It matters how we treat ourselves and how we treat one another. Kindness and respect above all other approaches, above anger, above insistence, above entitlement or power, and above manipulation of any kind, gets things done and opensthe door to … Continued
Raise your hand if the holidays stress you out sometimes. Keep your hand in the air…raise your other hand if you often end up exhausted or sick around the holiday season. Now wrap both arms around yourself and give yourself a nice big hug. Hug yourself and repeat after me:
The holidays are fast approaching, there’s hope and cheer in the air. But for those who have lost a loved one it can often take herculean strength to get through it all. The grief that we bear when someone we love has passed, especially recently, can be triggered by the smallest things. A scent in the air, a song, a place or even just setting the table and counting one less place setting than before. You can go from humming along and enjoying yourself, to a stabbing ache in your heart and a grip in your throat that suddenly pours out in tears. That’s the way grief works sometimes, and though the triggers may be different for each of us, grief has its way with us no matter how we try to skirt it. Loss changes us and grief takes us on a ride through memory lane at a moment’s notice, especially during the holidays and special events. Whether the person who died is someone you cherished and miss terribly, or even if they were difficult and harmful to you, the holidays can kick up the dust of grief.
For me, writing is an ebb and flow sort of process. When it flows, it is absolute heaven. When it ebbs, it seems to take so long to come back. That particular day I tried going for a walk to clear my head, praying, meditating, and reviewing old pieces I had written in and effort to turn the faucet back on. Nothing seemed to work.
And Then…
I was just about to give up when a little movie started in my head. Somewhere between fully awake with my eyes closed and the sweet spot of imagination and intuition, all of a sudden there was a…
The world seems full of strife and suffering these days. It can take a huge toll on the way we feel on every level, and it can sneak up on us when we least expect it. For instance, the other night as I was trying to fall asleep, a very uncomfortable and uneasy feeling washed over me, complete with sadness and palpable anxiety. I did what I normally do-analyzed it and traced it back to its most recent origin. Only then could I find my peace again.
Life can begin moving at a sprinter’s pace at this time of the year as the beginning of Fall signals a new school year, a race to a year end finish in the business world, and anticipation of the upcoming … Continued