance in every aspect of life; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Click on my calendar link to sign up for a FREE 45-minute Pathway to Purpose Breakthrough Session now.