Mornings in 50 Words

By Olivia Barry

SIMPLE DAILY PRACTICES FOR 365 DAYS

 

Have you ever thought about changing your life? With Mornings in 50 Words, Olivia Barry introduces you to a powerful method to change and enrich your life in small but meaningful steps. She will introduce you to 'Soul Moments' and encourage you to find your unique spark in life. Embark on a year-long journey of self-discovery, joy, and creativity.

Olivia's gentle prompts will surprise and entertain, inviting you to uncover your deepest dreams. Whether you're seeking more love, mindfulness, or creativity, this journaling practice offers a simple yet powerful approach.

 

• Each day is an opportunity to begin a new life journey.
• Everybody is creative. Yes, you are too.
• You have enough time to write 50 words. Yes, you do.
• You don't have to be a writer.
• You can follow the prompts, but you don't have to.
• There are no rules, just endless possibilities.
• You are unique, and so will be your journey.
• With every step, you will unlock the power of transformation and create meaningful moments for your soul. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Olivia Barry
• Release date: Feb 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9798986388229

Book preview

Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most!

~ Buddha

Snow in Santa Fe

📷 Canyon Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico

INTRODUCTION

OR HOW THIS BOOK CAME ABOUT

Years ago, I had an idea to write a non-fiction book about creativity and soul moments (more on soul moments later), but once I began writing, more and more ideas emerged. With every new idea, I became more excited about this project, and in some odd way, Mornings in 50 Words ended up connecting to the theme of my novel The Hours In Between.

🔖 The theme of The Hours In Between is to live life to the fullest, which is what this little book is about.

Next to writing, I love photography. Taking pictures makes me happy and I wanted to include it in the book. So gradually, it became a book about creativity, gratitude, soul moments, inspiration, and photography. And the longer I think about it, all these things fit nicely together and they're all part of my journey as a screenwriter-novelist-'amateur' photographer and traveler.

Me in Malibu

📷 This isn't the best photograph, but it is me at my happiest. Free, barefoot, with a camera capturing moments. Isn't life all about living tiny moments to the fullest?

And then this happened...

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After I had lunch in NYC with one of my dear friends, and despite his many questions and concerns, he loved the idea of me writing a non-fiction book.

Our conversation went a little like this:

Him: So, what's the bigger idea?

Me: I would love to write about soul moments. The idea of soul moments is such a simple concept that could turn out to be helpful to many people.

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🔖 We had conversations about soul moments in the past.

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Him: I agree. But I feel you need a bigger concept.

Me: What about an interactive journal?

Him: What do you mean?

Me: What about tiny stories? Fifty-word stories?

Him: Fifty words about what?

Me: Anything that comes to one’s mind in the morning. Uncensored. Like a small creative boost.

Him: I like the idea.

Me: And I would like to use some of my photography as well.

Him: And how would you do that without confusing the reader?

Me: That's easy. I add some of my favorite pictures and one tiny thought about each of them. My soul moments. And sometimes I will prompt the reader to write about their own feelings when they look at my pictures. It will be an interactive journey through the year. And the best part is that one can begin any day.

---

There was a long pause.

Him: I like it.

🩷

---

So, here it is.

New York in the fog.

📷 Williamsburg, Brooklyn ~ NYC in the fog.

1

THE CONCEPT

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We begin with a little chat about gratitude, soul moments, and how it can help you make changes in your life. After that, you're invited to read one of the 365 journal entries daily, and you're prompted to write ✍️ your own. This is the most important part of your self-discovery journey.

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Let's begin...

I’ve noticed that most people experience confusing thoughts about their goals:

Have less pain instead of achieving vibrant health.

Make enough money to pay the bills instead of making enough money to live an exciting life.

Retire early to be free to do what you love instead of finding a job you will love forever.

That leads me to think, Why is it that most people don't dream big? Why is it that most of us don't believe that we are on earth to achieve the impossible?

🐝

Let us change these thoughts. You, my dear friend, are here to achieve all your impossible dreams. I want nothing more but crazy, unlimited happiness for you. I want you to believe that anything is possible.

🔖 By the way, when you see this tiny arrow → always repeat the sentence out loud. Scream it out into the world. Louder. Louder.

→ I believe I can achieve unlimited happiness for myself.

