PoP ~ December Thought Prompts and Discussion
The rules are pretty simple:
- This is a safe place for you to share your thoughts and ideas on each day’s prompt.
- Critical thought and poignant questions are encouraged.
- Any behavior that seems aggressive, abusive or attempts to undermine the efforts of other participants will be banned from the conversation and the site.
December’s journey is about abundance, Baby!
The days begin to lengthen once again, bringing forth new hope and vision for everything that has been and everything that is on its way.
Also, your habits have shifted over the course of the year to notice, take stock of and multiply your resources and gifts.
It’s time to behave abundantly and truly enjoy both giving and receiving.
Clarity Portion of the Month
(Days 1-10, minus weekends)
Day 1 Thought Prompt
Look for everything that goes right today. Big and small, it all counts!
Not sick? No accidents? Got out of the house with your pants on? Kids DIDN’T tell their classmates how many times you pooped yesterday?? It ALL counts!! Start a log of everything that goes right today. If you’re really paying attention you’ll fill it up before noon.
If you’ve been following me on YouTube you know that I reference the Negativity Bias all.the.time. It’s a cognitive pre-wiring in your brain that trains your attention on what is wrong or broken. It’s a survival mechanism. It means that looking for the problem comes easy for you. That means looking for what works takes a little extra effort.
Day 2 Thought Prompt
Where do I (have I) felt gratitude*?
*gratitude is the “I’m so excited X happened” feeling.
Relief is different from gratitude. Since we’re starting November off with clarity about our current mindset you may be adding your own “Thought Prompt” to this question if you need to first identify what “gratitude” means to you. And that’s ok. In fact, it’s kind of the point. 😉
AND…are the conditions different from one another? Are there places where you typically feel relief that you could shift to gratitude?
Day 3 Thought Prompt
What has been uncomfortable but still useful?
Do I feel grateful (or relief…or something else) for the utility of this experience?
We’re just investigating our current thoughts, habits and beliefs about our life experience. That’s all. Get curious about the answer, not judgmental.
Day 4 Thought Prompt
What is painful that I can feel grateful for? why/how?
There is real-time pain where we just need to feel what we feel. This prompt is meant for pain that you are re-living from old hurts or borrowing from imagined future hurts.
Use the perspective of your future self who has learned something really valuable from a really sucky time.
Day 5 Thought Prompt
Where, in your routine, could you be more intentional about helping the good of others?
This does NOT have to be a big gesture. Start small. What’s palatable? What’s repeatable? What is something that could slide right into what you’re already doing that would make someone else’s day?
Watch your story on this one … do you already feel like everyone else comes first? Are you giving from a feeling of abundance or of obligation? There’s no wrong answer. Your knee-jerk reaction to the thought of giving more will tell you a LOT about where you’re giving too much, not enough and why. Just notice. We’re just identifying what is possible….gathering and action come in the next 2 thirds of the month.
Day 6 Thought Prompt
In what ways are you healthy? How does that work to your advantage?
We have a coin. We’ve studied one side of that coin for decades. What’s on the other side?
There are a myriad of ways to experience health. Healthy body, mind, spirit, friendships, career, outlook, skill set, sleep, nutrition….
Day 7 Thought Prompt
What do you already do to prevent accidents and injury to yourself? How can you celebrate your success rate??
Even the world’s worst self-proclaimed klutz has fewer accidents than were possible. You ARE already a success at this … do you feel an abundance dance coming on??
Day 8 Thought Prompt
Where do you regularly show kindness or grace with others?
You’re already giving of your abundance…these small ways add up!
How many times a day do you …
…choose your battles
…see things from their side
…send someone positive thoughts, love and/or light
…do a small favor
…tip a little extra
Add your list in the comments!
Gathering Portion of the Month
(Days 11-20, minus weekends)
Day 9 Thought Prompt
How much time do you realistically have to give? How are you already giving it and to whom? INCLUDE YOURSELF
If you find you’re giving too much of your time away…how can you reallocate it?
We’re simply gathering what abundance we have. There’s no extra? Then there’s no extra. We’re just taking stock … it’s important to take note of yourself when you answer these gathering questions. You get to receive your own abundance too!
Day 10 Thought Prompt
How much money to you have to give? How are you already giving it and to whom?
Think real-life too…not just ’tis the season type giving. You HAVE money and you’re using it however you’re using it. Sooooooo……how are you using it?
How you use your money is a reflection of what you value. It’s your CHOICE to spread your abundance the way you do. So what does that look like? Where are you more generous than you realized (housing, groceries, health insurance)? Those become a new kind of abundance because you’ve exchanged your skills for the money, and the money for the ____________ <— fill in the blank.
Let me know in the comments!
Day 11 Thought Prompt
How much attention do you have to give? How are you already giving it and to whom?
Attention already IS. You don’t have to manufacture it or discover it. That is a type of abundance that you have at all times with that privilege of possession you get to choose where you aim it.
Truthfully, financial abundance is like that too it’s just harder for some to tap into because we have so many hidden stories around it. There IS a ready flow of money out there ~ ready for you to dive into it’s rising tide.
Day 12 Thought Prompt
How much gratitude do you feel within? If you were playing with us in November it’s increasing every day!
How are you already basking in that gratitude?
Day 13 Thought Prompt
When something is scary I can _____________ until I feel grateful (or in order to feel grateful)
How do you gather courage, calm or faith? How have you done it before?
Day 14 Thought Prompt
Review the hidden stories that arose on Day 6’s work on resistance:
Today I will consider how my “yeah buts” can be “yes, ands.”
We accept the uncomfortable, painful and scary (especially where they’ve risen in our hidden stories that we found from our resistance in the Day 6 Thought Prompt) AND we identify where we’d like to make changes. So “yeah BUT it’d be nice if others would help me” turns into “Yes, AND I will start asking for help more (or find more helpful friends, or join support groups or ________).”
