Kindness, Small Gestures, Generosity of Spirit: The Antidotes to a Challenging Year

The Season of Amplification

And, now, we are in the “festive” season and the stress for many is more intense. We carry expectations about the holidays, about how they should be, about what we should do, buy, make or gift. Yes, it can be a season of joy and it is equally likely to be a season of grief and both at the same time. As I wrote years ago, ‘tis the season of amplification. Whatever we are feeling, we may feel with more intensity. So, how do we stay grounded, connected, nourished and supported amidst so much intensity and chaos in the world?

Embrace the Possibilities, Small Gestures, Kindness and Generosity of Spirit

So many possibilities. Seek out, remember and offer small gestures, kindness, and generosity of spirit. Offer a sincere compliment to someone and watch their face light up. I do this whenever I see someone bring vibrancy to their role or interactions or extend great service or courtesy to others. It makes a difference and it is easy to do. It is following through on noticing.

Connection and Relationship

Find connection in all ways that matter and especially through all forms of relationship. Relationship with loved ones and particularly with the little ones in our lives. Give them the gift of time and attention. All the moments I spend with my grandchildren or with Jerry’s, bring me joy and delight, as I see and experience the world through their eyes. The relationships I have with my and Jerry’s adult children are gratifying and provide sustenance.

Relationships with extended family, friends, neighbours and colleagues who care and who we care about. Relationship with nature, to stay present and keep perspective. Accessing the music, books and movies that make us feel, while reducing media and social media that drags us down.

Relationship with Self Also Matters

We can also offer small gestures and kindnesses in our relationship with self, taking care of mental and physical health and well-being. We might not be able to affect a lot of what goes on in the world, but we can influence and impact those within our circles of influence, including ourselves.

The Promise of 2024

As I look ahead, 2024 holds lots of potential and possibilities. Writing brings Jerry and me joy. We have a couple of projects we’ve been working on that we hope to see come to fruition in 2024. They are The Little Book of Great Grandparenting and Dancing on the Razor’s Edge of Change, both of which include contributions from friends and colleagues.

Jerry and I are beginning a very exciting partnership with a global company that will take our Worldview Intelligence work to new levels, new clients and new cities. We can’t wait to see what emerges as a result.

My Wish for Us All

My wish for you, for me and my loved ones, for the world, for 2024 and beyond, is for peace, hope, connection, joy, and prosperity. The ability to both sit with and work through the tough spots and varied emotional experiences that show up along the way. The ability to influence the world around us in extraordinary and positive ways. The ability to invite and entertain different worldview perspectives, so we find our way in the world with beauty and grace.

All the best of this Holiday Season, from me to you.

Hope and Despair and the Promise of Tomorrow

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Someone in my circles posted yesterday, asking if anyone else was having difficulty finding words to share in these times. The answer was a resounding yes from many of us. Last night, in my deep dream state, these words came to me: hope and despair.

I imagine these words were also relevant in that first Christmas as Mary and Joseph looked for a place to stay, to give birth to the baby Jesus. A side note: the fact that I am not a church goer was obvious when my two oldest were young, whispering to each other in front of the nativity scene, saying, “That baby has a bad name.” So, it is kind of ironic I find myself referencing that first Christmas, but it is 2020.

The nativity scene my boys whispered in front of about 25 years ago

2020 has been a year with all the feels. Anxiety, depression, grief, guilt, delights, joy, love. Also, at points, the absence of feelings. Nothingness. Like the monochromatic days I wrote about earlier this year. Most of us have discovered we can move through it all. Some days are full of activity and outcomes. Some days, we just manage to get out of bed and have a cup of coffee. Some days, it is enough to know we are loved and we love, no matter how imperfectly that might be.

While time has disappeared into a vortex and it is already Christmas Eve morning as I write this, we have not disappeared into that vortex. We are still here. While not everyone is still physically here with us, they are in our hearts. They are present whether we know it or not. For me, my father who died in January is a constant presence along with my mother who died in 2012. Regularly in my dreams. Likely inspiring this writing this morning. My father prayed to Mother Mary regularly. His statue of Her still has the unlikely place on a side table in my living room. A tribute to him and his faith in Her. Also possibly what caused me to think about that first Christmas morning as I woke today.

