Why you can Begin, Again

February 13, 2018 AuroraLeave a comment

I’ve thought about these 2 words, almost obsessively, for the last month and a half. Begin Again. Aurora, you can BEGIN.AGAIN.

It’s funny, a new year starts and all of a sudden you’re given this feeling that everything can start fresh. 11:59 changing to 12:00 on January 1st sparks something that gives you the feeling that you can do anything this upcoming year. For all of the social media posts that I see stating things like “New Year, New Me,” Or “This Year is My Year,” I also see the ones telling us that we don’t need a new year to start something new. That we don’t need a new year to wipe the slate clean, start over, get a new job, leave that lousy relationship, lose the weight, begin the hobby etc. I always fell in the category of the first group of people, because the new year, to me, felt like an auto-delete of anything you’ve been unhappy with, and provides the (whether you like it or not) birth of something new. It’s a fresh start.

This new year was different for me though- I didn’t make many changes I was hoping to, to jump start 2018. I began the year sick, had a sudden loss of someone close to my family and found that after all of this died down, I wanted to rest. Rather than propel myself into my “New Year New Me” attitude, I wanted to take a breather.

And the above, really got me thinking.

What are the things I want to change this year? Why do I want to change them and what’s the motivation to do so? Why did I have to start January 1st, and why can’t I start anytime? While the excitement of a new year has always been something to motivate me, the reasons WHY I want to make these changes should be enough to motivate me to get going. To begin, again.

So starting with the publishing of this post, I’m giving myself permission to BEGIN again. It’s not 1/1/18, nor did the clock turning to midnight last night mean anything spectacular… it just meant it’s my day to be ready to press play. What am I pressing play on?

Lent begins tomorrow. That means, for Catholics, preparing for the death and resurrection of Jesus. AKA I’m gonna continue attending church weekly and being more mindful of prayer and the big G!
I need to get my work out on! I know when I’m stressed or feeling low, that a good work out can boost my energy and help me feel more productive throughout the day. This means, 3+ more gym visits a week and minding my diet. I also think this will include runs with my pup… because she loves that!
Reading my mountain of books at home before buying more. I’ve been averaging 1 every 2 weeks, so, so far so good.
Reestablishing connections with the family and friends in my life that I haven’t spoken with as much as I’d like to. Sometimes you have to be the one to initiate, and it’s better to help build than to wait. My brother is doing this one too, so having that reminder helps too!
Get more sleep. There is no explanation needed here.
Lastly, I’m going to put my positivity and inspirational attitude to the test. I’ve always been proud of the way I carry myself and engage others with my warmth and excitedness for life. Some things in my life have gotten me to feeling a little unlike myself, so I’m going to work harder to put my best attributes forward.

Is there anything you need to Begin Again?

I encourage you and pray that you do it… because you owe it to yourself to!

To beginning again, cheers.

-Aurora

Counseling · Entrepreneur · Faith · Friendship · Goal Digger · Goals · Motivation · Networking · Paying It Forward · Self Realization · Tribes · Uncategorized

Of All The Things That Happened, What Didn’t?

November 23, 2017December 11, 2017 AuroraLeave a comment

Sometimes you need to thank God for what didn’t happen. Thank Him for the things He’s stopped that you knew nothing about.

How deep is this? Trust me, I know. But it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, especially as we head into the time of year thinking about things we are thankful for, spending time with loved ones, exchanging gifts etc. We all have the scenarios in our lives that we wish played out differently. Maybe it’s a lost relationship, a negative situation or argument or even that one job you wanted to get that never worked out. God’s plan is so much bigger than ours that we can’t begin to fathom it’s greatness and complexity.

And let’s talk about gratitude- It’s so much easier to be thankful for something when you wanted it and now appreciate having it. How about the things we never had to endure or go through because God stopped them from happening? There are very few times in our life where we can see something almost happened and didn’t (and we become grateful), but what about the things we can’t see? I’ll tell you what- these thoughts alone are enough to make me grateful.

To know that God has had my back my whole life and continues to do so, regardless of my continued praise and appreciation that I may forget to show sometimes. How amazing it is to have the ultimate spiritual, mental, emotional and physical bodyguard, even if you forget to say thanks every once in awhile.

Thank you for all the things that didn’t happen.

-Aurora

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Your Time is Limited, So Don’t Waste It.

November 5, 2013 AuroraLeave a comment

Dogma. Synonyms of this would be undoubtable ‘truth’ or ‘belief.’ Dogmatism is “a set of beliefs or doctrines that are established as undoubtedly in truth.” Translation, Dogma is what society creates and tells us are ideals. What we should wear, how we’re supposed to act, who we should date, who we should marry, what kind of job we should want, what kind of car we need, what is okay, what’s considered sensitive, how much we should weigh, and lastly, my favorite, what’s expected of us as a whole.

Whether your younger or older, I can imagine that at one point in our lives all of us have felt as though we were supposed to fit into a specific mold. There is a standard out there, created by whom I’m unsure, but there are guidelines presented before us that we’re expected to fill into, somewhere. I believe the point in this saying and why I want to talk about it, is that it is SO EASY to fall into these set out expectations and feeling like you need to go down a path others have set for you.

Our entire lives there will be people we feel as though we need to act a certain way around, because that’s how we allow them to make us feel— do not give power to these people. Even if it’s not verbalized, we give in to these individuals by over-thinking our relationships with them or worrying about them when we shouldn’t. Again, time wasted. We shouldn’t allow people who contribute so little to our growth as human beings a second more than they deserve.

You do NOT need to fall in line with a path that has been beaten for you. There is no extra time given to those who try and please other first, and themselves second. Let me repeat that, there is NO extra time given to those who try and please others first, and themselves second. We all get the same 24 hours, and at one point we need to stop dreaming of what it is we want to do, and actually begin taking the steps to get there. It is okay to like making others happy, but at the end of the day, you have to be pleased with yourself.

So follow your heart. Write down what it is that you want to do- your expectations of yourself. Write them down on paper, online, in a checklist, and mostly, write it in your heart. If you can block out the negative voices that tell you you’re going against the grain, you’ve already won half of the battle. I firmly believe that I lived the first half of my life letting Dogma choose the direction I would go. I followed the crowd and wanted to be liked, which meant doing what others thought I should be doing, even if it wasn’t something I cared for or enjoyed. As I keep growing into an adult, I’m finding that who I’ve decided I wanted to become is actually well received– and liked. All along I was trying to fit in, when the person I am meant to be, needs to stand out, and this person sparkles.

When you feel good about who you’re becoming and the people by your side, there is no care of Dogma or time being wasted. Life your own life, trust in your own instincts, believe in yourself and GO. YOU are first… negative, fears, others, dogma, circumstance, is all… second.

The true you will Sparkle, trust me.

-Aurora Beani