YOU’VE GOT MAIL!

This image exemplifies my new online therapy mentoring idea. This child is so joyous, you really can't help smile upon seeing him. And even before I saw what his little t-shirt said, this image spoke to me about what it is we are all seeking. Really when you get down to it, what do we all want? really, really want? Love, happiness, connection? Maybe they vary a bit in how we say them, maybe it's joy, peace and to be seen. But we are all talking about the same things. And this child is it in this moment-is he not? Do you remember this feeling? Thrilling, exciting and pure joy. Now, today, (well maybe not today because it's winter) would you run through that sprinkler on a hot summer day? When was the last time you did this? Maybe it's time again. I've started to think about our lives as made up of areas to be giving attention to, or mailboxes that ask us to open them and both empty them out of the junk mail and fill them up with intentional letters or cards we are sending off. You know, when it's your sisters birthday next week and it takes a lot of focus and energy to get a real card at the pharmacy, fill it out, find a stamp, figure out or find her address and then get it into the mail on time! Seriously, it's no small thing these days. It takes focus and practice! They come down to this; health and wellness, spirituality, friends and family, intimacy and sex, adventure and discovery, and money and abundance. There may be more for you but this is a good starting place. If you are finding yourself just going to work and coming home, and not feeling really in your life the way you want to be, maybe this hits the mark.

Lets break some of these down, health and wellness. What is this about? maybe it is about changing some aspects about your daily diet, or how you move your body? Maybe it starts with drinking more water? Did you know that the average person is most likely dehydrated? The system requires about half our body weight in ounces each day to do so much! It helps with digestion/elimination, helps our skin-getting that glow, helps keep the brain active and headache free, and helps with peak performance if that is your thing. So that's just one small change you could do to feel better today. Spirituality, this can be a tricky one if you aren't connected to a faith, or if you were raised in a certain faith but have long let it go. Spirituality can take so many forms; being in nature, practicing meditation, giving back by teaching english to immigrants or exploring death and dying in a faith group and the list goes on, many things can be a spiritual practice, emphasis on practice. Other aspects of our life are friends and family, intimate relationships- are we staying present and connected, or are we just comfortable and afraid of being lonely. Adventure and discovery; when was the last time you went on an adventure? This could be taking a tap dance class down the street or planning a trip to Machu Picchu, but either way it leads to a growth, an eye opening and an opportunity to open up to some aspect of yourself that may be dormant. Finally money and abundance, this also proves to be fertile ground for conflict, especially for those of us in the helping field! Holy guacamole, I didn't even realize I had such a conflict with money until this year. But that is another story. Here's a clue, do you both have feelings of disdain for wealthy people like, "I don't really like rich people there not my tribe anyway", and then also make statements like, "I can't believe someone can charge that much... what do they have magic pixie dust"? Okay you see where I'm going here! What are the messages you have about money, hint- they are ingrained in your childhood in various ways. But the truth of it is, you living the most full life you can, and making all the money you want to doesn't take anything away from the next guy. In fact if you want to make a positive change, money is one of the most effective tools you can use to do that. These are the thoughts and ideas that led me to offer the therapy mentor service. It comes from working on these in my own life. At 50, it is not time to slow down, but to start examining closer!