Recover Yourself!

Introduction

"Learning to live with the mess of life is great spiritual work." ~ Jo Hilder

"Thank God it's Friday!"

This familiar four-word refrain is understood across cultures. For those balancing the responsibilities of work, school, family, second jobs, and side-gigs, the anticipation of Friday carries the weight of the entire work week.

Commitment to our work is imperative, however, we must also make self-care a priority. If the mind is not well, we are without clarity. If the body is sick, our daily functioning is limited, and if we are weak spiritually, we are unable to receive guidance.

Attempts at living within imbalance carries steep consequences over the long term.

When attention is not paid to mini glitches in the matrix of life the rope seen as a lifeline gets thin, frays and eventually breaks. This can lead to incapacity and the ability to operate at maximum capacity for giving in our service to humanity through our work becomes distorted.

My grandmother is the most resilient woman I have ever known and her wisdom and determination empower my days and nights yet still.

From a young girl growing up in the segregated South during the Great Depression, she farmed, did laundry, cooked, baked, kept houses, tended children and made everything from butter and soap to corn liquor. She never slowed down and an attack on her brain was the ultimate result. The reward for a young life committed to hard work in hard times were three strokes that left her paralyzed on her left side and unable to speak. When she woke up in the hospital she saw her husband and their three young children staring down at her and all were terrified.

"That's when I knew," she'd said, "I knew that whatever it took, I had to get out of that bed. My family needed me. I was barely alive, but I had to live for them."

"Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions are searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us." 

~ Dr. Maya Angelou

Balance is a necessity and we must seek it in every aspect of our lives. When it is not a priority, we decrease our opportunities to experience joy in our work, home, and family life.

Most times, we do not hate our jobs or our lives, we have just allowed the frustration that goes along with depletion of resources to dominate our experience. When this occurs, our peace is disturbed and resentments set in. Our resources are our minds, our bodies, and our spirits and we must preserve and protect them.

At the time, my grandmother knew she had to recover, to overcome this episode that had flattened her and threatened the livelihood of her family and the future of her children. It was in that moment she decided to fight and became determined that she could. And with the help of Almighty God, she would recover.

She also knew how the industrious drive in her nature had kept her so focused on her responsibilities that she neglected her own personal well-being and until the Universe sent her an unmistakable message she would have continued upon the path she later warned me to take care upon.

When it came my turn to join the rat race of life knowing the journey ahead, she gave me the benefit of her wisdom. "Do your work, but remember that rest is important."

"You have the power to heal your life, and you need to know that. Claim and consciously use your power." ~ Louise L. Hay

Recovery is defined as the act, process, or an instance of recovering. It is the process of combating a disorder or a real or perceived problem. It is a recapture, a reclamation, a recoupment, a repossession, or retrieval.

Recovery is an act of rescue, the act or process of returning to a normal state after a period of difficulty. It is a redemption.

The Unfolding with Joy Series are short reads offered in love as a supportive reminder of the importance of taking pause to note the checks and balances in our lives.

Most of us live in such a harried unbalanced way that when we reach the breaking point, we have no awareness of how or where to begin to rebuild our lives from the inside and purpose toward getting back in the game of life in a healthier way.

"Recover Yourself!" is the first of the three. As the opening text, it examines what occurs when we come to the end of our rope and we are confronted with the lifestyle choices that resulted in our arrival at a critical mass crossroads.

Driving hard and fast toward set goals must be supported by a healthy mind, body, and spirit. You have a right to personal achievement. You have a right to overall personal well-being. You have a right to feel good along the journey. Use what you find here to shift your focus and unfold into that space of returning to peace, clarity, and joy ever increasing.

Seek balance moving forward and handle your state of being with care.

Recover yourself!

Available Now!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078LZ8PC5

Join the journey to experience the joy of unfolding!
www.newjoyzbooks.weebly.com

FREE E BOOK DOWNLOAD

I'm So Overwhelmed!

"When you give yourself permission to communicate what matters to you in every situation you will have peace despite rejection or disapproval. Putting a voice to your soul helps you to let go of the negative energy of fear and regret." ~ Shannon L. Adler

I like the peace of quiet.

My experience with sound tends to be emotional. Sound moves through me intuitively whether the experience is pleasant or not. It always has and I suppose many dancers are this way.

My children set records in bickering this week. Each Hallmark hall of fame moment they shared ended in an argument. The experience became equal to the sound, chaotic and shrill. Nothing was being resolved because no one was listening, so I joined in the dance in a powerful way and shut down the circus.

Normally, I can detach well enough for them to work it out on their own, but this week was busy; like the dog chasing its tail getting dizzier by the moment kind of busy. 

I had met my edge. 

I was relieved in the moment because the bickering stopped, however, I was left with regret that I had chosen to react when I should have paused and taken a breath before responding.

If the holidays are the most hectic time of year, approaching the end of a school year is a close second. Science competitions, summer program applications, rehearsals, spring concerts, exams, field trips and the like all culminate in an epic swirl of over scheduled activity.

