In this new weekly series, we’ll offer up a little wordly inspiration to kick-off your week.
Some simple wisdom, elegant and accessible. From one soul to another.
We hope it helps you ease into your morning.
xo

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The Bliss Hangover

10 days ago I wrapped up an amazing 2-day workshop experience (a complete wrap up w/ photos is coming soon, promise).

It was my first foray into facilitating a group on my own. It was my first in-person offering at The Girl Who Knows. It was my first time charging money for this type of work. In fact, it was a weekend of many firsts.

The only word that can describe the beauty of what took place in that room over the course of those two days is: bliss. Pure, fresh, totally unadulterated bliss. The kind that you felt when you went sliding down your slip ’n slide on a perfect summer afternoon when you were 8 years old. The kind that you feel when you take a real vacation, toes tucked underneath the sand, the waves crashing at your feet, the sun on your face, a perfect breeze. That kind of bliss.

I feel like I’m a bit of a bliss addict. I get totally high from the experience of feeling bliss. I want more and more and more. I romanticize bliss like I would a new lover. Me and bliss = meant to be. Perfect for each other. Bliss can do no wrong. And bliss certainly won’t leave me high and dry (never)!

And then inevitably, bliss fades. The buzz wears off. The love goggles come off. The feelings of pure joy and oneness simmer down. And I’m left with a hangover to rival any chemical induced hangover I’ve ever known. A feeling of certain loss sets in. I wonder how I’ll get bliss back again. I stay in my PJ’s for a few days too long, eating chips and spicy aztec chocolate bars. I’m jonesing for a hit of bliss, where the blah’s have taken up residence. Ugh. Just ugh.

This my dear friends is what I like to call ::

A Bliss Hangover

And damn if she doesn’t rear her little head every single time we experience a life changing weekend, a magical interlude or a transformative joyful moment. Am I right? I’m sure you’ve experienced something similar.

So, what to do when you feel like it’s time to shake off the blah’s and move back into the land of your core desired feelings? I go straight to my go-to question. A question that is profound in its simplicity. Something that I can remember to ask myself, without having to get it tattooed on my wrist (though I’ve thought about it…).

The question that helps me get back to my bliss is ::

How do I want to feel?

Right now. Today. In this moment. How do I most want to feel?

Well, in this moment as I write this, I want to feel creative and connected. When I acknowledge how I want to feel, I’m able to stop, take stock of the moment and see if what I’m doing in this moment is helping me to feel that way. In this case, writing this post is most definitely making me feel creative and very connected to you and by extension to myself.

When we know how we want to feel and assess our current activities/situation to determine whether or not it is bringing us closer or further away form our core desired feeling(s) — it becomes quite clear that we have one of two choices. We continue on the current path, because hell yes we feel good (even if that means a few more hours of staying in PJ’s and eating chocolate) OR, we recognize that what we’re doing isn’t serving our greater good and we course correct. We decide to put away the chips, make a salad and get out of our PJ’s and put on something that makes us feel how we really want to feel.

I’m curious how this works for you. I challenge you this week to ask yourself the GOLDEN question — how do I want to feel? Ask it as often as necessary. Ask it A LOT! See what you need to shift, change or re-think in order to feel the way you truly want to feel.

And I (money back) guarantee, your hangover will fade and give way to many more moments of that lovely thing called bliss!

Questions + thoughts to muse on this week:
Do you have bliss hangovers? What do you do you when you’ve got one and are ready to pull yourself out of it? How do you want to feel? Like, right in this moment? What do you need to do to pivot or shift into feeling that way? Make feeling how you want to feel your priority today and throughout the week ahead.
Leave me a note below + share your insight!

xo