My Fantasy Day

Time out is time off

Judith Ashley is the author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual practices that nourish the soul and celebrates the journey from relationship to romance.

My Fantasy Day:

Starts with no alarm. I wake naturally after a comfortable and restful sleep.

My first cup of tea awaits. Perfect temperature and strength.

Am I dressed yet? Hmmm. That depends. Or Maybe, maybe not. When I do dress, my clothes fit well and are comfortable and attractive.

First thing? I write out at least 10 things for which I’m grateful.

June 2018 Gratitudes and Blessings

06/18/2018

1.

My house is clean, organized. Food is healthy, prepared and ready for me to dish up or maybe heat up in the microwave if it is better hot.

My houseplants are healthy, green and vibrant with life. The ones that flower do so with abandon.

Clematis: A Favorite Flowers
Easily Grows Inside

Want to stretch my legs? The weather is just perfect for a quick walk through the neighborhood. I see some of my dog-owning neighbors out for a walk so I get my “doggie fix” on my way home.

Television? Inspiring, uplifting, funny with a touch of educational content is readily available on the channels I watch.

Commercials? Yes, in my fantasy day, I see a few commercials, but they are fun, uplifting, creative and add entertainment to my day.

Reading? Choices, choices, choices abound. Just the right blend of humor, heat and history or maybe the story is contemporary, thoughtful and I learn something about people or myself through the skilled portrayal of characters.

Did I mention there are never dirty dishes or pots and pans for me to wash? Nor do I have to load or unload the dishwasher or do laundry. 

Okay, I do get up and fix something cold to drink after I’ve had my tea.

I’ve time to write, walk, talk with friends and enjoy my space both inside and out. My home is my haven, my cocoon where I dream about people who metamorphose into my characters.

At the end of the day before snuggling down to sleep, I hold my Gratitude Rock and recount all that I’m grateful for, everyone and everything that graced my day.

How would your Fantasy Day start and end?

If you are interested in reading Lily: The Dragon and The Great Horned Owl, email me at Judith@JudithAshleyRomance.com with your request. I’ll send you a link to download your digital copy. You will be asked to sign-up for my mailing list and to write a review but that is a choice. The free digital copy comes to you with no strings attached.

Although my first love is writing Contemporary Romance or Romantic Women’s Fiction, I’ve also ventured into writing non-fiction. My first book, Staying Sane in a Crazy World is available at your favorite e-retailer. 

Do you ever feel as if the world around you is tumbling out of control and there is nothing you can do to make your world a better place?

Do you ever wish there was?

Staying Sane in a Crazy World may help guide you toward stopping the tumbling and choosing how to take effective control of your life.

The reality is there is no One answer that fits all but we each have Our answer.

In this short guide, Judith Ashley leads you through a straight-forward process that allows you to find Your answers. Answers you’ll use to craft a Personal Staying Sane Plan that will help you regain and keep your balance whenever the world around you is out-of-whack.

Learn more about Judith's The Sacred Women’s Circle series at JudithAshleyRomance.com

Follow Judith on Twitter: JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB! 

© 2018 Judith Ashley

Gratitude

I picked up a book at Costco the other day. The Magic by Rhonda Byrne caught my eye so I picked it up, put it in my cart without paying much attention to it.

Yesterday I started reading it. The premise is one of those simple but complex ideas. The more we are grateful for what we have the more of it we attract.

Why is that a complex idea? Because there are times when we search for something we're grateful for because we want it to be big and glorious - not something as mundane as 'flush toilets' as my neighbor mentioned. (Although I am Very Grateful for Flush Toilets!) It isn't important (unless your toilet is broken). Do I really want to attract more working toilets? It is easy to discount some of the basics in our lives because we take them for granted and thereby don't value them for the gifts they are - until, and that is a huge word - until they don't work.

I've started my 28 day Gratitude Program outlined in The Magic. What I first noticed is that some of the passion or commitment has gone out of my voice as I go through my familiar daily spiritual routine. I found my voice this morning and noticed a difference. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I am grateful for this one gift.

Tomorrow I'm sure there will be another one. I wonder what it will be.

What are you most grateful for? How do you show your gratitude? And how powerful are those 'magic words' we teach out children - 'please' and 'thank you'. Ask "Please" and it is given "Thank You".  

Being Present

One of the main reasons I take five to ten minutes each morning, quiet my thoughts and body, and focus my awareness on my Intentions and the Intentions I hold for others, is that process brings me fully into 'the present'.



Being in the present, in the now is easier said than done as we live much of our lives in the past or the future. My need to live in the future is based on the myth that if I plan the future and know what is supposed to happen, then I'll be okay, safe, happy, peaceful, all right, etc. A reality is that the time I spend looking forward to what will be, I'm missing where I am and what is.



While our brains are wonderful things, they can only be one place at a time. When I'm thinking about the future or agonizing over something in the past, I'm missing out on what is happening right now. It may be the way the sun plays on the leaves in the tree outside my window, the beauty of the sunset, a neighbor saying 'hi', a child's smile and wave from a passing car; something simple or something complex. I don't know because I missed it, I wasn't here.



Our brains are complex. We can train them to do some things automatically so that they do something consciously. If you drive a car with a 'stick shift' you reach a point where you just 'know' and shift and you aren't paying much attention to those actions. When we are children and first learning to walk, we concentrate on every step; as adults we walk while looking at grocery shelves, talking to a friend, admiring a neighbors yard. However, to be successful in training our brains, in training ourselves, we must be 'present' during the training process.



Due to the accident I mentioned last week, I'm back in physical therapy. My appointment this morning points out that lesson. I'm having to learn simple movements again. Today my assignment was to step back and forth over a 2 X 4 board while counting backwards from 20. I got to 18, was unstable on my feet, and felt tears of frustration. It is very hard for me to do.



Tomorrow, I'll start my day in the present. I'll state my Intentions which will include "Counting backwards from twenty, while stepping over the 2 X 4 is easy and effortless for me."

Does that mean I'll not stumble, stagger, or lose track of the numbers? How I wish! The reality is that I will stumble, stagger, and lose track of the numbers but my level of frustration will be much less because I'll stop, pause, be in the present, repeat my Intention, and try again.



My Intention is to safely, easily and effortlessly master this exercise. If I keep my focus on that, if I stay in the present, I will succeed more quickly than if I believe it's too hard and I have to struggle. I don't mind stumbling and staggering as I relearn to 'walk and talk' at the same time again. I do mind struggling, making it harder and more difficult than it has to be.



Easy and effortless, joy and happiness, grace and gratitude, confidence and certainty are hallmarks of my life today.



How do you want to live your life? What is your Intention? Do you want to live a life of peace, a life of adventure, a life of productivity, a life of _________?



Please share your thoughts. I'd like to know how you use these ideas.