“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be.” – Marcel Pagnol
Check out more inspiring thoughts every day on our homepage, where we will be adding a new quote each day juxtaposed over a beautiful photo. We are collecting and archiving them on our Quote of the Day page. So why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Title: Mindfulness as a Way of Life (Why and How to Do it)
The Lesson: How mindful are we? Often we are distracted by diatribes that simply pop up in our mind—whether it’s an argument from yesterday, or the humiliation from 30 years ago. We aren’t thinking these thoughts; they simply arise without any direction. The key is what we do with our conscious mind when these thoughts come up. This could be “the most important piece of knowledge that you could possibly learn.” Let go and learn how to stop carrying around the self-destructive stuff inside you
Notable Excerpt: “If somebody is teaching you how to drive, they might use that word: ‘be mindful at all times of what is going on around you’. That is mindfulness too. It is exactly what we mean by being present in the moment and bringing consciousness to bear.”
The Speaker: Michael Singer is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who had a deep inner awakening in 1971 while working on his doctorate in economics. He became CEO of a billion dollar public software company, but also founded Temple of the Universe, a long-established yoga and meditation center; and he has made major contributions in the areas of business, education, healthcare, and environmental protection.
Books: Singer is the author of “The Untethered Soul”: a collection of simple, profoundly intuitive practices that instantly became Oprah Winfrey’s favorite book to gift to her friends. He is also the author of “The Surrender Experiment”, a guide to liberation from the ever-ending chatter in the mind.
Podcast: Listen to the Super-Soul Sunday interview with Oprah Winfrey here. You can also check out his 8-part spirituality course called Living From a Place of Surrender: The Untethered Soul in Action.
(LISTEN to the inspiring talk below) – Photo credit: Fotor.com, CC
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Michael Myers has spent years panhandling for money to pay for his breakfast, lunch, and dinner – but now, thanks to a compassionate police officer, he may finally be on his way to getting off the streets and getting a job of his own.
In the past, Deputy Jacob Swalwell of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department had told the homeless man dozens of times that panhandling was illegal. Then, upon seeing him panhandling again in early November, Swalwell pulled his cruiser over and was fully prepared to write Myers a citation.
As Swalwell and Myers began to talk, however, the homeless 67-year-old explained why he was panhandling in the first place.
WATCH: Heroic Homeless Man Comes to Defense of Female Cop, ‘Something had to be done’
“When Swalwell asked Michael for his identification, he said he did not have one. This is often an excuse we hear from people who have warrants or are lying about their name,” said the police department on Facebook.
“[But] when people are truthful and sincere, we often take notice. That’s what Swalwell felt when he began to talk to Michael.”
In order to get approved for a Californian identification, Myers had to bring two government-issued forms of identification or residency to the DMV. But since his lack of ID was the reason why he was applying at the DMV in the first place, Myers had always been unable to get the documentation that he needed for a job or bank account.
WATCH: Officer Surprises Boy Who Calls Police Over His Fear That the Grinch Will Steal Christmas
“Michael had completely given up on the system and given up on applying for an ID,” said the police department. “Deputy Swalwell told Michael he would help him get an ID card and Michael agreed. Little did they both realize that a simple idea would become a frustrating nightmare.”
Thankfully, after weeks of maneuvering bureaucratic red tape, Swalwell was able to use a copy of Myers’s birth certificate, a letter from the police department, and written recommendation from a local church to get him an ID.
LOOK: With Kids in Meltdown Mode, Mom’s Day is Saved When Officer Appears
Myers, who had never even seen his birth certificate, was also astounded to discover that his birth name was Gordon.
Next, Swalwell plans on helping Myers get senior citizen benefits and a part-time job.
“He wants to work and get off the street. All he needed was a hand up and not a hand out,” said the department. “Imagine how many others like Michael just need a tiny bit of help, someone to care, and take notice.”
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share The Inspiring Story With Your Friends (Photo by Alameda County Sheriff’s Department)
Heather Polan Berken doesn’t just help to heal patients in the emergency room – she also has an extraordinary knack for helping them find their soul mates, too.
Berken, who works as a nurse at the Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been hailed as an astonishingly talented matchmaker.
