Welcome to the New Normal

It happened.  The breakdown. 

The weight of it all hit hard.  It was suffocating, frightening, confusing, exhausting, and overwhelming all at the same time.    

And I let myself feel it.  I didn’t label it. I didn’t judge it. I just felt it. I let it take over me.  I let it consume me.

And then I allowed it to move through me.  I could feel it wanting to move. I kept it moving by breathing through it with big deep long breaths like we do in Pilates. 

And then I felt it. I felt the release. I could actually feel the weight lift. I felt lighter. Calmer. And then something big took over me and it felt lovely.  It was magical.

It was Faith.  And it was taking over the fear.

At that moment I felt strong. Calm. Clear. And most importantly, OK.  I felt OK.

We are going to get through this.

I’ve got two young boys who are watching my every move during this crazy time.  I want them to remember their strong mom. I need to be the light for them. I need them to be the light for each other.  For the world around them. We need light more than ever. Light dims dark and dark can’t exist with light.  

There is so much uncertainty right now.  We have no control over what’s happening. Yet, we can choose how to respond. It sounds cliche, but it’s not.  It takes work. It takes deep work. It takes stillness and space.  It takes intention and clarity.

Collectively we are going through a massive upgrade.  Our normal is changing. The question is, do we thrive or do we sink?  We need to focus our energy in the right way. In a healing way where we choose faith over fear, opportunity over blocks, love over lack, “we” over “me”.

It takes a deep internal strength to see the world with clarity and certainty in uncertain times.  It takes being intentional with your energy.  And if you don’t have the right energy, you can’t show up as your best self. 

Ever notice how creativity and inspiration spark when you’re feeling your best?  When you feel vibrant, confident, and in the flow. When you're aligned with your true self.

We're all made of energy.  And when you feel your best, you're actually vibrating at a frequency that can change worlds. Your energy is so powerful that  it can shift the energy of the people around you. It’s not about what’s happening on the outside of you, it’s what’s happening in the inside of you.  

When you shift your internal energy you are shifting the energy of the entire world.

But, you can't do that when you have no steam in the engine; when you're out of gas; when you're low on octane.  You MUST take care of what’s going on inside of you.  It’s the only way to create the change we need to heal our world right now. And to do that, you need to take care of you first - mentally, emotionally, and physically.

For me, I know I can’t let myself get to that dark place too often.  If I need to go there, I’ll allow it, but for the most part I have too many people who need me at my best. I need to be present.  I need to be light.

I could feel myself slowly moving to that dark place.   It doesn’t happen suddenly, it starts small and then spirals.  I have to catch it before it gains momentum. To do that, I must take care of myself.  Daily. I need to take care energetically, mindfully, and soulfully.  When I change how I feel on the inside, magically the world on the outside shifts. I see the good and more good comes .  We all have that power.

There are daily things you can do to take care of that precious energy of yours.  Below are some of my favorite tools that help me mindfully, emotionally, and physically to stay strong and healthy.    When you can take care of how you feel, the rest will take care of itself.  

Do one, two, or the whole list everyday.  And when you feel the negativity brewing, go right to your tools.  Use them. Engulf yourself in them. Fill your mind with all the good that you can.  It’s about raising your energy to a rockin’ high vibin’ place. Let’s change the world together by not allowing the outside world to take away our power.  We can do this.

Here are some of my favorite go-to activities to fill my mind/body/soul in positive energy. Feel free to use them!

1. Daily Brain Inspiration.  Fill my brain with positivity.  Whether it’s from a podcast, audio book, youtube video.  I’ll walk around with headphones as I wash the dishes or make my bed. The idea is to fill it with such positivity, there is no room for the negativity.
2. Meditate.  Daily. Creating space in the brain takes practice.  Concentration takes practice. Being present is more important than ever.  My brain likes to wander, so every day I build that focus muscle. It’s getting better!
3. Move.  Depending on the day it might be slow and mindful or fast and sweaty.  It’s all about what my body needs that day to help release. (Dance parties are a regular thing in the McCarthy kitchen.)
4. Music.  I LOVE music.  In just one note, music has the power to shift our energy in an instant.  I often play it in the background as I do activities with the boys or as I’m doing my daily chores.  A soundtrack for our life!
5. Write.  I keep a daily journal.  It has rules though. I can’t brain dump the negative.  Instead I fill it with positivity. Writing what I’m grateful for, my dreams, my prayers, sending out love to those that need it.  
6. Laugh.  It’s the best medicine!  Find the humor where you can, and if you’re at a loss - search funny animal videos on YouTube.
7. Give.   It takes energy and attention off of yourself and onto another living soul who needs you.  It’s a powerful feeling to be able to give to others.  

It all comes down to allowing yourself the space to feel better.  Activities like these can help you show up as the best version of you.  And we need your light right now.

In a time like this, it’s important that we don’t let these daily activities slide.  We need to feel empowered more than ever. We need to all show up and shine, together. Together we can heal. Imagine that power?  We’d change the world!

In this week's Workout Wednesday, we're going to give the feet a little TLC.  Our poor feet take the brunt of our weight all day, are stuck in tight shoes, and yet they are the foundation to our entire body.  Let's learn how to care for them properly.