9 November 2020 – Raise Your Voice

Weekly YES Quote!

“I believe it’s the writer’s job to tell society what it pretends it doesn’t know.”

Mona Eltahawy

Weekly Reflection

Election week was intense.

I spent the majority of my week glued to my TV in anticipation of learning what the people of America wanted for their country. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve watched this much cable TV since I was in High School (not to date myself, but that time was far from recent).

Four more years of the same slanderous racism, sexism, authoritarianism… Thank whoever you pray to that that isn’t going to be the case.

But we should not stop here to preemtively celebrate.

There is so much more work to be done to reunite America and fight off the discrimination that’s plaguing our beautiful country.

There are several movements that have gained nationwide traction because the people have finally banded together to make their voices heard. I speak primarily of the Black Lives Matter movement.

This movement should not die down – this movement’s voice should be all the more stronger and more powerful.

If the movement goes away it’ll become something we walked for, witnessed, or heard of once… that won’t affect major change.

Just because Biden is President does not mean we should let our guard down. We need to continue to let our voices be heard so that he prioritizes what we the people believe.

Never forget that he represents us – he is in office for us – he should hear and make the world better because of what we want and need.

There are other movements that need more traction.

There is a missing and murdered Indigenous women epidemic in Canada and the United States, yet not enough voices are being raised to drive positive change to prevent this outrageous situation from continued existence. In fact, if I hadn’t seen the REDress Project art installation in Washington DC by Jaime Black I wouldn’t have understood the severity of the issue.

There are still societies that discriminate against LGBTQ+ because of who they are. No one should worry about being hired or fired or disowned by family or friends because they aren’t sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex. We are all people – our sexual preference should never interfere or affect that, yet it does.

There are so many other important issues that need to be heard. Black Lives Matter, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and LGBTQ+ Rights are only the tip of the iceberg.

Weekly Challenge

Raise Your Voice!

Be Heard.

Do Not Stop Sharing What Matters Most to You and For Fighting For Change No Matter Who is in Office.

The ride is far from over, and change will only truly come if the masses rise up to make it so.

Challenge yourself to think hard on what matters to you.

Challenge yourself to not sit back thinking all will be well now that Presidential change is coming.

Challenge yourself to raise your voice now more than ever so that your voice gets heard.

This is a country for the people, and we need to make sure each persons voice gets heard.

As Mona Eltahawy tells us in this week’s quote:

“I believe it’s the writer’s job to tell society what it pretends it doesn’t know.”

Be the writer of your own life.

Your voice matters, and your voice needs to be heard.

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and what your voice is telling you!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.

2 November 2020 – Cast Your Vote

Weekly YES Quote!

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

The Preamble

Weekly Reflection

I remember starting college the first year I was able to vote.

Finally seen as an adult and being able to make decisions that would affect not only the United States of America, but the World through the leadership of one person elected by the many.

It was exciting to be able to be a part of it all – to have my vote count!

I’ve never forgotten the feeling of walking up to the poles, artfully filling in the oval like it was an answer to a critical exam question on a scantron, dropping my completed ballot in the box, and then slapping the “I VOTED” sticker on the arm of my shirt sleeve. I felt invigorated, powerful, and like I’d made a difference towards a better future for the beautiful country I support and love.

And here we are again, but this time in the face of a pandemic.

I’ve always been registered to vote by mail because I’m always worried I’m going to mess up my ballot and require another thereby having the polls as a backup.

Thousands of troops overseas vote by mail each election year while on deployment as do other Americans scattered throughout Europe while pursuing careers and lives abroad.

Going up to the polls is something special, but it’s not necessary.

I proudly walked my ballot to the nearest Ballot Dropbox location prior to the third debate to ensure my vote was counted.

My point of all this is that no matter how you cast your ballot, you should be proud that you’ve cast it.

You should be proud that you’re fulfilling your civic duties as an American by stating what you want for your future and for the futures of others.

Don’t let nature’s obstacles keep you from having an important say.

Weekly Challenge

Election day is tomorrow.

This should come as no surprise to my fellow Americans, and I know it doesn’t come as a surprise to our friends overseas or in the Americas.

