Here is a great big hug coming from me through the ethers to you! I know we all can get stressed. I get sad, and hopeful. I miss my loved ones. And I am excited to serve the Penny Lane kids. I love that I have that to look forward to. You’ll see my posts on the socials on how you can help. I have links below as well.
What do you think you can do to enjoy the holidays more this year? Attend one gathering? Have coffee finally with a friend? What movies do you love during the holidays? Can you have a viewing gathering? We do them online!
Pick just a couple of things you will do to enjoy the season so it doesn’t fly by. Put it on the calendar! If it ain’t on the calendar it ain’t gonna happen!
You are doing great, you might need to remind yourself though!
Breathe. Drink water. (that’s what I do- weird how it helps me to think a little clearer).
I’d love to have you join the adventure by becoming a member of my Magical Living community! We are having watch parties to celebrate the season each month. You can read more about how to join me below, along with more info on Be A Santa and motivational magic for the month!
Your Morning Motivation
This section will be a thought to help you set yourself up for a more purposeful day. It can be a very simple thing to add a bit of focused intention to your day.
How to use this section:
- Pick one thing to focus on today. I’ll make a suggestion below, but it can be whatever is right for you.
- Write it down somewhere you’ll see it several times a day. Bonus if you add in why you chose it and how it will make a change in your day/life.
- Set a timer on your phone, 4 x today to look at your intention.
- At the end of the day write down how it went, what did you notice, and what you might want to try tomorrow.
Today’s Morning Motivation:
The Focus: Being Present. Take a breath. You are doing great. Stay kind and curious. You got this!
Thought for the month
The holidays are here. This year, instead of being overwhelmed, and having the season fly by without hardly even tasting it, let’s choose differently.
How do I even DO that? Every year I try but my best efforts always end up the same.
I am here to help!
I think we see this as being much harder than it actually is. We think simple solutions are not enough to cure us of this huge problem.
Will you trust me enough to try something? (Dang, I hope so!)
You probably already know how to plan ahead, looking at the calendar and blocking in time for the necessities of the holiday season. I think what trips us up is something else.
Forgetting to take a breath, connect and enjoy. No matter what. No matter the schedule that’s gone to hell, or the plans that went tits up.
Wouldn’t it be sweet if we could just not worry and have some appreciation for what’s going right? For feeling the wonder at all we already have?
How do we become present and enjoy in the midst of all this noise?
I have a list of 8 simple, easy things to do to help you remember who you are, how much you have, and how sweet life is.
1. BREATHE: This is always first! Breathe. Focus on the inhale, suspend the breath gently, slowly exhale. Repeat.
Take a few moments to focus on your breath, feeling the air entering and leaving your body. This helps anchor your attention to the present moment and brings a sense of calm and clarity. You can do this anywhere.
2. Thankfulness: Take a few minutes to reflect on what you’re grateful for. It could be as simple as the warmth of the sun on your skin or the laughter of a loved one. By shifting your focus to the present blessings in your life, you’ll naturally stay more present. This is a mutant power you already have.
3. Engage Your Senses: Tune in to your senses and fully immerse yourself in the present moment. Notice the colors, textures, sounds, and smells around you. Engaging your senses brings you into the here and now, allowing you to savor the richness of each experience.
4. Mindful Movement: Moving the body is always helpful but I’m talking specifically about mindful movement practices such as yoga or tai chi. ANY movement can be a practice of staying in the moment. Focus on the sensations in your body, the flow of your breath, and the movements you’re making. You become more attuned to the present moment and develop a deeper mind-body connection. Even 3 minutes can help greatly. Now go put on some music!
5. Let Go of Distractions: Identify the distractions that pull you away from the present moment and consciously choose to let them go. This might mean turning off notifications on your phone and NO social media (oh no!), setting boundaries with work and people who want you to do something, or simply giving yourself permission to disconnect and be fully present in your current activity. It is easier to say than to do, I know! But it’s a MUST DO.
