Happy New week and a Happy new month!

I have come for a week’s trip to Hyderabad, which is a city in the southern part of India.

It’s my first time here and I am liking it

The weather here is on the warmer side, like it is for most Indian states, but right now it’s very pleasant.

I’m staying at an Airbnb, and there’s a wonderful open space and a sofa provided.

Mornings and evenings are being spent wonderfully on the sofa, with a windy breeze that wasn’t expected and a cosy blanket.

It feels like a little pocket of joy. Whenever there’s a nice breeze, my inner and outer voice is immediately going “Wow”

Anyway, I am going to keep today’s newsletter short and just want to share a few reminders for the month of S.E.P.T.E.M.B.E.R

S – Smile.

Smile more often this month—when you’re walking alone, brushing your teeth, putting on your cream, doing yoga, meditating—remember to put a little smile on your face, even a half smile.

It immediately uplifts the mood, and your heart feels genuinely nice.

E – Expect.

Expect what you want out of life. Expect the best. Stop expecting negative things or worrisome things.

What you expect and believe you will get is what life will really give you.

So expect what you want to attract and get more from life.

P – Pay yourself first.

In terms of both time and money.

Keep a portion of your money (better still 10%) purely for the purpose of investing in yourself.

Pay yourself also in time.

The first person you should meet each day should be yourself.

​Start a morning routine and greet yourself first before anyone else, rather than saying, “After I finish all this… then I will give myself some nourishing me-time.”

P.S Ideas to spend me-time intentionally

T – Trust.

Trust the timing of your life.

Things may not be happening the way you planned or in the order you thought they should, but trust that life is unfolding as it needs to.

Trust in God’s plan and surrender.

One day you will find yourself saying, “Thank you God for ruining my plans in exchange for Yours.”

P.S Open letter~ on Heartbreak, Love and Surrender​

E – Embrace.

Embrace a word fully. Pick a word for the month—or if a month feels too long, then a week. Pick a word for a week.

I am choosing the word of the month Devotion.

Somehow I had been thinking about this word last month, and then I realised that the poetry book I bought by Mary Oliver was also named Devotions.​

I want to bring devotion into my life and be devoted.

You too, pick a word.

Here are 100+ Inspiring Word of the Month Ideas to pick from

M – Move.

It is medicine. It makes you feel good. We are wired for movement, any kind of movement-walking, pilates, yoga, workouts, zumba, anything.

Forget about losing weight or gaining weight. Simply move. For as little as 10 or 20 minutes, or more.

Move more this month, even if your breath runs out in 2 minutes or you find yourself huffing and puffing at first.

No matter how simple it may seem, it makes a difference.

This is how I made myself love working out.​

B – Begin again.

Whatever it is you want to begin again, begin. There is no pressure.

There are no “should haves.” Allow yourself to begin again.

There is nobody stopping you and telling you it’s late, other than that little voice in your head. But know that the limitations you keep repeating are in your mind, not your heart.

Your heart (our heart) always wants to expand and keeps calling you towards your calling. Listen to what it has to say.

E – Energise.​

Give a little thought this month towards your energy.

What habits are bringing your energy down?

I find scrolling through my phone more than I should, and sleeping late is really draining.

So I don’t open social media first thing in the morning like earlier. Instead, I finish my morning routine first and then use my phone.

Whenever I am sleeping late, I feel like I have a bad hangover the next morning.

Whereas going for walks, stretching, exercise, and napping for 1 hour in the afternoon give me energy.

So this month, I want to remind you to be aware of your energy hygiene and maintain it by using it sacredly.

P.S Energy Draining Habits that might be keeping you low​

R – Read well.​

Read something good.

It’s our responsibility to feed something nourishing to our minds when we start our day and before we go to bed at night.

These days, I have picked up the habit of reading a few short stories and a few poems before bedtime instead of scrolling through my phone.

I am currently reading Mary Oliver’s poems, and they are making my heart sing. I literally feel so happy and fluttery after reading her words.

And to close, I want to leave you with a poem that feels like the perfect reminder for this month:

Mary Oliver – Don’t Hesitate

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate.
Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left.

Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens
better than all the riches or power in the world.
It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins.
Anyway, that’s often the case.

Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty.
Joy is not made to be a crumb.

Here’s to a September filled with smiles, trust, movement, and joy that is never a crumb.

xx

Journal Prompt of the Week

Joyfulness is a practice too. This week, pay attention to the little sparks of joy that arrive unexpectedly.

It could be a cool breeze, a kind word, a small success, a moment of silence, or even just a smile on your face.

For this week, you can:

• Write about the little joys from the past month. What are you grateful for moving into this new month?
• Write about what is one way you can “begin again” this month?

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Blog Post of the Week

• ​Feeling bored? 30+ Meaningful things to do on your free time​
• ​Fun Challenges to Improve the rest of the year​

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Quote of the Week

One from Others

​​You think that the goal is to be over there,
And we say the goal is the journey over there;
The goal is the fun you have along the way
on your way to over there.

— Abraham-Hicks

One from me

On Happiness and Sadness

I’ve noticed something about myself: when I’m sad, all I can think about is my sadness. I give it my full attention, almost as if I’m holding it under a spotlight. But when I’m happy, instead of pausing to be grateful for it, I tend to overlook it, as though happiness needs no acknowledgement. I realise I need to stop ignoring my happiness and give it the same presence I give my sadness.

Past Newsletters you might like:

• Lessons from plants and the gift of paying attention
• On ordinary things that aren’t ordinary at all
• Ichigo Ichie and other stories from the week
• Quiet Acts of grace