CONVENTIONS – WOODMASTER by Playgate

It’s true.  Happiness takes making risks in your life.  But they are not adrenaline-seeking risks like jumping out of plane, or jumping off a boat into the middle of the ocean (although, I accomplished the latter and it was incredible).  No.  Risk taking to achieve true happiness is only a risk because it is outside of your fearful norm.

We all have a bubble of a norm that we like to live in.

For me in the past, it was simply doing what I am great at:  teaching.  I knew since I was 6 what I loved to do and that I was going to be an amazing teacher.  Having both parents as educators helped a lot.  I got to hear the heroic stories of how they changed the lives of kids every single day.  I admired it.  I loved it.  And it felt SO good to do the same.

However, as I got older, I realized that I was meant for even more.  And that was weird to me.  I never thought you could get more than what you already set out to do.  It was scary to think that there was an entire life outside the four walls of my perfectly, successful little classroom.  I never thought there could be anything I would love more either!?  And that was because of my norm bubble – the fact that I had never even dreamed of wanting to do anything else in this life, but teach.

Teaching led me to the next part of the dream, where the dream is simply living life to my ultimate potential.  Teaching led me to Coffee.  or “CWOFFEE!” if you’re an old east coasting gem.  Coffee allowed me to use my teacher skills in a whole new way and see that the classroom exists everywhere you go.  It’s in a business, it’s in your family, it’s in yourself for goodness sake.

And so, I dared to jump out of my norm.  For me, THAT was my skydiving moment.  That was my huge risk.  I feel it necessary to mention that it was a well thought out risk too.  I had done research on coffee shops and knew enough to begin working in one.  Coffee became a realistic part of my life once I accepted that I was passionate about it, and would do anything to learn more.  This drive and passion, led me to working for the best Roasting Company I will ever know.  Because of the experience I gain

ed from this company and the mentors within it, as well as the openness on my end to say yes to every opportunity within the industry, the coffee life became an attainable goal the way teaching had become in my early years of studying and practicing it every single day.

However, in order to be brave enough to make this decision and guide my work ethic to understand that I would do anything to pursue this goal, I had to write, run, read, be in nature and ultimately know myself inside and out.

I’d say this process happens to anyone who has taken a big leap in life.  In fact, it wasn’t the first time I had to take a giant leap.  If you have read The Backstory of my blog, then you know how it all started.  I had to get divorced to finally understand who I was and am.  And how did I do it?  Without being able to go to therapy because I was laid off at the time and not being able to turn to family, because I was beside myself, I had to create a routine that would help me understand the hell-hole I was in and bravely rip apart my life to fully move forward.  Sounds easy when you put it in a paragraph, but no, it was insurmountable at the time.  It was actual and literal hell at first.

Slowly, as I hacked away at my life, one prayer at time, one journal entry at a time, one soul-seeking moment of humility at a time, I found the truest nuggets of my existence.  And ever since then, I have only played this game of life according to those nuggets of truth.

I uncovered an immense amount of information about who I was and who I wanted to be during those years of healing and understanding.  As I made these discoveries, I submitted myself to everything GOOD I knew in this world.  The beach.  Nature overall.  Prayer.  Deep meditation.  Service and volunteering.  Teaching, with the goal of being the best I could ever be.  Running marathons (in which, I used to HATE running).  and WRITING (even though, I never cared much for it until I was suffering).

Writing, above all things, was the world where I could purge and let go of every lie I told myself, completely, while also affirming and solidifying all I had finally understood: about life and about myself.

Writing, I have come to know is the ultimate culminating factor to the Daily Bloomified routine.  After running for 30 minutes (any cardio for 30 minutes) and praying/meditating for 30 minutes, writing is the home for all of the truths discovered.  Being the last step in the process, it is meant to be last.