RELATED: Woman Deceived On the Internet by Older Man Finds Love With Model Whose Photos Lured Her In
Her love of pairing up single acquaintances has resulted in six marriages, five long-term couples, and six kids.
Berken credits these relationships to simple hunches that she gets whenever she meets someone who is single.
“It’s kind of a sickness I have,” Berken tells WITI. “When I meet people and find out they’re single, the mind starts running and I’m thinking, ‘who do I know for them?’”
(WATCH the WITI interview below)
Share The Love: Click To Share With Your Friends – Photo by WITI
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has just announced that the city’s prison population has just fallen to the lowest it has been since 1982.
For the first time in 35 years, the amount of Big Apple inmates has fallen to below 9,000, which puts the city on track for a December average of 8,980 people.
This is largely credited to a continuously declining rate of crime and homicides within the city. Additionally, the city waived over 640,000 warrants for New Yorkers who had forgotten to pay fines for low-level offenses, such as spitting and walking a dog without a leash.
RELATED: NYC Just Freed 640,000 People From Fear That They May Be Arrested For Minor Offenses
“Someone who owes a $25 fine should not be arrested and brought down to central booking and spend 20 or 24 hours in a cell next to a hardened criminal. That’s not fair, and that’s not justice,” said acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, according to the Associated Press.
The AP also says that Mayor de Blasio hopes that the falling rate of incarceration will lead to the closure of Riker’s Prison, a facility that has racked up a large rap sheet of abuse and corruption allegations over the years.
Feel Free To Spread The News: Click To Share With Your Friends (Photo by Stella Adler Studio of Acting)
Some seniors may get frustrated trying to learn about the complexities of technology – but this Italian grandmother has a pretty hilarious method of dealing with her new robotic acquaintance.
Ben Actis posted a video earlier this week of his 85-year-old grandma trying to get the hang of her new Google Home Mini device.
WATCH: Spunky Grandma Uses Virtual Goggles to Ride Roller Coaster (Hilarious Profanity)
Despite the senior’s thick accent, the Google Home can still understand a fair amount of what she says – even when she insists on tapping the top of the contraption and calling it “googoo”.
When Google tells her the weather forecast, her astonished expression says it all.
The grandma takes a step back from the table before saying: “Oh my god, it’s a mystery.”
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share With Your Own Friends On Googoo
Quote of the Day: “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln
Learn About the Photo: Watch Child Piano Prodigy Prove That Autism Is Not a Roadblock (Image by Jacob Velazquez, YouTube)
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift.
When Betzabe Gomez was writing a letter to Santa Claus at her neighbor’s house a couple of weeks ago, she wasn’t asking for toys or treats – she was begging Saint Nick to fix her family’s house.
Betzabe wrote: “Dear Santa, I need help in my house because when it’s raining, the rain comes in. When I look at it I am sad. This is why I want help and what if it floods in there?”
The youngster’s neighbor, Araceli Ramos, read Betzabe’s letter and was instantly heartbroken.
Betzabe and her family’s home was damaged by Hurricane Harvey. After her father endured five strokes and dialysis, her mother had to quit her job in order to take care of him. With five kids in the family, they have very little money to fix something like a leaky roof.
“It broke my heart,” Ramos said. “I thought, ‘Dear God, help me to help them.’”
She began reaching out to friends, nonprofits, and businesses; and it seemed that everyone wanted to help. Even government officials got involved.
Upon hearing about the little girl’s situation, state representative Armando Walle, who was the oldest of five children raised by a single mother, got a ladder and fixed Betzabe’s roof as best he could. He also donated two space heaters to the family.
“That little [girl] tells you a little about humanity, and how we should live,” Armando said. “She wanted her roof fixed and her dad to get better.”
CLICK the link below to see footage of the Christmas party that the community hosted for Betzabe – and don’t forget to SHARE this sweet story with your friends…
Title: How To Say No
The Lesson: Have you ever had trouble handling rejection? Or have you ever had a hard time turning down other people? Well, this talk covers everything you need to know about the magic word: “no”.
Notable Excerpt: “When I wrote Tribe of Mentors, I reached out to many different experts, leaders, athletes, and entrepreneurs who are the best in the world at what they do. More than 130 people said yes — but many others said no … as it turns out, some of those rejection letters were so expertly crafted, I turned right around and asked the people who rejected me if I could include their letters in the book itself.”
