Monthly Archives: June 2018

2018 Week 25: Fika Break

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Week 25’s Task of 50 Weeks to a Lighter More Loving You is to take a FIKA!!

Fika is Swedish for Coffee Break!

But it is more than just drinking coffee….

Fika can happen any time of day and is typically observed several times throughout the day, often with something sweet on the side. These breaks are seen as important social events used to help keep up moral and boost group spirit, so companies prioritize coffee and ensure their employees have time to drink it.

Sometimes I think out country has it all wrong….work, work, work…or do, do, do!  Most of the time we are grabbing coffee TO GO!  We can place drink order via the phone and barely say hello as we wiz through the drive thru to pick it up.

There are PERKS to BREAKS!

There are a number of studies to support the idea that taking regular breaks boosts workplace culture and productivity. Breaks can help:

  • Keep people focused: A 2011 study in the journal Cognition found that brief diversions from a task can dramatically improve one’s ability to concentrate.
  • Relieve stress: A study in Symbolic Reaction found that having coffee breaks with coworkers helped a group of Denmark employees cope after a large-scale merger.
  • Boost productivity: MIT studied call center workers at Bank of America. After one month, researchers found that workers who talked more to co-workers got through calls faster and felt less stressed. Bank of America changed coffee breaks to allow for more interactions, and within a few months reported productivity gains of about $15 million a year.
  • Recharge your energy: The Energy Project, a New York City-based productivity consulting firm, found that without any downtime, people are less efficient, make more mistakes, and are less engaged in what they’re doing.

This week TAKE A FIKA!   

TAKE A BREAK!

images (4)It could be an actual FIKA Coffee Break….with pastry and all!    

Fika Rules:

  • Get Comfortable
  • Eat Treats
  • Never Fika Alone
  • Be Social
  • Slow Down
  • Turn Off Electronic Devices

Maybe you need a break from….

  • TV/Phone
  • Your daytimer
  • Cooking/Cleaning
  • Shaving
  • Being Perfect
  • Not eating pastries
  • Having everything done before you Fika
  • Doing the 50 Task to a Lighter More Loving You!

Whatever it is, give yourself permission to TAKE A BREAK, to stop DOING, to just BE.

Go Relax, Go be social. Go get comfy. Go drink coffee. Go eat a pastry.

If you ever wondered why it is 50 WEEKS instead of 52 WEEKS to a Lighter More Loving You, it is that I knew you and I would need a break…a FIKA!

I’ll be back in July!

Cheering You on to a Whole Fika Heart,

Barbara

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CHECK IN for Week 24: Story Time

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Checking in for Week 24’s task which was to SHARE A STORY with someone while you are out and about this week.

Have you done it yet?

I know this is not the easiest task for everyone.

Sharing a story takes VULNERABILITY.   

It produces CONNECTION.

For some of us, this is really hard.

In case you need a little motivation, take a look at the benefits of sharing stories:

From Psychology Today:

1) Realizing that sharing your story can help others–Stories can be very healing and many people benefit from getting the opportunity to pass on their wisdom to others.

2) Finding your voice–What does it mean to “find your voice”? It means learning how to express yourself and learning how to think about what has happened in your life in a way that makes sense…It helps to think about your life as a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end.  It helps to think about how the various events—even the bad ones—have been part of a journey toward the person you want to become.

3) Re-affirming your values–Sometimes you learn things about yourself from the act of writing or storytelling. It can be a way to clarify what is important.

4) Finding peace, finding hope–People who have found their voice, shared their story, and reaffirmed their values often find a sense of peace and a hopefulness that they did not have before.

“You truly don’t know who you are until you hear yourself tell the story of your life to someone else.”   –-Jin In

“Stories create community, enable us to see through the eyes of other people, and open us to the claims of others.” – Peter Forbes, photographer and author

“Stories are a communal currency of humanity.” –Tahir Shah, in Arabian Nights

“Words are how we think; stories are how we link.” –Christina Baldwin

“The planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of all kinds.” – Dalai Lama

Life is more meaningful and purpose-filled with connections.

To be lighter and more loving means being more vulnerable, having more connections, sharing more of our self…through story!

Can’t seem to find the right time or person to share a story with, then feel free to share a story below!

Cheering You on to a Whole Story Connecting Heart,
Barbara

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2018 Week 24: Story Time

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Week 24’s task of 50 Weeks to a Lighter More Loving You is to SHARE A STORY with someone while you are out and about this week.

