Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Allison at Eclectic Ali. Today, I drink green matcha tea, since I had coffee yesterday and experienced some bothersome sciatica. I started the matcha tea in an attempt to improve sleep and stress/anxiety reactions. I do think it helps in the long run, and I allow myself coffee 3 plus times a week. So now, I am experimenting to see if my nerves are calmer with the matcha tea, hoping that means I know one way to keep sciatica at bay. We shall see, right?
Bixby has had a haircut, and good timing, since it was 78 degrees yesterday here in Northeast Florida! It’s supposed to cool off again but won’t be below 40, so it’ll be fine.
On New Year’s resolutions
I always liked the idea of New Year’s resolutions. It is a great time to start over and look forward to a better year. I sort of did it differently this year. I’m reading and working on something called A Mindfulness for Beginners Journal. (That’s because, despite trying for fifteen years, I still suck at meditating, but I’ve accepted that some ideas that pop up at the wrong time could still be good ideas). Anyway, this journal gives recommendations on things or ways to ponder and disconnect from worry and the every-day grind. One suggestion was to think on an inspiring mantra, shut my eyes for a certain amount of time, and then write down the mantra or whatever variations occur to my mind.
Perhaps I was not narrow enough or focused enough (which I’m not), and I always break the rules with these ridiculous exercises; still, I will actually own it if I do it my way. I only call them ridiculous because I don’t do them exactly as they are prescribed. I’ll own that too. 🙂 Since mindfulness is a personal thing for all of us, don’t we need to access it in a way that works for us? I was writing each time something good popped into my head, thinking of the things I need to remind myself all throughout this coming year. Here’s what I have, in a quaint little graphic:
Yes, I am enough.
My gratitude today is for sleeping well last night, which is overall much better for my sciatica. They say practicing gratitude is a great way to stem off or fight anxiety, which I believe affects the nerve pain of sciatic. I will make it so. My belief is that, day after day, I can make a difference in this world while honoring my own needs and boundaries. I will make it so!
Happy New Year, everyone! Thank you for stopping by. I hope your life is wonderful, and I’d love to hear what you feel gratitude for during, and despite, this COVID pandemic.
Peace!
pamelascanepa 
Hi Pamela, I think I’m 50/50 on New Years resolutions. I like asking self-audit questions all the time, but I reject what often feels like neurotic conclusions because I know I can’t be as bad as my initial self criticism would suggest. So I think its healthy to ask such questions and begin to build better habits and ways of thinking. I just like to do it on my timing and more than just once per year.
Hey, should you find yourself with any down time (yea right) I took my required vacation days between Christmas and New Years and got the expanded version of my story; Ayem Notthymn: The Second Door – out the door and posted. I hope you can find about an hour to give it a read. I think your response would be very interesting and insightful. As it turned out, Ayem and Havilah had a lot more going on than I suspected. Anyway, I’m feeling great about having it done and posted.
So I met my resolution of writing more — right?
All the best.
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Congrats for finishing that! I certainly am hoping to do more writing, but I have to work in the mindfulness now to increase my focus. COVID lockdown did not help, and contrary to doctor’s mention, I do not want a stimulant! I’ll try to read the story. Feel free to post a link here, please!
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For you – – absolutely.https://garyawilsonstories.wordpress.com/ayem-notthymn-the-second-door/
I estimate about an hour for most readers, but likely less for you.
Take care of yourself. I’m still pretty fond of having you as part of the weekend coffee group and need you thinking and prospering.
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Will do, Gary, and thank you! I benefit greatly from this community and from your friendship!
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Matcha tea is so good, I’d love to have tea with you! Practicing gratitude is something I try my best to do every day, I do believe that helps to improve the quality of life big time. Thank you for your positive coffee share!
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Happy New Year to you too Pamela. Great coffee post, thank you for sharing. This morning I am grateful for a quiet start to the day as I sip my coffee and watch the morning slowly brighten into day light.
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Sounds beautiful! Happy New Year!
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Happy New Year, Pamela ! And all the best for your New Year resolutions. At least there is someone who is serious about resolutions. Unlike me who forgets them within a week.
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Happy New Year to you as well! I will likely only remember bits and pieces of my ‘mantra’ or resolution. I did not keep it simple, but that’s because I had so much to improve on. Thanks for stopping by!
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compliments of the new year
have started owning that I am terrible at resolutions to stop myself from the guilt and pressure of failing at them… now I just take them as guidelines just like some of those ridiculous rules in mindfulness that you must do this you must do that, well I just take that as suggestions and do what vibes with me
Here’s to 2021
~B
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Exactly! Take what you like and adapt it to your needs. Here’s to 2021! -Pam
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Compliments of the season and a wonderful 2021 to you, may it exceed your expectations. On your comment about mindfulness, I agree – it needs to work for you. It can be as simple as being aware of every single little thing you do while doing a big task (e.g. cooking), all the way to meditation. Or gardening, prayer, playing games or reading. Inherently subjective to each person.
I love the selfie, I’m also a selfie taker, shamelessly 🙂
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Happy New Year, Regina!
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