It must be last as it is the night cap to everything you have discovered and faced throughout the day.  If you choose to face yourself brutally and honestly, then you will have much to write about, much to confirm for yourself.  Writing is like a mirror though.  It will show you exactly what you’ve uncovered and will officially sort out what is true and what is not.

You will not be able to write BS.  Trust me.

Your fingers, will not let you.

Writing is more thought out than speaking.  Though speaking is bold, writing unleashes what you subconsciously know to be true behind every experience you’ve ever had.  Those truest, deepest discoveries come through and run through the sifter of your heart as they fall out of your fingers when typing or your hand when writing with a pen/pencil.

Sometimes, when I know I have something to convey to myself as a truth, but know that it needs a deeper connection of total submission to my thoughts, I choose to handwrite only.  Because of this notion, when I write in my journal I usually handwrite prayers or concluding thoughts versus rants or purges.

When I type, it’s usually because I am pulling together many truths under one major focus or I am rapidly purging every single negative thought out of my system, like the suggested method of Morning Pages in Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.

Use whichever medium of writing suits you for that day or that moment.

When I am super sad or cannot quite explain the joy radiating through my veins, I write poetry.  Usually, a poem is able to express my innermost emotions or big realizations better than a paragraph or blog post.  Poetry days seem to be either the hardest day or the best day for me.  Just depends on you; we are all different.

I cannot express how important writing is, except to mention that every single book I’ve ever read on self-work or pursuing the most you can out of life, stresses writing as a major component for ultimate self-discovery.

Even right now, as I read Matthew Kelly’s Resisting Happiness, I find a beautiful affirmation of my dear Daily Bloomified routine.  He so simplistically explains in Chapter 15, “Falling in Love” that even after all the great schools he attended, it was his spiritual awakening that inspired him to love learning.  He then states very boldly in his book, “Wherever you find excellence, you find continuous learners.  They go hand in hand.  Wherever you find that continuous learning is missing, you find mediocrity.”

He is completely right.  Wouldn’t you think you’d want to be a continuous learner of your own life, your own being?

He then wrote out toward the end of the chapter, the few commitments he wanted to maintain to achieve being a constant learner and lover of his own life:  praying, exercising, reading, and writing every day.

If we are striving for excellence, for true understanding, for complete authenticity then yes, it takes work, time, and a devotion to the self.

A million things will want to get in the way of 30 minutes of cardio, 30 minutes of prayer/meditation and 30 minutes of writing.  But when you look at it, that’s 1 hour and 30 minutes of YOUR DAY.

I have found, it is completely worth it, to sacrifice 1 hour and 30 minutes for myself.  

I know that if you are reading this, you are already a continuous learner.  And I know that if you are reading this, Daily  Bloomified will serve you well.  You are willing to uncover truths, you are willing to love yourself, you are willing to take risks that are in the direction of your deepest callings.  Let it all be then as it is, and just, enjoy it!

With Love & Gratitude,

Diane Contreras

PLAGE ISOLEE (Soleil couchant) by Polo & Pan

We discussed prayer and meditation techniques in depth in the last post.  For this post I’d like to stress the importance of the Cardio High.  Notice, the song I wrote this post too is on my “New High” playlist via Spotify @Dianeski22.  This is one of my most favorite songs to run to and has an amazing intro that gets you hyped about all your favorite running fantasies.

Running fantasies are real.

Running fantasies are associated with the Runner’s High.  When a person is running without knowing they are running anymore, they have entered the runner’s zone which brings forth the runner’s high.  During this time, a runner is flooded with images, thoughts, and solutions to their daily lives as well as dreams and fantasies about the future.  It feels blissful, calming, consistent and overall transforms the brain for the better.  These fantasies that occur are actually deep-rooted goals that you have been either fulfilling subconsciously or are afraid to admit to yourself.  For some of us, who use running or working out as a way to become aware of these goals, we use running fantasies adamantly as part of our daily hustle.

