March 2020 - Cindy Goes Beyond

March 30, 2020

Living Life Beyond the Edges

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

I originally intended a different post for today. A technique I adopted last fall, scheduling blog and social media posts a month in advance, serves me remarkably well. However, who could foresee what this month would bring? I certainly didn’t when I scheduled March’s posts in February.

As I considered my original idea, it seemed inadequate for my experiences this month. However, written across the bottom of the page, beneath my list of posts for Cindy Goes Beyond, this phrase stood out:

“Living life beyond the edges…”

I came up with that tag line last year, as a natural expression of the growth the blog and I are experiencing.

In its expanded form, living life beyond the edges of fears, comfort zones and limiting beliefs wonderfully captures my ongoing journey as I become the person I am created to be.

This past month, as the whole world groaned under the onslaught of a pandemic virus, this is how living life beyond the edges guided me.

100 Big Ideas

An interesting thing occurred at the end of last month. Looking at my vision board that hangs in my creative studio, the middle section suddenly stood out to me. The magazine cutout boldly proclaims “100 Big Ideas”. My word for the year, curiosity, appears above that phrase, with my symbol the key pasted next to it. I felt an inward shift, staring at those words and symbols that seemed to say that curiosity is the key to 100 big ideas this year. Powerful emotions increased my heart rate and I knew I’d just received an important invitation, from a board I created at the first of the year. (I also realized that the board is mildly prophetic, but that’s a post for another time.)

I accepted the invitation to dream bigger than I’ve ever dreamed before. And I entered wholeheartedly into a game of coming up with 100 Big Ideas this year.

Then boom. A few days into March, everything changed. On my board is the sentence “Change the World”. Perhaps I got the order of words wrong. The world changed and we are being called upon to change as well. Is it the wrong time, the wrong year, to come up with 100 Big Ideas? Not if I’m living life beyond the edges…

Living Life Beyond the Edges

So these are the ways this past month that I’ve lived life beyond the edges, of fears, comfort zones and limiting beliefs, in connection with creating 100 Big Ideas. So far, I’ve jotted down 29 Big Ideas, several of them birthed from my 62 Outrageous Things to Do for My 62nd Birthday. That fun game certainly ramped up my entry into 2020 and I’m still experiencing the impact.

Create Digital Vision Boards

While I enjoy looking at my physical vision board and receiving inspiration from it, I’ve discovered the benefits of creating mini digital boards, using the creative app, Canva.

These digital boards change as opportunities, goals and visions are accomplished. In February I made a digital board and used it as my wallpaper on my phone. I added big ideas from my birthday game that scared me a bit such as applying for a writer’s residency, submitting a travel story for a two week travel writing class in the Caribbean and writing chapters in my non-fiction book, “House H(a)unting”. I included a long term goal….visiting the Christmas Market in Edinburgh, Scotland in December…plus a fun idea I had for a blogger award.

By the beginning of March I posted an updated digital board, showing my accomplishments, then created another board with several new goals. This is an ongoing idea for the year.

I am extremely proud of myself for writing five chapters in the book and for applying for two writing opportunities. Those opportunities may never occur, with the current bans on travel, however that’s not the point. For me, the point is that I challenged myself with big ideas…and I carried them out.

My current digital board continues to challenge me with ideas that stretch me and take me beyond the edges…and yet they are very doable.

Living Life Beyond the Edges digital boards — Living life beyond the edges…digital boards

Fix Her Crown Award

I’m also so pleased with the way this idea turned out. I created an award for bloggers, built around the quote,

“Be the woman who fixes another woman’s crown, without telling the world that it was crooked.” Unknown

What a joy to pass on the Fix Her Crown Award to women who exemplify those words and then watch them pay the award forward. I’ve connected with amazing women around the world and experienced the sisterhood of encouragement and support that exists.

A Time of Reflection

With the arrival of a virus that has shaken the world, March became a time of deep personal reflection for me. Watching hoped for trips disappear like wisps of smoke, my attention turned to inner journeys. I’m finding that living life beyond the edges is possible, even when the adventure is a solitary time of reflection. As a result, I’m discovering more about who I am and what I am here to offer.

I believe the world reflects back to us our beliefs. Fear has no place in my life and I refuse to live in it or broadcast it. The stories of heroism and people creatively reaching out to each other while in isolation inspire me and reveal to me the heart of humanity and the state of my own heart.

Living Life Beyond the Edges reflection — Living life beyond the edges…reflection

Living Beyond

And finally this month, living life beyond the edges is not only reshaping my blog, it is reshaping my life. I’m trying new things, like learning how to use Tik Tok in my marketing. Thanks Aubrey for the patience and the lesson! And I’m measuring what I desire to do, to write about, to offer, against those words, to see if I truly am living beyond the edges.

It’s not just about living adventurously, traveling or taking risks. Living life beyond the edges propels me past my own perceived limitations and helps me to live a bigger life than I would otherwise. It prevents me from playing small or hiding or giving away the power I have to live an extraordinary life. By whose standards is it extraordinary? My own.

Living Life Beyond the Edges tik tok — Living life beyond the edges…learning new technology

Okay with Not Knowing

I don’t know what’s coming tomorrow or next week or during the summer months, for the world or for me. However, I know that we will come through this time together, stronger and wiser. We’ll emerge with deeper gratitude for life and stronger appreciation for others.

As this month transitions into another, I am committed to living life beyond the edges. I do so with compassion, with hope, with quiet joy and fierce determination to ever move past the boundaries that attempt to contain my soul. There are more big ideas out there, seeking me even as I seek them. I am open…and ready…to receive.

