You might have heard about Italy and other countries like France and Spain being on a total lock down. When I saw footage of Italians playing music and singing to each other while virtually trapped in their houses, I wanted to share it with you all. Our complicated and beautiful species always finds a way to create beauty in a bad situation.
Learn to nourish yourself and the other person with joy. Are you able to make the other person smile? Are you able to increase her confidence and enthusiasm? If you are not able to do these small things for her, how can you say you love her? Sometimes a kind word is enough to help someone blossom like a flower.
— How To Love by Thich Nhat Hanh
Love is the glue that holds everything together. If there is a problem, bring love into the equation. Ask God to sit in your heart to bring loving kindness to the situation. Do this and allow miracles to occur.
Mantra: I embody love and kindness today.
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.
Mantra: I am grateful for my new life today.
Keep your faith is consistent, no matter your circumstances. Don’t love God only when times are good. Know that even when times are bad, God is still with you.
Mantra: I have faith in God today.
“Our personal attempts to live humanely in this world are never wasted. Choosing to cultivate love rather than anger just might be what it takes to save the planet from extinction.”
– Pema Chodron, The Places That Scare You
I’m reading this book right now, and it is a stellar work. Chodron, an American Buddhist nun, most known for her bestseller When Things Fall Apart, gives clear instruction on how to open the heart (and keep it open) especially when we don’t want to do so. A review is coming soon. If you’ve read the book, or any of her books, let me know what you think.
“……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?
Sharing ‘Good Vibes’ Only Can Save Your Life by Danielle Young: https://www.essence.com/videos/watch-the-overexplainer-good-vibes-only/
How to Love the Repetition of Life by elliejay: https://pointlessoverthinking.com/2020/01/10/how-to-love-the-repetition-of-life/
Do not berate yourself for past mistakes. Instead, learn from them. To live in the past is to miss out on today. The present is a present to you!
Mantra:
I focus on the present today.
And if you need a boost of energy, my present to you is three-time Grammy winner Lizzo. This will make you feel fantastic.
Can you tell I’m an 80’s kid? I loved that song when I was a kid. I was like, “What’s a Wang Chung?” Nobody cared because it was a Top 40 jam and it had a nice beat. (Which is what the kids always said on American Bandstand.)
Today’s post is inspired by music, specifically Soul Train. I was having a moment, not feeling too great. The YouTube algorithm magically sensed my need to feel better and up popped “The Best of Soul Train 1971-1979, Volume 6.” I didn’t even know Soul Train had a “best of” series.
Lenny Williams, Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Ohio Players, The O’Jays, Donna Summer, The Pointers Sisters, the Soul Train dancers, and commercials for Ultra Sheen?! Are you kidding? The music of my childhood? The clothes, the hair, the attitude! I was IN HEAVEN!! Life is GREAT! Mama was singing and dancing her butt off.
What’s today’s message? SING, DANCE, and HAVE FUN. Put on your favorite music and shake your booty!
If you have access to YouTube on your television, watch Soul Train on the telly. And watch volume 5 to see Ike and Tina Turner singing live. It was great to be an Ikette for a few minutes!
Cleaning out, not simply cleaning up, your house helps you think more clearly. Too much stuff weighs you down, body, mind, and spirit. Even the simple act of vacuuming makes my space feel lighter. Yes, I have read Marie Kondo’s books and reviewed her Netflix show, “Tidying Up.” Yes, I’m on board the KonMari Method ™ train headed to Tidyville.
It’s more than that to me. Your house/apartment/rented room is your private retreat from the chaotic outside world. At least it should be. The stuff/things/items (and people) in your home should bring you happiness, joy, and contentment. (Things can also be practical. I don’t love my Phillips head screwdrivers, my toothbrush, or my printer paper. However, I’m glad they are there when I need them.) Getting rid of stuff and people in your house who weigh you down is a good thing. Say “thank you” to your things as you release them. And say “thank you” to the space you are creating for the new in your life.
Ms. Mocha Angel 