Nancy Dadami

Create Sacred Space Within You And Around You

8 Simple Ways to Fine-Tune Your Mind to Stay Sharp

by @elioverbey

Mary couldn’t believe it was happening again. As soon as she entered the kitchen she forgot why she was there. What was it that she wanted from the kitchen?

She stood there for a few minutes racking her brain trying to trigger her memory. She was sure she would remember when she got to the kitchen this time. But it was all forgotten.

As soon as she walked back into the living room the item popped into her thoughts and she remembered what she wanted from the kitchen.

Does this ever happen to you? It can be frustrating and time consuming to have these short lapses in memory. Who wants to keep backtracking to remember what they are looking for? Not me, not anymore.

In this article I am going to share 8 simple ways you can fine-tune your mind to stay sharp.

Let’s start by looking at how the body works. When you use your body you get better muscle tone, more energy, and better health. Keeping a sharp mind over a lifetime requires that you find new ways to use your mind.

When you incorporate these 8 simple ways into your life you will take care of your mind so it can work the way you need it to.

#1 – Just Keep Moving

I met an elderly man who looked fit and I asked him how he did it. He told me the secret to his vitality. “Just keep moving,” he said. He walked every day and was sure it kept his body and mind sharp.

Do you have a daily plan for movement? It could be 30 minutes of walking, biking, swimming, yoga, tennis, or martial arts. One of the most significant mind dulling moves you can make is to become sedentary.

Your brain’s neural pathways begin to shut down when you do not do something to get your blood flowing on a daily basis.  Just moving 30 minutes a day can help.

#2 – Read More Often

Did you know that many people stop reading after they finish school?

People are busy taking care of family, paying bills, shopping for necessities, and time for reading slips away.

However, if you make time to read at least 20 minutes a day, you’ll increase your brain power exponentially. You will keep those neural pathways open and may even create some new ones.

#3 – Eat Healthy

The foods you eat are the fuel that feeds your body and your mind. The truth is your body and your mind cannot function properly if they do not have the right fuel.

Did you know that if you do not drink enough water your thinking and memory can be foggy?  The healthiest diet for a sharp mind includes good quality protein, a variety of vegetables and fruits, nuts, and healthy fats like coconut oil or olive oil. Your brain needs fat to function at it’s best potential.

Find the best way of eating for your needs and health and stick to it at least 80 percent of the time, and you’ll reap the rewards.

#4 – Focus on Your Posture

It may seem silly, but if you keep good posture throughout your life, your mind will also stay sharper. Sit up correctly, learn how to walk correctly, and it helps every part of you remain in better focus.

If you spend time at a computer take breaks every 30 minutes and stretch. Leaning over a desk or a computer causes many posture problems. You can try Pilates and/or Yoga to help improve your posture.

#5 – Enough Sleep  

Do you get enough sleep on a regular basis? Your brain health depends on it. Adults need to sleep between 7 and 9 hours per night. Sadly, most of us are not getting anywhere near that amount of sleep.

It is easy to wake up worrying about your health, money, or relationships that are troublesome. Once that worry cycle kicks in it can be difficult to get back to sleep.

What do you do to help yourself sleep through the night or get back to sleep once you wake up worrying? I focus on my breathing, imagining my breath coming in and out of my heart. That calms my body and helps me get back to sleep.

Sleep is a crucial and vital part of a healthy lifestyle and a sharp mind.

#6 – Practice Lifelong Learning

Whenever you learn something new, whether it’s painting, how to play an instrument, or something more practical, like how to use a new app on your computer, it engages new areas of your brain and will keep it sharp.

Learning something new opens new pathways in your brain which improves how your brain and mind function.

#7 – Listen to Music

Music can be soothing, energizing, and uplifting to your health and the health of your mind.

Do you every hear an old tune and find yourself singing along? The words are there for you no matter how old the song is. Your mind stores memories connected to tunes and music.

Music that humans make or music that we find in nature is significant to us and helps keep our brain functioning in a healthy way. In fact, music is a part of memory care for people who have cognitive difficulties.

#8 – Get Regular Checkups

When getting regular checkups let your doctor know about anything you are concerned about when it comes to your mind.

