Sunshine and Rain. How Do Joy and Pain Exist Together?
I hope this finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy.
How has the past week been for you? Acknowledge the good, the bad, and the ugly of our lives right now in the midst of global pandemic. No need to sugar-coat it. I think we are all way past that at this point.
But I wanted to take a minute to share more of what’s been in my heart with you…
The empath in me is running overtime with the collective experience we are in together at the moment. Losing our daily life, routines, rituals, job, social interactions, and entire way of being has really brought a lot of us to our knees, hasn’t it? It’s hard to live in the day-to-day without being consumed with fear and anxiety.
Over the past week, I’ve come out of my initial panic as I’ve been seeing a lot of my people processing what’s going on and the ENFP in me wants to understand and provide a softer and more open heart for others’ experiences.
I’ve been seeing a lot of behaviors and a-ha moments that resembled my time wading through the deep waters of grief when I lost my late husband and business partner 4 years ago. After some healing and acceptance of the things I could not change, I was able to find the gifts in the experience of my grief that transformed me into the person I am today. The last few weeks has tapped into that resilience and I’m thankful for that.
Grief is grief. We all have our own ways of getting through it with our own coping mechanisms and processes. It can look very different for each but many people experience a wide range of emotions including anger, confusion, frustration, immense sadness, guilt, and fear of a daunting future full of the unknown. All are real and legitimate feelings. Today, I’m popping into your inbox to let you know that it’s okay to feel ALL the feels.
Having said that, I’d also like to share that I’ve found places to witness light shining through the darkness. And it’s also okay to find joy in a simple moment or create a meaningful moment in the midst of chaos, uncertainty, fear, and even grief. You see, joy and pain can actually peacefully co-exist. If we keep our eyes and heart open to that possibility, we may find purpose and connection in these experiences. These can collectively add up to bringing us closer to our most ideal selves on the other side of all of this.
Have you had a chance to check out the worksheet I sent out to my email list last week? If not, you can download the worksheet below and you can read the blog here…
I hope this helps you discover little glimmers of light and hope in your own life as you step back and take inventory of these tiny moments that can anchor us in finding meaning and joy in our days that seem to blur into one another right now.
Now this is where things get a little more interesting!!!
I feel like doing a GIVEAWAY because why the hell not? I think we can all use a something to look forward to right now.
Email your completed worksheet to [email protected] by April 10 for a chance to win a $250 studio gift certificate!
You can even earn a BONUS entry by sharing a photo of an ordinary life moment YOU documented on your phone in your current everyday home life. Tell me why it’s meaningful to you. I’ll be sharing some pointers on my FB and IG live in the coming days, so keep your eyes open for those phone camera tips & tricks. {see my IG feed below}
I’ll be reviewing all entries and choosing a winner AND featuring some favorites on the blog too. I love the idea of us collectively bringing more light to the world right now. Hope you do too.
I hope you are well and I can’t wait to hear your insights. I love learning from you!
We are in this together.
XOXO,
Betsy
PS: I am currently booking San Diego sessions for limited dates in August 2020. Contact me today to secure your date.I’m offering a no-hassle rescheduling if CDC guidelines have not been lifted by then. We would reschedule for a later date and the studio will waive my usual $250 rescheduling fee.
