Posted by alicia on Oct 11, 2008 in
Life Months ago a friend gave me a book of daily readings called Simple Abundance. I don’t open it every morning, but on the mornings that I do I have found I have “better days”. The readings often inspire and empower me to live a more authentic life.
A reading earlier this week gave a list of suggestions to cope with stress. I went through the list and picked out the suggestions that I think would most help me cope - or even better, avoid - stress. They are such simple ideas, but could make a huge impact on my day-to-day life. I feel a rush of energy and passion throughout my body as I attempt to imagine what my life would be like if I lived out these suggestions each day (or even most days).
Carve out an hour a day for solitude.
Begin and end the day with prayer, meditation, reflection.
Keep your house picked up.
Don’t over schedule.
Strive for realistic deadlines.
Allow an extra half hour for everything you do.
Create quiet surroundings at home and at work.
Go to bed at 9pm twice a week.
Always carry something interesting to read.
Breathe - deeply and often.
Eat only when hungry.
Set aside one day a week for rest and renewal.
Luxuriate in your senses.
If you don’t love it, live without it.
Let Mother Nature nurture.
Stop trying to please everybody.
Start pleasing yourself.
Stay away from negative people.
Don’t squander precious resources: time, creative energy, emotion.
Nurture friendships.
Don’t be afraid of your passion.
Approach problems as challenges.
Honor your aspirations.
Savor beauty.
Create boundaries.
For every “yes”, let there be a “no”.
Cherish your dreams.
Express love every day.
Search for your authentic self until you find her (him).
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Tags: Daydreams, From another, Life
Posted by alicia on May 1, 2008 in Uncategorized
I’m in a funk and want to run away. If I could go anywhere in the world right this moment I would go to this beach in Italy and sip wine:
Where would you go?
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Tags: Daydreams, Insanity
Posted by alicia on Apr 20, 2008 in Uncategorized
What do you do when nothing in your life seems to fit you? That’s how I’ve felt most of today. It’s like every piece of my life - relationships, job, hobbies, dreams - feel like jeans that are a size too small. Tight, uncomfortable and causing me to feel horrible about myself because they don’t fit.
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Tags: Daydreams, Spirituality
Posted by alicia on Jan 27, 2008 in Uncategorized
There are lots of reasons why I love living in Church Hill. The history, the homes, the people and the transformation are a few things I cherish. But, what I love most is the daydreaming. Church Hill isn’t just a place where people eat & sleep, it’s a place where dreams, big and small, are had, shared and maybe brought to life. Almost every gathering with friends who also love Church Hill includes a conversation where daydreams are shared. The conversations usually include one friend sharing an idea, then another friend adding their twist to it - and someone else pointing out an abandoned building that would be the perfect location for it to all come together.
My current day dream for Church Hill is a mixture of ideas from several friends & neighbors, and a few of my own….
Like most (if not all) of the people living in Church Hill, I want to see something done with the old movie theater on 25th street. I think about that building a lot, and the potential for it to become something as unique as the people living here - something that represents our diversity and passions. I envision the first floor of the building being a place for anyone to share their creative side - an art gallery, handmade crafts for sale, a cafe/bakery, a stage for musical and theatrical performances. The upper floors of the building will contain rooms where neighbors teach neighbors anything and everything - painting, crafting, music, home repair, computer skills, pet care, foreign language, cooking, how to start a business…. Also, contained in upper floors are open spaces like a beautiful studio for yoga & pilates and an open office space available for anyone to use. Maybe there will be room for a natural health practitioner to have an office, or for a few artists to have studios. These are just a few of the ideas that have been discussed at my dinner table. And I love them all.
I love the idea of a space in Church Hill that allows each of us to answer that soft question we hear inside asking us what more do we need/want other than work & homelife. Sharing our skills, learning new things, meeting neighbors, and maybe making daydreams come true.
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Tags: Church Hill, Crafty, Daydreams, From another, Richmond
