May 26th - may you be happy

My post it on my computer to remind me - It's okay to find joy and happiness in my day and in my life. And truly I wish that for all of you! Onward. 

This is my favorite morning of the week, because I get to hoop with people and we all feel safe, happy and joyful that we get to have recess together. Fridays email me for details. :)

I read that title, "May you be happy" with a mediation or mindfulness article I was reading recently. And honestly I do not know what I was reading, but it prompted me to create the post note shown here that is on my computer. A reminder that being HAPPY is okay, even now! So I decided to commit to being happier when when I have no idea how great or bad today or tomorrow might be. That can be a tall order especially if you are feeling blue, angry or depressed. And you might not know you are feeling that way. Our post Covid world is causing people so many issues above and beyond the concern of having the Coronavirus. Personally I did not want this blog to be about Covid 19, but since I am struggling with many different aspects of the post Covid-19 world, I thought I would be real with you. You, if you are struggling right now, are not alone. I have a laundry list of concerns, starting with my kids that are on their own, are they gong to be okay, financially, mentally and physically. This "great pause" is challenging everything. Next I am worried about my family that I live with and our recruiting business. And finally my youngest and her summer ahead followed by her freshman year at college! Or will she be spending her freshman year at college online with us. She has already lost her senior year of high school and she has been a really awesome about it all. But this is something she does not want to talk about right now. The idea of being home in the fall is not something she is willing to face right now. Right now, she wants to go to college away from us! I want for her to be able to do that too. Only time will tell what that plan will be. And finally my hooping. Really planning for anything with hooping has all but taken a back seat to everything else. And hooping brings me so much joy. Being joyful in my hula hoop by myself, quite frankly does not pay the mortgage! Something had to change so I sent out this week to find happiness in a sea of worry and a little bucket of despair. I decided it was okay to be happy even now. More importantly I decided I need to be happy and change some habits! Here is how I am letting go of what I cannot change - And changing what I can! 

1. Eliminate worry - It changes nothing. It is something I need to work at. Doing some mindfulness activities and meditation work is helping.
2. Eliminate listening to CNN all day long. Hearing more about what is not going well in the world does not help me emotionally. I do check in briefly - and check right out. 
3. Turn on good music and depending on the project I am working on  I pick what HELPS me focus. 
4. TRX or Hooping daily - Have to do it. Need to do it. And deep down I WANT TO DO it. My friend Tony says, You gotta show up! I stopped showing up and starting eating comfort food. I know better and it is just not good. 
5. Gratitude Journaling - This is a class assignment and my family is doing it with me. I am grateful for them doing this with me. And it is making me look deeper at THE GOOD STUFF in life, even NOW. 
6. I am taking a free class on line to refocus my Happiness and Healthfulness Level and GET something done. I was to the point where I was feeling like WHY? Why do anything? I was being HUGELY unproductive and well, you can see where this is going. The class I am enrolled in is from Coursera.org. The class I am taking is: The Science of Well-Being. I am calling it the Happiness Class. It is from Yale University and taugh by Professor Laurie Santos. 
7. Before bedtime I am taking steps to ensure I sleep better. I am listening to the CALM app on my phone. And NOT listening to what is happening in the world. I am also working to turn off anything that would keep me up. I have a great little mindless app that is basically color by number - but slightly addictive and while it is mindless, it is not good to stay up late doing mindless things. I will hold out that this is good at times when the brain will just NOT STOP. It is still better then the NEWS. 
8. Amy's Hoop Circle - I am giving it some love each day! I am working to move that business forward even though I cannot be with the people at the various locations around Sarasota right now I am writing a virtual class to replace my in-person class with my library system. Challenge accepted! Additionally I am back to making some hoops and thinking about building the business again. Creativity is one of my strongest talents. Hummm where can I go with this!?

So that's it for my HOOG post this week and I plan to check in next week as well. 
Be well, be distancing, be safe. 
Onward, 
Amy
​5/26/2020