Many issues with the mind can be caught early and corrected. Your doctor is there to help you stay healthy. Your job is to communicate, listen, and follow-through for the sake of your own mind health, and longevity.

Having a sharp mind well into your elderly years can be accomplished if you make it an essential part of how you live every day.

You don’t have to be like Mary and forget why you went into the kitchen.

You can have a razor-sharp mind when you keep moving, read more often, eat healthily, focus on your posture, get enough sleep, practice life-long learning, listen to music, and get regular checkups with your doctor.

 

NANCY DADAMI – is transforming the way spirited women function in their surroundings. I teach creatives and smart busy entrepreneurs to create workspaces that make their hearts sing, empower their work, and shorten their path to success. As a Feng Shui Consultant, Energy Reader, and Soul Flow Artist, I help you understand “the flow” and Find Peace of Mind in your life and business. See her personal website here https://nancydadami.com.

Listen to A Loving Kindness Meditation here https://nancydadami.com/LKM

What I Learnt From Staying Focused During Difficult Times

by @elioverbey

red and white roller coaster on railings
Photo by Min An on Pexels.com

Life is like riding a roller coaster. Imagine yourself strapped into that car chugging up the rickety rails to the top and in an instant you are plunging down so fast your knuckles are white from gripping the safety bar, you feel your heart pounding like thunder in your chest, the wind plasters your hair against your head, and your mouth is open wide as you let out a terrifying scream.

Life, just like a roller coaster it has its ups and downs. You may even experience a few twists and turns along the journey.

Nancy Dadami

Sometimes the downs are personal and sometimes they are environmental. Loss of a loved one, a cancer diagnosis, unhealthy air quality caused by fire storms, and draining or stagnant energy in your home.  

Whenever something disturbing happens staying focused can be a challenge.

Here are 10 tips to help you stay focused even during difficult times.

  1. Give Yourself a Break – Take a deep breath, hold, and slowly exhale. Do that 3 times and let your body relax. Feel your neck and shoulders let go, your belly relax, and your mind find calmness. I’m not saying to ignore how you feel. You’re allowed to have bad days and feel your feelings. It’s good to feel the emotions you feel and let them out though talking, crying, journaling, or creating intentional art. The secret is not to wallow in those feelings for days.
  • Set a “Worry” Time Limit – Set time limits to letting loose of your feelings and feeling all the things you need. Maybe you choose 10 minutes during your day where you won’t be interrupted and let your feelings out.  You can even set many time limits. For example, if you must get through a day of work or an emotional difficulty, set a time later for feeling all the feelings so that you can get through your current situation.  
  • Sleep Well – This can be a hard thing to do when you’re having a tough time in life, but you must try to make your sleep a priority in good and bad times. You can always catch up later when it’s vital that you are awake. A power nap might be the right action to help you catch up on sleep.
  • Eat Right – When a crisis is occurring your body processes are in high alert.  It’s not the time to start eating unhealthy food. It’s a time that you want to take great care of your body by providing it with the fuel it needs. Set a schedule and make sure you’re eating enough good nutrition and calories to give yourself fuel. It is a time to get more vegetables, fruits, water, and good quality protein.
  • Keep Exercising – It may be even more important now to find time for your walks than at any other time. Walking in nature or your neighborhood burns off stress and worry. Exercise even helps you sleep better, feel more positive, and is a great way to get through hard times
  • Be Mindful – It’s easy to get distracted when your emotions are being affected by what is happening in your life or the world. However, before you start a new activity, always take time to center yourself with a good deep breath so that you can be mindful of what is happening right this moment. The issue may still be there when you are centered and you will be calmer in dealing with it.
  • Keep an “I’m okay” Journal – When things are bad, it’s hard to feel like anything will ever be okay again. However, most of the time, you can find some things that are at least okay about your day, if not something to be outright grateful for now. An I’m Okay journal helps you focus on what is going well in your life. The more you focus on what is going well the better you will feel.
  • Clean Up Your Environment – Allowing your environment to get cluttered and dirty when the world is crumbling around you seems like a natural thing to do, but the truth is, it makes things worse. Clutter robs you of your physical and emotional energy, causing you to feel scattered, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Set a regular time that you keep your environment clean because that’s going to help you feel more in control, confident and successful.
  • Get Rid of Distractions – Turn off your phone, social media, and the radio or TV when you’re doing certain activities. If you need to focus, don’t do other things.  Research shows that doing multiple tasks is stressful to your brain. Even listening to music can cause you to miss out on essential points. Anything worth doing is worth doing 100 percent.
  1. Ask for Help – If you are having trouble controlling your thoughts and nothing you try is working after a few days, you may want to ask for help. Counselors, life coaches, and soul menotrs can help you through difficult times so that you can focus on the other things that are important to you.

