Daily Prompt: Vigor

When I think of the word vigor, I instantly think of competitive sports. The passion, commitment and drive of athletes to push their bodies to the limits of their personal strength amazes me! I think of the Ironman competition and sprinters. The power and drive exhibited in their sports is undeniable!

Oxford Dictionaries defines vigor as:

physical strength and good health

We can all agree that physical strength and good health are prerequisites to engaging in vigorous activity. But what about mental and spiritual vigor? I personally believe that having strength and good health in these areas are even more important in sports and in life. renewed-mind

Athletes do the same things every day on a consistent basis in order to compete at a level of excellence.

What do you focus on daily and consistently?

What does your self-talk sound like?

What do you believe about yourself? About others?

Are they thoughts that bring health, healing and wellness or lack, stress and fear?

Physical attributes of vigor are great and will gain you many accolades and awards, but, what about your mental and spiritual attributes of vigor? What would they say about you? What steps can you take today to gain strength and good health?

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It all begins with a choice to change!

via Daily Prompt: Vigor

I Am…

I wanted to share a glimpse into my heart…into the mind of a developing, growing and evolving woman who desires more for her life. This process started years ago, but my rebirth is very recent.

Sometimes, to truly start living, parts of your life must cease to exist. I came to that crossroad in September 2015. Coming face to face with the realization that my time on this earth could have ended due to an illness that was unseen shifted my focus. Experiencing life from a place of limitation, enforced medications and suspension of my passions changed me. The Dawn that existed before that moment was no longer and in her place was a being searching for purpose, meaning and answers. I felt so confused, alone and vulnerable…and I hated it! I yearned for the times when I knew exactly what I could and could not do. A times when I trusted my body and my intuition…a safer time. Even as I write this blog post, I am remembering the hazy vision I held for myself and the depression that was knocking at my door. Self-pity, condemnation and fear were beginning to take up residence in my mind and I almost gave them full access to my life…

But then, He stepped in and reminded me of this one thing…

I am not finished! Get up, Dawn!

wake-up-call-500x333 When I heard these words, I knew what He meant and I knew that I had to fight through spiritually what I was experiencing physically.

Generations were waiting on me! I have seeds to sow…life to share…

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When my wake-up call came through, it was June 2016. I was recovering from surgery, enjoying first-time home ownership, and preparing for my son’s 15^th birthday. My mind was swirling with emotions, desires and concerns yet I knew that this was all about to change. I began seeking resources on changing your mindset. There is so much information out there but nothing connected with me and where God was leading me. Being a lover of research, wisdom and books, I pursued my mental healing with a passion. I was lead to a life coach whose approach, teaching and lessons helped me to adjust my vision for myself and my purpose. She helped me realize that before I could get anyone else to believe in me, I needed to believe in myself! Not just the thoughts from my family, friends and co-workers, but God’s thoughts about me. And once I learned what He thought of me, I needed to ERASE ALL DOUBT! And my journey towards a miraculous, aggressive mindset renewal began. Unearthing the deeply buried limiting beliefs was an uncomfortable process but liberating at the same time. Day by day, the scales began to fall from my eyes and the plugs out of my ears…and it was like I was seeing and hearing for the first time.

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God is so amazing!

And it was during this time that God allowed me to have a glimpse into the life He always desired for me. A life that was lying dormant within my mind that I refused to believe was possible. I refused to believe it because others told me that it was not for me.

A life of abundance

A life of prosperity

A life of love and peace

A life of wholeness

It was always there for me…I just would not receive it. I left it sitting there like an unopened gift from an unsuspecting recipient. Why you may ask? Well, because I allowed the words of others to create my reality.

Our words (and the words of others) are powerful tools. They can create life or death both intentionally and accidentally. You will notice I write about that in every post I create because I am a believer in the power of our words. God created EVERYTHING from a word! And we are created in His image…what does that tell you?

I decided to speak life over myself and my destiny. To believe in my gifts, talents and abilities. To believe that I had something to offer the world that would leave an impact for generations to come. And that is when Atmospheres of Wellness was born!

