Archive for January, 2021
Encouraging Words
Encouraging words are balm for our soul-selves. The need has never seemed greater.
The following words of encouragement are few so as not to overwhelm our psyches; rather to softly soothe them.
“Do not let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do.” ~John Wooden
“When we stop opposing reality, action becomes simple, fluid, kind, and fearless.” ~Byron Katie
“Don’t stop. Don’t lose hope. Don’t sell out.” ~Christopher Reeve
Blessings!
Simple
Two quotes for meditation.
“We become what we think about most of the time….” ~Earl Nightingale
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” ~Charles Darwin
Blessings!
Laughter
We so often hear that laughter is the best medicine. There is ample evidence, Maryland Medical Center; Psychology Today, April 2005; Helpguide.org, to name but a few resources, that make a good case for the health benefits of laughter.
Laughter can help protect our heart, enhance the immune system, reduce stress, release endorphins in the brain, reduce pain and/or discomfort, and even lower our blood-sugar levels.
Once begun, laughter is contagious and is spurred on by the laughter of others. We have all had the experience of connecting with another person and getting the giggles.
Last week’s blog dealt with Crisis Fatigue. To share some healthy laughter felt like a good thing to do. This week I am including a generous slice of humor. I hope this brings you a few good laughs.
‘A turtle is crossing the road when he is mugged by two snails. When the police show up, they ask him what happened. The shaken turtle replies, “I don’t know. It all happened so fast.”‘
‘Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything’.
‘I took my eight year old girl to the office with me on, ‘Take Your Kid to Work Day’. As we were walking around the office, she started crying and getting very cranky, so I asked her what was wrong. As my co-workers gathered round, she sobbed loudly, “Daddy, where are all the clowns that you said you worked with?!”‘
And…
‘An old man is met by his attorney, and is told he is going to be audited. He rides to the IRS office with his attorney, and when he gets there, he begins to talk with the IRS agent. “I’ll bet you $2000 I can bite my own eye!” The IRS agent agrees to the bet, believing it an impossible task.
The old man laughs, pulls out his glass eye and bites it. The IRS agent is dumbfounded. The old man then bets $3000 that he can bite his other eye. The IRS agent knows there is no way possible to do this, so once more he agrees. The old man cackles, pulls out his dentures, and bites his eye.
Then the old man offers a final wager. “I’ll bet $20,000 I can stand on the far side of your desk, pee over the desk, and get it into your wastebasket without spilling a drop. The agent is absolutely positive the old man can’t do it, so one more time he agrees.
The old man indeed misses, peeing all over the desk and the paperwork. The IRS agent jumps for joy, but then notices the attorney in the corner moaning. “Are you all right?” asks the agent.
“NO! On the way over here he bet me $400,000 that he could pee all over your desk and you’d be happy about it!”‘
Enjoy the laughter!!
Blessings!
Crisis Fatigue
Crisis fatigue is used to describe the emotional and physical response to prolonged periods of stress that develop due to economic depressions, war or pandemics, political instabilities, natural disasters and racial injustices.
The USA is experiencing crisis fatigue spawned by rampaging COVID-19, ravaging fires, hurricane flooding, economic depression, food and shelter insecurities and political upheaval.
Physical and mental exhaustion, changes in sleep patterns and diet, unexplained body aches and pains, feeling numb or empty, feeling anxious or helpless, difficulty concentrating, lacking empathy for others, more frequent use of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, becoming withdrawn…all can be symptoms of crisis fatigue.
Some people are at greater risk than others for experiencing crisis fatigue; poverty, bereavement as a result of crisis, unemployment/financial uncertainty, homelessness, trauma, limited mobility, pre-exisiting mental health condition and discrimination are all significant contributors. These symptoms can last for weeks or months in prolonged periods of crisis.
The following are suggestions for coping with crisis fatigue:
- Disconnect from media
- Maintain your routine
- Take a break, a time out
- Engage an activity that re-focuses the mind
- Physical activity
- Talk to someone
- Ask for help
- Ask others if they need help
- Prayer and meditation
- Listening to calming music
- Breathe
These are challenging historical moments. We will get through them. Be kind to yourself and others. Plug in to your belief system; turn the bright light on and keep it on. Take good care. Stay safe.
Blessings!
Your Future
Looking at our future from this moment of time can be frightening and overwhelming. We are suspended in a seemingly unending COVID-19 nightmare, a profound disturbance in our normality.
The future is fluid; very little is set in stone. Part of our future is determined by circumstances, part by ‘fate’ and then there is ‘free-will’; our personal effort and commitment and the consequence of our decisions or lack of decisiveness. As 2021 begins it is a good time to take a personal inventory and make plans for your future.
I invite you to do an exercise of intention. Create some quiet, centered, personal space, and write a letter to yourself from the future you desire. The focus can be in your career, your relationships, personal habits you want to overcome, and/or personal goals you would like to achieve. You can address one issue or multiple issues. Be as specific as possible not only regarding the end result, but also with the behaviors it will take to accomplish these goals.
Be realistic. Be thoughtful. Be kind. As you write your letter treat yourself with respect and encouragement. Affirm and support yourself. Acknowledge your fears, soothe and remove them, choose to entertain faith, not fear. Create a neat, clean document because you deserve to be the recipient of a beautifully written letter from your future.
When you are finished, put the letter in an envelope and address it to yourself. Then give it to a trusted friend, asking them to mail it to you in one month. Do not omit this important step.
In this exercise, you will have set and defined your intention, and created usable strategies for attaining your future goals.
Start now…your future is waiting!
Blessings!