The Host: Over the course of his career, Ferriss has become a one-time national Chinese kickboxing champion, a lecturer at Princeton University, a professional breakdancer on MTV, a horseback archer, and a multimillionaire author, motivational speaker, and investor. If that isn’t impressive enough, his critically-acclaimed podcast, the Tim Ferriss Show, was also voted #1 in its category on iTunes.
Podcast: The Tim Ferriss Show is available for free on Overcast, Stitcher, and iTunes.
(LISTEN to the inspiring talk below – It starts at 5:45 in…) – Photo by smpl.co.uk, CC
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Thanks to a $165 million donation from two tech billionaires, over 24,000 acres of pristine California coastline will be permanently protected in the years to come.
The multi-million dollar contribution from Jack and Laura Dangermond, which was given to The Nature Conservancy (TNC), is the single largest philanthropic donation in the organization’s history.
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The conservation group released a statement last week saying that the donation enabled them to buy out the Cojo/Jalama Ranch at Point Conception in Santa Barbara County.
The 8 miles of breathtaking California coastline is the home of 39 different threatened and endangered wildlife species. Described as a sanctuary of “biological richness” and “a confluence of ecological, historical, and cultural values across Native American, Spanish and American histories,” the land can even be seen from space, according to the TNC.
LOOK: Clint Eastwood Donates Oceanfront Land to Preserve Open Space for Public
Mile Sweeney, Executive Director of the TNC California Chapter, said: “There’s no place like it. It’s where Northern California and Southern California meet. Standing there in the oaks, looking west across the ocean, you understand why this has been a spiritual place for millennia. This place is special for many reasons. We aim to build on that with a robust applied research agenda that delivers insights for conservationists around the world.”
This is not the first time that the Dangermonds have made conservational contributions – in 1969, they founded the Environmental Systems Research Institute, a privately held geographic information systems software company that the started with $1,100 in savings. According to Forbes, the couple now has a net worth of $4.1 billion.
RELATED: Oil Company Surrenders 15 Land Leases on Sacred Native American Land
Jack Dangermond said: “We want to inspire more people to give major contributions toward conservation, that’s the only reason we’ve chosen to share our involvement. We want to set an example. Conservation isn’t just being nice to animals or plants, it’s investing in the continued life support systems of humans and all other species on the planet. We need more people to step up to protect our last great places.”
Click To Share The Good News With Your Friends (Photo by The Nature Conservancy)
Sergeant Aaron Thompson is being hailed as a hero after he punched through a frozen pond on Monday evening in order to save a young boy who had fallen through the ice 30 minutes beforehand.
The 8-year-old from New Harmony, Utah had been chasing his dog when a neighbor saw him fall into the water.
WATCH: Man Pulls Over to Rescue Rabbit Trapped by California Wildfires
With water up to his neck, the sheriff’s deputy moved his arms through the water until he found the youngster drifting nearby.
The boy is currently being treated at a local hospital, and Thompson says that – because of the water’s temperature, the boy’s age, and the amount of time he was in the water – he feels optimistic about the 8-year-old’s survival.
UPDATE: Authorities say that the boy, who has only been identified as Jason, awoke on Wednesday morning and has been coherently answering questions from medical staff.
(WATCH the deputy’s interview below)
Save Your Friends From Negativity: Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photos by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office)
These two best friends have been buddies since the sixth grade – but in a strange turn of events, they recently discovered that they’re not only best friends… they’re also brothers.
Over the course of the last six decades, Walter Macfarlane and Alan Robinson of Oahu, Hawaii have played cribbage together, played football together, and grown up together. They also had similar family histories; Macfarlane never knew his father, and Robinson was adopted.
As a means of trying to track down his biological father, however, Macfarlane started investigating his ancestry on the internet. After undergoing a DNA test, Macfarlane discovered that he had startlingly similarly genetics with a user named Robi737.
WATCH: Adorable Preschool “Twins” Take a Stand Against Discrimination
The pseudonym ended up belonging to Robinson, who had taken the same DNA test years earlier so he could find out more about his birth family. Further research revealed that Robinson and Macfarlane were indeed biological brothers.
Upon experiencing the shock of the discovery, the brothers are now making plans to travel the world before they go into retirement together.
