FINAL MERGED-AUDIO ONLY EDIT 3. Magical Mornings
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Bethany: Hello, welcome to the Evolve Vets podcast.
Anna: I'm Anna.
Bethany: And I'm Bethany. And we're two vet school besties who took our passion for growth and innovation and turned it into a method for the modern vet to thrive.
Anna: After quickly rising into leadership roles, we dove deep into the world of self development. Along the way, we saw others dealing with anxiety, Perfectionism, imbalance, and burnout. So we took everything we learned and curated it into exactly what we wished we'd had earlier on in our careers, and now we're sharing it with you.
Together, let's stop revolving and start evolving.
Anna: Welcome back to the Evolved Vets Podcast. I'm Anna.
Bethany: And I'm Bethany.
Anna: And we're coming to you live from my backyard in Hawaii on the Big [00:01:00] Island.
Anna: Our motto at the Evolved Vets is "Stop revolving and start evolving." For our logo, we wanted to be intentional and create this sort of circle that's going and going. It's revolving and then it ends and there's a line that's open that represents evolving. So no longer are you going in the same cycles, you're actually doing something different and starting to evolve into something different. It's super meaningful for us. What do we have in our mugs today, Bethany?
Bethany: A pineapple Hawaiian soda.
Bethany: Pineapple Hawaiian soda. So refreshing.
It's kind of tart too. It's kind of, it's tart.
Anna: It's a little sour, a little crisp. Little bubbly. It's perfect. So, in today's episode, We have a really special topic for you. This is called Magical Mornings. This is a routine that Bethany and I have been doing for 6, 7 [00:02:00] years. We've been doing it for quite a long time. And we want to share it with you. It's actually a journal routine. And we use the acronym D.R.E.A.M.S..
Anna: D stands for Dream, and the R stands for Read. E stands for Exercise. A stands for Appreciation and Affirmations. M stands for Manifest and S stands for Stillness.
Bethany: The D.R.E.A.M.S. model is essentially about journaling and really leaning into reflection and moving forward, getting everything out on the page, That way you can show up as your most authentic and highest version of self during your day.
Bethany: So one reason that, our journaling and having a morning routine is really important to us is because it just really sets your day up for success.
Bethany: You're able to show up, be ready-
Anna: shift your energy- there are so many mornings that I wake up and I'm like, [00:03:00] "Nope!" Today, like bad things, like negative energy. I'm tired. I have to do this hard thing. And maybe I didn't get a lot of sleep the night before whatever happened. And I do my Magical Morning routine. And it completely shifts the energy because you've already accomplished something earlier in your day.
The D part of our journaling prompts for our Magical Mornings is going to be related to what you dream of throughout the night, and being able to take the energy from your dreams and write them out and let them go, or maybe if there was a really special dream and you feel really connected to the universe, maybe it's a sign that something's coming, so being able to reflect and write down anything from your dreams is such an important part of what we love to do in the mornings for our journal prompts.
The R in D.R.E.A.M.S. stands for Read. So, every morning, if you can look at something that inspires you, maybe you have a book, and you're reading a different [00:04:00] page, or a few pages each day, or maybe you have one of those books that has different quotes in it, something inspirational, there are meditation books out there, but as long as you're reading something in the morning that inspires you, that pushes you to be the best version of yourself that you can be, that's going to start your day on the right note because you're saying, "Oh, I'm really inspired by this thing that I read. It's challenging me to show up with more integrity or make bold moves, or think about something with a new perspective that maybe I haven't thought about before." It's really going to enrich your morning.
Bethany: The E is going to be for Exercise. So maybe it's a small walk or just getting your body moving. Maybe it's a quick stretch or maybe you hit the gym and you're just one of those people that loves to do the whole workout right at 6 AM bright and early. Just getting your body to move and waking it up, so that way you can start your day ready and excited.
Anna: A in D.R.E.A.M.S. stands for [00:05:00] Affirmations and Appreciation. So these are two different things that you want to do every morning. First you'll write down affirmations. These are positive beliefs about yourself. Maybe it's that you want to show up with more generosity throughout your day and you write down, "I'm generous," or you want to show up with more self-compassion or love towards yourself or others, you can write, " I love myself. I'm kind to myself and others."
