Four Ways to Look for Inner Peace After 2021 and a Wish for 2022
As we wind down the year I wanted to say a few quick words.
The year 2021 was an extraordinarily difficult one. If you’ve experienced sickness, loss, or struggles of any kind I hope you’re finding your way through the darkness as best and as quickly as possible.
I know firsthand that COVID can linger physically and emotionally. With three vaccines on my side, it could’ve been much worse. I’m grateful for scientists, essential workers, and the people in my life who care about my welfare.
In 2021 I experienced unexpected sadness and disappointment and was desperate to find ways to cope. I made a commitment to:
Daily meditation - (I recommend the free phone app Insight Timer.)
Walking in nature - It’s important to find accessible paths, and walk as much as your abilities allow.
Every morning I listen to the poem “She Let Go” by Safire Rose and read by John Siddique (I LOVE his voice). I found it on Insight Timer but it’s also available on YouTube. I find it soothing and inspiring.
What have you done to cope with the mental and physical struggles that’ve come your way this year? What’s worked? What hasn’t? What do you need help with? I’d love to hear your story and perhaps I can tackle some answers for you in a future blog post.
“When the soul becomes unburdened it's like a new saddle on a fresh horse. Suddenly the trail feels right again, and the strong horizon line in front of you as your turn becomes its own form of soothing medicine. Something of the sting and burn of the old poison may linger, but having crossed over from the Shadowlands into new open territory, one can almost pick up the scent of blooming flowers within. - from "The Bouquet of the Last Direction," The School of Soft-Attention” ― Hawk of the Pines (Frank LaRue Owen
That’s it for now. I told you’d I’d be quick! I know we’re all inundated at the end-of-the-year so I wanted to sneak in a quick hello and see how you’re doing.
I wish you a healthy, safe, and Happy New Year! Spread a little kindness and hope to those who are suffering. Our world could use a lot more tender loving care.
From our home to yours, I remain your friend,
Cathy
END NOTE: To find accessible locations (in general) in all major cities check out the user-generated database AXS MAP, powered by GoogleMaps API. The creator, Jason DeSilva, lives with primary progressive MS and his work has been profiled by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Oprah, and others, and was presented by Jason at the White House in 2015.
This Has Been Quite a Year
This has been quite a year, one filled with highs and lows just like any other year. Let's face it, life will always be about ups and downs and there's nothing we can do about it except look through a positive lens to change our perspective.
Now that 2019 is coming to a close I'm going to try something new to me. Instead of looking back to ruminate about all that's happened, I'm going to look forward.
I look forward to the possibilities of what 2020 will bring, working on new opportunities that I hope will fulfill some goals in both my personal and professional life.
I look forward to better and far-reaching research to insure that millions of people around the planet can leave the burdens of disability behind for a slow yet steady path toward a healthier future.
I look forward to a peaceful world with less violence, homelessness, and inequality. I look for more inclusion and an increase in, well, all the overused buzzwords I know some people roll their eyes at - happiness, compassion, understanding, tolerance, joy, gratitude, prosperity, and bliss.
I'm sometimes accused of having one foot in a world that doesn't exist because I often say I dream of Utopia. I certainly do, and I'm unapologetic about it. I hold tightly to hope because without it I'm not sure what I'd do. I latch onto a Norman Rockwell-ish vision of people getting along without judgment. Our differences make us unique, not wrong.
This short post is to tell you that in this new decade I hope you receive the possibilities you dream of for yourself and your loved ones. I look forward to a year of knowing the good that comes your way, and the light that shines within you.
I hope next year your health will be better than the last. I will attach that thought to my heart.
I am grateful for you being here, and for being exactly who you are. I thank you for your support and encouragement, and feel blessed to have you with me here in this space.
I hope I've enlightened, empowered, inspired or educated you in some way in 2019.
Before I get too soupy (I think I already passed that point, eh?) here's my wish for you:
Happy, Healthy and Joyous New Year! As the clock strikes midnight on Tuesday I hope you have some laughs, enjoy good food and drink, and experience hugs from those you love, including furry friends. There's no better way to begin a new decade!
As The Year Ends There's Something I Need To Say
I know it's been awhile since I wrote in this space but I needed to take a step back for a bit of a breather. We all deserve breathers once in awhile, so I guess it was just my turn.
As 2017 comes to a close I think back on all that's happened. It's been a pretty crappy year.
