Essentialism

5 Mindful Tips towards a Happier Life by @talkwordytome_

Day 5: Essentialism

 “Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential."- Greg Mckeown

If I had a nickel for every time I operated at my highest point, I'd have ....just a nickel. Lol investing in my time and doing only the essential tasks that make my family and I happy is a new goal I have! The hubs and I have talked about what makes us happy, and we narrowed it down to spending time together and making memories with our kids. That's pretty hard to do when I'm dictating our lives with a detailed schedule and letting my phone direct my attention away from my kids. 

As I was writing this post I had to set my phone down to soothe Coco Suri and I was rewarded with the best cuddles! I spent over 20 min thinking I should prob move so I can grab my phone and finishing posting, but that thought was ridiculous! I rarely get full blown cuddles anymore and nothing could be as important as this moment with her. It's essential to put my daughters needs first, and make her a priority in my life. Even if it's just for that extra hug or cuddle, she is my world and I want her to always remember that I love her! 

I've made many mistakes when it comes to balancing Motherhood and Social Media, and truthfully I know I'll continue to make more as the days go on. But I'm trying to be better, and I recognize that it's better to be in the moment then document it. So here's to you, Moms of the Blogosphere, live in the moment, determine what is essential and move forward with faith that you are doing the best you can and that's enough! "There should be no shame in admitting to a mistake; after all, we really are only admitting that we are now wiser than we once were.” -Greg McKeown

Essentialism

5 Mindful Tips towards a Happier Life by @talkwordytome_

Day 5: Essentialism

 “Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential."- Greg Mckeown

If I had a nickel for every time I operated at my highest point, I'd have ....just a nickel. Lol investing in my time and doing only the essential tasks that make my family and I happy is a new goal I have! The hubs and I have talked about what makes us happy, and we narrowed it down to spending time together and making memories with our kids. That's pretty hard to do when I'm dictating our lives with a detailed schedule and letting my phone direct my attention away from my kids. 

As I was writing this post I had to set my phone down to soothe Coco Suri and I was rewarded with the best cuddles! I spent over 20 min thinking I should prob move so I can grab my phone and finishing posting, but that thought was ridiculous! I rarely get full blown cuddles anymore and nothing could be as important as this moment with her. It's essential to put my daughters needs first, and make her a priority in my life. Even if it's just for that extra hug or cuddle, she is my world and I want her to always remember that I love her! 

I've made many mistakes when it comes to balancing Motherhood and Social Media, and truthfully I know I'll continue to make more as the days go on. But I'm trying to be better, and I recognize that it's better to be in the moment then document it. So here's to you, Moms of the Blogosphere, live in the moment, determine what is essential and move forward with faith that you are doing the best you can and that's enough! "There should be no shame in admitting to a mistake; after all, we really are only admitting that we are now wiser than we once were.” -Greg McKeown

Let it Go

5 Mindful Tips towards a Happier Life by @talkwordytome_

Day 4: Let go of Perfection 

Take a deep breathe for me, inhale the good exhale the bad. Inhale love, exhale doubt. Inhale trust, exhale perfection. Let it go.... let go of this idea that these tiny white squares are what determines our worth. Social media is a 5 course meal that feeds our insecurities. Don't get caught up in the beautiful courses, the unique flavors of comparison, and the tempting aroma of perfection wafting from the table. Take a step back and note that this glimpse of minimalist perfection is but a "staged" misrepresentation of what our lives should be like. "The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel."-Steve FurtickBe brave and pull down the curtain of your highlight reel. It's ok to be vulnerable to imperfection, embrace your life for what it is and don't apologize for messy life moments. Own that unmade bed, the sink full of dishes, and the spaghetti sauce on the walls. Life is meant to be messy...find beauty in your imperfection and own it!!

Let it Go

5 Mindful Tips towards a Happier Life by @talkwordytome_

Day 4: Let go of Perfection 

Take a deep breathe for me, inhale the good exhale the bad. Inhale love, exhale doubt. Inhale trust, exhale perfection. Let it go.... let go of this idea that these tiny white squares are what determines our worth. Social media is a 5 course meal that feeds our insecurities. Don't get caught up in the beautiful courses, the unique flavors of comparison, and the tempting aroma of perfection wafting from the table. Take a step back and note that this glimpse of minimalist perfection is but a "staged" misrepresentation of what our lives should be like. "The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel."-Steve FurtickBe brave and pull down the curtain of your highlight reel. It's ok to be vulnerable to imperfection, embrace your life for what it is and don't apologize for messy life moments. Own that unmade bed, the sink full of dishes, and the spaghetti sauce on the walls. Life is meant to be messy...find beauty in your imperfection and own it!!

