Since the Inner Mean Girl (IMG) Cleanse ended, I have had intentions of reflecting on the experience and so now, two weeks later, here it is in all its late glory – better late than never!
For those who don’t know what this IMG Cleanse is all about, you can read my past posts:
Inner Mean Girl Be Gone: Kickin’ It All Off
Week 1: My Week without Gossip
Week 2: Kickin’ Comparison to the Curb
Week 3: Obligation in Overdrive: Puttin’ the Brakes On
Week 4: Parking the Perfectionist
Week 5: Jailing Judgment: Judging My Own Health
One of my favorite concepts from the IMG Cleanse is one I learned after it was over — the notion of the Power Pause, time to one’s self to reflect and recharge even if it’s just for five minutes. According to the creators of the IMG Cleanse, it’s a Feminine Super Power but in my opinion, it’s a basic human necessity like food, water and sex. I’ve now incorporated the Power Pause into my own coaching sessions because as a society, we don’t Power Pause enough.
Now for a bit of Power Pausing …
Releasing negative self talk is something I have been working on for some time and make a daily practice. What I’ve learned over time with this work and during the cleanse is that it is something you really need to be present to, a muscle that takes a lot of toning, strenghtening and stretching. If you take your eye off of it for even a moment, it can all fall apart very quickly.
The more I work at it, the easier it is to recognize when the negative self talk arises and catch it before it takes over. Just today for example, I was preparing for a trip to San Francisco. I checked in online and requested an upgrade for which I was waitlisted. As I was getting ready to leave, I heard my IMG telling me that I would never get that upgrade because when have I ever been so lucky anyway and on and … nope. “Thanks for sharing,” I said and changed the channel to more positive thoughts.
I’ve also revived some old habits that had fallen by the wayside. Every night while I’m lying in bed and winding down, I repeat my mantra: “I am love, I am abundant.” And when I wake up in the morning, before I do a thing, I thank the Universe for the day and ask that my actions be aligned with my ighest Self (Inner Wisdom) for the greater good. Overall, I’m more conscious of my thought patterns and how they affect me throughout my day.
What Surprised me? I got really clear on the fact that I was overextending myself in certain areas of my life and gave up obligations I realized were no longer serving me and my Inner Wisdom. I hadn’t expected this to happen but I now feel lighter as a result.
What were my successes? My biggest success was re-instating my mantra and morning prayer. Taking that time out every morning and evening sets me up for a better day. Even if it wasn’t the best day, it’s better when those elements are in it.
What were my failures? I did well not gossiping during Week 1 but after the week was over, I didn’t keep it up so well. This is an area I’d like to work on more. However, I haven’t picked up a celebrity gossip magazine since then. Like cheese, I used to crave celebrity gossip but now I really can’t stomach it.
What did I learn? I have always been spiritual but I feel more deeply connected to that spirit and feel I know myself even better than I before. I’ve learned that my mind is the most dominant power within me.
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