Change Is Coming to The NeoSoul Lifestyle!

Those of y'all who have gotten to know me a bit realize that I am all about creating newness in your life....thereby the create of The NeoSoul Lifestyle.  I often read books, blogs, magazines, and ear hustle to learn about people and their navigation through life.  And, there is a lot of advice out there....yet sometimes I wonder "Is the author really living the words?"  So that is why I like to share my experiences with you. I want folks to see my twist and turns to as I apply my theories and evolve.

So what have I been up to lately?  An unexpected  gentleman has put a sparkle in my eyes. I'm taking things slow and enjoying the simple pleasures of getting to know each other. I've been inspired by my friend Najeema (you can find her on Twitter @OriginalNajeema and check out her blog http://hellinahandbag.me/ ) to begin biking to work!  I never thought that I would be one of those folks! Yet, I tried it and I'm enjoying it.  I still have a few kinks to work out in my system, but more about that in another blog post.  Leticia, my friend and business partner of Organic Fusion, has really exploded on her blog journey and has motivated to reignite my flame. You can check her @ChasingSoul on Twitter and her blog (http://www.chasingsoul.com/) .  My friend Tamara has also enlightened me on taking the leap into entrepreneurship.  She and I both did our "9 to 5" as HR profressionals, yet created and lived social media alter egos.  So when life gave her the opportunity to live her passion...she did and created Ms. Rasberry Consulting LLC .  You can also catch her on Twitter @MsRasberryInc .

In the spirit of newness, I will be making some changes to the blog in July.  I won't spoil the surprise...but a few include a new site and a lot more coverage of my favorite creative expressions (music, food, & travel...the essence of MY NeoSoul Lifestyle) and a refresh of the lifestyle experiments.

I'm looking forward to creating new experiences to connect with you! Stay tuned....

...Livin' NeoSoul Style

June Experiment

Wow! It's June....we are in the mid-point of the year.  How are things going? Is your life the way (or heading in the direction) you envisioned it? Has unexepected joy or obstacles come into your life?  Has your life perspective changed? Do you remember your vision?

 

This month I thought we would take a different approach to our lifestyle experiment and reset and/or affirm the process of changing our lifestyles.  So, you know that it is my hope that each of you would create your own NeoSoul Lifestyle, and I thought that his quick writing exercise may help you design it.  I'll share mine with you...

 

1.  Create An Introductory Statement Describing Why You Are Creating A NeoSoul Lifestyle

 

"Creating my NeoSoul Lifestyle is the process of transitioning my lifestyle built primarily on obligations, social/familial pressures, mediocrity, monotony.  Yes I have a good life", I've acheived successes and overcome obstacles. Yet, I am seeking holistic fulfillment, particularly through creative expression."

 

2.  Use The Experiment Elements To Plan Your Change Process

 

"In order to create my NeoSoul Lifestyle I will need to DETOXIFY my life of accepting disorderliness (specifically paperwork), and procrastination.  These two things impact several areas of my life and by focusing on eliminating them I'll re-purpose the energy that is being used on resolving the problems caused by accepting disorder and procrastination in my life."

 

I will RESTORE a mindset of discipline without ridgidity. I will put this mindset into action into two (2) specific areas in my life...health and wealth.  Focus in these areas will be continuous by creating FLOW through simple practical actions:

• Bicycling to work 3xs per week
• Decreasing dining out
• Updating Quicken weekly

 

I believe that my spirit will be relieved by this process and I will be more capable of creating positive KARMA in a more impactful way. I enjoy random acts of kindness, but I would like to channel some value into a more developed initiative.

So there it is...this is the place that I am in.  What about you? What do you need to detox? Restore? What actions should you take to create a positive flow in your life? How can you be of more value to other by creating Karma?

The challenge this month...pause and write your NeoSoul Lifestyle mantra.  Let me know if you need more ideas. And if you feel comfortable, please share your thoughts!

Music - Shout Out To My Hometown!

I love songs that shout out my hometown...MOTOWN!  Something about hearing your city in the lyrics just makes you want to crank the volume up!  Or is it just me?  What is your favorite "Hometown" song?

Here are two (2) of my favorites!

"Hello Detroit" ~ Sammy Davis Jr.

"Detroit Girl" ~ Raphael Saadiq

My Life Rhythm ~ "Feeling Old?"

