The Swirl World

Celebrating and Elevating Black Women - mind, body, soul and spirit!


For This, I Am Thankful

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Though this saying is not an absolute (I believe things can “go good” and stay good), it still provides food for thought: 

If anything, I believe we should strive to enjoy and fully maximize the good times in our life. We need to practice the art of appreciation, and cultivate an “attitude of gratitude.”

Any old body can point out areas of lack and bemoan how certain things in their life should be “better.”  Yet, it takes wisdom – and a certain amount of maturity – to relish the goodness that already exists. We can’t go wrong if we continue to build from these good places.

Sure, at times my cares and problems seem to close in on me. Clouds of negativity overshadow me and try to obstruct my view. When those times come, I make it a point to tell myself that somewhere in the world, there’s a woman who would love to have my life.

Instead of focusing on what I believe is wrong, I remind myself of the important things that are right with my life.

For this, I am thankful:

  • A vibrant faith
  • Good health
  • A sound mind and strong intellect
  • Loving family
  • Great friends
  • A grounded sense of self
  • A promising new career

Escapism? No, not at all. Situations are to be handled, and problems are to be fixed. When I use that mindset, the “bad” things really don’t last forever.

Onward and up! 

I’m thankful for the ebb and flow.

Life is good.  

 

Join in the Fray: What are you thankful for? 

I’m blogging every day in the month of January in Blogher’s NaBloPoMo Challenge. Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment!

Copyright © 2013 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl, All rights reserved.

Bringing it to Life – Part II

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Living in the moment brings you

a sense of reverence for all of life’s blessings.

~Oprah Winfrey

So yesterday I shared with you that I used one of Rosetta Thurman’s  blog posts as a reflective exercise to plan my goals and strategies for 2013.

(By the way, if you haven’t subscribed to Rosetta’s blog, The Happy Black Woman,  stop now and go subscribe. In addition to her blog, you can join The Happy Black Woman Facebook Community, and follow Rosetta on Twitter. I enjoy her words of wisdom and inspiration, and I know you will, too. So get over there and subscribe. Right now.)

Questions 1-5 of Rosetta’s post centered on “What I Want to Bring Into My Life in 2013.” In questions 5-10, we were to hone in on how we want our life to look in 2013.

Here goes:

What I Want My Life to Look Like in 2013

  • What part of your life do you want to pay more attention to in 2013? 

Even though I have academic and professional pursuits, the part of my life that I want to “pay more attention to in 2013” is the way I eat. Yes, I believe in eating healthy, but for years I’ve toyed with converting to a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. 

I don’t think I can do it 100%. (Honestly, I don’t want to. I love seafood, rice, and my Daddy’s cooking way too much).

What I’d like to do is arrive at what for me is a happy medium: 75% fruits and veggies, and 25% seafood and chicken. Correspondingly, I want to pay more attention to my physical body. I want to focus on and tighten up my abs. 

To hold myself accountable, I’ve taken a January 2, 2013 photo and will use it to compare on January 2, 2014. 

  • Who do you want to spend more time with in 2013? Who do you want to spend less time with in 2013? 

I’d like to spend more time with my bestie, Jacque, who lives in Ohio, and with friends in Dallas. Who do I want to spend less time with? This question is easily answered for me, because I won’t (and don’t) give my time to people who don’t deserve or warrant it. If I’m spending time with someone, it’s because I want to. Believe that. 

  • Which activities, habits or behaviors, if any, do you want to stop doing in 2013 because they no longer serve you?

As I said yesterday, I want to stop trying to understand situations/things/people (especially people) so much, and just go with the flow. For me, a huge aspect of trying to “understand” involves time spent trying to analyze these situations/things/people (especially people). For the most part, this type of analysis is fruitless a waste of time unproductive particularly if you’re trying to analyze people. This behavior does not serve me, so I’m going to do my best to just. stop. it.already. 

  • Which activities do you want to start and/or continue doing in 2013? 

I want to start teaching online, learning Adobe Photoshop, working on a book, and taking Zydeco dance classes. I want to continue blogging, working out, eating healthy and enhancing my time management skills.

  •   What will your ideal day look like next year?

My ideal day will start with a workout at the gym, and then on to the library or Starbucks for a productive day of work writing and/or engaging in one of the activities I listed above. Insert a nice lunch and dinner in this scenario, and include hanging out with my Mom and Dad. Whether anything/anybody else goes in this picture remains to be seen.

So there you have it, folks. Part of the beauty of life is that everything is not graven in stone. We do get to add or delete some things along the way. This exercise provided a great framework to start with. The fun – and the challenge – will be in seeing how much of this I actually do. Wish me luck!

Join in the Fray: What do you want your life to look like in 2013?

I’m blogging every day in the month of January in Blogher’s NaBloPoMo Challenge. Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment!

Copyright © 2013 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl, All rights reserved.

Hitting the Reset Button . . . . .

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So on July I started the 31-Day Reset Challenge with Rosetta Thurman, creator of The Happy Black Woman. I’m a Woman, I’m Black, and I’m all about the Happy so I’m excited to do this challenge! According to Thurman’s website, the challenge is designed for “Anyone who wants to manifest a change in their life, design a more fulfilling existence, make room for new possibilities or simply gain more clarity about their path to happiness and success. This challenge will especially be of benefit to you if you’ve felt stuck or in a rut during the last year.”

Needless to say, 2011 didn’t rank as one of my Top Ten best years because I was definitely stuck. Sometimes, whether you like it or not, life decides to smack you all upside the head (I believe the politically correct term is “blind side.” Same difference – and definitely the same effect. I’m just saying.).

The event that blindsided me left me stuck, yet I’m happy to say that I’ve recovered and I’m no longer reeling and rocking. Now, instead of being in a rut as a result of being blindsided by Life, I’m agreeing with the assertion that Life Goes On. I’m on a mission to keep it moving and this 31-Day Reset is just the ticket to propel me forward.

Day 1 of the challenge required us to pick a journal to write in, decide on a mantra,  and select a personal theme song. Because I’m now navigating some very pivotal areas of my life (more on that in later posts), my mantra for the 31-Day Reset is this:

“I am not afraid. I was born to do this!”

~Joan of Arc

My personal “theme song” is “I’m Every Woman” by the imitable Chaka Kahn. This song has run in the background of my head from the first time I heard it. It’s so much of part of me that when I find myself in difficult situations, I often say to myself, “I’m every woman; it’s all in me” to give myself an extra boost of courage.

This reset could not have come at a better time, because I’m afforded some much-needed down time as I wait for my dissertation proposal to undergo review. Each day I’ll try to post some tidbit from the 31-Day Reset Challenge. If you’re interested in jumping in on the fun, sign up here while there’s still time to take the challenge for free.

Want to do the 31-Day Reset Challenge vicariously through me? Then stay tuned for updates! Follow me on Twitter on @ASwirlGirl or on Facebook at The Swirl World.

Join in the fray: What areas of your life need a “reset?” What practical steps are you taking to “reset” your life?