PoP ~ March 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.

March’s journey is about 1) revitalizing waning dreams and 2) investing in awakened inspirations!

New thoughts and ideas form after last month’s reclamation of energy.
Now is the time to give them shape and purpose.

Clarity Portion of the Month

(Days 1-10, minus weekends)

This is a chance to take notice of what is different now that you’ve let go of some baggage in February. Don’t be surprised if more baggage came up too, that’s totally ok.
You are most likely feeling a sense of lightness, of renewal. As your bandwidth increases you want to be intentional about what you do with it so you don’t settle right back into old patterns.

Day 1 Thought Prompt

How are you feeling in your body about February’s work? Do you hunch less or smile more? Do you feel lighter or have that plaguing cough disappear? Subtle or strong these signals tell you that you’re on the right track.

Start connecting to the messages from your body as you move forward. They play a BIG part in honing your intuition (which you’ll need to trust your new direction as the journey reveals itself).

Need help? Use Martha Beck’s “Body Compass,” you can learn it in her book “Steering by Starlight” or you can download a free mp3 on what it is and how to use it.

Your Expansive Mind uses your body as a communication tool to cut through the clutter of your day to day life. Tuning into its messages will help you heal, grow and stretch yourself.

Day 2 Thought Prompt

Yesterday we tuned into the body. Today we’re tuning into the emotions.

How are you feeling emotionally? As you let some of those old stories either morph or whither did you notice any new ones come up? How about old stories but in a new way?

There’s no wrong answer here, we’re just noticing. This work happens in a spiral, not a straight line and it gets easier over time.

The “normal” spectrum of responses is pretty wide. The important part is that you’re tuning into YOUR work. The more freedom you create from that Love work you did in February the more bandwidth you have to create something new moving forward.

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

What are you curious about? Do you have resources available not pursue that curiosity?

Curiosity and playfulness are THE key to finding your purpose on this planet. If you can’t think of anything that inspires you to pick up a book or take a class now think back to when you were a kid. More often than not you once knew exactly what your “thing” was.

Day 16 Thought Prompt

Is there anything ahead of you that just feels good to the thing about or do (regardless of whether or not it makes sense, what is it?)

What do you want/need to do something about it?

You have nudges, hints and inklings that roll around in your head. It’s time to start taking them seriously.

Action Portion of the Month

(Days 21-End, minus weekends)

Review your answers from the Clarity and Gathering Portions of March and start moving forward on some of your ideas.

There is NO rush, no “right” timeline, for any of this.

Walk in faith, sure… but WALK.

Purposeful action will always guide you to the next, most meaningful step.

Day 17 Thought Prompt

Rest

Whatever that means to you (a nap, meditation, a quiet walk, petting your dog) ~ just take some time to rest.

Day 18 Thought Prompt

Refuel

You’re clear on what drains you but what puts juice back in your batteries? Time with friends? Nature walk? Dancing? What leaves you feeling energized and optimistic?

If you’re stuck think about that curiosity question from earlier. That’s always a good direction to start.

Day 19 Thought Prompt

Rev up

You’ve rested, you’ve refueled and now you want to build on that momentum. What will set you up nicely for your next steps? A written plan? An accountability partner?

Day 20 Thought Prompt

The opportunities you identified in the Gathering Portion of this work…prepare for them.

Same with the obstacles. Not out of urgency or fear, of course. Prepare out of curiosity and playfulness.

Day 21 Thought Prompt

The person you identified who knew you “when” … call them.

If you’ve taken the Conscious Transitions course use the “All About Me Coffee Date” exercise to get the most out of the reconnection as it pertains to March’s goals.

Tell them what you’ve been up to with this project

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.