“This is the best Christmas present I could ever imagine having,” Robinson told KHON.
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share The Sweet Surprise With Your Friends – Photo by KHON
“We all start with gifts. Merit comes from what we make of them” – Jean Toomer
Check out more inspiring thoughts every day on our homepage, where we will be adding a new quote each day juxtaposed over a beautiful photo. We are collecting and archiving them on our Quote of the Day page. So why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
While some people might be happy about getting holiday gifts, the internet is rejoicing over the ‘miracle’ recovery of 5 puppies in Canada.
Tessa Lee, a worker at the Edmonton animal rescue, was preparing for Christmas on Saturday night when she received a call from a woman in Glenevis, Alberta saying that she had spotted some underweight puppies on someone’s nearby property.
When Lee drove the 55-mile distance (90 kilometers) to where the woman saw the dogs, she found five malnourished and freezing pups.
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After being taken back to the warmth of her home, four of the five puppies recovered fairly quickly – one dog, however, was having a worryingly slow recovery.
But thanks to a lot of bottle feeding, an on-call veterinarian, dozens of small meals, and a little Christmas magic, the dog started showing signs of healing.
“We didn’t know if they would pull through,” Lee told CBC News. “It’s a Christmas miracle.”
MORE: Lost Pet Found Years Later, Thanks to Hurricane Irma
In the adorable video posted by the Whitecourt Homeless Animal Rescue Foundation, the dog can be seen joyfully – and persistently – stumbling around Lee’s kitchen. Though she still has some recovering to do, her progress is definitely cause for celebration.
“This puppy didn’t have the strength to lift her body up yesterday,” says the video description. “[Now,] she is drinking water and eating on her own.”
The dog, which Lee has named Ruby, will be available for adoption after two months of recovery and treatment at the Edmonton animal rescue shelter.
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share The Pawesome Story With Your Friends (Photo by Tessa Lee)
It had been almost 60 years since Patrick McKay had driven in his dream car car
McKay, who first immigrated from Ireland to America in the 1950s, worked full-time as a bus driver. The Irishman knew Upon deciding that he wanted to drive a more suave set of wheels, he stashed away all of his money until he could buy the ultimate automobile: a 1956 Nash Ambassador.
It was the car that would be there for every joyous milestone in McKay’s life. The Nash would impress his wife-to-be on their first date; it would then take them on their honeymoon; and it would be the star in dozens of family vacations.
LOOK: Hero Cop Holds onto Van Dangling Over a Bridge Until Man Inside is Saved
When a friend was in need of a car, however, McKay was nudged into selling the Nash for $75. The friend ended up crashing the car, and for all of the years to come, McKay would refer to the Nash as “the one that got away”.
Upon turning 84 years old, McKay started succumbing to the effects of dementia. As his health declined, his family began to wonder whether it was possible to fulfill his last wish and reunite him with his lost automotive love.
Thanks to a little help from automotive company Classic Cars, McKay was surprised with one last ride in a blue 1956 Nash Ambassador just before he passed away.
(WATCH the heartwarming video below)
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Thanks to an influx of community support, the Little Warriors ‘Be Brave Ranch’ in Canada can continue helping children rebuild their lives, and heal with dignity and respect, after experiencing trauma.
Committed to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of child sexual abuse, the nonprofit operates a one-year healing program for children ages 8-12 at an innovative ranch near Edmonton, Alberta.
The “highly significant” outcome for the 140 graduates of Be Brave since 2014 shows that, by the end of the year, the program had reduced Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms by 47%.
RELATED: 6,000 Sex Trafficking Victims Rescued by Ashton Kutcher’s Organization
The Little Warriors facility provides an array of different therapy options—an Art Therapy Room, Music Room, Play Room, Movie Room, Yoga Room, and Magic Room with new toys. When children arrive, they are each given a quilt made especially for them, along with a handwritten letter containing messages of hope from the quilt-makers.
Anyone can go online and complete an application to enter this program, and then the team goes through a screening process to make sure the child is the right match.
“We hear from parents and teachers that the kids are different people when they arrive back home,” reports Little Warriors CEO Laurie Szymanski. “They now have the tools and strategies to deal with their trauma – and can rebuild their lives.”
