Emotions are a form of creativity

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Emotions are a form of creativity. How can you apply the good ones even more successfully?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Олег Мороз

What does your emotional landscape look like? Consider the list below to see how they create your reality as you journey through your days.

  • Happiness        Sadness          Fear          Disgust          Surprise
  • Anticipation       Loneliness      Trust         Jealousy         Shame
  • Grief                  Pride              Regret       Envy               Embarrassment
  • Guilt                  Gratitude        Worry        Joy                 Love
  • Hope                 Serenity          Awe          Inspiration      Curiosity
  • Excitement        Contentment  Affection    Enthusiasm    Relief

EXERCISE:
Separate the list into positives and negatives, and add some of your own. How can you maximize the positive and minimize the negative to lead a more fulfilling and creative life?

Friday Review: Patience

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Friday Review: Patience

How would you rate your level of patience on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

 

“From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own.”

 

 

 

“My experience of life is what I agree to attend to.”

 

 

 

 

“You can only untie one knot at a time.”

 

 

 

 

“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.”

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“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.”

—Hippocrates, Ancient Greek physician and philosopher

Image from Unsplash by Annemarie Grudën

Hippocrates believed in using diet as a primary tool for health care.

This concept suggest that a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet can act as preventive and therapeutic medicine, supporting both physical and mental health.

The idea underscores the importance of food in holistic healthcare promoting well-being and reducing the risk of disease.

Foods that can act as medicine include:

  • Berries are rich in antioxidants. They help protect against cell damage and disease.
  • Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and kale contain antioxidants that may reduce heart disease risk.
  • Fatty fish like salmon and sardines have omega-3 fatty acids that fight inflammation and protect against heart disease.
  • Nuts provide healthy fats, fiber, and vitamins, which can lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
  • Fermented foods including yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi contain probiotics that support gut health.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you make healthier eating a more intentional habit in this new year?

Take the time to do some research and go on a food safari to your local grocery store to find some new and better choices that can make your effort a tasty one!

To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake

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“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”

—Aristotle, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath

Image form Unsplash by Aaron Burden

Aristotle’s philosophy encourages stepping outside one’s comfort zone as part of pursuing eudaemonia — human flourishing.

He emphasizes that achieving excellence and virtue often require effort, discomfort, and rational action beyond habitual or pleasurable routines.

EXERCISE:

How has taking on life’s challenges and stepping outside your habitual and pleasurable pursuits provided you some of the more beautiful aspects of living?

Where and when can you continue to step out into some of the chillier aspects of life to discover other kinds of beauty awaiting you?

Some people are worth melting for

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“Some people are worth melting for.”

—Olaf, in the film Frozen

Image from Unsplash by Miriam Gilles

Here in the Northeastern United States there is always the potential for a bit or bunch of the white stuff as we enter the winter months.

If you happen to enjoy holiday movies you may have seen one of my family’s favorites: Frosty the Snowman. There is a particular scene where Frosty shows his wiliness to melt. He enters a greenhouse to save his friend Karen from freezing, to demonstrate his love and his willingness to sacrifice everything for her.

EXERCISE:

Who are the people in your life worth melting for? How does realizing the importance of these people give your life greater meaning and purpose?

Boost the resolution of your thinking

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Boost the resolution of your thinking. Notice the self-talk and images that pass through your mind and watch them come into focus.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by David Travis

I recently visited my ophthalmologist for my annual checkup. Evaluating my sight with eye charts and paddles to cover one eye at a time is a test I always hope to pass.

When I compare my actual sight — which tends to decline with time — to my evolving “in-sights” of thinking, I find it pleasing to know that my focus in many areas of my world is actually improving.

EXERCISE:

In what ways can you boost the resolution of your thinking?  How can the focus on this inner world help you to see beyond your current horizons?

Friday Review: Opportunity

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Friday Review: Opportunity

How do you respond to opportunity? What opportunities have you passed up, or grabbed onto? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

 

“Constraints can unwittingly open so many doors.”

 

 

 

When you receive criticism take a moment to pause. Let this time be a kind of speed bump to slow down and “try on” what is being said.

 

 

 

“Doors don’t slam open.”

 

Misery is a moment of suffering

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“Misery is a moment of suffering allowed to become everything.”

—Mark Nepo, poet and spiritual adviser

Image from Unsplash by Syed Ali

Mark Nepo is a renowned poet, philosopher, and spiritual teacher.

Earlier in his life he navigated a very challenging cancer journey that transformed his understanding of survival and living authentically.

Diagnosed with a rare form of Lymphoma, his experience with illness led to a deep inner journey and a focus on living fully in the present moment.

This journey inspired him to explore themes of vulnerability, presence, and the essence of life in his work particularly
in this best-selling work, The Book of Awakening, where his healing process encourages readers to find meaning and growth through adversity.

EXERCISE:

In what ways has adversity shaped your life?

How can you separate the moments of misery from the other more positive aspects of living to gain a broader more hopeful perspective as you take on each day?

What the new year brings to you will depend

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“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.”

—Vern McLellan, author, speaker, broadcaster, and musician

Image from Unsplash by Kelly Sikkema

Charles Lamb is known for saying “New Years Day is every man’s birthday.”

To celebrate we get a fresh start and a “do over” if there are regrets about the year gone by.

Although this is a man-made point in time to begin again, why not use it since everyone else is on the same page and expects it?

To bring a new you to the new year, consider the wisdom of Tuli Kupferberg’s statement: ”When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.”

EXERCISE:

What new worlds do you want to emerge?

What new patterns will you bring to the new year to realize this new world for yourself and others in your communities?

“Certain people in our lives could be our biggest speed bumps to living the lives we want.”

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“Certain people in our lives could be our biggest speed bumps to living the lives we want.”

—Tim Parr, CEO and Founder of CADDIS

Image from Unsplash by Sander Sammy

When was the last time you were faced with actual speed bumps on your way to an intended destination?

How did you feel when you were forced to slow down or when you were jolted by the elevation change?

Who are the people in your world that slow you down from moving at the speed you desire?

In what ways do they test your patience and cause you considerable frustration?

Speed bumps are usually put in place to protect us or others from potential accidents and injuries.

The speed kills concept can definitely apply in certain situations!

Sometimes, fast can be slow and slow can offer a much smoother ride.

EXERCISE:

In what ways can the speed bump people in your life actually be helping you get where you need to go versus where you want to go?