Living a Thriving Life isn’t an arrival, but a way of living that involves constant nourishment, pruning, grace, and self care.
To learn more about these principles, check out my FREE Living A Thriving Life ecourse.
I’m so excited to welcome Treacy Mize! Treacy is the photographer of many of the images you see of me on my website, but most of all, she is one of my dear friends. Her message is one that has made an enormous impact on my life and I am grateful to share her with you today. Be sure to check out Treacy’s Eleven Amazing Days. It will change your life. And it’s FREE! Please help me thank Treacy for her insight by sharing in the comments below!
As always, I’m asking our four Thriving Life staple questions:
1. What is your sustaining nourishment?
My first thought when I think of sustaining nourishment is my organic green juice I make every morning to start my day. I do my best to eat as clean as possible.
But more than eating healthfully, I work really hard doing my best to nourish my heart and soul by focusing on what’s right in my life. It’s a mental discipline I practice faithfully and I find it makes a major difference not only in how I experience my life, but it makes a difference in how the people I love experience life as well. (You know what they say about Mama being happy…) I’m currently focused on creating what I call “The Record of Right” (as opposed to a record of wrong) and I actually document those things photographically on a weekly (and often daily) basis. I’ve found that as I create visual proof and build physical evidence for all that is good in my life, when the bad and yucky stuff happens (because it does, right?) I don’t experience despair like I used to. It keeps me in a position of expressing gratitude and experiencing more joy as a result…even in the midst of a sometimes crazy and messy life. After practicing this for a whole year in 2013, when I got to the beginning of 2014 and reflected on the previous year, even though we had some major setbacks and potentially devastating circumstances, I was able to go back through a year of photos and see with my eyes that there was a LOT of good that happened. It’s not always easy to remember that stuff when you get triggered emotionally, but those photos were so life giving. And for me, that is very sustaining.
2. What have you recently pruned out of your life that has helped you grow?
Heh! Well, in the past two years, I’ve given up my need to do things perfectly. I’ve adopted the saying, “DONE is WAY better than PERFECT.” Letting go of having to do things perfectly in order to do business or try out new ideas has been completely liberating. I’ve accomplished more in the past year since doing this, than I have in the past 5 years together. Before I felt I had to have things “just so” (perfectly photographed, perfectly written, perfectly designed, etc.) before I could release what I did to the world…and as a result I procrastinated like crazy and opportunity after opportunity passed me by because I has such a fear of judgment. And I still can, but I’ve learned to recognize that for what it is and I’ve let that go. That doesn’t mean I don’t strive for excellence, but I have begun to really soar in being productive and profitable and I really attribute that to my letting go of perfectionism and fear of judgement.
3. Grace. We can’t do this alone. Who or what helps you make up the difference in what you can’t accomplish all by yourself?
Oh man….building a business is just like raising kids. It really does take a village and this could really start to sound like an acceptance speech.
There is *NO* way I could do what I do by myself. I have the support of my family and I could never be free to pursue what I do without them. I also have several amazing business mentors and coaches who fill in my gaps in that arena. I have a group of other lovely women that I mastermind with regularly and I LOVE Darren Hardy’s teaching in SUCCESS Magazine that I devour every month.
My faith in Christ is my utmost grace. Without God’s guidance and ideas, I’m done.
4. What is your favorite simple luxury that brings you happiness?
A simple luxury…that would have to be getting outside into the sunshine. I can get so focused sometimes with my head stuck in the computer that I forget how refreshed I get when I get some sun on my skin. When I get outside and run or walk or even just have my lunch outside, I feel renewed. Sunshine changes my mood and it seems I can always find something beautiful when I’m surrounded by it’s glorious light. The light and warmth of the sun helps open my thinking, it increases my creativity and my day is always better when I turn my face toward it. The sun is always reminding me to let my own light shine and when I can do that…I’m *really* happy!
Do you have someone you admire for their quality living that you’d like to nominate for this series? Email me at brooke@brookesnow.com.
My name is Treacy.
I’m a photographer, mentor, and an ambassador for happiness.
Ultimately, all of my work is about helping people reframe the way they see their one amazing life.
(Because once that’s in focus, there’s nothing but sunshine on the horizon!)
That’s what I do.
www.the-light-room.com
IG: @treacymize
