First Installment in my #ThoughtfulThursday series.

The idea for this series came from posting these cards yesterday on LinkedIn, and my response to someone’s comment on them.

#SpiritualHealth is #MentalHealth.

Tuesday night after I did a guided visual mediation, I shuffled the oracle of the unicorn deck and drew three cards:

This unicorn is asking for us to believe again in unlimited possibilities and to soar back into the realm of imagination.

Did you know that daydreaming is actually beneficial when it comes to problem solving?

But it is ‘frowned’ upon in the workplace–because it ‘looks’ like we’re not ‘busy’–when in actuality we’re quite involved mentally.

This is something I’m working on allowing myself to do again…as I’d been ‘lectured’ too many times to count to be ‘focused’ on the job at hand, and not to let my mind wander…..

This unicorn is asking us to turn our back on the ‘bikini industry’.

Every single one of us has a unique body…and not all of us are meant to be a size two, or extra small…

It has taken me several years to realize that my ‘happy’ is being able to do the workout and not be out of breath…

I was unhappy when I was a size eight and struggling to shrink my body even more….

Currently I think I’m a size sixteen to eighteen (hard to tell–pandemic time people, I live in either workout clothes or other loungewear)…

But I’m cherishing the body I have, honoring it, and working with it…

That means working on eating more protein, fruits, and veggies…plus doing the workouts that I enjoy (lifting weights, walking, light yoga and other cardio activities).

Finally this unicorn is asking us to dream a little bigger…

Expect a little more…and to raise our standards…

Have I been dreaming ‘too’ small??

I don’t think so…I’ve never really been a showy person, latest clothing or shoe trend, or flashy person…

I know what I like, and I know what I don’t like…

Will I try to dream a little bigger in some areas??

Yes, because some areas deserve to be a little bigger–such as giving back and being involved in various things.

The summary of my visual meditation—where I pictured the small house with a sunroom, deck, gardens, a place to sit and relax, plus a place to sit and work. I was within the city but at the same time outside it, I managed to mix a minimalistic approach to life with bold colors, textures, and decoration.

I was happy with life, and happy with how I looked and felt…the one aspect of that meditation that may help propel me back to ‘getting into the best shape of my life’—were the photos on the wall: pictures of me at Machu Picchu in Peru, and at the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (two trips that are on my fitness ‘bucket list’).

Last night, when I did the meditation again–I saw more of the house with its open layout (there were only two bedrooms–the master and a guest bedroom), with a open kitchen/living area separated from the sunroom by a fireplace (that opened on both sides). The gardens had various native wildflowers and grasses, and there were veggie and fruit gardens along with berry bushes.

The house was shaded by maples, oaks, and pecan trees. The back deck was large enough that I could do yoga outside while watching the sun rise (or set). I had space to work on crafts, and down the street was where I had my gallery/community area–to showcase the crafts, but to also teach and educate kids and teenagers in regards to different topics (science, humanities, and social sciences).

Therefore, am I going back to the ‘drawing’ board with my goals—only a few, but will also be taking the time to redefine the first few steps needed to get me going down that path towards the house with the sunroom, deck, and gardens and towards being that person who managed to hike to Machu Picchu and to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.