Where it all began…the roots of Magic Monday and an aligned life.

This isn’t my typical Magic Monday, but I stumbled across something from 2016 (!!!) that I thought might be worth sharing with you. 🙂

Back then, I was living a pretty normal life in Seattle and going about my business (and everyone called me Mo). And then a plot twist to my normal life happened: a major breakup. It was out of the blue, but it honestly cracked something open in me. Looking back, I can honestly say it was the beginning of my spiritual awakening (feels weird to say I’m grateful for that heartbreak… but I am!).

That chapter of my life sparked everything. I started reading life-changing books, stepping way out of my comfort zone, and beginning the journey of figuring out who I really was.

Fast forward to now and I feel more aligned than ever. Since that plot twist, I left my job, began traveling, launched Dream Life Connection, and found my rhythm as a dream therapist and online business manager.

But here’s the part I want to share with you: I recently found a list I wrote during that time. It’s nothing fancy (some may say it’s nothing special at all) – it’s just a bunch of things I was doing that brought more joy, curiosity, and magic into my day-to-day life. In a way, it was the very beginning of Magic Monday.

I remember back then, coworkers were asking me why I was always in such a good mood. So I’d share with them some of the little things I was doing; tiny rituals that made life feel lighter and brighter. Eventually, I turned those tidbits into “Mo’s List” and sent it to a few people… and before I knew it, people around the office were coming up to me and asking, “Hey, can you send me the list too?!”

Reading it now, the list feels pretty basic, but that’s kind of the point. It was the start. The foundation. The little spark that turned into a much bigger flame.

In a way, Magic Monday grew out of that very list – I’ve apparently always been a fan of little nuggets of magic!

The list from September 2016 is below (so don’t judge my writing, please! 😂 Oh, young Mo…), and I hope it inspires you to write one of your own. Take a few minutes to jot down the small things that make you feel good, alive, curious, calm, connected – whatever makes you happy. You never know… 10 years from now, you might stumble across it and realize just how far you’ve come – and how much magic was there all along. ✨

Mo’s List

1. Walking – just going outside and walking around neighborhoods; exploring all the cute little businesses in our city. Noticing gardens and animals. I love pretending I live in different neighborhoods and being inspired by all the houses. A girl can dream… 
   
2. Reading – read, read, read! Books that have impacted my life in magical ways: A Return to Love, The Four Agreements, Your Divine Lens, The Power is Within You, Wheels of Life (all about Chakras), Conversations with God, The Alchemist, The Compound Effect, Spirit Junkie. Can you tell I love self-help books? I’ve noticed that when I read these books, my life perfectly correlates. When I read a book on lucid dreaming, that’s when I experienced it! It’s so cool how it all works. I also read little excerpts each morning that set a great tone for the day: Meditations from the Mat, The Book of Awakening, One Year Wiser.
   
3. NO TV – I haven’t been watching TV and it has been extremely helpful. Since I work in News, and I noticed the energy from the news was weighing me down. Very depressing. Not having those negative messages/images in my mind anymore has been extremely beneficial. Same with TV shows and advertisements. Feels like my mind is really clean because I haven’t been watching TV.
   
4. YOGA – Yoga is changing my life. It’s affecting me physically, mentally, and spiritually. I’m excited to immerse myself more into it. I started in March and my body is loving me for it. I’ve never been so in shape and that makes me feel so much more confident!
   
5. Crystals/Stones – For example, every time I wear my tourmaline necklace, I think about how it’s supposed to bring me joy and love. It subconsciously helps me because then I go through my day expecting joy and love (I know, kinda crazy)…and sure enough it often pops up in magical ways! Plus, it’s just fun to look at different crystals and their metaphysical meanings. Maybe it’s all hocus pocus, but what’s the harm in being open to it?
   
6. Teas – there’s a shop in Seattle that has unique tea concoctions – my favorite is Dream Tea, it has all these ingredients that relax your body. I’ve had the coolest dreams if I drink this tea before I go to bed. Try to look for fun teas that speak to you – you’d be surprised how the ingredients make you feel.
   
7. My secret Instagram – this is a big one. Over a year ago, I created a new Instagram account where I’d post a photo of my happiest moment of every day. It’s become a daily practice and it’s turning into an amazing story. It wasn’t for likes or for followers, it was just my daily, visual diary. Sometimes when I’d get sad, I could open it and immediately feel those happy feelings from when I was experiencing them. During my depression, I stopped posting – I overcame it and got back into posting every day. I LOVE looking back on it and seeing how every day has been a blessing. I only have very close people follow me and it’s improved my friendships with them because they are seeing my most personal thoughts and feelings.
   
8. Floating (sensory deprivation tank) – I float about once a month. I pick a day usually at the end of the week where I know I want to sleep well after a crazy week. It’s a great way to clear your mind and have zero stimulation so you can fully relax and spend an hour (which feels like 4 hours) with yourself. I’ll never forget when I was meditating in a tank and a vision of San Diego popped up in my head. The next day I booked my first solo vacation to San Diego. That turned out to be one of the best vacations I’ve ever had – extremely empowering and enlightening. It all came from a vision in a float!
   
