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Molly Dahl, M.Ed., CiPP You’re going to have some hard days. You’ve probably already had your fair share. A few harder than others. A few real doosies that brought you to your knees and then back to your senses, back to what you’re doing. Back to your Why. You do come back to your senses. You have. You will again, when another tricky day graces you with teaching moments and lessons to be learned. In all the course of your time on this planet, you – overcoming the struggles, the challenges, the heart aches and break, the fears – what are the moments that keep you moving? What are the gems that give you hope? Who are the people that light you up? Who light up your path? Keep them close – both moments and people. They are your sustenance. The can be a source of great strength. When things aren’t going so well, remember the moments, the moments that keep you moving.
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Look up. Look out. See the good. See the light.
It is so, so easy to get stuck in the negativity. In the divisiveness. In the ugliness. We forget that we are all just trying to do our best. Most days, all of us are trying to be happy. We’re trying to avoid stress and anxiety and failure. It doesn’t matter what side of any “line” he or she is on, you are on, I am on, we all behave in ways that we think or feel will earn us the reward or help us avoid the punishment. It’s kind of our human nature, our untrained behavior patterns. Next time you have a thought that the world is so messed up, stop. Please take a closer look. But look for something good. There’s a little bit of magic in the phrase “You get what you look for.” What are you looking for? Molly Dahl, M.Ed., CiPP
Who is she to determine how I feel? Who is he to ruin my day? He is no one. She is no one. No one to decide how you feel and how you move through your day. You are in charge of you. No one has control over your emotions and your behaviors unless you give them permission. The permission comes when you get riled up by the mean something he said. You give permission when you yell back at her as she wrongly accuses you of what ever it is you “Did. Not. Do.” We make choices all day long. All day. Lots of choices. Be aware of how you chose to respond. Or react. Before you respond, chose to pause. Chose to take a deep breath and to gain a little clarity. Consider who it is you want to be. Then chose to speak or behave in a way that is congruent with the someone you hope to be. How would that person act in response to an unfair of false accusation? How would that person demonstrate the qualities she claims to have and/or be? Consider these and then act accordingly. How you feel is up to you. What kind of a day you have is up to you. You decide. Mindfulness in The Spare Moments
Molly Dahl, M. Ed., CiPP Don’t squander your down time. These days, it seems like many of us are running on tired. We’re exhausted. We’re short on time. Our sleep isn’t what we would like it to be. We have few precious moments when there is nothing to do and nowhere to go. When you do have a few spare moments – the doctor is running a bit behind and you have to wait in the reception room, or you’re so far back in the line of traffic at the red light that you get to sit through two of them, or your child is late coming out of school and your car’s idling at the curb with you waiting for your kid – consider yourself blessed. You have empty time! As tempting as it is, leave your phone alone. Don’t worry about what you think you’re missing on social media. Turn the radio off. Put away distractions. Look out the window. See the sky, the trees, the sunlight. Nature rejuvenates us. Let the silence spread through you and nourish you. When you get lucky enough to have a few minutes of down time, come down – emotionally, mentally, physically. Be still. In stillness you are refreshed. In the hush of free time, you are revived. Silence is to the soul what water is to the body. Allow the silence. Drink it in. Luxuriate in your 5 minutes of forced waiting in line. There’s nowhere else to go and there’s nothing else to do. Please and Thank You
Molly Dahl, M. Ed., CiPP The Simple, Mindful Things Sometimes the simplest things are the most impactful. Sometimes, these simplest things are the easiest to abandon in the extreme business of our daily lives. And sometimes, these simple things are the very things that lead to authentic, positive change. Little bits at a time. Politeness. Gratitude. Simple. Simple, easy behaviors that demonstrate deep inner awareness and deep awareness of others. Easy behaviors and words that create civil, even friendly, relationships. Please. Thank you. A wave in traffic as someone let’s you in is such a small gesture. Yet it smooths the stress of the rush hour chaos. A foot on the break to allow someone else in says “Please, you go.” Try it. Today. Tomorrow. Begin to pave your way through life honoring and acknowledging the good things and people already in your life by expressing gratitude. And begin to cultivate an aura of friendliness wherever you go by simply including “Please” and "Thank you" in your lexicon. Then watch your world transform into a place you actually like to live. Two little words. A whole lot of magic! |
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