Anna: Maybe it's that you have a really tricky surgery that you need to do that day. And you say, "I'm an exceptional surgeon. I'm confident." Write those things down. And it might feel a little bit funny at first, especially if it's a belief that seems maybe somewhat unattainable.
Anna: It's still okay to write it down. In fact, it's really good to write it down because sometimes it might feel really uncomfortable at first, but then you're writing it every day and it's getting stored into your subconscious so that over time you [00:06:00] start to believe it and you start to see yourself embody that essence and you can really start to shift your perspective into something really powerful based on those beliefs that you're writing down every single day.
The other A is Appreciation. It can make you reflect on your life and those things that you're really grateful for if you're taking the time to write down three things that maybe they happened that morning, maybe they happened the previous day, or it's just "I'm grateful for my health. I'm grateful that I have a cat purring in my lap. I'm grateful that I have a job."
Anna: Whatever it is that you're grateful for? It could be the smallest thing, like, "I have this warm cup of coffee in my hands!" But write what you're appreciative for and it's going to put you into an energy of more abundance versus lack.
Bethany: I think a quote that I heard a long time ago was [00:07:00] that your gratitude will actually cultivate joy.
Bethany: And what a special thing to be able to actually create joy in your life by just being grateful for the things that you already have. And that's a choice. And sometimes it's easy to get wrapped up in the things that are hard or challenging. But if you can intentionally choose, to be grateful, then you can cultivate the feeling of joy and happiness in your life for what you have.
Bethany: That's one of my favorite parts of Our Magical Morning.
Anna: There was another book I read and it was about the feelings that can carry different frequencies and wavelengths. If you're in anger or sadness, those are really low energy feelings to be in, but gratitude and appreciation, that's actually the highest wavelength and frequency that your body can be in. You're going to attract so much more of that energy if you're feeling it in your entire body that " What I have right here. Right now. I am so [00:08:00] grateful for it. That's amazing. You're satisfied You're fulfilled- like everything that you have right now right in front of you is Exceptional and anything else that happens is just cherry on top".
Bethany: Our next one is gonna be M which is manifest, and manifesting to us looks like visualizing what the future could be. Maybe it's reaffirming some new beliefs, and really just trying to elevate the way that we view ourselves and reconnect with who we are, reconnect with our gifts, the things that make us special, the thing that set our soul on fire and really manifesting the things that we want in life. Maybe that's the next trip that you want to plan, or maybe it's manifesting love or partnership or a closeness in a relationship with a family member, right? The thing that you manifest might be different from person-to-person. Just really taking the time to know who you are and envision that success for the future.
Anna: I'll add that sometimes I write down these grand [00:09:00] visions that I have. Other times, I'm writing down a feeling that I want to have that day, like, "Today, I have so much shit to do, but I want to feel peaceful. I want to feel relaxed. I don't want to feel rushed." Or if you have to do some sort of public speaking that is maybe uncomfortable, visualize yourself going through that and executing with perfection. Visualize your higher-self. Like, "What could go right? Not what could go wrong- what could go right?"
The S, this is for Stillness. This is a great way to end your practice in whatever calls to you. This could be sitting in silence. Could be doing breath work. It could be doing a meditation. Maybe it's prayer- but it's some sort of contemplative state that you're in where you're getting really quiet and one hand's over your heart the other's over your belly and you're breathing; in you're breathing out- and you're calling in this sense of peace and [00:10:00] that could be for 30 seconds it could be for 30 minutes whatever you have the time for that day but really get still and be present and that's the best way to start your day with presence. "Presence is a present."
Bethany: Absolutely.
Bethany: So that's our D.R.E.A.M.S. acronym for our Magical Mornings that we really love. People come talk to us regularly about "How did you get to where you are?" and part of it is the work that we do, and what we've talked about in previous episodes. So if you haven't listened, go back!
Also really taking these moments in the morning to be silent and with yourself before you start spreading your energy to other people. Put yourself first.
