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14

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MAY, 2020

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Mindfulness

Creativity

Savoring Beauty

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Five Questions to Plan Your Day By

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Today marks day 58 that we’ve officially been under lockdown in California due to the global pandemic. I think that’s right; Honestly it didn’t even occur to me to count, until today.

It just feels like forever. Between managing my third and fifth graders “home-education,” not to mention their emotions, my own workload, and my desire for a clear and orderly house, any attempt at a plan for the day, feels like an exercise in futility. I feel like I’m falling short at just about everything. Parenting, business, housekeeping, friendships, any sort of exercise routine, essentianly my entire life.

That is, until I came across these “Six Daily Questions to Ask Yourself in Quarantine,” written by Brooke Anderson. Brooke is an Oakland photographer focusing on social justice movements, and I’m so thankful  she thought to share this short list of questions.

The magic is in their simplicity.

Keeping our days simple is particulary critical during the stress of a pandemic, but it’s also a good strategy for managing anxiety and overwhelm every day. I have made this my go-to strategy for planning my days ever since.

I loved Brooke’s questions so much, I adapted them a bit and created a colorful version to hang above my desk:

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Photograph by Tiffiney Lozano 

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Each question really forces me to focus on what’s truly important and give myself permission to let the rest fall away.

But I think the prompt that resonated for me the most, was

“What beauty am I either creating, cultivating, or inviting in today?”

To me beauty goes hand in hand with gratitude. When we take the time to either create or notice something beautiful, we automatically experience gratitude for that thing.

For example, I made my vegetables juices for the week, and looking at their bright, bold colors, I couldn’t help but smile and feel beyond blessed that first, I have access to good produce;  and two, I’m able to nourish my body as well as my senses.

One afternoon, I took 10 minutes to kick my feet up and lay in the backyard hammock under the apple tree blossoms. The sun, casting her soft, green orbs of light off my glass, again, brought a spark of peace and contentment to my heart.

Why don’t I ever think to put these little breaks on my to-do list?

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“She used her pencil to think, her pen to speak, and her paintbrush to sing.”

– Unknown

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1. What am I grateful for today?

2. Who am I connecting with today?

3. What am I letting go of today?

4. How am I moving my body today?

5. What beauty am I either creating, cultivating or inviting in today?

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WHAT IF THIS IS IT — We spend so much of our time trying to do more, have more, be more, and not nearly enough time enjoying what we already have. 

The “Daily Questions” remind me to focus on the things that truly matter, and are at the root of why I work so hard in the first place. 

Mindfulness and being present is something I often find myself striving for, which of course is totally counterproductive. This sweet, simple list of questions has proved uber effective in inviting me to let go of my unrealistic expectations and tendency to plow through my days and my to-do list.

At the end of the day did I take the time to recognize all I have to be grateful for; to genuinely connect with those I love; celebrate my body by moving it; and appreciate all the beauty around me?

If I can say yes to each of those questions, it was a good day, despite the checks on my to-do list.

Which question resonates most for you today?

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Looking for a regular dose of encouragement? Join my newsletter for free weekly musing anchored in curiosity, creativity and heART.

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