Finding Meaning In Times of Uncertainty

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Tiffanie

Fifteen days into self quartine and social distancing has a way of providing perspective. While I don’t claim to know everything, I do know what is happening all over the world at this moment in time, is causing everyone to take a look at life as they know it and make some decisions. Some of those decisions will be very personal while other decisions have become mandates such as working from home and in some cases temporary job loss.

Luckily I am a half glass full person, so I definitely wanted to put some positive vibes out especially after being surrounded by so many doomsday theories and just plain confusion about the state of our affairs not only in this country but all over the world. So in that vein, I’ll share some things that I am happy to see and proud to be a part of.

1 – Although I live hundreds of miles away from my parents and siblings, with all this free time we’ve been checking in on each other more frequently. Some of the conversations are utterly ridiculous like the one I had with my father a week ago about this “worldwide academic’ (he means pandemic) and him arguing with me about the number of people in my area that are infected with the virus (70% of the city according to him). I’m like dad, I check the news at least once a day and that’s just not the case because there aren’t enough test available to for that many people yet. According to the 2017 census, there are over six million people in the metro DC area so his theory is just not possible. Or even the conversation with my brother whose every other word was obviously fear-based and also laced with rumors and misinformation.

The other extreme of conversations with my mother and sister are more lighthearted, lined with humor and memes about the times we are living in. My mother frequently reminding me of our need to keep the faith and watch the words we speak. I see now I get a lot of my perspective from both parents. For years my mother has reminded us about not speaking things into existence long before it became a thing for me. Although the language she used was different, the message has always been the same. My sister and I exchange daily memes and funny video clips that we find throughout the day, not once have I heard a negative word come out of her mouth since this whole thing began. So I’m grateful and feel more connected to the four of them than I have felt in a while.

I am also thankful for the reminder that I come from a family, a race and a culture where we have learned to laugh through the pain and confusion even when we have no idea of what is to come. I don’t know what happens next but I have an overwhelming feeling that all is well and things will fix themselves. I also have a feeling that this situation is opening the heart of the human spirit something we all so desperately need at this time.

2 – I’ve also gotten reacclimated to the power of sleep. The type of sleep that really allows the body to rest without the guilt often associated with inactivity. I personally don’t feel guilty about getting adequate sleep but I know there are a lot of people who do. In the last six months, I’ve been working on a project that I’ve enjoyed overall but the last thirty days the hours increased drastically and I was working 10-12 hour days more than I care to admit. Not to mention other work-related obligations I had outside of that project that would consume my Saturday mornings. So I spent the last two weeks getting the best sleep of my life, mainly because I’ve exhausted tv, eating, reading, and chatting with family and friends. I am now feeling inspired to get back to writing, blogging, and podcasting. All activities that make me happy and keep me feeling aligned with my inner being.

3 – I have this saying that “if you don’t slow down, then the universe will slow you down.” Well, this time is proof that humanity needed to slow down and recalibrate so that we are positioned to operate in more aligned ways going forward. I’m not a big news person but for years there has been talk of the damage human behavior has had on the planet, maybe this is a universe’s way of slowing if not stopping a lot of those behaviors so that the planet can heal itself. The few times I’ve been outside, there are very few vehicles on the road so I know our carbon imprint has shifted. I’m sure companies that pollute have had to slow down operations as well. With most people indoors, the physical earth is definitely getting the rest it needs as well. Maybe when we emerge from this time, it will be with more kindness and empathy not only towards each other but toward the planet we all reside on.

4 – People are exploring new ways to live in isolation. I’ve never seen so many virtual parties, open mics, and concerts than I am seeing right now. Last night I played tv show trivia on Instagram live followed by watching a mini-concert series, both of which I enjoyed. It gave me a much needed Netflix break. People are become creative and expanding the reality of what is possible. It shows the depth of human connection and taps into the spirit of our ability to adjust accordingly.

The first fifteen days I had mixed feelings, but going into the third week of quarantine I feel more at peace and much more emotionally stabilized about the current situation. I’ve stopped running to the grocery store every day. I was only going to refill on snacks anyway. I’ve started to fall into a routine. I am staying very connected with my family and friends. I go out for a nice walk as often as the weather will permit. I am also enjoying the creativity being displayed by others as well as the awakening of our heart center. Stay safe and stay blessed!

Writing is Home

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Tiffanie

I feel like I’ve been gone so long. Every year I take a mini hiatus. Not because I am resting but rather I am working, creating or transitioning in some other way that takes me away from my first love. I have been sharing my spiritual journey for almost five years and it never gets old for me. Writing is my home. I tend to pick up where I left off.

2017 has gotten off to a great start so I am looking forward to sharing my experiences. I started by own company Jaiona’s Yoga Closet (JYC) in late 2015.