Positive Self Talk

 Mindful Tips towards a Happier Life by @talkwordytome_

Day 3: Take Stock of your Thoughts

I like to imagine my brain has a center of control featuring a cast of my favorite characters. You know, Inside Out style! I'd have a panel of all my emotions played by my fictional spirit animals like Dr. Mindy Lahri, Leslie Knope, Daenerys Targaryen, Lindsay Bluth, Feyre Archeron, and Liz Lemon.  Can you imagine how awesome that would be!?!?! What makes each of the these characters stand out is their Positive Self Talk. They know who they are, they know their worth and take charge of their future. They lift up other women and believe in their dreams!Now imagine if you had this team of Feminists in your ear whispering positive affirmations to you throughout the day!?!?! You could do anything, be anyone and inspire EVERYONE who came across your path. Think of how incredible your life could become by just believing in yourself! 

I love that Kim from @talkwordytome_challenged us to change our self talk from the negative to the positive. It's so important to be kind to ourselves and love the bodies we've been given, honor the intelligence we've spent years attaining, and appreciate the gifts and talents we've been blessed with. Your life isn't perfect but guess what? No ones life is? It's not worth spending the energy to compare ourselves to others, feeling discouraged about our looks and envying those who seem to have it all.

Don't let negative self talk keep you from being happy. This morning I hopped on the scale and my heart gave out when I saw I had gained 3 pounds! I immediately started to punish myself and I couldn't get past the fact that I let myself eat over the top this Week. I let my body enjoy cookies, burgers, fries and every food in the house that I love. I had no self control and it caught up to me. I spent the morning flip flopping if I was going to purge or not. I left to go workout feeling emotionally drained and it wasn't even 9am yet. 

I carried so much emotional baggage over what I ate that it almost ruined my day. My self talk was hateful and unkind, I'm ashamed of how I treated myself... because I would never treat a friend or my daughter the same way I treated myself. But I know that everyday is a new day, and if I put my best foot forward I will do better. Loving ourselves takes patience and practice. We have to consciously decide to love ourselves and believe in our dreams. 

So don't get discouraged, believe in the beauty of your dreams and dare to love all your perfect imperfections! We all have a dream team inside of us cheering us on, we just need to take a quiet moment to reacquaint ourselves with our fans and say THANK YOU! 

Thank them for their love, support and kindness.... then go to the closest mirror and look yourself in the eye and repeat after me: I am enough, I am brave and beautiful, I can do hard things and I will fight for my dreams. Then walk away with confidence and go out and being the best version of it yourself! You've got this, be bold in what sets your heart on fire! 

Who would be your your Inside Out Dream team????

Positive Self Talk

 Mindful Tips towards a Happier Life by @talkwordytome_

Day 3: Take Stock of your Thoughts

I like to imagine my brain has a center of control featuring a cast of my favorite characters. You know, Inside Out style! I'd have a panel of all my emotions played by my fictional spirit animals like Dr. Mindy Lahri, Leslie Knope, Daenerys Targaryen, Lindsay Bluth, Feyre Archeron, and Liz Lemon.  Can you imagine how awesome that would be!?!?! What makes each of the these characters stand out is their Positive Self Talk. They know who they are, they know their worth and take charge of their future. They lift up other women and believe in their dreams!Now imagine if you had this team of Feminists in your ear whispering positive affirmations to you throughout the day!?!?! You could do anything, be anyone and inspire EVERYONE who came across your path. Think of how incredible your life could become by just believing in yourself! 

I love that Kim from @talkwordytome_challenged us to change our self talk from the negative to the positive. It's so important to be kind to ourselves and love the bodies we've been given, honor the intelligence we've spent years attaining, and appreciate the gifts and talents we've been blessed with. Your life isn't perfect but guess what? No ones life is? It's not worth spending the energy to compare ourselves to others, feeling discouraged about our looks and envying those who seem to have it all.

Don't let negative self talk keep you from being happy. This morning I hopped on the scale and my heart gave out when I saw I had gained 3 pounds! I immediately started to punish myself and I couldn't get past the fact that I let myself eat over the top this Week. I let my body enjoy cookies, burgers, fries and every food in the house that I love. I had no self control and it caught up to me. I spent the morning flip flopping if I was going to purge or not. I left to go workout feeling emotionally drained and it wasn't even 9am yet. 

