The divine ordinary is the smell of coffee brewing. It is the sound of rain against the window. It’s the feeling you get when you take a deep breath and exhale the moment. It’s being fully connected and present with each moment. The divine ordinary, is the thing that allows you to make small moments sacred.
What is the divine ordinary?
The first step in creating the divine ordinary is to recognize what the divine ordinary is to you. To me, the divine ordinary is the smell of coffee brewing. It is the sound of rain against the window. It’s the feeling you get when you take a deep breath and exhale the moment. It’s being fully connected and present with each moment. The divine ordinary, is the thing that allows you to make small moments sacred.
2020 has turned out to be a difficult and unprecedented time for all of us. We’re all facing high levels of stress. Many of us are battling anxiety and depression on top of it. And that is why I wanted to share with you how to create the divine ordinary and make your life extraordinary.
Creating the Divine Ordinary and Making Life Extraordinary
1. Stop and Smell the Soap Bubbles
Mindfulness and breathwork bring each individual, no matter his/her age, into the present moment. It raises our awareness of our physical bodies and physical presence in time and space. Being in the present moment eliminates a lot of unnecessary distractions.
Something as simple as focusing on the breath can turn the volume down on the world around us until those distractions fade into the distance. By learning how to recognize the present moment, we can learn to make each moment an opportunity for gratitude. Connecting to the feeling of gratitude as much as you can throughout the day, is a game changer.
Where are you in this present moment? Remember when you were a child, red faced and fists clenched? I do! would get so mad, I would literally hold my breath until I fainted! At some point, some wise old soul taught me to take a deep breath and count to ten.
Are you breathing?
Right now, I bet your tongue is tensed to the roof of your mouth. Relax. Take a deep breath, center yourself and breathe in a calm moment right now. Try a calming routine every day. For me, I hand-washed a few dishes in the morning. I love the smell of the soap bubbles and the way the water feels. It connects me to the moment and the moment connects me to my day.
2. Cultivate Good Vibes
Mindset is everything. The thoughts that we keep thinking control our lives. If you don’t believe me, try it for one day. Instead of immediately finding what’s wrong with a situation, find 5 things that are right. Instead of finding fault in your co-worker, find 5 things that are great.
Watch what happens after just one day.
It is a difficult and unprecedented time for all of us. We’re all facing high levels of stress. Many of us are battling anxiety and depression on top of it. It is OK, to not be OK right now. But, it is not OK to stay there.
This week I went through my social media “friends” and I didn’t allow anybody to be neutral. I took a long hard look at the list, and deleted anybody that was not supportive, or did not make me feel like they had my best interest in mind.
I deleted so many people, Facebook said I couldn’t delete anymore people.
The people and the thoughts we surround ourselves with matter. Honestly, I feel lighter. I feel calmer. I feel like I’ve owed it to myself for a long time to do that.
I encourage you to find a positive group of people. Connect with people that make you smile. Love and be loved. Tell a joke.
Be the light for those around you.
People will always remember how you made them feel. If you need a little pick-me-up invite you to check out any of the many churches or spiritual groups online.
3. Get in Your Feels
Do you want a million dollars? Or do you want the feeling that would come with having a million dollars? Maybe it’s not actually the money you’re seeking, but the safety or security that you would feel when you have it.
Do you want to go on vacation? Or do you want the feeling you have when you are on vacation? You want the feeling of relaxing on the beach with the sand between your toes. You can create these same feelings without a million bucks or a beach vacation.
In “The Desire Map,” Danielle LaPorte says,
“Knowing how you actually want to feel is the most potent form of clarity that you can have. Generating these feelings is the most powerfully creative thing that you can do with your life.” ~ Danielle LaPorte
Your words create the feeling you are trying to achieve. Choose words that take action. For example, if you are trying to calm a child, choose words you associate with relaxation. You may choose words such as: sink, drift or recline. Here is a short list of some of my favorite visualization verbs to help you get started.
Why are we doing this?
The truth is, the “new normal” doesn’t seem very normal. 2020 has turned out to be a difficult and unprecedented time for all of us. We’re all facing high levels of stress. Many of us are battling anxiety and depression on top of it. We can all use a moment to channel the Divine Ordinary and make life extraordinary.
Comments
Kristi McDonald
Kristi is a serial entrepreneur, educator, and CEO of ETeacherApp.com, the site created to help teachers and families navigate through the next school year. She is also a recognized children’s yoga specialist, published children’s author, and Chapter Director of Boss Talks DFW. Connect with her or sign up at ETeacherApp.com
read more