Today went a bit all over the place. I had some plans but the universe had different plans. Usually when this happens I find I get cranky about the plans I’d made in my head.
But today, I took a moment, readjusted my thinking, took a peek at my day, felt grateful that most of it was in fact flexible and not urgent meetings and then just readjusted my mindset.
The interesting part of this, for me, is that this option is available to me every day. Things aren’t as urgent or important as they might appear and yet my seld-created sense of urgency causes me unnecessary stress.
It was a good reminder that things are more flexible than they might seem.
As the days keep getting shorter and darker here, I’ve been thinking about ways to help me stay open and joyful and calm.
Here are some things I’m exploring in this season:
– smell – I have a diffuser in my bedside and it makes me happier than I thought possible. As a person who has always hated incense I thought I would hate diffusers but they create no smoke and the smell is a lot more subtle. I plan to buy one for the downstairs too.
– sound – last year I bought candles that crackle as they burn, I love that sound and will use them more often. And they have the joy of smell too. Also I’ve been playing music in the house more often lately and I remember how much I love music
– sight – flowers continue to bring me joy. So do colorful lights. So does a candle flame.
– silence – I’ve fallen out of my restorative yoga practice in service of other exercise, I plan to bring it back and add meditation as well.
– reflection – I do better in all things when I am intentional about how to spend my day and when I journal about how I feel and what I need to release.
– care – when I spend time focusing on skincare, gums, sleep, and nutrition, life flows more easily for me.
– connection – I am introverted enough to always at peace in my own company but I also know that connection feeds my soul so when I make an effort to do it more, I never regret it.
– air – and finally even in the cold, fresh air is an elixir. Something I crave daily.
So in this season that’s tougher for me, I plan to make an effort to do more of these. And I am always seeking new ways to make the darker days be a little lighter on my soul.
I had some tough conversations to have today and it made me realize that it’s helpful to work at it on my own first and see what outcome I really wanted.
If I am not clear.on what I want going in, it’s really hard to ensure that I know what to say. At the same time, if I am really attached to the outcome I want, then I might not listen well.
So I need to walk that narrow line where I am clear in my why and what and also I am not attached to the outcome.
Little boy was Kaz Brekker from Six if Crows for Halloween. He 3-d printed a crow’s head to attach to his cane and we painted the whole thing at home.
I am not a fan of Halloween and yet I really enjoy watching others get into it. I love that little boy is always in the spirit to celebrate and have fun. I love that both my boys went to be with friends tonight.
And now that it’s the end of Halloween, bring on Christmas!
Saturdays are for lying on the couch. I miss summer already and I am also excited about Christmas season. I am grateful for the quiet of these cold days. Snuggling up with a good book, music I love and a warm drink.
I’ve been told not to take things personally my whole life. I’m slowly starting to understand how to do that and what might be possible for me as a result.
A friend of mine at work told me a few weeks ago that the top way people feel included at work is by feeling recognized. Which I guess is a way people feel seen and appreciated maybe?
So I’ve been thinking about how I prefer to be recognized and how I can communicate clearly about that. And what makes me feel seen.
And I’ve also been thinking about how I can do that for others. How I can listen better for what makes them feel seen and appreciated.
300 days into this year. This year for which I had so many hopes. This year which we spent getting tested and vaccinated and tested more. A year spent in solitary.
Alas, parts of this year turned out so much better than I hoped and others so much worse. Isn’t that life for you?
I discovered a new-to-me musician today and have been listening to his work nonstop and it has given me endless joy.
So grateful for artists who share their soul with us so we might have more color and joy in our lives.
Feeling calm and rested from a few days off. Lately I’m finding that I love moving slowly more and more. I notice my rushed thoughts or anxiety around no doing enough and I remind myself that I have all the time I need.
I say it out loud because I am also noticing that I need to hear myself say it.
As part of my one little word class, I’ve been doing affirmations for a few weeks and this is one of the ones that really resonates each time.
What a sweet, heartbreaking and honest story of a relationship. Instead of seeing the story unwind into the future we see it unwind into the past. Knowing the ending of how it falls apart, the author slowly walks back in time for us to see it come together. It’s beautiful and heart breaking all at once. Reminded me of Why We Broke Up
Burke’s book is unflinching, kind, vulnerable, heart-wrenching, and inspiring all at once. It is the story of her own childhood and the unspeakable things she’s had to endure. It’s the story of her work and activism in speaking up for others who have had to endure unspeakable things. Her work that is so much more than a hashtag and so much more than a moment in time.
She is vulnerable and open as she shares her own journey and her own learnings and moment of opening up as she does her activism. Her own journey with motherhood and all that it teaches her about being a mother and a person in the world. Her point about capacity and desire as a mother was a huge revelation for me as a mother.
The characters were each interesting and explored just enough to get to know them and their motivations and to leave room for intrigue and the possibility that there’s more going on than one might think. In fact, there were a few instances where I felt disappointed to find out that more ominous things weren’t going on with the characters.
This is definitely a plot-driven story about a married couple that go to see an ex-therapist who has a fool-proof ten-step method to “cure” her patients. As it is with these books, there’s more than meets the eye, of course.
There’s an ominous feel the whole time you read the book. Both of the characters who tell the story are jumpy and not comfortable in their skin so they constantly are on edge and so is the reader as a result.
Even though I guessed the ending a bit before it unraveled, I enjoyed reading every page of this book and i am confident others will, too.
with gratitude to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