Day 15 Thought Prompt
Today I will replace as “shoulds” as I can find with “coulds” to remind myself that I get to choose.
Every single day we make choices that we treat like obligations. It doesn’t take long for life to feel burdensome with that approach.
You “should” pay your mortgage. You COULD!! You COULD NOT, too. You CHOOSE not to be homeless.
You “should” be careful with your word choice around that toxic co-worker. You COULD. You COULD NOT, too. You CHOOSE to keep a peaceful work environment for yourself.
You “should” help that friend move. You COULD or COULD NOT. You CHOOSE to be generous because that’s the kind of person you like to look at in the mirror every day.
What are some of your favorite examples??
Day 16 Thought Prompt
Review Day 8:
Other than gratitude itself what brings the physical feeling of gratitude? How can I do more of those things? Or where am I already doing them that I can be more intentional about it?
Thoughts, when we focus on them, show up in our bodies as physical sensations. The reverse is true, too. We can create the physical sensation in order to spur thoughts.
Remember we’re creating a new default response to our world. The more we practice the FEELING of gratitude the more easily we’ll tune into it. Tap into that feeling whenever and wherever possible.
Action Portion of the Month
(Days 21-End, minus weekends)
Do the thing … celebrate the “win” of doing it. It ALL counts even those things you about which you think “that’s just what I do.”
Just because you do it naturally doesn’t mean it’s not amazing that you do it.
This isn’t necessarily about giving MORE of anything, unless you feel motivated to do so. This is about being intentional about how and what you give. Don’t surprised if you choose to reallocate though. 😉
Day 17 Thought Prompt
Review day 11
Heal the circumstance you said created mere relief. i.e. Get enough rest, foster attentive relationships, etc.
Basically do what you said you wanted/needed to do. 🙂
It’s WONDERFUL to think about these things and have eye-opening conversations but at some point you really want to make some changes. Obviously this won’t be a one-time thing and that’s ok. Every time you feel yourself going “whew, that’s good news” you know it’s the reminder to ACT on the idea you had about really getting grateful.
And it’s ok if you forget sometimes too. It’s normal…true evolution doesn’t happen overnight and you’ll get LOTS of opportunities. Give yourself a hug from me while you’re going through all of this. The Action portion is where shit really gets real.
Day 18 Thought Prompt
Turn the obvious gifts (nice cashier, 49/50 safe drivers, clean underwear, WHATEVER) into grateful moments.
Gratitude is like a muscle, it only strengthens when you flex it. Flex away, my Lovely!!
Day 19 Thought Prompt
Give your attention.
Hint: You’re giving it anyway. Give credit to attention as a give to others.
You’ve done the work to identify where you give your attention. Perhaps you’ve even noticed where it is well received and isn’t or where it is reciprocated or not. You’re intentional now … you get to choose where to place your attention AND you get to appreciate yourself for giving it.
Day 20 Thought Prompt
Fully experience your gratitude for everything you have to give, are able to give and willing to give.
Revisit what gratitude (vs relief) felt like to you in November. Or visit TriffanyHammond.com/PoPJourney if you’re new to this practice and missed November.
The more we strengthen that gracious “my cup filleth over” feeling the more we change our default belief from lack to abundance. The more abundant we feel the more able we are to create the path to our passion, purpose and the life of our dreams.
Day 21 Thought Prompt
Review Day 13:
Review the ideas you built on Day 13. When something feels scary use your plan, find the gift in it real-time (instead of waiting for hindsight) and just see how grateful you can feel for it.
Hint: it’s totally ok if you can’t feel grateful yet ~ you’ve only just begun this process. #ProgressNotPerfection
The more you’re tuned into your body the more you’ll feel the difference between, “OMG, this is amazing but scary” kind of scary and “Alarm bells are going off, listen to your intuition” kind of scary. That’s why learning how your body communicates with you is SUPER important.
Day 22 Thought Prompt
Remember the ideas in your “yes ands?” Begin using them. Begin saying them. Search for them at every possible “yeah, but.”
Change your language, change your thoughts, change your habits, change your beliefs. Word choice matters!
Day 23 Thought Prompt
You found your “should” (obligation),
you realized they’re actually “coulds” (choice),
now get clear on what you “would” do (empowerment) so that you can get in alignment with gratitude.
“I should go workout (because if I don’t _____ guilt/blame/blah)” turns into
“I COULD go workout (I have a choice and if I DO choose it I’ll feel ______) turns into
“I WOULD go workout (because I enjoy feeling _____).
Basically instead of ordering yourself around all the time you’re graciously getting your own buy-in to decisions that lead to outcomes you enjoy. Once you’ve really bought in then you can feel curious, playful and even joyful at the choices you’re making in life and that changes EVERYTHING.
Day 24 Thought Prompt
Review day 16
Those things you identified that feel similar to your gratitude feeling in your body…schedule them, do them and do more of them.
Visualizing them helps too. The more you’re in that feeling space (emotionally and physically) the faster you improve your chemistry to support positivity, passion and purpose.
Day 3: This one hit me hard b/c my youngest turned 16 today. Bittersweet, to be sure AND I really got to dive into what she means to me, what I see in her life, what changes may come, who her friends are, what our relationship is like. Really got me present to what IS instead of just this general feeling of time passing.
Day 8: This keeps coming up for me recently. A friend of mine and I committed to a daily ROAK kind of advent calendar for December and it’s mostly stuff I just do already. I feel like I don’t give myself NEARLY enough credit for the good I already do in just the simplest of ways. Taking stock of where put my attention and intentionality has really given me a new perspective on myself and how much abundance I share regularly enough that I’d forgotten to notice it, let alone celebrate it.