personal – Renew Inspiration Mind Body Spirit

Meditation from the Inside Out

LaPorterJuly 5, 201810 Replies

The inspiration you seek is already within you. Be silent and listen. – Rumi

Welcome back to Renew Inspiration! I hope you enjoyed your 4th of July holiday to my United States readers. I don’t know about where you live, but it was humid and in the 90’s. No grilling here! I cooked some steaks and hamburgers in the Air Fryer which makes for less cooking time and less mess to clean up in the kitchen. Well, enough about cooking and food. I want to discuss a very important topic today related to our mental state, relaxation and total well-being. The topic is called meditation.

meditation, yoga, pose, stillness, peaceful, water — pexels

Did you know…

• Meditation reduces stress?
• Meditation helps with clearing your thinking?
• Meditation increases our capacity for empathy and compassion?

Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It’s a way of entering into the quiet that’s already there. – Deepak Chopra

meditation, stones, relax, peace, nature — pexels

Thought for today – I am in perfect balance. I am physically and emotionally connected and healed. I am free of worry and I am at peace with who I am. Every day I grow stronger and more relaxed. I love myself and life.

The goal of meditation isn’t to control your thoughts, it’s to stop letting them control you. – Unknown

Alright, let’s be honest here. Do you practice meditation daily? weekly? monthly? or never?

Meditation, when practiced regularly, can bring about a true personal transformation from the inside out. As you allow yourself to experience your inner peace and security, you will naturally begin to discover aspects of yourself that were previously hidden due to stress. Keep in mind, when practicing meditation, your body undergoes a structural change, which demonstrates the profound impact of simply sitting down, perfectly still, with your eyes closed, breathing deeply nice and slow. Meditation relaxes the entire brain and places your entire body in a calm way of living. Simply put, meditation is spending quality time with your soul and not allowing anything or anybody to distract you.

The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness. – Sakyong Mipham

Physical Benefits of Meditation:

• Lowers high blood pressure
• Lowers the levels of blood lactate, reducing anxiety attacks
• Decreases tension-related pain
• Increases serotonin production that improves mood and behavior
• Improves the immune system
• Increases the energy level, as you gain an inner source of energy

If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place. – Lao Tzu

Mental Benefits of Meditation:

• Anxiety decreases
• Emotional stability improves
• Creativity increases
• Happiness increases
• Gain clarity and peace of mind
• Problems become smaller
• Sharpens the mind by increasing focus

As you can see, meditation is your time to relax, unwind, and practice your deep breathing techniques. Even though you are free to meditate anywhere, it would be nice to create your very own personal space in or around your home dedicated to meditation.

Tips to Create Your Personal Meditation Space

Tip 1: Choose a location with nature in mind. For example, lush green trees, soothing blue water, beautiful flowery garden, next to a window, on a patio, porch, empty room decorated with nature colors and pictures, etc.

Tip 2: Keep the space clean. If the environment around you is clean, your mind can also be relaxed during meditation. Less clutter is better.

Tip 3: Invite lots of fresh air. An airy and well-ventilated room is surely going to make you enjoy your meditation better.

Tip 4: Light shades work better. Pastel shades give a more soothing feel compared to dark or bright colors. You may choose a room which has either white or light shade walls that helps you relax.

Tip 5: Light it up as you like. Allow sunlight to come through your windows or if it is evening you may want a specific type of lamp to help set the relaxing mood.

Tip 6: Smell the relaxation. You may choose from a variety of fragrances as per your choice. Whether it is aromatic incense sticks or essence oils, the choice is yours.

Tip 7: Think comfort. You may choose a soft yoga mat, a low-height mattress, soft cushion or a comfortable chair.

Tip 8: Play it soft. You may choose some soft instrumental music which helps enhance your experience.

Journal Prompts

Let’s make it common practice to write in your journal after you practice meditation.

