I Love Mondays #19: Become A Solution Master

Hello from the hippest up-and-coming city ever, Cleveland, Ohio! We are back with a fresh I Love Mondays inspired by our recent adventures in moving two states away. We get asked a lot, "Why Cleveland???" So I'll lay that out right now: The housing is affordable, it's on Lake Erie, the arts scene is thriving and growing by the day, it has great public transportation, it's diverse, and no one else is moving here! We couldn't be happier with our choice, but of course any uprooting comes with trials and tribulations. The prompts in this week's worksheet come from our new experiences in this righteous city! (Before you ask--Yes, Cleveland does indeed rock!)

Physical

1. Move!

"Move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move." -Anthony Bourdain

We just moved from Galesburg, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. We moved to Illinois from Austin, Texas to save money and be with family, and were finally ready to move to a city and get our own place again. Although the moving process is challenging to say the least, it has been so, SO worth it.

Kelly and I drove our whole lives in a 16 foot Penske together! We're seeing new people and places! We're trying new foods! We live a mile from Lake Erie! And we are slowly acclimating to a whole new climate and way of life. Bourdain’s tragic death flooded the internet with his quotes, and though his untimely departure is heartbreaking, his reassurance has come at the perfect time for us.

Where do you dream of going? Start taking the steps to make that dream reality, NOW.

This Bourdain quote about Cleveland is like something from a novel. Guy could write. https://t.co/RqoAOnCELr pic.twitter.com/ngRR0IARZX

— Joe Donatelli (@joedonatelli) June 8, 2018

Mental

2. Become solution-oriented.
We moved to this beautiful apartment in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. We are madly in love with it, but of course it came with a few problems. A smelly carpet, a cold neighbor, a filthy fridge. These problems are no big deal in the grand scheme of things, but last Wednesday they got OVERWHELMING. I recorded a meditation video crying about it, which reminded me: “What is your contrast making you ask for?”

Whatever your problem is, it exists only to inspire your next desire. Anytime you have a problem, just ask, “What is this making me ask for?” That’s all you have to do to start becoming a match to solutions. The fridge got cleaned. The carpet is a work in progress. And who gives a fuck about the neighbor’s ‘tude? Not me!

Make a list of your problems, and then think of one possible solution for each one. Even if you have no idea if the solution is even possible, write it down. Once you get in the vibration of looking for solutions, you’ll find them!

Emotional

3. Take the emotional journey, and the physical work won’t be so hard
The neighbor was playing her music, LOUD. Headache-inducing loud. We started getting pissed, coming up with strongly-worded texts to send. But then our cat Pwny had to pipe in. “If you change your vibration, the physical world changes to match it. It’s an emotional journey every time! God, you guys just need to do the emotional work to feel good anyway! Duh, it’s so easy!”

So I decided to change my attitude. I didn’t even DO anything, other than say, “I’m going to shift my vibration and take the emotional journey.” INSTANTLY, the girl turned off her music, got in her car and drove away. Fucking. Magick. Life.

Make a list of reasons why you feel good anyway!

Spiritual

4. Look for synchronicities.
I was filling out my “Scavenger Hunt” page in my Monthly Manifestation Manual. I was prompted to write down a synchronicity I noticed. I couldn’t think of any! So I flipped to the “Six Wishes” page and wished to see synchronicities.

I sat down at my computer and turned on a video by Sybil Nix. Right away, she started talking about synchronicities related to tarot. Then I checked on the loaf of bread I was making, and the clock read 3:12 (my birthday). Then I went out on the balcony and saw some water making some trails down the street. I LOVE seeing these “happy trails” in an urban setting. I love watching the beginning of a water stream carve its path down the street. I am fascinated by the flow.

The moral here is, the instant I started looking for synchronicities, I saw them everywhere. It’s just a choice, and you can choose to witness these winks from life, right now!

Be on the lookout! What synchronicities do you see today? If you can't think of any, write down some you would like to see. They'll show up before you know it!