Journals to capture your feelings:

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March 27, 2020

The 2020 Encouraging Blogger Award

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

One of the things I love about blogging is the community of bloggers I’ve connected with. What a supportive group of people. We don’t compete with each other. Rather, we read each other’s blogs, walk alongside one another, even when we live on opposite sides of the world, and encourage each other.

My blogging friend, Lisa Mitchell, recently created the Encouraging Blogger Award. I am honored to be among her first nominees. Lisa, who writes Fluxing Well, shares ideas about cooking, travel, technology (blogging, Pinterest, and teaching), books, gardening, and frugal living. Because life is constantly in a state of flux…full of challenges and changes…Fluxing Well inspires us to approach life’s situations with flexibility, creativity and a willingness to try something new. Lisa truly encourages her readers.

What is the 2020 Encouraging Blogger Award?

The Encouraging Blogger Award was created to recognize any blogger who encourages others with his or her posts. Bloggers may encourage others to travel, try new things, have a positive mindset, or overcome adversity, for example. An encouraging blog may encourage other bloggers or give business tips. Many blogs are encouraging and we don’t even realize it. Bloggers nominate fellow bloggers for this award, and nominees write a post answering a few questions. After that, the nominee nominates other bloggers.

The 2020 Encouraging Blogger Award Guidelines

Explain the Encouraging Blogger Award
Thank the blogger who nominated you and share a little about his or her blog.
Answer these five questions:
- When and why did you start blogging?
- What is your blog about?
- What is one piece of advice you would give to encourage new bloggers?
- Which is your favorite time-saving blogging tip or scheduling tool?
- What are your future goals for your blog?
Nominate up to 10 bloggers you think encourage others.
Direct the nominees to visit this page for instructions and information about the award.
Once you have shared your Encouraging Blogger Award post, fill out the form on the instruction page to enter the contest.
Deadline for submissions for consideration in the 2020 contest will be October 31, 2020.
If you miss the deadline, and still submit an entry form, you will be entered in the 2021 contest.

The Questions

When and why did you start blogging?

I started the forerunner of Cindy Goes Beyond in 2014. At that time the blog, Going Beyond, was a form of accountability. After setting the intention to write daily, I realized after four days that without a purpose, I floundered.

Inspired by Lu Ann Cahn’s book “I Dare Me” and her year long adventure trying something new every day, I set off on my own similar journey. The blog was born as I recorded my daily firsts. For the next five years, I wrote every day. Eventually that blog became Cindy Goes Beyond and in 2016 I added a second blog, Journey With Healthy Me.

What is your blog about?

The blogging journey is so transformative. Each year I am guided by a new word, theme and symbol. Read more about the story behind the blog here.

In its current form, Cindy Goes Beyond encourages readers to “live life beyond the edges of fear, comfort zones and limiting beliefs”. I share about creativity, travel, gardening and life experiences and offer film, book and product reviews.

Journey With Healthy Me chronicles my healing journey while offering health info, tips, recipes and encouragement to be healthy at every age.

What is one piece of advice you would give to encourage new bloggers?

Blogging is an amazing experience that shifts and grows as you do. Find what you are passionate about and then share from your unique perspective. Use your words to offer your gifts to the world. Don’t worry if your blog isn’t perfect. As you learn your blog reflects that knowledge and growth. Desiring perfection will hold you back and limit your joy.

Which is your favorite time-saving blogging tip or scheduling tool?

I just started using this technique last fall, and I love what it has done for my schedule. Using a simple notebook, I plan out my blog posts and social media posts a month in advance. I currently create two posts a week for Beyond and one for Journey. However, I post on social media daily. What a difference it has made to know what I’ll post each day instead of wracking my brain at 4:00 in the afternoon, trying to come up with something.

What are your future goals for your blog?

My big why for blogging is to enjoy the freedom of working from anywhere in the world. Earning income from the blogs helps me accomplish that future goal. I have many plans to continue developing both blogs and I’m excited about the possibilities and opportunities.

My Ten Nominees for the Encouraging Blogger Award

Check out these ten bloggers, who exemplify this award. They offer from their wisdom and their compassionate hearts.

Holly’s Bird Nest

Holly encourages others to live their best life, whether they are raising children, exploring the world or entering into the “golden years”. A life coach and author, Holly offers kindness and wisdom from a wealth of experiences.

Incurable Blessings

Ramae received a multiple myeloma diagnosis in 2018 and used it as a wake up call to start living. Her blog encourages everyone to go inward to discover who they really are and to find the joy in everyday blessings.

All Moms Blog

Um provides a complete resource for all moms, whether she is pregnant with her first child or she desires to simply her life or she is looking for a side hustle to supplement income.

Made You Smile Back

Beth, known as the forever optimist, encourages her readers with positive and uplifting quotes, stories and thought provoking content. She offers valuable resources for those struggling to find happiness and desires to help others “get their smile back”.

TechnoVans

Vanesh not only offers support and advice for technology lovers, he also encourages his readers with interviews, start up stories and blogging tips. I appreciate his desire to help others by shining a bright light on what is possible.

Shellie Lynn

Shellie encourages a healthy, plant based lifestyle and offers from the vast knowledge gained from her own journey of taking back responsibility for her health and well being.

The Hable Way

Lee Anne, her husband Kyle and their boys encourage others to experience family-friendly travel and adventure. They embrace a lifestyle of exploring the great outdoors and share stories intended to inspire others to step out of their comfort zones.

Crazy Fitness Guy

Jimmy encourages others to see health and fitness as a lifestyle, not a trend. He offers from his unique perspective of experiencing life with autism. He believes we all possess different ways of learning, working out, eating in a healthy way and finding motivation.