I carried so much emotional baggage over what I ate that it almost ruined my day. My self talk was hateful and unkind, I'm ashamed of how I treated myself... because I would never treat a friend or my daughter the same way I treated myself. But I know that everyday is a new day, and if I put my best foot forward I will do better. Loving ourselves takes patience and practice. We have to consciously decide to love ourselves and believe in our dreams. 

So don't get discouraged, believe in the beauty of your dreams and dare to love all your perfect imperfections! We all have a dream team inside of us cheering us on, we just need to take a quiet moment to reacquaint ourselves with our fans and say THANK YOU! 

Thank them for their love, support and kindness.... then go to the closest mirror and look yourself in the eye and repeat after me: I am enough, I am brave and beautiful, I can do hard things and I will fight for my dreams. Then walk away with confidence and go out and being the best version of it yourself! You've got this, be bold in what sets your heart on fire! 

Who would be your your Inside Out Dream team????

Chase Big Dreams

5 Mindful Tips towards a Happier Life by @talkwordytome_ 

Day 2: Don't let your dreams die just because your a Mom

I 💯  percent believe that despite our ever changing roles in life, change is a beautiful thing. For better or for worse, how we adapt to change brings out our deeper desires, and reveals who we really are. Just because our roles change, doesn't mean our goals and dreams become non existent...our dreams evolve into something greater and more meaningful every time we take the courage to pursue them. 

Before I had kids, I was a Professional Choreographer, with State and National award winning routines under my belt for teams throughout the PNW. I was a Dancing Magicians Assistant and levitated 3 shows a day 6 days a week. And I graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelors Degree in Communication, with a minor in Gender Studies. I am so proud that I had the courage to follow my heart and chase big dreams! 

Now, 2 kids later, I'm still letting my heart guide me. Transitioning from Choreographer and Performer into the Barre Fitness industry was seamless. It was a natural fit and provided me the creative outlet I needed to keep both my mind and body active. My children love going to the studio and have learned by example how important it is to take care of our physical and mental health needs. At the studios I work for, @cahootsfitness @yogavega, they provide learning opportunities for my children while I'm teaching, so I can rest assured that Brody and Suri are being engaged through Creative Movement and Sports Skills, and are taught practical concepts like their ABC's, Numbers, Shapes and Colors. 

My roles have changed, my dreams have changed, yet my identity is the same. I'm a Woman who loves herself enough to fight for her happiness. Whether I am a Mother, Instructor, Dancer, Wife, Triathlete, Sister or Friend....I will always be Tess.... I will dream big dreams and follow my heart as it beckons me to say YES to change. YES to new opportunities. YES to being imperfectly perfect. And Yes to loving my family and myself enough to pursue the goals that will help me become the best version of myself. Dream chasers, where you at!?! 🙋🏼

Chase Big Dreams

5 Mindful Tips towards a Happier Life by @talkwordytome_ 

Day 2: Don't let your dreams die just because your a Mom

I 💯  percent believe that despite our ever changing roles in life, change is a beautiful thing. For better or for worse, how we adapt to change brings out our deeper desires, and reveals who we really are. Just because our roles change, doesn't mean our goals and dreams become non existent...our dreams evolve into something greater and more meaningful every time we take the courage to pursue them. 

Before I had kids, I was a Professional Choreographer, with State and National award winning routines under my belt for teams throughout the PNW. I was a Dancing Magicians Assistant and levitated 3 shows a day 6 days a week. And I graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelors Degree in Communication, with a minor in Gender Studies. I am so proud that I had the courage to follow my heart and chase big dreams! 

Now, 2 kids later, I'm still letting my heart guide me. Transitioning from Choreographer and Performer into the Barre Fitness industry was seamless. It was a natural fit and provided me the creative outlet I needed to keep both my mind and body active. My children love going to the studio and have learned by example how important it is to take care of our physical and mental health needs. At the studios I work for, @cahootsfitness @yogavega, they provide learning opportunities for my children while I'm teaching, so I can rest assured that Brody and Suri are being engaged through Creative Movement and Sports Skills, and are taught practical concepts like their ABC's, Numbers, Shapes and Colors. 

My roles have changed, my dreams have changed, yet my identity is the same. I'm a Woman who loves herself enough to fight for her happiness. Whether I am a Mother, Instructor, Dancer, Wife, Triathlete, Sister or Friend....I will always be Tess.... I will dream big dreams and follow my heart as it beckons me to say YES to change. YES to new opportunities. YES to being imperfectly perfect. And Yes to loving my family and myself enough to pursue the goals that will help me become the best version of myself. Dream chasers, where you at!?! 🙋🏼

Happiness is a Choice

5 Mindful Tips towards a happier life by @talkwordytome_ 

Day 1: Think about what makes you happy, and pursue those interests. 

