Loss and Belonging.

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The last month has been challenging.  I realized full force this month just how precious life is due to the sudden passing of a young friend.  Loss in any form is never easy but losing someone so suddenly really jolts you awake in a way.  It's like living in the same exact world but having a different set of eyes through which you see that world.  The things you worried so much about yesterday seem to have no relevance in this new world.  In fact, it's like you can't even remember what you were so worried about at all.  That's the gift.  That and seeing people come together like you've never imagined.  That, of course, is the most beautiful gift during such a tragic time.  I realized how much each of us just wants to help others.  Soothe their pain.  Ease their mind.  Make them laugh or smile.  Make each others burden just a little bit lighter.  This is the gift of community, and I believe it is what we are all craving whether we can identify it or not.

I recently attended a meeting for the company that I work for and even though I wasn't really looking forward to it, there was one thing that really stuck with me.  Something they called The 5 Human Truths.  I had never heard of this before but they really make sense, not only in the customer service world but also in relationships.

The 5 Human Truths:

{1} We need to be understood.

{2} We want to belong.

{3} We long to feel special.

{4} We crave more control over our lives.

{5} We dream of reaching our potential.

I believe it's the element of community that really makes us feel like we belong.  I certainly saw that in action over the last couple weeks.  It was mesmerizing the way we all lifted each other up and surrounded each other with support.  It's great to remember these "truths" as you interact with the people in your life.  I think you'll find it makes connecting with others easier when you remember that, essentially, we're all striving for the same things.

“We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.” 

-Dorothy Day

Merry Christmas With Love

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I hope you're all spending time surrounded by loved ones enjoying some nog and basking in the holiday spirit.  I've included one of my most favorite holiday songs from the great Judy Garland to usher you into Christmas...and trust me, no one does this song better than Judy.  See for yourself!

You Are Not An Island.

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You know those moments in your life where you just need a little extra support?  I'm going through one of those times.  It's interesting because I've always been the type that prides myself on not needing much from others.  

I've been taking the time to really let others know whats going on with me instead of always putting a positive spin on things as I usually do.  The biggest surprise has been the level of intimacy that has been created in these conversations as a result.  Also, the amount of support, honesty and love I've been given.  Sometimes, I think people don't take the risk of sharing whats going on with them because they think people aren't interested or that they're burdening them.  I know that was true for me.  But, I have discovered the opposite.  The people in your life DO care and they want to know.  Even if they can't fix what's going on for you, you're giving them the opportunity to be there for you.  To feel needed.  It helps you AND them.  You are not an island.  We're all in this together.  The other gift of opening up was that I got to see that I wasn't the only one going through a tough time, that others had gone through this at different times in their life too.  You are not alone.  So take a risk, open up,  and share what you're struggling with...chances are there is someone in your life who gets it and can lend you some perspective.  

{{ Ways to get support }}

-- Open up to the people already in your life, they generally know you best and can provide insights that you might be missing.

-- Check out blogs + sites related to what you're struggling with i.e. career transitions, relationships, money;  these blogs can help you in seeing that you're not alone and provide valuable resources that could change your whole outlook.

-- Offer support.  This sounds a little counterintuitive at first but this is a great way to get out of your head and help someone else which can give you that much needed space from what's not going right in your own life.

“We don't heal in isolation, but in community.” 

- S. Kelley Harrell

Be Happy Now.

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"It's easy to spend our lives working towards a goal, convinced that if we could only get there, we'd be happy then.  Today is the only moment we have.  If we wait until tomorrow to be happy, we'll miss out on the beauty of today. Have your plans.  Set goals.  Let yourself be happy now."

-Melody Beattie excerpted from "More Language of Letting Go"

Stay In The Light.

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"People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."
-Elizabeth Kubler-Ross 

"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light."
-Aristotle Onassis

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."
-Edith Wharton

"There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." -Leonard Cohen

Promise Me This.

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“Promise me you will not spend so much time treading water and trying to keep your head above the waves, that you forget, truly forget....how much you have always loved to swim.”

Tyler Knott Gregson

Via Values.com

Inspired By: Joseph Campbell

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After watching Super Soul Sunday this past week and hearing Mastin Kipp quote Joseph Campbell more than once, I was reminded of how inspired I've been in my own life by the late mythologist's words.  George Lucas is said to have written Star Wars after reading and being inspired by Campbell's book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" which also inspired the Disney movie, "The Lion King".  One of his most famous urgings was simply "Follow your bliss".  It was simply that act, he assured, that would open up everything else in your life.

Here's a small collection of my favorite Campbell quotes:

"Find a place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain."


"Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls."


"Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging."


"It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure."


"One way or another, we all have to find what best fosters the flowering of our humanity in this contemporary life, and dedicate ourselves to that."


Want to know more about The Hero's Journey + Joseph Campbell? 

{{Read}}  The Hero with a Thousand Faces

{{Watch}} The Power of Myth and check out the trailer below for the new documentary, Finding Joe