Summer nights tend to get all of the attention: campfires, fireflies, s'mores, stargazing... And while those are all amazing ways to spend time, what about summer mornings?
Any gardener will know the pleasure of a summer morning. The time of day where there is still some of the cool night in the air, and weeding / pruning / watering isn’t such a daunting task. This is the time I’ve grown to love over the years. Sometimes I use that time, much like an avid gardener, to tend to my outdoor plant babies and let me tell you THAT time my friend is 100% zen. It’s the perfect way to add some calm into your life. And bonus, those pesky weeds won’t be visible anymore when you park in the drive after your long day of work. Win-win!
This summer, I’ve taken that same mindset of starting the day in the garden, but instead of an actual garden, I tend to the weedy patch that is my negative thoughts. I start every day with some mindset journaling. Now, if you are anything like me, you’ve got a long, uneasy history with journaling. Most of my past journals are filled with angry thoughts, frustrating moments, dramatic retellings of events and zero ways to fix my unhappiness.
Since I’ve started journaling ABOUT my mindset, I’ve noticed a huge shift in both my relationship with journaling and my relationship with my thoughts. Instead of writing about what’s going wrong, I write about the person I want to be in the upcoming day. I use mantras to focus on who I want to be based on how my current mental state is and what the day holds.
For example, if I have tedious house work and boring design work on the docket for the day, my entry might start like this:
“Today, I get to be a woman with not only a house to clean, but a job to do. I am smart and focused. I will clean my house with ease and fly through my work. I will enjoy this time I have to show my family how to care for our home. I get to sit and drink coffee, so my work will also be done with gratitude. I am strong. I am calm. I am focused. (& I will get to take a nap if I finish everything early!)”...
This gives me control, direction and calm when looking at my day. Even when I have a full day of fun tasks and play ahead, I find myself drowning in negativity and guilt. Starting my day with the sun on my face and mindset journaling gives me the freedom to enjoy my life. What freedoms might you feel if you started your day with some sun and mindset work?
Peace friends.
Carrianne Nackers
Artist/Founder of The Happy Apricot
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