9. Doing things solo – 2 years ago, I did NOTHING by myself. I didn’t understand people who went to lunch or movies or trips by themselves. On May 15^th, 2015 I challenged myself to go to a movie by myself. I tried it and immediately got hooked. Now I love going on little adventures by myself (or BIG adventures!). I’ve become my own best friend. ☺
   
10. Music – studies have shown that the music you listen to does impact your mood. During my depression, I was listening to very sad, dark music and that was feeding my depression. I’ve created a couple mixes through Spotify that I listen to that immediately boost my mood. Plus, dance parties!! I also listen to playlists from my yoga classes so I can feel relaxed and they take me back to the state of mind when I’m in class. If you don’t have Spotify, I highly recommend it! Every Monday, they come out with a “Discover Weekly” playlist for you – its 30 new songs that are based off of what you have been listening to. Sounds weird, but it’s because of these playlists that I actually love Mondays! Most of my fave songs have come from these playlists. 
    
11. People – conversations with friends, family, even strangers keep me goin’. I learn something from literally every conversation. There is nothing better than human connection. I always go into every moment thinking, “This thing or person is here for a reason…let’s find out that reason.” And sometimes I feel like I’m the reason for them. Kinda fun!
    
12. Re-“Programming” my brain – it’s taken a loooot of work, but I feel I’ve successfully reprogrammed or trained my brain to think positive. Any time I have a negative thought, I say “redirect” to myself and go back to a positive thought. It sounds dumb, but it’s been extremely helpful. Even if I notice that I’m starting go in a downward spiral, I can stop myself and say, “Mo, what are you doing? Snap out of it. Look at your life and how blessed you are. You can cry for a few minutes, but don’t let this overtake you.” Like, I literally talk to myself and get out of the funks. And sometimes if it’s really bad, I know sleeping on it helps because I look at each day as a new “birth”…you can start over and there are infinite ways that the day can turn out. If you think positive, your actions will follow suit. I’m proof that this works!!
    
13. Journaling – can’t stress this enough. WRITE! It’s helpful during the moment, and it’s also helpful in the future when you look back. It’s amazing how much I’ve learned about myself just by looking back at my older journals. The journal I’m writing in now is from the voice of my “Inner Voice” (also called intuition). That little voice in your head is your intuition (if you have a voice that speaks anything negative, that’s the ego and needs to be shut down). Sometimes I write with two colored pens and literally have a conversation with it (I’ll literally write, “Mo, you’re reacting this way because you’re feeling_____.”). Tap into your inner voice and just let it come out of you. Cannot tell you how amazing this journal has been for me. Sounds crazy, but it’s so cool what comes up when I do this. So so grateful for what I’ve learned from tapping into my intuition.
    
14. Noticing – I love noticing how my body physiologically reacts to things. If an emotion pops up, notice it and ask your inner voice, “Why am I crying?” “Why did my stomach just flutter?” Sometimes I start crying and I don’t know why and then I talk it out with myself and realize what’s going on in a deeper level. It’s helped me realize who I feel like I can and cannot trust or what things truly matter to me. If you’re feeling sick, ask yourself what is going on in your life that would cause you to be sick. I’ve read so many books about how thoughts manifest themselves physically. When I would get colds, that’s when I was usually going through something emotionally with a dude or something, or I just wasn’t happy. I personally don’t believe illness is ONLY a physical thing…there’s a reason your body is reacting a certain way, so notice if you have a headache or feel extra tired. There’s probably more going on.
    
15. Chakras – learning about chakras has changed my life. I recommend Wheels of Life to read. It’s all about energies and reaching enlightenment. The more I researched each chakra, I started noticing that it’s all true!
    
16. Community Groups – my book club is more than just a book club. Every time we meet, it’s basically a big therapy group. We drink wine, eat cheese, and go over our highs and lows. So much has been revealed and worked on during these gatherings. I also did a Chakra workshop called “Being Self Love” where each month we went over a different chakra, meditated, and processed what was going on in our lives. Having like-minded women support you is so important. Right now, I’m in a hip hop dance workshop and it’s SO fun. Once a week I meet with awesome people and we all suck at dancing, but we laugh the entire time.
    
17. HIKING – I’m obsessed with getting outside and being in nature. It’s magical to go on solo hikes and see the cycles of birds, trees, and flowers. Makes you realize there is so much more going on in this beautiful world than we can comprehend. I just zone out (or I call it “zen out”) and hike until I reach a beautiful alpine lake. Not having cell service certainly helps. Unplug and reset outside with Mother Nature!
    