A life well-lived is going to have difficult times. The rollercoaster of life is what makes it exciting, that is how learn. Going through challenges helps you grow. You feel new emotions, try new things, and come out better for the experience, even if it felt impossible while it was happening.

Everything passes eventually, and you can get through difficult times without losing focus on what is important to you. Hold onto that safety bar as your rollercoaster car is diving. You will make it.

NANCY DADAMI – is transforming the way spirited women function in their surroundings. I teach smart busy business owners to create workspaces that make their heart sing, empower their work and shorten their path to success. As a Feng Shui Consultant, Energy Reader and Soul Flow Artist, I help you understand “the flow” and find Peace of Mind in your life and business. See her personal website here https://nancydadami.com.

Listen to A Loving Kindness Meditation here https://nancydadami.com/LKM

A 4-Step Guide To Get More Flow

by @elioverbey

Think of a time when you were in “the flow”. It might have been like this:

  • Your days moved easily from one activity to the next.
  • You felt peaceful.
  • Making decisions was easy
  • You were positive, believing anything was possible
  • Being happy and uplifted was natural

Stress is the opposite of flow.  Think of a time when you were not in “the flow” Life may have looked like this:

  • Your days were a struggle trying to get things done
  • Everything seemed to go wrong
  • Your ideas and activities got stalled
  • Making decisions was difficult
  • You were overwhelmed, confused or angry often

Many people in the United States are suffering from stress, worry, headaches, muscle tension, and fatigue. The #1 cause of chronic health problems is stress. Stress also lowers your immune system's ability to function at top capacity

Stress affects your biology- how your systems function, your body, the physical impact of your biology, and your beliefs-how you process your thoughts.

The Law of Flow To The Rescue

The energy in your living space has a flow, unique to you and how you have arranged your environment. Everything you have in your space either boosts flow or drains flow.

You can influence flow by using Feng Shui principles and the Law of Flow. The goal of Feng Shui is to create flow around and through your space with ease and harmony thereby creating a supportive and stress-free environment for you.

 In his recent article Motivation is Overvalued. Environment Often Matters More, James Clear states, over time your personal characteristics: motivation, talent and effort tend to get overpowered by your environment.

If you want to minimize your stress, then you need to live in an environment that boosts flow rather than one that drains it.

The Fabulous Four Of Flow

You have identified what flow is and how flow feels..  Now we will apply the Law of Flow and the fabulous four to your environment.

Beauty – beauty keeps the energy circulating in your space. The energy enters your space through the entrance and is attracted to beauty. Beautiful items keep the flow moving through the space from one beautiful article to the next.

Beauty has many forms. It could be color, art, photographs, plants, or furniture. An absolute must is that it makes you feel uplifted just to be around it.  Look around, what do you think brings beauty to your home?

Law of Flow Tip #1 – Add some color that you love, rearrange, or create new art, bring in some life with plants or fresh flowers to improve beauty in your home. Place something beautiful in each room, causing flow throughout your space.

Too Much Stuff – the flow of energy needs a clear path to follow. Too much stuff in any area slows or stops the flow.

One sign of slow or stagnant flow is feelings of confusion, overwhelm, and stress. What areas of your home have too much stuff? Is it your kitchen counters filled with appliances or other clutter, closets with clothes you don’t wear, garage packed full of items you don’t use, or your bedroom with clothes, laundry, or paperwork scattered about?

It is time to evaluate what stuff you have in your space. If there is too much stuff you are being robbed of your joy, health, and peace of mind. Clutter adds to feelings of stress.