• I like to practice meditation because ___________________________.
• When I practice mediation, I feel ___________________________.
• What are your daily habits?
• What is a habit you want to break?
• What is keeping you from changing?
• List 5 emotional trigger words. How do they make you feel?
• Has your mind spent more time today focused on the past, present or future?

Remember, once you get into the habit and experience the mental clarity, emotional stability, physical relaxation that the meditation practice offers, not practicing meditation seems unimaginable. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s set aside some quality time today to renew inspiration – mind, body and spirt by practicing meditation!

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
If you practice meditation, please share your favorite place to meditate. What is your favorite time of the day to meditate? Do you like music playing in the background when you are meditating? Were you aware of the health benefits when practicing meditation? Have you experienced any positive health benefits while doing meditation? If so, please share in the comments section. I look forward to reading your feedback!

Renew Inspiration is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Patience Hidden Within

LaPorterJune 24, 201818 Replies

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience, and experience, hope. (Romans 5:3-4)

Thought for Today

Trust the wait. Embrace the uncertainty. Enjoy the beauty of becoming. When nothing is certain, anything is possible.

Welcome to Renew Inspiration! I am so glad you decided to read my blog on today. I want to spend some time talking about patience. Unfortunately, patience in life is not spread evenly amongst people. Some of us have it, and some of us don’t. According to the Webster Dictionary, patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset; to wait or to do something despite difficulties or to suffer without complaining.

Everything comes to you. In the right moment. Be patient. Be grateful. – Unknown

Well, what does patience mean to you? As we go through life, we often take a lot of things for granted. For example, do you have patience with yourself when you are dieting or exercising? Do you have patience with your family as it relates to doing household chores, doing school work, going to various appointments during the week, participating in school events or running errands on the weekend? How about your co-workers helping you meet important deadlines for projects at work? Now, let’s take a moment to think about your personal behavior. Do you find yourself screaming a lot, losing your temper, or always stressed out about something? The real question should be, do you have patience hidden within?

Let’s Get Personal

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. (Hebrews 10:36)

Honestly, I consider myself to have lots of patience, but lately I find myself wondering how much patience I really do have. Well, my husband and I adopted 2 boys with the hopes of giving them lots of love, positive support, and helping them become more independent in life. Yes, we want the same dreams for our boys as you have for your children. We want them to be successful in school, play sports, learn karate, play video games, and enjoy their favorite hobby. Both of our adopted sons have a hearing impairment, but we do not allow it to define our children. Both boys attend speech therapy and behavioral therapy regularly.

When we adopted our children, I knew it would be a struggle because of the adoption itself, the unknown factors involved with their history of abuse, the boys being developmentally delayed, and the hearing impairment. After years of therapy and the cochlear implant in 2016, we came to realize that these factors help define our children. I truly understand that. However, I was not prepared for all the negative energy that the oldest child is bringing into our household. Unfortunately, he is defiant (disrespects, lies, don’t follow directions, sneaky, failing grades). I don’t think you can ever prepare yourself wholeheartedly. After all, you have opened your home and your hearts to strangers. You have sacrificed so much to provide things for these children that they probably would have never had in their young lives. You are willing to love them despite their past trauma and living situations. In most cases, you don’t even know what the children really went through in their young lives. It takes a lot of patience to parent children I am sure you already know, but it takes even more patience when you have negative factors playing a huge role in the dynamics of your family unit.

I wanted to provide you with a real life example because I am living with this lack of patience every single day. To take it a step further, I noticed that I began struggling with patience especially after my mother passed away in 2015. She was my ROCK, my strongest supporter, my EVERYTHING. She encouraged me and always complimented how well I worked with our boys through their personal struggles. So, as I write this blog today, I ask myself the very same question that I asked you earlier, do I have patience hidden within?

Patience is not the ability to wait but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. – Unknown

When I decided to blog, I wanted my blogs to be different. I want to impact your lives in a unique way. I want you to think about your life and how you can make positive changes as you read my blog. I want to impact your life in a positive way. Remember, to grow from within, sometimes you press yourself to move out of your comfort zone and be willing to feel awkward. Yes, you may feel uncomfortable when evaluating your current living situation or when trying to change something for the better, but that’s when you know the best is yet to come. Don’t be afraid to be different. Don’t be afraid to be alone. You are not alone while going through this process. Well, it’s time for you to get your journal or notebook out so you can start the necessary work.

