Mindfulness Practice

  Most of us start the day already behind. I have to get up. I have to deal with this. I have to make it through. Those three words quietly load pressure onto everything. They make life sound like one long list of chores instead of a series of choices. Now swap them for something lighter: “I get to.” It changes everything. I get to wake up. I get to show up for work. I get to take care of people I love. Same reality, new energy. You’re no longer the one being pushed by life. You’re the one walking beside it. Why It Matters The way we talk to ourselves shapes how we feel. “I have to” closes the door on gratitude. “I get to” opens it again. It reminds us that even when things are hard, there’s still some choice, some meaning, some gift tucked inside the moment. It’s not about pretending the tough stuff is fun. It’s about seeing that there’s still purpose in the doing. A Simple Practice Catch yourself once today saying “I have to.” Pause for a second. Breathe. Then ...

Nature has an incredible way of teaching us about resilience, strength, and renewal. The sun rises after every night, never questioning whether it should. The waves crash against the shore, retreat, and return again with unwavering certainty. Trees lose their leaves in autumn, stand bare in winter, yet bloom again in spring. These natural cycles remind us that we, too, can trust in our ability to rise, adapt, and keep going—even in the face of hardship. Embracing Life’s Ebb and Flow Much like the ocean’s tides, life moves in waves. There are moments of calm and clarity, and there are storms that shake us to our core. It’s easy to feel defeated in difficult times, but nature teaches us that nothing stays the same forever. Just as the storm eventually passes, so too will the struggles we face. When we understand that challenges are part of the natural rhythm of life, we begin to approach them differently. Instead of fearing the dark moments, we can learn to accept them as a necessary par...