Category: Spiritual

Shifting

This morning I am having some interesting feelings.  I feel like things, although honestly pretty darn good for me overall, are going to get even better.  I have a lot of hope for the future, and I am excited to make it happen.  I can’t explain why I feel this way, but I am not going to analyze it…well, too much.

I do think that one of the reasons I am feeling so hopeful is because I am getting the chance to explore many topics that I am passionate about.  Somehow, between work, parenting, volunteering, and other relationships, I am finding the time to work in some reading, audio, and video on topics such as integrative psychiatry, the effects of nature on health, and faith.  I am also practicing good self-care by exercising and meditating, among other things.

Of course, someone may look at what I just wrote as awful.  Who would be interested in integrative psychiatry?  Who cares about meditation?  I understand – what is interesting to me may not even be close to anyone else.  The point, however, is that if you can make some time to explore your passions, you may find yourself with the ability to just “be”, and that can open up your mind.  And, I find that when my mind is more open, a greater hope can emerge.

It can be hard to carve out the time to pursue your personal explorations, and if you think you can’t add one more thing to your day, is there a way to fit it into what you are already doing?  Can you listen to something in your car or use earphones when you take different transportation or walk?  Can you have a book with you for times when you are waiting in line or somewhere else?  Can you take a few moments when you get up or before you go to bed to ease into the day or night with something that you want explore?  My hope is that you can find a way to start exploring your passions and interests if you haven’t already.

Frustration

This has been a tough week so far – work has been demanding and frustrating in many ways, I’m sick for the umpteenth time since my son was born, and my son had an accident at daycare yesterday that gave him quite the bruise near his eye.  To top that off, I couldn’t get my beloved Kindle to work this morning so I could read on the stationary bicycle – ok, that isn’t so serious, but my Kindle and I have been good friends for many years.

I would assume that most of the time I would not be reacting well to this week, but I seem less bothered by it all for some reason.  Why?  I think it might be a couple of things – first, I started meditating again within the last week after getting out of the habit for awhile.  I am also trying to throw in some more gratitude too.  Work will get better and resolutions will be obtained.  I will feel better soon.  My son’s bruise will get better and I am so thankful it didn’t involve more of his eye.  Heck, the Kindle is already working again.  There is a silver lining to this week.

While dealing with mental illness can be way more serious than the issues I have described above, the ways of coping with the frustrations can be similar.  Is it possible to change how you react to the situation?  Can you find something to be grateful for among the issues being faced?  Is there something like meditation, massage, yoga, etc. that you can use to recharge and help you deal with whatever comes your way?  I’ve talked about some of these before, but there are also many that I have not discussed.  I challenge you to take some time today to think about ways that can improve how you deal with the frustrations in your life, and this can benefit anyone you are taking care of as well.

So, That Just Happened…

Well, this morning I had planned to write a piece about being a suicide survivor, and I will plan to do that in the future, but I just had an interesting experience I want to share.

It’s a little after 6 a.m., and I just finished my morning workout.  I grabbed my laptop from upstairs and came back downstairs to write my blog entry for today.  Since yesterday I have had an idea of what I wanted to write about, and I was afraid it wasn’t going to be all that upbeat.  Not that it had to be, but I do like to be positive when I can.

I had barely sat down, when all of the sudden I hear a rooster crowing and a “Rise and Shine!” – this immediately gets my attention, and I start hearing other noises.  I figure out that it is coming from one of my son’s new toys that he got from my brother’s family over the weekend for Christmas.  For some reason, it seems to be making sounds from the toy on its own!  Needless to say, in the silence of the morning I was a little spooked.  I noticed that the sound for the toy was turned on, so I did turn it off and the noises stopped.  I have no idea if the sound had been turned off before we went to bed last night or not.

Now, I’m sitting here trying to think of a rational reason as to why that happened – if the toy is left on, is there some internal clock that has it make noise every so often?  Did I bump the toy or make enough movement that the sound came on?  There might be other explanations, but none of these seem all that likely to me right now.

