Striving for Simplicity: Sayonara SugarShakes!

"You should be sleeping, not surfing."

Now that we have Facebook and Twitter, I think the heyday of the personal blog for blogging sake has passed. At least the heyday has passed for me. Blogs that are going to teach me something about the world and the practical skills I need to better live in it are great, but I think most personal blogs are pretty boring. The only personal blog I read regularly is written by a dog and even that's focused on her hiking adventures rather than what she had for dinner and who's rear she sniffed.

I think I am *the most* interesting person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. (I hope you feel the same way about yourself because I am sure you are amazing!!!!) Still, I don't see the point of devoting time to blog here. That's how I know it's time to say "Sayonara SugarShakes."

I strive for simplicity and excellence. Having a blog that I know I should update but never do makes me feel poopy. I'd rather devote myself fully to one or two meaningful projects and get great results than to occasionally work on a half dozen semi-pointless projects with ho-hum success. Not that it's impossible to juggle multiple projects; that approach just doesn't work well for me.

So here's what's happening: It's curtains for SugarShakes. For those of you who can't live without knowing where I had coffee or how I spent my weekend, I would like to first apologize for neglecting you. (I know have not been good about keeping this diary up-to-date.) I would also like to invite you to follow me on Twitter (I'm @itsolivialane) and become my friend on Facebook. If you love me as a blogger, come nerd out with me on green homekeeping at OliviaCleansGreen.com and be comforted by that fact that I plan share links to my guest blog posts on Facebook. xoxolivia

Sisters, have you recently decided to simplify your life by letting go of a project? Tell me about it in the comments.

Daily Ritual: A Habit of Peace and Power

Lately, things have been a little shaky for me. In just a three weeks, I will relocate from NYC for the first time to live in Providence, RI. I'll leave behind lots of friends, family, familiar streets, and the beloved subway system. I must learn to drive. I've got to rebuild my business and find a job to make a supplemental income while it grows. I'm doing all this with my boyfriend, which is taking our relationship to a whole new level of interdependence.

The experience of writing that list, alone, requires me to take a deep breath. I can't believe I have elected to live it out. To combat overwhelm, I must constantly remind myself that I don't have to do it all at once, that it can't all be done at once. While it's true these changes are happening in a small concentration of time when compared to my 32 years of life, it's also true that they are unfolding bit by bit each day.

Dealing with the day-to-day challenges that accompany these big life changes is manageable mostly because I find refuge in the familiarity of rituals. Every night, I brush my teeth and remove my contacts. I hop into bed and write a list of the things I am grateful for. Then I rub some lavender and bergamot balm onto my lips, tuck my head into my boyfriend's armpit, and go to sleep. In the morning, I pee, drink some water, and pop in my contacts. I fill three pages of in my journal with a stream of consciousness-- my dreams, my anxieties, my complaints, my wishes. I then read a random power thought by Louise Hay and move into my day.

My bedside table

My daily rituals aren't elaborate or exceptional, but they bring me peace. I perform them with the knowledge that I am love, I am loved, and I am Divine. My intention is to honor these comforting and empowering sacred truths that don't change with zip code, relationship status, employment status, or anything else. 

Sisters, do you have a daily ritual? How do you celebrate and honor the divinity within yourself? If you're seeking inspiration to create or revitalize your ritual, check out How to be a Morning Goddess: 20 Goddesses Share Their Morning Rituals e-book on the *FREE* goodies page at GoddessGuidebook.com. (I'm having so much fun reading it right now.)

This blog post is part of a series called, That's So Goddess, which I am contributing to La Dea Vita, "a silk-road of Goddess inter-exchange of love, support, sisterhood, ideas, products, art, lifework & passion" founded by Mishel Herrera, Entrepreneur Empress.

Bask in the Glory of Being Thanked!

on my mantle

Yesterday, a friend showed me a thank you note I had given him almost a year ago. It was posted on the wall above his desk along with other affirmations. It made me think of the thank you notes I keep on my living room mantle: cards and letters from clients, non-profit orgs, friends, family, and my sponsor child.

Recently, I wrote about the benefits of acknowledging gratitude for the gifts we receive. Today I am championing about the benefits of being acknowledged. Lots of people will tell you that doing good is its own reward. While that might be true a few words of gratitude always sweeten the deal for me. They are truly icing on the cake!

I feel motivated when I look at the thank you cards I've received. They remind me the work I do is important whether that work is cleaning an apartment, organizing a book swap fundraiser, attending a birthday party, or just sending along some pocket change so a child can eat and be educated. At the heart of that varied work is love and thank you notes encourage and empower me to love in more expansive ways.

Goddesses, I want to encourage all of you to bask in the glory of being thanked. Instead of  dismissing what you have done by blurting "no problem" or "it wasn't anything," honor the person acknowledging you by recognizing the difference you have made from that person's perspective. I promise it will not only make you happier and more motivated, it will also give you something to be thankful for.

Sisters, do you save thank you notes? Was there a time you were acknowledged for your gifts or contributions and enjoyed it? Please leave a comment!

This blog post is part of a series called, That's So Goddess, which I am contributing to La Dea Vita, "a silk-road of Goddess inter-exchange of love, support, sisterhood, ideas, products, art, lifework & passion" founded by Mishel Herrera, Entrepreneur Empress.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Gratitude

My life is kinda awesome!
(Correction: The name of the restaurant with the super sweet server is Chuko, not Chuelo. I suspected the ramen bar did not have a Latin-inspired name, but their neon sign with cursive writing is pretty hard to read.)

Sunday and Monday gratitude

I come from too far in the past for blogging from bed to feel okay. However blogging from jury duty feels just fine.