As I type these words I think about the challenges I faced that helped me grow in new and different ways. Like a baby taking its first steps, I am walking in unchartered territory. It's scary, hopeful and disarming.
I never liked making resolutions for the new year, but when the clock strikes twelve on New Year's Eve I'll say a prayer for a kinder year.
Here are a few things I'm hoping for. Perhaps you are too.
Love - To be surrounded by those who love me whether I'm well or not and understand that looking good doesn't necessarily mean wellness.
Friendship - I've been blessed with incredible friends who I love dearly. I hope none grow tired of my need to cancel, sometimes at the last minute. This year I canceled almost a dozen social and business engagements. I hope that number changes. I miss socializing with good friends and attending important professional conferences and events.
Wellness - This is an overused term, yet it's my goal and I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen. A new gastroenterologist, acupuncturist, and nutritionist will help me find my way.
Kindness, Compassion, and Forgiveness - When someone isn't in my corner I want to remember to keep kindness and compassion in my heart. I want to forgive those who've been unkind. The only way to inner peace is to forgive others and to forgive yourself. If everyone on the planet did this our world would be a better place.
Move forward - I want to keep my eye on the prize of happiness, both personally and professionally. Releasing what hurts from the past helps you step more easily into the next chapter. As for grief, that's a process that takes as long as it takes. It's different for everyone. To that end, things will never be the same. Still, we have to keep moving forward to successfully survive. That is the goal, to survive.
"Forget what hurt you but never forget what it taught you."~Sharon Adler
Gratitude - I am grateful for the unconditional love and support of my friends and family. I am grateful for every reader of my blog. I hope the experiences and information I share gives you a chance to stop, think, and be motivated to be your own best fabulous self.
Thank you for being a lovely part of my life and for following me on my crazy journey. I wish you a joyous, healthy and prosperous 2018! Peace and good health to all.
How To See The Good In The World In 2016
When I was a little girl I had a leather bound diary that I filled with pages of typical girlhood entries. They were private thoughts I wanted to keep safe from the world. Weekly crushes, secrets shared with friends, and hopes and dreams for the future. The week between Christmas and New Year’s I was particularly busy writing because I spent time reflecting on the past year and making resolutions for the next one.
I loved that diary and in many ways I now consider this blog as my midlife diary. I fill it with what I think matters most, and although I no longer make resolutions I do set a few goals for the coming year.
This past year has been a difficult one personally. I find my blog to be a place of refuge where I feel free to write about what I hope will help others because I know it always helps me..
Writing is cathartic.
As I reflect on the past year and the insanity of too much violence and terror in the world I can't help but offer hope because there is always more good that exists than evil. Ordinary people are doing extraordinary things to make a difference in the lives of others.
These stories don't make headlines. According to ABC.com the top stories of 2015 included Charlie Hebdo, the Germanwings plane crash, deaths by police officers, the Amtrak train crash, a prison escape in New York and the Charleston church shooting. All are horrific and important for us to know. When these incidents happen they strengthen my conviction that we, as a country, need to do whatever we can to end violence, change gun laws, stop intolerance, teach compassion and find peace.
We also need to honor those who selflessly give of themselves to make a brighter world. For me it's important to read good news. It keeps me hopeful and reminds me every day that life will always be beautiful. There are kind and good-hearted people quietly performing remarkable acts of kindness. Look past what the media is shouting at us. Their reports are filled with sensational headlines that help maintain high ratings for their stations.
Look past them. There are stories of decency, honor and compassion all around us:
When eight year old Sadie Keller launched a campaign to collect toys for children with cancer, she ended up with 13,000 items and personally delivered each to the Children's Medical Center in Dallas. What a special little girl. Thank you, Sadie.
When eight month old Jett desperately needed to get to Johns Hopkins, 1,100 miles from his home, for an experimental cancer treatment that could save his life, his parents became frantic. Baby Jett is unable to fly on commercial airplanes because his immune system is compromised and unable to fight germs that may come his way. That's when James Davison, a total stranger to the family, stepped in after hearing Jett's story and flew Jett to Baltimore on his private jet. What a special man.