RELATED: Congress in Unanimous Vote Passes Bill of Rights for Sexual Assault Victims
As a prevention measure, the group also provides a “Prevent It” online training program for parents.
To make all this happen, Little Warriors counts on the generosity of personal donations and corporate sponsors like Black Rifle Coffee Company Canada (BRCC).
Darren Weeks, the philanthropist and founder of BRCC Canada, was inspired to support Little Warriors after meeting their Founder Glori Meldrum. He personally donated $15,000 this year, and his team is donating profit from their coffee sales and sponsoring the Little Warriors’ annual charity event.
They’ve created a custom “Little Warriors Blend”, and have gifted over 300 free pounds of the roasted beans for the program to give to donors and staff.
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“If we can help prevent the abuse of just one child, it is a win,” said Richie Pon, the company’s vice president.
With the year-end annual giving season here, consider donating directly to Little Warriors, and/or purchasing from Black Rifle Coffee Canada online because any sale will result in a portion of profits being donated to the healing of these children.
While Hollywood’s aquatic horror flick Jaws make have given some people a fear of sharks, it certainly did not intimidate Elliot Grant Sudal.
Sudal, who is a boat captain in Florida, also tags sharks for the NOAA Apex predator tagging program. Thanks to the 29-year-old’s work, the organization can monitor and track shark migration routes, reproduction, and growth patterns.
RELATED VIDEO: Mesmerizing Video of 10,000 Snow Geese Taking Flight Will Soothe Your Soul
Sudal was working off of Sanibel Island last month when he found a 7-foot-long tiger shark with a rusty fishing hook hanging from its mouth.
The boat captain whipped out a pair of pliers and safely removed the hook from its mouth before tagging the shark and releasing it back into the ocean.
(WATCH the video below)
You Should Dolphinately Click To Share With Your Friends
Police in Columbia, South Carolina praised a homeless hero last week who came to the aid of a female police officer being overpowered by an assailant during an arrest.
In a gas station parking lot, she was knocked to the ground several times by the much larger man who had attacked the store clerk while wielding a knife.
Cray Turmon realized that something had to be done, or someone might lose their life. He sprang into action tackling the suspect so Officer Hardesty could subdue him with handcuffs.
RELATED: Homeless Man Gets Huge Reward for Standing Guard Over Stranger’s Money in the Rain
“She’d done everything she could,” Turmon told Fox News. “It was going to get ugly, ya know?”
Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook honored Turmon, who lives in a homeless shelter, with a certificate for his “extraordinary actions to preserve life and aid public safety.” They also brought Christmas gifts to the Transistions shelter, where he is staying.
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“Bravo Mr. Cray Turmon for your random act of kindness your gift to us when CPD officer Ashley Hardesty needed it the most,” wrote the department on their Facebook page.
(WATCH the video below)
Police honor a homeless black man for coming to the assistance of a white female police officer this week.
— Ryan Saavedra ?? (@RealSaavedra) December 22, 2017
This is awesome. pic.twitter.com/IjrQ9YThuI
SHARE the Good News.. Or, – Photo by Columbia Police Department
“By changing the inner attitudes of their minds, human beings can change the outer aspects of their lives.” – William James
Check out more inspiring thoughts every day on our homepage, where we will be adding a new quote each day juxtaposed over a beautiful photo. We are collecting and archiving them on our Quote of the Day page. So why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Most of us love to be connected and surrounded by friends, but sometimes being pulled in a hundred different directions makes you forget about the interests you would pursue if you were by yourself. If you feel this way, you are not alone – but you may need to be.
There are far more interactions and distractions in our daily lives than ever before, causing our brains to be on sensory overload. If meaningful, the interactions can make us feel connected. Being in a distracted state, however, can make us feel disconnected, which can lead to loneliness.
Learning how
to rejuvenate by enjoying your own company is a great first step to reducing loneliness. Spending quality alone time can fuel your creativity, help you focus, de-clutter your mind, decrease anxiety, improve your social interactions and actually make you feel less lonely.
Here are a 10 tips to help you love, and long for, your alone time.
The ability to feel lonely is innate in all of us. As described in a study published in the Perspectives on Psychological Science and reported by Big Think exploring the origins of loneliness, we have physiological and psychological reactions pushing us to seek human interaction in order to survive. Because of this instinctive need to connect, we tend to measure our social success by how many friends we have online and offline and like to socialize with an entourage.