2

TAKE ACTION

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Iwant to believe that unlimited happiness is possible. But how? What is the easiest viable solution for you to hold on to in times of loneliness, fear, and anxiety? What is the one thing anybody can practice at any moment, at no cost? What will it take to get you back to dreaming again?

---

Now you might think, what is she talking about? My life is too difficult. I never had dreams. Or, I used to dream, but not anymore. STOP! Everybody has dreams. They might vary in size, but we all have them.

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There were years when I couldn't breathe because I was on a constant downward spiral. My days were filled with fear and anxiety about my future, my health, my family's well-being, and how I could create a living for myself by doing what I love the most. I had to make choices that seemed petrifying.

---

I might still not have all the answers, but I know you have to take the first step. The most daunting first step you can think of. Once you take that step, not only do you create forward movement, but you also do the most terrifying thing first; everything that comes after that will be easier.

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Imagine yourself standing over a hundred-foot waterfall and your only option to move forward is to bungee-jump. You hesitate and thoughts race through your mind about all the things that could go wrong. However, if you don't jump, nothing will change and you will still be stuck in the same spot and you won't feel any different. So at first you hesitate, but then, you gather all your courage, and you jump. That was your most difficult step! Now bouncing up and down and screaming out of fear and maybe even excitement is the easy part. YOU JUMPED. YOU DID IT! Do you see where I'm going with this?

3

🩷

ONE YEAR CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

but you have to take the first step now

do it now

take your first step

don't overthink, deep down you know you have to

JUMP

into your new life

JUMP

into your NEW YOU

My goal with this book is to uplift as many people as possible. I want to uplift YOU! I want to help YOU get to a better place in your life. No matter what your life situation is right now, isn't it true that for all of us, there's always room to improve?

But how can you begin your lifelong journey and feel immediate results? Not tomorrow or in a week. NOW! It's simpler than you think. It is a combination of taking that leap and then another small step every day, towards your NEW YOU, while utilizing creativity and soul moments. That amalgam will bring you awareness and happiness. I promise.

---

🐝

But first...

Disclaimer: I'm not a psychologist and if you are experiencing any kind of mental or physical emergency, please seek professional help or call 911. I'm sending you my love and an enormous hug.

You're not alone.

Call or SMS:988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

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And now...

4

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME

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Iam a mother, a dog lover, a friend, a reader, an explorer of foods and cities, a traveler, a lover of photography, a dreamer, and I am a writer. I love to write, and I couldn't imagine my life without writing. But I also love to listen to stories. And, believe me, I love a great story.

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🔖 Can you tell, I love emojis too? 😊

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As long as I can remember, I've been searching for something bigger. Even at a young age, I always had the feeling that my dreams and ideas were a bit too extreme, often unrealistic, and they never quite fit into what was considered normal.💞

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And as it turns out, I have lived a bit of a tumultuous life so far. I certainly didn't choose the most straightforward way, but I did always connect with my soul before taking the next step. Humans are unique. Our characters, looks and beliefs are unique to us. We need to be different to succeed in this extraordinary world. We need to be UNIQUE to build a stronger community and to create something bigger and better.

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→ I am unique! (Remember, the little arrow → say it out loud.)

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Like so many lives, mine has been filled with many ups and downs; even I can't count them anymore. And not all of them happened by choice. But I always have and always will live my life my way. My way means to be honest with myself and to only say 'yes' when I want to say 'yes.'

→ I say YES only when I want to.

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🐝

---

I can hear you saying, She's kidding me. Of course, that's easy to say for her being in the place she's in, but I have three little kids, I have an injury, I need to take care of my elderly parents, and my husband/wife drinks. Sure, many things can prevent us from living the life we want to live. Or do we just think that these things prevent us from doing what our heart desires?

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Let's backtrack for a second. Remember, I just mentioned that my life has been a rollercoaster ride; there was a time, not too long ago when I hit rock bottom and I hit it hard. In the most humbling way, I realized that people who I considered to be my friends didn't care about me. They vanished when I needed them the most. A time when I found myself without a stable home, with no recognition regarding my work as a writer, and with the fear of what tomorrow would bring. I felt alone, numb, and much worse; I felt lost.

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Despite being grateful for many things in my life, I still had a hard time seeing all the incredible moments I was experiencing daily. That's when I decided to dream big again and, you got it, change EVERYTHING!

→ Any day is a great day to change