I am an architect by training and I am currently working towards licensure. I have a passion for creating healing environments that promote wellness – both in the workplace and home space. I am a healer by nature and I learned this truth as I took the time to discover who He said I am. Additionally, I am committed to living a clean life – in my foods, conversations and actions. I am learning as much as I can about holistic healing, clean eating and alternative medicines. I am a lover of essential oils and I believe in its ability to heal and soothe our bodies. I am a lover of life and a believer in the value of all life. I am a valuable person capable of greatness and impact. And THAT is my vision for my life. That is what I bring to the table of life and everyone who sits with me will experience encouragement, fulfillment and peace. That is who I am…

So…I thank you all for journeying with me. I thank you all for giving of your most precious resource to walk with me – your time! I do not take that investment lightly. As you read my blog, or my product posts on Facebook (Atmospheres Of Wellness), I believe that you will receive exactly what you need when you need it most. I believe that you will leave fuller than you came. And I also believe that the deposits you receive will produce a harvest of blessing in your life. THAT is my definition of wellness…and I AM an artisan of atmospheres of wellness.

Blessings to you all!

thank-you

(Please Note: I take no credit for the images used. Google has provided them all!)

Daily Prompt: Pungent

Have your senses ever been assaulted by a mere word? This is one of the words that do it for me! When I see this word, my body immediately recoils from a past experience with a pungent smell…similar to the image below. What about you?

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Words are so powerful…even when unspoken! I want to explore that dynamic with this word, so let’s dive in!

Oxford Dictionaries define pungent as:

having a sharply strong taste or smell
(of comment, criticism, or humor) having a sharp and caustic quality.

I have shared my experience of this word on the olfactory organs of the body and the objects that stimulate that sensory response. I am most interested in the second definition of this word:

‘having a sharp and caustic quality’ (as it relates to your words)

Our words have impact. Our words can create our reality – for positive or negative results. Our words are sharp and powerful. When we consider the power that can be unleashed by one of the smallest members of our body, I am amazed how often we carelessly deposit this seeds into the world without concern for the outcome. I am convinced many are unaware of the power within them and that the life they live is directly impacted by it.

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Our lives can look like this colorful, lush and beautiful garden. Filled with a harvest of words sown in love, peace, hope and wholeness. Encouraging one another, speaking love despite experiencing the opposite, standing on faith rather than fear. Those decisions produce a garden of life that would resemble this image. Does this resemble your life?

Or does this…

poor-harvest

Through the power of your pungent, bitter and life draining words, you can manifest a garden of life that looks barren, unfruitful and desolate. Speaking words of hate towards another, harboring bitterness, walking in fear and doubt. These decisions will produce a life that no one willingly desires. But how many of us can, unfortunately, relate to these images? Take inventory of your daily self-talk. Are your words life given or life taking?

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Our words mean more than the surface definition – they create life! Be intentional with your words and your thoughts! Pungent words will produce a pungent, bitter life. Do you want others to recoil when they encounter your presence? Choose your words wisely and intentionally today and wait with expectant hope for your beautiful garden of life to unfold!

via Daily Prompt: Pungent

Daily Prompt: Anticipation

Are we there yet? Can I open this? Have they arrived yet? Is it time? Is it time?!

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This is the season of anticipation! It is everywhere you look. Television commercials, radio stations, department stores…EVERYWHERE! People are getting ready for the next fun thing and it can be very energizing to experience. Let’s take a look at the definition…

Oxford Dictionaries define anticipation as:

the action of anticipating something; expectation or prediction

The painting above shows the typical stance of anticipation – anxiously waiting to receive. We are waiting for things to be received and given that we are expecting . Many times, these things are physical and tangible. Gifts, people, trips…all fun, amazing things.

But…

Are you anticipating the realization of your purpose? Are you excited about who you are and who you are becoming? Are you expectant of your dreams, talents and skills to be fully developed? Each day, do you sit and visualize what is possible for your life and believe it? And when you see it, does it prompt you to action? To take steps to receive? Most anticipate things to receive and just wait for it to come to them. I am challenging you to anticipate your dreams and GO GET THEM!

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Anticipation is prepared action…present action. You anticipate prepared the move on it! Make a decision to take a step towards your object of anticipation. What will you do today?

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via Daily Prompt: Anticipation

Daily Prompt: Elicit

Recently, I have realized that I am very sensitive to manipulation. The very concept of being manipulated by another infuriates me! I feel like this image…

puppet

And I am not sure where it all begun – maybe a childhood memory of my choice being taken from me only to be ‘convinced’ that another option would be better? Or maybe I simply reject the action of taking advantage of another person’s emotions. But one of the definitions of today’s word gave me a different sentiment…let’s explore!

Oxford Dictionaries defines elicit as:

evoke or draw out (a response, answer, or fact) from someone in reaction to one’s own actions or questions

Do you realize that when you elicit a response from another person, it is a form of manipulation? Think about it – you have a certain belief that you hold true and you desire for others to believe this as well. When having a conversation with a friend, you elicit a response from them that lines up with your belief through the use of certain words, phrases, images and stories… similar to a potter manipulating clay. The potter has a vision in mind and the intention is to create what they see.

