Kindness is one of the simplest gifts you can give to others and yourself. Showing that you care, especially in this fast-paced world, is important, but requires mindfulness. Small acts of kindness, like looking into someone's eyes, saying hello, or saying thank you, can make a dramatic difference in mood and attitude. When you notice someone upset or angry, pausing to ask, "Is there something that I can do for you?" creates a shift in energy and fosters connections.
When do you run your mind tapes during the day? Just before sleep or first thing in the morning? We all do it. The balance happens when we don't let it cycle over and over and over and... over.
In the rush of our daily lives with work and loved ones in need of our attention, the flow of our days can be smooth and tranquil or jacked up by something unexpected or negative that occurs. Then perhaps you find yourself reacting negatively later in the day. It would be grand, wouldn't it, to have continuous easy flow with no interruptions?
Our relationship with our mothers may shift over time, but the love remains the same. Some of you may be caring for your mother now, as she once cared for you. Others like myself have lost our mom, and this day can be difficult. What can you do for such a special woman, guide, and warrior?
Then it happens; your loved one is admitted to the hospital and decisions need to be made about whether to go on to a care home or perhaps hire in-home care.
Letter-writing is often considered a lost art, but it shouldn't be. Texting is great for immediate information or a quick thought. Email is fantastic for exchanging timely thoughts. Letters, handwritten or typed, sealed into envelopes, and sent by mail are textual portraits, freeze-frames of specific moments in time that capture thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams and put them all down on paper.
Communication, the language that we choose, and the energy our bodies emit, is essential in what we speak, what we hear, and what our posture implies. A harsh reaction may be coming from someone's pain or fear, and your response to it can be a powerful hit or a supportive landing place.
There is more than one right way. Sometimes we get stuck following a method or practice for doing something because "we've always done it that way." But sometimes trying a new way of doing something helps give us a new perspective and better results. In my case, I knew one way of turning my boat, which was to paddle only on the side opposite of the direction I wanted to go. What my teacher showed me, was that I could also turn the boat by pushing the paddle forward on the same side I wanted to go.
How far down the rabbit hole shall you go before you know you've gone too far? I've had conversations with professional and family caregivers alike who have taken too many steps down the road of life with blinders knowing they'll pull through it. Burnout can sneak up like a bullet train.
I move toward the deeper side, where there are lanes marked for lap-swimming. I’m not the world’s greatest athlete, but I learned to swim before I could walk, and while I’ll happily frolic when there are beach balls around, or body surf in the ocean, swimming laps is something that is as much exercise as meditation for me.