Symptoms When You’re Impatient

How do you know when you’re being impatient? You will probably experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• Shallow breathing (short breaths)

• Muscle tension

• Hand clenching/Tightening

• Restless feet

• Irritability/Anger

• Rushing /Quick decisions

Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in mind. – David G. Allen

Ways to Manage the Symptoms

Here’s some strategies to help you manage symptoms for patience:

• Take deep slow breaths, and count to 10.

• Focus on relaxing your body.

• Learn to manage your emotions.

• Force yourself to slow down.

• Practice active listening and empathetic listening.

Patience is a form of wisdom. It demonstrates that we understand and accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time. – Jon Kabat-Zinn

Journal Prompts – Ways to Work on Patience in your Life

• What does patience mean to you?

• What gives you patience and why?

• Do you believe in something most people don’t? If so, what keeps you believing?

• What future challenge are you most looking forward to and why?

• What is the best way to show patience to family? friends? strangers?

Prayer for When You Are Waiting and Feel Impatient

Heavenly Father, I know I am impatient, so prone to worry, to give up, to lose hope. Please help me to rest in your promises on today. In this season of waiting, renew my joy in this moment so that I do not miss your presence in this place. Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for love, your guidance, and your glory even when I cannot see. In Jesus Mighty Name, AMEN.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

So, what’s your story as it relates to patience? Think about your life right now where you are. Describe a situation or a person in which you wish you showed more patience? Don’t be afraid to comment or ask a question. WE all learn from other people’s struggles and life experiences. Help can be found if you take the first step today. I will be waiting patiently for your comments and/or any questions you have. Believe in yourself today, tomorrow, and forever!

Renew Inspiration is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Journaling to Excel

LaPorterJune 9, 201819 Replies

Your life only gets better when you do. Work on yourself and the rest will follow. – Unknown

Welcome back to Renew Inspiration! Believe in yourself. Be brave and take risks. After all, nothing can substitute an experience, whether it is positive or negative. In today’s session, I want to talk about Journaling to Excel. Let’s take a moment and think about the following questions.

• Why do I write in my journal?
• What do I want to learn about myself?
• What am I exceptionally good at?
• How do I shine from day to day?
• Do I have any talents or special skills?
• How do I stand out in a crowd?

Well, I hope you have your journal and something to write with. I love to write in my journal because it is a safe place for me to put my feelings and emotions into words, then put my words into action. Journal writing is a form of personal expression. Journal writing can be whatever you want it to be. Remember, journal writing is your very own personal journey throughout life, your ups and downs, your successes and failures.

excel, success, achievement, happiness — pixabay

So, when you first read the title Journaling to Excel, what were you thinking? What does the title Journaling to Excel mean to you and your current situation? Whenever you make the decision to excel at something, you must put in some hard work and dedication. Let’s face it, most of us did not just wake up one day and have a successful career, a beautiful home, respectful children, a healthy fitness routine, etc. You had to first decide what you wanted to work on, then you had to plan, then you had to execute your plan into action. In reality, most people fail many times before they succeed so never give up on your dreams.

You have the power to heal yourself, and you need to know that. We think so often that we are helpless, but we’re not. We always have the power of our minds. Claim and consciously use your power. – Louise Hay

To take yourself to the next level, let’s look at the following concepts:

Goal Setting
Goal setting is important in every aspect of your life. To pursue new ideas or strive to reach your dreams, you must have a plan to do so. Here’s some steps to follow when goal setting:
• Identify what you want and name your specific goal(s). You can brainstorm each area of your life and identify one or two things you want most and set these as your beginning goals, such as weight loss, exercising more, building stronger relationships, being a better person, etc.
• Write your goal(s) down and write the steps needed to facilitate the goal(s). Make sure to include changes in habits and lifestyle that must take place.
• Take each of the steps you wrote down and incorporate them into your current lifestyle. You may need to rearrange your work schedule, ask for help around the house from family or friends, etc.
• Begin to visualize yourself after your goals are achieved. Take a moment and ask yourself what life looks like after the goals are reached, then spend a few minutes every day picturing yourself in that very same life.
• Evaluate your progress as you move through the steps you’ve identified as necessary to reach your goals and adjust your efforts as needed.

