Empowerment

Your Grade at the End of the Day

Lynette M Burrows

We’ve all had those days when no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to get anything done. If you had to grade your success that day, what would you think? What would be your grade at the end of the day? Never Enough  Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right. -Henry Ford Some days, particularly during the pandemic, you simply don’t have enough hours in the day to get everything done. You’re exhausted and frustrated and defeated. It’s too much. If you had to grade your performance, your grade at the end of the day would be a failing one. Sound familiar? Step back a moment. Let’s rethink that. Perfect or Victim Perhaps you’ve fallen victim to the perfect trap. Having high standards, lofty goals, and always wanting to do your best are splendid things. They can help you become and do the best you can. But perfectionism is a two-edge sword: a desire to do well and fear of the consequences of not doing well. According to Psychology Today, critical perfectionism manifests itself as inwardly focused perfectionists and outwardly focused perfectionists. Inwardly focused perfectionist beat themselves up for every mistake or failure. Outwardly focused perfectionists bully […]

How to Create a Safe Place in Your Mind

Lynette M Burrows

For most people, home is your safe place during this pandemic. But after three or four weeks of isolation, home may become more than a little claustrophobic. If the hubby, the kids, the roommate, or the same four walls are getting you down, create a safe place in your mind. How? Read on. A Little Privacy Find a place where you can be comfortable and alone for ten to fifteen minutes. You may wish to set a timer. Got little ones? No problem. Take two minutes. It will take more practice to get that to that safe place when you use a shorter time period, but you can do it. Places or Activities  Make a list, mental or written, of the simple activities that replenishes you. Any activity that makes you happy or tranquil. Examples are: laughing, singing, sleeping, drawing, reading poems or quotes, or even walking or running. Also, make a list of places that make you happy. It could be a favorite vacation spot, a place you dream of visiting, or it could be when you’re in the swimming pool, or perhaps curled up in front of a fireplace. If it’s an activity, which muscles do you use? […]

Random Acts of Love from the Animal Kingdom

Lynette M Burrows

This month I’ve blogged about random acts of love and kindness. Too often it feels as if the world has become colder, harder, less kind. As February draws to a close, let’s look at how the animal kingdom performs random acts of love and kindness. Empathy All month I’ve been asking you to perform random acts of love and kindness but perhaps you’re perplexed by this. Why should you love your fellow man?  Empathy is … … the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner. Merriam-Webster Dictionary Empathy helps you make a partnership with your spouse. It tugs at your heartstrings when your child skins their knee. When your neighbor’s wife dies, empathy inspires you to take the widower a casserole. Empathy is part of 98% of all human beings. Yet, acting on empathy for a stranger takes… I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it. Maya Angelou … courage. Acting on empathy for someone not-like-ourselves takes courage. We can learn that courage […]