Tag Archives: November

Putting the NO in NOvember

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November is a great time to start saying no to things that aren’t important or that don’t fit in with your life plan. It is NOvember, after all.

It doesn’t have to be drastic but small changes can be beneficial. This week has been challenging because I was overbooked and torn in a few directions every single day. With plans of some kind every night this week, there wasn’t much downtime or even time to keep up with daily chores.

Thankfully, every week isn’t like this in my world. The busyness did make it easier to say no to doomscrolling or to following a routine just because I usually do it.

Lately, I find my attention span suffering because there are lots of things and people at the ready to take my brain by the hand and lead it away to what they want me to do. How DOES one concentrate in that environment?

Today, I’m saying no to almost everything. I slept in. There are a few chores to be done. At some point I’ll take a shower and put on clean pajamas because, after all, I’m not saying no to personal hygiene!

Eventually, I will prop up my sprained ankle and read or watch a movie. I bought a new puzzle aimed at keeping me still. Perhaps that’s in my future as well.

I’m starting to transition into a quieter season of life as I lean into the colder, shorter days of winter. We’ll call this day one of appreciating how the cooler season can contribute to mental health and overall wellness.

Enough about me.

While my story may sound relatable, your story is probably completely different. What should YOU be saying NO to this NOvember?

We are nearing the end of the month but it’s never too late to start! Is it an expensive vice like vaping or energy drinks? Should you be saying no to the PTO president who has learned to guilt you into submission because the other parents scatter into the wind when there’s work to be done?

Maybe there are tasks you do because you’ve “always done it that way.” Now that’s a terrible phrase. And just how much time are you spending binging tv or scrolling on your phone when you could be playing with your kids, traveling or doing all the things you say you want to do?

What is it that’s distracting you, eating up your money and robbing you of precious time? Life is so short. Bad habits, energy thieves and people who steal time will make it seem shorter.

Time is a trickster. We all get the same 24 hours in a day but, when you’re little, the days feel so long and like they’ll never end. Christmas will never come when you’re a kid and it’s only June. As you age, time speeds up until life feels almost like a runaway train. Blink and you’ll miss it.

Time will continue to march on with or without permission. Saying NO to what we can allows us to say YES to what matters most. In my case today, that will be my mental and physical health. My yes may be different every day and yours may as well.

It’s Saturday, friends. It’s as good a day as any to start saying no!

The Earth Grows Quiet

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“In November, the earth is growing quiet. It is making its bed, a winter bed for flowers and small creatures.”

Cynthia Rylant

November has arrived, the time has changed and now is the time to make your winter bed. Don’t fight the seasons and don’t deny Nature her will.

Embrace the quiet and peace of these restful months as the earth grows quiet. It’s a wonderful opportunity to focus on self care and other joys of the season.

Happy Monday, friends!

Slowing Down

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As the world begins to slow down and winter approaches, it’s time to think about slowing down your own life and embrace this next season of rest and quiet.

When was the last time you walked amongst the trees and squirrels? When was the last time you slept in? When was the last time you had the camper out or set up a tent for the kids in the back yard?

The burn ban has been lifted here in southern Ohio. Maybe it’s time to have a bonfire. Hot chocolate and smores for everyone!

Read a book, take time to play catch with your grandkids, watch rain drops stream down the window, kick up your feet for a beloved old movie or use the chocolate chip bag recipe to make some cookies.

Action packed doesn’t equal happy. Sometimes the happiest moments can be found in the slow, quiet ones.

October is typically my busiest month of the year. November is a delightfully quiet, slower and darker time to rest and revitalize the mind, body, and spirit. I am beginning to yearn for early bedtimes and cozy nights at home.

As much as I love all the running around I’m doing right now, I eagerly await what’s to come with the shorter days of November!

NO-vember

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There is a movement afoot this month to rethink November as NO-vember. The idea behind it is to say no to the things that don’t matter, no to the things that steal your joy, no to the things that cause you stress.

This fits in well with what I wrote yesterday about the time change. Sometimes, as we seek joy in the small things, we have to say no to the unnecessary stuff all around us.

This November, by saying no to the people who makes us feel inferior and no the unnecessary things that drag us down, there’s more time to focus on the good.

This November, I plan to hike, to eat nourishing foods, to read and to feather my nest in preparation for the winter hibernation season.

Life has taught me that saying no isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes it’s the only way to get to the yes of what matters most to you.

A Broken Record

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At the risk of sounding like a broken record – I hiked again last night. Yesterday was gorgeous and warm enough for short sleeves. It was too nice to be inside so I headed to Cedar Falls.

The colors were muted and it was quiet out on the trail. The people I encountered seemed like true nature lovers who moved along the trail silently rather than the noisy tourists I often encounter.

This log reminds me of the Loch Ness Monster.

The roots and rocks are incredible on this trail.

Yup. That’s the trail. Cool, right?

As always, be sure to look up every chance you get.

Speaking of looking up- it’s almost the weekend! Happy Friday!

Where Did This Month Go?

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It’s November 30th and this is what our landscape looks like here in southern Ohio. It’s stark but pretty, especially in places with pine trees to offer some softness and color.

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is December. How is that even possible? Where did this month go?

The weather app claims that snow will find us tomorrow and I am glad. When snow blankets the landscape, it’s not just pretty. It signals to me changes in nature and changes in the rhythm of my own life. In winter I tend to slow down, to rest better and to breathe deeper.

It’s a visual cue to begin a season of quiet.

I wouldn’t enjoy it so much if I didn’t have a warm home or were called out at night to clear roads. However, from the comfort of a warm place, there’s nothing better than waking up to the first fresh fallen snow of the year.