Some fantasies I’ve had in the past while running:  performing in front of others (stage presence and music was involved), working in coffee, playing pool in eclectic and interesting bars, learning how to go out by myself in big cities, teaching in front of a room full of students, living in Los Angeles, teaching in the inner city, living somewhere cold and cozy, writing a book, writing comedy, singing in front of an audience, owning my own coffee shop and bar.

All of these have come true, by the way, or are in progress.

Combined with prayer & meditation as well as writing, you can bring these fantasies to the forefront, and constantly work on them.  “Working on them” is NOT a passive phrase, so don’t take that lightly.

Working on your fantasies means accepting whether these passions align with what you believe you are on earth for, admitting that they will happen, accepting the path or the work to make it happen, and teaching yourself how to enjoy the process of making these fantasies a reality.

Therefore, CARDIO is the first step of Daily Bloomified.  You have to stimulate and activate your mind to allow yourself to see, trust, pray, meditate, feel, and accept these fantasies.

With only 30 minutes of cardio, you allow yourself to bring these fantasies – these true callings – to the surface, fearlessly.

This is why The Bloom Effect, or the structure for how I write, revolves around choosing the song that most inspired you while you were working out.  This song is half of the clue and encouragement for getting these fantasies out of you and into your forefront where you can look at it soberly sort of speak, then eventually write about it to yourself to ensure that you have chosen to make it part of your reality.

Each and every step of Daily Bloomified is well thought out and connects to one another in

this way.  The transition from 30 Minutes of Cardio is meant to seamlessly draw you into prayer & meditation by nature, followed by the writing portion which helps you apply what you’ve discovered to your daily life.  This routine, though you may think you do not have enough time to accomplish it all consistently everyday, will be there for you when you are ready to harness your truest yearning for joy.  Sure, you can split it up into days, but then it won’t have the same powerful effect that you are looking for.

This routine has been crafted and shared with anyone who is willing to identify the true joys of life.  Most of us are afraid of joy.  We are afraid to see what happens if we commit to something that could make our lives EVEN better, make us emotionally more stable, make us put our faith into something bigger, make us worry less about the media or superficial wants.  This type of self discovery overall benefits not just us, but everyone we share our lives with.  You will notice, after focusing on yourself for this consistent amount of time, life with your loved ones is easier, less stressful, and more organized.  Daily Bloomified allows you to get to know yourself on a different level and it is one of the truest joys you could ever choose.

Once, while in an intense prayer session overlooking Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, I had this overwhelming sense of comfort and guidance spelled out for me, “Do not be afraid to get everything you’ve ever wanted.”  At first, I didn’t like the words “wanted” or “get everything.”  I spent 4 years analyzing what this phrase meant to me and it wasn’t until I consistently allowed myself to ruminate this phrase through the lense of my faith, running passion, and writing did I see that these words aligned with every part of my life and relationship with God.  Through Daily Bloomified, I was able to dissect this phrase and benefit from what it was actually teaching me.  It took me down a path of utter trust in God and the people I had met along the way.  It allowed me to completely heal from my past, learn how to enjoy the present, and bravely answer to the callings of the future.  It takes a lot of time and energy to focus on yourself, but what the world has in store for you and what you have in store for yourself are two different things.  Just a hint, the truest want reveals the truest joy you can ever experience.

Whether you are single, a mother, a father, a student, an athlete, divorced, widowed, or just trying to understand life, Daily Bloomified allows you to build a strong relationship to what you value most in life.  It allows you to bring everything to the surface, cleanse yourself, re-identify, and affirm.

These types of skills and benefits allow you to see into your soul, bringing you closer to your loved ones, closer to your own yearnings and purpose in life, leaving you radiant, more productive, insightful, patient, and understanding of this world.

Do not be afraid to commit to the workout.  It is the first step, and the most crucial toward accepting a life you are only afraid of because it is overwhelmingly joyful.  Our society is not used to joy.  Why not try it on for a moment and make your own decision of whether you can get used to it or not?