How to Get Out of a Funk and Back Into Alignment

Out of alignment is a fancy way of saying that you’re in a funk.

Have you felt blah or off and couldn’t pin point exactly why? This used to happen to me constantly and I would blame outside factors such as:

-The weather

-Something someone said to me

-My period

-The economy

-Bad hair day

-Work was stressful

-A disagreement with a family member

What I wasn’t looking at is that even when outside factors happen (Which they always have and always will), I still have some sort of control over how my day is going to go.

When things are out of my control, what I can control is the way I CREATE time and space for myself.

Here are things that make me feel good/in alignment:

-Journaling

-Practicing gratitude (3-5 things I’m grateful for)

-Saying my affirmations

-Meditating

-Snuggling with my dog

-Taking a bath

-Reading my book (even if it’s just 10 pages)

Dear Body, A Love Letter

Dear Body,

I am writing to you to tell you that I love you and you are perfect the way you are. I can tell you this all I want, but my actions have not shown you that.

For all the times I over trained you, starved you, overfilled you up with food, deprived you of sleep, littered unhealthy food inside of you, forced you to throw up, fed you inconsistently – I am sorry.

I realize that you are not mine. I am borrowing you during my time on earth. You are a vessel that I get to use to carry out my vision. You are perfect.

I promise to love you moving forward and cherish you. I will feed you when needed. I will move you daily. I will affirm how amazing you are as often as I can.

Body – can we start fresh?

Xoxo,

Valerie

Why Failing Algebra (Twice) was my Greatest Gift

I’ll never forget the sinking feeling in my chest when yet another test would be returned to me with a big, fat “D-“ in red writing. I would quickly flip my paper over hoping none of my classmates saw.

I was so embarrassed. My failing grade was not from a lack of trying, it was from a lack of truly not understanding. This was my second time taking Algebra. I failed the first time and now was my second shot to get at least a C-. I had a tutor, I studied, and completed my homework to the best of my ability, but somehow it never clicked.

Here’s what I don’t like about math: There’s one answer and it’s either right or wrong.

When my dreams of ever having a career that involved any type of number crunching went out the window, I really put my all into my English classes.

I loved that with writing assignments, there are many “answers” and there are MANY ways to get to them.

The way I looked at writing assignments were – you are given the bare minimum expectations about what to cover in your paper. If you do just that, you can pull off a C grade easily. The rest is up to you, you get to be creative and surrender to the outcome. Your opinions, life experiences, feelings, and interpretations ALL MATTER when you are turning in a paper.  

Math doesn’t give a crap about your feelings!

This idea became the framework for my life: many different outcomes, many different ways to get there.

Life is not linear. There isn’t one right or wrong way to do life. One person’s correct answer could be another person’s F.

We are the creators of our world and how we get to our destination is up to us. If something isn’t working for you, maybe it’s a sign that there is something far better out there for you.