Hello everyone, I hope you’re doing well today. I started off the day (if you don’t include the wee morning hours I was up) doing a yoga class on Yogadownload.com. I really really recommend this website for streaming yoga videos. They have loads of different teachers, styles, levels, and duration. I discovered it through Groupon and their offer for a discounted subscription. I am so glad that I did.
Many many years ago I practiced yoga on a regular basis but then I moved and didn’t keep up with it. Through yogadownload.com I discovered their New Year 20-day challenge, a different yoga class every day. I didn’t start on the first of the year but am currently on Day 12. Did I say I’m loving this? Oh yes, I am.
CHECK ONE BIATCHES FOR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: START BACK IN YOGA!
A couple mornings ago, the class message was getting out of autopilot, something we all probably settle into easily. Saying I was going to get back to doing yoga once I’d lost some weight and regained fitness and found the right class was my autopilot. In this regard, I have certainly broken out of autopilot. But in most other areas of my life I am still very much in autopilot, which is not all that different from sleep-walking…
One such area is this place right here, my blog. I know it can take some real work and soul-searching to find your brand and find your purpose. We all know my purpose is to build my author platform but I continue to struggle at knowing just how to do that. In the last few days I’ve been revisiting some old ideas, exploring what I can offer.
So here’s what’s up!
Several years ago I thought about (I’m very good at thinking about doing things) blogging about getting my life back together, starting with my yard. I struggle with some pretty heavy anxiety and it’s only gotten worse. My yard back then was better than it is now – which isn’t saying much – and I swore I was going to reclaim it. I thought it might be good for me and for readers to witness the actions I took to take it back and make it a wonderful and peaceful space to be in. Needless to say, that did not happen, neither the blogging nor the reclamation.
This need to reclaim space in my life applies to my house, my health, my work and my business (which are different entities). One reason I didn’t share the process is because I was afraid of saying I was going to blog about it then not follow through. I guess that’s proof that a big part of me believed that I would not or could not get it done. I didn’t want to get people’s attention and then just drop it, like I do. Sadly enough, I did not reclaim my yard, or my life. So was I afraid of failing or…
I’m revisiting this as I investigate my possible brand because reclaiming my life is very much a central theme for this year. But how does this play with another central theme of my brand, powers of observation? Simply put, reclaiming my life is reclaiming…my life…hm…myself, my everything, my craft, my business. This is essential for me to be able to fully open my eyes (third included! 😉 ) and operate at least closer to 100%. I’ll be happy with like 75% though I still aim for 100.
There is so much I want to do with my life, it simply does not work to be dysfunctional in so many ways. I need a proper work space for all of my projects, as well as regular exercise, and a healthy home space. My powers of observation don’t have to be honed to see that if I am to do better, I need to exist in a better space. What I see around me is chaos that weighs me down. What I see inside me is chaos that wants to work.
And so it is that I am going to share my journey. I have overanalyzed every part of this each time I think about sharing. Is it wrong for me to “use” this chaos, this dysfunction? Can I do this? Is it interesting? No it’s not wrong because it’s a real experience that so many can relate to and everybody likes to hear about people rising up out of the dust (in my case that’s a little literal 😉 ). Of course I can do this but I must be committed and disciplined. Yes it’s interesting because with each step I take to improve I am taking another step towards a better me. And a better me has a lot more to offer. Besides, to get to know me as an author, well, is to get to know me as a person and vice versa.
Do I know just how this is going to work and look in terms of this blog? No, no I don’t but if you stay tuned you’ll see it. 😉 I will continue book blogging as well because of course writing is my craft which means reading is my study (and one of my favorite hobbies). I love talking about books, learning about new books, and sharing my thoughts even if I’m just complaining about book stuff. In addition I’m going to write about perspectives (mostly mine to start but we’ll see who else 😉 ) in aging. I’m in my mid-30s so I’m not old. But if you’re a teen or in your 20s then probably I am old to you. If you’re 50+, you’re laughing at me a little. 😀 But let’s have this conversation, getting older is not easy but it is a necessary part of this darn journey and I think it’s well, different for women. Men if you’re reading please do feel free to share your thoughts and contradictions!
And darn it, I think today’s culture disempowers aging and the aged (whatever that means), sucking away the gifts age brings for the vanity of youth.
In summary, here’s what’s up, this year I’ll be talking about reclaiming my life, getting myself together as a result so I may pursue more ventures, book blogging stuff, and getting older as a woman today, this will probably include a lot of things that are yet to be determined.
Guys, this is gonna be a good year.
Thank you for your time please feel free to comment and do follow me to keep up with the good, the bad, the ugly, the strange, the hmmm, the beautiful, the wow and all the other stuff. 😉