Mid-March 2020 Newsletter

Hello, and a magical Mid-March to you!
Welcome, or welcome back, to my newsletter. Today's issue is about looking for the good. Enjoy!

If you've recently suffered a personal tragedy or loss, it's not very helpful when friends say "Everything happens for a reason". You want comfort and sympathy, not platitudes! It's also not useful for some knowledgeable friend to start spewing information about someone else he knows who went through your problem. He might mention nutrition or grief counseling or other therapies which helped his friend, but you're "in it" and just not ready to listen about any possible paths forward yet.

This information-focused friend might become a resource for you later, after you're past the initial shock of having to deal with what's in front of you now. First you want to concentrate on getting yourself peaceful and calm, so you can think straight and make good decisions about your next steps. It's normal to be scared, or angry, or to feel defeated by Life, when you receive unexpected bad news. Pretending you're "fine" when you're not isn't honest, and will prevent you from getting the support you need.

The EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique, or "tapping") modality, which I use with myself and with clients, includes saying "Even though I have this problem, I love and accept myself" or "I accept my feelings". Again, it's only after you fully acknowledge that you have a problem to deal with, as unpleasant as that admission may be, that you'll be able to begin moving forward. If you have a friend or relative who is in denial about her weight or financial or addiction problem, you can clearly see how not admitting she has a problem is keeping her stuck right where she is.

After you ruefully admit that yes, you do have this mess in front of you, then what? Perhaps you're now remembering a past problem you overcame, and that approach you took then might help you now with this very different challenge. Maybe you swallowed your pride and reached out for help or advice. Then you in turn ended up helping your helper with something. You do have strengths and abilities after all, and few situations are truly hopeless. Things are already looking up!

Once you've honored the grief or shock or hurt about your problem, you can start reaching for something which feels more positive. Some coping strategies may be coming to mind, and avenues to explore. If you've faced something similar in the past, not only might you have learned something which would be useful now, you may have knowledge others need. A support group focused on this problem could give you much-needed solace, you'd feel less alone, and you could help others with what you know.

Many of my teachers over the years have talked about gratitude. You may have heard "If you only say one prayer, let it be "Thank you!". Most of what happens to us in Life teaches us something, so we're better able to go forward and deal effectively with our next challenge -- this is how we grow. Many folks say an earlier experience, which seemed like a horrible problem at first, turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to them. This is because of what they learned (often about themselves), and the bonds they formed with others. No circumstance is completely bleak and hopeless. See if you can see the bright side, and be thankful for that.

To read about looking for the good when you have less-than-perfect vision, click here.

Have you wondered if my work could help you?
I'm now offering complimentary Discovery Session consultations of 20 minutes or so, for us to discuss what you're looking for in a coach, and to see whether you and I feel like a fit to work together formally. To schedule your Discovery Session, click here.

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Please send me your questions and comments
Let me know what you've wondered about concerning energy medicine or vision or dreams. I'll be glad to write a short article addressing that topic. Thank you to those who have sent me questions, or see a question you asked me in a private session written about here. You're helping many other people! Enjoy the remainder of this mind-expanding month of March. I'll write again in a few weeks. Take care!