When the veteran in this video had a heart attack, spending months recuperating in a hospital, Animal Control took his beloved dogs and put them up for adoption. After the man was back on his feet he visited the dogs but couldn't afford the full adoption fee to bring them back home. After seeing their joyful reunion a group of volunteers donated money to help. Watch this heartwarming video as the man finds out his dogs can return home with him. This had me crying buckets of tears. (NOTE: I think they should have waived the adoption fee for this sweet veteran.)
In a perfect world I'd rescue and adopt every animal. Young, old, abled and disabled. That's why I loved this story about a group of nuns in their 70's and 80's adopting Remy, a sweet, docile 9 year old pit bull who was languishing for months in an animal shelter. The nuns immediately fell in love and bonded with Remy. Their story insprired author Laura T. Coffey to write the book My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts.
Photo courtesy of Today.com
As Louis Armstrong sang, "I see trees of green, red roses, too I see them bloom, for me and you And I think to myself What a wonderful world."
I choose to see our world as wonderful, to not dwell on evil, to find joy among the ruins and to feel hope about the future. I hope you will too.
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones. May you have a year filled with love, laughter, good health, brightness and hope. Here are some quotes to start you on your way. Blessings from our home to yours.
H "The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart." ~Buddha Quote
A “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.” ~Henry David Thoreau
P “Peace is not the absence of war, but a virtue based on strength of character.” ~Baruch Spinoza
P “It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes.” ~St. Thomas Aquinas
Y “I love those who yearn for the impossible.” ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
N “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
E “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
W “Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways.” ~Sarah Ban Breathnach
Y “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.” ~Albert Einstein
E “You can change your beliefs so they empower your dreams and desires. Create a strong belief in yourself and what you want.” ~Marcia Wieder
A “Appreciation is a wonderful thing; it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” ~Voltaire
R “I learned that realism can come in all shapes and sizes. The world is big enough for different values to coexist.” ~Haruki Murakami, The Folklore of Our Times
How To Lose Weight During Midlife: One Pound At A Time
“She threw back her head with a laugh that made her chins ripple like little waves.” ~Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence
As I forge ahead on the Jenny Craig program, I've become more mindful of what I eat, trying to keep my eye on the prize of feeling and looking better.
The phrase "lift and separate" takes on a whole new meaning during midlife.
In midlife it's not as easy to lose weight as it used to be. Our metabolism has changed, and being in menopause doesn't help. I can't simply cut back on the calories and poof - the pounds magically disappear.
No, no, no.
Now that gravity has taken over, it's not uncommon for my friends and I to discuss exactly what is, ungraciously, happening to our bodies.
Boobs somehow need to be picked up off the floor with wired four-hook contraptions that promise to lift and separate, while minimizing any "back fat." (Ew)
Extra fat appears around our midriff, mimicking someone who's had one too many beers.
You can no longer see your toes.
Today there are some not-so- lovely new names for extra fat that are enough to make you want to lose weight:
Every single pound - every single ounce - is a battle to lose.
Who's that sitting in my chair? Smokey is dreaming of Jenny Craig's Chicken Fajitas!
I'd love to, once again, be able to get dressed without the need to check and re-check the mirror to decide whether or not I look good in an outfit.
I gave up trying to ask my husband what he thinks. He's learned over the years that answering my questions are a lose-lose battle.
"Honey, do I look alright in this outfit? Do you think my butt looks too big?"
"No, your butt looks the same."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. I'm just answering your question."
"I don't think so. You said my butt looks the same. I saw the look in your eyes. I heard that inflection in your voice. You think my butt is too big."
"What are you talking about?"
Fade out. (It gets ugly.)
Losing weight takes more effort these days than it used to, so I'm reverting back to some old tricks I learned a long time ago.
I took out a few photos that I like of myself to remind me how I want to look again.
I've made a pact with myself not to buy new clothes until I feel more comfortable with my weight.
Every time I walk on the treadmill or outdoors I write it down, and tally up the miles I've walked at the end of the week. (I used to mark it on a map, making pretend I was walking down south. I think I got as far as Baltimore..)
I remind myself that I'll soon have my yearly physical, and how good I'll feel when I don't mind stepping on the scale.
I hope these tricks work for me, because feeling healthier is the ultimate goal. In the new year, it's the best gift I can give to myself.
Are you following any new healthy regimens this year?
*I received a free month on the Jenny Craig program and a discount on their food for this review. There was no monetary compensation. All opinions are solely my own. NOTE: Clients following the Jenny Craig program lose, on average, 1 -2 lbs. per week.
