Happy Memorial Day, and Happy Mojo Monday!

Ahhhh….stretch. My doggie Grendel does this awesome doggie stretch first thing in the morning, and I’ve been finding myself imitating her lately. It feels good! Good morning, Pinkies. Sleep well? Or as my daughter Siena likes to ask, “Have fun sweet dreams?” She loves approaching strangers with that one when we’re out in pubic. She’ll walk right up to someone and say, “What did you dream about?” with this cocked head and a Freudian furrow in her brow. People actually answer her. Cracks me up every time. Then, when they turn the question back on her and ask what she dreams about, she says (every single time) “I dream about the choo-choo train.”

But I digress. Today, I’m going to invite you to pull out the journal you decorated last Mojo Monday. What did you name your journal? Mine is Bella, and she’s sitting right here beside me with the pretty fountain pen I bought for my husband Matt but have since hoarked from him and replaced with Pink Ink. Do you all use that word, hoarked? I learned it from JC, my boyfriend in college. The definition goes something like this: Hoark. Verb. To steal something really righteous that you have no right stealing. Like a street sign with your name on it. Or those blinking Bob’s Barricades lights they use around construction sites. Not that I would ever steal those things, but my husband’s poor pen definitely got hoarked.

But I digress. Again. It’s still early, and although my fingers are typing away, my brain hasn’t completely woken up yet. But back on topic- your journal. If you get a chance, I’d love it if you could give yourself the gift of setting aside some time to write. It won’t take long- just a few minutes. If you can, I recommend making this a daily exercise. This exercise was inspired by the three question journal Rachel Naomi Remen teaches health care providers to keep. I've modified the exercise to make it Pink. Take a few minutes when you first wake up or just before bed and answer these three questions.

1) What three things did I appreciate today?

2) How did I Own Pink today?

3) What inspired me today?

Let's take the first question. What three things did I appreciate today? When we’ve lost our mojo, it can be challenging to Own Gratitude. It may be hard to notice things you are grateful for. You may not be grateful for the court documents you were served today by your vicious soon-to-be ex-husband or for the cancer cells that found their way into a lymph node or the paperwork you have to deal with when you lose someone you love. But maybe you noticed how the fiddlehead ferns are just starting to unfold, in all their beauty. Or maybe a woman in the line at the grocery store ran to grab you the box of cereal you forgot because you looked like you needed a hand. Or perhaps your cat purred extra-lovingly right when you needed it. Acknowledge what you appreciate.

On to the second question- How did I Own Pink today? No fair answering, “I didn’t.” Remember that change doesn’t happen over night. If all you see is a molecule of change, own it! Change is like peeling an onion. Every movement is an infinite movement in the direction you want to go. There’s no such thing as perfections- you just change cell layer by cell layer. Give yourself a pat on the back for the things you did do. Did you write in your journal? Well, that’s something. Did you schedule a doctor’s appointment? That’s a big Pink thing, taking charge of your health. Did you prepare a healthy, homemade dinner? You get extra credit for that too, since you were Owning both Health and Creativity. Maybe you regained 1/10 of 1% of your mojo today. Well, hallelujah! Honor those molecules of change, and remember that, when you add up all the molecules, you’ve got something big.

The third question-What inspired me today? Maybe some pattern in the veins of a leave made you want to pull out your watercolors. Maybe your seven-year old son reminded you that we all once saw the world through a child’s eyes. Maybe your eighty-three year old next door neighbor just signed up for a dance class. Maybe something someone wrote lit a little fire under you. Whatever it is, jot it down. You can use all the Pink inspiration you can get!

Writing in your journal doesn’t have to take more than 5 minutes. If you feel the call, take more time and delve deeper, but don’t let it be yet another thing on your to-do list that doesn’t get done. Take 5 minutes. You’ll be surprised how something this simple can touch your heart. In the future, we’ll do longer, more creative writing exercises for the Owning Your Voice Journal Club, but for now, just answer the three questions.

Here’s what I wrote last night:

1. Today, I appreciated the California poppies and lupine that are blooming all over the hillside on the trail I hiked today. I appreciated the really yummy cashew nut milk I made for myself with vanilla and dates. And I appreciate the candle that’s lit beside me right now, while the sun sets over the mountains and casts a glow on the ocean. Life is beautiful, eh?
2. I Owned Pink today by casting a woman with breast cancer for The Woman Inside Project I’m working on. She was having a rough time, 3 years out from her breast cancer, but I touched her, held space for her, and listened to her tell her story while she modeled for me. When she left my home, I could tell that she had a subtle shift, that telling her story and participating in something bigger than her- this art show of breast cancer survivors- uplifted her. I guess I helped her Own Pink herself, which is always the best way for me to Own Pink.
3. My daughter inspired me today. She was constipated, and she sat on the potty pushing and pushing, trying to get the poo-poo out, until finally, it all came out. She stood there naked, in front of the mirror, and said, “Thank you, bottom, for pushing all the poo-poo’s out.” How many times have I looked in the mirror when I was naked and cursed my tushie, when I should have been thanking it for doing such a good job at pushing all the poo-poo’s out. Way to Own Your Body, Siena!

Want to share yours? Maybe something you discovered will inspire someone else. Post your comments and tell us what you wrote, if you feel like sharing.

With Appreciation, Pinkness, and Inspiration,

Lissa