Recently, I wrote a piece on how to make your life a little or a lot more “ridiculously amazing.”  

In that piece, I listed five ways that I’d personally tapped into, to help me leap back into my life, make some much needed changes and take the steps towards creating the life I was meant to live.

This was about three months ago and in the time since, I’ve moved twice (yes, twice!), traveled to New York, planned two yoga retreats and signed the lease on a new yoga studio space in town. In between the spaces, insert life’s small stuff—laundry, groceries, dog walks, packing, unpacking, tears, sweat, frustration, self-doubt, regrets, confusion, fear. All that life “stuff” that can trap us and stop us from moving forward.

As I write this, I’m holed up in the bedroom of a house I’m not so fond of, sweating under a fan, reliving my college days, courtesy of a mattress on the floor, no AC at the tail end of August and in the middle of a full blown nasty virus.

Needless to say, I’ve had better days—much, much better days.  And, I’m having to dig deep to tap back into my fighting spirit, that side of me that tries to make each day a little bit special, that notices the little things that surround me so that even on stormy days, where rides on my scooter to teach class get a little interesting, I’m present and in the moment, reminding myself that I chose this and to make the best damn go at it that I possibly can.
In light of the past couple of months and my current roller coaster ride, I’ve expanded my previous list so that I can continue to shine on darker days and find ways to continue to make my life a little bit more amazing each and every day.

6. Explore

Explore your heart, your spirit, your body. Dig deep inside and discover what makes you tick. Explore the crevices that call out to you, that cry out for attention that taunt you or make you feel less than you are. Explore the good, the bad and the ugly. Expose yourself and start to work at letting go of the crap holding you back. This is where the next two on my list come into play. When we decide to face who we really are, we’re able to start the process of moving forward.

7. Nourish your whole self

Notice I said ‘whole self.’ That means all of you. From the tips of your toes up to the crown of your head. All your glorious bits and pieces. This is one of the easiest things to do on a daily basis if you give yourself permission to be pampered. I nourish myself daily with yoga, healthy food, puppy snuggles, laughter and kisses shared with my partner, afternoon walks, olive oil face washes, a glass of wine—simple daily life moments that I use to make sure I nourish from the inside out and back again. When we learn to take the time to give back to ourselves, magic starts to happen and our hearts start to feel fulfilled.

8. Be kind

Simple and to the point. Just. Be. Kind. To people, to friends, to family, to animals, to nature, to yourself. And, when you can’t be kind, step away. Take a time out. Until you can come back to the kind thing, again.

9. Step into life with purpose

I teach this each and every time I step in front of a class. You’re here for a reason, so why not take this time to step into life with strength, conviction and purpose. Own it, embrace it and live it.

10. Be fierce

Life’s tough. If you want to shine, you have to unleash your inner warrior. Soft spines need not apply here. Stand tall; be proud of your big bad self and don’t be afraid to get a little (or a lot) more fierce. This means saying “na-huh” to those things and people that make you unhappy—that create discomfort in your heart and are of no genuine service to you and your path of moving forward.

Now, don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean you turn into a complete you-know-what. It simply means you stand behind yourself and your convictions and you do so with strength, confidence and love.

11. Blow off steam

Life is not all rainbows, whip cream and sunshine—its tough. And, sometimes we need to blow off a little (or a lot) of steam. I’ve been a giant cry-baby the past couple of days and was on the verge of being unkind to myself when my boyfriend pointed out that I needed to cry to let it out. That I’d had a rough time over the past while and needed to release. He was right.

So, do what you can to let go. Cry, scream, write, exercise, talk, curse. Let it out and let it go!

12. Let shit slide

In other words, don’t sweat the small stuff. Easier said than done. Trust me, I know. But, it can be done. You just have to find that ways that work for you. Need some inspiration? Tap into numbers seven, eight, 13 and 14 to keep you on track.

13. Fill your heart with what matters

Empty out the small stuff and fill yourself up with all that matters in life. All that makes you smile and nourishes your heart. At the end of the day, at the end of life, its those things we’ll remember. Not the small stuff.

14. Wanderlust

Let your gypsy soul be free. Book a trip to anywhere that makes your heart smile! If you’ve been daydreaming about going somewhere exotic, then do it. Book it! If money is what’s stopping you, don’t let it damper your dream. Explore your city, the countryside, your neighbourhood. Just get out there and fill your senses with life. We can’t move forward if we stay in one place. Energy needs energy to create movement and change. So, go create some energy and take your senses on a vacation.

15.  Get out there

That’s it, that’s all. Go. No excuses. No buts. You have one life and it can pass you by in the blink of an eye if you don’t jump on board and ride the wave. The choice is yours. You can either take control of your life and get yourself out there living life how you’re meant to or sit back and watch others do it instead.

My choice is to live. To explore and nourish. To fill my wanderlusting soul with good stuff while I try the best that I can to kick the small stuff to the curb. Now, don’t get me wrong, my choice to change my life has not been an easy ride. I’ve had many stumbles and expect many more.

But, I’m okay with that because at least I’m doing something.

I’m choosing to move forward without any guarantees. I don’t have a million dollars or live in a fabulous beach house with glorious sea views. What I do have are small moments that happen daily and make my heart shine a little brighter—that fill me with possibility and laughter.

As I write this, those moments are happening around me.

My mattress on the floor is covered with wood chips courtesy of two crazy love-filled puppies fighting over a piece of wood I found in the backyard. My boyfriend has just arrived home again bearing unexpected gifts of fresh coconuts, genips and ingredients to make chicken soup in order to help me feel better and in all the chaos and excitement, I sit in a pool of sweat, surrounded by discarded kleenex and all I can do is shrug my shoulders and smile.

It’s these moments that keep me moving forward, that fill my heart with lightness and keep me spiraling up rather than down on darker days.

I choose to create change and that choice helped me to rediscover my soul again.

What choice will you make?

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Assistant Ed: Steph Richard/Ed: Sara Crolick

{Photo: via Megan Sachs mommyshots.com}