the soul cleansing begins......

ART EVERY DAY CHALLENGE & NABLOPOMO

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SOUL COACHING.....DAY ONE

the day started out well though i did end up feeling a tad under the weather by mid-morning. i wonder if this is my ego's attempt at self-sabotage. i am reminded that the 'ego-self' can be very critical and judgemental so, today, i focused on the affirmation suggested by denise - my evaluation of myself is not who i am. the element for this first week of 'soul coaching' is air so i paused many times throughout the day to take deep breaths. this helped me to focus and remain calm and relaxed. denise also recommended a media cleanse so, for this week, i will avoid negative news....funny that, as over the past couple of weeks, i've barely had time to watch any news at all. the same thing happened with my altar.....i already had a basic altar set up two weeks before discovering the next chapter blog. all i needed to do was re-arrange it a little to suit the elements. so it seems like i've been headed towards this direction without even realising it.

the art i worked on today was based on the 'air' element....butterflies fluttering, dragonflies buzzing and feathers gently falling through the air. i also filled quite a few pages in my process journal but i promise to give you all a VERY condensed version here.

the task was to assess my physical environment and answer life questions -

for the most part, i'm very happy with my physical environment....i feel a strong sense of belonging, safety and security in this house. the problem area would have to be the garage which is set up as my art studio but also shares space with general household storage and my sons' workout equipment. when we first moved in, i had it set up so nice but, over the past year, more and more storage items are finding their way into the garage and it's been making me feel claustrophobic as it slowly creeps closer and closer towards my art tables. i think a big clean out is in order. i know that when i have cleared away physical clutter in the past, it has always made me feel cleansed on a soul level too.

life purpose - i am a mother of five beautiful children who are very precious to me. i try to be a positive, supportive and encouraging influence in their lives. i am also an artist and paint when i can. all my life i have felt a strong passion for animals and i aim to use my art to help in animal welfare. that said, i have noticed over the past year that i am feeling drawn to different areas of art and i don't know if this will be an impediment to the cause i am working towards or not. i guess, i will see where this road leads me.

spiritual source - i have always leaned towards metaphysical and spiritual practices. i believe there is a higher power which empowers our soul consciousness within. we just need to learn how to connect to it.

i am learning that all i need to be happy and content with my life is already right here, right now. it's okay for me to set goals, however, i will try not to focus on expected outcomes. i will practise focusing on the present moment with good intention and the rest will follow as it should. can you tell i'm a huge fan of eckhart tolle books? ooops, sorry denise....i love your books too.

blessings to each and every one of my soul coaching friends.