I decided right away that even if there was a great explanation, I didn’t have it.  To me, I think this was a sign from my dad.  It seems just like him to start out with me hearing a rooster crowing and a “Rise and Shine!” from this toy.  I can see him laughing at my confusion, and it is funny.  I also think he sensed some of the heaviness in my heart this morning and thought I could use a laugh.

You may read this and think I am off the wall.  That’s ok.  You weren’t here to have the experience.  It doesn’t really matter, though, because even though it was weird I am getting some comfort out of the experience.  I am already looking at my day in a better mood, too, and there’s no harm in that.  Thanks Dad – I will always love you no matter where you are.

Resolutions

Did you make any resolutions at the beginning of the year?  If so, how are they going?

If they are going well, congratulations!  I am happy for your progress.

If they are not going well, do you know why that is so?  There’s nothing wrong with you or your answers here.  Most of us realize that life does not always go according to plan.  There are twists and turns along the way, and that may be contributing to a lack of progress towards resolutions.

Maybe you didn’t make any resolutions at all, which can be downright liberating in and of itself.

If your resolutions have not gone well so far this year or if you didn’t make any, perhaps you might consider changing things up and giving your year a theme.  What exactly does that mean?  That’s the beauty of it – you can define it in any way you want!  For example, for 2017, I have decided that for me, this is the year of “creation”.  What does that mean to me?  For starters, it is very broad.  It includes creating time for family and friends, creating value at work, and creating blog entries, among many other things.  I am also working to create different forms of art and writing, such as drawing and poetry.  In my mind, the possibilities for this theme are endless, and there are so many activities that can be applied to it.

Of course, some of you may look at my theme and think it is way too overwhelming.  Themes can be as specific or open as you like.  Regardless of what sounds right for you, I challenge you to consider having a theme for the year.  And, you don’t have to declare it right at the beginning of the year – you can start your theme at any time.  Enjoy considering this possibility!

Get Out of Here

Getting out of town.  Getting away from it all.  Most people find some comfort in having a change in scenery every once in awhile, and travel for fun can have many benefits.

I am a huge fan of recreational travel.  I wouldn’t necessarily want to do it all of the time, but I am constantly thinking about where our next trip will be.  Travel does so much in my opinion.  First of all, I look at travel as an educational experience – new places, new people, new sounds, new cultures – it really broadens your mind and experience.  Next, it allows you to spend quality time with yourself or others.  Also, it can give you the recharge and renewal you need when you do go back home.  There are numerous other benefits, but I think most of us find travel to be a rewarding experience.

I’ve made travel sound easy and fun, but how do you do it when caring for someone with a mental illness?  Here are some things to consider and question.  Travel doesn’t have to mean far away or gone for many days.  Is there somewhere locally you can visit for even a few hours?  Is there a town nearby that you can explore?  Can you take a long weekend?  While you do these activities, are there trusted friends, family, or respite services that you can use to help give you a break?  Would the person you care for and you both benefit from traveling together?  Even if these ideas sound impossible right now, what about traveling virtually on the computer?  There are a lot of places that have live cameras or websites that show things you can see if you are actually there.  Reading can also mentally take you to places as well.  Although you may feel like a big vacation is not possible, what are some steps you can take to eventually make that happen?   If you give yourself even a little bit of time to consider it, I hope you will see there are ways to get the benefits of traveling no matter what is going on in your world.

Everyday Creations

As a pharmacist, I don’t think much about myself as an artist.  I spend most of my days on the left side of my brain – analyzing, calculating, and supporting my decisions and actions.  I do enjoy art and appreciate the beauty and feelings it can invoke, but I do not feel like a very creative person.

I have a feeling that a lot of us would describe ourselves like I have.  “I’m not creative” is something I seem to hear all of the time.

But, what if we started to think of all of us as artists?  I was challenged by this question several years ago, and from then on I try to look at every human being as an artist.  After all, aren’t we all creating something during our days?

