Reach Out to those You Love

Every once in awhile we experience a shock, or an unexpected sadness that may lead us to pause and step back from our busy lives to ponder what is really important.  We all get so caught up in the demands of our current "must do" lists, the stresses of whatever fire must be extinguished right now, or the worried preoccupation with what we must face next.  We forget what we truly value and what gives us most meaning and fulfillment in our lives.  For most of us, the most authentic and lasting happiness is experienced through our relationships - those feelings of belonging, safety and validation that only flow from loving and being loved.  I wish for us all that loss may serve as a gentle reminder to live the values we most cherish and to cherish those we most value.  

Snowed Under

Snowed Under.  It's cold and dark in here. I am stuck, frozen  in this place, disconnected and so alone.  The world seems eerily silent and harsh, so distant that I shiver with a sense of loss.   I don't know how to dig myself out. I am lost in the shadows of emotion and the prickly edges of fear. The pangs of past regrets and future anxieties send icy chills deep down to my core.  The heaviness of my insecurities will smother me if I let them linger, pile and drift.  So, I pause for just a moment.  I turn around and face it.  What else can I see?  I breathe in, I breathe out.  I notice the light shining through the dark.  It is there in the distance.  It beckons and guides me, gently and without urgency.  It is an invitation, a ray of hope, and I know it will show me the way.  I don't know how to get there yet, but if I keep my eyes focused on the light I will be warmed, I will be safe and my fears will be melted.  

 Exercise in Phototherapy for Emotional Healing  
(Sharon Carlton, Reg. Psych)

A Lesson from Tigger

DECIDE TO TRY

I think I can, I think I can!

"The only way out is through"
                                     Robert Frost

Keep your eye on the rewards, even when your belly is frozen. 
 

One Small Step

What is one small step you can take today to get a little closer to your goal?  

Just a baby step is all you need to JUST START on the path to something greater, to begin to carve out the path to the life you deserve.

Ready...... Set...... Tiptoe forward!!

Aaaaah, Winter, I'm trying really hard to LOVE YOU!

Seriously, it's beautiful,right?  This gorgeous winter scene.  Yes, looking out from inside a warm and cozy room, it is awfully pretty.  And AWFULLY COLD?  The only way to survive a Canadian winter with a somewhat intact sense of mental health is to embrace winter and what it can do for you!  Yes, how do we get the most of this season that lasts at least two thirds of the year - you know what I mean, Calgary!  So, haul out the long underwear, the mitts and scarves and gloves...  if you are dressed  for it, you can enjoy the squeaky crunch of snow pack under your boots, and the sparkly glitter of frost on the tree branches.  Inhale the frosty, clean, clear breath of freshness, renewal and positive energy.  Exhale the old and the tired and the "I'm done with that!"