One of the greatest creative acts is to recognize your life as a place where your creative spirit can flourish. You can quite seriously map your life and your life actions into an act of beauty–it just takes a little bit of practice.

First, let’s step back-

What do you do, then, when you are in a place of worry, fear, or anxiety about your life’s path? That reaction is often a pattern that can be re-patterned.

I have mapped out a few tools that have helped me tremendously.

So, I ask you now to take one action a day to get yourself out of fear and into your strength. These are small, simple, and sometimes fun things that help to reprogram your mind from the worry groove of thought to the fulfilling groove of thought.

Day 1 practice:

Write your worry a letter. Literally write ‘dear worry’ and ask the worry what it is trying to teach you. Ask the worry to shift, like you would a friend whose life you want to see improve.

Day 2 practice:

Memorize Shakespeare! Ok, nothing too esoteric, but bend your brain for a minute and commit a few lines of your favorite author to memory. When worry comes to visit you, recite your newly learned poem or stanza.

Day 3 practice:

Move your hips. Move the worry out! Seriously. There is nothing better than calming your nervous system then a few minutes or a few hours of movement. Feel your warrior power as you move–do a few hip circles, jumping jacks, or just jogging in place. Strengthen and center through your body’s ability to move and be.

Day 4 practice:

Think of the opposite. Ok, here is a bit more of the challenge–but what is your worry about? For example, a common worry is about not having enough money. WHAT IF, instead you thought about how much you DO have. Maybe you are in a real place of concern with money, but there is NOTHING wrong with just thinking the opposite. For a second. Take a leap. Your body & mind will thank you.

Day 5 practice:

Speak it outloud. This practice involves another person, so find a loved one and ask him/her to listen. (If you don’t have anyone around, do this in front of your mirror.) Say your worry outloud. Then make time for there to be silence. Saying the worry, instead of overthinking it, ususally makes the issue feel a lot less heavy to carry.

Day 6 practice:

Turn it off (for an hour).

Oh my, we have too much information going in and out and in and out of our minds. One practice that is so valuable is to turn it all off. Cell phone = off, TV= off, radio=off, computer = off. Go in to a land where you don’t have to be reminded of your to-dos or what everyone else is to-doing.  Give your mind a break. Allow for your worry to melt away.

Day 7 practice:

Ask for help from the Divine. Ask for guidance through prayer. When the worry comes in, just say “I offer this worry to be transformed into something productive in my life. God, please guide me in this time of worry to a place of strength.” Then breathe, and let it go.

 

:::Extra bonus practice:::

Strengthen your Body

I’ve included a video of me doing & instructing a short 25 minute practice of yoga that helps to cultivate strength in the body. I explore the different Warrior postures. Why strengthen the body? I believe that strengthening the body creates a clear and open vessel. This helps your mind & body in times of worry to get through it all.

What works for you? How have you transformed? As always–leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear back from you as you transform into your deepest sense of self.