A simple way to calm ourselves and get back into the moment is to take three deep breaths. We could be waiting in line at the supermarket, behind the wheel in traffic, standing on a busy street corner, or about to have a tricky conversation. Or maybe we just feel anxious and not sure why.

The simplest tool at everyone’s disposal is to take three deep breaths. That deep breath is a way to reconnect to ourselves and the moment. It can help anchor us. Maybe shift how we feel. A deep conscious breath slows us down and also brings more oxygen into our bodies. Many of us are shallow breathers, so now and again a few deep breaths can be a healthy shift towards calm.

A few deep breaths can be a simple yet elegant gift you give yourself throughout your day.

We need more conversations. And to clarify, a conversation is when we listen, are curious, consider the other points of view, and keep adding to the conversation in ways that may illuminate or expand on the topic, moving it forward. We aren’t arguing or attacking, no. We are listening and feel curious about what is being said, and what we might learn.

We may be getting out of practice of listening, allowing other points of view to intrigue us rather than threaten us. There is a school of thought that to be part of a true conversation, that in that space, many problems can actually be solved. Have you ever been in a great exchange session where you could keep building and building on what was just said or offered? Without fresh input we rarely come up with real creative solutions. When we are invited to participate, meaning we aren’t being shut down, then amazing new thought connections can be made. It is exhilarating.

How can complex long standing problems get solved, really solved, if we aren’t open and really listening? Or if we keep attacking the speaker? Or get attacked? We can be hard on ideas, but not on people. In a relaxed conversation, where it is understood we are going to listen, be curious and consider, that energy can lead us to see helpful solutions emerge. Or certainly an inspired discussion that provided good reflection.

We can assist in initiating more conversation in our day to day lives, be it in our homes, work or play. Conversation requires some open ended questions that might start with How, When, or What.We may feel shut down by a conversational opportunity with remarks like “That’s stupid”, or You are so….”, or Why would you say that? or …..well, you get the picture. What we say can put an end to any chance of a real conversation, or fully open it up.

True conversation seems a rarity, maybe an art we need to initiate where we can. To be part of a conversation that welcomes all voices and no one person is dominating, announcing or holding court. Imagine!! Give it a whirl.

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. This seems one of those times.

Is listening a form of love we give to another person? Have you noticed when you have the full attention of another person, and when they add on to the conversation it is evident they were listening to our words and intent? It seems true that listening to another in those important ways, is an act of love. In these hurried, fragmented times between appointments and devices our own listening patience may be fragmented too.

Do we expect someone’s focused attention when we are sharing something that makes us feel vulnerable? Aren’t those the times we can actually get closer to another person, in sharing our vulnerabilities? As we know, to be vulnerable takes a lot of courage. And trust.

Our listening gene and time may seem changed in terms of how we now best communicate in the age of ever expanding social media and apps. Personal sharing and vulnerability is usually a one-on-one act, not in a group necessarily or on Social media. Some of us may be out of practice, yet a way to show love is to listen to another person we care in ways that are about them, not ourselves. That often means we give them our undivided attention and they feel it.

If you’ve been a good listener or have someone in your life you know is a good listener, then that is an act of love.

Part of living well and thus aging deliciously is to have healthy social connections, friends and events. An added lift or bonus is to welcome friends of all ages, especially significantly younger friends, into one’s life. Many of us have adult children or friendly grandchildren to visit and enjoy, but friendship is generally different with a different kind of glue holding it together.

We all can be curious and young at heart at any age for sure, yet sometimes hanging with our younger friends can remind us of our lighter side. No matter our age, we all benefit from being with friends we enjoy. Having friends from a younger generation can open us up to new information, ideas and territory…. and maybe add new words to the scrabble game.

Naturally there is a difference of some kind with friendship between age groups, yet with mutual respect for what one another brings to multigenerational friendships, being with younger friends can be enlivening and full of good health benefits.

As we approach a new year, it is a wonderful time to take stock and reset. These past few years have been intense for most of us, and now it feels like there is some kind of new shift and breathability. If all is going well and feeling good, we are blessed. Yet we might feel stuck and unsure how to get out of where we find ourselves, be it literally, or in our hearts and minds.

