Choosing Joy

Honing a Superpower

​Last week I wrote about one of our superpowers . . . the power each of us has to choose where we direct our gaze.


As we head into Thanksgiving, please  join me in celebrating the moments of joy that are all around us. Big or small, let’s be present and lead with love.

---

“Even a wounded world is feeding us. 
Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. 
I choose joy over despair. 
Not because I have my head in the sand, 
but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”

~ Robin Wall Kimmerer

---

Hi everyone!

Thanks for being here. How are you??

I must admit. My body has been delivering to me some warning signs lately. Truth? I think I’m even sleeping with my shoulders bunched up around my ears?! 🤣
I am carrying a LOT of tension in my neck and shoulders, and some of my regular remedies are not doing the trick this time around. 

When Mike’s alarm went off the other morning? I was having a super strange stress dream. These days, I rarely have stress dreams. If I do? They always seem to involve diving. I’m back in college, warming up for a meet, and I am woefully underprepared. 😩 Or, something along those lines. 🤪

In this week’s dream? I was tasked with teaching a yoga class to a stadium PACKED with VERY uninterested teenagers. Let’s just say . . . it wasn’t going well. 😬

As I woke up, I thanked my subconscious for sifting and sorting through some of my stress and strain. Next, I tuned in. The fact that I had a stress dream tells me a lot, and I want to heed the signals. 

For me in this moment? My stress dream is serving as motivation. I have a lot of travel coming up, and I need to tend to some additional details for myself, for Mike, for my yoga business, and for our household prior to packing my bags. The buildup of stress is telling me it’s time to focus and start checking things off my list.  

Also, I need to pay attention to my fuse . . . because it’s a bit short these days! Things that wouldn’t normally cause me to get frustrated, or feel defeated, seem ready to practically topple me over. This is not how I want to be feeling on the interior, nor how I want to be moving in the world. 

My heightened reactivity isn’t something to beat myself up about, and it IS something to pay attention to. When I am feeling more agitated, I know it’s time to ramp up my self-care. 

Finally, I need to double down on my wind down. When my mind is more active and full, it takes me a while longer to wind down in the evenings. So, I need to be mindful of my routines that prepare me for deeply restorative slumber. 

So, my friends, that’s it. 
Let’s all tune in. 
Heed the warning signs. 
And return to gratitude again and again and again. 

With an abundance of light and love,

~ m