RELATED: Learn How to Spend Time Alone So You Can Unlock Your Creativity
The volume of interactions we face today, however, means that even if we are not socializing and are physically alone, we are not necessarily getting the quality alone time our body and mind need in order to best function. Not turning “off” means we are still “on.”
Being “on” can be exhilarating but also exhausting. We need eight hours of sleep every night so our bodies can revitalize but when do our minds get refreshed? For every action, there is a reaction. While we are at work, in a conversation with friends, running errands, our mind and body are constantly reacting. If we allowed ourselves not to react, we would space out a lot more than is probably socially acceptable. Sometimes, it is good to be in full solitude to have the space to just space out.
If you are an introvert or suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), quality alone time is not only something you seek but it is also essential to your health and happiness. Social interactions for introverts deplete energy whereas for extroverts, they boost energy. People with ADD tend to get overwhelmed by too many distractions and need more time alone than others do to give their busy brains a rest.
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With ADD prevalence rising and the emergence of “introverted extroverts” who require a certain amount of solitude to offset social activities, the majority of us could benefit from making quality alone time a necessity.
Society tells us that there are situations that are acceptable to be alone, such as in a library, and there are those where a lack of companion by your side means a lack of companionship in your life, such as a concert or weekend getaway.
Research shows that an important reason for people’s inhibitions from partaking in public, enjoyable activities alone is their concern that others will judge them if they do. Yet, we overestimate how many people will notice or care and anticipate significantly more negative reactions from others than we will actually receive.
So stop judging yourself and go see that movie that you’ve been dying to see that your partner has no interest in and all of your friends have already seen.
You may be setting the bar too high to find friends or a partner that share every single same interest as you. Can’t find anyone to take a cooking lesson, join a volleyball league or take a dance class with you? Do it alone and you may enjoy it even more than doing it with someone who doesn’t share your same enthusiasm. Doing an activity you enjoy alone allows you to focus on your own experience instead of ensuring someone else is also having a good time.
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Chances are if you had the courage to go alone, someone else may have too. This is a great way to meet like-minded people that share a similar interest. We are more likely to meet new people when we are alone as we are more approachable and it seems more natural to strike up a conversation with a stranger. So in getting to know yourself you may, in the process, make a new friend that shares a similar interest.
In the same way that an employer encourages you to take your vacation days so that you come back to work refreshed, your family and friends need you to create mini vacations for yourself in your every day life. Turn your long commute home into a joy ride by using this built-in time alone. Allow yourself to reflect on your day without talking, emailing or texting anyone about it. “Taking time in solitude to reflect [on activities] is just as important as the activities themselves,” says Joseph Murray, an associate professor of education at Bucknell University who has studied development for more than 20 years. Your loved ones may miss you but they will be thankful for the state you are in once you reconnect.
Don’t try this with others around, but we can get so lost in our thoughts that sometimes, it helps to say them out loud. Do this while driving and pretend like you’re on the phone. The good thoughts sound better and the bad ones sound worse. Just talk it out with yourself. Creativity flourishes in solitude so who knows, during this “self-therapy” you may actually come up with a few pretty great ideas.
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Have you ever noticed how you need a few days into a vacation to unwind? We may need a few tries to actually enjoy alone time and to get its benefits. Expectations are a heavy thing. What I “should” be doing, what I “should” be thinking. It might take some time to remember what it is that you enjoy doing when no one is watching, when no one is expecting anything of you. Do that thing. It can be as little as catching up on your favorite show, getting your hair done or going for a bike ride.
Sometimes making social plans feels like an obligation if we’re running around from one thing to the next. Instead of wanting to be left alone, we start to long for social interaction if we’ve set quality time aside for ourselves. Social outings become something we choose, not something we have to do.
Nurturing your independence can also give you more self-worth, make you feel more capable and less needy in a relationship. Once you have found satisfaction on your own and allowed time to explore your interests and your partner has done the same, it is fun to re-unite. You’ll have more to talk about and will have allowed space to miss each other.
Once you have re-connected with yourself, you can connect with others in a more meaningful way.
Share to Help a Friend… Or, (Photo by Hernán Piñera, CC)