This is one small way; maybe some mornings I spend five minutes doing this stuff and then maybe some mornings I spend two hours because, it's a weekend and I'm just relaxing and really enjoying some of the journaling that I'm doing. It's not the same every day, and if there's something that [00:11:00] happens really early that morning, maybe you end up doing it midday or mid afternoon, and that's okay, too.
Anna: It's the one thing that keeps me sane during travel, and sometimes there's not time. You have to start first thing in the morning. I just make sure that wherever I am, maybe it's an airplane, I'm taking a red eye, or I'm at a hotel room late at night, and I am just rushing through all the pieces and at least filling something out and it might take two minutes, but I've got something on there.
Anna: It's I have so many journal entries like scribbled because I like falling asleep while I'm doing it but what I'm going for is consistency, it's been a massive massive support system for me over the last few years. And so no matter what I want to make sure that I'm showing up and doing the best that I can that day.
Bethany: I wanted to be able to share some of the thoughts around the Magical Morning and the impact that it's made on my life.
Bethany: My journaling this morning was on changing your perspective. [00:12:00] There are different mindsets that you have to take to see more happiness. There's a quote that I love that says, " The more you look for opportunities, the more possibilities that you're going to see." If you look for all the problems, you're just going to be overwhelmed with negativity because you're always going to be able to find something wrong if you look for that.
Bethany: That's an interesting concept, too. Sometimes people doubt my positivity. They'll say, "It's gotta be fake. You know, there's no way you can be that happy all the time." Or have that thought process of assuming positive intent. How often do people actually do that?
Bethany: And the answer that I'm learning, as life goes on, is not a ton. It's such a gift; and some people get jealous of the fact that I can think about things in a very positive way, even if things suck. Usually my thought process is like, "Okay, we're going to get through this. It's going to get better. We can do this as a team," That's where my mind jumps to, and that mindset can be [00:13:00] really hard for some people.
Bethany: My D.R.E.A.M.S Journal- I'm actually going pull up my journal from this morning. What did I dream about last night? Unfortunately, last night I had zero dreams. So, I didn't really write anything down for that part.
Bethany: The R is Read, and this morning, I was reading "The Gilded Book" by Keren Eldad. One of the quotes from her book said, "If you change your perspective, you can change your life." And I thought that was really impressive and so true.
Bethany: Many times our brain naturally wants to think about the negative, and the more you think about the negative and the problems of the world, the more you're going to see them. So how do we intentionally change our mindset to start to focus on the positive?
Bethany: Sometimes I've had people actually tell me that I'm too positive or that it comes off fake that I think the way that I think.
Bethany: But the reality is I've just been through so many hard things in life that that's how I've had to survive is by thinking about the [00:14:00] positive and focusing on the ability to persevere and to survive things and how I persevere is through looking into the future and saying. " What's ahead, how can I get there? What are the small steps I can take to get there?"
Bethany: And you know, I didn't always used to be that way, right? That's something that you have to train your brain over many, many, many years. And I'll give a lot of the credit to the internal work that we do here at the Evolved Vets.
Bethany: Our method actually can teach your brain to shift in those things. And I think that's just so underrated. You control, how you view the world, and you can make somebody a villain. You can make somebody mean, ugly, fill in the blank. Your mind gets to determine that- and you have to choose if you're going to look for the good or if you're going to look for the bad. That was my reading for this morning that I had focused on.
Bethany: "E" is Exercise. So I am actually going to be headed to a SoulCycle class in just a little [00:15:00] bit. This morning, my exercise was actually just a very light stretch and it wasn't a full workout.
Bethany: I like to start my mornings with non-traditional exercise, usually with a harder workout class in the evening. I actually prefer to work out between the time of like six and eight in the evening. That's when I get most out of my workout.
Bethany: If I have to wake up at 6 AM. to get a workout in, I'm so tired that I can't give as much energy to the exercise because I'm still waking up. I don't usually do a full workout bright and early in the morning. Every once in a while I will, but it's not my usual standard.
Bethany: I did overnights for many many many years and so now my brain just doesn't function as well bright and early in the morning. Being able to exercise between six and eight, I find that it's a good transition out of the day-to-day, work calls, all those things, and then kind of this transition into prioritizing myself and that [00:16:00] works really well for me. Otherwise, I can get wrapped up and just stay working, and so it's a good break to go take care of myself.
