Mindful Resilience™

Moments of happiness are important parts of our daily lives.  We often look for happiness directly. It is more easily found when we offer a moment of service to others, even if just a smile.

Balance is important too, especially if we are moving through grief or times of great hardship.  Perhaps it is you who needs this gift.  You deserve kindness too! 

-          Who around you needs their day brightened?

-          Can you allow a few seconds of happiness to count?

-          How can you offer this gift to yourself?

Warmly,

Pamela

We never know how long someone will be with us on this earth, or how long we will be blessed with the breath of life.  Aging and illness reminds us of the fragility of life.  It is important to cherish each moment.

As I notice my husband’s aging, my heart opens, and I am reminded of my own vulnerability.  There is the honoring of him, my love for him, and my own vulnerability.  Much can arise when we dare to touch this deeper place.

-          What relationship would you like to honor by pausing and cherishing it? 

-          When you just sit with that, what happens inside of you?

-         What kind of support do you need to help you do this?

Warmly,

Pamela

Mindfulness in the moment is essential, even more so in the midst of stress and challenge.  Beauty and delight can give us a moment of connection, of joy, of pause, a reminder of aliveness in front of us.  Food is one way to enter that territory and explore that moment.  Experiment and see what you find when you pause at your next meal.

-          How are you relating to the food you are eating? 

-          What senses is that bite awakening?

-          What happens if you take a moment to savor the experience?

Warmly,

Pamela

Part of meditation is being fully present in the moment.  We can do this with repetitive daily tasks like washing dishes, folding laundry, or sweeping the patio.  Like any practice, our minds wander, and we return our mind to the task at hand.  Each step, one after the other, returning, returning.  At first it might seem monotonous.  Making it a practice helps keep each moment fresh, a new moment not quite the same as the last one.

-         What everyday task could you experiment with for this practice? 

-         What do you notice when you do this practice?

-          What happens if you add a slight smile when you practice?

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Warmly,

Pamela

It seems that most people are experiencing challenges at this time, and often there are multiple challenges or ones that are quite significant.  Something happens when we shift our perspective to see these challenges as opportunities for personal and spiritual development.  In that vulnerable space, it is often easier to allow God or Spirit to enter our lives, allowing Divine Presence to work with us in the moment.

-          Where are you feeling this vulnerability in your life?

-         What would help you welcome the Divine?

-          What do you need to let go of to create more space for God or Spirit?

Warmly,

Pamela

Nature can hold us in the moment with its beauty, and it helps us feel grounded.  Allowing time to connect with its gifts is important.  Nature is always in the moment, which can inspire our practice and encourage our own mindfulness.  Even nature-in-a-pot can offer this gift if we take the time to be with its presence.

-          How would you like to connect with nature?

-         When would you like to do this?

-          What kind of company (or not) would you like to take with you?

Warmly,

Pamela

Early morning, as dreams fade and light enters, can be a time to establish a new beginning.  We can choose how we start our day.  Life isn’t always beautiful, true.  Noticing a touch of beauty in the morning can, however, offer a gift of perspective in the sea of challenges in front of us.  The morning I wrote this Haiku, I found the early morning light beautiful.  I felt touched, and some of that experience stayed with me as I moved into the day.

-         How do you typically start your day?

-         How would you like to establish a new beginning tomorrow?

-          Would you like acknowledging beauty to be part of your morning and, if so, how?

Warmly,

Pamela

We often see death as the end because someone’s physical presence is gone.  No matter what you believe happens after death, the connection and love and memories are forever alive.  Love connects us in a special way and it can linger, like perfume, after the person has left the room.

Instead of “getting over someone,” we can honor that connection and also go on with our lives.  It is a both/and experience.  My mother is no longer with me, and I can enjoy the quilt made in her honor and teach the resilience classes we had talked about doing together.  Our connection is still alive and inspires me.

-          How would you like to honor the person you have lost? 

-         What happens when you allow yourself to touch that connection?

-          How do you move on at the same time?

Warmly,

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