You are enough, just as you are.💕
Mirror Exercise: Waking Up with Love
What about you?
Do you interpret their meaning?
Have you ever dreamt the same dream repeatedly?
Dream Symbol: Water
A “dream theme” I have at least twice a week.
If you’re curious about the psychology of dreams, leave a dream in the comments and I will interpret it for you.
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And calm in your heart.
The goal is to change our response to them.
To transcend them when the time is right.
e·qua·nim·i·ty
Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation. “She accepted both the good and the bad with equanimity”.
Let Your North Star Guide You
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We’re on a trip to California for our December birthdays and wedding anniversary and I couldn’t imagine a more mindful place to be.
Luminous moonlight.
Fresh ocean air.
Sunshine in every nook.
Just outside our hotel room door.
Waiting to be climbed.
December birthday blessings of the highest kind.🎄💚
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sus·tain·a·bil·i·ty/səˌstānəˈbilədē/The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
CPR includes three simple steps as outlined in the video below:
Catch yourself before a stress response escalates by becoming more aware of what triggers you.
Pause and take a 60 second time out when you feel the physical sensations of stress begin to escalate.
Repair the root source of the heightened stress response which is often physiological in nature.
The CPR Presentation was developed for the St. Clair College Student Sustainability Group as part of their initiative for supporting the health and wellbeing of college staff, faculty, and students.
This was the first time I’ve been approached to make a video for a third party. And it was so much fun!
More Tips → Thriving Under Pressure
Not days.
Not weeks.
Not years.
Cozy blankets.
Birds singing.
The sun rising.
Not days.
Not weeks.
Not years.
Taste every morsel.
Dance with abandon.
Stroll by the moonlight.
Not days.
Not weeks.
Not years.
Peace lives here.
I look up every chance I get. First thing in the morning. On my run. On my way to work. In between classes. Out for a bike ride. From the skylight in my office. On the front porch before I go to sleep.
The sky connects us to something much bigger. Challenges seem small in comparison to the vastness of the sky. Solutions seem plausible. Answers come more easily.
One Minute to Mindfulness — Click Here
The stars heighten our awareness, expand our field of possibilities, and relax our mind. In their presence, we embrace the profound and surrender the pettiness.
When we look up, we become fully present. In the moment. Completely mindful. Nowhere else to be but one with the sky.
What are your mindfulness tips?
How do you transcend your restless thoughts?
Are you a star gazer or a sun worshipper?
Do you see pictures in the clouds?
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“Buddha described the human mind as being filled with drunken monkeys, jumping around, screeching, chattering, carrying on endlessly. Fear is an especially loud monkey – screaming out all the things that could go wrong.” Source: HuffPost
When we’re caught in a loop of anxious thoughts, our amygdala goes into overdrive. Causing us to get stuck in the basement of our brains (the limbic system) where our stressful thoughts go around and around. With no end to the downward spiral in sight.
Time in nature gives us a chance to catch our breath, to see the light, to realize there’s a way out of this never-ending rumination loop.
The impact of nature on the human spirit is so profound that a hallmark study in 1984 showed that patients who had a room with a view healed faster than patients without a view. A mere glimpse of nature was enough to enhance their resilience.
Nature shifts our thoughts. Expands our awareness. Gives us hope. Lifts us up from the basement of our brains (amygdala) to the penthouse (cerebral cortex) where all solutions are possible.
“And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul.”
Related Video: Five Grounding Techniques
Morning Traffic
Office Politics
Loud Neighbours
Unpredictable Weather
Giving up the fight.
Waving the white flag.
Surrendering to what is.
And always has been.
You conserve energy for the joyful in your life.
The meaningful in your life.
The soulful in your life.
Including this very moment.
The next time you are gearing up for another fight with reality. Winter; Traffic; Parking; Deadlines. Try rolling with it. Surrendering to what is. Letting go. No matter the circumstances.
In surrendering, you save precious energy for the joyful in your life. The meaningful in your life. The soulful in your life. Including this very moment. This is where happiness lives.
Related Post: Letting Life Flow.
Related Post: Taming Your Monkey Mind.
Surrender your fears, your resistance, your excuses.
Little changes make a big difference.
They add up over time.
And ultimately have more staying power.
Begin the transformation process with a daily habit.
Something that you do automatically – without thinking.
Start with what’s right in front of you.
Literally in the palm of your hand.
Put your phone down. Look up. Breathe in deeply. For five minutes at a time.
Every time you hear it beep – take a full on tech break.
A spa session for the mind.
A hello to the world moment.
A reminder to seek joy.
Time to breathe deeply.
To stretch fully.
To grab life by the horns.
Related Post: Just Breathe.
I was thinking about time tonight. It’s like a never ending circle that starts and stops at the same place. A perpetual loop heightened on a Sunday night.
And the only way to slow it down is to breathe in each moment. To notice each ephemeral hour. To rest gently in the arms of time.
Related Post: The Sweet Spot
Stop expecting others to validate what you hear (see and feel).
A beautiful melody that only you can hear.
Fear not who you are. Fear not what you hear.
Trust the music that is in you.
And dance a little freedom dance.
Related Post: I believe in you.
Psychology Today Checklist ⇒ Are You Thriving? 🌷
The one word I hear repeatedly from students this time of year is drowning.
Drowning in bills. Drowning in midterms. Drowning in research.
Not a pleasant thought. And definitely not energizing.
A sinking feeling that takes student motivation from 100 to 0 in an instant.
By thought alone.
How can we help students to feel more empowered in the midst of winter weather, too many midterms, and not enough time.
We meet students where they’re at. By embracing that stressful, drowning thought and transforming it into a peaceful, floating feeling. By helping students feel safe and supported. In and out of the classroom.
We remind students of their resilience. We show them how far they’ve come. We encourage them to flow with the moment instead of fighting against the current. Then and only then can the focused learning begin.
Video from today's psychology class. 🌊
Related Post: The Sweet Spot.
I work hard. Too hard sometimes. And I bet you do too. On one hand, that’s fantastic. You wouldn’t be where you are without steadfastness and sacrifice. On the other hand, having a singular focus on work ultimately shortchanges your potential.
Rest is critical for success. At life and work. We must pace ourselves on the long road to abundance. Give our mind, bodies, and spirits a chance to restore themselves. A moment to mend. A chance to recover.
We must reward ourselves in small ways (and in big ways too). After the work is done. In between exams. After a semester of late night study sessions. Once all the exams are marked and final grades handed in.
You decide when. You decide where. You decide how.