hopefullness

What are you doing February 21?

Oh to be as carefree as a puppy or small child. No worries. Exploring everything. How blessed is the light-heartedness of the wee ones. They truly live in the moment. So why do we let that die in us when we “grow up”? Why have we become so serious that we have a hard time justifying time off just to play and have fun? Where did our “light heart” go? With the Family Day holiday just a few days away for most Provinces in Canada, instead of trying to cram errands into a free day off from work, I challenge you to make it a special occasion for you and your family. A day of fun, without a regimented itinerary. A day where the adults can be child-like and care-free. A day of being lighthearted.
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Here’s some mental health first aid

Have you laughed yet today? If not, time to get your laugh on. Here’s why. The adage, laughter is the best medicine has never been put to the test more than it has now. And I’ve found that the people who have weathered the pandemic storm the best over the past two years, have been more lighthearted and optimistic than those who have been trying to swim against the current. That’s just exhausting. Adopting a lighthearted disposition to life doesn’t mean that you don’t care about things. It just means that once you train that adaptative and resiliency muscle, you’re better able to react in a calm and hopeful manner, bringing light and levity to the situation. To mean, laughter is one of the best mental health first aid solutions during uncertain times.
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Do you laugh or cry when you make a boo-boo?

When was the last time you made a mistake, dropped something, or forgot where you put your keys and instead of admonishing yourself, you laughed? I try to do it as much as possible, and lately I’ve had lots of practice! I learned many years ago that instead of treating every mini accident as a crisis worthy of anger, that if instead I saw it as an opportunity to lighten up and laugh it off, that my mood improved, and I was able to bounce back from the incident much quicker. I know, it can be tempting to get fixated on the issue and put on the victim hat when things don’t go your way, but all that does is make things worse. The reality is that life is messy. It brings us plenty of obstacles and over the past two years, an abundance of twists and turns, making it nearly impossible to predict what’s going to happen next. For many, the anxiety is too much, and they turn to substances or other unhealthy coping measures. But if we could all just learn to let go and lighten up a bit, our worries would also feel lighter. Just like Richard Carlson suggests in his best-selling book – “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all Small Stuff. “
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The world would not be the same without you

In this last post for the first month of the new year, I wanted to end on a positive note. We’ve all had enough sadness and anxiety over the past two years. So, this week’s post is dedicated to all the power of connection. For as our opening quote reminds us, together we are greater than the sum of our parts. Take for example the way ordinary people have come together to help their neighbours during times of disaster. I think back to the unprecedented flooding in BC late last year and the images of people helping guide water-soaked animals to higher ground.
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We are all connected

There’s nothing like a pandemic to remind us of how interdependent we are on a global scale. Yes, we are all still in this together! But as I began to write this week’s blog about the joy habit of connection, I remembered a post I had written early on in the pandemic that is relevant to this month’s theme. The following are some excerpts. You’ve likely heard of the butterfly theory that suggests how the flapping of a butterfly’s wings can impact the weather thousands of miles away. In an April 14, 2020, Fast Company article by Parag Khanna and Karan Khemka, they reinforce this concept even further, with sobering predictions for the future by saying, “In chaos theory, the butterfly effect describes a small change that can have massive, unpredictable consequences. An insect flaps its wings and, weeks later, causes a tornado. The coronavirus is more like an earthquake, with aftershocks that will permanently reshape the world.”  If there ever was a time to take our heads out of the sand and realize that we are indeed connected, now is the time! We all have a responsibility to our sacred planet.
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Are you feeling connected?

We, by our very nature, are social animals. So, for most of us these last two years have felt unnatural to say the least. We miss spending time with our friends in the same way we used to. The travel planning needed to visit far-away family has made it challenging given the unpredictability of the pandemic. And we’re all exhausted trying to predict the future. If it’s of any comfort, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. The entire planet is feeling the drain. And in that way, we are probably more connected than we realize. We have a common goal – survive the pandemic. So even though we aren’t able to see all those we want to see in person, it’s still vital that we stay connected, if not for our own mental wellbeing, but for that of the other person as well.
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How would you rate your connection?

Do you feel connected to yourself – to your spirit? If you do, you likely feel confident in the decisions you make because you are allowing source energy to guide you. On the other hand, when you aren’t connected, you may feel displaced, scattered, and have difficulty relaxing when you’re by yourself. This month’s theme is all about connection and why it’s important to your emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual wellbeing. In this first week’s post, I’ll be talking about self-connection. If you read my monthly Joy Matters newsletters, you’ll recall from the January 1 issue, that I shared a personal story about the power of connections that changed the trajectory of my life. By developing a deeper relationship with my spirit and my intuition, I was able to recognize those relationships that would be of the most significant to my wellbeing. Like with all things, connection starts with acknowledging the self with the understanding that everything is connected and that you are significant to the world. I’m going to share a story that I read in a special book I adore by Mark Nepo - Book of Awakening, to illustrate my point.
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Are you afraid of change?

Honesty, truth, and acceptance all help to foster humility and bring forward the light during turbulent times. And we certainly have been living with massive changes these last two years. In my experience, the best way to mitigate the feelings of powerlessness when faced with a crisis is to stop feeling like a victim. That only brings about more anxiety and does nothing more than contribute to the chaos. Yes, it’s been challenging. After the first and second waves of the pandemic, we could feel life as we knew it begin to shift. And the third and fourth waves seem to have accelerated not only the disruptions to normal life, but the urgency in addressing our relationship with the planet. But change can be difficult for many people. It is much more comfortable to hold onto old ways of thinking and being because it’s what we’re familiar with, it feels safe, whether in reality it is or not.
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Do you show humility to nature?

Why is showing humility to nature so important? All month I’ve been posting about the joy habit of humility based on Chapter 35 of my book Being Joy™. I’ve shared my thoughts and several quotes about showing humility and how judgment and ego can get in the way of your relationships with others and yourself. What about your relationship with Mother Earth? When you take a walk in the forest, along the beach, or in any place that nature has blessed, you can’t help but be humbled by the healing power of its vibration. And as you feel more relaxed and balanced, you’ll reduce your anxiety and thoughts that put up resistance to your allowing what you were always meant to experience – that of love and joy. Nature does that.
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Is a dandelion a flower or a weed?

I love quotes. I marvel at their poetic profoundness and admire those who have authored them. And because words hold great power, I always try and find just the right ones to share each week. When I discovered the one I’ve chosen for this week’s post about the joy habit of humility and its relationship to non-judgement, the human being who immediately came to mind was Mother Teresa. She, more than just about anyone could see the humanity in the faces of the poor, and said, “If you are judging people, you have no time to love them.” As I said in last week’s post, humility really is about kindness and the love for all living things. When you’re living in the high frequency of love and joy energy as Mother Teresa clearly was, you are living in alignment with your soul. And in that sacred space, you can bow your head in humility to your fellow traveler, seeing them only as flowers.
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