6. Really Listen: Practicing mindful listening in conversations, this can have a profound impact on your ability to stay present throughout the day. Not to mention your relationships. You don’t have to DO anything. You are not to tell anyone what to do, just listen. This is your gift to them and to yourself.
7. Practice Self-Compassion: SOOOOO important, kids! Being present also means being kind to yourself. Cultivate self-compassion by acknowledging and accepting your thoughts and emotions without judgment. Treat yourself with kindness and understanding, just as you would a dear friend. Not to mention it helps you to be way more compassionate to others. The reason you are so hard on others is because you are too hard on yourself.
8. Visualize: How do you want the season to go? Take time every day to imagine things going smoothly. The season, the party, day. Just see yourself and others with smiles on your faces, enjoying each other and the surroundings. See the food, hear the music, really feel into the vision of things going well, Uncle Ralph not getting too drunk, the gifts are happily accepted, the bills are paid, and you are relaxed and peaceful.
This is another mutant power you have. Visualization.
Remember, staying present is a skill that takes practice. So be patient with yourself and celebrate the progress you make along the way. By incorporating these strategies into your daily life, you’ll gradually become more present, leading to a deeper sense of fulfillment and joy.
This is a PERFECT time to start these practices. You’ll experience more satisfaction and peace, and have some sweet memories.
Now go out there and embrace the power of the present moment! And ENJOY!
Journal prompt:
(Each month I will give you a thought to fire up your mind. Use journaling prompts over and over again and see how the result changes.)
Try setting out a logbook near your coffee pot or on the desk or nightstand, and every day write down something you noticed that caught your imagination. Maybe some decorations at work had you thinking of holidays past. What can you notice that gives you appreciation? When did you find yourself being fully present?
Our Quest Travel Adventures
People ask me all the time “How do you decide your next Quest?”
It’s actually really easy: I have to have a certain feeling in my body. My mind has very little to do with it. I can always figure things out. Might take me some time, Africa took 6 years from the first moment of desire!
I need to feel so incredibly excited that it brings me to tears.
Running an adventure is incredibly hard. I HAVE to feel SO EXCITED that it overcomes my fears and all the f*#king complications and setbacks.
I just have to feel it in my bones. I have to fully believe I can thrill my guests.
The first challenge is finding my trusted #1 on the ground in whatever country we are going to. In the UK and USA, I am fine on my own. It’s way more fun with a co-pilot, but I can do it.
In New Zealand I was blessed to find my Kiwi guide, Mike Stearne, who was an even bigger LoTR fan than I was. It took a massive nerd to be able to keep up with my amazing group of fellow Tolkien lovers. I mean the daily TRIVIA! Whoa!
In Africa, I had met Amy Attenborough on my first trip and I admired her knowledge and grit plus she had a very gentle demeanor which could balance my energy well.
The right co-guide can enhance the guests experience and give me the backup I love.
I have added some photos I hope show even a touch of the fun we had.
In the New Zealand Fellowship photos there are some of Mike being made up by one of the hair and special effects makeup artists from Weta, Te Warena. Mike then drove us around leaning out of the van and both terrorizing and amusing the locals.
We went to Hobbiton with my friend Jed Brophy who was in all 6 of the LoTRs and Hobbit movies.
The African Quest had so many photos, it’s really hard to pick a couple. The one of us on the stage at Kirstenbosch Gardens has Amy and I in the back with dark blue guide shirts.
And another of a bunch of us at Cape Point.
I’ll let you know when I have the next Quest lined up!
More soon!…..
Stay in touch!
Keep in touch with me on social media by clicking the icons below to view my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube. There’s lots going on, so make sure to follow/subscribe and say hi!
Follow my Quest Retreats accounts for travel updates and more!
Member result of the month
(Each month, we’ll be spotlighting a member from my Magical Living membership program for personal growth!)
Victoria’s Story
“A few months after joining Magical Living, this group helped me make a big decision. Middle of 2021, I was going through feelings of dissatisfaction and confusion about what I wanted to do for a career. I was trying to choose between staying at a college I was no longer benefiting from for two more years or attending a whole new school in a whole new state. The new school was Tom Savini’s Special Effects Makeup Program.