Bethany: My Exercise part of my D.R.E.A.M.S. is actually doing a light stretch or some shoulder rolls. Then usually it's like a little bit of dancing with my dog, too. I love making a cup of coffee, turning my Taylor Swift vinyl on and I just love dancing it out with my dog, Zeba and we have the best time. Sometimes my exercise is actually just a small movement that actually brings joy and energy to my day. It's really hard to be mad about your day when you're starting it off dancing
Affirmations and Appreciation. How can you start your day with the most simple, positive thoughts? Again, we just talked about the quote from Karen's book " If you can change your perspective, you can change your life." Now you have to start looking for the good things, right? That's something small and actionable. Sometimes I'm thankful for the stuff in my [00:17:00] room. There's a really cute coffee mug that I have. Part of my morning routine is actually picking out the coffee mug that I want to define my day and I have all different ones and that's part of the fun. So sometimes it's like "I appreciate this coffee cup and the tone it's setting for my day," Sometimes it's, appreciation for my body and my health or sometimes I'm showing appreciation for people in my life and the relationships that I have, or even sometimes when things don't go the way that I want them to being thankful for the opportunity to learn and really leaning into that opportunity.
Bethany: A thing that I love to talk about when I teach and lecture is instead of thinking it or framing it as "This is happening to me," change your mindset to say "This is happening for me." I think this Appreciation and Affirmation section is where I can really start to say, " Okay, that sucked yesterday, but, what am I learning from this? What's my opportunity [00:18:00] here? What in this is happening for me and how can I take good away from it? So that way I can live a more authentic life?"
Bethany: And then of course, affirmations affirming yourself: "I am worthy and I am whole and I'm very grounded. I know the things that I love. I'm very smart and kind and beautiful and just pouring self-love in before you try and go give it to other people throughout the day.
Bethany: Then of course we have the "M" in D.R.E.A.M.S. which is Manifest. This morning I was manifesting, oh boy, so many things. The book that I was reading was asking you to journal about your happiest life and what that looks like, so that was a fun exercise. Some of the things I'm working on calling in are , partnership and finding my soulmate. Some people believe in that, some people don't, but it's a fun way for me to think about it.
Today in my Meditation and Manifestation, I [00:19:00] was thinking about just where my life wants to go. This year I'm calling in love and stronger relationships with my friends and my family and calling in this podcast and this women's community that we're building to break this cycle that we're seeing in veterinary medicine and for this to be impactful and life changing for all of you that are listening in. The goal is that this is something that's beautiful and something that changes y'all's world and changes ours, too. I'm just really excited for what that's going to look like- I don't know all the details yet, because I'm a nonspecific manifester, but I'm excited and I can, feel what it feels like on the other end. So thank you all for joining on this journey.
Bethany: Then the last is practicing Stillness. Being able to sit, meditate, maybe it's picking an intention for the day. Sometimes if I'm wanting to like share love with everybody, then I'll pick up one of my crystals and just be like, "Okay, this is my [00:20:00] reminder to share love with people today."
Bethany: So that's my. " What I did for my dreams journal this morning," and I hope it's helpful to be able to apply and that it's been fun. Hopefully it's been fun getting to know me a little bit better and the things that I love and how I got here and the work that I'm still putting in every single morning to make myself better and make my team better and build this beautiful community for each of you and do it as great as possible.
Bethany: We're so eager to get to know you and serve this community!
Anna: We wanted to do something really special for you guys, and we took the D.R.E.A.M.S. Journal acronym and we made that into something that you can download and start to use yourself. It gives you the prompts for each aspect of D.R.E.A.M.S., and it's something that you can find a journal that really inspires you, that you love, has some pretty picture on the front, choose pens, colors that you love, [00:21:00] and you can start doing your journal routine today, and please let us know how it goes.
To download a copy of the D.R.E.A.M.S. Journal, please go to EvolvedVets.Com and you'll see a little pop up box come up where you can sign up and register for the freebie.
Follow us at Evolved Vets, and let us know how your Magical Mornings are going. We'd love to hear your stories.
Bethany: We sure would. So together, let's stop revolving and start evolving.
