YOUR LIFE A-Z:CULTIVATE

CULTIVATION HAPPENS IN MANY FORMS

CULTIVATE

To CULTIVATE something is to prepare it by working with it in a mindful and careful way that provides the best flourishing environment. CULTIVATING soil for gardening is something most of us can relate too.  A healthy garden comes from healthy soil.  The soil is CULTIVATED with rich mulch and compost and the soil is turned over many times to help the soil breath and the nutrients from the compost to be equally mixed.  CULTIVATING your life requires the same sort of positive attention and energy.  Imagine your life as a beautiful and rich garden full of colorful vegetables and a large variety of colorful flowers.  Think about all of the diversity you want in your garden to create a year round growing season. CULTIVATE inner and outer diversity.  What is missing in your life that you want to plant?  Do you need to add theater or music to CULTIVATE entertainment in your life?  Are you bored with your workout routine and need to CULTIVATE something different by changing to yoga, Pilates, or running?  Is life uninteresting to you?  If so what do you need to CULTIVATE to make it interesting again.  Perhaps it is time for a new hobby, a new wardrobe, or maybe it is time to take a class and learn something new. There are many ways to CULTIVATE rich life and a fertile soul.  What is happening with your spirituality?  Maybe a divine connection needs to be CULTIVATED to bring a sense of purpose to your daily existence?   CULTIVATE so that your days can be rich and colorful.

YOUR LIFE A-Z: COURAGE

INTENTION BRINGS COURAGE AND THEN ACTION

COURAGE

There is a debate of how COURAGE and brave are the same and different.  If you look up both words in the dictionary no one really defines the difference.  They seem similar but the Twenty Minute Coach is going to take creative license.  If you go back to yesterday's word, "brave" you will find that I define Brave as taking action even though the situation may be frightening.  I  invite you to think about COURAGE as the internal response and  emotional fortitude to execute the brave action. COURAGE can be cultivated and shaped into a resourceful inner strength that prepares you for difficult and frightening situations.  How do you do that?   

First take a realistic look at your life, relationship, health, and job.  What is working for you and what needs to be changed?  Create a plan of change by writing it down.  Then spend ten minutes each day visualizing yourself completing the task on the list.  Next journal what comes up for you as you watch yourself in your minds eye completing the challenges.  Stay with each challenge daily until your anxiety reduces and you can face the challenge with a sense of COURAGE that you have now created inside of yourself.  Feel the sense of a challenge and watch the brave person inside of you complete the challenge.  Stop the stories that you tell yourself about your limitations and just focus on visualizing yourself succeeding. Do this daily until you have enough internal COURAGE to be brave.  The link is below to learn the story of Mary Magdalene in the picture above. 

http://www.denver.goarch.org/parishes/Grand_Junction/mary_magdalene