You have a definite intention when you elicit another person and many times, it can come from a self-centered source rather than an other-centered source. When you speak with another person, what is your intention? What do you want to happen as a result of your interaction? Asking these questions can help you expose the true position of your heart and mind towards others.

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Our thoughts impact our words…

Our words impact our actions…

Our actions impact our world.

And when we impact our world, we impact everyone in it! All we need to do is turn on the television to see how our world has changed as a result of a thought that gave birth to actions that elicit fear, hate and hopelessness. One person had a thought that went unfiltered and that created a reality that is very painful to watch.

BUT…

We have also seen examples of the results of thoughts that produced words of hope, love and unity. Random acts of kindness to a homeless veteran, a generous tip given to a well-deserving restaurant worker. If you tune your eyes and ears to love, you can see love responses elicited in daily interactions among everyday people.

So what will you do today? Elicit emotions from a place of control and fear…which will only create more of the same.

Or, will you choose to elicit love responses through your right thoughts, words and actions?

SET YOUR INTENTIONS AND CHOOSE WISELY!

via Daily Prompt: Elicit

Daily Prompt: Scorched

As I sit at my desk, the word that comes to mind is far from our Daily Prompt. It is 35 degrees in Maryland and my warm cup of coffee truly kept me warm as I walked into the office. So, to see a word that creates images are warm, glowing ember is welcomed! But this word contains a more damaging element. Let’s explore it!

Scorched is defined, according to Oxford Dictionaries, as:

burn the surface of (something) with flame or heat

(of the heat of the sun) cause (vegetation or a place) to become dried out and lifeless

These images create a feeling of loss and destruction that can send a chill down your spine. The dual power of fire to both warm and destroy are evident. What causes that shift in power? What can turn a flame that can comfort into a flame that can eliminate life?

Lack of Balance

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We have all heard the saying, “Too much of a good thing is bad for you.” That saying is not just talking about excess of material items like food, clothing and money. Many of us have an imbalanced heart and mind. We focus too much on what we do not have rather than reflect on what we do. We think on what this country is lacking rather than the possibilities for what it can change. We focus on how much our neighbor has rather that the blessings right under our roofs. This imbalanced thinking scorches our vision…it causes us to see a reality that is not accurate. A reality that has been impacted by our lifeless thoughts and burned out dreams. We have allowed the belief in our apparent lack to eliminate all hope from our hearts…and what is left is a scorched wasteland of unfulfilled purpose.

Our thoughts create our reality. Circumstances may lack at times, but that is a temporary condition if we decide it is. If we choose to step back, adjust our focus and balance our thinking. With these steps, we can extinguish the scorching fire our of thoughts and create a beautiful landscape of hope, peace and possibility.

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What scorching thoughts are threatening your garden of life? Choose to extinguish them today with thoughts of love, hope and wholeness.

via Daily Prompt: Scorched

Daily Prompt: Mythical

The word ‘mythical’ creates fantastic images in the mind. It expands your vision to creatures, places and experiences that seem too incredible to exist. You imagine the creative genius displayed in Disney movies or in Marvel comics that transports you to dimensions unknown to man. It is a very exciting word!

Let’s explore this word a bit deeper…

Mythical is defined as:

occurring in or characteristic of myths or folk tales
idealized, especially with reference to the past
fictitious

I have a dear friend who absolutely adores unicorns! I believe she would have a unicorn if they were not a mythical creature. I can understand her love of the image of a unicorn…they look so peaceful, majestic and regal. Yet, we ‘know’ that they are not real.

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Personally, I absolutely adore the concept and imagery of Wonder Woman! I dreamed of being her as a young girl – deflective bangles and all! You could NOT convince me that I was not driving in my invisible jet while sitting on the sofa… nope!

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Our imaginations are a gift from our Creator. It takes us up out of the limitations of our human existence to a place without bounds. It gives us space to believe in the seemingly impossible. To believe that we can be more than what we see. That we can have more than what we currently possess. The ideals carry us through some challenging seasons of life. I also believe that they are glimpses into what is actually possible for our lives. Not every myth is fictitious. The concept originated from some point of truth… some point of belief.

