We always have opportunities for starting a new chapter. But there are certain situations that lend to this type of transformation. Today I am moving from India to Germany. I have a vision for who I am going to be there. Of course, this vision comes from my experience of who I have been being up until this point. I have gone through a lot of transformation throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic as I bounced around the world.
Life Since the Covid Pandemic Started
For the last 16 months, I have had the experience of moving around frequently, not having much of a schedule, and going with the flow. I went from Myanmar, to the USA, to Myanmar, to India, to the USA, back to India and now today, to Germany. All under Covid regulations, and most of the time having no idea how long my trip would last or where I would head next. In Myanmar, we had our own place, as that was our home, but everywhere else we have been staying with family, and often changing locations.
I haven’t exercised a lot of self-discipline during this time. Looking back, I prioritized based on my instincts, and usually spending time with family won out above all else. I have lived abroad away from family for the past 7 years. So it was the perfect time to dedicate to this important area of life. I had unique opportunities to spend 5 months with my family in the US in 2020. And this year I have spent 5 months in India with my in-laws, who I previously had not even met. Not to mention I spent more time with my partner than I ever thought possible. It was a pretty awesome opportunity and I think I made the most of it. But I am happy for the opportunity to start a new chapter.
Looking to the Future
Reflecting on that time, I can see the areas of my life that I no longer need to focus on. They are ingrained in who I am now. I am dedicated to eating a loving diet and keeping my health in order with nutrition and self love. When I choose a new course or program, I know how to discern if it is in alignment with my higher self. With that alignment, I don’t have to motivate myself in the area of learning. I am dedicated to personal growth and coaching myself daily. I also regularly invest in coaching for myself. Even when it is not easy to face the beliefs and programs that are coming up, I never quit. But there are still things I need to work on.
I am choosing five areas that I am committing to at least for the next 3 months as I get to define a new routine in a new country. Of course, I don’t have to move cities to do this. I could literally choose any day to make these changes, but as I have this unique opportunity, I am taking it to fully commit to these areas of growth.
Creativity
I will take time every single day to do something creative. I get to define what creative means. Maybe I will draw, paint, write, sing, dance, or knit! Maybe I will pick up new crafts that I have never tried before. I have more energy and passion when I allow my creativity to flow. The more I allow it to flow, the more it is there for me when I need it for a project. I am excited to see what I can create when I dedicate more time to allowing creativity!
Spirituality
I have only recently discovered that spirituality is useful in my journey to personal growth and development. I have committed to growing my spiritual practice, meditating, letting go of my attachments, and achieving the highest possible good that I can achieve by being myself. It supports me in being exactly who I am without apologies, and not questioning my inner wisdom. I shine my light on the world. I am fully committed to standing in my truth.
Sometimes this is not a popular path. Other people may not agree with my spiritual beliefs. They may judge me or choose to no longer be associated with me. That is something I have prepared for mentally and logically, but I have not experienced much yet. Going forward, I hope to connect with others who share my spiritual beliefs. But I also will continue to have deep relationships with people with COMPLETELY DIFFERENT perspectives. The world is interesting because we are all unique. I will never be the one to say that my spirituality is the correct one or better than anyone else’s.
Fitness
I have been committed to nutrition for a long time. But I used to fizzle out when it comes to fitness. I am taking back control over that narrative and rewriting it. So, I will commit to moving my body in a loving way daily. While I listen to my body, I will also discern when I am having self-sabotaging thoughts. I know I won’t always feel like exercising even when it is the best thing for me. This will be a practice in self-discipline to move through those moments and do what is best for my body.
My fitness goals are no longer about how I want my body to look or even how much I want to be able to lift. They are about how energized and enthused I want to feel. They are to empower me to take on adventures and do things that excite me. If an opportunity comes up that involves hiking or biking I want to be fully prepared to take on that challenge! I am committing to fitness because I love myself and I will have amazing experiences when I keep my body in good shape. Also, it will feel GREAT!
Connection
Generally, when I stay in one place a long time, I find there are a lot of social events where conversations are shallow and don’t go too far. But we continue to meet with these same people because they speak English, and its convenient. But this time I want to do it differently. I will intentionally seek out deep connections with people and foster those relationships. I will not settle for surface friends!
At the moment that may mean maintaining my long-distance friendships on Zoom and that’s okay! While I am starting my new chapter, I will look for opportunities to meet people in person, but not sacrifice the quality of the connections I am looking for!
Service
I will increase the amount of time I spend in service to others. We all know it feels better to give than to receive. When I intentionally put myself in service to others, I gain so much. Then I wonder why it has been so long since I last committed to it. I am not sure exactly what this will look like, but I am open to receiving whatever the universe is putting on my path! I will watch out for volunteer opportunities, as well as ways to create my own offers that serve others.
What’s the procedure for starting a new chapter?
You might be thinking, these are easy words to say but how am I actually going to carry it out? Well to start out with, I just read the book, The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma. and I am committed to joining this initiative. I will get up at 5 AM every day as a gift to myself. I commit the first hours of wakefulness to these things that I am prioritizing.
5:00 AM
First, I will get up and MOVE! Some days that might mean a walk, a swim, a yoga flow at home, or whatever feels right in that moment. I will stay centered and focused on loving movement, not on changing my body. I do not want to get swept away in the common narrative of wanting a flatter tummy or a slimmer waist. My body is perfect no matter how it looks. But it does have needs and my plan is to communicate with my body and listen to those needs. The goal is to sweat in the first 20 minutes of the day, because of a lot of physical and mental benefits that I am ready to experience!
5:30-ish
After I work up a sweat, I will take time to meditate. Research shows this should be done first. But I think in my case, getting the exercise first will wake me up to the point I can stay awake to meditate. Since I already have a daily meditation practice, it will get done. But the exercise part is new for me so starting with it is like eating the frog, getting the hardest part out of the way first. (Maybe its not exactly what Brian Tracy was talking about in the book Eat That Frog, but you get the point. )
When I meditate, I will tap into my higher self and see if there is anything else I need to do spiritually to be ready for my day. I can practice starting a new chapter on a daily basis and allowing old versions of me to fall away.
6:00-ish
After meditation, I plan to take time to write! The process in The 5am Club recommends to spend 20 minutes learning something, but I am always learning daily. I read books, listen to podcasts, watch Ted talks, take courses, you name it. I probably spend two hours or more most days learning. So I am choosing to replace that time with writing or creating. And I will probably extend it to closer to an hour as it takes me some time to get into flow with writing.
Breaking it down
There are of course subcategories inside these bigger categories that I will work on. Some of them I have already broken down in my head. Others I am trusting will come to me as I continue to practice BEing who I am. I plan to share more about what unfolds in the weeks to come! In the meantime, I would love to hear what YOU are working on or calling more of into your life! Share in the comments below!
If you would like some help starting a new chapter of your own, reach out to me and let’s have a chat!