What I'm doing to have (more frequent) blissfully happy days

Sabrina Moore Photography 

When you're having a crappy day, does everyone ask you what's wrong?  And that bothers you even more, right? What about when you're having a great day, does it ever feel like others pick up on your higher energetic vibe?  And you may notice the unhappy customers at work don't bother you like they normally would.

A couple weeks ago, I was having a perfect morning. For the record there was no coffee involved.  I did pick flowers and bring them into work.  That same morning, right after we opened, a customer approached me at the register and said to me, "You are definitely a morning person. Like one of those morning people who, when you wake up next to them, is showered by sparkly fairy dust and Disney music. There's probably f***ing rainbows too."

No joke.  He said all of this, verbatim.  And while that's definitely not usually the case, that particular morning I did feel like 'f***ing rainbows.'

And again, this week, I woke up one morning and felt even BETTER than the last time with the fairytale music and butterflies.  I don't know exactly when or why this phenomenon occurs, but I'm gonna let you in on my secrets to attaining this bliss buzz. I am PROOF that these experiences do happen when you're least expecting them: when you're single (shocking, right?!), when you're at work, and you haven't started your morning with a killer green smoothie.

Now, the following isn't a list of things I do everyday, but they're some noteworthy events that deliver extended release happiness throughout the day. Inspired by the observant man at the register, let's call this my Bliss Buzz Cocktail. 

• Put down the phone
• As soon as I wake up, before I reach for my phone (I am soooo guilty of this most mornings), I'll lay in bed, noticing my warm blankets and soft pillows.  With my eyes still closed, I give gratitude to whatever I want; my family, friends, my job, my car, my health, my great ass :)
• Affirmations
• At some point in the morning, I'll glance at my Spirit Junkie app or turn to Louise Hay for a specific remedy for a positive affirmation.  I don't usually repeat it to myself throughout the day, but reading it even once I know it sticks subconsciously. I believe changing your thoughts can radically change your physical and emotional state.
• Treat yo' self
• I do something special for myself in the morning.  When I can, I'll take time in the morning to chill. It sets a good pace for how the rest of my day will be.  I make a cup of tea before I eat anything because I'm pretty much always dehydrated. I'll sit on my bed or the floor and stretch. I'll read about some recent health news.  There's an abundance of health information out there, so I love staying updated.  It keeps me focused on my goals.

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  Sabrina Moore Photography 

• Mediation
• I hate the word "should," (I wrote a post about this a few months back) so instead I'll say, I would like to make more time for meditation. On these blissful days, I'll make time for a 10-15 minute meditation before I leave the house.  If you think meditation is intimidating, you can find some really great guided ones here, to help you get started.
• Release expectations
• This is so hard for me!! But really just being open to whatever is in store can unveil really beautiful outcomes.  I find that I'm more open to new ways of thinking or doing something that I never would have thought of. A rainy day doesn't have to suck, you can do something productive indoors, or simply relax. A friend bailed on me? That frees up my schedule to go run an errand I've been meaning get to. 
• Laughing and playing  
• This is what life is all about! Even if we hate our jobs, we hate being single, or we hate our limitations…lets find the good in it.  Yes, there can be TONS of drama at work and some days I find myself picking on my mangers or getting pissed at customers. But mostly I love the atmosphere because I make it a time where I can hang out with some really cool people I otherwise wouldn't know, I can be myself, and I am financially rewarded.  We laugh, sing, gossip, dance, take juice shots. 
• Eating a mindful meal
• At least one meal this day I'll enjoy alone, without my phone or a TV to entertain me.  I give thanks for the meal. I get the full sensory experience: I'll really check out the plate before I bite into anything, I fully smell and taste each bite, putting my fork down in between. Ultimately I'm trying to get the full food porn experience here.
• Being Present
• I mentioned this in my last post Why I'm making personal sacrifices for a very scary end goal, but it's really an anchor for my happiness.  When I'm present, I don't worry about the future or replay past events over and over in my head.  I know we all do this, especially in relationships. I'm finding little joys in what I can create out of right now.
• And finally….Sharing the love
• Days like these, I find myself being friendlier.  I'll smile at strangers (it doesn't have to be creepy people), I'll compliment others, or find little things to be thankful for like not having a parking ticket on my car or when that really nice guy let me cut him in line. Little things.  I text or call someone I haven't heard from in a while, telling them how much I love them, how much they inspire me. Who doesn't love warm fuzzies?!

