Shaking it up

I don't know about you, but when I flip the calendar to November, there's always a little bit of panic. With Christmas lingering around the corner, I know things are about to get crazy busy. Calendars for sale in all the stores reminds me how just a year ago I was writing out goals for 2017. And the sharp realization that I still have much to accomplish. 

I been doing some soul searching recently. Maybe it's because of all the books I've been reading. Titles like "You are a badass" by Jen Sincero, "You can heal your life" by Louise Hay, re-reading parts of "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle, "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne and "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill (I still can't get enough of this book!). All of them have served to make me aware of how much time I spend thinking about all my fears, anxieties, anger, resentment and so on. How I get caught up sweating the small stuff and carry my frustrations, stress and worry with me all day long. Even when I'm doing something I enjoy. My husband often asks me why am I mad. I can't imagine what makes him think that until he tells me that's quite a scowl I'm wearing on my face. Only then do I realize how tense my body is. 

November is the month of giving thanks. So I thought I'd shake things up a bit. Break my routine. Do something different every single day until Thanksgiving. Throw my routine out of whack. See if the break in monotony makes me see the world and myself a little differently. It's actually a challenge offered by my photography mentor to those of us who are always striving to be better artists and creators. But I think it's an excellent idea. So I started yesterday and will do something daily for 3 weeks. And then evaluate how I feel about my experience. 

Today, for example, I went for a walk. By myself. I don't know when the last time was that I did that. Probably years. I didn't do it because I needed the exercise. Goodness knows, I walk plenty on a daily basis. But I'm always on a mission. Running errands, walking the dogs, or walking for work. This was just to go and simply be with nature. Quiet my mind. Use my senses to experience my environment. And you know what? It was so invigorating! By the time I was finished, I could feel how my body had relaxed. My breath had slowed. And my mind had calmed down. 

I've got lots of ideas of how I'm going to break my routine over the next several weeks. How I'm going to shake up my life a bit! Honestly, I think this will be good for me. And for my creative self. I can't wait to see how I feel in three weeks! Anyone else want to join me?