Four Columns of a Balanced Life

Jerry empowers women to live balanced lives. He shares inspiring stories based on the four columns of food, family, finances and faith.

Teas the Season

Beth knows that much wisdom can be shared over a cup of tea. She encourages others by offering tips, whimsy and recipes for the perfect cup of tea…and a sweet or savory treat to accompany it.

Encouraging One Another

I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know a bit more about me as a blogger. Lisa, thank you again for the honor of nominating me.

And please check out the blogs of my nominees. Receive inspiration and encouragement for your journey.

Nominees, if you so desire, pass on this award to up to ten encouraging bloggers that you appreciate. Check out the instruction page here. I look forward to reading your posts.

“Be an encourager. The world has enough critics already.” Unknown

March 23, 2020August 31, 2021

Creating Spring Vignettes with Decocrated

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

This is a paid affiliate partnership with Decocrated. All opinions are my own.

Here in the Midwest, spring is fickle, showing up warm and pleasant one day and giving the cold shoulder the next. Additionally, many people are sheltering in place, to help slow the spread of the Coronavirus, limiting traditional spring activities.

The good news is, we can welcome the season into our homes by creating spring vignettes with Decocrated. With this subscription box company, spring is delivered, literally, to our front doors.

For more information about Decocrated Curated Home, check out my recent review. And then discover the versatility of decorating with the spring Decocrated pieces.

The Spring Curated Home

Decocrated staff works year around, researching trends, watching HGTV and scrolling through Pinterest, curating the best in home decor so that their clients look like decorating pros. Subscription boxes ship out at the beginning of each season, offering fresh decor pieces to incorporate into any decorating style. Each season’s pieces mix well with previous boxes and items you already own.

The spring collection is built around a palette of dusty blues and soft blushes, with accent colors of green, black and gold. It’s the perfect transition from the cozy colors of winter to the soft stirrings of spring.

Spring’s featured artist is Kelly Merkur. Kelly believes that femininity and strength coexist beautifully and she draws inspiration from that truth. Color is an important element of her work and she enjoys creating art through experimentation without restriction.

Kelly Merkur Spring Decocrated Artist — Kelly Merkur Decocrated Spring Artist

Creating Spring Vignettes with Decocrated

My home is more than 120 years old. Over the years we’ve updated portions of it, adding central heat and air, opening up rooms and building a front deck. However, the house retains its vintage charm. The ceilings are high, the windows huge and the original wood floors bear the marks of time.

My decorating style is eclectic, a combination of farmhouse, modern and vintage. I absolutely love combining pieces in fresh and interesting ways, creating vignettes that tell stories.

Decocrated perfectly supports my decorating style. Opening each box is a delight as I pull pieces out and oooooh and aaaaah over them. My creativity fires up as I mentally sort through what I already own, imagining a variety of fun combinations.

Using items from the Decocrated spring box, I focused on three primary areas: the entry table, the armoire and chair next to the entry table and a top shelf on a bookcase.

Entry Table Spring Vignette — Creating Spring Vignettes with Decocrated – the entry table

The Entry Table

Beneath a 1914 E. Ingraham pendulum clock, that works only when it wants to, rests my little entry way table.

Top Shelf

The small chippy table next to my front door is fun to decorate. I change the decor on its two surfaces at least six times a year, in accordance with seasons, holidays and my mood.

For this season of rebirth, I began by using the pillow cover from the winter Decocrated box as my foundation. The flip side of the cover is a plain, deep rose color, perfect for the pieces from the spring box.

The abstract framed art piece from Decocrated is the focal point with its vibrant colors. I added a couple of my own books, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. Books make excellent risers, stacking to create height. I chose these two books for their soft colors, which match the print well. And, I smiled when I realized both books contain the word “magic” in their titles. Perfect.

A small vintage brass basket filled with speckled eggs rests atop the books.

The gold tabletop organizational set from Decocrated completes the vignette. Perfect for sorting artist brushes and pencils, organizing office supplies or holding flower buds, the set is versatile. Separate the pieces or group them together. I used three of the canisters in the tray, adding artificial flowers and a white candle.

Creating Spring Vignettes with Decocrated table top — Table top vignette

Lower Shelf

For the lower shelf on my chippy table, Decocrated’s metal lantern with a black finish anchors the vignette. Dress this piece up with floral picks or down with a simple candle. I added a white pillar candle and a playful candle ring.

The fourth gold canister from the tabletop set finds a home on the lower shelf. I dropped a sprig of artificial flowers into it. And the tabletop sign from the winter box completes this vignette. The opposite side features a cozy winter print. This side simply states, “there may be no thing greater than a life well loved.” What a great daily reminder.

Beneath the vignette a vintage doily covers the shelf.

Lower Shelf Spring Vignette — Creating Spring Vignettes with Decocrated – lower shelf

The Wooden Chair and Armoire

Next to the entry table, and wedged into a corner between two long windows, is a large wooden armoire. It features various drawers and shelves, one of which holds a television. A vintage wooden chair props open one of the armoire doors.

The Decocrated spring box contains a burlap tote, with the words “It’s what’s inside that counts” printed on it. I love it! For the past year I’ve consciously reduced plastic use. This roomy bag is perfect for toting groceries home from the store or holding my laptop and vast assortment of notebooks, pens and journals when I’m on the go again. It means a lot to plant based me that the bag is fashioned from sturdy burlap and a faux leather strap.