This election will be monumental in deciding the future of our democracy (or future lack thereof).

Your voice matters!

And you should let that voice be heard through casting your vote!

Our country is built by the people and for the people in order to form a more perfect union. It’s written right there in our constitution.

So please, don’t let this pandemic keep you from voting.

Challenge yourself today to finish that ballot and get it placed in the outgoing mail or at an official Ballot Dropbox location, or mask up and maintain social distancing practices per CDC guidelines to enter the polling station.

This is your America.

This election will affect your life, your childrens’ lives, your grandchildrens’ lives… It will affect your neighbors, your loved ones, and both our friends across the pond and next door.

Take the challenge and make your vote count today in preparation for the election tomorrow.

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and how your voting experience has gone for you thus far in anticipation of tomorrow!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.

26 October 2020 – Prioritize Yourself

Weekly YES Quote!

“Your life is happening right now. Do not snooze and lose.”

Jen Sincero

(Quote from Jen Sincero’s book You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life – an affiliate link)

Weekly Reflection

It’s been seven weeks since I last posted.

Each Monday would be fast approaching, and I’d think to myself, Okay! I’m going to get a post going this week! Yes, this week I’ll get right back to it.

This week came, this week went, no blog post went live… no blog post was even typed for that matter… and here we are seven weeks later – finally, a post.

It’s not that I wasn’t motivated or that I didn’t have words ready to be spilled out all over the page! Quite the contrary – I have so many posts I want to share with you all! (Don’t worry they’ll be getting queued up here shortly.)

But instead of taking time for myself to write and release and share, I’d find something else to busy myself with while telling myself it’s alright or I’ll get to it later no rush.

I’d prioritize getting crafty with food, cleaning the house, enjoying some Friends episodes on TV, cracking open my book, practicing yoga and mindfulness, working up a good sweat… all of these things aren’t even bad! If anything, these are activities that also spark joy in my life and are good for me.

But when you stop prioritizing an activity you also love and need to do… something you’ve set a deadline on… something you’ve committed to… something you have a passion for and need just as much as the other activities… you’re doing yourself a disservice.

I’ve made a commitment to myself that every Monday I air a post that’s dedicated to kickstarting the week for my readers and myself. I set that commitment. No one else has set this expectation for me. No one else has forced me to write. No one else has set material in front of me and said, you will have this to me before noon tomorrow.

It’s no different than deciding to exercise at least 3 days a week, floss the teeth every day, get to work on time, clean the house once a week, put money aside, have dinner altogether at the table with family, call loved ones regularly, meet a friend for happy hour…

We commit to activities on the regular – whether you see it or not we’re each creatures of habit.

And unless we decide that an activity no longer sparks joy in our lives we should prioritize it. We shouldn’t let the activity go by the wayside thinking, I’ll get back to it. We should take action to ensure that we partake in that activity.

We shouldn’t let one week go by let alone seven.

Each day is precious. Each day we deserve to live our best, most fulfilling life. Each day you make the choice to do what’s right for number one: you.

Don’t tell yourself that you’ll get to it later.

Don’t procrastinate.

Don’t deprioritize yourself.

Weekly Challenge

This week’s yes quote is all about saying no to procrastinating.

We’re each guilty of it from time to time – obviously I have been these past seven weeks.

And while sometimes it’s okay to set something aside knowing that you truly will get back to it later, it’s another thing to genuinely know you’re procrastinating and in doing so may not revisit or accomplish what you’d originally set out to do.

Don’t do this!

Don’t intentionally set something aside when you could accomplish it and have the drive to do so.

This week take time for yourself to acknowledge what you’ve been setting aside and set goals for yourself to conquer these activities!

Challenge yourself to pick up that pen, put away those clothes, reorganize that closet, call that friend, go for a run, practice mindfulness, get on the job search…

Whatever it is that you’ve been putting off on the backburner while telling yourself, Yeah, of course I’ll get to it… actually get to it this week!

Prioritize yourself!

You deserve it!

You deserve the best!

And the only way you’re going to get the best is if you treat yourself with exactly what you need by prioritizing it.