Kim suggested creating a Happy List. A simple list of your favorite things, activities and experiences that bring you Joy. I wrote down my list, and found that with enough time I could seriously make my list last forever. There is so much that makes me happy and it was humbling to see it all laid out before me. 

My Happy List includes:

* Exercise - Barre, Yoga, Aerial, Cycling

* Reading 📖 * Cuddling with my kids + hubby

* Chocolate....lots of chocolate *Mommas go go juice * Dancing + music * Shopping with friends * Trying new things * Soup + Rolls...CARBS baby

* Date nights * Late night Poetry @christopherpoindexter @tylerknott 

I counted 5 Joys I do daily that make me happy, and really they are pretty simple! Exercise and Teaching support my love for movement and creativity, daily Reading gives me a great escape to far away places, and cuddles hugs and kisses keep me grounded and reminds me of what's most important in my life. Anything is possible with caffeine (thank you daily doses of Diet Coke, DP and Chocolate), and with the right playlist Music can turn every frown upside down. 
My joys are simple; Family, Exercise, and Dancing. What makes you happy? I challenge you to create your own Happy List and check off an item or two everyday that will bring you Joy and Love! 

Happiness is a Choice

5 Mindful Tips towards a happier life by @talkwordytome_ 

Day 1: Think about what makes you happy, and pursue those interests. 

Kim suggested creating a Happy List. A simple list of your favorite things, activities and experiences that bring you Joy. I wrote down my list, and found that with enough time I could seriously make my list last forever. There is so much that makes me happy and it was humbling to see it all laid out before me. 

My Happy List includes:

* Exercise - Barre, Yoga, Aerial, Cycling

* Reading 📖 * Cuddling with my kids + hubby

* Chocolate....lots of chocolate *Mommas go go juice * Dancing + music * Shopping with friends * Trying new things * Soup + Rolls...CARBS baby

* Date nights * Late night Poetry @christopherpoindexter @tylerknott 

I counted 5 Joys I do daily that make me happy, and really they are pretty simple! Exercise and Teaching support my love for movement and creativity, daily Reading gives me a great escape to far away places, and cuddles hugs and kisses keep me grounded and reminds me of what's most important in my life. Anything is possible with caffeine (thank you daily doses of Diet Coke, DP and Chocolate), and with the right playlist Music can turn every frown upside down. 
My joys are simple; Family, Exercise, and Dancing. What makes you happy? I challenge you to create your own Happy List and check off an item or two everyday that will bring you Joy and Love! 

5 Mindful Tips towards a Happier Life

At the end of August I attended a Back to School Moms night out or #b2smno, where my good friend Kim from @talkwordytome_spoke to us about Mindfulness and Finding Happiness within the walls of our own home. The biggest take away from my night was this; It all starts with ME. If I want to change the weather in my home, the change starts from within. If I want to be happy, I need to choose activities and experiences that uplift myself and my loved ones. I can make every day count by being mindful of the needs of my kids, spouse and most importantly myself. Mindfulness matters, kindness matters and most importantly I matter! 

• 5 Mindful Tips towards a happier life by Kim Christiansen of @talkwordytome_ 
• 
  
• 1: Think about what makes you happy, and pursue those interests
• 
  
• 2: Don't let your dreams die just because your a Mom
• 
  

• 3: Take Stock of your Thoughts
• 
  

4: Let go of Perfection 

5: Essentialism

                                                           https://linktr.ee/talkwordytome_

• 
  

5 Mindful Tips towards a Happier Life

At the end of August I attended a Back to School Moms night out or #b2smno, where my good friend Kim from @talkwordytome_spoke to us about Mindfulness and Finding Happiness within the walls of our own home. The biggest take away from my night was this; It all starts with ME. If I want to change the weather in my home, the change starts from within. If I want to be happy, I need to choose activities and experiences that uplift myself and my loved ones. I can make every day count by being mindful of the needs of my kids, spouse and most importantly myself. Mindfulness matters, kindness matters and most importantly I matter! 

• 5 Mindful Tips towards a happier life by Kim Christiansen of @talkwordytome_ 
• 
  
• 1: Think about what makes you happy, and pursue those interests
• 
  
• 2: Don't let your dreams die just because your a Mom
• 
  

• 3: Take Stock of your Thoughts
• 
  

4: Let go of Perfection 

5: Essentialism

                                                           https://linktr.ee/talkwordytome_

•