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and so the adventure begins

2018 Mantra + Intentions

written by Parita 1 Comment

Hello and happy 2018!  I can hardly believe the new year is upon us…but it is, and here we are!

Personally, I’m excited about this year and hopeful it will bring lots of adventure, growth, and joy into our lives (and the lives of others).  And if the past couple of days are any indication, it’s going to be a chaotic one.  For one, Kaiden starts daycare on Monday, so that in and of itself should be fun and…interesting!  Hoping he transitions well.  Aside from the day to day, we also have some fun travel plans on the horizon.  2018 is gearing up to be busy!

and so the adventure begins

2018 mantra

Speaking of chaotic, my 2018 mantra is to embrace the chaos.  This is what I plan to repeat to myself throughout the year when things get cray (good and bad).

I chose this mantra because despite my best efforts I’ve never been great at letting go of things out of my control and really staying present when life doesn’t go my way.  Instead, I tend to revert to stress and anxiety and snappiness.  No bueno!

Also, as a new mom, I really want to enjoy ALL aspects of motherhood because none of it lasts forever.  And despite how trying some parts of this journey are I want to embrace every single bit of it.  Of course, the good stuff is easy to enjoy.  The not so good…not so much!  I’m hoping this mantra will help make it somewhat easier.

So in 2018, I’m going to embrace the chaos when it comes to motherhood, work, and life in general.

2018 intentions

This year, instead of setting resolutions, I’m setting intentions.  For me the difference lies in how limiting resolutions are.  There’s no flexibility in how you apply your resolution.  You either do it or you don’t.  Intentions are a bit deeper and much more powerful.  They speak to a way of being.  I like that!

  1. Self-care – I intend to take better care of myself this year.  And I’m not talking about food and exercise.  For the most part, I think I have that part under control.  I’m talking about a deeper level of self-care.  I want to work harder on managing my stress levels and allowing others to help me as and when needed.  I’m not the best at asking for and accepting help, but I (and Vishnu) think it would help me manage my mental load a lot better.
  2. Use of time – I plan to be more intentional with how I use my time in 2018.  In the past 6 months, I haven’t been the best about using my time in a productive way that serves both what needs to happen and what I want to do.  For example, I haven’t read (and finished) a book in what feels like forever.  Not ok!  This intention should help reduce the stupid amount of time I spend on Instagram as well.  🙂
  3. Prayer and meditation – I’m a huge believer in the power of prayer.  And while I’m always taking a minute or two to pray throughout the day (mostly for what I’m grateful for), I want to create a more intentional prayer and meditation practice.  I’ve been trying unsuccessfully for years to meditate, but seeing how my focus this year is to embrace the chaos and take better care of myself, I’m going to make it happen!

I plan to check in about my mantra and intentions in a couple of months.  Wish me luck!

Your turn – Do you have a 2018 mantra? Did you set resolutions or intentions?  Tell me all about it.  I love this kind of stuff!

Written on January 2, 2018 Related:Goals, Inspirational, Life, Self

The Wright Foundation - Inspiration

The Wright Institute: Foundations Weekend

written by Parita 4 Comments

I attended a workshop this weekend hosted by the Wright Foundation [for the Realization of Human Potential].  And when I say I attended, I mean – 6-11 p on Friday and 8a-8p on both Saturday and Sunday.  It was full on!

The focus of the weekend was personal transformation and growth, a topic I love and find super interesting.  Overall, I enjoyed the workshop, the content, and the people I met.  I’m not quite sure if I’ll participate in another (paid) program, but I’m glad I put myself out there and did something that was a little outside my comfort zone.

The Wright Foundation - Inspiration

I thought I would share some of the snippets that impacted and inspired me the most.

  • Our fears tell us more about who we are, what we can expect from the world, and what the world can expect from us.  This plays into loss aversion – anticipating the pain of loss more than the pleasure of gain.  Said differently, playing to win versus playing not to lose.
  • More than happiness, we should seek out well-being, meaning, and incremental self-improvement.
  • We are the gift to the world.  Period.  Not our accomplishments, the outcomes of our decisions, etc.
  • Our goal should be to live life unedited.
  • Weird is good!
  • Never confuse impossible with inconvenient!  –> LOVE THIS
  • In order to get people to listen to you, YOU have to listen to you.
  • Your pain is part of your gift.  Denying the pain is denying the gift.
  • You’re the corner of humanity you have to take care of and be responsible for.  Otherwise, you are projecting your insecurities and unfinished BS on to the world.
  • There’s pain in focusing on your own satisfaction.  –> So much truth to this.
  • Don’t be afraid to unleash the dam [of emotion] because even dams return to become a stream (or river).
  • When things get good, people stop taking risks.  We should flip when things are good!
  • The more authentically you live, the more you’ll live your purpose.
  • By being vulnerable and opening up, you’re recruiting allies for your team.

I hope you can find some inspiration in one (or more!) of the above bullets!  Happy Wednesday!

Where/what/who do you draw inspiration from?

