February 10, 2015 
tammy 
What do you do to refuel yourself so that you can keep yourself focused and energized?
For me, I love my Sunday morning trail runs. Being out in nature takes me into appreciation of the beauty that surrounds us and it is rich in prana, the life-force energy that keeps us alive and healthy. Being in nature is an opportunity to reflect, another form of meditation.
I find each run gives me a theme to ponder and focus on… in fact, nature is one of my greatest teachers. This one with the natural abyss is about drawing lines in the sand as we create change in life and set new boundaries that work with keeping your vision and dreams alive.
Creating change and setting boundaries takes resources of energy and commitment of determination, whether raising children, change in business or in relationship with ourselves or in calling in a partner.
1. Know why you are making the change. What will be the benefit of the change? The benefit needs to out-weigh the benefit to staying the same otherwise it will not be lasting change.
2. How will you feel with the new change in the end? What will be the good things to come? More energy, more money & success, closer relationships etc. What is the end result and how does it make you feel?
3. What support do you need? Sometimes it can be people to talk to, to encourage you or celebrate your successes. Having enough energy is also very valuable to help stick to your determination. So getting proper rest and eating good food supports keeping some of your resources topped up and helps to maintain your focus.
4. Affirmations are another helpful tool! Use affirmations to remind you of the new behaviors and help to build the new neural-pathways in the brain.
What do you find helpful to keep you strong when setting new boundaries in the direction of your vision? Leave me a comment below – I’d love to know!
Great post!
Glad you enjoyed it Heather.
Someone’s been violating my boundaries for years, so I’m changing the role this person has in my life. Sometimes that’s a necessity.
Congratulations Linda! Sounds like they have been a good teacher for you and now you have learned your lesson.
Tammy, I totally agree with you, Im in Jersey and when the weather permits I also love trail running. I always see things in nature too that i then interpret as teachers! For myself, to make sure I keep healthy boundaries I must remind myself daily about my core desires, for example if I desire freedom and relaxation that day or week and my family asks for help to move or to help out with something (even if its simple) I say no and that I would love to help next time., stay true to myself, and the next time my core desires is to feel upbeat and desire movement, I call that family member and say hey, can I help you with something? At first it felt selfish since I always saw myself as nurterer but I realized after many heartbreaks and headaches that I have to nurture myself. Thanks for the share!
Wonderful Jennifer, thanks for sharing about boundaries, how you keep them strong and your experience with selfishness yet giving. It is a lesson that can sometimes take a while for women to learn and that so many women struggle with.
I am a huge lover of Nature, as well, and it’s one of my favorite things to just immerse myself. I am looking forward to warmer weather and more walks outdoors! 😉 I love that natural abyss too, what a beautiful reminder of setting boundaries, drawing that line in the sand, and making the changes we most desire. I’m making some changes in my business and the way I run it, and the support piece is feeling very important for me, to make sure I have good food, get lots of rest, and give my physical body the support and nurture it needs while I run my biz. 🙂
Thanks for your update Jesse. I find when we go to make changes it often seems we need even more nurturing and resources to make the change and keep the staying power. I am sure you probably envision yourself out in the warmth of nature and it filling you up on those cold days when you don’t want to go outside.
Early on I developed strong boundaries since I was very empathic and the demands on me were eating me alive. Lately I’ve been feeling that these boundaries have been slipping away with ever new demands on my life. I use a Hindu mantra in the Sanskrit language when I feel that I’m being physically challenged – on bumpy plane rides or chaotic traffic. I also use this mantra when I feel other people trying to invade my space and when my negative thoughts are trying to control me. This mantra is often used for protection against internal or external negative forces. The word “Durga” in Sanskrit means a fort, or a place which is difficult to overrun. The mantra is: Om Dum Durgayei Namaha.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and your mantra with us Sherry. Wishing you all the best in strengthening your boundaries once again.