“Life’s tough, get a helmet,” they say.
Seasons and stages come and go. The wise person prepares for the highs and the lows with regular methodical self-care practices and an attitude of gratitude. Today feels like one of those low seasons when it’s easy to get caught up in gloom and doom – a war on the other side of the world impacts our daily economic situation. Dissent among Americans seems at an all-time high. Tempers are short and lines are long at airports and the pump.
We polled the smart consultants at Blue Wagon Group what inspires them to get through their daily. Here are a few ideas about finding solace, inspiration, and the motivation to keep all the balls in the air.
McKenzie turns to a familiar book: The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz.
“While this wasn’t a recent read, it inspired me to change my thinking and alter my life’s paradigm. With so much beyond our control these days, it’s important to return to the basics that the book teaches and how those practices can meaningfully improve our everyday lives.”
Melana Hydrick also reads but prefers audiobooks. She says it makes some of the mundane tasks in life more joyful.
“One book, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, moved me through its wonderful voice actors and storyline and encouraged me to reach out more often to loved ones.”
I also like to get lost in books. Recently I became so caught up in Theo of Golden that I was ugly crying on Waikiki Beach, nearly completely oblivious of the rest of the world. I highly recommend this Allen Levi book (it’s his first novel!) for inspiring kindness, acceptance and a wonderful plot twist ending.
Other consultants find mindfulness in working their bodies.
Lynne Blasi says after 25 years in the same area, she’s finding inspiration in getting to know her new city. “I enjoy exploring the community, discovering new restaurants, meeting new people, and walking along the trails in the neighborhood.“
Sandy McBride challenges herself to find serenity in yoga.
“I never used to be able to slow down and truly embrace the present,” Sandy said. “As they say, yoga is a practice, and I still have a lot to learn, but it’s helping me learn how to slow down on and off the mat and work through daily stress with more calm.”
Yvette Hale says she sees her strength and balance improve each session in the Pilates studio, plus “the camaraderie with others provides a nice distraction from daily life.”
Dayle Stein concurs.
“Pilates helps ground or center me and helps keep my stress levels at bay. Not to mention strengthening my core, which is especially important as we age,” Dayle said.
In fact, Blue Wagon is such a fan of Pilates that Nancy penned a blog a few years back on how she initially began Pilates to improve her health, but realized many parallels to her daily work and life.
And that’s the point. The life we share on this planet isn’t a one-size-fits-all. Whether it’s the written word, moving your body, a daily attitude of gratitude, or some combination thereof, the important thing is for you to find what rejuvenates and inspires you.