Self-Confidence
Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, but if we are honest with ourselves, we sometimes struggle to find it throughout our every day lives. Did you know that gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident person finds success in life? Unfortunately, people who lack self-confidence find it difficult to become successful. There are two main things that contribute to self-confidence: self-efficacy (when we see ourselves and others mastering skills and achieving goals) and self-esteem (we cope with what’s going on in our lives and know that we have a right to be happy). Here’s some ways for you to build self-confidence:
• Prepare for your journey. Look at what you’ve already achieved, think about your strengths, think about what’s important to you, and where you want to go in life.
• Set out on your journey. Build the knowledge you need to succeed, focus on the basics, set small goals and achieve them.
• Accelerate towards success. By this point, you should feel your self-confidence building from within. Keep yourself grounded and always aware of how you feel throughout this process.

Self-Reflection
Self-reflection is a process of examining one’s own thoughts, feelings, and sensations to gain better insight of one’s life. Self-reflection allows you to:
• Notice negative patterns in your life.
• Keeps you focused on the bigger picture.
• Prevents you from worrying about things out of your control.
• Helps you face your fears.
• Allows you to clearly define happiness on your own terms.
• Allows you to make decisions based on your conscience.

Self-Care
Prioritizing everyone else in your life may seem honorable, but the reality is, totally neglecting yourself isn’t good for anyone. In order to take care of others, you first need to take care of yourself. Here’s some great ways to practice self-care:
• Make time for exercise or yoga.
• Read an inspirational book or read positive affirmations.
• Listen to soothing music with your eyes closed.
• Create a relaxing routine (warm bath, meditation, reading, writing in your journal).
• Get out in nature (go for a walk, run, or hike).

Spiritual Foundation
Without a strong spiritual foundation, you cannot withstand the storms of life that you may be facing, whether they are financial, emotional, or relational. Although society and culture may offer many solutions to help you brace against the struggles of daily living, here’s the three essentials needed in your spiritual life to weather any storm you might be dealt:
• Praise and Worship
• The Word of God
• Prayer
These spiritual essentials will help you build strength (your spiritual foundation) and begin to experience a powerful new sense of God’s presence and purpose in your life.

My mind is focused, my body is healthy, and my spirit is calm. – Unknown

Mind – Your mind will always believe everything you tell it. Feed it faith. Feed it truth. Feed it with love.

Body – Your body is healthy and beautiful.

Spirit – Everything you need is within you.

Journal Prompts – Journaling to Excel
• Name at least five things that you love about yourself.
• What are my short-term goals and long-term goals?
• What are my strengths and weaknesses?
• What is my proudest accomplishment and my biggest failure?
• What matters most to me right now in this very moment?
• What am I ashamed of and/or what do I fear?
• What brings me the most joy and how can I make time for it?
• As of today, what is my vision for my life in one year, two years, three years?
• What stresses me out? What can I do to reduce the stress?
• What is overwhelming in my life right now? How can I reduce this overwhelming feeling?

In addition, here’s some suggestions of things you can do to help you connect deeper (www.simplystepping.com). This process will help you stay grounded and become more comfortable with yourself while doing various activities, then writing about them throughout your journaling process.

• Walk a long distance or hike. Realize what you’ve accomplished in the end.

• Stand in the rain and let it wash you clean. Feel grounded in the Earth.

• Plant a tree or start a garden. Place labels where you planted, with words that encourage you to move forward.