Think of too much stuff like big rocks in a river, the water (flow) must go around them. A good question to ask yourself is “Does this item bring me joy or is it just taking up space?” Something taking up space could be slowing or stopping the flow in your life, adding to your stress.

Clutter slows the flow of your money, health, and relationships. You may have money but not be able to hold onto it or you may have enough money but not feel abundant.  If an item does not bring you joy, it is time to get rid of it.

Law of Flow Tip #2 – Start in an area that has too much stuff. Pick up an item and ask your self this question “Do I love this and does this bring me joy?” if your answer is no then it is time to get rid of it. Create a bag or box of things to donate and take them to the donation center.

Broken and Non-working Items – burned out light bulbs, leaky faucets, squeaky doors, broken toaster, frayed cord on a lamp are examples of broken items you live with thinking  you will fix it someday.

Broken items create slow flow or stagnation. Everything in your space needs to be in good operating order. The broken item or burned out light bulb is draining you of valuable energy that could be used to create the life you desire. What broken and non-working items do you have in your environment?

Law of Flow Tip #3 – Be honest with yourself about fixing a broken item. Are you really going to fix it NOW? If not it is time to get rid of it.

Furniture Placement – where and how you arrange you furniture has an impact on the flow in your space and the flow in your life. Remember the furniture is like the rocks in the river, directing the water around them.

Is there room to move around in your space? Does the size of your furniture fit the size of your room? Is it too big or too small? Does your furniture block or limit the entry into the room?

Your furniture placement either helps the energy flow smoothly through your space or causes pockets of stagnation. Places of stagnation drain your personal energy leaving you tired, anxious, and stressed.

When the energy is flowing smoothly through your space you feel uplifted, happy, and at peace.

Law of Flow Tip #4 – Place furniture so you do not have your back to the entrance of the room. The best placement is to be able to see the entrance from the sofa or bed, allowing flow into the room. 

Take a risk, rearrange furniture to see how it opens up the flow in your space. If your room feels crowded consider eliminating furniture to create more space.

Observing the flow in your space gives you clues and insights to what is influencing your peace of mind and well-being. When you change one thing in your space it has the power to change everything.

Nancy Dadami is a Flow Strategist, Creatively Fit Coach, and Soul Flow Artist. Her passion is to mentor Explorers, Conscious Creators, and Visionaries called to Expansion, Education, and Freedom.

Year of the Metal Rat – What Does He Bring You?

by @elioverbey

The Metal Rat scurried into your life on January 25th, sat on the throne as the year’s ruler and dominants the energy vibration for the year until February 12th, 2021.

In the year of the Metal Rat create a vision for your life and take steps to make it happen. What do you really want for your life? A satisfying career, inner peace, creative expression, or more money.

This year if filled with opportunities for prosperity, self-indulgence, and new beginnings.

It is a time to take risks and try your ideas. Focus on short term goals and take action to achieve your bigger goals.

If you make a mistake, stop, refocus, and adjust so you can continue to move in the direction of your vision.

Your worry or the worry of others can be an issue in a Rat year. Worry energy fills you and your surroundings with negativity, distrust, and draining vibrations.

What can you do about worry vibrations? Sit quietly, do some soul searching and find an activity that helps calm you and uplifts your vibration such as meditation, yoga, tapping, or intentional painting.

Here are the Rat characteristics that influence you and your surroundings this year

Rats are:

  • Resourceful – they know how to use available resources to get what they need
  • Intelligent – quick to see the potential in a situation and skilled at putting their ideas into action
  • Driven to get things done –may be seen as selfish or stubborn because they keep working until the project is finished
  • Life of the party – they love to socialize and are good at it
  • If they are cornered they will fight – they defend themselves verbally & physically
  • Business Experts – they are excellent in creating & running a business and making investments
  • Connection – Rats find making connections a vital part of life

Although Rats are open and gregarious when challenged they can become loud, talkative, aggressive, and argumentative. Watch for that energy in yourself and others this year.

Notice when you are in challenged Rat energy and use meditation, exercise, or painting to bring you back to your centered self.

The Influence of the Metal Element This Year

The metal element of this year’s Rat is about organizing and managing your resources. It is a time of intense emotions for you and/or others. You may see or experience feelings of urgency, anger, or jealousy.

