Thoughts with Love, a series.
The other day I sat down and wrote out what my Ideal Day would look like.
Have you ever done that?
Both kids in my life are in a day camp this week, and I am being given a preview of what back to school will look like in my new lifestyle as a stay-at-home wife/stepmom/online yoga & meditation teacher.
This influx of time means I can focus with more intention on my goals… like building my muscle of discipline. I have been spotlighting “discipline” in my life these days, and I’ve tweaked the definition of it for myself too, in classic With Love style. I’ll get into that bit later in the blog.
First, I want to collect some thoughts from my morning walks lately.
My friend and I discussed recently that it astounds us when people don’t know what they want… Because everyone knows what they want. Deep down. If you had three shots of tequila and were asked “what would bring you joy?” I think you’d find yourself answering real quick fast. (Not that I’m encouraging three shots of tequila – that was just the honesty filter being imagined!)
There is no Google search result that will tell you how to be happy. You already know.
It just takes quieting down and asking yourself.
Ok so back to my new definition of discipline. See, I always had this negatively tinted pair of shades on when I looked at the word “discipline”. I perceived it as hard-ass, no room for grace, get up at five a.m. and run David Goggins style – every day and never quit.
This definition gave me no room to integrate it. This definition goes way opposite my personality of calm, soft and feminine. Cycling in and out of different levels of energy and working with my hormonal cycle has meant swapping in my negative sunglasses for some rosier tinted ones.
Discipline is the highest form of self-love.
Let that one sink in for a moment. I know it took me some time.
Discipline simply means choosing what is best for you, even if it’s not what you want at the time.
Because now that I’ve decided what I want… it’s going to take discipline and habit building to get there. My husband and I like to take walks in the morning, and we were chatting just yesterday on the idea that it’s not about attaining the goal you set your mind to, it’s about becoming the person who gets that goal.
As I step onto the mat every day this week in the chakra course I am completing with Brett Larkin – I am reminded by that little voice in my head at the halfway point that says “Hey, you could shut it down and go make a coffee. Just mark the video as watched in your course. Who’s gonna know?” The path of least resistance is the easiest one to take. (I stayed on the mat by the way, and completed the class feeling that much more accomplished)
As Jim Rohn said on my walk playlist this morning: “The thing about something being easy to do… is that it’s easy to not do it too.”
So, friends, I hope you take a moment to visualize what you want.
And then? Write down (3) action steps: one you can do every day, one you can do every week, and one you can do every month in order to get there.
Here’s to self love in the highest of forms.
With Love,
Esta
with love , Esta 