From my experiences, I've noticed that when I invite these small details into my daily life, I definitely feel heightened joy.  On these days, which are becoming more frequent now that I see how good this bliss buzz is, I feel like life is perfect, that everything happens as it should.  So lets make more effort to be our best selves and share that love with others.

Sabrina Moore Photography 

Why I'm making personal sacrifices for a very scary end goal

WHEW!! I don't know about you, but I feel like summer has been flying by! I cannot believe it is already August.  Since my last post nearly a month ago, I've been getting sucked into my work routine.  I've been working my tush off and not making enough time for myself.  A beautiful assortment of part time jobs, dog sitting, housesitting, gardening, family time, friends….So while I am contributing to my community, helping neighbors, and saving money, I'm slacking in the Katie department.  I'm placing other people's lives in front of my own.

I haven't had the time to cook for myself or even grocery shop for myself.  I crave this.  It's part of my mediation and self-care regime. Instead I'm buying 8 bags of kettle pop chips and Dunkin' Donuts Coffee Cake Muffins for my adorable 90-year old mommom because I want her to feel happy and comfortable during the time I don't spend with her.  My regular yoga practice has evaporated along with my desire to work out, as I'm totally pooped after hustling through shifts at work. I'm behind on my health coaching program….which I'm totally obsessed with, but I find myself unable to focus on the modules.  I definitely haven't prioritized this blog. She's my accidental 10 month old baby, giving me an outlet where I can write without inhibitions and hopefully feed your soul through my honest words. And I'm definitely not showering every day, or every other day.  And it's really fucking humid and buggy out East and working outside makes me hot and sticky and thank god for deodorant (see?! There's always something good to be found in something unpleasant). Check out how to make my homemade spray deodorant here.

Lately I'm feeling like I need to slow down more, be more present. One of my mentors and well-known entrepreneur and coach, Cynthia Pasquella, said that when she notices her mind start to wander, she'll think, "…and I'm back."  I've been trying this method out for the past week or so, and it's working beautifully.  I'll be having a conversation with someone and I start to focus my attention on another task (because I feel like I always need to multitask, which is one of my downfalls) I'll think, "...and I'm back" so I can be present in our conversation again.

If I want to be heard, I need to listen to others first. 

Yesterday I picked flowers and brought them into work.  I knew I would be standing in front of a POS system all day talking to people so I thought, if I had flowers, not only would they remind me to be more present, more grateful, but I could also share them with customers who might also find pleasure from them. It worked :)

I keep myself distracted through work, visiting with family, staying focused on making money so I can feel secure enough at the end of summer to move out of my aunt and uncle's house and sign my VERY FIRST LEASE since college. Holy fucking commitment, bring it on!! I'm ready for you, and I'm going to embrace every uncomfortable part of it with warm fuzzy hugs.  I've been so scared to sign a lease because it's the opposite of my gypsy lifestyle.

It's not what I know.  It's not familiar to me.

But I'm learning to stop running away from things that scare me and to face them head on.  Instead, I'm going to move into a new place, in a new city, and stay for awhile.  I'll manifest a rad community. I want to make roots and settle for at least a year.  I want to put more energy into my dreams and share them with others, and be successful at it.  And it is OK to rely on family and friends.  It's OK to take care of myself, to shower every other day, to take long walks without my cell phone, to browse Instagram for 15 minutes and not feel guilty about it.  It is OK to stop controlling my future and let life run it's course. I want to face my fears head on AND embrace them.