You don't have to fix it

I'll be honest. I've been struggling lately to practice what I preach. There has been significant upheaval in my family and home, and it has been overwhelming my ability to cope.

I can't tell you how annoying it is to have collected all this knowledge about creating joy and connection -- and to know that it's possible under any circumstance -- and yet be unable/unwilling to put it into practice.

In the back of my mind, I keep finding myself thinking, Something's wrong. I have to fix it! This makes me anxious and keeps me from seeing clearly and acting wisely. And it's not even true.

The reality is, I can't fix it. Because the "it" is Life itself, including things that have already happened, and things beyond my control.

In the big picture sense, there is nothing wrong with Life. It just contains a lot of things I don't like and don't understand. 

Stepping back like this eases the anxiety. It gives me space to remember who I am and see more clearly what I might do to create more joy and connection right now.

It also reminds me how much I love talking to people about life, and how much I've missed teaching and facilitating these past few months.

I look forward to getting back into that soon, but in the meantime, I am available for 1:1 conversations, and would love to talk to you. See details on Pepperlane.

I wish you love and happiness, no matter what your life is like right now!

What's your word for the year?

My word for 2017 was trust.

I'm not sure exactly when I realized it -- it was well after January 1st -- but once I did, it kept showing up for me again and again. No matter what I needed guidance on, the answer involved trust: trusting myself, trusting other people, trusting the process, trusting Life. It served me well, and helped me do things that were new and exciting and scary.

In the past couple of weeks, my word for 2018 has emerged: teamwork.

It started in the context of my family, where I realized a sense of teamwork was sorely lacking, and that there was a lot I could do to change that. But I'm craving more teamwork in my Gift of Happiness activities, too. As much fun as it's been to develop my own ideas and offerings, there is only so much that one person can do alone.

In 2018, I want to find more people with their own ideas for how to inspire joy and connection in the world, and who are eager to co-create and collaborate. Maybe you know people like that. Maybe you are one of those people. If so, I look forward to talking with you more, and hope you will reach out.

I also hope that you will tell me your word for 2018.

What are you craving? What are you ready for? What would you like to guide your year? It is always good to hear from you. You can comment below, or join the (free) Gift of Happiness Facebook group and post there.