It is important to remember, we are never stuck. Changes take place in the present moment, right now, in our own minds. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve had a negative pattern, or an illness or a poor relationship or lack of finances. We can begin to make a shift today. We are the only person who thinks in our mind. We are the power and authority in our world.

Our thoughts and beliefs of the past have created this moment, and all the moments up to this moment. What we each choose to believe and think and say will create the next moment and the next day, the next month and the next year. Our minds are powerful and it is for us to be aware of what we are thinking. We need to be aware that we do have choices, whether we take them or not.

We each are the power in our own world. What we think usually is what we get. This moment begins a new process. Each moment is a new beginning, and this moment, on the eve of a new year, can be a new beginning for each of us right here, right now. This moment is the Point of Power. This moment is where change can begin.

To a new beginning and new year!

Inspired by “You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise Hay

Fear can seem a big part of living on this planet. And living from fear is not fun, joyful nor can it lead us to genuine happiness. There are a million theories and gurus to follow, to seek answers, to research and delve yet there seems a common theme running through all of them. Acting from love or fear are really our only choices as humans. Either we are afraid, and if we notice our thoughts that will help inform us. Are we anxious? Jealous? Envious? Greedy? Needy? Abusive? Hungry for power over others? Those are fear based feelings that come from our thoughts, and lead us to act, behave, and think in fear based ways. We even might convince ourselves it is love. That might be our trance? Ever notice our thoughts? How fast they are and can squirm around into a kind of familiar mindset or default position to blame or feel a victim or being right? Are we flexible or inflexible in those moments? It isn’t easy to just notice them and not act on it, because we think what we think is real.

As humans we have the capacity to change our own minds. Watching a Netflix documentary “Stutz” provided some interesting life contemplations. The documentary is produced by and about a 40-something actor’s lessons learned from his therapist Philip Stutz. The tools discussed are a positive life line because they can be immediately understood and used if we are ready and willing.

Love, of oneself and love of others is about being in this world with an open heart. That seems to require being vulnerable (which yes is courageous). And choosing every day to bring our positive life force to the table. Having a healthy life force, according to Stutz, is when we pay attention to 3 things like a pyramid starting at the base with our relationship to our bodies (eating, exercising), then our relationship to the people in our lives/having good social connections, and the relationship to ourselves (our inner workings, emotions, thoughts, words etc)

Being awake at the wheel while being willing do the constant work of being a better human is our challenge. Are we up for it? Ultimately it seems we are on this earth to live a love based life as the only way to have the joy and contentment many of us seek. The Stoics speak of it in terms of living a life of virtue is essential to having real happiness and meaning.

Love based living is a daily practice.

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/stutz-the-tools

Link to Netflix article on Stutz documentary

What does that mean to “drop fear”? With more years on this earth under our belt, fear seems a common hindrance to most of the good things most of us say we want, like love, laughter, even curiosity, joy, acceptance, enjoyment, creativity, innovation….There seems so much fear, and that can be dark to carry around, be it in our hearts or brains, hanging around us like a heavy cloud. We show it in our actions, words and deeds whether we are motivated by our fear or our love.

The pandemic was like a dense, dark cloud that hung over us all. We each responded in different ways no doubt. Based on some of the Netflix comedy specials, the comedians were trapped alone for months, and now finally can be in front of live audiences. As humorists, their professional issues were unique because their living depended on sharing relatable situations in front of real people in real time. Each comedian has a different take on the covid lock down and experience, yet because they are returning to their craft, addressing their experience is part of reconnecting with the audience. Uniting around laughter and the power of laughter seems to be an emerging theme. And laughing, true letting go and laughing happens when we are relaxed and can drop fear. Fear like inability laugh at ourselves, or with others, even if only for the length of a comedy special!

Fear can permeate everything. Most of us have empathy for someone afraid for their safety, or health, or children’s safety, or paying their bills, or being drafted. So many big scary real things exist. And the history of the world shows us it is made up of the good things and the calamities, all happening at once and throughout all of our lifetimes. So crap happens. There is no true way to stop it all, even if we do a good job to halt crap within ourselves or our own household, there is still crap “out there”.

