MTO Lean In Series Part I

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Renii Modisette • July 5, 2024

Often, the competing priorities of the day may have us in a choke hold because the desire to accomplish, mark off, or offer a supportive extension is the want; however, the day gets away from us. In those times, remember to lean on your character strengths and virtues. Character strengths and virtues are related to personal values. Established by the VIA, Values in Action, Institute, there are six virtues and 24-character strengths. Knowing your strengths is beneficial when seeking to understand and interpret meaning and reactions in times when our stress is higher than usual.

The June edition of the Aroma begins the MTO Lean In series discussing the six virtues along with a small subset of the character strengths. This month’s virtue is Temperance and the two character strengths and offer essential oils recipes, journal prompts, and Energy Affirmations to aid as you continue to add to your MTO Toolkit.

The first virtue is Temperance along with two of the four-character strengths are forgiveness and humility. Forgiveness means letting go of things that no longer serve you. Limiting beliefs are learned or self-imposed rules that one has accepted as true. Sometimes, with the acceptance as true, it can become difficult to move past or reframe. One may avoid, procrastinate, or talk yourself out of the thing. One may feel personally attacked, resulting in derogatory and negative thoughts.

Humility-taking an accurate self-assessment and knowing your limitations. Taking time to do a self-assessment helps to know one’s limitations or consider the root cause of a reaction to, response during, or after a situation. Taking time to reflect allows for an opportunity to truly evaluate the root cause of your response because you were at capacity. When overused, one can appear self-deprecating or critical of oneself. Opening the door for mindset misfits.

Aromatherapy| Recipe | Stress Management | Mind Escape Vibe

Mindset Misfit Eviction Diffuse Oil Recipe:

5 drops Black Pepper

5 drops Ylang Ylang

5 drops Bergamot

The blend has a floral scent with hints of citrus with spicy undertones. Ylang Ylang is an immediate soother to aid with frustration, anxiety, or dismay. While the Bergamot is the pop of “Wow, yessss, I got this.” Finally, the Black pepper opens to the mind to solution-focus energy.

Black Pepper, Piper nigrum, is spicy. It aids the brain, body, and nervous system. Black pepper promotes blood circulation yet fosters clear thinking and emotional endurance to manage challenges. To avoid skin irritations, black pepper should be used with a carrier.

Ylang Ylang, Canaga odorata, is a powdery floral that is relaxing, sensualizing, and euphoric with supportive action for the heart when faced with nervous tension to calm the nervous system. When using Ylang Ylang, use caution with low blood pressure.

Bergamot, Citrus bergamina, is a sweet citrus that offers autonomic nervous system support. If you are feeling personally attacked, it can help with frustration, irritability, and mental clarity.

These essential oils are “I Feel” boosters for harmony, pleasure, and nurturing.

Instructions for Use:

Use the blend as a preventative. For instance, diffuse the blend before the interaction or situation. Take three deep breaths.

“I feel calm and confident as I take on new challenges.”

“Today, I am no longer my own worst critic. No more second and third rethinking. When I feel this way, I do this because…

Encouragement Reminder:

The affirmation and journal exercise will have a different meaning based on your circumstance. Keep in mind that letting go of limiting beliefs is freeing. Challenges and unplanned things happen. Breathe, feel, then tackle the challenge.

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LEAN INTO:CouRagE EMBRACE: Honesty, Bravery, and Perseverance

By Renii Modisette • December 27, 2024

We begin to say goodbye to 2024 with cooler temperatures and yuletide attitudes as December ends. One thing is sure: self-regulation starts with the Self despite all else. In the last blog for 2024, I explore the sixth and final virtue, Courage, as well as three character strengths: Honesty, Bravery, and Perseverance, with the pendulum swinging both ways as a reminder we can make it through the first starting with Self. A great conclusion to the MTO Lean-in Series, which focuses on character strengths and virtues from the VIA Institute. I had initially planned to finish this series in October, but I found myself overwhelmed with school and work. I had convinced myself that I could push through despite feeling fatigued. However, I realized that the virtue of Courage also encompasses the character strength of Honesty. It was time for me to be honest with myself, which meant reevaluating the narrative I had created in my head. So, I took a break and reframed my internal dialogue to accept my revised story to remind myself that the pendulum swings both ways, so I must put myself first and focus on myself to overcome a self-imposed narrative that pushing through is the best way. I challenge you, amidst this season of giving and gratitude, to be honest with yourSELF—it's a personal journey. Is being honest with yourself a sign of bravery? Depending on who you ask, you might get different answers. In my opinion, yes, we are often harder on ourSELVES than anyone else is. Bravery is usually defined as resilience, facing fears, and not shrinking in the face of a threat or challenge. So, why can't SELF be a challenge? To help you navigate this solitary journey of self-awareness, consider the following statement: "I AM in charge of how I react to others. I choose to respond in a positive way."

Where are you on the tightrope? MTO Lean-in Series, Part IV

By Renii Modisette • October 13, 2024

Hello October! Q4 is in full swing, with MTO KPIs still at the forefront. It feels like I was saying "Happy New Year" just yesterday. Towards the end of June, I began the MTO Lean-in Series, which focuses on character strengths and virtues from the VIA Institute. I learned about the character strengths and virtues while completing my Positive Psychology Practitioner studies and found them intriguing, especially in relation to enhancing my mindfulness practice. So far, I've covered Temperance, Transcendence, Humanity, and Justice. This month, I'll be discussing the fifth virtue, Wisdom, as well as three character strengths: Judgment, Curiosity, and Perspective. I'll then conclude the series with the sixth virtue in the November blog post. For more information on VIA's character strengths, please visit the VIA Institute website at https://www.viacharacter.org. WISDOM Let’s begin with I've coined the Wisdom Tightrope when discussing the virtue of Wisdom because it involves a balancing act depending on the situation. The first character strength, Judgment, is rooted in critical thinking to counteract faulty thinking and biased opinions. When overused, Judgment can lead to narrow-mindedness, and when underused, one isn't reflective enough. Ironically, it is often frowned upon to judge ourselves and others, yet our analytical mind somehow gets in the way, which allows us to debate whether something that is frowned upon should be up for discussion.