What do you think makes a good life? What have been the best parts of your life? What about the small day to day moments?

There are sooo many benefits to being out in nature and noticing things in nature. Go outside and find as many nature related things as you can. A flower blossoming through the side walk, the trees that may be there, birds and other wildlife making their homes, little ants on the ground...Look for the big and look for the small. :) Be truly present with what's in front of you. Check out @Thomas Rua Jr. 's post mother-nature and share your own nature story if you'd like. :) His nature experiences sound beautiful and peaceful. Additionally, I took the last picture from @Dr. Melissa Partaka's blog website where she talks about the past/present/future and our relationship with it. " Learn from the past, plan for the future, but live in the present." Check it out here: We Have Is Now - The Blueprint Method

"𝐈𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐲, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞". I love that more than most people probably realize. I also think there’s an important distinction that gets missed in conversations about growth, performance, and resilience.. Potential is not accessed through constant nervous system overload but I think many of us approach it in this way. A lot of us try to force ourselves into higher performance while our systems are already chronically stressed, overstimulated, emotionally exhausted, disconnected, or stuck in survival mode. This type of 'grinding' eventually catches up because our nervous system was not designed to just operate under endless pressure without recovery. A lot of self-development is focused around 'pushing harder', 'optimizing more', 'staying hungry', 'outworking everyone', and not slowing down. In the meantime, our bodies are asking to be regulated- asking for moments where they are not subconsciously bracing for the next impact. Healthy amount of sleep. Actual stillness. A sense of safety. A sense of real presence. Real connection with people that are actually grounding for our systems. Many high functioning individuals don't even realize the level of dysregulation because performance is still high, there's still a high level of productivity, there's still movement and achievement. But...internally, we feel perpetually 'on', restless, detached from ourselves, unable to fully recover and kind of emotionally thin.We can be mentally tough but physiologically overwhelmed. This is a signal of survival and survival mode is not sustainable elevation. What's not addressed ends up seeping out in different ways. To rise above mediocrity requires effort, discipline, and responsibility. It does require a level of hunger. BUT it also requires the capacity to regulate our nervous systems well enough that we can actually sustain the clarity, depth, creativity, emotional stability and growth over time. Otherwise burnout happens. An overloaded system feels heavier and things become more difficult than they need to be and then we end up judging ourselves for it "I need to be stronger" "I need to stop being lazy" "I just need more discipline" and on and on an on.

I wrote about clarity in decisions in the post here:decisions-because-you-cant-keep-dating-every-option There are some strategies there, but below are a few more with some elaboration:) Enjoy! (The initial options for decision making were these, in case you don't go to that other post...but I hope you do go! • Know your values: Decisions get easier when they reflect who you want to be • Check your nervous system: Regulate first. A calm mind makes smarter choices • Name the tradeoffs: Every yes requires a no. Clarity comes from acknowledging the cost • Commit: Once you choose, stop reopening the question. This builds confidence and mental strength ) The elaboration: 1. Set your criteria before you choose -Indecision often comes from not knowing what “good” looks like. Decide your criteria before you evaluate options. This keeps emotions from hijacking the process and reduces cognitive load. 2. Time box your choices -Give yourself a specific window to decide. The brain performs better with constraints because it reduces analysis paralysis. Short deadlines force clarity. Sometimes I struggle with this because a self imposed timeline feels arbitrary because i can always change it (but then I guess I'm not showing integrity with myself and I guess that's not good..) 3. Run the “future identity” test Ask: Does this choice serve the person I am becoming? Not the person you are today but the version you’re working toward. This uses the psychological principle of “self continuity” to pull you toward long term goals. 4. Evaluate the opportunity cost honestly Every yes has a silent no built into it. Name the no. This keeps your decisions aligned with your values instead of default habits! Name the NO. Find ways to create friction so that choosing the no is harder. Find ways to decrase friction so that the yes is easier. 5. Get out of your head and into data

Good morning, empowered fam! Just checking in on you all to see how your first quarter of the year went and what your intetions are for the next three months! :) Here are some things to ponder: 1. What are some wins of the past 3 months? 2. Where do I need to make some adjustments/where is there opportunity for growth? 3. What are my intentions for the next 3 months? Attached is a Quarter 2 Planning Worksheet! :) Consider the different areas of life: Relationships, Spirituality, Physical/Mental Health, Career/financial, Purposeful Action, Creativity, Overall Personal Growth. POLL: How did the last 3 months go?