Written on January 18, 2017 Related:Chicago, Inspirational, Self, Uncategorized

This is my house - a power phrase

What’s Your Power Phrase?

written by Parita 2 Comments

Everyone, and I mean everyone, should have a power phrase!

What’s a power phrase, you ask?  Well, it’s the phrase that makes you believe and feel like you can do anything.  When repeated over and over again (most likely silently), this phrase will give you the extra boost of confidence you need.

For example, before I have to present or talk in front of a group of people in a more formal setting, I run my power phrase on replay in my mind. It’s crazy how this one phrases erases any trace of doubt (well, almost any trace) I place on my abilities.

What’s your phrase, you ask?  Ok, so don’t laugh, but it’s…

This is my house!!!

This is my house - a power phrase

The next logical question would be, “Why this phrase?”  Well, let me explain.

In my last job, a part of one of our development sessions included a three day workshop with trained actors.  For those three days, we worked on our energy level, our presence, and our presentation skills.  I honestly don’t remember everything we learned (it was five years ago!), but the one thing that really stuck was the tip about having a power phrase.  “This is my house” was something one of my colleagues came up with and shared, and I absolutely loved how fun(ny) it sounded in my head and yet how bold it made me feel at the same time.  As someone once told me, a confident smile goes a long way!

The thing about power phrases is that they don’t guarantee success.  You may still fall flat on your face, but at least you did it with confidence!  For example, my power phrase comes into play when dealing with difficult people.  It brings me to stand just that much taller.  Like with the mean lady at the post office.  Did I necessarily walk away owning the interaction?  Nope, not at all.  But I also didn’t cower in fear.  Win!

With all of that being said, tell me – what’s your power phrase? 

Written on October 26, 2016 Related:Life, Self, Uncategorized

2016 is the year of the pause

2016: The Year of the Pause

written by Parita 21 Comments

My word of choice in 2015 was calm.  And I’d say I did a fairly decent job of keeping calm last year, although there were a few bumps along the way.  Even though I can’t say that I’ve mastered being a “calm in all situations” kind of person, I was able to focus because that was my word.  I’m light years from where I want to be, but I’m definitely moving in the right direction.

With that being said, instead of going down the resolution route (I prefer monthly goals instead), I’m sticking to making a word my word in 2016.

And that word is pause.

2016 is the year of the pause

I know, I know.  Pause isn’t the most glamorous or inspiring word.  In fact, it sounds super boring.  But just hear me out.

As my longtime readers know, I’m not a “wait and see” person or a “let me think about this for a 1,000 years before taking action” kind of person.  I’m a doer.  If there’s something that needs to get done, you better believe it will.  When decisions aren’t being made and things aren’t moving and shaking, I literally feel like screaming and pulling my hair out.

Now there are definitely some big upsides to this semi-crazy personality trait of mine.  I’ve been told that I’m responsible, proactive, results oriented, etc.  Great stuff…

…but there are lots of downsides as well.  For example, I get so focused on setting things in action that I often don’t think about my behavior.  I can seem really bossy.  My field of vision narrows and it’s hard for me to consider other people’s points of view.  You get it.

Over the last two weeks of December, I realized that in my normal day-to-day life something was missing.  I couldn’t put my finger on it though.  Then as we were going to bed one night, it hit me.  I rarely ever pause.  I jump from one thing to another without stopping (and oftentimes really thinking about what it is that I’m doing).

That is why 2016 is the year of the pause.  And not just when I’m interacting with other people…the pause applies to all areas of my life.

I’m sure this whole concept will evolve, but here’s where I hope to see lots of improvement…

Pause before hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock. 

Pause before checking my email first thing in the morning (and ultimately putting my phone down).

Pause when I’m saying bye to Vishnu in the morning and savor the moment instead of just saying “loveyoubye.”

Pause between each bite of food and before filling my plate with seconds.

Pause before picking up my phone to check social media for the 100th time (and ultimately putting my phone down).

Pause before sharing my opinion and ask “is what I’m about to say going to add value?”

And most importantly, pause (for as long as I need) before reacting to a person or a situation. 

The last one is a priority and a challenge (as in it’s hard) for me.  Not sure if you guys recall, but I started a Reaction Challenge a while back.  The first few weeks were great, and I felt like I was making progress.  And then somewhere along the way I reverted back to my old self.  Well, what I realized was that it’s great to want to change how you react to the not so good stuff, but it only works when you put in mechanisms to help you.  And for me in this moment, the pause is it.

I plan to blog a lot more about this over the next few months because from what I can tell this is something a lot of people have trouble with.  It’s not easy to open up about the less than perfect sides of ourselves, but it’s necessary.  And personally, I want to be more honest with all of you because life isn’t always rainbows and unicorns.  So expect more honest and raw posts from me about this topic in particular.

Now let me pause before saying…

…I hope your 2016 is off to a fabulous start!  Can’t wait to share more and connect with all of you this year!

Did you make a New Year’s resolution?  Or are you going the word of the year route? 

Written on January 6, 2016 Related:Goals, Life, Self

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