Hey. I’ve missed you.
It’s been a whirlwind few months on my blogging sabbatical. Let’s see… I moved from Ohio to South Dakota, made 3 friends, filmed an episode of House Hunters (it airs in 6 months), signed up for a pole dancing class (I kid you not) and wrote a book (it’ll be out in the Fall of 2020).
Now the kids are back in school and I’m left asking, “What the hell just happened?” Sorry for swearing.
Life — even when it’s filled with good things, can feel off-putting sometimes, can’t it?
I miss my Athens, but I love Aberdeen. I’m so grateful for brave and kind kids, but I wish they didn’t have to stretch their comfort zones.
What about you? What transition are you walking through right now? Are you longing for something from the past or looking forward to sometime in the future?
I’m all out of good advice, but I do have a mantra that’s been serving me well these past few months. Here it is: Careful where you park your brain.
Careful where you park your brain. To me that means it’s okay to think about who I’m missing and the way things used to be, but only temporarily. I know from past experience if I linger there too long, the parking brake will come undone and my brain will begin to slide downhill quickly.
So where do we park our brain instead? How about in a lot of gratitude. Get it? A “lot” (like parking lot) of gratitude. Man, I’m so funny sometimes. I crack myself up.
Anywho, I digress… Park your brain in a lot of gratitude. Set an hourly alarm on your phone if you have to and use that as a reminder to find three things in that exact moment that bring you joy.
I’m constantly walking around my new house looking at the walls. They are grey and blue and they are beautiful. The colors are soothing to me. So, about 20 times a day I declare out loud that I love this house. And the color blue. And the 75 year old woman named Cora who painted them for me. Many things can bring us gratitude when our brain is free from past regrets and disappointments.
Where do you need to park your brain today? What are you grateful for? I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to comment on social media or send me an email at info@nicolejphillips.com. You are brave and kind and free to make it a great day!
