LIFE | LOVE | LOSS
“You rest now. Rest for longer than you are used to resting. Make a stillness around you, a field of peace. Your best work, the best time of your life will grow out of this peace.”
– Peter Heller
Last month I shared a beautiful dialog about phrases in English and then in poetry. I neglected to site the author who is Larson Langston. My apologies for not listing the author.
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“The stronger a man is, the more gentle he can afford to be.”
-Elbert Hubbard
Happy New Year!
How are you doing so far this year? I am a bit late in sending this out as I had a wonderful arrival of my first grandbaby at the end of the year. I had the profound opportunity to attend the labor and birth then spend a week with him until his dad could come home from work. What an exhausting joy it was!
So, is your gym full of people you are judging as you know they are not regulars? How many new Tupperware’s or organizational things have you purchased? Be honest!
Did you REALLY clean out and get rid of some of the holiday décor you haven’t used in years? Or did it all get packed up and put back away? This time of year, is good and weird. I love packing up Christmas and having the house seem extra clean and bare. It’s a good energy flow feeling that I enjoy!
It is still super dark, cold and lends to time for quiet reflection. I am not a New Year Goal setter. This year I did the 13 nights of wishes from the Winter Solstice to the end of the year. I heard about it online and thought it sounded fun. The exercise was to write 13 intentions/wishes down for 2026. Then each night burn one releasing it with a prayer and a blessing. You do this at random as they are folded so you don’t know which ones are being picked. Then on New Year’s Eve you have one left. This one is what you are meant to focus on, meditate on and, pray about for 2026. Then all year you add action to the intention that you wrote for it to come to fruition in the year to come.
I also read about something called a Yule bowl. I love things from the earth, so I made one of those and had it next to my wishes. It was simply salt, (I have lots as Epsom salt baths happen frequently for me!) dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and rosemary. I have a simmer pot going on daily, so I had all these other items, and the rosemary was from my own garden. You place a candle in the middle of the bowl, and I would light it each night and let its light shine while I did my intention/wish exercise. It had a great vibe and gave a peaceful feeling to the room.
What winter rituals or things are you doing to quiet your mind, heart, and home?
More is a theme I mention each month on the twelfth for J-day in honor of my son Joey who died by Suicide. His birthday is October 12th so each month on this day we encourage kindness, open honest conversations (Be Real), and more! This can be applied anywhere it feels right.
Do you need more rest? More fun, more exercise, more clean eating, more water consumption, more love, more acceptance, more compassion, more forgiveness (of yourself or others. Where in your life do you want or need more of something?
I invite you to sit with this question. Let your mind and heart get quiet.
Let the whisper of the answer come to you in this stillness. Then act from there.
Mental Health Moment:
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”
– Mahatma Ganghi
The holidays can be hectic and move fast. Let January slow down. Take your time this month. Do each activity with intention. Eat meals without your cell phone in reach. Bless your food no matter your religious beliefs, bless the hands who touched it, grew it, helped get it to you.
Practice deeper breathing. Can you drop your shoulders right now? How about loosening your jaw? Take another deep breath! Do this a few more times a day and notice when you hold on to tension you also hold your breath.
Go slower on purpose. Under commit this month and take care of you!
All my best,
Genna
RESOURCES
988 – National Mental Health Hotline – Talk or Text 24/7
National Alliance on Mental Illness – NAMI www.mani.org/Home
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988
Crisis Hotlines: Common Hotline Phone Numbers | Eluna Network
Mental Health App’s
Talkspace – Best Overall Therapy App
Calm – Best Mindfulness App
My3 – Three People / Three Distractions / Safety Plan App
Chopra App – Great mindfulness and free meditations
Pride Counseling – Best Queer Mental Health App
Youper – Best Self-Guided Therapy App
Headspace – Best Anxiety App
The Next Adventure 