Tomorrow holds a promise. Not just tomorrow Christmas Day, which for some holds as much or more sorrow as joy, but for the many tomorrows that flow out of and through time. The promise we will still be here. The promise we will keep putting one foot in front of the other, literally and metaphorically. The promise that we will find the moments of peace in times of chaos and uncertainty. The promise that 2021 may hold more hope for us individually and collectively. My partner, Jerry, and I look to the coming year with a hopeful eye. We will grow. We will expand. We will rise above and prosper.

That is my 2020 Christmas wish for you – to rise above, to prosper, to hold your loved ones close in your heart if not physically in your hugs, to continue to find your way, to stay hopeful for tomorrow and all the tomorrows that follow. Sending love, peace, joy to each and every one of you, from my family to yours, from my home to yours. Merry Christmas.

Moving Through Overwhelm One Small Step at a Time

January 30, 2017January 30, 20172 Comments

With all that is happening in the world right now, it is easy to be consumed by overwhelm so vast that it makes it almost impossible to do anything. It is important to stay informed, to look for things that are true, but the search can be all consuming and then debilitating. You might wonder what you, one person, can do.

The first is to retreat. Only long enough to find vibrational harmony with that which is at peace within you, to find vibrational harmony that will allow you to act with intentionality. That action need not be large in the world. Any small step will do. Yesterday I published a post on connecting with yourself. There are some ways to do that listed here.

Small steps you could take today:

A moment of quiet
A small act of kindness for someone
Consciously sending love and light out into the world
Remember the things that bring you joy (it is okay to experience joy in the craziness of these times – in fact, it is essential, it might contribute to keeping you sane)

Today, I will post on social media mostly things that hearten me and this week I will publish as many short posts as I can focused on messages to keep us strong and openhearted.

In a world that is going crazy, we need all of us to find our internal light to shine it out into the chaos.

Patterning New Habits To Feel Good and Be More Focused

September 17, 2016Leave a comment

I have been “asleep” for over a year – since I dislocated a toe and stopped running. Running used to call me out of the house into the great outdoors. And it prompted other exercise as well. For over a year, I have not run, I have exercised intermittently, been a couch potato, eaten far more chips than is good for me and been self critical of my bad patterns. While I have held the intention to get more active again, with a travel schedule that makes routines difficult, it was easy to become a slouch.

Then there comes the moment when intention becomes reality and everything shifts. Even subtle shifts bring change. This September has marked that shift for me. I find myself being called outdoors again, even, or especially, in the middle of the day when the sun is shining. Not to run, but to walk. I know walking is good for me but until now it didn’t have the same pull as running used to. Then a friend suggested Nordic Walking with poles and my game shifted into a higher gear.

me-with-walking-sticks The thing about walking with poles is that it changes your posture and gait. I call it power walking. The first time I used the poles, I was not in sync. My legs went twice as fast as before and my arms were moving at half the pace of my legs. I didn’t care. At least I was moving faster with seemingly little effort. The second time I went walking with the poles, it all came into sync. It was that quick. My posture is better, I hold my head high, my gaze straight ahead as I focus on synchronizing the rhythm of arms and legs. My gait is different and, again, it feels effortless to walk for almost an hour at a good pace. And the physicality brings more mindfulness and the more mindfulness brings more insight.

Regaining a better level of fitness, being outside, brings me joy. Pure and simple. And the walking reminds me of how simple it can be to repattern old habits into new ones. Other exercise is now easier to do, I feel better, I can already feel the changes in my body and I am becoming more focused which benefits my work. My energetic vibration is on a higher frequency and this means more of what I want is manifesting in my life.

It is also a reminder to be compassionate with self when in a pattern and rhythm you don’t like or that doesn’t seem to serve. The contrast alone is a helpful thing and holding the intention long enough gives it its own life force and it will eventually manifest. It cannot help but.

Embracing the Stranger in Me

A Journey to Openheartedness

Tag: joy