Community Cares

We are in a new month of what feels like a long year. For many of us, there are have been personal and financial difficulties with all that is happening. Many have lost loved one and the ultimate toll on the country and world remains to be determined. This is scary. But with all that in mind, I am hopeful. We can be resilient in the face of many things. We can be present and engaged and so much in the moment of fear. We are allowed to be worried and afraid but we don’t have to succumb to fear. Do not let this month be consumed with fear and uncertainty. We have a road to walk together and it will be longer if we don’t hold our heads high. We have to endure, create balance, and find moments to laugh. This is how we get through this. Fear can have its place but it cannot be the end all be all. So the thought is to stand and move forward despite the fear. 
Be Brave!

“What you resist, persists. What you accept, transforms” 
    -Shamash Alidina. 

What does this quote mean to you?

A lot has changed. For a lot of us, our work, school, relationships, and way of living have changed. For many of us, we gain a sense of identity and meaning from our careers, our studies, and who we spend time with. It may feel that our sense of meaning has changed or been lost. Famous Austrian psychologist Viktor Frankl believed that even in the most challenging circumstances, life has meaning. How are you creating meaning during these circumstances?

Today’s thought is about feelings that may come up as we move through the last week of classes for the spring semester. Usually, this is the time where we are getting ready to celebrate another semester completed, or to walk in a graduation ceremony. Instead, you might feel anxious, scared, disappointed, excited, relieved, the list goes on. Living through this pandemic and trying to navigate being a student is exhausting and it’s okay to grieve the losses you’re experiencing. It’s okay if new feelings or thoughts come up that you haven’t felt or thought about yet too. As new circumstances arise, in this case the end of the semester, try to notice what comes up for you. Check out our coping skills to practice accepting and exploring thoughts in a nonjudgmental way!

The story we tell

Stories are important and perhaps there is no greater story than the one we tell ourselves. We secure our identity, create focus, and guide our behaviors and morals all by telling a story about who we are. Sometimes we are the author of this story and sometimes others are but the focus of Today’s Thought is about your power as an editor. While our stories can be grand and inspired, they can also be limiting. When they do so these stories no longer serve their purpose. That’s where we can serve as our own editor, not as someone that changes the events of the past but what the story means. We can take the lesson learned and guide the character.

Changing your personal narrative is challenging because we treat these stories as absolutes and that all we can ever be, but that doesn’t have to be the case. There are exceptions and addendums. You can take anything and add it to your story. Even now you can take a moment to change the thing the character does next. Imagine standing and the next movement is the one you make as the “revised” character, the one you are becoming. How would they be different if the story had no limits and the character was truly exceptional? What is the very first Act?.. Can we try it? Look around, what is the very first thing the character does in our revised story? Now..move.

So for today’s thought know…You are the focus of your story and you’re not done writing. “This is the moment she changed her story”.

In an attempt to build on what was talked about in yesterday’s post let consider what we mean by Self-Acceptance. Examining oneself and appreciating aspects of self is an ongoing process. Appreciating oneself is a challenge but what we want to do here is encourage you to explore how they do so. What are your strengths?What do you like about yourself? What make you unique?

 The thought today is… sometimes it’s okay to not have a thought… To not be the most productive you… but further, to be okay with that. To be okay with who you are. We want to stress that even under normal circumstances, that it’s okay to be you in your skin. Accepting yourself is hard and accepting your thoughts can be even harder. They can sometimes work against you instead of for you and we know how difficult that can be. 

You don’t have to be the exceptional, extraordinary you, who is conquering the world and is being super productive every minute. You are already exceptional. You are already extraordinary AND you are dealing with a global pandemic, and you need a day of rest where maybe you just stay and bed and breathe. 

You have to figure out how to apply for unemployment or where the local food bank is and you feel embarrassed to do so. Don’t be. You are not alone.   It’s normal to feel insecure and not want to be proactive. Allow yourself not to be 100% and respect where you are right now. We are flawed AND exceptional, We are a work in progress and arriving. It is a great time to reach out and connect with a friend or family member. A laugh, a kind word, a bit of  sharing and understanding can make a big difference. Accept who you are and where you are right now. Take a deep breathe and do the best you can today.