Hello friend!
I was pretty close to completing my last newsletter to you (the ‘good cheer’ one) as the tragic situation in Paris was unfolding. I thought about scrapping it as it didn’t fit with the somber mood of the moment but went ahead as I thought that maybe a ‘lighthearted’ e-mail could help in some small way.
Fairy lights, choice teas and Gone With The Wind– it can’t get much lighter than that, can it!?
Since I pushed the send button and sent that missive to you, I have been thinking a lot about our global village and how sometimes when faced with something so ugly and destructive like what happened in France (and Beirut, Mali and Nigeria etc….) our initial reaction is to turn tail and run.
After watching news report after news report I know I felt like hustling my family into the backwoods of Northern BC and living off the land like a hermit clan, completely cut off from the outside world.
But that is never the answer is it?
So I continued to watch the news and surf the Internet and try and make sense of a totally senseless act.
And yet what I saw on the nightly news and on social media wasn’t all ugly.
There were hundreds (if not thousands) of beautiful and poignant posts, the flowers and candles at the tribute sights, the singing of La Marseillaise (the French National Anthem), the people gathering together at cafes despite police directives to stay home-
-it was a massive outpouring of love and peace and it did help.
Words I Recall During Trying Times
Like most people when a rough patch hits I look for solace and for me that means turning to my family, friends, the natural world and the power of words.
In such times the following quotes often come to my mind, both spoken by great men;
The first-
‘Be the change that you wish to see in the world’
-Ghandi
Ghandi’s words are always with me as they motivate me to RISE and strive to be a better human, to be the change, make the changes, as opposed to staying numb and sad, sitting on my couch complaining about how the world sucks.
The second-
‘The world will be saved by the Western woman’
– Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama’s quote, well, I’d love to ask him about what exactly he had in mind when he said this, but for whatever it is worth here is my interpretation.
The Dalai Lama realizes that for the most part the ‘Western woman’ is educated, privileged, has time for self reflection and is armed with high ideals, and that women LIKE US who have been gifted with such good fortune know that it is our responsibility to share our gifts with the world, for the good of the world.
Yes my friend, in times of despair it is up to us to uplift the world.
And YES we do have power even if we don’t always think we do.
I believe that is what the Dalai Lama was getting at, an acknowledgment that we can use this power in the face of whatever chaos and destruction comes our way.
Again With The Harry Potter…
While writing this post the Harry Potter books popped into my mind- specifically the Dementors.
If you haven’t read the books the Dementors are these dark, evil, soul sucking creatures that descend on those who are vulnerable. I always pictured them as what depression would like like if it could take on a form.
After Harry has brushed up against these sinister beings he is weak and shaken but can always be sorted out by nibbling on a piece of chocolate or downing a hot drink.
Yes- these two small every day items help to bring life back into our hero Harry.
That is how I viewed all those candles and flowers, and the people of Paris who were brave enough to sit at outdoor cafes after those attacks and sip a cafe au lait, or enjoy a glass of wine.
Life had sent them to the mat, just as the Dementors had done to Harry, but here they were- dusting themselves off and getting back up and despite their fear, resuming their daily routines and enjoying lifes’ simple pleasures again.
I am fortunate that I have never had to deal with such a horrific situation but on a lesser scale I do know what it is like to have the wind knocked out of my sails.
A broken heart, job loss, a loved ones death, a childs’ diagnosis, yep I am familiar with these…
When life has sent me to the mat I remember the words of Ghandi and the Dalai Lama and I start small.
I start with the every day stuff.
I get up off the couch and I take a turtle step. To bolster my resolve I put on lipstick and mascara.
If it is a school day I walk the boys to school and am mindful how Will still wants to hold my hand and of how both boys chatter over each other.
Once back home, if I am still feeling off kilter I might a make a cup of coffee or watch the birds at my bird feeder.
I am rising.
I am kind to myself.
I turn on my twinkly lights and make sure I am wearing my favourite fuzzy sweater.
Then feeling more pulled together I might tidy the papers in my office or send an overdue e-mail.
Then the momentum starts to shift until I am in a place where I can start extending that kindness outside myself, so I have the nerve to head out into the big wide world and ‘be the change’.
I’m TOTALLY serious, everyday we can be the change and save the world in some small way.
-The neighbour that drives me nuts because he shuns my special needs son?
I go out of my way to say hello and ask how his son is doing on his rep baseball team.
-The teenager I pass everyday on the street who never looks up to say ‘hi’?
I smile and give him a big ‘hello’.
-The client who is having a rough time? I hit the bookstore and delight in finding them a book I know they will love.
-The elderly relative who lives alone?
I invite myself over and bring tulips.
Sow seeds of kindness and watch what happens.
Fairy lights, a cup of tea, TV shows and books that make us laugh, birds at the backyard feeder, candles and flowers, gathering together, sitting in cafes and helping each other…
…this is how we fight back against the Dementors of the world.
So get going girl-the world needs YOU!
Au revoir!
xo
Eliz
PS- If you feel compelled ‘to rise’ in 2016 and share your gifts with the world but feel you need some support then take note, the special price for my 3 month coaching program ends this Sunday, November 29th and I can’t guarantee I will offer it again at this low rate (9 sessions $999 CAN. / a $200 savings!) Click here for more info if you are interested http://www.fullflightlifecoaching.com/overwhelmed-to-optimal/…….