by Mackenzie No Comments
Gratitude is Necessary for your Self-Care

Gratitude is Necessary for your Self-Care

gratitude, keep it simple, live with intention
Once upon a time...as far back as yesterday...I've struggled with the ebbs + flows, nay the tsunami peaks + valleys, of emotions. Sometimes, they are intense. + persistent. Man, they can be big to process. It's literally been a life journey, + will continue to be. I want to share things that have helped, because I know I'm not the only one who's been tasked with these life lessons. I'm so hopeful for the youth of today, who I think, I hope, will have a better tools, + understanding, + acceptance to support their inner workings. It's hard when you're learning + accepting some of these lessons into your 30s [+ beyond...]. It's never too late to learn something new, to adapt the way you think + process. Evolution, friend.…
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by Mackenzie No Comments
WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER

WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER

essential oils, gratitude, grow heal love, live with intention
How is everyone doing? This is a stressful, anxiety-inducing time. Uncertainty looms large. + the support network found in our community we would usually turn to - visits, coffee, dinner out - has been largely cut off. How can we manage? Personally, + I think this is true of many people, it's intentionally choosing how we manage our mindset. Even during "regular" life, I need to have a solid practice in place. Now it's more critical than ever. So here is what I do, and I hope it's helpful for you too. GRATITUDE I journal five things I’m grateful for first thing in the morning, + last thing before bed. Feeling thankful in the core of you, shifts your mindset almost instantly, + practicing it regularly shifts your mindset pretty…
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by Mackenzie No Comments
THE ART + PRACTICE OF JOURNALING

THE ART + PRACTICE OF JOURNALING

gratitude, grow heal love, live with intention
I journal almost every day. It's both proactive + prescriptive for my mental + emotional well being. I'll journal topics or questions that come up as I'm doing life. I journal affirmations - pages + pages of affirmations - about the person I'm becoming + the life I'm creating. But whatever form it takes, it's incredibly necessary. It's become an anchor in my self care. An anchor in mindset, intention, gratitude, + presence. I notice a clear shift in how I'm feeling if I miss too many days of journaling. Ritual is such a necessary part of our existence . It is an anchor of identity + belonging. It helps centre us + connect us - to ourselves + to each other. One of the affirmations that I've been incorporating…
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by Mackenzie No Comments
SIMPLIFY

SIMPLIFY

be the change, gratitude, grow heal love, keep it simple, live with intention, live your purpose
Simplifying starts with gratitude, because when you are grateful for what you do have instead of wanting what you don’t, you stop striving for what isn’t in your life – the grass gets ever-green on your side of the fence. Satisfaction, contentment comes from within. It allows you to shed that what doesn’t fill you up in order to have space to focus on that what is your truth. Simplifying your life makes space for all the good things you’re looking for when you fill it with clutter. So let’s make it simple. stop buying things you don’t need. stop committing to things you don’t truly want to do. stop filling your hours on smart-i-tech-commercial-filled-product-placed-why-are-you-doing-this-to-your-life unnecessary filler. When you simplify your life, you find out more of who you really are.…
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by Mackenzie No Comments
RITUALS FOR AN INTENTIONAL DAY

RITUALS FOR AN INTENTIONAL DAY

gratitude, live with intention
What I know for sure...practicing gratitude will change your life (it's science!), sleep is foundational for your best well-being, + rituals (especially in the morning) keep you rooted This is what my morning ritual looks like. Wake up early (most days ;) ), put the kettle on (coffee is ground the night before so it's not loud + waking up the house before I get a few minutes of me-time in), put the diffuser on with wild orange + peppermint, do some gratitude journaling, + look ahead to what will be happening during the day. When my baby boy wakes up, we put on some gentle morning music + away we go. There's been flex + flow with my morning as life has changed + evolved. For a while I…
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by Mackenzie 1 Comment
GRATITUDE + PURPOSE

GRATITUDE + PURPOSE

gratitude, live your purpose
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 2015 ON focusonsimple.co I have a great job. My coworkers are fantastic. My office looks like it's out of a movie (old building, brick walls, lots of light, miscellaneous team building games). I'm relatively good at what I do. I'm well liked (most of the time. I think.) I have a good relationship with my boss. We work regular hours, no over time is expected. There are the usual work-gripes, but overall everyone is happy. + yet. I really hope it's not what I do to the end of my days. I don't feel deeply fulfilled by it. I don't feel like I'm truly using my life for it's best purpose, like I do when I'm writing or spending time with my son, or when I'm outdoors.…
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