Tag: inspiration

i don’t finish every book i start

Posted on by jplatt27

I was reading The Dinner recently. Even though I was more than half way through, I just wasn’t into it. I was bored. And even though there is supposed to be a twist or something interesting happening at the end, I didn’t really care to get to the end.

One of my core desired feelings (Danielle LaPorte, anyone?) is to be engaged. To be excited and pulled into something. And this book just wasn’t doing it for me.

So, I let it go. I closed it with no intention to pick it back up. And honestly, that small decision made me feel powerful.

Life’s too short to do things that don’t make you feel good. Life’s filled with too many opportunities for things that make us feel good to hang on to arbitrary obligations. So I try not to do that anymore.

Ok, talk to me in the comments:

What’s something in your life that’s not grasping you in the way you’d like? What would it be like to let it go?

What’s the last book you read that you could. not. put. down??

 

between me and who i really am

Posted on by jplatt27

In a recent interview, I was asked: “Do you love who you’ve become?” My response was “I don’t believe I’ve become anyone, I’ve just released all that was blocking me from who I really am.” ~Gabrielle Bernstein, May Cause Miracles

I read this and thought YES! This is my journey!

Trying to release all that’s blocking me from who I really am is exactly the process I’m going through right now. It’s certainly not easy. I feel vulnerable. There’s a lot of fear here. And fear can make you grip on tightly to things that are familiar regardless of how well they serve you.

Some things that are blocking me:

guilt | fear | lack of boundaries | limiting beliefs | my inability to say no

So it’s a process.

But I’m ready to let my true light shine all the time. Not just when I feel safe to do so. I do love the person I am underneath it all and I’m slowly growing my courage and letting go of all the things that keep her small.

What are some things that may be blocking you from who you really are?

my really big dreams

Posted on by jplatt27

Over on my business blog, I recently asked my readers to admit their ambition. The first step in a dream come true is acknowledging the dream at all.

To encourage you to share your dreams, to lead by example, to practice what I preach, and to take the first step in making them come true, I thought I’d share my ambitions here.

My really big dreams:

Self-employed and debt-free by thirty through a six-figure coaching business

Write a best selling personal development book

Throw myself into motherhood (I’m going to be honest, this petrifies me at this point)

Create a home that is warm and welcoming

Host a regular Sunday brunch at our house for the people we love most. So that they know we’ll be there.

Coach on Capitol Hill

Build a premier coaching group for women, one that has the power to give back in a big, big way

Cultivate a love-only relationship between me and my body

Continue to grow the love in my marriage so that years from now we’re still giggling in the morning and dancing in the kitchen

Host a big, fancy, outdoor joint 25th anniversary and 50th birthday party

Join me!

Share one of your dreams in the comments!

go at your own pace: what to do when you have two

Posted on by jplatt27

A while ago I wrote about going at your own pace in life and not comparing where you’re at with others.

It hit me this morning that we often struggle to find a good pace within ourselves, that this conflict is often an internal one.

As I mentioned in this post last week, I really want some down time right now. I’m really happy with that realization and am enjoying the space I’m giving myself.

But as I went out for a walk this morning, I thought “oh, I should email so-and-so” and “I need to look over that page on my website.” I’ve also had thoughts like “I want to read this book” and “I want to write that post” and “I want to reach out to this group.”

One part of me is like enjoy this time, space is good, relaxing will help you create. The other part of me is more cautious and saying “go, go, go” and “do, do, do,” fearful that if I don’t take action, if I don’t think about these things every single minute, that nothing will happen.

It’s hard to go at your own pace, what I’d call your soul pace, when there’s that voice in your head saying “hello, what are you doing?”

Here’s how I’m going to handle it: I’m going to keep going at the pace my soul wants to go while acknowledging the voice in my head by saying: “I know you’re looking out for me and want to make sure I get what I want. Thank you for that. But trust me, I know it’s coming. This pace is just fine.”

the blue dress

Posted on by jplatt27

On the way to LOFT at lunch yesterday I said to my friend “I’ve been feeling a little pudgy lately, finally realizing how much weight I put on this winter so I’m just going to look for a cardigan to go over the dress I already have. I was trying on dresses at H&M this weekend and I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. There’s nothing worse than standing in a dressing room in your underwear and feeling fat.”

But then LOFT had so many cute things and I picked up a few dresses and skirts to try on.  As I walked into the dressing room I thought, “oh, I said I wasn’t going to do this.”

Instead of turning around or feeling sorry for myself I made a decision:

I’m going to love my body the way it is right now.

Yep, that’s right.

I’m going to love my body the way it is right now.

Because what else can you do in that moment? You can berate yourself, or you can choose to love yourself.

I chose the latter.

Not only did I end up not getting the “is-that-what-I-really-look-like/i’m-so-fat/ugh” feeling, I ended up getting a blue dress in my normal size that fit perfectly (even after I told my friend I’d probably need the next size up).

How’s that for a reward for self-love?

it's OK if you don't know

Posted on by jplatt27

A few weeks ago, I went back to my alma mater to participate in a career day for sophomores. I was part of a panel called Unexpected Career Paths.  It was so fun to share my career story and hear the stories and advice of other alumni on the panel.