I hung the burlap bag from the top of the armoire door. Grouped on the wooden chair beneath the bag is my straw gardening hat, and a pillow sporting a teal blue cover. Decocrated provides two such pillow covers in the spring box. A standard 16″ or 20″ pillow insert fits within each cover.

The other teal blue pillow found a place among small pillows topping an old folded quilt, in my grandfather’s WWII army trunk. I moved that rusty trunk in front of the armoire during the holidays and I’ve left it there for now.

I enjoy looking at this whole area, seated across the room in my favorite chair. The flow of colors and textures appeals to me and I appreciate how the Decocrated pieces blend with my own. And, that bag is easily grabbed on my way out the door, making it practical as well as decorative.

Armoire Vignette — Creating Spring Vignettes with Decocrated – armoire and vintage wooden chair

Bookcase Shelf

This three shelf bookcase, in the dining room, holds very few books. I commandeered it from Greg a couple of years ago, removing the books so I could create more vignettes on the shelves. I rearrange these shelves with the seasons and holidays, as I do most surfaces in my house.

Currently the lower two shelves hold travel related items. The top shelf switched over to a playful spring vignette, featuring items from the winter and spring Decocrated boxes.

Included in the spring box are two 4″x6″ prints. One is double sided, with “Live in Color” printed on the abstract side and on the other, an artistic heart with “Home is Where My Heart Is”. The welcome postcard also doubles as a cute print.

I framed the “Live in Color” print and tucked it into a rustic wood and metal tray, stood on its side. Greg makes these and they are so cute! The trio of ceramic trees, from the Decocrated winter box shares space perfectly with the print. I love those trees and intend to use them throughout the year.

The Decocrated magnetic chalkboard is fun and practical. It’s accompanied by six colorful art magnets that perfectly secure note cards, shopping lists, or photos. For the spring vignette, the board has a home on the top shelf of the bookcase. The “Love Every Little Thing You Do” postcard inspires me, as do the two artist cards from my trip to Edinburgh.

I’ll be moving the board into my creative studio soon, where it will keep me organized with notes, inspirational quotes and dates to remember.

Completing this spring vignette is a rustic wooden birdhouse and two bright red ceramic birds. A simple red and white linen defines the space.

Creating Spring Vignettes with Decocrated bookcase shelf — Creating Spring Vignettes with Decocrated – bookcase shelf

Get Your Decocrated Spring Box

I enjoyed creating these spring vignettes with Decocrated. The pieces are so versatile and work well with any decorating style. I love that I can keep using them, season by season, incorporating new Decocrated items with the ones I have. Plus, I can include my own decor pieces and vintage finds just as easily. Stay tuned for Easter vignettes, featuring vintage holiday pieces and Decocrated spring decor.

It’s so simple to receive Decorated subscription boxes, right to your door. You too can create your own vignettes, that tell your unique stories.

Click this link for the Decocrated spring box, and use this discount code for $15 off the price of your first box: CINDYM15 or use the same code for $15 off a yearly subscription.

I’d love to see what you create!

March 13, 2020March 13, 2020

A Message From My Heart

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

Things are changing quickly, aren’t they, in the world at large and in our own personal worlds. In the last 48 hours, I’ve witnessed shortages of paper products, cleaning supplies, hand soap, hand sanitizer and even toothpaste in my hometown of Joplin.

This afternoon I watched people purchase “alternatives” to toilet paper such as boxes of tissues and large packages of paper dinner napkins. Why? Because empty shelves underscored the current scarcity of toilet paper.

Members of my family had their spring vacation canceled due to park closures. I received the saddest little message from my great-nephew, who intended to share his adventures with me via photos from his phone: “No photos. No Disney World.”

Events continue to shift and unfold, on an international level that then trickles down to our communities. No one will be untouched by COVID-19, even if they escape the virus itself.

I’ve thought today about what I can offer, as a blogger and as one who cares deeply about people. This is a message from my heart.

A Shift in Energy

As the virus spreads toward the midwest, I can see and feel the shift in energy. People are buying up supplies, food and medication, in case self quarantine is a necessity. Or they are stocking up to avoid the possibility of contagion by remaining at home. Our local university closed down today. Sporting events cancelled. More cancellations of all kinds are expected. Schools just let out for spring break. We will see whether they choose to remain closed afterward.

I can feel the heightened sense of fear and panic as shelves at the grocery store empty. The abundance of emotions creates a swirl of uneasiness around me that I’ve had to deal with today.

Here are some tips I’ve found helpful. I hope they are helpful to you as well.

A Message From My Heart self care — A message from my heart – practice high level self care,

Practice High Level Self Care

It starts with you and me as individuals. We are responsible for our own level of health and emotions and how we respond to situations.

Take extremely good care of yourself.

Practice meditation or yoga or breathing exercises to ease anxiety and reduce stress. Stress taxes the body by keeping it in “fight or flight” mode and that can adversely affect the immune system.

Up your level of nutrition. Eat more fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds, supplying the body with the best quality fuel so that it can perform at its highest level. Drink lots of water. Have a cup of hot herbal tea in the afternoon and take a break, breathing slowly and deeply.

Include these foods that support the immune system: citrus fruits, red bell peppers, broccoli, garlic, ginger, spinach and other dark leafy greens, almonds, turmeric, green tea, lemon balm, papaya, kiwi, berries and shiitake mushrooms.

Get plenty of sleep, as that boosts the immune system as well. Avoid tobacco smoke and reduce alcohol consumption. And catch some rays of sunshine, for up to 15 minutes a day. Sunlight triggers the skin’s production of vitamin D, which helps to lower the risk of respiratory infections.

A Message From My Heart chopped salad — A message from my heart – up your nutrition. A chopped veggie salad makes a highly nutritious lunch.