Our challenge, in order to age deliciously each step of the way, is to do our best to DROP FEAR. Approach our concerns and life moments with curiosity and trust in ourselves, no matter the diagnosis or forks in the road. History shows us the ups and downs of life are inevitable no matter what century or part of the world lived. We can choose to ride the waves by being our best in the face of whatever, still get to laugh sometimes, to be lighthearted while being present to our micro and macro worlds. The same circumstances may face us, yet when we drop fear, more of oneself may be freed to cope, show up and respond positively.

Are we in another Renaissance time? In times of great life changes and challenges we are called on to show our true colors. To practice and be who we most want to be, no matter who is noticing. Many have called these last few decades on earth as the huge quickening, where life as we had known it, and how it worked, no longer does. With fast changing technologies, viruses, leaders, disasters and ways of living happening all at once, including new levels of human strife and attitudes, it boggles the mind. And hearts.

One practice in times of challenge is to know we need one another. Humans heal through having others to lean on and learn from. So, particularly in challenging times, we need to call in every resource, ask for help, tell people what we need. And if they’re not going to be there for us, then they’re not our people. We need to be vulnerable to reach out, and courageous to not settle for what doesn’t support us.

And in a Renaissance what has been hidden or swept under the carpet must be seen and addressed for good change to result. Maybe in our generation of families, or our relationships, communities, organizations, or countries we did not want to admit or look at things. But we are hearing that sunshine is the best disinfectant. We want to shine a light on what is no longer working or what has been in the dark. To see, know and take responsibility for our actions, to own it, that is liberating, and full of light.

And in those challenges and life shifts, as tough as it can be, when we shine the light on the dark, it can feel like a rebirth, a renaissance.

For some reason, in these crazy times, with many of us longing for some wisdom, goodness and guidance to hang onto, this Zen story came to mind. As some look for hope and a dollop of lightheartedness, it seemed timely to share and maybe consider: Do we know what is bad? Do we know what is good? Do we know how things will unfold? Are events linear and obvious ? We might feel overwhelmed and under-experienced to figure out what is happening in our lives sometimes, but history is full of not knowing, calamities, and things out of our control. In the face of fortune or misfortune, what are we to do? It all is in the story and storytelling. So here is the zen farmer story.

The Farmer

Once upon a time, on a fine fall morning, an old farmer went out to tend his animals and crops.

At first light, the farmer was dismayed to see his fence had been crushed by a falling tree during the night. All three of the farmer’s prized horses had disappeared.

The other villagers moaned in sympathy: “Whatever will you do?” they asked the farmer. “This is terrible,” they all cried, shaking their heads sadly, “and right before harvest time, too.”

“Your harvest will rot in the field. What will your family eat this winter? How will you get your crop in without horses?” one of the villagers asked the old farmer.

“We’ll see,” was the farmer’s only reply as he returned to his chores.

Later on that morning, the farmer heard the sound of hooves and, looking up, saw his three horses had returned! What was more, the three horses had two wild horses running with them.

Soon, the villagers were heard to express their delight at the farmer’s good fortune.

“What a wonderful thing to have happen!” the other villagers cried. “What a wealthy man you will be with this new stock of animals!”

“We’ll see,” was all the old farmer would reply.

After lunch that day, the farmer’s son was trying to break one of the wild horses to the saddle. Suddenly, the wild horse threw the son to the ground. Running to his injured son, the farmer found his son’s leg badly broken.

The neighbors were soon around to give their opinions.

“What a terrible calamity,” the villagers said. “What a disaster.”

“Now you really won’t be able to get your crop in, without a strong son to help you. He will take months to heal. Whatever will you do now?” the other villagers asked the farmer in despair.

The farmer would only shrug and say: “We’ll see.”

Later that afternoon, military officials rode into the tiny village, with a great clattering of weapons and jostling of horses. Looking grim and serious, the soldiers announced an official conscription. Every young and able man was to be drafted into service that very day.

The farmers son, having just been injured, was left behind, even as other sons and husbands were taken.

No one in the village could believe the old farmer’s good fortune. And not everyone was entirely happy about it.

“Surely the most tremendous good fortune has smiled upon you today,” the villagers grumbled. “How can anyone be so lucky?”

But the old farmer would only reply, “We’ll see.”

…

How are we to know what is good, what is bad, especially when things can spin so quickly these days? Maybe we choose to LIVE, and do our best in each moment, participate, be involved and have the farmer’s zen approach of “We’ll see.”