Activation is the specific action or process towards action we take, it is the movement process. Motivation is the desire to have action, ultimately leading towards a completion of an individual goal. It’s the crucial element in setting and attaining one’s objectives. We can have one without the other, but when we can pull upon our awareness and force both to work collaboratively we have further advancement.

Breaking down our processes into smaller parts allows us to see the all the moving elements that goes into our responses. This allows us to respond within awareness, and not react within pure emotion.

Being able to name what action is needed or desired is a key step. Naming our motivator (what our end goal is helps us achieve more meaningful action). The goal is getting two moving parts to function together.

“Spring —Is a lovely reminder of how truly beautiful change can be.” –Unknown.

As we are currently living within a pandemic lots of changes are occurring beyond our control. There is also lots of idle time to focus on those changes, and our inabilities to stop or impact them the way we may desire. Naming our power and control, recognizing our needs, and being able to communicate them are all major steps towards forwards positive movement.

As we are faced with some major changes. There is many things to consider:
1. What active role do I want to participate within this change as?
2. What do I want to remain the same? —This is possible/realistic?
3. What changes am I looking forward too? —What am I going to embrace?
4. What boundaries do I need to consider within this change?

Be generous with yourself!—You’re doing some incredible work within a very challenging time!

The word ‘normal’ has always had a negative connotation for a lot of people. As ‘normal’ is used as a comparison to identify those that fall into abnormal or not good enough subsections. For the purpose of this post I’m pushing aside those identifications of ‘normal’ and highlighting that ‘normal’ is individualistic, there is no wrong here. ‘Normal’ is your definition—it is what you would be doing as a regular part of your day-to-day. It is your routine. Within the past 5-6 weeks your sense of ‘normal’ and routine has be taken away from you.

Whether you are working from home, continuing to go into work, laid off, stay at home parent, a student, on parental leave, retired or continuing on a job search your life has been impacted. Within this global pandemic no one person has been left unaffected. This presents a shared experience. Regardless of your socio-economic, relationship, or overall status.

That is not to say that we are on an equal playing field (privilege is still apparent). But there is a shared experience for us all.

When we can share an experience with another human it connects us. As humans we are wired for connection (Brene Brown researched and spoke to this with such beauty). **It is finding the opportunities within this new ‘normal’ to foster that connection and reach out to our support systems, to someone new, old friend, neighbour, etc.

Living within the 21st century virtual connection will be our wiring for the next while.. Now it is time to find new ways to embrace it!

Anxiety mobilizes us into action (as long as, we are remaining within our window of tolerance). ‘Some’ anxiety is good. We require it to mobilize us when our alarms go off, when we are expected to be somewhere, and when a task is needed to be completed.

Within the current state of our world we need to remain mindful of what am I doing, actively doing on a regular basis to keep myself within my anxiety window of tolerance?—

1. Am I getting physical movement for 30 minutes daily?
2. Am I socially connecting with my support network (virtually included)?
3. Am I practicing my mindfulness/mediation?
4. Am I informing myself with factual information?
5. Am I doing my self-care practices?
6. Am I limiting my time on social media? Etc.

Asking yourself what those important questions are for yourself. On a regular basis (not just once a day), but when we notice the anxiety shifting within us.

Fear and Panic are responses when we are reacting based on lack of understanding, lack of information and when we are pushed beyond our window of tolerance. It is the act of reacting rather than responding. The concern with being within this realm is that fear and panic breed very quickly through our social networks, social media, etc.

We need to remain accountable for ourselves—

1. Have I fact-checked this information?
2. Am I sharing helpful/needed information or opinions?
3. Have I taken care of my own needs today?

Recognizing our internal state of mind and acknowledging our feelings, is a needed process in order to obtain productive and long-lasting growth.

Feelings of needing to be more. Feelings of not being enough. Fighting against these feeling is going to pull us further into the negative.
1. Recognizing these feelings, understanding that they are a feeling and that it does not define who we are is part of the process.
2. Naming where these feelings are coming from? (—often comes from pain, hurt, and trauma).
3. Allowing ourselves to identify what our thoughts are, will allow us to stop the process from repeating.