Take Precautions

The CDC offers suggestions to better protect yourself from catching COVID-19, also called coronavirus. Remember that most who contract the virus experience mild symptoms and recover. For some older adults, or those with underlying health issues, the illness may be much more severe.

Regularly wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or longer. If soap isn’t available, use a hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol.

Maintain a minimum six feet distance between you and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Don’t shake hands, hug or kiss others, except loved ones, and even then use caution if you’ve been in large groups or areas affected by the virus.

Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, especially while out in public after your hands come in contact with surfaces that others touch.

Cover your mouth and nose, with your bent elbow or a tissue, when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of tissue immediately and wash hands.

Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention.

Wear a facemask IF you are sick, when around other people. If you do not have the virus, you do not need to wear a facemask, unless you are caring for someone who is sick.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks.

A Message From My Heart wash your hands — A message from my heart – take precautions.

Help Others

Show compassion to others. Be kind with your words and deeds, without touching and hugging others.

Check on older adults in your family and community. They are in the highest risk category if they catch the virus. Offer to shop for them, delivering groceries and supplies to their doors. Call them frequently. People may feel isolated, staying at home more during this time. Connect with them and encourage them.

Reach out to others via social media. Some have a love/hate relationship with social media. This is a time, when used properly, that it can keep people updated, informed and connected. Post news and also post funny stories and photos, encouraging quotes and inspirational memes. I’m grateful for a means of communicating with others, that is already in place.

This isn’t a time for judgment, casting blame or feeding fear. Send healing energy and good vibes into the world. Think good thoughts. Keep your heart open and full of love and joy. Sing. Laugh. Play music. Dance.

A Message From My Heart

Chopping veggies this morning, for a big healthy salad, I listened to inspirational music on my iPhone and carried on a conversation with the Divine. One line in a song, “You are more than what is hurting you tonight…”, reminded me that I am more than all of this that is going on. I am more than someone who succumbs to fear or resignation.

I asked aloud, “What can I do to help, during this troubling time of uncertainty? What can I offer?”

The answer that came, formed this post. Take care of myself. Manage stress and DO NOT give fear a foothold. Do what I can, for others. Offer sincerely from my heart. Send healing energy into the world. Trust.

I don’t know what will happen tomorrow or next week. I don’t know how bad it’s going to get, or how long all of this is going to last with COVID-19. However, I don’t need to give in to hopelessness or despair or fear. I am journeying onward, even if it’s from my house, well stocked with toilet paper, fruits and veggies and cat food.

Living life beyond the edges sometimes means expanding perspectives and going beyond comfort zones by shifting thoughts and beliefs. That’s an inner journey that then manifests changes in the outer world.

We are blessed that we can connect virtually. Reach out to me if you need someone to chat with or to help you slay your fears. Linking arms, figuratively, is what we do. Journey with me.

Check out this app, for a daily dose of encouragement and helpful articles and meditations. And have a listen to “Beautiful” by MercyMe

March 9, 2020March 10, 2020

The App That Helps Your Life Shine

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

Thank you to SHINE for gifting me the premium Shine App for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Apps are available for everything. Need help planning meals, selling used clothes, entertaining the kids, learning a new language? There’s an app for that.

When I received an email with an invitation to experience the Shine app, the subject line caught my attention.

New Year’s Goals? This top-rated app makes you 3x more likely to achieve them.

This is a life shifting year for me. My goals are BIG. My goals are many! If there’s an app that offers a greater likelihood of reaching those goals, I’m all in.

There is one. Let me introduce you to the app that helps your life Shine!

Meet the Founders

Shine was founded in New York in 2016 by Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi. Marah and Naomi met at work and decided to create the Shine app after experiencing the benefits of supporting and encouraging each other through the stress and anxiety that can accompany life. They believe in making support for mental and emotional health available and easily accessible for all.

Their creation is built around the additional belief that we are stronger when we take care of ourselves, together. Today Shine’s global community numbers more than 4 million individuals in 189 countries. It is the largest and most diverse group of people practicing daily self care.

I have the powers — The app that helps your life shine – affirmations

What Does the Shine App Do?

Shine is for anyone who desires inspiration on a daily basis. The app supports mental and emotional health and offers encouragement for reaching goals, practicing self love and self care and forming new habits that shift mindset, all in a non-judgmental way. This isn’t a kick in the butt approach. Rather, it is a let us walk alongside each other journey.

With Shine receive daily self care strategies, support from a diverse community and access to an audio library of 500+ original meditations, bedtime stories and soothing music to help lower stress and anxiety.

The App That Helps Your Life Shine — The app that helps your life shine – question of the day

Shine App Details

Here’s what you need to know about the app:

Availability and Pricing

Find Shine in the App Store for iOS or in Google Play Store for Android.

Shine is free to download and offers two memberships: free and Shine Premium. The cost for Shine Premium is $53.99 for a year membership or $11.99 for a monthly one.

The Free Membership Benefits

read the Daily Shine and participate in the exercises
discuss questions with the community
listen to a Daily Shine episode
log a gratitude daily
listen to free meditations throughout the week
explore free offerings in the library such as morning, afternoon and evening quick hitters

Shine Premium Benefits

read Daily Shine and participate in the exercises
full access to 500+ audio tracks in the library including meditations, music and bedtime stories
log your mood each day and receive recommended content based on how you are feeling
save favorite messages and meditations to build your own tool kit
real time advice
receive an invitation to join the Shine Squad, a private invite-only community, to deepen connections and get real time support

Learn more and download the app by visiting this LINK

The App That Helps Your Life Shine intention — The app that helps your life shine – intentions

My Experience with the App that Helps Your Life Shine

I’ll start by saying, I love this app. It is perfectly in alignment with who I am and who I am becoming. It doesn’t require huge chunks of time to incorporate the app into my daily life. The exercises, meditations and audios are all under 10 minutes.

