Sunday Reset - What Else Is True? - July 26
Widen the View - by asking, what else is true
It's been a little bit of a rough week over here in my corner of the world. I'm leaning heavily on my meditation and mindfulness practice to take it one day at a time with tenderness and care.
Leaning on my practice doesn't mean the hard stuff goes away. It means I have a toolbox of mindfulness resources to help me take care of myself through life's ups and downs. As our facilitator Lisa Sheehan says, “staying steady in the storm”.
What's that like in real life, you ask? Well, when the world seems to be in an endless downward spiral (because, according to my daughter, Mercury is in retrograde, but I don't know what that means hahahha), we can ask ourselves with kind curiosity, what else is true.
I'll share some of the happenings of the week along with the mindfulness prompt.
What happened?
My younger daughter was rushed to the ER and needed emergency surgery leaving some continued concerns around aspects of her health.
What else is true?
My daughter is out of incredible pain, survived surgery (never take that for granted), and her employer has been supportive and accommodating throughout the ordeal. She's been resting at home and her friends have come to visit.
What happened?
In my effort to be a supportive mom, I slept in a chair/make-shift bed in her hospital room and now have a pinched nerve in my neck creating incredible pain in my shoulder, down my arm, throughout my chest, and around my neck and ear.
What else is true?
I have ice packs, heating pads, and access to healthcare. The pain is still very present and I'm also trying to notice the parts of my body that don't hurt.
What happened?
My daughter and I were resting on the couch after a long day (of her recovering and me working) and my 88 year old dad called to say their basement flooded in the torrential rain. My husband was out of town so I went to my parent's to try to help clean up the flooded basement. The job was much too big for me.
What else is true?
My husband was able to call a friend who owns a remediation company and they went to my parent's house today to start the process of truly cleaning the space.
There's actually more to the story, but you get the picture.
Life can throw us curve balls and fast balls sometimes, and we can pause and notice how that feels. Yes, this has been a challenging few days. Yes I'm in pain, and feel worried and stressed. These are all real and valid feelings. I can practice compassion for my daughter and parents and offer myself self-compassion, offering wishes for an end to suffering. And then I can ask with kind curiosity, what else is true.
As you navigate life's unpredictable curve balls, consider asking yourself, what else is true, and see how it goes.
Hit reply and let me know ;)
Warmly,
Julia
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Equanimity & Compassion Meditation
