17th Covid-19 Inspired Care Correspondence - July 2020
/Greetings Shift Into Fifth Community,
This is my 17th Covid-19 Inspired Care Correspondence. And as we all continue to deal with two raging viruses, Covid-19 and systemic Racism, I am continuing to think about YOU!
Food for Inspiration/Resilience/Hope/Growth:
In his senior year of College, my oldest son asked me to send him one of his favorite books (he has always been a lover of books and treats his collection like a group of dear and valued friends). The book he requested? Frederick by Leo Lionni. He had rediscovered it, just like a long lost friend, and was experiencing it from a whole new vantage point, with its meaning resonating that much more deeply. That’s sort of the beauty of books, as with everything-change/evolve/tweak/adjust your aperture-perspective just a little bit and voila, just like magic, you have a whole new understanding and appreciation of seemingly the same old thing.
The book tells the story of Frederick the Field Mouse. We meet Frederick just as his other mouse friends are preparing for the long cold winter. These mice are laser focused on collecting supplies-nuts, grains, fruits-any kind of sustenance that will help them survive the long cold winter under the stone fence. As they frantically run around gathering their goods, they notice that Frederick is staring off into the sky, annoyingly not pulling his weight. When they angrily confront him, asking what in the world he is doing, he calmly replies that he is gathering colors, words and thoughts. Disgusted, the other field mice shrug, roll their eyes and return to the task of collecting and storing their food supplies. As the cold sweeps in and the mice are hunkered under the stone fence, they rapidly eat through all of their supplies. They settle into the reality that they have nothing more to get them through the rest of the long, cold winter. Suddenly, one of the field mice looks over to Frederick, and sarcastically asks, “what about your supplies Frederick?” And at that moment, Frederick stands tall and begins to recite those words, describe those colors and thoughts that he had collected to tell stories of warm sunshine, green grass covered fields and bright blue skies. As Frederick shares his "supplies", the mice feel the warmth. Smell the grass. They are literally transformed. Filled with gratitude, they cannot stop thanking Frederick for his gathered supplies. For it is those words/thoughts/colors that lift their spirits, shift their energy and feed them with hope.
And just like Frederick, I have spent this last bunch of months gathering my new supplies- collecting words, quotes, ideas and stories from books, lectures, webinars, conferences and workshops. They are my sustenance that help fuel my sense of hope, resilience and growth...especially during these surreal and unprecedented times. Now it’s my turn to share some of these with you - to help lift your spirits, shift your energy and give you inspiration and hope.
Quotes/Words:
1. "You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone—any person or any force—dampen, dim or diminish your light. Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant. Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates...." Congressman John Lewis
2. “Gratitude is a miracle…that shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see.” Robert Holden
3. "The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts." Marcus Aurelius
4. “In times of darkness, we need to generate more light.” Dr. Beverly Tatum
5. "The best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain." Henry Wadworth Longfellow
5. “Self realization without action is meaningless.” Byron Katie
6. “If you know how to handle the present moment, that's about everything you can do for the future.” Thich Nhat Hanh
7. “You don’t get what you hope for, you don’t get what you wish for, you get what you believe in.” Oprah Winfrey
9. “I have no special talent; I am just exceptionally curious.” Albert Einstein
10. “Pain is a part of life, suffering is optional.” Pema Chodron discussing Budha’s teachings
11. "When you talk, you're only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new." Dalai Lama
12. “Lead with a hard back and a soft front.” Roshi Joan Halifax
13. “If you really want to be a rebel, practice kindness.” Sharon Salzberg
14. “If you’re searching for that one person who will change your life, look in the mirror.” Mel Robbins
15. “We can always begin again.” Sharon Salzberg/Sylvia Boorstein
16. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt
17. “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” E.E. Cummings
18. “Pressure is a privilege.” Billie Jean King
19. “Nothing will work unless you do.” Maya Angelou
20. "Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself." Rumi
21. “You are responsible for the energy you bring into this space.” Jill Bolte Taylor
22. “Make each day your masterpiece.” George Mumford quoting Coach John Wooden
23. "I like to envision the whole world as a jigsaw puzzle...if you look at the whole picture, it is overwhelming and terrifying, but if you work on your little part of the jigsaw and know that people all over the world are working on their little bits, that's what will give you hope." Dr. Jane Goodall
24. "Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it." Mary Oliver
25. "The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new." Socrates
I encourage you to create your own set of supplies (quotes/books/stories/lectures etc.) that help inspire, teach and sustain you and those in your circles. And then update/edit it from time to time. Remember, change is the one constant. Pandemic. Racism. Whatever. Every second, we are changing. It's the one thing that's a sure bet. How we prepare, navigate, and handle change is at the core of how we move through life. And grow. Developing and sustaining the muscles that support positive, purposeful and productive choices, action, change and energy is the work that we continue to do together in the Shift Into Fifth community. So many of you have started and continue to do the hard work to cultivate and develop the inner tools to stay calm, centered and shift/utilize energy in productive and powerful ways. In other words, you are ready to meet the moment!!!
Self Care
And yes. Self care is ESSENTIAL. Please, stay extra vigilant about your own self-care - hydration, nutrition, sleep, exercise/movement, meditation/mindfulness/deep breathing, practicing self-compassion/kindness/gratitude, laughing/smiling, staying super curious (each day asking who are my teachers today/noting lessons learned-today's takeaways), limiting social media/tv/print exposure, actively choosing/ingesting those thoughts/stories/information that support your optimal self etc. Remember, this is a marathon...not a sprint!
Resources
Accessing Resources is key! Please remember all the weekly SIF Community Covid-19 Care Correspondences are on my blog (www.shiftintofifth.com) with an additional (growing) list of resources for all of you to use and to share with others. PLEASE SHARE! Thanks to many of you, our SIF Community is growing and so is the list of resources-Grateful!
This week's highlight resources feature a few podcasts that focus on developing tools to more effectively combat Covid-19 and Racism plus an uplifting article from the Washington Post focused on how one person collected tales of some of the "positive" things coming out of grappling with this pandemic:
1. Listen to The fight for civil rights and freedom | John Lewis and Bryan Stevenson from TED Talks Daily on Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ted-talks-daily/id160904630?i=1000485996068
2. Listen to Antidote to Fear | George Mumford Guided Meditation from Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris on Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-percent-happier-with-dan-harris/id1087147821?i=1000478589033'
3. Listen to Jud Brewer from Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard on Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/id1345682353?i=1000483736788
Please, share any part of these weekly Covid-19 Inspired Care Correspondence emails with your networks. A picture, a cartoon, a story, a podcast, whatever. All meant to support and strengthen one another.
And I want to remind you that I am here for YOU - to support you in any way that I can. If that means a quick call for you to rant/vent or simply to get a pep talk for you and/or members of your circles, I am here. Creating more anabolic energy for accelerated positive and purposeful change in the world is at the very core of my mission. Supporting YOU is key to that mission.
Please. Stay strong. Be Safe. Stay Healthy. Be kind.
With Gratitude and Purpose,
Valerie
PS. Humor. Yes. Even now. It's an essential tool for self care that shifts and maintains positive/anabolic energy. Thus, I'm sharing a few new pandemic inspired cartoons/memes.
PPS. And here are some additional moments of zen brought to you by my latest wanderings in and around Boston and the Northeast. Staying curious. Beauty and light abounds. Beyond Grateful! Enjoy!
--