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

The link to Jen Sincero’s book, You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, is an affiliate link. If you purchase the book following my link I will receive a small kickback, and you will receive a wonderful edition to your collection! Jen has an amazing way of inspiring her audience to take control of their lives in an honest and truly badass way. I love this book and feel you will too!

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and what actions you’ll be prioritizing this week to further prioritize yourself!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.

7 September 2020 – Choose Life Over Stress

Weekly YES Quote!

“Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response to what happens. And response is something we can choose at any moment.”

Maureen Killoran

(Maureen Killoran, Jumpstart Creativity Hypnosis)

Weekly Reflection

Before COVID-19 I worked 5 days a week 8 hours (or more) per day.

Friday evening I’d come home absolutely exhausted awaiting the burnout that would inevitably ensue from grinding day after day.

Three-day weekends were my salvation.

I’d map out my work efforts in relation to when the next holiday weekend would arrive so that I could enjoy that pencils down moment.

But is that what we should be focused on?

Pushing and pushing… giving our all… until we can reward ourselves by relaxing for a mere three days in the grand scheme of the number of days we work.

I love my job and what I do. Every day I’m faced with new challenges, I have a great work-life balance, and I see my contribution towards the company’s success.

Although COVID-19 has been hell for many including myself, it has helped me to remember what’s important in life as well as helping me to reinvent the way I work.

The biggest work-related achievement for me through this experience was learning to balance my work stress and push by spending some days remote to crank out what I need to get done without anyone else swinging by to tell me how their weekend was.

I still have a long ways to go with time management, but this experience has helped me to prioritize my own workload so that a normal 8-hour day doesn’t result in an 8-hour let me help you be successful day + 2 hours to get my independent workload done.

I was able to walk into this three-day weekend already feeling relaxed, and that is a feeling I plan to carry with me throughout every week and weekend.

Life is a balancing act. We have to artfully navigate through the daily stressors while ensuring our mental health is strong, steadfast, and ready for anything life may throw at it.

As this week’s quote by Maureen Killoran reminds us,

“Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response to what happens. And response is something we can choose at any moment.”

Weekly Challenge

Set aside all that you’re feeling the weight of and just breathe.

That’s right… breathe.

Take a moment alone to recenter yourself in order to release the regular stressors we’re faced with.

Sit in your favorite zen area whether it be a designated space in your home or garden, on a bench at the local park, along the harbor, in a lounge chair at the beach or on your porch…

Close your eyes.

Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out through your mouth.

Feel the breath fill your lungs and every inch of your being before you expel it through your open mouth.

Force the air out slowly, gradually.

Let the exhale take with it all that’s been weighing on you.

Take another deep breath in through your nose and let it out through your mouth.

Feel more and more of the stress and unnecessary weight release from your being.

You should walk into work every day feeling confident, relaxed, and ready to tackle the day.

And when I say work I’m referring to moms, students, and what corporate America deems a job.

We all work so hard no matter what our immediate or long-term profession is.

And the only way we can give our all is if we avoid burnout and come into our office every day with a refreshed sense of self.

Challenge yourself this week to be mindful every day you walk into the office so that you’re not looking forward to the next three-day weekend.

There are fifty-two weekends in a year and only two of these weekends are designated as three-day holiday weekends (Memorial Day and Labor Day).

Think about that as you approach tomorrow, and give tomorrow and every day all you have to offer without sacrificing yourself to the endless amount of work and effort required of you.

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

The link to Maureen Killoran’s mindfulness guide, Jumpstart Creativity Hypnosis, is an affiliate link. If you purchase the mindfulness AudioCD following my link I will receive a small kickback, and you will receive a wonderful edition to your collection! Maureen specializes in positive change. Should you be needing some of her magic to help you along your life’s journey (in addition to the weekly YES post and other selfcare you’ve been gifting yourself), I recommend listening to her AudioCD.

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and what methods you’ve taken to release stressors you’ve experienced blockading your life’s journey.

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.

31 August 2020 – Reconnect with Yourself

Weekly YES Quote!

“Taking time to honor the needs of your body is taking time to respect the needs of your soul.”