• Imagine what a new beginning would look like or how it would feel. Create a vision board with images and words capturing what you what.

• Wear new, special, comfortable shoes that represent your bravery and willingness for simply stepping one step at a time forward in life!

Believe in yourself today, tomorrow and forever!

Renew Inspiration is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Journaling to Find Yourself

LaPorterApril 5, 201810 Replies

Inhale the future, exhale the past

journal is a reflection of who you are, it’s a repository for all of the things that interest and inspire you. A journal provides a safe environment to experiment with your writing style and technique. Simply put, when you write in a journal it becomes your personal journey of creative and heart felt thoughts.

Stay patient and trust your journey

Now, let’s take the journaling process to the next level. How about using the journaling process to find yourself? Journaling is a way to capture ideas and keep your dreams alive until you can put them in motion. Ideas can be found all around you. Take a moment and look around you right where you are. Inspiration is not required to knock at your door twice. We have to be ready and willing to do what’s necessary to grow, to learn, and most importantly, to find yourself.

A little progress each day adds up to big results

cup, saucer, coffee, journal, pen — pixabay

5 Tips for Capturing your Best Journal Ideas:

1. Take your journal everywhere you go to capture those special thoughts or moments as they happen. If your journal is too big, you can always buy a small notebook to use while you are on the go. Then, transfer or glue your notes in your journal at a later time.

2. Select a journal that feels right to you. You can purchase a beautifully crafted handmade journal, a hardcover book with unlined pages, a softcover notebook with lined pages, a 3-ring binder with loose paper, or just a spiral notebook. It really doesn’t matter your style, just make sure that your journal feels right to you and you can comfortably use it to capture your thoughts.

3. Handwrite your journal entries so you are unable to edit your thoughts. Handwriting keeps things more spontaneous and also gives you clues about your emotional state. If you’re anything like me, you can tell what you’re feeling just by analyzing the state of your writing.

4. Create an informal table of contents in the beginning of each journal. Number each page and try to list the topics covered as you go along. This makes finding stuff a lot easier down the road or when you just want to reflect on some of your past writings. Don’t worry about doing this each time you journal, but make sure to complete this step before starting your next journal.

5. Don’t worry about format, grammar, or spelling. Remember, this is your personal space and a written account for how you feel right now in this very moment. Don’t worry about following your traditional writing rules, just write.

dream, courage, inspire, harmony, stones — pexels

Here are 10 reasons why you should use journaling to find yourself:

1. To ponder and pen your big dreams – Your journal is an ideal place to write out all of your desires and dreams. If there were no limits, what would you want to become? Who would you want to meet? What would you have? Where would you go? Write it all down, describing in detail what your success would look like. By doing this, you can begin to put the laws of success attraction into motion.

2. To get clarity and solve problems faster – When you are unable to see a clear path in your life, it’s better to jot down all those thoughts swirling around in your head. Writing things out gives you the accurate perspective necessary to attract the right solutions. Take a moment to write down questions related to your problems. In fact, you should have an attitude of expectancy that you will find the right answers.

3. To chart what works – Journaling about your ideas, successes, and even failures empowers you to backtrack to see what’s working in your life and what’s not. It’s important to be honest with yourself and be willing to make the necessary adjustments where needed to live a rewarding life.

4. To track your past victories – Take a moment to celebrate your victories and write when and where you have excelled in life. It’s easy to remember your every mishap, but also make an effort to note what’s going right in your life as well.

5. To plan and strategize – Use your journal for both short-term and long-term planning. This process will allow you to work through specific strategies on how you will accomplish your goals. Plan everything from the week ahead to the entire year in your journal.

6. To create a success action routine – Your success action routine should consist of time for meditation and visualization, speaking positive affirmations and reviewing your goals. Visualize yourself completing your goals and feeling the benefits and rewards of doing so.

7. To take control over your future – Journaling about your ideal life and begin to act as if you have that life right now. Be descriptive and detailed in your writing. This will help you prepare for an opportunity that doesn’t exist yet, and ready yourself for the victory to come.