I appreciate the daily check in feature which asks what I want to focus on, allows me to write out a gratitude and supports me by offering a post to read or an audio to listen to. There are weekly challenges to take part in, if I so desire, discussion questions that connect me to the community and affirmations and meditations to support me on my journey.

Today featured articles and audios on growth, learning styles and giving myself permission to experience a learning curve, if necessary. It was the perfect way to start my busy day!

This afternoon I listened to the Midday Mood audio. It guided me through movements and breathing exercises that grounded me and energized me for the rest of the day.

Tonight I’ll listen to Evening Vibes to calm my brain and soothe me toward sleep. All of these are included in the free membership. I can also listen to a bedtime story, ambient music or a meditation as part of the Shine Premium membership.

The app is helping me reach my goals by supporting who I am exactly where I am on my journey, encouraging me to be kind and patient with myself and giving me the mindset tools I need to succeed in life and in business.

Try Out This Amazing App

Are you looking for a simple yet highly effective way to receive support and encouragement on a daily basis? Do you appreciate the convenience of an app on your phone? Then the Shine App is for you. Give the free membership a try. Or jump right in and receive access to the vast library of helpful materials.

Let the app that helps your life shine assist you in broadcasting your light for all to see. The world needs your great heart and your bright light. Imagine what we can all do, shining brillianty together.

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March 7, 2020March 7, 2020

Why Do Creative Ideas Come to Us in the Shower?

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

Am I the only one who wonders this? Why do creative ideas come to us in the shower? Seriously, the majority of my big ideas, my creative ideas and solutions to challenges come to me as I shower. Is it the flow of water? Is it the solitude? Or am I imagining a connection?

Allowing curiosity to guide me, I researched to discover the answer to my question. As it turns out, there are reasons why creativity sparks while we shower.

Creating an Environment for Creativity

Several factors come together in the shower, creating the perfect environment for flashes of creativity, ahas and problem solving.

I’ve noticed that there are four scenarios that ramp up the creative sections of my brain. Ranking them from least likely to spark creativity to most likely, they are:

driving alone in the car
when I’m in the alpha state between sleep and wakefulness, and similarly, when I’m in a relaxed, meditative state
walking in nature, alone
showering

The commonalities between those scenarios are solitude, no distractions, a relaxed state of mind and genuine happiness. Take away any of those factors and I am much less likely to come up with something clever or profound.

That’s why driving in the car is less conducive to creativity. On a gorgeous day, when traffic is light, my music is playing and I don’t have pressing appointments or a need for speed, my mind generates wonderful ideas. Throw in heavy rain, backed up traffic and urgency and I get nothing. In fact, I’m so focused on driving or weather conditions that music is a distraction that must be silenced.

And that is another consideration. The more intensely we focus on creativity or coming up with solutions, the more evasive they might become.

We’ve all experienced trying to remember a name or wracking our brains for information that eludes us. We give up and go into the kitchen to bake cupcakes and suddenly, 15 minutes later, the name or the info pops into our heads. When we stop trying so hard, what we seek surfaces.

Here are the reasons a shower helps as well.

Solitude in the Shower

Admittedly, we are not always alone in the shower. It’s no surprise that creativity tends to avoid us during shared showers. However, showering alone creates the first step in ramping up creativity.

There’s no one else to listen to, tend to, carry on conversations with. We can sing if we feel like it, talk to ourselves or simply savor the silence. Alone we disconnect from everyone and everything else for a few minutes, except for the spray of hot water and the routine of shampooing hair and scrubbing skin.

Additionally, while showering we are not scrolling through Facebook or answering texts or posting to Instagram. Our outer world narrows down while our inner awareness and consciousness expands, creating the perfect incubator for fresh ideas.

And in that shower stall, we are less likely to encounter distractions.

Why Do Creative Ideas Come to Us in the Shower — Why do creative ideas come to us in the shower? Solitude creates space for creativity to emerge.

Free From Distractions

The small shower space insulates us from the outside world for a short time. Distractions that shift our attention disappear. This frees the mind to roam and flit from idea to idea, which is a great way to birth something amazing. Free from distractions, the brain gathers thoughts and ideas and connects them in interesting new ways.

The subconscious that busied itself problem solving can surface as the mind wanders, bringing solutions into awareness for consideration.

And the shower is an excellent location for daydreaming. It’s the perfect time to wonder “what if?” and follow curiosity to see where it leads. With no one to judge our thoughts or ridicule our ideas, we can dream big and relax into the realm of unlimited possibilities.

No Distractions — Why do creative ideas come to us in the shower? No distractions.

A Relaxed State of Mind

The sound and warmth of the water, the clean scent of shampoo and the simple routine of showering soothe the mind into a relaxed state. The prefrontal cortex…the brain’s command center for decisions, goals and behavior…relaxes, clearing away old thought pathways while creating new ones.

Ideas arise that the conscious mind might otherwise dismiss. Crazy ideas, outrageous flashes of creativity and huge, scary possibilities form. The more we open to the “what ifs”, the bigger the ideas get.

I personally believe that the flow of water contributes to generating ideas while we are in a relaxed state of mind. Flowing water surrounds us in positive energy. It’s why the ocean inspires and waterfalls energize. In that small shower space, with water flowing over us, the mind that is open and relaxed is receptive to creativity.