"We are stronger when we listen, and smarter when we share." ~ Rania Al-Abdullah

Overwhelm is a great equalizer among us. We see it coming yet it's ability to launch sneak attacks is still maintained. My go to coping mechanism is meditation. In the silence of my being I can permit all frustration known and unknown to work its way up and I can decide the issues which require examining and those in need of releasing.

Energy begets energy and the more quiet seed I plant the more peace and quiet I will manifest in my daily existence.

My children are still loud, they will still bicker and we are still overwhelmed. But next week, will find me more aware and better equipped to manage. 

I will be ready.

"It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it." ~ Lou Holtz

The Gems of Gratitude

"If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough." ~ Meister Eckhart

Living in a spirit of thanksgiving is transformative in that it keeps our energy focused on the good and therefore, more good is manifested.

I spent last weekend on the coast with close friends and it was glorious. We ate, we drank, we related stories new and old. And though it was cold outside, the warmth of friendship reunion was present as a force of love and healing.

Being near the ocean and the spirit of Yemeya balances my energies in ways I have yet to find words to describe. I am always alert with anticipation for any messages she might send subtle or otherwise and as I lay quietly watching the sunrise she spoke to me one word. 

Gratitude.

"When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears." ~ Anthony Robbins

I am grateful to the Creator for allowing the ancestors to speak such timely reminders into my earthly experience. When I left the coast it was cold and snowing, but I carried home with me new memories of love and laughter with friends to warm the heart of my temple and keep me vibrating higher and higher.

I am truly thankful.

How is the energy of gratitude manifesting in your life?

Balance Is Not An Option

"Life is a balance between what we can control and what we cannot. I am learning to live between effort and surrender." ~ Danielle Orner

We live within a perpetual rise and grind.

Some spring out of bed while others choose a slower approach to getting started and hit the snooze button countless times until they have to get moving.

It is a less taxing experience when you only have to move yourself and remember to feed the cats before hitting the door. However, the demands upon stage managers attending to dawn dog walking duty, while moving spouses, tweens and teens yelling last minute reminders yet still rushing to make yourself presentable is especially tough on the energies. 

My experience was the latter. At times, I found myself squinting as my family tossed their breakfast dishes into the sink and dashed out the door, that is if they didn't miss the "Big Yellow" which in turn left me running late. And I could have sworn my washer and dryer were actually making clothes.

"To be whole simply requires paying attention to oneself." ~ Gary Hopkins

As a counselor, I take a holistic approach to supporting clients, addressing their concerns from the threefold perspective of mind, body, and spirit health, encouraging them to engage in self checks for personal well being. 

When I performed my own self check-ins, I discovered that the most pervasive emotion I experienced was anger. A brooding just below the surface that always caught in my throat. 

"True healing will only occur when we are acknowledging all aspects of ourselves." 
~ Kate Reardon

To conduct a quick self check-in to determine how we feel each morning assists us in setting the tone for each day. Most issues presented have roots in hard core resistance to the acceptance of reality. The truth is mornings are hectic, so are afternoons for that matter. Knowing this and accepting this can help bring balance to our habit of resisting.

The familiar serenity prayer comes to mind. Knowledge and acceptance of the difference between the things we can change and those things we cannot is the path to peace and freedom.

"Renew energy, revive strength." ~ Laila Gifty Akita

You have a right to well being and if you are not at peace, start on the inside to figure out why. When you wake each morning, engage yourself emotionally. Breathe deeply into the current experience of self and accept what can and cannot be changed. 

Keep breathing and embrace the clarity that will come and enable you to take right actions in addressing your needs grounded in reality based expectations.

Ground yourself in the truths of your experiences and seek clarity from there. Invite the necessary peace that encourages your threefold personal well being and determine to "be well". 

Balance is not an option.

Does your approach to your daily rise and grind have you out of balance?
How are you setting the tone for your day each morning?
What are the things that can be changed in your life? What are the things that cannot?

Now Available on Amazon!
Unfolding With Joy
Recover Yourself
www.amazon.com/dp/B078LZ8PC5

Now Available on Amazon!
The BreakUp Call
Learn To Be Your Own Bae
www.amazon.com/dp/B079RWN286

Join the journey and embrace the joy of unfolding!
FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD
Reawaken to Joy!
http://newjoyzbooks.weebly.com/join-nya.html

Intentional Peace

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." ~ John 14:27

Before ascending, Yeshua bequeathed to us His peace and it is my desire to live each moment of my life in the spirit of that intention. 

As 2011 proved to be one of the worst years of my life, 2016 threw salt in wounds still yet mending. With the reset energy of 2017, I am reminded of this holy gift. 

A peace that surpasses all understanding is always available, despite what's happening around me, as a conscious choice to shift toward this promise.

"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without." ~ Buddha

World peace is a phrase both praised as a utopian goal and relegated to the expected answer from pageant contestants across the globe. The challenge during times of trouble is to intend peace from within and in turn give it energy to vibrate outward. 