It all comes down to how you define art.  Obviously, this view casts a wide net, but every day I am creating something – currently, I am creating a food source for my son, I am creating a home life for my family, and I am creating value to my pharmacy team by working on projects and assignments.  This list doesn’t include everything, but I think I’ve illustrated what I mean.

So, what are you creating today?  What are creating in your life overall?  What is your art?  I hope these questions help you to look at your life as a canvas and you as the painter.

Looking Beyond

As I sit in the silence of the morning, before my son and husband are up, my mind is open to jumble of random thoughts and ideas.  One thought persists right now, however, and that is about what happens after we die.  Can we still see or interact with our loved ones here on Earth?  Do we forget about them?

Seems a little early in the day to be thinking about such a big matter, I know.

Ever since my dad died over four years ago, however, these questions (among others) have taken on a whole new meaning.  Although I have lost others along the way, and those deaths hit me hard, nothing has been as painful and raw as the loss of my dad.  Although our relationship wasn’t perfect, it was pretty good, and I miss him all of the time.  I wished he would have physically been here with us when I got married and when my son was born.  I also wish he could be here for all of the little moments in between the big ones.

Of course, he can’t be here physically, but, can he be here spiritually or in some other way?

I’ll admit, before my dad’s illnesses and death, I was pretty skeptical about anything that you couldn’t see or prove – science and math were my life, and some of that hasn’t changed.  However, ever since his death I have had this longing to communicate with him – to somehow know that he is ok and that we can still have a relationship.  Does this sound weird to some of you?  I’m sure.  But, this longing has lead me into a world I would have never thought about five years ago.

That world is psychics, mediums, or whatever you want to call it.  I have had one reading, been to a couple of medium “shows” and read books on the subject.  All interesting to me, but all with no real evidence.  It’s hard for me to believe, but I have started to think that there is something after death that we can actually interact with on some level.  My reading was insightful, and I have also had dreams and experiences that make me believe that my dad is around watching over me.  I also will see my son looking up or around and smiling and almost seeming to have a conversation with someone who is not there.  These days, I assume that is either my dad or another loved one that has passed coming to say hello to my little boy.

Is it weird for a pharmacist to be thinking this way?  Maybe.  Can I prove that something beyond exists or doesn’t exist?  Nope.  Ah, the struggle of my still rigid thinking.  But, in thinking of the beyond, I have definitely opened up to the possibility of interacting with loved ones that have died.  So what if it can’t be proven?  So what if it is subjective?  My thought is, if you can find comfort and peace from it, I think working with a medium or exploring the beyond is worth it.  I encourage everyone to be open to the possibilities and to not be afraid of exploring this if you feel you might find some benefit.

The Gift of Meditation

It seems that no matter where I am in life, it is always busy.  I don’t know how many times I have said, “Next week will be less busy”, but of course that doesn’t seem to happen.

Deep down, I know I should slow down and live more in the moment, but this is definitely a work in progress.  I have heard about and I am very interested in the “slow movement” that others have embraced, but I am just not there yet.  Besides, I am pretty sure that being intentional in this area would take constant maintenance.  Slowing down is a journey, not a destination.

That being said, what can I do on my very slow journey to slowing down?  Meditation is my current answer.

For some people, meditation accompanies a certain stereotype – someone sitting cross-legged on a mat and saying “om” a lot.  But, meditation encompasses a whole lot more – actually, it can be whatever you want it to be.  For some people, it can involve walking.  For others, it might be praying.  Whatever it is for you, it is about connecting with the present and simply just “being” – at least that is how I think of it.

What do I do?  I spend 5 to 15 minutes daily just visualizing something (such as a beautiful field of flowers) and focusing on it, acknowledging but then letting go of any other thoughts that pop up during that time.

Of course, there are tons of resources available on meditation, and I don’t have a strong preference for any of them.  What I do find appealing, though, is there is evidence out there that meditation has many benefits, and a lot of people claim it positively contributes to several aspects of their health.  I agree with that sentiment, and I can also notice a difference in my day when I meditate vs. when I don’t.  Overall, I feel that meditation makes my life just a little less busy, regardless of any other efforts I make to slow down.