Today I went back to my yoga practice.  Let me just say, there is nothing like the practice of yoga to bring you back to the reality of the condition of your body.  No makeup, no spanx, no stilettos...none of the things I use to enhance my look & body image.  With yoga its just me, my body, breath, and mind.  And as the class started I began to feel old, not because of my age because there were plenty of people older than me in the class.  I felt old because movements that I previously did without thinking were almost impossible. 

Now in yoga practice, you are to breathe and honor your body while opening it up to more possibilities. In doing so, your mind becomes clear and for me I experience inner honesty.  In that moment, the truth could not be ignored...I had allowed by body to age beyond its natural years.  Inconsistent sleep, diet, exercise, and stress levels had brought me to this point.

Thankfully, I still honored myself for coming to class and committed to continue and do my best. And as I flowed, my body released and responded to my thoughts.  I was able to do more poses and found myself smiling sometimes in between breaths.

After class I walked home and thought...."What is old?  Had I created a lifestyle that would prematurely age me?"  I reflected on how much of a change my transition from the DC suburbs to Toronto urban lifestyle.  It was a bit of a shock. I wanted the change, and I simply thought it would be easier.  But it wasn't...a smaller living space, walking everywhere, public transportation, eco-living and more.  I felt old trying to find my rhythm in my new world. 

Yes...I had let a few elements of my life get a bit rusty.  So I am in a place of evolution. Thankful for aging because it means that I have the gift of life.  Now, I'm reviving a youthful spirit and focused on creating my NeoSoul Lifestyle. A lifestyle of experiencing the things I love more fully...family, friends, travel, music, & food! And having the physical, mental, and emotional strength and stamina to experience it all!

Have you ever felt like your lifestyle is aging you?  

Let's take a message from the lyrics of Rod Stewart....

~Living NeoSoul Style

The Power of a Morning Experience

Now that the May lifestyle experiment is over (just in case you missed it, May Experiment ) , I always try to challenge myself to sustain some elements of the experiment.  For the rest of this month, I'm going to focus on creating a morning experience.  Let me be clear...I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON.  In the past I had convinced myself that my mornings didn't need to be revamped because I always "made things happen". Yet, I am now more understanding of the importance of starting your day off right. I began to admire the people that seemed to get more done by noon than I did by 6pm. I became even more motivated to change when I read the book "The Power of Less" which also affirmed a lifestyle of quality morning time. (take a peek at this blog post from the author Leo Babauta 10 Benefits of Rising Early... ) Having a positive morning experience creates momentum for the day, and prepares you for the things that may no go so well (both expected, and especially unexpected).

When my lifestyle is off balance my morning kinda looks like this...

• Wake up late
• Shower
• Panic over having "nothing to wear"
• No breakfast
• Look for my keys
• Get almost to my car and realize I forgot something
• Go back in my place, find the forgotten item, and sigh at the mess I created while rushing
• Get in the car and tell myself "I've got to do better"
• Grab a caffeine fix and snack out of the vending machine at work
• Spend the rest of the day trying to get myself back on track

When I think about creating my morning experience (especially during the work week) there are several things that I'd like it to include:

• Music
• Healthy Breakfast
• Meditation
• Exercise
• Prepared Wardrobe (accessories included)

It sounds so simple, but for me it has been a struggle. Yet, I am committed to this change because I believe that it will completely refresh my NeoSoul Lifestyle.  I've already done a few things to get things moving in the positve direction! I bought a closet valet to put my wardrobe on, created a morning playlist, and got a healthy cookbook for breakfast ideas.  Also, I'm still working on going to bed by 10:30pm so that I can wake up to have time to pray and exercise.

So my goal is a wake up time range of 5:30am-6am, and be out the door by 8:15am.  That's almost 2.5-3 hours daily! 15 hours during the work week!  Time to invest in my well being. 

Have I motivated you to create your own NeoSoul Lifestyle Morning?  I hope so! And please...don't be limited by my morning experience.  Create your own to enhance YOUR life.... surely there are plenty of other things to consider....

• Listen to motivational audio books
• Yoga
• Get some fresh air and take a walk or run
• Too tired for sex at the end of the day, why not start the day with it!
• Tickle your senses with an aromatherapy shower

Do you have a quality morning experience? Please share your insights!