18. Vision Board – I created a vision board for my life. If you set goals for yourself, you will subconsciously work toward them. I’m already noticing it’s working for me. Plus, it’s really fun to do some soul searching and figure out what you really DO want in your lifetime (and crafting!). I didn’t really have a clear vision until I did this, and now I’m going to work towards achieving these goals and making my vision come true!
    
19. Podcasts – Listening to podcasts simply lets me know that I’m not alone with the way I think and I’m not a crazy person! Or if I am, I’m in good company. On long drives, I download some podcasts and they make my drives feel a lot quicker…and they blow my mind along the way. The ones I have listened to are: “Sounds True: Insights at the Edge” and “Life is a Marathon” (the host sounds kind of funny at first…but once I started listening to him more, I loved what he had to say and was like, “OMG he’s like my best friend!!” haha So cheesy, but some of the best nuggets of knowledge have come from him). 
    
20. Guided Meditation – a person I really respect and look up to recommended I try guided meditation, specifically Jason Stephenson. He’s got all of his meditations on YouTube and Spotify. I wanted to try the sleep ones, so I snuggled up and listened to his soothing Australian accent. I thought it was silly at first and thought it wasn’t going to work – then 8 hours later I woke up with my ear buds still in after an amazing night’s sleep. (Update: I did it last night and again was feeling silly…and then all the sudden I woke up and was like, “WHEN DID I FALL ASLEEP?” So cool.)
    
21. Animals – I’ve been dogsitting like crazy. Animals bring a special kind of joy to me. Dogs especially…they’re always so happy to be around humans. We could learn a lot from them. Every dog I dogsit, I form a special bond and truly love them. Sometimes I’d go on walks and just let them take the lead and they’d take me to awesome places. I love trying to look at the world the way animals do. They don’t have anything else on their mind other than the here & now.
    
22. Newness – last year I made a New Year’s Resolution that every single day I’d either learn something new, meet someone new, or try something new. It makes every single day unique. I have a planner that I write in what I did every day. There is not a day that has the same exact thing twice. Newness and change has kept my life fun and entertaining.
    
23. Sunsets – I’m OBSESSED with sunsets. I try to watch them as often as possible. Sunsets catalyze introspection. In my opinion, sunsets are similar to life: sometimes the clouds make the sunset look even more beautiful. And also, just when you think a sunset is over, it ALWAYS gets better. It’s just a reminder that our world is so beautiful.
    
24. Unplugging – I have my phone on “Do Not Disturb” at all times. Getting texts or calls interrupts life. One of my pet peeves is when I’m having a conversation with a friend and their phone vibrates and they open it to look at their text. Not only is it rude (it’s so common now that it’s not really considered rude by most people anymore), but it breaks the connection we were having. I only look at my texts when I want to and that way I’m not constantly being pulled away from what I’m doing in the moment. 
    
25. Praying – I believe in thoughts turning into actions. I remember when I was wanting to go on an adventure, I would get overwhelmed after researching so many different countries. It was almost impossible to pick, so I kind of gave up. I ended up praying and asking for a sign. I love living my life by signs and recommendations. Well, I got my sign! Long story short, I got my sign that I should go to Bali…and now I AM! 
    
26. Affirmations – tell yourself every day that you love yourself. I follow a ton of spiritual/inspirational accounts on Instagram and they really do help. Helps me know that I’m not alone – when I’m sad or feeling like a crazy person. Follow a bunch of inspirational accounts and soak in the quotes and images!
    
27. Going with the Flow – I used to have so much anxiety and stress and PLANNED everything out. My life has become far better after just going with the flow and taking things as they come. It’s chilled me out – it took me a while to get there. If I got stuck in traffic, I would tell myself to just relax and just enjoy the music and take the time to “zen out”. Tell yourself that it’s all happening the way it’s supposed to and NEVER FORCE anything or anyone! When you force things, that’s when it goes awry! I could write a book on how force hurts more than it helps. If you are like water and just gooooo with the floooow, it always works out the best way possible. 
    
28. Trust – I have learned to trust something beyond my comprehension. If something goes bad, I trust that it went that way for a reason. The most amount of growth happens during the hard times. How many people have gotten new jobs, planned a big trip, made a big change because of a breakup or a major challenge? Bad things like that make you question and reevaluate things, which is super good. Know that it may be tough right now, but it WILL get better and you WILL grow from it. It all happens for a reason. Seriously, trust that. You’ll start noticing that everything is inherently good and I simply trust that I’m on the right path and I take it as it comes. If it’s hard to trust something beyond your comprehension, I’d ask you to trust me then. I am living proof! ☺

And there it is…so what’s on your list?!

On a Personal Note…

Since this Magic Monday is so long, I’ll keep my personal note short! All I can say is that magic is truly happening these days. It feels like my family has been going through so much, and we’re finally thawing from the crazy Winter. There’s still a long way to go, but I’m telling you, Spring is helping soooo much! I hope you’re feeling the magic of Spring as well – sending lots of love and sunshine (and some beautiful sunsets) your way!

With gratitude,
Andrea