Hello friends, and welcome to this month’s Joyinmovement newsletter,
Last month’s newsletter was filled with so many great health, wellness, and fitness tips, so I’m keeping it simple and philosophical this month. Three thoughts/ideas for your consideration!
1. Let me ask you one essential question:
“How will you measure your life?” It will not be by money or stuff. It will be measured in Relationships, Experiences, Love, & Legacy. Knowing that, spend your time wisely.
It’s quite mathematical! Subtract.
Instead of adding MORE to your life, consider cutting back. Most people attempt to fix things through addition (like using “app timers” to focus). That works, BUT there’s a better answer! The better answer is usually the REMOVAL of the trigger, stimulus, distraction, or temptation. “It’s not the daily increase,” said Bruce Lee, “But the daily decrease. Hack away at the inessential.”
And remember, a key to living well is to put your problems in proper perspective. Listen, if you’re sick and tired of “struckling” (being stuck and struggling), then you need to shake things up, break out of your comfort zone, and change your life.
2. Right about now many of us are feeling like life is a tsunami.
Like Edie Fassnidge felt when she battled her Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. More about Edie in a minute, though.
It’s hard to underestimate the effects of the coronavirus. As it approached, the dangers became apparent. And its impact became unavoidable. Now, roughly six months later, we know the coronavirus is a disaster on many levels.
It’s a humanitarian disaster, reportedly killing more than hundreds of thousands of people so far. It’s an economic disaster, forcing millions of Americans out of work. And it’s a psychological disaster, putting a strain on our mental health as we face isolation for months on end.
After suffering through several months of mandatory lockdowns since the World Health Organization declared the virus a global pandemic, most of us feel a bit like Edie did that morning after the tsunami wave struck…… tossed around, dazed, and confused.
You see, pandemics – like tsunamis – rarely consist of only one wave. And in both cases, the first wave is often not the worst. That’s why you need to know the rest of Edie’s story, which she shared in the 2016 book, Rinse, Spin, Repeat.
Edie’s elation at seeing her boyfriend and family in the water after the first wave didn’t last long. Glancing behind them, she noticed another wave rapidly approaching.
Edie was soon underwater again, fighting for her life. Once more, she made it to the surface and gasped for air. But this time, Edie couldn’t find her loved ones. She had little time to search before being battered by several more waves. Finally, Edie managed to climb on to some nearby rocks and realized that she suffered wounds on her legs so deep that she could see her bones.
Dehydrated and physically drained, Edie somehow found the strength to hike up the rocks and along the shore until she was rescued. While being treated, she reunited with her boyfriend Matt, who had also managed to survive. Sadly, her sister and mother weren’t as fortunate. They died that day, along with nearly 230,000 other people in the deadliest tsunami in world history.
I share this story and this book because it’s good to read/know stories of those who survive being tossed around, feeling dazed and confused. We’re all feeling that way from time to time during our daily lives right now. We shake our heads, close our eyes and wonder what’s next. Here’s what I do, and what I suggest you do when feeling tsunami-struck, even when the wave seems small.
Go outside. Take a walk. Look around. Pay attention. Be curious. Marvel. Wonder. Bathe in the beauty that surrounds us, always. Try this and see if the wave doesn’t roll over you a bit more gently. I’m guessing it will!
3. Book Recommendation for you: Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday
I just ordered this book. But really any book about finding simple routines to calm the mind is a good idea. Have a book recommendation of your own I should pass along to our Joyinmovement community? Let me know!
Until next month, keep your mind active and your wanderlust alive! And of course, find JOYinmovement each and every day.
shelli
P.S. Thank you all for using my Amazon link when you shop. I really appreciate all the support!
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