Unbelievable days. Different rhythm. Deeper thinking.

Garbage in, garbage out
Clouds come, clouds go
We are born, we die

What Ecclesiastes noted centuries ago is front-and-center reality now:

                             For everything there is a season, 
                            and a time for every purpose under heaven.

A time to heal – and to thank the front-line people who heal us by keeping us safe and healthy. My backyard flowers are a tiny thanks for our sanitation workers.
 
A time to mourn – those we have lost, are losing, will continue to lose…
the actions that we as individuals and as a nation have failed and are failing to take.
 
A time to cast away stones
What in my life is weighing me down – an outworn attitude, an old grudge, all those shoes and clothes I never use, doubts about my own worth – anything that’s useless baggage in this time of dire reality?

A time to gather stones together
Now, when I actually have time and space for deep reflection, what do I really want to keep in my life – things/people/ideas that are already there and that I value? … What might I carefully choose to add to my life in a fresh way?

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak
I usually don’t put “politics” into my blogs but these times call for more out-loud speaking. I looked up the root meaning of politics and it’s from the Greek work politico which means simply citizen. And we are certainly all citizens of the world. You may read more of my thoughts here in my earlier blogs in ThriveGobal.

A time you may embrace – so many things to embrace! – even if we can’t touch them –

  • The incredible gift of our own lives
  • Our ability to see clearly, to savor, to choose
  • The deeper closeness we feel with others and with ourselves in these days of “isolation”
  • The flowers and trees that share their vibrancy, changing hour by hour this Spring

A time for peace
Pete Seeger may be more optimistic than I when he sings, “I swear it’s not too late.”
My prayer? I hope it’s not too late.

 
May each of you stay safe and healthy. Use this time to dive into those big questions:
               Who am I?
               What am I here for?

Big love from me here in New Haven. You may want to spend a few minutes with this Oasis Sanity Tip:

Make some time today to dive into:

       What is one thing I want to: 

  1. Mourn… in a useful way – What might I do to rectify it?
  2. TossWhat might I choose to put in its place?
  3. EmbraceHow can I tangibly express my love for it?   

Written by Millie Grenough —- Feel free to comment / share

Author(s)

  • Millie Grenough

    Author of Oasis in the Overwhelm, Life Coach, Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry

    Yale University School of Medicine

    Millie Grenough is known for her ability to inspire people to do what they thought was impossible. Millie walks her talk: ex-shy Kentuckian turned Yale Instructor and life coach, ex-nun turned nightclub singer, she has taught non-swimmers to swim, non-singers to sing, burnt-out CEOS to re-boot, frazzled parents to chill, warring parties to work together. She is also a Certified Rubenfeld Synergist and Clinical Social Worker. Her book, Oasis in the Overwhelm - 60-second Strategies for Balance in a Busy World, has helped thousands of people live healthier, happier, more meaningful lives. D. Murali of The Hindu Business Line calls Millie's Oasis Strategies "A whiff of fresh air...a clear stream of reason in the dreary desert sand of dead habit."