As a positive psychologist, I often write about the bright side of life. Including harnessing strengths, enhancing motivation, and flourishing in the wake of adversity.
Not the whole picture.
While strengths are vital to realizing one’s full potential – it’s not the whole picture when it comes to living a balanced life.
Embrace the downside.
We must also create a safe place to welcome the parts of ourselves (and our life) that weigh us down and cause us despair.
In doing so, we soften the grip of its pain. Whether it be suffering from years gone by or a hardship in current time.
Give your pain room to breathe.
Give your disappointments, your conflicts, your lost dreams room to breathe.
You are not inadequate because you have depression. You are not unworthy because you’re divorced. You are not unloveable because you have anxiety. You are not undesirable because you’re unemployed. You are not undeserving because you’re broke.
You’re perfect just the way you are.
Life ebbs and flows, comes and goes. Like the waves on the ocean shore. You are forever. Your potential grows. It’s ok not to be ok. What comes – also goes.
“Welcome it all!” I love this!! Yes, Love it All!!
Thank you!
Sandy
😍😍
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My pleasure! It’s in the fight that we lose our peace.
It’s in our welcoming that we find our way. ♥️
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Beautiful!!
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♥️♥️♥️
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Great reminder, thank you.
We are all indeed the ocean.
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Amen! We’re constantly moving in & out of the flow. 🌊
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Timely reminder!
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Wonderful knowing it was helpful.
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Good reminders Andrea. I’ve been working on these lessons the last few years and finding a bit more self-compassion. 🙂
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May your day be filled with as much love, kindness, and compassion as you share with others Brad! 🌺♥️
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How sweet. Thanks Andrea. 🙂
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Reblogged this on iamlifelonglearner and commented:
These positive blogs written by Dr. Andrea Dinardo are so relevant! We all struggle with different issues… Thank you for another great post thats too good not to reblog! 🙂
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Thank you for sharing with your readers!
So very grateful. 💛☀️💫
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Excellent! Be okay with not being okay!
Great reminder and much needed!
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Thanks Yamina! Grateful to hear how my post brightened your day. ☀️
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Yes!!!
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Thanks Andrea.
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My pleasure!
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I so enjoy this blog. I just had a guest here at Villa Migelita who is a psychologist. Her and her wife were incredibly fun and intelligent. She had me laughing and laughing. Then she told me one thing about myself before I knew she was even a psychologist. She said stop putting yourself down for things you had no control over. She said look at what you have done after such a devastating loss. She told me to wake up in the morning and the minute I start to think negative about anything to let it go, and think about what I have done positive. I started yesterday. M
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Thank you for sharing! It feels good knowing that you’re enjoying my blog. Very motivating! And I love hearing the awesome strategy you learned from one of your resort guests, who happens to be a psychologist. A great technique indeed!
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Such a brilliant reminder, I needed to read this today so thank you! ♥
Caz x
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You are so welcome! I love knowing it helped. And I hope you continue to welcome all of the up & down in your life. It’s what makes you so darn interesting! 😊
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Beautifully written and we know it is from your heart to ours Andrea. Especially like the phrase, “Give your disappointments, your conflicts, your lost dreams room to breathe.” We are learning it is okay to have bad moments and they don’t need to be whisked away but rather to be looked at and learned from. Keep it up Andrea, we needed this one today.
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Thank you so much Tom & Audrey! Your thoughtful comments & heart-to-heart receiving of my messages brings me so much joy. Wishing you both a day filled with up, down, and everything in between. 🍃🌿
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You are welcome. It is so great when you nail a thought or emotion and draw out the positive from it.
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😊😊
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Beautifully said. This is a great reminder to accept ALL of who we are, as the challenges that come forth in our life is not to be avoided, but to be embraced with loving kindness , compassion, and nurturing ,
Treat ourselves how we would treat a friend in the same position, say the things to ourselves that we would say to a friend.
