SPRING FORWARD!

Spring began a few days ago – and here on the East Coast we are still expecting snow…

But Spring is our season of hope – a release from the dark of winter into a time of renewal.

We await those first miraculous touches of green with a deep conviction that things can and do change.
         

          “Following the bleakness of winter when everything  is covered with the shrouds of snow, spring marks the rebirth of the earth with the bursting forth of green life.”  -Michael Strassfeld

Both the holidays of Passover (Pesah) and Easter, celebrated during this season, remind us that hope, our ability to overcome adversity, is always with us!

SERIOUSLY SPEAKING - TAKE IT IN!

You don't have to go far to experience differences…

You understand that from one position, one spot, even one moment in time, if you are open to it, you can see and experience most things!

How many times have you heard, or maybe even said yourself, 'If that was me, I'd…'

Or

'I would never do/say that!'

No, you probably wouldn't, but the person standing next to you is not you - and should not be you!

Their 'otherness' is enriching and valuable if you can allow yourself to take it in!

DANCE WITH IT!   EXPERIENTIAL APPS                          

An opportunity to experiment with some fun ideas…

THINK OF THE RECENT TIMES SOMEONE ELSE'S BEHAVIOR DISAPPOINTED YOU…

Now imagine that you didn't have expectations of how they 'should' act…

What might you learn by observing their behavior without judgment?

About them?

About you?

About the 'energy' each of you puts into the world?

HUG A TREE

The girl was sitting on a high branch in a beautiful old tree in an amazing ancient forest, the world spread out in front of her.

She found herself drifting into an altered state. From this one spot, high up in the tree, everything was available to her…

Her friends looked up at her and yelled.

"Come on!" they shouted.

"We're exploring the forest."

"You're going to miss everything!"

Hmmm…

What do ya say?  Do you understand this one?

SERIOUSLY SPEAKING - IS IT NATURAL?

So why is it okay - actually important - to acknowledge our anger?

First, notice we say 'acknowledge'.

Anger is a natural response to certain situations.  What is not natural is the way we distort our natural feelings of anger into rage.

Think of a tea kettle.  What would happen if we left it on the heat but did not allow the steam to release?

Explosion, right?

By learning to express anger in healthy ways we avoid those destructive explosions!

DANCE WITH IT!   EXPERIENTIAL APPS                           

An opportunity to experiment with some fun ideas…

THINK ABOUT THIS PAST WEEK…

Did events happen that made you angry?

How did you deal with your feelings?

(GIVE YOURSELF A SCORE OF 1-5 IN EACH OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS  1 = great    5 = ugg!)

In the external world?

In your internal emotional world?

In your personal life with others?

In your work life?

Clues to pay attention to:

PHYSICAL:  Pay attention to your muscle tightness and breathing.

EMOTIONAL:  Pay attention to your sense of well being.

RESOLUTION:  Do you continue to obsess or can you let it go?

WHAT'S YOUR SCORE?

GRRRR…

"No!  I am NOT angry!" she proclaimed in a very… yup… angry voice.

What is this taboo we have about acknowledging anger?  

 

How many mammals are you aware of that don't have teeth or the ability to growl?

If someone steps on your foot do you think a smile is the appropriate response?

What do ya say?

Can you growl?

SERIOUSLY SPEAKING - ONE STEP AT A TIME

Baby steps - small changes - create stability and a solid platform for evolving knowledge and performance.

Those flashy giant steps that we often crave and believe in, can lead to even flashier crashes!

DANCE WITH IT!   EXPERIENTIAL APPS                           

An opportunity to experiment with some fun ideas…

THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN LEARNING CURVE…

How often do you give yourself credit for small bits of forward momentum?

How often do you ignore these small steps waiting for a bigger reward?

How often do you wait for that big change berating yourself in the meanwhile for not making any progress?

What do you imagine might happen if you started giving yourself credit for 'baby steps'?

BABY STEPS…

"Look at her go!"

