July 1.0

If you are new to this space, my name is Susan.

Welcome to my newsletter, welcome to my world. If you subscribe, you will receive a newsletter every other Friday, the newsletters always start with something that I have been thinking about a lot, and always end with the sections, beauty, joy, and rest.

Thank you for being here.

They say if you prepare yourself for change, it makes everything a lot easier. This month is officially my first month of being unemployed, or better said, self-employed. It is the first month that I will not be paid normally. So July is a big one for me. It is the first month of a new beginning… the first month of change.

So I want to dedicate this newsletter to change, and share with you, dear readers, all the different ways that I prepare myself for change, for new situations, and for the unknown.

Little Reminders

This is probably one of the easiest and most effective things to do, since I am a visual person. I put little reminders and quotes all over my office. Something I love doing is making a wallpaper background (for the phone).

Looking at things that remind me to stay on track helps me to focus and acts as motivation.

I almost always add these items to my wallpaper:

motivational line in regard to work
affirmation for something I am working on (emotionally)
an image of someone that I look up to, someone that I am aspiring to become
image of the Bachflower remedy that I am working with during the period of change
image of the crystal that is supporting me during the period of change
something that encourages play/creativity (this is usually something that I draw, and this serves as a reminder to take things lightly, and to incorporate moments of joy)
if I have a goal for that period of time, I add it here too

As I said, this is the first month I’ve been self-employed, and the first month I won’t receive a steady income. So my motivational quotes are:

“She who doesn’t risk anything, risks the most”

“Create things that are aligned with how we want to live” - Xenia

The first quote helps me get into action mode! If you have been reading my articles, you know by now that I love living in my mind, my imagination, and that I am working on putting things that I imagine into action. The second quote I really resonate with because it is empowering. It gives me the ticket to create something that doesn’t exist yet, but aligns with how I want to live.

Regarding what I am going through emotionally: I wrote a whole post on worthiness, so during times of change, it is important for me to remind myself that I am worthy.

My motivational person this month is Emily Dawn Long. She started her brand because she just wanted to make clothing for her friends. So when I think of the quote “create things that are aligned with how we want to live,” Emily Dawn Long comes to mind.

The Bach flower remedy I am taking is Heather; this one is all about growth and learning to trust that I will receive everything that I need. Funnily enough, the crystal Saphire, helps people acknowledge that they are in the right place at the right time.

Lastly, my goal is obviously all about the Benjamins.

Movement

Moving my body is something that is becoming more and more important to me, since it clearly releases my blockages. So usually during times of change, or times of stagnation, I try to cultivate a physical practice. I signed up to Birjiwans Kundalini Yoga, since I can always join the Thursday live session at 0800. Kundalini Yoga really hits differently. I remember taking my first Kundalini class in my twenties, and I have to admit, I didn’t get it. The chanting was too much for me. I don’t know what it is, but I think since I honour my voice more (by speaking up for myself), chanting has become so much easier; it is not connected to shame anymore. I am no longer embarrassed to chant. And I can’t believe I am admitting this in “public,” but I actually love it. Then there is also the obvious that Kundalini Yoga pushes me to my physical limits.

Daily Meditation/gratefulness practice

I am that person who is a bit off, or better said, moody, if I don’t do my daily meditation practice. In times of change, I add gratefulness to the end of my session. Usually I just focus on one thing I am really grateful for, or something that brings me joy, and I just breathe into it, and I repeat thank you thank you thank you in my mind.

Weekly Plan

I started this practice (physically writing a weekly plan) when I stopped going to the office (of my previous employer), and it has been a game-changer for tackling my goals. Whenever I need to save an appointment, I save it on my phone. Then on Monday, the first thing I do when I am at my desk is transfer all the appointments that I have digitally to a physical weekly calendar. This sits next to me whenever I am on my computer, so I always have a clear goal of what I need to work on during that day, and a clear overview of the week. I use a lot of stickers too. This is another way I incorporate joy into my day. Plus, if I have a cute sticker next to a crappy task, it makes the task easier to start. Don’t ask why, but it helps me!

What are your practices during times of change/uncertainty?

And now back to the usual: Beauty, Joy, and Rest.

Beauty

Emily Dawn Long. To me this brand is all about female sexiness, and I love it!

The items below are:

the pants, the dress, cowry shell pins, the tank top, the long sleeve shirt, the cap, the red reversible T-Shirt

Joy

In Switzerland, kids have a class called: Textiles Technisches Gestalten. This is a class, where kids learn about different crafts, and mostly work with textiles or wood. In the school my children go to, they have a really cool teacher, and they make the nicest things. This is the last thing my daughter brought home, and it brings me so much joy.

Rest

I finally bought a meditation cushion, it is filled with buckwheat husk and herbs. Sometimes a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do :-)

as always,

much love

Susan