Appreciations 2020

DianaK

It’s okay to be sad

Yesterday we decorated the house for the holidays.

This morning was rough.

I miss my sister (who died 2 years ago) and my darling kitty, Luna (who died 5 months ago). And I was feeling so sad that this year we will not have house full of friends & family on Christmas day.

You know, the same kinds of things millions of people are feeling sad about right now.

I felt my feelings, shed some tears, and railed at the universe for a bit.

Then, wanting to move into a different space, I read my newsletter for some ideas…and discarded most of my own suggestions. 😆

After a bit, though, I did phone a friend who needed some support, and walked around outside while we talked. And then I listened to another friend who needed support.

And I felt so much lighter. ❤️

Social connection matters. Being supportive and kind is as beneficial as receiving kindness — probably more so for me today.

And it’s okay to be sad. I am still sad.

And… I am also feeling loved and connected and am ready for whatever adventures my afternoon with Ida will bring. 😊

DianaK

First day of homeschool!

After struggling through 3 weeks of online 1st grade, today marks our first day as homeschoolers! With a kiddo already doing above grade-level math & reading, online school was killing her love of learning and making every day a stress-filled arena of despair.

We are so fortunate that this is an option for us.

And I continue to send my love and support to all the parents, teachers, and students who don’t have options right now. 💜 This is so hard.

Our first homeschool activity was painting postcards for our election postcard writing campaign. Woohoo! 😄

Here are some ways you can join in:
https://votefwd.org/
https://postcardstovoters.org/addresses/
https://demvolctr.org/write-letters-and-postcards/

DianaK

Here’s what’s good for me today. What’s good for you?

I like weather in the 60s. Even cloudy days. It seems like the zinnia colors pop even more on days like this.

I like our front garden. Yesterday I let a bumble bee land on my knee. I’m a little bit scared of bees (PTSD from stepping on wasps nest as a child!), so this was a big deal. Sitting in our pollinator garden is helping me develop a better relationship with these amazing little critters.

Also monarchs. So many monarchs. I love this.

The amazing and beautiful Sarah made a beautiful and amazing mask storage bag for us, organized by height! Now our masks (3 sizes, all made by Sarah) are easily accessible when we leave the house.💜 I mean, it also doubles as a nesting place for stuffies, so that’s magical in its own right. 😊

I love that we’ve been able to keep the bunnies and squirrels fed all summer (peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, and beans). It’s fun having a nature preserve in the front yard.

And yet… I am equally glad that they’ve so far overlooked a couple squashes and one pumpkin. I hope they keep ignoring them!

I also really love learning more about our brains and nervous systems and the things we can do to change our lives even when there’s a lot about our lives that we can’t change…And then organizing and editing that information into fun, interactive classes! 😊

(HINT: My next series, Rewire Your Brain – Grow Your Happiness Practices for Greater Resilience, starts October 15th!)

DianaK

A little Friday Fun!

In case you want a little break from 2020’s, well, 2020-ness. 😊

Oh, and in case you want more tools to help you work with what life is throwing at us right now, October’s 5-week series, Rewire Your Brain – Grow Your Happiness Practices for Greater Resilience, is filled with tools you can use to increase your well-being and resilience. Classes start October 17th!

https://www.boredpanda.com/comedy-wildlife-photography-contest-2020-finalist/
https://www.boredpanda.com/comedy-wildlife-photography-contest-2020-finalist/

DianaK

More early September fun

I appreciate mornings with Ida, who is an excellent stylist, makeup artist, and photographer. She fills my heart with joy (and my face with paint).

I appreciate our family puzzle project – both the doing (putting it together all black and white lines!), the improving (adding color), and even more, the putting it away so we can have our table back! 😉

DianaK

The ever-changing menagerie of our windowsill

One of the really fun things about recording appreciations over for a long time is going back to revisit them. Today I came across an appreciation for our windowsill menagerie from 2017. It still makes me smile today!