Special effects makeup was something I enjoyed doing a lot, but during that time I didn’t know if I could ever be good enough to pursue a career in it. After a while of meditation, chatting with the universe, and chatting to myself with kindness and understanding, I was almost confident in what I wanted. What gave me the final bit of courage I needed was the people in Magical Living. Their support and belief in me to find a fulfilling career path helped me keep going. It means a lot to me that I know this group is here to help me when I’m unsure or feeling down.”
Be A Santa
Greetings from Los Angeles!
I am writing to you from the City of Angels while awaiting some medical care and then we will leave to continue our life on the road.
The goodness in this is that I can be here for our Be A Santa program!
I missed everyone last year. We were in South Africa for the holidays, and it was wonderful.
And it’s great to be with my Penny Lane family this year.
There’s been a lot of pivoting going on in the world with Covid, climate change, economic considerations, political division, and conspiracy theories.
With the emphasis on fear mongering in the medias, our focus must be on the health of our kids, mentally, physically and spiritually.
This is why Penny Lane is so especially important. The focus has always been on creating programs that serve the youngsters and their particular needs. They already have in place the kind of care we would want for our own family.
In fact, Penny Lane’s programs have been so groundbreaking they have been requested by family care facilities all over the USA. Penny Lane shares them for free.
I have always loved the transitional housing program, the life skills classes, and job support networks for the teens as they prepare and launch into the world. They have incredible resources for the teens in the TAY programs. And centers for runaway and homeless youth.
We built C.A.R.E. labs to teach computer skills to the kids, so they could compete in the jobs market as well as create their own work.
The EDGY programs support our LGBTQ+ youth.
Families have resources in Penny Lane too–everything from therapeutic services to housing and adoption programs.
I am truly amazed at how Penny Lane has been able to continue to serve children and families with excellence during seemingly impossible odds.
You who have donated over the years have worked together with us to make the holidays happy for these kids, must celebrate with me, this incredible organization, and the woman who pioneered it, Ive Markovitz.
I celebrate you for making this all happen, for giving meaning the the holidays for me, and showing these kids and their caregivers the true meaning of this season.
Join with me again and share what you can to continue our now long-standing tradition of creating a very happy holiday season for these children.
Happy Holidays!
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Would you like a personal message for you or a friend from me? I’d love to send you one! A Voice Mail message, Special Occasion message, greeting or just a hello.
After payment you’ll be able to send Pat an email with your requested message. Pat will shoot a video recorded up to 2 minutes (or so) message for you or your recipient. You can use the video or audio or both.
Click here to get a personal message from me!
A Year of Magical Living: The Science Of Magic
The Magical Living community was created to give sci-fi and fantasy nerds, like me, a place to gather with others to focus on our dream goals.
Every month, I guide a masterclass on a personal development topic, something I have been passionate about and teaching for over 12 years now.
FOR EXAMPLE: One of our topics is Uncovering and Dissolving your Core Limiting Beliefs.
A limiting belief is a fundamental conviction that creates a way of looking at life.
This belief limits what is seen as possible.
The human brain has instincts for survival built into it. The amygdala is the center for our survival and it’s amazing at its job. I call the amygdala the Fear Dragon™.
Limiting Beliefs #BrainFunFact: Most Core Limiting Beliefs come from our very early years, even preverbal. We don’t question them because we don’t even realize they are there!
The things we learned as a child will still control us today if we let it.
This masterclass teaches you how to find those old beliefs, and then how to get them to let go, to free you up to follow all those gorgeous dreams of yours!
If you are curious about the YOML and would like to try a masterclass, check out How To Tame Your Fear Dragon, here.
Or you can check out our community and full program The Year Of Magical Living: The Science of Magic here!
Who is Patricia Tallman?
You can learn more about me here!
Get Updates Every Month
Thank you for reading! If you would like these updates delivered straight to your email inbox every month, you can subscribe to the monthly magazine here.
Love,
Patricia, founder of Magical Living
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