We are moving away from the easy-going Pig year into a more extreme and intense Rat year.

Metal brings up questions for you to ponder. How can you effectively use your resources? Are you managing your resources in the best way now? How can you trust in yourself?

Do you listen to your intuition even when it is difficult to follow through?

Making money is a metal characteristic. You may know the phrase “You have to spend money to make money”.

It is part of the Metal Rat philosophy. You will have many opportunities to take courses, buy equipment or invest in education.

Material things are important to the Metal Rat, more so than experiences. It is easy to slip into a mindset of “buy more stuff” in a Metal Rat year.

Before you buy ask yourself “Is this item really going to add to my happiness in life or is it just something I think I have to have?”

What Happened in the Last Metal Rat Year?

The last Metal Rat year was in 1960. It is valuable to consider what history reveals about the last time this energy was dominant. Here are a few snippets from 1960:

  • 4 African American students sit at a segregated lunch counter in Woolworth’s, sparking the Greensboro sit-ins which led to Woolworth’s removing its policy of racial segregation in the Southern United States.  
  • France tested it’s first atomic bomb to become the world’s 4th nuclear power.
  • The FDA approved the first birth control pill. This started the sexual revolution of the sixties.
  • Vice President Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy appear in the first televised presential debate.
  • John F. Kennedy was elected the 35th President of the United States.
  • While campaigning for President John F. Kennedy announces his idea for the Peace Corps.

 The Metal Rat in 2020 will create his own history, stories, and changes.

Who Is Compatible with the Rat?

Remember when you were in high school? You probably had a best friend and a few other good friends. If your best friend was angry with someone you sided with your friend and were angry too.

It works the same way with the animals of the Chinese Zodiac.

The animals that resonate with the Rat’s energy vibration tend to be his friends and flourish in a Rat year. 

Rat’s friends are the Ox, Dragon, and Monkey which means they know how to navigate this type of energy with grace.

The Horse is the most challenged by the Rat because their energy does not flow well together. They are the most distant. It is easy for the Horse to get their feelings hurt in a Rat year.

To flourish the Horse must change their approach to situations this year. They may have to change their lifestyle to get healthy, let go of friends that are negative, or slow down and rest more.

Change is challenging for Horse and change is what they must do this year.  All of this must be done without complaints.

Putting It All Together

The energy vibration of the Metal Rat flows through you, others, and your surroundings. The influence is always there in relationships, politics, health, money, family, your career, and life journey.

Create a vision for your life, take steps to make it happen, make a plan to deal with worry, organize and manage your resources,  be mindful of your desire to spend money, and be aware of when emotions are out of balance.

Notice when you or someone around you is feeling intense and have a strategy to deal with it.

Happy New Year and may the Metal Rat year be prosperous, meaningful and filled with inner peace.

Reach out to me if you have questions

Feel free to leave a comment below and share this article with a friend.

Nancy Dadami is a Flow Strategist, Creatively Fit Coach, and Soul Flow Artist. Her passion is to teach coaches, consultants, empaths, and healers to live in “the flow”, manifest their dreams, and create abundant inner peace in their life and business.

Is This Your Next Step In Your Personal Growth Journey?

by @elioverbey

Have you had the opportunity that you knew with your whole being was meant for you?

It was something you were being called to do? YES was the only possible answer?

That happened to me a few years ago and it did not make sense to my logical thinking mind. My inner critic wanted to stop me by putting doubts and fear in my path.

I knew it was for me because the YES came from my voice within. I have learned that my inner voice is not something I can ignore. This felt like it was the next step in my personal growth journey.

Today I am going to share that step I took.

Get In The Flow Workshop Here

Painting from the Soul took my life to the next step on my personal growth journey. I discovered abundant inner peace, a positive perspective on life, creative solutions in all areas of my life, more active intuition, and connection to my Soul's messages.

I believe that when you show up at the canvas your soul shows up at the back of the canvas – that is when the dance begins and anything is possible.

I believe when one person is empowered we are each uplifted.

Nancy Dadami is a Flow Strategist, Creatively Fit Coach, and Soul Flow Artist. Her passion is to teach coaches, consultants, empaths, and healers to live in “the flow”, manifest their dreams, and create abundant inner peace in their life and business.