Recently I posted about my plans and goals for this year, and one of them that I have been working on quite fervently is the physically "fit and free" one. Rather than dwelling on what is wrong with me, with my body, or with the mind, body, spirit connection, I have been focusing on what I can improve, and I hope that this continues throughout the rest of my life. A sweet soul shared with me a physical therapy regimen for fixing my iliotibial band, and I will be forever thankful to him for doing so out of his free time and without a cost, at least to me. As I have been working on strengthening and stretching this area, I have noticed an undeniable connection between my hip and shoulder on my left side - every time that I do a lateral leg lift, my left shoulder pops. In the meantime, I have been researching what a winged scapula is, and how it can be strengthened to improve the strength in my serratus anterior, thereby allowing me to do more inversions (read: upside down poses) in my yoga practice. Who would have thought that all of this would be related? In western medicine, we are taught that each individual area of the body is a separate compartment, like a drawer in a dresser. However, as is true with the dresser, if one of our legs were injured or severely removed, our foundation would be shaken. For years, I have been asking one part of my body to do more than its fair share, and then wondering why it is aching when it does so. Since the foundation has been shaken for such a long time, it stands to reason that the rest of the structure would be aching as it compensates for the extra weight that I have been asking another part to handle. The point is, instead of spreading the weight evenly and justly, I have asked more of one area than it could give, and so the entire structure has been struggling to adjust to my request. Although this rings true for the physical components of my body, it stands to reason that it rings true for the other parts as well. If I ask more of my mental area, then my emotional area suffers, and if I ask more of my emotional area, then my spiritual area suffers. My goal is to align all of these areas - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, so that what shows on the outside of my body is also true on the inside. I strive to have integrity in every step I take, and in doing so, to treat my body, spirit, and mind justly and with care so that what I give to myself, I can give to the world.
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What Is My Path for 2019 and Beyond? I have recently had the opportunity to reflect on the new year, and if it is shaping up in the ways that I am called to follow. Based on this contemplation, I have crafted a 10, 10, 1, setting up goals for the next 10 years in a tool that is referenced in Rachel Hollis' book, Girl Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals. So I set out to define my values, to make sure that they are real and current, and to make sure to include all that carry the most weight in my life. Here they are, in an order that can change on a daily basis, while still remaining true in my heart, soul, and spirit: 1. I am running an exceptional domestic violence shelter in Cochabamba, Bolivia. 2. I give God the glory. 3. I am authentic, balanced, and transparent. 4. I hold the children of the world in my heart and treat them with the dignity and respect that they deserve. 5. I empower and inspire survivors on an daily basis. 6. I am physically fit and free to do anything I set my mind to. 7. I constantly challenge myself mentally to reach new heights. 8. I have emotional strength and resilience; therefore, I give and receive love with ease. 9. I have financial freedom, and I live in a way that is sustainable and supports the resources I have and those of future generations. 10. I set and achieve measurable goals. Affirmations to Spark Recognition and Realization You will notice that the goals are written in true affirmation style as this has been proven to stimulate the brain to believe that they are real, possible, and true, so that if they are not truly actualized at this point, that they will be within a realistic time in the future. My Main Goal is Still the Same You may also notice that these are all things that I am currently striving for, however, the formula in 10, 10, 1 is to choose one goal that you are giving your true focus towards for this year, and then another for the next, and so on. If you are a reader of this blog, then you will know that I am extremely passionate about opening a domestic violence shelter in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and so I have listed this as my focus goal for this year. It is a goal that I am still striving toward on a daily basis, and all of my goals are in support of this goal. What is my personal WHY, or motivation, behind each of the remaining goals? First and foremost, I give glory to the One who gives me life, and this will always be central to me. In order to reach my goals, I must follow my values, hence the "authentic, balanced, and transparent" goal. It is important to me to always honor the dignity and respect of all people, including children, and to seek to spread the message that they are true and full humans, even if they are smaller than us. The same can be said for inspiring and empowering survivors, which is something that I can and must do in any circumstance and in any environment. Included in my goals is also the four quadrant evaluative tool of the spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental areas (and since I have already included spiritual above, I added in financial to help provide a foundation in this area as well). Finally, I included in a goal about setting and achieving measurable goals to make sure that all of these are realistic and can be completed in a set period of time. Sharing My Goals With My Loved Ones I am sharing these goals 1) to be accountable and transparent with my loved ones and 2) to inspire you to create goals and dreams of your own, so that we may follow our individual callings to become the best versions of ourselves! |
AuthorValerie Ellis, who is in alignment with the Black Lives Matter Movement and everyone whose life is impacted, now or before, by times of social injustice. Archives
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