My late grandmother Annie Lee Lighting used to say to me, “Baby, we is living in the end times. You say your prayers every night. You hear me?”
“Yes, Grandma. I hear you,” I would say.
It’s not the end times, but it damn sure feels like it.
Breathe. Turn off the news. Read a book. Play board games. Write what you are grateful for in a gratitude journal. Don’t read social media conspiracy theories. Go out in nature. Spend time with people you love.
It’s time to connect with loved ones. If there’s anything good about all this craziness is that we see how much we all need each other.
Let me know how the coronavirus has changed life in your city or at your job. (((hugs)))
A deeply felt sense of gratitude for all that you have experienced will change your life in ways you cannot see right now. Gratitude attracts only goodness and love.
When major changes in your life occur, such as birth of children, marriage, divorce, or death of someone you love, it is okay to mourn the loss of your old life. It is important to grieve for what was.
When you are ready, celebrate your new life. Feel gratitude for all the blessings received as you create a new life for yourself.
Writing a gratitude list redirects your thinking so you focus on all the goodness in your life. Create a gratitude journal dedicated to all that you are grateful for.
“……my therapist taught me, “Everything in moderation, except joy.” As I looked back over my life, I began to understand that my joy, indeed my very existence, depends on me inhaling goodness unapologetically.” – “Sharing ‘Good Vibes’ Only Can Save Your Life” by Danielle Young (link to full article below.)
I read that quote in the December 2019 issue of Essence magazine. I was reading the magazine at Firestone Auto Care while waiting for my car to be repaired after an unexpected breakdown. The column struck me so much that I took a picture of the above paragraph.
So how to inhale more goodness, more joy when the “dailyness” of life is wearing you down? Reading Mocha Angels 365 is always good! That Ms. Mocha Angel is on point! (HA HA!)
Doing things that bring you joy is key.
Enter ellieejay from the Pointless Overthinking blog. She wrote a post called “How to Love the Repetition of Life.” (link to full post below) Simple pleasures, with minimum effort and minimum cost, are the key the enjoying the repetition of life, says ellieejay. I’m down like four flat tires with her line of thinking.
The simplest of all my pleasures is singing. I sing all.the.time. Everywhere. Anywhere. Ask my kids. I dance too. I can’t dance worth snot, but I don’t care. Song and dance bring me joy. I can’t do either one of them too much.
How do you inhale goodness? What are your simple pleasures?
A follow-up to yesterday’s Day 31 “I change my mind today” post.
As Louise Hay says in her book You Can Heal Your Life, “I’m willing to change.” Willingness is the key. Being willing to go out of your comfort zone, willing to do and try new things, willing to feel uncomfortable, willing to look foolish…all those things are new and feel weird right?
It’s okay to be scared to try new things. Forming new thought patterns is difficult, yet not impossible. I know some of my readers in real life, and I know what their struggles are. Just keep saying “I’m willing to change” a million times until it feels true. Dip your baby toe in the water of new experiences and thoughts. You are breaking old thoughts and habits when you say you are willing to change. Y’all know what old patterns no longer serve you. Start with something small, not attached to a big emotion.
Be gentle with yourself. Take your time. Create small changes one thought at a time.
This is a follow-up to Mocha Angels Day 23: “I speak from the heart today.” A subscriber said to me, “Speaking from the heart can cause all sorts of problems. The heart is full of emotion both good and bad.” Our conversation led me to clarify the intention behind speaking from the heart.
I learned the technique from a minister. The exact mantra is “Allow me to speak from my heart center.” It’s to be said to yourself, silently or out loud, when you are alone, not in front of other people. You say it when you are alone because this is about shifting your energy. Saying it in front of others invites judgment, and that’s not what you want. If you can’t get away from other people, say it silently. It’s said before a tense conversation (or confrontation) in order to de-escalate the situation.
Be sure to say it before you open your mouth. The intention is to speak with love to the other person. When you do speak, love, compassion, and clarity will flow from your mouth. It’s almost magical. It’s simply a shift in your thinking. You go from “I’m right, you’re wrong” (the ego) to “I want to hear you and understand where you are coming from” (the heart).
The other intention of “Allow me to speak from my heart center” is to heal the relationship. This works for everyone and anyone with whom you want to have a positive relationship.
The challenge is to remind yourself of the mantra when you’re angry or fearful, or worse, consistently an asshole/difficult/brash/rude/selfish/self-centered, etc. I’ve been that person, on all counts. I had to learn, in the hardest of ways, that insisting that I’m right all the time was leading me down the wrong path of self-righteousness aka “why can’t people just act right?” I’m the one who needs to be checking myself. I don’t need for everyone else to behave.
There are times when it’s appropriate to fight and defend yourself, or to get out of a dangerous situation. You don’t put up with anyone’s toxic bullshit or abuse. I think the heart center mantra is a gentler way of moving through life because you are being guided by love.
Hatred never ceases by hatred but by love alone. This is an ancient and eternal law. – The Buddha
Angels come in all shapes and sizes. They are not all celestial beings. Pay close attention to see if there are any earthbound Angels in your life. When you notice those special people, say “thank you!”
Ms. Mocha Angel 