"Is she adorable, or what?"

"Oops!  Down she goes!"

So cute…  Uh huh.

Ever think about how much we applaud those 'baby steps' in our little ones…

And criticize them in ourselves and others when we're older?

What do ya say?  Does this make any sense?

SERIOUSLY SPEAKING - HOLDING ONTO HOPE

Looking for solutions, pathways, answers, is part of how we humans are wired.

Think about the natural curiosity and exploration of a child…

It's okay, when faced with a problem, even if you are told there is no answer, to challenge yourself to re-enter that child-like world, taking pleasure in the search itself rather than the end goal.

When we are open in this way, to continual learning instead of buying into the limited belief in dead ends, we can often stimulate our brain and nervous system to experience the endorphin rush of hope.

DANCE WITH IT!   EXPERIENTIAL APPS                           

An opportunity to experiment with some fun ideas…

INSTEAD OF BUYING INTO THE BELIEF OF LIMITATION AND HOPELESSNESS…

Imagine a world where hope and discovery are an integral ingredient of every day life!

HOPELESS? BAH!

He was anxious and depressed - lets face it - angry and hopeless.

He had a difficult medical condition and was told there was nothing that could be done.  It wasn't fatal, just debilitating with no hope of improvement…

Humans do not do well when faced with a closed door…

Remember Dante's inscription on the gates of hell?

About abandoning all hope?

What do ya say?

You understand that striving - looking for answers - even if we don't find them - is part of what makes us human, right?

SERIOUSLY SPEAKING - SEE IT, SAY IT!

Seeing someone for who they are - their dark places along with their light - doesn't mean we have to throw them in the trash!

Believing this - that seeing negatives in others negates everything else about them - often keeps us from paying attention to behavior that causes us pain!

If we don't recognize what is going on how can we take care of ourselves?

Of course you don't have to hold onto relationships that feel toxic but you also are not mandated to throw away the ones that have some dark spots!

What is crucial is awareness!

Is that person highly competitive?

Do they have a mean streak?

Do they have a need to one-up you?

Do they often put you down?

DANCE WITH IT!   EXPERIENTIAL APPS                           

An opportunity to experiment with some fun ideas…

THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE…

What do you do when something they say or do causes you discomfort?

Do you recognize it for what it is?

BLAM!

Here's one I hear a lot:

"I've been really down!  I was in a great mood, and then *BLAM* a friend called to say hello … and in the process told me something that really made me feel awful."

"I guess I'm just too sensitive…"

Now, think about this one…

If you're feeling good and talk to someone and then feel rotten, isn't it possible that making you feel bad is at least a teensy, tiny part of their agenda?

What do ya say?

Could you possibly accept this?

How might it change things?

SERIOUSLY SPEAKING - BE REAL!

We know, whether we do it or not - that we should exercise, watch our diets, pay our bills and keep our affairs in order…

But, not only do we think it is unnecessary to 'work out' on an emotional level, we also castigate ourselves and label ourselves as 'weak' or mentally ill if we seek emotional support.

'Something's wrong with me' we scold ourselves, as we explain our need to talk to someone about our state of mind…

This illogical thought pattern often leads to depression and emotional angst!

DANCE WITH IT!   EXPERIENTIAL APPS                           

An opportunity to experiment with some fun ideas…

Imagine a world where emotional health and support was just as 'popular' as physical well being, where a personal mental health trainer was just as accepted as a personal exercise trainer…

Imagine in this world kids not only got physical gym class but also emotional and mental 'gym' class -learning from an early age how to understand their own feelings and those of their friends and families…

Imagine you got all that support throughout your life…

FIX IT!

Hair grows and has to be cut.

Not to mention (ugh!) toenails!

Maintenance is part of life, right?

No question…

So why do we feel so bad when something breaks and needs to be replaced?

And even more…

Why do we think something is wrong with needing to do emotional maintenance?

What do ya say?  Can you accept the fix?