When we are relaxed the brain responds by increasing the happiness factor.

Why Do Creative Ideas Come to Us in the Shower relaxation — Why do creative ideas come to us in the shower? We experience a relaxed state of mind.

Increased Happiness

While it’s not the strongest source of creativity, higher levels of happiness do spark creativity. Warm, relaxing showers encourage the brain to release the feel-good happiness hormone, dopamine. The more dopamine flowing through us, the more creative we become.

Dopamine also triggers alpha waves that ripple through the brain. They appear to increase creativity levels. And as a bonus, that blast of dopamine creates euphoria. When we are euphoric, we feel like we can pursue and develop creative ideas, even the wilds ones that push us beyond our comfort zones.

Capturing Creative Ideas

I love that the idea for this post came to me in the shower. The questions that accompanied the idea activated curiosity, which led me to answers.

It’s important to act on the ideas we receive. Muse loves an active partner to co-create with. Capture ideas and look through them often, expanding on them until one takes hold and compels action.

My favorite form of keeping track of ideas is a simple notebook. I fill pages with all manner of creative ideas. As they develop and become goals or intentions, I transfer them into my planner and add them to digital vision boards.

I also use the voice dictation feature on my phone to capture ideas when I’m driving and the notes app is handy too. A small journal on my bedside table allows me to jot down ideas that arrive in the middle of the night.

Researching for this post, I discovered a wonderful item called Aqua Notes. These waterproof notepads with pens mount in the shower! Never lose a wonderful idea again.

Barry Kaufman, a cognitive scientist and co-author of “Wired to Create” , found during a study that 72% of the population receive creative ideas in the shower.

I am in that 72%. Are you? What’s the best creative idea you’ve had while showering?

Click on image to order your Aqua Notepad!

March 2, 2020

Developing a Curiosity Mindset

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Curiosity, the strong desire to learn something, is a worthy trait to develop. Perhaps because curiosity is my word for the year, or perhaps because I’m naturally a curious person, my thoughts often turn to this characteristic.

Why is curiosity an excellent companion for life’s journey?

What a great question! It reveals a curious mind. Read on to learn the answer and for tips on developing a curiosity mindset.

Why Develop Curiosity?

Curiosity is considered a genius trait. Many inventors, artists and creatives, such as Einstein and da Vinci, exhibit intelligence combined with insatiable curiosity. Is curiosity limited to a few?

No, we can develop the sense of curiosity all of us enjoyed as children. We are born, curious. Watch a child at play or listen to them, asking myriad questions. Curiosity is part of our nature.

Why, as adults, is it important to reconnect with curiosity and develop it?

Curiosity keeps the mind active and sharp. Asking questions, seeking answers and exploring new ideas all expand reasoning abilities, perspectives and awareness.
The brain signals the release of dopamine, a feel good chemical, when we encounter new experiences. We feel happier when following curiosity. And curious people experience positive emotions more frequently, greater satisfaction with life and lower levels of anxiety .
Curiosity increases powers of observation. The brain makes new pathways as we gather information and connect it in fresh ways. Not surprisingly, curiosity also fosters learning and academic achievement.
Adventures are born when we follow curiosity to see where it leads. And it opens doors to amazing possibilities. A life lived with a curiosity mindset is fun, exciting and never dull.

Developing a Curiosity Mindset

Try these suggestions for developing a curiosity mindset.

Say Yes, Instead of No

Something happens to us as adults. Growing up, many of us lose the sense of adventure we once enjoyed, when an opportunity arises. It is too easy to quickly reply no when something new presents itself or we want to be careful and weigh all the pros and cons.

Try saying yes more often. Instead of overthinking opportunities or playful creative projects, say yes and see what happens. Yes opens us up to receive more. Yes frees us. Saying no stops action and closes us down.

Of course certain situations require a negative answer. However, answer with a yes as often as you can and life will shift, dramatically.

Play

One of the most important traits I’ve reconnected with in the last ten years is the ability to play. Playing lightens moods, boosts creativity and sparks curiosity. It is no surprise that children engage so frequently in make believe while they play. They are acting out of curiosity and learning while playing.

Color, draw and paint. Get out the board games or better yet, make up new games to play. Use imagination to make believe. Stumped for ideas? Watch children at play and take notes!

Developing a Curiosity Mindset Play — Developing a Curiosity Mindset – play. During my outrageous birthday activities, I spent the night in a blanket tent in my office. It was fun!

Stay Open

One of my favorite mantras is “open to everything, attached to nothing”. A closed mind, heart or perspective severely limits curiosity. If we think we know everything already, we have no need for curiosity. An open mind and heart naturally question and then seek answers. When we remain unattached to outcomes as we question and seek, our curiosity can lead us far indeed.

So many of my adventures and playful games ignite my curiosity and lead me to exciting discoveries. A good example is the 62 Outrageous Things to Do for My 62nd Birthday. I’m still reaping extraordinary benefits from following curiosity as I enjoyed new experiences.

Wonderment

Staying open inspires wonderment. And wonder, in turn, births the desire to discover. Ask why, how, who, when, what if and I wonder what would happen if I did this? A curious mind generates an endless sense of wonderment about the world, the universe, ourselves, other people and those BIG questions about existence and purpose.

Allow curiosity to fuel wonderment and then go where the questions lead. Recently I took a jump rocket to my grandchildren to try out, for a brand. It was simple fun, jumping on the pump to launch the rocket into the air. The kids enjoyed seeing how high they could make the rocket go. What I love most is that after I left, two of the kids continued to play, adapting the launch sequence, making their own rocket and creating a funny video to showcase their work. What a fine example of curiosity driven wonderment!