Melody Beattie

(Quote from Melody Beattie’s book, Journey to the Heart: Daily Meditations on the Path to Freeing Your Soul)

Weekly Reflection

Happy Monday and final day of August my fellow yessers!

Last week’s yes post was based on connecting or reconnecting with those you love (Work at Lifelong Relationships), and this week I want to bring focus back to the number one person in your life: Y-O-U.

I’ve been spending countless hours between moving into my new spot and my day job that pays the bills.

Every morning I wake up and get to work. It doesn’t matter if the work is paid or new pad based… at the end of the day it’s a lot of activity towards achieving a final goal, and the work can be exhausting.

Throughout the process I will admit that I’ve indulged in many an adult beverage, lost numerous hours of sleep, and simply haven’t been connecting with myself as much as it may appear that I am on the surface.

I need a break.

I haven’t practiced yoga or meditated in well over two weeks.

I haven’t woken up without an alarm or agenda in at least a week.

I haven’t taken the time to say, “Hi Aly! How are you today?” without thinking about all the boxes I need to check on my endless list.

And that’s downright rude to myself.

We cannot push and push and push without taking the time to practice self-care. 

We will end up imploding, feeling depressed, and/or losing sight of why we were even pushing so hard in the first place.

Weekly Challenge

This week (and month really) I’m taking a break from all the chaos.

I’m taking a break from the extra spending to replenish my bank account.

I’m taking a break from alcoholic beverages and dining out to cleanse my body.

I’m taking a break from the endless go go go activities that have distracted me from my yoga practice to rejuvenate my spirit.

I am taking action to reconnect with the number one person in my life: M-E.

Take this final day in August to determine how you want to start the month of September.

Maybe you’re losing focus at work because you’ve forgotten what the end goal is. Take a moment to remind yourself of why you work so hard in the first place, and if you cannot come up with that reason maybe you need to find a new one or maybe you need to find a new job.

Maybe you’ve been devoting all your time towards your kids or partner or someone else you hold dear to heart, which has kept you from taking a moment to love yourself in the process. While unconditional love towards those that matter most is important, you cannot lose touch with yourself or else you may grow to resent your loved ones for all the love you bestow upon them. You must love yourself first and prioritize yourself before you can prioritize anyone else.

Maybe you’ve been indulging in an unhealthy habit contrary to your better judgement, and you’re seeing a pattern you’re not happy with. Face the habit head-on. Look the habit dead in the face and tell yourself you’re going to stop. Your willpower is so strong! You can accomplish anything you set your mind to. And hey, maybe the habit isn’t so unhealthy that you need to stop it forever, but give yourself the time to reset and eliminate the pattern so that you can casually enjoy the habit again in the future.

Maybe you’ve been wanting to try something new or add a new activity to your plate, but with everything going on you simply haven’t made the time to do it. Will it spark joy for you? Will it bring you better peace of mind and happiness? Will it further you as a person? Then get on it this week! Make the time for yourself!

Set your intentions to reconnect with yourself.

Stop reading and wrap your arms around yourself.

Hug yourself and tell yourself that you love you.

Tell yourself how freaking awesome you are!

I’m dead serious!

Stop to embrace, love, and praise yourself.

I challenge you to keep you in the forefront of your mind this week.

For there’s no one more important in this world than Y-O-U.

Reminder to Just Say Yes!

As always, say yes to experiences that present themselves to you! Life is full of fun and wonder – don’t be stuck at home wondering what life could be like, should be like, would be like… drop that nonsense! Get out there, say yes, and never look back!

Click on the links below to follow me on my social media accounts, and definitely subscribe to the blog for more Weekly Yes Quotes to help set your intention to kick start your week.

The link to Melody Beattie’s book, Journey to the Heart: Daily Meditations on the Path to Freeing Your Soul, is an affiliate link. If you purchase the book following my link I will receive a small kickback, and you will receive a wonderful edition to your collection! This book is among my favorites – In my not morning person ways, I wake up every morning, grab my tea/coffee depending on my mood and desired caffeine intake, and read the day’s passage. 

I’d love it if you shared some of the ways this week’s quote has made you feel, and what intentions you’re setting for yourself as we step into September this week!

We each have a unique journey, and I would love to share in yours.