Unattach to the negative labels we have clung onto from the past. We are OK, this is our soulful journey.
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I love how you added to the message of self-compassion Stacy. “Treat ourselves how we would treat a friend in the same position, say the things to ourselves that we would say to a friend. ” Amen!
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Such a beautiful message Dr Dinardo 🌈💐
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Thanks Di! Wonderful knowing that my message was welcomed all the way to Australia! Happy Friday 🌈 ☀️
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You’re very welcome Dr Dinardo, and yes, it arrived safely all the way ‘downunder’ .
Have a lovely weekend 💐💕
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Such an important post. For every one success, we each face so many obstacles – both internal and external. Those challenges, too, are meaningful and just as beautifully okay.
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Amen Mirissa!💫
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Excellent post – reminding us it’s alright to have a range of emotions ❤
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Thanks for the encouragement Christy!
Given your authorship of so many commissioned articles, I thought you’d be interested in this study on frequency & type of emotions experienced in a typical day: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225274268_Frequency_estimates_of_emotions_in_everyday_life_from_a_diary_method's_perspective_a_comment_on_Scherer_et_al's_survey-study_Emotions_in_everyday_life
Let me know what you think!
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Very important message,. Embrace all that is….
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Yes Sue!
The sooner we embrace all that is, sooner our emotions flow through us. Especially considering how many emotions we experience throughout the course of a day.
Not feeling good?
Just wait.. another emotion is on its’ way.
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Interesting Andrea – the ebb and flow of life. I’m learning that about depression. Sometimes it’s there for no apparent reason; at other times it disappears, also for no apparent reason. It’s helpful to read your views that this is perfectly normal and to be embraced.
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Thank you for sharing Denzil.
You bring up a very important point about fleeting emotions. And why it’s important to distinguish between normal, fleeting emotions (sadness, stress) vs. dysfunctional, lasting emotions (depression, anxiety).
One comes & goes, the other remains.
PSYCHOLOGY ARTICLE – SADNESS VS. DEPRESSION
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201510/the-important-difference-between-sadness-and-depression
“Sadness is a normal human emotion. Depression is an abnormal emotional state, a mental illness that affects our thinking, emotions, perceptions, and behaviors in pervasive and chronic ways. When we’re depressed we feel sad about everything.”
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I enjoyed reading this – I find that during my times of being sad or down are also when I learn the most about myself. Being sad is normal – not sure where we as a society began thinking we should always be “Ok” to be normal. Thanks for sharing.
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I honour your insights & life experience Jai. It is so true how we learn the most about ourselves during hard times. This is where strengths are born. Helping us rise back up. In due time.
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So true. Sometimes you just have to be with stuff! Thanks for sharing. I have a poetry blog here on WordPress and today’s poem is about watching emotions as they pass by in case you have time to read? Wishing you a good day, Sam 🙂
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Amen Samba! The more we fight “our stuff” the greater it fights back. Cheers to a day of “going with the flow” no matter what life brings. In the end – it’s all good. So why not enjoy the ride. 🌊 💙
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Deffo feels hard but letting go is the only way 🙂
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The only way. 🍃
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Reblogged this on Anonymous People.
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Thank you for sharing with your readers!
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I love the ocean metaphor! Couldn’t agree more. I like the work of Kristin Neff, PhD and Chris Germer, PhD.
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Me too! Thank you for sharing Lisa! 🙂
Two great authors we can all benefit from.
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Oh I love those words “what comes also goes. Welcome it all” I needed to read that today. Wonderful. ❤️
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Smiling with you as I read your kind note.
Welcome it all. 🌺🍃
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Yes indeed. 🙂🌹
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Thanks for the inspiration!
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My pleasure Grabbety! Have a wonderful week! ☀️
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I love it! Such a simple concept, but it can be so hard to grasp. I have definitely had a hard time with this before as I’m sure many others have. Feeling mad, sad, bad….any of those things is so natural!
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Yes! So natural. The key is to let it flow.
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