We empower others through body awareness, breathing techniques and yoga postures to enhance their overall health and well-being. We teach you how to create space in your life to balance your daily challenges and align with your higher purpose, increase happiness and find inner peace.

JYC ended 2016 well and is expanding quickly as we enter the new year so I am extremely excited and proud. I also blog about yoga and meditation on www.jaionascloset.com. I offer classes throughout the Atlanta metro area and I’m looking forward to expanding to other cities.

As I’ve mentioned in previous post, I’ve been quitting my job for 16 years now. I finally started the process so the talk can become a reality. I loved being an Accountant. I will always be a CPA. Mainly because that was one of the hardest test to pass so I refuse to allow my license to expire but I never felt it was my true calling or purpose. So as I’ve aligned my thoughts to match my purpose, shedding pieces of the past has become my new norm. My last day in that particular role will be end of April. I may still dabble in that area but more in the form of trainer/mentor and sharing my insights with those who want to learn. I believe this might be the last piece to the old me but we will see.

Also, I will continue my travels probably more locally than I have in the past. It’s time to reconnect with and find my family. I have relatives all over the US that I haven’t seen in years. Something internally is calling for me to return to my familial center by connecting with my extended family. I’ve tried to create a family tree for years and have never gotten far beyond my great grandparents. I am hoping this year will bring all things full circle. I also will be in Spain later this year so I look forward to sharing my sabbatical insights as well. I am hoping to make it to South Africa as well but that is up in the air at the moment. It’s out in the universe so I will let it come to me.

So that’s where I’ve been, gone but not forgotten. I am back and ready to share what the Creator has in store for me this year.

Peace and Blessings

Training Wheels: No Hands

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Tiffanie

I feel like every few days I’m having a moment of clarity about my life. Today is no different. Lately I been riding through life with my training wheels on. For awhile I had taken them off. But anyone who has ever rode a bike and fallen off of it has contemplated putting the kiddie wheels back on. You just know you don’t want to fall like that again. The impact was too much and too traumatic. You want to know there is something there to catch you. I equate my life to that bike.

I’m in my early 30s. As mentioned before I been divorced for a couple of years. Anybody who has divorced probably can understand why I put my training wheels back on my bike. When the life you know is flipped upside down you are likely to walk away thinking I’m not doing that again.

For awhile I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to get back on the bike at all but I did. I started to put my life back together. I met a person that I care about a lot. But the plot thickens. My love decided to move to the other end of the country and I’ve struggled with his decision from a selfish point. I mean I want him here with me, who wouldn’t. What I admire about his decision is his willingness to throw caution in the wind and just do it. He is following the voice within and taking a chance to experience something different. His decision made me exam my own life. I remember a time when I was once like him, throwing caution into the wind riding my bike in the street, down the hill and feeling the wind blow in my hair. However, after I fell off my bike I became a more conservative, fearful and doubting version of who I was. Life in a sense is meant to be experienced, touched, tasted and seen.

I decided to use his decision as a moment of inspiration for my own life. I decided to change, to step out completely and take the damn training wheels off. I am even taking my hands off the handle bars. I am throwing all these beliefs and there are a lot of them out the window to go further into a space living, dreaming and loving heart open with no fear. I even started honing in on realizing my purpose or at least finding a new purpose. I made a list of all my old dreams, ones I thought I was too old to pursue. One of which is to be a writer which is why I am here now. Every day I want to find a way to follow and refine my purpose here. This time I’m throwing the wheels in the trash because I doubt that I will need them again…

As confirmation I got the following message this morning.

You learned how to define a part of who you were by being half of a couple. That was a part of your identity for nine years. Without it you will have to continuously define who you are and what you want. Even in a union you have to define who you are and what you want. You can’t be troubled because another person has decided to define who they are through what they do, it really wasn’t about that job. The job was the draw but there is something else that will happen for him there. At this point it’s unclear if you will be a part of that or not but what you did today was begin the release process on both sides. When you allow the universe to flow and fix the other parts then what you need will be in front of you, it’s always been there you’ve just had your blinders on. What you need will not come in the form of another person, mate or companionship, it will come as something else and you will recognize it when you see it. This is growth, being a certain age does not mean maturity, life is over or any of the things you have associated with your age. Learning and growing is continuous when you stop a part of you will stop living and loving. To love is to live and to do it freely is the gift that you give yourself not to someone else.

Hello world!

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Tiffanie

I wanted to start a blog about my life as it is today, as it was yesterday and as it will be in the future. It will mainly touch on my views of life in two worlds, the one that we know and the one that we don’t know. It’s a journey into discovering and defining my version of spirituality…finding my truth. There will be fiction, non fiction, poems, visions, dreams and all other thought forms that come to mind. Hopefully you will be able to relate to some of the content. I plan to keep a light and airy feel, something fun and exciting. So enjoy!