"When a thing disturbs the peace of your heart, give it up." ~ Prophet Muhammad

My state of personal well being is one born of wholeness with the Creator. His pitcher of living water exists in abundance and from it my temple cup is filled. God as my Source and supply meets every need in the physical, emotional, and spiritual. 

Anything or anyone incoming in the earth plane must be an asset to the fullness of love, peace, and joy that God provides.

"Our intention creates our reality." ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer

I seek inner peace as a constant state of being and I intend to entertain the same in my outer environment. Disturbances to the contrary are discouraged and unwelcome in any form as I commit to wholeness. 

I intend peace.

How would you define peace?
What or whom do you seek your peace from or within?
How do you deal with peace disturbances?

"If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else." ~ Marvin Gaye

Available Now on Amazon!
Recover Yourself
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078LZ8PC5

Coming this month!
The Break Up Call
Learn To Be Your Own Bae

Join the journey and experience the joy of unfolding!
FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD
Reawaken to Joy!
http://newjoyzbooks.weebly.com/join-nya.html

Terms of Disclosure

"To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength." 
~ Criss Jami

Disclosure is applied to the helping relationship when it is of greatest benefit to a client. For example, telling a student struggling in math, that I too, found the subject difficult in school is an appropriate means of sharing.

My role is to support clients in peeling back their layers and effectively support their healing and I never permit a compromise on authenticity or avoidance of identifying true intention. 

"Tell the truth about any situation and you are delivered from lack of progress, but if you become hypocritical or lying, you may be in bondage for life." ~ Auliq-Ice

Although, best practice places limitations on self disclosure in professional relationships, in personal relationship interactions, sharing takes on a different context. 

True and lasting intimacy cannot be achieved without honest self disclosure at deeper levels. 
It plays against any advantage to self or another to intentionally false advertise, unless of course, the goal is a sinister one.

"It takes strength and courage to admit the truth." ~ Rick Riordan

The only way to see our wounds clearly is through focused energy applied to the task of personal excavation of the most authentic version of self. An effective helping professional lives in a constant state of evolvement, as well.

Commitment to honest self disclosure breeds increasing enlightenment and a life grounded in truth of universal purpose. 

Love yourself and your fellow travellers enough to leave no internal stone unturned.

What version of yourself have you been presenting in personal relationships?
Does revealing the truest version of self to others frighten you? Why? Why not?
Have you been willing to examine yourself realistically at the deepest levels of vulnerability?

"We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be." 
~ Mary Sarton

Available Now on Amazon!
Recover Yourself
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078LZ8PC5

Coming this month on Amazon!
The Break Up Call
Learn To Be Your Own Bae

Join the journey and experience the joy of unfolding!
FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD
http://newjoyzbooks.weebly.com/join-nya.html

No Pity Parties

"It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are finished." 
~ Debbie Macomber

I have a friend who is always there for me at any time for any reason with just one caveat. 

No pity parties.

At our last visit, we had butter cake topped with a scoop of ice cream. 

I should mention that I love ice cream, but it hates me. My friend knew well while watching the bliss of that first dollop on my tongue carry me straight to Jesus the torture that would soon rage through my system as a result. 

I called the next morning to relate my night of misery and received the usual flat response, "You knew what you were doing while you were doing it." 

Click.

My friend decided as always not to listen as I moaned my way through an ordeal of my own choosing.

"Each patient carries his own doctor inside him." ~ Norman Cousins

When called to bear the burdens of our faulty decision making setting the table for a pity party is tempting, but our choices are our responsibility alone.

All else being equal, the only difference between you and another is the quality of your decision making.

It's a challenge to examine the results of our choices, especially when they're initially gratifying. However, when the outcomes prove to be unpleasant the necessity to make changes becomes evident.

"And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician heal thyself."
 ~ Luke 4:23

Marinating in chaos of our own making creates opportunity for self reflective correction.When the Universe requires a shift in our thinking, a change of course exercise in the form of a huge bowl of discomfort may be just what the internal doctor ordered.   

We are free to choose what we will, but we are not excused from the consequences of a choice. Though for me, there is heaven in every spoonful, I know a scoop of ice cream proves to be "hell in a bowl". 

It never fails, but the power is in my hands to spare myself the aftermath if I choose to do so.

And friends ... don't let friends throw pity parties. 

How are you being victimized by your own choices?
When was your last pity party?
Would a shift in your decision making change your current circumstances?

"Instead of complaining about your situation, actually do something about it. Playing "poor me" just ain't sexy." ~ Miya Yamanouchi

Available Now on Amazon!
The BreakUp Call
Learn To Be Your Own Bae
www.amazon.com/dp/B079RWN286

Available Now on  Amazon!
Recover Yourself
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078LZ8PC5

Coming Soon to Amazon!
Rediscover Yourself
and
Getting To Know You

Join the journey and experience the joy of unfolding!
FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD
Reawaken to Joy!
http://newjoyzbooks.weebly.com/join-nya.html