February

Soon I will be celebrating my New Year again with the welcoming of February.  This year is all about designing a life that suits me.  I will share my insights and hopefully help you take steps to discovering how to build a life you love. I have been reading a ton lately and as my New Year approaches, I tend to read about being an Aquarius and I really have many of Aquarius traits. While reading about lifestyle design and pursuing a life that is fulfilling, a little astrology can help see into the holistic side of living a life I want to live by becoming more in tune with myself.  The more I awaken, the more I can evolve my true purpose, vocation, and lifestyle. Astrology has been an excellent tool to help me identify my life potentials, knowing the basics and guiding me. 

Many moons ago, a teacher friend of mine encouraged me to take the Myers Briggs personality test. At the time, I honestly didn't care about the results. But in my recent search of developing a life I want to live, it was another way for me to be in tune with myself by understanding my core. So I wanted to take it again. This time, I cared. Why should you consider taking the test?  I feel it helps develop a framework of understanding yourself. The way you work/professionally, how you are in personal relationships/friendships and how you deal with situations in your life. When you have a better understanding of the core that makes up you, you can better work toward your goals to living out the life you want. 

If you are at that place where you want more and need a change, this might be one of your steps to discovery of what that is and designing your lifestyle. 

For more information on the Myers-Briggs:  http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/

Or if your just testing the waters, I recommend trying this free personality test:  http://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

Now I won't be all business today, so I will share how I ended my year of "Aquarius." I did have a little fun while I was working on my life designing skills. 

I got to spend some times with a couple of my favorite boys this weekend, Carter and my godson, Charlie. We watched some of the original Goosebumps (which I didn't realize were as scary as they are). These two are quite the pair, brothers who love each other....for now. 

With seeing the boys, comes spending quality time with my "frista" (Friend/Sister), Carlena and a pretty amazing group of ladies. This group of mine is full of love, compassion, trust and of course fun! It is good to be around different people to help me grow and be aware of what and who I want in my life.  We ended up rewarding ourselves by dancing the night away. 

Sunday is always a day for reflection. I spent the afternoon listening to some pretty amazing music, absorbing myself into conversations with a dear friend and just relaxing. It got me thinking of what happened over the weekend that made me feel so off on Monday. I was on a weekend high and then after a little research, I realized why. 

Dopamine, a neurotransmitter released by the brain that plays a number of roles in humans. Here are a few of them.

• movement
• memory
• pleasurable reward
• behavior and cognition
• attention
• sleep
• mood
• learning

Dopamine is released from behaviors of reward like food, friendship, dancing and could be the neurotransmitter behind all our most luxurious behaviors. Dopamine is love, motivation, attention, feminism, and addiction. No wonder I had silly levels after this weekend. 

AE