Always with you

A good friend once gave me a sterling silver angel that said "Always with you".  I thanked her and exclaimed "Yes.  You are always with me".  She explained that the symbol meant something different and that I would figure it out in time.  It took me a month or so and then it came to me…I am my own angel and no matter what I am always with me. Whether I am in conflict, or I am travelling or I am all alone, there is nothing to worry about because I have a friend at my side.  My very own self.  Say thank you to your friendly essence and treat yourself to a day of fun.

Quiet the mind

Step outside of your mental chatter and look at yourself from a distance.  This simple act can be completed through prayer, meditation, yoga, cycling or journalling. Allow the thoughts to flow freely, but focus a little more closely on your breath.  Inhale, exhale, in with bright feelings, out with dark. You don't have to completely empty your mind, that is very hard to know, just allow the noise to fade into a rythm.  Calm your senses and think of it as recharging, like your cellphone needs to do!

Draw yourself in

You may have to take a trip to an art supply store for this inspiration. Drawing and painting allow us to let our emotions and our mind to connect with an outlet that once in a while can actually reflect back a healing presence. Draw like a five year old, scribble any idea that comes to your mind then analyze it's story later. Draw an image for a friend.  Use their big heart as an inspiration and watch the brush weave its way across the page. Use colours, use textures, finger paint if you like.  Invite a friend over for a bit of tandem drawing fun. I tried this out at the breakfast table and although I was of course critical of my work, I could see a message speaking to me through the lines. Get artsy!

Questionable

How are we able to find answers if we are not asking the right questions?  There are people out there who have a personality of question asking.  Pharmacists, engineers and lab technicians needs to know details before they can even begin moving forward.  Maybe you need to ask questions at work. Ask if anyone else has worked on a similar project to yours. Maybe you need to ask a personal question of a friend. Ask if they are upset about anything or if they have seen changes in you lately. Perhaps you need to ask a nighbour about a nice tree they purchased.  Whatever it is, let this question and answer dance expand your mind into a flexible space.  Explore the new changes and see where they take you.

A wee celtic cuddle

Andy Donnelly, a radio host on the amazingly independent radio station CKUA, always invites his listeners to connect with someone close by and give them a wee celtic cuddle. Choose one person to give a big hug to.  Make it count.  Hold on for a little extra squeeze just to get all the yummy endorphins out.  When was the last time you had a really good hug?

Give a little

Giving back doesn't have to mean travelling to a foreign land to build schoolhouses. Although, that is an honourable notion. You can create worldwide change just by doing a tiny bit of good for someone else. Let the person with three grocery items go ahead of you in line, say "hello" to people passing you on the sidewalk, or pay the coffee for the person behind you at the cafe. What if this small act kept being paid forward? How far mind this kindness reach? On a personal note, I had a police officer help me. He was from Uganda. After he went out of his way to make my life better I. Decided to thank him by sponsoring a little girl from his home country. His selfless act reached across the world and he didn't even know it.

Disaster relief

Crisis can trigger all sorts of emotions. It can take people from their routine and it throws them for a loop. Floods, storms, acts of terror, these situations will stick in our memories forever. But isn't it wondrous how humans come together in times of need. As though we are biologically programmed to go out of our way and help a perfect stranger. We stand up against the threat and proclaim that we will make a difference. Have you ever experienced a disaster? Did people come together to help each other out?

Phone a friend

Getting together with old friends is like hot chocolate and a fire after a day of cold skiing. They know you, they accept you and they genuinely care. Grab your calendar and choose a date then call or email or Facebook a friend you have not laughed with for awhile. Let them know you are thinking of them and want to catch up. The magic will just happen from there. Too busy to meet with friends? Set up a Skype meeting and you can still create a strong bond and transfer feelings of love and acceptance through the web.

It's a celebration

Whew! We made it. It is a success and it is time to celebrate. Did you cook a nice meal, complete a big assignment or teach your child to tie their shoes? Stand proud and exclaim "I did it!" Tell your friends and allow the word "congratulations" to simmer on your mind. You deserve this honour. You are truly one of a kind and the world is lucky to have you.

Get dirty

Place your hands upon the Earth and experience the potential for life that lives within each molecule of the soil. Plant a seed and imagine the buds emerging from the ground fed by water and sunlight and the many nutrients abundant in the soil's rich texture. You are creating life you are giving back to the Earth knowing all the amazing things the planet provides for us every day. If a plant is already growing but in a place you don't want it to flourish then give it a quick pull. Look at its roots at how hardy and defiant it was in our garden. Smell the Earth; appreciate the growth, the recycling of life, the complexity of one small yard or flower pot. Life exists all around us but digging in the dirt can somehow bring us closer to home.

Get real

Whenever someone asks how we are we say, "fine". When someone asks how work is going we say, "busy". Our emotional lives are far more complicated than that. We have needs and goals and thoughts and dreams. We have passion and anger and worry. Choose someone to open up to and share exactly how things are going in your life. Spare no details and be as real as you can. This kind of genuine interaction can be very healing for both the speaker and the listener. It may be scary but it may also be worth the risk. Give it a try!