The One Good Thing

What is the one good thing you’re going to do today for someone else? 

Not out of responsibility.

Not out of obligation.

Simply…being intentional, going out of your way, and showing kindness to someone else.

Yes, I know you’re busy. I am as well.

But there is always time to do one good thing.

Thanks for being here.

Jay

Pic

Saboteur

Someone is always to blame. We thrive on the idea of finding the scapegoat, the one at fault, or the messed up cultures that derail what would otherwise be achieved if only ‘those people’ would do the right things.

It’s easy to be critical. Plenty of blame to go around…never to us, of course. We have a clear vision of what life and work and society and corporate cultures are supposed to be. We have keen insight, leadership vision, passion for what we do, and a clear sense of how life should flow.

But it doesn’t flow. Life isn’t smooth every day. And candidly, sometimes it can be a bit too much. It’s as if we aren’t deserving of the good things each day brings…rather, just the bad. 

Somehow, we shouldn’t be allowed to have things move forward. Instead, a life of punishment is what we actually deserve. So, the self-talk machine in our heads manifests this mindset…feeds it…pushes it into our line of sight…and it becomes real.

It’s a battle that candidly, I suffer from time to time. Does that surprise you? Mr. Positivity struggles too? We all do, right? And when it comes to sabotage…

…it turns out, sometimes the saboteur is me.

Thanks for being here.

Jay

Pic

7 Days

A simple post with a simple request.

Each day for the next seven days reach out and check in on someone. Seven different people, one each day.

Call, text, direct message…it doesn’t matter how. Let them know you are thinking about them.

There is so much hidden pain in our world. Even our strong friends ‘who have it all together’ actually have stuff they’re dealing with too. Remember, people don’t fake depression, they fake being ‘fine.’ 

You’ll be surprised at how it makes you feel.

Thanks for being here.

Jay

Pic

Journaling

I’ve finally jumped into the world of journaling after several stops and starts over the years. Some entries are long and vulnerable…others are brief snippets of an otherwise uneventful day. What I’ve found, and what I’m sure many of you have long since discovered, is that the simple act of journaling (which I do digitally by the way) is quite powerful.

It’s as if the journal has become a therapist of sorts. Odd, yes. And I did’t quite understand what was happening at first. Yet now I see that the ‘conversation’ I have with myself allows for both perspective and insight that in the moment are not readily available.

I don’t follow a system, or use daily prompts (“What am I grateful for today?”). Those feel a bit artificial. I’m allowing myself to simply write what strikes me in the moment. Which makes for interesting reading later on. Why did I say that? Why was I so worked up about that issue? How can I anticipate that surge of emotions coming on in the future and react differently?

For many of you I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m so late to the journaling party. Perhaps for others, this can serve as an invitation to explore how this simple new part of your day can be quite a powerful act of self-care.

Thanks for being here.

Jay

Pic

Rise of the Fallen

We all get knocked down, and usually find a way to drag ourselves back up again. But is that all this is? Just another positive message about soldiering on to get back to the grind of life filled with highs and lows?

Perhaps there’s another angle here.

What about shifting after a low point to see, and think, and do things differently? Of course there is personal power development in getting through rough patches and finding a way to push forward. But often that only means we survived one storm and we’re going to go through another one in the very same way…get knocked down hard…and stagger back to our feet.

And repeat.

That cycle, for me, has become most unappealing.

How does one move beyond this cycle of triumph, fall, suffering, struggle, and triumph once more without being doomed to repeat it over and over again?

Faith? Friends? Mindset? Inspirational quotes? Motivational books? Journaling? Community groups? Volunteering? Sacrificing for others? Hobbies? 

I might suggest all of those things can make a tremendous difference. It goes beyond that list though, at least I think it does. Perhaps there is an inner calm we can achieve when we learn to think differently. When our mind simply no longer allows the stressors of life to overwhelm and control us (and send us into a deep dark place from which we have to struggle to find our way out) we somehow have…changed. 

Is that possible? Can we actually re-learn how to handle stress is such a way that we don’t have to be pushed to the brink repeatedly as if it were some sort of life sentence of struggle and pain?

I’m trying. Lately it’s been a bit more of a heavy load as the list of pain points continues to grow. Yet, it seems to be working…somehow.

How have you tried to break the cycle in your life?

Thanks for being here.

Jay

Pic