Windowsill menagerie August, 2017
Windowsill menagerie August, 2020

The players have changed, but the game still remains!

If you want help getting into your own appreciation practice (oh, and want to meet some cool new people and have some fun!), join us for our Rewire Your Brain — Appreciation Practices for Challenging Times class on Tuesday, August 25th. It’s the last time I’ll be offering this class for awhile, so be sure to register if you’ve been meaning to check it out!

REGISTER HERE

DianaK

Beautiful things

What is beautiful in your day so far?

For me it is listening to the red squirrels chittering outside, watching monarchs dance around our baby oak tree, spotting an Eastern Tiger Swallowtails in our garden, and watching Sarah & Ida dance their way into the room. 💚

Plus coffee. 😆

Learn how you can get the most wonder from your days (even when they are less than wonderful). Join us tomorrow for Rewire Your Brain: Appreciation Practices for Challenging Time!

https://bit.ly/AppreciationPracticesAUG19

DianaK

Space in Thursday’s fun class AND Screens for Happiness

SPOTS STILL OPEN FOR TOMORROW’S CLASS
There are still spots open for tomorrow’s Rewire Your Brain class! Saturday’s class was excellent. Lots of laughs and lots of learning. I even got a new gratitude buddy out of it! Details about the class are below. Or you can take the leap (there’s no actual risk. 😉 Suggested donation is $25, but everyone is welcome!) and register HERE.

SCREENS FOR HAPPINESS
In other news, I was re-listening to one of my favorite podcasts, The Happiness Lab this week and came across an episode I’d missed. Score! This episode, Good Screens and Bad Screens, offered an interesting idea (beyond “limit your screen time”) for improving our relationship with screens — which given our need for screens right now seems like a great plan.

Here’s the idea: think of categorizing your screen time as different food groups in a screen time “diet.” There’s “healthy food” screen time — like connecting with loved ones through video chat or watching a show that lifts our spirits. And there’s “junk food” screen time that drains us. (For me, it’s scrolling through countless news articles or repeatedly checking my email).

I so appreciate this novel way of looking at my screen life! Now when I spend time on a screen, I take a minute to think about whether it is nourishing or depleting me. It’s already made a big difference in my sense of well-being. Thanks, cool podcast!

I know the screen time I spend doing tomorrow’s class will fill me up with all sorts of good feelings. It is definitely on MY “healthy foods” screen time list. I hope you’ll join us and get the same kinds of rewards!

However you spend your screen time this week, I hope it nourishes and energizes you!

REWIRE YOUR BRAIN
Appreciation Practices for Challenging Times

Date: Thursday, July 23
Time: 7:00-8:00 pm CDT
Location: Online everywhere
Suggested donation: $25 – OR pay what you like after the class! ️❤️

REGISTER NOW
DianaK

All of this. Appreciations amidst trauma.

So… all of this. 

What is happening is so big, so ever-present, and so important. There is so much for us to process, to hold space for. So much work to do. So much listening, healing, helping to do. So very much.

But amidst the turmoil, fear, rage, grief, despair and…and…and… I am so grateful to see expressions of love, hope, community, fearlessness, kindness, generosity and so much more from so many people.

And I appreciate that our allium and chives and peas are growing. Our weigela and clematis are blooming.

I appreciate that for the FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I have gotten an African Violet to bloom! (Seriously. I have failed so many times.)

On our walk today, Sarah and I saw military helicopters overhead and checked cars for license plates. I felt jumpy and sad and so aware of the privilege I carry around me like a protective bubble of white skin.

My heart goes out to the people so deeply hurt by the murder and violence from the past week. And from all the weeks-years-centuries.

But I was also really happy to walk with my best friend. I was filled with awe when we saw the most beautiful & humongous bumble bee.

And even though I was hot and a little sweaty when we got home, I relished the comfort of Ida crawling into my lap and giving me a smooch.

So, yes. All of this.