Encourage

One step at a time.

Posted on by Shari Swanson

firststep

Have you ever been overwhelmed before you even get out of bed in the morning? The problems of the day seem too big; you seem too small? At times like these, it is important to breathe deep, close your eyes and think of all the things and people you love, and then remember that you don’t have to solve all the problems now. You just have to do the next right thing. Step by step, piece by piece, showing up and moving forward.

Take the time to find a quiet place and remember whose you are and that each moment is a gift. To help, here is a lovely video that will start you with  a wonderful perspective with which to face the day.

Making sense of the dark.

Posted on by Shari Swanson

kingdomofnight

If anyone could speak to emerging from the kingdom of night, it would be Elie Wiesel. Taken with his parents and sisters to Auschwitz, Wiesel writes of horrors beyond comprehension endured in WWII concentration camps, including the shame he felt in overhearing his father being beaten but being unable to intervene. Orphaned there, he survived and went on to write of his experience and to advocate for the minority or mistreated. He spoke with the authority of the oppressed and illuminated the need for those who witness abuse to not stand silent, but to engage on behalf of that which is right and good:

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”

For those reading about something as horrific as the Nazi treatment of Jews, we have trouble understanding. What makes people hate? How can a nation stand by and tolerate the mistreatment and extermination of its own people?

But as we search the darkness for answer, light emerges. While, yes, there are plenty of villains; there, too, are heroes. People like Wiesel rise up and urge us toward our better natures and give us courage to stand down evil.

As we go through our lives today, we can look for ways to rise up, to speak out against injustice and indifference, to value love over hate, and to hold ourselves accountable to those parts of our souls that are light and good.

 

 

Take heart.

Posted on by Shari Swanson

encouragement

Where do you find encouragement?

Literally, ‘encouragement’ means to  ‘make strong, hearten’ or ‘put in courage or heart’. Sometimes encouragement is easy to spot–a kind word, praise, a thumbs up, an acknowledgment that your work matters. But sometimes we have to seek encouragement by taking a long view.  Are relationships we are working on getting stronger? Are we making progress toward a goal? Do we feel a sense of peace in knowing we did our best?

To help give you a sense of encouragement today, take a moment to listen to this audio clip of 600 kids singing to God:

Spirit of God

Spirit of God
Fill up my life,
fill up my soul
With your power

And fill me, fill me, fill me

With your great presence
fill me, fill me
With your power
fill me, fill me
With all your truth

Take heart, friend.

Letting go

Posted on by Shari Swanson

lettinggo

Is there anyone you need to forgive? A grievance you need to move past? A stubbornness where maybe you could soften?

Holding on to these things weighs us down, consumes our thoughts, damages our health, and inhibits our ability to move forward and progress.

Maybe it is time to lay your burdens down.

Show a stranger a little kindness

Posted on by Shari Swanson

strangerkindnessHave you ever been at a restaurant or grocery store with a crying or tantrumming child? It’s awful, that feeling of everyone staring at you and blaming you for somehow disrupting their lives. Not to mention, the criticism and judgment! Some people are only too eager to point out just what you are doing wrong and how you shouldn’t be out in public if you can’t control your children. But, sometimes, a stranger reaches out and helps– offers to amuse the baby, gives you a wink of encouragement, tells you they’ve been there, too, and that things will get better. That little act of kindness makes all the difference. We can’t control whether we will run into the kind sort of stranger when we are most overwhelmed. But, we can remember what it was like when someone was kind when we were overwrought and BE that kind stranger to someone struggling. When we remember what a difference that type of kindness made in our lives, we realize that simple things–holding a door for someone carrying packages, smiling when someone is overwhelmed with their kids, offering to help pick up fallen papers– matter tremendously.

Lighten up

Posted on by Shari Swanson

groucho

Heard a good joke lately? Watched a funny cat video perhaps? Maybe a picture of a spaniel in a Groucho mask?

Humor is always good for the heart and soul. It can even, maybe, cure what ails you. Dr Cynthia Thaik, a cardiologist, says:

An old Yiddish proverb says, “What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.” Everyone knows that laughter makes you feel good and puts you in high spirits, but did you also know that laughter actually causes physiological responses that protect the body from disease and help your vital organs repair themselves? A good laugh can be compared to a mild workout, as it exercises the muscles, gets the blood flowing, decreases blood pressure and stress hormones, improves sleep patterns and boosts the immune system. Furthermore, a study by the John Hopkins University Medical School showed that humor and laughter can also improve memory and mental performance. Yet despite the fact that laughter has so many benefits, far too many of us forget to even crack a smile every once in a while, let alone laugh.

She suggests some ways to lighten up with humor. Finding the humor in a bad situation can make it better. Mirth releases endorphins and is contagious, a twofer! Surrounding yourself with funny people or remembering funny incidents can lift your mood.

Take time to laugh today. If you need help finding your funny, consider this. Or you can always get a dog and put him in a Groucho mask.