Have you ever thought about some of the myths we learned as children? Where did the concept of the gods in Greek mythology come from? Where did the concept of Santa Claus start? Each of these ‘myths’ originated from some person’s experience in their lifetime. Through oral tradition, words were added or deleted; attributes were embellished or removed completely. But at the beginning, the myth was very real to the originator of the account. Consider this – maybe they had a painful experience and the image of this person pulled them out of that pain momentarily? Maybe imagining an unknown creature empowered them to believe that life was more than what they saw with their own 2 eyes? Or maybe…when you imagine the life that you desire to live and you see yourself being that person right now, it increases your faith in the POSSIBLE and encourages you to keep doing the good in your heart?

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Close your eyes and imagine the impossible for your life…then pause for a moment and consider, “What if this really IS possible?”

NEVER.STOP.DREAMING.

via Daily Prompt: Mythical

Daily Prompt: Percolate

This word brings many different thoughts to mind – coffee and dancing are the most prominent for me! Being a 90’s teenager, I remember a song that played often in New York where I grew up. If you were a teenager around that time, you know what I am talking about! And the lovely warmth of a cup of coffee on a cold fall or winter morning in my hands is the other image. Both brought smiles to me face and a pep in my energy – Thank you WordPress!

But now, let’s go deeper! Follow me…

Percolate is defined as a verb in 3 ways (Oxford Dictionaries):

(of a liquid or gas) filter gradually through a porous surface or substance,

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(of information or an idea or feeling) spread gradually through an area or group of people,

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be or become full of lively activity or excitement

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Each of these definitions evoke images of action, movement and energy flow. The word has impact on its environment and changes the atmosphere – it transfers from one thing to the next. From one person to the next person. From one location to the next location. This energy flow can be a flow of positive, productive, fruitful activity – which is what I am showing above. This energy flow can also be negative, destructive and burdensome as well.

Once again, it is a daily choice what energy you will percolate into your atmosphere. What type of vessel are you? What energy are you percolating today? I chose to be a powerful percolating vessel of light, joy, excitement and expectation of all that is good! What about you!

via Daily Prompt: Percolate

Daily Prompt: Filthy

What a word! As is my custom, let’s look at the definition (Oxford Dictionaries):

disgusting dirt
obscene and offensive language or printed material.
used as a term of abuse for a person or people one greatly despises
corrupt behavior; decadence

I am looking at these definitions and I am searching for the good in it. Isn’t that how we should navigate our daily interactions and conversations – What good can I pull from this?

Follow me for a moment…

What emotions come to the surface when you see this image? I know as a mom, I feel disgusted, frustrated and disappointed if this was my son’s room! As a woman who values cleanliness and order, this is chaotic image. But then…if I allow my emotional expectations to take a seat, I begin to see something different. I see OPPORTUNITY!

A person with a filthy mind has an opportunity to choose purity.

A family with a filthy home has an opportunity to choose order.

A business with a filthy reputation has an opportunity to choose honor.

We can choose to see and seize the opportunity or we can choose to see the filth and:

accept it (Hey, this is who I am!)
ignore it (What filth? I don’t see it)
condemn it ( How could I do this to myself? I am such a loser!)
defend it ( Don’t judge me! You have no idea what I have been through!)

There is an element of filth in everyone’s life…what opportunity will you choose to see in it?

via Daily Prompt: Filthy

Daily Prompt: Tart

I looked up the definition of the word “tart”. I am very intentional about how I use words and what I allow to come to my mind and from my mouth. Traditionally, when people hear the word “tart”, we think of a delicious dessert that satisfies our physical bodies (somewhat). With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, it is quite understandable. Just look at this!! YUM!

tart

But, I decided to go deeper…

Tart is defined in 2 ways – both descriptive:

sharp to the taste; sour or acid:
sharp in character, spirit, or expression; cutting; biting:

Let’s look at the second description – ” sharp in character, spirit, or expression; cutting; biting”. What images come to mind when you read that? Speak those words out loud…what does your mind see?

A sharp character has been projected on us as a negative image. One of anger, one of negative confrontation, one of isolation from others. Did you see the same thing? I want to challenge you to expand your vision to see ‘sharp in spirit and expression’ as something more! Something powerful and productive…

The definition of intentional is “done on purpose; deliberate”. The word you speak has a definite purpose and accomplishes its goal. It CUTS through all fluff and distractions and hits it mark. Your words are SHARP! Can you see the difference? Can you FEEL the difference?

Tart has been attached to our mind as an unwanted sensation. When you go deeper and understand the truth far below the surface, a wonderfully powerful vision comes to the surface!

Be TART with your words and accomplish your purpose today!!

via Daily Prompt: Tart

Artisan of Peace

Creating Space to BE in your Life

Month: November 2016