Friday Musings—The silver lining

What's new with me

The past few weeks have been quite stressful and overwhelming, affecting my sleep quality, my anxiety, and my overall well-being and health. But something good came out of it. My brother and I, who have never been close because of unfortunate family dynamics, have taken the first steps towards more intimate and honest communication, and I have hope that we will grow closer in time.

Also, the universe sent more people and opportunities my way. An acquaintance of an acquaintance on LinkedIn was offering some pro bono coaching sessions, and I decided to just go for it. I had no idea what to expect, but I wanted to meet new people and try new things. One of the things I miss the most about my time in Dublin (along with the mild summers) was that I met people from all over the world on an almost daily basis. Anyway, my session with her—where I unburdened a bit about what I was going through—led to a session with a relationship coach, a friend of hers, who was so sweet and welcoming that I wanted to hug her. The relationship coach and I really clicked, and I'm looking forward to my next session. Doing this kind of work might also help strengthen the bond with my brother.

Finally, I reconnected with a Canadian woman training to become a certified yoga therapist. As part of her certification, she needed people to work with, so I volunteered. We had three sessions in the fall, then she took some time off to return to Canada and travel to Brazil. Yesterday we resumed the sessions, which I had been looking forward to for weeks! I was finally able to deeply relax and calm my nervous system—to the point where I started yawning non-stop and almost fell asleep.

So, focusing on the positives, I have three new wonderful women in my life, all from different countries, ages, and backgrounds. And in a society where, unfortunately, women still too often tear each other down, these shining examples of sisterhood are ♥️.

Lessons out of all of this that I think may benefit everyone.

• Make time in your day to rest and relax. And by that, I don’t mean just relaxing in front of the TV (though that’s obviously fine too), but deeply unwinding your mind and body. Deep breathing, somatic workouts, deep stretching, yoga Nidra, meditation—whatever calls to you. There are plenty of exercises and routines on YouTube if you’re interested. The key is to make this a regular practice. We often don’t realize just how stressed we are until it’s too late! By regularly carving out time to release tension and calm our nervous system, we’ll be better equipped to deal with whatever life throws our way.
• Focus on the positives. As I've mentioned before, during the Christmas holidays I started a new journaling practice. Before going to bed, no matter how bad the day was, I always write down the answer to the following question: "What went well today?" Our brains are wired to focus on the negatives, so we’ve got to train them to appreciate the good and look for the silver lining.
• Open up to new possibilities. New people, new experiences, new hobbies, new dishes, whatever. This will make life feel fuller and richer. And it’ll restore (some) faith in humanity.

Quote of the week ✍️ 

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed."  (Carl Jung)

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you have any suggestions or insights, feel free to share them in the comments. Also, I'm offering free mindful chats—a safe space for you to be heard and for me to connect and better understand how I can create content that truly resonates. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, just book a session.

If you know someone who might enjoy these musings or benefit from a mindful chat, please pass this along. I’d love to grow this community (but am terrible at self-promotion!).

Enjoy your weekend, and talk soon.

ML