May Experiment

It's May! Can you believe it?! We are almost at the midpoint  of 2011!  What plans did you have for this year?  Are you on course and ready to turn things up a bit? Have you gotten off track? Didn't have any plans?  Whatever phase you are in, I hope that this month's experiment will spark some clarity in your mind by bringing some newness into your lifestyle.

Let's begin creating YOUR NeoSoul Lifestyle!   You'll find that while designing the experiment this month I've continued to mix old and new exercises to help you sustain the practices your previously developed and explore new ones too!  Here's our May experiment...

DETOXIFICATION - In this component of the experiment we practice behaviors to cleanse our life.  I always like to have a water element as a part of this process!

• Make a glass of water your FIRST drink of the day and drink a glass with every meal
• Select one (1) day to ONLY drink water
• Turn off your computer, tv, and phone OFF one (1) hour before you go to bed
• Select one (1) day to not watch tv

RESTORATION - Now that we have cleansed a bit, we now have room to restore something in our lives. And yes...I'm still keeping sleep as a part of the experiment :)  We will also take some time this month to take invest in ourselves and things that are still able to be utilized, yet we have neglected to take care of so that they can operate at their full potential. 

• Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night
• Make appointments for any medical exams that are overdue
• Is there someTHING in your home not working in its purpose because it simply needs repair?  All things in your possession should be performing their purpose or purged! So identify one (1) object and get it fixed! 

FLOW - This is the part that most folks like to jump to because we sometimes just want to move forward.  I must re-affirm how important it is to ensure that you commit to all elements of the experiment.  I don't want your FLOW to be interrupted by the entaglements of things that needed to be DETOXED, and we need the RESTORED things to give our FLOW power! Get it?

• Create a breakfast time experience....this means NO drive-thru fast food, NO eating at your desk, NO eating in front of the TV! Instead try new options like a new restaurant you've heard about, surprise your child at school, make a date with a special someone, find a place to listen to your favorite tunes or read a LEISURE book. For some, actually having breakfast will be new in itself!
• Create a morning ritual. I encourage you to create something that will not only make your mornings more efficient and less stressful...but also more enjoyable

KARMA- As we live in this world and take better care of ourselves we are able to give to others. Simple and plain. NUFF SAID!!!

• Give a compliment to a stranger (I can't tell you how many times this simple act has brightened my day!)
• Ask for forgiveness. Do you owe someone an apology? Start the healing process.  Be cautioned that you can't force someone to forgive you, that is their decision. Yet you can start your healing by acknowleding your mistake and speaking the words in sincerity

So there it is....seven (7) days to invest in your life (5/1-5/7).  Simple, practical, and meaningful.  I'll be sharing my story (I call it my "Life Rhythm"...I LOVE music), so you can know that I'm walking this past with you and not just putting words into the universe.


I hope you'll share your some of your experience too! 
You have lots of options:

1. Leave comments on the blog
2. Tweet me @NeoSoulCEO & use hashtag #NeoSoulXp
3. Join the NeoSoul Lifestyle Experience Facebook Fanpage

 ~ Living NeoSoul Style

Project Playlist - Traffic Jams!

Whether it is by car, cab, bus, or train…when we have somewhere to go we just want to get there with no delay! There are so many things we could choose to do on our daily commutes like actually enjoy a beverage instead of just gulping it down, have a light-hearted conversation, read a leisure book, write in a journal, or meditate. Yet most of us don’t even attempt to make our commutes more enjoyable. Efficient maybe, but enjoyable? Probably not.



Have you ever taken a moment to really look at the faces of the people around you during your daily commute? So many scowling faces, looks of boredom, and random acts of anger too!


How much time do you spend on your roundtrip daily commute? 30 minutes? An hour? Wouldn’t it be worth it to make the time more pleasant?


As for me, I drive to work. From time to time I’ve seen a few fellow drivers on the road having their own private concert in the car oblivious to the nearby onlookers who maybe snickering or looking at them like they are crazy. Secretly I’ve longed to be that person, and I think the right playlist may be just what I need to make it happen.


So, let’s create the ultimate Traffic Jams Playlist that will get us all grooving as we get to where we have to go! If you see my jamming in my car…HONK!

Here’s a song that I think should make the playlist….”whatcha know about this”?

~Living NeoSoul Style