7/14/23
It’s hot in AZ right now. I know I know, the East Coasters always respond, “bUt tHeRE’s No hUmIdITy iS tHeRe”. All I ever say to that is YA you’re right! But if you want to debate whether sitting in a steam room or a sauna is better for you - we'll both be sweating doing it. Beyond enlightenment, we can joke here too :)
You know the rules! It’s summertime, drink water, wear sunscreen, tell the people you love that you love them.. and turn the music up a little.
P.S. Happy 30th Birthday to my best friend Oliver! He has a big heart and a kind soul.
GROUNDED
Roots - Present. Moment. Action.
If I had to cook for myself as a kid, I could make a PB+J for lunch and Mac N Cheese for dinner like it was nobody’s business. As you can imagine, even as tasty as both of those things are, that wasn’t sustainable for older me. I’ve had my days where I just don’t want to cook, resulting in getting takeout or making something quick and lazy.. and neither feels better than just cooking.
We all have the thing we know we need to do and don’t want to. The ironic realization in my reflection - I love cooking.
Really, I haven’t liked cleaning.
My college roommate and great friend Tom, taught me the valuable lesson of cleaning as I go. Something I now refer to as PMA - Present Moment Action. If the veggies are still cooking and the chicken is done - clean the chicken pan while the veggies finish. Now this may seem so utterly simple to some folks, but this isn’t necessarily about cleaning. Nor does this method need perfection.
This is about indirect efforts that allow other things to flow smoothly. If you drive - you then need to get gas. If you take yoga, you need to put your mat and blocks in the car. If you’ve worked all day, you may need to charge your phone or computer. For some, this may mean charging while you work. For others, the method may be charging overnight. This takes understanding yourself.
For some of you that are very good at taking little actions, this method may require quite the opposite approach. Someone has offered to cook and clean for you.. and your PMA is just to sit and be present and gratefull. Or nicely asking your spouse, child or roommate in the other room to plug your phone in for you. This may seem counterintuitive to PMA, but maybe that means it’s worth a try. In today’s day and age, stillness is indeed an action.
As always, there is no right or wrong on how to go about this, it is more so about creating space for yourself moving forward. You are in charge of your own needs. We can really only control our efforts in life - and sometimes one small extra effort is what makes future you, gratefull for.. you.
You may have something else come to mind through all this that you struggle with. What is a small Present Moment Action you can take that future you would be gratefull for?
IN THE KLOUDS
Movement - Short Week
Ashanti - Rock Wit U (Just rock side to side for this one)
Franc Moody - Skin on Skin (Groovy)
Jazzy - Giving Me (Bouncy)
RL Grime x Miguel x Julia Michaels - Light Me Up (Great Collab)
ABOVE KLOUDS
Quote - Self Love
"No one is going to give it to you. The deep breath, the extra five minutes, the quiet moments away from everyone whose urgency always trumps your own. No one is going to take you outside to absorb a few rays of sunshine or beams of moonlight. No one, and I mean no one, is going to get you to drink that glass of water or take that bite of lunch while it is still lunctime. No one will put you to bed early, no one will put away your phone. No one will make space for you to write, or sing, or dance, or run, or any of the things you did before you became the worker, the caregiver, the superhuman. No one will remind you that your desire is more important than your productivity and that no matter how much you get done, it won't matter if you've lost the sight of your joy. No one can do it. Any of it. No one. Except maybe you." Melody Godfred, The Self Love Philospher (Left Brain - Thinkers) Self Love Poetry
KLOUTY SPOTLIGHT
Savannah’s Sunset Social
I’ve been very fortunate to have grown a beautiful network of people in my time, personal and professional. Thankfully - I’ve learned a valuable lesson too. Growing your network on purpose with people that align with you is very fruitful. Quality and quantity are allowed to coexist. Like anything, it often takes quantity to know the quality. What you find valuable may be different from the next person.
Today’s spotlight is on my friend Savannah Stehman. For anyone that knows her, she is a positive walking ray of sunshine that works very hard to be better every day. After we worked together at the Suns, she moved into the Real Estate space where she has thrived and grown her business very well.
Now, she is starting a professional social group where she can facilitate people growing their network. Because she didn’t grow up in Arizona, she feels like she doesn’t have a “person” for everything. She wants to change that for herself and others.
We all know, it’s way better to have a mechanic you trust than it is to have to take your car to the dealership. This is the same. For those of you here in AZ looking to grow your network, I am happy to connect you with her to join this group.
For those of you not in AZ - keep this practice in mind. If I was to come to your city and need a haircut, I wouldn’t expect you to cut my hair, but if you suggested a Barber you trusted, I would be very gratefull. Connecting people to other people that can help them is something that encourages abundance, even if it doesn’t directly serve you. It all comes around.
