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Happy birthday to me! Ok, not really. I’m a month early. But it was during this month (August) that I decided to give myself an early birthday gift – having 100% faith in myself. Make that 200%! And yes, George Michael’s “Faith” has been dancing around in my head.

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As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, I’ve been reinventing my career so to speak in the past 2 ½ years. And I have to say, there have been many, many potential situations that have almost blossomed. But for one reason or another – they failed to bloom. In the midst of some of the failed planting, I struggled with the whys. Was it the soil? The sun? Over watering? Is my pot too small?

What hit me this month was that none of those situations was the right one. That’s why they didn’t happen. Sure – sometimes it is the soil. The sun. And the wrong sized pot. But sometimes, it’s just the wrong plant.

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I wish I could tell you what exactly hit me this month that lead me to this calm about my life. Maybe it’s simply a culmination of the things I have done during this reinvention over the past couple years. Here are some things that I checked out that I think helped:

  • Listened to the audio book: YOU ARE A BADASS: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero (I couldn’t recommend this book enough, it’s amazing. And btw, you ARE a badass!)
  • Took an eight-week online course YOU ARE A BAD ASS with Jen Sincero (she doesn’t host these anymore, unfortunately, but she has since come out with YOU ARE A BADASS AT MAKING MONEY, so go get ‘em – https://jensincero.com/)
  • Attended the annual Mt. Baldy Enlightenment Intensive retreat weekend (Yes, I survived four days without a cell phone and repeatedly answering the question, over and over and over and then over again – “Who am I?” (https://www.facebook.com/MtBaldyEI/)
  • Meditated…and then meditated again
  • Wrote in a daily gratitude journal
  • Purged items from my apartment
  • Drank a lot of wine
  • Drank a lot whiskey
  • Loved on my family and friends
  • Enjoyed my own lil’ family (me, my boyfriend, and dog)
  • Exercised like crazy every day (21 Day Fix) for a few months – got toned as hell (P.S. It took way more than 21 Days)
  • Stopped exercising every day – oops
  • Redid my voiceover demo – TWICE
  • Started narrating audio books
  • Started writing for The Daily Feels!
  • Went on The NSNG Diet (no sugar/no grain) carb-free diet and lost some weight
  • Went to NYC and ate my face off with carbs (hello NYC pizza!)
  • Went back on NSNG-ish
  • Housesat for a few weeks at a friend’s beautiful home with a pool and jacuzzi (a change of scenery can really do you good)

I keep investigating new territories. I also do as much self-care as I can. But I do slip. It’s amazing how many times I catch myself not meditating daily during the times I need it most.

I’m also reminded of the book The Four Agreements and the advice: “DON’T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY.” Ok. That can be a hard one. But you know most things that happen have nothing to do with you. People’s reactions and actions all have to do with what is going on with THEM. Not you.

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I also have been narrating audio books. And I have to say – it’s something that I sort of fell into thanks to my friend’s fiancé’ – Curt. He’s been doing it and was so passionate about it – he got me hooked. I really don’t think I would have gotten into it if it weren’t for him. And suddenly, I’ve found not only do I love narrating, but I’m also pretty good at it. See how these little things can sneak up on you when you’re not paying attention. 😊

Two of the books I’ve been working on also happen to be about life’s struggles. And how it’s not about what happens to you, but how you react to the things that happen to you. And it’s all about your perception of things. If you perceive things positively, guess what, they are positive. If you sit there thinking negative thoughts about everything – then you’re planting yourself in a huge pot of negative soil that will bury you, my friend.

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Obviously, I’ve said YES to a lot of things. And during this time, I’ve also thrown in some NOs. I think the YESes and NOs are equally important. When something or someone stops serving you well, you need to move on. It’s not always easy, but trust me – you are doing your soul a major favor.

If you’re feeling stuck, you also might want to consider purging your apartment/home. It’s not always people who stop serving you well – it’s things! Right now I can think of a few ridiculous things I have in my apartment that have been sitting there for 6 months – or even years – collecting dust: an old computer, a portable air conditioner that doesn’t work, a box for goodwill, and a duvet cover that for some reason is ratty as hell.

To keep this momentum going, I’m giving myself this next month to go through my apartment once again and purge the crap out of it. I even got my boyfriend on board this time. See how I just told you we’re doing this and now we HAVE to do it. Announcing your intentions to the world makes you accountable. That’s a big one, too. When I ran a marathon about 11 years ago (yes, ME!) – the first thing they tell you to do in your training is – TELL EVERYONE YOU’RE RUNNING A MARATHON! Then there’s no going back. You are in it for the long haul. Or 26.2 miles.

So, here’s my official decree:

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I WILL BELIEVE IN MYSELF 200%. I WILL NOT LET FEAR OR SELF-DOUBT ENTER MY MIND. IF IT SNEAKS IN, I WILL SHOW IT THE DOOR IMMEDIATELY. I WILL BELIEVE EVERYTHING IS IN ITS RIGHT PLACE. I AM ON THE RIGHT PATH. BEAUTIFUL THINGS ARE ALREADY ON THEIR WAY TO ME. AND OH YEAH, I’M GONNA PURGE THAT STUFF IN MY APT BY NEXT MONTH!

My best advice for growing a better you:

  • Try new things – say YES
  • Get rid of the people and things that don’t work – say NO
  • Meditate!
  • Decide to only be positive about your life and where you’re headed
  • Find support through family and friends
  • Realize you are on the exact path you should be
  • Make sure you get plenty of water & sun
  • Be kind to yourself!
  • Have a glass of wine!

OK, Daily Feelers. Let’s do this. Let’s spend the next month growing a better you. See you on the other side of purging! Namaste.


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Julie Slater, aka THE LOTUS FLOWER, looooves music. Besides being a musician, you may have heard her DJing on top stations: 92.3 K-Rock in NYC as well as 100.3 The Sound & Alt 98.7 in Los Angeles. She also curated & hosted a new music/indie show called Out on a Limb on 88.5 FM in LA.

When she’s not at concerts, you can usually find her in the kitchen. And she has a slight obsession with deep, dark cabernets & a well-made Old Fashioned. Cheers!

 

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