8. For self-improvement – Your journal is a safe place where you can truly be honest with yourself. This is your book, your story, your journey. You have no limitations or boundaries. Your journal is private so you can express yourself and get to know who you really are and what you truly desire.

9. To help you through the decision-making process – In your journal, you can list pros and cons when you are faced with having to make a difficult decision. Write out every possible outcome and use this to guide you through the decision-making process.

10. To keep you in a state of gratefulness – As you go through the process to find yourself, stay grateful throughout your journey. Express gratitude in your journal. Slowing down to make note of what you’re thankful for can relieve you of anxiety, stress, and help you to enjoy life to the fullest. In addition, the act of gratefulness also draws more positivity your way, helping you to create a cycle of success.

Still stuck in a rut and have nothing to write, here are examples of ideas to include in your journal:

• Reactions to personal situations and world events
• Goals you’re working toward (weight loss, career, personal)
• Inspiring quotes or affirmations
• Poetry that moves you
• Pictures from magazines or photos you love
• Books to read
• Music you’ve heard that you may want to purchase
• Websites to explore
• To do lists or reminders
• Topic research or exploration
• Relationship successes or problems
• Travel plans
• Dreams to explore
• Feelings, thoughts, or emotions

One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day

Journal Prompts are given to inspire you to write freely and to help you think about mind, body, and spirit as you write. But today, think of journal prompts as a thought provoking exercise to help you find yourself.

• Name 5 things that you love about yourself.
• What did you learn about yourself this month? this week? today?
• What are you inviting into your life with your actions?
• Has your mind spent more time today focused on the past, present, or future?
• What feels like a struggle at the moment?
• What do I want to accomplish in my life today? tomorrow? next week? next month? next year?
• What has been going well in my life lately?
• How can I create more acceptance in my life?
• What traits do I like about myself?
• What are my character strengths?
• How have I been holding myself back?
• How can I take a step forward?

Dream. Plan. Do.

So, grab your journal and write your ideas so you’re able to retrieve your thoughts whenever needed. Your journal holds all of your pertinent life information so you can remember and reference at any time in your future. Remember, you shape your world for success. Begin to imagine and dream. Don’t be afraid of goal setting and planning. Have courage to move in a positive direction toward your personal growth and advancement.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
If you do keep a journal, please share some of your organizing tips and techniques; pros and cons of journaling; journaling tips that help you continue your journey. We learn from one another so your comments are necessary in order for all of us to learn and grow. I look forward to reading your feedback!

Time for Renewal

LaPorterFebruary 21, 20186 Replies

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you -Ezekiel 36:26

Now, tell me what is your breaking point? When do you just STOP and take a rest? When do you say “No” to others because you already have too much on your agenda? Believe it or not, most people do not make time for the renewal process to take place in their lives. We just keep going and going like the Energizer bunny, right?

However, it is important to realize when it is time for renewal. Allowing time for renewal offers one many advantages in life. First, time for renewal offers one personal growth and expansion from the inside out. Second, time for renewal offers one a fresh start to something that will be much better, and in most cases, greater than what they were already experiencing. Third, time for renewal offers one the ability to make necessary plans and allows their mind to think of resolutions that need to take place. Fourth, time for renewal can give you rest from the day to day hustle and bustle of life, which can interpret to self-reflection. Fifth, time for renewal offers one an opportunity to transform one’s mind and body to a more refreshed state.

If we just be still and listen, we will hear the sigh of relief inside our hollow bodies…we will hear the quiet and slow beats of our hearts and the pleasant thoughts surrounding our busy minds!
I encourage you today to really think about your personal journey and how important it is to make time for renewal. You will experience life awakening experiences that will allow for personal growth as well as an expansion of your creativity that only you can explore and enjoy.

Until next time, believe in yourself today, tomorrow and forever!

Quotes:
Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances -Maya Angelou

And suddenly you know, it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings -Meister Eckhart