Taking action towards something positive. Allowing yourself to take a step forward—-what is something you can do today to remind yourself of joy? [ex: going for a walk, reaching out to a friend, reading a book, dancing, etc]. When we change our actions, and give ourselves some credit we can change what are default thoughts and feelings are. Which allows us to see what our support systems can see within us that, YOU ARE ENOUGH.

**As you are going through this growth process for yourself. Hear it from my voice until your internal voice can muster it—- YOU ARE ENOUGH.

For 2020 what are your hopes, desires, wants and needs. Rather than focusing on a task list of what you need to do in order to be worthy = ‘Resolutions.’ Build a story that you want for yourself with tangible intentions.

2020 hope for failure as it will assure that you have tried something new! Meaning you have made a change in one aspect of your life. Maybe you did not get it right with the first attempt, but you learned how to try it again from a new angle. Failure is often looked at as a negative setback. When in reality, it allows us to move forward, to see things from a new perspective and grow.

I could assist with reframing one thing with you for 2020, it would be how you view your failures and those around you.Failure is required to push ourselves. It is required in order to grow and expand.

“[Today] is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” —Brad Paisley

This time of year can bring excitement, joy, and connection. It can also bring reminders of disappointments, sadness, and loneliness. Being mindful that both aspects are a reality for individuals, including shifts from one end of the spectrum to the other.
How can you influence which end of the spectrum you fall on?
1. Noticing what is going on for yourself (taking an inventory).
2. Mindful that moments of celebration often can be a reminder of those that are not here to share that joy with us (honoring their presence within a new realm, while giving yourself permission for grief to make an appearance).
3. Giving yourself permission to attend gatherings on your terms (setting healthy boundaries and expectations with those your surround yourself with, and also yourself).
4. Acknowledging that others might be faced with challenges and your energy and involvement can either positively or negatively impact them (taking ownership of yourself).

When we are going through changes we are faced with unknowns which often create a sense of anxiety for us. Small amounts of anxiety are healthy it lets us know we are motivated and encouraged by the upcoming changes that are headed our way (it feels manageable).

The importance piece is to not allow our thoughts and anxiety to completely overtake our circumstances and derail us into becoming completely consumed by the anxiety.

Here is a helping way to start that process:
Catch your thoughts. Notice what story/narrative your thoughts are telling you.
Collect evidence. Does any of the facts and hard evidence support the negative thoughts? Notice that feelings are not facts.
Challenge your thoughts. Debate yourself, by using the facts to disprove your thoughts and pull yourself back into reality.

When we are within our grief journey there is a clear beginning; when we lose that person (that means the world to us), that position (we worked so hard to obtain), or that role (we held within someone’s life). There is no definitive end to our grief, it shifts with us.

Grief changes how we hold things. It impacts us at all levels. With grief we are often waiting for it to move on, to end; to allow us to get back to our life as we knew it. That is the important item to start to understand and process. There is no going back to the life we knew. There is movement forward towards the shift and learning to embrace the new. The new way we hold their memory, the new position/direction, and the new role to hold within someone else’s life.

There is an important difference between moving forward vs forgetting the past. Moving forward does not discredit the grief, nor does it require you to forget what was. We just need to find a way to honour it.

How will you honour your grief? —–for me I will hold their memory tight and share their stories, and their light within my daily interactions.

Fall is almost upon us! This is a transitional season that highlights the beauty of change. It provides an opportunity for reflection of what the past eight months have provided us. Giving us the ability to appreciate and notice our learning’s; and make adjustments for the coming four months to finish the year off how we desire too. With each transition we are provided a moment to pause, take a deep breathe, and reflect.

Noticing that as humans transitions and change points are not necessarily easy or welcomed at times. Addressing our mindset from the negative into the positive; allows us to shift into the change rather than resisting it at every turn.

Taking in the beauty of fall and notice the colours it brings. Say farewell to the warmth of summer. Taking what we will miss from the past pulling it into the acceptance of what is to come!