A reoccurring theme through the event, from the keynote address to the panel discussions, was “it’s OK if you don’t know what you want to do.”

Let me repeat that:

It’s OK if you don’t know what you want to do for the rest of your life.

I did. And then I didn’t.

 

But, if you want to figure it out, I’d be happy to help.

my favorite lunch activities

Posted on by jplatt27

I need a break around lunch time every day.  I’ve realized that I don’t need to use my hour lunch break simply to eat lunch. I can really maximize the hour by using it to clear my head, get some sun, fresh air, some movement for my body. Though I love going out to lunch on occasion, some of my favorite lunch time activities have nothing to do with food.

Here are some ways I love to spend my lunch break:

get my hair cut: I’m pretty sure getting my hair cut at lunch is one of the best ideas I’ve ever had. I feel immediately relaxed when I walk into the hair salon. It’s like a little spa break in the middle of the day. And then you go back to work with nice hair. Do it on a day you have a date night…bada bing.

go to the library: Sometimes I’ll go to pick up a book I’ve put on hold and other times I like to go and just look around. There’s something about discovering a good book at the library and then checking it out.  I just got this for FREE.  Woah.  Still blows my mind and makes me super excited.

go for a nice long walk, just letting myself wander: Earlier this week I went for a walk around the block that turned into a 30 minute walk into a neighborhood I hadn’t walked through before.  I started walking and got this feeling of I just want to keep going.  So I did. Look at this amazing house I stumbled on…

walk around a bookstore: Bookstores have a totally different energy than libraries. I love wandering around bookstores too, looking at all the new books on the tables. I don’t usually buy things during my lunch hour, just like to go and peruse. It totally takes me away for a little while.

read a novel: I like to take a book outside and read or go sit in the kitchen or the lobby of the building for a change of scenery. But even taking some time to shut off my computer monitor and read at my desk is a nice change of pace.  Good quiet, relaxing time.

Talk to me:

What’s your favorite thing to do during lunch?

Looking for new things to do to light you up during lunch? Take a look back at your inspiration list for ideas.

begin again

Posted on by jplatt27

After hearing Taylor Swift’s Begin Again on the radio multiple times, I finally really listened to it and came to appreciate it. I love this song so much for the message, the truth behind it.

We often let our past relationships and experiences shape our beliefs about how things are and will be in the future, about how we are and will be in the future. We let our significant other’s view of us shape our view of ourselves and what we believe to be true about ourselves–whether we are funny or not, pretty or not, that we do or do not look good in navy blue. The beliefs of the other person become our own.  And it’s understandable that this happens.

The surprise we have when we realize that something new is true.  That a different reality is possible.  That it doesn’t have to be that way. And that’s what this song is all about.  The beauty and hope of a new beginning. A new paradigm.

my favorite outfit

Posted on by jplatt27

On my business blog yesterday I shared an exercise for self-reflection based on your favorite outfit. Here are my answers:

What is your favorite outfit?

My weekend morning outfit: Gap G-flex yoga pants, a cotton tank, and a long cardigan

What do you like about this outfit?

I like that it’s comfortable but also looks put together.

How does this outfit make you feel?

Relaxed but motivated to go do something, cute (these pants look good on my butt!), like myself, cozy

How do you move in this outfit?

Confidently, with ease, with a little pep

What activities can you do in this outfit?

Run errands, read a book, go to my favorite coffee shop, go to yoga, lay on the couch, relax, cook

——

Tell me some of your answers and then head on over to www.cupofteacoaching.com/blog to read part two of the exercise!

an early Christmas present for my husband

Posted on by jplatt27

We hit quite a bit of traffic on our way home for Christmas. Mike is a pretty even-keeled person, doesn’t really get worked up about things. But when it comes to traffic–not so much. He gets super grumpy and frustrated by it. He’ll start huffing and puffing, throwing his head back, you get the idea.

I don’t think we’d even hit Baltimore before I heard this comment: “Yep, time for more traffic, it’s been 5 minutes since we were sitting in traffic, it’s time.”  It was going to be a long ride.

Of course, I didn’t want to start my Christmas vacation on a grumpy mood and Mike didn’t either–we’d planned to take our time on Saturday morning and go to our favorite coffee shop before hitting the road.  I perused the bookstore for a few minutes on our way out (one of my favorite activities) and found three gifts!  Then, I was ready for a nice leisurely drive.

Then traffic hit.  I could feel Mike getting irritated as we crawled along.

And then it hit me: just because he’s grumpy doesn’t mean I have to be grumpy.  I can sit back and enjoy the ride–regardless of how fast or how slow we’re moving. So I did. I relaxed into my seat and into my thoughts and looked out the window.

I enjoyed the ride.  I really did.  I was so proud of myself for not taking on his mood.  I have a tendency to pick up other people’s energy but with that realization comes the power to make a different choice.  So I did.

Getting grumpy because Mike’s grumpy not only sours my mood, it doesn’t help Mike either. You know what they say “happy wife, happy life.” So I decided to be content, at peace even in the traffic and even with grumpy-pants sitting next to me, and decided to let Mike be in his mood–not trying to change it or tell him why it was silly. That’s like a double early Christmas present if you ask me.