gearing up for doga at washington humane society fundraiser
it began monday and continued through friday night with spurts of sunshine--literally and figuratively. i tried to practice STOP as i found it creeping in {although one evening i practiced eating smart white cheddar popcorn and cherry gummies instead = #mindfulnessfail}. after a bit of journal writing about said grumpiness, i chocked it up to not feeling grounded--procuring lillie {my first vehicle since donating my 1992 jeep to charity in 2007}, final classes at school and saying goodbye to colleagues from the past 4 years, no internship {miss my clients and colleagues}, camping in a new setting, pet wrangling, and realizing i leave for 6 weeks super duper soon. although none of these things are bad and, frankly, most are exciting, having heaps of change at once apparently leaves me a bit, well, grumpy pants.
the weekend offered a chance to get grounded. hosting the annual doga event to raise funds and awareness for washington humane society always leaves me feeling good. signed up for the september wisdom 2.0 conference which focuses on mindfulness, wisdom, and business. i'd read wonderful things about it in an huffington post article and it felt like the perfect launching pad for tranquility tour. yesterday we hosted a tranquil space foundation board retreat at le beau's cabin where we explored next steps for expansion of our signature program and a revision of our mission statement. many hours later, we emerged happy and content with our efforts--always a good thing. clearly feeling like i'm taking steps to make a difference seems to help ease grumpiness. as alice walker reminds us, "activism is the rent i pay for living on this planet."
yet each day is an opportunity to make a difference. not just hosting an event or non-profit board retreat. treating others with kindness. saying "thank you." stepping back and practicing STOP as you find yourself off kilter. penning thoughts in your journal to process what is transpiring. we're complex creatures and taking a moment to emotionally regulate can have a profound effect on the way we interact with others. especially when we're grumpy. bisous. x
Kimberly thank you for this post I have been feeling grumpy and a little beat up lately.I felt so inspired by you!when will your new book be out?
ReplyDeleteah, shelly. maybe it's the weather?! moon?! surely it isn't US? ;) tranquilologie releases early september. woo-hoo! hang in there and deep breaths. x
ReplyDeleteGreat question Shelly! Looking forward to the book, love blog posts like today, full of information & inspiration! Thanx Kimberly. Art journaling tonite to get me out of m slump. Difficulty focusing long enough to delve into my pile of great new books...boo....
ReplyDeleteDiana
Kimberly, can't tell you how glad I am this is not just me:
ReplyDelete"although none of these things are bad and, frankly, most are exciting, having heaps of change at once apparently leaves me a bit, well, grumpy pants."
The move I mentioned when I saw you in March came through! England and France here I come! Thanks for everything.
It's said that even good things (or GREAT things!) can cause stress and gumpy-ness, as all change can cause stress.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you shared this because in the digital age of personal branding it is often expected that we be "happy" all the time (or reflect it online at least and most of the time in person).
As a good friend told me the other day, "We don't always have to be happy, but we can always be grateful". Here's to your journey KW!