If you are wound tight from the hustle and bustle of summer or just trying to prevent the stress from hiding your personality this school year, this seven-day guide will help you revive the grace and poise of your inner goddess.
Day 1: Empower other women
Get your girls together and empower each other. Learn to see the beauty in each other without stifling our own. Focus on the authenticity that each of you exudes and honor them. Being different is actually a good thing.
*If you are up for a mystical adventure try combining day one and two.
Day 2: Connect with nature
Spending time Mother Nature can do wonders for reconnecting with the true you. Personally, I am convinced that one night in the woods will solve any metaphysical battle I am facing. The most important thing to remember today is to stay present as much as possible (wifi and experiencing nature don't mix very well).
Day 3: Adjust your mornings
Science says that the way one handles their mornings decides their day. Therefore, if you are dry shampooing your hair while scarfing down dry cereal in-between sips of coffee, your day will be rushed. But if you give yourself time to make your bed and not leave a pile of clothes on the ground, your good days will begin to out number your bad days. The little things really do count, so put in the time, Goddess.
Day 4: Decrease judgment
Learn about other cultures, get out of your box. Since this is a "crash course" you can't very easily grab your passport and jump into another culture (though I 10/10 recommend doing this asap), there are other ways of doing this right in your community. Think of something you are quick to judge, maybe it's that group of bikers that always meet around at their favorite coffee shop? Are you just a tad more on edge when in their presence? What about the homeless? Or the person in the fast food drive? The young kid driving a range rover? What are the thoughts that run through your head as you encounter these sub cultures different than your own? Biologically our brains are wired to think this way to decide if something is dangerous or not, but in today's world, judging by the cover won't make much difference in your safety.
If you let go of such critical thinking, you will more easily forgive and maybe even forget that others judge you, spiking your confidence and optimizing your self-expression.
Day 5: Learn what you do to please others and what you do to please yourself
Sometimes we do things for others not because we want to, but because we are invested in the relationship and they want or need us too. Recognizing this is a crucial part both to strengthening relationships and our own sense of self.
Another thing to think about is the things you do for others that don't actually have an effect on them. For example, when you get dressed in the morning, who are you getting dressed for? Be sure that what you put on makes you feel good and stop worrying about everyone else. This also applies to social media. Are you putting something up in hopes the pictures catch a specific someone's eye? Or do you just love the moment the picture captured and want to share the happiness with the world? As a goddess, your motive should be kindness to both yourself and others. Period.
Day 6: Your body is a temple
The most important rule of transitioning to eating healthy is 80/20, meaning eighty percent of the time you eat clean and the other 20 percent of the time is for good ol’ soul food, (Fact: I wouldn’t be able to survive finals without mac and cheese). I also find it helpful to listen to my body to know what it needs when. Morning carbs are a must followed by afternoon protein. But I also know when I need an entire chocolate bar. 80 keeps you healthy, 20 keeps you sane.
That being said, a temple is not something you would shame for being a certain way. Instead a temple is celebrated for its unique beauty and power that it brings to the community, just like you. Guilty and put downs are not in a goddess' vocabulary, so toss them out the window, NOW!
Day 7: Be creative
This step is pretty self-explanatory, just be creative. Whether it's the outfit you choose today, the dinner you make, or doodles you color, just spend your time engaging the right side of the brain. By doing so, you are expressing who you are (make sure your motive is in check) and expanding deeper into your intuition.
As you continue to share your inner goddess with the world, never stop taking the time to nurture her.