Developing a Curiosity Mindset Wonder — Developing a Curiosity Mindset – Wonderment

Read Widely and Watch a Variety of Films

We all enjoy favorite genres in books and movies. Developing a curiosity mindset is furthered by expanding reading and viewing selections beyond the usual. If you typically read fiction, switch to non-fiction for the next book. If comedies are your favorite, try a documentary or a sci-fi film.

Moving away from the usual sparks curiosity by capturing interest or creating a desire to know more. Watching a historical drama always leads me to Google. Curiosity compels me to fact check and see if that amazing scene has any historical truth to it. And that in turn may lead me to a book at the library about the topic. I love the trails I follow, chasing after curiosity. There’s no telling how far it will go and what I will learn.

Try New Experiences

Don’t be afraid to try many experiences as you journey through life. Dabble in this. Take a class in that. Flit from art medium to art medium. There are certainly times to focus on one thing. Just don’t limit yourself and stay there too long. We create ruts when we do the same things, in the same ways, for a long time. Boredom sets in. Creativity is stifled. We lose interest.

Trying new experiences is what launched my blogging journey in 2014 and how grateful I am. I continue to allow curiosity to guide my writing and my life.

Are you curious about painting? Gardening? Deep sea diving? Experience whatever you wonder about. If you love it, stay with it. If you don’t love it, no harm done. Move on.

Try New Experiences — Developing a Curiosity Mindset – Try New Things
Jonathan acted in plays and sang in musicals. Now he plays the sax in the band. And, that’s not the first instrument he tried. Don’t be afraid to try many things.

Go Beyond

The sentence that currently shapes my life is this one: Living life beyond the edges of fear, comfort zones and limiting beliefs. It’s become the tag line for my Cindy Goes Beyond blog.

Going beyond is the path to greater curiosity. Fear stops so many things, including creativity and curiosity. Limiting beliefs keep us stuck in patterns from our pasts. And comfort zones…those keep us safe, we think, and dull. If we are afraid to go beyond what we know, then we won’t make it past that self imposed boundary.

Replace fears and judgments with curiosity.

Allow curiosity a trial run. Follow it in a new direction that begins with the question “what if?” and see where you end up. When you feel uncomfortable, pause, consider why the discomfort is there, and then go slightly beyond it.

Here’s an example: You eat the same foods all the time. Curiosity taps you on the shoulder and you wonder what a dragon fruit tastes like. Comfort Zone tells you not to bother. You don’t know how to prepare a dragon fruit and you probably won’t like it anyway. Curiosity beckons. Going beyond means watching a YouTube video about cutting up the fruit, making a purchase and creating a dragon fruit smoothie, which you love. Curiosity says, “I wonder what else we could try?”. And off you go, on another new adventure. Those adventures don’t ever have to stop.

Follow Curiosity When it Beckons

Following curiosity is one of my favorite life experiences. I don’t usually know where the path goes after it disappears around the bend and what I’ll encounter along the way. How freeing it is not to know. Having to know everything before you go, stops you from ever going.

Developing a curiosity mindset means following curiosity, whether it is to Google, into nature, to the library or to another country. Trust. Follow. Explore. You will discover treasures.

Travel

Travel is following curiosity on a big scale. Going beyond your neighborhood, your town, your state or your country to explore new places is a life changing experience.

Seeing the way other people live, tasting new foods, hearing a different accent, dialect or language, feeling the sun on your skin on the other side of the world expands the heart and mind in massive ways. I believe that travel enriches our lives, increases wonderment and creates empathy for others.

And travel is addictive.

Curiosity whispers to me constantly and points toward a distant land. I want to follow. I desire to go beyond my boundaries. Staying open and unattached, I take step after step beyond the edges, with travel as my lofty goal.

Are You Developing a Curiosity Mindset?

When I realized curiosity was my word for 2020, I expressed great delight. I’ve always been a curious person, although for many years fear kept me caged. That is no longer true. I love following curiosity and going ever beyond, growing and shifting into the person I am meant to be, one adventure, one experience at a time. This year is already taking me far beyond. There truly is no telling how far I’ll go! Listen to my song for this year, to get that reference.

Are you a curious person? How are you developing a curiosity mindset?

Developing a Curiosity Mindset Travel — Developing a Curiosity Mindset – Travel. At Heathrow Airport, London, England.

100 Big Ideas

Living Life Beyond the Edges

Create Digital Vision Boards

Fix Her Crown Award

A Time of Reflection

Living Beyond

Okay with Not Knowing

Journals to capture your feelings:

What is the 2020 Encouraging Blogger Award?

The 2020 Encouraging Blogger Award Guidelines

The Questions

When and why did you start blogging?

What is your blog about?

What is one piece of advice you would give to encourage new bloggers?

Which is your favorite time-saving blogging tip or scheduling tool?

What are your future goals for your blog?

My Ten Nominees for the Encouraging Blogger Award

Encouraging One Another

This is a paid affiliate partnership with Decocrated. All opinions are my own.

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From your computer download the Shine App HERE.

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Creating an Environment for Creativity

Solitude in the Shower

Free From Distractions

A Relaxed State of Mind

Increased Happiness

Capturing Creative Ideas

Why Develop Curiosity?

Developing a Curiosity Mindset

Say Yes, Instead of No

Play

Stay Open

Wonderment

Read Widely and Watch a Variety of Films

Try New Experiences

Go Beyond

Follow Curiosity When it Beckons

Travel

Are You Developing a Curiosity Mindset?

Check out these books on curiosity: