2018: How I Spent a Year Shifting My Mindset

This year was probably one of the most profound years on record. Not because I got everything I wanted or did everything I planned to do. But, it included me taking the time to journey inward. The type of inward reflection and shifting that can only really truly happen once you enter a certain decade of life where you are in a constant process of realizing what truly matters and who you truly are.

I thought I knew myself and could navigate my life in a way to yield success. I had been going and ascending and am very thankful for external achievements, but I did feel that my foundation needed more substance, more support. Some health challenges moved me in a direction to seek beyond what traditional Western medicine offered and challenge myself to go deeper and be a student of my own healing and growth.

It started at the tail end of 2017. I started watching YouTube videos, reading books on spirituality, intuition, serendipity, and the power of the mind. This led me starting my year off with an ever-evolving plan to “get my mind right.” That involved everything from strengthening my relationship with God, embracing vulnerability especially with my friends, forgiving those who I didn’t think deserved my forgiveness, and leading with love in everything.

I am so proud that I was consistent and stuck with this work. Because it isn’t a work that you can always physically see, it’s easy to slough it off as unimportant or not working. But, I experienced incremental changes in all aspects of my life. Improved health and clarity. Weight loss and reduction of inflammation. Mental clarity. Mental toughness. Emotional independence (thanks Jada and Red Table for this phrase). And self love on a level that I was unaware of.

I used to be a resolutions person going into a new year, but like dieting, I’m ditching that tradition for more of a lifestyle goals type of restart for the new year. I did, however, want to reflect on some of the stuff I did this year and offer a list for others looking to embark on a journey inward. What I know for sure is this inward journey is never done. We are always students in this classroom of life and so I’m excited about what I’m going to learn this coming year and grateful to still be around with air in my lungs to learn those lessons.

All the Things/People/Places Used to Shift Mindset in 2018:

1. Wayne Dyer books and podcast
2. Joel Osteen’s podcast
3. Goop podcast
4. Meditation (with and without apps)
5. Abraham Hicks teachings
6. Insights Timer app
7. Calm app
8. Yoga (everywhere from on a mountain in Aspen to my Core Power Yoga studio and my in-home mat)
9. Chicago lakefront path biking, running and walking
10. Sitting outside on a park bench to get sunlight (and up my Vitamin D number)
11. Deep breaths (scheduled thanks to the Breath app on my Apple Watch)
12. Hot tea
13. Celery juice
14. The Medical Medium
15. Daily commitment at least one-thousand times a day to my faith in God
16. Prayer (my own prayers and asking others for prayer)
17. The Chicago Public Library (so I don’t have to buy all the books I want to read)
18. Open Table for reservations for dinner dates with my husband and my dinner club buddies
19. Yelp
20. My Dinner Club crew
21. Aspen, Colorado for my birthday respite and yoga on a mountain
22. Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Egypt. I went to Africa for the first time this year and saw the pyramids and I was forever changed. I must be related to Hatshepsut.
23. Uber Eats
24. Alexa
25. Smooth Jazz
26. Word search games, Scrabble and Solitaire
27. Shine App
28. Netflix, Hulu, Xfinity, and Amazon Prime
29. Tetris app
30. Apple music
31. Questlove Supreme podcast
32. Pray.com
33. Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, its Pastor, and First Lady
34. NPR
35. New York Times
36. Morning Joe
37. The Read podcast
38. My three life coaches who replaced my talk therapist this year. Especially the Aha Project with Kea Meyers Duggan
39. Hay House Radio
40. Think Up affirmations app
41. Simple Habit app
42. Encouraging texts from my BFF Robin
43. Quarterly sister girlfriend dinners with Shannelle
44. Nice pens, stationery, and journals
45. Essential oils and diffusers
46. Baths with salt and lavender oil
47. Mani/Pedis
48. My home masseuse Xing Ming and Bliss spa for facials and massages
49. Red Table Talk
50. Jada Pinkett Smith
51. My co-workers
52. My husband, who told me every day how beautiful and smart I am and loved me through my mess
53. Other women in my industry who supported me, gave me shout outs and recommendations to be better. Too many to name.
54. Flowers at home and in the office to brighten my day and keep me connected to nature
55. Qi Gong
56. Healing Visualizations
57. Books, books and more books
58. My writing partner Liz who is committed to our first novel (2019 is our year!)
59. Candles
60. Crystals
61. Incense
62. Egyptian healing oils
63. Supplements like Ceylon Cinnamon, Tumeric, Chinese herbs, Ginger, Lemon Water, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Black Seed Oil, Oil of Oregano, and filtered water
64. The angels who are watching over me and helping me along my journey
65. God, who is not through with me yet