Hey, there! Steve here this week (lucky you!). I wanted to drop into your life with a message I felt was pretty apt given the time of year. As the kids have all gone back to school, the world is finally finding some sense of ‘normalcy’ (whatever that might be) and as we head into the holiday weekend, a few themes have been swirling around for me lately.
it’s okay not to be okay
In a world that is so hyper focused on perfection, it can be extremely challenging when you feel like you’re falling short of the outward portrayals of success we are all inundated with each and every day. Give yourself the permission to not feel like you’re ‘nailing it’ each and every day – and to be ok with that. Heck, even embrace it!
Everyone’s life has the potential to be hard. And we can’t compare one person’s version of “hard” to another – what is hard or challenging for one may be laughably easy for someone else, so comparison is both the thief of joy and the destroyer of dreams and, in my opinion, utter nonsense. But here’s the other side to that coin, I think life is meant to be hard (notice I said hard, and not utterly devastating – there is a difference).
I think we are faced with moments of adversity in life to not only challenge us to grow, but also to serve as a mirror to the rest of our life. If you don’t know lows, how do you know what high’s are? Nature has this way of teaching in opposites – how do you know light without the dark? Or winter without summer, or life without death? I feel if you can attempt this sort of perspective when it comes to those days when you’re feeling less than 100%, it can help you move through them with a little more ease, grace, and love for yourself.
giving thanks
Yes, it’s Thanksgiving this weekend – but let’s go beyond the turkey, stuffing, potatoes and pie. Being thankful is something we all have the instantaneous ability to do. Like right now, you could very easily stop and think of three things you’re thankful for. Do it! I dare you. It doesn’t have to be earth shattering, blockbuster style gratitude moments. It can be as simple as “I’m thankful for the air in my lungs” or “I’m thankful for this cup of coffee”.
You can literally be thankful for so many things at the drop of a hat, and you know what thinking about those things does? It makes you feel a little better. A little bit lighter with each thankful thought you have. Some people call this gratitude stacking – but I just call it being thankful.
Be thankful for the unconditional love of a pet, the cute giggly smile of your kid, or the hug of your favourite person. Each one of those things separate is pretty great, but when you think about them one after the other, and you build on those great feelings – wow! You can actually sense a shift deep within you. It may not move that mountain that’s standing in front of you, but it sure as heck might give you a little bit of extra steam to keep climbing.
This Thanksgiving, try and make some more of those feel good memories. Stock pile all that good $#!% to use it when you need it – it’s not like Tupperware – you can never have to much!
fill your plate
Moral of the story: no one likes to feel $#!%ty. Sometimes it really sucks. But, I promise it won’t last, especially if we can train ourselves to always pivot to gratitude in tricky times. Life will always have its challenges, but how we react and restore makes all the difference – and we’re here to help you find that balance and energy again. It’s our mission to make sure that even in your challenging days, you have a place to recharge and face the world with fresh, fabulous energy.
Remember: the cloudy days don’t hang around forever. When life feels overwhelming, find your slice of gratitude, lean on those moments of joy, go back for seconds and remember we’re always here at Vortex to be your rejuvenating pit stop.