I’ve never lived in a place like Colorado where the people will tell you whole stories at the drop of a hat.  Complete strangers at the coffee shop or at a store, who will share a story of their life with me.   Usually there is something that triggers it…

  • my dog or puppy,
  • something I’m purchasing,
  • something I’m wearing,
  • a question I asked…even as simple as how is your day.

Just this morning, a man shared with me how his brother put hot sauce on things he didn’t want his new puppy to chew.   It was spurred by my overly exuberant puppy and his story was quite amusing.   It made my morning puppy-pulling-walk very enjoyable.

What I like about this is that it builds connection.

I like it that people want to connect here, even if it is just for 5 minutes!

And like in Week 11: Do the Wave, it makes one feel seen and noticed.

A great spirit-lifter is connecting and noticing others.

I love meeting new people; I think everyone has a story to tell. We should all listen sometimes. 

 –Kim Smith

Yes, this task may take extra time AND may certainly take some out of their comfort zone.

Try it and see how you feel.

As you are out and about this week, SHARE A STORY with someone…

  • something you notice or you relate to,

  • something funny that happened to you recently,

  • something you’ve been curious about and maybe they know the answer,

  • think of a story to tell, tell someone you were asked to share a story, and then share! 

Cheering You on to a Whole Story Shared Heart,
Barbara

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CHECK IN Week 23: Khop Khun Mak Kha

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Checking in on Week 23’s task of writing a Khop Khun Mak Kha (Thai for Thank You) Note.

The task was to write a Thank You Note to someone who has had an impact or influence on your life, AND to do this as a handwritten note and through snail mail!

We probably understand the importance of gratitude.  Do you know that there are benefits to sending handwritten thank you notes??

Check this out by Monica at Heart Gratitude

Here are 5 benefits of a handwritten thank-you note

  • It gives us an opportunity to reflect on what another person has given to us or done for us. This is how true appreciation develops. If you don’t give a second thought to what you received then you probably aren’t going to feel very thankful
  • Thinking about and expressing appreciation for what someone else has done for us helps us realize we are loved!
  • In today’s digital age of email and texting a handwritten note is often a novelty. And when you take the time to write and send a note in the mail, that person is assured that you appreciate what they have done for you or given to you. It is often more meaningful than a text or email.
  • Most people really enjoy receiving a nice hand-written note in the mail so you might just make their day as they read that heartfelt card!
  • Handwritten thank-you notes can be kept as a keepsake. I have several heartfelt thank you’s from people I love that I hang on to.

Many of us might keep gratitude journals and in Week 8, this was encouraged for a Lighter More Loving You. 

Here is a little something from Becky at So Very Blessed on going deeper into cultivating a grateful heart. 

A Gratitude Journal Alone Is Not Enough

Writing in your gratitude journal alone is not enough. A thankful heart comes from being able to feel it, too. 

If the purpose of writing down five things you are grateful for every day was simply that, then it would be enough to just put your pen to paper. After number five, you could check that task off of your list and be done with it.

Cultivating a true heart of thankfulness goes deeper than mere words.Gratitude journals are wonderful and I love them and use them daily, but it's not going to give you a heart of thankfulness without this one missing piece.

The purpose of writing down those things you are grateful for is to feel them. Relive those moments in vivid detail.

Replay that compliment someone told you or that smile your child gave you that lit up the room and warmed your heart.

What was going on around you? How did it make you feel?  

Savor the moment in all of your senses – the words, the emotions, the scents, the sounds.

About three years ago, I was in church with my family. My niece was 3 at the time and I was holding her in my arms while we were all standing up singing a hymn. At one point, she wrapped her arms around me and nuzzled her head into the nook of my neck. I remember everything from that moment – the bellowing organ, the feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, and especially how my heart was just bursting with love for that sweet girl and how thankful I was to be her aunt. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve thought of that moment since that day and it never ceases to bring a smile to my face and warmth to my heart.

The more details you can remember, the better you will be able to solidify that moment in your memory, and the greater gratitude you will feel. And learning to do that regularly will change your life.

The more often you are able to relive those wonderful moments, the more you will experience a heart, and a life, overflowing with thankfulness.

Still time to hand write that Khop Khun Mak Kha (Thank You) Note!

Cheering You on to a Whole Deeply Cultivated Khop Khun Mak Kha Heart,

Barbara