The Art of Showing Up
What are you doing and who are you being on a daily basis?
This is a powerful question I repeatedly ask myself and answer through my choices, actions, and commitments. I'm not only referring to the larger aspects of our desired identity but rather the small ways we show up for ourselves on a consistent and regular basis. As a coach, I'm a firm believer in the power of incremental and small changes that accumulate over time to reap grand rewards. As James Clear states, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity." So, if I practice yoga once in a blue moon, I can't truly say I'm a yogi, but if I practice daily for even a few minutes, then I'm building incremental credibility toward this desired identity. So pause and consider, who you truly want to be.
Essentially, we may not be able to fully grasp our bigger dreams, and sometimes their grandiose nature can stop us from taking that first step. I've been there, and that's why I believe so strongly in the power of defining your non-negotiables for each day to create and become the energetic match to what you want to manifest.
My favorite part of my day is the morning. It's my time to practice my daily rituals and non-negotiables, which is something I can carry with me wherever I go. From a young age, my time was often filled with set activities and engagements, and from that, I've developed an interesting relationship with time. You can carve out your time however you prefer. It's not about being rigid but rather being committed and welcoming adaptability to keep your practices alive on a consistent basis. My main intention is to move my energy and calibrate it in the best possible form for the day ahead. The main ingredients include exercise/movement, meditation, stretching/yoga, and breathwork. This is my ideal right now, and I create space for it to evolve and shift accordingly. When time feels limited then the bare minimum, I move my body and carve out moments to get quiet inside.
We are all energy, and (e-)motions are energy in motion, so energetic alignment comes from moving your energy and being in a conscious relationship with your mind-body connection within the body that houses your soul. It invites a greater sense of empowerment and presence for whatever might lie ahead. I never regret taking time for myself and my well-being, but only when I don't carve out that time do I find myself ruminating throughout the day. It's in those empty windows of my day that I start to ponder how to best use my "downtime" in a way that lifts me up rather than keeps me down. When those moments aren't seized, the only person it ends up disappointing is me, and that can often hurt most. It's really about integrity, and standing by your word through action, no matter how small or trivial. It's the art of showing up. And each time I show up, my capacity to accept, love, and be with whatever is present - emotionally and mentally - only grows. It's a seed I've planted that I continue to water.
As someone who can get things "done" efficiently and has a fairly strong level of self-discipline, over the years I've been able to continuously refine and shape my daily practices. From exploration and growing my awareness of time this routine has deepened into a ritual for me. You may be wondering, routines…rituals…what's the difference? And does it matter even?
Rituals have been practiced for centuries, and they highlight the intention and direction behind an activity and experience. The main difference here is the intentionality behind an action, which indicates purpose and meaning. Extracting the reason behind what you do leads to greater fulfillment. I like to think of my daily routine as both a ritual and non-negotiable. When you can connect the micro to the macro, then magic happens and you start to feel the effects of your efforts more deeply. It takes you out of autopilot checking boxes into a mindful space of understanding your why and what even five minutes of time means to you in the grander scheme. And each day that I show up is a choice, and each choice has the potential to magnify that better version of me. This takes hard work - trust me, I know from experience. With the balance and harmony of patience, self-compassion, and structure my non-negotiable rituals have actually become enjoyable - even on the days I struggle because I tune into why I am even showing up and who I'm becoming by doing so. As Aristotle once said, "You are what you repeatedly do." I truly look forward to my mornings, and even while traveling or on my "off days", I continue to show up, because days are always sweeter when I create my own sacred, intentional space. I intend to share this magic and sweetness with you.